BOO!

LOOK!! It's a scary, spooky monster...agh!!!!!!!!!!!

No, it's just my silly girl - having fun with some vampire teeth! She is actually going to be Tinkerbell for trick or treating, and I will be posting those pics tomorrow.

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy day --- hope you get all the treats you want and none of the tricks!!

Living Happily In The Moment!

Beverly

The Circle That Is My Life

I tend to think of my life as a circle. I have friends who seemingly live life on a line. They had a plan as they were growing up, they grew up and moved on down the line, each life event happening, when and as it should, no troubles, just continuing forward on down the line. They didn't necessarily need to retain relationships or hold sentiment too long, they were and are happy to keep moving on, with or without the people they meet along the way.

I am not a line type person. Never have been.

I never really knew what I wanted to be growing up, except a wife and a mother. I had some career ambitions, but nothing really stuck for long. I knew I wanted to meet my true love, get married, settle down and have a family, the rest of it, was just not thought out. Also, at an early age, I started "collecting" people in my life. Maybe it is an only child syndrome, but I always expected that those who entered into my world, would ALWAYS be in my world, joining in the circle of my life and never stepping off.

Life being life, this of course did not happen. I had lots of opportunities in my early life to realize that not everyone would always be in my world, not everyone wanted to stay on my same circular path. This was hard to take, hard to understand and hard to reconcile with my heart and brain. But I did it. It took some time, but I did. I learned to accept that people do come and go in life, they make other plans, find other friends, and although the daily contact might change, true love and friendship can endure, even if it seems the line of life is straightening out and not staying circular!

Time has passed and as I look at my past and even my present I can still look at my life and declare it much more a circle than a triangle or a line.

This year has brought relationships back into my orbit that I thought were left far down the line. Ones who were in my life a number of years ago, people with whom I was really close and thought they would always be near me but who suddenly dropped off my orbit, are now, after all these years, back! Just a phone call or email away. Names and faces I haven't seen in years are suddenly familiar to me again. The circle of that time in my life is complete and rolling around me again. I could not be happier.

I feel circular in my work life. I am not doing the same job as I did a few years ago, but I did start back to work on the four year anniversary date of the last day I worked prior to my daughter's birth. And yes, being the circular life that I have, I am working at the same place, just in a different position. Another circle complete.

I used to love a yellow Labrador, he was mine for thirteen years, and now, I have another yellow lab to love, another circle complete in my world.

My marriage has been a circle, we had a whirlwind romance, engagement and wedding, and yes, we have had ups and downs. Through it all, we have circled back to where we started and we continue on this path together. Like my wedding ring, it is a circle.

I wanted all those years ago to be a mommy. I spent several years on a circular path to that motherhood status of hoping and losing and hoping again. Thankfully, that circle changed course and gave me the opportunity to become a mother just in a different way, through the miracle of adoption. The miracle of my child's adoption involves another circle in my life. We were connected to her birthparents through connections made in my family, even before I was born. The circles just never seem to end. My motherhood circle is complete and I am so thankful that there is an adorable four year old who has my heart, and we will forever be in each other's orbit.

Sadly, there are still some relationships that I am hoping will follow the circular path. There are still some people that I want back in the orbit with me. I am praying that someday soon those circles will be complete as well. I take comfort that my life has always moved in a circle, perhaps it will continue and draw these few treasured relationships back to me, eventually.

As I wrote this piece, I had a phone conversation with a girlfriend. She was talking about her life and how it was circular. I laughed and told her of this piece I was writing. Guess that explains how we have maintained a friendship over thirty years...we are both circles!!

Yes, to me, life is a circle. Sometimes that is a challenge in my life. There are times that I don't want the same things to come around again. Other times, I am thankful for the circle to the core of my being. The circular path I am on keeps those I love close to me, it gives my comfort and laughter and friendship and joy that I am so thankful to have in my life.

I am grateful for the way my life has turned out up to this point. The circle hasn't always been fun, but for me, it has been better than a straight line. I am glad that I don't live my life according to a time line, a goal setting agenda that moves me from point A to point B without giving me the unexpected joys of life in between. I am happy to live in a circle, to know that no matter where I roam, those I love and the familiar will always be with me. I am thankful I don't have to look back down the long line of my life and strain to see the relationships, the faces, or even the events of my past. I can just look behind, in front of me and beside me and see them all circling around me.

Living Happily In The Moment!

Beverly

Wordless Wednesday

This was me on my wedding day...getting ready to leave for the church. Wish I could remember exactly what I was thinking as this pic was taken!! :-)

Living Happily In the Moment!

Beverly

A Day In The Life Of A Supermom

Today I have been supermom.

I made my child an actual breakfast, not cereal with milk, I cooked an egg and everything. I got her dressed warmly for school, brushed teeth and hair and had us out the door five minutes early. Oh, and did I mention that I also made a baked zitti to take to the girls at work for our monthly birthday lunch. ALL BEFORE 8:00 AM!

After I dropped my sweet youngun off at school, I headed out to the local pet store, took a brief survey of all the different varieties of hamster cages on the market, evaluated them according to our beloved Charlie's needs and selected a mighty fine choice, according to the cashier. I then proceeded to the Dollar Tree, bought Halloween type goodies for the preschoolers in my care every Monday and Wednesday at Mother's Day Out, and some pretty fancy decorations, if I do say so myself.

It was onto Toys R Us, after that, for a few MUST HAVES for the Christmas morning reveal and then I was headed back to my daughter's preschool for lunch with my co-workers. At 1:00 PM, my girl was ready to come home, so I packed her in the car and we went to my mother's for cupcake baking and decorating. I was given a childcare reprieve, so I headed out to Walmart while my child basked in the grandparent glow.

At Walmart I found a printer, scanner and copier I had been wanting, so I got it and a few grocery items and headed for home.

I spent the remainder of my afternoon assembling the hamster cage, for my small, furry child and cleaning up the bedroom of my older, grumpier, non-furry one.

Once the girl came home, it was time for supper, so even though I had baked zitti for her dinner (one of her favorites) she declared a mutiny and "requested" a ham and cheese sandwich with pretzels. To avoid what has become a nightly fight, I gave in and made her the sandwich. Thankfully, she ate it.

Next, it was bath time and my favorite time of the day, BEDTIME! And did I mention that I got her the CUTEST Tinkerbell pj's today as well? And it was those pj's for which I was awarded the SUPERMOM award. Not for the breakfast, or the warm, clean clothes, or the safe drive, or the new hamster cage, or the trip to me-ma's, or any of the other one hundred things I do for this child on a daily basis... the Tinkerbell PJ's were the key to her heart.

I guess I should be grateful. Grateful that at least at some point in the last twenty-four hours, my sometimes grumpy, sometimes more than a typical four year old, looked me in the eyes and told me she loved me and thanked me for something. Even if it was just for a pair of pajamas.
I will take what I can get.

And as a side note: A very special thanks to my own mom. I truly had NO IDEA how hard this motherhood thing was until recently. The thought that you, for several years (due to my daddy's military service) did it alone.. just blows my mind. You are truly a Supermom - and if I haven't said it enough - THANK YOU! I love you.

