The letter S

My friend Jan tagged me with what I like to think of as "The Alphabet Game." I gave her permission to do so, and I even (helpfully) let her know the letters I would not appreciate being given.

Fortunately she didn't have to look any further than my name. That's right, she smacked me with the letter S.

Now the letter S and I share a somewhat troubled history.

You see, through no fault of my own, I have a little bit of a lisp. My lisp first got noticed (officially at least) when I entered 5th grade. That was the year we had moved to a new house, and my sisters and I attended a new Elementary school.

I finished up my elementary career at Des Moines Elementary.

Des Moines Elementary, would be located, in that little suburb of Seattle, known as Des Moines.

A pretty nice place to spend the rest of my childhood. I guess.

Anyway to make a long story short, the powers that be at D.M.E., figured that I would benefit from a bit of speech training. So, with very little input from me, I was suddenly faced with two hours a week, of speech therapy.

I was cool with it actually. It got me out of two hours of P.E. every week.

I never enjoyed P.E.

I'm not the most athletically gifted person to ever walk the earth and the last thing I needed was two hours every week to remind me (and everyone else in my fifth grade class) of that fact.

I really can't say that speech therapy helped me in any way. Well, other than allowing me to dodge P.E. of course. But it was different and kind of fun, so I decided that I would see it as a good thing.

The one thing it didn't do though, was to help me get rid of my lisp.

So here I am saddled with the first name of, Susan. If anyone out there has any bit of a lisp at all, I'm sure you can see the problem. When I was younger, apparently, I could not say Susan without it coming out Sthusthan.

That's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point.

And then to make matters far, far worse, I end up falling in love with and marrying a guy with the last name of Sorenson. I love Don and I don't think I could have had a successful marriage with anyone but him, but sometimes I have to admit to how much I don't enjoy being handicapped with the name Susan Sorenson.

No matter how hard I try to make the S in Sorenson actually sound like an S, (such as at Fred Meyer, when picking up prescriptions) it invariably happens that the pharmacy person will ask, did you say Thorenson.

Aaaaauuuuggghhhhhh!

"No, it's Sorenson, with an S, as in S(th)am.

Not that any of this has anything to do with the purpose of this post. I just thought it might be interesting to point out my history with the letter S.

So here I go. I will list 10 things I like that start with the letter S.

1. I think my most favorite thing to start with an S would have to be Sweets. I am a bit of a sugar junkie. I never crave chips, or anything salty like that, but man, if the first ingredient on the label is sugar, I most likely will find it irresistible. I love candy. I love cookies and cake. And Brownies. And Ice Cream. What can I say? I'm a hopeless case.

2. Sunshine. As far as I'm concerned, it could be 20 below outside (well maybe not quite that cold) and if it is sunny, I am happy. That would include a nice blue sky as well. But then aren't sunshine and blue skies pretty much a package deal?

3. & 4. Spring and Summer. I just plain like a nice warm sunny day.

5. Sweaters. If it has to be cold, then I will try to make the best of it. And by that I mean, I will be wearing a sweater. I like sweaters. They always look a little bit dressy. (By my standards at least) And they have the bonus of being warm. So sweaters. Definitely.

6. Sea Food. This isn't entirely true any more. Since lately I don't enjoy any kind of meat. And yes, sea food is meat. I have to include this because until maybe a year and a half ago, I had always loved sea food. Shrimp, Salmon, Crab, Fish and Chips, I loved it all. And sometimes I still can enjoy those delicacy's. I certainly can't wipe out 49 years of a food passion just because at the moment I don't enjoy it.

7. Sleeping Pills. I like these mostly in theory. That's because I have a very conservative Doctor, who won't give them to me because they will just become ineffective and then I will keep needing higher and higher doses. I see her logic. Really I do. But some nights it would be so lovely to simply swallow a pill and then, voila, instant sleep. Oh and I guess this brings us up quite smartly to number. . . .

8. Sleep. Oh I love sleep. When I can get it, that is. Sometimes I do go through periods of sleeping well. I think I'm my own worse enemy at times though. I'll have a few weeks of actually falling asleep and then miraculously staying asleep. And then I always have to go and spoil it by realizing it, and thinking, this can't last forever. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Of course it almost always becomes a self fulfilling prophesy, and I'm back to having sleep problems. Sigh.

