Food on a stick......dipped, battered, and fried.....

Every year, usually the 1st couple of weeks in October, the state fair comes to town.  I LOVE THE FAIR!!! My mom tells me that she walked around the fair 2 days before I was born just to get her labor going.....I keep going back every year!!!     

I remember as a child my dad loading us all up to go to the fair....walking around, riding rides, and going to the rodeo.   Then later as teens he would take a bunch of us and drop us off to enjoy the fair with our friends (unfortunately you can't do that these days).

 Then when I moved Sarah and myself back to here from CA I would bundle her up and off we would go to ride the rides and take in the fun stuff.  Life at the fair became even better after I met sweet hubby.  Sweet hubby had connections.......you know, the best kind of connections......food on a stick connections  (friends who owned concession stands at the fair).  I mean hey, that is what the fair is all about isn't it ....that food on a stick kind of thing!!!   And, here lately it is anything that can be battered, dipped and fried on a stick....oreos, snickers, twinkies, potatoes, gator, you name it and they can put it on a stick and fry it. 

Over the years our traditional of going to the fair and getting food on a stick has continued.  Sweet hubby and I spent years taking Sarah and Josh to the fair and now we are enjoying taking Caleb to the fair.  When Sarah went away to college at BYU she missed out on going to the fair with us, but sweet hubby fixed her up with a taste of the fair......sweet hubby bought a four pack of homemade cinnamon rolls (Sarah's favorite thing from the fair) and he then took this package and OVERNIGHTED it to her at BYU!!!!  Those were the most EXPENSIVE cinnamon rolls ever but Sarah LOVED getting them.   She has missed many years of the fair since but we think of her as we walk past the cinnamon roll booth.   One of my favorite years was when the fair came right after getting my braces off after several years......I told sweet hubby the first thing I wanted was corn on the cob (on a stick!!)..   It was sooo good!!!   Sweet hubby has a great love for that apple dip in caramel on a stick!

Caleb isn't much on cinnamon rolls or the other food on a stick but he loves the rides and getting a slice of pizza at the fair.  Sweet hubby and I took Caleb on Thursday evening and met up with my Kristen, Bailey, Bryan, and my 2 brothers for an evening of riding the rides.

On Friday morning, my sister and I took the kids back (for kiddie day)

so we could see the exhibits and animals.   Lots of fun both times.

I had to use my iphone for pictures since the battery was dead on the camera!!! 



Sweet hubby and Caleb eating nachos





Caleb getting ready for the kiddie bungie jump!





Caleb and Kristen looking at the fish exhibit.



Caleb loved the petting zoo.

It is so hard to believe the fair will run it's course this weekend and we will have to wait another year to see what new food on a stick item that can be dipped, battered and fried up for the many who will come out to consume it.....yum, yum......
For now the doctor is out.......wondering if she can come up with a great "food on a stick" to sell at the fair next year and make her millons in the process.....ummmm, any suggestions??????

Trouble and Double Trouble

We met when we were 13 going on 14....at a church swim party.  She had just moved to Arkansas from Texas.  She went to school in the LR district; I went to school in Pulaski County.  She lived in a very nice subdivision; I lived in the country.   At the time the only thing we had in common was the fact that we went to the same church.   We hit it off from the very beginning and became fast best friends.  We were always together and always up to something.  One Sunday we walked into our building together and a dear sweet man was standing at the end of the hall as we came down.  He shook his head and smiled at us then said, "Here comes trouble and double trouble."   I will let you guess as to who is trouble and who is double trouble!!!
We spent the next four years doing everything together; planning our dates together; what we would wear to the next dance; getting our driver's license; planning our 1st semester at BYU; and just planning our lives out.   We shared everything -- laughter and tears; celebrations and heartbreaks; if you saw one you saw the other -- we were always together.




Michele and Connie
ready for a 50's church dance

If you drew a line in the sand, we always crossed it, but not so far that we couldn't get back (we both have daughters who would never try to cross the line -- we laugh about this).  We were adventurous; we were inquisitive; and most of all we thought we could conquer the world just because we were us.




