Six Word Saturday - Puddles

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Six Word Saturday - It's Complicated!

Six Word Saturday:

"Why do I always over-complicate everything?"

A while back, I was in the position of administering a placement test to a potential Kumon student. This little boy was only 3-years old, quiet, and shy. I decided to break the ice (and test the waters) by having him draw a picture for me before testing. I offered crayons, but the child chose a pencil. OK. He then proceeded to draw a picture very similar to the one above.

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I looked at the picture and told him how wonderful it was.

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The child had no response.

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"Why doesn't the man have arms?" I asked.

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"I didn't want to give him any", the child replied in a whisper.

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"That's OK", I said. "But he doesn't have a mouth. Is he happy or sad?" (That would be Miss Anne searching for information...)

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The little boy was silent for many l-o-n-g seconds before responding "Sad", he said.

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So I'm thinking "Rats. This is going to be a VERY challenging testing session!" (OK, in all honesty, I was not thinking 'rats'. I was thinking words innapropriate for a Kumon Instructor!)

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I pulled myself together and gently asked the boy "Why is the man sad?"

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Again, a VERY long silence. I was losing hope.

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Suddenly, the boy looks up at me like I'm the biggest dummy in the world and replies in a strong voice "BECAUSE HE HAS NO ARMS!"

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I laughed and we went on with testing.

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Later, I thought about why I put so much emphasis on the details, rather than the big picture. I guess I do that with everything. I suppose I've always been that way.

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I have the picture hanging up in my center to remind me NOT to overcomplicate things. It helps, but I'm still not "cured".

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By the way... Tjhe boy's family enrolled him in both math and reading :-)

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To participate in Six Word Saturday, please visit Cate (and my other SWS friends) at Show My Face.

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Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Six Word Saturday - Words of Wisdom

To participate in Six Word Saturday, please visit Cate at Show My Face. I'd love to see your six words :-)

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

Six Word Saturday - Just Peachy!

Six Word Saturday:

"LIFE'S A PEACH. MUST MAKE PIE."

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Second Six Words:

"HELP! WILL YOU SHARE PEACH RECIPES?"

(Recipes don't have to be for pie. Just something involving peaches. You can post your recipe or a link in your comment. All recipes and ideas are greatly appreciated, as it looks like we have a bumper crop of fruit this year!)

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Please go see Cate at Show My Face to play along with Six Word Saturday and to see other players Six Word posts.

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Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Six Word Saturday - Symphony in a Pan

Six Word Saturday:

IS MY 'BTS' CAKE REALLY 'BTS'?

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Do you know what a 'BTS' cake is? I thought I was being so creative when I came up with a decadent take on the old Jello poke cake to take to our family reunion last weekend... Until I did a little research on the internet and found bazillions of similar recipes! Imagine my surprise when I found the "real" name for this dieter's nightmare is 'BETTER THAN S^X CAKE'!!! (OK. I'm not really afraid of the "s" word, but I'm trying to keep things very family friendly around here.)

Anyway, I had to whip up my original(?) recipe and see for myself if really was BTS.

I did bring it to the reunion, by the way. I told some of the adults about the 'BTS' name, and the line for cake formed immediately! From the men, you could see some looks of serious contemplation. From the women, you could see some worry on their faces (due the caloric investment or the husband's reaction? I wonder.). Regardless, the cake was easy to make and was super moist, rich in chocolate and caramel, and, quite simply, delicious. I will absolutely make it again for a potluck or party :-)

I've printed my recipe below, so you can judge for yourself if it really is BTS. (Warning: Just reading the recipe may cause you to gain a few pounds!) In my "family friendly" spirit, I've renamed my version of this decadent delight:

SYMPHONY IN A PAN

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix
6 oz. caramel topping
13 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
6 oz. hot fudge topping, warmed to pouring consistency
1 tub whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
1 4.25 oz. Hershey's Symphony milk chocolate bar with almonds & toffee chips, chopped

Directions:

1. Bake cake in 9X13 pan, according to directions on box.

2. While cake is still warm, poke holes all over cake with the fat end of a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon. Holes should be 1-1 1/2 inches apart. Take care that you do not poke all the way through to the bottem of your cake or it will become soggy.

3. Pour caramel topping into holes. (Yes, it will probably spread over the top of the cake and look messy. No worries.)

4. Pour condensed milk into holes. (See note above.)

5. Pour warmed hot fudge as in steps 3 and 4.

6. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. (In a chocolate "emergency", this step can probably be ommitted.)

7. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator, frost with whipped topping, and sprinkle Symphony bits on top. Enjoy!

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

P.S.
To participate in Six Word Saturdays, please visit Cate at Show My Face. Have fun!

Six Word Saturday - Soap!

"Six Word Saturday"

TODAY I'LL CRAFT. I'LL CLEAN TOMORROW!

Woo hoo! My Bramble Berry order came in this week. Christmas in July, I'll tell ya! Anyway, I have been chomping at the bit to make Fortune Cookie Soaps for a while now, as well as some rose petal bath bombs. Even though my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are coming to visit this week, I'm going to dedicate this afternoon and evening to doing my soapy projects and might even finish weaving my "Prayer Basket". Cleaning can just wait until tomorrow :-)

Please come back next week to see the results of my crafty efforts. There just might there be a couple of tutorials for you.

By the way... If you want to participate in "Six Word Saturday", please visit Cate for more information. (Just do it. You know you want to play!)

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Six Word Saturday - Origami!

"BEAUTIFUL ORIGAMI PAPER OFFERS CREATIVE POTENTIAL"

I'm hurrying to get all of my work done this morning so I can work on a long overdue craft project. Come back tomorrow... I should have pictures and a tutorial on a fun origami project!

I'm really enjoying the "Six Word Saturday" concept. If you'd like to play along, please visit Cate at showmyface.com for more details.

Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne

Six Word Saturday - Family Reunion

CONTEMPLATING "CAMPGROUND" DESSERT FOR 35 PEOPLE!

The Parham family reunion is being held July 31-August 2 this year, at the Summit Inn in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. I've volunteered for the task of organizing/prepping the Saturday night dinner and providing desserts for both nights. Since the functions will all be held outdoors, anything I serve needs to be either made ahead of time, "no cook", or grillable. Did I mention it's a four hour drive to the reunion site? Hmmm..... The good news is that I booked the last available cabin, so I have a tiny kitchen with a stove, oven, and refigerator. This makes planning a little easier!

Last reunion, I set up "Fajita Night": Dave cooked the fajitas on the grill, and everyone dressed up their fajitas with the condiments of their choice. We also served guacamole and chips, pico de gallo, beans, and Sangria. I made enough cakemix cookies so there were leftovers for all the children to take home.

This year, I think I'm leaning toward "shish-kabobs". I think it would be easy enough to prep the veggies ahead of time, and I think I'll cube the meat and freeze it in marinade so I can simply thaw it in the cabin fridge and it will be good to go. We'll set up all the fixins' and people can create their own skewers on site. I think maybe a green salad and garlic breadsticks (cooked on the grill) should be enough to complete the meal.

In keeping with the "create your own" theme, I'm considering making cupcakes and setting up a decorating station with frosting, sprinkles, fruit, etc. so people can reate their own yummy masterpieces. We'll award prizes for the "most creative", "prettiest", and "funniest" cupcakes. Does this seem like fun or a disaster waiting to happen? Either way, it will probably provide some great photo opportunities!

Does anyone have any ideas for Friday night dessert? Dinner is just hotdogs and burgers, so dessert doesn't need to be fancy. I'd love to hear what you'd bring to an outdoor family reunion.

Of course, I'll be posting all my recipes and pictures as the reunion date approaches.

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne