Casserole and a Mystery Knit.

Howdy, and how is your Saturday? I have a touch of a sneeze, but besides being stuffy this has been a wonderfully relaxing day. I gave myself a facial and gave the littlest native a facial because he wanted to be a swamp monster like me. He actually didn't like it and wiped it off minutes later. 

I wanted to keep the relax laid back theme so for dinner I whipped up a tuna casserole. This recipe is from my babysitter. She used to watch quite a few kids and would make batches of these and freeze them. Enter a rainy day and she would pull one out of the freezer and make it for lunch. It was everyone's favorite. Years later I sought her out and snagged the recipe. I've tweaked it slightly, but my kids will eat seconds, thirds, and left overs the next day. It's not healthy or fancy but it's a comfort food and reminds me of Bonnie nearly every time I make it.

Tuna Casserole:

6-8 cups cooked rice (I've used brown, white, and minute...they all work!)

1 can of tuna

1 can of corn (whole kernel)

1 1/2 cans cream of mushroom

Shredded cheese (I use cheddar or Mexican blend)

Mix cooked rice and about 1/2 c. of shredded cheese. Add corn, tuna, cream of mushroom to rice. Mix well. Pour into a  13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly (or if you are like me, slightly burned).

You could serve this with a a salad or (and my personal preference) a loaf of French bread with butter. Hey, I said it wasn't healthy or fancy. It is pretty dang delicious though!

Now, switching gears to needles, I have been OBSESSED with knitting. Just last week on Ravelry my knitting group, Year of Swatches started a mystery knit a long (KAL). I've never participated in one, so this is rather intriguing to me. I've knitted up the first clue and this is what I have...

One more thing before I jump off of here. I read The Lightening Thief in the Percy Jackson series after the littlest native suggested I read it. I'm always down to read what they are into. The book is NOTHING like the movie. It also happens to be BETTER than the movie. I suggest you read it with your 8-10 year olds!

Have a great weekend. (I'm currently watching Knocked Up in my bed. Contemplating a nap.)

To Station 6-7

Big shout outs to Station 6-7 for the most amazing tour last Saturday. We now have multiple scouts that want to be firemen. Thank you for your time, patience and humor!

A Hat and A Hair.

So long time no chat. I really have no excuse. I spiraled down a big hole of lazy and have just recently decided to try to forge my way out. I like to think of it as hibernating, but truthfully I don't find it very beneficial to my health and have therefore decided to "get off my ass" as it were.

Happy New Year! Did you make a resolution? Do you even believe those exist? I really sorta did. Although I'm not promising to stick with it. I resolve, my friend, to manage my time better. I learned that being lazy can be fun as long as you are not putting other things off to do so. So I plan to use my time more efficiently. 

One of my mountain-high bane-of-my-existence priorities in life is keeping a clean house. I suffer from undiagnosed OCD and ADHD. Like I can't even pay attention to the dirty laundry without freaking out. The cleaning schedule I was on made me feel like I was chained to adulthood. Like the only fun thing that existed was a clean couch. (Ew.)

So on a whim I searched for a cleaning app. Most of these consisted of list making tools, which was not what I needed. I needed a mom. An app that would give me a list of things to accomplish in the day and no more. I FINALLY found that app. It's called Motivated Moms and the cleaning list is provided for you. You can, of course edit the list to better fit your schedule, but this thing has you cleaning things you don't even think of, like cleaning the outdoor garbage can. At first when I perused the list I did a mini freak. It looked massive. Now that I've been in it a week though, my house FEELS so much cleaner and I don't feel like a slave to all products anti-bacterial. Apps for the win!

To further my effort to manage my life/time, another resolution of mine is to rid myself of the yarn stash that has accumulated in the living room. The day I went to the craft store and bought a skein of yarn just because, I realized I might have a small problem. My first "stash buster" of the year is this little cabled beanie. It took about 3/4 of a skein. (Or in my case one entire ball from my basket.)

