TEN THINGS

1. I was awakened with a back rub from Twister. Seriously, can an early morning wake-up call get much better than a back rub?
2. This means that Twister woke up in a good mood and at a normal time! This is not a common occurrence.
3. We have something to which we can look forward today ~ we are having lunch at the home of some friends.
4. This means that I get a break from sandwich-making duty today!
   
5. It also means that we have friends that love us enough to feed us "just because" on a random weekday.
6. We also have something to which we can look forward tonight! We are going to see "Wizard of Oz" on stage!
7. This means that I have a very thoughtful mom that enjoys providing cultural experiences for myself, Tornado, and Twister.
8. I am excited for Mr. Brownstone because he gets to sit in a suite at a major league baseball game tonight.
9. This means that he has great camaraderie with his guy friends.
10. We also have something to which we can look forward later this week!!! We are taking Tornado and Twister to Chicago for a "Last Summer Hoorah" before school starts! Woo-Hoo!!!
    

TEN THINGS

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/08/ten-thing-tuesday_14.html

TEN THINGS

1. This morning, I awoke to children's laughter. How blessed I was to have such a beautiful sound as nature's alarm clock.
2. This means that the roofing that was going on next door is now finished!
   
3. The laughter was that of Tornado and a friend. It reminded me of how extremely thankful we are for this new friend who is an answered prayer for our child.
4. Tornado and Friend have been very sweet to include Twister in every aspect of the sleepover.
5. I am very sore today, which reminds me that we had a really good, busy day yesterday.
   
6. Everyone is currently doing - without complaining - what I have asked them to do as we prepare to leave the house.
7. This means that I have enough time to sit down and make this list before leaving for the next several hours.
8. I can almost taste the donuts that will be a special treat since we have a guest this morning.
9. We have something to which we can look forward today.
10. This means that we are blessed with family near enough with whom we can spend time.

TEN THINGS

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/08/ten-thing-tuesday.html

INTERVIEWING GRANDMA...

I just watched and videotaped one of the sweetest things ever.
Tornado interviewed my 85-year-old grandmother. More importantly, she is Tornado and Twister's GREAT-grandmother!

I first have to say how impressive it was to witness an 85-year-old woman still going strong at midnight. Secondly, I have to say how even more impressive it was to watch Tornado sit patiently and kindly listen - with eyes on the speaker - to the complete answer. You cannot even begin to imagine how hard of a task that can be where my grandmother is concerned. To say "she rambles" would be the understatement of the year...the decade...the century...the past millennium!

Grandma is a talker. It's one of the things about her that can drive you a little batty at times, but it's also one of the things we love most about her. It is incredible to hear the details that she is able to recall. She not only has this amazing memory, but she is knowledgeable as well. Grandma is like a walking encyclopedia...with a cane. She still remembers names, dates, and a plethora of other information on an unbelievable amount of topics. She has had so many life experiences. It would be a crime for us not to get some of her memories on tape, so that is just what we started. I say "started" because we are nowhere near being finished.

The interview lasted for just over twenty minutes. I honestly think that if we would have had more tape that Tornado could have kept questioning, listening, and learning. I know that Grandma could have kept going...and going...and going... Grandma is also like the Energizer Bunny. Seriously. In twenty minutes, Tornado was only able to ask the following questions:

1. What is your full birth name?
2. Do you know why your parents selected this name for you?
3. Did you ever have a nickname?
4. If so, how did you get it? (Technically, this question was answered before it was asked.)
5. When is your birthday?
6. What year were you born? (Technically, this question was answered before it was asked.)
7. Where were you born?
8. Were you born in a hospital?
9. What are the full names and birth dates of your parents?
10. Where were your parents born?

Is it amazing to anyone else that she could correctly answer the last two questions? Obviously, these all of these questions should have taken only 5-10 minutes to answer. Grandma did not see it that way. I was so proud of Tornado for listening to her ramble. The thing is...when you are interviewing an 85-year-old woman that has an incredible memory...nothing is "rambling". The unexpected information that she gave in answering these ten simple questions held ALL of us in rapt attention! We were all disappointed when the video tape ended, and we cannot wait to continue the interview as soon as possible. We currently have a list of ninety-two questions and are hoping to add more as we think of new things to ask!

