Gluttony, Thy Name Is Julie -or- Why This Blog May Not Be a Good Idea

Last week at Michael's Thanksgiving feast at preschool , a friend (hi Kristin!) gave me a large-ish bag of candy corn as a "thank you" present. Because she reads this blog and knows how much I love it. Let's see, that bag entered the house a week and two days ago.

And then Thanksgiving night, the Best Mother-In-Law Ever (hi Janice!) gave me a smaller bag of candy corn with the return of my steamer that she borrowed to remove wallpaper. Which, by the way, is the absolute best way to remove wallpaper. But back to topic, she gave it to me because she reads this blog and knows how much I love it. And that bag entered the house three days ago.

Sad truth: both bags are so, so devoured. I am a Candy Corn-o-holic.

If At First You Don't Succeed, Dry Dry Again

Remember this post: The Tale of the (Un)Dryer? Three guesses whose dryer - once again - is running but not heating. And thus, not drying.

I'm not ready for another week long soap opera entitled "Run Around With the Appliance Repair Company."

Monkeying Around

Since we had Alan around for an extra day this week, we decided to take advantage of the end of our Asheboro zoo membership (which will not be renewed for 2009...efforts to save some moo-lah). We have been several times this year, but I'm not sure we've all four been together for a zoo trip this year. Our weather was fantastic - around 60 degrees - and it really wasn't too crowded. Good times!

We saw a lot of animals, which is not always the case. In the middle of summer, you are lucky to see the outdoor ones since they seem to hide in the shade. Matthew waiting for the tram in the above picture. The boys also love to play in the play area in the middle of the zoo. Mike is in a gourd in the above picture.

Those baboons were nuts for newspaper, and they also loved playing with a pair of blue jeans. Makes it easy for Santa's shopping for them this year. Matthew was playing a game in the African Pavillion with his brother. Love the GQish pose above, too.

We're fortunate to have a pretty good zoo so close to us. With our membership over the past two years, we've really been able to take advantage of lots of zoo trips. The polar bear above used to be in a circus and has had to have some surgeries to repair damage done to him at that time. I wanted to invite him to come home and live with us, but Alan vetoed that. Look how pooped Mike is. He just kind of collapsed on Alan's lap while we waited for the tram. You know when you have worn your kids slap out that it's been a successful day.

A Total Pick Me Up

Haven't I sounded like a grouchy bear lately? I've cooled down quite a bit from yesterday, and while I am not completely ready to trust certain people again, I am more ready to extend some grace. Thank heavens - literally - for Godly co-workers and friends (you know who you are!) who point me to the Light.

So, today was Thanksgiving Feast Day at preschool. It's always the same...the little Indian and pilgrim mini-costumes, the loaded table of stuffing and turkey and veggies, the traditional (think First Thanksgiving) table of cupcakes and cookies and other assorted desserts. Sadly, I am still feeling nauseated from the whack virus I've been battling this week, so I did not partake of the spread. Seeing my little pilgrim was all I needed.

This is after he ate his "feast". The hat is cock-eyed and the bib (?) is stained, torn, and miscolored. A sign of a good meal, right?
That cheezy grin on his face is the best. That is so Michael. And isn't he my little clone? I love that.

Feeling Stabbed...

...in the back. By someone I trusted (no, no, not my sweet Alan). Praying for peace. Praying for a forgiving spirit. But at this point, really, really wanting to do some smack down.

Thank goodness my hot-headedness cools down with a new day. Otherwise you would have seen me on COPS a long time ago.

No longer thinking I have strep. Glad it's Thursday with no work tomorrow. Enjoying my sweet, loving little boys. So, so thankful for a kind, loving, gracious husband. Thankful for good friends. Thankful that difficult situations are opportunities for growth.

Because It's Been That Kind of Day

As in, the kind of day that starts out rainy but then thinks about getting sunny and warm, but then says, "no, it's November, it's supposed to be cool and windy. With big, wild-looking storm clouds." And for the record, it's also the day that the husband disappears for seven hours to play paintball with some friends (although, he just said, "you truly are the sweetest wife today," so he does get some suck-up points...question: aren't I 'truly the sweetest wife' every day?? don't answer that). And it's also the day where I cooked waffles and I (we) cleaned up the garage and I ironed five bajillion articles of clothing and one bedskirt and fixed lunch and wrapped a present and GOT HOOKED ON FACEBOOK and took Matthew to a birthday party and took Michael to Sams and Michaels (ha! Michael at Michaels!) and Food Lion and picked up Matthew and cleaned up the house and was sucked back onto FACEBOOK and got boys to clean up their rooms and bathed boys and read some "Magic Treehouse" book to boys. So, when it comes to dinner, Pooped Julie needs some Comfort Food. Which is usually code in our house for McDonald's, but not tonight.

My sis-in-law Shannon (hi Shannon!) recently told me about this supper exchange club that she belongs to. I think there are 12 ladies involved, and each lady receives a recipe from the "coordinator" and then cooks it (and freezes it) 12 times. And then they hook up and exchange meals. This is such a great idea. Not sure that I'm ready to commit to cooking 72 porkchops like Shannon was today, but I am definitely willing to receive the recipes and try them on my own. Tonight's menu selection from the list she sent was Chicken Pie. And, I have to say (because I can't seem to stop running on and on here), that I am a bit picky about my Chicken Pie. Really, the Bisquick crust and canned chicken and canned/frozen mixed veggies do not make the true Chicken Pie for me. Fortunately, I am here to save you, too, from the typical Chicken Pie of Doom and bring to you to the realm of the Enlightened Chicken Pie. My official new name. For this Chicken Pie. Which Alan said was "a keeper". But maybe he just meant me.

Enlightened Chicken Pie
Prep time: 30ish minutes
Cook time: 1.5 hours ??
Makes about six or so servings

• four bone-in chicken breasts or thighs (I'm a dark meat girl!)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chicken broth (you'll get this while cooking the chicken)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 2 deep dish pie crusts (which I bought - did you listen to my day??)
• optional: a cup of cooked fresh carrots and a cup of frozen peas

Cook the chicken in salted (only I didn't) water for 40 minutes. Cool slightly, pull chicken off bone, and cube. In large skillet over medium heat, combine flour, salt, pepper, and melted butter. Stirring constantly, slowly add milk, cooking until thick. Repeat with chicken broth. Remove from heat and add cubed chicken to thickened broth (along with veggies). Pour into pie crust, top with pie crust, and cut slits in the top. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Infestation

Well, maybe not quite an infestation, but there's always the potential for that in our house. Over the past week or so, we've noticed several (let's count here: about nine) ladybugs that have come to our house to spend the winter. You know, they're kind of cute singly. But when they start clumping up...well...there's something a little creepy about that.

Here's what I'm learning about this situation:

Where do ladybugs go in winter? Normal ladybugs would shelter in leaf litter or a similar snug place. But Asian lady beetles are different. They mass up and spend the winter in huge groups. They like to shelter in caves set into cliffs. What's the next best thing? Your house...Worst of all, once indoors, many will die there. And it gets worse. The dead lady beetle bodies are then an open invitation (food source) for carpet beetles and the like to invade your home, too. On the bright side, they don't really bite or chew up your furniture or anything vicious like that. They just want to shelter quietly and not freeze to death.

Ummm...they might be spending the winter inside my wonderful Dyson (remember D-Dawg??) soon.