Wishing You All a Happy New Year

Hello everybody.  2013 is almost here and we are celebrating as we do every year...just as we do every night...quiet and some would say boring; the TV on, nobody watching.  "A Man Who Came to Dinner" has just started.  I have never cared for old black and white movies, but for the last six months, I seek them out.  They seem so innocent and these days I am looking for a little more innocence.

Today I received an unexpected gift.   I was totally shocked to receive it, but at the same time I was thrilled.   Inside the bag were things I love.  My friend knows what I like for we are kindred spirits when it comes to cooking, cleaning, decorating, makeup, and just about everything else.  

Have you ever received a gift that was totally unexpected?  I have such pleasant memories of receiving a small box of homemade candy from someone when I was a teenager, and I think I recall that it was from one of my aunts.  It was my own little box of fudge.  It was wrapped with a bow with a name tag just for me.  I didn't have to share it with my brother or my sisters.  It was special.  It was unexpected.  It meant as much as any gift I got that year.

This week my daughter told me of a couple of sweet things that happened to her.  1.  Her garbage man picked up her trash.  Then he turned to pick up cans from the other side of the street and noticed her refilling her just emptied can.  He stopped the truck, got out, and came up and pulled her garbage can to empty it again for her.  2.  Then her neighbor across the street brought over a loaf of zucchini bread....totally unexpected.  They were acts of kindness.  My daughter and I talked for quite a while about these sweet acts, and I told her how that box of fudge was so sweet and unexpected for me. 

Sometimes it is those unexpected gifts or acts of kindness that mean the most.  The box of homemade candy I received that year will never be forgotten.  The thoughtfulness of a sweet friend will never be forgotten.  The memory of a neighbor bringing a loaf of quick bread will never be forgotten.  And the garbage man will never be thought of as a garbage man again.

So............as we near the midnight hour, my resolution is to try to be kinder, to be spontaneous, to act with compassion, to love unconditionally with no expectations. 

I love you my friends, my family. Thanks for a special lunch, my dear friend. 

Wishing you all a Happy New Year.




 




 

Just Kicking Back with the Laptop

Another year is quickly coming to a close.  It is hard to even fathom that 2013 will be here in a matter of hours and I am not through with 2012.  Yes, I still have things I need to do before the new year, but alas, I fear that my TO DO list that I made in January 2012 will carry over to 2013.  I guess I can just erase the 2012 and write 2013.  I knew there was a reason my lists are always in pencil. 

Just as a matter of fun, here is a list of just things that I bought or learned or did this Christmas season.

1.  I tried a new brand of makeup - Laura Geller - and I love it.  For years the crevices in my face collected makeup and when I would happen to see myself in the mirror, I was appalled.  So.......I just quit wearing makeup.  I guess these days my eyes are so bad that I don't notice the collection of makeup in the Grand Canyons of my face.

2.  I do not like goat cheese.  I bought a Sam's Club size log and took one bite and decided it was not to dance on my tongue ever again.  I found a recipe where you mix it with cream cheese which almost makes me want to see if there is better dance step out there........but NO, not goin' happen.

3.  PJs - I got two new pairs of cotton knit PJs and I love them.  Comfy and cute.  I have been a nightgown lady, but there is something sophisticated about lounging around in a pair of cute PJs.

4.  I only made a few Christmas candy and treats - fudge for Santa, Oklahoma Millionaires without the chocolate coating, and caramel popcorn which I sent home with the daughter today.  I have to get this stuff out of my house.  I failed to remember to give her the millionaires.

5.  I found out my house has TOO much STUFF in it.  Going to clean, clean, clean, clean in another couple of days.  Goodwill here I come.

6.  It is better to give than receive.  I could elaborate on this, but why?  It speaks for itself. 

7.  I have a new found appreciation of the cost of mailing packages.  About a week before Christmas, the hubby and I drove across town around 9:00 a.m.  On I40 we saw 13 UPS trucks leaving out for their various rounds.  The one on our street had two employees and often were driving our streets at dusk.     So.......I will pay that $7.98 shipping charge and will remember all the people employed by UPS.

8.  I have discovered makeup again which directly relates to number 1.  This season, I went to Ulta and Sephora probably 10 times and bought something each time, but for other people.  No that vain.  I don't remember having so much fun by myself.  Then on Christmas Eve I went with my sister and had even more fun.  Gosh, we are such girly girls.

9.  Nobody gives out Christmas collectibles anymore.  Remember when Arby's and Long John Silvers would give away a Coca-Cola Christmas glass or goblet? 

10.  We saw Home Alone and A Christmas Story on the big screen at Tinseltown.  Yes, they brought back classic Christmas movies each Wednesday night during December.  Whose clever idea was this?  The theater was packed and it was a wonderful time with my grandchildren and although they had seen both of these movies many, many times and could recite the lines, just being there in that setting was great - and the popcorn wasn't bad either.

11.  I didn't buy every gift from Sam's this year.  I know.........  Surprised even me.  This year, I got them all from Ulta. 

12.  Chesapeake lights are wonderful; Nichols Hills lights are wonderful, but you know what I love more than those?  Driving down street in the older part of Shawnee.  Yes, if I see a house which has the old softer colored light around the inside of a picture window, it touches me.  It always touches me if I see a little plastic nativity set on an otherwise dark street.  The dark street, the quiet street, the cold air, and 5 little kids with their noses pressed to the car window, Christmas Eve. 

13.  I signed up to attend Weight Watchers meetings.  Wedding to attend in April and with everybody else loosing weight, I am sort of motivated......sort of. 

14.  Something new for me was my QVC ordered Mrs. Prendables Chocolate and Sea Salt Toffee apples.  I have never ordered any food item, but I fell prey to the QVC hustle.  This is something that I plan on ordering again next year.  I got a dozen apples, shared them with my grandchildren, but mostly I ate them myself.  Oh my gosh, they were so good, cold and refreshing, and of course, they were good for me....fruit you know. 

Well, I was bored tonight and just decided to write.  No new revelation, no new news, no nostalgia, just kicking back with the laptop.  Who knows, maybe in the next few days I will write again. 

I love you all and Happy 2013! 

May God Bless You

There is nothing like a little Lawrence Welk show two days before Christmas to bring back lots of childhood memories.  From the decorated trees to the little ones singing......whew......it takes you right back to 1960.  Look at all the pretty clothes.  That was a time when if you were on television, you dressed up.  I would venture to say that there is not one tattoo on any of those people.....at least not visible; no nose rings, no caps on backward.......just a wonderful time.  A time when people actually took pride in their appearance.  And you could actually understand the lyrics to each song. 

Tonight we went to visit my mother's sister, 97 year old Aunt Geneva.  Oh, she was in rare form tonight talking about how good she had been and that Santa was coming.  She went on to tell us the time when she first learned about Santa.  Her story and in her words:

"That was the time when we lived in one-half of the house and Grandma and Grandpa Hobbs lived in the other.  Daddy was working at the Prague Ford garage.  We were loading the wagon (back in those days we didn't have a car, just a wagon and team) to go to the school Christmas tree.  Back in those days, they took our gifts to the Christmas tree at the school.  Santa came there.  Grandma had us girls hang our stockings (I will never forget those black stockings) before we left because Santa Claus would come while we were gone.  Grandma needed me to run back to the house for something and there I saw those stockings and there was something in them.  Well, I knew that I sure didn't see no Santa.  I knew that Santa wasn't going to come and us still there.  I knew then what was up.  I am sure Momma told me not to tell the others.  I got an aluminum knife, fork, and spoon."   

I may have written about the time I found out about Santa.  If I did, sorry, I am going to write about it again.  I was in the second grade.  Our house had a walk through closet between the kids' bedroom and mom and dad's room (and all of us kids slept in one room, baby in mom and dad's room).  That Christmas Eve I heard rumbling and rustling and my curiosity was really peaked.  I couldn't stay in bed one minute longer.......Santa was about.  Quietly, I moved those clothes aside and I got an up close and personal look at the goings on.  There to my surprise (well, maybe not because at 7 years old, you begin to question a lot of things) was mom and dad displaying all those gifts.  Disappointed?  Not really.  I felt kind of privileged to be in on the secret.  That next day we were at Grandma Thompson's so I had to tell my much more savvy cousin my discovery.  Guess what? She already knew.  That same day I finally got enough nerve to tell Daddy what I had discovered.  To my surprise he was cool with it, but he told me it was our secret and you know what, I never breathed a word to any of the others.

Aren't you glad that kids still believe in Santa?  Ninety years ago, Santa came to Aunt Geneva.  This year my grandsons, 5 and 8, will have a visit from Santa.  Their stockings will be out and whether it is a black stocking (like Aunt Geneva's and mom's), or one of Daddy's socks (like mine was), or handmade with sequins (like my own children had), or a stocking purchased from a store (like my grandson's), Santa will find his way. 

Merry Christmas everyone.  My God's bless you and your family.

I love you.

Who knew that Grandpa Thompson worked for the Prague Ford garage?  I will have to ask her more about that.  Now for a little Andy Williams.............

And the Conversation Went Like This

Went to Cracker Barrel this morning and the conversation went something like this:

Me:  I really worry about some very strange things.

Him:  What are you worried about now?

Me:  I woke up this morning worried that Santa was going to leave the boy's new basketball goal outside for the boys to find.  I am afraid someone will steal it.

Him:  Yes, that is really something to worry about.  Have you thought to worry about the skunk that might find his way into the net and get trapped?  Have you thought about worrying whether the wind would blow the goal over and kill the cat?  Oh......and here's one you probably will really worry you.  What if  the boys do not have a basketball and what if Santa forgets to leave one?  Huh?   What good will a goal be without a ball?

Me:  I want to call Santa, but maybe I shouldn't. 

Him:  Well, no, you shouldn't!  Not only is it not your problem, it is none of your business.  You really like to be in control...............of other people's lives............., but you cannot make a decision whether to make candy or not make candy, whether to have bacon or ham with your eggs, whether to wear a coat or not...............  If only you could make decisions in your own life like you would like to control other peoples.

That gave me pause.  I have a very clear understanding of other people's lives and can see the mistakes that are bound to happen and I should run in there and clear things up before they get even more messed up.   I say this all in jest, but I do have a problem wanting to make everything right for everyone.  Lately, I am beginning to see that I cannot make everything right.  I cannot nor do I want to be in charge of your life despite how much I insert my opinion. 

Maybe my New Year's resolution should be that I will let you live without me worrying.

I love all you and wish you a very Merry Christmas. 

Get Your Suit On

I was in Penney's today looking for a nice dress shirt and tie for a certain someone for Christmas.  As I was searching stack after stack, and I noticed the shirts on the shelves against the wall, all neat and orderly.  These shirts were placed on the shelves with the collars visible.  I had one of my moments, my moment in time.  I was right back in Shepherds Men's Wear in Shawnee, OK. 

Back in the day, Shepherd's was the place for the best men's clothes in Shawnee.  Christmas was always a good excuse to go in the store and "look around" and occasionally mom would buy a present for Grandpa Thompson or daddy....a nice shirt or a tie.  As a child I was in awe of this store.  I don't remember if they had music playing or not, but it was definitely quiet and we kids were on our best behavior.  The smell was wonderful.......all the nice silk ties, the wool suits, the leather shoes and belts.....the smell of luxury.  The salesmen.....oh the men that worked there..........wow, in the eyes of a preteen, the men were the most handsome men...in their suits and ties and starched white shirts.  I was sure that someday, my husband would either be working there or wearing one of those suits.  (And I would be working at Hamburger King or maybe I would be more "uptown" and work at Anthony's.) 

I remember rows and rows of shelves stacked high as I could see with beautiful shirts, whites, pastels, and plaids, a veritable palette of color.  All neatly stacked with only the collars visible............sense of order and neatness.  Colors stacked together, shelf after shelf.  There was no need to search to find the size for each little divided shelf held the same size.  Same size, same color on the same shelf. 

The rows of suites, the piles of neatly folded sweaters, the leather belts hung neatly, brown in this rack, black in this one; even pajamas.  They had it all.  It is no wonder I that wanted to buy my men's gifts there and that is exactly what I did, and the years I had a boyfriend, he got a sweater.  That is what we bought our boyfriends back then, a sweater. 

Stand alone men stores are few and far between now days, and when I do run across one, they are so expensive they fall off my financial radar.  I long for the days when men tucked in their shirts.  I long for those days when men wore suits.  I long for the days when men dressed up, period!  No tattoos, no piercings, no grungy baggy clothes, no stringy hair!  I long for those simpler times when visiting a men's store was an experience.  It was a place where dreams were made and aspirations began.  Our life was ahead of us. 

Let's go somewhere.  Get your suit on.

I love you.
By the way, Shepherd's Men Wear is still in Shawnee. 116 E. Main Street.  I may have to go there when we make our annual visit to Hamburger King's.  My husband could write this same blog about Camp's Men's Wear in Conway, AR.  Even though he was a city boy and I was a country girl, we seem to have lot of similar experiences. 

Special

I was rather quiet this morning as I often am when things just aren't right.  Finally the hubby asked why and then I had to explain that I was stressed because I didn't know what to buy certain people on my list.  Then we had the discussion about our wants versus our needs. 

"I remember when we'd (folks in general) get that beautiful sweater that was only dreamt of.  The beautiful pink angora (itchy) sweater.  It was thrilling.  It was "the" gift without ever being put on a "list of things to buy".  It was unexpected.  Now days, people might get a pretty sweater for Christmas, but then they might have bought themselves a couple in different colors just the week before when they were on sale.  Nothing seems all that special anymore," I whined.   

"Remember mom telling us how thrilled she was a child to get her sock of candy and nuts", my husband asked?  He continued, "We could think of it as "how sad", but perhaps we should think of it as how blessed.  She was happy, happy with her little stocking of candy and nuts."  We both had to choke back emotion at this point.  Then he said this:  "We are fortunate that everyone we know personally, our relatives and our friends have all their needs fulfilled.  It is not that way for a lot of people.  We are blessed.  Mom thought that candy was special."
My husband is a very insightful man and he helps keep me grounded on what is important and what is special. 

The fact of the matter, none of the gift recipients on my list really need anything.  Everyone that I know, in fact, is blessed with their needs and almost all of their wants.  So with that in mind, my shopping just became easier.  It just became special.     

Memory:  My dear mother-in-law told the story of the candy and nuts every Christmas.  You know what, she always had a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips.  There was never any bitterness that she didn't get a doll.  In fact, she had a rock that she used as a doll.  A rock...  Think about her ingenuity of using a rock as a baby doll.  She was so special.

I love you!!

I Have to Clean

I haven't cleaned house in days. 
Excuse:  I don't feel good. 
Question:  How long can I milk this excuse?  I actually asked this question to my hubby.  Mistake, big mistake.   
His reply:  Well, just how much exertion does it take to clean?  Does cleaning require more effort than...say...your other activities?  Shopping?  Polishing your nails?  Shopping?  Going to the mall?  Shopping?
Moral:  Don't ever ask my hubby a question if you don't want the truth. 

Excuses have run out. 
I have to clean tomorrow. 
I have to stay out of the malls. 
I have to stay away from the makeup aisle. 
I have to clean.

That's all I got! 
Oh, and this:  I love you!



 

Refreshing......That's What It Is

Refreshing.....that is what it is.  Yes, a trip to the garage is refreshing.  I am sure you are laughing at me already, but you know you want to know what I am talking about, don't you?  I guess when one retires, one becomes more aware of things; more aware of the blessings of life, even the smallest. 

Now.  Let me tell you why a trip to the garage is a blessing.  It seems that the month of December finds me in the kitchen a lot, either cooking, baking, decorating, or wrapping.  Throughout the day, I will have to make a trip to the garage........to get something out of the freezer............to get extra paper towels...........to get the extra pound of chocolates I have hidden.............to get in the attic.............the list just goes on and on.  The cool air just feels so good after the stale air of the kitchen.   

For the last several years, every time I go to the garage especially in the winter, I think of people in New York City.  I know I am crazy!  Next question!  Let me explain.  I just wonder if those apartment dwellers, the inner city folks, ever long for a breath of fresh air.  So many are held hostage in their little apartments; windows sealed shut; people afraid of their neighbors, shut away from the world at this very moment.

Yes, I am blessed.  I have space.  I have a garage.  I have someplace to go when I don't want to go out in the elements.  Yes, I am blessed.

I still remember walking out of Tinker at the end of the day, those cloudy, snowy cold days.  The air felt so good.  It was definitely cold, but compared to the stale air shared with thousands inside that building, it was a breath of welcome air.  ---- This reminds me of the wonderful feeling that I always felt on the last day of work before Christmas, running across the parking, arm in arm with my hubby, laughing and excited about the next few days............Christmas.............away from Tinker.

Refreshing.......that's what it is!

I love you!    

The Poncho

 

1973

 

Oh okay, 2012.  Let's hope I didn't look like this bad in my 20s.

I have saved this old poncho for almost 40 years.

Last Saturday we were going for breakfast and I when I went to get a coat,

I noticed this old poncho.  Thinking that ponchos have sort of made

a resurgence, I thought why not.  Why not wear it? 

It is like wearing a warm blanket.

And would you believe I got two compliments on it and both from girls in their 20s?

 

What do you think?

1.  Is it too old-fashioned?

2.  Don't you think the fabric and colors still look fresh?

3.  Am I too old to wear this again (if it is fashionable)?

 

I might be a hoarder, but only of things that really mean something to me. 

 

This was bought in a little shop in Taos, NM, in 1973.  I loved this poncho, but

since I paid more money than I had sense back then, I saved it back.

  Now I wonder why.  I should have worn it out in the 70s.

 

Shawna, now you know the story behind the poncho. 



 

If you notice a turquoise poncho around Midwest City this winter, take a close look.  It might be me.

And by the way, I am serious with the questions and I will not be hurt if you tell me never to wear it again.

 

I love you!!!

Waiting Till Morning - Put the Turkey in the Oven

Despite having allergies for the last few days which put me on the couch, everything Thanksgiving is coming together nicely........thanks to the hubby.........thanks to my daughter who spent the day with me. 

Today was a great day.......spending time with my grandsons always makes a great day.  I made a pan of cornbread for my dressing, and, as every year, we toasted Mrs. Tucker, my mother-in-law, with a slice right out of the oven slathered with butter.  What makes this year's toast special was me telling the boys about their great-grandmother and the story of her love of cornbread.  I have told this story before, but for those of you who do not want to reread all the posts to find the story here it is again.  Mrs. Tucker never ate between meals...she just didn't.  But when she came to visit us for Thanksgiving, we always shared a slice of hot cornbread, whether it be 9:30 in the morning or 2:30 in the afternoon.  That is just one of my sweet memories of her.....miss her.

Well, there is nothing left to do but wait till morning when all the cooking starts all over again. Early tomorrow morning the turkey will meet the heat! The broth will mix with the cornbread, the dumplings will be rolled, and the sweet potatoes will be peeled, the asparagus will be bundled with bacon, the rolls will be rising, and the green beans will be simmering. About 10:30 tomorrow morning the kitchen will be steamy (let's just say HOT) and the aroma of turkey will be hanging heavy in the air.

Tonight we are just waiting for the cooking storm to begin.  In the meantime, I think we will watch one of the funniest WKRP episodes ever.  "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

I love you.

P.S.  I found out today from my 5 year old grandson that if I don't have a tissue, I can use my hand.  Then he proceeded to show me.  I could hardly keep a straight face.......he was so serious.  (I didn't tell his mom....but I guess she knows now.)

I Finally Understand, Daddy

I finally understand, Daddy.

When I was little, it seemed like every time we planned a trip or special outing we would start up the driveway or turn the corner and see the land blowing.  We would turn right around, go back to the house and daddy would jump on the tractor and harrow (I think that is the implement he used) the field as quickly as he could.  That was pretty disappointing as a youngster.  I was ready to go to the zoo or wherever we were going.  I can still picture that tractor in high gear turning the soil.  (The top soil was blowing so if you turned up the moist earth, it wouldn't blow as much.)  Although at the time I had a general idea of why he did this, the magnitude of the emotion behind this act only became clear after the last two nights of watching the PBS Ken Burns series about the Dust Bowl. 

I also remember daddy telling me why the fields were terraced, but as a little girl it really didn't sink in.  The documentary explained all that in much too graphic detail...but true detail, interviewing people, the real salt of the earth people, the people who make me ashamed of myself when I complain about not having rain for a month, the people who swept buckets of sand out of their homes on a daily basis.  The people who died from dust pneumonia.  These people also make me ashamed when I complain that it has been raining for days or that the ballgame was called because of rain. 

There is no way I could describe all the details of the Dust Bowl, you will just have to watch this series. Ten years these people were plagued by many, many, many dust storms of Biblical proportions obliterating the sun at midday, rabbit invasions that were graphically filmed, and filmed grasshopper invasions......so many grasshoppers that it looked like the earth was moving.  Folks, this was not digitally enhanced.   I do not know how these people survived. I truly do not. Dust was blown as high as their roof tops, three feet of sand on the streets after a particular sand storm.
 
If you didn't watch it, I highly encourage you to do so. I am sure one of these days it will be reshown or perhaps you can pick it up at your local library. In fact, I would encourage you to watch it with your children.  I dare you not to cry.  You see, my daddy lived during this time although not in the area most affected by the Dust Bowl, but I am sure he was well aware of what was going on, right in our state.  I am sure it affected him as a future farmer.

The film also said that right now the aquifer that runs under that area and under 8 states is half of what it once was which is truly frightening.  One prediction is that the water will run out in 20 years....think about that folks......no drinking water.  Think about that when you run water full blast while brushing your teeth tomorrow.

Daddy, I understand now.  I understand why you stood on the front porch, looking to the southwest for just a hint of a dark cloud.  I understand you looking to the heavens for answers to your prayers.  I understand now how important it was for you to take me to Shawnee during a rain storm to buy me that wool black and white houndstooth skirt with the red top.  I finally understand, Daddy.  (And I finally understand my love of rain........it goes right back to my daddy..........and he fully understood the importance it played in our lives.)

I love you! 

Thanksgiving at the Office

Here it is, just a few days till Thanksgiving.  I should be up and busy making cornbread for the dressing.....tomorrow tomorrow!  It is a much less stressful holiday since I have retired, but I have many memories of previous Thanksgivings...the ones where I was on my feet from the time I got home to all hours of the night. 

For many years I made our office Thanksgiving lunch.  It all started the year after the men in my office did not get to the larger office lunch before all the food was gone.  Boy, oh boy, there was a lot of grumbling going on that year!  You don't want to be around hungry men expecting turkey and being denied.  We voted to be the renegade office the next year and pull away from the larger office lunch.  That next year and the next year and the next year and the next year..... and who knows exactly how many years, I fixed our meal.  Two turkeys, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, canned jellied cranberries, green beans, rolls and butter, pecan and pumpkin pies.  That was pretty much what a catered lunch served so I stayed true to the menu.  Besides, do you know how long it took me to just make this Plain Jane menu, let alone try to make special cranberry relish, green bean casserole, etc?  I loved those guys, but not that much. 

I did love them enough to spend hours planning the food, at least three hours on my day off at the grocery store, three days of prep work, baking pies, baking cornbread, and cooking all night long and the next morning for the big lunch.  Do you know that now I cannot stand the smell of turkey cooking during the night?  I wanted to make the meal a special one for those guys (those were the years when I was the only female in the office).  I wanted them to have lots of turkey.  I didn't want to hear them grumble.  I did love the guys in my office.  They were all special friends.

Now that I am retired, I really miss those office lunches.  I miss trying new recipes.  I miss sharing recipes with my friends and discussing what we were going to bring and I especially miss Toni, my sounding board.  Yes, we finally got some girls in the office....I am so thankful for my girlfriends.

This is not even close to the post I started when I wrote the first paragraph.  Maybe tomorrow or next week.  I seem to be very sporadic.  I think I am home for a few weeks so I may bore you with more posts in the next few days. 

But just in case I get distracted with the smell of cornbread and turkey and not get back to you, I hope you all have a safe and fun Thanksgiving with those you love and that love you.

I love you.

Do You Plan Your Trips Around Target?

Good evening everybody.

Well, I am doing something I have never done before.  I am on my way to see my baby in Mississippi all by myself.  Yep, this daring young woman (yeah right) has struck out on her own……………….10 hours from home.  I have traveled to Shreveport (Barksdale AFB) by myself, but never any further than a 6 hour trip from Blackjack Ridge Road.

As I was backing out of the garage early this morning, my hubby leaned into the car to ask which route I was taking.  I told him I was going through Dallas because Monroe, LA, my overnight stopping point had a Target.  You see for the last two weeks he has watched me agonize over the two best routes about 4 dozen times, extolling the virtues of each route over and over.  Just where was I going to spend the night if I got tired…………??  Pine Bluff didn’t have much to offer in the way of shopping, but was the quicker route or so it seemed to me, but there were many miles between those small southeastern Arkansas towns.  It wasn’t until this morning that I finally asked Siri using my iPhone if there was a Target in Pine Bluff………… and sadly she said no.   So when the hubby leaned in my answer was firm……….I was going to Target, Monroe, LA.

So here I am setting in a huge king size bed (and why do king size beds in hotel rooms seem bigger than the king size bed at home?) in Monroe, LA, eating Target popcorn. I am pretty cozy getting ready to watch Dancing With the Stars and reading my new book.  Got my new bottles of nail polish and have already tried out my new lipstick.  Target is so good!

Thankful…………..Oh, I am so thankful and full of gratitude for the safe journey God has provided me today.  Thank you Lord for traveling graces.

I love you.  Doesn’t everyone plan their trips around the closes Target? 

1 November 2012–Blessing

I have been so blessed over these years, and I admit that more often than not, I take these blessing for granted.  Early yesterday morning I went to the garage to weigh as I do every morning.  Yes, the scales are in the garage….not very decorative.  Of course I have go out there without shoes since every ounce must be accounted for.  Man, that concrete floor was so cold and I was chilled when I stepped back into the dark kitchen.  The house was so warm and the gentle, soft humming of the heater and so comforting.  This is my home.  I was overcome with a blessed feeling; I have a warm home…………something I almost never even think about it.  God has been good to us. 

But while watching the national news tonight, I was overtaken with emotion. The tears flowed silently as the TV cameras scanned the devastation on our northeastern seaboard. Many people have lost everything: power, gas, food, and shelter, even family members did not survive that storm.  Tomorrow morning they will not hear the soft hum of their heaters.  They have my prayers tonight.

Since this is November 2012, many bloggers and Facebook friends are taking the challenge of posting something daily for which they are thankful.  I am not going to promise a post every night about my blessings, but please know that my plan is to be thankful for something everyday this month whether I post it or not. 

Tonight I am thankful for the soft humming of my heater; shelter.  My prayers are with those without even a place to sleep tonight.  Take some time, maybe in the middle of a cold night to notice the humming of your heater.  You, too, are blessed.

I love you.

Here We Sit

My candles are lit, dinner has been put away, porch light is on, my afghan over my knees,  TV is blaring, here we sit, and we here we wait…..wait…..wait!    It is on 6:40 p.m. so maybe the Trick or Treaters are not ready…………….but my boys have already Facetimed me to show me their costumes so we should be bombarded with the little ghosts and goblins any moment.

Just a little something I want to say right now:  I love that tie Mike Morgan has on tonight.  Now you can go back to regular blog reading.

While we are waiting, here’s a little look at our annual hayride/wiener roast, otherwise known as weenie roast.  Enjoy the fall evening we had last Saturday evening.

 

Football - part of every fall party.

Logan, Blaine, and Eli

Our little Princess Hadley

Shoes – It’s all about the shoes.  In this case, it’s all about the boots.

And it’s all about best friends, Blaine and Jordan.

Getting ready for a ride.

And off they go, Grandpa and all the kids.

And my favorite son-in-law, Ryan.

While the kids are enjoying their ride, it is time for the parents to dig in. Christine, Sheila, Shawna, and Ryan’s twin, David.

And the dogs, it’s all about the dogs.

Brooklyn and Tiffany

 

And there is Jaxson on the tire swing.                Eli and Hadley, Sarah’s kids

Sarah and Mindy, Shawna’s friends, also her wedding attendants.

Tiffany, Shawna, and Sheila

One last hayride, this time in the dark.  Thanks Grandpa.

Brooklyn – The party’s winding down; time for a little concert

 

Here we set, an hour and a half later, still no little ones.  Here we sit, enjoying looking at the pictures from the hayride.  Here we sit, splitting one Eskimo Pie.  Here we sit, watching TV.  Here we sit, enjoying each other.  Here we sit……………….

I love you!  Come by and sit with us  a while.

Pillow, Pillow, Pillow, Pillow

 Christmas will be here soon and if you don’t believe it, check the calendar, even better, check out all the blog post and Pinterest pins.  Want more proof, check every store in Midwest City.  Every blog is full of crafty ideas and recipes, waiting in the wings for Christmas, and boy howdy, some are really cute, and the cake pops are yummy looking.  I must admit I am getting excited, too.  I am not sure why; I’m guessing it’s because I haven’t really grown up.  Some say it’s for the kids, but secretly it’s for me.  Not really, but I seriously get more excited buying gifts than a normal person.  I truly believe I enjoy watching someone open a present from me than I enjoy receiving a gift.   

Don’t you really think Christmas must be the fifth season…yes, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Christmas, and Winter?  Well, before the Christmas season begins in earnest, I thought I would let you see my little autumn pillows.  This is what I was doing at the time of my crafting blog post a few weeks back.  They are finally finished!  Not great objects of art or even desire, but they kept these little fingers busy for a night or two.  Notice all that pillow fuzz?  Please ignore that.  We would have brushed that all off, but we couldn’t find the new lint remover wand.  Still can’t.  Want to come help us look for the two month old lint remover?

I love you guys.  Hope you are enjoying your Friday night.

 

Just One Big Hoot Over Here

"Honey, come here.  I want to tell you something."   Pulling open the garage refrigerator door, I show him my glasses on the shelf.  "If you happen to see these in here, I want you to know that I put them there on purpose."

"OK", he says, "but can I assume that the dishcloth I saw there yesterday was on purpose, too?" And then he laughed and asked me why I was deliberately putting them in the refrigerator so I told him why.  As to not keep you in suspense any longer, I will tell you, my friend.  You see we were heading out for the morning and when I got to the car, I realized I had two pairs of glasses in my hand (don't even ask about that).  Well, what was I going to do with two pairs of glasses?  I only needed one and the refrigerator was right there within two feet of the car door.  In my mind (might be a clue there) the only logical choice was to put them in the refrigerator.  Why, you might be asking.  Well, the simple reason was that I knew I would be getting in the refrigerator some time when I got back and they would be right under my nose and I would then retrieve them and bring them in the house.  Also, the house was already locked and the alarm was counting down the seconds. 

I just wanted the hubby to know that I knew that he knew the glasses were in the refrigerator and that I knew he knew I was not crazy.  We have to remind each other daily that there is a madness to our madness!

Another bit of funny:  Today I was reading an online article about Trump.......I know, I have nothing else better to do.  Anyway, the article quoted someone as saying "Donald Trump is the Honey Boo Boo of rich people."  I cackled.  Funniest quote of the day!

I love you guys.  P.S.  The dishcloth in the refrigerator was accidental.  I didn't remember leaving it there, but I do remember using it there.  I was NOT storing it there............hmmm, although it might be a place to keep it from mildewing.  Just one big HOOT over here.  Come see us!  You might laugh, too.

It All Worked Out

Good morning everybody.  Have you been outside today?  It is so beautiful that I had to just get outside for a minute or two.  To all you worker-bees, you get to do that when you retire.  Anyway, as happened I walked by my garden and lo and behold, there were some red tomatoes clinging to the vines.  I stopped and picked a few.

One of my sweetest memories is the fall after I graduated high school.  Everything was right with the world, but at the same time everything was wrong with my personal world.  No job..............no college............no boyfriend............no ambition...........and I worried constantly about all these things.  Still, it was a wonderful time of bonding with my mom.  Everyday it would be me and Mom alone.......kids in school...........dad at work........the autumn of 1966. 

My life would turn around by December 1966 when I became a working girl, but that fall was a time just for Mom and me; riding together to take a truck load of peanuts to the mill, watching "Days of Our Lives", ironing as she folded clothes, shopping in Shawnee.  We did about everything together that year; just hanging out.  That was the fall when we first discovered Sandy's Hamburgers in Shawnee........remember that place?  This was even before McDonalds.  Ten cent fries; twelve cent burgers and Mom and I loved them.  This was our own special place and we stopped every time the two of us went to Shawnee. 

This brings me back to those tomatoes I saw this morning.  On those precious fall days (and please believe me, they were indeed precious) of 1966, I would fix Mom and me lunch which almost always was a grill cheese sandwich.  What made our grill cheese wonderful and memorable was having slices of tiny fall tomatoes on them.  To us, the tomato lovers, those sandwiches were wonderful.............something I will never forget.   

Oh sure, in 1966 I had those worries about what the rest of my life would bring and I am sure Mom was worried about that for me as well, but in the end, 45 years later............the most precious part of that year was bonding with mom...........just hanging out.  It all worked out.

I love you.


 

Family Recipes–Memories

As I was cleaning the kitchen this morning, I ran across my mother’s recipe files and in it are many family recipes.  It struck me once again, that I seldom look at these old recipes, and almost never use them.  But boy, oh boy, I have to tell you a lump formed in my throat when I looked at them closely.  There I found my mother’s handwriting………..then I found my sisters’ and sister-in-law’s handwriting…….and oh my gosh, way at the back, I found my Grandma Dawkins’ homemade taffy recipe in her handwriting.  And there on the same shelf, I found a baggie full of my mother-in-law’s recipes, many of them in her own handwriting, and often on scraps of paper.
These recipes are not necessarily ones that I liked, but just a compilation of family memories.  I hope you enjoy them.  If you happen to want a particular recipe that you cannot read, please contact me and I will decipher for you.

This looks so tiny (remember I am still learning the ins and outs of this new computer) you might not be able to read it, but it is my sister-in-law’s Mexican Cheese Rolls that she gave me 30 years ago when I was having a Christmas homeowner’s meeting at my house. 

The recipe on the left is my great grandmother’s cookie recipe, but in my sister’s, Brenda, handwriting.  On the right is my mother-in-law’s recipe for Ginger Bread which she made often once she found out our son loved it.  Grandmas are like that.

On the left is Kay’s recipe and in her handwriting.  The recipe on the right is my Aunt Betty’s Peanut Brittle in Brenda’s handwriting.

And…………on the left……here is mom’s recipe in her handwriting. 
And last………….lump in my throat…………here is Grandma Dawkins’ recipe for Old Fashioned Taffy and in her handwriting………….{sigh}.  The only time I ever saw my grandpa help in the kitchen was when she made taffy.  Oh my, it was so hot and you had to work fast.  Grandpa and Grandma would stretch the taffy back and forth till it was porous.  What memories of a cold winter evening with loving grandparents.  Never to be again, but I will have that memory forever and especially when I see her handwriting.
There is something special about revisiting the handwriting of my family.  Will you have the same feeling of your recipe file on Pinterest?  I doubt it.  I could rewrite all these and have nice typewritten, readable recipes, but why would I erase these memories?
I love you!!!!

I Do Love My Little Grandboys

I have talked about our five little acres before, but it is never more appreciated than when the grandsons are here.  For the last couple of days, most of their day was spent throwing balls, driving tractors, dragging limbs to the big trash pile, takings walks, kicking leaves, scavenger hunts, swinging on the tire swing, and running with the dog.  .........their own private park here.

We crafted, baked cookies, took a walk to find pretty leaves, ate out three different fast food places, and watched movies.  Who knew the two hour marathon of Three Stooges shorts could generate 94 questions?  "Grandpa, when was this movie made?  Who is Shemp?  There were four?  What are their last names?  What is a judge?  Are they brothers?  This one was made in 1953; Nana how old were you in 1953?", etc, but those giggles were all worth the questions. 

And then there were non-Stooges questions..........................
"Nana, can we have a drink? No, no, not water.  I mean a Coke."
"Nana, when Mommy was little where did she sleep?"
"Nana, is this the same bathtub as Mommy used?"
"Nana, did Steven and Mommy take baths together, too?"
"Nana, can we have root beer? We can??!!"
"Nana, can we get dessert pizza at Mazzio's?"
"Nana, can we have a cookie? Seriously, we can get one any time we want??!!"

There was only a tiny bit of drama when the little one whined that his daddy makes them pick up the living room before they go to bed, too, and he didn't like it one bit.  But you know what, he pitched right in and helped.  I have good grandboys.

Then the hubby and I almost lost it when we hear this conversation:  "Hey, where is my knife?" and very seriously his little brother says "Here you go my good man.  I was using it to cut my sausage biscuit."

And they came in with glasses, masks, flashlights, and hats and Blaine declared to me "Helmet, mask, GPS, and flashlight. We have all we need for the wrath of a dangerous mission."  And off they ran to the great outdoors to save the world.  Oh my, I do love these little boys.

These boys are wonderful, but they sure made me remember and miss my own kids when they were their ages.  The giggles from the back seat were so sweet, but boy did they ever remind me of the early 80s when my own were giggling, or was that arguing, in the back seat.  I am probably looking back to the 80s through my rose colored glass, but these times were nothing but goodness.  My advice to all you young parents, enjoy these times for they are short and soon you will be looking back through your own rose colored glasses.

Memory:  Shawna reminded me today of the times when she and Steven would spend the week at Grandma Dawkins and how much work it must have been for her and Grandpa.  Remember when they would have all you grandchildren at the same time....whew....Mom how did you do it?  --  Note to her grandkids:  I never heard your grandma complain one bit, not one ''I am so tired."  She was one strong, sweet, wonderful grandmother.

I love you.

Testing Only

Testing again.  Sorry guys.

Just Want to Hug Somebody

I am testing again today.  These are some untouched photos from the trip that I selected at random.  They have been downloaded to my old computer and uploaded onto this blog using the old computer without a hitch.  So.......if they upload from this computer.......why don't they upload from my new computer?  I will find out even if it takes me a year.  I will just have to keep playing.  In the meantime, I may entertain you or dismay you by posting pictures from our trip.

Just a little side note:  This morning I saw laundry hanging on a line; panties, socks, a top, and two pairs of jeans.  All swaying gently in the breeze on this beautiful fall day.  It was not a trashy home, but the whole symbol of those clothes hanging on the line, to me, just exuded love.  I just about had a moment....a moment as Blaine says "you just want to hug somebody".  I was having one of those moments where I just wanted to hug somebody.  I remember mom hanging clothes on the line and now, looking back through my rose colored glasses, I choose to recall it as mom loving us.  She might have thought it a necessity.  Either way, she did it.  She loved us.  Another little side note:  I hope all of you have one of those "just want to hug somebody" days.  I just want to hug somebody....that be you, Mom.

I love you.  

Route 66 Motel

If you read The Pioneer Woman's blog,

then you are familiar with her photographs

of the hotels she has frequented throughout

her many trips for book signings and TV appearances.

By the way, I just love that because

she is just an Oklahoma girl at heart and

things like nice hotel rooms tug at our hearts.

I thought it would be nice to show you

one of the hotels we stayed in on this last trip

This was in Tucumcari, NM.

You will notice the hubby's love for me had

no bounds when he sprang for this hotel.

He went all out on this one!

You will also notice we were able to park our plane

right at the gateway to paradise.

As you can see, our rental car was also able to park

within steps of the front door.

Here I am in some odd posture pose

ready to open the door to the

1970s unknown.

I still look happy.

Well, roll back the clock!  1970 for sure!

Despite my teasing about the room,

we actually got this room for $38 plus tax

and it was extremely clean.

This is exactly what the nicer hotels looked

like in 1972. 

We LOVED it!

We will hunt it up again if we are ever in the area again.

And the price wasn't a bad deal either.

Took the key back and now we

are ready to see the lights of

Oklahoma City -

looking mighty pretty.

Let's get going......

I think I have finally found a fix for my photo upload problem, but

it took some maneuvering.  We shall see if the photos look sharp when published.

Right now they don't look so hot.  If not, we will work on that another day.

I can't even remember how many posts I have posted today.

Please forgive me!

Good night all.

I love you! 

1990 Anyone?

Who wants to go with me right back to 1990?  You remember the time.  The time when computers were just written about in science magazines, rumored about at the office, and the declaration at every social gathering was ''Oh, we will never have a computer in our home.  We absolutely have no use for a computer."

Let me tell you right now that I HATE COMPUTERS!  I could really rant here, but.........  Oh go ahead Regina.  Thank you, I will.  I HATE COMPUTERS.  They are a menace to society.  OK, I need to calm down.  I think maybe computers have done more to raise my blood pressure than any other thing I have encountered in life. 

These machines have conned us into believing that we can't live without them.  We rely on them for our social life, our financial budget consultant, and our entertainment among other things.  And then just when they have us wrapped their little motherboards, they break, freeze up, stop downloading, and run so slow that you have time to change the baby's diaper, put a load of laundry in the washer, take the dog for a walk, and thaw a four pound roast. 

They have us!  We are in their hands and we HAVE TO HAVE them.  We need them, we cannot lie without them.  Then the time comes for a new computer.  Laptop is the best option for me so off we go to the nearest "Geek Store" hoping that one of those tattooed youngsters will have the patience to deal with a clueless 60-something.  When one of these youngsters can't avoid meeting my eye, he saunters over, and I can almost read his mind ''OH great, I am the one that is going to have to deal with this senile old woman.  Why does she need a computer anyway?" But he puts on a smile, or is it a smirk, and answer my inept computer questions.  It is then that I realize I don't know enough geek talk these days to ask intelligent questions. 

So here I set typing on this laptop that I call a MONSTER!  I ask you why did all those geeks think Windows needed to be changed/upgraded.  The 2006 Windows XP was all I needed.  Now my brain is going to have to engage, and folks it hasn't engaged since December 31, 2008.  

So even though I told you yesterday that I had mastered this thing, I have not.  Somehow a miracle occurred and I was able to upload one photograph, the one that you happened to see in the previous post.  I have no idea how that happened.  I have searched and investigated for the last three days and still I am clueless.  One lousy picture of myself uploaded and that was only a fluke or as I like to say, a miracle! 

So until I get this thing figured out, I will bore you only with my words, not pictures.  Who wants to go with me right back to 1990?  Back when we were wireless-less!  Back when we could only snoop into people's lives by peeping in their windows (house windows). 

1990 anyone?

I love you!

Maybe I Mastered One Thing Today????? Testing

Just Rambling Again Today

Today is one of those beautiful days.....one which is almost indescribable, but let me attempt to tell you what I feel.  Wish I were Zane Grey at this moment.... full of great adjectives.  I feel cozy all deep inside; like all is right with the world.  This morning's rumbling thunder is like music to my senses; a gentle rolling kind, not the scary, fearful kind.  I wanted to curl up in a blanket on the porch swing and wait for those drops of precious water the earth so desperately.  Then drop by drop it fell, until now when we have this gentle all day rain.  Oh, I hope it does just that! 

My house will soon fill with the aroma of a pot of Great Northern Beans cooking.  My Grandma Dawkins (I talk about her a lot, don't I.  She was the epitome of everything a grandmother should be.  She was love.) always had a pot of Northern Beans or Navy Beans simmering on the stove.  It has been a decade or more since I bought dried Northern Beans so I am going to give them a try again.  Even if we do not like them, I have only lost a few cents, but I have managed to create a delicious  smelling aroma.  Rain, OU/Texas game, simmering pot of beans, cornbread............ummmmmmm. 

Oh woe is me............the struggles of one inept woman learning the ins and outs of a new computer.  Kids, this thing jumps around and does all sorts of things of which I have no control.  In order for me not to be proven an idiot, I must master this thing........besides I have been griping for the last three years about the old one.  I CANNOT say scream "I want my old computer back!"  PRIDE!!!  (Did you know that computers do not come with manuals?  Do they not realize that everyone buying a computer is a 27 year old GEEK who nursed at the computer keyboard?  Even the 35-light string I bought yesterday came with an 8 page instruction guide, 8 pages I tell you, and I am not counting the pages in Spanish.)  Eventually...........  But boy, do I need my own personal geek squad.  Gone are the days when I could rely on my buddy Van to come to my rescue.  One of these days I need to blog about my friends from work.  I think now that I have been retired for 4 years and they don't read my blog anyway, I can get away with some zingers and laughs. 

The hubby and I have been talking about rain lately and we think it rained more when we were children.  Perhaps that memory is just a childhood memory, looking back so to speak, because I also remember how desperately we needed rain for the peanuts and rejoicing when it finally came.  Perhaps as children, we took things for granted.  Perhaps we didn't realize the impact of rain to the earth, to the crops, to our psychological well-being.  Well, now that we are grown up.........well, we are grown up........... 

I am going to try one more time to upload a picture or two, then I am giving up on the computer for the day.  So if you see a picture, you know I mastered one thing today.  If not..........well...........

I love you! 

Act Now

Good morning everybody.  Is it raining at your house?  It is a beautiful day here with showers now and again, but I am afraid they won't be around in another hour.  In fact, I would just about bet that the sun will shine soon.

Nonetheless, it is a day for reflection.  Today is the birthday of my hubby's cousin.  The unfortunate part of this story is that he passed away last year.  The unfortunate part is also the fact that the retirement plans of my hubby for him and his cousin went unfulfilled.  My hubby had great plans to reconnect with his cousin; head for the nearest fishing hole to spend some time reminiscing, lazing about on a still lake or a roaring river.  The fortunate part of that story for you and me is that there is still time to make connections if we act now. 

Act now!

I love you.  Feel free to connect with me.  I love you! 

Right now I am listening to Canon in D played on the piano by Michael Silverman.  Canon in D, morning of showers, cleaning my stove top...........what more could a girl ask for?

Ramblings Tonight

Ramblings tonight:

Rambling 1. Hello everybody.  Here I am again.  I can't seem to stay home long enough to actually blog, but am here tonight.  I am typing from a brand new computer and it is really a challenge so my post may be brief.  In fact I was deep into this post when I hit the X and the whole thing went away.  (OK, I knew better).  Who knew that in just a short, what?  7 years? that computers would change this much, and I am not talking about going from a PC to an Apple.  Nope this is a PC, too. 

Rambling 2.  We have been on vacation to my favorite place (other than Sam's Club), Red River, but this year which happens to also be our 40th anniversary year (and the hubby wants to know just how long I plan on making this 40th year last), we drove on up to Colorado.  I will have a blog soon about that trip.

Rambling 3.  This afternoon we went to the grocery store.  As the bagger loaded our groceries in the cart, she played me a compliment and told me how pretty my wedding ring was and she wanted to know how many carats it is.  I was taken aback and asked if she would repeat that question for I was sure she wanted to know something about carrots.  After her clarification, I knew she actually wanted to know the carats of my ring.  I told her less than a carat, around .92.  It was then her turn to be taken aback.  She told me she had never heard of that....how could it be less than one carat.  No diamond is less than one carat.  It definitely had to be more than that.  Then she held out her hand and declared hers was 10 carats.  Well.......what was I to say to that?  Sometimes one just has to hold ones tongue.  What good was it going to do for me to point our her ring was probably around .10 carat?  I guess her boyfriend really pulled one over on this young lady. 

Rambling 3.  A week ago I was having one of those moments..........ladies you know what I am talking about.  Nothing, nothing looks good.  Turning around from the dressing table I cupped my hands around my face from my eyes to my chin, and cried to my hubby.  "Look at this.  What is this?  I never used to have this.  I don't remember this being so long."  "Honey," he says, "that is a face."  Then he laughed, then I laughed.  All was well..................

Rambling 4.  All was well.............until I saw those vacation pictures.  All the pictures I took were great, but that hubby of mine was taking pictures of me taking pictures..........pics of my back side.  Whew.............now that brings up a whole new......."one of those moments".  When did that happen?  Just how much spinach artichoke dip, vinegar chips, chocolate dip cones, caramel apples, and pasta did I eat?!?  I guess I have been kidding myself for the last couple of years, telling myself I deserve that chip and dip.  Now is the time of reckoning.  

Rambling 5.  This Vice-Presidental debate.............nuf said.

Memory:  My brother told me once that my neck was as long as Mrs. Sutterfield, my grade school teacher.  I never forgot that......but I find it a charming memory.  I do have a long neck, but I prefer to describe it as stately.

Another memory:  I remember once I told my daddy that he looked like Judy the Elephant (at the Zoo), swaying from side the side, when he was leading singing at church.  I hurt my daddy's feelings.  I am so sorry about that.

I love you guys and I am glad to be home from a great, safe trip.

Living with an Engineer

Good morning everybody. 

I married a man..........a very practical and sensible man...........an engineer.  Have you met an engineer?  If so you know exactly what kind of man I am living with.  I don't know who came first, the sensible man or the engineer.  Did he get that engineering degree because he is practical and sensible and thought that would be a good field for him or did all those engineering classes somehow make him practical and sensible?

No matter, for I now have a house full of OLD, and I do mean, OLD appliances.  He man is a mechanical genius.  However.................  Here is my dilemma.  Nothing ever breaks enough for me to buy new appliances.  The man can fix anything and everything. 

Case in point:  My dishwasher is now 25 years old.  How do I remember that it is 25 years old?  Well, we have the paperwork.  Who doesn't keep paperwork of their 25 year old appliances?  Who even has 25 year old appliances?  We thought we were going to have company in October so I started wishing and looking at new dishwashers.........even though mine was working perfectly.  BUT, have you seen the price of a new dishwasher?  Really I could buy a cheaper model, but if I am going to keep it for the next 25 years, I want one with all the bells and whistles. 

Cool, I am getting a new one........but wait.........maybe I should hold off at least until Christmas.  After all, it doesn't look that bad.  Then, the unthinkable happened, the door broke............hubby to the rescue.  Fixed it!  Then the thing just would not start...........pushing buttons wouldn't help.........hubby to the rescue.  Fixed it again!  Then the door broke again..........hubby to the rescue.  Fixed it one MORE time!  Then it wouldn't start again.........hubby to the rescue.  Fixed that sucker ONE MORE TIME!  I mean really!!!!  Don't you think these are signs that I need to get a new dishwasher?  Don't ya????

To be truthful, we have saved so much money over the years with his talent and ability to make things work one more time.  I appreciate this man more than I can say.  So if you see old appliances in our home, just remember, it is because the man can fix it one more time.  We will waiting till after Christmas for a new dishwasher............maybe...........if he can fix it one more time.  (By the way, the dishwasher story is true.  That thing broke four times in as many days.  Hubby dreaded seeing me coming his way.)

I love you.