Memories

This painting was a gift for my mother in 1969 or 1970 . It was given to her by my brother, Stuart. I am the subject.

The story behind it goes like this....

There is a war in Vietnam. My brother, Stuart, is a soldier there. Mom sends letters and photos to him. His little sister is growing up and he's missing it so she sends a photo. Stuart has made friends with another soldier in Vietnam who happens to paint as a hobby. Stuart shows this friend the picture of his little sister and he paints it.

There's no artist signature on the painting. I don't know his name.

I don't remember when Mom got the painting. I do remember the photo that it was painted from but I haven't seen it in 30+ years. I remember the outfit I was wearing. A cream colored cardigan with brown flowers on it and brown velour trim. The matching shell was made of brown velour also.

I remember receiving letters from Stuart. Many of which were written in 3rd person and always mentioned that he was fighting the bad guys to make the world a safer place for me. So I could ride my bike and play outside with my friends. I have several of these letters.

We would make tape recordings to send to him. The tape player/recorder looked like an over-sized phone receiver. I thought Stuart could hear me so as Mom would play the tape we received from him, I would answer his questions and honestly thought we were having a conversation. He would always ask about my dog, Fritz and my horse, Kitty. I think Mom still has these recorders and probably some tapes.

There were many other gifts from Stuart during his tours in 'nam. Necklaces of pearl and jade for Mom, a silk doll for me (I'll have to post a picture of this later), and more. A wooden box would arrive with his APO on it and it was as if it was Christmas morning.

Thank you brother. For your gifts, your love and your service to our country all those years ago.

Vintage Linens

Last weekend we went to see my folks. Mom wanted help cleaning out her clothes closet. She also wanted the linen closets done but time didn't permit so it's on the list for the next trip.

I don't know how the subject came up but I happened to mention that I love vintage linens. She sent me home with these dishtowels.

Aren't they great? She thinks she bought them at a local bazaar years ago. Can you imagine the time that went into these? Not only are they embroidered...

...but they also have crocheted edging. No two are the same. Each crocheted edge is different, even on the same towel.

I love the colors. They're so cute that I'm even considering purchasing a coordinating fabric for a backing and making pillows out of them. I think they'd be darling in a guest room.

Menu Plan Monday #15

Another week gone by. They seem to keep going faster and faster. Last week was a very busy one for our family but this week appears to have fewer "extra" commitments. Here's what we have planned.

Monday - Mexican Chicken Penne, Sliced Apples

Tuesday - Tator Tot Casserole, Green Beans, Apricots

Wednesday - Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, Baby Carrots and Green Peppers w/Ranch Dip

Thursday - Grilled Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, Broccoli

Friday - Breakfast Burritos (eggs, sausage, cheese, onion), Hashbrowns

For more menu ideas, visit Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

A Night at the Theatre

Last night I took B2 and her friend, Bailey, to see Romeo & Juliet at the local university. This was a surprise for Bailey's birthday. She loved it; we all did. And, to top it off, these gals just finished reading the book as part of their English class. Talk about good timing.

Things that Go Bump in the Night

Wasn't that a children's book? Last night it is what was going on in our house rather than me enjoying the REM stage of sleep.

I was exhausted last night. Everyone was in bed and lights out by 9:40. I can't tell you how good my bed felt. I know I was sound asleep within a nano-second. So sound asleep that I didn't even hear the garage door when Lawman came home from work.

Then all that hard work to get to bed early went straight down the toilet.

3:30 Bump in the night ~ Kitty was distraught by another cat on our deck.

4:15 Bump in the night ~ Kitty found Lawman's exercise band and decided to get a little early morning workout in.

4:30 Bump in the night ~ Playtime. Kitty discovered a long, lost, noisy toy.

4:45 Another bump in the night ~ Kitty was pestering Lawman. Lawman hurled him from the bed and said, "We'll be having shish-ka-bobs for dinner tonight." How can he come up with such a funny at this hour? I got the giggles and couldn't hardly get settled down to go back to sleep.

5:15 Yet another bump in the night ~ Not only did kitty exercise but he had a tasty little rubberband snack. Anyone with a cat knows what this leads to.

5:30 Alarm sounds ~ hit snooze.

5:40 Alarm sounds ~ hit snooze. Repeat until 6:10 when I finally had to drag myself from bed.

Oil & Water

Some things just go together.

Bacon & Eggs

Toast & Jam

Popcorn & Movies

Baseball & Hotdogs

Oil & Water

Uh, no. Oil & Water don't mix. Somedays we don't either. Me and Blonde 2.

Today was one of those days and I feel terrible about it. We had a 'situation' this morning and I didn't handle it well (although let me just say that in my opinion there was no reason for a 'situation' to begin with).
This has lead me to question why it is that hormonal teenage girls have peri-menopausal mothers? Kind of like oil & water, huh?

B2, I'm sorry and I love you.
T H I S M U C H.

Our Spring Festival

Each spring our town hosts an annual festival in our city park. We went to the park late Saturday morning to check out the offerings this year. Here's just a small portion of what we found.

Lots of vendors...

Inflatables for the kiddos...

Henna Body Art...

Our old Dutch Mill where they still grind flour.

One of my personal favorites. Windchimes made from old silver pieces.

Another favorite...funnel cake and ice cold water. Mmm.

Menu Plan Monday #14

Oh my, where does the time go? Seems that last week just flew by. This week will go fast too as we have several out-of-the-ordinary things on our calendars--orthodontist appointments for both girls, doctor appointment, attending a play at the university on Thursday, and attending dinner with friends' on Friday or Saturday.

We stuck with our menu last week except for Thursday and Friday. It was fend-for-yourself on Thursday as everyone was headed in different directions and we had a surprise overnight guest on Friday. My brother was in town for the day and decided to spend the night with us and it just happened to be his birthday.

Here's the plan for this week. With all the extras on our schedule, I hope we can stick to it. Thanks to Laura for hosting MPM each week.

Monday - Honey Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry (carryover from last week)

Tuesday - Smokehouse Spuds (a baked potato topped with leftover pulled pork, shredded cheese, sour cream and bacon) with baked beans

Wednesday - Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad (grilled chicken, penne pasta, green leaf lettuce, parmesan cheese and diced tomatoes with classic caesar dressing)

Thursday - leftovers or sandwiches

Friday - dinner w/friends

Last week I had a few new dishes in my menu and I said I would share them with you if they were keepers. Here are our favorites:

Beef Taquitos - Everyone liked these. I'll definitely be making them again. The only change I made to the recipe was spraying the taquitos with cooking spray rather than brushing them with vegetable oil. They crisped quite nicely.

Italian Cheese Bread - Another one liked by everyone. I served this topped with a hot spinach dip. Even the kids ate it up.

It's a Rare Ocassion...

...that I find myself home alone. Yes, alone. Unless you count the cat.


Lawman is working. B2 and 3 are at a friend's house.


So, I've been contemplating what to do with myself after I finish this post. Here are a few of my options.


Clean closets - there's not a closet in this house that couldn't use a major overhaul.


Paint my toenails - it is almost sandal season.


Make my grocery list - the cupboards are getting a bit bare.


Note: I am no longer home by myself. B2 just walked in. See, it never lasts long. Probably all of 15 minutes tonight.


Now, here is what I really want to do - - READ. As it turns out, I've got some good reading material right now.


I got my new issue of Taste of Home's simple & delicious in the mail today. I got the latest issue of Kraft's Food & Family in the mail yesterday.


I've got 2 books from the library--Living a Beautiful Life and Creating a Beautiful Home by Alexandra Stoddard.


I've started reading this book because I saw that there's going to be a movie of it on Lifetime and I always like to read the books before I see the movie.


Well, given that I have so much reading to do, I better sign off here and start turning pages.

A Blast from the Past

Here it is folks. Straight from the 1986 archive file.

What was I thinking? Oh, the horror of the 80's fashion world.

Don't you just love that enormous metalic hair bow? It's bigger than my head!

And the frosty eye-shadow? Pleeease.

You can't see my feet, but I was sporting low, black, lace-up boots with scrunched socks.

So, I'm sure you're wondering how such a rare find has managed to appear. I know I am because I was sure I had buried all evidence of the 80's.

Well, my mother has decided it's time to divide all of her photos among us kids.

My lovely sister-in-law was the lucky recipient of this treasure (her daughter is the gal on the left in the grey sweatshirt). She, being the lovely sis-in-law, that she is thought she should share this treasure. You see, the little gal in the red dress celebrated her 22nd birthday yesterday.

Hey sis....please bury this treasure and don't make a map!

(Darn blogger....it's fouling up my line spacing)

Menu Plan Monday #13

This week Lawman has a different work schedule due to attending a 3-day class which means he will be at the dinner table with us every evening except Monday. This is quite a treat!

Thank you to Laura for hosting. Go here for more menu ideas.

Here's what we'll be eating...

Monday - Tuna patties, roasted potatoes, sauteed spinach

Tuesday - Oriental Chicken Legs (crockpot), rice, carrots and peas

Wednesday - Hamburger gravy* over mashed potatoes, green beans

Thursday - Tacquitos*, Cheese Grits*, salad

Friday - Honey Glazed Chicken Stir Fry* with rice and veggies



(*) indicates a new recipe. I'll provide a review of them next week with links if they're worthy.

"When a woman wants to get in your drawers, that's wrong."

