Random Dozen #9

Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee hosts a Random Dozen on Wednesdays! You can read my weekly offering below! Join us if you like and let us get to know you a little better!



1. Tell me something about your favorite teacher.
Mr. McBroom made Psychology so understandable and enjoyable and he had kind
Of a quirky sense of humor. I just loved him!!! I always felt like I could relax and honestly enjoy learning in his class.

2. Tell me about one pivotal moment in your life.
When we became parents/the day we gave birth to Daniel. I never knew that you could love another human being so all-consumingly. And it was then that I truly understood what other parents feel for their children.
Now that we are grandparents to little Jaylon, I truly understand why grandparents have difficulty in describing the love the have for their grandchildren. It is too awesome for words.
And both of these events caused me to have a new dimension of compassion for others, too.

3. About favorite colors--a lot of people will ask you what it is, but I want to know why it is. What feeling or memory does it evoke?
Red is my favorite color because it evokes feelings of happiness, of love, of passion AND of Christmas, which I love! The memory that it immediately brings to mind if of my precious mother. You see, she always kept her finger and toe nails painted a brilliant red. It was kind of her trademark, if you will. She spent the last week of her life in the hospital, struggling to live, but on Thursday of that week, she bounced back for a few hours, feeling fairly good. One of the first things she requested was to have her nails touched up and repainted. So, my niece went shopping for the brightest red she could find and would you believe she came back with Fire Engine Red nail polish? Mom was so pleased!

4. What's a sure sign that you're getting older?
My body can predict a change in the weather! I’m serious!! LOL AND my “frost and tip” job (gray in my hair) has gone crazy!!!

5. Please don't sermonize, but Halloween--is it a yes or no for you?
When Daniel was little, Yes! With little Jaylon? That’s up to his parents!

6. What's your favorite musical?
Lion King I’ve seen it twice and could see it again and again!

7. Are you more of a city mouse or country mouse?
Definitely a country mouse!

8. Did you know that it is possible, for a small fee, to name a real star after someone? (It's true! Google it!) If someone were to name a star for you, would you appreciate it for its whimsy and romance, or would you say, "Are you kidding me? For $19.95 we could have gone to the movie and actually bought popcorn."
Well, if they went ahead and did it to surprise me, I would try to be excited and show my appreciation. Actually, I would BE excited BUT I would never spend $19.95 on such a thing, though I’m sure that I’ve spent the same amount, many times, on something that would be thought to be frivolous! :-)

This question comes from Paula at His Ways Are Not Our Ways.
9. What's the craziest thing you've ever been doing and texted during it? I only thought of this b/c I was about to try to text during my walking video but I didn't.
I don’t text at all, especially since finding out that it is very likely that a precious, young 19-year-old girl’s death was almost certainly due to the fact that she was texting while driving. I’ve been telling and asking all of my loved ones to please not text while driving and if they cannot do that then to just have the texting option removed from their phone.

10. “It’s not a party unless _______.”
There‘s lots of food, lots of non-alchocolic beverages with lots of ice, and ME!!! LOL Oh and we can’t forget some really great music! AND balloons, streamers and twinkling lights would really add to the festive party mood, too!! I looove a party!! (My birthday is November 8! *hint* *hint*) Oh, and party games would be great, too! With prizes for the person who WINS the game, not the person who the party is being given for, if, in fact, it is being give for someone in particular! :-)

11. When you’re stuck in traffic or a waiting room, what do you do to pass the time? PS: There are no magazines available.
If I were stuck in traffic: Clip and file my nails, listen to and sing along with music, make necessary phone calls, pray, daydream/think, watch the people in the other cars around me or observe my surroundings, or snooze a little if the traffic was REALLY slow.
If I were in a waiting room: Strike up a conversation with a willing participant. :-) Play games on my cellphone, pray silently, daydream/daydream, close my eyes and relax. ( I wouldn’t dare allow myself to fall asleep because I have been known to snore!)

12. If you weren’t yourself, would you be friends with you?
Yes, I believe I would be.

Fall Into Flavor! Two days late!

I'm participating in Fall Into Flavor which is sponsored by Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee (which I'm needing right about now!). Below,you will find my quick, easy and delicious contribution for the week.

It seems everyone is baking everything pumpkin!! Daniel came over to borrow a couple of eggs last night because Erin was going to bake pumpkin cookies! It's that time of year! :-)

Cream Cheese Cookies

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 8oz. pkg. of cream cheese

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave.

Then mix all of the ingredients together.

The dough will be pretty stiff.

Make out into little patties the size of a

fifty-cent piece.

Bake at 350 degrees or until lightly

browned on the bottom!

Monday Randomness!

Mrs. Nurse Boy at Poop On Jelly....you can read about THAT blog title at her blog :-).....hosts a Monday Randomness which I've enjoyed joining! Below, you will find my randomness!
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My nephew, Troy, was dismissed from the hospital this morning after having a reaction to Wellbutrin which compromised his liver big time! He will now have to have a blood test twice weekly for six months to make sure everything is stable.
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My sister, Debbie, Troy's mom, is still in ICU after having heart bypass surgery last Wednesday. They are endeavoring to get her oxygen level where it needs to be. She was a life-long smoker until three weeks ago, so you can imagine what a challenge they are having in getting her saturation regulated and all. I will be going to the hospital this evening after the little powerhouse Jaylon goes home! :-)
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Speaking of "there ain't no place I can't crawl" Jaylon.....*big sighhhhh*....I so love this bundle of joy, let me tell ya! How do you possibly explain a grandmother's love for her grandbaby? I can't find the words. He is such a joy to us.