What a wonderful gift is the gift of legacy!

INTERVIEWING GRANDMA...

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/08/interviewing-grandma.html

TEN THINGS

1. I was awakened with a sweet kiss from Tornado. What an awesome way to start the day!
2. Maybe that is the reason why I felt surprisingly refreshed after not getting much sleep last night.
3. My toes did not tingle much when I climbed out of bed...
4. Or when I walked out of the bedroom to find that Tornado and Twister had actually been cleaning! They had let me sleep in a little bit, and they were cleaning!
5. When I opened the pantry door, there was food available for breakfast. This is a big deal because I have not been to the grocery store in awhile. The food supply is - needless to say - dwindling...
6. Which means that the pantry, as well as the refrigerator and the freezer, are clean and organized.
7. We were able to have a nice, quiet breakfast because Bow Wow Brownstone did not bark this morning.
8. This means that we have found a solution to our bird problem! Fake snakes. Blake, Drake, Jake, Lake, and Wake Snake - of course, they had to have names if they were going to live in the backyard!
9. We have something fun to look forward to all day today...
10. Which means that I can relish the gift of having good and true friends!

TEN THINGS

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/07/ten-things.html

POST AND HOST

In this exploration into the world of blogging, I have become a fan of the weekly themed post where the blog author posts a thought or idea, and then other people link to the post sharing their similarly themed ideas.

I am not familiar with a lot of the blog terms or their meanings, so I am not sure what this blog activity is actually called. I personally like to refer to it as a "Post and Host." What I do know is that it is like one big shopping trip where you can always walk away with something new, whether it be advice, a laugh, or an actual object...for FREE!

There are three "Post and Hosts" of which I'm aware, though there are most likely countless others. I look forward each week to checking them. Following are some of my favorite links and a brief description of each:

• Laura, at I'm An Organizing Junkie, always hosts Menu Plan Monday. Here you can read Laura's menu plan, as well as plans for more than 100 others, for the whole week, and often she includes recipes for you to try. The rest of her blog is great, too, as she gives you lots of tips to get organized.

• Shannon, at Rocks In My Dryer, always hosts Works-For-Me Wednesday. Here you can find out something that has been working for Shannon, as well as what has been working for more than 100 others. Her blog is funny, and she just hosted the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway, a really awesome giveaway party! I wish that I was already bold enough to publish this blog because I would have given away a really cool prize. I will not reveal it, though, because my goal is to be ready for her next giveaway party, and I want for it to be a surprise!

• Rachel, at A Juggling Mums Food Blog, always hosts Freezer Food Friday. She gives you a great recipe for something that can be easily frozen. It's great because who doesn't need an available back-up at dinner occasionally? It is strictly a food blog, so she includes lots of great recipes for other things, too.
  

So...those cover three days of the week. I find the alliterations very clever. I thought that it might be fun to have my own "Post and Host" someday, even if it is just for myself. The specific idea is worthwhile, and it will just happen to work on one of the other four days of the week!

POST AND HOST

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/07/post-and-host.html

I'M "IT".

Well, my friend Jennifer has sort of tagged me. Her exact words were, "Okay, I now tag...Laura, Amber, and Reagan...Jill, you need to actually publish your blog and then I can tag you, too!!"

Jenn obviously knows that I began a blog not too long ago that has never been published.

I am a regular blog reader. I have a whole folder in my bookmarks which contains favorite blogs to read daily. I admire all of your bravery in actually posting your musings. I enjoy reading your tags and memes. (What IS a meme actually? I was not familiar with the word. Is it an Internet thing, a blog thing, or I have I just neglected to learn the term in my thirty-something years?) Anyway, I always think how fun it would be to participate, but I guess you actually have to publish your blog to be tagged by someone else...until Jennifer. She went and sort of tagged me anyway. Now what am I supposed to do with THAT?

For now, I will answer my first unofficial tag ~ in draft form, of course. I will save tackling the decision of to be or not to be actually published for a later time! You can go ahead and proceed with the chicken bock-bock-bocks if it gives you a chuckle. I'm not sure about how these tags work. If the answers are all supposed to be short, then mine will be wrong. I feel like writing today; and since I'll be the only one reading it, I can do it how I'd like! So there!

FIRSTS...
First Memory - This is a hard one! It's difficult to remember how old I was when the things I remember happened, making it very difficult to remember which thing happened first! One thing I do remember, though, had to have been about age three because we lived in a little pink house. It was around Christmas time. I remember going back to my bedroom and opening a dresser drawer and getting out pajamas. I proceeded to dress myself in a little red nightgown with a matching cap, and I then dressed Thing 2, who was one at the time, in festive nightwear as well. We were like little visions of sugarplums.

First Real Kiss - Oh, my word! This is the kind of question that is embarrassing and can fill you with that moment of regret, that moment of "What on EARTH was I thinking?!?" I don't really remember my first little peck on the cheek (either Cheshire Cat or Bear), but my first real kiss was in the Eighth Grade (which is far TOO young!). It was in the movie theater, and his name was Slick. He was older than me, and we were not on a date. (I repeat, it was too young ~ I wasn't even allowed to date yet!) I will never forget the butterflies of a first kiss, and that's why I wish I had saved that first kiss for someone different. Slick was cute, and older, and he thought I was pretty...so it was exciting, but it was not true love.

First Love - Mercy! This is another one of those questions! And doesn't first love come in many different forms?

• My first love ~ or the love I put above all others, the one that transcends all earthbound love ~ is for my King, my Savior, my Jesus, my God, Elohim, El Shaddai, Jehovah...Name above all names, Name I cannot live without, my Lord.
• But...my first love was my daddy. I am so thankful for my dad. I have been blessed with one that I know loves me and that will always be there for me, for Mr. Brownstone, and for Tornado and Twister. He is a great balance of everything a dad should be, and I love him for it.
  
• My first crush was in Kindergarten. Everybody, every girl anyway, had a crush on Little Fonzie. He wore a black leather jacket just like the Fonz. I'm not sure if we all really loved him, or if we loved the fact that he had a black leather jacket like Fonzie.
• My first boyfriend was in First Grade. Cheshire Cat had siblings that were quite a bit older than him ~ old enough to be dating. He was my boyfriend because he told me that I was going to be his girlfriend. Cheshire Cat might have attempted a kiss on the cheek, but I really don't remember because it was so long ago and the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing just embarrassed me in the first place. I think that was about the extent of our relationship, other than the fact that we were friends all the way through graduation.
  
• The first boy with whom I held hands was in Fifth Grade. His name was Bear. We went to the Planetarium on a field trip and held hands under the stars. So romantic for a fifth grader, wasn't he? I got a peck on the cheek from Bear. It was very fast, very unexpected, and his cheeks turned ALL SHADES of red ~ probably because eleven years old is too young to be kissing!
• My first love that confused me was Johnny Boy. We were such good friends. Johnny Boy moved to Our Town in Second Grade. Through all of the him liking me and me liking him when I liked someone else or he liked someone else, we remained good friends. And let me ask you, have you experienced how hard it is to listen to the girlfriend troubles of your heart's true love when you are fourteen and that girlfriend isn't you? As a result, Johnny Boy was also the first boy to break my heart, and I was the first girl to break his. We were friends all through High School, and all through College, and we still are friends ~ though we have both moved away from Our Town and never see each other except when we are both in Our Town at the same time. Though our timing was not often in sync, we did get the timing right once; but by that time, we were too good of friends ~ the "almost like dating your brother" kind of friends. We both got a friend for life, though, and now he's found Mrs. Johnny Boy, and I've found Mr. Brownstone.
• My first real boyfriend was in High School. Star Athlete and I dated for two years. Things started out rosy, but Star Athlete was not very nice to me after awhile. It was an eye-opener for me and a life lesson in that whole "books and their covers" analogy. I was so thankful to have Johnny Boy in my life. Johnny Boy, Bear, and Fred (my dear friend) saved me from harm's way. Cue foreboding music here. And then...there was my daddy. My daddy, non-violent man that he is, found the ability to be very scary when there was a need to be very scary. Star Athlete did not bother me anymore.
• I dated some in College, but it was just dating, no real love connections. And then...Mr. Brownstone walked into my life and never walked out of it ~ my first and only true love.
  

