Scarves for the Special Olympics

My latest project has been crocheting scarves for the Special Olympics. I really believe in this cause, and the scarves are very easy to make. You can use the pattern provided, or you can make your own. All of the Special Olympic participants get a scarf to wear, and they look so proud to be wearing them in their pictures. Since I have been doing this project, several others have decided to join in on the fun. I have heard many stories of how the Special Olympics have effected the lives of others. Click on the picture above if you are interested in joining in on the fun!

Thing 1

This is a thing one wig that I made for my niece for Halloween. When I had the idea to make it, I had no idea that it would take 12 hours to make. Now I have to get busy to make the thing two wig for her friend. It is a good thing I started early!

I love my sister!

My sister came down this week on a whim, and I am really glad she did. Even though we don't always agree, it is nice to spend time with someone who you know will always love you and will eat sushi with you.

Mom and me

It was a different type of day yesterday. My mom asked me if I wanted to go to Kanheeta with her and a friend of hers from work. I love Kanheeta, so I said I would go. Her co-worker ended up not being able to go, so it was just me and mom. We NEVER do things like that alone. We usually have other family members along if we are doing something just for fun. If we spend time together alone, it is always to complete some kind of task. Not that we don't like spending time together because we do.

This time we just went to relax. I asked her what time she wanted to leave, and she said when we were ready to leave. We woke up when we wanted to, and we left when we were ready. We had no agenda other than we would end up in Kanheeta at some time. We stopped when we wanted to, and we talked when we wanted to. We were quiet when we wanted to be, and we really enjoyed the day. I listened to mom's problems and stories. Most of which I have heard before, but I decided not to tell her that I had. She told me about her plans to retire, and what she wanted to do. She wants to travel around the United States. She wants to go places she has never been like Texas and Niagra Falls. She told me that she wants to get a car just for herself, but she has no idea what kind she wants. She told me she was proud of me, and it felt so good to hear that.

We ate when we were hungry, and we left Kanheeta when we felt we had had enough. It was such a wonderful relaxing day. We didn't take any pictures or buy any mementos, but it is a day I will remember for a long time.

Tri Cities Visit... Lot's of Fun

I had a great time in Tri Cities. I got to go to my niece's third birthday party which was very fun. Grace was as cute as could be. My Nephew (by friendship) rode with me from Portland to Tri-Cities and taught me a lot about how NOT to spoil a 6 year old child. For example:

1. You should never give a child something that could be used as a cup (silly putty egg) and a bottle of Sprite.

2. You should never give a child a ink pad and stamps thinking that they will not get ink all over the back seat of your car and all over their clothes and body!

3. You should never give a child so many snacks that they want to try them all and in the process dump loads of chips and crackers on your floor, and when they get out of the car crunch them into your carpeted floor.


I did have a good time with Jakob. He is a very sweet kid. It was unbelievable when we went to a restaurant. All he could think about was the game we passed on the way in where you pay 50 cents to try to grab a stuffed animal. We all told him that nobody ever wins those things and that there was no way he would get one. He couldn't eat his food, and he didn't want any of the special birthday cake that my sister made for him. He just wanted to play that silly game. His mom gave in and on the way out put 50 cents in for him. He moved the thing around and the grabber went down and came up empty. We all told him that we expected he wouldn't win and that it was really hard to win that game. The game gives you two chances to win, so Jakob moved the control around again and the grabber dropped. It picked up a pink chipmunk. We all held our breath and thought it would fall. The arm slowly moved and dropped the stuffed animal in the winners square. We were all so shocked, we couldn't speak. Then Jakob jumped up and down, "I got it! I got it! You guys said I wouldn't be able to get it, and I got it!"

We congratulated him, and were all happy for him. Then the sweet little Jakob gave the pink stuffed animal to Grace. It was such a nice gesture. Grace was happy, and Jakob was ecstatic! That was a lot of fun.

On Monday night I got the chance to have dinner with my friend Amy's (passed away in April 2001) mother. It was a really nice visit, and it brought back a lot of old memories.

