Beauty is not only found in THIN

I've pondered whether or not to post my thoughts about the recent hype surrounding Mike Jeffries.

For those of you who may be lucky enough to not have the foggiest idea who I am referring to, please allow me to enlighten you.
This not-so-lovely man
is the CEO of Abercrombie-Fitch ~
a clothing store that I NEVER even consider patronizing,
especially if my kids are in tow.
Just don't need my girls checking out the hard-bodies without shirts
and I really don't want my boys seeing mostly naked girls hanging all over the walls...
so unnecessary!
I have found the advertisements and the posters that hang outside their stores,
well,
how do I put this in a gentle way???
Never mind,
can't find a gentle way to refer to
the CRAP that is shown to any and all that walk past!
REALLY???
Have we no regard for leaving something to the imagination when looking at the body of another person?
I have been able to just disregard their approach to marketing...
doesn't suit me and that's okay.
I am not the end-all of what is appropriate or inappropriate....
I can turn my head,
I can lead my kidlets down a different aisle of the mall in an effort to miss their store entirely,
I don't have to shop where I don't wish to...
so that has been that...
no biggie.
(Please don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a beautiful hard body just as much as anyone else... I see where the washboard belly is nice and appealing to the eye, but I just really don't need it shoved in my face or the faces of my kiddos!)
I have felt no need to make a big deal out of what they deem necessary to sell their clothing line ~ even if I think they are totally whacked!!!


BUT
when it comes to his (Mike Jeffries) rude, insulting comments toward those who can't squeeze their voluptuous, beautiful bodies into a size 0 pant size, I get a tad fired up.

Speaking of a size 0...
what is zero???
Last time I checked, ZERO is NOTHING!!!
And to make it even a little better ~ how about you squeeze those little buns into a size 00...
what the heck?
I'm guessing a size 00 must equal a DOUBLE NOTHING!!!
All I can really suggest to these gals who can fit into a NOthing or a DOUBLE NOthing is watch yourselves and make certain you are never caught in a windstorm, I don't think you'd fare very well!!!  And if you find yourself in such a situation, I might suggest grabbing for the nearest tree and hanging on for dear life!

I have never squeezed my body,
not on my very best day,
into a size 0...
and I would like to add I would HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE TO DO SO!!!

And guess what else???
I don't believe that I, or anyone else, have to be that thin to qualify as beautiful.
When you can't even purchase anything larger than a size 10 in this store, because anything above a size 10 is considered FAT CHICK STATUS...
well, let me say this as nicely as I can possibly muster up...
"Mike Jeffries, you, sir, can go suck rocks!!!"

Just so ya know...if I wanted to get a pair of those pants on this voluptuous body of mine, I COULD DO IT, size 10 is no big deal!
Trust me, I am a pro when it comes to laying down on the bed, sucking it in and zipping up...breathing is way overrated!
Remember, I was a teenager in the 80's and we learned how to paint those hummers on!!!  The tighter, the better!  (wink, wink!)

This stinky excuse for a man just makes me sad...
actually what makes me sad is that girls and women fall for this...they believe they are not good enough, or beautiful enough, or popular enough...fill in the "_______" enough for yourself ~ I'm sure you get the picture I'm attempting to paint.
Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes...even if men like him disagree.

Wish I could give credit for the little piece of artwork...
but I don't know who to give credit to (can't read the signature)
...so if this came from you ~ NICE WORK!  LOVE IT!!!


Had I ever had the desire to shop in this store, the following statement would forever change my mind:
A&F's aggressive pursuit of the preppy, highly-sexed 18- to 22-year-old demographic is largely down to its 68-year-old CEO, who explained his strategy to Salon in 2006. “That's why we hire good-looking people in our stores,” Jeffries said. “Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don't market to anyone other than that.” He went on: “In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don't belong [in our clothes], and they can't belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”

Just gotta say this...can't even help myself...
He is just a Big Old Stinkin' Pig!!!

Need to check it out for yourself???
Here are a couple articles to give you the scoop.
One article, Abercromie-Fitch CEO explains why he hates fat chicks along with a second article, Not available in XL, in which Jeffries is accused of only wanting thin and beautiful people; are two example of who this man is and what this store represents.
WARNING:  There is a photo that you may not love, so make sure your kiddos are not standing near as you open it up.

Done with my little rant...
sometimes we just have to stand up for what we believe...
As the momma of many children, I want my girls to know that their beauty is not dependent on a SIZE and for my boys, I want them to be able to SEE girls for who they are, again, not because they are some size that another has said warrants being the "cool, popular or beautiful"...

Mike Jeffries, it is time to begin to act as an adult...
try to see the beauty in others...
I believe you will find that life is a beautiful place to be when you find your way out of that shallow place you choose to exist in.

Good-night world!!!

Can Soda REALLY do that to you???

During a Science class in our co-op this past week where we were discussing Chemical Reactions, a comment regarding the way our bodies react to certain foods and beverages was discussed.

Our science teacher, the wonderful Jerusha Smith, told a story of her grandmother who had "lived" on drinking coke for the better part of 40 years.













This poor grandma did not fair well with a copious amounts of soda raging through her body.  She refused to drink water...blah, blah, blah...

The point of the story, or of my sharing it with you, is that during her story of her grandmother, she told the kids that this poor woman ended up with a hole in her heart due to drinking too much coke.

I'm guessing this must have made quite the impression on my kids,
just this morning, one of my little girls asked me if her story was true?
Could drinking a lot of soda really do that to your heart?
I was just about to reply,
when my other little one chimed in with this,
"Well, no it cannot be true BECAUSE I have drank lots and lots of soda one day and I never got a hole in my heart!"

I'm glad to hear that they were listening (well, semi-listening)...had they heard (or listened to) the entire story they would have understood that the point being made was that the long duration of time and excess amount of soda was what contributed to this sad condition.

I couldn't help but snicker just a little -- my kids rarely drink soda and to them lots and lots of soda would mean they might have had 2 cups in one day!  ;)
I might think of this little conversation each and every time I enjoy one of those tasty bottles...
NO, I don't have one every day,
but every now and then I simply must partake!!!

Happy and Sad Times...

What a weekend!

Started my Friday out with a visit to a sweet friend and her kiddos that we haven't seen in way too long...had a walk down memory lane as we visited her horses and cows ~ just a tad difficult and heart wrenching.  Made me wish for my days in the country again with our property and space to run.  BUT I AM GRATEFUL that we have a nice home and that all is well...so no more whining about that!!!

