SUPREME RANDOMNESS

So today, I got an email from an attorney with my same last name. I opened it thinking--is this one of Brett's cousins? Uncles? I thought I knew everyone. I proceed to read a string of emails back and forth from this attorney to his daughter, Erin Blake, who lives in Boston and just attended the premiere of Ben Affleck's new movie. She talked about Matt Damon coming with his pregnant wife and how sad she was that her dad wasn't there. She jokingly told him that "Ben and Matt say hi." They talked about Boston sites that I totally remember when I lived there and how the dad misses being there. IT WAS SO VERY RANDOM. I figured out that her gmail account is the same as mine, but includes the first letter of her middle name as well and her father accidently left that out so I got the whole thing.

This same Erin Blake also wrote a hotel chain in Vegas once complaining about the lack of tidiness in her room and told the hotel manager that she will not "recommend friends to their chain if something isn't done to repair the situation." She was very disturbed by the hygiene issue which is so funny and inappropriate that I can't even tell you what it was.

The manager wrote her back (well, apparently he wrote me back) the BEST, well-written letter explaining his regrets, but also sticking up for the integrity of his hotel. He gave her a little, but didn't throw his staff under the bus. I replied to him that he had accidentally written the wrong Erin Blake, but that "Congratulations. That reply letter was gooooood." He wrote back and said he thought that was funny. It was the least I could do in a stressful situation I'm sure.

So today, I have a voicemail from one of my friends in Bountiful. I will not out them here, but let's just say that it was a bum call. (You know, when you accidentally are sitting on your cell phone and maybe call the last number you had called that day without knowing it.) Anyway, I proceed to get a 3 minute voicemail of this friend SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IN THE CAR. The whole thing. What the heck friend? Was there a good reason for this song choice or do I need to make you a pop mix CD and get it in the mail ASAP? You really should sing more by the way. I listened to the whole thing, mostly because I couldn't believe you sang all the way to...and the home of the brave!!, but also because you had a calming vocal quality. Very Nice. I'm going to have to share this incident with your family who would sooo enjoy it I'm sure. What if you had called a professional acquaintance?

which naturally leads me to the segment that I like to call:

JULIE & JULIA!

-at home in the kitchen with Erin and Si.

From our gourmet tables to yours-

Sweet Sausage Lasagne

I love lasagne. I love tomato sauce anything with good homemade bread. I invited our cute old neighbors over for dinner and made Si's lasagne. I planned on making the bread, but forgot to buy yeast. You know, you really can't make bread without yeast. (Just a little tip from a seasoned bread maker.) It's ok. I made a bunch of other stuff, so I don't think they cared. They asked for 3rds, so it's safe to say this recipe is good.

A DEEP AND PROFOUND THOUGHT

Sometimes when you get into a funk, I've decided you've just got to feeeel the funk. Embrace the funk. Breathe it in. Wallow in it for a while.

For me, this includes a day, maybe two of moping around. Showering, yes, but not doing my hair or makeup. Staying in slippers or bare feet, and not picking up quite as quickly after Kate as I usually do. It might also involve slowing down on the laundry and perhaps having a sandwich night for dinner. This could also involve not answering the phone and walking past the computer without blogging. It would most likely involve a blanket. Usually it involves not being able to sleep as well and my "funky" music choices, not to be confused with true funk music which would be completely different indeed. It's ok I tell myself. Sometimes your body just wants to be in a funk. A funk due to worry, or hormones, or loneliness, or grumpiness, or weather, or who knows what else.

BUT, then it is time to throw the funk away. Forget the funk. Discard da funk.

This always happens to me for some reason. Two days of funkiness is usually just about right. Then I want to get on my hands and knees and clean the kitchen floor or organize a closet, or go to a late movie, sing in the shower, sit at my piano and play, or put back on a cute outfit that makes me feel skinny, whether I am or not. Coming out of the funk comes easier when there is a listening ear from someone close to you. It almost always involves a good scripture study and prayer, and the peace that comes afterwards when you know you are loved. It's not that the reasons for the funk have necessarily gone away. They may still be right there sitting on my shoulder and whispering in my ear. "You should be in a funk. Here are all the reasons why blah blah blah..." It's just that I choose to ignore them or I spin around really fast so they can't keep their balance and they have to fall off of my shoulder. Then if they are blah blahing, which I sooo know they are, I can't hear it anymore. They're talking to a baseboard or an area rug.

So here is day 3. I am blogging again. Don't think I'm still not doing my cooking challenge. It's just that when I'm in a funkified state, I don't necessarily blog about my cooking adventures. I hope Si forgives me. My readers will NEVER know what I cooked the last few days. I'm going to go pop open a new rootbeer flavor and share it with all of my girls. I'm going to let Brett work late tonight and be grateful he has a great job he loves, to work late at. I'm going to take Ali to dance and help Sydney with homework and work out with Maddie and wipe Kate's nose for the millionth time. Then I will read my new book, put on much more hip and happy music choices, make a good meal (definitely not a sandwich meal) and fall into bed exhausted. And happy.

