Do you just have those things that you love? That just make you smile or do a little skippy when you see, taste or smell them? I do and thought I would share, (just in case anyone is wondering since Valentines Day is coming…)
MyPhatStrap Camera Strap This one just makes me happy when I look at it! You can choose from lots of fun fabrics and a neat minky liner. (Mine is Esmerelda in Black with Orange Minky) I loved is that I could order a longer camera strap so I can wear my camera on my hip. Super Comfy and spiffy.
Dolce and Gabana Light Blue I’m not really a fragrance girl, (was a hippie in high school and liked patchouli but kind of outgrew that one) but after getting a whiff of my daughters beautiful friend Malloree, I had to have some for my own. Light, earthy, fresh and just perfect! Vintage Pearl Jewelry Not a big jewelry girl either BUT I LOVE these simple little charms and chains. Very romantic and very sentimental,so meaningful. Handmade by a cool mom and very reasonably priced. You really should buy your girl one of these !
Starbucks is always good for some inexpensive therapy. (Double good if they write my name on the cup.) Simply inhaling the Starbucks fumes at the drive through is an immediate mood lifter. My husband (who doesn’t even drink coffee) has memorized my very favorite drink order and treats me according to my behavior! Sugar free-nonfat-extra hot-cinnamon dolce latte with one splenda… 18 syllables but it sure is good… Orbit Bubble Mint Dirty mouth? Seriously this gum makes me happy. It is pink and a little minty and I can blow bubbles that don’t stick to my face. I always have some floating around in the bottom of my bag. Thomas Donuts on Laguna Beach, FloridaHands down, the most amazing donuts I have ever eaten and I have eaten my share! (Of course the fact that you eat them at little weather beaten picnic tables looking out at the ocean does not hurt) Thomas Donuts has been in business since 1961. Try the apple fritter, you will want to slap your Mama! (but don’t!) Dad’s favorites are the blueberry, but the key lime and peaches and creme are amazing. Trust me on this, if you go anywhere near the gulf coast send the early bird out to get some donuts! My Tervis TumblerOkay, as I mentioned in an earlier blog. sometimes it is the simple things. I love my Tervis Tumbler. It travels everywhere I do. It keeps hot things hot, cold things cold and never ever sweats. It also fits into my drink holder very nicely. If you don’t have one, RUN to Bed Bath and Beyond (but first clip a 20% off coupon, they are not cheap) and grab one. You can get them with your favorite team, palm trees or even your initial like mine! As an added bonus you will get to say the words Tervis Tumbler multiple times after you get one.
So these are a few of my favorite things, what are a few ofyours? P.S. I’m not getting a kick back for my promotion, just thought I would share for fun!
February 4th, 1988 at 7:11pm Tanner Stephen Adams came into the world, captured our hearts and made us parents.
Our first child….. no clue if we were having a boy or a girl. We prepared and planned for this birth like we were Olympians! We took Early Bird Class, Nutrition Class, Breastfeeding Class, 6 weeks of Lamaze classes, practiced breathing and packed our bag. I gave up caffeine and junk food. We painted the baby room, put together furniture, listened to advice from family and friends and read every book. and then…..we waited…..and waited….and waited.
The due date of January 23rd came and went. We walked the mall, the neighborhood, ate at Scallinis and slept under a full moon. TWELVE days later, February 4th, Tanner Adams entered the world in reverse!! A quick labor ended by the discovery that he was breech and delivered by our beloved Dr Espy. A BOY!Tanner Stephen Adams.
Our world was perfect. And just like that, we became a family.
Tanner, active, inquisitive and curious. Loving snakes and frogs,a pet turtle named Taco Henry and a stuffed Elephant named Elly that my mom gave him, (who still sleeps in his room.) He collected Audubon Society books and we were certain he would one day be employed by National Geographic.
Tanner, always funny, smart, charismatic and handsome. Compassionate, loving and loyal. He followed the tradition of the Adams clan as a viral Georgia Tech fan and and excelled in sports like his Dad. He is now a man, finding his way, twenty two…
I still look into those beautiful brown eyes and catch a glimpse of that amazing little boy turned man and cherish each hug and “I love you mom.”
What a blessing to have a son.Happy Birthday Tanner. I LOVE you!
February 1st, 1990, 4:02 am, after 27 hours of labor, a screaming, pink, redheaded baby girl came into the world. We named her Alyssa Brooke Adams and took her home on her brothers 2nd birthday. A girl, a daughter, a little sister….
We went from one child to two and pretty much chaos ruled the day in the Adams Casa…..and we loved it. That beautiful hair, big green eyes, and those Michelin Man thighs.
Protected by her big brother, Tanner and adored by her parents, Alyssa grew into an entertainer. Always performing, (she and her brothers video taped shows are legend) or creating and always dramatic, there was never a dull moment. Quirky, funny, adorable, a bit of a daredevil and a Ginger all rolled into one!
I can’t imagine life without my daughter,( although I feared having one.) I feared the battles, the conflict, the “I hate you moments”, the hormones, the boys, the competition….
But love conquers all things and these fears lasted only a moment, replaced by joy, love and pride. ( and a healthy dose of humble pie and patience)
My daughter is many things. She is smart, strong and beautiful. But she is also, hilarious, sensitive, compassionate and talented! She has a mature faith and a great sense of fun. She is NEVER LATE, is creative, determined and is someone her friends can count on. I like her.
I adore laying on her bed listening to her latest news and sharing the trials and triumphs of her life. I would lay down my life for my daughter. So on this day, I celebrate her birth and her life. I thank God for every minute I have with her.
February 1st 2010, 4:02 am, I no longer am the mom of teenagers…. Happy Birthday Lyssie!
or “The Truth is My Light.” is now a permanent fixture on my soon to be 20 year old daughters right foot…… Atattoo…
Why does this bother me?
I have been through this with Tanner, my 22 year old who got his first ink in California, 4 years ago. Veritas….Truth….(I sense a theme in this family.)
He followed up with artwork on his chest, a big A with an anchor symbolizing Family, while living in Alabama, added a northern star with a sparrow and more Truth to his side and then expanded a living color rendition of “The Three Kings” onto his shoulder and upper arm.
Again…the essential question is, WHY does this bother me? My generation, the seventies teens, the free spirits, the creative cool generation did not really get into tattoos. (However, we did grow our hair below our waist, dressed in rags, listened to wild music and occasionally ran nude in the streets.) Tattoos were reserved for men in the service, bikers ….or prison. PERIOD. Is it this association that troubles me? Am I just old?
Is it the fact that as I move into my 52nd year of life, I look back and KNOW that anything I would have permanently added to my body in youth would be a fading wrinkled regret now. (The fact is, there is not a single body part that I would particularly want to draw attention to!)
Could it be that I am afraid they will be judged by their tattoo? That they won’t get a job, that their future in-laws will not like them? Am I the judge?
Could it be that I am afraid that I will be judged? That if I had been a better mother, my children would not grow up to get tattoos?
Is it that I birthed these beautiful perfect little bodies into the world, and guarded them carefully against any life altering changes to the same little body?
I was seriously traumatized by the scar Alyssa still carries from flinging herself out of a high flying swing propelled by her shocked father at a campground playground of death onto a sharp rock. And equally troubled by the linear scar on Tanner’s foot from a piece of artwork glass falling on it at his best friends house…
What does it mean, this generation who so readily adds artwork that will last forever. Is it rebellion against parents or society in general? Is it the one thing they can control in this fast moving world? Is it an expression of their thoughts, feelings and creativity?
I don’t have any answers to these questions though I seek them.. I don’t love them any less. I don’t mean this in anyway to be mean spirited and I really am trying not to judge.
How can you take a nation of people who have nothing and give them less….
We watched helpless as images and news stories scrolled before our eyes…
We text donations, round off our grocery bill, write checks, carry food, water and clothing to drop boxes. We pray alone and together. But mainly we watch…
She kept a blog, 525,600 minutes, which I read in its entirety. She was a special person, a loving person,a person of strong convictions, a person who gave of herself…. Another face on this horrible event. I prayed for her and hoped she would be found.
Sadly, this morning, there was a post that her body had been recovered in the building where she worked with special needs orphans. Her sister updated her twitter account with this, ““We take peace in knowing she is with our Lord although our hearts are breaking,” she wrote. “Remember our beautiful Molly — the most Christ-centered, compassionate, vibrant lover of life we know. Live in (her) example — with selfless compassion and a joyfulspirit.” I felt such a sadness for her family, friends and these beautiful children …Friends of Orphans and her family have set up a page to make donations in her name.
I can’t help but feel that with each event that occurs where help is needed, when disaster strikes, a tragedy, something so terrible. That I see our humanity as our salvation.
