Friday Favorite....Zone Bars

I have to add this to my list of favorites. Mainly because....well....they are my favorite protein bars. They don't have the usual after taste that most protein bars have. My favorite flavor is the Double Dark Chocolate. In fact, I feel they taste too good. I wish they weren't as great as they are. But I seem to be addicted. There is no hope for me. I don't know for sure how healthy they are considered by the "organic-whole food" group of people. There are many levels of healthy. Here are the reasons I like them.

1. They taste amazing.
2. They have a low glycemic index.
3. They are filling.
4. It beats eating a Snickers to take care of a sweet tooth.

Here are a couple of drawbacks. But not good enough reasons to stop me.

1. They are not certified organic.
2. They contain soy.
3. They taste too good. Children will find them and when you go for one they will be all gone.

Thumb Double?!

We all know how shallow America has become when it comes to "beauty". I don't have to throw around examples to make you see my point. It's clear to everyone that "perfection" is shoved down our throats at every turn. I will give you one really good example though. It shocked me. Then the more I tought of it, it appalled me!

I was visiting my cousin Alison recently. If you know me well, you know that I adore her. I brag about her all of the time. She is so beautiful. She is an AMAZING dancer. I mean, take your breath away good dancer. She is so funny. That is my favorite thing about her. She has the best laugh, and such a good sense of humor. We have so many good memories of laughing together. (Oh, and she is Michael Jackson's biggest fan...it's true and I had to say it. ) She was born when I was 12. I loved her from the moment I saw her. I always told my Aunt, "She is going to be beautiful when she grows up." And I was right. She is. :) But there is one tiny thing......well two tiny cute things that make her unique. She has brachydactyly, a rare condition also known as clubbed thumb.


I was visiting her this week and she told me she had been reading up on this condition. She said there is a Facebook page for other "toe-thumbers." I was surprised to look at all of the photos and see that they looked just like Alison's thumbs. I have always thought they were so cute. I had just never seen anyone else with them.....But there are. And there is someone FAMOUS with them...but sadly..she is not able to wear her thumbs proudly. Either by her own choice, or the choice of her sponsors.



Megan Fox is the well know actress from Transformers. She is beautiful and talented. But when the story broke that she suffered from brachydactyly, it threatened to knock her from magazine covers and conversations about sexiest women alive for the rest of her days....Well, it turns out that most people didn't care about her thumbs and she has managed to hold her spot in the limelight. She did need a bit of help though.

Much to the chagrin of her fellow brachydactyly sufferers around the globe, she (or her sponsors) insisted on having someone else's thumbs appear in the Motorola commercial for the Super Bowl. She employed a THUMB DOUBLE. I don't even want to know what a thumb double makes. I am sure it would make me angry and would spiral into a whole different post....

I wouldn't have cared about this story if it wasn't for my sweet cousin feeling offended over it. I don't blame her. I would be too. She has the cutest little daughter who will also be beautiful when she grows up.

Alison said she keeps checking to see if Ryland has little "toe-thumbs"
I asked her, "Do you hope she doesn't?"
"No, I hope she does!" she said.
I was glad to hear it.

My Teeth Are Floating!

I was in the car with Beau today. I said something to him and he looked at me like I was crazy. That seems to be happening more and more as he gets older. We had stopped for coffee earlier in the day and were still driving. There was no "end" in sight, and I didn't know if I was going to make it. Let's just say that at that moment in time, I was glad the Trenta had NOT arrived in Washington yet. I would have been in trouble.

I couldn't take it any longer and yelled,
"MY TEETH ARE FLOATING!"

Beau's head snapped around and he looked at my mouth. "What's wrong?", he asked. I repeated it calmly. He was still looking at my mouth.
"Ya know...I'm going to wet my pants," I said.
"What does that have to do with your teeth?! And why are they floating?"

I took a deep breath, and I thought of how to explain this. I pointed out that if your bladder was really, really full, it would overflow and keep filling up, up, up, until your teeth began to float. He grimaced and shook his head. "That doesn't even make sense and I don't know what you are talking about" He said. I told him it's an expression that everyone says. It's a very common phrase. He just put his head phones back in and stared ahead. I insisted he listen to me. "So you won't ever say that phrase?" I asked. "NO", he said...."That's just gross...pee coming out of your mouth?!" Well.....now that he put it that way.
I may never say it again myself...

I can't believe how wide the generational gap can be at times. I sat there (squirming) and laughing to myself at his disdain. I remember thinking the same thing about my parents from time to time. The thing is, I know I have carried on some of their expressions. Isn't that how it works? Things like:

Two things you can't practice for, parenting and drowning.

Don't wish your life away.

Hurting Dogs Bite.

I have to pee like a race horse. (sorry)

Y is a crooked letter.

It's like pulling hens teeth

How does it feel to want?

Hurts so good

It would make a bull dog bite it's chain

If you run with a skunk, you will smell like a skunk,

Does Raggedy Ann have cotton knees?

I'll knock that chip off your shoulder

You look like death standing on a corner eating Life Savers

Jodi, Jess and Candi...I am thinking of a few others....and you know which ones, but I would lose followers if I repeated them. They have to do with nuns, wishes, ponies, and 3rd graders

I looked up the expression "My teeth are floating" on Wiktionary and here is the real meaning....Beau

my back teeth are floating
(informal) I have a strong need to urinate.
Where's the restroom? My back teeth are floating!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

You will receive a $38.00 Starbucks Card and an autographed picture of Chick Magnet. Woo-Hoo!

After Autumn drew your name out of the bowl I told her "Ohhh, Nicole is going to LOVE you!" She looked at me and said "Mom, like she doesn't love me already..."

Thanks for following Nicole! Congratulations again on your ADORABLE baby boy.

In fact, he is so cute I have to post his photos here for your enjoyment. Anyone who makes children this cute deserves our rooster's mug shot.


Congratulations Nicole Dossey!

Contest Drawing

One of my followers mentioned to me that I forgot to say when the drawing would be. I guess that little piece of info might prove useful. Bear with me....I'm learning as I go here.

Ok.....I have surpassed my goal of fifty followers. I am so HAPPY! Thank you all for being so supportive and sweet under such extreme pressure. (I think Sam called me a shameless beggar.....but then he also said he loves to read my blog, so I think he was just being cute.)
You won't regret following My Kite Dream...we will have fun.....trust me. Lots of things are coming down the pipe!

Oh..... And we are going to draw the name TODAY! I will send the lucky winner their Starbucks Card and autographed picture of Chick Magnet on Tuesday.

Enjoy this sunny day!

Welcome Jerry!

So you all know about Jerry. He is the one who helped me so much when I first got my chickens. He is the one who shares his wisdom and humor freely with customers. He is now a follower of my blog. He has emerged from the woodwork! I went in to Elenbaas Country Store today to give him a picture of Chick Magnet in his green outfit.

There are new little baby chicks in there....so tempting! We discussed getting a back up Chick Magnet just in case the unforeseeable were to happen. I guess I could house him in his own little bachelor pad out back behind the hen house.

Jerry said he thought about googling Chick Magnet, but then instantly changed his mind. That search would bring up the wrong sort of chick. Oh that made me laugh....he said there would be no way to explain that one.

I was in there a couple of days ago and asked them if they had ever heard of removing spurs by using a baked potato. They looked at each other and I promise you they were silent for a full minute. "What, have you never heard of that?" I asked. He told me had heard of a baked potato next to a chicken on a plate, but never ON him."

I thought they were going to say...

"Oh Yeah, the old baked potato trick...farmers in Lynden have been using that one for decades. It's FOOL PROOF"......

I guess I will have to look into that one some more. If I try it and it works, then it will be big news around here. I will earn a little respect as a true chicken farmer. :)

I told Jerry that when I get 100 followers I want to celebrate big with Chick Magnet. Host a fun run with him or something. He said I should bring him back to where it all began and have his photo taken with the Elenbaas employees. That hit me as a GREAT idea!!! My friend Wendy offered to make a cake. Maybe we can get a hen to jump out of it....just for kicks.

Chick Magnet would love that, I am sure.

I just wanted to welcome Jerry to our little community. And thank him for all of his great help.


Michelle

Chick Magnet

Ok....I haven't picked up Chick Magnet since he was a baby, so it took a lot of courage today to grab hold of him. We found a perfect wee little leprechaun outfit for him to wear in his photo shoot.

My friend Wendy came over to help me catch him and her husband Brian took video. I had to chuckle when she showed up in her fancy boots with heels. She pulled up her pant legs above the top of her boots and we headed out to the chicken yard. I had already been out there eyeing him down. He seemed to sense something was afoot. He was getting angry so I shut him in the hen house to give myself a breather. I held my foot against the door as he flung himself against it. I could hear him calling me filthy names from inside the whole time. I think my laughing at him made him more angry at me.

Wendy and I gave ourselves a pep talk and started after him. Remember, Leghorn Roosters are the meanest breed out there. This was risky. I chased him around a few times and finally grabbed a hold of him. I wasn't worried about him pecking at me violently or trying to spur me.....I was worried Brian had just filmed my butt crack for all of my followers to see. So I stood there yelling ..... "Brian!! Did you get my BUTT CRACK??!!" while Chick Magnet was flapping in my arms.

We then proceeded to get him into his little outfit. I found if I closed his eyes it helped immensely. We then set him down and had such a good laugh while he ran around the yard in his little green suit. He DOVE under the hens to hide....I screamed at him to stop being chicken. (I know, not funny) We snapped photos for him to autograph tomorrow. And I have already printed one out....it's a great shot. In case you are worried, he was not harmed during this process. I mean really....if it wasn't for his popularity on this blog, he would have been soup long ago. I tried to post a video but am having trouble getting it to work. I will figure it out.... Stay tuned...there is much more to come.

Blog Contest! Fun!

So in honor of myself.....haha...I have decided to have a drawing for a PRIZE once I get fifty followers. I will put everybody's name in a hat and will video Autumn drawing one out. I figured if I shamelessly beg for followers, I should give back a little.
The thing, is I want to give a prize that reflects my blog. I want it to highlight what I like. SO....

The winner will receive a $38.00 gift card to Starbucks. (Ya know, because I am turning 38)

And the BEST part is they get an autougraphed picture of CHICK MAGNET. And that will not be easy... I will also post the video of us holding him down with an ink pad, his foot, and all of his hens laughing at him in such a compromised position...maybe that will tame him a little.
This was actually requested by one my faithful follwers.
I just need three more by tomorrow!

Trenta.....31 oz coffee!

I was happy to hear that Starbucks is test marketing a new size of drink. It's the next size up from the Venti. For some people, 24 oz just ain't cuttin' it anymore.

The TRENTA is Italian for thirty. It's for iced coffee or an iced tea.

It's being tested in Phoenix and Tampa because of the warm climate. I think it's a great idea. My friend Jenipher always gets a hot coffee because she says she drinks it too fast otherwise. If I am really thirsty, I can almost finish a Grande iced coffee before I am out of the drive-through. The Trenta is not for BLENDED drinks. Those are the high calorie "dessert" options. Not really coffee.....
An iced Trenta can have as little as five calories. With sweetener it's still only around 200 calories. And it will go for $3.30. Not bad....

I hope it's a hit! And I hope by Summer it will be available in Washington...

FB......FelineBook?

This is for all of you who think I spend too much time of Facebook.
IT'S NOT REALLY ME!
It's my cat! She waits until I leave the room and logs in. She makes requests, posts comments, and changes my status. I have much better things to do with my time. I just don't want you all thinking I am so pathetic....that I would be on FB four or five times a day..... I have interests and hobbies! I have real friends that walk around and talk.
I don't know how Surface Area (yes, that's her name) got her paws on my password, but she is addicted. I am going to have to put my laptop in a drawer or something.
I am so sorry that you have to see my name flash across your home page so much.....SHEESH.
Stupid Cat.

No Butts About It.....

I guess I really missed the boat on this subject. I have been begging my Mom to quit smoking for years. She has finally done it. I didn't give her enough credit. I have never smoked and don't know how hard it is to quit. I am sure it is just a horrible experience. I applaud anyone out there who has conquered it. I just didn't know she would be very grouchy afterwards.
I looked at her the other day and said.
"You are griping at me about everything"
She said
"I told you nobody would like me if I quit smoking."

I like her.
I love her.

And I am sorry for.......

1) Not having anything but water to drink.
2) Spending too much time on Facebook
3) Not opening a Pumpkin Farm
4) Buying produce at Safeway instead of having my own 2 acre garden
5) Not having a horse. Or a fence to keep it in. Or a barn to house it.
6) Buying expensive protein powder
7) Buying coffee at Starbucks
8) Getting rid of my clothes
9) Not having cable in proper locations in the house
10) Not having dust mite boxes for the chickens
11) Staying out too late
12) Not answering my phone
13) Choosing friends that annoy her
14) Not helping at the other house
15) Not cleaning out my fridge BEFORE I went grocery shopping.

I spent some time reading up on quitting smoking. I know that it makes you really frustrated with everything. I will just smile and nod and tell her I will consider her thoughts. If you know my Mom, you also know that arguing or making her angry can be risky.....
I am still thankful she quit. Not everyone is that tough.

Way to go Mom!

BARLEAN'S GREENS....Hay In A Glass...YUM

Why Green Foods? It's hardly a secret that our modern world produces food desperately lacking in minerals, vitamins, fiber, enzymes, carotenoids and antioxidants. Barlean’s Greens is a concentrated storehouse of these important nutrients that are stripped from modern day food. With equal proportions of organic barley leaf, rye leaf, oat leaf and alfalfa leaf, Barlean’s triple potency formula combined with other green ingredients, gives you the benefit of well over 7000 mg of green superfoods per serving! Greens purify and cleanse your vital organs, tissues, and blood supply.

I know I don't get enough vegetables each day. It's just plain hard to do. That is why I started adding this powder to my protein drink each day. It tastes great. It smells like a summer day.....and they now have berry flavored greens. I throw it in the kid's smoothies when they aren't looking....and a dash of Barlean's Fish Oil. ;)

I go to their store here in Whatcom County to get a better price. (Or I beg it off of my friend Jeff who does their photography) If you aren't local then go to their website. You will find many wonderful things there! I love Barlean's!
http://www.barleans.com/

Breast Milk Birthday Party....BYOB!

My Dad is a breath of fresh air. He is himself all of the time. He may be the most unique person walking around today. He isn't concerned by what others think. And that is what people love about him. It is a sad thing indeed when we change who we are just to conform to what others want us to be. My Dad has taught me to be proud of who I am....proud of my "King" eyebrows....my "King" sense of humor, my "King" sappy-ness, My "King" laugh....and even that "King" nervous stomach....(right Jodi?)

For the sake of this post, I am going to focus on the "King" sense of humor. My Dad is such a kidder. Like you have never seen before. He will push the limit like no other...but he gets away with it somehow. I know that is where I get my love for laughter. Isn't it just addicting? Is there anything more fun than just laughing until you cry? It's good for you. Laughter lowers stress hormones, it decreases pain, it boosts immunity, and is an anti-inflammatory! Everyone should laugh a lot each day. And I mean bent over gasping for breath laughter. I had a lot of that growing up.

My Dad would dress up like a woman and wait for me at my bus stop.

If my sister and I saw a cute boy we knew he would pull the truck up onto the curb and holler out the window to him.

He hid under my bed often times and grabbed my ankles and pulled me under. (I still have the urge to run and jump into bed from five feet away)

He woke me up in the morning with the Vulcan Toe Hold. I don't know if I spelled that right or if Vulcan is even a word. He laughed...I cried. Getting pulled out of bed and across your floor at 6 AM is no laughing matter.

He taught us to hate Honda motorcycles and to mercilessly make fun of anyone who rode one. He would leave piles of rice under the exhaust of his friend's Rice Burners...

I saved my toenails for him for one year in a little vile. It's one of his prized possessions.

He hid in the back of his friends truck and grabbed him from behind while he was driving and made him pee his pants.

He rode his Harley through the paper mill and got fired. I asked him why he did that and he said "Because I could"

He made a guy go deaf after he blew him up with an M200...his hearing eventually came back though.

He LIVED in his tighty-whities.....and if we came home late he would meet us at the door in them, gun in hand. Not so funny, but you get the picture. He didn't care if we had friends over... he would come out in his underwear, pour himself some Cheerios and munch away. If you have seen his legs. You would know why this is so funny.

One time he thought it would be hilarious to wake me up in the middle of the night and tell me to get ready for school. So I did. I got ready and started walking to school at 3 AM. He pulled his truck up...laughing...and told me to go back to bed. HA.HA.

He would put us in the back of the truck and take us for rides. He would slam on the brakes and we would all roll against the cab. Laughing, bleeding. I think Candi got seriously hurt and Mom got mad. Thanks Candi....you ruined it for all of us. ;)

He drove the Sunday School bus down Hamburger Hill going about 90 mph. Kids went flying in every direction. All we could hear was the roar of the engine and his cackling as we were flung into the isle.

Maybe you have seen his "Hand" that he carries around with him. The Hand shows up all over the place.

I know there are many more stories that my sisters could remember. The point is...he is crazy...and that is so much fun.



Here is his latest....Eighteen years ago his friends were over visiting. They had a newborn baby boy. My Dad asked the Mom for some of her breast milk. She obliged...My Dad told her that he was going to save it until their son turned eighteen. On that day he planned on having him over for coffee, using the breast milk as the creamer. That is how they would celebrate his big day. Well....that milk has been carted from house to house every time they moved. I can't remember it NOT being in the freezer. That baby boy is coming over on the 21st to finish what my Dad started so long ago. My sister is a wonderful cake decorator...and you can imagine what kind of cake we will be having. She is contacting channel 12 News just in case they want to cover this momentous event. Watch for the pictures on Facebook...if you aren't my Dad's friend you better request him fast so you don't miss out. You will laugh I am sure....and you will feel all the better after you do.