The Girl and The Orange

Once upon a time, there was a little girl...

and an orange.

The girl picked up the orange.

She played with the orange.

The girl, loved her orange.

Then, the girl became interested in her toes.

She tired of the orange and threw it down to the earth.

Poor orange.

Z is for Ziploc

Did you know that Ziploc is in the dictionary?

Okay, I know, I'm busted. I was looking at Z words in the dictionary. I had this last letter left and I needed a boost to complete my alphabet blog. Sue me.

Still, Ziploc is in the dictionary as a trademarked product. Weird, wild stuff. I guess it makes sense. I would expect "Kleenex" to be in the dictionary. It is. The word ziplock is also in there as a real word for a sealing plastic bag.

When I went to Russia to visit and help resident missionaries, we brought ziplock (varying brands of plastic sealing bags) for the American missionaries. They aren't in the stores over there. I was told they will go as far as washing them and reusing them several times. I must admit, I don't blame them. I probably use them everyday. And, if I ever run out of them, you can be sure they are at the top of my shopping list as a must-have.

Thank you Mr. Ziploc (or whoever invented the first self-sealing plastic bag)! I love you magnificent twentieth-century, indispensable invention.

T is for Tea

(That is phonetic fun! Say it out loud: "T is for Tea!" Haha.)

I used to be a tea fanatic. Other than water, tea was my drink of choice. Add a smidgen of honey and I was a happy girl.

Somewhere along the way, sometime after baby number three took over every last minute of my day it was replaced with coffee. Coffee has a way of giving you a swift kick in the rear, while tea calmly boosts or sooths the soul. I didn't have time for tea anymore, I think. (To be honest, I don't even remember the switch, those days are a bit blurry in the recall files.)It's been coffee for many years now, with the occasional tea when I needed a change or a leisurely, cozy drink.

I've been having mild stomach issues lately. Maybe indigestion, nerves or a self-diagnosed stomach ulcer; perhaps h.pylori associated. And, just about everything I read on the ever reliable Internet suggests that caffeine can irritate things. DRAT! Or so I thought.

I was a bit headachey these last two days without my caffeine, but my stomachs been better. And now I find myself longing for my once forgotten cup of tea, with a splash of honey.

Instead of taking coffee to work tomorrow, I will take tea. Green Chai. That's been a favorite for a long time.

Perhaps it is time to introduce my baby girl to tea with Mommy. My boys have all had tea parties and special "tea moments" with me. Sometimes we have all gathered around the table and talked over tea. Other times I've had special one-on-one "tea talks" with my boys.

Tea has been an important part of our family life, which all originated with my Mom sharing her love of tea with me. It's time to regard tea once again.

O is for Oatmeal (and Oreos)

Oatmeal is a staple we have in our house at all times. My hubby doesn’t eat it, but the rest of us do. It is a smooth and creamy comfort food.

Oooo ya…. And Oreos. There is another comfort food that begins with “O.” I have a particular problem with Double Stuff Oreos.

Anyway, oatmeal is supposed to lower your risk of heart disease, right? That’s what major oatmeal companies claim. Do they mean with or without the added sugar and artificial flavor? I love the maple and brown sugar flavor. Is that still good for me? Sometimes I feel like I’ve eaten a candybar after a morning serving of oatmeal. Still, it is yummy and warm and gooey. My kind of food.

(And let’s not get into the Oreos… or maybe we should.)