Doodling through Dora

Dora is on so I'll take a few moments to blog about while Felisa watches. Bella is napping - good news for now, not so good news come 10:00 tonight! Ryan is playing games on the computer. Hopefully his brain won't rot out of his head. Ron isn't home yet but hopefully soon. Of course dinner is ready on time tonight when he's not here and was late last night when he was home early. Guess that's what chips and salsa are for... before dinner snacks!

I love the internet... I decided last night that I needed to do something with the chicken left over from dinner - a whole chicken so I could make stock (NOT!) or I could try soup, maybe having better luck than with straight up stock. I also had some spinach left so I went to google and looked for a creamy spinach chicken soup. Found 2 possibilities right away. I love that I can go online, type in a couple key ingredients, and come up with something new to try for dinner, in a matter of minutes. I decided to go with the Creamy Lemon Spinach Soup. Sounded easier and I had all the ingredients. I was missing one or two things from the other recipe though I could have faked it easily enough. I also chose this one because I thought Ron might like it better. The other one was very rich and cheesy - definitely the one I would like better! I haven't tasted the soup yet but I'm a little concerned about the raw egg that was whisked in at the end. Can egg be fully cooked without becoming solid? Oh well - didn't we all used to drink Orange Julius by the cupful without any problems?!

I had a "miss my Mom" moment this afternoon. Our neighbor across the street has just retired. Her daughter was home from school (spring break, perhaps?) and they were bringing a bunch of trash out to the curb for tomorrow's pick-up so it looks as though they have been clearing out/spring cleaning. I have enjoyed work time in the past with my mom, though certainly not with the appreciation it deserved in my teen years. It couldn't have been all bad though, because the memories that remain are good. I specifically remember driving up and down Ute Pass several times each Saturday for several Saturdays each fall, hauling firewood. My dad and brother stayed at the Forest Service site cutting trees while Mom and I loaded, drove, and unloaded. I also remember fondly the time spent in Salinas just before Ryan was born. I had finished work (was on Maternity/Terminal Leave) and Ron was traveling for school so Mom came out to stay with me. A couple weeks to just hang out, completing odd projects, watching movies, and even Thanksgiving Dinner for 2!

Sometimes I wish my parents lived closer. The kids would of course have more time with them but also I could do things like cook for them and go for walks. Of course, life being what it is, I probably wouldn't spend as much time as I think I would doing those things. Why is it that the closer we live to someone (family and family friends), the less often we see each other? We live so close that it would be easy to plan get togethers but then we just don't. We have never lived close to family though so I don't know if it would be different for me or not, different than what I have experienced by watching others.

Bella said the sweetest thing the other day. She told Grandma D that even when she grows up, she will still be hers. Completely unsolicited and I know it made E feel great.

And now that I have the time to write, I have completely forgotten everything I had to say. Oh well - maybe next time. Dora is almost over anyway...