She'll be here tomorrow night. Then we will know Christmas is really here.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Guess Who's Coming to Town
She'll be here tomorrow night. Then we will know Christmas is really here.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Cucumber Sandwiches
Cucumber Sandwiches
white sandwich bread, crust trimmed and cut in circles
cucumbers
onion salt
cayenne pepper
Trust me -- these are SO GOOD!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Magic Bowl(s)
Several years ago, I inherited Memaw Jennie's mixing bowls. There are 3 of them, and they have been in my cabinet all this time. I finally decided I needed to be using them. Gosh, I love them. She created magic with these mixing bowls. I can remember her mixing up her wonderful light rolls in the biggest bowl, and then letting the dough rise while lightly covered with a dish towel. I have tried to recreate those magical light rolls but haven't mastered it. I think I'm getting close, but no cigar yet.
Tonight, I mixed up chocolate chip cookies. They turned out fabulous! I'm sure that magical bowl had something to do with how wonderful they were. And for the record, I ate all my allotted cookies before they were baked. :D
Saturday, December 11, 2010
PANIC and More Hidden Treasures
I'm almost in a panic. There is so much to do and so little time. There is shopping still to be done and TONS of wrapping. The dining room will serve as the central wrapping station (as always), and right now it is a complete disaster. I have spent most of my Saturday busting tail getting this house ready for Vicki and Joseph on Wednesday, but the dining room is still a mess.
Before I tackled my house, We went to Mamaw's this morning and finished decorating her tree and helped her get her house ready for some visitors this evening. She had plans with Harrell and Molly, some of their dearest friends. Mama and Daddy have spent many anniversaries with them over the years (they shared the same wedding date). They have taken trips to Dollywood and the Outer Banks together, and lots of trips out for breakfast and across the state line to Canaan, Virginia. I'm so glad she is planning to get together with them tonight.
After that, I came home and we got going on our house. I washed clothes, vacuumed, took the shower curtain from the kids' bathroom outside and scrubbed it, finished the decorating, blah blah blah. A day of chores but the house is clean now and ready for our guests, assuming they don't venture into the dining room. ha ha!
Anyway, I wanted to talk about LAST Saturday because it was a lot more fun. First off, it snowed last Saturday. The first snow of the season. I forgot to take a picture of it, but it sure was pretty. We actually were back at Mamaw's house last Saturday too. She wanted to put her Christmas tree up so the kids got all her boxes out and I came up a little later to help decorate. She had decided that she wants to put ALL her ornaments up this year which really excites me. In years past, for whatever reason, Daddy never liked her decorating for Christmas. It wasn't that he was a scrooge, but he never seemed to understand the excitement we had for pulling all the ornaments out. We now wonder if they were so poor growing up that maybe Christmas wasn't a time of joy for him and his sisters like it is for us today. Anyway, for whatever the reason, Mamaw would oblige and only put out minimal decorations. But not this year -- she's ready to go all the way. So as we were putting the ornaments on the tree, I asked her where her wooden ornaments were that I remember so well from my childhood. She said they may be up in the attic. We finally talked Papa Bear into going up in the attic and looking for more decorations. As it turns out, her wooden ornaments weren't in the attic, but we found some other treasures. Apparently when my grandmother passed away (my Daddy's mother), he inherited a few items. According to Mamaw, they were put up in the attic in 1981 when Grandma died and never looked at again. We found several boxes that I can hardly wait to go through, but a few things we found that I immediately brought home were this old wooden cane and a pair of eyeglasses.
There was a piece of tape on the cane that said "Mr. Ladd - please return." We are sure that it belonged to my Daddy's daddy who died when he was only 11. We can't imagine where he borrowed it from though. Squirt loves the cane and has claimed it already. The eyeglasses belonged to Grandma Fuchsia. I love them. I'm positive I have seen her in pictures with those glasses on. According to google, they were popular in the '50's. Very stylish, I'm sure, back in the day. Scooby snagged them right up.
I love finding stuff like that. There are more boxes to go through. We'll probably tackle that project after Christmas. Sure wish we would find the wooden ornaments!
