Cold medicine and blogging go together like chalk and cheese

In other words...I remembered a few things this weekend and I've taken a cold pill so look out...

1. Mexican food is as good as I remember. Hubs and I went out for Mexican food on Friday night and it was delicious. Really good Mexican food would for sure make our list of the top 3 things we missed most about home while we were living abroad. If we were actually keeping a list which of course we weren't because mostly we loved everything about our years in England. Well, obviously everything except the fact that there wasn't any good Mexican food. Oh, and the crazy driving. And parking. And trying to open a bank account. Or get a repair done. Where was I going with this again?

Oh yeah...you can get every kind of wonderful ethnic food in the city of London...actually all around the UK...except great Mexican. Oh, there were a couple of Mexican restaurants around and every now and then we'd get such a craving for it that we'd convince ourselves those restaurants were not too bad. So we'd trek in to one place that made pretty good salsa and pay our four pounds fifty for a coffee cup serving of chips just to satisfy the craving. We were always bitterly disappointed and would ask ourselves why why why do we keep going back?? I guess because we're the hopeful type. Anyway, Friday night we went to a place we'd heard about thru the grapevine and it was totally yummy. I feel better just knowing its there.

2. I like Bocce ball. Seriously. I haven't played since I was a kid but we spent the night at a friends house on Saturday and we just had the best time playing on their Bocce court.

They have an official court which I told my husband we could do in our back yard but he pretty much nixed it because a. you need a lot more space than we would want to devote to an official court and b. our friend explained they had equipment brought in and big rocks moved and then a tennis court type material laid on top and blah blah blah...I decided I want a few more pieces of furniture and we need to buy daughter2 a car and it's almost Christmas and really winter is coming any day now and I will most likely not be outside playing Bocce ball when there is a foot of snow on the ground so...impractical. But fun. Have I mentioned on here before that I'm slightly competitive?

3. Old friends are comfy. Like I said we spent the weekend with some old friends...actually the Mrs. was hubs boss way back when. There were a few other folks there too and we just talked and laughed and warmed our feet by the outdoor firepit in between the bocce games and the fabulous homemade meatballs. We stayed in their adorable little guest cottage which used to be a doll's house but they raised the ceiling and have converted it into the most fantastic space for guests.

I told my husband we could do this in place of the Bocce court. I mean we for sure get a whole lot of houseguests and how fun would it be to have a place to send them for them to relax in their own little cottage?

4. My girlies will be home two weeks from tomorrow to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. And if you want to get all technical that isn't something I only remembered this weekend....I just like saying it.

Yup...like chalk and cheese. And do you know what else I just remembered? I have now worked that expression into two blog posts...just wondering what that says about the content here?

circa 1965

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.

~Marion C. Garretty

Happy Birthday little sister!

If it's Wednesday it must be Belgium

Okay so maybe it's not Belgium but every Wednesday is the fun random dozen meme hosted by Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee. We're into week ten so come play along and link your own post here.

1. It's early morning, about 2:00AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light?

Of course I wait. I always follow the rules.

2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything?

I might think twice about sampling 3 desserts at the German luncheon I attended. I imagine I still would have sampled though...apple strudel, German chocolate cake, and cream puffs...how does a girl choose?

3. When you reply to someone's comment on your blog, do you reply in your comments or go to her blog and comment? (Or email her)

If I have their email address then I generally send an email (you noreply-comment@blogger people need to get with the program!) If I don’t have their email (hey noreply people-post an address already) then I will reply on their blog. Lots of times I comment on a blog but don’t go back to that post to look for a response which is why I tend not to respond in the comments section of my own blog.

4. Your favorite Disney movie is:

I’m pretty sure this is the hardest question of the week...if we are we talking cartoon then it's The Little Mermaid. If we’re talking regular film…The Parent Trap…love both the original and the remake.

5. Do you recycle?

Yes. It’s the law here. See question #1.

6. Games of strategy or games of chance?

Love them both. I pretty much love all games. And I always play by the rules. But of course you already knew that.

7. Do you have any recurring dreams?

No…I very rarely remember my dreams.

8. What did you learn from your first real job?

I had a regular babysitting job beginning at age 12, one sweet little girl who I cared for almost every day for two hours after school. I always knew I loved little children and I always wanted to be a mother and this job affirmed that. My first real paying job was as a counselor at a Christian camp called Sandy Cove. I always imagined I'd be assigned to the youngest group but lo and behold they put me with teenagers. And I loved that too. And I've worked and volunteered with groups of teens most of my adult life and I think maybe that summer job went a long way in teaching me how I want to relate to my own teens and those who have crossed my path thru the years. Actually I learned a whole lot of things in that summer camp job... so much about myself and about God and about getting along with people, about appreciating the beauty of creation, about living and working with people of all different backgrounds and beliefs, about strength and stepping out of my comfort zone...these are lessons that have stayed with me all my life.

9. Do you buy or borrow most books?

Depends where I’m living…I have a great library in my little town here but when I lived in the UK I ended up buying almost everything I wanted to read. Let’s just say if it was copyrighted post 1983 it wasn’t readily available in our little branch. And let's just say the ladies who worked there were not overly friendly or overly helpful which put me off making requests.

10. What fashion trend of the past did you say you'd never wear again but did?

I can’t think of one. Here’s my fashion motto so to speak… If a trend looked fabulous on me at age 19 or age 21 then it will now look fabulous on my daughters ages 19 and 21 and it will not look fabulous on me an-y-more.

11. When do you start Christmas shopping?

I pick up bits and pieces as I travel throughout the year but otherwise, dedicated shopping…not til December for the most part.

12. Have you ever been so happy that you literally jumped up and down for a few seconds? If so, what was the occasion?

Well, just a couple of weeks ago we worked out a way for my youngest daughter to come home for two days. I didn’t think it was going to happen and I did actually jump out of my chair when hubs said we had the points and could get the flight that way. Sometimes I just need to see my girls face to face. sigh.

Life Lessons Remembered

A couple of weeks ago I joined in a blog carnival at Bridget Chumbleys...I love her blog by the way...if you haven't visited by all means stop in. Today the carnival is hosted by Peter Pollackand he invites you to think and pray about this weeks word and then link your post. Today's word is remember.

My dad passed away in 1992 at the too young age of 66. I was given a gift in my father, perhaps something I didn't fully recognize until I myself was mostly grown but for which I am grateful every day of my life.

My father grew up as one of four sons of a Colorado farmer. He was tough and in fact a bit of a trouble maker as a boy and young man. He was eventually sent off to military school and it turns out the military suited him. He made the Marine Corps his career, eventually attending the US Naval Academy and serving his country in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam. He retired from the Marine Corps and went on to have a second career at a university before retiring once more. He died less than four years later.

We love to talk about my dad in our family...we remember his funny sense of humor, the way he used to open his Christmas presents with a pocket knife so he didn't tear the paper, the fact that he put pepper on everything he ate, how he liked working with wood, loved watching sports in his favorite recliner, taught us all to drive, called us to the dinner table in Japanese...we remember him. Every day.

My father had an amazing testimony about how he came to know the Lord...he was married with three children at the time and it was a dramatic Paul- like event (well, without the blindness) and I remember so clearly sitting in a church pew listening as he shared his story.

Remember God changes people.

There are lessons I learned from the way my father lived his life that I'm not sure he ever said in words but as parents everywhere will attest- we are the book our children read.

My father taught a men's Sunday school class for years and when I think of my dad I remember him studying at the kitchen table with his bible and reference books all around him, writing in his chicken scrawl as we liked to call it, and then on Saturdays, standing in front of his bathroom mirror reviewing his lesson out loud. We used to do something in our house that my dad called Family Altar which I guess today people call family devotions. I don't remember it being a set day or time but I do remember my favorite part was the singing. For the most part we are not a musical bunch, my brother being the exception, but that didn't stop us from singing....we especially loved 'Give me That Old Time Religion' and my dad would let us call out the verses...does anyone still sing that song?

Remember to study Gods word so you'll know what He says about life and death andeverything else.

A lot of my childhood was spent at church and I saw my dad serve many different roles there which to me said no one part of the body is more important than another... he taught a men's SS class but he was also there to help in the church nursery, work in a Vacation Bible school class filled with three year old children, narrate our church cantata (oh, they'd never ask him to sing!)...he helped write our church constitution, was a deacon...not all at one time of course but steady...always quietly serving.

Remember God calls us to be servants.

My favorite memories are of my dad as Grandpa or Poppie as he was known...he loved his granddaughters and had a tender spot in his heart for children everywhere. I sometimes think about a boy named Kim...he was the child from Korea we sponsored through World Vision for most of my growing up years and my father especially encouraged my younger sister and I to write him letters.

Remember to help the helpless and the hopeless.

There is thankfully much publicity about the plight of children all around the world today but back in the sixties and seventies, pre-cable tv and pre-internet, not so much. My parents supported a child through World Vision all throughout my childhood and beyond and I know that was what prompted me to do the same. They helped and supported other organizations too and sometimes just people they knew who were down on their luck and in need of a helping hand from someone...a hand extended without shame or judgement.

Remember life isn't always fair.

My dad was the picture of health when he was diagnosed with cancer not long after retirement began. He fought hard though, without complaint and with amazing courage.

Remember God gives us strength and grace for every circumstance.

I know where my father is spending eternity. I have not one iota of doubt. None. That certainty and the peace that comes along with it is a gift in itself.

Remember death is not the end.

My father was not a man who doled out hugs easily nor was he a man who tossed out the words I love you easily yet, we knew we were loved. I remember my father as a sure and steady presence in my life, a man who lived with integrity, who made me feel safe. And underneath it all there was love...

I remember.

Count Your Blesings Name them One by One

Do you know that old hymn? It's one of my favorites and it certainly fits with the holiday that comes along later this month. I love autumn and I especially love Thanksgiving day. I'm hosting the dinner at my house this year...my daughters will be home from university, my inlaws are coming from Tennessee and we'll also have my husband's sister and brother in law with their two little boys so it'll be a full house. Can't wait!

Leah over at South Breeze Farm is hosting a month long Thanksgiving celebration and I'm going to participate. All you do is make note each day of one thing you are thankful for that day. It doesn't need to be a blog post although you are welcome to do that too...I'm just keeping a running list on my sidebar so when my blog opens up I can see it and smile. Visit Leah's blog if you'd like to grab the button and join the fun.

If you need me I'll be in the kitchen with my German English dictionary

I recently joined a newcomers club in my little town and they have all sorts of fun activities happening each month. I signed up for their Gourmet Group and will be attending my first luncheon tomorrow. Turns out when you are part of the Gourmet Group you have to cook. I think I saw the word Gourmet and got all caught up in the idea of eating which might explain how I somehow got talked into preparing a main dish. I like to call this 'new girl phenomenon'. Next month I'll know to hop over there and sign up for the applesauce first thing. Did I mention this luncheon has a German theme? I'm pretty sure the only thing German I've ever cooked is a Brat and maybe some sauerkraut which let's be honest only really means I cut open a bag and put it in a pan. I guess I will just have to rely on my expertise at eating German food to know if my dish tastes as it should because when it comes to eating German food I rock.

Speaking of food and fun...we had a great time catching up with some old friends on Friday night. We first met J and J (referring to our friends here and not the pharmaceutical company) in 1991. Our daughter1 and their daughter 2 met in the first five minutes of their very first day of preschool and were kindred spirits from the word go. Seriously, we moms used to say their friendship at age 3 1/2 was like nothing we'd ever witnessed. A little side story here...in their class that first year there was another girl with the same first name as my daughter and there were two other girls with the same first name as J's daughter so in class they were always called by their entire name-first and last. This carried over outside of school and when they'd be playing at home they'd address each other by their whole name. They sometimes still do. We moved to another state when they were 6 years old. And to another country when they were 15. They are now 21. They are still friends. So sweet.

Anyway, we barbecued and J brought the dessert which was so cute I thought I'd share-

Isn't this fun? She baked a spice cake and iced it...the stem is a frosted ice cream cone. You're welcome.

Still more food news...I stopped at the local farm stand on Friday afternoon to pick up a few things and the lady working there kindly threw in an acorn squash for free.

I'd never cooked one before and let me just say it was easy and delicious. I baked this one last night and thought I'd share the recipe today on Fall into Flavor over at Linda's...click here for more wonderful cool weather cooking treats.

Baked Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash

1 Tbsp. butter

dash of salt

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut the acorn squash in half using a very strong kitchen knife. The skin is quite hard so cut carefully. And don't tell my husband I did this myself...he says none of the women in my family should be allowed to operate sharp knives...there's a history of cooking incidents y'all...its a genetic thing I'm pretty sure.

3. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits and run a knife across it to score in several places and then place in a baking pan, cut side up.

4. Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 Tbsp. of butter and a dash of salt (if using unsalted butter). Next add one Tbsp. brown sugar to each and then dribble one tsp. of syrup across the squash.

5. Add about a half inch of water to the pan to keep the skin from drying out. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until it is really soft and the tops are browned. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

Spoon the buttery sugary goodness over all and enjoy.

Sure Makes Me Wonder What's In Those Popcorn Balls

I've read many posts this week that relate to Halloween one way or another. Some families choose not to celebrate and some go all out on the day. Our children always enjoyed dressing up (on Halloween or any day for that matter) and trekking the neighborhood with Daddy to beg for candy trick or treat. It seems they went from this-

to this

to this

almost overnite.

One of our favorite Halloween memories and a story that is retold on a regular basis in our house is from the year we went camping with family friends the weekend before Halloween. We knew in advance the campground had some fun activities going on including trick or treating from campsite to campsite and a pumpkin carving contest which the dads kids were especially excited about. They (and when I say they I mean 'the dads') had gone to a pumpkin carving demo at a local garden center the week before so they came prepared with all sorts of vegetables and grasses to be sure they would win.

And of course they did because they're competitive like that and they do still like to talk about it every now and then but... what we really laugh about to this day involved Daughter2. If you've read here before then you may have a glimpse into her personality but this little story was just so Daughter2. The kids went trick or treating around the various campsites and returned to our site with big plastic bags of mostly candy and one ginormous popcorn ball. The dads proceeded to get dinner going on a grill grate set over the campfire and they had some steaks cooking when out of nowhere miss sweetness, who had been standing about 15 feet away just happily swinging her candy bag around and around, suddenly let it fly. Let me tell you the law of physics was something in that split second because it was like some kind of crazy vortex sucked that plastic bag filled with candy into the literally 1 inch space between grill and fire and whooosh-that bag of candy disintegrated in an instant. All but the popcorn ball which somehow remained completely intact. Hmmm. Anyway, we all stood frozen for about a minute with our jaws hanging open and then the dads sprang into action getting the food off the grill and away from the melting plastic poison and the moms just looked at each other and daughter2 didn't even cry because honestly no one could believe what had just happened. I'm certain this is one of those-you had to be there to appreciate it kind of stories-but I have to add that 1. you could never recreate this in a million trillion years and 2. this could only happen to daughter2.

She's the one in front of the axe but I'm thinking you figured that out on your own. The look on her face usually said I'm oh so cute but I'm trouble. The kids were full of sympathy and of course they all knew her well so while they were surprised at the actual incident they were not surprised that there was an incident. They happily divided their candy so she ended up with a fresh bag (and instructions NOT to swing it and to stay well clear of the fire). And for me, I guess my thoughts on Halloween are kind of encapsulated in that one weekend...cool crisp fall weather, an outdoor fire, pumpkins, good friends, and sweet children who grew up in the blink of an eye.

visit Kelly's Korner today for more Halloween Costume posts