Did Anyone See The Flying Pigs?

Why ask this question?

Somewhere, there HAD to have been flying pigs or Satan, walking into a sporting goods store, looking for hockey equipment!

How do I know this?

Because B was pulled over today, for speeding!

Someone come over here & pick me up! I'm laughing so hard, I fell on the floor!

How can this be?

B rarely gets out of the right hand "slow" lane on the highway! He is a slow driver!

T, M & Carlotta moved an hour north from Radford last year.

You'd think our drive time to see them would've been reduced by an hour, but somehow, he managed to tack on an additional hour instead!

Ha! I can't stop imagining the incident! Too funny!

Silver lining... because he hasn't had a speeding ticket in decades, the cop let him off with a verbal warning! Thank you, Fremont police!

Eggs, Any Which Way!

I like eggs.

When visiting T & Carlotta in VA, I've made a tradition of eating many of my breakfasts @ the Waffle Houses! They can make a great "over easy" egg!

The 1st one on our route is 10 hours into a 15 hour trip, just as we cross the Maryland border, then they're everywhere!

Scrambled, fried, hard-boiled, deviled... you name a style of cooking an egg & I like it!

Although, I cannot remember having a poached egg with Hollandaise sauce.

But for some reason, I think I would like it!

I don't like cooking eggs for myself!

Weird!

Perhaps this is why I love coloring eggs @ Easter time! I get make over a dozen hard boiled eggs to dye with the kids. I know the kids don't care for the taste, so I can have chopped eggs in my salad or egg salad sandwiches! And... if I make too many to dye... deviled eggs!

Deviled eggs do not last long in my family! Even C likes them!

I have 2 recipes for deviled eggs. One is a traditional made with relish juice, a dash of mustard & mayo. I'm sure there's other things in it too.

The other one has a savory taste. I use fresh, crispy bacon bits in it!

Eggs & bacon... MMmm!

We dyed eggs today!

My supper menu tonight will be... an egg salad sandwich! yum

Catching Up w/Growing Up!

Too Windy

March came in like a roaring lion with a big snow storm!

Then for the next 2 weeks, we had very warm weather. High temps averaged in the low 80s breaking several records!

Now, we're back to seasonable temps for March, around 55-60 degrees and with lots of wind!

I tried to gather up the dead sticks from around the yard today, but the wind was too much.

I wonder if March will leave like a lamb?

Stay tuned! We'll find out next week.

WTF?!

There is a lot of emotion going through people in the Boston/New England area tonight.

In 2010, during a drug transaction gone bad, a young mother & her 2 yr old baby were shot in the streets of Mattapan, MA.

Others were shot as well, but these 2 people, sadly, were shot, dead.

Two men were arrested & charged w/various crimes including murder.

In mid-February, they got their day in court. The prosecution presented their case & gave the jury their evidence & eye witness testimonies. Then, the defense had their chance to dispute the allegations set forth by the prosecution.

For the past 6 days (6 hours each day) the jury deliberated on 19 charges & the evidence presented during the trial. They were told to stay away from news reports or listen to statements from the victims relatives/friends. They were ordered to base their decision only on what evidence & testimonies the lawyers presented, IN COURT.

A hard task for anyone, to be sure!

Today, the verdict came back.

One of the defendants was found NOT GUILTY on all charges.

The other was found NOT GUILTY on 1 of the charges while a mistrial was declared on the remaining 9 charges he was facing.

Does this NOT GUILTY verdict mean the jurors believed the defendant was an innocent man?

I think not!

However, with the evidence presented & the disputed evidence from the defense as the only things to make a judgement on, the jurors had no choice.

I believe a different verdict would have come out if the jurors had seen & heard all the things that we, as casual viewers, were able to have access to.

But that's not the American Way!

Remember, don't blame the jury! They can only do so much to get bad people off the street!

And don't worry, if the defendant was truly as guilty as all of New England believes him to be, he'll pay for it somehow, someday... in this world or the next!

I'm a very proud big sister & American.

It's a Female Thing

ATTENTION! All male readers...

SKIP THIS BLOG ENTRY, UNLESS YOU ARE A MEDICAL DOCTOR!

OK, MEN... You have been given fair warning!

Proceed @ your own uneasiness!

I'm premenopausal. I can go for a few months w/o seeing "my friend." Then, w/o warning, he comes storming in like a hurricane with a side of waterfall!!

Every 20 minutes or less, I'm changing my protection! I double protect, using the strongest absorbency products available & expect little to no sleep for a few nights as I need to get up every 20 minutes to change!

Tonight however, something happened that hasn't happened before!

It scared me, due to my little medical situation I had over 10 years ago,

but I think this different episode has passed by w/o damaging me.

You see,

I was taking a bath when my heart began racing, super, super fast. I opened the window thinking I was too warm from the bath water.

A feeling of complete & utter weakness overcame me & I slumped to the floor. I remained conscious & took deep breaths trying to regain control of my body.

Slowly, after several frightening minutes, I got control, but was still weak.

