So...everyone gets a little upset with their siblings once in a while.  I've always considered my sister to have a huge heart, a gift for helping those less fortunate than her, to be a very giving and understanding person...as long as you're not related to her.  She suddenly at age 34 woke up one morning and decided she's psychic, doesn't want to go do anything with me because she's too tired from all the people around her sucking away her "positive energy", but my 18 yr old cousin who doesn't have a car is moving to IC tomorrow for college and they're already planning shopping trips and going out events!  Not that I would want to go shopping or bar hopping...but I wasn't even invited!  They're going out to dinner on Saturday and my sis and I had PLANS for Saturday that I had to find out she was canceling by newsfeed on FB that she posted to my cousin's wall a day ago!!!  She still hasn't called me to cancel!!!

( More grousing... )

So...I was looking for a great new Tzatziki recipe and they all seem to take greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  Great news!  HyVee on Collins now carries plain greek yogurt!  I'm really forward to trying this Tzatziki on my next gyro or chicken pita.  But this also looks yummy for a healthy fruit dip!  Greek Yogurt.  Who knew?

Zander made a friend at the pool today.  Her name is Gabby.  She's three.  She is full of blonde pigtails and attitude and he adores her.  She was very upset when she learned Zander couldn't come over and play after the pool because we lived to far away.  Completely ignoring me, she put her hand on her hip and looked at my son.

Gabby:  Zander, where you live at?
Me:  Zander, can you tell Gabby where you live?
Zander:  Yep (very self satisfied).  Mommy house.  We live mommy house. 

I sure do love that kid!

 I used to party with this guy when I was in college.  He makes the 2nd one of my friends to have grown up and achieved their Olympic dreams.  I look at my friends who have gone after their dreams, reaching and scrambling with both hands...not just my athlete friends, but my engineer friends, and IT friends, and my artistic friends, and I am amazed and inspired by them.  It sort of makes me wonder what I have been waiting for all this time.  Life is short.  Grab on to it and live life on your terms.

I got to sing, for however quietly and brief a time, "For Good" center stage of Wicked at the Gershwin Theater on Broadway.  And, I got to hold Rondi Reed's Tony Award.  It was wonderful to meet Idina Menzel (Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as Rachael's mom on Glee),  Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda the Good Witch, and many other movie appearances), P.J. Benjamin (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), and Alex Brightman (Boq).  This was the best birthday present ever :)  I have a great husband!

 True story that I cannot post on FB because my 65 yr old mom would just die if it ever got back to her that I shared this with anyone:

Me: (to the other driver that cut me off just before the construction zone): Gaah! Stop driving like a dushbag!
Mom: Don't say dushbag.
Me: What??? He irritates my vagina.
Mom: Don't say vagina, it's a swear word!
Me: Vagina is a swear word???
Mom: Yes. And you shouldn't use it around my grandson.
Me: This from the woman who wanted to buy yoga pants that had "playmate" in big huge letters across the ass!  
Mom: They looked comfy (I would like to interject that my mother honestly and probably doesn't know what the little bunny and words "playmate" used in the same context mean)! And would you stop cussing! No wonder your son says things like "Jihad" in the middle of church!

Moral of the story:  Jihad and vagina are right up there with the f-bomb in my mother's book!

I just saw this link and thought I'd post it to anyone who may be interested in preparing yummy and healthy meals for busy summer schedules.  

The butternut squash lisagna looked especially yummy!

Enjoy these recipes for your freezer! 

What a good time with great friends and family.

I'm spending a lot of time at my parents house lately.  Dad's taken a turn for the worse.  ( More depressing details... )

 Had a great time with Mom and Dad after dropping Chris off at the airport.  Hard to see dad in so much pain from the treatments and so worn out.  Just last week, he was pulling Z around on the sled and laughing and I caught a glimpse of his old self.  Those moments are so precious.  I could really use a hug.