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Red Hearts, Sources and Special Occasion Planning

Mindy — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:26:14 +0000

This week:

–I am bound and determined to add some Valentine’s flair to our house. I love the 3-D garland above from Pottery Barn Kids. It isn’t available anymore, so I might tackle it as a DIY project.

–I hope to find sources to talk to me about resonant macrosonic synthesis for a feature due next week. It is turning out to be even harder than I thought it would be. Any recommendations are welcome.

–I will catch up on e-mail and phone calls. I can’t thank my friends enough for being patient with me! You know who you are!

–I have to clean like crazy. I think every room in my house needs attention.

–I might shed a tear when I attend an open house to learn more about kindergarten options for Evan. When did my baby stop being a baby?

–I am going to try not to get distracted by the new-to-me blog the Nie Nie Dialogues.

–My little guy and I will pen Valentine’s cards for his class.

–I will plot out birthday plans for the special boys in my life. Their special days are coming up fast.

Giving Thanks

Mindy — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:07:35 +0000

Happy Monday! I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was as relaxing as ours. Mine was filled with everything Thanksgiving should be—time with loved ones (albeit only a few), traditional family recipes and traditions (some old, some new).

My favorite part of the weekend was waking up early with my little larks on Thanksgiving morning. Madelyn was up at 5:30 and Evan slept in clear until 6:00. We all made our way into the kitchen and put the finishing touches on some recipes while the rest of the house slept. Evan had the special job of mixing together the final layer for our Pretzel Raspberry Jell-o Salad. Watching him stir reminded me of my own childhood Thanksgivings and the way my mom always made me feel like an important piece of the puzzle.

I was always in charge of setting the table, which is probably why I still love doing it now. Our turkey handprint cards looked cute at each place setting. My aunt sent us the cutest turkey brownie pops that looked adorable on the table and tasted even better than they looked. I loved polishing up my great grandmother’s silver and dusting off her china. It really is a shame I don’t do it more often.

Our centerpiece was a lovely candleholder Evan made at preschool and some leaves he found outside. I couldn’t have loved it more.

We watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. My brother carved the turkey.

Thanksgiving gave Madelyn her first taste of sweet potatoes. Last year at this time I was trying to hide my nausea because I hadn’t yet spread the word I was expecting. It is amazing how much can change in a year.

We spent the rest of the weekend watching movies, hitting the mall and enjoying family. On Sunday morning we reluctantly hugged goodbye to my brother who came in from Rhode Island and my cousin who was heading back to Georgetown. Then, I settled in trying to get this house back in order. We’re still in a bit of a shambles as I put off cleaning and organizing over the holiday. We have an eclectic mix of holiday decorations up—-a few Christmas things have made their way down from the attic, but all of the fall decorations haven’t made their way back up. I even saw a few rogue Halloween decorations that are still hanging out.

This afternoon will be dedicated to straightening up and putting away. Then, we’ll start spreading Christmas cheer from room to room. I’ve looked at our December calendar and the month is going to pass quickly. I want to start savoring the holiday spirit as soon as possible. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite Christmas gifts and holiday traditions over the next few weeks, and I hope to learn more about yours, too. So, tell me, what is your favorite tradition you carry on with your family?

Broken Trust

Mindy — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 03:07:02 +0000

Finding ways to reinvigorate the Highway Trust Fund

By Mindy Long

Published in Road King Magazine
Download PDF Here

Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Oklahoma) is front and center on Capitol Hill when it comes to shaping the future of highway spending and determining how to meet the nation’s energy needs. She has represented her home state in the House since 2006, and serves on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Small Business. She shared her thoughts on upcoming legislation with Road King.

Q. What changes would you like to see to ensure America ‘s transportation needs are met in the coming years?

A. It is imperative we develop a sustainable and reliable source of funding to support our highway system. Our current highway funding is derived from the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which is financed by the federal motor fuel taxes we pay at the pump. However, the 18.3-cent tax we pay per gallon on gasoline and 21-cent tax per gallon on diesel fuel does not provide enough revenue for the trust fund to meet its current obligations to maintain our highway infrastructure. Since 85 percent of our state’s highway funding comes from federal sources, it is alarming to think the Federal Highway Trust Fund is going broke.

Various proposals have been raised in Congress to ensure the trust fund, and in turn our highway system, are adequately funded. Some of these proposals include raising the federal fuel tax or raising taxes on drivers based on how many miles they drive. I do not support either of these proposals because I believe they would devastate our economy and unfairly penalize those who often travel long distances to get to work.

I believe we can take two steps to better fund our highway system. First, we can allow states to keep the federal motor fuel taxes they generate. Second, we can remove excessive regulatory barriers that lead to costly delays of road and bridge projects.