(note: to those of you who I have shared the details of my other medical issue with... yes, I was naked for this one too!)

All day I had cravings for a rare steak, spinach and chicken!

I'm anemic & do take 300mg of iron a day.

I now believe I need to take MORE iron during these weird, heavy days!

I'll be telling my doctor about this episode, but in the past, when I mentioned my "heaviness of flow" she has told me its normal for a premenopausal person to go through such a thing.

Even now, I'm feeling a little weak. I took another 300mg of iron but it hasn't entered into my bloodstream yet.

Where was B?

He had gone to bed, early , upstairs, before I decided to take a soak.

Would he have even heard me, if I found the strength to yell for help? Probably not.

I write this entry more as a journal for me & a future reference for my daughters if they find themselves with similar medical issues in their older years.

My next blog entry will safer to read! And less personal.

Have a good night!

2012 Lasagna Bake-Off

This was part of the entertainment @ the Georgetown Wards Lasagna Bake-Off. Technically, it was St. Patrick's Day, but since the Scottish occupy the same island as the Irish, why not play bagpipes?

As usual, a Lambert placed in the top categories!

Our family patriarch took home 2nd place or as it's called, the "Silver Noodle!" Congrats C!

My BIL, K.D., won the "Peoples Choice" award.

B entered too, though he didn't place. He made teeny, tiny lasagnas in muffin cups!

Our good friends, G & S came with us. S thought the seafood one was the best.

We saw many old friends & met some new ones.

After sampling so many tasty lasagnas, I fear I may have acid reflux tonight.

Here's hoping my Prilosec works!

The spices in the sauces have helped lessen my sore throat pain, hopefully for the night!

Or forever? I'm leaning towards it being tonsillitis. That's where the pain seems to come from & I've had acute tonsillitis before, though not recently.

Could be swollen glands.

Not Again! Please, not again!

As most of you know, I spent a good part of February suffering with a sore throat, larygitis & sinus issues.

It started as nighttime throat pain, then it lasted all day. I was told to treat it as allergies & it was beginning to feel better after a few days.

Then, it stopped getting better & morphed into a full blown infection.

Ten days of antibiotics & the pain & swelling feeling I had suffered with, was gone!

Ahhhh.

Now, today, my allergies are filling me up again & I feel that nighttime sore throat pain building! I've taken more Advil than recommended on the label as well as Sudafed, Benedryl & my regular medications. I'm trying to WILL my body into getting rid of this soreness & NOT have it mutating into another infection.

My body has really missed the super blast of cold that usually settles in New England in January & February. The cold kills whatever is in the air that causes havoc with me, giving my system a break. I will never be retiring to a "warmer" climate, that's for sure!

A Minty Cool Treat!

For over a month, starting mid- February to March, a famous, fast food restaurant has its "Shamrock Shake" available!

A minty, green, cold, smooth, thick, ice-creamy treat!

T looked forward to getting these every year! She still does!

Now she won't have too! I found a copy-cat recipe!

Copy Cat Shamrock Mint Shake

(makes 1 HUGE or 2 very generous or 3 reasonable servings)

In a blender,

Add 3 cups of good quality VANILLA ice cream with 1 & 3/4 cups of 1% milk as well as 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract.

(You could add a few drops of green food coloring to achieve the "shamrock shake" color)

Turn on the blender until thick & smooth.

Pour into glasses & enjoy!

This next copy cat recipe is a southern thing, but I've enjoyed them a few times @ a few malls in New England. One of my sisters used to work @ one of their restaurants.

Back then, the recipe included a raw egg for energy & protein. Now, a raw egg is not allowed!

Thank Goodness!

Copy Cat Orange Julius

(makes a few servings)

In a blender,

Add 6 oz of frozen orange juice concentrate (yes, it needs to be frozen, not thawed!)

with

6 cups whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 & 1/2 cups of ice

Turn on blender until frothy!

Serve in glasses & enjoy, immediately!

Easter Fun

Every Easter, I have dyed hard boiled eggs with children!

It used to be just soaking them in a water-vinegar-color tablet solution until the desired shade of color is achieved.

Now, there are stickers, stamps, crayons, neon, sand, tye-dye, glitter & markers to use.

PHEW!

I'll probably stick to my original method with the kids this year, but I did come across an article in Yankee Magazine that gave a recipe for dyeing eggs the "real, old-fashioned" way!

Maybe someday, I'll try this method out!

Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs

Note: this method takes 2-3 HOURS to do! Plan accordingly! Don't use your best dishes, they will get stained!

The Base:

4 cups of water

1 Tablespoon of white vinegar

1 Tablespoon of salt

RED:

Rough chop 2 fresh beets & combine with the "base" in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes. Strain & reserve liquid for dyeing. (WHEN IT HAS COOLED!)

BROWN:

Mix 4 Tablespoons ground coffee with the "base" in a sauce pan & stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 10 minutes. Strain & reserve liquid for dyeing. (WHEN IT HAS COOLED!)