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AND my niece April's (Debbie's daughter, Troy's sister) husband was taken to Riverside Hospital yesterday where it was discovered he had a collapsed artery. He has heart disease which his father also has and it began with him in his thirties, too. Kevin, April's husband, is the picture of health. You would never know that he has heart disease. He has had so many heart caths and then stents put in. I have not been able to reach anyone to see how he is doing. I've called everyone's cell and home phones, called my siblings and with no results. When Ed gets home I am going to call Riverside directly and see what I can find out. We don't have long distance on our home phone as we use the cell for that.

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As I was on my way to the hospital Friday in the pouring rain here in Ohio, I was simply amazed at the brilliance of the leaves! The hillsides were aflame with color. I took some pictures through the windshield but they just didn't show the colors as beautifully as they really were!

I just can't believe that some people don't even pay attention to the fall colors, as in my husband! *smile*

I asked him if the colors and all were pretty out in the country where he transports a little boy to and from school and he said that he hadn't noticed. HADN'T NOTICED?!?! How could you not notice. It is fall. The leaves have changed. It only happens one time a year. We live in one of the most beautiful, scenic places in Ohio, possibly the country, the world! okay. I might be getting a little carried away. :-/ BUT, I don't understand how you could not just soak in the beauty of your surroundings, even if you are driving. You can drive and look. :-)

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I tried the pumpkin muffins that was posted for the Fall Into Flavor recipe sharing that I'm participating in, and they were delish! The only thing I added was some cream cheese icing on top of those puppies! Yummmm!! Oh myyyyy.......a hot cup of coffee with cream and a cream cheese icing topped pumpkin muffin! It doesn't get much better. *sighhhhh*

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I organized a Pastor Appreciation Day for our pastor and his precious wife, which we celebrated yesterday! AND they were surprised! Yes!! I made a banner to place across the front of the church (I'll post a picture later this week.). We had a special speaker for the morning service. Dinner was provided for them. Then last night we had a shortened service at which one of our lay speakers spoke at. It was a very good message on how, why and when we should show our appreciation to our pastor. He read scripture for each one from different versions of the Bible and it really spoke to my heart about SHOWING my pastor and his wife, even more often, just how much I appreciate all that they do for us! After the evening service, we had food and a time of fellowship and presented them with cards and small gifts.
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I am now going to post my MONDAY randomness on Wednesday!! Argh!

My sister Debbie and her son Troy

My sister Debbie was doing well last night but today her oxygen level/saturation has been fluctuating and just isn't as high as it needs to be. Of course, it is painful for her to breathe deeply but she needs to just hug her pillow and do it anyway. She's been hyper-ventilating some but as long as we are there to guide her to breathe right, she comes back around. We are just concerned because she is at such a risk for pneumonia and that is exactly what doesn't need to happen.
Then, last night, her oldest son Troy who was there at the hospital with all of us, of course, had a bad reaction to a particular medicine that he has been taking, was taken to the ER and admitted a short time later. His liver enzymes are very high (this is a bad thing) and he is in critical condition. He has improved today but will still be in the hospital for a few more days as they endeavor to get the enzyme level down.
He is on the fourth floor of Fairfield Medical Center and his mother is on the third floor! We teased him and told him that he had to do something because his mother was getting all of the attention! *smile*
Please join with us in praying for them. I don't know what I would do without them.
I may be going back to the hospital tonight, depending on how Debbie's condition is. Her daughter, April is supposed to call me at ten.
Hope everyone is having a great week!

My sister Debbie

My sister Debbie's open heart surgery is scheduled to take place in the morning at 7:30am. Please pray for her, that she will come through the surgery without any complications. I'll post, as soon as I can, about how she is doing.

Wednesday's Random 12!!

Linda at 2nd Cup Of Coffee hosts a Random 12 Questions each Wednesday! This is #8 and I'm still at it!! Hope you enjoy reading my answers and you can read others which are linked at Linda's blog of join the fun with us and post your answers to the random 12! Have a great and blessed day! :-)

1. Candy corn: Your thoughts?
I love the looks of it because the colors remind me of fall but it is just too
sweet for my liking.

2. Briefly, what was the first conversation you ever had with your spouse? (or best friend, if you're not married.) (Or someone significant, like your librarian.)
He approached me at church and asked me about how he would go about renting the apartment I had just moved out of.

3. Could you ever become a vegetarian?
Well, I’ve never met a vegetable I didn’t like, but I am a carnivore at heart. I loooove meat! I can make a meal out of just meat and bread and butter. Or meat and salad. But I can’t see myself ever just grazing on veggies.

4. Have you ever dressed up your pet in a costume?
No.

5. Name something about childhood that you miss (like Clark Bars, Teaberry Gum, Malibu Barbie, cracking fake eggs on people's heads with your fist and "It's the Great Pumpkin" airing only once a year).
I miss being able to play “real” make believe! (Does that make sense?) My sister Debbie and I used to play paper dolls for hours. We made up our own soap opera practically! And we played house with our dolls. I played school by myself on the stairs in the house where I was raised. I had imaginary students. It was one of my favorite things to play.