I added the oversized pom pom on the top because it seemed a little bare and that seems to be the style right now (at least according to Pinterest). Anywho, I'd put this at easy. Definitely not a beginning piece, but nothing to be afraid of either! Here's the link if you'd like to knit up one of your own:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/temperance-hat

I know most of this is thrilling. However, the most exciting thing that happened last week was  the chopping of the hairs. I've never really had a "bucket list". Although, trust me, I've tried. I've been growing my hair out for years. No reason why, just did. Finally I couldn't handle it anymore. It was getting caught in purse straps, seatbelts, zippers, arms...the list goes on. I told the stylist, "Cut.It.Off!"

That lady whacked off 15+ inches! I was so excited that I hadn't cut it sooner or colored it! Since high school I've wanted to donate to Locks of Love. I posted the above picture on Facebook because I was sooo excited to accomplish this. Then people were thanking me and commenting how proud they were and I felt foolish because I wasn't looking for that. Then I realized I was so focused on doing something that I had wanted to do for over 15 years I 

totally forgot the reason behind it. Then I got all sorts of mushy down in my heart thinking about my annoying foot long hair being someone else's happy dance best day ever moment and thanked my lucky stars that I even had hair to grow or chop.

On that note, I say to you, Cheers! Happy New Year. Here's to the promise of positive change and hope for great things to come. :)

Stash Bustin'

So, here's what you do when you get a leeeetle tired of the square, and oh, did I tell you that I have a hideous green ball of yarn as big as my husband's head? Oh, yes, yes I do.I have made it my mission in life to use almost every strand of it. I picked a beanie pattern thinking that it would surely use up every last stitch of that ball of yarn....6 days later I finished the "man-hat" which really fits my 8 year old and would probably cut off the circulation in an adult's head.

The hideous green ball is still bigger than ever though! This beanie didn't even put a dent in that scary acrylic demon. I am still fighting the good fight and debating if I should attempt making mittens...did I tell you that one time I was trying to make fingerless gloves at four in the morning and it was the worst project I've ever attempted? (Guess we can save that story for a rainy day.)

Anyways, here's the pattern info for the beanie. Enjoy!

http://knitalonetogether.blogspot.com/2010/11/man-hat-here.html

Week in Rambles

Well hello there again. First off, let me say, that for some unknown reason, this has been a very LOOOOONG week. Can I get a fist pump for the weekend? Please and thank you.

Last Saturday was our annual Blue and Gold banquet for Cub Scouts. I'm an active volunteer for my boys' pack. It has been the very best quality time with my boys and I have made so many really great friends. Blue and Gold is a banquet that the packs put on every year in their own way, to celebrate the birthday of Boy Scouts of America. Usually we choose that night to honor all of our parent volunteers, because believe me, the work is hard and they definitely deserve those shout outs!

This is set-up/when people started arriving. The littlest cubs made the place mats.

The oldest boys (Webelos) made these little google eyed monsters for the tables.

MTV is the cubmaster. He oversees all the pack activities and ensures that the den leaders are succeeding in the boys' progression through the ranks. Goose (Native oldest) is preparing to do a flag ceremony to open the event.

This was the first year in a few years that I was not in charge of running the event. It made me nervous to give control over to other people and "pass the torch", with that said, those people did a wonderful job and I am feeling more confident in putting leadership in their hands!

Another celebration was my dad's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!

I also joined my first knitting group, a KAL (knit-a-long). Year of Swatches for 2012!

Here is my first piece:

It's actually Kelly Green, but this shows the pattern off well.

In other news, this week was really looooong. Here's hoping the weekend feels the same way!

When the Sky Falls..

Well, first off, let me say...my last week installment was put off due to family being in town.

My father in law was having a surgery followed by a biopsy and all the siblings flew home to cheer him on.

Victory was his on Saturday, when the doctor called and informed him that his biopsy came back clean.

To celebrate his brother and him flew to Vegas to enjoy a gun show. When they left, the sky fell...

and we were in a SNOWPACALPSE!

Living in the very wet NW we are NOT, I tell you N-O-T, NOT, suited for this snow stuff. I actually got a mid-week break because the roads were so bad....I can't say I hated it.

After the snowmeggedon we were attacked by freezing rain, which sounds harmless enough, except that the weight from the freezing rain caused trees to snap and break.

It was beautiful chaos, I stood outside late last night and listened to the quietness that a blanket of snow gives with the popping and snapping of trees every 30 seconds or so. They were loud as firecrackers and I watched around me in fascination as the world crashed around our home.

Many people have lost power, and if there is one thing I love about this house right now is that we still have it.

My father in law's flight has been cancelled until Sunday...I have a feeling his return will bring back some warmer weather...please?

Whooooo are you? Who, who, who, who?

Part of my "decluttering your life" calendar tasks is to think about who I want to be. My knee jerk response to this was *snort* "duh! I wanna be perfect", but then I recall that when I say I want to be perfect it results in me being anal retentive, controlling, over sensitive, an overall bitchita face. With that being said...I want to be perfect. Not perfect in the give-it-your-all, no mistakes, now, now, now and go, go, go...but perfect like the universes are aligning and I feel in tune with everything around me. I want to slow down. Enjoy the little things. Learn, grow, gain perspective. Let go of control and have faith in God and the stars above that everything will be fine. I want to breathe.

Who do you want to be?

On that note, here's what I've been doing on this side of the globe:

I put away all those christmas decorations...minus the snow girl I forgot in the guest bathroom...CRAP!

I made mini cheesecakes to use up some of those gingersnaps. I still have a ton of them left. These were delicious. At least my natives thought so....

Here's the recipe: Mini Ginger Almond Cheesecakes

I bought a vintage first aid kit for the kitchen, complete with plant poison cream and smelling salts!

I also knitted some afghan squares from the Year of Swatches blog:

This is January's Intermediate square.

Overall it's been a pretty eventful week...what have you been up to?

Welcome 2012.

Do you keep a New Year's Resolution? I sometimes tell myself that it's ridiculous to do so. I feel they usually set us up for failure. Although I mock the resolution verbally, I will confess unto you that I have printed an ENTIRE calendar devoted to "decluttering your space".

I like to casually peruse it's pages while sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing, whilst dreaming of the perfect storage box arrangement. It's true!

So, here's to another year. Full of hope and the promise to be a better person. Whether it's to lose weight, save money, quit a bad habit, or organizing you life. Happy New Year. May it be better than the last!

A Note to My Customers....

Asking for a discount will most definitely NOT get you a discount.
Telling me you need something right this second and then saying "thanks babe" as steam shoots out of my ears puts you close to near death. Just saying.

Asking how the greatest creator of creativeness is doing and bringing a big tin of gingersnaps? Well, that folks will get you everywhere. :)

I am so grateful this week of vacationing people is over. I attest, while I enjoy my alone time, manning an office by myself...STINKS!

Week in Rambles

Last weekend I succumbed to the holiday season and gently laid the jack-o-lantern to rest...in the garage of boxes that shall not be spoken of. (I will unpack them some decade...I promise.)

My MTV dragged all the tree gear out and we flung ornaments chaotically at children with fingers that were faster at hanging them then we were at hooking them.

It was a little bittersweet this year. As tradition my grandmother would buy all of her children and grandchildren Hallmark ornaments, wrap them as gifts and hand them out on Thanksgiving, as a way of bringing on the holiday season.

When I got a home of my own my mother gave me all of the ornaments my grandmother had given me and my tree was a family tradition from the first year.

I love that my grandmother not only gifted us these ornaments, but occasionally left little notes. One, a Santa with a nice/naughty list has her scripted handwriting in it with a tiny message, "Love you."

I want to carry the tradition on by giving my kids a Hallmark ornament every year for Christmas, it seems that Thanksgiving never works out. I love telling my kids which is which. I only ever get the chance to put one ornament on the tree, and do so every year and that's MY first Christmas ornament. (circa 1980). Love you Grandma, and thinking of you often.



On another note, my fur baby is in love with this artifical plastic glow toy. She knocks lights off, runs underneath, climbs up it, but really she can be so stinking cute...who could get mad at this!

I called this a week in rambles, so let me say, I've been in design purgatory! My goodness, but these people have been picky up in these parts! I did design something that will be projected on a huge screen behind a band on the Columbia Tower in Seattle, and really that is pretty darn awesome, if I don't say so myself. :)

The Week In Rambles....

