Weekend Playlist February 10

I'll talk about it more in the next couple days but with the first weekend Sunday of this month being Super Bowl Sunday and a very special young lady’s birthday, Weekend Playlist last Sunday was not meant to be!

Standard Disclaimer: (stolen from Stephen Colbert with no shame) my musical taste ranges from a shocking “you like what?” to “don't judge me” and pretty much everything else in between. I have very eclectic musical taste and I'm proud of that.

Here are the last five songs that played on my iTunes library on shuffle today:

Butta Love, Next

Love Ain’t, Eli Young Band

It Doesn’t Matter, Allison Krauss

New, Daya

Count On Me Bruno Mars

Two children in a photo on this month scraplift challenge at GingerScraps made me think of the darling video for this and that song inspired me to use this exact photo in creating my layout

Heather took the picture in the scrapbook page. Possibly because she was the only one of us that was still awake enough to hold the camera still.

We had a few very busy months at work in both the Canton and Hamtramck offices. And it was a weekend in mid-May before things were going to get very busy again that we had no productions going on in either of our locations. I came up with the crazy idea that we should definitely leave work as soon as the building closed on Friday and not plan to be home until Sunday. My coworkers we're pretty much as insane as me and as tired and knowing that we were going to be even more tired on the weekends coming up. John didn't work with us but somehow my friends all just sort of”worked" together and whenever I had a crazy idea John was usually the first one to say “I’m in"

John had the vehicle that was big enough for all five of us. Tracy And Rich met us at closing time when Heather and I locked up the office on Friday night. We piled into John's car with our luggage for the weekend. The guys drove first leg, John at the wheel and Rich’s special brand of humor making sure staying awake with no problem. We stopped at a rest area about halfway there grabbing snacks and coffee and the girls woke up and I drove the rest with Heather and Tracy (we easily enjoyed three hour dinners talking for many years after that so it was easy keeping each other awake) while the guys got some sleep.

The street lights, for real!

When we got into Hershey we stopped for breakfast and I started my day with chocolate chip pancakes! After breakfast we stopped at the Hersey Lodge Hotel for our reservations were for the night on the outside chance that our room might be ready. It was and they asked us how many guests will be staying. We had reserved a double with a cot and they asked us how many guests were staying and we said five. They gave us five full size Hershey bars and the keys to our room. It’s not at all an inexpensive hotel, but 5 sharing a room makes it affordable.

Then we went to Hershey's World Of Chocolate where we played with anything chocolate interactive we saw, including the cart ride where you get to see how Hershey's chocolate is made including the ever important Hershey's kiss that started everything. When we got off the ride they handed everybody a full size Hershey bar. This city really was a Chocovore’s Dream!

And yes, there existed 5 of these

But it didn't stop with just the chocolate! Our next job was Indian Echo Caverns in nearby Hummelstown for some safe, tourist-style spelunking. As we got to the end of the cave we got to look up and see were ALL the bats sleep during the day. I thought that was totally cool and I believe Heather said it was totally not so cool.

The last thing of the day that we couldn't resist, is right next to Indian Echo Caverns is Indian Echo Mini Golf! I don't remember who won the golf game. I do remember that we were all getting hungry for something not sweet and were getting pretty tired by the end of the day.

The picture in this photo that Heather took was the other four of us after dinner at the Hershey Lodge going up to our room. If it looks like we're all about to follow totally asleep right where the pictures taken it's because it's true. But it was a great weekend.

We did finish off Sunday by going back to Hershey world and going to the outlet store to buy lots of chocolate to bring home. (When it's May, you want to make sure the chocolate is in a cooler or in the area where the air conditioning really kicks in the car) One thing we had to make sure we did at the gift shop was to get something REALLY nice for Tom. There had to be somebody from the full timers that had the mind the store on Saturday, for public access producers to work on their projects. There had to be a nice chocolate gift for the one of us who got left behind.

Nearly a quarter century later these people are still part of my family. I am one lucky woman to have collected such wonderful extra brothers and sisters in my journey so far!

I think in certain aspects copyright laws are a little overprotective. Videos, first off, ARE advertisements to begin with so, it's kind of stupid to say that you can't share an advertisement for free. But more and more that is beginning to happen. Remember when I couldn't show Elvis Presley singing It's Now Or Never? So what I'm leaving you with is the link to the official video. It is totally worth going to check out this video because it's adorable!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JNtAtGGNRU&list=RD4JNtAtGGNRU&start_radio=1&t=12

Happy Chocolate Bunnies!

Easter art made from a few pieces from my stash

David and I will trade chocolate when he gets home from work. I ope everyone has a great holiday, if you celebrate it, or a beautiful spring day that happens to have excellent candy on the shelves!

I’m watching cactus league baseball game and munching beans and eggs. That’s healthy food, right? -big grin- Okay, jelly beans and candy covered chocolate eggs. I don’t count candy points on Easter. I’ll check in after I sleep off the sugar coma. hehe

The Last of Leo

It’s August 20 and only a few days of Leo left! Last year I expanded Nanifest to include any plans made during the festival week as a Nanifest Event. This enables me to celebrate with more of my family of relatives and friends since I can’t drive out to see them anymore.

