XanaX

There are people in this world who don't have the means to be nice to everyone on a daily basis. I am one of those people. I suffer from depression. Xanax is a drug used to treat depression. Although I have never taken this particular drug, I'm sure it would put me on an even keel. My drug of choice is Effexor with a sidecar of Abilify.

So much for the nasty "x" word!

Waiting for a Wonderful Wedding

My middle daughter has been whining and crying because her and her boyfriend have been looking at engagement rings for months now and she is tired of waiting for the real thing. Well, the wait is finally over.

Yesterday they flew to Florida for vacation and at sunset last night, he popped the question with a huge, sparkly diamond ring. Yes, it is now official ... there will be a wedding.

I don't know the details and she just called and already would like to come home and start planning. I'm sure that it will be in 2013 because that is all she has talked about for quite some time. She has actually been waiting for this for years. She knows her colors, she knows her bridal party, she has an idea of what kind of dress she wants.

As for the fiance'. He's a keeper and I'm proud to have him join our family. I'm one very happy Momma and may the fun of wedding planning begin!

Vasectomy Versions

Since I am a female, these stories obviously are not about me but they are 100% true. I was there to witness both of them.

The first time I drove someone to a vasectomy appointment, it was with my now ex-husband. The procedure went fine and as we left the doctor said to him, "Go home and rest for a day or two and you will be just fine." We went home and he was amazed that he felt as good as he did. He decided that going out to the bar that night would be alright since he didn't really feel bad at all. A little drinking (takes the edge off that nagging pain), a little dancing (still wasn't feeling all that bad) and I can't remember for sure, but we probably closed the bar.

Fast forward to the next morning. He wakes up and what does he have ... a sac the size of a cantaloupe. With tears in his eyes and running down his face he realized that doctors really do know what they are talking about.

The second time I drove someone to an appointment it was a very very close friend who had nobody else to take him. The deal was, I got to drive him there in his shiny red sports car. I was so excited. We got there pretty early in the morning and it was beautiful outside so I decided to sit outside in the car while he went in. I figured that I had lots of time and maybe I would just cruise around in the car for a while.

About 10 minutes after he went in (I was still sitting in the parking lot reading a book) a lady came along and stumbled up to my car window which was down. She asked me if she could have a drink of my orange juice. Of course, I told her "no" because I thought she was drunk. She then stumbled into the doctors office. About another 10 minutes passed and my friend came running out of the office and jumped into the car. He was as white as a sheet. I was pretty sure his procedure couldn't have been done already.

The lady had gone into the office and fell down a staircase that went down to the rooms where my friends procedure was going to take place. He was sitting right at the bottom of the stairs in a chair and she ended up right in his lap. She was having a diabetic attack (and obviously really needed my orange juice) and was dead before she hit the bottom of the stairs. The doctor tried to revive her and it didn't work. The doctor (and my friend) were so shook up, they cancelled the appointment so there was no chance of a "slip up". We went back a week later and all went fine.

Uh oh

Someone forgot to blog yesterday.

Uh oh.

U very forgetful.

Underachiever.

Udderly rediculous.

The Total Truth

I don't get it. Why must someone tell you a little bit of a truth instead of the total truth. If there is something I hate (a strong word, but appropriate), it's a liar. If you are going to tell me anything, make sure it is 100% the truth.

Life would be so much easier if you told the truth the first time, instead of having to remember what you told me to cover up some half truths. Of course I may get mad. It's a sure thing that I'm gonna yell. But don't you think that in the end, the truth will set you free?

PLEASE ... tell me the truth and things will always turn out alright!

Sucker got Sold

Today is one of the happiest days of my life. I sold my car! Back in 2005 I bought a brand new Chevy Trailblazer that I have hated every single day since the day I bought it. I have complained, bitched, had tantrums and such on a regular basis.

Today ... I signed the papers. On Monday I will pick up my new (to me) 2007 Chevy Avalanche. I am beyond ecstatic. That green piece of crap is finally going away!

I'm sure after the A to Z blog is over, I will write one about my new ride complete with pictures. I can't wait until Monday.

Rest and Relaxation

What does this mean to me? Put your fantasy goggles on.

I'm putting a a nice big pair of sweat pants. You know, the kind that are still fuzzy on the inside. Top that off with an over sized sweatshirt (preferably hooded). A brand new pair of socks ... no shoes.  I top all of this off with my Eyeore fleece blanket.

I grab my newest book (don't know the name cuz I just bought it last night), a bottle of Raspberry Sparkeltini and my pretty wine glass and head out to the front porch of the old cottage (in Crystal). I pull the comfy lounge chair up close to the railing and settle in for the duration.

Now I read for hours on end without any husband, kids, dogs or cats ... or at least until my wine bottle is empty or I'm fast asleep!