First Concert - Do concerts I saw at a County Fair count? If so, it was probably Merl Haggard, or Charley Pride. I also saw George Strait and Mickey Gilley and several other artists this way. I guess the first REAL concert I saw was Garth Brooks. He was truly phenomenal ~ I saw him on his birthday. He told us that in honor of his birthday he would like to try out a new song to see if we liked it. I guess you could call it a "World Premiere". Well, the crowd obviously liked it because it sent him from stardom to super-stardom and opened a new door in country music. He debuted "Rodeo" for us that night...and the crowd went wild.

First Thought In The Morning - My first thought is always "just nine more minutes". That is also my second thought and my third thought ~ sometimes it's my fourth thought, too. However, when it's my fourth thought, it makes me nine minutes behind if we are trying to get out the door for anything. My first annoying thought is fear at the tingling in my left set of toes, accompanied by "isn't once enough?" ~ more on that another time. My first lucid thought is "I need a Diet Coke".

First Best Friend - Well, the obvious would be to say that Thing 2 was my first best friend, followed by Thing 3 and Thing 4. I was ~ and still am ~ very close to my siblings. My first non-sibling best friend was Jeff. Well, her name wasn't really Jeff. It was before my time, but there was a comic strip about Mutt and Jeff. Jeff was very short and Mutt was very tall. Grown-ups used to call us Mutt and Jeff because I was so much taller than her. Jeff and I are still friends. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding to Mr. Brownstone.

AND LASTS...
Last Food You Ate - Do Tootsie Rolls count as food? If so, then the answer is Tootsie Rolls. If those don't count, then it was the Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken from McDonald's. Yum.

Last CD Purchased - The last CD I purchased was Kelly Clarkson's "My December". I really love her voice and have been a fan since Season One of American Idol.

Last Good Book You Read - The last book I read was Karen Kingsbury's "Forever". It was not good, though. It was great. If you have not read her series about the Baxter Family, I highly recommend them. I say "them" because there are three different series about the Baxters ~ different, but not independent of one another.

You must first read the Redemption Series in order:

• "Redemption"
• "Remember"
• "Return"
• "Rejoice"
• "Reunion"

Then, you read the Firstborn Series in order as well:

• "Fame"
• "Forgiven"
• "Found"
• "Family"
• "Forever"

Then, you read the Sunrise Series, which is a work in progress with the final three books to be released between now and Summer 2008:

• "Sunrise"
• "Summer"
• "Someday"
• "Sunset"

Last Time You Cried - Oh mercy. I cry a lot! The last time I cried was while watching "Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular" at Disneyland. I know that is SO cheesy, but I can't help it. I cry at musicals, even when they are funny, as well as instrumental music concerts ~ like a symphony, or when I watch marching bands. I KNOW. These, of course, are not the only times I cry. I cried a few days before the musical when I talked to a friend on the phone ~ please keep in mind that this is a friend I see often ~ because it had been a couple of weeks since I had seen her and thought that it was going to be a couple of more. I also cry when I get my feelings hurt, which happened the same week. I cry sometimes in commercials, movies, and television shows. I cry when I'm reading a good book. I cry when Tornado and Twister do anything, including grow!

Last "I Love You" Said - The last time I said "I love you" was when Mr. Brownstone called me earlier today. I love that man. I am a lucky girl. So lucky. Mr. Brownstone has got ALL the goods.

Last Funny Thing You Did - Hmm...Tornado and Twister find it extremely funny when I make up new words to old songs to fit whatever it is we are doing, or just to be silly. My last made up song was today. It went something like this, "Wilbur Wonka, Wilbur Wonka, for the cleanest teeth in town. Wilbur Wonka, Wilbur Wonka, helps avoid the need to frown." (Wilbur Wonka is Willy Wonka's father.)

Now for a little extra...
Last Words To Type On This Tag - The End.

I'M "IT".

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/07/im-it.html

A DIVINE NEW DEVELOPMENT!

Thing 4 and Thing 12 were sitting in a tree,
K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
First comes love,
Then comes marriage.
Then come The Things pushing a baby carriage!

YEA!

I am so
EXCITED!!
I'm going to be an aunt again!!!

CONGRATULATIONS
to Thing 4 and Thing 12!!!

THING 13
will be their first baby!
(Isn't that just the cutest name?)

BLESSINGS
for this new creation of God!

A DIVINE NEW DEVELOPMENT!

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/07/thing-4-is-having-baby.html

"HONEY, ARE WE PACKED YET?"

I am a very nervous flier. Actually, unless there is a lot of...OK, OK...unless there is ANY turbulence, I do alright once we are in the air, and the pilot has turned off the fasten seat belt sign. The first four minutes are what get me. Every time.

As a result of this, I am a procrastinator packer. I never pack anything more than one day before a trip. (Being honest here, it's necessary to say that I am this way even if it is a driving trip.) We went on a trip last summer with several other couples, and I was still shopping at 9:00 p.m. for a dress to wear while renewing our wedding vows! (Of course, we're women, so all of us were trying to coordinate our outfits for the vow renewal with a mixture of white and brown. The six couple ceremony is a story for another time.)

Part of it is that I'm scatterbrained most ~ if not all ~ of the time. I think it might have ADD, but that's a whole other subject! I also have a hard time saying "no" ~ whether the request is to be on some committee at school, to teach at church, or to just go have some fun with friends. I like having the ability to be flexible, so I am easily distracted.

Another part of being a procrastinator packer is due to the fact that I tend to work well under pressure. I feel more organized because the one task becomes so large that I cannot let myself be distracted by other things. If I do things too far ahead of time, I end up worrying that I have left something out or unfinished.

When it's a airplane trip, though, the biggest part of it is that I start thinking about that first four minutes of flight the moment the suitcase comes out of the closet! It's not a fun feeling. I can happily anticipate a trip, setting aside the flying part, if I'm not having to pack for it. Packing makes it real. So...my little method actually works well for me. By the time I finally do pack, it's so important to get it done that I go into a one-track mode. I have to be so focused on the actual job that other things don't distract me as easily.

It drives Mr. Brownstone crazy.

He starts asking the week of the trip if I have started packing. I used to tell him "no", but now I just smile and say, "We'll be ready." Everyday he asks the same question. "Are we all packed? I'd really like for the bags to be by the door before we go to bed the night before we leave." I just smile and say, "We'll be ready." (I love it how he uses the term "we" as if we were all participating in the act of packing. I also find it humorous that he actually still thinks with each trip that I will be sleeping that night.) Then once came my favorite question of all time,

"Are you packing clothes, or will we be sightseeing naked?"

The funny thing is that he was really asking. He really asked this! So dramatic! He gets that way sometimes. I just smiled and said, "Of course." He smiled back in a panicky sort of way ~ you know half laugh, half fear, slight eyebrow raise, and then back-to-business. "Will we be packed? Will the bags be by the door the night before we leave?" I always smile and say, "We'll be ready." I never answer "yes" because I learned long ago that Mr. Brownstone never puts the bags in the car the night before we leave.

I won't lie. I am STILL nervous about flying. It's the middle of the night. We are leaving for the airport in four and a half hours, and I will not sleep at all tonight. I will finish packing, do whatever laundry is left to do, clean things like the baseboards and the ceiling fan blades, get myself ready (because of course I haven't showered yet today - I've been too busy keeping myself busy), and then as promised, I will smile in triumph as I place all the bags by the front door for Mr. Brownstone.

"HONEY, ARE WE PACKED YET?"

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-about-some-socks-with-that.html

FROM A TO Z

It has always amazed me that we get so much from just twenty-six tiny letters. Short words, like "a," long words like "metropolitan," and funny words like "zakuska." (For those of you that don't know, "zakuska" means "appetizer".) We get phrases, sentences, and paragraphs. We get lyrics and speeches. We get blogs, articles, stories, and books. Isn't it amazing to think that an entire book consists of only twenty-six tiny letters?

