OKLAHOMA CITY: WHO KNEW???!!!!
Seriously, who knew Oklahoma City was so divine? I’ve been wanting to see the Oklahoma City National Memorial for the longest time, so after Christmas Dearly Beloved and I hopped into the (adorable) New Beetle (how I love not driving a van. More to this story later!) and drove like the wind. I cannot lie: at first I was like, “We are soooooo weird!!! Who spends time in Oklahoma City?????” Even the check-in guy at the hotel told us–unsolicited, mind you–that “this place is so last-century and there is NOTHING TO DO” (or words to that effect). (Way to sell your city, dude.) But then, after enjoying the delights of the city, I changed my attitude to: “Oklahoma City: Who Knew????!!!!” This place is fabulous, people!!! Much of Oklahoma City is sketchy, but that just adds to the charm (unless you get mugged, which we did not).

I’m on a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives kick (I swear that’s all the Food Network showed during the holidays), so I googled Oklahoma City Triple D restaurants  and found many. We went to four of them, which means I am now a Triple D Groupie!!! Yeah!  First we went to Cattlemen’s Steakhouse (possibly you’ve seen it pictured in this car ad?), which is next to the largest stockyards IN THE NATION (!!!). Evidently the cows just wander over and the restaurant takes care of the rest. The place was packed! It was good, especially if you like steak. (!!!) Next we went to Ingrid’s Kitchen, a German restaurant, bakery, and deli. I had the weinershnitzel, which was amazing. The baked goods section really did it for me, though. I ordered THREE different types of German cookies and ATE THEM ALL. Bliss. (I promise to make moderation a goal in the new year!!!) One day we ate lunch at Mama E’s. Oh my word. I had the chicken and waffles, and they leave me speechless, they were so good. I solemnly vow that I will go back there every time I visit Oklahoma City. I died and went to chicken and waffle heaven. You can tell by all of the pictures that this was my favorite Triple D restaurant!!! This place is famous for its free Kool-Aid. (As one reviewer said, I don’t know what they put in it, but it tastes a helluva lot better than the stuff I remember from my childhood!!!)

We also went to Leo’s BBQ, which is close to Mama E’s and is located in a former gas station. We talked to the owner, who is a genuine fer-sure character. The YouTube video does not lie. We ate every single kind of meat that place offered (I haven’t had bologna in I don’t know how long!!) and a slice of their world famous strawberry banana cake (except ours didn’t have bananas in it). Our one non-triple-D restaurant came highly recommended off the internet: Smokey’s BBQ and Diner. I loved it. We had a fried food extravagazna: amazing homemade potato chips, onion rings, and catfish. I kept eating even when I was full.

After all that excess, you will not be surprised to know that DB and I are now on a detox diet (how I crave chocolate!) and have sworn to go the gym regularly to overcome our huge meat-filled extravaganza. Next time we’re going to a city that specializes in fruits and vegetables. I’m too young to die of a heart attack.

We did go to non-food places, believe it or not. We went to the Oklahoma City National Memorial (the main reason I wanted to visit Oklahoma City), which was thought-provoking, sad, hopeful. We spent six hours in toto there and I felt conflicted the whole time. How do you reconcile terrorism with peace and hope? There is a lot to take in and think about here…I shed a tear or two as I was standing in the memorial next to the 168 empty chairs.

We also went to the Capitol Building (there were no teenagers with us to complain of excrutiating boredom), which has the grooviest, most colorful capitol dome EVER! I approve! (Of course, also embossed in the dome is a list of people/corporations who donated money to build it, which I find a teensy bit tacky.) True fact: the dome went up in the early 2000s, so the good citizens of Oklahoma went domeless for A LONG TIME. (How sad is that?) (!!!)

We went to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (or “The Cowboy” as “those in the know” call it according to the friendly lady in the restroom). Loved the western art (though I had no desire to hang any of it in my living room or anything like that). I found this statue of Abraham Lincoln a little bit disturbing. I renamed this piece “Zombie Abe.” I think you can see why.

We stumbled across the worldwide headquarters of Sonic as we wandered around Bricktown. The security guard would not let us see the CEO (we asked; I was hoping to tell him my thoughts and feelings about Sonic food) (!!!), so to commemorate our visit we took a picture of the elevators, which I found to be quite entertaining…floating hotdogs, anyone?

I shall now pictorially show you the duality of Oklahoma City:

• View 1: This is the part of town where two of our favorite restaurants were located (Leo’s BBQ and Mama E’s)
  
• View 2: Bricktown (where Sonic is located)
  

In sum, a good time was had by all in Oklahoma City. I might even visit again some time!!! You Oklahomans Rock!!!

MICHELANGELO OF THE “I DIDN’T PAINT THE SISTINE CHAPEL CEILING” FAME
Closer to home, my brother and I went to the Michelangelo Caravaggio Exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum in Ft. Worth (city motto: Yeehah!! Cowboys and culture!!). This Michelangelo is not the one who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but I believe they were contemporaries and Caravaggio changed his name to that of his hometown to avoid confusion? Caravaggio seemed to be a wild, dashing, murderous kind of fellow.

The art piece I found most interesting was this one outside the bizarre industrial facade of the museum (I dare you to find the entrance if you’ve never been there before. It just can’t be done):

In case you are wondering what it is, here is the description:

Thank goodness it isn’t something obscene, because I wasn’t sure at first.

We went to the Paris Coffee Shop for lunch and pie, because, as I mentioned in this blog post, it was named one of “The Hot 10 Best Places for Pie” in the October 2010 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to us, the shop closes at 2:30, so we missed it the first time around. We were determined to go again, and this was our chance!

The place has an old-fashioned diner feel to it, so I chose an old-fashioned lunch (meatloaf, mashed taters, and creamed cauliflower), and then we tried a slice of pie. My brother had the apricot pie and I had the chocolate cream. I will say this: the pies were good. However, I’ve made and/or eaten equally delicious pies, so I’m glad it wasn’t the main reason we visited the great city of Ft. Worth.

THE END OF THE MOM-CAR ERA
Subtitled: Teen Totals Second Car in Less Than Two Years
It’s true. One of my daughters rear-ended another car while she was driving my van. It was officially totalled and I will never drive the van again. I’d consider this a favor if I wasn’t so irritated about the whole thing. Yes, she is fine. (Most people think I’m heartless because I’m mad about the van and don’t mention first how the daughter made out in the accident. After it happened I checked her status before I worried about the van. I think.)

ETSYNESS
The original goal of this blog was to help promote my Etsy shop, PB&J Designs. Hmmmm. Anyhoo, I still have an Etsy shop, I still promote the world of handmade goodness, and I occasionally add a product to my site, so for goodness sake buy handmade and visit my shop!!!

ONE MORE BLOG POST BEFORE I GO TO SCHOOL
I plan to do one more blog post prior to the start of school (new semester starts on January 17). Send me nasty texts and emails if that doesn’t happen in a timely manner. Kidding. See you all soon! Much love and hugs coming your way!

You probably think I’ve dropped off the map, but noooooooooo…I’m actually super busy with school. So here’s a quick quick quick update:

1. School: Doing well! Lovin’ my classes and cohorts!!!! (yeah, like you even know what a cohort is. I didn’t until I started school). I’m going to be a TEACHER!!!!!! Very cool.

2. Cancer: my mom just had major surgery to remove cancer from her body. Evidently the chemo is doing a great job, because there was way less cancer than the doctors expected. They were jubilant at the outcome and consider my mom a miracle. Hurray. Now she has a few more chemo treatments left….

