Posted by Gina in Blogging, Books, Disability, Family, Favorite Things, Food, God's Beauty, Gratitude, Life, Me Moments, Memories, Photos, Praise Him, Prayer Works, Shopping.
Happy Mother’s Day today to my precious Mother and Mother-in-law and all Mothers today.
Thank you Mother:
- for loving me the moment I was placed in your arms in the hospital
- for the countless prayers you prayed for me for my arthritis to go into remission (it wasn’t God’s will)
- for the Popsicle money for Anthony and me
- for the wonderful home cooked meals and pies and cookies and candy
- for not yelling at me when I climbed on the sink to look in the mirror and I fell and you had to take me to the doctor and my tooth was messed up
- for teaching me all the Bible stories and for all the books you read to me…I credit you with my love of reading
- for the skates and Easy Bake oven and Barbie dolls and clothes and jewelry, etc., etc.
- for being both mother and father to Anthony and me for so many years
- for sitting up in a chair night and day at LeBonheur when I had surgery
- for the sleepless nights you spent with me during my many other operations
- for the countless trips to doctors
- for listening to me talk about countless boring teenage stuff…I credit you for our good relationship during those awkward years when society says we weren’t supposed to get along
- for holding me while I shed tears and telling me it would be okay
- for teaching me much more than I could ever learn anywhere else
- for the laughter we share when we go shopping together
- for your many years of sacrificial and unconditional love
Mama, this barely scratches the surface. I love you, Gina
I was short on time and had to get a recipe online. I make a pasta salad almost like this but with about half the vermicelli and other ingredients and I simply use Kraft© Zesty Italian dressing and no dry seasoning.
We love it!! For more Scrumptious Sunday, click on the mice and it will take you to our host Mercedes. She is really sad today because she lost her beloved Dalmatian of 11 years Patch.
Marinated Vermicelli Salad
20 min | 10 min prep | SERVES 6
| 8 |
ounces vermicelli |
| 1 |
cup tomatoes, cubed |
| 1 |
cup cucumbers, chopped |
| 1/2 |
cup green bell peppers, chopped |
|
|
| 1/4 |
cup red onions, chopped |
| 2 |
tablespoons Salad Supreme dry seasoning |
| 1/2 |
cup Italian dressing |
- Cook pasta according to package. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Meanwhile, combine all remaining ingredients EXCEPT dressing in a large bowl.
- Add pasta and dressing to bowl. Toss gently to mix.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).
© 2007 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com
Happiness
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Posted by Gina in Blogging, Chihuahuas, Dogs, Family, Favorite Things, Life, Mandy, Photos, Tuffy, Vacation.
Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.
-Storm Jameson
Cliff and I are going to see his Mom in Northwest Arkansas for Mother’s Day. We’ll be leaving early Sunday morning and my Mom will stay at our house watching our furbabies. I don’t know how often (if at all) I’ll get to blog. I’ll visit all my blog buddies when I can. Catch you later.
Tags: humor, presidential candidate
Tuffy for President
Tuffy has been doing very well in his run for president. I think his platform will be very pleasing to the majority of Americans. He promises the following prices for the necessities when he is elected president:
gas $1.00 a gallon
milk $1.00 a gallon
bread $1.00 a loaf
dog treats $.25 a box
You can’t beat these promised prices, Americans, that are good for the endurance of his term. So cast your vote in the primaries for Tuffy.
*Paid for by Friends of Tuffy for President.
Today I am thankful for my Mother because:
- she always encourages me when I need it most
- she is so pretty and kind
- she does special things for me when I visit her like make my favorite foods
- she taught me about Jesus from a very early age and read Bible stories to me
- she gave me so much security when I was a child
- she disciplined me when I needed it…even a look from her could make me stop what I was doing
- she always made sure my brother and I had nutritious meals
- she endured a lot in her life but kept her sweet spirit
- she prayed for me thousands of times
- she is the perfect Mother God picked for me
All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. ~ Abraham Lincoln
For more Thankful Thursdays, click on the Thankful Thursday button.
I found this adorable dog on I Has a Hotdog.
You can find more Wordless Wednesday here.
