The Christmas Present I Happily Waited 11 Months to Receive

Last year my brother David had my name for the sibling gift exchange.  He didn't give me anything. . . just kidding. Well, sort of.  He gave me a promise that he would build me a window seat in my bay window in my kitchen. All I had to do was pay for the materials and do the finishing work of sanding and painting.  But, he was busy and wouldn't be able to do it until the Summer time.  I was okay with that.  The long awaited day came, late in July, and David was going to come the next day. 

And then his wife went into labor.

Fast forward 3 months or so. He was able to come and with the help of his wife and me, but mostly him, the bay window area was transformed. A week and a half later, it's ready to use. Here is the story of my window seat's creation, in photos.

Once I had a perfectly fine bay window.  It usually housed one or two chairs next to the table.  

But it wanted to be so much more.

David was careful to secure the 2X4's through the grout so he wouldn't break the tile.  He also had to reroute the heat vent.

My brother is awesome and he has some sweet power tools.

He worked really hard and pretty fast and had this done in just a few hours. 

All done with the construction. To get to this point cost about $105. That included buying a new vent cover and a big box of screws.


It has storage inside! I decided to go with white and had a 5 gallon bucket of paint made up to match the white that is already in my house which I haven't touched up in the 10 years we have lived here, cause I didn't have the paint. 


I bought a foam camp pad for $20 and cut it to the exact size. Then I topped it with one inch of up-cycled memory foam. This involved making a paper template, which was a huge pain in the back, and lots of cutting.  I also sewed a cover for it. It took me 6 hours to make the template, cut the foam, and sew the cover.  I used some purple cotton fabric I inherited from my grandmother's stash. My back was really sore from bending over for so long.

My mom let me raid HER fabric stash for the outer cover and I found some beautiful corduroy.  I washed it in case of shrinking because I expect that I might need to wash it again.


I then very carefully cut out the pieces for the outer cover.  It took me 2 hours!  I had to line it up perfectly with the fabric and this was tricky. But, I did a pretty good job. My mom did ALL of the sewing for this outer cover, including putting in two zippers that meet in the middle of the back.  It looks so good!


My mom's machine is really old and solid metal and very beautiful. They just don't make stuff like it anymore.  

This part was fun!



We didn't realize how big it was until it was on my mom's couch.


A well earned break.


And, finally, after caulking, painting, cutting, sewing, and even shortening the curtains, it is finished!


I also borrowed my brother's sander and refinished the table.  I couldn't stand how gross it looked next to the nice new window seat.


I think this is going to be a well loved spot.


Thank you David and Laura and Mom for the gift of your time, your materials, and your machines and this beautiful window seat! 
I LOVE IT!

My Lips are on Fire and I'm So Happy!

Lately, I've been thinking about a meal my mom used to make when I was a kid. It was so delicious and I could EXACTLY imagine the taste of that tantalizing food warming my mouth and awakening my taste buds.  It was so good! My mom is a great cook and I loved a lot of things she made, but this Chicken Jambalaya dish was one of my favorites and I couldn't stop thinking about it. So, yesterday my mom pulled out her 50 year old cookbook where she has handwritten recipes and clippings from newspapers and magazines, and she hand copied this recipe for me. This recipe was given to her by her mother who got it from a chef in . . .  It's very simple and isn't really the most attractive when plated, but I don't care.  If a person could eat a memory, this would be it. My brain and mouth started to salivate as I anticipated what was going to be going in my mouth for dinner sometime soon.  I wouldn't have to wait long, cause I'm the grown up, and I decide what is for dinner.

So, tonight became the night for a stroll down memory lane.

I already had almost everything I needed, except fresh parsley and tomato paste, two items I don't usually purchase.  A quick trip to the store yielded the tomato paste, but no luck on the parsley, so I decided to go with dried.  With help from my daughter, we made this recipe for dinner tonight.  It was so easy, which was a blessing because I also had to make macaroni and cheese for the picky people- which is everyone except me and Amy.

And. . . .

it came out PERFECT!  It tasted exactly like I remember.  Happy happy happy dance.

I left out the cayenne because Amy doesn't like spicy. Instead I just sprinkled some into my serving.  And then, of course, I needed a small second serving and I sprinkled a little more cayenne on that, and took a quick bite before stirring it in.

That was stupid, and now, 20 minutes later, the searing fire of face melting death shockwaves has stopped and my lips feel much better. But, it was SO worth it!

For a few minutes I was back in Garland Texas sitting at our banjo table on a 5 gallon pickle bucket, surrounded by my brothers and sisters and my parents, happy, satisfied, and full of more than just good food.  My childhood, while imperfect, still cocooned me sweetly and safely while I grew into a woman and then a mother.  A large part of those happy memories are centered around good food and time together.  I hope my kiddos will have similar memories and want to recreate some of them for their kids, passing down knowledge and love through the generations - keeping both the memories and the people alive.
Here's the recipe:

CHICKEN JAMBALAYA*
serves 8

one 3 pound chicken -cook and bone

Saute the following ingredients until veggies are 1/2 done:

1/2 cup oil ( I used olive oil)
1 tsp. tomato paste
2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced

Add the following and simmer until the veggies are the consistency you like:

1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley ( I used 1 Tbsp. dried)
1 cup chicken broth or water
2 cups chicken
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/3-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Serve over rice.

I used a Costco rotisserie chicken. After my family ate the breast meat, I threw the rest in the pressure cooker, covered in water, for 2 hours on high pressure.  This gave me plenty of meat and broth to spare.

*This recipe is from my grandmother Mary who got it from a chef at a Cajun restaurant in Houston Texas in the early 1970's.  She gave it to my mother who gave it to me.

Zucchini and Tithing. . . What?

Have you ever found yourself wishing for help from above and wondering what you could do to get that?  We humans have a tendency to look beyond the mark for answers- to overlook the help offered by our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Instead, we seek out the advice of man in self help books and late night internet searches. Don't get me wrong! Some advice from people is really wonderful.  But, ALL of the advice from God is good.

Some humans are trustworthy and keep most or even all of them promises. God is ALWAYS trustworthy and keeps ALL of his promises ALL of the time.  Some people will give you a great deal on a car or a house or a boat.  It's a sweet feeling when you get a bargain and acquire something you've been wanting for a long time.  Heavenly Father offers the sweetest deals of all.  They are ALWAYS stacked heavily in OUR favor.  

One of these deals is tithing.  

Tithing.

Yes, tithing.

Tithing is paying a tithe, or a tenth, or your income back to God.

 As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I give my tithing to my bishop. I don't even consider it to be mine.  If I make $1,000, I write a check for $100 to my ward and it is sent to the Church and then used for so many neat things.  There's way too much to explain about that for this blog, but building temples is one way tithing is used.   

Okay, so what does this have to do with zucchini? And what does it have to do with the first question I asked- about needing help and how to get it?  Well, the Bible can answer that question.

Malachi 3:10

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there maybe meat in mine house, and prove me herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

That is a serious promise.  Give 10% back to God and there shall not be room enough to receive the blessings.  It's like zucchini.  A good healthy zucchini plant produces more than even my family of 8 can handle eating. It's seriously impressive, like it just turns water into a big fat zucchini overnight.  People end up leaving them in boxes on their porches with "free" signs or even doorbell ditching their neighbors with their excess blessing of this prolific vegetable.  

And that is how tithing works.  It doesn't make sense.  You offer up 10% of your hard earned money and the blessings come flowing in.  "Prove me herewith".  He made us a promise, but it's up to us to prove to OURSELVES that God means it.  How cool is that? Seriously, is there a self help book out there that asks for less and offers more and then actually delivers? 

I don't think so.

You must be thinking, "There's a catch. I know it." and you are right. 

Here's the catch- We don't get to choose the blessings.  

 But, we do get to "pick" them, in the zucchini sense, if we make the choice to receive the blessings that will come so abundantly that we will be filled to overflowing.

