Monday, June 29, 2009

A Little Excitement...

Well, it's been a while since I posted...not sure I even remember how! You all have the heard the expression, "all dressed up with no place to go", haven't you? Well, that's kind of how I've felt ever since my new blog design came to life. To be absolutely honest, there just hasn't been much to post about. The summer seems to have gotten off to a slow start for me and there just hasn't been anything going on...no cooking, no exciting trips, no nothing. . .

Until last Friday. And not to be repetitive, but to be once again to be completely honest, I totally missed it. I'm not sure if I'm living under a rock, I'm just in my own little world or what, but check this out!


From the parking lot of my office!

I happened to leave work a little early Friday afternoon and missed all the excitement. This was taken by my co-worker, Tiffany, on her cell phone from the parking lot of our office. From what I understand, this water spout or funnel cloud made its way all along the St. John's River, so it could pretty much be seen from just about any location in Jacksonville...IF, and only IF, you were looking. . . which, of course, I wasn't.

Having lived in both Oklahoma and Texas, it looks kind of skinny to me, but I'm sure seeing in the 'flesh' probably caused one to feel quite a rush! Sorry I missed it!

Friday, June 19, 2009

My New Blog Design...

Check out my new blog design. Many, many thanks to a Design by Faith. Awesome job and now I officially feel like summer has officially begun!

Loving life!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Happy Birthday Brenna....


Happy Birthday Brenna! My irrefutable, indisputable, absoluteable, totally beautiful, favorite neicester ever!


Love you!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Remember When I Said?....

Remember, Bunco, Friday the 13th, February 2009? Oh, of course you do...remember this post? I said I couldn't wait to share the recipe for the Broccoli Cheddar Soup! Well, I received this email the other day and after I picked myself up off the floor and got my thoughts together, I am ready to share that recipe with all of you.


BROCCOLI-CHEDDAR SOUP

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

2 TABLESPOONS CABOT SALTED BUTTER
2 CUPS PEELED AND DICED BOILING POTATOES
(ABOUT 2 MEDIUM)
1/2 CUP CHOPPED ONION
2 TABLESPOONS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1(14 1/2-OUNCE) CAN CHICKEN BROTH(ABOUT 2 CUPS
2 CUPS MILK
3 CUPS BROCCOLI (CHOPPED FLORETS AND THINLY
SLICED STEMS)
2 CUPS GRATED CABOT SHARP OR EXTRA SHARP
CHEDDAR (ABOUT 8 OUNCES)
1 TEASPOON FRESH LEMON JUICE
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

1. IN LARGE SAUCEPAN, MELT BUTTER OVER MEDIUM HEAT. ADD POTATOES AND ONION AND COOK, STIRRING, UNTIL ONION IS TENDER ABOUT 5 MINUTES.

2.ADD FLOUR AND COOK, STIRRING, FOR 2 MINUTES LONGER


.3.GRADUALLY STIR IN CHICKEN BROTH AND MILK. BRING TO SIMMER AND COOK UNTIL POTATOES ARE NEARLY TENDER ABOUT 5 MINUTES. ADD BROCCOLI AND COOK UNTIL BROCCOLI IS TENDER,ABOUT 5 MINUTES LONGER.

4. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND STIR IN CHEESE. ADD LEMON JUICE AND SEASON WITH
SALT AND PEPPER.

And now you're going to be treated to another recipe...just because.

What do you do on a cloudy Saturday? Well, I obviously waste a lot of time but then start hunting around the fridge, freezer, pantry, and wherever to come up with something yummy for me!

So here's the deal...I'm going to call it Baked Chicken Spaghetti. Call it what you will, but I actually think it turned out pretty good. Only problem...it's just me here and I probably made enough to feed at least my side of Jacksonville...

At least I will have lunch, dinner and maybe even breakfast, handled for the next week!

So here goes...

Baked Chicken Spaghetti

Olive oil
Garlic Pepper
Italian Seasoning
1 medium onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 can mushrooms drained
1 1/2 lb boneless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 16 container ricotta cheese
1 16 oz box of spaghetti
2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Parmesan cheese

Saute onions, green peppers, red peppers and mushrooms in olive oil. Add chicken and season with garlic pepper and Italian seasoning. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and ricotta cheese.

Cook spaghetti according to directions and drain, rinse with cold water. Return spaghetti to pot and mix with sauce. Reserve enough sauce to top.

Transfer to baking pan (PAM sprayed), top with remaining sauce, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake in oven at 325 degrees for 30 minutes...

Not exactly a summer meal...but you have to admit when it's cloudy or rainy, no matter what time of year, the house gets cold and it feels like comfort food time!

Stay tuned for a surprise...I have a blog makeover coming!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Last Weekend...

Okay, let's just divert from the past few days' revelations and get back to what we do best.

Friday...June 5th...Grammy's 85th birthday... WoW!




