Bigger or Better: Life outside of Texas

I got a new computer, so I've been moving over documents and organizing pictures, and I've found something to share: food. None of these 'recipes' are exact, because that's not really how I cook, and because that would make the post really long. Comment if you want the recipe, and I'll hunt it down.   Fruit pizza : just a basic crust, because I didn't want to make sugar cookies, then a base of cream cheese/sugar mixture and a topping of apples, peaches, and grapes. The best part is arranging the fruit to make it fit.   "Sunday Special" : This is a recipe from my friend Sharon. Basically, just ground beef(browned), canned green beans, cream of chicken soup, and cheese, topped with tater tots. Bake at 350 for 45-ish minutes   "Stuffed" French Toast : Make egg mixture with egg/milk/vanilla, dip just one side each of two slices of bread, place egg-side down on pan. Mix cream cheese/sugar/chocolate chips together, place on ...

Just to clear the air, I'm not talking about surrogacy relating to sheep or conception or anything genetic like that. I'm referring to the elbow grease, the encouragement, the patience, and the subsequent tie that comes with a long-term nurse-patient relationship. Okay, long-term may be stretching it. I've only had this patient for 3 weeks. I'm just anticipating that this guy will be here for a while. I'm trying to be vague here. I think the only information that's necessary to the story is that this guy is very weak, quite sick, goes to various tests/procedures about every day, and that his nursing care team is trying very hard to get him stronger. And I'm going to call him Guy. For the past 2 weeks, I have created a goal board for Guy, with little check boxes. I tell Guy that I'm going to gather up the posse to help him sit, bathe, turn, and move his arms and legs. Most of the time I can get him to reluctantly agree that all this activity is to help ...

I had a pretty stark contrast today of the use of words. Most of today I was watching General Conference [follow link for explanation], and let me say we have some pretty awesome apostles. They can be blunt, and what they say may tweak your soul, but it's always in the direction of getting better. I really, really enjoy General Conference weekends. That's the good word. But driving home after watching it, as I was sitting in my car thinking about how I needed chapstick (temporal needs are so distracting), a car behind me cussed at me. I suppose I should be glad I got through life up to this point without getting cussed at. It is totally different to have the cussing around you as opposed to directed at you. I was not happy. Basically. So I turned on some music and entertained fantasies of me showing those boys what's what. It is a fulfilling activity in that such thoughts are entertaining and definitely fantasies. So now that I've provided the contrast, let me bring ...