Car Adventures

These past 2 weeks (and more) have been filled with all kinds of car repairs - not to the engine, which is newer than the rest of the car (it has 210,000 miles on it), but the brake shoes, caliper and rotor on one side, tires, passenger window, and general maintenance. Oh, I guess we had to slow an oil leak, too. I say "we," but I mean Seth as far as labor is concerned. It still needs new struts or shocks, the windows fixed or stabilized, a new front window, and a fix for the oil leak. We know where that is, and it's fixable, from what I understand. Seth has been doing a lot of walking and carrying parts, tires, etc. Whew! It's so much better when the car is working, at least for carrying things! I haven't been to a store in a long time. I would really like to go. My aid would take me, but she's been sick for a week or more. She comes, but can't do so much, so I hate to ask her to take me around to the stores. I'd like to go to Wal Mart, Sierra's, and DI. I want to find a better old book to alter, if I can (that's a project I'll share with you later on). I really don't have money to spend, but it would probably cost almost nothing. I've been watching QVC. It's really relaxing: no commercials and everything's cheerful and pretty. I'm taking huge, catch-up doses of vitamin D. The dr. prescribed it because I was super-deficient in it. Now I feel jumpy and can't sleep well, but it doesn't bother me. It's like I don't need very much sleep, I guess. I sound so unsure because it's been just this last week, so we'll see. I've been taking Reliv, but skipped it for a while, till we got it reordered. Maybe that is why I became deficient. Well, that and not drinking milk, etc. Anyway, Reliv really makes a difference for me, in every way. I just count it as part of the food budget, because it is a food, and I eat less of other things when I take it. I don't have cravings then. Today is Sunday, but I won't be going to church, so they'll bring the sacrament to me. They probably think I'm just faking, lol, because I seem well on the surface. They're always really nice, and it's so good to be able to get the sacrament each week. Last night I dreamt about my missing legs. It's always the same: my legs are miraculously reattached, but they are still separate. People think they are just normal, and then some situation arises that calls for me to show them that I don't have normal legs. In my dreams, they are kind of fragile and that is why I end up explaining about them. People are always astonished that my amputated limbs are still able to be used, and then I feel pretty unique and special. Isn't that funny? Phillip called. He's going back to Louisiana for 3 weeks, to have more training. He doesn't know yet about when he'll get out. Crazy, but his training sounds like fun because it's very realistic. That's about all. Happy Halloween, everybody! xoxoxo

A Very Alice Month

I've spent the past two days reading an Ann Rule book (In the Still of the Night) and reading, commenting on and posting on blogs. I have really enjoyed your posts! It's amazing how in touch they keep us! Mark is now working on making Garrett Popcorn's cheese popcorn, at least a close as he can get to it. His last batch of caramel was the best so far. He continues to learn and tweak things, but the cheese popcorn will be harder to do. It has a more complex blend of ingredients (mostly oils). They use coconut oil, for one, which brings more flavor to the recipe. I'm excited for him! Did you know that he made me an Alice book as a surprise? It is on cardstock and each page is in its own page protector, in a binder with a cover sheet. It has the history of the book and then the actual book, plus color illustrations from various editions of it. Wasn't that sweet of him? And at DI, I found an anthology of all of Charles Dodgson's (Lewis Carroll) works. It has gilt-edged pages and a ribbon bookmark, and is in perfect condition! I never knew he wrote anything other than the Alice books (well, I may have known, but forgot about it). So this has been a very "Alice" month. Btw, I prefer the 1939 movie over all the other Alice movies. Gary Cooper plays the white knight in it, and W.C. Fields is Humpty Dumpty. It is based on Through the Looking Glass, which is my favorite over Alice in Wonderland (except for that little door she goes thru in the latter, and the rabbit hole she falls down). I love it when she goes right through the looking glass. Also, when she picks up the little chess people, the story of The Walrus and the Carpenter (love Disney's cartoon-version of that), her playing with Dinah on the chair and getting drowsy, and the queen turning into a sheep. Which parts are your favorites in Alice? Would you mind sharing?

I Have My Computer Back!

I finally got my computer back! It's the only one that will access blogger, for some reason. Whew! I've waited a few days longer, wondering where to start; I want to write something about Ben and Linda's baby, but decided, finally, that that will be a separate post. Meanwhile, Mark came to visit last weekend, to make sure the house and car are ready for winter. I couldn't believe, when Mark came in the house, that I have this person who is so sharp-looking and alive. It was strange at first, because I wasn't used to having someone assisting me all the time. He's so thoughtful! While Mark was here, he changed the furnace filter, checked out the car (Seth already changed the transmission fluid and got some tires to replace the bald ones, plus put something in to slow the oil leak - it needs new brake pads and shocks, and the oil leak needs to be fixed, besides a new front window at some pt. Ah, me...), took me to a dr.'s appt., helped me pack up the bedroom, made caramel corn, fried chicken wings, eggs and toast, blueberry muffins and bacon, went through the mail, took down the window air conditioner and put up styrofoam insulation, took me to Wal Mart (to give the extended family a break - right, Tamathy? ;) amd Scrappin' Essentials, took out the fan and brought in the little heater, and generally checked things out. We talked about the move and his job, which is going well. He's since told me that he shared some of his zip-loc of caramel popcorn that he took back with him, and his boss (and other staff ) went wild for it! Wait till they taste his cream of mushroom soup, strawberry ice cream, clam dip, artisanal bread, banana nut bread, hot chocolate, blueberry muffins, German chocolate cake, brownies, hamburgers, prime rib, French onion soup, cheesecake, fried chicken, chocolate pie, chicken salad, pork chops, and (our) meatloaf, vegetable soup, chicken noodle soup, and ham rollups - I'm sure I'm forgetting many other of Mark's specially prepared foods. It's hard to remember them all! My aid tasted the popcorn and said, "He should sell that!" I agree. (And, btw Mark, I saw bags of caramel corn selling for ten bucks each at Sierra's recently.) Seth has been continuing with his EMT class. I'm glad he enjoys it. Phillip that he might be says he might get out of the Army a little early, for medical reasons. I hope they give him his full GI Bill money for school! Phillip says he wants to work and save his money, maybe for a mission? He should go to school at Rexburg, where they are very encouraging about missions. Don't give up on your dream, Phillip! Phillip also said that an 8-hour job would seem like a vacation. "Oh, you start at 8 a.m.? I'll get to sleep in!" We've had continually gorgeous, gorgeous weather. It's supposed to be cooler and wet this weekend, I believe. We're coming up on the elections - Mark, be sure and vote in Nevada! Let's all vote, okay? That's all I think of right now. It's a lot to cover! Now I'm off to read your posts. Happy October!! xoxoxo