NO CHURCH??? Sunday????

It is rare for me to miss a Sunday at church unless we are out of town.  Starting late yesterday evening and into the night, I just haven't felt well.  My head is kind of stopped up and my tummy doesn't feel just right SO . . .I'm staying home from church this morning.  Mark just left and I'm sitting at the island in the kitchen.  I have a list of "to do's" for today but . . .not sure those are going to happen.  I'm going to try to find the app where I can listen to the radio and hear the sermon today.  I so wish we had livestream. (just stopped and looked - FM99.5 - I heart radio (hope it works at 9:00).

So I'm wondering if I just did way too much this week.  It was a fun week but . . .So just what did I do?

On Monday night, I got a pedicure (that was very relaxing!).  I had a stressful week at work trying to get information input into reports for our North Alabama Conference of the UMC.  The report was already late and I had to input ALOT of info.  I finally locked my portion of the report on Friday -- about 10 days late! (I didn't receive the email with the earlier due date and our report is usually not due until our November ad board so I wasn't in a hurry until the conference office emailed and wanted to know why they didn't have our info!).  All that to say, I needed the pedicure in more ways than one!  I love the nail salon that I use.  The name of the salon is Sapphire and I usually go ahead and get one of the more expensive pedicures because I need the relaxation.

This crazy week started on the heels of a fun weekend.  Laura was home for the first time in weeks and we had extra houseguests and we had folks over to watch the game on Saturday night.

We even made smores with fun square marshmallows!!

Tuesday was a regular day - worked in the office until 2:00 and worked from home on my tablet while I cooked for the young adults  - They arrived and we had a great night!!

Wednesday brought more typing into the conference forms (plus the regular day to day stuff) and dinner with our out-to-eat supper club at a restaurant new to us.  The name of the restaurant is FoodBar.  We enjoyed the company and Mark ordered the Flank Steak -- his didn't look JUST like this.  He ate it so I guess it tasted ok.  He also ordered bread pudding (it was not raspberry like on the menu today).  I ordered the burger and it was tasty.  The French fries were awesome - fresh cut; fried just right.

Thursday brought a new day - more typing into the conference forms plus regular work!  After work, Amy drove through Zaxby's and grabbed us a Zax Snack (or something) and we ate in the car in the parking lot.  We met up with a few other co-workers and drove out to Gardendale First Baptist Church to see and hear Lauren Daigle.  Lauren Daigle was awesome and I enjoyed hanging out with the group!

The concert was sold out.  I went on Gardendale First Baptist Church's website to see if I could find out how many seats are in their worship area (anyone know???) -- I would say at least 2500 (maybe way more).  If you haven't heard her, listen to Lauren Daigle here.  The people behind us saved 3 entire rows of seats!  Amy actually said, "Can you even do that?"  They didn't answer :-)  I left about 9:15 because Lauren Daigle wasn't singing but talking at that point and I knew it would take me at least 30 minutes to drive home.

Friday started the last day of the work week and I FINISHED MY REPORT AND LOCKED IT IN! (there is more due by other staff members . . .hope they get it all in!!)

The office closes early on Fridays and I shot out of there and ran by Costco and came home and took a 20 minute nap.  Then it was time to put on nicer clothes and drive back to Homewood.

Marietta, Laura Mc, and I went out to dinner at Cantina Laredo and then over to the BJCC to see a play.  It was a one-man show - you can read about it here.

I laughed a lot . . .and probably at some inappropriate stuff!!  I need to read the book.

So . . . I'm home today.  I honestly don't know if I'm "sick" or just reached saturation point (which is not usually an excuse to miss church at our house).  I think I freaked Mark out this morning when I couldn't remember whether the sun orbited the earth or earth orbited the sun (as we were sitting on our upstairs porch watching the sun rise).  Of course, as soon as he started telling me I remembered.  I was up two times during the night and I just think my brain wasn't working yet (don't anyone panic!). 

I'm listening to the service on the radio this morning!  I found it on I Heart Radio.  I just texted Stuart because the radio broadcast was weird and he texted me back that it was live (rather than the normal 15 minutes behind) because they had a fire alarm and had to evacuate the building . . and today is a HUGE Sunday - Celebration Sunday; Stop Hunger Now packing Sunday -- oh my goodness.  I miss one Sunday and all sorts of things happen!!

Home for HodgePodge

Link up with Joyce over at "from this side of the pond" and answer her hodgepodge questions.


1. Besides your very own house, describe a place where you feel most 'at home'?
I feel really at home at my sweet mother-in-law's house.  My husband lived in that house from the time he was 12 until he went away to college.  We still eat lunch there every Sunday after church.  I feel like it is "home" to not only me but to all of our children, too!!

2. When did you last 'hit a home run' with something? Explain.
I "think" I'm hitting a home run as a Gran!  Pops is definitely hitting a home run as grandpa!

3. Tell us about something you love in your house or kitchen that is 'homemade'.
I have a couple of quilts - one made by my grandmother and another made by Mark's grandmother - I love using them - I love feeling like I'm cocooned in the warm embrace of those who loved us.

4. 'A man's home is his castle'...which of the world's ten most captivating castles (according to The Travel Channel) would you most like to visit and why-

Mont Saint-Michel (France), Edinburgh Castle (Scotland), Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany), Glamis Castle (Scotland), Windsor Castle (England), Chateau de Chambord (France), Hampton Court Palace (England), Prague Castle (Prague), St. Michael's Mount (England), Leeds Castle (England), and Swallow's Nest (Ukraine)

I want to see ALL of the castles!  I would love to travel the world and I hope to at least make it to England, Scotland, and Ireland (I googled castles in Ireland JUST to make sure that there are castles in Ireland!)

5. What's a recent or upcoming plan or project that's required you do a little homework before getting started? Did the homework cause you to abandon your plan or adjust it in some way?
I always have homework to do when I'm teaching Sunday School and/or facilitating a study.  I also do my homework when I'm planning a shower like the one I helped host recently.  Craft projects usually require some study, too. 

6. In your opinion, is homework an unnecessary evil or a valuable practice? Should schools be done with homework? Why or why not?
Homework for the sake of "busy work" is just ridiculous.  I think homework helps most people develop some discipline in their lives and that is a really good thing!  Can you tell I have very mixed thoughts about homework????

7. Share a favorite memory of your childhood hometown.
I grew up in a small town in Alabama.  We roamed the neighborhood on our bikes or on foot.  We played kickball by the hour and we sang all sorts of songs as we pumped our legs and flew higher and higher in the swings.  One of my favorite memories is something we did before homecoming every year.  We decorated a giant truck using tissue paper crammed into chicken wire and we competed against all of the other classes.  I can still smell the big open space where we built the floats.  I can hear the laughter if I close my eyes. We had so much fun.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Several weeks ago, I told y'all (and showed a picture to you!) of a bed in the frontgate catalogue.  I ordered it last week and it came in time for our weekend company.  It is really neat!

Catalogue page

new bed in the craft room

This bed is so cool. When not in use, it looks like a LARGE suitcase with wheels.  You roll it out of the closet and unzip the suitcase.  You position a couple of things correctly.  You plug it in.  You turn the dial to inflate . . .and voilà . . .as it inflates, it opens on to the metal frame.   (I must clean out my craft room - I still want to buy the $1500-$2000 piece of "furniture" for the craft room and get rid of all my other pieces.  The website says it takes 10 hours to put it together (and comments on the site verify that fact).  Anyone out there own one of these scrapbox cabinets??)  Would love to hear about it.

BIG BATCH Beef and Bean Chili from South Your Mouth

Most of you know that I could for a large group every Tuesday night.  I'm always working hard on my spreadsheet of menus and I'm always continually learning how to quadruple recipes (not as easy as it sounds!).  I was so excited when I saw a recipe on South Your Mouth (love the name!).  The name of the recipe is BIG BATCH Beef & Bean Chili.