Quite a bunch of Quilters

If there is one thing that my extended family has in common, it's the fact that several of them are quilters. This is one trait that I myself do not possess.

As far back as I can remember, my great aunt Ruby was sending me quilts. I got one as a wedding gift, one for each of my first two daughters and one just because. These weren't the kind that were done on some quilting machine either. These were hand stitched with love. I remember the look of her arthritic fingers and wondering to myself, how can those hands quilt so beautifully?

Over the years, my Mother became quite a quilter. Every year she would go to Florida and during those long winter months (she hated going to Florida) she would work on a quilt or two. This woman was a "Jackie of all trades" when it came to crafts, so she would work on several different projects. The difference in the quilts my Mom made, were that she would either embroider the tops or sew the squares using scrap materials and such and have someone else do the quilting. Never the less, they were all beautiful also and there we all would stand hoping that we were next in line to get one of her handmade quilts.

I remember the look of pride on my Mom's face when my niece Stephanie made her first quilt. I can still see the two of them in the photos holding that quilt up. I'm not sure, but I don't remember Steph ever making another one.

In this family, I know of at least one more aunt and two cousins that are quilters.

When my Mom passed away last year, I remember sitting with all us girls in her bedroom and picking quilts one by one that she had left in the top of her closet. Every one of us got at least one, some of us got 2. My sister and I each got an antique quilt that had been made most likely by my Aunt Ruby. Alissa was the next one in line for a quilt from her Grandma and that one didn't get done and had to be sent away for the quilting and that should be back any time now. I know that will mean a lot to her.

It just amazes me what can become of a needle, some thread and scrap material. I have never been a crafty kind of girl, but at least I know that in this family ... we do have quilters!

Pink, Pink ... I love Pink

Coming from a family of all girls and having a family of my own of all girls, I have grown to LOVE the color pink. I love every shade of pink. I would surround myself in nothing but pink if I had the chance. I could never get tired of it. Here is one of my all time favorite photos. We all love pink!

Here is a strange but absolutely true phenomenon (another lover of pink I believe):

Now for a variety of things that make me feel warm, fuzzy and in love with pink:

Sparkles always add a touch of class.

What could be sweeter than something pink?

Maybe a little racey.

Something to keep you warm.

Something to make you warm.

Or something that just makes you beautiful.

"O" is for Owls

When Warren's parents passed away eleven years ago, we sort of inherited their bedroom at the family cottage. We had always used the loft, but we were at the age that climbing the stairs was not working so well anymore. On the dresser in the new room was a small plaque made out of some sort of stone and it was a family tree. The coolest things about it was that the family was hand painted owls. It was only the parents and kids but I have loved this plaque since the day I saw it and I have always wished I could have one of my own.

When you have a mixed family such as mine, a family tree is a pretty tricky thing so I have decided on the next best thing. I have decided that I am going to start looking for the perfect owls for my next tattoo. I want a momma owl sitting on a branch with her three baby owls sitting on other branches.

As far as the daddy owls go, I don't want a string of owls down my leg and I can't really have one daddy without having the other so unfortunately, the daddies lose out.

I can't wait until I find just the right owl family!

Nosy Neighbors

I grew up in a very small town and no matter what I did or who I did it with, my parents always seemed to find out about it. I never quite understood how they always knew, but they did. In my late teen years I found out that it was the nosy neighbors always keeping track of what I did and who came over every time my parents left me home alone.

Now I find myself doing exactly what I hated so much as a kid. One of my neighbors even refers to me as Mrs. Kravits (jokingly of course). No matter what goes on in my neighborhood, there we all are sitting on the porch checking it all out.

It could be an ambulance picking up a sick person down the street, a police car pulling the crazy kid off his parents (again), a strange car parked across the street overnight or basically anything out of the ordinary. We all do it.

I sure am glad now that my parents cared enough about me to want to know what I was doing and who I was doing it with. I'm also glad that my kids hate the fact that I know what they're doing too!

Michigan

Magical countrysides
Icy winters
Countless waterways
Hot summers
Infinite tourist hotspots
Glorious fall colors
Ample festivals, fairs and parades
Never a dull moment.

MICHIGAN - It's where I was born and raised and where I will most likely die. It's the state where you can be wearing your shorts and tshirt one minute and the next, you're looking for a pair of mittens. Green grass covers the entire state one week and the next it glistens with a skiff of frosty white snow. This is definitely the place to be if you are in love with change (and I do mean daily)!

See you all on Monday.

Lovely Little Lily

The last in posts about family. My little Lily. There are no words for this.

Kaitlin

Seems like I am stuck in a "people I love" phase here for a few letters. Kaitlin is my first born child. I'm not really sure why we picked out that name in particular, but I have always loved it. Kaitlin = Pure (um ... not so sure about that business).

