Here are a few fun tips I have learned over the years and I continue to use them. You know how you read articles and see things on TV and wonder if they really work...well, here are some that I have tried and they actually do work. Some of these may be old news to you, but they were not to me.
1.The plastic knife is a fabulous tool for cutting fresh, warm brownies. You know how it is, you get a box of assorted plastic cutlery or a packet with a spoon, knife and fork and you never use the knife unless you are buttering a roll right at that very moment...because what else can you use a flimsy plastic knife for? I actually incorporated this very tip into a bible study once for our ladies group. I told Jay this morning, I can make anything relative!! So next time you bake brownies, cut those hot, steaming, luscious squares with your useless plastic knife collection. It works!
2. Wrapping celery in aluminum foil and putting it in the refrigerator helps keep it crisp and it will last longer. I am not a fan of celery and don't really use it for much, but the couple times I needed it, I tried this and it works. My grandma also started doing this when she was at home and swears by it.
3. Want crispy fried taters? Here's a hint my grandma gave me...after slicing the potatoes, spread them out on paper towels and let the paper towels soak up the excess water. I like a mixture, some crispy, some not-so-crispy...oh, man, now I really, really want some fried taters.
4. If you are out of shaving cream and you're super hairy and sensitive like myself (can't dry shave if I want to be seen in public) use your hair conditioner instead. It works beautifully and actually leaves your legs feeling pretty good.
5. I had always wondered why when I'd open a thermos or container at my grandma's I'd find a sheet of paper towel inside, well, I figured it out. It soaks up any moisture that may have been left over from cleaning it. I now do that and laugh every time I open something up and see it...because I always thought my grandma was nuts and I am slowly evolving into her!
6. If a recipe calls for buttermilk, use milk and top it off with vinegar. I have never been given an exact measurement for this secret so I'm not sure if there is a proper formula. I just pour about 3/4 of a cup of milk and then top the cup off with vinegar. I don't know about you, but I don't have buttermilk on hand very often and it's a key ingredient for making Texas Sheetcake and other yummy desserts! Man, am I getting hungry.
7. Applesauce can be substituted for oil in cake mix to cut down on the fat and calories. It doesn't change the taste of it either, so that is always a plus. Ahh, yes, a cake...
8. I love this new stuff I've run onto called Lemishine, a rinse for dishwashers. Walmart sells it and it has really helped my stuff a bunch. I now use it with my regular soap as my rinse agent and it really makes my stuff sparkle. I just pour a little bit in the hole with my regular soap.
9. Keeping potato flakes on hand is a great way to thicken up gravy, soups, or even mashed potatoes. I buy the buttery kind because you can never have too much butter flavor, right?
10. Have a tricky stain on a carpet (light colored probably), use white foamy shaving cream. It is AMAZING how well it will pull that stain out.
11. Norwex cleaning rags. I have no idea what the proper name of these two rags are and I think they have changed the color of them, but they are fabulous. The pinkish one I dampen with plain water and wash the windows, the yellow rag dries them streak-free. They are the best! I Love, Love, Love cleaning my windows now because it is so easy and there's no mess, no dripping of windex, no wad of paper towels to throw away. There may be offbrands that work just as well, but I'm not about to get rid of my Norwex rags. I think they were maybe $20 combined but that was a couple years ago and they are still getting used!
12. Laundry tips: Aerosol hairspray works on an ink stain and WD-40 works to take out grease-type stains...now that I ever have to get stains out of clothing or anything.
So there you go, all my secrets are out...all twelve of them. If you have any super cool hints you would like to share, send them my way. I'm always up for trying stuff that actually works.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Bombs and such
As if I needed more material...this happened last night and all Jay could say was, well, now you have another story for your blog. I suppose so.
It is flea season unfortunately, and if you have animals and pets like we do, it can be a battle during this time of year. We buy the good stuff from the vet and apply it regularly throughout the warm months to our pets. This summer I only had to buy two doses, one for Meepie, the sole-survivor cat, and one for Abby, the longest-living-lab we've ever had. Hank the Tank II came in August and I think he brought along some friends...unfortunately, and so the battle began.
As you may know, you can't just coat a six-week old puppy with chemicals, and considering our luck with animals and their early demise, we weren't willing to take too many chances with going overboard on that. We bathed him repeatedly with this puppy-friendly flea and tick soap and I bombed the house and we thought we had it under control. Apparently not.
So we take him to the vet for his first checkup and he gets a pill that should kill all the fleas on him and he gets his wormer, etc. He then goes to his Grandma's house and barfs all over her floor (although not entirely his fault, he had not eaten all day and was given those meds on an empty stomach, poor little guy). I went back a few days later and got him another dose of wormer, but I forgot all about the little magic flea pill that he probably threw up as well.
He went back to the vet for his second puppy visit on Monday and got another magic flea pill and a dose of the good flea stuff for puppies. Both took. I applied the flea stuff to Meepie and Abby and decided to bomb the house again last night just to make sure that we got everything covered. I also decided I would double-dose the bombs for full effectiveness. Good idea.
Except that I didn't think about the double-dose of fumes it would create...which in turn would trigger the fire alarms...that are connected to our security system (a whole separate story I'll write on later) which immediately calls the fire department. The ear-piercing alarm is blaring, my kids are screaming, half of the bombs have been activated, and I'm trying to get the kids out of the house and into the car so we can leave for four hours but now I'm searching around for the phone to call the security company.
I find the phone and the number and I get a hold of the lady. I tell her that there is not really a fire at my house, I, um, well, I am bombing my house for fleas and apparently the fumes blew directly towards the fire alarm sensor. "Okay, another representative is on the line right now with your dispatch so I'll let them know it is a false alarm." Oh, man, does this mean the entire city of Martinsville will know we have fleas? If not, I suppose they do now...ha. (Our local 911 dispatch has to think we are crazy for sure...and that is another story as well.)
I set the rest of the bombs off and fled to the garage and waited to make sure the remaining bombs didn't activate the fire alarms again. We evacuated the house for four hours and returned to a flea-free home. Given our history that I haven't told you about yet, I am soooo sure our name is flagged just about everywhere by now with a little smiley face...More to come...
It is flea season unfortunately, and if you have animals and pets like we do, it can be a battle during this time of year. We buy the good stuff from the vet and apply it regularly throughout the warm months to our pets. This summer I only had to buy two doses, one for Meepie, the sole-survivor cat, and one for Abby, the longest-living-lab we've ever had. Hank the Tank II came in August and I think he brought along some friends...unfortunately, and so the battle began.
As you may know, you can't just coat a six-week old puppy with chemicals, and considering our luck with animals and their early demise, we weren't willing to take too many chances with going overboard on that. We bathed him repeatedly with this puppy-friendly flea and tick soap and I bombed the house and we thought we had it under control. Apparently not.
So we take him to the vet for his first checkup and he gets a pill that should kill all the fleas on him and he gets his wormer, etc. He then goes to his Grandma's house and barfs all over her floor (although not entirely his fault, he had not eaten all day and was given those meds on an empty stomach, poor little guy). I went back a few days later and got him another dose of wormer, but I forgot all about the little magic flea pill that he probably threw up as well.
He went back to the vet for his second puppy visit on Monday and got another magic flea pill and a dose of the good flea stuff for puppies. Both took. I applied the flea stuff to Meepie and Abby and decided to bomb the house again last night just to make sure that we got everything covered. I also decided I would double-dose the bombs for full effectiveness. Good idea.
Except that I didn't think about the double-dose of fumes it would create...which in turn would trigger the fire alarms...that are connected to our security system (a whole separate story I'll write on later) which immediately calls the fire department. The ear-piercing alarm is blaring, my kids are screaming, half of the bombs have been activated, and I'm trying to get the kids out of the house and into the car so we can leave for four hours but now I'm searching around for the phone to call the security company.
I find the phone and the number and I get a hold of the lady. I tell her that there is not really a fire at my house, I, um, well, I am bombing my house for fleas and apparently the fumes blew directly towards the fire alarm sensor. "Okay, another representative is on the line right now with your dispatch so I'll let them know it is a false alarm." Oh, man, does this mean the entire city of Martinsville will know we have fleas? If not, I suppose they do now...ha. (Our local 911 dispatch has to think we are crazy for sure...and that is another story as well.)
I set the rest of the bombs off and fled to the garage and waited to make sure the remaining bombs didn't activate the fire alarms again. We evacuated the house for four hours and returned to a flea-free home. Given our history that I haven't told you about yet, I am soooo sure our name is flagged just about everywhere by now with a little smiley face...More to come...
