There Goes Another One

Well this one certainly came and went without a hitch! The dark cloud I was under last year seems to have lifted. I had no weeks of depression like I did last year. And that's such a good thing! We were invited to go to Kevin's dads' for dinner on my birthday - but earlier in the day it changed to dinner out my choice and they brought a German Chocolate Cake from Upper Crust - nice treat! I believe it's the next best thing to homemade.....I didn't bring my camera to dinner, but I thought it was so lovely I just had to snap what was left when we got home! This song below is the first thing I thought of when I started this post - reflecting back over the last year - I'd have to say I've song these words many times. They seem very true for me or they must be sticking in my head! Or we have Hannah Montana on way too much! Bottom lines is: Life's What You Make It.

Don't let no small frustration

Ever bring you down

No no no no

Just take a situation

And turn it all around

With a new attitude everything can change

Make it how you want it to be

Stay mad, why do that?

Give yourself a break

Laugh about it and you'll see

Life's what you make it

So let's make it rock

Life's what you make it

So come on come on (everybody now)

Why be sad, broken hearted?

There's so much to do

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Life is hard or

It's a party

The choice is up to you

With a new attitude everything can change

Make it how you want it to be

Stay sad, why do that?

Give yourself a break

I know you wanna party with me

Life's what you make it

So let's make it rock

Life's what you make it

So come on come on

Lets celebrate it

Join in everyone

You decide 'Cause life's...what you make it

Things are looking up

Any time you want

All you gotta do is realize that

It's under your control

So let the good times rock and roll

Ow!Da da da do it nowAaaaaaaaaaaaaahOW!

Alright

Yeah yeah yeah

Yeah yeah

Life's what you make it

So let's make it rock

Life's what you make it

So come on come on (everybody now)

Let's celebrate it

Join in everyone

You decide'Cause life's...what you make it

Life is what you make it

Happy Valentine's Day

You are my heart, my hope, my help,

The passion that is me,

The whole of which I am a part,

My peace, my ecstasy.

You are my future, present, past,

My ship, my sail, my ocean,

The wind that brings me home again,

The home for every motion.

You live within me, yet I am

Without you all alone.

With you I am full of light;

Without you I am stone.

Is this foolish? Yes, perhaps,

But also it is true.

I think of life as something I

Can spend with only you.

Ah, my love! Love longs for such

Sweet celebrants as this!

Love is a burden and a joy,

Slavery and bliss.

This day of love come love with me,

Come sing with me my song.

Come be my Valentine, and I

Will love you my life long, my love,

Will love you my life long.

Headlines

Kevin brought home Sunday and Mondays' paper yesterday which was a real treat for me. I'm not really sure how long it's been since we gave up the daily paper. At first it was a real struggle for me as I savored my morning routine of breakfast and reading the paper. I enjoyed reading it from cover to cover - something you really can't do via the internet. The paper comes to the office and no one reads it so Kevin had said he'd just bring it home for me. A few times I've grabbed it when down there and there have been a few times that he's brought two weeks worth home for me. Sadly, I carried it right back outside to the green recycle can. Thanks for the thought - but really old news is just that!

So today I got around to reading Sunday's paper and came across this article. And AP Writer Ted Anthony pretty much summed it up for me! This is exactly why I've not missed the paper - or the news for that matter. I have the attitude that if it's important someone let me know. The rest is just too much! Seems to me that my dad found a site for happy news - I need to find that again. I'm so sick of celebrity news, which seems to have the front run these days. Who cares!

And to completely contradict what I've just said - I have found a new TV program that is at the top of my DVR list. It's Chelsea Lately. This gal is laugh out loud funny! She has a great (dry) sense of humor - and so sarcastic! Love it! I know it's not nice to make fun of other people - but she is so right on you can't help but laugh! Yes it is celebrity news - but it's more about the celebrity tales that won't end...... And she really makes fun of the media and there overhype on everything! So if I have to endure celebrity news - I'll take it this way - Laughing out Loud!

BTW - does anyone know why Blogger spell check is no longer working?.......

Must or Dust

Standing here like soldiers
Priced at 31 cents - they have got to be old
Here you can see the varying ages - by price of course

Considering the fact that I have issues with germs - it's really surprising to me that I found these in my cupboard recently. The spice cupboard has never really been my source of attention - it's Kevin's really, he's the spicer in the family. Not to say that I don't use spices I really do, but only when it's called for! And I have to use a stool to reach anything above the first shelf anyway. So imagine my surprise when I started emptying the cupboard when I was cleaning and relining the shelves. Good heavens! One of the brown boxes has a date of Aug, 1980 on it. Clearly, the 31 cent boxes are from the 60's or possibly the 50's. Kevin's grandmother was a big time canner. A weekend project two weeks ago was cleaning out the basement - and boy was that a treat! There are still lots of treasures down there. But we did toss out a huge amount of glass jars (I shouldn't say toss out - we recycled them). Our basement has never been that clean - it's probably been decades since it has been that clean. It was a great source of accomplishment. I wish I could say the same for the boxes of cinnamon.......I'm having a hard time throwing them away now.........I must have other issues as well........ Now if you are worried about how old your spices are do a little reading here. You can also find lots of colorful ads for sale on ebay of your old spices. I'll keep working on tossing those boxes of old, very old cinnamon sticks - that no longer smell of cinnamon!

