A Treasure I Wish I Had

Well I believe I told you that I was planning on doing a recipe book for each of my boys. So my original plan included the use of these: 

It was just like an original recipe binder that I set up before my husband and I went to Germany for his tour of duty in the military.

So my idea was to be - use each color for different things, breads, entree's, deserts, you get the idea. The only problem with this plan is that once a color is full - no more recipes can be used. The other problem is that if I wrote in pen - I could make mistakes and make it look messy. If I used pencil - it could get smeared and look messy. I didn't know what I was going to do. But I knew I needed to do something.

Several years ago- my Grandmother passed away. She was from Colorado. I did not get to see her very much. But I know she was a great cook! After she died - I really wanted her recipes. Well I wanted recipes but I also wanted to know more about her. I regretted the wasted time of not being able to find out who she really was. And as I would look at old recipe books I would be reminded of wanting some of her favorite recipes. So I knew I needed to revisit my recipe book idea for my boys and someday for my granddaughter.

I was talking to my husband and he actually gave me my idea. And I really don't know why I hadn't thought of it sooner. The plan was to type out my tried and true recipes- then I could copy off as many as I wanted to make.

So it was awesome when while I was thrift store shopping this week, I found a pretty pink 3 ring binder- probably a 1 inch binder. I thought it was great. It actually has 2 pockets on each side, instead of the usual one only pocket. I also found some dividers and bought a package of them. Here is a photo of my new recipe binder:

 

So now I am going to begin to work on my recipe folder. And then I will work on getting the boy's theirs made up. And I figured in order to make it more personal - I will write had written notes on some of the recipes. Like as I find something that might work better or options that can be done with the recipe. Just what ever I can do to make it more personal. That way my sons will have the recipes that mean the most to them. And something personal that their mother made them. Maybe it can help answer some questions for them after I am gone. Just a link to the past. And something they can pass down. A treasure- I treasure I wish I had. So I making it happen for the next generation.   

 

Enjoying Your Blessings

In about 1997, I was working for my MIL at the bakery. At that time instead of a grill - she made donuts. About this same time period Star Telegram started doing a promotional - trying to sell more papers. So basically the idea was that the businesses that had the highest increase in business would win a really cool prize. A trip to Disney World - for 4 people - 3 nights. It was a great prize to win. Well at this same time the local school had an assignment for the kids which required them to use lots of newspapers for the project. And my MIL bought what ever papers were left over - since they used them for clean up with the donut equipment. I don't remember really hearing much about this contest. Until one day when I was at work my MIL said how would you like to go to Disney World? I answered that it would be nice but that I did not see that ever happening. At that point we were pretty poor and I knew that we could not afford a vacation away - anywhere. Well guess what? She had won the trip!!!

My MIL and her husband and her other grandson would drive to Florida - to visit my FIL's family and then they would meet up with us at Disney World. How exciting!!! We ended up going the last week of July - the only time our schedule would allow. We had a great time- long lines and it was pretty warm but it was a chance of a lifetime for my boys.

What is so sad is that I had the hardest time telling people about us going. Why? I guess I was embarrassed - like for some reason because we were poor - we did not deserve to go. How sad is that?.. I find myself dealing with something a little similar now.

Since I have been "laid" off - I guess I am feeling a little guilty for not working. Isn't that sad? Every other time that I did not officially work - I had children to take care of or homeschool. Now my kids are grown and I am not working - officially anyway and it is just hard to get used t00. I have a lot of things around here to do - to get this place more organized and in better shape.

I just think it is sad that the society 0r something has made me feel pressure to work. And that being at my home taking care of my family is not worthy enough of a "job." I am thankful that I have had these couple of weeks. For the first time in a long time I had time to focus more on my family and on the reason for the season. And during that time I regretted spending so many year working at the bakery and neglecting my family. Not having the time or energy to make the holidays as special as I could have done. But I realize what is past - is the past and there is Nothing I can do about that. But I can look to the future and I can learn to better prioritize my life. Put what is important at the top and drop things that are not as important to lower place on my list. And I am going to be thankful to God for the blessing of being a stay at home wife(as long as He choose that fo me.) :O)

So I am wondering - if any of you feel the way I do? :O)

Happy Veteran's Day

On Facebook there was this status going around saying to put your favorite vet as your profile photo. Well I looked for my husbands official military photo but could not find it; however, I did find this photo of him so I posted it. He IS my favorite Vet. Anyway I just wanted to have a post - even though it is so late - to say a Big Thank You to everyone who has served in the Military! Thank you to you and to your family who sacrifice so very much!! We appreciate everything you do! :o)

By the way this photo is about 18 years old - this is my oldest son - he was about 2 in the photo.

Happenings Around our Place

Guess what I finished last week?!!! It felt so good to get it done and hung up in the living room! At first I thought it was a little too much red - since our living room is more in blues but I really like it now. Sometimes it just takes a little getting used to. It was fun to move the things that had been on this wall and change up how we had our wall decorations. I was also able to bless my cousin with some wall scones that I had up on the wall on either side of a large painting that we have in there - that I was no longer going to use.

My husband came home from work on Friday sick - throwing up. It was a good thing that by Saturday afternoon he was feeling better because my cousin from Okla. came by to visit. We had a very nice visit. It was a hard trip for her - as her and her husband were here to help clean out her Dad's place. I probably won't get to see her for a long time now. Before the last couple months when I have seen her 4 different times - I had not seen her since 2000 - when we went up for a quick visit to Okla City for my Grandmother's funeral. It has been so nice to get to know her better.

Yesterday we were blessed with Thank you cards from special friends. And then my friend came by and gave me a nice gift! It was so neat. She gave me an Avon - AM and PM facial cleaning set. She is very sweet. God has blessed me with some very good friends.

I am so thankful for the friends I have. When I was growing up - we moved almost every year. So I made friends and then we would move away from them. And technology was not as good as it is now and so I would totally lose contact with them. So I do not have hardly any long term friends. One of my best friends that lived in this general area was killed in an accident back in 1997 -1998 area. Friends are hard to find sometimes. That is one reason why I love blogging because it has helped me to meet a lot of really cool ladies that I would otherwise never get to meet.

This has probably been the hottest week end this summer. It has been HOT! Here is what our week looks like:
I am SO looking forward to the highs only being in the middle 90's! And I can not believe that the temps might actually get down into the mid to lower 70's. To be honest - I will believe it ONLY when I see it. I am SO hoping that this is the end of the triple digit weather.

We were able to take care of our Granddaughter today! It was a lot of fun! Today when we went to Walmart - trying to take advantage of the Tax Free week end for Texas - Papa went and picked out a few outfits for her. He loves to buy her stuff!

And Papa barbecued chicken for us for supper and I made some home made rolls along with some corn and macaroni salad. We had our son and his wife and a friend over for supper. It was nice to have the house full of loved ones.

I think I might just work on my Block of the Month block tonight. I hope everyone has had a good week-end! And I hope you all have a good week as well!! :O)

In Memory of my Uncle Perry

When I was 11 years old my parents got a divorce. We had lived in Pecos Texas and along with my Mom and sister - I moved to Oklahoma City. What a big transition that was. When we first moved there - we were staying with my grandparents. When the time came for the final hearing for the divorce - my sister and I stayed with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins. My Mom and her parents made the long trip back to Pecos.

During our stay, my sister, my cousin Beverly and I had a lot of fun. But one day - we must have gotten tired of each other because I got my feelings hurt thinking that they were being mean to me - I can't remember anything at all- I just had my feelings hurt. So I decided to go to my grandparents house. Now please remember I am in OK. City. And I will have to walk several miles from my uncle's house to my Grandparent's house. So I started walking. After a while, I noticed that there was a man walking on the other side of the busy street. He kept looking at me. I would stop and he would stop - then when I began to go - he would go as well. After a while - I began to get scared. I still had a long ways to go before I got to my grandparents house- and as far as I knew NO one was home and I really did not even know when my Mom and Grandparents would be back. I would probably have to sit on their porch for hours waiting for someone to get home.

I got to a cross street that I stopped at - I looked across the road and there he stood. Still looking at me - smiling at me. I looked down the cross street. Down that road - lived a couple that my cousin had babysat for - I did not know if I would know for sure which house they lived in - but for a moment I thought that maybe it would be a smart idea to try to find their house. So I stood there debating - do I continue to go straight 0r do I turn? If I turn then maybe I would be in greater danger - being off the main road. As I stood there - all of a sudden a motorcycle drove up and there was my Uncle Perry. He told me to get on the back of the motorcycle and scolded me- telling me it was not very smart of me to be walking across town. I don't remember for sure what he said because I was SO thankful that he had come to get me. After I was safely on the motorcycle - I looked across the street - the guy was NO where to be seen.

My Uncle Perry had not been home when I left and I still to this day feel that this was a miracle that he came to get me. He was used of God to come and get me and to keep me from ...who knows what...

I am so thankful that he was able to hear of this story and how much it meant to me that he had come to get me and protected me.

Today he was found dead. He will be greatly missed.