For the love of Avocados & the South

I love avocados & there is a law in @lana that says if you are from the south you must love fresh sweet corn. Really, it's true. I've seen fights break out when the first crops of Silver Queen sweet corn starts to run low.
The combination of sweet corn & avocados are de-vine.
And with nutritional facts like this for avocados, why not :

At only 50 calories per ounce (around three slices), and sodium and cholesterol free, they make great additions to everyday salads and sandwiches. With nearly 20 different types of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in a one ounce serving, avocados make a healthy ingredient in any dish.
So, while watching the Atlanta Braves in the play offs ;) you can make this dip and I promise you will not have any leftovers, so you may want to make it a double batch.
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Ingredients:
4 ears Sweet Corn (only the real stuff will do,make sure you know it's sweet)
2 whole Very Firm Hass Avocados, Diced
1/2 Red Onion, Diced
1/2 Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
1/2 Hot Chili Pepper, Seeded And Finely Diced (optional, only if you're crazy about HOT)
1 whole Juice Of Lime (I like lime,so I use more)
Plenty Of Chopped Cilantro
Salt To Taste
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sugar (optional)

Prep. Instructions
Slice kernels off the corn, and combine it with all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Over night is best.
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“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Just when I thought IT was over

I'm not real sure why I thought it would never happen again. I think I was prepared for people to think I was his grandma. I got that some when he was a baby. I was only 40 when he was born...not too old to have a baby, right? Although I am a *MeMe. My grandson is 6 months older than the Boy.
I guess I thought all ignorance was erased from the world or something. Evidently some assuming has been going on at the Boy's taekwondo* class. The parents kinda know we are foster parents, they've seen the babies that obviously are not of our genetics. So OK, no big deal.
Tonight, some lady I think I've said HI to twice sits down and says,"What's your son's name?" I said D@v!d. She said,"oh, is he yours or *adopted?" I was kind of dumb founded. Because believe it or not, I just think of him as my boy. When he runs to me and says I love you mommy. I don't think, oh wow, he's *adopted, I wish I were his mommy. Damn it, I am his mommy. Look up the definition of mother and I'm pretty sure you'll find me there. I looked at her and gave her my most deadpan look and said "both". The Boy's daddy was on the other side squeezing my hand, hoping like crazy that's all I'd say.
She went on to tell me, one of the older girls there was %adopted thru ^fostercare* and it was funny because everybody thought the man who brought her to taekwndo* was her dad, but was really only her ^foster dad who ^adopted her.
Need I say, that everyone who reads my blog knows I'm kinda straight forward, I don't beat around the bush. I say what I mean & mean what I say.
My husband was hanging onto my hand for dear life by this point.
BUT, people...I smiled and only said,"I bet she thinks he's her dad too".
And then she didn't say anything else to me.
I wonder if I offended her?
It's one thing if I share our story with you. It's not OK for you to start a conversation with your assumptions. If you're curious about @adoption, ask about @doption. Do not question if my son is my son.

Stack & Whack

I've been working on this quilt for what seems like forever.
I've never done this kind of quilt before and it turned out soooo nice.
It's called Stack and whack, using the wildest patterned material possible and when "pinned & cut" correctly will give you dozens of kaleidoscope images.
After each block was completed I was sure it was my favorite, until the next one was done.

I'm tired of Reality....

If Df@c& doesn't kill me first...

Wanna come with me?

GUESS WHAT?

I'm a B*t*h!
I'm sure plenty of people could have & would have told him that.
It seems one of the babies daddy stopped visiting because I had the audacity to tell him the baby could not ride a four wheeler with no helmet or other protection AND there could be no people at the visit who were not approved by the court. I am so mean, you just would not believe it. I've been known to kick dogs too. (who puts a baby on a 4 wheeler and says, "here, push this button"?)
He stopped showing up for visits about a month ago. Here, it's miss 3 visits and your out. When asked by the @birthmother why he stopped going, he told her I was, well, what I was. And that the courts were just going to take his rights away anyway, so he'd just get a head start on it.

I guess it would be fair if I called him an idiot.

My Boy...I'm not proud or anything, but

He tested for his yellow belt AND got a trophie for most respectful!
I'm not one to brag or anything, but I think he's a pretty great boy.
In the first picture when he first tied his yellow belt on, he's smiling so hard I thought his face would break in two!
When Master Bruce tied his yellow belt on, he ran over to us and almost yelled, "I got my yellow belt!!!" You sure did buddy and I'm sure it wont be your last.

ME & SAM-E

What is SAM-e?

SAM-e is a naturally occurring compound that is found in all living things. It’s distributed throughout the human body and it contributes to maintaining mood levels.

