Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin

If I tell you to grab a cup of coffee for this read am I an enabler?

Welcome October…Welcomeish October. I have been SO COLD all day! The picture up top is my attempt to warm up. Yes the popcorn bag is a little scorched. I put it in for an extra 15 seconds to try to get more of the kernels to at least half pop. A few singed pieces are way better than rock hard kernels that never reach any point of their potential. And while I don’t like it burned, I actually kinda like popcorn that’s singed a little. My cup’s contents are courtesy of my last Gevalia K-Cup. That leads to two “let me tell yas.”

Let me tell ya about my cup! Back in 2012 I talked about the coffee mugs Kelly and I swap when we get together. I shared one of the mugs I’d found from 20 years prior in my storage and it was her obligation to find our mugs this time. She found the flowered mugs that hold about a Keurig cup and a half of coffee. She chose orange for hers and picked out my favorite shade of my favorite color for me!

Now as for the second thing, let me tell ya about the K-Cups and the pumpkin! I'm expecting a shipment from 11th Street Coffee tomorrow...afternoon. I'll be swimming is seasonal goodness, but I need morning coffee. So a desperate phone call to one of my favorite dealers brought a 12-pack of Signature Blend to get me by for tomorrow morning when David got in.

I totally blame Kelly for me losing control of my vices! I was only counting points for the first half of the days she was here before the cookies, candy and donuts…or habanero quarter pounder with Kelly’s preferred 5-gallon bin of fries, before the pumpkin bread, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin spice lattes. And did I mention donuts? Oh I did, but the pumpkin donuts are worth mentioning on their own. And I was up to a latte and 4 cups of coffee a day. I gained a little; thankfully I can’t balance on the scale so I don’t know how much I can just feel it in my shirts, and I’m still on cup number 3 today, but I’m not ashamed of that. I’ve circled the wagons and I’m slowly climbing back on because I can’t climb fast. Okay, I can probably figuratively climb faster, but I’m sticking with this story. She reasoned “We see each other every couple years.” I rationalized, “Yanno, you’re right. How much damage can I do in 3 weeks?”

So here I am back down to 3 cups a day and counting every point of that 10point popcorn and coffee snack. I had a 5-point salad for lunch in anticipation of microwave popcorn! Give a full week and 3 weeks of damage will be gone and I’ll have great memories of weeks I concentrated more on treasuring my friends than controlling my vices.

She’s Got Legs, But Don’t Know How To Use Them

Credits: Broken by Karen Diamond Designs

I've started art journaling when frustration is getting to me and it's doing a great job of getting the negativity out of me!  We'll call the art journals part of my "Blue Period" Nani Picasso! LOL

For the first week Kelly was here she was my caregiver while David was on a “vacation from Nani.” I talked about that before; it was my idea that David needed a vacation without worrying about me. The timing of Kelly’s visit was perfect for that! Kel did a great job filling in for David, well except the kiss before bed and keep me warm which is in his vows, but not her friend vows. In fact I don’t recall that we ever took friend vows out loud. Kel didn’t have his proficiency with the craft of leveraging my legs up the last step into the upper floor of our house. There’s angle and lifting that I don’t know because I’m worrying about my part of getting me up that step. That did result in a couple nights of me not going upstairs and sleeping in my chair and one 2-day stint upstairs after an attempt to get me up to the second floor resulted in EMTs putting me on the bed. Oh, I’m okay, so is Kelly and on the bed I where I wanted to be anyway.

The third week was the one that got my watching-what-I-eat the worst, but I’m really not complaining there! Rina came and spent 4 days with us. She’s my niece, not daughter, although I was there as a guardian-teacher often when she and her sister grew up, and maybe that makes it even more special that she chose to spend her time off with me. She helped Kelly help me and after we figured out what needed to be done they got me in and out of Rina’s van with relative ease so we could go on a couple trips to Michigan. We went to Pop’s house for a great day with him and Aunt Judy and enjoyed the meeting of the Italian lunchmeats and cheese we bought at Sofo with the sautéed greens and piada he made; wonderful Italian Soul Food! Then the next day we picked up Scotty and went to the apple orchard (many donuts.) Then we all met Sheri at Dunkin Donuts and headed to Olive Garden for dinner. Of course, there had been dinner at Ya Halla the first night Rina was in!

Rina, Kelly and me at Ya Halla

Mommy Is Just Not Okay In The Head

Behind Stripes and Spots

Mommy sent Daddy away. I mean it. She sent him away for real and he was gone a very very long time. She was bragging about sending Daddy away and she said she did it because she loves him. And I think she’s confused in her head too because she said she wanted him to get a vacation away from wheelchairs and inside hotel rooms with bars in the bathrooms. Daddy doesn’t use those things SHE does! How is sending Daddy away...for a very very long time…giving him a break when it’s stuff he doesn’t use? I can tell you that Daddy doesn’t worry about wheelchairs and hotels with bars when she isn’t there, that’s for sure!

When Mommy sent Daddy away she was all alone. She shoulda thinked about that before sending him away. Mommy got a visit from a friend who saw her pictures of me on Facebook and wanted to meet me just in time so she had someone there when Daddy was gone. Boy was she lucky that happened! I’m so very lucky too because this wasn’t just a new person who brought medicine or a package or even stopped in to fix something. This visitor was KELLY!

I like meeting new people but Kelly is so much more than a new person! I liked her right away and couldn’t help myself from following her everywhere. I had to tell her about my house and my sisters and my Daddy who Mommy sent away but I just knew he’d come back because wishted he could see me and how I love my Mommy but she’s so mean to Daddy making him go away. Do you know what Kelly did? She petted me and said stuff like “Oh, I know baby.” She just gets me.

