How-To Guide ~ 40 Easy Steps to Making the Perfect Rooibos Iced Tea
July 28th, 2010

I am going through Rooibos Withdrawal.  After drinking it at least 5 times a day while in South Africa, I’m finding that it’s just way too hot over here on this side of the Ocean to drink it that many times.

So I decided to make Rooibos Iced Tea.  And since it turned out so great, I thought I’d share it with you.  Note: These steps will work with any kind of tea, not just Rooibos.

  1. Set up iced tea maker
  2. Grab thick glass jar of sugar
  3. Drop thick glass jar of sugar
  4. Stare in wonder at the fact that the thick glass broke
  5. Realize you have ceramic tile floors and a thick plastic container would have done the same thing
  6. Pick up large glass pieces and throw away
  7. Repeat “Sit” and “Stay” 4 times to Charlie
  8. Wonder why he’s choosing today to not obey those specific commands
  9. Remember he IS just a puppy
  10. Make note to self:  research age a puppy listens to Girl Commands
  11. Sweep up sugar and dump into trash can
  12. Sweep up rest of sugar that didn’t want to get into the dust pan the first time and dump into trash can
  13. Sweep up rest of sugar that didn’t want to get into the dust pan the first and second time and dump into trash can
  14. Sweep up rest of sugar that didn’t want to get into the dust pan the first, second and third time and dump into trash can
  15. Make note to self:  Invent a dustpan and broom that actually sweeps up all dirt in one swift sweeping motion, leaving nothing behind
  16. Worry that there are tiny shards of glass on the floor that Charlie will try to lick up with any remaining sugar on the floor
  17. Mop the floor
  18. Find another pound of sugar in the pantry.
  19. Measure and pour appropriate amount of sugar into the Iced Tea Pitcher
  20. Realize you need to put water in the Iced Tea Pitcher in order to measure it.
  21. Pour sugar from Iced Tea Pitcher and into a glass
  22. Measure water in the Iced Tea Pitcher and pour into Iced Tea Maker
  23. Put sugar back into the Iced Tea Pitcher
  24. Put top on Iced Tea Pitcher and press the “on” button.
  25. Turn down the Air Conditioners to 28*F and hope that the kitchen will cool off.
  26. Look over at the Iced Tea Maker and wonder why the tea is clear.
  27. Realize you never put any tea bags in it.
  28. Try to turn Iced Tea Maker off.
  29. Press button repeatedly, thinking the more you press it, the more likely it will turn off.
  30. Unplug Iced Tea Maker.
  31. Dump sugar water.
  32. Refill Iced Tea Maker, pour more sugar in the bottom of the pitcher, and place 9 tea bags in the top part of the Iced Tea Maker.
  33. Press “Start”.
  34. Press over and over again, wondering why it won’t start.
  35. Plug in Iced Tea Maker.
  36. Press “Start.”
  37. Wait 7 glorious minutes, and look adoringly at the beautiful brown sugary-tea that will soon be Iced Tea…
  38. Open the Freezer.
  39. Realize you have no ice cubes
  40. Fill the ice cube trays.

7 hours later, and you will finally enjoy a wonderful cup of Rooibos Iced Tea.

*aaahhh … Refreshment at Its Finest*

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Posted in How-To Guides & Tips, South Africa, Yummy Goodness |
the Great Monday
July 26th, 2010

You know it’s going to be a great week when a series of great events take place on a Monday:

  1. Your Love wakes you up with Brunch in Bed
  2. You put gas in the car, and the pump clicks off at exactly $39.00.  There’s no need to pump a bit more to make an even $0.25.
  3. You see a dear friend in Goodwill.
  4. You find gifts for your niece for $1.00 total at the Bargain Bin.
  5. You run into another dear friend in CostCo.
  6. You are anticipating the arrival of your Student ID…further proof that you are NOT a grandmother.
  7. You are still reveling in the great Sunday that was spent with some dear new friends, and are so thankful they are in your life.

So … has anything happened in YOUR life today that makes it a Great Monday?  I’d LOVE to hear about it!

.

.

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Posted in Randomness |
…and the Winners are…
July 24th, 2010

: :  C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S  : :

: : : : : : : : : : : : : :

LISA guessed correctly that I’m going back to school

ELIZABETH guessed correctly that I’m going back to school for Photography

These 2 Lovely Ladies have won either a 5×7 or 8×10 of their
choice from any photo here on my Zenfolio Photo site!

: : : : : : : : : : : : : :

I am now officially a student at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division and will start classes {PT at first} in August.  I’m working towards a B.A. in Photography, and am SO EXCITED!  I’ve always loved taking pictures, and it’s been a forgotten dream of mine to become a Photojournalist for National Geographic Traveler magazine.  Seriously.  How cool would that be?!

So, Congratulations girls ~ I hope you enjoy your photos!

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Posted in Fun & Games |
an Announcement ~ part ii
July 23rd, 2010

In writing yesterday’s post, I was expecting at least 3 days of clues, 3 days of you all not correctly guessing, and 3 days of fun.

I underestimated my audience.

So, CONGRATULATIONS to my sister-in-law, Lisa, YEAH!  She guessed correctly, last night ~~ I’m going back to school!  I have a prize just for you, Lis.  I cannot reveal the prize for it will give away too much information.  {And in writing that, I may have given away too much information…!}

But Wait!
The Game Isn’t Over!

Because I thought it would take a few days and I had a bunch of clues and I still feel like playing a game, I’m going to give away another prize! A prize will be awarded to the person who guesses WHAT I’m going to school for!

Happy Guessing!!

.

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Posted in Fun & Games, Giveaways |
an Announcement
July 22nd, 2010

I woke up this morning and wanted to have a little fun.  So we’re going to play a Guessing Game.

I have an Announcement to make ~ something that’s happening in my life, and I want YOU** to guess what it is!  Over the next few days I’ll give some clues, and if someone guesses it prior to me making the Big Announcement, they win a Prize.

Are you ready?

1st Clue:
The Announcement is probably not what you think it is.

{** Friends, relatives, acquaintances and any other such person who has knowledge of the Announcement are not eligible to participate in this Guessing Game, heretofore to be named as “the Game”, to win any prize, nor are they eligible to provide clues and guesses in the comments section of any post. I, heretofore to be named, “the Author”, reserves the right to delete any such comments. ;) }

.

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Posted in Giveaways |
Seriously? SERIOUSLY?
July 20th, 2010

All right Folks.  This post was not planned.  This post was not thought out before hand.  I am simply telling you the Situation just as IT happened.

Exactly as IT happened.

I do highly recommend that you read this:  “You’ve GOT to be Kidding!”   prior to reading this post.  It will give you some background.

~~~~~

My dear, sweet, cute practically nephew Baby Sprite {Gabe} and I were at Market this morning.  His mom, practically-my-sister, Judi joined us!

She was wheeling around Sprite in his stroller, we were buying fruits and veggies…

We went to buy lunchmeat and cheese.  Judi was talking to the Lady Behind the Counter, and she asked Judi if the baby would like a slice of cheese. “Sure” she said.

So, me being the great Auntie Michelle that I am,  knelt down in front of the stroller, broke off tiny pieces of cheese and gave them to Sprite.  It was a very sweet moment. There was actually classical music playing in the background…

OK, so Judi was done paying, and her and the Lady Behind the Counter were talking about Sprite.  His age, his likes, his dislikes, his personal preference of Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo, when I stood up.

Because their conversation seemed to be dwindling off and I thought we’d be leaving.

Judi took her bag of lunchmeat and cheese from the Lady Behind the Counter, and I started to push Sprite.

That’s when THE EVENT happened.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I thought I was OVER this.

Apparently not.

I need to get counseling.

That, or shop at Justice for Girls.

Anyway…the Lady Behind the Counter looked at me and asked …

Again, I’m being SO serious. I cannot make this stuff up…

… “Are you the Grandmother?”

Oh Yes. She did.

Again, I have NO words.  No words.

None at all.

The End.

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Posted in Family, Randomness |
I Know…but I Don’t
July 19th, 2010

There is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment when all the laundry is clean, folded and put away. When all the bills are paid. The budget is balanced. The dishes are clean and put away. The house has been swept and cleaned and tidied.  And there are meals cooked and waiting in the freezer.

I can sit back, look around, and breath a sigh of relaxation.

And I think, “This time it stays this way!”

It’s quite easy, you see, to keep up with everything.  There’s a poem I remember seeing in a friend’s bathroom. Something like, “If you take it out, put it away. If you sleep on it, make it. If you dirty it, clean it.”

Simple.

But inevitably life takes over, and by the next day, the receipts pile up on the desk.  The library book stays beside the front door.  The DVD case stays on the TV.  The folded laundry stays in the basket at the end of the bed.

Until I tackle it all at once. And think, “Why don’t I just do it as I go along?”

I keep letting the everyday get in the way. I know what I need to do, I just don’t do it.

Kind of like spending time with the Lord.  Life is so much better when I spend time with Him every day. Then I miss a few days, or maybe a week.  And my spirit feels it.  I know what I have to do, and I just don’t do it.

Will it get easier as I get older?  I hope so.

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Posted in Jesus Thoughts, Randomness |
the Lake
July 15th, 2010

Do you remember this song from your childhood?

Row, Row, Row your Boat
Gently Down the Stream.
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily,
Life is But a Dream!

I know now that the people who made up this song have never rowed a boat before.

Ever.

I know this because my husband and I went to a lake to row boats. Well, and also to fish and read and just hang out. We weren’t necessarily participating in a rowing contest.

The day looked clear and warm and not too hot {that’s me adjusting my ‘flingin’ flangin’ hot scale back a bit, since it was 90*F and anything over 60*F is flingin’ flangin’ hot}, and it was nearing the last day of our StayCation.

We took 2 pontoon boats to a nearby lake/forge/river.

We put our pontoon boats in the lake/forge/river, and started to “Row”.

I’m not much of an Aquatic person, but I am smart enough to figure out that both Oars need to into the water at the same time, and be pushed/pulled in the same direction in order to move.

And that is EXACTLY what I did.

And you know I saw?

I saw the same clump of trees pass by me over…and over…and over…and over… in nice little circles. I had to try to stop myself so I wouldn’t create a whirlpool plunging me into the depths of the 7 foot lake/forge/river.

After 7 minutes of this, I realize that Jonathan is over on the other side of the lake/forge/river and has already caught 17 fish. OK. So he hadn’t caught any…yet.

I try again.

My oars are out straight, perpendicular to the water. They are both the exact same distance from my body. My hands are on the exact same spot on each side. And they are equal distances from the center of the boat.

This is NOT rocket science, I tell myself.

And I proceed to put the oars into the water, push my arms forward at the exact same distance away from my body…

But alas, I’m still going in a circle.

This may shock you, but I knew that if I put one oar in, that I would go in a circle and hopefully go in the opposite direction.  I figured that if I could sit still, then I could start moving forward.

And guess what!!!

It didn’t work.

I’m now going in a circle…in the opposite direction.

And I’m hot, not just from the heat, but from the exercise.

If I knew it was going to be this much work, I may not have chosen to go!

Skip to 37 minutes later…I have finally managed to meet up with my Love on the other side of the lake/forge/pond.

Commence Relaxation, and subsequent Burning.

the View

some boats

By the end of our day together, I was a Pro at Oaring {Rowing is for amateurs}. I was going Fast. And in a Semi-Straight Line!  It only took me 15 minutes to get back to the dock.

Would I do this again? Yes!  And I think next time I’ll be even faster due to all of the muscle I gained in my arms!!

.

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Posted in Family, Fun & Games, Randomness |
DSLR ~ I Need YOUR Help
July 14th, 2010

I’m starting to look into purchasing a DSLR, and was wondering …