6. Have you ever won a trophy? If not, what do you deserve a trophy for?
No, I’ve never won a trophy, though I’ve gotten certificates and ribbons. Hmmm….I don’t know what I deserve a trophy for. I really don’t. Hmmmm…..
Okay, the only thing I can think of is that during a period of about 4 years, I was unable to walk without a walker. I was in extreme pain and it took so much effort to go anywhere. I was unable to do the weekly grocery shopping most of the time. My DH stepped in and did a wonderful job. It just got to the place that it was too painful to go anywhere but where I HAD to. And the one place I wanted to go more than any other was to church, the house of the Lord. I am the music director/keyboard player at our church. I only missed two services in those four years. I was always taught to be faithful to the house of the Lord and I knew that no matter how badly I might be feeling, I would feel so much better once I made it to the house of the Lord and I did! For the one and a half to two hours I was there, I would feel better physically than I did all the rest of the week! *tears* God is so faithful! I am now able to walk again, pain-free! “He is my everything, He is my all! He is my everything, Both great and small, He gave His life for me, Made everything new, He is my everything, Now how about you?”

7. When do you think is the appropriate time to begin playing Christmas music each year?
AFTER Thanksgiving! Please. I like Christmas music but by the time Christmas is over, I am so thankful that I don’t have to hear it again for awhile. I do like Christmas music, but after two months of nothing but Christmas music on all of the stations I listen to..well, like I said above….I’m so glad it’s over for awhile.

8. What's your favorite board game?
Hmmmm….probably Bible Trivia. We always have so much fun when we play it!! AND we end up finding out just how much we don’t know about the Bible! J

9. How do you feel about surprises (receiving, not giving)?
I loooove surprises! My DH surprised me with flowers and for Sweetest Day this past Saturday! It was wonderful! And our son called us at five o’clock on a Sunday morning to tell us that we were going to be grandparents! They had just done an EPT! That was just about the best surprise ever! I love birthday surprises and the surprise of opening gifts at Christmas or anytime, for that matter!


10. Is it easy for you to say, "I'm sorry?"
Most often, it is. And I am thankful for this personality trait, if that is what you would call it. I’ve always felt remorse quite readily after doing or saying something that I shouldn’t have. And I’m talking about the times I’ve had to apologize to people that were not particularly easy to apologize to! :-/ I would also rather err on the side of apologizing when I perhaps didn’t really HAVE to than to NOT apologize when I should have.
On the flip side of this is the fact that if an apology is offered too quickly after an argument or unfortunate situation, it might be viewed as not being truly sincere but, for me personally, that is not the case. With the Lord’s help, I’ve always tried to keep things right between myself and others.

11. What is your favorite candle scent?
At the moment, Plymouth Bay’s Cinnamon and Sugar.

12. October is traditionally "open house" time in public schools. If you had a literal open house in your home (like a reception) what light snacks would you serve visitors and what would you show them (as in art projects, graded papers) that would uniquely represent you?
I would have finger foods such as Pickle Wraps, Tortilla Roll-ups, possibly a vegetable tray w/dip and fruit tray w/dip, chips, homemade cookies, coffee and punch.
As far as showing them things that would “uniquely represent me”, I would have to show them my Ohio State Buckeye den and the scarlet and gray afghans I have crocheted for it. Actually, I would probably just show them through my house because each room is a representation of me and who I am, as I put my heart and soul into my home.

Fall Into Flavor Recipe!

I'm participating in Linda's Fall Into Flavor recipe sharing. I looooove new recipes! Especially quick and easy ones!

Below, you will find my offering! It is one of our household favorites and is so good and yummy on a chilly fall or winter day! AND it is best served with hot, butter-covered corn muffins! Let me know what you think!

CREOLE VEGETABLES AND SMOKED SAUSAGE

1 LB. OF SMOKED SAUSAGE
1 LARGE ONION SLICED AND SEPARATED INTO RINGS
1/2 LB. OF BACON CUT INTO NOT-TOO-SMALL PIECES
2 CANS OF SLICED STEWED TOMATOES
2 CANS OF GREEN BEANS/ DRAINED
2 LARGE POTATES/ BAKED IN THE MICROWAVE
DIRECTIONS:
SAUTEE THE BACON AND ONION TOGETHER UNTIL DONE.

YOU MAY NEED TO ADD A LITTLE OIL,
DEPENDING ON HOW LEAN THE BACON IS.
ADD THE STEWED TOMATOES AND LET THEM SIMMER FOR A BIT
WITH THE ONIONS AND BACON. SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE.
NEXT, ADD THE GREEN BEANS, MIX WELL AND LET THE FLAVORS SIMMER
AND BLEND TOGETHER.
PEEL AND CUBE THE POTATOES AND ADD TO THE MIXTURE.
LASTLY, CUT THE SMOKED SAUSAGE INTO SLICES AND ADD TO THE
POT! LET THIS ALL SIMMER FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. YOU MAY NEED TO ADD
SOME WATER, DEPENDING ON HOW "SOUPY" YOU WANT IT
TO BE. I DON'T LIKE TOO MUCH LIQUID. TASTE TO SEE IF YOU NEED
TO ADD MORE SALT AND PEPPER. I'VE ALSO ADDED A FEW DROPSOF LIQUID SMOKE SOMETIMES JUST TO GIVE IT ANOTHER BIT OF FLAVOR DIMENSION!
THIS IS GREAT WITH HOT CORNBREAD AND BUTTER!!
(OH, AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD FIT INTO THE CATEGORY OF
"DIET FOOD"! *SMILE*)
ENJOY!!!

It's Monday! Time for some randomness!

Where, oh, where are you, Mrs. NB?! I miss you!! I know, I know...you told us already...:-) Hopefully, you will be back to your randomness today!!!

And is it ever cold! 29 degrees in the heart of the Hocking Valley! The frost is surely on the pumpkin this morning! I keep waiting for Indian Summer to show up!

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Ed's birthday was Saturday! He turned a good-looking, handsome, wonderful husband 67! I was gone most of the day, so he a day of peace and quiet, doing-absolutely-nothing kind of day....his favorite. :-)

But he DID do a little something, in that he got me flowers and candy for Sweetest Day! I was REALLY surprised because I don't know that we've every really done anything for eachother on Sweetest Day but, hey, I could get used to it AND I'm not complainin'! :-)

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It seems we keep going to bed earlier and earlier, then getting up earlier and earlier. We were in bed a little before nine o'clock Saturday night! We always read before going to sleep but, still, I was out by 9:30! Consequently, I woke up at 5:00am ready to greet the day, even if it was still dark! :-)

AND I didn't even take my usual Sunday afternoon nap yesterday! I don't know where I've been getting all of this energy! :-)
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I fixed brats, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes for dinner yesterday. Oh, it was all yummy!

Then Daniel called when they got home from church. He asked us to step out onto our back porch and there he and Erin were standing by their car. He held something up and pushed it and his car started! Their car has a remote starter!!! It came with it and they didn't even know it until yesterday! They discovered it!
So now I have been smitten with remote-starter envy! *sigh*
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Backing up a little here......a friend called Friday and asked if I could do the music for her daughter's wedding which was on Sunday afternoon (yesterday). Their musician canceled at the last minute. Fortunately, I was able to. Rehearsal was at noon on Saturday. The wedding was at four-thirty yesterday afternoon.
Soooo......I got up early on Saturday morning, got things done around the house here, then headed to the church to clean the bathrooms and vestibule; next, Pat met me at the church while I was still there and I did her hair; then it was off to wedding rehearsal.
After the wedding rehearsal, I stopped by and visited with my sister Debbie for awhile and ended up making her two loaves of zuchinni bread, which she had all of the fixins for but just didn't feel like making herself. We had such a nice visit. I just love her so much and am so thankful for our relationship! Her open-heart surgery is still scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30am!
THEN I went to Walmart and bought Ed a few small gifts AND a variety of candy for his birthday! He loves his candy! :-)
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Today, we have THE BOY!!! :-) He just woke up from his early morning nap so I have to finish this up pretty quickly! Oh, sometimes I am just amazed at how much I love this little Jaylon! My heart feels like it is just about going to burst sometimes!!! :-)
Anywayyyyyy.......we girls, my sister and two sisters-in-law are taking Debbie out for her birthday dinner this evening. Her birthday isn't until Nov. 4 but we got to thinking that she will probably not be up to going out to dinner any time soon AFTER her surgery, so tonight is the night we celebrate her 60th!!!!! birthday!!!! I just can't believe she is SIXTY!!! And I'm right behind her!!!
Isn't it amazing how we just don't feel as old as we thought our parents WERE when they were this age? :-) But it's true! AND I never thought I would BE this age! Fifty-eight on November 8! But, I'm feelin' good! I feel like I have a new lease on life with these new hips and new grandbaby!!
I know, I know......I'm rested from a wonderful Sunday and good night's rest, it's still early on Monday morning, I've had two cups of coffee and a cookie. Slow down a bit....pace yourself....*smile*
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I'll end with this: I've had this song going through my mind and I've been singing it for days. I sang it at church yesterday morning and it seemed to really minister to people. It's just how I've been feeling.

In Christ alone will I glory,
Though I could pride myself in battles won,
For I've been blessed beyond measure,
And by His strength alone I overcome,
Oh, I could stop and count successes,
Like diamonds in my hand,
But those trophies could not equal,
To the grace by which I stand.

In Christ alone, I place my trust,
And find my glory in the power of the cross,
In every victory let it be said of me,
My source of strength, my source of hope,
Is Christ alone.

In Christ alone will I glory,
For only by His grace I am redeemed,
Only His tender mercy,
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need,
Now I seek no greater honor,
Than just to know Him more,
And to count my things but losses,
To the glory of the Lord.

A Five-Things Meme!

My friend, Barbara, at Stray Thoughts, posted a Five-Things meme at her blog and I thought it would be fun to participate!! If you would like to and do so, please leave a comment and I'll be over! :-)

1. Five landmarks I have seen.
The Statue of Liberty
Washington Monument
General Sherman’s Birthplace
Arlington National Cemetery
The White House

2. Five famous people with my name.
Jewel (The country singer)
Buddy Jewel (Not so well know country singer)
That’s all that I could find. :-/ Well, actually, I google my name and
four or five women and their pictures came up but I THINK…from
their poses AND being rather scantily clad….that they aren’t the kind
of famous I was looking for! :-0 Soooo, I’m stickin’ with my two up there! :-)
If you know of any others, you can let me know! :-)

3. Five foods I will not eat.
Pimento Cheese
Hard Cheese (I like it melted)
Blue Cheese
Chicken Livers
Tomato seeds and the jelly-like substance surrounding them. Yuck!

4. Five things that bug me.
People talking loudly on their cellphones
Cellphones ringing in church
People with the cellphone ear device walking around looking like they are
Talking to themselves and, again, usually loudly! Grrrrrrrrr!
(Do you see a pattern here?) J
People texting while they drive! (The guy behind me last night!)
People who smack their lips when they eat AND chew with their mouths open!

5. Five simple pleasures.
Soft flannel sheets on a cold winter’s night.
Creamy hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day or night
Watching my little grandson Jaylon sleep
Ed brushing my hair
Sitting by a campfire relaxing

An overnight guest

We kept little Jaylon overnight last night so the kids could get plenty of rest and sleep. He spent the evening hours with Mawmaw and Pawpaw Dunnells. Then they brought him here at about 9:30.

He was wound for sound! :-) So it was going for eleven o'clock and he was kind of vegged out on my lap. He turned around and just stared into my eyes with this kind of glazed look. His eyes were as big as saucers in an effort to stay awake. I couldn't take it! I just started laughing. Then Jaylon started laughing. It was so funny....him trying to stay awake! When he gets tired and sleepy, he gets ticklish all over and kind of punchy. It is so funny!

After we snuggled and all for a bit more, I laid him down in his bed, turned off the lights and went to bed. I left a nightlight on for Jaylon.

He woke up at about 1:30am for a little bit, went back to sleep and slept until eight o'clock this morning, took a bottle and slept until nine o'clock.

I got up at six, made coffee, fed and watered Ellie, then went back to bed. I didn't hear Ed leave and didn't wake up until Jaylon did at eight. I can't tell you the last time I slept until eight o'clock! :-)

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This is a picture of Jaylon the first time he figured out how to pull himself up to the dining table chair. :-)

H1N1 in the family

My oldest great-nephew and niece, who are both sixteen and cousins, have contracted the swine flu.

They had gone down to my sister Debbie's (their nanny) house Monday evening to just visit with her. They fixed spaghetti and had a nice time visiting and all.

Well, the next day they both came down with fevers. They are now at home and feeling pretty lousy. Everyone in their homes has to wear masks and, of course, other precautions are being taken, too.

We are all praying that Debbie doesn't contract it because of her breathing problems and upcoming surgery.

Erin and Daniel are both home sick today. Erin didn't go in this morning and Daniel came home at noon. Erin has what she thinks is a pretty severe headcold and swollen glands, while Daniel has a fever and aches.

Little Jaylon is here at our house and is fine and on the go! Oh my! LOL
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Ed fired up the woodburner for the first time this fall and does the warmth ever feel good, especially since it is 43 and raining! We're thinking that this might be the earliest that we have started using the woodburner but it has been unseasonably cool this month. Now, we just have to keep Jaylon from getting too friendly with the stove!
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Elder Bro. Martin's funeral was very well attended yesterday. The church was almost full. It was wonderful to see so many family, friends and ministers and their wives come to celebrate his life and passing.

I started playing just before one o'clock and ended at 2:50, when the family members were escorted to the waiting cars.

Lew, Jaylon's Pawpaw, took care of little Jaylon during this time and Jaylon was good as gold. He loves his pawpaw. :-)

I had packed plenty of bottles, food, clothes and diapers for Jaylon as I knew we would be spending the afternoon at the church. We had a wonderful time visiting with everyone, eating scrumptious food and catching up with those we hadn't seen for some time.

I kept Jaylon's hands and face washed and applied hand sanitizer to his little hands periodically. I would sit him on a chair and begin applying the sanitizer, all the while telling him what grandma was doing and why and he would just be so good and hold still while watching and listening. He is so observant and interested in everything. And he does find his hands to be amazing, movable creations! *smile*

I finally sat down at about five o'clock, with some of the ladies, and commenced to eating some of the delicious food that had been prepared when Jaylon started making some hungry noises and waving his arms, so I mashed up some "noodies" and fed them to him. He loved them! :-)

I was telling this to Ed and he said, "What in the world are "noodies?". So I had to translate and tell him that that is "grandma speak" for noodles! LOL He just smiled and shook his head! :-)

Of course, I am careful to talk very plainly to Jaylon most of the time but we grandmas all have our own little baby words that we use, don't we? (Don't we? ) What are some of yours?
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Jaylon and I got home at about 5:45 yesterday evening and Ed and I almost immediately left to go to the funeral home in New Lex as Ed's cousin had passed away a few days before. I was pretty tired but knew we needed to go pay our respects and it was good to see Ed's family. He and his sisters are so funny when they get together! I love to watch them interact! :-)

Ed had three older brothers (the oldest passed away a few years ago.), then three older sisters(his oldest sister passed away some time ago.)and three younger sisters. He was born in the middle of six sisters! Can you imagine? LOL And they just love him! They all call him Eddie. It is so cute! :-)
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I made a chocolate trifle and deluxe spanish rice for the after-funeral dinner yesterday. That chocolate trifle was gone faster than you can say "chocolate trifle"! *smile* AND the spanish rice was all gone, too! I love it when I don't have to bring leftovers home! :-)

The food standouts for me were some to-die-for ribs and sauerkraut, delicious, firm-not-too-sloppy joes, and just-right macaroni salad, meaning it wasn't too dry nor too soupy.

Well, Jaylon is stirring from his nap....he is sleeping right behind my chair in his pack-n-play, so I will leave you with a couple of pictures I took a couple of days ago of the beautiful colors just outside my window here where we live!

Random 12 #7 and Whew!!!!

I feel like Barbara! Going, going, going! Whew!

My sister Debbie's surgery/bypass was postponed until NEXT Wednesday which did not set well with the family but....oh, well. She has not smoked for ONE week as of today! This is simply amazing because Debbie has smoked like forever. We are so proud of her and are encouraging her all that we can.

I have been preparing food for after the funeral of our pastor's father, have to get a shower, get Jaylon ready to go, load up the car, not forget anything, make sure I have the music all together for the service....*pant...pant...pant*.

Ed is watching Jaylon while I post this quickly!

I am also going to include my Wednesday's Random 12 #7 in this post!! It is hosted by Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee and we are having fun with it!!! :-)

1. I've always wondered why we were taught both printing and cursive. Do you prefer to print or write cursive? (Keyboard is not a choice.)
Well, I actually do a little of both. My writing has morphed into a writing/printing type of style. I wouldn’t want to do ALL printing because that is too tedious AND I wouldn’t want to do ALL cursive because it is too time-consuming to join all of the letters together. I really like my writing style but have found that people either really like it or tell me they can't read it. Oh well. :-)

2. Are you a dreamer or a realist?
I think I would have to say “dreamer” because I always want to believe the best of people and situations. I am an optimist and I've wondered if you can be an optimist AND a realist. Of course, my being an optimist has much to do with my faith in God and the fact that He is on the throne and in control! :-)

3. Billy Joel or Elton John?
I don’t know because I’ve never really listened to either one of them very much.

4. What is the scariest movie you've ever seen? Not limited to horror flicks but also includes ones where the tension or suspense is killer, for example, Flightplan (2005): A bereaved woman and her daughter are flying home from Berlin to America. At 30,000 feet the child vanishes and nobody admits she was ever on that plan.
Friday the 13th! I was almost due to give birth to Daniel and it was the only thing on TV to watch on a Friday night. Ed REALLY wanted to watch it, so I said OKAYYY. Now mind you, I do not have much tolerance for scary movies. I ended up sitting on the floor next to Ed, all hugged up to his legs, scared to death! Finally, it ended and this girl was in a boat in the middle of a small lake and I thought, thank goodness! When all of a sudden this creature comes up out of the water and grabs her! I just about gave birth right then and there!
I made Ed sit in the bathroom with me while I got a shower and I told him that if I had to get up in the night to go to the bathroom, he HAD to go with me!

5. Now what is the scariest real-life moment you've had?
When Daniel was about a two years old, I thought someone had snatched him from our yard! Our yard was fenced in and he was just running around and playing, while I was sitting on the deck drinking a cup of coffee. I didn't notice him for just a short while, went looking for him and couldn't find him. I looked and looked. I couldn't find him! I was terrified! I ran out into the street yelling his name and here he came toddling around the house! I never did know where he had been hiding but I will never forget that terrifying feeling! Never.

6. What word do you misspell without fail?
I can NEVER remember how to spell weird/weird! Even now, I am not sure and it just aggravates me! *feeble grin* AND I was the spelling bee champ in all of my classes all through school. *embarrassed grin*

7. Name something you like to do but are not really talented or good at.
Hmmmm…..I have to really think about this one. It would have to be any kind of sports. I am just not any good at any of them.

8. Do you get your emotional/mental batteries recharged by being around people or by having alone time?
Again, this would be a little of both. There are times that I just need to be alone and then there are times when I really need to be around people and interact.

9. Have you ever been on TV?
Yes, for an instant when we went to NYC. Ed and I walked down to Rockefeller Plaza and were on the Today show outside waving at the camera!!

10. Apple or pumpkin pie? (Don't be greedy.)
Oh, I loooove pumpkin pie that has been in the fridge and gotten really cold and firm, with Cool Whip on it!!! Yum!

11. How many magazine subscriptions do you have?Nada. zilch. I go to the library! I cannot check out the current issues but that's okay. But, I am considering subscribing to a couple of cooking magazines because they are offering one-year subscriptions to first-time subscribers for just $10!

12. What lesson do you have to keep re-learning?
To control my tongue, to not procrastinate, and to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not to my own understanding. :-)

Our pastor's dear father passed away last Friday night. He had been in declining health for some time so his passing was not unexpected. Still, you are never prepared to lose a loved one or close friend. Elder Bro. Martin would have been 91 on his birthday which is this coming Saturday, October 17. He and my dear husband, Ed shared the same birthday. :-)

The children at church always called Bro. Martin the candy man because he always had candy in his pocket for them. He was a faithful saint of God and such an encouragement to anyone who knew him. He will be so missed!

