« August 2011 | Main | October 2011 »
My September tablescape was probably the most simple table that I've ever done but I loved it! The dishes were from Kohl's, a steal of a deal. (I think that they were actually mispriced but they disagreed when I got to the register. So, No complaints from me! I love those sunflower bowls! The little lights in the wicker balls have been the nightlight in the living room all month. Loved it! Very simple, very September. October's table won't be nearly as simple! Can't wait!
Denise and I had a great time today making the rounds in our little decorating route. Secret Haven at the Rock Loft has truly outdone themselves this fall season in decor. They'd moved lots of furniture, rearranged things and it was breathtaking, as always! From the front door....
to the bedrooms...
to the hutches...
to the mantles...
from Halloween...
to Thanksgiving...
It was breathtaking! Loved it!
My mojo was just overflowing everywhere we went! I've got Tessa's wedding, her bridal shower and my upcoming Witches Brew on my mind and, as Liza calls it, I was in sensory overload! HAPPINESS!!
A few other rambling thoughts:
Life is so good... and beautiful!
It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised; the mosquito is swatted.
One last North Carolina photo. I took this photo at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. These beautiful flowers were growing wild along the edge of the sand at the beach everywhere! I pay $4 for a little 4" pot of these little guys to plant in my flower garden here in Utah. Aren't they beauties!?
It's been such a busy day and I'm ready for bed! However, the last five quarts of salsa that's in the pressure cooker says not yet! I still didn't get my chow-chow made because Doug stopped at the store to pick up pickling spice and the girl he spoke with to ask where it was told him that they didn't carry it. I made fifteen quarts of salsa instead and when I ran back to the store to pick up a bag of chips (you can't make homemade salsa without corn chips in the house!), it was sitting right there on the shelf where it should have been. So. Once more, I put it off for another day.
Tomorrow, I'll be out of town, so I probably won't be getting back to the kitchen for a day or two. But, the tomatoes keep on coming, so it will happen.
I have to record this for my posterity tonight. I adore my husband. He's amazing and wonderful. Today, he was up at 3:50AM, went to work, came home at 4PM, helped in the kitchen with salsa and then after grabbing a bite of dinner, he went with Quayd and the scout troop on a fifteen mile bike ride. The man is just awesome and I am so blessed! I love him!
There are only 87 days till Christmas. I've begun shopping, making lists already. I'm saving. I'm thinking holiday parties, decorating and food already. A Christmas that's not greasy, fatty, spicy, chocolatey. Hmmmm. We'll see how that works out. Anyway. Just mentioning it because it has a way of sneaking up on us, doesn't it.
Denise and I are heading to the big city in the morning to shop for some things for my favorite niece Tessa's wedding. Taipan, Secret Haven at the Rock Loft, RodWorks, a few other fun places. I'm hoping to find fall things still displayed. As much as I love Christmas, I just don't want to think Red and Green until after I've enjoyed the beautiful fall decor for a bit longer!
Life is good!
Keep calm and carry on!
Since I've been home almost a week and I've spent the whole week recording the details of our trip, tons of other things are going on.
PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN
about 4 quarts of cooked popcorn
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
5 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt (not needed if using microwave popcorn)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1-2 cups milk chocolate chips
Mix the syrup, sugars and butter in a sauce pan. Stir while the butter melts and bring to a boil. Boil exactly one minute. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, salt and vanilla. Pour over popcorn and toss gently until mixed well. Once it's mixed will, toss in the chocolate chips and stir again. MMMM! ENJOY!
Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers, we more than gain in fruits.
I've mentioned before that my father's family are Native American. My mother and father divorced when I was twelve. From the divorce, as an adult, I can see that I was deprived of all of my heritage and deep family ties. Any connection to my Native American heritage and to my deep southern roots were gone. I have always felt that this was a loss. I love my mom and do not fault her for this situation because it was what it was, but, I have longed for this reconnect that has taken place over the past few years, particularly this past six months. I've spent years looking for any genealogy tidbits that I could, having very little knowledge of where to even start because for years, I didn't even know my great grandparents' names. I've wondered about the details of my Native American history. And I've longed to learn more of my roots before my granddad's generation have all passed. So, my trip to North Carolina was more than just seeing my Dad. It was about making those connections, which is exactly what has happened. I've reconnected with my cousin,Kent and his family, been able to visit three greats who are in their 80s and 90s and have seen second cousins that I remember from my young childhood years. Outstanding!
And I've been able to reconnect with my Native American ancestry, the Lumbee Indians. They have a fascinating history, some of which is taught in American history classes as Sir Walter Raliegh's Lost Tribe. They are the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River. Last year, after several years of closed enrollment, the rolls were reopened for members to register. This was something that I've looked into before over the years but it was never possible. It has to be done in person, it requires written application, as well as a personal interview with the tribal director. When I learned that the rolls were going to be temporarily opened this year, Liza and I had both hoped to be able to do this while in NC this fall, but our hopes were quickly shot down when we were told to call them next May and that maybe we could get an appointment to apply then. Sadness.
While home last week, this issue came up several times in conversation and... very long story short, several miracles or tender mercies occurred. Liza and I were able to get into the tribal council director for an appointment. We filled out pages of information, including a pedigree chart, for the application and were actually interviewed/tested on the history of the area and the tribe. More miracles occurred and we passed! Our photos were taken and we are now officially members of the Lumbee Tribe! And just as exciting, while sitting in the office of the director, I happened to notice our family pedigree chart on her computer monitor and found a generation that I've searched for for years! Indeed, another tender mercy! It was so exciting!
Another amazingtender mercy was that while we were taking our photos for our Tribal Membership, somehow scrapbooking came up, then journaling, then family history and another little miracle took place. Somehow, I mentioned that we'd walked a specific cemetery several times the day before looking for my great grandfather. I mentioned him by name and the lady who'd taken our photo said, "He's not buried there. He's buried at this cemetery." I thought, "HOW in the world would she know that." As I was thinking it, she pulled out a photograph in a book showing me that my great grandfather was, indeed, buried next to his brother, Peter. I was stunned and asked, HOW? It turned out that this sweet lady had written a book listing every grave and headstone in the county! An inch and a half thick book with dates and names and locations. I walked away with a copy of the book in my arms. Truly a gift! It has everything I've been looking for for years!
