I've bleached it to death and this is the best I can do.
I'm just so mad I had to tell somebody about it.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
AHHHH!
Don't you hate it when an article of clothing you only kind of like leaks dye onto a pair of pants your daughter absolutely loves?! I feel horrible because it is totally MY fault!! I was in a hurry yesterday and put some wet clothes in the hamper "temporarily" and found this today:
I've bleached it to death and this is the best I can do.
I'm just so mad I had to tell somebody about it.
I've bleached it to death and this is the best I can do.
I'm just so mad I had to tell somebody about it.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
I'm Turning into My Mother!
That is a common phrase spoken in our modern world. The only thing I don't understand is why people act as if that's a bad thing. I'd love to turn into my mother. My mom is amazing. And every year about this time I remember just how amazing she is.
I have vivid memories from my childhood of the sights, sounds and often the stickiness associated with the end of the summer. We had a huge garden and my mom was (and still is) a master at canning--tomatoes, peaches, pears, applesauce, pickles--you name it, she could do it all. I remember how hot the kitchen got on those days, the sound of bottles rattling in the pressure cooker, the feel of the squishy peach peels as they magically slipped off the blanched fruit. But mostly I remember my mom and the countless hours she spent in front of the sink filling the bottles in her labor of love.
Last year I planted only tomato plants in my garden so by late summer I had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with. After a few weeks of eating all things tomato, I realized there was no way we could eat them all fresh and I decided I really needed to learn how to can--not just to save my tomatoes, but to be a faithful latter-day-saint. I had a fairly good foundation of knowledge on the subject from what I had learned as a kid and what I didn't know I was able to find on the internet. I bought jars and lids, dug my biggest pot out of the back of the cupboard and set out to have an uplifting, provident, faith-promoting afternoon.
Unfortunately none of those things happened. My experience was less than uplifting--more problematic than providential. I realized the learning curve on this particular skill was steeper for me than I imagined it would be. I think the only real lesson I learned was that canning makes me curse.
I did manage to produce four little pint jars of tomatoes--two of which are still sitting in my basement because I just can't bring myself to open them when I think about the pains I took to make them.
So as I approach a new harvest season, I find myself thinking about my mom and the never ending patience and persistence she's able to employ to fill her storeroom shelves. I'm determined to give it another try this year. Most of my tomatoes are still green but my one little cucumber plant is doing quite well so yesterday I made this:
And who knows, maybe after a little more practice I'll have more in common with my mom than just the same slender fingers.
At least I hope so.
I have vivid memories from my childhood of the sights, sounds and often the stickiness associated with the end of the summer. We had a huge garden and my mom was (and still is) a master at canning--tomatoes, peaches, pears, applesauce, pickles--you name it, she could do it all. I remember how hot the kitchen got on those days, the sound of bottles rattling in the pressure cooker, the feel of the squishy peach peels as they magically slipped off the blanched fruit. But mostly I remember my mom and the countless hours she spent in front of the sink filling the bottles in her labor of love.
Last year I planted only tomato plants in my garden so by late summer I had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with. After a few weeks of eating all things tomato, I realized there was no way we could eat them all fresh and I decided I really needed to learn how to can--not just to save my tomatoes, but to be a faithful latter-day-saint. I had a fairly good foundation of knowledge on the subject from what I had learned as a kid and what I didn't know I was able to find on the internet. I bought jars and lids, dug my biggest pot out of the back of the cupboard and set out to have an uplifting, provident, faith-promoting afternoon.
Unfortunately none of those things happened. My experience was less than uplifting--more problematic than providential. I realized the learning curve on this particular skill was steeper for me than I imagined it would be. I think the only real lesson I learned was that canning makes me curse.
I did manage to produce four little pint jars of tomatoes--two of which are still sitting in my basement because I just can't bring myself to open them when I think about the pains I took to make them.
So as I approach a new harvest season, I find myself thinking about my mom and the never ending patience and persistence she's able to employ to fill her storeroom shelves. I'm determined to give it another try this year. Most of my tomatoes are still green but my one little cucumber plant is doing quite well so yesterday I made this:
And who knows, maybe after a little more practice I'll have more in common with my mom than just the same slender fingers.
