Saturday, February 15, 2014

Ten Things of Thankful: Week 35


Ah, another Valentine’s Day put to bed. Honestly it’s not so much my thing…but most Hallmark Holidays are not: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s & Father’s Day…I just don’t get into them. I think it may stem from the fact that I love to give gifts, but I don’t like to feel compelled or obligated to give one. I want to give it because I want to give it; I don’t want to give it because Hallmark and their sappy commercials tell me I should.

Yes, I am very Bah-Humbug when it comes to Valentine’s Day. I don’t mean to be. It’s a nice sentiment, I suppose, but not one I feel compelled to go over-board with.

But regardless of all this unnecessary rambling, this was “Valentine’s Week”. And we did get a little bit of celebrating in and it was just lovely…not overboard at all. So with that, I give you my list of Valentine Week Thankfuls (some of which had absolutely nothing to do with Valentine’s Day…we can all be thankful for that).

  • I am thankful for a FAB-U-LOUS Cookie Cake from my parents for Valentine’s Day. I would have included a picture but it was kind of devoured before I could get out my phone. (OK, actually I forgot…what kind of blogger am I?!?) My mom dropped it off one day when we weren’t home and so when I saw it on the counter, I (of course) told the PBA that it was all for me. They believed me for about 5 seconds. Regardless of the fact that I have to share with the PBA and Mr. Always Random , I was still very thankful to have it. Who wouldn’t love a chocolate chip cookie loaded with icing? (OK, lots of people, I’m sure, but not really ones I know and associate with…)
  • And I was thankful that I could still fool the PBA, even if it only last for about 5 seconds…at this point I’ll take what I can get.
  • I am thankful for a Foodie Friday post which included a nice new brownie recipe (which is more like a cake then a brownie, but the creator calls it a brownie cake, so I shall follow suit.) This is the brownie recipe to which I referred last Saturday, for those of you who are keeping score at home.
  • I am thankful for a date with my husband (and 4 other couples, well actually there were two singles and 4 couples total…and no, this was not some weird Valentine's tradition…it was a high school ministry leader retreat which also happened to be on Valentine’s Day which is why spouses were invited to come with…Mr. AR is the HS ministry person and I am the ph-so-supportive spouse.)
  • And that we got dinner and a night in a hotel and breakfast all paid for.
  • And the PBA got to spend the night with my parents.
  • And they went to the Indiana Medical History Museum (about which I am somewhat jealous b/c I have been wanting to take the PBA but I couldn’t ever find time/make time to go. And since my parents wanted to take the boys somewhere I let them take them there). As an aside, they said it was great so if you’re ever in the area, it comes recommended. (And I included a few photos courtesy of my dad, just in case you weren't feeling so inspired as to click on the link to their website.)



  • And my parents took the Indy-dog too…to their house for the overnight…not the museum. Sorry…I got a touch out of order there. He had a lovely time and made himself at home as soon as he arrived…immediately circling around and pooping on their basement floor. Lovely…he really endears himself to people.
  • I am thankful that the hotel room was reasonably clean. I HATE hotels.
  • And that when we got home, one of our neighbors had cleared our drive-way for us; we were predicted to get 1 inch but we got 5.5 inches yesterday afternoon and evening. And for those of you keeping score at home, that’s 50.5 inches so far this year. It’s the second-snowiest winter on record for us. And we only need one more inch (which  we are supposed to get tonight) which will put us over the edge.
  • Sorry…that was a little tangent about the snow which I am sick of. But the new snow does make everything look all nice a clean again. It’s “glitter snow” as my 10yo called it.
  • I am thankful for more story assignments…one for March (already completed and turned in), one for April, one for May and one for June. I am over-the-moon.
  • I am thankful that sometimes I see glimpses of actual learning going on in out house. In quizzing the 10yo on etymology this week, he only missed 9…and several of those he could give me an example of a word which used the stem but not the meaning; I’m stringent on my etymology grading, let me just tell you. And yes, 9 sounds like a lot…but I have to tell you that this was after week 24. And they get 6 new etymology stems each week. You do the math. Ok…because I am a full-service blogger I will tell you (after I get out my calculator…don’t judge). That’s a total of 144 stems. And he only missed 9. I was impressed. And thankful that something.is.sticking.




13 comments:

  1. 135/144 is GREAT :D

    Aaaaaaaaaaand if I don't like chocolate chip cookies loaded with icing, does that mean we can't be friends any more?