In addition to the overall funding shortfall, I also believe we must address the unfairness of a funding system where states like Oklahoma have historically put more money into the fund than they get back. For many years, Oklahoma was a “donor state,” which means that for every dollar our drivers paid in fuel taxes, our state received less than a dollar from the Trust Fund. A comprehensive reauthorization must address this inequity to ensure our state receives the revenue it needs to maintain its highways.

Q. The efficient movement of freight is crucial for our society. What you are doing to support interstate commerce?

A. My approach is two-fold. We must first ensure our nation has a first-class infrastructure system to facilitate the efficient delivery of goods and services throughout the country. I am fighting for a comprehensive long-term highway reauthorization bill that will adequately support critical maintenance and upgrades. A comprehensive authorization will also allow states to create and implement long-term plans to address their unique infrastructure needs. Oklahoma alone has a $12 billion backlog worth of projects awaiting completion.

We must simultaneously reduce the burden of high-energy costs on the freight industry by diversifying both the fuels and methods of transportation we use. I am a co-author of the American Energy Act, a comprehensive all-of-the-above energy plan to meet our short-term and long-term energy needs affordably. It would expand deep sea drilling, encourage conservation and invest in alternative energies like wind power, nuclear and biofuels. By increasing domestic production, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and drive down energy costs across the board while preserving the environment and creating jobs.

Q. What role will biofuels play in the movement of freight?

A. Biofuels, along with oil, natural gas, wind, solar and nuclear energy will all play an important role in meeting America ’s energy needs for the future. The key for developing all of the above is incentivizing our energy producers to innovate and develop these new technologies. Current energy proposals like the House-passed Cap and Trade bill would actually discourage the development of these resources with heavy taxes on both energy producers and consumers.

Q. How will you protect truckers from increases in their costs of doing business, such as tolls and taxes?

A. Above all else, I do not believe it is wise to raise taxes on American industry during the worst economic recession in a generation. However the reality is the Highway Trust Fund is broke and we must find an acceptable way to fund our nation’s critical infrastructure needs without increasing the debt or costs on businesses or families.

My Want-to-Do List

Mindy — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:14:33 +0000

My cousin’s husband passed away late last week and my heart has been breaking for her ever since. I can’t stop thinking about her or her kids. I wonder how you find the strength to wake up the next day and take care of all the things you that demand your attention. I wonder how you comfort your little ones while your own heart is breaking. I wonder how she is doing and what I can do to console her from afar.

It reminds me that life doesn’t always go as we have planned and how young thirty-something really is. It makes me want to hug my loved ones a little tighter. It is cliché, but it reminds me that life is short and that making lasting memories with my family should be my top priority.

It reminds me that finding the time and energy for a family adventure is worth the effort. A game of hide-and-seek after dinner is a lot more important than loading the dishwasher. My little routine of making Evan into the bed—layering the sheets and blankets on top of him and then trying to smooth out the lump in the middle—gives him a story to tell his daddy even if it means our morning task takes longer than it should.

I would like to say I do those things as often as I should. Sometimes my have-to-do list takes precedence over my should-do and want-to-do lists. I think that happens to all of us from time to time.

So tomorrow, after I try to find the right words as I write a card for my cousin, I am also going to sit down and write out my want-to-do list. I am going to keep it right next to my to-do list and make it a point to check some things off of it, too.

Simple Joys from the Week

Mindy — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:44:40 +0000

–Climbing into bed on clean sheet day

–Finishing a big work project

–Dancing in my kitchen with my little guy

–Making Miss Madelyn laugh

–Having leftovers for dinner

–Laughing with my hubby

–Nibbling on candy corn

–Finding a perfect Christmas gift for Evan and tucking it away in the closet

–Talking with an old (and absolutely wonderful) friend

I can’t wait to see what simple joys the weekend brings.

Concocting Sculpting Dough

Mindy — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:51:23 +0000

Today we whipped up a little batch of sculpting dough. This is somewhere between playdough and clay. It is a thick dough that dries pretty quickly. It is good for making ornaments, shapes, beads, etc. Ready? Let’s get started.

First, head to your pantry and your craft closet. Here is what you need: food coloring (Evan’s favorite), glue, water, flour and cornstarch.

Put a few drops of food coloring in a bowl. I told Evan to do four, we ended up with about eight. Life is all about compromise, right? Then, pour in 1/4 cup glue.

Pour in 1/4 cup water and stir it up.

Next stir in 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cornstarch. It will get pretty thick, so use some elbow grease.

Once it gets too thick to stir, pour it onto the counter and knead it for five minutes or so. You’ll want to get all of the flour and cornstarch mixed in. Now is the fun part.