I mentioned a while back that part of Nanifest this year is that I no longer drive, officially. On my birthday this year my last driver’s license expired and I replaced it with a State ID. It was a funny bit of irony there. When I renewed the license I had three years ago I used the walker when I went in to the BMV. At that time I was able to load the walker in and out of the backseat of the Camaro so I could use it to get to places once I drove there. I could still drive okay, but walking I couldn’t do without assistance. The clerk at the counter looked at me and the walker and asked if I could still drive. Well, I got there, didn’t I? I assured the clerk that I drove fine; I just needed the walker to walk. With a little trepidation she said okay and proceeded with the eye test. When I went in at the end of July to trade my last driver license for a state ID I got from not one clerk, but that clerk’s supervisor as well the question “Are you sure you want to give up your privilege to drive?” WAY different reaction to my identification situation than 3 years ago! I told them, from the seat of my powerchair, that TARPS got me here because I don’t drive, I can’t drive. I also added that I don’t drive FOR the other drivers. Yeesh; it was as hard to quit driving with a wheelchair as it was to keep driving with a walker. I haven’t driven in 2 years and I don’t have a car and the state of Ohio has finally let go. It’s a good thing they did the kicking and screaming about me not driving because while I scream just fine, I’m not up to the kicking part.

Naniday Breakfast

Double Chocolate Frosted Donuts!

There are two essential components to Nanifest in addition to as many of my people as possible. Those are ice cream and baseball. There was plenty of ice cream, all within my daily or weekly Weight Watchers point allowances. There was even ice cream and baseball together. I talked about stopping at Graeter’s with Rob and K, Rob insisted it was his Nanifest treat. I bought a Blue Bunny cone from a rest area machine on actual Naniday since the ice cream and fudge place at the rest area in Indiana was closed by the time we got in there, but Naniday started with David getting me 2 especially good double chocolate frosted donuts at the Dunkin Drive through near our hotel. We’d done a long weekend in metro Chicago chasing trains and seeing a day game the day before Naniday at the Kane County Cougars. Since we’d been to the West Michigan Whitecaps earlier David has now been to all the Midwest League stadiums I have and we have only the Wisconsin teams and Bowling Green Kentucky to have been to every Midwest League stadium!

 In the 10 days from August 8-17 I saw 4 baseball games, 3 of the Major League! David and I saw the Reds and Marlins in Cincinnati on the 8th and the Mariners and Tigers in Detroit on the 17th and we joined Rob and K for the Red Sox and Reds on the 13th. The 16th, last Saturday was the Strike Out MS dinner and ballgame in Toledo and I went to that while David was working. That game was a sellout and after dinner and a little talking about the Self Help Group I lead I went down to get closer to the game. Our area of seats didn’t really have enough wheelchair spots ad I like to be closer if I can so I went solo. The saddest part of that stretch was that the team I was rooting for lost every game! I did get 2 games with fireworks after, one that made my husband and cousin happy and one that let me see “My Mariner,” Austin Jackson…sniff, sniff…and at least Austin’s team won!

My Mariner (sniff)

After the Tigers game we went to Pop’s house for the second annual Leo Birthday Banquet. Pop grills a fantastic dinner and Aunt Judy, August 18, and I share the cake! We shared a birthday dinner last year and it was very cool, so when Pop asked about birthday dinner this year I suggested that it was a great idea to do it for both of us again. I think it’s going to be a regular thing now! Three of Aunt Judy’s grands, my cousin Lisa’s kids, were there to help eat the cake and ice cream, I mean celebrate, too. I wanted a photo of the Lovely Leo Ladies for my scrapbook and asked the kids to help “make their grandmother beautiful.” Aunt Judy never likes her photo taken because she is never happy with her look in photos. I got some nice candid photos of her at Christmas a few years ago and discovered the secret. I asked the kids to stand behind Pop when he was taking the picture and just be goofy for her and make her smile. It worked! She even said she liked the picture!

Lovely Lionesses

Marble cake with fantastic fudgy frosting. My piece was 26 points and pretty much replaces the 2-scoop waffle cone for the week. (But a new week starts tomorrow!)

Rainy Day and Monday

 

Carrabba's Mezzaluna - YUM!

 

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer so far! I’ve already been to a baseball game and had a double-scoop waffle cone ice cream. It could snow tomorrow and I’d…be miserable. Snow in June? My world would end. Summer is not about having a baseball and ice cream day once; it’s about baseball and ice cream all the time!

On the second day of summer 2014, Sunday, David and I traveled into the Motherland and caught a baseball game in Grand Rapids, the West Michigan Whitecaps. The Whitecaps are the Tigers A-Ball team in the Midwest League. The Whitecaps lost the game 4-2 to the Fort Wayne Tin Caps, which marked the first game of 4 we’ve seen this year that the home team lost. It’s also the second time we’ve watched part of the Tigers family lose! We were at the game in Cleveland where the Tigers miserable lump started! I’d HATE to think that this year we need to stay away from The Tigers!

Saturday was Bike To The Bay, MS bike fundraiser. You’ll recall my friend, Christine, who has MS with drop foot is the captain of Team Leap Frog which is linked in The Chronicles if Nani’s right column. She biked 38 miles Saturday! Her 44-rider team collected nearly $13,000 for MS so far with a few months of fundraising left. Stop by Leap Frog For MS  and give her a “congrats!”

Monday was a cloudy morning with rain in the forecast. David and I went to do a larger grocery trip. The way the groceries work he stops a few times a week to pick up things we need and dinner stuff and I go every couple weeks to stock up on produce and the things I want to choose rather than choose from home. An example; there are about ten different REV wraps and many flavors of yogurt, but if David’s picking them up for me I have to choose from what I remember. About every month to 6 weeks, we gather all the coupons and do a major “staples and new things” trip. That was Monday.

