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Being a mom, wife, sister, friend, amatuer blogger, crafter, wanna-be super hero... and enjoying the adventure that comes with it!
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Laughter - Good Medicine

Have you ever laughed so incredibly hard that it hurt?!  I have.  I do it quite often actually.  I just love to laugh!!  The Bible says that laughter is good like a medicine... If that is the case, I should be as healthy as an ox and live forever! =)
So, I HAVE to share this story, because I just feel the need to share some of the random hilarity that happens in my life with you, my readers.  So, indulge me...
One of my younger sisters is VERY pregnant.  She is seriously going to have this baby any day now.  So, my mom and I wanted to go over and help her clean her house and get ready for the baby!  Sounds uneventful, right?!  If you answered yes, you obviously don't know me or my family very well... Let me set up the scenario for you:  I'm in the kitchen, washing dishes, sweeping, straightening, you know, kitchen cleaning stuff.  My mom is in my sister's bedroom, rearranging and making a place for the baby's bassinet.  I'm, of course, in my own little world, working away, but I'm aware of the mumblings I hear regarding bassinet placement.  My mom suddenly calls out to me, "Kandy, come and look and see where you think the best place would be for the bassinet".  Being the obedient daughter that I am *smiles* I put down what I'm doing and head down the hall to my sister's bedroom.  As I walk into the bedroom door, I instantly catch my breath and let out a little shriek of freight, disgust and confusion!  There, on my sister's wall is a stuffed bobcat creature (full bodied) hanging on her wall!!!  "WHAT IS THAT"?!?! I asked.  My sister then proceeds to express her disgust with the creature and explain that her husband put it there and will NOT take it down.  So, I roll my eyes and mummer something about accidentally knocking it off the wall and having it find it's way to the garbage. 
With the perfect place for the bassinet picked out, I proceed back to my post in the kitchen and pick up the broom to sweep.  At this time, my mom and sister enter the kitchen to take a breather.  My sister is talking about something that I don't even recall and casually opens the refrigerator to grab, what I think is a refreshing beverage, but instead, pulls out a Styrofoam, lidded cup.  She is still talking and nonchalantly pulls off the lid and pulls out...wait for it... A WORM!!  Seriously!!!  I big, long, juicy, dirty WORM !!!!  My jaw drops, my eyes bulge and I am uncharacteristically speechless for a moment.  "YOU HAVE WORMS IN YOUR FRIDGE"?!?!?!  I shrieked.  Come to find out, it was dinner for her son's lizard pet. Seriously, what kind of freak show is this?!  A dead cat is hanging in her bedroom and she has earth worms in her fridge!  Really?!?!
My sister finds my shock and dismay somewhat hilarious.  I'm still, well, shocked and dismayed.  So I ask her, "What next?  A shrunken head in the closet"?  She laughs, grabs her big, pregnant belly and motions for me to follow her.  "No, but I'll show you what I do have in my closet", she said.  Somewhat apprehensive, I follow my little pregnant, waddling sister down her hallway to the hall closet.  She paused with her hand on the door, laughing at the whole episode that has transpired so far.  I can't help but giggle and say, "What"?!  So, she opens the door.  Thinking I had already seen it all, I casual peer inside.  What I saw next put me on the floor, holding my side, dying of laughter!!  Inside my precious little pregnant, waddling sister's hall closet was a man's prosthetic leg from the hip to the foot.  Complete with sock and shoe!  I'm laughing as I type this now, because, really, WHO HAS A PROSTHETIC LEG IN THEIR CLOSET WHEN THERE IS NO NEED FOR ONE?!?!  No one in the family has EVER had ANYTHING amputated!!


Oh...... as funny and shocking that the day's adventure was, this is pretty much the way my family rolls...  As much of a kick we get out of ourselves and the gut busting laughter that erupts out of the blue from our family, we should be the healthiest people on the planet!  So, the next time you think that YOUR family is a freak show, smile and think of mine.  You will feel EXTREMELY normal!




Wednesday, December 29, 2010

My Little Snickerdoodle

There are many things I LOVE about the holidays.  One of those many things being the food!  Who's with me?!!  I mean, really!!!  All diets go out the window when you eyeball all those fabulous holiday dishes.  I Love it!!!  I don't only enjoy EATING the food, I enjoy the cooking and preparation of it as well.  I'll admit it; I LOVE COOKING!!  I LOVE IT!! 
Every year, at Christmas time, my family makes Snickerdoodles for a lady in our church.  This lady lost her husband five years ago.  Her husband had a tradition of making Snickerdoodles every Christmas morning.  Without fail, his family had Snickerdoodles on Christmas!  Our friend was telling us about this when we were visiting with her after her husband had past away.  She had made the statement, "No Snickerdoodles this Christmas".  My husband and I both gave each other a glance and right then at that moment, we secretly vowed that she WOULD have Snickerdoodles every Christmas!  And so, every Christmas morning for the past five years, I get up and make a batch of Snickerdoodles to take to our friend on Christmas morning to continue the tradition her husband started so many years ago.
The very first Christmas we did this, I was telling her that I wasn't fond of the recipe that I had, but the cookies still tasted ok.  Through her tears, she excused herself to the kitchen and returned with a little 3X4 note card with her husband's very own Snickerdoodle recipe on it.  That is now the recipe I use every Christmas morning!
This is, by far, the BEST Snickerdoodle recipe I have ever tasted!!  I LOVE them!!! And so, I decided to share the love and pass this glorious recipe on to you!  I would also encourage you to share in a tradition with your family.  There is something special about looking forward to and KNOWING you are going to have a particular item for the holidays.  Something as simple as Snickerdoodles can really warm the heart!  Enjoy!!

Bearl's Snickerdoodle Recipe:
Mix together:
1 cup Crisco
1 cup butter/margarine
3 cups sugar
4 eggs

Sift together:
5 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp backing powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Stir together flour mixture and Crisco mixture.
Roll into balls the size of walnuts.  Roll in mixture of 4 TBSP sugar and 4 tsp of cinnamon.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake only until lightly browned.
Oven temp: 400 About 8 to 10 minutes.
Makes about 8 dozen cookies.