Fun Friday: Home Alone 1 Edition

Hallelujah...just sayin'...even the dog is gone. No worries, she's with Robert, which is right where she wants to be, trust me. He's gone to Warren and she is probably about 6 inches from his body at this very moment...she loves that man...

All I'm saying is that sometimes, I need a little quiet time, is that such a crime? No, I think not.

Well, I have sad news: the house isn't finished. After my writing lunch yesterday, I opted for Christmas shopping. And it was successful. But, today, it should be done. Or at least by Monday, when you tune in again. Pinky Promise.

The above picture is from the Lumberton Christmas Parade. We had such a good time...after I finally found Katie and Charlotte. Apparently, this is a big deal in Lumberton. I've lived here for 7 years and had no idea. So, I was in the middle of making supper, which was an EPIC FAILURE, by the way, details later, when my daughter-in-law texted me and says, "OK, I've pulled over on XXX Road." It was an hour and 15 minutes before the parade was supposed to start. I'm like, "HUH?" She then told me that it would be very crowded and I shouldn't wait much longer to come. Of course...

So, I get it in high gear - gather chairs, make hot chocolate, grab snacks and run out the door. She told me where she was and I knew exactly where she meant. Except, no not really. I pulled down a couple of streets, but not the right one. All the while my sweet Katie is texting me, "Do you see me? I'm flashing my lights and waving out the window." Yes, but that would require me to be on the right street and all. Finally, I pulled down one of the wrong streets into a parking lot and almost started to cry, I was so mad. How could I have lived here for 7 years and not know where XXX Road is??

Then, I saw a policeman working the parade. Now, normally I'm not that happy to see a Lumberton policeman, because they are, shall we say, overly zealous about their jobs. I was once pulled over when Riley was about 5 because the officer said it looked like my inspection sticker had been taken off and put back on. Really. Anyway, last night, he was a sight for my sore eyes.

So, in just a few minutes, I'd found them and parked next to them. Our next worry was Robert. Who is always late. Always. So, I called him and told him how crowded it was, that he wouldn't be able to drive down XXX Road after 7, hurry up, etc. He works about 15-20 minutes away. 10 minutes later I called him back, he hadn't left yet. Charlotte kept asking where he was and I finally said, "I don't know, Sweetie. We'll watch for a white suburban IN THE PARADE." But, he zoomed down the street at about 6:55, parked at the primary school, then hoofed it back to us just as the police cars, ambulances and firetrucks were starting the parade. I thought maybe they were expecting an emergency, but Katie said they did this every year. Thank God for Katie.

Anyway, a good time was had by all. Riley's band played and Charlotte was so excited to see him. It was hard to tell which trombone he was in the dark, so we finally just picked someone on the outside and told her that was him. She was elated. She's also a little confused about Santa - who he is, when he's coming, and why there isn't snow.

Charlotte, these are all questions we've been trying to answer since the beginning of time. Welcome to the madness!!

Anyway, if you've never been to a lighted Christmas parade, try to attend one. They really are beautiful, with all the lights and a true small-town ambience. There are several other communities around this neck of the woods having a lighted parade this weekend - our church, Encounter Church, will actually have a float in the one in Groves tomorrow night - so check one out!

This week's recipe is a Christmas party favorite of mine. If you're like me, you'll be attending at least one holiday function this year where you'll need to bring a "goodie," right? So try Cheesy Christmas Trees - easy to make and yummy!! Happy weekend, see you on Monday!

Cheesy Christmas Trees

Ingredients:
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 T dry ranch-style salad dressing mix
1 C shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
12 slices firm white bread
1/4 C red bell pepper strips
1/4 C green bell pepper strips

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler to low. Combine mayonnaise and salad dressing mix in medium bowl. Add cheese; mix well.
2. Cut bread slices into Christmas tree shapes using large cookie cutter. Spread each tree with about 1 T mayonnaise mixture. Decorate with red and green bell pepper strips. Place on baking sheet.
3. Broil 4 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbling. Serve warm. Makes about 12 appetizers.

