Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from our recent trip to New Zealand. Just kidding. Just kidding. Or as the kids like to say, "JK! JK!" As promised (or threatened), more camping pics!

NOTE - For all of you out there who loved Planet Earth (Discovery Channel), a new 11-part series is beginning this Sunday night (also on Discovery Channel) called Life. Since all of our favorite shows are scheduled right now (24, LOST, Amazing Race, Survivor and Celebrity Apprentice), we don't feel we can add another series to the mix at this point in our lives. However, in about six to eight weeks, all of our shows will be OVER... and there will be a void left in our life. And we will begin watching the 11-part series called Life which we taped and saved for just such an occasion.

A Camping Story - Wind"y" Creek - Part Three

Our next camping day looked promising. As we walked to the bathhouse for showers, there was little or no wind. When we walked back to our campsite after our showers, there was a large, bright yellow thing in the sky. (I believe it was the sun.) And there was a new color mixed with the dark gray clouds. (I believe people call it "blue.") Yes, indeed. It was going to be a warmer, brighter day. NOT!

Ten minutes later, the wind began again, and the blue disappeared (as did the large, bright yellow thing). But we considered ourselves fortunate... still no rain.

Our day was slow and relaxing and very camp-like. We once again had our "Breakfast of the Champions." The kids rode bikes, fished off the bank, played volleyball. The older teens read, texted friends, and walked around the campground with the adults. The adults drank coffee, sat by the fire, and walked to check on the whereabouts of the kids. The dogs napped, swam, and barked at the geese. It was a good day.

But wait! We did something different. Something I had never done before. I love trying new things... big or little. We had a Crab Boil!

That's right. A Crab Boil! Several people I've mentioned this to have "done it for years." No one told me. Ever. So I'm going to pretend you are me, and you've never had a Crab Boil either.

First, you start with a giant pot placed on a giant burner placed away from the camper and small children and dogs. Then you add gallons of water. When the temperature reaches 210 degrees (rolling boil), you add like 1,000 red potatoes... or a regular-size bag of potatoes. Your call. You also add a big bag of carrots (more for color than anything else).

At this point, add one more thing in the Crab Boil... a bag of spices which comes in a yellow box called "Crab Boil." And to be on the safe side, add some liquid from a bottle called "Crab Boil," too.

A little while later, someone scoops a potato out of the boiling water and you "fork test" it for tenderness. Yes! It is fork tender. Now you pour in a huge bag of corn... like 1,000 cobs of frozen corn (or 20). Again, it's your call. You add a gigantic bag of sliced sausages. You slice onions and throw them in the mix.

A few minutes later, someone says, "It's time to add the shrimp." (I know. It's confusing, isn't it? The box of spice says "Crab Boil." The bottle of seasoning says "Crab Boil." But you add shrimp. Don't ask questions... just do it!)

Add four pounds of shrimp to the mix, and one or two minutes later, your Crab Boil is ready... to sit for 20 minutes.

But after the 20 minutes, it really is ready to scoop into huge trays.

I am not a shrimp eater (or a crab eater, for that matter), so I feasted on corn, potatoes, sausage and pretty carrots. Oh, and rolls. We had rolls, but they stay OUT of the Crab Boil pot. That's the beauty of a Crab Boil. No one is left out. There is something for everyone! I loved it.

Guess what I'm getting for Mother's Day? That's right. A giant pot and a giant burner and a huge can of propane. I'm so excited. I usually get three hanging baskets of flowers for my front porch, but I want the pot, burner and can of propane so much more!

And that, my friends, was the end to another great day of camping at Wind"y" Creek. But wait! There's more!

On Monday, I will share Part Four or our little camping story. We not only participated in New Thing #1 (Crab Boil), but the next day on our way home from the trip, we participated in New Thing #2 (???). It was very exciting... and it has led to New Thing #3 which will be coming up in a few weeks (for Mikie and the boys).

Are you sitting on the edge of your computer chair?

Easter "Oldie"

It's time for our Easter "oldie." Remember, I'll be posting an Easter idea from the archives every day until Easter (except weekends).

Video Easter STUFF Scavenger Hunt

Because we have teenagers, we did this two or three years ago. We put all the guys in one van (Mikie, Austin, Josh, Uncle Tommy, Brad and Zac), and all the girls in another van (Me, Roxie, Aunt Bev, Katie and Grandmother).

We had a set of things we had to find in a specific time limit (1 hour and ten minutes). We had to video each item or a person standing beside the item. The first team to make it back to my Mom's house won. (We beat the guys by five minutes. For every minute you are late returning, you lose a point.)

The list went something like this:

1. Easter Egg Tree (Video someone standing next to the tree.)

2. Easter Inflatable (Video someone standing next to the inflatable.)

3. Church sign with the word "Easter" on the sign. (Video the sign.)

4. Use some of the money in the attached envelope, go to K-Mart and buy one Easter item. (If it is the same item the other team buys, it cancels out the point. Video yourself going through the store.)

5. Find a cross in a yard or in front of a church. (Video someone next to the cross.)

6. Use some of the money in the attached envelope to go through a fast food drive-thru and order ONE milkshake with six straws. (Video everyone taking turns drinking the milkshake.)

7. Somewhere hidden in your car is a pair of bunny ears. Find the bunny ears and take turns wearing them. (Video everyone wearing the bunny ears.)

8. Go to Southside Baptist's park and find three Easter eggs hidden inside the fence. (Video people looking for the eggs.)

You get the idea here, too. Use the neighborhoods and areas you are most familiar, and make it fun. We had a ball, and pitting the guys against the girls made it even more competitive.

Weekend Happenings

What can I say? Our weekend has lasted all week long. But if you want to get specific, the Faulkner Five will once again be going in five different directions this Friday evening... well, actually four because I'm going with Mikie. Austin is working at the Chick. Josh is going to the movies with a friend. Roxie is hanging with a buddy. And Mikie and I are going on a double date with some friends... dinner and a movie.

Saturday will find Mikie, Josh and Roxie visiting his folks in Oxford, and Austin working a couple of hours. I'm planning on trying a new recipe Saturday night. How does Barbecue Sloppy Joes on Garlic Texas Toast sound to you? It sounded good to me, too, when I saw it in my new Southern Living Magazine yesterday. (And it doesn't look too difficult. It's worth a try.)

Sunday we'll have church (and, I hope, some leftovers for lunch). And then it will be time to start getting ready to go back to school and work. Heavy, heavy sigh. These last nine weeks are the longest of the whole school year, don't you think? I know education is very important, but it does get in the way of a lot of the fun, doesn't it?

I hope your family has had a great Spring Break. Big vacations or little outings... It doesn't matter as long as you spent time with friends and family, does it? Monday we'll come back in full Easter mode, so it will be a very busy week. I'll finish up the very long Camping Story, and we'll move on to something new. (And everyone said, "Amen!")

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

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda