CREEPS ME OUT!!!

Hubby and I have lived in many places. During our early years together...well, not the grade school years, but the early years of our marriage, we lived in Florida. DH was in flight school. I worked for a chiropractor.

Florida was a great place to live. We really enjoyed it. It took us 10 minutes to go from locking our front door to our toes hitting the sand of the closest beach. We spent many days on the beach, staring - in awe - at many of the creatures that God has made.

I remember once, when applying for a job, hearing a noise across the parking lot....there was a bird as tall as I am, walking along beside me.

One time, I noticed a lot of people pulled over on the side of the road, looking into an inlet. I pulled over, to be nosey, and saw manatee for the first time. They are now one of my favorite mammals.

DH and I would have lunch at a park and sit on a bench at water's edge and watch the dolphins.

We would sit on the beach and watch the pelicans dive into the water for a scoop of something yummy. We would laugh as these birds would skim across the water and misjudge the height of a wave and flip, catching their beak on the water.

I can remember being warned by the locals about being careful when walking our dogs at night. There was a large drainage ditch behind our house that crocodiles could come in. We were told that our sweet Leonard Percival and Sparky Dog could soon become snacks if we didn't keep them close.

We had moles in our yard, snakes in our grass and roaches (that were called "Palmetto Bugs") that would fly past, sounding like a C-5 in a holding pattern.

We even had a snake slither through a hole in the window screen and greet my hubby at the sink (who immediately grabbed the serpent with my kitchen shears to go outside and be disposed of......the head popped off and my coward dog peed on it.)

Truly, it was a wonder to see all the wildlife.

Until one day....one morning, to be exact....one morning when the wonder turned to terror....when the awe in "awesome" became "AWFUL"....when I had to question God....WHY? Why was this creature, this monster, this FILTH, created?

Yes, one day, I was awakened, quite abruptly, by a nightmare.

DH was at work. I was in bed, quite content in my sleep, when I felt something on my arm. I had two babies at the time: Sparky and Leonard, and I'm not ashamed to say that they slept in bed with us. I brushed the tail of one of the dogs off my arm. A few minutes later, I felt it again.

I looked up.

I couldn't even scream.

I was covered.

COVERED!!!

There were little black, winged-bugs ALL OVER the place. They were on the walls, on the window, on the floor, on my bed, on me.....I almost had to burn the whole smash.

I finally was able to pull it together and do what any self-respecting woman can do in a situation like that....I screamed.

Seeing as how the town we lived in had a mean age of 70+, my screams went unheard.

At that point, I did the only thing I could do, I got some Windex and started spraying these nasties. (Give me a break....I didn't have bug spray...what else was I supposed to use?)

It was the next day, at work, when I found out that I had been swarmed by termites.

*shudder*

That is all I can do now.

AND SHE SHOOTS A GUN

Sarah Palin

NOW THAT IS COOL!!!

DAY 4

And I'm happy to report that:

1.) I haven't even had a tea (yet)....and I don't have a headache (yet).

2.) Woke up this morning and I'm down 2 1/2 pounds. WOOHO!!!!

A FEW THINGS

I need to point out.

First off...today is the 27th. Yesterday was the 26th. (Heh...did you know that?)

Anyway, exactly ONE MONTH from yesterday is September 26....the Opening Day of The Great State Fair of Texas.

So what that means is this: the holidays start in just a few short weeks.

In preparations, my hubby and I took our 2 youngest cherubs....heh...who am I kidding? My hubby took ME to Garden Ridge to check out their Christmas stuff. Yes, it's up! WOOHOO!

I grinned, giggled and squealed and was delighted in the excitement in the eyes of my children. My 3rd ran from section to section, waving his arms around, yelling "LOOK AT THIS! LOOK AT THIS!"

I only had one small issue with one of the boys....my hubby. :(

He does get a bit frustrated with me....we had a few words of discussion (which is typical). He loves Christmas, don't get me wrong. But he loves it a bit cheaper and contained in the month of December. Every year we go through the same thing:

"Honey? Will you go look at Christmas stuff with me?"

"Do I have to?"

"NO, you don't have to, but I would like you to."

"OK, but please don't ask me again."

*sigh....and by the middle of the season (OK...by the end of September, I stop asking for his participation.)

Anyway, this day was a bit worse. Keep in mind, I have stopped drinking Dr Pepper. Perhaps I'm a bit "feistier" than normal....alright, there is a name for it, and it ain't "feisty." I was a bit cranky.

In the end, he promised me a bit of allowance (both monetary and approval) if I promised not to bother...I mean INVITE him on, what will surely be, my NUMEROUS holiday outings.

I love my humbug, I mean HUBBY.....he isn't a humbug really, but compared to me? Heh.....it's the yearly dance....The Christmas Can-Can!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL.....IT'S COMING....AS SURE AS SANTA WILL LEAVE COAL IN MY HUBBY'S STOCKING, IT'S COMING.

THANKS

My dear cyber-friend, Miss Paula, gave me this award. Thank you SOOO much.

I can't really remember how she and I found each other. I think she saw my link to Tollesons4Him and commented. I went to her blog to see who she was and VOILA! Fast friends!

Anyway, this is a fun award.

There are several blogs I check out daily:

Tollesons4Him

Make You Work More

Miss Paula

Renewed in Him

all of these are in my sidebar.

BUT, I would like to nominate 3 that I don't believe I've ever nominated for an award.

First: Random Thoughts from the Zoo. This gal is so sweet. She has a beautiful family. I have known her since the end of 2003. I have never met her IRL, but have chatted on the phone. She and I are kindred spirits. We have a lot of the same convictions AND the quirky sense of humor. AND, she shares my love for Harry Potter. Go check her out!

Secondly: Absolutely His. I have just, in the past year, gotten to "know" this gal. She is a hard-working student with a love for Christ that is very refreshing to see. Give her a shout!

Finally: Mischief Managed - Or Not. Like the first nominee, I have known this blog author since 2003....and yes...they know each other, too ;) We were all preggers together, I and "Mischief" with our 3rd and "Random" with her 4th. I have met "Mischief" on several different occasions. We have the same likes, dislikes and "issues" with people. She is also a fellow Harry Potter fan. LOL! Go say, "Hey!"

Thanks again, Miss Paula. I love to know that someone is reading. LOVE YA!

DAY 3

Well....still trucking.

I had another sweet tea.....2 actually.....THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Both my hubby and one of my best friends scolded me about it.

First off....thank you.....I need someone on my butt about it.

But, in the interest of "saving face:"

1. I'm looking at cutting the caffeine/sugar addiction

2. I'm looking at cutting HFCS.

CFA tea, to my knowledge does not have the HFCS.

YES...I do know it has a lot of sugar in it. I had just found out (and had it confirmed by my aforementioned friend) that the tea has 13 grams LESS sugar than DP.

AND, since I'm only (except for today) doing 22 oz of that vs. the near 64...well, I'm off on the right track.

I am aware of the fact that I could easily trade one addiction for the other. BUT, with my friend and my hubby watching me, I don't think it will happen.

And finally......at least for the next few days....I'M ABOUT TO START!!! CUT ME SOME SLACK!!!!!

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY

Today's recipe is another easy and tasty one. This is good for picnics and other events where finger foods are required.

HOT HAMBURGER SANDWICHES

1 pound ground beef
Miracle Whip
Jalapeno Relish (or finely chopped, pickled jalapenos)
Hawaiian rolls

Brown the beef. Drain well.

With the beef, mix enough Miracle Whip to make a sandwich spread....but take care not to use TOO much....just until meat sticks together.)

Add jalapenos to taste.

Split rolls horizontally, into thirds.

Spread meat mixture on a slice and top with another (yielding 3 sandwiches for every 2 rolls)

That's it....couldn't be easier ;)

DAY 2

It is day 2 without my beloved.......

I have a mild headache, but have not taken any pain killers today. I have had a large, sweet tea from Chick-fil-A. (They need to know that I still love them :) )

Anyway, feel a bit shakey and anxious.....but this is a bit easier than I anticipated. I still REALLY want one, but I'm doing relatively OK.....KEEP PRAYING!

DAY 1

I probably won't do this every day....but some have asked how I'm doing, so I'll post an update.....


Today is Day 1 without my beloved friend. Alas, I didn't even consume all the Dublins...3 of them reside in my fridge. I might drink one a week...and even then, 8 ounces per week is a darn sight better than 3-4 gallons of the stuff.

I'm not really cranky, but I do have a headache. I also feel like I'm dragging a bit.

Such is life.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Tomorrow (the 24th) is my husband's and my wedding anniversary. Seventeen years we have been married. We dated for about 4 years before that. Knew each other for many years before that. We are 37 and have known each other for 31 of those 37 years.

My sweet man and I have a great marriage. In fact, looking at all the people we know...and I mean ALL of them, I would say that our relationship is better than theirs. There are many reasons for this, I'm sure.

One reason is that we have, from the very beginning, put God as the center of our marriage and our family. If you are a person who does NOT have God as the center of your marriage....well, please don't go around giving advice.

