Isn't this a shocker?!?!?!?! I have a big huge announcement to make. It is the reason why I have not blogged in a while. I have loved doing Pinterest Projects, but honestly, I do not have the time nor the energy or even the desire to continue with it. I am still trying things from Pinterest, and I will blog about them, but doing them once a week and feeling the need to blog about it was taking the fun out of it. My personality consists of one of avoidance. If I feel pressure to do something, I avoid it. This is why Sam is the one who pays all of our bills, schedules most appointments, and makes follow up phone calls. I just don't like to do it! So, that, my friends, is my big huge announcement. I will not be doing Pinterest projects anymore.
On to other important things. An update on my fabulous, courageous sister. Dana is finished with her chemo and her radiation. It was very difficult for me to sit from afar and hear what she was going thru. The past few weeks were not an easy road, but she handled it with grace and with an extremely minimum amount of complaining! Most of our conversations consisted of her asking me how I was doing!!! Between my mom, Dana's mother-in-law, her sister's-in-law, her friends, and her husband, Dana has had a great support system. I knew she was always in good hands and there would always be someone looking out for her. Unfortunately, just about every bad side effect that comes with chemo and radiation struck Dana. And a stomach virus on Easter wiped out Dana, Brian, and Matthew. Christina was the only one who was spared. Therefore, I think she is the guilty party and poisoned everyone so she could eat all of the Easter candy! She is extremely smart, you know!
My nephew Matthew and my Gramps both celebrated their birthdays on March 30th. Matthew is 2 and Gramps is 91!!!! Christina turned 5 on April 12th and Dana is turned 29 (again) on April 10th. To me, this was a very special birthday. It was a day to really celebrate Dana and reflect on how lucky we are to have her in our lives.
I hope you are all doing well. The reason why I had not been posting, aside from the pressure from my Pinterest project, but because I knew that I would want to blab about our new little miracle that will be joining us on October 16th. I wanted to wait until the time was right and we found out that everything was going as planned. But, I will write more about that in later blogs!
“There are days when I think I don't believe anymore. When I think I've grown too old for miracles. And that's right when another seems to happen.” ~Dana Reinhardt
“Of two sisters one is always the watcher, one the dancer.” ~Louise Glück
"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost." ~Marion C.
Garretty
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Happy New Year!!!!!
Happy New Year to all of my Fabulous blog followers! Here is hoping that 2013 will have lots of wonderful surprises for everyone, but most importantly, I hope that Dana regains her health. She has a cold at the moment and if she still has it on the day her surgery is scheduled, the surgery will have to be postponed. So please say your prayers and send positive vibes for Dana to lose those sniffles so we can all get the answers that we need to be able to cope with whatever lies ahead for us.
Christmas was good. I had off Christmas day, but had to work the days that surrounded it, so we didn't get to do too much celebrating. I was off for New Year's Eve, but worked New Year's Day, so I was in bed and asleep at 9:30. That was until the fools 2 houses away set off fireworks from 11:50 until 1 am. I was slightly cranky when I woke up in the morning but I wanted to make sure that I started off the New Year with a positive attitude so I quickly turned my mood around. Sam's mom was here for both Christmas and New Year's Eve and Day, so that was really nice.
It was hard being away from my mom, dad, Dana, Gramps, Brian, and the kids. This was for more than 2 reasons. One, Christmas is the anniversary of my Grammy's death and two, because of Dana's health issues. I am hoping to be able to get up there at some point soon.
On to my Pinterest projects for weeks 28 and 29. The first project is not mine. It comes from my co-worker Kim who is crafty and has a love of Pinterest! She was my Secret Santa and she gave me some Gingerbread Truffles and they can be found on this yummy blog! They were little white chocolate coated globs of goodness! Kim did such a great job making them, it looked as though she bought them. Delish!
My second Pinterest Project is mine and boy am I glad I tried it! It is a homemade cheese danish. The recipe is located at this nifty blog here! As usual, I tweaked a little here and there. Instead of 2 packages of cream cheese, I used 1 1/2. I also used a pan that was a little bit smaller because I wanted to make sure that the bottom layer came up the sides of the pan. There are no words to describe the deliciousness that came out of the oven. And the smell was out of this world! For the next few days, every time I went into the fridge to get something out, I had to cut off a tiny sliver to snack on. All I have to say is try this recipe. You will not be disappointed!
So blessings again for a happy and healthy New Year to you all. My resolution this year is to stay true to my heart, stand up for what I believe in, and love like there is no tomorrow.
"We will open the book. Its pages are bland. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter in New Year's Day." ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Christmas was good. I had off Christmas day, but had to work the days that surrounded it, so we didn't get to do too much celebrating. I was off for New Year's Eve, but worked New Year's Day, so I was in bed and asleep at 9:30. That was until the fools 2 houses away set off fireworks from 11:50 until 1 am. I was slightly cranky when I woke up in the morning but I wanted to make sure that I started off the New Year with a positive attitude so I quickly turned my mood around. Sam's mom was here for both Christmas and New Year's Eve and Day, so that was really nice.
It was hard being away from my mom, dad, Dana, Gramps, Brian, and the kids. This was for more than 2 reasons. One, Christmas is the anniversary of my Grammy's death and two, because of Dana's health issues. I am hoping to be able to get up there at some point soon.
On to my Pinterest projects for weeks 28 and 29. The first project is not mine. It comes from my co-worker Kim who is crafty and has a love of Pinterest! She was my Secret Santa and she gave me some Gingerbread Truffles and they can be found on this yummy blog! They were little white chocolate coated globs of goodness! Kim did such a great job making them, it looked as though she bought them. Delish!
My second Pinterest Project is mine and boy am I glad I tried it! It is a homemade cheese danish. The recipe is located at this nifty blog here! As usual, I tweaked a little here and there. Instead of 2 packages of cream cheese, I used 1 1/2. I also used a pan that was a little bit smaller because I wanted to make sure that the bottom layer came up the sides of the pan. There are no words to describe the deliciousness that came out of the oven. And the smell was out of this world! For the next few days, every time I went into the fridge to get something out, I had to cut off a tiny sliver to snack on. All I have to say is try this recipe. You will not be disappointed!
So blessings again for a happy and healthy New Year to you all. My resolution this year is to stay true to my heart, stand up for what I believe in, and love like there is no tomorrow.
"We will open the book. Its pages are bland. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter in New Year's Day." ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
"Dana has cancer." Those were the 3 words that my mother said to me on November 9th that made my heart beat so loud in my chest that I could no longer hear what she was saying. I felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me and the room was getting smaller and smaller. The shock was so great that I could not even cry and I could see Sam's mouth moving asking me what was wrong, but I couldn't hear a word he was saying. All I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears.
While my mother was on the phone with me, the doctor was telling my groggy sister the same news. It made my heart hurt. This was a feeling that I had felt only one other time and it was when my mother told me that my Grams had passed away. This was a feeling that I hoped that I would never feel again, but less than 4 years later, I was feeling it again. She was having surgery that day and something didn't look right. What was supposed to be a short procedure ended up taking hours.
They gave Dana a preliminary stage of 1B cervical cancer. I did exactly what I told my mother and sister not to do. Shortly after hanging up with my mother, I started to search on the internet and find out what her treatment options are and what her prognosis would be. The doctor was very hopeful that it was caught very early on. I flew to NY so I could be with Dana and my family while we tried to process all of this as we were all unsure about what the next road would lead us.
After we had all "accepted" the fact that Dana had cancer, she had to have a PET scan. It did not reveal what we wanted it to. It seems as though the cancer has spread to some lymph nodes. Again, this was news that made me feel as though I had just been hit over the head with a baseball bat. This changes her staging and her treatment. Now we are not exactly sure what we are facing. My faith is rocked, I am angry, frustrated, wondering why we have been handed something else to deal with. My heart is aching all over again and the stress and waiting is killing me. Dana seems to be handling all of this a whole lot better than I am! She will have surgery again in January which will give us the answers we need and to find out what treatment she will be getting to fight this. Dana is a fighter. She is a red head and is filled with courage and strength to beat this.
So there it is. I said it. My sister has cancer. And it sucks. Big time.
Dana is just like Martha Stewart, although not as snooty, much prettier, much younger, and much better hair. But cooking wise, you would not be able to tell them apart. I know Dana would be very disappointed if I did not include some of my Pinterest projects, especially my big Pinterest FAIL! So, I will write about weeks 26 and 27. Now I know I said that I would get better about writing, but I was so angry last week, I did not want to blog.
Pinterest Project Week 26: Also known as my epic FAIL! Here is the blog I got it from. I am not really sure what went wrong here. It could have been that the pineapples were old, that they should have been pineapple tidbits instead of chunks, or that I just don't like angel food cake! The choice that I am leaning towards is the whole not liking angel food cake thing. Another thing, I did not follow the directions very well. It said to use a 9x13 pan and I used a bundt pan. When I mixed the pineapples into the mix, it frothed up the way it was supposed to, but the chunks just sank to the bottom of the bundt pan. The pan was not big enough, either I don't think because it kind of baked over. I let it bake for the proper amount of time, but it was still wiggly, so I cooked it for some additional time. When I took it out, it smelled good. I let it cool completely and then I took it out of the pan. What a mess! The chunks all sank to the bottom (which only reaffirmed the fact that I needed to use the tid-bits) so the top of the cake was stuck to the inside of the pan. I tasted the little bit that I was able to salvage and that was when I realized that I had never had angel food cake before. I am sure that if you like angel food cake and follow the instructions, you will enjoy this cake.
Week 27 was a success! This is something that I whipped up today because I was not feeling well and my co-worker, Mandy, was nice enough to work for me today so I didn't have to go in. My throat has been on fire and I have a ton of post nasal drip. My throat is froggy and my voice is almost completely gone. I have been eating a ton of soup and for lunch, I thought if I had one more spoonful of soup, I would hurt someone! So, I made some homemade mac and cheese in the microwave. The recipe can be found at this great blog here! I used some mini farfalle pasta and of course extra cheese. The water in the mug will bubble over, but this is not a bad thing because when I wiped it up, it cleaned the microwave really well. I can see lots of tasty opportunities with this. Think bacon and all different types of cheeses! Yum, yum, yummy!!!!!
With only a week away from Christmas, I hope everyone has a wonderful week of preparing and enjoying time with your families. Thankfully, I have off Christmas day, but will be working on Christmas Eve. Better to be working than to be a patient in the hospital, though!
"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly." ~Andy Rooney
"Isn't it funny that at Christmas something in you gets so lonely for - I don't know what exactly, but it's something that you don't mind so much not having at other times." ~Kate L. Bosher
"Great little One! whose all-embracing birth
Lifts Earth to Heaven, stoops Heaven to Earth." ~Richard Crashaw
Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home. ~Carol Nelson
While my mother was on the phone with me, the doctor was telling my groggy sister the same news. It made my heart hurt. This was a feeling that I had felt only one other time and it was when my mother told me that my Grams had passed away. This was a feeling that I hoped that I would never feel again, but less than 4 years later, I was feeling it again. She was having surgery that day and something didn't look right. What was supposed to be a short procedure ended up taking hours.
They gave Dana a preliminary stage of 1B cervical cancer. I did exactly what I told my mother and sister not to do. Shortly after hanging up with my mother, I started to search on the internet and find out what her treatment options are and what her prognosis would be. The doctor was very hopeful that it was caught very early on. I flew to NY so I could be with Dana and my family while we tried to process all of this as we were all unsure about what the next road would lead us.
After we had all "accepted" the fact that Dana had cancer, she had to have a PET scan. It did not reveal what we wanted it to. It seems as though the cancer has spread to some lymph nodes. Again, this was news that made me feel as though I had just been hit over the head with a baseball bat. This changes her staging and her treatment. Now we are not exactly sure what we are facing. My faith is rocked, I am angry, frustrated, wondering why we have been handed something else to deal with. My heart is aching all over again and the stress and waiting is killing me. Dana seems to be handling all of this a whole lot better than I am! She will have surgery again in January which will give us the answers we need and to find out what treatment she will be getting to fight this. Dana is a fighter. She is a red head and is filled with courage and strength to beat this.
So there it is. I said it. My sister has cancer. And it sucks. Big time.
Dana is just like Martha Stewart, although not as snooty, much prettier, much younger, and much better hair. But cooking wise, you would not be able to tell them apart. I know Dana would be very disappointed if I did not include some of my Pinterest projects, especially my big Pinterest FAIL! So, I will write about weeks 26 and 27. Now I know I said that I would get better about writing, but I was so angry last week, I did not want to blog.
Pinterest Project Week 26: Also known as my epic FAIL! Here is the blog I got it from. I am not really sure what went wrong here. It could have been that the pineapples were old, that they should have been pineapple tidbits instead of chunks, or that I just don't like angel food cake! The choice that I am leaning towards is the whole not liking angel food cake thing. Another thing, I did not follow the directions very well. It said to use a 9x13 pan and I used a bundt pan. When I mixed the pineapples into the mix, it frothed up the way it was supposed to, but the chunks just sank to the bottom of the bundt pan. The pan was not big enough, either I don't think because it kind of baked over. I let it bake for the proper amount of time, but it was still wiggly, so I cooked it for some additional time. When I took it out, it smelled good. I let it cool completely and then I took it out of the pan. What a mess! The chunks all sank to the bottom (which only reaffirmed the fact that I needed to use the tid-bits) so the top of the cake was stuck to the inside of the pan. I tasted the little bit that I was able to salvage and that was when I realized that I had never had angel food cake before. I am sure that if you like angel food cake and follow the instructions, you will enjoy this cake.
Week 27 was a success! This is something that I whipped up today because I was not feeling well and my co-worker, Mandy, was nice enough to work for me today so I didn't have to go in. My throat has been on fire and I have a ton of post nasal drip. My throat is froggy and my voice is almost completely gone. I have been eating a ton of soup and for lunch, I thought if I had one more spoonful of soup, I would hurt someone! So, I made some homemade mac and cheese in the microwave. The recipe can be found at this great blog here! I used some mini farfalle pasta and of course extra cheese. The water in the mug will bubble over, but this is not a bad thing because when I wiped it up, it cleaned the microwave really well. I can see lots of tasty opportunities with this. Think bacon and all different types of cheeses! Yum, yum, yummy!!!!!
With only a week away from Christmas, I hope everyone has a wonderful week of preparing and enjoying time with your families. Thankfully, I have off Christmas day, but will be working on Christmas Eve. Better to be working than to be a patient in the hospital, though!
"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly." ~Andy Rooney
"Isn't it funny that at Christmas something in you gets so lonely for - I don't know what exactly, but it's something that you don't mind so much not having at other times." ~Kate L. Bosher
"Great little One! whose all-embracing birth
Lifts Earth to Heaven, stoops Heaven to Earth." ~Richard Crashaw
Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home. ~Carol Nelson
Monday, December 3, 2012
Week 25: I am a SLACKER!
Hello, Friends! Here I go back to slacking again. This blog is going to cover the last 10 weeks of Pinterest projects. I am sad to say that most of them contained vinegar and baking soda. Boring, I know.
On a more exciting note, I went to Orlando for the CF conference in October. I had a wonderful time with one of my co-workers, Shekina, as well as many of the other disciplines from my hospital. Shekina and I spent a whole lot of time hanging out with Dr. Caplan and he was definitely the party animal. He kept us out way past our bedtime!
I feel like fall came and went. It is my favorite season and I am kind of bummed that it is just about done. Although, I feel like Mother Nature here in GA never got the memo that summer ended. I can't deal with this 75 degree weather in December! Sam and I did go apple picking in October. The only problem is that once we go into the apple farm, there was a sign saying that there were no more apples left to pick! The farm does have bins of apples so we didn't leave empty handed, but I think we would have had more fun actually picking them off the trees ourselves. Either way, the drive thru the mountains with the leaves changing color was well worth the trip.
Sam and I also got to go home for Thanksgiving. I was able to go up there a little bit earlier than Sam. I went to my first Army football game with my mom, Dana, and Stina. So much fun! We also made our annual trip to Stew Leonard's. One nite, I babysat Matthew for a few hours. What a character he is! Stina now calls me her BFF and she is growing up into a beautiful little girl. There was a ton of food made and consumed on Thanksgiving and the day after. My mom, dad, Gramps, Brian, Dana, Sam, Stina, Matthew, and myself all squeezed in at the table. The kiddie table didn't last very long. As soon as Matthew sat down, he fell backwards in his chair and Stina looked so lonely sitting by herself. Maybe the kiddie table can make an appearance next year. Of course, we also made our annual Black Friday trip to the Christmas Tree Shoppe. I got to spend a whole lot of time with my Gramps and had a pancake breakfast with him and spent the whole day with him. I always love all of the stories that he tells me. Can't wait until I see him again. Before making the trip back to NY, I got to meet Julie's triplets and went to Lisa's baby shower. It was great to see Kathleen, Julie, and Lisa again!
This weekend, Sam and I put up all the lites and Christmas decorations. I got some great wreaths when I was in Michael's in NY. A big thank you to my dad who drove to NY for Thanksgiving so he was able to drive all of my stuff back to GA. I added some battery powered candles and some bows and we put one in each of the nine front windows. We opted to do that this year instead of putting lites in each window. I found some great hooks at Target and those came in handy when I was putting decorations outside. They are velcro hooks! So simple, any idiot could have thought of that and now someone is making millions! Insane! Anyway, the tree is up and decorated, stockings hung on the fireplace, and hot cocoa set on the kitchen table. Also, for anyone else who gets a fake tree (Sam is allergic to real trees, BOO!), I found these great things at Michaels called Scentsicles. They smell like pine and you hang them in your tree. I am loving the smell that they are emitting! Let's see if they last! Usually, we don't decorate until closer to Christmas, but I never really put up my autumn decorations because things just got really busy this fall and also my sister and brother-in-law's nephew is coming down here on Friday for an interview for Emory's medical school. Fingers crossed he does well, although I have no doubt in my mind that he will do a great job!
Before I get into my Pinterest Projects, I need to profess my love of Christmas movies. I love them all, but my favorite is It's a Wonderful Life, although that is my favorite movie of all time. Next up is Christmas in Connecticut which I just purchased at the Christmas Tree Shoppe for a steal at $4.99. Following that is The Bishop's Wife, Miracle on 34th Street, Bells of St. Mary's, and then The Man Who Came To Dinner. I love old Christmas movies. There is something about them that gives me the warm fuzzies. I found a great blog that has a list of all of the movies that will be played this month as well as their airtime and channel. I know it says 2009, but it is for 2012, I promise! http://itsawonderfulmovie.blogspot.com/2009/09/christmas-schedule.html
On for my Pinterest Projects. I have added vinegar and baking soda to my laundry. It really does make everything smell fresher and it makes my clothes softer. Sam kept saying that we needed to get a new dishwasher because our old one was stinky. I put some vinegar in a measuring cup on the top rack and ran a cycle. Then I sprikled some baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher and ran another cycle. If Sam thinks that there is no longer a smell, then I can guarantee that it worked! Our dishwasher is the original one that came with the house when it was built in 1979. It is old, but no longer smelly! Another little trick that I learned was putting some vinegar in a measuring cup in the microwave and then letting it heat up a little. The grease and residue wiped right off and the microwave no longer smelled like food. I was impressed by this one! The next little tip that I used was putting Dawn dishwashing detergent and vinegar in a sponge that has one of the soap dispensers attached and I used it to scrub the bathtub. I was not feeling this one as much. To clean my tub, I usually use soft scrub and I found that my Soft Scrub does a better job and does not require nearly as much elbow grease. The tip that I was least impressed with was putting baking soda in your toilet and letting it sit. Apparently, all you have to do is flush the toilet and it is sparkly clean. Well, I sprinkled it, let it sit for about an hour, and then flushed. Nothing happened. So, I flushed again. Being that I am rather environmentally conscious, I was a little apprehensive to flush again, but I did. The cleaning session ended with Soft Scrub, a toilet brush, and 3 wasted flushes. Speaking of being environmentally savvy, we switched our plastic anti-mildew shower liner (p.s. they are never anti-mildew!) to a cloth one. As soon as I start to see a tad bit of mildew, I throw it in the washer with some, you guessed it, baking soda and vinegar. Works like a charm!
Just a shameless plug for PhoebeLu's - I have an order for 4 Name Frames as Christmas presents from one of my friends as well as an order for 30 Christmas cards for Stina's preschool. I will be sending my check to the CF Foundation before the end of the year! If you are interested in any of my projects, let me know! It is not too late to order Christmas gifts from me! I also made 30 s'mores on a stick for our respiratory therapy appreciation day. They were a big hit and everyone was saying that I should add those to the items that I sell. If anyone is interested in those, please let me know! I can whip some up for you!
I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season! My resolution for 2013 is going to be to actually keep up with my blog. I know I say this every year, but 2013 is going to be the year that I do it! I promise!
"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" ~Clarence - It's A Wonderful Life
"Every time you hear a bell ring, it means that some angel's just got his wings."
"Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends."
"George Bailey, I'll love you 'til the day I die." ~Mary Hatch -It's a Wonderful Life
"Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!" ~George Bailey -It's A Wonderful Life
On a more exciting note, I went to Orlando for the CF conference in October. I had a wonderful time with one of my co-workers, Shekina, as well as many of the other disciplines from my hospital. Shekina and I spent a whole lot of time hanging out with Dr. Caplan and he was definitely the party animal. He kept us out way past our bedtime!
I feel like fall came and went. It is my favorite season and I am kind of bummed that it is just about done. Although, I feel like Mother Nature here in GA never got the memo that summer ended. I can't deal with this 75 degree weather in December! Sam and I did go apple picking in October. The only problem is that once we go into the apple farm, there was a sign saying that there were no more apples left to pick! The farm does have bins of apples so we didn't leave empty handed, but I think we would have had more fun actually picking them off the trees ourselves. Either way, the drive thru the mountains with the leaves changing color was well worth the trip.
Sam and I also got to go home for Thanksgiving. I was able to go up there a little bit earlier than Sam. I went to my first Army football game with my mom, Dana, and Stina. So much fun! We also made our annual trip to Stew Leonard's. One nite, I babysat Matthew for a few hours. What a character he is! Stina now calls me her BFF and she is growing up into a beautiful little girl. There was a ton of food made and consumed on Thanksgiving and the day after. My mom, dad, Gramps, Brian, Dana, Sam, Stina, Matthew, and myself all squeezed in at the table. The kiddie table didn't last very long. As soon as Matthew sat down, he fell backwards in his chair and Stina looked so lonely sitting by herself. Maybe the kiddie table can make an appearance next year. Of course, we also made our annual Black Friday trip to the Christmas Tree Shoppe. I got to spend a whole lot of time with my Gramps and had a pancake breakfast with him and spent the whole day with him. I always love all of the stories that he tells me. Can't wait until I see him again. Before making the trip back to NY, I got to meet Julie's triplets and went to Lisa's baby shower. It was great to see Kathleen, Julie, and Lisa again!
This weekend, Sam and I put up all the lites and Christmas decorations. I got some great wreaths when I was in Michael's in NY. A big thank you to my dad who drove to NY for Thanksgiving so he was able to drive all of my stuff back to GA. I added some battery powered candles and some bows and we put one in each of the nine front windows. We opted to do that this year instead of putting lites in each window. I found some great hooks at Target and those came in handy when I was putting decorations outside. They are velcro hooks! So simple, any idiot could have thought of that and now someone is making millions! Insane! Anyway, the tree is up and decorated, stockings hung on the fireplace, and hot cocoa set on the kitchen table. Also, for anyone else who gets a fake tree (Sam is allergic to real trees, BOO!), I found these great things at Michaels called Scentsicles. They smell like pine and you hang them in your tree. I am loving the smell that they are emitting! Let's see if they last! Usually, we don't decorate until closer to Christmas, but I never really put up my autumn decorations because things just got really busy this fall and also my sister and brother-in-law's nephew is coming down here on Friday for an interview for Emory's medical school. Fingers crossed he does well, although I have no doubt in my mind that he will do a great job!
Before I get into my Pinterest Projects, I need to profess my love of Christmas movies. I love them all, but my favorite is It's a Wonderful Life, although that is my favorite movie of all time. Next up is Christmas in Connecticut which I just purchased at the Christmas Tree Shoppe for a steal at $4.99. Following that is The Bishop's Wife, Miracle on 34th Street, Bells of St. Mary's, and then The Man Who Came To Dinner. I love old Christmas movies. There is something about them that gives me the warm fuzzies. I found a great blog that has a list of all of the movies that will be played this month as well as their airtime and channel. I know it says 2009, but it is for 2012, I promise! http://itsawonderfulmovie.blogspot.com/2009/09/christmas-schedule.html
On for my Pinterest Projects. I have added vinegar and baking soda to my laundry. It really does make everything smell fresher and it makes my clothes softer. Sam kept saying that we needed to get a new dishwasher because our old one was stinky. I put some vinegar in a measuring cup on the top rack and ran a cycle. Then I sprikled some baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher and ran another cycle. If Sam thinks that there is no longer a smell, then I can guarantee that it worked! Our dishwasher is the original one that came with the house when it was built in 1979. It is old, but no longer smelly! Another little trick that I learned was putting some vinegar in a measuring cup in the microwave and then letting it heat up a little. The grease and residue wiped right off and the microwave no longer smelled like food. I was impressed by this one! The next little tip that I used was putting Dawn dishwashing detergent and vinegar in a sponge that has one of the soap dispensers attached and I used it to scrub the bathtub. I was not feeling this one as much. To clean my tub, I usually use soft scrub and I found that my Soft Scrub does a better job and does not require nearly as much elbow grease. The tip that I was least impressed with was putting baking soda in your toilet and letting it sit. Apparently, all you have to do is flush the toilet and it is sparkly clean. Well, I sprinkled it, let it sit for about an hour, and then flushed. Nothing happened. So, I flushed again. Being that I am rather environmentally conscious, I was a little apprehensive to flush again, but I did. The cleaning session ended with Soft Scrub, a toilet brush, and 3 wasted flushes. Speaking of being environmentally savvy, we switched our plastic anti-mildew shower liner (p.s. they are never anti-mildew!) to a cloth one. As soon as I start to see a tad bit of mildew, I throw it in the washer with some, you guessed it, baking soda and vinegar. Works like a charm!
Just a shameless plug for PhoebeLu's - I have an order for 4 Name Frames as Christmas presents from one of my friends as well as an order for 30 Christmas cards for Stina's preschool. I will be sending my check to the CF Foundation before the end of the year! If you are interested in any of my projects, let me know! It is not too late to order Christmas gifts from me! I also made 30 s'mores on a stick for our respiratory therapy appreciation day. They were a big hit and everyone was saying that I should add those to the items that I sell. If anyone is interested in those, please let me know! I can whip some up for you!
I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season! My resolution for 2013 is going to be to actually keep up with my blog. I know I say this every year, but 2013 is going to be the year that I do it! I promise!
"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" ~Clarence - It's A Wonderful Life
"Every time you hear a bell ring, it means that some angel's just got his wings."
"Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends."
"George Bailey, I'll love you 'til the day I die." ~Mary Hatch -It's a Wonderful Life
"Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!" ~George Bailey -It's A Wonderful Life
Friday, September 28, 2012
Pinterest Project Week 15: Salt Bagels, Gnocchi Mac and Cheese, Apple Caramel Crisp, The Hidden Gems of N. GA, and Good-bye Ruby
Greetings to all of my fabulous readers! I hope everyone is enjoying this fall weather as much as I am. We rang in the new season last Saturday in the most perfect way imaginable. Discovering the hidden gems of North GA. You see, California and Long Island are not the only places with breathtaking views of wineries. Dahlonega, GA is the home to some gorgeous wineries and we had a deliteful time with our friends, Rick and Rachel. We went to three separate wineries. After 1.5 wine tastings, I don't remember much except for the fact that, by the 3rd winery, Rick was able to talk everyone at the table into taste testing pate. I know that my tongue was numb and I was so hungry I could have quite possibly eaten anything at that point, but from what I recall, it was actually pretty stinkin tasty! The wineries that we hit were Three Sisters Vineyards, Frogtown, and Wolf Mountain Vineyards. If you ever get the chance to pop into one of these, I highly recommend it. Sam and I loved it so much that we are tempted to get married all over again so we can do it there!
With Rachel at Frogtown
Pepper, Our buddy from 3 Sisters
Sam & Myself & Our Bottle O'Wine
It finally came time to say goodbye to my beloved mobile, Ruby. She was unable to be repaired without us paying more than her blue book value. I don't say more than what she was worth because to me, she was worth alot. We had been thru quite a bit together. I was really sad to say goodbye to her. I felt very guilty about the fact that the best cleaning that she ever got from me in a really long time was the one that was going to be her last with me. I cried when I had to leave her. They reassured me that she would be auctioned off, repaired, and sold to someone else that she would make very happy. Now, I have a shiny new mobile that I never would have splurged on myself. To say that my husband spoils me and makes sure that I am happy is a gross understatement. And no, it is not just with material items. He puts up with my crazy silliness, insane mood swings, clinginess, anxiety. I love him to pieces! If you asked me about 10 years ago if I ever thought if I was capable of finding a love this great with a man who treats me with such love, I would have said no. He put the broken pieces back together.
Ruby
Onto my Pinterest Project! I gave some of the recipes a whirl and this time, I followed them all exactly the way they were written. BAZINGA! You didn't think I would actually do that, did you? I did all of these yesterday because I had quite a bit of pent up anger with my dr's office and their less than stellar communication. My first feat were Salt Bagels. The recipe that I followed was fairly easy and I did not have a choice but to follow this one the way it was written. The only thing I did differently was top them with salt. I did not have kosher salt, so instead I used margarita salt. Funny how I had a whole lot of that on hand! I ate one for breakfast this morning and it was delish!!!!
Last but not least is the Apple Caramel Crisp. This last recipe is one that I got from my friend. I have made lots of Apple Crisp, but this one is one of my favorites. The recipe is actually for Apple Cranberry Crisp, but I am not one for cranberries. Instead, I replaced the cranberries with more apples and then I nestled some caramels into the little nooks and crannies before I added the topping. Another thing is that I made quite a bit of the extra crumble for the top. My philosophy is that you can never have enough crisp on top! That is my favorite part! I cannot even begin to tell you how yummy it was to bite into the apple crisp and get some ooey-gooey caramel in it! No words can even begin to describe it!