At least I hope so.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Ten Recent Observations
1. There is no such thing as a "quick trip" to Costco.
2. Even the most mildly humid summer afternoon in the mid-west is still way too humid for this Utah girl (although I do like how soft it makes my skin).
3. There is something disturbing about a self-flushing toilet that does its job with such vigor that your feet get wet.
4. Every unpleasant experience in life is made better if you have Gilmore Girls playing in the background--even getting your teeth drilled at the dentist.
5. Shoe shopping solo is a delight. Shoe shopping with three kids the week before school starts is torture.
6. It seems that not all people own full length mirrors, because if they did I'm certain they would not go out in public wearing what they do. Yikes!
7. You can sometimes find long lost friends just by "google-ing" them.
8. You can't buy love and homegrown tomatoes.
9. It is possible to drink too much Dr. Pepper. (who knew?!)
10. You know your marriage is in a good place if you can spend fourteen straight days with your husband on a stressful business trip and you not only still like him, but you love him even more.
2. Even the most mildly humid summer afternoon in the mid-west is still way too humid for this Utah girl (although I do like how soft it makes my skin).
3. There is something disturbing about a self-flushing toilet that does its job with such vigor that your feet get wet.
4. Every unpleasant experience in life is made better if you have Gilmore Girls playing in the background--even getting your teeth drilled at the dentist.
5. Shoe shopping solo is a delight. Shoe shopping with three kids the week before school starts is torture.
6. It seems that not all people own full length mirrors, because if they did I'm certain they would not go out in public wearing what they do. Yikes!
7. You can sometimes find long lost friends just by "google-ing" them.
8. You can't buy love and homegrown tomatoes.
9. It is possible to drink too much Dr. Pepper. (who knew?!)
10. You know your marriage is in a good place if you can spend fourteen straight days with your husband on a stressful business trip and you not only still like him, but you love him even more.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Summer Highlights
It's hard to believe that the summer is half over! Here are a few of the most interesting things I've done so far this summer.
1. The day after school got out my first born was baptized! The past eight years have gone by so fast. I'm so proud of him and the way in which he really was prepared for this. We had a beautiful day!
2. My husband and I took a giant leap of faith and bought a new business--which I'm sure I'll end up writing about extensively at a later date! The home office of our company sent us this cool welcome basket. The cookies were surprisingly quite tasty!
3. I'm learning to live on a tight budget. Not that we've ever really been living the high life, but our upcoming change in employment is going to necessitate a rather drastic change in lifestyle while we get things going. Some fun books I've read lately: "Beating the High Cost of Eating" and "You CAN Afford to Stay Home With Your Kids." I love the public library!
4. I planted a small garden. It's just tomatoes, a few herbs, a cucumber plant and some green peppers. Last year I planted only tomatoes and was so overwhelmed at harvest time that I decided to diversify a little bit this year.
5. My husband and I went to an amazing awards ceremony. Our dear friends Tyler and Meredith came home to Utah so that Tyler could be awarded the Silver Star for some impressive things he did while deployed to Afghanistan. Our friend Chad was awarded the bronze star in the same ceremony. It was actually quite a big deal. My husband is an incredible person and as an extension of that he has some pretty incredible friends!
6. My little brother got married! It was such a joyous occasion. We partied for two straight days. Thirty of my mom's thirty-two grandchildren came for the celebration so my kids got tons of "cousin time" which they love. My new sister-in-law is absolutely delightful.
7. I got to go out to lunch with "The Babes." For some reason I tend to have names for the people I hang out with. My high school friends were called "The Harem" and my college gang was called "The Babes"--I guess we were all fairly confident girls. We were so fortunate to have two of our out-of-state Babes here during the same week so we could all go to lunch together. Unfortunately one of the local Babes was out of town but we take what we can get these days (We missed you Meggen!). I love how true friends can go months, or even years, without seeing each other and when we finally get together it's like no time has passed at all.
8. I ran a race! One of my friends and I decided way back in January that we would run the Freedom Festival 5K together on July 4th. Neither of us really trained up for it but we figured that three miles would probably not kill us so we did it anyway. My sister decided to join us too, even though she hadn't trained either. It was quite fun actually. I was surprised how well I did--I honestly thought I would pass out as I crossed the finish line, but I actually felt really good. It inspired me to get into better shape and I've gone running three times this week!