Now, I have a gripe. I much prefer to shop with my power chair and hand baskets than use the go-carts available in store. First off, I can maneuver between all the tables in the bakery and deli areas with my chair. The carts are just too big not to knock into things. The other thing I noticed is that people in general are not as kind or helpful as when I’m in my own chair. Maybe that’s because there are so many people who use them that don’t "look" like they need them. I think passing judgment like that is cruel because you can’t look at someone and SEE why they need the riding carts. Someone with a heart or lung condition may be able to walk, but not for a whole trip to the store and use of that go-cart is the only reason they CAN walk out when they’re done. I know “back in the day” my knee would be fine until about half way through a grocery trip, then I was dragging my leg and left much of my list unbought. Whatever the reason, I feel better treated when I’m in my own chair. There’s also the space problem in parts of the store and reaching so far up to what’s in the cart.

When we left the store, it was raining, I mean REALLY raining! David pulled up close and I got drenched even trying to get close enough to get in the car. He ended up taking the groceries home and came back for me when the rain let up. I had my book, so all was okay until he came back and I’d been in that cart so long I had no strength and almost no feeling in my legs and needed help to get up.

I MUCH prefer taking my power chair to the grocery store!

Last night we finally celebrated Valentine’s Day! I had bought a gift card for our dinner that we never went out for because of frozen pipes, more snow and then just no time! We had a great dinner at Carrabba’s. David had a shrimp and scallops dish with mashed potatoes and I had Mezzaluna; chicken, spinach and ricotta ravioli. We shared Sogna Di Cioccolato, Chocolate Dream, for dessert.

After getting pretty wet earlier at the store, I managed to get in the house with just a few raindrops after dinner. It was a rain-exhausting but good day.

Happy National Pretzel Day!

Some fun online research tells me that April 26 is National Pretzel Day, the holiday in April, Pretzel month. Pretzels are my favorite salty snack, yes, even a step above popcorn. I’ll start my Friday Fragments this week with some pretzel talk!

Hosted by Mrs. 4444 at Half Past Kissin' Time

**   I think the pretzel love started when I was a kid in Southgate, MI. When we’d occasionally go to the Southland Mall with Mom, we’d get hot soft pretzels with mustard as a treat. I liked the crunchy ones too. I could get a box of the thin pretzel sticks for a dime the same place I got penny candy and baseball cards. Yeah, the olden days when I could get a pack of baseball cards, a coke, a box of pretzels and still have some leftover for penny candy with 50 cents. Whoever would have believed then that statement would one day make me sound do old? When we complained because the 15 cent Hershey’s bars went up to 20 cents, Mom laughed and told us about 5 cent candy bars. I paid 60 cents for those outrageously expensive 20 cent candy bars when I bought them for Rina and Tori. Lucky is she who can buy a candy bar for under $1.25 now!

Today I replaced cereal at breakfast with a soft pretzel to accompany my coffee, yogurt and banana. Maybe I’ll have one with mustard alter. When I have crunchy pretzels, especially if I can get them in Pennsylvania, I have specific pretzel and mustard combinations. I have four different kinds of mustard n my fridge, so I always have the appropriate mustard on hand. I like honey wheat pretzels with honey mustard and pumpernickel or sourdough with spicy brown mustard. Regular pretzels are perfect with standard yellow mustard, but really those are great with whatever mustard strikes my fancy at the time. YUM; what a great excuse for a holiday!


**  I punched in for an MS teleconference Tuesday that I didn’t end up staying on the line for. The topic was in-home health care and what the different types of visiting assistance you can get. I really felt like it was more of an advertisement for the guest speakers from their own in-home healthcare company. In the first 5 minutes they touted the benefits of in-home care and that most people responded better to in-home care than a hospital or assisted living and would rather stay home. I found that to be a really strange statement personally. After visiting many facilities for care for both my great-grandmother and grandmother there are some wonderful facilities that offer different levels of assistance and care.

Mums was in an assisted living apartment before she became too ill to care for herself. She’d been living with my parents and me prior to that and the stress level was incredible. When she moved into her apartment she regained a lot of independence and the stress was drastically reduced all around. She was always the same self she’d been when she was living alone at her house, with all the privacy she’d had, but with medical help or even just a “can you reach something for me?” a click of button away. I can’t understand how anyone that can afford it would choose to stay in their house rather than assisted living. If I had the choice to make for myself between retaining my privacy but having the safety and community of an apartment setting, while still having as much independence and freedom to bus wherever I wanted or living alone in a house with burners too high for a wheelchair, steps to tumble down and a lawn I have to pay someone to maintain, I’d go the apartment in a heartbeat! I always told my great-grandmother that I wanted to move to an assisted living complex when I retired because that’s the type of comfort and safety people deserve.

Anyway, I disconnected the call. There are a lot of better alternatives to someone coming into my home and judging me a few times a week.


**  If you read my book reviews, which I’m doing this year as part of my reading goal, you know I was less than pleased with the last book I finished. Rare Traits was a hard book to follow and I went a few days without reading to be fair to the next book, but it really was not a book I enjoyed at all. Death By Chocolate, however was a great read! I haven’t posted a review yet because I just, I mean JUST, finished it before I started writing this blog entry. It was a good crime story and the main character owns a breakfast and lunch bistro called Death By Chocolate. Can’t go wrong with that. At the end of the book are recipes for the incredible chocolate delights she made during the story. A great book with a little bonus heaven! That review will probably be my next entry; I can tell you it will get five stars!