Generally, I read somewhere between thirty and forty books a year. As long as it's well-written, I'll read just about anything ~ mystery, suspense, romance, true crime, horror, biographical, autobiographical. Each time, I pause to remember that it consists of only twenty-six letters, with the occasional punctuation mark, and maybe a number or two.

This year, I must admit something that I NEVER thought I would admit. I've read *gasp* only four. FOUR! It's already well into the summer, and I've read only four. And the real truth of the matter is that I have read all four of them in the last five days! To think about how far behind I am this year makes me feel like I'm missing out on some great adventure ~ a wonderful movie in my mind! Speaking of movies, that brings me back to the original point...twenty-six tiny letters in a screenplay, which in turn becomes a movie. Think of movies that you find simply great. Twenty-six tiny letters in "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy! Twenty-six tiny letters in "Braveheart".

What's even more amazing to think of is that there are twenty-six tiny letters in our translation of the WORD OF GOD!!! I will never cease to be amazed at any intricacy in the design of my God's hand!

FROM A TO Z

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/07/from-to-z.html

IT'S TIME TO FIRE UP THE GRILL, Y'ALL!

Summertime is in full swing, and considering that we're having a milder one in this area than the scorcher we had last summer, people are wanting to spend more time in the great outdoors, and we are...but a lot of that time is spent under the old umbrella. It's always a great time for friends and family to gather in the backyard, set up the volleyball net, take a dip in the pool, and of course, eat. If you are invited to a barbecue this year (be it in a backyard, or huddled around a George Foreman grill in someone's cozy, dry kitchen), and you just don't know what to bring, try one of these recipes I got from my mom:

The following isn't your typical creamy, white coleslaw. It's really good, and it looks really pretty!

Marinated Slaw

1 large head red cabbage, shredded
2 onions, sliced in rings
¾ cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 cup vegetable oil

Alternate layers of cabbage and onions in a serving bowl. Cover with sugar. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, salt, celery seeds, and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil. Add oil, and bring to another boil. Pour mixture over cabbage and onions. Cover, and refrigerate.

And these aren't your typical baked beans!

Calico Beans

1/3 pound ground beef, browned
½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup chopped onion
1 large can pork-n-beans
1 can lima beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
½ cup ketchup
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard
2 teaspoons vinegar

Mix all of the ingredients together. Pour into a large casserole dish. Bake at 350* for 40 minutes. Double the recipe for a large crowd.

Have fun outside this summer! Oh!! And don't forget to wear SPF 45, a hat, and sunglasses. Drink at least 64 ounces of water daily. Light citronella candles to avoid mosquitoes possibly carrying the West Nile virus (or some other potentially dangerous affliction). Quickly refrigerate food after serving. Wash your hands before, during, and after all food preparation. Use caution when lighting the grill... Always wear a flotation device when swimming; and for Heaven's sake, get out of the pool if it starts thundering and lightening! :)

Seriously, enjoy your summer!

Once again, I have to give my mom credit for both recipes. She is an awesome cook!

IT'S TIME TO FIRE UP THE GRILL, Y'ALL!

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/06/its-time-to-fire-up-grill-yall.html

SUMMERTIME BLUES?

Or summertime blueBERRIES!

The often over-looked blueberry is showcased in this beautiful salad. Though it is easy to toss together, there are two steps before you actually make the salad. It is, however, worth the effort!

Summer Fruit Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries, halved
2 nectarines, sliced
8 cups mixed salad greens
Blueberry Vinaigrette - see below
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cover, and chill for 1 hour. Drizzle 1/3 cup of Blueberry Vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to coat. (If using chicken, add to salad before to tossing.) Sprinkle with almonds if desired.

Blueberry Vinaigrette

¼ cup Blueberry Chutney - see below
¼ cup minced onion
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Gradually whisk in oil until well-blended. Refrigerate leftover vinaigrette for up to 2 weeks.