Here is a picture of him and Ed at their birthday party last year, when he turned 90! :-)
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My older sister, Debbie, will be having open-heart surgery this Wednesday morning. She has a 97% blockage in a main artery. I am more than a little concerned because of the respiratory problems that she has. She has COPD and enphysema and is on oxygen all of the time. She just had a bout of pneumonia about three weeks ago. Her doctor did tell her that she could absolutely no longer smoke, under any circumtances and she hasn't, which is nothing short of a miracle. But she said that she is afraid to smoke now.

Please pray for her as she prepares for and undergoes this surgery. She is such a wonderful sister, mother and Nanny to her grandchildren.

Gone...vanished.....

When I don't have time to sit down and blog, I get all of these neat ideas....well, to ME they are neat :-/........for blog posts and then I don't jot them down, which leaves me sitting here wondering what to blog about other than about what I can't remember that I thought would make such a good blog post! (I hate when that happens!)

Wednesday's Random12 #

Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee hosts a Random 12 at her blog each Wednesday! This is #5!
Here's mine! Enjoy and join in! :-)


1. On an average, how often do you splurge and buy something for yourself?
At least, once a month! Sometimes, more often but, you see, I don't care to shop, so that is part of the reason why! :-)


2. What is the last creative project you began/finished? Feel free to post a pic of it.
Daniel's baby memory book and an album of encouragement for my pastor's wife.

3. OK, Goldie Locks, do you consider your house too big, too little or juuuust right?
Juuuuust right!!!! And we kind of planned it that way in looking down the road at our retirement years and empty nest!

4. What is your favorite outdoor chore?
Raking and burning leaves! I love to rake up mountains of leaves for the dog to jump into, now that Daniel is all grown up and no longer finds that fun anymore and Lord knows I won't be jumpin' into any leaf piles anytime soon! And I loooove the smell of burning leaves in the fall! *sighhhhh* :-)

5. If you knew that cigarette smoking was not bad for your health but would be a weight loss tool, would you use it? Why or why not?
Hmmmmm.....would they still be addictive because of the nicotine? If not, I might smoke them in the privacy of my home because I just don't care to see a woman smoking in public. (Sorry if that sounds sexist.)


6. On a road trip, would you rather drive or ride?
I usually do some of both. I like to ride so that I can enjoy the scenery or read or take pictures. When I'm driving, I have to concentrate on...well, driving. :-)


7. What do you consider a trivial pursuit?
Sitting here on the computer blogging and FaceBooking. :-)

8. This weekend, we downloaded the movie "Duplicity" with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Within 5 minutes, I was bored and annoyed, but I kept watching 5-10 minutes at a time hoping it would get better between small chores. I finally gave up and Jorge watched it alone, and then regretted wasting that time because he disliked it intensely, too. So ... how long do you watch a movie or read a book before giving up on it?
Oh, not very long. A movie....10-15 minutes TOPS. A book? 5-10 pages. My time is too valuable! :-)

9. Is there a song that you really love but are embarrassed to admit because it's not cool or it's racy or because it's by Hall and Oates?
"I Want A Man With A Slow Hand" by I believe it was the Pointer Sisters. AND I like "Skater Boy" by Avril Lavigne. I also really like Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" and I shake my head pretty fiercely while I'm singing it, too! LOL

10. On a scale of 1-10 (10 = extremely) how spontaneous are you?
5-6

11. Are you a food and/or beverage snob?
Not at all. Though I will admit that I don't like cheap white bread, okay? I want something with a little more substance to it, okay?

12. Who/What are you trying to control in your life?
My weight. It been a challenge but I've learned to put it in its proper perspective through the years. I'm not like totally obssessed with it like I was a few years ago AND I feel that I can be attractive and healthy at my present weight. AND my husband thinks I'm beautiful! :-)

Joining in Monday's Randomness!

Mrs. Nurse Boy at Poop on Jelly hosts a Monday Randomness which I enjoy immensely, so here's my two-cents worth of my "randomess". :-)

I worked my tookas off Friday evening AFTER taking care of Jaylon all day. I was beat when I finally arrived home at about 8:30pm. We had our monthly church dinner/fundraiser and I washed all of the big pots and pans and roaster liner pans.

AND THEN....on Saturday afternoon.....I vacuumed the vestibule, prayer room, nursery and sanctuary at church, after getting a few extra things done here at home that morning. I had planned on going to the library afterward, to my great-nephew's football game where I would also get to see my great-niece who is a cheerleader, but after vacuuming, I was just wiped out.

Sooooo, I came home....I did not pass go or collect $200....and went to bed for a couple of hours.


THEN....since our electric was out from 11am until 8pm....and electric pole caught on fire.....I stopped by a local coffeehouse/restaurant and got a LARGE coffee on my way to enjoy our local high school band festival....and who should I see but my oldest sister and her family! So I visited with them for a few minutes, then headed over to the Logan High School Football Stadium where they were having the annual Fall Festival of Bands.


The first Saturday of every October, our school district hosts this band festival. This year was the biggest event ever. There were 15 bands, including Ohio University/Athens Marching 110!!!! I loooove marching bands and they were awesome!!!


