Linda's Place

2011-01-28T01:26:00.001-05:00

I’ve been pondering all week on what 2010 meant to me. What it meant to turn 50, how it felt to have eye opening experiences, how wonderful it is to finally have your child ready to leave home and take that first flight that I did almost 30 years ago. Not the same first flight that Alan & I took to Jamaica in September, which was awesome by any standards, but that flight out of the nest; that leap of faith that God will direct her steps and lead her to “the” person she “will” grow old with.

My 50th birthday came and went without any grand pomp or circumstance, but in September, Alan & I celebrated that milestone in grand style with an ALL-Inclusive trip to Negril, Jamaica…..not only did I take my first EVER plane ride, which by the way earned me my Wings with Delta, but it was an International flight that transported me to a magical place of “no worries” in just under 2 ½ hours.

We went and met up with a total of 10 other couples, most of which have been all over the globe and back so in the middle of this grand, one week vacation with new found & long time friends, imagine our surprise when they had voted us “the most fun” couple of the trip. WOW, we were just having that “kid in the candy store with $20” (inflation) experience. Swimming, parasailing, snorkeling, massaging, sun bathing, eating, drinking, & drinking, and OH, did I mention “drinking”. Never once did we have to lift a finger to do anything. Well, except to get our meals at the buffet dinners or breakfasts, but they would have catered to us for those too if we had asked.

So, for over half of my life, I lived in fear of flying. Fear of the unknown, fear that the plane would fall out of the sky, fear that I might die before my time….FEAR! I guess you can say that I have gotten over that fear because in this new year, 2011, I will take a Bi-plane ride over the city of Atlanta with a long time friend, wind in my hair, goggles to protect my eyes that are wide open for the next adventure.

I’ve had several “favorite” songs this past year. One in particular by Miranda Lambert, “The House that Built Me”. Many of the words of that song reminded me of the childhood I had growing up, somewhat different than most people, but my childhood just the same. I have moved on from most of those memories, but there will always be that black dog that is buried in the back yard, the countless games of marbles or Mumblety-peg with the boys in the neighborhood, the endless days of Barbie dolls and dress up with the girls across the street….the Sunday dinners that always called our names just by the drift of the wind bringing the scent of Beef Stew or Pork Roast, or even the Hamburger & Sauerkraut Casserole from Mrs. Florence’s house, which I always managed to get invited to.

The song itself tells the story of a young woman that goes back to her childhood home because she had grown up, moved on and forgot who she was. She was hoping that just by touching or feeling the old home place, that she could find herself again just by walking through, taking her old memories with her. It is my hope and prayer that Stefanie will leave home in June and take all of her good memories of this old place with her.

Memories of that orange tabby Fabian, the cool cat, buried in the back yard next to Cally, the wonder dog and Hunny Bunny, the Netherland Dwarf rabbit that quickly became “my” rabbit. Memories of all the countless camping trips in that Coleman Popup under the shed…trips to the mountains of East Tennessee, the Sugar White Beaches of Panama City and jaunts to the lake where we drifted for hours on floats that barely looked sturdy enough to hold up a child, let alone BBW (Big Beautiful Women & an average sized guy & 1 Super Fur Baby in her pink designer life jacket).

The one thing Alan & I have always told Stefanie, breathed into her and conveyed in loving fashion is that we are the two people who will ALWAYS be here for her. We taught her to be independent and always be proud of who she is and no matter where she is in life, she will always have a place to come home to.

On June 18, 2011, Alan will answer that question that so many Daddy’s are asked about their daughters, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man? ”We” do. Adam, we look forward to “officially” welcoming you into our family (& Allie…such a sweet little fur baby). Stefanie, we love you with all we have….never forget who you are.

One of the things that I have been working on this past year is my “PMA” (Positive Mental Attitude). Thomas Jefferson taught that “Nothing can stop the man with the right attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on Earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude”. You would think that someone with so many positives in her life could easily stay on task with this assignment. I beg to differ though, it is very hard when you have the “negative” (NMA) forces around you. I have to be careful when treading this subject, I don’t want to cause friction and certainly don’t want any “unwanted” negatives flying aimlessly at me.

I will say that on this day, 1-1-11, I received an email from an old friend that does put some of the negative in a different view for me. I would like to share a portion of that email with you, it is my hope and prayer that I can apply what I have read to better help me understand at least some of that “NMA”:

Blessed In Aging
~Esther Mary Walker
Blessed are they who understand
My faltering step and shaking hand
Blessed, who know my ears today
Must strain to hear the things they say.
Blessed are those who seem to know
My eyes are dim and my mind is slow
Blessed are those who look away
When I spilled tea that weary day.
Blessed are they who, with cheery smile
Stopped to chat for a little while
Blessed are they who know the way
To bring back memories of yesterday.
Blessed are those who never say
“You’ve told that story twice today”
Blessed are they who make it known
That I am loved, respected and not alone.
And blessed are they who will ease the days
Of my journey home, in loving ways.
This poem, as read by Mary Maxwell in the video “A Reminder That Laughter is the Best Medicine.”View the video online at CaregiverStress.com

To the ones who have remembered me in prayer, as I tend to her with loving care. I thank you for the love you’ve shown & let me vent until the cows came home. And though it seems like I can’t let go, I only have my attitude to show, just how much she means to me so today, I’m going to let it be…..I love you Dahling.

I can’t let 2010 come to a close without giving a very special shout out to “my girls”. I feel so very blessed to have not only one group of very special ladies in my life, but two. Neither group has anything to do with the other, yet they both bring so much of what is good and beautiful and right with the world. I don’t know what I’d do without each and every one of you, you all know who you are and just what you mean to me. I thank God every day for your friendship…here’s to many more memories in 2011.

It wouldn’t be right to reflect on the year without mentioning my sweet little Bunni Boo. Each day is like a new adventure with her. She makes me laugh out loud every day and you know what they say, “laughter IS the best medicine”. I can only hope that 2011 will be another great year of making memories with our little brown fur baby. I now have another favorite quote in regards to Bunni: “Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened.” Like I always say, “After all, dog spelled backwards is God.”

On March 28, 2011, Alan and I will celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary. It has been a great journey so far, one I wouldn’t trade for all the tea in China. It’s wonderful being married to your bestest friend in the Whole Wide World. I never would have dreamed that 2010 would hold so many wonderful memories for the two of us. I mean, how can you top the 28 years we already had under our belt.

It seems like yesterday that we were exchanging our “I do’s” and starting our memory catalog, but once again, as it has been throughout our marriage, this past year has been one of the best yet. From being with our daughter on the night that her Fiancé proposed to her, to making new friends in Jamaica, to catching up and getting reacquainted with old school friends….it will be hard to beat 2010, but I look forward to the challenge…..I love you Alan, you know how far :)

In closing, I can’t forget all the great friends I have reconnected with because of Face Book. From the late night chats, the pokes, the prayers, the encouraging words of so many of you, a simple Thank you just doesn’t seem to be appropriate. I would like to borrow from the status of my friend, Cindi Wallace Ray from Friday Morning, December 31, 2010:

May all of your needs, hopes, dreams and wishes be fulfilled, may your mornings begin with smiles and gratitude, may your days be happy, productive and filled with joy, abundance and prosperity, may your evenings have quiet moments of reflection that remind you what a remarkable person you are. “You” are exceptional and relevant to those around you and most of all…I wish you LOVE!

I can hardly wait to see what 2011 has in store for all of us…..Hooooooooty Hoooooooooooo to all of you ;)

Reflections of 2009

2010-01-01T03:10:00.001-05:00

Original is posted on my Face Book page. Happy New Year, Y'all ;)

As I turn back the pages of what 2009 has meant to me, I stop to reflect on the passing of yet another decade in my life. 2009 represents the end of an era for me….the end of those years we call the 40’s. In just 6 short months & days, I will be a ½ century old. Is that right? ½ a Century! 50 years I have been on this Earth. As I stop to reflect on all that 2009 brought to us, it really wasn’t until almost the very last day of the year that it occurred to me; I am Who I was Born to Be.