I stuck with Kelly as much as I could after I found her. I followed her everywhere and curled up to sleep with her. What a guy to do when mean old Mommy sends your Daddy away, right? I was lucky that Kelly came into my life! I mean what if Mommy sends me away because I don’t use a wheelchair and she wants me to have a break, right? I’ll just run away to Kelly.

Then last night I heard a sound I membered from a very very long time ago. Mommy and Kelly were inside but the door opened. IT WAS DADDY!!!! I KNEW he was gonna come home. He HAD to come see me! I was the very first purrson he said hello to the very first scritches he gave. I’m THAT important to him, Marco number one! After he pushed me in the house he said hello to everyone else, even Mommy! After she sent him away he even hugged Mommy and gave her cookies to share with MY Kelly.

My Daddy is such a great guy. He even acted like he was glad not to hafta have a wheelchair or bars in the hotel all the very very long time he was gone. I think next time I‘ll send Mommy away and just stay with Daddy and Kelly.

It's Gonna Be A Great Week

Good Monday! A little variety is a good thing now and then. Saturday morning David left on just over a week’s vacation. I didn't. Yesterday Kelly arrived with her bags for a long stay. Oh nothing is wrong, this was all quite planned this way.

First thing’s first Happy Birthday to Carla! Our middle child is 6 years old today! Okay, we don’t know the exact day but she was born in September in 2008. We gave her the 8th because that was Carl Yastrzemski’s number and she was named for him.

An important part of chapter one of the book I haven't written yet, The Proper Care And Feeding Of Your Caregiver, is making sure the caregiver gets the rest they need. To borrow a tern from my most beloved book of all think, the seven habits of highly effective people, make sure your caregiver, sharpens the saw, or get pre breaks to relax and rejuvenate. When your caregiver is your spouse, that means that sometimes travel needs to be that spouse and his/her friends without you. Of course in my case at least it means I need a babysitter while my spouse is gone. That's where the ever important best friend comes into play!

This week David is chasing trains. Sometimes he's meeting up with other railfans sometimes solo, and calling me to say goodnight and tell me how the trains were today. Yes, he reports that he misses me, but he needs some time to not worry about wheelchairs at break stops or accessible rooms at hotels. It also helps me receive a little stress relief knowing he’s getting that time to recharge. The “sharpen the saw” concept is that if a saw isn't sharpened, renewed, it does at do its job well anymore, it doesn't saw wood. If a Hum an doesn't rest and renew they don't work as well either.

Kelly is officially my PCA, personal care assistant, right now. She's helping with pretty much everything this week. Yesterday we were on the bus at 1 headed to Books, Baked Goods, Crafts and Fun at Paws and Whiskers, the annual open house. We came home with some books, sweets and silent auction winnings as we left a nice donation for the cats! It was a decent haul more than I could have brought home alone. Groceries will be interesting this week as I’ll likely have more bags than usual there too. Of course groceries will have to be from the froo-froo Kroger this week. Gotta have that girl time at Starbucks you know!

We really took no photos yesterday as day one together was talking, lots of buffs who needed to catchup talking. I see much. coffee and talking today too! Although we can talk about rocket science over coffee, it wasn't required to predict that part of our day,

I Love

Welcome to Day 14 of 30 Day Blog Challenge, hosted by Katie at So, Funny Story… Today is another photo day! I’ll try to be a little less photo than last time.

A picture you love.

I’ve got two; just two.

This is me and my brothers and sister that you saw on Sunday. Acting goofy by request of the photographer, my Mom which makes it double special.

This is David and me with Grandma and Tori. It’s at Spago Ristorante in Windsor, Ontario (Canada) celebrating my 39th birthday. David left work and came directly to Canada for my dinner. This was the night I gave up trying not to fall in love with him.  I put up a valiant fight. (Of course I wouldn’t have the guts to tell him know that for a few weeks,)

Friendly Photos

Today is a take it easy day for blogging in the 30 Day Blog Challenge. It’s a Photoblog!

Share a photo of your friends

I don’t think I have just one photo with all of my friends. This one has most of them:

My 40th birthday

July 29, 2006

This one from a week later has the rest of them in it but not everyone from that first photo.

Cracker Barrel after The Reds game and my big birthday surprise with friends from 3 states.

I have three friends who are like brothers and a sister to me

This is me with John at my wedding reception in 2009. We lost John in October of that year. He and I had been friends for almost 27 years and his sister asked me to speak first at his memorial.

This is Scotty and me in 2006. We’ve been friends for 30 years this summer.

Kelly and me; my biggest surprise for my 40th birthday was when she walked in to the section where we were sitting for the ballgame! She is the one who knows when I need a push and isn’t afraid to give it to me, square in the butt if need be! We’ve been each other’s instigators and confessors since early 1989.

Kelly, Scotty and me at Sizzling Sticks in Northville, Michigan, 2010. This was the day we did a balloon release in John’s Memory.

This was Scotty’s Big 25 (50th Birthday) party just last year.

Tracy, Me and Heather 1999

I met Tracy in 1993 at work and we hit it off immediately.  It was pretty much a given that we'd be friends long after we weren't working together anymore.  Tracy shakes me and makes me think when I'm emotionally going nuts.

Heather and I met when she was hired as the associate producer to my producer position in 1994.  We got along well and worked together fantastically.  Heather will drop everything for a friend in need and has always been one of the first ones to say "I'm in" when I have a crazy idea, even if it seems too crazy.

Rich and me, New Yer's Eve 2004 into 05

Rich was my first sports intern in 1993.  He is an awesome worker and totally the man you want as a great employee, but for all that awesomeness professionally, he's an even better friend.  I've said before that the truest test of friendship is when you find out who will still be there to push your wheelchair.  Well, Rich took charge and delegated duties to carry the chair up a couple of steps to get me in to a party!

Sheri and me, Christmas 2004

Sheri and I were friends in high school. but lost touch after graduation.  We reconnected around the turn of the millennium and after a few hours of catch-up coffee we got right back into the groove we had so many years ago.  Sheri's is generous to a fault and one of the most loyal and loving friends I could ask for.


Honestly I love all these people and I’d roll in front of a bus to push any of them out of harm’s way. I went several photos over the “a” picture in the prompt, but my people are worth so much more than one photo to me.

Long Time So Brief

Some of you may be thinking I’ve been away from the blog world for so long, but to me the past week just flew by! Kelly got here last Saturday and she stayed until Friday afternoon. I’ve been trying to take it easy this weekend. One; to be safe because until late tonight, I’m writing on Sunday evening, I’m home alone. David was in West Virginia last I talked to him. He called about UTZ product at Sheetz; he’s bringing me home a small bag of Maryland Crab seasoned chips and a bag of pumpernickel pretzels! The other reason is to recover. I only have to clear and wipe the desk and my office/craft room; the Woman Cave will be a functional room! By the end of the week Kelly and I were both exhausted with aches on top of aches. For me, walking and even typing on my right side is very weak and stiff. I’d quit the med that was supposed to make movement easier for me because I didn’t think it was really working and it was the highest copay of all my meds. I think I’m, going to start it again because I can feel that I’m not taking it.

I called Scotty Wednesday morning to see if he would meet us for lunch on Thursday. He couldn’t he’s in the hospital! I didn’t gripe at him for not calling me this time. You don’t get any time to let people know you’re going to be in the hospital when you get the call he did Monday night; we have a donor! Scotty was in surgery early Tuesday morning and when I called on Wednesday he was bonding with his new kidney and pancreas! He’s been doing well, but Jill, his sister, one of the biological ones, says the doctors have him on antibiotics because they fear he may have an infection, so it set his original release date of Sunday back a few days. If everyone could please utter a prayer or good thought for my big brother, I’d be eternally grateful! I want the rest of his recovery to be textbook.

Kelly and I made all of our plans for our “Friendship Smash Books.” I have my binder and selected the first two papers and some of the items I want to use. The binder I have right now is my book. Kelly will start her book. What we’ll do is smash the title page and the first two actual pages. Then the books have to be in the mail by December 8. Kelly will get my book with the first two pages done and I’ll get hers. Then we do the next two pages in each other’s books with a January 8 deadline for mailing them back. We’re going to mail them back and forth doing 2 pages a month for a year. When the books are done we’ll both have a book that we half did ourselves and half done by our best friend. We’re going to add a little to the covers as we go and those will be done at the end of the year too. This will truly be a special and fun project.

Before I get on to the Monday Quiz About Me, I want to share this trip's mug. You’ll recall that last week I mentioned that Kelly and I have a mug tradition when we get together. This was a shoestring budget trip. Neither of us had the cash for a nice dinner out and even the coffee cup tradition was threatened. Except for the box I brought home from the storage!

I have no memory of when I bought this mug. But it was on s closeout sale, probably about 20 years ago according to the other items in the box. I showed it to Kelly and she loved it! Guess what? On this low funds weekend, the coffee mug from 20 years ago was not alone! There were two boxes with the identical mug! I’d already given Kelly the box with the other mug and saucer but I suggested we’d make that our mug for this trip. Her job now is to find two identical mugs that are older than half of our friendship to be the mugs for next time. This sounds like a fun thrift store challenge!


This afternoon I did this scrapbook layout:

Pumpkin Enabler

Credits: We Are Thankful by Colie’s Corner, word art by Digitalegacies

I love word art like that one. I have a few cups with word art like that, including the several types of coffee and several fonts on that 20-year old mug and saucer set! I decided that it was time I custom created my word art in that style and that’s the source of the Pumpkin Spice word art!

Of course, how could I not share??

 

Click on the preview to go to download.

As usual, I’d love to see any scrapbook or craft project you do with it!


Okay, NOW we move on the The Monday Quiz About Me, hosted by Heather at Acting Balanced and Wayne at Touristic.

1. How often do you shop for groceries? Do you shop in one place or many?

David picks up things that need to be fresh; meat, apples and bananas, salad, carrots, ice cream, in between trips, but we do our big shopping trip about once a month.

We usually shop at the Kroger a little over a block away, but we also shop at Meijer, because he likes their steak better and I like their hummus selection and Giant Eagle for special items.


2. How old were you when you had your first taste of alcohol?

LOL… 2.

Mom, Dad, Grandma and Papa each had a different mixed drink and were talking in the living room at Grandma and Papa’s house. I was quietly “making the rounds” taking a small sip out of the glass…each glass. Two years old and a sip of scotch, a sip of bourbon, a sip of rum and a sip of Seagram’s Seven. Of course I don’t remember this, but each of the adults involved enjoyed telling me the story when I was older. I was walking a little strange and acting a little zoned. Each one in turn said, “She only took a little taste of my drink.” Times four! They watched me closer after that and “little Daynonna wasn’t allowed to taste the grownup drinks anymore.”

Having taught the lesson, this never happened with my brother and he drinks a lot more than I do now. Hmmm…


3. How much TV do you watch?

Well, the picture quality on FOX is so poor I’m not even watching he baseball game tonight, watching the pitch by pitch on mlb.com. So, I last had the TV on Friday night when I decided that the bad picture and all the political ads were more than I wanted to deal with. It’ll probably be on again if David turns it on when he gets home or in the morning. I don’t watch a lot.


