Veteran's Day

3 years ago, nearly to the day, Steve and I were in Washington, DC for our "babymoon" before Lucy came. We made the trip up to Arlington on our last day, which I felt was a fitting end to our sojourn into the land of the law. I'd been there before, but it seems to move me even more as I get older.
It's not even simply that lives are given for our safety and freedom, but that they are given honorably, cheerfully, for me as I sit here, for my husband and daughter who are sleeping quietly in the other rooms. For that little girl especially.

I am so privileged to know a living veteran quite well, who has risked and served with honor and excellence and integrity. I'm so incredibly proud of her, and proud even to share her name.

She heads to Iraq in December, and oh, how I will miss her! She has become a dear friend, as she has quietly let me into her life during those seemingly small moments while I chopped onions and sauteed asparagus. Still waters do indeed run deep. So on Veteran's Day, I want to say thank you to my dear friend and sister-in-law, who goes out to serve once again. She is as the military should be--one who does her job with a heart's desire to be of service to her country. Thank you to her, and thank you to all who have served. Godspeed.

The Musician

Just thought it was fun that my kid picked up how to play Winnie the Pooh. =)

I'm Jennifer Earle, and

16 Meals

This weekend I got to try out Once-A-Month cooking with my dear friend Mandi and her good friend Jen (with whom I also went to college!). I'd been turned off to it for some time for two very good reasons, I thought. 1.) My mom tried it when I was a kid, and we all hated the recipes. It seemed like way too much work for what we got, and 2.) I love to cook, and didn't want to give up my favorite recipes. Well, Mandi ain't no fool, and she and Jen do 16 freezer meals (8 meals twice for each family) every 2-3 months, and just pull out a few meals each week. BRILLIANT, I thought, and signed on the dotted line. For $120, I got 16 meals that serve 4 people--two of those meals are salmon, by the way. I was really impressed at how organized they were, but also how easy the day really was to cook. Remember those awful group projects from college? Well, this is like my reward for that. Three women working together, eager to pull her own weight and get the job done well. I highly recommend this, though I do need to reserve judgement until we've eaten the meals. They all looked really good, though, and I think it's going to be a keeper for us. They use Recipezaar.com, by the way, if you are interested.

Here was our menu:
Farmer's Casserole (eggs, ham, potatoes--we used tater tots)
Sweet Salsa Chicken (for use in tacos or over rice)
Beef Noodle Bake (looks really yummy, a bit like a stroganoff)
Creamy Chicken Noodles (with broccoli)
Tortilla Casserole
Orange Chicken (apparently just like Panda Express's Orange Chicken)
Baked Ziti (always a fav of mine)
Honey Ginger Salmon

Not bad, eh? Some of them do have some night-of prep, but not more than a few minutes, really. Most you thaw, stick in the oven, and throw a vegetable on the side. BIG kudos to Mandi and Jen for all their work getting so good at this.


*Note: Not a meal made on Saturday

Sarah Palin stops in La Mirada

I love that I still get to decide what Lucy is for Halloween. I especially like the Family Theme costumes. Our neighbors across the street were the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, and Alice. We did a few houses in our neighborhood, then headed off to the sauna that was Candyland at Biola. The one all-girls' dorm decorates their hall in Candyland decorations, then the girls that want to participate dress up their door and hand out candy that's donated to the floor for the event. It's a huge event, and I loved seeing how creative the college students are with their costumes. My favorite was the Minnesota Grannies. Especially cute when an accent is part of the costume.

But here's the scary part of Halloween for us. And this isn't even including the enormous spider that made an enormous web right by our walkway. (We left him up, since he decorated for me.) About 3:30 we discovered a little water in one bathroom, and about 2 inches of water in the other. La Mirada has city trees lining the street that interfere with the pipes, but we are not allowed to take them down, nor does the city claim that the roots have anything to do with the entire city's plumbing problems. So as I'm cleaning all this up, (are you ready for this--not for the squeamish), I discover a plastic bag that was housing something in the bathroom that is full of baby cockroaches. Yep. Happy Halloween, everyone. (They're all dead now.)

