Good Tuesday morning!
ANNOUNCEMENT, ANNOUNCEMENT - Hey, guys! The total for August (number of hits on A Simple Life) was 1,191!!! YEA! Thanks again for helping me reach my goal.
The Gallery pics are once again of Roxie's volleyball game. Mike and I are having to divide and conquer Monday nights because Josh plays his JV game the same time Roxie plays her volleyball games. Mike went to Thompson last night, and I'll get to go to his game in two weeks. We'll just have to trade off.
Roxie's team won both of their matches against Irondale and Bottenfield. The Gardendale JV team also won 26-13 against Thompson. Josh played several times during the evening and even made a tackle. They called out his number (92), but the announcer didn't have the roster so they couldn't say, "Tackle made by Faulkner Number 92" over the loudspeaker. We're so proud of him. One day at a time... one day at a time.
NOTE TO LEANNA - I didn't raise him to be a well-balanced, able-to-live-on-his-own, happy individual. I raised him to be a very miserable, I-never-want-to-leave-home-and-I'll-die-if-you-try-to-make-me, dependent kind of person. I don't know where I went wrong. (But happy or not... he's wiping that silly grin off his face next week when he leaves the house. There are some things you just have to learn to fake!)
Topic of the Day - Everyone Has a Story
I know I said I had two topics this week, but it has sort of turned into three little ones. If you'll bear with me, maybe one day I'll let you pick the topic for the week... or not.
I had the privilege of meeting several new people last week, which is very rare for me. I've known the same people for decades now, some better than others. And for me to meet AND talk to AND get to know several people in a period of two or three days is pretty amazing (Code for ODD).
Three of these women touched my heart with their stories. The stories of their lives. The stories of their families. The stories of their struggles. The stories of their perseverance. They were inspiring. And all I had to do was listen.
It has just been in recent months I've been able to focus and listen for any length of time to other people. One of my doctors said it wasn't unusual, and through the isolation of Josh's illness, I lost some of my own social skills. Although I tried to concentrate on what another person was saying, after a few minutes I would literally get a headache trying to keep eye contact with the person. It was exhausting. And I felt terrible because it seemed a very selfish way to behave. (As I said, I have improved over the last few months, but I'm still not where I need to be.)
When the idea first came to me to start A Simple Life, my main reason for doing so was to be able to talk to someone... anyone out in cyberspace. It didn't matter. I just needed to say something to someone every day. I needed to tell my story. It didn't matter if it was incredibly interesting or moving or poignant or funny. I just needed to talk... and talk a lot.
DISCLAIMER - In saying the above, it doesn't mean that Mikie wasn't a sounding board for me the past four years. He was, is and will always be my main confidante. That being said, it's a lot of pressure for a man to be the ONLY person his wife can ever talk to. And that's not even taking into account the fact he's a guy and he doesn't even understand some of the girl stuff I'm going through. (Can you say peri-menopause?) He did great, but it was too big a job for him alone.
ANOTHER DISCLAIMER - Also in saying the above, it doesn't mean I didn't pray or have conversations with God during the past four years. I most certainly did. And he answered so many of my prayers in astounding ways. But, being a woman created by God, there was a need to talk to other women. Girls are made that way. God made us that way for a reason.
In talking about stories, I just want to point out everyone has a story... and not just any old story, but a story worth sharing. Most people are like me... they just need someone who will listen. And that being said, I know I NEED to become a better listener. There is so much to gain from listening.
There is comfort in knowing you're not the only one going through a similar difficult time. There is joy in knowing there are people who think the same way you do. And there is a great, great release when the person you've been listening to stops to let you have a turn to share.
I was thinking about Steel Magnolias earlier this week. Dolly Parton's character (the town hairdresser) was talking to one of the other ladies about Annelle (Darryl Hannah's character). When Dolly was asked questions about Annelle's history she couldn't answer yet, she replied, "I don't know, but I think there's a story there."
There's a story in all of us. We just need to find the right friend to listen... and then return the favor by listening to their story as well.
"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19.
Easy Dips and Cinnamon Minis
The following little recipes are from one of the books I mentioned during the last two Fridays, Cooking Up Fun in the Kitchen by Emilie Barnes. These are easy enough for your child to prepare with just a little supervision from mom.
Nut 'n' Honey Dip
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. This dip is great for apples, pears and carrot sticks. You can also try spreading it on bread and eating it as a sandwich.
Sweet Cream Dip
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1/3 cup undiluted apple juice or orange juice concentrate
Pinch of cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons chopped pecans (optional)
Put cream cheese in a bowl and mash it with a fork until it is smooth. Stir in juice, nuts and cinnamon and stir until combined. Try this one with pineapple chunks, strawberries, bananas and grapes.
Chocolate-Berry Dip
1 can prepared chocolate frosting
1/2 jar raspberry or strawberry jam
1. Spoon frosting and jam together into the bowl or cup.
2. Microwave on high about 3 to 4 minutes or until the jam is dissolved, stopping the microwave every minute to stir.
3. When the frosting and jam are completely mixed, put the bowl into the refrigerator to chill. This dip is great with berries and cherries, or try dipping vanilla cookies or angel-food cake chunks.
Cinnamon Minis
1 package refrigerated biscuit dough (the kind that comes in a round can in the dairy case)
1 stick butter, softened
3 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
A little flour for rolling the dough
1/2 cup powdered sugar for icing
Water
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle a little flour on the surface where you are going to roll the biscuits and on the rolling pin. Tear off a sheet of waxed paper and put it on another counter.
2. Open the can of refrigerated biscuit dough and take out one of the biscuits. Put it on the rolling surface and roll it flat with the rolling pin. Don't worry if it rolls around the pin; just peel it off. Pretty soon you'll have a flat, oval pancake.
3. When the biscuit is pretty flat, pick it up and stretch it with your fingers until it's a rectangle instead of an oval. Pull at the corners. You want a rectangle about the size of a 3 x 5 index cared. Put it down on the waxed paper and spread it thickly with softened butter.
4. Mix the cinnamon and granulated sugar together in a bowl. With a spoon, carefully spoon some of this mixture onto the flattened-out biscuit. Try to sprinkle it evenly and thickly and cover the whole biscuit up to the edge.
5. Start at one of the short edges of the biscuit rectangle and carefully roll it up into a sausage shape. Lay it on the waxed paper with the "seam" down and gently stretch it with your fingers to make it a little longer and skinnier. Then use a sharp knife to cut the "sausage" into 6 pieces. Pick them up with your fingers and put them around the edge of an ungreased cake pan, sides touching. Don't worry if one of them "unwinds"; just roll it back up again.
6. If you want a Cinnamon Mini snack, you can go ahead and bake these six now. If you're cooking for a crowd, repeat steps 2 through 5 until you've used up all the biscuits. You will fill the whole of one cake pan and maybe part of another. Let them touch, but don't crowd them.
7. Bake your pan of Cinnamon Minis for about 8 minutes, until they are puffed up and golden brown. Take them from the oven and put on a heatproof surface to cool while you make the icing.
8. To make Cinnamon Mini icing, put 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add a few teaspoons of water and stir with a wire whisk. Add more water a little at a time, stirring after every addition, until you have a thick white frosting. (It doesn't take much water.) When the icing is mixed, use a knife to dot a little on every warm Cinnamon Mini. Let the icing set, then use a spatula to remove them from the pan to a serving tray.
And that's just a small sampling of the good stuff in all of the Emilie Barnes books. Enjoy a dip today!
Have a lovely Tuesday. In case you missed the news, it is in the 50s outside this morning... FALL WEATHER. Just a tease... I know, I know. But I still don't want to miss it. We may have chili tonight... from my Power Cooking Class... that I talked about on Monday. (I'll have to make my own cornbread, but I'm not complaining. I know I sound like it, but I'm really not!) Check in tomorrow for a Seasonal Tradition, another challenge for ALL of us (me included), and a little randomness here and there.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Unexpected Event Party
Good Monday morning!
NOTE TO LEANNA - Yes, I know the lingo. However, I do not know what the lingo means. Do not worry. The old Belinda is still in there. The one who gets extremely bored and irate if she has to listen to any conversation which contains mechanical, technical, plumbing, electrical, painting, repairing, etc. terms and/or "lingo." Please, LeAnna, please. Don't think because I used the word "server" correctly in a sentence it means you (or anyone else we know) can now come up to me and talk in detail about home repair or car shopping or gutter replacement. It just ain't so. All I want to talk about is you and your kids and your vacation and what you did this weekend and what you're going to do next weekend (and did I say your kids?)... That's all. It's still me. Enchanting, yes. But still the same ol' Belinda.
NOTE TO NEWBIES - As always, if you are new to the blog, read the post dated August 8. It will tell you how things work around here. The only thing I've added since writing the post is Belinda's Project 365 under My Blog List in the sidebar. Basically, it is a picture a day for 365 days depicting my life. It's just something different to do, and I decided to start August 26, 2009 to chronicle my 48th year of life.
The Showcase Pic is of the Faulkner Five in front of the outdoor fireplace at Brio's. That's why we're "divided." We didn't have a huge fight in the restaurant. (Just a little one.) We're divided to show the fireplace with the fire going in the middle of August. Only in Alabama.
The Gallery Pics are of two weekend events... There are several from the Brio's lunch, but the rest are from the Power Cooking Class I took Friday morning at Lana Smothers' home.
It was a wonderful experience. There were five women (including Lana) participating. We made six freezer meals apiece for a total of $60. (That's six meals which serve four for $10 apiece.) You can't beat that! Lana did everything... all of the grocery shopping, prepared all of the stations for us to assemble the meals, and browned all the ground beef beforehand with some help from her sweet friends, Nicole and Wendy. (Wendy unfortunately was unable to join us, so I didn't get to meet her... yet.) All we had to do was move from station to station, add the ingredients in huge bowls and when we were done, pour the ingredients into our bags. The class was supposed to last four hours, but we finished a little earlier. (I'm assuming because we were such good students!)
Lana is a Pampered Chef Consultant and everything we used (from the can opener to the garlic press... both of which are so much fun to use) was a Pampered Chef product. However, there were no sales pitches given. If we wanted something we didn't already have, fine. She was glad to order it for us. But Lana does this because it is one of her many gifts. She has the gift of hospitality, the gift of organization (administration), and the gift of compassion. She prepared six of the meals for people in the future who may need dinner because of illness, a death in the family, etc.
(I, on the other hand, took my six bags and went home. I have the gift of self-preservation!)
It was a great time of fellowship with other women. I feel I know Amy and Tracy a hundred times better than before, and I met a new friend, Nicole. I say all of this to encourage you to go to one of these classes if you ever get the opportunity. Lana will host these classes from time to time (in her own home), but they are small classes so it is on a first come/first serve basis. I'm going to leave Lana's info below, and if you're interested in being contacted for the next class, just drop her an e-mail and she'll keep your name on a list.
LANA, PUT MY NAME ON THE LIST FIRST! Now, here is the rest of her info: Lana Smothers at cookwithlana@yahoo.com or www.pamperedchef.biz/LanaSmothers.
Topic of the Day - Busy, Busy, Busy
I know I already said I had a topic for this week, but now I have two. I'm going to briefly talk about one today, and start the new one tomorrow. Both of the topics are near and dear to my heart. They are things I feel passionately about, and so I'll talk a little, and then we'll move on to our party for today.
Our family is busy during the fall, but even more so this particular fall. I have never liked being too busy. It makes me feel rushed, overwhelmed and need I say... panicky. It's definitely a time for me to put my newly acquired "one day at a time" skills to work. If I think of the week as a whole, I can easily end up in the bathroom floor breathing into a paper bag (or worse yet, in the ER hooked up to heart monitors and oxygen).
I've checked my "busy basket" a few months early (I usually do inventory in January and June), and I'm not the problem. It's definitely the kids' schedules. However, since I am the mother-unit of the Faulkner Five, it is up to me to help them with their "busy baskets." (For those of you who are just joining us, that's my phrase for the extras in life... football, band, volleyball, dance, choir, extra credit projects, Sunday School socials, etc., etc., etc.) NONE of the things listed are bad things. In fact, all of them are very good things which can have very positive impact in your child's life. But too much of one good thing tends to lead to an unbalanced (very, very bad word) life.
Roxie's "busy basket" has already been tweaked. Although we have to finish commitments (and finish them well), we can both see things we can do differently for next fall. Josh's "basket" is a little trickier, but his load can be lightened, also.
For the record, Austin is the King of not having a full "busy basket." He will not commit to anything he feels might overload him. It was a skill with which he was born. He never ran from toy to toy to toy. He played with his animals for days before he moved on to his Power Ranger action figures. He also would protest LOUDLY if and when things were too busy for his taste. (It's good to be King.)
I was reading a sidebar in my Bible during the message yesterday morning about Martha, and I want to share it with you today.
"Will all the Marthas in the room please raise your hands? Yes, God sees all those hands! After all, women are taught to be 'do-ers,' not 'be-ers.' When house guests show up, women shift into fifth gear. When someone stays overnight, women do more laps around the house than a car at the Indy 500.
"Unfortunately, this scenario can apply to women spiritually as well as literally. Once women slip into their 'doing' gear, many have trouble downshifting -- ever. Being quiet and contemplative makes them feel guilty -- shouldn't they be doing something for someone somewhere? In Mary-fashion, we need to learn to hear God calling us away from our tasks for a pit stop. At Jesus' feet we'll be refueled. Then we can dash off to 'Martha' the world that awaits us." Luke 10:38-42.
Wow! And by being "Marthas," we are teaching our kids by example to fill up those "busy baskets."
I have a challenge for the blog readers (AND ME) this week. Let's make an ENORMOUS effort (together) to let our kids see us take a pit stop. I mean (very literally) let them see us stop in our busy day to spend some time at Jesus' feet. I know many women read their Bibles and have their quiet time before the kids get up in the morning or after they go to school. We don't need to stop doing that, but we do NEED to let them see us stop, be still and listen to God. That's definitely a lesson worth teaching the kiddos.
Unexpected Event Party
This party was taken from one of my favorite party books EVER, Parties With a Purpose by Karol Ladd.
Surprise parties are always fun, especially if the guests are the ones being surprised. Send party invitations to the parents of the guests instructing them to have their children prepared. The date and event will remain a secret to the kids. At the appointed hour, the guests will be picked up for the party. The theme comes from Matthew 24:36-44, which says concerning the Son of Man, "But of that day and hour no one knows."
Suggested size - 5 to 12 kids
Suggested age - 10 to 15 years-old
Suggested time - Evening may be best
Start off by decorating the car. Attach crepe paper streamers to the antenna, mirrors and fender. Write the word "surprise" on the windows using white shoe polish. Attach some balloons to the outside of the car, too.
SCHEDULE
20 to 50 minutes - Gather the guests
60 minutes - Eat and talk (restaurant or home)
40 minutes - Party activity
20 to 50 minutes - Take the guests home
GREAT PIPELINE
Give each player a 9" x 12" sheet of construction paper and two paper clips. You will need two small balls made from crumpled paper or foil. Tell the players to roll their papers into cylinders and fasten with paper clips.
Separate the players into two teams by counting off. Have them stand in two parallel lines and tell them to hold their paper cylinders end to end to create a long pipe. When you give the signal, the first player on each team will drop the ball into the end of their pipe. The team members must jiggle the balls from one cylinder to the next. If the ball drops on the floor, the last person to have the ball must pick it up and try again. When the ball gets to the end, then it is passed back to the start again. The first team to get the ball to the start wins.
FORCE FIELD
Tie a rope from one side of the room to the other to divide the room in half. The rope should be about three feet off the floor. Gather everyone on one side of the rope. From the rope to the floor will be an electric force field. Players who accidentally touch it are zapped with electricity and must fall to the floor and remain there for the rest of the game.
The object of the game is to get everyone from one side of the rope to the other without getting zapped. The problem requires group cooperation. Players cannot go under the rope or try to jump the height, but must work together to lift each other carefully over the force field. Only one object can be used to help, such as a chair or desk or small table. Be careful that players do not throw each other over the force field and that the last person doesn't dive over it.
DEVOTION
After the kids have eaten and played games, ask them if they enjoyed being surprised. You will find that some loved it and others didn't like the element of surprise. Ask the kids if they realize the Bible says that Jesus will return one day. Tell them that it also says that we do not know the day or the hour, only God knows. Then say, "God does tell us to be ready for His coming, even though we do not know the day or time. He will gather us together with Him in the clouds. How glorious that will be!" Ask the ones who did not like the surprise if it was because they weren't ready.
Read Matthew 24:31, 36-44 to the group to give them a clearer picture of Jesus' return. Use this opportunity to tell the group that it is only those who have believed in Jesus who will be gathered to Him. Ask the kids how they can be prepared for the return of Jesus.
OTHER IDEAS FOR AFTER EATING
Gym
Flag football
Bowling
Roller skating
Old movies
Great party. Great message. Great way to get the message across to the kids.
Since this isn't a birthday party, you should feel free to ask the other parents to send money to cover their child's dinner if you eat at a restaurant, go to the movies, etc. The cost would be minimal for such a wonderful lesson.
Have a great Monday. Tomorrow I have a delicious dessert recipe for you to try. We have a lot to cover on the old blog this week, so don't miss a day!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
NOTE TO LEANNA - Yes, I know the lingo. However, I do not know what the lingo means. Do not worry. The old Belinda is still in there. The one who gets extremely bored and irate if she has to listen to any conversation which contains mechanical, technical, plumbing, electrical, painting, repairing, etc. terms and/or "lingo." Please, LeAnna, please. Don't think because I used the word "server" correctly in a sentence it means you (or anyone else we know) can now come up to me and talk in detail about home repair or car shopping or gutter replacement. It just ain't so. All I want to talk about is you and your kids and your vacation and what you did this weekend and what you're going to do next weekend (and did I say your kids?)... That's all. It's still me. Enchanting, yes. But still the same ol' Belinda.
NOTE TO NEWBIES - As always, if you are new to the blog, read the post dated August 8. It will tell you how things work around here. The only thing I've added since writing the post is Belinda's Project 365 under My Blog List in the sidebar. Basically, it is a picture a day for 365 days depicting my life. It's just something different to do, and I decided to start August 26, 2009 to chronicle my 48th year of life.
The Showcase Pic is of the Faulkner Five in front of the outdoor fireplace at Brio's. That's why we're "divided." We didn't have a huge fight in the restaurant. (Just a little one.) We're divided to show the fireplace with the fire going in the middle of August. Only in Alabama.
The Gallery Pics are of two weekend events... There are several from the Brio's lunch, but the rest are from the Power Cooking Class I took Friday morning at Lana Smothers' home.