I spent lots of time with my sister and my niece Grace, and it was wonderful. It was a great break from work, and I am glad to be back even if I am broke!

Dish Rags for Adoption

I am making dish rags to sell to help finance an adoption from Ethiopia. I plan to adopt in the next three years and will need to come up with the funds by then. In the future, I will have other items as well. Currently I am listed on Etsy

Funny foreign signs

While I think these signs are quite funny, at least these foreign countries are TRYING to speak our language. Maybe we should work harder at learning theirs!

Foreign Signs

Funny "English" Foreign Signs:

In a Tokyo Hotel:
Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to
do such a thing is please not to read notis.

In a Bucharest hotel lobby:
The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret
that you will be unbearable.

In a Leipzig elevator:
Do not enter lift backwards, and only when lit up.

In a Belgrade hotel elevator:
To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should
enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor.
Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

In a Paris hotel elevator:
Please leave your values at the front desk.

In a hotel in Athens:
Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9
and 11 A.M. daily.

In a Yugoslavian hotel:
The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the
chambermaid.

In a Japanese hotel:
You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from Russian Orthodox
monastery:
You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet
composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday.

In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers:
Not to perambulate the corriders during the hours of repose in the
boots of ascension.

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant:
Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.

On the menu of a Polish hotel:
Salad a firm's own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in
the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up
in the country people's fashion.

Outside a Hong Kong tailer shop:
Ladies may have a fit upstairs.

In a Bangkok dry cleaners:
Drop your trousers here for best results.

Outside a Paris dress shop:
Dresses for street walking.

In a Rhodes tailor shop:
Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers
in strict rotation.

>From the Soviet Weekly:
There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 150,000 Soviet Republic
painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.

A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest:
It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people
of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one
tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.

In a Zurich hotel:
Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex
in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this
purpose.

In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist:
Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.

In a Rome laundry:
Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good
time.

In a Czechoslovakin tourist agency:
Take one of our horse-driven city tours - we guarantee no
miscarriages.

Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand:
Would you like to ride on your own ass?

In a Swiss mountain inn:
Special today -- no ice cream.

In a Bangkok temple:
It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if dressed as a man.

In a Tokyo bar:
Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.

In a Copenhagen airline ticket office:
We take your bags and send them in all directions.

On the door of a Moscow hotel room:
If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it.

In a Norwegian cocktail lounge:
Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

In a Budapest zoo:
Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food,
give it to the guard on duty.

In the office of a Roman doctor:
Specialist in women and other diseases.

In an Acapulco hotel:
The manager has personally passed all the water served here.

In a Tokyo shop:
Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are best in the
long run.

>From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner:
Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room,
please control yourself.

>From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo:
When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him
melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then
tootle him with vigor.

Two signs from a Mojorcan shop entrance:
- English well speaking
- Here speeching American.

Macrobiotic diet

Well... I have been on the Adkins diet, Weight Watchers, Curves, The Sacred Heart Diet (found out it wasn't from Sacred Heart at all), the cabbage soup diet, Used Eola Drops (found out that the ephedra in them was actually not good for you although they worked brilliantly), belonged to T.O.P.S. (take off pounds sensibly)and probably have tried others out there that I didn't mention. The shot story longer is that none of them actually worked. Well, I take that back... ALL of them worked, but I always gained the weight back and more. My friend Amy and I would laugh when we were in high school saying that when we got older we would never say, "I wish I weighed what I did in high school." I have now been out of high school for twenty years, and I have seen the pictures of us when we were in high school. Unfortunately I do wish I just stuck to that weight in high school. It is strange how your perceptions change.

I have never tried the macrobiotic diet, and that is what I am doing now. At least that is what I am trying to do now. It isn't as easy as it sounds.
A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics), from the Greek "macro" (large, long) and "bios" (life), is a dietary regimen that involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods. Macrobiotics also address the manner of eating, by recommending against overeating, and requiring that food be chewed thoroughly before swallowing. According to Wikipedia.

So I am reading lots of books and surfing the web constantly in order to find the information I need for this diet. I have decided to take the information I like about it and apply it to my life. For example, according to Wikipedia you are supposed to eat:
Whole cereal grains, especially brown rice: 50-60%
Vegetables: 25-30%
Beans and legumes: 5-10 %
Miso soup: 5%
Which is basically what I have read in other books as well. I really like fruit, and I don't think that fruit should have a bad name. I eat all kinds of fruit, but I don't add any kind of sweetener to it. I have also cut out most animal products including cheese which is one of my favorite foods.

My parents are eating what I cook, but my dad likes any diet as long as he doesn't have to give up butter, meat, sugar, or anything else that he eats. My mom is doing a better job although she is taking a day or two off a week which I have never understood the concept of doing. Don't get me wrong. I love the idea, but if I go off a diet... I am done. I guess that is the mind set that I have to get out of.

So wish me luck!

Another summer story problem

I really liked Jill's story problem, so I decided to make my own. Mine is much more simple of course.


24 Hours
+Clear liquids
- Solid Foods
+ Entire bottle of Fleet
__________________________________
= One Very used toilet




___________________________________

How to make Goop

Ok... I decided to share with you the family secret of goop. I hope that you aren't too dissapointed to see how easy it is to actually make. I asked my dad the other day where the recipe came from and he said that our grandmother had read it in a magazine when he was a boy. The original recipe also had pistachios in it, but the goop I grew up with never had pistachios. Apparently because of the supply and demand at the time pistachios were extremely expensive. While I do like to eat pistachios, I do not like it in my goop.

Goop recipe:

two packages 8oz cream cheese
two cloves pressed fresh garlic (garlic lovers might want to add more!)
two heaping tablespoons sour cream
one bunch green onions chopped

In a large bowl add cream cheese, pressed garlic and sour cream. Mix with electric mixer until combined and creamy. Add chopped green onions and mix just until green onions are equally dispersed in the goop. (If you mix the green onions for two long, your goop will turn green.... YUCK!) Refrigerate (if it makes it to the fridge) for a couple of hours for best taste. Eat with pretzles.

Some advice... If you are trying to make it lower calorie, you can use the 1/3 fat cream cheese. I use one package of 1/3 fat cream cheese and one package of full fat cream cheese myself. You can use nonfat cream cheese, but the taste is terrible to me.

Please do not try to substitute the fresh garlic with garlic powder or garlic from a jar. You will not get the same flavor. All ingredients should be as fresh as possible for optimal taste.

Some of my relatives will eat goop with other kinds of chips. My dad likes corn chips, and some people like regular potato chips. My sister and I prefer to stick to pretzels which is how we always ate it as kids. My mom likes to use goop instead of mayonaise on her BLT sandwich.

Let me know how it turns out!

I am loving Face Book

I am loving Face Book lately. I have come across people who I haven't seen in years. It is really neat to see how people are doing, and to get back in touch with people. Through Face book I have been able to reconnect with friends who I met in Japan who are now living in other countries, high school friends, and old neighbors who lived down the street from us more than 20 years ago. How cool is that?

Home Sick

I am not sick for home, but I am home sick. I hate being sick. I know that probably surprises most people because I know everybody loves to be sick. (Being Sarcastic) I would way rather be at work. Of course, I do love my job. I haven't been able to say that for a really long time. The last job I had that I really loved was teaching in Japan. It was a very busy and hectic lifestyle. I would take the train from location to location where I would teach. Many times I would teach the same lesson eigteen times a week to eighteen different classes. The hardest part was keeping the lessons fresh every time I taught it. It was a new lesson for the kids, but for me it kind of got boring. Since I have been home in the States, I refuse to play Uno or any other of the games I played over and over and over and over and then one more time in Japan. The fun part about being there was that everyone was always so glad to see me. My classes were glad to see me, and my family was really glad to see me when I came home to visit. It kind of felt like I was a star. I couldn't go anywear without coming across someone who recognized me. Even when I traveled out of the country, I ran into different students at international airports across the globe. People gave me gifts all the time, took me out to dinner and treated me special.

Of course the money wasn't too bad either. I got paid in cash every month. I budgeted by laying the money in piles. I had a pile for electric, phone, and other monthly expences. There was a pile of money to send home and then the pile left over was my fun money. If I was going out on the town, I would grab a bill equal to about a hundred U.S. dollars and spend almost all of it that night. When I think of that now, I cannot believe how much money I spent on having fun. I wouldn't even dream of that now. Well I guess I would dream of it, but I wouldn't do it. That was back in the day when a flight for a thousand dollars seemed cheap and something I didn't want to pass up. I didn't think anything of hopping a train to Tokyo to visit some friends and travel around. Eating out every meal seemed pretty normal, and I didn't have much groceries in the house. If I did, they rotted very quickly anyway.

So, now I do love my job. I don't feel so much like a star anymore, but my neice Grace makes me feel pretty special. She pretty much jumps for joy every time she sees me. Even though she is a walking germ factory, I am glad to see her too. Kids her age are so brutely honest that I know she really thinks I am a great being. The other morning I was laughing and tickeling her in my bed. She got a whiff of my breath and said, "That Stinks!". She plugged her nose and tried to get away from the offencive smell. I love her.

Bob's Red Mill

Almost every Saturday morning, my mom and dad have breakfast at Bob's Red Mill. My parents will sometimes also go during the week and often... very very often invite me. I rarely go, but I do enjoy it once in awhile. They serve fresh whole grain foods like grits, oatmeal, biscuits, toast, and a variety of other foods.

My favorite is the french toast which I lather with freezer jam. Before I started eating gluten again, I would buy my gluten free breads and mixes at Bob's Red Mill because they were one of the few places I could find such a wide variety.


After Mom and Dad eat, they will read the paper, do some puzzles or read. I like to walk around and look at the water features including a real water wheel and a fountain built using an old grinding stone. If you are lucky, you can see the geese that hang around there. They have their little babies with them at this time of the year, and we got to see them today and also a couple of mallard ducks.


Another lucky sighting is to see Bob (owner) and his wife eating breakfast with some friends. You will know he is there when you see one of his really old black Ford cars parked in the parking lot. Bob looks exactly like the picture of him at this link. We have been going there for years, and I don't think Bob has aged a bit. He always looks exactly the same.

TOMATOES!!!

I planted these tomatoes on Sunday. There are three different varieties in case one or two of them don't have a good year. I love fresh grown tomatoes and can't wait for them to grow. This weekend I plan to get some cages to put around them and some tomatoe firtalizer.

What is everybody else growing this summer?

Maya Angelo

"If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers." Maya Angelo

I love this quote by Maya Angelo. Sometimes I find it much easier to be mean and nasty to my friends and family when I am irritable, but I am always nice to strangers. I guess I don't want to stop being nice to people I don't know, but I should try to be more congenial to the people who are willing to put up with my nonsense year after year.

My Sister Tagged Me

My sister tagged me for a fun game. Here are the rules: (post these first)

(1) Each player answers questions about themselves.
(2) At the end of the post, tag 1 person by posting their name.
(3) Go to their site/blog and leave a comment telling them that they have been Tagged. Invite them to your site/blog so they can read the Tagged post.
(4) Let the person who tagged you know when you have completed your Tagged post.

Questions:

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was teaching children and adults English in Japan and traveling all over having a blast.

2. What are 5 things on your "To Do" list?
1. Make a budget
2. Go on a diet
3. Do my laundry
4. Plant some tomatoes
5. Wash my car

3. What are 5 snacks you enjoy?
1. Cheese its
2. Yogurt
3. chocolate
4. frozen fruit smoothies
5. Pretzels and Goop (Goop is a family recipe for the yummiest dip EVER!)

4. Name some things you would do if you were a millionaire.
If I had a million dollars I would:
· Invest in a business
· Buy a big house with a little house out back for my sister to visit because if I only had one million dollars I wouldn't quit my job here in Portland.
· Help some kids
· Have a maid
· Travel
· I would probably end up being talked into helping my sister adopt another child (who I would have to spoil!)

5.Name some places where you have lived.
Idaho, Guam, California, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Washington, Japan,

6. Name some bad habits you have.
Well, hmmm, I eat more than I should, spend too much time sitting on my butt and I spend too much time on the computer.

7. Name some jobs you have had.
PBX Operator, Home Health Aid, Teacher, Substitute Teacher, Tutor, Trainer, CNA, Dishwasher in a cafeteria, and many many more.

8. Name the person you are tagging.
Pam

kahneeta

My sister, mother, Grace and I went to Kahneeta to celebrate mother's day. We had a great time. I had a facial for the first time, and I think that I will add that to my monthly regimen. It was wonderful.

Personality

I took a personality test today on line. You can read the results below. The reason I decided to take the test is because my sister has been talking a lot about the one she took at church. What do you think? Do you think this test accurately describes me?

I'm a O35-C41-E53-A27-N80 Big Five!!

Amazing Kid

Muslim Women

I am not a Muslim, but I found this video very interesting. It is very easy sometimes to corrupt our minds with images and to prejiduce ourselves of other cultures.

CPAP

Ok... So I may not have the best parental advice. It may be because I have no experience at all with it. So, I will tell you about my latest "thing":

I have recently been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I was reluctant at first to admit that I might suffer from this. Even though I have been told by others that my snoring might be a little loud, and my friends have told me that they noticed I stop breathing sometimes when I am asleep. I was sure that the reason I was getting up one hundred and two times a night to use the restroom was because I drank too much before I went to bed. Apparently when you stop breathing, your muscles contract in order to wake you up. This presses on your bladder and makes you have to use the bathroom. Who knew?

My doctor thought I should have a sleep study. This is when you go to a sleep clinic and sleep with all these electrode things on your head and other parts of your body. They have a camera, so the technician can watch you sleep from another room. There is no clock in the room on purpose. You can ask my sister how important it is for me to have a clock. It is not exactly the easiest place to fall asleep. I have talked to people who said they had no problem falling asleep in this environment. I on the other hand knew I would be nervous. My Doctor prescribed ambien to me, and I took a pill after the technician hooked me up to all these wires and things. I then used the restroom and saw myself in the mirror. I looked like something out of some Sci-fi movie or something.

I couldn't fall asleep. The technician had to unhook me from some stuff so I could use the restroom again, and I took ANOTHER sleeping pill. Then the technician had to make sure the wire connected to my foot was on correctly. I was laying in the bed and thought it might be helpful if I put my foot closer to him. He bent over at the same time, and I ended up kicking him in the YOU KNOW WHERE! My technician gritted his teeth and smiled acting like nothing had happened. I was laying there all drugged up feeling a little bad.

Apparently I do stop breathing a lot when I am sleeping. In order to prevent a heart attack or stroke in bed I get to use what is called a CPAP. That is me in the picture above getting ready to sleep for the night. I am still trying to get used to wearing the mask while I sleep, and it is getting easier. I have heard that after a couple of weeks of sleeping with the thing on, I will have all kinds of energy and stuff. I can't wait!

By the way... How are you planning to spend your stimulus checks?

Parenting Advice #4

The thing about teenagers. Man if I had the answers for how to effectively deal with them, I would probably have more money than Dr. Phil. They are such an interesting bunch. It is almost like dealing with two year olds. First you will go through the terrible twos which inevitably corresponds with the terrible threes. Then you will have a few years where everything seems to be going smoothly until the terrible teens. Teenagers are starting to understand that they are independent creatures, but they are still dependant on adults to guide them. I guess the trick is to let them think they are making their own decisions while you are guiding them. Also, remember that if you are talking to your teenager, that you have to allow them to respond before your rambling turns into a lecture. I remember very vividly that if my parents were lecturing me, I would be thinking about my plans for the evening or who I needed to call. I completely tuned them out. This skill of acting like I was paying attention when I wasn't also really helped me out through college. So, if your teenager is simply smiling and nodding and giving really good eye contact while you are trying to get an important point across to them, you may want to ask them to clarify something you said. It is important to be gentle with your guidance of teenagers because they are really smart little buggars who pretty much want to do the opposite of everything you tell them. So if your teenager is actually reading this blog, you might want to tell them the opposite of what you want them to do and then they might try to do the opposite of that which is really what you want them to do. Or tell them what you really think they should do, and they will be thinking you are really just trying to trick them, so they WILL do what you said, and it will be what you really wanted them to do. Just like your two year old, your teenager needs lots of hugs. Just don't hug them in front of anybody. Also, teenagers need things. They need cars when they turn 16 (If they have really good grades!), and computers (that you can monitor), and allowances, and responsibilities. Now that I think about it... teenagers are a snap!
(I take no responsibility for the outcome of any advice I give unless it turns out how you wanted it to.)

Parenting Advice #3

There often are times when parental units need a break and require a babysitter. This is very well understood, and you will find that many childless adults are more than willing to oversee your bundles of joy. In order to make this process a smooth and enjoyable experience for both your children and the one chosen to oversee them, please make sure to do the following:

1. Please make sure your DVD player is ready with a DVD you approve your child watching. The babysitter should only have to push a button which should be easy to find to start the DVD. As a parent, you may be used to your child screaming, "I want to see the movie, please start the movie..." as you are fumbling around trying to figure out which remote goes to the DVD player and which button you have to push to make the thing work etc. However, the childless adult may panic at this time and have even more difficulty trying to figure out the !@#$ complicated electronics in order to placate your child. This may result in a psychological breakdown of the babysitter.

2. If your child is going to require a nutritious meal in your absence, please make sure to have a detailed list of what food you want served, a thorough explanation of how your children like it prepared and exactly what time to feed them. Please understand the importance of which way you cut a sandwich or how you cook an egg may not bother you, but your delightful offspring may suddenly turn into a psychotic being who is unable to explain why they cannot possibly eat potatoes that have touched a green bean.

3. Please expect your child to be thoroughly spoiled by the time you return.

Parenting advice #2

For those of you who decide to take your little angels on an airplane, please make sure to get a prescription for a sedative to give your child before the trip. Those of us without children love to look at young people and admire their cute ways. This is much more enjoyable if the small creature is not screaming bloody murder because their ears are popping, or because they just want to get out of their seat to play. We (childless adults) love to see children smiling or sleeping happily on the plane. As for the children's health, I cannot imagine it is better for a child to be confused about why their tiny ears are suddenly in pain and looking at their parental unit wondering why they aren't doing something to fix it. It can't be bad for the parental unit either. Their self esteem is sure to be heightened by the comments of childless people who look into the hazy eyes of your pride and joy and say, "Your children are so well mannered! How do you do it?"

Well Yes... I guess it is true that I am an amazing Auntie. This is only made possible by the many amazing kids who call me Auntie Lynda. When you love to do something, it is easy to do. I love spoiling and playing with my nieces and nephews sometimes this is much to the dismay of the parental units of said children. The best part about being an auntie who doesn't have children is that you get to give the kids back after not saying no to them for hours at a time.

Having no children of my own, I do feel that I am the expert on how to raise children. I have many great ideas on how to deal with particular situations. Here is one of them...

If you need to go shopping and are in charge of a toddler, please find a babysitter. If this is not possible, please placate said toddler with gum, candy or whatever that toy on the shelf is they are crying for. This way, if I happen to be shopping near you, I won't be annoyed by all that screaming and sniffling.

My First Post

Now that I have joined this blog thing, what do I do with it?