BLUE:

Shred 1/2 of a purple cabbage & combine with the "base" in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes. Strain & reserve liquid for dyeing. (WHEN IT HAS COOLED!)

YELLOW:

Mix 5 Tablespoons of ground turmeric with the "base" in a saucepan & stir well. Simmer until the turmeric has dissolved (approx 2-3 minutes).

Pour into a bowl & reserve for dyeing. (WHEN IT HAS COOLED!)

Time to Dye:

Soak the hard boiled white eggs in the COOLED liquids until the desired shade is reached.

It will take HOURS!

The longer the soak, the deeper the color.

***Use an empty egg carton to dry the eggs.***

Sigh.

I miss not being able to be around Carlotta as she grows.

Skype, emails, texts, videos & phone calls are nice & all, but every so often I get the "blues" about not being nearer to her.

The girls had their Gramma & GrandDad come over to their house today.

They arrived 2 hrs ahead of schedule, so I was still there.

It was so nice to watch the grandparents faces light up when they saw the girls!

The excitement & joy the girls showed for them being there, rivaled any Christmas morning!

It was good to be able to have some time off because of their early arrival, but on the ride home, I got sad thinking about how happy those 4 people were in that house!

Happy for them, sad for me.

It's almost Easter. Another holiday where I will miss being able to be with her.

I could afford 4 or 5 trips a year, if I wasn't paying some bills for my daughter. Sigh.

I know, the above statement was a little passive aggressive, but forgive me. I'm sad.

I love you, T!

Winter Fun with 3 Kids!

B is overseeing the 2 boys as they check out tonights fire!

The back hill in our yard was just perfect for the kids! The slippery snow carried them quickly down & the walk back up wasn't tiring!

Even the little girl had fun! My new Iphone camera feature is still new to me, so the photos aren't the clearest, sorry! Trust me, they had FUN!

Here she is again! Her eyes were reflecting the cameras flash!

Time to warm up! We also had toasted marshmallows & s'mores!

Here they are checking out the fire before going sledding.

This guy told me @ 6pm, he'd like to try to stay out, sledding, all the way to midnight!

He was back indoors by 7:30pm!

Darkness can seem like midnight to a little kid, I guess!

Always have to adjust the mittens!

Call Me Miss Techie!

Not really! I'm very bad @ the new technology!

I have just upgraded to an Iphone & have had it less than 24 hrs.

C has been playing on it, using up my battery charge!

Some features I really like (but learning how to use them may take a few weeks!) while others,

I couldn't care less if they're on the phone at all.

It will take some time, I had become accustomed to my Samsung & it's hard to change!

I can communicate faster & better w/Carlotta & T

because they have the same model of Iphone!

I gotta learn how to do Facetime!

Apps!

This feature I really like!

I can use an app to help me track my sugars, food intake, play my word games & have games for the kiddoes, for the BORING times!

I'm off now to practice using my phone!

C has left for the evening to work @ the Mall,

so I have time to make mistakes w/o being laughed at!

Gracie & Zee Are Still Here!

I had ignored Gracie all day.

The 2 little girls spent the day @ my house w/C, baking cookies, making crafts in shapes of lions & lambs & just playing with toys. (mostly My Little Pony)

Here, Gracie is trying to "reclaim me" as her servant!

She's sprawled on her back, belly exposed with all 4 paws out & her tail was swishing!

(Her "relaxed, trusting" position)

She had been in this position for about an hour as I watched the evening news.

In a few minutes, she realizes I had the scent of catnip on my hand from putting some on her toys a little earlier.

I was attacked!

Thank goodness we had her claws trimmed last weekend!

She still managed to draw a little blood with her rough playing!

Gracie will be 4 years old in May! She doesn't really like having little visitors coming over to play, but she is getting better w/her tolerance!

Zee will be 3 & is such a loving kitty!

She allows the kids to pet her & if it gets too much, she runs away!

No snarling or scratching like her Auntie Gracie!

Zee is turning into quite the fish watcher! She tries daily to catch the sucker fish,

Carmen Sandiego & the white mollie, Boo!

Plus, she loves to have a bit of fish food every morning during fish feeding time!

An update about an earlier entry:

My youngest brother is out of the hospital! He's tired and a little yellow, but has been given the "all clear!" by his doctors. He's even going to go w/his sons on his planned vacation to Florida @ the end of the month!

Good for you, brother! Keep on recovering!

Snow Out?

I thought I wouldn't be able to blog about how long it would be before all the snow in my yard had melted. I mean, with all the snow we've had & all the warm weather this winter, I thought that day had come & gone already!

For the past 2 years, the last little bit of snow remained in our yard until mid- April.

(right around T's birthday).

With the 10+ inches of snow that fell yesterday, I guess we'll have a "snow out" day after all!

Any guesses?

Keep in mind, it's raining tonight. Over the next week, it's expected to hit close to 60 degrees at least 3 times!

I'm going with history & saying April 16th.