47 Shopping days before Christmas!

Today there are 47 shopping days left before Christmas! Wow! How did that happen? Have I done any shopping? Ask anyone who knows me well, and they can tell you. The answer is NO!! Are you kidding! What fun would it be to be prepared and have it all done early, before the crazy rush! Who doesn't get an inward thrill out of racing around the day before Christmas trying to find something on your child's list, only to discover the only one left has been stepped or chewed on by another child. And who doesn't get a kick out of running short on wrapping paper and tape and having to use the Sunday Comics held in place by the last few staples in the house and some left over yarn from the scarf you made for your Aunt Lucy.

Well...it really isn't that bad, but I am a last minute kind of girl. I use to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, but I just never got into the thrill of getting up at 2:00 am and standing in line for 4 hours with 300 other people all trying to get the ONE Game Boy the store advertised for $5.00 in order to get people into the store. I would rather pay twice what something is worth than to go through all of that!

The last time I shopped the day after Thanksgiving for Christmas was in 2004, when we lived on Padre Island. Lauren and I got up before daylight and hit the stores. I ended up buying things we really didn't need. I spent more money than I normally would have spent, and still didn't get much Christmas shopping done. So I swore off those crazy shopping days when everyone is out looking for a bargain. Except for Christmas Eve, and I'm not out looking for bargains, I am just out trying to get the necessary items that I have put off getting up until then. I have to have a little excitement in my life!

Besides, this year, I have to work the day after Thanksgiving. So while all you bargain hunters are out there stalking some great sale, I will be putting more sale papers and catalog's that promise great savings, into your mailboxes to tease you with the allure of something great!
Happy Shopping---47 Shopping days left until Christmas! But don't let that stress you, there is always the day after Christmas Sale!

Today I didn't get as much accomplished as I wanted. The day just got away from me. It has turned really cool, with freeze warnings for the area tonight. burrrrrrr....

Megan has been after me for several days to make some boiled cookies, so tonight I gave in and made them. I don't like to make them because when I do, I eat to many!!! Tonight I had three. I am going to forget that they are here and NOT HAVE ANYMORE! What are boiled cookies, you ask? Well, only the best of chocolate and peanut butter mixed together...yummmmmy!

Boiled Cookies

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter

4 TBS cocoa

( I use liquid hersey syurp, about 6 or 7 squirts)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

bring these ingredients to a boil for 4 minutes

then remove from heat and add

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 1/2 cups dry oatmeal

Stir together until well mixed and quickly spoon onto wax paper of foil.

Allow to cool and harden

Eat and enjoy

Makes about 22 cookies

This is my Mawmaw's recipe. She use to make these when we were kids and I just loved them. Still do, but I don't make them much anymore because I just can't stop with one, or two, or three, or.........Sometimes I could eat a whole batch. And I wonder why I need to lose 40 pounds!!

Menu Plan Monday

Well it is that time of the week again. I haven't been very good about planning my weekly menu, but I have enjoyed reading others who do. So I am going to try it this week.
(Megan has been wanting me to fix "little pizza's" I haven't done them in a long time so we decided to do finger foods today.)
Monday : Biscuit pizza's, bar-b-que meatballs and some form of veggie
Tuesday: Tuscana Soup and garlic bread
Wed: Hot dogs and oven fries
Thurs: Homemade sub sandwiches and chips
Friday: TBD
Sat: I work so it is hubby's job to fix: probably take out of some kind
Sun: something in the slow cooker
Well, I know it isn't all planned out, but I do have a start. This isn't how I usually cook, but in the past few months, I have been in a cooking slump. I use to be the Mom that cooked a four course meal, sometimes twice a day.(when hubby use to come home for lunch) But, since I was pregnant with Noah and had him, my cooking has gotten less and less elaborate and unfortunately less healthy in favor of something quick. I hope to find the "joy of cooking" again start cooking more healthful and creative meals. But for now, at least no ones complaining and there is always something to eat.
Follow the Menu Plan Monday graphic at the top to find a link to Organizing Junkie and see what tons of others are doing this week in the kitchen.

If God had intended us to follow recipes,He wouldn't have given us grandmothers.~Linda Henley

Quote of the Day

I found this great quote at Orginary Mom's blog and it spoke to me and the way I have been feeling about my life lately. So I have attached it below. Hope someone else out there is moved by it also.

“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” ~ Eddie Cantor

A Wedding

Well it was back to work today. I really dreaded it, after being off for two weeks, I didn't want to go back. But all went well. It was a light mail day and no large packages. And I really knew God was smiling on me when the people I usually pick up out going packages from, met me at the truck with their packages, so I didn't have to climb the hill and carry a load back down. So that was great!! I got home by a little after 4:00 and wasn't tired or sweaty. The weather was just shy of wonderful. The sun was out and there was a simi cool breeze blowing. The temp was just at 70. The only thing that could have been better was the temp could have been just a little cooler, but I won't complain. Not today, anyway!



I talked to one of my oldest and dearest friends on the phone this evening. Well she isn't old, but I have known her since she was born. Our families have been neighbors for several generations and have been like family to us. Her mom babysat for me some when I was young and I babysat for her and her sister when they were little. When I started back to college in 1996, I think, she had just graduated from high school and we went to college together. We have been close ever since. Anyway, she is very special to me. She is getting married!! She asked me to be her matron of honor! I am so excited. I feel young again. I was in several weddings when I was younger, but it has been years since I was asked to be in a wedding!!! The wedding is next October, and we are looking for dresses. She has decided on the colors, and she is letting each of the attendents decide on the style that she will wear, as long as it is formal, that is. So I am looking for a dress. I found one that I love online, if I can find one in the colors that she is using, and it is not to expensive I would like to get it. Or one near that style anyway. I will try to attach the photo below. Anyway, we have just started the hunt, so hopefully we will find what we want.

Isn't it beautiful. You can see it and others at www.latterdaybride.com. And no we aren't Morman's. We just liked this site because they offer more modest style choices.

Hubby went to the store and bought shrimp and crab legs. We cooked them with some sausage in crab boil and Tony's seasoning. We ate and ate until we could stuff ourselves no more. We both love seafood. When we lived in Corpus Christi, we would eat crab legs often, and never got tired of them. We don't eat them much here due to the cost. But tonight we both agreed that we like to move to the coast and live off of crab legs, shrimp, lobster, fish, oysters, and other seafood. Throw in a little salad, some sushi for hubby and some occasional chocolate, and it would be heaven!! What more could you ask for to eat? So now I am stuffed from supper and declaring that I am going to lose 40 before next October. I will be slim for Daphne's wedding!!! Now to plan how I aim to accomplish this feat. Think, Think, Think...(as Pooh would say)...

Well that is about all for tonight. I finally got Little Man down for the night. And I am hoping to get a little reading in before falling asleep. I am currently reading, A Year By The Sea, by Joan Anderson. I have read it before, but felt the need to do so again. I also have A Walk on the Beach and An Unfinished Marriage, by her, waiting to be reread. I enjoyed them the first time around about two years ago. It must be something about fall...Anyway, check them out from your local library and enjoy a little retreat of your own.

I will leave you with this thought:

God gives us our relatives - thank God we can choose our friends. - Ethel Watts Mumford

Some of you may get a chuckle out of this one! And if you don't---lighten up a little bit!!

Friday Felicities

1. Cool Fall mornings

2. Hugs from my little ones

3. puppy breath

4. losing 5 pounds

5. being able to breathe through my nose!

If you want to participate in Friday Felicities please click on the Mr Linky below. If you want to read the origin of Friday Felicities click on the photo above.

Thursday's news

Okay, so Lauren just left for her weekend to St Louis, and Megan and Noah and I are feeling a little lonely. Or at least I am feel a little lonely. I watched her drive out of the driveway and thought of myself at her age and well, we don't want to think about that, so I quickly made myself busy doing something else. So anyway, we are getting ready to run to the library. I have some books that are due and for lack of something better to do today, we will spend a little time there.

When Andrew gets off we are taking Megan and Noah to The Purple Cow to eat supper then maybe a trip to Barnes and Noble bookstore. Just a little outing in an otherwise boring weekday.

I start back to work on Saturday. I'm not liking it very much, but thank God for the job! Thats all I have to say about that !

I am getting ready to get another perm in my hair. I haven't had one in almost two years. I did get a root perm for just the top portion of my hair earlier this year, but it is gone! My hair really does hold a perm well, except for the top, because it is so long and the weight of it pulls it out. I miss just washing, gel-ling and going. I like the bohemian look. Lauren calls me a hippie, because of the way I wear my hair long and down. And I suppose there is some hippie still in there somewhere, but usually when women get to a certain age; I won't mention what age that is; surely older than I am...they usually start wearing their hair up if it is long. I do wear it up, to church and other places, mostly since I had Noah, because it is easier when pulling and tugging on a little one not to have hair hanging down in the middle of it all, however, I want to get a perm so I can start wearing it down again. So, I usually go back to Louisiana to a lady that I trust there to do it. Did I mention that I don't let just anyone perm my hair? Anyway, there are three women in this world that I would trust with my hair and two are in Louisiana; one in DeQuincy and the other in Walker, near Baton Rouge. The third is in Kentucky. Why you ask do I not trust many with my perming? Well I don't cut my hair. I don't even trim the hair, so you can see where perming could be harsh on your ends. And that is where these special people come in. They know just how to work magic to make sure the ends don't burn or split. I get a perm about once every year, year and a half. I have gone almost two this time with the interjection of a root perm. And I am very careful not to do anything that would damage my hair. I air dry, most of the time, condition, condition, condition... Anyway, I got a recommendation for a lady here in Arkansas and I have been trying to get a hold of her today, but no luck. Hopefully I can get it done before Thanksgiving. This will save me a trip to Louisiana that I can't make right now. So hopefully this lady will work out.

Well, hubby called and he is actually off early and on his way home!!!YEA!!!! So I need to get off and get ready for our family night out.

Just an update. The nose is doing well. I bumped it the other day, trying to kill a misquito on Noah; don't ask; anyway, it hurt for a little while and I fretted for a while worried that I had damaged something, but it appears to look the same and works as well. So I suppose it is okay. I still plan to post photo's when Lauren returns. I should have had her take them with my camera instead of hers.