I see a world filled with so many people of different tongues, nationalities and beliefs, willing to give, to donate, to share and to travel to this place and I wonder why can’t we find a common thread to get along.
One of my favorite scripture tells us, together we are stronger. I count on this…
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
So during a week where we watched, we also got up, went to work, had lunch, complained about being cold, laughed over “Pants on the Ground,” and lived our comfortable lives.
A little perspective is sometimes a very good thing. Please keep Haiti in your prayers and be a strand for someone this week.
If you are looking for a way to help, World Vision is on the ground in Haiti and could use your donation. My friend Freda and I both sponsor children living in Haiti as do many of our friends and they are in need of our help. Click here for more information.
It was 1980. I met him at a wedding rehearsal….I was running late…. I was wearing brown corduroy pants, a tan corduroy blazer and cowboy boots… He was the Best Man and I was the Maid of Honor. He caught my eye… I caught his… We went out after the rehearsal and back to his apartment. He played The Innocent Age by Dan Fogleburg. We talked……..both having recently left “relationships”.
So began, the friendship, courtship, engagement and eventually marriage between David Allison Adams and Sandra Lynn McEver.
A deep thinker, a ladies man, an athelete, funny, an outdoors man, a music lover, romantic, indifferent, a bit wild, he eventually proposed to me………
I accepted.
We married January 11th, 1986 on a beautiful sunny winter day and began our marriage skiing in Lake Tahoe and spending a week in San Francisco. A year later built a house, a year after that had a beautiful baby boy, followed two years later by a beautiful baby girl….
24 years have passed. TWENTY FOUR YEARS!! Years of blessings, laughter, tears, joys, trials, sadness, loss, good times, bad times, of little and of much. Years of so many memories and adventures with this man. A man with deep faith and acknowledged flaws. A man who was the best father anyone could ask for. A man who has not only tolerated all of my ideas, plans and projects but has never failed to support the same. A man who worked hard and provided so I could stay home with our children, and pitched in when back to work I went, who loved and respected my parents, who has been my partner. A man who makes me laugh, who has held me when I cried. Such a good man, a man I respect.
Twenty four years. 8,760 days…Of breakfast, illness, hilarity, travels, sick kids, wild kids, funerals, weddings, grocery stores, automobile disasters, homeowner disasters, vacations, school events, traffic, arguments, surprises, challenges, meals and everything in between. All the little moments of life.
We are not rich and we are certainly not famous.You won’t read about us in the paper. We aren’t world travelers or corporate executives. We are two people who are fortunate to have made a commitment of “for better or for worse” and took it to heart. We have a good life. We are happy with simple things and time together. We have a beautiful family and wonderful friends. As we hiked today at our beloved Red Top Mountain, we talked about our 50th Anniversary….I liked that.
So to my Big Yahmo, Happy Anniversary, I Love You, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Thanks for choosing me….
It usually begins a week in advance…a picture on the weather channel showing snow in the forecast…Glenn Burns pointing to his maps and issuing pre-warning warnings, an implied weather front moving “rapidly” across the states. Then it begins. Visions of a SNOW DAY! The anticipation of such an event in the South is almost as much fun as actually having one…….almost. We do a lot of things to make it snow here in the South, we wear our pajamas inside-out. We put ice cubes in the toilet. We place white crayons in the freezer. Some even invoke the Almighty for the white stuff.
What is it about a snow day that is so special? For one thing, we don’t get very many. Oh, we get teasers every year, the school districts agonize over decisions about putting buses on the road, canceling school, early release….adults worry about juggling taking care of their children, how to get to work and curse the school district. Legendary amounts of milk and bread are purchased in the event of a total whiteout. (hope springs eternal!)
There are the usual “Southerners don’t know how to drive in the snow” comments from those who migrated from places up North. (they are right about that but judging from what I see on CNN we don’t share the market on that claim, no offense) We watch the weather channel like the world was coming to an end.
My Daddy and Brother with the SnowWoman
I think for us true Southerners, (meaning those of us who grew up here in the land of not much snow ) it is the memories. Because it was so infrequent, it stands out. I remember my mom putting plastic bags over our shoes and layering us up in clothes that soaked up snow like a sponge, my daddy hurling us down the hill in a big ol silver dishpan, making snow men and my funny daddy and his friend making snow women that were anatomically correct wearing my moms apron. I remember the dryer running all day long as we went in and out trading our wet frozen clothes.
Oh and the snow cream! Didn’t matter what the roads were like, my dad always got in his truck and went to get milk. Snow Cream is a delicacy around these parts. (So much so that Mayfield got in on the act and came up with a Snow Cream flavor for their ice cream!)
I think the other best part of a snow day is the unexected “free” day that comes with it. It’s like you have an unexpected break, time with your children, time to read in your new snuggie or nap on your couch. Everything seems a little slower, a little more quiet and little bit prettier. So if you do happen to get that little treasure called a snow day, treasure it, store it up and by all means. MAKE SOME SNOW CREAM!!
My Mom’s Snow Cream Recipe
12 ounces of evaporated milk (regular will do if you are in a pinch
2 whole beaten eggs (I know! Your not supposed to eat raw eggs, but it only snows once in a while!)
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla
1 Cup of sugar
1 gallon of Fresh New Snow (avoid the yellow stuff and try not to scrape it off your deck)
Preparation: Mix it all together and EAT IT!
I write this as Georgia Tech is entering half time of its first BCS Bowl game, in a while. The Orange Bowl, They are playing the Iowa Hawkeyes in Miami, Florida. (Bet Iowa is glad, it is 48 degrees in Miami and 4 degrees in Iowa!) I can hear hubby yelling at the television. He coaches the players and keeps the refs in line from his sideline chair.
To understand my husbands love for ball, you have to look back more than a few years. He grew up with 3 brothers, Chuck, Bobby and Steve and was coached by his Daddy, playing every kind of ball possible. He had a stellar high school career and was recruited by many colleges.
As a little boy, his mama, Nan was close friends with the daughter of the great late Georgia TechCoachBobby Dodd. (Her name was Linda and David’s sister is named after her. ) Well, those four little stair step boys were lucky enough to go see the Rambling Wreck play some fine games and then were able to go into the locker room and see the players. I can only imagine what went through those little Adams minds as half dressed Georgia Tech players surrounded them. The sweat mixed with grass and dirty uniforms. Big boys. In my mind I have imagined that they put their big helmets on those little crew cut heads, that maybe they put them in a jersey and gave them little football or something. They were heroes.. It was in those moments that the die was cast,… the future was laid. The entire Adams Family would be crazy about football, but even crazier about Georgia Tech football. Good, bad and ugly Georgia Tech football.( So crazy that this year our mantel has been decorated with Georgia Tech memorabilia since Paul Johnson started winning like a crazy man.)
It’s half time and the score is 14-7 and the bees are behind….not to worry though, Coach says they are a second half team! I love my husband and by marriage and the grace of God, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets…..bzzzzzzzzz
UPDATE: Well, it turns out the win just wasn’t in the cards. In the coldest Orange Bowl ever, Iowa beat the Jackets 24-14. Funny thing is, the defense showed up but the offense just couldn’t get it going.. Coach Adams took it pretty well, but then again he has had a lot of practice. Coach says, being a Tech fan ain’t for sissys…
Sometimes in life we don’t always get to see fruit from our service. We wonder if what we are doing is making a difference. Then sometimes God just opens up the window and lets you see the details and blesses your socks off.
Today was one of those days.
I had the privilege of leading a group of girls from Sixth Grade Sunday School through their High School graduation. We attended summer “Church Camps” where we lay on what they generously called beds, crawled through the mud, suffered from sleep deprivation, ate every variation of a hotdog bun you can imagine, jumped off tall objects, laughed until we cried, prayed until we cried, and worshipped until we cried. We attended events like Dare 2 Share, Revolve,Winter Retreats, Discipleship Now. We had many sleep overs and served together many times through out those years.
I saw them grow from girls with wiggly teeth, through braces, middle school, learners permits, drivers license’s, boyfriend troubles and Graduation. I loved them.
This morning while driving to work, I hear on the Fish radio station, 6 of my girls. (One being my precious daughter, Alyssa) giving a shout out for the “Soul Sisters,” as they traveled to Day Three of Passion 2010. An amazing conference filled with over TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND kids age 18-25 , spending four days in worship, training and service to the Lord. God just filled my heart with such JOY.
Soo, if you are serving, thinking of serving or have served, look around. You may be blessed in ways you never expected…
A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
Remember a year ago, you know when I was WHINING about the EMPTY NEST and just HOW much I missed having everyone HOME….. Well, be careful what you wish for!
Alyssa has made the decision to transfer back home after a year and a half at Valdosta State University. WHAT?!! Yes, it was a faith based decision, a difficult, very painful decision but one she felt strongly about making. A good strong mature decision…
Of course, her room had been take over by the other post empty nest child, Tanner. So my dreams of an office-reading-artsy room were interrupted by the need for her a bedroom.
Once again we made the trek to Valdosta, this time packed a U-Haul truck and returned with another load of stuff to squeeze back into our garage.
Now, both children are living under our roof. Two adults, with minds of their own, dreams of their own and destinies of their own. A very different dynamic. An adjustment. A transition. But then isn’t that what life is all about Charlie Brown?
It had to happen sooner or later….All the cookies, the fudge, the dips and the cinnamon rolls. Slowly but surely my pants got tighter, (and shorter) my bra became increasingly like a vice around my chest, (not in the cup area) and my face became a little more rounded. Creeping in such a subtle fashion the pounds they came.
The peak of the creepage occurred while getting ready for work as I struggled to zip up my very favorite, very beloved, very chic boots. As I tried to cram the flesh of my calf into the boot and inch the zipper up, it occurred to me that boots don’t shrink.
I continued to zip millimeter by millimeter by millimeter until the deed was done. Of course I now had an outpouring of skin pouring over the top of my boots. (not chic) As I made my way down the stairs, I heard it before I saw it, pooooffff!! I looked down and saw that my zipper was still zipped at the top but now my calf was bulging out from the center of the boot. As I struggled to get the zipper down, it occurred to me that I might have to CUT them off. Was their a jaws of life for boots?
At last I freed my calf but couldnt leave well enough alone. Maybe it was a fluke, a simple malfunction. Surely I could not have outgrown my precious boots! So, once again, I squeezed myself into my boot and once again took a step and had another boot blowout. Now, convinced, I changed my clothing option for that day and made a note to buy stretchier boots next time.
I guess the moral of this story is this. When overindulging over the holidays, never underestimate the full effect it will have on your wardrobe.
Such a simple little thing. A gift. The Tervis Tumbler….with my initial on it….Smiles for me. Given by my precious friends, Kim, Amy and Denise, Beloved. Thanks girls. Keeps hot things hot, cold things cold and does not sweat. Love it. It is the simple things……
I have recently taken to reading several blogs on creativity. One had some interesting questions to reflect on the year past. I thought it might be interesting to journal them. 1.How is where you are in life today different from where you were last December? WOW! One thing that is a major difference is that my life is not racing at the hectic speed that it was last December. Some serious stress issues were going on in our family. Between work, church service, community committments, Alyssa’s upcoming graduation and senior year, her dance competitions, household management, family and finances I thought I might not be able to hold it together!! 2.How are you different today, internally, than you were a year ago? I think for sure that my faith is stronger and more sure based on my RELATIONSHIP with Jesus and not on the “organization.” I know I am much calmer. 3.Of all you’ve experienced in the past year, what are you the most proud of? I am very proud of my childrens growth and maturity. It was a pleasure to watch them work through some difficulties and prevail stronger. I am proud of myself for perservering and relying on faith of the unseen. 4.What did you shy away from in 2008 that you wish you’d gone for? Hmmm, I had some opportunities to present at a major conference and I did not. While the timing would have put me in a real stressful period I think I would have been proud to have challenged myself a bit. 5.What did you learn about yourself this year? I learned that I am more than just a mom, that I have many creative ideas and talents yet to be explored. 6.Who impacted your life the most this past year? Wow, that is hard to nail down but truly my children impacted most of the years events. Both good and bad. The bad was difficult but we managed and the good is experiencing their growth in the journey they must take seperate from me. 7.What are the most important lessons you learned in 2008 that you want to be conscious of in 2009? I want to be more conscious of my time. Time spent with Dave and our friends. Time spent in service, time spent in worship and time spent in quiet. 8.What are you being called to next in your personal growth? That is easy. I know I am being called to my creative side. A journey I began in my teens that I now have time to pursue. Pottery, drawing, jewelry making, painting, writing, photography!! 9.If you could create three things in your life the coming year, what would they be? a. Create a studio to work in. b. Adopt a new service possibility (Battered Womens Shelter?) c. Explore having my own business 10.What parts of yourself will you need to call upon to create those three things with wild success in 2009? Financial creativity, discipline, time management, prioritization.
The shopping, baking, wrapping, traffic, parties, Cantata’s, thinking, planning,friends, singing, organizing, celebrating, familyness of Christmas is OVER!! Why do I feel such a sense of RELIEF!!!? While I relish the time with friends and family ALL year long, it seems that Christmas always throws it into overdrive!
I LOVE Christmas. I love the simplicity of the story of Baby Jesus coming to us in such a humble way. I love the lights and sparklyness of the season. I love the smell of my Christmas tree and all those wonderful candles. I love the fun of surprising my loved ones with a wonderful gift. I especially loved and appreciated having both college kids under my roof as I realize that one day all too soon they will celebrate with their own families. I love watching all the old favorite movies, “Holiday Inn, White Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Christmas Story, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and the new, Christmas Vacation, Elf, The Grinch, Polar Express and Christmas with the Kranks. I love the music and refuse to listen to ANYTHING else from Thanksgiving on. Get the picture? I LOVE IT ALL!
Then WHY am I sooooo relieved that it is OVER? This year was the year of simplification of Christmas, less stress, less worry…… BUT you still end up in the kitchen for much longer than humans should be in a kitchen and running out to WALMART at the last minute and buying that one extra gift……. I guess no matter how much we LOVE something, if we had mounds of it in hyperdrive everyday all year we would grow weary of it.
All said, I loved it and hope that you and yours had a very blessed and happy Christmas. Just think, we have 11 months to prepare for the next!! Merry Christmas from the Adams Family!
Funny how something so simple as a pan of Chicken Spaghetti can be considered a ministry! For several years, anytime I haul out the big blue pan and put together a meal of Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti and Texas Toast, teenagers come out of the woodwork!! Seriously, I have fed up to 25 (remember the fishes and loaves!!) from this pan!
It is a simple recipe, consisting of a rather large block of Velveeta Cheese, Rotel, Spaghetti and some other mysterious ingredients that I will not reveal! Yet, it seems to contain a rather mystical draw to young people, particulary weary, cafeteria burned out college students. I thank God for this recipe.(graciously shared by my sister in law, Leiah)
It has brought many wonderful evenings with these amazing and precious young people. It is my prayer that they all know the most important ingredient in the Chicken Spaghetti is my LOVE for them! Definitely a batch in the works for the Christmas College Break!!
I think we all have a bit of creativity. I think God puts a little creative juice in all of us, we just have to dig for it. (He certainly is creative, just think of all the wonderful details around us!)
As Christians we know why a work of art has value. Why? First, because a work of art is a work of creativity, and creativity has value because God is the Creator. The first sentence in the Bible declares “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. Second, an art work has value as a creation because human beings are made in the image of God, and therefore we not only can love and feel emotion, but we also have the capacity to create. It is part of the image of God to be creative, or to have creativity.
One thing that excites me about the next fifty years of my life is knowing that I have more time to think big thoughts, dream up ideas and CREATE…
Oh and I really like these thoughts on Creativity…..
Soooo, I guess every potter starts with a great collection of lopsided salsa dishes and bowls!! Here are a few things that just came out of the kiln.
Perserverence is an important quality to have in this artistic endeavor… Click below to visit my Virtual Pottery Show
Such a wonderful holiday, Thanksgiving is! No real pressure for anything. You pretty much know what you will cook because it is the same thing you have cooked for the past 20 Thanksgiving. (Although I do like to be a rebel and throw something new out there occasionally, such as the yummy pretzel, strawberry salad I made this year!)
STRAWBERRY JELLO SALAD WITH PRETZEL
CRUST
2 c. pretzels, crushed
4 tbsp. sugar
1/2 – 3/4 c. butter, melted
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
8 oz. carton Cool Whip
1 lg. box strawberry Jello
2 c. boiling water
2 pkgs. strawberries (frozen), thawed and drained
Mix pretzels, 4 tablespoons sugar, and butter together; press into bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes; cool. In mixing bowl, fold Cool Whip into cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Spread over cooled crust. Dissolve Jello into boiling water. Add strawberries to Jello and pour over cream cheese. Chill and let set.
I don’t have to clean house because we always meet at Leiah’s, no turkey to thaw, don’t have to dress up or drive far.
It is a great time for family to get together before the wildness of all the Christmas events, the shopping, pageants, baking and such. I have to reflect on just how blessed I am to have been able to spend the day with both parents in good health and nearby, my brother and his precious wife Leiah, my beautiful niece Madison and very funny nephew Mitchell, Aunt Laurie and Kathy, Roger and his fiancée and her daughter, Leiah’s Mom Ginger and her significant other Don. But especially my wonderful family. husband, David, son, Tanner and daughter, Alyssa who has been away at college since August.
This year was much the same, we met, blessed the food, ate like fiends, retreated to our various areas to veg out, watched the annual Christmas movie, drove around on the golf cart and caught up with all the news.
I LOVE Thanksgiving and I LOVE my family. Click below to see pictures from the day.
My wonderful friend Patti Chandler shared this with me this morning and I am going to share it on my blog. While I have had many thoughts and opinions on the election and issues associated with it, I never once thought to myself, “If this happens the sky will fall.” I totally believe that God woke up November 5th and HE did not have to look at the AJC headlines to see what had happened. HE IS IN CONTROL!! This is a great post. Feel free to share.
November 5, 2008 Two Friends
By Shane Stanford
In the last 10 hours, two friends called me. One was ecstatic. The other very worried. One friend supported Barrack Obama. The other supported John McCain.
My Obama friend talked of a new hope and brighter days. My McCain friend spoke of difficult times ahead and fears about tomorrow.
My Obama friend said that Obama would change everything. My McCain friend said the same thing, but for different reasons.
My Obama friend gushed at Obama’s victory as though the stars seemed more in line. My McCain friend recoiled at Obama’s victory as though the heavens had fallen.
My Obama friend considers Obama a magnetic personality, poised to the change the world. My McCain friend sees Obama as a polarizing personality—poised to change the world. I simply listened to both of them and thought about the morning. For you see, this morning— the world still suffers from the broken edges of our humanity. 8,000 people will die today from AIDS. 14,000 children will die from conditions that we could have prevented. Young men and women on various sides will die as a result of various conflicts around the world. This morning— the complexities of our world still transcend the efforts of one man, one party or, even, one nation. People will do unspeakable things because they say they love their country or their God. This morning— families from all backgrounds will struggle, marriages will fail, and parents will worry about their children. The most local of our circumstances and problems will still seem overwhelming and hopeless for so many, no matter what the political landscape looks like. This morning— the poor are still poor; our prisons are still full; our schools are still in need. People still judge too many of our brothers and sisters because of the color of their skin. People still awaken to lonely homes and even lonelier lives. And, people still believe that one more dollar, or one more purchase, or one more title, will make the ache go away. This morning— our brothers and sisters in the faith still fight over the least of what we can agree upon. And, people continue to believe that our answers exists somewhere among our own abilities, gifts and graces-a lie told, and believed, from the Garden until now.
And, so, this morning— we need not create another Satan. That job remains taken.
But, on this morning— we need not create another Messiah either. That position is also filled.
And because of that, this morning— the solutions to our problems remain vested in our ability to look past our differences and trust the best of what we can agree upon. This morning— the Table remains, as it has for 2,000 years and through countless elections, as the real center of hope for both how God sees us and for how God intends for us to see each other. While the world casts its hope in the extraordinary—buildings made of marble and granite; God delights and offers real hope in the ordinary— bread, juice, and stables made of straw and hills made of jagged rock. This morning— the message of the Good News remains for those who have and have not, for those who vote left or right or not at all, and for those who consider faith a burden or a crutch. This morning— the family of God remains bigger than boundaries and nationalities and ideologies. And, we still pray that men and women of all ages, nations and races, will make good decisions for the good of the world for the right reasons. Because, our hope remains in something more sacred than even an election, a president, a congress or the concept of democracy. This morning— our God still reigns, still loves unconditionally, still offers forgiveness, still calls us to do good and seek justice, still encourages us to live faithfully, still insists that we make peace, still favors the poor whether of material or spirit, still comforts those who mourn, still draws close to those who hunger and thirst for Him, still believes in the communion of the saints, and still prepares a place for when the journey is over.
Yes, this morning— much is different, but little has changed.
And, so, for my two friends— and for all of us— the real question on this morning— or any morning— is what shall we do with THIS DAY— that the LORD HAS MADE—I say let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Be salt and light…you matter.
Soooo blessed to spend a wonderful weekend in the mountains with our longtime friends, the Leppos. The icing on the cake was going to Brasstown Bald with Dave and Jean Wall. Both have been longtime spiritual mentors and friends. Here is a quick glimpse into our weekend. You can be sure I left out the sad pictures of my sleeping attire!! LOL
And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.Ecclesiastes 4:12