3. Cancer, Part II. My brother just finished his last radiation treatment (17 in toto), and now is in the process of regaining his strength. Hopefully his cancer saga is over, aside from visiting the doctor regularly for the rest of his life.

4. I bought a 2006 SuperBeetle, and I now feel SuperFly when I drive. (ha ha) No more van-driving mom. Hurray.

5. Daughters are now juniors and seniors at high school. As Dearly Beloved says, there is light at the end of the tunnel!!

6. My son will be home from Brazil in approximately ten months!!! Time flies!! I’m hoping to get him in Brazil and do some traveling there. If only it works out with my school schedule!!!!

7. I still miss everyone in Oregon! But I’m making lots of BFFs in Texas, and life is good (other than the stress of parenting teenagers and the stress of cancer illnesses)!!!

8. Going to the Texas State Fair this saturday…hoping to get lots of fried food pictures and maybe even try the fried bubble game. Wait, no. That’s not gonna happen.

9. Still selling dolls, monkeys, doll quilts, etc., at my Etsy shop, PB&J Designs. Don’t forget to check it out!!!

10. Oh yeah, my cat Willow passed away. Extreme sadness, except she was about 15 years old. So we have a new cat: Mr. Rochesta (Chester for short). He came from my daughter’s high school ag barn (she now has a pig named Petunia who may be turned into bacon at the end of the year) and was on the verge of being thrown out. We rescued him.

11. Oh yeah, one more thing: I have dark hair now. Not blonde. Not red.

Miss and love you all!!!!!

• I got into a deep blue funk after my mom was diagnosed with cancer. (Occasionally I even found myself in a Rose is Rose Dungeon of Resentment.) Seriously. I walked around like a zombie and had NO SENSE OF HUMOR AT ALL!!!!!!!! Took me a few weeks to get out of it.
• The last two months were taken up with 9 (master’s degree!!!) college credits!! Gulp!
• Then, after I had freedom from classes, I went crazy with field trips*, sewing, hanging out with my family (my sister and her husband are here from Korea), and eating chocolate. (*I’ve been to: The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas,*1 The Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Forth Worth,*2 a Texas Ranger’s baseball game in Arlington*3, the Wylie Opry in Wylie*4, a bunch of BBQ restaurants, my daughter’s varsity volleyball games (Go Lady Dawgs!!!) and whatnot like that.)

Anyhoo…today’s post will be of the QuickBlog(TM) variety (which means I’m typing in a hurry and not putting much thought into to it). (!!!)

TOXIC CANCER MONSTER UPDATES
In my family’s world o’cancer, my brother finally finished his last chemo treatment last week. We were disappointed to learn that he has to have six more weeks of daily radiation treatment. But hopefully after that he’ll be finished with his treatment and declared CANCER FREE!

My mom has had a few chemo treatments. She is starting to lose hair, but is embracing her baldness (I so admire that!) and is adorable as ever. My sister told her not to get the point where she did the combover thing. We all snickered (cancer humor!!). My mom has good days and bad days, but is darn upbeat for what she’s going through. She’s probably going to have an operation in a few weeks to clear out as much of her cancer as possible so that the chemo will work better. Anyhoo, the news for her is mostly positive–the (nasty, poisonous) chemo seems to be doing its thang.

THANK YOU to everyone who is praying for and helping my family during this crazy time. We REALLY appreciate it and love and adore you all!!!

LATE NIGHT ICE CREAM GOODNESS
I found an interesting flavor of icecream: Ben and Jerry’s Late Night Snack, chock full’o chocolate and potato chips. I tried it and it was pretty good, but like the idea of it (chocolate combined with potato chips??? Yes!!!!) more than the actual taste.

GO ‘STANGS!
For those of you with inquiring minds, here is where I attend most of my classes (M.Ed with Certification) at SMU. This is Annette Simmons Caldwell Hall, a deluxe, brand-spankin’-new, building:

Taking 9 credits in two months is a pretty wild thing to do. I’m on a three week break right now, and it feels GOOD!!!!! So far I’m rockin’ the grades! Phew.

BTW, here is a funny video we watched in one of my education classes: Speak With Authority. So yeah, like, umm, speak with, you know, authority already, people.

I’M IN LOVE WITH A NEW VAMPIRE!!!!
In the incredibly short amount of time I’ve had for reading fun books, I’ve found three books that I love and adore:

• Okay for Now a young adult book by Gary D. Schmidt (the author of The Wednesday Wars, which I loved!)
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Let me tell y’all, this is Twilight for adults!!! Amazingly yummy vampire alert!!
• Also on my list of books: The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party, the latest in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. I just started reading it, but am pretty sure it will be just as fabulous as the other ones!!!!

Don’t forget to send me the names of any fabulous books you are reading!!!

23 YEARS AND COUNTING
Good gracious. Dearly Beloved and I celebrated our 23rd (!!!) wedding anniversary in June (’cause we got married when we were 12). I have to give DB kudos for giving me an awesome day, starting with a fabulous omelette for breakfast, then dinner at a yummy restaurant. He even made me a chocolate cake, for crying out loud. (Note the H + M on the cake!!!)

Here we are on Day 1 of Wedded Bliss:

Omigosh. We are so young and innocent and sweet. I can’t stand it.

Here we are 23 years and about a million days later, as hardened and bitter parents of teenagers (kidding?):

It’s been a great 23 years and I’d marry DB all over again!!!! (You’re the Best, Sweet Thang!)

ETSY STUFF
A couple of my items are featured in a plethora of treasuries, so thanks to all you fab Etsy people with your fun treasuries!! Much hugs and adoration to you!

• Dolls that can be played with and loved much
  

• Mardi Gras and Sock Monkeys!!
  

And believe it or not, I finally finished my “Out of Africa” quilt!! I love it so much that I’m not selling it, but here is a picture of it anyway:

However, I listed a couple of pretty fabulous items at my Etsy store PB&J Designs:

WALLHANGING Chocolate is the Answer

WALLHANGING Big Girl Panties

BTW, chones is Spanish for underwear.

GOTTA CRUISE
I’ll try not to make is so long next time. I have 8 credits coming up for fall semester, but they are spread out over a normal time period and not crunched up into two months, so I’m hoping to have a little more free time. We’ll see. Anyhoo, as always, love and adore you all.
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NOTES
*1 The place where Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated JFK, our nation’s 33rd president, if you believe the four major government investigations. If you don’t believe them, you’re welcome to send me your conspiracy theories.

*2 One of two places in the U.S. (the other is in Washington, D.C.) where the government prints bank notes (a.k.a., dollars, greenbacks, clam, dollar bill, long horse, vaulting horse, dollar sign, buck, sawbuck, sawhorse, dollar mark, one dollar bill, horse, and whatnot like that). We went to the Moneyfactory Gift Shop at the end of the tour, and I must say they have quite the racket going there. You can purchase money for twice it’s face value. You can also buy shredded money Christmas ornaments. Get those while they last, ’cause they’re going quick.

*3 I know nothing about baseball. We received a FREE Elvis Andrus figurine, if anyone wants it. First person to ask gets it.

*4 I think I speak for all of us in the know when I say, if you live in Texas and haven’t been to the Wylie Opry, you are missing the most Texas of all Texas experiences. It is fabulous and a MUST DO!

