A last minute Halloween

We (read: mom) pulled it off! My daughter decides she is going to go trick-or-treating with her boyfriend and his mom and little sister. The two of them traded roles. He wore one of her short bluejean skirts, t -shirt, black fishnet hosiery, and a pair of my black zip-up boots. He also wore a wig and make-up. She just really bummed out, put her hair up and wrapped a bandana around her head and wore a pair of her brothers baggy jeans and a big jersey. Also colored in a mustache and gotee. She was terribly disappointed with the results though, said she still looked like a girl. I told her she was too pretty to NOT look like one. Well that was all their work. Now the youngest wants to go with them (this was all decided just last night). We decide he is going to go as a puppy-dog. He wears his brothers brown sweat pants and a brown sweat shirt. I went by Wal-mart today and bought 1/4 yd of some brown furry material, and a cute hat that is suede patches on one side and brown fur on the inside w/a pair of matching gloves (Brittany wants these after he is done, double duty-yea!). I cut out a set of floppy ears and pinned them to the hat (turned inside-out), used some black shoe polish on his nose and presto! - cute puppy-dog! Add a leash and off they went.

We also had not gotten a pumpkin as of today and my son insists we have to have a pumpkin. So I picked up one on the side of the road (leave your money in a tin box) and he carved it when he got home from school. I cleaned up the seeds and just finished roasting them and am snacking as I type. Also sipping on a cup of hot cider spiked with a tad of rum. It all came together.

Happy Halloween to all and watch out for ghost's and goblin's!

Goodness shines through

I'm not sure if I'm am naive or if it just my nature to see the good in things.....but as a whole I think most people are honest and good. There have been a few instances at work that have shown this. One gentleman made a return for a $40 something item but I inadvertantly circled the one above it for $100. I did the return, gave him his change and he left. Only to come back and tell me that I returned the wrong item and gave him too much change. Another guy was making an exchange but at the same time told me that there was an item that got placed in his bag at the register without being rung up and he hadn't paid for it. When I shared this with others on my break they told me similar stories. People are good. Bad things happen and there are those that may not be as honest, but I like to think that most people are. I also believe that sharing these stories and even being a part of them will spread to others and in the end make this a better world.

I believe that everyone is born with goodness. Hatred and evil are learned things. Things that are learned can be un-learned, but the goodness we are all born with will always be there waiting to come out. Just a little something I wanted to share.....a little goodness to spread your way. Let your light shine on others today!

Warning! Warning!

Said like the robot on "Lost in Space", waving his arms wildly! (Or is it "Danger! Danger!"?)

As you may have noticed I no longer have music videos on my site. I have noticed when I go to those pages I tend to get oodles of pop-up boxes and as soon as I close one, two more pop up. I knew this couldn't be good. One site was worse than another. I'm also computer suave, and smart enough to know that you don't get something for nothing. The financial backing for these sites comes from advertising and the smart advertisers have learned how to take over your computer. Anyway, the last time (yesterday) I went to one of these sites my computer really started acting up and I couldn't even get into Explorer. Needless to say I was quite p***....uh....(shame on me).....perturbed. I just reformatted my computer a couple of weeks ago and thought I was going to have to do the same thing, but luckily I had the sense to use my "restore" feature and just restored it to the settings of the day before. This solution worked (whew!).

So just a heads up for those of you using music videos or considering it.....don't say I didn't warn you!

You asked....100 things about me...

1. I have to copy Cheryl here…I’m a Christian..(hope you don’t mind Cheryl)
2. I am Catholic and love my faith.
3. Mother of 3 wonderful yet challenging teenagers. (Is there one that isn’t?)
4. Married to my husband of 19 ½ years.
5. I was in the Army for 4 years.
6. That is where I met my husband.
7. I spent one year of it in Korea.
8. I loved country (music) when country wasn’t cool, when I was in high school.
9. My husband taught me to 2-step.
10. Can’t sit still when I hear oldies, especially Motown.
11. I’m most comfortable in a pair of blue jeans
12. But I do like wearing skirts too.
13. And I love wearing boots in the Fall and Winter.
14. I had a brain tumor removed in 2002.
15. Because of the surgery I am deaf in my right ear
16. And the right side of my face is partially paralyzed.
17. I wear a patch over my right eye occasionally because it doesn’t blink and gets dried out.
18. I am the oldest of 8 children
19. Have a wonderful relationship with all my brothers and sisters.
20. Was born in Louisiana but lived most of my life in Georgia.
21. In my heart I’ll always be a Southern Gal no matter where I live.
22. Love Cajun food (it’s in my blood)
23. Love seafood
24. Love Mexican food
25. Love….ok, lets just say I love food!
26. I need to lose a few lbs,(Hmmm, wonder why?)
27. I tan easily and stay dark almost all year
28. My favorite color is purple.
29. Before having kids I was an Air Traffic Controller.
30. My hair is light brown, but I always wanted Auburn hair.
31. I wore braces as a teenager.
32. Took out my bottom retainer with a pair of needle-nose pliers.
33. I like large dogs.
34. I have a Doberman and a Rhodesian Ridgeback.
35. My first car was an MG convertible (have I mentioned I miss that car?)
36. I’m a terrible flirt. Not really, actually I’m pretty good at it. ;)
37. I was paralyzed from my waist down for 2 ½ months when I was a little. (I felldown some basement stairs)
38. I go to church every Sunday and have only been late once but that doesn’t count because the priest was late too!
39. Taught CCD (Sunday school) for 8 years
40. I love to sing but I’m terrible! Can’t carry a tune in a bushel basket.
41. My favorite mixed drink is a Pina Colada but I like most anything
42. I like my Margarita’s on the rocks, not frozen.
43. I like beer too.
44. I can eat with chopsticks
45. One of my favorite things in life to do is camp
46. and my favorite smell is a campfire.
47. Some of my favorite memories are backpacking the Appalachian Mt.s
48. and camping with my family at Lake Lanier
49. I almost always see the glass as half full
50. One of my worst faults is procrastination
51. I got my belly pierced this year with my teenage daughter
52. I like to play euchre
53. I enjoy cooking
54. and I’m pretty good at it if I say so myself (my family does)
55. I’m pretty easy going
56. I want my tombstone to read “No big deal”
57. because that’s how I live life.
58. I’m a very patient person
59. until you put me behind the wheel of a car.
60. This is my 2nd marriage.
61. My first was right out of high school but only lasted 7 months.
62. Let’s just say he had a wicked temper.
63. I get very nervous whenever I fly.
64. I like driving, even long distances.
65. I admit it – I’m an American Idol fan
66. I like to stay up late
67. and sleep late in the morning (but don’t get the chance very often)
68. With out coffee first thing in the morning I can’t function
69. I play golf fairly decently
70. I enjoy shooting skeet
71. I was once called Annie Oakley
72. I enjoy fishing, even when I don’t catch anything
73. I can get up and water ski on one ski.
74. Never went to college
75. but wish I had
76. Got suspended from school on my 16th birthday for smoking behind the school
77. Used to shoot pool on a Busch pool league
78. Met Paul Newman at a race in Atlanta
79. He even offered to buy me a hotdog.
80. I’ve ridden in a car at ATL motor speedway at 100 mph.
81. I’ll go to 4 or 5 card shops if I have to, to find that ‘just right’ card for someone.
82. I’m a ‘ham’, for those of you that don’t understand that – I have my amateur radio license.
83. My favorite holiday is Christmas.
84. I love giving much more than receiving.
85. My two favorite Christmas movies are “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
86. and “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus”
87. I still believe in Santa
88. One of my most memorable presents I got was 2 Tom Jones Albums.
89. I’m a sucker for tear jerker movies and songs. I’ll cry at the silliest of things.
90. I don’t like to wear make-up except for lipstick occasionally.
91. I like canoeing down a river.
92. I have a very crooked 2nd toe on each foot. It’s a family trait.
93 I wear a size 13 slim shoe (that’s a men’s 11 narrow)
94. I have very few regrets in life
95. but one is that I did not stick with my golf when I was a teenager.
96. I can ride a motorcycle.
97. I like doing jig-saw puzzles.
98. Have to have lots of blankets on me at night.
99. Organization is definitely NOT one of my strengths,
100. But being compassionate, thoughtful, and caring are.