4. How do you relieve stress?

I write in my personal journal or meditate myself into a relaxing nap.



And don't forget to add a 5th Question on your own blog so we can answer as we hop around!


5. What is your favorite food to snack on while you’re reading/writing blogs?

Usually popcorn, air popped and hot with nothing on it or carrots. But…I also keep a candy jar filed if I’m in the mood for something sweet. I’m usually pretty good about the candy, keeping count and behaving, but tonight I’m a little lonely as I reach the end of the days between Kelly leaving and David getting home, so it’s just me and the Pumpkin Spice or Air kisses.

Starting The Week Off Right

Good Monday morning!

Kelly got here safe and sound Saturday evening. David left on his week-long vacation last night, adjusting his hotel nights for the weather. It’s cool because it meant he got to see Kelly a little, although wee were gone for a good chunk of yesterday, before he left. Yesterday was the last day of my dad’s vacation week, so we went to Pop’s for an Italian soul food lunch.

The Ultimate Comfort Food

Pop made piada, and Italian unleavened bread, served with seasoned pan-fried greens an Italian lunch meats and cheeses. Hew also made a plate of cosione, those seasoned greens fried up in rolled out pasta pockets. The piada and greens was my request when he asked me what I’d like him to make. He chuckled as I told Kelly it was “soul food” because it was the meal that brought back happy family memories from my childhood. The chuckle was not in calling it my soul food; it was because it gave a term and an explanation to the fact that that meal is the one that is most requested by my brother and both of my aunt’s kids when they get together for a meal with their families It is that meal that satisfies the taste bids, stomachs and inner-children of all four of us.


While Kelly is still sleeping, remember it’s an hour earlier according to her Missouri body-clock and besides I’m an early riser, I want to get my Monday Quiz About Me hosted by Acting Balanced and Touristic done so I have some time to read and answer some question #5s before our day starts!

1. What is the most interesting fact you have learned recently?

It has to be that fact that my brother, cousins and I all request the same family meal when we visit my dad!


2. The alarm goes off on Monday morning. What is your first thought?

Okay, I’m a dork here; my every day alarm is set for 7:05 AM on my phone. I’m rarely still asleep when it goes off, but I have it set so I am sure to be awake to take my morning vitamins and medications. This morning, I was sitting in front of the computer reading a news story with the phone sitting next to the keyboard. When it went off, I jumped. That’s more common than it waking me up, so I’d have to say that my usual thought when the alarm goes off on Monday is some sort of surprised expletive and “Gee that’s loud,”


3. What is the most memorable movie line of all time?

Hehe…today it’s “I’ll be back,” specifically from The Terminator, because I just finished this scrapbook layout last night:

Leaf Terminator

Credits: Fall Festival; Papers by Inspired Designs, 

Elements by Kathy Winters Designs

4. Describe a situation that always seems to try your patience.

Waiting. I hate waiting in traffic, for an event, I even go nuts waiting for David to be ready to leave the house when we go somewhere. The only thing I really don’t mind anymore is waiting for the doctor.

As I explained to David last week when we were waiting in the doctor’s office, when I was the one getting a diagnosis I didn’t want to hear and had lots of questions about, I was glad that the doctor game me his time to answer my questions and not hand me a pamphlet and say he had other patients waiting. It totally changed my perspective on waiting in a doctor’s office. But if a friend is meeting me for coffee, they’d better be less than 15 minutes after the scheduled time or I expect a phone call!


And don't forget to add a 5th Question on your own blog so we can answer as we hop around!


When a dear friend or family member is visiting from out of town, what thing do you make a point of doing together? (ex: board games, a meal out, attending a museum or event…)

When Kelly and I get together, whether it’s in Toledo, Missouri or someplace out of town for both of us, there is always a coffee shop involved at least once. We both enjoy, what her ex named “five-dollah-coffee,” and the chance to sit down and talk…and talk and talk and talk! It’s often where we pick our mug for the visit. We always select a coffee mug when we get together to commemorate or visit. We each buy one of the identical mugs and trade them. It’s our tradition!

Oh, by the way, we have NEVER paid five dollars for a cup of coffee. (Sorry Carl, you were a victim of your own exaggeration on that one!)

I Want The Chocolate One

Good morning members of my blog family. Even if you’re visiting for the first time, welcome to the Chronicles of Nani family. As this is my coffee shop on the Information Super Highway, I need to take a break and get a cup of coffee!

While I’m doing that, I’ll share a scrapbook page I did with some shots I just love of Kaline:

Credits: Chill by Sugar Kissed Designs

Okay I’m back. Aren’t those pictures of Kaline nice? I’m pretty proud of the photography!

Part of this is me feeling a little guilty. I want to thank everyone on Carla’s behalf for the nice comments and birthday wishes. Where I feel a little guilty is I didn’t post anything on August 12, Kaline’s birthday! I did do a Facebook Status for her, but not a blog. Shame on me! She turned 7. She did mention her birthday on Behind Orange Eyes in The Cat Days of Summer where she used one of the photos from that layout. She thought it made her look cute; she is a Leo after all!


So I made a cup of Verona in the Keurig maker. I can see the bottom of the container the Verona is in already! After it’s empty, I’m going to put a new box of Vienna Coffee House, which is my everyday coffee. I have 3 boxes of Verona left, but Starbucks is pricier than most of the K-Cups, so I don’t want to use it all up and I’m not in a financial position to upgrade my everyday java. Besides, I prefer to keep my indulgences as a treat.