It was a wonderful experience. There were five women (including Lana) participating. We made six freezer meals apiece for a total of $60. (That's six meals which serve four for $10 apiece.) You can't beat that! Lana did everything... all of the grocery shopping, prepared all of the stations for us to assemble the meals, and browned all the ground beef beforehand with some help from her sweet friends, Nicole and Wendy. (Wendy unfortunately was unable to join us, so I didn't get to meet her... yet.) All we had to do was move from station to station, add the ingredients in huge bowls and when we were done, pour the ingredients into our bags. The class was supposed to last four hours, but we finished a little earlier. (I'm assuming because we were such good students!)
Lana is a Pampered Chef Consultant and everything we used (from the can opener to the garlic press... both of which are so much fun to use) was a Pampered Chef product. However, there were no sales pitches given. If we wanted something we didn't already have, fine. She was glad to order it for us. But Lana does this because it is one of her many gifts. She has the gift of hospitality, the gift of organization (administration), and the gift of compassion. She prepared six of the meals for people in the future who may need dinner because of illness, a death in the family, etc.
(I, on the other hand, took my six bags and went home. I have the gift of self-preservation!)
It was a great time of fellowship with other women. I feel I know Amy and Tracy a hundred times better than before, and I met a new friend, Nicole. I say all of this to encourage you to go to one of these classes if you ever get the opportunity. Lana will host these classes from time to time (in her own home), but they are small classes so it is on a first come/first serve basis. I'm going to leave Lana's info below, and if you're interested in being contacted for the next class, just drop her an e-mail and she'll keep your name on a list.
LANA, PUT MY NAME ON THE LIST FIRST! Now, here is the rest of her info: Lana Smothers at cookwithlana@yahoo.com or www.pamperedchef.biz/LanaSmothers.
Topic of the Day - Busy, Busy, Busy
I know I already said I had a topic for this week, but now I have two. I'm going to briefly talk about one today, and start the new one tomorrow. Both of the topics are near and dear to my heart. They are things I feel passionately about, and so I'll talk a little, and then we'll move on to our party for today.
Our family is busy during the fall, but even more so this particular fall. I have never liked being too busy. It makes me feel rushed, overwhelmed and need I say... panicky. It's definitely a time for me to put my newly acquired "one day at a time" skills to work. If I think of the week as a whole, I can easily end up in the bathroom floor breathing into a paper bag (or worse yet, in the ER hooked up to heart monitors and oxygen).
I've checked my "busy basket" a few months early (I usually do inventory in January and June), and I'm not the problem. It's definitely the kids' schedules. However, since I am the mother-unit of the Faulkner Five, it is up to me to help them with their "busy baskets." (For those of you who are just joining us, that's my phrase for the extras in life... football, band, volleyball, dance, choir, extra credit projects, Sunday School socials, etc., etc., etc.) NONE of the things listed are bad things. In fact, all of them are very good things which can have very positive impact in your child's life. But too much of one good thing tends to lead to an unbalanced (very, very bad word) life.
Roxie's "busy basket" has already been tweaked. Although we have to finish commitments (and finish them well), we can both see things we can do differently for next fall. Josh's "basket" is a little trickier, but his load can be lightened, also.
For the record, Austin is the King of not having a full "busy basket." He will not commit to anything he feels might overload him. It was a skill with which he was born. He never ran from toy to toy to toy. He played with his animals for days before he moved on to his Power Ranger action figures. He also would protest LOUDLY if and when things were too busy for his taste. (It's good to be King.)
I was reading a sidebar in my Bible during the message yesterday morning about Martha, and I want to share it with you today.
"Will all the Marthas in the room please raise your hands? Yes, God sees all those hands! After all, women are taught to be 'do-ers,' not 'be-ers.' When house guests show up, women shift into fifth gear. When someone stays overnight, women do more laps around the house than a car at the Indy 500.
"Unfortunately, this scenario can apply to women spiritually as well as literally. Once women slip into their 'doing' gear, many have trouble downshifting -- ever. Being quiet and contemplative makes them feel guilty -- shouldn't they be doing something for someone somewhere? In Mary-fashion, we need to learn to hear God calling us away from our tasks for a pit stop. At Jesus' feet we'll be refueled. Then we can dash off to 'Martha' the world that awaits us." Luke 10:38-42.
Wow! And by being "Marthas," we are teaching our kids by example to fill up those "busy baskets."
I have a challenge for the blog readers (AND ME) this week. Let's make an ENORMOUS effort (together) to let our kids see us take a pit stop. I mean (very literally) let them see us stop in our busy day to spend some time at Jesus' feet. I know many women read their Bibles and have their quiet time before the kids get up in the morning or after they go to school. We don't need to stop doing that, but we do NEED to let them see us stop, be still and listen to God. That's definitely a lesson worth teaching the kiddos.
Unexpected Event Party
This party was taken from one of my favorite party books EVER, Parties With a Purpose by Karol Ladd.
Surprise parties are always fun, especially if the guests are the ones being surprised. Send party invitations to the parents of the guests instructing them to have their children prepared. The date and event will remain a secret to the kids. At the appointed hour, the guests will be picked up for the party. The theme comes from Matthew 24:36-44, which says concerning the Son of Man, "But of that day and hour no one knows."
Suggested size - 5 to 12 kids
Suggested age - 10 to 15 years-old
Suggested time - Evening may be best
Start off by decorating the car. Attach crepe paper streamers to the antenna, mirrors and fender. Write the word "surprise" on the windows using white shoe polish. Attach some balloons to the outside of the car, too.
SCHEDULE
20 to 50 minutes - Gather the guests
60 minutes - Eat and talk (restaurant or home)
40 minutes - Party activity
20 to 50 minutes - Take the guests home
GREAT PIPELINE
Give each player a 9" x 12" sheet of construction paper and two paper clips. You will need two small balls made from crumpled paper or foil. Tell the players to roll their papers into cylinders and fasten with paper clips.
Separate the players into two teams by counting off. Have them stand in two parallel lines and tell them to hold their paper cylinders end to end to create a long pipe. When you give the signal, the first player on each team will drop the ball into the end of their pipe. The team members must jiggle the balls from one cylinder to the next. If the ball drops on the floor, the last person to have the ball must pick it up and try again. When the ball gets to the end, then it is passed back to the start again. The first team to get the ball to the start wins.
FORCE FIELD
Tie a rope from one side of the room to the other to divide the room in half. The rope should be about three feet off the floor. Gather everyone on one side of the rope. From the rope to the floor will be an electric force field. Players who accidentally touch it are zapped with electricity and must fall to the floor and remain there for the rest of the game.
The object of the game is to get everyone from one side of the rope to the other without getting zapped. The problem requires group cooperation. Players cannot go under the rope or try to jump the height, but must work together to lift each other carefully over the force field. Only one object can be used to help, such as a chair or desk or small table. Be careful that players do not throw each other over the force field and that the last person doesn't dive over it.
DEVOTION
After the kids have eaten and played games, ask them if they enjoyed being surprised. You will find that some loved it and others didn't like the element of surprise. Ask the kids if they realize the Bible says that Jesus will return one day. Tell them that it also says that we do not know the day or the hour, only God knows. Then say, "God does tell us to be ready for His coming, even though we do not know the day or time. He will gather us together with Him in the clouds. How glorious that will be!" Ask the ones who did not like the surprise if it was because they weren't ready.
Read Matthew 24:31, 36-44 to the group to give them a clearer picture of Jesus' return. Use this opportunity to tell the group that it is only those who have believed in Jesus who will be gathered to Him. Ask the kids how they can be prepared for the return of Jesus.
OTHER IDEAS FOR AFTER EATING
Gym
Flag football
Bowling
Roller skating
Old movies
Great party. Great message. Great way to get the message across to the kids.
Since this isn't a birthday party, you should feel free to ask the other parents to send money to cover their child's dinner if you eat at a restaurant, go to the movies, etc. The cost would be minimal for such a wonderful lesson.
Have a great Monday. Tomorrow I have a delicious dessert recipe for you to try. We have a lot to cover on the old blog this week, so don't miss a day!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Weekend Happenings
Good Friday morning!
ANNOUNCEMENT - I'm having MASSIVE server problems. I'll have the rest of the post up some time today or this weekend (I HOPE!).
NEW ANNOUNCEMENT! NEW ANNOUNCEMENT! - My Server is up! My Server is up! I've finished this post and updated Belinda's Project 365. Ahhhh! Now I can enjoy my weekend!
Have you planned a great family weekend? Are you doing at least ONE special thing with the people you love most? (And by special, I mean eating a meal or two together, worshipping together, watching a movie together, having a date with one or more of the kids... You know. Special!)
CHALLENGE - I'd like to issue a challenge for everyone reading this blog Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Call just one person who has been on your mind or heart these last few days. Just check in. Just say hi. Just tell them you were thinking of them. As Nike would say, "JUST DO IT!" Write it in pen on your calendar for sometime this weekend and spend 15 minutes or so connecting with that person. I'll do it if you do it!
Weekend Happenings - This next phrase will describe our weekends for the next three months... "Are you ready for some football?" Well, ready or not, here we go.
We're playing Hoover this Friday night. Josh is on the JV team, and although the JV games are on Monday nights, he still dresses out and stands on the sidelines. Austin is coming home from college Friday night to see the band play (Melia will be marching), and watch football, and connect with some of his buddies.
Saturday, Mikie and the kids are taking me out for my birthday lunch (hopefully at Brio's... one of my favorite restaurants), and I will receive gifts. Many, many gifts. Or at least one or two. It doesn't matter. I'll be with the Faulkner Five and we'll be having a good time.
Sunday finds us going hither and yon. I'm not sure of Austin's plans yet, but we'll have a meal together (lunch or dinner). Roxie has a birthday party to attend and Josh has football workouts from 3:00 until 5:00. Church has not started on Sunday nights yet, so we'll have one more Sunday night at home as a family before the weekly grind begins again.
Books
Remember, this is a continuation from last week's Book section. These are books for your little girl (around 3rd grade and up) by one of my favorite authors, Emilie Barnes.
Cooking Up Fun in the Kitchen is exactly what the title suggests... simple recipes, how-tos and all of the basics. Again, there are six chapters full of information and fun for your daughter and friends. Nothing is too difficult, but everything is too good.
Making My Room Special is not only a how-to book for creatively teaching your daughter how to decorate her own room, but it is full of craft projects for the two of you to work on together. It even talks about the importance of having a clean, uncluttered space. This book only contains five chapters, but like the other books, they are divided into sections for easy reading.
The last book on today's list is Let's Have a Tea Party. Emilie Barnes is famous for her love of tea parties. She has written several books for adults, but this is a book for young girls. It will teach them about etiquette, preparation of the tea, recipes, setting the table, etc. It also has several "themed" tea parties the girls can host. (Garden Tea Party, Musical Tea Party, etc.)
These books are useful, readable, doable and beautiful. I highly recommend buying the set TODAY!
Coming up next week... lots and lots of good, good stuff. I'll have pictures galore, a theme for the week (it popped in my head Friday), parties, recipes, traditions, dates, books, Wednesday Wisdom, Weekend Family Fun and Belinda's Project 365. The list is just endless, isn't it? (I'll go ahead and tell you I went to a Power Cooking Party Friday, so the pictures and story behind that particular Weekend Happening will be here first thing Monday morning. You won't want to miss a day!)
Have the most wonderful weekend! Can you tell how happy I am today... The Boy is on his way home and life is good again! (That's why there are so many of these !!!!! in the blog today!)
Sincerely,
The Enchanting (and No Longer Frustrated) Belinda
ANNOUNCEMENT - I'm having MASSIVE server problems. I'll have the rest of the post up some time today or this weekend (I HOPE!).
NEW ANNOUNCEMENT! NEW ANNOUNCEMENT! - My Server is up! My Server is up! I've finished this post and updated Belinda's Project 365. Ahhhh! Now I can enjoy my weekend!
Have you planned a great family weekend? Are you doing at least ONE special thing with the people you love most? (And by special, I mean eating a meal or two together, worshipping together, watching a movie together, having a date with one or more of the kids... You know. Special!)
CHALLENGE - I'd like to issue a challenge for everyone reading this blog Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Call just one person who has been on your mind or heart these last few days. Just check in. Just say hi. Just tell them you were thinking of them. As Nike would say, "JUST DO IT!" Write it in pen on your calendar for sometime this weekend and spend 15 minutes or so connecting with that person. I'll do it if you do it!
Weekend Happenings - This next phrase will describe our weekends for the next three months... "Are you ready for some football?" Well, ready or not, here we go.
We're playing Hoover this Friday night. Josh is on the JV team, and although the JV games are on Monday nights, he still dresses out and stands on the sidelines. Austin is coming home from college Friday night to see the band play (Melia will be marching), and watch football, and connect with some of his buddies.
Saturday, Mikie and the kids are taking me out for my birthday lunch (hopefully at Brio's... one of my favorite restaurants), and I will receive gifts. Many, many gifts. Or at least one or two. It doesn't matter. I'll be with the Faulkner Five and we'll be having a good time.
Sunday finds us going hither and yon. I'm not sure of Austin's plans yet, but we'll have a meal together (lunch or dinner). Roxie has a birthday party to attend and Josh has football workouts from 3:00 until 5:00. Church has not started on Sunday nights yet, so we'll have one more Sunday night at home as a family before the weekly grind begins again.
Books
Remember, this is a continuation from last week's Book section. These are books for your little girl (around 3rd grade and up) by one of my favorite authors, Emilie Barnes.
Cooking Up Fun in the Kitchen is exactly what the title suggests... simple recipes, how-tos and all of the basics. Again, there are six chapters full of information and fun for your daughter and friends. Nothing is too difficult, but everything is too good.
Making My Room Special is not only a how-to book for creatively teaching your daughter how to decorate her own room, but it is full of craft projects for the two of you to work on together. It even talks about the importance of having a clean, uncluttered space. This book only contains five chapters, but like the other books, they are divided into sections for easy reading.
The last book on today's list is Let's Have a Tea Party. Emilie Barnes is famous for her love of tea parties. She has written several books for adults, but this is a book for young girls. It will teach them about etiquette, preparation of the tea, recipes, setting the table, etc. It also has several "themed" tea parties the girls can host. (Garden Tea Party, Musical Tea Party, etc.)
These books are useful, readable, doable and beautiful. I highly recommend buying the set TODAY!
Coming up next week... lots and lots of good, good stuff. I'll have pictures galore, a theme for the week (it popped in my head Friday), parties, recipes, traditions, dates, books, Wednesday Wisdom, Weekend Family Fun and Belinda's Project 365. The list is just endless, isn't it? (I'll go ahead and tell you I went to a Power Cooking Party Friday, so the pictures and story behind that particular Weekend Happening will be here first thing Monday morning. You won't want to miss a day!)
Have the most wonderful weekend! Can you tell how happy I am today... The Boy is on his way home and life is good again! (That's why there are so many of these !!!!! in the blog today!)
Sincerely,
The Enchanting (and No Longer Frustrated) Belinda
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
My Favorite Things Date
Good Thursday morning!
WE DID IT! Exactly ONE THOUSAND HITS in one month! Not 999. Not 1,001. Exactly 1,000! And the month isn't over yet. As I stated before, the new goal for the year (October 2009 through October 2010) will be 2,000 hits a month. We'll see. We'll see.
The Gallery picture is of Miss Roxie at her volleyball game. You may notice her expression is a little different from the Monday night picture. That would be because WE WON!!! We beat Briarwood AND Pleasant Grove. Roxie and her teammates were awesome... what little I saw of the games. You see I wore sandals, and I couldn't take my eyes off my feet most of the time!
PROJECT 365 - I appreciate all of the positive comments I received concerning my feet. The pedicure itself was unbelievable. I am now officially hooked. On the other hand, the massage chair I sat in the entire time I was having my pedicure was also wonderful... until it went into "shake it, but don't break it" mode. Everything on me was jiggling... and as every self-respecting 48 year-old knows, jiggling is bad. Jiggling is very bad.
I also think it's just a little sad when someone asks you what your best feature is and you have to say low blood pressure and feet. (And I have to tell you... I have stared at my feet ALL day long, and they are truly lovely. I don't like to brag, but I was looking around Gardendale today, and I didn't see any prettier feet. For everyone who goes to church with me, I will not be wearing shoes Sunday so you can take a gander for yourself.)
Weekend Family Fun
Bass Pro Shops - There's a lot of fun scheduled at the outdoor store that the whole family can enjoy. Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World's 51 shops will be offering a Family Fun Weekend September 5 through 7. It is completely free. Kids can challenge mom or dad to a radio remote control car race Saturday, Sunday and Monday from noon until 6:00 p.m.
You can also take part in any of the other free activities such as the paintball cage or bean bag toss and win fun prizes.
One winner will be selected from each store location as the first prize winner and receive a Coleman Roadtrip LXE Grill, two Coleman Blue Deck chairs, one Coleman Canopy and one 50-quart wheeled cooler with a retail value of $595. Not bad, huh?
For more information, visit their website at www.bassproshop.com and click on the Family Fun Weekend pop-up.
Topic of the Week - 40 IS THE NEW 30... AND OTHER STUPID MYTHS
Well, my 47th year had a lot to live up to. In reality, all I wanted was the MOST uneventful year in my life thus far. But alas and alack, it was not to be.
If you recall, I had a "freckle" removed from underneath my tongue in July. Everything went well. They gave me plenty of anesthesia. They gave me plenty of drugs to take at home. After two weeks, my stitch had disappeared and all was well with the spot under my tongue.
However, a couple of weeks after I received the "all clear" sign from my tongue doctor, I noticed a clear blister-like bump where the freckle had been. No biggie. I kept gargling with salt water and it stayed the same for a little while. Then it began to grow... and grow... and grow. That's when I came to the unsettling conclusion I was indeed growing another tongue.
Also during this time, I was dealing with the upcoming departure of my eldest son, Austin, and it took every single waking moment I had to watch him eat, drink, breathe, etc. I didn't have time to have surgery to remove a second tongue. I just didn't.
After Austin left, I spent three solid weeks in the "depths of despair." Again, no time for second tongue removal surgery.
But this week, it became apparent something had to be done, so I went to my tongue doctor for a consultation.
"Hmmm. That's odd. What is that?" he asked.
"I don't know, but if you'll give me a few pills to fix it, I'll be on my way," I responded.
"Well, we can't just leave it there. We'll have to do something."
"Like what?" I asked cautiously.
"I'm going to put a topical numbing agent on it and prick it with a needle to see if it will go away. Nurse, get me an 18-gauge needle, please," he responded.
If you have known me for only one second, you know I do not like topical numbing agents. I like full-blown anesthesia. Always have, always will. Also, I did not like the number 18 used to describe the needle he was going to be poking my second tongue with. That's a big number. That's probably going to be a big needle.
He put the Q-tip in my mouth with the numbing agent on it and stuck he head back in the door a few minutes later. "Can you still feel your tongue?" he asked.
"Uh-huh," I lied. I needed more numbing time.
Five minutes later, he came in, picked up the 18-gauge needle and poked my second tongue. "Hmmm. That's odd. It doesn't seem to want to go away," he said. "Tell you what. Let's wait a couple of months and see what happens."
That's it? I could have a third and fourth tongue by then! We're just going to let the thing grow and take over my mouth! These are things I thought, but what I actually said was, "Okay."
I had my ticket validated and off I went. We'll see what happens, and I'll definitely keep you updated on the blog. This story alone will probably get me another 1,000 readers in the next two months!
So the 47th year of my life will be aptly named "The Year My Baby Grew Up and Moved Away to College and My Heart Broke Into a Million Pieces and Nothing Will Ever Be Good Again."
And just between you and me, I'm very afraid the 48th year of my life will be entitled "The Year I Grew a Second Tongue... and Had My First Hot Flash!"
(Don't worry. If I have one, I will take a picture and post it under Project 365!) That's me... always looking on the bright side!
My Favorite Things Date
Think, think, think. As a person, what are your favorite things to do? Where do you enjoy going for fun? What's your favorite restaurant? Where do you go to unwind or relax? When you've answered all of these questions, plan a special, one-of-kind date between you and one of your kids. This is what I would do.
1. Tell the child to be ready to leave the house at 9:30 a.m.
2. We would have brunch at Klingler's European Bakery in Vestavia. (Brunch is my favorite meal of the day. It just seems a little more special and celebratory.)
3. I would have the child a gift bag in the van, and ask him/her to remove an envelope marked number 1. Inside the envelope would be the name of my favorite book of the Bible. I would explain why it was my favorite book, and ask them about their favorite book.
4. After brunch, we would get in the big gold van and I would ask the child to remove an envelope marked with a big number 2. Inside this envelope would be the name of my favorite book and movie. I would explain why those were my favorites, and ask them what their favorites were.
5. We would arrive at our next destination... The Botanical Gardens. This is my favorite place in Birmingham to just "be." We would walk around the gardens talking, talking, talking. I would ask them about their favorite place.
6. As we walked and talked (depending on the child), I would take pictures because that is my MOST favorite thing in the whole world to do. (If the child hates having pictures taken, I would take only one or two.) Again, I would ask them what was their MOST favorite thing to do in the whole world.
7. Back in the big gold van, there would be a gift wrapped in the bottom of the bag marked with a number 3. Inside the gift box would be my favorite scented candle (for a girl) or my favorite candy bar (for a boy). What is their favorite?
8. One more envelope in the bag marked with a number 4 should be opened. Written on a piece of paper in the envelope would be my favorite Bible verse. I would then tell them why it was my favorite... and ask the now familiar question, "What is your favorite?"
The date itself is not very expensive, takes only a little planning and gives you an opportunity to share the things you enjoy with your child. It lets them know you a little more as a "person," and not just a "mom" or a "dad."
It goes without saying, make this date your own. Have some fun one fall Saturday morning coming up... just you and one of your kiddos. Mark it in pen on your calendar because it is IMPORTANT... just like tongue doctor visits!
Have the best Thursday ever. Tomorrow we'll have Weekend Happenings, more books to add to your collection, more pictures in Project 365, etc., etc. It will be a great blog day, I am sure.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
P.S. Thank you for helping me reach my goal. I hope you'll be there to help me celebrate 2,000 hits a month as well!
WE DID IT! Exactly ONE THOUSAND HITS in one month! Not 999. Not 1,001. Exactly 1,000! And the month isn't over yet. As I stated before, the new goal for the year (October 2009 through October 2010) will be 2,000 hits a month. We'll see. We'll see.
The Gallery picture is of Miss Roxie at her volleyball game. You may notice her expression is a little different from the Monday night picture. That would be because WE WON!!! We beat Briarwood AND Pleasant Grove. Roxie and her teammates were awesome... what little I saw of the games. You see I wore sandals, and I couldn't take my eyes off my feet most of the time!
PROJECT 365 - I appreciate all of the positive comments I received concerning my feet. The pedicure itself was unbelievable. I am now officially hooked. On the other hand, the massage chair I sat in the entire time I was having my pedicure was also wonderful... until it went into "shake it, but don't break it" mode. Everything on me was jiggling... and as every self-respecting 48 year-old knows, jiggling is bad. Jiggling is very bad.
I also think it's just a little sad when someone asks you what your best feature is and you have to say low blood pressure and feet. (And I have to tell you... I have stared at my feet ALL day long, and they are truly lovely. I don't like to brag, but I was looking around Gardendale today, and I didn't see any prettier feet. For everyone who goes to church with me, I will not be wearing shoes Sunday so you can take a gander for yourself.)
Weekend Family Fun
Bass Pro Shops - There's a lot of fun scheduled at the outdoor store that the whole family can enjoy. Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World's 51 shops will be offering a Family Fun Weekend September 5 through 7. It is completely free. Kids can challenge mom or dad to a radio remote control car race Saturday, Sunday and Monday from noon until 6:00 p.m.
You can also take part in any of the other free activities such as the paintball cage or bean bag toss and win fun prizes.
One winner will be selected from each store location as the first prize winner and receive a Coleman Roadtrip LXE Grill, two Coleman Blue Deck chairs, one Coleman Canopy and one 50-quart wheeled cooler with a retail value of $595. Not bad, huh?
For more information, visit their website at www.bassproshop.com and click on the Family Fun Weekend pop-up.
Topic of the Week - 40 IS THE NEW 30... AND OTHER STUPID MYTHS
Well, my 47th year had a lot to live up to. In reality, all I wanted was the MOST uneventful year in my life thus far. But alas and alack, it was not to be.
If you recall, I had a "freckle" removed from underneath my tongue in July. Everything went well. They gave me plenty of anesthesia. They gave me plenty of drugs to take at home. After two weeks, my stitch had disappeared and all was well with the spot under my tongue.
However, a couple of weeks after I received the "all clear" sign from my tongue doctor, I noticed a clear blister-like bump where the freckle had been. No biggie. I kept gargling with salt water and it stayed the same for a little while. Then it began to grow... and grow... and grow. That's when I came to the unsettling conclusion I was indeed growing another tongue.
Also during this time, I was dealing with the upcoming departure of my eldest son, Austin, and it took every single waking moment I had to watch him eat, drink, breathe, etc. I didn't have time to have surgery to remove a second tongue. I just didn't.
After Austin left, I spent three solid weeks in the "depths of despair." Again, no time for second tongue removal surgery.
But this week, it became apparent something had to be done, so I went to my tongue doctor for a consultation.
"Hmmm. That's odd. What is that?" he asked.
"I don't know, but if you'll give me a few pills to fix it, I'll be on my way," I responded.
"Well, we can't just leave it there. We'll have to do something."
"Like what?" I asked cautiously.
"I'm going to put a topical numbing agent on it and prick it with a needle to see if it will go away. Nurse, get me an 18-gauge needle, please," he responded.
If you have known me for only one second, you know I do not like topical numbing agents. I like full-blown anesthesia. Always have, always will. Also, I did not like the number 18 used to describe the needle he was going to be poking my second tongue with. That's a big number. That's probably going to be a big needle.
He put the Q-tip in my mouth with the numbing agent on it and stuck he head back in the door a few minutes later. "Can you still feel your tongue?" he asked.
"Uh-huh," I lied. I needed more numbing time.
Five minutes later, he came in, picked up the 18-gauge needle and poked my second tongue. "Hmmm. That's odd. It doesn't seem to want to go away," he said. "Tell you what. Let's wait a couple of months and see what happens."
That's it? I could have a third and fourth tongue by then! We're just going to let the thing grow and take over my mouth! These are things I thought, but what I actually said was, "Okay."
I had my ticket validated and off I went. We'll see what happens, and I'll definitely keep you updated on the blog. This story alone will probably get me another 1,000 readers in the next two months!
So the 47th year of my life will be aptly named "The Year My Baby Grew Up and Moved Away to College and My Heart Broke Into a Million Pieces and Nothing Will Ever Be Good Again."
And just between you and me, I'm very afraid the 48th year of my life will be entitled "The Year I Grew a Second Tongue... and Had My First Hot Flash!"
(Don't worry. If I have one, I will take a picture and post it under Project 365!) That's me... always looking on the bright side!
My Favorite Things Date
Think, think, think. As a person, what are your favorite things to do? Where do you enjoy going for fun? What's your favorite restaurant? Where do you go to unwind or relax? When you've answered all of these questions, plan a special, one-of-kind date between you and one of your kids. This is what I would do.
1. Tell the child to be ready to leave the house at 9:30 a.m.
2. We would have brunch at Klingler's European Bakery in Vestavia. (Brunch is my favorite meal of the day. It just seems a little more special and celebratory.)
3. I would have the child a gift bag in the van, and ask him/her to remove an envelope marked number 1. Inside the envelope would be the name of my favorite book of the Bible. I would explain why it was my favorite book, and ask them about their favorite book.
4. After brunch, we would get in the big gold van and I would ask the child to remove an envelope marked with a big number 2. Inside this envelope would be the name of my favorite book and movie. I would explain why those were my favorites, and ask them what their favorites were.
5. We would arrive at our next destination... The Botanical Gardens. This is my favorite place in Birmingham to just "be." We would walk around the gardens talking, talking, talking. I would ask them about their favorite place.
6. As we walked and talked (depending on the child), I would take pictures because that is my MOST favorite thing in the whole world to do. (If the child hates having pictures taken, I would take only one or two.) Again, I would ask them what was their MOST favorite thing to do in the whole world.
7. Back in the big gold van, there would be a gift wrapped in the bottom of the bag marked with a number 3. Inside the gift box would be my favorite scented candle (for a girl) or my favorite candy bar (for a boy). What is their favorite?
8. One more envelope in the bag marked with a number 4 should be opened. Written on a piece of paper in the envelope would be my favorite Bible verse. I would then tell them why it was my favorite... and ask the now familiar question, "What is your favorite?"
The date itself is not very expensive, takes only a little planning and gives you an opportunity to share the things you enjoy with your child. It lets them know you a little more as a "person," and not just a "mom" or a "dad."
It goes without saying, make this date your own. Have some fun one fall Saturday morning coming up... just you and one of your kiddos. Mark it in pen on your calendar because it is IMPORTANT... just like tongue doctor visits!
Have the best Thursday ever. Tomorrow we'll have Weekend Happenings, more books to add to your collection, more pictures in Project 365, etc., etc. It will be a great blog day, I am sure.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
P.S. Thank you for helping me reach my goal. I hope you'll be there to help me celebrate 2,000 hits a month as well!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Campless Cookout
Good Wednesday morning!
GUESS WHAT! If everything goes well today, I will reach 1,000 hits in the month of August. Did you hear what I just said? I need 49 hits to reach my one year goal of 1,000 hits a month... And guess what else? I reached my goal TWO MONTHS EARLY! A Simple Life will not be a year old until the middle of October. I started out with 313 hits (blog talk for number of people reading the blog) in October of 2008, and today I will have 1,000, and the month isn't even over yet.
I will set my new goal September 1. Who am I kidding? I already have my new goal. I would like to have 2,000 hits a month by August 2010. But it probably isn't wise to set a new goal before you really and truly obtain the old one, so I'll be letting you know some time today if and when it actually happens.
In the infamous words of Sally Fields when she received her Oscar for Norma Rae... "You love me. You really, really love me." (Unlike Ms. Fields, I am kidding.)
UPDATE AT 10:18 WEDNESDAY MORNING - Only 22 more hits and I will have 1,000 hits this month. Did you hear me? ONLY 22 MORE HITS!!!! Continue on with your day.
No surprise here. My pictures are from lunch on Sunday. Of course, the majority of the pictures are of Roxie and Katie because 12 and 15 year-old girls love having their picture taken... again and again and again.
DON'T FORGET - Don't forget to go to Arby's and get your free sandwich today with the purchase of a drink. This deal will not be going on much longer, so be sure and take advantage of this FREEBIE!
REMINDER - Project 365 begins TODAY after 1:00 p.m. The first picture I'm putting in my Project 365 blog will not be taken until around 11:00 a.m. this morning. Another blog is born!
UPDATE AT 2:25 WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON - Project 365 is UP AND RUNNING! Just click on Belinda's Project 365 under My Blog List for the picture of the day. So exciting!
NOTE TO JOAN - I've received several comments from people experiencing their own "personal summer" as you so eloquently described menopause. It's not that I'm anxious to get to that point, but I feel like I'm stuck in the peri-phase. And I don't like to be stuck. I mean it's been EIGHT years. Eight IRRITABLE years. Just ask Mikie. (And why do they say "peri" instead of "pre"? That drives me nuts.)
Topic of the Week - 40 IS THE NEW 30... AND OTHER STUPID MYTHS
Ahhh. Things were getting a little better. Josh was a little better. We were learning as a family to live with OCD and all the stuff that goes with it when... Yep. That's right. I fell apart.
In my 45th and 46th years of life, I had three FAUX heart attacks/strokes. Overnight hospital visits, a dozen doctors (and then a dozen more), several paramedic calls/visits (using the phone or car... not yelling "PARAMEDIC! PARAMEDIC!" in my bedroom until they showed up) and for what? I was diabetic (controlled with diet and exercise) AND I was having severe panic attacks which can manifest themselves many different ways. But lucky me, it was in the form of heart attack symptoms.
All right. All right. Get a grip. All of this was manageable. More than manageable actually. There were so many other people suffering with illnesses and situations which were much, much more severe, so I decided to "put on my big girl panties" and just get on with my life. Surely my 47th year would be better. Hey... It couldn't get any worse. Am I right?
My 45th and 46th years of life are now and forever labeled "Years of the FAUX Heart Attacks... FAUX Strokes... Diabetes... PANIC ATTACKS" or "Years of Getting to Know the Gardendale Paramedics Really, Really Well." (I don't think the names are getting more creative... just a whole lot longer.)
For anyone wondering about the osteoarthritis, I was still the youngest member of that group in the waiting room. And yes, I was still peri-menopausal... and irritable. (I'm going for the Guinness World Record of Being Peri-Menopausal for 20 Years. Yeah. That's the ticket. Every woman wants her picture beside that title in the World Record book!)
Semi-Funny Story - During those two years, I had to visit a neurologist a few times because... I forget. I'm not sure why. But anyway, during one of our visits he told me to close my eyes and hold my arms straight out beside my body. He then gave me what I used to think was the "sobriety" test. "Touch your ears." "Touch your fingers together." "Touch your mouth." I was doing an excellent job. I was going to ace this test for sure!
I got a little too cocky. "Touch my nose." Hmmm. Did he say, "Touch your nose," or "Touch my nose." Hmmm. Okay.
I took my pointing finger from both hands and with my eyes closed touched HIS nose. It took a second to realize I had made a mistake. I didn't want to open my eyes, and for some reason my arms froze and I didn't/couldn't move my fingers off his nose. It went from one second to ten seconds (which everyone knows in "embarrassment time" is an eternity).
In a very nasal voice (because I had his nasal passages completely closed with my two fingers on either side of his nose, you see), he said, "Very good. You can open your eyes now."
I quickly opened my eyes, dropped my arms and tried to think of something to say. "I think you're okay," he said. And everyone knows in "doctor-speak" that means, "You no longer are welcome in my office, you Fruitcake."
Fine with me. That gave me an even eight doctors in my little entourage... and I like even numbers.
Just for the record, I am down from eight doctors to five (not counting my dentist and my NEW tongue doctor). That's right, guys. I have a tongue doctor. But that's definitely a story for tomorrow when I finish up the Topic of the Week with my 47th year... "The Year of Two Tongues."
You have to admit, that's one of my best blog teasers yet!
Wednesday Wisdom - Today's quote for the week comes from Thomas Jefferson. My "history nuts" will enjoy this one. "Friendship is precious; not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement, the greater part of life is sunshine." He was a wise man, that Thomas Jefferson.
Campless Cookout
That's right. A campless cookout. For all of you out there who have never been camping, or are just too busy to go in the fall, plan a campless cookout for your family.
Luckily, I received a firepit for my Christmas gift this past year, so we can have a cookout on the little patio beside our deck. But in the past, we have hiked into the woods near our home, built a small fire (in a pre-prepared fire pit) and sat on blankets and roasted hot dogs and made s'mores. Just the five of us. For no reason at all except it was fun, simple and a nice way to spend a cool summer or fall evening.
As I stated before, have the fire pit prepared before you hike into the woods to cook. I use rocks to form the circle around the fire, charcoal and pine cones as my base, small sticks and then larger sticks for the fire itself. You can have the kids gather and stack the sticks the day before the cookout.
In a cooler (with wheels, if possible), pack up hot dogs, buns, mustard, ketchup, individual bags of chips and individual canned drinks. You'll need graham crackers, Hershey bars and marshmallows for the s'mores.
If you already have the metal roasting sticks from Wal-Mart, that's fine. But you can have the kids look for and find sticks to cook the old-fashioned way.
So let's get this straight. You take a few minutes a couple of days before the cookout and set up your fire pit. You have the kids gather sticks. You pack a cooler with the things mentioned above. You walk a few feet into a nearby wooded area. You have a great fireside cookout... for no other reason than it's fun and memorable and EASY. Oh, and the kids will want to do this one every year (or more) for sure!
Have a great Wednesday. Tomorrow I'll have some Weekend Family Fun, a great date, and I'll let you know how my first day as a 48 year-old went. (I'm guessing it will be absolutely fabulous... especially now that I have not one, but two, tongues! Check in tomorrow for ALL the details.)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
GUESS WHAT! If everything goes well today, I will reach 1,000 hits in the month of August. Did you hear what I just said? I need 49 hits to reach my one year goal of 1,000 hits a month... And guess what else? I reached my goal TWO MONTHS EARLY! A Simple Life will not be a year old until the middle of October. I started out with 313 hits (blog talk for number of people reading the blog) in October of 2008, and today I will have 1,000, and the month isn't even over yet.
I will set my new goal September 1. Who am I kidding? I already have my new goal. I would like to have 2,000 hits a month by August 2010. But it probably isn't wise to set a new goal before you really and truly obtain the old one, so I'll be letting you know some time today if and when it actually happens.
In the infamous words of Sally Fields when she received her Oscar for Norma Rae... "You love me. You really, really love me." (Unlike Ms. Fields, I am kidding.)
UPDATE AT 10:18 WEDNESDAY MORNING - Only 22 more hits and I will have 1,000 hits this month. Did you hear me? ONLY 22 MORE HITS!!!! Continue on with your day.
No surprise here. My pictures are from lunch on Sunday. Of course, the majority of the pictures are of Roxie and Katie because 12 and 15 year-old girls love having their picture taken... again and again and again.
DON'T FORGET - Don't forget to go to Arby's and get your free sandwich today with the purchase of a drink. This deal will not be going on much longer, so be sure and take advantage of this FREEBIE!
REMINDER - Project 365 begins TODAY after 1:00 p.m. The first picture I'm putting in my Project 365 blog will not be taken until around 11:00 a.m. this morning. Another blog is born!
