Here we go again...

Thank you Debbie for re-visiting us in Louisiana and for your concern about us!!

I am more than an hour inland, so it is not going to be the devastation that it is in the other cities, but we will have our own problems of high winds and rains but no storm surge.

Some of the worst things about a hurricane: the waiting and not knowing what to expect; being without electricity (for a week during Katrina) and losing everything in the freezer; During Katrina and for weeks after, the grocery stores were only open a few hours a day because they would literally run out of food and close- same for the gas stations; the traffic; praying that a tree does not fall on your house and cleaning the duct tape off your windows.


Some of the best things about a hurricane: Neighbors coming over to tell you what they have to share... for instance... we have a grill with charcoal and my next door neighbor has a chainsaw; friends from all over checking on you and praying for you (thanks again Debbie); and spending a lot of time inside with your family (see how happy he is about it).

Now that a state of emergency has been announced, mandatory evacuations have began for cities south of me, and gas has increased about $.50 a gallon overnight, I have already been to the grocery store, Home Depot and the gas station, all of which are packed. Now I will be staying out of the evacuating traffic passing through my city, putting everything that is outside my house inside the garage (so it wont blow away or become an airborne missile), doing every load of laundry in the house (so we'll have clean clothes when there is no electricity) cooking a lot of food in the freezer (so we can eat without electricity) and I'll be praying for all of us in the Hurricane's path.

And thank you for taking a minute and thinking of us in Louisiana this long, holiday weekend and saying a little prayer, too.

You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.
Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)

If anyone reading this does not have a bible and wants one, leave me your address and I'll send you one.

Hurricane preparation at my house

“Some want to live within the sound
Of church and chapel bell:
I want to run a rescue shop
Within a yard of hell.”
The great missionary, CT Studd

What is your favorite late night snack? Here is mine....

No new table yet....

But the china cabinet is getting ready to meet its new friend by doing a little sprucing up...

Rooster from yard sale $1. Old metal sign (its cream with dark blue writing saying "blessed" that matches the wall color) on clearance at Ross for $6. The candlesticks were a wedding present.

Menu Planning Monday has been interrupted...

* Updated to add that Monday Night dinner was Jambalaya and Tuesday night is looking suspiciously like chicken ceasar salad.

Maybe I fed him one too many sandwich or one too many Mexican casseroles, but for whatever reason.... Husband has decided to take it upon himself to plan and cook each meal this week, all of which will remain a surprise to me until I walk in the door each evening.

I know... I know... I got a really good one. I highly recommend this menu plan once in a while.
You can see more weekly menus here.

Today, I spray painted:

The candle sconces I got at a yard sale for $1 for the pair.


I am trying to break my dependence on foreign oil black spray paint...... I use it so much that my husband asked me if I secretly joined a motorcycle group. I have to venture to another color. I'll be stealing ideas from others here

My dining room- a five part story

Part One:
When we were looking for a house (my first house I might add), even though I did not have a formal dining room table, (and I still don't) I was absolutely insistent on having a dining room and a breakfast nook. Everyone- I do mean everyone from the realtor to my cousin next door- told me I was crazy, that I would regret a formal dining room, that it was a waste of good space, that they never use their formal dining, and I should seriously reconsider having that on my non-negotiable house list and you don't even have a dining room table for crying out loud!! I have to admit some of the things on my non-negotiable house list were ultimately, negotiated (goodbye dreams of a large walk in pantry) but.... as it turned out....a dining room was not one of them. I could almost pinch myself! I have a real dining room! Still no table.... but a dining room.

Part Two:
Since I do not have a dining room table said dining room has sat empty. Well, that's not completely true. It holds the china cabinet that belonged to my Maw-Maw, just sitting there waiting and hoping to one day meet a complimentary dining room table. And since the upstairs rooms do not have a floor, it holds other odds and ends that I did not have any place for right now- such as a sewing machine, a desk and a big comfortable chair where I eat breakfast and the dog takes his morning and afternoon naps. Its quite the decorator showcase.

Part Three
I am now giddy with just the possibility of me, for the first time, owning a real dining room table to put in my real dining room. Not one that is almost falling apart that my aunt gave me instead of throwing away. Not one that I found on the side of the road. Not one I "made" with plywood and bricks and a sheet on top. But a real dining room table. A real dining room table that is 8 (yes, I said 8) feet long, and a real dining room table that is a real antique and a real dining room table marked down to a fraction of its original price.

Part four:
The problem? The aforementioned real dining room table may be too large for my dining room. Rats! I am debating it. Tonight I am literally going to put tape on the floor to mark off where it will sit. To be perfectly honest, I am afraid it is too big for my space and I am desperately trying to make it work. I am afraid it is too big for anyone's space and that is why it is such a huge discount. (really- an 8 foot table? Who has the room for an 8 foot table?) and because I really am that much off my rocker about this dining room table, I have visited with it the last three days in a row, one visit being over an hour and a half while I took pictures and text'ed them to my husband, who has already said just go buy the dang thing.

