Good Monday morning... and Happy November!
The Showcase Pic is of our Special Guest... Melaney Grubbs!!! Yes, Melaney graciously agreed to be my first Special Guest. She answered 20 grueling questions, turned them in on time and allowed me to take her picture for A Simple Life. It was a huge commitment, but she did an excellent job. Over the next day or so, I'll be sharing her interview in its entirety, and everyone can get to know Melaney better. She's a lovely person and a very sweet friend.
Also, I'll be drawing a name out of a bowl of more than 65 women for the December Special Guest. It could be you! I'll be calling the person some time this week to see if they are willing to go through the intense and rigorous questioning, and the massive amount of time it takes to be a Special Guest. Keep in mind, you will be famous for at least three or four days, so the paparazzi can and will be a problem. You'll probably want to invest in a pair of large sunglasses and wig for disguise purposes.
The Gallery Pics are a hodgepodge of Roxie and Ragan's haunted cookie house, Roxie and Josh dressed up in their Halloween finery, and Roxie and friends trick-or-treating. I have lots and lots of pictures I'll be adding as the week progresses.
NOTE - Before I forget... I have a new favorite "thing." Do I sound like Oprah? When my friend, Julie, and I were picking up drinks for the basketball tournament coming up this week, we saw a new drink in one of the warehouses. It was called Sierra Mist - Cranberry Splash. It intrigued us. I was tickled when Julie gave me a Walmart bag the next day containing a bottle of Cranberry Splash. This stuff is good. And I mean "you-don't-have-to-love-cranberries-to-love-this-drink" good. I think it would be excellent in a holiday punch recipe, too. (I may work on that. I've never really created an edible or drinkable recipe on my own.)
Try it today if you get a chance. And no... I'm not getting a case of Cranberry Splash for posting this today. Unless you know someone who might want to get rid of a case.
Monday Mayhem
Our weekend went pretty much according to plan. Sort of. Kind of. Not really at all.
Josh's Friday night plans were cancelled at the last minute, and although a little disappointed, he was okay.
Especially when we received a call from a friend offering four FREE Auburn tickets for the game Saturday morning. That perked him up! Mike picked up the tickets and they packed a bag of "dry" clothes to wear home from the game, as well as a few other necessary items. Things were looking up for Josh.
That is until he woke up Saturday morning with the beginning of hives. It wasn't a bad case, but remembering what he had gone through the 4th of July, he wasn't crazy about going out of town if he was going to end up in the ER again. He and Mike made an executive decision to stay home, watch the game (and his hives). The Benadryl he took in the morning made him extremely sleepy, so he didn't have another one in the afternoon since he wanted to try to go to the Halloween party he had been invited to attend. The hives remained the same. No worse, but no better... So off he went to his party.
In the meantime, Roxie and Ragan made a wonderful Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble for Halloween, and she enjoyed trick-or-treating with several friends for a couple of hours.
Back to Josh... He arrived home around 10:00 when the party ended. and the hives were definitely getting worse. We gave him another Benadryl, and Mike set the clock for 2:00 a.m. At 2:00 a.m. the hives were growing.
One more Benadryl and another clock check for 5:00 a.m. Hives were much, much worse on his legs and were now spreading up his body.
At the 6:00 a.m. check, it was decided he needed to go to the ER or the Doc-in-the-Box for shots. This was verified by Josh's regular doctor, so Mike and Josh headed to the doctor's office at 7:45 to be there when it opened at 8:00. Around 9:30, the shots were administered and Josh slept for a couple of hours. (They say the shots are the equivalent to five or six Red Bulls, but, of course, they have the opposite effect on Josh. Very, very relaxing.)
As of last night, Josh and the hives were under control, but we're scheduling appointments this week with doctors trying to figure out what is going on.
Austin came straight to church Sunday morning as planned. We then headed to Mom's house for our family lunch. Josh and Roxie went to Sunday night classes, while Austin took Melia out to eat. (His Sunday night class resumes next week.)
Everyone was at the house at 9:00 to watch Amazing Race. Thankfully, that is one of the few things that hasn't changed lately. We get to end the week together.
I hope your weekend went according to plan. I'd love to have one of those one day. A WHOLE weekend that went "according to plan." I can't even imagine what it would be like, can you?
Special Guest - Melaney Grubbs
I gave Melaney 30 questions. I told her she could pick and choose any 20 she wanted to answer... her choice. Melaney is the wife of Jamin Grubbs, Youth Pastor at our church. They have been married 18 years. She is also the mother of Taylor, 14, and Tori, 11. She has a sweet, sweet spirit, and she always puts "legs to her words" which means she doesn't just talk about it... she does it! I think her servant's heart is one of her greatest qualities.
Melaney is definitely worth knowing, and today we're going to get to know her a little better.
1. Name three places in the U.S. you've never been, but have always wanted to go?
Las Vegas, Montana, and California
2. Not counting the days you were saved, married, or the birth of your children, what are two of the most significant, life-altering days you can remember, and why?
June 8, 2009 - I was told by the oncologist I needed surgery to remove a malignancy.
June 23, 2009 - Jamin asked me if the oncologist had talked to me yet. I had just been brought to my room after surgery. When I answered "no" weak from anesthesia and still very groggy, Jamin got very close to my face, and with a soft, sweet voice through tears he told me the tumor was benign. There was no cancer. He put his head to my face. We wept and prayed a prayer of thanks and praise to God.
3. What was your worst dating experience?
Tim Hall, a classmate, asked me out when I was 16 years-old. I wore a pretty pink dress and heels due to my vertically challenged self. He had on a nice shirt and jeans. He took me out to eat at Quincy's. Remember those restaurants? After dinner, he had absolutely NO PLANS! He actually drove me over to another classmate's house to ask HER what WE should do. I only regret not saying, "Just take me home."
She suggested putt-putt. Remember, I was wearing a dress with heels. There we were at Funland Park in Decatur, Alabama playing putt-putt. My first date and I was wearing a dress, heels and swinging a putter. What a jerk! How stupid was I for being so sweet to just go along with HIS PLANS. I would kill a guy for doing that to my girls!
4. How many siblings do you have, and where do you fall in the mix?
I have a sister nine years older and a brother six years older. I am the BABY!
5. What is the most important lesson you want your children to know before leaving your home?
Love Jesus always, and serve God and others with gladness.
6. If you could have one physical attribute changed, what would it be?
Change my HEIGHT!!!!!
7. If you could be any age (prior or later than now), what age would you pick?
I would want to be 27. That is the year I became a Mama. I would love to start that time over again.
8. What is your favorite old hymn?
Trust And Obey and Leave It There
9. What is your family's favorite meal you prepare?
Tori's favorite meal is spaghetti. Taylor's favorite is roast, carrots and potatoes. Jamin's favorite is chicken casserole.
10. If you could remove someone's burden and take it as your own, whose burden would it be?
I would remove Taylor's epilepsy if I could.
Tune in tomorrow for a few more questions and answers. See. I told you it wasn't hard. It's the little things we learn about each other that help us become close. And remember... Everyone has a story to tell. Sometimes we just need to take the time to listen.
Halloween Party Ideas
I know it is a couple of days AFTER Halloween, but plan on checking October 2008 and 2009 of A Simple Life next October 2010 for Halloween ideas you may have forgotten.
As you all know, I'm a big Scavenger Hunt fan. Here are some ideas for a Halloween Scavenger Hunt.
Scavenger Hunt - Make a list of objects to gather. They can be themed or completely random. Make sure you have a copy of the item list, too. See below for suggestions to get you started:
AAA battery
Acorn
Apple
Black fingernail polish
Blood-red lipstick
Broom
Candy corn
Golf ball
Gourd
Head of garlic
Indian corn
Lock of black, red or gray hair
Map of USA
Miniature pumpkin
Orange sock
Pie tin
Sewing needle
Spider (real or fake)
Thread
Today's newspaper
Toothpick
Tootsie Roll
Whistle
Get the permission of your neighbors, particularly if the scavenger hunt will be on foot. Let them know the types of things everyone will be searching for and discuss what limits and rules you intend to share.
You'll need a clear set of rules for participants. What are the boundaries of the search? The timetable? Of course, make it clear that stealing or "borrowing" is not allowed under any circumstances; nor is driving unsafely or running through anyone's hedge or garden.
Halloween Games
Mummy Wrap - Divide guests up in pairs. Give each pair a roll of toilet paper. One team member will be the wrapper, the other will be the mummy. The first team to use up its roll wins. Or you can give each team two rolls of toilet paper and after the mummy is wrapped, he or she must wrap their partner.
Doughnut Race - Divide guests into teams. Hang as many doughnuts as guests from a tree limb or clothesline by string. Without using hands, each guest must catch and eat a doughnut. The first team to finish their doughnuts wins.
What Am I? - Pin or tape a Halloween-themed picture on each guest's back (without the guest seeing what it is). While others can only give yes or no answers, each guest must guess what he or she is.
Pass the Pumpkin - Have one fewer small pumpkins than players. Sit kids in a circle. Play Halloween music while they pass the pumpkins around the circle. When the music stops, the player without a pumpkin is out, but he gets to take a pumpkin with him. The rest of the players continue to play until there is a winner.
These ideas were taken from my Taste of Home Halloween Party Favorites Cookbook... which, by the way, was a gift from Melaney, our Special Guest!
Have a magnificent Monday. Tomorrow I have another great recipe donated by a new friend to the blog. It is a perfect fall/winter addition to your recipe collection, so you'll want to "copy" this one. I'll have a little more of Melaney's interview to share, too.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Weekend Happenings
Good Friday morning!
The Gallery Pic is of Roxie... Basketball Player! Last night was the first scrimmage before the Tip-Off Tournament Monday and Tuesday nights. The team is pretty impressive. I can say that because I am totally objective.
NEWBIE ALERT - If you are a Newbie, please click on Newbie Information on my sidebar. It has all of the rules and regulations you will need to continue reading A Simple Life. Thank you.
The last three hints for the Special Guest are as follows...
18. She had a crush on Leif Garrett when she was a teenager.
19. When she was young, she wanted to be a police officer.
20. She was named after her Daddy.
Weekend Happenings
Finally... the weekend! Since the last high school football game was played Thursday night, Mikie and I will NOT have to sit on a bleacher Friday night. That sounds wonderful!
Josh and friends are going to a movie. Roxie is having a friend over. It is going to be an easy, breezy Friday night. We haven't had one of those in quite a while.
Saturday will be pretty similar, I think. Since it's supposed to rain all day, I hope we'll get to sleep late and be a little lazy.
For Halloween, Roxie is dressing up like Wilma Flintstone. Before you get impressed, please know someone donated the costume and even did alterations to make it fit just right. The word "costume" has always made me tremble with fear. I have the same reaction to the word "project." I want to spend $50 and just buy one, but I can't make myself do that, so Halloween has always been a source of major stress for me until everyone is happy with their costume choice.
Slightly Amusing Halloween Story - Whenever we go camping at Guntersville, we always stop at a place called Mike's Warehouse. This building has a little of anything and everything, and we enjoy browsing through the store before we head home. On this particular October Sunday, I noticed a rack of gold lame' Elvis jumpsuits with gigantic black belts and even bigger bell bottoms. There must have been 20 or 30 of these identical Elvis costumes... and they were only $10 apiece.
"Buy one. Buy one NOW," something inside me said.
"No. This is a stupid, stupid purchase... even for only $10," I replied to myself. And then we left Mike's and the rack of gold lame' Elvis jumpsuits on sale for $10 apiece.
Three days later, I was asking the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween. Josh wanted to be a Power Ranger (shocker), and Roxie wanted to be a princess (another shocker), and Austin... Well, Austin wanted to be Elvis.
"What do you mean you want to be Elvis?"
"I think it would be fun, and we already know where we can get a costume."
"Yeah. I'll just make a 2 1/2 hour round trip to pick up a $10 costume and everything will be just fine!" I thought to myself.
"Why didn't you say something three days ago while we were standing in front of the costumes?" I whined.
"I didn't want to be Elvis until today."
Of course. That made perfect sense. How many of us wake up one morning and suddenly want to be Elvis. It happens all the time.
I decided my best course of action would be to get on the phone and see how much it would cost for Mike's to ship me a costume. I spoke to a very nice young lady, and when I told her what I wanted and asked if there were any left on the rack, she started laughing. "Oh, there are plenty on the rack. We have to sell them as a set."
"What does that mean? You have to sell 20 identical gold lame' Elvis jumpsuits at the same time to the same person? What does that mean?" I repeated.
"I know. It doesn't make any sense, but that's what my boss told me."
I sat there quietly trying to figure out how to get her to work with me... and not get fired. Before I could come up with a solution to this ridiculous problem, she cleared her throat and whispered, "I'm going to send you one."
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears. I wasn't going to have to guilt her, or coerce her or bribe her.
"It's stupid to think someone is going to buy all 20 at the same time. Can you pay over the phone with your credit card?" she hissed.
"Yes, I can," I whispered back.
"I'm going to walk down the street to the Post Office at lunch and drop it in the mail for you. You should get it in a couple of days."
"But what about postage?" I asked.
"It's on me," she said. "The day after Halloween the other 19 Elvis jumpsuits are going to be marked down to $1.50 anyway."
Two days later, I held in my hands a beautiful gold lame' Elvis jumpsuit. We had gotten such a deal on the costume, I was able to spring for black hair paint AND an inflatable guitar.
It was one of Austin's finer Halloween memories. And mine, too. I love it when you run into an incredibly kind person. It doesn't happen often enough, does it?
Well, back to Weekend Happenings. Boy, did we (Code for I) get off track!
Austin will be in Atlanta all day Saturday for another Southerner Exhibition, but he'll be coming in Sunday for church and our traditional Hobo Lunch at Grandmother's with my sister and her family. It should be a lot of fun.
And I should have some really good pics for next week's Gallery.
Book List
The following are just some of my favorite Halloween books for children. You may already have all of them, but if not, I've read the following and love them all.
1. The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
2. The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
3. Disney's Boo to You, Winnie the Pooh! by Bruce Talkington and Robbin Cuddy
4. The Boxcar Children Halloween Special (Boxcar Children Mysteries) by Gertrude Chandler Warner
5. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz
6. The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson (This isn't as special as The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, but it is a good chapter book to read aloud the week before Halloween. It is very enjoyable.)
7. The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs (This is my absolute favorite and should always be read before, during or after the carving of the pumpkin. It is wonderful.)
Have a Happy Halloween. Be safe, and enjoy your weekend with family and friends. Check in Monday for a Party, Event or Devotion, our Special Guest will be revealed and Monday Mayhem. Lots of stuff going on at A Simple Life.
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pic is of Roxie... Basketball Player! Last night was the first scrimmage before the Tip-Off Tournament Monday and Tuesday nights. The team is pretty impressive. I can say that because I am totally objective.
NEWBIE ALERT - If you are a Newbie, please click on Newbie Information on my sidebar. It has all of the rules and regulations you will need to continue reading A Simple Life. Thank you.
The last three hints for the Special Guest are as follows...
18. She had a crush on Leif Garrett when she was a teenager.
19. When she was young, she wanted to be a police officer.
20. She was named after her Daddy.
Weekend Happenings
Finally... the weekend! Since the last high school football game was played Thursday night, Mikie and I will NOT have to sit on a bleacher Friday night. That sounds wonderful!
Josh and friends are going to a movie. Roxie is having a friend over. It is going to be an easy, breezy Friday night. We haven't had one of those in quite a while.
Saturday will be pretty similar, I think. Since it's supposed to rain all day, I hope we'll get to sleep late and be a little lazy.
For Halloween, Roxie is dressing up like Wilma Flintstone. Before you get impressed, please know someone donated the costume and even did alterations to make it fit just right. The word "costume" has always made me tremble with fear. I have the same reaction to the word "project." I want to spend $50 and just buy one, but I can't make myself do that, so Halloween has always been a source of major stress for me until everyone is happy with their costume choice.
Slightly Amusing Halloween Story - Whenever we go camping at Guntersville, we always stop at a place called Mike's Warehouse. This building has a little of anything and everything, and we enjoy browsing through the store before we head home. On this particular October Sunday, I noticed a rack of gold lame' Elvis jumpsuits with gigantic black belts and even bigger bell bottoms. There must have been 20 or 30 of these identical Elvis costumes... and they were only $10 apiece.
"Buy one. Buy one NOW," something inside me said.
"No. This is a stupid, stupid purchase... even for only $10," I replied to myself. And then we left Mike's and the rack of gold lame' Elvis jumpsuits on sale for $10 apiece.
Three days later, I was asking the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween. Josh wanted to be a Power Ranger (shocker), and Roxie wanted to be a princess (another shocker), and Austin... Well, Austin wanted to be Elvis.
"What do you mean you want to be Elvis?"
"I think it would be fun, and we already know where we can get a costume."
"Yeah. I'll just make a 2 1/2 hour round trip to pick up a $10 costume and everything will be just fine!" I thought to myself.
"Why didn't you say something three days ago while we were standing in front of the costumes?" I whined.
"I didn't want to be Elvis until today."
Of course. That made perfect sense. How many of us wake up one morning and suddenly want to be Elvis. It happens all the time.
I decided my best course of action would be to get on the phone and see how much it would cost for Mike's to ship me a costume. I spoke to a very nice young lady, and when I told her what I wanted and asked if there were any left on the rack, she started laughing. "Oh, there are plenty on the rack. We have to sell them as a set."
"What does that mean? You have to sell 20 identical gold lame' Elvis jumpsuits at the same time to the same person? What does that mean?" I repeated.
"I know. It doesn't make any sense, but that's what my boss told me."
I sat there quietly trying to figure out how to get her to work with me... and not get fired. Before I could come up with a solution to this ridiculous problem, she cleared her throat and whispered, "I'm going to send you one."
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears. I wasn't going to have to guilt her, or coerce her or bribe her.
