The Gravy Train

So the gravy train may not be the art of cooking, for me at least, but this was an easy recipe to make. As a first timer making gravy, it was an easier feat than I imagined. I've always been scared to make gravy. Here's why....

1. Unhealthy

2. How can something just thicken like that

3. I don't make things that require gravy

Well, when you make a dish that was supposed to be a soufle and it turns out as cornbread dressing....you need gravy. voila! Not bad for my first time.

Little did we know

These two trees mean a lot to me. I have walked under them in the spring, summer, fall and winter; bare, full of toilet paper, shading the sun from my heat-stricken body, or covering the ever so lightly falling rain. So I was totally shocked and taken aback by the recent incident of the twin oaks on Toomer's Corner. I will never look at them the same. I actually grieved, yes, grieved a sad sad day when I heard the news of them possibily not making it. And this is in all seriousness.

I took the previous picture on Jan. 22nd without knowing why they looked so bare. Was it because all the hype from the recent national championship was 3 blocks away in Jordan-Hare Stadium at that exact moment anticipating the next rolling of Toomer's, or did the oaks just seem to be lacking something? We know now, unfortunately.

All I have to say is Bodda getta bodda getta bodda getta bah, rah-rah-rah, sis-boom-bah! Weegle, weegle War damn Eagle! Kick 'em in the butt big blue! Hey!
Oh, and WAR EAGLE!!

As Sure as Spring

I see small specs of green. Green sprouting out from some cold dark days. I glance up a bit to notice that the pink of the forsythia in the front bed has begun

to bud, oh, and even open up for a peek or two. A peek at what? The new season! The season is SPRING! Probably my favorite season, and not because of baseball, though I'm trying to make my way down to the Plains this weekend to see my Tigers play their first series.

I've been in this season before and I've missed it. But you know what? Just as I have been in a new season of my life this past year, I am about to change over to a new one. A positive, beautiful down hill slope of what is to come. The return of my sweet sailor! The return of our beautiful yard! The return of two together as one! What can bloom from that, God only knows. Lots of love and amazement.

I am always amazed at the beauty of flowers and how they can completely die and come back again. Have I completely died and come back? Died to myself and come back as a someone wanting and hoping and praying to live more for others this year? I think so. I hope so. I pray so.

Last weekend I helped out at the youth church retreat. For selfish reasons; I admit at first I volunteered to be there as much as I could to bar the loneliness if only for a few days. One youth spoke words of encouragement, then another and so on. They laughed, cut up, prayed, sang and worshiped. And yes, I joined them. I was spoken to. I was rewarded and I got something out of it. "GO, NOW." Go, now...into the world, not as you are but whose you are and what you are to do, serve. Clearly, I must GO.

It had been awhile since I volunteered with the youth. It had been a season in my life, but it has returned. Deployment is a season in our life. My hubby will return. As sure as spring is around the corner, he will return. I travel through seasons in my life, but I will return...to God and to serving others.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot" Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

~This photo was taken a few years ago along the Mall in Washington, DC~

Snow in the morning

Here are pics of our house yesterday morning! So pretty. And the nice thing is that the snow did not inhibit daily activities.

More snow in Alabama

So the prediction is just about on the mark tonight. They said 3 inches and it's been snowing for the past 5 hours and I can measure about 2 inches or so on the bird house roof and railroad tie bordering the garden. Enjoy! We are!

Changing of the Tides

I finally took down the tree tonight. And I must admit, the tears were not withheld. Even though we made it through the holidays, I was just not ready to take it down yet. Having the tree up seemed more sentimental this year and I really love my/our ornaments. They remind me of places we've been and things that are special and dear to us.

The days have a new feeling to them now. We are HALF WAY THROUGH the deployment!!!! woohoo!!!! . I am trying to stay positive as I know my Adam will be coming home soon. I can see it in sight. It's about to be high gear start preparing for de-deployment mode....whatever that is....maybe that's what I'm feeling.

I really miss my kiddos that I had this fall at school. They just made my day. I really appreciated them while I was there but it's just a different perspective when you step out of where you were and look back in at what you left. I had to leave someones and something great. I would never have left, given the choice though.

Not that domesticated

So, I'm not as domesticated as you would think....ah...hold on a sec as I just remembered I have cooling bread in a pan that needs to come out!

"What do I take it out with and put it on," I just exclaimed and reached for a short spatula and a salad plate. Um, well I got a bigger plate and tried really hard not to let it break in the middle. Oh, and the best part I can brag about is remembering that we have a bread knife. MMMMMMM!!! It's yummy!

So I've decided to get back to cooking more and to try things out of my Rosie the Riveter Celebration Cookbook. We got it down in Montevallo last Memorial Day when we heard some "Rosies" speak. How great they are to have done what they did.....mmm new thought...a new blog on going through the cookbook and the war here on the homefront from a not-so-rosie perspective. Verdicts anyone??

Oh, and did you know that the MINDFULL can be MINDLESS? Yes, I completely washed a load of darks without putting in detergent and realized it as I was putting in my second load today. Oh my gosh! Where was I? I think I was focused on making banana bread, working on my resume and everything else in between.

And to cap it off, this not so domesticated diva pulled out the soft scrub to clean the sink and it was solid. What? Yes, solid. I watered it down because who needs all those strong chemicals anyways. Well, it didn't work. Back to the baking soda and vinegar.