Letters Between Two Sisters

2010-04-13T14:04:00.003-04:00

Ani-

I just had to send you this recipe. It's SO much better than that last one I've shared. I am hooked!!! (I think it's the lime)

Ingredients
2 cans black beans, drained, about 30 ounces
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch ground cumin
Directions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Love,
Lo

P.S. It's a (hunky) Guy Fieri recipe.

2010-04-07T08:17:00.004-04:00

Ani-

Sorry I haven't written in a bit. To be honest, I haven't been in the mood for chit chat and letters and such. I am trying to have a better attitude though so....

I am also trying to eat healthier. I read something not long ago that listed 8 foods that we should be sure to eat daily, and that's what I am focusing most on right now is being sure to consume these certain foods, maybe later I will omit other foods that I shouldn't be consuming- but that's not what it's about for me right now. Anyways, sweet potatoes were one of the things on the list. So last night I tried this Sweet Potato Hash that was in a magazine I recently got. It was so very oddly delicious.

I finally finished the Blind Side. I bet you thought I already had finished it. But I hadn't, I kept pausing and reading other books. It was just so.... nonfiction! haha! But near the end it got into Michael Oher's childhood more and it was SO sad but just amazing to read what he's overcome. Sometimes I think I have this thing called life way too easy.

I better go, I left my cell phone at my mother in laws, as you know, and I need to run and get it today.

Love,
Lorinda

2010-03-31T13:35:00.002-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

It is an absolutely beautiful day here so I'm going to have to make this short so we can get out and enjoy the weather.

Since you do dessert pretty much every Monday night, then maybe you could move breakfast night to Tuesday or Wednesday. That's the simplest solution, wouldn't you say? Then maybe Monday could be Mexican Monday! Enchiladas, tacos, taquitos, quesadillas, burritos...the list could go on and on.

I must be going now. Little Judson and I have some outdoor fun we need to get to!

XO
Ani

2010-03-30T09:35:00.007-04:00

Dear Ani,

It sounds like you had a fun and exciting weekend. You asked about mine, but I can't even remember it. So I reckon I didn't have as much fun as you did, eh?

My last couple of days have been interesting though. Rae has a friend in Hilton Head that she spends a few days with every break they get in school and another family friend of ours said the next time Rae stays with her friends to please bring Naomi so she can stay with her daughter that is Naomi's age. And that was this Sunday. So Naomi and Rae have been gone since Sunday. I've known for a while the difference it makes to have a child away from home, it changes everything. Now I see the difference of having two away from home. And I really don't like it. And yet, it's been just me and Zoe for the girls and that's been fun. I keep asking her if she misses her sister and she doesn't hesistate to give me a "nope".

I like your idea of Monday Night Breakfast, I've even thought of it, we even often have a breakfast for dinner on Monday. BUT we always (almost always) have dessert on Monday for Family Night and dessert after something bready like French Toast doesn't seem right. Although dessert after omelettes do. Is that weird? But I know it doesn't have to be Monday. But it's just been a part of my thought process.

Right now I am reading The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh. I love his description of the main character. I think I've discovered that it how one can know if someone is a good writer, in their description of people. I must share-

His name meant Prince, but he was anything but princely in appearance, with his oil-splashed vest, his untidily knotted longyi and his bare feet with their thick slippers of callused skin. When people asked how old he was he said fifteen, or sometimes eighteen or nineteen, for it gave him a sense of strength and power to be able to exaggerate so wildly, to pass himself off as grown and strong, in body and judgement, when he was, in fact, not much more than a child. Be he could have said he was twenty and people would still have believed him, for he was a big, burly boy, taller and broader in shoulder than many men. And because he was very dark it was hard to tell that his chin was as smooth as the palms of his hands, innocent of all but the faintest trace of fuzz.

Well I just got the call to meet up with my friend to pick up Naomi. I don't get Rae until tomorrow, and I always meet up with that friend at the movie theater. Isnt't hat fun, her trip always ends with our families meeting for a movie. This time Rae and her friend and I will watch The Last Song while Naomi, Zoe and my friend and her son will watch Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Nolan, I am not sure about it, if he's coming, and if so, what he'll watch, because neither one is his kind of movie. Although I think he'd get a kick out of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Anyways, gotsta run! :)

Love,
Lo

2010-03-29T12:21:00.000-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

It's Spring Break and I'm SO excited!! Oh wait, I don't have any kids in school so it's just like any other week.

How was your weekend? Mine was quite good. It started out with a good dinner Friday night. You may have had a million calories in one day on Thursday, but I had a million in one meal Friday night! We went to Olive Garden. As you know you get salad and bread sticks with your meal, however, we couldn't resist ordering an appetizer. I can't remember the name of the appetizer, but it was amazing and thinking of it now makes me want to go back and get it again...RIGHT NOW!!! Then we ate the salad and bread sticks. Then our dinner came, and by that point we were pretty much full. However, we still ordered a dessert! I don't know what was wrong with us. Ok, maybe I was the one that really wanted the dessert. I can't remember the name of the dessert either, but they were fluffy little Italian donuts that came with chocolate, raspberry, and caramel dipping sauce. I mean really, can you believe we ate all that in one sitting? See, a million calories!!

After dinner we went bowling. It's been a couple of years since Jud and I went bowling. It was a lot of fun, but of course a lost, which meant I had to give Jud a massage. That's what I suggested we play for, and of course he agreed because he knew I would lose! Can you believe he'd take advantage of me like that?

Saturday morning our family ventured out to go on a little hike. Unfortunately, we didn't realize how cold it was outside. Poor little JT was freezing by the end of it, and I felt guilty since I was the one that suggested we do it. Then, after we went home and little JT had a nap, Jud took him to Home Depot while I went out to some antique stores. Unfortunately by that time it was almost time for them to close, but I still enjoyed it. I got little JT the most darling little hat from the 1950's. Unfortunately when I say little, it is so little that it doesn't fit little JT. But for only $5 I don't regret the purchase and I know that there will be other little ones that came along that will be able to wear it before it's too small for them. One of the cutest parts about the hat was that it still had the original sales tags on it. One the inside was the tag that said the hat was $1.98, and on the outside was a bigger tag that said "SPECIAL SALE....98 cents"

Of course we had church yesterday. The parts that I got to hear were good. Little JT was on one yesterday and it was impossible to sit through the meeting with him.

So that was my weekend. Was it way more than you wanted to hear about? I do apologize. It just feels nice sometimes to have another adult to "talk" to about what I've been up to.

I've been thinking about your asking for my suggestions to add to your Friday Pizza Night and Saturday Night Lunch. My only suggestions are Monday Night Breakfast and Wednesday Night Appetizers. But if I think of anything more, I'll let you know. I was going to suggest a soup night, but I think the weather is getting a little too warm for that. But perhaps that could be a night instituted during the Fall and Winter seasons.

Sorry this letter is so long! Hopefully you made it through with out falling asleep.

XO
Ani

2010-03-26T08:29:00.004-04:00

Ani-

Yesterday I consumed a million and one calories. I ate puffy Cheetos, I drank soda, I had lots of different kinds of chocolate. It was insane. I kept waiting for my body to scream no more but it never did, it just kept letting me, without the slightest ache in my belly. I didn't stop until guilt set in. It was crazy! I think I'm crazy! But today is a new day and I am determined to do better. So far I've only consumed water. But... it is only 8:30 AM.

Just an FYI- there is no need to read The Notebook before reading The Wedding. The book stands on it's own. But you never told me, did I remember right, that Noah died in the movie?

Today is the last day of school before Spring Break. The little girls have Easter Egg Hunts at the school today that they are pleading with me to attend. It's always after Spring Break that the kids start gearing up for Summer Break and fizzling out on homework and such. And I start fizzling myself, forgetting to sign papers and all, so I need to try not to do that this year.

This year Naomi ran for May Day Princess. I've complained to you in the past about how each class in the girl's school elect Princesses for their class. Well in 5th grade, the 5th grade girls can run for THE May Day Princesses. The biggest honour. And I don't know if you remember, but she's always been extremely sensitive about winning (well, losing) and many a tear have been shed over this (stupid) Princess thing. Well, she ran this year and didn't make it and she handled it all quite well. I could see the disappointment in her eye but she took it like a big girl and focused on how happy she was the a friend made it and she moved along with her day. I think she's growing up!

So when I mentioned expanding my Friday Pizza Night and Saturday Night Lunch to more assigned nights, I somehow expected you'd have some ideas and thoughts on that. Do you not?

Next weekend in Gramma and Grampa's Easter Egg Hunt. Maybe you should have saved your trip here for that! It's so much fun, the kids look forward to it every year. It's SO big, the hunt, that we don't even do an Easter Egg Hunt Sunday morning anymore. And really, the kids could go without candy in their basket come Easter morning because they'll still have a billion pieces of candy left over.

I better get along with my day. I hope your weekend is great and hug and kiss that baby for me!

Love,
Lorinda

2010-03-24T12:30:00.003-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

I don't have much time. Well, I do because little JT is napping, but I want to utilize this time to read my book (The Nanny Diaries.)

I took little JT to the pediatrician this morning for his 18 month check up...3 weeks late. He is weighing in at 28.5 lbs and is 34 inches tall. He just keeps growing and growing. When will he stop?!

Glad you survived your camping trip, and had fun even! I think I want to read "The Wedding." I have actually read "The Notebook" (I own it) and would love to read more about their families story. Although I kind of feel like I need to read "The Notebook" again so I can remember it all.

Ok, must get to my book!

XO
Ani

2010-03-23T13:01:00.002-04:00

Dear Ani,

I sure did survive a night of camping and I, of course, had lots of fun. And ate way too much. There is something about camping that makes me hungry. I was actually discussing that with some friends that night. They thought the food tasted better, I think it's some caveman roots issue, like the inner caveman comes out because I am outdoors, so I feel I must eat as much as I can because I don't know when the next meal will be. Either way, my pants are even tighter which was so not necessary.

I am jealous of all of your antique shopping and buying. Luckyyyy. I still owe you money for the mantle! Eek! I keep forgetting to send it. If you had pay pal, I would have paid it by now. I wish I could slide my card through the keys of my keyboard and it would be done. WHY oh why is it sooooo hard to walk to my mailbox?? It's only 20 steps from my front door! Actually, that's not even my issue. It's the envelope. Do you have pay pal? :)

Pop tarts Ani? Really? I am disappointed.

So I am currently reading The Wedding by *cough* *cough* Nicholas Sparks. I don't know if you are familiar with it, but it's the book that came after The Notebook which I did not read but saw the movie. But in the book, Noah doesn't die in the end (didn't he in the movie?) so he's still alive and plays a supporting role. The story is about his grown daughter and her husband, told by the husband. But it's been fun to read more about Noah and Allie.

I best go.

Love,
Lorinda

2010-03-22T11:47:00.001-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

I'm writing this assuming that you survived your camping trip. I sure hope you did. It has been a very long time since I have gone camping. And there is a reason for that...I'm not a huge fan. Don't get me wrong, I think it can be fun, but I don't know that the benefits outweigh the cost.

I have had a wonderful weekend. I feel like it started a little early. Thursday night I went with my friend to the beginning of the antique sale. I hate to say it, but I think the best part about it was the cake bites that one of the antique dealers had in her station. They were absolutely divine! They were so good that my friend and I made the mistake of eating one too many. You know how that is, right? When something is so good, you can't stop eating it. Then all of a sudden you realize that you had too much?

At any rate, I didn't buy anything big when we went Thursday night. But then Saturday I went back with Jud and he surprised me by letting me buy an antique vanity. I believe you've already seen the picture. I absolutely love it! I've wanted one for so long, and I'm just glad that Jud realized it was a need and not a want. :)

I hate to admit it, but my unnecessary purchase at the grocery store was s'mores pop tarts. I haven't bought them in so long, and I just couldn't pass them up. The funny thing is that they are still sitting in the cupboard, unopened.

I must go get my little one down for a nap. Give your family my love.

XO
Ani

2010-03-19T14:29:00.004-04:00

Dear Ani,

How exciting about your bulbs! I see the signs of spring everywhere! How exciting! But Gary is being a tad bit grumpy about it. It's so bizarre, he's usually excited about spring. But anyways, spring is a'comin! Hip hurray! When I look out the window I see popcorn popping on a tree (but it's not an apricot tree) and I've seen flowers beginning to bloom. We've bought some blueberry plants that I can't wait to get planted. I also REALLY want to plant strawberries and we must plant some tomatoes. Have you seen the prices of those bad boys? Goodness gracious!!

Sorry I cut our phone conversation short today. It has been a bit busy getting ready for the camp-out I am attending today. I am appreciating these few minutes to sit down. Gary's left to get the little girls from school and then I'll have to spend a little time with them before I go. Rae is excited about this camp out. She loves this sort of thing. She's such a good sport.

What was the one unnecessary purchase you bought while shopping hungry? I went shopping yesterday very well fed and I came home with two unnecessary purchases. Two cartons of ice cream. One flavor was Moon Pie and I just gave it a try and it was very delish!

I best get going! Have a great weekend!

Love,
Lorinda

2010-03-18T11:41:00.003-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

This week has gone by so fast, it's left me in the dust. According to my calculations, it should be Tuesday. But I know that it is, in fact, Thursday. My mind is blown by that fact!

Remember when I told you about me planting bulbs back in October or November? Well I am excited to report that soon I will have some beautiful flowers! I only wish we'd planted more. I only got 6 done because of how hard it is to dig in our "dirt". It's more clay than dirt. Jud was supposed to plant the rest but was just to busy to get it done. Unfortunately I'm only seeing 5 sprouts, but maybe the 6th one is just a late bloomer. I'm still super excited about it though.

I must say that I don't typically care to read books more than once either. I'm that way about movies too. But A Girl Named Zippy was so good and as you've quoted parts of it I realize that I've already forgotten all of those funny parts. So I need to read it again and enjoy it again.

Tonight I'm going with my friend to the "exclusive" antique sale I was telling you about. It will be going on all weekend, but tonight they open the doors for a limited time to let some people in for some early buying. I'm excited and hope to find some great stuff.

I was going to go grocery shopping last night after Jud got home from work. We were desperate for some things. But unfortunately, he didn't get home until 8:30 and by that point I didn't want to go out. That meant I HAD to go out this morning or else there would have been no food for little JT's lunch. I was so proud of myself because we were out of the door by 9:20. That is no small feat for us. Unfortunately, while I was at the store I realized that in my rush to get us out the door, I'd forgotten to eat breakfast! Don't worry, I did feed little JT. I just usually eat after him. I was starving! And as you know, grocery shopping while hungry isn't a good idea. Luckily, I only made one unnecessary purchase.

I have so much to get done today, I must be going. Dishes, laundry, vacuuming. Does it ever end? (Don't tell me!)

XO
Ani

2010-03-16T09:43:00.004-04:00

Ani-

It was good hearing from you.

I must say, I look at daylight savings the same way you look at getting old, it's a part of life. Although it did mess me up yesterday because I like to have dinner on the table when Gary walks in from work and all of a sudden I had only 1/2 hour to get it done and my internal clock was telling me I had an hour more than that. :) And my little girls are laying in bed at night having hard time falling asleep, but we'll get the hang of it, we always do.

The other day you and I were on the phone and I had the thought smack me in the face harder than any other time- that you and I are in different seasons of life. That's such a weird phase to me because they are not words I would usually use- different seasons in life. Ugh. It doesn't sound like something I would say, does it? I think it makes me a little nauseous. And it's not that we aren't, but it just sounds so..... Anyways, getting side tracked. ( something shiny!) But you were saying something that was about a toddler, I remember those days but... And then I was saying something about a 16 year old girl, and the only thing you can draw from that is being 16 once, not the mother of one. Then you mention something that speaks of young marriage and I speak of something about a 20 year old son. (okay, not that last sentence, that was just an example of how it felt)

Not that there is anything wrong with (gag) being in different seasons of life.... just sayin'.

Speaking of reading A Girl Named Zippy again, I've never been able to read any book a second time. Except the Scriptures, of course. I've tried but I just can't. I think it's the whole 'so many books, so little time' thing that prevents me from being able to.

Guess what I get to do this weekend? I get to go camping! Wa-hoooooo!! It'll be me and a few other leaders and a bunch of 16 and 17 year old teen aged girls. And games. And a camp fire. And s'mores. And cold night time weather. And a sleeping bag on the ground.

Have I told you lately how much I am digging Friday night being Pizza Night and Saturday night being Saturday Night Lunch, so much so that I am thinking of a Breakfast Night, Pasta Night, New Recipe Night, Hamburger Helper Night (just kidding), Kid's Choice Night, Cold Cereal Night (kidding again, Gary would never allow that!) etc.? Is that crazy, or what? I am really really liking knowing (somewhat) what's for dinner. If someone suggested this to me I would have said, "no way, no how, could I do that!" and yet I am doing it and loving it. I wonder how long that will last?

Speaking of dinner, I need to run to the store. I've decided to do a St. Patrick's Day dinner tonight and tomorrow. I saw two recipes I want to try and I couldn't pick just one. :)

Much love to all,
Lorinda

2010-03-15T09:36:00.002-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Mine was just a normal weekend. Friday night was date night, as usual. Saturday I got a little time out with a friend in the morning. Saturday night we had friends over for dinner and games. The dinner was supposed to happen the weekend before, but my cold ruined those plans. Then today we had church in the morning and enjoyed being lazy the rest of the day.

I know we've talked about this before, and you didn't understand my problem, but daylight savings really messes us up! Losing an hour of sleep is especially difficult! Hopefully we can get acclimated soon. It's just such a pain to have to change time twice a year. Jud suggested we move to Arizona to avoid the time changes, but I don't know that it would be worth it.

As you know little JT turned 18 months this past week. And as you also know, that means he gets to go to nursery at church! I was so excited for him to finally start nursery yesterday. It didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped though. He went in just fine, but about 10 minutes into it, he got a smashed finger and it was downhill from there. Jud ended up spending most of the rest of the time in there with him. Hopefully next week will be better.

I'm SO glad you loved A Girl Named Zippy. It is one of my most favorite books. I need to read it again!

I hope you and your family are doing well. I look forward to hearing from you.