I felt that I maybe have shunned this blog. Can I say, I feel that I am not quite parallel with my universe. That maybe I am tilted and trying to grasp at attaining some form of organization. Like grasping at straws, I quickly grab at one, only to find out that about 1,006 others have fallen at my feet. Unattended little straws, in a big chaotic heap.

My solution to this is to ignore them all! Hence this pile of straws is about to buuuuury me! I've got to get some focus. Sheeeeeesh!

Maybe if I share with you my week in review I won't feel out of the loop concerning my life.....maybe?

Let me start off with a cool beans item.



Scotch Fur Fighter

I have a fur baby. She is an orange short hair tabby. My couch is deep purple. I think this explains a lot.
Scotch Fur Fighter FTW! Seriously, by far the BEST fur removal tool. If I had a dog and cloth seats in my car I would totally have one for my vehicle also. One pad picks up quite a bit, and boy will you be horrified/elated/shocked when you use this to it's full potential! Totally a cool beans!




One of my new favorite websites. It's a virtual cork board! Make boards such as food, design, etc. You can peruse sites and "pin" them to your boards. Who needs a favorites list when you can access a visual cork board of ideas. View other cork boards and be inspired!




On another note, I've decided that I'm tired of intricate knitting patterns and that I will now be solely addicted to knitting afghan squares! I found an awesome blog A Year of Swatches by Lindsey Melvin.
Yes, I am knitting the 2011 squares, but she's planning on doing 2012 swatches as well. Make it a resolution to learn to knit! What I really enjoy is the beginner, intermediate, and advanced swatch for every month.  Here's my January 2011 beginner swatches. (they are nice to knit up when watching TV!)

This week I also managed to ignore the jack o' lantern decoration on my french table for the upteenth time. Which, also means that Christmas has not started in this house...

Cool Beans, or products I love, love, love.

I don't recommend most things. Why? Mostly I don't really pay attention long enough to realize how awesome things are. Let me tell you, I'm recommending these things straight up. They are cool beans!

iPhone 4:

Our contract was up on our phones, so my MTV and me on a whim went to the phone store and decided to price out some phones. I asked what he was getting...and he said, "I don't know about you, but I'm getting an iPhone". Well, then I am obviously going to get one too, because, heck we don't need competition over phones in these here parts. I love, love, love this phone. Being a key pad nazi, I was skeptical about the whole touch screen key pad, but it's AMAZING! I hardly use my computer at all! With my short attention span this works wonders to answer emails, look something up quick and play angry birds to my little heart is all warm and fuzzy! Best purchase (with the exception of my house) that I've made this year! Thanks Apple...I must remind myself that MAC will always be superior to PC. Sorry, that's a designer's point of view and it will never change.


Listerine Total Care:


Okay, so my mom says, "Disaster, do my teeth look whiter?" Hence I reply, "Actually, yes...yes they do!" She says, "I had a coupon for Listerine Total Care so I bought it, it claims to whiten teeth and after using it ONCE I noticed a difference". "REEEALLY?" I exclaim. "Oh, it tastes HORRIBLE though...much spitting and rinsing after use". Fast forward a week later and I am at the grocery store with my natives. We walk by the listerine and Goose Native quips, "MOM! Can we get gargle! I would really love gargle." (My natives refer to mouthwash as gargle, because, well you gargle with it). Staring me in the eye is the Total Care (purple bottle). 


Here is the down low: When rinsing it tastes like mouthwash, sorta foamy, but like burn the demons mouthwash. When you spit you realize it tastes like minty ass and you must douche your mouth out with water a few times...BUT! It is worth it! After one use, ONE USE, I noticed my teeth were whiter! *que angel chorus* Being a heavy coffee drinker this was like a minute white strip. This is my new favorite household product! Use it...or at least try it!

The Classiest Woman You Never Did Meet

Grandma's Nursing School Graduation photo

The last month has been the strangest blur. I've experienced fear, anxiety, excitement, hope, sadness, grief and relief.

My grandmother was one of the most classiest women you never met. If you were as fortunate as I was to have known her your entire life, then you already know that you were blessed.

