Monday, January 27, 2014

Stay Warm

Hello everybody.  What a cold day it has been and a cold night is settling in.  It is a cold 17 degrees out there right now with a strong wind and a possibility of a dusting of snow tomorrow morning.  .............and would you believe that tomorrow I am going to the doctor with my daughter, the only day this week I have something planned..............and I wouldn't have it any other way............except maybe no snow, no ice. 


Tonight I have settled down to look at the Talbot's and Cold Water Creek catalogs which came today, wishing and dreaming.....not unlike looking at Pinterest except I cannot enlarge the photos in the catalog and, when one is of a certain age, that can be a great tool.  Pinto beans are in the crockpot for tomorrow night's supper.............., the dog is asleep in his bed, and all is right with the world.


Isn't it nice that on the cold, bitterly cold, winter nights, we have a tight, warm home?  Isn't it nice that we have food, even if it is pinto beans?  Isn't it nice that we can run a warm, even hot bath?  I take so many things for granted.  God's blessings are great.


My Aunt Geneva told me a while back (and I have written about this before) that her cousin was born on a cold snowy night.  Grandma told her that on that cold night, the snow was blowing through the cracks of the walls and piling up on the covers.  Can you imagine the snow blowing in the house?  Now imagine snow accumulating on the covers while giving birth.  Yes, we are blessed.  Stay warm!


I love you.  Stay warm. 
















   

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Just Another Trip to Trader Joes

Good evening.  You know what they say, a mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child.  I am here to tell you that is true, but I am here to tell you that, tonight, I am one happy woman.  My daughter called me, laughing, to tell me about her day.  Then, not more than five minutes later, her brother called, and he, too, was laughing and telling me how good he was and how he had missed me.  He even called on my phone, my private phone……..not the hubby’s, but my phone.  He called to talk to his mom……….the prodigal son…….aw.

 

So now I feel like blogging.  (laughter inserted).  I haven’t blogged in a while due to various things, among them being a trip to Dallas.  And since it is my blog and since I have nothing interesting to write about tonight, I am going to bore you with the details of my grocery shopping trip. 

 

It is a good thing I went to Texas because I was starving to death………..there are no grocery stores here in Oklahoma you know.  Yes, we were pretty hungry on Blackjack Ridge Road.  Good thing we found Trader Joes.  Now we shall have food for a week.  I say all this with tongue in cheek, but seriously, have you been there………Trader Joes?  If not, you must hit I35 and head to Preston Road.  It is a destination!!!!!!!!!  When we drove up, it was ‘TA DAH’.  We have finally arrived!  Everybody had their favorite thing about the weekend, but I must say that Trader Joes was my favorite shopping spot. 

Trader Joe 002

 

Just look at those goodies.  Left to right (sort of):  I have already tried the Lavender Salt Scrub.  It smells so good, and feels even better on the skin.  And the dryer sheets………haven’t used those yet, but I have read that they really are good to put between your linens.  That is where I will use them first, between my towels.  I don’t know about you, but after my towels have been stored for a while, they need refreshing.  If company comes and I have time in advance, I rewash my towels even though they haven’t been off the shelf.  I love my lavender soap and my lavender hand soap…………I think I have a lavender weakness.

 

The Cookie Butter and the Cookie Crunch butter is so good………..so good that I cannot have it in my house so it went to the pregnant girl.  She gets the Sesame Seed Sticks, too, but the dark chocolate covered fruit bits are MINE!  And who doesn’t get a tube of polenta when they visit a grocery store in another state?  And Lemon Curd?  I don’t even know what I am going to do with that, but it looked like something I needed at the time.  And Coconut Oil…….everybody needs coconut oil.  And oh my gosh……………you will have to go to Trader Joes just to get these delicious, and I do mean delicious, milk chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels.  Oh my gosh I ate that whole bag myself……..me, ALONE.   

Trader Joe 003

Look at the bottles of olive oil I got……..touted to be a consumer favorite according to the Wall Street Journal and who can argue the Wall Street Journal?  I have used some already and, while I like it and the price was great, I have had better tasting olive oil.  This is a bit peppery, but to be honest, I was told that either on the bottle or on the sign at the store………..so I got exactly what I was expecting.  See the jars of crushed garlic………I will find that handy since I tend to let fresh garlic ruin before I finish a pod.  Of course I had to get a couple jars green enchilada sauce.  And……….chocolate chips………..had to see if they were better than Nestlé's Chocolate Chips………..they aren’t.  And look at all that cheese…………I HATE BLUE CHEESE and I don’t care who knows it…………..BUT I had to try the Blue Castello………….oh my, I will never like blue cheese, but I LOVE THIS CHEESE.  In fact I ate the whole wedge with a spoon.  It is creamy like butter, but very salty and tangy.  The hubby ate the entire block of Stilton with apricots.  All the others are still here waiting on someone to cut them open.  We will probably try those with that block of pâté on Super Bowl Sunday. 

Trader Joe 011

Trader Joe 010

Well that was my trip to Trader Joes….just another trip to Trader Joes, but it was a lot of fun.  Who knew that just four short aisles could hold so much pleasure for me.  And as much fun as Trader Joes was, being with an old friend and a couple of new friends was even better. 

 

Hope you enjoyed reliving my grocery store finds…………..try to go to Trader Joes just once in your life, but go with an open mind……….yes, it is only a grocery store, but lots of fun.  Next time I am taking some dry ice just to bring home some pot stickers.

 

I love you.  See you later………….

Thursday, January 9, 2014

I Hit That Rock

This morning I had a sinking feeling over something that happened 48 years ago.  We were driving down 29th Street and pulled along side a large white truck with barbed wire stenciled down the side.  Hubby said, "Who in the world would want a barb wire stencil on their truck?"  That led me to tell him about an incident that happened in 1966.


Turn back the clock.............there I am.............right in the kitchen...........1966 ............the year my parents bought their first brand new car.  1966 Ford Galaxy.............the body style was beautiful.  It was the car I got to sport around town once in a while, my senior year; the car we were all proud of especially my parents.  Mom and Dad were across the pasture doing some chore, I know not what.  It was just about dusk.  We kids were there at the house doing homework and cleaning up the kitchen after supper.  All of a sudden the faucet blew up.  I mean exploded.  Water was spewing everywhere.  I jumped in our brand new car to alert Mom and Dad.  You'd be surprised how fast you can back up, turn the car around and head up the old gravel driveway.  I had no time to loose.................  Oops, I totally forgot about the electric barb wire fence that was strung across the driveway..............until I had totally run right under it.  Yeah, that one string barb wire fence didn't break, it just rode right over the top of the brand new car.  Yes, you are right.  There were scratches from the hood right over the windshield, over the top and right down the truck............on our brand new car.


To this day, I feel horrible recalling this story.  I knew how much they sacrificed to finally get a new car.  They were upset about those scratches, and I remember them talking to me about it.  I also remember them forgiving me because I was on a mission to stop the flooding in the kitchen, not to mention trying to stop the well from running dry.


Another little memory happened on the way home from church one dark Sunday night.  I was 16.  I was driving, Mom was in the middle, and Daddy on the passenger side.  "Watch out for that rock.  Don't hit that rock!  Don't hit that rock", dad exclaimed!  "Regina, why did you hit that rock?"  I have no idea what happened to me that night.  I saw the rock in plenty of time to avoid it.  I heard Dad tell me not to hit the rock.  I even saw him flinch and grab the dash, but for some reason the die was cast.  I was going to hit that rock. I was going to hit it no matter what.  I had no control over that car.  It was like I was in a slow motion dream.  I lined up to hit that boulder square between the front two tires.  It made contact just about the middle of the car.  I was going to hit that rock.  I hit that rock.  (I might add that it was the car prior to the 1966 Ford Galaxy.  I might also add that the car was out of alignment after that incident............all due to me being sucked up in some sort of 5th dimension on that dark Sunday night.) 


I hit that rock!


I love you. 



Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Did We Eat

Whew.............Did we eat????????????


A few days ago my favorite people spent the night with us.  They are such a delight.  I have wondered over their brief years on earth whether I would or even could love them more than I did when they were babies.  Would they become just pesky little boys?  Would they be smart mouthed?  Would they be annoying?  Would they play together?  I am here to tell you that I love them much more than I did when they were babies which I was pretty sure would not be the case.  They are the sweetest children.  I give credit to God, my daughter, and my son-in-law for my well-behaved, sweet grandchildren.  And yes, they play together.


The boys came over with the idea and desire to go to Long John Silver's for dinner.  That afternoon while they were playing with the vinegar and baking soda...........try it, especially if you have boys, I teased them about going to Golden Corral instead of their beloved LJS.  Now let me explain.  I was teasing them expecting them to turn up their noses and give me a little flack about not going to LJS.  My first thought was I would tell them we were taking them someplace they would NOT like, but the first thing out of my mouth was Red Lobster and they were all over that so I ate crow and said, no not tonight.  I then thought I would say some Chinese place, but what came out of my mouth was Golden Corral.  That is what happens to me these days..........something very foreign comes out of my mouth than what I thought in my mind.  I tease.......but it isn't too far from the truth.


You know where we went?  Golden Corral.  Once they looked online at the menu, they were determined to try out the chocolate cake.  Yes, we took a 6 year old and a 9 year old to eat buffet.  I know there are plenty of folks out there that would let children this age free to forage their own dinner, but not this Nana or Grandpa.  Both wanted to fill their plates themselves, and they did, but not without up close supervision from their grandparents. 


By the time we got our own plates filled, they were finishing up.  How can a 6 year old eat a slice of pizza and a taco that quickly?  We kept them at the table for a while so we could eat a bite, but the dessert bar was just too much for them.  All those pies, cakes, cookies, mousses, cheese cakes, Jello, fruit, ice cream, both soft serve chocolate, vanilla, and swirl, and 8 different dipped flavors were very tempting to my little boys.  BUT FORGET THOSE!  Bring on the chocolate fountain, the white chocolate fountain, the caramel fountain, the strawberries ripe for dipping, marshmallows, apples, and COTTON CANDY.  Don't all restaurants have COTTON CANDY?? 


Who needs to eat anyway?  Let's get dessert; let's get them sugared up. 

They had us hopping that night, but I am not complaining.  We didn't need to eat.  It was much more fun just watching them...........all that food just waiting for them..........all that CHOCOLATE!  They were so excited and sugared up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  They laughed all the way home.  And we laughed, too.  On the way home, the hubby looked over at me, laughed, and asked "Did we eat?" 


Moral of the story:  Don't take little boys to the buffet and expect to eat yourselves. 


They are still talking about the "chocolate water fountain", and the McNana they had the next morning for breakfast.  Who knew that a homemade breakfast sandwich from Nana would be such a treat?  We will be going to Golden Corral again! 


Did we eat?


I love you.











Monday, January 6, 2014

This Cold?!? It's Not so Bad

It is cold out there!  My thermometer read 9 degrees just a few minutes ago, but now it is a balmy 12 degrees.  Warming up fast now.  Aw, I remember the "good old days"............sometimes the not so "good old days", especially those cold winter night days.  If you lived at our house you might hear:

"Go to the well house and turn on the light."  That little lone light would make all the difference between water in the morning or none.  It was a inconvenience, but a slight one when compared to turning on the water and nothing, not even cold water........

"Get your coat on, we have to go break the ice for the cows."  Usually this was a chore for Robert and Daddy.  A cold one for sure, but when you raise cattle, it has to be done.  I remember Mom and Robert doing this many times before Daddy came home from work.  My mother was a saint, a blessed saint and she loved my daddy. 

"Make sure you have on your gloves.  I need all of you to help feed the cows."  Yes, this is another chore that has to be done if you have cattle.  No getting around it because there is definitely no grass for cattle in the winter especially on those bitterly cold days; like today.  And it seemed to me that there was always a baby something out there that needed our attention; baby pigs, new born calves, a puppy....something that needed to be wrapped and protected. 

"Turn on the heater in your room, Regina."  Yes, I had a gas heater in my room, lucky, lucky me.  My room and the bathroom were the only two rooms with a heater besides the living room stove and the gas cooking stove in the kitchen.  It was so nice to have a toasty warm room especially when your feet hit the floor at 6:30 in the morning.  Again, I was lucky.

"Leave the cabinet doors open and let the water drip."  The weather forecasters still us to leave the cabinet doors open.

"We have to wrap the pipes."  Without even a thought of guilt we kids would be snug around the stove while my folks would be off in other parts of the house and outside wrapping those pipes.  I now have a greater appreciation for all that my parents did to make our lives comfortable.

It's not pleasant............all this cold..........but I remember a time when it was much more unpleasant than today.  I am blessed that I can go in any room of my house, day or night, and be comfortable.  I have soft cushiony carpet so that my feet don't hit the bare floor.  As I type, I hear the soft whir of warm air surging through the vents.  I have a nice fireplace on those cold night when we might loose power.  My oven is ready in an instant for the quiche I plan to make later. 

No, we don't nave to open the cabinet doors.........or let the water drip.........or turn the light on in the well house..........or chip ice for the cattle to drink from the pond.........or wrap the pipes.........or turn on the heater in the back room.  But I kind of miss not having a stove where I can raise my night gown and back up to warm my legs.  Beat red warm legs...........now scamper off to bed.  And I miss that old iron that Grandma Dawkins had.  On winter nights when I'd stay with her, she'd warm that old cast iron on the stove, wrap it in a towel, and put it in the bed for our feet.

This cold?!?  It's not so bad.

I love you.       






Thursday, January 2, 2014

Hand Me a Dust Cloth

Good morning all.  I have been checking out Pinterest this morning.  I am going to lay it on straight right here and now................TERRACOTTA POTS ARE NEVER GOING TO LOOK GOOD PLACED IN RUSTED BED SPRING COILS.  NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.  Just because you found some coils underneath the garage you are tearing down doesn't automatically make them an item you should use for decoration.  PERIOD.  Wow, I needed to get that off my chest.  I love Pinterest for interesting ideas or tips, and even love the old rusted architectural details that a lot of the bloggers use; however, some of these need the helping hand of an actual decorator before actually being pinned on Pinterest.  Everyone to their own taste I guess.  By the way, I AM NOT the decorator police.  My opinion means nothing so go ahead and do your thing.   

Speaking of taste, I am one of those people who embrace new styles just as they are going out of style.  I was in on the end of the shag rug era.........therefore, I was left with the ugly shag rug long after it went out of style.  I embraced darker wall covers just as lighter walls became the rage.  Just yesterday I read where lighter cabinets and lighter flooring are changing over to darker, wood stained colors.  And........I am holding my breath in protest..........granite countertops are going by the wayside in lieu of less maintenance options.  What's next, stained woodwork?  Carpet instead of wood flooring?

So I hang my head in shame remembering the old shag carpet and I don't want to repaint my dark bedroom a lighter color.  That would give me NO excuse to sleep late.  My newly decorated kitchen will remain.  I doubt the hubby would embrace the notion of redoing it again.  And my granite countertops.............NEVER.  PERIOD.  NEVER.  I may take a little longer, however, making the decision to paint my stained woodwork.  Carpet...........I guess we are married for life.

That's enough of me yammering this morning.  I have things to do, like maintaining my granite countertops.  It's a labor of love.  Hand me a dust cloth.

I love you. 





Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Twenty-Fourteen - Here We are!

2014!  Can you believe that?  Even in the year 1999, I couldn't imagine how we would pronounce these 2000 years.  Would we say......Twenty-Fourteen, Two Thousand and Fourteen???????  Nonetheless, here we are in the year 2014!  Twenty-Fourteen.  And not one person is wearing the Jetson costume I envisioned back in the 60s.  Remember that cartoon, the Jetson's?  Grandpa Dawkins always watched it. 

The new year began sometime around midnight last night, right before the fireworks around my neighborhood.  Now it is time for the resolutions.  I never have kept a resolution.  Have you?  But in the spirit of the new year, I am going to spell out a few things I am going to try.  Notice I said going to try.  In no particular order of importance (OKAY, nothing I write is ever important), I am going to try to:

1.  be a nice person.  This is something I have tried to do all my life, but the year I retired I wanted to make a point of being nicer.  I never want to be one of those cranky seniors I often see.  You know what?  Life is much easier this way.  Clerks CAN be sweet if you are sweet to them first.

2.  eat more healthily.  Notice I did not say loose weight, but just eat more vegetables and fruits.  I have decided that I look pretty good for my age so now I am in that maintenance stage.  I wear rose colored glasses.   

3.  be a more fun Nana.  I am going to put on a clown suit and blow up balloons.  Just kidding!  My kids think I am nuts anyway so I won't have to go crazy here.

4.  not be on the computer, iPad, or iPhone as much as I was in 2013.  I am realizing that looking fourteen times a day at my email account may not be healthy. 

5.  be a comfort to a special friend who needs me.  Sometimes I feel very overwhelmed as to how to help someone when they need comfort.  I don't know what to say or what to do.  A few day ago, I had an epiphany.  If I can distract someone from their constant pain or sickness, then I need to do that....be with them for a period of time.  The pain will not be lessened nor the sickness gone, but maybe they can be distracted from them for a little while.  

6.  give myself manicures more often.  I love beautiful nail polish and if not now, when AM I going to try purple or maybe turquoise?

7.  try a new recipe every couple of weeks.  Now don't get me wrong, I am not going to try every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook, but when I see something interesting I am going to turn on the heat.

8.  stress less.  So many things are out of my control or none of my business or the horse is already out of the barn.  I hope to let these things go.  God just has to be in control. 

9.  go to more movies.  I love to go to the movie theater.  Love it!  So why don't we go more often?

10.  walk a little bit.  I bet you thought I was not going to include exercise at all.  Here it is, exercise or walk or perhaps just get up once in a while.

So there are ten things I am going to try.  Nothing life altering, nothing that will be much of an exertion on my part.......well maybe the walking. 

Twenty-Fourteen - here we are.

Remember when there were only four or five bowl games and they were all played on either New Years Eve or New Years Day?  Rose, Sugar, Cotton, and Orange bowls were all I remember back in the day.  Now we have four or five a day for ten days. 

Memory:  I remember going to one of my aunt's house for New Years Day every year as a child.  We'd watch the bowl games together.  One particular time, we were at Aunt Wilma's in Shawnee.  She had French Onion Dip and I ate so much that I got sick and didn't eat French Onion dip for at least 20 years after that.  Now I love it again.

I love you. 

Autumn

Cherri

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