G's Weekend!

Well, I recapped our weekend last night and that was just fascinating wasn't it? Believe me, ours was not near as exciting as G's. Let me just show you what he has been up to. He and three of his buddies went down to Amelia Island over the weekend and spent most of their time here - in the middle of the ocean on one of his friend's family boat. And stayed at their condo. Good friends to be sure.
He sent me these pictures on my phone yesterday.

Yes, he is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. And yes, . . . that is a barracuda. I will try not to think about that too long.


I guess you can figure out that this is a shark. They caught eight sharks and two barracudas.
Have mercy on my soul. I'm just thankful that he made it back safely with all of his limbs and appendages in tact.

Weekend WrapUp

It's Sunday night and I'm finally putting my feet up for the first time this weekend it seems like. It's been a good one full of good things.

Here is a photo of the first thing I did Saturday morning. I met E and N downtown to welcome home a local group of National Guardsmen called Charlie Company who returned just over a month ago after a year-long stay in Afghanistan. A short parade was organized for them as they marched from the Armory to the local mall for a ceremony held in their honor. Hundreds of us lined the streets to cheer, wave flags and welcome them home. These men are heroes in my book.

After that, I headed down toward Atlanta to the Discover Mill's location of Books a Million to see one of my favorite Southern authors, Dorothea Benton Frank. She told us we could call her Dottie. :) I've told you about her before when I was reading her book, "Plantation" and now she is promoting the sequel to it, "Low Country Summer." She told stories and answered questions. She was simply delightful! Just a good ole Southern girl!

After that I drove back home and waited for my sweet husband to get home from work so we could go meet our girl and her hubby for supper. I just can't tell you the joy I get from table conversation with my children. I swear, they are the coolest people even if they are mine. To encourage any of you out there with small children, and I say this all the time, be your children's parent when they're young because the reward of being their friend will be great when they are adults. Oh I love them so.

This morning, D was scheduled to make a presentation to the above-mentioned Charlie Company. We went to the armory where he was allowed to make a short speech and presentation during their assembly time. All three of our store locations held a special promotion during the month of May where customers were able to purchase select products and with vendor support, a portion of the sales went towards our donation. The donation was made to the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation in honor of Charlie Company.

After that and a quick lunch at home, we decided that water and sun sounded like a great idea. This was my view for the better part of the afternoon. I happen to like this scenery.

Reason #386 that I love my iphone. Using the maps app, wherever you are, the iphone can find your location. We were headed toward Gainesville Marina by boat so we were tracking our progress so as not to make a wrong turn. That little dark blue dot on the light blue water is us. Land is in white. I'm just amazed at such technology I tell you.

Okay, we are just this corny - taking our own picture.

And we were having a great time, until this became our scenery. The back of these Good Samaritan's boat who came by to tow us to the marina after the starter-something quit on the boat engine. Yep, stranded we were. Thankfully we were in short sight of the marina.

They towed us to the gas dock where a good friend of ours, after D's desperate phone call, came to meet us to try to get us started again. To no avail. We had to leave the boat at the marina. But I sat there (while they worked) enjoying the beauty of my surroundings. And it was beauty to be sure.

So those are the highlights of my weekend. Seems like I did a hundred other things but I don't need to bore you with those. Oh, except that I did go to Target yesterday morning after the parade and they are having a whale of sale in their shoe department. Target has cute sandals. Yes, I bought some. And they are cute. And they were cheap. Two things I really like.

Food Friday

Today's recipe is one from our Lighten Up! line-up this week on the "What's for Supper?" segment. This is a great Peach Crisp recipe using lots of fresh peaches, oats and crunchy granola. Hope you like it!

Healthy Peach Crisp

Ingredients
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup honey-sweetened granola
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 5 cups fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, granola, 3 tablespoons flour, and brown sugar. Cut in the 1/4 cup butter until crumbly.
3. Place peach slices in an 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Scatter the oat mixture over the peaches. Sprinkle top with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and pecans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Serves 6.

Thankful Thursday

Well, I would have posted on Thursday except for the fact that I was under a deadline and I went for an little overnighter with my husband. Lest you think I forgot.

About the deadline. I've been asked to submit an article for our local wedding magazine, Soirees Southern Events. When you write for a real live publication (no offense meant to the blog), it means that your verbs must match your nouns, that they have to be the same tense (which makes me tense), that you have to have all of your punctuation in the right place and that you cannot by any stretch of the imagination, leave a participle dangling. Oh the pressure. I am not an English major which might explain why I worked right up to the deadline on this project. But, it's finished and sent to the publisher. I sure do hope she likes it and it makes it into print. Then I will be a published author. And that would be kinda cool.