Start shaping the dough! You can roll it out, cut it into shapes or sculpt it. The dough does dry quickly—a little too quickly for my guy’s tastes. The outer layer starts to get a little crusty, which wouldn’t be bad, but Evan was having a lot of fun just playing. I finally convinced him we should cut out some shapes. We did Miss Madelyn’s initials, since she was being so patient while we whipped up our little concoction.

Here are a few of our masterpieces:

Evan liked this dough, but it wasn’t nearly as popular as last week’s slime. I think this would be a lot of fun for little girls making beads for necklaces. The beads dried completely in about two hours. I expect everything else will dry overnight. I will make this again during the holidays so we can create some custom ornaments for our tree.

The Recipe:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup glue
4-8 drops of food coloring
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

Mix water, glue and food coloring in a bowl. Stir in flour and cornstarch. Mix in bowl until thick, then turn it onto the counter and knead for five minutes. Shape into shapes and then let dry.

Salty and Sweet

Mindy — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:21:36 +0000

My hubby’s grandma introduced me to this little salty-and-sweet treat. I had to mix up a batch for our house. The key is to get just the right ratio of peanuts and candy corn. Not only do I like the way it tastes, I also like the way it looks. These little candy corns are inspiring all kinds of baking and decorating ideas right now.

Concocting Slime

Mindy — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 00:53:34 +0000

I have labeled Wednesday afternoons kitchen concoction time at our house. For our first concocting adventure, my little guy and I whipped up a batch of slime. It is a quick and easy kitchen project. However, I should warn you that mixing up the slime will take a lot less time than cleaning up the resulting mess and the load of laundry that is sure to follow.

Let’s get started. There are only three ingredients: borax, white glue and food coloring.

Measure one cup of glue. In our house that equaled two partially used bottles of glue and one full bottle.

Pour glue into a large bowl. Add 1 cup of water. Stir in several drops of food coloring. If you haven’t already, you’ll want to be sure to get out a few paper towels at this point. You may also start thinking twice about not putting an apron on your kid. Just keep going. That Shout Advanced you have in the laundry room will work wonders. But if you don’t have any Shout Advanced, you should probably add it to your shopping list.

My guy went a little wild with the food coloring, which is why our hands retain a slight blue tint after playing with the final product. You may want to limit your little scientist.

In a separate bowl (or a large measuring cup) mix four teaspoons of borax with 1 cup of warm water. Guess what’s next?

Try to get your helper to pour slowly. It might be a challenge. Then, start mixing the two borax into the glue. My guy dove in with his hands.

Once it starts to take shape, pull it out of the bowl and knead it on the counter.

Now you get to play. Let your imagination run wild. Evan loved making hand prints and declared that the slime was alien goo.

Store your slime in an air tight container. Ta da:

Here is a quick recap of the recipe.

Ingredients:

Solution A:
1 cup glue
1 cup water
Food coloring

Solution B:
1 cup warm water
4 teaspoons borax

In a large bowl mix Solution A. In a small bowl mix Solution B then pour it into Solution A. Mix until it starts to take shape, then pour onto counter and knead. Have fun!

The Air Show

Mindy — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:26:04 +0000

Last weekend we went to the air show at the Naval Air Station in Oceana. The show was amazing on its own, but it was special for me because my brother flew in it. Yeah!

I had to stop myself from elbowing the people next to me and telling them my brother was the pilot of the plane pulling past us. Really. I did. We didn’t realize he’d be landing so soon, so Bryan had taken Evan to the restroom and my sister-in-law was getting something to eat. I was watching by myself and really wanted to share my excitement with the strangers next to me. Instead I took 243 pictures. I’ll just show you one.

I was proud of my big brother, but I was also proud of all those who serve. I’m so grateful people volunteer to do the jobs we ask them to do. What is even more amazing is that so many of them make the commitment to serve our country when they are just eighteen years old. Eighteen. Right now teenagers are enlisting in the Army, studying at the Naval Academy and sleeping on foreign soil for us. They do it without thanks. They do it for the love of country. They do it so I can tuck my son and daughter in bed at night knowing they will grow up in a country that is free.

We ask so much of our military. We ask moms and dads to spend months away from their families. We ask them to miss first birthdays, first steps and even births. We ask them to go where they are told when they are told. We can’t possibly ever pay them enough for all of the sacrifices they make. But we can tell them thank you. We can teach our kids to be grateful for the job they are doing and we can feel proud that so many people sign up to protect the values that are important to us. So, to all those who serve, thank you!

And, if you’d like a little Monday morning entertainment via You Tube, here are a couple clips of my brother at the airshow. He is a part of the Fighting Omars squadron that plays the adversary. He is in one of the blue camo jets. He is taking off at the end of this clip. If you’re at work, you might want to turn the volume down now. Jet noise can be loud, but it is an awesome sound.

His flight is toward the end of this clip.