Gone with the Wind spoof
during intermission at a church dance

She was there for me when my dad was severely hurt in a motocycle accident;  she was my friend when I couldn't spend money at the mall but she could;  she was my sewing buddy as we planned our outfits for special times (dances, youth conferences, etc);   She was there for me as I cried my tears when my high school sweetheart dumped me during that 1st semester at BYU.  I was there for her when relationships ended for her as well.    She was there with me as we celebrated my engagement and I with her as we celebrated her engagement.  She was there with me when I felt the first kick of the sweet baby I was carrying and we celebrated with hugs and tears.  

She was on her to the temple the day I got married, but didn't make it due to a minor accident.  I was planning my trip to the temple when she got married, but didn't make it since that sweet baby I was carrying was trying to come too early.

She came to California and then to Arkansas to visit me.  I went to Utah and later Texas to visit her. 

She called me a couple of days after my sweet baby was born --- and we talked, cried, and celebrated even though there was a time difference and it was very late for me.     She later let me cry on her shoulder when my marriage fell apart.  She cheered me on and then we celebrated the birth of her first child.

We raised our children with letters back and forth; then email back and forth; and a few visits between Arkansas and Texas.   We both ended up with older children and a much younger child.  In fact our little boys are only 6 months apart and we share the joys of being an older mom and the trials that come with it.  We watched our boys play together in a Texas backyard while we chatted about the universe and all that we wanted to accomplish and all that we did accomplish.

Our kids have asked us about our teen years but we don't tell.  We could never tell that our church leader walked into the church kitchen one Wednesday evening to find us dancing.....on top of the kitchen counters....no, we won't tell that.  Or, we won't share with them the time we locked a church leader out of her own car (while we were in it) and then the church leader actually climbed on top of said car....umm, maybe we will keep that one to ourselves;  most likely we will never tell that after Sunday school and before Sacrament meeting, we would take my little Honda car and drive to Burns park for the afternoon.  Not much to tell on this one, oh, except that I had a driver's license and she didn't; but I taught her to drive the 4 speed Honda while we spent the afternoon in Burns park....I think we need to keep that to ourselves. 

No matter how many years go by before we see each other again, we pick right up and we are us again.  Our friendship began 37 years ago and it is as strong today as it was back then.   We are trouble and double trouble.....we are us.

We were 2 southern belles.......

who grew up to be 2 southern moms.....



Connie & Michele -- 2010



For now the doctor is out.....planning a reunion for trouble and double trouble

plus a couple of other girlfriends who helped with the trouble.....

Utah on a Prayer

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE to travel!!  BUT, when I travel I usually know several months in advance that I will be traveling and I have time to prepare for it.  Not so on this trip.....

About 3.5 weeks ago my daughter, Sarah, came to me and said that she had been fasting and praying about what she should be doing at this point in her life (instead of living at home with parents - actually there is another story to this!).  She moved here from NYC last year to re-charge her batteries after a very stressful time there with her job.  We loved having her here but I knew that after several months she was not happy here.  She needed more in her life.  She needed to be able to go forward with her career and those opportunities didn't exist here (she applied for tons of jobs in and out of her field with no response!).  So back on track.....she came to me with the following conversation (paraphrased since I don't have perfect memory!):

S:  Mom, I have been fasting and praying about what to do.

Me: Ok, so what answer did you get?

S:  I need to move to Utah.

Me: Wow, ok, that sounds good.  Umm, what will you do in Utah?

S:  I don't really know.  But, I need to be there by General Conference weekend.

Me: That is in like 3 weeks.   I don't know if we can do that but we will certainly do everything we can to make it happen.  You know, I have to present a paper at a conference in N.O. the week before conference don't you?    Now, how do we tell sweet hubby about this?????

Sweet hubby's response:  That sounds like a plan but we will all go out there with you.  I would rather not have you drive that far by yourself.... (I guess he has forgotten that she has driven that road many times by herself!). 

So within 3.5 weeks she applied for a couple of jobs and secured housing -- after a struggle to get into the right place.   We started packing her up -- again, not knowing how we were going to pull this off since it definitely wasn't in our budget for the month to rent u-hauls and car pullers!   But decided that we must all trust that if this is what the Lord wanted then He would provide the way for it to happen.