Yummy!

Only 6 ingredients
These remind me of the scones I use to get at Steam & Bean

My kids just love these - could it possibly be the Chocolate Chips in them?...... They are always requesting Chocolate Chips in there pancakes. Around the holidays I found some Milk & White Chocolate Chips at Raley's and have been using them - nice twist! I'll share the recipe with you. They are super easy and yummy!

Chocolate Chip Scones

2 cups Original Bisquick mix

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup whipping (heavy) cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Additional whipping (heavy) cream

Additional sugar

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray with cooking spray or grease cookie sheet. Stir Bisquick mix, chocolate chips, 1/3 cup whipping cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, the egg and vanilla until soft dough forms.

2. Pat into 8-inch circle on cookie sheet (if dough is sticky, dip fingers in Bisquick). Brush circle with additional whipping cream; sprinkle with additional sugar. Cut into 8 wedges, but do not separate.

3. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown; carefully separate. Serve warm. 8 scones.

Enjoy!

More From the Magic Kingdom

So we finished off our first day (and I'm only highlighting the big ones) with the Tower of Terror and the Grizzly River Run. For me the best thing of the whole trip was the Tower of Terror. I hope to never forget the experience. The unexpected thrill of the ride was amazing. I think I was so scared that it gave me the giggles. I could not stop laughing. Kyle was sitting next to my dad and the poor kid was just terrified. I had my purse with me and had stuck my leg through the strap and it was a darn good thing I did because first thing it went flying up and got caught on my knee. My mom said my hair was standing straight up. When I think about it even now two months later - I get the biggest smile on my face and have to hold the giggles in. My kids even forgave me by the next day and wanted to go back for more! If you haven't been on that ride - you have just got to go! I think for me the greatest thing I got from the trip would be the 1st time experiences my kids had - to see the expressions on there faces was priceless.....And lets not forget the Grizzly River Run - our last ride of the day. And don't think we didn't plan it that way - we were soaked!

And then it was Wednesday and we were off to Disneyland! And our first stop was Goofy's Kitchen to see if we could get a table and how long we'd have to wait for it. I had called the night before to make reservations and the guy kinda laughed at me....But we did great - only about 40 minutes, if that. It was very fun - I'm glad I didn't let the guy on the phone discourage me. We took advantage of all the photo ops too!

As we entered Disneyland I had that overwhelming urge to recognize something - but it wasn't until we got to Frontier Land that I was finally able to say "Okay, I remember this". Not sure if it's changed that much - I just wasn't able to recall it from my memory. Surprise, Surprise! We did all of the big attractions - although we never made it back to the Finding Nemo ride - that was the only ride that had a tremendous line. I did force my family to take the Jungle Cruise - they really didn't think it would be fun. But of course, after we exited they agreed with me - it's hilarious! I think I liked Splash Mountain and the Matterhorn the best. No wait I liked Space Mountain too! That was great. Karlee and mom skipped that one. For some reason Karlee got it into her head that she didn't want to go on it. I think she would have really liked it - but she and mom had fun wandering the nearby stores while waiting for us to exit.

We again ended our day with the Grizzly River Run which had no line and we went on it 4 times in a row and just drenched ourselves! Karlee and I had started on the ride first while Kyle and Kevin went to Soarin' Over California again. Karlee and I happened to see Kyle and Kevin take off as we exited, so we ran up to the viewing point and watched them get absolutely soaked by the big geyser! Then we talked them into going again with us - Kevin was pretty sceptical at first - but then figured he was already soaked to the bone what difference did it make.....

That evening we ended the night with the downtown Disney Parade. What a treat. We had trouble finding a place to eat and were worried that we'd miss it or be so far back as to not be able to see anything - but it all worked out in the end! Definitely worth it! Hindsight I think I'd try harder to get there earlier for curbside seating.....

Table Talk

We were listening to Christmas music while eating dinner tonight and the song Merry Christmas from the Family by the Dixie Chicks came on and this discussion ensued.

Me: I just love this song, I think it's funny

Karlee and Kyle: Me too!

Kevin: I'm not a big Dixie Chick fan

Karlee: Why daddy?

Kevin: Well I think they sing fine, I just don't like there political view point

Kyle: Do they sing about that daddy?

Kevin: Well.....

Karlee: Do they say cuss words daddy?

Kyle: Like P!nk? She says a** (he didn't say it - he spelled it)

Karlee: Yeah Daddy P!nk says lots of French words - she uses all the French words in her songs

Kevin: French words?

Karlee: You know daddy, like when you say "Excuse my French" after you say a cuss word.

Lovely!......Proud moment! I guess my kids have figured out why I turn the volume down and then back up on certain songs.....