I just don’t know what is going on here. Back-to-back cancer with my brother and my mom. It really stinks bad. I totally adore my mom and hate to see her have to go through this. Fortunately her two sisters are here, and they are giving her a lot of love and care and attention. (The rest of us are, too, but I’m in school full-time and almost everyone else is working.) I thank God for caring sisters.

So, once again, if you all could be mindful of my mom and keep her in your prayers, I’d be most grateful. Prayers really work, and my mom is really sick. She needs lots of love and support. If you don’t believe in prayer, just send lots of good karma her way.

BTW, my brother Rich is a miracle man. Many of the doctors who treated him are now treating my mom. When they see him they look at him with awe and disbelief….HE’S ALIVE!

School is going well for me, but I’m so worried and distracted that sometimes it’s hard to get all the homework done. They really pile it on!!!

Anyhoo…love you all and thanks for keeping my family in your prayers!!!!!!

CANCER MIRACLE
Amazing, miraculous news about my brother’s lymphoma: his recent PET Scan showed no active cancer cells!!! To be on the safe side, Rich has three more chemo treatments. However, the doctors see no need to give him a bone marrow transplant OR further radiation treatments (which they previously thought he would need). Miracle!!!!

My mom was in Presby Allen Hospital yesterday (she went in for breathing problems, had a tone of stuff drained from her lungs, and there is still no diagnosis on her condition…I am worried sick!!!), which is the first hospital my brother went to when his cancer saga began. One of the doctors who treated Rich also treated my mom. The doctor didn’t even recognize my brother (who had gone with my mom to the hospital). When he realized that Rich was the crazily sick lymphoma patient, the doctor was amazed and stunned at how much better Rich looks (last time this doctor saw him, Rich looked three-quarters dead).

Once again, mucho thanks to all of you who said prayers for Rich!!!!!! Prayer ROCKS!! You all ROCK!!!! And now can everyone pray for my mom???????

TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WONDERING IF THERE IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER SEASON OF PROJECT RUNWAY…
Yes, there WILL be another season of Project Runway!!!!! (Many apologies for the link that references Heidi Klum‘s nudity). It will start sometime this summer. Yay! More Tim Gunn!!!!

BONUS!!!!! According to the rumors, there will ALSO be another Project Runway-esque show that features past Project Runway audience favorites. (Too bad I will be too busy to watch any of these shows!!! Darn, can someone keep me up to date?????)

BOOKS FOR VAMPIRE LOVERS WHO HATE EDWARD
Subtitled: even though hating Edward is sick and wrong.
Catherine Jinks has a new book out: The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group. This book is the sequel to The Reformed Vampire Support Group, which I found to be hilariously funny. These two books are as anti-Twilight as you can get. The vampires suck the blood of guinea pigs and feel sick and throw up a lot (because guinea pig blood is a poor substitute for human blood). The werewolves are seriously bad-tempered, making Jacob Black‘s bad temper look like a cake walk. There is plenty of blood and guts and nothing gets resolved through talking. Nice, huh?

The werewolf book isn’t as funny as the vampire book (way too much teenage angst which at this point in my life I can do without, and I’m not even going to go there in this blog post, just realize that sometimes being a parent really BITES…note vampire reference there), but if you hang in there, it gets funny at the end (hmmm…am I referring to parenting, or to the werewolf book there?).

CANTON-TASTIC
O.mi.gosh. So this past week some BFFs and I went to one of the main meccas of flea marketing in Texas, the Original World Famous First Monday Trade Days in Canton. We had SO MUCH FUN!!! Here are some of my photos and observations about this huge multi-acre extravaganza:

• Gulp. There sure is a lotta stuff!!!! I alternated between being horrified at all the stuff, and feeling mouth-watering greed for much of the stuff. (I have a conflicted personality, unfortunately.) I had several eyebrow-raising moments about some of the things people chose to display in the junk area!! (Note, however, that seeing the weird stuff is half the fun.)
  
  
  

• This area of the flea market was for the nicer antique and new stuff. It wasn’t as strange (or as fun) as the junk area.
  

• I just love this funky head. Sadly, it wasn’t for sale. (But I had my choice of much pink and black zebra-striped stuff, and also my choice of several decorated crosses. I could do a whole section on all the crafty crosses available for sale, but shall save that for another time…)
  

• I have no idea what these are for, but they make for a stunning and colorful display!!
  

• Yes, I had a free cup of cold water. It was cold and delicious, and the sign made me LAUGH!!!! (You won’t be seeing this kind of sign in Oregon, I can assure you.)
  

• I REALLY wanted this Roadkill Cafe sign (“You kill it we grill it”), especially since it has a squirrel on it (one of my brothers loves squirrels). But I resisted because I couldn’t think where to put it, other than my front porch (just kidding, neighbors and Home Owners Association). The yellow sign next to it is a “drink more coffee” sign. (Because you too can do stupid things faster with more energy.)
  

• Double Bubbas!!!! The Deluxe Fried Food Emporium!!!!! Yes!!!!!!! You can get fried ANYTHING here!!! (No, I didn’t eat there. I had a healthy crepe from Monkey Crepe Cafe, which was located next door.)
  

• I observed that the foot long corn dogs are $2 cheaper at this flea market than at the McKinney one. I didn’t eat one so I can’t compare the taste, but are the McKinney corn dogs really $2 better than these ones??? I also saw a PLETHORA of Texas Potato Twisters…(they were a very popular food item)…
  

• …including this batch that someone did not finish and threw into the garbage.*3
  

• This is decor at one of the eating areas. It don’t get any more Texas than this, people. Wait, I take that back. When you see the next picture, you’ll see something even more Texas than dead animals hanging on the wall…
  

• …YES!!! Formerly cute and fuzzy DEAD animals that you can WEAR!!! Horrifying, is it not? At first I refused to look at them, but them my curiosity got the better of me and I asked the vendor, “Where would a person wear this kind of coat?” He basically said to me, “You’re not from around here, are you?” P.S. You would wear this type of coat when it’s super cold and you want to hunt or fish or something like that, evidently. Gulp.
  

I think I speak for all of us when I say a good time was had by all who went to Canton.*4 NOTE TO SELF: Next time I shall take the following items: CART to put stuff in (everyone had them ’cause it’s too crazy to carry all your stuff around without one; my favorites were the ones hauled around by little old ladies who had outfitted their carts with adorable homemade quilted bags); cold water in cooler; snacks; hat; SPF skin protection; and most importantly, a large vehicle to put large furniture items in.

I MISS A RICK SPRINGFIELD CONCERT
Remember how in this blog post I reminisced fondly about my wild teenage love for ’80s rocker Rick Springfield*2? Alas, I missed his concert in Dallas on May 28. If anyone went, can you send me the concert t-shirt? (kidding. really.)

SPAMILICIOUSNESS
I received the following e-mail last week, which was too good not to share:

.I contacted you to help me claim some
funds left behind by a late client
of mine who shares the same last name with you. Please reply
me for more details.Thanks
Regards
Lin Huang

Huh?????????

Lin Huang, there is nothing I’d like more than to be involved in an internet scam that involves me losing large amounts of money. (!!!!!!!) (NOT!!!!!)

SHARE THE BACON LOVE WITH YOUR DAD
I found this recipe the other day, and knew IMMEDIATELY that the men in my life will be getting home-baked cookies for Father’s Day (June 19…don’t forget):

Peanut Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip-Bacon Cookies*1

• 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of chipotle or ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 strips bacon (1/3 pound)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped honey- roasted peanuts
• 1/3 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chile powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings and set aside to cool. Crumble the bacon, discarding any chewy bits.
• Beat the butter and reserved bacon drippings in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the peanut butter until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the granulated and light brown sugar until creamy, about 4 minutes, then add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the bowl as needed, until just combined. Stir in the peanuts and all but 2 tablespoons each of the chocolate chips and bacon.
• Form the dough into 12 balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with your fingers (the cookies will not spread in the oven); press the reserved bacon and chocolate chips on top. Bake until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

ETSYNESS
Seriously? Nothing going on there, but you can still visit my shop, PB&J Designs. I am half-heartedly keeping up with it. Somewhat.

I’LL BE BACK…JUST NOT SURE WHEN!
Adios for awhile, y’all! The month of June is going to be CRAZY, but I shall try to blog again in July. In the meantime, love and adore you all. Stay in touch!!! Send lots of good studying karma my way!!!

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NOTES

*1 From Food Network Magazine’s June 2011 issue

*2 See Note *2.

*3 Yes. I took a picture of these in an actual garbage can…right after someone threw them away. Do you know how hard it is to get a picture of these things??? You can’t just walk up to someone and say, “Excuse me, may I please take a picture of your Texas Potato Twisters so that I can make fun of them on my blog?”

*4 These are two of the worst phrases in the world, and I’m happy I could combine them.

CANCER SHRINKAGE
According to official medical tests, my brother’s formerly head-sized Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma tumor has shrunk by 60%, and now consists of 4 smaller tumors. Chemo continues and hopefully the shrinkage will continue. Updates to follow…

Speaking of cancer, last Saturday my mom, dad, sister, and I participated in the Wild Run * Wild Ride Against Cancer in Richardson, Texas (right outside of Dallas). We took part in the bike ride (40 miles) and got to see Lance Armstrong’s mom. There were several thousand people there and it was SO MUCH FUN!

(That’s me on the left. No way am I showing my sweaty nasty unmake-upped self! The person on the right is my dad.)

YOU ARE INDEED SEEING RED
In case you are wondering about the above picture, I now sport short red hair. (If you’re going to make a change, make a CHANGE!!)

I GET A STUDENT DISCOUNT!!!!
I am registered at SMU and have the accompanying student paraphanalia: textbooks, bookbag (a really cool one from Etsy shop Cielorosa), parking permit, and school supplies. I start on June 6 and will have 6 hours of classes every day!!!! (except Friday, when I shall be doing much reading and homework). The month of June is going to be crazy…no one will be seeing much of me!!! Blog posts at that time shall be minimal.

IN-N-OUT BURGER COMES TO TOWN
Good news ex-pat Texas Californians: Allen, Texas is now home to In-N-Out Burger. BFF Mindy and I braved the crazy line for delicious burgers, shake and fries.

BTW, here is In-N-Out Burger’s “secret menu”. (Shhhh. It’s a secret.) What I totally adore about In-N- Out Burger is that the book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal gives it the guilt-free thumbs up!!!! You can eat your burger knowing you’re not contributing to the nasty messy abuse of cattle…okay, I don’t want to think about that too much. Otherwise I might feel guilty and abusive for eating the burger.

MOONING OVER SAM MOON
My daughter went to prom last weekend (she was beautiful and her date was handsome, of course). In (partial) preparation, we visited Sam Moon in Frisco, Texas, and it was AMAZING. Lots of costume jewelry (the reason we were there), hair accessories, hats, scarfs, and purses. Remember how in this blog post I showed you a picture of my new Flower Blossoms by Hananel bag? Well, Sam Moon has Hananel bags!!!!!!! I purchased a snappy matching purple wallet and was SO HAPPY!!!! (Especially since I accidentally took a 20-minute detour on the way to Sam Moon and was quite irritated with myself by the time my daughter and I got there. I needed some retail therapy to get over it.) If you want a cute bag, get on the Sam Moon website or visit the store.

WHAT THE FREAK?
I recently saw the controversial version of The King’s Speech…the PG-13 version (and loved it). Yes, many people are upset that the F-word was mostly taken out of this version, ruining the artistic effect of gratuitous swearing. Sigh. I personally dislike gratuitous swearing and was happy for a chance to see the movie, because I wasn’t going to watch the rated-R version. (Omigosh, didn’t you just love Colin Firth in the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice????? Go here for the famous Lake Scene but get a tissue first to wipe up your drool!!!)

ETSY
Since I got accepted to the Master of Education with Certification (M.Ed.) at SMU, I truthfully admit that my Etsy store, PB&J Designs, has taken a back seat to everything else in my life. So not only have I not finished the amazing African fabric quilt (as shown in this blog post), I haven’t done much listing except for a fabulous sock monkey:

However, I still have a ton of dolls, quilts, earrings, and other good stuff listed. You can therefore continue to visit my shop and BUY BUY BUY!!!!

In other Etsy news, my Pippi Longstocking’s Sister Penelope Rag Doll was featured in a treasury (sew it’s not wasted too) by Etsy store Original Cloth. And I sold a baby quilt to a BFF in Switzerland!!!! Yahoo!!!

Anyhoo, we’ll have to see how this Etsy thing works out. I’m not going to have much time to sew in the next year and a half!

TATA FOR NOW!
Okay, I have to go write one last scholarship essay, visit my brother (he is having another chemo treatment today), and clean my house (ugh). Love and adore you all! Next time you hear from me I shall be a frantic, homework-ridden crazy woman. Hugs!

—————————–

Anyhoo. A couple housecleaning items before we get rolling with the good stuff:

• My brother (who was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma a few months ago) is looking A LOT healthier and is gaining strength as time goes on. He will continue chemo treatments for a few more months. I’ll have official information about the size of his tumor after his doctors run some more tests in the next couple weeks. Thank you for keeping him in your prayers!!! They help!!
• In my last blog post I was hesitating about going back to school to become an elementary school teacher. (Teachers are getting laid off left and right!!!! Gulp!!!) Last week, after much pondering and prayer, I just said “Yes!” and am now a matriculate AND a cohort (do not use the “a band of warriors” definition for this word!!!) at Southern Methodist University in the Master of Education with Certification program (EC–6). (Geep.) Classes start in early June. Watch the madness begin! (Gack.) I honestly have no idea what will happen to this blog once school starts. Stay tuned.

A FEW “HUH?” MOMENTS THIS WEEK
Here are a few things that caused me to raise my eyebrow in shock, awe, disbelief and delight (it would be helpful if you raised your eyebrows during this next section):

• Ummmm….in what universe is fake (i.e., false, bogus, counterfeit, forged, phony, sham, replica, imitation, simulated, mock, faux, ersatz, pretend; and opposite of genuine) tanning considered authentic????? (This came to my house amidst a plethora of direct marketing ads. I am responsible for the censured photo, btw, not wishing to have a nearly naked cartoon gal on my blog site.)
  

• I am not kidding: I heard a radio commercial for The Tavern Church (“Hip Faith and Cool Tunes” is their motto) on a Dallas station. Beer and Religion, together at last.
• This delightful factoid is about Springfield, Oregon (the place where I lived for the past 17 years!!!!): my former hometown is known as the city with the most strip clubs in the nation. We residents and former residents of Springfield are so proud of the distinction (NOT!).*1
  

• And finally….this is how you dispose of leftover strawberries (if you are a teen living at my house):
  
  Whatever you do, PLEASE DO NOT place your garbage/compost in the correct container, ok??????? Not only would that make too much sense, it would give your (dork) parents a heart attack from the sheer surprise. (To my credit, I didn’t include the muffin wrapper photo.)