Bad but cherished Tuffy
I had such a horrible scare last week with Tuffy I still shiver thinking about it. The dogs are not allowed in the living room and we keep a “doggie” gate up. Well Tuffy always follows me all over the house and he thinks he is supposed to go with me to the living room to get the mail. (Our mailbox is right outside our front door.) I opened the front door to get the mail and opened it a little wider than usual to try to get a fly out and Tuffy flew out with the fly. I feel I am not able to go out on a rough terrain by myself yet and I could not go get him like I used to. NOTHING I did worked either. I called. I begged. I cried. I offered treats. I slammed the door (this always worked in the past). He got a taste of freedom and he would not come back. He was on the curb and with cars speeding by I could just see him getting run over. I was panicky. Just by coincidence (or was it?) our neighbor Mrs. Moore drove up next door with a friend. She said, “Genie (I HATE her calling me that but don’t want to correct her) isn’t this your dog?” I said yes and I can’t get him in. Well thank goodness, my kind neighbor and her friend started going toward him to pick him up. He was having none of that but he continued to bark at them and back up. They kept going toward him and he kept backing up until he was on the porch and he finally came in. I was so relieved and thanked them profusely. I love that little dog so much but as you can see in the picture, he is full of himself.
Cliff and I are planning to go see his Mother on Sunday for Mother’s Day. I hate to be away from my Mother on Mother’s Day but she insists we go then. I do want Cliff to be with his Mother on Mother’s Day and I want to see her then too. She is such a good mother-in-law. We will try to leave Sunday morning about 9:00ish and maybe get there around 4:00ish. My Mother is going to stay here and “dogsit”. 
I might not do very much blogging Monday-Wednesday.
Cliff and I are going out to eat tonight with our Sunday School class at Red Lobster. We go out to eat somewhere once a month with them and really enjoy it. Red Lobster is sort of expensive at night but we usually go to cheaper places.
I got this from Deep Fried Apple Pies.
1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Lever but we use Dial the most and I love Caress
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No but I wish I did
3. What would you change about your living room? probably a new coffee table
4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? We don’t have a dishwasher and I don’t need one for just the two of us and I always wash dishes immediately after every meal unless it is a couple of plates or a glass
5. What is in your fridge? eggs, milk, cokes, margarine, celery, onions, bell peppers and lots of condiments
6. White or wheat bread? white but I like wheat too
7. What is on top of your refrigerator? a watermelon basket (a basket that looks like a watermelon on the side )
8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? Blue, green, maroon…it was given to me!
9. How many plants are in your home? four, I love plants but I usually kill house plants
10. Is your bed made right now? always, unless I’m in it or changing sheets
11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Comet, my Mother is a firm believer in the cleaning power of Comet and I guess I picked that up from her
12. Is your closet organized? sort of.?.?
13. Can you describe your flashlight? strange question but it is black with a red button
14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic more at home? I usually drink out of plastic
15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No but I wish I did
16. If you have garage, is it cluttered? Cliff added on a garage to our house for storage and yes he keeps it cluttered
17. Curtains or blinds? mostly blinds but both
18. How many pillows do you sleep with? one
19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? No I like it dark but we always have on a night light in the bathroom
20. How often do you vacuum? We have hardwood floors so I don’t vacuum but Cliff gets on his hands and knees and vacuums the baseboards about once a month….Bless him!
21. Standard toothbrush or electric? standard
22. What color is your toothbrush? blue
23. Do you have welcome mat on your front porch? yes and it says Welcome
24. What is in your oven right now? unfortunately a couple of pans that won’t fit in the cabinet where I store pans
25. Is there anything under your bed? Storage containers and Cliff has a couple of things under there
26. Chore you hate the most? cleaning the bathroom
27. What retro items are in your home? old albums for one
28. Do you a have separate room you use as an office? no but I wish we did, it is in the den
29. How many mirrors are in your home? 5
30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? maybe $20
31. What color are your walls? cream-living room, light yellow-den, yellow-bathroom
32. What does your home smell like right now? the peas I’m cooking
33. Favorite candle scent? cinnamon or clean linen
34. What kind of pickles are in your refrigerator right now? dill spears…we both love pickles
35. Ever been on your roof? No
36. Do you own a stereo? Yes
37. How many TV’s do you have? 4 for two people, Yikes!
38. How many phones? 2 house phones, 1 cell phone
39. Do you have a housekeeper? Yeah, right
40. What style do you decorate in? eclectic hehe
41. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? both
My birthday at Carrabba’s
I saw this on someone’s blog and thought I’d copy do it.
What time do you usually wake up? Cliff usually wakes me when he gets up to get ready for work around 7:00ish. Sometimes before, sometimes after.
What’s the first thing you do? Make the bed.
Breakfast? Yes always, usually cereal or an egg or 1/2 a sandwich and always coffee.
Do you go to work/school? Not any more.