Sweet hubby came up with a way to move her things cost efficiently and we all decided to allow her to use my SUV for the time being (she doesn't own a car since she didn't need one in NYC).   We knew going out it would be a fast trip -- no frills, no extra spending, just the essentials!!!   Not exactly my kind of trip but hey, I can make sacrifices for my daughter!!!

So here are a few of the pictures of us moving Sarah to Utah --- I call it Beverly Hills style without the rocking chair on top!!!



All loaded down with Sarah's STUFF!!!!



Including her bike!!!



Adding the address to the Countess (gpa)



The Doctor working.....thank goodness for mobile internet and cell phones!!

 


Caleb settling into the truck for a very LONG drive!! 
Blanket - check, Pillow - check, Stuffed Animals - Check
We are OFF!!!

We had a great trip going out there for the most part.  Caleb did get altitude sickness as we went through the Colorado mountains.  He started out so excited to see the mountains and talking about where I go skiing and then crash.....he was sick!!!  But once we were out of the mountains he perked up again and had a great time.

As we are traveling towards Utah on Saturday, sweet hubby recieved a phone call from a missionary couple who used to be here in LR (in our ward).  They just found out we were coming out and invited us to stay the night at thier home.  Again, the Lord provides when we have faith.  It worked out beautifully for us and we so enjoyed getting to see them again as well as meet some of their children and grandchildren.




Caleb with the Kolterman's

Later we dropped Sarah off at her new condo (and about 6 people came over to help unload the truck).

We left out of LR on Friday morning but on Thursday morning Sarah got a phone call about one of the positions she had applied for in UT.  They needed to interview her on Monday!!!   Monday was the LAST day for interviews!!!!   We made it and she went to her interview on Monday then afterwards we all went to IKEA in Draper to get some things for her condo.  I LOVE IKEA!!!  I want to buy, buy, buy when I go there but sweet hubby pulled in the reins and reminded me that this trip wasn't about me but about getting Sarah settled there.  So, I didn't get anything special for  me from IKEA but we did get some neat things for Sarah and that was a lot of fun!!!

Caleb enjoying a cinnamon roll at IKEA...



My beautiful daughter, Sarah, enjoying frozen yogurt at IKEA





Sweet hubby showing me we spent all of his money....so not true.....he has hides his money!!




Sweet hubby and Caleb putting IKEA furniture together




Caleb loves getting to use the power tools....just like dad!!!




One very tired little boy....fell asleep on the super pillow.

Our plan was to leave Utah on Monday afternoon but after the trip to IKEA we decided to sleep at Sarah's condo and leave early Tuesday.  Needless to say it was a very rushed trip but we had a great time and we are looking forward to many more visits with Sarah in her new home.   By the way, she got the job!!!  After interviewing on Monday, they called her on Tuesday and offered her the position......now she is back in the game and loving it!!!


For now, the doctor is out......planning her next trip to Utah.....thinking maybe she should go when there is snow on the mountains so she can slip some skiing in while there....ummm, yeah, that sounds good!!!





Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.....

In addition to sensory processing disorder my sweet Caleb is also OCD - obsessive compulsive disorder - which can create problems in taking medicine. It means you MUST have a schedule or a rhythm to everything. It means you must eliminate any and all clutter which becomes chaos to him (thus overloading the senses). I haven't accomplished all of this yet but I am working on it. Caleb had his rhythm down for taking his medicine and I left to go out of town on business for over a week.....breaking the rhythm for him. Then I left to go on a cruise with my sister, mom, and daughter (along with 3 aunts and a cousin) again breaking the rhythm. So the battle began in trying to establish the routine for taking meds. We fought....every morning. Some days I won. A couple of days he won. But after many trials over the past couple of weeks I think I have found his new rhythm.

a little of this:

medicine inside the reeses peanut butter cup:

the bribe:

and a timer set at 10 minutes.

With the instructions -- you must take both meds before the timer goes off...

at that time you can choose ONE bakugan from the 3 pak for your treat.

Caleb is fixated on bakugans right now (one week it might be legos or cars or the ds).  So I tried the if you take your meds for 5 days straight then you can buy a package of bakugans -- which worked but it was still a tug a war to do this.  So hence the timer and immediate reward.

The first 2 days he didn't make it before the timer went off.  It was sad for both of us that he didn't get to choose the bakugan.  But today -- SUCCESS!!!!

Notice he still has the medicine in his mouth trying to chew it up and swallow -- the taste is hard on him.  I am so PROUD of my little guy for finally beating the clock!!!!

I will probably go broke but some things are just worth it.

For now the doctor is out.....headed to Toys R Us, Target, and WalMart to buy more bakugans!!!

GNO - Indian Style

My friend/colleague, Sri, took me out for my first ever Indian lunch.   She decided to take me to an Indian restaurant in Mid-town Manhattan.  At first I was very apprehensive since I have the funky taste bud issue and I get really nervous when trying new foods.....I mean REALLY nervous!!!  I almost go into panic mode when put in a situation that I have to try something new and am not sure if I will go into the gag reflex.  Since my daughter, Sarah, has been home from her two years in NYC she has done a lot of the cooking (ok, who am I kidding, she has done most of the - umm, no, honestly she has done ALL of the cooking) and she has introduced a lot of new things to my diet....because of this I wasn't as apprehensive as I normally am about trying new foods.....Indian food here I come!!!!!

First, all, I need to say that Sri likes the best of the best and so we didn't just go to any ole Indian restaurant - we went to a very nice one.  They brought out the appetizer (a very flat bread with seeds - I can't remember the name) then we decided to order two different things so that I could try both....chicken and shrimp -- can't go wrong with that!!!   The main course also came with a cabbage dish and lentl soup....and she also ordered the naan (flat bread) which was to die for!!!!  It was soooo good we ordered some more!!!

Appetizer - very flat and crispy and the Balsamic Rice

Naan - served with a small amount of melted butter on it....yummmm!!!

Main course -- Curry Chicken and Scrimp in a tomato and different spices mixture
Both were wonderful!!!!

Dessert - Mango Ice Cream

You can see the ice cream just wasn't any good at all!!!

Later that evening we went to a dinner party at one of her friends' house in Long Island.  This was basically a GNO - Indian style!!!   A couple of the ladies were dressed in their Sari's while others were very casual.  
This was a 6 hour dinner party!!!   I honestly don't think I have ever been to a dinner party that lasted 6 hours - but most of my dinner parties don't include glasses of wine!!! 

When we arrived we were served drinks (diet coke for me!) and appetizers -- oh, my gosh, they were sooo good -- the hosts' mom was here and she cooked her own Indian recipes --- then they drink more wine, talk, eat, drink, talk, eat, and drink.  Then around 9:30 - 10:00 the dinner is actually served --- I could have just had the appetizers and been in heaven!!!  The mom served the typical lamb dish, rice,  a cucumber/tomato/onion salad, curried cauliflower, cauliflower chutney, and the most unusal dish to me was a curried catfish......I did eat some of it but it wasn't my favorite for sure (I mean I am from the south and we FRY catfish - not bake it with spices).  We actually finished the dinner around 11:30!!!

My head bounced back and forth while these ladies spoke Benglish!!!   They had a way of beginning a sentence in Bengali and ending in English....we just laughed because that is how they always talk amongst each other and it was hard for them to curb the Bengali for the non-versed American.  But overall it was a fantastic dinner party/GNO for me!!!  I might have to try something like that at home....(wonder if Sarah could cook up some Indian food for my party)

For now the doctor is out.....contemplating learning to speak Benglish....umm, wonder how long that would take??????

Leaving on a Jet Plane (with crazy wierd people sitting beside me)

When I was a child growing up air travel was not an option for my family....just way too much money for a family of 6.   I was 19 when I flew for the first time which involved saving a ton (in 19 yr old terms) of money so that my sister and I could fly to Utah for spring break.  How cool is that?????  That was also a very uneventful trip (unless you count the kamikaze dive Mimi took over the side of the mountain - not literally but you get the jist).  After that first trip I have since been cursed with the abnormal, sometimes super scary, and craziest flights.

When Sarah was born we lived in California.  At 2 months of age, I decided that Sarah needed to take her first trip back to the south to meet and re-meet grandparents.  And, of course we needed a side trip to visit Mimi in Utah.  Traveling with a baby is like moving -- you have to take everything with you.   So we are loaded up on this plane traveling from LA to Salt Lake City and everything is going great.  We have a seat by a man (who doesn't talk to us- ok by me) and a baby who is doing great on this flight.  However, I notice that we have circled SLC several times -- I mean how many times do you pass the SLC Temple in flight -  once I saw it 5 times I knew something wasn't right.   About that time Sarah is wet and hungry and most definitely not happy - and the flight attendant is making that dreaded announcement "Ladies and gentlemen, there is something wrong with our landing gear.  So we are circling downtown SLC to use up as much fuel as we can.  When we get ready to land we will all need to get into the emergency landing position with your head down on your knee."   Ok, what the heck????   People are trying to stay calm, etc, but tears are coming -- thoughts of death and family, etc., etc.   All I can think of is that I have a baby who wants to be changed RIGHT NOW!!!!   So we circle another 30 minutes or so.  The man sitting next to me is becoming a little agitated with this crying baby beside him.  He gets into the overhead bin to get his coat so that if we crash land he will be warm I guess.   The man behind me sticks his head between the seats and asks if he can help me with anything and tells me that he will get my coat for me and that right now his only concern is for me and my crying baby (my heart melts and the tears flow).   Why couldn't he be my seat partner?????    Needless to say we all got into the crash landing position and made it safely to the ground -- with firetrucks everywhere waiting on us.....the landing gear worked and we landed without incident but I always remember fondly the man behind me who helped me with everything (car seat, bags, etc) de-plane.  

On one flight from Atlanta to LA, Sarah (18 months) and I were bumped up to 1st class!!!   What a wonderful flight ---- and Boss Hog was in the seat right across from us....this was one of those fun exciting trips where crazy weird people aren't sitting next to you but wonderful flight attendants are constantly wanting to know if they can help you with your toddler, bring you something to drink, eat, read, or whatever will make your flight enjoyable.  Boss Hog also had his girlfriend with him and she was very nice to Sarah -- Boss Hog even made goo goo eyes at her.  Ahhh, it would be nice to have more trips like that one.....

It is always that seat next to me that scares me the most about flying....I mean I can agonize over who will be the person I have to sit by for x number of hours....will they want to talk, will they be rude, will they take up all the arm space.     For years, I couldn't read on flights due to motion sickness but now they make these wonderful motion sickness bands that I wear on my wrists so that I can read and if I want to ignore the person next to me I pull out the book.  But before that glorious time I encountered the strangest seat partner.

We were on a family trip to Hawaii:  My dad and mom, Mimi, Sarah, Josh, and me....a lonnnnng 7 hour plane ride.... First thing, on the LR to Dallas leg I am seated next to a rather normal looking guy, until the plane starts to back out of the terminal and head to the run way.....can we say SCARRRRYYYYY!!!!!!    This normal looking man starts talking to his ring!!!!   Then he has this weird hissing laugh after he talks to his ring.  Mind you this was way before 9/11 screenings because I know if it were after I would have pull the flight attendant over and BEGGED her to get rid of the scarry talking to your ring guy.  I mean who talks to their ring and then does a hissing laugh about it.  