This woman gave her all to everything important in her life. Family, friends, and her career. She was a fashionista, graceful, witty beyond measure, wise beyond her years, she took pride in everything she earned and loved. Her motto was, "Do your best, be yourself. That's all you can do."

I can hear her distinctly still telling me "Well honey, I think that's just wonderful!" This was applied to success, aspirations, a new look, a new time in my life...everything was wonderful.

She passed away September 25th, 2011 at the age of 79. She had suffered with Alzheimer's for close to 10 years. She always kept an upbeat personality. She actually would attempt to assist the nurses in the home she lived in...I guess being a nurse for 40+ years is a hard habit to break.

About 2 weeks before her passing I decided I needed to see her. I'm so grateful I did. She wasn't doing much, sleeping in and out, but she squeezed my hand and I kissed her on her forehead one last time.

Grandma, I love you. I'm so relieved you are at peace, but I'm so sad that I won't get to watch you wave goodbye from the porch until I'm out of site. I will miss your genuine interest in my life and the positive attitude you had toward everything that was dealt to you. Thank you for being the person I would really love to be some day and for striving to keep this family so close knit. You are one special soul. 

Tuesday, who could hang a name on you...

Tuesday and I, we have now established a bittersweet relationship. 


I was born on a Tuesday. In June. At 3:47 in the AM. 


This last Tuesday though, it was the worst Tuesday of my life.


Have you ever experienced the worst phone call ever? I can tell you I have. Twice. 


The thing about the worst phone call ever is, if you've had the worst phone call ever before, you know the millisecond you pick up the phone that the previous worst phone call ever has been trumped.


Your stomach sort of flops, then your heart bumps in your chest for about an eternity...then you hear confirmation of the fear you felt building in your innards.


Last Tuesday, I was working away at the accounts payable, it was 11:51. It's odd how you hone in on miniscule details when your world washes over you. I had actually been joking with my boss.


"Hello, this is Disaster, how may I help you?"


"Hey, Disaster" (I'm in full fear, amazing how acute your senses are).
"This is your father in law," (who is watching my children, so now I'm frozen with panic)
"Hi, what's going on?"
"Ya, well, MTV (my soulmate/husband/bff/partner in crime), he was rushed to the hospital, they think he might have had a heart attack or stroke."
"Are you serious?" 


Now, in my defense, here are some facts about my MTV:
He is young-ish. 34, to be exact.
He has the physical health of a 22 year old. (According to every single test he's ever had.)
I had just kissed him that morning. He was really in a fantastic mood, do people that are going to have strokes feel great prior? I'm so confused.


Well, he didn't have a stroke, he didn't have a heart attack per se....
His heart was racing at 191 bpm for over an hour. 


That is like running for your life. 
I'm almost positive his coworker saved his life.
They had to stop and restart his heart....twice.


If only I could relay the feeling of agony, regret, fear I felt. 
He was doing better, and I have no idea exactly what went on...(tests will have to determine that).
Only, I was slapped in the face with mortality on a Tuesday, and I pray to the stars I never take another human being for granted.


Especially my MTV.

The Golden $1 Coin

"What do you have there?" Gigi Pa asked Nunu as they sat in the go-mobile.

"A Golden Dollar Coin," says Nunu.

"Where didja find it?" asks Gigi Pa, with squinty eyes and a crooked smile.

"On the Grassy-grass over there," Nunu says pointing to some random patch of grassy-grass.

"Lemme see it." Gigi Pa reaches over with his leather tan wrinkled hand.

"NO!" Nunu clutches the golden treasure tight.

"I wouldn't take it from you! Just lemme see." Gigi Pa opens his hand.

"Fine," Nunu sighs and dumps his coin in Gigi Pa's palm.

"Why, I've never seen this kind of golden dollar!" says Gigi Pa, "I will trade you one dollar bill, for one golden dollar coin."

I lean close to Nunu's ear and say, "If I were you, I would trade it for ten dollar bills."

Gigi Pa says, "I'll give you FIVE dollar bills for it."

Nunu replies, "How about FIFTEEN?"

"No, how about ten?", replies Gigi Pa, his big crooked grin and squinty eyes even more crooked and squintier then before.