DeFunkified if you will. e

Good Stuff

Here is the sweetest blog that Si showed me. This mom must have a LOT of time on her hands. My favorite is "Bookworm." Nothing better than a baby asleep. Well, smelling a baby's neck while they're asleep or kissing their closed eyes while they're asleep is probably better. Maybe having their little hands wrapped around your neck or tucked in under your shirt while asleep is better. Maybe seeing them look at you as they wake up and smile like you are the greatest thing they could have possibly seen is better.

Here is a cool blog that Melinda showed me. Turquoise. Love it. Can't get enough of it. I don't know how to incorporate this freshness into my house, especially since a-I am currently leasing and b-most of my furniture is red, yellow, browns. Loved the furniture colors for the last 5 years or so, but now it is sooo not "beachy So. Cal" feeling if you know what I mean. It's sooo "autumn leaves in Utah." It looked really good during the fall in Utah, but I'm not feeling it as much here.

Here is my favorite room in the house...so turquoise, so fresh.

Spencer comes home tonight! I know, I know, it's only been 3 weeks. I didn't want him to, but he is driving home with 4 kids and they are staying the weekend and driving back. Crazy. Don't tell him, though, that I'm really excited to see him all the same.

JULIE & JULIA!

-at home in the kitchen with Erin and Si.

From our gourmet tables to yours.-

I have to make 2 things today! I just did not have time yesterday to make anything, because I was frantically reading my book until book group. I've made them both many times. Both great. Both satisfying. Both extremely and utterly rewarding (not to be confused with udderly rewarding. That wouldn't be very rewarding, except if you were a farmer and your livelihood depended on milk production. Also, maybe if you were a young kid and you got to try and milk a cow for the first time. Other than that, utterly rewarding is probably best.)

Black Bean Chicken Taco Salad

Nordy Bars

Here is an excerpt from Maddie's blog yesterday.

Annotate, annotate, annotate. In my past english classes this word was never mentioned. Lucky for me that's practically all I do now in english; annotate an article, make a claim, write a timed essay. It's pushing me which is good but the teacher scares me a lot. This was the assignment today in class:

PROMPT: Pick a position on texting as it relates to technology and/or language in the 21st century. You must use

1. Logic [cause & effect]

2. Historical Allusion [3, from 3 different centuries]

3. 2 successive Rhetorical Questions

4. Analogy

5. Juxtaposition

6. Tone

That's it, you have ten minutes to argue your position and all 6 things must be present in your paper. GO

WHA?? That was hard for me. Luckily he was "easy on us this time" and we get to take it home and acutally rewrite the pathetic piece we attempted to write in 10 minutes.

Although we won't be so lucky in the future. He says he usually does a couple of these a week. And any term from the glossary is fair game for us to know how to use. Difficult, I think yes. haha

I'm sticking with this class because although I can't do this yet, I want to be able to. So I'm totally scared but kind of excited!

She pulled her hair out last night trying to write that paper. We literally study with all three girls from the second Brett gets home and we finish dinner until 10:30ish. From Sydney to Ali, back to Sydney, then Maddie, mostly back and forth to Ali. Pretty crazy.

Julie and Julia!

-At home in the kitchen with Erin and Si.

From our gourmet tables to yours.-

Oh My Chicken Pot Pie

I made this, because it was a little chilly here yesterday and I knew my family would love it. I've made this one before and it is always a hit. Total comfort food. Since we have enough for dinner tonight, which is good, because I have this dang book group discussion, I will have to think of some side dish to make today..

Oh, we all shared a guava soda last night from that new favorite soda store and it was great. My rule is that no one can open one without asking me and then we all get a little bit so we can comment on and debate about the taste. This way we also are only taking in a tiny bit of sugar here and there, not guzzling it down.

Today's Music Choices: Aimee Mann, (because it's a rainy sort of day), Travis (because they just let me think and do my stuff without listening too hard) and Sara Bareilles (because she has a new CD out and she's talented.) Quinn called and said I have to check out Brian Wilson's new CD, Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin. I have an itunes gift card sitting here that I don't know how we got, but I might have to use it for some Gershwin completely dissected and reimagined by none other than crazy but genius Brian Wilson.

Good day one and all from cloudy southern California. e

GALCO'S. A ghetto heaven.

Here is the great place we went to after school yesterday.

In the middle of tiny-bit-rundown L.A.ish area, or maybe it was Glendale, there is a hole-in-the -wall grocery store place called GALCO'S. They have every single kind of soda made in glass bottles. No aluminum cans for GALCO'S. They seriously had this many ROOTBEERS!!! I had to get one of every single kind.

This one below had cinnamon, ginger and vanilla in it. It was different.