Part five.
OK.... you got me.... Part five does not actually exist. I tried to put pictures of this much desired dining room table here but was unable to get them off my phone. Because just taking the picture and text-ing it is as much of an accomplishment as I can muster on anything remotely technically advanced.

Go make this Cajun Casserole. Trust me on this one. I'm serious. Go now.

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Cook one cup of rice and set aside.

Add one chopped onion and one chopped bell pepper to 1/2 stick of butter and cook until tender.

Add crawfish (don't panic... you can use shrimp or even chicken instead) and cook for about 5 minutes or until done.

Add one clove of chopped garlic and stir well.

Add one can of cream of mushroom soup. Stir well. Add 8 ounces of cream cheese. stir until completely melted and mixed well.

Its very important that soup and cream cheese is melted and mixed well.

Add seasoning to taste. I like Tony Chachere's- but any Creole/Cajun seasoning will do.

Add rice. Mix well.

Transfer to baking dish, cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover.

Top with 1/2 cup of grated Velveeta. Grating Velveeta is very difficult- it has to be extremely cold to do so, but I'm happy if I get small chunks on top.

Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes until all cheese melted.

Serve with salad and french bread.

You'll thank me later.

You've got mail

I am following Angie's lead...

If anyone who reads this blog does not have a Bible and would like one.... leave me a comment with your address and It will be my pleasure to send you one.

The person who does not get alone with Jesus is sure to have difficulty as a disciple. This getting away is essential, there can be no growth or genuine service without it. It is in the quiet places where Jesus refreshes us. Burnout is a common problem in whatever field we work, and the world has no lasting solution for it. Secular advice tells us to get away for a change of pace. If we follow that advice, we can postpone burnout for a time, but we will quickly get tired again if all we've done is relax. Jesus did not tell His disciples to go away to relax. He told them to come to Him. Hihs prescense is the difference between a temporary rest and lasting refreshment.
In the quiet places, Jesus does gives us rest, but he also teaches us how to depend on him more fully, how to serve him more effectively and how to trst him more implicitly. The quiet places are places of growth.
By Chris Tiegreen in Journey Magainze

Menu Planning Monday

Fall is still no where in sight....sigh.... but I am ready for it....

Its been a little cooler....only 90 degrees.... instead of the usual 98.

Sunday: Mexican Casserole. I make this a lot, so you've probably seen the recipe. I make two and freeze one.

Monday: Meatball sandwich. I use the frozen meatballs. Heat them up in some BBQ sauce and put on a Hoagie Roll.

Tuesday: Short Ribs in crock pot. I modified this recipe from Campbell's Kitchen: Place 3 pounds of beef short ribs in crock pot with 2 tbsp brown sugar, 3 gloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp dried thyme leaves and 1/4 cup flour. Toss ribs to coat evenly. Add one can of french onion soup (I just use beef broth) and 1 bottle of dark ale or beer. Cook on low 8-10 hours and serve over noodles, rice or mashed potatoes (I use rice).

Wednesday: Using the rest of the Hoagie Rolls to make sandwich's, ham, turkey or sausage.

Thursday: Left overs- clean out the fridge- basically, you're on your own today.

Friday: Vann Egg Rolls in the deli section of your grocery store- already cooked. You just heat them up in oven. Only 2 weight watcher points each!

You can see more weekly menus here.

My no-fail Brownie Cookies

About 17 years ago, I was living in Las Vegas and working as a waitress...when another waitress I did not know very well brought these delicious cookies into work.

One bite and I was deeply in love. I begged requested the recipe immediately. She turned over a restaurant check and wrote it down on the back with her phone number, in case I had questions.

All these years later.... I cant remember her name..... but I still have this recipe written on the back of that restaurant check.

These are always a BIG hit.

Pre-heat oven to 350.
Empty one box of brownie mix in bowl.
Add 2 eggs
Add 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Add bag of chocolate chip cookies
Mix. Batter will be very thick
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
They will not look done, but trust me.
Remove and let cool.

Stand back and receive the glowing praise of all those who come near them, and secretly thank some unknown waitress in Vegas.

This was my day

A new day begins.

Bible study in my big chair in the dining room:

Dinner goes in the crock pot:

After I grab my things, I on the way out the door:

Its a beautiful day out- and very hot. Where is Fall?!

After work, after dinner, after dishes and folding laundry - its walking the dog

Dry cleaning is picked up:

The first thick fall fashion magazines is out! I love the thick fall fashion magazines! Now.. where is the Fall weather?