Another reason is the respect, not just love, that we have for each other. I recognize him as the head of our household. That does not mean that I have no say in what goes on. He will ask my feelings on matters...and I share with him honestly and openly. But, in the end, what he says, goes. Some of you may think this is archaic, but......whatever. I don't really care what you think. HA....which is another reason we are doing so well. ;)

Another big reason is this: I married my best friend. I'm not just being mushy. I know everyone says they married their best friend, but really? I mean...REALLY? So, if you INSIST that you married your best friend, let me ask you this.....was he/she your best friend when you married? Or did he/she become your best friend...like the hole-y undies you just can't seem to give up?

THAT is what I'm talking about. DH and I were best friends before we married, and it only go better from there. We have each other's best interests at heart (refer to the DP dilemma), and can share anything without fear of judgment. That is a very happy place to be.

Now....let's walk back in time.

One story from the past is this: when we were in about 2nd grade, I guess, DH and his friend were playing. The dad of the friend told these 2 boys, "You know? One of these days, one of you is going to marry ~LL~." They both laughed, and said the obligatory, "EWWWW!" (actually, DH distinctly remembers stating that I was weird. HA...serves him right.) The other boy? He is our dentist. :-D

OK...this first picture is of a first grade Easter egg hunt. It's really hard to see clearly. (If you click on the picture, you can see a bigger photo.) Do you see the little girl on the right? She is wearing the white sweater. That is me. Do you know who took the picture? My hubby's mother. Now....being in a small town, it is easy to list the names of the children on the picture. There were 2 names listed. The first is DH's sister (she is the 3 year old...she is with the small grouping of 3 girls to my right (your left)). My name is the 2nd name listed. Hmmmmm......



Fast forward about 4 years to my 10th birthday party. I had a big roller skating party. My mother even made me a snazzy new, pink, skating dress. Those are my classmates standing around me as I open presents. See the strapping young lad in the super-cool silver and black jacket? That is my DH. (Heh...every time he sees this picture he says, "I loved that jacket. That was a cool jacket." Ly, one of my readers, is in the striped shirt standing right in front of me. (Incidentally, I used to have crush on the kid with his finger in his mouth. So strong was my love for him, that his name was written on the bottom of my shoe. *sigh*)

This next picture is of the 2 of us at our Junior Prom. *sigh* Isn't he a handsome guy? Yes, they allowed mustaches in school.....and guns in our trucks and pocket and butterfly knives in our pockets. (By the way, I promised DH that you would not tease him about his Superman curl. You can't see it, but tucked neatly underneath his tuxedo is his red cape ! ;) )

Now THIS picture is from Homecoming of our Senior year: 1988. DH is in the pale yellow shirt and I'm standing right next to him. I was a twirler...explaining the outfit I'm wearing. He was NHS Beau, and I was Choir and Lions Club Sweetheart. (Les.....who are you lookin' at? ;) )


Finally, here we are getting hitched. AWWWWWWWW......

AWWWWWWWWWWWW............

And finally, a recent picture. Older, fluffier, definitely wiser, and more in love than ever.

Happy anniversary, my love. I pray we have many happy years ahead of us.

I love you!

BFF AWARD

Now this is a totally cute award.

My relatively new, but great cyber-friend at BlessedwithGrace gave this to me. Go pay her a visit....she is a good, Christian lady with a totally cute daughter....AND great recipes to boot! THANKS, DEAR FRIEND!

Here are the rules:

- Only 5 people are allowed to receive this award.

- 4 of them followers of your blog.

- One has to be new to your blog and live in another part of the world.

- You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

This is kind of tricky......hmmmmm....

Here are my picks: MommySpice, Tolleson4Him, Miss Paula, Momto3jjj, and Mom's My Name.

Technically, "Mom's My Name" has followed my blog longer than the others listed, HOWEVER she is in Canada....that is as far out as I could get. LOL.

Love you all!

LOVABLE......for now

My friend just gave me this award. I figure I need to put it up now, before I go through detox....otherwise, I might not be so lovable LOL! (PS.....I didn't create the banner)

Now I happily pass this on to a few other friends of mine. LOVE YOU!

BlessedwithGrace

Lanarightnow

StacyFamily

Pass it on.

WELL CRAP

So I don't even know how this is going to come out...as this post was totally unplanned. I'll just start with the events that led to this.

My hubby....(sweet guy, you'd like him,) and I were talking on the phone today. Something we do a lot :) He tells me "You need to stop drinking Dr Pepper."

That statement is one that has floated around this house a lot. It comes in various forms:

"You should really stop drinking so much Dr Pepper."

"No telling how much weight you would lose if you stopped drinking Dr Pepper."

"You know you are addicted if you have to have one first thing in the morning."

I know...I KNOW....I KNOW!

There is nothing surprising here, really. I'm not a complete idiot and I am perfectly able to 'fess up to my problems.

