Friday not-so-fun day

Say cheeseburger! Our dancing monkey, um, doll did well yesterday in front of her whole school. I would NEVER have done such a thing at that age. Never.

The wee boyz enjoyed their 'wheels' more than the dancing, but they did like seeing their cousin dance in her part! We sat with Haley and her class, convenient on the top bleacher so the boyz could run around behind us in the aisle. And have car races.

My big boy is still not doing so well with his back, so we are seeing two different doctors next week to get a first and a second opinion out of the way. He can't get comfortable anywhere, poor thang. You know what we would do to him if he were a horse!

Today is sunny and beautiful, so we had better enjoy it before the rainy cold front hits us tomorrow. Sheesh. We have to take the good (rain settles the pollen) with the bad (cold). Come on MAY...and having Spring stay put!

Friday is lobster bisque day, so I'm getting the patient off the couch and taking him into town for a change of scenery and a visit with friends (relief for moi?!) hehe

Enjoy your Friday, y'all! Say NO to back pain and YES to Brian's house closing at 2p (we hope; we pray)!!!

Dancing Queen

Our birthday monkey gal is the Dancing Queen at school today. Her dance troupe is performing for the whole school, so Amy and I will take the wee boyz and go watch and be champion clappers for her! And the other kids...we'll be fair.

Dick's back eased up a bit, so he went to have breakfast with the guys. He is TIRED of being housebound. Oh yeah?

Brian is finishing up house repairs today, so please pray for a GOOD final inspection and while you are at it, pray for the closing to actually happen tomorrow!!! Thank you very much. A mother's worries are never over, no matter how old the chitlins are. You mothers know what I mean, right!

Life is (still) good. Enjoy your day, y'all!

Down in the back...

That would be Dick...poor thang!

He bought a 'new' flat bed trailer and then proceeded to scrap off the rust, then paint it with a special black paint to prevent the rust from returning.

It is a long trailer. It was a lot of work. This man is getting too old to do major projects like that, I say! But does he listen to me? Of course not. Did I mention that he has a partially collapsed back disc? This appeared to be more muscular than disc related at first, but who knows for sure?!

He has been to our great chiropractor for three days in a row now. The doc is not happy that there is no improvement. Dick is not happy either. He is tired of the pain. Lying in bed has gotten OLD, despite books and two remote controls!

It may be time to see our friendly orthopedic surgeon for the back surgery that has been put off for many, many years. Screw the Golden Years, Dick says!

Tuesday fun day...

During a visit to the senior's home, I asked the director how do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized?

"Well," said the director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No," said the director. "A normal person would pull the plug."

"Do you want a bed near the window?"

Gift idea!

Just in case you need a gift idea for that favorite old fart in your life, here it is...

My goal in life is to always be helpful. I am sure many of you can find many recipients for this handy gift idea.

The end.

Sunday stuff...

To-do list:
1. Get dressed
2. Go to church
3. Change clothes; make birthday card
4. Go to 70th birthday party...eat cake
5. Go to Crooks' house to play marbles with them and the Privens
6. Eat more cake
7. Remember to take photos

Sounds like a fine Sunday. What are y'all doing today?

Cake for all!

Happy birthday, Macey! Even the rain can't dampen her smiles. And the Triple Chocolate cake is her absolute favorite. Macey rules!!! We love ya bunches, honey girl!
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Big bad biker boyz...

We buy toys for the kids, and what do they play with...Grammie's stationary bike! At least it is getting used...as they watch Mickey Mouse on the TV.

Notice smart Missy is outside. She had all the lovin' she could stand...then escaped out the kitty door. Whew. Peace and quiet. At last. Until we went out on the deck to blow bubbles. Poor Missy had to leave again!

So today is Friday and that means lobster bisque. Yum. And some more jewelry making later on. I got a necklace and earrings made last night for myself, plus some bling for a certain wee gal who has a birthday tomorrow. Shhh...don't tell.

And tonight is game night at church. Anyone wanna come play marbles with us?

Just another day in paradise...

These 5 deer decided that this side of the cove looked better than the other side, so they swam over to check it out...3 are next to the water's edge, one is a little farther to the R, and the other one is between the upper two green branches. Yes they are!

They stayed and walked around a bit. One is swimming in the water where that ripple is, while the second one was taking a drink before taking the plunge...

All 5 made it safely back to the other shore, then ran off to the woods for better pickings...

Happy Earth Day from Mayberry! Treat your Mother kindly, OK?

Belle Meade Plantation

Belle Meade Plantation is a 30 acre historical site six miles west of Nashville. It represents a history of agriculture and thoroughbred breeding success without equal in the south. For over 200 years, the Harding and Jackson families opened their doors to the mansion, built in 1853. But after hard times and acreage sold off to try to keep the plantation intact, about three or four other families lived in the mansion until it was sold to the local historical society.

This is actually a duplex slave cabin. They were built up off the ground to supposedly help keep down the spread of diseases. Slaves were reportedly treated well here.

This is the dairy barn, used today to store wine...

Below is a Victoria carriage, named in honor of Queen Victoria and very popular after the Civil War. General Jackson was known to be Grand Marshall of many Nashville parades, so this was likely the vehicle used for such occasions. It was a very expensive carriage at the time.

Notice the beautiful brick floor of the carriage house, which still has horse stalls along the side walls.

I'm glad we got to see this beautiful example of the old south, however, I'm happy that I live in modern times, with much better indoor plumbing! And no, we did not sample the cuisine...just the wine. Unfortunately, it is too early in the wine season, so there were no reds (our favorite) to sample. The pinot wannabe was OK, not great, and the muscadine wine was pretty awful. We did not even try the sweet wines, although friend Dan did and bought a bottle.

Please share the favorite historical place you've visited. I'd love to hear about it!

Nashville continued...

I don't know who the character is, but he was wandering around the Opryland Hotel and ASSUMED I wanted a hug and photo, so I couldn't disappoint him. Hugs are always available here!

So who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry? Well, of course there is always Little Jimmy Dickens, all 4'11" (150 cm) of rhinestone studded happiness. He is now 89 and going fairly strong for a man of his age. Ricky Skaggs was there, a group called The Whites, Ralph Stanley (another old timer...think Man of Constant Sorrow), Jean Shepard, a couple of others I wasn't overly familiar with, and Marty Stuart.

Not all of them were my "cup of tea," but I'm impressed that the old timers are able to come back to perform to give them the glory that their age commands. Plus the audience consists of all ages of folks, so there was a little something for everyone to enjoy.

I wouldn't want to go there every week (even if I lived close by and it was free!), but it was fun and I would do it again...especially, if say, Garth Brooks, Tricia Yearwood, Alan Jackson, or Sugarland were performing!!! Yeehaw, count me in.

Missy was happy to see us...for about a full minute. She is a cat and has her kitty reputation to uphold. We know who is boss around here. Missy rules!

Dick was off doing a sleep study last night, so it was just us girls, home alone, with the whole bed to ourselves. It was lonely. Today will be a better day, especially if Dick didn't flunk his test!

Actually, he just got home and said that he is borderline having sleep apnea. He didn't sleep entirely well, all hooked up to various monitors, but he survived. And it is raining...

Grand Ole Opry

The GOO has been going on with steady live and radio performances since 1925! That is a mighty long time. I was never fond of country music as a young gal, but I do like the current stuff...not so much the twangy style of long ago.

The performances are done in 30 minute segments, with different sponsors and different performers in each segment. It was fun watching the restaging of folks all during the whole two-hour show...on cushioned seats, unlike those at the Ryman Auditorium!

It has been a fun weekend, but it is time to pack up and get back to Mayberry. We'll be heading that way shortly.

Happy Monday, y'all. Yeehaw!!!

Belle Meade Plantation

We are about to take a tour here...
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Breakfast in Nashville

At Monell's with the world famous Grebowskis, Lois and Hank! More later...the eggs are gettin' cold...
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Travel day...

Heading to Murfreesboro, TN, through the beautiful Ocoee Gorge that opened up on Thursday after a horrible rock slide that had the road blocked for months. This was the site of the kayak venue of the '96 Olympics.

We will enjoy lunch and a nice visit with Gene+ and Janelee. We haven't seen them in far too long. Then we'll motor on north to Nashville. We are meeting about 20 couples for a fun filled weekend of food and adventure.

Tonight we'll just meet and mingle and catch up on what has happened in the last, say, 20 years or so.

And tomorrow brings us an exciting day, beginning with breakfast with long-time blogging buddies. Stay tuned for updates...maybe as they happen.

Happy Friday, y'all! Life is good!!!

Tax day...

Yes, it is that dreaded annual day of reckoning--tax day. But that chore is not mine, nor is any insurance stuff. Our deal is that those two chores fall under Dick's responsibility, while I take care of everything else. I call QuickBooks a marriage saver! When he needs to know how much we've spent on medical, tires, parts, or whatever......I simply press a few buttons, and that knowledge is all totaled nice and neat. That is, if the information has been entered correctly. That particular learning curve has been, shall we say, velly interesting over the years.

Missy and I are enjoying the view from our window of a pair of cardinals chirping as they flit from limb to limb in search of breakfast. The leaves are really popping out more each day as the they change our world from sleepy winter brown to vibrant spring green. I want nature to hurry up just a bit, then slow waaay down so we can enjoy Spring for a good long while before Summer smacks us full in the face. Is that asking for the impossible?

So today is packing day. No cruise, no motorhome...just the car...we are heading to Nashville tomorrow for a very exciting weekend with friends.

The first stop is in Murfreesboro. Come along for the ride, y'all!

Wednesday stuff...

Millefiori is a glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware. The term is a combination of the Italian words "mille" (thousand), and "fiori" (flowers).

In the days of long ago, beads such as these were called simply mosaic beads. Now the term typically refers to Venetian glassware. Oh, but there is beautiful glasswork to be found in all of Italy. This is but a very small sample.

Notice the teapot/spoon clasp. And the matching earrings. These are a birthday present for someone special who loves blue, and drinking tea......friend and BSP sista Joy! Today is her birthday, so she'll get this at lunch. I think she'll like them...heck, if she doesn't, I'll keep them myself! Not a problem.

Enjoy your hump day, y'all! It's beautiful here in the nawth GA mountains, but we are going some place mighty special this weekend. Where could that be??? Who will we see???

Anger management

Sometimes...


When you are angry with someone,


it helps to sit down,


take a moment to control yourself,


and think about the problem.

Works for me. Try it yourself!

The 'real' view...

This is not a two-hinny bike, even when the hinnies are little, so now you see the 'rest of the story' and what really happened after that other sweet photo I posted! No injuries here, nor in the bike race Brian was in yesterday, where he placed third! Woohoo!!!

I hope your Sunday is filled with sunshine and smiles, y'all! Does anyone have exciting plans?

Bubbles, babes and beads...

One bubble machine...
plus four kids...
plus two dogs...
plus one helpful grandfather...

...equals a fun way to entertain little people!

A new blue scarf for the Divine Miss M...and a pink one for Sweet Miss A...

All dressed up for a ride on Grammie's stationary bike...my turn...no, MY turn...move over...SMILE!

Check out the bling. The girls got to pick out beads for new necklaces. The blue gal made her very own dark blue crystal/light blue cat's eye combo. The smart pink babe read a book while I was a slave and made her pink/purple number. I think she was ready for a break from all that kiddie activity.

All in all, this day was a little piece of heaven, right here in Mayberry yesterday.

Life is GRAND...especially when the wee ones have been here, gone home................and Grumps and I sit down and have a glass of wine. We've earned it. Cheers!

Sun-dried Tomato Risotto

I know...a pot of rice with something funny looking in it doesn’t look like anything special, but
I made this last night and Dick and I both loved it! I found this on a great blog: www.thepioneerwoman.com . She is worth reading for many reasons, so check her out.

Her recipe, with my comments...

Sun-dried Tomato Risotto

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Servings: 10
4 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
½ whole large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c Arborio rice, uncooked
8 whole sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and minced
(I used a jar of tomato and basil bruschetta, drained. It could have used 2 jars!)
1 c dry white wine (optional)...yeah, right!
7 c low sodium chicken broth
salt as needed
freshly ground black pepper
1 c Parmesan, freshly grated
1/4 c heavy whipping cream
fresh basil, chiffonade (optional)

Preparation instructions:
Heat broth (note: it’s important the broth be low sodium) in a saucepan or in a microwave safe pitcher. Set aside.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add dry rice. Stir to coat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring gently.

Pour in wine. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in minced sun-dried tomatoes (drained bruschetta) and stir.

Then begin adding broth, one cup at a time, stirring gently while the rice absorbs the liquid each time. Repeat this until the rice is done–it usually takes between 6-8 cups of broth. The rice should have a slight bite to it, but not be crunchy at all.

Remove from heat, then stir in Parmesan and heavy cream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a main dish with a salad, or as a side dish with steak, chicken, or fish. Delicious!...PW (Pioneer Woman)

~~This is very easy, but it does take about an hour or longer to get all that rice cooked.　

Bon appetit, y'all!

The vanishing pound

No, sadly I am not referring to any part of the anatomy.

Raise your hand if you remember the days of buying a pound bag of coffee and it actually weighing a full pound. There is no such thing as consistency these days, except for the fact that the bags are consistently weighing less and less, while we the consumers are still paying the same or higher prices. These first two bags are 12 oz and 11.5 ozs...

...while these four from the same company have FOUR different weights: 12, 11, 10 and 9 oz, respectively.

At least I got a BOGO on that puny 9 oz bag, but still! Do these companies think we don't notice that we are getting less product? Yes, I know this is a ploy for the companies to keep money in their coffers, while they hope the consumer won't notice. So I say...Clip those coupons! Purchase BOGOs! Fight back...and keep the 'green' in YOUR pocket.

I'm stepping down from my soapbox. Thank you very much for letting me vent.

Have a great Wednesday, y'all!

Easter smiles

Dick munching...


Logan, Haley, Ansley and Macey

Unka Brian and his best gals!

Long-time friends Joan and Dan...

We missed having Amy, Jason and 'da boyz' with us. They went to Cape Canaveral to met Bob and Lynne and watch the shuttle launch! I know Doodlebug will have great stories to tell us about this exciting event. He loves anything that rolls or flies!

The church was beautiful and fragrant with the many flowers inside, and the message of our Risen Lord gives us hope for tomorrow. The Easter feast was divine as always. Holy Week requires a lot of work from many folks. Our parish is blessed with many caring and hard working folks.

Life is truly good. Alleluia!

I became confused when I heard the word "Service" used with these agencies:

Internal Revenue "Service"
US Postal "Service"
Telephone "Service"
Cable TV "Service"
Civil "Service"
State, City, County & Public "Service"

This is not what I thought "Service" meant.

But today, I overheard two farmers talking, and one of them said he had hired a bull to "service" a few cows. BAM!!! It all came into focus. Now, I understand what all those agencies are doing to us.

You are now as enlightened as I am.

Easter blessings

The Lord is Risen. The Lord is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!

Count your blessings this day, and remember to give thanks for our troops who are away from their families during Easter and Passover.

Spring green

I promised Linda a green fibre art scarf, and friend Judy had to have her appendix removed, and her favorite color is green, so I got creative and decided that it was just as easy to make TWO green scarves as it is to make one. Right?

Easy it was, since I had all the makings strewn across the bed. Drap yarns/ribbons on one hook; drap yarns/ribbons on the second hook. One clean up!

Well, it was good in theory, but it still takes about an hour to make one, so this was a two-hour project. But still only one clean up, so that was a good thing. And both gals seemed to love their gifts, so that pleases me. Everybody is happy. And the knots are really not lopsided...they are hanging sorta crooked. Seriously. The end.

Dick and I are empty nesters again. Brian and his two white kitties moved out today. Missy is happy, since his girls did not like her and she did not like them. Missy rules!

Spring has been sluggish in arriving, but each day now is getting prettier and warmer. We'll be wanting to open up all the windows soon. And then complain about all the pollen. But we aren't complaining about the sweet greens and colorful flowers that are beginning to pop out. Bring it on!

Life is good. May you each have a Happy Easter!

Green beans recipe

This small container held the leftover beans from Haley's birthday dinner, which the three of us polished off last night:

Here is the recipe, for those who asked...or didn't ask. It is easy peasy, and oh so good:

Green beans with mushrooms and cheese

Total time - 20 minutes
12 servings

4 oz white Cheddar cheese, grated
2 lbs fresh green beans
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c water
8 oz fresh pre-sliced baby portabella mushrooms
1/4 tsp pepper
4 oz lemon herb butter

Prep:
Grate or cut cheese into small pieces
Trim beans
Slice onion (about 1 c)

Combine beans and water; microwave on HIGH 3-4 minutes or until tender. Drain beans.
In large sauté pan, add beans, mushrooms, onions, pepper and herb butter; cook and stir 2-3 minutes, or until onions begin to soften. Stir in cheese until melted.

Serve. Enjoy the rave reviews! And let me know if you try it.