Living Happily In The Moment,
Beverly

Monday's Outlook

Outside my window...sunshine, cool breeze, beautiful fall colors in the leaves on the trees.
I am thinking... I wish my child were not so grumpy in the afternoons and evenings and I forgot to get dog food at the store!
I am wearing....black sweater and jeans, but fixing to change into black yoga pants and IRISH t-shirt.
From work...fun at the Pumpkin Patch today with nine 2 year olds, and lunch tomorrow with the girls - Italian Day - yummy.
From the kitchen... meatloaf, corn souffle, mac and cheese and black eyed peas for dinner
I am reading...lots of blogs, my own writings as I struggle to get a short story down on paper for an upcoming contest.
I am hoping...this week brings some fun.
I am creating...messes as I struggle to clean up the clutter in my home.
I am hearing...the television, the dishwasher, the dryer and my child who is not supposed to be in here, but in her room for quiet time. ARGH!
Around the house...cobwebs, spooky things, candy corn and pumpkins!
One of my favorite things...facebook, email and the ability to visit with friends while doing housework!!
A few plans for the rest of the week...work, lunch with a friend, Fall parties at school, trick or treating on Friday!

And you?

Living Happily In The Moment,
Beverly

It's The Great Pumpkin Patch, Hannah Joy

Today we took our annual trip to a neighboring town and enjoyed their Jack-o-Lantern Jubilee. It is a fun festival, lots of craft booth, food booths and those wonderful inflatable slides and bouncy houses.

Hannah enjoys herself immensely. We trudge along behind her, gathering all the goodies, balloons, popcorn, candy and other items she collects as she meanders down the street.

It started out a bit dreary and overcast, even a little cool, but thankfully the sun finally came out and we were soon bemoaning our long sleeve shirts.

The event is always capped off with a visit to our favorite drive-in,The SnowCap, for burgers and malts.

This year we added one new adventure to our fun filled Fall Saturday afternoon and stopped at a pumpkin patch. Hannah enjoyed seeing all the pumpkins, all different shapes and sizes and colors. She even let me take a few photos, and she picked out three good pumpkins for us to decorate.

All in all, it was a great day. A wonderful way to herald the season and spend some time together.

Now, what did you do this pretty Saturday afternoon?

Living Happily In The Moment,

Beverly

Hold On -- I'm Baking!

I love fall. It is my favorite season of the year. I may have said that one or one hundred times in the last few weeks.

This morning I woke up to a chilly house, a dreary outside and a desire to bake.

I don't often have that particular yen. I am not a "baker." I can make a pretty good sour cream pound cake, every so often I bake an apple cake (but it is never as good as my Aunt Nell's) and I have tried for years to make Ms. Annie's Lane Cake, but I never got her recipe and all the other recipes I have ever tried have failed miserably to measure up. I can make a mean chocolate chip cookie, from scratch or from slice and bake - but really baking is just not my kitchen forte'.

This morning, however, I decided to tackle the Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffin recipe that has been staring at me for a week or two. It just seemed to be the morning for it. A perfect Fall day, no where to go and a morning to fill with some sort of activity for the four year old.

We are terribly happy we are trying the recipe. The house smells like a pumpkin, the anticipation of the finished product it getting us through the long morning and just for the pure joy of life, I am actually brewing a pot of coffee to go with the muffin. I rarely drink coffee at home, most of the time I just enjoy it at a restaurant - but the morning is colder than cold, and I need a pick-me-up.

Here is the recipe, just in case you want to a fall breakfast at your house.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffin
(From Pillsbury -off the Pumpkin Quick Bread Mix Box!!)

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsps grated lemon peel

Muffins
1 pkg Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
3 tbsps butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups with no stick spray
Beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, sugar and lemon peel . Beat until smooth
Empty pumpkin bread mix into a large bowl. Remove 3/4 cup of the mixture for the topping. Add milk, egg, oil to the remaining mix, stir for 50 strokes or until blended.
Fill each muffin cup with about 1/4 cup batter. Make indentation in batter with a small measuring spoon (sprayed with no stick spray). Put 1 heaping tablespoon cream cheese mixture in the center of each muffin.
Add melted butter to the reserved dry mix. Stir with fork until crumbly. Add pecans. Crumble about 1 tablespoon over each muffin.
Bake for 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove muffins from pan. Place on baking rack to finish cooling.

They just came out of the oven... oh - my oh my -- yummy!

Living Happily In the Moment
Beverly

I Miss Him

Up until about 4 PM I didn't have a clue what I would write about today. I had worked all day, came home and cooked dinner and was just sitting down for a few minutes to rest a bit before the evening activities when I saw something on television that stopped my heart.

It was a commerical for the emergency animal hospital where we had to take our beloved yellow lab, Jake, on the last night of his life. I can't even look at the place when we pass it on the road and suddenly, there it was live and in living color in my living room.

I have had heart break in my life, I have lost loved ones, but there was something extra poignant about the night I lost my Jake. I am crying even now, as I write about it.

He was thirteen years old and for every day of those thirteen years he had been with me. Through really great days and some not so great ones, there was always a constant in my life and that was my Jake. He was an exceptional dog.

The day he died he had tried so hard to stay outside, he seemed to know he was at the end and he wanted to be outside, away from me. He woke up that morning and couldn't walk. He managed to get outside to go to the bathroom and then sat in the front yard. No coaxing could persuade him to come back inside. I finally gave up and just sat in the yard with him. When my husband got home, we took him to the emergency clinic.

I remember sitting in the backseat just to be close to him (we had put him in the cargo part of our explorer) - I just sat and rubbed his ears the whole time. He shed a lot of hair while I was doing that - I still have that bundle of hair -- I kept it. His ears and neck were my favorite parts of him. They were soft and just made for cuddling.

At the clinic, he was evaluated and we were told he was in heart failure. It was sudden, he was in distress, there was no other choice for us, we had to put him to rest, give him peace.

It was the saddest moment of my life. I will always count myself lucky, however, that I was able to be with him in the last moments of life, to thank him for all the ways he had made my life better and to rub those ears and bury my face in his neck one last time.

I don't know why I had to see that commerical tonight, I have never forgotten him, but tonight, I miss him even more than usual. He was always my companion, my husband works a lot (too much!) and Jake was always there for me. Now, I have my daughter, and she is plenty of companionship, no doubt about that - but for me, I miss my 120 lb, yellow ball of fur. I miss his heavy sigh, his stuffed toys, his chewies and the way he would lay on top of my feet, cause he seemed to know just when my feet were feeling the coldest. I miss those ears, the way he pushed his head up under my hand to insist I pet him and the way he would lay on his back, holding a stuffed toy in his paws and playing.

Pardon my tears tonight, I just miss my Jake.

Living Happily in the Moment!
Beverly

Wednesday's Child

Oh Wednesday, Wednesday, how you have let me down. I was born on a Wednesday, I guess that old saying is true - "Wednesday's child is full of woe!!" This Wednesday was definitely woeful for me!


The day started out rough - just one of those mornings, I woke up early enough, but somehow ended up running out of time to get everything accomplished. I did manage to dress, get my girl dressed, put dinner in the crockpot, make her lunch and start to leave the house on time. Only one problem, I forgot to make myself a lunch and had to rush around to throw a sandwich together as my daughter was sitting (rather) patiently in her car seat.


Lunch made, we headed out for the day. The drive in to school was fine, very uneventful. We arrived on time, I got to work on the day's resource gathering mission, and left my child to play in my classroom with my co-teacher's child. I came back in the room only to find that my sweet, charming child had just whacked the other child in the head with a cardboard (thank goodness) block because the other girl had torn down the tower my Hannah was building. Great - just what I wanted to confront at 8:00 AM - misbehaving four year old.


I nipped the behavior in the bud and took her to her classroom! Then my day officially started. Our class of normally sweet, quiet and reserved two year olds was replaced today by a whining, loud, rambunctious, disobedient one. Goodness, was I ever glad to see 1:00 PM arrive on the clock face.


I loaded up my child, all her belongings, my teacher bag, my drink, and our coats and headed for home. I had been telling people all day how much I was looking forward to going home and taking a brief nap before finishing dinner and heading to church tonight.


We strolled out to the car and as I approached Hannah's car seat side, I was greeted with this...

well, if I had a camera I would have a picture -- but just use your imagination - it was

A FLAT, AS A PANCAKE, TIRE! And just for the drama, the screw that did the dastardly deed was sitting there looking at me plain as day as it was letting all the air out of my poor tire.


I was undone!

I called my husband, who was sleeping (night shift) and couldn't rouse him with the phone. My daddy is out of town, so I called my father-in-law. (Yes, there is a "boy to call when the car is messing up" list -- it is my hubby, my daddy, my father-in-law, and the only two ex's I would trust with my car - J and T - and after that -- I am stuck on the side of the road hoping a stranger who is not an axe murderer helps me out!)

Lucky for me (and for J and T!!) my father in law was home and he did come rescue me and the girl. A few short hours later and we were home - with our patched tire, our tired bodies and the pizza we picked up on the way home. I was so tired and stressed I completely forgot about the dinner I had put in the crockpot before I left this morning.

The afternoon progressed, no nap for anyone, and soon we were gearing up to go to church. I bathed and dressed Hannah and got myself ready. I went to get her shoes out of the car (we spent the waiting time on the tire rescue in the sandy playground at school - barefooted!) and couldn't find them. I seriously thought I was going to be in a padded cell by the time the day was over. Too much stress ( I realize it doesn't sound all that stressful - but trust me -- I was stressed!) had blown my over-tired mind. I searched the entire car and still no shoes. I called my father in law - because I just knew I had probably put them in his truck bed... so I was already counting them as LOST.

Hannah - yes, my four year old, was suddenly comforting her mommy. She told me not to worry, we still had another pair and we could always go buy some more shoes tomorrow. Ah -- the bliss of her ignorance. We did have a spare pair, but we don't have the budget for another pair of shoes to be bought this month.

We went on to church - my child and her sweetness and me and my bad attitude. After helping with her age group in choir, I opted out of the women's Bible study and instead went to my car to CHILL OUT! I was just in need of an hour of solitude. I used it to write a pretty decent short story (if I do say so myself) and I also took a moment to shift some items around in the car. And guess what I found --- the tennis shoes!! Right where I put them this afternoon.

From then on, the evening picked up, my attitude returned to somewhere in the realm of normal and here I sit now, happily reliving the day - grateful it turned out so well after all.

I hope you had a great Wednesday, and even if you didn't, I hope you know that tomorrow is coming soon and the chance to have a better day is always twenty-four hours away.

Living Happily In the Moment,

Beverly

I Love My Computer, Cause All My Friends Live In It Pork Chop Casserole

I renamed this recipe because a casserole reminds me of my computer and the mixture of friends I have through facebook, email and various blog readers. Different people, from different places, some I have known forever, some for just a short time, but blended together in one place,they make up my circle of friends. A tasty concoction of flavors meshing together to satisfy my craving for fun, friendship and joy.
Hopefully you will find this week's pork chop recipe to do the same for your appetite.

I Love My Computer, Cause All My Friends Live In It Pork Chop Casserole

Ingredients:
4 pork chops
4 cups sliced potatoes
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
grated American cheese
Preparation:Brown pork chops. Place potatoes in greased 2-quart baking dish. Mix together soup, milk, onion, salt, and pepper. Pour over potatoes. Place pork chops over potatoes; sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 60 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.Serves 4.

Four Going on Fourteen!

"But I want sumthang sweet and cold and coloree!"

I believe that is to be interpreted as four year-ese for " I want a snow cone!"

Ah... life with a four year old! Have I told you all how much fun it is? Well, probably not, because as much as people told me that the threes would be over and the fours would begin and she would be an angel -- it hasn't happened in this household!

No one told me how the whining would start up, I really thought I had at least eleven or twelve years before I had a hormonal teenage girl living in my home. My little darling can whine about the craziest things, and it can definitely be quite humorous at times. This evening, for instance, when I offered her ice cream as a treat for eating ALL of her dinner(a rare occurrence) and I was met with the above comment... she wanted something cold and color-ee and how dare I offer her ice cream when she clearly craved a snow cone.

I am convinced she has a list with the worst mothers in the world taped to the back of her bedroom door and I am even more convinced that my name is at the top of the list.

She has mastered the teenage eye roll, the heavy sigh, the pout, the folded arms, the wagging finger and the hands on the hips stance. I believe that we are not going to survive the teenage years if this is the "sweet" four year old stage.

Pray for us!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Beverly

My "Haunted" House

On Sunday after church we met my parents at a local Mexican restaurant. It was DECKED out in Halloween decorations and my daughter LOVED it. She is a big Halloween fan, loves the spooky and creepy.... and she adored the cobwebs that were placed all over that place.

Being the good mommy I am, (insert a big laugh right here...) I decided to indulge her a bit and stopped by the drugstore on the way home and bought a bag of cobwebs. I thought it would be fun for her, and interesting for any guests, to decorate our home like the restaurant. I even secretly hoped this would give me another week off from cleaning all the real cobwebs that seem to have crept into the corners of our home this summer.

Here is our finished product... hope you enjoy the tour of our "haunted house!"

Welcome, won't you come on in?

The spooky cobwebbed fireplace!

Bay Window in My Breakfast Nook -- and the cobwebs!!

Even the dining room couldn't escape those pesky spiders!

Hope you weren't too scared.....

We had fun - and Hannah loves her cobwebbed home... that is all that really matters anyway.

Living Happily in the Moment!

Beverly

Oh Mandy!

"I remember all my life, raining down as cold as ice, shadows of a man, a face through a window, crying in the night as night turns into…… OH MANDY!"

Yes, I am publicly declaring that I am a closet Barry Manilow fan. I realize this will sufficiently help to determine how old I am, but the truth needs to come out. I know I will be considered “less hip” in most of your eyes, but I can’t help myself.

I recently found Barry’s Ultimate Manilow cd among the racks at Target and I just can’t stop myself from listening to it while cooking dinner and then torturing my family by insisting it become our dinner background music.

I find myself randomly belting out “I Can’t Smile Without You” at completely inappropriate times and I am sure I have embarrassed my daughter enough at her early age by crying while Barry sings "Even Now", "Weekend in New England" and "Looks Like We Made It". All of the three bring back bittersweet memories of a time when I found solace from a broken heart in Barry’s sweet melodies and lyrics.

I think I even saw a few eye rolls last night when I danced around the kitchen doing my best Copacabana rendition – poor Lola and all that tragedy.

Yes, Barry is a long-time favorite of mine. Through the good times and the bad, he has been there and I am excited to once again be able to listen to him – I think the last Barry Manilow music I had came in a big paper sleeve, pressed onto vinyl and spun around on a turntable. Something that is so outdated, some of you may have never heard of it before.

I also recall that I had a piano songbook with all of his hits in it and I seem to remember torturing my family members, not to mention a certain boy that hung around with endless serenades of the songs that meant the most to me at whatever time of my life.

My favorite Barry Manilow memory though comes from a concert that I attended when I was thirteen. Yes, at thirteen, I and three of my closest friends where driven to the local civic center and dropped off by our parents to attend a Barry Manilow concert.

I will never forget it – it was a concert “in the round” but we had seats way up high – so it really didn’t matter. We were just excited to be out and feel a little independent.

Several things stand out in my brain about that concert, one, was we were surrounded by middle aged adults, not too many 13 year old girls charging the stage, screaming their brains out and two, that alcohol was being served at the concession stands. For us, this was a novelty in itself. It was probably the first time any of us had been any place where alcohol was being served, much less consumed heavily by those around us. One highlight of the evening was that one of the adults behind us, spilt beer onto the back of one of my friends… we were disgusted and giggly all at the same time.

But truly the topper of the event, the one that we recall even to this day is the three middle aged women who sat behind us and stood up every five minutes, screaming “oh Mandy!” at the top of their lungs. I can only presume this was in an effort to force Barry into singing his hit. Thankfully he eventually did – although I am sure not because of their insistence. We were just thankful they eventually sat down and quit behaving like thirteen year old girls.

Disdain my musical choices if you will, but Barry is a hit in my cd player. He "wrote the songs" and I love to sing them!

Living Happily In The Moment,
Beverly

A Fun Saturday Meme!

Every Saturday needs a meme!! Here are 60 things you get to learn about me today!

1) What color is your tooth brush?
yellow and white

2) What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
taking a great afternoon nap on a rainy afternoon

3) What is your favorite candy bar?
Almond Joy and Frozen Snicker Bars

4) Have you ever been to a strip club?
Do I count the one I work in... HA HA HA ! The answer is truly NO- I just wanted to see if you were actually reading this!

5) What is the last thing you said aloud ?
"Hello Giggle - how was your nap" (to my daughter when she woke up)

6) What is the best ice cream flavo r?
Cookies and Cream

7) What was the last thing you had to drink?
Coke

8) What are you wearing right now?
black yoga pants and my Ireland t-shirt

9) What was the last thing you ate?
a piece of pizza

10) Best lay ever?
umm----- I'm taking the blonde route and saying, "Frito" (my friend Colleen said this and I am going to agree!!)

11) When was the last time you ran?
I ran away from home three weeks ago - but I came back!

12) Who was the last person to send you a message or comment on myspace?
NO ONE IN A LONG TIME - I am a facebook girl!

13) Do you take vitamins daily ?
No

14) Do you go to church every Sunday?
Try to - make it more often than not!

15) Do you have a tan?
in places!!

16) Do you like Chinese food over pizza ?
sometimes - I love good Almond Chicken, fried rice and egg roll!!

17) Do you drink your soda with a straw ?No

18) What did your last text message say and who was it ?
It was from a friend and I can't tell you what it said.

19) Who is your best friend?
Used to have one- don't anymore - just a handful of really great friends that I know I can always count on.

20) What are you doing tomorrow?
Church, lunch with my parents and a nap!

21) Where is your dad?
about nine miles down the road,probably rolling his eyes at this!!

22) Look to your left, what do you see?
my living room, and my child sitting on the couch watching Tom chase poor Jerry!
23) What color is your watch ?
don't have one - lost it last year at a funeral home - it was silver and gold and I LOVED it.

24) Do you use chap- stick ?
no - Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers in Strawberry!! (just in case I need to smack some lips!)

25) What is your birth stone ?
diamond (of course!)

26) Do you go in a fast food place or drive thru?
depends - go in if I am with someone - drive thru if I am alone - I hate to eat alone in a restuarant

27) Do you have a dog?
Yes - 2 labradors

28) Last guy you talked on the phone with?
my husband

29) Last girl you talke d on the phone with?
my friend Kim

30) Any plans today ?
I cleaned house, did laundry and cooked dinner - I plan on doing NOTHING the rest of the day!

31) Do you dye your hair?
Not me personally!!!


32) Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
people who don't respond back to emails - but I am getting lots of practice on working to gain patience in that area! Thank you -I believe you know who you are.

33) Can you say the alphabet backward?
probably not - but I CAN tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue -- does that balance out the scale?

34) Do you have a maid service clean your house ?
Yeah - right - It is called Bev's Cleaning Service - and to tell the truth, they aren't very good - I think they need to be fired!!

35) What was the last thing you sang?
"You Don't Know Me"

36) Do you love anyone?
I sure do!

37) Do u hate anyone right now?
NO - no energy for that emotion in my world - never have been a hater!!

uh...where is 38)?????

39) Do you use the word hello daily? mostly I say "hey"

40) Do you like cats?
I do - but hubby doesn't - guess no cats for me ever again!

41) Have you ever been to Six Flags ?over Georgia

42) How did you get your worst scar?
last Dec I grated my thumb. It is still healing.

43) How old was your mom when you were born?30 (I think)

44) What is your favorite smell ?
Puppy breath, fall spice candles and coconut!

45) What was the last movie you watched?
Falling In Love (an old 80's flick with Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep) this afternoon!

46) Do you like Sudoku?
No - I am a math idiot! I love pathwords on facebook though!

47) Have you ever been to Disney World ? Once - going again soon - I hope!

48) What is your favorite number? 3

49) Do you toast your Pop Tarts ?
no - I eat my BLUEBERRY poptarts with cheese melted on top!! Don't say yuck till you try it!!

50) Have you ever waited tables?
Only in my own home! I would be the worst waitress ever!!

51) Do you vote?Yes!

uh... where is 52) ???

53) What is your zodiac sign?Aries

54) Do you work out? most every other day on my treadmill

55) Are you/ do you want to be married?
I am married - and MOST days I want to stay that way. :-)

56) Do you remember the " Pepsi wave" ?
no - I don't like Pepsi - it probably waved right over me!

57) Do you like clowns?
NO - I AM SCARED OF CLOWNS AND WAX FIGURES!!!

58) What's your favorite animal? Dogs and Elephants

59) Do you have/want children?
I have one daughter - I used to want 4 boys. God laughed and gave me one daughter with the personality of 4 boys!!

60) Are you single or taken? I think I have to check the taken box...

So-- fill me in on YOU - in the comments or link back your url.

Living Happily In the Moment!
Beverly

I See You Lurking Behind That Screen...

Lurkers - come out!

I know you are out there... I see you in my sitemeter and Feedjit! I love that you come here and read... love it, love it, love it.

But as much as love it, I want to know who you are. I must have been a cat in a past lifetime, cause I am oh, so curious. I am just like you - I lurk on all kinds of sites, I love to read other blogs and peek into the lives of others. So I get it - I really get it.

This is just an invitation to those of you out there who are REGULAR visitors and have never posted a comment - please do - please introduce yourself and let me get to know you. I am excited to see regulars pop up when I check my stats - I would just love to put a cyberface with the cyberplace.

Looking forward to hearing from you --
Beverly

Friday's Fave Five

Here is my weekly fave five list.

1. Attending a super fun Scarecrow Making party with my girl - had such fun, got some great pictures and got a great idea for a party of my own next year.

2. Two great days at work this week. Monday was a little slow, but Wednesday was fun. Never thought I would enjoy working with two year olds - but I do.

3. Having a LONG weekend, we are off from school on Thursday for fall break...such fun to do nothing!

4. Watching videos on tv once again. Makes me feel like a teenager.

5. Having some great friends who are always available to talk and do things with - no matter what is going on in their own lives.

So - what five things did you enjoy this week ?

Living Happily In the Moment!
Beverly

Happy Fall Ya'll! Let's Go Bob For An Apple Pork Chop

It's Fall, ya'll. I love it. It is my favorite season.

I could regale the glories of the season over and over. As a tribute to this wonderful time of year, and my love of apples, I found a recipe that combines the fruit of the season (apples) with my favorite meal, ANYTIME - pork chops.

Since I am prone to renaming recipes that I discover, I am going to call this one...

Happy Fall Ya'll! Let's Go Bob For An Apple Pork Chops

1/3 c. margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. diced celery
4 c. toasted bread cubes
1/2 c. coarsely chopped onion
2 lg. delicious or winesap apples
1/4 c. raisins (optional - I leave them out!!)
6 pork chops cut 3/4 to 1 inch thick
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. apple jelly

Instructions
Melt butter; add salt, sage, pepper, onion and celery and cook over low heat until they are almost tender. Pour over bread cubes, stirring lightly to distribute ingredients evenly. Pare, core and coarsely chop one or two apples to make 1 1/2 cups. Stir apple and raisins into stuffing mixture and turn into baking dish (11 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches). Brown chops in shortening, with teaspoon salt and arrange on top of stuffing. Cover tightly with foil and bake in slow oven (325 degrees) for one hour. Cut remaining apple into 6 skins (crosswise). Remove core, and place one slice on each chop. Cover and bake for 20 minutes longer. Remove cover, brush apples with jelly and bake uncovered for 20 minutes longer. Makes 6 servings.

Hope you enjoy it and enjoy the season!

Living Happily In The Moment
Beverly

October 15th

Many of you know my story, my journey to motherhood and all the bumps in that road that life has dealt me. There is no need to rehash it all here - but I do want to take a few minutes to remember it all again, at least in some small way on this day. October 15th is Remember Our Babies day -the national day to remember pregnancy and infant loss.

For those of us who fall into this category, it is a special day. I never got to meet or get to know the children that I lost. Their souls flew to Heaven before I could see their sweet faces. I feel that I am so blessed to have been their mom for even a short period of time on this earth and I am so looking forward to meeting their little souls in Heaven one day.

I am glad there is a day to publicly remember them - to stop for just a minute and pause - think about their life, where they would be, how old they would be now, who they would look like and how different my life would be had each of those sweet souls lived. I am sad for the loss of the unknown in my life. I will mourn them all the days of my life.

This day also causes me to be reminded once again in the mercy of God that He allowed me to become a mother after all. At the end of that long, hard road, He gave me a daughter to raise, to love and to enjoy all those mommy moments I felt that this earth and my body robbed me of earlier in life.

Pausing to think about them on this day also reminds me how grateful I am for the friends and family who saw me through the dark days and for a faith that assures me that one day I will meet and get to spend time with each one of my precious and sweet babies who are already enjoying God's eternal glory.

I am hugging my heart's joy a little closer tonight. I love my daughter beyond all words, beyond all in this world. She is truly my gift from above and a constant source of happiness and joy in my life.

Thanks for taking a moment and remembering my lost babies with me - I appreciate it - more than you know.

Living Happily In The Moment,
Beverly

Wordless Wednesday

Haven't done a Wordless Wednesday for awhile... so here is my sweet girl on her first day at pre-k, September 2, 2008

Gotta Cut Footloose!

OH MY GOODNESS - did I ever have fun at Target today. Husband, quit reading this now!!

I found myself with an extra hour in my morning, a friend was going to meet with me and had to cancel, and it was too early to go pick up the munchkin from school - so where does any self-respecting mommy go when she has an hour to kill? Why, Target, of course!

I meandered up and down the aisles, not really needing anything just happy to gaze and wander through the merchandise without a screaming four year old to direct my cart.

I looked through the cosmetics, the cards, the candles, the cookery and the cups. ( how's that for alliteration?). I then found myself in the movie section and all of sudden I was hit with such delight.

There to my wondering eyes were movies from the 80's - yep - my favorite era - and even better they were on sale, hold on ... this is good... for $5. Yes, five measly dollars could translate into Footloose, Top Gun, She's Having a Baby, Rain Man, Pretty in Pink, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Some Kind of Wonderful and many other great movies of that "totally awesome" decade. I don't think I need to tell you that I came home with at least a couple of them.... I managed to restrain myself and only got two - and since I love bacon, Kevin Bacon that is, I chose Footloose and She's Having a Baby. Two classics. I also found The Commitments, which is an awesome movie, who can't resist a few hours filled with some kids from Dublin, Ireland and their garage band. It is a great movie and an even better soundtrack.

Target is still my favorite store!!

When I finally came up from my immersion in all things 80's, I found that my wallet was a little slimmer, but now my movie collection is busting with some really great picks. I just need to find some time to sit and gaze at the screen for a few free hours.

Yipee for me!!

Hope you had a great afternoon as well. What did you do?

Living Happily In The Moment,
Beverly

We've Got The Beat

I spent a musical Monday evening, after my munchkin was asleep, watching VH-1 ON DEMAND.

My husband had discovered that VH-1 was ON DEMAND earlier in the day and he had spent much of the day watching old music videos instead of sleeping as he should have been.

He knows my love of Journey and all things 80's music, so before he left for work he introduced me to the channel where all my memories live.

It was such fun sitting and watching those old music videos. I can remember being a teenager and spending most of my tv watching time staring at MTV and VH-1 and the videos that brought all my favorite songs to life. Whether I liked a song largely depended on the video of that song, and vice versus. I am a visual kinda gal!

Monday night was kinda like my teenage years... except that I am old now and there was a sleeping child in the house that could have awakened at anytime. It kept me from belting out too many of the songs and from dancing wildly to "Anyway She Wants It" and "Faith" and "Sweet Dreams" -- that could have scared the child for life had she woken up and come into the living room to see Mom behaving like the teenager I am in my head.

In hindsight, I guess I should have known it was going to be a musical Monday night for me, when around 4:00 in the afternoon my daughter crossed her arms and announced that she "was mad!" When I asked her why she told me that "she was mad because she did not have a drum set and she NEEDED to make music!"

Now some of you will think I am just making that up for the comic value it holds in my life, but I promise -- it was a true and unprovoked statement from my child. She really loves the drums and clearly, we are holding her back from her true musical calling - to be the world's first 4 year old drummer prodigy.

So - what was your favorite music video? Leave me a comment - I would love to swap stories.

Living Happily in the Moment
Beverly

The Making of a Scarecrow

Hannah and I went to our first ever Scarecrow Making Party Sunday afternoon.

It was GREAT fun. Hannah had been looking forward to it since Friday when I told her about it. I promised if she were on her best behavior for the weekend that we would go. And so, Sunday afternoon we gathered our supplies - a pair of overalls, plaid shirt, pillowcase for the head and a hat and we headed to my friend Don's home.

Now, I haven't seen my friend Don in about ten years, never met his wife or children, so I was excited to go - just to see him again and meet his family. Hannah was just excited about the scarecrows.

The party was set up for success. Clearly Don and his wife are professional scarecrow makers. They had tables set up for supplies like rubber bands and safety pins along with bales and bales of hay for stuffing. There was a table of craft items, orange plates and black felt, just begging to be made into a jack-o-lantern.

After Hannah and I stuffed our little scarecrow, she was able to paint a face on him and then we set out to see what other fun we could get into.

She made a cute paper plate pumpkin, and then we hit up the snack table. Hannah's favorites were all there - cheetos, pretzels and lots of cookies, even some cookies with yummy orange icing. The food was great, but what really got her attention was the ice cubes in the punch - they had gummy worms frozen into them - and oh my - what a hit that was with my little tomboy!It was such a fun experience. I am so glad my little one got to have the experience and I am so thankful for friendships that last through time and space. It also makes me once again appreciative of the modern technology that helps reconnect old friends and form new relationships.

How fun to see my high school friend again, all grown up with a family - I am so glad he thought to invite me and my little one.

The whole gang with all the newly created straw people!!


So - how did you spend your fun Fall October weekend?

Living Happily in the Moment,
Beverly

Sanctified Soak

Back in 2000, my husband and myself, along with our good friends Tony and Lisa took a trip to New Orleans. We were younger back then, no kids and fancy free, so one Thursday night we packed into their car and started out for my family's home in Mississippi. We drove through the night and arrived at our little country home around 4 AM. (Remember, we were younger!!)

We planned to stay the day and night there and then head to New Orleans (only three hours away) on Saturday. And that is exactly what we did. Saturday morning, we packed up the car once again and drove to the Big Easy.

We had a great time walking the streets of the French Quarter, sightseeing, shopping and eating at Cafe Du Monde. Just four crazy friends, living it up.

We bought some souvenirs for ourselves and our dogs (remember, we had no children!!) had fortunes read in Jackson Square and took a carriage ride tour of the quarter. We even managed to find a souvenir or two for my parents - who had graciously let us spend time at the newly renovated Riley Country Manse. We bought my mom a magnet for the fridge down there in the house and we bought my daddy this...

(actually we just bought the can of bubble bath shown on the right, but, HEY, how neat was it that I actually found a picture of this on the internet.... gosh I love technology!!)

So, we bought the "WASH AWAY YOUR SINS" bubble bath -which promised a "SANCTIFIED SOAK." It was pretty funny. My preacher daddy enjoyed the joke.

This week I was reminded of all of this as I sat in his study and gazed at his bookshelves, lined with probably thousands of books on just about every subject under the sun and on the tippity top shelf, there it was - the bubble bath container. It make me laugh.

I laughed at it because of the fond memories it evoked. But later in the evening, as I was sitting and contemplating my day and my week and my life in general I started thinking about that bubble bath in different terms.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just take a bubble bath to wash away our sins. Have ourselves a good ole "sanctified soak," get out, dry off and be on our merry way. No memories of the "dirt" we just bathed away, no haunting flashbacks of the sins.

We can't do that, but thankfully, our Father in Heaven has provided an even better way for us. All we have to do is ask for the forgiveness, accept the gift of salvation given to us through Christ's death and resurrection and strive to follow in His example. It is not like the bubble bath, it is better.

Have you done that? Have you accepted Christ in your life? I am here as a witness to you, as a frail and imperfect person, I can do nothing without that strength and forgiveness in my life. I mess up - EVERYDAY - sometimes I make small mistakes, sometimes they are huge. But every one of them is washed away - not by some bubble bath sold on a shelf in New Orleans for $5, but by the priceless blood of Christ.

I hope you have a great Sunday. I hope you can find the peace, joy and forgiveness I am thankful to be living under. It is yours for the asking.

Living Happily in the Moment

Beverly

The Retreat

Have I told you yet about the retreat I went on a few weekends ago?

It was fab. Truly a fun time spent with about sixty women ranging in age from college to late life.
We went to a state park, not far from home, but far enough to feel like we were away.

Our cabins were great - more like nice condos than a cabin at the lake - much nicer than I had anticipated for sure.

We were blessed by a group of speakers from a sister church in our area as the leaders for our event. These ladies have a heart for the Lord and it is evident in their presentations. I am doubly blessed to be a even a small part of the church they hail from - it is where Hannah goes to preschool and I teach part-time.

I tried to soak in as much knowledge and wisdom as I could from the events of the weekend. Good stuff was taught at all the meetings and breakout seminars, learning how to be a good mom, wife and Christian woman in today's world. I think I clearly need more than two days worth of training however, there are days I fail miserably at all of the above.

Along with the serious spiritual stuff, we did manage to have a great bit of fun. The first night in our cabin we had an 80's Trivia night -- music, movie lines, pop culture questions were flung at us right and left and yep, you guessed it -I WON!! If there were a television game show where all the questions were like that -- I would be a millionaire. It was really fun. It is amazing how much random knowledge a brain can hold from twenty years back and yet I can forget there are rolls in the oven and burn them - every time.

It was a great time for me - fun to get away, fun to spend some time with women at my church that I rarely get to do more than say hello to on a Sunday morning and fun to spend some time focusing on the things that really matter in life.

I am looking forward to next year already.

Friday's Fave 5

I am participating in a great new (at least to me) blog event. Fridays Fave 5. It is a neat way to look back on the week and remember the best and my most favorite things that happened in the week.

Here we go:

Feeling the cool crisp autumn air in the mornings as we go to school. There is nothing more exciting to me than the first chilly days in autumn. The days have ended up around 80 degrees, but they have finally started to have a clip to the air in the morning hours. I am so thankful for this invigorating touch, just gets the day started on a great note.

Shopping at Kohls. They had a sale ya'll. I got some cute new things and even managed to keep my sanity while shopping with the four year old. She was actually helpful - pushed the cart and gave opinions in the dressing room

Spending time with my mom, learning about our family history through a cousin's research. We have had such fun peeking at the past and spent some great quality time while copying in the information from the book. Fun, Fun, Fun.

Spending some time with a dear friend, laughing and just enjoying the company. I don't get to do this much, my heart belongs to my friends and family and there just never seems to be enough time to sit, visit and reconnect. I am always grateful for whatever snippet I get.

Hugs and kisses. From my child, my family, and the dearest and nearest to my heart. I can't get enough of either - "for you girl, there's just not enough love in the world" is a quote from a Don Henley song that someone used to sing to me all the time. Guess it is still true - I can't get enough love from the people around me ... I am an empty hole - happy to be filled up.

Care to share your own I would love to read all about it... leave your URL or comment.

Living Happily In The Moment

Beverly

Pork Chops - "Waitress" Style

One of my favorite movies is "Waitress."

One of the unique aspects of the movie is that the lead character creates pies and then gives them fun names - like "Naughty Pumpkin" Pie or "I Hate My Life" Pie (made up of cherries and blueberries mashed together). It is really cute and endears the character quickly to the viewer.

Given my love of pork chops and the astounding number of really interesting and delicious pork chop recipes out there in the world, I am feeling the need to post a pork chop recipe once again, only this time I am going to creatively name the recipe, much like the character in the above mentioned movie. If it's a hit, I may have to make this a regular event here at "Happy In The Moment." What do you think?

So, here is your pork chop recipe for today, "Waitress" style.

Sweet as a Kiss and Sour as a Pout Pork Chops
Ingredients:
½ cup of sugar.
1/3 cup of white vinegar.
6 tablespoons of canned pineapple juice.
1 tablespoon of corn starch.
2 teaspoons of soy sauce.
8 lean boneless pork chops.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Preparation Instructions:
Mix together the sugar, white vinegar, pineapple juice, corn starch and soy sauce.Bring to a boil, then cook until clear and slightly thick.Lightly brown the pork chops, seasoning with the salt and black pepper. Cover with the sauce and cook covered over low heat for 50 minutes, turning frequently

Let me know if you try this neat recipe for Sweet and Sour Pork Chops - I am dying to try it myself.

Living Happily In the Moment!
Beverly

Living For The Moments

"Live for the moments that you can't put into words."

I don't know if you have noticed that quote on my blog, just over there.

I put it there a month or so ago - and today as I was sitting and hoping to be inspired I began to think about it.

There are moments in life that are just beyond words. Indescribable, intense, emotion packed. Writing has proven to be great therapy for me but sometimes, like today, there are moments in my life just don't translate to pen and paper. I have been sitting at the computer for an hour, and yep, there are no words to describe some of the best moments of my life. Since words are failing me tonight, I have decided to just fall back on the tried and true method of making a list. I am counting my blessings so to speak, reliving some great memories and some important moments in my life.

• Longing for love and finding it
• Waiting anxiously for a child to be born
• Watching a sleeping child holding onto a beloved stuffed toy
• Meeting a favorite friend for lunch and laughing, laughing, laughing until our sides hurt.
• Hugging someone you know you won't see for a long time once they get in the car and drive away
• Hearing a favorite song on the car radio and singing until your ears hurt
• Finding your favorite scent in lotion, shower gel and body splash formula
• Enjoying your favorite season with someone
• Having a craving for a snack and a friend to share the snack with

How about you - have you a list of moments, too filled with life that words fail you? Would love to hear yours - leave your URL or a comment.

Living Happily In the Moment!

Beverly

Cool Story!

Message in a bottle from cruise ship found -- 35 years later!

The Stamford Advocate this week has the fascinating tale of a "message in a bottle" from a cruise ship that apparently survived more than three decades at sea before landing in the British West Indies.

A vacationer from Illinois found the clear glass Tab cola bottle -- sealed with a cork and an aluminum screw top -- on the island of Middle Caicos during a recent trip, the Connecticut paper says.

A note inside the bottle was dated Dec. 29, 1973.
"I am on the Vistafjord. Write back to Andrew Tallos," the message said in a child's handwriting, according to the paper. "324 Haviland Rd, Stamford, Conn. 06903."

The Advocate tracked down Tallos, who was 11 at the time he wrote the message and dropped it overboard.

"My sister, Lisa, remembers the vacation really well," Tallos told the paper. "She's even more excited than I am. I really had forgotten all about the bottle, the vacation, so it's interesting to hear that it's turned up and survived."

Tallos' sister tells the paper the family sailed on the maiden voyage of the 25,000-ton Vistafjord, a trip to the Southern Caribbean from New York. She added that her entire family gathered at the back of the ship to throw the sealed bottle into the sea.

Cruise lines have strict rules about throwing items off of ships, of course
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=56612489.blog


Just thought it was a cool story - and ya'll know I love a good Message In A Bottle story. Thanks Colleen for sending it to me. By the way - Colleen is my friend from my years in Hawaii. We are OLD friends, reunited through modern technology and the internet -- isn't that just COOL? I think so!

Have a great Wednesday. Hope you find a message in a bottle of your own today.

Nine Degrees to Old Cousin George

This afternoon I spent time with my mom pouring over a notebook filled with our family history. This notebook was compiled by a cousin and details our family's history (at least on one side) back to the year 1638. It was fascinating.

Any history buffs out there? Any family genealogists? I have piddled with some family history over the years, but nothing to the extent my distant cousin has done. I learned so much in just a few short glances at the pages, I can't wait to sit and delve into more in the coming days.

So far I have learned that my family were originally Quakers, that an ancestor was banished to Ireland after trying to overthrow the King of England and I am related to George Washington by blood and Robert E. Lee by marriage. WOW!

I also confirmed that indeed I am married to my distant (VERY, VERY distant) cousin and that the 1800's and the early 1900's were riddled with just as much scandal as the our present day - people are people after all.

If I find out more juicy tidbits about the blood coursing through my veins, I will be sure to share it, but for now - just know that you are touching history as you read my words, the words of George Washington's cousin - nine times removed! Now, don't you feel special???


Yep, I see the family resemblance - don't you? Hee, hee, hee!

Beverly

The Green Fairy Cometh

It's almost Halloween, It's almost Halloween - Hip Hip Hooray, Hooray - It's almost Halloween!
(Sing that to the tune of The Farmer In the Dell!! Truly - it will stick in your head -ALL NIGHT LONG!!!)

No, seriously - it is almost Halloween and before anyone sends me hate mail or mean comments - I am not ashamed, I love Halloween, I am a Christian and somehow we still get to enjoy the holiday at my house. We have learned to celebrate the fun of the season, we are refusing to let the devil steal fun from our home. In fact, it is truly one of our family's favorite times of the year. My child is a Halloween freak - she loves the funny- scary stuff, candy, dressing up, the songs - all of it. We are so sad that this year we are without our beloved Fatman's. All the locals who read this will know this historic store in our town. It is no more - and we have truly enjoyed it in years past. Danny and I enjoyed it as children, and for the past three years Hannah has fallen in love with the pumpkin patch, the goofy haunted house, the boiled peanuts and the train - it makes me so sad that we can never play there again. We are in search of a new Halloween tradition - anyone local have any ideas?

All of that said, I started this post to talk about Hannah and her costume this year. She made a decision about a month ago that she wanted to be a fairy. This was a bit of a surprise, because quite frankly, she is not really a "girlie girl." The past years she has been a dog, a cat and Stephanie from Lazy Town (which is basically a cheerleader with pink hair). But she declared she wanted to be a fairy and not just a fairy - a GREEN fairy.

