Ice Cubes

My friend Polly sent me the link for this common recipe.  I'm certain that you will enjoy reading the reviews!

Got Happy Haiku

Complain.  Argue.  Grump.
Caught huge snowflakes on my tongue.
Warmed up with some soup.

Sounds like a commercial, I know.  But I was caught up in the holiday blues this morning.  A little time out "snowflaking" helped change my bad attitude to gratitude.

You Gotta Get Up!

That's what we were telling ourselves on December 26th and 27th after the attack of the Christmas Stomach Virus.  Thankfully, we had nowhere to go and nobody to see.  We all had our first post-Christmas meal on the 28th.  Too bad our adult fitness center weigh-in isn't until next week.  Mike and I would rock those scales today!

But before the attack, we had a nice family get-together and enjoyed a candle light Christmas Eve service at Living Word Church.  Here are a couple pictures of us and the kids with a few cousins. 

She's Back!

Move over Bionic Woman.  Rachel's back on the basketball court with her $35,000.00 knee.  Her coaches are being cautious - playing her only a couple minutes at a time - but that is about all this heart can take anyway.  We are so proud of her!

Household Tip

The dishwashing tablet must be unwrapped for the dishes in the dishwasher to be properly cleaned. 

Baking and Pinterest

New Cookie

Brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. HERE!  Need I say more?

Zombies

Rachel and Mr. Rellim watch that zombie show on TV.  I can't stand even listening to it.  But on their Christmas gift lists for my mom, I wrote "Zombie Apocalypse Supplies."  I met her at the mall today and she had a couple Zombie Apocalypse video games in her hand.  We laughed when I explained that I meant for her to buy bottled water, canned tuna, flashlights and walkie-talkies.

Grandma Thoughts

I've been thinking about my grandma today.  She had red hair before it turned gray.  She sang first soprano with the Stephen Foster Singers in high school and had a chance to travel and sing to entertain the troops during WWII.  I'm not exactly sure why she did not take that opportunity.  She married a WWII vet, a first-generation German American, and had five children.  At age 35 she was widowed and moved her family across the country to live close to her mother (also recently widowed) and worked in a variety of desk and retail jobs to support her family. 

Grandma was a big part of my life.  She came to every birthday party and church program and school concert and high school musical.  She visited Mr. Rellim and me when we were newlyweds and drove hours to visit her great-grandchildren when they were young.  I used to call her on my days off and use my headset phone and clean the house while we talked. 

At age 76, she married again and I took photos documenting the joy on her face.  Within a couple of years it became apparent that her short term memory was failing and her husband Russ made the difficult decision to move her to a nursing home.  Grandma was just no longer safe in her own home.

I've visited Grandma at the nursing home a handful of times and it's heartbreaking to observe her cognitive and communication deficits.  I'm not even sure that she knows it's me.  But I'm sure she knows that it's someone who loves her.  It's so strange to be sitting next to her, yet overwhelming be feeling how much I miss her.

Communication

Communication - it's what I try to facilitate all day long.  Here is a great example of two people having some communication breakdowns and the importance of using vocabulary specific to the situation.  It also sorta reminds me of the type of instruction I have received from my superiors in the workplace.

Everyday Application

Last night I served as one of three women who performed dramatic readings of the scripture.  There were times when we read separately and sometimes in unison.  Often, the unison portions were mid-sentence.  After many practices, I had an idea of how it should flow, but the others just weren't in sync with me.  It wasn't horribly off, but consistently not-quite-right.

Before the actually performance, we had a quick run-through that sounded the best ever.  The difference that time?  I decided to listen and follow.

Listen and follow.  Trust and obey.  Why don't those ideas ever occur to me the first time?

Christmas Dancing

This is a quick video of my niece, Evelyn, dancing to a Christmas story songbook that we recorded for her.  I miss the cute performances of toddlers.  I don't miss the diapers, however.  And it is nice when kids can bathe themselves.

Rachel and Quinn attended the Christmas concert at church tonight and their enthusiasm toward my singing was also positive, though no interpretive dance was interjected.  Quinn said, "It wasn't all torture."  Rachel told me my (eight measure) solo was "Banging!" and "the dude's solo was ballin'!" I'll pass those along as compliments.  And the final choral number In the First Light was "REALLY GOOD!" per her handwritten notes in the margins of the concert program.

No Arrest Required

I was shopping at a local antique store with my niece, Evelyn, who is 20 months old.  With my hands full of a darling little princess, I wasn't able to hold the small bowl that I had selected for purchase.  So I put the bowl at the top of my purse so it would stay safe and I could pay for it before we left.

Well, I found the bowl at the bottom of my purse the next day.  Oops.  Fortunately, the shop owner readily accepted my apology and cash.