‘Nuff said.

ROAD TRIP, Part II
So remember how in my last blog post I promised more Oregon-to-Texas road trip pictures? Well, I realized two things as I was going through the photos:

1. We didn’t actually take a lot of road trip pictures,
2. but my sister/BFF/Etsy partner Belinda took some VooDoo Donut pictures. Several of her pictures were similar to mine, so I’m just sharing her original ones. (We are so alike. It’s uncanny.) (P.S. I found my VooDoo Donut t-shirt. It was stuffed at the bottom of my laundry basket and took awhile to get to the washing machine.)

So Here Are More VooDoo Donut Pictures

• Box o’ crazy donuts (many topped with colorful and crunchy cereals):*2
  

• My all-time favorite, the infamous and legendary Bacon Maple Bar!!!!
  

And Finally Some Scenic Trip Shots

• Leaving Oregon!!! This was our (pimped out) ride for 2207 miles (note lovely Oregon greenery in background):
  

• I took this picture from the window of the (moving) moving van in Arizona or New Mexico. There were so many colorful trains!!!
  

• We drove on Route 66 for quite a bit of the way. That was so fun and nostalgic! (Which is funny, because I’ve never been on it before. But I saw the movie Cars. Does that count?)
  

• More Route 66!!! This is in Arizona. We went to a really cool gift shop with tons of Route 66 tourist goods, so we stocked up. Come over and admire my Route 66 magnet anytime.
  

• We stayed in a scenic Arizona town at the (pet friendly) Motel 6, and ate at Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen. The biscuits and the chicken tenders were to die for!!! Even better, they had packets of Cajun Sparkle and Grape Jelly!!!! (I brought these home for Dearly Beloved because that’s the kind of person I am…always on the lookout for cool souvenirs to bring back to the loved ones.)
  

• Here are the neurotic kitties in the back of the moving van. They actually handled the trip fairly well, aside from a couple of hissing and clawing sessions. They have since settled into their new Texas home (with their Aunt Harvey and Uncle Martha, the gender-confused kitties*3).
  

• Scenic red rock in Arizona. I adore the state of Arizona!!!! If I didn’t live in Texas, I’d live in Arizona for sure!!!
  

• Unfortunately, while I did see the Infamous and Weird Golf Ball House in Yucca, Arizona, I was so flabbergasted as we passed it that I didn’t have the presence of mind to take a picture. That is my one great regret from this trip.

PARADE MAGAZINE ROCKS THE CHEDDAR AND CHOCOLATE !!!
I REALLY like Parade Magazine. Seriously, where else can you get such a compact and sweet package of celebrity tips, recipes, and book, DVD and CD recommendations?? (I really don’t need an answer to that question. Wait. Yes I do.) Here are two golden nuggets (a.k.a. yummy recipes) from the past two issues:

Author Jodi Picoult‘s Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This is from the April 24, 2011, issue, and it is GOOD. I talked Dearly Beloved into making it (What? You thought I would make it myself????) and it was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS.

• 3 c. chicken broth
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 c. brocolli, chopped
• dash of garlic powder
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 4 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 c. milk
• 2 c. shredded cheddar
• slices of crusty bread

1. In a large saucepan, mix chicken broth, onion, broccoli, garlic powder, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
2. Remove bay leaves and pour mixture into food processor. Pulse until smooth, approx. 1 minute. Reserve in a bowl.
3. In the original saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour, salt, and a little pepper until a thick paste forms. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Add cheddar; stir until it dissolves.
4. Pour in broccoli mixture and cook until blended. If necessary, add more chicken broth to thin. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve with bread for dipping.

Actress Alicia Silverstone’s Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
This is from the April 17 issue. I haven’t actually made this recipe, but I thought of all my vegan-loving friends in Oregon, and am hopeful that it’s sinfully delicious. Let me know if you make it.

• 1/2 c. Earth Balance buttery spread
• 3/4 c. crunchy peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unslated)
• 3/4 c. graham crackers crumbs (about 10 squares)
• 1/4 c. maple sugar of other granulated sweetener
• 1 c. grain-sweetened nondairy chocolate or carob chips
• 1/4 c. soy, rice or nut milk
• 1/4 c. chopped peanuts, pecans or almonds

1. Line a 12-cup miffin tin with paper liners
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium. Stir in peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar; mix well. Remove from heat. Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups, about 2 tbsp. per cup.
3. Combine chocolate and milk in another saucepan. Stir over medium until chocolate has melted. Spoon evenly over peanut butter mixture. Top with nuts. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

FREAKS, CAKES, WEDDINGS, ANNOYING BROTHERS AND A PRECOCIOUS SLUETH
Here are my book and movie recommendations from the past couple of weeks:

• Freak Nation: A Field Guide to 101 of the Most Odd, Extreme, and Outrageous American Subcultures by Kate Stevens. Among other groups, you can read about Steampunkers, Rennies, Slam Poets, Suzukis, B-Boys, Yarn Bombers, Locavores, Macrobioticists, Trustafarians, KISS Army, Rivetheads, Jan Ken Pon Players, Yoginis, Grammaticasters, Cryptozoologists, and Bennies.
• This is for you, BFF Karen!!!! The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free: Classic Cakes, Cokies, Brownies, Bundts and Bars by Anne Byrn. This cookbook uses gluten-free cake mixes as the base of each recipe, some of which sound pretty darn divine: Lemon Gooey Butter Cake, Chocolate Almond Torte, Hummingbird Cake, Classic Carrot Cake, Pretty in Pink Strawberry Cupcakes, Holy Cow Cake (this recipe uses gluten-free Butterfinger–motto: “Nobody’s gonna lay a finger on my Butterfinger.”–candy bars…did you know that Butterfingers are GLUTEN-FREE??????)
• The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the latest in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, which I adore. I also adore the HBO TV series. Thanks BFF Ann for the heads-up on this one!!!!
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (book and movie). I just watched this movie and LOVED it!!! (I even dragged Dearly Beloved with me to see it. He laughed a lot, though.) (I kind of have a crush on the guy who plays Rodrick.) Then I had to reread the book, and I loved that too. I love this entire series!!!
• I just got the latest book featuring the 11-year-old spunky and precocious heroine Flavia de Luce: A Red Herring Without Mustard. Like the past two books, it is a winner. Flavia is not your typical 11-year-old (unless you count that fact that she is super annoying to everyone around her) and you just have to laugh your way through the entire book. Other books in the series: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag, all by Allen Bradley.

ETSYNESS
And finally, the latest listings and relistings from my adorable and amazing Etsy shop, PB&J Designs (and BTW, I’m not sure I’ll be keeping this up once school starts; I may not have the time):

• NECKLACE Green and Gold Lampwork Glass Beads
• FABRIC Mother Goose and Pals
• HANDMADE RAG DOLL African American with Red
• FABRIC Safari Animals
• MONKEY Striped, Squared and Dotted Pink Sweater Monkey
• RAG DOLL Pretty in Pink
• HANDMADE RAG DOLL African American with Groovy African Fabric
• Doll Quilt
• DOLL QUILT Gerbera Daisy

And coming soon: a listing of a completely fabulous twin-sized quilt made from the funnest African fabric. Here is a little sample (look at it and drool):

до свидания
(subtitled: This means “Later, Gator!” in Russian)
As always, love and adore you all. I have a full day of errands and cleaning and laundry ahead of me, so I gotta run. Look forward to hearing from you all!!! Hugs!!!!

_________________________

NOTES

*1 This information is courtesy of this week’s edition of Parade Magazine!!! (Go to America By The Numbers for the full article. There you will find such treasures as: Austin, Texas, has the biggest spenders in America.

*2 Do you think they use the name-brand cereals, or do they use the cheap bulk stuff? Just wondering. Anybody from VooDoo Donut care to comment?

*3 See “Martha the Boy Cat and Harvey the Girl Cat” in this blog post for more information about the gender-confused cats.

Anyhoo…and this is completely off the previous subject…I wanted to remind you guys (why am I having a Napoleon Dynamite flashback?*1) that you can sign up for email updates of my blog by going to the right margin and finding the “Email subscription” link. Put your email address there! You’ll be glad you did!!! Hilarity, recipes, and good times will be yours every two weeks!!!! The mind boggles.

In other news, I just got accepted to Southern Methodist University’s (SMU) Master of Education with Certification Program. What with the wretched state of the teaching profession these days, I’m still considering if I’m even going to do this, but I’m pretty excited to be accepted. The program starts in June.

CANCER UPDATE ON MY BROTHER
My brother Rich seems to be making progress in his fight against cancer.*2 He is receiving chemotherapy as well as shots to keep his white blood cell count within acceptable levels. He is gaining a little weight and looks better. For insurance purposes, the doctors are waiting until May to give him another cat scan (which will determine how much his tumor has shrunk). I will keep you all posted when I learn the results.

ROAD TRIP!!! Part 1
Subtitled: Part 2 Coming Next Time
As mentioned above, my BFF/Sister/Etsy Partner Belinda JUST MOVED TO TEXAS FROM OREGON!!!! YES!!! I flew back to Oregon so that I could help her drive the moving van down to Texas. (Picture this: me driving a 17-foot U-haul with trailer/car attached. Geep. Gasp. Gulp. I managed not to run into anything, get into any accidents, or lose my sister’s two neurotic cats that we also transported.)

While in the Eugene/Springfield area, I did the three most important things on my list: 1) visited my friends; 2) pigged out on numerous goodies at Sweet Life Patisserie; and 3) consumed many VooDoo Donuts (in case you are wondering, my jeans are MUCH tighter than when I left. NOTE TO SELF: GET TO THE GYM!!!). Here are a few pictures of my time in Oregon:

Sweet Life Patisserie!!!!!!

• The one, the only, the infamous…
  

• Drool over this!!
  

• Close-up of drool-worthy goods. The key lime tartlets are SO GOOD.
  

VooDoo Donuts!!!!!!!

• This isn’t the one and only, because there is another VooDoo Donuts in Portland, but it is most definitely infamous (and by the way, whoever took my VooDoo donut t-shirt, can you give it back????).
• Does it get any cuter than this????????
  

• Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, look closely at the donut names on the menu.
  

• In shocking and horrifying news, I accidentally ordered an obscene donut during one of my trips to VooDoo. (It REALLY was an accident!! I pointed to a huge donut and said, “I want that one!”) (And there shall be NO SPECULATING as to which donut I ordered please.) Ordering obscene donuts isn’t hard (as the menu board, above, indicates), which makes it even more shocking and horrifying that I love the place. (The donuts are REALLY good!!!) BTW, I ordered the Bacon Maple Bar. Twice. (The first person to find the Bacon Maple Bar in the picture below wins a prize. You didn’t really believe that last sentence, did you?)
  

Classic Eugene
Here are a few pictures from Eugene that I found interesting:

• Ummm….huh? What? I’ll just go to my local Wal-mart for my Easter candy needs, k? (Go here for the controversial and funny People of Wal-mart.com, btw.)
  

• This fun dessert was on the Hot Mama’s Wings menu. (And no, I did not order a deep fried Hostess dessert. I had already gone to VooDoo Donuts that day.) I put this here just in case you think that the Texas State Fair (164 shopping days until the next one…) is the only place you can get this kind of stuff.
  

• O.mi.gosh. I was downtown with BFF Karen (in her cute red convertible bug) and along came this…this…this…AMAZING BUS!! I was so excited to see it that I hopped out of the car (while we were at a red light) and took a picture. All the lovely people riding the bus were singing joyfully. This whole experience was SO EUGENE that I almost died of delight on the spot. (Managed to revive myself, thankfully.)
  

Believe it or not, I HAVE MORE TRIP PICTURES!! Not wanting to overwhelm you with them all, my next blog post will contain pictures from the Oregon-to-Texas road trip (with two neurotic cats). So look forward to that.

NOT ONE, BUT TWO, CHOCOLATE RECIPES!!!!
BFF Jennifer sent me this recipe and swears that it is seriously yummy. I’m going to make it next time I need to bring a dessert somewhere. (No way am I keeping a whole pan of those around the house. I would eat them and then they would go straight to my hips and thighs, to join the Sweet Life desserts and the VooDoo donuts that already reside there.)

Chocolate Filled Oatmeal Bars
Cookie base:

• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. oatmeal
• 2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Chocolate filling:

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-oz. bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and combine well. Mix in oatmeal, flour and baking soda. Spread about 3/4 dough on well-greased cookie sheet/jelly roll pan (has to have sides). [Mine fit perfectly in a 11"x17" jelly roll pan.] Combine filling ingredients in pot, heat over low heat and stir until combined. Pour chocolate filling over dough and spread evenly. Use remaining dough to drop by spoonfuls over filling. Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before cutting. ENJOY!! (Especially with a glass of cold milk!)

Thanks, Jennifer!!! You ROCK!!!

A Bit of Everything Cookies
This recipe is placed here at the request of BFF Lisa. We assembled these “Cookies in a Jar” (except we used quart freezer bags) at one of the women’s activities at church a few years ago, and she just recently made them (yes, you read that correctly…she recently used the several-years-old bag o’cookies!!!!). She found them delightful and delicious (despite the long wait; don’t you find that hilarious?????) and wanted the recipe. Here you go, Lisa!!!!*3 Love you!!!!!

• 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. crispy rice cereal
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips (can substitute or add baking m&ms)
• 1/2 c. rolled oats
• 1/2 c. sugar

Instructions

• In a 1 qt jar (or quart freezer bag), layer ingredients in order listed. Pack down firmly after each addition.

• Attach a tag with the following instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • In a large bowl, cream 1/2 c. butter until light and fluffy. Mis in 1 egg and 2 tablespoons water. Add the entire contents of the jar, and stir until well blended. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

EXTREMELY SUPER IMPORTANT VAMPIRE INFORMATION
Warning: this information may cause irritation to non-vampire lovers!
This info is ONLY for Twilight Saga lovers. Everyone else IGNORE this section, or read at your own peril.

Important vampire events:

• The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide is available for purchase. Mine is in the mail and I can’t wait to get it.
• Here are the rumors about the Breaking Dawn movies: Part 1 is due out on November 18, 2011; and Part 2 is out on November 16, 2011. So far there isn’t an official movie trailer. (I can hear all of your sobs of denial. Everybody CALM DOWN!)