Later that day...

OH MY GOSH!!!
HOLD ON...

I didn't even add in the MOST EXCITING NEWS!
I can't believe I've forgotten to share...
Guess what I am now the very, very happy owner of???

Can ya guess???

Want me to give you a hint?
Well,
it's yellow!

That might be enough for some of you!

If not,
please let me go on...
and it's adorable!

And when I put the top down
my hair flies all about...

Do you know what it is yet???

Okay, let me give you some more...
People drive past me slugging each other
and I giggle...(i know that's horrible, but I cannot help myself!)
It is, by far, the very happiest thing on the road!!!

I am now (after so many years of dreaming about it!)
the very happy owner
of the happiest YELLOW SLUG BUG ever!!!!!!!!!

Pictures coming in my next post...
Right now it's just hanging out in the garage,
and garages do not offer the best backdrop for such adorableness!

Okay, back to my weekend...

Well, after leaving my friends house,
(all my girlies in tow...
little ones in the backseat, arms high in the air.
loving the wind blowing through their hair ~
Can't you just picture the happiness???)

Next thing on the agenda,
a wedding reception in another very happy place...

The happy couple was married earlier that day
and the reception was held at The Boise Train Depot ~
one of my very happiest memories is there...

My hubby and I were married
by the ponds,
so beautiful!
We went to the reception, mingled, enjoyed great company,
even took a ride up the elevator to the bells and looked out over the city ~
it was perfect!
And then we added to the PERFECTNESS of it all
by visiting "OUR ROCK" overlooking "our pond"...
and my dear hubby said,
"I did and I still do and I'd do it all over again!"

Oh my gosh, I love that man!!!

Then we had a date night.
LOVE THOSE!!!
We went with some friends, it was a blast ~
full of craziness...
I had best save that story for another post.  :)

Saturday...
this was a little bit harder day.
Beautiful in it's own special way.

I took my little girls to a musical titled,
"Through Emma's Eyes"...
This was the story of a Emma Smith  ~
she is someone I have grown to love and admire...
while at the same time I have not always understood her.
I can't even say that I should try to understand her heart after all that she was given to endure...my heart breaks for her when I think of the trials she suffered; losing one child would be more than any mother could stand and she lost many and then suffered the loss of her husband.
This musical was worthy of a box of tissues!

After seeing the musical of Emma, my hubby and I went for another visit.
We have a very dear friend who is giving her best fight against CANCER.
DANG CANCER anyway!!!
It is a tough fighter...not willing to give a break at all!
Can I just tell you how much I hate cancer???
I hate it,
I hate it,
 I hate it!!!!!!!

I hate what it is doing to our friend,
what it is doing to her family,
her children...

She has been given very little time left to live
and had always dreamed of going to Hawaii...
she was even given a trip to Hawaii as a Christmas present,
but her health prevented her from going...
SO,
her wonderful family
brought HAWAII to her!

Saturday evening she was surrounded by friends and family ~
enough to fill an entire church building.
We saw so many old friends
there were enough tears in that room to water many a garden!
Tears of joy as we remembered times with Dorene,
tears of sorrow as we look at what Cancer is doing to her,
and more tears of sorrow as we know what is to come.

Yet, as I say all of this...
I hold out hope.
Her 12 year old son holds out hope,
he believes that Heavenly Father will answer his prayers and that she will receive a miracle...
I pray with all of my heart that her little son is right.
And if not, I pray that her family will find peace and know that they can be with their sweet Momma again.

Stupid Cancer!!!

Sunday morning brought more happiness...
Our little grandbaby, three weeks old today,
was blessed in Church yesterday ~ Easter Sunday.
He is so darling!

Then Easter Dinner at our home with all our kiddos
and my grandbabies
my mom and dad
and my sister and her family.

That evening we sat out on the grounds of the temple as our daughter (and the Boise Institute Choir) performed an Easter Tribute.  It was beautiful and a perfect way to end Easter Sunday.

And now...
it is Monday
back to school
and work
and life
and all...

As I woke early this morning,
my hubby said,
"Jump out of bed
and enjoy this beautiful day
because you can..."

And with all that I saw this weekend,
I will do just that...
I will enjoy another day
and be grateful for it
because I can...

Another Happy Moment in time...

And YES, I must share it with YOU!!!

For all who know me well, you know that this has not been the easiest year of my life...
FULL
of many hard days...
Might be the hardest year I can ever remember.

BUT it has also been
filled with many amazing days of growth
and understanding of me
and who I'm becoming...
and
of who I was and
who I AM...
A Year of learning a whole lot of stuff
about me...
and about looking on the bright side of things.
A year of learning to accept that I am not really in control of everything, in fact, I'm not really in control of ANYTHING...I'm just along for the ride ~ and quite a ride it has been!!!

It has been 7 months,
yep, let's count 'em
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Dang...that is a lot of months...
anyway,
it has been 7 VERY LONNNNNNGGGGGG months
since I've been behind the wheel of a car...

Not because I didn't long to be there,
not because I was a bad girl and lost my privileges
not because I didn't have a car to drive about...
but because
my body decided to take a little break from
Life...
It decided I needed to STOP
just about EVERYTHING.
immediately.
without question.
without argument.
just STOP!

Well,
my HAPPY MOMENT
that I must share
cause I just can't keep such amazing things to myself
is that I am FINALLY behind the wheel again!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am okay...
I avoid certain areas,
BUT
I am out there again...

AND
one day
hopefully sooner than later
I
WILL
DRIVE
MY
YELLOW
SLUG BUG!!!

(First, I need to buy it...minor detail)
But that is my silly dream ~ to drive about in an adorable little yellow slug bug...gerber daisy riding along happily beside me ~ sunroof open allowing all that sunshine to warm my shoulders, wind ruffling my hair and all my favorite music just playin' away!!!

But what you must know is that
just a month ago
I had resigned myself to never leaving my home again
alone...
I was okay with it...
(most of the time)
there were days I had a little fit,
it was not what I wanted...

but my health was returning,
my brain was functioning again,
I was able to finally walk around by myself
without the aid of my husband or my children,
I could open a book and enjoy reading once again,
life wasn't fully "normal" or as I had known previously,
but I could pretty much do as I wished (within reason)...
so I was pleased.

AND NOW...
Just a short time later,
I am feeling ALMOST completely back to ME!!!!