Blueberry Chutney

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
½ cup sugar
½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ -½ teaspoon dried, crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Bring first 7 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until apple is tender. Stir in blueberries and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes, or until thickened.

May also be served as a condiment with grilled chicken or pork.

ENJOY!!

This three-part recipe was courtesy of my mom's recipe box. I don't recall ever having it growing up, but it sounded so yummy I tried it anyway. I think she got it from a magazine, though which magazine I will never know!

SUMMERTIME BLUES?

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/06/summertime-blues.html

IRONS, IRONS, ALL AROUND - HOT IN THE FIRE, MAKING MY HEAD SPIN 'ROUND.

WOW! I have not been this busy all year! There has been too much going on to even attempt to blog. Maybe I can do a big recap after the fact. It's been hard to steal many minutes.

Back to stoking the fire...

IRONS, IRONS, ALL AROUND - HOT IN THE FIRE, MAKING MY HEAD SPIN 'ROUND.

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/05/irons-irons-all-around-hot-in-fire.html

FUN-ETICS...

When I was in Junior High, we had to do a project for English class. The assignment was to create and conduct a survey. We could create any type of survey we chose.

Of course, most of the boys surveyed favorite football teams. Some of them got a little more creative and asked for a favorite team in more than one sport. Then, there were the “overachievers” that got even more creative and added things like best team name, best uniforms, etc., etc., etc. (My answers were the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, the Texas Rangers, and/or the New York Yankees to any and all of the aforementioned questions.)

The girls typically surveyed things like favorite television show, favorite song, and favorite teen heartthrob. (My answers were: Happy Days, Eye of the Tiger, and C. Thomas Howell.)

Always having an interest in proper use of the English language, my survey consisted of commonly mispronounced words. (Yes, I’m a freak like that!) I simply made a list of words and had the survey participants pronounce them, not making them aware of the context of the survey. Then they read the word in a sentence. The results were horrendous!

Some of the words included were:

pronounce
Correct pronunciation: *[ pruh nówns ]
Participant pronunciation: [ per nówns ]

often
Correct pronunciation: [ áwff’n, óff’n ]
Participant pronunciation: [ áwff’tuhn, óff’tuhn ]

salmon
Correct pronunciation: [ sámmèn ]
Participant pronunciation: [ sálmèn ]

mischievous
Correct pronunciation: *[ mísschivuhss ]
Participant pronunciation: [ mísschiveeuhss ]

oil
Correct pronunciation: [ oyl ]
Participant pronunciation: [ uhl ]

wash
Correct pronunciation: [ wosh ]
Participant pronunciation: [ warsh ]

grocery
Correct pronunciation: *[ groessuhree ]
Participant pronunciation: [ groeshree ]

specific
Correct pronunciation: *[ spuh síffik ]
Participant pronunciation: [ puh síffik ]

*See Disclaimer.

Out of 100 people surveyed, each word was mispronounced more than 50% of the time. Some of them were mispronounced 100% of the time. For the record, the survey participants came from many different socio-economic backgrounds and age groups. Some of them were highly educated, and some of them were even my family members!

So the next time you are saying one of these words – even if you graduated summa cum laude - please, keep in mind pacifically how it should be pernounced.

DISCLAIMER:
Due to the inability to post things such as the schwa (upside down e) and the long vowell sounds (straight line above letter) here, some pronunciations (marked by an *asterisk*) are slightly altered as posted on Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

FUN-ETICS...

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/05/fun-etics.html

PUBLISHING PAUSE

Maybe someday these posts will actually be published on this blog for all to read, or for no one to read. I’ve written four so far and haven’t published a single one!

Why is that?

Fear. But…is it the fear of thinking that other people – people I don’t know – might potentially read them? Or is it the fear that NO one will read them? And then, if they DO read them, will they like them? Or will they think it’s the worst blog ever?

Fear.

I'm being more indecisive with my drafting than the Minnesota Vikings were a few years ago in the NFL Draft!

The total will now be five unpublished thoughts if you include this one. It will soon be six, however, because I feel like writing and reminiscing today.

PUBLISHING PAUSE

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/05/publishing-pause.html