Carry on
May your past be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground
Carry on"
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” ~ Mother Teresa
With Rachel at Frogtown
Pepper, Our buddy from 3 Sisters
Sam & Myself & Our Bottle O'Wine
Rick & Rachel
It finally came time to say goodbye to my beloved mobile, Ruby. She was unable to be repaired without us paying more than her blue book value. I don't say more than what she was worth because to me, she was worth alot. We had been thru quite a bit together. I was really sad to say goodbye to her. I felt very guilty about the fact that the best cleaning that she ever got from me in a really long time was the one that was going to be her last with me. I cried when I had to leave her. They reassured me that she would be auctioned off, repaired, and sold to someone else that she would make very happy. Now, I have a shiny new mobile that I never would have splurged on myself. To say that my husband spoils me and makes sure that I am happy is a gross understatement. And no, it is not just with material items. He puts up with my crazy silliness, insane mood swings, clinginess, anxiety. I love him to pieces! If you asked me about 10 years ago if I ever thought if I was capable of finding a love this great with a man who treats me with such love, I would have said no. He put the broken pieces back together.
Ruby
Onto my Pinterest Project! I gave some of the recipes a whirl and this time, I followed them all exactly the way they were written. BAZINGA! You didn't think I would actually do that, did you? I did all of these yesterday because I had quite a bit of pent up anger with my dr's office and their less than stellar communication. My first feat were Salt Bagels. The recipe that I followed was fairly easy and I did not have a choice but to follow this one the way it was written. The only thing I did differently was top them with salt. I did not have kosher salt, so instead I used margarita salt. Funny how I had a whole lot of that on hand! I ate one for breakfast this morning and it was delish!!!!
Salt bagels...YUMMY!
My next delicacy was Macaroni and Cheese with Homemade Gnocchi. It was pretty good! I used swiss cheese, mozzarella, and ricotta because that is what I had in my fridge. Bacon makes everything better, so I added a few slices of bacon. I was surprised that Sam ate it, but he seemed to really enjoy it. There was not the usual answer of "Interesting" when I ask him if he likes something that he is not a fan of. I made a little extra sauce because who doesn't love extra cheesy mac?
Gnocchi Mac & Cheese
Last but not least is the Apple Caramel Crisp. This last recipe is one that I got from my friend. I have made lots of Apple Crisp, but this one is one of my favorites. The recipe is actually for Apple Cranberry Crisp, but I am not one for cranberries. Instead, I replaced the cranberries with more apples and then I nestled some caramels into the little nooks and crannies before I added the topping. Another thing is that I made quite a bit of the extra crumble for the top. My philosophy is that you can never have enough crisp on top! That is my favorite part! I cannot even begin to tell you how yummy it was to bite into the apple crisp and get some ooey-gooey caramel in it! No words can even begin to describe it!
Apple Caramel Crisp
So that is all I have to offer you, folks. I am hoping to have completed a craft or 2 by next week. We shall see! This fall and winter, I am planning on finishing organizing the house. It is so liberating to just be able to get rid of everything that we don't need. My belief is that last year's organization was not very successful because I was in such a slump about the whole IVF thing not working. I feel much better as time has gone on. It still hurts, but we have moved on and started discussing the next steps that we will be taking. I hope you all enjoy these recipes as much as we did! Hugs to all!
"If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stoneCarry on
May your past be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground
Carry on"
~FUN - Carry On
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” ~ President Barack Obama
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” ~ Mother Teresa
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Pinterest Project Week 14: Chicken, Brussels Sprouts, Risotto, and Banoffee Cheesecake
I soldiered thru my bout of strep throat. It lasted so much longer than I thought it should have, but what do I know, I have never had it before. Right now, it is my favorite weather - pouring rain! I don't have to drive in it, hence it being my favorite weather. If I had to be somewhere, than I would not appreciate it as much. Fall is approaching and I am so excited! To me, there is nothing better than that cool, crisp weather. Soon, there will be apple picking, the search for the perfect pumpkin, soup with grilled cheese for dinner, our house will be covered with fall decorations, and Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, will be upon us. Sam and I will hopefully be going to NY for Thanksgiving where there will be tons of food, many laughs and a ton of memories will be made. Then, we will spend Friday going to the Christmas Tree Shoppe, Target, and Stew Leonard's before coming home and reheating the leftovers and creating more memories.
Now, on to my Pinterest Projects for this week! I tried several recipes and they were all delicious. I have to admit, I tweaked almost all of them, except the Brussels sprouts. I really do not think that I am capable of following a recipe as it is written because I am always substituting ingredients. The first recipe was Stuffed Chicken. I used this recipe as a base, but switched a few things around. First, I used the bottom recipe for the Chicken Roll Ups. Sam is not a fan of anything with bread crumbs, so the bread crumbs were omitted. The chicken breasts were pounded down and then I put in some chunks of mozzarella cheese, sauteed garlic, fresh parsley, and fresh basil. Then, they were rolled up and sealed with toothpicks and I put them in the frying pan. Once they were done, I transferred them to a baking sheet with a slice of fresh tomato, some more cheese and stuck them in the oven so they would finish cooking. The juices in the pan didn't go to waste! I added butter, chicken broth, and white wine and let it simmer and reduce to which it turned into a delicious sauce for the chicken. Before serving them, I added a fresh basil leaf to the top. YUMMY!!!
Several years ago, I made some risotto for Sam. This is when he was still in his "anything that is different is disgusting" stage. Of course, he wouldn't eat it so I had not made risotto in a really long time. The recipe that I used was this one right here, Orzo with Parmesan and Basil. As you can see, the recipe actually calls for orzo, but as I was getting my ingredients together, I noticed that the box that I thought was orzo was really ditalini pasta. So, I pulled out the container of risotto that I planned on making for myself and figured that Sam was going to have to choke it down. I also did not have as much Parmesan cheese as I thought I did, so I used some ciliegine that I had left over. I cooked the risotto according to the way that it is supposed to be cooked on the container, except that I substituted about a cup of the broth with white wine. It was give or take a cup. I feel like that gives it a much better flavor. When it was done cooking, I added the Parmesan cheese and ciliegine. I made sure not to let the ciliegine melt completely because it was great to get that slightly larger clump of cheese in the occasional bite. Once it was done on the stove, I mixed in some fresh basil from my raised garden bed. We ate every bite and Sam could not believe he had avoided eating risotto for so long!
