Pie

Why?

Why did I tell my 13 year old that I would make him a pie?

The boy doesn't even eat pie!

He announced to me on Tue that Friday was Pie day at school and he signed me up to make a pie...

So, I was signed up to make a pie...

Hmmm, I wondered...when exactly would I be able to make this pie?

I'll tell you when...9:34 PM Thur night...

So my counter had to look like this....

So I put on this...

and whipped up some of this...

and then it looked like this...

and then I added those...

and then I began to wonder...

What is going to happen to this made from scratch pie?

This pie that is made by an exhausted mother

very late in the evening?

Will it be savored? enjoyed? Ohhed and ahhhed over?

No!

My kid will turn his own little nose up at because he doesn't like pie...

It will be tossed on a table with various other pies and picked over and probably coughed on and most likely sneezed on by one or more of the little darlings...

And then it suddenly occurred to the slow witted Mom...

I could have bought one!!!

I love cherry pie!

It smells amazing right now!

I won't even get a piece!!!

Lame...

So why did I make the pie?

Because my kiddo asked me to...

Ok, I'll be honest, I say no to plenty of things he asks of me.

Here's the truth - I'm slipping in the polls!

Both of my boys clearly think their dad is cooler than me...

Most times they prefer his company!

He watches cooler stuff on TV...

He lets them get away with stuff...

He gets their lame jokes...

He joins them in terrible table manners...

The list really could go on...

but I'll stop

Because I'm tired and I have to get this stupid pie out of the oven...

Oh, but I didn't answer the question...

I did it in an effort to win my kids affection...

There I admitted it...

But I'm really regretting it...

Frychik

P.S.

I'm keeping it!

I'm going to the store in the moring to buy one

So, if you want some, I would love to share it with you!

FlashLight Literary Society

Last night was book club night.

I've written about book club night before...
It never disappoints...

We read the Wednesday Sisters this time...
and in the book there is a section where they talk about the Kentucky Derby..
So our hostess choose that for the theme and requested we all wear Derby hats...
And as is the case whenever I'm required to dress up, I panicked!

Dressing up for some people is so natural, so fun...
Why is it so terrifying for me?

Well, for one, I don't keep anything...so I don't have a trunk full of clothes from days gone by...

But thankfully my SOS was responded to and Jasmine snagged me a hat...and that's all I could do...

Thankfully, my friends are very accepting of my shortfalls!

There are so many wonderful parts to the FLS...
Each month the hostess goes to a tremendous amount of work to prepare yummy, fun meals...

The food is chosen to go along with the theme.  Tonight we had mint juleps, Derby pie and other wonderful recipes straight from the Kentucky Derby!


My very favorite part of this club is the friendship.  I have come to know people I didn't have any contact with before joining this group.  Our common bond is books and that's a lovely thing to bond over!

We listen to each other's opinions, we laugh with each other and we've been known to shed a few tears on each other's behalf.

Wednesday Sisters is a story of friends who meet each other in a park and slowly, in my opinion VERY slowly become friends or "sisters".  They bond over books and writing.  Through the course of the story you learn different things about each character as they learn about each other.

I believe to a degree, that is what is happening with us.  We don't meet every week as the characters in the book do.  Only once a month.  And some in our group are closer to each other than others.  But we value each other and miss members when they aren't there.  Last night 3 were gone.  We missed them!

As women we are very lucky to have friendships!
Reach out to your friends today and let them know how valued they are!

Frychik

P.S.  Hey SP  pink or blue?

Thanksgiving

My husbando and I have been together for over 25 years...
For those 25 Thanksgivings we have either..

A. lived in some god forsaken place like Florida
B. Had Thanksgiving in Walla Walla with his grandparents

However, due to certain circumstances, this year will be different.  We will celebrate Thanksgiving here with my Mom.

Let me be clear in saying, I love Jeff's grandparents dearly!  I honestly do.  They really are my grandparents at this point!

What I don't enjoy is being stuck in Walla Walla for the holiday.  Not a lot happening there.  The family we visit there are very busy and we tend to just sit around feeling the food we just ate gently take over our thighs and midsections as well as our backsides...A very disturbing feeling I assure you!

My Mom has been a great sport about it.  She gathers the family the Saturday before Thanksgiving and we eat a full on Thanksgiving meal.   Then, 4 days later we drive to Walla Walla and eat another Thanksgiving meal.

Friends, one Thanksgiving meal does enough damage, but having two every year is a really, really, bad thing!

So, only one Turkey day meal and Portland and Mt. Hood to keep me busy. I won't miss the 8 hours of driving either!

But I will miss these two!

Frychik



Sarah Palin

I am a little scared to admit this...
I actually like Sarah...
I'm scared to admit it because for some reason people Hate her!

I really, truly don't understand why...
What has she done that was so awful?

I'll tell you what she did...

1.  She has breasts and ovaries - the nerve!
2.  She has a brain for politics and business - absurd!
3.  She has been willing to put herself out there...fight for what she believes in - clearly crazy!
4.  And worst of all she's pretty - gasp!

I'm not endorsing her for President...
I'm just saying, I don't understand the intense negative feelings she arouses...