XO
Ani

2010-03-10T13:14:00.003-05:00

Dear Ani,

I did it. I got my hair cut. I like it for sure, whether it's right for me, I haven't decided yet. Do you know what my big hang up is? My age. When one is youthful almost anything goes (in my mind, anyways) but as I've gotten older it's more about fitting my age and old wrinkly (and fat) face. Which STINKS!

I finished A Girl Named Zippy last night. It was sure a fun book. It took a while to read because life's been so... bizarre, but it's been a fun little outlet amongst stress. I laughed out loud at several points and had to read several parts to Gary. (who didn't laugh out loud, just so you know) I kept saying, "This book is so funny." And Gary would say, "I know you think so, you keep saying." One of my favorite parts was when her high school siblings were fighting over the bathroom and the brother just lost it, ripped the door off the hinges and smacked his sister across the face, did his thing and left for school and then the mom said to Zippy , "I'd have slapped her, too. I would have had to ask someone else to rip the door off the hinges, but then I would have slapped her." hahaha!! Now, I am sure this may offend some, and I certainly don't condone a brother smacking his sisters face, but I definitely get that sometimes it's asked for! And I totally get a momma calling it as it is! I appreciate it, even.

Thanks again for getting me the book for my birthday. Great recommendation. Great gift. :)

Can I visit again with a $100 voucher? Are the ticket $125 round trip? :) I might could pull together $25.

So, with my new hair cut I have bangs which are already DRIVING ME CRAZY!!! It's so hard to get used to constant tickling of the face.

I have a church meeting in Savannah tonight (and tomorrow night, actually) and Nolan will be home and in charge tonight (Gary is in W'boro with Wes and his momma) so I need to pull something together for dinner.

Much Love,
Lorinda

2010-03-09T13:33:00.002-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

The weather is absolutely marvelous up here!! Today we are at 64, which I believe is perfect. Not too hot and not too cold. I found an amazing park that I'm thinking of taking Judson too after he wakes up from his nap. I can't decide if I should though, because it's about 30 minutes away, and we'd be coming back in the middle of rush our traffic. Decisions, decisions.

The root beer sandwiches didn't turn out too well. Only because it was fast Sunday, and I didn't start making it soon enough. So by the time we were super hungry, the meat still wasn't tender enough, but I shredded and added the sauce anyways so we could eat sooner. I might try it again, but I think they taste plenty of good enough with out cooking in root beer.

I so wish you could come visit me again! I have been in the mood these past 2 days to be out every minute I can looking for good deals on home decor. I wish you could be here to go with me. If I can give you my $100 travel voucher from United, do you think you could do it? I'm desperate to get you up here again so we can do all the things we didn't have time for last time!

I LOVE your framed post cards! It also makes me want to get out and search for more. Maybe I need to make antiquing a profession so I don't feel guilty about doing it so much.

JT should be waking up soon, so I should be going to get a few more things done while I have the freedom to. We are holding our book club meeting here tomorrow so I have lots of cleaning to do!

XO
Ani

2010-03-08T13:55:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani,

I was happy to receive your letter. It had been much too long, although you are excused. :) Those words cause me think of the love story on the back of the post cards that we were reading. Remember when Earnest said something to Esther Gordy about waiting on a letter? I so wish I knew how that story ended!! Did Earnest get Esther??? He seemed like such a swell guy and quite smitten, so I sure hope so! I could dream about the two of them and imagine their story. When I showed my mother in law the post cards I purchased, she said, "Oh my, they did have a sense of humor back then!" haha!! Of course they did and she knew they did, but they were quite clever.

I want to go back to the days of post cards and true blue letters and yet I don't. I was recently telling Rae about how very hard it was to move so far away from family when I married and it was back when long distance calls were so expensive and as much as I love to look back on letters now, it was so hard to wait on when then. I loved getting them, but not knowing when they were coming, or if, and waiting- that wasn't easy. Especially for impatient me.

How did the root beer sandwiches turn out? :)

Wes is doing better. He just left to have his staples removed. Oy. Staples in the flesh, makes no kind of sense to me!! But my friend that you met the other day is not doing well. She told me this morning that she is headed to the doctor so I best go so I can call and check up on her.

I hope all is well. Please smooch on JT for me. I am so sad I never got to tell him bye when you made your trip here. I was going to say something like, "Next time check with my calendar when you visit to be sure I'll have the time to see you often!" but the bottom line is, with Wes' getting ill, we were going to be limited anyways. Phooey!

I love you much! And I am sending a not so great photograph of how I've framed 3 of my 8 post cards. :)

Lorinda

2010-03-05T09:16:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

Sorry I haven't written sooner. I've just been so distraught! I forgot my baby at Mom's house!! No, not little JT, but green alien baby that I found in the king cake you made. I'm very upset that I forgot it. It's probably still sitting on the side table in Mom's living room. Poor baby. But that was a great king cake you made! I'm craving some right now.

I agree that the antiquing and lunch we all did together was the best! It makes me want to go out antiquing every day. Although, that's not that crazy of an idea since I usually want to go every weekend. I loved the old postcards we found from the early 1900's and that we could follow the love story. I haven't gotten frames for mine yet, but I'm excited to. I can't wait for you to send me a picture of how yours look.

My time down there went by way too fast! It's really hard being home. I say it all the time, but I wish so much that Jud could find a job closer because I'm really having a hard time being away from family.

I'm so glad that Wes is finally home after his too long of a stay in the hospital. Hopefully he continues to get better quickly!

Tomorrow we are having friends over for dinner. I'm making bar-b-q sandwiches, which is the easiest in the world. I just cook the pork in the slow cooker, shred it, then add bbq sauce. However, I saw something that suggested pouring root beer over the pork when you cook it, then draining the root beer and adding the bbq sauce. So I'm going to be giving that a try.

I hope everything is going well where you are. Have a great weekend!

XO
Ani

2010-03-03T11:46:00.003-05:00

Dear Ani,

I miss your letters. I was hoping that while you were in South Carolina and I was stuck in Georgia, that you'd still have the chance to write. But I understand that it's hard to do when you aren't at home.

It was great seeing you, even though it wasn't near enough. It was a crazy week, wasn't it?

Wes is suppose to be coming home today from the hospital. I didn't expect the recovery from having his appendix removed to be this slow. He sure has tough luck with that sort of thing.

It's Zoe's birthday and her wish is to have him home to celebrate with her. As the day grows later, I worry that he won't be getting home until evening, putting her birthday celebration late. I don't know if she could handle waiting for presents and cake! But I am sure she will if she must.

I enjoyed my time with you and baby JT (and I am jealous that he seemed to love Auntie Elayna more than me!). I can't believe I never got to see your husband. I hope he didn't miss me too much. :) I think the day me, you, mom and Elayna went antiquing and to lunch was THE BEST! I had so much fun that day. And I love our post card finds. You've often told me of post cards you've found in antique shops, and that's something I've always walked past, but I don't think I will any more. I already have my three that look like a set in a frame. I'll have to send you a picture, they look great! I love them!

Hope all is well and you'll have time to write soon.

Much love,
Lorinda

2010-02-17T13:20:00.003-05:00

Dear Ani,

Sorry to be sending piggy back letters but... I must share.

This morning Zoe claimed to be sick. I detected faking from the beginning. I gave her medicine for what she claimed to be suffering from (dizziness at the time) and took Naomi to school. Then I questioned Zoe until I was sure she was faking it. She never admitted to that, but she did break down and talked to me about having problems in school with 'everyone hating her.' Saddest thing EVER.

Zoe's speech and reading problems have caught up to her, I believe.

Kids in younger grades don't seem to notice or care. By 3rd grade they've discovered mean. And it breaks my heart!

Knowing what to do is always the toughest. They do need to learn to stand up for themselves and to not believe what mean liars say, etc. At the same time, I often feel like if I don't stand up and protect her, nobody else will!

She and I talked, then she seemed to feel better (in every way) and I took her to school an hour late. As we were saying our goodbyes she asked me to come have lunch with her. I told her it was a bad day for that (and it was a bad day for her to stay home sick, period) but that I would try. I told her to not expect me to come and be surprised if I did.

I have SO much to get done, and this was to be my last day home alone to get things done, for a week. I can't ever get anything done on Gary's week off.

Sure enough I forgot the second I drove away (I am awful) and sure enough she got sick at lunch. Or.... "sick". She claimed it was her stomach this time and she can pull off a little girl sick to her stomach like nobodies business. I mean, REALLY, I'll have to see if I can get her to show you when you come! So she fulled the nurse and almost, sort of, fooled me when I went to get her.

As soon as I got her home, she started finishing off her pile of Valentine candy.

Oh boy.

Thanks for listening,
Lorinda

2010-02-17T10:05:00.004-05:00

Dearest little sister o' mine,

I am thrilled that you will be on your way this evening. No snow storms to stop you, I hope? Assume?

I am glad JT is.... waxless. Poor guy. I dealt with the same ear issues with Wes and am happy to report that at 20, the ears are no longer an issue. :)

I hope we get to see each other often, this trip. I hope that you understand that with 5 children, I can only do what I can do. I still do not know what I am going to do about Rae's surprise party but I can say that I am overwhelmed with the decisions I have to make. Making it work for everyone seems impossible. But feeling the need to do something special for Rae is VERY important to me. Acting on that feeling and all, you know?

I just bought her a sewing machine this morning for her birthday. I think that it won't be too big of a surprise but I am excited for her. I've also found her a few other fun little things. It should be a good 16th birthday for her. And she deserves it, she really really does.

I have much to do, so I must go.

Hopefully we will see you Friday!

Lorinda

p.s. Darla's mentioning of crepes on our family sister

has me thinking we need to make crepes while you are here!

2010-02-16T13:14:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I only have a few minutes. I took little JT to the ear-nose-throat doctor. This is probably too much information, but my dear sweet child had more wax in his ears than I ever knew was possible. The doctor looked in his ears before cleaning them out. The right ear was really bad, he said. The left ear, not as bad. So he cleaned the left ear first. As I watched all the wax come out, I thought "If this is 'not as bad', I'm scared to see what bad is!" It was bad. He had to use an ear vacuum! So, little JT is now waxless. And I'm glad I decided to go because it turns out he does have an ear infection in his right ear. Poor little guy.

Unfortunately, he fell asleep on the drive home. I tried so hard to get him in his crib so he could continue his nap. I got him out of the car still asleep. We got inside with him still asleep. I took his shoes off with him still asleep. But of course as soon as I went to lay him down he woke up. I gave him some milk, and put him down, but unfortunately, he still hasn't fallen asleep, and I probably need to go get him.

But the good news is that I am headed to South Carolina TOMORROW! We get to see each other in just a few days. It will be here before you know it!

I hope you and your family are doing well!

XO
Ani

2010-02-12T14:27:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani,

Thanks for all the 40's. Oh, and the birthday wishes. I am going to have to learn to love that number, aren't I?

I am fretting over your trip to South Carolina. I am SO worried we'll hardly see each other and it's going to eat at me, I just know it.

We are suppose to get snow today!! Yipeeeee!! Some in the house are betting it won't happen but the chances are super high. I expect we will. Although not as much and Mom and Dad are suppose to get. (5 inches, I heard last!)

My birthday was fabulous. Gary took such good care of me. I sure love that man.

I better run.

Love,
Lorinda

2010-02-11T08:35:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

Happy 40th Birthday!!!

Wow, can you even believe that you are 40? It's definitely hard for me to believe you are 40!! Like I said before, you could totally pass for 35, not 40! But what a special celebration the 40th should be. I really hope you do something great for your 40th birthday today. Maybe you should buy 40 pairs of shoes. Or you could eat 40 pieces of chocolate cake. Or maybe get a 40 minute facial.

I'm sorry you won't be getting anything from me today in the mail for your 40th birthday. Between the blizzard yesterday and the one Saturday, I haven't had a chance to get out to send you something for your 40th. However, since I will be there in less than a week, I will have something for your 40th birthday when I see you.

I can't even imagine being 40. I mean, in all reality I suppose turning 40 isn't that far away. But before I turn 40, I have a little bit of time in my 30s left, and then all of my 30s. You'll have to let me know what 40 feels like, though.

I truly hope you enjoy your day today as you celebrate turning 40, and know that I wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

With all my love to you on your 40th,
Ani

2010-02-10T09:23:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani,

I hadn't thought of you getting snowed in and not able to come for your visit when planned. Eeek! I don't like that thought! That would be awful. I am worried that we won't see each other enough, on your visit. There is so much going on here with Rae's 16th birthday and all. I hope you can come stay here a day or two, and I'll try to get to South Carolina as much as I can but I am worried.

I just finished writing my love story and I am slightly embarrassed to admit that as I was finishing it up today, I got choked up. After all these years, when I think about how I almost blew it with Gary (and I really almost did!) I just get sick. I can't imagine not having my Gary. I know that there isn't suppose to be that one guy, that one true love, but I sometimes think that he really is for me.

Am I being too mooshy? Sorry. It's that time of year. :) Have I ever told you that I love love? I could shout it from the rooftops!! I LOVE LOVE!!!

You are so kind to say that I could pass as 35. I look in the mirror and think I could pass as 45!

I am really really worried about how often we'll be able to get together! Why do you have to so flippin' far away! It's so hard (and no fun) having to cram as much as we can into such a short time all the while keeping up with my 5 kids.

Yesterday I suddenly came up with a thought to go to South Carolina for my birthday. The kids have a short day tomorrow and no school Friday or Monday, so this morning I even had the thought of them missing school tomorrow and leaving tonight. Of course, I haven't run any of this by the kids (who may have tests tomorrow) or Gary. But I have ants in my pants and feel the urge to go. Move. Do.

Woops, Gary just got up and seems to have the same issue (ants in pants), looks like he wants to get things done, so I better get ready for the day so that I may accomplish with him!

Much love,
Lorinda

2010-02-09T12:52:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I have come down with a bad case of cabin fever. And it unfortunately won't be getting any better, as it is supposed to snow another 10-20 inches today and tomorrow. The weather(wo)men have been off on their predictions this winter though. Off as in underestimating how many inches of snow there would be with each snowstorm. Because of that I'm worried it will be more like 25-30 inches. Apparently the 30 inches of snow we got this past weekend just wasn't enough.

This morning little JT and I were planning to go to a neighbors house for a play date with some of the other neighbors with little ones. Then we ended up having it at our house instead. That means that since I got home Friday at 12:30 from lunch with a friend, I haven't left my yard. Thus the very bad case of cabin fever.

The good news is that in a week and a day little JT and I will be leaving for South Carolina. It couldn't come a moment too soon! With all of this snow, I just can't wait to get out of here. I just have to cross my fingers that snow doesn't come next Wednesday and cancel our flight!

I just cannot believe you are almost 40! Trust me when I say that you act way more like an 18 year old than you do an almost 40 year old. And if you told people you are 35, I bet they wouldn't question it. So maybe that's what you should do.

Pray that we survive this next snow storm!

XO
Ani

2010-02-08T08:11:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani Lu,

How is my snowed in little sister? Are you hanging in there? Do you have cabin fever yet?

I am about to tell you something that I don't think I have ever said before. You know I am reading The Blind Side, right? Well (here goes) I think the movie is better than the book. Can you believe it? I have only heard great things about the movie but this book is dragging. I want to read an inspirational story, and maybe the book would be inspirational to football fans because for pages, even whole chapters, Michael Oher isn't even mentioned, just football details. Last night I skipped a whole chapter about football in the 70's and 80's. I want to read about Big Mike who plays football, not about football with a little Mike.

My over-sized cookie turned out! When I was asked to make it, it was for the purpose of putting a star on top made from fruit and the person that asked ended up getting blueberries. It turns out blueberries got perfectly atop a sugar cookie. I kid you not, it was truly one of the yummiest desserts I have had in a while.

Big things are coming for me and my family and I don't think I am prepared for it. My 40th birthday :-O and Rae turning 16 :-O . It's not here yet and I am already feeling a bit reflective and junk. (I am using the more negative 'and junk' to show that I am not too happy about it all) My thoughts and emotions are all over the place on these changes.

I must run and get my Monday chores done.

Much love,
Lorinda

2010-02-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I'm so glad you are already feeling better! It definitely must have been doing taxes that made you sick.

Well, up here in Virginia we are getting ready to batten down the hatches. We are getting yet another snow storm. We are expected to get 2 feet of snow, and if I've learned anything, it's that they always underestimate how much snow we'll get. I am not looking forward to this. And I don't understand why we always get snow storms on the weekend. That's the time when we go on adventures, so it's no fun when we have to stay inside because of all the snow.

As you know, I made cowboy caviar for my book club meeting this past week. Everyone LOVED it and asked me to send them the recipe. I've been enjoying the little bit of leftovers that there were. I wish I had all the ingredients to make it again for this snow weekend.

I hope you have a more enjoyable weekend than I will. And I hope your over sized cookie turned out.

XO
Ani

2010-02-04T08:17:00.004-05:00

Dear Ani,

Last I talked with you (last night on the phone) I was sick. I am happy to report that I am feeling better!! Hallelujah! I think it was around 4 AM that I woke up to switch sleeping positions and my whole body wasn't aching and I thought, "yes!" and went back to sleep. But I did wake up to my kids having taken advantage of my being in bed the night before. Even after a stern talking to by their daddy before he left to work the graveyard shift, they did a pretty poor job on their chores. How very frustrating.

There is a lot of heart ache in A Thousand Splendid Suns, but the trials the main character goes through are similar to the heart ache Sarah from These is my Words goes through. For me to enjoy a book, even with trials and pain, the story must redeem itself, then it's all worth. When a story doesn't redeems it's self i.e., The Lovely Bones and The Great Gatsby and The Road, then I don't even like it and could never recommend it.

As far as Twilight goes, I wish you had read it when I first told you about it, which was before the hype, if I remember correctly. I don't know how you haven't read it to see for yourself to see what every one's talking about. I don't know how the curiosity hasn't gotten the best of you. But again, it would have been fun for you to read it so you and I could discuss it. Even if to make fun of it.

I am 56 pages into The Blind Side (I was too sick yesterday to read) and it has finally gotten to the main character. The first 2 chapters was pure football; the history of football, how much money this player and that signed on to make... boring stats. Oy. I am a dialogue girl and I needed some dialogue! But alas it has begun. Thank goodness!

I told you that I need to make a big cookie for a church Camp Kickoff get together tonight. I still don't know if I am making sugar or chocolate chip, I am waiting to hear what fruit goes with it. I hope I get this right the first time, I've never made a pizza sized cookie and I reckon the baking time will be the
difference from regular cookies.

I have one more week of living as a woman in her 30's. Ohmy. There are no words for how I feel about that!

I must clean the kitchen for some baking!

Love,
Lorinda

2010-02-03T13:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I feel bad that you think I never want to read the books you suggest. Though I have to admit, after I read your last letter I was trying to think of the books you've suggested I read. The only one I could think of was "Twilight", and you know my thoughts on that. As far as "A Thousand Splendid Suns", for some reason I was thinking you were talking about "The Kite Runner". I asked Jud last night if he still had "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and it is in his mothers possession at the time. Although with out me even saying anything more he said "That's a depressing book!" So as soon as I decide I want to be depressed, I'll read it. I kid, I kid!

I'm so glad you loved "These Is My Words". I think I mentioned to you before that there are 2 more books in the series. Although everyone has told me that they aren't good and I shouldn't waste my time with them, I've been tempted to read them anyways. Like you, I loved the characters so much I want to know the rest of the story! I also kept thinking as I was reading the book that I would love it to be a movie. I was disappointed when I saw that someone was going to make the movie but then decided not to. I hope it works out for them to do a movie of it some time soon.

We had the most beautiful snow last night. Even with my extreme hatred of snow, I just loved it! But I'm not looking forward to all the snow we are supposed to get for the rest of the week. It just isn't fair!! In all my years I've never seen so much snow.

I hope you enjoy the rest of "The Blind Side".

XO
Ani

2010-02-02T08:04:00.005-05:00

Dear Ani-

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits, having recovered from a snowy weekend, and drier than I am. It is cold and rainy, and is suppose to rain all day. And again Thursday and Friday. You have had so much snow and we have had so much rain. It's hard to imagine that not so far in the distant past, we were in a drought. Now I am thinking we need to sell my van and buy a boat.

I finished reading These is my Words on Sunday. I don't know how much you loved that book to know if I loved it as much, but I most definitely loved it a lot! It is a page turner, to be sure. It's hard to put down. I loved the characters so much I wanted to know what's happening next. Ahhhh, I loved it. I kept thinking, "this could be a movie" and then read at the back of the book that someone bought the rights to make it a movie and then it never happened. I hope it happens eventually.

When we talked the other day I mentioned A Thousand Splendid Suns and you pretty quickly stated that you will not be reading that book. (that I love so very very much) I had thought that you didn't want to read it because you liked only books that were upbeat and uplifting. So I was surprised to read These is my Words, knowing you loved it so, and seeing the heart ache and trials and such which was not at all different from A Thousand Splendid Suns. Maybe this is the part where I confess that it hurts my feelings a bit that you have turned down any book that I've recommended. I am not sure what to make of it and I am a bit jealous of your book club who gets you to read a book of their choosing when I haven't had success in sharing books with you. One of my all time favorite things to do is share books (I just bought The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society just so I could share it), and I have many friends here in town that have told me they've loved every book that I have recommended to them (and I don't just recommend any old book- I read plenty that I know not to share so I don't, or I know who I should lend what books to whom, knowing their different tastes). One friend even keeps doing these nice things for me (even tailoring school uniforms once) and won't let me pay her back because she could never pay me back for all of the great books I've shared with her (although she's the first one that told me about These is my Words, so she has shared great books too). So I wonder why you don't trust my judgement in books? I so wish you would. I would love to have discussions about books with you. Even if you hated it. Even if after a few you decided what I suggest isn't what you like. But I wish you'd try first. A Thousand Splendid Suns is at mom's house right now. I would love it if you would just read a few chapters while there to give it a chance before deciding it's something you won't read. I just really really wish you'd give it a chance, for me.

Speaking of books, after finishing These is my Words I decided to take a few days to ponder on it, to let it settle in my mind. Do you ever have to do that? Usually only after an awesome book do I feel that need. But then last night, I couldn't resist and picked up The Blind Side. And proceeded to read 27 pages of pure football. To be more specific, 80's football and the Joe Theismann's leg break that ruined his career, except it was more about Lawrence Taylor, the leg breaker. I am certain that in the end, the main character in The Blind Side will somehow be compared to Lawrence Taylor (or something) and it will all make sense but I couldn't believe I just read 27 pages of nothing but football. Football is like another language to me. As in, I hardly think I understood any of it, except the leg breaking part that all of the chapter was building up to and finally came on page 26 and 27.

Gary is pacing the floor so I must go. Our pipes are clogged once again, and we are trying to decide once again, if we must pay $200 for a professional to come fix it or if there is a way we could do it for cheaper. We always end up paying the professional, even if we've spent money on trying to do it cheaper, which ends up NOT being cheaper. But I better go try to help solve this problem with my husband.

Much love,
Lorinda

2010-02-01T12:55:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I wish I could start this letter by telling you that I had a good weekend. But I can't. It snowed on Saturday, and I absolutely hate snow. We have had so much snow this winter that I just can't take it anymore. The weather reporters said we'd only have a dusting of snow. One inch, two at the most. Boy were they wrong. I do believe we got at least 6 inches.

There was one good thing about the weekend though. Jud was kind enough to fulfill my request to go to a Japanese steak house for dinner Saturday night. I absolutely love their food! The only problem was little JT got scared at the beginning when the teppanyaki chef started out making a big fire. Little JT got scared and cried. So then the chef didn't do the onion volcano because he didn't want to scare him again. But all was well. The food was still delicious and we had a good time.

You will have to let me know how the book "The Blind Side" is. I have seen the movie and I loved it. It was such a great story, and I'm a sucker for great stories that are also true stories. I still can't wait for you to read "These Is My Words". As soon as I get a chance I'm going to go buy a copy so I can read it over and over again. It's not often that I have the desire to read a book over and over, but this book was one of those books. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Just a little over 2 weeks until my visit! I wish it were sooner. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

How was your weekend? Did you begin Pizza Night Friday? How ambitious of you to have two days in a row with set meals!

XO
Ani

* * * TXT MSG * * *

2010-01-29T13:55:00.000-05:00

Bought another book- The Blind Side

2010-01-29T08:14:00.003-05:00

Ani-

Hello! I must write my letter fast, for I sent two kids to school that aren't feeling well and they both warned me that they will be calling. They only have colds, but they feel miserable. Nolan said he'll be calling for me to bring him more medicine and Zoe said she just knows she'll need me to pick her up before school is out. Both of them have missed just enough days of school that it's going to take a big illness for them to miss another day. So I must hurry and get all I can done before my phone starts ringing.

I told you on the phone yesterday that I've bought These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine,1881-1901. Right now I am reading While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky and it seemed like a fast read until now that I am in a hurry to get to another book. :) But I can't stop half way, I have enough half read books. I must control that urge.

Guess what I am thinking? Do you remember that I've instituted Saturday Night Lunch? Well surprise of all surprises, I am loving it!! Even though I don't like schedules and people telling me what to do and when. Even if it's me telling me what to do and when. But it's going so beautifully (I think because it's taken the guess work out of what to make for dinner on Saturday) that I am thinking of instituting Pizza Night on Friday. How fun is that? Really, that would give me 3 dinners (since Sunday is always a large typical Sunday dinner) that are settled. And Pizza Night could be pizza that we order, frozen pizza that the kids could do if it's a busy night or Gary and I are going out, or a made from scratch pizza. But pizza either way. Which is kind of how Saturday Night Lunch is. It could be a fancy sandwich or, if it's a night that I am fasting then those that are too young to fast or have an ailment that prevents them from fasting, they can make a PB&J and it's still a Saturday Night Lunch.

In four more minutes it'll be time to wash the gray right out of my hair, so I best run.

Oops, now three minutes!

Love,
Lorinda

2010-01-26T12:28:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

You don't know how hard it is for me to write you this letter. As you know I'm reading the book "These Is My Words" and as you know I love it. And as you also know, it is very difficult for me to put it down to get anything done. But as hard as it is, I had to put it down to write you back.

I just have to tell you that I'm surprised you have a Christmas present waiting for me. I wasn't expecting anything, but I'm excited to see what it is. I, unfortunately, don't have anything for you except for the magnets I made. The surprise for you will be that I made new ones especially for you, so you won't know what they are until you get them.

I still haven't tried your chili recipe, but I plan to make your chicken enchiladas for dinner today. Which means I should probably get started on it (since I will be doing it in the slow cooker) so that as soon as I'm done with that, I can spend the rest of Little JT's nap time reading my book.

XO
Ani

2010-01-25T08:33:00.003-05:00

Dear Ani-

A happy Monday to you! Monday for me is always a big make-up day for taking Sunday off from chores but I was not home most of yesterday, while the children were, therefor today it a BIG make-up day. I have lots to do. So instead of getting started, I sit to write you a letter.

Yesterday I narrated a skit and you know how I love skits, so it was fun. This Wednesday I am speaking in front of about 30 people. You know how speaking isn't my thing. Sure, one would think that if you enjoyed one, you'd enjoy another. Not so much really. Not for me anyways.

We had a chilly day Saturday which is great playing outside weather for the children. Our backyard is a snake haven and yet so fun, with the little stream running through it filled with tiny fish, craw dads, frogs, etc., so there are very many days in the year that the kids don't get to play back there, for fear of snakes. Cold days are awesome to them for that reason. They did a little fishin' with their Saturday friend; A boy that visits his grandparents (our neighbor) almost every Saturday.

Yesterday was extremely windy, we came home from church with a big branch that was blown off the tree, laying where Gary parks his truck. When I went to bed last night the wind was howling and I expected little girls to come tell me how scary it was, luckily they did not. Today is rainy and tomorrow is expected to be really windy again.

Saturday I was going through some things in my room and stumbled on a journal I started in 2002. Let me just say.... how to put it? I..... I shouldn't journal. I know I am suppose to. But I believe my family and the world would be better off without me journaling. And that's really all I want to say on that, I shall not elaborate. I am sure you get the picture.

My mess of a house calls.

Love,
Lorinda

p.s. I am SO excited to give you your
Christmas gift when you visit next month!

2010-01-21T13:38:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,
I can't believe it's Thursday and I'm just now getting the chance to tell you about my weekend. Aside from a horrible headache that I had to endure on Saturday, it was good. And in spite of the headache, we still managed to get out and visit an animal shelter. I don't know what I'm thinking by even entertaining the idea of getting a dog. I have no desire to be responsible for one, but I know that little JT would just LOVE to have a dog. And knowing how much he would love it motivates me just a little bit to even consider it.

Thanks for the recipe again! I knew it was easy but for some reason I was having a hard time remembering if something I thought I was supposed to do was right. It was, and now I know for sure!

We are supposed to get a "wintery mix" of weather tonight and into early tomorrow morning. I know you love the winter and that you feel like you need to have winter weather, but I cannot tell you how done I am with winter! We've had enough snow this winter to last me a lifetime. And now we are supposed to get a lot of ice tonight and snow in the morning. If I could trade weather with you, I'd do it in a second!

I told you about the yoga class I went to last week that I enjoyed. I'm hoping to be able to go to it again tonight. There is just something about doing yoga that makes me feel great. I just love the workout that it is, and that it doesn't involve running and lifting weights, yet it really makes a difference. Just thinking about going to it tonight makes me anxious to get to do it.

If I don't get to talk to you before this weekend, I hope it's a fabulous one!

XO
Ani

2010-01-19T09:20:00.002-05:00

Ani-

How are you? How was your weekend? How is the weather? It's warm here in Georgia. We are expected to reach 70 degrees. It doesn't much feel like January, but it's nice to save on the electric bill. (that's the best I can do to make myself okay with January not feeling like January)

Everything is fine here. Yesterday I took the children to the movies and Rae and Nolan saw The Lovely Bones. Did you end up seeing it? My kids did not like it. I didn't expect them to and I tried to talk them out of it. Well, it was all really Rae's doing, Nolan wanted to see Sherlock Holmes. I saw the Jackie Chan movie with Naomi and Zoe, and it was typical but cute. He's cute.

The enchilada's are easy. Like the Chili recipe, it's easy to play around with.

You need a pound or so of chicken. You can cook chicken tenders in butter with taco seasoning, for several hours in the slow cooker. You could get a rotisserie chicken from the deli section of your local grocers, or cook a chicken whole in a slow cooker for about 8 hours. But either way, you need a good pound or two of chicken.

After your chicken is cooked, shred or chop. I like to add a can of chopped green chilies. A good cup or so of shredded cheese. Then you will want to put the chicken mixture in a flour tortilla and roll, and place in a 8 x 10 pan. Continue on until you've filled the pan. (or two) Pour a large can of red enchilada sauce over the enchilada's until fully covered. Sprinkle more cheese on top and bake until cheese is nice and bubbly.

Like I said, you can play with this. You could play with the different sauces and tortilla's. You could add olives to the top, if you like olives, etc.

I hope this helps. Did you ever make the chili?

I have much to do today. It's Tuesday but is like a Monday in the chores that I need to do after the weekend. Shopping, laundering, etc.

Love,
Lorinda

p.s. Wes is tinkering with his electric guitar as I write,
he's getting pretty good.

2010-01-14T13:14:00.004-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I'm taking a quick laundry break to say hello!

I understand your sadness about turning 40 in less than a month. I myself will be turning 40 in about 12 years and it also makes me sad to think about it. But then I remind myself that life is for living and growing old. I can't get sad about life's plan.

Yesterday it was in the 40's for the first time in a long time. I took little JT outside for a little while and he was in heaven. Unfortunately, when it was time to go in, he was none to happy with me. He threw and absolute fit! It's nice out again today, so after his nap we'll be going outside. Hopefully he'll be out there long enough this time that he won't be mad at me when we come in.

I need you to do me a favor. Can you send me the enchilada recipe? I know you told it to me last week, but my memory is horrible and I don't remember everything. I would be forever grateful!

I must get back to the laundry!

XO
Ani

2010-01-12T09:48:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani,

Well my dear sister, from your last letter, where you mention staying in pajamas for two days in a row, I would say you weren't kidding. You have been hibernating!! You haven't forgotten to fatten up first though, have you? It feels as though I started hibernating Sunday, but the difference between you and I is, I don't want to! Naomi woke up sick. Or "sick". I can't decide which. So I stayed home and stayed put all day. I don't much enjoy missing church though so it was a big bummer to me.

I think I shared with you before about this awesome find at our local thrift store- A little matching dresser and shelf that we purchased for an awesome deal to use as side tables to our bed. Because I am Lorinda and this is how I do things (not intentionally) I bought some paint and got Gary to working, only to decide after the shelf was done that I didn't like the paint choice. Then Gary said, "You can do the rest then" in a bit of frustration. That's how he does things when I do my things. So I did. And I LOVE it!! I put them both in place last night and I have to say, I almost cried. Especially because of my little dresser side table, with the knobs and all, it's just... so awesome! Now before you think I am too puffed up in pride, please know that I am aware that I did not build the dresser, I only painted it, and without builders, I am nothing, I know this. But really, my (second) choice of paint fits the dresser beautifully and my room beautifully and if one can love a little dresser, then I do! But two little side tables have caused quite a stir on the decor in my room, moving more than just what was there and what's there now, and I just eat that sort of stuff up.

On a sadder note, I turn 40 in less than a month.

Now that I am all depressed thinking about that, I must go.

Depressingly old but still yours,
Lorinda

2010-01-11T09:43:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

Care to know what I did this weekend? Ok, I will tell you. Nothing. Really, truly, I did nothing.

Ok, I did go on a date Friday night (with my husband!). But Saturday and Sunday I stayed in my pajamas all day. I'm not kidding you. I should probably be ashamed of myself, but I'm not. It was nice. And now that I have done absolutely nothing over a weekend, I should have it out of my system.

But with that knowledge, I'm sure you understand why I don't have much to tell you about. I just wanted to write to let you know that I am still alive. I must be going though. Little JT has decided that a big serving fork is the MUST HAVE toy of the day, and I'm worried he's going to be serving up his eye or something if I don't watch him carefully.

Thanks for the recipe!!

XO
Ani

2010-01-08T10:37:00.002-05:00

Ani-

Hibernating sounds warm and cozy at the moment.

I do have a great chili recipe. What's great about it (if you ask me) is that it's VERY basic and can EASILY be played around with. You will want to play around with it and you will find that whatever you do, it's pretty much fail proof. Except maybe if you added marshmallows. :) But once I was making chili and discovered I didn't even have chili powder. It was still delicious!

Here goes-

1 pound hamburger meat, crumbled and browned
1 onion, diced
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed
2 pounds pinto beans, rinsed
2 29 oz. cans of tomatoes (details to come)
chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Here is the playing around that I mean.... First off, the canned tomatoes. You can use pureed, crushed, diced, one of each, you decide. Sometimes I am in the mood for bigger chunks of tomato, sometimes not. I usually do one crushed and one diced (with liquid) but not every time.

I've also played around with the beans, using black beans, or maybe throwing in a can of hominy. I usually stick with kidney and pinto beans but it's so worth playing around with.

Chili powder is to taste, but you would want to start with 3 tablespoons at least, and add to there as you wish.

You could easily use dehydrated onions, and nobody will know the difference. But sometimes I am in the mood to dice onions. That's usually my decision maker.

Also, play with the seasoning. I often add a splash of hot sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cumin. Be brave and play. That's my chili motto. :-)

I also play around with the side. Sometime we have tortilla chips and sometimes cornbread. I almost always top mine with some cheese and sour cream but occasionally I don't and I realize that it's really great on it's very own.

Well..... there is a letter all about chili, eh?!

I can't wait for your visit in the next month or two.

With love and best Chili dishes,
Lorinda

p.s. I stole that from Paula Dean
p.s.s. Be brave and play! :)

2010-01-07T12:23:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I still haven't quite gotten it together since our return. I'm trying though, little by little. I do believe that one of the biggest problems is the very cold weather. I believe I'm going to hibernate. After little JT wakes up from his nap, we are going to go gather some food, and then hibernate for the rest of the winter.

If only that were realistic!! I would do it in a second if it were!

What a great honor for Rae to be the one and only person from her school asked to participate in the statewide event! I wish I had been that good at something in high school. It wasn't for a lack of trying, but I just wasn't THAT good at any one thing. Instead I was mediocre at several different things.

We are for certain coming in February or March. Most likely at the end of February. I've been looking for a plane ticket so that little JT and I can come a week earlier than Jud, but unfortunately they are $599 for a one way ticket right now. Hopefully the price will go down soon so I can spend a little extra time down there.

I better get started on my grocery hibernating list.

By the way, do you have any really good chili recipes?

XO
Ani

2010-01-06T09:43:00.006-05:00

Dearest Ani Poo,

Thanks for your letter. I understand your struggle, so worry not. I wish I had the power to bring Christmas back, you guys included.

I have struggled the most with getting back in the routine of not staying up until 3 in the morning! No matter how early I get up and how much I fight a nap, come my normal 'school is on' bedtime my eyes won't close for anything. I am yawning as I write. It's been 4 nights in a row now and I think it's getting a bit ridiculous and I am getting mad. I just don't know who I am getting mad at.

Rae came home with the most exciting news. She's been asked by the Graphic Arts teacher to go to a state competition in Atlanta to compete in some Ad Design something-or-another. She is THE ONE asked to represent her school. I am so happy for her. I hope it all works out and that she may attend.

Today is the first day since school has started back up that I actually have the house to myself and nothing to do outside the home (with the exception of picking up a gallon of milk). I am excited to get some cleaning done (did I just say that???) and I have mound upon mound of laundry to do BUT my dryer is making the most horrendous highest pitched squeal in the world (the world!). I live for these days for the peace and quiet and instead it's about the worst noise I have ever heard. It is so loud, there is no place in the house I can go to get away from it. I think I'll have to take my time when I pick up the milk.

Has anything come of your visit home?? I think it would be an awesome birthday present to have you visit.

I must get away from this horrendous noise!

Lorinda

2010-01-04T11:27:00.003-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I cannot believe Christmas is over and the New Year has begun. For some reason I just can't seem to get it together since we have returned from our trip to Utah. I'm struggling. And so is Little JT. It would seem that he is having problems getting it together since our trip, too.

So with that said, I apologize for not writing sooner. And I apologize that this letter doesn't bring exciting details of our last couple of weeks. I do promise, though, that as soon as I do get it together you will get an ear full. Or I guess to be more accurate, an eye full...of words.

Until then.

XO
Ani

2010-01-01T22:44:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani,

I hope your Christmas was wonderful and that you will have time to write to me and tell me all about it super soon. Super soon!

Love always and impatiently waiting,
Lorinda

POST CARD

2009-12-23T20:50:00.002-05:00

Ani-

I baked your Cranberry Cake but used cherries and chocolate instead of cranberries and nuts.

It's for the Christmas Eve party, so I am sure you'll hear all of the opinions on the experiment!

Love and miss you, Lorinda

2009-12-21T23:32:00.003-05:00

Dear Ani,

By the time I get this letter out, you may be gone. I hope you can dig yourselves out of the snow in Virginia to make your way to snowy Utah. I know that you don't like the snow but the pictures are beautiful and I have to say- I miss snow. I don't miss shoveling snow, or driving in it, but I miss the peacefulness in the air as snow falls, and I miss it for my kids. They sure loved playing in it when we lived in Utah.

Did your family enjoy their faux Christmas morning? (did it feel right to you? I am telling you, I can't fake that a day is a day that it's not)... (really....) Did you get any surprises from Jud?

Thanks for asking about the children since the loss of their guinea pig. They took it very hard when they found out but they seem to be doing better. However Zoe wanted to see the movie G Force (about guinea pigs) and when she watched it Naomi became busy in another room. I am not sure if it was the topic or not, since Naomi has been trying to move away from what she considers 'kiddie things'. But it was sad to tell them, especially since Naomi was so ill at the time. I hated adding a broken heart to her other ailments.

I am grateful for your bright idea on the telephone today. Thanks a million! Do you think my competition idea for Christmas Eve will be a hit? I am so glad you helped me figure out the details. I should have went over my menu idea for the evening while we were discussing the night, to see if I am forgetting anything. I think I am!

Have I told you that I have 4 Christmas trees this year? I love it. I am in Christmas tree heaven!! I love to turn all the lights off in the house except the Christmas lights, it just looks magical(ly delicious). Oops! :)

I hope you can write me from Utah, but I'll understand if you cannot. Have a safe trip and I'll keep you posted on what you are missing here.

Unless you don't want me to.

Much love,
Lorinda

WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM

2009-12-18T15:11:00.003-05:00

Ani-.

Virginia

I think mother is reading our letters.

Lorinda

2009-12-18T13:19:00.002-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

It had been so long since I've heard from you that I started to worry that you had become a casualty of the crazy Christmas shopping. It was such a relief to get your letter and to know that you are alive and well.

What on earth did we do before cell phones? I ask myself that a lot. Every time Jud and I get separated in a store it seems like one or both of us don't have our cell phones and we spend a long time looking for each other.

I do believe my mother-daughter Christmas party was a success. One mother wrote to me yesterday thanking me for it and letting me know that they had a good time. I'm glad it went well but it was one of those things I was glad to have over. I felt so stressed out, and it wasn't even that big of an event!

It looks like Santa will be visiting us early. Since we will be in Utah for Christmas and won't want to travel home with Santa's gifts he will be coming either tonight or tomorrow night. That way we can have a Christmas morning together, instead of a Christmas evening which we originally planned. A Christmas morning would be much better. And since there is a whooooole lot of snow headed our way, we'll be having a white Christmas. It's been years and years....and years since I've had a white Christmas!!

If I were coming for Christmas, and were able to attend your annual Christmas Eve party, I would probably do a dance for my talent. I've been inspired lately by dance, and I think I could do it!

When I talked to you earlier today you mentioned the death of your family guinea pig, Skip. At the time, your girls still weren't aware. Surely they must know by now, and you must tell me how the handled the terrible news. I do hope they are OK!!

My goodness, it is after 1 and I have yet to have had lunch! I must be going. Merry Christmas weekend!

Ani

2009-12-17T08:17:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani-

Do you feel what I feel? Do you feel the Christmas Spirit? Yesterday Gary and I were out shopping (and I lost him, but I'll get back to that) and he asked me if I felt the Christmas Spirit in the mall. Heavens no, I said. He was surprised. I told him that the other night when we had the lights off in the house, save for the twinkling Christmas lights, and we were singing Christmas carols, that is when I feel the Christmas Spirit. Shopping is when I feel void of anything warm and fuzzy, that's when I feel stress.

But it's true, I did lose Gary. His cell phone is broken and we are quite use to getting separated while shopping but finding one another quite easily thanks to our cell phones. Well, one minuted my arm was linked in his arm and the next minute he was MIA. My first thought was, 'isn't he thinking about not having a phone, when he wonders off?' Obviously not, but my goodness. We were in outdoor store for all your hunting, fishing and camping needs, so it's no wonder he got distracted. What made it all so difficult is the store is HUGE, two stories and all. So my first thought was to stay put, that's what I was taught growing up, if you get lost, stay where you are. But was he taught that? Will be know to come back to where we last saw each other? (let me call him and ask....nope, can't do that) So I stay for a while, give up and go walking around the story. Do you realize how many bald men there are that shop at such places? I wouldn't figure you would, unless you were seeking out bald heads, but they were everywhere. And Gary was wearing a red sweater, do you know how many people wear red this time a year? So you guess it, millions of bald men wearing red sweaters were at that store yesterday. No exaggeration, millions! Then I notice a man that works for the store is at the bottom of the escalator, he's there asking if anyone needs help finding something. I had decided that if he asked me, I would be truthful, "yes, my husband" but guess what? He never asked me. So I walk through the store several times, always going back to where we first separated. Nothing. I am thinking 'please, don't tell me he's left the store entirely!' because really, finding him in this one store is a daunting task enough. More bald heads bling-blinging at me, none are Gary. Finally after an hour (or maybe it was 10 minutes) I find him- you guessed it, right where we last departed. He went there to find me. When I asked him where he went, he said, "I was just right there," being only the next section over.

I am so happy for little JT getting that slide. I knew Santa would pull through!!

How did your little party go with the girls and their mom's? I wish so bad that you could come to our Christmas Eve party. We've been talking about our talents, but I am trying to not get too excited. This is the point that my kids are brave, but when the part arrives, they tend to chicken out. Mom's been asking for forever for Gary and I to sing You Are My Sunshine, which was our first talent together as a married couple. (or ever) I am afraid that it's been so long that she's worked it up in her mind that it was great. And it wasn't. So I am sure she will be disappointed. Besides, we've been there done that. I want to do something new. Gary has something in mind for himself and we've talked about doing something together but it hasn't been working out. If you were coming, what do you think you would do for your talent? Can you still fit little JT's fist in your mouth? :)

I still haven't made my neighbor treats (but I have received some delicious ones) or planned out the food for Christmas Eve. And today is the last day of school. It's wise to have these things done while the kids are in school but I have never been good at wisdomly things.

I hope to hear from you soon.

I am missing you for Christmas Eve already.

Love,
Lorinda

P.S. the girls were professing their love for Christmas the other day and one said, "I love Christmas so much, I wish there were two Christmases in a year" and Zoe said, "There is, there is Christmas Eve." How true is that?!?

2009-12-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

Good news! We let Santa know that little JT would like a slide for Christmas, and he agreed it would be a great gift. So it looks like little JT will be getting a slide after all. How great is that? One of the most difficult parts about Christmas is having to wait to give everyone their gifts. I just can't wait to give JT all of his presents and for him to get his slide. It will be so fun watching him play with his new toys!

Tomorrow I have an activity with some of the young girls from church. I am planning a Christmas party with Christmas games, and their moms are going to come and play, too. And can you believe that I'm all ready for it? I already have everything ready for the games! I'm never prepared so early. All I have to do is get some food ready and then I'll be completely done. It feels so good to be prepared already so I'm not as stressed out about it.

Saturday night Jud and I went on a date. Unfortunately when we left this time, little JT cried for a while. But we had fun on our date. We went to tour an old house in the area. They do a special tour during the Christmas season where the tour guides are in character for the time in which one of the governors of Virginia used to live there. The house was massive and amazing. Unfortunately we didn't get to see very much of it because they are doing a lot of renovations. I'm not sure when they'll be done, but I'd love to go back when they are so that I can see more of the house. After the tour we went to dinner, then we did a little shopping. I bought some books for JT and one of them is most definitely my new favorite. I will have to read it to you some time.

Little JT is not in a very good mood today, so I should be going so I can try again to cheer him up. I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I can't wait to hear about it. Love to you and your family!

XO
Ani

2009-12-11T08:14:00.003-05:00

Dea Ani,

I hope you are well and feeling the Christmas Spirit! I am also hoping Santa brings little JT a slide, even if you won't. I think he needs one and let's be for real, he's been a very good boy this year, so he probably deserves one.

Did you see that mom had the Hot Chocolate Cupcake recipe?? What a relief!

For the most part, my wrapping is complete. Next large task is baking for neighbors. Actually, I will not be baking per say, but candy making, which requires no baking whatsoever. Oh wait, I do bake some almonds to get them nice and toasty... but you know what I mean. But it's about a 2 day event. Maybe even three if I consider the containers I need to make.

I didn't know that you already were thinking you all wouldn't be here next Christmas. Do tell. I had no idea. As a matter of fact, I was expecting you would, which was making your not being here this year seem endurable.

Last night Naomi had a Christmas Concert at the airport and tomorrow she has her last Christmas Concert at a nursing home and then that will be done for this year. It was fun to see the people who were traveling and their reaction. Some completely ignored the Chorus and acted as though they didn't just walk past 30 children singing their little hearts out, some stopped for a bit with huge smiles on their faces. Both extremes. My favorite will be tomorrow. I love the elderly. I have a feeling they will be much more appreciative than the busy travelers were.

Well I am off the buy one more Christmas gift request for Zoe. A skateboard. Who knew??

Love to you all,
Lo to the Rin to the DUH

2009-12-08T11:09:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

Well it's about time I hear from you! I know you are busy and all, but it would only take a couple of minutes to write me just to let me know you are alive and surviving the Christmas craziness!

I unfortunately have no good news for you as far as the hot chocolate cupcakes are concerned. I've looked for the recipe, but to no avail. Nary a recipe for them has been found. I do hope you have better luck in finding it. After you mentioned it, I was reminded of just how delicious they are, and I would love to sink my teeth into a couple of them!

I do believe I have completed my Christmas shopping. Jud and I dined out Friday night, and after we were done, he took little JT home, while I headed out to finish up my shopping. Although, there is still a part of me that wants to get little JT a slide, I'm not sure that we will.

How sad to be reminded yet again that I will not be there for your annual Christmas Eve party. Just the other day I was remembering how fun it was when we did the snowman melting contest! I can't wait to hear about the fun contest you are planning for this year. However, I'm not sure if my heart can take it. It's already broken thinking about not being there this year and possibly next year too!

Good luck with the last 5% of your Christmas shopping. I hope to hear from you sooner this time!

XO
Ani

2009-12-07T21:17:00.002-05:00

Ani-

I can't find my Hot Chocolate Cupcake recipe!! Please tell me you have it written down somewhere???

Lo

2009-12-06T22:14:00.004-05:00

Dear Ani,

Do you know one (out of a million) pet peeves of mine? People that go on and on about being busy. But guess what? I have been busy. Five is a big number in terms of Christmas shopping and I have felt this rush to hurry and get it done, to not drag it out, to have the task complete. Therefor while not being able to brag about keeping up on writing letters to you, I can brag about having 95% of my Christmas shopping done. *PHEW!*

Not only have I been shopping like a mad woman, but I've also managed to watch 3 of Naomi's chorus concerts. Remember? The one that she wanted to dance at, which caused many days of drama? And do you remember it turned out that most importantly she wanted her role in the concert to be so important that she got to take a bow all by herself? Guess what? She got to bow by herself and she got to dance! At the first performance the children that were suppose to rap to a song Fax the Facts didn't pull it off and so they teacher decided to have some children dance while the music was played and so Naomi got to dance. All the worrying and for nothing, and yet she didn't get her way in the way I would have expected.

She did great on her other parts too. She is a born entertainer, I am convinced of that.

All 4 of my Christmas trees are up and my Christmas decor is close to being complete. What a wonderful time of year. The next thing on my list is wrapping presents and making treats for neighbors. Oh, and I have a lovely idea for the annual Christmas Eve party that you will be missing this year. And what a bummer that is, because it's a contest and I have a feeling you would have spanked everyone if you were to be here to compete.

Take care my dear sister and write me soon about the happenings up north.

Much love,
Lorinda-bo-binda

2009-12-02T09:30:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I'm so glad that you were able to have such a fun and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. There is nothing better than being able to spend the holiday doing things you love with the people you love. You can take comfort in the fact that Christmas is nearly here and then you will be able to do that again soon. Although that thought may also cause unneeded stress. So perhaps it is better that you don't think about how nearby Christmas really is.

I used to have the same belief as Gary about when Christmas decorations are allowed to go up. However, since we travel for Christmas, I've decided we need to put them up just a tad bit earlier so we can still enjoy them just as much. Therefore, we got the house decorated on Saturday. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to put up the Christmas tree this year. Little JT has quick and grabby hands, and is all too good at ignoring the word "No!" I knew he'd be mesmerized by the tree and wouldn't be able to resist checking it out. But, with a little bit of thought, I was able to figure out a barricaded place for the tree. We put it up while JT was napping and when he woke up he couldn't stop looking at it, and no doubt tried to see if he could get to it. He loves looking at it, and it has been the topic of many of his conversations. Although I can't understand what he's saying, he no doubt loves it. And I love it too. Along with all of the other decorations. I just absolutely love decorating for Christmas!

I think I'm nearly done shopping for little JT. I got him some baby crayons. I'm not sure how that will work out with him, but I thought I'd give it a shot. Then Monday while I was at the craft store, they had a huge bin of really big stuffed animals. I don't know why, but JT LOVES stuffed animals. Well, he loves anything that looks fuzzy. Whether it is a blanket, a stuffed animal, a real animal, my eyebrows. He's just a fan. At any rate, I walked passed this huge bin of big stuffed animals, and before I even noticed them, JT was making his "I gotta get my hands on that!" noise. I don't like to feed his stuffed animal addiction, but they were on sale for $11.99 and he just loved them, so I couldn't resist. He was loving on it the rest of the time he was in the store. (Let's be honest, there was just no way to keep a stuffed animal the size of him away from him) After that we went to another store where I got him a laptop. Well, a baby laptop. I knew it would be the perfect gift for him, and he played with it the rest of the time I was in the store. I know, I know, he's already seen and played with his Christmas presents. But by the time Christmas comes, he won't remember. And there was just no way to hide it from him. So I think I'm done. I will probably buy him a couple of books. And I think Santa might get him a slide, but I'm not sure. So that is a very long answer to your "Have you shopped for little JT yet?"

My next book club meeting is in one week and I'm no where near being finished with the book. So I'm off to read and figure out the mystery of who stole "The Moonstone".

XO
Ani

2009-12-01T07:56:00.003-05:00

Dear Ani,

Happy Holidays! I am sorry it's been a while since I have written. I am afraid my letters may slow down with the Holiday Season upon us. I am sure you are feeling the same. Are your Christmas decorations up? Gary is pretty adamant that Christmas decoration don't go up until December 1st, at least. Therefor I say they will go up today! (but do I really have to put up the pumpkins?) But here lies a problem. I am afraid of the attic. (falling out of the attic, to be specific) Gary is off huntin. And Wes is sleeping, and until decides he's ready to get up, one couldn't get him out of bed with a corkscrew.

My Thanksgiving was wonderful. More than that, my whole weekend was. I did not want it to end. I did not want to come home and face schedules and rules. I spent the whole weekend doing as I pleased, deciding things at the spur of the moment (we decided to take the children to the movies 10 minutes before the movie was to begin). I finished a book and started a new one; I finished the book while outside swinging. How romantic is that? I spent an evening with mother and Tamara and Elayna. We went to a movie that was a part 2. (We saw 1 and 2 together, I don't think we should see 3 together..... not if they complain about it when it's over like they did the first 2. There is no fun in listening to that!) But other than that, it was fun. But what would we have done if you were here after all, since these are movies that you refuse to see?

Naomi's concert is this Thursday. She is very excited. Her dress rehearsal is today after school and then that's it for practicing, next is the show.

I guess I must close this letter and start putting up pumpkins and preparing my house for the next Holiday. We always want these special days to come, but just as soon as they do, they are gone. Before we know it, we'll be discussing taking down our trees. Oh my, that's a somber thought... moving along... Have you shopped for little JT yet? Do tell!!

Love to all,
Lorinda

2009-11-27T09:18:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

Thanksgiving is over! How sad! But what a great day it was. Although I am sad that I wasn't down there with you guys, or in Utah with Jud's family, it was still a nice day. We went to cousin Chris' house for Thanksgiving dinner, and I haven't felt that full in a very long time! It was a fabulous dinner!

There has been talk of us pulling out our Christmas decorations and getting the house decorated for Christmas. I can't even believe that this time of year has arrived so quickly. I know I've already said this, but this year has truly flown by. I absolutely LOVE decorating for Christmas. Jud believes I have far too many Christmas decorations, and I believe I don't have nearly enough. He doesn't realize what I have to live up to! So now it's time to take down all the pumpkins and bring out all the Christmas decor. Just talking about it makes me so excited!

I do hope you had a most wonderful Thanksgiving! Again, I am so jealous that you are so close to family. I can only imagine. Have yourself a wonderful weekend.

XO
Ani

2009-11-25T09:30:00.005-05:00

Dearest Ani Lu,

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Do you feel the Holiday excitement in the air? Has it consumed you? It sure has me! Even though today it's about getting my house ready to leave it for a few days (cleaning) and baking (yay!) which means getting my kids to clean (booooo!), I feel it. I feel the Holiday love. I am sure my children will too...... just as soon as they get their lazy bums out of bed.

I am so sorry to of missed your important call yesterday morning. I was with Nolan and Rae at the oral surgeon (who is stinkin' hot, by the way, bulging biceps and all. Pulchritudinous!) letting them discover that Santa will be bringing them wisdom teeth removal this year. Isn't that the neatest? So special.

Did you get a hold of anyone for your cooking help? I can't wait to hear how it came out. It sounds like your husband is like mine, with eating anything. Gary is the exact same way, thank goodness! I've heard of picky husbands who won't eat left overs or won't eat a casserole, and I can't imagine it. Granted, when we go out to eat one of my favorites is Italian food, and Gary doesn't feel quite the same. But he'll still go for me and not complain. Much. He eats it though.

Poor little JT. Can you imagine him writing a letter to a baby cousin saying, "Every time I try to find something to do my momma says NO! I just want a little fun! But I go here and "No!" and there "No!", I just have nothing to do!"

Michelle and I did go to the historic part of Savannah but I kind of wish we had went to the other part. But it was still fun. Time with friends is fun, no matter where. Well, except maybe the oral surgeons, finding out the wisdom teeth are coming out during Christmas break.

Today I bake. I am making Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Creamy Ginger Filling and I decided to give your Cranberry Nut Cake (is that the name of it?) another try. Except this time I am going to sweeten the cranberries first, and see how that goes. There is a muffin mix that has sweetened cranberries and a little orange that I adore, so I am thinking that will make all the difference for me. My family loved the cake though. But it was funny, Zoe kept asking for some and I was thinking, 'wow, and she is so picky about fruit in food and yet she likes this!' but later when cleaning the kitchen I found her plate dotted with cranberries. What work that must be, picking your food apart like such, but she's not my only child who does that. (Nolan) So silly.

Oh, and I am also making deviled eggs and possibly dinner rolls.

I plan to (hope to!) get together with mom and the sisters for a movie this weekend. It sounds like Gary will be off doing a lot of hunting. He talked of making a potato gun (??) but as far as I know, he hasn't worked on it yet. I hope you have fun plans yourself.

Happy Thanksgiving!! Give the family hugs for me.

Love,
Lorinda

2009-11-24T10:40:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I tried calling you this morning. I had a cooking question that I needed an answer to right away. Why is it that every time I call you and really need to speak to you, you are unavailable? At any rate, I am making beef stew for dinner today in the slow cooker. I've never made beef stew, so my fingers are crossed that it will be good. It's supposed to cook for at least 10 hours, and it took me so long to get everything ready that it may not get to cook for as long as it's supposed to. But the good thing about my husband is that he will eat pretty much anything that's put in front of him, so even if it isn't that good, he'll still eat it.

Jud's brother arrived yesterday evening. He'll be here for the remainder of the week. We haven't figured out what all we will do while he is here. He would like to go to the National Cathedral and the Holocaust museum. I'm not sure if we will do that today or tomorrow while Jud is working, or if we will do it later this week when Jud can go with us.

Little JT has been in quite a mood the past few days! It's hard to believe that a 14 month old can do things he knows will push my buttons for the pure joy of pushing my buttons. But he surely does! He will do something he knows he shouldn't and I'll say "No!" and move him, and he will go right to something else he shouldn't, and I'll say "No!" again. And this process continues on and on and he moves around doing everything he knows he shouldn't. I do wonder some days how I will survive motherhood! But I know trillions and trillions of women have survived it, so I can too!

My date with Jud Friday evening was quite splendid! We did the ever typical dinner and a movie! We had Thai food for dinner, which is one of my favorites, and one of Jud's least favorites. We then got some cupcakes and then went on to the movie. I have been craving another cupcake ever since.

I hope you had fun in Savannah yesterday. Whether in the old part or the new part (although I do prefer the old part myself!)

XO
Ani

2009-11-23T07:10:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani,

I understand your love for Thanksgiving, I really do, after all it's my favorite Holiday. I love it more than Christmas, believe it or not. But when you have 5 children, one month is just not enough time to prepare for such a festive Holiday. I will not ever overlook Thanksgiving, I would never put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, but I must start thinking of the shopping or I would be in a mess come December. Speaking of which- I have now also purchased Zoe's gift that she will love but doesn't know she wants. We've gotten her a rock tumbler!

How very wise, to lock in a babysitter for every Friday! I wish I could have and would have done that when I had a little one. How nice. Now I need all the details of your date! My family had a family date on Saturday. We went to the historic part of Savannah. It was great fun. Zoe now wants to move there. I think she has her momma in her. She would love to be in the midst of it all, and I feel the same. Of course because I do, I had to marry a small town boy with dreams of living out in the country. Isn't that how it goes?

I am so glad little JT misses me!! I miss him. He's such a fun little nephew and he's at one of the most entertaining stages in life. Can I say enough, how much I wish he was growing up closer to his Aunt Lorinda?

Today I have a friend coming over, Michelle. Ed's wife. Do you remember them? She is coming to visit for the day and we will be going into Savannah. I just haven't decided if we should go into historic Savannah or the shopping part with the malls. She's never been to Savannah, so historic seems just right. But something is pulling me to the other side of town. It's that worry of getting lost. I know the mall side so much better. (I wonder why)

The children have school today and tomorrow and then we are off for Thanksgiving. I always want Thanksgiving (and other such Holidays) to hurry and come, forgetting that that means they will quickly be over and yet another will be passed. Life is tricky that way. And I don't like it.

Well I need to get myself ready for a day in the town.

I can't wait to hear of your date and the latest JT happenings.

Love to you all,
Lorinda

2009-11-20T11:22:00.002-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

For the sake of Thanksgiving, I am not going to speak of Christmas too much yet. Only to say this: I LOVE buying gifts for others! It is one of my favorite things about Christmas! I also think it's silly that you can't get me the perfect gift just because you didn't draw my name. I didn't draw your name for Halloween, but I still saw the perfect gift for you and got you an early Halloween present the other day!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I've been trying to think of the things that I'm thankful for. And today, I am thankful for the opportunity that I will have to go on a date with my husband tonight! It's been far too long since he and I have been able to go on regular dates. That is going to change now. I talked to the babysitter that watched little JT a couple weeks ago, and she will be babysitting every Friday night that she doesn't have a family or church obligation. I'm so excited about this! Jud and I will finally get to go on dates again, and we won't have to worry about finding a babysitter each week. The weeks when she can't babysit will just give us an opportunity to save a little money for the next time we go out.

Little JT is doing great. In the past couple of days he's started giving me kisses. Well, to be more accurate, I can say "give me a kiss," and he will turn to me with the sweetest look on his face and let me plant a big one on him! It's the cutest little thing! I'm pretty sure he misses you. The other day he noticed a photograph on the shelf and pointed to it. It's the one with all of us sisters together. I got it down and was holding it for him to look at, and he kept pointing at everyone and I would tell them who they were. He pointed at you and Darla the most. That must mean he misses you, right?

I must be going. I still need to get the guest bedroom in order for our visitor next Monday, and I'm trying for once to not wait until the day someone gets here to finish.

I hope that you and your family have a most splendid weekend!

XO
Ani

2009-11-19T07:44:00.004-05:00

Ani-

I believe you had told me already of your Thanksgiving plans, I must have forgotten. Jud's brother coming to visit all sounds familiar now. How fun and exciting!!I bet you all will have a great time. I am looking forward to the feast too! And oh yeah......and also to seeing family.

Good thing Jud didn't throw JT in the garbage. I love it!! How cute and funny. I love the elderly! I hope to be a piquant elderly person. I'll be very disappointed in myself if I am not.

Ani- I promise you, I haven't forgotten Thanksgiving, for it is my all-time favorite Holiday. But.... Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!! Last year I let it sneak up on me and this year I am determined to not let that happen again. Not that I've been shopping yet (save for one card game meant to stuff a stocking) but I've been scheming and pretty much have an idea of what I am getting everyone. I did have the children write to Santa, to give me an idea of what they want (and Nolan started his letter- Hey Fatty!) but I love the challenge of getting something they didn't know they wanted. Follow? So guess what I am getting Rae, that she didn't know she wanted, but that I KNOW she will love??? (I am SO excited!) I am getting her a framed picture of the Time Square Kiss. She loves the 40's and I just know in my heart she will love this gift. I have more than a month to see her reaction, but I can't wait to see her open that gift!

I also know of a Christmas gift that you would love, that you want and don't know it, but alas, I didn't draw your name in our Christmas gift giving drawing. Maybe I'll draw it one day. And maybe I'll remember my idea.

How is my little JT? Does he miss his Auntie Lorinda?

Much love,
Lorinda

2009-11-18T09:31:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

Jud's brother is coming for Thanksgiving. He is doing an internship in NYC, so he is going to take a bus down next week to visit with us. Thanksgiving day we will be having dinner at cousin Chris' house. I'm looking forward to all the yummy food. Oh, and of course spending time with family!

So one of the problems with my frustrations with church is that Jud is in primary. So we only get to switch off on the months that he doesn't teach. Those months, he gets to take little JT during the third hour. But during those months where Jud is teaching, well, they are just really long months. I know it will pass. But according to my calculations, it will be years...and years and years before it passes. I just hope I make it through.

Yesterday little JT and I met up with Jud at a store near his work. There was a little fast food restaurant there, and we decided to grab a quick lunch. There was the cutest old couple sitting there having lunch together. I couldn't help but stare at them. The wife was reading a book, and the husband was just sitting there. Every now and again, he'd go up to the counter to get something else, or deposit something in the trash. He got a cookie and I watched them share it. I realized that I wasn't the only person who couldn't stop watching them. There were several other women who were enjoying it too. I said to Jud "That will be us one day." He turned around, said "yeah" in a very uninterested tone, and that was that. Men! Apparently they could care less about cute old couples, and the thought of growing old with their wives!

It's ok though. I understand that men don't think the same way us women do. Jud picked up JT, then grabbed our tray of trash to deposit in in the trash can. The little old man was standing behind Jud waiting to do the same thing and said to Jud "Good thing you didn't throw him in there," speaking of little JT. Wasn't that the cutest?

Anyways, I'm rambling now. I'm glad Naomi came home happy yesterday and that everything worked out. And I just cannot believe you found those bowls for $8 a piece! I'm glad I found them for you at the price I did.

I must be going now. Little JT is feeling neglected. Enjoy your day!

XO
Ani

2009-11-17T08:04:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani,

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week either. I am excited though! What are your Thanksgiving plans?

The weather has been beautiful here too. I have had windows open every day for a week or two now. Life is good when you can open your windows and be comfortable AND save on the electricity bill!

Boy do I ever remember those days of chasing after a little one in the hall, at church, for 3 hours straight and wondering what the point was of attending church at all. Do I ever remember! I remember swapping with Gary each hour, which you and Jud probably already do. And I remember 18 months not coming soon enough. And I do remember that before long there would be another baby but the break was still so very nice. Of course, when the new baby comes, it's a while before the baby starts to crawl (which is when it really gets hard, wouldn't you say?), so that extended the break. Certainly knowing that 'this too shall pass' helped. That motto helps with most everything.

Speaking of motto's, I told the children yesterday "why put off 'til tomorrow what you can do today", a friend of mine lives by that motto. Do you know what they came back with? Why do today what you can do tomorrow. I thought they might of had a point. :)

Want to hear some FANTASTIC news?! Rae has read The Book of Mormon, even she read it in 98 days! I am so pleased with her choices lately. She truly has become a Rae of Sunshine!! Coming unto Christ does that.

On a lighter note, do you remember those adorable little white bowls you gave me, that were shaped like a flower? I saw one for sale the other day- ONE for $8.

Plus, my Naomi came home a happy girl yesterday. She hasn't been given the break dancing part in the musical, but she realized as they practice that the 'shopping girl' role that she did get, gets to take a bow all by herself, and THAT is what she's wanted most of all. She reminds me so much of myself, loving to be on stage, loving the attention, but I'll tell you, it never EVER occurred to me to have the goal of taking a bow all by myself. She has me beat there.

I must be on my merry way.

Love,
Lorinda

2009-11-16T11:19:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

Sorry you weren't having a very good day. Hopefully things are looking up now.

I'm ashamed to say that yesterday we had the most beautiful weather and the only time I was outside was going to and from the car for church. Jud and I really need to get some furniture for our deck so on days like that I can sit outside and really enjoy it. The good news is that today is supposed to be another great day with the weather, so after JT gets up from his nap we will definitely enjoy some time outside!

I hate to say this, but going to church is hard these days. Little JT is too young for nursery so I spend most of the time at church chasing him around, and it's so hard to get anything out of the talks and lessons. I struggle even more knowing that it's going to be a long time before I do get to sit through and enjoy church since it probably won't be long after JT is in nursery that I'll be having another baby. And it will continue to happen that way for several years probably. How did you manage to get through that phase in your life without letting it get you down?

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK? How on earth did that happen? And what's even crazier is that only a month after that, it will be Christmas! I am pretty sure that this year has gone by faster than any other year of my life. But I do enjoy the holiday season, so I'm happy that it's here again. Decorating is so much fun. Although I will probably be a little more limited because of JT. I don't think he's the kind to let Christmas ornaments adorn a Christmas tree without wanting to rip them all off. Either way, I love this time of year!

XO
Ani

2009-11-13T13:33:00.005-05:00

Dear Ani,

I have looked up the weather where you live and you certainly have been dealing with more rain than I. It's wonderful that you don't mind hunkering down and staying comfy-cozy in your home, because from the looks of it, you would have to swim everywhere you would need or want to go, if you went out.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? I am so sad that you won't be coming home. We will be going home and having dinner at Gary's mothers house. Several friends are also coming home for Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to seeing them. I also suspect I'll get to squeeze some time in with mom and a sister or two.

I am having a sad day. I told you on the telephone yesterday about something ridiculous being blamed on me that had no business being placed in my lap of responsibility. Today one more thing has been blamed on me that had no right to be also. What a horrible feeling that is! I spent hours scrubbing my house with vigor, taking out my frustrations on my chores and I was left with a cleaner house, exhausted, and still upset.

Such is life though, right?

It was nice hearing JT give me an excited "hi!" on the telephone yesterday. I hate to miss so much of him and his growth. He's so cute and fun.

Hope you have a lovely weekend. I will spend a few hours of it chaperoning a dance.

Sincerely,
Lorinda

2009-11-12T10:45:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

What a sad day Monday was for you. Not only did you not get to go on your date, but you had a sick Zoe.

It rained all day here yesterday as well. And it has been raining all day today, as it's supposed to. Plus it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow. I'm not really one of those people that wishes for rain to go away. Unless, of course, I have big plans to be outside that rain ruins. To me, rainy weather is the perfect excuse to stay indoors, in comfy clothes, watching movies or reading a good book. Although, having a little one prohibits a whole lot of movie watching and book reading sometimes, I still welcome the rainy weather with open arms.

Last night I had to opportunity to go visit with a friend and her newborn baby. I probably should have made it a quick visit, but 2 hours later I was still sitting there enjoying holding the sweet little sleeping baby. When she all of a sudden decided to have a stinky diaper, I took that as a hint that I had overstayed my welcome and I should go home. As I sat there holding her, I was reminded of those first few months after little JT was born. Although it wasn't long ago, it seems like a lifetime ago. I wish I had enjoyed it a little more than I had. Babies are such miracles. I'm glad to have JT and I look forward to having more little miracles.

Now Lorinda, I can't believe you thought I ate a chopping blade! At Italian restaurants, mezzaluna's are half moon ravioli's. You should definitely give them a try!

I hope you are doing well and have survived all the rain!

XO
Ani

2009-11-11T08:34:00.003-05:00

Dear Ani,

I hope this letter isn't too soggy by the time it reaches you. It's been pouring rain since about 3:00 yesterday with nary a break. The weatherman says Ida is headed your way. Are you ready? I had no idea we were down to one umbrella until today.

Your date sounds fabulous. Do you know that I never got my date with Gary? I was so excited to send the children off to school for the day with my husband, and the kids were ready too. They were dressed and hair done and shoes on, ready to go. Minutes before we were to load them in the car Zoe announced that her stomach hurt and her "legs felt heavy". She was sick the day before but seemed better by noon and the rest of the evening into the night was fine. She even woke up in good health, we thought. But once I slowed down and took a look, I could see that she was still puny and recovering and needed one more day of rest.

How were the mezzaluna's? I've always been afraid to try them, they look kinda tough to eat.

Chocolate Chip Cookies.... that's something I could sink my teeth into! It's the ultimate cookie.

I hope your date was the beginning of many more. It's hard to figure out what works for your family, but I hope you do.