This would be a great place to end this blog, but there's still an elephant sized zucchini in the virtual room here. . .


What about people, like me, who have always paid their tithing without fail? What about when I am in need of help and I'm already crossing the t's of tithing and dotting the i's of obedience?  Where do I turn?

The same place.  When you pay your tithing you have the right to "prove" God " herewith". You have the right to go to him in prayer and ask him for those blessings.  And he will send you the ones that you need.  
Your job is then to recognize that cornucopia of overflowing blessings when it comes.  I once prayed and asked for money.  It was short, direct, and out loud, "Dear Heavenly Father, I'm really stressed out about money right now. Could you please send us some extra money?"  I then thought, " Hmm, the answer will probably be no, but I'd sure like it if just once I got a mysterious check in the mail from someone."  Wouldn't that be amazing?  But that's not what happened, not that time anyway.  Instead, in a very short period of time I was given the opportunity to earn some money by teaching piano lessons and working at a preschool where my daughter could also attend for free.  I recognized the answer, took both opportunities, and have been blessed both financially and with rich life experiences because of it, including developing a close relationship with my nieces and nephews whom I teach.
And sometimes those miraculous financial blessings are dropped in your lap- through others who follow the spirit, like a blessing we received a few years ago.  Christmas time is hard on self employed people because a lot of other people don't like to pay their bills in December.  We weren't in desperate straights, but Christmas was looming and stressful and my little girl had just received new glasses for the first time, but she hated them. They hurt her face, but they were the only pair that she could choose that fit her and was covered by insurance.  I wanted to buy her a new pair for a great price online, but I wasn't sure if they were small enough or comfortable without trying them on.  And then, randomly, an angel member of our church congregation gave me a check for $400.  The prompting that she followed was a Christmas miracle for us.  Not only were we able to buy presents without worrying, but I was also able to take my sweet Emmeline to the optometrist and let her pick out a new pair of glasses that she liked and fit her well.  My heart overflowed as I received these blessings.
The blessings are not always financial, but they are always what I need.  A friend.  A hug.  An opportunity.  An insight.  Peace.  Even zucchini.  Sometimes it just depends on how you look at it.  Zucchini actually makes me gag when cooked alone, but when I put in in muffins. . .  (cue heavenly music here)  . . . well, it's magic.  magic zucchini bread or muffins or zucchini pancakes

Pay tithing- get zucchini, or whatever overflowing blessings that God has in store for you- so wonderful, so abundant, that you will not have room to receive it all. You just might have to share.

The Armor of God

Sometimes dreams become reality. That happened for me when Jennette Booth offered to write a song for Stake Conference last January.  I told her I thought I could come up with some words. Writing seriously is a dream of mine. Luckily, praying and reading scriptures really does work to be guided by the Holy Ghost, and I was given the words to express what is dear to my heart and dear to the hearts of many parents. We want to protect our children as they head out into the world each day. As I studied and pondered the message that these kids need, I knew that what they need is the power of prayer, scripture study, and following the commandments of God.  Every day.  Every day.  Every day.  Jennette  recently put together a beautiful video of her talented children singing our song, featuring her own artwork.  I cannot watch/listen without crying.  Please take 3 minutes and enjoy the simple message about the Armor of God.

Click this link to be taken to the YouTube video.
The Armor of God


And if you like it, please share.

Sheet music can be purchased at :
Armor of God Sheet Music


Visit Jennette's facebook page:
SoundBooth


and check out her FREE arrangements!
free music by SoundBooth



p.s. I'm not sharing this to make money, cause I'm not making money off of it.  I'm sharing it because I think you will LOVE this song.

My Daddy

This year for father's day I'm giving my dad the best gift I can think of.  . . . . a BLOG POST about him!

There are so many things I could write, and they swirl around in my head, nice things, cheesy things, heartfelt things, funny things. . . . I think I will choose a few personal stories to share that demonstrate the awesomeness of my father. These stories will be about ME and HIM. He has a decent number of children, and they can share their own stories if they want to. Hint hint.

