Butterfingers

Oh gosh, I have the funniest story to tell you guys. Today, I was in a errand frenzy. I had to go to the bank, feed the grandsons, (Whataburger of course), go to the post office to mail off the proof for the cookbook, go to the health food store and finally, go to a local community ministries store to donate a large tub of clothing and shoes. The last stop was the ministries store, and Martin drove around back to take the clothes to the donation point. I hurried into the store, because I cannot resist a second hand store, and as I walked in the front door, there before me was the computer console of my dreams. Now, for many years, I have wanted a computer hutch that was all-inclusive: meaning that it could close up when you are done, and when opened, had nooks and crannies, a place for the screen, the cpu, and a swing out desk. Something like this usually costs around 800.00 to way over a thousand, depending on the quality, and that is why I have never been able to get one. Well, like I said, there before me at the front of the store was this fabulous computer hutch, with everything I always wanted! And guess what? It was only 200.00! I decided then and there that it was going home with me! I asked the clerk to be sure it wasn't already sold, and behind her, she was putting up a sign saying that all desks were 75% off! Hold on Nellie! I almost attacked the poor little thing when I asked her if that hutch were also on sale and she brightly and cheerfully said, "YES IT IS!" I had to sit down. I was going to get my computer hutch for only 50.00! I ambushed Martin when he walked into the store, saying "give her 50.00 bucks and load this baby up!" He just blinked at me and said, "Okay". He realized the magnitude of the blessing we had just been given, and was as tickled as I was. Now, this hutch is about 7 feet tall and very heavy. Martin got some of the men at the store to help him load it on the truck, taking care not to nick it or scratch it in anyway. He tied it down with several cords, and took his sweet time getting home to make sure it got there safely. I was just a giggling fool the whole way, and finally we drove into the driveway with our treasure. Remember, this is roasting hot Houston, and I wanted to get the thing unloaded and into the house before I melted, so I went ahead and got the dolly and opened the gate for martin. He untied the hutch and carefully began to scoot it toward the tailgate. I forgot to tell you that square in the middle of the bed of the truck is a hitch ball sticking up that we use to pull our bar-b-que trailer. This ball is about 4 inches across and sticks up about 4 inches. Can you see where I am going with this? In the heat, martin's hands had become sweaty, and while he was scooting the hutch, it slipped from his hands and slammed down on the ball hitch. I heard the bang, and turned around to see the most pitiful sight ever. There stood Martin, with an expression on his face of a little boy who had just dropped a triple dipped ice cream cone! He looked at me with a look of horror, and 3 things happened within seconds. First, I realized the ball went through the back of the hutch, second, this was funny as hell, and third I started laughing and hugging martin at the same time. How could I be angry with my boy when he was trying so hard to make me happy? All is well, the hole in the back is perfect for running computer cords and electrical cords to the unit. I am happily typing at my new hutch, once again having been tremendously blessed by Heavenly Father. Oh, and today is Little Otto's birthday. For those of you who don't know, Little Otto is my son who was killed 18 years ago by a drunk driver. He would be 31 today, but he is still my Little Otto. Finally, after all these years, I can enjoy his birthday without crushing heartache- I know he hates it when I carry on the way I do. But this year, I am just happy knowing he is close to me, and that he knows that I know that he and I will be together again. Say! Maybe Little Otto made it possible for me to have my new hutch? Who knows?

Chicken coup

Well, I received the proof for the new cookbook and had to look through it to make sure everything was printed correctly. It looks great, but I did find one mistake. In a recipe calling for chicken soup, the recipe said, "add one can of chicken coup." I think that is hilarious! I corrected it, but I wanted to share this with you.
Oh, and REALLY GREAT NEWS! Jacky has gone 3 days in a row without a doopie in the house! I am so pleased, that means that now I can take down the barriers to the living room and dining room. My house looks like a maze- you have to walk straight from the kitchen to the bathrooms and bedrooms, but hopefully my luck will hold and I can go back to normal.
Martin put together a gorgeous work center for me to work on to make the jelly, candies and other items. It makes me feel so good that he is so supportive of my efforts. I feel that I can go ahead with my dream of "From Nana's Kitchen" and express my talents. The work center has tons of storage, a wood butcher block top, and is 6 feet long. There is room for everything, tiny boxes of pectin, utinsels, lables, and on and on. I love organization, but I am the type of person who will forgo convienience if it is too costly. Martin told me that I was worth it, so now I am ready to go. I love making those mason jars with cookie mix in them, called "cookies in a jar" but it was hard to set up an assembly line for a lack of space. Now, I can just line up everything and go right down the line. I like to make chocolate chip, peanut butter chip, M&M cookies, brownies, oatmeal-cranberry-white chocolate chip- gingerbread and sugar cookies in a jar. The other idea I make is called "Alpha-Soup". It is alphabet pasta and other ingredients in a mason jar, and you just add it to 1 quart of boiling water to make a really yummy soup in no time! Hopefully, next month, I can display my items at a craft show and that should give me an idea of the popularity of my wares! I will keep you informed- thanks for listening!