tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82012019271206732932024-03-13T20:28:01.704-05:00Lori's House of CrazyThe hilarity of motherhood and my crazy life with three boys.Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-46157640465514865782023-03-25T13:33:00.000-05:002023-03-25T13:39:23.594-05:00Conversations With A 15-Year-Old<p>Sometimes these guys just slay me with their one-liners... and I never see it coming. Case in point:<o:p></o:p></p><p>This morning I drove Andrew to his UIL (University Interscholastic League)
district competition. Andrew is on the High School Spelling team. He can't
really spell... but that's neither here nor there. He's on the team and he's
proud to do his part, ok? Incidentally, when I say, "he can't spell", I'm not
talking about normal English words. He's proficient in that department. I mean
the bogus words they make these kids memorize. Words like...anhydrous, deuteragonist, and gypsiferous. (amusing note: spell check doesn't even know how to spell that last one. HAHAHA) <o:p></o:p></p><p>Anyway, as we were driving to the UIL meet, we had a lively conversation
about crime and whether Andrew is cut out for that life. The abridged version
goes something like this:<o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ANDERW:</span> I'm pretty sure every Mattress Firm is just a fake company.
It's a money laundering scheme, for sure. <o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: red;">ME</span>: Why do you say that?<o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ANDREW</span>: There are eight Mattress Firm stores really close to us and
they are always empty. How can that be a legit business? (He takes a minute to
calculate possible annual income if they sell three mattresses every day.
Concludes that no genuine business could operate on that.)<o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: red;">ME</span>: So, you're saying you don't want to own a Mattress Firm franchise? <o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ANDREW</span>: Nooooo! I want no part of <b>that kind of crime</b>. <o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: red;">ME</span>: What kind of crime would you prefer?<o:p></o:p></p><p>(Andrew goes on to list several ideas for crimes he might contemplate
pulling off. Things like sneaking into the federal mint and printing
money. "Real money mom... not counterfeit. I could just print whatever I
want". Other possible crime ideas involved replacing the gold at Fort Knox
with brass bars, because nobody would notice that at all. Or… “we could rob
that Brinks truck right there". I
pointed out all the ways his plans were (a) not smart and (b) would absolutely
land him in prison.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83QQ9HFBb1yUS-BKzegUorFC9mZoH7PJqQxipApqxeMkTOogDjybA6H8ysr5l90Yf0bIN4nZpKztSxw0YnfFF1oimUwFMyf61O0yHuB7sEBkDPvdAcJonZage7_K03gaatEG7yxIy5i4EW-X8QTaqpPMqUPbvnI3Hr-pkTPbqU-bqshIwNdzbOgY2/s300/Cartoon%20Jail%20Guy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83QQ9HFBb1yUS-BKzegUorFC9mZoH7PJqQxipApqxeMkTOogDjybA6H8ysr5l90Yf0bIN4nZpKztSxw0YnfFF1oimUwFMyf61O0yHuB7sEBkDPvdAcJonZage7_K03gaatEG7yxIy5i4EW-X8QTaqpPMqUPbvnI3Hr-pkTPbqU-bqshIwNdzbOgY2/w276-h276/Cartoon%20Jail%20Guy.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="color: red;">ME</span>: Okay so when you're in prison, I'm not baking you a cake with a file in
it.</p><p><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ANDREW</span>: How about a blow torch?<o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: red;">ME</span>: (blank stare)<o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ANDREW</span>: You should bake a cake with a file in it....<o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: red;">ME</span>: (cutting him off) That would be a felony....<o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ANDREW</span>: (continuing his thought before he was rudely interrupted) …and when
they scan the cake, they will find it contains a blank flash drive... without a
file. (rim shot)<o:p></o:p></p><p>And that's when my coffee hit the windshield.<o:p></o:p></p><p>I'm not sure how I'm supposed to interpret this kid's thought process. Is he
punking me with really awful criminal ideas to sweat me out? Or does he have a not-so-genius criminal mind? Either way, extra prayers for this one won't
hurt.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p>*** Note to FBI agent: Relax. It's a joke.<br />
(And also... it makes me sad that I need to spell
that out these days.)<o:p></o:p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-83331545273307707472022-10-31T11:30:00.001-05:002022-10-31T11:52:30.845-05:00The Christmas List<p> "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for an individual to create a list of wishes and needs regarding Christmas..."</p><p>And this is how Daniel's thirteen page Christmas <strike>List</strike> Proposal begins. With an abstract page paraphrasing the Declaration of Independence, which is referenced on page 11. </p><p>Let's just take a stroll through this masterpiece mmkay? </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>The Title Page</b></h2><p>This is what happens when a highly intelligent sixteen-year-old is enrolled in dual credit high school/college courses. He learns about the required APA format for college papers. I highly recommend visiting the web page listed on his title page, <a href="https://danclouddata.com/index.php/s/frjgqkDtpm6CXzL?dir=undefined&openfile=143333" target="_blank">here</a>, and then click the play button next to "Submit a Modification Request". </p><p>(Doh... he got me!)</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomNCJDC-uY4-lu6O8uMU9R5aKo_6lSa1WWwQDMcK-K693Ja1INiamY1Wn9m5y35_NAMv5dfyQkLsB7Ma0etFC0F6GQSNbyusZGqcKBEmM6nnWjwPDEEBEQNtmHzAm27G_b6Or7MVHKhdBujWKtSsmxFepV0oDSbGOizDvTZY7Z0M1_uH_7C5Bu8Oy/s3045/1%20Title%20Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1837" data-original-width="3045" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomNCJDC-uY4-lu6O8uMU9R5aKo_6lSa1WWwQDMcK-K693Ja1INiamY1Wn9m5y35_NAMv5dfyQkLsB7Ma0etFC0F6GQSNbyusZGqcKBEmM6nnWjwPDEEBEQNtmHzAm27G_b6Or7MVHKhdBujWKtSsmxFepV0oDSbGOizDvTZY7Z0M1_uH_7C5Bu8Oy/w640-h386/1%20Title%20Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>The Abstract Page</b></h2><p></p><p>Because the greatest papers paraphrase Thomas Jefferson. I mean... you just can't go wrong with a Jefferson reference.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8qsJyt4s4ZGYl-28rmQN8TZgE7g5Y_9RVdhTF_cERpzHK_nYBhJBKOfR2TNN7xenPSuuJgLV6CHszAuALP6Q8WXmpxj-2GXFLwOV1o6t-aaMgsGOYkMV7xM0vHyJ8JId6p3HiKHybGA5I32oiawLbnRl0ATtbFGdRGp9mh0mzbwPoeRQ0UKZHUWS/s1151/Abstract%20page.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1151" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8qsJyt4s4ZGYl-28rmQN8TZgE7g5Y_9RVdhTF_cERpzHK_nYBhJBKOfR2TNN7xenPSuuJgLV6CHszAuALP6Q8WXmpxj-2GXFLwOV1o6t-aaMgsGOYkMV7xM0vHyJ8JId6p3HiKHybGA5I32oiawLbnRl0ATtbFGdRGp9mh0mzbwPoeRQ0UKZHUWS/w640-h396/Abstract%20page.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Pages 3-10</h2><div>Here's where we get to the meat of the paper. This remarkably inventive narrative describes Daniel's reasoning for the items on his wish list. Notice how he leaves little "Easter eggs" for me to find. Also noteworthy are the random quotes which are peppered throughout . Because it's not truly a complete paper unless you cite quotes from experts.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPeDxw4pcu5ysaeH8qk9AWo2vAjX9fHiCuYCXXog0gBd4WoOW_dOdlOxbrzUIuwdx7R4Ts27dZRTtFIS_sdPupuwl3yeo2eQcy8NP1eUFu_J08Pd8lYcqSaqdiTQfw3TNnFteP3dHl3OkQWFpOtVmv8niz-QEKrq6MlQAaDb5_r4trOtg05-SQTWl/s3155/World%20domination%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3155" data-original-width="2283" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPeDxw4pcu5ysaeH8qk9AWo2vAjX9fHiCuYCXXog0gBd4WoOW_dOdlOxbrzUIuwdx7R4Ts27dZRTtFIS_sdPupuwl3yeo2eQcy8NP1eUFu_J08Pd8lYcqSaqdiTQfw3TNnFteP3dHl3OkQWFpOtVmv8niz-QEKrq6MlQAaDb5_r4trOtg05-SQTWl/w464-h640/World%20domination%202.png" width="464" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>World Domination? This child has lofty goals. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrt0UWYqUqOEsq3U0SRpu6dqlUkTY6b29JlDHUSoFmUzX93m71mfKsTcv2FsFp3aw5hO4LFTKd5Es958Kh2sp0h2V9ztKfLkzKOYGCCUR2sDPeKp5NEQ6VXmI5bzaOhNfmWZVb3kVL_UpT0rCBrvcGULzCs3wHTEYsPkXzepjSn8GWi53guF5wBlB/s3224/Page%204%20zoom.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3224" data-original-width="2288" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrt0UWYqUqOEsq3U0SRpu6dqlUkTY6b29JlDHUSoFmUzX93m71mfKsTcv2FsFp3aw5hO4LFTKd5Es958Kh2sp0h2V9ztKfLkzKOYGCCUR2sDPeKp5NEQ6VXmI5bzaOhNfmWZVb3kVL_UpT0rCBrvcGULzCs3wHTEYsPkXzepjSn8GWi53guF5wBlB/w454-h640/Page%204%20zoom.png" width="454" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">But he does, apparently, care about the people's will. So that's good.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxPfZQLy5W6hYUf-XWKS7DKiqE_cthpi_Pp8cvzheVrM-s54yYgvnFN9TYnjzDBAxkaT-AmCAdtmVHufgORSqeo_9p-DVruVP7L2udHDB7aGz4n9-gfrVgPwHdeKbH6uSokpHX5CrI8aax-CP1e11jEut4E-Sgw7PGE2Wyoc_pMNpu2U1ZOds94tE/s4032/Rocket%20Launcher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxPfZQLy5W6hYUf-XWKS7DKiqE_cthpi_Pp8cvzheVrM-s54yYgvnFN9TYnjzDBAxkaT-AmCAdtmVHufgORSqeo_9p-DVruVP7L2udHDB7aGz4n9-gfrVgPwHdeKbH6uSokpHX5CrI8aax-CP1e11jEut4E-Sgw7PGE2Wyoc_pMNpu2U1ZOds94tE/s4032/Rocket%20Launcher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjavAsFgLO6uBHXii4b0GGggray3hCtMhuTJ-pNI4ZdhnIb8Z1v_8QKqzGAZTx52z3noDh7-GjVcURpy4qMFKfwYVu7u8aKOLSIkHaNqRfnnPkrdESh0oK1SGofSBf8GAPqxvbNww2NYhliEx-WwyN7mG9TKjmP5i-aNd1pmbX85vK27PR6STTpO7/s4032/IMG_0694.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjavAsFgLO6uBHXii4b0GGggray3hCtMhuTJ-pNI4ZdhnIb8Z1v_8QKqzGAZTx52z3noDh7-GjVcURpy4qMFKfwYVu7u8aKOLSIkHaNqRfnnPkrdESh0oK1SGofSBf8GAPqxvbNww2NYhliEx-WwyN7mG9TKjmP5i-aNd1pmbX85vK27PR6STTpO7/w480-h640/IMG_0694.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>I love you too, my dear, but what Detroit and antidisestablishmentarianism have to do with your Christmas list is beyond me. Nice quote from the expert.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFf5g8l6Cu3H7KgGkTBd4jjwpRsTgc8MK-MP6WB_7DJCLcIyrUO4tjzG-dgnmJ0B-HuCvf-Uriesu9xPp7R1hAGgwchY-TZfZABSs9jh1emZbZYBFOhRgmA6ZpUwQBgdAX6lFctYzshnr_o2rPrQgdyaLGaR4yij-CQanTMMokV3hO4QlQouQn1I9V/s3389/Page%209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_uRKSrvrZdeqYDzyQ6DuPYuhMhQgjKEH-TSBrS4phXOhVj_QYDdeL2Lt1L8dYJI5SZnTvvNLtqJp3mykRRVtbIviWHwXMa2Yna_wt8PkswdcW7gIghgaOt8CvqrZvC-Orh4MNHB5RMVcVFHZ_w5NsellYNNrADW_q2vKdru0VFYuzF-AuQob1fyJ/s3572/Silo%20based%20ballistic%20missile.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1741" data-original-width="3572" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_uRKSrvrZdeqYDzyQ6DuPYuhMhQgjKEH-TSBrS4phXOhVj_QYDdeL2Lt1L8dYJI5SZnTvvNLtqJp3mykRRVtbIviWHwXMa2Yna_wt8PkswdcW7gIghgaOt8CvqrZvC-Orh4MNHB5RMVcVFHZ_w5NsellYNNrADW_q2vKdru0VFYuzF-AuQob1fyJ/w640-h312/Silo%20based%20ballistic%20missile.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I mean... who doesn't want a Silo-Based Intercontinental Ballistic Missile?</div><div>(Aaaannnnd...the House of Crazy blog was just flagged by the FBI for investigation. Hey Feds... no need to raid the crazy house or anything. Just a joke mmmkay?)