I have still not posted pictures from two weekends ago! It's amazing how behind you get from just a few days gone. I promise (I really do this time) that I will post pictures.
In the meantime, our weekend will consist of:
- Swimming
- Playing
- Husband working on Jeep brakes
- sleeping
- snack baking for Church snacks
- swimming
- playing
- some cleaning, not much
- crafting (always a plus!)
- no reading :( I don't have any books! But I have SIX on their way from my recent book swap
(by the way how did everyone make out with the book swap? I'm anxious to know!)]
- swimming
- playing
- maybe attending a festival for children
- manicure and pedicure! Much needed!
- blogging (pictures from last weekend) and possibly setting up a new Private blog for my
daughter's school and the kids/parents
What are you doing this weekend? And tell me your input on the book swap!
~smooches~
Friday, September 18, 2009
AHA Moment
On my last post regarding Junior League, I wrote about how excited I was to become a part of a group of women who are ready, willing and able to volunteer in our community for the benefit of women and children in need.
Someone read my post and then left a comment with the following video:
Aha Moment
(click above)
Folks, put your social and daily life aspirations aside. Stop and take a moment to think about the world outside of your home and world. Poverty, illiteracy, abuse, hunger....these are all things taking place in YOUR back yard. And, we ... you & me, have the opportunity to do something about these issues. One person truly can make a difference.
So, whether it be through Junior League or some other charity or group in your community, VOLUNTEER, take time out of your busy... and easy life by many standards...and help someone in need. It's not about our "need to feel good about ourselves", it's about their need to lead a better, safe, productive life.....(for lack of better words, you know what I mean).
To divulge a little bit into my Christian background. I was a Christian, then I wasn't (due to some philosophy courses in college) and then I met my husband and I'm a Christian again. I struggle daily with this, I'm not a good Christian, none of us really are. I've struggled to find a way to be a good one for years, I've volunteered at Church, I've read my Bible, I've tried praying and none of these truly fulfill my need to be a better Christian. I truly believe THIS is my calling, this is what I am meant to do to fulfill my purpose in life here in this short time on earth. This is what God is calling me to do, US to do, to volunteer, and I can't wait to get going.
Matthew 25: 35 - 40 "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; I was naked, and you clothes Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thritsty and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invited You in, or naked, and clothes You? When did we see You cik, or in prison and come to You?' 'The King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."
Have a wonderful weekend and God Bless!
~smooches~
Someone read my post and then left a comment with the following video:
Aha Moment
(click above)
Folks, put your social and daily life aspirations aside. Stop and take a moment to think about the world outside of your home and world. Poverty, illiteracy, abuse, hunger....these are all things taking place in YOUR back yard. And, we ... you & me, have the opportunity to do something about these issues. One person truly can make a difference.
So, whether it be through Junior League or some other charity or group in your community, VOLUNTEER, take time out of your busy... and easy life by many standards...and help someone in need. It's not about our "need to feel good about ourselves", it's about their need to lead a better, safe, productive life.....(for lack of better words, you know what I mean).
To divulge a little bit into my Christian background. I was a Christian, then I wasn't (due to some philosophy courses in college) and then I met my husband and I'm a Christian again. I struggle daily with this, I'm not a good Christian, none of us really are. I've struggled to find a way to be a good one for years, I've volunteered at Church, I've read my Bible, I've tried praying and none of these truly fulfill my need to be a better Christian. I truly believe THIS is my calling, this is what I am meant to do to fulfill my purpose in life here in this short time on earth. This is what God is calling me to do, US to do, to volunteer, and I can't wait to get going.
Matthew 25: 35 - 40 "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; I was naked, and you clothes Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thritsty and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invited You in, or naked, and clothes You? When did we see You cik, or in prison and come to You?' 'The King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."
Have a wonderful weekend and God Bless!
~smooches~
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Junior League
I am in big trouble with the family and friends who are so desperately wanting to see our pictures from our Ky trip two weeks ago! I have been so super busy with work, home, crafts, JL, business trips that I haven't had time to blog! It will calm down for me next week....I hope, I hope?
I did have my first JL meeting last night with Petunia from Petunia in Paradise. She lives near me and has joined JL too! So far we have met some wonderful ladies and we are both extremely hyped about all the charity and volunteer work that will be heading our way.
This league is extremely active! The president and new-member chairperson spouted off all types of different volunteer opportunities for this coming year. Too many to remember and that's a great thing. The league is unbelievably committed to women and children in need right here in our own back yard, whether it be due to cancer, abuse, literacy etc. and they are committed to the betterment of society in general through projects such as the children's museum. As new members, we will have the opportunity to formulate our own project and with the fostering of the more experienced active members, I am sure that this group of women will create something fabulous.
This league is unique in one other way. It is a small group, and therefore, tighter knit than some of the larger groups in larger cities. Petunia and I will meet lots of women and hopefully become close friends with them. The president mentioned a monthly social event where we can bring children, spouses, friends, significant others etc., so that they can also meet new people as well. There were three reasons I wanted to join: first off, for the volunteer opportunities and training; second, to meet new people; and third, so husband might have the chance to meet new people as well.
All three combined, Junior League is a great place to be!
~smooches~
I did have my first JL meeting last night with Petunia from Petunia in Paradise. She lives near me and has joined JL too! So far we have met some wonderful ladies and we are both extremely hyped about all the charity and volunteer work that will be heading our way.
This league is extremely active! The president and new-member chairperson spouted off all types of different volunteer opportunities for this coming year. Too many to remember and that's a great thing. The league is unbelievably committed to women and children in need right here in our own back yard, whether it be due to cancer, abuse, literacy etc. and they are committed to the betterment of society in general through projects such as the children's museum. As new members, we will have the opportunity to formulate our own project and with the fostering of the more experienced active members, I am sure that this group of women will create something fabulous.
This league is unique in one other way. It is a small group, and therefore, tighter knit than some of the larger groups in larger cities. Petunia and I will meet lots of women and hopefully become close friends with them. The president mentioned a monthly social event where we can bring children, spouses, friends, significant others etc., so that they can also meet new people as well. There were three reasons I wanted to join: first off, for the volunteer opportunities and training; second, to meet new people; and third, so husband might have the chance to meet new people as well.
All three combined, Junior League is a great place to be!
~smooches~
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Kentucky Farm
I have loads of pictures from this past weekend, but my husband insists on my posting about the food first! He's been checking every day since our return to show his work buddies the fantastic home-grown on the farm food that we ate all weekend!
Husband and I both grew up with farms in our families. Nearly his entire family, all own farms in some capacity or other. They generally run livestock such as cattle on the hill of Eastern Kentucky (part of the Appalachian mountains). In addition, they have gardens in which to grow all types of vegetables.
View from the front porch swing.
My grandparents owned a farm in Southern Illinois which is quite different in terrain then Eastern Kentucky. Think of it as a large, flat grid with large fields of corn, soybeans, wheat etc. My grandparents owned several fields in multiple areas in between other owners and I fondly remember my grandmother taking me with her to take lunch to grandpa when he was out plowing, planting or harvesting. I also rode along to take harvestings to the elevator for train-dumping (and was told with the strictest force to not even think of opening the door or I'd fall down into the pit!) My grandparents also had chickens and for some odd reason, all us kids LOVED wading through the chicken poop to get the eggs! Ahh, those were the days.
Anyhow, onto the good stuff! Here are pictures of some of the foods we ate this past weekend, every bit of it home grown!
First, the tomatoes! I am 100% convinced after this weekend that our friend, Mike, doesn't like tomatoes because he's lived in Florida too long! He moved here when he was a freshmen in high school and one cannot buy great tomatoes here. They are all mealy, overripe and have absolutely no taste! No wonder. But look at these babies! Husband and I nearly ate this entire basket in the few days we were up north. Most of the time, we ate them like apples - so juicy and tasty, dripping down your chin. I miss them....so much!
And then there's the potatoes, fresh from the dirt (and scrubbed thoroughly) and then fried up for some yummy goodness!
Fresh ears of corn, eaten as nature intended, right off the cob.
We will not eat canned green beans for weeks! After eating freshly picked green beans, it's impossible to go back. Even though my grandparents had a farm, I was not grown on the farm and my dad actually cooked quite a few non-"meat & potatoes" meals. We had a lot of yummy international cuisine at my house, which leads me into....
The first time I ever made dinner for husband, I ended up in tears. I made green beans with a lemon rosemary herb and husband proceeded to look at them and say "Where is the bacon and why are there weeds in my beans!!!" Now, I will not eat green beans any other way except for this!
We also had T-bone steaks...yep, you guessed, butchered from off the farm. I will not go into details here.
For dessert, my favorite, Gooseberry cobbler! Have you ever heard of a gooseberry? If you love sour and sweet, you'll love this cobbler. Gooseberries are smaller than cherries with a green/red tougher skin and very sour fruit. Mixed with a sweet Bisquick cobbler, you can only imagine! I beg my mother-in-law on every visit to make this for me!
Are you salivating yet? More pictures to come including of Lallie's new pair of Pink John Deere boots! Here's a teaser, aren't they cute?
Have a great Friday everyone!
~smooches~
Husband and I both grew up with farms in our families. Nearly his entire family, all own farms in some capacity or other. They generally run livestock such as cattle on the hill of Eastern Kentucky (part of the Appalachian mountains). In addition, they have gardens in which to grow all types of vegetables.
View from the front porch swing.
My grandparents owned a farm in Southern Illinois which is quite different in terrain then Eastern Kentucky. Think of it as a large, flat grid with large fields of corn, soybeans, wheat etc. My grandparents owned several fields in multiple areas in between other owners and I fondly remember my grandmother taking me with her to take lunch to grandpa when he was out plowing, planting or harvesting. I also rode along to take harvestings to the elevator for train-dumping (and was told with the strictest force to not even think of opening the door or I'd fall down into the pit!) My grandparents also had chickens and for some odd reason, all us kids LOVED wading through the chicken poop to get the eggs! Ahh, those were the days.
Anyhow, onto the good stuff! Here are pictures of some of the foods we ate this past weekend, every bit of it home grown!
