Category: family

Peanut Butter cookies

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My adult son used to work in an office of about 6-7 other people.  They worked in one room, closely together and it was a casual atmosphere because it was stressful work. 

One way for me to see my son more often was to visit him at the office.  I could walk in and be greeted with smiles by everyone.

I don’t like peanut butter, except in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I made peanut butter cookies one time and (for some unknown reason) I took a bite to taste them.  Yuck!

I took them into their office.  I got my hugs, gave them the cookies, said, “They are awful” and headed out the door so they could get back to work. 

Later that day, my son called to tell me that they weren’t awful, that they loved the cookies.  I reminded him that they I didn’t like peanut butter cookies. 

… not a funny little story but one that warms my heart to think about. 
I wish you many thoughts that warms your heart.  

Another … Only in the movies

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I thought I had already shared this once yet I can’t see where or if I really did so, here it is because, well it’s just to good not to share.

My son had been out of town.  I asked his wife if I could pick him up from the airport. 

While I was waiting for him, there was a young man standing next to me, also waiting for someone.  He was obviously nervous. He told me that he met a gal online.  They’ve talked and now she’s coming to spend a weekend with him.  His nervousness was worrying that she’s changed her mind or will turn around and leave.  I was doing my best to just talk to him so he could calm his nerves.

The time has come, I see my son walking towards us.  I almost wanted to stay with this young man until she arrived. 


My son comes through the glass doors and walks right to me.  Or … actually right to this young man.  My son tells him that she is in the bathroom and she is so excited to see him and spend the weekend together. 

My son sat next to her during the flight.  My son saw the young man’s picture and instantly knew who he was when he saw me standing next to him.


I still get teared up when I think about it.

I love tear-jerker movies.  In the beginning and end of the movie, “Love Actually” there are airport scenes with people happy to see each other or hugging before someone goes through security.  Every time I’m at an airport, I’m teared up from watching all the people waiting to pick someone up and the hugs when they see each other.  

Moving … in the cold

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Several years ago my son and his family moved to Chicago.  It was winter when they were moving back.  My son’s father-in-law was planning on driving the rented moving truck with the cat.  My son and I were to be in his car with the dogs. His wife flew back with the kids.

It was cold, very cold.  We didn’t get too far out from Chicago before we stopped for the night as the weather wasn’t so good.  We’re all from snow states so we’re used to nasty winter weather.

The first morning, the rental truck wouldn’t start.  We called the company to send someone out to get it started for us.

I can’t remember what day it was or how far into our travels, however … once we were in the middle of nowhere, the transmission in the rental truck started acting up.  We saw a gas station at an exit.  We parked in the lot of an abandoned restaurant, next to the gas station.  We called the company again.  Since we were in the middle of nowhere, they said it would take awhile to get someone out to us with a replacement truck and crew to switch out the contents.  

In the meantime, it was 6° outside so we sat in the vehicles, heaters on.  Thankfully the rental truck only had transmission troubles and not engine troubles so that the heater could run.

Every once in a while, one of us would run into the gas station for a hot drink or a snack.  I’m not a coffee drinker so I’d get hot chocolate.  It’s usually not my favorite yet this day, it was perfect.  My first cup was way too hot to drink so I set it outside for a minute (it may have been a bit longer than a minute).  When I got it, it was no longer hot, in fact it was barely warm. 
From then on, when I’d get my hot chocolate, I’d only leave it on the ground outside, for a moment.  

It took over 5 hours for the tow truck to come.  Instead of waiting for the rental truck company to  swap out trucks, he told us to stick the keys of the wounded truck, under the mat and he’d come back for it.  Thirty to forty five minutes later, the rental truck company guys came to swap out the contents of the truck.  

It’s funny how sitting around for hours, with nowhere to go can feel like such a long day.  I couldn’t have more grateful for this trip. My heart was so full that I got to spend 24/7 days with my youngest son. As they grow up and work long hours and are busy with kids, I don’t get many opportunities like this. It may not have been the ideal trip, but it was ideal to my heart. My son even teased that I sabotaged the rental truck so that I could spend more time with him. Ha ha

My first cold, winter move was New Years Eve 1983.  Snowy and with our six month old baby.  It seems like we move when it’s time to move, without planning for weather.

Memories of holidays past … 1 of ?

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One year for Christmas I was giving my 12 year old son my acoustic guitar, which my father gave to me when I was 12 years old.  

A guitar is a pretty large present to wrap so I decided to create a scavenger hunt of sorts.  I had a large box (filled with newspapers for weight).  That box had a note where to find his gift.  

For weeks he would ask, “What’s in the box?” and I’d say,  “It’s just newspaper”.  I had fun with it but unfortunately on Christmas morning when he opened the box, he was not amused.  He was although thrilled to get the guitar.   

One other Christmas I created a scavenger hunt; he didn’t like that either.

Neither him nor I could play that guitar.  We could do little bits but couldn’t grasp it, even with lessons.  We can both sing though.  Years later, he gave his younger brother the guitar.  His younger brother self-taught himself to play the acoustic; bass and electric guitar but has trouble carrying a tune when he sings.  We all have our gifts and talents. 

Hosting my First Thanksgiving and then some …

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This morning I was thinking about Thanksgivings of my past. Thank goodness our challenges are funnier in hind-sight.

The first couple of years that my husband and I were married, we had Thanksgiving with either my parents or his. Then I wanted to host Thanksgiving at our house. Our first born was a little guy so this was a very long time ago. I was excited and had my butterball turkey ready to go. These bigger turkeys cook for hours anyway but as the day progressed into evening and the turkey still wasn’t done, we began to believe that the oven was broken.

At closer look, I had cleaned the knobs on the stove and replaced them upside down. The turkey had been in a 250 degree oven for almost 10 hours. Ugh my first Thanksgiving feast felt like a disaster. Many years later. My eldest son and his fiancé were hosting their first Thanksgiving dinner. She was a bit defensive, emotional and … competitive.

She asked me to make the stuffing because by this time I had perfected stuffing and my boys loved my stuffing enough to brag about it. Over at their home, I was given a double box of stuffing and was asked to make one. Stuffing is stuffing right? It’s kind of hard to destroy boxed stuffing.

… or so I thought. My stuffing came out just as presumed that it would. My son’s fiancé made the second box of the double box of stuffing. She looked at mine and looked at hers and had a melt down. Hers looked like … baby poo.

I tried to reassure her that everyone’s first time hosting a Thanksgiving dinner, something doesn’t turn out right. And of course, these are the times that we reminisce and laugh a about for the rest of our lives. I am so grateful that we have these memories and can laught about them.

How much is left in that bottle?

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It wasn’t about being thrifty or frugal, although I attempt to be. This was just what my mom did and well, I guess it was ingrained in me.

Here’s a true recount as an example …

My boys, their dad and I were at the dinner table. Someone other than me pointed out that the bottle of ketchup or salad dressing or … was empty. I bounce into action! Super Thrift Mom grabs the bottle. Just as I am approaching the sink they all call out, “NO, don’t add water”.

Yup, that’s what I did, I added a bit of water, shook up the bottle and presto … the bottle isn’t empty anymore.