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Joiniung Joyce at From This Side of the Pond for Hodge Podge

1. So, when did you last take a walk in the woods? A stroll along the beach? A drive going nowhere in particular in the car?

When David and I train-chase, it often starts as a drive to nowhere in particular. I used to go to the park to walk every day when it was nice and no snow. Yes, even in the cold as long as there wasn’t ice and snow to slip on I walked about a mile or so daily. I think now I might consider going to the park for a “walk” for the mental relaxation, but after the power chair is okayed and here.


2. Are you sending Christmas cards this year? About how many do you send? Photo card or something more traditional? How do you display the cards you receive?

We send cards, either our family cards or train cards every year. I always sent family cards and David always sent train cards, so now we send them both. They are photo cards that I created using Digital Scrapbooking and I write the verse on the card.


3. What's a word you've heard too much of in the past week?

“Grrr.” ?? I audibly “grrr” when I get frustrated, like getting in and out of the car on long rides or the lifting and moving necessary for baking. I don’t like to be grouchy, but a temporary “grrr” and some minor grunting helps me get what I need done. Think of the grunts you hear in a tennis match; it really does help!


4. December 13th is National Cocoa Day-are you a fan? Plain or flavored? Marshmallows or no marshmallows?

I love cocoa! I like really good cocoa just in its chocolaty awesomeness, but I also LOVE cinnamon hot cocoa and I like it with a splash or two...or three, of peppermint schnapps!

I can do without the marshmallows although as long as they melt, I can deal with them.


5. What is something you do to help alleviate the hectic pace of the Christmas season?

Oh! The hectic pace of the Christmas season is what I do to alleviate the mundane day to day of every other season!


6. Besides jewelry, what's a favorite sparkly-glittery item in your home or closet?

Wow. I’ll think of something as soon as I hit “publish” but I can’t think of any sparklies that aren’t jewelry right now.


7. Share a favorite line or two from any Christmas carol.

“How do you measure the love of a mother, How do you write down a baby’s first cry?” From Candlelight Carol

That was the first song on the CD I listened to while meditating on Christmas Eve the year my Mom died and I cried for about a half hour. It still makes me tear up but they are happy remembrance tears now.


8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’m on break right now from Ginger Bats, Bells and Birds baking. When I can barely lift the tray from the hot pad on the chair to the counter to put the cookies on the cooling racks, it’s time to take a break! It takes me longer now, but I still get it done! (And I love it!)

Now you may have noticed that there are birds added to the mix in my Ginger Belles and Bats. It occurred to me, strange as it sounds to me, that some people may not appreciate the blessing of the Christmas Bat. I know, I know, how odd, huh?

Bronner’s, my favorite Christmas store makes up stories for some of their ornaments. I mean, “Legend of the Christmas Chile Pepper?” So, why not the “Legend of the Christmas Bat?” A cute furry bat with garland on its wings, right? Think about it; if God saw fit to make sure Noah put 2 bats on The Arc, I highly doubt they flushed the bats out of the stable. If “I said the dove” cooed that baby to sleep, couldn’t “I said the bat” have been the one keeping the mosquitos away from him? I think it’s perfectly okay to offer all of God’s creatures a place in the Christmas celebration.  (I have a dog and three cats in my Fontanini Nativity.) And before you bring up spiders to my arachnophobic self, there IS a story about a spider creating the first strands of tinsel on a Christmas tree, which is one of the reasons we don’t use tinsel, but I even respect that there is a place for a Christmas Spider; just that place is in someone else’s home. Ours has a Christmas Bat.

Another Fabulous Friday!

Mmmm….Coffee…

You’ll see my candy list in a few minutes, or less if you are a fast reader. I did a scrapbook page yesterday from our time in Canada on one of the days of our vacation last year. Yeah, somehow I’m falling behind again instead of catching up. Hey, maybe I can do a bucket list after all! If I put “finish my scrapbooks” on it, I would achieve immortality!

Anyway, I did the page from the day in Canada was the day we made a Shopper’s Drug Mart stop to load up on Canadian chocolate bars. David and I both love Canadian chocolate and a visit to the Sisterland, because the US and Canada are sisters, always includes a candy stop! Now we haven’t been to Canada in over a year and I’m craving a Coffee Crisp like mad! We really need to do something about that.

I’m not dissing American chocolate at all! Ghirardelli and Hershey are both American and they make some of my favorites too. But Canadian chocolate is different. It’s its own kind of awesome.


And now for a couple of the Friday Memes…

This week’s statements:
1. when I was little I was called ___
2. ___are my favorite candy
3. If I could have one magical power it would be______
4. If I could go back to school it would be to become a _________


My Answers:

1. When I was little I was called Princess by my Dad.

 

2. Mr. Goodbar, Pretzel M&Ms, Almond M&Ms, Baci, Coffee Crisp, Hershey’s Air and Mint Aero Bars are my favorite candy.  Plus some others, but they all have chocolate in common.

3. If I could have one magical power it would be the power to heal the sick. Yes, I’d start with myself, but after curing Multiple Sclerosis, I’d move on to Cancer and every other disease out there.

4. If I could go back to school it would be to become a Computer Programmer.

1. Do you prefer to drive to your vacation spot or fly?

I used to love flying, but when it got to the point where it took longer to fly from Detroit to Chicago than drive because of all the “arrive early” and invasive security that’s almost scarier than any threat I became a bit disenchanted.