The title is a quote from Lawman. Now let me explain as this is a family friendly site.

The drawers he's referring to is dresser drawers.

I asked Lawman if we could clean out his drawers (dresser, y'all!) because they won't shut. He hates it when I ask him about this. Although, I learned long ago not to attempt doing this for him as it got me into a bit of hot water. That's been years ago and I learned my lesson.

He obliged this afternoon but not without a bit of resistance and a request. He said, "Woman, if I'm doing this I need something from you." I wondered what this request would be. Turns out it was simple. A diet Coke. Easy enough.

So, after a long cool drink, he got right to work. And within no more than 15 minutes he had made his way through 5 drawers and he had a pile of items for elimiination. I got the trash bag and cleaned it up. What a feeling of accomplishment. I told Lawman that I was sure he would thank me for this because I would now be happy to put away his clean laundry.

Mommy Time

As parents, it doesn't take us long to figure out no two of our children are the same. They are different. And that is good. Different temperament, different interests, different likes, dislikes....and more. My two girls are no exception.

The oldest is very independent. Always has been. (Some would say she's like her mother.) She's content to be by herself. Now, that's not to say that she doesn't spend time with friends and family but she's perfectly happy if she's the only one around. She's happy to read a book, listen to music or find other ways to amuse herself. She has the ability to make herself laugh and smile. And I think it's wonderful. She can be her own best friend and that is a fabulous quality.

Our second is more like her father. She prefers to have someone close by. She can keep herself busy but only for a short while. And that's ok too. She is always more than happy to have some time with mommy. And that's ok with me for I know the years of having her at home are numbered and before long she'll have other things to fill her time with.

This girl and I have an evening ritual. We read together.


On a perfect day it's lights out for her at 9:30pm. So at 9:00 we settle into her bed with a good book and read for about 20 minutes. Currently we're reading this...

Nancy Drew was a very good friend of mine years ago. I spent many hours with her on adventures and it gives me great pleasure in sharing them with my daughter. (Oh, and this is something I did with my oldest daughter too.)

There's nothing better than sharing a good story and some quiet time together at the end of the day.

Big Girl Panties and Drama

We live near one of the elementary schools in our community. If you stand at the end of our street and look north you can see it. Literally. It's all of 2 blocks away.

When school starts each year all of the neighborhood kids walk to and from school together. It's new to them again. That lasts until the weather turns cooler and it's no longer fun to walk.

One day a couple of years ago I wasn't going to be able to meet Blonde 3 after school due to an appointment. It was a nice day and I told her she would need to walk home after school. B3's reaction was full of drama. And granted, with 2 girls in the house I should be used to it. Here's our conversation.

Me - I have an appointment this afternoon so I won't be able to pick you up from school. Go ahead and walk home from school and I'll meet you at the house.

B3 - Do I have to?

Me - Yes. It's a nice day.

B3 - I don't want to.

Me - Honey, I won't be back from my appointment in time to pick you up. I will meet you at home.

B3 - Can't you ask someone else to pick me up?

Me- No, you're going to have to put your big girl panties on and deal with it.

B3 - Panties are so over-rated.

Let me just say that I couldn't keep a straight face. I was in stitches and so was her big sister. Oh, the wit!

A Kind Complaint - What will it get you?

The kitchen trash needed emptying tonight. As I went to the box of trash bags under the sink to get a new one, I noticed that it was getting low so I thought I should add it to my shopping list. It also reminded me of a time a few years ago when Blonde 2 (who was 11 at the time) made her first complaint to a company's customer service department.

On that particular day, I asked Blonde 2 to take out the trash. She did so but found it to be difficult as the trash bag broke. What a mess! And this wasn't the first time it had happened to her.

Frustrated, she came to the kitchen after she got the mess cleaned up and voiced her opinion to me. I suggested that she might consider contacting the manufacturer about their product. Honestly, I didn't think she'd do it but she did (she is her mother's daughter). She found their website and emailed a complaint. Do you know what happened?

Several weeks passed and nothing. Then one day when we arrived home there was a box at the front door. We hadn't ordered anything so we had no idea what could be in the box. Much to our surprise it was a case, yes a case, of trash bags. That was 12 boxes! What a deal. It took us a very, very long time to go through those.

What's the best deal you've received after kindly filing a complaint with a company?

Menu Plan Monday #12

Today was shopping day and I had a plan in place. I created a list of 10 meals, pulled the recipes and then made my grocery list. I took Blonde 3 with me and even she commented on how quickly we made our way through the store. I told her that is what happens when I take the time before hand to get organized. The payoff is huge...less time spent shopping, less dollars expended and a well stocked pantry and fridge ready and waiting for mealtime. For more menu ideas, head on over to Laura's place. Thank you for hosting each Monday, Laura.

This week should be pretty normal for us if there is such a thing. The only out-of-the-ordinary item on the calendar is that Blonde 3 is having 2 teeth pulled on Thursday afternoon. I've taken that into account in planning the menu as I think she'll need someting softer to eat that evening.

Sunday - Fried Chicken Salad (our version of the salad at Applebee's)

Monday - Bratwurst on the grill, Potato Salad, Baked Beans

Tuesday - Oriental Lettuce Wraps, baby carrots with ranch dip, fresh fruit

Wednesday - 3-Packet Beef Roast in the crock pot (recipe follows), new potatoes, carrots

Thursday - Chicken Noodle Soup, Sandwiches

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Leaving this open as we're not sure of our evening plans.

3-Packet Roast

1 packet each Ranch salad dressing mix, Italian dressing mix, brown gravy mix

1 roast (beef or pork), about 3 pounds

1/2 c. water

Place roast in the crock pot and sprinkle packet mixes over it. Pour water over the roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. This shreds easily with 2 forks if you'd like to use it for sandwiches or add potatoes and carrots to the crock pot during cooking. (I found this in Live Your Life for Half the Price by Mary Hunt.)

Birthday Party Update and A Family Favorite

Aren't you lucky today? You get two posts for the price of one! Oh Lordy. It's going to be a good day.

First, here's an update on Blonde 2's party. F.U.N. That's it in a nutshell. 4 girls came over for dinner at 6:00 - - tacos, chips and dip. By 6:50 they were in swimsuits and ready to hit the pool. Off to the city (ok, that's an exaggeration but we had to go to the town next to ours to find an indoor pool in early April). Of course they had to pose for pictures in their bikinis. And, how cute they looked. When you're 15, thin and adorable, bikinis are the suit of choice.

At 9:00 they loaded up and we headed home for brownies and ice cream (B2's dessert of choice - - she is her mother's daughter), opening gifts and then a Guitar Hero showdown. Oh what fun they had and at 11:00, even the birthday girl said she was tired. So we all drifted off to the land of sweet dreams.

Today we'll be shopping. B2 got some birthday money and it's burning a hole in her pocket. Can you imagine?

Now, here's todays freebie....

I want to share with you a family favorite. Homemade pizza. It's taken me years to find our favorite pizza crust. I'm not a pan or deep dish pizza crust lover. Too much bread. (But I love bread. Why is it that I want a minimal portion of it with pizza?) I prefer a thin and crispy crust. That's because I like a crunch factor! Ask my family. They think it's nuts.

Anyway, I can't even begin to tell you how many different recipes I have tried for homemade crust. Nor can I tell you how many were good, bad or ugly. What I can tell you is what we have come to know as our f.a.v.o.r.i.t.e. And had it been something that I had tried earlier, I could have saved myself a lot of work. It's readily available on the grocery store shelf and has been for years. Years I tell ya.

That's right folks. A 33 cent box of Jiffy Pizza Crust mix! Can you believe it? All you add is water. How much simpler can it get?

Can you say yum-o? Mmmm. Good.

A Double-y Good Day

You see these two pretty gals? They happen to be two of my favorite people - - my niece, Marcy on the left and my lovely daughter, Blonde 2, on the right. They are two peas in a pod. They share a birthday; same day but 17 years apart. Tomorrow, April 4, they get to add another year to their age.

I was ten when Marcy was born. Her daddy is the youngest of my brothers. In the 70's they wouldn't allow 10 year olds to see babies in the hospital. Plus Marcy arrived about 6 weeks earlier than scheduled so she spent some extra time in the hospital. I remember asking my mother what the baby looked like though when she came home from visiting at the hospital. I remember it just like it was yesterday, "She's little and pink. Just like a rose bud."

Marcy and I have been fortunate to share not only an aunt/niece relationship but also a very close friendship. Unfortunately we don't get to spend as much time together as we'd like to but thank heavens for email! Marcy, I love you and I hope you have a fabulous day!

Blonde 2's arrival changed my life. She made me a mother. She had a lot of strawberry blond hair and it was very curly when wet. I've always called her My Sunshine because her smile was like a ray of sunshine, even in the dead of night. I remember those middle of the night feedings. She would cry to tell me she was hungry or needed a diaper change but as soon as she'd see me or hear my voice, she'd smile and that made it all worth it. I didn't mind being up with her. Somehow knowing that that little tiny girl needed me made losing sleep seem like a small price to pay for that together time. Even now, during the turmoil of the teenage years, she's still My Sunshine. And, I still will do what it takes to get that together time. I love you B2 and my hope for you is that you will always feel loved and happy.

Ah, Spring

Can you guess what I did?

I couldn't wait any longer.

Well, that didn't make sense. I'm still waiting but for BLOOMS....AH, SPRING.