Allium Bulbs

I admit it, I don't know beans about bulbs. But at some point in my bleary past, it registered in my brain mush that allium bulbs turn into some pretty wayout looking "flowers???". "Flowers" just doesn't quite describe them. They're kind of alien looking. They remind me of the sputnik ornaments from the 1950's that were made to use on those shiny aluminum Christmas trees. Well, last fall, there I was in Target and I spied a package of allium bulbs from Smith and Hawken, half price, no less! How could I pass that up, I ask you??? I bought them, they sat around the house until almost winter. Whoa, I'd better get these suckers in the ground! At first I tried using a bulb planter. One hole, two holes, three holes...oh to hell with that. I just raked back a bunch of dirt and set the bulbs down then covered with dirt. Roots go down, roots go down. I figured I'd end up with them planted upside down. Alliums belong to the onion family, by the way. And the bulbs kind of look like onions. Then I waited through the doom and gloom of winter. Waiting....Waiting....Then one day sprouts!!!! Sprouts grew taller and taller. Then the blooms started to unfold. I know I should have taken pictures, like one a day so I'd have a time lapse thing going, but that didn't happen. What did happen are these gorgeous purple softball sized globes that are just awesome. Too bad I can't remember what kind of alliums they are, although "Purple Sensation" is forming out of my brain mush. I think there will be more alliums in my future. Try adding some to yours!!!

Creme Puff Cake

Valerie Bertinelli before Creme Puff Cake:

Creme Puff Cake

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

First let's make the crust! Or, rather, the puff!

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of butter

1 cup of flour

4 eggs

In a heavy saucepan heat water and butter over medium heat. When it starts to boil, turn down the heat and add the flour. Stir fast and furiously until the mixture forms a ball, pulling away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Break and add eggs 1 AT A TIME. Make sure you completely mix egg in thoroughly before adding the next egg! Put puff stuff into an ungreased 9x13 UNGREASED pan. Use the back of the spoon or spatula to put batter up the side of the pan, while keeping an even layer on the bottom, forming a shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Keep an eye on it, because mine was puffed up and brown 10 minutes before it should have been. Cool....

Now for the pudding:

4 cups of milk

1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

3 boxes (3.5 oz.) INSTANT pudding mix

And last, but not least, a tub of Cool Whip

Use mixer to combine milk and cream cheese. Now add 3 boxes of instant pudding mix. You get to choose your flavor. I made this with vanilla pudding and took it to work and my co-workers nearly licked the pan clean. But then, they would eat chocolate covered dirt as long as somebody else made it and brought it in to work. Coconut Creme is also good, and you can never go wrong with good ole' reliable chocolate. Mom tried it with Banana Cream pudding and thought it tasted a little artificial. But you can roll however you want... Keep mixing until the pudding, milk, and cream cheese thickens. Pour the "creme" over the cooled "puff". Top it all off with a tub of Cool Whip. Cover and put it in the fridge, or what the hell, have a bowl full, then put it in the fridge!

Valerie Bertinelli after Creme Puff Cake:

Now, honestly, doesn't she look great? After her weight loss, I mean! Wow, to be 48 years old and looking that hot in a bikini on the cover of People magazine! I wonder if I'd look that hot if I lost weight. I'm going to ponder that over a bowl of Creme Puff Cake!!!!

One more thing...my Dad loved creme puffs. One time Dad and I had had a disagreement about something, I don't even remember what. He left, ticked off. He showed up later bearing creme puffs. Creme puffs are the best form of apology! Miss you, Dad!

Big and Little

My son, Sam, (that would be the toothless one on the right, smiling like only a ten year old boy can) has a Big Brother. That is Ryan, on the left, although since there are only two people in the picture you probably could have figured that out on your own. About a year ago I contacted the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization in our area to find someone for Sam. BBBS matches kids (littles) with adults (bigs) in order to provide a positive role model, friendship, and companionship for children in non-traditional settings. Sam and I were then contacted for a meeting in which the rules and expectations for BBBS were reviewed. Sam was able to communicate his hobbies and interests with the counselor who would then look for a suitible match for Sam. Since Sam is an only child and we live in a college town I was hoping they would be able to match Sam with a male college student. Then we had to wait. And I think we ended up waiting for several months before we were notified that a "Big" had been found for Sam. Apparently, more women volunteer than men so it takes longer to match boys. The program also does extensive interviews and background checks on potential volunteers. BBBS also asks for a one year commitment to the program from the volunteers to provide stability for the children.

Ryan has been great for Sam. What started out as a quiet and shy introduction has grown into, simply, two brothers hangin' out. In the fall they played football and went to the park. This winter it is all about video games. And McDonald's. And just doing what brothers do.

Ryan and Sam try to get together at least once a week for a few hours. Ryan calls Sam. Sam calls Ryan. Plans are made. Plans get changed when Ryan has a test, which offers me an opportunity

to point out to Sam that Ryan has to study just like he does. Only Ryan's Mother isn't there telling him he has homework!

For Christmas, Ryan gave Sam the first of a series of books called "The 39 Clues". (I would underline that title like I was taught if I could figure out how!) Sam is now on the third book and has figured out that reading can be a good thing. Something he didn't believe was possible when I told him that!

Sadly, for us, Ryan will be graduating the first of May and leaving Maryville. I have already ask BBBS for a new "big" for Sam, but no one will ever replace Ryan. I'm confident that between e-mail and texting they will be brothers for life!

I would highly recommend BBBS for anyone who is interested in finding a mentor for their child. It has been such a good experience for Sam. I would also love for more people who want to make a positive difference in a child's life to consider giving their time to such a worthwhile program as Big Brothers and Big Sisters!

Willow

Her name is Willow and she is one special little princess! She is the daughter of my niece, Blair. And she is my very first great-niece. She will be joined in June with my very first second great-niece when my niece, Jessica and fiancee Adrian, welcome their first child into the folds of the family. Yes, there will be more on that later!!!

But this post belongs to Willow, because on March 13th she turned one year old!!!

Sam's Hospital Gig

It started Wednesday night when I picked Sam up after work. He'd had a great time hanging out with his second cousin, Shelbie, and her friend Dan at the dorms on the campus at Northwest Missouri State University. He even thought he might be a little more interested in going to college someday. It had something to do with everybody being nice and the fact that Shelbie knew everyone.

On the way home he complained that his chest hurt. Well, of course it did. He had homework to do when we got there! Then came a complaint that his lungs hurt. Huh? Then the pain moved to his stomach. Yeah, sure, Sam. He's going for no homework AND a day off from school! My 10 year old drama queen kept it up the rest of the evening. And I did let him out of doing his homework. But he was carrying on just a little too much. And things just weren't quite adding up. No fever, no vomiting, no diarrhea. He couldn't sleep. We went from his bed to my bed to the couch and back again. By 2:00a.m. I called the emergency room. "Maybe it's bladder infection. Call the Doctor in the morning."

First thing the next morning I called the doctor's office. We wouldn't be able to see the doctor until 2:15 that afternoon. Sam continued to complain of pain in his lower abdomen and started walking stooped over. By afternoon he was running a temperature. He definitely did not want me pushing on his stomach.

We met with Dr. Watson and after examining him she decided a urine sample (his first and hopefully most time consuming), a blood workup, and an x-ray were in order. Low and behold, his white count was sky high. She suspected appendicitis, which didn't come as a big shock. Next we headed to meet with the surgeon who immediately put Sam in the hospital. Well, actually, we went straight to prep for surgery. Since Sam had eaten about 1:30, we had to wait 6 hours before they could anaesthetise him.

Unfortunately,at this moment in time, Sam remembered a history lesson. When I asked him if he knew what his appendix was he filled me in. "A body part we don't need, he said." And one of the men (He knew his name, but I've already forgotten it.) who traveled with Lewis and Clark on their expedition had died on the trip of appendicitis." And, therefore, Sam thought this could be his fate. I asked him how long ago Lewis and Clark had gone on their expedition. "Two hundred years ago" he replied. I assured him that there had been a lot of medical advances in the last two hundred years and that he would be just fine. Still, as my only child, my baby, who is at ten years old almost as tall as I am, was curled on my lap, face flushed from fever, with tears running down his cheeks, it was all I could do to keep it together.

It seemed like a lifetime before he was taken into surgery. But the nurses were wonderful to him. He got to choose his own surgical hat so he'd have one like the surgical staff. He chose one with Scooby Doo on it. The hats are hand sewn for the children by one of the nurses. When he got teary eyed again, the nurses showed up with a stuffed Curious George to comfort him. George was quickly donned with a surgical cap as well. George was provided by the Abrielle Neff Foundation. Abrielle was a pre-schooler who tragically lost her life in an auto accident a few years ago. The stuffed animal was a great comfort to Sam, as was the hat. Both provided diversions that he needed. I was touched by the generosity and thoughtfulness of the nurse that provided the hats and the Foundation. Ironically, when we walked into the hospital we walked past the local newpaper machine and Grandma and her sewing friends' picture was on the front page of the paper. They are sewing pillows to be given to children who have cancer at Camp Quality this summer. I guess what goes around does come around.

Sam made it through surgery without any complications. Everything about it was routine. He and George both had band aids to show as they were wheeled into Sam's room.

St. Francis Hospital has undergone many changes since Sam was born there a decade ago. A local man, Jimmy Jones, had generously left a donation to the hospital at his death. Jimmy was a famous horse trainer for Calumet Farms and had two horses who won the Triple Crown. The hospital has used the money to rennovate and add an addition. The rennovations were very, very, nice and Calumet Farms memoribilia filled a case. Huge pictures of the horses lined the walls. It is quite a tribute to a local celebrity.

Amazingly, Sam was released to go home the next morning. Grandma, who was with us through the ordeal, came home with us until both Sam and I recovered.

Thanks to Grandma, Dr. Watson, Dr. Charles, and all the nurses and staff at St. Francis, Sam and I are going to be just fine!

Willow's First Chrsitmas

Willow is my first great-niece. My first great, actually. By this time next year, our family will have another member. Maybe even my first great nephew. Whether Jess and Adrian have a girl or boy, we'll have fun spoiling the baby!!! Babies add so much to the family.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this picture of Wizzle Banizzle under her first Christmas tree.

Christmas Traditions Around the House

I have this thing for collecting vintage Christmas stuff. Don't

ask me why! I think maybe it has to do with reliving past Christmases. My brother, sister, and I were very lucky children. I have Christmas memories that still make my eyes shine. My brother, Paul, and I were just talking about how anxious we always were on Christmas Eve. Of course, we were supposed to be in bed, but who could sleep on a night like that? Unfortunately for us, our parents bedroom was at the bottom of the stairs...and my Mom was/is a very light sleeper. I told Paul that Sam says if he wakes up at midnight we're opening presents! I'm thinking 5:30 A.M. is plenty early enough. But as Paul and I continued our conversation it started coming back to me. There aren't many things that keep me up because I am so excited about the possibilities of the morning ahead. In fact, I can't think of any. Evidently that feeling has gone by the wayside, due to age. But I have been doing a lot of thinking about what this season means for my son and all children. To have that level of anticipation for Christmas morning is a precious treasure every child deserves. And the next best feeling is having Mom yell up the stairs "SNOW DAY!!!" Thanks Mom and Dad for the wonderful Christmas memories I hold dear to my heart.

See the Christmas kitties? My sister made those for me when we were in college. I'm now 51, so you do the real math. I'll just say it has been some time ago. They are actually ornaments, but I've always seemed to like them arranged in a basket. Some are missing ribbons, some bells due to jealousy on my real cats part. It doesn't matter. It just isn't Christmas if Shelli's kitties aren't displayed somewhere. I like simple traditions the best!!! Don't you?

I'd like to introduce you to Eve. She's a child mannequin I've had for quite a few years. She's just recently been brought out of the closet, not because she's gay, but because my son has always been afraid of her. Now it's the beagle. When she was dressed for Halloween, I thought the beagle was going to have a heart attack. He cowered and barked for 2 days (and nights)! Eve is looking lovely in her Santa's hat, don't you think? Or maybe she's cold. Maybe I'd better find her a dress...and some arms. Another thing I like to do at Christmas is put out the picture Christmas cards Mom and Dad sent out when Paul, Shelli, and I were kids. The pictures are hard to see but the card on the right is just me (cuz I'm the oldest)! Then there is one of just Paul and I and then finally several with all three of us once Shelli arrived. There is also one of Grandma and Grandpa Ferguson and all ten of us grand kids. I had this photo copied and mailed one to all the cousins a couple of Christmases ago. It was definitely worth the effort! The spouses had fun trying to figure out which one of us was which. I'm missing one card. It's the infamous staircase photo. I'm fuming in it because I DIDN'T WANT MY PICTURE TAKEN!!! If you look in the back of the photo, you'll see a Western Union telegram dated Dec.17th, 1962. It's addressed to my brother, sister, and I, sent from the North Pole via St. Louis (where my aunt lived). It reads: From the land of snow and ice with a pack of presents nice my trusty deer are bringing me down. Your house will be my first stop in town. Santa Claus

I bought myself a little present when I was out today. I went to the local Hallmark store and picked up Sheryl Crow's Home for Christmas CD that's only available with Hallmark. It was $7.95 and I had a $4.00 coupon so it only cost me $4.58. I've been listening to it while I've been blogging and I like it. Well worth the $4.58! Bossy will be proud of me! And so will my sister!

I'll be back soon with more of my Christmas junk. I drug it out and everybody is going to see it, dammit!!!