Maybe it's just me....

But did the Egg McMuffin SHRINK?

I RARELY - if ever stop by McDonald's for breakfast on my way to work, but today I had a hankering... so I decided to swing through the drive-thru and grab my favorite breakfast sandwich! Whoa - imagine my surprise when I opened the wrapper waiting to behold my long awaited Egg McMuffin and there it was - a teeny tiny little remnant of what it once was?

Now really - I know I'm not that crazy - I know the Egg McMuffin use to be bigger! Surely someone else out there in Blog Land has made this startling discovery too?

My recent adventure ....

In Canning BEANS!!!

Can you believe I actually did it? I can't!

I still look at the finished product and can't believe that I did it... all by myself... well sorta? I did have to make a couple of frantic phone calls to my grandmother in the rehab center to make sure that I was on track and sure enough - it all worked out!

My biggest fear was that the pressure canner/cooker was going to blow up; I've always been scared to death of those things! Even as a small child, I would watch my mother use her pressure cooker to cook chicken or pinto beans and then when it was time to release the pressure or remove the lid - I was in another room!

I convinced Briley that snapping beans was fun and she decided to show a little pity on me and snap a few. Yes, that's my husband's leg in the back ground with his beer sitting on the ground - I took advantage of him too..... while we all sat on the front porch and snapped beans we enjoyed a little summer afternoon rain shower! A very quaint afternoon.

Next up was the boiling of jars and lids - good thing I swiped this big roasting pan from my Mom's house a few years ago - shhh... don't tell her! She still thinks she lost it in her last move! (Wink....Wink....)

In just under 4 hours I had finished canning green pinto beans and had a whopping 18 pint jars to proudly show off...and that I did! I promptly sent my mom a text message with a picture of all of the jars of beans so she could show my grandmother at the rehab center.

I feel like the torch has been passed to me - well the pressure cooker/canner torch, that is! My grandmother also gave me her instruction/recipe booklet with her many many years of handwritten notes in the margins! I will cherish those hand written notes for many many years to come!

I'm no longer scared of the pressure cooker/canner - so watch out! You just never know what my next canning adventure is going to be? I think I hear Salsa calling my name!

I'm off to see the wizard...

Well not really... but Briley and I are heading to my grandmother's house (4 hrs one way) to get a few things she needs while she is staying in the rehab center and to pick a few items in her garden.



This spring, my Nan-Naw planted 6 rows of green pintos for me. My original idea was that if she would plant them, I would be more than happy to help her pick the beans and prepare them for the freezer. Well - I've got 6 rows of these little buggers not so patiently waiting on me and her reminding me that it's time to pick the beans! LOL (Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Nan-Naw?)


Therefore, I hope to avoid the predicted rain showers and get as many of the beans, tomatoes, and squash that are ready - all picked and head home in a one day quickie trip! Luckily Briley is delighted and excited to go and help me and she is the best little traveler. I am so grateful to have my children, and I'm especially grateful that Briley is so easy to get along with and basically just hangs on for the ride without too much complaining.

These pictures are all of my grandmother's garden, just a year ago.... all hand tilled and hand planted by an 88 yr old woman - It's more work than I could ever imagine doing, but for her it's always been a labor of love.

Hopefully I will be able to get a few cute pics this weekend of mine and Briley's adventure in the Bean Patch! Stay tuned....and have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Well, Lookie Here...

Look what I received from Laurie ...

I have so much fun blogging and I'm even more flattered that folks, any folks find the crazy antics of my life, the tiniest bit interesting... LOL

Thanks again for this lovely award, Laurie.

It's booked...

The Condo for our vacation is booked and now the count down begins! The trick to this vacation is that we are going under the premise of playing a week's worth of softball games in a National Tournament. The truth is that I'm going to play in the surf and sand, with an occasional softball game thrown in for good measure! (What Bailey and her dad don't know won't hurt me. :))

This is the view from where we will be staying.... ahhhh..... I absolutely can not wait! The next 8 weeks are going to pass by too slowly! Then the week we are there just always seems to fly by? UGH? Why is that? Why can't it be slow and leisure?

Here's are the Condos we are staying in....I think we are on the 16th floor?
A closer shot of the pool side....

Oh yea... I'm soooooo needing a vacation! I also need to lose about 40 pounds before I flash my big ole' booty in public, but then again - who really cares? I'm not there to impress anyone - I'm there to float around on my big ole' booty and get some sun!

Fun in the Mailbox!

YIPPEE!!! Surprise... Surprise..... (well, not really I did purchase it and was anxiously awaiting my delivery?)

What was I anxiously awaiting? You Ask?

This..... This cute apron pattern! Isn't it just the sweetest little design? I absolutely can't wait to go fabric shopping to find the perfect material for this little cutie? Yes, I suppose there are plenty of fabrics in my stash, but where's the fun in that? I mean... shopping for the new material is half of the fun! Right? I knew you would agree!!!

As much as I wish I could fabric shop on-line, it's just not the same instant gratification that I get from wandering around my favorite fabric shops. I like to touch and feel, I like to walk and look and dream. (I probably need professional help, but then again we've already determined that!)If you feel the need to order your own fun pattern - here's the link to the Calamity Jane's Cottage.

Maybe I can share the finished product with you, before I'm 100 years old or before the men in white coats come to carry me away?

Monday - NEW Product Review

I had to see it to believe it.... so with coupon in hand I went in search of this newly advertised device. Could it really work? Could it live up to the advertised claims? Could it be?

I'm here to tell ya' --- YES --- this little device is wonderful!

It really did pick up the cat hair off of my couch and loveseat, along with the dust bunnies that had developed along the back side of the couch. GREAT Product and well worth the $4 or so that it cost. I will definitely be keeping this around for future use!

How can anyone question

(Picture of the Shuttle passing in front of the Sun.)

the power and magnitude of God. Seriously...to me, this image represents so much!


How about you?

Just a little something I needed to re-read today...

Isaiah 41: 9-10
I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a relaxing weekend.

Update on my Nan-Naw

Well, it's been 15 days since this whole horrible ordeal began with my grandmother - we are finally getting over the shock of her diagnosis, but not really very accepting of the situation; at least not yet!

On the brighter side, she has been living in the Rehab Center for a week and we all seem to be learning the schedules and routines - pretty well? Not great, but well enough that we aren't up-in-arms when things don't happen as WE think they should.

Nan-Naw has started on a physical therapy routine each day that is supposed to help her walk better with the use of her walker, basically she's just trying to muster up the energy to be able to sit in her wheelchair for any extended length of time. It's really hard to see her go down so quickly, but I am going to consider this aggressive illness a blessing, if that is possible? I know it is going to be hard to lose her, but at the same time I would have never wanted her suffering to drag on for many many months or years - that would just be undue cruelty to her - her mind is still very alert and this experience is agonizing enough for her.

Each day she is getting up and with the help, she is getting dressed in 'street' clothes, doing her hair and even putting on a little rouge... she enjoys going to breakfast down in the dining area and visiting with a few new friends she's met. Isn't it funny how just a day or two of coffee and Cheerios can lead to new friendships during such a trying time of life?

So basically - each day brings new challenges and new blessings for all of us!

I heard this on Good Morning America this morning and I thought I would pass this along...

YESTERDAY is history, TOMORROW is a Mystery, and TODAY is a gift - that's why we call it present!

Proud Mama - Boast!!!

Saturday, Bailey (and Al's) softball team, the Texas Elite 14U won 1st Place in their tournament.
The girls started off with a rocky first couple of pool games (games that don't count), but they came out swinging (literally) and won all of the rest of their bracket games and ended up playing in the championship game at midnight!!! UGH --- softball season is here!

For those of you that don't know about our little addiction to softball - we play almost all year long; actually it's more like 10 out of 12 months. For the most part, we are traveling all over the metroplex, all year long. There's been talk of throwing in a few weekend tournaments in other parts of Texas - so I guess that means we'll be traveling a little further this summer? Oh well?

What makes this tournament win so great is that the girls have really been working diligently over the past couple of months to form a solid team with solid skills and so many of these girls will be advancing to High School teams next year. I hope their success continues through the summer.

(Bailey and her dad are the ones in the middle on the back row)

Magic in a Can...

Who knew? Well maybe I knew, but I just never fully realized how awesome this stuff was and how many wonderful uses I could think of for it?

What is it you ask? It's all about the magic of spray paint! I just had no idea! For some strange reason I had never truly embraced the ideas and the options of using this wonderful and magical substance!

That old school of thought has changed! I'm jumping on board the Transformation Train of Spray Paint and it's many uses and magical transformations! I still can't believe I haven't given this stuff more credit....

Here's my first transformation project...I have two of these rusted metal plant stands that were taking up space and looking junkie on my back porch. So... I ventured out to the Dollar Store (the ONLY store we have in a 15 mile radius) and purchased a couple cans of Green Spray Paint, in hopes of using these on my front porch; because you'll remember that I'm on a front porch crusade to improve the look and feel of our front porch. Okay moving on...

After just a few minutes of spraying, these yucky looking things turned into less yucky looking...

Long story short, and a fore finger that may never bend again - just a minor side effect of holding the spray can nozzle down for so long... LOL.... I have these lovely plant stands on my front porch and hopefully they are adding to the 'homey' effect I'm trying to create for my welcomed guests.

Well now that I'm so motivated to get happy with spray paint - who knows what other great junk I'll find around my house that will be screaming at me to transform it into something great?

