Take Me Back Tuesday: A Heart Warming Moment

This past weekend was one of the best ones we have had in a while. It was a wonderful fall weekend and both of our kids were home. Each one had their own agenda for the weekend of course, but for a little while over the weekend stretch, they were both here and it was great. Perfect weather, baseball, good food, and the kids. Perfect.

And in knowing that they would both be here at the same time, it was a must to decide what each one would love to eat. Luckily, that was a pretty easy choice. We had homemade Mexican food....which is a staple in our family for years and years. These dishes were passed down from my great grandma and it is something we all enjoy. The meal is rather simple, cheese enchiladas and tacos...but the tacos are far from traditional really, they are wonderful and I am sure full of calories, but no one seems to mind. The enchilada sauce is made from scratch, just like my grandma made it, and just like she learned to make it from her mother in law, my great grandma.

On Saturday afternoon, I was in the kitchen cooking when the kids showed up. I was cooking and in the process of grating cheese for the enchiladas by hand...yes, I do that, don't even own a food processor, when one of them came in the kitchen to steal a bit of grated cheese out of the bowl. This is so hard to resist and I guess the cheese always taste better freshly grated. At least in my memories that was the case....I used to steal the cheese too when I was growing up.

For an instant, a image flashed in my mind of years and years ago when it was me entering my grandma's kitchen and stealing the cheese out of the bowl. I thought about how I would snatch several bites and she never minded one bit. I thought about when it was her cooking this Mexican meal for her family coming to visit. For an instant, I was transported back over 40 years ago to the smells, love and warmth of her kitchen and it washed all over me. It was fleeting, but it came none the less. It was surreal.

The rest of the afternoon flew by, but several times I thought about what had happened in my kitchen earlier in the day. It reinforced traditions being important in families, and holding on to the important things like family recipes and memories to pass along to the next generation. I'd like to think that in that fleeting moment earlier in the day that my grandma also felt it too, that she would be so proud that I cared enough to learn these dishes and know that I can never prepare them without the wonderful memories of her and her love coming to mind.

This take me back Tuesday, for me is about a heart warming moment over a perfect weekend and getting a glimpse of how life can come full circle sometimes when we least expect it. Now, I just have to get one of my kids in the kitchen to learn how to make this food.....the traditions can not stop with me.....they better be ready for a cooking lesson or two!!

Take Me Back Tuesday: Texas Rangers and The World Series

Our Texas Rangers are going to the World Series....if you are from the DFW area, that is about the biggest thing right now next to sliced bread. Seriously. For the last week, these Texas Ranger fans have been on a baseball high like I have never seen. Proof of that came this past weekend when the lines for official American League Championship gear far exceeded the Cabbage Patch doll craze of the 1970's.

It was totally ridiculous...the mob of people waiting in excessive lines, the attitudes, the frantic store clerks and personnel trying to take charge of the crowds was at an all time high, we just left and went home. You would have thought Nolan Ryan himself was at the front of the line personally handing them out and then autographing them right on the spot. This type of frenzy is usually reserved for Black Friday sales....not for a Saturday afternoon in October.

Along with all the media coverage and the general excitement from almost everyone you meet about this once in a lifetime event coming, do I dare say less than 10 miles from my house in a couple of days....The World Series....less than 10 miles from my house......did you catch that????

....along with all of that, came memories from when the kids were smaller and we spent lots of time at the "old" Ranger Stadium. These were times long before even the concept of a World Series and the Rangers playing in it were even a mere thought. Remembering back to those days, brings a since of what true baseball has always been about....a smaller stadium, no real security at the park, just a simple baseball game with fans who enjoyed the game.

I remember taking my kids to the "old" stadium in the afternoons, when there was batting practice, or pitching practice. We were able to sit right on the front rows and watch the players practice up close and personal. I don't even know if you can do that now, but back then it was a big deal. I know for sure you could not get as close to the field or players in the new stadium as we could in the old one. That was a special place back when my kids were younger.

My son got his Ranger hat autographed from several players at these practices, the hat is still here in his closet....baseballs were dropped in my lap by players more than once when practice was over, we still have those too and more times than not, the player would also sign the ball for us before they left the field. Thinking back, that seems like such a long time ago, a much simpler time for sure.

We spent lots of time at the Ranger Stadium watching games, birthday parties, and taking family who was visiting from out of town. I remember it being a lot less expensive than it is today....the news said tonight that there were a few tickets left for game 3 of the World Series....at the rate of $800.00. Nose Bleed Seats. Certainly not the lower level seating we were used to all those years ago.

But aside from the cost being so much less....we certainly have lots of memories of spending family time at the baseball games so close to home. For my daughter, the food staple was always nachos and a coke, my son and husband, hot dogs and beer for my husband and coke for my son. Consequently, my son thought we could not leave the park without cotton candy and for me...well, I always wanted the roasted peanuts. Classic baseball food....always tasted best in the stands.

Every young boy my sons age during that time claimed Nolan Ryan as their hero. We certainly remember the games well when he was pitching. I have lots of photos of Nolan Ryan on the mound, wish I would have had the camera I have now back then...the pictures most likely be that much better. Over the years, we have collected signed baseballs, baseball cards, t-shirts, newspaper clippings.....the kind of things that went with the frenzy of the Nolan Ryan dynasty and the Texas Rangers. Today, it is a much more dramatized and media hyped frenzy with the World Series coming here...but it seems so fitting that the Hero who Pitched for the Texas Rangers back then, is still a part of this great organization and this once in a lifetime wonder.

My son has tickets to the World Series and I think my husband is going with him. Another great opportunity for a father and son to make a new memory, living the reality of Ranger baseball on a whole new level...the largest playing field for baseball of all time....less than 10 miles from my house. The World Series.....unbelievable.

Take Me Back Tuesday: The Road Traveled

Finding your place in this world and being relatively happy where ever that place may be is often not as easy as it should be. My mind has wondered about that very thing over the past few weeks.

As an adult I sometimes question the road that I have traveled to this spot on my road map. I lately often wonder if I missed an important detour or ignored warning signs along the way that would have lead me on a different path. How do you know for sure you are where you were meant to be when so many questions come to mind?

As a child growing into young adulthood we have dreams and hopes. One wrong road leaves us on a trail that most likely we wished we would have never traveled at one point or another. Some folks I know have the capability of recognizing what the wrong move was and move on to greater things via a different route. I seriously know someone who has that unbelievable insight and they never cease to amaze me. They stumble and like a cat, always end up on their feet. It is amazing. It is admirable. On the other hand, there are some that take the wrong path and just continue keeping on keeping on.....never really knowing how to pull onto the right road or make the right decisions to get them to the place they want to be.

These are two extremes I know, but I often wonder where I fit into this scenario because I know I am not one to always land on my feet and often feel like I fit more into the wondering in the wrong path scenario.

I am not saying that all aspects of ones life fit into this thought process, but I have found that unresolved things from ones life, even if they have remained hidden for years, surface again in adulthood just like a winding road that leads back to the starting point.

These things, at least for me have been the most difficult to address, especially after so many years. They may not be anything in particular, but under the surface, there are underlying issues that cause your feelings and thoughts to process things a certain way, often feeling misunderstood by many. Left alone on a path not traveled.

That leads me to think about the Serenity Prayer and wonder if for most of my life that has worked in a negative thing for me or others.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change" ......I know some who don't accept things as they are....they change their course and pull towards a goal. I know some things can not be changed, but I wonder if a lot of things could have been changed if the effort was made to do so.

"courage to change the things I can"......this is interesting to me because I think some, myself included at times do not have the guts to make a change even if the outcome would be for the better. You can not change others, only yourself. But getting past the hurt and pain that others cause, to do so is not as easy as it may sound.

"and the wisdom to know the difference".........that is the key I think. The wisdom part of this is important, along with the ability of letting go of hurts and disappointments that have held us back for most of our lives. Much easier said than done.

This take me back Tuesday, has me thinking about the starting point in my life. I often wonder if it was all detours and wrong ways that brought me to where I am today, or if I followed the planned route. I can think of several things that bring peace in knowing I was exactly where I was supposed to be at that given place in time.

Then, I think of what could have or should have been done differently, and wonder if it was my lacking that brought me to a certain point, or someone else that caused a pileup on the road and caused me to veer off the path for a short amount of time.

I know it is easier to cast the blame else where, but sometimes I wonder.....I tend to let others dictate my own dreams and goals......"the wisdom to know the difference"........to acknowledge, accept, to forget, move forward and get right back on the trail that leads to the horizon. That is the path we all should try and stay on......it will lead each of us to the right place at the right point in time we were meant to be.

A Dress And A Memory

This time of year holds lots of memories from when my kids were young. The planning of Halloween costumes was always a highlight to the fall season. I usually made their costumes. During the years of trick or treating I made a wide variety of costumes, from Barbie, scarecrow, Dracula, witch and an Indian costume that was hand beaded. I really enjoyed making their costumes when they were little.

My children went to Catholic school, and there was always a need for a costume during those years too. Whether it be a saints costume or a ethnic project costume, even a history project costume, we always had fun designing what they were going to wear and making it come to life. My son one year was a army general for a history project and needed a costume. That one was the most challenging. But with several trips to a Army Navy store, for patches, and a shirt from GW, I was able to send him off to school looking pretty much like a the general he was supposed to be.

In high school, my daughter always needed costumes for homecoming week. If it was for spirit dress or twin day, it was always fun to try and come up with an original outfit for her during these school days. Every day was a themed day, and well, that usually meant coming up with something special to wear. It was the one week that no uniforms were worn to school, so you can imagine how important it was to come up with the perfect outfit....good times for sure.

This past weekend, my daughter was home and going to the Texas/OU and the State Fair. She was ever so subtle at dropping hints that she wanted a dress to wear to the festivities. She described how the dress was made and felt sure I could make it. Sight unseen, no idea what she was talking about we bought the stuff and headed home for mom to make it happen.

Luckily, she had a picture of what she wanted, and being out of practice on constructing a outfit without a pattern, I dug my heals in and went to work. It was simple enough once I figured out how to construct the dress. She liked the finished product....thank goodness.

But sewing late into the night, sure brought back lots of memories of staying up late to finish costumes for my kids when they were small. I had forgotten how that was until this past weekend when I felt it important to get it right and not disappoint my daughter, I mean it had been years since she had asked me to make her anything at all, so it had to be right. I put a lot of pressure on myself....silly I know because Alisha did not doubt me one bit.....talk about taking me back several years.

I guess by now you recognize this post at Take Me Back Tuesday, which is exactly what happened this past weekend, My daughters request, sure took me back to the days when they were small and was able to enjoy sewing outfits for them for special occasions. This was a fun reminder of those days, and most important the fact my daughter knew without a doubt I'd be able to pull it off...even after all the years that had past since I had last done it..good stuff!

Take Me Back Tuesday: Not Your Ordinary Cookies

Over the weekend, I watched a show on the food network channel which was a bake off among several teams. One team struggled with a old fashion cookie recipe not coming out like the other team member remembered it from their childhood. An argument broke out and accusations of not following the recipe exact was the blame for the mishap with the cookies not being the best they should have been.

Now, normally I don't watch the food network, that is more my husbands style of television watching...I'm more into reality shows myself...but this argument caught my attention and I wanted to see how this ended. Mostly, it confirmed my thoughts on replicating vintage recipes from my past to only be slightly disappointed in the finished product today.

Growing up, I remember especially during my preteen and teenage years, I baked a lot. You name it, I could bake it. Especially during the summer months, my mom worked during the day, so I had lots of time for baking. I remember looking through cookbooks to find recipes that we had all the ingredients for and I'd make it. I have mentioned here before of a pound cake I used to make, that was to die for. It was the most flavorful, buttery, moist cake and it always came out perfect each and every time I made it.

Along with that pound cake, I made lots of cookies. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, teacakes, sand tarts,  and butter cookies were just a few of the many cookies I'd bake. And even being a young baker, I never had any issues with anything I made not turning out just right. Never.

You would think at my age, and all the years I have spent in the kitchen cooking I would not have an issue with some of my favorite vintage recipes. I mean after all, I spent years making them perfectly when I was younger, so why would I have any issues today with the same tried and true recipes? I have struggled with that for a while now.

This weekend, I did some rearranging in my kitchen, cleaned out all the cabinets, brought out some of my favorite things that belonged to special people in my life and displayed them in my kitchen. I have said for years, I am buying back my childhood one item at a time, and so I unboxed several thrift store treasures that were exactly like the ones that once belonged to family members. Overall, I felt like it was a productive day, and honestly made me feel like cooking up something from my past.

And that is exactly what I did. I found some of my OLD cookbooks and sat and looked through them finding the recipes I always used to make. That was the easy part, as the pages that were the dirtiest, and smudged the most told me there was a recipe I had made over and over. I decided to give it a try once more and found the butter cookie recipe I so remembered from my childhood.

And I am happy to report that this turned out exactly the way I remembered them. They were like biting into a piece of the past and the warm cookies fresh from the oven were some of the best I have had in years. Consequently, that busted my theory on the ingredients today not being like they were 25 years ago. To sooth my bruised ego every time something did not turn out exactly the way I remembered it, that is what I have claimed was the cause. However, this weekend I could not say that at all.

So, I have come to the conclusion, that me being home alone this weekend, with no interruptions, no one poking a spoon in the bowl to see what is being made, no distractions at all was the difference in my baking one of my old time favorites. It almost took me back to when I was younger and would be the only one home, in the kitchen alone and turning out recipes right and left that were wonderfully delicious. At least, that is the only logical explanation I have at this moment.

Let me tell you, I was so impressed with these cookies and how they turned out I decided to go out on a limb and make another favorite dish my grandmother made when I was a little girl. This recipe was lost years ago, but the internet is a wonderful thing and as I searched for something similar, all of a sudden, the recipe started coming back to my memory.

