How Does Your Garden Grow?

The garden flourished.

Corn

Potatoes

Onions

Tomatoes are being used in salads and tomato sandwiches.  Oh, and BLTs.

The pumpkins are growing and will be ready for October.

I Vant To Test Your Blood.

So I have just swatted a total of several dozen flies in my house.  And the amazing thing is..  There are dozens more.  My family came for dinner and hanging out last night and the flies joined in.  How many flies have you swatted recently?

And then there's this.  A couple of weeks ago I took Sam down to Primary Children's Hospital where we saw a pediatric Gastroenterologist .  While there, the doc went over the blood work that was done on SammySamSam when he was having the explosive bloody noses.  He mentioned his blood sugar was 64.  It occurred to me that maybe his blood sugar could be a cause of some of the crazy times we have with Sam that cause him to act as if he were having a hypoglycemic episode.  Hmmm.

Last Tuesday night was one of those times.  Sam was crazy boy.  He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't stop crying, he wouldn't stop fighting and arguing.  So I suggested we test his blood.  He freaked out.  I don't know why.  I mean it's just a poke and a little blood.  Honestly.  Just let me poke your arm and get a little blood.  After some time and a couple of bribes, he accepted the $5 and candy bar bribe and held out his arm for the poke.  We tested.  His blood sugar was 26.  Now I would be on the floor needing an injection of glucose at that point.  Sam said he felt fine.  So he ate the candy bar and a ham and cheese sandwich and I called the doctor in the morning.

The appointment was for Friday afternoon.  We tested his blood before breakfast, after school, at dinner and at bedtime.  His blood sugar dropped around dinner time each time.  At the doctor appointment we talked about other signs of type 1 Diabetes.  She then called an Endocrinologist to see what they would recommend.  The recommendation was to draw lots o' blood and see if he was predispositioned for Diabetes.  They can look for anti bodies that would eventually attack the insulin when it's secreted which would then cause type 1 Diabetes. 

They took 5 vials of blood from this boy.  I remembered when I was 12 and going to the hospital every month to have blood drawn.  Vials of it.  My mom would always joke that they kept all of my blood in the basement and fed vampires with it.  Seriously, they took a lot of blood.  So I joked with Sam that they will feed the vampires in the basement with his blood.  He wasn't amused.

This morning I got the call with the results.  Everything came back normal.  No predisposition to type 1 Diabetes. We just need to test when he starts acting like it's low.  In other words, when Sam is crazy, test his blood. 

I am relieved that there isn't anything to worry about with Diabetes in the future.  I am grateful that we can get in to see our pediatrician quickly and easily.  I am grateful to be the only type 1 Diabetic in my family.

Have Your Cake And Eat It Too.

Which just doesn't make any sense.  I mean if you have cake, you're gonna eat it.  Am I right?  It's not going to just sit there having you gaze lovingly at it.  Eat it, for Pete's sake.  And who the heck is Pete?  I think maybe a thorough analyzation of the things we say is in order.  Any takers?  Anyone want cake? 

Well, whether you want it or not, this is a cake post.  I hope you want it.  And I hope you try it.  Yum.  Yesterday after school I got the elementary school's newsletter.  It was long.  Packed with all kinds of information!  I was impressed.  One page (page 6 if your kids are in the same school) has a recipe.  A recipe for cake.  Yum.  It called for ingredients I already have on hand, too, much to my delight.  Because I believe a finely done food storage room should have many cake mixes.  Many.  And brownie mixes.  It's the right thing to do. 

This is what you need.  1 box of Angel Food cake and 1 box of another cake mix.  Put the 2 cake mixes into a gallon zip bag. Mix it all up good.  I chose Devil's Food cake.  Doesn't that create a wonderful conundrum of sorts?  Angel Food.  Devil food.  Ohh the perplexity of it all. And just don't look at the Creamy wrapper behind the zip bag.  One of my kids left it there ;)

Grab a hot chocolate mug from your shelf.  Rinse it out 'cause I know it hasn't been used in a while.  Although the mornings are so cool now that my house almost feels like Fall is coming.  I love that!!  But still not hot chocolate weather.  So dust it, rinse it, wash it.  Whatever.  Then take 3 tablespoons of the cake mix and 2 tablespoons of water.  Mix them together really good.  I used a fork so I wouldn't end up with powdery chunks in my end result.  Blech! Stick that bad boy in the microwave for 1 minute.  60 seconds if you're feeling saucy.  Let it sit for 1 minute after it's finished.  60 seconds if yo... Never mind.

I plopped this one out on a plate.  I then proceeded to pour a lot little chocolate sauce over it. 

Eat it up, yum!

When I offered it to the kids I got these reactions...

Ruthie: "MOM, this is wonderful.  It's so moist and delicious.  I think this would make a great Family Home Evening treat!"

Sam: "I don't eat cake without frosting!"

Isaac: "Will you please buy me some more air soft pellets for my gun when you go shopping?  Are you going shopping tomorrow?  Please? I don't want any cake."

At least he said please.

The recipe...

3-2-1 Cake -In-A-Mug

ingredients:

Angel food cake mix

Favorite flavor cake mix

 

Directions:

In a zip bag, mix the 2 cake mixes together.  Use a microwave safe mug, mix 3 Tbs of cake mix and 2 Tbs water.  Stir well

Microwave on high for 1 minute

Let sit 1 minute

Enjoy.

 

And go ahead and add cake mixes to your food storage! 

Steri Strips And Pull Overs.

On Saturday Ruthie sliced her knuckle on a can.  Sliced it right open.  We put bandages on it and she just bled right through them.  All weekend.

This morning we woke up to another soaked bandage.  So we thought it best to take her in and see if she needed stitches.  So I bandaged her finger up again and we went in. 

The doctor looked at it and said if I had brought her in on Saturday he would have put a few stitches in.  But now it is starting to heal around the edges.  He opened the "flap" to look at the inside.  He had a nurse come in and clean it and put steri strips on it.  Better than stitches!!

On our way back to school I was just driving safely along.  Not bothering a soul and keeping all my points in check!  All of a sudden there were flashing lights behind me.  Seriously?! Where did he come from and what did I do wrong??  So I pulled over and when he got out of his car he went right to the back window and it all made sense!  Our tags expired last month.  We are waiting for the sticker and have the paper saying we've done the registration in the back window.  He came to my window and said it looks like the paper has expired.  So I got out the paper that Daniel put in the glove compartment and the paper expires on September 20!  Whew!  Got time.  So he sent me on my way with a smile and have a nice day. 

Have a nice day!

Storage And Skills.

We have a storage unit.  We've needed to get it so we could store all the junk stuff in the basement while we work on finishing it.  The basement's gotta be done by December.  Beginning of December.  We are in charge of Daniel's family Christmas party and I don't want to do it in the church.  Home is where the heart is, ya know.  But there is just no way on earth that all of that family can fit in our house without a basement to spread out to.  It's September.  Did you know that?  And how much is done?  Welp, we are just starting to move the stuff out.  Walls WILL be up soon!

And in other news... We have another mower of the lawn.  Sam is large and in charge and loves to mow.  When you drive by and wonder why Daniel's skills have diminished so, just think about Sam.  He's 10.  He's working on his skills.  And it's awesome!

Have You Ever...

Have you ever passed that person on the road going 30 mph when the speed limit is 45 and you are in a hurry and have to go to the bathroom and you're tired and dang cranky and just spilled something on your pants and your kids are arguing in the back and the slow guy in front of you is actually slowing down even though no one and nothing are directly in front of him and you wonder how he manages to drive and breathe at the same time and if the car who is going 38 mph next to you would just speed up or slow down you can pass that other car and get on with your life?? Neither have I.

Have you actually been that slow car? Never mind, don't answer that. 

This morning as I was driving home from Costco, there were a few cars in front of me and the front car decided to hang a left without moving out of the lane which takes like 10 points from the guy's life in my book.  He did turn his blinker on.  Gained 1 point.  As we all slowed down, the guy behind me slammed on his brakes, 3 points off for not being a defensive driver.  Then the winner blammed on his horn.  At me.  At me because I was right in front of him.  I automatically deduct 15 points for honking at old ladies.  Not that I'm old.  Or drive slow.  But I did have a good 20 years on him. And I'm a lady.  As the front guy hanging a left slowly moved out of the lane and out of our way, we got on our way.  Then the psycho winner horn honker behind me trails me so close he can see my groceries.  He is also breathing directly from my tailpipe.  He's losing points so fast he's falling off the planet here.  As we pick up speed, he proceeds to change lanes.  Eek.  The car next to me slows down (hardee har har on you!) and then he hits his breaks and I see that the guy is bald.  Maybe all the hair off his head has made him loony!  Loony! And a horn honker at old ladies.  Not that I'm old I tell ya!

Then, like magic, a third lane opens up and the guy who is in the negative when it comes to points in my book, has moved over to it and sped right passed everyone.  Only. To. Get. Stopped. At. A. Red. Light.  And that, my friends, is when I begin to see life fairly again.  I laugh hysterically to myself to the sounds of REM on the radio and a sweet taste of diet something on my tongue.  Because I'm back on the stuff people.  Why??

Because I am that lady who loses 50 points when I follow so close to you I can see your groceries.  Because I am the one who would like to honk the horn at you for going 30 in a 45 zone but I choose not to because I don't want to lose those points too.  I am the one who has to pee and has kids arguing and just spilled something and is boxed in by people who can't seem to go the speed limit.  I'm not asking that you go a zillion miles an hour.  Don't hurt yourself!  But the speed limit is more than a suggestion.  It keeps you safe.  Can you hear me?  Please go 45 in a 45 zone.  And also let me add, when going through a school zone, go 20.  I tend to go about 18.  They double those fines and kids are hard to replace if you hit and kill one! 

The problem is, you can't get caught at a red light after you speed past everyone who refuse to go the speed limit, like the guy up there.  It's just embarrasing and people laugh at you for being a jerk who didn't get far.  So when I pass you and speed along at the speed limit or slightly above (slightly, because I don't want to lose too many points) I must make it past that first light in order to make it worth it.  If I don't I will go a bit faster to make it past the next light.  It's an illness.  I know.  Although I have noticed that I drive slower many more days than I drive fast.  I guess I am just getting old. I also like watching the jerks who pass and then get caught at the light.  Mwaa haa haa. As long as I'm not that jerk.  Anyway, if it were all about the points, it is my book.  And that's just fine with me.  Just don't get in my way!

Back In The Saddle Again.

So our weekend plans changed but in the end we had a blast!  Here's how it went.  Daniel took Friday off and went grocery shopping with me.  We went to lunch too.  We decided to go to Jimmy Johns for a sandwich and as we walked up to the front door, an older gentleman called out "Do you know anything about cars?" So Daniel went over and asked what the trouble was.  It just wouldn't start.  So I pulled the Durango up and we jumped his battery and Daniel told him to go have it looked at.  Might need a new one.  Aahh.  Felt good to be of service to someone. 

 

We got all the camping gear up from the basement and got our stuff packed.  The plan was to get to the cemetery by 5 to celebrate our sweet friend Lyndsay.  Then we were to head down to Payson to camp with my sister Laurie and her family.  Kids came home from school and got  their duffels packed.  Then Laurie called and said her kids were coming home from school not feeling well.  Dang.  So we huddled and made a decision.  We would go to the Ranch instead.  I mean the lakes would have been fun, roughing it would have been awesome.  But what about the lonely factor.  And there might even be cousins up at the Ranch! 

 

We headed to the cemetery.  Late.  But got there in time to do the butterfly release.  Then toasted friendship and such.  Then we bugged out and got to the Ranch.  Grandma and Grandpa and some of the teenage boy cousins were there.  Grandpa brought them up to fix fences and do some yard work.  Deanna and Clark (Daniel's sister and hubby) were to come up later in the evening. 

 

There was a lot of 4 wheel riding.  I want a 4 wheeler.  When the basement's done, 4 wheelers and a camper are on the I Want Them Now list.  Not that it'll go like that.  But a girl can dream. 

On Saturday we pulled out all the furniture, pulled the old orange carpet out, scrubbed the floors, cleaned corners, scraped dead mouse out and then put this lovely blue carpet in.  It fit so nicely, too.  Luckily for us, Marylynne (another sister) got new carpet at her house.  The "old" carpet is at the Ranch now.  Deanna and I went through the boxes of stuff that has accumulated and threw out yucky stuff, and organized the rest. 

The plan is to get all the gals together for a couple of days to paint and do more organizing.  My plan is to find a more comfortable couch!  But it's an antique. 

Everyone left on Saturday afternoon and evening.  Then we had a quiet and clean place to ourselves.  Daniel and the kids did some 4 wheeling. Umm... they're out there somewhere.  But isn't it pretty?!

Farmer Dan and my kiddos.  Later I took the kids out, but we don't take pictures of mom on the machine.

There was some dancing!

There was a lot of snacking.

.Oh, and there were cows everywhere.  The problem was, they weren't all Uncle Lewis' cattle.  So when Grandpa left he went to tell Lewis that there were extra cows.  On Sunday afternoon, Lewis and his son Steve and his wife Nicole and her 2 daughters (whew!) came up to drive the cattle.  Daniel headed out with Uncle Lewis on the 4 wheeler with Isaac in tow, while Steve and Nicole went out on the horses.  The little girls stayed with us and we colored and snacked and watched Gilligan's Island.  When they got back, Ruthie got a ride on Roscoe.  That's Steve there.  Isaac helped get the cows through a fence and rode the horse and sped around the cows on the 4 wheeler.  He had a great time and may go in to cattle driving!

Aahh.  All our stuff is packed up and Sam is playing his DS.  Can't get away from technology completely. 

On Sunday night we introduced the kiddos to Agatha Christie.  We watched Death On The Nile.  Oooh, scary and intense.

Isaac couldn't get enough of Grandpa's 4 wheeler.  I'm pretty sure he wants one too. 

We went into town to dump trash and get gas for the 4 wheeler and generator and were going to see the goats.  They weren't there!  We were so bummed.  We don't know if they got moved or sold.  We'll have to ask Uncle Lewis.  We got home Monday afternoon and went right to laundry.  5 loads of our own and 2 loads of Ranch stuff. 

It was a fun weekend.  This morning everyone had a hard time getting up for school.  We are back to real life again.  In fact, I better get a move on to get all my at home stuff done today!

Hope you all had a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!