I was listening to my new Susan Boyle CD: I Dreamed a Dream (for those that don’t know her, Wikipedia gives us this definition: Susan Magdalane Boyle (born April 1, 1961) is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on reality TV program Britian’s Got Talent on April 11, 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. Her first album was released in November 2009 and debuted as the number one best-selling CD on charts around the globe). I had picked it up as a gift to myself just before Christmas. I didn’t have time to really listen to the words of each song until today.

The CD has many familiar songs such as Amazing Grace, Daydream Believer, How Great Thou Art, Cry Me A River; a few I’ve never heard before and one in particular, Who I Was Born to Be. In Susan’s words, the song is about ambition & fate. It was written for her CD by a woman named Audra Mae who is the great niece of Judy Garland…another of my favorite performers (the Wizard of Oz is my all time favorite movie).

Getting back to my reflection, 2009 brought change. Not at the government level, but to us, personally. Stef finally found someone to love and be loved by. I was beginning to wonder if God had forgotten to make her “a someone”, but then she found Adam D. (Maddog) Maddox. He’s a very nice young man; lives in Jacksonville, Alabama, works at the Army Depot in Anniston, AL, has not one car, but two….neither of which are on blocks…sorry Adam, but you know I had to get my fun in there somewhere. All kidding aside, we like him a lot…I would even venture as far as to say that “We love him like a son” ;) So happy for you Stefanie.

Though Bunni wasn’t new to us in 2009, we had many new adventures with her and she continues to bring much joy to all of our lives….even to the little grey haired lady a mile up the street that will tell you, “I don’t like dogs”. We have discovered that she is a very talented dog as well…cooking, fishing, boating, sunbathing on the beach…..who would have ever thought that such a small little creature would have changed our lives the way she has. My Mother says I’m obsessed..maybe I am, but after all, dog spelled backwards is God ;) Thank you Bunni for your unconditional love.

Then there’s Mama. I guess a lot of the family thinks she’s mean, old and cantankerous. On occasion, I would probably have to agree with them, but I see the side of her that no one else see’s. Underneath the mask that she wears most of the time is a beautifully aged woman who is still as beautiful today as she was when I was a young girl…she doesn’t think that she is, but I tell her she is just the same. Thank you Mama for the weekly dinners, the tootle’s around town and the memories. I love you Dahling.

My very bestest friend in the whole wide world, or www as I call it, has been by my side for over 28 years. I’ve said this many times over they years to him, but I love him farther than my arms can reach. I feel very blessed to call him my husband, my companion, my lover even my co-worker. There aren’t very many couples that can be around one another almost 24-7, but God makes each new day different for us so life is always an adventure. I hope God gives us many more years together and that we get to check off some of the things on “our list” that we want to do and see. Alan, thank you for loving me.

2009 brought to a close, the lives of many famous celebrities that we have grown up with over the years. Such names as Bea Arthur, Billy Mays, David Carradine, Dom Deluise, Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, Henry Gipson, Karl Malden, Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze, Ricardo Montelban, Soupy Sales & Walter Cronkite, just to name a few. Some of the not so familiar names on the list: Alaina Reed Hall who played on Sesame Street, Danny Gans – an American Singer & Comedian and Mollie Sugden… the lady on the BBC show, “Are You Being Served” that always had a different color of hair, lavender, blue, green, yellow…it was something different every week.

And so it goes, I save my Face Book peeps for last who are the real celebrities in my life. I won’t make this long and drawn out, but I will start with family: Adam, Alisa, Amber, Amy, April, Austin, Becca, Becky, Beverly, Bob, Bonna, Cal, Candice, Chrysta, Darrell, David, Donna, Emily, Eric, Frank, Jason, Jean, Jeff, Jeremy John, Kaley, Karen, Kellie, Ken, Leah, Missy, Nikkie, Noland, Phillip, Rafe, Richard, Sarah, Seth, Stefanie, Tina & Wesley….I love you all even if I don’t get a chance to tell you so everyday.

And to the rest of my Peeps: Ada, Alan, Alice’s Amanda’s, Amy’s, Analee, Andi, Andrea’s, Angela’s, Angie, Ann, Anne’s, Art’s, Banita’s, Barbara’s, Becky’s, Belita, Beth’s, Betty, Beverly, Bill’s, Billy’s, Bo’s, Bob’s, Bobby’s, Bonnie, Brandi’s, Brandie, Brenda’s, Bryant, Carey, Carl, Carla, Carlos, Carol’s, Carolyn, Carrie, Cassia, Cassie, Cathy, Chad’s, Charles, Chase, Cheryl’s, Chris’s, Christina, Christy, Chuck, Cindi’s, Cindy’s, Cody, Courtney, Cyndi, Cynthia’s, Dale, Dallas, Dan, Dana, Daniel, Danny, Darcy, Darrell, Daryl, Dave, David’s, Dawn’s, Deanna, Deb, Debbi, Debbie’s, Debra, Deena, Del, Denel, Denise’s, Derek, Diane, Dick, Dodi, Dondra, Donnie, Dottie, Doyle, Edna, Edwina, Elaine’s, Elizabeth, Ellen, Eric, Eva, Frank’s, Freda, Garey, Gary, Gene’s, Gerri, Ginger, Glenda, Greg’s, Gwen.

Harold, Harry, Heath, Heather’s, Holly, Horace, Huie, Ilse, Jack, Jackie, Jan’s, Janet, Janette, Janice’s, Janis, Jarita, Jason, Jay, Jeannie, Jeff’s, Jeffrey, Jennifer’s, Jenny, Jeri, Jerie Ann, Jerry, Jesse, Jill, Jim’s, Jimmy’s, Joan, John, Johnny, Jon, Joseph, Josh, Judi’s, Judy’s, Karen’s, Karla, Karol, Kathi, Kathy’s, Kay, Keith, Kellie’s, Kelly’s, Ken’s, Kenneth, Kenny, Kent, Kerrie, Kevin’s, Kim’s, Kimberly, Kirk, Kristi, Kristy’s, LaQuetta, Larry’s, Laura’s, Laurel, Lauren, Laurie’s, Lee’s, Leslie, Lewis, Lexann, Linda’s, Lindsey, Lisa’s, Liz, Lora, Lucie, Lucretia.

Marie, Mark’s, Marshall, Martha’s, Marty, Mary Ann, Mary’s, Melanie, Melinda, Melisa’s, Melissa, Michael’s, Michelle’s, Mike’s, Nancy’s, Norma, Norman, Pam’s, Pamela’s, Patricia, Patsy, Patsy-Jo, Patti’s, Paul, Paula’s, Peggy’s, Penny’s, Perry, Phil’s, Phillip, Priscilla, Rachael, Randall, Randy’s, Rebecca, Regina’s, Renee, Rhonda’s, Rick, Ricky, Rita, Rob, Robert’s, Robin’s, Roy, Russ, Russell, Sajuan, Sally, Sam’s, Sandra, Sandy’s, Scarlette, Scott’s, Shari, Sharon’s, Sharron, Sheila’s, Shelly, Sheri, Sherri, Sherrie, Sherry, Sonja, Spencer, Starrlyn, Stephanie, Stephen’s, Steve’s, Steven, Sue, Susan’s, Sylvia’s.

Tammie, Tammy’s, Teresa’s, Terri’s, Terry’s, Theresa’s, Tiffani, Tim’s, Timothy, Tobi, Todd’s, Tom’s, Tommy, Toni’s, Tosha, Tracie, Tracy, Travis, Trina’s, Valerie’s, Vernal, Vicki’s, Vickie’s, Victoria, Vivian, Wanda’s, Wayne’s, Wes, Will, William & Winkie….thank you all for the love, support, shoulder, vent, laughter, tears, joy, Friendship. Each one of you have made contact with and crossed this path of mine called life somewhere, somehow.