These boots are made for walkin'

I came across this today and it nailed me right on!

You Are Western Boots

Your boots can sure walk a long mile - but they're still chic!

What Kind of Boots Are You?

Things still going well. My daughter got the job that she wanted and tonight was her first night and she really liked it. Said it was a lot of fun. I'm sure she'll do great! Today was a day off for me and I got some things done around the house. Tomorrow back out to the golf course...last day for the season. I'll miss it.

Weather is starting to cool off. Had frost on the windshield this morning and my friend says her horse's hair is getting thick early this year. Could that mean an early, cold winter? As long as there is snow I'll be happy. (I say that now...somebody refer me back to this post 3-4 months from now....LOL)

Think I'll wear my boots tomorrow......so long!

Not enough hours in the day

I'm going to have to make this short and sweet. I am BUSHED! My new job at Cabela's really has been wonderful, but I'm not used to being on my feet for such a long time. I've gotten comfortable on the register and can do most transactions, but still need a manager for a few things. And still have a lot to learn I'm sure. Tomorrow they are moving me back to customer service where the fun really begins!

I apologize if I'm only able to get a couple posts in a week, but until I get the hang of 'time management', they will be few and far between. I expecially feel bad about not being able to post to your sites as often. Please don't think I have forgotten about you, I at least try to quickly read my blog roll and a few others, but I may not always have the time to comment. I hope after I get adjusted to this work schedule I will be able to handle things better.

Tomorrow is another double shift. Golf 8-3 then Cabela's 4-10. Ugh. But that is the last of those. I will do one more day at the golf course and then my season with them will be done. I am actually going to try and get to bed by 10 tonight. It's been a LONG time since that has happened. I still have a few things that need to be taken care of around here, so, for now, I will wish you a fond adieu.......

*Meatloaf video back by request

Tagged again

Okay, it appears I've been tagged - again. Thanks for thinking of me Pirate! New game though. This time you count back 23 post's (or closest to it) and then count to the 5th line (or closest to it) and write what it says and comment on it. Here's what I came up with:

"Damn you NWA!" Geez, has the strike been going on that long? Still affecting our life. Hub still out of work, but negotiations seem to still be going on. He is still, in the mean time, looking for another job that will not take him out of state and something that combined with my job now will help up pay our bills. It's starting to take it's toll. I can only put it in God's hands and have faith that things will work out.

Now I'm supposed to tag 5 others. I only have maybe 5 people that visit my site and I don't want to lose them! Tell you what I'm going to do....you know who you are. If you are up to doing this feel free, otherwise I'll be jinxed for life. Can you live with that? (Don't answer that). For those of you that do...thanks and have fun!

A Great Start!

My first day at my new job was great! I think I'm really going to like this. The people are wonderful and it's a really cool store. Plus I get to wear jeans. I've never been one to dress up. Put me in a comfy pair of jeans and a flannel shirt or sweat shirt and I'm happy.

One thing I miss is my clothes line. Down south I had this clothes line that ran from my back deck out to a tree in the back yard with a pully on it. I could stand on the deck and hang all my clothes just by pulling the line. Blue jeans dried by the sun are the BEST! Stiff and crisp. I've thought about putting one up here but the warm season just doesn't last as long and I'm not sure if it would be worth it. Another one of those projects that I may get around to one of these days.

Cooked up some of that butternut squash and it was SO good! Didn't need to add any sugar, it's sweet enough all by itself. Cheryl mentioned some soup, I'll try that next....perfect time of the year for it! I'll let y'all know how it turns out........


If winter is slumber and spring is birth, and summer is life, then autumn rounds out to be reflection. It's a time of year when the leaves are down and the harvest is in and the perennials are gone. Mother Earth just closed up the drapes on another year and it's time to reflect on what's come before.
Mitchell Burgess, Northern Exposure, Thanksgiving, 1992

The good old days.....

Had a really neat thing happen to us today. An older gentleman came knocking at our door and introduced himself. (I feel bad that I've already forgotten his name). It seems he is a retiree from Ford Motor Co., or Ford's as they would say it, and knows our neighbor who is also a retiree from the same company. He says that he understands that my husband is a mechanic with Northwest Airlines and is currently out of work. We confirm that and he replies that he has some fresh squash, butternut and spagetti, and onions from his garden and asks if we would like some. Now, I have to tell you, quite a few thoughts ran threw my mind. And I am embarrassed to admit the order that they came in. My first thought was "Geez, we're not poor, and how do I tell this nice man this" but then I realized the nice thing to do would be to accept this man's generous offering. We are not struggling, at least not yet. There may come a day when I may be praying for strangers to come to my door to offer me food. I'm not afraid to tell you that I am terribly ashamed with myself. There was a time when one family fell on hard times, neighbors pitched in and provided what they could. Be it food from the garden, milk from their cow, or eggs from their chickens (those that LAYED eggs...hee...hee...*personal joke*). I don't know how or when I put myself up on some pedestal thinking that I am too good to need or accept help from others. Thinking back on this event I realize that this older gentleman, not knowing me from Adam, may have been offering me what he might be selling to support himself and his family. What ever his circumstances, it was a truly thoughtful, selfless, act of kindness that has made me take a second look at my life, bring me back down to earth and thank God for all of the blessings I have.

Autumn

Got my computer running smoothly again. So far the only repercussion that I have suffered is probably a blessing in disguise. I have a way of letting my emails pile up. I don't delete them after I read them, unless it is spam or some advertising of some sort. I think to myself that 1) I might need this in the future (which sometimes I have), and 2) I have plenty of room on my computer so it's no big deal. I think I was up to somewhere close to 500-600. And that's just my Inbox. So anyway.....I had saved (or so I thought) my email messages on a CD. Well, somehow in trying to copy them back onto my computer I lost them. The File is blank now. No telling what I did. Oh well.....Life will go on. Now if I can do the same thing to all the "stuff" I seem to have accumulated around my house!

The days have cooled and gotten shorter, leaves are turning colours and crops are being harvested. I love this time of year. I like throwing extra blankets on the bed and crawling in to stay warm, hot coffee on a cool, crisp morning, and steamy soups, chowders and stews on a brisk winter day (Great recipes and more coming!). There is just something about this time of the year that makes me feel calm and peaceful. This afternoon I went to another fall festival. This one is called Appleumpkin. Again, many craft booths and food vendors but a specialty of this particular fest takes place just outside of town at a local orchard. More booths are set up but they have wagon rides out to the orchards where you can pick fresh fruit, and tables of different varieties of apples. Another sure sign of the season.......apple cider. I splurged just a bit and bought a cup of hot apple cider. The moment that warm liquid touched my lips I knew that Autumn was here. It was a cool day, a brisk breeze teased the sun, but the warmth of that liquid entering my body, purged every chill throughout. A day like this leaves worries and troubles behind, like a distant past, and you can't help but rejoice in reverent silence at this wonderful gift of life.

Oh...uh...okay.....sorry 'bout that. Didn't mean to get carried away in a babble of poetic nonsense. Go jump in a pile of leaves, take a hayride, carve a pumkin....anything to make you feel young and alive! I know today I do!

Time to start over again

Well, I'm not sure when I will be able to post again. I have been saving info onto CD's and it is now time to reformat my computer. I've done this before, but my main concern is being able to reconnect online. Shouldn't be a problem, I have DSL and Verizon told me I shouldn't have to download anything to start it up. Wish me luck. Must be time for me to go to confession again.

I am going to leave you with this story I received in an email from my father. Cute story and definitely something to think about:

Mexican Village
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs . I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat." And after that?" asked the Mexican. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American. "And ! after that?" "Afterwards? Well my Friend, That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican. "After that? Why after that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking, singing a few songs and enjoying your friends." And the moral is:



“Know where you're going in life... you may already be there.”

A Truly Wonderful Day!!

I had my interview this morning with Cabela's and.....GOT THE JOB!! I am so excited. Out of all the places I applied this is the one I really wanted and there is a bonus to it....the pay is actually the best out of all that I applied for. Cool huh? I start in about 2 weeks. They first have to run a background check on me. Other than knocking off the cookie jar when I was 5-6 years old, I should have a pretty clean history. And just for the record, that was never proven! The evidence of chocolate smeared all over my face was strictly circumstantial!

Today brought another blessing.....I found My Faith...WAIT!!! before you click over to it, let me explain a little. Before I got into Blogging I created this website. But due to technical difficulties (and me not knowing what the heck I was doing), I lost the site. I thought it was gone forever, lost out in the wide world of cyber space. Well, I found it. I don't know how but I am so grateful that I did. So I will discontinue posting recipes here and put them in their proper place on that site, and I will discontinue my new Blog "Food for your Soul", since that is the main essence of my web site. It is a bit outdated (last post was just after Christmas) but I will try to update it soon. Feel free to browse the archives. I hope you enjoy!

Also, my daughter, who applied to a few places yesterday, got a phone call today from her top pick and has an interview on Monday. I'm sure she will do fine. It is at a local little pizzaria type place in town. Really good food.

Still waiting to hear something for my husband but I have faith the right thing will happen. He is starting to feel the stress of all this, so I hope for his sake something happens soon. I know he wants to jump on anything he can right now, but he is capable of SO much! He is a smart guy and can do what ever he sets his mind to. He can do so much better than just 'settling' for something. He could certainly use an Angel in a black leather jacket. But I know God works in His own ways, in His own time. We just have to be patient and have faith.

Not much new....

Not much new going on so I haven't had much to write about. Hubby still out of work and looking. He's been able to get a few driving jobs here and there but nothing steady. I think he is still holding out that NWA and the union are going to reach an agreement, but I honestly don't see it happening. I have had a number of interviews and job offers. The one thing that makes it a bit difficult for me is that I need the hours now but come Spring and Summer of next year I want to continue working at the Golf Course. I love that job and the people. Target seems to be my best bet right now, and I like that store and think it would be fun, but I do have an interview tomorrow that I am excited about. It is with Cabela's. For those of you that don't know what Cabela's is, it is a HUGE outdoor, hunting, fishing, camping etc....store. I love it and would love to get a position there. I'm hoping the pay is right and it is flexible enough for me to do what I want next golf season. Wish me luck!

My car has finally lost the skunk smell, thank goodness! I hope that doesn't happen again. Spent the most of yesterday canning more Salsa. This time we did a HOT batch and I think it is going to taste awsome. Can't wait to try some. I do believe that was the end of all the canning. The garden is finished.....no tears here. As much as I enjoy the rewards of my hubby's hard work and green thumb, the canning and freezing can get to be a pain. But I guess it will make the salsa, relish and veggies taste that much better.

Well till something a little more exciting happens around here, I will continue reading up on everyone elses Blogs and enjoying your joy's, disappointments, funny stories and the scary ones. I suppose I should be thankful there is nothing TOO exciting to write about.....I may be asking for more than I want! LOL