SAM-e levels tend to decline as people get older and certain groups of people, including those with low mood, tend to have lower levels of SAM-e in their bodies. When the body doesn’t make enough SAM-e on its own, taking a SAM-e supplement can support many important functions.

SAM-e Complete is a daily over-the counter dietary supplement available from retailers everywhere, as well as online. SAM-e is best known for restoring a healthy mood by promoting a balance of brain cell functions.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Clinical studies indicate that benefits are most likely evident after 7-14 days of supplementation.


I have taken Sam-E for years, how many I don't know. It was recommended by an Ortho. Dr I worked for, because I was always complaining of stiff joints (lots of tests done,nothing wrong) But I do know I can tell a difference when I don't take it.
And as for "brain cell functions" go, I don't know about you, but I can't afford to take any chances. And mood levels...when you do what I do, you need all the mood stability you can get!

**Would you like to try a 3 month trial of Sam-e?
The first to email me their snail mail address will get it.
Don't worry, your info will not show on the blog!


“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Nature Made and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review.”

Pirate Flag

The Boy wanted a Pirate flag. So we dug out stuff from the bottom of my fabric pile.
And va-la. I pirate flag for the tree house. (click on the picture for the detailed view!)
That boy is spoiled rotten.

Why I'll never Win the Lottery

I love my husband, really I do. A true love.
For 21 years I've wondered what I could have ever done to deserve
such a man. I could lie and say I had always dreamed of marrying a man like him, but the truth is, I didn't know there was a man like him to marry.
We've had our hard time like most couples (Thank you Marine Corps)We may have been married for 21 years, but the Marine Corps made certain we've only spent half that time together.
Today is our anniversary. 21 years. We decided, unspoken of course, not to buy each other anything because we are going to the big city for the weekend & visit an aquarium. (That's what you do when you have a 4 yr old on your 21st anniversary, he had a ball on our 20th on a Disney cruise) anyway......
I get up this morning and stumble to the coffee maker for my morning I.V of coffee and there sits a card & little gift. You know you've been married awhile when he knows that will be the first place you go in the morning.
When I moved the card is when I saw the little gift, he wasn't supposed to buy. It was a Randy Travis CD. It's a little inside joke of sorts. I LOVE,LURV,LUV,HEART Randy Travis. So much so, that I used to tell my girls when they were little that I was engaged to Randy Travis...he just didn't know it. For some reason my girls always thought that was hilarious. Not long after we started dating I told my husband I was engaged to Randy Travis..he didn't know. But if Randy ever came back for me, I'd have to leave him and go with Randy.
After we got married I told my husband that the only man I would ever leave him for would be Randy Travis...if he ever came back for me. Well, I haven't heard from Randy in 25 years. How long is a woman to wait?
I think I'll go ahead and keep the one I have and buy Randy's Cd's. 'Cause really, I'm sure Randy's changed over the years & I would hardly know him. I'm sure he doesn't know the first place I head is the coffee maker. Or that I stood in the kitchen and cried and laughed like a fool.
So now you know why I'll never win the lottery. I've used up all my good luck on this man. He didn't really get very much in the deal, so there's still a chance HE could win the lottery.

P.S: if it wasn't enough crying & laughing in the kitchen, I checked my email and my friend sent a singing anniversary "email" that made me laugh & cry a little more. I have a good life, who needs the lottery?

Wanna Laugh until You totally cry like a fool?

Oh, don't be silly. OF COURSE you do!
I totally stole this site from Marcia


http://www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2010/02/cakes-only-mother-could-love.html

Be sure to look at the other catagories or just start at the top and work your way down. Be sure to have a few hours & some tissues. Oh, and be sure and go pee BEFORE you start reading.
Please, you don't have to thank me.

SUMMER

It sure is fun! Kinda. Not in 100 degree heat & 98% humidity. It doesn't make for much outside fun.
This Boy is driving me the rest of the way crazy. September sure is looking good.

Breyer's Smooth & Dreamy

Breyer's has a new Smooth & Dreamy ice cream bars and sandwiches.
First, what is there NOT to like about anything from Breyer's?
These new Smooth and Dreamy ice creams are just that...smooth & dreamy.
As you can see Daddy & The Boy loves them. The Boy especially like the triple chocolate bars.
You know it's good when you look like the second picture of the Boy!

*The good part is they gave me some to share. The first person to comment with their
snail mail address will get a coupon for a free box of your choice. Since the comments are moderated your info will only be visable to me, not on the blog*

http://www.smoothanddreamy.com Go learn more about the all natural ice cream and ENTER the company's sweepstakes. I love free stuff!


"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Breyers and received products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate."

Free Stuff and Cool Stuff

I love Tip Junkies website. I've followed her for years and love the Christmas in July she has.
There's going to be great giveaways over there this year.
Go take a look.

Blogging based on random pictures

It's either blog with these random pictures around the old home stead or completely blow up blogger with what's really going on in my house...when it comes to @foster/care.
I would write so fast & furious and at such great length, because there are 2 babies here.One has been here 17 mos & another 20 mos and NOTHING is being done to *reunify or *TPR. These babies need a permanent home. But the melting of blogger would come about when I wrote of the drama, both *birthparent & *dfac@.

So instead...for your viewing pleasure, I had a birdie visitor to my bird feeder a few days ago. I had heard of this bird "condition" but never seen it.
This male cardinal was completely bald. All his feather were gone, until it reached his neck and there was a perfect ring around his neck where the feathers picked back up. When I called my husband to explain this amazing sight, I asked him if he remembered why this kind of thing happened, he said," He's been defrocked".
Get it...A Cardinal...defrocked? It's ok, I didn't either at first. My husband, I married him for his sense of humor (and he looked good in Dress Blues)

CLICK on the picture, the bird on the right is the bird. His beak is so red and stands out.

MEET THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE FAMILY

The Boy has been watching G-force a little too much. Like over and over and over.
He of course wanted a Guinea pig. I explained to him that reeeaaalll Guinea pigs didn't talk or pull off secret missions or any of the things the one's on G-force did. He informed me he knew that, his brain told him that already!!! (he's a smart boy) I'll have to watch for that later on.
Anyway, we went on a field trip to visit the real thing at a pet store. I thought if he actually saw one up close he'd change his mind. He didn't. He swore on a stack of Bibles he would feed it-water it-clean up after it-& love it forever, amen. Yeah right, this ain't my first rodeo. I've heard that like 9 million times.
Too bad for him three older sisters proceed him.
But I didn't cave this time...I let daddy do it. I told him if Daddy brought him back to the pet store and said he could have one, he could have it. Fortunate for him, I knew would Daddy fold like a cheap suit! So last night Daddy & Boy came home with a cute little guinea pig plus large cage. At first the Boy was inclined to go with the oh so original name: guinea pig. Then he wanted to watch G-force to see what the names of the guinea pigs were on there. He didn't like those either. Then we noticed a tiny white spot on top of his head (the guinea pig, not the Boy) He then proclaimed the guinea pig would be called...are you ready? Spot-Spot.
Not being inclined to watch G-force for umteenth time, we said that was the perfect name for our new family member.
I found him this morning with his hand in the cage. When I asked him what he was doing, he said, "I'm letting Spot-Spot smell my hand, that's how he knows we're his family and we love him".
Ummmmm, I don't know about you, but I'd rather find different ways to identify family members. I think I'd take hear-say over hand smelling. :)
You can click on the picture to get a better view of Spot-Spot!

My Boy Picasso & I hate dfac$

My Boy spent hours making this Lego "picture". He was very proud of it. And it is very good, if I do say so myself.

...and *dfc$...When is a law not a law??
When dfc$ decides not to follow the law. These babies are going to be here til they start college. They don't want to do *TPR, the parents aren't stable enough after 16 or 19 months to send home & nobody wants to make the move to place them in an *adoptive situation. It's like living in the Twilight Zone.

Way Totally Cool

Interesting Painting!

The painting itself is great but as you run your curser over the people it tells you who they are...BUT....(click on a person) and you obtain their life history. Fascinating!



http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Bth8u&m=1ftEpj0jDZyANL&b=2RQaQbWFXP0PFj1s5qN6VA

Tae Kwon Do Boy

The Boy has started Tae Kwon Do. He absolutely loves it. He goes around punching the air saying TAE KWON DO all day long. So much so that the babies now go around with their own version. One say, "Iee-on-dowww" and the other "dow-dow-dow. It's quite funny. The Boy also learns Korean during his lessons, so at random times he'll come to me and ask what does, kiki ko mean? (of course you know I have no idea) But I love that he gets so much more out of it than "jumping around". He does love it.
This is a before class picture and an after class picture. I think the jumping around part does both of us some good too.

A History of *Foster Care

Have you ever wondered how *Foster Care as we know it (so to speak)
came to be?
I've often thought of how the *system came to be, what it was intended to be VS. what it is now.
Raising someone* else's *children is as old as time.
In my own family background, an uncle took in a dying brother's children to raise as his own. Nothing was ever thought about it, talked about & no one even realized for generations this is what happened.
I came upon an interesting site I thought I would share with you. I've not read it all, but so far there's some interesting facts/thoughts.

http://www.uoregon.edu/~adoption/topics/fostering.htm

tell me what you think

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