SONGS FOR JAPAN
Just wanted to mention a fabulous download from iTunes: Songs for Japan. For $9.99 you receive 38 songs from various artists…Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Madonna (bless her heart), Lady GaGa (and bless her heart, too), and others. None of the tracks are new, but I love most of the music. The proceeds are evidently being donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society to help with relief for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. How can you not feel good about that?????

ETSYNESS
My road trip hampered my listing ability, but here are latest items of note at my Etsy store, PB&J Designs:

• HANDMADE RAG DOLL with Blonde Hair
• RAG DOLL Blue Polka Dots and Purple Hair
• Bride and Groom Dolls CUSTOM
  

• FAT QUARTER Penguin Party

Go. Buy. Stuff. The hip toddlers dig my dolls. The hip moms can groove to that.

ADIOS AMIGOS
Okay, I seriously have to get off the computer now. Dearly Beloved (and teenage daughter) just returned from a club volleyball trip in Kansas City, and I’ve been ignoring him in favor of writing this blog post. How wretched is that? The guilt is kicking in so I am out of here. Love you all!!!! And I loved seeing all of my Oregon BFFs!!!! Many many hugs!!!!

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NOTES

*1 Oh, because of the first line of this exchange:
Napoleon Dynamite: Hey can I use your guys’s phone for a sec?
Secretary No. 1: Is there anything wrong?
Napoleon Dynamite: I don’t feel very good.
[takes telephone and dials number]
Kip: [making nachos on the other side of the line] Hi.
Napoleon Dynamite: Is grandma there?
Kip: No, she’s getting her hair done.
Napoleon Dynamite: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…
Kip: What do you need?
Napoleon Dynamite: Can you just go get her for me?
Kip: I’m really busy right now.
Napoleon Dynamite: Just tell her to come get me.
Kip: Why?
Napoleon Dynamite: Cause I don’t feel good!
Kip: Well, have you talked to the school nurse?
Napoleon Dynamite: No, she doesn’t know anything. Will you just come get me?
Kip: No.
Napoleon Dynamite: Well, will you do me a favor then? Can you bring me my chapstick?
Kip: No, Napoleon.
Napoleon Dynamite: But my lips hurt real bad!
Kip: Just borrow some from the school nurse. I know she has like five sticks in her drawer.
Napoleon Dynamite: I’m not gonna use hers, you sicko!
Kip: See ya.
[Kip hangs up]
Napoleon Dynamite: Uh! Idiot!

Go here for all the best quotes from Napoleon Dynamite!

*2 Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

*3 Lisa also straightened my hair and went to VooDoo Donuts with me while I was in Eugene!!! Doesn’t get any better than that.

CANCER UPDATE
In the ongoing saga…my brother had another hospital episode the week before last, but he is fortunately out again. I wheeled him around in a wheelchair a few times (no wheelies), and we checked out the hospital gift shops (they had deluxe gift items and good snacks). Unfortunately, Rich’s tumor has shrunk only about ten percent–it should have shrunk at least 50 percent by now based on his diagnosis–so the doctors are still trying to determine if his diagnosis of Diffuse B-cell Lymphoma is correct. He has another chemo treatment on Wednesday. Thank you SO MUCH for keeping him in your prayers!!

TRES LECHE CAKE
I found a yummy cake recipe. If you like moist cake, this is for you: Tres Leche (Milk Cake). One of my daughters rejected it for being too moist, but I though it was delish. My other daughter had to pretend she liked it, because I made it in honor of doing so well at her FFA horse-judging trip. (If you are interested, go here for some Tres Leche Cake history).

THURSDAY IS MISSING AGAIN
One of my favorite book series HAS A NEW BOOK!!! Jasper Fforde recently released his book entitled One of Our Thursdays Is Missing, which is the sixth book in the Thursday Next series.*1 You have to have a seriously weird sense of humor to like these books…but if you have the right kind of humor, they are HILARIOUS! They take place in Bookworld, and are completely convoluted and confusing. I love them!!! Other books in the series:

• The Eyre Affair
• Something Rotten
• Lost in a Good Book
• The Well of Lost Plots
• Thursday Next: First Among Sequels

As I was researching the Thursday Next series, I found a Jasper Fforder book I didn’t know about: The Last Dragonslayer. BONUS!!!!! I haven’t tracked it down yet, but have high hopes for the entertainment value. I’m soooo excited!!!

DAVID CASSIDY: I THINK I LOVE YOU!!!!!!
Okay people. Confession time: I loved David Cassidy (teen heartthrob, singer, Partridge Family cast member, 2011 Celebrity Apprentice cast member and–who knew??–author) when I was young(er). (I loved his brother Shaun Cassidy even more.*2) Here’s the Partridge Family theme song, btw, just because it is too darn fabulous to leave out.

Seriously, look at this picture of David Cassidy and tell me what’s not to love!!! (heart flutter)

(I hope to gravy I’m not breaking any copyright laws by posting this image…I typed “free david cassidy pictures” in google and this came up. Gulp. Please don’t sue me, David Cassidy Fan Club…and btw, sign up here to become a charter member!!!)

Anyhoo, the reason I bring up David Cassidy is because I found this book entitled I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson. It’s about two teens who had a crush on David Cassidy when they were growing up. This concept struck my funny bone. Who can’t relate???? (Someday my daughters will blog about their crush on Justin Bieber, ha ha.) I checked this book out and will probably read it on the airplane. If it’s any good I’ll let y’all know. (It’s probably full of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. Sigh.)

As I was researching Pearson’s book, I found a few other items of interest:

• C’mon, Get Happy: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus by David Cassidy. How can you NOT LOVE THIS BOOK TITLE????? The name alone makes me want to buy the book.
• Could It Be Forever?: My Story in case you want the David Cassidy story from the horse’s mouth (so to speak).
• Music: I Think I Love You (just in case you want to download the song and put it on repeat so you can listen to it over and over until you have it memorized).

I had no idea there was such a plethora of David Cassidy information out there. Wow. One final word: David, I was so sad that you were the first one voted off Celebrity Apprentice. Sigh. Richard Hatch, you big tax-evading meanie!! (Let’s start a campaign to bring David back.)

RAG DOLLS A’ PLENTY
And finally, I do have a few new listings at my Etsy store, PB&J Designs. So get on-line and get to ordering them. My dolls are adorable and the kids love ‘em!!!!

• RAG DOLL with Sassy Chocolate Hair II
• RAG DOLL with Licorice Hair
• RAG DOLL Blondie Wearing Stripes
• RAG DOLL with Chocolate Hair
• RAG DOLL Blondie
• RAG DOLL Wild-n-fuzzy Red-headed Rag Doll
• FABRIC Whimsical Hearts

LOTS OF LOVE
See y’all in a couple of weeks. Hugs and adoration to you all.

______________________________

NOTES
*1 Go here for secret information about the book!!!!!

*2 Go here for his rendition of DaDoRonRon. Of course, I loved RICK SPRINGFIELD best of all!!!!! My BFF in high school and I went to a Rick Springfield concert and thought we’d died and gone to heaven. We wanted to be Jessie’s Girl. Watch the video and you’ll know what I mean. (heh heh…I make myself laugh!!) Okay, I can’t stand it. Here’s a picture of Rick (from http://www.butterfunk.com/image-72/rick+springfield.htm):

What can I say except: SWOON! (ha!)

My eagle eyes spotted this in a recent newspaper coupon insert. Here’s what I wanted to know: Does Frozen Food Month mean anything other than a self-declared public relations bonanza for the frozen food industry?*1 After doing some internet research, I found that evidently you receive screaming deals on frozen feeds at your local supermarkets. So stock up on frozen food and everyone wins!!!! According to my sources, it’s also National Noodle Month and National Peanut Month.

Also, happy belated St. Patrick’s Day. Hopefully everything you all wore and ate that day was green.

UPDATE ON MY BROTHER’S FIGHT AGAINST CANCER
I know a lot of you are interested, so here’s the latest on my brother (see last week’s post if you aren’t familiar with his cancer saga):

• After almost five weeks, three different hospitals, two chemo and two radiation treatments, my brother is finally home. He went back to Plano Presby (from Dallas Methodist) via ambulance on March 11, where he received his second chemo treatment the next day. His tumor is shrinking and he can breathe on his own again. (Hurray!!) He made so much progress that he was able to leave the hospital a few days later. He is much happier recuperating at home.
• After looking at the original pathology reports, the doctors at Dallas Methodist agreed with the diagnosis Rich received at Plano Presby. He has Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.
• Rich has lost a lot of weight and a lot of hair. He doesn’t have a large appetite and finds it difficult to sleep. Much of his swelling has gone down. He is super tired but feeling much better.
• I truly thank God for the miracle of Rich being alive today! And I am full of gratitude to everyone who showered my family with kindess. You comforted us when we needed comfort, mourned with us when things looked bleak, and helped us bear our burdens. Thank you all…you truly inspire me.

We are now at the point where we need to get through the nitty gritty months of treatment. We hope and pray for the best.

DALLAS QUILT CELEBRATION
Because Rich moved to Plano Presby, I missed out on The Biggest Loser auditions at Dallas Methodist (mentioned in my last blog post). Thanks to the generosity of Dearly Beloved, who stayed with Rich for several hours, my mom and sister and I were able to attend the 2011 Dallas Quilt Celebration, which totally made up for the loss.

I was so excited to be at the Celebration that I was hard pressed not to push the little old ladies (who walk so darn slow, bless their hearts) out of the way. (I’m working hard on remaining CALM at all times, which is very challenging given the provocations….) I managed to refrain from assaulting anyone and had plenty of time to see the delightful vendors, the beautiful fabric (yes, I did buy fabric!!!! Lots and lots of gorgeous fabric!!!!), and the amazing quilts. I felt completely and utterly creatively enriched. Attending that show was good for my soul. (If only I knew how to download photos from my cell phone, I would share some of the amazing quilts with you!!)

Now I am ready to embark on a huge creative odyssey, the fruits of which will soon appear at my Etsy shop,PB&J Designs.

MONKEY!!!
Speaking of creativity…

How can I not rave about this gift from (and made by) my BFF (and former walking partner) Cinda??? Look at this MOST ADORABLE sock monkey (and weep that she is mine and not yours!!!!!). Her name is Sadie Jean and the craftwomanship on her is excellent! Look at the knitted dress and hat and shoes!! Look at the jewelry!!! Look at her bloomers!!! A.dor.a.ble!!!!!! Cinda, YOU ROCK!!!

JAPAN QUAKE AND TSUNAMI
Oh gulp. I’m so heartbroken for all of the people involved in the recent Japanese quake and tsunami! One of my concerns, as a mother of a Mormon missionary,*2 was for the safety of the missionaries in Japan. I did some research and found a reassuring blog post from MSNBC.com: In Japan the Mormon Network Gathers the Flock. All missionaries and most of the Japanese members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are accounted for, and the church is providing humanitarian aid to the affected citizens of Japan. If you are wondering what you can do to help, go here for information about how to donate money to relief efforts.

ROAD TRIP!!!!
My oldest daughter, Dearly Beloved, and I took a quick, fun trip over Spring Break to Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Padre Island. (Youngest daughter decided to stay with Aunt and Grandma.) Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Austin

• We thought we’d be helpful and take my daughter on a college tour, hence a visit to the University of Texas. She wasn’t interested (which is good, because I hear it’s a huge party school….). But there were many of fun picture opportunities. Look: the trees have knitted sweaters on them!!! How cute is that????
  

• And here is a pond with a bunch of turtles in it!!!
  

• Next we dragged our daughter to the state capitol. Dearly Beloved and I had a great time wandering around, but my daughter seemed slightly bored.
  

• This is the capitol dome!
  

• I took a picture of this pig–part of a mural in downtown Austin–because I love pigs and bacon.
  

• As we were leaving Austin, we fortuitously and serendipitously stumbled across Sentelli’s Bakery. So of course we stopped….
  

• …and had cupcakes!!! Cupcakes went over well with teenage daughter.
  

San Antonio

• Here is the super crowded River Walk:
  

• No trip to San Antonio is complete without visiting the Alamo!! Dearly Beloved and I had fun wandering around and learning about the history of Texas. Our teenager was completely bored. (It is sooooooo boring to hang out with the parental units!!!!)
  

Corpus Christi

• Dearly Beloved and I took a walk on the boardwalk and saw this crane. At least, I think it’s a crane. I’m not really a bird person. Feel free to correct me.
  

• We also saw a Segway tour on the boardwalk. It was so hilarious that I had to take a picture. (I kept thinking about Paul Blart: Mall Cop.) Unfortunately, right after I took the picture two teenage dudes crashed their Segways and fell into a huge Segway heap on the ground. The other Segway riders circled around the crash, and there was just a ton of Segway riders in a huge Segway mass.
  

• Boats at a marina. This makes me want to sell everything and buy a huge boat so I can sail around the world. You know what I mean…..??
  

Padre Island

This is my favorite vacation photo: an old man fishing at Padre Island.

Seagulls on the beach:

Anyhoo. A good and relaxing time was had by all (except when Dearly Beloved took our daughter deep sea fishing and she was in a seasick heap on the floor of the boat the entire time). (I, who have had previous deep sea fishing experience, refused to go.)

ETSYNESS
Hurray! My BFF/Sister/Etsy Partner Belinda’s Mardi Gras glass bead necklace was featured in another Mardi Gras treasury: Show Me the Beads. Send postcardsintheattic some love!

“Breakfast” doll
I love my Best Bacon Friend Forever/Cousin Sherri so much that I made her a bacon and egg doll (whom Sherri named “Breakfast”). Her hair is bacon and her nose is egg yolk. This is the kind of awesome stuff I do, people!! (smile!!) (For those of you with eagle eyes, that is indeed “Mr. Bacon’s Big Adventure” game in the background.)

Listings
What with the events of the past five weeks, new listings at my Etsy Store, PB&J Designs, have been lacking. I’m hoping that will change SOON, so subscribe to my shop’s RSS feed and watch the listing come pouring in!!! Here’s are my listings and relistings for now:

• Watermelon Fabric Duo
• Green and White Space Age Earrings
• Vintage Raggedy Ann Doll

BON VOYAGE
I’ve heard a recent rumor that my two daughters might be gone for the next three days on a Future Farmer’s of America trip, so I have to go figure out what that’s all about (because this is the first I’ve heard of it!!! Why are parents always the last to know????).

Which means it’s time for me to cruise. Guess what, my Oregon friends, I’ll probably be coming to Oregon for a couple of days in early April to help my sister move to Texas. Want to get together?????

Love and adore you all!!!

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NOTES
*1 (If anyone gets to declare any month to be anything, then I declare April to be “National Hand-crafted Goods Month.”)

*2 My son is in Brazil.

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