After this whole process, which took hours, we took Dad home for a nap and Liza and I went to the Lumbee Museum at the college. It was intriguing, especially learning about the unique dialect of the Lumbees. (Doug's still teasing me about my southern accent! I remind him that this was how I "tawked" when I was a little girl and learned to speak!) Liza and I spent some time visiting with Aunt Sue, stopping by to see Ronda and Megan and then took our own little trip out to the cemetery where I'd had so much success getting family history last spring.
We got back to Dad's in time for dinner. We stopped in to see another "cousin", Marvin, who we'd missed several attempts of visiting with. That ten minutes was short and sweet, but awesome! Dad took Liza and I out for a bite at a local burger joint, where we experienced one of the best burgers either of us had ever tasted. Liza said that this was reason enough alone to bring Buddy back to NC!
Kelley, Megan, Liza and Aunt Sue
After dinner, we went over to Kent and Ronda's to say goodbye to everyone, since we were planning on leaving early in the morning. We laughed and teased and had a wonderful visit. We were welcomed into their home with a gift of "moon pies" to take home as a congratulations for being the newest members of the Lumbee tribe.
Megan and Dad teased back and forth so much. Just the way she says, "Uncle Buddy" is adorable! I love watching my dad be surrounded by so much love! Kent teased Liza when she said that she'd never tasted sweet tea (again, LDS do not drink tea). Kent told her, "Give me your Lumbee card back! You can't be a Lumbee if you haven't tasted sweet tea!" We didn't want to leave. We didn't want to say goodbye. Before we left, Liza and her cousins had agreed that they will be meeting in Las Vegas this summer!
We sat up and visited for a bit with Dad when we got back to Aunt Verlie's, but didn't make it a late night because Liza and I had a big day ahead of us. I think that it was when we climbed into bed that it hit me that I was going to be saying goodbye to not only Dad and the family, but to Liza by the end of the day. Sadness.
Tuesday morning, we were up, packed and, after going out for breakfast with Dad and saying goodbye, on the road to Raleigh in a downpour. I'd mentioned to Doug on the phone that we really should consider looking into real estate in North Carolina. I could live there in a heartbeat! However. When we awoke on Tuesday morning, it was sooooo dang humidthat I was ready to head back to my lovely Deseret, Utah! I'm so not a humidity fan! I think that the humidity was a gift to get my head out of the clouds. Sorta. ;)
Saying goodbye to Dad was bittersweet. He's planning on coming out to visit us next. He had been so ill this time that I was concerned about leaving him . Two days ago, while we were on the phone. He said, "I miss my girls." I told him that we missed him too. He said that he'd woken up early that morning and walked past his bathroom down the hall to "our room" to check on us and remembered as he got to the door, "They're not here." That made me teary-eyed. I love my dad.
Liza and I had a smooth flight home. We both were so exhausted that we slept a bit on they flight to Phoenix. However, when the pilot announced that we had landed twenty minutes early, Liza texted Buddy that second and he was at the airport gate to pick us up the minute we walked out the doors. It was 104 degrees! I'm also not a heat fan! But, Liza was in heaven! We left the airport and took a whirlwind trip to Liza and Buddy's cute new apartment (loved it!), took a walk around the grounds, made a quick sandwich for the road and they took me back to the airport. The rush of it all made our goodbye a little easier.
I was so excited to catch a few hugs from Buddy and very happy that Oops, our/Liza's poodle went nuts when I walked in their door! BUT. My favorite thing in Phoenix was "the kiss". Liza and Buddy, since the day that they were married have the cutest little tradition of kissing before they get out of the car. Even if they are both getting out to walk inside someplace together, they give each other a little peck. Liza had me sit in the front seat and when we pulled up to their complex, he turned around and she leaned forward for the kiss. When we got back to the airport and they both got out of the car to hug me goodbye at the doors of the airport, again, "the kiss". It's great to see that my daughter is so happy and so in love. Dad commented on that several times during the week, "She sure loves Buddy, doesn't she!?" HAPPINESS!
My flight home was uneventful. Thankfully! I rode next to a retired couple from Heber Valley Utah and took some beautiful photos of the clouds for Gracie, my little weather girl. The shuttle driver was pleasant and friendly. The other passenger was the owner of an international furniture company, visiting his 94 year old mother in Logan. (Ironically, we were on the same shuttle last spring! He visits her twice a year.) Everyone was was sleeping when I got home at 11PM. I didn't wake anyone but Doug did get up to give me a kiss and welcome me home, then went straight back to bed. I was happy to find the house spotless and company clean, a little gift waiting on the table for me (Season 3 of Castle) and Go-Go, who couldn't stop sniffing Oops' scent on my clothes. He knew who I'd been petting besides him!
The entire trip was perfect. I wouldn't change a thing other than having Dad feel better, but he did pretty well considering the fact that he was in the hospital for a stroke when we got on the plane to head that direction! My family rocks! Plain and simple! And we're making up for a lifetime of being apart now. I love them all so much! I appreciate their hospitality and open arms, not to mention all of that delicious southern cooking!
I've received so many emails requesting recipes. I will share them as I learn to make them myself. As Aunt Sue told me how to make her amazing pound cake, she said things like, "A little of this" and a "handful" of that. I'll be writing things down as I perfect them but I am going to start cooking a little southern for my babes. Monday's project is to learn to make "Chow-Chow". It's something between a relish and a salsa, only with cabbage and green tomatoes. Should be interesting to see how it turns out. Ronda's was divine!
I can't even begin to express the gratitude that I feel for these six days, for my Dad, for my family and for my heritage. Life is good. Enough said.
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
Wherever you are, whatever the circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you, with an infinite love. — President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Saturday was Dad's roughest day. He was worn out! But, we were up for a tasty breakfast of eggs, grits, homemade sausage and bacon. Aunt Verlie had it ready and the smell of that bacon woke us up before Dad did!
We picked up Aunt Sue and went out to visit my great-uncle Buck, who is Granddaddy's only living brother. We went out to his 114 year old home, which had been restored and oh my heck, I was in heaven. He owned an antique business and the home was magnificent and filled with some of the most beautiful pieces of furniture I've ever seen. A.MAZ.ING! I was in awe!
Visiting with Uncle Buck was like talking with my granddaddy, so I loved that! I asked him to share some of his memories about his mother and father. I asked this question of all of my greats. It was so interesting that each and every one of them told me that they never ate a hot breakfast because my great-grandfather, Reverend Charlie Bell, would pray for so long and in such detail every morning that the food was cold before they got to eat it. (I may have shared this from Aunt Hattie last spring.) Also, they all said, "Daddy was a preacher, but Mama was a saint." I heard great stories from Uncle Buck and he shared many photos, including one of my great grandfather, which I only remember meeting once when I was about three years old. It was so awesome to see this photo. (My cousin, Paula, actually made me a copy of this photo!) The last time that I remember seeing Uncle Buck was at my granddaddy's funeral in 1984. Awesome!
That afternoon, Dad was exhausted, so we spent the rest of the day at home taking a nap, visiting with Aunt Verlie and Dad and just relaxing. We even went to bed early since we knew we had to get up early...although we didn't know just how early!
Sunday was our favorite day of the trip, for sure! Dad woke us up at 5:28AM! 5:28 AM is 2:28 for Liza and 3:28 for me! But, we were awakened to "Get ready, yall! Let's go!" And we were up and out the door at 6:30, heading for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Liza had never seen the Atlantic Ocean before. So, Dad had made this a priority for our visit. We stopped for a quick breakfast in Dillon South Carolina, where Dad was married to my mother and two of his other wives. He had plenty of stories to tell about Dillon! We arrived at the ocean at about 8:45 and spent the next few hours walking and driving up and down the coastline. Dad spent our beach time sleeping in the car, but he did get out long enough to see Liza's reaction and take a few pix.
The one thing that I miss about living in Florida during my teens is the ocean. It moves me to tears everytime I am near it. Liza knew to expect that from me. After taking some pix, Liza and I walked down the beach, picking up seashells to bring home to the babes and talked. This was probably my favorite talk that we had during the entire trip. I took a ton of pix and we talked with strangers, as well, including a guy with a chocolate lab puppy, which was entertaining. We were followed by a little bird almost the whole way and he became our friend. It was cloudy and overcast the whole day. (As a matter of fact, we only saw the sun for about ten minutes in our whole trip.) Liza was amazed at how lukewarm the ocean was and loved it!
After a few hours, we headed back home. Kent's family were expecting us for an afternoon of fun and food. BUT. Before we could leave Aunt Verlie's, she'd made bbq ribs and the works, insisting that we have a "bite" since we wouldn't be eating for an hour at Kent's. "Just a bite." Ronda had killed the fatted calf. And oh my, my, my! She and the girls had prepared quite the meal. Chicken and Pastry, Fried Chicken, Chicken Salad (made completely different than mine... I can't wait to make it for Doug and the kids here at home), fried okra, field peas, chowchow (which I'll be making some of that, myself, next week after I teach my Relief Society lesson this Sunday and can think about something else) and fresh lemonade. MMMM!
Liza had her first taste of a "moon pie", which was something I'd not had for fourty some years! And today, they microwave them and make them soft and gooeier. Liza loved every bite of every thing, except the okra. She wasn't a big fan.
This was where the laughs were bigger and the talk was louder. Liza met the third of Kent's daughters, Nahaven, who is also a delight. Later, I asked Liza if there was one of the girls that she related to the most. She said, "When I met Megan, I didn't think that I could love anyone as much as her. Then, I met Kelly and thought, wow! She's great too! Then I met Nahaven and she's was just as awesome. SO, I love them all!" Dad wasn't feeling so well that afternoon, so the girls offered to drive him back home. (He'd offered to drive himself over earlier and we caught him staggering to his car in a dizzy spell, so we insisted that he wasn't to drive.) The girls were gone for.ev.er. They returned quite sometime later, laughing all the louder and bearing some cotton that they'd stopped to pick along the way. Liza had never seen cotton. (thankfully, they didn't pick any of the four foot tall tabacco that was growing across the road!)
The love and the laughter continued for hours. Ronda and the girls were working on some crafts for a church bazaar and we all just visited about everything under the sun.
I called Dad to check on him and he said, "Baby, don't wear out your welcome over there." When we said that we had to go, they insisted, "No, let's go sit on the porch a while." We did and then announced that we didn't want to wear out our welcome, they moved us out to the back yard to watch my cousin, Kent, who was with his little 8 year old grandson out in the back on a 15 foot high hunters tree stand, which is a chair that leans against a tree for bow hunting in the woods. Kent was helping Garion practice with his own little compound bow. Kent hit his deer "dummy" repeatedly, right in the heart, over and over and over, never missing. I was cheering him on, enthusiastically, when Liza called up to him and teased, "But, can you do it from a horse?" Which got Kent to laughing so hard, but he came back just as quickly, "No, but I can do it out a pick-up truck window."
I loved that Liza was socomfortable with each person she met. Everyone was just immediately comfortable together. Gee, you'd think we were family! Liza was in awe of Kent's waist long hair. Dances with Wolves is one of our family's all-time favorite movies. Liza noted that Kent reminded her of Wind in his Hair from the movie and described him as "just beautiful". Inside and out, he is.
When we left, Liza and I both commented in the car that we didn't want to leave. She wanted to ask, "What games do you guys play? Let's play em!" We were having so much fun and just couldn't get enough of them all!
