You Can't Win if You Don't Play!

I sat with My Lady during the whole meal. I even brought all her plates and checking all her garbage. During the meal she wasn't eating the Reuben. Oh No, I did leave her to walk across the dining room to get bread to make her a PB & J. I asked to see her teeth and the bottom dentures were gone!

I hurried across the dining room and asked Christine of the dining staff  call down and ask if they could pull our dining room garbage aside. Hopefully, they weren't compacting it yet. I had already learned that they run the compactor twice a day every day. I ran down to the kitchen. 

The bag had been pulled aside. I told the people in the kitchen what I was doing thanked them and asked if I could have some gloves. I put two gloves on each hand. One of the servers from our floor, Stephen was there and he took me out of the kitchen to the dumpster and the big black bag. 

Stephen and I went through the whole bag. No luck. I was determined so I went through the bag again. No luck. 

At this point, it was about 1pm, I was sitting on the ground behind the building, digging through a big black garbage bag. I stopped and thanked Stephen again for continuing to hold the bag open and told him I was going to try one more time. 

I moved everything to one side and went through everything, Styrofoam containers, cups, treat bags, paper towels, paper napkins, and food. I went through all of it as thoroughly as I could. At the very bottom, there was one last glob of garbage. I felt it. I squished it through my fingers and could see something that might be "U" shaped. I had to wipe off cake and layers of wet paper but there it was. 

I played Dumpster Diving for Dentures and I won!

Stephen said that might be the most popular game show that no one wants to be on.

HAPPY THOUGHTS

First time I saw Sonny or held teenie tiny Cora Lee
Dog Smiling
Dog Wagging Tail
Singing Bird
Laughing baby
Christmas Lights
Hugs

I Don't Know How To Eat!!

How is it possible that I still have not perfected the art of eating? Here I am minding my own business, I take a bite out of a taco and BAMM! I have breathed in a little piece of taco, I'm choking and then luckily I start coughing. It takes several minutes for me to recover. Why don't I know the difference between breathing and eating after 50 years of daily practice? What am I missing?

I am reminded of my childhood. My elders did try to instill social graces into my life. I can remember some of them.

• Don't talk with your mouth full
• Elbows off the table (Mabel)
• Chew each bite 20 times
• Close your mouth as you chew (eat as quietly as possible)
• Sit up straight

Let's take a look. I don't think that I adhere to any of these.

Don't talk with your mouth full - I regularly talk with food in my mouth. Hopefully, my mouth is not full. I do try not to stuff my mouth full as I eat

Elbows off the table (Mabel) - I know that I have rested both of my elbows on the table while I negotiated a sandwich into my mouth

Chew each bite 20 times - Ha, funny, 20 times, ha ha, oh, they were serious. I'm probably lucky if I chew each bite 10 times

Close your mouth as you chew (eat as quietly as possible) - This one I do, except when I'm talking or singing while I eat

Sit up straight - Sit? I do sit sometimes. I enjoy the whole family eating together but it seems so difficult to get everyone eating at the same time. I'm guilty of eating while I do chores around the house, while I take the puppies out. Plus I do not have the good posture that I could. I most enjoy sitting with my hips tilted back, with my left knee up or at least my left foot tucked up under my bottom

At the time of this last choking incident, my mouth was not full, I was not talking, I was not at a table, I'm certain I had not chewed the food enough, my mouth was closed, I was undoubtedly slouching with my left knee up.

So maybe I'll try going back to these basics and see if my choking frequency reduces.

Groups

It occurs to me that groups must be pretty important to us. English really only has one word that means love but group has been split atomically. Is it because we want to belong to a group? Does it help us to give meaning to our lives? Or is it that we name these "groups" to ensure our own uniqueness?

Here are a few synonyms of group that I was thinking of while I was collecting seashells by the sea shore: team, community, club, committee, gaggle, pack, squad, herd, pride, murder, congregation, troop, colony, battalion, litter, brood, gang, flock, posse, generation, mob, school, and bunch. That's 23 different ways to say group. As I continue to type,  I continue to think of more. I have no idea why it is so important to distinguish that a group of dogs is a "pack" but a group of geese is a "gaggle" or a "flock." Yet, it's nearly impossible for me to name the different feelings of love I feel without resorting to Greek words, metaphors or examples.

Raking

Most of my days are spent with my daily work. There are very few activities like raking. I work hard. I give my best effort until I have blisters on my hands and my hip aches with arthritis. Then I finish up as best I can gathering the last leaves and putting the rakes and such away. When I look at my work the ground is still littered with acorns and leaves (I live in an oak hammock).

Agenda, Docket, Itinerary or Schedule

Agenda, Docket, Itinerary or Schedule

Maybe it is because I Home Educate my kids or maybe it is because I do not work out side my home or maybe it is just me but I seldom take the weekends off. That special weekend feeling of: staying up late or
getting to sleep in or
watching Saturday morning cartoons or
even going to some special place is almost forgotten.

I do not believe that my kids understand "Weekend" or why others worship it or even why people (and Orange Cats) hate Mondays.

We don't necessarily wake up in the morning or go to sleep at night but we live by my Calendar. We definitely have plans. March is always very busy for us. We weekly attend two separate Homeschooling groups. Twice a month each child attends a Camp Fire USA group for their age.  We have play dates.  We visit Busch Gardens and Seaworld frequently. Then as the weather warms we also incorporate 3-7 visits to the beach each week.

Yet, I get confused as to what day of the week it is.  If it weren't for some rather silly mother's that had all penciled in mustaches, I would have missed the fact that it was actually LEAP day February 29, 2012 this week.

You didn't know that you were supposed to draw a mustache on your upper lip for Leap Day? It was explained to me this way: draw a mustache on Leap day because a drawn  mustache looks French, frogs are French and frogs leap. I told you that they are silly.

My Romantic Husband

For New Years Eve, I tried to have a romantic dinner. I went to a friends house and got dressed in my best dress that fits. She helped me straighten my newly cut and colored hair (by another friend). Her daughter helped me by putting on "smokey eyes" makeup. I even borrowed some wonderful perfume.  I planned a lovely dinner of steak, potato and salad with sparkling apple cider for the 4 of us (my darling husband and my 2 children). As I arrived home all the little girls four 5 and 6 year old girls come running to my car to tell me how pretty I look and how I smell nice. It was nice to be treated like a superstar. I bet this is how Dora the Explorer feels.

My friend that helped me get dressed asked me what my husband said about my dress-up for New Years Eve. Initially, my husband said nothing. As far as I can tell he doesn't even look at me. So I asked him how I looked and he said I looked "cute." Not exactly the look I was going for but it does explain why I am only attractive to 6 year old girls.

My friend then suggested that my husband wasn't romantic. See that's the funny thing, my husband is romantic. He is very romantic.

We met in August of 1987 and started dating soon after. We married in December of 1994. My darling husband is romantic. He is kind and thoughtful. He is generous and loving. In all those years, he has never forgotten an opportunity to give me a gift. He has even given me presents for HIS birthday. He has written me love letters. He has brought me flowers. He records TV shows that he thinks I'll like. He saves magazine articles for me to read. He sends me emails and texts each day offering information and words of support. Although he does tell me frequently that he loves me, he rarely comments on my appearance.

So is my husband romantic? Absolutely. Now for me, am I a romantic? That's another story for another day.

I wrote this to my mom. She and I both live without Gluten. She is planning a trip to New Orleans.
-------------------------------------------------------
I was thinking, have you traveled Gluten Free (GF) yet? Maybe you have, maybe you have not? Here are some of my tips.

I know you'll be staying with family but you will also have car trips etc.

I always bring trail mix. A handful substitutes for a light meal and it doesn't need refrigeration or cooking. I used Aldi's Fit & Active Trail Mix. It has raw pecans, almonds, hazel nuts, walnuts & a splash of raisins & craisins.

I like to carry my spray bottle of Braggs.

I try to find what I can eat of what others are eating, sandwiches can be rolled in one piece of lettuce or ingredients can be eaten separately. Two servings of peas instead of a roll. I know you do this well.

Most restaurants have something but some are VERY tricky.

Bunny told me breakfast is usually safe but I found out many restaurants add pancake batter to their omelets. So I ask. IHOP does but also has a healthy choice egg substitute omelete that is GF.

I have ordered sandwiches at fast food restaurants sans bread. They all accommodate thinking I am on the Atkins Diet. They'll allow doubling the lettuce & tomato too.

Popeys - red beans & rice are GF so is the french fries and coleslaw. Green beans are crazy. They have wheat flour & wheat gluten added.

McDonalds - an easy cheap meal, 2 side salads & a cup of H2O. It'll cost $2 + tax. I use 1 Caesar dressing for both salads. Fries are GF. There are more expensive salads but I wasn't really impressed. They also sell apple slices but I don't usually get them. Got a really nice fruit smoothie there for another $2.

Wendys - chili, fries & baked potatoes are all GF.

Taco bell -stick with hard shells, yummy.

Cracker Barrel - it was one of aunt annie;s favorites. They say these items are GF safe: bacon, sausage, grilled catfish, grilled chicken tenders, hamburger steak, rib eye & sirloin steaks, apple sauce, carrots, corn, green beans, pinto beans & turnip greens.

I never heard of anyone who thickens their jambalaya. Gumbo will be thickened but some families always used corn starch.

Many big chains have GF menus but I sometimes get frustrated trying to figure it out when I am hungry. PF Changs, Ruby Tues., Chilis, etc.

I don't know what to do about beignets & muffallattas. I am leaning toward ordering a muff without bread or handing them GF bread to make the sandwich on.

Hope this helps.

Arts and Crafts

I made "Jack" Pack by fashioning an emblem out of craft foam.

Have you ever figured out the difference between "arts" and "crafts?" I love art. I love to see it, feel it and create it. I love painting, drawing, carving, modeling, gluing, soldering, cutting and sewing. Most of the art I make looks much like the products your 7 year old brings home in the their backpack each Friday from school. But it is still my art. It makes me happy to create it, to look at it and to give it away. I do wish that in the end it would look better but only so that the people that I give it to could appreciate it better. So to me the difference between "arts" and "crafts" is only this: if I have created art others see it as a craft. Back to my beading now...

Not Knots!

A couple of days ago we were at the beach. We lost our raft. We had used a granny knot to secure the anchor line. Guess what? A granny knot will not hold an anchor line. Luckily we were able to find the line and with only two attempts I was able to recall a bowline. So I decided that we would start practicing knots. We started with the Bowline. We are practicing it everyday. My son and I are going to master these knots. I should have known better. And how cute is it anyway to see my 4 year old tying a bowline.

Life on Life's Terms

One thing that really bothers me is how important it is for me to find like minded individuals. Especially when many of my ideas are a little outside of the box. My education is in Engineering so these are just my personal observations. I have noticed that there are people like me who need groups and people who don't. I am married to someone who I believe could live in a cave. I need daily interaction with other adults. I need to have interaction where no one is tugging on my shirt tale or asking me where their shoes are.