Sign of the times.

Over the past few years our HOA has managed to accumulate the usual assortment of maintenance items that could be a fire hazard and can't be kept in our storage area so we decided to have a small shed built next to the trash compactor. We are talking about something the size of a nice walk-in closet, a few unfinished shelves...nothing major. It was raining as I left for work yesterday morning and as I drove past the compactor I saw six men working on our storage shed. At first I chuckled and then realized the reason there were six men working was because the gentleman we hired was sharing this small job with five friends. Two years ago those same men were earning upwards of $30 an hour with more overtime then they wanted but in todays economy those jobs are gone. Five families will eat tonight thanks to the generosity of a friend who easily could have done the job alone.

Bunk Bed 1 Grandma 0

It has been a lot of years since I changed the sheets on a bunk bed and Cameron you better be taking a bath every night before bed because it will be a looooog time before Grandma changes the sheets on a bunk bed again. Let's put it this way...do you like camping? You do! Well, sleeping in a sleeping bag in your own bed is just like camping...I PROMISE, really it is, honest. After breakfast I decided it couldn't be put off any longer and I faced the dragon...CHANGING THE BUNK BED SHEETS. Taking the sheets off wasn't too bad except for the two times I managed to smack my head on the top bunk. Yes, TWO times. Apparently I am a slow learner and if I wasn't before than I definitely am now after my head injury. So about an hour later I march back up the stairs with the clean sheets and discover why only very young people should have children. Not only am I winded from my upteenth trip up the stairs but my tail is now 6 ft off the floor while I try to get that darn fitted sheet on the top bed. Tug Swear Pull Swear Pant Swear Yes! Sheet is on. All is good, right? Well, first I have to get down from the top bunk without smacking into the ceiling or getting my foot caught in the light fixture. Ladder...don't fail me now. Finally, feet are back on the floor and light fixture is intact. Bottom bunk is a piece of cake, right? WRONG! The bottom bunk is a double size bed so I slither like a lizard up under the top bunk and pop the fitted sheet on the corners and the sheet seems a little wide but oh well and combat crawl back to the end of the bed but not before I smack my forehead on the side rail. OK, tug on the sheet and DANG it's on sideways soooo I belly crawl back up to the top of the bed to correct my mistake and manage to pinch my finger between the bed frame and the mattress but at least the sheet fits this time. I crawl back out, wipe the sweat off my face and finish putting on the fitted sheet. Whew, worst part is over. Now the flat sheet, comforter, pillow shams...hey, looks good. Just as I walk out of the room I notice that I have gotten the dust ruffle tucked halfway up under the mattress and decide dust ruffles are for sissies and it deserves to stay tucked. Cameron, I'm tellin' ya sleeping bags are the bomb.

She looks good in black & blue.

Several friends have asked me if I think Eddie will be down very long. She is making progress but oh my goodness, she is so sore and and something as basic as a shampoo and shower are major ordeals involving trash bags, duct tape and consume most of the morning. It it isn't broken, it's skinned. If it isn't skinned or broken then it hurts. Thank goodness she is young and healthy as I am sure that will help in her recovery. If that had been me (yes, I know that I haven't ridden a bicycle in 30 yrs) all you would have had to to is put a headstone up right there on the sidewalk because there is no way I would have ever gotten up again. My Eddie is doing better and thank you all for asking.

I do not have my head in the oven nor am I hanging from the shower rod.

Well...after that cheerful little entry I guess I need to fill you in on what has been going on and why I haven't written. Youngest daughter Eddie is a real physical fitness nut who works out everyday, eats right, swims and all those other annoying things that keep you healthy. After completing her daily three mile run (don't you just want to pinch her little head right off her shoulders?) she returned to the house to get her bike and go to the gym for her daily workout. OK, if I just ran three miles the only way you could get me to the gym would be if they were serving FREE pizza and beer. Eddie grabbed her bike, put on her helmet and headed for the gym. Just as she came around a corner she saw that a piece of the sidewalk was missing , slammed on her brakes, flew over the handlebars and did a face plant onto the concrete. End result was a broken arm, black eye from hairline to lip to ear, split lip, skinned knees, road rash and bruises the size of a dessert plate. She had surgery on Saturday to put a steel plate in her arm and is recovering well so I plan to stay a few more days until Eddie is feeling better and then I'll head for home. Mike and Eddie have a wonderful church family who have been furnishing dinner every evening and the offers of help continue to stream in all day. What would be do without our family and friends?

Saint Polly

My younger daughter, Eddie, and I have decided that Polly is a Saint or not very bright...we haven't decided which title is the correct label. Polly has spent the last few months painting every room in their house, making new curtains, purchasing a few pieces of new furniture and doing a general spruce up on their home. After umpteen trial pints of paint the correct shade of barely yellow was finally found for the family room. The new furniture was delivered, pictures hung on the wall and everything looked GREAT. Then it happened. Polly turned into their driveway just in time to see husband Tony unloading a piece of furniture. It was a recliner. A ugly recliner with heat, massage and a built in cooler. Here is the real kicker... the fabric is camouflage. Uh oh. Polly said something along the lines of, "May I ASSUME that is going to the office?" Nooooo....Tony looked all pitiful and the chair now has a place of honor in the newly decorated family room. What do you think...Saint? Or not real bright?

Fine Cusine

I was looking through old cookbooks the other day and laughed when I came across a recipe I made ONE time about 30 years ago. All you moms know how hard it is to come up with a dish that pleases everyone and I was sure I had a winner. My entire family likes German potato salad and what kid doesn’t like hot dogs. After following the directions for the German potato salad I put it in a round baking dish, split the hot dogs lengthwise and stood them up around the outside edge of the bowl and put the dish in the oven to brown the hot dogs. It was supposed to look like a standing rib roast and it sorta did in an Oscar Mayer kinda way. SO…..I made a salad, hot bread, a nice dessert and called everyone to the table for dinner. There were the five of us staring at this “faux standing rib roast” in the middle of the table with all those hot dogs standing at attention and after a few minutes I turned to Dave and said, “WHAT….you don’t like German potato salad and hot dogs?!?” His response was, “No, I like hot dogs and German potato salad. I was just trying to remember the last time I was served a main course that looked like it needed to be circumcised.” I miss Dave.

Operation Baking Gals

This will be the second time I am taking part in this effort and I think it's positively AMAZING how much a group of women can accomplish in a short amount of time. This project has nothing to do with our personal feelings about the war or politics, it's all about sending a piece of home to our soldiers one cookie at a time. The first box I sent was filled with cookies, a paperback book, a ball cap, gum, sun block, Skittles and individual Crystal Light packs. What you choose to send is entirely up to you but there is an extensive list of items on the OPERATION BAKING GALS site that our guys and girls like to receive as well as items that are not allowed to be mailed. There are also detailed instructions on what size containers work best, how to pack the cookies with the least amount of breakage and even how to fill out the paperwork. Don't panic, it is very simple....hey, I did it on the first try. Other than cookies I'm not sure what I will put in this next shipment but I was amazed at how quickly I managed to fill that box! This time I think I will choose a female soldier because I have a ton of girly type things that I can tuck in with the cookies. This is a perfect project to share with your children or grandchildren so please take a minute and go visit with my friend Susan at http://www.operationbakinggals.blogspot.com/ and tell her Jan from Myrtle Beach sent you!