RSS Feeds

So I've stepped into 2007 century now that I know what RSS Feeds are...If you're still back in 2006 like I was just a moment ago then check this site out.

Commoncraft.com It's awesome. They explain things in "plain English." This is how I learned that I can update my blog and subscribers can see that I've done so...without me sending an email every time.

This is cool. Check it out. Click on this link and watch the short video. Follow it's directions then click on the "Subscribe to Us" gadget at the top right and hopefully you won't have to wait until the Summer to see if it works.

4greens

Circle of Life/Weather

I spent quite a bit of time writing about winter in the Mid-west. Lots of snow talk, fascination with the temperature gauge and coming up with interesting ways to pass the time when it's colder than God ever intended me to be exposed to.





Lo' and behold (a little Christmas talk...lo)...it stinking snowed here last week. Talk about a swift kick in the you-know-what. It was cold and the stuff fell from the sky.

Now to the credit of all who live north of the Red River...it wasn't snow that you could do anything with other than take it's picture. But it was white, it stuck to the car, the roof, the picnic table and your hair. I've included some pictures of what it looked like here. You have to look really close to see it...but it's there.


That little bit of home-sickness I had earlier this month when Chicago had their first real snow of the season. Thanks arctic cold-front for making me appreciate the crazy weather we can have here in SETX. Within 48 hrs of the snow it was 60 degrees.

Famous Rachel part deux

Before we bailed out of the Great White North Rachel had an opportunity to go to a food show in Chicago. Just to give you an idea of the gravity of that experience here's a few examples...

• For sports fans it's the equivalent of going to a world series game
• For NASCAR fans it's Daytona with pit passes
• For car fiends it's the LA Auto Show

Get the idea ? Well not only was it a huge-mongous exhibition of all things fancy foods but there were celebrity chefs there too. Some of you have already gasped at least once since you started reading this; for those of you that haven't let me go ahead and help you get it out of the way...GASP !

Now if you've known Rachel at all over the past undisclosed years that she's been alive, then you know that when she wants something she gets it...sometimes with carnage in her path. From the get-go she was on a mission to get signatures and pictures of her and the varios chefs that would be at the show. Once she actually got around a security dude and got a picture before the celeb could say "OK thanks folks...I'm outta here." Below you can see the results of Rachel's kamakaze mission.

Best part about the whole experience...for me at least...the loot that she brought home !!

And I thought I was too much of a perfectionist...

You gotta love the random-ness of the web...I found this while looking for some local hot spots to view house lights. This is incredible. It's a different take on putting up lights at the house. Not sure much about how MANY you can put up but how many seizures you can create with them.


ENJOY !!



Here's another one that was sent to me...even COOLER..!!

Long Time a-Comin'

First of all let me apologize for the long absence from blogspot. I realize that it’s a huge no-no to start blogging then just fall off the face of the earth with little or no warning. However since I’m starting to become full of holiday spirit and benevolence, I’ll post something to catch everyone up on things. Plus…getting Rachel to pick this project up has proven way more complicated than I had planned.

Most of you know now that we’re back in Texas (at least those of you that love to stalk each other using Facebook…this includes me too). Yes…another move and no I’m not addicted to moving; despite what the following timeline might try to prove otherwise:

1997 Shawnee, OK
1998 Moore, OK
2000 Seabrook, TX
2001 League City, TX (wow we actually stayed put for 4 yrs)
2005 Beaumont, TX
2006 Yorkville, IL
2008 Spring, TX

As you can see we’re on our 2nd tour of the Houston Metro. This time we’ve chose to be north of the action in Spring. Look us up if you find yourself close.

OK back to how we got back here. From recent postings you can see that we were enjoying our time in the Great White North even with its strange food and weather. The people are absolute joy. This was quite a surprise to us. Everyone knows that only Southerners are nice, right ? No one is a hospitable, warm and charming as people from the South (especially TEXAS). Not true. Mid-westerners, I mean real ones, not people from Chicago but people from the farm, are truly lovely folks. They are genuine and want nothing more than to enjoy their families, friends and Italian beef (I’ll get to that later…I promise). Why leave ? Well, it’s always the same thing…work. Despite our full intention of semi-settling in Yorkville for several years, job and God had other plans.

I’ll save you the gory details of the job junk. Needless to say things don’t always go like you want; large corporations don’t ask your opinion (gasp!) and despite your best intentions to land that dream job…it doesn’t happen. And with Houston being the “center of the energy world” most all jobs lead that direction. We figured this was inevitable just not so soon.

It was with very heavy hearts that we left Yorkville and moved back to Texas. But in all things there are silver linings, right ? My parents were also being transferred back to Texas after a brief stint in Delaware. We all decided to live within 15 minutes of each other so that our kids could grow up with grandparents in their lives. It was a luxury I had as a kid. Rachel didn’t grow up near her so this was a very attractive option. It definitely took the sting out of leaving our friends. Lots of tears were shed let me tell you. But you know…I was so glad that we settled in so nicely and so quickly. It was a tough move up wondering how life was going to be way up there with no one we knew. God has truly had His hand on us the whole time. All of us left a piece of our hearts in Illinois.

