Crime and Spongebob...

We have Direct TV and I DVR a LOT of stuff that I find myself watching after everyone has gone to bed or when I wake up before everyone else is up.

Growing up, I read and owned, every Nancy Drew book that was out. I still love mysteries. As I grew up, I started watching true crime tv shows. Not the stuff with actors like CSI, but the real stuff. I just realized this morning, that almost every show I DVR for myself starts off with "The following program is real and may be disturbing to some viewers."

My husband however, watches Spongebob and thinks I'm sick. I have a feeling that sooner or later, Squidward is going to decide he's had enough of their foolishness and kill either Patrick or Spongebob, who knows it could even end up in a double homocide. Then, who do you think Elmer is going to turn to for help?

Yep. His sick wife who will be able to solve the crime. Someday, he's going to appreciate the fact I watched all these shows...

What We Have Here, Is a Failure to Communicate...

The following is a conversation I had with my mom on the phone yesterday. For those of you who don't know, especially since chemo, I have a difficult time remembering the simplest words. I can usually try to give you a visual but it just doesn't always work out. And the pictures, well, they are the result of that problem and the phone conversation...

"Hey mom, do you have any dish soap? Not the liquid kind, the um crystal kind. Not for the washing machine but for um, washing dishes. You know what kind I'm talking about?"

"Sure, I have some, do you need it?"

"Yea, when you come over tonight, could you bring some in a baggie? I went to the store today and forgot to get some and I need to do dishes."

So, mom and Lisa arrive to have tacos because my daughter Jacki has come over too.

"Mom, did you remember to bring the dish soap?"

"Yes (she's SO proper, I don't think I've ever heard her say "Yea".) it's in a little plastic tub on your counter."

I open the little plastic tub. Ok, it's not the crystals but liquid will work. I start the dishwasher and we go on with our evening.

Jacki walks into the kitchen about 30 minutes later.

"MOM! There's suds coming out of your dishwasher!"

I run in the kitchen and open the door. Soap suds, lots and lots and LOTS of soap suds.

"Mom, what kind of dish soap was that?"

"Oh, no, when you said you wanted "crystal" dish soap, I thought you meant you were washing your good dishes and you needed liquid soap."

"MOM! You know I don't HAVE any good dishes!"

So, this is what happens when you put liquid Dawn into your dishwasher.





And just so you know, after running 4 rinse cycles and only getting more and more suds, I finally Googled a solution and damn if it didn't work like a charm. Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher and run a cycle. It breaks down the soap.

I love you mom!

Thanks Mom...

for sharing the following heartwarming story to help remind us all what Christmas is all about.


There is a man who works for the Post Office whose job is to process all the mail that has illegible addresses. One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting "to God", with no actual address. He thought he should open it to see what it was about.



The letter read:

Dear God,

I am an 83 year old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension payment.

Christmas is just a few days away, and I have invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with, have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me?

Sincerely,
Edna

The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few dollars. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman.

The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends. Christmas came and went.

A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God. All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened. It read:

Dear God,

How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift.

By the way, there was $4 missing.

I think it might have been those bastards at the post office.

Sincerely,
Edna



And that my friends, is the true spirit of Christmas...

Time For Somthing New?

For many years, I've thought about becoming a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Volunteer. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for children and especially children who need extra help in their lives. So, I've decided after too many years of thinking about it, that it's time to act. Adam is old enough that he's independant, and I need something new to be involved in.



Hopefully, I'll be accepted because I'm really ready to put my time and effort into this new cause. But I wonder, do you think I'm emotionally healthy enough for the trauma these kids have been through? Do you think I have enough to give?

The Old Dollhouse...

I love holidays. Any holiday. Christmas is by far, my favorite. It has nothing to do with presents but rather, family, friends, and my fond memories from my childhood. Christmas was always my dad's favorite time of the year. He was just like a little kid, always so excited. We always had a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, one that dad and Steve cut somewhere near our house in Garden Valley. But somehow, mom always made it look beautiful. It's amazing how our parents influence our lives and how we relate to things. With the deaths of the 4 police officers in Washington State, it has made me miss dad even more.

Well, anyway, several years ago I found an old dollhouse that looks like its from the 50s and now it's one of my favorite Christmas decorations. I put lights on the outside and inside and it glows so beautifully when it's dark. So, here's my house and some of the snowmen that live nearby. Corney, I know, but I love having it up every year...





Thanks mom, for giving me the wonderful memories that I have of Christmas past!

Second Annual Hillbilly Games...

YEE HAW!

Last year we held our First Annual Hillbilly Games here at the Hidden Springs Barn. It started out as a small group of friends and family getting together to have some fun and forget about the bad economy but ended up as a much larger party that benefited the Idaho chapter of "Casting for Recovery".

So, I need your help. Last year, the games were held in April and it turned out to be wonderful weather, but I think we were lucky. Should we plan for May or June this year instead? Possibly May 22 or June 19? I need to get the barn reserved by December (oh crap, this IS December!)

Also, do you have a favorite charity you'd like to see the money go to? I prefer to give the money to a small group that really needs help rather than a large national group who has tons of fundraisers. I've found a group that I love called USAtogether.org. It's not local, but it's small and they definitely need help. (Sheri, I know you've helped them out - you're such a good person!) If you could check them out and let me know what you think? I'm a sucker for kids and soldiers. I'd love to hear some suggestions of other worthy groups!