After the radio show yesterday, D and I loaded up the truck and we moved to Beverleeeee. I'm so sorry . . . I just couldn't resist that. Too many years of the Hillbillies. Okay. So, we packed up the truck and headed down to Atlanta. D had a business trip; I had a pleasure trip. I got to enjoy a great dinner at Stoney River at the Cobb Galleria and the most wonderful bed and set of pillows I think I've ever laid on. He got to get up this morning and go to a meeting. I got to sleep in and leisurely work on my Bible study. I had huge plans to head over to the Barnes and Noble next door and walk up and down every aisle, but it was not meant to be. He sent me a text just as I was leaving the hotel that he was done with his meeting - three hours earlier than expected. That's okay. Because he took me to lunch at a great little restaurant called "Lime" that served fajitas and all was well with the world.

So, to the business at hand. Thankful Thursday! on Friday. Today I'm thankful for rain. I was just leaving the radio station and the bottom fell out. I'm soaked and the sweet man that walked me to my car was too. My umbrella, of course, was in the car.
I love to sleep, read, write, study, cook, and watch movies when it rains. Love it. Honestly, on rainy days I could just curl up in a chair with a good book and totally be content all day long.

If you remember, we went out on the lake Sunday night for a boat ride. I just had to smile as I thought about how that just a little more than a year ago, after several years of drought conditions, the predictions were for the lake to take seven years to come back to full pool. Seven whole years.
The summer of 2008 was brutal. Almost all of our county park's docks were closed, marinas were on dry land and the activity that usually surrounds our beautiful lake was virtually non-existent.
The summer of 2009 was some better. The lake hovered around ten feet below full pool most of the summer. Again, the predictions of returning to normal levels were dire.
Summer of 2010:
Let me just put it this way: But God. But God didn't see it that way. But God didn't listen to man's predictions. But God didn't wait seven years. But God filled our lake in a little over a year. Only God.

It reminds me of this verse in Isaiah:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts
and neither are your ways my ways
declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
than my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9


So life is good on our lake. It not only provides us great fun and beauty but it is a huge economic boost to our area. So rain, you just come on down. You just nourish our earth and fill our lake because, to quote one of my favorite singers, Luke Bryan . . . "rain is a good thing."

Tie It Up with a Bow!

I'm not really sure if I can adequately tell you how funny this whole scene with my husband just played out but I'll try. When I got home tonight, he announced that he had made a shopping trip to the Belks today because he needed some shirts . . . and when he got there they had ties 50% off take an extra 40% off so he got ties too. Hey, this pot can't call that kettle black because as you know, I totally get that whole mentality. So, he goes in the bedroom and comes back with the bag. Dark blue shirt . . nice. White shirt . . . good. New ties . . . okay. Then, he gets out this something wrapped in tissue. Well, I've been to the Belks many times and I'm not sure I've ever bought anything that they wrapped in tissue. Needless to say, I'm intrigued. Now let me just preface this by saying that I have known my husband for over 26 years and never in all those years has he ever expressed an interest in owning one of these. Never. Much less interest in wearing one in public. So just guess what he purchased with his hard earned money? He got a bow tie. A. bow. tie. My mind immediately started flashing images somewhere between Winston Churchill and Pee Wee Herman. Stop - don't even go there I thought. So with an open mind I asked . . . "why?" "Well, I thought I might try something new" he said. "Do you know how to tie a bow tie?" I said. "Nope. Sure don't but I can learn."

You know I just have to love a man who's not afraid of a fashion challenge. Life's short. Live on the edge and all that. Nope, my husband won't succumb to petty peer fashion pressure. A rebel. That's what he is.

So he proceeded to go to the place where all useful and essential information can be found: You Tube.
And found Mr. Lucky Levenson (I am not kidding) from Columbia, SC to tutor him in the fine art of bow tie tying.

Now as far as the fabric, it is really nice. Blue and yellow paisley which in itself is masculine yet summery and chic.

So, here we go. Nope. Didn't make it on the first try.

Or on the second try. But closer.

Or the third try. And apparently this face had to go along with the whole look. I just said a little silent prayer that he doesn't make this face when we go out in public together.

And that's what goes on around here. So now between my Twistables obsession and this whole fashion paradigm shift in my husband, I'm sure you're convinced we are one bizarre couple. I will tell you this - there is never a dull moment. And that is exactly the way we like it.

Because I'm Weird

Well, this may be the weirdest blog post I've ever done but if you know me, this is really nothing unusual. I tend to get excited about even the smallest, strangest things sometimes. I am actually very easily amused which my husband has found to be a huge blessing during the course of our marriage. So yesterday when I mentioned that I had a new product, I really hadn't discovered the wonderfulness of this product yet. Not until I was working on my Bible study did I fully realize that I have 30!!! of the most beautiful colors of the rainbow at my disposal. Turquoise is my personal favorite but that is no surprise as I am having a love affair with the whole color of turquoise right now.

I really think I'm some sort of frustrated artist. That fact that I have no talent for it has been the only thing that has stopped me in the past. However, with my new found love of turquoise and Twistables, I think I may have some sort of career in the colored pencil art world. I'll keep you posted!

It's Tuesday

Well, I'm sitting here reflecting on the full day I've had. I got up at the crack of ridiculous and made my way to the church for the very first in a series of 7:30 A.M. Bible studies. If one of my favorite things in the whole world to do wasn't sitting with a bunch of girlfriends digging into God's Word, I would have just stayed in bed and covered up my head.

And on top of that, when we finished at 8:30 a buddy and I got a spurt of energy and walked the perimeter of our church parking lot. I don't know how big your church parking lot is but ours is big. We talked non-stop and the walk went by amazingly fast. We would have done a few more laps around but I had to get home, shower and get to a meeting.

I'm traditionally not a morning (too funny, I accidentally typed moroning which is what I feel like some days) person but today felt good. I was feeling pretty accomplished by about 10:30. I worked non-stop at the office until about 4:00 when I felt the need for a quick run to Target.
Our Bible study is going to require us to use some colored pencils and I love nothing better than a good reason to purchase a new office-type supply. So I set my sights on the aisle that holds Crayola "Twistables" colored pencils. When my buddy got a set of those out of her bag at Bible study this morning, I knew without a doubt I had to have some. I am a proud owner. You twist the end of them so they don't get broken and you don't have to sharpen them. There are 30 colors in a set. I feel just like it's the first day of school and I have a new set of crayons. There is just something so energizing about that to me. Call me weird, I know.

I then hopped in the car to get to the radio station on time for the segment. Oh, get this. They are going live on camera with this show on July 1st. Yep, a radio show that will now be a television show as well. I fully realize I'm only there for about 15 minutes total but oh heavenly day. Hair and make-up people please.

After that, I went to meet a precious friend for dinner and a mini-marathon of conversation catch up. We talked for 4 1/2 hours about a zillion different subjects. Thank you Lord for girlfriends who listen, don't judge and love you unconditionally. I left her feeling refreshed and renewed!

Now I'm sitting here in an empty house without my males who decided on the spur of the moment tonight to take in a little baseball. They drove down to see the Gwinnett Braves (minor league) and enjoy some male bonding. That's fine. I'm gonna get out my new set of Twistables and have a big time!

Do You Need This?

Maybe someone else besides me needs this verse this morning:

"The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

Happy Monday!

Happy Father's Day!

I hope you and yours had a great Father's Day! I sure do miss my sweet daddy on days like this but then again, I miss him pretty much every day. I just wish he could see this beautiful girl and the wonderful man she married!

And this good-looking boy. I know my sweet momma sure does miss him too.
The boat's technical difficulties had been resolved so we were back to plan A for the Father's Day excursion on the lake. E and I fixed up a fine meal and we docked at a local park and had a picnic. E and Nana ready for some lake time!

Poppa got a new toy.

Here we are enjoying our boat ride! The lake is finally at full pool and wow, is it gorgeous.

My boys are never happier than when they can take the jet ski for a spin and "accidentally" spray all of us on the boat with the rooster tail.

The ruffle in the water is G on the jet ski. I didn't realize that when I took this picture I was getting such a great picture of Harbour Point's dock and hilltop homes.

The grandmothers and their hats.

D just told me that he had a great day. And that's what it's all about.

Food Friday

Well, it's Friday night and I'll be doggone I almost forgot the Food Friday post. D and I just enjoyed our Netflix delivery for this week, "My Life in Ruins." Pretty good movie, especially the scenery of Greece. Now we're watching "Crossroads" on CMT with Keith Urban and John Mayer. Those boys can sure sing and play those guitars. I love the combinations they have on "Crossroads." The last one we watched was with the Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett. Awesome. The next one is Kenny Chesney and The Steve Miller Band. Aren't we exciting on a Friday night? I can't believe I'm actually documenting the line up for "Crossroads." Oh dear.

Okay, our recipe for this week is one I made last Sunday night. I'm not a huge fan of ribs but these were great. The rub and sauce are both delish. I actually added a little bit of minced garlic, garlic powder and Mrs. Dash to the rub mix. So feel free to customize to your taste.

Caribbean Ribs
Ingredients:
For Rub:
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons of paprika
1 ½ tablespoons of salt
1 ½ tablespoons of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 ½ - 3 pounds baby back ribs
1 cup pineapple preserves
¼ cup fresh lime juice

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients for rub and pat firmly into all sides of the ribs. For best results, let rub set on pork for an hour or up to overnight.
2. Heat oven to 275 degrees.
3. Place the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with foil Bake until tender and the meat easily pulls away from the bone, 2 ½ to 3 hours.
4. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the preserves, lime juice and ½ teaspoon of salt. Simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill the ribs, basting with the sauce and turning occasionally, until just beginning to char, 4 to 5 minutes.