Before I tackled my house, We went to Mamaw's this morning and finished decorating her tree and helped her get her house ready for some visitors this evening. She had plans with Harrell and Molly, some of their dearest friends. Mama and Daddy have spent many anniversaries with them over the years (they shared the same wedding date). They have taken trips to Dollywood and the Outer Banks together, and lots of trips out for breakfast and across the state line to Canaan, Virginia. I'm so glad she is planning to get together with them tonight.
After that, I came home and we got going on our house. I washed clothes, vacuumed, took the shower curtain from the kids' bathroom outside and scrubbed it, finished the decorating, blah blah blah. A day of chores but the house is clean now and ready for our guests, assuming they don't venture into the dining room. ha ha!
Anyway, I wanted to talk about LAST Saturday because it was a lot more fun. First off, it snowed last Saturday. The first snow of the season. I forgot to take a picture of it, but it sure was pretty. We actually were back at Mamaw's house last Saturday too. She wanted to put her Christmas tree up so the kids got all her boxes out and I came up a little later to help decorate. She had decided that she wants to put ALL her ornaments up this year which really excites me. In years past, for whatever reason, Daddy never liked her decorating for Christmas. It wasn't that he was a scrooge, but he never seemed to understand the excitement we had for pulling all the ornaments out. We now wonder if they were so poor growing up that maybe Christmas wasn't a time of joy for him and his sisters like it is for us today. Anyway, for whatever the reason, Mamaw would oblige and only put out minimal decorations. But not this year -- she's ready to go all the way. So as we were putting the ornaments on the tree, I asked her where her wooden ornaments were that I remember so well from my childhood. She said they may be up in the attic. We finally talked Papa Bear into going up in the attic and looking for more decorations. As it turns out, her wooden ornaments weren't in the attic, but we found some other treasures. Apparently when my grandmother passed away (my Daddy's mother), he inherited a few items. According to Mamaw, they were put up in the attic in 1981 when Grandma died and never looked at again. We found several boxes that I can hardly wait to go through, but a few things we found that I immediately brought home were this old wooden cane and a pair of eyeglasses.
There was a piece of tape on the cane that said "Mr. Ladd - please return." We are sure that it belonged to my Daddy's daddy who died when he was only 11. We can't imagine where he borrowed it from though. Squirt loves the cane and has claimed it already. The eyeglasses belonged to Grandma Fuchsia. I love them. I'm positive I have seen her in pictures with those glasses on. According to google, they were popular in the '50's. Very stylish, I'm sure, back in the day. Scooby snagged them right up.
I love finding stuff like that. There are more boxes to go through. We'll probably tackle that project after Christmas. Sure wish we would find the wooden ornaments!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
My Day at the North Pole
(All photos courtesy of the Internet.)
Me, Teeter, and Harley Girl met up at 8:00 a.m. here:
Approximately $500 and 2 1/2 hours later, we needed a snack:
And a thirst quencher for the road:
And then headed here:
But we had about a half-hour of this:
Hours of shopping there resulted in this:
And a much-needed this:
Rejuvenated, we tackled this:
With a quick stop in here:
And success for me in here:
We then moved on to here:
And quickly slid in and out of here:
Wearing down, we headed in here:
No trip to the North Pole is complete without a trip to the local junk, I mean salvage store:
Exhausted, we called it a day and headed back to reality. We never made it to here:
or here:
nor here:
or here:
or even here for BOG2 shrimp:
Once home, after feeding the troops this:
(for Squirt)
(for Scooby)
(for Papa Bear)
I had a little bit of this:
And washed it down with this:
A day full of fun! This MUST become a tradition! And with that thought, I'm off to bed!
Me, Teeter, and Harley Girl met up at 8:00 a.m. here:
Approximately $500 and 2 1/2 hours later, we needed a snack:
And a thirst quencher for the road:
And then headed here:
But we had about a half-hour of this:
Hours of shopping there resulted in this:
And a much-needed this:
Rejuvenated, we tackled this:
With a quick stop in here:
And success for me in here:
We then moved on to here:
And quickly slid in and out of here:
Wearing down, we headed in here:
No trip to the North Pole is complete without a trip to the local junk, I mean salvage store:
Exhausted, we called it a day and headed back to reality. We never made it to here:
or here:
nor here:
or here:
or even here for BOG2 shrimp:
Once home, after feeding the troops this:
(for Squirt)
(for Scooby)
(for Papa Bear)
I had a little bit of this:
And washed it down with this:
A day full of fun! This MUST become a tradition! And with that thought, I'm off to bed!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thanksgiving 2010 Recap
WARNING: Long post ahead.
