Sisters Pedi

My birthday & the next sister’s birthday are exactly one week apart. This is usually the excuse that we use to get together and do something. Most often that is going to lunch together. This year we went to get pedicures.  We did miss the conversation over lunch though!

Since the birthday girls had never had pedicures, it was a great opportunity to try one. As you can see, we filled the chairs, there was one woman already there, and she was treated to being right in the middle of the group and all the comments and “pass this on” things we had. But she didn’t’ want to be in the pictures. If we had all the sisters together, we would have had to kick her out, since there are 5 of us.

See my pretty toes. The 3 oldest girls picked the same color. They had to pass it back and forth for all of us to use.

My only complaint is that they didn’t “rub my feet” hard enough or long enough. I guess that comes under “foot massage” instead of “pedicure”.

Breakfast Muffins

I wanted to have something quick and easy in the mornings. My family needs to know that I am trying to have something for them for breakfast other than cold cereal. This is the solution.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

2 c. boiling water
2 c. 100% Bran Flakes (or similar)
1 c. oil
3 c. sugar (I used some brown sugar)
4 eggs
1 qt. buttermilk (or equivalent)
5 c. flour
5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 c. Cracklin’ Oat Bran (or similar)
Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg (optional)
2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
2c. raisins (optional)

Pour boiling water over bran flakes. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together oil and sugar. Add eggs and buttermilk. Mix together.

Add flour, baking soda and salt (and spices). Mix together. Now add the cooled bran mixture. Then mix in the Cracklin’ Oat Bran (and nuts and raisins). Mixture will be very lumpy because of the Cracklin’ Oat Bran. Store in glass or plastic covered containers in the refrigerator. (It takes about 8-12 hours for the Cracklin Oat Bran to dissolve.) Will keep 5-7 weeks.

When ready to bake, spoon into greased muffin tins or paper baking cups. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes. Do not under bake or middle will be gooey.

These muffins will keep in a plastic bag or container for up to 3 days.

He loves me

Today the mailperson rang the doorbell because there was a package too big to fit in the mail box. It was quite heavy. Books, I thought. It was addressed to Dear Hubby, so I gave it to him. When the easy-open pull tabs on the end of the package didn’t work, he handed it back. So I took out my trusty box cutter/hobby knife and opened it quickly. Thinking to hand DH the books he ordered, I reached into the box and what did I find . . .?

My birthday present!

If you know what these are,

you will understand my glee!

I am happy! DH knows me and knows just how to surprise me. I HAD to open a bag and taste them.

AAHHHH, memories of childhood . . .

The box contained more than just one bag; it had FIVE BAGS!!!!!

I do plan to share --with my sister who has a birthday right next to mine.

If you don't know what these are--they are PINION nuts, or pinenuts.  YUMMY!

Who has my seat?

This was written by a Mexican who is now a naturalized US Citizen, and I think it's a great perspective on the illegal immigration issue.


Here is the quote:

"If you had tickets to a sports event, concert, Disneyland, or for an airline flight, and when you got to your assigned seat you found someone else was in that seat, what would you do? You would call for a person in charge of ticket checking and have the person in your seat removed. You would properly be asked to show your ticket, and you would gladly and proudly do so, for you have bought and paid for that seat. The person in your seat would also be asked for a ticket, which they would not be able to produce. They would be called "gate crashers" and they would properly be removed.

Now in this huge stadium called the USA we have had millions of gate crashers. We have been asking security to check for tickets and remove the gate crashers. We have been asking security to have better controls in checking at the door. We have asked security to lock the back doors. Security has failed us. They are still looking the other way. They are afraid to ask to see the tickets. Many people say there is unlimited seating, and whether there is or not, no one should be allowed in for free while the rest of us pay full price!

In "section AZ", of "Stadium USA", we have had enough of the failures of Security. We have decided to do our own ticket checking, and properly remove those who do not have tickets. Now it seems very strange to me that so many people in the other 49 "sections", and even many in our own "section" do not want tickets checked, or even to be asked to show their ticket! Even the head of Security is chastising us, while not doing his own job which he has sworn to do.

My own ticket has been bought and paid for, so I am proudly going to show it when asked to do so. I have a right to my seat, and I want the gate crashers to be asked to show their tickets too. The only reason that I can imagine anyone objecting to being asked for their ticket is that they are in favor of gate crashing, and all of the illegal activities that go with it, such as drug smuggling, gang wars, murder, human smuggling for profit, and many more illegal and inhumane acts that we are trying to prevent with our new legislation. Is that what I am hearing from all of the protestors such as Phoenix Mayor Gordon, US Rep. Grijalva, even President Obama? If you are not in favor of showing tickets, (proof of citizenship, passport, green card, or other legal document) when asked, as I would do proudly, then you must be condoning those illegal activities."
Written by a U.S. Citizen -- Globe, Arizona.

I wish I knew the name of this citizen.  They hit the nail on the head in the way they explain the situation!