What a Sad World it Would Be

I know I haven’t done my post for this month. So this is it. I’m doing it a little bit differently this month. I’m working on a research paper for my English class. I’m writing about whether the US government should be allowed to limit the number of children we can have. I’m taking the stand that they cannot. During my research I came across something that really pricked my heart. Here is the passage: “Ted Turner, a major source of population-movement funding….penned ‘The Ted Commandments,’ which include ‘a promise to have now more than two children or no more than my nation suggests.’ He recently reconsidered his manifesto, and now believes that the voluntary limit should be even lower-just one child. In Turner’s utopia, there are no brothers, sisters, aunts or uncles.”

This quote really struck me. A world without brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles? How terrible would that be!?! I can not imagine a world without my Rachel, my Aunt Sue, my Uncle Donnie, my Aunt Edith, my Uncle Jerry, and everyone else. My heart is breaking just thinking about it. I would have such a void in my life without all of you. I would be miserable. I wouldn’t even exist if this were the case!

My mind is literally wreeling at the very thought of having none of you. To have no more hugs from you, to have no more delicious cooking from my aunts, to have no more special sissy moments with Rachel, for all of it to be gone. Am I the only one who can’t picture such a bleak world? I draw alot of my strength from my family. If none of you existed, I guess I would be powerless to the worlds woes. Again, I say, what a sad world it would be if none of you existed! So I’m glad that you are my family and that we have each other to lean on in hard times like these. I really don’t think I could have made it through Granny’s death without all of you! I love you!!!!

Granny Trivia?

Where was Granny on this day 25 years ago?

Hints: cold weather, out of state, far from Arkansas

IOWA

I remember because I thought it was neat that Granny was able to travel to Iowa to be with Kathy when she had Rachel. It is funny things in life that you remember, I said all of this to say

Happy Birthday to Rachel Hudgens Landolt.

Hope you had a great day.

I’m such a terrible contributor

Ok, so I know I haven’t been the best at posting regularly on here. I’m not even doing that well at keeping up on my own blog, just ask Aunt Martha. But I decided that I’d post a quick post while I’m trying to avoid doing my homework. I couldn’t quite think of what to post about so I decided to stick to something boring and go with my new hair cut. I also wanted to know your opinions on whether I should get my hair done darker or leave it the way it is now. Anyway, here’s a picture:

Go Whitney!

I was looking at our Martin Box user info, and I looked at our list of users and number of posts.  You have the most posts at 148!  Martha you’re second with 112.  I’m way back in third with 40. 

I also wanted to say “Welcome, Courtney.”  I changed your status from subscriber to contributor, so I hope we’ll be hearing from you soon. 

Halloweenies at the Park

I emailed this to Martha the other day, but thought I’d post it for the few of you reading the Martin Box.  We’re having a get together in a couple weeks and grilling hotdogs and such at one of the parks in our neighborhood.  I told Rea about our Halloween party last night.  She quickly volunteered to be my assitant party planner.  Her first idea was “balloons!”

Here’s the invitation that I came up with…I’m proud of it.  I have to add that I sent it as an evite, so everyone just marks “yes, no or maybe” but I changed the categories to “You “bat”cha.” I’ll be there!”  “Whoooo knows…maybe.”  and “Boo Hoo.  I can’t make it.”

Please by our “ghost” for our first annual Halloweenies at the Park.

Tricks and Treats
There will be plenty to eat,
From hotdogs to chips; from candy apples to cookies
Basically everything of which you might think
Except something to drink
So All we need is YOU
And your preferred Witch’s brew!

Boo or Boo Hoo by October 20th.

Paula’s Recipe of the Month: October 2008
Pumpkin Spice Bars

What better way to kick off the month of October than with a pumpkin recipe?  Don’t let the title of the recipe fool you.  It is a great pumpkin cake.  I’ve made a few minor adjustments to this recipe, so I’m just going to type it up the way that I do it. 

Pumpkin Spice Bars

• 2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
• 7 Tbsp. butter, melted
• dash of cinnamon
• 1 2/3 cups plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 15×11 pan with Pam.

In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, dash of cinnamon, and 1/4 cup sugar until well combined.  Spread mixture into prepared pan.  Using a measuring cup with a flat bottom, smooth mixture to form an even crust.

Bake crust until fragrant, about 6 minutes; let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl, beat eggs, remaining sugar, pumpkin, and oil; stir in flour mixture.

Using a rubber spatula, spread the pumpkin mixture evenly over cooled crust in pan.

Bake until filling pulls away from the pan (approx. 25 minutes);  let cool completely in pan.

Frost the top of the cooled cake with cream cheese frosting.

*I always refrigerate this cake because of the cream cheese frosting.  Also, you can always top with Halloween sprinkles.

Paula’s Tip: Here’s a little bonus for you!  If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can always substitute with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg and 1/8 tsp. cloves

Night Lights and Toe Nails

I’ve been chastised by Aunt Martha to get on top of my column for this month. This month she actually helped inspire my thoughts. I wrote on my blog that Aunt Sue and Jessica were staying with us while their power is out at their house. Aunt Martha commented on this and shared a memory she had about Aunt Sue staying with her. She says that Aunt Sue was BIG pregnant. Aunt Martha gave up her bed for Aunt Sue (wasn’t that nice of her?) while she slept on the roll-away bed right beside her. Aunt B had put a night light in the hall in case Aunt Sue needed to make a bathroom run. When Aunt Martha would look over toward the hall, she couldn’t see the night light, all she could see was Aunt Sue’s big belly. Haha.

I told Aunt Sue this story and she just laughed and said she remembered that trip. She said that she remembers Aunt Martha clipping her toenails for her because she couldn’t reach her feet. haha. And she also wanted me to tell Aunt Martha that, even though she’s not pregnant anymore, you probably still wouldn’t be able to see the night light.

Cookbook & Directory & Website

COOKBOOK

I have sent out snail mail letters to everyone in the family asking for recipes. Tina, Paula, Whitney, and Joann are the only ones that have sent recipes. Unless, I get a lot more the cookbook project will have to be forgotten, again. I tried last year also to get this done, with no success.

DIRECTORY UPDATE

I am not sure that I will have the Martin Directory Update completed by the reunion time. All I need is Ben and Becky’s info. I understand that they are real busy with the Camille, however I did send letters to Britney and Corey asking for their help in getting all the current info. So maybe, I will receive their information this week.

THE MARTIN BOX

I also included in the letters that I sent to all families reminders to visit www.themartinbox.com.

Just a little disappointed in the lack of response to each of these projects.

View Master

Who remembers the View Master? If you had one of those you were “uptown”. It was the original DVD/CD system. You could go to the store and purchase new reels, renting was not avaiable. I can remember having a reel of the Bonanza show- black and white of course. With one slide of the lever you could change pictures – if you did not press the lever all the way down it would cause the pictures to not line up correctly. That was fun too. You could be in your own little world with the View Master – it could take you places. Do they still make View Masters? I just looked they do.

Next is the Mr. Potato story…..

A Why to Live

He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.