It is my pleasure to call each of you family & friends and if God can use me to touch even one soul along this path, then I am who I was born to be….Thank you God for Face Book ;)

2009-03-25T17:15:00.006-04:00

My sister, the Fabgrandma, has another blog that I write on sometimes too. The blog site is: Jogging in Turtle Time and each day has a theme that you write your blog about for that particular day. I am coping my blog and posting it here as well.....So here is my What if Wednesday Blog:

What if you had terminal illness...
I decided to blog on this subject today because the theme for the day seemed to fit. We had a little guy that worked with us here at ACE last summer, Mason. He was such a nice young man. Always polite, courteous and kind. He is the son of a teacher I had at Lithia Springs High School, Gerald Harper. Gerald and his wife had Mason and his sister later in life. I'm sure Gerald is close to 56 or so.

Mason had been diagnosed with terminal cancer (I'm not really sure what kind he had so I'm not going to guess here; if I find out for sure, I will post it in a comment)a few years back and last summer he had a relapse. He has been in both Dallas, Texas & Orlando, Florida Cancer centers. He and his Dad came home a few weeks ago from Dallas where the doctors had told them there was nothing else they could do.

So, my what if? for today is: What if you were 20 years old, with your whole life ahead of you and you were told that there is nothing else that could be done? Would you hold close the friends and family who have always been there for you? Would you spend what little time you had left making sure that those people knew how much you loved and appreciated all of the love, care & sacrifices that have been made on your behalf to have a comfortable and peaceful journey into the unknown? or would you be mad at God and everyone around you because they were going to live and you were not! Mmmmm, tough place to be.

James Mason Harper passed away today. He was twenty years old and had his whole life ahead of him only to be snatched like a thief in the night by the terrible, horrible cancer that lived in his body. From what I understand, Mason was mad. He was mad at everyone and everything that represented life. I had heard through some of his friends that they didn't think he was saved. I can only hope that Mason and Jesus were the only two that knew the answer to that. I will be praying for the Harper's and their loss of such an amazing young man.....I will also be praying that in the end, Mason was able to take the hand of his precious Lord and Savior for his journey home.

In Memory of James Mason Harper: September 7, 1988 - March 25, 2009

Annual DCCS Spring Concert 2009

2009-03-16T17:34:00.011-04:00

One of the things I so dearly love to do is sing. Back in June of 2003, I auditioned and landed a spot in one of Douglas Counties finest Community Chorus, Douglas County Chamber Singers. I sing Tenor I for all that have a knowledge of SATB in the choral world. Over the past 5 seasons I have sang with the Chorus, many of the songs have moved me, but none like one of the pieces we are singing this Spring: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Mack Wilberg arrangement).

Wikipedia describes this piece the following way:

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is a Christian hymn composed by the 18th century Methodist pastor and hymnist Robert Robinson. The hymn is set to an American folk tune known as Nettleton, by attribution to the evangelist Asahel Nettleton who composed it early in the nineteenth century.[1] Robinson penned the words at age 22 in the year 1757[2]. The words of the hymn are in the public domain. The song has gained a degree of popularity in recent years, in large part due to an arrangement by Mack Wilberg, which appears at the end of the BYU Choirs concert "A Thanksgiving of American Folk Hymns," recorded in April 1994, which is rebroadcast annually by hundreds of PBS affiliates.

I have posted a link to the BYU rendition for your listening pleasure. I might add that we don't have as many members in our group as BYU, nor do we have a full Orchestra, but we do have an awesome Director and an even more profound young Accompanist. It is an awesome piece. The words to the revised version are:

1. Come Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,

Mount of God's unchanging love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Hither by Thy help I'm come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

3. O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let that grace now like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander,

Lord, I feel it,Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

It serves as a reminder to me that I am covered by the

Blood of my Precious Savior, Jesus Christ and I am

Eternally Grateful for the opportunity to do what I

love to do & that He has given me a voice to Sing

His Praises.

Show Me Your Fridge & Pantry

2009-01-17T13:42:00.021-05:00

I haven't clicked anything out in a while so at the urging of my sister, the FabGrandma, I had to step up to her latest challenge...show me your Refridgerator & Pantry. So here are some pics of my cupboards and my pool Fridge (the one that keeps the wet bathing suites outside during the hot summer days):

Liquor & Overstock area / Outside of Food Pantry

Inside Food Pantry / Spice Cabinet

Miscellaneous Cabinet / Pool Fridge on back porch

Inside Pool Fridge - everything you need for

hot summer days.................

......my house is your house ;)

My Sister the FabGrandma

2008-12-20T15:53:00.002-05:00

My sister has started selling her wares on a web-site called Etsy. You can view all of the trendy things she has made on her page at Etsy. I especially like the Wait Book she made. If I had Grandchildren, which I don't, I'd buy them. I personally think she should try to find someone that would be willing to mass produce the Wait Book and sell them everywhere. I think it is just the neatest thing I have seen for small children. Here's a pic of it:

Swing on by her site, she has other things for sale as well. Perhaps you need a homemade apron or some beaded jewelry. She used to make the beaded necklaces when we were kids, but nothing like she is making now. Tell her Linda sent you ;)

2008-11-16T12:51:00.019-05:00

The one thing I like about Fall is all of the beautiful colors that God puts on his canvas. Our peak Fall color was here last week, the 2nd week of November. I can’t remember when the trees and shrubs have been as beautiful as they have been this year. Perhaps it is due to our drought situation here in the South, but everything has just been stunning. The oranges, reds and golden yellows have been so vivid, it’s just hard to describe their beauty. Here are a few pics of some of the trees right here in my own yard:

stages of color

The one thing I don’t like about Fall is all the leaves that fall down after they have put all their beauty on display. It’s as if they just peak their color and then immediately terminate themselves from the branches from where they have hung all summer long. The bare branches will provide a better view of things that have been masked all Summer by their ever gently rustling in the hot breezes that are now just a memory.

I love all the Seasons, but I have to say that this Fall has been the prettiest we have ever seen. I’m just a little scared of what Winter will be like as we have had an abundant crop of the biggest acorns I have ever seen. I raked up just a very small area in the back yard, about 8 square feet, and was able to fill a 5 gallon bucket to over flowing. I didn’t make a dent in the acorns. Even the Squirrels and Chipmunks can’t keep up with the supply that covers the ground. I’ve always heard that when we have acorns like this, we are going to have a rough Winter….we’ll see. I’ll get back to you on this one.

Ear Candling

2008-11-15T18:45:00.011-05:00

Have you ever heard of ear candling? Well, I had not either until about a month ago when my girlfriends and I were at a North Georgia Mountain Spa retreat weekend trip. One of the girls was talking about how she had to take her ear candling equipment with her every year on their “family” vacation. What in the heck is ear candling, I asked. Donna proceeded to explain to us what is involved.

First, the person lays down on their side and a long, hollow candle made of cloth dipped in bees wax is lit on the large end. You put your finger over the hole on the small end until the smoke is drawn down the candle then you stick the candle through a hole in a paper plate or tin plate, then into the persons ear.

Donna lighting the candle.

Linda's ear gunk!

As the candle burns down, trim off the burnt end and extinguish in a bowl of water. Gently massage the persons sinus cavities as the candle is burning. Once the candle burns down to about 5 inches long or so, take the candle out of the ear and extinguish in the bowl of water. Then you proceed to unroll what is left of the candle. As you unroll the candle, you will see some powdery substance and some honey colored ear wax. You might even get a big hunk of “gunk” out like I did when I did my husband’s ears.

Alan's ear gunk!

It sounds weird I know, but you will be surprised at what you get out. It’s just amazing. My girlfriends and I had one of our outings at Donna’s house and she did each of ears. Once she finished with ours, I candled hers. I didn’t have much “gunk” at all, in fact none of the girls had a lot. I was able to find the ear candles at my local health food store and I used just an ordinary paper plate for the shield. I would suggest that if you are going to do this, that you have at least 3 people around…..just in case you were to set something on fire.

All in all, it was a neat experience. I have to say, my hearing has improved…I still only hear what I want to though. ;) Happy Candling!

Bunni the Hunter

2008-11-11T08:45:00.004-05:00

One of the things that our little Bunni does, and does quite well I might add, is hunt. Last week she came across the wild rabbit that lives in the back yard. I was on the phone with one of my girlfriends and I noticed that Bunni was chasing the rabbit. Around and around they went. It was really funny to watch as the rabbit found various hiding spots just to have Bunni come along and pick up it's scent.

The last "pit stop" the rabbit made was underneath the camper. I was very surprised to see it stopped there with the "mighty hunter" so close by, but sometimes Bunni has to be right on top of something before she can smell it. Well, the next thing I know, here comes Bunni. She ran right past the rabbit and then did a one-eighty and off they both went behind the shop. The next thing I know, the rabbit is letting out this blood curlding squeal. I quickly hung up the phone, hollered for Stef's assistance in rescueing the rabbit and quickly ran to it's aid.

I'm sorry to say that Bunni had already made the rabbit victim number 4 on her list of varmits she is collecting on her resume. By the time I got to them, the rabbit was barely breathing, Bunni had her "jaws of life" around it's neck and fur was flying everywhere. I felt terrible, how could this sweet little loving dog do such a horrible, terrible thing to that sweet little innocent rabbit. Bunni had the rabbit's fur all over her mouth, in her eyes and the rabbit's blood was on her mouth and paws. I told Stef to take Bunni in and bathe her to make sure she wasn't hurt and I proceeded to take care of her trophy.

What I found out is that I didn't have the heart to even touch the rabbit so I called Alan and he came home and took care of it. I guess from now on, I'm going to have to make sure there aren't any little critters in the yard before I unleash Bunni. Along with the rabbit, she has two mini badgers (chipsters as we call them), one squirrel and one half of a baby squirrels tail. I'm nicknaming her "killer".

2008-11-04T07:27:00.002-05:00

One of the things I read everyday is my word from Joel & Victoria Osteen. Most days these words are uplifting and encouraging. Today's word in particular really touches on the subject of encouragement so I thought I'd share today's message with you:

One More Time

Today's Scripture
"When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish' " (Luke 5:4).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Several times in Peter's life, Jesus asked him to go the extra mile, to toss his fishing net over the other side of the boat—one more time. And these fishing nets weren't small. They weren't easy to move from side to side. They were very heavy. Peter was reluctant, but he did it anyway because Jesus asked him to, and the results were amazing.

It's easy to get tired and discouraged when you've tried and tried and aren't seeing the results you had hoped. But, when you hear the voice of the Master deep down inside saying, "Try it again," know that things are about to change. It may be hard. It may not make sense. You may be tired, but that "one more time" can be the breakthrough you've been waiting for!

When everything and everyone else says it's time to give up, that's when it's time to go with God. When you obey Him, He'll take the impossible and turn it into a miracle. You can trust that God is ordering your steps. He's taking you down a path of victory and increase. Just like Peter, you'll be amazed at what will happen when you follow His commands, just one more time!

A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, I choose today to follow Your commands, even when things seem difficult. I know that Your words bring strength, life, and blessing, and I will serve and honor You all the days of my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

I'm Getting my Typing Fingers Greased Up

2008-10-29T00:08:00.006-04:00

Just a short note for those near and dear to me that take the time to read what I actually write, I am getting my typing fingers greased up. Be on the l@@k out the next couple of weeks for more postings to tintilate your taste buds. I have like a gazillion topics to write about, but I have just been busy this Summer...no excuse I know, but it's my story and I'm sticking to it.....just a sampling of some of my topics.....Salad, Salad, Salad; 50 Years and Still in Love; Goatman; Vintage Glider, just to name a few. I'll post them as soon as I get them written....in the mean time....make sure you stop by my Niece Rebecca's page and my sister, the FabGrandma.

Auf Wiederschauen

My MeMe

2008-08-27T18:40:00.003-04:00

My Sister, the FabGrandma, tagged me for this MeMe so I guess I will have to play along….I don’t like to let challenges pass me by.

I am: glad to be feeling better after a rough day of being sick.

I think: therefore I am ;)

I know: that my Redeemer lives

I have: a wonderful husband, a nice home, a great daughter & a loving Mother

I wish: I had not turned down that job working from home

I hate: I really don’t hate anything because it is such a strong word, but I really dislike people that will look you in the eye and tell you a lie, one of my sayings is; if you’ll lie to me, you’ll steal from me.

I miss: talking to my friends every day

I fear: the unknown….vast I know, but my fear just the same

I hear: Rachael Ray on the FoodNetwork

I smell: nothing really, I think my smeller is broke

I crave: Krystal hamburgers….I get weird cravings when I am sick

I search: for answers that I probably really don’t want the answers to

I wonder: if they will ever call me again

I regret: I try not to have any regrets, but I am regretting not taking that assignment from home. That fear thing was prevalent that day.

I love: Alan, he is my icing on my chocolate cake ;)

I ache: in my elbow

I am not: skinny, probably never will be

I believe:
I believe for every drop of rain that fallsa flower grows
I believe that somewhere in the darkest nighta candle glows
I believe for every one who goes astraysomeone will cometo show the way
I believeI believe
I believe above the storm a smallest prayerwill still be heardand
I believe that someone in the great somewherehears every word
Every time I hear a newborn baby cryor touch a leaf or see a star then I know why
I believe

I dance: like no one is looking

I sing: Tenor

I cry: when I watch commercials sometimes

I fight: with my twin who likes to win…that’s a Gemini thing

I win: because I choose to win

I lose: very little

I never: have the time to do what I really want to do

I always: try to be kind and put others above myself

I confuse: not sure that I am confused about anything…I’ll have to think about this one.

I listen: to people when they try to offer advise, I don’t always take it, but I do hear what they have to say

I can usually be found: working, piddling on the internet or just chillin by the pool

I am scared: of getting to the end of my life and finding out that I missed out on some of the things I really want to do

I need: to be independently wealthy

I am happy about: waking up. Each new day is a gift! Thank you God

I imagine: that one day, I will be able to get on with my life too

Bunni...Our Newest Family Member

2008-08-24T18:05:00.030-04:00

So, it’s been a while since I have written anything and posted to my Blog…I figured it was high time I added a new story to the list. I really haven’t written anything about our newest member of the family, Bunni. We acquired her through a friend of Stefanie’s in April of this year. Yes, I know, April was 4 months ago, but we have been making some pretty neat memories with her during that short time.

Bunni is a cross between a Mini Dachshund and Jack Russell. She has all the coloring of a Dachshund, but is taller, smaller and stockier like a Jack Russell….you’ll see in the pictures. Wikipedia describes the Dachshund & Jack Russell Terrier as follows:

The dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. The breed's name is German and literally means "badger dog," from (der) Dachs, badger, and (der) Hund, dog. While classified as a hound in English speaking countries, some consider the classification to be in error, speculating that it arose from the fact that the German word hund is similar to the English word hound.

The Jack Russell Terrier is a small, principally white-bodied, smooth or rough-coated terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. The name "Jack Russell" has been used over the years to describe a wide array of small white terriers. As the Jack Russell is primarily a working terrier, their most important physical characteristic is their chest size, which must not be so large that it prevents the dog from entering and working in burrows.

With that said, Bunni has proved to be true to her form….a hunter. She does her best to keep the backyard rodent free, that would be squirrel and chipmunks. Alan informed her early on in her residence here that the Chipmunks were indeed mini Badger’s and she has kept up her part of the rent by disposing of two of them and one Squirrel. I’m very surprised that she won with the Squirrel since it was almost as big as she is. Now when we let her out, we at least give the rodents a chance to scurry away before unleashing our mighty hunter.

The first weekend we had her, Alan and I had a wedding to attend so we put her in the bathroom, shut the door, set the Security Alarm and hurried on our way. The young woman that gave her to us had assured us that Bunni would be fine in the bathroom…no worries. Well, I had turned my cell phone off before arriving at the church and when we got back into the car to head to the reception, we had two voice mails……the Alarm Security company and my Mother….who they call when they can’t reach us, even though she doesn’t drive and wouldn’t come down to check things out anyway.

So we altered our route, drove to the house, all the time wondering what in the world could have happened to set the alarm off, of course we just knew there was no way that Bunni could have gotten out, although she is very smart…she could learn to open the door knob??? When we arrived home, we found a whole in the bathroom door, just at the bottom corner, big enough for one Bunni sized dog to crawl through, wood shavings and such from the Luan door all over the carpet in the hallway and Bunni crouching out of the guest bedroom wondering what in the heck all the too do was about. Well, needless to say, when we aren’t home…..Bunni is in her Crate.

She’s a great dog. We really weren’t looking to have a dog, especially an inside dog, but we fell in love with her and the rest as they say, is history. I really don’t know what we did for so long without her. We did have an outside dog for a little over 12 years who we had to put to sleep about 6 years ago, so it wouldn’t be fitting to write a piece about a dog without mentioning Cally. She was a cross between Cocker Spaniel and Whippet (Mini Greyhound). We seem to like the mini dogs, could be because we aren’t mini people. I’m not sure about that one, but Cally was and always will be our McGribble. Just a nick name Alan had for her.

Moving on. Bunni, as I said is a great dog. She loves to play with one of her many toys, and she is spoiled, so she has many. She loves to go for a ride even if it’s just to the Hardware Store or to Mama’s, yes, Mama’s. For those of you who know my Mother, you know that she hates dogs. I guess she figures that where I go, Bunni goes. I do believe she looks forward to Bunni’s visits though. I have been going to Mom’s at least once a week now for the last two months or so and cooking dinner. Hey, we all have to eat and it gives Mom a good home cooked meal & someone to eat it with to boot. This past Friday night, the menu consisted of Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, English Peas, sliced Butter Carrots, frozen biscuits and Mama’s famous homemade Apple Butter. Yum, comfort food as Paula Deen would say.

During dinner, I usually slip Bunni an item or two off my plate, veggies mostly, not that she is a Vegetarian Dog, but the guy at the Kennel where Bunni is staying next month while we go to the beach said it was OK to feed her as many types of Vegetables as she would eat. I figured carrots would help her spy the Mini Badger’s with a keener eye since Carrots are supposed to be good for the eyes.

During dinner, Bunni had slipped over to the couch where Stef was eating her dinner and proceeded to bounce back in forth between begging from Stef and begging from Mom. To my surprise, Mom took a carrot off of her plate, put it on her napkin and fed it to Bunni. Pick yourself up now. Yes, it was the shear magic of a little brown dog named Bunni that had won the affections of a little old gray haired lady that didn’t like dogs at all. Could it be that Mom secretly likes Bunni. I know Mom looks forward to the visit each week, especially the cooking part, but I think Bunni runs a close second as far as Mom is concerned, I certainly have taken the back seat at this point.

So, this little brown bundle of joy who came into our lives just a few short months ago has managed to capture our love and affection, harness it all to herself and even managed to give a little of it back to a little old gray haired lady that will deny that she even gives Bunni the time of day….if you ask. She is quite a character and I’m glad she has come into our lives to bring change. It has certainly given me a new perspective on what is important and what is not…after all, dog spelled backwards is God!

In closing, I’ll leave you with the words to the last stanza of a very old song I found in one of Alan’s Grandmother’s old piano books: Because God made thee mine, I’ll cherish thee, Through light and darkness, through all time to be, And pray His love will make our love divine, Because God made thee mine. I’m not sure if it was Granny Margaret’s presence in the room when I sang these words to Bunni, but that dog knew I was singing to her and chimed in as only she can. God , thanks for bringing us Bunni.

Amazing Grace

2008-02-19T02:09:00.001-05:00

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound……we all know the words to this old Christian hymn. It is popular with most believers because it seems to sum up in a few verses what we all seek as followers of a power much higher than we can explain in mere words….divine grace. The original hymn was written in 1772, by an Englishman named John Newton, but the last stanza wasn’t added until years later. It was actually included in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book; Uncle Tom’s Cabin and was written by a man named John P. Rees.

I’ve always loved this old hymn, especially the last stanza:

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.

It has been sung by all kinds of people from every walk of life, from Judy Collins to Leann Rimes. One of my favorite versions of it isn’t sung, but rather played….on the bagpipes. I used to work with a guy at AT&T who had been in a Gospel Group for a while. They had recorded a whole album of Christian hymns and the like which included their rendition of Amazing Grace. I purchased their album and used to listen to it all the time. I still have it lying around somewhere; perhaps I’ll dig it out and listen again…never hurts to be reminded of God’s abiding love and Amazing Grace.

I attended a funeral today of a man I never really knew, but it became apparent to me as my friend Donna and I pulled into the parking lot, that a lot of people obviously did. The cars were parked sometimes two deep and the funeral director of traffic motioned for me to go around to the front of the funeral home, which had no available parking either. We ended up parking next to a curb in between two small parking areas. My first thought was there was a funeral and a viewing going on at the same time. Not so.

How was it that this man, that I barely knew could be loved and known by so many. (Just to set the record straight, he was the husband of my “Red Hat” girlfriend Sheila’s sister, Laura) Jimmy was only 52 years old. A young man with so much life ahead of him, except that it was his time. I’ve heard that term so many times during my life…..his or her time. What does that really mean? I guess based on your belief, it could mean most anything, but to me, it just means that your time here on Earth is done. I have always believed that we are only here for a short time and that God has pre-determined that amount of time, even before we were born.

What I learned about Jimmy today was that he was an extraordinary man to the ones that knew him. He was a husband, father, son, son-n-law, brother-n-law, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. He liked to golf and watch Nascar Racing, was an avid Bulldog fan and could always be seen with a Skoal can in his back pocket. One of the great pleasures in his life in his younger years was his love for sports, especially softball. He loved his family and always taught his two girls to be strong and passionate about themselves and their goals.

He had touched many lives during his short walk here on Earth. It seems that he was loved by all who knew him. He will be missed by his friends and family, but above all; what matters most, is that Jimmy had “Amazing Grace”….

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

In Memory of James “Jimmy” Roan

November 16, 1955 / February 14, 2008

Mid-town Ma Belle's

2008-02-14T00:19:00.000-05:00

One, well four to be exact, of the great pleasures I have is spending time with my very best girlfriends; Cookie (Queen Mother), Donna, Patti and Sheila. These four women and I form what the “Red Hatter’s” call the Mid-town Ma Belle’s. We all used to work together in Mid-town Atlanta for AT&T, hence the name Mid-town Ma Belle’s. They are four of the best girlfriends a person could ever have.

We have shared a lot of ups and downs with each other over the past 20 or so years that we have known each other and we always seem to have a good time together. I had the extreme honor of working with each one of these ladies during the course of my time spent in AT&T’s Engineering Department which is where we all met.

I guess the first one of these ladies I met was Donna. We worked on the same floor of the Summit Building together, but not in the same District. We always seemed to meet at the copy machine which was in a central location for the whole floor. As we were talking one day at copy central, I was telling her about my desire to find someone to carpool with from my side of town. That’s when she introduced me to Sheila.

Sheila was the District Secretary for Donna’s organization and was located on the floor just below us. As the carpool evolved, so did my friendship with Sheila. We spent many days meeting at the Lee Road Park-n-Ride and tootling Downtown together. We shared stories of our families, our likes, our dislikes and just things that most friends like to talk about on our trek to and from the city. Donna, Sheila and I became great friends. We spent most of our lunch hours either down in the cafeteria dining room which was in the Atrium of the building, or we walked to some nearby establishment like J.R. Crickets or the Varsity.

One day at lunch, Sheila brought a new friend, Cookie. She used to work with Sheila at another AT&T location and had just transferred into Sheila’s District. Great a new friend….she also lived on our side of town and wanted to join the carpool as well. Wonderful, not only a new lunch buddy, but another driver for the “Pool”. Cookie is the oldest of our group, kind of the “Mother” figure if you will, so it was kind of like having our own Mother in the car with us to give advise or listen to our perspective of whatever was going on in our lives at the time. She is so unique in a way that is refreshing and uplifting.

There was hardly a day that went by that you didn’t find the four of us, along with some of the guys from the District, going to lunch together. It was great to have such close friends to hang out with during the stressful work days Downtown. One day, Sheila, Donna and I decided that we were going to see a palm reader, Madame Belle. I don’t know exactly why Cookie didn’t go with us. Maybe it was that she didn’t believe in them and didn’t want to waste her money, or that we just decided not to tell her we were going. I made the appointment and the next day at lunch we went to see her.

Madame Belle worked out of a house just off of Piedmont Road. I was the first to see her. She was an older lady, kind of heavy set like me and was kind of dressed like you would imagine a gypsy woman to be. I had taken my wedding ring off early that morning so the lines from my band wouldn’t show on my finger, but it didn’t seem to matter to her. She knew I was married, that I had a young daughter and that I had a darkness in my life. Darkness, what did that mean?

I knew I wasn’t always the most pleasant person to be around. I had things in my closet that I was sure others had as well, you know, things from my past. She told a lot of things about myself, that I knew to be true and I wondered how this woman that I didn’t even know, knew them. Had she somehow done a background check and found out all of these things just based on my first name (that was the only name I gave her for the appointment)? Did she have a crystal ball like the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz?

Perhaps she truly was one of those rare people who could see into the future, or past, just by touching the palm of your hand. Which ever the case was, she had seen the “darkness”. She also told me that for an additional sixty dollars that she could remove the darkness. I told her, “I didn’t have the extra money, I had only come to see what palm reading was all about”, but she told me that she liked me and that she was going to remove the darkness for me, free of charge. OK, cool, I thought. What could it hurt.

I think Sheila was the next one in and then Donna. Nothing extraordinary for either one of them, certainly not an exposed “darkness”, but Madame did tell Donna that she would meet a talk dark, handsome man and settle down. Nothing much was ever discussed from our outing to the Palmist that day, but I can tell you that a few years later, Cookie introduced Donna to a tall dark, handsome man named Harold and they have been married now for about 14 years.

As for my “darkness”? Well, our outing took place in about 1990 and two years later, my Dad got very sick and passed away over a period of about five or six months. On the very day that Daddy went home to be with the Lord, I gave my life to my Savior, Jesus Christ. On that day, I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders. There were things that happened in my past between me and my Dad that you could call “darkness”, I’ve always wondered if the Palm reader had kept her word.

Patti and I had worked together at the Summit Building on the 31st floor in the same work group and didn’t even realize it until years later. She and Cookie and Donna were part of a “breakfast club” at the Promenade building where we had all moved to when AT&T decided to relocate all of it’s Engineering Departments from all over the United States to Atlanta. Sheila and I joined the “club” some mornings as time permitted and that’s when Patti and I discovered that we had both worked in Bob Wing’s group at the same time. To paraphrase Disney, it’s a small world after all.

Patti was the first one to leave, taking early retirement in July of 2000. I was the next one to succumb to the cuts of AT&T in July of 2001. A few short years from full retirement so I am still in the working class. Cookie's retirement came next as AT&T offered packages and incentives to decrease their work force. Donna was the next in line to receive her incentive package and a few months after that, Sheila was given her exit package as well.

So here we all were. Retired or semi-retired from one of the largest employers in the United States, separated from one another by the distance that we lived from each other. We didn’t have lunch or the “breakfast club” to catch up on our days anymore; life as we knew it ceased to exist.

One day Patti and Cookie had been talking on the phone and mentioned to each other that it would be nice if we could all get together and have lunch. After several phone calls and emails, we planned a date and one Sunday afternoon in October of 2004, we met, had lunch and made plans to see each other at least once a month when our schedules permitted.

So far, we have been successful at meeting that commitment, with few exceptions. We have had some great outings to different places all around Atlanta and the surrounding area as well as two long weekend trips to the beach; Panama City Beach, FL and Isle of Palm, SC.

We have included the husbands and even the kids on some of those outings and have had a ball whether we have the whole families with us or it’s just us girls. It is truly such a blessing to me to have such wonderful, close friends to share my joys and sorrows with. I leave with this final thought….a poem by Karin Schaefer:

The Gift of Friends

There are days when

bubbling from us comes

the innocent child within,

who giggles at the little things

and wears a silly grin.

There are days when

melancholy comes to
visit for a while;

the mind feels tired,

the body weak;

we have no strength to smile.

There are days when

joy abundant

grabs a hold of you and me;

wraps us up in all it's splendor,

lifts us up and sets us free.

There are days when

sorrow wraps us

in its cloak of grief and fear,

'till our hearts ache to the breaking,

till our eyes can't shed a tear.

There are days when

love bestows us

with its wonderment and light;

with its beauty and its mystery,

its power and its might.

And there are days when

life rewards us

and seems to make amends

by granting us a marvelous gift,

the precious gift of Friends.

To the Mid-town Ma Belle’s……I love you all!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

In a hurry, don't go to Harry's

2008-02-10T21:45:00.000-05:00

On the other side of town, in the complete opposite direction from the “other” market is a delightful place called Harry’s Farmer’s Market. It seems too, that everyone on Earth knows about Harry’s, especially it’s location in Marietta, just down from, you guessed it….the “Big Chicken”. If you stop and ask anyone for directions in the Marietta area, you can bet that it has “Big Chicken” in it’s answer. What is so special about Harry’s….about a trillion different things.

Harry’s is actually owned by Whole Foods Market which was founded in 1980 as a small store in Austin, Texas, and is now the world’s leading retailer of natural and organic foods, with more than 265 stores in North America and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods acquired the Harry’s chain, including the old Harry’s in a Hurry, in the Atlanta area in October, 2001. Harry’s and Whole Foods sell the highest quality organic and natural products available. Their Motto: Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet.

After you pick out your parking spot and grab a buggy, you venture into what I would call the foyer area of Harry’s. There were all sorts of potted flowers, bird feeders and seed, wind chimes and even rain barrel’s to catch what we here in the South call a precious liquid commodity (most would think gasoline, which runs a close second to milk).

Upon entering the market, one can’t help but notice how fresh and alive it feels. People scurrying about picking out fruits, vegetables and nuts. The produce section was amazing. It had everything laid out in sections and was very appealing to the eye. They had produce that should be kept cold in actual cooler type open displays much like at the supermarket, unlike the “other” market that chose to apply ice directly to the veggies. While we were browsing through the produce stands, a commotion like nothing I had ever heard before, brought our attention to a mirage of Mardi Gras flocked grocery buggies parading through the isles. Not something you’d see everyday, certainly not just around the corner from the “Big Chicken”. Neat to say the least.