"HI. I'm ~LL~ and I have a drinking problem."

It is almost my symbol...think of me, think of me with a DP in my hands. Think of DP, think of how I would like one.

I have my faves....Chick-fil-a has THE BEST fountain DP in Texas. There are 2 kinds of DP I LOVE....not like....LOVE.....regular Dr Pepper (with all its evil, high fructose corn syrup-y, goodness) and a Dublin....made with real cane sugar. (Those cost a LOT more than regular DP.)

SO...back to the original crap....my hubby calls with this statement. There was no "suggestion" in his voice, nor was he demanding. He was just telling me, as my hubby...the one I trust and love more than anyone on this earth....that for my health, I need to stop drinking the drink of champions.....this elixir to the gods.

I am saying nothing...mainly because I am busy nursing my daily CFADP (Chick-Fil-A Dr Pepper) at the moment...my mouth was busy. I quickly tally, in my head, the total daily intake. These numbers are not made up.

On a NORMAL day.....I have a 22 oz DP from CFA, then refill with 2 cans of my own stash....for a total of 46 oz.

On Sundays, I have a 20 ouncer by about 10:00 a.m., then at least 1-2 cans during the day.

On a bad, high stress day, it goes as much as 64+ ounces. I won't even start to calculate the grams of sugar or the other toxins that I happily ingest DAILY.

THEN, hubby....in a low, down-right dirty trick, plays the "Biblical" card. He says to me that if I have something that I'm addicted to, it can't be Biblical. What I hear is this: "Your body is a temple....don't trash it." "If you have an addiction, it is an idol." "You tell your kids the same thing about PS2...practice what you preach." "Don't give yourself any serious health issues while you have children in the house." "Don't give yourself any health issues while you are still HAPPILY married and plan to be so for MANY years to come."

THEN I, myself, trump in with the "submission" card.

Now I don't expect a lot of you to understand where I am on this......and no offense, I don't expect those of you who don't understand to be as happily married as I am. Those of you who are, and are Christian, KNOW where I'm going with this.

I should submit to my hubby. And right now...that totally sucks!!! *stomping foot in a hiss* Yet, I know I need to do this.

I dumped 1/2 a CFADP. :( I even dumped about 1 liter from a bottle I had left. I can't cut cold turkey for 2 reasons: the severe headaches that I will get and the safety of my children. (Oh...and the fact that I have about 5 Dublins in my fridge right now......those are liquid gold...you don't just go dumping that stuff. Sure, there are those out there who would love a "Dublin donation," but honestly, I don't know if I like you that much.) LOL....JUST KIDDING!!!! (kind of)

So my plan is this.....today, tomorrow and Sunday, finish off the Dublins. THEN, when DH is home to keep my kids safe and to nurse me through my "detox" I will stop. I will drink some sweet tea to help with the sugar/caffeine issues, but not often.

Those of you who care....PLEASE pray for me. This is not going to be easy.....I joke about it, but it really is a problem for me....I'm seriously addicted to the stuff.

And one final note, (I'm already cranky) when you refer to Dr Pepper...PLEASE don't put a period after "Dr"....it's not there...really, it's not....they dropped the period many moons ago.

Also...in your support...please don't tell me how much DP YOU drink and how you are OK with it....it's not you...it's ME!

TOO FUNNY

You will laugh your tush off. It is worth watching the whole thing...about halfway through, you will be rolling!

My friend, Miss Paula, sent this too me.

CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE

My family and I go through 6-8 gallons of milk per week....yep, you read that right....per week. That is a lot of cash to dump into the dairy industry.

I usually buy Borden, though coupons can get me to buy a different brand from time to time.

Anyway, last week, I bought about 4 gallons and put in my fridge as normal. We drank one gallon. I then opened up a gallon. I poured it into one of my children's cups...there were small "chunkies" floating in it. EWWW :-( Since the cup was being recycled, I assumed the cup was worse off than I thought, I dumped the milk, grabbed a clean one and poured some milk in the new cup....there were chunkies in this as well.

WHAT?!?! I couldn't believe the milk wasn't fresh. There are a few things I'm crazy about....."sell by" dates are in that category....to me, "sell by" means "drink by." I KNEW I hadn't bought old milk....so crazed am I with the dates, that I often dig for the latest date. The sell by date was August 23....it was only the 13th.

Now I'm not one to call and complain....no really.....stop "guffawing" I really don't just call and complain. I just suck it up. BUT, milk is expensive and I go through so much. We called Borden and left a message. We were supposed to hear yesterday from a representative.

We didn't. I can't say that I was surprised...they ARE a big company and it's just ONE GALLON.

Today, they called. Not only did they call, but without any question or desire for the scenario, asked where I lived and said they were bringing me some milk.

"That's really not necessary, but I do appreciate it."

"Ma'am. It IS necessary and I will call you in 15 minutes when I'm on my way to your home."

Well.....he called in 10 minutes, showed up 15 minutes after that with 1 gallon of white milk and 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk.

We are sealed as "CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE."

Buy Borden...they treat their customers well.

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY

This recipe is SOOOO easy. And easily a favorite in my house.

What is really great about this is that you can start it before church and it will be ready when you get back. MOST people enjoy this.

Here is a history behind this:

WAY back in the day (DH and I had only been married a few months) we had gone back to our home town to visit family. My parents were out of town, but we stayed with his folks, visited my grandparents, and any friends that couldn't seem to find the ONE ROAD OUT OF TOWN (but I digress).

Anyway, we got into town on Friday evening. Visited. Woke up Saturday morning and discussed what time we would get up and get ready for church when my DMIL ("dear mother-in-law" for those who are challenged in the acronyms of message board land) announced for all to hear: myself, my hubby, my DMIL, DFIL, DH's grandfather and DH's sister that, "Guess what? We think ~LL~ will make Sunday lunch for the family."

WHAT?!?!?!

I didn't cook then. I BARELY did Hamburger Helper....not because of a love of the product, but hunger is a very motivating thing. I was near tears. I hid in a room and called my mother. It was a desperate plea really, to give me an exit strategy.

What she did give me was this recipe. I served it with salad and rolls and the whole family was satisfied....and convinced the I would not kill DH...nor starve him.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, melted
1 cup white rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can water
6 chicken breasts

Melt stick of butter in a 9 x 13 casserole.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the rice, all the soups and water. Stir well so the lumps of rice and/or soup will be broken up.

Pour soup mixture over butter.

Lay chicken on top of rice. Season (if desired).

Cover with foil.

Bake at 250 for 4 hours OR 350 for 2 hours.

SEASONS

Seasons mean change. There are several "seasonal" type things going on today.

First off, my oldest 2 children started school today. I'm quite sad, actually, as I love having them home. But, I am glad to get back to some kind of schedule. I'm not ever as organized as I would like to be, but I do try....and I find it a bit easier during school.

Another thing is that we are having UNUSUAL seasonal weather. It is mid-August....it is mid-August in North Texas....meaning we are normally celebrating yet another day of 100+ temps....and have been for the last 20-30 days. However, right now, we are sitting at 74 degrees...outside....August 18....noon. WOW! And it is rainy.....wonderful.

Probably the most exciting event of the day is this......I had to go to CVS to get a replacement comb...apparently our other comb grew legs and walked away. ANYWAY...got a comb (actually 2) a brush and some gel for my kids' hair.....got some hairspray for myself and headed toward the checkout counter. I passed the aisle right behind the candy (HALLOWEEN CANDY :D) and what did I see?

FALL AND THANKSGIVING STUFF!!!!!

WOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!

insert happy dance here...along with squeals of delight

I bought an apple spice candle just to celebrate!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Hope y'all have a great day!

13 thoughts in 13 minutes

Is that what it was? If you click on my sidebar (Make you work...), my friend Claudia did this. She had tried it before, but alas, victory was not in her grasp. HOWEVER, she did it this time. I had thought about doing it and frankly, I forgot. SO....I will try now.

It is my understanding that you just type out 13 random thoughts...one per minute. As I am convinced that I have adult ADD, it should not be hard. So here goes:

1. OK, this is the first minute....hmmmm....I wonder if I need to figure out when to stop. Nope, I'll just keep up with the numbers...you know? 13 ideas in 13 minutes? Let's see. 12 left. This is kind of a neat idea.....tag to any who want to do this.

2. Well, here I am, enjoying my quiet time. DS #4 is asleep (which makes for difficulties tonight, but I'm IN THE MOMENT.) My hubby has the other 3 at the movies, The Clone Wars. LOL! They are having a blast, I am sure. It is one last thing before school starts...TOMORROW!

3. Which leads us to school. I can't believe it. Summer is already over. My oldest is in 4th. He is nervous. He seems on the shy side and is nervous because there is one kid in there who has bullied him a bit in the past. I know boys will be boys, but this is MY boy we're talking about. Time for boxing lessons :D

4. So far, this doesn't seem too terribly hard....but I'm not even halfway done yet. My hubby made a brisket last night. We just bought a smoker. It was YUMMY! I might go grab a piece in just a minute.....actually, in about 9 minutes *grin*

5. Hmmm....that minute went a bit faster. So, I will have my younger 2 kids home with me. My 3rd could go to kinder this year, but we decided to keep him home one year. With his ear and maturity level and all....well, it's just the best thing to do. I intend to work with him on various skills.

6. Wow....did you know that the draft auto save goes every minute? I just saw that. I was watching my clock and saw a familiar "blip." How handy is that? I can see that a lot easier than I can see the clock that is a whole few inches away from my view.....but wait....did I just hear a car door? I might not get to finish.

7. Darn...the auto save does NOT go every minute. I'm at 4:59, but the auto save is at 4:58. I'm going to have to yell at the kids.....the auto save just went off again......

8. Now everyone is asking what I'm doing. I tried to explain....well, just said, "I'll explain in a minute" (actually about 5 away) that I would tell them why I can't talk...then DH comes in and says, "What are you doing? Folding laundry?" Yeah, smarty.....it's obvious, ain't it? DUH!

9. I have some Christmas stuff to do. I don't know if I put the site on my blog, but you can go to OrganizedChristmas.com.....it is totally cool...for someone like me. I know that most won't look at it and those who do will laugh at me.....oh well......4 more things.

10. My efforts are bout to be thwarted by my family. ARGH!!! My 2nd son is sitting next to me...he just kicked his shoes off....OH MY GOSH!!! It stinks! BAD and DS #4 just came in here naked...totally. naked.

11. Can I do it? Hey...have y'all been watching the Olympics? Totally fun. Only one week to go. I enjoy almost everything on there...though I had to put in a Harry Potter movie because of withdrawal.......

12. Only 2 more.....only 2 more. So anyway, next week is my anniversary. I hope to do a big blog about that...I need to scan some pictures, but I'm challenged...short bus challenged in all things technical. Hopefully you'll see some pics to go with my words.

13. I am now on minute 13.....woohoo...go me....at what cost? One kid in the back playing a game. Stinky feet beside me. Naked butt on the arm of the couch and number 3 dozing on the end of the couch.

Have a good Sunday.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I'm so sad....I just found out that the 6th movie "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will NOT be released November 21st, as originally intended. It has been delayed to July 17, 2009.

Please observe a moment of silence in respect for my mourning.

THE EAGLES - WITCHY WOMAN

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY

First off.....I know it has been awhile. School is about to begin and I have been pretty busy with stuff.....it'll probably be about a week before I post another "regular" entry.

As far as recipes...I have been asked, quite a bit, if these are "my" recipes. I guess mine versus Betty Crocker. ;) I'm flattered by the question as they seem to be enjoyed.

The basic recipe is not mine (for the most part.) I will get a recipe, but then I make changes. So in that respect, it's mine, but I didn't create the recipe idea, does that make sense? Some are recipes that I have and don't know from where. Some are MINE....meaning nobody told me what to do, I just did stuff until I liked it.

The Charro Beans are MINE. Granted, you can probably find the same, or very nearly same, recipe. But, I didn't get it from someone....I just did it.

This following recipe is mine. There are many out there, I'm sure, that are similar. But this is one that I pulled out of my own noggin. HOPE YOU ENJOY!

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

ingredients:

1 deboned chicken; (I either boil a whole bird and debone it, or buy a rotisserie and debone it. When in a SERIOUS hurry, I buy/use precooked cubed chicken breast.)

1 green pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

2 tsp butter

1 pound Velveeta, cubed

1 small can milk

1 can Rotel

flour tortillas

grated cheese

Have chicken ready (deboned and cut into bite-sized pieces.)

In pan, melt butter. Saute onion and pepper until tender.

add the Velveeta, milk and Rotel. You need to stir pretty consistently as the milk will scorch if you let it sit long.

Make sure everything is melted and there are no chunks of cheese.

Remove from heat. Stir in chicken pieces.

In a 9 x 13 casserole sprayed with Pam, layer some bite sized pieces of flour tortillas. (do not make a SOLID layer of tortillas...the sauce needs to get under a little bit. Otherwise the tortillas will bake to a solid, tough mess.) (and no...I don't roll the chicken enchiladas...only the beef.)

Pour half the cheese/chicken mixture over the tortillas.

Repeat tortilla then cheese/chicken mixture layers.

Top with grated cheese. I do not recommend cheddar, as it is a bit too greasy for this dish. I would recommend colby jack.

TIM HAWKINS

funny funny man!

NO TITLE WILL DO

There is really no title to sum up what I am about to tell you. As with many of my stories, this will seem unbelievable. BUT I ASSURE YOU....this actually happened.


WAAAAAAY back before we had kids my hubby and I (along with our 2 weenie dogs...Leonard Percival and Sparky Dog) were driving from our home in New Mexico, to our hometown in Texas. We were on our way to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of my grandparents. A huge event was planned. It was late and we were at the end of a very long trip. Those from the area I'm talking about know how there is NOTHING out there....well, there was something, but not anymore.


