Sneezing Panda

Since everyone else is posting up videos on their blogs, I thought I would too. Here's a little something for your viewing pleasure.

Book Blurb: The Hiding Place

Okay, in my opinion, this is one of the few books that I believe should be required reading for everyone. This amazing true story shows us human courage and compassion at its finest.

Here's a blurb:

"An old watchmaker in Holland. His two daughters, Corrie and Betsie. Simple, ordinary people. Yet these three unlikely heroes became the center of a major underground operation: To hide Jewish refugees from the occupying Germans. These kindly, law abiding people broke every rule in the book to save the lives of the men, women and children being hunted by the Nazis. Their home became a hiding place, but the cost of their bravery was betrayal and in the dreaded Ravensbruck concentration camp, they had to create another hiding place for those around them."

My Mom the Artist...

My mother is very artistic. When I was a child I used to love watching her sketch in her sketch books. (Come to think of it, I'd STILL love to watch her sketch - just thinking about it makes me feel all happy and relaxed.) Her books are in my possession now and I absolutely cherish them. Most of her sketches are either too light or too big for me to scan, but here are a couple that turned out:

She doesn't sketch much anymore. For years now she's been painting. It started with landscapes, the best of which (in my opinion) used to belong to my grandmother. When Grandma died, Mom sold the painting to the people who bought Grandma's condo, not knowing I wanted it. That still kills me. That painting was absolutely perfect, and it ain't easy to get a landscape perfect. Anyway, after a long stint of not painting at all, she came back to it. In recent years she's been doing decorative painting. For those of you who've seen the watering can by my front door, you probably know it was my mother who painted on the flowers. (That definitely won't fit on my scanner. We REALLY need to buy a camera!)

Anyway, her latest project is pretty different from anything she's done before. It's called Crouching Tiger.

Because my mom lives on the west side, I wasn't able to see this in person. I really wish I could have. This was for her former co-worker's baby's nursery. (Got all that?) Anyway, I think it's pretty cool and apparently I'm not the only one. She brought this into work because she was meeting said lady and baby in the cafeteria for lunch. All mom's co-workers and team leaders, etc saw this and they just went nuts over it. They oooohed and ahhhed and even her artist co-worker thought it was fab. The mother loved it so much she gave my mom a hug (and I guess this lady is not the hugging type). But best of all? Little baby Nathan (just 3 months old) grinned from ear to ear when he saw it.

What better accolades could an artist want?

The Scouting Trip I will never forget...

As several of you know, I have recently been called as an Assistant Scoutmaster. Donna and I have had many conversations about me being in Scouting and I have always said Thanks but no. Now don't get me wrong, I love the Scouting program and am an Eagle Scout myself but to babysit teenage boys is not my cup of tea by any means.

I was called by Bro. Wood to be the Assistant Scoutmaster and the first thought I had was, "What did I do recently to be punished so bad?" The first couple of meetings were bad and I figured it was because I wasn't set apart so I didn't have any patience. I then searched out Bro. Wood to set me apart and he did so and the next week was great. Then came my first camp out with these boys. This camp out was for the Wilderness Survival Merit badge and was a district wide camporee. Our boys actually did all the requirements for this merit badge back in October so there was definitely no real enthusiasm to go on this outing.

The first sign I should have not gone was the fact that when I left work early that afternoon the radio in my truck no longer worked; now I have to drive for 2 hours with several kids in my truck and nothing to drown out their non stop talking.

We were supposed to meet at the church at 4 and leave by 415; at first it wasn't so bad, 5 boys 2 leaders, we can handle it. Well then we had to wait around for about an hour for the other leader to show up, not on time a little frustrating. Next we had to go and pick up some other boys so now we are at 7 boys and 3 leaders. Not that bad until you realize you are leaving the valley at 5pm, have a two hour drive and know it's going to be dark to set up camp. I can still handle that.

After about 45 minutes of listening to these 5 boys talk in my truck and couldn't carry on an intelligent conversation with any of them and no radio to keep my attention; I suddenly hear "Don't move his hand Richard!" And then it happened; stinky, chunky, smelly vomit inside my truck, on the seat on the floor, on the boys clothes, his food, back of my chair. YUCK!!! I called the driver of the other truck and informed him we had to pull over, we found a spot so I could at least clean it up. After I pulled over I saw the real mess was on his clothes, all over his clothes and the food he carried along in a plastic bag.

I helped him out of the truck, got his clothes from the back so he could go change, then I started the nasty task of cleaning up someones vomit from my truck. After a few minutes of that I realized this kid was going to starve if I just pitched his food. I then had to empty out his food sack and wash everything down to put it in another bag for him. As I was doing this, several of the boys decided to go hiking along side the road, no big deal till we were ready and had to wait for them to come back. While they were coming back the other boys decided to run across the two lane highway and dodge cars going at least 65 MPH!!!

We finally safely got everyone back into the vehicles and started to drive again. The smell was awful, I had to drive the rest of the way to Payson with my windows down to keep from everyone else including me from tossing their lunch. As we approach Payson another boy starts complaining that he is going to be sick. I quickly pull over and rush to get him out of my truck so he doesn't toss his cookies in there as well. He ends up sitting down on the curb for about 20 minutes saying he isn't feeling well and then asks for a blessing. I do give him one and he thanks me, the weekend might be saved and all will turn out well.

As we get back on the road it is quickly getting dark and we are still half an hour away from our campsite of Hard Scrabble Mesa. We follow this long line of cars kicking up dust for about a mile and a half then finally find our assigned campsite. Their isn't much room to park so I park on the end of a row just to find out the tail end of my huge suburban is slightly sticking out and I was nervous someone would hit it. I decide to take precautionary action by moving my truck to a different l0cation to protect it. Now remember that it is dark, I'm at a place called Hard Scrabble Mesa where there are tons and tons and tons of rocks all over the place, not just small ones but soccer ball sized ones. As I'm moving my truck I turn a corner and then it happens Pissshhhh, I hit a rock with the side of my tire and popped my tire. I'm upset, tired, still smell the vomit and now I have a flat tire and need to go set up camp in the dark, GREAT.

I leave my truck where it is, in the middle of a driving path, can't move it because of all the big rocks and I don't want to ruin my rim. Have the boys come get their things from it and then we start setting up camp. I do have to admit that it took longer than I thought it would. For a bunch of Scouts they sure as heck didn't know what they were doing. After we got it all set up, three tents, three boys in a two man tent, two leaders in a 6 man tent and 4 boys in a 10 person tent it was time for dinner. My dinner was a nice cold piece of meat and rice that was even colder. We then were told the campfire would be starting at 9pm.

We all went to the campfire, heard a few good speakers but overall the program was long and drawn out. Even leaders were starting to heckle the people putting on the program. One of my boys didn't have a coat, only short sleeve shirt and thin pants and he was freezing, so I let him borrow my jacket to stay warm. After about an hour and a half the program was over and we got to go back to our camps. We were able to get the boys into their tents, then the leaders went to theirs; I decided to sleep in my truck because my allergies were really acting up with all the dust. I was just falling asleep around 1130 when I heard this tapping on my window, I looked around couldn't see anyone and then it happened again. I decided to open my door and see who it was and there was one of the other leaders. He asked me if I had the paper towels in my truck and I said yes, why do you need them? He then told me that the same boy who was sick in Payson and whom I blessed just threw up in the tent with all the other boys. I gladly handed him the paper towels, asked if he needed help and he said nope, I'll get this one. As they explained it to me in the morning I'm surprised no one actually got anything on them because it was really runny and nasty.

I do have to admit that Saturday went a lot better. I had the boys cook breakfast, we did some of the tasks we were supposed to do during the camporee, ended up with 34 points out of a possible 140 but surprisingly came in 2nd place out of our Stake. Oh there was only one other ward from our Stake that showed up and they received 100 something points, so we came in second out of two, that's not too bad is it?

I managed to get my tire changed, we had an enjoyable lunch, played games and then went home. Kids were tired, fell asleep no one got sick on the way home and we were actually dropping off the boys a lot sooner than I realized. Oh what joys and memories I have of that first outing. I can hardly wait to see what surprised come with the next one; I think we are going to try water skiing...

The Lone Peach

We planted our dwarf peach tree last spring in "bare root" condition. This year we are rewarded with one (that's right ONE) peach growing on it. Actually, I didn't expect to see any peaches till next year, so I'm thinking our little tree is ahead. However, I predict the big drama of the spring will be getting that peach plucked after it's ripe but before the birds get to it.

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I'm not sure how well that's going to go. There are about a million birds around here and only five of us.

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Do you think I should build a scarecrow?

Sourdough Bread Recipe

This is so easy and sooooo good!

For the starter:

* Mix 1 Tbs yeast with 2 cups of chlorine-free water (you can allow your tap water to "air out" in a jug for a couple of days) and two cups of white flour.
* Combine these in a glass, plastic, or earthenware container (no metal).
* Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow this mixture to sit at room temperature for at least 48 hours, until it foams and develops a pleasantly sour smell. (The mixture will rise a bit intially, so I wouldn't fill your container more than half full, that way it doesn't overflow.)
* Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. (A general sourdough warning is that if starter turns orange, pink, or any other weird color, throw it out. This is rare though, so don't let that scare you.)

Each time you remove starter for the recipe below, "feed" it with 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir well. Cover loosely and return to the refrigerator.

To make two loaves of bread:

5 1/2 cups flour (1 or 2 cups can be whole wheat, but I haven't tried it that way yet)
2 cups starter (stir really well before you remove starter - it will have separated)
1 Tbsp salt
1 cup water

*Dissolve the salt in the water in a mixing bowl. (I use the bowl for my Kitchenaid mixer.)
*Add the starter, then the flour. Stir, then knead into a ball. (You can use the dough hook for this.)
*Cover with a damp towel and let rise overnight at room temperature. (Needs to double in size. The nice thing about sourdough is this initial rising is not too picky. You can let it get as much as quadrupled in size and it will be fine - some say this makes it better. I set the dough out in the afternoon or early evening and let it rise all the way until lunchtime the next day.)
*The next morning (or afternoon) punch down risen dough and divide in half.
*Shape each half into a round loaf, make an X-shaped slash on each top, and place the two loaves on a greased baking sheet. (You can spray with PAM)
*Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise at room temperature for about four more hours.

*Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven and pre-heat to 400 degrees.
*Bake for 35 minutes. (My oven runs hot, so I baked for just over 30 minutes and it turned out perfect. It's pretty light when I take it out of the oven, but then I brush on just a little butter and it turns a perfect, light golden brown!)

* You can use this starter, fresh from the fridge, for weeks at a time. Eventually the loaves start to rise a bit more slowly. Whenever this happens, leave the starter out at room temperature overnight to speed its fermentation.
* Apparently the brand of yeast can have an effect on this bread. (I have one of those big bags of yeast I bought from Costco for around $3 over 5 years ago. I've kept it in the back of my refrigerator and it's still good. If you bake at all, get yeast this way. It costs the same as just a few packets in the store, keeps for a long time, and even if you end up throwing half of it out you've still saved a ton of money.)
* Sourdough baking is less predictable than yeast baking. Sometimes it takes longer than expected for your dough to double in size. If you're not in a time crunch, that's fine. If you are, set your dough over a pan of warm water and it will rise much more quickly.
* Baking once or twice a week keeps this starter fed and healthy. If you are an infrequent baker, you'll need to drain off some starter and feed it at least once every two weeks to keep it alive.

This dough can also be used to make pizza.

Ben the Photographer

Grandma B gave Ben a child's digital camera for Christmas. Here are a few of his first pics:

As you can see, the lens could use a cleaning. :)

We've Been Simpson-ized!!

Am I endorsing that show by doing this? LOL. Oh well. This was too much fun not to do.

........Simpson Brian........


........Simpson Donna........

........Simpson John (and Ashley)........

........Simpson Ben........

........and Simpson Chris........

Poor Ashley's body got cut off. I guess that's because she's not the favorite dog.

The Perfect Dog

No, it's not Ashley. Not that we don't love our dog. She's endured more than one wobbly toddler falling on her and she's never even looked annoyed about it. She's guarded our babies and played with them as they've grown. John more or less dotes on her. And don't even get me started on what happens when Grandma comes over!!


But as much as we love Ashley, she's not the perfect dog. THIS is the perfect dog:


Isn't he cute? Now, this is our neighbor's dog (thus the fence). We've watched him grow from a tiny puppy to the adolescent cutie you see before you. I think his face is absolutely adorable and I love that fact that his fur is still as soft as it was when he was a puppy. Whenever I come outside to water the roses (and now the resurrected grapes) this dog comes running. He's wagging and jumping and oh so happy to see me!

So naturally I talk to him and give him some scratches through the fence. Gee, that sounds a lot more subdued than it is. I don't want to say that I become a gushing idiot, so let's just say I'm as happy to see him as he is to see me.

Now, let's get back to the fence. It does make it hard for me to properly pet this sweet little dog, but the fence is EXACTLY what makes him the perfect dog. Unlike his owners, I don't have to feed him, pick up after him, or deal with the fact that his little puppy teeth have done their fair share of damage to their possessions.

All I ever have to do is enjoy the fact that he loves me and is happy to see me, while I ooh and ahh till I've had enough. Then I go inside (wash my hands!) and forget about it until the next day.

Like I said, the perfect dog.

Vietnam Fried Rice Recipe

This is my new favorite recipe.

4 Tbsp oil
1/4 to 1/2 lb raw or cooked meat, sliced thin
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
3 cups cooked rice (can use leftover rice)
1 cup raw or leftover veggies (such as green beans, carrots, etc)
2 eggs, beaten


Heat oil in a large skillet. Add meat, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, and soy sauce.
Cook until meat is tender (1-2 minutes).
Add cooked rice and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
Add veggies. (Turn down heat to medium as you heat the veggies, to prepare for adding the eggs.)
Carefully add beaten eggs and stir fry over medium heat until eggs are cooked through.

Enjoy!!

More signs of spring...

In addition to our bougainvillea which is in riotous bloom...









Our grape vines have miraculously survived despite the frost and our neglect (I swear I wasn't being lazy! I thought the frost killed them.)...

And they're even having babies!

Better them than me!

Flashback: Fall Festival

I was combing through the pics on our computer and thought it would be fun to post some of the older ones as well. This is the annual Fall Festival held at the boys' school. It's from 2006.

There are over a dozen game booths the kids can play for prizes (candy, bouncy balls, those little parachute men destined for a sad life of entanglement, etc). Here's John at the Hockey booth:

Here's the fishing booth. John is in line and Ben's in the background in a red and white striped shirt.

While the games are fun, by far the highlight of the festival is this:

Here's Ben in the jumping toy:

Ben and Chris (in the olive green shirt) making their way through the maze...

This is the ladder to the big slide. Even though Chris wasn't even 3 yet, he was determined to do this just like his brothers. He was by FAR the youngest munchkin on there.

Wheeeeeee!




Somehow I don't have a pic of Chris going down the slide. But the boys did this over and over and over again. It was pretty fun to watch them.

Box Ralph

This may come as a SHOCKING revelation, but Brian likes to play practical jokes on people. I know, I know. I can hear you all saying "Brian????" But it's true.

One night around the dinner table, Brian entertained us all with a little story. It involves one of Brian's co-workers, Ralph, who made the unfortunate mistake of forgetting his sunglasses at the office.

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Brian thought it would be funny to hide them. After looking for the perfect hiding place, he spotted a small box on a shelf at eye level. He put the glasses on the box and thought, "It needs a hat."

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Once he added a hat, he decided to draw a nose and a mouth on the box.

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Once that was done, he still thought it needed more. So he cut out little pieces of paper for ears.

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Since Ralph is a smoker the final touch was the cigarette.

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The children loved this story (me too) and we begged Brian for a picture for the blog. So without further ado, allow me to present....

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Box Ralph...

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The Best Art Ever!!!

Not that I'm biased or anything, but these are my favorite artists.

This is an alternative media (i.e. puffy paint) drawing on white copy paper. I call it Sky, Grass, and Happy Mom. Artist: Ben.

This is a pen and ink drawing on the ever trendy school-lined paper. Scary dragon complete with roar!! Artist: John

Self-portrait of the artist: Chris. (This was early in the school year, and said artist has much improved his signature!)

Ben's New Glasses

Ben was having trouble reading the board at school, and as it turns out he needed glasses. He's actually pretty excited about it and has done a great job taking care of them. Here's a pic. Isn't he cute???