KLEIN FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENT!

Well, I am going to make you wait. There will be a very special Klein Family Announcement on November 10. Mark your calendar and check back as you won't want to miss this one!

No way!

Laura came for a two day visit last week. It was her break from school so it was nice of her to come home for a couple of days and spend it with me. While she was here I started cleaning my pantry. This is the closet that I had lots of cookbooks in. Michelle made a comment once about my cookbooks (the quantity) so I got rid of about half of them. I have been slowly getting the food out of the closet and using it for small appliances and paper products. I guess I am trying to organize a little better.

Since Laura is going to Culinary School I love to give her the kitchen gadgets that I no longer need. So with her home for a visit it was a great opportunity to have her look at the things I don't want and she can tell me if she wants them or not.

I reached behind something and pulled out a bottle of Kraft barbecue sauce. Laura could tell from the label that it was old. I didn't think it looked that old but I was completely shocked when I saw the date on it.
Yes, that says best when used by October 12, 1989. Usually when you buy something it has a date about a year or so ahead so I may have purchased that bottle of barbecue sauce in 1988. So, it is almost as old as Laura, it is 21 years old!



I have been going through my food every year and throwing out the old stuff so I am surprised to find it. It was hidden, but how could I have overlooked it? We moved here in 1992 so we would have had to move it here from our other house.

I also found this bottle of Karo syrup which she thought looked old as well. I do have to say it is a glass bottle and they don't use glass bottles anymore. I don't think the label looks old. But then, I am almost 50...

I honestly think my children are playing a practical joke on me. I think one of them, probably Laura, put it in the pantry just to make me clean even more.

Gary???????

Yes, this is Gary, Many of you are not aware of this special and hidden side of Gary.

Several years ago our daughter Laura was dancing as Clara in the Nutcracker. As most parents do, we got involved in the production. One year we ran Styrofoam peanuts through our snow blower to shred them. They were used as the snow during the Snowflake scene.

This year in particular they were in need of someone to play the role of Mother Ginger. My understanding is the part is supposed to be played by a man dressing as a woman. Frequently it is a woman pretending to be dressed as a man that is pretending to dress as a woman. Confused?

The director took one look at Gary and knew he found his man (Woman?). Gary, being the great sport that he is, agreed. Now the problem was the costume. His mom went to work and made the breasts. They were quite large! I honestly don't remember, but I am sure someone helped him with his makeup.

During dress rehearsal, Gary wore his big Army type boots. The director thought they would fit the character best. Underneath this huge hoop dress are about 6 - 7 little children. Mother Ginger comes out onto the stage slowly looking for her children. You could frequently hear the children screaming "OW" as Gary stepped on one of their little toes. I hope he didn't do any permanent damage to their poor little feet. I was careful to make sure that the day before the performance, Gary didn't eat anything that might cause "intestinal distress".

After this year of the Nutcracker Gary decided it was fun, but they haven't asked him back. So for now, Gary has to keep this special talent of his hidden.

I was cleaning out some bins in the basement and came across this picture. I knew I had to share it with everyone.