Of course the great grandson's (Mikey) only concern was cake...


Then Saturday we had a graduation party for my nephew Nik... Let me preface by saying that this child is one of the only ones I know that has graduated from high school with a plan...I am so proud of him....He's ROTC and knows what he wants.



Horrible things have come to light lately, but let's just rejoice in the good!

S0 then I had the good fortune of having Mikey Sunday morning for a couple of hours. OOOH...that was great...had him distracted when his Ma-Moo (she hates that_ left). Then he discovered the door was not completely shut...opened the door..stepped outside...I, of course, heard and came to his RESCUE? Not according to him...at that moment, he realized that his Mama was gone, he was not at home and OMG...how was he going to cope?





Well, he screamed and cried for almost an hour non-stop. I tried everything I could think of to help but to no avail...Guess what I did...And by the way, I don't think I would have ever done this for my kids...but I put him in the car (kicking and screaming) and drove around for about 10 minutes...8 minutes in he was asleep.


Ok now home..wakes up ...I'm not gonna lie.. he started screaming again but I think that tiny catnap was enough to distract him and he became HAPPY!
What a sweetie...yes, I could just eat him up!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

April Rose

My heart is so saddened today. Apparently April Rose is just a figment of someone's imagination or her story is, at best. I really don't know how many readers I have or where you've come from, but it seems that everyone I read has been following the story of April Rose as I have. It seems that the whole thing was a hoax and it hurts to have invested so much of my heart into them and now have it turn out this way. I prayed for them, I participated in His Will Wednesday every week...hard to believe that even HWW might have just been a ploy.

There is a joint post by Raechel (B's friend, or so she thought), Angie (from Bring the Rain) and Jennifer ( aka MckMama) . Together after much soul searching and praying, they now believe that it WAS all a lie. No one understands the whys...no one really knows what parts may or may not be true.

But whatever prayers we have lifted up for "B" (Beccah), "D" (Dan) and April Rose over the past few months, we need to continue. Just pointed in a different direction as it is quite evident that they are in desperate need for divine intervention.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Later on...

In my last post, I said that I would explain my take on celebrating my birthday, the 'milestone', the hating life, etc. later on... Well, it's later on and I think it's high time I do that.


First of all, I need to start by saying to my friends and especially my family, that I hope I in no way sounded ungrateful for the birthday wishes and the party. I am truly grateful for everything because without all of you, I would have nothing, I would be nothing.


So let's back up and get a sense of where this is all coming from. All my life, I was always proud of my age and never worried about birthdays, no matter which one came along. I had always looked young for my age so that made it a lot easier. Not to mention the fact that I had a lot more going on, on a daily basis and didn't take time to think much about those kinds of things. I was widowed at 24 with two small boys, remarried at 28, had another boy at 29 and divorced by 38. And let's just say that the single parenting part started long before the divorce was final. So yes, I was too busy for thoughts about age.


I actually still felt that way up until probably sometime during the last year or two. There are so many reasons for my way of thinking to change.


One day you look in the mirror and say, "OMG, when did that happen?" "Where was I?" " Where have I been?" Not having time, or taking time, as the case may be, to notice day to day changes, all of a sudden, you're don't look like the same person that you thought you were, but you still are!


That physical change is a given and will eventually happen to everyone. But it's all the other stuff that goes along with it that has been the hardest for me to deal with.


I still have a hard time convincing myself that I am still not 18 years old, that I still don't look like I'm 18 and sometimes even that I can't act like I'm 18. And therein lies the problem...


The number...


The number that changes everything that you are (whether it did or not).


You're 18, you can vote.


You're 21, you can drink.


You're in your 30's, you're thirtysomething.


You're 40, you're over the hill.


You're 50, you're ??? I don't know what...old?


Now you're 60...now you're REALLY old... Like that one day or one year made that much difference....The invites seem to be fewer...maybe you just don't belong or fit in anymore.


I've watched people I know turn into different people when they turn a certain age and it just seems to me that it's ONLY because they feel it's expected. Well, I'm just not into that!


Hating life? Only because of the perception of me that I feel is out there... People, I am still the same 18, 21, 30something, 40ish, 50ish and plain 60 year old person I always was...Don't take that away from me.


I still want the same things, I still want to do the same things, I still want to feel a part of your lives as much as I want you to be a part of mine. Don't take that away from me.


I became part of the blog world probably about 10 months ago...first as a stalker and then a real life blogger. The stories I've read, the 'friends' I've made, the knowledge I have come to know have definitely made me a better person. I am truly grateful for that...because in that I know that I will never be alone...


It has also made me more aware or my mortality....


But that being said...


I am hoping that I can truly live up to the following:




I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio.. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things. Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and Compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.


I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their Hair could turn silver.
you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong. So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, But while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it). MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!
MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER! FRIENDS FOREVER!

Scary...yes...but....
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!
Comments are truly welcomed!