"Naaaaah," says Nunu, "I think I'll keep it!"

Gigi Pa roars, "BWAHAHA! I think you have a quite the negotiator there Disaster."

3 to the 1

Today is my BIRTHDAY! Ironically I thought of the blog I have not touched in what seems like ages...mostly because I remembered a birthday post last year. I declared I would be a "YES" person.


This has been an AMAHZING year...(yes with an H)!


This past week as I squeaked into 31 all I could think of was the wonderful people in my life. I know that it can be so hard to find common sparks. To feel love and loyalty with so many people from so many backgrounds is euphoric. I have been floating on a cloud for the last couple of days in gratitude of my mere existence. I feel like time is short so live, live, live. 


What I'm saying is...I'm happy. Happy to be a year older, a year wiser (?), and pray that I get to live another year with more experiences and sparks that will be burned into my memory for years to come.

You WANT to give me money?

So, after flailing my arms around and being supremely dramatic, my MTV and me have found somebody that would LOVE to give us money for a home of our very own.  Turns out that we are in grand shape to buy a house. Praise the Lord!


Now, pass the dough.

Word to your Mutha!

 Happy Earth Day fellow Earthlings! I celebrated the Mother Earth a tad early this year. We make it a point in our scouting tribe to do something of the service project sort 2-3 times a year at the least. This year we decided to put ourselves more in the community by participating in the County's Park Appreciation Day.


This service project was awe inspiring! To see everyone come together to make a park that is used by all spring beautiful was amazing. I have to admit that I hadn't ever visited this particular park and was excited to explore new ground. This park happens to have quite the doozy of blueberry bushes (trees?) and every year hundreds of people come to pick them.


I also found that not only do the parks organize this day, they also provide the dumpster, pruning tools, rakes, shovels and the like every third Saturday of the month! What better way to show the love for the parks you take your kids to then to help keep them in top shape for generations to come. I plan on visiting on third Saturdays to come...and maybe in late summer to pick my own blueberries.

What do you do to help your Earth Mother?

Evolution of the School Bus.... or another post with automobiles.

Today I was unfortunate enough to be running late and naturally that means I was stuck behind a school bus. Nothing says "GOOD MORNING!" like having a bunch of elementary kids give you pig nose faces from the back of a bus on a dreary Friday morning. So as I contemplated faces sticking in that snotty pig nose way, I also contemplated that buses look more and more like insects every decade...which also made me realize that I couldn't quite remember what the school bus I rode (as a snotty pig nosed kid) looked like.


Hence I give you the evolution of a school bus...in pictures!


WARNING: I am not educated on the history of school buses...therefore some of the photos might not actually be from THAT decade. I used google. Deal.

1900's Era: Great on a sunny day...in the winter? Not so much.

1910's Era: Not sure if I'm more fascinated with the bus or that Dorothy Gale actually went to school!

1920's Era Bus: Once again with those open windows. Can you feel the breeze?

1930's Era Bus: These gentlemen are inspecting the bus...or the driver? Have you been drinking sir?...oh and nice saddle pants.

1940's Era Bus: This is where designing buses to look like insects came in!

1950's Era Bus: I'm digging the STOP sign...and how the 50's tried to seem wholesome....

1960's Era Bus: This is something I could make a home in. Yay for pill shaped vehicles.

1970's Era Bus: Now, this is looking more like the scary death traps I used to ride in.

1980's Era Bus: Think leg warmers and Debbie Gibson.

1990's Era School Bus: It's a short bus...but you get the idea.

2011 School Bus: Check out the mirrors...now, you tell me...bug antennae? I think so.


I'm thinking the bus of the future should look perhaps, like this:

I'm just sayin'.

Possibly the best movie scenes of all time: TAKE ONE

The Karate Kid (1984 version) was on the other day. Naturally I had to drop every vital thing in my life at that moment and watch the entire thing...(like duuuh!) My husband and I both agreed that this was one of the best movie scenes of all time...



Oh, and here's a little factoid for you movie buffs. Did you know that Ralph Macchio (or however you spell it), a.k.a "Danielson" was actually 23 YEARS OLD when he played this character?! My goodness but he looks 14.