<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxPfZQLy5W6hYUf-XWKS7DKiqE_cthpi_Pp8cvzheVrM-s54yYgvnFN9TYnjzDBAxkaT-AmCAdtmVHufgORSqeo_9p-DVruVP7L2udHDB7aGz4n9-gfrVgPwHdeKbH6uSokpHX5CrI8aax-CP1e11jEut4E-Sgw7PGE2Wyoc_pMNpu2U1ZOds94tE/s4032/Rocket%20Launcher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxPfZQLy5W6hYUf-XWKS7DKiqE_cthpi_Pp8cvzheVrM-s54yYgvnFN9TYnjzDBAxkaT-AmCAdtmVHufgORSqeo_9p-DVruVP7L2udHDB7aGz4n9-gfrVgPwHdeKbH6uSokpHX5CrI8aax-CP1e11jEut4E-Sgw7PGE2Wyoc_pMNpu2U1ZOds94tE/w480-h640/Rocket%20Launcher.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Does a guy who has a Silo-Based Intercontinental Ballistic Missile really need a rocket launcher too? I suppose if world domination is the goal, he probably does.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">References</h2><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0gnY-D3Aufr04zYXwlwVlQg7nqjd-brSV9atfrB2GCrPytA7Pi7ivoiZdQZMKRDSRWHmIHLl5gD07NMhtbviL2oAl_zuDpOPFz6TqygY0ur750EvR0N8nA8pl9GTQ8uObgnpg2QHlFpSiFPE_O7nkbxO7Eai1QtiOVLeWUagUqywuQRjWjOr_JgO/s3024/References.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1340" data-original-width="3024" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0gnY-D3Aufr04zYXwlwVlQg7nqjd-brSV9atfrB2GCrPytA7Pi7ivoiZdQZMKRDSRWHmIHLl5gD07NMhtbviL2oAl_zuDpOPFz6TqygY0ur750EvR0N8nA8pl9GTQ8uObgnpg2QHlFpSiFPE_O7nkbxO7Eai1QtiOVLeWUagUqywuQRjWjOr_JgO/w640-h284/References.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Got my handy dandy red pen out to make a little correction. He's going to hate that I found an error. 😂</div><div>I love how he lists "America" as the publisher here. Also noteworthy is the fictional "Not Communist Journal", which published Daniel's article, "<i>Why You Should Give Me Free Stuff</i>". I wonder if that's a 3000 word article with 57 actual words. Things to ponder. </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The List</h2><div>On page twelve we finally get to the actual list of things that I asked him to submit five weeks ago. Now I know why it took him this long to get his list to me. See... when I asked for his Christmas list, I was thinking he'd get a pen and a post-it note and jot down a few ideas. You know... like his brothers did. So, twelve pages later we learn that Daniel doesn't really want a rocket launcher and world domination. What he really wants is listed in a tidy table under the categories "I NEED ITTTT", "I Really Want It", and "I Want It". I love how "Get a stock account set up" is an actual item on his actual Christmas List. So like... are we expecting Santa to set up an AmeriTrade account and purchase a few Google stocks, or what?</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFSaRQSDfhDGumAPcpedG0dQFC3YGyjZgzjAMWi_zzpED5UpbAQaENdRGrXLqjPzZ8LIEyu7pjW4mSfvyECDVB2FX5fJJOGeOrTJAVeTqZR5KE6rRopqEqb3c0xX-tpSO_cVhla79Kok6w_TiCIFo8u3QUNoMxUKtQEMTQYxBwkxYdG6BJyjkP-vB/s2688/The%20List2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="2688" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFSaRQSDfhDGumAPcpedG0dQFC3YGyjZgzjAMWi_zzpED5UpbAQaENdRGrXLqjPzZ8LIEyu7pjW4mSfvyECDVB2FX5fJJOGeOrTJAVeTqZR5KE6rRopqEqb3c0xX-tpSO_cVhla79Kok6w_TiCIFo8u3QUNoMxUKtQEMTQYxBwkxYdG6BJyjkP-vB/w640-h580/The%20List2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>And there you have it... Daniel's Christmas List. I am tempted to run it through plagiarism software to see if his work is original. But since I'm pretty sure there is no other kid on earth who would prepare a thirteen page APA formatted term paper as a Christmas list, I'm just going to assume there is no plagiarism going on here. </div><div><br /></div><div>This kid!!!! 💗</div><div><br /></div><div>p.s. I finished Christmas shopping for Daniel last week! Fortunately, my astute intuition kicked in and I actually got some of the things he listed. AmeriTrade account TBD.</div>Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-81240586207197920422022-10-02T15:15:00.004-05:002022-10-31T11:38:27.326-05:00Breaking News! Cheeto Guy Has Another Genius Idea<p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4YtWnUIYXjutOkLnRVnFmD7WpotME658l_OsuFAKkV_zlMu3oJE5IwfqjaHsRCD3CfOiNhGBI6UwS03BM6A_5pDVheB9C86CMcZvMqbfwLYEah_WyYtPxNckPo_R4Eueo150mzSSXhIKicRw3umP_VaLjwQ_2S7W7OdUr5Dd81Vjx0dOe0aNtNO3/s567/Orange%20Suit.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="439" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4YtWnUIYXjutOkLnRVnFmD7WpotME658l_OsuFAKkV_zlMu3oJE5IwfqjaHsRCD3CfOiNhGBI6UwS03BM6A_5pDVheB9C86CMcZvMqbfwLYEah_WyYtPxNckPo_R4Eueo150mzSSXhIKicRw3umP_VaLjwQ_2S7W7OdUr5Dd81Vjx0dOe0aNtNO3/w227-h293/Orange%20Suit.png" width="227" /></a></div><i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">(*If you haven't read the recent "Cheeto Guy" post, click <a href="https://lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2022/10/cheeto-guy.html" target="_blank">here</a> to catch up. You won't be sorry, I promise.)</span></i><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">So, here's an update to the Cheeto Guy post. Andrew has informed me that he wants to get this orange suit for his senior prom in two years. Kohls.com carries this suit in every color you can imagine. Incidentally, they also carry suits with the American flag, the Canadian Flag, and in a fabric featuring lovely pink flamingos. Just FYI. You can see all the fantastic suit designs <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-3747984/mens-suitmeister-slim-fit-solid-pink-suit-tie-set.jsp?color=Orange&prdPV=2" target="_blank">here</a>. (Note: this post is not sponsored by Kohl's, however, perhaps I should take a page from Cheeto Guy's play book and ask them. Look, a corporate sponsorship does not come to people who do not ask. Truth!) </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Back to Andrew's prom attire. This kiddo is cooking up big plans and his vision is far more grand than a mere $59.00 orange suit. You see, Andrew plans to have the Cheeto logo <b>printed on the back</b>. Classy, right?</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So this revelation from Cheeto Guy leads me to these four thoughts:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">If anyone can pull off an orange Cheeto suit at the prom, it's Andrew. I mean, at this point an orange Cheeto suit is expected and practically required. </span></li><li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Any girl who will put up with this planned Cheeto Prom attire, is a treasure to be cherished. Fact!</span></li><li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">If his date wears a blue dress they could totally get away with it, since the school colors are orange and blue. </span></li><li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">That thought conjures up this image... </span></li></ol><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFG7rwumn7NFXABBevRgUAV4juVnr4SzdhPFQwOJRliqKpYh9SjV7HCihME46eqgCxtQvxqG2QLlyHRDw2jWKXgVPpj75JbhbGiNETJesN-guI9COS_zkGNcsnGiurh0RuJPWUTG5TxxJiYCzr89f2-JhYakvJ1-h-h01lLIGKmjJN5V7waLjJ8F2K/s565/Dumb%20and%20Dumber.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="565" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFG7rwumn7NFXABBevRgUAV4juVnr4SzdhPFQwOJRliqKpYh9SjV7HCihME46eqgCxtQvxqG2QLlyHRDw2jWKXgVPpj75JbhbGiNETJesN-guI9COS_zkGNcsnGiurh0RuJPWUTG5TxxJiYCzr89f2-JhYakvJ1-h-h01lLIGKmjJN5V7waLjJ8F2K/w407-h276/Dumb%20and%20Dumber.png" width="407" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">...I don't even know how to process that thought. I just don't.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">But I suspect that Andrew will have a few fantastic stories for his grandkids one day...complete with excellent photos to prove it all happened. So there's that! </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-18274473797726732482022-10-01T19:06:00.002-05:002022-10-31T11:36:50.320-05:00Cheeto Guy<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii011bVpYW7SUOXtDqp_yl4vkLRmYWIrOsgvyHUc0KjiimWFUOjxp4adYYXZLrPUXZ5zWlx1KlCvox8m0buABCZly5oLWWjXQzJDTuYB7ub6ZH9yt5d8lViDby2JSBne_BbIpfejXtSoIwPTXkV6GlF0XtZOpzDIywL9a8cVC8m40AIrGBX2sddRDw/s4032/IMG_0639.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii011bVpYW7SUOXtDqp_yl4vkLRmYWIrOsgvyHUc0KjiimWFUOjxp4adYYXZLrPUXZ5zWlx1KlCvox8m0buABCZly5oLWWjXQzJDTuYB7ub6ZH9yt5d8lViDby2JSBne_BbIpfejXtSoIwPTXkV6GlF0XtZOpzDIywL9a8cVC8m40AIrGBX2sddRDw/s320/IMG_0639.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s been two and a half years since my last
post. Either I'm lame, lazy, or lack inspiration. Truth be told it's probably a
combination of all three. Also, there was the whole COVID-19 extravaganza that
sort of killed my sense of humor. But here I am, back at it. Not giving in to
the absolute crap show our world has become. I WILL find humor in life...dang
it!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So,
with that, I give you the latest happenings at the House of Crazy. Enter
"Cheeto Guy". </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Cheeto
Guy, AKA Andrew, is a monster of my own creation. It all began while Army Guy
and I were Christmas shopping in 2019. We stumbled upon a Cheeto hoodie, and we
both had the same light bulb moment at the exact same time. "Andrew would love
that", we said in unison. Yep, we were right, Andrew did, indeed,
love it. In fact, he has loved that hoodie so much he now has four Cheeto
hoodies and wears NOTHING ELSE for going on three straight years. Lovely! The
entire school knows Andrew as "Cheeto Guy". He's a living, breathing
advertisement for the Frito-Lay company. Everywhere we go, someone from school
knows him. They don't know his real name though, he's just "Cheeto
Guy". And now, by default, I am "Cheeto Guy's Mom".
See kids, the choices we make have a profound impact on everyone in the family. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Early
on I tried to get Cheeto Guy to wear something else. Especially to church. But
nope... "Cheeto is my way of life, mom", Andrew explained. I had
flashbacks to when Andrew was four and I let him wear any Halloween costume whenever he wanted to. It was totally normal to have breakfast with Spiderman,
Ironman, or some random Ninja guy. How is this any different? Clearly the
precedence was set a long time ago. So, I gave up the fight. Yup, I decided
this isn’t a battle worth fighting. Cheeto Guy is a part of our family now and
I have to live with the beast of my own creation. DRAT.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Recently
Andrew informed me that he contacted the Frito-Lay company asking for a
sponsorship. HAHAHAHA! There you go, kiddo. If you're going to spend
three years as a walking-talking billboard for Cheetos, they should at least
pay you. Good thinking. So, here's his plan: Andrew seeks a monthly
stipend to continue his advertising campaign through the "Cheeto
way". Additionally, he would like to get an orange car and have it
wrapped to reflect his Cheeto Lifestyle... for a fee of course. Andrew thinks
this will generate enough cash for</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span> </span><span> </span>1) the
car<br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span> </span><span> </span>2)
college </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I like
the way you think, kid.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">At this
time, we await a reply from Frito-Lay. I'm not holding my breath, but if I were
the advertising manager for Cheetos, I might be tempted to accept this ad
campaign. Just for kicks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And
now, please enjoy this Cheeto photo shoot with a sign Andrew made in woodshop.
