Fossilized Potato

I don't know what I was thinking. Obviously I wasn't thinking. I guess because I cooked rice in the microwave for 20 minutes the day before, I was still in the mode. At any rate, when I put my lunch in the microwave (yes, a nice, clean, normal potato) instead of setting it for the usual three minutes, I set it for 20. After 14 minutes, I had completely forgotten about it and was in the other room, but Holly and Kylie were in the kitchen and suddenly became aware of white smoke pouring out of the microwave. The ensuing ruckus captured my undivided attention, and we opened the microwave door to stop the microwave, opened windows, and carefully moved the smoking object outside with the aid of tongs. Think of the most acrid, awful smell you can conjure up in your mind, multiply it by approximately 2,498 and it will come close to the scent we are sporting in our kitchen these days. The poor potato is charred black clear through. The picture doesn't really do it justice. The black part that fell off was the inside of the skin that was over the black body of the potato. The most surprising thing was that it weighs about as much as a feather now. All the moisture is sucked out of it and it feels a little bit like black Styrofoam. Pretty cool, but awfully scary, and endlessly stupid. I can't even tell you how hard it has been to get rid of the smell. We made a quick trip to the store for some Febreze plug-ins, and gradually we are getting back to normal, unless, of course we use the microwave. I fear we will stink forever. Just thought I'd make you all feel really good about your cooking skills. Have a great day!

Think Blue

There is probably nothing I like better than a baby. Being a granny is such an opportunity to get to hold babies again! We just got the news today that a new baby BOY is joining the fam via the Bartles. It is so fun to know what gender to expect! We can start saying "he" instead of "the baby." Just had to share that happy news. He's due to arrive Dec. 13....what a great Christmas gift!

The Pantry

My, oh my, I'm feeling good tonight. I just finished cleaning up my pantry. It is far from perfect, but it is organized and straight and it hasn't been for...quite some time now. Somehow I conjured up in my mind that it would take hours and hours to deal with it, so I haven't attempted it. Tonight I just had to organize the paper plates and cups and utinsils so I could make room for a new item, and one thing just led to another. I have to admit, the obsessive/compulsive streak in me just loves putting all the green beans together, lining up the soup in flavors, arranging the baking goods so you can actually see what is there, and {drumroll} discarding the chips and crackers that have two stale bites left in the bag. Mr. Monk would definitely be proud. The ice cream cones and crackers are conveniently located on the bottom shelf so the grandkids can reach them. I'm so proud of me! It didn't even take that long. I think I need to attack a few other projects this week which have been procrastinated because I think they are going to take gobs of time. Maybe my recipe/computer adventure, my curtains, Eric's missionary scrapbook {it would be nice to get that done before he arrives back home, don't you think?}, my abandoned painting projects, etc., etc. Any bets on how long my organized pantry will last? It is really a shame it wasn't cleaned up before my company came. My bad.

Ok, I know it has been forever since I posted. There are reasons for this.

A. My computer is in a room occupied by my very cherished visitors so I'm trying not to invade their privacy too much. :)

B. My life just isn't that interesting!

However, my world rocked this morning when my tile guys announced "we are done." Wahoo! One more step accomplished on the way to restoration of usage of the master bathroom. Now all we need are sinks and toilets! Minor details, eh? I will post a picture when....I don't know when, but hopefully soon! In the meantime, I have a lot of nail holes to putty and sand.