Free is Good

Check out these beautiful, free Valentine's Love Coupons:

Love Coupons

Sigh. I know I'd love to get these (hint, hint, hubby!) :)

How I Spent my Saturday

Yesterday I spent most of the morning kickboxing and grappling. I left my class totally exhausted and ready for some rest and recovery! After I got home, I skipped the shower and dragged myself straight to the bed. The Munchkins were playing outside and my husband was working on the computer.

Suddenly Miss Munchkin bursts in with the report that the Master was hurt and he was asking for me. They had been jumping on the trampoline and he had landed on his ankle and was in considerable pain. Sure enough, his ankle was huge and he was in tears. Off to the ER.

Of course, I looked and smelled fabulous with my sweat-dried hair pulled back in a hasty pony tail. There was a college basketball game in town so the ER was pretty busy.

The X-rays revealed that a stretched ligament had pulled a chip of bone off of the Master's talus, a bone in the ankle. We were sent home with an air cast and a referral to an Orthopedic doctor. We'll know more after meeting with him. In the meantime, I'm faced with the challenge of keeping an active 7 year old quiet and off of his feet for, oh, about 2 months. I'm open to suggestions!

Flight into Light

Flight into Light, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

Miss Munchkin runs into a field of local sunflowers. I love the contrast between her red dress and the yellow field.

Tag! You're It

There is a fad floating around Facebook right now - 25 Random Things About Me. It starts when you get "tagged" by a Friend. You create and post your list then tag other Friends. And they tag their friends. And, well, you get the idea.

Here's my list, mostly taken from here. Because, if you're a proper blog stalker, 25 just isn't enough.

1. I have been spelunking.
2. In college, I met Maya Angelou. She said, "Hi Baby" in her warm southern accent.
3 .When I was 19, I helped physically build a church in Mexico.
4. I grew up in what some people consider a religious cult and lived in a Commune.
5. I have sung on stage at Carnegie Hall in New York. Yes, in front of an audience.
6. I know Sign Language and have taught at a School for the Deaf.
7. I had a horse and can ride both English and Western.
8. I was an only child for 17 years.
9. I have a Green Belt in martial arts.
10. I love stargazing and will drag my children out of bed at 3 AM to watch a meteor shower.
11. Once I stood right next to Holly Hunter at an art museum and pretended not to know who she was.
12. I feel light-headed if I see, think about, or think I see a broken bone.
13. I have never pierced my ears. Neither has my mom. My sister and daughter do have pierced ears - I think they are very brave.
14. I am constantly putting my foot in my mouth. Not literally - I am not that flexible.
15. I have a very dry sense of humor. Many people don't get it.
16. I would rather have a cavity filled than get sick to my stomach.
17. I like a clean and tidy house but my house is not usually tidy. Or clean.
18.On my honeymoon, I stayed in a mountain cabin with no electricity and lots of rodents.
19. For the first time in my life, I can now do push ups.
20. I have Crohn's disease.
21. One time I backed my husband's car into my mother-in-law's van. Not on purpose!
22. I have never gotten a speeding ticket. Or been pulled over.
23. I remember words to songs and melodies and can sing entire musicals and 3 hour choral pieces to you. Please don't ask me to.
24. I can read a book then re-read it a year later and not know how it ends.
25. Both of my children weighed almost 10lbs at birth.

One Bite Won't Kill You

The hoot I was telling you about earlier is none other than Ann Hodgman. She's written 3 cookbooks called, Beat This!, Beat That! and One Bite Won't Kill You. These aren't your ordinary cookbooks. Ok, yes, they have yummy recipes in them, but she writes them in a way that will have you taking them to bed at night only to laugh so much that your husband will insist on knowing why you are cracking up, and then you'll have to read entire sections out loud to him. But you'll enjoy every minute.

A few more quotes to wet your appetite:

You won't be able to stuff this turkey. But wouldn't you secretly prefer that?

Is there anything more hateful than mint jelly?

I'm only saying 25 minutes per pound because I don't want anyone suing me.

You may be suspicious of the Miracle Whip. I was too.

Nothing makes me angrier than spooning through vats of broth and turning up just potatoes.

Immoderation in all things, as my father never says.

I'm not sure where you can buy Beat This! and Beat That! these days, but I've seen them used from time to time. If you see a copy, snatch one up!

Beat This!

There is a set of cookbooks that is perfect for this time of year. Not only is the food incredible, the author is a hoot! I'm off to pick up the Munchkins, but I will leave you with a few quotes to sustain you till I return and reveal all. I may even post one of her recipes for you to try.

For maximum guest intimidation, there's nothing like homemade crackers.

People bolt these down without chewing, like seals catching fish.

My friends would eat this dip with ladles if they could.

This will make you seem very cutting-edge and kamikaze-ish.

"I don't want to sound like The Bad For You Cookbook here. I'm not telling you that you have to use lard. I'm just saying it makes the best fried chicken. Same with the MSG. No one is making you use it! But as long as you're using lard, for God's sake, you might as well use the MSG too."

Like a Girl

Like a Girl, originally uploaded by MrsMama.