Paper is read:

Its Evening at my house, time to settle in and watch way too much of the Olympics.

Another day comes to an end


See other's day here

Me? An Award?

Darlene has given me an award! An award for inspiring others! Thank you, Darlene.

I am just so surprise to get an award! And one for inspiring others?! Me? Inspiring others? With all my talking about the yard sale finds? The half finshed house projects? The dog?

The award is given to those who inspire others with their creative energy and talents in writing, artwork, design or contributions to the blogging community. (and to the ones I am passing it onto, I would like to add.... just being generally inspiring women)



Thank you again Darlene

I now pass on the award to those who inspire me:

Aimee. Shes my cousin. I am six months older than she is..... She has eight (EIGHT!!) children, and runs an adoption ministry at her church (His Heart for Orphans) and has a sewing business and website (sew sensible). I am exausted just thinking about all she does. Seriously. I dont know how she does it all.

Tyler She is head of the Women's Ministry at her Church, and doing a wonderful (and inspiring to me) job of it. She has five kids and lately, she travels a lot. We are both big fans of Lost and, are on pins and needles waiting for it to come back on. She writes about her weight loss, her work on the ministry team and her life.... and she's pretty funny. Its just a joy to visit her, and if we lived in the same neighborhood, I know we'd be at each other's house daily.

Susie Not only is she a great source for decorating ideas and I love looking at her home.... but Susie is my neighbor, although we have yet to actually met- but we seem to be at the same stores at exactly the same time! We have a "date" at the Broadmoor Craft Festive in November. Her tassle booth is near the cafeteria, which means I will be visiting her at least 30 times each day, and if they are serving their Gumbo again this year, I may never leave her area. (School cafeterias make the best Gumbo- I didn't appericiate it when I was a kid, now... I will knock over other shoppers to get there in time for the Gumbo... and dont even start me talking about the hot rolls...Its a wonder I actually get any shopping done between my trips for Gumbo.)

To the recipients of the award...pick five blogs you consider deserving of this award, whether for creativity, design, interesting material, or contributions to the blogging community, no matter what language. Name each nominee and link to his/her blog. Show the award and include the name (and link to his/her blog) of whoever presented you with this award.Link to the Arte y Pico blog so everyone knows the origin of this award. Post these rules.

Menu planning Monday

Another week of 98 degrees each day has led to limited oven use and the following menu:

Monday: Hamburgers on grill with asian cole slaw (recipe about 10 posts below)
Tuesday: Chicken breasts with veggies.
Wednesday: Salad with left over chicken breast cut up in it
Thursday: English Muffin Pizza
Friday: Tamale pie.

(I adapted this recipe from local paper)
Pre-heat oven to 325.
Ground meat mixture: in large sauce pan, sautee 1 1/2 pounnds lean hamburger with 1 chopped onion and 3 chopped garlic. Add 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes, 2 tbs taco seasonsing, 1 can of black beans, drained, and 1 can of whole corn, drained. Mix well.
In a differnet pot- Mix 1 1/2 to 2 cups corn meal with 6 cups of cold water. Add 1 beef bouillon cube (mixed with hot water to dissolve) and 1 tsp of taco seasonsing. Heat on medium stirring constently until thick and boiling. Mixture will get very thick. Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter. Let cool.
Put 1/2 of mixture into bottom of baking dish, spreading it up the sides of dish. Add meat mixture and top with remaining corn meal mush. Top with 2/3 cup grated cheese. Bake 45 minutes.
You can see more weekly menus here , ones from people not trying to cook when it is 98 degrees.

Another Saturday... another yard sale

Saturday morning I was up and out of the house early. Two hours and $5.50 poor-er, I am home with my new yard sale finds.

I got a very large glass vase with pink roses, two matching small hurricane crystal candle holders, a garden tool and a small pink porcelain rose.

I love a yard sale.

My Animal House

The bunny sits outside the kitchen door.

The kitchen kitty, brought home from an antique shop. She's a little scuffed up, but I like her just the way she is.

The dog stays in the foyer. He was a gift from my Uncle Bobby when I was a little girl, after my real wiener dog, Butch, died.

The birdie is from Royal Standard, sitting in the foyer next to a birdhouse made from wood from a wagon that my husband's family had in the early 1900s. It sits on the foyer table, also an antique from my husband's family.

This birdie also lives in the foyer- also from Royal Standard- on top of a "bonnet closet". It belonged to my father in law's mother, Jennie, and she kept her bonnets in it.

The first Christmas present my husband gave me when we were dating. He moves all over the house, but today he is sitting in the dining room.

Two sweet little kitties sit in my book case. They once sat at my Maw-Maw's house. But they are soon going in the china cabinet...

and my favorite animal of all... just waking up from a nap.... where he usually is.... sleeping on the couch... with a pillow.