Happy belated Birthday Cutie.
Love, your pain in the ass sister.

Here it is! Here's the amazing Peanut with a beating heart!
Due date: January 29th, 2008.

Love you Pop-o!

I learned all the pleasures in life from you: Family, Wine, Travel, and hats ;)

Happy Father's day

Its true Folks!

I've got something like the above picture growing inside my uterus.

I've got morning sickness and about every other symptom you can imagine.

Growing an alien inside me.

Wish me luck!

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's a cpuple Mother's day quotes:

"A loving and careful mother both recognises and even protects her daughter's autonomy and also helps her dance out confidently on to a wider stage."

-Rachel Billington, b.1942, from "The Great Umbilical"

"My mother raised me, and then freed me."

Maya Angelou, b. 1928

"A mother and her daughter are never free of one another - no matter how they disagree.

For they are so entwined in heart and mind that,

gladly or unwillingly, they share each love, each joy, each sorrow and each bitter wrong life-long."

Pam Brown, b.1928

P.s. I can't speak for Mothers and Sons... I'll leave that to someone else ;)

My new House

*Contingent on Inspections and information regaurding the stream in back...

Lepic Kroeger Website
MLS # 20072665


Visit this wonderful walk-out ranch and see why the quiet street and beautiful backyard make this a rare find. Screened Porch over looks large yard, mature trees and little creek. 3 bedrooms 2 baths and non-conforming 4th bedroom in lower level. Newer windows & siding. The garage is deep and the driveway widens for an extra parking space. Plenty of storage space inside. Updates include water heater, water softener, dishwasher & stove.

Type : Ranch
Bedrooms : 3
Bathrooms : 2

I have just finished catching up on all my family's blogs.
Today is St. Patty's day. I'm (I think) 1/8 Irish. My grandmother (Marge Cushing) was full Irish-which makes my father 1/2 Irish which passes down to me as 1/4.... Hmmmm.... Maybe she was 1/2 Irish. I'm confused.
My brother and I went to Ireland together. I was pretty sick during that part of my trip but I did enjoy some of its beauty. For example... Kissing the Blarney stone and Kilkenny castle. We drove around and Chris got pissed drinking Guinness. How many was it Chris?... Eleven?
Yesterday, Which was Lent and it was, therefore, a sin that I had my pints of Guinness with my Jamison Baily's back/shots before the actual St. Patrick's day. I also ate a corned beef Reuben yesterday. I'm such a sinner.... The corned beef on FRIDAY?!?!?! I think the Pope pardoned us last year but I didn't hear anything about yesterday.
Today, I pretty much just feel like sitting at home, cleaning, shopping and surfing the Internet for new homes for Kent and I. Kent had to go to work today and I'm at the end of my "Kent working every night" rope. Well, if you can't change 'em... join em' eh? Nah, I value my sanity too much (what little of it I have left).
Nice reading all your blogs... Keep posting!

You Belong in Paris

Stylish and a little sassy, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine, the men! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth.

What City Do You Belong In?

Personality Disorder Test. Fun for the whole Family! Disorder	Rating
Paranoid Disorder:	Moderate
Schizoid Disorder:	Low
Schizotypal Disorder:	High
Antisocial Disorder:	Low
Borderline Disorder:	Low
Histrionic Disorder:	Very High
Narcissistic Disorder:	High
Avoidant Disorder:	Moderate
Dependent Disorder:	Moderate
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:	Low
-- Personality Disorder Test - Take It! -- -- Personality Disorders --

Beautiful farm I'm dreaming about these days (thanks JR) is seen here:

http://www.benndog.com

I think the Coghill-Behrends and I are thinking back to the days when our idea was to run an "Art Farm"...

...Promotion city....
Well, I did it. I accepted the promotion at work. I will soon be considered an administrator and will be working directly under the executive director. My on-call will be increased but I will be 2nd tier so I will receive less of the silly calls and more of the serious scenario calls... yikes.
I have a lot to learn-being so new to the business. I think I have a lot of homework ahead of me. However, I couldn't ask for a better opportunity to build on my skills. This will be interesting. Wish me luck. I think I'm going to need it.

These pictures made me laugh out loud today. I can't believe Chris could tolerate that bitch on his face like that. The former is testament to the insanity that was our household. I remember Mike and Chris saying their friends came over just to "watch the show". I miss those days... As children our differences made a hysterical fusion.

Advanced Global Personality Test Results Extraversion 83% Stability 73% Orderliness 53% Accommodation 30% Interdependence 63% Intellectual 23% Mystical 30% Artistic 90% Religious 16% Hedonism 50% Materialism 90% Narcissism 36% Adventurousness 83% Work ethic 83% Self absorbed 43% Conflict seeking 16% Need to dominate 50% Romantic 63% Avoidant 23% Anti-authority 76% Wealth 63% Dependency 70% Change averse 23% Cautiousness 16% Individuality 63% Sexuality 63% Peter pan complex 56% Physical security 90% Physical Fitness 37% Histrionic 63% Paranoia 23% Vanity 56% Hypersensitivity 63% Female cliche 76%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Personality snapshot: social, outgoing, worry free, optimistic, upbeat, tough, likes large parties, makes friends easily, rarely irritated, open, enjoys leadership, trusting, dominant, thrill seeker, strong, does not like to be alone, assertive, mind over heart, confident, controlling, feels desirable, likes the spotlight, loves food, social chameleon, hard working, concerned about others

What can I say, I'm into tests right now.