I went by myself because everyone I had planned to go with or was going with me, cancelled out at the last minute, but I didn't mind going by myself. I knew I'd see alot of people that I know and, sure enough, my neighbor, Brenda, was there, so we sat together and I also spent some time with my oldest brother, Bill and his family. Bill and I are both like HUGE fans of marching bands! We both played the trumpet when we were in school and in the band. His granddaughter plays the clarinet and is second chair! We are so proud of her! It takes a tremendous amount of dedication to be in Logan's marching band! I don't know if I would have done all that is required of them if it had been required back in my marching band days. And I'm not necessarily proud of that fact. Just bein' honest. :-)
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I got home at about 9:30 that evening (Friday) and went straight to bed. I was worn out.


Would you believe that last Thursday night, I was in bed at eight o'clock?! I've just been so tired lately.

Okay, I know I worked alot at the church over the weekend but even before that I was tired and I don't like to hear people talk about how tired they are all of the time either and here I am doing it! *yawn*
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Oh, but I made some killer vegetable soup Thursday! Oh my! I cut up a three-pound chuck roast that had some fat in it.....that makes a better broth.....and browned the chunks in oil in my big kettle. Seasoned it well, then covered it with water and let it simmer until the meat was fall-apart tender. Then I added tomatoes, tomato juice, and a plethora of vegetables and let all of that simmer for a long time. Hubba hubba. :-)

Years ago...back before the war.....:-)......when I made vegetable soup for the first time....well, I knew that you were supposed to put all of these vegetables in it and I spotted a can of spinach in the cupboard! Yes, I did! Well, I love spinach, so I opened the can and threw it in the pot. Big mistake. The spinach kind of floated on the top and looked like slimey seaweed. When we sat down for supper, everyone said: "What is THAT?" I told them what happened but it tasted really good anyway, so we just closed our eyes and ate it! LOL That story has been told on me a few times through the years.


Which reminds me of one of the first times that I made spaghetti sauce because back then you had to make your own sauce. Mmmmhmmm.....no buying the jarred, all-ready-made sauce. Well, I just didn't think the sauce looked very red. It looked pale-ish pink to me, so I thought I would add some red food coloring to it. Yes, I did. But, I didn't have any red food coloring, so I just tossed in a few drops of blue. Then a few of green. That sauce ended up looking like lumpy brown mud! BUT! It was REALLY delicious! Sooooo, once again, we sat down to supper, closed our eyes and had a really delicious supper of homemade spaghetti!!! :-)


Thankfully, I had not met Ed yet when all of these wonderful culinary mishaps took place! :-)
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Jaylon crawled from one end of the house to the other at least four times today!!! AND he finally found the cat food! The evidence:

He managed to get a couple of pieces in his mouth before I could get to him. He seemed to like it! :-)
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I baked my first batch of cookies Saturday! Well, not my FIRST batch EVER but my first since the weather has turned cooler. I made cream cheese cookies and they are the easiest cookies ever and are one of Daniel and Ed's favorites.


1 BOX OF YELLOW CAKE MIX
1 8oz. PACKAGE OF CREAM CHEESE
1 EGG
1 TSP. OF VANILLA
EMPTY THE CAKE MIX INTO A MIXING BOWL.
SOFTEN THE CREAM CHEESE IN THE MICROWAVE.
BEAT THE EGG AND ADD TO THE CAKE MIX.
ADD THE SOFTENED CREAM CHEESE AND VANILLA.
MIX THESE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER THOROUGHLY.
THE DOUGH WILL BE PRETTY STIFF.
YOU CAN DROP THE DOUGH ONTO A GREASED COOKIE
SHEET BY THE TEASPOON OR MAKE OUT
LITTLE PATTIES ABOUT THE SIZE OF A
FIFTY-CENT PIECE. BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 12 MINUTES

OR UNTIL BROWN ON THE BOTTOM. DON'T OVERBAKE.
THESE ARE SO EASY AND SO DELICIOUS!

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A little hint I have when making soups like chili and vegetable soup is to add a few drops of Liquid Smoke. Daniel and I also add it to our hamburgers sometimes, too, mixing it into the meat before grilling. It doesn't take much so add sparingly and taste as you go until you get the amount that you like.
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Remember when the concession stand at school events only offered hotdogs, popcorn, chips and pop? Not any more! Wow! The concession stand at Logan Stadium is unbelievable. Grilled hamburgers and brats. Chicken and noodles! Chicken sandwiches. Sloppy Joes. And, of course, pizza, hot dogs, nachos and cheese. Oh, and you can have chili cheese on your nachos, too, if you like. I was really impressed with all that they offered.
Me? I chose the brat...yummo....and your standard box of popcorn. :-) It was superb!
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Hey! Daniel just brought Ed and me two sirloin burgers that he grilled out! So I am going to end this randomness and go partake of mine!!!

Hope your Monday has been wonderful!!! :-)

Just a thought

I'm a little concerned because lately I've noticed that I've been making grammatical errors.

Now, what concerns me about this is the fact that I'm pretty particular about using the right word when talking or typing or whatever.

Just a little while ago, I noticed that I had typed "due" in a comment at Becky's blog, when it should have been "do". That just isn't like me! Siriusly. (Okay, that < back there WAS a joke,k?)

So....should I be concerned? Time will tell, I suppose. Do you do things like this?