I’m not going to tell you that I don’t miss the weather. I miss the snow this time of year; it goes so perfectly with the season. Now I HATE it in Feb and March. But it’s not Feb and March now so I miss the snow. I do love the weather in Houston right now though. I get to phone my friends in Illinois and brag about the 73 degree afternoons. Call me fickle. I would like for it to snow at night and be 73 during the day. When you find that climate let me know.

The kiddos still ask when we’re going back to Illinois. We know that will eventually stop but it burns a little; especially when Paige asks. She’ll remember quite a bit about living there. We just continue to tell them that we don’t live there anymore. Texas is our home now.

Now that you’re sufficiently bummed out and no doubt misty-eyed from my dramatic writing…thanks for stopping by to read the latest. I plan on filling in the gaps in reverse, like one of those backwards Seinfeld episodes. It goes with the theme of our lives…things are NEVER in the order YOU expect them. Just remember that the ONE that keeps the order of the whole world has you in His hands.


The grass grows here too. We’re looking for how to care and feed it better this time.

4greens

Please pester Rachel....

I started the blog with full intentions of turning it over to Raye for care and feeding. Everyone knows she's way better at CARE and FEEDING than I ever was/am/will be, etc.

Please send emails and call her....pester her to update this website. I'm trying to pencil in some time on her schedule for Blog Training but that's been met with some frustration.

So...if you're at all interested (I assume you are or you wouldn't be reading this) in the following items please bug Rachel.

--We moved (AGAIN)
--Girl Scouts
--Food Network Star encounters

and many more...because you know we're not boring people.

J

Our Very First Dance Recital...

Paige completed her first year of Ballet I and made her debut this weekend. We were fortunate to have the event witnessed by Mema and several hundred other parents. Thankfully everything went very well. We weren't positive that it would based on some previous "public performances" (e.g, Christmas programs, Mid-year programs). BUT...Paige prevailed...and I have to say with some grace (from the Green's side obvisouly...) and excellent memory skills (again...from the same side of the family).

We'll need to work on skipping in a circle for next year's performance. Oh...and please do enjoy the pre and post commentary/entertainment.

How to Cuss Out Your Baby Brother

The kids have finally figured out how to insult each other with words now instead of hitting. Yes, they're growing up so fast.

We can thank such wonderful shows like Charlie Brown Christmas. My kids picked up "idiot" and "stupid" from Lucy. Of course like all kids, including myself at their age, they don't know it's a "bad word" until they use it and get in trouble. I can remember repeating a rather offensive word after hearing it on a Superman movie when I was 7. I don't think I've ever learned quicker than I did in that moment of realization that I used a "bad word" and thus must be punished.

Devious, I mean cunning, children are also quick to figure out that the tone of your voice, no matter what you're saying, can communicate disdain or frustration. Our oldest created the word "britchy" I think out of frustration from not being able to use "idiot, stupid and poopy-head." I'll just make a new word but use the same tone, that will let baby brother know I mean business. Now I know that it looks like and sounds like a very grown-up kind of word but I'm almost positive it's not a by-product of her mother's vocabulary; almost. Then there's the use of words by kids where they see it as a down-right cutting jab. This is the funniest and hardest to actually correct. The kids have a friend who thinks the word "stinker" is just the worst cut-down in the world. And I'm sure in his mind he's just waiting to get in big trouble for using it. But come-on (shelly) it's not a bad word and it's actually quite funny. The sincerity is definitely appreciated and it reminds me of one of my favorite commercials. Orbit gum has a "dirty mouth" commercial with two ladies and a man giving each other one heck of a tongue-lashing, only it's with "clean" words. Check it out below...





Oh, one more thing...eliminating part of an insulting phrase doesn't make it less bad. Telling your baby brother to "shut" instead of "shut up" doesn't fool your parents. Unless of course dad's watching TV and mom's cooking, then you can probably get away with it a few times.

4greens

Famous Rachel

Our dear Rachel has finally made it. She's becoming a regular icon in the wide world of gourmet food stores located in far western suburban Chicago revived downtowns along the Fox River. Give a girl a nice knife and a hot plate and she's gold.

I told you in the very first post that she had started working a few hours a week in a gourmet food store in the next town over. Best gig in a long time for her. Definitely in her element here. I mean she has a knack for taking a jar of something and turning it into a meal that's easy and tasty.

The store owner picked up on this real quick and asked Rachel to demo some items for an annual Open House. Long story short, it was a success and she had a blast. It went so well in fact that the owner asked if she would consider doing it a few more times. Before Rachel knew it she had become the "instructor" for some cooking classes the store was hosting.

The best part about it is the taste-testing. Every idea she had we get to try it. You wouldn't want her to have a bomb recipe right ? I'm doing all I can to ensure that doesn't happen. The neighbors are also appreciative of Rachel's new fame. Who doesn't enjoy free food ?