When I was flying and I had to sit on the floor to remove my shoes to go through security because the limited seating was taken up by business flyers who had to have an extra seat for computer cases while they took off or put on shoes, I realized that airports had become such a hassle that travelers were losing manners or even the awareness of other human beings in the vicinity. It’s that loss of awareness that completely cancels any feeling of safety all the security measures might give.

Oh, and airplane, wheelchair, airplane bathroom… I can’t help but think it will be an uncomfortable trip if I ever fly across country or to Europe again. I may need some extra absorbent Depends!

I prefer to dri…have someone drive, because it puts us in control rather than at someone’s mercy. And I can usually even talk David into a pit stop now and then! ;)


2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Toledo, Ohio with a winter home in Las Vegas. I really do like the city I’m in now, just not the winter. So I’d go play when it’s cold.


3. Should grown women wear leggings?

GROWN women should where whatever they feel comfortable wearing. I wear leggings in the summer and in winter under my jeans…which are also leggings. It’s what’s comfortable and easy for me. If you’re offended by how I look, I’m not trying to impress you; don’t look. If you can’t help but look, I’m sorry I’m so captivating; resist or get some help.  Not my problem.


4. If you could change your name to any other name, would you? And what would it be?

I changed my name when I got married; maiden name became my middle name and David’s last name became my last name. I didn’t hyphenate; I kept my identity and my married identity as two separate parts of who I am. I also wasn’t crazy about my middle name. Of course, my middle name was the name I was baptized as, so the Catholic Church has an APB out for me! hehe

As far as the first name, I have always really, really liked my name and wouldn’t consider changing it.


5. What magazines to you have subscriptions to?

I have subscriptions to Momentum and Neurology Now, both publications with MS research and information, and David and I share our subscription to the Mensa Bulletin.

Feeling Scrappy

I hope everyone is having a nice Friday. I know for many this is Good Friday and the beginning of the weekend that commemorates the beginning of Christianity. My Mom became Catholic before she got married so she and my Dad could have a full Catholic church wedding. She was probably a more devout Catholic than Pop. Then again, Pop is probably the most devout American I know. If it’s something you want and work for, it ends up meaning more. Many of us who still practice the religion we were brought up with or are citizens of the country in which we were born don’t have the same passionate appreciation as those who embraced something different, their choice. I’m not at all saying anyone is less American because they were born here or less faithful because they never changed their spiritual path. I’m just saying that a naturalized citizen or someone who has chosen to spiritually redirect themself has a special appreciation for their status.

Mom was that way religiously. I think some of her views are why I think if you are sacrificing on Good Friday, eat hamburger instead of lobster. The church’s reason for making Fridays fish days long ago was to encourage the wealthier people to support the poor. Instead of eating more expensive meat, support the local fishermen. It’s definitely flipped now. So, instead of buying the more expensive seafood, support your local franchisee and the people they employ and have a Quarter Pounder. That’s not my official recommendation; Practice your faith and spirituality the way that is fulfilling for you!

I’d say enough of the religion talk, but I know there’s a question coming up in that area! :)


I’ve been a bit scarce in Blogland this week because there’s been a bit going on outside of The Chronicles of Nani. There’s been White Tornado stuff, a few other fragments and scrap stuff. I’ve pretty much adopted the challenges at Ginger Scraps as my main monthly challenges. I like the variety and the bonus plan is awesome! I have a couple favorite designers are there too. I still do challenges at The Studio and Gotta Pixel, but my main challenge place is Ginger Scraps now. So, take a look at a few challenge layouts I did in March!

April Desktop (Nani’s Pandora Dreams)

Desktop Challenge

Credits: template by Sugar Kissed Designs, Kit - El Mojito by Twin Mom Scraps

Here’s one using the Photoblog from last Wednesday:

Kaline’s Court

Inspiration Challenge

Credits: The Cat’s Meow by Jen Yurko

And Finally…

Mississippi Steam Train

Template challenge

Credits: Template by Twin Mom Scraps, Kit - Stippety Strpiety by Twin Mom Scraps, additional elements from Travel By Train by Volshebnica Designs, additional papers from For Us by Pretty In Green

(Title linked to gallery to read journaling)

Okay, now let’s look at some of the usual Friday Fun! Let’s check out the Five Questions from Mama M at My Little Life!

Five Question Friday



1. Would you prefer having people over for dinner or going to their house?

Actually, I’d prefer to go out. Restaurants have to be wheelchair accessible by law, so I don’t risk anyone feeling bad because I can’t do steps or get around in their home. Also, if I’m at someone’s house enjoying their hospitality, I want so badly to help with cleanup. I can’t really do that in a house I’m not familiar with because I don’t know where I can grab to steady myself. Yes, that’s all about me. I’m just not comfortable letting a friend or family member wait on me while I do nothing in return. I’d love to have people over…after the White Tornado project I complete. I’m still embarrassed to have the bug-guy in the house and we pat him.



2. Favorite Bible verse and why?

The verse from Ecclesiastes the 1965 song, Turn, Turn, Turn, by the Byrds was based on. It’s a wonderful message, and a great song. It was the verse I chose for my Mother’s prayer cards because it was one of her favorites too.


3. What was the first concert you ever attended, and the most recent one?

First concert was Kiss with Cheap Trick July 13, 1979. Most recent was Rush last year.


4. The year is 2025. What are you doing, and what have you done?

Oh my, I’m almost 60!

