Thursday, May 21, 2009

my favorite refreshing things on a hot day (in order of preference)

1. Ice water
2. McDonald's soft serve
3. Limeade with mint
4. Cold (and I mean REALLY cold) beer with lime - drank before it gets hot

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

how to be a good wife...

First, the rules (according to this textbook.)


HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE
Home Economics High School Text Book, 1954


Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the home just before your husband arrives, gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home.

Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.


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I'm not sure where to start on this thing, but suffice it to say.... um... I choose a different path. :)

Thanks Marie.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

life in a bilingual household, or why don't they teach the word "wrinkle" or "wrinkly" in Spanish textbooks

The scene: our bedroom
The action: Elias begins to stuff his tie in his jacket pocket

Me: (in English): Don't do that, your tie is going to get wrinkled!
E: What?
Me: If you put your tie in your pocket it's going to get wrinkly.
E: What is wrinkly?
Me: Wrinkled
E: I don't know what is?
Me: (in Spanish) I don't know the word in Spanish, it's what happens when you need to iron something.
E: Oh, yes. Arrugado.
Me: Fine, arrugado. Wrinkly. You should learn that word, wrinkly. It's important.
E: Ok.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Simple Things that Make Me Happy #3

1. Fresh pineapple juice, whirled up with ice and a tiny bit of sugar
2. The fact that #1 was lovingly prepared for me by my husband
3. Receiving mail in the mailbox that isn't a bill
4. Sending "real" mail.
5. Good Bible music for kids.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

non-partisan

in my outrage of the torture coverup in this country. nancy, i'm not too proud of you right now, either.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Simple things that Make Me Happy #2

1. Making my own lunch
2. Grey sweatshirts
3. Lazy mornings
4. Re-using things I already have instead of buying new ones
5. Morning walks with Elias

phrases or words i taught my husband today (volume 2

"A bird pooped on my t-shirt."

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

SImple Things that Make Me Happy #1

I'm going to start another feature here on the glasses, called "Simple Things That Make Me Happy." It's fun to think about the simple things in life, and how they can bring me joy. Watch for lots of these posts....

1. Iced tea on a hot day
2. Watching my cat gobble up tuna fish or fresh chicken when I give it to him as a present
3. Baking my own bread
4. Pineapple scented black beans from TJ's
5. Sitting around a dinner table of church members, chatting about speeding tickets.

what the @#$%! is THIS?!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8036528.stm


I was mad about this crap under Bush, and I'm mad about it under Obama.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

simple gifts...

'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.