A Book to Never Read

I read No Country For Old Men last week. I had several friends tell me how good it was and how great the movie was. Since I was never going to see the movie - unless it comes to the washout small screen - I thought I'd give it a read (listen). UGH! Talk about a depressing, unredemptive book! There is not one happy thing in it, not one! A sad lead character steals drug money then is chased by some guy that keeps his word in killing the thief's wife even after he has the money back and the sheriff that narrates the book is jaded and thinks everyone - except his wife - is a lost cause, which is true. BLAH! It is not compelling, it is not the next great Western or Eastern or anything. It was just a book that kept moving forward with killing and mayhem.

Give it a miss!!

Yosemite

Tylor left last Monday for a week in Yosemite. They stayed in the Boys Town Cabins. (This has always made me think of a camp for delinquents.) Tylor had Stefan Medan, his best friend pictured here, as a cabin mate as well as, Steven Duffin. Tylor and Stefan complained that Steven snored all night, every night. He was very tired when he got home. Tylor loved the food served for dinner but breakfast and lunch were lacking. They had plenty of snow on the ground so they were able to ski, snow shoe and hike to Yosemite Falls where they were misted thoroughly. He was so happy to get in a decent shower and sleep in his own bed. I was glad for him to be gone and glad when he came back. Isn't that the way of things as they get older?

Valentine's Day Craftiness

I love Valentine's Day. I love the crafts, colors and cards. I found this really cute wreath at the Paper Source but at $19.95 I was not picking it up. So, I made my own for Lauren's 4th grade class. I spend $48 for 45 of them ... hmmm, let's do the math then the craft.

I used a 9" pie plate to make the outside circle on a piece of foam core. Then I took an 8" pie plate and use the bottom of it for the inside circle, it ends up to be about 2" wide. I used paring knife to cut it as an Exacto knife was too slow.

I cut 1 piece of wide red ribbon 24" long and 1 piece of white thin ribbon 6" long and attached them to the back of the foam core with staples.

Then I cut out 12 4" x 3 1/2" red heart and glued them onto the foam core on the front side using crafting glue. This covers the foam core entirely so now you are free to decorate it.

I picked out several sorts of Valentine-y paper and used medium glue dots to attach them. The glue dots give it a 3-D effect. I'm going to add tissue hearts to it so it flutters a little later.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Why I love my sisters

So, yesterday I uploaded my new header pic that my SISTER Suzanne took. In doing so I made it too small and it looked goofy. I thought I would have my son fix it but didn't obviously another one of my SISTERs, Debbie, took it upon herself to fix my glaring and oddly posted header. And then I picked up this great message from my SISTER Tia going on and on about something positive and nice. In one day 3 of my myriad of SISTERs made me look good, made my life easier and made me feel good. I love my SISTERs!

Oh, yeah. The picture has almost nothing to do with sisters other than Suzanne took it. Jim was showing us a snake hole with a snake skin laying across it that was about 3' long. Suzanne took the shot from about 20' away ... smart SISTER!

Caption

Suzanne, my amazing photographer with the magic camera, had us walking on this great bridge. I had just finished yelling at everyone - mostly Tylor - for not cooperating and/or smiling when Suzanne asked, "Who wants to fire mom?". Please notice that Tylor did NOT raise his hand. I'm going to get his hearing checked next week.

Say A Little Prayer

Connor has his HSPT tomorrow. Can we all .. say a little prayer? (this is where my Southern roots want to jump in and say an enthusiastic, "AMEN!".) Forever, dear boy, forever and one day ... no matter what.

Ode to a Cat

Window light on cat

Mumbling as soleil drags ray

Lazy, warm, contented Max

Empty / Full

This is my clean and empty family room.

This is my new couch, the family room is full. And, already taken over by the teenager.

It's Not What it Looks Like ... Really ...

Okay, yes, it's what it looks like. One big and very close snowball fight. What you can't see is Connor scooping up snow with a shovel to dump it on the other two in about five seconds. Tahoe was nice and relatively warm - 50'. Jim and the kids skied at Sierra-at-Tahoe (I really don't like this name it's like a cake store near us that is Katie's of Pauline's. What's up with that?) and at Kirkwood. We haven't been to Kirkwood before and it was nice for the kids. The kids all did a black diamond run - not on purpose. They had a great time and I was, as usual, the cook, maid and cocoa distributer.

A Moment in time

When we moved into our house my father-in-law wanted to give us something. Specifically, he wanted to give the kids something. We found a place that sold these great play structures, very solid pieces that weren't going to tip over in an earthquake or from a kid swinging on it. It took two burly guys about 4 hours to set it up in our backyard. The kids loved it! So, they played on it, rain or shine. They climbed, pretended, made it a fort, made it a tea party house, made me laugh and only one broken arm to boot. (Not my kid)

Last summer they decided they were done with it. I tried to let go. I did. I tried. Every time I looked at it I saw Connor when he was four with his red, white and blue cape climbing up the wall acting like Spiderman. I heard Tylor making truck noises and steering it. I saw Lauren making up the little table with lemonade and cookies and having a tea party with her friends. I still see them as little but they aren't.

I finally posted it on Craig's list this week. Today two guys came and took it down in about an hour. I was very excited, a little giddy in fact. All the things I could do with an extra 20' x 12' !

But ... Now I'm sad. I just gave away a little bit of my kids childhood. I hope the new kids love it as much as mine did. Sniff....

3rd Christmas

It's finally over! Whew! I thought it would never end this year! Whew!!! We had 3 Christmas' this year; 1 with my sister, 2 with Jim's brother and 3 with Jim's parents. I thought it would never end. I am sooo planning it better next year. But what I really wanted to post about was 3rd Christmas dinner. I did a Garlic and Cracked Peppercorn crusted Prime Rib. Here's the very easy recipe if you are so inclined:

Garlic and Cracked Peppercorn Crusted Prime Rib

1 5 to 7 bone Prime Rib
12 Garlic cloves crushed with the flat of your knife then minced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp dried Thyme
2 Tbsp coarse Salt (I used a coarse Sea Salt)
4 Tbsp Cracked Peppercorns (I like the mixed variety but you can use just black.)
Garlic Salt


Set Prime Rib on counter for about an hour to get it to room temperature - very important! Turn on oven to 500'. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl. Lightly sprinkle the entire roast with garlic salt. Place roast in large roast pan fatty side up - NOTE: if you have a roast pan that has a rack use it, it lets the fat drain. Spread herb mixture over fatty side of Prime Rib and ends: if it doesn't look like enough use more of just the cracked pepper to cover up blank spots . Place roast in oven for 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 325' and continue to roast for about 75 to 90 minutes for a medium done roast. The end pieces will be more well done with center cuts being on the rare but not too rare side. Take it out of the oven when it hits 145' on your meat thermometer. If you want it well done all the way through take it out at 155'. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before cutting it. I poured off the liquid and skimmed the fat to make the au jus - I just did it by taste so I don't have a specific recipe. It was heavenly with homemade mashed potatoes, green beans with pancetta and a sour dough loaf.

Proof!

When Connor's first, or last, companion on his mission sends me a very polite but annoyed letter saying how much he likes Connor but he is concerned about his lack of culinary skills I am going to send this and several other photos to him.

Connor had a cooking class and had to plan, purchase (still my dime), and prepare an entire meal. We had ginger flank steak prepared on the grill, Caesar's salad, white corn on the cob, french bread and smoothies with brownies and homemade Dutch chocolate ice cream for dessert.

He got an A- on the project: didn't ever figure out why an A- but whatever. But better than that I have photographic evidence that he can cook when the need arises.

12

This is what 12 looks like. Exactly 12 years after 12 was born. We timed the picture so we took it exactly at 5:48 pm. My mom made me an apple cake for my 12th birthday. Dad had the sacks from Sears and the mall behind his chair while we all sang very off key.

We sing the Hogwart's version of Happy Birthday - all the same words but our own tune - very festive. And I wrapped or sacked all gifts, now there's love. And for cake? Forget it. 12 wanted cheesecake with strawberries. I was going to make it but no strawberries to be found at 4 markets, but I did find cheesecake.

12 is testing limits, being questioning and questionable. 12 still wants hugs and snuggles but please don't embarrass 12 by talking to 12 in front of other people, any people. 12 can't hear well unless it is "Cheesecake." or "Hot homemade rolls.". 12 loves WOW, soccer and driving video games. 12 is, well, 12.

Colorado Skiing

You know there is always someone in a picture that is making an inappropriate face or making rabbit ears. Most of the time it isn't my husband. Most of the time.

Baby Steps

Several - by several I mean 12+ - months ago our master bathroom faucet started to drip. Since I hardly ever use that bathroom during the day and it's upstairs it didn't bother me until bed time ... drip, drip, drip. Used a wash cloth for months but then the dripping got worse so it would soak the cloth at about 1 a.m. .. drip, drip, drip, even worse than before because now it was a rain drop into a puddle splash. So, Jim and I found a set of new faucets, thank you HD for having them on sale for $67! Here is our "remodeled" bathroom with new matching pulls on the drawers. And no drips... ;-)