Thaksgiving breakfast

I know most folks think of turkey on Thanksgiving but we also think of monkey bread. We have this for breakfast on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I snapped this shot before most folks were awake so you could see it and not them eating it.

I got my recipe from Carl's sisiter, Marian. We love it.

3 cans of biscuits( 10 biscuit size)
1 1/2 c sugar
3t of cinnamon
12 T butter

Put 6 T of butter in bundt pan. Put pan in the oven and turn on to 350. Cut up biscuits into quarters. Put sugar and cinnamon in a ziplock bag or a big bowl with a lid that seals. Add biscuits and shake. Take pan out of oven and gently add biscuits. melt other 6 T of butter in the microwave, pour on top of biscuits. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Yum!

I had turkey

I just read a fact in the paper I thought I'd share with you. The night when the most pizza is ordered is Super Bowl Sunday, the second night is Halloween, and the third is tonight- the night before Thanksgiving.

How many of you are having pizza?

Indelible Grace

Last Sunday night I went to this concert. It was wonderful. Kaitlin often haunts their web site www.igracemusic.com . She saw that this concert was on their schedule this past summer and put it on our calendar.

We left from church on Sunday soon after the morning worship was over. There were 12 of us in two vans. Our group included Darrell, Clare, Mark, Liz, Eli, Zach, Curt, John, Marisa, Kaitlin, Carl and me. We stopped at a gas station not too far out of town and got a snack. Then we ate a big meal at the Cracker Barrel in West Memphis.

The doors were to open at 5:15 for the 6 pm concert and we wanted to be there. Plus we had ordered tickets over the phone and they were mailed to us but we didn't get them. We had that to work out. We got to the church about 4:30. They were so gracious about our ticket situation and gave us new tickets because the lady remembered a group from LR ordering tickets.

Darrell is from Mississippi, has been in the PCA awhile and is well connected. It was like old home week for him. He saw his youth pastor, RUF leader from Ole Miss, plus various folks he knew. That was fun to see.

The concert started a 6 and lasted 2 hours with a short break in the middle. We heard from a friend, Corrie, who went to see the concert the night before in St Louis, that Matthew Smith had been sick. He looked fine to me but his base player looked green the whole show.

The songs they sang that I enjoyed the most were: And Can It Be, Be Gone Unbelief, Arise, My Soul, Arise, and On Jordan Stormy Banks. The words were put up on screens so we could all sing too. I felt transported at times into heaven- all those voices singing those songs that mean so much to me. I wonder if this is a small picture of heaven.

Of course with our group we had lots of laughing: Clare couldn't get comfortable in her seat in the car and then realized she was sitting on her purse, Eli was the last one to get into the car several times and that lead to lots of jokes, I thought we were going to see Michael W. Smith and when Carl gently let me know that it was Matthew Smith, folks started singing Michael W. Smith songs often and I mean often.

Several in our group had never eaten a Krystal burger. ( An incomplete childhood is what I am thinking) Carl felt the need to rectify this. We stopped around 9 pm again in West Memphis at Krystal. Some folks ate chicken, but most got those delicious burgers. I love me some Krystal burgers. Some loved it and some don't plan to go back.

We were back by 11:00pm. I believe a fun time was had by all.

25 1/2, 26 1/2, 20 1/2, and 23 1/2

In the last 10 days we have and are celebrating 4 half-birthdays.Thursday a week ago was Taylor's. Monday was Andrew and Marisa's and today is Kaitlin's.

When my children were all at home and it was your half-birthday, you got to pick what we ate for lunch and supper and you didn't have to do school. The children would plan for weeks what they wanted to eat and what movie they would pick to watch during the day. The gift given that day was time. Mama would put lotion on your back, we would play games, and as they got older, they could sleep-in.

On Monday morning early I sent Andrew a text wishing him a Happy Half-Birthday. He sent back that he couldn't believe he had to work on his half-birthday:)

Marisa is new to the half-birthday celebrating. She didn't even realize her's was approaching! On Monday as Kaitlin and I wished her a half-birthday and told her to pick out what she wanted for supper she was a little stunned. She picked to eat at a local restaurant near our house. We even invited a few friends to join us.

Today Kaitlin is 23 1/2. For her half-birthday she wants her papa to cook his fried rice for lunch or supper she doesn't care. And she wants him to cook enough so there are leftovers. She wants to eat some next week too. I doubt we will play any games today as this is a college football Saturday but I am so thankful for all the years we did.

When is your half-birthday? How do you celebrate?

Blest

This is the view that I am blest to wake up to when the leaves fall off the trees.

What are you doing with your children today?

It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives."—John Adams, Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, 1756


A new blog on my blog roll is Dave Linton. This is his post for today. I say Amen and Amen.

The New Curtains!!!

Carl put up the new brackets.

Marisa and John got the new curtains on the rod.

Carl was very careful with the curtains that Clare had so patiently ironed.

Marisa and Carl getting the top just like Marisa wanted it.

The beautiful finished product.

One very happy girl! Thanks Clare, you are a blessing.

Interesting

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:19.

Today in Bible Study, our teacher, Linda, said that the word 'ponder' comes from the word pound. She said that the first definition for ponder is: to weigh and the next is: to weigh in the mind.

Bible Study

Last week in Bible Study we studied chapter 9 called Unfailing Love in the book The Friendships of Women by Dee Brestin.

One subject that was fascinating to me was the difference between annual and perennial friends. The author says that most friends are like annuals, they bless you for a season and then they are gone but even their leaving is a blessing because that makes room for new and different ones. Perennials come back faithfully each year and the annuals may add color, variety and beauty when the perennials are not at their peak.

One lady at Bible Study, Mary Ann, said that that reminded her of lace. The reason the lace is beautiful is because of the holes. So that when annual friends move on, they leave something beautiful.

I was glad to read and hear this. I have tried to make all my friends perennials and I have tried to be a perennial friend to many. No wonder I have failed. Some times I have been mad or frustrated with friends that just 'weren't there' for me. I know there is sin in the world and people fail us but this was very insightful for me.

The Bunko Bug has Bitten

The photographer in her own picture. For those who don't know this is Kaitlin and yes, I know she has on two different shoes and yes, she had to buy two pairs to accomplish this feat (hehe).

KimT, Nancy, Lavinia and Bri

Virginia( yes, Abbie that is your mama), Nicole, Deborah and Susanne

Marisa, Julie, Sonya and me- in my mama's pillbox hat

Emily our wonderful planner and emece

Kaitlin and Desi

Last night at church we had a Bunko and Bonnets night and it was a blast! Most of us there had never played Bunko before last night.

For those who have never played a quick run down on the rules we used are: Your goal is for you and your partner to get 21 points, this is acheved in several ways, each 6 you roll is a point, each 3 of a kind is 5 points, if you roll all snake eyes and you lose all your points, 3 sixes is Bunko - You scream Bunko and everyone claps and you win immediately. You keep a tally of 'wins' , 'losses' and every time you had a Bunko. After each round you move to a new table.

Also required was that we all wear a hat, cap, or bonnet. Prizes were given for the best and funniest. Prizes were given for most wins, most loses and most Bunkoes. I was tied with Connie for most Bunkoes and we had a 'roll off' to see who won. I did! I won a gift certificate to get my nails done. What fun!

Evelyn asked me if I knew why I won. I said " God". She said if that was the answer she would have won! :) Then we both dissolved into fits of laughter.

For those who missed it, you need to be at the next one.

I meant to add these to last entry

Desi's Dessert

one package of brownies cut into 1 inch squares
2 12 oz tubs of cool whip
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg instant pudding

cook brownies according to package directions and cut.
mix one tub of cool whip with sweetened condensed milk and the dry pudding mix .

layer brownies, pudding mixture, cool whip- repeat twice
you can make a layer of heath bar crumbled or chocolate chips. We sprinkled them on top.

This is so rich and wonderful.

Cathy's award winning chili

1 lb of gound meat( turkey or beef)
2 cans of black beans
2 cans read beans ( sometimes she uses 1 can of pinto)
2 cans of minestone soup
2 cans rotel
chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion powder to taste

just before serving add 1 small or 1/2 large block of velvetta

This is fabulous. I don't really like chili and I had 3 bowls of this.

A few more recipes

I made the easiest dessert ever on Saturday night and I've had some requests for it and I thought you might like it too.

Ingredients
Chips Ahoa cookies (not the soft ones)
milk
cool whip

Make a layer of cookies that have been dipped in milk, cover with a layer of cool whip, repeat ending with cool whip. Refrigerate several hours or over night. Yum!

I got this from my friend KimR.

Ring that bell

Today, outside of Walmart, I saw my first bell ringer of the season. I was thrilled. I cleaned out all the change from my wallet into my hand and then enjoyed the kerpluck as it dropped into her bucket. She wished me a blessed holiday season. I thanked her for standing out and ringing her bell.

She didn't know that I am compelled to put money in every bucket I see, that I even go out of my way to find buckets to put my money in.

In 1942 my daddy went to a USO show where my mother was 'giving a reading'. He was an old man of 22 and she was a young 17. They married in 1950 after he made it back from the war. He always put money in the Salvation Army buckets because he said that they had given him my mama and he was so thankful for her.

I am just continuing a wonderful tradition.

If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. James 3:2b

For our College and Career Bible Study, Darrell has us studying Relationships: A Mess Worth Making by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp. It is outstanding.

The chapter we read and studied this week is titled Talk.

Several things impacted me from the chapter. Here are a few thoughts: What sets the course of a person's life are the ways he responds to the little moments. The character developed in a thousand little moments is what you carry into the big, important moments.

Because our words have power and directions, they always produce some kind of harvest. It will be a life harvest of comfort, encouragement, hope, insight, unity and joy, or a death harvest of fear, discouragement, falsehood, division, and sadness.

Words, in short, have a high and holy calling. Words separate you from the rest of creation, making you more like God than like animals.

Your words are always in pursuit of some kind of kingdom. You are either speaking as a mini-king, seeking to establish your will in your relationships and circumstances or you are speaking as an ambassador, seeking to be part of what the King (God) is doing.

Wow! I am still pondering the chapter and the ramifications it should have on my mouth, fingers and heart.

For Fun

Tuesday Teasers -- "Nearest Book" Meme


* Grab the nearest book.*
Open it to page 56.*
Find the fifth sentence.*
Post the text of the sentence on your blog with these instructions.*
Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.

...with each other. If such a book existed, they believed it would fix the..

From Relationships- A Mess Worth Making by Lane and Tripp

Let me hear about your books

I got this from http://libraryhospital.blogspot.com/ I really enjoy this blog and you will too

Friends , Supper and Painting with Light

One Sunday night we had a party that included Kaitlin's friends from college. She needed lots of hands here to help her with her latest photography project. After supper we bundled up in coats and hats and scarves and gloves then we headed outside. I was the shutter button pusher and Kaitlin the director.

We had a blast. We shared lots laughs and the outside pictures are wonderful. Of course we took some on the inside before hand... Enjoy them too.

I cooked All Day Stew. This is also a meal that you can make as much or as little as you need.

Stew Meat about 2 lbs
Lipton soup mix( I 've used onion , beefy onion, beefy mushroom etc , you get the idea)
Golden Mushroom condensed soup
8 oz mushrooms ( Kaitlin doesn't like mushrooms so I use large ones so she can avoid them easily)
1/2 c of water

Place all ingredients in 2 1/2 quart casserole. Cover tightly and bake at 300 for 3 hours. I serve with noodles. This is good the next day too.

I serve it with whole green beans and waldorf salad.

A recipe that will feed a crowd

We had two parties this weekend. One on Saturday night and another on Sunday night. Saturday night was a party for the families of the children that Marisa babysits for on a regular basis. They all enjoyed seeing her room. The girls and mamas loved that it was PINK. In my cleaning over the summer I came across the Fisher Price toys that my children played with as youngsters. Kaitlin had a blast setting up the house, garage and the firehouse with all the people, dogs and cars etc. The children were delighted with the toys.

We ate a meal I learned when I was living in the Home Management House at AUBURN. My friend, Barbara Peake, served it and it is a family favorite. My children call it Hawaiian Pile-on.

Cooked Chicken in cream of chicken or chicken broth
rice
coconut
chow mien
pineapple
onion
and sometime almonds

You can make the recipe as big or as small as you need.
I put the toppings out in bowls and let my guests add as they wish. I usually serve this with whole green beans and sister shubert rolls.

Try it, they will like it.

More on the second party after pt

We had an early morning

John came home from college last night so we could all go vote together. We left the house at 7 and got to the polling place, parked and in line at 7:15. The man behind us got to the poll at 6 am because his wife told him that is when the polls opened. They opened at 7:30. He went home and got back in bed until 7.

I was voter 75 when I turned my ballot in.

This was John and Marisa's first time to vote.

I was back in my car at 8:15.

Kaitlin should have been a boy scout. She is always prepared. She brought cereal to eat while in line. Here are photos from our voting.

Red, White and You

Kaitlin asked us to wear red, white and blue today in honor of voting. She set up the camera to capture our attire. I know you will be surprised if I say we got silly. We all wore the scarf for one picture. The first picture is titled... Did you vote?

This is mama, the gangster voter.