    YAY for you getting time away and the hotel being clean.

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  2. "Please be sure to close the refrigerator door after replacing corpses in appropriate stalls." or something like that... was the sign on the cadaver fridge in the lab I ran at UCONN during PT school. Did a lot of dissections in that lab ... those photos brought back a lot of memories... surprisingly, not bad ones!

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  3. I think I would have been "over the edge" long before 51.5 inches of snow! Wow. That is a LOT of snow!

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  4. We went to that museum! It is a GREAT museum! Everything is exactly as it was the day they closed the doors. You would love it. I'll have to take my kids again this summer. They were little when we went the first time.

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  5. We are at our sixth snowiest winter on record here and I am certain that more is to come...it's only the middle of February. We can't possibly be finished with snow. I just ate what is quite possibly the most fantastic chocolate chip cookie ever. Add icing? Hmm...that might make it completely over the top.

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  6. I agree with you. It's quite irritating the way Valentine's has lost sincerity over the years. Hope the Winter settles soon!

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  7. Did you say cookie cake? You had me at cookie cake.
    I would have loved to go to that museum. I love museums period but a medical one? That speaks to my nursing scrubs :)
    As a snow blooded Canadian, I am so over it. I did hear more birds yesterday...well it could be the crazy cabin fever soul tricking me

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  8. Okay - to the neighbour who cleared your driveway - a spot in Heaven is already reserved for him or her. We have a neighbour who does that for us from time to time when we are both at work and words cannot describe how grateful we are.

    The museum looks like a blast - how interesting as a topic! And good on your father for taking pictures!

    All in all sounds like a wonderful week!

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  9. Your photos! Your father! Your PBA! Your attitude! YOUR COOKIE! WHAT MORE TO BE SAID???

    xox jean

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  10. Well, who wouldn't thrilled with a FAB-U-LOUS cookie cake? I know I would be! I'm not much on Valentines Day either, I truly dislike the idea of a day to tell someone you love them. I do that every flippin' day...in words and actions. I am glad to see it pass. I'm glad you got to take some time with your husband. The museum looked pretty cool and God love the neighbor who cleared your driveway! I don't know much about snow but I've read enough on blogs in the last few weeks to know that the clearing of it is quite a chore.

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  11. I love the German Father's Day tradition: all the guys (even singles and child-less men) gather with a little hand-cart full of beer and go hiking for the day. Which makes me think: what would the family say if on MOTHER'S DAY I got together with all my friends, loads of wine and head to da day spa? Dads oftentimes don't get to spend as much time with the family as moms (I know, our case is different), but why do they get to leave for the day and moms don't?? Back to the post: Love the idea of a cookie cake! Can you draw a picture and share? The museum looks awesome, I bet Lily would have loved it. But she's a little morbid; when she was 4 we went to a museum with a skeleton on display (I had no idea it would be there). And instead of being scared and freaking out, she called: Look, Mami, there's a dead person over here!! What did she die of? And why is she in such a funny position?? And... Love my weird kid :-)

    Ohh, and a date on someone else's dime, especially and OVERNIGHT date is awesome!! Have a great new week!!

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  12. love the term 'glitter snow'… we had that for our last snow storm*, very dry easy to shovel!


    * I totally refuse to refer to a snow storm by a name just because the marketing people at Weather Central or wherever decided we needed to name snow storms…

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  13. I HAAAATE it when I miss a photo op that would be most excellent for the blog! Makes me want to yell, "CUT!" and get a chance to re-shoot the scene.Wish life worked that way....

    That museum looks like great fun! There's a museum of funeral customs somewhere in Illinois that I have wanted to go to, if I ever find myself in Illinois, that is, as my father in law is a retired funeral director and my husband worked as one for a couple of years when we first moved back to the home stomping grounds.

    We had a "glitter snow" (FABULOUS description) last week. It was so dry and sparkly that I was able to use a broom and sweep it off the front walk and driveway instead of shoveling (husband out of town and avoided the whole thing, dammit).

    I just read your brownie recipe, and it reminds me a little of a recipe I have for a chocolate chip cake with chopped dates in it. The topping is white sugar and chocolate chips and maybe butter (it's been YEARS since I made it) which is sprinkled on the batter before baking. It does turn out a little on the crunchy side on top, if I recall correctly. I probably ought to make it and find out....

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