Do you like it? N/A, I do love staying home now.
If you stay at home, what do you do all day? wash breakfast dishes, wash clothes, sweep, dust, general housework, blog, read blogs, cook supper
When is lunch and what you eatin’? around 12:00-1:00, I usually eat a small TV dinner like Weight Watchers or a sandwich or a salad or leftovers from the night before because Cliff will not touch leftovers
What time do you get home from work/school? N/A, when I worked I got home around 5:00
What do you do? I am usually cooking supper at 5:00
Dinner: When and what? We usually eat supper around 5:30 or 6:00, we almost always have a meat and two vegetables, sometimes three (we love veggies)…Cliff thinks he hasn’t had supper if he hasn’t had meat
What do you do to unwind? TV, read a book, surf the internet, talk to my chihuahuas
What’s your favorite part of the day? depends on the day but I love mornings and I love it when Cliff gets home
Who’s your favorite person to interact with? Cliff, my Mom by phone, blog buddies; Is a chihuahua a person?
Whens bedtime? this varies, I like to get to bed by around 11:00 but sometimes it is later
Who’s bedtime with? hubby, of course
Feel free to copy do this if you want.
Sunday’s theme for Scrumptious Sunday by Mercedes is pies. I am posting a pie recipe given to me by my sister-in-law. Cliff and I ate this pie for dessert when it was hot with ice cream at their house and it was heavenly.
Hot Fudge Pie
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- dash salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Mix the sugar, flour, cocoa and salt well. Add the eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350°. Makes two pies. YUM!
When I think of pies, I can’t help but think of my Mom because she makes some of the best pies in the world. Cliff always tells her she should sell them.
For our host and more Scrumptious Sunday, click here.
~Remembering Childhood~
1. As a child I loved to play…?: jacks, jump rope, hide and seek, ride bikes, dolls, Barbie dolls
2. As a child I wanted to grow up to be…?: a teacher and that is what I got my degree in although I ultimately worked in the mental health field and loved it
3. As a child my favorite thing to eat was…?: anything my Mother cooked; she cooked big suppers with mashed potatoes from scratch, green beans, pork chops or meatloaf…I loved anything she cooked except I was not big on greens but my brother was
4. As a child my favorite relative was…?: my grandmother but I loved all my relatives
For more Saturday Special, click here.
Posted by Gina in Blogging, Life, Me Moments, My Opinion.
I got this from Jamie who got it from That’s My Answer.
What three things could you do without?
- Mosquitoes…I hate them and now I’m afraid of getting West Nile virus. EEEEKKK
- Liver….it makes me sick to think about it. Sorry to all liver lovers.
- Child and animal abusers….throw them all in prison. Anyone who would do this is evil and antisocial anyway and doesn’t need to live in society.
******************************Happy May Day!****************************
Thought for the day:
Aren’t you glad Hitler didn’t procreate?
Mandy and my iris
Today I am thankful for:
- the sunshine almost all week
- blog buddies who understand why I love my dogs
- for Iris who hosts Thankful Thursday; I look so forward to it every week and I know it must be hard to manage blogs, work and host a meme but she manages
- for our dogwood tree that has been in bloom for a month now….it is so little and growing slowly but growing
- for my Lord and Savior who forgives my sins daily and never keeps a record of wrongs
“There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself.” ~ Anthony Rapp
For more Thankful Thursdays, visit the host Iris.
Visit more Wordless Wednesday here.
Tuffy
Our azaleas
It is really cool today for this time of year. There was even a frost last night. I’ve been trying to spend more time cleaning house and doing things that need to be done like organizing things and less time on the computer…a little less time.
Our computer slowly messed up over the last two weeks or so and we had to get it fixed over the weekend. Cliff found a man in the phone book and he came at ten pm Sunday night. He said that was the only time he had available. He was really nice and getting it fixed sure was a LOT cheaper than buying a new computer.
He told us something I had already found out recently…..Mozilla Firefox is a much better web browser than Internet Explorer.
This is right before he went to get his nails cut at the groomers. Look at those claws.
I was tagged by Jamie for this meme. Ten random facts about me. Thanks for tagging me Jamie. Check out the new look of her blog!
- I love the movie ‘Walk the Line’ with Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix and have to watch it every time it is on TV.
- I knew next to nothing about Joaquin Phoenix before this movie but now I love him.
- I get a headache in the mornings if I don’t have a cup coffee. You think I’m addicted to caffeine in coffee?
