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Archive for Family

Happy Days, Sad Days in the Kitchen.

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Renee Spindle

Last week was my birthday week, and my Wonderful Travel Man got me this really cool Mr. Coffee, Cafe Latte machine. I did not even know Mr. Coffee made this type of machine. This wonderful gadget brews the espresso, and then drips it into the coffee pot where the milk is frothing. The entire process happens in the same pot. It’s amazing! Plus you can make all kinds of flavored lattes, hot chocolates, and sugar-free lattes. I’ll be trying out a pumpkin latte this weekend! I’m looking forward to having my lattes, and saving money with no more trips to Starbucks. Travel Man made himself a hot chocolate earlier this week, and it was creamy, chocolaty and truly delicious. This has been our happy days, this week in the kitchen.

Earlier in the week, probably Tuesday or Wednesday, Evan asked me if I could make him a loaf of bread. So, I told him sure I would make him his own loaf to take home. So yesterday I put all of the ingredients in the bread maker, got it set-up to make our favorite loaf of white bread, and went on about my afternoon. About an hour or so into the process I go to check on how much longer the bread has to bake. I can’t see straight into the bread maker, so I grab the nearest flashlight, and look down in there and see all of the ingredients just sitting there staring up at me, and not mixed one bit! Then Bryan and I realize the bread maker smells bad, like something is burning bad. We open the lid of the bread maker to see what is going on and there is a small fire. We have flames!!! Bryan blows out the flames, and we quickly unplug the bread maker, and it smells terrible. I’m guessing that the yeast got heated up and there is some obnoxious smell coming from the yeast, and the heating element. It was terrible.

We get the bread pan out of the bread maker so it can cool off, and this morning I had to throw my lovely bread maker away. I was advised by Travel Man that I should make no attempts to plug it back in and see if it’s “ok”. So, sadly into the trash it went. I will get another bread maker eventually (hint-hint), but for now my bread making will just go “old school”. I plan to get out my recipes and just make some bread the old-fashioned way, and maybe some cinnamon rolls too. What fun have you had with your gadgets in the kitchen this week? Happy weekend everyone from a rainy, and thundery Southern California.

No comments Posted in Around the House, Family, Food

We made it to an Angels Game!!

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Renee Spindle

What a feat. 12 tickets purchased, 12 family members all assembled at Angels stadium. This is a family outing that has not happened in years and years.

My family, at the party house, are huge fans of Angels baseball. It has been a long-standing, favorite pastime of most of my family members to enjoy the games on TV, and we also try to make it to the stadium for a game or two in a season.

This past Saturday was one of those times. My son, Bryan, made an extremely early trip to Angels stadium a few weeks ago to buy tickets for all of the family who could make it to the game. This also happened to be our family’s birthday celebration day for myself, and my son-in-law. All in all there was a group of twelve of us that made our way to the stadium for the second game of the Angels open weekend games.

This was a 1:00pm game so we were prepared to be sitting in the sun for most of the game. We donned hats and sunglasses, slathered on sunscreen, and made sure we had our water bottles with us. In attendance at the game were myself, Travel Man, my parents, our niece Mary, son Bryan, daughter Hilary, Evan with his parents, and my brother Jim, with his girlfriend, Elaine. Whew!! What a group! Here’s a shot of almost everyone.

When we got to our seats we were totally in the shade for the first 3½ innings (yay!), good planning Bryan! So we weren’t completed melted by the middle of the game! It’s always fun going to the stadium to see the game. The singing of our national anthem, an F-18 flyover, and the first pitch being thrown out. Play ball!!! Singing “Take me out to the ball game”. What a great tradition.

The Angels didn’t win this game but we had some great family time. Evan is old enough now that he is asking questions about the game, and pays attention to the numbers on the scoreboard. He’s our Angels fan in training.

Everyone got to have their favorite stadium treat. Peanuts, frozen lemonades, hot dogs, and nachos. All those treats that cost wayyyyy too much but are part of the experience. Evan got a foam finger, and we all got fleece blankets with the Angels logo. Really cool. It’s so much fun to get to do a group outing like this. I hope we get to have a few more of these over the summer. When’s the last time you got your entire group together for an outing?

No comments Posted in Family, Sports, Travel Man, Travels

Thank you’s to all of you

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Renee Spindle

As I was looking at the stats for my blog this morning, yes I’m analytical like that, I discoverd I broke the 3,000 views marker. I have been blogging and telling the world my stories since last August. In that process I have discovered that I like to write, and tell my life stories. It’s fun to share the life happenings around the Party House from the past and present. My Mom keeps telling me, “Who knew you could write, and enjoy it?”

I found this quote from Hemingway that rather sums up my writing experience to date;

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.”

So thank you to everyone who has been following my writings, and stories. My plan is continue on my writing journey and expand it to share the stories of our family and our everyday experiences. Wishing each and everyone of you a wonderful week. May all your dreams come true.

No comments Posted in Around the House, Family

Evan’s Little “Vest”

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Renee Spindle

My latest sewing project started out to be a shirt for Evan. Just a casual shirt, kind of like a Hawaiian shirt. This is one of my procrastination projects. You know the variety, you start you stop, you start again. Well this week I started this project again, and I’m in it to the finish. I was somewhat motivated by a little voice asking me, “Grandma, when are you going to finish my vest?”. And I really needed to get on my horse and get it done, because he is getting so tall!!

Of course, it was Evan asking me, and I have been telling him all along this will be a shirt. But he has had a different vision. He wants a vest. So being the good grandma that I am I am altering my project to a vest. He is quite insistent that he will wear this over t-shirts. I think in the heat of the summer he will just wear it after swimming. So in my sewing instructions I skipped over the sleeves and made him a vest.

Here’s a few pictures of my project during construction:

I finished Evan’s “vest” last Thursday night and gave it to him Friday morning before he left for school. The doggie buttons were a little wonky to button on his own so he needed a little help. “Grandma, you finished it!!”, Evan exclaims. I say, “Just for you, Evan.”

After school he came home and took off his t-shirt and just wore his doggie vest. It was so cute. For me, one more procrastinated project off of my list, and a happy grandson to boot!! Who could ask for anything more? Next project is in the works, cloth napkins for my dining room table. What’s the latest project you’ve procrastinated on?

No comments Posted in Around the House, Crafts, Family

Guess who got a hold of my camera?

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Renee Spindle

One day before school last week Evan was bopping around the house taking pictures. I did not really pay close attention to what he was doing, as I just like to let him go and be creative. The pictures below are his own doing, and I am amazed at the range of expressions with his self portraits. His mother has not seen these yet, and I know it will give her a good laugh.

The pictures with the little smiley pictures are sitting on my desk. The family pictures you are seeing are the pictures that Evan took of my digital picture frame. I really think he’s a budding photographer. I may be biased on this point because I’m his Grandma. But I love his little pictorials.

What a different world Evan is growing up in. The digital age of pictures is just “normal” for him. Taking self portraits is “normal” for him. Being able to view the pictures you have just taken on your computer is “normal” for him. Oh what a different world Evan is growing up in. I love letting him be creative, and just doing his own thing.

These pictures just make you smile. Happy weekend everyone, enjoy the weekend!