This next recipe was one that I followed exactly as it was written. They are Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts. I am probably one of the few people that absolutely loves Brussels sprouts, so I was really excited to find a recipe that involved fresh ones instead of the Green Giant frozen ones that I always buy. Luckily, I had been to Kroger the day before and found some in their produce clearance section that were already trimmed, cut in half, and seasoned! Only 99 cents! If you follow the recipe, they are very tasty. The only thing that I will do differently next time (of course I have to change something!) is that, once I take them out of the oven after 15 minutes to turn them, I think I will add some more vinegar and olive oil because I felt like the vinegar cooked a little too quickly and charred a tad bit. Either way, they were fabulous and I would make them again any day (hopefully I will be running into more clearance ones at Kroger again!).
Now, the recipe that you have all been waiting for! The Banoffee Cheesecake! If you would like the original Banoffee Cheesecake recipe, here it is. I also had tamales to make, so I did not have the time to go as far as to make the Banoffee cheesecake per this recipe, so surprise, I came up with my own. I did, however, have the time to make a homemade cheesecake (after going to a meeting at 7:30 am on a Sunday and doing the grocery shopping). That was definitely one of my Super Woman Days! I followed this cheesecake recipe. I did use cinnamon graham crackers as well as adding the cinnamon to the crust. The decadent toffee that was on top can be found here by following the portion of the recipe for the topping. I felt like the center of the inside was still a little gooey, so I would recommend cooking it for a few minutes longer and perhaps even leaving it in the oven for a few minutes with the oven off before letting it sit on the counter. Also, if you have dogs, make sure it is out of their reach because apparently they like cheesecake. Lulu used her Go Go Gadget Legs and I caught her taking a chunk out of the side while I was searching for the candles.
Top of the Banoffee Cheesecake Lulu's bite out of the side of the
cheesecake
The Birthday Boy with his tamales! 51 Birthday Tamales!!!!
I hope everyone is doing well! I one of my clear frames to a friend for her parent's anniversary. Please don't forget about PhoebeLu's! There are greeting cards, frames, jewelry, as well as other special requests. If you have an image of something you want, feel free to run it past me. I might be able to make it!
“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” ~ W. C. Fields
“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” ~ Julia Child
“Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed. Eh bien, tant pis. Usually one's cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, then the cook must simply grit her teeth and bear it with a smile, and learn from her mistakes.” ~ Julia Child
Now, on to my Pinterest Projects for this week! I tried several recipes and they were all delicious. I have to admit, I tweaked almost all of them, except the Brussels sprouts. I really do not think that I am capable of following a recipe as it is written because I am always substituting ingredients. The first recipe was Stuffed Chicken. I used this recipe as a base, but switched a few things around. First, I used the bottom recipe for the Chicken Roll Ups. Sam is not a fan of anything with bread crumbs, so the bread crumbs were omitted. The chicken breasts were pounded down and then I put in some chunks of mozzarella cheese, sauteed garlic, fresh parsley, and fresh basil. Then, they were rolled up and sealed with toothpicks and I put them in the frying pan. Once they were done, I transferred them to a baking sheet with a slice of fresh tomato, some more cheese and stuck them in the oven so they would finish cooking. The juices in the pan didn't go to waste! I added butter, chicken broth, and white wine and let it simmer and reduce to which it turned into a delicious sauce for the chicken. Before serving them, I added a fresh basil leaf to the top. YUMMY!!!
Several years ago, I made some risotto for Sam. This is when he was still in his "anything that is different is disgusting" stage. Of course, he wouldn't eat it so I had not made risotto in a really long time. The recipe that I used was this one right here, Orzo with Parmesan and Basil. As you can see, the recipe actually calls for orzo, but as I was getting my ingredients together, I noticed that the box that I thought was orzo was really ditalini pasta. So, I pulled out the container of risotto that I planned on making for myself and figured that Sam was going to have to choke it down. I also did not have as much Parmesan cheese as I thought I did, so I used some ciliegine that I had left over. I cooked the risotto according to the way that it is supposed to be cooked on the container, except that I substituted about a cup of the broth with white wine. It was give or take a cup. I feel like that gives it a much better flavor. When it was done cooking, I added the Parmesan cheese and ciliegine. I made sure not to let the ciliegine melt completely because it was great to get that slightly larger clump of cheese in the occasional bite. Once it was done on the stove, I mixed in some fresh basil from my raised garden bed. We ate every bite and Sam could not believe he had avoided eating risotto for so long!
This next recipe was one that I followed exactly as it was written. They are Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts. I am probably one of the few people that absolutely loves Brussels sprouts, so I was really excited to find a recipe that involved fresh ones instead of the Green Giant frozen ones that I always buy. Luckily, I had been to Kroger the day before and found some in their produce clearance section that were already trimmed, cut in half, and seasoned! Only 99 cents! If you follow the recipe, they are very tasty. The only thing that I will do differently next time (of course I have to change something!) is that, once I take them out of the oven after 15 minutes to turn them, I think I will add some more vinegar and olive oil because I felt like the vinegar cooked a little too quickly and charred a tad bit. Either way, they were fabulous and I would make them again any day (hopefully I will be running into more clearance ones at Kroger again!).
Now, the recipe that you have all been waiting for! The Banoffee Cheesecake! If you would like the original Banoffee Cheesecake recipe, here it is. I also had tamales to make, so I did not have the time to go as far as to make the Banoffee cheesecake per this recipe, so surprise, I came up with my own. I did, however, have the time to make a homemade cheesecake (after going to a meeting at 7:30 am on a Sunday and doing the grocery shopping). That was definitely one of my Super Woman Days! I followed this cheesecake recipe. I did use cinnamon graham crackers as well as adding the cinnamon to the crust. The decadent toffee that was on top can be found here by following the portion of the recipe for the topping. I felt like the center of the inside was still a little gooey, so I would recommend cooking it for a few minutes longer and perhaps even leaving it in the oven for a few minutes with the oven off before letting it sit on the counter. Also, if you have dogs, make sure it is out of their reach because apparently they like cheesecake. Lulu used her Go Go Gadget Legs and I caught her taking a chunk out of the side while I was searching for the candles.
Top of the Banoffee Cheesecake Lulu's bite out of the side of the
cheesecake
I hope everyone is doing well! I one of my clear frames to a friend for her parent's anniversary. Please don't forget about PhoebeLu's! There are greeting cards, frames, jewelry, as well as other special requests. If you have an image of something you want, feel free to run it past me. I might be able to make it!
“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” ~ W. C. Fields
“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” ~ Julia Child
“Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed. Eh bien, tant pis. Usually one's cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, then the cook must simply grit her teeth and bear it with a smile, and learn from her mistakes.” ~ Julia Child
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Taking it one day at a time
So, I guess I had an EPIC FAIL with my Pinterest Project the last 6 weeks. I am so embarrassed that I have not posted in 6 weeks. Lucky for you guys, I have strep throat and Sam is away in Panama City Beach for a bachelor weekend, so I am home, bored out of my mind. There is no excuse for me to not post a blog right now. And if a doctor ever tells you that they are going to put you on Biaxin, say no! It is the most disgusting antibiotic. No matter what I eat or drink, it tastes like I am sucking on a nickel. All the time. It is gross!
This summer has been a good one. My mum, sister, brother-in-law and the kids came to visit. We went to the pool, went to the Yellow River Game Ranch (where I hand fed deer!!!!), took Stina for a Rockstar Makeover where she got her ears pierced, went shopping, cooked fabulous meals, laughed a whole lot, and made a ton of memories. Matthew is growing like a weed and he is very mobile. Stina is turning into such a beautiful young lady who is starting kindergarten in a few weeks. Dana, Brian, and the kids left before my mom did, so I got to spend a spa day with my mum. Very relaxing and I think I might be due for another one!
Stina's Makeover Matthew cuddling with Sam ready for a dip!
Papa Diego
Sam and I went on a fantastic vacation. I had no clue the hidden treasure of Alabama. The gulf shore. It was amazing. We went to Orange Beach and, although it did rain for a little bit each day, we had plenty of beach time and we even went para sailing one day. If you ever have the opportunity to do it, you should. This is something that we never would have imagined ourselves doing, but we are trying to seize new opportunities and break out of our comfort zone. I would say that floating 600 feet in the air while attached to a rope tied to the back of a boat would be out of our comfort zone. Sam is not a fan of heights, so I was very proud of him when he agreed to do it. If you are ever in the area and are looking for a place to stay, we stayed at The Hilton Garden Inn - Beachfront. They had a breakfast buffet that I wish I could go to every day. I do not recommend doing what I did and attempt to have a healthy day ~ fruit, activia yogurt, a bran muffin, and coffee are a great way to get things moving! The company we used for para sailing was really great. It was Zeke's Landing. The guides were really nice and did a wonderful job. The day before we left, we found a fantastic restaurant, Cosmo's. I would eat at Cosmo's for lunch and dinner everyday if I could. The food was heavenly!
I did manage to find a way to work some of my Pinterest pins into this summer. Not that Sam and I fight a bunch, but we did nit-pick a tad. One of us would be too sensitive or the other one would be too defensive and the next thing you knew....BAM another dumb argument that by the end of it we didn't realize what caused it. In July, I pinned a quote from Bob Marley.
Me trying some Brunswick Stew
This summer has been a good one. My mum, sister, brother-in-law and the kids came to visit. We went to the pool, went to the Yellow River Game Ranch (where I hand fed deer!!!!), took Stina for a Rockstar Makeover where she got her ears pierced, went shopping, cooked fabulous meals, laughed a whole lot, and made a ton of memories. Matthew is growing like a weed and he is very mobile. Stina is turning into such a beautiful young lady who is starting kindergarten in a few weeks. Dana, Brian, and the kids left before my mom did, so I got to spend a spa day with my mum. Very relaxing and I think I might be due for another one!
Stina's Makeover Matthew cuddling with Sam ready for a dip!
Papa Diego
Sam and I went on a fantastic vacation. I had no clue the hidden treasure of Alabama. The gulf shore. It was amazing. We went to Orange Beach and, although it did rain for a little bit each day, we had plenty of beach time and we even went para sailing one day. If you ever have the opportunity to do it, you should. This is something that we never would have imagined ourselves doing, but we are trying to seize new opportunities and break out of our comfort zone. I would say that floating 600 feet in the air while attached to a rope tied to the back of a boat would be out of our comfort zone. Sam is not a fan of heights, so I was very proud of him when he agreed to do it. If you are ever in the area and are looking for a place to stay, we stayed at The Hilton Garden Inn - Beachfront. They had a breakfast buffet that I wish I could go to every day. I do not recommend doing what I did and attempt to have a healthy day ~ fruit, activia yogurt, a bran muffin, and coffee are a great way to get things moving! The company we used for para sailing was really great. It was Zeke's Landing. The guides were really nice and did a wonderful job. The day before we left, we found a fantastic restaurant, Cosmo's. I would eat at Cosmo's for lunch and dinner everyday if I could. The food was heavenly!
I did manage to find a way to work some of my Pinterest pins into this summer. Not that Sam and I fight a bunch, but we did nit-pick a tad. One of us would be too sensitive or the other one would be too defensive and the next thing you knew....BAM another dumb argument that by the end of it we didn't realize what caused it. In July, I pinned a quote from Bob Marley.
It helped me realize just what I had. Not a perfect man, but someone who was perfect for me. Our communication skills have greatly improved, we say thank you to each other for even the smallest thing, I'm not constantly on my phone, checking e-mails or looking at Facebook. We talk about our day and we enjoy the time that we are spending with each other. He truly is the love of my life and I wouldn't want it any other way. He has only been gone for a few hours and I miss him terribly. Before he left, he made sure I was stocked up on soup and ginger ale (as well as stamps). Best of all, he loves me.
Me trying some Brunswick Stew
I did try out some recipes and I will write about them in my next blog. I hope everyone enjoyed their summer as much as the Byram/de la Garza/Murphy clan did! Looking forward to Orange Beach again next year.
"Summer, after all, is a time when wonderful things can happen to people. For those few months you’re not required to be who everyone thinks you are. The fresh cut grass smell in the air & the chance to dive into the deep end of a pool, gives you courage you didn’t think you had. Summer just opens the door and lets you free." ~ Unknown
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