"It's stupid to think someone is going to buy all 20 at the same time. Can you pay over the phone with your credit card?" she hissed.
"Yes, I can," I whispered back.
"I'm going to walk down the street to the Post Office at lunch and drop it in the mail for you. You should get it in a couple of days."
"But what about postage?" I asked.
"It's on me," she said. "The day after Halloween the other 19 Elvis jumpsuits are going to be marked down to $1.50 anyway."
Two days later, I held in my hands a beautiful gold lame' Elvis jumpsuit. We had gotten such a deal on the costume, I was able to spring for black hair paint AND an inflatable guitar.
It was one of Austin's finer Halloween memories. And mine, too. I love it when you run into an incredibly kind person. It doesn't happen often enough, does it?
Well, back to Weekend Happenings. Boy, did we (Code for I) get off track!
Austin will be in Atlanta all day Saturday for another Southerner Exhibition, but he'll be coming in Sunday for church and our traditional Hobo Lunch at Grandmother's with my sister and her family. It should be a lot of fun.
And I should have some really good pics for next week's Gallery.
Book List
The following are just some of my favorite Halloween books for children. You may already have all of them, but if not, I've read the following and love them all.
1. The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
2. The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
3. Disney's Boo to You, Winnie the Pooh! by Bruce Talkington and Robbin Cuddy
4. The Boxcar Children Halloween Special (Boxcar Children Mysteries) by Gertrude Chandler Warner
5. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz
6. The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson (This isn't as special as The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, but it is a good chapter book to read aloud the week before Halloween. It is very enjoyable.)
7. The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs (This is my absolute favorite and should always be read before, during or after the carving of the pumpkin. It is wonderful.)
Have a Happy Halloween. Be safe, and enjoy your weekend with family and friends. Check in Monday for a Party, Event or Devotion, our Special Guest will be revealed and Monday Mayhem. Lots of stuff going on at A Simple Life.
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Share a Project Date
Good Thursday morning!
The Gallery Pic today is just another example of cheap, but fun, holiday "china." Just use your regular plates as a charger and pick up some inexpensive and festive seasonal paper plates. These were $1.50 at Walmart, and we will use them all week long. Sometimes you can find seasonal paper plates for $1.00 at Target. I'm telling you, the kids LOVE it!
NOTE TO PATTI F. AND ROBIN C. - Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate them very much. Patti, I gave Cam your message! And Robin, I knew you would love the soup, and I've been reading your blog. It's a lot of fun, isn't it?
NOTE TO LANA - I told you so! It received FIVE stars on the Faulkner Five rating system which is very, very rare. I'll tell Julie you liked it.
Here are four more hints regarding the Special Guest...
14. She may like cats, but she owns a dog.
15. She has daily access to a swimming pool.
16. In high school, she was a cheerleader.
17. She played the piano at one time, but practicing got in the way, so she stopped taking lessons before she obtained concert pianist status.
Times running out. You still don't know who it is, do you?
I feel the need for a little Becky Freeman today. I'll share some of her thoughts in "Germs of Endearment" from Humor for a Woman's Heart 2.
Who in their right mind would willingly hold out their hand to accept donations of a half-chewed Tootsie Roll, a freshly blown tissue, or a wriggling worm?
Who rushes to comfort a child with a virus, knowing full well that as soon as she reaches that child, her robe will be wearing the remains of last night's predigested pizza?
Whose saliva can slick back the wildest curl, clean the toughest jelly stains from a five year-old's cheek, and promptly cure infectious lesions?
Who can talk on the phone, fold a diaper with one hand, scold a child with one raised eyebrow, and elbow the front door closed while performing two sets of leg lifts?
Who runs in a panic when her toddler squeals "See what I've done!" and breathes an enormous sigh of relief when she discovers the excitement is over a properly pooped-in potty.
Who calms all fears, cleans dirty ears, and though she grows weary, also grows more dear through the years?
Who exchanged the Days of Wine and Roses for Nights of Whines and Runny Noses?
No one else, of course, but mothers.
Now that's a resume'! I just love Becky Freeman. Sometimes she really makes me think about what my life used to be as opposed to what it has become.
Forget about the degree in Early Childhood Education, ten years as a legal secretary and three years teaching music to preschoolers. Forget about eating lunch with adults every day, and wearing suits, matching shoes, accessories and full make-up. Forget about always being well-coiffed, well-manicured and well... just smelling nice!
Forget about birthday parties (for ME) in the conference room, flowers on Secretary's Day and bonus checks. Forget about a car whose backseat isn't full of car seats or backpacks or clothes or groceries. Forget about being able to carry on a grown-up conversation with actual grown-ups and understanding what they are saying.
Forget about all of that... because whether those things are a part of your past or mixed in with your present, I bet most of the moms would agree we wouldn't trade the "messy" stuff for all the fringe benefits the world has to offer.
Am I right?
No. Really? Am I right?
Blog Linkage
Click on tara whitney photography under My Blog List and look at Tara's visit to a local pumpkin patch in California. I'm a pumpkin patch lover, but Tara admits she is not. You can't tell by the pictures she's taken. Beautiful.
Also under My Blog List, click on Welcome to HeidiSwapp.com. She has created a beautiful Halloween foyer. I love the branches, cobwebs and the pumpkins with the jewels on top. I also love all the ways you could make this your own. If you had small children, you could make an "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" entryway displaying the book, a giant pumpkin and hanging pumpkins and cutouts of the Peanut Gang all over the spooky branches. The ideas are limitless. I just thought it was very cool, and Heidi Swapp always has very creative ideas.
If you are a scrapbooker, don't forget to check www.peachycheap.com every day (including Saturday) for great deals on great scrapbook supplies. They take off 60% to 75% every single day. I've ordered twice so far, and I have not been disappointed. You will get your order within a week. I check it every morning.
Bass Pro Shop is doing a lot of fun things this weekend. When you go to their website (www.basspro.com), the big screen will have one of six advertisements. It will eventually come to Halloween Bass Pro Style. You can wait a few seconds, or you can click on the small Halloween Bass Pro Style box below to pull up the information. It looks like it would make a great one-on-one date OR family date.
I wanted to make sure everyone had the information regarding Boo at the Zoo (www.birminghamzoo.com) since this is the last weekend before it closes. We have been to Boo at the Zoo in the past and it doesn't disappoint.
Remember, if you ever have a blog or website you want to share, just let me know before Thursday's post, and I'll be glad to pass on the info (and you'll get the credit).
Share a Project Date
Save a special project to be done with ONE of your children. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Cut, saw and split a tree for the winter's supply of firewood. This is a great time to teach youngsters how to prepare firewood and at the same time share physical labor. A son or daughter and his/her father could find this a good time for conversation.
2. Work on the car together. Change the oil. Wash and wax. Do a brake job. Spend the time teaching and talking.
3. Plant something together: a tree, berry bushes, bulbs (remember yesterday), fruit trees, etc.
4. Pick and prepare fruit or garden produce together.
5. Can, preserve or freeze fruits and vegetables for winter: make apple butter, grape jam, peach preserves, can green beans, tomatoes, etc. Make pickles. Mom, if you have never done these things before, you and your daughter can learn together.
6. Paint the garage doors together.
7. Build and paint a dog house together.
8. Build and paint a fort together.
Use your own ideas for projects around your house. Finish off the project with a trip to Sonic for hamburgers and milkshakes and spend even more time talking, talking, talking.
My nephew, Brad, and his dad love working on his old truck together. They go different places to look for parts. It's a great way to spend time together one-on-one.
Part of this idea was taken from Let's Make A Memory. I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg in this book. Again, this is a great resource for ideas for every occasion.
Have a magnificent Thursday. Only one more day until the weekend. Tomorrow is the last Friday of the month, so there will be a list of my favorite Halloween books of all times. We'll also be talking about Weekend Happenings, and the last of the 20 hints will be given regarding our Special Guest. You know, the Special Guest who will be making her first appearance on A Simple Life MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009. You'll need to check in to see if you guessed correctly.
As always, go to My Blog List and click on Belinda's Project 365 over the weekend for more pics.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pic today is just another example of cheap, but fun, holiday "china." Just use your regular plates as a charger and pick up some inexpensive and festive seasonal paper plates. These were $1.50 at Walmart, and we will use them all week long. Sometimes you can find seasonal paper plates for $1.00 at Target. I'm telling you, the kids LOVE it!
NOTE TO PATTI F. AND ROBIN C. - Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate them very much. Patti, I gave Cam your message! And Robin, I knew you would love the soup, and I've been reading your blog. It's a lot of fun, isn't it?
NOTE TO LANA - I told you so! It received FIVE stars on the Faulkner Five rating system which is very, very rare. I'll tell Julie you liked it.
Here are four more hints regarding the Special Guest...
14. She may like cats, but she owns a dog.
15. She has daily access to a swimming pool.
16. In high school, she was a cheerleader.
17. She played the piano at one time, but practicing got in the way, so she stopped taking lessons before she obtained concert pianist status.
Times running out. You still don't know who it is, do you?
I feel the need for a little Becky Freeman today. I'll share some of her thoughts in "Germs of Endearment" from Humor for a Woman's Heart 2.
Who in their right mind would willingly hold out their hand to accept donations of a half-chewed Tootsie Roll, a freshly blown tissue, or a wriggling worm?
Who rushes to comfort a child with a virus, knowing full well that as soon as she reaches that child, her robe will be wearing the remains of last night's predigested pizza?
Whose saliva can slick back the wildest curl, clean the toughest jelly stains from a five year-old's cheek, and promptly cure infectious lesions?
Who can talk on the phone, fold a diaper with one hand, scold a child with one raised eyebrow, and elbow the front door closed while performing two sets of leg lifts?
Who runs in a panic when her toddler squeals "See what I've done!" and breathes an enormous sigh of relief when she discovers the excitement is over a properly pooped-in potty.
Who calms all fears, cleans dirty ears, and though she grows weary, also grows more dear through the years?
Who exchanged the Days of Wine and Roses for Nights of Whines and Runny Noses?
No one else, of course, but mothers.
Now that's a resume'! I just love Becky Freeman. Sometimes she really makes me think about what my life used to be as opposed to what it has become.
Forget about the degree in Early Childhood Education, ten years as a legal secretary and three years teaching music to preschoolers. Forget about eating lunch with adults every day, and wearing suits, matching shoes, accessories and full make-up. Forget about always being well-coiffed, well-manicured and well... just smelling nice!
Forget about birthday parties (for ME) in the conference room, flowers on Secretary's Day and bonus checks. Forget about a car whose backseat isn't full of car seats or backpacks or clothes or groceries. Forget about being able to carry on a grown-up conversation with actual grown-ups and understanding what they are saying.
Forget about all of that... because whether those things are a part of your past or mixed in with your present, I bet most of the moms would agree we wouldn't trade the "messy" stuff for all the fringe benefits the world has to offer.
Am I right?
No. Really? Am I right?
Blog Linkage
Click on tara whitney photography under My Blog List and look at Tara's visit to a local pumpkin patch in California. I'm a pumpkin patch lover, but Tara admits she is not. You can't tell by the pictures she's taken. Beautiful.
Also under My Blog List, click on Welcome to HeidiSwapp.com. She has created a beautiful Halloween foyer. I love the branches, cobwebs and the pumpkins with the jewels on top. I also love all the ways you could make this your own. If you had small children, you could make an "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" entryway displaying the book, a giant pumpkin and hanging pumpkins and cutouts of the Peanut Gang all over the spooky branches. The ideas are limitless. I just thought it was very cool, and Heidi Swapp always has very creative ideas.
If you are a scrapbooker, don't forget to check www.peachycheap.com every day (including Saturday) for great deals on great scrapbook supplies. They take off 60% to 75% every single day. I've ordered twice so far, and I have not been disappointed. You will get your order within a week. I check it every morning.
Bass Pro Shop is doing a lot of fun things this weekend. When you go to their website (www.basspro.com), the big screen will have one of six advertisements. It will eventually come to Halloween Bass Pro Style. You can wait a few seconds, or you can click on the small Halloween Bass Pro Style box below to pull up the information. It looks like it would make a great one-on-one date OR family date.
I wanted to make sure everyone had the information regarding Boo at the Zoo (www.birminghamzoo.com) since this is the last weekend before it closes. We have been to Boo at the Zoo in the past and it doesn't disappoint.
Remember, if you ever have a blog or website you want to share, just let me know before Thursday's post, and I'll be glad to pass on the info (and you'll get the credit).
Share a Project Date
Save a special project to be done with ONE of your children. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Cut, saw and split a tree for the winter's supply of firewood. This is a great time to teach youngsters how to prepare firewood and at the same time share physical labor. A son or daughter and his/her father could find this a good time for conversation.
2. Work on the car together. Change the oil. Wash and wax. Do a brake job. Spend the time teaching and talking.
3. Plant something together: a tree, berry bushes, bulbs (remember yesterday), fruit trees, etc.
4. Pick and prepare fruit or garden produce together.
5. Can, preserve or freeze fruits and vegetables for winter: make apple butter, grape jam, peach preserves, can green beans, tomatoes, etc. Make pickles. Mom, if you have never done these things before, you and your daughter can learn together.
6. Paint the garage doors together.
7. Build and paint a dog house together.
8. Build and paint a fort together.
Use your own ideas for projects around your house. Finish off the project with a trip to Sonic for hamburgers and milkshakes and spend even more time talking, talking, talking.
My nephew, Brad, and his dad love working on his old truck together. They go different places to look for parts. It's a great way to spend time together one-on-one.
Part of this idea was taken from Let's Make A Memory. I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg in this book. Again, this is a great resource for ideas for every occasion.
Have a magnificent Thursday. Only one more day until the weekend. Tomorrow is the last Friday of the month, so there will be a list of my favorite Halloween books of all times. We'll also be talking about Weekend Happenings, and the last of the 20 hints will be given regarding our Special Guest. You know, the Special Guest who will be making her first appearance on A Simple Life MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009. You'll need to check in to see if you guessed correctly.
As always, go to My Blog List and click on Belinda's Project 365 over the weekend for more pics.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Autumn's Promise of Spring
Good Wednesday morning!
The Gallery Pics are from dinner last night. Last week, one of the girls on Facebook put the word "cauliflower" beside her picture. People then began to comment about "cauliflower." I was intrigued. What could be said about cauliflower that hasn't been said a million times before? Obviously, quite a bit.
One particular comment caught my eye. They talked about mixing it with mashed potatoes and then no one knew they were eating cauliflower. Hmmm. I liked that. I liked that a lot. So the pictures you see before you today are of my mashed caulitators or mashed potaflowers or whatever you want to call them.
They were very good. When I make mashed potatoes, I use mayo, salt, pepper, butter and milk (buttermilk if I have it on hand). No one knew. I felt sneaky and healthy at the same time.
I wonder what would happen if someone put the word "parsnip" on Facebook?
Randomness #1 - The Pioneer Woman uses Twitter on the sidebar of her blog all day. Her tweets are pretty funny, but I loved one I saw yesterday... "I would marry fall if I could." Me, too. Me, too.
Randomness #2 - Since it was discovered I have diabetes, I no longer can enjoy the majority of drinks at Starbucks. In fact, I asked them for their big book of numbers (calories and carbs) they keep behind the counter. They let me look and look and look to see what, if anything, I would be allowed to have at Starbucks. It was a sad, sad day.
A few years ago, I fell in love with their Hot Caramel Apple Cider. I would order it the very first cool day in October and continue drinking Hot Caramel Apple Cider through November. I would stop in December because everyone knows Hot Caramel Apple Cider is an autumn drink only. I would also have the matching Pumpkin Caramel Muffin. It was one of life's greatest simple pleasures.
This week I read about Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte. Should I get my hopes up? Should I ask to see the big book of drinks The Enchanting Belinda can no longer partake of again? Nope. I decided to throw caution to the wind. I ordered a Tall Pumpkin Spice Latte (Code for SMALL). It was lovely. I will not be getting another one because it would not be healthy... but I will always remember my one and only Tall Pumpkin Spice Latte fondly.
I highly recommend this coffee drink. However, if you get one, please do not tell me. It would be more than I could bear.
Here are three more hints regarding our Special Guest next week.
11. She is the youngest of three.
12. She married the youngest of three.
13. She has lived in three states.
She gave me these hints. Are you getting any ideas?
Just a Little Story (to go along with the yesterday's post) - I spoke about learning yesterday. I have had a little trouble learning life lessons in the past, and I'm pretty sure I'll have some trouble in the future. I'm more than a little stubborn, and I must have the lesson taught again and again and again before it really sinks in.
Imagine my sadness when I realized my precious daughter also had this problem.
Roxie was playing basketball for the Civic Center last year, and a fight broke out between the other team's coach, refs, parents, etc. The police were even called to settle everyone down (which is such a shame for a little girls' basketball game). While the girls stood in the middle of the court and the screaming match moved to the end of the gym, I glanced away from the adults (and I use that term loosely) and looked at Roxie. Oh, no.
Hands on hips, legs slightly apart, pony tail swishing, she and another girl from the other team were having a little disagreement of their own. The other girl had one hand on her hip and the other hand waving in the air. (Her pony tail, too, was swishing.)
I felt Mikie stiffen a little beside me as his attention was now drawn to his daughter in the middle of the basketball court. I glanced to the left on the front row at her two brothers, watched their backs straighten and as if they were one, they turned their heads in my direction. I shook my head "NO." That's all this volatile situation needed. Two young men (6'4" and 6'0" at that time, respectively) settling a 12 year-old girl dispute. No. That would be very bad. Very bad, indeed. In my mind's eye, I could see a taser being used.
The words were getting more heated. Although we couldn't hear what was transpiring, the pony tails looked as if they had a life of their own.
"Should one of us go out there and stop it before it gets out of hand," I asked Mikie, never taking my eyes off the girls.
"I think she can take her," was his reply. I will never understand men. NEVER.
"Of course she can take her," I said through clenched teeth. "That's not the issue. The issue is should we let our 12 year-old DAUGHTER have a FIGHT with another 12 year-old girl. It isn't very Christ-like!"
"I'm pretty sure the other girl started it," he added.
"Again, not the issue, Mikie."
I've said it before, but for Newbies I'll mention it once again. Roxie is considered little by basketball standards. She's a good point guard, but she is smaller than most of the other girls her age. The particular girl she was "having words" with was only a little taller.
I had decided I was going to intervene when a girl on Roxie's team handled the situation for me... beautifully. Kelci, who was taller than both girls, took one step between them and held her hand up to the other girl and shook her head no. She wasn't smiling. She didn't get into a word fight. She just took care of IT. The other little girl visibly backed down. I took a breath and relaxed in my stadium seat. But wait... It wasn't over yet!
Roxie's red head popped around Kelci and with pony tail swishing and hands on hips again, she finished what she had started. This, of course, got the other little girl excited. Unfazed, Kelci stayed in the middle of the dispute separating the girls until the adult fight ended and the game resumed.
Why didn't Roxie let the fight end? Why did she continue when "an angel" stepped in and took care of the situation? Because she's like her mother, that's why. She didn't learn the lesson the first time.
And what does this have to do with yesterday's post about joy and contentment? I was just thinking about what Paul said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." We all have to learn lessons, and not just when we're children. I'm still learning lessons today at 48 years of age.
I'm just thankful for a very patient teacher (God) and a book that has all the answers (the Bible).
NOTE - I can't tell you what the other little girl said and still maintain my G-rated blog, but according to witnesses on the court, she did start the fight... and thankfully, Roxie didn't say anything rated PG (according to the witnesses on the court).
Wednesday Wisdom - I wanted one more quote about autumn. This one is short, but so, so accurate. "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." Albert Camus. Isn't that lovely. I don't know who Albert is, but he is dead-on.
Autumn's Promise of Spring
Buy several dozen bulbs of various kinds like daffodil, tulip, hyacinth and crocus. Check with a local nursery, seed store or county agent as to the best bulb-planting time in your area.
Use shovels to dig up the area where bulbs are to be planted, turning over all the soil and breaking up clods of dirt; rake smooth.
Plant bulbs so that the pointed side is up, about twice as deep as the height of the bulb being planted. In very cold climates, plant the bulbs even deeper.
Check the package for predicted height of plant. Plant bulbs of tallest plants toward center of back of planting area, shorter plants toward outside or front. Leave 4" to 6" of space on all sides of each bulb.
Cover entire plot with a layer of mulch, leaves or peat moss.
Celebrate the completed job with mugs of hot chocolate, cider or herbal tea. Wait for a glorious spring!
This idea was taken from Let's Make a Memory by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dodson. You could also read the book The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs at this time even though it is a Spring/Easter book. Or you can let the kids be totally surprised by what will happen in only a few months after a very cold winter.
It will be time well spent with the kids (playing in the dirt is always fun), and it's really two seasonal traditions in one because in the spring when the bulbs have bloomed, you can make a bouquet to take to a neighbor or relative together. My favorite thing... a "twofer."
I hope you have a lovely Wednesday. Tomorrow we'll be talking about a great date, AND I'll have some Blog Linkage for you to check out. CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY... Call someone and tell them you love them. Or better yet, take someone a pumpkin and tell them you love them. Nothing says lovin' like a big orange pumpkin.
By the way, someone guessed the Special Guest yesterday. It was either in the Comment Section, my e-mail or Facebook, but someone did get it right! I will not confirm until Monday though.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pics are from dinner last night. Last week, one of the girls on Facebook put the word "cauliflower" beside her picture. People then began to comment about "cauliflower." I was intrigued. What could be said about cauliflower that hasn't been said a million times before? Obviously, quite a bit.
One particular comment caught my eye. They talked about mixing it with mashed potatoes and then no one knew they were eating cauliflower. Hmmm. I liked that. I liked that a lot. So the pictures you see before you today are of my mashed caulitators or mashed potaflowers or whatever you want to call them.
They were very good. When I make mashed potatoes, I use mayo, salt, pepper, butter and milk (buttermilk if I have it on hand). No one knew. I felt sneaky and healthy at the same time.
I wonder what would happen if someone put the word "parsnip" on Facebook?
Randomness #1 - The Pioneer Woman uses Twitter on the sidebar of her blog all day. Her tweets are pretty funny, but I loved one I saw yesterday... "I would marry fall if I could." Me, too. Me, too.
Randomness #2 - Since it was discovered I have diabetes, I no longer can enjoy the majority of drinks at Starbucks. In fact, I asked them for their big book of numbers (calories and carbs) they keep behind the counter. They let me look and look and look to see what, if anything, I would be allowed to have at Starbucks. It was a sad, sad day.
A few years ago, I fell in love with their Hot Caramel Apple Cider. I would order it the very first cool day in October and continue drinking Hot Caramel Apple Cider through November. I would stop in December because everyone knows Hot Caramel Apple Cider is an autumn drink only. I would also have the matching Pumpkin Caramel Muffin. It was one of life's greatest simple pleasures.
This week I read about Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte. Should I get my hopes up? Should I ask to see the big book of drinks The Enchanting Belinda can no longer partake of again? Nope. I decided to throw caution to the wind. I ordered a Tall Pumpkin Spice Latte (Code for SMALL). It was lovely. I will not be getting another one because it would not be healthy... but I will always remember my one and only Tall Pumpkin Spice Latte fondly.
I highly recommend this coffee drink. However, if you get one, please do not tell me. It would be more than I could bear.
Here are three more hints regarding our Special Guest next week.
11. She is the youngest of three.
12. She married the youngest of three.
13. She has lived in three states.
She gave me these hints. Are you getting any ideas?
Just a Little Story (to go along with the yesterday's post) - I spoke about learning yesterday. I have had a little trouble learning life lessons in the past, and I'm pretty sure I'll have some trouble in the future. I'm more than a little stubborn, and I must have the lesson taught again and again and again before it really sinks in.
Imagine my sadness when I realized my precious daughter also had this problem.
Roxie was playing basketball for the Civic Center last year, and a fight broke out between the other team's coach, refs, parents, etc. The police were even called to settle everyone down (which is such a shame for a little girls' basketball game). While the girls stood in the middle of the court and the screaming match moved to the end of the gym, I glanced away from the adults (and I use that term loosely) and looked at Roxie. Oh, no.
Hands on hips, legs slightly apart, pony tail swishing, she and another girl from the other team were having a little disagreement of their own. The other girl had one hand on her hip and the other hand waving in the air. (Her pony tail, too, was swishing.)
I felt Mikie stiffen a little beside me as his attention was now drawn to his daughter in the middle of the basketball court. I glanced to the left on the front row at her two brothers, watched their backs straighten and as if they were one, they turned their heads in my direction. I shook my head "NO." That's all this volatile situation needed. Two young men (6'4" and 6'0" at that time, respectively) settling a 12 year-old girl dispute. No. That would be very bad. Very bad, indeed. In my mind's eye, I could see a taser being used.
The words were getting more heated. Although we couldn't hear what was transpiring, the pony tails looked as if they had a life of their own.
"Should one of us go out there and stop it before it gets out of hand," I asked Mikie, never taking my eyes off the girls.
"I think she can take her," was his reply. I will never understand men. NEVER.
"Of course she can take her," I said through clenched teeth. "That's not the issue. The issue is should we let our 12 year-old DAUGHTER have a FIGHT with another 12 year-old girl. It isn't very Christ-like!"
"I'm pretty sure the other girl started it," he added.
"Again, not the issue, Mikie."
I've said it before, but for Newbies I'll mention it once again. Roxie is considered little by basketball standards. She's a good point guard, but she is smaller than most of the other girls her age. The particular girl she was "having words" with was only a little taller.
I had decided I was going to intervene when a girl on Roxie's team handled the situation for me... beautifully. Kelci, who was taller than both girls, took one step between them and held her hand up to the other girl and shook her head no. She wasn't smiling. She didn't get into a word fight. She just took care of IT. The other little girl visibly backed down. I took a breath and relaxed in my stadium seat. But wait... It wasn't over yet!
Roxie's red head popped around Kelci and with pony tail swishing and hands on hips again, she finished what she had started. This, of course, got the other little girl excited. Unfazed, Kelci stayed in the middle of the dispute separating the girls until the adult fight ended and the game resumed.
Why didn't Roxie let the fight end? Why did she continue when "an angel" stepped in and took care of the situation? Because she's like her mother, that's why. She didn't learn the lesson the first time.
And what does this have to do with yesterday's post about joy and contentment? I was just thinking about what Paul said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." We all have to learn lessons, and not just when we're children. I'm still learning lessons today at 48 years of age.
I'm just thankful for a very patient teacher (God) and a book that has all the answers (the Bible).
NOTE - I can't tell you what the other little girl said and still maintain my G-rated blog, but according to witnesses on the court, she did start the fight... and thankfully, Roxie didn't say anything rated PG (according to the witnesses on the court).
Wednesday Wisdom - I wanted one more quote about autumn. This one is short, but so, so accurate. "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." Albert Camus. Isn't that lovely. I don't know who Albert is, but he is dead-on.
Autumn's Promise of Spring
Buy several dozen bulbs of various kinds like daffodil, tulip, hyacinth and crocus. Check with a local nursery, seed store or county agent as to the best bulb-planting time in your area.
Use shovels to dig up the area where bulbs are to be planted, turning over all the soil and breaking up clods of dirt; rake smooth.
Plant bulbs so that the pointed side is up, about twice as deep as the height of the bulb being planted. In very cold climates, plant the bulbs even deeper.
Check the package for predicted height of plant. Plant bulbs of tallest plants toward center of back of planting area, shorter plants toward outside or front. Leave 4" to 6" of space on all sides of each bulb.
Cover entire plot with a layer of mulch, leaves or peat moss.
Celebrate the completed job with mugs of hot chocolate, cider or herbal tea. Wait for a glorious spring!
This idea was taken from Let's Make a Memory by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dodson. You could also read the book The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs at this time even though it is a Spring/Easter book. Or you can let the kids be totally surprised by what will happen in only a few months after a very cold winter.
It will be time well spent with the kids (playing in the dirt is always fun), and it's really two seasonal traditions in one because in the spring when the bulbs have bloomed, you can make a bouquet to take to a neighbor or relative together. My favorite thing... a "twofer."
I hope you have a lovely Wednesday. Tomorrow we'll be talking about a great date, AND I'll have some Blog Linkage for you to check out. CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY... Call someone and tell them you love them. Or better yet, take someone a pumpkin and tell them you love them. Nothing says lovin' like a big orange pumpkin.
By the way, someone guessed the Special Guest yesterday. It was either in the Comment Section, my e-mail or Facebook, but someone did get it right! I will not confirm until Monday though.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Monday, October 26, 2009
Chicken and Rice Soup
Good Tuesday morning!
The Gallery Pic today is "Just Roxie" while we were waiting for Monica and Amy to arrive for our birthday lunch Sunday. I just thought it was pretty.
As promised, I've added a few more hints about our upcoming Special Guest. Do you think you know who it is yet? Maybe this will help.
7. She has a ton of energy. (Compared to me, everyone has a ton of energy. But I think she has more than the average person.)
8. One of her kids is exactly like her, while the other child has a lot of "Daddy" qualities.
9. She's very competitive at sporting events. (I'm not saying she paints her face maroon and gray and toots an air horn, but you know what I mean.)
10. She's very close to her mom and her dad even though they do not live in this area.
Have you figured it out yet? Let me know who you think it might be.
Just a Thought - Roxie had a Sunday School lesson a couple of weeks ago on the subject of Joy and Contentment. It really made her think because two weeks later we are still talking about having daily joy and contentment in our lives. I had to be honest with her (and myself) and admit that I have had quite a few "joyless" days in my 48 years. There have also been times when I couldn't even make myself look for joy.
Staying on this honesty kick for a few more minutes, contentment in every aspect and season of my life has not been an easy thing to grasp either. Perhaps I am alone in feeling this way, but maybe not. I readily admit I am a "glass half empty" person, so before the day really begins I have to try to adjust my attitude. (If I try to do it alone... not so good. When I rely on God's help... much better. But if left to my own devices, I quickly revert to my "old" ways.)
I know the scripture... "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-3. That's the joy verse.
Then you have the contentment verse. "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-12.
I love what Paul says in Philippians though. "I have learned the secret." Yes! There is hope. Paul had to "learn" to be content whatever the circumstance. It wasn't his natural response. I am not destined to be joyless and discontent for the rest of my life on this earth. I can still "learn." Of course, then you have that "teaching old dogs new tricks" thing you have to work out, but Paul even addressed that little problem. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (That's for all of us "old dogs.")
Sometimes I wonder how long I, The Enchanting Belinda, would have to sit in a horrible prison before I was "content" and "joyful" enough to sing praises to God. I'm afraid to even guess.
But like most tests in life, you have the question, "Would I be able to be a Paul and be content and joyful in any circumstance?" And as a Christian, I am supplied with the answer. "Yes, eventually, because I have a personal relationship with God who will give me the strength when I ask."
Asked and answered.
Tomorrow I would like to share a funny little story to help illustrate the "learning" part of today's post. One of the characters in the story is a feisty little basketball-playing redhead. Guesses? Anyone? Anyone?
Check back Wednesday for a little tale I like to call, "To Fight, or Not To Fight... That Is the Question." Or we could use Mikie's title... "I Think She Can Take Her."
Chicken and Rice Soup
I "borrowed" this recipe from my friend, Julie (of Turnip Green Soup fame), who also "borrowed" the recipe from someone else. When it comes to cooking, "borrowing" and "sharing" are my two favorite words. This soup is absolutely wonderful. Oh, and it is incredibly easy.
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chicken broth
2 large cans chicken breast
4 cups water
4 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons chopped chives
1 pint half and half
2 cups instant rice
Mix all ingredients. Heat and simmer 1 hour.
I'm sorry. This one is just too easy, isn't it? Next week's recipe will be much, much more difficult. It will involve growing your own herbs and stuffing things and such. But it won't taste as delicious as this soup. Try this one. You'll like it!
Have a lovely Tuesday. These fall days are starting to feel AND look like autumn. Enjoy each and every one. Tomorrow's Seasonal Tradition is fun and inexpensive and festive. We'll also have Wednesday Wisdom, more Gallery Pics, a few more hints about our Special Guest for next week and maybe a few other surprises. You never know. And I guess that is what makes life exciting.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pic today is "Just Roxie" while we were waiting for Monica and Amy to arrive for our birthday lunch Sunday. I just thought it was pretty.
As promised, I've added a few more hints about our upcoming Special Guest. Do you think you know who it is yet? Maybe this will help.
7. She has a ton of energy. (Compared to me, everyone has a ton of energy. But I think she has more than the average person.)
8. One of her kids is exactly like her, while the other child has a lot of "Daddy" qualities.
9. She's very competitive at sporting events. (I'm not saying she paints her face maroon and gray and toots an air horn, but you know what I mean.)
10. She's very close to her mom and her dad even though they do not live in this area.
Have you figured it out yet? Let me know who you think it might be.
Just a Thought - Roxie had a Sunday School lesson a couple of weeks ago on the subject of Joy and Contentment. It really made her think because two weeks later we are still talking about having daily joy and contentment in our lives. I had to be honest with her (and myself) and admit that I have had quite a few "joyless" days in my 48 years. There have also been times when I couldn't even make myself look for joy.
Staying on this honesty kick for a few more minutes, contentment in every aspect and season of my life has not been an easy thing to grasp either. Perhaps I am alone in feeling this way, but maybe not. I readily admit I am a "glass half empty" person, so before the day really begins I have to try to adjust my attitude. (If I try to do it alone... not so good. When I rely on God's help... much better. But if left to my own devices, I quickly revert to my "old" ways.)
I know the scripture... "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-3. That's the joy verse.
Then you have the contentment verse. "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-12.
I love what Paul says in Philippians though. "I have learned the secret." Yes! There is hope. Paul had to "learn" to be content whatever the circumstance. It wasn't his natural response. I am not destined to be joyless and discontent for the rest of my life on this earth. I can still "learn." Of course, then you have that "teaching old dogs new tricks" thing you have to work out, but Paul even addressed that little problem. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (That's for all of us "old dogs.")
Sometimes I wonder how long I, The Enchanting Belinda, would have to sit in a horrible prison before I was "content" and "joyful" enough to sing praises to God. I'm afraid to even guess.
But like most tests in life, you have the question, "Would I be able to be a Paul and be content and joyful in any circumstance?" And as a Christian, I am supplied with the answer. "Yes, eventually, because I have a personal relationship with God who will give me the strength when I ask."
Asked and answered.
Tomorrow I would like to share a funny little story to help illustrate the "learning" part of today's post. One of the characters in the story is a feisty little basketball-playing redhead. Guesses? Anyone? Anyone?
Check back Wednesday for a little tale I like to call, "To Fight, or Not To Fight... That Is the Question." Or we could use Mikie's title... "I Think She Can Take Her."
Chicken and Rice Soup
I "borrowed" this recipe from my friend, Julie (of Turnip Green Soup fame), who also "borrowed" the recipe from someone else. When it comes to cooking, "borrowing" and "sharing" are my two favorite words. This soup is absolutely wonderful. Oh, and it is incredibly easy.
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chicken broth
2 large cans chicken breast
4 cups water
4 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons chopped chives
1 pint half and half
2 cups instant rice
Mix all ingredients. Heat and simmer 1 hour.
I'm sorry. This one is just too easy, isn't it? Next week's recipe will be much, much more difficult. It will involve growing your own herbs and stuffing things and such. But it won't taste as delicious as this soup. Try this one. You'll like it!
Have a lovely Tuesday. These fall days are starting to feel AND look like autumn. Enjoy each and every one. Tomorrow's Seasonal Tradition is fun and inexpensive and festive. We'll also have Wednesday Wisdom, more Gallery Pics, a few more hints about our Special Guest for next week and maybe a few other surprises. You never know. And I guess that is what makes life exciting.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Sunday, October 25, 2009
All Day Toddler Party
Good Monday morning!
NOTE - The Pioneer Woman will be on The Bonnie Hunt Show today (3:00 CST where we live). If you're a fan, I wanted to make sure you knew. And if you're not a fan, watch the show and you soon will be!
The Showcase Pic this morning is of Austin and Melia leaving for dinner at one of Jacksonville's most elegant restaurants after the JSU homecoming game. JSU lost, but you cannot tell by the look on Austin's face, can you?
The Gallery Pics are of Roxie and Monica's birthday celebration yesterday at Red Robin... Yummmm! Both girls just celebrated their 13th birthdays, and while we went skating or crafting or tried some other fun activity when they were younger, nothing is more fun for 13 year-old girls than lunch and shopping. And I mean NOTHING! Thankfully, they both still had birthday money to spend. (Check out Belinda's Project 365 under My Blog List for another great picture of the girls and a little bit of their history.)
I promised a total of 20 hints for next week's Special Guest, and here are three more:
4. The first time you meet her, you would never guess how feisty she really is. (Very, very feisty. And I mean that in a good way.)
5. She is a nurturer... at home, at work and at church.
6. She is a lover of fall... and spring... and summer... and winter. (She can't pick a favorite, and this has caused me great pain and suffering. No one likes all the seasons the same amount! Pick one! For me... just PICK ONE!)
Monday Mayhem
Our weekend went according to plan for the most part. Friday night's game was exceptional. The weather was perfect for football. It didn't rain one drop. Oh, and we won in the last few moments of the game. Victory was sweet... and dry!
Saturday changed a little with only me and Mikie attending the JSU homecoming with Melia and her family. Josh was more than a little tired, and he opted to stay home, watch a little college ball on the television and finish up some yard work. (He raked acorns for hours... after his long fall nap!) Roxie enjoyed staying with her Grandmother for the day.
JSU wasn't as fortunate as our high school team Friday night, and they did not win their homecoming game Saturday. However, the Southerners were as spectacular as ever, and with the beautiful weather and the cameras all charged up, Mikie and I filmed away for posterity's sake.
Austin and Melia finally went on their homecoming date, and they looked handsome and beautiful, respectively.
By the time Austin and Melia got ready for their date, we were ready to take a few pictures and head home for a belated date of our own. It was 5:30 when we left Jacksonville, and our movie started in Vestavia at 7:35. We picked Roxie up in Trussville, made it to the house by 7:00, and after a quick shirt change for Mikie, we made it to the movie in the middle of the first preview. (Mikie and I do not like missing the previews. To us, they are almost as much fun as the movie. Also, since movies cost $9.50 per person now, the previews make you feel like you're getting a little more for your money.) Although the original plan called for dinner and a movie, Mr. and Mrs. Flexibility had to switch it to movie and dinner. We were starving.
We decided to make it easy and we went to the Waffle House near our home. Not a four star restaurant, but we have found at 9:45 at night breakfast can be a very good meal.
We arrived home at 11:00. Roxie was in bed and the guys were watching... are you ready for this... sports!
Mikie and I made a very important discovery. When we plan a date night, we need some rest during the "date" day (Code for I NEED A NAP BEFORE I STAY OUT UNTIL 11:00). We came home looking like a much older couple than we are (Code for I LOOKED WORN OUT), and drug ourselves to bed (Code for I FELL ASLEEP BRUSHING MY TEETH). We need some vitamins or caffeine injections or to be 20 years younger or something!
Other than being tired at the end of an extremely busy Saturday, the only "bad" thing that happened was a ketchup soaked tomato falling out of Mike's hamburger and sliding down his crisp white shirt on the way to homecoming. It bothered him greatly, but not me. I'm Mrs. Flexibility. It would take more than an unbelievably huge ketchup stain on a semi-new white shirt to upset me. Yes sir!
Thank goodness I had my ever-present Austin Goes to College, Josh Driving Alone, Panic Attack and Clothes Stained Beyond Repair medication. (I was just SO thankful he had a fleece to put on at the game. Otherwise, I would have insisted he buy a $40 JSU t-shirt to wear... and that would have been our date money. You know, it is really hard being flexible ALL the time.)
Sunday we all went to church (as planned). Roxie and I met Monica and Amy for lunch (as planned). But Mikie and the boys did not have pot roast (as DECLARED). I was too tired at 11:00 Saturday night to prepare a pot roast. My spirit wanted to, but my body was weak. Also, the "declaring" stuff isn't working any more. If I declare it, something usually happens, so I think my "declaring" days are over.
Ironing, packing, church classes for the kids and Amazing Race and our Sunday night was officially over. Not bad. Not bad at all.
All Day Toddler Party
I know you think I'm nuts just by the name of the party alone. But hear me out, please.
Roxie was born 11 days before Josh's third birthday. Three is a very significant birthday because it is really the first birthday a child understands what is going on. They understand the concept of holding up three fingers. They understand birthday cake and blowing out candles. They understand gifts. Oh, they definitely understand gifts. They understand it is the day they were born. It's a biggie!
So with Roxie only 11 days old, I had a little dilemma about what kind of celebration to plan for Josh's third birthday. It needed to incorporate nap times for Roxie, Josh and me. It needed to include big brother who was in kindergarten until noon each day. It needed to take into account the house wasn't perfect, and I wasn't up for cooking for a family party. It also needed to take into account I wasn't up for a house full of three year-old boys for two hours. What to do? What to do?
And then it hit me. An All Day Toddler Party.
First, the cake. Josh loved Winnie-the-Pooh. I had a local bakery fix a large sheet cake with Winnie-the-Pooh decorations in one corner and "Happy Birthday, Josh" written in the middle of the cake. Simple.
Second, I made the schedule. (Are you really surprised?)
10:00 a.m. - Grandmother (She would have come with Granddaddy, but I was trying to spread it out a little.)
12:00 noon - Austin (Back from kindergarten, but bearing a gift.)
12:30 p.m. - Aunt Bev and Cousin Brad
3:00 p.m. - Best 2 year-old friend and mom
5:00 p.m. - Granddaddy (Came over as soon as he finished work.)
6:00 p.m. - Daddy (Mikie)
6:30 p.m. - Grandma and Grandpa
The times took into account naps and meals. Each person agreed to the time they would arrive, and no one stayed over an hour. Josh didn't know how many people were coming. He was just excited whenever he heard the doorbell.
Here's the fun part. Each person would ring the doorbell. Josh would open the door and be handed a birthday gift. We would sit in the living room while he opened his gift. We would then go to the kitchen where we lit the candles on his cake, sang "Happy Birthday," blew out the candles, and then served everyone a piece of cake and drink. He would then play with his cousin/friend/toy/etc., say good-bye when they left and we would go about the rest of our day.
The doorbell rang seven times. He received seven gifts (not counting the one or two I had bought for him). He blew his candles out seven times. He was sung to seven times. All of his favorite people came to see HIM and spend one-on-one time with HIM even though he had a new baby sister who had been getting a lot of attention the past 11 days. He LOVED it!
This party could work on many different levels. I think even a teenager would enjoy answering the door all day long and having family and friends shower him/her with gifts and well wishes.
At the end of Josh's special day, I felt he had experienced a wonderful birthday custom-made for a new big brother. And I had experienced a pretty "normal" day considering I had a five year-old, a three year-old and a newborn baby girl. (I even got to take my nap!)
Have a fantastic Monday. Tomorrow's recipe is easy and wonderful. I know I always say that, but it really and truly is. If for no other reason than to copy the recipe (which is what I did), check it out! I'll also have a few more clues regarding our Special Guest. Any more guesses?
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
NOTE - The Pioneer Woman will be on The Bonnie Hunt Show today (3:00 CST where we live). If you're a fan, I wanted to make sure you knew. And if you're not a fan, watch the show and you soon will be!
The Showcase Pic this morning is of Austin and Melia leaving for dinner at one of Jacksonville's most elegant restaurants after the JSU homecoming game. JSU lost, but you cannot tell by the look on Austin's face, can you?
The Gallery Pics are of Roxie and Monica's birthday celebration yesterday at Red Robin... Yummmm! Both girls just celebrated their 13th birthdays, and while we went skating or crafting or tried some other fun activity when they were younger, nothing is more fun for 13 year-old girls than lunch and shopping. And I mean NOTHING! Thankfully, they both still had birthday money to spend. (Check out Belinda's Project 365 under My Blog List for another great picture of the girls and a little bit of their history.)
I promised a total of 20 hints for next week's Special Guest, and here are three more:
4. The first time you meet her, you would never guess how feisty she really is. (Very, very feisty. And I mean that in a good way.)
5. She is a nurturer... at home, at work and at church.
6. She is a lover of fall... and spring... and summer... and winter. (She can't pick a favorite, and this has caused me great pain and suffering. No one likes all the seasons the same amount! Pick one! For me... just PICK ONE!)
Monday Mayhem
Our weekend went according to plan for the most part. Friday night's game was exceptional. The weather was perfect for football. It didn't rain one drop. Oh, and we won in the last few moments of the game. Victory was sweet... and dry!
Saturday changed a little with only me and Mikie attending the JSU homecoming with Melia and her family. Josh was more than a little tired, and he opted to stay home, watch a little college ball on the television and finish up some yard work. (He raked acorns for hours... after his long fall nap!) Roxie enjoyed staying with her Grandmother for the day.
JSU wasn't as fortunate as our high school team Friday night, and they did not win their homecoming game Saturday. However, the Southerners were as spectacular as ever, and with the beautiful weather and the cameras all charged up, Mikie and I filmed away for posterity's sake.
Austin and Melia finally went on their homecoming date, and they looked handsome and beautiful, respectively.
By the time Austin and Melia got ready for their date, we were ready to take a few pictures and head home for a belated date of our own. It was 5:30 when we left Jacksonville, and our movie started in Vestavia at 7:35. We picked Roxie up in Trussville, made it to the house by 7:00, and after a quick shirt change for Mikie, we made it to the movie in the middle of the first preview. (Mikie and I do not like missing the previews. To us, they are almost as much fun as the movie. Also, since movies cost $9.50 per person now, the previews make you feel like you're getting a little more for your money.) Although the original plan called for dinner and a movie, Mr. and Mrs. Flexibility had to switch it to movie and dinner. We were starving.
We decided to make it easy and we went to the Waffle House near our home. Not a four star restaurant, but we have found at 9:45 at night breakfast can be a very good meal.
We arrived home at 11:00. Roxie was in bed and the guys were watching... are you ready for this... sports!
Mikie and I made a very important discovery. When we plan a date night, we need some rest during the "date" day (Code for I NEED A NAP BEFORE I STAY OUT UNTIL 11:00). We came home looking like a much older couple than we are (Code for I LOOKED WORN OUT), and drug ourselves to bed (Code for I FELL ASLEEP BRUSHING MY TEETH). We need some vitamins or caffeine injections or to be 20 years younger or something!
Other than being tired at the end of an extremely busy Saturday, the only "bad" thing that happened was a ketchup soaked tomato falling out of Mike's hamburger and sliding down his crisp white shirt on the way to homecoming. It bothered him greatly, but not me. I'm Mrs. Flexibility. It would take more than an unbelievably huge ketchup stain on a semi-new white shirt to upset me. Yes sir!
Thank goodness I had my ever-present Austin Goes to College, Josh Driving Alone, Panic Attack and Clothes Stained Beyond Repair medication. (I was just SO thankful he had a fleece to put on at the game. Otherwise, I would have insisted he buy a $40 JSU t-shirt to wear... and that would have been our date money. You know, it is really hard being flexible ALL the time.)
Sunday we all went to church (as planned). Roxie and I met Monica and Amy for lunch (as planned). But Mikie and the boys did not have pot roast (as DECLARED). I was too tired at 11:00 Saturday night to prepare a pot roast. My spirit wanted to, but my body was weak. Also, the "declaring" stuff isn't working any more. If I declare it, something usually happens, so I think my "declaring" days are over.
Ironing, packing, church classes for the kids and Amazing Race and our Sunday night was officially over. Not bad. Not bad at all.
All Day Toddler Party
I know you think I'm nuts just by the name of the party alone. But hear me out, please.
Roxie was born 11 days before Josh's third birthday. Three is a very significant birthday because it is really the first birthday a child understands what is going on. They understand the concept of holding up three fingers. They understand birthday cake and blowing out candles. They understand gifts. Oh, they definitely understand gifts. They understand it is the day they were born. It's a biggie!
So with Roxie only 11 days old, I had a little dilemma about what kind of celebration to plan for Josh's third birthday. It needed to incorporate nap times for Roxie, Josh and me. It needed to include big brother who was in kindergarten until noon each day. It needed to take into account the house wasn't perfect, and I wasn't up for cooking for a family party. It also needed to take into account I wasn't up for a house full of three year-old boys for two hours. What to do? What to do?
And then it hit me. An All Day Toddler Party.
First, the cake. Josh loved Winnie-the-Pooh. I had a local bakery fix a large sheet cake with Winnie-the-Pooh decorations in one corner and "Happy Birthday, Josh" written in the middle of the cake. Simple.
Second, I made the schedule. (Are you really surprised?)
10:00 a.m. - Grandmother (She would have come with Granddaddy, but I was trying to spread it out a little.)
12:00 noon - Austin (Back from kindergarten, but bearing a gift.)
12:30 p.m. - Aunt Bev and Cousin Brad
3:00 p.m. - Best 2 year-old friend and mom
5:00 p.m. - Granddaddy (Came over as soon as he finished work.)
6:00 p.m. - Daddy (Mikie)
6:30 p.m. - Grandma and Grandpa
The times took into account naps and meals. Each person agreed to the time they would arrive, and no one stayed over an hour. Josh didn't know how many people were coming. He was just excited whenever he heard the doorbell.
Here's the fun part. Each person would ring the doorbell. Josh would open the door and be handed a birthday gift. We would sit in the living room while he opened his gift. We would then go to the kitchen where we lit the candles on his cake, sang "Happy Birthday," blew out the candles, and then served everyone a piece of cake and drink. He would then play with his cousin/friend/toy/etc., say good-bye when they left and we would go about the rest of our day.
The doorbell rang seven times. He received seven gifts (not counting the one or two I had bought for him). He blew his candles out seven times. He was sung to seven times. All of his favorite people came to see HIM and spend one-on-one time with HIM even though he had a new baby sister who had been getting a lot of attention the past 11 days. He LOVED it!
This party could work on many different levels. I think even a teenager would enjoy answering the door all day long and having family and friends shower him/her with gifts and well wishes.
At the end of Josh's special day, I felt he had experienced a wonderful birthday custom-made for a new big brother. And I had experienced a pretty "normal" day considering I had a five year-old, a three year-old and a newborn baby girl. (I even got to take my nap!)
Have a fantastic Monday. Tomorrow's recipe is easy and wonderful. I know I always say that, but it really and truly is. If for no other reason than to copy the recipe (which is what I did), check it out! I'll also have a few more clues regarding our Special Guest. Any more guesses?
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Weekend Happenings
Good Friday morning!
The Showcase Pic today is of the November issue of Southern Living. There is an article featuring The Pioneer Woman in this issue. (My Aunt Connie found it for me.) I strongly URGE you to buy this issue. Not only is The Pioneer Woman in the issue, but it's a fall issue which means it is extra-special.
Also, The Pioneer Woman will be on The Bonnie Hunt Show next week talking about her new cookbook. I'll let you know which day to watch... if you want to. NOTE TO KARMEN - Are we still on for the book signing road trip to Nashville? I want you to take a picture of me and The Pioneer Woman (holding the cookbook) for my Famous People scrapbook page. I'm counting on you! No pressure.
I also have some pictures of Josh's first solo driving experience. I thought it would be easier the second time around. I was wrong. So, so wrong.
NOTE - Cam, LeAnna, Mikie and Jennifer... I've left you comments in yesterday's Comment Section. Check them out, please.
DON'T FORGET - If you are a Newbie, go to my sidebar and click on Newbie information. Read it. Commit it to memory. Be ready for the test I'll give on Monday. (If you're a Newbie, please read Josh's Journey.)
ALSO, DON'T FORGET - Check on Belinda's Project 365 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I don't post on A Simple Life over the weekend, but I will be adding daily pictures.
SPECIAL GUEST HINTS- Okay. I'll be giving you 20 hints so you can try to guess who the special guest is going to be on A Simple Life November 2. I'll go ahead and tell you she is local. Are you ready?
1. She is the wife of one and mother of two.
2. When she smiles, her face lights up (literally... no exaggeration).
3. She is not originally from this town.
Do you think you know who it is? Let me know. I'll tell you if you're wrong, but not if you're right.
I WONDER - I wonder if anyone out there has a doctor with a really good sense of humor. I had my regular six month check-up today, and when my doctor came in she asked me if anything had changed. It had not. I still have diabetes. I still have panic attacks. I'm still peri-menopausal. I did ask her about that one though.
"Is there a world record for the longest time a woman has been peri-menopausal... and not killed anyone?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, writing on my chart and not looking up.
"I mean it's been nine years. That's a really long time. Do you know of someone who has had this condition MORE than nine years?"
"It's not really a condition, and I doubt if anyone is keeping up with years for the record books," she responded, again without looking up.
"I was just wondering," I murmured.
"How often are you having panic attacks?" she asked.
"I'm pretty sure I'm having one right now," I said digging in my purse for my Austin Going to College, Joshua Driving Alone and Panic Attack medication.
"Really?" she said, writing away.
I would have handed her my "Blog Card," but something tells me she wouldn't understand my humor on the blog either.
AUSTIN UPDATE - Don't worry. This is a short one. He just told me they changed his title at the newspaper from "Staff Writer" to "Sports Writer." Is it just me, or does that sound like a promotion? No, really. What do you think that means?
Weekend Happenings
I'm not sure if we're going to make our four football game quota this week or not. According to our weatherman, it could be raining/storming during Friday night's game. Roxie had other plans Friday night anyway, so it was just going to be me and Mikie. However, Saturday is still looking good for JSU's homecoming.
Melia and her family are coming to the game, also. Austin and Melia weren't able to celebrate her high school homecoming because he was out of town, so they are planning to celebrate JSU's homecoming with a nice dinner (suit and tie and beautiful dress) before they head home for the rest of the weekend.
Mike and I will once again try the "date thing" Saturday night. Dinner and a show (and now a free Barnes & Noble cookie and hot chocolate... check my Comment Section from yesterday because my friend, Jennifer, left a website for the freebies). I'm not declaring it. I'm quietly hoping it will happen. Shhhh!
The Boy and his brother have requested pot roast for Sunday dinner, so pot roast they shall have! I will DECLARE that! However, Roxie and I will not be eating pot roast. We are having a late birthday celebration with our cousin, Monica... lunch and shopping which is every 13 year-old girl's dream Sunday afternoon. I'm thinking Red Robin, but it is definitely not my decision. (I do love those curvy glasses they serve their strawberry lemonade in though. So cute. I think curvy glasses make everything taste better. Even unsweet tea.)
Amazing Race will end our weekend of football and fun. I cannot believe next week is the last week in October. To be one of the longer months, it just flies by. Thankfully, I love November JUST as much as October, so I'll try to savor each and every day.
Have the most wonderful weekend ever! Take a little time to get outside. Next week we'll have another week of Halloween/Autumn fun before we begin Thanksgiving activities. Friday, October 30 will be our monthly book day, and I have several to add to our list. I'll also be giving 17 more clues Monday through Friday regarding our Special Guest. Feel free to guess. I won't tell you who it is before November 2, but I won't mind telling you if someone guessed correctly.
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Ever So Slightly Irritable Belinda
The Showcase Pic today is of the November issue of Southern Living. There is an article featuring The Pioneer Woman in this issue. (My Aunt Connie found it for me.) I strongly URGE you to buy this issue. Not only is The Pioneer Woman in the issue, but it's a fall issue which means it is extra-special.
Also, The Pioneer Woman will be on The Bonnie Hunt Show next week talking about her new cookbook. I'll let you know which day to watch... if you want to. NOTE TO KARMEN - Are we still on for the book signing road trip to Nashville? I want you to take a picture of me and The Pioneer Woman (holding the cookbook) for my Famous People scrapbook page. I'm counting on you! No pressure.
I also have some pictures of Josh's first solo driving experience. I thought it would be easier the second time around. I was wrong. So, so wrong.
NOTE - Cam, LeAnna, Mikie and Jennifer... I've left you comments in yesterday's Comment Section. Check them out, please.
DON'T FORGET - If you are a Newbie, go to my sidebar and click on Newbie information. Read it. Commit it to memory. Be ready for the test I'll give on Monday. (If you're a Newbie, please read Josh's Journey.)
ALSO, DON'T FORGET - Check on Belinda's Project 365 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I don't post on A Simple Life over the weekend, but I will be adding daily pictures.
SPECIAL GUEST HINTS- Okay. I'll be giving you 20 hints so you can try to guess who the special guest is going to be on A Simple Life November 2. I'll go ahead and tell you she is local. Are you ready?
1. She is the wife of one and mother of two.
2. When she smiles, her face lights up (literally... no exaggeration).
3. She is not originally from this town.
Do you think you know who it is? Let me know. I'll tell you if you're wrong, but not if you're right.
I WONDER - I wonder if anyone out there has a doctor with a really good sense of humor. I had my regular six month check-up today, and when my doctor came in she asked me if anything had changed. It had not. I still have diabetes. I still have panic attacks. I'm still peri-menopausal. I did ask her about that one though.
"Is there a world record for the longest time a woman has been peri-menopausal... and not killed anyone?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, writing on my chart and not looking up.
"I mean it's been nine years. That's a really long time. Do you know of someone who has had this condition MORE than nine years?"
"It's not really a condition, and I doubt if anyone is keeping up with years for the record books," she responded, again without looking up.
"I was just wondering," I murmured.
"How often are you having panic attacks?" she asked.
"I'm pretty sure I'm having one right now," I said digging in my purse for my Austin Going to College, Joshua Driving Alone and Panic Attack medication.
"Really?" she said, writing away.
I would have handed her my "Blog Card," but something tells me she wouldn't understand my humor on the blog either.
AUSTIN UPDATE - Don't worry. This is a short one. He just told me they changed his title at the newspaper from "Staff Writer" to "Sports Writer." Is it just me, or does that sound like a promotion? No, really. What do you think that means?
Weekend Happenings
I'm not sure if we're going to make our four football game quota this week or not. According to our weatherman, it could be raining/storming during Friday night's game. Roxie had other plans Friday night anyway, so it was just going to be me and Mikie. However, Saturday is still looking good for JSU's homecoming.
Melia and her family are coming to the game, also. Austin and Melia weren't able to celebrate her high school homecoming because he was out of town, so they are planning to celebrate JSU's homecoming with a nice dinner (suit and tie and beautiful dress) before they head home for the rest of the weekend.
Mike and I will once again try the "date thing" Saturday night. Dinner and a show (and now a free Barnes & Noble cookie and hot chocolate... check my Comment Section from yesterday because my friend, Jennifer, left a website for the freebies). I'm not declaring it. I'm quietly hoping it will happen. Shhhh!
The Boy and his brother have requested pot roast for Sunday dinner, so pot roast they shall have! I will DECLARE that! However, Roxie and I will not be eating pot roast. We are having a late birthday celebration with our cousin, Monica... lunch and shopping which is every 13 year-old girl's dream Sunday afternoon. I'm thinking Red Robin, but it is definitely not my decision. (I do love those curvy glasses they serve their strawberry lemonade in though. So cute. I think curvy glasses make everything taste better. Even unsweet tea.)
Amazing Race will end our weekend of football and fun. I cannot believe next week is the last week in October. To be one of the longer months, it just flies by. Thankfully, I love November JUST as much as October, so I'll try to savor each and every day.
Have the most wonderful weekend ever! Take a little time to get outside. Next week we'll have another week of Halloween/Autumn fun before we begin Thanksgiving activities. Friday, October 30 will be our monthly book day, and I have several to add to our list. I'll also be giving 17 more clues Monday through Friday regarding our Special Guest. Feel free to guess. I won't tell you who it is before November 2, but I won't mind telling you if someone guessed correctly.
Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Ever So Slightly Irritable Belinda
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Driver's License Date
Good Thursday morning!
The Showcase Pic today is of Joshua after he obtained his DRIVER'S LICENSE! That's right. Another huge milestone for the Faulkner Five. Four out of five of us are driving... legally. Don't ask! (I will now be using my Austin Goes to College medication for Joshua is Driving Alone medication as well. It's very versatile.)
Before we get into today's post, I want to talk about something that has always bothered me a little (Code for A LOT). I think (and correct me if I'm wrong) some people (not all) have the wrong impression of who I really am. I've had people tell me years ago when I taught a Christ-Centered Tradition Class at my church I made them feel bad about themselves. Even though I spoke of my mistakes (and there are many) and my flaws (and there are 42), I unintentionally portrayed myself as a better wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, etc. than I really was. I didn't want to make people feel bad. I wanted to share my passion and my interests in an interesting, yet simple, manner. But somehow, I didn't quite pull it off.
When I started A Simple Life, it had a slightly different purpose. It was going to be my little way of taking some of the stigma away from having mental illness in your family. (Did you know 1 in 6 people deal with mental illness... either personally or with a close family member or friend?) But it was also going to be a way to talk about my passion and interests again... FAMILY STUFF!
I've tried to think of a way to do this and not make ANYONE ever feel bad. Should I list my 42 flaws? (No. I'm much too prideful to do that. Oops. I let that one slip.) Should I make a new section called A Mistake a Day listing the mistakes I've made as a wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, etc.? (Uh. No. There's no sense in making me feel bad, too.)
And then it came to me. Actually my friend, Charlotte, and I were talking about it at the football game the other night. Everyone has a gift. I will never be able to sing like Charlotte. Ever. It is not my gift. But would I ever NOT listen to her sing because it made me feel bad because I didn't have her magnificent gift? That would be NUTS! Of course not! (Please remember the exclamation points are not "blog yelling." I'm just trying to make a point.)
I'm going to leave you with these verses:
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Romans 12:6-8.
Whatever your gift may be... serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, or writing a little blog called A Simple Life, do it and do it with all your heart and might! Oh, and do it TODAY!
Thank you, Charlotte. I needed that!
Blog Linkage
As promised, here a few blog links which may interest you. Today, I'm keeping it simple and giving you only three. Two of the blogs have a good bit of reading, but they are wonderful and interesting. They are definitely NOT a waste of your precious time.
The first linkage is under my Blog List. Click on Nitty Gritty, and then go to her left sidebar. Once there, click on Our Story of Losing Teagan to read her amazing story. You will leave her blog so thankful for your family, for the ordinary, for the mundane. I don't know if you'll ever look at your children the same way again. She is truly a blessing as she writes about grief, faith, hope and her day-to-day life with a child in Heaven and five in her earthly home.
The second linkage is also under my Blog List. I know I have referred you many times to Nitty Gritty AND The Pioneer Woman, but in case you have never read how The Pioneer Woman BECAME The Pioneer Woman, you have to go to her left sidebar and click on Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. It's a modern day love story. You will laugh. You will cry. And the very best part... It all really happened. I love her story.
The third linkage is, of course, the one I refer to each and every Thursday originally given to me by my friend, Jennifer. However, if you go to the link yourself, you will see all kinds of bargains, discounts, etc., as well as the "family fun" activities I listed each week. The blog address is http://blog.al.com/bargain-mom.
Okay. There you go. Please keep in mind, these other blog links are NOT to be read INSTEAD OF A Simple Life. They should be read AFTER you have read your daily helping of A Simple Life. (And don't think I won't find out!) Enjoy!
Driver's License Date
I called this a once-in-a-lifetime date, but in actuality, I know it can take more than once for a teen to obtain his/her driver's license. However, whenever it is time for your teenager to take the driving test, have their picture made and laminated and then drive home from the courthouse, it is a time of celebration... if not for the parent, then for the teen.
This is a great time for a celebratory lunch with parent and new driver. You've already taken off work for a half day, so make it even more special by treating your child/young adult to a special lunch at the restaurant of their choice.
Because they are happy (and believe me... they ARE happy), even the most closed-mouthed child will probably be more open to conversation about anything and everything. Take advantage of their good mood, and enjoy this time with them.
Mikie is the parent who takes the kids on the Driver's License Date. This has fallen into his lap because he is much calmer than I am on the ride home. (There's not enough Austin Goes to College OR Joshua is Driving Alone medication in the world to make me relax enough for this to be considered a fun date.) However, it is right up Mike's alley.
Unless something unforeseen happens, he'll be taking Roxie on this same date in three short years.
Tomorrow we'll be talking about Weekend Happenings, and I'll be giving the first clue concerning the Special Guest who will be appearing on A Simple Life November 2. Enjoy your beautiful fall day today.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Heavily Medicated Belinda
The Showcase Pic today is of Joshua after he obtained his DRIVER'S LICENSE! That's right. Another huge milestone for the Faulkner Five. Four out of five of us are driving... legally. Don't ask! (I will now be using my Austin Goes to College medication for Joshua is Driving Alone medication as well. It's very versatile.)
Before we get into today's post, I want to talk about something that has always bothered me a little (Code for A LOT). I think (and correct me if I'm wrong) some people (not all) have the wrong impression of who I really am. I've had people tell me years ago when I taught a Christ-Centered Tradition Class at my church I made them feel bad about themselves. Even though I spoke of my mistakes (and there are many) and my flaws (and there are 42), I unintentionally portrayed myself as a better wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, etc. than I really was. I didn't want to make people feel bad. I wanted to share my passion and my interests in an interesting, yet simple, manner. But somehow, I didn't quite pull it off.
When I started A Simple Life, it had a slightly different purpose. It was going to be my little way of taking some of the stigma away from having mental illness in your family. (Did you know 1 in 6 people deal with mental illness... either personally or with a close family member or friend?) But it was also going to be a way to talk about my passion and interests again... FAMILY STUFF!
I've tried to think of a way to do this and not make ANYONE ever feel bad. Should I list my 42 flaws? (No. I'm much too prideful to do that. Oops. I let that one slip.) Should I make a new section called A Mistake a Day listing the mistakes I've made as a wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, etc.? (Uh. No. There's no sense in making me feel bad, too.)
And then it came to me. Actually my friend, Charlotte, and I were talking about it at the football game the other night. Everyone has a gift. I will never be able to sing like Charlotte. Ever. It is not my gift. But would I ever NOT listen to her sing because it made me feel bad because I didn't have her magnificent gift? That would be NUTS! Of course not! (Please remember the exclamation points are not "blog yelling." I'm just trying to make a point.)
I'm going to leave you with these verses:
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Romans 12:6-8.
Whatever your gift may be... serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, or writing a little blog called A Simple Life, do it and do it with all your heart and might! Oh, and do it TODAY!
Thank you, Charlotte. I needed that!
Blog Linkage
As promised, here a few blog links which may interest you. Today, I'm keeping it simple and giving you only three. Two of the blogs have a good bit of reading, but they are wonderful and interesting. They are definitely NOT a waste of your precious time.
The first linkage is under my Blog List. Click on Nitty Gritty, and then go to her left sidebar. Once there, click on Our Story of Losing Teagan to read her amazing story. You will leave her blog so thankful for your family, for the ordinary, for the mundane. I don't know if you'll ever look at your children the same way again. She is truly a blessing as she writes about grief, faith, hope and her day-to-day life with a child in Heaven and five in her earthly home.
The second linkage is also under my Blog List. I know I have referred you many times to Nitty Gritty AND The Pioneer Woman, but in case you have never read how The Pioneer Woman BECAME The Pioneer Woman, you have to go to her left sidebar and click on Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. It's a modern day love story. You will laugh. You will cry. And the very best part... It all really happened. I love her story.
The third linkage is, of course, the one I refer to each and every Thursday originally given to me by my friend, Jennifer. However, if you go to the link yourself, you will see all kinds of bargains, discounts, etc., as well as the "family fun" activities I listed each week. The blog address is http://blog.al.com/bargain-mom.
Okay. There you go. Please keep in mind, these other blog links are NOT to be read INSTEAD OF A Simple Life. They should be read AFTER you have read your daily helping of A Simple Life. (And don't think I won't find out!) Enjoy!
Driver's License Date
I called this a once-in-a-lifetime date, but in actuality, I know it can take more than once for a teen to obtain his/her driver's license. However, whenever it is time for your teenager to take the driving test, have their picture made and laminated and then drive home from the courthouse, it is a time of celebration... if not for the parent, then for the teen.
This is a great time for a celebratory lunch with parent and new driver. You've already taken off work for a half day, so make it even more special by treating your child/young adult to a special lunch at the restaurant of their choice.
Because they are happy (and believe me... they ARE happy), even the most closed-mouthed child will probably be more open to conversation about anything and everything. Take advantage of their good mood, and enjoy this time with them.
Mikie is the parent who takes the kids on the Driver's License Date. This has fallen into his lap because he is much calmer than I am on the ride home. (There's not enough Austin Goes to College OR Joshua is Driving Alone medication in the world to make me relax enough for this to be considered a fun date.) However, it is right up Mike's alley.
Unless something unforeseen happens, he'll be taking Roxie on this same date in three short years.
Tomorrow we'll be talking about Weekend Happenings, and I'll be giving the first clue concerning the Special Guest who will be appearing on A Simple Life November 2. Enjoy your beautiful fall day today.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Heavily Medicated Belinda
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Mum Deliveries
Good Wednesday morning!
The Gallery Pic is of Sparkle and Roxie... and in honor of all the dog lovers out there, Wednesday Wisdom is going to the dogs (so to speak).
Are you ready for some football? Last night was the second football game I will be attending this week. The middle school played Tuesday night, and Roxie got to play with the band in the stands, so I watched her a little more than the game.
But wait! There's more! Mikie and I are going to a high school game Friday night AND JSU's homecoming game Saturday! That's four, count 'em FOUR, football games in one week.
It is now official. There is such an illness as "bleacher bottom," and I have a bad case! Look it up! It's in all the medical journals. The interesting medical journals anyway.
I have to add an activity to the Happy Fall, Y'all Party. I'm going to post it here, as well as in Monday's post with the rest of the party activities.
Searching For a Penny in a Haystack - Make two piles of loose hay (fairly large piles). Drop 10 to 20 pennies in each pile in different spots. Give each team a time limit (1 to 2 minutes) to go through their pile of hay and find as many pennies as possible. The team with the most pennies is the winner.
Wednesday Wisdom - Today, I have not one, but several wise and witty sayings pertaining to Man's Best Friend... the dog.
"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue." Anonymous.
"Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog." Franklin P. Jones
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man." Mark Twain
Mum Deliveries
Last year around this time, I talked about making Pumpkin Mum Pots. (You can check under Seasonal Traditions on the sidebar and go back to October, 2008.) This year, I'm going to simplify a little. I am going to challenge you to buy a nice pumpkin or a beautiful pot of mums to take to an elderly neighbor or relative this week. They are not very expensive. (A pretty pot of mums is $3 at Food Depot in Gardendale.) Take the gift (with your child or children) to the neighbor. (Always let your children see you doing a good deed. They learn so much better by "seeing" than by being told.)
If you want to make some muffins and take the neighbor one or two for their breakfast the next morning along with the pumpkin or mums, that would make it even better.
There's nothing better than receiving an unexpected gift on a pretty fall Wednesday or Thursday... except for giving one.
Have a glorious Wednesday. Go outside and enjoy the coolness... before the rain comes back this weekend. Hurry. Go now! I've said it before, but it I'll say it once more... "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today... today is a gift. That's why it is called the present." (And yes, I first heard those wise words while watching the movie Kung Fu Panda. Classic.) Make today count. It's the only October 21, 2009 we'll ever have.
Thursday is the first day we'll be looking at Blog Linkage, and, of course, the one-time-only date between a parent and child. You don't want to miss that!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pic is of Sparkle and Roxie... and in honor of all the dog lovers out there, Wednesday Wisdom is going to the dogs (so to speak).
Are you ready for some football? Last night was the second football game I will be attending this week. The middle school played Tuesday night, and Roxie got to play with the band in the stands, so I watched her a little more than the game.
But wait! There's more! Mikie and I are going to a high school game Friday night AND JSU's homecoming game Saturday! That's four, count 'em FOUR, football games in one week.
It is now official. There is such an illness as "bleacher bottom," and I have a bad case! Look it up! It's in all the medical journals. The interesting medical journals anyway.
I have to add an activity to the Happy Fall, Y'all Party. I'm going to post it here, as well as in Monday's post with the rest of the party activities.
Searching For a Penny in a Haystack - Make two piles of loose hay (fairly large piles). Drop 10 to 20 pennies in each pile in different spots. Give each team a time limit (1 to 2 minutes) to go through their pile of hay and find as many pennies as possible. The team with the most pennies is the winner.
Wednesday Wisdom - Today, I have not one, but several wise and witty sayings pertaining to Man's Best Friend... the dog.
"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue." Anonymous.
"Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog." Franklin P. Jones
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man." Mark Twain
Mum Deliveries
Last year around this time, I talked about making Pumpkin Mum Pots. (You can check under Seasonal Traditions on the sidebar and go back to October, 2008.) This year, I'm going to simplify a little. I am going to challenge you to buy a nice pumpkin or a beautiful pot of mums to take to an elderly neighbor or relative this week. They are not very expensive. (A pretty pot of mums is $3 at Food Depot in Gardendale.) Take the gift (with your child or children) to the neighbor. (Always let your children see you doing a good deed. They learn so much better by "seeing" than by being told.)
If you want to make some muffins and take the neighbor one or two for their breakfast the next morning along with the pumpkin or mums, that would make it even better.
There's nothing better than receiving an unexpected gift on a pretty fall Wednesday or Thursday... except for giving one.
Have a glorious Wednesday. Go outside and enjoy the coolness... before the rain comes back this weekend. Hurry. Go now! I've said it before, but it I'll say it once more... "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today... today is a gift. That's why it is called the present." (And yes, I first heard those wise words while watching the movie Kung Fu Panda. Classic.) Make today count. It's the only October 21, 2009 we'll ever have.
Thursday is the first day we'll be looking at Blog Linkage, and, of course, the one-time-only date between a parent and child. You don't want to miss that!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Monday, October 19, 2009
Hallween Punch, Pumpkin Stew, Taco Pumpkin Seeds
Good Tuesday morning!
The Gallery Pics are from last night's JV game. Josh was awesome. Although we lost 6-0 in the 4th quarter, he had a blast. We were just glad to be there cheering him on... runny noses and all.
NOTE - For anyone wondering... the tiny pumpkin on top of the menu board at the drive-thru at Chick-Fil-A is still there. I love that little guy.
ANOTHER NOTE - We've got a few more Newbies on the blog, so I will refer them to the sidebar and ask them to click on Newbie Info. Also, yesterday's post gives a pretty good description of A Simple Life.
And don't forget to visit Belinda's Project 365 every now and again. It is a picture a day for a WHOLE year depicting my life. Not as easy as it looks, I don't mind telling you. But it has been fun.
ONE MORE NOTE - I just wanted everyone to know Cam received her $20 gift card from the "What Not to Blog... A Blog Makeover" Contest today. She chose a Target gift card. CONGRATULATIONS to Cam!
I WONDER? - When did the term "muffin tops" become the definition of the extra skin (and fat) that comes out of the top of low-rise jeans when at one time in my life it was the absolute BEST part of a muffin? And why are the blue jeans that do away with "muffin tops" now referred to as "mom jeans" and are SO hard to find? And why is it a bad thing to wear "mom jeans" which do away with the now evil "muffin tops?" And where have all the mirrors gone? Why are there women my age (and older) wearing low-rise jeans, shirts with spandex and showing their "muffin tops" proudly? Don't worry. This isn't a new Tuesday "section." I was just wondering.
I promised you SEVERAL recipes for the Happy Fall, Y'all Party and here they are!
Halloween Punch
1 can (46 ounces) pineapple juice (divided)
1 package (3 ounces) orange gelatin
1 carton (64 ounces) orange juice
1 liter ginger ale, chilled
1 quart orange sherbet
In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of pineapple juice to a boil. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Cool; transfer to a large pitcher or container. Add orange juice and remaining pineapple juice. Chill. Just before serving, pour into a punch bowl; add ginger ale and mix well. Top with scoops of sherbet.
Pumpkin Stew
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
1 cup water
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 large green pepper, cut in 1/2" pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon granules
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 pumpkin (10 to 12 pounds)
I'll go ahead and tell you they fix this stew in a Dutch oven, brown the meet, add the other ingredients, etc. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in bouillon and tomatoes.
NOTE - I would just put everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) in the slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours on low. (I would bowl the water and let the bouillon cubes dissolve before adding them to the slow cooker.)
Wash pumpkin. Cut a 6" to 8" circle around top of stem. Remove top and set aside. Discard seeds and loose fibers from inside. Place pumpkin in a shallow sturdy baking pan. Spoon stew into pumpkin and replace the top. Brush the outside of pumpkin with remaining oil.
Bake at 325 degrees for two hours or just until the pumpkin is tender (do not over bake). Serve stew from pumpkin, scooping out a little pumpkin with each serving. (I LOVE THIS ONE!)
Taco Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup seeds from freshly cut pumpkin, washed and dried
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
In a skillet, saute pumpkin seeds in oil for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer seeds to an ungreased 15" x 10" x 1" baking pan. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and garlic salt; stir to coat. Spread into a single layer.
Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp. Remove to paper towels to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Have a terrific Tuesday. Tomorrow we will have a little Wednesday Wisdom and a Seasonal Tradition perfect for these cooler temps. Thursday's date is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of date for a parent and child, but fun, special and memorable. And Friday... well, you just never know what Friday might hold.
Oh, and I received the okay from my first Special Guest. Of course, she's very ill right now, and probably doesn't realize what she's agreed to, but she said "yes," so she is obligated! Am I right? When she comes out from under her drugs and changes her mind, should I let her off the hook? I don't think so either. I'll be giving clues off and on as November 2 draws closer to see if any of you can guess beforehand.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Slightly Cold Belinda
The Gallery Pics are from last night's JV game. Josh was awesome. Although we lost 6-0 in the 4th quarter, he had a blast. We were just glad to be there cheering him on... runny noses and all.
NOTE - For anyone wondering... the tiny pumpkin on top of the menu board at the drive-thru at Chick-Fil-A is still there. I love that little guy.
ANOTHER NOTE - We've got a few more Newbies on the blog, so I will refer them to the sidebar and ask them to click on Newbie Info. Also, yesterday's post gives a pretty good description of A Simple Life.
And don't forget to visit Belinda's Project 365 every now and again. It is a picture a day for a WHOLE year depicting my life. Not as easy as it looks, I don't mind telling you. But it has been fun.
ONE MORE NOTE - I just wanted everyone to know Cam received her $20 gift card from the "What Not to Blog... A Blog Makeover" Contest today. She chose a Target gift card. CONGRATULATIONS to Cam!
I WONDER? - When did the term "muffin tops" become the definition of the extra skin (and fat) that comes out of the top of low-rise jeans when at one time in my life it was the absolute BEST part of a muffin? And why are the blue jeans that do away with "muffin tops" now referred to as "mom jeans" and are SO hard to find? And why is it a bad thing to wear "mom jeans" which do away with the now evil "muffin tops?" And where have all the mirrors gone? Why are there women my age (and older) wearing low-rise jeans, shirts with spandex and showing their "muffin tops" proudly? Don't worry. This isn't a new Tuesday "section." I was just wondering.
I promised you SEVERAL recipes for the Happy Fall, Y'all Party and here they are!
Halloween Punch
1 can (46 ounces) pineapple juice (divided)
1 package (3 ounces) orange gelatin
1 carton (64 ounces) orange juice
1 liter ginger ale, chilled
1 quart orange sherbet
In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of pineapple juice to a boil. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Cool; transfer to a large pitcher or container. Add orange juice and remaining pineapple juice. Chill. Just before serving, pour into a punch bowl; add ginger ale and mix well. Top with scoops of sherbet.
Pumpkin Stew
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
1 cup water
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 large green pepper, cut in 1/2" pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon granules
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 pumpkin (10 to 12 pounds)
I'll go ahead and tell you they fix this stew in a Dutch oven, brown the meet, add the other ingredients, etc. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in bouillon and tomatoes.
NOTE - I would just put everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) in the slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours on low. (I would bowl the water and let the bouillon cubes dissolve before adding them to the slow cooker.)
Wash pumpkin. Cut a 6" to 8" circle around top of stem. Remove top and set aside. Discard seeds and loose fibers from inside. Place pumpkin in a shallow sturdy baking pan. Spoon stew into pumpkin and replace the top. Brush the outside of pumpkin with remaining oil.
Bake at 325 degrees for two hours or just until the pumpkin is tender (do not over bake). Serve stew from pumpkin, scooping out a little pumpkin with each serving. (I LOVE THIS ONE!)
Taco Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup seeds from freshly cut pumpkin, washed and dried
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
In a skillet, saute pumpkin seeds in oil for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer seeds to an ungreased 15" x 10" x 1" baking pan. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and garlic salt; stir to coat. Spread into a single layer.
Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp. Remove to paper towels to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Have a terrific Tuesday. Tomorrow we will have a little Wednesday Wisdom and a Seasonal Tradition perfect for these cooler temps. Thursday's date is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of date for a parent and child, but fun, special and memorable. And Friday... well, you just never know what Friday might hold.
Oh, and I received the okay from my first Special Guest. Of course, she's very ill right now, and probably doesn't realize what she's agreed to, but she said "yes," so she is obligated! Am I right? When she comes out from under her drugs and changes her mind, should I let her off the hook? I don't think so either. I'll be giving clues off and on as November 2 draws closer to see if any of you can guess beforehand.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting and Slightly Cold Belinda
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Happy Fall, Y'all Party
Good Monday morning!
The Showcase Pic this morning is of Josh leaving for the Auburn game. He and Mikie had a ball, and I am SO glad they were able to go.
The Gallery Pics are of us watching Amazing Race. I know what you're thinking. No, Austin has not joined the military. Yes, he was wearing camo pants, but ALL of his jeans were being washed and ironed. Yes, he could have worn shorts, but (will wonders never cease?) it was cold outside. (You can read the entire haircut story under Belinda's Project 365. He's the picture of the day!) We've heard if you rub it, it will grow... So if you see Austin out and about, please rub his head so it will be picture-worthy for the Faulkner Five 2009 Christmas Card. Thank you.
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine turned out a little differently than planned, but it was still good. Mike and Josh received an unexpected invite to the Auburn game Saturday, so I very graciously postponed my date with Mikie so they could go. (I'm SO unselfish that way.) Actually, it was kind of a no-brainer. If you are offered tickets, you have to go. Even I know that!
So my Saturday was very, very nice. I baked, did some housework, did some shopping. It was just a "nothing" sort of day which doesn't happen very often... or not often enough.
Sunday was wonderful with Austin home for the day and night, and we DID finish the weekend watching Amazing Race together... so some things stayed as planned. (Mikie and I are going to try the date thing again this coming Saturday night. I've got a good feeling about it!)
Well, after the contest Friday, I had the weekend to think about the changes I'll be making to A Simple Life beginning today! Here is the new schedule. (I'll also be adding it to the sidebar.)
Monday - Monday will continue to be Party/Event day, but I will be adding Family Devotions to the mix. One of the three (Party, Event OR Family Devotion) will be featured on Monday.
I will also be adding Monday Mayhem to the line-up. This is basically what I've been doing all along, but with a cute name. It will just be a re-cap of anything interesting that may have happened over the weekend. (A lot of Mondays, this will be a short section!)
Tuesday - Tuesday received the best response of all. Everyone likes trying new, easy recipes. Tuesday will stay exactly the same.
Wednesday - Seasonal Traditions and Wednesday Wisdom will also stay put. There were no complaints mentioned in this department.
Thursday - Dates with spouses and/or kids will continue to hold the Thursday spot. However, Weekend Family Fun is going to be replaced by a new section called Blog Linkage. I've referred readers to other blogs whenever something has come up in random posts, but on Thursdays there will be a list and description of links that go along with A Simple Life, and the things I talk about on this particular blog. Under my Blog List, Boo Mama occasionally has a "link post" which is great. It is also easy to refer to when it is listed in one post and not just here and there. Thursday will be the place to keep up with new and interesting links.
Friday - TV Reviews are out of here! I don't think many people watch Survivor any more. I will probably refer to the shows I watch in random posts, but not all on one day. Also, the Book of the Week will now become Book(s)of the Month. I will have a book or a list of books the last Friday of each month. Weekend Happenings will remain the same.
I hope one of the biggest changes I am making will work well. I would like to have a Special Guest on A Simple Life the first Monday of each month. (This will begin November 2.) I am preparing a simple questionnaire which I will give to a "willing" participant. (Again, I have put 65+ names in a bowl, and I will be drawing from the bowl every month. The bowl is full of names of women I know and admire in my everyday life, as well as bloggers I have come to know and admire over the past year.)
If the person agrees to be the Special Guest, they will need to answer as many (or as few) of the questions on the questionnaire as they want, and they will be featured on the first Monday of the month. If the person would rather not be featured, no harm done... I just draw another name and no one will ever know! It's that simple. Also, the questions are NOT difficult.
If the Special Guest has a Party, Event, Family Devotion, Wednesday Wisdom, Date, Recipe or Book they would like to share, it will be posted on the day those items would normally appear. (For example, if Gigi is the Special Guest and she has a recipe to share, her questionnaire will appear on Monday and her recipe will appear on Tuesday... Recipe Day.) And by the way, I don't know anyone named Gigi... yet.
It all goes back to something I wrote about a couple of weeks ago... Everyone has a story to share. My favorite stories have the same ingredients... some tears, some laughter, some struggles, some victories, but always, always a happy ending. And as a Christian, I DO have a happy ending... or should I say a happy new beginning. I've heard Pastor Kevin say, "Your last breath on Earth will be your first breath in Heaven." That's the way I want every one's story to "end."
I already have a person in mind to be the first Special Guest. I did NOT draw her name out of the bowl because she doesn't have an entire month to get ready for the "Blog Spotlight." I wanted to ask her in person to make sure she didn't feel obligated. So tune in November 2 for our first ever Special Guest, and we'll all get to hear a little of her story.
This will be our new schedule:
Monday - Monday Mayhem, Party/Event/Family Devotion
Tuesday - Recipes
Wednesday - Wednesday Wisdom, Seasonal Traditions
Thursday - Blog Linkage, Dates
Friday - Weekend Happenings
First Monday of the Month- Special Guest
Last Friday of the Month - Books
We will re-assess the changes in six months, and see if anything needs changing again. (Except for the color. The color is non-negotiable!)
Happy Fall, Y'all Party
This is a party for fall lovers, young and old. It includes old-fashioned fun, relays and great food.
Invite up to ten people (teenagers or adults) and have the following activities. This party is definitely an outside party, so check the weather often and have a Plan B if you have to move it inside at the last minute.
Wheelbarrow Races - You will need two wheelbarrows, a little hay and two blankets for this race. After you have "padded" each wheelbarrow with hay and a blanket, divide the guests into two teams. Once the teams are divided equally, one person will ride in the wheelbarrow while another person pushes them to a designated tree or bale of hay at the other end of the yard. Each team will have to push the wheelbarrow around the tree or hay and make it back to their team. Depending on numbers, make sure everyone gets at least one turn pushing OR riding. For the relay to be fun, there should be at least THREE runs per team.
Pumpkin Chunkin' - This is hard for a pumpkin lover like myself, but it is fun, too. Again, supply as many medium-sized pumpkins as there are people. If there are too many people, ask each team to pick two of their strongest players to chunk a pumpkin. (You will only need two pumpkins per team.) Standing behind a line, let the two members of each team take turns chunkin' their pumpkin as far as they can. Measure the distance to see who wins this game.
Scarecrow Relay #1 - Give each team the following items:
1 pair of overalls
1 flannel shirt
1/2 bale of hay
1 farmer's hat
1 pumpkin (for the head)
1 Sharpie marker (to decorate the face)
1 lawn chair (to let the scarecrow sit when finished)
When you begin the relay, the team who finishes their scarecrow first wins. The scarecrow has to be able to sit independently in the chair (head and all) for it to be considered totally finished.
Pumpkin Pie Throwing Contest - You do NOT have to make a dozen pumpkin pies to be wasted. Use food coloring to make an inexpensive brand of whipped cream orange. Tape three or four quarters to the bottom of the pie tin before adding the whipped cream. Then divide into teams and have them take turns trying to hit the target. (The target could be the scarecrows you just finished making.) Adding the quarters will give the pie tin a little weight and allow them to throw it farther. The team who hits the target the most times will win.
Searching For a Penny in a Haystack - Make two piles of loose hay (fairly large piles). Drop 10 to 20 pennies in each pile in different spots. Give each team a time limit (1 to 2 minutes) to go through their pile of hay and find as many pennies as possible. The team with the most pennies is the winner.
You can finish off the evening with an old-fashioned hayride around the neighborhood. If you are taking teenagers and you don't have a trailer to pull them, you can use loose hay in the back of a truck with them sitting DOWN and SAFELY ride around a large neighborhood in the crisp, fall air.
There's a lot of food which would be good for a party like this, so check in tomorrow for not one, not two, but SEVERAL recipes to help make this party a huge success!
ADDITIONS - If you begin this party before dark, you can let the kids or adults play horseshoes or bob for apples.
TODAY is the day to plan this party for family and friends. I've had two of them, and they are always a lot of fun!
Have a great Monday. Tomorrow's recipes come straight out of my new Taste of Home Halloween Cookbook. You don't want to miss that!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Showcase Pic this morning is of Josh leaving for the Auburn game. He and Mikie had a ball, and I am SO glad they were able to go.
The Gallery Pics are of us watching Amazing Race. I know what you're thinking. No, Austin has not joined the military. Yes, he was wearing camo pants, but ALL of his jeans were being washed and ironed. Yes, he could have worn shorts, but (will wonders never cease?) it was cold outside. (You can read the entire haircut story under Belinda's Project 365. He's the picture of the day!) We've heard if you rub it, it will grow... So if you see Austin out and about, please rub his head so it will be picture-worthy for the Faulkner Five 2009 Christmas Card. Thank you.
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine turned out a little differently than planned, but it was still good. Mike and Josh received an unexpected invite to the Auburn game Saturday, so I very graciously postponed my date with Mikie so they could go. (I'm SO unselfish that way.) Actually, it was kind of a no-brainer. If you are offered tickets, you have to go. Even I know that!
So my Saturday was very, very nice. I baked, did some housework, did some shopping. It was just a "nothing" sort of day which doesn't happen very often... or not often enough.
Sunday was wonderful with Austin home for the day and night, and we DID finish the weekend watching Amazing Race together... so some things stayed as planned. (Mikie and I are going to try the date thing again this coming Saturday night. I've got a good feeling about it!)
Well, after the contest Friday, I had the weekend to think about the changes I'll be making to A Simple Life beginning today! Here is the new schedule. (I'll also be adding it to the sidebar.)
Monday - Monday will continue to be Party/Event day, but I will be adding Family Devotions to the mix. One of the three (Party, Event OR Family Devotion) will be featured on Monday.
I will also be adding Monday Mayhem to the line-up. This is basically what I've been doing all along, but with a cute name. It will just be a re-cap of anything interesting that may have happened over the weekend. (A lot of Mondays, this will be a short section!)
Tuesday - Tuesday received the best response of all. Everyone likes trying new, easy recipes. Tuesday will stay exactly the same.
Wednesday - Seasonal Traditions and Wednesday Wisdom will also stay put. There were no complaints mentioned in this department.
Thursday - Dates with spouses and/or kids will continue to hold the Thursday spot. However, Weekend Family Fun is going to be replaced by a new section called Blog Linkage. I've referred readers to other blogs whenever something has come up in random posts, but on Thursdays there will be a list and description of links that go along with A Simple Life, and the things I talk about on this particular blog. Under my Blog List, Boo Mama occasionally has a "link post" which is great. It is also easy to refer to when it is listed in one post and not just here and there. Thursday will be the place to keep up with new and interesting links.
Friday - TV Reviews are out of here! I don't think many people watch Survivor any more. I will probably refer to the shows I watch in random posts, but not all on one day. Also, the Book of the Week will now become Book(s)of the Month. I will have a book or a list of books the last Friday of each month. Weekend Happenings will remain the same.
I hope one of the biggest changes I am making will work well. I would like to have a Special Guest on A Simple Life the first Monday of each month. (This will begin November 2.) I am preparing a simple questionnaire which I will give to a "willing" participant. (Again, I have put 65+ names in a bowl, and I will be drawing from the bowl every month. The bowl is full of names of women I know and admire in my everyday life, as well as bloggers I have come to know and admire over the past year.)
If the person agrees to be the Special Guest, they will need to answer as many (or as few) of the questions on the questionnaire as they want, and they will be featured on the first Monday of the month. If the person would rather not be featured, no harm done... I just draw another name and no one will ever know! It's that simple. Also, the questions are NOT difficult.
If the Special Guest has a Party, Event, Family Devotion, Wednesday Wisdom, Date, Recipe or Book they would like to share, it will be posted on the day those items would normally appear. (For example, if Gigi is the Special Guest and she has a recipe to share, her questionnaire will appear on Monday and her recipe will appear on Tuesday... Recipe Day.) And by the way, I don't know anyone named Gigi... yet.
It all goes back to something I wrote about a couple of weeks ago... Everyone has a story to share. My favorite stories have the same ingredients... some tears, some laughter, some struggles, some victories, but always, always a happy ending. And as a Christian, I DO have a happy ending... or should I say a happy new beginning. I've heard Pastor Kevin say, "Your last breath on Earth will be your first breath in Heaven." That's the way I want every one's story to "end."
I already have a person in mind to be the first Special Guest. I did NOT draw her name out of the bowl because she doesn't have an entire month to get ready for the "Blog Spotlight." I wanted to ask her in person to make sure she didn't feel obligated. So tune in November 2 for our first ever Special Guest, and we'll all get to hear a little of her story.
This will be our new schedule:
Monday - Monday Mayhem, Party/Event/Family Devotion
Tuesday - Recipes
Wednesday - Wednesday Wisdom, Seasonal Traditions
Thursday - Blog Linkage, Dates
Friday - Weekend Happenings
First Monday of the Month- Special Guest
Last Friday of the Month - Books
We will re-assess the changes in six months, and see if anything needs changing again. (Except for the color. The color is non-negotiable!)
Happy Fall, Y'all Party
This is a party for fall lovers, young and old. It includes old-fashioned fun, relays and great food.
Invite up to ten people (teenagers or adults) and have the following activities. This party is definitely an outside party, so check the weather often and have a Plan B if you have to move it inside at the last minute.
Wheelbarrow Races - You will need two wheelbarrows, a little hay and two blankets for this race. After you have "padded" each wheelbarrow with hay and a blanket, divide the guests into two teams. Once the teams are divided equally, one person will ride in the wheelbarrow while another person pushes them to a designated tree or bale of hay at the other end of the yard. Each team will have to push the wheelbarrow around the tree or hay and make it back to their team. Depending on numbers, make sure everyone gets at least one turn pushing OR riding. For the relay to be fun, there should be at least THREE runs per team.
Pumpkin Chunkin' - This is hard for a pumpkin lover like myself, but it is fun, too. Again, supply as many medium-sized pumpkins as there are people. If there are too many people, ask each team to pick two of their strongest players to chunk a pumpkin. (You will only need two pumpkins per team.) Standing behind a line, let the two members of each team take turns chunkin' their pumpkin as far as they can. Measure the distance to see who wins this game.
Scarecrow Relay #1 - Give each team the following items:
1 pair of overalls
1 flannel shirt
1/2 bale of hay
1 farmer's hat
1 pumpkin (for the head)
1 Sharpie marker (to decorate the face)
1 lawn chair (to let the scarecrow sit when finished)
When you begin the relay, the team who finishes their scarecrow first wins. The scarecrow has to be able to sit independently in the chair (head and all) for it to be considered totally finished.
Pumpkin Pie Throwing Contest - You do NOT have to make a dozen pumpkin pies to be wasted. Use food coloring to make an inexpensive brand of whipped cream orange. Tape three or four quarters to the bottom of the pie tin before adding the whipped cream. Then divide into teams and have them take turns trying to hit the target. (The target could be the scarecrows you just finished making.) Adding the quarters will give the pie tin a little weight and allow them to throw it farther. The team who hits the target the most times will win.
Searching For a Penny in a Haystack - Make two piles of loose hay (fairly large piles). Drop 10 to 20 pennies in each pile in different spots. Give each team a time limit (1 to 2 minutes) to go through their pile of hay and find as many pennies as possible. The team with the most pennies is the winner.
You can finish off the evening with an old-fashioned hayride around the neighborhood. If you are taking teenagers and you don't have a trailer to pull them, you can use loose hay in the back of a truck with them sitting DOWN and SAFELY ride around a large neighborhood in the crisp, fall air.
There's a lot of food which would be good for a party like this, so check in tomorrow for not one, not two, but SEVERAL recipes to help make this party a huge success!
ADDITIONS - If you begin this party before dark, you can let the kids or adults play horseshoes or bob for apples.
TODAY is the day to plan this party for family and friends. I've had two of them, and they are always a lot of fun!
Have a great Monday. Tomorrow's recipes come straight out of my new Taste of Home Halloween Cookbook. You don't want to miss that!
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Weekend Happenings
Good Friday morning!
NOTE - If you get a chance this weekend, go the my sidebar and click on Nitty Gritty under the Blog Lists. Read Jody's post on "Wishing." It will give you a whole new outlook on fall.
Well, here it is... A Simple Life's one year anniversary. I've really enjoyed having a blog. I've even made new friends because of the blog. (Code for I AM GOING TO MEET MY CHRISTMAS CARD GOAL THIS YEAR!!!)
It has been a great release for me to be able to talk (and talk and talk) about the things that happen within our little family... good and bad. I have loved sharing ideas (mostly copied) regarding family, family, family.
Let's recap, shall we?
Austin was leading the band as Drum Major this time last year. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone enjoy his Senior year as much as Austin. From the very beginning, to the very end, he savored every minute as a Senior.
Today finds Austin a Freshman at JSU, and once again he is meeting challenges which would leave me in a heap on the bathroom floor. Satan lost no time in attacking him as Mike and I drove off campus in August... tempting him with alcohol, cigarettes, profanity and much more, and it will be a daily struggle for the rest of his time at college... any college. He'll make mistakes as we all do, but our daily prayers and God's guidance in his life, along with our role as his parents, accountability partners, and the two people on earth who love him the "mostest" will hopefully help him over the biggest obstacles. Today, October 16, 2009, he is well.
This time last year, Josh was only going to school partial days (until 1:15) taking honors academic classes. Some days he was unable to go at all, but unlike the three years prior, his bounce back time was greatly improved. Instead of having to miss a week or more at a time, if he had a "bad" day, he was back in school the next day.
He was attending church on a regular basis, but again had "bad" days and was unable to sit through an entire service.
This year, Josh goes to school anywhere from 6:45 to 7:30 each morning for "football stuff," and along with his full honors academic load, he stays until 5:30 to 6:30 five nights a week and works out a couple of hours one day during the weekend. He has played in every JV game that hasn't been cancelled by rain thus far.
He can now sit through an entire church service and is looking forward to things like BLAST Weekend and other youth activities he has never been able to participate in before this year. He is amazing, and we give God the glory for the strides he has made in only 12 short months. Today, October 16, 2009, he is well.
Roxie was in 6th grade last year. Middle school turned out to be a whole new world. Overnight she became a fashionista. Hair, clothes, make-up and accessories became the new "most important thing EVER," and she and her friends enjoyed their more grown-up status as "middle schoolers."
Already this year she has attempted new things... trying out for the school volleyball and basketball teams. And she made both. She is competitive and feisty and fiery all rolled up into a tiny, curly-headed package. Do NOT call her cute when she's on the court (but she really is). She's officially a teenager now (which can be good or bad depending on how her hair does that morning). Today, October 16, 2009, she is well.
Last year, Mikie and I were 47 years-old. Although Mikie is getting a little gray around the temples (I LOVE it), he has probably changed the least this past year. He is the constant and the voice of reason in the Faulkner Five... which with my highs and lows is very, very needed.
For me, this past year has been a year of catching up, keeping up, letting go (some), but not throwing away. I am fighting (and it really feels like a fight at times) to keep our family "together" in spite of college, football, middle school sports, etc. But I also feel (most of the time) like I'm up for the challenge. There are many, many ways to stay close as a family when a child goes away to college. You just have to be creative... and be willing to copy successful families who have done this before as you figure out what will work for your own family.
I think we've already established, I'm not afraid to copy!
Today is October 16, 2009, and Mikie and I are well. (Even though I'm still having panic attacks, and I've got that second tongue thing that WILL NOT go away, but other than that... we are well.)
Thanks to all of you who read the blog. Thanks to all of you who comment now and again. Thanks for helping me meet my goals (1,000+ hits in one month, and 75 Christmas cards this Christmas... I hope). I'm looking forward to another year of A Simple Life.
Weekend Happenings
The weekend looks pretty good. It's going to be cooler, more fallish. We are all hoping and praying in Alabama it will be a little dryer!
Mikie and I will be attending the high school game Friday night, but Saturday is going to be our busy/fun day.
Roxie is heading to Auburn this weekend with a friend (and the friend's mother) for the game. Josh and Brad, Cousin Extraordinaire, are hanging out Saturday evening, and Mikie and I are going on a night date. You know... where it is dark when you get home and not when you leave (unlike our breakfast dates).
The Boy will be arriving Sunday for church, and we'll gather once again to watch The Amazing Race together Sunday evening!
Good weekend... good weekend.
5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!"
This section is strictly for older children.
21. Start a lunch club for your daughter's friends. Take turns preparing lunch with other moms and rotate houses. Concentrate on manners, menu planning and table setting.
22. Make an appointment to see a newspaper or magazine printing plant.
23. Set up a zoological scavenger hunt. Using encyclopedias (or the Internet), your children can create a list of animal riddles for each other to solve. Then take a trip to the zoo. Have them exchange lists and try to identify the animals by matching the riddle clues with the zoological information on the cages.
24. Build a model plane or car from a kit.
25. Start a coin collection. Check with a coin shop or bank for help.
And like I said... That's just the tip of the iceberg! It's a great little book.
Book
The book for this week changed TODAY. My friend, Melaney, gave me this cookbook, and it is just wonderful, so the original book for this week just got shelved! The new book is anything and everything food-wise you would ever want for fall (October AND November). It is the Taste of Home Halloween Party Favorites and it contains 294 "eerily easy recipes," plus 45 "frightfully fun crafts." I LOVE IT!
Not only does it have wonderful recipes you can use all year long, but it has beef stew served in a real pumpkin. Be still my autumnal heart!
It is divided into three different categories... Halloween Food and Fun; Spirited Shindigs; and Bewitching Bashes.
There are pictures to go with almost each recipe, and the crafts are for all ages.
As I said before, everything has a Halloween/Fall theme, but you can use these recipes all year long. Here are a few examples: Cranberry Cheese Spread, Ginger Squash Soup, Mini Mexican Quiches, Cranberry Sweet Potato Muffins, Apple-Raisin Bundt Cake. See... It's a cookbook which can be used any season.
If you're a cookbook collector, you (and your kids) would really enjoy this one!
Have a magnificent weekend. Check back Monday for a list of the revisions which will be made on A Simple Life. Thanks for the input, and hopefully the changes will make it a better blog.
However, I will go ahead and tell you that the Party/Event section is staying put... so there won't be any major surprises on Monday!
Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
(Oh, and just so you know... the "Enchanting" is staying for a little while longer, too. I had some positive input about the name! YEA!!)
NOTE - If you get a chance this weekend, go the my sidebar and click on Nitty Gritty under the Blog Lists. Read Jody's post on "Wishing." It will give you a whole new outlook on fall.
Well, here it is... A Simple Life's one year anniversary. I've really enjoyed having a blog. I've even made new friends because of the blog. (Code for I AM GOING TO MEET MY CHRISTMAS CARD GOAL THIS YEAR!!!)
It has been a great release for me to be able to talk (and talk and talk) about the things that happen within our little family... good and bad. I have loved sharing ideas (mostly copied) regarding family, family, family.
Let's recap, shall we?
Austin was leading the band as Drum Major this time last year. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone enjoy his Senior year as much as Austin. From the very beginning, to the very end, he savored every minute as a Senior.
Today finds Austin a Freshman at JSU, and once again he is meeting challenges which would leave me in a heap on the bathroom floor. Satan lost no time in attacking him as Mike and I drove off campus in August... tempting him with alcohol, cigarettes, profanity and much more, and it will be a daily struggle for the rest of his time at college... any college. He'll make mistakes as we all do, but our daily prayers and God's guidance in his life, along with our role as his parents, accountability partners, and the two people on earth who love him the "mostest" will hopefully help him over the biggest obstacles. Today, October 16, 2009, he is well.
This time last year, Josh was only going to school partial days (until 1:15) taking honors academic classes. Some days he was unable to go at all, but unlike the three years prior, his bounce back time was greatly improved. Instead of having to miss a week or more at a time, if he had a "bad" day, he was back in school the next day.
He was attending church on a regular basis, but again had "bad" days and was unable to sit through an entire service.
This year, Josh goes to school anywhere from 6:45 to 7:30 each morning for "football stuff," and along with his full honors academic load, he stays until 5:30 to 6:30 five nights a week and works out a couple of hours one day during the weekend. He has played in every JV game that hasn't been cancelled by rain thus far.
He can now sit through an entire church service and is looking forward to things like BLAST Weekend and other youth activities he has never been able to participate in before this year. He is amazing, and we give God the glory for the strides he has made in only 12 short months. Today, October 16, 2009, he is well.
Roxie was in 6th grade last year. Middle school turned out to be a whole new world. Overnight she became a fashionista. Hair, clothes, make-up and accessories became the new "most important thing EVER," and she and her friends enjoyed their more grown-up status as "middle schoolers."
Already this year she has attempted new things... trying out for the school volleyball and basketball teams. And she made both. She is competitive and feisty and fiery all rolled up into a tiny, curly-headed package. Do NOT call her cute when she's on the court (but she really is). She's officially a teenager now (which can be good or bad depending on how her hair does that morning). Today, October 16, 2009, she is well.
Last year, Mikie and I were 47 years-old. Although Mikie is getting a little gray around the temples (I LOVE it), he has probably changed the least this past year. He is the constant and the voice of reason in the Faulkner Five... which with my highs and lows is very, very needed.
For me, this past year has been a year of catching up, keeping up, letting go (some), but not throwing away. I am fighting (and it really feels like a fight at times) to keep our family "together" in spite of college, football, middle school sports, etc. But I also feel (most of the time) like I'm up for the challenge. There are many, many ways to stay close as a family when a child goes away to college. You just have to be creative... and be willing to copy successful families who have done this before as you figure out what will work for your own family.
I think we've already established, I'm not afraid to copy!
Today is October 16, 2009, and Mikie and I are well. (Even though I'm still having panic attacks, and I've got that second tongue thing that WILL NOT go away, but other than that... we are well.)
Thanks to all of you who read the blog. Thanks to all of you who comment now and again. Thanks for helping me meet my goals (1,000+ hits in one month, and 75 Christmas cards this Christmas... I hope). I'm looking forward to another year of A Simple Life.
Weekend Happenings
The weekend looks pretty good. It's going to be cooler, more fallish. We are all hoping and praying in Alabama it will be a little dryer!
Mikie and I will be attending the high school game Friday night, but Saturday is going to be our busy/fun day.
Roxie is heading to Auburn this weekend with a friend (and the friend's mother) for the game. Josh and Brad, Cousin Extraordinaire, are hanging out Saturday evening, and Mikie and I are going on a night date. You know... where it is dark when you get home and not when you leave (unlike our breakfast dates).
The Boy will be arriving Sunday for church, and we'll gather once again to watch The Amazing Race together Sunday evening!
Good weekend... good weekend.
5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!"
This section is strictly for older children.
21. Start a lunch club for your daughter's friends. Take turns preparing lunch with other moms and rotate houses. Concentrate on manners, menu planning and table setting.
22. Make an appointment to see a newspaper or magazine printing plant.
23. Set up a zoological scavenger hunt. Using encyclopedias (or the Internet), your children can create a list of animal riddles for each other to solve. Then take a trip to the zoo. Have them exchange lists and try to identify the animals by matching the riddle clues with the zoological information on the cages.
24. Build a model plane or car from a kit.
25. Start a coin collection. Check with a coin shop or bank for help.
And like I said... That's just the tip of the iceberg! It's a great little book.
Book
The book for this week changed TODAY. My friend, Melaney, gave me this cookbook, and it is just wonderful, so the original book for this week just got shelved! The new book is anything and everything food-wise you would ever want for fall (October AND November). It is the Taste of Home Halloween Party Favorites and it contains 294 "eerily easy recipes," plus 45 "frightfully fun crafts." I LOVE IT!
Not only does it have wonderful recipes you can use all year long, but it has beef stew served in a real pumpkin. Be still my autumnal heart!
It is divided into three different categories... Halloween Food and Fun; Spirited Shindigs; and Bewitching Bashes.
There are pictures to go with almost each recipe, and the crafts are for all ages.
As I said before, everything has a Halloween/Fall theme, but you can use these recipes all year long. Here are a few examples: Cranberry Cheese Spread, Ginger Squash Soup, Mini Mexican Quiches, Cranberry Sweet Potato Muffins, Apple-Raisin Bundt Cake. See... It's a cookbook which can be used any season.
If you're a cookbook collector, you (and your kids) would really enjoy this one!
Have a magnificent weekend. Check back Monday for a list of the revisions which will be made on A Simple Life. Thanks for the input, and hopefully the changes will make it a better blog.
However, I will go ahead and tell you that the Party/Event section is staying put... so there won't be any major surprises on Monday!
Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
(Oh, and just so you know... the "Enchanting" is staying for a little while longer, too. I had some positive input about the name! YEA!!)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Soup Kitchen Date
Good Thursday morning!
The Gallery Pics are of Alabama weather, the topic of many a conversation here in the South the last few months... and THE BOY!
CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! - Today's the last day to enter "What Not to Blog... A Blog Makeover" Contest. You have until midnight tonight. Here are the rules one last time.
1. Pick one or two of the following things you DO like about the blog: Parties, Recipes, Seasonal Traditions, Dates, Books, TV Reviews, Wednesday Wisdom, Weekend Happenings, Weekend Family Fun, Contests.
2. Okay. Now that you've picked one or two, leave me a comment, an e-mail or a note on Facebook (it doesn't matter which one) telling me what you DO like. Be sure and leave your name.
3. When you've given me your input, I'll put your name in a bowl and a name will be drawn out of the bowl on Friday, October 16... the one-year anniversary of "A Simple Life."
4. If you win, you will have a choice between three different $20 prizes. The prizes you will pick from will be "tailor-made" for you and your personality. (If I pick your name, but I don't know you personally, I will send you a $20 gift card to your favorite store or restaurant.) Oh, and just so you know... that $20 gift card is an option for ANYONE who might win.
5. You have until midnight, Thursday, October 15 to leave a comment, e-mail or Facebook message, so there is still plenty of time.
NOTE - If you are reading A Simple Life and you work at the high school Joshua attends, please skip down to 5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!" now. Are they gone yet? Okay.
Josh came home not feeling well Tuesday, and Wednesday morning when he woke up, he still had the same symptoms... sore throat, achy, headache, etc., but no fever. I didn't even give him medicine before he went to bed Tuesday night to see if he would run a fever before morning. Nothing. Nada.
But, having heard all the warnings, I took him to the doctor 10:30 Wednesday morning to check for the flu. The doctor said he had some kind of viral "thing," and to keep him out of school the rest of the day. If he continued to feel better and NOT run fever, he was free to return to school Thursday.
NOTE - If you are still reading A Simple Life and you work at the high school Joshua attends EVEN AFTER I ASKED YOU NOT TO, I have a doctor's excuse saying he should not go back to school until today.
Before Josh's illness, I had made plans to meet Austin for lunch Wednesday since I didn't get to see him this past weekend because of band exhibitions in Georgia. With the doctor's okay, Josh and I met The Boy in Gadsden and enjoyed a Jack's hamburger and visited for over an hour. We'll see him Sunday (he'll be at another JSU Band Exhibition in Georgia this Saturday), but it was wonderful to see him today! He and Josh bear hugged in the parking lot coming and going, and talked nonstop about things that absolutely did not interest me in the least. It was a great way to spend a Wednesday afternoon! (I'm not kidding.)
NOTE - If you are reading A Simple Life and you work at the middle school Roxie attends, please skip down to 5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!" now. Are they gone yet? Okay.
I'm planning on checking Roxie out some time before Christmas break and doing the same thing. I'm going to make sure it isn't a test day or a game day or anything like that, and we're going to surprise The Boy. I think it is a good thing, and while I am a huge advocate of sticking to a commitment (Code for REGULARLY ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOL), every now and again there should be special times between a big brother and a little brother and a little sister where they can be together and reconnect in the middle of the week... in person... not on a cell phone... not texting... and not writing a letter on Facebook. Face to face interaction.
It was a great day for Josh and Austin, and I want to give Roxie and Austin the same opportunity.
Because we miss him, you see.
Uh-oh. There's a knock at the door. Probably the school police. I better go.
5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!"
I love this section. It is entitled 25 Things To Do With a Big Box.
16. Tape large boxes together to make a tunnel. Paint the boxes for added fun. (We actually did this for Josh's Super Hero Party, and when the kids started going through the tunnel, Mikie "The Villain" was hiding in the middle. It was so much fun.)
17. Make a target. Cut a 24" hole in a big box. Hang a foil pan with a string from the top of the hole so it swings freely in the center of it. Use tennis balls to hit the target. Balls will collect in the box.
18. Cut a face hole in a refrigerator box for a pie throw. Load sponges with whipping cream and fire away.
19. Make pup tents out of large appliance boxes. Cut off the bottom and top. Cut down the center of one side and fold into a triangle; tape the two cut pieces together to make the floor. Spray paint the tent to add color.
20. Cut a large appliance box so it can be laid flat. Paint a giant mural on it with tempera paint.
We are BIG appliance box lovers. Or we were until the kids outgrew playing in appliance boxes. (Mikie and I still love the BIG appliance box. Some things never change.)
Weekend Family Fun
Children's Theatre - On October 24 you can catch a free showing of The Electric Company performance at 10:00 a.m. This is a one-day only event. Tickets are available at 9:00 a.m.
Here is what their flier says about the performance... Ticketing begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Theatre Door at the BJCC. First come first serve tickets only.
Sesame Workshop's classic series, The Electric Company, steps out of the '70s and explores reading with a new generation of kids. With healthy doses of comedy, hip-hop music and out of this world entertainment, The Electric Company is designed to combat the literacy crisis facing America's elementary-age children and is re-energized to recognize the media-driven generation of today.
This special event is brought to you by Alabama Public Television, Sesame Workshop, and Birmingham Children's Theatre.
Michael's - Michael's craft club for kids, The Knack, is sponsoring Decorate a T-Shirt for Halloween on October 25 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Purchase the T-shirt then decorate it for free.
Also, on October 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., The Knack will host a free family Halloween event. Get a free trick or treat pail, candy, balloons and three free crafts.
These first two activities came from the Bargain Mom website.
Gardendale Dinner Theater - The Civic Center will host a Dinner Theater (Nunsense) Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23 beginning at 6:30. For more information for a fun evening not too far away from home call 631-5679.
Gardendale Library - While these aren't weekend activities, they are fun after-school activities for the kids. Today, October 15, at 3:30 p.m., enjoy Culture Kids and spend some time learning about Thailand. (Roxie has gone to Culture Kids many, many times. They learn about the culture, try different food from the country, and much, much more.)
Also, if your little girl loves American Girl Dolls, the Library is having an American Girl Club meeting featuring Felicity next Tuesday, October 20, at 3:30 p.m.
For more information about Culture Kids OR American Girl Club, call 631-6639.
Soup Kitchen Date
This date involves visiting several family members. On a nice fall Saturday, you and your date will make a large pot of soup. (Depending on how many houses you visit, you may need to double the recipe.) You'll also be making cornbread muffins.
After the soup is made and you've decided which family members you are going to visit, pour the soup into disposable containers. (You can purchase these at the Dollar Tree.)
Depending on the size of the families you will be visiting (I suggest great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.), make sure you give them plenty for their evening meal, along with the cornbread muffins.
Call each family before you deliver their surprise dinner, and depending on how busy they are, visit for a few minutes or up to an hour before delivering the next meal.
This "date" lasts most of the day, but the time spent one-on-one will be well worth the time. There will be a cooking lesson involved, as well as time spent doing something nice for the people you love the most.
Before you head home for your own dinner of soup and cornbread, enjoy a milkshake together and talk about your day.
This would also make a great Seasonal Tradition for you and one of your children each year.
If you need some easy, but hearty soup recipes, let me know and I'll send some your way.
Have a great Thursday. Today's the last day to enter the Contest, so the rules have been posted ONE last time. You have until midnight tonight to enter. Tomorrow we'll have TV Reviews, a good read and Weekend Happenings. Oh, and we'll be announcing the winner of "What Not To Blog... A Blog Makeover" Contest at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
The Gallery Pics are of Alabama weather, the topic of many a conversation here in the South the last few months... and THE BOY!
CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! - Today's the last day to enter "What Not to Blog... A Blog Makeover" Contest. You have until midnight tonight. Here are the rules one last time.
1. Pick one or two of the following things you DO like about the blog: Parties, Recipes, Seasonal Traditions, Dates, Books, TV Reviews, Wednesday Wisdom, Weekend Happenings, Weekend Family Fun, Contests.
2. Okay. Now that you've picked one or two, leave me a comment, an e-mail or a note on Facebook (it doesn't matter which one) telling me what you DO like. Be sure and leave your name.
3. When you've given me your input, I'll put your name in a bowl and a name will be drawn out of the bowl on Friday, October 16... the one-year anniversary of "A Simple Life."
4. If you win, you will have a choice between three different $20 prizes. The prizes you will pick from will be "tailor-made" for you and your personality. (If I pick your name, but I don't know you personally, I will send you a $20 gift card to your favorite store or restaurant.) Oh, and just so you know... that $20 gift card is an option for ANYONE who might win.
5. You have until midnight, Thursday, October 15 to leave a comment, e-mail or Facebook message, so there is still plenty of time.
NOTE - If you are reading A Simple Life and you work at the high school Joshua attends, please skip down to 5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!" now. Are they gone yet? Okay.
Josh came home not feeling well Tuesday, and Wednesday morning when he woke up, he still had the same symptoms... sore throat, achy, headache, etc., but no fever. I didn't even give him medicine before he went to bed Tuesday night to see if he would run a fever before morning. Nothing. Nada.
But, having heard all the warnings, I took him to the doctor 10:30 Wednesday morning to check for the flu. The doctor said he had some kind of viral "thing," and to keep him out of school the rest of the day. If he continued to feel better and NOT run fever, he was free to return to school Thursday.
NOTE - If you are still reading A Simple Life and you work at the high school Joshua attends EVEN AFTER I ASKED YOU NOT TO, I have a doctor's excuse saying he should not go back to school until today.
Before Josh's illness, I had made plans to meet Austin for lunch Wednesday since I didn't get to see him this past weekend because of band exhibitions in Georgia. With the doctor's okay, Josh and I met The Boy in Gadsden and enjoyed a Jack's hamburger and visited for over an hour. We'll see him Sunday (he'll be at another JSU Band Exhibition in Georgia this Saturday), but it was wonderful to see him today! He and Josh bear hugged in the parking lot coming and going, and talked nonstop about things that absolutely did not interest me in the least. It was a great way to spend a Wednesday afternoon! (I'm not kidding.)
NOTE - If you are reading A Simple Life and you work at the middle school Roxie attends, please skip down to 5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!" now. Are they gone yet? Okay.
I'm planning on checking Roxie out some time before Christmas break and doing the same thing. I'm going to make sure it isn't a test day or a game day or anything like that, and we're going to surprise The Boy. I think it is a good thing, and while I am a huge advocate of sticking to a commitment (Code for REGULARLY ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOL), every now and again there should be special times between a big brother and a little brother and a little sister where they can be together and reconnect in the middle of the week... in person... not on a cell phone... not texting... and not writing a letter on Facebook. Face to face interaction.
It was a great day for Josh and Austin, and I want to give Roxie and Austin the same opportunity.
Because we miss him, you see.
Uh-oh. There's a knock at the door. Probably the school police. I better go.
5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!"
I love this section. It is entitled 25 Things To Do With a Big Box.
16. Tape large boxes together to make a tunnel. Paint the boxes for added fun. (We actually did this for Josh's Super Hero Party, and when the kids started going through the tunnel, Mikie "The Villain" was hiding in the middle. It was so much fun.)
17. Make a target. Cut a 24" hole in a big box. Hang a foil pan with a string from the top of the hole so it swings freely in the center of it. Use tennis balls to hit the target. Balls will collect in the box.
18. Cut a face hole in a refrigerator box for a pie throw. Load sponges with whipping cream and fire away.
19. Make pup tents out of large appliance boxes. Cut off the bottom and top. Cut down the center of one side and fold into a triangle; tape the two cut pieces together to make the floor. Spray paint the tent to add color.
20. Cut a large appliance box so it can be laid flat. Paint a giant mural on it with tempera paint.
We are BIG appliance box lovers. Or we were until the kids outgrew playing in appliance boxes. (Mikie and I still love the BIG appliance box. Some things never change.)
Weekend Family Fun
Children's Theatre - On October 24 you can catch a free showing of The Electric Company performance at 10:00 a.m. This is a one-day only event. Tickets are available at 9:00 a.m.
Here is what their flier says about the performance... Ticketing begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Theatre Door at the BJCC. First come first serve tickets only.
Sesame Workshop's classic series, The Electric Company, steps out of the '70s and explores reading with a new generation of kids. With healthy doses of comedy, hip-hop music and out of this world entertainment, The Electric Company is designed to combat the literacy crisis facing America's elementary-age children and is re-energized to recognize the media-driven generation of today.
This special event is brought to you by Alabama Public Television, Sesame Workshop, and Birmingham Children's Theatre.
Michael's - Michael's craft club for kids, The Knack, is sponsoring Decorate a T-Shirt for Halloween on October 25 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Purchase the T-shirt then decorate it for free.
Also, on October 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., The Knack will host a free family Halloween event. Get a free trick or treat pail, candy, balloons and three free crafts.
These first two activities came from the Bargain Mom website.
Gardendale Dinner Theater - The Civic Center will host a Dinner Theater (Nunsense) Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23 beginning at 6:30. For more information for a fun evening not too far away from home call 631-5679.
Gardendale Library - While these aren't weekend activities, they are fun after-school activities for the kids. Today, October 15, at 3:30 p.m., enjoy Culture Kids and spend some time learning about Thailand. (Roxie has gone to Culture Kids many, many times. They learn about the culture, try different food from the country, and much, much more.)
Also, if your little girl loves American Girl Dolls, the Library is having an American Girl Club meeting featuring Felicity next Tuesday, October 20, at 3:30 p.m.
For more information about Culture Kids OR American Girl Club, call 631-6639.
Soup Kitchen Date
This date involves visiting several family members. On a nice fall Saturday, you and your date will make a large pot of soup. (Depending on how many houses you visit, you may need to double the recipe.) You'll also be making cornbread muffins.
After the soup is made and you've decided which family members you are going to visit, pour the soup into disposable containers. (You can purchase these at the Dollar Tree.)
Depending on the size of the families you will be visiting (I suggest great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.), make sure you give them plenty for their evening meal, along with the cornbread muffins.
Call each family before you deliver their surprise dinner, and depending on how busy they are, visit for a few minutes or up to an hour before delivering the next meal.
This "date" lasts most of the day, but the time spent one-on-one will be well worth the time. There will be a cooking lesson involved, as well as time spent doing something nice for the people you love the most.
Before you head home for your own dinner of soup and cornbread, enjoy a milkshake together and talk about your day.
This would also make a great Seasonal Tradition for you and one of your children each year.
If you need some easy, but hearty soup recipes, let me know and I'll send some your way.
Have a great Thursday. Today's the last day to enter the Contest, so the rules have been posted ONE last time. You have until midnight tonight to enter. Tomorrow we'll have TV Reviews, a good read and Weekend Happenings. Oh, and we'll be announcing the winner of "What Not To Blog... A Blog Makeover" Contest at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning.
Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
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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!