First, the tomatoes! I am 100% convinced after this weekend that our friend, Mike, doesn't like tomatoes because he's lived in Florida too long! He moved here when he was a freshmen in high school and one cannot buy great tomatoes here. They are all mealy, overripe and have absolutely no taste! No wonder. But look at these babies! Husband and I nearly ate this entire basket in the few days we were up north. Most of the time, we ate them like apples - so juicy and tasty, dripping down your chin. I miss them....so much!
And then there's the potatoes, fresh from the dirt (and scrubbed thoroughly) and then fried up for some yummy goodness!
Fresh ears of corn, eaten as nature intended, right off the cob.
We will not eat canned green beans for weeks! After eating freshly picked green beans, it's impossible to go back. Even though my grandparents had a farm, I was not grown on the farm and my dad actually cooked quite a few non-"meat & potatoes" meals. We had a lot of yummy international cuisine at my house, which leads me into....
The first time I ever made dinner for husband, I ended up in tears. I made green beans with a lemon rosemary herb and husband proceeded to look at them and say "Where is the bacon and why are there weeds in my beans!!!" Now, I will not eat green beans any other way except for this!
We also had T-bone steaks...yep, you guessed, butchered from off the farm. I will not go into details here.
For dessert, my favorite, Gooseberry cobbler! Have you ever heard of a gooseberry? If you love sour and sweet, you'll love this cobbler. Gooseberries are smaller than cherries with a green/red tougher skin and very sour fruit. Mixed with a sweet Bisquick cobbler, you can only imagine! I beg my mother-in-law on every visit to make this for me!
Are you salivating yet? More pictures to come including of Lallie's new pair of Pink John Deere boots! Here's a teaser, aren't they cute?
Have a great Friday everyone!
~smooches~
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Clem & Lilly Pulitzer
I'm here on my in-laws farm in Kentucky and I don't have a whole lot of time to post because of all our fun activities (which I'll detail when I return to Florida).
I do however, have to warn all Lilly Pulitzer lovers, that donkeys LOVE Lilly and will eat it if and when they see it. Yes, Clem the donkey attempted (thank goodness it was merely an attempt!) to EAT my Lilly pink and green skirt. You see, they love fruits and veggies so my colorful skirt must have looked like a fruit to him. Poor Clem, he immediately became embarrassed and lowered his ears to be consoled (donkeys truly are the sweetest animals!)
Until we speak again....
~smooches~
I do however, have to warn all Lilly Pulitzer lovers, that donkeys LOVE Lilly and will eat it if and when they see it. Yes, Clem the donkey attempted (thank goodness it was merely an attempt!) to EAT my Lilly pink and green skirt. You see, they love fruits and veggies so my colorful skirt must have looked like a fruit to him. Poor Clem, he immediately became embarrassed and lowered his ears to be consoled (donkeys truly are the sweetest animals!)
Until we speak again....
~smooches~
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Book Swap Partners!!
Sorry for my delay ladies!
There is another person who'd like to join the swap and she needs a partner, so let me know if you're interested and I'll hook you two up! =)
Here are the partners (drawn out of a hat!) Contact each other via email, discuss the books you each have and what you'd like, and swap one, two, ten....whatever you like!
Kappa Prep and Mint Juleps & Magnolias
Zentmrs & the Mr. and Little Erin
Sara Lang and Loving Married Life
Grove Gals and Muffy Martini
Preppy Pink Crab and Barefoot in the Park
Nautical By Nature and Mommy Esq.
Lis Loves and The Preppy Princess
KAG24 and Shorty Sassy Mama
Headbands & Handbags and A Wedding Story
Southern Living: Preppy Style and Bees & Fleur de lis
Okay ladies - swap away. I expect to hear book reviews and I desperately need more great reads! Have lots of fun and if this works out well, I'll host another one in a few weeks!
~smooches~
There is another person who'd like to join the swap and she needs a partner, so let me know if you're interested and I'll hook you two up! =)
Here are the partners (drawn out of a hat!) Contact each other via email, discuss the books you each have and what you'd like, and swap one, two, ten....whatever you like!
Kappa Prep and Mint Juleps & Magnolias
Zentmrs & the Mr. and Little Erin
Sara Lang and Loving Married Life
Grove Gals and Muffy Martini
Preppy Pink Crab and Barefoot in the Park
Nautical By Nature and Mommy Esq.
Lis Loves and The Preppy Princess
KAG24 and Shorty Sassy Mama
Headbands & Handbags and A Wedding Story
Southern Living: Preppy Style and Bees & Fleur de lis
Okay ladies - swap away. I expect to hear book reviews and I desperately need more great reads! Have lots of fun and if this works out well, I'll host another one in a few weeks!
~smooches~
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Ribbon Topiary
Here's a picture of three topiaries I made for a lady for a party she's having this month. I just love these and I'm glad she did too! They are currently safely packed away for shipping!
But, before I packed them up for shipping, I had to carry them to my office in something. So, here they are Lilly-fied! I think they match perfectly, don't you!
~smooches~
But, before I packed them up for shipping, I had to carry them to my office in something. So, here they are Lilly-fied! I think they match perfectly, don't you!
~smooches~
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