A Little Bit of This, and a Little Bit of That

OK, so I'm not quite finished decorating the house. Yes, yes, I hear you all gasping with shock and surprise. I'm just taking my time, being more methodical about it all, blah blah blah...whatever, it's just not finished. But the above picture, as poor quality as it is, is just a little taste of what's coming. Isn't it lovely? I did something a little different with the table this year. In years past I have put this long strand of garland with poinsettias, glitter, greenery and berries down the middle of the table. My men hate it. So, I tried something new and I like it. Go, me!

Angie and I had a great time yesterday and actually ran into another friend, Kris, the one I quoted yesterday about hump day, and had lunch with her, too! Isn't that funny? Anyway, Angie and I bought all the stuff for our wreaths, so cross your fingers that they turn out well. I think they will. The power of positive confession and all that...my pastor would be so proud if he read that statement!

On a less happy note, there's a lot of CYBER drama going on at Riley's high school. I won't go into any details, but it makes moms like me nervous for their children, even though Riley isn't involved at any level. It's too bad teenagers' hormones kick in BEFORE their ability to understand CONSEQUENCES does, huh? Geez...God, help the poor teenagers...

And, speaking of teenagers, our community parade is tonight, which I'll be attending with my Charlotte and my Katie. Riley's band is marching and it's supposed to be a "lighted parade." I have no idea what that means, but since it's happening after dark, I'd say lights are a good idea.

My take: This is a little on the short side today, but, you know, LOTS TO DO! See you tomorrow for a holiday recipe and hopefully pictures of a fully decorated house! Happy Thursday...there's not a littly rhyme about Thursday that I know of...sorry to disappoint...

Oooohhhh, We're Half-Way There...

Do you remember that song? Bon Jovi? I love that song! This children's camp that we used to go to would take the kids on a train ride the last night and would play that song. Good times...great song...and, who knew Jon Bon Jovi was so hot underneath all that hair?

Well, here's an update: after feeling completely AWFUL yesterday - headache and, yes FOOT PAIN...geez - I am proud to say that all the fall decorations are packed and the house is about half-way decorated for Christmas. Minus the "main" Christmas tree and who knows when we'll do that since Riley has a research paper due next week and we have something every night this week after last night. And, I spent last night sitting on the couch watching my husband sleep...even snore. Yay, me.

So, I finally turned on "A Christmas Carol: The Musical." I love that version of the Christmas Carol. I guess it's because it's a musical and, you know me, I love music!! Anyway, having that on helped me to only be half-way mad (apparently "half-way" is big for me today) that Robert was asleep on the couch on our only night at home this week. I feel the chill of tax season in the air...

On today's agenda is going with Angie to Hobby Lobby and to lunch. Yay! She left me, you know, during Thanksgiving week, so we have to catch up AND we've both decided we want to make the wreaths you're seeing around town with the Christmas balls hanging from ribbon inside a window or picture frame. Yes, I'm going to try this. Not sure why. I mean, they're gorgeous, but we've all seen my painting...enough said.

Then, I'm going to come home and work more on the house. Hopefully by tomorrow I will have pictures, so make sure you come back tomorrow. By the way, the picture I've posted the last 2 days is from Riley's All-Region Jazz Band concert. Aren't we a beautiful little family? I think we are!

Happy Hump Day! As my friend Kris always says, "Hump Day! Hump Day! Let's get over the hump!"

Somewhere in the World, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I went to my first holiday party last night and it was a huge success.

It was the women's department's party at my church. We had it at one of our lady's house. Her house is absolutely gorgeous, not to mention her backyard, which is to die for. The party was really laid back and fun, my favorite combination in a party. I'd say a good time was had by all.

So, on today's agenda: working out, undecorating and redecorating.

First, we'll discuss working out. Uh, yeah, it's not going well, and here's why.

I have pampered this stupid foot of mine for the past couple of weeks, after having the shot of blazing flame and fire put into it. I'd like to pause here and say how DISAPPOINTING it is that my foot is still hurting after enduring the shot. That, my friends, should be against the law. I mean, if you're willing to go through all that agony, isn't it only fair that it should actually HELP? That's all I'm saying...

Anyway, back to the working out. My doctor said I absolutely could not run right now, so I haven't, but I asked him about the elliptical and the stationary bike and HE said after a couple of weeks, it should be fine. Then, why, may I ask, did my foot hurt worse than ever after doing the bike and elliptical yesterday? (Yes, I did both, but only 15 minutes on each...remember, the elliptical is my arch enemy.) I'm a little discouraged, OK? I mean, how am I supposed to be able to eat all that I want to eat during the holidays if I can't work out? It's just going to mess everything up! Well, today is weights day, so maybe that will go better...

Moving on to the undecorating and redecorating. Here's the thing: I love decorating! It's so fun and you feel such a sense of accomplishment when you look at your home and it's so beautiful and festive, right? Yes, but here's another thing: I hate undecorating. It drives me crazy just thinking about it. It's so boring and I can never remember how everything was packed and there's always some box that is missing. Yuck.

But here's the problem, and there's no getting around it: you can't have harvest AND Christmas decorations up at the same time. This, I have been told. So, somewhere I have to muster up the courage and strength to take everything down so I can shout "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" to the world...even though it was 75 degrees at our Christmas party last night and we were all sweating since we had a fire in the fire bowl and were wearing sweaters and scarves. It's kind of like living in a magical world of make-believe, is it not?

My take: It would be so nice about now if I could twinkle my nose like Samantha did on Bewitched and all my harvest decorations would be gone. Magical world of make-believe!

A Week Off the Grid

So, I'll bet you guys think I've been carried off by the Turkey of Thanksgivings Past, huh? Well, here's what really happened...

I got up early Tuesday to get Riley off with his grandparents to Austin. Then, settled in with a cup of coffee to do my post - my normal routine. However, Blogger was apparently having issues and I could never get on. So, after about an hour, I just gave up.

Then, I cooked most of the day on Wednesday with my mom, we had an awesome time, and the rest of the week is kind of a blur. But, hey, it's the holidays, right? So, please forgive me for appearing to drop off the face of the earth...

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was amazingly good! We, along with my parents, spent Thanksgiving Day with my in-laws and 3 of Robert's sisters and families. We had so much food, you would have thought we were a 5 star buffet. But, hey, who's complaining? Not me!!

Then, we spent the rest of the day visiting, playing games and planning our Black Friday shopping strategy. Yes, I'm one of THOSE people. My bonus daughter and daughter-in-law talked me into going Black Friday shopping 2 years ago and I was hooked. So, this year I talked my mom, MeMe, into going with us. She may never be the same, poor girl.

We went to Target at 9:00 and got there about 5 minutes before they opened the doors. Mom decided she'd push the cart, her with her eyes as big as saucers. We shopped for around an hour, then headed to the check-out line, which, of course, was wrapped all the way around beauty, pharmacy and grocery. MeMe decided to call Robert and ask him to come get her. And, thus concludes her Black Friday shopping debut.

My sisters-in-law and nieces and I continued on to Kohls and Macys after hitting Target and finally made it back to my in-laws' house around 3. I really did get some good deals, though, and have made a definite dent in my Christmas shopping. Definite dent, definite dent...

Then, Riley got home on Saturday, oh joy, oh happy day! I miss that guy when he's gone. He had a good time, too, and got to see some of the sisters-in-law before they left on Sunday. He DID NOT eat Thanksgiving Dinner at HOOTERS like I thought he said he was going to do, either. He had actually said HOOVERS, but I thought he'd said HOOTERS and had a small fit before I was coherent enough to realize he was shaking me, saying, "HOOVERS, MOM, HOOVERS!" Oh, well, that's altogether different. Anyway, I guess his dad wanted to avoid the whole issue and they went to The Austin Club instead. Good call...

Also, Robert and I went to see Lincoln last Wednesday night. It was a fantastic movie! It reminds me that Lincoln might be my favorite president. If you haven't seen it, GO. That's an order. OK, not an order, but a strong suggestion.

Anyway, we are back on somewhat of a regular schedule, with Robert back at work and Riley back at school for 3 more weeks.

My take: The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are NEVER normal, however, so I better get with it. The whole holiday depends on it, know what I mean? Well, that might be a slight exaggeration, but sometimes I feel like it does!

Return of the Mötley Crew

So, today's post is about Riley. I'm posting a little later because I didn't get much sleep last night.

First of all, Riley made the all-region jazz band and his concert was last Thursday night. It was amazing! As Riley said, it was all "legit" music, very difficult, and the band performed very well. Their clinician, Bobby Guess, was great, took the all-guy band through kind of a history of jazz through the pieces he chose for them to play. He also spoke at length with them about being able to play jazz their entire lives, despite the careers they chose. It was great.

Riley will be going to Austin tomorrow for the rest of Thanksgiving break, so he wanted to have "the Bros" over again. So, we did. I cooked his favorite meal, made a few snacks, and they've had a great time. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 3:00am and realized they were all mostly asleep, except Zach, who was still hungry. Anyway, I went on to bed, and guess what? The house is still standing!

My take: I am so thankful that Riley has such great friends! I'm very proud of him and the choices he's making so far in so many areas. And all I have to say is, Thank God! This parenting thing is hard...

Fun Friday: Concerts, Movies, Pictures and Thanksgiving Edition

Well, this post may be late, but, as you can see, there's a lot going on in my life right now.

First of all, I made the symphony chorus, YAY!! It's been a long time since I've been a part of a classical music group, and, since I spent four years of my young adult life engrossed in it, I kinda miss it. So, I'm excited. Plus, we're going to perform one of my all-time favorite classical works, Carmina Burana, by Carol Orff. Yeah, it's awesome...

Secondly, here are the promised pictures.

I'll start with the painting that I told you all I had to paint. It's OK for a strictly no-talent individual like myself.

Next, we have some pictures of the hotel and its surroundings.

First, there's the Main Broadmoor hotel building. Beautiful, is it not?

Next, we have The Broadmoor West, where we stayed. Lovely, yes?

Then, I'll share just some outdoors pictures of the lake between the buildings, the mountains, etc. Just breathtaking...

And, last but definitely not least, here's the wonderful spa. Heaven!

And, there are my promised pictures! I hope they were worth the wait, I'm no photographer...

So, for Fun Friday, I'm SO EXCITED!!! I'm going to see Breaking Dawn, Part 2, with my former teaching partner/good friend!!! Yes, I'm a Twilight fan, it's just the romantic in me, I guess, seeing as how I'm not a fan of blood. But, Erin and I read the books tegether and have seen the movies together, so tonight is something I've really been looking forward to: a girly movie with a great friend. You can't go wrong!!

Finally, for this week's recipe, I've chosen a famiy Thanksgiving favorite: Cranberry Jello Salad. This was my grandma's recipe. Some of you may already have a similar recipe, but everybody loves this dish, even your picky kids, so if you need a good Thanksgiving recipe, try this one out. Have a great weekend, see you on Monday!

Cranberry Jello Salad

Ingredients:
1 lg. package red jello
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 sm can crushed pineapple, drained
2 medium bananas, mashed
2 C chopped nuts, optional
8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
milk

Directions:
1. Mix jello with only 2 C boiling water. Stir well til dissolved, then refrigerate for 10 minutes. Save 1 Tbsp liquid in container
2. Add cranberry sauce, mix well, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Mix pineapple, bananas and nuts together and add to chilled jello mixture, then pour in glass casserole dish. Refrigerate until set.
4. Add the leftover tablespoon of liquid to cream cheese, then add just a little milk to make mixture spreadable
5. Spread over top of salad. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Back to Life, Back to Reality...

Well, we're home. And, honey, it was no small feat getting here.

I'll spare you the painful details, but our flight that was supposed to take off at 8:20am finally took off at around 1:45pm. For those of you, like me, who are a little slow with math, that's about 5.5 hours later than planned. And guess what? We didn't even get a bag of pretzels or peanuts for all of our trouble. Nope. What is this world coming to?

Then, the pilot proceeds to come on the PA system, while we're all strapped in, about to take off, and tells us how long and hard it was to repair our plane. Huh? What is that all about? Note to United Airlines: correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think calm passengers make for the more peaceful plane rides. I'm just sayin'...

On Friday I'm going to upload some breathtaking photos from my trip, but for now, just rejoice and be glad, with me, that I am home! I'm tired, people...

Plus, tomorrow is my audition for the symphony chorus. And, just In time, I went to 0% humidity Colorado and my nasal passages are so dry that I feel like I've had cotton stuck up my nose for 3 days. Yay, me.

If you're noticing a tiny bit of extra sarcasm tonight...people, I'm tired.

My take: I'm going to bed. Tune in Friday for a new recipe, beautiful pictures and a much more me version of myself. Or something like that except that makes more sense. I'm tired, people.

Alas, All Good Things Must Come to an End

Well, we're headed home...

Yep, it's just after 6:00am and I'm sitting on a shuttle, going to the airport, so I'm gonna make this quick...I get car sick, you know...

So, last night was really fun. Robert and his firm got their awards, yay, the food was amazing, Baked Alaska for dessert, and the after band was maybe the best we've heard at this event. In following the theme, they started playing swing music, not many true swing dancers present, however, so they shifted into typical oldies dance music and everyone thronged to the dance floor! Pretty fun...

So, it's been a great trip. See you tomorrow, Texas side!

Breakfast of Royalty

So, I've decided that I'm going to live at The Broadmoor. I mean, why not?

The people are so nice here and treat you like you're royalty from another country...I never get that at home...the scenery is just breathtaking, deer walking all around, ducks on the lake, snow covered mountains as the backdrop. And the room, gorgeous! So, why wouldn't I stay? OK, I'd miss Riley. Probably. OK, I would.

Just finishing up a buffet breakfast here, maybe the best ever! Made-to-order omelets, every type of pastry you could ask for, thick, crispy bacon, even this bread pudding that melts in your mouth. AND, my personal favorite: cheese biscuits covered in sausage gravy. Now, the biscuits are great, bit the gravy-well, let's just say I could eat the gravy by itself, from a bowl, like soup. Uh-huh, I really could...so, yep, I'm having fun and eating well, which is a big part of fun for me.

I've been trying to upload pictures unsuccessfully, but I'll upload them on Thursday...if I go home.

Tonight is our formal event. Robert will be in his tux and I'll be in a ball gown. It's an awards thing with a live band afterwards, lots of fun.

My take: I love The Broadmoor! Did I mention I might just live here?

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Coming to you LIVE from the distinguished Broadmoor Hotel in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado. And, people, it's cold.

No, seriously, the high yesterday was somewhere around 25 - Fahrenheit, not Celsius. When we walked back to our room last night, the Broadmoor grounds are quite extensive, different buildings for different events, my face was actually hurting from the wind. Now, that's cold.

Anyway, we are having a great time so far. This is the company's 20th anniversary, so the theme is "The Great Gatsby" and "The Roaring 20's." After our speaker, which was a retired military man turned VERY motivational speaker, we went to dinner where all the ladies were given feather boas, longs strands of pearls, and headbands with flowers standing up on them, while the men were given gangster hats. Robert looked so cute as a gangster...heh, heh...yeah...

In just a few minutes I'll be leaving with "the spouses" - this company always plans things for the spouses to do while the financial advisors are in their meetings during the day. Most of the ones I've been on are super fun. Today, will be a challenge, however. Today, they are going to want to teach me how to paint a picture.

Something you may not know about me yet, is that I have NO artistic ability. None. Na da. Zip. When I signed up to go on this little excursion, I missed the part about the painting. The only part I saw was the part about shopping, lunch and cocktails, and I thought that was right up my alley. So, last night I notice the painting part. And, I'm immediately distressed.

My husband says, "Babe, you'll be fine. It's just for fun." Uh-huh. Dude, it's never just for fun. I love women, I really do, but you and I both know how women are: everything is a competition. I'm just praying I can sit in the back.

My take: At the least the shopping and lunch are first, which should give me some momentum. And the cocktails should help

Fun Friday: Cultural Edition

Well, I'm sure you're all wondering about my doctor's appointment yesterday. And, I'm going to tell you about it. But not today. Because I might burst into tears if I try to tell you about it today. People, it was traumatic...

On a happier note, guess what WE'RE doing for Fun Friday this week??? If you're struggling, check out the above picture. Yep, that's right! We're going to Houston tonight to see Les Miserables!!! Robert surprised us, well, it's really all for Riley, who's never seen it, and got us tickets. Riley and I are both drooling, we're so excited! I've seen it twice before, but it is my all-time favorite musical...and, that is a long, distinguished list, by the way, because I love musicals!! Another favorite is The Sound of Music. But, I regress...

So, we're leaving early enough, all dressed up in our best duds, to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Pappasito's, then head to Hobby Center for the performance. Yay!!!

My take: a little culture in cow-town is a good thing! I spent 4 years of my life in the music department at Lamar University surrounded by fantastic musicians, going to and performing in concerts and the truth is, I really miss it. So much, in fact, that I'm trying out for Sympony of Southeast Texas Chorus next week...hope I make it...

Anyway, I hope you have a great weekend. I am leaving Sunday for beautiful and COLD (yay!) Colorado Springs, Colorado with Robert for a conference, but I'm going to take my iPAD and will hopefully be able to post. Meanwhile, check out this week's recipe. It's one of my favorite desserts because it's SUPER easy and EVERYONE raves about it. It's called Dump Cake because you just dump all the ingredients in and bake. Enjoy!

Dump Cake

Ingredients:
1 can pineapple chunks
1 can cherry pie filling
yellow or white cake mix (I prefer yellow)
1 stick butter
chopped pecans, optional

Directions:
1. Dump pineapple chunks, WITH JUICE, into 9x12 baking dish, spreading over entire bottom of dish
2. Dump cherry pie filling on top of pineapple chunks
3. Dump cake mix over fruit, covering
4. Cut butter into small pats and spread over cake mix
5. Sprinkle pecan pieces, if desired
6. Bake at 350 degrees for abou 45 minutes or until browned on top and bubbly

A New Doctor: oh Happy Day

So, I'm going to the doctor today. Yep. Going to the doctor. I can hardly wait...OK, that might be a slight exaggeration...

If you have been reading my blog for very long, you know I'm having an issue with my right foot. (OK, I just have to stop here and say that when I first typed that last sentence, I typed "root fight" instead of "right foot!" Ha, the things I do before I've completed my cup of coffee!)

The truth is, my foot is extremely painful. I can barely walk. I'm trying to walk on the ball of my right foot and just not even put my heel down because of the pain. You know what I look like? I look like one of those mythical creatures whose body is too big for his goat legs, so he sways back and forth and does a little hop when he walks. Uh-huh, that would be me. And, honey, that ain't the look I'm going for...

I'm going to see a new podiatrist, one that my mom, who is 71 goes to. I mention my mom's age because she is probably younger than the average patient's age in a podatrist's waiting room. Podiatrists and retina specialists, yeah, mostly for the elderly. And, just as I have to go to a podiatrist, Riley has to go to a retina specialist yearly due to an injury he sustained a few year ago. It's a good thing we are fans of old people.

Anyway, my mom really likes this doctor and he is the son of some friends of ours, which is a big thing for Robert. He is a huge fan of "supporting friends' businesses," which usually translates into his clients. He always wants to purchase things at the stores where "so-and-so owns that store, he is the son-in-law of a cousin of a brother-in-law of a niece of a client of mine." Uh-huh. I usually don't argue because I usually don't even understand what he is saying. I'm fine with shopping at clients' establishments most of the time. It's the part where he wants to wait until "said establishment" (see long list of relatives above) has a sale. Yeah, and that may never happen. And, that's just what my husband is hoping for. Probably. Although I should tread carefully here, hence my new refrigerator and dish washer. Love you, Babe!

So back to the doctor, first of all, he looks like he's about...12. Now, we've all seen the show "Doogie Houser, MD," but really, it's a little discouraging to me when I realize that this doctor doesn't even know most of my favorite 80's music, BECAUSE HE WASN'T EVEN BORN YET!

But, my mom says he's very personable and funny and that I'll like him. Let's hope so, because I hate trying new doctors. The thing is, I am a Google enthusiast. I have Googled this foot pain probably 20 times and I have narrowed it down to about 2-3 possible diagnoses. Yes, me with no medical degree. I'm so bad that my family doctor, who has treated me for 20+ years, usually ends our appointments with "I know you're going to Google this, so let me give you the correct spelling." See? An enthusiast, I am. The thing with new doctors is how long do I have to wait to interject my thoughts from Google? What if he doesn't mention one of said 2-3 diagnoses I have come up with on my own? It's very tricky with new doctors, you see. I mean, you want to put your best foot forward and not be blacklisted on the first visit, but, seriously, who has time to play?

My take: I have to wear heels next Tuesday night in Colorado Springs at a formal event - we need to get this show on the road! The above picture is from last year's event. We clean up pretty good, right?

All Done

Before you freak out, this picture has nothing to do with the election, but rather...

I FINISHED MY WRITING PROJECT!!!!!

I am so happy, I am so happy, I am so happy!!!! Whew, that was work. Anyway, it's done, so today is my day OFF! I think I'm going to watch Hallmark Movie Channel all day and flip through holiday magazines. And maybe even listen to some Christmas music! Oh, yes, Christmas music!

I tried to warn you guys, I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!!! I've already bought 2 Christmas tins, so cute with little wire handles, Christmas candy and a Santa hat with leopard fur trim where the white usually is. I showed it off to my men, here at home, and they looked at each other with their, "Here we go" look. But, I don't care. I. LOVE. CHRISTMAS. There, I do, I love it!

My take on the election: I'm sure some of you want me to comment on the election results, so here it is: first of all, I didn't watch one minute of the election stuff last night. All election results, no matter who wins or who is even running make me nuts - angry, worried, dismayed, discouraged, disturbed and all kinds of other "dis" words. Secondly, I heard this comment on the radiio this morning and I think it's super: now I know who to pray for. And, that's what I'm going to do, and I'm going to do it with as little cynicism as possible. That's all I can do. So, enough said about that. Happy Hump Day!!

And Then There Were Three

OK, real quick: it's Election Day. If you haven't voted, uh, not sure why you wouldn't have already voted, but, hey, vote today. I'm serious, finish your coffee and go vote.

Thank you for that word from our sponsor, now on to our regularly scheduled post.

I have 3, count them, 3 passages left to write. 3. And, all 20 of them are due today. But, I do have 3 left to write. 3. left. to. write.

Here's the thing about writing: sometimes it's this organic thing that just pours out, you know? It's so awesome. There are times when I think, hey, I can really do this.

Then, there are other days. And, today comes to mind when thinking about these other days, when my brain actually aches from trying so hard to think of something to say. About anything. Even now, I'm thinking. And,...nothin'.

Now, before you give me that motherly look and tell me that it's OK, I can just quit my career in writing, I have so many other talents, like running the computer at church on Sundays, I am not quitting! I'm just....so tired of writing. And since I have 3 passages left to write, I'm stressed. Because I'm so tired. Because I'm so stressed. Somebody help. Thus, the above picture.

Here's the thing: it's hard to come up with 20 passages in 21 days, do you hear me? It's brutal, man. 10 of the passages had to be non-fiction, which was actually much easier than the fiction ones have been. I mean, it takes a long time for an author to come up with 1 really good, creative story. Try 10.

I have sat at the computer most of the last week and a half. When I stand up now, I feel dizzy. My neck has what I am sure is going to be a PERMANENT crick in it from hunching over. Get the picture? I'm tired people, OK!

My take: I'd love to sit here and continue to chat, but I HAVE 3 PASSAGES LEFT TO WRITE!

Weekend, oh Blessed Weekend

This weekend was just great. No really, no sarcasm there.

On Friday night, we went to the football game...blah, blah, got cremated, blah, blah, the band was great...same song, 10th verse...or something like 10th.

Then on Saturday, Riley had a hair cut appointment, then we went to lunch together, just the two of us. It was so nice. Apparently, he really does still like me. At least sometimes. When I let him pick the restaurant and pay. Ain't parenting grand?

Then we went home for a while, relaxed, I wrote a little, then I took him to the high school to get ready for their marching contest Saturday evening. And I went to watch one of my good friend"s Angie, sons play football. Wow!

So, I think these kids are 5th and 6th graders and all I can say is, we sure could've used them on varsity this year! The game was awesome! I yelled more at their game than I did at all our varsity games put together. Anyway, the game was the semi-finals, and they won so they play in the Super Bowl (HELLO!) next weekend. Shawn, Angie's husband, who is a nut, said they were going to get Super Bowl Ring Pops if they win. Ha! Hey, I wouldn't mind a Super Bowl Ring Pop.

Then, this is the part I'm most proud of: I drove all the way to McNeese State University, in the dark, by myself, and I didn't get lost!

Something you may not know about me yet, is that I have virtually NO sense of direction. None. Na da. Truly, Riley's sense of direction has been better than mine since he was in Kindergarten. And, I have trouble with maps. Once, I was in Dallas with a friend and I read the map upside down the entire time. We never found the hotel we were looking for.

However, I got map quest diections, pulled it up on the GPS on my phone AND got directions from Angie, who is from Lake Charles, and I made it!!!! Go me, go me...