9. Seattle. I guess I should include it since it's the place I was born and raised. It's a fun place to visit, but I'm so glad i don't live there anymore. And this brings me to . . . . .

10. Surrounded by my family. I love my family. From my husband and my children (this includes my son and daughter-in-law) to my sweet, beautiful little grandaughters. I include as well, my siblings, my nieces and nephews, and my tons of aunts, uncles and cousins. And last but not least, my Grandparents. I have been blessed with a wonderful family and spending time with them is even better than eating sweets. So I guess I should switch my number 1 with my number 10. Because as much as I do love those cookies, Birthday cakes, cinnamon rolls, chocolate and jujyfruits, I would give them all up if I had to choose between those or my family.

There, ten things I like, that start with the letter S.

I thought about following Jan's example and also stating 10 things that start with the letter S, that I don't like. But I have two people waiting for me to go get something to eat. And those two just happen to be family members.

And you know what a sucker for my family I am.

Questions Always QUESTIONS

I am a very curious person. Very. I can't ever listen to an explanation of anything, or a bit of interesting information, without having questions.

My mind can never just accept what someone tells me.

No matter what I am told, I can always come up with opposing ideas, or different perspectives.

That's just how I am.

Sometimes I take a lot of flak for it too.

Here is a small example.

People,

mostly those who I am related to,

get tired of watching movies with me and having to listen to me point out every inconsistency, or just plain impossible situation that comes up.

I don't always do this.

Some shows and movies are so good that I am willing to suspend my belief and play along with the absurdities, for the sake of a really good story.

That explains why I'm still a huge fan of the show "Lost".

But ya know, there are some things, that are just so outrageous, so stupid, so irrational that I just can't bite my tongue.

Lately I have noticed a few of these, that I just have to address.

Most of them have to do with advertising. I think that people in the business of advertising are some of the biggest purveyors of absolute B-ll
Sh-t that have ever graced the face of this earth.

And do you know how they can get away with it?

They get away with it, because if people see it on TV or in print, they just assume it is right or good.

Oh not everybody for everything.

Advertisers should be so lucky.

But for things that don't matter, people are usually too busy waiting for the commercial break to be over, than to realize, that there is no way on Heaven or Earth that "Brand X Lotion" can make your skin 200 % percent more moisturized.

I mean think about it.

If your skin was suddenly quenched with 200 % more moisture, it would all fall off your body in huge mushy clumps.

Now who would be up for that?

Well, here are just a few of the slogans and promises that have definitely gotten under my skin. Hopefully this isn't just me being weird or super picky.

Here's a big one that never fails to ignite my indignity.

Every morning on the Today Show, good old Willard Scott, does a sweet little segment showcasing the people who are turning 100 years or older.

This segment is brought to you by the Good Folk at "Smuckers".

And since they sponsor it, that means they get to air one of their commercials.

Smuckers, really need to find themselves a new Ad Agency. Here is their slogan:

With a name like Smuckers, it HAS to be good.

Did you get that? Ooooh, this just drives me crazy.

Why, WHY, WHY, does a name like SMUCKERS mean it has to be GOOD?

That is just about the stupidest logic I have ever heard.

Is there something inherently positive about the name SMUCKERS? Not that I can see.

It's just a name.

Actually it's a name that I could see being fodder for that kid in the fourth grade that makes fun of every one's last name.

Let me see, Smuckers, uh, Suckers! Corn Shuckers! Smuckers Puckers!
The possibilities could be endless. And I've never been one to ridicule people's names either.

Just imagine what a true master could do with a name like SMUCKERS.

But I bet the one thing that would never come up is the fact that with a name like SMUCKERS it has to be good.

I can't believe that some lame advertising executive got paid for coming up with that one.

If someone reading this gets it, then please can you explain it to me?

Maybe there is some crazy logic behind it that I just can't fathom.

Another thing that I noticed the other day, while shopping at Walmart. For Potato Chips no less. Was how often the word NATURAL is used in product descriptions.

One example that I found to be truly inexplicable, was on a bag of Lay's Classic Potato Chips. These are the only kind I ever buy because I like them the best.

Makes sense right?

Well right there on the bag, I noticed that Lay's is bragging that they use "All Natural Oil" in the making of their chips.

ALL NATURAL OIL.

All Natural? I can't help but wonder, where on earth would they get UnNatural Oil?

I mean, I have heard of synthetic oil. Of course I have. But isn't that the stuff that they use at Jiffy Lube?

For Cars?

Call me hard to please, but do you think there has ever been such a thing, as potato chips, that have been prepared using a couple quarts of Quaker State Oil?

I hope that sounds as ridiculous to you as it does to me.

I could come up with a few other examples of things in this world that can't help but make me have questions, but I meant for this to be a rather short post so I think I will leave it at this.

But promise me, please, that the next time you see something that makes you think,

WHAT THE?

That you will think of me, and agree, for just a moment perhaps,

WHAT A SILLY WORLD WE LIVE IN!

For Lisa

My daughter-in-law Lisa's birthday is January 2nd. She turned the big "two nine" this year.

And I really do mean twenty nine,

she's not thirty two and just refusing to move into her thirties, by staying at twenty nine.

Anyway, I will make a long story short here. (At least I will try, you know me.)

Well, due to circumstances, the idea of going out to eat to celebrate, and then to go back to Donald and Lisa's to celebrate even more, with Birthday cake and ice cream, didn't work out that way.

So it was decided that since every Sunday they come to my house and we have a family dinner, that we would do Birthday cake at that time.

Everything worked out fine with the exception of one teency weency little hitch.

No Birthday cake.

I thought that since we had planned to go to Donald and Lisa's, for cake, after eating at Famous Dave's (BTW, not a fan of good old Dave's.) That they must have gotten a cake.

That made sense to me.

They came for Sunday Dinner without a cake. I didn't have a cake ready. And I am still sure that I heard Donald say that they would bring the cake with them.

Oh well all of this is neither here nor there, I just wanted to point out that there wasn't a cake that Sunday.

Lisa told us that it was okay, that she didn't really mind not having a cake.

Donald and I both insisted that some kind of dessert (something to put candles on, in other words) needed to be procured immediately.

So my quick thinking son grabbed a brownie mix out of my pantry, and made Birthday brownies for his dear wife.

This was actually a good thing.

Lisa loves brownies.

And even better,

we had hot fudge sauce and plenty of ice cream.

There are few desserts that Lisa likes better than Hot Fudge Brownie Sundaes.

The day was SAVED! YAY!

Lisa is such a loving mom that she even told the girls, (that would be Alexandra and Lorelai.) that they could help blow out the candles.

Which was really nice.

Lorelai, by the way, will help you blow out your candles with or without permission, so it was very considerate of Lisa to give her the A OK.

You know so Lorelai can help blow without guilt.

The candles were lit,

we were ready to sing,

Lorelai had staked out the best position to really have a go at those candles,

and then we realized we didn't have the camera.

I ran to my room and got mine.

We sang, they blew, and we ate.

Mmm, ya gotta love those Hot Fudge Brownie Sundaes.

Now there was just one problem.

The pictures I had taken were on my camera.

In hindsight I'm not sure why I didn't just have them take my camera with them to their house. Lisa had wanted to use the pictures on her blog, to do a post about her Birthday.

That didn't happen.

What did happen however, is that I was looking through the pictures I had taken the other day, and there were Lisa's BDay pics.

And now I have written an entire post to explain why I have Lisa's Birthday Pictures on my blog.

So now you know. And here they are.

Lisa and the girls while we all sang Happy Birthday. Notice Lorelai, in prime position, to blow out those candles. Obviously she takes candle blowing more seriously than Alexandra.

The candles are all blown out Hooray! Notice the VERY satisfied look on Lori's face?

The girls always get the job of taking out the candles. They weren't even disappointed that there was no frosting to lick.

I have a good feeling about this

You want to know one of the things I really love?

It's when I pick out another book to read.

Unless, it's one I'm re-reading, there's always that little bit of

Mystery.

Will I like it? Will it be worth the money I spent? (Unless of course I only paid 50 cents for it at Goodwill)

Quite often it will be from an Author I'm already familiar with.

But almost as often, I am giving a new Author a try.

New Authors make me a little nervous.

I love so much to discover someone whose words really speak to me,

and am so disappointed if they do not.

I am seldom though, without a book to read. There are quite a few, that I have promised myself to read for a second time.

I have been to Hogwarts several times. Last time through all seven years even.

A few of the other books I read over and over, To Kill A Mocking Bird, If you haven't, please promise me that you will. No one should ever die without reading that beautiful, insightful and inspiring book.

I actually finally got my father to read it before he died. (He felt the old movie was so good that it left little need for the book)

Fortunately it was one of those rare times when he admitted I had been right all along.

Another book I have read more than twice, The Lord of the Rings. I realize that this set of books will not be to everyone's taste, but please then at least read The Hobbit.

A few of the books I intend to reread: A Painted House - John Grisham,

Queen and Roots - Alex Haley

Hearts In Atlantis and The Stand - Stephen King,

and, all of the original OZ books by Frank L Baum.

This is what I love.

I get a new book to read.

I don't get to it right away usually.

I like to savor just having it.

Looking at it.

Promising myself.

I also need to finish the book I am currently reading.

The time comes for the new book.

I open it up.

If there is an introduction, I read that.

If there is an acknowledgement or a list of chapters, of course I read those.

I always read the prologue, of course I do.

And then I get to one of my favorite parts, Chapter One.

Sometimes it only takes a few pages, sometimes it takes as many as 50.

But the moment that I love the most. My very favorite part of the whole reading process.

Is when after reading those first few or even a few more, pages,

I suddenly get that warm, cozy, comfortable, feeling,

that this is a book I'm going to like.

This, this, will be a good read. This is a book that I am going to try to pace myself with.

So it won't be over too fast, of course.

Yes, when I get that joyful feeling, that I am starting on a grand reading adventure, and that there is nothing else I want to do, other than curl up in a comfortable chair and

read,

Well that is one of my favorite feelings in the entire world.

In fact, besides having my children and being with my husband, well just generally spending time with my family.

I would have to say that the reading of a really good book,

Is the thing in the world I love the most.

Relativity???

I like to think about things. Sometimes when I start thinking about one subject or another, I can't help but wonder, just how many people have thought about the same thing. I used to assume that, if I thought of something, then of course most people did as well.

Then my daughter-in-law Lisa became a part of my life.

Quite often, when I am thinking about the various thoughts that pop into my head, and when I decide to engage others in my thought process, Lisa will laugh and say something to the tune of "Susan you crack me up. You are always thinking about things that no one else ever does."

I like when Lisa says something like that to me. I consider it flattering.

After all, doesn't everyone like to feel that in some areas of life, at least, they are unique? I also have been alerted to the fact by other (less loving?) people that I am not unique, I'm just a weirdo with too much time on my hands.

I prefer Lisa's opinion of course. One reason why I love her so much.

Well, I decided to allow myself some time today, to think about something I have considered before, but never gave myself the luxury of thoroughly thinking it through.

Anyway, here is my thought: We have lots of in-laws in this society of ours. If you are married you, most likely, have a Father-in-law as well as a Mother-in-law. There is a good chance that you may have two sets even.

You know, in cases of Divorce.

Of course, you don't need to be married to have in-laws. You can be a child, heck, in extreme cases, you can be just a fetus, and still have in-laws.

Those would most likely be a brother -in- law or a sister-in-law. You don't have to do anything at all to acquire those types of in-laws. Well I guess you would need to have a brother or a sister. And they would have to get married. Thus providing you, through no fault of your own, with a brother or sister-in law.

And this is where my thinking comes in.

You pretty much can have only one kind of parents-in-law. Whether they are step-parents or real parents, (you know, the ones who are responsible for the existence of the person you are married to). So basically, to be married is to have parents-in-law.

The thing is those are the only kind of parents in law you can ever have.

If your sister has a mother and father-in-law, that doesn't make them your in-laws. Just your sister's.

On the other hand, your sister's husband, is your brother-in-law. And likewise any other siblings that you and your sister may have, also have her husband as their brother-in-law.

Now here is where it starts to get weird.

Your sister's husband, and your husband, become brothers-in-law.

Do you see the difference there?

In other words you can have BIL's and SIL 's (I've decided to abbreviate) who will always be your in-law as long as you are married to their brother or sister.

On the other hand, the BIL or SIL who you are related to, only because you happen to be married to siblings, is a different type of in-law, than the one's you inherit by marrying your spouse.

