The good ole days...

Wanna hear something really funny?

I have a monthly women's bible study group that I am very involved with- these are my closest dearest friends. I share my life dreams, sorrows, joys and concerns...sometimes my biggest fears or secrets. One of the girls lives really close to me in the country- about 5 miles and we have really bonded this past year.
She started inviting her sister-in-law, AJ, to join us and I have really gotten to know her in the last 6 months or so.

At last week's meeting we had our yearly Christmas party and we were being silly and goofy. In the middle of a conversation (very meaningful and important, I am quite certain) I blurted out- AJ, where are you from? She says Jackson. I said- me too! What part?

She says South Jackson. I said- me too! I went to school at 'WES' and my brother graduated 'WHS' and my sister went to 'PJHS'. AJ said- yep, I know all of those places, went there too.

I said- I only did 1st and 2nd grade there and then we moved but I remember it like yesterday. My first boyfriend was Scotty Petty. I will never forget him. AJ said- ha! My first boyfriend was Scotty Petty but he was 2 yrs younger than me and I taught him how to kiss!

How crazy is that? I didn't know her then, I don't think. We are gonna try to look ourselves up in a yearbook and drive up and visit the old school. But we went to school together, at the same time... she was just 2 grades ahead of me. And a year or two after I moved she taught my boyfriend how to kiss. I never did get over that boy. Shew. He was a cutie.

This Year

And here is the photo of her this year at Thanksgiving.
Boy has she grown. But she is silly as ever.

She jumps on command and I got her mid-air!

We went on a train ride to Alabama, we did a 6 hour ride in about 8. On the way home it was longer. It was our first adventure on the train with Madison. We decided we would splurge for the sleeper car next time. When we got on the train to come home, it was very very hot. Apparently there had been an electrical problem before we got on and there was no air. So we hung around the lounge car all day next to the smelly restrooms, drunk men and cranky passengers.I am here to tell ya- it was definitely an adventure!

We stayed at a B&B in Alabama and it was wonderful.
http://www.thevictoria.com/
No one had to cook, no one had to clean and everyone relaxed and had a peaceful, relaxing holiday.

We spent one day in Anniston's down town area shopping and eating. I give it 2 thumbs up!

ERROR

I have been trying since last Sat to post!!!

There are errors everywhere... so hopefully I will get to post again soon.

Last Year/This Year

I want to start a new little something called Last Year/This Year. I will post a photo of GBK from last year at this time and a photo of her at this time.

We will start with last year.

Please give a warm round of applause to...

http://www.thepier.blogs.com/



He is my pastor, minister, friend... yet none of the above.

He used to be my pastor until he moved on to a new job... he is really my husband's friend. I don't care for him much. I just let him baptize my child.

Actually, he is funny and smart- he thinks he is SuperMan and somedays we wonder if maybe he really is under those glasses of his...

so check him out, leave a few comments, tell him I sent ya and I promise that I will post something interesting sometime soon.

What are your T-Day plans?

We are starting a new family tradition this year. I will tell you about it after it happens.

~RM

I am in love with the bug killin' man

Do you know how long it has been since I have been given excellent customer service from a service company?

A long time.

A week or so ago, we heard a critter in the attic.
A few days later, I discovered mouse droppings. EEEEEK!!!

I immediately called the pest control company in town and begged them to send someone right away. They promised to come the next day. HOORAY!

The man showed up 15 minutes *early*. I can't remember the last time someone showed up on time, much less early!

He sprayed my whole house, as well as the perimeter. He got poison in the house to get rid of the rodents...

and all quickly and with a very good attitude.. nicest man ever.

And then he looked up and saw the dead love bugs that I had not gotten out of the cathedral ceiling in the foyer- I mean, I had no way to get them down without a leaf blower or hose!

So with a quick one, two, three he ran to his truck, grabbed his cobweb duster extender thingie and in 5 minutes flat had it completely cleaned up. Wow. That is what I call customer service!!

He didn't act like we were a bother or like he was in a rush to get to the next house or anything. In fact, he was going to lunch after our house and didn't act like he was gonna die of hunger if he didn't get out of our house immediately.

