An Award for the Nest!

This lovely award from my fellow blogger THEMOM made my week!

It is my first blog award and I was very touched that she chose my blog as one that was worthy of it -

And so now it is my turn to pass along the award as follows:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

So I am sending all of you along to the following blogs - when I have time to read them I truly enjoy what these people have to say and feel they deserve recognition too.

1. Faux Martha for her kind spirit and philanthropy
2. My dear friend Paige and the SEARCH for her BEE People
3. Little People Wealth because we all need a friend who knows where to find the deals!
4. MamaNeena because I need to know someone else feels my pain
5. Little Circosta's Media Grab - because Sam needs birthday wishes and his Daddy has good politics
6. hmmmmmm, because she is a wonderful person - and needs some good karma!
7. RoseCreekCottage has lovely things to say, such a positive blogger
8. Future Poltergeist can be counted on for awesome Friday photos

and I would have shared others, but some of the blogs I read have gone private. Please enjoy what my people have to say!


Now you lovely bloggers and share who you like with me!

Do not get between Boo Boo and her Mama Mia!

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Okay, BBLL. Do which hat do you want to wear...

Mama?

Ya babe.

Can I wear my flounder hat?

What hat?

That hat. There! My flounder hat.

It is not warm enough sweetie, you have to wear your other hat underneath it.

OKAY!!!

And Mama - can I bring my songs thing to Jackie house????

PUH-LEAZE???

I suppose, if you are nice and share.

Okay.

(running into daycare)

Caleb, CA-LEB!

BBLL you need to take off your boots!!!

But, I want to show CA-leb!!!

Boots first.

Okay Mama.

(boots, coat, hat, mittens removed - MP3 Player clutched and running!)

Caleb, CHECK IT OUT!

Cool.

Jackie, CHECK IT OUT!

Oh, that is nice.

(Report - she DID share and the MP3 was a BIG hit with all the kids. Especially Caleb, who is the "cool kid" cuz he is almost five.)

QUINCY!!!

This morning I saw this, that led me here, here, and here. Where will the madness end?!?!!!

Oh Ken...you nut!

They need you to put money into savings so they have money to LEND. They blew their TARP money.

I was ignoring it. But now...

I was ignoring octomom and all her babies, but I could not keep it in anymore after I heard about her contacting Angelina Jolie & that the DAMN DOCTOR has another woman knocked up with Quads - who is ALMOST FIFTY, yes 50 and quadruplets.

that'll work.

But before I rant more - here is a pretty rose I got when I drove into our parking ramp at work today!!!

Pretty, isn't it?

As far as Octomom goes - and I do not deny any woman the right to her own reproductive decisions - but, you have to be able to AFFORD it. That is part of earning the right - earning the do-re-mi.

At least that is how it was for me and all my girlfriends - or men I know who also face these challenges with their wives.

• It was an expensive THREE YEARS for me to get pregnant with Boo Boo La La & I did not even get to IVF.
• A friend MAXED OUT FOR LIFE on her husband's insurance after ONE TREATMENT, that was not even as expensive as IVF. They had to wait until he changed jobs and got better insurance to try again.
• Another friend TRIED and TRIED and TRIED, IVF - everything. And she could not get pregnant. She gave up and now in her early fifties is 'content' with the fact her step-child loves her dearly.

Friends with miscarriages, concerns about genetics, EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN.

This woman and her so-called doctor are rubbing these children in the faces and up the noses of all of the rest of us. It is a sick, sick, sick side to reproductive challenges.

She could have had ONE, just one and been grateful because she required such extreeme measures to give birth.

with no husband, no insurance, no place to live on her own...

what gives her the RIGHT to more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more?

Bright side for me is that maybe Angelina Jolie will think twice before she has any more.

What went wrong?

So this morning I stopped at the Rice Street Caribou off 694 and they offered me any bakery item for $1. So I got a yummy cranberry-orange scone....and took a picture, because I am a dork!
now - all you cook-type people who read my blog.

Last night I made homemade mac n' cheese and it had sort of a 'gritty' mouthfeel. It tasted good, but I must have done something wrong...

HERE IS THE RECIPE:

1/2 cup flour
6 tablespoons butter

make a rue and add 1 quart of warmed milk

stir in 6 cups of cheese - the recipe I saw called for fontina and cheddar, but I took the opportunity to use up my cheeses so I used:

what was left of a smoked gouda, about 1/3 cup
some farmer cheese from whole foods, about a cup
Wildflower Cheddar and Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar for the remaining in about equal parts.

(then obviously add the cooked macaroni and bake for 30-35 minutes - the recipe also called to add tomatoes and breadcrumbs on top, but I skipped that last night.)

The question is, what caused the 'gritty' mouthfeel? Was it the combo of cheeses perhaps? Or did I over, or under, cook my rue? Is it possible that I added the milk too quickly?

Please give your opinion. I appreciate it!

Gardening for a purpose

I am not saying I will be planting a full on garden of veggies, but I might try some tomatoes or something!

I won again!!

A few weeks ago I signed up to win something through BlogHer Network and today...

________________________________________

Hi Lisa,

You are the winner of the M&M's prize package! Congratulations! Please email me your full name and mailing address so we can send you your prize.

Thanks for entering!

Michelle Woo

_________________________________________

I had to tell what makes me melt - here was my winning entry. (okay, I know it was random and what I wrote did not matter - but still!)

- my toddler laughing while playing with her big brother who is 15
- my husband letting me sleep in
- watching my toddler and daughter who is 16 do each others hair

Perhaps next it will be your turn!

Where are they going to GO???!!!

Obama to set executive pay limits

U.S. President Obama announces Sen. Gregg as his choice for Commerce Secretary at the Whit...
By Jeff Mason, ReutersWed Feb 4, 9:30 AM EST
President Barack Obama kicks off a campaign on Wednesday to rein in corporate compensation with rules limiting executive pay to $500,000 a year for companies getting taxpayer bailout funds in the future.
Obama, who sharply criticized Wall Street chiefs for accepting billions of dollars in bonuses last year while the economy staggered toward collapse, had promised compensation reform as part of a package of stricter regulations on the financial industry.

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Yes, we have all seen this story - and here are the arguments against it.

From JP Morgan Chase CEO - because I care about HIS opinion.

From an apparently intelligent woman who lost her mind in a blog post.

And of course - some "expert" too.

___________________________________________

My question is, "Where are these 'talented' people who ran companies into the ground going to get new jobs?"

What are they qualified to do? Create bad policy, risky lending markets, and big fat bonus checks for themselves?

Really? I mean really? You think they are going to jump to another company?

Really?

I GOT IT!!

I found Jenny after all these years...