As I said, it was very late...very dark. The stars were out, but as I remember, there was no moon. We were in a Pontiac Sunbird. We were driving the back roads, allowing us to go a bit faster and not worry about traffic. We were likely listening to a favorite radio station and talking about something inspirational when all of the sudden


WHAM!!! OK...it was a lot louder than that, but of course, I can't relay that over the blog.


Anyway, with the "wham" came a sudden jolt. Hubby, being a great driver with a cool head, managed to keep the POJ Mobile (pronounced "POZSH" mobile...p.o.j....piece of junk....get it?) Anyway...he managed to keep the POJ mobile on the road with minimal swerving. He brought the car to a stop.

I was in hysterics as whatever happened scared THE CRAP out of me! Crying, I asked DH what had happened. He replied, "We hit something. I didn't even see it!" He was apparently shaken. We honestly didn't know what had been hit. DH thought about turning around to investigate, but I was too scared and begged him not to. In that neck of the woods, it's not uncommon to hit a coyote, but you don't want to go up on an injured animal. And, since we didn't have a pistol with us, we didn't want to chance it. On the off chance that it was a person......well, I don't even want to go there.


SO...at my insistence, my hubby continued our drive home. We had 40 miles or so to go. No cell phones. No traffic. No call boxes. No houses. We were out in the oil field where there is NOTHING...only pumpjacks, stars, 2 people, 2 dogs and the POJ Mobile.


A POJ Mobile that is suddenly not running well. It was pulling horribly to the right. (That is what happens when you hit something hard enough, huh?) AND, in the faintest of starlight, we could see that the front of the POJ was messed up badly. So badly, in fact, that my hubby practiced all of his colorful words. So badly that the POJ was named the POJ after this happened...'cause it was all downhill from there.


Instead of tootling along at a comfy 80-90 mph, as we had been doing, we were now forced to slow to a creeping 40-45 mph, constantly fighting the right pull, seeing the jacked up front of the car and coping with the hysterics of the only female in the car.


We FINALLY got home. I immediately found my dad. (I'm not ashamed...I'm a Daddy's girl.) I found my dad and just collapsed against him and cried, "DADDEEEEEEEEE....we hit something. My car is messed up."


SO...all the men who were standing around began to engage in the sordid events of the last hour and a half. While the men questioned my hubby and congratulated him on a job well done, I leashed my babies (my dogs) and let them start sniffing for a place to release their pent-up anxiety.

Leonard ran one way and Sparky went for the car. I mean, what dog wouldn't? There had to be some evidence...some clue as to what we had destroyed out there on the lone desert highway. My small, red, mini-dachshund ran under the car. I could feel the leash jump with each snort and sniff of his small muzzle. Next thing...well....I really have to be there to tell you...but Sparky grunted. Like a grunt when someone sneaks up behind you and gooses you in the side...hard. It was kind of an "UH!" But longer and louder....followed by Sparky darting back out from under the car. Something had scared that little dog.


The men went to investigate immediately. They opened the door. Between the light of the car and the street light, I heard, "WHAT IS THAT?"


There was a lot of mumbling and murmuring.



The car was jacked up. The underside was looked at. There was a hide....stretching from the front axle to the rear tire. There was a leg caught in the axle. There was a head.....THERE WAS A HEAD...with tusks. And coarse, long hair. Do you know what it was? It was a wild boar. A boar that stood tall enough to barely be seen over the top of the hood. A boar that weighed a good 300-400 pounds. A boar that, for all intents and purposes, should have caused us to flip. A boar that, had we seen it in the daylight, we would have.


My first question was, "Is it dead?"


HUH????


OK...I readily admit that I'm blond, but I totally blame my hysterics for my muddled thinking.

My dad informed me that yes, after having drug the animal for over 40 miles, he was, INDEED, dead.


or, "DEADER'N DOORNAIL."


One of the funniest things though (as if the whole story doesn't tickle you a bit) was that when I finally went to sit down...mascara all smudged, still hiccuping from my tears...I sat at my grandmother's table...along with 2 of my aunts and one of my great-aunts...a very OLD lady.


She was a bit deaf.


DID I SAY SHE WAS DEAF?


Right slap in the middle of my story, she looks at my grandmother and yells, "What's wrong with her? Why is SHE crying?"


My grandmother yelled back, "She ran over an animal."


"What?"


"SHE RAN OVER A WILD BOAR!"


"WHAT?"


"SHE RAN OVER A PIG!"


"PIGS? We haven't had pigs for years."


There ya go.....really.

EAGLES!!

TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY

TORTA

A torta is a Mexican sandwich. This is easy and OH SO tasty. Hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

oblong roll (take your pick....you can use a french bread, a hoagie roll...I like to get an artisan bread) - slice in half horizontally

chorizo (you can use soyrizo if you have something against the good stuff)

black beans

shredded chicken

toppings: tomato, lettuce, red onion, avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, cheese, lime wedge...whatever floats your boat

In a skillet, brown some chorizo. Once it is browned, add black beans that have been drained and rinse. Mash together until most of beans are mashed.

Take your bread and hollow out some of the extra bread on each slice. You don't want it TOO thin, but it helps that some of the bread is pulled out. On bottom slice, spread some bean mixture. Top with shredded chicken. I broil for a few minutes, at this point, to heat and crisp the bread a bit.

Then, just top with whatever strikes your fancy. If you use a large roll (like a baguette) slice into serving sizes. This is an excellent sandwich to take on a family picnic.

IRONY

The above is a picture of ANWR. You know....there are a lot of people who won't allow the U.S. to drill and access the MILLIONS of barrels of oil from this place.....something about it disrupting the wildlife and such.

BUT, they will allow THIS?

I GUESS I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.

BACK IN THE DAY

A lot of my planned posts are from back in the day. For some reason, I think you might be interested in things that happened when I was growing up. Perhaps these can lead you to understand why I'm such a goofball. Heh....Anyway, if you don't care, don't read. It's no skin off my nose....

SO, I was about 6 or so. I'm not really sure, but I have a pretty clear memory of what happened. My mother was going shopping and, of course, I was with her. There was a small clothing shop - locally owned. The ladies who ran the place were very nice. Being in a small town, we all knew each other and were very friendly toward one another.

This little shop sold everything for the working woman. Hosiery, lingerie, shoes, socks, dresses, perfumes, pant suits, jewelry, make-up compacts, small make-up mirrors, the nice key purses....actually, I don't know what to call them. They looked like little pocket books that you put your keys in...you could stick one key out at a time while the others were safely snapped inside the pocket. It was THIS that is part of the memory......

My mother was busy looking through the clothing. She could have been getting something for me or for herself. Being a small store and a small town, I was allowed to wander around as long as I didn't go behind the counter or out the door.

As Mother continued to look, I nosed around, crawled under clothing racks and tried on the bracelets. As I was looking at all the sparkly accessories, I decided to try out the perfumes. I never sprayed the perfume directly onto my skin...I did what I had seen my mother do. I sprayed it in the air and walked through the cloud of vapor. Not smelling anything, I continued my trek throughout the store.

After a little bit, I started to feel really sick to my stomach, and I also started to feel clammy. I felt like I was about to puke. I went to tell Mother....who said, "Have a seat, I'll be through in a minute." I hadn't been sitting for long, when I felt the need to tell my mother that I was REALLY feeling sick.

My mother started to get frustrated with me and asked me to sit in the car. I was mad and my feelings were really hurt. I felt like she wasn't taking me seriously. (In my house, if you didn't have spots, a lot of blood, or were puking right then, it wasn't anything worth fussing over.) So I went to the car to wait.

I don't really know what all happened at that point. I remember feeling a burning in my throat. My eyes hurt. I was hot, nauseous and scared. Since I had been told to sit in the car, I had no intention of getting out...even to alert my mother of my discomfort. Instead, I started screaming. I felt like I couldn't breathe and I just hurt. It was awful. I remember leaning against the window (trying to cool down) and crying/screaming. I remember seeing my mother, in obvious distress, rush out of the store and jump into the car.

Being a young mother, and never having seen anyone carry on so (much less her own child) she rushed to the home of her mother-in-law....my grandmother. Being older and wiser, my grandmother immediately prescribed Sprite and soda crackers to calm my stomach. She got a cool cloth on the back of my neck and on my forehead. Then she, and my mother, began to question the events leading up to my problem.

I told them of the clothing racks, the bracelets, the perfume...all that I had done while my mother had shopped. My mother asked about the perfume. She and my grandmother thought that perhaps I had had an allergic reaction to the perfume. My mother called the shop to find out what kind of perfume it was.

The lady on the phone assured my mother that there wasn't any perfume out on the counter. My mother argued a bit, then came back to talk to me. She said, "Now tell me exactly where the perfume was and what you did with it." I told her that I had sprayed the perfume that was attached to the key chain.

Mother called the store again and described where the perfume was, exactly.

I cannot tell you the anger that was in my mother's voice and eyes when she found out that it was not perfume I had sprayed. The perfume was locked up. No, my friends....it was MACE!

Yep, I had maced myself.

Have you ever been maced?

It is not pretty.

I don't recommend it.