This is why we moved to the country. We wanted a more laid back way of life. We were killing ourselves in the city. And everyone around us was always in a huge hurry.

I hope that I never get stuck in that rut again.

Thank you bug man for the reminder.

GBK and I have the stuffy nose- sinus yuckiness. At least we have been able to sleep. We are still putting up Christmas decorations... yes, we are insane. It is the never-ending project. And I keep finding cheap little trees and decorations that I just can't live without! So here is a photo of GBK helping me string balls. She is a little OCD about lining them up in a row on one section only.

~RM

Toot toot! All aboard!

I couldn't choose just one... we went to Meridian's soule museum and train museum last weekend for a family outing.

Picture one: GBK is on the phone with (??) NoOne telling him/her all about the band-aid she had to put on Daddy's bo-bo that very morning. They are hanging out in the waiting area at the old train depot.

Picture two: GBK and I are testing out the train simulator. I am honking the horn (boy, was it loud) but GBK thinks that she is doing it.

Picture three: the train conductor gave GBK a paper hat that is supposed to make her look like the conductor or engineer or whatever (I don't know technical train terms). She looks more like an armored guard. She wore it this way for a good five minutes, keeping us laughing.

Isn't she the cutest?

~RM

Costume Number 2

She found our friends' M&M container. They ended up giving her the entire container to take home! She is showing us the different colors she found.

Yes, I have been tagged...

Yes, I have been tagged...
by two people! I am feeling so loved.

So thank you Rebekah and Sunday School Rebel.

The assignment: name five foods, dishes or otherwise, that were part of your childhood, that you sometimes miss when nostalgia gets to you...


(drummer drumming...)

Number 5:
spiessbraten-- this is a German dish that my Dad learned from his brother. Basically, they tie up a piece of beef or pork and slow cook it on a spit over an open fire. It is so good. And even better cold the next day. I used to wrap leftovers in aluminum foil and carry it in a brown paper sack for school lunch.

Number 4:
cinnamon toast
My brother (10 yrs older than I) taught me this one. Mix cinnamon and white sugar. Toast your bread. Slather with butter and sprinkle the sugar mixture on top. Fold bread and stuff half in your mouth as butter drips all over your face. If any sugar falls off in the meantime, simply sprinkle more on top.

Number 3:
nerds cereal- grape and strawberry. Back in the 80s, Nerds candy was all the rage. I loved strawberry and grape and was excited to find their cereal version at our local grocery store- Jitney Jungle. They packaged it in two separate bags- so each box contained 2 flavors. Every morning before school for at least a year or two, I ate a bowl of grape followed by a bowl of strawberry. I never liked to mix the two. Talk about sugar rush!

Number 2:
sweet potato casserole- My Granny's version. We would go to my grandparents' place in NC every year for Thanksgiving. And my Granny made the best sweet potato casserole. I will post the recipe at the bottom in case you want to try it this year at Thanksgiving.


And Number 1:
mac n cheese out of a box- it has to be the Kraft Cheese and Macaroni kind. Some nights when I am really down and depressed (which hasn't been in a while) I can eat the whole box by myself. No wonder I gained so much weight after my divorce- so many years ago. Geez.

My Granny used to cook it and have it ready for us when we would visit her. Ya know, I am not too crazy about the made from scratch version of M & C... I mean, it is ok and I will certainly eat a good helping of it... but I am so in love with the box dinner that that is what I always cook.

My husband's favorite childhood food/meal was Mac n Cheese (my version) with a hamburger patty with a squirt of ketchup on the side. We used to make it quite often. We still have it at least once a month.




Sweet Potato Casserole(My Granny's recipe)
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 stick margarine (melted)
3 eggs, beaten
salt to taste (about 1/2 -1 teaspoon)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla flavoring (or a little more)
1 cup Angel flake coconut

Mix well, spread in a baking dish (personally, I don't like the coconut and I am allergic so I leave it out)


Topping
1 stick margarine, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Angel flake coconut
2 cups crushed corn flakes
chopped nuts, if desired (pecans are best)

Mix well and spread over sweet potato mixture

Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees