I've Been Sucked into Cyberspace!!!

Help, I've been sucked into cyberspace. I can't wait to get up in the morning, check my blog, read the comments, check my e-mail, connect with my friends and family, check what's happening in Face Book. You get the picture! So, I had to limit myself yesterday until I got some other chores done. Needless to say ... I didn't post anything yesterday.

Nonetheless ... it was a terrific day! Since you all know that I enjoy saving a few bucks by cutting my hair myself, I decided that I could certainly cut Dieter's hair and save myself $50 every few weeks taking him to the groomer. So ... I bought some dog clippers for $200. You heard me right! I didn't have to pay that much for people clippers! So, with clippers, scissors, and comb in hand I proceeded to take Deiter out back on the picnic table and shave him down. Wow ... the clippers worked great and his back was as smooth as satin. Then it was time for the trimming of his skirt and legs. After trimming one leg, Lynn said, "You just made his foot look like a chicken's foot. Don't cut the other three legs like that one." So, with scissors in his hand, and scissors in my hand, we both went to work on both sides of the dog. I must confess that his skirt was cut a little higher than it should have been and his legs look fragile and skinny without much hair on them. But I did knick his ear bad and it bled quite a bit. I felt terrible. But .... I just gave him a $200 haircut and it looked better than before. So there! Three more haircuts and I will have paid for my clippers!

Yesterday afternoon I received a beautiful hand-stamped card from Shelli Gardner telling me thank-you for my service to the demonstrators and how much she will miss me. I've been waiting for her thank-you card, because if you know Shelli like I know Shelli, she would definitely send a thank-you card. Now I have to send her a thank-you card for the generous severance package she gave me. I just hate to stamp for her because it takes me forever trying to get the perfect card to send to her.



So ... where does the time go? Look at this picture of my little family. No ... they're not all my kids, just seven of them. The other three are my sister's kids. We had taken our annual trek to Montana to visit my sister and her family. We stopped off in Helena to show the kids the hotel, restaurant and health spa that we managed when we were first married. The Sleeping Giant Lodge was the name of the place. It's still there but the name has changed. We brought our first born, Angie, to this home. We lived in the presidential suite of the hotel, but we didn't even have a full kitchen, just a burner, tiny sink, and a half refrigerator. We didn't stay long after she was born and soon left for Salt Lake to find employment there.

So ... you're probably wondering about my resume. Well ... I got a call from the company and they want to visit with me. She's calling back to set up a time. Yikes ..... I'm so excited, nervous, scared, worried ... you name it ... I've got it!

You'd be proud of me. I just moved my computer, printer, monitor, keyboard, and sound system from my craft room to my office in the family room. Hooked everything up and I still have internet connection. Pretty good for an old lady, don't you think?

Got some more chores to do. Have a fabulous Thursday!

Top Reason Why Getting Laid Off From Work is Wonderful!

Since being laid off it's the most wonderful feeling having a son call and ask if I'm available to attend my grandson, Ethan's first soccer game. Before being laid off I would have some excuse why I was too busy not to attend. Even though it was cold, wet, and rainy, it was a nice feeling being with family and not worrying about getting the laundry and grocery shopping done.
This is 4 year old Ethan sharing my umbrella. This little guy was born the morning I left for Convention in Orlando, Florida. His mother called me the night before he was born and told me to be packed and ready for Convention because she was sure she would have him before my flight left. She was right! We went to the hospital to see him born and then Lynn drove me straight to the airport to catch my flight to Convention. How wonderful was that!

Here is is trying to figure out what's going on. He's a good observer and will soon get the hang of it.

The rain quit as soon as the game was over. Here Ethan is enjoying the treats after the game.

Well, today was really productive. I was able to unpack 12 boxes of personal stuff that I brought home from the office. I not only have a personal stamping room, but a business office in the downstairs. Talk about taking over the house! It was bitter sweet unpacking 9 years of wonderful memories. Tons of cards, pictures, and messages that all of you have given to me over the years. I still can't bear to throw them away. They're all too beautiful! I need to make some memory books for sure.

I received some timely phone calls from people that have been thinking about me. It was so needed because I was feeling just a tad lonely. I thought of our Sunday lesson yesterday in church about the need to have Faith, Hope, and Charity. Hope in God, His goodness, and His power refreshes us with courage during difficult challenges. Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stablize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we "might have hope. Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness. Its absence when this desire of our heart is delayed ... can make the heart sick".

Hope is a gift of the Spirit. It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior. This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, and we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope.

So, it is with the difficult struggles of trying to find employment. My mind was swimming this morning, not sure which way to turn, getting a little discouraged,and not sure what to do next with finding a job. As I said my morning prayers I prayed for direction and that someone would help me find the way. Later this morning I received a phone call asking me to fax my resume to a company who is looking for a corporate trainer.

So, the rest of the day was updating my resume and getting it faxed to the company. Yikes ... now I'm so nervous if I get a job interview.

It was soooo easy getting my job at Stampin' Up! I interviewed with one Vice President and he offered me the job right after the interview, and told me that he was looking for someone with maturity and experience. That's something I definitely DO have. Stampin' Up! now has several interviews that you have to go through, including a group interview. I'm such a doofus when it comes to those. Someone is going to have to coach me big time as to what and what not to say!

I can't wait to share with you some more good news that may happen in a few weeks! I'll keep you posted. And remember, don't let discouragement, disappointment, and despair get you down. Remember Him and have Faith, Hope and Charity!

Yummy! My Mouth is Watering!!

So, I made cinnamon rolls yesterday to take to my neighbors. The house was too cold so it took all day for them to raise. Usually I make a double batch so there's plenty to go around. Unfortunately, Lynn and I got the two runts that were left in the pan.

Here's the lucious cinnamon rolls coming right out of the oven ... I immediately drizzle lots of frosting on them so it can melt and run into the insides of the rolls. The smell is tantalizing and just looking at these pics make my mouth water!

Here's little Dieter being 'good' in hopes of getting a small morsel!


Happy Birthday today to my daughter, Ginger, who just turned 31! Thanks to my genealogy chart I stamped, I turned to it to see how old she is today. This is the daughter that lived with us while they were building their home. I can honestly say that they were the most delightful family to live with. We never had an argument or a quarrel and it was like having a built-in maid living with us. It was so nice coming home to the squeal of little girls playing in the house, dinner in the oven, and a clean home. Ginger became acquainted more with my mother and dad who live next door, and took care of them during the day. She's been such a blessing in our lives and theirs. Ging, if hard times continue, maybe we'll just sell our home and Grandma and Grandpa's and we'll all come live in YOUR big home with YOU!

Ryan, our son-in-law who's married to our youngest daughter, Lindsey, works at Stampin' Up! in the financial department. He just returned from a week in Orlando for work. They dropped by on the way home from the airport to have lunch with Granny! This is Ellie and Ben, their two children, showing off their toys from Orlando. Lindsey is a wonderful cook and she's planning a mother's day brunch at my home on the 9th of May.

Well ... I'd best get ready to attend my grandson, Ethan's, soccer game today. Don't know how they're going to play in the rain. I'll take pics and post later. He'll be 5 in July.

Happy Saturday!

Lindsey's Blog

Many of you have asked the link to my daughter Lindsey's blog. She has some great grocery tips and recipes to share too.

Just click on the link on the sidebar of my blog, Lindsey, and that will take you to her blog.

Grocery Shopping a Breeze!

This is a darling little notebook that Seijra made for me about a year ago. You can see the "s" is missing on the 'Notes'. But this is the notebook I kept in my kitchen to jot down things that I needed from the grocery store and then carried it in my purse to the store.

Here's the inside of the notebook with my planned meals and grocery list. But I was traisping all over the store and retracing my steps getting this and that.

Here's the new list, just the first page, that I created according to the layout of the grocery store. I used it yesterday, for the first, and it worked like a breeze. I tell you ... I'll bet I cut down on half the time I was in the store. If you do this list in your computer, you can save each week's menu and easily print again for your new week. I could easily format this menu to a half page, width wise to save on paper. I think I'll work on that! If you read my daughter Lindsey's blog page she gives some great shopping tips too, like shopping for two weeks, instead of one. I've tried it, but I usually end up going back for something so it almost defeats the purpose of one visit to the store in two weeks. However, she claims it does save money!

Here I am trying out my new point and shoot camera. Not too bad of a close-up with this tiny little camera.

So, what am I going to do today? My To Do list says that I'm going to make homemade cinnamon rolls ... and no, not the Mrs. Rhoades dough ... real to goodness, homemade, the best in the business cinnamon rolls. Ask anyone at work whose tasted my lovely creations and they'll tell you they're the best! I have a neighbor who recently lost his wife. It was soooo sad. She was only 79 years old, not a thing wrong with her. I saw and talked to her at church the Sunday before she died and she was fine. She passed away peacefully in her sleep. I need to run some of these cinnamon rolls over to him, his daughter and son, and their families. I'll post pics, if they turn out as good as I've been braggin'. It's threating rain today and sometimes dough doesn't rise when there's a lot of humidity in the kitchen.

Hey ... a few of you commented that you made the Chicken Tortilla soup and loved it! Way to go! I'm proud of you all.

I've got to work on my visiting teaching list today. It's going to take hours. I need to format the report in Excel so I can sort it easier than the program it's formatted in. I've been putting it off because I don't want to do it. I know ... I'll make the dough for the cinnamon rolls now ... and while they're rising, I'll work on the report.

Love you all! Have a Happy Friday!

More Every Day Tips for the Busy Demonstrator!

Happy Thursday Morning! It's been a whole week since I left the doors of Stampin' Up! I've survived. Why isn't my house all organized and straightened in a week? Oh wait ... it took me more than a week to get it in the state that it's in!

I loved reading your comments on the cleaning tips. Let me share a couple with you.

Lydia, one of our fellow demonstrators, shares her great tip:

• "Because I work full time and freelance and demonstrate is to set a timer for everything. Whether it's 15 min or an hour - focus on the task (like stupid laundry - sorry Linda - I don't clean toilets - they're gross - you know what goes on in there right? The Marine hubby does that) and you'd be amazed how much you get done with no distractions. Plus, when the timer goes off - you're FREE!!!"

And, Stampin' With Angie, encourages us to use a To Do List and break those big tasks into smaller tasks.

These are wonderful suggestions!

Let's talk about grocery shopping today ... something I get to do today, instead of Saturday. Horray for this new life of leisure! I like to shop at the same grocery store because I know where everything is in the store and it saves me time by not having to look for this and that in a new store. I made a form in Word which is kinda like a map of the store. For instance, when I walk into the store and go to my far left, it's the bakery and bread aisle, as I go to the back of the store, it's the dairy cases. So, on my form I've listed the sections of the store, as if I'm walking up and down the aisles. My form lists Bakery Section, and then I have some blank lines so I can write what I need from the bakery. I also have a place on the form to list what meals we're going to have for the week. This form really helps speed up time in the grocery store. I'm not back-tracking for this or that! When I get it filled out, for today's trip, I'll take a picture and post it on my blog.

Oh ... one of the best tips of the day! Keep the grocery list in a visible place in your kitchen with a pen close by. As I run out of this and that during the week, I just quickly write on the form what it is I need. No more guessing at the store!

I had a wonderful lunch with Jaron and Lori and some Stampin' Up! employees. It was just like old times. We had such a good time laughing and talking. I'll have to admit, I was just a tad blue when I got home. As we pulled out of the parking lot, they drove back to Stampin' Up! and we turned for home. I'll admit, I've got to stay focused and keep busy so I don't start feeling sorry for myself. My husband said I'll feel better if I continue getting up early as if I was still going to work. He's right!

One thing that made me feel better yesterday was taking the Nikon camera back to Costco and getting the Canon Power Shot Elph. It's just like the camera I had that was in my lost/stolen purse in Detroit. These beautiful Gerber Daisys were given to me by a friend.

I was testing out my camera with the Pets and Kids setting. Dieter was really sick last night. I think he ate too much grass yesterday. He barfed up a ton! If any of you have read Laurel, my daughter's blog, about my history of cleaning up barf, you'll be surprised that I didn't gag and I cleaned up the barf three different times. Dog barf is waaaay different than kid's barf. It doesn't stink! O.K. ... I've got to stop talking about barf. It makes me gag thinking about it.

O.K. ... time to get the makeup on, the grocery list filled in, and on to the store. Have a wonderful Thursday. I'm thinking of you!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Here's that recipe I promised. Julie Johnson, a good friend of mine gave me this recipe in 2005. It's a clone from Max & Erma's restaurant. I had the chance of eating this soup, for the first time, in Columbus, Ohio. Since then, I've found a Max & Erma's in Virginia Beach and the Cincinnatti airport and I order it every time I go there.

This is delicious and easy to make. If you're going to put this together after work, I suggest you already have your chicken cooked or you can use canned chicken. It does take 2 hours to simmer, but I think you could cut down on the simmer time. There's really nothing to cook, just to heat, but I'm sure the flavors blend better if you simmer it the full time.

• 2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
• 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
• 2 cans Cream of Celery soup
• 2 cans Cheddar Cheese soup
• 2 (15 oz.) cans chicken broth
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes. (I used the spicy ones.)
• 1 cup medium picante salsa
• 1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chilies
• 1 medium onion, chopped (I used dried onion cuz I was in a hurry.)
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red chile powder
• Salt and pepper to taste (I didn't even need to add salt.)
• 1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro (You can do without this if you don't like it.)
• 4 cooked chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
• 1 package flour tortillas
• 1/2 pound longhorn stye colby cheese

In a large stockpot combine and whisk together until smooth, all 8 cans of soup. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, salsa, green chiles, onion, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper.

Bring all ingredients to a full boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.

Add cilantro and chicken breast chunks. Simmer another hour.

While soup is simmering make your soup toppings. Cut flour tortillas into small thin strips and deep fry in hot oil until lightly browned.

Shred cheese.

To serve: Ladle soup into bowls, top with shredded cheese and fried tortilla strips.

Enjoy!

Going to have lunch with Jaron and some of the Stampin' Up! staff.

Have a blessed and happy day! --Linda Lou