So, the marching competition was the last one for this marching season and the band did amazing! All ones again! But something funny happened this time. The band got on the field and warmed up, then walked to their starting positions. The announcer announced the band, the drum majors did their salute, and the announcer said the usual, "Drum majors, is your band ready to take the field?" That's when we noticed half of the band's pit was missing.

If you're not a band person, first of all you're missing out, but you may not know what the pit is. It's the percussion instruments and auxillary stuff that is used on the sidleines, and the players don't march. Also, the drum majors podiums are there, too. Normally, anyway, but not Saturday night.

So, Mr. B., the band director, motions to the judges and everybody just stands there waiting. All I can think about is, "God, please don't let this be anyone in the band's fault, because life as they have known it will be over." Mr. B. just walked around on the field, encouraging the kids to relax, then finally here comes the trailer down the hill with the stuff. Everybody in the stands started clapping. I'm not sure if they were clapping because they found the stuff or because after all these years, we realized that you really can load a vehicle down like the Beverly Hillbillies did and it really will drive. Of course, the fishtailing almost threw the xylophone off, but not quite.

Anyway, some bands would've been totally freaked out by this little "hiccup," as Mr. B. called it later, but not our band. Nope, they went on to give a fantastic performance and, like I mentioned, received ones in everything from all the judges!!! I am so proud!!

My take: I love weekends! I love going out to support young people, cheering them on to be the best they can be in whatever talents God has given them. They're the future you know, and, again, I say the future looks bright!

Oh, yeah! How about that extra hour of sleep? Loved that!

Fun Friday: Last Home Game of the Season Edition

Well, I still can't get the Snake Pit video to load. Dang. Murphy's Law and all that.

Oh, well, sorry. You can go to YouTube and search "Snake Pit" and you should be able to find it.

So. Tonight is the last home football game of the season. Can I get a HALLELUJAH!! No offense, but really? I'm going to see better football tomorrow night when I go see my friend's 10-year-old son's play-off game. And, I'm not kidding.

The season has just been brutal. However, it is ending, and for that I'm thankful. But, not before we are SLAUGHTERED by the 1st place team in the district. Can't I just walk barefooted over hot coals or something?

I did want to give a shout-out to one of my son's friends, Kaleb, a sophomore, who just got moved up to the varsity team for his high school. Their record isn't much better than ours and Kaleb is a great player and will help them tremendously. Go, Kaleb!

So, lots to do today, but not so much that I can't share a recipe with you. I made this recipe Tuesday night and it's so yummy! It has shrimp in it, so if you're allergic to shrimp or shellfish, this one won't be for you...and, frankly, how have you survived...but anyway, here it is! Have a great Friday - think of me in the pit of my despair tonight. It's OK, it's a shallow pit.

Shrimp Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter
1.5 C chopped onion
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 lbs. uncooked shrimp
1/4 C parsley
1/4 C pimentos
1 can, cream of mushroom soup
3 C cooked rice

Directions:

1. Saute onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic in butter over medium heat for 15 minutes.
2. Add shrimp, parsley, pimento and soup. Cook for 5minutes.
3. Add cooked rice and mix thoroughly.
4. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, covered.

The Day After...

Our Halloween night was spectacular, just ask the tootsie roll.

Our fall festival was a major success! Lots of people from the neighborhood came and I think everyone had a great time.

I worked the sack race for an hour. We had some intense races. Some were scarier than others, like when our pastor raced against one of the youth...

...and, that is Riley in the background there. He felt the need to commentate the event. I hope PB can walk today...

Speaking of walking, I wanted to let you all know that I've become an invalid. Seriously, I can barely put weight on my right foot. And, you know, that's just what I need right now. I guess I'm going to have to go to the doctor. Dang...

Whoa, how did I get off on that subject? Anyway, back to the festival. I am sorry to say that I didn't win my ginger pumpkin cupcakes. But, no worries, I did eat one and yes, that were scrumptious. I ate a few pieces of candy, AND I will confess that I ate a hot dog AND frito pie. I decided, after all, it was Halloween, so what I didn't eat in candy I made up for in grease. Celebrate good times, c'mon!

On today's agenda: trying to finish my writing work while recuperating from all the fun. It was very foggy this morning when I took Riley to school...reminded me of my brain.

Hope you guys had as much fun as we did!