5:45 a.m. Wake up and realize I need to use the potty.
5:46 a.m. Notice the light is on and the bathroom door is partially pulled up. Assume Papa Bear is on the toilet. It will just be a minute or two. I decide I can wait.
5:50 a.m. STILL waiting. Could get up and go to the kids bathroom, but veto that for some reason. Decide to wait it out.
5:51 a.m. About to explode. Patiently waiting to hear the toilet flush.
5:52 a.m. Can’t hold out any longer. Race to the bathroom, shove the door back, only to realize that Papa Bear isn’t even IN the bathroom. Immediately take care of business.
5:53 a.m. Notice the outdoor light is on; Papa Bear must have the smoker going already.
5:54 a.m. Aimlessly grab my Snuggie and stumble to the den. Lay on the couch and watch mindless morning news tv.
6:00 a.m. Greet Papa Bear as he comes in from the cold smelling of smoke. The 23 lb. turkey is officially smoking on the smoker.
6:05 a.m. Decide I might as well have some breakfast. Fix some sandwich thin toast and have a “moment” at the kitchen table thinking about my Daddy.
6:15 a.m. Finish my toast and dry my eyes. Wander to the bathroom to shower up and officially start the day.
7:00 a.m. Come back to the den fully dressed, showered, and ready for the day. See Cousin Doug walking up with keilbasa sausages and buns in hand for the mens’ midday snack.
7:15-8:15 a.m. Get card tables set up and piddle with tablecloths and centerpieces. Rearrange tables half a dozen times before I’m satisfied with the arrangement.
8:20 a.m. Greet Scooby as she makes her way to the kitchen ready for her cup of coffee. Fix her some bacon and eggs. Thankful I picked up more of the Belgium Chocolate Toffee creamer just for the Scoobs.
8:30 a.m. Greet Squirt as he makes his appearance to the kitchen – showered up and ready for breakfast. He dutifully eats the breakfast I serve him, but he’s really holding out for the hot sausages that will be served at lunch.
8:45-11:30 a.m. Wander from room to room, checking things twice. Debate moving the card tables AGAIN, but decide against it. Hop on Facebook and see what other people are doing on Thanksgiving. Tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Look for BJ and Lynn and kids on tv, but don’t spot them. New York, I’m sure, is a big place.
12:00 Noon The men bring in goods from the smoker to be enjoyed for lunch. Squirt dives right in for a smoked sausage. Scooby turns her nose up and retreats to the fridge to find something to eat. I opt for a chicken quarter. It was awesome!
12:30-2:59 p.m. I mix up my Corn Casserole and Macaroni and Cheese dishes. I veto 2 sticks of butter in the Mac ‘n Cheese and go with just one. No side dish should have THAT much cheese AND butter. We’ll never miss it. However, I might should invest in a bigger Pyrex dish – my biggest one is not quite big enough to accommodate this massive dish. I make it work.
3:00 p.m. The men return to their respective houses for a nap before the big dinner tonight. Papa Bear brings in the glorious 23 lb turkey. I recommend he go ahead and carve it, but he insists it “must rest.”
3:01 p.m. I decide another shower is in order. I’ve perspired while fretting over the card tables. I take another shower and feel much more refreshed.
4:00 p.m. Fully dressed and ready for dinner and a glass of wine. I’ll wait for the guests to arrive though. I remind Papa Bear that maybe he should go ahead and carve the turkey. He puts me off again. It’s still resting (as is he – watching football!).
4:01-4:20 p.m. I watch random tv with Papa Bear. We flip back and forth from game to game, really not seeing much of any one game. I’m still pondering over my card tables – wondering if they are strategically placed where people can walk through to their seat and be able to get back up for seconds. I decide to quit thinking about the card tables.
4:21 p.m. Papa Bear hops up from his chair. I assume he’s heading to the kitchen to carve the turkey, but nope, not yet, he’s off to shower. I decide to preheat my oven.
4:40 p.m. Papa Bear comes back to the den, showered, smelling fresh, and dressed nicely in a polo and shorts. I INSIST it is now time to carve the turkey. This task MUST be completed before guests start to arrive. Mamaw is already here. The herd will soon follow. CARVE THE TURKEY!