Once home, Aunt Verlie and Dad were waiting for us with somenews, but that is another story for another day. It was truly our tender mercy/miracle for the trip. We visited with Dad and Aunt Verlie, had some leftover bbq ribs and Aunt Verlie mentioned that she'd made chicken and pastry for dinner tomorrow. I was so sad that I'd missed watching her make it! When I mentioned that Grannie had shown me how years ago, I'd not really captured it because I just figured Grannie would be around forever. Aunt Verlie got right up, went to her cupboards and gave Liza and I a demonstration. I took notes and pictures to capture it this time. It will be our Soup Day meal very soon! I can't wait to share it here in the west with friends and family!
Before we went to bed, we sat at the table and talked for quite some time. Dad and I were at the ends of the kitchen table. Aunt Verlie and Liza were at the sides. At some point in the evening, Dad pointed out that Liza and Aunt Verlie's heads were just bobbing from one end of the table to the other as he'd tell a story, then I would, then he would, then I would. He said that we needed to let them talk. I finished my story. Dad started to tell another and Liza said, "Hey! You've talked enough! It's our turn!" They both teased each other constantly. There was a minute when Liza was on the phone to Buddy in the bedroom. I said to Dad, "She adores you, Dad." He smiled, very comfortably and said, "I know." That meant the world to me! Dad knows that he's just wonderful in our eyes and that's all that matters to any of us!
A few other ramblings from this day:
I'm telling you, my people know how to eat! I'm also telling you, I only gained 2.5 pounds this trip because I tried to be as careful as possible with my dietary issues. It worked. Sometimes. Enough said about that.
Another story that we laughed hysterically the entire trip over was the fact that there are somany people who have "outside" children...meaning illegitimate. It just baffles me. And no matter where we were or who was talking, someone always mentions that this person or that person is someone's "outside" child or has one. While visiting, we heard story after story about this. One much older person told us that when they were young, their mother told them that before they could date anyone, they had to tell her and their fatherwho the date's "people" were. Because, it was a possibility that "their people was your people", meaning that they shared the same father. We joked continually about "our people" and before we left, Liza bought a t-shirt that said, "Who'z your people?" (I don't think that this was the meaning behind the shirt, but it made us laugh to read it.) (By the way, I assured Liza that her daddy is her ONLY people!)
You know, Doug and I joke all the time that he's from Pioneer Stock and I'm from Woodstock. And that's all fine. But this time with my family brings my heart home and has opened my eyes that my roots are deep and strong. My native American ancestry is something to be proud of. My family is amazing. I love them all so much!
One other thing that I want to remember and will cherish is the look on Liza's face when she tasted Aunt Verlie's six layer pound cake. Liza made sounds like she'd died and gone to heaven as she tasted it the very first time. And the second. And every other time she had a bite. It was her most favorite southern food! Oh my. Looking at the picture has me craving a piece right now! Just a little one. ;)
Southern cooking is a personal passport to the past.
It is much more about heritage than it is about hominy.
Day two... in short... lots of family visits, lots of good food, lots of laughs. VERY little sleep!
The details...
Dad woke us up bright and early, even though we'd gone to bed at about 3:30. He was ready to be on the move! We stopped in at cousin Ronda's office to introduce Liza to Ronda and her cousin (Ronda and Kent's daughter), Megan. The girls immediately hit it off! But, seriously, what's not to love about Megan and Ronda. They are just good people and they made us feel so loved and welcome! Liza didn't want to leave yet, but Dad, true to form, was ready to roll, so we dropped by to see Aunt Sue (Kent's mom/Dad's sister) on our way out to Grannie and Granddaddy's graves. I was so happy that Liza got to see them, as well as my Uncle Bobby's and my cousin Keith's graves. She has no memories or experience with any of them and this was a way to "Connect", as far as I was concerned.
As we traveled throughout the country, Dad share stories from his childhood about helping his own granddad build churches, laying brick with his dad, and the likes. We talked and talked and Liza listened and listened. I was excited that I remembered how to get to places in the county, even though the roads are insanely twisty and turny. ;) I felt my roots deeper and deeper by the minute.
Before lunch, Dad called his two aunts to see if we could all meet for lunch. We only reached one, so Aunt Hattie and her son, Ron met us for lunch at Fullers. Fullers is the place to go if you want a sampling of every southern style food possible. It was great to see Aunt Hattie again. I'd not seen Ron since I was a child. We talked memories and food. Liza... well, this was her introduction to southern cooking. Why didn't I take a picture of this buffet?!
I was proud of her for trying everything except the liver pudding (eewww) and the chitlins. (I'd probably have told her not to, but once she was told what they were, it wasn't an issue at all.) She had her samplings of southern style mac and cheese, chicken and pastry, okra, candied yams (her favorite), fry bread, her first hush puppies (which she loved as much as I do and I admit, I only ate three of them), beans of all sorts (none of which she liked, but I loved), rice and gravy, mashed potatoes, cabbage, rutabaga, turnips, collards (she hated!), fried chicken, sausages, and the list goes on. She was a trooper about it all! We didn't even sample the desserts...who had room?
After lunch, we went to cousin Paula's place to visit with her and her mother, my Great Aunt Pattie. Cousin Paula is actually my second cousin, but she babysat me when I was a little girl in Baltimore. I adored her then and even more now! I'd not seen them since Grannie's funeral in 1984. Aunt Pattie's not changed a bit but she speaks much louder. (She's in her 90s!) I loved our visit! I laughed out loud when she was looking at my little mini-scrapbook. She saw a picture of my brother Rick, who she's not seen in decades and asked, "Who's that?" I told her and she said "What in the world happened to him!?" He grew up, Aunt Pattie. We all cackled! We took some photos together, talked genealogy and memories and Paula shared some documents that will further my family history greatly. Loved it! Liza was just entertained listening in on the conversations.