I have dealt with a heart broken Naomi for the past two days. She is in chorus as school and has a Christmas performance coming soon. While they were working on the songs she had this idea of her break dancing through one of the songs (the part is not in the script). The teacher kept putting off giving her an answer on her idea. Two days ago a boy went to the teacher with the same idea as Naomi and loved the idea, and told him he could. All the while, giving Naomi a great part in the musical that a lot of girls wanted. On one hand, she feels honored to be given the role she was. One the other hand, she's just sick that her idea was taken. As her mother, I have felt like I need to sit back, hug her when she's crying and tell her I am sorry she's hurting, and let her figure it out. What lesson she'll learn from it, I am not sure of yet. Either she will learn to take a stand (or try to) and speak up for what she feels is right. Or she will learn that she can't get everything she wants and life isn't fair. Yesterday as I was pointing out how cool the part is that she did get, she said, "Yeah, but the break dancer will have the stage to themselves and will have all of the audience cheering just for them!!!" I laugh and I know how that sounds, but I remember craving that same thing. The latest news is she wrote the chorus teacher a letter letting her know that she feels honored to be chosen for the role that she got, but that the break dancing was her idea and she wanted it SO BADLY. She ended it with the words, "I am not trying to be a diva." My hope is that the teacher understands where Naomi is coming from and handles it gently. And if she does decide to let Naomi do the break dancing, then I will quickly start praying that she knows how to break dance..... because as far as I know, she doesn't!

Oh, to be 11 again!

Today was meant to be a get-down-on-the-floor-and-scrub-the-baseboards day. However the rain is whispering to me 'today is meant for your head to be on the pillow'. How does rain do that? I must fight it... but I don't want to.

The other thing I am hearing the rain say is 'a pot of Coconut Tres Leches Hot Chocolate for after school snack and a bigger pot of chili for dinner.' I won't fight that!

I hope all is well.
Lorinda

2009-11-10T10:15:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

My date was absolutely splendid. We dined at a fine Italian restaurant. I ordered the mezzaluna's. I have a thing for any kind of ravioli. The plate came, and it was full. I was thinking there was no way I could eat it all. But I devoured every single bit of it! After dinner we went to a movie. Can you believe this was the first movie we went to together in over a year? It was fun to go to a movie with my sweetheart again, even if the theatre was less than decent. I kid you not, the theatre they showed our movie in was about the size of a home theatre in someones home. But I think one of the best parts about our evening was that we were in Jud's old neighborhood from when we were dating. Being in the same area where we went on so many dates when we were first together brought back so many great memories. As we sat there at dinner, under the dim "mood lighting" of the restaurant, I was reminded of just how lucky I am to have met and married such a great man.

It was the very next night that I was reminded again of how lucky I am. As Jud and I sat down to enjoy some entertainment on the television, I made a comment about how I was craving some fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. I only made the comment to show just how random I can be sometimes in cravings. I don't even know where the craving came from. Shortly after I made the comment, he went into the kitchen and made some chocolate chip cookies for me!! I had no words. Except: mmmmmmmm!!

Once again, I must cut this letter where it is. JT is napping, which means I should take advantage of this time. I do hope you had a fabulous date with your husband yesterday!

XO
Ani

2009-11-09T07:05:00.002-05:00

Dear Ani-

I am sending you a quick note to say I am sorry that I didn't call you back all weekend. (I wasn't intentionally ignoring you.) And to let you know I will write a more proper letter later. (I have a date to go get ready for.)

Before I go, what you described in your last letter as needing in a girlfriend is what I was saying I didn't need (or want) anymore. Gary will now due, even for that. I get that you feel the need to have it when your husband isn't available, I am at the point where it's worth it to wait until mine is available. You say find it special, and I find it especially aggravating (most of the time). Not that I don't have girlfriends anymore. It's just all changed, isn't an important in a very THERE sort of way. I think it's a combination of passed hurts but mostly I think it's my age.

I can't wait to hear about your date! And I can't wait to go on mine. So I am off to get kids to go so Gary and I may get on with the date.

Love,
Lorinda

2009-11-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I too have a best friend in my husband. I'm very lucky in that. However, I still need that womanly friendship where if I'm having a hard day I can call her up and we can go to lunch or I can just talk to her. I do that with Jud sometimes, but he's busy with work so he doesn't always have time to listen to me tell him how JT threw everything I tried to feed him on the floor and screamed his head off. Do you understand what I mean? I don't know. I just think there is something very special about having a few women you are close to. It's something I got used to having but have struggled with lately.

Enough about that. I have the most exciting news. Well, it probably isn't very exciting for you, but is most assuredly exciting for me. I'm going on a date tonight! Just Jud and me!! We haven't gone out alone since this summer. Can you believe that? We also have never left Judson with a young babysitter before. Just our parents. A couple of times I left JT during the day with a friend of mine, but only for an hour or two. I'm nervous about how it will go, but I'm far too exciting to focus on my worries. I asked Jud on the date, and then informed him that he would get to plan it. He told me last night where he will be taking me for dinner. It's an Italian restaurant that I haven't been too in a long time. I'm very excited about that. He's unsure about the plans for the second half of the date, but that's ok. It will be nice no matter what it is. Maybe I can convince him to take me to do some more shopping?

That reminds me. I went shopping the other day. I took my own advice and decided to get some retail therapy to get me out of my funk. However, JT was not in the mood. He used to be the perfect shopping companion. I would put him in his stroller and he would be content checking out his surroundings. But no more. He screamed and complained the entire time! I did buy a couple of cute sweaters though. I plan to wear one tonight on my date, and I think Jud will like it, and that will help me feel better. Which will help me succeed in what I was trying to accomplish with the shopping.

It's 9 o'clock in the morning. Is it too early to start getting ready for my date?

Have a great weekend!

XO
Ani

2009-11-05T09:17:00.003-05:00

Dear Ani,

I hope this letter finds you happy and well. I have the house to myself for the first time in more than a week. People think I am a stay at home mom with kids in school, and so what do I do all day. Not so. Gary has lots of days off and Wes is living back home and they are big and older and still take a lot of my time and attention. So today... this, this is nice. So very nice and peaceful!

Oh Ani, you will find great joy in yeast. There is something therapeutic about kneading dough, especially punching it down. If I've gone a while without doing it, and I get back at it for the first time, I kid you not, I will have flour up to my elbows and sticky doughy fingers and I'll be smiling to myself and thinking, 'I've missed this!' I would love to share my roll recipe but I think you should also (and maybe first) try mom's cinnamon rolls. I heard a study once that said that man's favorite smell is cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. I asked Gary what he thought of that and he agrees. And really, your friend situation can be fixed with cinnamon rolls. You know the saying that has something to do with catching more flies with honey? There could be a similar saying that involved catching more friends with cinnamon rolls. Or maybe even preventing friends from moving with cinnamon rolls.

I don't mean to make light of your plight but it's alright to excite and delight in the moonlight with a bite of a cinnamon roll. Tonight.

I kid! I kid!!

I know it's hard. I've been there. I went from 10 years ago leaving some really great and genuine friends, to making great friends in Georgia only to have the best of them move. It's been very strange for me. I don't know if it's the hurt or my age, but I don't have friends like I did and I am A-okay with it. I've discovered that I don't need them on the level or in the way I did. And I've also discovered that my best friend all along has been Gary. Not just because that's who it is suppose to be. But in the true best friend sense of that's who I would rather hang out with the most. He gets me the most. He understands the most. He's by far the most loyal and I trust him the most. And he's not moving anywhere. He better not anyways!! But that may come from hurt from past friends but it really may be my age. Or both. I realize that may not help you though. But do know that I understand and it is hard and hurtful.

If you could only move closer to home. You and I already have the telephone conversations down, if we just had the 'let's do lunch' thing happening, eh?

But ohme ohmy, the adventures we could go on.....

I will look for my dinner roll recipe and see if I can't get it to you soon. I hope you find joy in bread making as much as I do.

I must be off.

I love you sister!
Lorinda

2009-11-04T10:16:00.000-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

I think it's so great that you take Naomi and Zoe trick-or-treating at the retirement community! I can just imagine how excited the residents there are to have any kind of visitors. It warms my heart to think of it.

I'm feeling better as far as the nasty cold I had. I have a little bit of a cough still, but I really feel good enough to get out and do stuff. In fact, I was so tired of sitting home and not feeling like getting out very much, that I just want to go and do stuff all day long. Little JT doesn't share that desire. But that's ok. We've compromised.

Yesterday was a sad day for me. My friend, Jessica, is moving to Hawaii at the end of this week, and we had lunch together for the last time for who knows how long. Before I got married she and I spent a lot of time together and she is one of my dearest friends. I feel like I have no one now. One of my friends moved back to Canada last year, another moved to Germany, and now Jessica is going to Hawaii. When my friends move, they MOVE. And I just have the "life's not fair" mentality sinking in. I miss having best friends that I can call up at anytime to just talk. Or who I can call up and have them go to a movie, or shopping, or hang out with me. This is a big part of why I'm still in my funk. Hopefully I can dig myself out of it soon. Cause it's no fun.

I've recently decided that I need to be a better wife. I decided one of the ways I can be a better wife is by being a wife who knows how to, and does make bread and rolls. From a very young age I've enjoyed baking. But my love of sweets kept me in the cookie and cake department. I think now is the time to give bread and rolls a shot. I don't know when I will have my first bread/roll baking experiment, but hopefully it will be soon. Didn't you mention that you have a good recipe for rolls? If so, I would love to have it.

It's JT's nap time right now, so I should probably take advantage of this free time. I've been thinking that maybe buying some new clothes will help me get out of this funk. What do you think? Do you have any suggestions?

XO
Ani

2009-11-03T14:16:00.005-05:00

Ani,

We are so much alike in so many ways, and yet the opposite in many ways. I, for one, love the time change. I even loved it when I had babies. To me it signals the change in the seasons, which I also love. The 'falling back' adds to my love of Fall. Another opposite, I can't wrap my head around loving an animal and loving it eat the animal. I don't understand finding something so special about an animal and then eating it. When you love that animal, you DON'T eat it. Eat the one's you love? Makes no sense to me. (have I made myself clear about loving and eating?)

Thanks for sending me Halloween pictures of JT. He sure looked cute! Our Halloween was great and typical of what we've done the past few years. We went to cousin Irene's retirement community to visit her and trick-or-treat in her area. There weren't as many senior citizens as last year, she said there was an attempted crime a few days ago that had everyone nervous. Then we went to a friends house, like we have done in years past. Our neighborhood all up and leaves for Halloween so nobody is home for us to stay in our area. I think it's the strangest (and saddest) thing. I don't understand it. But it is what it is.

I say put off the trick-or-treating as long as possible. Sure, it's fun the day of. But the days following, with candy everywhere, candy wrappers everywhere, no fun. It's just too much. Funny thing is Zoe came home from school yesterday and she has a bag FULL of candy, but she knew exactly what was missing and how much. Let me tell you, I was glad it wasn't me that got into her candy because she was one unhappy little one. I wouldn't want to have to explain myself to her.

Well I need to get to voting. I love practicing that right!

Love,
Lorinda

2009-11-02T08:14:00.001-05:00

Dear Lorinda,

Worry not, I'm a little less funk-y today. Although this time change that occurred this weekend has put a different funk on me. Just when little JT and I were finally getting the perfect routine perfected, we had to go and "fall back" and now it's all messed up again. Which is why I'm writing you a letter at 8 o'clock in the morning. 8 o'clock is typically the time that I start considering getting out of bed. Not today. Little JT woke up a little after 7. I decided to wait it out so he can get used to being in his crib for the right amount of time again. That happened until he let out a blood curdling scream, and then began to cry. I'd never in his life heard him scream in such a manner. I was out of my bed in no time at all, and in his room. Where he was just sitting there nicely in his crib. I guess he figured out how to get me in there right quick!

But time change aside, we had a great Halloween weekend! We didn't take JT trick-or-treating though. I know, some would consider us bad parents for such a thing. But the thing is, Jud and I would have been the ones that ended up eating all the candy. And we don't need to eat all the candy. Trust me when I say that we eat plenty of junk as it is! JT still got to wear his costume on Friday and Saturday though. And everyone that saw him thought he was the cutest little chicken! The costume was a definite success. And since I got the costume last year after Halloween for only $5, I believe I'll have to do the same again this year. And even though he didn't get to go trick-or-treating, he did get to have his first lollipop! To say he was a fan would be an understatement!

I can't share your sentiments about the deer debacle that you are enduring with your husband. Seeing as how one of my most favorite animals in all the world is a cow, and I love to eat beef with all my heart, I just don't see where you are coming from. But every time I handle a whole chicken or turkey, I myself consider becoming a vegetarian. Or at least a fowlitarian.

And since I've brought up the topic of food, that reminds me that little JT and I need to eat breakfast. I do hope you have a fabulous day. I sent a picture of little JT. Oh, I mean, a chicken!

XO
Ani

2009-10-30T11:20:00.005-04:00

My dearest Wittle Sister,

How are you today? Less funky, I hope.

I just saw my husband off, he's gone hunting. Or as they say in theses here part, hun'in'. He hunts deer and I truly struggle with it. Deer are beautiful and peaceful. Why can't he hunt chickens and cows? Then again, if I start thinking about it too deeply, I want to become a vegetarian. Then again if I thinking about it deeplier, I want to become a Chef and Chef's have to cook all sorts of meats. Then it comes to, what's the difference between deer or chicken? Oh mercy me, I really do struggle with it all. But do you know that he knows this, and that I've made very super clear that I won't be cooking any deer meat and do you know what he did his last hun'in' trip? He got a deer, didn't tell me (but I heard through the grape vine before he came home) and tried to sneak into the house with what he later said is a tenderloin. He walked right past me, holding it in the opposite hand that was facing me, holding still and against himself, and went and put it in the freezer! Like I couldn't see! Then several days later I made a bacon wrapped pork tenderloin (so good!) and he said, "Arlis said that's how he cooks the venison tenderloin, wraps it in bacon just like this." He's totally trying to weasel his way into converting me! After 20 years of me saying no, he's STILL trying!

Oh, that man. He is something!

I enjoyed The Secret Life of Bee's and have I yet expressed my jealousy of your Book Club? I really wish I belonged to one. I love to discuss books. My favorite part in The Secret Life of Bee's was this-

"There is just one thing I don't get," I said.
"What's that?"
"How come if your favorite color is blue, you painted your house so pink?"
She laughed. "That was May's doing. She was with me the day I went to the paint store to pick out the color. I had a nice tan color in mind, but May latched on to this sample called Caribbean Pink. She said it made her feel like dancing a Spanish flamenco. I thought, 'Well, this is the tackiest color I've ever seen, and we'll have half the town talking about us, but if it can lift May's heart like that, I guess I ought to live inside it.' "
"All this time I just figured you liked pink," I said.
She laughed again, "You know some things don't matter much, Lily. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the over-all scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart- now, that matters. The whole problem is-"
"They don't know what matters and what doesn't," I said, filling in her sentence and feeling proud of myself for doing so.
"I was gonna say, the problem is they know what matters, but they don't choose it. You know how hard that is, Lily? I love May, but it was still so hard to choose Caribbean Pink. The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters."

I thought that was just..... sweet. And that I could really learn from it. I fret about the small things and can (definitely!) put it before some one's feelings. I really need to work on that.

I can't wait to see little JT the chicken. And I will share pictures with you too. Hope he has an enjoyable Halloween. You are just getting started in the motherhood adventure and it won't be long before my kids are too old for trick-or-treating. Oh, that's too sad for me to think about.

Thanks for the Pumpkin Fluff recipe. I can't wait to try it.

Forever,
Lorinda

2009-10-29T10:40:00.000-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

I don't much feel like writing. I would prefer to be up in my cozy bed, snuggled in a big blanket, napping the morning away. But I'm not. I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm in a bit of a funk. I think I started feeling a little funk-y yesterday, and when little JT woke up this morning cranky, it sent my funk-ness over the edge. I've heard that us women are good at getting upset about something, and then we start thinking about all the many things we should be upset about. I think that's what I may be doing.

But enough about that.

Last night was my monthly book club meeting. As I told you before, we read The Secret Life of Bees. I struggled a little bit because I had already seen the movie. I was worried that the others in the book club wouldn't like the book either, even though none of them had seen the movie. Luckily, the others liked it. Some more than others, but I was glad that the book I suggested didn't have any haters. I made a delicious pumpkin fluff dip to take to the book club meeting. It was the first time making it, and I absolutely fell in love with it!

Ok my dear, I must be going. I have a Halloween party to get ready to go to while little JT naps.

XO
Ani

2009-10-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

Oh Ani-

I can't believe that you are still not well! How long has it been? Has JT been able to keep from getting sick... so far?

Living this close to family is great. But I must warn you, if you ever decide to move home, move to the area that Tamara, Elayna and Brian live. They get together quite often. I can't say the same for me. Sure, I see them more than you do, but they see each other a lot and I see them a little. Actually though, I should say if you move home to move close to me, then I wouldn't feel so left out and you and I could do all the fun things that the three of them do!

I am just fighting the giggles thinking about JT wearing a chicken costume! I do hope you share photo's!! And I think you SHOULD take pictures of him in his chicken costume in a barn! I am serious! I even think you will regret it if you don't!!! What can I do to talk you into doing that?

Naomi has decided to be a Witch of 2009, as in, it won't be typical, she will be an updated Witch. What exactly does that mean?? No really, what exactly does that mean? I am not sure, but I hope to figure it out soon. She has a Halloween Party tonight that we get to practice her costume on. Zoe was going to be a Vampiress, not that she wanted to really since she's been one that past 2 years. However she felt that was the only decent costume option. I bought her wings and a head band to make a Lady Bug outfit and she wasn't really feeling the idea until a friend yesterday offered to make her a tu-tu to go with the costume and now she's very excited about being a Lady Bug.

I have lost a costume box which is a part of our deciding issues. We have searched the attic over and there is no sign of true love, er, uh, I mean, the costume box. I have a sneaky suspicion that it's under the disguise of a Christmas box and I'll discover it in a month.

Well, I need to end this letter so that I may run to the store and buy tu-tu making material.

Much love always,
Lorinda

p.s. I can't imagine Jud fussin' about you coughing, but
I can imagine it the other way around.

p.s.s. There is an orange cat in my house.

2009-10-27T11:16:00.001-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

I will not start out this letter by telling you once again that I am still sick. Not because I'm not sick anymore, but because I'm sure you are tired of me starting out my letters saying I'm sick. So I just won't do it. I will refrain, for your sake.

I am so jealous that you had Mom, Tamara, and BenBen visit you yesterday. You are so lucky to live close enough to family that they can come visit for the day. I would give my right arm to have that. No wait, let's make it my left arm, since I'm right handed. I would give my left arm to live closer to family! I wish Jud were able to find a job somewhere in S.C. I'm crossing my fingers that he will, but not holding my breath!

I forgot to tell you what little JT will be for Halloween! Last year, after Halloween, I found a great costume for him for only $5. I've been waiting a year to put him in a chicken costume! He will be the cutest chicken I've ever seen! I will admit, there is a slight chance that a couple of weeks ago I put the costume on him to see how cute he would look because I just couldn't stand to wait any longer. I'm hoping that tomorrow I will feel up to it, and put him in his costume and take him outside for a little chicken photo session. I even thought of taking him to a barn to take some pictures, but that idea lasted for only seconds.

After I'd been indoors for an entire week, I decided yesterday I needed to get out. So I loaded little JT and myself in the car and we went for a drive. I had no destination in mind. It was a lovely drive. I ended up going down a country road that had the most beautiful farms and farm houses! There were two houses in particular that I fell in love with. I also came across a quaint little town that had the most beautiful old Victorian homes. I definitely want to go back to that town when I'm feeling better so I can do some more exploring. There was also a little house on the corner of one intersection in the middle of nowhere that had birdhouses for sale. I saw a sign in front that said "Make checks payable to...". It left me to believe that this person trusted anyone to come and pick out their birdhouses and leave a check for the correct amount in a little box. How amazing is that? It's too bad you aren't closer so you could go on these fun drives with me!

Little JT is napping, and I feel like I should take advantage of this time to nap myself. I didn't have a very restful nights sleep. I won't go into details but Jud threw me out of the bedroom due to my coughing, and I had to sleep on the couch. He yelled and fussed and yelled and fussed because I was keeping him up. Hah! Could you even imagine Jud yelling and fussing?

XO

2009-10-26T19:08:00.003-04:00

Ani-

Hello my friend and sister! I just had a great visit with our sister and mother and nephew. They left just in time for me to slap a dinner together and throw in the oven and it should be ready to come out right as Gary is walking in from work.

Our visit was wonderful. We visited, we laughed at BenBen, we sent Rae chasing after him, we left him with the older cousins to watch while the three of us went out to a peaceful lunch, we sat at the table chatting long after we were done eating delicious Mexican food because we didn't want it to end, we faced the fact that all good things must come to an end, we stopped by the store for some sugar cookies, and came home to a happy Benben and a few wore out cousins. Then we sat around and talked some more. With interruptions.

Wish you were there!

My kids go back to school tomorrow. I doubt their Fall Break was all they dreamt it would be, as I think it's a great opportunity to catch up on house work, extra focus on the bedrooms. But we did get a beach trip in and it was a perfect day.

Do you remember the orange cat the children named Tiger that adopted us and then left? Well, she showed up today. We spotted her down the road a couple of weeks ago and it was nice to know that she was alive and well, but today she walked in our house and to the food bowl like she was just here yesterday. Then she climbed in every one's lap for some lovin'. (she's in Naomi's lap now) I can't wait to see the look on Gary's face when he comes home and spots the cat in the house. I can hear him now, "I thought we got rid of that thing!" He acts so big and bad about cats but he's not really.

I hope you are feeling better!!

Write soon!

Love,
Lorinda

2009-10-26T11:16:00.002-04:00

Dear Ani,

I am writing a quick note so you know that I haven't forgotten you, but I have been getting ready for Tamara, her little BenBen and mom to come and visit. I think it's actually going to happen this time! We've tried many times and something kept preventing it. But they are on their way now and things are looking good!

I will write you after they leave.

Love,
Lorinda

2009-10-23T12:00:00.002-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

Unfortunately, I once again have to say, I'm still not feeling well. Now I have the dreaded cough. That dry cough that only makes your throat hurt more and more every time. I would say it's the worst part of whatever this is that I'm enduring, but it's all the worst part in my opinion.

Last night, being the dear husband that he is, Jud went out to get me some cough medicine. It wasn't late, but he was already in his pajamas, so I was thankful he was willing to put on his big boy pants and go to the store for his poor ailing wife. He came back with some Nyquil. Now, I should remind you, it's been nearly 2 years that I haven't been able to take much more than Tylonel. I think because of that, when I take such strong medicines, it really hits me. I immediately took some after he got home because I'd been coughing so much and was hoping for any kind of relief. We had just started watching one of our favorite TV programs, and I also had crochet work on my lap I was working on a little at a time. About five minutes after I had taken the medicine I picked up my little crochet project and started to work when all of a sudden my whole body began to feel very relaxed. I could barely move my hands!! The Nyquil had certainly kicked in! I still had a little cough, but it wasn't nearly as bad, and I didn't mind feeling so relaxed. Thank goodness for medicine!

I'm certain your training went better last night than you think! Everyone has something they can say to benefit others, even if they don't have as much experience. I'm willing to bet that you did a great job and that those you trained were grateful for the wisdom you imparted on them.

Poor Jud had to be at work at 3 this morning!! He claimed last night that he would come home early today because of it, but it's already after noon and I haven't heard from him. I do hope he comes home soon so he can get some rest!

I hope you have a great weekend. No plans here. I'm hoping to get a lot of rest so I can get back to normal. But I think you, however, should do something exciting and tell me about it so I can live vicariously through you.

XO
Ani

2009-10-22T14:24:00.004-04:00

Dear Ani,

I am so sorry you are still under the weather. I've been there, I've been ill with a toddler. And it's nothing like being ill with kids who are school age. Sure, there is still work to be done, but there are several hours to heal while kids are away before you do some work. You remind me often of how far I've come in this thing they call mothering. Not that it's easier in general, but the being ill part is definitely easier.

I have a great concern right now. Tonight I have an important meeting in which there will be training. They concerning part is that I will be doing some of the training. I feel inadequate. I feel sure that I will be training a group of women who should be training me. So I am a jittery mess at the moment who can hardly concentrate on anything other than my worries about tonight. I would much rather cook to feed 200 or more again. Work is easy. Sound intelligent is a whole other story.

On a lighter note, Tamara and her little guy are planning to visit tomorrow and I am thinking that it will finally work out. It's been on and off for a while. I am looking forward to the visit. We will miss you of course and think of how nice it would be if you could live closer to home.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately with the Holidays coming. About how you will not be with us. Do tell, if you would, what you plan on JT being for Halloween. Do you know I have the cutest Dalmatian costume (a well made one, unlike the cheap ones you see nowadays) that I could loan you if you were closer? I got it when Wes was JT's age and I do believe all of my children have worn it. Just the costume and black eye liner around the eye is all it takes to make a cute puppy for the occasion.

I hope that your next letter is filled with good news regarding your health.

Much love to you,
Lorinda

P.S. Not to be rude and brag, but tonights dessert
after the meeting is Pumpkin Cheesecake. Would
you speak in front of a crowd for Pumpkin Cheesecake?
I admit, I would too!

2009-10-21T13:26:00.001-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

I'm still feeling under the weather. My whole entire body doesn't hurt like it did yesterday, but I still don't feel well. And when I say my whole body, I do mean MY WHOLE BODY! Who knew it was possible for hair follicles to hurt and be sore? I didn't. I just want my dear mother to comfort me and nurse me back to health. Is that strange? Am I the only adult who still wants her mother when she is ill? Or is this a common desire for someone who is in my current state? All I know is, I'm pretty sure I'd be better by now if mom was here.

Little JT didn't take his first nap today. I put him in his crib, and he was in there for 2 hours and didn't sleep. Don't you worry, I didn't allow him to cry for 2 hours. I could hear him and he was just playing and enjoying himself. It wasn't until the last 15 minutes or so that he got upset and started crying a bit. I was so looking forward to his first nap so I could take a nice long nap myself. Instead I kept waiting to hear him fall asleep, which as I said, didn't occur. Which reminds me once again that life just isn't fair. Even when we need to stop and rest, that doesn't mean the circumstances around us will allow for it. In fact, it life with a child rarely allows for rest and relaxation.

I should probably bring this pity party to a close. It's very rare for others to be in attendance at someone else's pity party, so I apologize for forcing you to attend. I promise to be much more pleasant the next time I write.

XO
Ani

2009-10-20T11:23:00.004-04:00

Dear Ani,

I am happy to hear little JT is doing better but sad to hear that now you are ill. I hope it passes quickly. There is no time for mommy to be sick.

My weekend was busy and well worth it. To serve special needs adults that I know have a special place in heaven, felt like heaven. To rub shoulders with them is a privilege. The teenagers help them through the line to get their lunch, help feed them if they need to, and then walk them through the different booths at the carnival they set up. I admit, my eyes got misty a couple of times seeing the youth caring for these adults. Mostly what I witnessed was in the kitchen, as they came through the line. Some of the adults came through 3 and 4 times! It was funny. I wondered if the process of going through the line was fun, because I wouldn't imagine all the food being eaten. Seeing our guests so well cared for gave me hope. Hope for what the youth of today will do for us in the future, with their big and caring hearts. Near the end of the event I went to check out the festivities and was for one, shocked at how many people there were (I prepared food to feed all of those many bellies??) and I was tickled, as the youth gathered all of the adults to do the Hokie Pokie. They love doing the Hokie Pokie! Then the youth sang I am a Child of God and boy howdy, you know how I think crying are for babies. Well, I had to fight my eyes, because they have a mind of their own sometimes and boy did they want to be infantile at that moment!

One funny thing that happened was we ran out of cheese (and what is a grilled cheese sandwich without cheese?) but it didn't add up. I did the shopping, I know how much cheese we had. Then I discovered that the men that stepped in to help grill sandwiches were using two slices per sandwich! No wonder they were such a hit! (and no wonder I liked them, because I don't usually like that type of sandwich) So a quick grocery store trip was in order and it all worked out just in the nick of time.

On a sad note, the man that Rae helped last year, who was such a delight and full of energy- calling himself Dr. Glen the firefighter and policeman.... he was very quiet and had lost quite a bit of weight. That was sad to see. We hope he was just having a quiet day and he'll be okay. Dr. Glen has a very special place in our hearts!

The children are home early from school today and Naomi and Zoe are in the next room looking at a book together. I am meeting with their teachers today. Naomi has been struggling with school this year which is a very first for her and I am none to pleased about it. It will be interesting to hear her teachers side of the story on what's going on. Zoe is doing her best yet and I am so happy.

I hope you get better soon and by the time this letter reaches you, that things are looking up.

Much love,
Lorinda

2009-10-19T09:02:00.001-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

The weekend is over. How very sad!

Judson is feeling better. It would appear that anytime he is about to get new teeth he gets a fever and is in a lot of pain for a few days. It's not fun for any of us. I'm just counting down how many more teeth we have to go so I know how many times we still have to go through this.

It rained most of this weekend, so we didn't do much. We did go couch shopping on Saturday with no success. Sometimes I wonder how it's possible that Jud and I EVER agree on anything, because we definitely do agree on couches. So at the rate we are going, we might agree on new couches to buy by this time next year.

Yesterday Jud stayed home from church since he's been feeling a little under the weather. I must admit that I may have nudged him a little bit in that directions, so that little JT could stay home with him. I actually got to sit through all the meetings at church and hear everything that was said. It was nice. It's amazing how much more I can get out of church when I'm not busy chasing a baby around!

How did you event go on Saturday? Did you know that grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my most favorites? When I worked at the Capitol in DC I ordered grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch way too often. They made them perfectly!! Jud's come in a very close second! Just thinking about them makes my mouth water.

Once, while working at the Capitol, I was really craving a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast. I went in to the "Baby Gourmet" as they call it and asked if I could order one. They told me no, they didn't serve lunch so early in the morning. I was tempted to order a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, which they do serve for breakfast, minus the bacon and egg. I refrained though. But how silly that they had all two ingredients out for making breakfast sandwiches and wouldn't just make me one!

Ok, all this breakfast talk is making me hungry. I hope your event went well. I can't wait to hear about all about it!

XO
Ani

2009-10-16T06:50:00.004-04:00

Ani,

I wanted to write a quick note to let you know how very sorry I am to hear JT isn't well. When I tried talking to you on the telephone yesterday and heard nothing but his cries I felt really sad for him. And you. He sounded so pitiful. And you sounded heart broken for him.

I will try to write to you later. For today, I have 45 pounds of potatoes to peel and chop. Along with other veggies and 300 cupcakes.

I would rather peel and chop than have a sweet sick baby on my hands though. I know what that can do to a mother's heart. I hope he feels better very soon.

Later,
Lorinda

2009-10-15T10:24:00.004-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

I'm glad your baby Zoe is better. Unfortunately, y baby JT isn't doing well. He's had a fever since Tuesday afternoon. I'm not sure what's going on, but hopefully he'll be better soon. I can't say it enough--there is nothing more sad than a sick baby. Little JT is always busy and on the move, but the last couple days he's spent a lot of time laying on his Momma. Poor little guy.

I also have another sick baby. Judson hasn't been feeling well lately because of sinus problems. Although for several days he kept saying "I think I have walking pneumonia." Finally one time he said "I think I have walking pneumonia." followed by "I don't even know what walking pneumonia is." Silly boy. I know he doesn't have walking pneumonia. But I'm convinced he is a hypochondriac. I hate to say it, but you should hear some of the things he thinks he has sometimes!

Little JT is napping, so I think I'm going to go do the same. Even though he's slept pretty well, a sick baby makes for some long days, so I figure I should rest while I can.

XO
Ani

2009-10-14T09:30:00.002-04:00

Dear Ani,

I am envious of your weekend, pumpkins and farm animals and family. I do believe that's as good as it gets.

Zoe is doing better and is at school probably sifting through sand to find some gems as I write. She's been looking forward to this for a couple of weeks now. I am so glad she was able to make it.

I was suppose to have some visitors today. Tamara was suppose to drive down with her little BenBen and spend the day with me but her little guy got sick. I was looking forward to some time with our sister and nephew. We are hoping he'll be better soon and she'll be able to come this coming Monday. It's such a dreary day today and Monday is suppose to be just right, so maybe it's for the best.

We have a most exciting event coming this Saturday. The youth of our church in this area have put on a Fall Carnival event for mentally handicapped adults for years. (We've been trying to see how far back this wonderful tradition goes and nobody seems to remember) It is such a sweet service the teenagers give. I have been put in charge of feeding the 200 people we expect for lunch. We settled on a cheesy vegetable soup and grilled sandwiches and an hour ago I discovered I don't have access to a couple of large soup pots that I thought I did. Three hundred cups of soup is a lot of soup, especially when it's realized in the 11th hour that there aren't pots for the soup. Surely things will come together, they have to, but in the meantime this latest issue has me a little nervous. That and the 100 potatoes I will be peeling and dicing Friday.

I must close this letter now, for I have much to do. Making room in my refrigerator for soup ingredients being at the top of my list.

Sincerely,
Lorinda

2009-10-13T12:03:00.003-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

First of all, I'm so sad that poor little Zoe is sick. I can't even imagine seeing her already puppy dog eyes being even puppier. The thought alone is enough to break my heart. I do hope that she is doing better now!

I'm so glad you enjoyed the great pumpkin dessert! It always makes me nervous recommending recipes that I think are great. I would hate for someone to go through the effort of making it, and then be disappointed. Then they might think I'm crazy and not trust my judgement. Thank goodness it worked out in the positive this time!

I had such an enjoyable weekend. As you heard, we went to a pumpkin patch. It was just so much fun to take little JT and see his excitement with the whole place. They had farm animals there, and he LOVES animals, so that part was fun for him. He also enjoyed the actual pumpkin patch and playing with the big orange pumpkins! Going to a pumpkin patch is definitely something that I want to be a family tradition for us every October. I can't wait until next year when he can enjoy the experience even more! The funny thing was the feeling I had. Sometimes the fact that I'm a grown up with a family seems unreal to me. When we were there, the three of us together, and it felt like a fun family experience, it hit me--this is MY family! I just love it!

Also, as you heard, we had family pictures done. Having my picture taken is such an awkward experience sometimes. Having to sit all funny and putting a big cheesy grin on my face! The unfortunate thing was I waited until after we got home from picture taking to practice my smile in the mirror. I stood there smiling like I smiled for the pictures and thinking "No, I should have smiled like this" then doing a different smile. But what's done is done, and hopefully there will be a couple of cute pictures we can use. It was also an experience of "This is MY family! We are taking FAMILY pictures, because we ARE a family!" Telling you about these thoughts now makes me feel silly, but it is how I feel.

I've got an itch to go out and do something fun today but I don't know what. I just want to get out. Yesterday I stayed home in my pajamas all day because it was the first actual cold day of the season. I watched the movie "Wuthering Heights" that was made from Emily Bronte's book. I enjoy movies set in distant time periods that take me on a journey. What I don't enjoy is the incest that were in those stories. People who marry and/or fall in love with their first cousins just seems too strange for me. But back to what I was originally saying--after my day yesterday of being bundled up and watching a movie, I feel the need to get out today and do something fun. The problem is I just can't seem to figure out what it is I want to do.

I put JT down for his nap about an hour ago ago and for some reason he just isn't falling asleep. This could hinder me going out and doing something fun with him since he isn't a very happy boy when he doesn't take his naps the way he should. Such is the life of a 13 month old boy.

XO
Ani

2009-10-12T07:52:00.006-04:00

Dearest Ani,

I haven't heard from you all for days, I expect (and hope) this means your weekend was full of adventure. I'll be waiting excitedly for your next letter, to learn of how things went.

Guess who is home with me? Well, there is Boo the cat, who is 2 feet from my 2 feet, laying on her back with her paws up under her chin. We call that her bunny look. And there is Wes, who is waiting for a call this morning to come in to his new job for training. (ring telephone, ring!) But I am referring to my little Zoe, who is home sick. She's been sick since yesterday morning. I believe it's sinus stuff. We are hoping she's better by Wednesday for her class field trip- something involving rocks and minerals which is her latest love. She will be able to buy rock jewelry and she has worked to earn a couple of dollars for that very purpose. Besides, her puppy dog eyes get even puppier when she's ill and my heart can't take it. So may she get well fast for that reason alone!

When I read your last letter and came to the part about Pumpkin Ale, it was like watching a horror film when you can see that scary guy creeping up behind the innocent soon-to-be victim of a woman. He's slowly approaching her with a weapon in his hand and she's cluelessly going about her business and you want to scream, "TURN AROUND!!" but she can't hear you because it's a movie and you can hear them but they can't hear you. So I am reading your letter and I am thinking, "IT'S BEER, DON'T BUY IT! READ THE LABEL!!!" but then it ends way better than the movies do and you figure it out, and it's weaponless so it's not a big deal, you can put it down and walk away, unlike the innocent woman in the flick. Ale by definition is beer. So I knew right from the start when reading your letter that you were considering beer. I don't know why Ginger Ale is called Ginger Ale when it's not actually an ale (a beer) but I do know the the original popularity of Ginger Ale came during our countries Prohibition when Ginger Ale was a mixer for alcoholic beverages. The soda version of Ginger Ale today is a little different from the version that was once used as a mixer that is uncommon at present.

That is 2 whole paragraphs spent on alcohol, one for each of us, and that's two too many for two Mormon sisters, wouldn't you say?

Do you know what I've discovered to be one of the cleverest things I've ever done? (and not purposely) Marry my good friends cousin. When I married Gary, I suddenly was cousins (through marriage) to one of my closest friends. And through that, our children are now cousins. Awesome, or what? So yesterday, Melanie (my now cousin, by marriage- remember her?) and her daughter and my mother in law (her aunt) came for a visit. We visited, we talked about the high school reunion we both missed this past weekend, we laughed, and guess what I got to share? Your Great Pumpkin Dessert! And the consensus was that your Great Pumpkin Dessert is GREAT! Thanks for sharing it.

I best go check on my sick little Zoe. And on Wes' phone that isn't ringing. I hope to hear from you soon.

Love,
Lorinda

p.s. I can't imagine us moving to Virginia.
However, Rae sure loved it when we visited
and still talks about moving there when she's
out of school.

2009-10-09T10:33:00.001-04:00

Dear Lorinda

I'm so glad the weekend has practically arrived. I don't know what it was about this week, but it has seemed to crawl by. I'm looking forward to this weekend, and I'm hoping Jud will take me on a little adventure. There is one of two things I'm hoping we'll do. I would like to take little JT to a pumpkin patch, or I'd like to go to a small town up in Maryland that has a bunch of antique stores. Actually, doing both would make me happy! I'm sure there is a pumpkin patch on the way up to Maryland that we could go to.

I have to admit, I don't know that we would can together if I lived down there. I'm not a canner. I've never done it in my lifetime, and even though I see the benefits of it, I don't see myself getting into it at the time. But since you are so into autumn and not getting it in your current location I think you should move up here to Virginia. You will get an autumn here. I will even make you a promise. If you move up here to Virginia, I will can with you whenever you want. I will even take you to the cannery! What do you say? Want to move your family here to Virginia?

Unfortunately JT decided to wake up at 5:40 this morning. Not that we got up then. He started crying, but I fell back asleep. When I woke up some time later, he was still awake. He wasn't crying, but was making a lot of noise. I didn't get him out of his crib until a lot later because I kept hoping he'd fall back asleep, but he probably only slept for about 30 minutes. Do you know what that makes for? A very grumpy baby. From the time I got him up I was just looking forward to the time he took his nap.

Something unfortunate happened yesterday. I went to World Market looking for all things pumpkin. I was excited when I saw pumpkin ale! I like ginger ale so I was sure to love pumpkin ale. I stood there trying to decide which route to go. Do I spend $7.99 for eight bottles, or do I buy one bottle for $1.99 just to be extra sure I like it. I was having a hard time deciding and for some reason thought that looking at the ingredients would help me decide. I picked up a single bottle and as I was looking to find the ingredients, I came a across a warning. It was a warning of the dangers to some people of drinking alcoholic beverages! It was beer! I can't even tell you how disappointed I was. And I can't even describe how unfair I think it is that just because I don't drink alcoholic beverages, I don't get to enjoy a pumpkin flavored drink. It was very unfortunate. And I'm glad I didn't accidentally buy it. Although, as I told Jud, I'm sure the cashier would have asked for my I.D. and then I would have realized the mistake.

I hope you have a great weekend! Maybe you should do something to make it feel more like autumn for you. Perhaps you should find a pumpkin patch yourself to go to and enjoy.

XO
Ani

2009-10-07T19:37:00.009-04:00

Hello my dear little baby sister!

This letter is coming from an almost 90 degree Georgia! You have your little JT wearing outerwear and my kids are still in shorts. I am tickled it's Autumn, and having it be so gives me the right and privilege to make pumpkin cookies, I know. And that is what is most important, I know that too. But I want it to feel like Autumn! It did for a day or two but I desperately want more. (more! more! more!) Yet the weather predictions shows more 90's tomorrow and the next day. My hang up with planting 'blubs' right now is that it makes me think of Spring and then it's Summer (and it already feels like Summer as it is) and I don't want Summer, I want my Autumn!! How ridiculous it is that I live in Georgia with such passionate ideas of Autumn and what it should entail.

On this Autumny note- I canned some vanilla Pears yesterday. The pears came from Gary's late grandmother's pear tree, which he picked while we were in South Carolina this past weekend. They aren't the prettiest pears on the outside, but they sure are delicious on the inside. My goodness, what a lesson I could teach with those pears and judging by appearance.

I love canning. It feels gratifying and industrious to can but it sure is a lot of work for just a dozen jars of food. It's worth it though, and all day my house had an aroma that no candle, not matter how fancy or expensive, can imitate. Do you imagine, if you lived here, that we'd do things like canning, together? It sure would be even more fun to have a canning partner.

Yours,
Lorinda

2009-10-07T09:26:00.001-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

I heard about you dropping Naomi's cake, and I cannot believe it! But what I can't believe even more than that is that it landed right side up! With a candle still burning no less! That is pure luck. Thank goodness the cake wasn't ruined. That wouldn't make for a very good 11th birthday, if you ask me.

I hope you go get some "blubs"!! Then you can look forward to spring for the same reason I am. There is nothing like seeing the fruit of your labors! But I have to admit, I didn't plant many. Our Virginia soil is...well, it's not soil. It's red clay. Old houses up here aren't made out of red rock for nothing. So I planted six "blubs" before deciding that it would be wrong of me to have fun planting them all by myself, and I should wait and let Jud plant the rest. I would hate to be selfish and not let him in on the fun!

While I was out doing my fall/Halloween decor shopping on Monday, I remembered something. Last year much after the fall/Halloween season, Jud and I were at a store that had that seasons stuff marked WAY down. They didn't have much to choose from, but I got a couple of things. It made me happy remembering that since Jud set a pretty low budget for my shopping on Monday. I did get a couple of really cute things though.

I don't have anything planned for today. It's nice to have days like this every now and again. Seeing as how the past two days I didn't eat lunch until 3 and 4 because I was trying so hard to get things done, I'm looking forward to relaxing today and eating lunch at noon, like I'm supposed to!

XO
Anitra

2009-10-06T05:38:00.001-04:00

Dear Ani,

I am so happy to hear your weekend was as great as I feel mine was. We spent most of our time in South Carolina at my mother in law's house where we watched Conference. Wasn't it amazing? When we weren't glued to the television set we were eating (I think we ate five hundred thousand calories this weekend), playing outside (the weather was just right) or celebrating Naomi's 11th birthday (I can't believe she is 11). You probably have heard because I can't stop telling the story, but I dropped Naomi's cake as she was blowing out the candles. If you can believe it (and I bet you can), this is not the first time I've dropped one of my children's birthday cakes. When Wes was turning 7 or 8, I made him a cake and after it cooled and I was preparing to frost it, I dropped it. Then I made him another and after it was decorated and I was bringing it to the table to put candles in it, I dropped it again. I couldn't believe it. So dropping birthday cakes is something I do well. (at least I am good at something) The funny thing about Naomi's cake though was that it landed right side up and still had one candle left burning that she got to blow out. All the kids were trying to help her see the bright side by saying, "At least you will always remember your 11th birthday." The funniest of it all was that Zoe recorded the whole incident, and we came home and watched it and the face I made while fumbling with the cake was just too funny. Embarrassing, but funny. We kept slowing it down and watching it over and over. I still haven't shown it to Gary. I don't know if I dare.

I would love the recipe to the dessert you made, if you would share! You know that you and I both are kindred spirits with our love of all things pumpkin!

How exciting that you've discovered planting bulbs. I've done my share of that but it's been a while. I think you may have inspired me to get some bulbs. (Do you know if you and I were having the conversation aloud and Gary was present, Gary would have to say blubs. As I typed it, I could hear him in my head say it. Blubs. He's so silly) Just yesterday when we were in South Carolina, Rae and Nolan went on a walk and found themselves at their Great Grandmother's empty house and she came back with this large rusty old kitchen spoon and showed us. Gary's mom told her that their Great Grandmother used that spoon for years to plants flowers. It was hanging outside on a nail just as it did for her all those years, an easy spot for her gardening utensil. I just love those sort of finds, and to look at an object and knowing she worked in her flower garden with that exact spoon so many years ago.

Gary and I are taking Zoe to the dentist today. She is so worked up and nervous about it. I hope things go well for her. I must admit, I am nervous for her too. As a matter of fact, her appointment was originally set for an earlier date but when I saw that Gary worked that day I changed it, because I wanted him to come with us so he could hold my hand while I hold her hand.

I hope you found some spooktacular Halloween decor. Do tell.

Love,
Lorinda

2009-10-05T09:13:00.001-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

I hope you had a great weekend like I did. It was a nice relaxing weekend and it was nice to be able to enjoy General Conference. I am quite jealous that you got to South Carolina for the weekend. I wish we were close enough to be able to do that often!

Saturday night we had friends over for dinner. I made chili, since it is officially chili eating season. This chili was made with pork, which I liked. I also made a very delicious pumpkin dessert. It is most definitely officially pumpkin eating season, and I plan to eat as many pumpkin related things as possible!! Our guests absolutely loved the dessert. I believe we all had seconds, and a couple of us even had thirds.

Today I have a busy day ahead of me. Hopefully I will be able to accomplish everything that I want to. But there are two specific things that I want to make sure I accomplish.

First, when I put little JT down for his nap, I plan to go outside and plant some bulbs. I've never done it before. However, this past spring I made a comment to my neighbor about how lovely the flowers were in her yard. She said that she didn't do anything. She just planted bulbs one year and the tulips keep coming back! How great is that. That is my kind of gardening. I don't mind planting something once, especially if it brings pretty flowers every spring. So now is bulb planting time, and I will be planting some tulips and alliums. Now here I am, barely into fall, and I can't wait until spring when I will hopefully have beautiful flowers blooming in front of my house.

Second, after JT wakes up from his nap and we have lunch we will be going shopping for some fun fall/Halloween decorations. So far all I have is a couple of corn husk pumpkins, and a pumpkin picture frame with a picture of little JT from his first Halloween wearing a pumpkin hat. I love decorations way too much to only have those things out. I need more. Jud doesn't understand my desire for holiday decor, but hopefully one day he will come around.

So to that end, I must be going so I can hopefully accomplish more than those two things today. Why is there always so much to do?

Tell me about Naomi's birthday. I hope you were able to get it all together, seeing as how when I was there, you didn't realize how quickly her birthday was coming up.

XO
Ani

2009-10-02T10:10:00.005-04:00

Dear Ani,

I did something very rare today. I took my children to school and went back to bed. I am not sick but have been feeling a little under the weather (there IS a difference, in my book) and I have much to do today so I decided a little sleeping in might do the trick. I hope I am right, I haven't begun to tackle the day yet, but I'll find out soon enough. But I did make sure to send my two youngest off with hair and clothes done just so, because they have school pictures today. Sadly, Zoe woke up with puffy eyes, I gave her a decongestant and hoping that'll do the trip before her pictures. If that was even the problem.

We are going to South Carolina this weekend for our traditional (traditional only when Gary is not working) 'Going Home for General Conference' event. So today I am preparing my home for a weekend away so that when we return Sunday evening it will be to a clean and tidy home. The laundry after a trip away is always enough and expected, so everything else should be in order before we go. On top of a trip home to prepare for, Naomi's 11th birthday is on Sunday, so I am needing to tie up loose ends for that. I am almost finished shopping for her birthday, but I haven't yet wrapped her presents and I think we are going to buy an ice cream cake there in town. (can't hardly travel with an ice cream cake) In our home, girls can get their ears pierced at 11, I plan to surprise her and let her get it done right after school today. I remember when she watched Rae get her ears pierced that she swore she would never get hers done, and I was really hoping she would stick with that but about a year ago she was on the ear piercing train. I have a small pit in my stomach about her getting it done today because it hurts. I don't know why everyone denies that. And of course, because growing up dad didn't allow us to get our ears pierced, I do feel a ever-so-slight bit guilty, as though I am letting her do something wrong. I know it's not, but it's a teeny little feeling left over from my youth, I reckon.

Yesterday I finished our Halloween decorations. I am loving it! I only put Halloween decorations in my dining room. I think the red walls in the dining room make it the perfect place. The rest of the house is filled with Fall decor, lots of pumpkins and all.

Where did September go? That's what I want to know! I know that once my kids are in school, my feeling is, 'then bring me Fall', but I can't believe it came so fast. October is going to be such a busy month too. I hope I'll be able to enjoy the month, I hope I'll have time to.

I am glad you remembered the name of the song- Ladies Night, it actually wasn't coming to me. All I know is, I was driving along and seeing to it on the radio and when the words Sophisticated Momma came on, I thought- that's me! I don't think I'll ever be accused of being sophisticated but it's half right and it tickled me.

I am looking forward to General Conference. Am I ever! It seems that right when I am on the brink of dying of thirst, General Conference comes along and fills my cup. Even to overflowing. I can hardly wait. I love this church!

Hope to hear from you soon.

Love,
Lorinda

2009-10-01T08:40:00.001-04:00

Dear Lorinda,

After being in the warm weather of South Carolina, it was a little shocking when I came home to Virginia and found that I needed a light jacket. I do love fall as much as the next person, but I just don't think I'm ready for the weather to be that cool already. Not to mention that I heard our winter will be very cold, which makes me sad.

I must tell you a funny story. However, I'm not sure that you will think it's funny. It's a possibility that I found it funny out of necessity because I would have cried otherwise because I was just so tired. Let me explain.

Little JT and I got home Tuesday around 5. He still takes two naps a day, but with traveling he only got one nap. As I was getting him ready for bed and doing our nightly routine, he fell asleep. I thought it was great and that he would sleep soundly all night long and hopefully even sleep in. About an hour after he went down, he cried for about a minute. Not long after, he cried for about a minute more. He's been sleeping through the night for some time, so I knew something must be wrong. As I was about to go to sleep myself JT started crying, and this time he went on for much longer than a minute. I was so very tired and I started to feel like I was in for a long night. I went in and gave him some medicine and put him back down. He was none too happy with me. And he cried for about twenty minutes when I finally decided to go back in there. By this time it was midnight and I wanted nothing more than to be cozy in my bed finally next to my husband after being gone for nearly a week.

I held him, I rocked him, and I loved on him. He'd be fine for a minute, and then he'd get all wiggly and fussy. All I could think about was how badly I wanted to be asleep. Then I realized it must be gas. Poor fella has this problem a bit. Now here's the thing: the only way I can successfully help him extricate the gas for his wittle body is by turning him upside and folding him in half. I know this sounds quite peculiar. I actually figured this out on accident while playing with him one day. But it's worked successfully on many occasions. However, I've never had to do it in the middle of the night while sitting in his dark room wishing that we were all sleeping peacefully. I debated whether or not I should do it since I was worried it may rile him up a little bit. But after trying a few other things that didn't work while he continued to get more impatient I decided a momma's gotta do what a momma's gotta do.

Sitting there, in the silence of his comfy bedroom, I layed him in my lap, then carefully turned him upside down, held him at his hips and let his chubby little legs fold into his body. And there, in the quiet of his comfy little bedroom rumbling toots escaped from his little bum. I flipped him right side up and he seemed a little happier. Just for good measure, I turned him upside down again, and it was a good thing I did because there was one more toot that needed vacating.

I couldn't help but laugh. I turned little JT right side up once more, hugged on him, put him down in his crib and he slept like a baby the remainder of the night. Such an easy solution, if only I'd done it sooner.

Is it just me? Was that a horribly boring story and not funny at all? I do apologize if I wasted your time on such a silly story.

Yesterday I stayed in my pajamas all day and it was lovely. I really needed a day like that. Now it's back to real life after my nice little vacation.

XO
Ani

P.S. I can't believe you would even ask me what song that's from!! Ladies night!

2009-09-30T07:53:00.002-04:00

Dear Ani,

Why do visits seem so short? Why does time have to fly when you are having fun? Hardly seems right or fair.

I am so jealous that you got to visit Baby Burley IV. I hope to meet him soon. I was tickled when Burley III decided to have a IV and I admit I would have been upset if he didn't. What a wonderful thing! I hope to live to see a V and a VI and I reckon I am pushing my luck there, so there is not a chance of me seeing a VII, eh?

It's funny you mention that every time you all took pictures of Baby Burley IV that he jumped in his sleep due to the flash, because I came home and was looking at pictures I took of your (not so little) JT and in all the pictures, his eyebrows are crinkled with concern, or so it seems. I noticed that when you put a camera before him he gave big poses and grins, but I got crinkled eyebrows. Although I can't complain, I think he's just as cute either way. I am amazed at how much he's grown in just 2 months or so. He's going to be so much bigger the next time I see him.

It was great seeing you at the family dinner and again Monday morning. I wish you lived that close and we could do that more often. If you did, I could make you crepes (the sweet ones) more often. Can you imagine how that would be? For instance, today I am making peach butter, there is no way I wouldn't share such things if it were so easy to share.

How is the weather? This is the third cool morning in a row and you know how I love fall and cool weather!! Be still my heart! My windows are open and I feel a slight cool breeze as I write. I am purposely barefoot, others may bundle up but not I. I embrace a good chill. I wish I could bottle up the cool morning and let it help me through the hot muggy days that can be so paralyzing. I would take an injection of Fall. The things it could (and can) cure!

I am sure Jud loves having you home. He's the only reason we let you go back home.

Love,
Sophisticated Momma
(aka Lorinda)

P.S. Name that song.