Book Clubs

This morning my mom told me that one of her fellow book club members just died. (The deceased member isn't the first in Mom's club to pass on to the Big Book Club in the Sky.) This bit of information made me think about the book club to which I belong. It's quite different than Mom's club. No one has died in my club; but that isn't the only difference. Shall I list more? Okay.

*Mom is one of the youngest members of her club; I'm the oldest in mine. (I must act younger than my age.)
*Mom's club has to "vote in" new members; we are non-exclusive. (Hey, they took me!)
*One member of Mom's club reads a book and reports on it each month--kind of like a book report. We all (or mostly all) read the same book.
*Mom's club spends most of their meeting learning and asking questions about the book. We spend a few minutes talking about the book, but the discussion always involves other subjects (i.e. husbands, children, diets, etc.)
*The non-widows in Mom's club invite their husbands to a summer book club social. Our husbands are busy taking care of our children while we're occupied in club meetings.
*The members of Mom's book club are all empty-nesters. Excepting the single lady members, the rest of us still have growing children living under our roofs.
*Mom's book club probably would never choose to read "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" and "100 Years of Solitude." Unfortunately, ours did.
*Mom doesn't particularly enjoy attending her book club meetings. Book club is a monthly highlight for me.

Recent Photos

Lane, Cindy, Noah and Makenzie with us at the Idaho Falls Temple.

Josh, Annica and Bonnie with Lance and me at the IF Temple. (A & J received their temple endowments and were sealed Saturday, April 17.)

Nephews Tanner and Brennen with their new chicks.
Tanner with Arthur.
Feeding frenzy.
Brother Blake with Tanner and Brennen at the new chicken coop Blake built.
Lanette and Cleo.

Everyone who traveled to Idaho Falls to help Josh and Annica celebrate.

Sara's 20th birthday lunch at Rainforest Cafe.

A Little Mix-up

I'm a member of the committee that provides refreshments for the monthly ICS PTSA meetings. After last month's meeting, the committee chair asked that more food be provided for April's meeting. I decided to make some sandwiches using Costco rolls and homemade curried chicken salad. I made 27.

I delivered the sandwiches to the school district headquarters where the meetings are usually held; however, the meeting room was dark and unoccupied. The receptionist directed me to another room. Turns out, it was the ICS finance committee meeting and there were 2 attendees. (The committee chair told me that the regular PTSA meeting had been postponed one week.) They expected a few (like 3) more people to show up. I couldn't take the sandwiches home, because I was heading to south Bellevue to take Sara to institute and wouldn't return for over 2 hours. I didn't think the sandwiches would be fit to eat after that, and besides, we don't eat bread (at least the kind that contains gluten). So, I left the sandwiches with the finance committee. 27 divided by 5 equals 5.4. I have a feeling each attendee did not eat 5.4 sandwiches.

The finance committee didn't seemed to mind, as the chair said, "Gee, this is the first time we've ever had refreshments at our meeting!" I told her to let me know when their next meeting would be held and I would deliver refreshments again. Not!

Sew What?

Here's a little peek at two projects that have occupied my time most of the week: a quilt top and kitchen curtains. I enjoy sewing, but if you really must know, I'm not that good at it. I enjoy being creative and making things; however, they're never quite "perfect" according to my standards. I guess I'll have to keep trying.

Oh, by the way, HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!!! (I'm not fooling when I say that I really made these items.)

Emergency Supplies

I can't count the number of times my kids have come to me at the "last minute" requesting supplies for school or a church activity. Just yesterday, 10 minutes before we left for school (and he/she had to be on time to school for a major exam), one of my children (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) said he/she needed tabbed dividers. I nervously bounded upstairs to look in our supply closet hoping that the extra ones I'd bought for the last emergency were still there. Lo and behold (and thankfully) they were. Very late Sunday night another child (who shall also remain nameless and is another chronic offender) said he/she needed posterboard to complete a school assignment that night. Yes, we had that, too, but it was semi-bent and dusty. Who cared at that point?

I wish these were isolated incidents. They're not. Maybe your children are perfect and you never find yourself in these types of situations. Maybe they're like my almost-perfect children, and you do. In that case, let me offer some advice as a semi-seasoned mother of children ranging in age from nearly 13 to nearly 25.

Buy in bulk before the school year begins. This is approximately the amount of school supplies you should have on hand for those (in my case) not-so-rare emergencies. You may need to devote one room of your house to store these items.

At least 10 protractors--and place them in various locations throughout your home
5 sets of tabbed dividers
5 extra 3-ringed binders
6 boxes of pencils
6 boxes of pens
10 glue sticks
5 pink erasers
3 or more packages of lined (college or wide-ruled) 8.5x11" paper
3 or more packages of copy/printer paper
2 packages of card stock in assorted colors
5 Sharpies
5 Flair markers
3 boxes of crayons
3 boxes of colored pencils
2 bottles of white-out
2 printer cartridges in black
2 printer cartridges in color
Prismacolors (expensive!)
10 pieces of posterboard (white and colored)
3 staplers
2 boxes of staples
1 large container of paper clips
1 large box of sheet protectors
10 pair of scissors
10 rolls of tape
2 rolls of masking tape
2 rolls of duct tape
Pain killers (for you)
5 pocket folders
5 report folders
5 packs of 3x5" cards (lined and unlined)
5 packs of 4x6" cards (lined and unlined)
2 dictionaries
A stack of blank CDs
5 flash drives
large pack of Post-It Notes
5 calculators (including 1 scientific one)
A plethora of batteries in various sizes

Have I omitted anything? If so, I probably have it somewhere in my house.

Thank-you Fight

"Thank you, again, Mom," Mark said after I bought a fast-food meal at the Golden Arches today (bunless burgers and grilled chicken salad, of course).

"Why do you always have to have the last word, Mark?" asked Zachary.

This started a thank-you "fight" of sorts between Sara, Zachary and Mark, with "thank-yous" being flung fast-paced at me. Since the expressions were zinging so quickly, I mostly can't remember who said what, but the comments went something like this:

"Thank you, again, again."

"Thanks, Mom. Oh, I can't remember if I said 'thank you,' so thank you again."

"Thanks for saying 'you're welcome,' Mom."

"Thanks for thanking Mom for saying 'you're welcome.'"

"I forgot again whether or not I said 'thank you,' so thank you."

Then Sara said, "I'm going to be mature about this and not feel the need to get in the last word, but thank you, Mom."

Of course, Mark had to add, "Thanks for putting up with all of this, Mom."

It was all in good fun. I think.

The Sausage Fairy

Perhaps you have heard of the Tooth Fairy or the Good Fairy. Have you ever heard of the Sausage Fairy? I didn't think so. The Sausage Fairy is a beloved and regular visitor at our house. She seems to know just when she's needed most and arrives, warm sausages in hand, to deliver sausages to a boy in the upper bunk. She even provides the plate, fork and a beverage.

She knows when it's most important for said bunk boy to wake up on time and with a good attitude. Her magic never fails. Bunk boy discovers the plated sausages near his pillow and the beverage on the bunk ladder. He smiles, props himself up on one elbow and quickly devours the food. He promptly climbs out of bed, deposits the dishes in the kitchen sink and happily gets ready for the day.

Sometimes the Sausage Fairy leaves a few extra links in a pan on the stove for others in the family to enjoy. How we love the Sausage Fairy!

Lest you feel sorry for the boy in the lower bunk, please know that the Oatmeal Fairy and the Scrambled Egg Fairy alternately visit him at 5:30 each morning of the school week. These fairies also deliver vitamins and Ovaltine-laced milk.

What kind of fairy would be most helpful in your household?