The Pool Party
Sunday, Jul. 06, 2003 8:38 pm
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What a nice time I had. Sorry I know it would be more interesting if I'd been miserable... But that's just not the case. There was a pool! Which is a lovely thing. I swear, someday I will have my very own pool to swim in whenever I please! So yeah, pool.

There was one VERY BAD THING that happened.

Te witchling came close to drowning.

We had picked her up at my Vavo's house the morning of the fourth, so she could enjoy the pool and spend time with her favorite person Emma (my uncle's 12 year old daughter). She had been wearing swimmies (plastic armbands that you blow up, and they help the kid to float) and was swimming along just fine with those.

I took them off of her, because she was out of the pool, and gave her a donut to eat, before I went in the house. I didn't think anything of leaving her outside because there were so many adults around. I puttered around inside for a few minutes, and then I checked on Hani from the living room window, which overlooked the pool.

She was sitting on the side, eating her donut, with her feet dangling in the water.

I thought to myself "Well that's an accident waiting to happen"-

-and in the time it took me to walk from the window to outside, and around he side of the house-

She had fallen in.

Sunk straight to the bottom.

Emma swam over, grabbed her and hauled her out. She stood there, covered in soggy bits of donut and cried.

"MY DONUT!!!!"

"MY DONUT!"

"MY DONUT!"

So I wrapped her in a towel, picked her up in my arms, and carried her into the house-snagging a new donut on the way. As soon as she had a new donut, what just happened began to sink in. She cried and cried. She was trembling so bad I had to sit on the floor with her in my lap.

I held her for almost an hour, she refused to even go to James.

"That's why I always have to wear swimmies in the pool momma!"

"Ok Hannah, Momma and Daddy will buy you some swimmies of your own."

"You promise?"

"Yes baby."

"Pink ones?"

"Yes. Any color you want."

After that, she was fine. She jumped back into the pool (with swimmies) and didn't mention the incident again.

I, of course, was a nervous wreck. I sat there going, "What would have happened if Emma wasn't close by?" To which my aunt had replied "Nothing bad would have happened, Joni! We have two E.R. doctors and a paramedic present!"

My cousin Curt is a paramedic and his two friend (Suejin and Leo) were the doctors.

That made me feel a bit better.

Alcohol helped too...

We spent our Fourth of July celebration with a passal of mormons. We had to disguise our beer and wine in plastic cups, covertly drinking our sinful alcoholic lovelies like a kid sneaking a sip of granny's cooking sherry. I felt so silly!

Food helped too.

I had made both my absolutely delicous pasta salad (which I make for every cookout. Its my staple potluck dish) AND my World Famous Artichoke Dip. I am telling you now, that was a hit! Anytime I bring it anywhere, it is simply DEVOURED in a matter of minutes.

I love that stuff. In case you'd like to try it someday, here is the recipe:

Artichoke dip:

2 cans of artichokes, chopped up

1/2 tsp. dill

1 c mayo

1 c parmesan cheese

8 oz grated mozzarella cheese

8 oz sour cream

1 4 oz can of chopped green chilies(optional, I don't put these in cause I am allergic)

a pinch of garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together, bake uncovered at 350* for either 30 minutes, or 15 minutes in microwave and under the broiler until brown.

I use either Carr's Croissant Crackers or Keebler Townhouse Crackers. Any buttery-type cracker will do nicely.

Ok. I have to eat something now before I faint. So adios and Happy Belated Fourth of July.

Artwork © Jessica Galbreth