Thankfulness

I’ve been tagged in this thankfulness thing and since it doesn’t involve dumping something on my head or imply that I’m not thankful/caring/have a soul if I don’t pass this cute cat meme on, I will take part. Now I could do the obvious and list things like my husband, my kids, my faith, but to me that’s a given. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think, “How did I end up with these fine people because I’m not that nice a person.” So I thought I’d do something different. A couple of years back, I read an article that challenged the reader to spend a day thanking God for everything, not matter how small and inconsequential. This article resonated with me for a few reasons. The first reason is related to my favorite quote: “God is in the details.” We all love the stories of the big miracles, we all like the stories of the fancy things spouses do for each other but for me, but the closer I edge towards 30, 40, 50, I find what really counts is the small stuff. He bought me a coffee, I found the up front parking spot on a rainy day, my favorite ice cream is on sale. The little things can make or break a day. Secondly, the challenge seemed like the prayer without ceasing thing mentioned in 1 Thessalonians and I figured this would be a good step in that direction.

What I found doing the challenge was the more I said thanks for, the more I found to be thankful for. So I now walk around a lot mumbling “Thank you, Jesus.” And depending on your beliefs, maybe I’m walking around talking to God or maybe I’m walking around talking to the sky. But I do know I’ve been a lot more thankful since I’ve started and that can’t be a bad attitude to have.

So back to this Facebook challenge: I’m supposed to list three things I’m thankful for over a few days, but I’m kind of lazy so I figured I dump them all here at once. Ready? Here are the small things I’m thankful for:

1. Football season: Hubby works hard to keep me in the life I’ve become accustom to so early in our marriage, I resolved to do my best to indulge him in this interest. It has since turn into a lovely Sunday afternoon of him bonding with a few of our kids over football facts, fun foods for dinner (dough boys, anyone?) culminating in a Superbowl get together filled with cheese, bacon and carbs.
2. Knitting/Crocheting: it gives my fidgety fingers something to do, makes waiting at the doctor’s office (or anywhere else for that matter) more productive, allows me to be crafty without a huge cash/time outlay, and it’s enabled me to meet some really interesting people (interesting in a good way, not that raised eyebrow way)
3. Bubble tea: I can’t explain just trust me on this
4. Air conditioning
5. My laptop: It’s like my lovey.
6. My local library
7. Seafood
8. RV’s
9. Facebook: No, seriously. I really enjoy touching base with people I grew up with, went to school with, etc, looking at all the pretty wedding dresses.
10. My small group peeps and the ancillary folks associated with them. And by ancillary, I don’t mean second stringers, but the friends of my friends I’ve gotten to meet as a result of being friends with my friends. Got it?
11. Free Fun Fridays: When you have 6 kids, anything that’s free is good. Well, except half eaten pastries. No, really. I’ll tell you that story some other time.
12. My neighborhood: I love walking to the corner and buying cilantro and lemons off of the veggie vendors there. They will also hack open a fresh coconut for you too.
13. Eating out: I seldom get to so I’m very thankful for when I do.
14. Legos: Those things are bloody genius.
15. Books: If I’m not knitting/crocheting, I’m reading and vice versa
16. My big ol’ van: I know I complain about the gas milage and the maneuverability of it, but sometimes driving a bus comes in real handy. Could be a Napoleon complex thing.
17. Teaching Sunday school: Those kids are just too adorable and they’re at an age where pretty much anything I do is funny. It’s also a challenge to communicate why I believe what I believe. If I can’t get a seven year old to understand, then I’m doing it wrong. Also, my teammates are pretty cool too – especially that Jen Dyer woman.
18. BJ’s free samples: It’s now a Friday ritual for me and the kids. The boys think it’s awesome to get cake, ice cream and a bit of BBQ chicken pizza all in one day. When they realize what a small thrill this is, I’ll be bumming.
19. These: http://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/miacobbo/shop/Cleaning/Pan+Scrapers/2610
20. iPod Touch: It’s a phone book, memo book and calendar all in one small appliance. And as such, allows me to carry one of those cute small pocketbooks rather than a suitcase.
21. Yard sales
22. Internet: I can order yarn and crochet hooks and have them delivered to my comfy recliner? Yes, please!
23. Coffee
24. Ice Cream: Except those flavors with nuts in them. That’s just a travesty of justice.
25. Pizza: the savior of ruined dinners and the staple of a kid’s definition of a great day.
26. The smell of a newborn’s head.
27. The smile newborns make before they’re aware of smiling. It’s like they’re remembering something funny and not letting you in on the joke.
28. Ok so I can’t think of two more things to make an even 30 .
29. So I’ll stop here.
30. And you can be thankful for that.
    

    

Job Performance Review

Having completed another year of being the Husband of the Domestic Goddess, I decided it would be fitting to have a job performance review for Bo Hunkmeister. I have posted the transcript of our review here in the interest of corporate transparency.

Me: Bo, for the responsibilities listed on your job description, you are currently being compensated with my unqualified love along with periodic performance bonuses of unlimited smooches and hugs. There’s also other compensation that, for the sake of corporate security, we will not disclose. Pending the result of this job review, there is the possibility of a raise in your compensation in the form of a Chicken Fried Steak dinner with the pie of your choice.

Bo: Uhhh... ok.

Me: Let’s get started. Bo, what do you think are some of the highlights of the past year?

Bo: Well, in addition to my usual responsibilities of being an excellent husband, I’ve talked you out of your tree more than a few times, I introduced you to some more fun relatives you didn’t know, and I took you and the children on a three week adventure. I was a big supporter of all of your projects (writing, sewing, knitting, and professional whining) and I also kept you well supplied with iced coffee, bubble teas and whatever other whim happened to prance across your mind.

Me: Too true. There were some real accomplishments this year. I especially appreciated your effort on the trip to make sure it was a vacation for me and not “same job, different location.” Ok, next question. What would you say your strengths are? What skills do you bring to this job?

Bo: One of my strengths is definitely understanding that even if I don’t understand what you’re upset about, if it’s important to you, than it’s important to me. My other strength is my ability to sense when you need an iced coffee and to deliver said iced coffee in a timely manner. I also have the ability to see when the children are eating your flesh and to step in before someone gets hurt and/or arrested.

Me: Yes, I have noticed that we have finished this 23^rd year of marriage with the same number of children we started with. With regards to our shareholders, also known as the grandparents, that is a very important accomplishment. Let’s continue; what would you say your weaknesses are?

Bo: Well, the ‘Great Biscuit Incident of 2008’ was kind of a watershed moment for me, a turning point if you will, in my approach to this job from which I learned a lot and made a lot of changes. But, if I had to point out a weakness in my approach to this job, it would probably be not having engaged a psychotherapist to help me understand all 256 personalities within you.

Me: Yes, I understand being the Husband of the Domestic Goddess can be a challenge of heroic proportions, but then that is why you were chosen for the job. Maybe that’s something we can work on for the coming year. You certainly are always interested in ways to improve, which in itself is a laudable characteristic. So along that thought, are there any goals you’d like to set for the coming year?

Bo: I think some constructive goals for the coming year would be to continue to seek ways to do my job better and come up with more funny inside jokes that are too warped for us to share with the general public. And maybe buy stock in Dunkin’ Donuts. Yes... definitely buying stock.

Me: Well, Bo, I may be speaking a little too hastily here, not having convened with the board of directors, but I must say we are quite please with your performance. We will continue at your aforementioned compensation level along with the stated bonuses. We thank you for yet another year of wonderfullness and we look forward to next year’s review. In the mean time, let’s go get some Chinese food!

Bo: As you wish.

Falling on My Sword

Seeing as how there was sooo much interest in the subject of bizarrely flavored Lays, as a public service, 

and to save you $4.29 in buyer’s remorse,

and because I had a house full of kids who are willing to do silly things in the name of a fun blog post,

and because one of them said, “Buy them! It will be like a science experiment!”

I went ahead and bought a bag.

I am almost ashamed to admit that.

Truly.

I bought the bag home and set the bowl before six kids ranging in age from five to 13. Keep in mind these are the kids who thought Cool Ranch Doritos sandwiched between Oreo cookies was a taste sensation. I would say that qualifies for being “open minded”

Here are the results:

O, the 13 year old: “I’m confused.”

A, the five year old: “I like coffee and I don’t like coffee anymore!”

E, the 11 year old: is speechless

J, the eight year old: “Blech!!”

H, the ten year old: “Meh.”

W, the 12 year old: “Did Lays even try these before they sold them? I mean, I keep trying them to see if they would taste better but they don’t.”

The 17 year old walked in and said, “You didn’t seriously buy these, did you?” and walked out.

Apparently this particular flavor was submitted by Chad of Henderson, NY. He is quoted on the back of the bag as saying, “Cappuccinos are my lifeblood. A cappuccino potato chip lightly dusted with sugar...I may never put them down.”

Good grief, Chad! Where in the name of all that is good are you getting your cappuccinos? The Flying J truck stop?!? This potato chip is an affront to all that is good and holy about coffee based beverages.

A quick visit to Google Maps showed that Henderson, NY is a rather scenic town on the shore of Lake Ontario; 20 minutes from a Starbucks in Watertown and 12 minutes from a Dunkin’ Donuts. Really Chad, there is no excuse.

And it makes you wonder what Lays passed over thinking that this flavor would sell.

The highlight for me was the fact that Lays felt it important to put this statement on the bottom of the bag: "Does not contain caffeine"

 

Good to know 'cause I was a little concerned about the kids catching a buzz off of these.

You Have Been Warned

Dear Appliances,

As you may be aware, the Bo Hunkmeister is going on a trip. This letter shall serve as your official notice to stay on duty. Previously, when the Bo Hunkmeister has gone away, a few of you decided that it would be great fun to stop working and leave me bereft of your services. While this has at times provided a small amount of amusement in the form of blog posts, in general, it has been a highly irritating happenstance.

Therefore, I am formally putting you on notice that failure to work according to your accepted standards will not be tolerated. It has already been an expensive year with the furnace, alternator and van transmission deciding to go AWOL. So much so that the Bo Hunkmeister and I were contemplating celebrating New Year’s Eve June 1 in the hopes of ending an expensive year and starting a newer, less expensive one. The UN however denied our request to alter the time/space continuum.

Thus you are hereby ordered to continue working. Please heed this notice. As the mom of six, two born by C-section, I am not to be trifled with. To paraphrase Shakespeare, hell hath no fury like a mom left without her appliances.

In closing, treat me right and I will treat you right. Resort to your previous hi-jinks and there will. be. pain.

Love Always,

the Domestic Goddess

Potluck Ideas

I love my library. One of the reasons I love my library is because they periodically hold book sales in which they sell off old books from their collection or those which have been donated.
And just in time for our monthly potluck, I found these two gems:

I really don't know how people lived through the 70's. Good music and weed? Because the recipes in these books would have kept me fasting for years. For. Years.

The first book, "Casserole Cook Book" is not so bad. I mean there are reasonable casseroles in there like

Jumbo Cornburger

Chicken Chip Bake 

That's not chips make from chicken or chicken chips as in cow chips, but chicken with potato chips. (note to self: send email to Herr chip folks suggesting new flavor.)

photo credit: K. Frye

On the other hand, can Chicken Chip really compete with DAWG! ?

(exactly what flavor is DAWG! ?)

Here's a Tex-Mex favorite: 

Chili Con Weine

Because to say Weine is classier than saying Chili con DAWG! Make sure you garnish with olives because that's what makes it authentic.


Alas, there was no photo for this, but the ingredient list caught my eye.

Whoever wrote this must have gone on to work for a political campaign. The recipe calls for a batch of "Potato Fluff Topper" What is that, you ask? If you read through the recipe, it's your basic mashed potatoes with two eggs thrown in for good measure. I love how simple, down to earth mashed potatoes have been re-worked to be "Potato Fluff Topper" Is it a duvet or a meal? It's both!

This cookbook also has helpful hints such as:

Cereal and sesame seeds together? Using canned meatballs? What level of hell is that from?

My absolute favorite is what constituted a "salad" from the 70's. Now a days, when I think of salad, I think of fresh greens and veggies with a nice vinigrette. Back then it was stacked:

 

Tomato Towers!

Or, even better, in gelatin!!

Read the fine print: "Favorite - Perfection Salad"

Perfection was defined in the 70's as shredded cabbage and celery floating in unflavored gelatin.

And it's a "Favorite" 

Think on that a while.