And I'll go one step further...
I believe that the majority of people don't have concrete factual reasons for disliking her.

They just jump on the bandwagon...
The bandwagon that is pulled by the press.

It is shocking how we believe whatever the press feeds us.
For some reason the press despises her?!
Actually, I have an opinion on why the press hates her...

They (press) were surprised.  Caught off guard.  Blindsided when Senator John McCain picked her for VP.
They didn't like being caught unaware and the prize went to whoever could dig up or make up, the most dirt...

My very first impression of Mrs. Palin was positive.  As she stood on that stage and gave her speech I was impressed.
Yes, she had an accent.  But she spoke smoothly, confidently, and with energy and passion.
She was positive and she struck me as an honest sort of person...

But then this firestorm erupted all around her and I was caught off guard...
Was it true?

(Just a side note.  One of the things I really don't like about politics is that you never REALLY know the truth about any candidate....)


I couldn't read her book fast enough.
I figured that if I was gonna listen to what the press had to say, I should hear what she had to say...

Yes, I'm aware that her book was "biased"  but how can that be?  Isn't the press "biased"?
There were many stories in the book where she was able to explain her side, her point of view, her story...imagine that...

So Sunday night her "reality" show Alaska premiered.
I watched it.
Nothing terribly exciting...

Then I just read on line someone claiming that the show is full of "subliminal" messages. 
For example;
~when she says "oh no, we are stuck on a rock"  That the message we were to hear was "we are stuck in Iraq"

OMG!!!

Isn't there a point where people just look stupid trying to villainize someone?
I believe we are way past there.

Frychik

Bad Aditude!

Christmas...
I'm afraid I have a bad attitude about the holiday.

I believe, and know, Jesus is the reason for the season...
However, "knowing" this, isn't helping me...

The following a list of my "bah humbug"

1.  It completely overshadows, swallows up, stomps on and grinds up Thanksgiving

2.  While Christmas trees are nice they don't make me smile like pumpkins do...

3.  Every direction you turn is BUY, BUY, BUY.

4.  The grumpiest people on the planet suddenly invade EVERY store I need to go into.  They are rude, pushy and buying EVERY item they can with their shopping cart overflowing and kids screaming.

5.  Those stupid bells!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6.  No matter that I have just emptied my wallet at the last ringing red bucket the next person manages to make me feel guilty...then the person at the cash register asking if I want to "round up" or "donate a toy" or "contribute" to the needy...

7.  Fudge - It makes me FATTER

8.  The PRESSURE! - For staying in the budget.  For remembering everyone. For getting it all done...

9.  Even though I've never succeeded before, I suddenly believe that I'm able to make the perfect;
~ Christmas card to send to everyone
~ to make the yummiest treats for my family
~ to buy the perfect gifts at unbelievable bargain prices
~ to decorate my house inside and out
~ to be generous and giving to everyone that asks
~ to make sure Jesus is the reason for the season and not the gifts your kids are really hoping for...
~to be happy at all those Christmas programs I must attend
~to keep a smile on my face and stay calm at all times.

10.  That no matter how many years I tell myself to chill out and enjoy I never can...

I'm sure by now some of you who are all sparkly, snowy, Christmas lovers are traumatized by my bah humbug list.

Stay tuned for the reasons I do like Christmas...  ;)

Frychik

Progress

I go a little crazy when I'm behind...
I have several definitions of being behind...

Messy house...
empty fridge...
extra lbs sitting on me...

messy car...
laundry...Man of Man do I hate, Hate, HATE laundry...
I stop putting my clothes away and just take them off and toss them in the corner...

I stop washing my face at night because  I'm just too tired...
I stop cooking...(well I really don't care to cook so this one doesn't bother me much.  But it really bothers the boys!)

But the thing that really truly drives me crazy, is getting behind on my grading...It really, really bugs me! I suppose that's because no one else will do it...

When every day there are more papers coming in, it's just so critical to my sanity to keep things graded, recorded, and returned...

When this isn't happening everything else seems out of control.
I've had time to get some grading done...

But my Mom did the nicest thing for me yesterday which made such a huge difference!
She drove all the way up here into Washington State and sat in my empty house and graded papers for me while I was teaching.

My Mom Rocks!

Thanks Mom!

Frychik

What I wanna be when I grow up...

So when I was little I told my mom I wanted to be a gardener and a movie star...

 Gardener....

Movie Star... ;)


Then when I got older I just wanted to play volleyball and date boys...

Volleyball....

Boy!!!


Then, I wanted to go to college, but I had no idea what I wanted to become.
Then, I decided I liked history and teenagers and happily, I still do..

In high school I got my first 35mm camera.  I loved, love taking pictures!  So what I'm still waiting to become is a "famous" photographer...

My absolute dream job would be to travel the world taking pictures....
I am so blessed to have had the opportunities I have already had.

But, can you imagine getting paid to travel and take pictures!!  Maybe some day...Yes, Art Wolfe I am after your job!  I noticed when I met you this summer you're looking a little tired...

So for the record, my aspirations in life have been to be a gardener/movie star, who teaches high school history and travels the world taking pictures...

I wonder what a shrink could determine about me based on that....

Frychik