4:41 p.m. I follow Papa Bear to the kitchen. He uncovers the turkey and I stick my casseroles in the oven. I sneak pieces of turkey as Papa Bear goes at it with the electric knife (a long time ago wedding gift from Aunt Barbara – we love it!).
4:50 p.m. I smell a funny smell. Open the oven door and find smoke pouring out of the oven. My biggest Pyrex dish is indeed NOT big enough for the massive amount of Macaroni and Cheese I have tried to pour in there. It is spilling out and hitting the bottom of the oven. Papa Bear suggests I get a sheet pan and put the pyrex dish on top of the sheet pan. This is tricky, but I manage to do it without dumping the whole dish on the floor. That would be tragic!
4:53 p.m. Low and behold, the smoke alarm goes off. I key in the code and turn it off. I open the door to let fresh air in. The pups are standing at the door, curious.
4:55 p.m. The smoke alarm goes off again. The kids are amused. Squirt runs outside to hear it firsthand.
4:57 p.m. Yeap – yet again – the smoke alarm goes off. Papa Bear demands we open the sliding glass door as well. Scooby slides it back.
5:00 p.m. The turkey is carved. There are pieces of turkey everywhere and Papa Bear has a big greasy spot on the belly of his nice polo – the result of leaning over the carcass. He doesn’t care – he proclaims he’s not changing shirts (and he doesn’t!).
5:01 p.m. The smoke alarm goes off again. I decide to just hang out at the controls and key in the code to turn it off.
5:02-5:25 p.m. The smoke alarm goes off (approximately) 17 more times. True story. Mamaw thinks it’s funny and she giggles at the kitchen table, but it’s getting a little old. I don't see the humor.
5:30-6:00 p.m. Family by family, our guests arrive bearing box lids filled with casserole dishes, desserts, and bottles of wine. We soon realize there is not enough room on the island for all the prepared dishes, so we spill over to the back counter. This will create a "bottleneck" effect trying to get the line moving, but so be it. It can't be avoided.
6:15 p.m. All the guests have arrived, so I gather all 24 of the troops around the island and ask Uncle Willie to say the prayer. We all hold hands. I have to turn loose twice to wipe the tears from my eyes. After the prayer is finished, I step outside on the patio to get myself under control. It’s all good, though, my Daddy is watching from above and smiling I’m sure.
6:30 p.m. Come back inside the house and it feels like an oven. It is SO HOT in that house. I round the island with my plate and fill it up with a dab of all my favorites. I pour myself a healthy glass of Snobby Weathervane wine (love this stuff!) and take a seat at a strategically-placed card table in the sunroom. I did an okay job after all of placing those tables.
6:31-9:30 p.m. Enjoy the company and fellowship of my immediate and extended family. I love this family so much. We had a total of 24 eat with us, with a few dropping by with boyfriends/girlfriends. One by one, family by family, they leave, and I silently say a prayer of thanks for the blessings I have received with this family.
9:31-10:59 p.m. Papa Bear declares he’s going to bed. I visit with Uncle Van, Aunt Pat, and Mamaw – our last remaining guests. They leave and I decide to tackle what’s left of the kitchen. I stuff the dishwasher silly and hand-wash the items that won’t fit.
11:00 p.m. I plop into Papa Bear’s chair and try to watch a little tv. Obviously, not happening. I finally get up and go to bed.
Another successful holiday has come and gone. Sadly, I didn’t snap any pictures (who AM I?), but I have memories that will last forever.
5:45 a.m. Wake up and realize I need to use the potty.
5:46 a.m. Notice the light is on and the bathroom door is partially pulled up. Assume Papa Bear is on the toilet. It will just be a minute or two. I decide I can wait.
5:50 a.m. STILL waiting. Could get up and go to the kids bathroom, but veto that for some reason. Decide to wait it out.
5:51 a.m. About to explode. Patiently waiting to hear the toilet flush.
5:52 a.m. Can’t hold out any longer. Race to the bathroom, shove the door back, only to realize that Papa Bear isn’t even IN the bathroom. Immediately take care of business.
5:53 a.m. Notice the outdoor light is on; Papa Bear must have the smoker going already.
5:54 a.m. Aimlessly grab my Snuggie and stumble to the den. Lay on the couch and watch mindless morning news tv.