Would you believe, this was the best tasting meal I can remember having in a long time. The sheer taste and smells in my kitchen on Sunday took me back to the days in my grandmothers kitchen all those years ago and a little girl who stood at the stove as her grandma made the most delicious meal that was always a favorite. I had forgotten how wonderful it smelled, tasted and how much love came from my grandma's kitchen. Isn't it great how a food can take you back to the places that are forever etched in your heart.

This Take Me Back Tuesday is all about the food and being able to achieve success with some of the vintage recipes of yesterday. It is about not being able to blame ingredients of today on my unsuccessful attempts in the recent past in making them. It is about realizing that maybe I need to slow down, and enjoy being in the kitchen without distractions, husbands, internet or television to keep me from being focused. It is about remembering wonderful things from the past and rediscovering them today and feeling a connection from long ago. It is about me having the courage to try that recipe again for the pound cake I so have a craving for. It is about having hope and faith.



P.S. I will share these recipes with you in the future, but I did not have the camera in the kitchen with me, and took no pictures at all....ahem....no camera in the kitchen....that may be another distraction I should have listed above......just sayin'

Take Me Back Tuesday: Behaving Badly Confession

It is no secret if you read my blog on a regular basis that I have for many years had a love for being thrifty and thrifty shopping. Now, along with that wonderful hobby of mine, many a story often follows from the outings.

It is a running joke between my husband and my son that he fully expects to get a call one day that I have had a free ride to the local jail due to inappropriate behavior on my part in the stores. My behavior at times may very well have been inappropriate but in my honest opinion....it was warranted.

NOTE: You may not want to read any further if you are afraid of being crushed at the fact that I am not always as sweet as I seem.... ahem.....I am going to show you my not so nice at times side today, but if you have the faith to check back tomorrow, you will see there was a reason for the confession of bad behavior today.

Without fail on several occasions, there seems to always be someone who follows me in these thrift stores as I shop and just seems to wait for me to put whatever treasure I have in my buggy back on the shelf. Always. Once, I had a milk glass punch bowl and cups in my buggy and for the longest time, I did not notice a lady who stalked me throughout the whole store. Finally, she asked me if I was going to purchase the set or what??? I looked at her and said yes I was and asked her what exactly she meant by the or what??? She informed me I had wasted a good part of the last hour of her time because she was waiting in the store for me to put the punch bowl set back on the shelf because she wanted it. Seriously, the "or what" made me so mad that day....I was at fault for taking up her time....this has happened so many times, that I really did not let this work me up too much that day...but there have been many times before.....

Once about 6 years ago, I was at half price day at Goodwill....and I was going through the racks of t-shirts to find some I could sell on ebay, which at that time was a pretty profitable business for me. I had a buggy full of stuff this one day, and the store was packed. I kid you not, there was a lady behind me and every time I put a shirt in my buggy and turned back to the rack, she took the shirts out of my buggy and put them in hers. When I caught her, I called her out on it rather quickly....and proceeded to take my shirts out of her buggy.... which you can imagine caused a small ruckus. About the time this was going on, one of the managers came rushing towards us like the store was on fire. He started waving his hands in the air saying, "Ladies...please..Ladies...there are plenty of things here for everyone...please....please....." I guess the poor guy thought there was going to be a knock down drag out right there on the store floor over some used t-shirts and he was a nervous wreck....that only fueled my anger that we had upset him....no that the lady who upset me, upset him....get the picture???? The sad thing was, I did not know her story, maybe she needed the clothes, maybe she just liked what I chose, maybe I should not have been so upset with her. But upset I was.......the nerve of that lady was all I could say to myself.

I could tell you stories all day that are very similar to these. It happens all the time, someone will grab what ever I have in my buggy and question me about it or just seem to almost want to take it from me right then and there. I know that should not upset me, but I don't really like it when this happens and it is all the time. Maybe if this happened only once in a while I would not get my hackles up so, but like I said, it is more that just once in a while that this occurs.

I like to shop in peace, I like the thrill of the find and I like it uninterrupted. Likewise, I have always given other shoppers the same respect. I have lots of times walked into a store and knew right away I was just a few minutes too late....someone had some really grand treasures already in their buggy and I missed out. My heart would sink a little for the fact I missed a great item, but that was it. Likewise, I would never think to ask them if they were going to put them back on the shelf because quiet frankly, my thinking is they would have never picked them up in the first place if they did not want them. So, I just forget it and go on. I don't stalk. I don't stare. I don't try to take what is in their buggy. I am not saying that I might consider doing any of these things, but I know how that type of thing drives me crazy so out of respect for fellow shoppers, I do not do it.