1. Saving a Life

Just yesterday we attended a birthday party for my sister's little boy who is turning 3 today. My dad was there and sat under a canopy with my children, enjoying the BBQ and visiting.  My kids love talking to grandpa and hearing the stories of his life.  He mentioned learning in the military that in an emergency situation, a leader will act without wasting time waffling about the decision.  That's what you have to do. My dad always strives to act without pause when there is need, whether it is helping to put the chairs away after a party at church, rescuing his daughter( me) and her family after being in a car accident, or even saving a life.  13 years ago my father saved my oldest child's life.  Reuben was 5 years old and we were living with my parents.  While playing one day, Reuben came up to me, grabbing his throat with one hand and holding up a plastic toy with the other.  My heart fell as I realized he had a plastic disc lodged in his throat.  With shaking hands I quickly called 911 and started to give them directions to come and help.  And my father acted.  He reached around Reuben's small frame and performed an abdominal thrust. Out flew the plastic disc and my son could breath again!

3. Jaw Surgery

I can always count on my dad to help me. He serves his children without thought for his own comfort.  He would never take the last serving of your favorite flavor of ice cream if he thought you wanted it. That's just the kids of guy he is.  He's always willing to give a ride, babysit kids, or even give up his sleep to help someone out.  When I had jaw surgery several years ago, my dad stayed at the hospital overnight with me, sleeping in a chair, watching me to make sure I was breathing. Actually, I don't think he got much sleep. He then continued to watch over me at his house for the next 3 weeks, taking me on walks around the block, giving me multiple blessings, talking to me, and tolerating my post-surgery disgustingness. Trust me- it was gross.

2. Russia

My dad made me live in Russia when I was a teenager, and it was the hardest and the best thing he ever did for me.  While we were there, he constantly taught me to think of others.  He served tirelessly.  He shared his testimony with me over and over again.  He helped me to see things with spiritual eyes and to develop my own testimony.  And then, he loved me enough to let me go- to leave early for college.   That was his fault too- for teaching me to love BYU with true blue passion from the time I was in diapers. There never was another school for me and there could never be another dad for me.  I can always count on him to be there for me.

I love you Daddy!

The Gerbil and the Hamster

Once upon a time in a land far far away from the arid desert we call Utah, there was a girl with a bad idea.  She didn't know she had a bad idea.  She was lulled into complacency by her predictable life.  Humid, hot day after humid, hot day she followed the same routine- get up, get dressed, eat a bowl of cereal with a big scoop of sugar added, go to school, snarf down lunch, come home, do homework, practice piano, watch TV, play, eat dinner, go to bed. . . repeat.  The monotony was broken up by weekly Girl Scout meetings, lessons, church, and small brothers committing vile acts upon their older and sweeter sister. The girl was bored.  She didn't have miniature computers to distract her from exploring the world, so she did- to free herself from the boredom.

She explored her world, all without leaving her property.

She twirled under the blossoms of the peach tree in her backyard.

She hid in the small but tall grove of bamboo in the corner, nestled on an average sized plot in reality, but transported to an Asian jungle in her mind.

She turned on the sprinkler and invited the fairies to dance with her and she hopped and fluttered in "Water World".

She played records and sang her heart out.

She ground up grass and flowers and painted on the sidewalk.

She hung upside down on the high up jungle gym, watching cars mosey through the alley behind her house.

She arranged blankets into mountains, boxes into furniture, and mud into pies.

She read book after book after blessed, wonderful, fascinating book.

When she felt quiet, she put her heart into words on a paper.

But, one day, one fateful day, that girl, that young girl, had that bad idea.

She had  2 gerbils.  And her sister had a hamster.  They looked just as bored to the girl as she felt inside.  Her mother agreed with her.  Her sister agreed with her. Sometimes female relatives ALL have the SAME bad idea.

They all had a healthy appreciation for science and experimentation.

So
They
plopped
the
hamster
into
the
gerbils'
cage.

The girl did not have the wondrous and magical thing you know as the INTERNET. If she had, perhaps she would have looked up her idea first and read something like this:

Socialization Needs

Gerbils are social animals, known for living in pairs and even large colonies. Without the proper stimulation, gerbils housed alone are prone to depression and more susceptible to other health problems. Hamsters, on the other hand, are primarily solitary animals that prefer to live alone. Known for their territorial nature, when confronted by other animals, hamsters will attack. Because of these drastically different social needs, gerbils and hamsters should never be placed in the same cage together.

But, alas, if she had done that, this story would sit in the library of stories that never were, and you, dear reader, would be doing something else entirely right now. Instead, she really and truly did place the hamster into the cage with the gerbils.  Silly, silly girl. 

The image of what commenced next would never be erased from her mind. The previously sluggish hamster and the frisky gerbils reacted as if the very floor of the cage had turned to hot lava!

POP! HOP! POP! HOP! HOP!

Flying furballs bounced off the ceiling of the cage! Fur flew and little fangs were bared and snapping! 

Bounce! Snap! Bite! Squeal!  

To her credit, the girl VERY quickly understood what YOU could have learned from a boring internet search. Risking at least one limb, she reached into the cage and grabbed the now feral-ish hamster, previously deceptive with its cute little face and furry teddy bear-like appearance, and plopped it back into its own cage, forever doomed to live out its life in solitude.  

The moral of the story:  Well, I think it should be pretty obvious, but maybe it isn't, especially to those who grew up with screens in their faces and not very much mud under their nails.  The moral is- Don't put the hamster in the gerbil cage.  What? Did you think I was going to say something profound?  Sorry. This is just a story about a girl who had a bad idea.  

THE END 

I Thought I was Normal. . . .

When I was a little kid, I operated under the false assumption that I was fairly normal. Boy was I wrong! The older I've gotten, the more I've come to realize how very not normal I am.

Below are 10 tidbits about me that are just NOT NORMAL.

1. The sun makes me sneeze. Until recently, like about 4 minutes ago, I thought that when I felt the urge to sneeze, looking up at the sun would "help" get it out. What I didn't get was that it was the sun that made me need to sneeze in the first place! I thought that worked for everyone, but apparently, I'm in the minority. It's a syndrome. Most people don't sneeze from looking at the sun.

"ACHOO syndrome, or Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst. Autosomal dominant stands for the way the 'sneeze gene' is inherited; an individual has a 50-50 chance of passing this trait on to a child. "Compelling" because it was well, interesting, or at the very least, quirky. "Helio" meant sun, "ophthalmic" meant eye, and "outburst" the end result.

Although this reaction might seem unusual, it's not that uncommon. By one estimate,18% to 35% of people get a tickling sensation in their nose when their eyes meet intense sunlight. Some folks may also get this weird response to bright artificial light, such as the eye doctor's or dentist's light or a photographer's flash."


http://bodyodd.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/06/05/12052942-does-the-sun-make-you-sneeze-its-not-just-you?lite

2. One day in 8th grade I was sitting innocently at my desk, stretching my fingers, and the boy next to me yelled ( he literally yelled at me) "Stop it! That's so gross! I can't stand seeing that anymore!" I was so shocked. I didn't even understand what he was upset about, until I noticed he was pointing at my hand. That was when I found out that bending my fingers backwards is not normal.


There's a test for people like me- hypermobile people. I score the highest possible score and really, I should score even higher. I'm bendier than the test even tests for. I can touch my pinky to the back of my wrist. Here is the test:

The Beighton Score

Score one point for each yes answer, up to a total of 9 (one for each task or right/left side). A score of at least 4 is required for a preliminary diagnosis of hypermobility. See a medical professional for additional tests to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions.

1. Can you bend your pinky fingers backwards beyond 90 degrees?

2. Do your elbows hyperextend when you straighten your arms?

3. Do your knees hyperextend when you straighten your legs?

4. Can you bend your thumbs down to touch your forearms?

5. Can you place your palms on the ground when bending over with your legs straight?


About 20% of people are hypermobile.


3. I don't look like most people. I grew up with 2 parents and 4 of 5 siblings who looked a lot like me. I thought my coloring was fairly common, but I was wrong. I have pale skin, blue eyes, and dark hair.


Blue Eyes

Blue eyes are genetically recessive, and therefore much less common worldwide. Blue eyes are formed by the absence of pigments in the eye, where the blue color is formed by the scattering of light as it's reflected off the iris. While blue eyes are less common than brown eyes, they are frequently found from nationalities located near the Baltic sea in northern Europe. It's estimated that approximately 8% of the world's population has blue eyes.https://www.aclens.com/Content/Display/323


Blue eyes are just not very common.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/18/world/americas/18iht-web.1018eyes.3199975.html


I can't find an actual statistic on brown hair and blue eyes, but I've learned from experience that it isn't the norm. I just thought it was because so many people in my family have blue eyes and brown hair. We're different. . . together.

4. I knew I was special in the next way, and I'm glad glad glad to be. . .LEFT HANDED! After all, only lefties are in our right minds! I seriously adore left handed jokes. Roughly 10-11% of the population would agree with me, which makes us all pretty special. This percentage of handedness was true way back when people were carving tools with stones and sticks and it's stayed pretty steady for thousands of years. I did consider marrying a left handed man, but never actually dated one, so that didn't work out. Still, I'm pleased to announce that 2.5 of my 6 children are left handed.


5. I'm really good at taking tests. Don't hate me. Just remember I'm not normal. I've always found multiple choice tests to be very easy. I was IQ tested as a child ( a REAL IQ test) and let's just say.. . . Mensa.

"The scores above 115 are generally considered as “high IQ,” and those above 130 to 132 (depending on the test taken) are usually considered highly gifted and are in the top 2 percent of the population. This level also qualifies you for membership in American Mensa."


Interpret your supervised test score - American Mensa, Ltd.


https://www.us.mensa.org/testevaluation/

6. I don't have any scientific evidence for this one. I'm only going off of what people say on
facebook, but, it seems to be true I am in the minority for LIKING having my
kids home for the summer.

7. I can play two recorders through my nose in harmony. Okay, in all fairness, just about
anyone could do this, but how many people DO this? I think it's safe to say this puts me
in a VERY small minority of people who are NOT NORMAL.

8. I have 6 children.
The average American household in 2016 consisted of 2.53 people. As shown in the statistic above, the number of people per household decreased over the past decades. The U.S. Census Bureau defines a household as follows: “a household includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence."

• Average size of households in the U.S. 1960-2016 | Statistic

https://www.statista.com/statistics/183648/average-size-of-households-in-the-us/
A lot of people judge me harshly for deviating from the norm in this way, but I would like
to point out that in my 2,700 sq. ft house, 8 people reside. 8 people share 2 cars.
8 people share the appliances. 8 people are heated and cooled at the same time.
8 people eat mostly homecooked food. 8 people watch 1 television.
8 people live here with a smaller carbon footprint than most people in most homes
in America.
I'm glad to be "not normal" in this way.

9. I like talking in church. I think that's why I never get asked. I've only had 2
opportunities since moving into my ward 10 years ago. I go to church every week, and
I listen to 3 or 4 people give talks, and somewhere between 50- 75% of
those people make comments about not wanting to speak, not liking to speak, and being
sorry for getting tricked into answering the phone or starting a conversation with
a member of the bishopric. So, I guess enjoying talking in church isn't, well, normal.

10. Last but not least, I have had my teeth cut off and reattached. That is just not normal
at all. I am not being dramatic. The only thing keeping my teeth from completely exiting
my mouth was my soft palate. The surgery was called lefort osteotomy.





This is kind of what it looks like inside of my face, although I have some screws all
the way up by my eyes. It was rather unpleasant. You can read all about my experience
here on my blog.

http://beckyandjudd.blogspot.com/search?q=paper+chain
So, there you have it. 10 ways I'm not normal. I could come up with more,
but, enough about me. How are you not normal?

"