Monday Madness

Today if going to be one of those days. My to do list is growing bigger by the moment. I've taken on a couple of new projects so I've had to do some rearranging in my home office. I had to move my mahogany file cabinet into my husband's office and get me a four drawer one. We have limited space so this involved several things shifting and moving to new locations. I now have the wonderful task of sorting and piling to decide what files go where and how I want the layout of the top of my desk.

So I spent some time yesterday getting the basics done like the furniture moved. There was a nice little side table that I was able to incorporate into my office as a decoration....right up until the point I remembered I had to find some place to put the laser printing I'm going to go get this morning. So I'm back to square one on what goes where.

Some days, I love the task of de-cluttering and re-organizing. Some days I don't. I can tell this is going to be one of those days that I do. I woke up with lots of fresh ideas and have already moved everything around on my desk and freed the clutter there.

A few more things to do then I get to head out to Staples for my printer and a few more organizing tools. I love that store. It is one of my weaknesses. Hoping to find some bargains.

Prayers for a great day for each of you.



Sunday Suppers

Just a few great ideas for supper in the south. These are my favorite meals. They are satisfying any day of the week.

#1

Fried Chicken

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Corn on the Cob

Hot rolls

Two Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Icing

Sliced Peaches

#2

Country Steak and Gravy

Fried Potatoes

Cole slaw

Cornbread

Apple Cobbler
Ice Cream

#3

Homemade Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Salad

Bread sticks

Cheesecake

#4

Ham

Baked Beans

Potato Salad

Deviled Eggs

Mashed Potatoes

Graham Cracker Pie

#5

Meat Loaf

Baked Potato

Baked Beans

Spice Cake with Caramel Icing

#6

Hamburger, Macaroni and Cheese

Fried Potatoes

Pinto Beans

Cornbread

Brownies

Enjoy!

Rules of a grandmother

I was typing my two rules of grandparenting on Facebook when my 6 year old granddaughter and 11 year old grandson decided to help me "make" the rules. Here are my rules:

Rule #1 - Never take them back scratched, scraped or injured.

Rule #2 - Never take them back with gum in their hair

Here is what they have come up with.

Rule #3 - Let the granddaughter sing whenever she wants.

Rule #4 - Let the grandson decide when he's heard enough of granddaughter singing

Rule #5 - Let the grandchildren weave pot holders and take them off the loom for them ... the minute they are done. (Little impatient on this sometimes LOL)

Rule #6 - Ice cream is okay for breakfast

Rule #7 - Bedtime is whenever you fall asleep

Rule #8 - If you get hungry, you get to eat, no matter what time it is.

And here is a rule the 7 year old grandson created

Rule #9 - He is the boss on Saturdays

And the 2 year old granddaughter has one rule that she lives by when she is with me, so rule #10 according to Shelby is:

Rule #10 - No Rules

Sentimental Saturday...

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.

Have a great day. 

Up a country road..

I remember Friday's in fall up that old country road where I grew up. We'd come home from school and walk up the holler (yes, we called it a holler - not a hollow) anxious for our weekend to begin. We would hurry home and toss our books on our bed and head for the kitchen. Mom would be in there making supper so we could eat at 4:00 after Daddy got home.

It was a cool, crisp day. We would watch for Dad to walk up the road and hurry to meet him. Once he rounded the curve at Ruby's house, we were allowed to go into the road and walk and meet him. On Fridays there was always the thrill and excitement of who got to go to the local high school football game with him. Sometimes one of us would go and sometimes two of us. Nobody was allowed to go if we played Huntington High because there was always a threat of violence when we played them.

It was always a thrill to be picked as the one who went. I can remember many a fall evenings setting up on that very top bleacher, drinking hot chocolate and eating popcorn and hot dogs while we cheered our Barboursville Pirates to victory.

But it was also a thrill to be the one left at home as well. Barboursville was a small town nestled in the hills. Our "holler" was about a mile away and we would go out in the yard and hear the cheer of the crowds and the sounds of the band. We would stay outside until dark. If Jack and Andy were there, they would play their own football game, tackling and passing and enjoying romping around in the yard. If Rachel and I were there or if I was by myself, we would do our cheers.

Mom would soon call us in and we would take our baths and get ready for bed. As we would snuggle into the living room to watch TV, she would make homemade hot chocolate. She would mix Hershey's cocoa and sugar to a sauce like stage and add milk for the best hot chocolate in the world. Then she would top each steaming mug off with 2 or 3 big fluffy marshmallows. She would bring us that and Saps Glazed Donuts for our snack as we waited for Daddy to get home so we could hear who won the game. If you were lucky enough to go to the game, you were cold as could be by the time you walked over a mile back home after the game. But you didn't mind the long walk because you knew Mom would have you hot chocolate and donuts waiting when you got back.

Many years have passed since then. The old school was torn down, but the football field still remains. My brother still lives in the old home place and ball games are still played in that old yard. On cool, crisp Fridays, my mind still goes back up that old country road to those wonderful Friday nights. And if I sit quietly and listen real hard, I can still hear those fans cheering their Pirates to Victory.

I hear voices....

Chris Young is a country artist who's latest hit is called Voices. That is my newest favorite country song. It talks about the things he "hears" in his head that his mom, dad, and grandparents have drilled in him over the years.

What are the "voices" in your head that you remember hearing? Here are some of the most common ones that I'm sure we can all still hear our mom telling us.

• Sit up straight and quit slouching.
• Always wear clean underwear in case you are in an accident.
• Eat your peas.
• Be nice.
• Don't forget to wash behind your ears.
• Brush your teeth before you go to bed.
• Don't take candy from strangers.

We all have things we have been told to do, warned about or guided through by our parents or grandparents. And we have found over the years that it is good advice.

But what about the voice of God? When he talks to us, do we listen? Do we even hear? How many times in your life has God spoken to you and you have ignored Him. How many things have we put ourselves through simply because we are set in our willful ways and refuse to ignore the voice of God when He speaks to us?

Do I hear voices? Yes, I do. Do I listen to them? Not always. But I am glad that God continues to speak to me in that still quiet voice that guides me down life's highway.

Wish Book Wednesday

I used to love getting the Sears Wish Book in the mail. We would lay in the floor for hours and look at the neat things they had for Christmas. It wasn't just the toys either. We would look at the tins of candy, the Christmas trees, the neat gift ideas. I still keep my "wish book" ways by scouring various Internet sites to look for things that tickle my fancy. Sometimes I buy them, sometimes I just wish for them. Here's some of the the recent items that are on my wish list.



This is on my must have list. I'm really into decor with words or #'s this year. And the minute I saw FAITH, I knew I had to get this.

Can you say "Granddaughter Gifts"?

 My mom rides the bus a lot and loves things that keep her head warm. I think I see a Christmas gift being ordered.

Now this is just weird, but I hate to cook but LOVE LOVE LOVE aprons. I have a whole collection hanging on a shelf in my kitchen. And since I have a zillion pairs of shoes, I'm gonna have to get this apron.

I'm really in to cat figurines. This one looks like my cat Muffin we had for years. She would love to sit and stair at the aquarium.

Since I love Christmas and I love singing, this one really tickled my fancy.

I bought a set of these one year and used them as gift bags for home baked goodies. I need to get two sets this year. One for gifts and one to stuff with tissue paper and sit under the Christmas tree as part of my decor.

 I collect Pencil Santa Figurines and haven't found any I liked in a long time. But I do like this one.

Every year, a new pair of warm p.j.'s goes on my Christmas List. (Oh hubby, see the Lakeside Catalog)

Just fell in love with this one.