The Dinner Hour/Puzzle Place

Good Wednesday morning!

NOTE TO JOAN - Thank you for advising Austin to at least TRY to look sad as he left yesterday morning. It was a pretty pitiful attempt, but he did indeed try. (Next week, I'm going to pinch him really hard and twist and see if I can get the reaction I so desire.)

The pictures say it all. The carrot/parsnip dish was mediocre as far as the Faulkner Family was concerned. But keep in mind, we are not Irish. Perhaps you have to be of Irish descent to truly appreciate a parsnip. But the mystery is over, and much like the asparagus I served in two different dishes over 20 years ago to Mikie, it will not cross the Faulkner threshold again. (I will say, it had more color than the last couple of meals I served combined, so that was a plus!)

I know you get tired of me saying it, but we do have a few NEWBIES on the blog again, and when I find out that someone new is reading, I want them to have the "tutorial." Much like the TiVo man wanted me to have the tutorial for the 400-button remote control. (I will say, my tutorial is easier, much shorter, and much, much more entertaining than the remote control tutorial. At least I think it is.) NEWBIES... Refer to the August 8 post. It will tell you everything you need to know about A Simple Life. Thank you.

Wednesday Wisdom - "We believe that special moments don't just happen; they have to be planned on PURPOSE! In this hectic world when the pace at which we all live is so frantic, we as families must make a covenant with each other to make time for simple things. Please hear me now! Special moments won't just happen. Beautiful memories of yesterdays were once moments of todays. We have no guarantees of tomorrows, but we do have this moment.

"The home is the natural habitat for growing human beings and shaping eternal souls. Whether we like it or not, we are molding lives... now. Let's make these precious moments count. Let's make a memory!"

The above was taken from Let's Make a Memory, and it is a quote form Gloria Gaither's testimony in the front of the book.

WOW! Is it just me, or did you get goosebumps when you read, "The home is the natural habitat for growing human beings and shaping eternal souls." Not the locker room, not the MPB, not a friend's house... "The home is the natural habitat... ." There is nothing wrong with the other places. But nothing is going to beat HOME day in/day out when it comes to teaching our own kids about God.

When you put it like that, our job description as mothers is not only all-important, but we have to fight, fight, fight to make sure we carve out the time to perform and finish our jobs successfully. Outside influences try to make this impossible... whether the influences are too many sports' activities, church activities, etc. Choose wisely what you and your family will participate in... And don't feel guilty for NOT doing everything that is offered... But PRAYERFULLY consider what God wants for you and your family... And spend MORE time making moments that count... not just for family, but for the Kingdom of God.

Football Story #3

Okay. This is it. Another very shaky football story.

The first year of my marriage to Mikie, we went with his parents to the LSU game in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was very exciting. We spent the day in New Orleans before heading to our hotel to spend the night before the game. I had never been to Louisiana before, but I was looking forward to the game and all of the other things we had planned to do that weekend.

The morning of the game, Mike showered, got dressed and met his Mom and Dad for coffee while I finished getting ready. When I showed up downstairs to go to breakfast a few minutes later, I was met with stares of disapproval... severe disapproval.

"What are you wearing?" Mike asked in dismay.

I thought it was pretty obvious what I was wearing. (The way they were looking at me you would have thought I was wearing a blue tube top and/or strapless dress with heavy blue eyeshadow.) In reality, I had on jeans and a pretty purple sweater. I had not invested in a lot of Auburn clothing in the short time we had been married. I had NO idea the importance of wearing team colors. In a word, I was "clueless."

"It's just a sweater. It's supposed to be a little chilly today," I wasn't getting it.

"You can't wear purple to an LSU game. Purple is their color," Mike hissed at me.

"Okay. Okay. I have another sweater. I'll just run upstairs and get it," I said. (We hadn't been married long enough for me to tell him in front of his parents NOT to hiss at me. That came a couple of months later.)

I changed sweaters quickly and walked downstairs to meet them once again. This time, Mr. Faulkner just put his head in his hands and Mrs. Faulkner looked away.

