Two years ago I took a leap of faith. Despite initially cringing at the cost of a membership to the Indianapolis Zoo – I splurged and bought it to cover our family. I knew that one of the leading factors behind us never going was the cost to get in. I thought, if it’s “free” after that onset – maybe we’ll use it.
And use it we have. I re-purchased it last year and go on a moderately regular basis, weather and time permitting. Sometimes just me, but most often with the kids.
One thing about going to a smaller zoo – you learn some of the quirks. Like the brown bear always hides, the wild dogs are always asleep, and the gibbons are always chirping like mad.
This past weekend we went with the girls on a gorgeous sunny day and the zoo had turned on its head. The Gibbons were silent, letting us hear the chirping of the otters they share a cage with. The wild dogs were awake and moving all over their enclosure. Best of all, the brown bear was up close and personal – with a big friendly grin on his face.
I’m so glad that this time I took my camera – because I get to throw some of my favorites at you. Of course I have SO many, I’m struggling to pick just a few so I will beg you to please head on over to my FLICKR account to see the rest. It’s worth it, I promise…everyone was posing for my camera.
My mom taught me to cook and bake as I grew up. I would help her tear bread for the stuffing at holidays. Cut apples for applesauce or pie. I’d stir the batter for the most delicious brownies.
All along the way I’d glean tips and tricks to what makes my Mom’s meals delicious. Little nuggets of information that have stuck with me into my marriage.
One of my favorite secrets happens to tie in with my favorite fall treat.
Apple Crisp.
My Mom’s secret lay in the citrus that you add. Instead of a tart lemon, she used orange. Now, before you go crying that the citrus isn’t necessary because you expect the apples to brown in this delicious dessert…of course you do. But, if you add a touch of orange as your citrus – it’s a sweet little kick that punches up the flavor. The way you put in that citrus is up to you. I favor orange juice concentrate (a couple of tablespoons), you could use orange juice – heck, my mom has been known to use Tang. Yes, TANG.
Try it – along with my other secret (vary the apples, I use up to 4-5 different kinds). I bet you won’t regret it.
Recipe: Apple Crisp
Summary: Recipe is for one pie sized dessert. Increase as needed for larger desserts (as I did in my example pictures)
Ingredients
Filling:
6 apples – at least 1 granny smith
2Tbs White Sugar
2Tbs Brown Sugar
2Tbs Flour
1Tbs Orange Juice concentrate
Topping:
1/2 Stick Butter
1/8 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Flour
Instructions
Peel & Core apples
Slice – granny’s hold up better so slice them thinner, the other varieties slice thicker
Mix with rest of filling ingredients and put into pie plate
Using pastry cutter or fork, cut together topping ingredients
Sprinkle topping over pie
Bake 50-60 minutes at 350*
Turn on broiler for 3-5 minutes until topping is crisp to your liking.
The past two weeks have been overwhelming for us. With Denver in the hospital, and then home but on IV meds, life turned on its head.
Even when we were home between the meds, and trying to return to normal life, everything about our life has been in upheaval. I’ve had to look for a job again, there have been activities for school and life in general is in a state of flux. There’s been little time to sit and regroup and just relax.
In the past two weeks there has been just one thing holding me together. My friends, my connections, and the simple gestures they’ve made to show they care.
Just yesterday, at the end of the chaotic two weeks, I opened my mailbox to find junk mail – and one envelope addressed to me. Inside was a simple card with a lovely handwritten note. It had come from the Hallmark Team. See, about a week before Denver went into the hospital I was a part of the group of bloggers that went to their Indianapolis Stop on the Hallmark Tour.
It reminded me of the importance of a simple card. I’m the first to admit that I’ve become a digital being – I prefer email and text to phone and mail.
But the touching gesture of a hand-written note inside a card meant so much. Imagine how much it could mean to a member of your family, or a good friend, to receive the added touch of a card with a handwritten note meant just to them. This card from Hallmark moved me to tears – you could leave your friend a blubbering mess for the same gesture.
During the Hallmark Tour event we were reminded of the importance of just telling someone what you want them to know. Tell them you love them. Tell them ‘thank you’. Tell them to be strong, that this will pass, that you admire them, or just that you think about them every day. We all shared our stories, what we want to tell, and at points it became a room full of tears. Most especially during the video that kicked off the event:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/SvmB7s5k6KA[/youtube]
So please, tell someone today what you think they should know.
*~*~*
[flickr id=”8191555068″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”] On behalf of Hallmark I’m excited to offer this giveaway of their recordable book “Mom & Me”.
Inside the book is a wonderful little story of a Momma Kangaroo and her child, a series of questions that your child can answer, and you can record! You can capture your child’s adorable little voice as it is today, and hear their unique and creative answers to simple questions!
[flickr id=”8191552892″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”right”]I can’t wait until my girls open this gift on Christmas morning and I can start recording their answers. Questions like “What do you think Mom does when you’re not around?” and “What do you like to do to make Mom laugh?” should bring fun and inventive answers from my two little story-tellers.
Entering is easy, just leave a comment telling me what simple gesture you want to do this Christmas to tell someone you love them.
I freely admit to being a computer/internet addict.
My husband is addicted to movies (in his defense, he is equally addicted to books).
Denver is now addicted to his iPod & Netflix (i.e. Star Trek).
In the past several months we’ve started to make the conscious decision to unplug at least twice a month and reconnect by using actual words – a long forgotten art in this house it feels like sometimes.
So we unburied some board games, bought some new ones – and some new puzzles. We’re slowly building our choices of games, including ones that the youngers can play (like [amazon_link id=”B004LZ2QZW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Sorry[/amazon_link] and [amazon_link id=”B00000IWHG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Perfection[/amazon_link]). We have probably 5 different versions of [amazon_link id=”B0017S1Y4A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Trivial Pursuit[/amazon_link] – including two very old ones like the [amazon_link id=”B0009RGXPK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Classic Genus[/amazon_link] and the (vintage?) Junior edition.
We’re building a list of games we want to add, trying to find classic games we remember playing “way back when” – you know, in ancient times when 3 channels on TV forced to to be creative and play these board games.
I am plotting and trying to get Erik to agree to learn how to play Rummy. The poor guy doesn’t know how to play – and I’ve always loved a good game of Rummy.
For now our go-to game that comes out just about every time we decide to play? [amazon_link id=”B00000IWDB” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]SCRABBLE[/amazon_link]. Between the three of us over the age of 10 – it’s always a toss-up who’s going to win.
The best thing about bringing these out is it gives us a chance to sit around and actually talk. Even though it’s often about the game or nothing – it’s reestablishing some levels of communication. Letting us relax and just have fun together so that not all of our conversations revolve around a child getting in trouble for something or a movie we just saw.
What family couldn’t stand to just have fun together without technology?
I now regularly stare at my wishlist for games, and scope out the board game section at Goodwill. For Christmas I hope to add a few more options for family togetherness to my list.
With Christmas coming up, don’t you want to add some fun under your tree? What’s your favorite board game?
You meet at the playground and an instant friendship forms. You sit next to someone at your desk in class and in no time you’re best buds asking to sleep-over.
When you’re an adult it’s harder.
You have a lifetime of experiences, traumas, joys, and broken hearts to muddle through. Walking up to a random stranger in a grocery store and creating a friendship seems – well weird to our grown up brains.
A few weeks ago my friend Heather was talking about a book she’d read – [amazon_link id=”0345524942″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]MWF seeking BFF[/amazon_link] – about a woman that set out to find a new BFF by going on one ‘friend date’ a week for a year. Something I would never have the courage to do.
After I stopped working to take care of my girls – my ‘friend’ world sort of disappeared. I’m terminally shy when I’m not in a theater situation. Even meeting my own neighbors gave me a case of the nerves. Erik is similar for different reasons and in different ways. For a long time I felt a isolated. I loved being home, but I missed having friends to chat with. While I’d gone to high school in Indiana – I didn’t know anyone in the town we live in now. I also didn’t like going out with two very young children, one of whom gets over-stimulated in crowd situations.
Through the past six years of blogging, and most especially the past three years of becoming more involved in the local blogging community, not to mention it being easier to get out with older children than with two babies – life has managed to help me find those elusive adult friends. Somehow life has even managed to do the same for my husband.
We’ve met intentionally, accidentally, incidentally, and yet somehow all of the friendships were destined-to-be. From neighbors that I finally got out to meet, to bloggers that totally used to intimidate me & now make me laugh harder than I’ve laughed in years, to people life threw into my (or Erik’s) path at just the right time.
When one kid is in the hospital you disappear into a bubble.
The world outside of that room fades away and you are nothing but medicines and doctors and nurses and monitors.
The last time we were in the hospital we didn’t know Denver had CF. We were there for just three days and everyone was always visiting Kennedy.
This time it was Denver in the hospital and Kennedy couldn’t visit (they don’t even like CF kids living together but…well, siblings and all that). We couldn’t all be up there, and we had to switch things around and find someone to watch the girls and – chaos reined until my in-laws were good enough to take them over the weekend.
We were able to focus on the one child. The sick one. The tests and orders and plans for what would happen with him.
In the bubble things are protected – but you don’t feel whole.
Coming home is chaos. Suddenly girls are screaming and running and Denver is teasing them and it’s loud and crazy and gives me such a headache.
The bubble bursts into wild days of life bursting at the seams and homework and chores and stories of all kinds.
The bubble is safe, protected, sheltered.
Life on the outside might be dangerous, but suddenly you have peace you didn’t before.
