Being Crafty

Because of the birthdays of various US Presidents, Victor and the kids got to have a 3 day weekend. It was very nice. We made our usual trip to the nearest Metropolis and shopped at Costco. As we walked around that huge warehouse we timidly approached the tables where little ol' ladies were cooking and giving out samples of ....? Just what is this stuff? What do we care, we get to eat free at Costco! One can have LUNCH there! Orange juice, Gogurts, chocolate chip cookies, grapefruit wedges, chips & salsa, burritoes... the list goes on and on. Most of the items have gluten in them, so I took one and gave it to Victor after we rounded a corner. Is that cheating if he gets two samples? Later, we had lumber and sheetrock delivered to the house this weekend. Nathan and Clint "volunteered" to help Victor put up a wall in the unfinished part of the basement. The garage was turned into the sawdust room! It's fun to watch the building process. First, the studs and then the sheetrock. So simple and yet, I would struggle with every part of it. One room is to become the storage room where Victor built very sturdy storage shelves for our Christmas decor, last season's clothing, pictures and old appliances.
The larger room is a topic of dispute in our home. I want it to be the "Quilt Room"... where cutting of fabric, sewing of blocks and quilting the old fashioned way satiates my creative desires.

Victor thinks it should be called the "Gun Room", where he may store his hunting paraphenalia and work on his ammo reloading table.

Matthew wants room to tie flies. The Fly Fishing Federation of Montana goes to the 5th grade classes every week to teach the kids about the local rivers, the behavior of the local fish, and the specifics of tieing flies. Matthew loves it! This is his collection of flies.
Perhaps we will just call it THE CRAFT ROOM and we can all share! We still need to continue hanging sheetrock on all the 'quilt room' walls, hang a door, tape, mud and paint. Then we'll hang larger lights so there will be ample light to quilt by. heh heh

Ski Skool

Ah, the mountain at sunrise. Ah, the fresh powdery softness to glide gently through. I love skiing. Riding the lift to the top of the run and taking in the gorgeous scenery is inspiring.

Downhill skiing is a big industry in our area. The local ski resorts want to get the locals "hooked" for life and they want us hooked young. They offer extremely cheap ski days to the local schools. Our 5th graders got to go skiing with their class for the day. The resort gave them lessons in the morning and then the kids got to ski for fun in the afternoon. Matthew is in the blue coat and Rachael is the tall girl next to Victor.

Victor and I volunteered to be chaperones. It was so fun. I stayed in the chalet......and helped cold and hungry children... or at least that was plan. There were no cold and hungry children. They were out having a blast. I just sat and quilted, sipped hot cocoa and watched the skiers swish down the mountain. It was a very nice day.

My Little Luxury

"Now, now there, little luxury, you'll become a necessity by and by!"

My cell phone just up and broke! There I was, just minding my own business when Stacey opened my phone, that was sitting next to me, and it just wouldn't open. It was cracked on the hinge corner and then it just went haywire.

It actually still works. You just have to hold it with 2 hands. And yes, I have some bling dangling from my cell. I have a silver beehive (very cute and represents my industriative nature), a lacy heart (revealing my loving nature) and an old covered wagon (representing my living-in-my-vehicle nature.)I believe this is a typical event with this model of LG. I had another phone break on the same hinge because I slipped and fell on the ice, landing on my hip and my cell, which was in my pocket, then nearly became imbedded into my body. That really hurt.

I also lost a phone when I was shoveling the driveway and the phone slipped out of my bra (a handy place to stash it) and landed in the slush. ZAP! It was dead. It took two weeks to dry out, and began working again, but it was too late, I had already purchased a new phone. It was added to our family collection of old phones.

Here you see my wounded LG "talking" with the Robbins-Old-Phone-Collection. I picked my "new" phone out of this line-up and Victor was able to go online to activate it. I am now in possession of my luxury again.

Yellow Dogs

Yesterday, my sisters, Lee and Shawnae and I attended a funeral of a long-time friend, Mrs. G., who was 88. She and her husband had been our landlord about 35+ years ago. She was a remarkable woman. She ironed everything (boxer shorts and sheets included) and called herself a "yellow-dog democrat" or someone who would vote for a yellow dog before she would vote for a republican. This fall, she voted for President by writing in Hillary Clinton. Ok, she DID vote for a yellow dog this time!!Anyway, she was also remarkable in that once upon a time, when her family was young, it was necessary for them to go on welfare. It distressed her greatly and decades later, Mrs. G. wrote a check to the state refunding them for the money she had been given!

Megan finally got better today and was able to go to school, however, Heather and Nathan are sick. It seems endless! Winter is just like that, I guess.

I got to be a Sub at school today... for 8th grade math and algebra. Those who know me, would testify in court that math is not my 'best' subject. We "learned" about graphing slopes. I sure had fun, though. It's really fantastic that I get paid to have a great time with the kids. We got lots of math review done, and I also got to give a test, ---"muah ha ha ha" (she laughs sinisterly).

Googling Your Name

My daughter, the super blogger, wrote a post about googling your first name with a phrase attached and finding what comes up. I challenge you to do the same thing. It's kind of fun.

(Instructions: Go to Google and type in your first name and add the phrase. Copy and paste the first sentence/phrase you get that makes sense. Make sure you include the quotes in your search. You can get some pretty wacky stuff.)

Q. Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search.
A: "Lori needs backup singers."

Q: Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search.
A: "Lori looks like a boy." Hey, it's just NOT true!!

Q: Type in "[your name] says" in Google search.
A: "Lori says Life is Good!" (Internet pictures for this usually turned up women in bathing suits lying on motorcycles.)

Q: Type in "[your name] wants" in Google search.
A: "Lori wants a naked cat." Ewwww, gross! Naked or dressed, cats are icky.
Q: Type in "[your name] does" in Google search.
A: I actually had to wade through dozens of sites that started with "Lori Does Dallas/Maryland/Boston". So, I will finally settle on ..... "Lori does it again!!!"

Q: Type in "[your name] hates" in Google search
A: "Lori hates to shop." Wow, now this one is true. I usually don't have enough time. I feel like someone strapped an engine with a widget-arm and manifold to my cart and then I zoom around fretting over prices and ingredients.
Q: Type in "[your name] asks" in Google search.
A: "Lori asks for you to help Mister Rogers Neighborhood. So, why don't you help the "hood"?!"Q: Type in "[your name] goes" in Google search.
A: "Lori goes up. Lori goes down. Lori aloft. Hey, that was fun!"

A ride on a hot air balloon is actually one of my secret wishes. I would do this before I would jump out of a plane, or peton up a cliff or scuba dive in shark infested lagoons. However, I have a fear of the balloon catching fire and deflating like the Hindenberg then crashing on top of a Suburu.

Q: Type in "[your name] likes " in Google search.
A: "Lori Likes Desserts." Oh, yes, I do.

Q: Type in "[your name] eats " in Google search.

A: I had a choice here... "Lori eats Pandas" or "Lori eats Kids." I would never eat a Panda. They are so cute. I would eat my kids, however. When they were babies I used to tell them that I was going to "eat them up". Ohhhh, they were such cute babies and have become wonderful adults.

Just look at those cheeks! They are worthy of nibbling! That's Megan when she was 11 months, by the way.

Q: Type in "[your name] wears " in Google search.

A: "Lori wears the title of writer very well." Ahem, you heard it here folks!!

Q: Type in "[your name] was arrested for" in Google Search.

A: "Lori was arrested for allegedly helping a GORILLA group!" Yeah, sure.

Oh, Thank you, George!

My sweet parents sent Victor and I a late wedding present this week, which is really cool because it came when we had a lull in our mail. It's just nice to get letters and gifts when you aren't expecting them.

We were given a George Foreman Grill! I wasn't as impressed when I opened it as I am now that I have used it. This is a superb appliance. I am not one to stock my kitchen with little appliances, when a knife and cutting board will do. No Veg-all Chopits, no Ginsu salsa makers, no electric can openers when the manual one with a crank does just as well. It's about saving space and getting your exercise, as well.

No Radio Toaster....

Anyway, the Foreman Grill is brilliant. The last time Victor tried to barbecue outside on his propane grill the wind kept blowing out the flame so clearly grilling outside is not a wintertime sport.

The Foreman Grill is extremely fast, 2-3 minutes for 5 hamburgers, because it cooks both the top and the bottom at the same time. No flipping burgers. Also, the grill is on a slant so the food isn't swimming in grease. The grease all drips out into a little tray that washes up pretty slick. There is no grease splatter and the grill just wipes cleans with a paper towel. I am very amazed. Grill cheese sandwiches in 2 minutes.

I wonder if it "does" chocolate?