Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
From my inbox (4-26-10)
So I got this email from my uncle the other day. This morning when I got to work, I was going through the randomness that is my yahoo account and read it. It made me cry :-( At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team. 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
Friday, April 23, 2010
What's for dinner? (4-22-10)
So in the process of trying to be healthier, I'm going to try a new recipe for Meatloaf tonight. I haven't made meatloaf in... goodness knows how long! Needless to say it's time to start branching out on my cooking again. Recipe below, I'll let ya'll know how it goes!
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
5 multi-grain saltine crackers, crushed
1 large egg
1 package knorr spring vegetable recipe mix (I have no idea what this is, so I'll probably substitute seasonings)
1 can RoTel
Nutritional info: Calories: 258/slice, Fat: 16.7g, carbs: 9.9g, Protein: 15.4
Now as mentioned above, I will be modifying this some, I think... so I'll post the actual recipe I make a little later, I think.
UPDATE:
OK, so here's the final recipe I used last night
1 pound ground buffalo
1 handful Frenchie's onions
2 handfuls Ritz crackers (crushed)
1 large egg
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Celery salt
Oregano
Ok, so I realize these will be EXTREMELY technical directions, so try to pay attention.
- Place all ingredients in bowl.
- Take hands and place in bowl.
- Using said hands, mix to your hearts content... hehe... (technical, right?)
- Now, part of this may need a little clarification. As for the seasonings; I can't tell you how much because I literally poured some in my hands and put it in the bowl. If you FORCED me to guess, I'd say maybe a tablespoon, perhaps? The crackers and onions are the same way. Put in onions to taste, and use the crackers to get the right consistancy. The meatloaf shouldn't be soggy but shouldn't be dry either, it should hold itself together. (I also probably would've added the Rotel except the can that I thought I had, apparently walked off :-l oh well)
- Form meatloaf into, well, a loaf... hehe and place in a loaf pan.
- Bake on 350 for 45 minutes to an hour (the original directions said 30 minutes but it SO wasn't done!)
- If wanted, spread a thin layer of katchup over loaf.
AGAIN, IT WAS OH-SO-YUMMY! :-D ENJOY!!!
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
5 multi-grain saltine crackers, crushed
1 large egg
1 package knorr spring vegetable recipe mix (I have no idea what this is, so I'll probably substitute seasonings)
1 can RoTel
Nutritional info: Calories: 258/slice, Fat: 16.7g, carbs: 9.9g, Protein: 15.4
Now as mentioned above, I will be modifying this some, I think... so I'll post the actual recipe I make a little later, I think.
UPDATE:
OK, so here's the final recipe I used last night
1 pound ground buffalo
1 handful Frenchie's onions
2 handfuls Ritz crackers (crushed)
1 large egg
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Celery salt
Oregano
Ok, so I realize these will be EXTREMELY technical directions, so try to pay attention.
- Place all ingredients in bowl.
- Take hands and place in bowl.
- Using said hands, mix to your hearts content... hehe... (technical, right?)
- Now, part of this may need a little clarification. As for the seasonings; I can't tell you how much because I literally poured some in my hands and put it in the bowl. If you FORCED me to guess, I'd say maybe a tablespoon, perhaps? The crackers and onions are the same way. Put in onions to taste, and use the crackers to get the right consistancy. The meatloaf shouldn't be soggy but shouldn't be dry either, it should hold itself together. (I also probably would've added the Rotel except the can that I thought I had, apparently walked off :-l oh well)
- Form meatloaf into, well, a loaf... hehe and place in a loaf pan.
- Bake on 350 for 45 minutes to an hour (the original directions said 30 minutes but it SO wasn't done!)
- If wanted, spread a thin layer of katchup over loaf.
AGAIN, IT WAS OH-SO-YUMMY! :-D ENJOY!!!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Things I Love! (4-21-10)
-When the boss is out of town ;-)
-Clean, crisp, egyptain cotton sheets
-My friends. No matter if you're here, across the country, or a cousin I've never actually met, I hold you all SO close!
-Our DVR!!
-Clean, crisp, egyptain cotton sheets
-My friends. No matter if you're here, across the country, or a cousin I've never actually met, I hold you all SO close!
-Our DVR!!
Work today?
DWTS! Yup, I have figured out that I can watch DWTS while at work... ahh, what a productive day! Happy Wednesday everyone! :-)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Fun from A-Z
Can't resist a questionnaire or a survey. This one is from Janis. And yes, this counts as me trying to catch up on my blogging :-)
A - Age: 28. I turned 28 in February... Baby took me to Punxsutawney to see
Phil!! It was so cool (literally, like 4*!!)
B - Bed size: Queen. Chris and I bought a new bed a few years ago, LOVE our
pillow top mattress.....zzzzzzzzzz
C - Chore you hate: Laundry. I would be perfectly happy if a fairy godmother
would just come do it for me... bleh!
D - Dog's names: Lady and Tinkerbell. Lady is a Cavalier King Charles
Spaniel, and OH such a girl! Tinkerbell (Tink) is a Chihuahua (she'll only
be about 3 pounds when she's full grown)
E - Essential start your day item: A shower. MUST HAVE SHOWER! Some people
need coffee to wake them up (Chris), me, I need a nice, hot shower!
F - Favorite color: I'm sure you never would've guessed but it's pink ;-)
Ironically enough there's NO pink decorations in our house... wait, let me
take that back, we have a painting of some penguins that a friend painted for
me, the sunset behind it is pink. Needless to say I can't WAIT till we have
a little girl! ;-)
G - Gold or Silver or Platinum: White gold or silver. I'm not extravagant
enough for Platinum but gold just doesn't show up on my paleness... hehe...
H - Height: 5'3" (if I'm lucky!) . . . Heels are my friends! I actually
bought my first pair of flats a few weeks ago (with the exception of my
converse and tennis shoes of course)
I - Interesting fact about yourself: hmmm... not sure what ya'll would
consider interesting but; I LOVE taking pictures, love all things Disney
(Lady, Tinkerbell, Kitty and Oliver are proof), and I can't seem to decide on
paint colors for our house... lol...
J - Jewelry you wear everyday: I wear silver balls in my ears, a silver
necklace with Chris' rolling ring on it (I've had this ring for 4 1/2 years
and RARELY do I take it off), my wedding/engagement ring, my rolling ring and
a ring that Chris bought me to wear when my wedding ring has to go in to get
re-dipped.
K - Kids: Logan Michael Crossno. He's my baby, and always will be. Most of
the time I call him Monkey, when he was little he had a TY stuffed money that
he loved!
L - Living arrangements: Chris and I bought our first place this past
October. It's a townhouse that likes to be called a condo (apparently the
only difference in the 2 is if you own the land or not). It's a great first
home for us, but eventually we will have a single family home instead.
M - Mom's name: Bonnie
N- Nicknames: A guy I used to work with on the boat used to call me B...
that's about it unless you count Chris' little pet names for me.
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: hmmm... I think the only time
I've stayed overnight was when Logan was born. I was admitted at 7 am,
induced at 8, had Logan at 332 and lucky for me, I don't remember much pain!
:-D
P - Pet Peeve: Adults that don't have manners! I mean really, how can you
expect our children to have manners if we don't?? And we wonder what's wrong
with the world today!
Q - Quote: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor
Roosevelt "This is my temporary home... not where I belong..." -Carrie
Underwood (ok, so that's a lyric, not a quote... whatever!)
R - Right handed or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: I have 2 older sisters. Debra will be 30 in August and Crystal
will be 32 in December. Both live in Houston near my parents.
T - Time you wake up: During the week my alarm goes off at 515 and I get up
at about 530. I'd like to say I/we get up at a decent time on the weekends
but it's usually close to 9...
U- Underwear: Intrusive much?? Hmmm... how about a political answer: yes.
:-)
V - Vegetable you dislike: Peas, Brussels sprouts, lima beans, kidney beans
(heck any bean!), eggplant and squash, I think.
W - Ways you run late: PRO-CRAS-TON-ATION! Nuff said ;-)
X - X-rays you've had: I honestly can't remember ever having an x-ray...
except when they x-ray my teeth perhaps...