~~~~~~~~

do YOU own One?

if so, What Kind?

and What do you Love about it?

~~~~~~~~

I can’t wait to read your thoughts!

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Posted in Randomness |
the Palace
July 13th, 2010

We have become one of those couples who’s Puppy is a Special Member of their Family.

And not just a pet.

I promised myself this would NOT happen.

Charlie is just a puppy.

But alas, our little world changed with a purchase made by my Love last week.

{Note:  We will not dress him up. NEVER will we do that.}

{NEVER.}

{OK, so we put a red bandanna around his neck for Memorial Day. He was super cute.}

{But that’s ALL.}

Jonathan has taught him how to fetch his Nike’s and Slippers, and even how to turn off the light in the Garage.  I do agree, that this is a HUGE difference than what he did when we first got him {here’s a little reminder!}.  I personally can get him to “Sit”, “Stay”, “Lay Down”, and “Roll Over”.  I still cannot for the life of me get him to “Come” to me when I say “Come”. He only comes to me when I say “Treat”.

Anyway, Jonathan has been talking about getting Charlie a Little Doggie Bed.  You know, the kind that is about 1 foot x 1 foot, and has 3 sides to it.  Just roomy enough for him to curl up on something soft.

{Apparently, as Jonathan says, dogs can get really bad joints if they lay down on hard surfaces too much.}

{And we don’t have any kind of carpeting in the house.}

So last week, I said it was OK for Jonathan to get Charlie a Little Doggie Bed.

I was out and about, and when I came home that’s when I saw it.

The Palace.

In our Living Room.

The size of an Area Rug.

It was Plush.

Soft.

Thankfully, Neutral colored.

AND…

…  MEMORY FOAM!

No, I am not kidding.

Our Puppy has a better bed than most Humans do!

That’s the moment I realized Charlie was now officially a Member of our Family.

Jonathan only wants the best for Charlie, and it just makes me laugh!  I do realize that when we have kids, our children will be treated even better than “King Charles”, and that makes me smile!

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Posted in Charlie |
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