Katie has been a headstrong girl from the moment she graced us with her presence on this planet. When her younger sister came along, she made sure right from the get go that Alissa knew who was in charge in this family. She was only four years old when her Dad left us to do his own thing and she was absolutely crushed. We moved on, but Katie always held out for that one chance that her Dad and I would get back together if we gave it just one more chance.

Obviously, that was never going to happen and she spent the next ten or so years letting Warren (my current husband) know that he was never going to be her Dad. I could write a novel on the trials and tribulations of those two but we'll just let that go. Katie spent every other year living with first me then her dad and let her choose where she would graduate from. She chose Vestaburg. So with a class of approximately 50 kids, she graduated in 2006.

Katie married her childhood sweetheart in 2009 after being with him for almost six years. Unfortunately, youth and lack of commitment on both sides led to divorce in 2010. She moved closer to me to live city life in the fast lane. She dated a couple of what I call "losers" and decided that she loved the last one and became pregnant. I was not thrilled with this and I did not support it, but it was going to happen no matter what I chose to think.

Katie's best accomplishment to date was bringing Liliana into this world on March 7th of this year and finally deciding in the last few weeks that it is time for her to get her life on track. The loser is gone, Lily is beautiful, and Katie is moving back to her old stomping grounds to try to raise Lily in a more stable environment than where she is now.

I will miss both of them terribly when they are not just a hop, skip and a jump away, but I know that for both of their safety and security ... it's for the best. I just want to say that I am very proud of the young woman that Katie has become and I love her with all of my heart.

Jen and Jon

If Jen wasn't my niece, she would certainly be one of my very best friends. We just click. We can sit and laugh at each other's weaknessess or those of others. We can tell jokes, we can gossip with the best of them but most of all, I consider her to be almost like one of my own. I can email her at any time about anything and expect a good honest opinion or answer about anything. She can take it when someone posts a great picture of her on the internet!

This is Jen ... everything about her is bubbly and out there (literally).

I remember sitting in the parking lot at Crystal Elementary School having cocktails with her while she sobbed and sobbed asking whether or not she should marry a certain guy or break up with him for someone she considered her best friend who was trying to steal her away. She ended up with the best friend and although it was a tough road for her during that time, Jon came into our family and when I look back, I think she made the best choice.

Me and Jon. From the looks of it, he is Jen's soul mate.

Warren and I have asked Jen and Jon to be the guardians of our youngest daughter in case of any tragedy. Of course they have agreed. We have more faith in the two of them than anyone on Earth. Whitney actually got to choose between a sister or Jen and Jon and this was her choice. Although she loves her sisters, she is head over heels in love with her cousins and decided that living with them until she became an adult was the right choice. Who wouldn't want these to be your guardians:

I can't wait until summer when we can get back to the porch (now a lot closer than before) and start visiting again. I miss it. I miss you guys. I read all about the fun you guys have and I have to admit, I'm a little jealous that we are now the old people waiting for our grandkids to get here so we can have some of those parties.

See you in a couple of months for some long awaited cocktail cruising!!!

"I"m Sorry

Today's "I" blog is going to be another short but sweet one. I have been home on leave of absence since my foot surgery and have been a real slacker. This posts is coming to you at 9:30 at night and only because I'm so tired I can barely stay awake.

Starting tomorrow, I am back on the A to Z Challenge in full force ... in the morning like it is supposed to be.

 

Hungarian Hominess

Nothing better on a chilly weekend morning than what my family grew up calling Hungarian Pancakes. You need a medium sized bowl and about a 12" coated frying pan.

2 cp flour
2 TB sugar
2 eggs
2 cp milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

My Mom used buttermilk, I do not. They turn out just as good. Mix all ingredients with wire wisk until most of the lumps are gone. Place a dollup of Crisco in the bottom of the frying pan and heat up until it is melted.

I drop a level ladleful of mix into bottom of pan and swirl to make pancake extrememly thin (these are just like crepes but a little sweeter). Normally, the first one always gets ruined. The first side should cook until all the liquid disappears, then flip. It should be nice and golden brown but not crispy. It should be a little on the doughy side.

Our family uses all different sorts of toppers. I use butter and brown sugar. One of my kids uses powdered sugar and syrup. My Dad used peanut butter and jelly. My hubby uses butter and syrup. It's all in what you like. I'll bet a chocolate chip or coconut cake would be amazing. For a real treat, I will buy a couple of flavored syrups (raspberry and blueberry are a real hit). Give these nifty cakes a try the next time you want a real comforting breakfast (or breakfast for dinner)!

Gentle Giants

The fifth and sixth kids in our lives. Rylee:






and Reggie:







We love them just like we love our kids.





It's hard to live with the slobber, hair, things getting knocked over all the time. But it sure is easy to live with the love these two give.

See you tomorrow!