But in all, a fun Halloween. And now, Happy Reformation Day to you all. I think I will pull out our Pope bust and our Martin Luther bobblehead to decorate. (I do indeed own both of these items, FYI.)

A REAL Pumpkin Patch

One of the things I enjoy about coming up to my parents' house is the open wonderfulness of the Valley. Space! Imagine! I'd been wanting to go visit this wonderful pumpkin patch, located on a Christmas Tree farm, but discovered that they only did school groups during the week. However, my clever cousin called and gave them my sad story... "My cousin really wants to come, and she's only in town during the week, is there anything you can do for us?" Actually, I don't know if that's how it went, but hey, we got to go! We had a blast with my cousin and her daughter, who is 9 months older than Lucy. There were some fears--not totally excited about the bumpy tractor ride--but in all it was right up her alley.


The Valley is both ugly and lovely right now. Lots of dead things, the air is just full of dust. I can feel it in my mouth and throat. But the fields with the carpet of orange leaves make my heart skip a beat. The days are warm, but the evenings and mornings are nice and cool. It really is Fall!


Hanging out with Mr. Fisherman Pumpkin Guy



















Don't get too used to those bars, kid.

Making Meals

This has been the season of bringing meals to people. Since I quit my job to stay home, I've come to know more of the moms at church, so I've been added to more and more lists. I'm generally pretty glad to help out in this way, and I know how much it means to new moms. However, with so many just past and so many coming up, I am in need of a little variety from my go-to meal. I have a few ideas, but I'd really like to know what meals you love to bring.

To jog your minds, here are a few I've brought in the past:

* Spice-rubbed BBQ chicken (not thermally spicy, just herb-y spicy) with veg. and bread
* Sage Pork Chops from Everyday Food, oven-roasted broccoli and parmesan rice,
* Linguini Marvini with Chicken (from Real Simple), with pan sauteed green beans

I love bringing some of our most yummy meals because I feel like I really want to congratulate these moms. But occasionally these meals can be a little frantic to prepare in the last few minutes. This is especially true because I have to get them done early, before Steve is home, and during "the poison hours" with Lu. I worry about bringing lasagne or salad because I wonder if they get a lot of that. So hard to tell! I've thought of borrowing their crock-pot, making the meal in it (with a crock-pot liner, of course, so they don't have to clean it!), and bringing it early in the day so they can eat whenever. But then that means two trips to their home, which gets tricky, too.

So what are all your meal-bringing secrets?

P.S. Just as I was writing this I literally got an additional request for meals to bring!

"Daddy Go to da Ore-Port"

Daddy is off to Orlando for a few days for Educause. Last year's conference was in Seattle, so we all went together and stayed with my sister while Steve conferenced. We thought about going with him and doing the Orlando stuff, but I don't have any desire to do all that on my own with Lucy. So instead, we will head to Grammie's tomorrow to go play there, while Bud holds down the fort here.

We're going to do the whole pumpkin patch thing at this beautiful farm out near my parents' house. It's actually known nationally as a Christmas Tree farm, and was mentioned in Real Simple a year or two ago. Very cute place, and I think we'll have a grand time.

October, while a fickle month, is losing out to the change of seasons. I am putting off the Things To Do for a bit while I enjoy my coffee and Lucy's special blend of tea (must be Earle Gray) out on the patio table. Lucy graciously supplies the sugar. It has been so nice recently that we headed out to the beach on Saturday. It was a perfect, perfect day out there, and so good for my soul to sift through the sand with Lucy's little sifter, and pick up tiny shells, just for the therapy of picking them up. Lucy and Steve, of course dug their customary hole in the sand, which resulted in a nicely exfoliate butt for Lucy. It was a hard day on both ends, so the beach in the middle was medicinal.

And so off we go with our day, ready to pack up for a week of being spoiled. No objections here, except that I always feel that something missing when Steve is gone--like I've forgotten to lock something or turn something off or return something or drop something off. But I also love being apart for a few days because it is so much fun when we come home to each other.

