30 minutes in a line---

okay--I VOTED YESTERDAY...purely out of anger and a little guilt....so here comes my rightful diatribe.

1. i have the right to not vote if i'm not thrilled with either candidate....i have that right.
2. i voted against something---not for anything...that is a frustrating circumstance.
3. i had to wait in line for 30 minutes to vote----that is a sign from above that i shouldnt have bothered (see previous post about my agreement with God re:voting)
4. i voted because i understand that i should.
5. i voted because i'm tired of being told i am naive or blind or ignorant because socially, i am part of the conservative religious right.
6. i voted even though i'm disenfranchised----Obama is very charismatic, but i have no hope that he will be able to back it up with a spine---and i feel sorry for him, because in 2 years he will be blamed for all our problems---most of which are the fault of the previous congri (my word for plural congress) and administrations (yes---not just bush, but clinton, george h.w., reagan, carter----our lifestyle choices go way back folks) and we as a society and our desire for the easy road and mortgaging our future for something today. McCain isnt charismatic enough---and Palin hasnt given me much to build on since she stepped into the limelight---i still like her---but i needed more.
7. i voted against hollywood and social liberals telling me that i'm not cool or compassionate or smart if i dont support their candidate.
8. i voted so i CAN complain for the next 4 years...and i will.

the Quest of nerds

...Ace & I headed down to Southeast Texas for the long weekend----we left after school on Friday and drove to Beaumont. We watched (well, I listened) to Pirates of the Caribbean on the way down---we even wrote a marching band show to the music! (nerds)....
...arrived about 9 at Jas & David's---Lyric was there to greet us too--bonus! we chatted and plotted out our weekend...Jas got me Dibs (in new packaging---my favorite!) for the weekend.
...early Saturday morning---yes---early---picked up Lyric at 6:15 a.m.---we four headed to Pearland to watch Bands Of America Houston Regional Marching Band competition....L. D. Bell was marching. We arrived at 815----a couple of bands had dropped out (so many of the bands were messed up because of Hurricane Ike---missing so much school---) so the competition didnt start til 930---but then we planted it and ran the board---50 yard line, about 30 rows up---25-ish bands---then 12 shows in finals----Bell swept the competition---got to see some really entertaining shows and hear some wonderful music---mostly it was great sitting with my kids enjoying them and bands----and burning up! got a most horrific sunburn on my left leg...
...David Hall joined us for finals----he'd been on a youth temple trip in the morning and then conducted a baptism of a family that afternoon---he had a very long day. We got back to Beaumont about 130 a.m....yawn.....up for church at 9 a.m.---I used to live in Jasmine's ward (20 years ago)--still get to see people I knew back then---then David took us on a tour of his refinery and down to see Hurricane Ike damage...the yacht club in Port Arthur---boats piled up on top of boats---aluminum overhangs and fences down everywhere---blue tarps everywhere (waiting for roofs to be replaced)---trees twisted out of the ground---and these werent even the places hit the worst
...we then went to the Halls house for a pasta bar dinner ---that was fun---played Apples to Apples and scum---the next morning Ace & I took jasmine to her elementary school where she is doing some shadowing---then we headed home to Fort Worth....family & marching band---great combination.

cake balls

here is the recipe for cake balls----labor intensive but very easy to make---

ingredients:

any cake mix---your choice of flavor

any frosting---your choice of flavor

2 pckgs of almond bark---white or dark

make cake per directions on box

when the cake is done let it cool a little---then dump it in a bowl and crumble it totally.

When its cool---add the entire tub of frosting...mix well.

Freeze for about 1 hour.

Take a small melon-baller and form SMALL balls of dough from the mix---no bigger than 1" round....put these on a cookie sheet on wax paper.

Freeze for about 3 hours.

melt almond bark in microwave or double boiler----dont let ANY water get in bark---it will be ruined.

dip balls in almond bark (use toothpicks or spoons or skewers---this is the part that takes some getting used to to figure out your best way).

you can melt 3 squares at a time of the bark to keep it melted---you can also just roll the dough in your hand....you can also just dip the top of the ball in the almond bark.

possible combinations of frosting/cake:

chocolate/chocolate

german chocolate/pecan coconut frosting

mint chocolate/chocolate

lemon/lemon

red velvet/white frosting

cherry cake/white frosting (or cherry) with chocolate bark

the possibilities are endless

the balls are VERY rich---you cant eat a lot

you can put sprinkles on immediately after dipping before the bark hardens.

you want them to end up being the size of truffles or chocolate cordial cherries

mmmm...the music & the motion

This is the LD Bell Blue Raider band's show this year----I'm travelling with Ace this weekend to meet up with Jasmine & Lyric to see them compete at BOA Houston----

On Saturday, October 4, Kathleen Hill & I spent a lovely evening watching 13 marching bands---at BOA Arlington---a contest---neither of us have kids marching in any of the bands there.


nerd

a plain yellow pumpkin

...what else and why not----I am the Fairy Godmother in Artisan Center Theater's production of Rodger's & Hammerstein's Cinderella.....

Impossible

Pringles

Lest you think that it is only Kisses that I obsess over----nay I say----it is anything new---

In Utah (I looked at Albertson's here, didnt see them) they have restaurant Craver Pringles---so we bought one of each can and served them as hors d'ouevres to Spencer & Corinne Speirs---made them guess the flavors---most were really good---here's the rundown-

Twice baked potato---once you knew the flavor, you could pick it out---not bad---but they flavored a potato to taste like a potato? hmmm?Mexican Layered Dip---totally got it---you can taste the guacamole and the sour cream---very close to the real thing without having to do all that exhausting dipping!Onion Blossom---the best---you taste the dip that the restaurant serves---really really goodCheeseburger---you get the grilled taste---but not much more than that.Mozzarella sticks with Marinara sauce---this one didnt do anything for me---you could taste the breading---but that was about the only flavor you tasted...altho Joe said the only thing we were tasting was the WONDERFUL msg that coated each and every chip! and we love us our msg.Jalapeno ---fairly hot---not my favorite---but it had a good flavor this is spicy guacamole---it was major green---had a pretty good flavor

and Buffalo Hot Wings (hmm, where is the picture of this one?)---not as hot as you might think---a nice kick to it....there are lots of other newish flavors of Pringles---but these were cool...and I havent seen them in our area yet!

Raider

I went up to Utah to see Leah & Joe---spent 6 days---Leah & I did a lot of baby shopping and chatting---IKEA, Babys R Us, Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory...like a moth to the flame...every store....found this terrific Teddy Bear rug (the nursery is animal theme) at Costco! could not resist! It matches her curtains for the baby's room! They found this dresser ready for trash---Joe fixed the broken drawer and painted it---he painted this tree for Raider's room! I am very impressed

......we sewed burp cloths one night. She is still working, so there was a couple of days where I milled around at their apartment while she was gone....I walked around their neighborhood a bit...did lots of dishes (they have no dishwasher---I remember those days--yuk). Leah is due in 31 days! she gave me permission to put up these belly pictures---she is all straight out front---I got to feel Raider move (not his name---but it is what we have called him the entire pregnancy---see my earlier post regarding marching bands)---we got pedicures for her tired feet...we did way too much walking and her feet started swelling--so we curtailed that, a bit--- Joe is working two jobs and goes to school full-time (taking 4-5 science classes---double yuk!)---They are both so tired but happy---not gonna get too gooey here--they both work so hard for everything they have and appreciate every little thing they get---their ward and friends are very supportive---up in that cold wasteland--Leah and I talked a lot about if you start too high on the hog then you dont appreciate the baby-steps up the food chain (i know i just mixed up my metaphors, but you get my drift).

I had nosebleeds EVERYDAY in Utah---so dry! Got to see my two aunts, Margo & Lil and some of my cousins---we had a fun lunch together at Margo's, my mom's older sister. These are my lovely feet enjoying the absolutely divine Utah grass---my shoes came off every time I saw the opportunity to walk on real grass.

Leah, Lil & I went to the Women's Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake---I scored the tickets because I was from Texas. Lil is my mom's oldest sister...her daughter got to sing in the choir for the conference. That was great.....although during the last minutes of the last talk, by President Uchtdorf I gushed a nosebleed---yuk----no pics of that.Saw this sign in downtown Salt Lake---"Jack Mormon's Coffee Co---This is the Place for Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans"---how funny is that!

Sunday after church, Leah, Joe & I went to see Eric & Michelle Moulton and family---that was wonderful---Matthew (newly 12--new deacon!) looked at me as I walked up to their door and you could see the recognition come over his face like "oh, yeah! that's Sister Jeppson, but why isnt she in Texas?!" They all look great and it was wonderful to see them again. On the drive to and from the Moultons, we talked baby names---that was fun---Joe was much more relaxed on Sunday than during the week----no homework will do that to you. Then Sunday night, Spencer Speirs and his wife, Corinne, came over for stew and games. (I put a stew in the crock pot that morning---It was also requested that I make stew when the hurricane evacuees came up---hmmmm---comfort food?)
Monday night in Utah we went over to some friends in Joe & Leah's ward and Joe made sumtam (spelling?)---Thai food. It was delicious----this coming from someone who likes bland as all get out bland food....Leah & I had gone to a Thai grocery store to get the ingredients...Joe did all the cooking. It was lovely to see Joe & Leah as a couple anticipating being a group so soon. I will go back up when Raider arrives....with a new name probably!

Gustav....and Ike

Happy Birthday David! You are old enough to rent a car! and be a daddy!
Be careful what you pray for....I wanted to celebrate David's 25th birthday. David's birthday was August 30...Jasmine had plans for the whole weekend to celebrate his special day---then Gustav announced he was on the way...Gustav is not a baby---he's a hurricane... So David, Jasmine and Lyric came up and we celebrated David's birthday with a trip to Joe's Crab Shack and an Italian Creme cake (his favorite), James & Iva Hall (David's parents), Deanna & Kelli (his two sisters), Richard (Deanna's beau) and Lionel, a family frien, all came up a day later...ARENT WE GLAD WE HAD GUEST ROOMS! :) (See previous post about my LD Bell Room)...Gustav ended up not really doing anything around Beaumont---so they all headed back down to Beaumont.

While they were here, we stayed up WAY too late one night playing "Farkel"---we even had a medal ceremony---Jasmine got gold, Ace got silver & Coach got bronze---Jasmine really cried as we sang "The Star Spangled Banner" (pregnancy hormones to be sure)

Then, two weeks later---they were all back up for Hurricane Ike---the real thing! Lyric, Jasmine & David stayed with us----the rest of David's family stayed at hotels in the area---but we played---David & Coach (David's father) (funny how I assume you know which David I am talking about) went fishing---twice---here are the nasty fish they (and by they, I mean my David) caught---and we played games---fun nights full of new games and old favorites.and by play I mean my david won Acquire---we watched the storm do its damage in their hometown.

This is Jasmine & David doing what evacuees do----watch and wait! (notice my lovely floor!)David went back to Beaumont to see how Valero (his job) gets a refinery back online--Jasmine slept---lots-Jasmine & Lyric got to stay nearly another week---plenty of time to make cake balls for my Gospel Doctrine Sunday School class---Lyric was able to work at the hospital for a few days (yay for good relationships with old bosses)...then they too headed back down---their homes were safe---Coach & Iva lost a fence to a tree---but they all fared better than so many. We dont like Ike. So now, be careful what you pray for---cause you might get two hurricanes!

Meredith! Where have you been!?!?!

Hi all! I know---its been too long---so I hope to catch you up---not with a elongated diatribe (see my previous post on big words)---but with a series of topic-specific posts---so--lets see---where were we---oh thats right---Lyric left me....

DancingMoose did a show for the Air Force in Ontario California----(humming "California, Here I Come")....felt totally like the big-time! here are some pics from the airplane---very cool.

Isnt this a cool cloud formation! I thought of Marcia V as I took this picture---not nearly as good as she would take---but it was great to look at---we are a bit star-struck as we begin this travelling cross country for the show.

This is from the window of the airplane as we flew over the mountains---all this travel is very cool---dont know at what point it will be a bother!....restaurants, hotels.....trips are mostly over-night---altho for one trip (San Antonio to Corpus Christi to San Antonio) I was doing laundry in my hotel room's bathroom sink and hanging it outside to dry! We do shows about 2 weeks out of the month---then off for two weeks.