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The part and the crown cowlick
And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. 2 Peter 3:14-15 (NLT)
I did something super crazy Sunday morning while getting ready for church...I parted my hair on the other side. For most women, this is a big deal. For me, it is a big deal. I asked Jay if he could tell something was different and he studied and finally said my hair...but only because I was doing my hair, I'm guessing. He tried, I'll go with it.
I would guess that I have been parting my hair on the right my entire adult life, when parting was necessary. All those years I had perms, there was no actual part, it just went every direction. Eighteen months ago, I started working in Marshall and at that time switched hairdressers out of convenience. I was not unhappy with my former gal, I just needed something closer to where I was every day. (It's worked out very good too!)
I get my hair cut a lot, approximately every 5-6 weeks, which means I've probably visited my current stylist about 14 times since making the switcheroo. Every single time, she starts to part my hair on the left and I tell her, nope, it's the other side. She's a sweetie and has never said a word, but it dawned on me just the other day, that maybe there is a reason she tries to part it on the left...like maybe a large cowlick near the crown of my head, slightly to the left.
Let me digress a minute. Every day my hair starts out looking pretty good (ssh, I think it does, let me have that, okay?), but by noon, the hair at the crown of my head has decided to make a flip-flop and lay the other direction, which no one else probably ever notices, but it drives me bonkers. I don't keep hair supplies at work, so I always use my fingers and try to get it back in line...it lasts about the 20 seconds it takes me to walk back to my office.
So finally, at age 36, I realized that maybe that large cowlick on my crown should influence where I part my hair. Duh. The past two days I have parted my hair on the left and I have really liked it. It was a little windy yesterday and I was out in it, but until I went outside after lunch, it was in place. Wow, after all this time, I just needed to part my hair on the opposite side. I'm hoping this sticks. It is a little weird because I'm so used to the thicker hair being on my left, but I'm adjusting. I'm sure that no one would ever even take note of this...except now the few that read this are going to be staring at it and I'm going to be wondering if I have something in my teeth or on my face...but I'm so tickled that I maybe have finally figured out that that stupid cowlick could be useful!
Funny, how that works, isn't it? An annoying cowlick has a purpose. It just took me 36 years to find it. Kinda like our relationship with God, huh? Maybe we fight and go against the grain on something that we just keep coming up against over and over, and then finally, the light bulb goes off and we get it. Hallelujah! God is persistent. He just keeps working on us until we see the light, so-to-speak. Thankfully, he has something I don't have much of, it's called Patience. Sometimes that little annoyance we have fought so hard to avoid or forget about it is just what we need. Yee-haw, it's about time my part and the crown cowlick have become friends...
I did something super crazy Sunday morning while getting ready for church...I parted my hair on the other side. For most women, this is a big deal. For me, it is a big deal. I asked Jay if he could tell something was different and he studied and finally said my hair...but only because I was doing my hair, I'm guessing. He tried, I'll go with it.
I would guess that I have been parting my hair on the right my entire adult life, when parting was necessary. All those years I had perms, there was no actual part, it just went every direction. Eighteen months ago, I started working in Marshall and at that time switched hairdressers out of convenience. I was not unhappy with my former gal, I just needed something closer to where I was every day. (It's worked out very good too!)
I get my hair cut a lot, approximately every 5-6 weeks, which means I've probably visited my current stylist about 14 times since making the switcheroo. Every single time, she starts to part my hair on the left and I tell her, nope, it's the other side. She's a sweetie and has never said a word, but it dawned on me just the other day, that maybe there is a reason she tries to part it on the left...like maybe a large cowlick near the crown of my head, slightly to the left.
Let me digress a minute. Every day my hair starts out looking pretty good (ssh, I think it does, let me have that, okay?), but by noon, the hair at the crown of my head has decided to make a flip-flop and lay the other direction, which no one else probably ever notices, but it drives me bonkers. I don't keep hair supplies at work, so I always use my fingers and try to get it back in line...it lasts about the 20 seconds it takes me to walk back to my office.