So there is my Happy Moment that needed to go out to all of the people that I love so much!!!
Thanks for sharing in my little happy party!!!

Bears, Mermaids and Whales...Oh My!!!!

So it seems to me that most, if not all, women are somewhat obsessed by who they are, what they look like, what others think of them…
We forever compare ourselves to others...

Instead of fearing the Lions, Tigers and Bears in our lives...
our fears are based out of not being good enough, 
or looking fine enough, 
or fitting in just so...
we desire to become 
or to look like 
or to be as popular as
this person 
or that person...

 

I just have to share a couple short stories with you...
they'll give you something to think about and hopefully add a little laughter to your day!  ;)

 

A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption read: 

"This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?" 

The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way: 

"Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends
(dolphins, seals, curious humans),
they are sexually active
and raise their children with great tenderness. 

They entertain like crazy with dolphins
and eat lots of prawns.
They swim all day
and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia.
They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on Cd's.
They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defend and admires. 

Mermaids do not exist. 

But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality:
woman or fish?
They would have no sex life
and could not bear children.
Yes, they would be lovely,
but lonely and sad.
And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side? 

Without a doubt, I'd rather be a whale. 

At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends. We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn't enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies.
We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated.
Every time I see my curves in the mirror, I tell myself:
"How amazing am I ?! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her response!

And the next story....well, it just makes me giggle!!

In My Next Life I Want To Be A Bear

In my next life I want to be a bear.

If you're a bear, you get to hibernate. 

You do nothing but sleep for six months.

I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.

I could deal with that, too.

If you're a bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute cuddly cubs.

I could definitely deal with that.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.

I could deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. 

He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat. 

He KNOWS not to get between you and the food.

Yup..... Gonna be a bear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although these both make me laugh just a little, 

I have to admit I truly have no real desire to be a bear or a mermaid or a whale…

They all have their benefits ~ 

there are times that I think I could deal with having an extended nap, especially when it’s cold outside!  

I love the beautiful life of the whale 

and let’s face it, who wouldn't enjoy having the body of a mermaid (with the addition of a couple of legs)?

But since I’m never going to be 

a bear 

or a whale 

or a mermaid, 

I will focus on what I can become… 

I can become the very best ME there is!

There is no reason I can't have the body I dream of...
if I am willing to work hard enough for it...
why bother dreaming of looking like a mermaid???  
I can make anything I wish happen if it is important enough to me.
And I'm already living a life better than that of the bear or the whale...
If I REALLY wish to have that extended nap,
well, I'll just go climb under the covers and get up when I feel like it and that will be okay...and my little "cubs" can join me if they wish to.  
Not too often do I feel the need to swat anyone around me, but if so...well, I guess I could do that, too..so you might wanna watch out!.  ;)
Someday I just might be lucky enough to see all the wonder and beauty that the whale enjoys, but if not...that is okay...I see so much that they are never blessed to witness.
So, yea...
I think being ME is pretty alright
and I'm pretty alright...
so no real need to be a bear or a mermaid or even a whale.

I believe our true happiness comes when we finally really like the person we are ~
when we can look in the mirror and say to our reflection…

"You are one amazing person…"

Delish PIE CRUST ... I am SO happy!

Okay...I spent pretty much my entire day Monday determined to PERFECT and MASTER a Gluten Free Pie Crust...
I am happy to say that I accomplished what I set out to do!
At least as far as the taste factor goes...
still working on making them look PERFECT...
not sure if that is going to happen, but I'm giving it my best shot!
Those of you who know me well know that I don't give up easily!!!
The truth is though, if I can only have one thing pretty close to perfect, I'd prefer it were the taste...if it doesn't look quite so beautiful, maybe that's okay...it really is all about how happy it makes your mouth feel, right?

After spending most of the day, I started to wonder if it was really worth all the effort...
That was about the time for taste tests...yep, I'd say it was worth it!
Pretty yummy!

When my hubby came home from work,
he asked what we were having for dinner...
I looked at the clock a little shocked at the time and suggested,
"PIE?" 
He smiled his great smile,
so pie it was for the whole family...
I had all my little judges critiquing which crust was the tastiest and the flakiest and the prettiest...

I tried a couple different recipes, one that I found on the internet and another that I reworked from my FAV Recipe ever...
in the end, "THE CHOSEN ONE" turned out the be the one I had re-invented to be Gluten Free...
it turned out very flaky...and reminded me very much of a shortbread flavor and texture.
Oh Happy Day!!!

So without further adieu...let's get to making a delicious, flaky GF pie crust...

Your list of ingredients:

3 Cups All Purpose GF Flour Mix
2 Cups GF Mix for Goodies
(Flour Mixes are on a past post that you can find here: Gluten Free Flour Recipes...
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar (packed)
2 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1 3/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Crisco
1 Cup Butter
1 Egg
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Cup (or less) Ice COLD water

Mix all dry ingredients together with a fork
Add Crisco and Butter, sliced into small pieces, into flour mixture.
Use your pastry blender for the first couple of minutes to help break up the fats.
Then put it to the side and let your fingers get busy...this works the very best!

The motion you will use is NOT like Kneading bread dough...
You are kind of massaging with your thumb and your first two fingers and just gently working the dough...This breaks up the fats and allows them to bind with the flours nicely.


You are done when your mixture resembles small pebbles in your bowl ~ a cornbread type consistency.


Now you will beat your egg and apple cider vinegar together and pour into your flour mixture, spreading it as evenly as possible over the top, then simply work it in with your fingers just as before.

Now take your ice cold water...I prefer to have a larger bowl of ice water and then pour it into my measuring cup...

SLOWLY add your water,

a LITTLE at a time until you end up with a nice ball of dough. 

IF you have some crumbly stuff on the bottom, LEAVE IT...
take out the nice ball you have and set it to the side. 
NOW you can add a smidgen more water to pick up your leftover crumblies...
when they have formed a nice ball, just stick them right into the middle of your larger ball...
they will mesh together very nicely.

At this point...
grab out your parchment paper
your rolling pin
and a little tapioca flour.

Also, this is a great time to choose the pie plate you will be using.
I LOVE using my glass pie dishes...
I think they cook more evenly and I just love the way they look compared to the little metal tins...
BUT those will work just dandy if that's what you have.  :0)

Okay, ready to roll???
;)

You will need a nice amount of pie dough in your hands,
I like to just mold it nicely into a small disc and then place it on my parchment paper that I've put just a little flour onto...
FLOUR TIP -- 
You only need to place your hand into your flour bowl
(Fingers out, just like you would do if you were going to trace your hand to make a lovely little turkey!) 
What comes out on your hand is plenty enough flour to add to your parchment paper...place your little disc down and do the same with the flour on your rolling pin...One hand print will do...You will reapply it as needed when the dough starts wanting to stick to the rolling pin.

Rolling pin in hand???
Let's get to it!


Roll a couple times back and forth (same direction) always starting in the center and working out.
This will ensure an even crust...if you start from the edges and work in...it's just not good, so don't do it. 
Then FLIP your dough and do the opposite side, back and forth.
If necessary, do again and again...

YOU do NOT need to make a perfect circle here, so don't even bother with such craziness...you will be cutting off any excess in a minute anyway, so save yourself the bother.

When it looks just as you'd like, roll your parchment paper and pie dough and then place over the top of your pie dish...this is so much easier than trying to lift the dough...
one sad note: 
GF pie dough is not as easy to work with as regular dough...it is a little more fragile and less forgiving...BUT never fear, you can always do a little patchwork if needed.  :0)

After you've got that pie crust in your dish just so...you can grab yourself a little butter knife and trim away the edges...super easy!  NOW, IF you are wishing to add a top crust, you will want to trim a little less so as to have some extra for adhering the top layer to.

After you are done there, add your favorite "insides"

This scrumptious looking one was a hit for dinner...

Cherry/Blueberry Pie,

yeah, it was gooooood!

Something to make note of here:

Make sure to NOT fill your dish TOO FULL

or it will just bubble out all over and make a nasty mess.

I fill it to just barely below the top of my pie dish.

Next, you'll add your top crust...

do just as you did for the bottom layer, rolling it up to place over the top...

this is where you may have to do a little patchwork...

I had to, sadly, but it still turned out pretty nice. 

And again...what matters the most???

The taste...

If it tastes yummy, they will get over it not looking Perfect!

If you add just a little water to your finger tips, it makes the two layers of crust stick together quite nicely as you flute the edges.

Make sure to put a few little slits (4 is fine)

to vent.  This will also help with not having it bubble over.

If you wish to make it adorable...

use your favorite little cookie cutter right in the middle.

(this is actually done prior to placing it on the pie)

I cut out the shape and set it to the side.

After the pie is all nice and ready for the oven, I place the little cut out shape right back in its place and let it bake...looks just cute as can be when it's baked!

If you like, you can add a dandy little wash over top to make it shine...

This again, would be done, PRIOR to BAKING...
Simply beat an egg and brush over the top,
then sprinkle evenly with a dusting of sugar.
YOU will love the shine!

Sadly, I left out that little detail prior to my baking, so no shine happening here, but next time, ya better grab your sunglasses cause I won't forget!!!
 

THIS NEXT STEP IS A SUPER, SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT ONE!!!

Place your pie in your preheated oven ~

I chose to set mine at 400*

Move your bottom rack ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE VERY, VERY BOTTOM!!!

That's the IMPORTANT part if you didn't catch it.

Your top will NOT burn and will turn out just lovely this way...

no need to do any covering of the edges at all...

AND the bottom crust turns out just right...

nice and flaky ~

none of that ooey, gooey, yucky mushy crust goin' on here!

Just cook until the crust is nice and golden on top...

I think mine cooked for about 4o minutes...just watch for that golden color.

Check it out!!!

And the next picture speaks for itself!

This pie was a hit!

So what do you think? 

A wasted day???

Or a day to treasure?



Breakfast is served...

The following breakfast recipes are all gluten free...
but don't click away...
they are DELICIOUS!!!!
and they won't give you a tummy ache when you eat them.

It used to be that when I would make pancakes (also from scratch) that my little one would be rolling around on the floor, holding her tummy, crying...those days are over...no more tears ~ just smiles and happy tummies!

And the very best part...
I seldom tell people that what i am serving is gluten free and I end up hearing the nicest compliments such as, "These are the BEST pancakes I've ever had, are they from a box or a mix?" 
Never do I hear, "oh, these are pretty good for being gluten free." 
That's just an insult wrapped in a pretty bow.


(For the flour mixes below, simply go to my post titled:  Gluten Free Flour Recipes)


Pancakes
4 C All Purpose GF Flour Mix
2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/4 C Sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp baking powder

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl...
Mix the following ingredients together in a separate bowl
6 eggs
3 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk
(feel free to use any type of milk you desire, Coconut Milk that is vanilla enriched is my favorite!)
2 tsp Vanilla

Pour over top of dry ingredients and mix gently with wire whisk.
Stir in 1 Cup Melted Butter.

With 1/3 C measuring cup, pour onto hot griddle...
Cook until bubbly, then flip...should be nice and golden brown.
I will often use my spatula and "smash down" after cooking on the first side to ensure that they cook nicely all the way through.

So yummy!

Buttermilk Pancakes
Follow all dry ingredients for pancake recipe above

In separate bowl, mix together
6 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
3 1/2 C Milk
1 Tbsp vinegar (this will make your buttermilk flavor)

Follow as you would for the regular pancake recipe adding the melted butter and cooking just the same.


German Pancakes
This will make one 9 x 13 pan...I usually double this recipe to feed my little army!
Preheat oven to 425*


1 Cup Featherlight mix
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Cup Milk
4 eggs beaten
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together.  Mix eggs, vanilla and milk and pour over dry ingredients, mix well!
Put 2 Tbsp butter into your 9 x 13 baking dish and put into your oven for about 2 minutes until the butter is melted.  Tilt your dish to make sure the butter has full coverage on the bottom...then pour your pancake mixture into the dish and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
Watch to see the amazing creation happening in your oven ~ each time looks a little different!
Your edges may become a little crispy while the center continues cooking, it's okay...this may be my very favorite part!

You are sure to love this buttery dish...Serve hot with powdered sugar or syrup.

Golden Pancakes
This is a fairly small serving...so I don't make them quite as often.
This pancake is the most filling pancake I've ever tried!  They cook up so nicely, I love 'em!

In a blender combine:

2 Cups uncooked oats

6 eggs

2 Cups Cottage cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp sugar

Blend until nice and smooth, about 1 minute.

Pour batter, 1/4 C each and cook on hot griddle.

Serve with fresh berries or syrup.

These are a great source of protein!!!

 To ensure that these are gluten free, just use gluten free oats.