Our lovely daughter is home this weekend for the first time in a month or six weeks.  She brought two houseguests with her and has also invited several friends over to watch the Auburn game.  I offered to cook something so when I saw that this recipe would feed 18-20, I thought to myself "perfect"!!

As always, I started with the recipe as is but have changed it as I've gone along.  I think that the original eaters of the recipe must eat smaller portions because I don't think the original recipe is large enough.

Original Recipe courtesy of South Your Mouth

(my changes in red)

1 20 ounce bag Hurst's 15 Bean Soup dried bean mix (I purchased at Walmart)

6 cups water (I added more water after first two hours)

3 pounds ground beef (I used a little more simply because of size of packages - 3.25)

2 large onions diced (I cheated and bought pre-diced - two containers)

3 14-ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 - 16 ounce can tomato sauce (I used 2 cans)

2 packets chili seasoning

1 tablespoon garlic powder (I used 1 tsp garlic salt)

1 T cumin

2 teaspoons salt (I used one since I used garlic salt)

2 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 cans white kidney beans

3 cans pinto beans

1 can black beans

(if I had another can of tomatoes or tomato sauce, I would have added)

Combine dried beans with included seasoning packet and 6 cups water in a large pot or Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer two hours (I actually set the stove timer)

Around the 1 1/2 hour mark,  cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet until meat is cooked through and then add to beans (do not drain meat).

Add remaining ingredients, stir well, cover, then continue cooking on medium low for two hours or until beans are tender.  Add more salt or seasonings to taste if needed.

I added the other cans of beans in the "add remaining ingredients" time.  Please forgive the messy stove - remember we have houseguests and we cooked sausage links at breakfast.  I'll have to write another post about the knob and no numbers . . . it is totally annoying!!

This is the original cast of characters (plus meat)

These are the additional characters that I added!!

I've taste tested the broth and I think it is going to be good!!

Funny Faces

Last night, Mark and I went to visit baby girl and her daddy while her mommy was at a bridal shower.  Mark and I passed baby girl back and forth and thoroughly enjoyed being with her (and of course, our son!!).  I caught the funniest sequence of facial expressions that I wanted to share.  Baby girl has been making facial expressions since Day 1 of life outside the womb.  She can wrinkle up her forehead and cock her eyebrows like nobody's business!!

Baby girl was playing with her toy and having a good time while we served our dinner plates.

Then . . .Pops took away her toy.  Look at that expression on her face!!!!

See the smile?  Pops put the toy in his mouth (much like a dog) and was shaking it at her.  She was entertained.  Isn't it funny how we will do the craziest things to make a baby laugh?  Can you see that she is holding something in her other hand?  It is a straw that Pops twisted into itself to make a ring.  She loves a straw!!

Just FYI = We are smitten by this baby girl.  She is growing so fast.  I CANNOT believe that she is already 7 months old!!

making sense of a hodgepodge

It is Wednesday which means Joyce has new HodgePodge questions.  Join us!!

1. What would you say is your strongest sense?
My sense of smell is actually ridiculous.  I can smell a dirty diaper from the moment I enter a room.  I have horrible allergies so you would think that my sense of smell might be diminished but NO WAY! One of our pastors burned her lunch this week in our microwave and the smell has been killing all of us.  I could smell it before I even opened the door to the building on Monday!  Perfumes really KILL me.  I would love to live and work in a place with signs that read "please do not enter this office/home/etc. if you are wearing scented lotion or perfume."

2. Do you believe in the idea of a 'sixth sense'? Why or why not?
I'm not sure that I believe in a "sixth sense" per se,  BUT I do think the Holy Spirit nudges us sometimes (can be quite often!) and directs us.

3. When do you most feel like a slave to time? Explain.
Slave to time - hmmm - maybe on Sunday mornings?  We go to early worship (8:45) and then I teach adult Sunday School from 10:15-10:45 and then we go to Mark's mom's house for lunch at 12:30 . . and then we go home and I cook or buy groceries or clean house or do a million and one other things.

4. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? How would you rate the experience? If you could own a restaurant what kind would it be?
I have never worked in a restaurant HOWEVER . . . one time . . .a long time ago . . .our youth choir had a fundraiser at Applebee's restaurant.  I would not be a very good restaurant employee!  We did raise some money and we did have some fun but OH MY GOODNESS - what a day!  I'm not sure what kind of restaurant I would want to own.  Our friend, Jan, and Mark used to always kid around about owning a BBQ and Pie restaurant and naming it "Pig and Pie" - might be fun!

5. Ever traced your family tree? Share something interesting you learned there.
I've only done a little tracing.  I would like to do one of those DNA things where you find out about your ancestors.  I know that I have Cherokee Indian from my mom's side of the family and I have Irish from my dad's mom's side of the family.  The one time I delved into our family, I found out that my mother's father had killed my mother's little brother and then committed suicide.  It took my breath away reading the newspaper article from all those years ago.  My mother was not very old and I think she may have been there when it happened.  (my mom died when I was 15 so I was unable to ask her and my uncle didn't want to read the article . . .if I were he, I'm not sure I would have wanted to read it either.

6. What did your childhood bedroom look like?
When I was little bitty, I slept in a crib in my parent's room.  I moved into the room with my two sisters after that.  At some point in time, my daddy bought my sister and me this Chinese red furniture.  I actually saw a headboard like our beds in a junk shop not too long ago.  I wish I had taken a picture of it!! 

7. Anyone who knows me knows I love diet pepsis!!  I love my family and friends and I hope folks that know me know that I love God!!

8. Insert your own random thought here. 
It was 90 degrees here today.  Today is October 19 and this is the deep south and it was 90 degrees!  A cold spell is coming this weekend and we are supposed to have lows in the 40's and 50's and highs in the 70's.  This will be the first weekend I have been home in what seems like FOREVER!  Laura is coming home (haven't seen her in ages!!) and a friend of Laura's and her "daughter" are coming to stay also.  I've been getting out more Halloween decorations tonight because I thought the little girl might enjoy them.  I ordered that awesome inflatable mattress that has an actual base . . .but it hasn't come yet!  We may just have to use the regular kind of blow up mattress. (sorry - that is so normal for me -you asked for one thought and I gave you several!!)

Baby Boy Shower Vroom Vroom

I love a party with a theme!  I might not be (I know I'm not!) a floral designer and I might not be a lot of things BUT if you give me a theme, I can RUN with it!

Our friend, Bonnie, was expecting (actually, her daughter Lauren was doing the expecting!!) her second grandchild - a boy!

Two other friends and I hosted a shower for baby Will back in September.  One friend had a little plastic car that she keeps at her house for her grandchildren.  She showed it to me and we ran with the theme of cars!!

The invitations (not pictured) were made using my silhouette cameo and computer.  They each had a little red car in the shape that is on the door below.  I need to do a separate post about making the door hanger.  Oh my goodness - I had planned to make three.  You see one!  It was more difficult that I imagined.  Of course, all of the blogs talked about how simple and easy . . .yada yada.  Maybe since I was starting from scratch and trying to enlarge a pattern.  Another story for another day!  People did comment that they knew exactly which house because the front door matched the invitation.

You can see our car theme if you look closely.  That is a runner made to look like it is made from racing flag material.  We had sandwiches cut into the shape of cars and we had car cookies.  We served a coffee punch that is to die for!  I'm not a coffee drinker but this is so yummy.  Anything that has both vanilla and chocolate ice cream in it has to be good, right?

Here are the cookies.  One of the hostesses did an AWESOME job decorating these cookies!  Not only did they look great but they were delicious!

We have a bakery in town (several, of course) but this baker is called Pastry Art and they make Baby Bites.  They are tiny little cakes that melt in your mouth.  Usually, the icing designates what kind of cake is inside - like strawberry, red velvet, turtle, vanilla, lime margarita - unbelievable.  Anyway, we asked for all white icing with blue swirls and they were happy to oblige!  See that little blue car in the background -- see how it "sort of" matches our other cars.

Phella was chatting with Lauren (mother to be) and Bonnie.

Here is a cookie up close - amazing!!

I started to ask if you could guess what these fruit kebobs represent . . .but I'll tell you!  Look closely - they are traffic lights - green for go, yellow for caution, red for stop!!  Told you - we had a theme going!!

Here is another one of the cars!!

I used wooden crates and clear acrylic stands.  I picked up wooden initials (WWR) and painted them blue to go with our color scheme.

We served something to drink in these beverage containers -- sweet tea and lemonade (I think!).

The banner on the fireplace was fun to make.

Just in case you are wondering - sweet baby Will arrived. . . and weighed in a 11 pounds 7 ounces!!  He is a big beautiful boy and this was a fun shower!!

One of My FAVORITE places

I love driving out to our farmer's market.  Some people worry about me when I go because it is in a different part of town.  I've never felt unsafe there.  As a matter of fact, for some weird reason, I feel totally at home there.  Maybe it is because my granddaddy and my daddy both always had a big garden.  I don't make it out there very often now that I work full time but I try to go every year for my pumpkins.  (I like the farmer's market so much that my very first blog post talks about going to the farmer's market - back in 2009!!)

A couple of weeks ago, I made a trek out to the market.  I was already closer to the side of town where the market is located than normal (my office is closer than my house to the market).  I still had a couple of hours of daylight left so I was golden.

I buy my pumpkins from the same booth every year - I make the check out to Nancy Smith (and that name is easy for me to remember because we had a cousin/close friend named Nancy Smith who died a couple of years ago . . .so I feel this weird connection there, too!!)

I like to kid myself that they remember me from year to year.  Probably not . . .but I can pretend, right?

So I loaded up my cart with pumpkins for the front porch and pumpkins for the dining room table.  I also purchased two giant mums to replace our ferns on the front porch.

Love this sign!  (yes, I know I have "loved" a lot of things in this post)

Here is the dining room table.  I try to do something a little different each year.  This one seems sort of standard.  I'm going to hang some paper bats from the chandelier, I think.  Not sure what else I will do.  Any suggestions?

This last picture is grainy because I took it at 10:00 last night and I just cropped it to get just the mums and pumpkins.  I have three pumpkins on either side of the door and we have a mum on the right and left of the top step.

So what in the heck does this post have to do with anything?  Not much - but it gave me pleasure to jot it down.  It made me stop and give thanks for the things in my life as simple as pumpkins and mums . . .and a home to decorate. . . and a trip to the farmer's market.

MOVE OVER HODGEPODGE

It is only Thursday night and I'm answering the HodgePodge questions from yesterday - better than some weeks!!!
Join us over at From This Side of the Pond

1. What would you say is the best and worst thing about moving house?

We just moved into our house two years ago . . .after living in the same house for 22 years.  One of the best and worst things is one and the same - the cleaning out!  We needed to weed through our belongings and it was horrible.  We had so much junk!!  Weeding out was also good!!  Mark and I don't tend to "hang on" to many things BUT WE STILL took 12 pick up loads of stuff to the Salvation Army and we gave furniture and linens to the Community Furniture bank.

2. What's moved you recently?
I worked an Emmaus Walk this past weekend.  If you aren't familiar with Emmaus, it is a three day (72 hour) retreat away from phones and TV's and internet.  You spend time listening to talks about God and his grace and you fun songs and make new friends and odds are at some point, you will be MOVED.  I was moved multiple times.

3. Do you feel your life is moving forward, backward, or is on hold? How so?
I feel like time is moving forward at warp speed.  I feel like we just got back from Israel and celebrated Easter . . .and today, we were making plans for Advent and Christmas at work (I know I work in a church but it will be here before we can blink!!).  Now personally, I sure hope I'm growing and moving forward.  I've always heard that if you aren't growing . . .you are dying.  I want to grow and move forward!!

4. On the move, move mountains, get a move on, it's your move, or bust a move...which phrase best applies to some aspect of your life right now? Explain.
We are ON THE MOVE.  This weekend will be my third weekend out of the last four that I will be out of town - 1)beach vacation; 2) Emmaus Walk at Camp Sumatanga; 3)weekend "retreat" with our supper club at Red Briar Farm.  I know you didn't ask . . .but I plan to sit my big butt in a chair on the porch and read and laugh and talk.

5. What song makes you want to get up and move?
Don't make fun of me, ok?  The first two songs that came to my mind -- YMCA and Pharaoh Pharaoh (if you've never sung Pharaoh Pharaoh at camp or in Children's Sunday School - you have missed out - hand motions and all).  I'm laughing at myself.  I should never answer these questions after a long week . . .and after nine o'clock at night.

6. Your favorite snack to grab when you're 'on the move'?
We almost always keep Ritz Peanut Butter crackers (the six cracker packs) on hand in our pantry.  The crackers are portable; have a decent amount of protein; and are pretty filling.

7. What one accessory makes your house feel like home?
I love having a decoration on my front door and most of us in our neighborhood have a lamp on our porch(es).  There is something about lamplight after dark that is inviting.  I think having something on my front door is welcoming - "come on in".

yes - I just walked out onto the front porch and took these pictures!

8. Insert your own random thought here.
It is after 9:00 p.m.  I have no random thoughts!  Let's see . . .I've been trying to rest when I can this week.  For the last six weeks or so, I have pushed myself to the limit.  I realized over the weekend that it is ok if I don't say "yes" to everything.  I need to make sure that I have my priorities in the right order and spend time wisely.  I struggled as this last weekend approached because  . . .I was just struggling.  I needed this last weekend.  I was there to work and serve.  It never ceases to amaze me how God shows up in the most unusual ways!

When I drive through these signs at Camp Sumatanga, I always say outloud "hey God." LOVE this place.  Isn't the lake pretty?

9.  May I have one more random thought???  (of course I can, right?. . .I think about 3 people read my blog so when I'm 100 years old, Laura can read these things to me and I'll remember this!!)  My husband is so stinkin' creative.  He hung our skeletons on Monday night and we are the talk of the neighborhood!  Halloween is A BIG DEAL in our neighborhood.  I need to buy one more bag of 250 candy bars .. .for a total of 1000!!

cooking on sunday afternoon

So I have a crazy week coming up!  Monday night is our Leadership dinner at church so we will all work a really long day tomorrow.  Tuesday I will work in the office until 2:00 and then cook and host the young adults on Tuesday afternoon/evening.  I leave on Thursday right after lunch to go to Camp Sumatanga (one of my favorite places!!) to work an Emmaus Walk and I will be gone until Sunday night. 

I've made my to do list and I'm checking it twice and I'm doing laundry and cooking and ironing on this Sunday afternoon.  We went to worship and Sunday School this morning and then we went out to lunch with the family at Mr. Chen's (I had beef with broccoli and it was delicious!).  We had to take Mark's momma's car to the car dealership and leave it for some repair work and when we got home, I sat outside in the sun for about ten minutes and then took a 30 minute nap.  I told Mark that I was giving myself a little bit of Sabbath!!

My fortune from lunch - it is a good one!!

I've learned a little secret since I've been cooking to feed about 20 every Tuesday night for 6 1/2 years.  When I first started making giant meals I would cook the chicken in my big stock pots if I was going to need shredded/chopped chicken for a recipe.  Now I fill up the crockpots with frozen chicken breasts and season them and let them cook while I'm at church or work or wherever.  I use the crockpot for a million other recipes so I don't know why I never thought to cook the chicken that way.

Some of our young adults!!

I'm making Butch's Chicken Noodle Soup for Tuesday night.  It is such a comforting recipe and I miss our friend, Butch, so very much!  I feel like she is with me when I make her soup - silly, I know!  I'm also going to make 30 grilled cheese sandwiches!! (I'll make those on Tuesday night).  Since I will be gone the entire weekend, I am going to make the mac and cheese for the next Tuesday night and freeze it.

I believe this is the most mundane post I've ever written!!