April 17, 2012
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Today…
…I am facing a dilemma of a less than serious kind. I need to exercise today. I was thinking that I would walk for 20 minutes. I just now realized that this afternoon is Derrick’s guitar lesson and it is nice outside. Which means I could do my walking while he is there and the other kids play at the school playground. I LOVE being able to multi-task like that…making use of “free time” while waiting for him to get done with his lesson.
Alas, I have worn high-heeled sandals that are quite inappropriate for walking.
Now you must know: There are other things I hate, besides not using my “free time” wisely. I hate driving out of the way. Really hate it.
Cannot necessarily explain it rationally, except that it goes against my “efficiency and organization” OCD-ness. So, do I drive out of my way to go home and pick up a pair of flip flops, do I skip the walking and do it later, thus not making good use of my free time, or do I stop at Wal-Greens and buy a cheap pair of flip-flops (thus bringing my current count of Flip Flop pairs to 15) so I can walk during guitar lessons?
This is the level of problems I am dealing with today.
…I am thinking about the left over meatballs that the boys and Jeremy had for supper last night. I think I discovered them on Pinterest. They are super easy-peasy and also super good. I used to slave over my home-made BBQ meatballs (which are awesome, if I do say so myself) but since I found this recipe, I have been opting to make these instead. The boys actually like them better than my homemade ones and Jeremy likes them too. So, in the interest of helping out all my fellow dinner preparers…here it is:
Mix first two things together in a bowl.
Put meatballs in crock pot. Pour sauce out of bowl and over top of meatballs.
Set crock pot on low for 3 – 4 hours.
That’s it. Seriously. How much easier could it be? And, like I said, they are super yummy!
Oh, and PS. The reason that only Jeremy and the boys had the meatballs is because Nikki and I went on a date. Which involved Subway and watching “The 3 Stooges” at the theater.
…I took my children out for a special breakfast at McDonald’s today. We have never before done this on a school morning. It required a bit of planning ahead, going to bed early the night before and getting up early (6:15 AM) and after getting ready, heading up to town. I had promised the kids that we would do this sometime this spring, after Nikki randomly suggested it one morning a few weeks ago. Today was the day!
They wanted eggs and bacon (sausage for Nikki) and pancakes, so we ordered our own version of “The Big Breakfast.” We sat in the booth at McDonald’s and I watched them eat their yummy food and drink their drinks of choice. Orange juice for Nikki, chocolate milk for Kendall and Sprite for Derrick.
I watched and did NOT eat because I am going for round #2 of the Flat Belly Diet and I am in the 4 day jump start part of the diet, which is where you may only chew on celery and eat plain rice. OK…its not quite that bad, but almost. But, no fear, I was quite satisfied because I had already eaten my cup of cornflakes with skim milk and eaten my 1/2 a cup of blueberries. Ha, ha! This time, my sister Debbie and I are keeping each other accountable with our diets and I am hoping it goes better than last round, wherein part way through the 4 weeks I got SUCH a craving for sweets that I went and bought a whole cake at our local grocery store’s bakery. And then ate a lot of it. With ice cream.
…I just broke one of my most favorite dangly necklaces when I bent over to get a manilla folder and it caught on my chair on the way back up. I think I may have sworn. Maybe just said “Crap”, I’m not sure. It may not have helped that this particular necklace had already been broken by Nikki at another time and I now have it duct taped together. Yes, you heard me. Duct taped. But…the duct tape is hidden under my hair and plus, the necklace is kind of “duct tape colored” anyway. Although I am not certain that is how Maurice’s would have advertised it! I am hoping that Jeremy has a magic potion with which he can fix it.
…At McDonald’s, I ran into an old boss/used to go to church with him/our families have been friends since my childhood guy. He told me that he sometimes reads my blog. Which prompted me to say that I am always kind of taken off guard or surprised by who reads my blog and that I know that when I have a public blog, anyone can read it, but when someone I don’t expect tells me they sometimes read it, I kind of internally freak out for an instant. Until I realize that it is what it is, and I am being myself on my blog and if they don’t like what they see there, then they probably don’t like me either, and that is OK. And if they do like it, then great!
We got to talking about books and he recommended two of them to me. One I had already read but the other was “The Prodigal God” by Timothy Keller. I know you all know I love books and I love to read, but do you know that often when someone recommends a book to me and I look it up and think I would like it for myself, I buy it right on the spot. Usually from Amazon. And usually for $4 – $8, with shipping.
I like to own books. And even though it may be a while till I get a chance to read this book, I think it looks really good and I want to have it in my library. The girls from book club kind of laugh at me, because, while they all get their books each month from the library, I buy mine about 90% of the time.
Just last week as well, I ordered a book that another friend recommended. I haven’t even received that one yet. To me, books are a great investment. And I don’t like to borrow them from other people. I like to have them. But, I do not mind at all when others borrow books from me.
