home again...

I spent the last week in my hometown with my mom and dad. I haven't been home in soooo long. I have seen my entire family at 2 weddings, but they weren't held in Arkansas where i grew up until I was 18 and left for college on the east coast. It was good to be home. My mom did very well after her treatment in Houston and I busied myself with things so not to seem hovering. I did manage to make and freeze some soup for my mom and dad and also another round of Cupcake Bites! Friday night I made Bok Choy Salad and Quinoa Salad to take to my sister and brother-in-law's home for dinner. We had a great time! I also spent time at my grandparents home. They have passed away and their home is deteriorating rapidly. My dad just doesn't have the heart to tear it down. I offered to take as many pictures as possible and photo album them for him. Maybe then, he can do it. I am afraid it will burn and ruin the trees around it and some of the out buildings. I understand how he feels and it makes me sad for him. The photos turned out well.


I just wish I had taken photos 20 years ago in the same way. People don't think of doing that, you know---taking photos of ordinary things in their home and their lives. Ok,I didn't think of it. I think that is what people end up missing the most. The ordinary things. The familiar views. The routines. It's what comforts you when you need it the most.

Homecoming 2008

My son and his friends attended Homecoming Dance tonight after having dinner out at T.G.I. Fridays! They all went together and I hope they have fun! BTW, I gave them Cupcake Bites in the previous post and they were a HUGE hit! (That's my handsome man in the checked shirt and black tux...)

That really Bites!!

...Cupcake bites, that is. Bakerella really has kept me busy trying to create these small bites of chocolate heaven! I CANNOT get the candy melts for the top to come out thin enough. I follow directions! I can read! What is the secret????! Anywho, I covered them with sprinkles and "swirley" icing and a bag. That should help. At least this batch didn't slide down the lollipop stick! I cut back on the batter "glue" and that seemed to help! They are so much fun to make. They make me happy. I think I'll make a pink batch in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. In the meantime, I am off to Bakerella's site again.

Prisoner to Peanut Butter...

Two squirrels later...Apparently rats are smarter than squirrels. Have a great day!

525600 minutes,,,

I just love this song and I just love my friends!!

One down...452 to go

Some people are ashamed to admit they are infested. Well, maybe not INFESTED, but definitely inhabited. But not The Niemeier's! We have RATS. Not IN the house, but in our attic and AROUND the house, just to clarify. At night, it sounds like WWF (World Wrestling Federation) or Friday Night Throw Down in the Octagon in our attic and more frequently in our bathroom wall. The first night I heard it, it WOKE ME UP! It sounded like Curt eating Doritos right beside me in the bed! Except the Doritos were wrestling and squeaking. Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! So over the past few weeks we have made a trip to Ace Hardware to become learned in the ways of rat poisoning and trapping. Since Curt would be the one to crawl around in the attic to search and recover dead rats, he decided on the "Live Trap and Make them Someone else's rat wrestling entertainment." He ordered the trap and it came promptly in the mail in a few short days. Much excitement here, let me tell you. The instructions were inside the cage and there were a few moments where we couldn't figure out how to get the trap open...(sigh). After mild modification by Curt to make it function correctly, peanuts were added and it was set out on a pile of wood where they like to hang out. (side note: I suggested we get rid of the wood and was informed that the wood was "custom made for each window for hurricanes and it was $100's worth of GOOD WOOD!" Just a suggestion.) Anywho, no rat in the trap for almost 24 hours until peanut butter on a cracker was added and THEN...one rat. He got his tail caught in the door, God love 'em. I think he was quite embarrassed. After much "oooohh and ahhhh how cute; look at his ears and "don't stick your nose to close, didn't you read '1984'?!!!---the rat was taken about a mile down the road to a church and promptly dumped---ok shaken--- out of his cage peanut butter cracker for the road. Charity begins at home, ya know...all God's creatures.

Now that is tight

This is the conversation that ensued after my 15 year old modeled his "newest" thrift store find...

Will: Hey Dad, how do you like my new pants? Curt: Holy cow what are those? How did you get into them? You're not leaving the house in those. You are not wearing those to school---not even out of the house. They really look uncomfortable. Dana, what do you think about these pants? Where did your junk go? Where did you get those? Will: Thrift store. Curt: What made you want to buy those at a thrift store? Will: Well they said size 26. Curt: What size are you? Will: 30, but they were so long I thought they would fit. Curt: Can you sit in them? Don't they squeeze the hell out of your junk? Will: well yeah, a little. Curt: They ought to make you feel weird. Will: yeah. Curt: take those off and get your homework done. Dana: he looks like a British rock star. Will: I need some cooling lines in these...like they do in the Hoover Dam. Curt:Will, Take those off and do your homework!!!