The next section of the store was the dry goods or grocery section. It had isle after isle of every type of specialty item you could imagine. It even had a machine that would ground flour for you right there on the spot….sold by the pound so you could buy as much or as little as you wanted. It had a section dedicated to Gluten Free items, which would be something that my sister, the FabGrandma, would absolutely love since she is Gluten intolerant. I even found some Gluten free pretzels on the chip isle.

In this same section, there was a whole isle of Olive Oils . Most bottles were affordable, but there were a few with quite hefty price tags. Perhaps in my next life, if I am born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I will get to try one of those. There was also a whole section, top to bottom, of every kind of mustard you could think of. Now I know where all the folks on the Food Network do their shopping.

Next came the frozen foods section, yes, even a Gluten free pizza or two, as well as organic frozen juices and the like. The butcher shop was next. Aged beef, fresh pork sausages, fresh marinated – grill ready kabobs, duck breasts and even quail eggs. A food lover’s paradise. We opted for an aged boneless Ribeye steak carved into what I call the Valentine’s cut – heart shaped. Paired with the fingerling and blue potatoes roasted with EVOO, shallots, garlic, sea salt and fresh ground pepper and coupled with the Habersham Cherokee Rose wine we selected from Harrry’s expansive wine and beer section, we had a meal fit for a king or queen as the case may be.

The seafood market was next in line. It was very clean and had every kind of fish and shellfish that a good connoisseur would want or need. It even had quart containers of fish stock, which I had never seen in a store or seafood market before. You could buy the fish whole or in filets and the shellfish came in or out of the shell. They even steamed it for you at no extra charge. On the way to the bakery section, we passed a little section of nothing but chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. All kinds of different “percent” chocolate as it is sometimes labeled as well as specialty chocolates from around the world.

Entering the bakery department almost took my breath away. I am such a sweet-aholic, not a word I know, but my word just the same. I was like a kid in a candy shop. What should I buy? Should it be something with chocolate on it, in it, or just chocolate all the way through? Perhaps a Champagne cake or Tiramisu, even fresh fruit tarts…..oh decisions, decisions….what’s a fat girl to do. We opted for the Champagne cake since it was the lightest looking of all the delicacies…it didn’t let us down.

The next section was the cheese and dairy. We didn’t spend too much time in those sections but we did pick up a nice selection of smoked Gruyere and a small slab of my favorite, Havarti dill. They will go nicely with either one of the other bottles of wine we selected: Riondo Prosecco (a light-bodied Sparkling wine from Italy) or Affentaler Riesling (a lovely German Riesling with a delightful gold monkey on the bottle).

There was a whole isle dedicated to hot cocoa and tea. I picked up a canister of White Tea infused with Pineapple and Guava from the Republic of Tea, one of my favorite brands. Their Blood Orange and Cranberry is very good too. Around the corner was a whole section of “Fast Food”. Not your every day fast food. A whole barrage of cooked items such as rotisserie chicken, baked pecan crusted tilapia, grilled spinach and crab stuffed salmon, a variety of vegetables; too many to mention, a fully stocked salad and soup bar and even sushi.

There was a floral department and a whole section in the front near the registers that we didn’t even go through dedicated to health and beauty aids, shoes that soothe the soles of your feet and candles and incense to soothe your inner soul. Yes, I would have to say, that if you are in a hurry, Harry’s definitely isn’t for you…we spent about 4 hours wandering through the isles, but all in all, it was one of the best Saturday afternoons I have spent in a long time.

Before I close, I do have to give honorable mention to the Apple and Cherry stuffed Whole Chicken breast that we purchased for our Sunday dinner. I also had purchased some golden beets in the produce section that I cooked along with the Parsnips from our outing at the “other” market and some carrots that I had in the fridge; adding sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of sugar as well as a whole stick of “real” butter. I added some baked sweet potatoes and my last bag of Zipper peas out of the deep freeze. I shared the meal with my Mother who had eaten parsnips as a young girl growing up in Detroit and wasn’t too fond of them. In her words, “I was taken by surprise”. Well, music to my ears….until next time, my motto is: Skinny cooks can’t be trusted!

Monday Afternoon Field Trip

2008-02-06T23:08:00.000-05:00

Over on the other side of town, past the city, just beyond the horizon is a little place that the whole world knows about, at least if you live in Dekalb County, Georgia, called Your_Dekalb_Farmers_Market It’s a World Market founded in 1977 and still run by Robert Blazer and his wife Barbara and son, Daniel. It has grown from a 7500 square foot produce stand into a 140,000 square foot, true world market serving up to 100,000 people per week.

I have wanted to go there to see what the hoopla was all about for quite some time now and today, Alan and I took the afternoon off and ventured over to Decatur. The first thing that caught my senses was the odors coming from the fresh fish market. Of course, we ventured into the market on the fish/meat side of the facility so it was pretty hard not to miss the distinct odor of muscles, oysters, king crab, lobster, squid, grouper, mackerel, and yes, even live tilapia swimming in a tank; just waiting for someone to come along and scoop them out with a net, just to end up on the dining table with a pecan crust and roumalade sauce…..mmmmm, perhaps on my next trip. Rumor has it that they have over 450 different types of seafood, including fish, to tantalize your taste buds.

The first thing we decided to do was hit the Market Restaurant since it was lunch time and we hadn’t eaten. We were both able to get a decent lunch with meat and vegetables and tea for $8.00, total. Not too bad given the inflated prices we have to pay for everything now days. While we were in line, we noticed how diverse it was. There were people from all walks of life and nationalities. There was one guy in particular who didn’t seem to speak much English or understand it, for that matter. He had gotten to the end of the line and decided that he needed to get something he missed. Well, let me tell you, a few people in que started badgering him and telling him that he needed to go to the end of the line, which was back to the entrance door by this time. Needless to say, I didn’t go back for the broccoli I missed….I just didn’t feel like it was worth the tongue lashing that would have ensued.

After lunch, we started down the isles. First through the bakery, fruit and pastry shop, past the coffee & tea, into the nut butters and on to the International foods. They had any and everything you’d ever want to find in one place. There was the wine & beer shop, spices, fresh fruits and vegetables even a fruit that I had never ever seen before. It was in one of those stretchy mesh bags in a freezer container. It had spikes and weighed about as much as a nine pound bowing ball. It would have made a nice weapon if you needed to defend yourself. One punch and they’re out cold with spike marks to boot. I couldn’t tell you what it was called, but it was scary.

I was able to get my Blood Oranges that I have been looking for since Ina Garten made the Blood Orange Margarita’s on her Food Network Show a few years ago; Barefoot Contessa. You can find her and her fabulous recipes at http://www.foodnetwork.com/ I made the Margarita’s my own by adding a few more ingredients such as temple orange juice, Tropicana Healthy heart OJ and a few splashes of Angostura bitters which is used to flavor and add a dry zest to cocktails and cooking. Two thumbs. I just love my Margarita’s ;)

We ventured back through the fish market, but decided that we’d pass on our Omega 3 fix. The next stop was the meat market. Everything looked really good. They even had Bison, but the one thing I was looking for was Elk meat. I didn’t see any, so I guess it isn’t in demand in that world market. We did pick up some fresh Italian sausages and some mild sweet Italian sausages which will be great on the grill.

We also picked up some fresh Italian prosciutto to wrap around our burger patties we made for dinner. We put a piece of provolone cheese in the center of each one and pan fried them instead of cooking them on the grill like we normally do. We had picked up some fresh white corn at the market too so we grilled it in the shucks and opened some Leisure peas. Great meal.

The last shop we ventured through was cheese and dairy. We picked up some fresh cheese ravioli and some spinach and cheese ravioli along with some of the Market’s own fresh made tomato sauce. We plan on lightly frying the ravioli in some EVOO, that’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil for those that don’t know, and serving it with the tomato sauce. I’m sure it will be a fabulous meal too.