To go with the yummy cup of Verona, breakfast is definitely not my normal fruit, yogurt and whole grain cereal. I've been craving a donut like crazy for a couple of weeks. It got worse when I was chatting with Kelly a couple nights ago and we were talking about her impending visit next month. We agreed that we must go to the cider mill in Michigan for cider and donuts. Yes, there are places locally that we can get cider and donuts, but cider and donuts in Michigan taste better. It tastes like home. We’ll go visit Scotty for one of the days she’s here, and the three of us on a picnic table with cider and donuts will definitely happen! And for a little while, we’ll all be in our early 20s, single and not a realistic care in the world.

But that’s next month. For today, I found a box of pumpkin donuts at Kroger when we did our cupboard restocking trip last night. Now, in keeping good tack of my points in my diet, breakfast today is actually a little less than normal for a donut and a peach with coffee. It’s just maybe slightly less good for me than the whole grains and yogurt. But it tastes SO GOOD!


Okay, now on to the weekly Monday Quiz About Me fun, hosted by Heather at Acting Balanced!

1. What is your favorite memory you made while on walk?

I always walked to clear my mind so a memory on a walk would be counter-productive, no? :)

Actually, I went on walks with Tori and Rina a lot. They weren’t as impressed with my favorite trails at Maybury State Park as I was. I liked the dirt paths and the more challenging hills. They hated having to wear bug spray and they hated the bus. But they did like the wildflowers. The best memories are that while they weren’t crazy about the bugs, we did that walking to get to the picnic areas in the back of the park where we discovered a playground they hadn’t been to before! So I guess it’s not so much a single memory, but a bunch of fun memories of picnics with my nieces when they were little.


2. Do you prefer to live in the city, suburbs or country? Why?

Well, I live in the city now, but not downtown, just within the city limits. I have to say that out of all the places I’ve lived I remember loving being a kid in Southgate Michigan because of the plethora of affordable kids programs in the 70s. But I love living in Toledo, Ohio!; it’s a small city, but it has the cultural and sports of a larger city, albeit on a bit smaller scale. The public transportation is good and if you’re driving the traffic is much less congested than a larger it or its suburbs. When David and I started dating that was the most refreshing thing; leaving the always crazy and congested traffic of Novi for the much more pleasant driving in Toledo. We’re close to downtown for things we need to do in the city, live in a pleasant neighborhood and we’re not a far drive from parks and farmland. It’s really the best of all worlds.


3. Post the cutest kid/pet/whatever picture you have taken lately?

Technically I didn’t take it, I’m in it. David took it, so it’s joint effort, right? He did need me there to take it.

I was chilly and kicked back on the couch with my blanket and fell asleep. Kaline is 7 years old and 13 pounds, but she has always loved crawling up and relaxing on my chest. She’s just not the pound-and-a-half kitten she was when she discovered she liked that resting spot. The thing is because she’s always done it, I don’t wake up just because she crawls onto me. I wake up when I hear my husband taking pictures!


4. What is your favorite recipe made with apples?

Tori and Rina will tell you I make the best apple chips there are. My apple chips recipe is simple; sliced cored apples really thin (salad shooter is great for that) spread the apple slices onto racks for the dehydrator. Start the dehydrator and check on them tomorrow. The new dehydrator I got last year will do a full load, about a quart of chips, in a day and a half. It is the greatest, most nutritious snack chip little kids have ever fallen so in love with they want it still sent to them in college.

Now, while I like the apple chips, my favorite thing I do with apples is still Shortbread Apple Crisp; wonderful with a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream!


And don't forget to add a 5th Question on your own blog so we can answer as we hop around!

5. What was a favorite food of yours as a kid that you still love as an adult?

The easy answer would be chocolate. See the story here about my chocolate bunny when I was 3. (It’s the answer to question 4 in the Friday 5 Questions.)  I don’t lock myself in a closet and eat a pound of chocolate anymore, but my favorite of almost anything is still “the chocolate one.”

On a healthier note, I’ve always loved salad! That was my favorite part of dinner when we ate at Noni’s because her dressing was so awesome, but then and still now, put it on a bed of lettuce and I’ll probably like it.

Friday Fun

This week’s statements:

1. When I was little my mom _____
2. ___ is my favorite condiment
3. I don’t like to celebrate____ because____
4. My ____takes up more space _____ and I can never__________

My Answers:

1. When I was little my mom didn’t work. She started working part time once my brother and I were both in first grade and full time after we were in middle school.

2. Honey mustard dressing or just honey mustard is my favorite condiment

3. I don’t like to celebrate someone else’s bad fortune, no matter what I think of them or how much I can see they set it up themselves because I’d feel less deserving of my own good fortune if I did.

4. My computer backup takes up more space on my extended hard drive when I do it without tech support and I can never figure out what command I’m getting wrong. Tech support does it by remote and it’s a 6 or 7 hundred MB file, I do it, 10 GB. (shrugs)

1. Thunder storms- love them or hate them?  

I like to watch or listen to them, but I don’t think I’d say “love” them. I do hate tornado warnings.


2. Do your kids get back to school clothes? 

Nope, my kids don’t wear clothes.


3. Do you golf? Do you watch it?

No and no. I used to enjoy mini golf.


4. Showers or baths?    Showers


5. What's the strangest meal you ever ate? 

Hmm… I don’t know that I’ve had anything “strange.” I ate fried squid a lot when I was little, but I don’t care for squid now and very little fried. I think fried fish is strange! I’ve tried alligator and escargot. But those aren’t strange, just not common. I guess it was strange that I had malt-o-meal for dinner last night or that I njoy Parmesans cheese and butter in oatmeal.

**  I went peach-picking on Wednesday with Tori, Rina, Pop and my cousin’s sons OS and ES. I brought home enough peaches to have plenty to eat and still make a peach crisp and a small batch of peach butter next week.

It’s sad that the dry summer has made even U-Pick places more expensive this year because there is just less you pick. The peaches are on the smallish side, but still tasty. We picked a few plums but the blueberries were just too small to bother. I also picked up a peck of early apples in the store. It was fun, as it always is!

**  While the drought hasn’t been good for fruit, soybeans or corn in this area, it doesn’t seem to have had an adverse effect on the growth of poison ivy!

This poison ivy bush is right next to one of the peach trees in the U-Pick orchard. We shared warnings with each other and especially the kids, but ES recognized the poisonous to the touch bush and was warning us all too!


** After peach picking, Pop and the boys headed back home and Tori, Rina and I went to Ya Halla, our favorite Middle Eastern restaurant for our traditional “must eat there when in town” meal. We had our humus and tabouli appetizers, well, Rina and I had the tabouli, Tori isn’t a fan, but she had more hummus as the side dish with her meal. Then in lieu of dessert, we got more “Middle Eastern Crack” to go; a small for me and a large for the girls to take back to Papa’s house with them. Since we had a “linner” or “dunch” I had my take-home hummus for an evening snack and then finished it for lunch on Thursday.

Nani, Rina and Tori at Ya Halla

The next time I see the girls now, they’ll be college students and adults. Wow. They have grown into incredible young women who I still totally enjoy spending time with!


**  I have to show off and brag! I got a package in the mail yesterday that is just beautiful and definitely made me feel all warm and fuzzy! Kelly sent me this as my last birthday present this year:

She gathered the elements and put the Pandora-style bracelet together for me! It’s so personal and so special. The beads are beautiful and the charms are perfect, including a train, dangly baseball, chocolate bar, coffee cup and of course a Best Friends. I look at it on my wrist and it makes me smile and miss her a ton, but love my BFF even more! After 23 years, yeah, she kinda gets me!

Monday Mug Shot - Kelly's Wedding

Maxim Hotel and Casino

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada, is what I call the “prop room for the subconscious.” Every bizarre image you’ve ever seen in a dream you will find in Las Vegas. That’s not at all insulting Vegas; I find that to be Vegas’ charm!

My friend, Jeff, and I flew into Vegas Memorial Day weekend, 1995. Kelly was living in Barstow, California at the time and we were going there for her wedding! The plan was to fly in and rent a car to drive to Barstow. We chose Vegas instead of Los Angeles because the rates were considerably better for a Vegas package that came with hotel and a free brunch than just the flight into LA, so we planned our travel having an extra night in Vegas to play before we went home.

Kelly came out to Vegas to spend a little time with us before leading us back to Barstow. She didn’t expect any of “the Zoo” to make it out and was pretty excited to be having not only the coordinated event, the beautiful, and I mean beautiful, custom made dress in a breathtaking outdoor setting, but she kinda looked at Jeff and me being there as her “roots” being represented too.

We met Carl for the first time the night before the wedding, which is when we pretty much met everyone in the wedding party and several friends she knew in Barstow. For the party before the wedding, we shot pool at the local pool hall and it gave a friendly atmosphere to get to know everyone and to enjoy Kelly buzzing in the wedding excitement. I had been the maid of honor at Kelly’s wedding to her first husband many years before in Michigan, but I was not Kel’s maid of honor for this wedding because she never dreamed I’d make it. But I was ready to step in should he very pregnant matron of honor have to step down in a hurry.

The wedding went on as planned and there was no birth in the middle of the ceremony.

I took a ton of photos since there wasn’t a hired photographer and in the days before digital cameras, at least before on for me for sure, I wanted to make sure I had a few that could be framed if they wanted to. I got the classics, pictures with the wedding party, a few were taken with Jeff and me, the hands and rings on the bouquet, the driving away shot. I also got some great shots of the cake and the devilish smiles on them both as they held cake for each other followed by shots of the bride and groom both wiping off frosting faces.

In 1995, I hadn’t anywhere near met David. In fact he hadn’t even met his first wife yet. I was committed to my career and really had no desire to ever marry, so I always avoided the bouquet curse at weddings, and if I couldn’t avoid being thrown in to the herd of single woman, I stayed in the back and ran the other direction when it was thrown. Even at Kelly’s first wedding, I prepared to run the other way. When she over threw trying to get me, the bouquet hit the ceiling and hit the ground in from of the women. Kelly did NOT want the bouquet hitting the floor this time, which she feared because I was the only single woman over 18 there. When the curse time came, she stood just a couple feet from me and told me that if I didn’t catch the bouquet, if I let it fall on the floor, she’d kick my butt all the way back to Michigan. Nothing is as intimidating as a bride in heels towering over you. (Especially when she knows exactly where in Michigan she’s kicking your butt to!) I caught the bouquet. In fact, that bouquet is in the bedroom I share with my husband. The curse finally did catch up with me, but it waited until I grew up some and it wasn’t such a curse anymore.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Top of the afternoon to you! Hope you’re having the “Luck o’ The Black Cats” today. Last year just before the Friday the 13th in May, Kaline declared Friday the 13th a holiday for everycat. “We’re all Black Cats on Friday the 13th.” I’m not totally clear, but much like the offices are empty at 5:01 on March 17th, the Catnip bars are full after all day on Friday the 13th. Right now, our 2 black cats for today, are napping so they can party some more later!


Maybe that was Barbara Ann’s problem in the Friday By Request story this week. She went on that doomed date on Friday the 13th. I hope you got a chance to see the (best of) Friday By Request this week. It really is a very versatile challenge. You can request almost anything!