I tell everyone I’m 59 already, although I won't be 59 until July, and David gripes because I’ve always done that. He has probably told me, “Start acting your age! You’re old. Be just a little bothered by it?”

I have a graphics job, a power chair and I’ve mastered the hand controls in my van and actually don’t mind driving as much anymore. I’ve been doing public speaking engagements about keeping your spirit happy while facing challenges for a decade. There is decent money in the public speaking stuff and David and I have had the train layout with a house over it, including my coffee lounge, for a few years.

My face is finally starting to look like I might be able to have gray hair with it.



5. What's your favorite Easter treat?

No question; Hershey’s Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Easter Eggs!

I’ll try to post some more this afternoon! Everyone have a great Friday ad a wonderful Easter weekend!

It's A Chocolatey Morning

So much fun reading comments yesterday.  The Almond M&Ms caused quite the stir!!  When I was a kid, it was all about the peanut M&Ms!  The Milk Chocolate, we knew them then as plain, were okay, but the ultimate M&M was Peanut.  Keep in mind that when I was a child, as was true for many of us, M&Ms only came in plain and peanut!

For me, peanut was an easy choice for 2 reasons.  First, it had peanuts!  I’ve mentioned before that working on a healthy diet for me was the sobering reality of a serving size for nuts.  I love nuts!  You are what you eat, right?  Well nuts are all fat, good and healthy fat, but all fat.  Which makes Nani good and healthy to be around and….  (sigh)  So, I am careful now.  I measure and count nuts when I want them. 

Olives fall into that category too! I’ve loved olives since I was a kid.  There are three olives in a serving, three!  There are five fingers per hand.  The math doesn’t work.  Come on, how many of us did the pitted olives on our fingers as a kid?  I’ve even seen cans of pitted olives with a drawing of a kids hand with an olive on each finger.  I think we let kids play with olives at holiday dinners because we used to do it and it brings back happy memories.  I know I have a picture of Tori with olive fingertips at Thanksgiving!

But let’s get back to the topic at hand.  (Accidental pun alert.)  M&Ms.

The other thing that made choosing peanut easy was the chocolate.  Plain M&Ms were candy-covered Mars chocolate.  I have always preferred Hershey's for regular candy store chocolate.  Really, I’m a fan of Hershey’s in general, but even with my preferred chocolate, my favorite candy bar is Mr. Goodbar and I’ve always preferred Hershey’s Almond over a plain Milk Chocolate Bar, hover, I still love the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars!

When M&Ms started to expand and bring us new varieties of M&Ms, that was pretty cool!  They added the Almond to the M&M staples and honestly, the almond bumped the peanut out as my favorite M&M.  Then they added the Mint M&Ms for Christmas.  I like the mint ones for a change up, but they don’t mix in a big bowl of assorted M&Ms as well.  I’ve tried and loved the M&Ms in peanut butter, coconut, cherry, dark chocolate and peanut dark chocolate.  I tried and did not like the Crispy M&Ms.  Not a fan of Hershey’s Crackle bars.  I’m just not a big rice fan.  For a while if you asked what my favorite M&Ms were, I’d tell you Almond or Dark Chocolate Peanut, easy.  The Dark Chocolate Peanuts just amazed my taste buds the first time I tried them.  I’m usually more of a milk chocolate fan, but I think I just prefer Mars’ dark to their milk.

 Then, they did it.  They made an M&M for ME!  Pretzel M&Ms!!  How perfect a Nani-candy can they make?  Okay, as already stated, Hershey’s chocolate over pretzels with a candy shell would be perfect-er, but that’s not going to be happening soon.  My, without question, favorite M&M is the Pretzel M&Ms!  I have 2 bags of Easter candy left, they qualify as the best of the best to me; Pretzel M&Ms and Hershey’s Candy Covered Milk Chocolate Eggs.

 

The Candy Covered Eggs are essentially solid Hershey eggs with a candy shell.  Easter candy lasts a while because, even though the jar I keep it in is right next to where my computer is, I count them out and record my points for them, so the jar lasts longer.  Right now David filled the jar with his Cadbury Eggs.  That’s helping me control my chocolating too.  Not that I don’t like the Cadbury Mini Eggs, I do, but they’re David’s eggs and I don’t want to deprive him of his favorites!  But after the Cadbury Eggs are gone and it’s time to refill the jar, I have to make the tough decision of which of my two faves will be the last bag.  I’m thinking I’ll have the Hershey’s for last since, although not in pastel colors, Pretzel M&Ms will still be here.  The candy covered Hershey’s is gone after Easter.  Maybe I’ll find a half-off case of them after Easter Sunday….

Okay, time for breakfast.  Shall I have chocolate cereal or make a chocolate breakfast cake?

Sunday Sharing

We’re on break from the White Tornado now. David is helping me with some of the liftables that are more than I can handle and the David-specific stuff that I refuse to be the one who decides if it goes or stays. That and I want us both to know where his stuff goes!

David was at what I lovingly call a “grownups play date” yesterday, a model train operating session at a friend’s in Michigan, so he was gone all day. That gave me nothing but uninterrupted scrap time! I got the last three pages done for the major project I’ve been working on for over four years. Now starts the proofreading. That’s a David thing. He’s the pro and I’m, especially bad at seeing my own typos because I know what I meant to say and often, that’s what I see. Plus, I like having a second pair of eyes check out the layouts before I get them printed. Once the printing is done, it’s done. It’s just too expensive to do it twice. If David asks why I laid something out the way I did, or tells me it looks cluttered or not balanced, I can make adjustments. Still, editing is most to proofread my typos!

