Office Coffee

This past weekend my boys went to Mackinac Island for a boys weekend.  They swam in the pool, took the ferry to the Island (under the bridge!!), visited the fort, and had a great time!  And, they brought me back some gifts.  (yay!) First and foremost: fudge.  They made me so happy!  Even though nobody needs the extra calories from fudge...HELLO?!?!?  Who can resist it?  Chocolate with Pecans.  Oh yeah.  and Choclate with Peanut Butter. Double Oh yeah. But, even better...(and what could be better than fudge??)...they brought me back some house blend coffee from Java Joe's.  This place is in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn in St. Ignace.  They have pizza, and omelets, and crepes, and COFFEE!!!  They have WHITEFISH PIZZA!!!  and they have LOBSTER PIZZA WITH WHITE SAUCE!!!!  they have some seriously yummy food.  Including OREO PANCAKES!!!  (Yes, I realize that I can't eat anything that I just yelled about, but they sound so yummy!)  Oh, back to the coffee...I made a pot of it on Monday morning.  Heaven.  So good.  Smooth, not bitter.  Hearty flavor.  Good stuff. Fast forward to today...I arrived at the office early, thus needing a cup of coffee.  I made a pot of the office coffee...and sat back to wait for the brewing to finish.  I poured a cup, mixed in fresh half and half, took a sip...and almost spit it out!!    Office coffee is nowhere near as good as Java Joe's.  Darnit.

Proud Mama...

So, I previously about Joseph getting his library card...and now, I can proudly say he is reading chapter books, and really getting into them. He is required to read for 15 minutes a night (thank you, Ms. Ciupek). He is reading "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", and I *think* he likes it.

Needless to say, when I caught a picture of him, reading on the couch...my heart swelled.

Growing up, I was a reader. As in...I never went anywhere without a book, and my Dad would constantly get mad at me if I had my nose stuck in a book during dinner at a restaurant. I loved Nancy Drew, and the Black Stallion, and all of the VC Andrews books. (the early ones). I couldn't put Stephen King down (on second thought, I was probably much too young for S. King...but what did I care).

Hopefully, this is the start of something amazing. I can't wait to see what he reads next!!!

Dax

I am worried.  I am freaking out.  I had to bring Dax to the vet last night.  Again.  Sigh.

She has a growth on her back that won’t go away.  And won’t heal.  And won’t stop oozing.  And won’t stop growing.  I brought her in a few months ago, and the vet cleaned it up and gave me some medicine for it.  And….it didn’t work.  The growth came back.

So, I brought her in last night, and the vet took a look and said “We can remove it.”  And of course, I asked the inevitable question…”Could it be Cancer?”  He said no, not likely.  He said it looked more like a cyst, and it didn’t seem to have any roots, so he thinks removal outright will be the best solution. 

So, the proposed plan is for pre-surgery blood work done in the next 2 weeks, then full anesthesia surgery after that.  And a chunk of change out of our wallet.  But, she is our baby…and our FIRST baby.  I want to do the best for her. I’m scared.

Borrowing Books...

It's a rainy day, and I feel like there are a million things that I want to get done - most of them being outside though.

Instead - Little Joe and I went to the Library. Firstly, to pay a late fee for one book that I forgot to turn in. All of 10 cents. Secondly - because it was raining, and I felt like I HAD to get out of the house. So, off we went. I love the library - so many books...so many possibilities for learning about new things. And...Little Joe loves the library too! He more so likes the idea of picking encyclopedia-type books...but hey - they count, right?

So - as we are checking out...I ask the lady at the desk "How old do you have to be to get your very own library card?", (thinking at least 10 years old....) She says "old enough to sign your name!".

So....guess what Joseph got today:


His very own library card. Yup.

yummy easy butternut squash lasagna in the crockpot

Yumm!!!

mixture 1:
2 packages of frozen butternut squash (or roast a big one in the oven) - thawed
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (or more...I used 1/2 tsp)
mix in a bowl

mixture 2:
32 oz. cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic minced
S&P to taste
6 cups fresh washed spinach
mix in a bowl

1 package uncooked lasagna noodles (I used GF ones!!!)

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
12 oz (or more) of sliced mozzerella cheese

layer in a crockpot -
mixture 1
noodles (break to fit)
mixture 2
several slices of mozz cheese
mixture 1
noodles (break to fit)
mixture 2
more mozz cheese

continue layering, finish with parmesan sprinkled on the top.

cook in crockpot on LOW for 4+ hours, until noodles are done.

SO GOOD!!!!

I'm still alive!!!

I keep saying that I will get back to blogging, and then I never do. My life is very busy right now, and I am trying to figure out what is best for me. I’m happy, but I’m frustrated about some things. Mostly career-wise…but I’m not going to talk about it online. So...Other news in our lives: (yes, in a list format)

1. Joseph started 2nd grade yesterday. Wow. I can’t believe he is already that grown up. I remember my 2nd grade year so well.
2. Big Joe is in Vegas. He is visiting Sid Wright, whom many of you may know – He had a stroke a few weeks ago, and isn’t able to fly back to Michigan yet. Joe decided to go and visit him in the hospital. He is leaving this afternoon, flying home on Saturday.
3. I love teaching. It is tough and challenging – but it is so cool.
4. My garden is dwindling. Tomatoes didn’t fare too well this year – except the blasted cherry tomatoes – they are out of control. The heirlooms were OK, and the Better Boys didn’t perform at all. Very disappointing for tomatoes. However – the zucchini are on steroids. I can’t get a zucchini under a foot in length. ARGH!! Peppers did really well – wish I knew what to do with all of them!
5. Little Joe has got to be one of the most independent kids I know. He scares me sometimes, how much he wants to go grow and be an adult. He does things HIS way.
6. Another batch of wine is brewing - an Australian Shiraz. Yumm.
7. I went running earlier this week....and hurt my hip. Badly. the same one I had surgery on...I'm a little scared that I did something to it.
8. Dax turned 12 a few weeks ago. She is getting old, and I am worried about that. And, she has this weird growth on her side that won't go away, and won't heal. Ew.
9. Why is it that I feel incredibly unorganized all the time??
10. And I feel disconnected from myself...like I'm watching myself going through the motions. Hmmm...kind of philosphical, but I think I need to center myself.