One had molasses in it. This one has been my favorite so far...

However, it could totally be knocked out of the running by Capt'n Eli's

or Frostie

I also got a Huckleberry soda from Jackson Hole and Mandarin Orange Jigger, because really, who doesn't want one of those if they knew they existed. Back to the store...

As 50s music blares overhead, you turn a corner and see an entire section of old-fashioned candy. Faster than you can say, "Hey look at all of this old fashioned candy!!," you start grabbing stuff and smiling like this."

The best part was seeing pictures like THIS.

(Jane will like that photo because she's pretty nostalgic for the 50s.)

Fruit Stripe gum! Candy cigarettes! Candy Buttons!

Sydney said, "Mom, I feel like we're in the movie The Sandlot." That was the perfect way to explain it. So sweet.

Why does Brett need to look at me like I'm crazy when he gets home? Am I crazy? Wouldn't YOU be grateful if your spouse bought 20 different rootbeers you had never tried? I definitely would. I'd be so grateful. I'd probably give them a back scratch for a good ten minutes.

Morning Ritual

Dad, don't go. I'm blocking the door so you can't get out. (oh yeah, and I'm in the Syd's-underwear-around-the-neck phase.)

Dad, don't leave me. We're best friends. Stay.

Hold me. I can't make it without you.

I guess mum (remember, Kate's British) will have to do. I'm so apathetic about life when you're gone that I don't even care if I have guck all over my face.

Today is a great day. I am feeling better and better each day that passes living in California. I hope that I can rub off on my girls (especially the one below) and we can, as a family, appreciate what a beautiful place this is and how lucky we really are to get this chance to experience this adventure. Trust me, this frown will soon be a smile. If you could see inside that cute head of hers, you would see a brain stretching and expanding.

Today, I walked around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with my new bff Kathie from my previous picture :) I took Kate in the stroller and we went on the 3.5 mile walking path which goes all the way around the golf course and stadium. It was the perfect walk and the exact distance I used to walk from my house, around the Bountiful temple, and back again. (minus the hills) I have always loved walking with friends and just getting to smell outdoor smells, breathe slightly polluted air, talk about STUFF, and move my body! Sweet.

We had a ward barbecue last night...a Labor Day Barbecue. Way fun. I'm about to call my son, because sometimes, darn it, I just gotta say hi and hear his voice. I'm reading A Brave New World with Maddie and The Well and the Mine which I have to finish in 2 days, because I have to lead the book group discussion on Thursday?! Help.

Finally, I am finding out why in the heck our water bill was $700 today. We think there is some huge leak in the ground and our house is about to collapse into a septic sink hole. (ok not really, but we do think there is a leak and I will get to the bottom of this.)

And of course, I get to make something of Si's. hmm.. Kate's asleep and I'm listening to Kings of Convenience before I take my shower. I love days like this. I'm going to grab the girls after school and go somewhere new.

JULIE & JULIA!

-at home in the kitchen with Erin and Si.

From our gourmet tables to yours-

Day 5: Perfect Peach Crumble

I had to make something using peaches. I had a whole bunch and I needed to take a treat to Elder and Sister Reynolds. Funny story. Brett flew into L.A. from a business trip on the night of his b-day. He wanted to meet me at the temple for the 7:30 session. I was supposed to meet him with his tie. Well, he should have known better than to ask me to remember an extra little detail like that. I can remember the millions of normal things I have to, but put one more additional, one-time thing on top of it, bam. Forgotten. Almost immediately. How long has he known me? He should have known better.

So there we were, at the L.A. temple on the night of his b-day without a stinking tie. Brett said he wouldn't go in without one. I said that the Lord knew it was ME who forgot it and would WANT us to go inside.

Nope. Not going in. It isn't right.

Come on! Don't be ridiculous. It's my fault not yours.

No way. I won't do it. I'm going home.

I can't believe this! I drove for an hour! You have a white shirt and slacks...

His birthday was almost going to end in marital disharmony when we saw Elder and Sister Reynolds coming out of the temple. We thought, what the heck?, and asked Elder Reynolds if he could take off his tie and let Brett use it for the night. They were way nice and said sure. I still can't decide if that was a completely reasonable thing to ask or way inappropriate. I decided I must make a peach something out of my peaches and take it to them with the tie. (ok that was so "a long story made short")

Bottom Line: ahhhhhhh. Warm peach crumble. The crunchy, crisp brown sugar and nuts mixes so well with the smooth warm peaches. Add a little bit of vanilla bean ice cream for the coldness overlapping the warmness and you have one GREAT treat. I made this instead of peach pie, honestly, because I could have some of it this way instead of giving one pie away. So selfish, I know :) Remember, Si's website is abountifulkitchen.com if you want a recipe.

I am now back from the place we went after school. I will post about it tomorrow. Let's just say that Brady Blake would have LOVED it. I was pretty giddy.