UPDATE AT 2:25 WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON - Project 365 is UP AND RUNNING! Just click on Belinda's Project 365 under My Blog List for the picture of the day. So exciting!
NOTE TO JOAN - I've received several comments from people experiencing their own "personal summer" as you so eloquently described menopause. It's not that I'm anxious to get to that point, but I feel like I'm stuck in the peri-phase. And I don't like to be stuck. I mean it's been EIGHT years. Eight IRRITABLE years. Just ask Mikie. (And why do they say "peri" instead of "pre"? That drives me nuts.)
Topic of the Week - 40 IS THE NEW 30... AND OTHER STUPID MYTHS
Ahhh. Things were getting a little better. Josh was a little better. We were learning as a family to live with OCD and all the stuff that goes with it when... Yep. That's right. I fell apart.
In my 45th and 46th years of life, I had three FAUX heart attacks/strokes. Overnight hospital visits, a dozen doctors (and then a dozen more), several paramedic calls/visits (using the phone or car... not yelling "PARAMEDIC! PARAMEDIC!" in my bedroom until they showed up) and for what? I was diabetic (controlled with diet and exercise) AND I was having severe panic attacks which can manifest themselves many different ways. But lucky me, it was in the form of heart attack symptoms.
All right. All right. Get a grip. All of this was manageable. More than manageable actually. There were so many other people suffering with illnesses and situations which were much, much more severe, so I decided to "put on my big girl panties" and just get on with my life. Surely my 47th year would be better. Hey... It couldn't get any worse. Am I right?
My 45th and 46th years of life are now and forever labeled "Years of the FAUX Heart Attacks... FAUX Strokes... Diabetes... PANIC ATTACKS" or "Years of Getting to Know the Gardendale Paramedics Really, Really Well." (I don't think the names are getting more creative... just a whole lot longer.)
For anyone wondering about the osteoarthritis, I was still the youngest member of that group in the waiting room. And yes, I was still peri-menopausal... and irritable. (I'm going for the Guinness World Record of Being Peri-Menopausal for 20 Years. Yeah. That's the ticket. Every woman wants her picture beside that title in the World Record book!)
Semi-Funny Story - During those two years, I had to visit a neurologist a few times because... I forget. I'm not sure why. But anyway, during one of our visits he told me to close my eyes and hold my arms straight out beside my body. He then gave me what I used to think was the "sobriety" test. "Touch your ears." "Touch your fingers together." "Touch your mouth." I was doing an excellent job. I was going to ace this test for sure!
I got a little too cocky. "Touch my nose." Hmmm. Did he say, "Touch your nose," or "Touch my nose." Hmmm. Okay.
I took my pointing finger from both hands and with my eyes closed touched HIS nose. It took a second to realize I had made a mistake. I didn't want to open my eyes, and for some reason my arms froze and I didn't/couldn't move my fingers off his nose. It went from one second to ten seconds (which everyone knows in "embarrassment time" is an eternity).
In a very nasal voice (because I had his nasal passages completely closed with my two fingers on either side of his nose, you see), he said, "Very good. You can open your eyes now."
I quickly opened my eyes, dropped my arms and tried to think of something to say. "I think you're okay," he said. And everyone knows in "doctor-speak" that means, "You no longer are welcome in my office, you Fruitcake."
Fine with me. That gave me an even eight doctors in my little entourage... and I like even numbers.
Just for the record, I am down from eight doctors to five (not counting my dentist and my NEW tongue doctor). That's right, guys. I have a tongue doctor. But that's definitely a story for tomorrow when I finish up the Topic of the Week with my 47th year... "The Year of Two Tongues."
You have to admit, that's one of my best blog teasers yet!
Wednesday Wisdom - Today's quote for the week comes from Thomas Jefferson. My "history nuts" will enjoy this one. "Friendship is precious; not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement, the greater part of life is sunshine." He was a wise man, that Thomas Jefferson.
Campless Cookout
That's right. A campless cookout. For all of you out there who have never been camping, or are just too busy to go in the fall, plan a campless cookout for your family.
Luckily, I received a firepit for my Christmas gift this past year, so we can have a cookout on the little patio beside our deck. But in the past, we have hiked into the woods near our home, built a small fire (in a pre-prepared fire pit) and sat on blankets and roasted hot dogs and made s'mores. Just the five of us. For no reason at all except it was fun, simple and a nice way to spend a cool summer or fall evening.
As I stated before, have the fire pit prepared before you hike into the woods to cook. I use rocks to form the circle around the fire, charcoal and pine cones as my base, small sticks and then larger sticks for the fire itself. You can have the kids gather and stack the sticks the day before the cookout.
In a cooler (with wheels, if possible), pack up hot dogs, buns, mustard, ketchup, individual bags of chips and individual canned drinks. You'll need graham crackers, Hershey bars and marshmallows for the s'mores.
If you already have the metal roasting sticks from Wal-Mart, that's fine. But you can have the kids look for and find sticks to cook the old-fashioned way.
So let's get this straight. You take a few minutes a couple of days before the cookout and set up your fire pit. You have the kids gather sticks. You pack a cooler with the things mentioned above. You walk a few feet into a nearby wooded area. You have a great fireside cookout... for no other reason than it's fun and memorable and EASY. Oh, and the kids will want to do this one every year (or more) for sure!
Have a great Wednesday. Tomorrow I'll have some Weekend Family Fun, a great date, and I'll let you know how my first day as a 48 year-old went. (I'm guessing it will be absolutely fabulous... especially now that I have not one, but two, tongues! Check in tomorrow for ALL the details.)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sloppy Joes
Good Tuesday morning!
I have added a couple more pictures from the family luncheon from this past Sunday. I've also added a pic of Roxie and Mikie at her volleyball game last night. I don't think I need to say anything about the outcome.
NOTE TO LEANNA - You are right. Beverly doesn't look like me at all, but she looks exactly like my Dad. I, on the other hand, am the exact replica of my mother (19 years younger). Thank you for your kind words. They will be remembered when I have my next blog contest.
NOTE TO CAM - I miss you! If you get a chance this week, let me know how everyone is doing.
NOTE TO JOAN - Thanks for the warning! I'm sure AP is a great driver. I'll be keeping my eye on him as he travels life's highway... or at least Tarrant Road. Tell him congratulations, and to be careful out there. There's a lot of 48 year-old women on the road who probably shouldn't be driving with their significantly diminished mental capacity!
AUSTIN UPDATE - He's doing well. He comes home on weekends and since band camp and classes start a little later in the day, he gets to stay Sunday night and leave early Monday morning. We're loving that right now.
Classes start Wednesday which means band camp will officially be over and the band will only practice from 4:15 until 5:45 each afternoon (except for Thursdays which have a slightly longer practice). Which means he'll be coming home this Friday night for the first football game against Hoover. Which means... Well, I don't exactly know what it means except I'm really looking forward to Friday night now (and not because of the football game).
He's anxious to meet some kids at the Baptist Campus Ministries and in his classes. He still hasn't been homesick (which is good because I couldn't stand it if I thought he was miserable). It is still incredibly hard to watch him drive away every Monday morning knowing it will be several days before we see him again, but we're all learning to let go. (Code for MIKIE'S HAVING TO PRY MY COLD, BONY FINGERS FROM AROUND HIS ANKLES EACH AND EVERY MONDAY BEFORE HE CLIMBS INTO HIS TRUCK.)
Topic of the Week - 40 IS THE NEW 30... AND OTHER STUPID MYTHS
I'm going to skip my 42nd year for private reasons. (I bet you didn't think I was private about anything, did you?) It's too difficult to talk about, so we're simply going to skip number 42.
On that note, we will now enter my 43rd year of life. Josh's illness completely shut him down December 5 of my 43rd year on this earth. If I had any idea what was coming or how long our family would be totally incapacitated, I'm not sure what I would have done. One of the positives that has come from the illness is the ability to live one day at a time. It was definitely not something I had ever tried to do before.
I had always loved to plan, or rather imagine... parties, trips, weddings, grandchildren, our retirement, etc., etc. But when Josh became sick, all of that ended. I could plan or imagine all I wanted, but the reality was staring me right in the face. All we had was the moment we were living in. Nothing more. Nothing less. For over two years, looking ahead was too painful because we couldn't see enough improvement to imagine what our lives were going to be, much less if our lives would once again be good, or full, or joyful. Survival was our one and only goal.
We would wake up in the morning, put one foot in front of the other and march through the day until it was time to put our head on our pillows that night. And God gave us the grace to make it through each day one day at a time.
My 43rd year and my 44th years of life would have to be called "The Years of Surviving Joshua's Illness While Keeping Our Family Together." Not creative, but very, very accurate.
The up-side to these two years is I hardly noticed my osteoarthritis and perimenopausal symptoms at all. No time to dwell on ME, ME, ME. (But just so you know... still no hot flashes. Exactly how long can one person stay perimenopausal? Where are the hot flashes?)
I also noticed during this time gravity was starting to make an appearance in the body department... which is fine. This happens to everyone. Luckily for me, during this period of time I was (and continue to do so) sticking $10 every pay period into an envelope for an entire body lift for some time during my 50s. That's right, folks. And I'm not even going to pretend I didn't have work done when it happens. I'm going to be very loud and proud. (With my luck, I'll end up on a TV show about the worst plastic surgery mistakes in the history of the world... but as I said above, I now try to live day by day. I'm not going to worry about that one right this minute!)
For those of you who do not know Josh's story, you can click on my sidebar under Josh's Journey to read a tiny bit about the last four years. It was, and continues to be, the main reason I started the blog.
Wow! Today was pretty much a downer, wasn't it? Years 45 and 46 have some serious complications in them, also, but I think I can make them a bit more amusing. Let's just say, I'm on a first-name basis with ALL of the paramedics in Gardendale... and it isn't from calling them for CPR emergencies. You'll have to come back tomorrow to let me explain!
Sloppy Joes
Well, it is getting to be that time of the year again... fall. And in the fall, I love to eat chili and sloppy joes and beef stew, etc., etc. This recipe came from the August/September 2009 Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Magazine. (Why haven't you bought this magazine yet? I can't emphasize enough how good and pretty and useful each and every issue has been. What is the problem?)
Okay. Enough fussing. Here's a simple little recipe from her new issue.
You will need:
1 pound ground chuck
1 cup water
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce, Bull's Eye or other favorite
2 tablespoons onion soup mix, Lipton
4 sesame seed hamburger buns
2 cups prepared coleslaw (optional)
1. In a large skillet, cook ground chuck over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly. Drain. Stir in 1 cup of water, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and soup mix until combined. Bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened.
2. To serve, spoon ground chuck mixture evenly over bottom halves of buns. Top each with 1/2 cup of coleslaw. Cover with top halves of buns and serve immediately.
Nothing against Sandra. I think she is a genius, but I do not believe in putting coleslaw on sloppy joes. I know many of you probably do the same thing, but the combo doesn't make any sense to me at all. To me, it would be like putting a garden salad on top of your steak. Put it to the side, people! Put it to the side! That is just my opinion and that's why it is "optional."
However, I think a sesame seed bun makes everything taste better, don't you? Make these ahead of time, and come home and enjoy something homemade on a busy night when you ordinarily would have picked up fast food.
Have a terrific Tuesday. It's supposed to start heating up again in Alabama, but we certainly enjoyed the pre-fall-like weather while it was here. Check in tomorrow for another tradition for your family to try and the new section (Wednesday Wisdom). I'll also continue pontificating (good word... I hope it means what I think it means because this is supposed to be a G-rated blog) about the decade known as the 40s.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
I have added a couple more pictures from the family luncheon from this past Sunday. I've also added a pic of Roxie and Mikie at her volleyball game last night. I don't think I need to say anything about the outcome.
NOTE TO LEANNA - You are right. Beverly doesn't look like me at all, but she looks exactly like my Dad. I, on the other hand, am the exact replica of my mother (19 years younger). Thank you for your kind words. They will be remembered when I have my next blog contest.
NOTE TO CAM - I miss you! If you get a chance this week, let me know how everyone is doing.
NOTE TO JOAN - Thanks for the warning! I'm sure AP is a great driver. I'll be keeping my eye on him as he travels life's highway... or at least Tarrant Road. Tell him congratulations, and to be careful out there. There's a lot of 48 year-old women on the road who probably shouldn't be driving with their significantly diminished mental capacity!
AUSTIN UPDATE - He's doing well. He comes home on weekends and since band camp and classes start a little later in the day, he gets to stay Sunday night and leave early Monday morning. We're loving that right now.
Classes start Wednesday which means band camp will officially be over and the band will only practice from 4:15 until 5:45 each afternoon (except for Thursdays which have a slightly longer practice). Which means he'll be coming home this Friday night for the first football game against Hoover. Which means... Well, I don't exactly know what it means except I'm really looking forward to Friday night now (and not because of the football game).
He's anxious to meet some kids at the Baptist Campus Ministries and in his classes. He still hasn't been homesick (which is good because I couldn't stand it if I thought he was miserable). It is still incredibly hard to watch him drive away every Monday morning knowing it will be several days before we see him again, but we're all learning to let go. (Code for MIKIE'S HAVING TO PRY MY COLD, BONY FINGERS FROM AROUND HIS ANKLES EACH AND EVERY MONDAY BEFORE HE CLIMBS INTO HIS TRUCK.)
Topic of the Week - 40 IS THE NEW 30... AND OTHER STUPID MYTHS
I'm going to skip my 42nd year for private reasons. (I bet you didn't think I was private about anything, did you?) It's too difficult to talk about, so we're simply going to skip number 42.
On that note, we will now enter my 43rd year of life. Josh's illness completely shut him down December 5 of my 43rd year on this earth. If I had any idea what was coming or how long our family would be totally incapacitated, I'm not sure what I would have done. One of the positives that has come from the illness is the ability to live one day at a time. It was definitely not something I had ever tried to do before.
I had always loved to plan, or rather imagine... parties, trips, weddings, grandchildren, our retirement, etc., etc. But when Josh became sick, all of that ended. I could plan or imagine all I wanted, but the reality was staring me right in the face. All we had was the moment we were living in. Nothing more. Nothing less. For over two years, looking ahead was too painful because we couldn't see enough improvement to imagine what our lives were going to be, much less if our lives would once again be good, or full, or joyful. Survival was our one and only goal.
We would wake up in the morning, put one foot in front of the other and march through the day until it was time to put our head on our pillows that night. And God gave us the grace to make it through each day one day at a time.
My 43rd year and my 44th years of life would have to be called "The Years of Surviving Joshua's Illness While Keeping Our Family Together." Not creative, but very, very accurate.
The up-side to these two years is I hardly noticed my osteoarthritis and perimenopausal symptoms at all. No time to dwell on ME, ME, ME. (But just so you know... still no hot flashes. Exactly how long can one person stay perimenopausal? Where are the hot flashes?)
I also noticed during this time gravity was starting to make an appearance in the body department... which is fine. This happens to everyone. Luckily for me, during this period of time I was (and continue to do so) sticking $10 every pay period into an envelope for an entire body lift for some time during my 50s. That's right, folks. And I'm not even going to pretend I didn't have work done when it happens. I'm going to be very loud and proud. (With my luck, I'll end up on a TV show about the worst plastic surgery mistakes in the history of the world... but as I said above, I now try to live day by day. I'm not going to worry about that one right this minute!)
For those of you who do not know Josh's story, you can click on my sidebar under Josh's Journey to read a tiny bit about the last four years. It was, and continues to be, the main reason I started the blog.
Wow! Today was pretty much a downer, wasn't it? Years 45 and 46 have some serious complications in them, also, but I think I can make them a bit more amusing. Let's just say, I'm on a first-name basis with ALL of the paramedics in Gardendale... and it isn't from calling them for CPR emergencies. You'll have to come back tomorrow to let me explain!
Sloppy Joes
Well, it is getting to be that time of the year again... fall. And in the fall, I love to eat chili and sloppy joes and beef stew, etc., etc. This recipe came from the August/September 2009 Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Magazine. (Why haven't you bought this magazine yet? I can't emphasize enough how good and pretty and useful each and every issue has been. What is the problem?)
Okay. Enough fussing. Here's a simple little recipe from her new issue.
You will need:
1 pound ground chuck
1 cup water
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce, Bull's Eye or other favorite
2 tablespoons onion soup mix, Lipton
4 sesame seed hamburger buns
2 cups prepared coleslaw (optional)
1. In a large skillet, cook ground chuck over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly. Drain. Stir in 1 cup of water, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and soup mix until combined. Bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened.
2. To serve, spoon ground chuck mixture evenly over bottom halves of buns. Top each with 1/2 cup of coleslaw. Cover with top halves of buns and serve immediately.
Nothing against Sandra. I think she is a genius, but I do not believe in putting coleslaw on sloppy joes. I know many of you probably do the same thing, but the combo doesn't make any sense to me at all. To me, it would be like putting a garden salad on top of your steak. Put it to the side, people! Put it to the side! That is just my opinion and that's why it is "optional."
However, I think a sesame seed bun makes everything taste better, don't you? Make these ahead of time, and come home and enjoy something homemade on a busy night when you ordinarily would have picked up fast food.
Have a terrific Tuesday. It's supposed to start heating up again in Alabama, but we certainly enjoyed the pre-fall-like weather while it was here. Check in tomorrow for another tradition for your family to try and the new section (Wednesday Wisdom). I'll also continue pontificating (good word... I hope it means what I think it means because this is supposed to be a G-rated blog) about the decade known as the 40s.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Sunday, August 23, 2009
High School Tailgate Party
Good Monday morning!
REMINDER - Look for my new blog Project 365 beginning Wednesday of this week. You will be able to find it by looking under My Blog List (Project 365) and clicking on that title. Remember, Project 365 is a picture a day for 365 days (no missing). It can be something simple, monumental, breathtaking, ordinary, etc. The only requirement is for the picture to show something from my life that day. I will be recording my 48th year of life... if all goes well.
NOTE TO NEWBIES - If you are new to A Simple Life, go to the archives and read August 8, 2009. It will explain the workings of my mind and thus, my blog.
The Showcase Pic is of me and Mikie this weekend at our family lunch at my Mom's. The remaining pictures in the Gallery are also of my family during this luncheon. (Although I took 28 pictures of Austin walking, talking and breathing this weekend, you will not have to endure looking at all of those pics... today!)
You may also notice I've been wearing that red top a lot lately. Someone told me two weeks ago I looked thinner, and I attributed it to the red top. In the last two weeks, I've worn it 12 out of 14 days. I'm planning on wearing it in my Christmas card picture (as well as the next Barry Manilow concert I attend). In other words, get used to it.
Topic of the Week - 40 IS THE NEW 30... AND OTHER STUPID MYTHS!
I've been thinking about what to write about during this week... the week of my 48th birthday. And without too much effort, it came to me. Why not write about being in my 40s? About to turn 48, I am about as much of an expert as I'm going to be, and there is a lot of stuff going on in this decade that has come as a complete and utter surprise to me. I want others to be more prepared than I was. I'm a giver... I always have been. So this week, this is my gift to all of you out there who might not have entered your 40s yet.
DISCLAIMER - This topic is not for the faint of heart. We're dealing with some really HEAVY stuff these next few days, so if you feel you need to skip ahead to the party or recipe or tradition, etc., I will totally understand. (Code for I WISH I COULD SKIP AHEAD.)
On the day I turned 40, I ran out of my house carrying my shoes in one hand and my purse in the other. Mikie and the kids were taking me out to eat and to a movie... my favorite thing in the whole world. On the way to the car, I stepped on a bee... and it stung me... in between my big toe and the toe beside my big toe... and I couldn't wear my shoe because my two toes swelled... so I had to wear one shoe the rest of the day... and I don't know about you, but wearing only one shoe in a movie theater is gross... and probably a great way to get some kind of disease. It was a sign of things to come.
My 40th year was pretty uneventful in many ways. I was diagnosed with early on-set osteoarthritis in my wrist and one ankle... AND I was perimenopausal. I declared my 40th year to be "YEAR OF THE NEW 30... NOT!"
My 41st year was also a pretty simple, uneventful year. I did notice more and more magazine covers declaring 40 to be the new 30, and I did notice it didn't really apply to me. I was just desperately trying to look my age. I would never have tried to tell someone I was 31 because they would think I hadn't aged well. Pride kept me from telling people I was 51. In theory, if I was 41 but they thought I was 51, they would think I looked young for my age. But what if they DIDN'T think that? What if they thought I really was 51? Too risky.
I decided if I had a personal trainer, personal chef, housekeeper, errand runner and tutor living in the house, I might have a chance. Mikie nixed all of the above.
Health-wise, my arthritis had spread to a few other joints and I started going to a rheumatologist every six months for x-rays, blood work and for some reason, to be weighed. I like my rheumatologist very much... and not just because he did some TV commercials and appeared on Good Morning, Alabama a few times. (His picture is on My Famous People I've Met scrapbook page as you might have guessed.)
I also enjoy going for those visits because when I sign the sheet telling the receptionist I HAVE ARRIVED, I have to write my date of birth. I always write August 26, 1961 and then I scan the sheet. Most of the other patients were born in the 1930s and the 1940s. I am forever young in that office... or at least for another decade or so.
In my 41st year I was still considered perimenopausal (Code for IRRITABLE, BUT NOT HAVING HOT FLASHES... YET.)
I declared my 41st year to be "YEAR OF THE NEW 31... NOT!" (Just so you know, the names of the years get a little more creative as the decade progresses.)
To find out more about what I think of the 40s, tune in tomorrow. It just gets better and better and better! (Actually, it's been pretty horrendous, but as I said above, I feel it is my duty to warn those of you who are not adequately prepared for this decade.)
High School Tailgate Party
Tis the season! Football season, that is.
If you have elementary age boys, this is the time to throw a great high school tailgate party!
You'll need a pick-up truck, of course (owned or borrowed), blankets, lawn chairs, food and a cooler of soft drinks. Because tailgating is not the norm for high school football games, this tailgate party is going to be held at your home. After dinner, using the tailgate of the truck as a buffet, you will then transport the boys (along with a few helper parents) to the ball game.
The menu is simple: hot dogs, nachos, chips, dip, cookies, etc. Plan on having dinner about one hour before your local high school football game begins. Let the boys eat and toss the football. Depending on their ages, set the boundaries for them at the stadium. If they are really into football, they may sit and watch the entire game. However, most kids do like to wander. If that is the case, I suggest you have a set of parents at three or four different points in the stadium. The boys can walk from one set of parents to the next, but still be "safe."
This does not have to be a spend the night party. If the boys have shared a meal and a football game, they will be happy, and you can go home to a clean house knowing you gave a group of little boys a fun, entertaining party.
VARIATION - If you don't have a high school game nearby to attend, but you still want a football themed party, go ahead and tailgate as planned. After the boys toss the ball or play flag football for a little while, have the TV set up on the deck and let everyone settle down in lawn chairs to watch Remember the Titans, Radio, We Are Marshall or another age-appropriate football movie.
Have a magnificent Monday. Come back tomorrow for a new EASY recipe. Also, I may have some more thoughts on being in my 40s... or I may have forgotten them by then. You just never know.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
(I can't help it. I want to use the title one more week... and then I'll let it go. I kind of promise.)
REMINDER - Look for my new blog Project 365 beginning Wednesday of this week. You will be able to find it by looking under My Blog List (Project 365) and clicking on that title. Remember, Project 365 is a picture a day for 365 days (no missing). It can be something simple, monumental, breathtaking, ordinary, etc. The only requirement is for the picture to show something from my life that day. I will be recording my 48th year of life... if all goes well.
NOTE TO NEWBIES - If you are new to A Simple Life, go to the archives and read August 8, 2009. It will explain the workings of my mind and thus, my blog.
The Showcase Pic is of me and Mikie this weekend at our family lunch at my Mom's. The remaining pictures in the Gallery are also of my family during this luncheon. (Although I took 28 pictures of Austin walking, talking and breathing this weekend, you will not have to endure looking at all of those pics... today!)
You may also notice I've been wearing that red top a lot lately. Someone told me two weeks ago I looked thinner, and I attributed it to the red top. In the last two weeks, I've worn it 12 out of 14 days. I'm planning on wearing it in my Christmas card picture (as well as the next Barry Manilow concert I attend). In other words, get used to it.
Topic of the Week - 40 IS THE NEW 30... AND OTHER STUPID MYTHS!
I've been thinking about what to write about during this week... the week of my 48th birthday. And without too much effort, it came to me. Why not write about being in my 40s? About to turn 48, I am about as much of an expert as I'm going to be, and there is a lot of stuff going on in this decade that has come as a complete and utter surprise to me. I want others to be more prepared than I was. I'm a giver... I always have been. So this week, this is my gift to all of you out there who might not have entered your 40s yet.
DISCLAIMER - This topic is not for the faint of heart. We're dealing with some really HEAVY stuff these next few days, so if you feel you need to skip ahead to the party or recipe or tradition, etc., I will totally understand. (Code for I WISH I COULD SKIP AHEAD.)
On the day I turned 40, I ran out of my house carrying my shoes in one hand and my purse in the other. Mikie and the kids were taking me out to eat and to a movie... my favorite thing in the whole world. On the way to the car, I stepped on a bee... and it stung me... in between my big toe and the toe beside my big toe... and I couldn't wear my shoe because my two toes swelled... so I had to wear one shoe the rest of the day... and I don't know about you, but wearing only one shoe in a movie theater is gross... and probably a great way to get some kind of disease. It was a sign of things to come.
My 40th year was pretty uneventful in many ways. I was diagnosed with early on-set osteoarthritis in my wrist and one ankle... AND I was perimenopausal. I declared my 40th year to be "YEAR OF THE NEW 30... NOT!"
My 41st year was also a pretty simple, uneventful year. I did notice more and more magazine covers declaring 40 to be the new 30, and I did notice it didn't really apply to me. I was just desperately trying to look my age. I would never have tried to tell someone I was 31 because they would think I hadn't aged well. Pride kept me from telling people I was 51. In theory, if I was 41 but they thought I was 51, they would think I looked young for my age. But what if they DIDN'T think that? What if they thought I really was 51? Too risky.
I decided if I had a personal trainer, personal chef, housekeeper, errand runner and tutor living in the house, I might have a chance. Mikie nixed all of the above.
Health-wise, my arthritis had spread to a few other joints and I started going to a rheumatologist every six months for x-rays, blood work and for some reason, to be weighed. I like my rheumatologist very much... and not just because he did some TV commercials and appeared on Good Morning, Alabama a few times. (His picture is on My Famous People I've Met scrapbook page as you might have guessed.)
I also enjoy going for those visits because when I sign the sheet telling the receptionist I HAVE ARRIVED, I have to write my date of birth. I always write August 26, 1961 and then I scan the sheet. Most of the other patients were born in the 1930s and the 1940s. I am forever young in that office... or at least for another decade or so.
In my 41st year I was still considered perimenopausal (Code for IRRITABLE, BUT NOT HAVING HOT FLASHES... YET.)
I declared my 41st year to be "YEAR OF THE NEW 31... NOT!" (Just so you know, the names of the years get a little more creative as the decade progresses.)
To find out more about what I think of the 40s, tune in tomorrow. It just gets better and better and better! (Actually, it's been pretty horrendous, but as I said above, I feel it is my duty to warn those of you who are not adequately prepared for this decade.)
High School Tailgate Party
Tis the season! Football season, that is.
If you have elementary age boys, this is the time to throw a great high school tailgate party!
You'll need a pick-up truck, of course (owned or borrowed), blankets, lawn chairs, food and a cooler of soft drinks. Because tailgating is not the norm for high school football games, this tailgate party is going to be held at your home. After dinner, using the tailgate of the truck as a buffet, you will then transport the boys (along with a few helper parents) to the ball game.
The menu is simple: hot dogs, nachos, chips, dip, cookies, etc. Plan on having dinner about one hour before your local high school football game begins. Let the boys eat and toss the football. Depending on their ages, set the boundaries for them at the stadium. If they are really into football, they may sit and watch the entire game. However, most kids do like to wander. If that is the case, I suggest you have a set of parents at three or four different points in the stadium. The boys can walk from one set of parents to the next, but still be "safe."
This does not have to be a spend the night party. If the boys have shared a meal and a football game, they will be happy, and you can go home to a clean house knowing you gave a group of little boys a fun, entertaining party.
VARIATION - If you don't have a high school game nearby to attend, but you still want a football themed party, go ahead and tailgate as planned. After the boys toss the ball or play flag football for a little while, have the TV set up on the deck and let everyone settle down in lawn chairs to watch Remember the Titans, Radio, We Are Marshall or another age-appropriate football movie.
Have a magnificent Monday. Come back tomorrow for a new EASY recipe. Also, I may have some more thoughts on being in my 40s... or I may have forgotten them by then. You just never know.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
(I can't help it. I want to use the title one more week... and then I'll let it go. I kind of promise.)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Weekend Happenings
Good Friday morning!
I've added a pic of Roxie after her volleyball scrimmage this week. Volleyball begins in earnest Monday of next week. It's going to be hectic, but very exciting. We've never had a volleyball player before!
Weekend Happenings - I hope your weekend is shaping up nicely. Ours will be fun, I think. Roxie has not one, but two, birthday parties to attend Friday and Saturday, so her weekend will be full of friends and fun.
Friday night, Mike and I will be attending our football jamboree and watching Josh play for the JV team if the weather permits.
The Boy is due home Saturday morning, so Mike and the guys are planning on fishing late Saturday evening. During this time, I will be working on my second college laundry basket. (Don't worry. I'm not going to keep counting them over the years... or maybe I will. It would be interesting to know how many baskets of college laundry I do before Roxie finishes up, wouldn't it? Or maybe that would just interest me. Yeah. I'm thinking I'm the only one who would care a lick about that one.)
Sunday we're have a family dinner after church at my mom's house, and then Austin will be taking the lovely Melia out and about Sunday evening before heading back to JSU Monday morning.
Nothing terribly exciting, but it makes me happy all the same. It's just the kind of weekend I love before the football/volleyball seasons get totally cranked up.
I told you I'd post another story about how well I react in the event of an emergency, so we'll go ahead and get that out of the way. I've got to get ready for the weekend, you know!
I had met my sister, niece and nephews at the ice skating rink at Oak Mountain. While most of the kids were enjoying the ice, my nephew, Zac, was not. He tried, but ice skating was not his thing at the time. He preferred playing at the top of the stadium with a little girl he had met there who was around his age (6 or 7). Beverly and I sat below watching the other kids skate and looked up to see Zac and his little friend standing on the bottom rung of the railing. It was a perfectly normal thing for kids to do, but in this situation it was dangerous because of the height and the cement floor beneath them. Beverly told both of the children to get down, which they immediately did.
Seconds later, we heard the awful thud or pop or thud-pop of a child's head hitting cement. (You've probably heard it before at Wal-Mart. I know I have.) It is a sickening sound. Whirling around, we immediately saw Zac standing looking down. By process of elimination, we knew it was the little girl he had been playing with who had fallen.
We took the steps two at a time and we found her face down on the cement crying. When we lifted her to her feet, blood started pouring from her mouth... pouring, gushing. You get the picture. "Oooh, oooh. That looks bad," I said.
Beverly put her hand under the little girl's chin catching the majority of blood. "Zac, what is her name?" we asked him.
"I don't know. We were just playing together. She got back up on the railing after you told her to get down," he told us... but we had already figured that one out.
We started walking to the entrance of the ice skating rink, Beverly holding her hand under the little girl's chin, Zac walking a few steps behind us, and me trying to think of the best way to help.
That's when my extensive CPR training came into play once again. "MOTHER OF A LITTLE GIRL WEARING A PINK SHIRT AND BLEEDING! MOTHER OF A LITTLE GIRL WEARING A PINK SHIRT AND BLEEDING!" I started yelling at the top of my lungs.
"What are you doing?" my sister asked.
"We have to find her mother so she can take her to the hospital," I replied.
"Am I going to have to go to the hospital?" the little girl asked.
"No, no. You're going to be just fine. It's just a little cut," my sister replied.
"Are you kidding me? She's going to need stitches and from the looks of things, a blood transfusion, too," I said, stating what I thought was the obvious.
Beverly glared at me. Since I wasn't getting a good response from my first announcement, I quickly fell back to my old tried and true way of getting help quickly.
"PARAMEDIC! PARAMEDIC!" I started bellowing.
"Now what are you doing?" Beverly asked. She was getting a little exasperated by now.
"This really works. I've had to do this before in a CPR situation," I told her.
"What's a paramedic?" the little girl asked.
"It's like a doctor," Beverly replied.
"Do I need a doctor?" she asked, sounding a little panicky.
"No. You're going to be fine," Beverly again reassured her.
"She needs an ambulance driver," I mumbled. Again, glaring from Beverly. And again, I used my CPR training until finally her mother appeared.
Surprisingly, her mother was much like Beverly... although unlike Beverly who was just trying to keep the child calm, the mother really didn't think she needed to go to the hospital, or the doctor, or the plastic surgeon, or the dentist, or the blood bank.
I disagreed, so I went up to someone who worked at the rink and pointed out the little bloody girl, and guess what? They called the paramedics... but they used the phone. And I was right. They said she needed a stitch. And guess what else? You bleed more with a head or mouth injury than other places on your body, so she didn't end up needing that blood transfusion after all.
Yep. I was a hero, all right. I think I missed my calling. I definitely should have gone into the medical field doing something. My "bedside manner" is second to none!
Topic of the Week - Passing Down the Formula For a Virtuous Wife
Last excerpt for the week from Vicki Courtney's Your Boy. Enjoy.
"'She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.' (Proverbs 31:20).
"This woman is kind and compassionate. She is attentive to the needs of those less fortunate. She is not so self-absorbed that she turns a blind eye to suffering.
"Key questions for your son: What is her attitude about mission work? Has she been involved in a mission trip or project that helps those who are less fortunate? Or is she focused on her own needs?"
The questions get better and better. If our boys asked themselves these questions before they began dating a young lady (or even soon after they started), I think it would make a huge difference in the type of young lady they brought home for the parents to meet.
Again, this is just a good, solid book for parents to read when raising sons. Be ready for my call this weekend... You better have bought this book by the time I call!
Book
Actually, this is a series of books by one of my favorite authors, Emilie Barnes. The books are written with young girls in mind. (I would start the books in the 3rd grade and use them until your little chick outgrows them.)
I have five of these books, but today I'll just talk about two of them... My Best Friends and Me (Fun Things to Do Together) and A Little Book of Manners (Courtesy and Kindness for Young Ladies).
In My Best Friends and Me, Ms. Barnes writes a book with six chapters that celebrate the friendships of young girls. The book includes activities and crafts to do together as friends, advice for how to be a good friend, advice on how to handle problems in a friendship, etc. The chapters deal with everything from "Why Friendships Are Good to Have" to "Sharing and Caring With Friends" and everything in between. There is even a chapter which lists 50 things you can do with your friends.
The second book for today (A Little Book of Manners) is also excellent. Again, six chapters make up this book and it covers telephone manners, party time manners, mealtime manners, etc. It isn't boring (at all), and could be used in conjunction with your devotion time with your daughter. The chapters are very easy to divide into smaller sections to keep them short, simple and easily memorable for your daughter(s).
All five of these books are beautifully illustrated, also. The cover on each one has a different colored gingham checked border, but you can easily see they are a set.
Next week, I'll give you the names of the other three books in the set, and tell you a little about each one of them. Another "must have" for your parental library.
Have a special weekend. Make sure somewhere on your calendar you've marked in pen a time set aside for family or spouse or friends (or all of them if you can manage). Next week, I'll be back with more of the same. If I'm anything, it is unbearably consistent!
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
I've added a pic of Roxie after her volleyball scrimmage this week. Volleyball begins in earnest Monday of next week. It's going to be hectic, but very exciting. We've never had a volleyball player before!
Weekend Happenings - I hope your weekend is shaping up nicely. Ours will be fun, I think. Roxie has not one, but two, birthday parties to attend Friday and Saturday, so her weekend will be full of friends and fun.
Friday night, Mike and I will be attending our football jamboree and watching Josh play for the JV team if the weather permits.
The Boy is due home Saturday morning, so Mike and the guys are planning on fishing late Saturday evening. During this time, I will be working on my second college laundry basket. (Don't worry. I'm not going to keep counting them over the years... or maybe I will. It would be interesting to know how many baskets of college laundry I do before Roxie finishes up, wouldn't it? Or maybe that would just interest me. Yeah. I'm thinking I'm the only one who would care a lick about that one.)
Sunday we're have a family dinner after church at my mom's house, and then Austin will be taking the lovely Melia out and about Sunday evening before heading back to JSU Monday morning.
Nothing terribly exciting, but it makes me happy all the same. It's just the kind of weekend I love before the football/volleyball seasons get totally cranked up.
I told you I'd post another story about how well I react in the event of an emergency, so we'll go ahead and get that out of the way. I've got to get ready for the weekend, you know!
I had met my sister, niece and nephews at the ice skating rink at Oak Mountain. While most of the kids were enjoying the ice, my nephew, Zac, was not. He tried, but ice skating was not his thing at the time. He preferred playing at the top of the stadium with a little girl he had met there who was around his age (6 or 7). Beverly and I sat below watching the other kids skate and looked up to see Zac and his little friend standing on the bottom rung of the railing. It was a perfectly normal thing for kids to do, but in this situation it was dangerous because of the height and the cement floor beneath them. Beverly told both of the children to get down, which they immediately did.
Seconds later, we heard the awful thud or pop or thud-pop of a child's head hitting cement. (You've probably heard it before at Wal-Mart. I know I have.) It is a sickening sound. Whirling around, we immediately saw Zac standing looking down. By process of elimination, we knew it was the little girl he had been playing with who had fallen.
We took the steps two at a time and we found her face down on the cement crying. When we lifted her to her feet, blood started pouring from her mouth... pouring, gushing. You get the picture. "Oooh, oooh. That looks bad," I said.
Beverly put her hand under the little girl's chin catching the majority of blood. "Zac, what is her name?" we asked him.
"I don't know. We were just playing together. She got back up on the railing after you told her to get down," he told us... but we had already figured that one out.
We started walking to the entrance of the ice skating rink, Beverly holding her hand under the little girl's chin, Zac walking a few steps behind us, and me trying to think of the best way to help.
That's when my extensive CPR training came into play once again. "MOTHER OF A LITTLE GIRL WEARING A PINK SHIRT AND BLEEDING! MOTHER OF A LITTLE GIRL WEARING A PINK SHIRT AND BLEEDING!" I started yelling at the top of my lungs.
"What are you doing?" my sister asked.
"We have to find her mother so she can take her to the hospital," I replied.
"Am I going to have to go to the hospital?" the little girl asked.
"No, no. You're going to be just fine. It's just a little cut," my sister replied.
"Are you kidding me? She's going to need stitches and from the looks of things, a blood transfusion, too," I said, stating what I thought was the obvious.
Beverly glared at me. Since I wasn't getting a good response from my first announcement, I quickly fell back to my old tried and true way of getting help quickly.
"PARAMEDIC! PARAMEDIC!" I started bellowing.
"Now what are you doing?" Beverly asked. She was getting a little exasperated by now.
"This really works. I've had to do this before in a CPR situation," I told her.
"What's a paramedic?" the little girl asked.
"It's like a doctor," Beverly replied.
"Do I need a doctor?" she asked, sounding a little panicky.
"No. You're going to be fine," Beverly again reassured her.
"She needs an ambulance driver," I mumbled. Again, glaring from Beverly. And again, I used my CPR training until finally her mother appeared.
Surprisingly, her mother was much like Beverly... although unlike Beverly who was just trying to keep the child calm, the mother really didn't think she needed to go to the hospital, or the doctor, or the plastic surgeon, or the dentist, or the blood bank.
I disagreed, so I went up to someone who worked at the rink and pointed out the little bloody girl, and guess what? They called the paramedics... but they used the phone. And I was right. They said she needed a stitch. And guess what else? You bleed more with a head or mouth injury than other places on your body, so she didn't end up needing that blood transfusion after all.
Yep. I was a hero, all right. I think I missed my calling. I definitely should have gone into the medical field doing something. My "bedside manner" is second to none!
Topic of the Week - Passing Down the Formula For a Virtuous Wife
Last excerpt for the week from Vicki Courtney's Your Boy. Enjoy.
"'She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.' (Proverbs 31:20).
"This woman is kind and compassionate. She is attentive to the needs of those less fortunate. She is not so self-absorbed that she turns a blind eye to suffering.
"Key questions for your son: What is her attitude about mission work? Has she been involved in a mission trip or project that helps those who are less fortunate? Or is she focused on her own needs?"
The questions get better and better. If our boys asked themselves these questions before they began dating a young lady (or even soon after they started), I think it would make a huge difference in the type of young lady they brought home for the parents to meet.
Again, this is just a good, solid book for parents to read when raising sons. Be ready for my call this weekend... You better have bought this book by the time I call!
Book
Actually, this is a series of books by one of my favorite authors, Emilie Barnes. The books are written with young girls in mind. (I would start the books in the 3rd grade and use them until your little chick outgrows them.)
I have five of these books, but today I'll just talk about two of them... My Best Friends and Me (Fun Things to Do Together) and A Little Book of Manners (Courtesy and Kindness for Young Ladies).
In My Best Friends and Me, Ms. Barnes writes a book with six chapters that celebrate the friendships of young girls. The book includes activities and crafts to do together as friends, advice for how to be a good friend, advice on how to handle problems in a friendship, etc. The chapters deal with everything from "Why Friendships Are Good to Have" to "Sharing and Caring With Friends" and everything in between. There is even a chapter which lists 50 things you can do with your friends.
The second book for today (A Little Book of Manners) is also excellent. Again, six chapters make up this book and it covers telephone manners, party time manners, mealtime manners, etc. It isn't boring (at all), and could be used in conjunction with your devotion time with your daughter. The chapters are very easy to divide into smaller sections to keep them short, simple and easily memorable for your daughter(s).
All five of these books are beautifully illustrated, also. The cover on each one has a different colored gingham checked border, but you can easily see they are a set.
Next week, I'll give you the names of the other three books in the set, and tell you a little about each one of them. Another "must have" for your parental library.
Have a special weekend. Make sure somewhere on your calendar you've marked in pen a time set aside for family or spouse or friends (or all of them if you can manage). Next week, I'll be back with more of the same. If I'm anything, it is unbearably consistent!
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Dates From Weekend Family Fun
Good Thursday morning!
NOTE TO JENNIFER - I love the "parent orientation" notes. For those of you who didn't read yesterday's comments, Jennifer leaves notes in her children's pencil boxes on orientation night and in her older child's locker at open house. In middle school world, nothing is more exciting than opening your locker and having a note waiting for you in between classes from a friend (or so I am told). I can't wait until Roxie's Open House.
AUSTIN UPDATE - GOTCHA! I'm just kidding. No update today. You can relax!
But I did want to tell a little story that doesn't really have a purpose except I thought about it today. (Sometimes that's all it takes. A stray thought wandering through my head.)
When I was very pregnant with Josh, I met six girlfriends for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's in the Galleria. Three of us were great with child. We were enjoying our meals (some of us more than others, if you know what I mean), when at the table directly across from me, a woman started choking.
Within seconds, it became apparent she wasn't just strangled. She was really, really choking. Now, I had taken not one, but two, courses of CPR in my lifetime. I had not one, but two, certificates saying I was not only capable, but obligated to do something to help this woman. So I did what every double certified, extremely pregnant woman would do in the same situation... I stood in my chair and started yelling "Paramedic! Paramedic!" at the top of my lungs. (I personally do not recall doing this, but my friends insisted they witnessed it... and they were pretty appalled.)
By this time, the woman was in the floor and literally turning blue. People were running, some idiot was screaming "Paramedic! Paramedic!" in my ear (oh, that might have been me), and the woman's two year-old child was sitting in her booster seat watching everything.
From my perch high above the other people in the restaurant, I noticed a man dressed in a suit come up behind the baby and try to lift her out of her seat. I'm sure his intentions were good... He didn't want her to witness what was happening to her mother and be traumatized for life (like I was going to be). However, she was strapped into her seat and his repeated jerking trying to get her out was only making matters worse.
Again, I have no recollection of this, but my friends say I climbed down from my chair, walked over to the man, physically pushed him aside and bellowed, "MOVE! I'M A MOTHER!"
At that point, I do remember unbuckling the straps, slipping the crying baby out of her seat and holding her with her face turned away from the commotion.
Paramedics arrived... I'm assuming they heard me yelling. They performed CPR on the woman and dislodged a piece of meat the size of a softball, and then all was good with the world again. The restaurant settled down. I handed the crying baby off to a family member, and the woman sat up and her table proceeded to finish their meal.
My table also sat back down, but we had lost our appetites... I'm assuming from seeing the softball-size wad of meat being projected from the woman a few seconds earlier.
A few moments passed in complete silence, and one of my friends said, "I'm surprised when you yelled 'MOVE! I'M A MOTHER!' you didn't tear your shirt open to reveal your blue spandex T-shirt with the giant 'M' emblazoned on the front," she said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"You know. When you climbed down from the chair and pushed that man and yelled," she repeated.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said again, weakly.
"It was pretty impressive," one of the other girls chimed in.
By now, I was feeling more than a little embarrassed. "Did I really push the man?" I asked, because I had no memory whatsoever of doing so.
"I guess I should go apologize to him," I mumbled.
However, it was the general consensus of the table to leave a bad situation "bad," and not make it "worse."
All things considered, and with all my extensive CPR training, I think I handled everything pretty well. I mean, out of the entire restaurant, I was the only one with the presence of mind to stand in my chair and summon the paramedics.
I'm great in emergency situations. (I've even got another story tomorrow that proves the point even further. Bet you can't wait, can you?)
Topic of the Week - Passing Down the Formula for a Virtuous Wife
Here's some more good "stuff" from Vicki Courtney for all the "boy moms" out there.
"'She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers... . She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.' Proverbs 31:13-19, 24.
"This woman is no slacker. She is hardworking and devoted to her work. She is assertive and decisive, and her confidence shines through in all she does. She is strong, yet it does not diminish her femininity.
"Key questions for your son: Does this young lady have a princess attitude and expect others to serve her? Is she lazy and demotivated in life, or is she devoted to the task at hand and committed to hard work?"
All very good questions. There are eight more "sections" with questions in this chapter... all of them relevant and thought-provoking. I'll add one more section tomorrow, and then you absolutely must buy this book! (No pressure... I'll call this weekend to make sure everyone bought a copy!)
Weekend Family Fun
The first two activities were on http://blog.al.com/bargain-mom/.
IHOP - Available for a limited time at participating locations, IHOP's "Kids Eat Free" dinner promotion is from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each night. The free meal is with the purchase of one adult entree. Children 12 and under qualify.
There is a "Just for Kids" menu. (Drinks are not included unless otherwise specified on the "Just for Kids" menu).
Calling All Kids Chef Class - Calling All Kids Chef Class lets children create a unique edible masterpiece each month.
It only lasts about 25 minutes and it is free. It's in the Bruno's Riverchase Community Room. Parents can get a free cup of coffee, then watch or assist the children.
Here's the location information... 3780 Riverchase Village in Hoover. The phone numbers are (205)987-2523 or (205)985-2294.
Here's what you need to know:
Each child must be accompanied by an adult.
An adult will need to sign a Kids Circle form to allow participation.
Kids should wear play clothes.
Those with food allergies or who are lactose intolerant should notify the Kid's Circle Leader.
The classes are once a month and the following is the schedule:
September 12 - Krabby Patty Cooking School
October 31 - Halloween Party Edible Decoration and Trick or Treat in the Store
November 21 - Holiday Decorating Class
December 12 - Brunch with Santa
Sounds fun, doesn't it? Another one of those great "things to do" I wish had been available when my kids were small. (I sound bitter, don't I? I am just a little.)
Dollar Movies in Hoover - There are several good family films still showing this weekend at the Dollar Movie. Check their website (www.carmike.com) for showtimes. (Don't forget it is the Carmike 10 in Hoover.)
Dates from Weekend Family Fun
I'm not trying to cheat or be lazy or anything, but may I suggest planning a date with one of your kiddos doing one of the activities listed above in Weekend Family Fun. There are three very good possibilities just staring you in the face.
If you have multiple kids, the Chef Classes would be a great way to take each one to a different FREE class. If you go to Hoover to see the Dollar Theater, a FREE IHOP dinner would be an excellent way to end the evening. Well, that or Krispy Kreme. You can't go wrong with a Krispy Kreme stop... EVER!
Get to planning, and have a great time with your date.
Have a terrific Thursday... my favorite day of the week. Tomorrow I'll share a favorite book, and our Weekend Happenings, and one more excerpt from Your Boy by Vicki Courtney. And maybe, just maybe, I'll tell another little story about how calm, cool and collected I am in an emergency. (I'm afraid I come off sounding too good on the blog sometimes, and I don't want to do that... because it just ain't so! And this story should help prove that beyond a shadow of doubt.)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
NOTE TO JENNIFER - I love the "parent orientation" notes. For those of you who didn't read yesterday's comments, Jennifer leaves notes in her children's pencil boxes on orientation night and in her older child's locker at open house. In middle school world, nothing is more exciting than opening your locker and having a note waiting for you in between classes from a friend (or so I am told). I can't wait until Roxie's Open House.
AUSTIN UPDATE - GOTCHA! I'm just kidding. No update today. You can relax!
But I did want to tell a little story that doesn't really have a purpose except I thought about it today. (Sometimes that's all it takes. A stray thought wandering through my head.)
When I was very pregnant with Josh, I met six girlfriends for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's in the Galleria. Three of us were great with child. We were enjoying our meals (some of us more than others, if you know what I mean), when at the table directly across from me, a woman started choking.
Within seconds, it became apparent she wasn't just strangled. She was really, really choking. Now, I had taken not one, but two, courses of CPR in my lifetime. I had not one, but two, certificates saying I was not only capable, but obligated to do something to help this woman. So I did what every double certified, extremely pregnant woman would do in the same situation... I stood in my chair and started yelling "Paramedic! Paramedic!" at the top of my lungs. (I personally do not recall doing this, but my friends insisted they witnessed it... and they were pretty appalled.)
By this time, the woman was in the floor and literally turning blue. People were running, some idiot was screaming "Paramedic! Paramedic!" in my ear (oh, that might have been me), and the woman's two year-old child was sitting in her booster seat watching everything.
From my perch high above the other people in the restaurant, I noticed a man dressed in a suit come up behind the baby and try to lift her out of her seat. I'm sure his intentions were good... He didn't want her to witness what was happening to her mother and be traumatized for life (like I was going to be). However, she was strapped into her seat and his repeated jerking trying to get her out was only making matters worse.
Again, I have no recollection of this, but my friends say I climbed down from my chair, walked over to the man, physically pushed him aside and bellowed, "MOVE! I'M A MOTHER!"
At that point, I do remember unbuckling the straps, slipping the crying baby out of her seat and holding her with her face turned away from the commotion.
Paramedics arrived... I'm assuming they heard me yelling. They performed CPR on the woman and dislodged a piece of meat the size of a softball, and then all was good with the world again. The restaurant settled down. I handed the crying baby off to a family member, and the woman sat up and her table proceeded to finish their meal.
My table also sat back down, but we had lost our appetites... I'm assuming from seeing the softball-size wad of meat being projected from the woman a few seconds earlier.
A few moments passed in complete silence, and one of my friends said, "I'm surprised when you yelled 'MOVE! I'M A MOTHER!' you didn't tear your shirt open to reveal your blue spandex T-shirt with the giant 'M' emblazoned on the front," she said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"You know. When you climbed down from the chair and pushed that man and yelled," she repeated.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said again, weakly.
"It was pretty impressive," one of the other girls chimed in.
By now, I was feeling more than a little embarrassed. "Did I really push the man?" I asked, because I had no memory whatsoever of doing so.
"I guess I should go apologize to him," I mumbled.
However, it was the general consensus of the table to leave a bad situation "bad," and not make it "worse."
All things considered, and with all my extensive CPR training, I think I handled everything pretty well. I mean, out of the entire restaurant, I was the only one with the presence of mind to stand in my chair and summon the paramedics.
I'm great in emergency situations. (I've even got another story tomorrow that proves the point even further. Bet you can't wait, can you?)
Topic of the Week - Passing Down the Formula for a Virtuous Wife
Here's some more good "stuff" from Vicki Courtney for all the "boy moms" out there.
"'She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers... . She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.' Proverbs 31:13-19, 24.
"This woman is no slacker. She is hardworking and devoted to her work. She is assertive and decisive, and her confidence shines through in all she does. She is strong, yet it does not diminish her femininity.
"Key questions for your son: Does this young lady have a princess attitude and expect others to serve her? Is she lazy and demotivated in life, or is she devoted to the task at hand and committed to hard work?"
All very good questions. There are eight more "sections" with questions in this chapter... all of them relevant and thought-provoking. I'll add one more section tomorrow, and then you absolutely must buy this book! (No pressure... I'll call this weekend to make sure everyone bought a copy!)
Weekend Family Fun
The first two activities were on http://blog.al.com/bargain-mom/.
IHOP - Available for a limited time at participating locations, IHOP's "Kids Eat Free" dinner promotion is from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each night. The free meal is with the purchase of one adult entree. Children 12 and under qualify.
There is a "Just for Kids" menu. (Drinks are not included unless otherwise specified on the "Just for Kids" menu).
Calling All Kids Chef Class - Calling All Kids Chef Class lets children create a unique edible masterpiece each month.
It only lasts about 25 minutes and it is free. It's in the Bruno's Riverchase Community Room. Parents can get a free cup of coffee, then watch or assist the children.
Here's the location information... 3780 Riverchase Village in Hoover. The phone numbers are (205)987-2523 or (205)985-2294.
Here's what you need to know:
Each child must be accompanied by an adult.
An adult will need to sign a Kids Circle form to allow participation.
Kids should wear play clothes.
Those with food allergies or who are lactose intolerant should notify the Kid's Circle Leader.
The classes are once a month and the following is the schedule:
September 12 - Krabby Patty Cooking School
October 31 - Halloween Party Edible Decoration and Trick or Treat in the Store
November 21 - Holiday Decorating Class
December 12 - Brunch with Santa
Sounds fun, doesn't it? Another one of those great "things to do" I wish had been available when my kids were small. (I sound bitter, don't I? I am just a little.)
Dollar Movies in Hoover - There are several good family films still showing this weekend at the Dollar Movie. Check their website (www.carmike.com) for showtimes. (Don't forget it is the Carmike 10 in Hoover.)
Dates from Weekend Family Fun
I'm not trying to cheat or be lazy or anything, but may I suggest planning a date with one of your kiddos doing one of the activities listed above in Weekend Family Fun. There are three very good possibilities just staring you in the face.
If you have multiple kids, the Chef Classes would be a great way to take each one to a different FREE class. If you go to Hoover to see the Dollar Theater, a FREE IHOP dinner would be an excellent way to end the evening. Well, that or Krispy Kreme. You can't go wrong with a Krispy Kreme stop... EVER!
Get to planning, and have a great time with your date.
Have a terrific Thursday... my favorite day of the week. Tomorrow I'll share a favorite book, and our Weekend Happenings, and one more excerpt from Your Boy by Vicki Courtney. And maybe, just maybe, I'll tell another little story about how calm, cool and collected I am in an emergency. (I'm afraid I come off sounding too good on the blog sometimes, and I don't want to do that... because it just ain't so! And this story should help prove that beyond a shadow of doubt.)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
First Day of School Letters
Good Wednesday morning!
NOTE NEWBIES - If you are Newbie, you can find out more about A Simple Life by reading my August 8 post. It will "show you the ropes!"
I have a couple of new sections I'm adding to A Simple Life. Beginning today, we will have a small section entitled "Wednesday Wisdom." This will just be a little quote of the week which may be funny, uplifting, life-changing, etc. Oh... and VERY rarely will it be a quote from me (if ever). Today's quote is from Mark Twain as a matter of fact. It's just a fun "little" thing to make you think.
Also, beginning August 26, there will be a new blog under My Blog List entitled "Belinda's Project 365." I will be attempting to take one picture a day for 365 days chronicling my 48th year of life. This concept began with Becky Higgins (see Becky's Blog under My Blog List) who is an amazing scrapbook page designer, mother of three, etc., etc., etc. Another blogger I admire (see Carol of Crazy for Crafting fame under My Blog List) has been doing a wonderful job of keeping up with her Project 365. We'll see how it goes, but as I said, it will just be one picture a day and it can be anything that represents my life at THAT MOMENT! Good or bad. Pretty or ugly. There will be one line of journaling under each picture... unlike A Simple Life which usually has 1,000,000 lines of journaling each day.
Wednesday Wisdom - Mark Twain - Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
AUSTIN UPDATE - I think ONE of the hardest things for me (in this new phase of my life) is that although I speak to Austin every day now, eventually that will change. That is the reason I got on Facebook (and to shamelessly plug my blog everyday). But really, I wanted to have yet another way to stay connected to Austin (and Josh and Roxie). I don't want there to be a "disconnect," although I very much want them to have their own lives. (No... really, I do!)
I also love to write letters. I just like the freedom of talking to someone in a letter, and fortunately, I'm not someone who has to have someone responding all the time.
I'm going to share a Facebook letter I sent Austin today because I don't want to have painted the perfect, rosy picture of his adjustment to living "in the real world." He has had to deal with A LOT of "stuff" in a very short amount of time, and today I sent him a note letting him know we don't take this struggle for granted.
Dear Austin:
I just wanted to say how proud I am of you and your stand with some of the guys about the excessive profanity they are using, and saying no to some of the parties you've been invited to recently. I talked to Josh about it this morning. You left a very sheltered, Christian environment with a very strong Christian testimony, and the second you stepped out of the car at JSU and we drove away, Satan came at you with both arms swinging.
Yes, he'll attack the other guys, too. But if they are already following the wrong people and "trying to fit in" worldly situations, he won't be spending as much time fighting them as he will fighting you.
I wish I could say because of the life you've chosen to live things will be much, much easier. In reality, the opposite is true. Satan will be there at every turn trying to make you fail... and not just fail in private, but in the presence of everyone around you. That's his plan.
Now that we are clear as to what Satan's plan for your life is, let's go back to what we know about God's PERFECT plan for your life. Seek His will. Seek His plan. Seek His wisdom.
Continue to read your Bible every day. Missing one day is exactly what Satan wants... because if you miss one day then it will be easier to miss two... and so on and so on and so on.
Fight the fight, Austin. I know you're going to win!
I love you lots.
Mom
DISCLAIMER - I'm not with Austin on a daily basis any longer. All I have to go by is what he is telling me and Mike over the phone, and at home on the weekends. He could very well be giving into temptations we know nothing about. This is just another reason Mike and I will continue to "hover" a while longer. It's all about teaching endurance. And while we've talked about this in the safety and comfort of our home, he's now having to apply it in his daily life (away from the safety and comfort)... and it's hard.
Throwing him into the middle of a dessert and telling him to run for miles and miles and miles without any relief in sight isn't a plan to help him succeed. It's a plan designed to make him fail. It's the world's plan.
God's plan for His children has more to do with going the distance. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." Hebrews 12:1-2.
Good plan... good plan.
Topic of the Week - Passing Down the Formula For a Virtuous Woman
Let's see what Ms. Courtney has to say to our boys today, shall we?
"'Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.' (Proverbs 31:11-12).
"This woman is every man's dream come true. She is not a whiner, nor does she bite back with attitude and sarcasm. I am reminded of Proverbs 27:15, 'A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day.' We all know women like this who make life miserable for all in their household. A virtuous woman is not a nagger; she puts the needs of her husband before her own.
Key questions for your son: Does this young lady have a temper? Is she in the habit of complaining and nagging? Does she easily hold grudges and struggle to forgive others?
Brilliant, I tell you... BRILLIANT!
I'm just glad this book wasn't around when Mikie and I were dating!
First Day of School Letters
I know the first day of school has come and gone, but you can write a letter now, AND FROM NOW ON, write it the first day of school. Be a little flexible (like me)... Okay?
This is more than just a note on a napkin in their lunchbox (although I LOVE those, too).
This is a full-blown letter of love, encouragement and scripture. This letter should include everything you want and pray for your child this coming school year. It should begin and end with declarations of love, and everything in the middle should be uplifting and confidence building. This letter should be the most wonderful thing they read all year long! And it should come from Mom and/or Dad.
Leave it on their pillow, taped to the mirror in the bathroom, or under their placemat at breakfast. Keep things simple. Do not put it in an elaborate scrapbook to save. You can use a plain manila envelope or a pocket folder. They can keep it in their room to read any time they want (or need), and you can add another letter each year.
It's a great way for your child to start the school year... knowing they are precious and special and loved.
Have the best Wednesday ever. Do something special and unexpected for another person today (husband, child, friend, neighbor). It could be something as simple as making a batch of muffins and taking it to them for their breakfast the next morning. It's not hard, and wouldn't that be such a treat. Tomorrow I have a date for you to consider and Weekend Family Fun. (I've been a little weak in this area the last two weeks. I'll kick it up a notch for Thursday's post.)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
(Only one more week of the title... I promise!)
NOTE NEWBIES - If you are Newbie, you can find out more about A Simple Life by reading my August 8 post. It will "show you the ropes!"
I have a couple of new sections I'm adding to A Simple Life. Beginning today, we will have a small section entitled "Wednesday Wisdom." This will just be a little quote of the week which may be funny, uplifting, life-changing, etc. Oh... and VERY rarely will it be a quote from me (if ever). Today's quote is from Mark Twain as a matter of fact. It's just a fun "little" thing to make you think.
Also, beginning August 26, there will be a new blog under My Blog List entitled "Belinda's Project 365." I will be attempting to take one picture a day for 365 days chronicling my 48th year of life. This concept began with Becky Higgins (see Becky's Blog under My Blog List) who is an amazing scrapbook page designer, mother of three, etc., etc., etc. Another blogger I admire (see Carol of Crazy for Crafting fame under My Blog List) has been doing a wonderful job of keeping up with her Project 365. We'll see how it goes, but as I said, it will just be one picture a day and it can be anything that represents my life at THAT MOMENT! Good or bad. Pretty or ugly. There will be one line of journaling under each picture... unlike A Simple Life which usually has 1,000,000 lines of journaling each day.
Wednesday Wisdom - Mark Twain - Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
AUSTIN UPDATE - I think ONE of the hardest things for me (in this new phase of my life) is that although I speak to Austin every day now, eventually that will change. That is the reason I got on Facebook (and to shamelessly plug my blog everyday). But really, I wanted to have yet another way to stay connected to Austin (and Josh and Roxie). I don't want there to be a "disconnect," although I very much want them to have their own lives. (No... really, I do!)
I also love to write letters. I just like the freedom of talking to someone in a letter, and fortunately, I'm not someone who has to have someone responding all the time.
I'm going to share a Facebook letter I sent Austin today because I don't want to have painted the perfect, rosy picture of his adjustment to living "in the real world." He has had to deal with A LOT of "stuff" in a very short amount of time, and today I sent him a note letting him know we don't take this struggle for granted.
Dear Austin:
I just wanted to say how proud I am of you and your stand with some of the guys about the excessive profanity they are using, and saying no to some of the parties you've been invited to recently. I talked to Josh about it this morning. You left a very sheltered, Christian environment with a very strong Christian testimony, and the second you stepped out of the car at JSU and we drove away, Satan came at you with both arms swinging.
Yes, he'll attack the other guys, too. But if they are already following the wrong people and "trying to fit in" worldly situations, he won't be spending as much time fighting them as he will fighting you.
I wish I could say because of the life you've chosen to live things will be much, much easier. In reality, the opposite is true. Satan will be there at every turn trying to make you fail... and not just fail in private, but in the presence of everyone around you. That's his plan.
Now that we are clear as to what Satan's plan for your life is, let's go back to what we know about God's PERFECT plan for your life. Seek His will. Seek His plan. Seek His wisdom.
Continue to read your Bible every day. Missing one day is exactly what Satan wants... because if you miss one day then it will be easier to miss two... and so on and so on and so on.
Fight the fight, Austin. I know you're going to win!
I love you lots.
Mom
DISCLAIMER - I'm not with Austin on a daily basis any longer. All I have to go by is what he is telling me and Mike over the phone, and at home on the weekends. He could very well be giving into temptations we know nothing about. This is just another reason Mike and I will continue to "hover" a while longer. It's all about teaching endurance. And while we've talked about this in the safety and comfort of our home, he's now having to apply it in his daily life (away from the safety and comfort)... and it's hard.
Throwing him into the middle of a dessert and telling him to run for miles and miles and miles without any relief in sight isn't a plan to help him succeed. It's a plan designed to make him fail. It's the world's plan.
God's plan for His children has more to do with going the distance. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." Hebrews 12:1-2.
Good plan... good plan.
Topic of the Week - Passing Down the Formula For a Virtuous Woman
Let's see what Ms. Courtney has to say to our boys today, shall we?
"'Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.' (Proverbs 31:11-12).
"This woman is every man's dream come true. She is not a whiner, nor does she bite back with attitude and sarcasm. I am reminded of Proverbs 27:15, 'A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day.' We all know women like this who make life miserable for all in their household. A virtuous woman is not a nagger; she puts the needs of her husband before her own.
Key questions for your son: Does this young lady have a temper? Is she in the habit of complaining and nagging? Does she easily hold grudges and struggle to forgive others?
Brilliant, I tell you... BRILLIANT!
I'm just glad this book wasn't around when Mikie and I were dating!
First Day of School Letters
I know the first day of school has come and gone, but you can write a letter now, AND FROM NOW ON, write it the first day of school. Be a little flexible (like me)... Okay?
This is more than just a note on a napkin in their lunchbox (although I LOVE those, too).
This is a full-blown letter of love, encouragement and scripture. This letter should include everything you want and pray for your child this coming school year. It should begin and end with declarations of love, and everything in the middle should be uplifting and confidence building. This letter should be the most wonderful thing they read all year long! And it should come from Mom and/or Dad.
Leave it on their pillow, taped to the mirror in the bathroom, or under their placemat at breakfast. Keep things simple. Do not put it in an elaborate scrapbook to save. You can use a plain manila envelope or a pocket folder. They can keep it in their room to read any time they want (or need), and you can add another letter each year.
It's a great way for your child to start the school year... knowing they are precious and special and loved.
Have the best Wednesday ever. Do something special and unexpected for another person today (husband, child, friend, neighbor). It could be something as simple as making a batch of muffins and taking it to them for their breakfast the next morning. It's not hard, and wouldn't that be such a treat. Tomorrow I have a date for you to consider and Weekend Family Fun. (I've been a little weak in this area the last two weeks. I'll kick it up a notch for Thursday's post.)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
(Only one more week of the title... I promise!)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes
Good Tuesday morning!
NOTE TO ROBIN - I don't know what you're talking about. Sparkle is a VERY sensitive, intelligent animal. She knows something is very, very different (Code for HORRIBLY, HORRIBLY WRONG) in our household of late. I don't think I'm projecting my feelings on her at all!
NOTE TO LEANNA - Lest you forget, Sparkle has a very nice buddy named Copper. (Code for WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER BEAGLE LIVING AT THE FAULKNER HOME... EVEN ONE AS WELL-TRAINED AS YOUR "BUDDY.")
I know I've been a little single-minded of late, so it's going to be a little hard for me to tackle another subject... but I'm going to try. Between Austin and Barry Manilow, my brain has been filled to capacity, and I'm going to have to think, think, think in order to write about something else. Something relevant. Something important to all of you who read the blog. Hmmm. What to write... what to write?
Oh! I know. Earlier this year, I suggested a book by Vicki Courtney called Your Boy. (She also wrote Your Girl.) She gave this book to her publisher a couple of weeks before her son became a senior in high school, and in Chapter 12 of her book (Passing Down the Formula for a Virtuous Wife), she wrote some VERY wise words. During the remainder of this week, I would like to share some of these thoughts with the "boy moms" out there. And being blessed enough to be in the "girl mom" club, too, she offers advice for girls, also. (Code for DON'T SKIP THIS SECTION BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE SONS!)
"Come graduation day, make sure your son is well versed in the passage (Proverbs 31) and doesn't leave home without it! I have included key questions for your son, should he be open to measuring potential brides against God's standards for a virtuous woman. (Also note, if you have daughter, this is a great chapter to go with them to ensure they are in the process of becoming virtuous women.)
"'A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.' Proverbs 31:10.
"Our sons should be made aware of how rare this type of woman is and should be encouraged to hold out for the best... God's best. If they find her, they have found a treasure. She is not like most other girls (including Christian girls) who have conformed themselves to the culture.
"Key questions for your son: Would this young lady be described by others with words like 'virtuous,' 'moral,' and 'noble'? Even if she has a past, would these words describe who she is today?"
Wow! She's good, isn't she? I have a little story of my own to add here, if you'll allow.
When I was still living at home, I dated a young Christian man. He had grown up in church, and he had a fine testimony. We had been going out for some time when things began to change. I remember one night he picked me up to go to a party. I had not asked a lot of questions regarding the party because I assumed it would be with other church friends (as it had always been before).
I was very surprised when we arrived at an apartment on Southside with lots and lots of cars parked all around. Loud music was pouring out of two of the apartments, and it was apparent this was not your typical Sunday School party. "What's going on?" I asked.
"It's a friend of mine from work. I told him we'd stop by. We'll stay for a minute or two and then we'll leave," he replied. I sat in the car while he walked around to open the door.
"What kind of party is this?" I naively asked.
"It sounds pretty fun, doesn't it?" he replied.
I slowly got out of the car and followed him up the stairs and into the first apartment which was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people dancing and drinking. "Take me home!" I yelled over the music.
"Just a minute. Just let me say hi to my friend, and we'll be out of here," he yelled back. And then he disappeared into the crowd. I stayed outside for several minutes, and then I decided I had experienced enough fun.
Now remember, this was before cell phones. I walked into the party and began searching for a telephone. When I finally found one, thankfully it had a cord long enough to reach into the bathroom where I shooed three people out and locked the door. I started dialing, but didn't finish before someone starting banging on the bathroom door. It was my date... soon to be ex-date.
I opened the door a crack and held the phone up to my ear. "What are you doing?" he yelled over the noise.
"I'm calling my Dad, and when he gets here he is going to KILL you," I calmly replied as I shut and locked the bathroom door.
The phone was ringing... the door was being knocked on LOUDLY. "Wait a minute," my soon-to-be ex-date yelled again. Luckily for my soon-to-be ex-date, my Mom and Dad had gone over to a friend's house, but I was quickly dialing that number when I cracked the door one more time.
"I told you we were only staying a minute," he yelled angrily.
"Oh. Are we going now?" I asked, still holding the phone.
"No. I just need five more minutes, and then we'll leave."
"No hurry," I replied... closed the door... and began dialing again.
"What are you doing?" he screamed through the door.
"I'm calling my Dad, and when he gets here he is going to KILL you," I reiterated once again, very calmly.
"Okay. Okay. Let's go," he said through the door. I hung up the phone on the second ring, walked out of the bathroom and out of the apartment without even looking back. I knew he was right behind me.
He had the nerve to be furious with me, and we drove back to my house in silence.
"Are you going to mention this to your parents?" he asked as I got out of the car.
"Oh, yeah. And if I were you, I'd start driving right now, because when I tell my Dad, he's going to come outside and KILL you for taking me to that kind of party." And then I turned around and walked into the house.
See... That young man wasn't worthy of a virtuous young woman. Not at that particular time of his life.
I've told that story to Roxie so she can know exactly what to do if she is ever in a similar situation. But I've also told the boys that story so they will know a Godly young man should NEVER put the young lady in that kind of situation either. And they should not be dating someone who would not object to that kind of party. It's a two-way street.
I'll share more from this book tomorrow. If you haven't already purchased it, it's a great book for your "parental library."
Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes
This is a recipe from Family Fun Magazine (August 2009). (Code for KID FRIENDLY AND FUN.)
Batter Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, tightly packed
6 maraschino cherries
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter and milk for the batter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Then transfer the mixture to a small bowl to cool.
2. Prepare the pineapple topping. Into each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of unmelted butter. Then evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over the bottom. Place the pan in the oven until the butter melts, about 3 minutes.
3. Halve each maraschino cherry, then cut the pineapple rings into quarters. Place a cherry half, sliced side up, in the center of each cup and lay a pineapple quarter on each side. Press the fruit gently down into the butter-sugar mixture, then set the prepared pan aside.
4. Finish making the batter. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and stir the ingredients with a fork until they are evenly blended. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Add the milk-butter mixture and stir well to combine the ingredients into a smooth batter.
5. Pour the batter into the muffin pan, dividing it evenly among all the cups. Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly brown, dry around the edges, and pulling away from the pan a little, about 25 minutes.
6. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Use a butter knife to carefully loosen each cupcake from the edges and bottom of the pan, then place a cookie sheet over the top. Invert the pan, turning the cupcakes out onto the cookie sheet. Then transfer them back to the rack to cool completely.
Out of the Faulkner Five, only three of us like pineapple upside-down cake, but with cupcakes being "all the rage" these days (see how I used another little "enchanting" phrase), these would make a wonderful dessert for a luau-themed get together with friends and/or family.
Tomorrow I'll have yet another "must-do" Seasonal Tradition for you and yours. We'll continue with the Topic of the Week (Passing Down the Formula for a Virtuous Wife), and I'll talk to you a little bit about Project 365 which will begin next week. Check back if you get a chance.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
(Yeah! It's much, much better without the Faulkner. We'll use this a week or so and see how I like it.)
NOTE TO ROBIN - I don't know what you're talking about. Sparkle is a VERY sensitive, intelligent animal. She knows something is very, very different (Code for HORRIBLY, HORRIBLY WRONG) in our household of late. I don't think I'm projecting my feelings on her at all!
NOTE TO LEANNA - Lest you forget, Sparkle has a very nice buddy named Copper. (Code for WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER BEAGLE LIVING AT THE FAULKNER HOME... EVEN ONE AS WELL-TRAINED AS YOUR "BUDDY.")
I know I've been a little single-minded of late, so it's going to be a little hard for me to tackle another subject... but I'm going to try. Between Austin and Barry Manilow, my brain has been filled to capacity, and I'm going to have to think, think, think in order to write about something else. Something relevant. Something important to all of you who read the blog. Hmmm. What to write... what to write?
Oh! I know. Earlier this year, I suggested a book by Vicki Courtney called Your Boy. (She also wrote Your Girl.) She gave this book to her publisher a couple of weeks before her son became a senior in high school, and in Chapter 12 of her book (Passing Down the Formula for a Virtuous Wife), she wrote some VERY wise words. During the remainder of this week, I would like to share some of these thoughts with the "boy moms" out there. And being blessed enough to be in the "girl mom" club, too, she offers advice for girls, also. (Code for DON'T SKIP THIS SECTION BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE SONS!)