I came away with the paperwork and a few pieces of Aunt Pattie's handiwork. She was quite the seamstress in her day. Awesome! This quilt is one of her pieces. Beautiful, isn't it?
More cemeteries in the afternoon, which Liza was fascinated by, and then we went grocery shopping with Dad. Liza and I had a ball as Dad said, "Pick anything you want." Too much fun. We got lots of fruits and treats and snacks and drinks so that we didn't "go hungry" between meals. (As if that were possible... all we did was eat everywhere we went! Everyone wanted to make sure that we got a taste of real home cookin'!) We came home to Aunt Verlie's fried porkchops and soup. OH MY! I've cooked pork chops about four times in 35 years because Doug's not a big pork eater. Liza announced that I should have told Doug, when we married, that he'd eat the way Icooked and that she was feeling a lifetime of deprivation from all the good food she'd misssed out on her whole life!
Dad had just gotten out of the hospital the day before, following his mini-stroke, so he was tired. (This picture is telling that he's just gone through chemo, radiation and a stroke. He deserves to be tired.) We ran him ragged all day, but he didn't want to slow down on our account. We did manage to slip in a nap in the afternoons, which was appreciated by us all! About 8PM, that night, Kent dropped by with his daughter, Kelly and his granddaugthers, Kylee and Aiden.
I was so excited to see Kent again and Liza just fell in love with her "new" cousin, Kelly, just as quickly as she had Megan. I knew that we were in for some fun over the next few days! Liza and I went to bed and watched a movie on my laptop until we fell asleep in the middle of it. Dad said the next morning that he could hear us in the bedroom being silly girls and giggling. I loved waking up with Liza next to me. I loved going to sleep and hearing her say, "I love you, Mom." It was choice!
One thing from the day that I don't want to forget...
As we were driving and talking, Dad was asking Liza when she and Buddy were going to start a family. (They are in no hurry. I'm in a big enough hurry for the both of them!) Dad commented to Liza that she shouldn't rush and should do it when they are ready. He said, "All you do is hurry them youngin's along when they're born... "Hurry and learn to walk, hurry and learn to talk. Hurry, Hurry." Then you spend the rest of their lives telling them to sit down and hush up. Don't be in too big of a hurry! Do it when you're ready!" Words of wisdom from Dad! Liza loved his support.
I so love my family! Enough said!
A truly rich man is one whose children run
into his arms when his hands are empty.
I am slightly overwhelmed at the task of recording this little adventure to North
Carolina. Last time, I wrote daily because I had more access to the internet. I'm a week behind and a bit jetlagged. I came in last night at 11:00 to a sleeping family and a perfectly company clean home. I sat down alone in the quiet and fell asleep in my chair. Once the babes were off this morning, I wrapped up in a blanket and napped until noon. I love my dad, but he is not one to sleep in. Hence, him knocking on our door saying, "Let's go!" long before Liza and I were ready to get up. Not to mention that 0ur body clockes were three hours (Liza) and two hours (me) behind his! We teased about this constantly. At the dinner table, Liza yawned and Dad asked her, "You tired, Baby?" She was quick to respond, "Well, yes. Some old man keeps waking me up at 5:28 in the morning!" I so enjoyed watching them tease each other. Liza does adore her granddaddy.
And so... the short of it... perfect trip. Great connections. Great experience. Great food. Dad's awesome. Family is amazing. Liza and I loved being together. But, if you want details and a few good laughs, some mouthwatering food details and some tender mercies, read on for the next few days.
My trip to the airport last Thursday began with the same cranky shuttle driver from Logan to SLC Airport. The man didn't say hello. His only words the entire 91 mile drive were "Yeh" when I asked if I was to be his only passenger and "It's on the arm of the seat." when I asked him if the seat reclined at all. No thank you. No "Have a nice trip". No Nothing. No tip. (The first and only time in my life that I remember not ever tipping someone.) Not amused but glad to not have to drive.
Our flight into Phoenix was rough. We, including the flight attendants were seatbelted and in our seats most of the way. Thankfully, it's only an hour and 20 minute flight. But, it was rough, leaving me nervous about the 4 and a half h0urs across the rest of the country. Liza was waiting at my gate with her bags in tow, ready to begin. We sat at the airport and played with our iPhones trying to take a picture of ourselves, laughing until we drew attention, I'm sure. We knew that we were about to have a fun adventure! The shot below isn't the best picture but you can see that we were having fun!
I must tease Liza a bit here because when we got onto the plane, she said, "Where exactly are we going? I'm not sure where North Carolina even is." We pulled out the little airline magazine and had a little geography lesson. Liza thought we were heading to the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana because "that's South. North Carolina is east." I think that Liza needs her own copy of Gone with the Wind and a little US history recap soon.
Our flight was very turbulent and we landed in Raliegh 40 minutes late in a lightning storm and rain. Our biggest concern came to fruition when we stood waiting for our car rental shuttle bus to pick us up and thirtyminutes later, it still hadn't. They were already closed when we landed. Thankfully, National Car rental honored my reservation with the other company and gave us a better deal and told us to just pick any car in the lot. That, in itself was a riot. SUV, truck, Suburban, what to drive? And then even more important, which color? ;) Liza chose a cute little brown KIA Sportage SUV, which got great milage and was very zippy. (We won't mention how many times Dad told me to "Slow down, Darlin'.")
By the time we pulled out, the rain had stopped. The attendant at the gate had us laughing out loud. He told me that we'd have to go back and pay more because we'd picked the expensive car. When I asked his name, he told me Barrack Obama. For one second, I didn't capture his humor and believed him. He was a jokester and sent us out the gate just giggling.
We drove two more hours to Dad's (without directions this time, I remembered!) and after a quick little drive down Main Street and a few short memories, we pulled into Dad's at 2:45AM. Dad was up at the door waiting for us.
(Remember that my dad has only met Liza once and that was six years ago when she insisted that we locate him and invite him to her wedding. "I want to meet my granddad before my wedding. And once he heard that, he came. It was a great event in our lives. I attribute the relationships that we are developing to Liza's hardheadedness about this request before her wedding, thankfully!)
Now, my father is Lumbee Indian. He's dark-skinned. Our people are dark. We walked into the house, gave hugs and kisses, sat down to say hello for a second before bed and, literally, Dad's first words to Liza were "You're a white girl." Dad is of the old school where you are black, white or indian. BUT. I'm proud to announce that before the week was over, Liza was indian through and through, with the approval of the family, other than the fact that she's never had sweet tea. (LDS members do not drink sweet tea or coffee.)
We visited a bit and called it a night... you could say morning! And Dad actually let us sleep in until 8:30 that morning before we took off for our second whirlwind of a day.
The kids will be home from school in a bit and I need to spend some time with them, so more tomorrow!
So live that your memories will be part of your happiness.
Words can not describe this experience. We’ve had so much fun and I’m hating the fact that it all has to come to an end tomorrow! I’ve had very little time alone, since Liza is with me this time and no access to the internet. But, we have had a ball. I’ll be home tomorrow night very late and will share lots of stories, laughs and food experiences when I get there and photos. I’ve taken hundreds of photos, this time not of graves. We’ve had the time of our lives and can’t wait to do it again! As a matter of fact, I’ve started discussing with Doug the possibility of checking out real estate in North Carolina! It is definitely home! The family time has been remarkable! Soooooooooo good! More tomorrow! Can’t wait to share!
The only thing we take with us to Heaven when we leave this world is the relationships we developed while we are here.
I'm just in awe tonight after watching the CBS special report of 9/11. It had footage that we'd never seen regarding the attacks. Doug and I sat in shock over and over. But, I was so grateful for a clearer understanding for those that lived the experience firsthand. We'd allowed the kids to watch one hour special earlier and discussed it at length with them, then we watched Funniest Home Videos to help them get it off their minds. This show immediately followed and they did watch the first hour of it. I hope that they don't have nightmares, but we discussed it earlier and Doug and I wanted them to understand and appreciate our history and this event. I'm still shaking my head. It's hard to believe that our nation underwent such a tragedy. Also, I was intrigued by the beauty of the Memorial Site and found this information about it. Fascinating. Hard to believe it's been ten years. Enough said about that.
This weekend, I also finished rereading/studying the Book of Mormon. I've spent months, over a year, really studying and is has had more meaning to me than ever. I do love the scriptures. I'm always amazed, each time I read it, at how I see things from a different perspective because my own life is growing and continually changing. I love my testimony and love having it grow.
Speaking of growing, I made some fantastic homemade pizza this weekend, using lots of fresh goodies out of our own garden. I'm so not ready for our first frost! PLEASE let it wait until I get home from North Carolina!
I started packing this weekend for my trip! Doug said, "Babe, you don't leave for a week." But, I reminded him that it was Saturday. Which meant that I leave in just a few days, because you know... you don't count Saturday and you don't count the day I leave or the day before, so I only have a few days to pack! I am so excited to see Dad and family and LIZA!
Doug and I had an early Saturday morning date at the Farmers Market in Logan. We walked around and saw great jewelry, homemade items and beautiful fruits and veggies. There was even music playing. It was something that I think I could enjoy every weekend. I'm afraid that there will only be a few weekends left before the market is closed, but it was a good little experience to look forward to next year, as well!
One little laugh that Doug and I had this weekend... on Friday night, as we climbed in to bed, Go-Go, who sleeps at the foot of our bed in his own little doggie bed wasn't happy. Before we moved the furniture, his bed was beside me, under the window. Last winter, he would get cold and want to get up on our bed, so, I started covering him up. He loved it and stayed still and quiest all night long. Recently, he got a short hair cut and the nights have gotten cooler, so he's now getting covered again. SO. Doug turned off the light Friday night and neither of us had covered Go-Go. He came to my side of the bed, stood up on his hind legs and whined, letting me know that I'd forgotten something. I said, "Go to bed, Bubbie." He whined some more. Finally, I got up and "tucked him in". Help me. If someone had have ever told me that I'd have a spoiled dog in the house, with a bed, and a blanket AND that I would get out of bed to cover him at night... well... let's just say that I'd have never believed it! Yes, I admit it. I ama dog person... with a very spoiled little bubbie.
A busy week ahead. Very busy. So much to do including:
Life is good.
Freedom is the basic condition for you to touch life,
to touch the blue sky, the trees, the birds, the tea, and the other person.
Last night, I hosted a little "back to school night" for a few friends. ZJ asked me why I was having a "Back to School night" since we don't go to school. I told her that it was just a fun little excuse for a get-together. She then told me about two kids that she goes to school with, who's parents sent them to a summer school all summer long. She said, "I didn't like that idea, Mom. I think that their the parents just wanted to get rid of their kids instead of play with them all summer. I'm glad that you don't want to get rid of us." I chuckled because I'd almost answered, "I'm having this party to celebrate kids going back to school!" Oopsie! (Truth be told...While I do celebrate the daily freedom that school affords me, I do miss having them at home immensely.)
I digress...We had a great time last night just gabbing. We didn't play the first game, just talked and talked about everything from cow milk to spiders. Go figure! It was a delightful evening... at least, I thought it was! ;)
A few little details of the evening...
The menu, served in brown bags:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Appetizers (details below)
Chicken Salad Croissants
Grapes
Fritos
Lemon Cookies
Tomatoes (fresh out of the garden!) in Balsamic Vinegar (not in the bags)
Caramel Chocolate Popcorn
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi
Cut the crust off sliced white bread. Roll a slice flat flat flat with a rolling pin. Spread peanut butter and jelly on bread and roll it up like a jelly roll. Slice in one inch slices. It looks like little sushi. Fun and it got a laugh.
The only organized activity replaced my usual tabletalk was a little Getting to Know You "test". I asked everyone to fill out the questionnaire and then read the answers aloud without telling who was who. It was a lot of fun and I learned a few things that were surprising.
Getting to Know You!
1. My best quality is _____________________________________
2. In my spare time I like to ______________________________
3. My birth order place is ________ and I am atypical/typical because___________________
4. I get scared when ___________________________________
5. My favorite food is ___________________________
6. My least favorite food is __________________________________
7. My favorite sport is _______ because ___________________________
8. I would like to be better at_______________________________
9. I usually pick friends who are ________________________________
10. When I’m worried, I usually ____________________________
11.When I grew up, I wanted to be ______________________________________________
12. My all-time favorite teacher was ______ because _____________________________________
13. My happiest childhood memory is ____________________________________________
14. One tradition from my childhood that I want to carry on through generations is ______
15. The thing I’m recognized/remembered most for is __________________________
16. The thing that I’d like to be most remembered and recognized for is ____
Rather than use a tablecloth, I covered the table with newsprint and wrote little quotes on the table. I used brown chargers but other than that, everything was disposable. (I owe the earth many apologies for the recycled paper paper plates, the plastic cups and forks and napkins used last night, says Doug!)
Oh! And one of my favorite things was the magnetic board displaying childhood photos of the guests. They'd brought them earlier. It was fun to see us all as little girls!
It was a fun evening. I love my wonderful friends!
Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.
A few good things...
Today is my dad's birthday! He's 72 todayand, to me, this is his best and most important birthday ever! Why? Because today, he's cancer-free after a very rough year of throat cancer and he has united with his me, his daughter and with my family. My parents divorced when I was twelve and were were never very close after that. This past year, he's been through so much and we've united and become very close. This morning, I was thinking about my trip to visit him last March. I went to see him so that we could say "goodbye". And today, we talk on the phone most every day. I'm going to visit him next week with Liza and we can hardly wait!
I adore my dad. Although he was absent most of my life, I've always loved him and never let his choices get in the way of that. I'm just thankful that today, he is a very important part of my life and we're getting to know each other all over again!! My favorite quote... life doesn't have to be perfect to be perfectly wonderful... it applies to our relationship. We have a wonderful relationship and it reminds me daily that we can love unconditionally, we can learn and grow regardless of our age, that forgiveness is one of our most important things that we will ever do in life and that it's never too old to heal any relationship! Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you! See you next week!!
(By the way, I've posted this photo before but that's Dad and me on my first birthday, so he'd have been twenty years old. Handsome devil, isn't he!?)
This morning, OH MY HECK! What a nightmare! Literally! I couldn't sleep last night for anything! Doug had mentioned, as he was getting ready for bed, that his alarm clock is getting finicky. (It's 26 years old and when I bought him a iPod dock/alarm clock for his birthday a few years ago, he gave it to me and told me that he really loves his old one.) Anyway, this morning, his alarm woke us both up 45 minutes late, leaving him nine minutesto be at work. Not cool! He literally leaped out of the bed, into his pants and out the door, grabbing his lunch and a kiss from me in passing. As he pulled away, I noticed that the sprinkler was misbehaving, so I went outside in my jammies to fix the problem. Ten minutes later, I was FREEZING COLD and SOAKING WET, but the issue was resolved! Wide awake, and with new dry jammies on, getting back to sleep took forever. Almost two hours later, the strangest nightmare woke me in panic, leaving Gracie and Quayd eight minutes to make the bus. We said a prayer and I literally tossed them a little "to-go" breakfast on their way out the door... oatmeal cookies, string cheese and a homemade roll. (They thought that was pretty cool!) I was still exhausted and had an hour before ZJ had to be up, so I went back to sleep for "a few minutes". I never do that! Yep, you guessed it. I woke up twelve minutes before ZJ was supposed to leave, so she got a repeat of her siblings' crazy breakfast on her way out the door. It was just one of those mornings! Surprisingly, I've not been tired at all today! Doug's new schedule is killing me! But...everyone made it to their destinations on time and all was good. Later in the morning, I was able to laugh at the whole mess!
Another nummy sounding crockpot idea, today, from Kaye... One of my favorite things at Olive Garden! Thanks, Kaye!
Zuppa Toscana
1 lb. Italian sausage
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 chopped onion
3 -4 large russet potatoes, cubed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup whipping cream
fresh kale
In a medium skillet, crumble and brown sausage. Drain well and add it to the crockpot. Add the broth, water, onion, potatoes, and garlic, stirring to combine. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Just before serving, stir in whipping cream and some chopped kale. Serve with crusty French bread or croutons on top. Enjoy! (Doesn't this one make you just want to turn on the furnace and make it today?)
Today's quote came from my friend, June. I'd never heard this before but wow! It's been on my mind all day and really is a humbling thought. I had to share! Life is good!
For us, a four day Labor Day weekend... we painted. And painted some more. Three days later (we don't paint on the Sabbath) and the front of the house is done except a second coat on the rain gutters. A new RED door and no more GREY! Hopefully, Doug will get the side soffets done tomorrow and get the back done before the weekend. We thought it would be a two day job! SHEESH! Hardly! But, it's looking great. Now, when spring comes... a new roof, iron windowboxes for some red begonias, and removal of perrenials replaced by some soft shrubs... new curb appeal! Doug did a super job! And then, he took the kids to see Harry Potter as a reward for their help and co-operation while I stayed home and enjoyed the silence. (I'm so NOT a HP fan!) Labor Day weekend... No burgers. No dogs. Not even a chip. But, it was a very productive weekend!
The weather is cooling and I've been thinking about "Soup Day" a lot lately. I'm not quite ready to turn on the furnace, but it's not far away. I can feel it. We've not slept with the ceiling fan for a few nights. I actually closed the window all but a few inches last night. And the mornings are cool. Very cool. Lovely. I'll be sad if Doug has to turn on the furnace while I'm in North Carolina. I'd be very sad to miss our first day of fall. That, in our house, is Soup Day.
I've been thinking about crock pot recipes. I've discovered a few new recipes to try as soon as "the day" arrives. So, today, I thought I'd ask for your input. Please, if you would, share with me your favorite crock pot recipe. I'm excited to try a few breakfast dishes and a few desserts, as well. Tell me your favorite nummy crock pot recipe and I'll enter your name in a drawing for a little giftee! Just share your recipe in the comments section or email it to me privately. I'll post them over the next little while. I can't wait to see what's cooking!
Here's a few recipes that I'm anxious to try:
Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
1 bag (32 oz) frozen hash brown chunks
1 lb cooked ham, diced (leftover ham works great)
1/2 lb shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 c milk
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Spray large crockpot with cooking spray. Place a layer of frozen hash browns on the bottom. Follow with a layer of ham and cheese. Repeat as many times as needed ending with cheese. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Pour over the top. Cook on low 8-10 hours.
**********
Crockpot Brie Apricot Dip ~ I need to have a party just to make this!
1 large round or wedge of brie (13.2 oz)
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
2 T brown sugar
2 T water
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Use a mini crockpot or put the brie in an oven-safe dish inside a normal size crockpot. Cut the outside rind of the brie. Put the brie into the crockpot. In a separate bowl, mix the chopped apricots, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, water and rosemary together. Spoon on top of the brie. Sprinkle on the chopped pecans.
Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours, or on low for about 3. Serve with your favorite crackers or apple slices.
**********
I can't wait to try this one for dinner... If it's anything like the Olive Garden Marsala, I'll be in heaven!
Crock Pot Chicken Marsala
Spray 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, place garlic and oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; place in cooker over garlic. Place mushrooms over chicken; pour wine over all. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.
Remove chicken from cooker; place on plate and cover to keep warm. In small bowl, mix water and cornstarch until smooth; stir into liquid in cooker. Increase heat setting to High; cover and cook about 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Return chicken to cooker. Cover; cook on High heat setting 5 minutes longer or until chicken is hot. To serve, spoon mushroom mixture over chicken breasts; sprinkle with parsley.
Thanks, friends!
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.
Well, I finally did it! After thirteen years, I decided to just "do it myself". A few weeks ago, at the Corbridge Reunion, we heard a story of Doug's grandmother, who was pretty fiesty. She had asked for a porch for quite some time. One day, Doug's grandpa came home to find her outside, hammering away. When asked what she was doing, she told him that she'd gone to town, gotten what she needed and was building herself a porch. The porch was completed immediately at the hands of Grandpa. When we heard that story, I said, "Gee, maybe I should take note!"
I'm a furniture mover. I move furniture frequently. Denise teases that my dining room table is always turned some new direction. In that tiny area, there's not much room, but I manage to make the most of it. My living room gets moved frequently and if it were not for the piano, it would be even more. Unfortunately, I'm dependent on two good strong backs when I need it moved. So, it means recruiting help everytime! Thankfully, we have great hometeachers, who've made the switch of the piano many a time as they were about to walk out the door.
I was raised by a furniture mover. My dad used to tease my mom that he'd come home drunk at night and hit the floor because the bed was never in the same place. In the past thirteen years, I've moved our bed only once. Not by choice! The main reason it's never gotten moved is because I need Doug's back to do it. Last winter, I had a wild hair to move it and he asked me to wait until spring. I waited. And then summer came. And now fall is here. He likes things to stay the same. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That's his motto.
Well, yesterday, I was totally in "one of those moods". I needed change, so I called over some awesome young men and they moved the piano. Quayd helped me rearrange the rest of the living room. I did this with the intent of "getting ready for the Christmas tree". (After all, that's only 12 weeks away. And if you don't count this week because it's almost over and you don't count that week.... you get the picture.) Anywhoooooooo, the living room was rearranged completely before I went to bed. I was thrilled to have my tablescape in the front bay window again, where it belongs. Doug came in and asked me if he could do anything to help, but the work was done. He picked up my "moving men" and asked if he could put them away for me. I said, hinting, "Just put them on the chest in the bedroom. I think I'll move our furniture tomorrow." Hint not taken. Of course, this was just before he was heading to bed, so I didn't expect it to be. I think that he thought I'd just wake up and forget the whole idea. Not.
I woke up this morning, got the babes off to school, walked two miles and as I was stepping into the shower, I thought about it and decided that if I showered and got all cleaned up, I wouldn't want to move my furniture. When Denise called at 9:30 to invite me to lunch, I was moving full speed ahead...furniture, that is. And I redid the entire bedroom. I cleaned and dusted and dejunked drawers, cupboards, even the jewelry boxes. And. Thanks to my trusty moving men, I moved it all by my lonesome! I love it! Love. Love. Love it!
Several people have already seen it and everyone agrees that it looks a ton better than it did! I've waited all these years because I thought I needed Doug's back to do it when all I really needed was my little moving guys. If you don't have them in your home, you need them! Our friend, Jim gave them to us years ago and I've never found anything so handy in all my years!
So, here's the pics... The before.... and the after. Before ~ a wall of furniture. My swing, which came down today. After ~ a country blue wingback chair covered with an afghan, awaiting a new slipcover from Overstock.com. Mirror rehung between the two obnoxious wall lamps that were Doug's reason for never rearranging the furniture. They are perfect over the bed, why would we move it? Because I'm a furniture rearranger, that's why! I love it! And, admittedly, so does Doug! ;)
What you can't see here is that next to the bed was a dresser, an entertainment hutch and a chest, all in a row, taking up the whole wall, side by side. I've hated that since day one! Now, here's the furniture moved around a bit! Have I mentioned that I love it?
PS. The one place in our home that is off limits to me is Doug's dresser top. I do not touch it and he finds whatever he needs there whenever he needs it. Not my favorite place in the house, but it works for us. It's his space, so I respect that. I have a gallery. He has a dressertop. I can't complain at all, right!?
I guess my sentiment today comes in my closing quote!
No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change.