So finally, at age 36, I realized that maybe that large cowlick on my crown should influence where I part my hair. Duh. The past two days I have parted my hair on the left and I have really liked it. It was a little windy yesterday and I was out in it, but until I went outside after lunch, it was in place. Wow, after all this time, I just needed to part my hair on the opposite side. I'm hoping this sticks. It is a little weird because I'm so used to the thicker hair being on my left, but I'm adjusting. I'm sure that no one would ever even take note of this...except now the few that read this are going to be staring at it and I'm going to be wondering if I have something in my teeth or on my face...but I'm so tickled that I maybe have finally figured out that that stupid cowlick could be useful!
Funny, how that works, isn't it? An annoying cowlick has a purpose. It just took me 36 years to find it. Kinda like our relationship with God, huh? Maybe we fight and go against the grain on something that we just keep coming up against over and over, and then finally, the light bulb goes off and we get it. Hallelujah! God is persistent. He just keeps working on us until we see the light, so-to-speak. Thankfully, he has something I don't have much of, it's called Patience. Sometimes that little annoyance we have fought so hard to avoid or forget about it is just what we need. Yee-haw, it's about time my part and the crown cowlick have become friends...
Monday, October 3, 2011
Meet Dave
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 (NKJV)
Several years ago a group of our friends went through Financial Peace University and it got me hooked. I had never heard of Dave Ramsey or his FPU program, but I borrowed some books and was quickly completely engrossed by it. I didn't go through his course at the time when our friends did because Jay works shiftwork and I didn't want to go to the classes by myself. Thankfully, my friends were nice enough to loan me the materials. It changed our lives.
I had never been terrible with money, but I wasn't good with it either. I/we always believed that as long as we could make the payment on something, we could buy it...and it works okay unless something changes or Murphy moves in. Fortunately for us, we never had a major setback anywhere along our poor financial road. We always met our deadlines and weren't in trouble with credit people or anything, but it was often a struggle.
In September of 2006, I began listening to the CD's of the FPU program. Jay, who is always supportive of my endeavors, wasn't necessarily onboard, but he wasn't against me either. I got the usual, do-whatever-you-think-is-best-and-I'll-go-along-with-it-the-best-I-can statement. So I did. I developed a game plan and did my best. It was difficult at times but I was fortunate that a bunch of our friends were doing it at the same time so no one thought we were completely nuts.
And let me tell you, people will think you're nuts. I'm sure, wait, I KNOW people thought I had lost it. I totally revamped how I did things. This included no longer shopping until my heart's content, spending money at the Doller General on...I'm not sure exactly...watching every penny, using cash only, carrying around labeled envelopes in my purse with the set amount of cash in them. After about six months of watching my magic in action (I should say Dave's magic), Jay realized I was onto something and went berserk with me. It was that moment when we both agreed...we both have decent jobs, why do we live paycheck to paycheck? This is crazy. We followed Dave's plan and paid stuff off left and right
We had decided early on that we didn't really want to get rid of anything, we liked our "toys" and knew that if we got rid of them, we would just end up buying newer ones and that would cost more...So we kept our stuff and paid it off. We conquered the babysteps and completed our debt snowball...to a point anyway. After about 14 months, I think, we had paid off everything we had but our house and had a six-month emergency fund. It was absolutely amazing.
If you follow Dave's on-air program, he has Debt-Free Fridays where people call in and scream "I'm Debt Free!" Dave asks what the hardest part was, how long it took and how much you paid off. On February 15, 2008, our Jay, the kids & I made the call. All four of us shouted into the phone those three famous words, "We're debt-free." It was so exciting. Our kids were even excited. I quit my full-time job and worked out of the house for a couple years. It truly was a pivotal event in our adult lives. We aren't quite on track as we once were, but still live by some of his basic principles. And honestly, I probably could use a refresher course right now. We use cash as much as possible and no longer own a credit card (except Maurices and Menards for coupons and rebates, but don't tell).
There is no question that it is a very difficult and disciplined process to go through, but it is so worth it. If you have money struggles, I urge you to tuck your tail and go to www.daveramsey.com. Listen to his radio program as much as possible. Order his book, the Total Money Makeover and read it twice. Don't be proud or embarrassed. Don't be a servant to the lender...Be free.
Several years ago a group of our friends went through Financial Peace University and it got me hooked. I had never heard of Dave Ramsey or his FPU program, but I borrowed some books and was quickly completely engrossed by it. I didn't go through his course at the time when our friends did because Jay works shiftwork and I didn't want to go to the classes by myself. Thankfully, my friends were nice enough to loan me the materials. It changed our lives.
I had never been terrible with money, but I wasn't good with it either. I/we always believed that as long as we could make the payment on something, we could buy it...and it works okay unless something changes or Murphy moves in. Fortunately for us, we never had a major setback anywhere along our poor financial road. We always met our deadlines and weren't in trouble with credit people or anything, but it was often a struggle.
In September of 2006, I began listening to the CD's of the FPU program. Jay, who is always supportive of my endeavors, wasn't necessarily onboard, but he wasn't against me either. I got the usual, do-whatever-you-think-is-best-and-I'll-go-along-with-it-the-best-I-can statement. So I did. I developed a game plan and did my best. It was difficult at times but I was fortunate that a bunch of our friends were doing it at the same time so no one thought we were completely nuts.
And let me tell you, people will think you're nuts. I'm sure, wait, I KNOW people thought I had lost it. I totally revamped how I did things. This included no longer shopping until my heart's content, spending money at the Doller General on...I'm not sure exactly...watching every penny, using cash only, carrying around labeled envelopes in my purse with the set amount of cash in them. After about six months of watching my magic in action (I should say Dave's magic), Jay realized I was onto something and went berserk with me. It was that moment when we both agreed...we both have decent jobs, why do we live paycheck to paycheck? This is crazy. We followed Dave's plan and paid stuff off left and right
We had decided early on that we didn't really want to get rid of anything, we liked our "toys" and knew that if we got rid of them, we would just end up buying newer ones and that would cost more...So we kept our stuff and paid it off. We conquered the babysteps and completed our debt snowball...to a point anyway. After about 14 months, I think, we had paid off everything we had but our house and had a six-month emergency fund. It was absolutely amazing.
If you follow Dave's on-air program, he has Debt-Free Fridays where people call in and scream "I'm Debt Free!" Dave asks what the hardest part was, how long it took and how much you paid off. On February 15, 2008, our Jay, the kids & I made the call. All four of us shouted into the phone those three famous words, "We're debt-free." It was so exciting. Our kids were even excited. I quit my full-time job and worked out of the house for a couple years. It truly was a pivotal event in our adult lives. We aren't quite on track as we once were, but still live by some of his basic principles. And honestly, I probably could use a refresher course right now. We use cash as much as possible and no longer own a credit card (except Maurices and Menards for coupons and rebates, but don't tell).
There is no question that it is a very difficult and disciplined process to go through, but it is so worth it. If you have money struggles, I urge you to tuck your tail and go to www.daveramsey.com. Listen to his radio program as much as possible. Order his book, the Total Money Makeover and read it twice. Don't be proud or embarrassed. Don't be a servant to the lender...Be free.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Does cheese sauce really make you selfish?
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Phillipians 2:3-4 (TNIV)
Last night after a very stressful day at work, we decided it was a pizza night. We loaded up the fam and headed to the Pizza Hut. It is funny, a few years ago, we were regulars at our local Pizza Hut, however, in the past couple years, we have ventured out a little and don't go there quite as much. But back then, it was weekly and it was often an extended-family affair. Our family, my parents and my brother and his family would all go over and enjoy some pizza, salad and breadsticks.
As we placed our order last night, this subject was brought up, yet again. So I must share with you one particular story that occurred while dining out with the fam at the Pizza Hut many years ago...because Jay will NOT let it go.
When the whole clan went, we always ordered breadsticks. You can order a small order which is five breadsticks, or a family order which is ten. A small order comes with one small container of sauce and the family order comes with two. There are two choices when ordering sauces: the red sauce or the cheese sauce. The typical choice of the Quackfamily (at that time) was the red sauce. No question about it. And whether Jay likes it or not, he is a part of the Quackfamily.
This particular evening, the waitress came by and took our order and we ordered the family size breadsticks. She then proceeded to ask what sauce we wanted, and I answered that we wanted the red sauce. Jay spoke up and said he would like a cheese sauce with that too. I'm not sure what made Jay decide he could insert his opinion in there (just kidding...ha) but I was rattled. If you get a cheese sauce, I told him, then all six of us will be sharing one small container of red sauce and you will get the entire little tub of cheese to yourself. That is selfish.
If I had known that those words would haunt me for YEARS, I certainly would've never said them. Here's the thing, I dearly love cheese. It is actually right up there with chocolate for me. But... and you knew there was one...I prefer the red sauce with my breadsticks and I like lots of it. And to be perfectly honest, IF there ever is red sauce left, I eat it with the knife (since there isn't a spoon)...that's right, I empty that little bitty container, almost wipe it clean. How could each of us get a good portion of red sauce for our breadstick when there is barely a quarter cup of it in that one little tub? I don't know about you, but I would much rather have my breadstick with sauce so this was a problem for me.
Of course, this lead to a "discussion" about who was being selfish. Wasn't I really the one being selfish? Because, after all, Jay really liked the cheese sauce and he could never get the cheese sauce because no one else liked it, yada, yada, yada. Well, I didn't really think so at the time, and now maybe, just a teeny tiny bit, I see a small inkling of selfishness by me telling him he couldn't have the cheese sauce, but it also really does make sense to me. Six people dipping into one container versus one person dipping into one container...you get it, don't ya? It's okay, I know you do.
Last night Jay had to rehash the whole disagreement to my kids, who, I could tell, never quite understood the big deal (yeah, uh-huh, me either). After we ordered our breadsticks, he told them that ordering cheese sauce means you're selfish and just smiled. I was so tired, all I could do was giggle. I didn't have it in me to debate this subject matter for the hundredth time. I figured I just had to share this with you and dig up a verse to rub it in a little. I can't even tell you if we ended up with the cheese sauce and a red sauce or two red sauces that night, but I'm guessing there is someone that remembers...
Last night after a very stressful day at work, we decided it was a pizza night. We loaded up the fam and headed to the Pizza Hut. It is funny, a few years ago, we were regulars at our local Pizza Hut, however, in the past couple years, we have ventured out a little and don't go there quite as much. But back then, it was weekly and it was often an extended-family affair. Our family, my parents and my brother and his family would all go over and enjoy some pizza, salad and breadsticks.
As we placed our order last night, this subject was brought up, yet again. So I must share with you one particular story that occurred while dining out with the fam at the Pizza Hut many years ago...because Jay will NOT let it go.
When the whole clan went, we always ordered breadsticks. You can order a small order which is five breadsticks, or a family order which is ten. A small order comes with one small container of sauce and the family order comes with two. There are two choices when ordering sauces: the red sauce or the cheese sauce. The typical choice of the Quackfamily (at that time) was the red sauce. No question about it. And whether Jay likes it or not, he is a part of the Quackfamily.
This particular evening, the waitress came by and took our order and we ordered the family size breadsticks. She then proceeded to ask what sauce we wanted, and I answered that we wanted the red sauce. Jay spoke up and said he would like a cheese sauce with that too. I'm not sure what made Jay decide he could insert his opinion in there (just kidding...ha) but I was rattled. If you get a cheese sauce, I told him, then all six of us will be sharing one small container of red sauce and you will get the entire little tub of cheese to yourself. That is selfish.
If I had known that those words would haunt me for YEARS, I certainly would've never said them. Here's the thing, I dearly love cheese. It is actually right up there with chocolate for me. But... and you knew there was one...I prefer the red sauce with my breadsticks and I like lots of it. And to be perfectly honest, IF there ever is red sauce left, I eat it with the knife (since there isn't a spoon)...that's right, I empty that little bitty container, almost wipe it clean. How could each of us get a good portion of red sauce for our breadstick when there is barely a quarter cup of it in that one little tub? I don't know about you, but I would much rather have my breadstick with sauce so this was a problem for me.
Of course, this lead to a "discussion" about who was being selfish. Wasn't I really the one being selfish? Because, after all, Jay really liked the cheese sauce and he could never get the cheese sauce because no one else liked it, yada, yada, yada. Well, I didn't really think so at the time, and now maybe, just a teeny tiny bit, I see a small inkling of selfishness by me telling him he couldn't have the cheese sauce, but it also really does make sense to me. Six people dipping into one container versus one person dipping into one container...you get it, don't ya? It's okay, I know you do.
Last night Jay had to rehash the whole disagreement to my kids, who, I could tell, never quite understood the big deal (yeah, uh-huh, me either). After we ordered our breadsticks, he told them that ordering cheese sauce means you're selfish and just smiled. I was so tired, all I could do was giggle. I didn't have it in me to debate this subject matter for the hundredth time. I figured I just had to share this with you and dig up a verse to rub it in a little. I can't even tell you if we ended up with the cheese sauce and a red sauce or two red sauces that night, but I'm guessing there is someone that remembers...
Friday, September 30, 2011
Small town
"Well I was born in a small town,
And I can breathe in a small town.
Gonna die in this small town,
And that's prob'ly where they'll bury me." (Small Town, John Mellencamp)
I absolutely love my town. I love this time of year here. I would say that fair week and homecoming are the best weeks of the year for the active locals. Tomorrow will kick off homecoming week, "Out with the Old, In with the New." Things have changed a little here in the 'Ville, as Jay's cousin calls it. This year we will begin homecoming with an alumni volleyball tournament, alumni football game, bonfire and coronation tomorrow. The Student Council is having a lunch at noon; our church youth group is having a breakfast at the Fire House in the morning. Things are gonna be busy.
Next week the high school girls volleyball team will be in the conference tournament so the traditional coronation and pep rally and bonfire were moved up a little. I think they still have the school pep rally on Thursday at 2:00. (Wish I could go to that...I hear some characters from the past are making an appearance!) Friday there is no school, which I think is the pits, it kills part of the excitement, but the parade will be at 3:00 like it has been ever since I can remember. The dedication of our beautiful new school building will begin at 5:30 in the new gym and there will be a Booster Club sponsored tailgate immediately following that ceremony in what I call the teacher's parking lot. Kickoff for the Bluestreaks Homecoming Football game is 7:00 p.m. on Friday night.
I am proud to say that I am from Martinsville. I am equally proud to say that I am a Bluestreak. I am so thankful that Jay and I are able to raise our children here and provide for them with fairly local jobs. I know that is not always possible and you have to be practical about things like that. My plan, which I guess I should realize by now really isn't my own, is to live and die as a resident of Martinsville. I want what's best for my children and their families in the future, but unless they move to some really beautiful place I like to visit regularly, I would be tickled if they stayed here too.
I have no regrets, no shame in what or who I've become, or that I'm still here in this little 'ole town. It is my home here on earth and there's no place I'd rather be. I love that I'm looking forward to tomorrow and next week and the excitement it brings to town. I already cannot wait for next year's fair. That has to be the highlight of the summer. As it is with many places and their traditions, people plan their vacations around the Martinsville Ag Fair.
I know there are lots of towns just like mine all over, and I'm thankful that ours has remained a small, rural community. I know that I would support whatever school my kids were in and whatever the name of it might be. I suppose I would even wear purple if I had to. But I can't say I'm terribly upset that the flood ruined our old and unique high school. It truly saved our school, our small town and the tradition that will continue with the one and only Bluestreaks.
And I can breathe in a small town.
Gonna die in this small town,
And that's prob'ly where they'll bury me." (Small Town, John Mellencamp)
I absolutely love my town. I love this time of year here. I would say that fair week and homecoming are the best weeks of the year for the active locals. Tomorrow will kick off homecoming week, "Out with the Old, In with the New." Things have changed a little here in the 'Ville, as Jay's cousin calls it. This year we will begin homecoming with an alumni volleyball tournament, alumni football game, bonfire and coronation tomorrow. The Student Council is having a lunch at noon; our church youth group is having a breakfast at the Fire House in the morning. Things are gonna be busy.
Next week the high school girls volleyball team will be in the conference tournament so the traditional coronation and pep rally and bonfire were moved up a little. I think they still have the school pep rally on Thursday at 2:00. (Wish I could go to that...I hear some characters from the past are making an appearance!) Friday there is no school, which I think is the pits, it kills part of the excitement, but the parade will be at 3:00 like it has been ever since I can remember. The dedication of our beautiful new school building will begin at 5:30 in the new gym and there will be a Booster Club sponsored tailgate immediately following that ceremony in what I call the teacher's parking lot. Kickoff for the Bluestreaks Homecoming Football game is 7:00 p.m. on Friday night.
I am proud to say that I am from Martinsville. I am equally proud to say that I am a Bluestreak. I am so thankful that Jay and I are able to raise our children here and provide for them with fairly local jobs. I know that is not always possible and you have to be practical about things like that. My plan, which I guess I should realize by now really isn't my own, is to live and die as a resident of Martinsville. I want what's best for my children and their families in the future, but unless they move to some really beautiful place I like to visit regularly, I would be tickled if they stayed here too.
I have no regrets, no shame in what or who I've become, or that I'm still here in this little 'ole town. It is my home here on earth and there's no place I'd rather be. I love that I'm looking forward to tomorrow and next week and the excitement it brings to town. I already cannot wait for next year's fair. That has to be the highlight of the summer. As it is with many places and their traditions, people plan their vacations around the Martinsville Ag Fair.
I know there are lots of towns just like mine all over, and I'm thankful that ours has remained a small, rural community. I know that I would support whatever school my kids were in and whatever the name of it might be. I suppose I would even wear purple if I had to. But I can't say I'm terribly upset that the flood ruined our old and unique high school. It truly saved our school, our small town and the tradition that will continue with the one and only Bluestreaks.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
See You at the Pole
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)
Yesterday was "See You at the Pole" and I decided late the night before that I wanted to go. I don't think I've ever been, can't remember if we had it when I was in high school or not. Amazingly enough, I got the kids ready and loaded up in time to catch it.
Honestly, I was a little hesitant, would anyone else be there, would they wonder why I was coming, would I make a fool of myself? The answer is, yes, others were there; maybe, they wondered why I was; and fortunately, I didn't make a fool of myself. My kids didn't want to get out of the car and I decided not to force them, but right before we started the prayer, Madolyn jumped out and ran over. I was tickled.
There were approximately 20-22 people there if I counted right in my head. I think there were ten teachers plus myself and the rest were students. I'm sure that several teachers or students forgot, were running late or maybe were a little hesitant as I was. I'm glad I went. It was lead by a senior from the high school. He is one of those kids that is likeable, a good athelete, good student and a Christian. What more could you want?! He told about the history of See You at the Pole, that it began in 1990 and it has continued to grow. We gathered hands, he started the prayer and we went around the circle. Donuts were offered to the students...it was over. (A big thank you to the teachers who came out...I hope your day went well. You are making a difference!!)
Madolyn and I got in the car. I told her I was glad she had decided to get out. She said she was too, that she couldn't make up her mind and finally just went for it. Good deal, girl. We talked that next year we would try to recruit others and double the crowd. I'm trying very hard to follow through with things I say I'll do...will you remind me a year from now, preferably sooner than the night before, that I want to recruit kids to pray at the pole? Seriously, anyone? You come too. Even though it was dreary out, I couldn't think of a better way to start the day!
Yesterday was "See You at the Pole" and I decided late the night before that I wanted to go. I don't think I've ever been, can't remember if we had it when I was in high school or not. Amazingly enough, I got the kids ready and loaded up in time to catch it.
Honestly, I was a little hesitant, would anyone else be there, would they wonder why I was coming, would I make a fool of myself? The answer is, yes, others were there; maybe, they wondered why I was; and fortunately, I didn't make a fool of myself. My kids didn't want to get out of the car and I decided not to force them, but right before we started the prayer, Madolyn jumped out and ran over. I was tickled.
There were approximately 20-22 people there if I counted right in my head. I think there were ten teachers plus myself and the rest were students. I'm sure that several teachers or students forgot, were running late or maybe were a little hesitant as I was. I'm glad I went. It was lead by a senior from the high school. He is one of those kids that is likeable, a good athelete, good student and a Christian. What more could you want?! He told about the history of See You at the Pole, that it began in 1990 and it has continued to grow. We gathered hands, he started the prayer and we went around the circle. Donuts were offered to the students...it was over. (A big thank you to the teachers who came out...I hope your day went well. You are making a difference!!)
Madolyn and I got in the car. I told her I was glad she had decided to get out. She said she was too, that she couldn't make up her mind and finally just went for it. Good deal, girl. We talked that next year we would try to recruit others and double the crowd. I'm trying very hard to follow through with things I say I'll do...will you remind me a year from now, preferably sooner than the night before, that I want to recruit kids to pray at the pole? Seriously, anyone? You come too. Even though it was dreary out, I couldn't think of a better way to start the day!
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