Winter Cleaning

Over the past month I have cleaned every cupboard and drawer in my kitchen.  It worked so well to NOT get overwhelmed by tackling the whole kitchen at one time.

 One drawer or cupboard at a time with my trusty pail, towel and Parson's ammonia I went to work.

 The silverware drawer was organized anew.

 The miscellaneous drawer was de-cluttered.

 The lazy susan was re-organized.

 New shelf and drawer lining was added.

 Potholders were washed and stacked.

 Towels re-folded.

 The junk drawer was de-junked.

The outside of all the cabinets were rubbed down with lemon oil.

It took me a month.  But I completed the task and my kitchen seems happy. 

I wonder how long it will take to get through the bedrooms...

The New Bermuda Triangle

Our house is on a fairly busy street.  In the winter, this is a good thing as the street gets plowed first. 

The house is on the top of a T-intersection.  Our house is exactly at the intersection of the street that makes up the bottom line of a T and the top crossbar of the T.

That T intersection becomes the New Bermuda Triangle in the winter.

When we've had a significant snowfall and the plow clears the main, busy street, well, the intersection is very difficult to maneuver. 

This is a picture from my front door.  The white car is stuck and the other car had stopped to help push or shovel.  It is not unusual to have one car stuck and the next car stop to help and then get stuck also. 

The neighbors have started calling this corner The New Bermuda Triangle. 

I call it cheap entertainment during a blizzard.  We can sit in our front window and watch car after car try to buck the drifts.  Well, we sit and watch until we run out to help push or shovel, too.

Music is in the Genes

Just yesterday, The Husband was sent a picture of the first band he was in.

When he was 14 years old.

They were called, The Asteroids.

This photo was from the annual cancer telethon in Our City.

They had actual "gigs" they were recruited for.

And they had a fan club...a following.

For your viewing pleasure, may I introduce The Asteroids.

The Husband is the second one on the left. 

Isn't he cute!

Now we know where The Kidlets got their musical talents from...amazing!

So Proud

Kidlet One, Favorite-Son-In-Law and Kidlet Two are in the following video.  Kidlet One is playing the keyboard and singing.  Favorite-Son-In-Law plays bass guitar and is right behind her.  Kidlet Two is the drummer.  The other guitarist is Jake, an awesome young friend of theirs.  We had the privilege of worshipping with them recently. 

Be blessed...

Hockey 101 - The Game



 A glimpse of what hockey is all about.

Thanks to Fred Holmen for some of the photos.

Hockey 101 - Getting To The Game

Packing the bag
Loading the van
Getting to the arena
Finding the locker room
Watching the zamboni clean the ice
And lining up "on the bench"...
An amazing process.

Hockey 101 - Equipment

Both of my boys are hockey players.  For those of you that have never had a hockey player in your home, let me give you an overview of the sport.  We'll start with the equipment:

Starting at the top, is the helmet.  Complete with face cage.  The mandatory mouth guard is attached to the face cage unless the player has chewed on it enough and it is no longer attached.  In this case, the light blue at the bottom of the face cage is Kidlet Three's mouth guard.

Shoulder pads are next.  We have a wooden frame to hang the equipment on after they are sweat-soaked.  It really helps dry everything out.

Elbow pads.  I have to laugh at the brand name...Vapor.  Believe me, they do emit a vapor.

No this is not part of a Star Wars outfit.  These are hockey gloves. 

Laying the breezers, or shorts, on the floor makes them look really small.  They probably weigh 3 to 5 pounds and are very padded. 

 Shin pads.  They protect the lower leg and knee.

Hockey socks are pulled up and over the shin pads.  They are attached to the "jock" that is worn under the breezers.  You don't want your socks falling down in the game.  Hockey skates are next.

A hockey player needs a primary hockey stick and then a good back up.  Sticks can break during practice or a game so the backup stick is carried along at all times.

The blade of the stick is wrapped in tape.  Tape comes in a variety of colors but Kidlet Three tends to wrap in black or sometimes in white tape.

 And all of this equipment, minus the sticks, is packed into a hockey bag that must weigh at least 20 pounds.  Kidlet Three's bag has wheels so he can pull it.  Some kids have straps that allow them to carry the bag on their backs.

The shirts are called a "jersey".  There is a practice jersey, a "home game" jersey and an "away game" jersey.  In our house, the fireplace mantel becomes the closet for the jerseys.

The most important piece of equipment for a hockey player is this:

 Gloves stink.

Shoulder pads stink.

Breezers stink.

Elbow and shin pads stink.

The socks and jerseys can be washed.

Everything else....stinks.

Airing it all out helps.

Febreze saves the day.

I love hockey.

To skate so gracefully and fast holding a stick and passing a puck takes skill.

It is definitely something I can't do and I'm amazed watching each and every game.

Concussion

Definition of CONCUSSION


1a : a stunning, damaging, or shattering effect from a hard blow; especially : a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral function
b : a hard blow or collision
 
Kidlet Three has a concussion.  A week ago in a hockey game he fell and slid into the boards.  His body hit first but then his head, like whiplashed, into the boards.  He has had a headache off and on for a week. 
 
No hockey for him until the headache clears for at least 48 hours.
 
I would prefer he be done skating for the season.
 
The doctor wrote a prescription for school stating Kidlet Three couldn't participate in phy ed this week.  According to my son, this is the worst prescription that ever could've been written.  He loves phy ed and this is, in his words, torture!
 
Speaking of hockey, over the next couple of days I'll share some Hockey 101 with you.
 
Until then, pray that Kidlet Three remains symptom free and has no residual from this concussion.
 
Thank you....

Sugar Rush

Kidlet Three's science fair project was to test the reaction times of teenagers before and after they drank an energy drink. 

This cardboard "ruler" was held above the participant's cupped fingers.  Without warning it was dropped and where the participants grabbed it, the number was recorded.  Each participant was given three opportunities.  Then each person drank 8 oz. of Monster energy drink.  After waiting 30 minutes, the test was repeated three times.

There was a documented increase in reaction times after drinking Monster!  Kidlet Three and each of his fellow students gave oral presentations regarding their projects.  The presentation included a poster board.  Kidlet Three cut, positioned and pasted his hypothesis, the steps of his test and his results...all by himself.  The school then held a science fair where each student displayed their boards and were available for questions.  Out of all the seventh graders, Kidlet Three received a 2nd place ribbon for his project.

Way to go Kidlet Three.

You did an amazing job!

Pork Tenderloin

Another delicious pork tenderloin meal.  Very easy to make and oh, so enjoyable to eat.

1/3 cup flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin
2 T. butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple juice
1 t. ground ginger

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper.  Melt butter in a large skillet (I used my roaster pan).  I cut the loin in half.  Roll the meat in the flour and pan-sear in the melted butter.

 Remove the browned meat.  In the same pan, saute onion and garlic until tender.

 Add remaining ingredients.  I didn't have apple juice so I used a mixed berry juice.

 Combine those additional ingredients and mix well.  Add the meat and spoon the sauce over the meat.

 Cover and bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

I made buttered/parsley noodles and cooked carrots.  I steamed the carrots in a little water with 1 T. butter and about 1 T. of splenda.

A most amazing meal.