I mean...who wouldn't want this kid as their spokesman? 😂😂😂</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVRJ5CQjLv3HX6cKk7KH2uFAt-FmN8ASNsmjgeyYDC3jCLgwu5r99BQFd3DP0KBPU7vgP4L4pb_nRlRnT6nS7GeBVL4IFoi3551n4rRA6v2W84t4mGD3LAz7GbXT0ZDT4IAreQcXOqbl2Sirnsm94IznobklPehh37b2lEkJP1p5iYzZysbaI6Qco/s4032/IMG_0640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVRJ5CQjLv3HX6cKk7KH2uFAt-FmN8ASNsmjgeyYDC3jCLgwu5r99BQFd3DP0KBPU7vgP4L4pb_nRlRnT6nS7GeBVL4IFoi3551n4rRA6v2W84t4mGD3LAz7GbXT0ZDT4IAreQcXOqbl2Sirnsm94IznobklPehh37b2lEkJP1p5iYzZysbaI6Qco/s320/IMG_0640.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IFmANoYv8sJfkBA_BcDOYzio5e-ksl9QRb6h9GR8d_WAAlieG49bBoXmW49v2vZNWL25_cLcd99pTEkLRLjf2sHNGVLlZ2T3WsasuoXPLlj4bH6RvPV41sNUM7PNFu8boJav5On8m_N6UGpTf7DevPD2atJiUMKou6z6rXyJBhUVxLj_OY3fCAWu/s4032/IMG_0641.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IFmANoYv8sJfkBA_BcDOYzio5e-ksl9QRb6h9GR8d_WAAlieG49bBoXmW49v2vZNWL25_cLcd99pTEkLRLjf2sHNGVLlZ2T3WsasuoXPLlj4bH6RvPV41sNUM7PNFu8boJav5On8m_N6UGpTf7DevPD2atJiUMKou6z6rXyJBhUVxLj_OY3fCAWu/s320/IMG_0641.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuJox7R1I5AIhSCUjByXxWCVonHJQyggikwSFPSF3p87Y_eOr4nLHRI1Lm9N1J-hjxHpAvkHT1Quly1iTsrPrNU_U4PoH9P63QSPX0Poia7WTuoPEnme50aIm-nBHmEtT9XOd9mKk5iyhQ8NHMr5eNMLAF6KAAikKmj2caVsMcQNDrft04y9LiGCg/s4032/IMG_0642.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuJox7R1I5AIhSCUjByXxWCVonHJQyggikwSFPSF3p87Y_eOr4nLHRI1Lm9N1J-hjxHpAvkHT1Quly1iTsrPrNU_U4PoH9P63QSPX0Poia7WTuoPEnme50aIm-nBHmEtT9XOd9mKk5iyhQ8NHMr5eNMLAF6KAAikKmj2caVsMcQNDrft04y9LiGCg/s320/IMG_0642.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPA2ePDutNH82Mh_EvB9oBjiByR4XEV0mRfybr8LIVVblOcqtyHSh86px9otrVRe0o_Tfz4H8EGVfE45qCteLakOLK10HOHpCA_3j4GDy0UnmWI8-_CGnPV-0ycMrz_BiZT66cYonXIZPkmWyyr8WseSs3cLTIOMGz-WpB5uMBMzAKcHd3srwmxEbA/s4032/IMG_0643.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPA2ePDutNH82Mh_EvB9oBjiByR4XEV0mRfybr8LIVVblOcqtyHSh86px9otrVRe0o_Tfz4H8EGVfE45qCteLakOLK10HOHpCA_3j4GDy0UnmWI8-_CGnPV-0ycMrz_BiZT66cYonXIZPkmWyyr8WseSs3cLTIOMGz-WpB5uMBMzAKcHd3srwmxEbA/s320/IMG_0643.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VCxMgmtWVfi4Asx14lKhgUvEKV8LN7wd_SHkQpauvAPS_yA_db30zzun8widhIxX-obMTO9e6AzSiULF47AVUNCtPcP4xr5Hit161zIPwcj-kDA-ux5eBa7b59MQA6Lyg78wIcMVs93Pq8QnbZIlMKp8AhSuYPoEeWRHpssYR_mVkoVgHlSGOQJH/s4032/IMG_0645.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VCxMgmtWVfi4Asx14lKhgUvEKV8LN7wd_SHkQpauvAPS_yA_db30zzun8widhIxX-obMTO9e6AzSiULF47AVUNCtPcP4xr5Hit161zIPwcj-kDA-ux5eBa7b59MQA6Lyg78wIcMVs93Pq8QnbZIlMKp8AhSuYPoEeWRHpssYR_mVkoVgHlSGOQJH/s320/IMG_0645.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div>Click <a href="https://lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2022/10/breaking-news-cheeto-guy-has-another.html">here</a> for the update to this story. It just gets better and better 😂</div>Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-56210998198499900882020-04-18T16:11:00.000-05:002022-10-01T20:58:09.550-05:00Disrupting the Order of the Universe<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Daniel: “Mom, want to see the most</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">outrageous thing ever?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Me: “sure”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Daniel: (takes a bite of a Kit Kat.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A BITE!.... OF A KIT KAT!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">He’s such a rebel!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Clearly I have failed as a mother.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That grin though... </span><br />
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-68917062521758846712020-04-02T16:54:00.000-05:002020-04-12T13:07:22.184-05:00Red Door Frames for Passover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The world has gone mad.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">W</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e are living in some pretty scary times, and it's about to get a whole lot worse. Right now there is a plague of locusts in both the Middle East and Africa and we've had reports of rivers turning to blood. Listen, I know the internet is filled with fake news and video is easy to edit with the proper equipment; but head over to YouTube and search for <a href="https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS751US751&ei=v1GGXrCoCuewtgWN6rXoDg&q=locusts%20in%20the%20middle%20east%20site%3Ayoutube.com&oq=you&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgcIABCDARBDMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyBQgAEIMBOgQIABBHOggIABCDARCRAjoECAAQClDeDFiwGmCGKWgBcAF4AIABSogB9AGSAQE0mAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab&ved=2ahUKEwjwg-3m0MroAhVnmK0KHQ11De0Q2wF6BAgQEAg" target="_blank">"locusts in the middle east"</a> and you will find lots and lots of videos. It's astonishing. Even CNN has reported on this issue. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, what exactly is going on? Locusts, "blood" rivers, a world-wide virus and earthquakes? To top it all off, we are in a situation where the world financial system could crash, making it super easy for a financial "reset", then putting the world on a new monetary system. ONE system for the entire world. Next up is a one-world government and the mark of the beast. Am I a conspiracy theorist or are we witnessing the beginning of the end? </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Call me crazy, but I </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">think</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> we are about to see something epic. I truly believe we're in </span><i style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+1&version=NIV" target="_blank">Revelation</a></i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> territory</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> here. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since we've been stuck in our homes for going on three weeks, I've had all the time in the world to ponder this situation. This brought me to the book of Exodus and the story of Moses, who led the God’s people from captivity in Egypt. I began thinking about the plagues that God brought upon Egypt in order to convince Pharaoh to free His people. You can read about the ten plagues beginning in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+7&version=NIV" target="_blank">Exodus chapter 7</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a breakdown of those plagues:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rivers turned to blood</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Frogs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gnats</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Flies</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Death of all (Egyptian) Livestock</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Boils</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hail</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Locusts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Total Darkness </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Death of all firstborn</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, after a night of death for the firstborn in Egypt, Pharaoh let God's people go. But why didn't the plague of death include the firstborn of the Hebrew nation? Because God made a way for them. He instructed His people to slaughter lambs and paint the outside of their door frames with the blood. Then they were told to hide away inside their homes until morning. Blood on the door frame was a signal to the angel of death to pass over that household. </span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Exod-12-21" id="en-NIV-1838" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">21 </span>Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-1838AK" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-1838AK" title="See cross-reference AK">AK</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> lamb.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text Exod-12-22" id="en-NIV-1839" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">22 </span>Take a bunch of hyssop,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-1839AL" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-1839AL" title="See cross-reference AL">AL</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-1839AM" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-1839AM" title="See cross-reference AM">AM</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> on the top and on both sides of the door frame. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text Exod-12-23" id="en-NIV-1840" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">23 </span>When the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> goes through the land to strike<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-1840AN" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-1840AN" title="See cross-reference AN">AN</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> down the Egyptians, he will see the blood<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-1840AO" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-1840AO" title="See cross-reference AO">AO</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> on the top and sides of the door frame and will pass over<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-1840AP" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-1840AP" title="See cross-reference AP">AP</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-1840AQ" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-1840AQ" title="See cross-reference AQ">AQ</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> to enter your houses and strike you down.</span><span class="text Exod-12-23" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"> Exodus 12:21-23</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That night the Children of Israel were spared from death by the blood on their door frames, just as God had promised. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With all that is going on right now, I thought maybe it would be a good idea for Christians everywhere to signal to the world that we trust in God. We can do this by symbolizing the blood of the lamb on our door frames. This thought came to me two nights ago, and then yesterday two friends on Facebook posted the same idea. I truly believe God is asking Christians to step up and show our faith.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I believe it is no coincidence that, here in the United States, we are expecting peak death from the COVID-19 virus exactly during the week of Passover. God uses symbols to communicate His messages so, as Christians, let's use a symbol to communicate our faith in God. Place red over your door frame for Passover this year (April 8-16). You can use ribbon, fabric, paper, streamers, balloons, or anything you have on hand. Cover your door frame in red as a symbol of the blood of Jesus and your trust in God. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course there is no power in red ribbon, but there is power in the blood of Jesus. How wonderful would it be for Christians around the world to observe Passover along with Easter this year? Some may decide to take this a step further and celebrate Passover the traditional Jewish way with unleavened bread, roasted lamb, and bitter herbs. Whatever you decide to do in your home is fine, but let's all cover our doors with red to symbolize our faith in God and our trust in the blood of Jesus.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After adding some red to your door frame, take a photo and share it with us in this <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/210826166871128/" target="_blank">Facebook Group</a>. You are also welcome to post prayers, scripture and anything inspirational or encouraging. Then share this blog post and the Facebook group with your friends. Let's see red door frames around the world, signifying that Christians are standing together and trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's also continue to pray for each other and for the world. It's going to get rough, but we can get through this together if we keep our focus solidly on Jesus.</span><br />
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-16603434978726940982020-02-21T17:42:00.003-06:002022-10-01T20:58:25.195-05:00Grandma's Apple Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghJ_tmal6Ygm-HNb7-qirQPg97xmZ-XE9czW1pR6qbjJImhSoQ5GMk323Q8V3BeJ2OiTrYV_PAmn0RwDkJHl7OoAzX_KNpw3NT4AEtIBsuYUwLNgdoEOKzuFDaMDTJguZ_zBucz09D4I/s1600/apple+cake.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghJ_tmal6Ygm-HNb7-qirQPg97xmZ-XE9czW1pR6qbjJImhSoQ5GMk323Q8V3BeJ2OiTrYV_PAmn0RwDkJHl7OoAzX_KNpw3NT4AEtIBsuYUwLNgdoEOKzuFDaMDTJguZ_zBucz09D4I/s400/apple+cake.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color: #783f04;">If there is one thing that brings back memories of my childhood, specifically at Thanksgiving or Christmas, it would be Grandma's Apple Cake. Grandma always had her irresistibly delicious apple cake on the dessert table next to the pumpkin and boysenberry pies. </span><span style="color: #783f04;">Though boysenberry is my all-time favorite pie, and Grandma made it perfectly, I simply could not resist that apple cake. </span><span style="color: #783f04;">(Who am I kidding...? </span></span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #783f04;">I had both. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream too). </span><br />
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<span face=""Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #783f04;">This cake is like no other apple cake recipe I have tried. It is loaded with chunky bits of apple and walnuts and then drizzled with a yummy cream cheese icing. Grandma also added raisins. I ate them when I was ten; but now that I can make the cake myself, there will be no raisins. It's your call if you want to raisin it up. Either way, this cake will not disappoint. </span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><u><b>Ingredients</b></u></span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">4 cups apples </span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">2 cups sugar</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">1 tsp vanilla</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">1 tsp cinnamon</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">1 cup raisins (optional)</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">1/2 cup oil</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">2 cups flour</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">2 tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">1 tsp salt</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">Preheat oven to 375 degrees.</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">Peel and chop apples. Break eggs over apples and stir. Add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, walnuts, raisins, and oil. Mix. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to apple mixture and blend well. The batter will be very thick and lumpy. Place batter in a greased and floured Bundt cake pan. Bake at 375 for one hour. </span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">Allow to cool for 30 minutes and then remove from pan. Drizzle with cream cheese icing and finely chopped walnuts.</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">Serves 12.</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: x-small;">Per serving: 315 Calories; 12.1g fat; 4.6g protein; 49.5g carbohydrates.</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><b><u>Cream Cheese Icing</u></b></span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">1/2 brick cream cheese</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">3-4 tbs milk</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">1 tsp vanilla</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">1 tbs powdered sugar</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">Mix all ingredients until thin enough to drizzle over cake. If too thick, continue to add milk, one teaspoon at a time, until you get the desired consistency.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lPwXPNf12VpkZuqzs-fdLMQKEIngf_TI_sSk5KL9slKLRIBarDArFRd7R95QUFTwJD1NnOl8_EE_ldXU8B-b0W9KNPuNx5AYewYTnaR9lqlmNuX98YcEWWeB1AP-gbUIoWaeumfCmUY/s1600/Dad+and+Mom+2007+010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lPwXPNf12VpkZuqzs-fdLMQKEIngf_TI_sSk5KL9slKLRIBarDArFRd7R95QUFTwJD1NnOl8_EE_ldXU8B-b0W9KNPuNx5AYewYTnaR9lqlmNuX98YcEWWeB1AP-gbUIoWaeumfCmUY/s320/Dad+and+Mom+2007+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span face="helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #783f04;">This is Grandma and Grandpa B, with my mom. All live in heaven now. I miss them terribly. I don't know where Grandma got this recipe but I know it's been in our family for decades. Actually, I think it came from Great Grandma who would have been making this cake in the 1930's. She probably got it from a church ladies' recipe book. Good guess anyway. </span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-8831060506097703352020-02-19T14:28:00.000-06:002020-02-19T19:15:57.736-06:00Negotiation Training 101<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was not my intent to write two similar stores about the same child back-to-back... but this child continually provides material that just begs me to blog. So, here we go. I give you Daniel and his "attorney speak" - the sequel.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a cold, rainy day and I was feeling somewhat lazy. Since procrastination is my super-power, I had allowed the dishes to pile up and had no interest in removing my bottom from the sofa in order to remedy the situation. Then I had this brilliant idea!!! I could get one of the boys to do the dishes. <i>Certainly they can be bribed</i>, I thought. So I prepared a text for all the boys which offered "things of monetary value" in exchange for doing the dishes. And then I waited.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Moments later I received a reply from Daniel. (Of course it was Daniel. The other two just ignore such texts.) His response did not disappoint.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaJy_DsNPE2N38OitxOeu4JUEOzrurUHv8B4jCRy9POLaGj1jI-7D-HevrI-FdFHner8I-Qasv1dMmS_XM1ZyzRNarrnXJcj8Ism8hCdDuH1mnYCvDpRUbLwIt0-JLRqbZZkDqjFBkZI/s1600/IMG_1047.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaJy_DsNPE2N38OitxOeu4JUEOzrurUHv8B4jCRy9POLaGj1jI-7D-HevrI-FdFHner8I-Qasv1dMmS_XM1ZyzRNarrnXJcj8Ism8hCdDuH1mnYCvDpRUbLwIt0-JLRqbZZkDqjFBkZI/s640/IMG_1047.PNG" width="358" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Ok... so one child has taken the bait, </i>I thought. <i>I'm certain we can come to an agreement which allows me to continue binge watching "</i>The Good Place<i>", while my dishes disappear. </i>And so negotiations began. With an ear-to-ear grin, I replied, "both". Seconds later I received another text.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCGvRqNIxPm-zs44JkQuiy3lZQL0-o4u2MapNf6TH4gDiLzF91JTgoGZ2J-KLhx6JcNCpQZrKFnVS0hM6E5vfujxcvgPpLQqtwbJhciVr-1oe7vUSgT1WJ6Wt3YaEJTlTgeti2mV4O78/s1600/IMG_1048.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="359" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCGvRqNIxPm-zs44JkQuiy3lZQL0-o4u2MapNf6TH4gDiLzF91JTgoGZ2J-KLhx6JcNCpQZrKFnVS0hM6E5vfujxcvgPpLQqtwbJhciVr-1oe7vUSgT1WJ6Wt3YaEJTlTgeti2mV4O78/s640/IMG_1048.PNG" width="358" /></a></div>
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</span> <span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The current stock market?!?! Who is this child? </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I didn't want to open negotiations by giving him an idea of what I was willing to pay, so I replied in such a way as to draw out his price without giving away my position.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">LAWYER?!?</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></span></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Clearly he didn't want to give his price away either. <i>Excellent, my son. Hold your cards close and wait for the offer.</i> </span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There we go! He has named his price. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's your valid point right here, kid!</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Listen, I know $10.00 for doing the dishes is pretty steep, however, you must understand the following:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> 1) I found this entire negotiation highly amusing and </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> 2) On this particular day I really was THAT lazy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The negotiations continued:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">BRITISH POUNDS???</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>LABOR FEE??? </i></span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So we came to an agreement. $11 USD and a mint, with the labor fee waived in this specially priced package. Clearly I was TAKEN, but again, the entertainment value alone was worth the cash. Getting the dishes done was just a bonus.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so... my lazy butt sat on the sofa while my ultra-brilliant son did the dishes. I savored the knowledge that it is unlikely anyone will ever be able to take advantage of my son. Smart little booger that he is.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And for my critics who think a child should never be paid to do "household chores": Y'all need to lighten up. Sometimes it's okay to be silly with the kids. He learned the very useful skill of negotiation, and I got my dishes done. PLUS: when all is said and done... I'm not sure I actually paid him. And listen, if he doesn't remember, I don't see why I need to. </span></div>
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<br />Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-52035323560534181892020-02-12T10:47:00.000-06:002020-02-19T14:50:49.958-06:00I Live With a Thirteen-Year-Old Attorney<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My life is a circus. Full
Stop! That is all. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some day's I'm not even sure who
wears the ring-master hat in this household; though I'm pretty sure the monkeys
are in charge quite often. But it's okay because my monkeys are smart little
boogers and they entertain me greatly. Case in point:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every two weeks I spend Sunday and
Monday in frantic preparation for the housekeeper's visit on Tuesday. I make
every attempt to pick up all the stuff, which includes finishing all laundry.
Sometimes I fail in this area and the laundry room floor cannot be mopped for
months. The laundry.... OY... it never ends! EVER!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After such an effort to clear out
the laundry room, it ticks me off beyond belief when someone decides to bring
down their laundry on Monday night. This compelled me to send Army Guy a text
like this:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just two hours before the arrival of
awesome housekeeper. I was LIVID!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So this week I decided to be
proactive and send out an announcement to the entire family on Sunday night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enter Daniel, my genius (smart-@$$)
13-year-old child who, I swear, was born to be an attorney.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This prompted a lively conversation between Daniel, his dad and I. This child is too intelligent for his own good.
Anyway... there was a discussion on dictatorships, sedition, treason and the
idea of a revolution with the ultimate goal of a coup to overthrow the government. To which I
replied:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then Army Guy Posted:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWSIw9upfu35ya9ZYLGBUwdlR_yzemjWxlWftap257mYVUh8Jt3b6uucVygKDXHwUjFF1uTQZvkx1WN3ZFJ9FuQVZG2l0NxS6pmBuKQk5kU3x6sfwJjXCLIKuyvPoMLvthEwxMpPLi8Y/s1600/Laundry+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="731" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWSIw9upfu35ya9ZYLGBUwdlR_yzemjWxlWftap257mYVUh8Jt3b6uucVygKDXHwUjFF1uTQZvkx1WN3ZFJ9FuQVZG2l0NxS6pmBuKQk5kU3x6sfwJjXCLIKuyvPoMLvthEwxMpPLi8Y/s320/Laundry+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This conversation concluded with the
entire idea of a revolution dying a slow, silent death to the soundtrack of
crickets chirping in B minor. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">And that’s how you stop a </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">revolution</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mommy for the win!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Note to self: it really IS time to
teach these boogers how to do their own laundry.</span></i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> (Muahahaha)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-89174508440999076352019-10-08T09:17:00.000-05:002019-11-06T11:14:39.143-06:00What a Mom Wants<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2t5eSqrf8itTw7MbBCz7xLgx_0e9H3GI8k9SjysE9MjahdrBvFSuDK9do-0uWnLZjxqPTM8dOsFaQgBeEYL-r4KfpDnWLq6zN8MpyzoA6XGpaDsKKfVzRFi6LX6eXnKim3vpYpA-LsY/s1600/car+wash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2t5eSqrf8itTw7MbBCz7xLgx_0e9H3GI8k9SjysE9MjahdrBvFSuDK9do-0uWnLZjxqPTM8dOsFaQgBeEYL-r4KfpDnWLq6zN8MpyzoA6XGpaDsKKfVzRFi6LX6eXnKim3vpYpA-LsY/s320/car+wash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@buslitzky?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Norbert Buduczki</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/collections/8730340/cars?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Guys, listen up. What I'm about to tell you is GOLD. This is the
key to happiness for your wife. Are you ready? The all-time best gift for your
wife is this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">HAVE HER CAR DETAILED!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It’s just that simple! All she wants is a clean car. She doesn't
even know this is what she wants... but she does! And if you can anticipate
this desire and meet her need before she knows she needs it, Buddy, you will
unlock that place inside where all the gooey, mushy, feelings of great joy
reside. You will be her hero; her number one guy! And you will reap the rewards
as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">See, before she was a mom, she
enjoyed a sweet ride without nasty car seats covered in last month's spilled
milk that now smell like the bottom of the trash cans... the ones on the
OUTSIDE of the house. She didn't have old French fries under the seats, chicken nuggets in the cup-holders, or
smears on the widows where someone just really needed to know what glass tastes like. She probably didn't have dog hair wafting throughout the air, landing on every
imaginable surface and settling into a 2-inch layer of grossness on the carpet. </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">She certainly didn’t have to play “guess that smell” every time she got into the car. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Until the children came, she wasn’t used to driving a
stinking cesspool of germs and grime that would put a Wal-Mart bathroom to
shame. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Her car used to be a sanctuary
of cleanliness that still had that "new car smell" 28 months after
you bought it. She used to have pride in her car and was able to offer anyone a
lift, without notice, and without having to issue a disclaimer, "Please
ignore the car. I have kids".</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">She just wants a clean
car!!! And you are the guy to make it happen. Take her car for an afternoon
without saying a word, and watch how she responds when you return with a like-new mom-ride. You
will be THE MAN! If you can swing a monthly detail service...Buddy you are GOLDEN! If not, please consider this gift for Mother's Day, her birthday, Christmas and your anniversary. Pretty much any </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">occasion</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> where you need a gift and are out of ideas... HERE'S YOUR HINT! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">This is what your wife wants.
Forget the diamonds, flowers, stuffed teddy bears and pajama-grams. Seriously, DO NOT even consider a Pajama-gram! That's all crap (okay, maybe not the
diamonds). But I promise you, if given the choice between a clean car and
diamonds, five bucks says she takes the clean car. For the love of all that is pleasant
and sanitary and lemony fresh...she just wants an uncontaminated ride. Or a </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">hazmat</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> suit...it's your call.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">YOU ARE WELCOME!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-57655670480225457542019-10-03T17:51:00.001-05:002019-10-08T09:24:16.082-05:00Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRU4zgp4cNW8kz95_E0LIS8NeJsxhxoQQ-HhLXWkfUsmPLlKLHMj5fFagv7dXWtrADdvC2Z4t3PXIHg-3ckyYHtD1jrafcfy7VmeJ_fUakS8onqOPyvTXgXnJiZLl1Oj6LuR4ies-Ax8/s1600/Where+the+Crawdads+Sing.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="229" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRU4zgp4cNW8kz95_E0LIS8NeJsxhxoQQ-HhLXWkfUsmPLlKLHMj5fFagv7dXWtrADdvC2Z4t3PXIHg-3ckyYHtD1jrafcfy7VmeJ_fUakS8onqOPyvTXgXnJiZLl1Oj6LuR4ies-Ax8/s200/Where+the+Crawdads+Sing.png" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;"><b>July 2019</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735219095/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Where The Crawdads Sing</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Author: Delia Owens</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Genre: Fiction</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Lori's Book Club Rating: 4 Thumbs Up</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #783f04;">#1 <i>New York Times</i> Bestseller<br />A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick<br /><br />"I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!"--Reese Witherspoon</span></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #783f04;">"Painfully beautiful."--<i>The New York Times Book Review</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">"Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps." (From the book description on Amazon)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Lori's Book Review</span></b> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Our book club was divided on
this one. Some loved it and some didn't (the "some who didn't"
includes me). I realize I am in the minority here; a lot of people really love
this book. It just wasn't a great read for me. It's not that I hated it...I
didn't. It just left me feeling sad, and that's not the way I want to feel when
I finish a book. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
This is the heartbreaking account of a girl who is abandoned by her mother at
the age of six. She is left with an abusive father, neglected and starving. One
by one her siblings depart and, eventually, her dad just fails to return home
from a trip. By the age of ten she is left completely alone, raising herself in
a shack in the marsh land of North Carolina, essentially removed from
civilization. Somehow we are to believe that a child can feed and support
herself and grow up to be a stunningly beautiful young woman whom the boys in
town desire. I just didn't find that plausible. A child left alone will not
learn about self-care and hygiene. She will not receive medical and dental
care. She will be malnourished; she'll have rotten teeth, mangy, knotted hair
and bad breath. In a nutshell, she would be a complete mess of a human being.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Additionally, it is highly unlikely such an uneducated person would be able to
become a published author. I happen to know a few things about the publishing
industry and it is HARD to get published. In order to receive a publishing
contract, an author must come to the table with a huge platform; a following of
at least 10,000 people. This is actually more important than the content of the
book. Publishers know that in-house editors can fix a manuscript, but they
cannot manufacture a following. A publisher wants to know an author can sell
books without much marketing budget required from the publisher. The
"following" reigns supreme. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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True, this story takes place between 1952 and 1969 and book publishing would
have been different then. However, it is still completely implausible to me
that an uneducated, wild child who raised herself in seclusion would become a
published author. However, I can actually let that go for the sake of the
story. I mean...I love time travel novels, so plausibility is not a requirement
for me to enjoy a book. What I do require is a story that will leave me
feeling content about the character's life experiences. If there is tragedy or
abuse, I want to see some resolution. I want my main character to win in the
end. I want the Hallmark moment. The more traumas my main character faces,
the bigger the "comeuppance" I want to see for the perpetrators.
The death of the villain isn't always the best revenge. And though there
was some resolution in this book, I just didn't find it good enough. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Quite honestly, this story broke my mommy heart - up one side and down the
other. How on earth does an entire family leave a small child with an
abusive dad and not think to take the girl with them? As a mom, there is no way
on God's green earth I would remove myself from an abusive situation and not
take my children with me...especially a six-year-old girl. So,
though I concede this novel was well written, I just cannot jump on the
"what a great read" bandwagon. The "resolution" at the end
was not good enough for me. I wanted a happier ending. Without giving the
ending away, I didn't want to see that twist. I didn't like it one bit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">All that said, the fact that
the book made me feel so strongly, is a compliment to the author. A writer, who
can make the reader FEEL for the characters, has done a fantastic job. So though
the story did not resonate with me, the writing was outstanding; just not my
cup of tea.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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If you like a story that includes child abuse, suffering, abandonment and
murder, all wrapped up in one big "who-done-it" mystery, you might
like this book. Me...? Not-so-much! However, since four of the six
book club members loved this book, I am still giving it 4 thumbs up.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">It's not all about ME, y ‘all. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-85154431673145739212019-10-01T17:01:00.002-05:002019-11-09T16:42:30.042-06:00Totally Gross Chicken and Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4BFuzSQdUJeTmBeDY-uFSlBdbhj4InAeGmZSiTqoa8mM0Z74-exiXNw4PCum39mB6r7UwoOaRKZcYRdgiTWy8MImTT81kIY9rffIhYck1PoXMOSA5ffkG_M5Z9BSl9eWASXOeZaXhAI/s1600/chicken+and+rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4BFuzSQdUJeTmBeDY-uFSlBdbhj4InAeGmZSiTqoa8mM0Z74-exiXNw4PCum39mB6r7UwoOaRKZcYRdgiTWy8MImTT81kIY9rffIhYck1PoXMOSA5ffkG_M5Z9BSl9eWASXOeZaXhAI/s320/chicken+and+rice.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">About a thousand years ago, when I was little, my grandma made the most amazing chicken and rice casserole. I loved it. My siblings loved it. We all gobbled it up and asked for more. The smell of chicken and rice still reminds me of grandma, and mom, and a happy childhood. It gives me all the "feels". Truth!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So when Army Guy and I first got married, chicken and rice was one of the dishes I used to make... a lot. Notice I said "used to"? It took about ten years for Army Guy to inform me he doesn't really like that chicken and rice recipe. GASP!!! What?!?!?! </span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">HOW could he not like the yummy-ness of my childhood; the smell that takes me back to a simpler time; the taste that reminds me of grandma; the food that tastes like "home"?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">WHY did it take TEN YEARS to tell me this? I believe his exact words were "I'd rather eat dirt!" You cut me deep, Army Guy.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was bewildered and confused. I simply cannot accept that he doesn't like grandmas chicken and rice. But I put the recipe away none-the-less. Insert whiny, sad face here.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last week I was chatting with my three siblings in a group text. My brother brought up chicken and rice and we all reminisced about the taste and the memories....ahhhh... it took me back. When I informed them I haven't had it for ten years because Army Guy hates it, they all had the sads for me and wondered aloud if he might be a communist...or something. In that moment I devised a plan to introduce my boys to grandma's chicken and rice. I plotted this dish's comeback with glee. My opportunity came last weekend when Army Guy was out of town. It was my chance to share my grandma with the boys and I was super excited.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I served the nectar of grandma's kitchen. It really is love in a 9x13 casserole pan. OhEmGee... SO GOOD! I devoured it. The boys kinda, sorta said "meh", picked at the entree and <i>ate their broccoli</i>. The dog ate well! Nifty! AND THEN... I woke up to this text from Army Guy the next morning.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLbkAoRsPa9u7A7csNIdn9R2W3bbfdYOwqkY2liWgYzT7IcSFgrsHoT0y8Fzk0X2acTMWRTOZab3lB8yyHefdCeCwmY-mEA51yhI5GI4YzVV2aqfE8cSk3nfsi0aMMtpRyFZagPeqfY0/s1600/dave+matt+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1600" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLbkAoRsPa9u7A7csNIdn9R2W3bbfdYOwqkY2liWgYzT7IcSFgrsHoT0y8Fzk0X2acTMWRTOZab3lB8yyHefdCeCwmY-mEA51yhI5GI4YzVV2aqfE8cSk3nfsi0aMMtpRyFZagPeqfY0/s640/dave+matt+text.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Et tu, Brute?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I'm guessing everybody in my house is against me on this one, except the dog, of course. She's got my back! And also...did Matthew actually think I wouldn't notice when the Domino's guy showed up at my door? Really? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's pretty c</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lear my family will not eat my favorite childhood meal ever again, so I have retired grandmas recipe forever. A small part of me has died. </span></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm not sure why this bothers me so much. My children have very different ideas about what IS and IS NOT gross </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(</span><a href="https://lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2008/12/gross-or-not-gross.html" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">read all about that here</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">).</span></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I mean, these are the people who have been known to eat nasty cookies found under the couch. Clearly their opinions are questionable.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for the leftovers... yup, I rinsed the rice from the chicken, diced it up and put it in the freezer. That chicken will resurface as enchiladas next week. And the rice... well that's in the freezer too, but I'm not sure how I'll use it. Soup maybe? This one thing I DO know: they WILL eat every bit of that chicken and rice. EVERY LAST BIT! Mwahahaha!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Below is the recipe for the most offensive dish ever created. If you can find the nerve to try it (considering that only 1 in 5 people in my household will eat it) please let me know what you think. I mean, is it possible I grew up on a completely vile dish? Could it be super gross and my siblings and I just lack awareness? Somebody please make this and get back to me. If you think it's gross too, my childhood will be shattered. Sometimes we need a person who can gently deliver the hard truth. This might be such an occasion. Please be kind and consider my tender heart, but let me have it. Is this gross?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>TOTALLY GROSS CHICKEN AND RICE</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><b>Ingredients</b></u></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (as many as you need)</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 cups white rice</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 can cream of mushroom soup</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 can cream of celery soup</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 envelope Lipton onion soup</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 cups water</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><b>Directions</b></u></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Place chicken in pan</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Combine rice, soups and water. Pour over chicken. </span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cover and bake for 1 hour.</span><br />
<br />Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-32474627785516476852019-09-24T13:02:00.001-05:002019-10-08T09:24:49.763-05:00Book Review: Missing Molly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGYKNac_PhvJrR5F4zAbCNxZj29rndFTrLesXppZPyKLt-y6UQDPiWx-1uQrFTNtDo4z68H8G6UBFSPb-arftD867rdBl5nPVGOgio-PXlL6rgbgcyvsRnKqOXiEJGji3P1Wv6FC1RfA/s1600/Missing+Molly.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGYKNac_PhvJrR5F4zAbCNxZj29rndFTrLesXppZPyKLt-y6UQDPiWx-1uQrFTNtDo4z68H8G6UBFSPb-arftD867rdBl5nPVGOgio-PXlL6rgbgcyvsRnKqOXiEJGji3P1Wv6FC1RfA/s200/Missing+Molly.png" width="130" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Molly-Natalie-Barelli/dp/0648225909/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=missing+molly&pd_rd_r=c79ad875-bf39-4b0a-a56f-742342ef2d0e&pd_rd_w=vDret&pd_rd_wg=vN8Ty&pf_rd_p=7be70e42-b5c0-4077-873a-35a472a6fbd4&pf_rd_r=KS7X7TNZJYXYN4K7MHYA&qid=1569051679&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Missing Molly</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Author: Natalie Barelli</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Genre: Psychological Thriller</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lori's Book Club Rating: 6 Thumbs Up!</span></div>
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"Everyone has secrets, and Rachel Holloway is no exception. She's worked hard to keep the past where it belongs: dead and buried. And so far, she's been very successful. But now the small newspaper where she works wants to produce a podcast on a cold case: the disappearance 12 years ago of young Molly Forster. </div>
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Some secrets should never see the light of day, and, as far as Rachel is concerned, whatever happened to little Molly is one of them. Rachel has a life now - a boyfriend she loves and a three-year-old daughter she adores - and she will do anything to protect them. But to do that, no one can ever know that she is Molly Forster." (From the description page on Amazon)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Lori's Review</u></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WHAT THE... WHAT?!? The author tells us, straight up, that Rachel Holloway is the girl who has been missing for twelve years. The girl everyone has been searching for. The girl presumed dead by most, but who's story lives on in conspiracy theories. This tidbit of information is typically revealed at the end of a book. One final twist that nobody saw coming. But Natalie Barelli has even written her twist with a twist. The reader cheers Rachel on in her attempt to hide her identity from the people who so desperately want her found. This becomes problematic when Rachel's employer tasks her with investigating the Forster family murders and subsequent disappearance of twelve-year-old Molly. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is one book I could not put down. It had me from page one. I.WAS.IN! And I was rooting for Rachel the entire time, on the edge of my seat and wanting so badly to see her come through this trial unscathed. The author had me brainstorming options for Rachel in my spare time. At one point she even had me questioning what I believed to be true about the story line. It was just one fantastic web of intrigue, uncertainty, and deception. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the end. Not the "ending", but THE END. I just didn't want the story to end. Natalie Barelli books are now on my radar. Six enthusiastic thumbs up!</span><br />
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-52881256569943601322019-09-23T05:52:00.000-05:002019-09-27T11:59:48.847-05:00Cultural Appropriation...Or Something<span style="color: #783f04;">"Lori's House of Crazy". That's the name of this blog for a really good reason. MY HOUSEHOLD IS CRAZY! Today's offering of insanity is courtesy of thirteen-year-old Daniel, who has been perfecting his "British accent" since we stayed at the fancy hotel in Washington DC in July. Why a fancy hotel brings about a Brit accent is beyond me. It just does, okay? Also, please note how I define "British accent" in this instance: "an epic failure at proper English, but a massive WIN in the comedy department none-the-less."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">This weekend Army Guy left for a business trip and Daniel "bid him farewell" in proper 18th century English fashion. "Goodbye Father. Do travel safely whilst I sleep." Army Guy was seriously amused. But y'all...today Daniel absolutely slayed me when he decided to speak with the accent of a British person who is attempting an American accent. Cringe-worthy and comic gold!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">I finally decided that if the child was going to continue this dialect, he needed a little training. I thought maybe he would enjoy the opportunity to immerse himself in the fascinating world of Brit-speak to perfect the Queen's proper English. That's right, I <strike>conned him into</strike> suggested he should accompany me to see Downton Abbey "for research". Since he had absolutely zero clue what he was getting into, he thought it would be great to just hang out with "mum" and eat popcorn. How could that be anything but delightful? Daniel was IN! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Half way through the movie I looked over at Daniel and he was legit staring at the ceiling. When I asked what he was doing he replied, "trying to see if my head will fit between these two seats". So.... I'm guessing he was bored or something? Listen, I knew this was not a movie Daniel would enjoy. It was a little evil of me to suggest he accompany me. But in my defense, he HAS been annoying his brothers with his really bad British accent for two months now. So he totally deserved a couple hours of torture. When I asked if he was able to pick up some of the dialect he responded with, "No, they were just too British!" Did you hear that loyal subjects of the queen? Daniel thinks your speech is just way too British. I'm not even sure what that means, but I do believe this movie has cured him of his really-bad-accent-obsession. So I'm calling that a win.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">As we walked to the car I thanked Daniel for being such a great date. Daniel didn't hesitate for even a nanosecond with his reply. "I died a little on the inside".</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Great, his man-training is now complete! Win number two for the mama!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Just for fun, here is Daniel with me at the grocery store last week. He's driving on the left. "Because I'm British, Mum!"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">This child... 😂😂😂</span><br />
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<br />Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-67347570827115224512019-09-18T17:32:00.000-05:002019-10-08T09:27:53.528-05:00Basic Alfredo Sauce and Accidental Brilliance<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Penne Alfredo with Chicken and Mushrooms</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Alfredo Pasta is my
go-to quick dinner. It's super easy, gives my family the ultra yummies and is
ready in the amount of time it takes to boil up some pasta. WIN! </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Below is the recipe I use.
