Spring Day Trip - Trussville

Good Wednesday morning!

Roxie did make the second cut in volleyball. We are thrilled. We will try out again Thursday for the final cut. You could have cut the tension with a knife in the Faulkner household last night and this morning while we waited for the results... but right now... this moment... we are happy.

The new Sandra Lee Semi-Homecooking Magazine came out this past week. It is beautiful, and I've turned down several pages. Many of the recipes I would consider very "doable." Again, trying to get as many of you to purchase her new magazine as possible, I'll be using one of her recipes next Tuesday on the blog. I've already picked it out, and I'm planning on trying it on the family in the next day or so.

Also, don't forget to try the All You magazine you may have seen at the check-out counter at Wal-Mart. It's a fairly new publication with lots of good ideas and recipes. Because it is new, it is less expensive than some of the other magazines out there.

I played Bunko with my Mom's Bunko group (as a sub) Tuesday night, and it was great fun. I play Bunko maybe once every two or three years, but I love it. I hope one day when the kids get older and things get "more simple," (remember... it's something I strive for, but have yet to obtain) I hope I can play more regularly. I didn't win and I didn't lose. I was somewhere in the middle. I know if I played more often, I could hone my dice throwing skills and really do some "Bunko damage," but so far, I'm not much of a threat.

Monthly Anniversaries

I had big, romantic plans for our seven month anniversary sunset picnic. I packed the picnic basket with Mikie's favorite drink (RC), his favorite food at the time (fried chicken) and OUR favorite dessert (cheesecake), and everything was at the door when he arrived home.

We got in the pick-up truck (because a pick-up truck just says "picnic"), and drove to Star Lake in Hoover to sit under a big oak tree and eat our supper. We arrived at the lake and picked a nice, big, grassy spot away from the people and animals. I unpacked everything, and we sat down to enjoy a cozy little dinner for two. Little did we know.

No sooner had we sat down than two enormous black ducks came waddling right up to Mikie. He never stopped eating, even though the ducks almost sat on top of him. Even when they let out their unattractive mating call in our ears, Mikie did not even flinch. I, on the other hand, jumped up and started moving toward the truck.

"Sit down," Mike instructed. "You'll scare the ducks."

"Of course," I thought. "How inconsiderate of me."

I sat down and tried to eat my food. About this time, the unrelenting honking of the black ducks obviously signaled four large white ducks from the other side of the lake. I watched horrified as the ducks came straight for us. They came out of the water and ran/waddled toward us at great speed. I jumped up, flapping my arms and screamed, "Run to the truck! Run to the truck! Save yourself!"

My yelling must have frightened the ducks because they swerved right before they walked into our mash potatoes and ran under a tree. (Did I mention the black ducks left? I don't know where they went, but I was very thankful.)

"Belinda, sit down and be quiet," Mikie said. "You're only making the ducks nervous."

"I am SO sorry," I said. "How could I be so thoughtless when it comes to those stupid (YES... I SAID STUPID) ducks?"

Finally, we were sitting (duckless) when a large white animal about 15 feet away stood up and made a sound that could have raised the dead.

"That is not a duck. That is a man-eating goose," Mikie said in a very matter-of-fact way... still eating, I might add.

By this time, I had given up the idea of eating my dinner, and so I gave it to Mikie. The man-eating goose got up and bellowed loud, disgusting noises as it waddled over to us. It was the size of a small child, and it had wing span of about six or seven feet (NO exaggeration). He observed us up close for a few moments, and then left us to probably attack young children somewhere else in the area.

Well, just as I thought nothing else could go wrong, Huey, Dewey, Louie and Uncle Donald came back at full throttle. Once again, my flapping of arms and screams distracted them, and they ran into the lake and headed for open water.

What is the moral of this anniversary fiasco?

1. Never go on a sunset picnic (even though I suggested it as a possible date night last week).

2. If you do go on a sunset picnic, only go to a duckless lake.

3. If you do go to a lake with a duck population, take a shotgun and blow the little suckers out of the water!

All in all, it was a very memorable monthly anniversary... which I vowed would never be repeated.

Spring Day Trip - Trussville

That's right... Trussville. There's a lot to do in my old hometown. (That wasn't the case when I was growing up, but things change. And this time, they have changed for the better!)

May 8 and 9, Trussville is having their 27th Annual Dog Daze Festival. (May 8 - 9:00 to 5:00; May 9 - 9:00 to 4:00.) Like all festivals, this one has kids' activities, booths, food, etc. For more information regarding location, etc., you can go to their website at www.dogdazefestival.com.

Now, remember. Whenever you explore a new town, always try to eat at a LOCAL restaurant and not a chain. Try something new. Below is a list of some of Trussville's finest with phone numbers and/or websites:

Coffee House of Trussville - 655-1676

The Chocolate Biscuit Tea Room - 655-0119 (Great for a girls' day out! Make reservations for this restaurant. It's small and quaint.)

Joel's Restaurant - 655-8248 - www.joelsrestaurant.net

Cafe on Main Street - 655-0330 - www.cafeonmainfood.com (Great home cooking and desserts!)

Not only does Trussville have a movie theater, a wonderful shopping area (The Pinnacle), specialty shops in downtown Trussville, Lightning Strikes (family bowling... there are coupons in the school coupon books and sometimes online), and the Trussville Playstation (roller skating, laser tag, go-carts, miniature golf, batting cages), they also have a fairly new outdoor park (Trussville Park) located behind the local library. The park is quite large and has three different play areas... one for small children, one for toddlers and one for older children. The entire park has a rubber turf floor that helps with heat AND falls.

If you want to take a picnic, there are several picnic tables in the park area.

All in all, Trussville has something for everyone, no matter what age or gender!

Take a little time and plan a Spring Day Trip in Trussville. Plan an itinerary just as you would for a major vacation. Make sure to include NEW things in your day, as well as something everyone will enjoy.

Plan something special with your family this weekend. Don't let a week go by without spending time, time, time with your family as a whole. Weeks tend to slip away, especially in May, so write it down on the calendar in PEN and make it happen!

Tomorrow I have a special date for the graduate in your life. Well, it's not so much a date as it is a Graduation Trip. I'll tell you more about it Thursday.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.