She's already had a Super Bowl open house and classes will start soon. I'll let you know when she schedule's her first throwdown with Bobby Flay.

Baby it's cold outside...

What to do when it's -10 degrees and sunny (Hint: nothing)

Freakiest thing...the colder it gets the more beautiful the sky. I'm sure there's some meterological explanation that I'm not going to figure out, I'll leave that to you and Google. It's the worst case study in irony that I've ever experienced. Probably akin to the desert mirage...you think it's gonna be so nice but NOPE. Sorry, tricked you again.

You wake up, wondering to yourself..."hmmm...it's so sunny out today; what a great day to go sledding (yeah that's now in our vocabulary) or whatever..." So you stumble into the bathroom, glance at the handy digital thermometer you have sitting next to the toothbrush (these things are an absolute necessity, I mean you become so fascinated with temperature up here that it's a part of your routine every day) and GASP!! What does LL.L mean in thermometer-ese ? It means it's too dang cold for even the thermometer to read...below -10F !

So cold that time seems to slow down...light bulbs don't glow as bright (for real), the car doesn't respond the same (ours actually came with a plug to keep the engine block warm) and your FACE feels like it's going to shrink up so tight it will snap. And don't think you're going outside "real quick" to get the mail or paper. I did that once and figured out that facial hair has just enough moisture to freeze. I swear it's turned some of it white already. Oh, and yes Virginia, boogers freeze. Like ROCKS, painful rocks. Man (I) was not intended to live in these conditions.

Even more sad, sunlight is so RARE during February that the weather dudes actually tell you how many minutes of sunlight we've had each day. So these bright sunny days are torture.

Then there's that comforting sound of the air ducts expanding and contracting as the heat cycles on and off. It's always so nice to hear "POP" in the night. No dear, it's not the Abominable Snowman, just the house, moaning.

PS- Have you ever heard of Frozen Fog, I didn't think so. It's really dense fog that occurs when it's below freezing. Check out the pic...if you can see it clearly...the fog freezes on stuff and it looks like whitefuzz.

Weird Things #2 - Food is Weird Here

You know I couldn't go too long without a food-related posting. Especially with Rachel working around it and the rest of us putting our fair share of it down our pie-holes.


I'll start with the pizza. Not the "Chicago deep-dish" stuff, just the regular pizza. Thin crust to be more specific.


Pizza is round. Yes it is, I'm not going to discuss Little Skeezer's square thing, pizza is round. But for some reason, up here, it's cut in squares. Evidently no one played with that toy as a child there you put the square blocks in the square holes and round blocks in round holes. Think about what happens when you cut a pizza that's ROUND into SQUARES. You're left with tiny freak pieces on the edge.


Hot dogs have vegetables on them. Relish, tomatoes, pickles, peppers...weird. Check it out, Google a "Chicago dog" and feast our eyes on that disaster.


Corn is royalty. It holds a special place in the mid-western heart, second only to soybeans. You don't mess with it while it's growing and you don't shun it in the grocery store. You buy lots of it, eat it, grow it in your front bed (see the Picasa site)...you can't escape it. You must respect it.


Don't worry though...it's not too weird to eat.

Back from the East

We made it back in 6 pieces. And that picture of the Griswolds in their Truckster was spot-on for the Greens in their Freestlye, cruising down the magnificent turnpikes that stretch from here to Pennsylvania.


All in all it was a nice trip. Sixteen hours isn't that long if you stretch it out over two days and add junk food, a DVD player, markers, a tomtom and a radar detector. Sprinkle in some skanky rest stops, a couple of priceline.com quality ho/motels and LOTS of McDonald's stops and you've got the makings of a perfect road trip. I felt like we were suspended for two days somewhere between a reality show (Fear Factor) and Cannonball Run.

We arrived disheveled but happy to be at our destination: Middletown, DE...in the middle of the First State, smack between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. GG and Big Daddy had transformed their home into a Christmas Wonderland complete with a massive supply of food and musical knick-knacks (is that spelled correctly ?). Bring on the Amish delights and real Coke.


Christmas morning (#4 for our family) was way fun. It's always a treat to see how excited the little ones can get over opening presents. The kids were excited too.


Yeah, I wrote #4. Christmas started in early November when Rachel's brother's family came to visit. #2 was when Grandaddy Dean came in December, #3 was Santa's first attempt at our house just before the journey East.


Everyone's Nazi came out...the wrapping paper one (grabbing the torn paper before it even has a chance to hit the ground), the bow one (snatching every bow that wasn't a victim of violent unwrapping) and the picture one (hurry, snap it so the next person can open their gift). It was fun.


Funny thing about having multiple Christmas mornings...it messes with the little brain. Every morning held the expectation of more presents. Poor Jake, he was never as excited about a new day than he was over the holidays. I think he finally caught on around the 28th.


4greens




It snowed while we were away. The grass was barely visible but still green...amazing how resilient it is.