Have I lost you? No? Good.

But just in case, to make it all more understandable, I am going to offer up examples. I will use Donald and Lisa, as my example.

Okay, here goes.

Donald is my son. He is the oldest of my five children. He married Lisa over eight years ago.

Lisa has five siblings, Donald has four.

When they married, Donald gained Lisa's five siblings as BIL and SIL's.

One of Lisa's siblings is married. Her sister Kristin's husband's name is Matt. So, Donald now has six sister and brother in laws.

If, if, Kristan and Matt got a divorce, then Donald would no longer be Matt's BIL. But he would still have as BIL's and SIL's Lisa's original five siblings. As long as Donald and Lisa are married Donald will always have Lisa's siblings as in-laws.

Just as Lisa will always have Donald's four siblings.

Of course Donald's sister, my oldest daughter Heidi, is married to Jeff. So Lisa has five siblings-in-law. Donald's four brother and sisters, plus Jeff who is married to Donald's sister.

My point in all this is there are different degrees of being a BIL or a SIL.

Lisa and Jeff are SIL and BIL to each other, simply because they happened to marry siblings. It seems to me that those kind of in-laws, are more of an (stick with me here) In-Law-Once or Twice Removed.

I think there should be some kind of definition here.

What brought this all on was the other day, I was reading my friend Mandi's blog. She had had an unpleasant experience with her SIL. Now I know Mandi's SIL Jennifer. She is another blogging friend. And I knew immediately that the SIL Mandi was referring to was not Jennifer.

Because (A. Mandi and Jennifer are very close and they really love each other.
and (B. Mandi is in the process of divorcing her husband, who apparently has either a sister or a SIL.

And that would be the SIL that Mandi was referring to.

Of course since I don't know anything about Mandi's (almost) ex-husband's family, that SIL could either be his sister or his brother's wife.

Okay, by my definition, here are the different kinds of sibling in laws.

The first, and I guess this could be the true SIL, is the sister of my spouse.

Next, would be the wife of my brother. Almost a SIL once removed.

After that would be the SIL who is married to my husband's brother (incidentally, I don't have one of those) I guess she would have to be a SIL twice removed.

I personally have only three SIL's.

They are the two women married to my two brothers, and my husband's sister. And I love them just as much as I love my own sisters. I only have come up with the terms once and twice removed to define the sort of SILs they are. So you see, once removed twice removed, it has nothing to do with how much you love them.

Well.

We have now come to the point when, certain people whom I'm aware of, would say, that I definitely have, not only too much time on my hands, but a terrible habit of trying to waste my friends, likely limited time.

Sorry, my friends, I guess I have explained and hopefully not confused any of you, to the point of my being deleted as a friend off your blogs.

In case you are anything like me though, I hope that you found this post of passing interest. If not, well don't even let me get started on COUSINS.

Way to go Abbey!!

It is my great pleasure to announce that my darling little Abbey (that would be my oldest grandaughter) has started a blog of her own!

For Christmas she got a REAL camera.

That would be real ,as in not a 15 -20 dollar kid camera.

She was so thrilled that now she can take pictures with her own camera. I mentioned to her on Christmas that she might want to think about starting her own blog. She was very taken with that idea. She wanted me to help her set it up.

Unfortunately that grandmother, grandaughter moment was not to be.

The only way I could help her was if my daughter, son or daughter-in-law was sitting next to me telling me what to do.

Yes, that would be me, completely computer challenged.

Fortunately Abbey's mom, my daughter Heidi came through. She helped Abbey set up her blog and she has already done two posts.


Heidi has announced the arrival of Abbey's new blog here on her site.

Aaaand, being the indulgent grandma that I am, I am going to send all my friends to Abbey's blog, here.
Now, I realize that not everyone will want to keep up with a ten year old girl's, thoughts, pictures and cute ideas.

But I know a few of my friends do have young daughters of their own who have blogs. So if you happen to know of any young girls who have blogs, and would like to add a new friend, to their blogging world, then please send them Abbey's way.

I can vouch for what a fun, intelligent, creative, sweet and friendly little girl she is. So make a grandma happy and send your friendly thoughts her way.




Don't worry Abbey you don't have to pay me I'll just take it out of your birthday money.