Thankful Thursday

Are you like me today and dreaming of a vacation? Today I am thankful for vacations past and future. I was looking through some old photos and these just brought back some great memories of a trip we took in 2002. All ten of us went to Europe for ten days. It was amazing.
Here I am up high in the sky in the Eye of London. I must tell you that I am not a fan of heights and wouldn't go near the edge of this thing. I saw the beautiful scenery of London quite fine sitting perched right there in the middle.

Something about this that makes me smile. It may be the all-too-familiar look on G's face that says "are you really taking another picture of me?" Oh how he loves to have his picture taken. Tower of London in the background.

Not sure about this. I'm sure somebody said wave to the camera and we followed orders. Again, it made me smile.

D hanging out with George H. W. Bush and Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Great Britain. George and Tony are wax. D is not. (Madame Tousseau Wax Museum)

This may have been the most fascinating place I have ever been. The ruins of Pompeii, Italy.

Palace of Versailles in France.

E and G with Miss Mona Lisa. The Louvre in Paris.

Venus de Milo. The Louvre.

The family at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. (Don't know the guy on the right)

So here's to vacations! I hope you are taking a good one very soon!

The Biz of Beauty

Okay, girlfriends, have you ever thought about the amount of hair care and beauty products you own? A couple of weeks ago when D and I went out of town overnight, he put everything he needed toiletry-wise in one of those leather cases which is really about the size of a standard shoe box. Everything. I promise you, I had a huge tote bag full of stuff. This whole thing has been on my mind since. This morning I was taking inventory in the shower - shampoo, conditioner, Dove soap, body wash (both have their distinct purposes), razor, two exfoliators and some "body silk" that has the same scent as my perfume. Okay.

Then I get out of the shower . . . I put on deodorant, self-tanner (still trying to maintain that fake tan you know), body lotion, face lotion, foot lotion (thicker) and perfume and that is all before I put on my underwear. Have mercy. I use four different products just for my teeth. And I haven't even started with my make-up. I counted. I used 12!! (that's a dozen) different products to put my face on. Then I have about five to take it off at night. No wonder this is a gazillion dollar business. Then there is the hair. Oh the hair. Since mine wants to curl up and frizz like the devil with all of this humidity, I have to have products to control such. I use Frizz Away, Frizz Ease or something such as that. Then I have the styling foam, the spray shine, and of course, the hairspray. Not to mention keeping the hands and feet looking presentable. That is a whole other product category. Oh, I just gotta tell you, I am getting risky these days - I tried a new nail color on my fingers: Tropical Punch. I think I liked the name as much as the color. Kinda makes me feel like I need a drink with an umbrella in it.

Is it just me or do you feel this? I think I single-handedly keep the beauty business afloat and I do not use all of the things that are available. If you've ever gone up and down the aisles in a place like Ulta, you know what I'm saying. It is mind boggling. Now, I will tell you that if I had an endless supply of money, I might just buy one of everything and give it a try. Except those lip plumpers. They scare me.

What I love about June 2010

Well, I am all out of whack and off schedule but since that's never stopped me before, I'll just proceed. Let's talk a little about what has gone on and is going on in June.

1. My 26th wedding anniversary. I was blessed to marry one of the most amazing men I know on June 2nd, 1984.
***edited to add: When I read this statement later it sounded like I know lots of amazing men. While I'm sure there are a'plenty, in my heart, there are three others: my son, my daddy and my father-in-law.
2. Since this has been quite the topic of discussion on the radio program, I will fully admit to my blog audience as well, that I got a spray tan last Tuesday. Yes, I did. My very first time. It was quite the experience. If you've never had one, everyone should at least once in their lifetime. I mean what other time would you stand practically nude in front of a woman you just met two minutes earlier? Oh dear.
When I went into the room, she gave me a shower cap with a baggie inside of it. Hmmm. What is this? I asked. Those are your "paper garments," she said. Oh really. If I had laid them both side by side they would have been the equivalent of the amount of paper in one standard size Bounty paper towel. I am not exaggerating. And these are supposed to cover me? You've got to be kidding. And, get this, the bigger of the two "garments" went on the top half of my body. I told her straight up that that was completely backwards for this girl. Could I just switch them? Well, if you've seen them you know that the answer to that question would be no. So I put what little paper I had been given on my body and prepared for the humiliation.
I stepped into the tent and these are her exact words, "you really have too much loose paper in your top; you are going to get funky lines if you wear that. Let's just throw that thing in the floor." Okay. So now I'm standing there with half a paper towel covering me. Here we go - I think I'll just close my eyes and soon it will be over. About ten minutes later, I stepped out with a deep dark tropical tan. Not really. Not when you start with the body the shade of ivory soap. I did come out a little darker than I went in. After all, I didn't want my fake tan to look fake. It's a fine line you know. No pun intended.
3. This Tuesday night, D and I will head down to Atlanta to a fundraiser. This should be fun. It will be held in the "antique car barn" of one of our grocery friends. This idea was spurred by Butch's "car barn" fundraiser back in the spring. In both cases, the word "barn" is a gross understatement about the quality of these buildings and it's contents.
4. Next Sunday is Father's Day! The original plan was to go out on the boat in the afternoon for a leisurely stroll around the lake. This has been our Father's Day tradition for the past several years. However, the boat is experiencing technical difficulties so we may have to go to plan B. Not sure what that is just yet but as long as the family is together, it will be a good thing.
5. On Tuesday, the 22nd, I'm going to begin my first ever online Bible study. I've seen these in the blog world the past few summers but never participated. This one is through Precept Ministries with the study on Hebrews 11. I'll be posting more about this very soon.
6. Okay, I've told you before that I love Dorothea Benton Frank's books. And that she has a new one scheduled for release Tuesday (I think) titled "Low Country Summer." This is the sequel to "Plantation" which I just finished. Guess what? She's doing a book tour and coming to Discover Mills on Saturday, June 26th. Well, I'm there. I can hardly wait.
7. Our family is going to load up like the Griswolds and head down to the Stone Mountain Laser Show the end of the month. We haven't been in years and it is high time we went back.
8. I've got to admit I'm a little sad right now. For the past 20 years, I have been involved with Vacation Bible School at our church. It begins Monday, and I won't be there. Throughout those 20 years, I have been in the classroom with every age (teaching in my children's classrooms), worked in crafts, snacks, and music. It's alot of work but I loved every minute of it (almost - :)). VBS is one of many worthwhile outreaches of our church. Both of my children accepted Christ during VBS. Both of my children served as helpers long after they graduated from the program. Our family has a very special place in our hearts for VBS. Time goes on, seasons change and I will miss it dearly but I will never, ever forget the impact that it had on our family. I will be praying diligently this week for all of the children, parents and volunteers who will be involved.
9. While scheduled activities are at a minimum this month, plans for the late summer and fall are in high gear. We have so much in the works, my head is swimming. I will give you a couple of teasers: 1. The "What's for Supper?" concept will be growing and expanding. And it's going to be fun.
2. Wonderful Events will be partnering (along with others) for a huge event in August held here in Gainesville to benefit an organization I can't believe I just found out about - Brides Against Breast Cancer. Oh, this is going to be fabulous. I'll be giving you a date to mark on your calendar very soon. Even if you aren't a bride-to-be, you will want to come to this event to support this very worthy organization.
And that's just two things in the mix. There are more.
10. Summertime and the living is easy. (thanks George Gershwin) Cut a watermelon, make some homemade ice cream, put on that swimsuit, go to a baseball game, see some fireworks, bait that hook. Don't miss what the season has to offer.

Food Friday

Happy Friday! Any big plans for the weekend? Not us. We (mainly me) are thinking about maybe a movie one night and then a drive with the top down one afternoon. It's almost reaching the boiling point here in Georgia so you have to schedule your drives for just the right time. Otherwise your makeup drips right off your face and your nose get sunburned. Not that I would know.

Okay let's talk about food. I am totally consumed with shrimp right now. I am eating them for lunch and supper. This is what I do: I buy about 2 or 3 pounds of fresh shrimp at a time; peel, devein and de-tail; throw them in the grill pan with just a dash or two of Mrs. Dash (garlic flavor is my favorite) and about a tablespoon of olive oil ; then cook them until they turn pink (that's about 5-7 minutes). I just put a few on a salad for lunch or with some veggies on the side for supper. Oh, I just can't tell you the deliciousness. Just fyi - J and J has a fresh seafood counter at all of the stores. I happen to know for a fact that the seafood is extremely fresh and good quality.
Please don't be intimidated by the whole peeling and deveining process. It is not that difficult. It may take a few minutes if you are doing a few pounds at one time but it is well worth it for the fresh flavor. There is natural break in the shell on the back of the shrimp. Just put your thumb nail in the break and pop off the shell. Then grab ahold of the tail and pull the meat of the shrimp away from it with the shell. The veins are obvious so they are easy to get out.

This week on the "What's for Supper?" segment we have been talking about salads: black eyed pea salad, fruit salad, taco salad, and the ever-popular chicken salad. This chicken salad recipe has a twist and good one at that. All of the recipes are available on the J and J Foods website; http://www.jandjfoods.com/; just click on the What's for Supper link. The current day's recipe will appear and the previous recipes are archived.
This Shrimp Salad is just amazing. It's good on toasted bread, crackers or of couse, just with a fork. I've served this for occasions such as showers and parties for years.
You really need to make this. You do.


Shrimp Salad

Ingredients
• 1 pound large peeled and deveined cooked shrimp; cut in half
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a large bowl, gently toss the shrimp, celery, carrot, onion, eggs, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Serve alone, on toasted bread; with crackers or on a bed of romaine lettuce.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for flowers and considering my brown thumb, that they grow in my yard. Flowers make me smile.

Blog Launch!!!

You know they say that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, so is true for "the apple of MY eye." Okay, I know that is a bad analogy. What I'm trying to say is that my precious girl has begun her own blog. Who knew that this outlet would be contagious in the family?

So, without further ado, I am proud to announce the launch of E's blog:

http://www.backtomyskinnyjeans.blogspot.com/

I don't want to take away her thunder but as you might have guessed from the title, she's blogging about her exercise and weight loss journey. You will want to go check it out. While I haven't mentioned it much on the blog, I am on the same journey. Honestly, it's one I'd rather not take. It began on March 23rd and to date I have lost 31.2 pounds. I 've come a long way but I've got a ways to go. I began my journey with a good friend and honestly, without her love and support I'm not sure I would have made it. She was and continues to be a great supporter, encourager and cheerleader. My husband has been fabulous as well. He eats everything I fix without complaint and encourages me constantly in my progress. I'm trying to do the same for my girl. By the way, my good friend has already reached her goal weight and looks fabulous!!

This is the deal: I've always loved to eat. And then once married, I discovered the joy of cooking. While I'm not a gourmet cook, I love to try to new recipes and cook the Southern way. Unfortunately, I enjoyed it too much. So much so that not only did I become overweight and unhealthy but , and this is the worst part, I passed this on to my girl. The men in our family are somewhat immune to this however D has lost some weight since I began my new regimen, has been running on a regular basis (training for the Peachtree Road Race) and overall, feels much better. G has always been tall and thin but even the "freshman fifteen" stung him. It didn't last long though and he lost it his sophomore year. Why is so easy for boys to lose?

So, on March 23rd I began a total transformation in my eating habits. I cut out carbs and now eat only lean meats, salads, most vegetables and protein shakes. I'll be the first admit that it wasn't easy. Why? I had been carb addicted. It's tough kicking a long-established addiction. I'd also been Diet Coke addicted. oooh. That was almost as bad as the sugar. You know I'm a girl who loves nothing better than her chocolate chip cookie and a Diet Coke. The program I'm on allows you a little protein bar (i.e.heavenly sweet snack, manna from heaven) after the first two weeks. I drink lots and lots of water and the occasional unsweetened tea.
Oh, this is interesting. I went through the drive thru yesterday at McDonalds to get a large unsweet tea (which is only $1, comes in a Styrofoam cup and is what I use to fight off the hunger pains) and the sweet girl at the window told me that they sell twice as many unsweet teas as they do sweet now. Isn't that interesting that in Gainesville, Georgia unsweet outsells sweet tea 2 to 1? At least at that McDonalds it does.

In addition I'm exercising consistently, mostly walking on the treadmill or track with D and doing a little weight lifting. I've discovered that I can listen to an entire Andy Stanley or Francis Chan podcast while walking. It's great. When they're done, I'm done. About 45 minutes and I've walked over 2 1/2 miles.

I'll have to admit I enjoy shopping alot more than I did. I went to one of my favorite stores TJ Maxx last night and discovered I could get my rear (the biggest part of my body) into a significantly smaller size than what I had been wearing. Never one to celebrate alone, I sent E and D a text message to tell them! It was a small and huge victory all at the same time. By the way, the clearance aisle there was amazing. I got a pair for Calvin Klein black linen pants for $12. TJ Maxx love.

So there you have it. Go check out E's blog and keep up with her progress!

Weekend Wrap Up

Well, you might think I have something exciting to share but I really don't. This has been a very relaxing weekend and that is kinda nice for a change.
Friday night was one of those nights that I just didn't want to end. The whole family including my momma and E's BFF (who was in town attending to wedding details - yeah!) sat around the table and had dinner together. Well, the food was good but the conversation was even better. I just didn't want everyone to go their separate ways but all good things must come to an end and after all, D and I did have that last disc from Season 1 of Castle beckoning to us. And because we didn't want that to come to an end, we split the goodness in half. We watched two episodes on Friday night and the other two last night.
Saturday morning I headed up to the farm for some quiet time. I do this periodically. The farm provides a good place to go to think and pray with no distractions, other than the rooster who lives nearby. There isn't a house for a mile so I really don't know why he comes over to the farm fence to holler. I thought they were just supposed to do that in the mornings to wake you up but not this rooster. Anyway, that time alone was wonderful. D joined me for a little while as he was headed back to Gainesville from Dahlonega and decided to take a little detour. And he brought lunch which made him a very welcome sight to behold.
On my way home, I stopped at my favorite nursery and got a few things for a yard project G and I have going. It works well: I provide the ideas and plants and he (thankfully) provides the muscle. I'll have to take a few photos when our projects are complete to show the beauty. To reward myself for all of my hard work, I cooked us a good supper and plugged in Castle. We have successfully completed our first television goal. Check. Thank you very much. Yes, I admittedly have another television goal for the summer but I'll share that at a later date.