Judging by the looks of my calendar, the second half of the summer is going to be just as interesting--if not more so. I think I might even be relieved when fall comes, maybe life will calm down a little bit!
1. The day after school got out my first born was baptized! The past eight years have gone by so fast. I'm so proud of him and the way in which he really was prepared for this. We had a beautiful day!
2. My husband and I took a giant leap of faith and bought a new business--which I'm sure I'll end up writing about extensively at a later date! The home office of our company sent us this cool welcome basket. The cookies were surprisingly quite tasty!
3. I'm learning to live on a tight budget. Not that we've ever really been living the high life, but our upcoming change in employment is going to necessitate a rather drastic change in lifestyle while we get things going. Some fun books I've read lately: "Beating the High Cost of Eating" and "You CAN Afford to Stay Home With Your Kids." I love the public library!
4. I planted a small garden. It's just tomatoes, a few herbs, a cucumber plant and some green peppers. Last year I planted only tomatoes and was so overwhelmed at harvest time that I decided to diversify a little bit this year.
5. My husband and I went to an amazing awards ceremony. Our dear friends Tyler and Meredith came home to Utah so that Tyler could be awarded the Silver Star for some impressive things he did while deployed to Afghanistan. Our friend Chad was awarded the bronze star in the same ceremony. It was actually quite a big deal. My husband is an incredible person and as an extension of that he has some pretty incredible friends!
6. My little brother got married! It was such a joyous occasion. We partied for two straight days. Thirty of my mom's thirty-two grandchildren came for the celebration so my kids got tons of "cousin time" which they love. My new sister-in-law is absolutely delightful.
7. I got to go out to lunch with "The Babes." For some reason I tend to have names for the people I hang out with. My high school friends were called "The Harem" and my college gang was called "The Babes"--I guess we were all fairly confident girls. We were so fortunate to have two of our out-of-state Babes here during the same week so we could all go to lunch together. Unfortunately one of the local Babes was out of town but we take what we can get these days (We missed you Meggen!). I love how true friends can go months, or even years, without seeing each other and when we finally get together it's like no time has passed at all.
8. I ran a race! One of my friends and I decided way back in January that we would run the Freedom Festival 5K together on July 4th. Neither of us really trained up for it but we figured that three miles would probably not kill us so we did it anyway. My sister decided to join us too, even though she hadn't trained either. It was quite fun actually. I was surprised how well I did--I honestly thought I would pass out as I crossed the finish line, but I actually felt really good. It inspired me to get into better shape and I've gone running three times this week!
Judging by the looks of my calendar, the second half of the summer is going to be just as interesting--if not more so. I think I might even be relieved when fall comes, maybe life will calm down a little bit!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
My Field Trip
If you look in Webster's dictionary a "field trip" is defined as: a visit made for purposes of firsthand observation.
A few weeks ago my husband and I went on a field trip. We went to Omaha to meet with the founders and employees at the headquarters of a business we were considering becoming a part of. My husband wanted "firsthand observation" of this business and the people we would be working with. For him, it was an intense find out mission. For me, it felt like a field trip to the land of the grown-ups.
For the past eight years I have been a full-time mother. Before that, I was an elementary school teacher. I started working in a local school my first semester of college and worked there almost until graduation. I have spent half my life being a kid, and the other half working with kids. So the two days I spent with my husband in Corporate America were like visiting another world.
I had the hardest time figuring out what to pack. My standard mom uniform of jeans and a T-shirt was just not going to cut it this time. I felt like Cher in the movie Clueless searching her closet for her "most responsible looking outfit!" We were told that business casual attire would be appropriate for both days. What the heck does "business casual" mean--especially for a woman who has been out of the work force for eight years?! I have exactly one pair of dress pants that I bought last year when I was invited to dinner at the Governor's mansion, otherwise all of my nice stuff is for church. In the end, I decided that it is better to be overly dressy when trying to make a good impression, so along with my good pants I also brought a skirt.
See how foreign this all is to me? I felt totally out of place and I hadn't even left my house yet!
