So There Was This ONE Time I Was Weird...

So, I'm sitting here eating some good ol' cheez-its and thinking of how wonderful of a salty snack they really are. I mean really. Think about it. What is better than cheez-its? Not a whole lot!

Cheez-its have probably been my favorite snack cracker my entire life. I loved them as a kid, as I did just about anything cheese related.

One night, my brother Jared and I were enjoying a box of tasty treats when the horrid realization that we were down to crumbs had come to our attention. Knowing it wasn't likely to happen, we asked the adults in our home to take us to the store to get some more. My Mom was tired from working all day, and our Grandparent's looked at us like we were pretty much insane. I asked if I could make a grilled cheese sandwich then. They granted permission and off to the kitchen I went...

Well, somewhere in the hall way the brilliant idea occurred to me that I could MAKE cheez-its. I mean, how hard could it be, right?

I got out the velveeta, cut it into tiny squares, and placed them on the griddle. Then I loaded on the salt. I was CERTAIN this was going to be fantastic. I had visions of my recipe being listed in the church potluck cook book. I mean, this was going to be the perfect snack, even better than the name brand, right?

Well, Jared was a little skeptical. He felt the need to feed a few pieces to our gold fish Jaws. (Jaws never ate fish food. He ate our left overs. I'm not lying. That fish lived over a year merely on our left overs! He was a carnival prize and lived on green beans, cheese, bread, etc.)

Jaws ate them up. We tried a few, were enjoying our delicacies, and in heaven. I'll never forget what happened next. Jared went to drop another piece in Jaws cereal canister (Like I said, carnival prize. He was one of 100's. My Grandma refused to invest money in a fish that could pass any day...) and it splashed. SPLASHED! Fish water ALL OVER the griddle and plate. I cried.

Naturally the grown ups thought I burned myself cooking, came running, and were horrified. I wasn't allowed to cook again for awhile. Apparently fried cheese is a greasy mess, and is FAR from a healthy cracker snack.

Just felt the need to share that story. Poor Jaws. Probably died of a heart attack due to clogged arteries after all the junk we fed him.

RIP Jaws, RIP.

I Am Blessed...

A great many things have occurred not only in my life, but in the lives of those I know and love... and even some I've never met... to cause me to once again realize just how blessed I truly am lately. While I always "know" in my heart that I'm blessed, I don't take for granted the reminders that sometimes have to be put in front of me.

• God has given me a caring husband, who would never hurt me and (almost) always thinks of my feelings. (He is human, after all...)
• My children are healthy. While my oldest 2 may not live under my roof most of the year, they are most certainly healthy and safe.
• I am healthy. Sure, a little overweight with annoying acne and gallstones. But nothing life threatening.
• I have a family that loves me.
• I have friends that seem to be there when I need them.
• My church is amazing and a great place to attend worship. Always involved with reaching out not only to those who attend, but to the surrounding community also.
• I have a roof over my head. We may have a pincher bug invasion under way, but it's a cute old house that I still love and will continue to love until we maybe hopefully someday buy a cute new house, lol. We have heat when it's cold, air conditioning when it's hot, and electricity with running hot/cold water.
• I'm never hungry for any longer than necessary. There is food in my pantry.

I really could continue this list on and on and on and on... But I think I made the point that was needed. Never take anything for granted. Just because it is here today, it may not be tomorrow. Love your loved ones, appreciate the small things, and never forget that tomorrow everything can change.

Further on that note, I would like to send out my condolences to Linda Truesdale and family on the passing of her husband Larry yesterday. I have known them both most of my life. While we all know that Larry is in the presence of Jesus, he will be missed.

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jared! Wow, you're like, 26... who knew you'd make it this far without severing a limb or something? Be thankful! LOL

Ironing Out The Irony...

So, this is my younger brother Jared. (Yes, I stole this pic off myspace, get off my back. It's his most recent upload so I found it fitting...)

Jared and I grew up together, of course, being full blooded siblings and all. In other words: We lived in the same house and experienced the same things. Being different genders we both walked away with different takes on life from our upraising, even though we are only 19 months apart. This is noticeable in the most obvious ways, and not so obvious ways as I found out last week...

Jared has recently begun relocating to Northern California with his girlfriend Ashly. (I don't know her very well, but she seems like a nice girl and she makes Jared ridiculously happy. Maybe someday they will give me a dark haired niece or nephew that I can spoil insanely and send home at the end of the day... no pressure! ) Being that Jared is ridiculously happy, he wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a nice dinner though he had few items in the house and no time to run to the store. Who does he call for advice? Me. I received this as an extreme compliment, as he flat out told me he was calling me because I'm a good cook. (I know, I was surprised too...)

So, I asked what he had on hand. Frozen chicken. Then he asked if I ever used frozen chicken and had any ideas what to do with it. Really? Seriously?! I choked on laughter, and if you've been reading this blog for very long you know why. I tried not to get to excited and exclaim the magic and glory of all that is available to you at a low cost and convenience with frozen chicken on hand... I'm not going to say that was easy, but I did it.

Seriously, how is this not the most ironic thing of my week? My little brother, who grew up in the same home I did where Grandma baked frozen chicken AT LEAST once a week, if not twice has never heard of what to do with frozen chicken or even if it's any good? REALLY? And then calls ME, of all people, to ask what to do with it? Made my day... OK, yeah, my week. Love it. Had to share, whether you people care at all or not.

Just goes to show, you can come from the exact same place. Same upbringing. Same blood. Same parents. Etc, etc, etc... and have a completely different outlook than the person next to you. How many times in life do we need to remember that we are all different from one person to the next and that we may not all have the same take? Really makes you think... Or at least it made me think... obviously.... Be concious of other people!!!

My point: Don't you love how God will grab your attention with the most everyday thing like your little brother asking you for a recipe? Amazes me!

P.S. He told me later that the dinner came out excellent and his girlfriend loved it. The art of knowing how to handle frozen chicken must run in our blood...