I've tried several recipes, including one from a "traditional Italian
cookbook" that begins with a classic béchamel and includes nutmeg. (I may be off base here, but I'm going with - "Nutmeg in Alfredo sauce is just weird") That recipe was good, but this one is GREAT (and also
easier). Guess which one I prefer?</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Classic Alfredo</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">1 stick of butter</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">1 cup heavy cream</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">1 cup grated, fresh </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">Parmesan</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> cheese</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">salt and pepper to taste (1/2 teaspoon - ish)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">pinch of garlic powder</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">1 pound rotini pasta</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">(Note: sometimes I double the sauce for a creamier/saucier pasta. Because, let's face it, what my life really needs is more butter....MORE BUTTER!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cook pasta according to package directions.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a medium sauce pan, melt butter in the cream over medium heat. Stir in fresh Parmesan and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally with a whisk until the cheese is
completely melted. Season with salt, pepper and garlic. Pour sauce over pasta, and viola...yummy dinner is served.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Add ins: At this point I usually
add in steamed broccoli florets and cooked chicken breast (cubed) or shrimp that I have sautéed in butter and seasoned with a little garlic, salt and pepper. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Serves 8</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Approximately 415 calories per serving (for pasta and plain Alfredo sauce)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Brilliance</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's where the accidental brilliance comes in. A few weeks ago I made sausage and spinach manicotti, which was ah-maze-ing! That recipe left me with about 2 cups of extra stuffing; a mixture of ricotta cheese, sausage and spinach. I didn't want to throw that away so I shoved it into the freezer to create another something on another day. Well, "another day" was last night. I decided to stir that ricotta and sausage mixture into the Alfredo sauce. Sweet Mother of Moses!!! I created something genius! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's how to create <b>Alfredo a la Lori</b>:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Start with the Classic Alfredo Sauce above (this is one time you DO NOT want to double the sauce recipe).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Add the following:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">1 cup of steamed, fresh spinach. Squeeze to drain excess water. (It will take 4 or 5 cups of raw spinach to get a cup of cooked spinach. Or... just use 1/2 a brick of chopped, frozen spinach - defrosted and drained.) </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">1/2 pound of browned sausage</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">1 cup ricotta cheese</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">2 cups steamed broccoli florets</span></span></li>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Pour heavenly Alfredo mixture over pasta of choice (I use Rotini)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">This recipe is super rich and creamy. It will also go straight to your backside so I recommend doing ten minutes of squats while the pasta cooks. This disclaimer is required because I cannot be held responsible for enlarged butts. mmmmkay?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Serves 8</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Approximately 615 calories per serving</span></span><br />
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-66822822445851792222019-09-13T17:02:00.000-05:002019-09-23T04:51:55.413-05:00Book Review: The Lying Game<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxFbUkmT8BHsZqHj9OmOEuKOxXqUB70YKO78XsMQK6ucxPPBUZSqL8PSeibeBWBrwITGE2zveKJ8o0FWiG4377ID3iFfS9t48kJUITQFONL2dmhx03wIsG63MjTBeJnkhHdTPc-dNF-Y/s1600/The+Lying+Game.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="222" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxFbUkmT8BHsZqHj9OmOEuKOxXqUB70YKO78XsMQK6ucxPPBUZSqL8PSeibeBWBrwITGE2zveKJ8o0FWiG4377ID3iFfS9t48kJUITQFONL2dmhx03wIsG63MjTBeJnkhHdTPc-dNF-Y/s320/The+Lying+Game.png" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1501156209/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">The Lying Game</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">Author: Ruth Ware</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">Genre: Psychological Thriller</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">Lori's Book Club Rating: 5 Thumbs Up</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“So many questions....Until the very last page! Needless to say, I could not put this book down!” —Reese Witherspoon</b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“Once again the author of <i>The Woman in Cabin 10 </i>delivers mega-chills.” —<i>People</i></b><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“Missing<i> Big Little Lies</i>? Dig into this psychological thriller about whether you can really trust your nearest and dearest.” —<i>Cosmopolitan</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">"From the instant </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">New York Times</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;"> bestselling author of blockbuster thrillers </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">In a Dark, Dark Wood </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">and </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">The Woman in Cabin 10</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;"> comes a chilling new novel of friendship, secrets, and the dangerous games teenaged girls play.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten, along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isa—receive the text they had always hoped would never come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second-rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty. But their little game had consequences, and as the four converge in present-day Salten, they realize their shared past was not as safely buried as they had once hoped</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill to keep you wrong-footed, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;">The Lying Game</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04;"> is told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, lending itself to becoming another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>( From the book description on Amazon)</i></span></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Lori's Book Review</u></span></h3>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">"So many questions"...indeed. This novel had the book club guessing until the very end. At the risk of being cliche, I'm calling this one a real "who-done-it", "page-turner". Incidentally, none of us guessed who actually "did it", though of few of us did have an eye on the guilty character. This novel is filled with suspense and intrigue. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04;">Parts of this story require the reader to suspend belief. "That would not actually happen in real life", was a sentiment held by all. But, given the fact that one of my favorite stories is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unknown-Outlander-Book-1/dp/B000GW8NVA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Outlander&qid=1567292733&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><i>Outlander</i></a> (A time travel saga)...clearly I am capable of suspending belief. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">The story follows the lives of four teenagers who meet at a private all girls school in Southern England. The girls get into some trouble and make questionable choices which have severe consequences decades after leaving school.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">How far would you go to cover for a friend? How long would you hold the lie? What if you weren't even sure your fellow liar friends had told YOU the truth? Would you risk it all?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04;">If you like suspense, murder, and twists and turns, this is your book. Book Club rating: 5 Thumbs Up!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #783f04;">If you have read this book, please tell us what you thought in the comments below. </span></span></span><br />
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-37200074388132713102019-09-13T16:50:00.001-05:002022-10-01T20:59:03.288-05:00An Encore Post From The Archives<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniix52Cq8hWiDEcZCRe6A72xqo4AhLThjhZsNLmlP3rJPK2lBALjTSZtpMAG9dfFhbtKnJi61obsZBuA-4ChUYAExx-pApE8Gxj1pMVsXSb9H7R1VaANpm44XJurKpFbqeowMYsi5AbM/s1600/Andrew+Face+Paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniix52Cq8hWiDEcZCRe6A72xqo4AhLThjhZsNLmlP3rJPK2lBALjTSZtpMAG9dfFhbtKnJi61obsZBuA-4ChUYAExx-pApE8Gxj1pMVsXSb9H7R1VaANpm44XJurKpFbqeowMYsi5AbM/s200/Andrew+Face+Paint.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The Best $17 Ever Spent... EVER!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">3-Day Ticket to Disneyland - $4,000,000<br />The face painting that the child begged and begged for - $17<br />Getting this photo 4 minutes later - PRICELESS</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">It was the summer of 2013 and we were in the middle of a California vacation. During that trip we made a last minute decision to visit Disneyland. The Ducklings were super excited. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">On this day we were at the California Adventure Park and Dewey and Louie had spent hours begging me to take them on the Tower of Terror. Now, I love a good thrill ride, I do. Give me the scariest stink'n roller coaster you've got and I AM IN! But the Tower of Terror is not my idea of fun. AT ALL! I rode it once and that was enough for me. There were naughty words involved. Let's just leave it at that.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">So I was not at all inclined to take my 6 and 7 year old sons on this torture contraption which includes the word "terror" for good reason. NOPE! But they begged and begged and, quite frankly, they just wore me down. I might have given in so that I could teach them that I really did know best and that they should just trust their mother's judgment. However it goes... I gave in.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">While standing in line I tried to get them to change their minds. "It's super scary.... Please don't make mommy do this... please". It should be noted that they were too young to go on the ride alone. So if they really wanted to go, I had to go too. Why didn't Army Guy go, you ask? Bahahahahahaha... breathe... hahahaha... Army guy gets queasy on the Tea Cups. True story.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">So we went... we screamed... it sucked... we survived. End of story. Or maybe not...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">Prior to this little adventure of terror, Louie had been begging and begging to get his face painted. "Please mom... PLEASE". He wanted it pretty badly. As luck would have it, there was a face painting stand right as we were leaving the Tower of Terror ride. So Army Guy and I decided to give in and let the child have his face painted. We knew it was a waste of $17.00, but this was Disney; at some point you stop caring about what you are spending because... whatever... right? Disney broke us down. They are pretty good at that. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">So Louie chose his face painting design. When I say "chose" I really mean, "carefully selected... CAREFULLY". He wanted just the right one. So, Louie got his face painted and he was super happy; until he saw his reflection and then he was super <u>not</u> happy. Within four minutes the child began begging us to take it off. By that time we were in line for another ride so I told him, "OK, as soon as this ride is over, Daddy will take you to the bathroom to wash it off". Apparently the line was too long, or the paint was itchy, or something and Louie LOST HIS MIND. So, Army Guy left the line with Louie to go wash his face; but I made sure to get this photo first. I'm evil like that. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">In hind-sight, Louie was probably just traumatized by the Tower of Terror. But no matter the reason... I promise you... as long as I breathe... this photo will make me laugh. It just will. Army Guy and I text it back and forth to each other just for grins. Louie thinks that's just mean, but whatever. This photo cost me $4,000,017... and it was so worth it! </span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">This story highlights two times that my son pleaded for something that he didn't need and wasn't best for him. And two times, against my better judgement, I gave in. In the first case it was to teach him a lesson, and in the second case, to please him. Both of these instances were miserable failures. It occurred to me that this is exactly what happens when we leave the plan that God has for our lives. When we "go rouge" misery often follows.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">A favorite scripture among Christians is Jeremiah 29:11. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i> "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future".</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">God has big plans for our lives. He knows what is best for us in addition to what is not good at all. But often times we think we know better than God. When I was in high school I wanted this particular young man as my boyfriend. I told God what I wanted, but God "wasn't listening". I cried and begged and pleaded; my tender little hormonal teenage heart was broken. The drama was real, y'all. But God knew he had something so much better for me if I would just be patient and wait upon the Lord. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>they shall mount up with wings as eagles;</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i> they shall run, and not be weary;</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i> they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">What if God had given my teenage heart what it wanted most of all? I can say with absolute certainty that, at some point, my face would have ended up like Louie's in this picture. No doubt! God knew that boy wasn't part of my future or my hope. He knew Army Guy and my precious "Ducklings" were the treasures He intended for me. My life is so much better than I could have ever imagined and it's all because God said "no" to what teenage me knew was best. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">I am overjoyed to admit I was wrong, and incredibly thankful that God said "no".</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">When God says "no" remember that he knows how your life will turn out and His plans for you are big. Going "rouge" never ends well... ever. Wait upon the Lord and in His perfect time He will reveal His perfect plan for you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: x-small;">(Note: This post first appeared on Lori's House of Crazy on Oct 1, 2017)</span></div>
Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-48385929377452792612019-09-11T10:20:00.001-05:002019-09-13T16:58:58.036-05:00This Day - I will Cherish<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Alex Jones on Unsplash</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">It's zero-dark-thirty in the
morning. I'm up, barely functioning, and getting my new freshman off to school.
We're a month into this insane early morning schedule. High School. This is where we
are now, and it happened <u>way too fast</u>.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I watch him walk toward the
bus, all 6'4" of him. His stride is confident; he is owning this day. He's
not nervous or anxious about high school. He is ready. I am not. It seems like
yesterday I took him to kindergarten. Memories of that day churn within me as I
fight back a tear. Mental photos flash in my mind - a slideshow of the moments
I won’t forget. The three-year-old who was terrified of the smoke detector; the
four-year old who said “Mom, you are awesome and I just want to hang out with
you”; the kindergarten kid who was <a href="https://lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2010/06/sometimes-you-just-gotta-shake-your.html" target="_blank">fascinated with the microphone</a> during the <span aria-haspopup="true" id=":df.1" role="menuitem" tabindex="-1">Bible School program;
and now the “big kid” who cares for and protects his brothers, and
really, <a href="https://lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-man-needs-goal.html" target="_blank">REALLY wants a Lamborghini</a>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Where did the time go?<o:p></o:p></i></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u1:p></u1:p></span>
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">While I was busy writing a book
about the preschool years, my children were growing and becoming incredibly
cool people. And today, with my almost 15-year-old headed to high school, I am
painfully aware that taking my son to college is in my near future. High school
will be over in a nanosecond and then he will be gone from my home. And then
one-by-one, they will all be gone. This is both the blessing and the curse of
motherhood.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span>
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of you faced the "college
good-bye" for the first time this month. You took your first born to
college and then posted the photos on Facebook. Entire families, tears in their
eyes, sharing a final moment before the family unit is no longer “complete”.
Five becomes four. Soon they will be three. And then, in just a few short years,
only two remain - the way it all began. Just seeing those photos made me cry. I
could see both pain and pride on the mommy faces. It looked so hard. You were
brave. How did you do it?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">If we do a good job as parents,
we will raise amazing and successful individuals. But before they can go do the
things they were born to do, and be the people God created them to be, they
must step out on their own. THAT is the most painful part about being a parent.
Letting go. But what is the alternative? I certainly don't want a 36 year
old living in my home and playing video games full time while he eats
All.The.Food! Letting go is difficult. Clearly not letting go would
be problematic. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">And so, today my emotions are
all over the place. This is the natural progression of parenting. We think
raising preschoolers is so hard - and it is - but that is nothing compared to
adjusting to life without them. Every parent before me knows this. It.Is.Hard.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p>
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">For all the mommies out there
who took their <s>children</s> young adults to college this month - I salute
you. I don't know how you are walking around with any semblance of composure. I
know your heart is breaking as you adjust to your new normal. I cry with you at
the thought of this becoming my reality in just four short years.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p>
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">So as he steps into his high
school years, I resolve to do better, be better, love harder, and give more. I
have this day to cherish. Tomorrow’s worries are for a future me who is better
equipped to handle tomorrow’s pain. Today I will make a conscious effort to
hold my children a little tighter and tell them I love them a few more times.
Today I will strive to be <i>in the moment,</i> for all the moments I
have left. The moments are precious - they are my treasures. I will not waste
them. I will cherish this day.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p>
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">*********************</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br />
There is a time for everything,</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">and a
season for every activity under the heavens.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ecclesiastes
3:1 (NIV)</span><span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</span></div>
Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-63097819647806988792019-09-09T22:57:00.002-05:002019-09-18T18:08:32.752-05:00Baked Spaghetti<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-weight: 400;">I love spaghetti...I do. But I was in a total rut, and making spaghetti Way.Too.Often! My family was getting bored. So, did I stop making spaghetti? NOPE! I just searched for new and improved versions of my "go-to easy dinner". I found a baked spaghetti recipe online, but it called for a jar of spaghetti sauce. Look, I'm all about easy in the kitchen. I mean, I buy </span><a href="https://lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2019/08/spinach-quiche.html" style="font-weight: 400;" target="_blank">pre-made pie crust</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-weight: 400;">, so I am not judging anyone who wants to buy the spaghetti sauce in a jar. You do what you do. BUT... if, like me, you find the jar sauce is too sweet, here is a great meat sauce recipe for you. (And also, WHY is sugar added to literally EVERYTHING! Just say "no" to added sugar.) Making your own meat sauce is easy and super tasty. Win! Plus - the directions are right here, so you really have to try it or my feelings will be hurt. Just kidding. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: this is also the sauce I use for lasagna - which I made last night. And I must say, last night's lasagna was </span><i style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">on point! </i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Super delish. But there is no way the ducklings will </span><a href="http://lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2018/04/i-just-cant-get-chopped.html" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">"kick me off this show"</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> if I keep on cook'n like this. DRAT )</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Meat Sauce</span></u><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoV4hcGKvSKvPd7SB1pDR8qV7ZN0NLbJBszd4cVo0FmiJFPaOzffqdeFMHvbP1OxSFaxiburSf21X3js48uvi4fZMiNkmQJjkBf3lHprZryGbpbjVmb_n7udNhmUI7q1mOiet340In1wg/s1600/baked+spaghetti.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="925" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoV4hcGKvSKvPd7SB1pDR8qV7ZN0NLbJBszd4cVo0FmiJFPaOzffqdeFMHvbP1OxSFaxiburSf21X3js48uvi4fZMiNkmQJjkBf3lHprZryGbpbjVmb_n7udNhmUI7q1mOiet340In1wg/s400/baked+spaghetti.png" width="400" /></span></a><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 lb Ground Beef *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 Onion, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1-2 garlic cloves, minced<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 15 oz. can tomato sauce<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 6 oz. can tomato paste<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 cup water<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 tbs Italian seasoning<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 tbs dried parsley<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 bay leaf<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">½ tsp black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u>Cream Cheese Mixture</u></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">4 oz. cream cheese<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4e2800;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">½ cup sour cream</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">½ tsp salt</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">2 tsp Italian seasoning</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 tbs dried parsley</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="color: #4e2800;">
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 lb spaghetti</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">½ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Directions</b></span></span></span><br />
<u style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Sauce</u><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Brown ground beef with minced garlic and chopped onion. (*A tasty option is ½ ground beef and ½ ground sausage. Or substitute the beef with turkey. Whatever you like, do that). Drain. Stir in all canned tomatoes, water, Italian seasoning, parsley, bay leaf, salt and pepper. (If you don’t have Italian seasoning, substitute 1 tsp basil and 1 tsp oregano). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1-3 hours. (1 hour minimum but longer is better).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the sauce is nearly finished, preheat the oven to 350 and bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions and drain. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Cream Cheese Mixture</u>: Mix </span></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cream cheese, sour cream, Italian seasoning, parsley flakes and salt. Stir cream cheese mixture into the cooked pasta. Set aside.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spray a 9x12 pan with nonstick spray. Coat the bottom of the baking pan with about 1 cup of sauce. Divide the pasta, placing ½ in the pan and top with ½ of the sauce. Repeat with the rest of the pasta and sauce. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses (For a twist, use cheddar cheese instead. It’s good that way too.)</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and salad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Serves 8. About 370 calories per serving.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04; font-family: "arial narrow" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-978104650573448352019-09-07T11:11:00.000-05:002019-09-11T08:35:23.302-05:00The Difference Between Nerds and Geeks<div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I didn't know
there was actually a difference between nerds and geeks. Did you? Shocking, the
things a person can learn from an 8th grader. But here's the deal, my son is a
nerd...NOT a geek. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">"That's awful!
He's not a nerd!" You say? Yeah, I said that too. But it seems that
the term "nerd" is not what we think. Or maybe it's exactly what we
think but my son has simply embraced this label and wears it with pride.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Now...is he a nerd?
NO! He's not. He's super smart and studies hard to get straight A's. I guess he
thinks that's what a nerd is. (Note to self: introduce the child to
"<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Nerds-II-Paradise/dp/B000056BSD/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_74_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=A9GS0D8ET69G0WZ0GXVF" target="_blank">Revenge of the Nerds</a>"). </span><span style="color: #783f04;">😂</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">It seems that, at some
point in the past two years, Daniel had a teacher who taught him that the nerds
are the leaders, inventors, entrepreneurs, CEO's and millionaires of tomorrow.
Daniel thought, "YES! That's who I want to be! I must be a
nerd!" A healthy self-esteem was born that day. Hat tip to the
genius teacher who gave a middle school kid the freedom to be completely
awkward and still like himself.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9-4zp4B7voc3ND3aipMnOxV1kY2koRHif3Hxz1IEtUdvIWsIkzsnBmrP8Lv8A84Uv11QFgYmJyM8Pl7NkGhHS5t4LPA0ohb2xrknaWIss1cxcxBuSQHHJMEMd6cRdyVbyHhlSZgz-XU/s1600/Mario+lunchbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1565" data-original-width="1302" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9-4zp4B7voc3ND3aipMnOxV1kY2koRHif3Hxz1IEtUdvIWsIkzsnBmrP8Lv8A84Uv11QFgYmJyM8Pl7NkGhHS5t4LPA0ohb2xrknaWIss1cxcxBuSQHHJMEMd6cRdyVbyHhlSZgz-XU/s320/Mario+lunchbox.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I mean, this is the child who took a tin Super
Mario lunch box to school on the first day of the 8th grade. When I suggested
that middle school is harsh and other kids might make fun of him, he replied:
"The kids at the cool table will invite me to sit with them. And I'll say,
you come sit with me...THIS is the cool table". What an incredibly
grown-up attitude for a junior high kid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">So anyway, Daniel has
embraced the nerd. He is comfortable being awkward because he realizes everyone
in middle school is awkward. He's just not willing to pretend otherwise. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">HOW COOL IS THAT?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">So, what is a geek?
Daniel explains that a geek is a nerd who doesn't do well in school. He is completely socially awkward but his grades are just so-so. Daniel says he is clearly
not a geek.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The question is, am I
a geek? Andrew wanted to know:</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Andrew: Mom, were you
a nerd or a geek in school?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Me: What's the
difference?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Daniel: (explains the
above)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Me: I certainly wasn't
a geek</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Andrew: That's what
all the geeks say. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><b>BURN!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">These are
the things that give me joy about living with junior high boys. They crack me
up daily and sometimes even <a href="https://lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-man-needs-goal.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">make me snort my coffee</span></a>.
Plus, they give me such great material in which to completely embarrass them
one day when, eventually, they discover this blog. That's right! I might
be a geek but I am totally getting the last laugh! 😝</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-68372353567632780762019-09-02T06:00:00.000-05:002019-09-23T04:52:14.736-05:00Book Review: Next Year in Havana<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9gQgxzm8IUoqxbcUyOliOn6p24wde_1hxEO3KhyeqZwGeTP1nM1YlZyDot14isu2QiDa8lWX8rFYE8P5qvbCMUTVxFjcd_rDSFTW9IStUGsZc0kwWw0XBsvJj-N4AtpV-95zbMIjj_Q/s1600/Next++Year+in+Havana.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9gQgxzm8IUoqxbcUyOliOn6p24wde_1hxEO3KhyeqZwGeTP1nM1YlZyDot14isu2QiDa8lWX8rFYE8P5qvbCMUTVxFjcd_rDSFTW9IStUGsZc0kwWw0XBsvJj-N4AtpV-95zbMIjj_Q/s200/Next++Year+in+Havana.png" width="131" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399586687/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Next Year in Havana</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Author: Chanel Cleeton</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Genre: Historical Fiction</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Lori's Book Club Rating: 6 Thumbs Up!*</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="color: #783f04;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">"A HELLO SUNSHINE x REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK</span></b></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br />'A beautiful novel that's full of forbidden passions, family secrets and a lot of courage and sacrifice.' — Reese Witherspoon</span></b><br />
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<h3>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back of Book Blurb</span></span></span></u></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">"<i>Havana, 1958</i>. The daughter of a sugar baron, nineteen-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba's high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country's growing political unrest—until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary...</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /><i>Miami, 2017</i>. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa's last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth. Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /> When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she'll need the lessons of her grandmother's past to help her understand the true meaning of courage." (From the book description on Amazon.com)</span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I wasn't all that interested in the idea of learning something new. I mean, typically I am a fan of learning things, but sometimes I just want to read a story that doesn't require me to think. So when this book was introduced I wasn't sure I would like it. HOWEVER, I was pleasantly surprised! </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Next Year in Havana </i>i</span><span style="font-size: medium;">s a wonderful novel based on the Cuban revolution which ran President Fulgencio Batista out of Cuba and replaced him with Fidel Castro in 1959. This is the fictional story of a wealthy sugar family in Cuba who was forced to flee their country when Castro came to power. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Written in two timelines, the chapters alternate between the Perez family's escape from Cuba in 1958, and a present day decedent who discovers her family history and the events that brought her grandmother to America. This story gave me a better understanding of exactly how Castro came to power and why the Cuban people were, for the most part, accepting of the over-throw of their former government...at first. Not only did I learn something, I enjoyed the journey very much. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">This story is well researched and well written. Though most of my book club members agree it took about a hundred pages to really get into the story, we were all super glad we continued reading. At some point, mid book, this story becomes a real page turner.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">If you like romance, suspense and history, this novel is worth your time. If you have read this book, tell us what you think in the comments. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">* Recommended by all six of the members of Lori's book club</span></div>
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-86667898134177529852019-08-31T13:42:00.000-05:002019-09-18T18:07:57.577-05:00Spinach Quiche<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xVI0yzNJyjUAuMSOT3mWpnuAcgf5Z60f3qCHhKa7WCEWRS4x1s-Zh51L_ryJiclFS7PBfc3HWNXMwVNKtYLreJzfZR5M0hF7raAciAaruMEC7p_VFybfgmwKlNyq32UKOiKzpkQIVTU/s1600/quiche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xVI0yzNJyjUAuMSOT3mWpnuAcgf5Z60f3qCHhKa7WCEWRS4x1s-Zh51L_ryJiclFS7PBfc3HWNXMwVNKtYLreJzfZR5M0hF7raAciAaruMEC7p_VFybfgmwKlNyq32UKOiKzpkQIVTU/s400/quiche.jpg" title="" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sometimes it's difficult to feed my kids because they each have
things they </span><i style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">will not</span></i><i style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"> </i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">eat. I suspect this is normal for most
families. Since I </span><i style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">will not</span></i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> become a short order cook, I've
been forced to find recipes that everyone loves. Enter spinach quiche. The
breakfast of champions - or something.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“You mean my kids will actually
devour a food with approximately zero sugar that is actually GOOD FOR THEM”,
you ask? Yes! Yes, they will!!! (well...mine will, anyway). Quiche is the perfect food. Adding
spinach is both underhanded and genius. Ideal for the <i>evil</i> mom
in search of ways to <s>force-feed</s> introduce vegetables to an
unwilling audience. Just call it Popeye Pie and you are golden. Because who doesn't love pie? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This recipe is simple to put together in the evening, and easy to
microwave for a quick breakfast to feed the “always late for the bus” crowd I
live with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u><b>Ingredients</b></u></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">6 eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1 cup milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1 package frozen chopped spinach<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1/3 cup finely diced onion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1 cup grated Swiss cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1/2 tsp pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1 pie crust*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u>Directions</u></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Defrost the spinach and squeeze out the excess water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mix together all ingredients (except, of course, the pie crust).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Prepare a pie pan with non-stick spray and lay the crust onto the
pan. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and bake for 55-60 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Serves 6. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">295 calories per serving<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">* pre-made pie crust for those of us who:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a)
Can’t make a decent crust, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b)
Don’t want to bother making a decent crust or,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c)
Operate in a world where we just don’t reinvent the wheel. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>In case you were wondering, I am firmly
planted in option “c”. Rarely do I reinvent any wheel, ever! It’s my homage to
those who have gone before me and have labored to make my life easier. If you have
an inventor’s spirit, and/or can make a great home-made pie crust, do that! I
applaud your spirit and your skill. I’ll just be over here, truly impressed by
your effort, but in no way inspired to </i><b style="font-style: italic;">not
</b><i>buy the pre-made crust. </i>😂<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br />Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-44895133014490625462019-08-27T16:48:00.002-05:002021-05-21T09:47:32.685-05:00A Man Needs a Goal<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">"Mom, I want a Lamborghini!" My oldest son announced via text. "If I can save $100,000 will you kick in the rest?"</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">KICK IN THE REST?!?!?! Like...will I just waltz on down to the bank and withdraw $300,000 so my son can have his dream car? Sure, Skippy...I'll add that to my errands list for tomorrow.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Just for grins, here's the car he wants. Yes...Purple! He has a very healthy self-esteem. Also, he's a giant man-child, so I don't see anyone bullying him over his purple car.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguP2yUnO19cxN7OWaO78errbLfSHMgO7OAobJxbgT8WPB-8KgKcroVxzuL7k7J6M7e2ATrOs_NOGpGh9gPHYSvn42wQd4CI5UgEcmg9TA9LDMeqh_S4dzzJXOAXs6SmF_8z210cRvmQt8/s1600/lamborghini.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="640" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguP2yUnO19cxN7OWaO78errbLfSHMgO7OAobJxbgT8WPB-8KgKcroVxzuL7k7J6M7e2ATrOs_NOGpGh9gPHYSvn42wQd4CI5UgEcmg9TA9LDMeqh_S4dzzJXOAXs6SmF_8z210cRvmQt8/s400/lamborghini.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Did I mention the child is 14?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Did I also mention that he doesn't have a driver's license?</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">...or a <b>JOB</b>? </span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Correction: he does have a job. He makes an allowance of $25 a month. Additionally, he earns another $50 a month for mowing the lawn...<i>when he decides to actually mow the lawn. </i>Now I'm no mathematician, but I think it will take, roughly, 584 years to save $400,000 at his current rate of earning. I'm not even going to do the math, because I'm pretty sure I'm in the ball-park with this one. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Out of sheer curiosity, I did a quick Google search on "Lamborghini Insurance". </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span face=""roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">"The costs of insuring a </span><span face="roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Lamborghini</span><span face=""roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> start at around $500 to $600 per month, assuming you're driving a </span><span face="roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Lamborghini</span><span face=""roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> Aventador with a base price of around $200,000. Your annual premiums should range from $6000 to $7200. Of course,</span><span face="roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Lamborghini</span><span face=""roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> car </span><span face="roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">insurance quotes</span><span face=""roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> vary widely depending on your demographic information." </span><span face=""roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">(hat tip:</span><span face=""roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 16px;">https://www.4autoinsurancequote.com › blog › lamborghini-insurance-cost)</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Insurance quotes vary widely depending on your demographic information". I think it's safe to assume an unlicensed 14-year-old male would be on the HIGH END of this sliding scale. Just a hunch. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I'm just going to keep this bit of info to myself. $7,000+ a year is a tad steep for a guy who makes roughly</span><span style="font-size: large;"> $75 per month. And let's not even broach the subject of fuel at the moment. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh... wait... hold on just one second. THIS JUST IN!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Can I, maybe, help with half?!?! I'm going with "MAYBE!" (which my children know is mom speak for "NO!") </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">So, that was good for a chuckle. But Y'all...then the texts started coming in fast and furious! The child is determined and <i>he has a plan!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">True story... I am NOT your basic billionaire builder when it comes to stocks. I am a total LOSER! I chose to invest in a company that actually went out of business three weeks after I invested. So... dude might want to seek advice elsewhere.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">So, what kind of stocks does he want to buy?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">The child wants to invest in TRUMP! 😂😂😂 Listen, when you stay in a Trump hotel, and it's so fancy <a href="https://lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2019/09/cultural-appropriationor-something.html" target="_blank">your younger brother picks up a British accent</a>, you might get the impression this would be a good investment. I mean... it's TRUMP! And he's, like, a billionaire, or something...right? I didn't want to crush his dreams, but the Trump Corporation has lost about a billion dollars in the past 4 years. Politics is a nasty game. But I digress...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">His next idea actually made me spew coffee! For real! Coffee...on my phone, on my shirt, up my nose... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">SONY HAS FULL OWNERSHIP OF SPIDER-MAN!!! So that must be an excellent investment...right? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">I think my game plan here is to just encourage this dream. Because saving is not a bad thing, right? At some point he will realize this dream is not grounded in reality. And when his dream is shattered, he'll at least have a great savings account for something else. Win/win! Right? I'm going with RIGHT!!! 😂</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">Look, a boy needs a goal. And I think it's never a bad idea to just dream big! </span></div>
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-73314663049804079732019-08-27T08:52:00.000-05:002019-09-01T21:58:55.418-05:00So...I Did a Thing!<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 16px;">Pretty much since the day this blog began, way back <a href="http://www.lorishouseofcrazy.blogspot.com/2008/11/do-you-think-these-children-make-my.html" target="_blank">in 2008</a>, friends have told me I needed to write a book. "You are so funny", they said. "You must write a book; it will be a best seller". I filed those comments away and went about my life, corralling three boys and blogging about the hilarity of life as their mother. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 16px;">E</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 16px;">leven years and ninety-five posts later, (which includes a period of 4 1/2 years where I didn't blog at all. Don't know why...just got busy...or lost interest...or was completely lame...or something) I finally published the book. YES.I.DID! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QOAVxVIBwUSqLwD1lrJ9nBE5tqNoDBx_uO0EA9yNkCtQH5aTya0p1FLvVu04rNrB-NZOI9XamxqAy0gQxCya_KlubdH4_f9oFvCpkvELcdToLukMZC9ILuQ197Xgr4JcbodLdglafmQ/s1600/LAUGHING+MEDIA+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1387" data-original-width="1600" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QOAVxVIBwUSqLwD1lrJ9nBE5tqNoDBx_uO0EA9yNkCtQH5aTya0p1FLvVu04rNrB-NZOI9XamxqAy0gQxCya_KlubdH4_f9oFvCpkvELcdToLukMZC9ILuQ197Xgr4JcbodLdglafmQ/s400/LAUGHING+MEDIA+2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">Available in print and digital formats on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=laughing+all+the+way+to+kindergaten&crid=C4PNQSAF8VWB&sprefix=laughing+all+the+way+to+%2Caps%2C163&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_24" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Now, I realize it is
unlikely this book will ever be a best seller. But I must admit to being
completely shocked when two days after the launch, it reached #15 in the
"Military Families" category. Aaaannndddd... #1 in <i>new
releases</i> in "Military Families". That was a cool day! </span></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">Even more shocking was the day my book became #1 in "Christian
Families" and #2 in "Motherhood" in the Free Kindle Store. That
was simply amazing!</span></div>
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So here's the deal: I didn't write this book to make money or gain notoriety. I
wrote it because I felt God calling. Every time someone said "you need to
write a book", I felt a pulling inside, along with a gentle whisper: <i>Your
stories are relate-able to other moms. Write a book to encourage and
inspire</i>. So I did. And I hope it does encourage the mommies. I hope
it uplifts and inspires and provides a warm hug along with some refreshment for
the soul. I hope my stories can make a mama laugh through the hard days, with
the knowledge that all the days won’t be so hard. I wanted to remind the
mommies how fleeting life is and that if their preschool children are making
them crazy...rejoice in the knowledge that their children are normal.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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So, I published the book. People often ask why I chose to self-publish instead
of seeking a traditional publisher. An entire book could be written about my
journey from seeking a traditional publisher, and being solidly against
self-publishing... to where I am today. Here's the short version: a traditional
publisher requires a non-fiction author to have a giant following. Like... HUGE!
The "following" would need to be <i>at least</i> 10,000 people before
they would even read my book proposal. The truth is I am not at all interested
in building a following. It's not about ME. It's about pointing people to
Jesus. I just didn't want to spend my time posting things on social media with the intent of
building a following. That's not my style. And... If God really did call me to
write this book, I knew HE would get it to the mommies who needed it. So I
chose to self-publish.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Christian recording artists, Casting Crowns, released one of my very favorite songs. Here
are the lyrics.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">ONLY JESUS</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"> By Casting Crowns</span></i><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Make it count, leave a mark, build a name for yourself</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Dream your dreams, chase your heart, above all else</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Make a name the world remembers</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">But all an empty world can sell is empty dreams</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">I got lost in the light when it was up to me</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">To make a name the world remembers</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">But Jesus is the only name to remember</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">And I, I don't want to leave a legacy</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">I don't care if they remember me</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Only Jesus</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">And I, I've only got one life to live</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">I'll let every second point to Him</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Only Jesus</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">All the kingdoms built, all the trophies won</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Will crumble into dust when it's said and done</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">'Cause all that really mattered</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Did I live the truth to the ones I love?</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Was my life the proof that there is only One</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Whose name will last forever?</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">And I, I don't want to leave a legacy</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">I don't care if they remember me</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Only Jesus</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">And I, I've only got one life to live</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">I'll let every second point to Him</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">Only Jesus</span><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;">THIS!</span></b><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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This is exactly why I am not interested in building a following. I'm not going
to waste one day getting people to "like" me or "follow"
me. I don't care who subscribes to my blogs or who buys my books. All I care
about is this: Did I point someone to Jesus today?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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So, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=laughing+all+the+way+to+kindergaten&crid=2BMJ0HTTTZ7P1&sprefix=laughing+all+the%2Caps%2C150&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_16" target="_blank">here’s the book.</a> If you buy it, I hope you love it. But mostly, I hope it
will bless your socks off. And if it does,<b> please leave a review on Amazon</b>. If
it doesn't, send me an email with your concerns. I am always open to
constructive criticism and I may even edit the book accordingly. If you see
typos, please let me know. I will fix them. Above all, know this: I am cheering
for all the mommies. Your children will only be little for a short time.
They <i>will </i>make you crazy; it's their job. But I hope my book
will provide a new perspective and help the mommies to fully embrace the wild
and bitter-sweetness the preschool years have to offer. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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So... this is my ministry. I might just write another. Enjoy! </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnMTGqnusJGqxMtcXIN0GiF37Kxz9Idz7lnECuUrDwgjmdNaLzv9D7hzjI5WLthQz6XN90K6lAHqcI_aapU58Oie4blW5J9woi9QH7T6BdnVGFWqLGl7B_wyjWFrKF6TcejMojgz88yU/s640/LAUGHING+MEDIA+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;">Available in print and digital formats on </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=laughing+all+the+way+to+kindergaten&crid=C4PNQSAF8VWB&sprefix=laughing+all+the+way+to+%2Caps%2C163&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_24" style="font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201201927120673293.post-21136782759405115402019-08-24T16:05:00.001-05:002019-10-08T09:26:47.677-05:00Vacations with Boys<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">We are making memories</span></i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, I reminded myself, while trudging through the
sticky, swampy, gnat infested Capitol Mall on our way to the Lincoln
Memorial. </span></span><i style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">We are providing an educational and cultural experience to
enrich their lives</i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, I thought. </span></span><i style="color: #783f04; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">We are impressing upon them the
blessings of their heritage. </i><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Do you know what else we were doing? We
were providing the perfect </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">scenario</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> for them to whine me into an early
grave.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">I'll just get straight
to the point...Vacations with boys are no vacation at all.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Let me be more
precise. Vacations to <i>historic places </i>with teen/tween boys
stink like the chicken skin I put in the trash under my sink...five days ago. (Note
to self: have this week's trash boy do his job.) Vacations to Six Flags, Disney
World, or any water park - anywhere, are SUPER FUN...for the kids. But yeah,
still kinda stinks for the mama.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This summer we decided to introduce the boys to some culture and history, so we
planned a vacation to Washington DC. Since they have all learned about American
History in school, I was super excited to show them the monuments and take them
to all the historical places they had studied. Army Guy and I loved it. We were
moved by the WWII Memorial, which is incredibly stunning! Bravo memorial
designer guy. Bravo! </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Another favorite was
Mt. Vernon; the home of President George Washington. The museum at Mt. Vernon
was actually better than the Smithsonian's Museum of American History (the
section on the American Revolution, anyway). I absolutely love American History
and I am in awe of historical places. But do you know who isn't such a fan of
history and historical places? The Ducklings. Sigh. Here is the background soundtrack to our
vacation. (I'm not even kidding)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">How much more walking?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">It's hot.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Can we get an electric scooter?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">I hate this.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">I don't want to see anymore monuments to
dead guys.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Can we get an electric scooter?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">I don't want to learn anymore.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">When can we go back to the hotel?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Can we get an electric scooter?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">We should have brought the Xbox.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">How many more floors are in this museum?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Why didn't we stay in a hotel with a
pool? (Answer: so you wouldn't spend every day doing what you can do
at home while ignoring the rich history of this nation. You'll thank me
one day.) </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">I want hamburgers for dinner (And lunch. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Why can't we get an electric scooter?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Why doesn't Washington DC have a
Whataburger?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">There are bugs in my face!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Cemeteries are boring </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Can we use an electric scooter in
Arlington?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">The list goes on.
Let's just say, the Ducklings didn't really enjoy Washington DC, (except,
of course, for the subway...they thought that was COOL!) I should make them
write a paper for being so annoying. One day they will appreciate this
experience and will want to go back. And then THEY CAN SPEND THEIR OWN DANG
MONEY to repeat an experience they didn't appreciate in their teens.
So...here's a big 'ol "WHATEV" to my kids. I say that with love.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">After four </span><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strike>agonizing</strike></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> wonderful days in Washington DC, we
flew down to Columbia, SC where we got to visit our dear friends, the Long
Family. The boys finally got to swim, relax, watch movies and play video
games. They were in heaven...and so was I because I got to hang with my sweet
friend, Kelly. For six days all was right with the world.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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So here are my lessons learned from our sticky, humid, July visit to DC:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">The pool really <i>is important</i>. Don't assume the sheer awesomeness of your
5-star hotel will in any way make up for the lack of a pool for the
teenage people.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Staying in a super fancy hotel will bring
about a British accent in a thirteen-year-old boy. Who knew? Fancy digs =
fancy speech...or something.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Burgers every day will not kill you...but
you might wish otherwise.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Get the dang scooter.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Traveling with an American-to-British
translator is quite amusing.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Hotel pizza delivery service is genius!
So is a steak dinner for two at the uber fancy, and shockingly pricey,
hotel steakhouse. WIN/WIN!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">It is fallacy to assume that visiting the
Capitol Mall at night will be better because "it won't be so
hot". </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Every person in
America will have the same idea. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Fourteen TRILLION
gnats live in/about the area of the reflecting pool, and they come out at
night. Why yes...walking into swarms of bugs in the dark was my ideal dream
vacation. Pro tip: walk along the lighted path. The bugs will swarm near the
street lights and not your face. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">It is actually
possible for the night to become more hot and sticky after the sun goes down.
WHAT THE HECK IS THAT ABOUT?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">All-in-all the Ducklings
actually did have a great vacation. (Except for the museums, walking, humidity
and gnats). Next time, however, I splurge on the stupid scooters. Wait….
<i>NEXT TIME?</i></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvlbmIRkkS9UiPamDO4ZxoFme8AS56oE3EJpnPrntLVXalK5XCvSteJet48_B427eZcgxlGdoT9XGlJqHsst3Bp8QpsobQ8hu96A2YgM3JAVMw0N0B7BH0IC4oYZHHIozW_exMu_d5A0/s1600/IMG_0486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1544" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvlbmIRkkS9UiPamDO4ZxoFme8AS56oE3EJpnPrntLVXalK5XCvSteJet48_B427eZcgxlGdoT9XGlJqHsst3Bp8QpsobQ8hu96A2YgM3JAVMw0N0B7BH0IC4oYZHHIozW_exMu_d5A0/s400/IMG_0486.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Day. Not whiny...yet! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwu4pQJw-4_SKks0Tl4bPPzcYXv8m7iijGA98CdFLSzKMhJdL1qWT2VFfzgCxZuej3li6EIXFwOk222BLSkgzM3XpdM-TPd_wqv3BD2pB4QWGqUK1miE4DsrwRTIYIyGYoNvXR5hcVrk/s1600/IMG_7831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwu4pQJw-4_SKks0Tl4bPPzcYXv8m7iijGA98CdFLSzKMhJdL1qWT2VFfzgCxZuej3li6EIXFwOk222BLSkgzM3XpdM-TPd_wqv3BD2pB4QWGqUK1miE4DsrwRTIYIyGYoNvXR5hcVrk/s400/IMG_7831.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second Day: This photo pretty much sums up the entire trip! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">And also... why DOESN'T Washington DC have a Whataburger? Valid question, my son!</span><br />
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Loretta Monroehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02255755446289008372noreply@blogger.com0