a.rose

Recently, Devin has been craving some exotic food for dinner. This is not an easy task here in Midwestville. At the grocery store a few weeks ago we bought some pineapple. Delicious. Being the man he is, he uses this pineapple as a source of inspiration, in coming up with his latest recipe: Devin's Exotic Salad. 2 carrots, grated 1 can crushed pineapple, juice and all 1/4 c. chopped peanuts 1/2 c. raisins 1/3 c. mini marshmallows (optional) cinnamon Mix all ingredients together, except cinnamon. Let sit for 10 minutes. Prior to serving, lightly sprinkle cinnamon over top. Serve. It's fresh. It's sweet. It's crunchy. Call it what you will, it's exotic. And that's all we asked for. Give it a try!

As many of you know, I am married to a man who bakes bread. He usually bakes bread on Sundays, and it is always delicious. I have dabbled in banana bread, and that's about the extent of my bread baking experience. Devin decides one day that I should bake the bread. So, I get out the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and water, and I mix them all together. Oh, how delightful. I watch the mixer turn the dough around and around and around. It's too sticky. I add flour. Still too sticky. Add more flour. Ok, looks good. Dump it out, play with it a bit, put it back in the bowl, let it rise. Now it's ten feet tall and billowing out the top of the bowl. Rising is done. Dump it out of the bowl, twist and separate into two bits of dough, to make two loaves. Shape the dough into nice balls. Let sit for five minutes to relax. I can only imagine that this is all very stressful for those hardworking yeasties. Return to task at hand. Pick up one ball of dough, and begin flattenin...

I love these guys. Regis and Kelly that is. I don't know Hillary... Well, you might have guessed, and it's true. I've been reunited with my old friends, Regis and Kelly. Oh, how I missed them! It's my second morning back with them, and already I've learned so much. For example, from Regis I've learned that bangs are back, but Kelly won't wear them she says. Neither will I. I remember how it looked last time I tried it. From Kelly I learned what dim lighting can do for a woman's look, it's about the opposite of bangs, for girls like us. That was yesterday. Today I learned something very interesting. It's David Cook's fault that Hillary Clinton lost. Did you know that? Regis figured it out. Here's how it happened: David Cook was invited to play for Hillary Clinton, at Carnegie Hall I believe he (David Cook) said, and he played a song that she requested from him, because apparently she's a big fan. That's the key. She tol...

Calm down. It was not a serious trauma injury. Hallie was sick, so we called the doctor to ask what we should do, and we were told that we needed to take her to the E.R., or an Urgent Care clinic. Our insurance doesn't pay for urgent care clinics, so we went to the E.R. We were afraid that we'd have to sit in the waiting room for hours, as we were not a trauma injury, so we packed ourselves a dinner. We got there, and to our surprise led Hallie straight to a room to be examined, where she was given some Motrin, on top of the Tylenol we had given her before leaving. Then we were taken to a room upstairs to be looked at by the doctor. Four hours later, she had been seen by 5 nurses, 2 techs, 1 registration lady, 1 resident, 1 doctor, and 1 pharmacist. She had her heart rate checked via her big toe on her left foot. She had her throat swabbed, and her chest x-rayed. Devin said he could see all her teeth lined up ready to come in. They looked at her eyes, her ears, and d...

I can still remember with that awe that comes from the innocence of childhood the secretaries at the office where my dad worked. I thought they were all a grown woman could aspire to be: glamorous, beautiful, sophisticated. I believed this because I saw the evidence in the way they answered phones, the way they wrote messages, and the way they sat at their desks. It was the glory of those desks that really brought home to me the magic that must be their job as a secretary. It was not the desk itself that fascinated me, but rather the pens, the stapler, the notepads, especially the big phone with blinking lights. I think it's quite clear what my secret dream was: to be a secretary when I grew up. It had to be a secret of course, by very virtue of the fact that I wanted it so much. It couldn't possibly ever come true, like catching a falling star, or having a prince in shining armor come riding up on his white horse... And it didn't come true. I am not a secretary. But...

I love going places with Hallie. (And Devin too, of course... but this is not about him.) She is a natural friend-maker. In the mornings, when we go walking at the mall, she is admired by all the senior citizens we pass. And the ones that pass us. (Believe it or not, some of those guys really book it, they don't mess around with their morning workout.) They think she is so cute, and I mean really, she just is. I love the little random interactions that I have with people as I go about my business, running errands. The other day I was at the bank. While my transactions were being processed, I heard people murmuring behind me. "Oh, look at her." "Isn't she sweet?" "Hi, pretty girl!" And I might have felt flattered, fooling myself into thinking they might have been talking about me. But no, as I turn around to acknowledge this praise, all eyes are drawn to Hallie, and her precious five toothed grin. The same thing happened at the Driver...

I found the picture of Devin and I at the temple with Devin's mom. I've been thinking about the Netherlands again lately. I've been remembering what it was like to go to church there: It reminds me of how difficult it was just to get to church there, the trouble with buses, and the day we walked for hours without finding it... how much all the struggle to get to church made me truly appreciate how important it is in my life. The time I got lost, and was immensely cheered up by the sight of these goats, seemingly with a play area of their own: You can't see all of them in there, but there were five little goats. These guys really cheered me up when I got on the wrong bus and had to walk home for miles...the day after we had gotten there. It could have been such a bad memory, but every time I think of it, I think of these goats, and they always make me smile. Even now, when Devin and I are driving somewhere, I find myself longing to look out the window at a scene like...

I'm so proud of myself! Look what I did. There, up there. The new header thingy maboop for this blog. I did it. It took me much longer than I am comfortable admitting. But I did it! I loved the one you did Mimi, but in a fit of boredom I wanted to try and make something myself. So I fiddled and I tweaked, and I am pleased with my results. It was a lot of fun! Now I have to figure out how to make the rest of this blog look the way I want it too... Any tips?

This is one of my new favorite songs. I cry every time I listen to it. I sit there, and hug Hallie so tight that she squirms. So, go find someone you love and give them a big hug. These are the people I hug every day: Click here to watch the music video and listen to the song. I think it tells a little of his family story too, which makes the song all the more poignant, if you have time to watch/listen to that too. It is especially moving when you consider the tragedy his family recently went through, which I think must make him appreciate this song even more. I know it made me think about each moment with Hallie, even when she won't nap, and keeps biting me on the shoulder...

Ok guys, I'm ready to be a chicken. Put it on me. I guess I'm going to be so cute. I think I'll just let you see how it went from there... These are in chronological order: I'll give ten cents to whoever comes up with fun captions. Ok, ok, an ice cream cone to the best captions. Ready, go.

Tough Chick Tells the People How It's Gonna Be Unsolved Mysteries: How Does she Do That? Cute Pair Caught Having Quality Time They'll Have a Steak, and a Shake, please. How a Family Grows and Grows Preparing to Channel my Inner Nicole I've learned a few things about myself now. A.) I have no inner Nicole B.) Apparently I can channel a duck. And now the duck is angry. Well, I won't quit my day job. I guess not everybody can look sultry; some of us just keep trying though.