6:00 a.m. Greet Papa Bear as he comes in from the cold smelling of smoke. The 23 lb. turkey is officially smoking on the smoker.
6:05 a.m. Decide I might as well have some breakfast. Fix some sandwich thin toast and have a “moment” at the kitchen table thinking about my Daddy.
6:15 a.m. Finish my toast and dry my eyes. Wander to the bathroom to shower up and officially start the day.
7:00 a.m. Come back to the den fully dressed, showered, and ready for the day. See Cousin Doug walking up with keilbasa sausages and buns in hand for the mens’ midday snack.
7:15-8:15 a.m. Get card tables set up and piddle with tablecloths and centerpieces. Rearrange tables half a dozen times before I’m satisfied with the arrangement.
8:20 a.m. Greet Scooby as she makes her way to the kitchen ready for her cup of coffee. Fix her some bacon and eggs. Thankful I picked up more of the Belgium Chocolate Toffee creamer just for the Scoobs.
8:30 a.m. Greet Squirt as he makes his appearance to the kitchen – showered up and ready for breakfast. He dutifully eats the breakfast I serve him, but he’s really holding out for the hot sausages that will be served at lunch.
8:45-11:30 a.m. Wander from room to room, checking things twice. Debate moving the card tables AGAIN, but decide against it. Hop on Facebook and see what other people are doing on Thanksgiving. Tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Look for BJ and Lynn and kids on tv, but don’t spot them. New York, I’m sure, is a big place.
12:00 Noon The men bring in goods from the smoker to be enjoyed for lunch. Squirt dives right in for a smoked sausage. Scooby turns her nose up and retreats to the fridge to find something to eat. I opt for a chicken quarter. It was awesome!
12:30-2:59 p.m. I mix up my Corn Casserole and Macaroni and Cheese dishes. I veto 2 sticks of butter in the Mac ‘n Cheese and go with just one. No side dish should have THAT much cheese AND butter. We’ll never miss it. However, I might should invest in a bigger Pyrex dish – my biggest one is not quite big enough to accommodate this massive dish. I make it work.
3:00 p.m. The men return to their respective houses for a nap before the big dinner tonight. Papa Bear brings in the glorious 23 lb turkey. I recommend he go ahead and carve it, but he insists it “must rest.”
3:01 p.m. I decide another shower is in order. I’ve perspired while fretting over the card tables. I take another shower and feel much more refreshed.
4:00 p.m. Fully dressed and ready for dinner and a glass of wine. I’ll wait for the guests to arrive though. I remind Papa Bear that maybe he should go ahead and carve the turkey. He puts me off again. It’s still resting (as is he – watching football!).
4:01-4:20 p.m. I watch random tv with Papa Bear. We flip back and forth from game to game, really not seeing much of any one game. I’m still pondering over my card tables – wondering if they are strategically placed where people can walk through to their seat and be able to get back up for seconds. I decide to quit thinking about the card tables.
4:21 p.m. Papa Bear hops up from his chair. I assume he’s heading to the kitchen to carve the turkey, but nope, not yet, he’s off to shower. I decide to preheat my oven.
4:40 p.m. Papa Bear comes back to the den, showered, smelling fresh, and dressed nicely in a polo and shorts. I INSIST it is now time to carve the turkey. This task MUST be completed before guests start to arrive. Mamaw is already here. The herd will soon follow. CARVE THE TURKEY!
4:41 p.m. I follow Papa Bear to the kitchen. He uncovers the turkey and I stick my casseroles in the oven. I sneak pieces of turkey as Papa Bear goes at it with the electric knife (a long time ago wedding gift from Aunt Barbara – we love it!).
4:50 p.m. I smell a funny smell. Open the oven door and find smoke pouring out of the oven. My biggest Pyrex dish is indeed NOT big enough for the massive amount of Macaroni and Cheese I have tried to pour in there. It is spilling out and hitting the bottom of the oven. Papa Bear suggests I get a sheet pan and put the pyrex dish on top of the sheet pan. This is tricky, but I manage to do it without dumping the whole dish on the floor. That would be tragic!
4:53 p.m. Low and behold, the smoke alarm goes off. I key in the code and turn it off. I open the door to let fresh air in. The pups are standing at the door, curious.
