Authentic happiness offers a nice "cafeteria plan" for the depressed, weary and boggled. A lot of what I do it try to get people to alter their thinking... (what a trip it's been during this political season!!! )
I LOVE THE COLUMBIA RIVER VALLEY. Hmmmmmm and to be there with a sweetie! Now there's an anniversary idea I might steal.
Wahoooo Red Sox.
But I don't know what i'm gonna do Saturday. DH is from St. Louis. DD is in Boston....
Hmmm. Maybe the Sox. (you can't knit a cardinal, now can you?!)
Last edited by PainterWoman; 02-27-2008 at 03:48 PM.
Location: the Loralai district in Pakistan's Baluchistan Province
Posts: 273
Hi everyone...though disgusted by our current political situation, I am not depressed about it because I watch Degrassi. I feel I am intense enough to be a good Canadian.
Here are the other reasons I am not depressed,
1. I do not eat sugar.
2. I have kicked all of the vexing people out of my life. I do not speak to any of my siblings and to most of dh's(list is getting thinner by the day). In short, I have stopped taking crap. The only reason I can do this is because our mothers are gone, so I take no credit.
BUT...what a difference! SIL lashed out at me some time ago, because I did not appease her by letting her cry on my shoulder and I would not validate her view of herself as a victimized, wronged person. She recently called to apologize and after I graciously accepted her apology and assured her I forgive her, I told her she will not be granted re-admittance to my life. It felt wonderful. This Christmas, instead of being depressed about having to be alone or with nasty relatives, we are going skiing. I'm finished with all of this and it has changed my life.
It is good in the weight dept, too. They aren't around to make me mad so I don't have to eat at them.
We went to Dd's dream college yesterday, it is tres selective...she will be hurt because she is not a jock....but they were very positive toward her other activities. Due to her arthritis, I think they are jerks to even bring up the athletics, but it seemed no time to tell them that they were idiots. We'll deal with that if it comes up.
The boys conferences were today, they are doing fine. Now I'm hanging around considering a nap.
Have fun! L
Lushie, you're my role model. I'd like to grow up enough to tell ppl to take a flying leap. My Dad still isn't talking to me, or I to him, so that makes us kind of the family outcasts. Except when they need something. My brother stopped by our work this week to ask a very big favor (won't go into it, but it's one of those things you do, even though you don't feel comfortable doing it.) and my younger sis called because her dh's windshield in his truck is broken and they want to buy one at cost from us. (we don't do auto glass, but can still buy it wholesale). It wouldn't bother me so much except for the fact that they never call or visit unless they want something.Isn't there an Americans w/ disabilities act that would level the playing field for DD at this college?
DH took sent me roses and took me out to dinner yesterday for our anniversary - plus I get the weekend trip. And he gave me a card that seriously had me misting up. Yup, I guess I will keep him afterall.
Lucious.. WAY TO GO GIRL.
A good mother can never be thanked enough.... but a bad mother... well, unless one's had one onesself, the damage, pain and hurt can never be fully expressed. (I sort of think of a bad mother as like Hurricane Ivan with PMS.)
Enjoy your nap and I hope DD finds the right dream college for her.
Wabbs... lucky you.... and be sure to give DH a hug from me for being such a fine example of kind and loving manhood! I
How about a bumper sticker: Cull the Vexers
It is odd enough that maybe a few people would have to think!
I've got to hand it to you, Painty, that's an odd bumper sticker.
So the Cardinals won last night? I wasn't paying attention. I'm glad it's not Houston -- Texas vs Massachusetts sounds too much like the election. Red Sox fans are practically faint with anticipation. They have a dandy pair of socks pattern in the grass on their infield -- does St. Louis have a cardinal on their infield? If not, I think there's no contest. The Yankees' field was pretty but not very creative -- stripes and checkerboards, you know.
I can't believe I watch baseball..
Lush, what is DD's dream college? I hope she can go there. My DD's problem is she doesn't have much of an idea where she wants to go or what she ultimately wants to do. I sort of wish she had a couple of more years before she had to decide; she is still discovering things that interest her and having to "choose" seems so limiting.
I need to give up ... old tiresome relatives like Lohie.
Who you calling old and tiresome?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowpernia
My dream is that one of the candidates will win because of Florida and in Florida, he will win by ONE vote... and it will be MINEEEE.
I hope your dream comes true.
I just bought Punk Rock fingerless gloves for my kid. Is that weird or what? She needs fingerless gloves for pep band. I should have sprung for $32 soft angora ones that were on sale at the Common Ground fair, but I thought they were too 'spensive. These were only $16 and they say Punk on one and Rock on the other. She'll be thrilled.
Does anybody else think the Cardinals' logo looks like birds on a seesaw?
Originally Posted by Cowpernia
My dream is that one of the candidates will win because of Florida and in Florida, he will win by ONE vote... and it will be MINEEEE.
I hope the dream comes true, too.... And my dream (besides "culling the vexers"!) is that the citizenry can patch things up and listen and learn from each other..
Location: the Loralai district in Pakistan's Baluchistan Province
Posts: 273
Hello, I'm feeling confident regarding the election because Peaches is on the job in Fla. Unless they cheat again, we should win.
Kiwi, I can't believe you watch baseball, either. It is so boring. I'm glad my kids don't play.
About college, I agree that 17 is too young to make these decisions.
Dd is a very focused person, most of her friends are sticking around here because they just aren't sure. It helps that there are probably 30 top colleges within commuting distance from here.
Painty, re: mothers..... one has to come to terms with the past. I had to step back and look at my childhood experiences in terms of the whole world. For example, girls in Thailand are sold into prostitution; girls in Africa are subject to circumcision. When looked at from that point of view, my experience is mild.
I have to go pack lunches for the month. I don't feel like it. Oh well, bye
I'm gonna be optimistic too. It just feels better, and I have no proof-positive evidence that things will turn out badly.
I'm especially happy about Red Sox.... And if Cardinals win, DH will be happy. It's all good.
Wabby... good for you that you can be grateful for what you have had, and recognize that others have had it worse. It is so difficult for some people to realize that just becuse others did have it worse, that doesn't mean they themselves "shouldn't" feel any pain. What a challenge to maintain perspective AND personal awareness.
Speaking of which: RANT RANT RANT
DH stopped eating snacks... or something... now he weighs way less than me and has LOST more than me, too. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. And the Halloween candy is calling me all the way from down the block and around the corner.
Kiwi, I can't believe you watch baseball, either. It is so boring. I'm glad my kids don't play.
I know, wouldn't that be just deadly boring!! Hey! I thought they did -- I have a couple of old little league cards to prove it -- guess they outgrew that, eh?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lohani
When looked at from that point of view, my experience is mild.
I have to go pack lunches for the month. I don't feel like it. Oh well, bye
You're so mature and wise. Well, except for that whining about the lunches... Seriously, you pack a whole of month's worth of lunches at a time? I do it every day. Can't bring myself to send a frozen peanut butter sandwich with the fragile little darling...
I was up half the night with dinner-induced insomnia. We were invited out to this food-tasting night at the local gourmette restaurant, who was introducing their new chef. Very yummy stuff -- a whole night of hors d'oevres and then desserts. What a great way to eat! Unfortunately, all the desserts must have been loaded with caffeine or something, because I woke up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep until 7! DH let me sleep in, even though we were supposed to get up and do some work in the yard before we head out to the in-law's for noon dinner. Well, he didn't really want to do it either I guess.
While I was up wide-eyed, I watched U. of Calif TV, with the end of a lecture by Seymour Hersch, and then a panel discussion about stem cell research. Boy, do I have ammunition for the family discussion today! (Just kidding, I make it a rule never to get into a political discussion with my in-laws--they are so far right, they are out of sight around the bend, so to speak)
Quote:
Originally Posted by PainterWoman
DH stopped eating snacks... or something... now he weighs way less than me and has LOST more than me, too. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
That is so typical of men -- so unfair! You struggle for years with your weight, and they go and lose it in 3 minutes. Mine does that from time to time as well. You ask him how he did it: "Oh I took a walk at lunchtime last week" or something like that
Here is a recipe that's really good if you like this sort of thing. I take it to pot lucks and always get to bring some home.
Colombian Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
Cook this in your crockpot all day:
1 lb. stew beef
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 ½ tsp. oil
3 cups of sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tsp. garlic
bay leaf
cloves (just a little)
cinnamon (just a little … I usually add too much spice)
onion cut up into 8 pieces
28 oz. Italian style tomatoes
8 dried apricots cut in halves
Is that some kind of recommendation -- there's always some left over?
I just came in from doing the fall haul: hauling the canoe up from the lake and into the barn, hauling the stuff off the sailboat -- picture me standing 15 feet off the ground pitching sleeping bags over the side for DD to catch, and hauling anti-freeze up the rickety ladder onto the boat. Then I hauled myself indoors, dumped some of the crap in the washing machine and collapsed into the computer chair. DH is still out there, doing manly things with antifreeze. My shoulders hurt.
We had dinner with the inlaws earlier with the usual requirements that we bring lots of leftovers home. After stuffing myself silly, I don't usually feel like bringing home paper plates of pumpkin pie etc. They eat sort of strangely. Recently I had started thinking they were getting a little more healthy, what with the sudden discovery of Romaine hearts in a bag, but today was a definite back-slide. Very tasty, mind you, but I'd be a Mack truck if I ate that way every day: SIL made pot roast and baked breaded pork chops. And twice baked potatoes, winter squash with butter and milk, and biscuits. Oh and don't forget the canned or pickled beets (don't know which, I never touch the stuff) and matching jellied cranberry sauce. I love her dearly, but I need a green salad. I'm not even going to go into the dessertS. Of course, this was for FIL's birthday, and he's got quite the sweet tooth.
Anyway, if I make that stew, Peacheroo, do the sweet potatoes hold up or become mushy? And can I skip the dried apricots? Aren't they kind of chewy? One of the dishes in the food tasting dinner last night was calamari salad -- the calamari were on the chewy side (not batter-fried, just marinated or something) -- wouldn't the apricots be a little like that? I need more info before I try this dish, although I am intrigued.
Must go do DH a favor. He says it will be an intellectual challenge -- I must determine when the water turns pink. Oooo.
No, they don't become mushy. The apricots lose their chewiness. In fact, other than the fact that the color sometimes leaves (must be the brand) you can't find them. I mean if they stay orange, they look like sweet pots and you can't find them with or without taste. Some bleach out and look weird though. I don't care. Yum. Good over rice or couscous.
I made it without onions and served with over nothing the other day at work. Was just fine. There's always left over because SOME people won't try new things. Go easy on the spice though.
But .... it's just an appropriate to use another dried fruit instead of apricots.
la la la
Whatever works is what I use...
)
(I sort of think of a bad mother as like Hurricane Ivan with PMS.)
but today was a definite back-slide. Very tasty, mind you, but I'd be a Mack truck if I ate that way every day: SIL made pot roast and baked breaded pork chops. And twice baked potatoes, winter squash with butter and milk, and biscuits. Oh and don't forget the canned or pickled beets (don't know which, I never touch the stuff) and matching jellied cranberry sauce. I love her dearly, but I need a green salad. I'm not even going to go into the dessertS. Of course, this was for FIL's birthday, and he's got quite the sweet tooth.