I hope each of you wonderful mothers in Blog Land have a very blessed Mother's Day Weekend.

Picture it..... Spring 1985

**Pictures at the bottom**


It was the worst of times, it was the best of times..... It was the PROM - I was a sophomore, going to the Jr/Sr Prom with a SENIOR! Let's just say - I had ARRIVED! Or so I thought.

There I was in my 'borrowed' Gunny Sac white frilly dress with all sorts of lace and hoopla. Perfectly STIFF and BIG Poofy Hair and blue eyeshadow completed my ensemble. My date's name was Mark - a gangly young fellow that played the drums in our school band. He was totally cool, don't you know? After all, he was a S...E..N..I..O..R! Obviously I had accomplished what others could only dream of - being asked by a S..E..N..I..O..R!!!

The theme for the evening was You're The Inspiration, taken from the ever popular song by Chicago. The local Civic Center was decorated with all sorts of prom froo froo - the streamers were glistening with the strobe lights and the cardboard metallic stars were hanging from the ceiling. Could there ever be anything more romantic? Of course not! The night was magic - or so I thought.

I am going to search through some of my old pictures and see if I can find the couple picture that Mark and I took at THE PROM! You know... the whopping $50 portrait package that we just had to have! LOL I was skinny then... I will definitely share that picture with you!

Anyway, my reason or idea for this post was triggered by hearing this song again on the radio this morning. As it was playing I began to think back to the prom and really wonder what in the world our teachers and parent sponsors really thought of our magical prom evening? Were they all standing around in the corners thinking of just how hokey this whole thing was? Were they thinking of how stupid and naive we really were to think that our wonderful prom dates were going to inspire us to do anything of any significance?

I mean... seriously? For me, the entire evening surrounded around the DRESS, the MEAL, the RENTED LIMO, and the PICTURE PACKAGE! Now if other folks, including my date, had other ideas about after prom plans or hanky panky.... well.... he invited the WRONG GIRL! I was there for the hokey party favors and the pictures to prove to the rest of my high school girl friends that I had ARRIVED, and they hadn't! LOL

What was the theme to your prom or proms? Do you look back now and realize just how hokey it was?

** HA HA** I found this picture of my Sr. Prom - my date's name was Nick.... we had only decided to go together THREE days prior and my mom whipped out this dress. As it turned out, this was my most favorite dress of all of my prom dresses.

Oh how I wish I had those shoulder blades and skinny hips NOW!! LOL

And just for kicks... this is the famous fuzzy wrap Sr. Picture that everyone had to endure for the year book! OH, and everybit of that hair color was NATURAL!! It's crazy what I pay now - on a regular basis - in hopes of finding that 'natural' look again! UGH! It stinks getting old!

Thank you so much ....

For the lovely prayers and well wishes! My heart is so full to know that I have so many 'friends' praying for and thinking of our family during this time.

We have been greatly blessed and pleasantly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from my Grandmother's church family and friends. It has truly been a blessing during this difficult time.

The prognosis is not good and we are basically taking it day by day. Not only is her body covered in cancer, but she has a broken sacrum and is unable to walk. So the pain meds are keeping her as comfortable as possible and we are continuing to pray for peace and comfort for her during this time.

Her mind is still very alert and her quick wit is still intact, her little body is just worn out!
I know she must be very frustrated with the situation, but she hasn't shown it to us and she is still quoting scripture and telling us what we should and shouldn't do! LOL

I have come to terms with this diagnosis, but that doesn't mean I have to like it - ya' know?
I have a feeling the next few weeks are going to become more difficult and challenging to us as we begin to make some very difficult decisions regarding her care. She will be in the hospital for another few days and then we will have to move her to a nursing home, but I just pray that we will find the right place for her and she will continue to feel loved and comfortable.

Just Pray

Our family just received some very disturbing news... my grandmother, Nan-Naw has been diagnosed with cancer of the spine and the prognosis is not good. At this point, our objective is to alleviate as much of her pain as we can and to keep her as happy as possible.

This has all progressed very suddenly and we are in shock at this point. Just 2 weeks ago, she was still driving herself around town to and from church, and gardening by hand in her yard, as she's always done. This year she planted 6 rows of beans and was hopeful that we could can those, together. Those dang beans better make it, it's all I've got to look forward to, at this point! LOL

She seems to have resolved herself to the idea that it's her time to go, but I can't say that any of us are at that point of realization yet. I mean, we all knew her time would come, but I guess we just weren't ready for it to be 'her time'. Ya' know?

The Dr's can't give us any answers as to how long we will have her with us, but for the time being we are going to do as much as we possibly can to keep her dignity and her mind in tact.

Just pray, if you will - for the peace and resolution that our family needs to get through this very difficult time and for her to be 'easy' with pain and to avoid any undue suffering.

I've always said that the Good Lord would have to catch her before he could take her...