4:55 p.m. The smoke alarm goes off again. The kids are amused. Squirt runs outside to hear it firsthand.
4:57 p.m. Yeap – yet again – the smoke alarm goes off. Papa Bear demands we open the sliding glass door as well. Scooby slides it back.
5:00 p.m. The turkey is carved. There are pieces of turkey everywhere and Papa Bear has a big greasy spot on the belly of his nice polo – the result of leaning over the carcass. He doesn’t care – he proclaims he’s not changing shirts (and he doesn’t!).
5:01 p.m. The smoke alarm goes off again. I decide to just hang out at the controls and key in the code to turn it off.
5:02-5:25 p.m. The smoke alarm goes off (approximately) 17 more times. True story. Mamaw thinks it’s funny and she giggles at the kitchen table, but it’s getting a little old. I don't see the humor.
5:30-6:00 p.m. Family by family, our guests arrive bearing box lids filled with casserole dishes, desserts, and bottles of wine. We soon realize there is not enough room on the island for all the prepared dishes, so we spill over to the back counter. This will create a "bottleneck" effect trying to get the line moving, but so be it. It can't be avoided.
6:15 p.m. All the guests have arrived, so I gather all 24 of the troops around the island and ask Uncle Willie to say the prayer. We all hold hands. I have to turn loose twice to wipe the tears from my eyes. After the prayer is finished, I step outside on the patio to get myself under control. It’s all good, though, my Daddy is watching from above and smiling I’m sure.
6:30 p.m. Come back inside the house and it feels like an oven. It is SO HOT in that house. I round the island with my plate and fill it up with a dab of all my favorites. I pour myself a healthy glass of Snobby Weathervane wine (love this stuff!) and take a seat at a strategically-placed card table in the sunroom. I did an okay job after all of placing those tables.
6:31-9:30 p.m. Enjoy the company and fellowship of my immediate and extended family. I love this family so much. We had a total of 24 eat with us, with a few dropping by with boyfriends/girlfriends. One by one, family by family, they leave, and I silently say a prayer of thanks for the blessings I have received with this family.
9:31-10:59 p.m. Papa Bear declares he’s going to bed. I visit with Uncle Van, Aunt Pat, and Mamaw – our last remaining guests. They leave and I decide to tackle what’s left of the kitchen. I stuff the dishwasher silly and hand-wash the items that won’t fit.
11:00 p.m. I plop into Papa Bear’s chair and try to watch a little tv. Obviously, not happening. I finally get up and go to bed.
Another successful holiday has come and gone. Sadly, I didn’t snap any pictures (who AM I?), but I have memories that will last forever.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Bittersweet
Tomorrow. I'm excited for this:
But will dearly miss this:
Oh, Scooby says she will read my blog if I say that she is awesome. Scooby, you are AWESOME with a capital A. Thank you for your continued housecleaning (cough, cough, tomorrow - the bathrooms)!
But will dearly miss this:
Oh, Scooby says she will read my blog if I say that she is awesome. Scooby, you are AWESOME with a capital A. Thank you for your continued housecleaning (cough, cough, tomorrow - the bathrooms)!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Hidden Treasures
When I was growing up, I loved going to my Memaw and Pawpaw's house. Pawpaw would work in the garden in the mornings, then he would come in and watch Price is Right until Memaw had his lunch ready.
Pawpaw didn't do sandwiches -- he expected a full course meal for lunch every day. I loved going to visit them right around lunch time so I could cash in on one of these home-cooked meals. A typical meal would be some sort of meat - usually fried chicken, lima beans, okra and tomatoes, and homemade rolls. I LOVED Memaw's rolls. I always checked her bread basket the minute I would walk in the door. If there were a dozen rolls in that basket, or only one, she would insist that I have one -- even if it was the last one in the basket. It didn't matter if the roll was a day or two old, it was still fantastic. I watched her make them several times, but sadly, never asked her for the recipe. Out of 3 daughters and 7 grand-daughters, none of us ever got her recipe. I can picture how she made them, but I have no idea on exact measurements. This past weekend, I was at Mama's house and she gave me 2 cookbooks that she had received when Memaw died. Flipping through them, I could see that they had been well loved and used often. There were stained pages with handwritten recipes stuck in between pages here and there. I happened to find a recipe for Light Rolls and, as I read over it, thought how it sounded like it may be THE recipe. Memaw's rolls were not very sweet, and this recipe only has 3 teaspoons of sugar in the whole batch. Could I possibly have found THE recipe? I can hardly wait to give it a try.