These are a couple of extreme happenings in a long line of crazy occurrences though out the years. On a lighter note, there have been some very wonderful conversations started up over an item at a thrift store or Goodwill with someone who just wants to talk, not take. Those conversations are usually very informative on an item, or a conversation will often be about a memory of something similar that was special. And although conversations like these have always been enjoyed, I can sadly admit today, before my friends here on my blog,  I have never once even considered giving up what was in my buggy. Not once. Shameful, I know.

This Take Me Back Tuesday, is really a two part post. The follow up will be up tomorrow. I am sure you are wondering why I would share this not so nice side of myself today. Actually, I am thinking it not a good idea to hit publish after all. I mean, it is crazy to tell your friends you have been so selfish at times that it caused a scene in a store that upset the workers. That when you had every opportunity to do a random act of kindness, you chose not to do it. That deep down you have felt guilty over your actions but push that guilt aside. I have been all of these things and more. It took a single moment in time this last week to bring all of the nasty attitudes to the surface once again and the lesson was so simple, it was shameful. And in case you are wondering, it did not involve that phone call to my husband.

Yes, I really enjoy my treasure hunting....but at the same time, I know I would have enjoyed offering a random act of kindness to many of these individuals who only saw my not so nice side. Shameful. Next...you will see just how shameful it has been compared to a random act of kindness from a stranger with a much kinder heart than mine......I hope you come back for the rest of the story. If you followed this to the end, well, thank you for stopping by for this Take Me Back Tuesday. You may have noticed that there are no pictures, because frankly, I could not even think of any to go with this post......and that is a first for me.

Take Me Back Tuesday: High School Home Economics Class Revisited and a Recipe

Cooking has always been a big part of my life. From an early age, I was always baking something in the kitchen. Some of my favorites were recipes that I normally might not have tried.....I remember my mom being at work, and I'd take out a cookbook and hunt for something that we had all the ingredients for in the cabinets. Sometimes, that lead me to recipes that I might not normally look at....my favorite was always pound cake, and then of course any kind of cookies. I will say this, I used to make the very best pound cake you would ever taste...it was simply amazing. Not too long ago, I found the very recipe I used all of those years ago for pound cake, and made it. I hope it was the change in ingredients through the years and not my cooking skills, because it was just a mess.....and I have not tried again. I know sometimes I have issues with memory...I just hope the cooking skills don't go out the window with the memory cells too.....

It was not until I took home economics class in high school that my range of cooking changed from baking to actually cooking a meal. I still remember that home economics cooking class with our high school teacher Mrs. Summers. I think there were 4 cooking stations complete with ovens and sinks, and we worked in groups learning the basics of cooking a meal. I really loved this class......it was fun and besides that...we got to eat.....in class....yep...don't get any better than that.

Sunday, I did a lot of cooking, most for the week ahead and some to share with my friend's family while she recovers from surgery. I pulled out several of my recipes looking for something different. Now, I have kept lots of recipes over the years, many I have forgotten about. However, Sunday I discovered a piece of paper that had a recipe on it from long ago....it was from home economics class in high school.....and it just so happens to be the very first thing we ever made. Seriously, sometimes things pop up and manifest themselves from a long ago forgotten memory and it just makes you wonder.....or at least it does me.

I have not thought about this recipe in YEARS. I can still remember coming home from school and instructing my mom to buy all the ingredients, I was going to cook dinner. And cook dinner I did. Now, as a young girl, I thought this was a wonderful meal simply because I made it myself.

In a far corner of my mind, after I thought about this on Sunday, I am sure my mom did not think it was too grand, but she was just gracious enough not to say anything. And my poor little brother did not even have a choice...he just had to eat it. Now, I am not saying this is bad....it really was not, but if I sat this on the table to my family today....I think they would look at me like I was a alien....really.

The only other recipe I remember from home-economics class was a Mexican casserole, which I loved. Right after my husband and I first was married, I made it, and well, he GRACIOUSLY ate it but asked not to have it again....and it was really wonderful...to me, not my husband. So all of what I learned and first cooked in high school with my friends, were a thing of the past, long forgotten. After all, if my husband was not going to eat it, I did not need to make it.

The common denominator in this memory, was not so much the recipe being discovered after years of safe keeping inside a cookbook which I barely open these days. It was while I was searching for a recipe to make for my sweet friend, "whom by the way, was in my home economics class all of those many years ago," that this long forgotten recipe was discovered again.

Along with the recipe, wonderful memories came flooding back....memories of learning to cook and eating in class, learning to sew.....(baby blue and pastel pink over-alls) I kid you not....things that we did together long ago....when we were inseparable from each other in high school. I spent the greater part of the afternoon, remembering all of these things while I did the cooking......all those memories behind a recipe on a slip of paper....forgotten inside a cookbook and now discovered and remembered.