In my opinion, you can never have too many great recipes for breakfast...more to come!!!  :0)

Gluten Free Flour Recipes

Okay...

Now we can get down to business...
with all the items you purchased from your shopping list in my previous post
I will tell you how to put them together to make all the yumminess your heart desires!!!

If you picked up your bulk items, just place them into 5 gallon buckets with screw top lids for ease...if you are anything like me, you'll be in them on a very regular basis.

Now...I messed up and should have told you when you went out shopping to pick up a few extra containers to keep your mixes in...something like these maybe.

A few of these came from the dollar store and the others are just old ice cream buckets.
Anything will work!
I put my mixes together at least once a week and just keep them right out on my counter since I use them daily, you can do whatever works best for you.  :0)

Let's get to it!!!

Gluten Free (GF) Mix
6 Cups Brown Rice Flour
2 Cups Potato Starch
1 Cup Tapioca Starch

Gluten Free (GF) Goodie Mix
6 Cups White Rice Flour
2 Cups Potato Starch
1 Cup Tapioca Starch

Featherlight Mix
3 Cups White Rice Flour
3 Cups Cornstarch
3 Cups Tapioca Starch
3 Tbsp Potato Flour

All Purpose GF Flour Mix
6 Cups Featherlight Mix
2 C GF Mix

Each of these mixes can be stored for about 18 months with no problem...
I haven't had the chance to check that out personally, as I go through them weekly, but I do a lot of baking and a lot of cooking.

Next post:
Pancakes, Buttermilk Pancakes, German Pancakes and Golden Pancakes...Breakfast is served!

Gluten Free Baking ~ Shopping List

I am planning to add several recipes that are gluten free...
I LOVE to bake
and was so unhappy
when I found that my world
would have to become a Gluten Free World...
I was certain my days of delicious little goodies were a thing of the past. 
It seemed that almost everything I tried was nasty, or at best, barely tolerable.

This was not the way I intended to eat for the rest of my life
and I certainly wasn't willing to torture my family with less than desirable food!

So my quest began!
I have had several friends who have shared their secrets with me and to them I am very grateful.
Now I wish to share some of the things I have gathered and my own secrets to making baking a wonderful experience again.

FIRST AND FOREMOST are your flour recipes...
no longer will you just run to the store and pick up a bag of flour
or even grind your own...
you will have to be intentional in your baking in a whole new way.

BUT it is FUN and it is YUMMY AND it is so WORTH IT!!!

The things you will need first off are below,
the list is not too long and I'll try to give you a few tips to where I've found these items:

Brown Rice Flour ~ I pick this one up in bulk from Winco...if you go back to the bulk food section and ask them for it, they will order it in...not too pricey.

Tapioca Flour/Starch (these are the same...not sure why they didn't make it easy and just call them one or the other...but they didn't, so just know that you just need Tapioca) ~ Also available at Winco in bulk.

Potato Starch ~ not to be confused with Potato Flour ~ because you will need both and they serve different purposes.  I have been able to find Potato Starch at the Fred Meyer in the bulk section, kinda spendy.

Potato Flour ~ again not to be confused with Potato Starch...you need both.  I think I was only able to find this one at Jake's Gluten Free Store...comes in a small bag (you don't need much of this one, so a small bag will do quite nicely)

Cornstarch ~ just head on over to the bulk section at Winco for this item as well.  I was very surprised at how much of this I use...pretty cheap stuff.

White Rice Flour ~ this one is a good one to buy from your local Asian Stores...makes your goodies so good!

Xanthan Gum ~ This one will make you raise an eyebrow or two...quite spendy...but you don't use too much of it at a time...essential to have, so grab yourself some.  This is also found in the bulk section of Winco ~ BUT it is with all the spices, not in the bins...you'll be happy to know that if you didn't already.  :0)

That's about it, aside from the normal baking powder and soda and such...
I've found that I use a lot more baking powder than I had in the past and less baking soda. 
That might be a good thing to note for yourself.

HUGE NOTE!!!  Do yourself a big ol' favor and write what the contents of your bag are on the little tag, cause sure enough you'll get them home and not have the slightest idea which is which -- they look so much alike. 

My next post will contain the flour recipes...
so head to the store and pick up the things on your shopping list and get ready to bake!

(Note:  The items above will cover making all of your goodies from cookies to cakes to pies to pancakes, Belgian waffles, German pancakes, biscuits, rolls, french bread, flour tortillas, pizza crust, doughnuts, sweet rolls and muffins)

For a heartier whole grain style bread that is still Gluten Free...I will share some ideas with you a little later on.  :0)

Yep, he said it, I have a COMPLEX BRAIN!!!

I went to bed last night with a prayer in my heart
safely wrapped in my husbands arms.

I awoke this morning and tried to think of all the good things that I have surrounding me, the things that make me smile each day.  Then I tried to think of all the good or funny things that have come from all these doctors appointments lately.

The funniest one just kept coming to me, so I have to share:

After my MRI, which took 3 times longer than what they had told my sweet husband, I came out of the tube of death and saw that sweet man of mine.  Well, he has to make a joke of everything, I think it's how he copes when he doesn't know what else to do or what else to say.

He told me I was in there for so long because I have such a COMPLEX BRAIN AND it was a MAN working on me.  Then he said, when he got in there, he probably said to himself, "Oh crap...this one must be a home school mom!!!"  And that was his reasoning behind the ridiculous amount of time I had to be away from him!!!   I know, silly, but that's what made me smile this morning!

In addition to that I prayed that no matter what the neurologist might find that I would follow the advice that I see each morning before I leave my bedroom...


I won't say that I believe this is always easy to do...at times it feels completely IMPOSSIBLE!  BUT, it was worth a shot.

Then I thought of the sweet conversation my husband and I had last night on the front porch.  I cried, he held me, he listened, he consoled...and then he told me what I needed to hear more than anything else (and I didn't even know I needed to hear it)  He told me that no matter what happens, no matter how bad it is, no matter how hard...that he will always be here with me.  He said we were in this together and together we could get through it.

Last night, the IT we were working with was the very strong possibility of MS ~ Multiple Sclerosis.  All evidence was pointing to MS...what a terrifying thought to deal with.

At that moment, I thought to myself,
Crap...forget driving, I don't care if I never drive again,
But walking
Walking is something I really like to do.
I can't even run anymore, but I want to be able to walk,
I want to be able to function,
I want to be able to be me...

We went to bed and I was determined that when I woke in the morning,
my day would be filled with laughter and happiness and no more tears...
that lasted about an hour...
Then a phone call came...
with that call came a panic that swept over me...
the neurologist wanted to see me in his office at 12:00
he had seen my findings from the MRI and wanted to discuss them with me.

Okay, the tears came again
and the panic
and then the beautiful reminder that my husband is going to be with me every step of the way and we can make it through ANYTHING...

MS is not bigger than us!
Nothing is bigger than us!!!

We met with the neurologist...
he showed us all the scans of my brain ~
I have to agree...
that was one complex looking bugger...
mighty impressive, I might say!!!!

Anyway, after going through the list of questions
and then discussing all of my symptoms
and then his exam
he does not believe that I have MS,
there is not enough evidence to support it at this time.

YIPPEE!!!!!

We discussed doing another MRI on my spinal column to see if any of the white spots were present there...if so, that is a definite answer of MS...but we decided to wait.  His suggestion was that we see if I have another "episode" and go from there.  He'd like me to do Vestibular Therapy to see if that will help with the vertigo, already done it, it helps but doesn't make it go away.  His other guess is that it is a possible virus??? 
But he really doesn't know...guessing game! 

As we walked out of his office, I felt gratitude for the life I have...
I can deal with vertigo, it stinks to be dizzy all the time,
but hey, I get to hang out with my favorite person in the world a whole lot more than I did before...things could be worse.

Looking for the good

Not such an easy thing to do on a day that feels rather bleak...

I am playing the waiting game, I AM NOT PATIENT, especially when it's big stuff that I'm waiting for. 
It might be different if what I was waiting for had little impact on my life, but when it's all about my very life, I find that it just feels a little dismal and gray.

My husband and I decided last week that it was time to head out to see ANOTHER doctor...this vertigo has gotten the best of me.  It has been over 3 months and can I tell you that is a Very Long Time!!!  The worst part is that the vertigo is not improving, it is actually getting worse again...very frustrating and discouraging!

Well, I made some calls and ended up finding a doc that I am actually quite happy with. 
He seems to be quite thorough and on top of it. 
He has run a load of blood work --
not my favorite thing in the world to do,
but I survived and I didn't even cry or pass out!  woo hoo!!!

Got all the results back Monday and then they had to run additional blood tests ~ my word!
Well, I was filled with hope that all my problems were figured out with the nasty results that came back. 
My "numbers" were anything but happy...
on the extremely high or extremely low side of things. 
Thyroid not happy at all,
cholesterol also a little unhappy,
liver not feeling too great,
and iron on the ridiculously low side of life. 
All of this should be enough to make me feel as crappy as I do...
but NO!!! 
It couldn't be that easy...

Next, was the MRI...
for those who have never had one of these fun little procedures, well count yourselves lucky! 
I do not love tight, confined little areas,
nor do I like my head to be held in place,
and I really am not loving a lot of loud, obnoxious noise all around me. 
On this lovely day, I was the very unlucky recipient of each and every one of these fine things! 
And then to top it all off... the tech,
(which I must add in was a very kind and delightful sort of guy)
told me after being in this confining little tube for what felt like hours,
"great job, looks like we are all done here,
just need to have another doc take a look and then I can get you out of here." 

Those were the greatest words I heard in a very long time, in my mind I jumped for joy and screamed out "FANTASTIC...so ready to be done!"

THEN my bubble was burst into a million pieces...
he comes into the room, pulls me out of this terrifying tube and says,
"I need you to lie perfectly still without moving your head...
the neuro doc wants to see more...
I need to start an IV so that we can run a dye through your brain,
but don't worry we just need to see a few more things."

So now, I am laying there with a needle in my arm, having it pump some nasty dye into my body and I have to go back into the tube of death and try not too worry, yeah right! 
Oh I forgot to mention,
I had to keep my eyes closed the entire time...
I was so worried that IF I were to open my eyes, I might completely flip out...
so I tried to pretend I was sleeping ~ major FAIL!

Well, all I can say at this point is that I am so grateful that I know I am never alone,
because in all of those moments in that scary tube,
I felt very, very alone
and very, very frightened. 
I wanted my husband to just be able to wrap his big, strong arms around me and tell me everything was going to be okay, I wanted to cry into his chest and just let him make it all go away, but he had to sit outside in the waiting room and there I was very alone and very frightened.

But then I prayed with all of my might,
I prayed that I would be able to lay still,
I prayed that I could act like a big girl,
I prayed that I would not have a freak out moment,
I prayed that I would be okay,
I prayed that they would find NOTHING,
I prayed that I would not be afraid,
I prayed that I would not be alone and that I could feel at peace. 

And the best thing happened,
I didn't feel alone anymore...
I wasn't alone anymore...I was okay --
still not loving the situation I was in,
but not alone
and that is so much happier than doing hard things by yourself!
I could almost feel my hand being held and when my heart would pound to the point I thought it might jump out of my chest, I felt as though I was being held tightly.

Today, I find myself feeling those same scary feelings I experienced just days ago...
the results from the MRI came back
and I have to say that the unknown of all the stuff they told me is pretty darn scary! 

I spent time in my room alone, begging to not feel alone and terrified
and again, peace came to my heart. 
I cried buckets of tears and I'm sure more are coming,
but I know that no matter what comes,
I will never be alone.

Yesterday, the phone call came...
and the reaction I had from it was not pretty!
What the H-E-double toothpicks does that mean???

And then, the worst part the doctor can't even tell me what it means...hmmm, don't get that one at all!!!

This morning we went back to the Dr. office to try to get some additional clarification...a smidge more, but no clear answers.

So, now I am back to waiting and looking for the good.
The Neurologist will be calling...
and then I will be going to see him --
he knows everything, or so I am told.

So until then, I will sit by the phone or I might do crazy things like clean out my pantry (Oh yeah, just did that one today trying to forget all of this) maybe I'll spend time looking at all my beautiful flowers in the backyard...maybe I'll have my little ones put on a puppet show for me...I don't know, but something. 
IF I had a yellow slug-bug
and IF I could drive,
I'd be checking out the countryside with the wind blowing through my hair and the radio cranked as high as it could go, I would drown myself in all of my favorite songs and sing my heart out...IF ONLY...

I just know that not knowing and having to wait stinks in the most offensive smelly kind of way!

And I can't even eat a giant chocolate cake to make me feel better, because it will just make me sick ...and for some reason carrots and pea pods just do not have the same magical effect as chocolate.  Time to pull out the GF Brownie recipe and go for it!

Thanks for always being here for me blog...sometimes it's just too hard to say all of this stuff out loud.  I cry a whole lot less while typing and you don't have to listen to my high-pitched Alvin impersonation while the tears are rollin'...

Ready for another day
and for a little bit of good news,
please.

Gluten or Breathing???

Well, as hard as this transition may be...
I prefer breathing over eating all the bread and goodies my heart could desire...
cause really,
what good is it going to do me if my tongue and throat swell closed again??? 
Won't be any enjoying going on at that point!!!
And not being broke out in a million lovely red spots is pretty enticing in itself!

I'll be honest...
I was MORE THAN DEVASTATED
at the thought
of NEVER indulging in all these goodies again. 
Actually I was just flipped out about how to REALLY make this happen for the rest of my life...
HOW???
It just feels so BIG and quite daunting!

AND THEN
a dear sweet friend of mine came to my rescue!

Geri Gropp is an angel in my eyes!!!
She came to my home, made me breakfast, brought me a little care package of a few things I might need and the next day came and picked me up...we shopped for a few hours while she taught me all her tricks (well, I'm sure not all of them, but some GREAT ones!)
I don't know that I could have received a better blessing at this time...
AND she was soooo happy to help me with this.

Just tonight, I cooked up some biscuits to eat with the yummy shredded beef and creamy horseradish that I made...I'm smiling!!! 
They were really quite yummy...
IF I didn't KNOW they were gluten free, I would never have guessed! 
Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I am going to attempt the brownies or chocolate cake...I'll give you an update!
Gotta have some delish chocolate happening in my world!!!  This is one I WILL MASTER very, very soon!!!

For any of my friends who are searching for some answers to help make your body and the bodies of your precious family a little healthier, I highly suggest you run out and pick up this book:
 
Eating Gluten Free Presents
More From
LIFE
TASTES GOOD
AGAIN
by Betsy Thomas & Kirsti Kirkland
Eating Gluten Free, LLC
I also see that they have a website and a blog...gonna have to check those out!
www.eatingglutenfree.com    www.lifetastesgoodagain.blogspot.com

I picked this little treasure up from Jakes Gluten Free Store on Fairview (between Eagle and Cloverdale) 
I particularly like this book BECAUSE they share many secrets on how to put together different FLOUR MIXES...takes so much of the guess work and the trial and error away! 
Jakes had a pretty fine selection of "stuff" to choose from. 
I will say none of it is very cheap, but for some things, it is the only place to make your purchase.  
Most of the things we needed were found in the bulk section of Winco...prices weren't terrible. 
I was able to order in bulk from them and I am READY to get going on this adventure.

I've known for such a long time that I REALLY needed to do this, I've been told repeatedly to GET AWAY FROM GLUTEN, but that isn't always as easy to do as to say.
I have dabbled in and out of it...just not seriously enough ~ UNTIL my little ER visit....nothing like one of those mornings to wake you up and make you take life a little more seriously!!!

Another place I would encourage you to take a little jog on over to is this GREAT BLOG...www.lovinlivinhealthy.blogspot.com.  Geri has devoted the past four years of her life to living gluten free and she is an inspiration to me as I begin down this same road. 
Thanks again Geri for giving me hope and not making this so SCARY...love you to pieces, girlfriend!!!

IF you are gluten free and you have some recipes that YOU JUST LOVE...PLEASE SHARE!!!

Food is meant to be enjoyed and I would love to enjoy some really great stuff!

Days of our Lives....

So are you ready for the next episode of my Soap Opera???
I'm thinking I should at least have a big ol' box of bon bons to go along with all of this drama!!!

Saturday evening was our annual opening social for the homeschooling families in our area...great night, by the way...thanks to all who came!!!

Well, as we were driving home that evening, one of my sons commented on how stuffed up his nose was and I replied back to him that it was probably all of the smoke in the air and that it was also bothering me, my chest was actually hurting.

By the time we arrived home and got the kiddos all in bed, I started itching a bit, then a lot and then a tremendous amount!!!  Checked myself out and I was COVERED in red spots all over!  Not good!!!  And not attractive in the least, I was a scary sight!

I was feeling pretty lousy and wiped out, because of still dealing with this vertigo issue I have going on.  I wanted to just drop into bed and sleep the night away, but at my husbands request, I drank a large dose of Benadryl and then headed to bed.  I did anything but sleep the night away, I tossed and turned and itched and scratched and THEN I found myself having difficulty swallowing and my eyes were more than a little difficult to open (and not due to the lack of sleep I was experiencing)  I climbed out of my bed, went in a downed another big dose of Benadryl and tried to get a little more sleep.  By the time my hubby woke in the morning, maybe a little before 8, he looked at me in a rather horrified manner and said I looked like I had swollen up as large as a balloon.  At this point, I could no longer close my mouth, due to the immense swelling of my lips.  It was difficult to speak, because my tongue was swollen and my throat and glands were enormous and quite painful.  I don't even want to express what I looked like, suffice it to say, it was not a pretty picture!!!

Guess, where I was lucky enough to spend my Sunday morning??? 
Yep, in the ER!

They haven't the foggiest idea WHY this happened ~
and to be just down right honest...
I don't think they even cared WHY.

Their concern was treating the symptoms.
So as I lay in this special little room designed for a child ~ which I might add, I rather enjoyed!  It was refreshing to have something enjoyable to look around at...it was a fairly picturesque room with the whole Universe thing going on, even the ceiling tiles had some excitement happening!
Anyway, as I lay there, I speak to one doctor and then 2 different nurses and then had the pleasure of meeting up with the Respiratory Therapist who insisted I have a breathing treatment.  All the while, I am being a bit of a pain in the tooshy...I didn't wish to be here and I was a little upset that they didn't care WHY this was happening.  They didn't even seem the slightest bit interested in the why.  At a certain point, after asking a multitude of questions as to why they needed to do what they were doing, this dear man I am married to said, "STACEY, PLEASE do as the doctor says and quit arguing with him.  I want to take you home, just take the pills, take the breathing treatment and listen to them."  Then he smiled at me.  I proceeded to swallow all the pills and obediently breathed in that little breathing treatment. 

The long of the short is that I am now taking Steroids for the next week and a Super Benadryl type of pill several times a day. 

Those silly doctors still don't know what is wrong with me...BUT GUESS WHAT???
I do...
Am I am not feeling so happy about it.
I've wanted to pretend this wasn't very real.

But I tested it out.
NO I am not the brightest light bulb in the package.
But you must understand...
the only true way to KNOW if something is...
is to give it the test.
So I did today
and much to my dismay, I am worse tonight, so I just downed a couple more pills.
And now I am sulking and itching and scratching and swelling up again.
But not too bad, so no worries, just enough to prove what I had to know.

Ya wanna know what the nasty little culprit is???
Well, remember when I went to the Styx concert on Friday evening,
I not only indulged on amazing music, I also indulged my taste buds with a yummy funnel cake.  I ONLY ate half of it, I shared with my sweet hubby.
And then at the opening social on Saturday, I ate a hot dog and I had a piece of pie.
What do all of these little goodies contain that I have been told to stay away from???
GLUTEN...
Dang stuff anyway.
Why does it have to be in stuff that tastes so yummy?
I've been so good and then I decide to just have a few morsels of yumminess and this happens...

Well, I came to this conclusion today and decided that the ONLY REAL WAY TO KNOW was to test it out, so I ate half of a delicious hot bun that was brought over to me from a friend.  Oh my goodness, it was bread heaven. 
BUT NOW, it is a sad moment.
The moment of truth that I didn't want to face...

I guess the good thing is that I have my answer
AND
I didn't even need some fancy doctor to tell me,
Which is a good thing
SINCE HE COULDN'T!!!

So...
A new adventure awaits me!
I shall never have gluten again, it is not worth this!

I had to tell you,
Well actually I had to tell me
and if I tell you (whoever "you" are)
then I am accountable.
And when you are accountable
you can't mess up
you can't fudge
you can't tell a little white lie
you just gotta do it
cause you said you would
so I said and I would
and now I will.

I am mighty hopeful that I will be able to sleep at some point tonight.
I forgot to mention that STEROIDS and I DO NOT GET ALONG!

Have you ever downed half a bottle of diet pills?
How about 10 pots of coffee in a 20 minute sitting?

My body is pretty certain it may have done both...and it just keeps going and going and going!

I have hardly been able to sit down today, I can't relax, I can't be still, I can't rest
AND I AM TIRED, so very, very, very tired
at least my eyes and my mind are tired,
but my body
is having a it's own private little party going on!
I wouldn't even be surprised to hear a giant "Woo-Hoo" come flying out of me.

Four more days of Steroids...
If I dont' get some sleep before this is over,
it might get ugly.
Someone may need to come rescue my family
and take them to safety
because they may not recognize the crazed woman living with them.

I NEED SLEEP.
and with that, I will try once more.
Good night world...much love comin' at ya!

My Kind of Crazy!!!

I had the best night Friday!

My hubby took me took the Western Idaho Fair to see their ROCK concert...
yes, I know I am the Mom and I should be a little more reserved and not go hang out acting like a teenager, BUT I just cannot help myself! 
Actually, why should I have to grow up and not do the things I love? 
There really isn't anything at all wrong with still being a little crazy, when I leave I feel so happy and renewed, my cup runneth over! 
Now, I may need to remind you or possibly inform you that "my crazy" isn't all that terribly crazy...
no adult beverages involved...
just a whole lotta hoopin' and hollerin'
and dancing and singing my heart out...
used to be a whole lot more jumping up and down, but not as much this year.

One of our little girls, Cassie, recently asked me if when she gets bigger if she can go to a Rock and Roll Concert...I quickly, no hesitation whatsoever...responded to her, "OF COURSE you can, sweet girl ~ EVERYONE deserves to go to rock concerts in their lifetime and I'll even take you!"  Oh, she just beamed...it was fantastic!

For some who may not have Rock and Roll pulsing through their veins this may all seem a bit crazy to you.  But for someone like me...I can't wait!  This year, I was a little worried about how I might be able to go and enjoy and even stay for any amount of time, due to this stupid vertigo that has decided to hang around to be my best friend or my worst enemy, take your pick! 
But it was STYX...how could I miss that??? 
And it was free, except for the $7 ticket to enter the fairgrounds..
AND I had just missed seeing JOURNEY and LOVERBOY because of this lovely new friend hanging around with me.  So I was bound and determined to make it to this one! 
I had even resigned myself to hanging out with all the fuddy duddies who wish to sit in the grandstands...I'll just never get that one! 
IF YOU are lucky enough to be at a concert filled with music that just makes you smile and dance and sing and scream, you cannot do it from a seat a mile back, YOU REALLY MUST be close enough to almost reach out and touch those Rock Stars.  You gotta feel like you were really there...gotta make a little eye contact!

Now here comes the exciting part of my story...
Remember how I said I had resigned myself to hangin' out with those who don't wish to be crazy? 
Well, it was soooooo packed that there weren't two seats available anywhere.
At first a wave of panic came across me...
was I really going to have to miss another concert? 
NO!!! 
I decided to stand for as long as I could and that sweet man of mine was happy to stand right behind me and hold me up and steady. 
So to the floor we went...
and went...
and went,
until we were right there,
no trying to focus way off into the distance...
NOPE, right there, IN THE FRONT!!! 
I was pretty reserved to begin with, but then as we became packed in like a ginormous sardine can,  strangely I felt a little more secure...it's pretty hard to fall over when there is no where to fall and with my adorable hubby behind me holding me tight, I was able to do all the moving and shakin' I wished. 

By the time the concert was over,
read that line again...
by the time the concert was over --
YES, "over!"
I made it through the whole thing standing!!!! 
How Amazing and Wonderful is that?!
Anyway, by the time it was over, my voice was also approaching the "over" stage,
but you couldn't have wiped the smile from my face.

Thank you, WESTERN IDAHO FAIR, for bringing such fantastic concerts to us.

CHEAP TRICK last year ~ Oh, they were so, so, so rockin' fun...LOVED IT!
and then STYX this year...(big smiley face!)

You could totally out do yourselves next year, and bring in my all time favorite ~ JOURNEY!!!
PLEASE, Please, please!!!  I would love you forever!
So sad I had to miss them this year at the Idaho Center Amphitheater.
I might even kiss your feet for doing such a fabulous thing! 
(Providing they were clean
and not nasty
and I only had to kinda blow a kiss
and not actually make physical contact with my lips)

Still smiling...
and still feeling like a teenager ~
maybe that's one of the reasons my teenagers think I'm pretty okay...
gotta love life and live it to it's fullest!
I intend to, and no Vertigo is going to stop me!!!