I can’t close without telling you about the fabulous dessert I made. I am a huge Paula Deen fan as well as Krispy_Kreme doughnuts so when I found her recipe for Bill Nicholson’s Krispy_Kreme Bread Pudding with Butter Rum Sauce, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. You can find the recipe on Paula's site at http://www.pauladeen.com/recipe_view/411

Well, just so happens that if you travel back to Douglasville, via Ponce De Leon Avenue, you go right by one of the oldest and biggest Krispy_Kreme Doughnuts in the whole Southeast territory. Of course, the car veered to the left just as we got to the Krispy_Kreme so you know I had to go in and buy a box of glazed doughnuts so I could make a half recipe of the pudding.

Let me tell you, if you like bread pudding and Krispy_Kreme doughnuts, then you have got to make this for yourself. It is by far the best bread pudding I have ever put in my mouth. I will never look at Krispy_Kreme’s in the same light again. Paula would say, "best dishes from my kitchen to yours", but my motto has always been, "skinny cooks can’t be trusted"….

Reflections of 2007

2008-02-06T23:01:00.000-05:00

Reflections of 2007

As I sit here and think about what 2008 is going to bring into our lives; mine, Alan & Stefanie’s, I just had to take a few minutes to reflect on all of the changes that have made an impact on my life and that of my family – both immediate & extended – in 2007.

One of the most joyous things that happened for me personally was the fact that God allowed me to experience all of these changes all year long by giving me breath each morning, for which I am eternally grateful. While I am on the subject of being thankful, I would like to thank Him also for all of the people that come into my life, each and every day, whether they are family or friends, and it is one of my hopes in 2008 that He will bring us all closer together.

One of the first things I got to experience in ’07 was finding some of our family that have been separated from us, for whatever reason, through this wonderful thing we call “Myspace”. Eric, Tracy, Nikkie & Ashton & last but not least, Alyson (on the Sewell side of my life). While I have only gotten to talk to Eric & Tracy through email, I am very thankful that we have been able to talk to one another. It is my hope and prayer that one day, I’ll be able to have a face to face meeting with them. I love them very much and I want both of them to know how I feel about them. I would like to know them better and one day, I know that God will allow that to happen. Separated from us, but never forgotten.

My next encounter with “on-line” searching brought me Nikkie. She is my brother Bobby’s daughter whom we lost contact with upon his death in March of 1979. Who would ever have imagined that she would keep her name - Nakeesha Starr Stroud - a one of a kind name for a one of a kind person. We got to meet her in June along with her son, my Great-nephew Ashton. God is so awesome. Not only did he bring Nikkie back to us, He brought her two fold. It is my hope and prayer that we will get to know more of Nikkie & Ashton. I want her to know that she is valued to us, not just because she was Bobby’s daughter, but because she is family - a Granddaughter, Niece, Cousin. She was separated from us, but never forgotten.

The next encounter with this “on-line” experience has brought to us, the Sewell’s, Alyson Brianne Kilthau (always a Sewell to us). A meeting that has taken place, so far, with her Father, Greig, and hopefully with the rest of us in the near future - a meeting that I knew God would allow to happen when the timing was right. I guess it’s true when they say, good things come to those who wait. We want Alyson to know that she is loved and has always been in our hearts. It is our hope with Alyson that we can pick up on the bond that held her & Stefanie so close so many years ago only to be broken by the pains of divorce. Separated from us, but never forgotten.

Another thing I got to experience was helping my Niece Emily deal with some issues that she has carried with her for a long time. It was truly amazing to be a part of God working through her to help her overcome things that had been haunting her for a long time. It was wonderful to be a part of her Baptism and watching her grow in the Lord. Thank you Emily for sharing that with me.

Next, I’d like to say how thankful I am to the 4 new “S”’s in our lives: Sarah, Sandy & Scott and Samantha. I’ve been fortunate to meet all of you but Sarah and I hope that 2008 will bring the opportunity for those of us who haven’t meet you to do so. You’ve been a pleasure to talk to “on-line” and I know that it will be great to meet you face to face. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again, welcome to our family.

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention the newest, small additions to our family. Charley Kay Tucker, born July 17th, Owen James Parson, born September 19th, & Brayden Edward Stroud, born October 24th. All cute in their own right and as far as ranking goes, it makes them my 13th Great Niece, 14th & 15th Great Nephew’s. We’ll have to rent a hall somewhere if we ever ALL get together at the same time. Children are a gift from God - we are truly blessed.

I can’t let 2007 go by without mentioning my girls - my “Redhat Girls” as those of you who are near and dear to me know them as. For those that don’t know who or what they are, they are only my four best girlfriends in the world. We all worked together at AT&T and share a very close friendship. We try to meet at least once a month, every month, and we take one long weekend trip to the beach together, once a year. I wouldn’t trade the friendship that I share with each of them for anything. They help keep me sane in a somewhat crazy world and I love them all. I’m very thankful to have Cookie, Donna, Patti & Sheila in my life.

2007 brought many chances for me to spend time with my second best friend in the whole wide world, my Mother. She is one of the grandest things in my life and I wouldn’t trade a moment of my time with her for anything. March brought the success of her colostomy being reversed and a complete recovery for her. She spent her summer as usual, gardening, canning and taking care of her ½ acre lot, she actually only cuts the back yard anymore, but it keeps her busy. Alan or some of the Grandkids cut the front since it is too steep for her and a mower. November 26th brought her to a significant milestone in her life - 80 years old. She was sick on her birthday and had to ride in an ambulance to the ER to find out she had a UTI (urinary tract infection). We had a surprise birthday party for her on December 1st. I picked her up in the biggest white stretch limo we could find - could you imagine - being 80 years old and having your first birthday party, first ambulance ride and first limo ride all in the same week. I love my Poochski with all that I have. I’m going to miss her one day - a long time from now I hope and pray.

In winding down, my attitude of gratitude brings me to Stefanie - my first and last born, one of the loves of my life - my 24 year old young adult of whom I am very proud. She is one of the reasons I get up in the mornings, not that I have to do anything for her - it just gives me great pleasure to know that she is an extension of who I am and that God choose through all of His children and gave her to me. How awesome a responsibility to raise a person from infancy to adulthood and only have your hopes and prayers that they will turn out to be someone of honesty, integrity and above all loving. It’s still not easy being the parent of a full grown woman…it still has it’s ups and downs, but all in all - I wouldn’t trade a moment or a memory of Stefanie for anything or anyone. Thank you Stefanie for who you are. We love you very much and as we have told you many times before - we will always be here for you. It is our hope and prayer that 2008 will be your year. Make it work for you.

Last, but certainly not least, Alan. My Bestest Friend in the Whole Wide World. Fate brought us together - our love keeps us together. He knows everything, and I do mean everything, about me and loves me anyway. What a lucky person I am to have found the person that was created just for me on the first try. So many people spend their whole lives searching for what I have had for almost 27 wonderful years. He’s everything to me. “He’s my falling star, my line in the sand when I go too far, my swimming pool on an August day, he’s my every minute of every day.” He is “THE” reason that I get up in the morning. I could never imagine going through my life without him. Alan - I love you farther than my arms can reach.

So as for 2007, those are my most memorable moments. We’ve had a lot of garbage to deal with too, but I have been trying for a long time now to not let the “garbage trucks” of my life dump their trash at my door. I have always been a person of truth and integrity and I have realized that life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. I am going to love the people who treat me right and forget about the ones who don’t. I believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy but then, nothing worth having ever is.

New Blog Space

2007-04-16T23:04:00.000-04:00

Hello all,

Well, at the encouraging of my sister, I have created a space here at Blogger. My address for those of you who may want to tantalize your brain on my verbage is: http://lindasplaceinspace.blogspot.com

A mouth full I know, but hey, I didn't make the rules. Anyway, Just wanted to let you all know that "I'm here" and that you'll probably be seeing a lot more words from me.

Have a great day.

Linda