"Come graduation day, make sure your son is well versed in the passage (Proverbs 31) and doesn't leave home without it! I have included key questions for your son, should he be open to measuring potential brides against God's standards for a virtuous woman. (Also note, if you have daughter, this is a great chapter to go with them to ensure they are in the process of becoming virtuous women.)
"'A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.' Proverbs 31:10.
"Our sons should be made aware of how rare this type of woman is and should be encouraged to hold out for the best... God's best. If they find her, they have found a treasure. She is not like most other girls (including Christian girls) who have conformed themselves to the culture.
"Key questions for your son: Would this young lady be described by others with words like 'virtuous,' 'moral,' and 'noble'? Even if she has a past, would these words describe who she is today?"
Wow! She's good, isn't she? I have a little story of my own to add here, if you'll allow.
When I was still living at home, I dated a young Christian man. He had grown up in church, and he had a fine testimony. We had been going out for some time when things began to change. I remember one night he picked me up to go to a party. I had not asked a lot of questions regarding the party because I assumed it would be with other church friends (as it had always been before).
I was very surprised when we arrived at an apartment on Southside with lots and lots of cars parked all around. Loud music was pouring out of two of the apartments, and it was apparent this was not your typical Sunday School party. "What's going on?" I asked.
"It's a friend of mine from work. I told him we'd stop by. We'll stay for a minute or two and then we'll leave," he replied. I sat in the car while he walked around to open the door.
"What kind of party is this?" I naively asked.
"It sounds pretty fun, doesn't it?" he replied.
I slowly got out of the car and followed him up the stairs and into the first apartment which was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people dancing and drinking. "Take me home!" I yelled over the music.
"Just a minute. Just let me say hi to my friend, and we'll be out of here," he yelled back. And then he disappeared into the crowd. I stayed outside for several minutes, and then I decided I had experienced enough fun.
Now remember, this was before cell phones. I walked into the party and began searching for a telephone. When I finally found one, thankfully it had a cord long enough to reach into the bathroom where I shooed three people out and locked the door. I started dialing, but didn't finish before someone starting banging on the bathroom door. It was my date... soon to be ex-date.
I opened the door a crack and held the phone up to my ear. "What are you doing?" he yelled over the noise.
"I'm calling my Dad, and when he gets here he is going to KILL you," I calmly replied as I shut and locked the bathroom door.
The phone was ringing... the door was being knocked on LOUDLY. "Wait a minute," my soon-to-be ex-date yelled again. Luckily for my soon-to-be ex-date, my Mom and Dad had gone over to a friend's house, but I was quickly dialing that number when I cracked the door one more time.
"I told you we were only staying a minute," he yelled angrily.
"Oh. Are we going now?" I asked, still holding the phone.
"No. I just need five more minutes, and then we'll leave."
"No hurry," I replied... closed the door... and began dialing again.
"What are you doing?" he screamed through the door.
"I'm calling my Dad, and when he gets here he is going to KILL you," I reiterated once again, very calmly.
"Okay. Okay. Let's go," he said through the door. I hung up the phone on the second ring, walked out of the bathroom and out of the apartment without even looking back. I knew he was right behind me.
He had the nerve to be furious with me, and we drove back to my house in silence.
"Are you going to mention this to your parents?" he asked as I got out of the car.
"Oh, yeah. And if I were you, I'd start driving right now, because when I tell my Dad, he's going to come outside and KILL you for taking me to that kind of party." And then I turned around and walked into the house.
See... That young man wasn't worthy of a virtuous young woman. Not at that particular time of his life.
I've told that story to Roxie so she can know exactly what to do if she is ever in a similar situation. But I've also told the boys that story so they will know a Godly young man should NEVER put the young lady in that kind of situation either. And they should not be dating someone who would not object to that kind of party. It's a two-way street.
I'll share more from this book tomorrow. If you haven't already purchased it, it's a great book for your "parental library."
Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes
This is a recipe from Family Fun Magazine (August 2009). (Code for KID FRIENDLY AND FUN.)
Batter Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, tightly packed
6 maraschino cherries
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter and milk for the batter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Then transfer the mixture to a small bowl to cool.
2. Prepare the pineapple topping. Into each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of unmelted butter. Then evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over the bottom. Place the pan in the oven until the butter melts, about 3 minutes.
3. Halve each maraschino cherry, then cut the pineapple rings into quarters. Place a cherry half, sliced side up, in the center of each cup and lay a pineapple quarter on each side. Press the fruit gently down into the butter-sugar mixture, then set the prepared pan aside.
4. Finish making the batter. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and stir the ingredients with a fork until they are evenly blended. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Add the milk-butter mixture and stir well to combine the ingredients into a smooth batter.
5. Pour the batter into the muffin pan, dividing it evenly among all the cups. Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly brown, dry around the edges, and pulling away from the pan a little, about 25 minutes.
6. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Use a butter knife to carefully loosen each cupcake from the edges and bottom of the pan, then place a cookie sheet over the top. Invert the pan, turning the cupcakes out onto the cookie sheet. Then transfer them back to the rack to cool completely.
Out of the Faulkner Five, only three of us like pineapple upside-down cake, but with cupcakes being "all the rage" these days (see how I used another little "enchanting" phrase), these would make a wonderful dessert for a luau-themed get together with friends and/or family.
Tomorrow I'll have yet another "must-do" Seasonal Tradition for you and yours. We'll continue with the Topic of the Week (Passing Down the Formula for a Virtuous Wife), and I'll talk to you a little bit about Project 365 which will begin next week. Check back if you get a chance.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
(Yeah! It's much, much better without the Faulkner. We'll use this a week or so and see how I like it.)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Paint Your Own Masterpiece Party
Good Monday morning!
NOTE TO JONI, JENNY AND TRACY - Thank you all for your kind words. I appreciate them, one and all. (I'm writing this on the blog, because since I'm so famous now, I doubt if I'll be able to speak to you in person when I see you at church... You know, because of the throngs of people surrounding me.) But I did want to let you know it made my day to read your sweet comments.
Tracy, I've put a new answering machine tape in the machine so I could keep the one with your message on it forever and ever and ever. For anyone who has never had the honor of having a message left by Tracy, I feel very, very sorry for you. The messages are excellent!
NOTE TO KIM - I waited ALL day long Sunday to hear from you. I NEED an e-mail today, please. Patience is not even in my vocabulary!
NOTE - For anyone (family or friends) interested in learning more about OCD, there is a show on A&E every Monday night at 8:00 CST called Obsessed. It shows two different people with severe cases of OCD and the treatment the patients receive from two different doctors. It is difficult for me to watch, but it "shows" rather than "tells" the complexities of the illness so it would be helpful to people who are trying to understand OCD and everything associated with the disorder.
The Showcase Pic this week is of Josh. This is the "after" picture from the Meet the Rockets event held Saturday night. Josh played a good bit (12 plays), and he held his own. He loves it, so we're praying this season is all he has dreamed it would be.
The Gallery Pics are of Roxie getting ready for her practice volleyball tournament Saturday morning. The purpose of the tournament was to help them get over their nerves and to train new officials. She enjoyed it, and I think she's ready for the "real thing" now.
And, of course, there are a few of Austin. Just had to take a few pictures of him breathing. Does he look different to you? Has he grown? Does he look older? (Yeah. I thought the same thing. He looks exactly the same. That's a good thing, by the way.)
THE PITFALLS OF BEING FAMOUS - I thought I would share some of these pitfalls with you today, because I can now speak of them knowingly. After last week's post picturing me with Jill (Back-Up Singer to Barry Manilow, Sandi Patti and Michael Bolton), my life spiraled out of control. In just two days, fame totally overtook me and my family in our small village of Gardendale. Here is my story.
First, I'll just start with the blog itself. I usually have anywhere from 35 to 40 hits a day during the week. On Thursday and Friday I had over 60 hits EACH day.
I usually have 1 to 3 comments a day (sometimes more, sometimes less), but I had 5 and 6 comments on the blog alone (not counting Facebook, e-mails and telephone calls... which put the total well into the teens).
When I went to Meet the Rockets Saturday night, person after person after person... that's it... three people mentioned the blog to me in person (as opposed to 0 to 3 people a week).
So you can see, I have been inundated with "fans" this past weekend. It has been exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time.
I now understand all the complaining about paparazzi. They are everywhere... in the trees, in the parking lot at church, at Wal-Mart, in the bushes as I drive down our street. It is unbelievable the level of scrutiny I am under every second of every day. And the fact that I haven't actually seen them, but feel their presence and their camera lenses following me everywhere I go is more than a little unnerving... let me tell you!
Will I maintain my incredibly quick rise to fame, or will I level out and become just another housewife living A Simple Life in a small town in Alabama?
Only time will tell, my friends. Only time will tell.
AUSTIN UPDATE - I know. I know. I didn't mean to lie, but "the boy" came home, and I just couldn't end his special section yet. It will be brief, I promise.
I just wanted to say as painful (and it was physically painful) and sad (and it was heartbreakingly sad) and depressing (I ran out of "Austin's Going Away to College" medication it was so bad) as my son leaving home was, the homecomings are GREAT! I was happy, peaceful, thrilled and excited just to have him in Gardendale. And although I stared a lot, he did get to do all the things HE wanted to do. I didn't want you to think I had locked him in the shrine, or anything crazy like that. (Lock broke!)
It was painful and sad and depressing to watch him drive off this morning for five more days... but he'll be back (as a famous California governor once said). He'll always be back. He may be a Marching Southerner... and one day he may be a JSU alum... and he may be many other things in the years to come... but he is (and forever will be) a standing member of The Faulkner Five. (We have a membership card, T-shirt, secret handshake... and an amazing amount of history together. We are an "organization" worthy of being a member of!)
Yes, he'll be back in just five days...
But, I miss him.
Okay. That's all. We'll get back to normal now... whatever that is!
Paint Your Own Masterpiece Party
This party will cost a little, but it would be/could be exceptionally fun.
The Chocolate Biscuit in Trussville (my favorite tea room) has an artist who comes every few months and she teaches you how to paint a beautiful painting. (I was able to see three of her actual paintings, and they were lovely.) The Chocolate Biscuit only takes a total of 15 people per class, so the class is small enough to have special one-on-one time with the artist if you need help (which I would certainly need).
The cost is $30 for dinner and painting using a canvas board OR $40 for dinner and painting using stretched canvas.
If you are interested in getting a group of women OR a group of mothers and daughters together for a special night out, you would need to contact Suzie Burkett at The Chocolate Biscuit. The telephone number is 655-0119 and the website is www.thechocolatebiscuit.com.
Also, if you wanted to see some of this artist's work (her name is Vallie), her website is www.everydayartist.net.
I'm going to be talking to some friends to see if I can get a group of girls together in January or February to have a Paint Your Own Masterpiece Party. That would give everyone time to save a little money for this special treat. (If you're interested in doing this after the first of the year, let me know. I'll contact Ms. Burkett to see if she could set up a class just for us.)
And just so you know... The food is great, too!
If you're interested in trying it out now, they are having a class August 27, but they only had a few seats left. Give them a call to reserve your spot... and take a friend! Enjoy!
Have a glorious Monday. (Now those are two words you don't usually see together!) But try your best. As I've said many, many, many times before, it's the only Monday, August 17, 2009 we'll ever had. Let's make it count for all the right reasons. Tomorrow's recipe is "to die for." (I'm trying out some new phrases to go with my new title... "The Enchanting Belinda Faulkner." "To die for" definitely sounds like something an enchanting person would say, doesn't it?)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda Faulkner
(I think tomorrow I'm dropping the "Faulkner." It's a little too formal, don't you think?)
NOTE TO JONI, JENNY AND TRACY - Thank you all for your kind words. I appreciate them, one and all. (I'm writing this on the blog, because since I'm so famous now, I doubt if I'll be able to speak to you in person when I see you at church... You know, because of the throngs of people surrounding me.) But I did want to let you know it made my day to read your sweet comments.
Tracy, I've put a new answering machine tape in the machine so I could keep the one with your message on it forever and ever and ever. For anyone who has never had the honor of having a message left by Tracy, I feel very, very sorry for you. The messages are excellent!
NOTE TO KIM - I waited ALL day long Sunday to hear from you. I NEED an e-mail today, please. Patience is not even in my vocabulary!
NOTE - For anyone (family or friends) interested in learning more about OCD, there is a show on A&E every Monday night at 8:00 CST called Obsessed. It shows two different people with severe cases of OCD and the treatment the patients receive from two different doctors. It is difficult for me to watch, but it "shows" rather than "tells" the complexities of the illness so it would be helpful to people who are trying to understand OCD and everything associated with the disorder.
The Showcase Pic this week is of Josh. This is the "after" picture from the Meet the Rockets event held Saturday night. Josh played a good bit (12 plays), and he held his own. He loves it, so we're praying this season is all he has dreamed it would be.
The Gallery Pics are of Roxie getting ready for her practice volleyball tournament Saturday morning. The purpose of the tournament was to help them get over their nerves and to train new officials. She enjoyed it, and I think she's ready for the "real thing" now.
And, of course, there are a few of Austin. Just had to take a few pictures of him breathing. Does he look different to you? Has he grown? Does he look older? (Yeah. I thought the same thing. He looks exactly the same. That's a good thing, by the way.)
THE PITFALLS OF BEING FAMOUS - I thought I would share some of these pitfalls with you today, because I can now speak of them knowingly. After last week's post picturing me with Jill (Back-Up Singer to Barry Manilow, Sandi Patti and Michael Bolton), my life spiraled out of control. In just two days, fame totally overtook me and my family in our small village of Gardendale. Here is my story.
First, I'll just start with the blog itself. I usually have anywhere from 35 to 40 hits a day during the week. On Thursday and Friday I had over 60 hits EACH day.
I usually have 1 to 3 comments a day (sometimes more, sometimes less), but I had 5 and 6 comments on the blog alone (not counting Facebook, e-mails and telephone calls... which put the total well into the teens).
When I went to Meet the Rockets Saturday night, person after person after person... that's it... three people mentioned the blog to me in person (as opposed to 0 to 3 people a week).
So you can see, I have been inundated with "fans" this past weekend. It has been exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time.
I now understand all the complaining about paparazzi. They are everywhere... in the trees, in the parking lot at church, at Wal-Mart, in the bushes as I drive down our street. It is unbelievable the level of scrutiny I am under every second of every day. And the fact that I haven't actually seen them, but feel their presence and their camera lenses following me everywhere I go is more than a little unnerving... let me tell you!
Will I maintain my incredibly quick rise to fame, or will I level out and become just another housewife living A Simple Life in a small town in Alabama?
Only time will tell, my friends. Only time will tell.
AUSTIN UPDATE - I know. I know. I didn't mean to lie, but "the boy" came home, and I just couldn't end his special section yet. It will be brief, I promise.
I just wanted to say as painful (and it was physically painful) and sad (and it was heartbreakingly sad) and depressing (I ran out of "Austin's Going Away to College" medication it was so bad) as my son leaving home was, the homecomings are GREAT! I was happy, peaceful, thrilled and excited just to have him in Gardendale. And although I stared a lot, he did get to do all the things HE wanted to do. I didn't want you to think I had locked him in the shrine, or anything crazy like that. (Lock broke!)
It was painful and sad and depressing to watch him drive off this morning for five more days... but he'll be back (as a famous California governor once said). He'll always be back. He may be a Marching Southerner... and one day he may be a JSU alum... and he may be many other things in the years to come... but he is (and forever will be) a standing member of The Faulkner Five. (We have a membership card, T-shirt, secret handshake... and an amazing amount of history together. We are an "organization" worthy of being a member of!)
Yes, he'll be back in just five days...
But, I miss him.
Okay. That's all. We'll get back to normal now... whatever that is!
Paint Your Own Masterpiece Party
This party will cost a little, but it would be/could be exceptionally fun.
The Chocolate Biscuit in Trussville (my favorite tea room) has an artist who comes every few months and she teaches you how to paint a beautiful painting. (I was able to see three of her actual paintings, and they were lovely.) The Chocolate Biscuit only takes a total of 15 people per class, so the class is small enough to have special one-on-one time with the artist if you need help (which I would certainly need).
The cost is $30 for dinner and painting using a canvas board OR $40 for dinner and painting using stretched canvas.
If you are interested in getting a group of women OR a group of mothers and daughters together for a special night out, you would need to contact Suzie Burkett at The Chocolate Biscuit. The telephone number is 655-0119 and the website is www.thechocolatebiscuit.com.
Also, if you wanted to see some of this artist's work (her name is Vallie), her website is www.everydayartist.net.
I'm going to be talking to some friends to see if I can get a group of girls together in January or February to have a Paint Your Own Masterpiece Party. That would give everyone time to save a little money for this special treat. (If you're interested in doing this after the first of the year, let me know. I'll contact Ms. Burkett to see if she could set up a class just for us.)
And just so you know... The food is great, too!
If you're interested in trying it out now, they are having a class August 27, but they only had a few seats left. Give them a call to reserve your spot... and take a friend! Enjoy!
Have a glorious Monday. (Now those are two words you don't usually see together!) But try your best. As I've said many, many, many times before, it's the only Monday, August 17, 2009 we'll ever had. Let's make it count for all the right reasons. Tomorrow's recipe is "to die for." (I'm trying out some new phrases to go with my new title... "The Enchanting Belinda Faulkner." "To die for" definitely sounds like something an enchanting person would say, doesn't it?)
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda Faulkner
(I think tomorrow I'm dropping the "Faulkner." It's a little too formal, don't you think?)
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Friday...
Finally, some new basketball action shots.
The JV team had two 40-minute games Friday, so I thought I would just go ahead and start filming now!
And here's the obligatory Bryant Tuggle pic. He's a HUGE supporter of our baskeball team. Always has been... always will be. Well, until he gets his own driver's license!
Saturday...
We spent the day with the cousins Saturday. Monica, Amy, Roxie and I shopped at Brookwood, ate at Yolo's and went to the movies (Pirates 4). It was a great day, but the best part was our celebrity sighting...
That's right! Will Ferrell! (Please feel free to use your imagination. I know we did!)
Sunday...
Mikie's 50th Family Birthday Celebration! Everyone knows 50 year-old men LOVE the Green Lantern...and their wives really like Ryan Reynolds! (How cool would it be to have your picture on a birthday party plate package? Another goal, perhaps?)
What do you give a 50 year-old guys for his birthday? Cards... filled with money, Ricky Skaggs' concert tickets, a True Grit DVD and a Red Devil's Food Cake with Divinity Icing (from his Mom). It was a very good day!
Lovely Melia gave him the True Grit DVD. (I LOVE that movie!)
And it wouldn't be a birthday without a hug from Roxie!