So this week I traveled to NYC to visit with my friend/colleague Sri.  As I am going through security I see this sweet looking little Japanese woman in a wheelchair saying goodbye to her family.  My heart is melting - how sweet!!!   As I board the plane I find that I get to sit in the bulkhead seat (hey it isn't 1st class but it is close!) sweet little Japanese lady is in the center seat....oh, good, this will be a nice ride.  Little Japanese lady has a sign around her neck :  I don't speak English and I am disabled.   Oh, this will be a QUIET ride.     About that time aisle seat man boards --- as he is putting his luggage in the overhead compartment, little sweet Japanese lady stands up and points to the middle seat --- does a couple of grunt things, continues to look at man and pointing to the middle seat..... the man then sits in the middle seat looks at me and states that he really wanted to sit on the aisle (I am thinking how sweet of him to actually give up his seat for the now grunting not so sweet Japanese lady  - and I am wondering what did I do to offend not so sweet Japanese lady --- I took my shower that morning).   Oh, well, the man seems rather harmless and we discuss San Francisco where he is going for a week. During the flight he pulls out his coat - yes that would be his winter jacket - and puts it on.  I am dying in the heat with the air vent turned on me and he is putting on his coat!!!   Then he pulls out his printed 12 x 14 page Excel spreadsheet with print so tiny I don't know how in the world he can read it.....yes, I am a little alarmed at the moment....is this the engineering plans of the plane so he can set off the bomb -- he has his coat on ready for something!!!   He would study this sheet for a while and then put it up, then bring it back out.  When the plane landed he jumped up and almost knocked down not so sweet Japanese lady to get off the plane...I am thinking oh, crap he set the bomb to go off for so many minutes after he deplaned!!!!  I know, I know,  I must be demented!!!   

I think I need to look at seat partners with a little more compassion or something or maybe fly 1st class -- I wonder if you get crazy weird people as seat partners in 1st class....ummmm...

For now the doctor is out......hoping she can get bumped to 1st class on the flight home from NYC....that sounds like a plan!!!

The Great Cricket Caper

Caleb spends a lot of time at his aunt Mimi's house He loves spending time with his cousins but sometimes they can get a little tired of entertaining him.   While at Mimi's house, Caleb begs his cousins to go outside with him while he catches crickets for his little bug catcher. Well, the past couple of weeks the heat index has been above 100 degrees here and it is HOT outside.  However, this doesn't  bother Caleb in the least, but his cousins agree it is hot and they try to get him to come inside as much as possible.

The other day I went to pick him up from Mimi's house but he also wanted his cousin, Kristen, to come home and spend the night at his house so they could catch more bugs....um, yeah, that was very enticing to Kristen!!!    So when Caleb asked Mimi if Kristen could come over for the night she said "no not tonight" and then he asked me - of course I agreed  - not tonight.   But that wasn't enough for Caleb....he proceeded to tell Kristen that if she really wanted to come over she could SNEAK into the back of my Explorer to go home with us.   Being the honest person she is Kristen told me of his plan and her own plan which went something like this:


Me: (getting into the driver's seat) "Oh wow, Caleb you are already buckled up and ready to go"

Caleb:  "yep, I have been waiting for you"   as he smiles very big.

Me: (put the truck in reverse and backs out of the drive)....."umm, something is wrong with  my truck....it feels heavier than it normally does...."

Caleb: "no, it doesn't.  just go home"

Me:  "No, something is definitely wrong here.....my truck is heavier that it should be"

Caleb:   (with his worried look)  "no mom, I caught a lot more crickets  - they are in the back - that is why your truck is heavy, just go home"

Me:   "I don't think that is it, maybe I need to look back there to see why it is heavy."

As I climb out of my truck to look in the back Caleb puts his head in the palms of his hands with the defeated look of  oh, crap now I am busted and then says to Sarah "I don't want her to look back there!!!!"     Because at this point he realizes that I am going to find Kristen in the back of my truck (which I do and then go on to play Kristen's game of getting caught in the act).  Kristen meekly looks at Caleb, shrugs her shoulders and says, " Caleb, I am sorry I guess I can't go home with you" as she stifles her huge smile of relief that she doesn't have to go home with him and help him catch crickets for his bug catcher. As Kristen was going inside of the house I asked her if she was worried that I wasn't going to stop (since I did drive out of the drive way and down the road just a little) and she kind of smiled sheepishly and said, yeah I thought maybe you were going to make be walk a ways back up the road.....of course I would never do that to her.....afterall, this was her little plan of getting out of having to catch crickets with Caleb!!!

For now the doctor is out......releasing those poor crickets back into the grass so they can RUN, RUN, RUN,  far away from Caleb!!!!