We went shopping last week for the costume, lest the stores be out of green fairy in the near future and quickly we found a Tinkerbell costume that fit just right. She is thrilled - it has clear wings, a green dress and a green tiara. I even bought her some "fairy dust" aka glitter so she could christen the world on Halloween.

The weekend I escaped for my Women's Retreat - my husband let her try on her costume. He even let her open the glitter and play outside in her costume. He is a man, I guess he thought this was a good idea. Anyway, something really cute did come out of his "decision" because apparently dressed in her costume, she took to riding up and down the street on her bicycle - sprinkling the "fairy dust" along the way. I wish I could have seen that - the thought of her so carefree, so excited to be a fairy and to let everyone see her - ah, the innocence of a four year old.

I truly hope she will keep that spirit alive in her soul. I hope that throughout her life she will dress in a way that makes her happy (and honors her God and parents!!), play in a way that makes her laugh and smile from the bottoms of her toes, and do all the things in life that she wants to do - not stopping to think that she can't or wondering what others will think. I hope inside she will always stay a cute four year old in a green fairy costume, riding up and down the street, laughing with delight.

SOS

Just a castaway, an island lost at sea,
Another lonely day, with no one here but me,
More loneliness than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair,
Ill send an s.o.s. to the world
Ill send an s.o.s. to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle,
Yeah,Message in a bottle, yeah
- The Police, Message in a Bottle

No, I am not on my favorite film (Message in a Bottle) kick again. Although, I would love to see it about now.

I am just having a day - one in which I wish I could get in touch with someone - and that someone is not there. I want to put a message in a bottle and send it out - hoping that someone will read it, know what it means and respond. Like the person in the song above, I'll just sit and hope and and wait and see.

Hope you are having a great Monday - and all your bottles come back to you a hundred fold.

ABC's of Me

Saw this on another’s blog, thought it was fun and informative all at the same time. I would love to hear your answers, leave me your URL or comment in the comment section!

A is for age.
42 and ho-ho-holding

B is for burger of choice.
um… Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Mustard, Pickles

C is for what car you drive.
2007 White Pacifica and a 1997 Green Ford Explorer

D is for Dog's name.
Georgia and HB

E is for essential item you use every day.
Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner, Coconut/Lime Lotion – I am a Coconut kinda girl

F is for favorite tv show at the moment.
CSI – all of them

G is for Favorite game.
Scrabble and Tennis

H is for Hometown.
Augusta, GA

I is for instruments you play.
Piano, a little guitar

J is for favorite juice.
Cranberry and Sunny Delight

K is for who you'd like to kiss.
Not telling!!

L is for last restaurant you ate at.
El Kioscio – last Sunday

M is for your favorite Muppet.
Cookie Monster

N is for number of piercings.
two

O is for overnight hospital stays.
none

P is for people you were with today.
My daughter, my husband and a zillion people at Walmart

Q is for what you do with your quiet time.
Read, watch movies, listen to cds

R is for biggest regret.
No real regrets, I do wish I was younger when I had a child – then maybe I would have wanted another one.

S is for status.
Married for 17 years on May 16th.
1 daughter, born Sept. 1, 2004

T is for time you woke up today.
5:00 AM

U is for what you consider unique.
Everyone's own laugh, hug and smile

V is for vegetable you love.
Zucchini, Fresh Green Beans, Squash and Butter Beans

W is for worst habit.
Impatience

X is for number of x-rays you've had.
have no idea

Y is for yummy food you ate today.
Cheese grits

Z is for zodiac sign.
Aries - but...I don't do this type of thing

Almond Joy Cookie Recipe

For those of you who have asked for the Almond Cookie recipe.... here it is.



Go to your favorite grocery store.
Get to the candy aisle really fast.
Look for the following...
Don't open it there.... you have to buy it. So hurry, run to the check-out. Once you get to your car, you are free to open the package and enjoy. CAUTION: These are highly addictive, your life will never be the same once you eat one, and you might want to have a icy cold Coke with you to enhance the enjoyement...I'm just saying!

Oh - and Hershey people, if you want to reward me for spreading this good news, please do not hesitate to contact me. :-)

Here's Mine!

Because of our sick household, I have had a few moments to browse some of my favorite blogs and I have noticed a remarkable trend - this week has been the week of "My Favorite Things" post entries. Four of my favorite bloggers did one this week, it is an Internet phenomena. Not wanting to be left behind, I am joining the blog train and giving you a list of my favorite things as well. Maybe you have a list, if so, leave me your URL in the comments, or just list them in the comment section. I would love to read yours!

Some My Favorite Things

the smell of baby powder
a smoking hot cup of coffee
Earl Grey breakfast tea, steamy and sweetened with honey
my Aunt Nell's Apple Cake
a field of red poppies
a clean house
softness of a puppy's ear
cuddling
my favorite tv show on dvd, and a whole day to watch it
crisp fall morning air
my red chair
my "Kiss Me I'm Irish" sleep pants
playing the piano, when no one is home
cooking for my family
a campfire out back
the smell of cut grass
a letter in my mailbox
coconut milk shampoo and conditioner
Almond Joy cookies - OH MY HEAVENS - they are good
pumpkins
recipe books
my laptop
taking pictures
reading on a rainy afternoon
pork chops
celebrity gossip
Mentholatum
sleeping until noon (okay, that is a distant memory - haven't done that in YEARS!!)
catching up with an old friend
Helen, GA,Edisto Beach, SC, and Italy
flair on facebook
a date with my husband
Mellow Mushroom pizza
Pistachio gellato
the color red
jumping on the trampoline
throwing balls to the dogs
watching the sunset at the beach
listening to my child sing first thing in the morning through the nursery monitor
writing it all out - hoping to make sense when I am done.

I really could go on and on, but I would bore those three of you that actually read down to this sentence. I will save the rest for later....

Beverly

Rising Again...

Today is Saturday. I have missed almost an entire week of blogging. To those of you who faithfully checked in everyday, only to be met with the same old post - I am sorry, but oh so thankful you were faithful to check in.

I have missed this. The putting of thoughts to paper, the typing on the computer keys, the thread that runs through my brain as I try to focus on a particular idea or thought pattern.

We have the sickness in our home. First I was sick, then my sweet girl has been sick and missed three days of school. Then yesterday I had an allergic reaction to the cleaner I used on Thursday and spent the day trying to come down off a Benedryl high.

I am not completely convinced we are over all the ickiness that has surrounded us this week, but I think we are at least on the mend.

Even though I wasn't blogging, wasn't doing much of anything actually, but sitting with my girl, my brain did make one or two constructive thoughts.

There is NOTHING worse than sick child. There is also nothing sweeter than a sick child, snuggling up close in the middle of the night, body hot with fever, longing to just have Mommy close. That is the part of this mommyhood job that I wouldn't trade for anything. It was just the thing I needed to keep me going after 36 hours of no sleep - the thought that she might actually love me and need me - it is a powerful drug, much more powerful that the Benedryl!

Thanks to all who have checked on us, here is hoping that the weekend will bring a complete restoration of health and next week we will be back to normal.

Beverly