Gift of a Lifetime

When I was growing up stores didn't carry toys year round like they do now. The toys came in after Thanksgiving and were deemed as seasonal items. So when the toys hit the shelves you knew it wouldn't be long before Santa Claus made his grand journey. It made Christmas so much more exciting. I remember going to Huntsman's grocery store in Shelley (then located on main street) with my mother. Right above the produce sat the most fantastic creation ever--my dream doll. She was 28" tall and came with her own hair dryer, brushes, combs, and curlers. Each time we went to the store I stood and stared at the doll while my mother shopped. To my great joy dream dolly was waiting under the tree for me on Christmas morning. I quickly pulled her out of the box, grabbed a cup of water, wet her hair and started rolling it in curlers. My father (being typically male) snapped at me--something about "ruining" the new doll. My mother grabbed dad by the elbow, whispered something in his ear, at which he quickly mellowed. He came, gave me a big hug, and told me to "have fun." I will never forget that doll, the incident and that Christmas as it was to be the last Christmas we ever had with my father. To my surprise, I came upon dream dolly on ebay this morning. You can bet I placed a bid for her and am anxiously awaiting the response of the seller. They say you can't buy memories--but I'm certainly going to try. Wish me luck!

I'm No Cook

Now, I'm no cook--if I could hire anyone it would be someone to do the cooking in this house. That being said, I just have to post this recipe I got from my daughter. It's one of the easiest, most delicious recipes I've used--and I always get good results. Try it--you won't be disappointed.

Oven Rotisserie Chicken

1 whole fryer (washed and patted dry)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
one onion--quartered
Mix spices together and rub on chicken and in cavity. Stuff the quartered onion inside chicken cavity. Place in roasting pan and bake for approximately 5 hours at 250 degrees. (May cover if you like less crispy skin). The recipe says to let spices sit on bird overnight but we've never taken the time to do this. Works well with no advance marinating. The meat will fall off the bones--very easy! Enjoy!

Can't Wait

Is there anyone out there who loves Christmas as much as I do? I absolutely love this time of year as we head into the holidays. It starts with Halloween when I get to put my leafy, gold, orange, and red decorations all over the house. Then I replace my ghoulish fare with *turkey stuff*. My pilgrims are smiling on the fireplace mantle and on the kitchen island. My ceramic turkey peaks out from underneath the hand towel in the bathroom. I'm patiently waiting for Thanksgiving to arrive--along with an over-abundance of food, family and fun. And then . . . and then comes Christmas! As I write about Christmas I look outside to see snow falling for the first time this November. Yep--it's a sure sign that Christmas is coming. When I hear people complain about snow, the shopping, the time involved in preparing for the holidays I can't help but wonder if they experience the same holiday I do. For me, this truly is the best time of the year. It's exciting, it's fun, it's joyful and it's an amazing time to remember our Saviour and His love for all of us. Hold that thought--and make this Christmas one of the best ever.

Halloween Specter

This is one of the rewards of having an architect in the family. Ryan designed this ghostly silhouette for my entry wall in the new house. (Actually, he had made one for himself which I "coveted"). He was kind enough to make one for me. I had hoped to place it over the garage outside so more people could see it but everyone was of the opinion that it would be gone with the first Idaho wind. But I certainly thought everyone should see it so feel free to drop in. Come at night--it's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.! Thanks Ryan--you're AWESOME! Did I mention that this baby is 4 feet tall and 4 feet wide? Impressive!

BULL

My "doctor" hubby is about as useful to me when I'm sick--as a teat is to a bull!

Just Call Me Jane!

Jane Jetson that is! I remember a segment of the Jetson's in which Jane became frazzled and ill because she was pushing too many buttons. Her fingers were gnarled and twisted at her over-exertion. That was approximately fifty years ago. I thought it was a funny episode and for some reason I've remembered it. Well, this morning I decided that after a small amount of baking, the oven in my new house needed cleaning. But . . . I had no instruction manual for the stove. I took a long, hard look at the control panel on top of the stove, pushed the button labeled (of all things) "auto clean". And--wahhhlaaaahhh! My miracle stove locked itself and began cleaning. Now this truly is good stuff as I remember hours spent scrubbing and scouring my old ovens. You'd spray them, let them sit overnight, and then you woke up in the morning to an icky, gooey mess which was all yours! I much prefer this method. I must go lie down now as all this exertion of pushing buttons and typing on keyboards is exhausting!

Precious Gifts!

Sometimes God sends you a little gift and you have to be very observant in order to see it. I've been trying to "baby" my flowers this summer so we'd have a nice back yard for Luke & Janelle's wedding. I was successful at most, but not so lucky with others. There's a hanging planter on the back of the house that I've had to replant--I wanted vining plants that would add a touch of green to that bare spot on the house. It's finally coming along although we only have a few weeks of summer left. This morning I went out to "survey the estate" (a term my family has heard repeatedly when I wanted some 'get-away' time). To my surprise there was a little peach colored flower on one of the newly planted vines. At first I thought someone have put an artificial flower into the pot--but upon closer inspection I realized that my tenacious, little vine also flowered. It was such a nice little surpise to wake up to on this beautiful Sabbath morning--just thought I'd share.