I apologize for not keeping up with my soup blogs.

I have been very sick for quite a while,

and it looks like that is going to continue for another month or so.

I love fall, the leaves transforming into beautiful hues of color.

It's time for warm pots of soup, stews and comfort food that warms us

from the inside out.

I'll be posting a new fall pumpkin soup recipe in a few days, so check back.

Also, I have a yummy beef barley soup I promise you will love.

I am going to deviate from soups and share my veggie noodle casserole,

which is my daughter's favorite. If you aren't a vegetarian, feel free to

add some chicken to the dish. I'm hoping it will be kid friendly and you

won't get any crinkled noses or ewww gross, when you dish up their plates.

Come back and visit, I'll be busy cooking this next week and post as many recipes

as I can before I have surgery on the 18th.

I don't want to go into too much detail, as this is a food blog and my physical

problems aren't food friendly. I'll just say that when I wake up from surgery,

I will be in full menopause. It's a little more complicated, and I may or may not

need extra medical care following it, but I'm not borrowing trouble.

I'm just going to deal with each step, one at a time.

Tonight is meatloaf, I will post it, even though it's really not soup at all.

My hubby loves this recipe, and I make my own bread crumbs,

which is part of the recipe. I'll post it later tonight or tomorrow morning.

My immune system is working overtime, so I tire easily.

Thanks for being patient.

We went and picked up the sweetest horse ever.

It was love at first sight.

We had an instant connection.

She's bigger than a Clydesdale.

Her hoof is larger than my head.

She actually weighs a ton, no exaggeration.

Her name is Mattie.

She is getting used to being a normal horse after living as a PMU mare.

Technically, she belongs to our rescue.

But I have pretty much staked claim to her, so in my mind,

she is just on loan to them for a couple years, then she's all mine.

I can't wait to get her saddle broke!!!!!

I wrote a letter a few days ago to a state politician.

If momentum continues, you'll be reading it in a newspaper soon.

If I can get a tv interview, I will not turn it down.

The message means too much to me. It's personal.

I won't publish the letter here.

I will just simply paraphrase my message.

HATE IS NOT A FAMILY VALUE.

SIGN THE HARVEY MILK DAY BILL GOVERNOR,

IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

GIVE THEM HOPE.

GIVE US ALL HOPE.

GIVE HARVEY THE RESPECT HE EARNED AND RIGHTLY DESERVES

FOR HIS DEDICATION AND SACRIFICE TO THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY.

IT'S NOT A LOCAL ISSUE.

EQUALITY IS UNIVERSAL.

Today is the 13th.

Some people find it unlucky.

But not me.

The 13th is the day God blessed me with the lifelong gift of being a Mom.

I was young and very inexperienced when she was born.

Neither of those two factors ever took away from the

HUGE responsibility I had been given to care for this tiny little life

and my duty to raise a healthy child who would grow to be

a young woman who knows the following truths:

LIFE IS NEVER FAIR

THE WORLD OWES YOU NOTHING

YOU MUST EARN YOUR OWN WAY

TRUST IS EASILY BROKEN AND SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE TO EARN BACK

ANY BOYFRIEND WHO ASKS YOU TO COMPROMISE YOUR MORALS IS UNWORTHY OF

YOU AND SHOULD BE DISCARDED IMMEDIATELY

NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN GET BACK UP

AND DON'T GIVE UP

GOD LOVES YOU

AND SO DO YOUR DADDY AND I


I wrote her a poem for her birthday, rather than buy her a card.

I found out 3 days before her birthday that the reason I have had 4 miscarriages

is because it is genetically impossible for me to carry a baby past week 10.

For years I have harbored deep sorrow for the loss of those 4 babies.

I needed a HUGE reality check.

I was looking at my cup only 1/5th full.

My cup is OVERFLOWING WITH BLESSING.

18 years ago today I was given the biggest miracle ever and as so many do

take for granted that the next time will be just as easy.

I didn't KNOW THEN that she was a genetic miracle baby.

So my daughter is proof that miracles do sometimes happen.

Exactly 18 years ago

On this very day

I held my breath

As I heard them say

It’s a little girl

You must be thrilled

And in that moment

The tears that spilled

Then I began to count

Ten fingers, Ten toes

Two rosy little cheeks

One perfect button nose

I cherished every moment

Each day was something new

Baby Bop and Barney

Best friends when you were two

I loved to pick you up from school

And you'd tell me about your day

Then we'd rush to do your homework

So you could go and play

You've cheered and danced in Vegas

Fished in Alaska with your Dad

Picked potatoes with your Grandpa

All the adventures you have had!

Tomorrow begins your first big step

Towards being an adult

A path that's sometimes not so clear

So in case you lose your way,

Your map is in the bible

And I'm only a phone call away.

Happy 18^th Birthday

Kayla

Love forever,

Mom

I actually enjoy blogging almost as much as I love cooking.

But what I love most on this earth is my little girl.

It's summer now, and I have been enjoying the last few months

of my daughter's childhood with her.

I will have more time on my hands to blog all I want soon enough.

For now, I just want to relax by the pool, giggle, shop and

get her packed up for college.

We went recycle shopping (trading in clothes for store credit to buy new clothes)

in Haight Ashbury, visited the Human Rights Campaign Store and even

took a 2 week trip to the college for class registration and financial aid without Dad.

I am proud of her that HALF of her college bill will be paid by academic scholarships.

I am so excited to see her taking her first steps as an adult.

It's kind of like when they first learn to walk.

They let go of the coffee table and you walk behind them with both arms

poised to catch them if they fall. They are so focused on trying to walk

they don't notice you are there behind them ready to catch them if they fall.

That's me right now. I'm amazed at how she has started out.

Cautious, but with just the right amount of confidence.

She went alone to the registration office.

She had clearly made wise choices in the meeting

(I tried to appear calm while drinking a vanilla latte,

because I was not allowed to help her with registration)

which she had clearly thought through.

I am going to miss her here. I will miss her mumbling under her breath

as she heads off to clean her room or wash some dishes.

I have been doing some cookin' in the kitchen and backyard grill,

I just haven't wanted to take away from spending time with her.

We leave the day after her 18th birthday. She will only be an adult for

3 days when we leave her at school.

Take this advice from me. Enjoy your time with your kids. Ignore the phone calls,

the dirty laundry, all of it. DON'T BLINK. If you do, they will have grown up

and your entire relationship with them will have to be redefined.

Last night we made JOY THE BAKER'S giant vanilla bean sugar cookies.

(Have I ever mentioned how much I love her blog and recipes?

If by chance you read this Joy, know I am very fond of you.)

topped them with fresh sliced peaches from the local farmer's market and

put a yummy blob of homemade whipped cream on top. YUM.

Don't let the crappy photo I took affect your decision to try this at home.

We sat there at 11pm, enjoying our creation and the fact that the rest of the

people in our house were completely unaware of the goodies we had just made.

It was our secret and we didn't want to share it with anyone, at least until

morning.............