In Omaha we were met at the airport by a chauffeur standing in the baggage claim area holding a sign with our names on it. Crazy, right? I thought that was something that just happened in the movies. We were given a short tour of town from the comfy backseat of a Lincoln Towncar. There were no crumbs on the floor or broken crayons wedged between the seats and no one was wailing "Are we there yet?!"
I could get used to a ride like that.
In the evening we were "wined (not literally!) and dined" at a well-known local steakhouse. The food was amazing but I had the hardest time getting over how expensive it was--even though I knew we wouldn't be paying! To be looking at a menu on which a single entree costs more than I spend in a week at the grocery store, is a little unnerving, at least for me. It was just a little bit outside of my Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger comfort zone.
We spent the entire next day in meetings. It was a whirlwind of new faces and talking and asking questions and scribbling notes. And all the while I'm hoping like crazy that no one sees that my cool and calm demeanor is all fake. At any moment I expected someone to turn to me and say, "You don't belong here. You're totally in over your head." At the end of the day I was mentally and physically exhausted. It's been a long time since I focused my energy so intently on one thing for an entire day like that. I'm used to days that are exhausting because I'm focused on too many different things.
All in all it was a very productive trip.
We learned a lot about this company and last week signed a formal agreement to begin a new business with them.
I learned that I can hold my own in an business environment, although I don't prefer it.
And I learned that even though I enjoy getting an occasional break from wiping my kids noses, I'd never want to be away so much that I'd miss the chance to wipe their tears.
A few weeks ago my husband and I went on a field trip. We went to Omaha to meet with the founders and employees at the headquarters of a business we were considering becoming a part of. My husband wanted "firsthand observation" of this business and the people we would be working with. For him, it was an intense find out mission. For me, it felt like a field trip to the land of the grown-ups.
For the past eight years I have been a full-time mother. Before that, I was an elementary school teacher. I started working in a local school my first semester of college and worked there almost until graduation. I have spent half my life being a kid, and the other half working with kids. So the two days I spent with my husband in Corporate America were like visiting another world.
I had the hardest time figuring out what to pack. My standard mom uniform of jeans and a T-shirt was just not going to cut it this time. I felt like Cher in the movie Clueless searching her closet for her "most responsible looking outfit!" We were told that business casual attire would be appropriate for both days. What the heck does "business casual" mean--especially for a woman who has been out of the work force for eight years?! I have exactly one pair of dress pants that I bought last year when I was invited to dinner at the Governor's mansion, otherwise all of my nice stuff is for church. In the end, I decided that it is better to be overly dressy when trying to make a good impression, so along with my good pants I also brought a skirt.
See how foreign this all is to me? I felt totally out of place and I hadn't even left my house yet!
In Omaha we were met at the airport by a chauffeur standing in the baggage claim area holding a sign with our names on it. Crazy, right? I thought that was something that just happened in the movies. We were given a short tour of town from the comfy backseat of a Lincoln Towncar. There were no crumbs on the floor or broken crayons wedged between the seats and no one was wailing "Are we there yet?!"
I could get used to a ride like that.
In the evening we were "wined (not literally!) and dined" at a well-known local steakhouse. The food was amazing but I had the hardest time getting over how expensive it was--even though I knew we wouldn't be paying! To be looking at a menu on which a single entree costs more than I spend in a week at the grocery store, is a little unnerving, at least for me. It was just a little bit outside of my Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger comfort zone.
We spent the entire next day in meetings. It was a whirlwind of new faces and talking and asking questions and scribbling notes. And all the while I'm hoping like crazy that no one sees that my cool and calm demeanor is all fake. At any moment I expected someone to turn to me and say, "You don't belong here. You're totally in over your head." At the end of the day I was mentally and physically exhausted. It's been a long time since I focused my energy so intently on one thing for an entire day like that. I'm used to days that are exhausting because I'm focused on too many different things.
All in all it was a very productive trip.
We learned a lot about this company and last week signed a formal agreement to begin a new business with them.
I learned that I can hold my own in an business environment, although I don't prefer it.
And I learned that even though I enjoy getting an occasional break from wiping my kids noses, I'd never want to be away so much that I'd miss the chance to wipe their tears.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)