"Is this a joke?" Mike asked, incredulously.

"No. It's a sweater," I said through clenched teeth. (We HAD been married long enough if I had been able to get him out of sight of his parents I would have let him have it... big time!)

"It's a yellow sweater! You can't wear a yellow sweater to an LSU game. It's their other color!"

"How many colors are they allowed to have?" I asked.

"Just go put on an Auburn sweatshirt or something," Mike said with a sigh.

"Mike, it's my suitcase... not the Auburn gift shop. I don't have an Auburn sweatshirt in my suitcase. I don't even have an Auburn sweatshirt in my closet at home. This is what I have to wear. Pick... purple or yellow," I told him.

"Either way it's a problem. The LSU people aren't going to like seeing you sitting with Auburn people."

He was starting to get on my nerves. "Well, I'm not spending $40 on an Auburn sweatshirt in Louisiana. And I DARE someone to say something about a perfectly good yellow sweater. Good grief!" And with that, everyone quietly got into the car and we drove to the game.

As it turned out, people were very, very kind to me. The LSU people spoke to me, and the one time I made the mistake of holding Mike's hand, they were even sympathetic of my situation... You know. Marrying into a low-down, no-good Auburn family. I was by far the most safe of the four of us because I was the only one able to blend into a group of rowdy LSU fans at a moment's notice.

So when LSU won, and I clapped my hands, Mike and in-laws were less than thrilled, but I had made a lot of new friends. I was in the majority... which I have found in my 48 years on this earth is not necessarily a bad place to be.

I know what you're thinking. The stories are getting worse and worse. Tune in tomorrow for the story of Rudy or Remember the Titans or Bo Over the Top. I'll do better... I promise.

The Dinner Hour

As I stated in an earlier post, this week I'm featuring ideas from one of my favorite books EVER... Let's Make a Memory by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson. Some of their ideas might seem simplistic, but at the same time, how many times do we try to implement candlelit, homecooked meals into our busy, hectic lives? So just for a reminder or an encouragement, here are some ideas from their book.

Try to make dinner a special occasion every day you possibly can, even (especially)if you have small children. Try to include the following every evening:

1. A centerpiece on the table. (This can be live or dried flowers, a basket of vegetables, a few stones and a piece of driftwood, a small limb of colorful leaves; anything that brings nature to the table.)

2. Candles, lighted!

3. Place-settings with napkins and real dishes.

Just as important as the physical setting is the pleasantness of the mealtime. Try to observe the following ground rules:

1. Food that is nutritious, balanced, colorful (I've got to work on that!) and delicious. (Even simple meals can be served with pizazz!)

2. Good conversation about the day from each person and encouragement offered from all.

3. Soft music that is soothing to the nerves.

4. No disciplining or heavy correcting of children.

5. No fighting, whining, yelling, etc.

6. "No-knock policy" is in effect for the 30 to 45 minutes of mealtime. Nobody can say anything (even sarcastically or jokingly) to hurt another family member.

I know. I know. It is so much easier said than done. But A Simple Life is all about STRIVING. That's the most I can do most days... just strive. And with striving, you will be able to see some fruit from your labor eventually.

Puzzle Place

When things are rushed or hectic, or when there are a lot of guests in and out, set out a huge 500-piece puzzle on the coffee table or game table.

1. Don't worry about the clutter. Just leave the puzzle out.

2. Don't be surprised if guests who might otherwise be timid are drawn to the puzzle.

3. Watch how many good conversations are precipitated by this simple-to-share task.

4. Don't be surprised if kids are the best puzzle-solvers!

I have the space, and I have the money envelope, and I have the puzzle... I'm saving for a puzzle table to put up for a month as an experiment to see what happens. I'll let you know exactly when I set it up and what the results are!

Have a wonderful Wednesday. Tomorrow's date is fun and cheap... the best kind. We'll have Weekend Family Fun and the story of Rudy... an inspirational real football story.

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

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda