For yesterday's lunch we served:

Grilled Eels
Oven Baked Maggot Clusters
Red Ants on a Log
Termites on a Log
Frog Eye Salad
Mystery Dip
Scare-Ade

Those kids can really pack down the groceries . . .amazes me sometimes.
Hope next week doesn't seem boring.

As usual, I am so grateful for the opportunity to spend time with these great young people and the whole staff down at the institute who are making such an effort to do what is right, follow God's plan for His children and make this world a better place.

To be able to serve down there and yet have my own family nearby where I can also be close to them and be able to serve them as well.  Yes, it is a bit of a stretch at times but so fulfilling.  I am so grateful to be so blessed.

This morning I have one thing and only one thing to say . . . . 






. . .  thank you.

Our New Weekly Schedule

We have been babysitting 4 days a week, but now thanks to students who don't take their education very seriously, we will just have the kids mainly on Tuesday and Thursday.  Monday mornings the two L's will still come over while Mom goes to help in the two G's classrooms for the morning.

Now I need to plan tomorrow out very carefully so that I can squeeze everything in that is hard to do with little ones under foot.  I have to be in Casa Grande by 8:30 a.m., back home as soon as I can and then start grinding up my chicken to freeze like crazy.  I may need to bottle some of it and I think I will thaw out the corned beef briskets in the freezer to make more room for chicken.

It is all a plot.  I really need to get the last 30# off!!! My toes are getting worse and that seems to be the best thing I can do to slow down the neuropathy and save them for my old age.   The numbness is slowly spreading and does that ever tick me off!!  I do NOT have time for these foot problems or to not be able to get around the way I want to.  Too much of life left to LIVE and enjoy.

If you are noticing a lack of pictures, it's because I couldn't find my little pocket sized camera.  So when I decided to use the larger one, I couldn't find it either.  YIKES!  What will I do if I have buried, lost or the gremlins have hidden them, again.  Not a good feeling.  I did take them down to the institute, so hopefully I find them down there.

MOB LUNCHES!!

I have had quite a few requests for some of the recipes for the Institute Lunches.  I must first make sure that you all realize that I have a great mentor down there.  Stacey Nymeyer has catered, in fact she catered Mariah's reception.  I have her guidance, recipes and voice of reason to help me and keep me from turning into a run-a-way train wreck, thank Heavens!!

TACO SALAD with all the toppings and corn casserole, yum!
BAKED POTATO BAR with everything but the kitchen sink
HAMBURGERS with potato salad and chips
LASAGNA with salad and garlic toast
BEEF STEW with cheesy biscuits
HOAGIE SANDWICHES with chips and broccoli salad
HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS with everything but the kitchen sink
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS with spanish rice and salad
SLOPPY JOES ( was supposed to be pulled pork sandwiches but the meat was too expensive) with chips, cole slaw, carrots and celery sticks.


FUTURE IDEAS
SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS with Cesar type salad and garlic toast
HOT DOGS with all kinds of goodies for Halloween fun
BURRITO BAR ( or Soft Tacos)
POSSE STEW with corn bread
BEEF ENCHILADAS

Just Wondering Why . . .

I post so seldom now.  Is it because Jon is home and I don't need to keep him updated?

Or maybe it is because grand motherhood has become less "new" and novel.  I don't get to see my dollies very often and the differences between them and the monkeys did keep me so entertained.





Maybe my life has become kind of boring, even to me.   Perhaps I have lost my enthusiasm; or maybe I am just tired of too many things.  I seem to be accomplishing less and yet so tired so much of the time. . . just so little energy . . .  and since I don't knit, this won't be enough . . . .


As much as I love to read . . there is a limit to how much time you can spend doing it, especially when you have a hard time concentrating with all that you should be doing nagging at the back of your mind . . . and your neck gets stiff just before the headache sets in.

So tonight I did get some plants in the infamous tire garden.  Didn't give me much sun since it was already down past the top of the fence but the fresh air, that had already cooled, did feel pretty good.  Jon ran and brought out the drip system parts to add and repair the problems areas.  That was the the highlight of my day.  Even though we ran errands together, it meant spending money and that just drives me crazy.   Tonight we just sat and talked, realized that we have no idea what the other means most of the time.  But hey!  We've only been married 33 years, give us some time, we'll get it figured out!

So now, I am going to go and do some more sewing, cutting up, mending, and see if I can come up with something original.   Hope the creative juices get to flowing.  Finding the power cord and foot pedal to my fancy machine will give me some more options to play with.  Wish me luck, Friday Lunch is tomorrow so I can't stay up too late!

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less from people but more from God.

By: Hormuzd J Dadinath