Maxwell 9: Woks and spices - what's next?

[Howl]

43 minutes ago, catlady said:

my lunch break today would have given the Maxwells heart attacks--i checked my email at work this morning and saw that an expected package was delivered one day early.  i ran home 90 minutes later (i'm lucky to have a short commute), dug into my package, threw some soup starter in the crockpot for dinner, and headed back to work.  no planning, no schedule.  and yes, we will dine outside tonight.

That's just dangerous; you're lucky you didn't die.  

The Maxhells have made an idol out of lists and organization, but they would never admit it.  They get all of their self confirmation out of crushing spontaneity. 

[catlady]

@Howl, you're right.  i took my very life in my hands, and i don't even know where i will go when i die.  i should have prayed, because God has nothing better to do than watch over my mail and my dinner.  without a divine sign, i should have stayed at work (but then, i'm probably sinning by having a job in the first place....).  

and yes, Teri is more addicted to her schedule and lists than she ever was to Pepsi.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

On 6/6/2017 at 0:30 PM, SuchABlessing said:

I'm trying to understand the logic of having a 20-something virgin male be the one to tackle the topic of understanding the struggles of being an unwed mother? And then lecturing about it? Seriously? 

They used to be called Catholic Priests.  Ditto on birth control. My Mother's generation (80 years old) left the church due to this type thing.

[Coconutwater]

Eating on the porch is not a picnic and does not require planning. Jesus...I can't even with these people, all it takes is a "hey, do you want to eat outside?" I noticed Drew is in shorts, since when is that allowed? 

[Coconut Flan]

I just realized that she only does this with Nathan's kids or does she have to do it all over again with the other grandchildren or are left out of this adventure completely?

[Jana814]

2 minutes ago, Coconut Flan said:

I just realized that she only does this with Nathan's kids or does she have to do it all over again with the other grandchildren or are left out of this adventure completely?

Christopher's kids are still relatively young.  She will do the same thing with them in a few years. 

[Coconut Flan]

Abigail was 5 when she began with Nathan's kids, right?  Joshua is 5.  Does she not take her bag of books to their house?  It still seems strange to me. 

[SPHASH]

3 hours ago, Jana814 said:

Christopher's kids are still relatively young.  She will do the same thing with them in a few years. 

She does have play time with them once a week.

[bean]

So I just needed to share that I recently met a new (male) co-worker whose name is Jean-Marie (pronounced kinda like John Marie). Had me nostalgic for the days when we thought Sarah or Anna might have had a chance.

Carry on.

[kpmom]

5 hours ago, catlady said:

 

and yes, Teri is more addicted to her schedule and lists than she ever was to Pepsi.

ITA

I honestly think that schedule was the only thing that kept Teri sane when her kids were young.  I've often wondered why she clings to it still to this day, but I think you have a point.  She might truly not know how to go about her day without it now.

[FloraDoraDolly]

I looked up the book Teri mentioned in her post. "The Twins' Picnic" is published by Rod and Staff, a Christian book publisher popular with homeschoolers. If you're old enough to remember the Little Golden Books, this book is part of a similar-looking line, although I'm sure there's a lot more religion than what you'd find in most Little Golden Books.

https://www.milestonebooks.com/item/1-2528/

[mango_fandango]

That book looks a bit young for someone Abby's age. But then fundies do infantilise their children, especially the girls.

[terranova]

Rod and Staff should not be publishing children's book. Unless they are books for wizarding parents.

[purjolok84]

[mention=17940] Teri is more addicted to her schedule and lists than she ever was to Pepsi.

But somehow scheduling isn't an idol ... just more proof than ever that Christian fundies like the Maxwells don't understand what addiction is (if Teri was even addicted to Pepsi in the first place).

Also, after some more thought about Steve's column, I like that NZ has given a river personhood - if the river and the surrounding ecosystems can be preserved by giving it the importance that we would a person - then we will see it flourish. Obviously more Christian teachings like Dominionism don't fall in line with this (and I don't know if Steve is a Dominionist) but Steve is just pissed that someone, somewhere, is not putting Emma the Person Like You first before Environmentalism.

[anjulibai]

Makes me wonder what they'd think of the planning craze. People do a ton of stuff on their spreads, with stickers and washi tape and colored pens. They make use them to make lists of all sorts of things, make schedules, plan meals, keep track of things they have done, important dates, they even Bible Journal and keep prayer logs. All stuff the Maxwells do, but with fun stickers and washi tape. I also find the people in the planning community tend to be more fluid and open to change, because hey, just another excuse to use a sticker! It's a hobby for a lot of people (myself included), but we all know what the Maxwells think of hobbies. 

[SPHASH]

New post up.  They had a pitting party! Someone blessed them with a shitload of cherries.  Poor Sarah also loves her family and loves spending time with them.  They also used steel straws to pit the cherries.

[usmcmom]

Eating outside was something I would do spur of the moment with my kids. For instance, if "bigger" plans fell apart or I wasn't feeling well but wanted to keep them entertained; I'd say "kids grab a towel or blanket. We'll eat lunch outside today."  Then I would take our standard lunch outside. Like all of you, I don't understand how this requires such planning and lists.

Today's post is all about pitting cherries received from their neighbor. I can't help but think that such an impromptu act might cause panic at the Maxwell house.

A neighbor shows up and kindly says "We have so many cherries this year. We thought you might like some."  The scheduling Maxwells put on a forced smile and say "Oh...how nice," while inwardly panicking because they did not plan to receive cherries!  How will they manage the cherries?!? Cherries are not on the day's schedule! And there's the pitting and the storing and the cleaning up!! And, DEAR GOD!! What do we do with these unplanned cherries?!? God did not lay it upon our hearts to pit cherries today!!!!

Make it stop!! Make the cherries stop!! 

Or something like that  

 

[johnhugh]

Don't forget the neighbour might have been one of the extended family members on the compound Nate or Chris. It would be a typical bizarre thing for them to refer to them as neighbours.

Notice Stud John joined in with the cherries.

I would love to know what the proper neighbours make of them....

[mango_fandango]

I'm sure you don't say "worked top-notch", it sounds wrong to me. You say "stainless steel straws were top-notch" if you must use the word or just "worked best". 

And Sarah is actually featured in the photos.

[usmcmom]

Yeah, I noticed John was there and I had a couple of impure thoughts. 

I mean, the image of handsome John standing there popping cherries....come on! What is a red-blooded woman supposed to be thinking about?!?

I know! I know! Prayer closet....

[Mommit]

What a sad existence. Pitting cherries is something that we would just do. We'd probably bitch about it a bit and just get it done. I can't imagine thinking, "we need to photograph and blog about this!" The "picnic" on the front porch was also pitiful. I mean, there's nothing wrong with eating on the porch, but why the big production? I doubt the kids look forward to spending time with Grandma Teri. She looks like the fun was sucked out of her decades ago.

[MsSaylor]

Can i just say I love this thread. Its pure snark and nothing else! Ya'lls snark is "top notch"!

Today as i was driving home with the kids from the Y my 4 y.o started throwing a fit bc she wanted to go to McDonalds. I did not. What did i do? Made grilled cheese sandwiches, cut up apples and opened a bag of chips, serving this gourmet picnic outside in the back yard with the promise of an after lunch romp in the sprinkler. This was not on the schedule! Also, we dont have a schedule. I wonder what Teri would think of my secular, unscheduled, heathen sahm lifestyle!! 

[Hane]

2 hours ago, usmcmom said:

A neighbor shows up and kindly says "We have so many cherries this year. We thought you might like some."  The scheduling Maxwells put on a forced smile and say "Oh...how nice," while inwardly panicking because they did not plan to receive cherries!  How will they manage the cherries?!? Cherries are not on the day's schedule! And there's the pitting and the storing and the cleaning up!! And, DEAR GOD!! What do we do with these unplanned cherries?!? God did not lay it upon our hearts to pit cherries today!!!!

Make it stop!! Make the cherries stop!! 

Or something like that 

You remind me of the "Everybody Loves Raymond" (or was it "Seinfeld"?--I'm old) episode in which a son signs his parents up for a fruit-of-the-month club, and they freak out at the prospect of getting a dozen pears (or something) all at the same time. IIRC, it was based on a gift the writer gave his own parents.

[usmcmom]

33 minutes ago, Hane said:

You remind me of the "Everybody Loves Raymond" (or was it "Seinfeld"?--I'm old) episode in which a son signs his parents up for a fruit-of-the-month club, and they freak out at the prospect of getting a dozen pears (or something) all at the same time. IIRC, it was based on a gift the writer gave his own parents.

Ha! That episode crossed my mind as I was typing. I think Raymond's mother mentions it in a couple episodes. "It's not more fruit, is it?" Notice at the end of this clip, they accuse him of getting them into a cult!!!  So appropriate. 

 

[WonderingInWA]

3 hours ago, usmcmom said:

Ha! That episode crossed my mind as I was typing. I think Raymond's mother mentions it in a couple episodes. "It's not more fruit, is it?" Notice at the end of this clip, they accuse him of getting them into a cult!!!  So appropriate.

OMG, that's hilarious!