- When Cliff and I are going somewhere at night, I like to see if people have their blinds open and look in their homes as we drive by to see what they look like. hehe A little voyeuristic.
- My favorite flowers are bulb flowers: tulips, hyacinths, and irises.
- My favorite piece of furniture in our house is an armoire given to us by our boss when we both worked at the same place.
- I also find myself watching Forrest Gump every time it is on TV. I like Gary Sinese (sp?).
- Every Monday, our chihuahuas sleep all day. I guess they stay awake more than usual on the weekends.
- There are a couple of things I find it completely impossible to talk about on my blog and I never mention them.
- I just had a birthday and getting older really doesn’t bother me like it does some people.
If you want to do this meme, help yourself since I’m not tagging anyone.
A lady at our church who helped me with GA’s makes this casserole. I have made it many times and everyone loves it. It is my favorite hash brown casserole.
Hash Brown Casserole
- 2 lb. frozen hash brown potatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- i can cream of chicken soup
- 8 oz. sour cream
- 2-3 cups Colby cheese, shredded
- 2 cups crushed corn flakes
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Defrost potatoes and combine in large bowl with 1/2 cup melted butter. Add onion, soup, sour cream and cheese. Blend thoroughly. Pour into 3 quart casserole. Mix the crushed corn flakes and 1/4 cup butter/margarine and pour over casserole. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Serves 16.
Yesterday
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Posted by Gina in Blogging, Date Night, Dining/Dining Out, Dogs, Favorite Things, Food, Life, Shopping, Surgery.
For my birthday yesterday, I picked Carrabba’s Italian Grill for my choice of where to eat. The food was so very good but our waiter could have been a little friendlier. He did everything okay so I guess he did his job…just no personality. Then we went and looked for me a spring/summer outfit but couldn’t find one so we ended up at WalMart and got a few groceries. This came to $73 but when I put the $20 on it my Mom gave me for my birthday, it ended up only costing $53!! Also at Sears, we found Cliff two winter shirts for next year..they were marked way down so that was really good. When we came out of W*M, I was struck by how good a soft spring breeze feels. The chihuahuas were so glad to see us. We didn’t know we’d be out past dark and forgot to leave on a light so the babies were in the dark when we got home. I don’t think they minded since they were probably asleep. Today I didn’t feel that good….sore throat. Cliff felt puny too.
I will be a little late getting my Scrumptious Sunday posted because I want to post a certain recipe and I have to look for it. I need to do this one ahead of time. It will be posted tomorrow though.
~I Say..You Answer…~
1. Early Morn…?: peaceful
2. Foggy Mist…?: London
3. Full Moon…?: the Earth glowing
4. Starry Night…?: Vincent Van Gogh
For more Saturday Specials, you can find the host and participants here.
Look what my good blog buddy Mercedes wrote about me and made for me (and others) for my birthday. She has a very fun blog about her life as a teacher and a “mom” to her furbaby Patch. She also hosts two memes. She is really busy. Go check her blog out. I would like to meet you Mer and all my good blog buddies. I want to pass on this award but will let Mer do it since it is hers!
Gina: I am so glad we met via our blogs. I need to go back and see exactly how we met. I do know it was via our dogs-(I assume)! You are a true inspiration dealing with your RA and having to deal with it for your whole life! I love talking with you about Tennessee happenings and about our precious children~our dogs! I also love it that we are both in Tennessee and maybe one day we might really meet-woohoo! Thank you for always being here when I need uplifted, especially about Patch! You are truly a Rainbow in my eyes! Happy Birthday! I love you to the rainbow and back! 
Our desk top computer is acting up really badly…so much that we will definitely have to get it looked at soon. I might not visit your blogs as often or post as much. However, I will be back.
I saw this meme at Tish’s and I thought I’d give it a try.
You’re feeling: happy because my Mom and brother came by for my birthday to bring my cards and they both had money in them!
To your left: a window where I can watch trees blowing in the wind and birds
On your mind: going out to eat spaghetti for my birthday tonight!!!
Last meal included: macaroni and cheese (for breakfast…left over from supper last night)
You sometimes find it hard to: do heavy housework
The weather: sunny and beautiful but a little warm for this time of year
Something you have a collection of: watermelon items in our kitchen
A smell that cheers you up: clean laundry
A smell that can ruin your mood: car fumes
How long since you last shaved: today
The current state of your hair: too short…I am never 100% happy with my hair
The largest item on your desk/workspace (not computer): a calendar
Your skill with chopsticks: nil
Which section to head for first in a bookstore: discount section, I love biographies, mysteries, new releases
Something you’re craving: Baskin Robbins ice cream
Your general thoughts on the presidential race: I wish we had a candidate I like…I have a million thoughts on the presidential race but don’t want to offend anyone
How many times have you been hospitalized this year: None, thank goodness
Favorite place to go for a quiet moment: my front porch
You’ve always secretly thought you’d be a good: writer
Something that freaks you out a little: people being mean to children or animals
Something you’ve eaten too much of lately: macaroni and cheese
You have never: been to Florida like Cliff, my mother and brother and everybody else I know have 
You never want to: die after Cliff, I want to go first
If you answer these questions on your blog, leave me a comment and let me know!
For Tennessee bloggers: This weekend starting Firday and ending Sunday is ‘no sales tax weekend’. I had forgotten and my friend Melody reminded me…thanks Melody! Things included with no sales tax are clothes, school supplies, computers, etc. Mercedes, if you haven’t got that laptop you want, this weekend is a great time to do it. We really need this because we have some of the highest sales tax in the country. During the last one, we bought my laptop with our tax money and no sales tax…woohoo.
To answer Kathryn’s queston, our sales tax is 9.25%. When Cliff and I both worked downtown…well, mid-town, we used to leave work on Fridays at noon (we worked at the same place and got off at noon on Fridays) and go to Wal-Mart in West Memphis, Arkansas, because their sales tax was cheaper in AR.
Today I am thankful for:
- the light from the moon that shone softly on our bed Thursday night and made me think of you, Lord
- our pastor and his dear wife who are always there when you need them
- the birthday cards I’ve gotten from friends and family this week…it is so nice to get mail other than bills
- my nice blog buddies who brighten my day, every day
- watching homegrown tomatoes grow
- enjoying God’s beautiful creation
For more participants, visit our dear host Iris.
For more participants, click here.
Today is Earth Day and my Mother’s-in-law birthday. If she got on the computer, I would do a birthday message for her but she doesn’t. So here are just a few things I do to help this beautiful planet that God put us in charge of.
- I never put on the kitchen light when I eat lunch. Our kitchen is on the north side of the house and is somewhat dark but I just don’t need a light on to eat lunch. Now where the computer is, I do.
- Cliff and I use grocery store bags for our garbage bags. We don’t have just tons of garbage between the two of us so we never buy trash bags.
- As I said on an earlier post, we throw out our old stale bread to birds. Also, if we go to a restaurant that gives you rolls with your meal, I take the extra rolls that would simply go in the garbage and I feed the birds outside the restaurant.
- Cliff puts all our grass clippings/leaves in a huge compost pile in the backyard.
- Also, when he needs boards for some project he’s working on in the backyard that doesn’t require brand new wood, he picks up boards on the street that other people have thrown out. You would be surprised by the amount of good wood people throw out.
I am sure there are many more I can’t think of right now. What do you do to help our earth…share it here!!
Six Random Thing Meme….I’ve been tagged by Janet to do this fun meme.
The Rules:
1. Post these rules on your blog.
2. Write six random things about yourself.
3. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. Tag yourself if you want to play.
4. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
- When I was in college, I lived at home and my Mom babysat three little girls. For a short while, I took one of the little girls to beginning ballet classes at the University of Memphis. After going for about 3 times, Samantha called me ‘Gina’ for something she needed. One of the mothers said “what did she call you?….why didn’t she call you Mom?” I said I am not her mom, I’m only babysitting her and the whole room of mothers gasped. They all thought she was mine. We loved those children like they were ours and never felt like we were just babysitters.
- While we babysat (I say we but it was my Mom who did it…but I did help) I used my newly-learned Elementary of Education class information from the degree I was in the process of getting, on them. Hehe I helped teach them some stuff like how to write their names and letters, etc.
- I loved Nancy Drew growing up and read almost all the series. Friday I rented the new Nancy Drew movie on DVD. You never get too old for Nancy Drew. It’s not due until Wednesday and I am going to watch it tomorrow.
- I have lived in the city and the country and love them both but prefer the city.
- A lot of people know (but some don’t) that I taught a class at my church for 16 years for little girls on learning about missions called GA’s….Girls in Action. I still see some of those “little girls” in restaurants, etc. and they still come up to me and hug me.
- I NEVER throw away a loaf of bread. If it goes stale before we finish it, I take it outside and throw it to the birds. We live in the city and some of the little sparrows depend on people to feed them.
Thanks Janet.