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Brains > Will

I think my parent's are having an anniversary soon. Keep up the good work guys! Love ya!

Gracie was running to the light with the sound of "Her girl, Here girl" coming from god when the kennel rudely stuck an IV in her and revived her.
Gracie came back to life and said, "DAMN IT!"
Live in peace ole girl. They'll let you die someday.

This is our adorable Madeleine...
I made her the kitty blanket she's lying on.
Thank you Chris and Trish for the pics... I'll take some of the booties if you don't mind, too!

I had another Katy dream adaptation of Florence the other night.
There is a very yummy and regional soup that you can only find this time of year in Florence called Ribolitta. In English is means "Reheated" because the more you use it as leftovers the better it tastes.
I went to this little Tavola calda after class in the winter and had this soup with a side of roasted chicken for lunch with my friends. That's been a hard experience to replicate. It took a long time to find this recipe. However, since the surgance of Rachel Ray its in her cookbooks. You can also find Pasta Carbonara which is "bacon and eggs" pasta- a Roman delicacy. I think that the word Carbonara comes from the family name Carbonari and is a secret society today. Or it could have something to do with the cooking process involving coal. I like the former idea better. Rachel Ray calls it, "Coal Miner's pasta". She's probably right.

Here are the recipes:

Ribollita
-means “reheated” in Italian- soup that tastes better with each reheating. Also, a native Tuscan staple food in the winter time.
Ingredients:
1. 2 onions
2. 6 Carrots
3. 4 ribs of celery
4. Fresh Parsley to taste
5. Cubed bread (day old, stale is fine)
6. Curly chard (handful or two- chopped)
7. 4-5 cloves of garlic
8. 5 large tomatoes
9. A heel of parmigiana (grate the actual cheese part for sprinkling on top)
10. Vegetable stock or meat stock
11. 1 lb of white Tuscan beans (Great Northern work fine)
*You can also put in any leftover pasta, green beans, peas, pancetta, and potatoes)

directions: Prepare a lb of white beans (Well washed). Cover w/ water in a stock pot and bring them to a boil. Take them off the heat and let them sit in the water for a couple of hours. Add more water to cover, add seasonings, and simmer until barely done. They should be watched because they ten to become mushy soon after they are done.
Clean and cut into medium dice: Onion, carrot, celery, curly cabbage or chard, garlic, and tomatoes. Mince a bunch of parsley. Saute the onion and carrots in olive oil.
After a few minutes, add the celery, then the chard and the garlic, adding more oil as needed.
Cook 10 min.s then add tomatoes, a heel of parmigiano and the beans. Add enough stock (vegetable, chix, or beef) to cover. Bring to boil, then simmer 1 hr to blend flavors. Add the cubes of bread. Allow to rest for several hours. Add parsley, reheat, and serve w/grated parmigiano on top and olive oil to pass around the table. Finally, add leftovers.
(Makes 15 servings depending on stock)

Pasta Carbonara:

makes 4 generous servings

1 lb spaghetti
salt
a drizzle, plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I like 1st cold pressed *KO)
1/3 lb pancetta, chopped (Italian meat (Bacon) available at deli counter or specialty meats and cheeses section of grocer)
4 or 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped (*KO says do the work and chop it your self - do not buy pre-chopped garlic)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, w few pinches, crushed in palm of hand.
1/2 c white wine or chicken stock
2 lg egg yolks or 1/2 pt container of pasteurized egg product
1/4 c boiling water
1/4 cp grated Parmigiano Reggiano chz (2 handfuls) plus extra or passing at table (again- do the work and grate it yourself from an authentic Italian cheese *KO)
a handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
coarse salt (a must have in every serious food lovers kitchen), to taste
several grinds of black pepper (again no shaker of pepper- you should have a grinder with good peppercorns)

Warning: do not drain pasta until you complete step 3!

1. Place a large pot of water on the stove and when it comes to a rolling boil, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente (to the tooth), about 7 to 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Saute pancetta in a drizzle of oil until it browns, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 tbls olive oil, garlic and crushes pepper flakes and saute, 2 minutes. Add wine or stock to pan and reduce liquid by half, about 1 min.

3. Beat together egg yolks or egg product, and while whisking vigorously stir in a ladle of the boiling pasta water.

Drain pasta, and add pasta to pan with pancetta and garlic and remove from heat. Add egg mixture, cheese, parsley, salt, black pepper and toss 2 minutes until sauce is absorbed and thickly coating the pasta. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately with extra cheese