Kelly and her Dad got home safely. Kel called me last night at 9:40 to let me know they’d gotten in. I was glad the trip was only minorly eventful as far as the weather goes, but I am a little disappointed that the 1-3” overnight turned out to be a little more than a dusting, not even an inch, though. Not that I like the snow in even the smallest, miniscule, teeny tiny smidgen of a way, but Kelly and Dave left earlier because of the weather. I don’t like it when Murphy and Ma Nature gang up for a collective raspberry!

One thing we did do while they were here, I helped Kelly set up her very first blog! She’s at Coffee Cup Crafts and Christianity, http://coffeecupchristianity.blogspot.com. Her place is still under construction while she’s moving in, but she’s put up a few things and a couple short posts. Stop in and say hello!

I know once Kelly is moved in and posting, she and I will be trading links. If anyone else is interested in a link trade, let me know! You can grab my blinkie, if you right click and go to properties you can get the URL for the blinkie on the web or you can right click and save image as to save it to your computer. I’m a little rusty on Macs because I use a windows operation mouse on my Mac too. I just really prefer the windows mouse. But I think you can just click and hold to open in a new window for the URL and save to desktop to put it on your hard drive. Drop me a note at chroincilesofnani@gmail.comn and let me know your blog address for the trade!


A BIG THANK YOU to Kelly and Dave! While they were visiting, much as I said that I didn’t want housekeeping help while they were visiting, Kelly did laundry, which I put away this morning, and Dave installed the hand shower that David and I got when we exchanged the one from Christmas at Bed Bath and Beyond. This one is both a regular shower head and the hand shower, with many spray levels including 2 different levels of fire hose!! Mmm…showering is fun again! Thank you so much guys! I’m not mobile enough to even think of doing both in one week, let alone one day. With the stairs and all, Kelly did the laundry in one day that I do all week! I am blessed with the most awesome family I could dream of!


Okay, that’s what’s going on here for now. Back to Grandma’s last box in the annex. We’re almost ready to bring down and assemble the shelving unit!!



Friday Four

I leave you with my replies from Friday Four Fill-Ins at Feeling Beachie. Won’t you come over and join us?






This week’s statements:
1. I have never eaten ___
2. I like to ___ in ___
3. If I could go back and change one thing, it would be _______.
4. My greatest _____ for my ______ is ______.

I have never eaten headcheese and I never will! It grossed me out when I worked in a Deli when I was 16 and it’s still just too much obvious pig leftovers to fathom trying today. I prefer my “snouts and tails” hidden in a tasty hot-dog!

I like to have lots of blankets over me in bed!

If I could go back and change one thing, it would be nothing. I believe that changing anything would alter the present and I like the things in my present of which II had the power to control the outcome.

My greatest reason for my optimism is my spirituality and my wonderful family of relatives and friends.

American Hamburgers

It’s dark and not quite six. We’re expecting snow tonight! Just 1-3 inches tonight and another 1-3 tomorrow, but 2-6 inches is not good traveling snow! It is threatening enough that Kelly and Dave left this morning for home instead of thinking about maybe seeing a Walleye game tomorrow and heading back Saturday. :(

They are driving through snow but the last message I got, it was steady but not heavy. Roads sere a little rough, but not bad and they were getting through Indianapolis before rush hour I miss them both already, they’re planning a return trip in the late spring.


I’ve started back at my cleaning in the annex to the kitchen. I’ve got about a half box from Grandma’s to go through but I can’t really do a lot more until David helps me get some boxes moved to upstairs, storage or Good Will. Maybe the Good Will things can go in my trunk to take over on a less snow threatening day.

There are SO many photos! One of the next projects, probably a 2013, maybe 2013/14 project is to organize the photos, identify who is in them and scan like crazy! I have some cousins on both sides of the family on Mom’s side that I’ll offer dinner or coffee (or both) to if they’ll look at some photos and see if they can identify anyone. I really want that to be my only non-scrapbooking project when I get that started!



Since I still don’t have any new requests this week, Friday by Request for tomorrow will be another “Best of” from 2006. I’m inviting everyone to please read the “best of” entries and click the Friday by Request label and find some inspiration to give me a challenge! It’s fun and my challengers have usually enjoyed the sometimes surprises with my take on their challenges.

Vintage Thingie Thursday

My Vintage Thingie Thursday offering is something I am so excited about! Remember I love advertising and I really love old advertising I love things that have quirks or that feel personal. I have an ad that tells that Texaco is in all 48 states, that sort of thing makes it even more special to me. Today’s treasure is both dated and personal.

1949 White Castle Location Directory

The location directory from 1949 is about 3' X 4", pocket size!

 For those who aren’t familiar with White Castle, it’s Sliders. Nasty, dry, little mini burgers fried, topped with finely diced onions and little buns that are steamed on the fry-grill and topped with a pickle, and a squirt each of ketchup and mustard, tossed in little boxes. Even a child would eat more than one for a meal. And as a child, I loved ‘em!

We used to get them on occasion when we visited Noni. When she didn’t feel like cooking…Okay, that never happened, but occasionally she’d crave a hamburger and since the closest place that wasn’t a bar to her was White Castle for a long time, her “American Hamburger” was White Castle. When Noni, who always worked so hard in the kitchen, even thought it was an obvious labor of love, said she felt like hamburgers, we tallied up the numbers of people there and made a White Castle run!

We drove by that White Castle near where Noni lived not long ago. She lived in Detroit but near enough to the Melvindale border that her White Castle was the Melvindale, Michigan one. It’s still there today and, look:

The Melvindale location was there in 1949 too! I love die-cuts because it’s just more interesting than a rectangular or even square sheet. This die-cut, dated booklet with the location we used to get our White Castle burgers from is truly a treasure to me!

Photoblog Wednesday

Nani, Kelly and Dave
Taken last night.

Kelly and I have a collection of photos of us mugging our parents! In 2010 when she visited, we got a shot of us mugging my Dad which was similar to a photo from 2002 with my Mom. Now we add her Dad to the gallery! I had said I wanted that photo after we did the shot with Pop in 2010 and now the collection is complete!

Kelly and her Dad are visiting for a few days before Kel’s next semester starts. We’re hoping to have lunch with Scotty tomorrow and of course, a coffee stop at Dunkin Donuts in Novi. They change the place, but who says you can’t go home? We do whenever we’re in town!



I occasionally like to combine regular features when I try out a new meme. Today, I’m trying out The Wednesday Hodge Podge, hosted by Joyce at This Side of the Pond. 7 questions to answer and one random thought. Simple enough and it’s one of my favorite blogging topics; my opinions! I’ve read Marti’s answers for a few weeks at Marti’s Musings and thought it sounded like a fun meme and since there isn’t a Meet Me On Monday right now, I thought trying out a new meme with be a good replacement this week!

1. Lake Superior University has once again banished a list of words/phrases they think should be banished from the Queen's English in 2012-

amazing, baby bump, shared sacrifice, occupy, blowback, man cave, the new normal, pet parent, win the future, ginormous, trickeration and thank you in advance.

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why.

Well, out of the choices given, I’m not tired of any of them, really. I still do find a lot of amazing things in this world and I also fully accept that what’s amazing to me may not be so amazing to someone else and vice versa. It think shared sacrifice is the best way to get something less tasteful done because there are also shared rewards. I don't care about the political buzz word. When real people use it and mean it, it's productive. I think Occupy is the very beginning of a new and hopefully better political party in this country. I’m working on creating a man cave and a woman cave in our home. I think there needs to be both. I’ve really never heard of some of the phrases on the chopping block, I’m a proud cat-mom, married to a proud cat-dad, proud in a ginormous way. :P

I guess if I HAVE to pick one, it’d be “baby bump.” But only because I get tired of seeing photos of bare swelled tummies, nothing against the phrase. Call me a prude, but I don’t want to see bare pregnant bodies, bare fat bodies or bare muscle head bodies on general public things like blogs or billboards. Though I will admit that of the three, a pregnant body is the most beautiful because it’s natural. I find the muscles on top of muscles, even just “six-pack abs,” to be the least attractive because there is a conceit involved with baring that for all to see.

I’m tired of “it is what it is.” That phrase is a cop out for “there’s a problem but I’m too lazy to care if it ever gets fixed. I’M not gonna do it! But I do know it’s a problem.” Yuck!


2. Are you easily embarrassed?

Not really. I always worry about being in an embarrassing situation, but when they happen, I don’t get embarrassed. Maybe that’s because I worry about being embarrassed and it’s never as bad as I was afraid it could have been.


3. What is your go-to snack?

Organic carrots! I go insane when there aren’t carrots in the house and I prefer the full-size organic ones. There IS a difference!



(Back from getting a carrot – weak to the suggestion!)


4. Have you ever been to Washington DC? if not do you have any desire to go? What site/attraction would you most like to see in that city? If you have been what's your favorite site?

I was in Washington DC in 8th grade as a class trip. I have photos of a bunch of 8th grade kids goofing off and what I remember the most was that it was a trip on a plane with friends to another state without our parents. Really, that’s the coolest memory about it.

If I went back now, I’d really like to go to Starbucks and have coffee with the President and members of congress from both sides, including the congress members representing Ohio, to talk about healthcare. I think my ideas and their clout might have some powerful results. Even if my ideas aren’t fiscally realistic, they might spawn some other ideas that are better.



5. sit ups-planks-lunges-squats-which one do you hate the least?

Um, you said “souvlaki spanakopita pastitsio” what?


6. What's a small act of kindness someone did for you that you've never forgotten?

One day I was entering the bank. My walker was in the trunk. It’s usually in the back seat and getting it in and out is a science I’ve mastered, but not so much the trunk! I made my way to the back of the car and was wrestling with it, but not having great success getting it out. A man leaving the bank stopped and asked if he could help. I started to stubbornly say “no,” but smiled and accepted the help. He got the walker out of my trunk, checked to make sure that I had my keys before he closed it and went back with me to the door to the bank, holding them both open for me before he left to go to his own car. I always remember that time especially when I think about how much using the walker and wheelchair has shown me the best side of people time and time again.

When I think of that man in the bank parking lot, it always bring back the about 10-year-old girl who offered to help me with the door in the ladies room and stayed until she could hold the door open for me to leave the ladies room. If you take the time to see it, in spite of all the lesser people who make headlines, there are a lot of wonderful people in this world.


7. Have you ever been a blood donor?

When I was younger my blood pressure was always on the low side and honestly, I’d have to have juice and rest for 20 minutes after a blood-draw at the doctor’s office, so the thought was scary!

Now, after a year of so many blood draws last year, I think I might be able to do it, but I’m not sure if all the MS medications would taint my blood. I ought to find out. David gives platelets often.


8. Insert your own random thought here.

On becoming a woman.

As women, we emotionally try to keep little girls from crying. As a girl, you know when you’ve reached womanhood in another woman’s eyes because she starts doing things to make you cry on purpose. My nieces aren’t 18 yet, but I see them as women because I’m no longer just the cheerleader. Now I give them the mushy gifts that make them cry and I know I’ve done well when they do.

They've been emotionally women for a couple of years now!



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