Part of scrapbooking, for me anyway, is that I often create templates of special elements in separate files to use in my layouts. Those separate file often end up being freebies. Since the project is a gift, I can’t show the page just yet, but I can show and share a word art I did for one of the pages.  This is a special book to me and sharing little pieces of my creative heart only make the whole project more special.  I’d like to share this word art with fellow digiscrappers and anyone who might enjoy the sentiment to enhance a photo or add to their blog!

Click preview to download at 4-Shared.


We had brunch around 11:30, so in lieu of lunch, for our afternoon break we had cake! I was inspired by a blog I read yesterday morning. I don’t really remember how I got there, but I think I followed links from Pinterest. Of all things, recipes are the greatest thing I get out of Pinterest. Well, that and an organized place I can keep my White Tornado links, but I have been inspired by so many wonderful recipes! So I found myself in the archives at GFE, Gluten Free Easily, and a few different gluten free versions of Mug Cakes. I never realized how many types of Mug Cake recipes there were! So, as I was looking at the vast variety of recipes, I started wondering if there was a Weight Watchers friendly version. I found a couple “healthier” recipes, but they all ended in a whole regular egg and 3 tablespoons of oil. I got out my little points calculator and came up with 10-15 points for one mug cake. No thanks. The oil was way too abundant for my mind for just a mug of cake. So, on to recipe building.

I analyzed a total of 7 recipes from different places boasting benefits for different reasons. There are some things you swap out and some things you don’t. I wanted a cake that was fluffier than the gluten free recipe and lower in oil than, well, lower in oil than any of them. I came up with a combination of ingredients that seemed like it should be good and the total was only 6 points! YAY!! But the big question after all that – does it taste good? Because what is it worth if it’s within my dietary guidelines but it tastes bad, right?


So I combined it, nuked it and WOW! Warm and tasty chocolate cake!

Ugly, but tasty!

My rule for posting a recipe that I put together is that I have to have all the accurate measurements, and I have to recreate the recipe with the same results at least twice after the measurements are finalizes. Well, with this one, I wrote and used the exact measurements the first time. I just remade the recipe, plus the regular sugar variation and even my finicky Hubby says he’ll eat it again!

So here’s my version of the 3-minute Mug Cake:

Nani-style Mug Cake

¼ cup almond flour
6 packets Splenda
1 TBS cocoa
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ c milk
¼ c egg substitute
1 tsp. vegetable oil

Mix all the ingredients in a coffee mug, microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Serve warm. It's not a pretty cake, but it's tasty!


(I made David’s substituting 2 tablespoons of sugar for the 6 packets of Splenda.)

Links

GFE - Gluten Free Easily

Nani Is A Happy Little Princess!

I’m posting my first post of the day a little later than usual today. Pop was over this morning to see what could be done with our crashed bookcase. It took him about an hour to go from shattered pieces to shelving unit anchored to the wall! It took me the better part of the day in 2007 when I assembled the other identical bookcase and David constructs with words, not wood! Assembling a unit from a kit, even a unit that had splintered a few screw holes and taken a chunk out of the bottom of one shelf when it fell was very simple work for my Dad, who has worked in construction since the early 70s. He’s already said that he’ll come back when I get the rest of the kit-furniture. I’ll prepare a nice lunch spread to say “thanks!”

After Pop finished putting the shelves in and put away his tools in his car, we had minestrone. I was both anxious and a little nervous about Pop tasting my first try at minestrone. I thought it was good, just a few tweaks away from great, soup is my specialty, but the opinion of the senior minestrone maker in the family was the true test. He liked it! He really liked it!

After lunch he wanted to make sure he had the directions to Sofo, MY Italian market, so he could stop before he went home. I enjoy the fact that both Pop and my brother feel the desire to stop at MY ethnic store when they visit. I have the edge there!  Sofo is a truly awesome place for Italian groceries!

So far, the popcorn popper is the only thing on a shelf, since that was the tallest appliance and it was used to place the first shelf. After a couple of serious moving, bending, lifting and stretching days upstairs, I promised myself, and David, especially David, that I was going to relax today. Just like working out, rip, then heal to build muscles, I rip then heal to restore strength.

Happy Chocolate Day!

Today is Chocolate Day!  Chocolate Day is celebrated on the third day of Valentines Week. So I think I’ll eat my rose tonight.

David has been bringing home little gifts when he finds ones that just scream me. At this time of year, there are lots of those! At the end of January, he brought me a Dove rose. I know the rose is 3 Weight Watchers points. I figured it out right away, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to opening it. It’s so pretty and so sweet and romantic and once I eat it, it’s gone! I think official Chocolate Day is a good day to finally open it. There WILL be more chocolate, likely even more chocolate from David!

The past couple of nights we’ve had another treat he brought me.

He knows me well! That little black forest cake was the perfect size for us to share for dessert for two nights.


Last thing I’ll share for now is a vintage thing for Vintage Thingie Thursday!

I have three peach-tone glass dessert plates from Grandma’s. You don’t really see the peachiness until there are a few stacked together, but they ARE peachy!

I confess that it was a set of four, but I lost one to a knock off the counter that also claimed one of my dollar-store glass plates. Obviously the peach dish was a bigger heartbreak!

I don’t know exactly how old these ones are. What I do know is I hadn’t seen them before we found them in the back of the cabinets that had many other old dishes. I spent a lot of time at Grandma’s house and did a lot of foodie things with her. So, I’m fairly sure they pre-date me! I do know they are pretty and totally match my peach and green kitchen future!

See more Vintage Thingies at Suzanne’s blog, The Coloradolady, every Thursday!

Links

Chocolate Day

Sofo Market

The Coloradolady

Wednesday Hodge Podge

1. What is something you are loving right now?

Bookcases. In my White Tornado project, shelving units are key to progress and I’m dreaming of bookcases and organization. Anything that organizes makes my pupils big.


2. Paris, Venice, New York, and Rome are considered four of the most romantic cities in the world. Which one would you most like to visit?

This one’s easy. I’ve been to all of them except Paris, so it’s Paris.

I don’t get how Rome and Venice are romantic. They are pretty, but dirty. New York I went to for the first time at Christmas with the boyfriend I married. Yes, that was very romantic.


3. Are you a romantic?

I am, but not a textbook romantic. I like some common romance things, like roses, chocolates or a candlelight dinner, but there are some uncommon things that romance me that, well, David got the job because he does them.


4. What's your favorite love story made for the Big Screen?

I’m not much of a movie watcher and I don’t watch a lot of love stories. Bull Durham?

5. Everyone loves Pooh bear and friends...which character are you most like and why? Click here for help in answering this question.

I love Eeyore! In fact right now I’m wearing my Eeyore fleece. Eeyore is about as UNlike my own personality as it gets. Opposites attract.



6. What's the best chocolate something you've ever eaten?

We had a dessert at Montana Jacks in Moline, IL, that was absolute chocolate ecstasy! It was a chocolate crumb crust with a layer of fudge on top, then a layer of chocolate mousse and whipped cream on top with a candied nut and cocoa power top sitting on top of a pool of chocolate fudge sauce.

K, if I leave now, I can be in Moline by afternoon snack time.


7. Share a favorite quote about love.

Love is like coffee;

Sometimes it’s good, sometimes bad,

Sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter,

Sometimes it’s all glitzed up and sometimes it’s plain.

Sometimes you go out to find it and sometimes it’s right at home,

Whatever way you get it, there’s no point in waking up without it.

                                                                                                  -Nani                                     

(But if he turns into Folgers, I call my lawyer.)


8. Insert your own random thought here.

My love-coffee quote wasn’t random enough, huh?

I had a weird dream the night before last. I believe that dreams are the subconscious processing the record of what you did and what you thought about during the day. Bad dreams are the subconscious processing things that worry you.

In this dream, I was meeting David “downtown” for a baseball game. I drove up to the lot right next to the field. I got a phone call from David asking where I was because I was going to be late. I told him I was in the lot across the street. He said he thought we were parking in the lot by the ballpark. I told him that the lot across the street IS the lot next to the ballpark. I was at Fifth-Third Field in Toledo. David was at Comerica Park in Detroit. He’d bought Tigers tickets, not Mud Hens tickets.

Am I worried about our communication in the back of my mind?? Maybe it’s just winter anxiety.

Monday Mug Shot

Eat-N-Park

This is a nice, big hot cocoa, turmeric tea or hot cider mug! Just last night I had Ron and Franks Hot Apple Cider from it. Mmmm… No sugar, no caffeine, no chilly!

This is not an advertisement for Eat-N-Park. It is an unsolicited testimonial! Hehehe.

The coolest thing about this much is the colors. It’s a Pittsburgh company and it’s in Pittsburgh Steelers colors! I bought it on a Sunday when there were lots of Steelers jerseys on patrons and staff! We’re talking great corporate citizenship. At other times of the year it could be a Penguins or Pirates mug as well! For today’s memory, it would be Pirates colors.

In the summer of 2008, I got to introduce Tori to my favorite Pennsylvania restaurant. We’d taken the girls on trips separately. This had a lot to do with that the train festival Rina wanted to with us to was absolutely not Tori’s cup of tea! She’s okay with sitting around while we chase a couple trains, but for the whole weekend? No way! So, we did a little investigating and she chose to go to Hershey.

Now, the greatest challenge with Hershey in the summer is NOT the amusement park, which we didn’t go to. That’s a trip we really should make with both of the girls. We did go to the Hershey museum and Hershey’s Chocolate World. We made a day of it there, going on the chocolate ride that tells you how kisses are made, with free chocolate at the end, and seeing some of the exhibits. David ducked out for a couple of trains while Tori and I were at the 3-D chocolate theater and went to a chocolate tasting. The freebie after the tasting was one of the big 4-ounce bars of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate. I was glad it was that because Tori didn’t care for any of the darks we tasted.

While in Hershey we ate a dinner and a breakfast at Eat-N-Park. Breakfast was where Tori really appreciated it! She and I both had the Smiley pancakes. Pancakes with a smile and bacon is a breakfast just made for her, me too!

They are a family restaurant, but so much more. There is the standard fare that attracts the kids, not just Smiley cookies, but Smiley fries and Smiley pancakes. But there are also fantastic dishes for the adults too, great NOT fired fish dishes, lean and flavorful chicken dishes, out of this world soups and a great salad bar. They also have espresso-based drinks that rival Starbucks. In fact, I think Eat-N-Park has the edge on Starbucks Pumpkin Spice lattes! We’ve never had bad food or bad service and we’ve eaten at enough of them that you’d think by now…knock on wood.

Yummy food, yummy memories and I’m waiting for the Toledo location to open! Please??