Pooh's 4th Quarter Forecast

If you pay attention to the Pooh index, and believe me, we do around here, things are looking up. See below:

In other news, I tried my own version of Real Simple's Slow Cooker lasagna. I'd say it was rather a winner! It sounds really odd and mushy, but really it was just right. No pre-cooking the noodles, either! My one major criticism is that you don't get the browned cheesy top, so next time I plan to turn it up to high for the last 1/2 hour, then stick it under the broiler for a bit before serving. But otherwise, a keeper! Oh, and definitely recommend using an oven bag or slow cooker bag for easy clean up.

Spent the evening sewing. I sooo need to get some pictures of what I've been making, but the birthdays and such have been coming up so fast I'm forgetting to snap a shot first. I was working on a little backpack for my nephew, into which I will be putting a Star Wars lego set, and two lego magazines that I subscribed to for free (thanks, moneysavingmom.com!). I plan to also subscribe him to the magazine, but I got the first two sent to my house so that there would be something to put in the backpack. Now, to crochet a sweater for my youngest niece...

On tap tomorrow: going in to my old work to help out with a project there for a few hours while Lucy is at Mrs. Katie's, and then Girls' Night Out #2 with Bible Study Girls! Seriously, 4 Girls' Nights Out in a month--wahoo!! No blue cocktails this time, though... I think I'm over budget on cool girly drinks. =)

Grr.

I canceled my order. They emailed me and said I couldn't have their free gift.

An amazing deal

I've been reading a blog called moneysavingmom.com, and she pointed me to an amazing deal. I had to pass it on. I'm getting 5 pounds of ground beef from Omaha Steaks for about $0.36 a pound. Like delivered to my door, shipping included. The deal is outlined here, at a different site. It seems complicated, but really it's not bad. One thought... if you use my recommendation, and two people buy stuff from my recommendation, I get a little incentive, so here's my link to the Omaha Steaks website to start with. Hope you'll enjoy it!

EDIT: Looks like they fixed the deal so that there is a minimum. =( You can check it out and see what you find, though.

Weekend becomes a Monday

We had a busy weekend... two birthday parties for three kids (one party was for my favorite set of twins!), then Bible Study on Sunday, then girls' night out for me tonight. Oh, the fun! I'll let the pictures show you. =)

Lucy's new favorite ever thing is bounce houses. I can see why! There is a Tigger in all of us, I think.
The second birthday party included a real (retired) firetruck ride! Lucy cried most of the ride... but hey, firetruck!


And a little party for me! See my "party in a glass"? There was a fake ice cube that lights up blue, making it the best ever fun drink that I have paid way too much for.

Once

Tell me just by looking at this picture that you don't want to see this movie. I mean, really. We bought the sound-track. Obviously, we had to. I have this void in my life where I know music fits. I hear lots of music that just pains me because it's so cliche, so poorly done, so overdone, so underdone. But the music from this film just settled into my soul. The movie was beautiful and simple and quirky. The perfect way to begin my weekend.

Mii Fit!

This isn't me (Mii), but it's a picture of my favorite Wii Fit game. Seriously, when I'm working against the clock trying to get those flippin hoops to spin! spin! spin! I don't notice, a.) that I'm sure I look like Cloris Leachman (see here if you don't know what I mean), and b.) that oh-my-goodness, I'm exercising! When I run, I may generally enjoy it and feel good that I did it, but I definitely feel like I'm running.

This thing really appeals to my OCD side (inherited from Dad), in that I want to try juuuuust one more thing. I have no problem getting to 30 minutes (they count all minutes that you are actually doing an activity, not the time in between), and just when I think, "Well, I'll wind it down," Lo! A new activity is unlocked! So I must try it! And then, well, I ought to "cool down" with something I know. And I certainly can't quit on THAT lousy score, so I must do it again! So before I know it, it's midnight on a day I professed to be tired, and I feel fantastic. Will see how the year progresses with this thing. Prospects are bright.

Jenny is smiling

I freakin' love my birthday. It's a chance to celebrate things I love, to indulge a little and relax a little and have some fun. Friday was Birthday Part One. Lucy was at "playgroup" and so I went and got a pedicure, something I haven't done in years. As I told my mother, I "relaxed the hell out of it." (Then my mother promptly reproved my language.) Then off to my new very favorite ever store, Ann Taylor Loft to spend my squirrelled away pennies (some of which came from my recent opportunity to work a bit) on updating and replacing some dying wardrobe items. Oh, what fun! And 20% off to boot! After a lovely time at Bible Study and gift opening at home (Wii Fit takes the cake!!), we went to bed to prepare for Birthday Part Deux...

Oh, San Diego, how I have missed you!
The Bud Clidgesdale with our little family.
Waiting to watch the sea lions do "Thriller."
This looks like something out of Hilights magazine: "What's wrong with this picture?"
This never happens... clearly she had eeked every ounce of fun out of the day possible.
This one is worth clicking on to see the original picture... I love my camera!
We ate junk all day (shared ice cream, popcorn, churros and lemonade), and then ended with burgers from Islands with Rybear and "Shaaaaayell." What a wonderful, perfect weekend. Only one more Birthday Fun item to go: The traditional birthday cookie from Mrs. Fields, free this time because our Valentine cookie was so bad that they gave us a gift certificate for the next one!

So many thanks for the well wishes. I think it's funny how I always forget that birthdays come with love from others, too. I'm glad God put you good people in my life!

And the days go by.

100° yesterday, 95° today, 79° tomorrow, 72° on Friday.... this is the kind of decline I prefer, thank you very much.

Four packages are taunting me on the kitchen counter, saying "Open me! Open me!" But alas, I must wait. Three. Whole. Days. We are off to Sea World on Saturday to celebrate that 32 years ago, I graced the world with my presence (hee hee!). And that 32 years ago, the 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams for the first time in many years. Do I really have to tell people I'm 32? Crap.

Tonight Victor Davis Hanson came to Biola, and I think very few people had any idea what an honor it really was to have him here. I got to say hello to him, that I was Marshall's daughter, and that we were pleased to have him here. Being Marshall's daughter gets you places, you know. =) Steve stayed for the lecture, and said it was very good.

And one for the road: here is what the hair looks like when I do it in the morning, just for the record. This generally lasts about 4.23 minutes.

Genunie delight at picking peppers (not a peck, nor were they pickled) with Grandpa (or Grumpa, as he is sometimes called).

Sewing photos to come... I hope.

Happy Autumn

New month, the month of orange. Rain forecast for Saturday, a fun lunch tomorrow, friends coming on Saturday for dinner, dinner out with my brother and his friends tonight. Happy, happy!

I don't have any pictures from the weekend, but we had a lovely time up in Fres-YES. Tri-tip at a high school foot-ball game, and then up to Tracy for my niece's first birthday. Great time with family.

Get ready, oven... fall is coming!

Happy Autumnal Equanox -- Summer Reading Review

Happy, happy day for me! Crowned with hot chocolate and Dancing with the Stars. And a nicely empty Downtown Disney.

This summer I blinked, and suddenly found myself in not one, but two bookclubs! I used to vow that I hated book clubs because I got stressed by the deadline, but I'm finding that it's especially enjoyable this time around. I generally can find the books on audiobook, which is an excellent way for me to keep doing my other beloved or mundane activities and still get to sink my teeth into a good book. (Hooray for Audible! If by chance you decide you want to try it out, let me send you a referral!)

Current books are:
Three Cups of Tea-- about an American that builds schools in Pakistan, and I'm loving it so far.
Predictably Irrational -- non-fiction about how we do decision-making. Surprisingly quite interesting, though I generally don't care for non-fiction for my leisure reading. I like me a good story.

Recent books:
Street of A Thousand Blossoms -- really, really enjoyed it. About two (well, 3) families in WWII and post WWII Japan.
East of Eden--a second of many readings for me. This is in my top 10. I hated Grapes of Wrath in high school, so don't let a bad Steinbeck experience scare you away.
Into the Wild--about a guy who goes to Alaska to "find himself" and dies trying. Really enjoyed it, and liked the movie quite a bit, too.
Water for Elephants--about a Depression Era circus. Really enjoyed it, too.

So far so good, eh?

Some non-book club books I've read this summer:
John Adams (David McCullough)-- This was actually for a former book club, and I got stuck at first. Very glad I finished it, as I really liked it. LOVED learning about the interesting timing of Jefferson and Adams' death.

The Kite Runner -- Very difficult scene early on in the book, but despite that I really loved this book. I loved the author's reading as well... though not a trained voice actor that I know of, I felt he delivered the cultural inflection that I know I would've missed had I read the print version.

I re-read a few of my old favorites, too, which were super fun. My 4.5's and 5's are generally books I would love to re-read.

Okay, now for un-related pictures, for fun.

Some fabric that I think I MUST have. MUST MUST.


The colors didn't show up how I wanted in this one, but loved these rows of potted geraniums.
This right here is the face that just gets to my heart.

Project Playhouse

Oh, what a grand day out we had! Project Playhouse is a once-a-year event in which architecture and building firms put together play houses that make our houses look like shacks. We had a blast checking them out and wishing that we had them in our backyard, all lined up in a little village. I've wanted to bring Lucy down to see them since I found out I was having a girl 3 years ago. Boys would like it, too, I think, but somehow I think girls especially seem to connect with playhouses. At any rate, seriously GO THERE to see the pictures...it will make you drool. It was down at Fashion Island, so we had a blast checking out the fountains and the carousel, too. Lucy's first time on a carousel!!

The "Wee Green House"
One of the may Fashion Island fountains... "bloop!"
Our favorite one... inspired by the tides!
Should I be scared that everyone in this picture has the same expression?
My little beach house... I'm moving in tomorrow. I'm pretty sure all I need is a book and some flip-flops. Oh yeah, and a smaller butt to fit into the tiny chairs.

We finished the day at Kean Coffee, which was a serious treat. The founder of Diedrich Coffee popped out this fantastic place as sort of his dream coffee house. It's just amazing, amazing coffee. Steve actually got to meet and chat with Martin Diedrich!! That's like meeting, say, Mike Holmgren or something. But while I would normally go there for the coffee itself, you may remember that there is something else there that speaks to my heart in its very own dialect... sipping chocolate. If you are my Facebook friend, you know that I believe that sipping chocolate is how I know that God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life. Hours later, I still felt warm and happy. I'm starting to wonder if it's actually just chocolate, or if it's "special" chocolate. Oi.

Bibbity Bobbity Boo

Part of the mad sewing I've been doing...

Camo and stripes, 3 ways...

For the new son of one of my high school best friends...
For the new son-to-be of my former co-worker...

For the son of a co-worker of Steve's...


Many more sewing projects coming together... pictures soon...

Okay, so what's up with the hair?

My child is either a Muppet or a Beatle. I know, I should probably cut her hair more often, but all I gots ta say is, "YOU try it." =) So the child walks around looking like Animal or Ringo.

"Well, why not try brushing it? Or clips? Or pony tails?" you say. You are right. Very useful things, those brushes and hair tools! When I can wrestle or distract the child, these work relatively well. However, within about 2-3 hours, the clip or rubber-band is long gone or just falling out. So back we go to Muppet-tastic.

Summer Wrap Up

Doesn't Labor Day signal the end of summer? In Bosnia, apparently after a particular date (is it Oct. 1?), they all start wearing jackets and scarves wherever they go, regardless of the weather. I think our stores are all taking cues from them, as shorts and swim gear are long gone. I still either sweat through the afternoon or grudgingly turn on the A/C, watching the meter turn 'round and 'round in my mind. But hey, if the retailers say it's Fall, it's FALL! Thankfully we've had a very mild summer, and I am singing the glories of an August version of June Gloom. Ahhhhh....

So before I get too excited about oven-roasted vegetables and baked bread, candles in the house, NFL and sweaters, here's a quick recap of the end of summer...

Running through sprinklers at Parnell Park...

A quick weekend in Santa Barbara with friends who live there... this restaurant was right on the beach, so our girls could play in the sand while we had lunch. Ideal!
A Superhero Party! This was about the cutest idea I've ever seen. The masks and capes were made as favors by dear friend Kristen for her son's first birthday party. They were a HUGE hit! She had a friend set up a photo back-drop, and the kids all got pictures of them flying through the air... it was fantastic! I figure I can post this picture of other peoples' kids here because they are incognito!
Overheard at the party: "Super Lauren is off to save the day, but Super Colin can handle the job, too!" Somehow when a 4-year-old says that, you actually start to believe it. =)

I'll have to scan and post Lucy's picture that she took in front of the backdrop... she looks like Napoleon.
And more nectarines! They are one of nature's most wonderful fruits! No fuzzy peach skin on your teeth, not as mealy as a peach, sweet with a bit of tart for good summer measure... Big thanks to Dad for sending us THREE boxes this summer! We've been misers and shared very few of our precious nectarines. By the way, if you're anywhere that you can actually find out the variety, buy Honey Kissed (or any of the Honey varieties) in June and July, and Red Jims in August (Red Jims are named after my grandfather!).


And on one other small note, I have dearly loved catching up with old friends on Facebook this summer. Somehow Facebook softens the formality of an email, and makes casual reconnecting so much easier. I feel like I'm running into these people in the Cafe or at Starbucks or something, but getting a chance to hear just a wee bit more about how they are doing. It's been this amazing reminder that God has surrounded me with amazing people all my life.... though a bit of my life flashing before my eyes. =)

One more for the road...
The straw before the straw that broke the camel's back... or rather just sent it into muscle spasms landing him in the E.R. =)

It's August WHAT?

Wow, I have no idea how we got to the middle of August already, but I ain't complaining. The more we move along, the closer we get to Autumn, glorious Autumn! I'm such a whiner. =) There have been events, big and small, good and otherwise, that have pushed along the time, and I'm working to enjoy the things of summer (like the pool!).

I also thought I ought to report that the summer meals I set out to try were big hits! We didn't end up trying a couple of them, and I'm not even sure if I could tell you quite why. Trouble finding ingredients for the right price, not having the right ingredients at the right time (i.e. poor planning), etc. But the ones we did try were fantastic! Quick run-down of the big winners:

(Rating system in our house: 1 = I'm getting myself a grilled cheese instead; 5 = best meal ever, ever, ever. I'm generally pretty happy when I get a 3 from the fam, and I'll even serve 2.5's as staples when needed.)

*Antipasto Salad (idea from Everyday Food)
- Lettuce, salami, fresh mozzarella balls (cheap at Fresh and Easy!), prociuto, olives, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, shaved parmesian.
4!!

* Tortellini Salad (Thanks, Susan!)
Added chopped raw zucchini instead of tomatoes... we're not a tomato family.
4!!

* Mini baked potatoes, stuffed with goat cheese & bacon, with grilled Steak sandwiches (Inspired by both Everyday Food and Rachael Ray)
4!!

* Lemon Chicken with Pesto Dipping Sauce (thanks, Jamie!)
4!!

* Chicken Pasta Salad w/ Fried Shallots (Rachael Ray, Summer 08)
4!!

* Shrimp Quesadillas w/ avocados (RR, Su 08)
4!!

* Bacon, Avacado, and Turkey sandwiches on homemade whole wheat bread (using Artisan Breads in 5 minutes a Day)
3.5 - Sadly the whole-wheat I made was a bit too much for this sandwich. A bit brick-ish.

* Southwestern Chili Mac Salad (RR, Su 08)
4!!