Today has been spent at church and at home. Yea! and Woohoo! Two places I really enjoy. Oh, I finished "Plantation" this afternoon and boy, was it ever good. That Ms. Frank can spin a tale I tell you. Once finished with that, I hit the heavy stuff with a little magazine reading (the InStyle is fabulous this month) and then delved right into two subjects I adore: the Bible and food.
* Bible study is tomorrow night which means I gotta polish up on the lesson to be presented. The study is so good and I really want to do it justice by spending the time with it.
* The What's for Supper segment had to be completed as well. I had most of it done and just needed to make sure all of the ingredients were correct and directions clear for the recipes. The recipes are posted on the store website each day (http://www.jandjfoods.com/) so I want to make sure they are correct. The theme for this week is Salad Suppers and if I do say so myself, these are some good recipes. A little hint: Shrimp Salad. Need I say more?

My rear has sat on this couch for about the past six hours working on the above. Thankfully my sweet husband's rear has sat in his recliner for the same amount of time. Wow - that sounds bad but it's true. Yes, I am getting up early in the morning to go exercise.

Food Friday

Today's recipe is one I modified (i.e. made easy) from the Paula Deen version. While I'm sure her homemade sauce is fabulous, I'm perfectly content to use the kind out of the jar and save the time. And it still tastes great. This is one of our family favorites!

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:
2 medium size (about 16 oz.) jars Spaghetti Sauce
1 ½ pounds lean ground meat
8 ounces uncooked angelhair pasta
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions
1. Crumble ground meat in a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains; drain off the fat.
2. Combine ground meat and spaghetti sauce.
3. Simmer together about 20 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
4. Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then half of the cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
6. Top with the remaining cheese, return to the oven and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
7. Cut into squares and serve.
8. Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday

I know. It's Friday already. How did that happen? I think between Memorial Day on Monday and then celebrating our anniversary on Wednesday, I got all messed up and just woke up today on Friday.

Today I'm thankful for God's Word. "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" - Psalm 119:105.
You might find this as fascinating as I did. Bottom line: God and His Word are so cool.


Q: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
A: Psalms 117


Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
A: Psalms 119


Q: Which chapter is in the center of the Bible?
A: Psalms 118


Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118

Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118

Add these numbers up and you get 1188.


Q: What is the center verse in the Bible?
A: Psalms 118:8


Q: Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will for our lives?


The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the center of His will, just send them to the center of His Word!

Psalms 118:8

"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

The Second Day in the Life

Well, obviously this is a continuation from the previous post and by the way, a new day in this life. Just for an update, I am 27% through (according to the Kindle) the "Plantation" novel, the Dot Frank book I started last night. Seriously, I could hardly put it down. If sleep and an 8:00 hair appointment hadn't been a factor, I would still be reading.

Continuing on . . .
6. I am thinking about . . . what a wonderful man I married 26 years ago today. Now I will be the first to tell you that marriage is hard work and in my personal opinion, that's why so many fail. Folks just don't want to do the hard stuff, play through the pain and carry on. 1 Corinthians 7:28 says "those who marry will face many troubles in this life." So there you go. This should be no surprise. But can you think of a better reward in this life than sharing it with someone you love and the love of a family? Not me, no thank you. Yes, there will be troubles but there are many joys, lots of laughter and love that will carry you through.
I have learned a few things in 26 years and of course, I'll be glad to share:
I've learned (finally) to hold my tongue and not say the very first thing that comes to mind.
I've learned that I have a choice: to love or not to love. It is my decision every day. I choose love.
I've learned to forgive.
I've learned to appreciate the good and not dwell on the bad.
I've learned that laughing is much better than crying.
I've learned that accepting is much easier than trying to change.
I've learned that life is short and it's just best to think of others more than yourself.
I've learned that you really can survive the empty nest and enjoy it!
So hang in there! Commit to make your marriage the best it can be. Satan is alive and well and trying to steal, kill and destroy marriages everyday. Do Not let this happen! Stay strong!

7. I am remembering . . . a story about G. This week on the radio show I am featuring family favorites - choosing recipes that are favorites of my children. Today I chose my Macaroni and Cheese recipe for my boy. His favorite. Okay, long story but I'm getting to the point eventually. Yesterday on the show, B.J. was telling a story about something a child said to her at church and that got me thinking about something funny (now, not then) that G did when he was about 5 years old. It was one of his first Sunday's in "big" church. D was singing in the choir so I was sitting with the children on the back row (at least I was smart enough to do that) of the church. It was offertory prayer time and I closed my eyes (first mistake). When I opened them, G was gone. Gone. I began to panic until . . . everyone sat down, I looked down the aisle toward the front of the church and there was G. Rolling, yes rolling on his side down the aisle toward the pulpit. Just like he was rolling down a big hill on the way to the bottom. Not a care in the world - oblivious to his surroundings. Oh. My. Goodness. I will never forget it. I walked down that aisle like this was a common every day occurance, grabbed that child up by his arm, walked right back up that aisle, took my girl by the hand and kept right on walking out the back door of that sanctuary.

Memorial Day Weekend Recap and A Day in the Life

Well, how was every one's Memorial Day weekend? Mine was good. Sunday we gathered for the Annual J and J Foods' Company Picnic at Jaemor Farms and a fun time was had by all. Well, at least I had a good time. My favorite thing was the Best Bagger Contest. This is when an employee from each of the three stores (a competition at each store had already declared a winner) competes for the title of "J and J Foods Best Bagger." Now lest you think this is not an important sport, let me tell you what the winner receives: an all expense paid trip to Orlando in July to compete with other best baggers from all over the state to claim the title of "Georgia's Best Bagger." One of our very own won that title three years ago and got to travel to Las Vegas to vie for the national title. The state winner receives scholarship money. The national winner receives cash and a guest spot on the David Letterman show. So this is serious business. A precious young lady from the downtown Gainesville store won and is preparing to take on the competition in July. We'll be there cheering her on!

Then, yesterday I was all set to go to our town's Memorial Day parade when it came a downpour complete with lightening so they had to cancel it. Very sad. By noon, the sun was shining and it turned out to be a pretty day. The sweetest boy ever decided he wanted to spend the day with his momma and hey, what could I say . . . YES! We went to lunch and then wandered around over at the outlet mall for a little while. Can I just say that everyone who wasn't cooking out or on the lake was at the outlet mall. Not my first pick on where to spend Memorial Day but I would have gone anywhere that boy wanted to go. We came home and I cooked tilapia (for me) and catfish (for the boys). While we were eating we watched the PBS special, The National Memorial Day Concert filmed at the nation's Capitol. I laughed and I cried. It was so very good.

Okay, this started out to be one of those "Day in the Life" posts that I like to do periodically. So I'll do a little of that and finish it up tomorrow.

1. Outside my window . . . it is raining. It's been sunny most of the day which allowed my most handsome of a yard man (my son) to begin pressure washing our driveway. He has been one busy fella around here. Our backyard had taken on the look of Wild Kingdom and he has had his work cut out for him there. He had to take a break from that and decided to do the driveway. It's amazing the difference a little (or alot of) pressure washing makes.

2. I am reading . . . I just downloaded to my Kindle Dorothea Benton Frank's novel, "Plantation." I have read most of her books so when I received the notice from Amazon that she will be releasing her sequel to "Plantation" I realized I hadn't read the first one. So I think I'll start that tonight.

3. I am watching . . . Well, since the big television season has come to an end and the likes of "The Bachelorette" have begun, we've decided that we would continue watching tv, just shows we want to see. Which is why we are one disc away from finishing the first season of "Castle." We just got hooked on this show this season. This is the second season and our anal selves wanted to start at the beginning and get all the background on these characters. Richard Castle and Kate Beckett - we adore you. So our many thanks to Netflix who supplies us with our tv fix every three days. Between Netflix arrivals I "get" to watch the Braves which, since they just went from worst to first in the NL East standings, isn't so bad especially when John Smoltz is in the announcers booth. Love that Smoltzy.

4. I am wearing . . . Well, I could write endlessly about this for some reason. I found the CUTEST denim skirt at Marshall's the other night and it was $16.99 and I should have bought two because it is the cutest denim skirt ever. I told my good friend about it because I thought she needed one too. Because if I get something I think everyone should have one and they should know what a bargain it is. I don't know why. It is a sickness. So, I have on that denim skirt with a white eyelet top. Very cool and summery.

5. I am listening . . . My son has got me listening to three country artists and I rotate between their three CDs in my car. The first is Chris Young. He was the very first performer before Josh Turner who was before Alan Jackson at the concert. The other two are Eric Church and Jason Aldean. All fine voices. Not a fan of every single song but overall, good stuff. I also downloaded a few podcasts to my iphone. I had never even tried that until a few weeks ago and now I'm hooked. So far I've listened to Francis Chan and Andy Stanley's messages which are a little more than this feeble mind can absorb sometimes but I try.

More tomorrow . . .