Y - Yummy food you make: LOVE to cook! Everything I make is yummy, just ask
Chris!
Z - Zoo favorite: hmmm, does this mean WHICH zoo is my favorite, or WHAT at
the zoo is my fave? I'm gonna go with Which. LOVE the San Diego Zoo. I
remember going here when I was little and loved it so much, going back as an
adult was just as magical!
A - Age: 28. I turned 28 in February... Baby took me to Punxsutawney to see
Phil!! It was so cool (literally, like 4*!!)
B - Bed size: Queen. Chris and I bought a new bed a few years ago, LOVE our
pillow top mattress.....zzzzzzzzzz
C - Chore you hate: Laundry. I would be perfectly happy if a fairy godmother
would just come do it for me... bleh!
D - Dog's names: Lady and Tinkerbell. Lady is a Cavalier King Charles
Spaniel, and OH such a girl! Tinkerbell (Tink) is a Chihuahua (she'll only
be about 3 pounds when she's full grown)
E - Essential start your day item: A shower. MUST HAVE SHOWER! Some people
need coffee to wake them up (Chris), me, I need a nice, hot shower!
F - Favorite color: I'm sure you never would've guessed but it's pink ;-)
Ironically enough there's NO pink decorations in our house... wait, let me
take that back, we have a painting of some penguins that a friend painted for
me, the sunset behind it is pink. Needless to say I can't WAIT till we have
a little girl! ;-)
G - Gold or Silver or Platinum: White gold or silver. I'm not extravagant
enough for Platinum but gold just doesn't show up on my paleness... hehe...
H - Height: 5'3" (if I'm lucky!) . . . Heels are my friends! I actually
bought my first pair of flats a few weeks ago (with the exception of my
converse and tennis shoes of course)
I - Interesting fact about yourself: hmmm... not sure what ya'll would
consider interesting but; I LOVE taking pictures, love all things Disney
(Lady, Tinkerbell, Kitty and Oliver are proof), and I can't seem to decide on
paint colors for our house... lol...
J - Jewelry you wear everyday: I wear silver balls in my ears, a silver
necklace with Chris' rolling ring on it (I've had this ring for 4 1/2 years
and RARELY do I take it off), my wedding/engagement ring, my rolling ring and
a ring that Chris bought me to wear when my wedding ring has to go in to get
re-dipped.
K - Kids: Logan Michael Crossno. He's my baby, and always will be. Most of
the time I call him Monkey, when he was little he had a TY stuffed money that
he loved!
L - Living arrangements: Chris and I bought our first place this past
October. It's a townhouse that likes to be called a condo (apparently the
only difference in the 2 is if you own the land or not). It's a great first
home for us, but eventually we will have a single family home instead.
M - Mom's name: Bonnie
N- Nicknames: A guy I used to work with on the boat used to call me B...
that's about it unless you count Chris' little pet names for me.
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: hmmm... I think the only time
I've stayed overnight was when Logan was born. I was admitted at 7 am,
induced at 8, had Logan at 332 and lucky for me, I don't remember much pain!
:-D
P - Pet Peeve: Adults that don't have manners! I mean really, how can you
expect our children to have manners if we don't?? And we wonder what's wrong
with the world today!
Q - Quote: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor
Roosevelt "This is my temporary home... not where I belong..." -Carrie
Underwood (ok, so that's a lyric, not a quote... whatever!)
R - Right handed or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: I have 2 older sisters. Debra will be 30 in August and Crystal
will be 32 in December. Both live in Houston near my parents.
T - Time you wake up: During the week my alarm goes off at 515 and I get up
at about 530. I'd like to say I/we get up at a decent time on the weekends
but it's usually close to 9...
U- Underwear: Intrusive much?? Hmmm... how about a political answer: yes.
:-)
V - Vegetable you dislike: Peas, Brussels sprouts, lima beans, kidney beans
(heck any bean!), eggplant and squash, I think.
W - Ways you run late: PRO-CRAS-TON-ATION! Nuff said ;-)
X - X-rays you've had: I honestly can't remember ever having an x-ray...
except when they x-ray my teeth perhaps...
Y - Yummy food you make: LOVE to cook! Everything I make is yummy, just ask
Chris!
Z - Zoo favorite: hmmm, does this mean WHICH zoo is my favorite, or WHAT at
the zoo is my fave? I'm gonna go with Which. LOVE the San Diego Zoo. I
remember going here when I was little and loved it so much, going back as an
adult was just as magical!
What's currently on my Nook:
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.
I'm a HUGE advocate for reading books prior to seeing the movies made after them, and I REALLY want to see this movie... it looks so sweet. So here I am starting a new book. I'll let ya'll know how it is :-)
I'm a HUGE advocate for reading books prior to seeing the movies made after them, and I REALLY want to see this movie... it looks so sweet. So here I am starting a new book. I'll let ya'll know how it is :-)
Roadtrip!
So this should've gone up WEEKS ago but what can I say... such is life... Better late then never, right?
So this past week was... a trip, to say the least... (you'll notice the play on words in a minute!). Chris' oldest brother, David, got married on Friday evening in Ohio. This means starting Thursday night Chris and I were going full steam. From the moment I got home from work I had to finish cleaning the house, pack, finish their gift, get the puppies ready to come with us, get the kitties ready to stay behind, pack, cook dinner, pack and sleep at some point! Did you notice all the packing? Yeah, well, that's because I tend to procrastinate... it really is one thing about me that I'm not too fond of, but I really do work well under pressure! I promise I do! Anyway, we were finally able to get to sleep at 11 just to turn around and wake up at 230! Our flight left at 6 which meant we couldn't ride the metro to the airport... instead we had to call for an airport shuttle, that was picking us up at 330 :-( So off we went with 2 bags and 2 puppies in tow...
The wedding was nice, I took some great pictures, and it finally ended near midnight... soooo sleepy! The next day us girls headed off for our road trip. Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, hotel, South Carolina, and Florida! After some averted driving disasters (mom REALLY can't drive, but I love her anyway) we finally made it to Florida to drop off Miss Abby. Then we were off again. Florida, South Carolina, hotel, Couch outlet, North Carolina, Coach outlet, Virginia, HOME! What a road trip... 4 girls, 4 days, lots of laughing, lots of joking, lots of scared looks from the peanut gallery (that's all of us that weren't driving at the time) and me taking of the wheel and we finally arrived home. It was DEFINITELY an adventure to say the least! I'm sure there'll be many more of these to come... or at least I hope.
So this past week was... a trip, to say the least... (you'll notice the play on words in a minute!). Chris' oldest brother, David, got married on Friday evening in Ohio. This means starting Thursday night Chris and I were going full steam. From the moment I got home from work I had to finish cleaning the house, pack, finish their gift, get the puppies ready to come with us, get the kitties ready to stay behind, pack, cook dinner, pack and sleep at some point! Did you notice all the packing? Yeah, well, that's because I tend to procrastinate... it really is one thing about me that I'm not too fond of, but I really do work well under pressure! I promise I do! Anyway, we were finally able to get to sleep at 11 just to turn around and wake up at 230! Our flight left at 6 which meant we couldn't ride the metro to the airport... instead we had to call for an airport shuttle, that was picking us up at 330 :-( So off we went with 2 bags and 2 puppies in tow...
The wedding was nice, I took some great pictures, and it finally ended near midnight... soooo sleepy! The next day us girls headed off for our road trip. Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, hotel, South Carolina, and Florida! After some averted driving disasters (mom REALLY can't drive, but I love her anyway) we finally made it to Florida to drop off Miss Abby. Then we were off again. Florida, South Carolina, hotel, Couch outlet, North Carolina, Coach outlet, Virginia, HOME! What a road trip... 4 girls, 4 days, lots of laughing, lots of joking, lots of scared looks from the peanut gallery (that's all of us that weren't driving at the time) and me taking of the wheel and we finally arrived home. It was DEFINITELY an adventure to say the least! I'm sure there'll be many more of these to come... or at least I hope.
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