This year, we'll have either live music or at the very least, a DJ. Last year was so spur of the moment. We raised $1,300 but this year I plan to be more organized and make sure we raise tons of money for our charity.


The frozen t-shirt game...






Pin the mustache on sister...









Let's make the 2010 Games bigger and better and really help out a group that needs us! (side note, if you make a suggestion, you WILL be placed on a committee).

Lucy's New Digs...

Lucy is now full grown and while she WANTS to be a real squirrel, she wouldn't survive the winter if we released her.




For the last several weeks, she's been living in one of the big dog kennels with a couple of big branches to climb and a deer horn to chew on. However, it wasn't long before she decided she'd had enough of that and started chewing her way out. So, what started out looking like this


started looking like this...




Elmer decided to use his skills as a carpenter and fix-all guy. However, as good a job as he did (give us a call if you're looking to have any remodeling done, he's real reasonable) she continued to escape. As you can see, duct tape does not fix everything. I still haven't figured out the reason for the empty angel food cake box...




But even seven layers of duct tape, an old chew can, and a 1x4 couldn't keep miss Lucy inside. She's a free spirit and loved having the entire garage as her playground. Running free, jumping from Elmer's hunting coat to the lawnmower, sleeping inside the bucket of rags and climbing the blinds in the windows.



So, until we can release her down by the barn next spring, we had to find something she couldn't chew her way out of. Sorry Lucy, for now, you're stuck with this luxury condo that we'll never use again after you're gone next spring...

Isn't Life Funny...

Yesterday, I got a comment on my blog from Casey at All I'm Sayin'. I have a feeling she was doing a search on the Hidden Springs Barn for an event and found me. Funny how things happen. She grew up in Garden Valley and married a Game Warden and now lives in Boise. I love her blog and think you might too.

One of her recent posts was about returning to Garden Valley and her fond memories of growing up there. Even though I just went a few months ago, her post made me want to jump in the truck and go again today.

From what I've read so far, she a flaming liberal, athiest, "Kate/Tallulah" clone! Not that I'm either of those, but I seem to love people who are so, I think I'm going to like her...

Cancer Free...

This month, I celebrate my 6th year cancer-free from my second bout with breast cancer. It's a wonderful feeling. While I wish I could say I've spent the last six years "living life to it's fullest" and be able to talk about all the things I've scratched off my bucket list, or that I'd done all kinds of things like sky diving, or climbing the tallest mountain in Idaho, well, that's just not the case. I've continued being a mom and wife. I work a few days a week, do the grocery shopping, and clean the cat litter box.

But life is good. I have a wonderful family that I truly appreciate. I've taken a few trips that I'll always remember. I've had some real laughs with Elmer from just day-to-day things that happen - just because I live with Elmer Fudd. My kids have turned out to be better than I could have imagined and have given us 3 (and another on the way!) wonderful grandchildren. Adam has turned out to be a wonderful teenager. Riding his bike in the summer and skiing in winter, no drugs, wonderful friends - a true joy.

Someday, Elmer and I will start scratching those items off our bucket lists. But for now, I'm quite content with the life I have and the family and friends that mean so much to me.

So, thanks to all of you for being along for the ride. And here's to another 6, then another, and another...

Homemade Pepperoni...

Last weekend our garage was turned into a butcher shop. Elmer, his brother, and cousin got together and turned the pieces of deer and antelope, that were too small for steaks, into pepperoni.

So, you start out by mixing the ground-up meat with ground bacon.



and you have to get your hands in there to mix it all up.


Then, you put all that ground stuff into a $450 Cabella's sausage stuffer which squeezes it into casings. Now see, just the word "casings" kinda makes me sick...
Then, you hang them up to "cure" overnight.




Even Joe's not so sure...


and presto! You have homemade pepperoni.



Enjoy!

Sensless...

Please remember how much our law enforcement officers do for us every day. I recently read in our town newsletter, a complaint from a citizen about "Ada County patrol officers seemingly preying on HS residents driving down Cartwright road towards downtown Boise". Dear HS resident - Who will be the first person you call when you need help? Next time you pass an officer, wave and smile.

God Bless Seattle Officer Brenton and those he left behind. Such a sensless murder and something that happens way too often...

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A Halloween Wedding...

Before I show you pictures of the wedding, I have to share Adam's pumpkins. One day while I was a work, he carved these. Pretty darned good if you ask me!


Yesterday I attended my very first Halloween wedding. My niece married the man she's been dating for several years. They're such a wonderful couple and I know they're going to be happy together for many, many years. Thanks for letting us share such a wonderful day with you!

And this is what a halloween wedding is like...

BSU fan and Raggedy Ann (my mom and Elmer's mom)


My sister-in-law (the mother of the bride) used to make prom dresses for all her nieces and her daughters. Below are three of the dresses she made in the 80s...






My niece as Rosie the Riveter


A few of the scary guests...




If you won't kiss the cook, he'll kiss you!


My 3 adorable grandkids!


Elmer's mom and her sister


These 2 were really scary! My granddaughter (she's 3) kept saying, "Let's get out of here!" every time she saw them. They were awesome.


And, the wedding cakes and topper - awesome!





My beautiful niece (sister of the bride)


The bride and groom. They're the most wonderful couple. Congratulations Abbie and Steve! It was an awesome evening!