My besties

In honor of the fact that Oprah is having a reunion of the original cast members from the movie "The Sound of Music", and I grew up singing those songs and can still belt them out in the most off-key voice you can imagine, which I do with gusto, I thought I'd make a list of my favorite things this week.

Plus, I was running this morning and IT WAS NOT RAINING, although my lungs did get an ice-cream head-ache. But the dogs and I did not give a fig. (what does that even mean??) We were thrilled to be out on the trail after a dismal couple days trapped by the flood waters and "exercising" on the elliptical.
And I really think Chopper and Lucy suffer from SADD. Sun-All-Dark..Depressed. Lucy slept for 23.5 hours yesterday. Then when she woke up, she was all tired and SADD looking.



But on to today and the LIST OF BESTIES!!



My first new thing this week, my Asics that I scored a great deal on. Yes, I know I already bragged on them. But two things:
1) I hadn't actually worn them out for a run. Now I did. They held up well on the trail. Yay!
2)I forgot that I already mentioned them yesterday and had to go back and look. Yep, I have a BIG life full of important facts and figures that need remembering.

The next thing would on the list would

have to be TEAVANA. My first taste of their White Ayurvedic Chai &Samurai Chai Mate began a troubling, but somehow liberating, conversation in my mind.
Could I cheat on my coffee? Could these warm, earthy and delightful teas take the place of my morning, noon,afternoon,evening joe? Maybe so, maybe so.






While at Costco this week I came across something that I might be willing to do a little prison ministry in order to get. From the inside. From the Hole, if need be. Just a little B & E.
They are sheets.
Supposedly.
I don't believe they have a thread count as they are woven by angels using gossamer butterfly wings as fabric. They are Spalena sheets and bedding and can be found at your local Costco warehouse. Who knew?



While still at Costco, I found the Cast Iron Dutch Oven that I have been waiting

months for. The pictures do not do it justice and when I opened it I heard an Alleluia chorus of celebrity chefs including Bobby Flay and Cat Cora as well as the angels that had been working on the Spalena sheets.

I had a moment.

Visions of the two recipes that I will be making this weekend danced through my head :(They performed an exuberant tango)

A nice crusty artisan bread is easier to make than you might think!

Beef braised in beer and molasses served with garlic and mascarpone mashed potatoes.
No I am not kidding. Be jealous, be very jealous, then go make some for your own family. They will kiss your feet. Or maybe buy your some Spalena sheets....!!!)

Stuff & Things

Very random week. Zig zaggy.

Cool new word, huh?

You can use it if you want. Just make sure you use it properly and in context.

Thank you.

We'll begin with the begin with the weather. It was very blowy, as Forrest Gump, would say.

I came home from the store Sunday morning (where I snagged the BEST deal on some Asic running shoes...40% off clearance! Yes! Score!) and I saw this on my front porch:

As I said, It was very blowy.

And very rainy. I am still not into the rain, and didn't run outside with the dogs and the new Asics yet. Chopper looks even more glum than usual.

I came in the house and smelled something.

No, it wasn't cinnamon or pumpkin bread. The dogs weren't busy with their fall baking while I was out.

It wasn't old socks or even a dish rag that had had seen better days.

No, one of the dogs decided they would disrespect the fact that I did not put them in the outside kennel on this rainy blowy day,and with nothing but love and kindness in my heart, allow them to stay inside on their leather couches cozy cedar dog beds.

Unwillingly and with growing horror and nausea, I followed my nose to this

I turned and ran with arms outstretched into the kitchen where I saw this:

:

Back to this:

Now over to this:

Sad, isn't it?

What is really sad is that I was just at the store, buying those Asics and I forgot paper towels.

If you think any toilet paper is going to work to pick up bull mastiff poo, you are sadly mistaken and I don't suggest you try it. Unless you are wearing disposable gloves. And have boiling water and antibacterial wipes and a hazmat suit ready. Just sayin'.

(I used and old shirt. Sorry, Amy. But you left here for the last 84 years. I figured you were over it. But I could wash it and get it back to you...?)

If you are upset with me for putting up pictures of dog poo, a couple things.

First,it is not as if you have never seen dog poo before.

I had to come home, find it, smell it, clean it up.

I should be able to glean something positive out of it and if that means taking a picture, downloading it, posting it and blogging about it so you can share in my agony, so be it.

"Carry each others burdens." Galatians 6:2

Thank you.

Now, because I feel kind of guilty, I'll throw you this bone. Baby Max in a tub. Just let the baby in the bubble bath erase all the horror.

All better

.

Phone calls in the middle of the night

Sometimes its scary news.

Sometimes it's good news.

Sometimes you just can't remember.

So I was chatting on the phone with my most excellent daughter-in-law last night and she mentioned that her folks were coming from Idaho to help her and Josiah move next weekend.

As I have noticed that the house deals have not been working out as quickly as hoped for, I asked where they were going to move to.

There was a pause, then, "Well, with you guys....right?"

Then another pause as neither of us said anything, and then both of us shouted, "Josiah!" at the same moment.

I heard Ashley saying furiously "Josiah, you said this was all worked out! You said your parents were fine with it!" And Josiah in the background, probably deflecting blows, saying, "I did! I talked to them! I did!"

A fuzzy memory began to surface of the phone ringing shrilly, waking me out of a deep sleep in the middle of the night, probably after 10, but maybe 9:45 or so, a few weeks before.

I will automatically answer those middle-of-the-night calls because it is most likely the kids calling with an emergency of some sort, like how do you make meatloaf, or have you seen this episode of "House." But I usually stay asleep during the first half of the conversation. Everyone can vouch for this.

So I vaguely remember one such phone call with Josiah, and I seem to remember him asking if he and Ashley and Max could move in until they found a place to buy.

Apparently, I said yes before I hung up.

I'd best get the guest room ready.

The kids are moving in for a bit.

(oh hurray!!) :-)

(I bet they are SO EXCITED)

Not very sharp

Well, maybe I AM sharp.

You be the judge.


We did not have a real peaceful time of sleep the other night.



The sheets were not cooperating.



My legs and feets (yes, I typed in "feets" accidentally, but it made me giggle so I am leaving it in there) kept getting all tangled and twisted up in the sheets and I was not even comfortable at all, I tell you.
AT ALL.







This is what I found when I woke up.

Apparently, I have toenails that will skin a buck.

Or at least fillet a steelhead.

You better watch out, Rod Meyer.

You better just watch out....

The end.

That WAS the end.

But the real ending happened when I went into our hall closet and got out another fitted sheet. This one is actually made for a pillow top bed. A really really fluffy pillow top bed, which ours is not. So when we put this "fitted" sheet on, it tends to slide around all night and we tend to be all grumpy and complain about it and ask who is going to Costco next, do we really have to go to Costco? Can't we just order some sheets online? Make sure the thread count is high enough.

No, I am no making any of that up. We enjoy bed.

I got this letter from Godfrey today. He is one of our Ugandan Compassion children.He says God is in his school, and that he loves us very much. (We love him, too)

In case you can't see it, he says he thanks God for the program because it provide eggs, blankets and books.

I wonder what thread count those blankets are?

Things running through my head as I stack firewood

Man, that is one freaking big pile of wood!



Don't look at the pile of wood.



Think good thoughts...



This wood will keep us toasty warm this winter.



I'm hot.



I'm tired.



I'm thirsty.



Am I a first grader?



No, the first graders I know are not this whiny.



Rod will be SO surprised that I've stacked all this fire wood. I can't wait to see his face when he see this!



It will make him happy that he doesn't have to break his back tossing all this wood, or hire someone to do it for him.


Gosh, I sure hope that stack of wood does not fall on me and pin me under there and I have to use the chainsaw to cut off my arm so I can go in and eat lunch. Rod would not like that surprise, I don't think.

Boy, does my back hurt. I am not even kidding. I wonder if our insurance will cover back surgery for me. If I really need it.



I wonder if I'm losing weight?



I wonder what I can eat for lunch?



Why don't the dogs help?



Ingrates.



I'm really hot.



I'm so tired.



I'm still thirsty.



Think I'll go blog for a minute.


Don't tell Rod I'm stacking Mt Hood the firewood in the shed. Let it be a surprise.
I know, most women might surprise their husband with a nice dinner, and/or a little something from VS. But I know Rod's love language. And it is surprise firewood stacking.
I'll let you know how it goes.