And yes, I am sharing this recipe with you today.....I had to search online for a photo...because I certainly did not have one to share, after all it has been about 26 years since I last made this, much less even thought about it.


Hamburger Cups

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion
1/2 c. BBQ sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. brown sugar
1 can refrigerator biscuits
grated cheese

Brown the ground beef and drain the fat. Add the chopped onion and stir till onion is cooked. Stir in BBQ sauce, salt and brown sugar.

Roll the individual biscuits or flatten them so that the fill fit into the bottom and sides of muffin tins. Spoon the ground meat mixture into the biscuit “crust”.

Bake at 400 for 10 – 12 minutes.
Top with grated cheese and place back in oven til cheese melts.

Thanks for stopping by on this Take Me Back Tuesday.....it certainly took me back with fond memories this week to a very dear time in my life. Now, if you try this recipe...be sure to stop back by and tell me what you think.

Take Me Back Tuesday: Lead The Way And I Will Follow~Maybe!

Some people are just born leaders. It is in their genes, their makeup, their personality. These types of people seem to be one step ahead of the game all the time and never look over their shoulders for approval by anyone. I wish I could say I fall into that category, but I indeed do not. Frankly, I don't seem to ever remember a time that I might have even tried to take on that role for myself.

I remember as a kid in grade school, I always copied what my good friends did, wore and liked. Made no difference whether I really liked it or not, if they did it, I wanted to too. I can remember one friend in particular, she had a lavender room with a canopy bed and Holly Hobbies decoupaged onto little plaques in her room. I wanted the same thing. Did I like Lavender? No, I can guarantee you I did not. And was I a fan of Holly Hobby? Absolutely not. But for some reason, I wanted to be just like her, have the same things even if I would have never picked them for myself. I sometimes wonder if it was the well put together room, where everything matched that I was drawn too, not the actual decor. Even as a kid, I guess my taste has always been eclectic, whether by choice or the fact that it was just the way it was.

Middle school years were no different. And I am guessing out of all my school years, those were the hardest. The hardest to fit in and be like everyone else. Fashions were such that it was a constant argument with my mom over what I was and was not going to wear. I remember when hiphuggers and bell bottoms made by Red Snap were all the rage. They sold them at Army Navy stores and Mitchell's and Meyers department stores in our town. I never had a pair.....Oh, I did have a pair of hiphuggers, but my grandma bought them for me one summer when I broke my leg and stayed at her house, but they were not Red Snaps. However, I wore those darn pants a solid week and don't think I ever washed them during that time. But I am sure, I never was allowed to wear them to school. If I remember correctly, my mom used to tell me I did not have to be like everyone else, I could start a new fad.....little did she know, I just did not have it in me!

High School, was much the same.....never the leader. My best friends always were the ones who I modeled myself after. Whether it was from fashion, hair styles, or beauty products to use, or entertainment, I always followed their lead. I never branched out on my own. I never even considered to take the lead. I was content to follow behind their ideas. I think now it was a lack of courage on my part. Afraid of not fitting in, or afraid of making a fool out of myself. Either one at that age would have been disastrous.

Funny, I have not thought about that much until today when I hung up the phone from talking to my dear friend from high school. Lots of memories came flooding back along with thoughts of how very much things are still the same after all of this time. No matter if such things are directly or indirectly related....I still seem to be the one who lacks courage to take the bull by the horns and do something first. I wonder if that is why I have considered myself lacking in fashion and style during my adult life, as these said friends were not in my life for me to model myself after?? Interesting....when I stop and think about it!

This season in our lives are much the same for my friend and myself. We suffer from the same type of health issues. The only difference is, she is proactive with hers, and well, I struggle with mine and do nothing. Lack of courage is a sad thing.

Tuesday morning, my friend is scheduled for surgery and that surgery will enhance the quality of life greatly for my sweet friend. Please keep her in your thought and prayers this morning as she marches into that operating room looking at better days to come and not looking back. What an admirable trait she has, still a leader after all these years. And then here I sit, waiting to survey the fallout to see if the fields are safe to travel down the same road for myself.

When I hung up the phone today, that is what echoed in my mind...."after all these years, I still don't have it in me to lead the way"... but.....I told myself...."maybe not, but I am the best darn follower you will ever see!"


Thanks for joining me for this Take Me Back Tuesday, and I'm wishing my sweet friend to have a speedy recover in the weeks to come! I may not be on the cutting edge of starting a new trend, or even doing the simplest things as schedule a needed surgery first.....but I wait patiently really well and hold hands even better! And if I think about it, I have had this same personality trait that surfaced and stayed with me, way back when......

Take Me Back Tuesday: It's On The Line

The blue sky above, the heat from the sun, the soft gentle breeze on my skin, the sound of birds singing in the trees, the calmness that comes over me and soothes the spirit. These things are among the many pleasures that come from..........

.......clean wet laundry piled in a basket, a bag of clothes pins and a clothesline in the back yard. A simple pleasure really, but one that brings back lots of memories from childhood and also allows me to reflect on my everyday happenings today.

We live in a world that is in fast forward mode all the time. We are programed to get things done quickly, the easiest and the fastest way possible. We learn to take the path that requires very little energy from ourselves to get to the end result the quickest. Let me give you an example.

About a month ago, we were appliance shopping and I was dreaming of owning a pair of the new fangled front loader machines. Oh, the ones I wanted were top of the line, of course, with a top of the line price. When I looked at all the performance statistics, the one thing that stood out with the dryer was the fact it professed to drying a HUGE load of laundry in only 10 minutes.


I thought about that one....10 minutes to dry a load of laundry....that registered with me that once I put the clothes in the dryer I had only 10 minutes before I had to return to the laundry room to fold and put away that load....and all of a sudden, the appeal was lost. I dislike so much folding and putting away the laundry that all of a sudden, that was not a great selling point for me. Truth.

So for now, I have put that dream aside. Things can be bigger, faster, and prettier, but that does not mean it is the best for me.......

Often times, for me, I get so caught up in the daily grind of living I forget to slow down and enjoy the journey. If you are like me, let me say this, a clothes line will solve a lot of these issues. For me, once I take a basket of clothes out to the line, things slow down drastically. All of a sudden, I have time to think, ponder current situations, and relax in the warm sunshine without a care in the world.

One by one, the clothes are hung to dry and during this process, I have lots of time to think. Whether it be about someplace we have been or someplace we are dreaming of going. Sometimes thoughts of my family, friends, or thoughts of total strangers flood my mind. It is a slow down process, time to think, time to ponder the questions that plague my mind, time to leave the worries of the day right there in the sunshine.

It is a very therapeutic process and one I am so thankful to be able to enjoy. I know some think this is so old fashion and think who in their right mind would hang clothes on a line in the year 2010. I say, that these folks are the very ones who need to experience a slow down process and stop and enjoy the little things.

I remember as a young girl, we would spend the weekends at my grandmothers house. There was nothing like the smell of freshly laundered sheets as we snuggled into bed at night. The smell was intoxicating, fresh, clean with a hint of sunshine. No other place I ever remembered had linens that smelled that fresh, only my grandma's house. Along with the sheets, the towels were always soft and smelled just as good as the sheets. In fact, if you opened up the linen closet, the freshness filled the small space. I never really questioned that fresh laundry smell until I became an adult. I wondered why my laundry was not that fresh smelling and how it was I only remember that from my grandma's house.

The answer was so simple, it made me smile.....Downy fabric softener, a clothesline and sunshine. If you have not slept on freshly, line dried sheets in a while, you have no idea what you are missing. Do you suffer from sleep apnea? I am certain a freshly made bed with sunshine dried sheets will have you sleeping like a baby in no time.

But don't take my word for it, ask Dora. Now, if I can come up with a solution in keeping wiener dogs out of the laundry basket of clean clothes, I will have it made.

Thanks for stopping by on this Take me back Tuesday.....simple memories from a much simpler time. These days, sometimes when you least expect it, the past will sneak up on the present......slow down, relax and smell the fresh laundry....I'd hate for you to miss out!

Take Me Back Tuesday: Memaw's Summer Cucumber Salad Recipe

Our little garden is yielding some great cucumbers right now, and the other evening, I wanted to make a salad with them. I decided to make a cucumber salad that I had many a Sunday afternoons growing up at my grandma's house. It is simply delicious, especially from the standpoint of taste, but also from the memories it evokes. I'd love to share this simple recipe with you. I have never come across this dish any where other than my grandma's kitchen. I hope you will try this and enjoy it as much as I do.

Peel cucumbers and using the slicer of a cheese grater, slice cucumbers in paper thin slices. (pay no attention to my vintage slightly rusted grater....I love this grater and prefer it over my shiny newer ones.) I used about three cucumbers this day.

Once you have sliced desired number of cucumbers, add about a tablespoon and a half of salt. Stir well and mix the salt well with the cucumbers.

Cover the bowl and let sit on the counter for about 30-40 minutes. The salt will draw out the excess water in the cucumber slices.

when this has set, it should look like this.....drain the excess salted water off of the cucumbers. Add enough real mayonnaise (Not the Miracle whip junk) and about a cap full of vinegar to mix well. If you are making a large batch, adjust accordingly. Salt, lightly and black pepper to taste. For this batch, I added a very large spoon full of mayonnaise and a little over a cap of vinegar. Stir well and refrigerate until very chilled.



Spoon into a bowl or plate and enjoy. This is great left over the next day too, very easy and very tasty. I remember those Sunday dinners so well at my memaw's house. Funny, how I can almost taste the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and "honky" gravy, corn and a green salad with homemade 1000 island dressing and of course this cucumber salad. Those are meals I have never forgotten....my grandma was the very best cook I have ever known.

So many wonderful memories from this very kitchen that belonged to my grandma. That is my Auntie in this photo, we took this picture after both my grandparents passed away, I wanted to remember things just the way they were. Like I could have ever forgotten. I spent so many mornings in this very kitchen as my grandma made homemade flour tortillas and hot sauce to go with fried eggs in the morning. I can remember as a little girl when we would come to visit, there would be cakes or pies cooling on that very counter.....always wonderful food came from this kitchen from a women who loved with all her heart. She always let me "watch" or help in some small way, she was ever patient with her grandchildren, her kitchen was truly the heart of her home. I love how certain foods can take you back to the best of times in your life that mean so much.

Take Me Back Tuesday: Memories From Fire and Marshmallows

It is amazing to me how a memory will find its way from the safest hiding place in your heart and surface when you least expect it. That sort of thing seems to be happening to me a lot lately; an unexplainable memory comes flooding back on a moments notice.

We were in Colorado at our cabin last week, and normally all we do is work, work..... work. This time, we did make time to do a few of the things we usually just talk about doing and never actually get to do them.

One night, Steve, Matt and I, cooked out on the ground in a campfire. Simple meal.....hot dogs and fried potatoes. The guys grilled the hot dogs and I cooked the rest of the meal inside. This was a super easy dinner night for me....loved it. The weather was rather cool, we had to wear sweatshirts and I had to scoot extra close to the fire to stay warm.

It was so very peaceful sitting there among the stars and listening to breeze in the sway of the pine trees. There were no city noises to be heard, total silence except for the crackle and hiss of the fire.......wonderful. I snapped this photo as I walked back inside the cabin, the stars were just coming out and filling the sky with their magical lights. I wish I could capture the way the night sky looks in Colorado at 9400 feet on film, there are just no words.

Here is another shot that has no words....ahem.....I said hot dogs for dinner....not hot dogs for wieners!!!

Anyway....back to my story......after dinner we went back out to roast marshmallows over the coals. Oh, how I love a crispy, slightly burned marshmallow right out of the fire. I know smores are all the rage, but I prefer just-charred, warm marshmallows fresh out of the fire.

Suddenly, sitting there next to the fire, and shivering from the cool night air, I remembered just exactly how much I loved roasted marshmallows and how long it must have been since I last had some of these delicious treats.

Campfire talk turned to memory talk for me and I told the story of how I loved roasted marshmallows as a kid. Naturally, one might think as a little girl our family must have been a camping family. Not at all. In fact, if there was a time we went camping, I certainly don't remember it. In fact, with that being the case, I really don't remember how the marshmallow roasting got started in the first place with me, other than possibly at church camp.

However the memories I have of roasting these white puffs of sweetness was not from a camp fire, but instead from my grandma's own kitchen. She had a gas stove, and at our house growing up, we always had electric. So as all things were at her house, her kitchen was most special and provided sweets and entertainment. I can remember during football season, when my entire family gathered around the television to watch, no doubt, the Cowboys play.....I would sneak off to the kitchen and look in the cupboards for a bag of marshmallows.

My grandma always had a bag waiting. I never really liked to eat them right out of the bag, they had to be cooked, charred and warm for me to like them. I did not have a long wire, but always used a fork from her silverware drawer.....it worked so well.

If by chance, there were no marshmallows, I can remember looking in the refrigerator for a package of Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs. My grandma did not buy the cheap hot dogs that my husband loves so much. My grandma always had Oscar Mayer....and still to this day, those are my choice hot dogs to eat. The hot dogs fit nicely on the end of the fork, and they roasted up just fine over the gas burner in my grandma's kitchen.

My husband has heard this story over the years, and he just sits and patiently listens as I tell it again. I don't know if it is the fact that he feels sorry for a kid who never went camping with their family and had to resort to her grandma's kitchen stove as a campfire...or that fact he truly sees these are the sweetest of memories for me, and that no amount of outdoor camping could take the place these memories hold.

There is just something about grandma's and their kitchens that no other place on earth could ever replace. Funny how it took a bag of Kraft marshmallows and a campfire to take me way back to my childhood. Back to a memory of me standing in front of a brown gas stove, holding a fork of goodies over an open flame and enjoying every minute of it. ~good stuff