…I snapped a couple of pictures of our beach towels, hung out on the porch, with SNOW on them. I was maybe going to do a whole post based on this but I don’t know if I can. Its just that on Saturday it was 70 degrees and sunny and the kids were actually playing in the foot or so of water in the bottom of our pool. They had the beach towels out and I hung them on the side porch to dry out. And then Monday morning it started to snow.
And now there are beach towels on the railings…covered with snow. It just kind of reminded me of how life is sometimes. A picture of how things can change so quickly and how sometimes what we expect just gets blown out of the water. Anyway…you can draw your own further analogies.
…I wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed the input and comments on my post yesterday. I love that feedback. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I have such wise friends and you all gave me more to think about! And thanks to those of you who have written me or told me in person, lately, that you appreciate my blog. That means a lot to me. I love to write and I am glad for those who are willing to read what I write. You’ve got the tough part of the job!
…I am feeling happy and spring-y and the sun is shining outside. Hopefully, I can spread that cheer to those around me! It is a good day!
Comments (10)
I love that you had to hang dry beach towels then they got SNOWED on. I also love the get up early and go to mcdonalds for breakfast treat. What a cool idea. I may do that someday. When I want to wake up early and take 5 kids to mcd’s. Okay, now I feel like I’m talking myself out of it.Definitely gonna try your meatball recipe there. Sounds yummy!
Keep a pair of flippers under the seat for times like this.
You have just brightened my evening! It’s 6:30, I don’t really want to go where we’ve committed to go. Sitting at home would be better. I read the Prodigal God book. It is so very good! As for walking, like your friend said, keep an extra pair of flippers in the car. Better yet, great, cute wlaking shoes! oy vey, I’m in a hurry and typing dyslexic. Love ya unches! bunches.
I am dying to know what you did about the shoe dilemma. And out for breakfast on a school morning sounds like so much fun. I know what you mean about feeling strange when someone tells you that they read your blog. I told someone recently that I blog and she asked for my address and then I got all worried about this particular person reading it. And then I was like “Duh, Luci. It’s open for anyone, you know!”I appreciate your blog too. And on that last post (since I am too lazy to go over there and comment): I forget all that you wrote and maybe this was even contained in your post. But I know one thing I thought of when I read it was that Dan often says that he thinks the details of the Biblical commandments AREN’T spelled out because God wants us to learn how to give and take and love each other through the different interpretations of them.
Do you mean , put the Whole Jar of grape jelly in, and the Whole Thing of Chili Sauce in with the meatballs????? It sounds gross so I know it will be really good. Artie just do as someone else suggested and keep a pair of walkin’ shoes in the car in a gym bag with a bottle of water and a pair of socks. I NEVER wear rubber shoes ( flip flops). I hate the feeling of the grit between my toes or rubbing between my feet and the rubber shoe, plus the sound drives me nuts, like a duck with laryngitis quacking with every step.Ewww!
@comanchendn - Yes, you put the whole jar of jelly (it is the smaller size of jar) and the whole jar of chili sauce in a bowl and mix them together. Then pour that over the meatballs in the crock pot. I can assure you that they are very yummy! I kind of thought the same thing at first, like, ew?? is that going to be good. But they are!!! You just need to try them once.
Fair enough. But if they are no good, Sparky AND Stewie will be each enjoying a tasty meal!
those meatballs sound YUM!do you use the whole jar of jelly??and, how was the 3 stooges??is it as funny as the commercials make it seem??used to love watching the old black and whites.it was one of the few movies we were allowed watching as kids..that, and little house on the prairie.
i know what you mean about ppl reading your blog.i do the same. like, “what? how do you know about my blog…??”haha. oh yeah.. it’s kinda public. and i link on facebook. 
funny that i’m less alarmed from stranger reading, than real life friends!!prodigal God IS a great book.i read it a few years ago and felt really challenged.it’s a easy read kind of book. short chapters. i like that. 
@grace_to_be - Yes, Amber. You use the whole jar of grape jelly. The small size. And…about “The 3 Stooges.” I didn’t like it much because that kind of dumb humor isn’t really my thing. But Nikki seemed to really enjoy it. There were funny parts and I am sure my boys would love it too.
i’ve made those meatballs…and they are hands down delicious.what? high heels inappropriate for walking? you? that’s my girl.
shoes are for decoration! and only sometimes for function—when we have to. i thought of you and shoes yesterday when someone commented on my footwear. “i couldn’t help myself,” she said. “first thing, i noticed your shoes and i love ‘em. love shoes.” oh! i enthusiastically joined in. “thank you. i love shoes too.” and then she added that she had to get rid of some…and she’s down to 410 pairs. yes. FOUR HUNDRED AND TEN PAIRS!!! good thing i was sitting down. so of course my response was to inquire as to her size…you know. just in case she was a 7 1/2 like me…books, duct taped jewelry, kids and breakfast *how fun*, snowed on beach towels and all the potential for analogies…and everything…you totally spread cheer in my day!