Another little treasure we have stumbled upon is this seatbelt violation ticket that my Daddy received several years ago. It looks like the date on it was 5/4/93, which would have been 8 days after Squirt was born. Papa Bear found it tucked away in the glove department of the little Ranger. We all got a kick out of this. I can't wait to ask Mama if she ever knew anything about it.
Friday, November 12, 2010
New Member of the Family
Finally! We found the perfect fit! Isn't she pretty?! We drove all the way to Elkin to pick her up. No more driving the Big Red School Bus to work and trying to park it in a spot meant for a volkswagon. We had looked at a (very) nice hybrid Camry, but it had over 125,000 miles on it. It was in mint condition, but I was still concerned about the mileage, and it was also about $1,500 over budget. Then we found a 2002 Honda with 51,000 miles on it in Kernersville. It was okay . . . it drove good, price was right, mileage was excellent . . . but it just didn't quite "feel" right. It was a dark blue color -- definitely not a color I would ever pick out. It felt old and it was built in an "even" year. I'm not sure of the exact reason why, but my Daddy always preferred "odd" year vehicles. He just thought they were better cars if they were built in an odd year. I never really asked him to elaborate on that theory, but now I wish I had. Anyway, last night, we were still surfing the internet for vehicles when this one popped up. It's in great shape, has a sunroof, is white, AND was built in an odd year. I love it. I drove it home from Elkin and it drove like a dream. I'm sure my Daddy is smiling!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Happy Veteran's Day to My Veteran
I can't believe I've never done a military scrapbook page for Papa Bear. I should be ashamed. There's several pictures in particular that come to mind that I need to scrap. There's one of me and him in Fort Lee, VA, right before he was sent over to Saudi. It felt like the end of the world to me. We had been married one month when he was called up to duty, and married 4 months when he was sent to Saudi. The day he flew over was the day the ground war started. I was so worried - but my Daddy was beyond worried. Between the 2 of us, Mamaw had her hands full. But then, there's another picture that comes to mind. One of happy faces the day he returned from overseas. Me holding a goofy little heart-shaped sign with tinsel around the edges of it. Anyway, until I find those pictures and do something with them, I'll have to enjoy these 2 pages of Papa Bear and the sweet little picture of him in uniform. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the "Smoking" page fits right in. He'll be firing up the smoker in just a few short weeks. Can't believe it's almost here!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Pawpaw's Pride and Joy
I'm not sure why I only think to update my blog on an anniversary date, but that seems to be the case for the past few months. Today was 3 months. If Pawpaw can see us from heaven, he was smiling today. Right here is his pride and joy.
And we even got Mammaw in the back yard for a few pictures.
Nobody mentioned it, but of course, we all remembered. There's not a morning, noon, or night that goes by that I don't think of him. So much I want to tell him; so much I want to ask him.
But I know Pawpaw was smiling today.
And we even got Mammaw in the back yard for a few pictures.
Nobody mentioned it, but of course, we all remembered. There's not a morning, noon, or night that goes by that I don't think of him. So much I want to tell him; so much I want to ask him.
But I know Pawpaw was smiling today.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Two Months
It doesn't seem possible, but then again, it seems like forever. There's so many things I want to tell him about. The kids have started back to school and are having a great school year. Squirt's senior year is off to a great start -- he's been accepted at 2 colleges; won Best Smile senior superlative; just so many things that would make Pawpaw so proud. And Scooby is having a great year too -- cheering at the middle school football games. They are undefeated so far. She has grown so much too . . . has gotten so tall. A beautiful young lady. I'm sure he's smiling down on them. We miss him so much!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Happy 20th, Honey!
Wow! Our 20th anniversary! It's been 20 wonderful years -- we have been so blessed. Just a few pictures here . . . one from our rehearsal dinner and one from the wedding. It doesn't seem like 20 years ago . . . but then, it seems like we've always been together. We usually go out to eat and to see a movie for our anniversary, but we'll be spending our evening at NDMS's first football game as Scooby will be cheering tonight. I wouldn't have it any other way!
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