thankful.

Thursdays come really fast now that I have designated a day to count my blessings.
Sure, I'm thankful everyday but taking a moment to jot something down has been refreshing. Sometimes little things sneak up on me and almost go by without notice, and when I add them all together I realize a lot is changing, and life keeps getting better.

1. I'm thankful for the experience Carlos is gaining at his job, and for the extra gigs he's had.

2. I'm thankful that I never get stuck in traffic. A perk to small town life.

3. I'm thankful for this blog. I used to try to keep journals and scrapbooks but I never followed through. I think I'll enjoy having this to look back at, to remember these days.

4. For my back yard. I feel like a good mom when my kids are getting fresh air and climbing trees.

I love this.

Because It's Thursday...

I am thankful:

1. for more hours of daylight in the evening, I feel like a new person.

2. That Carlos and I get to see u2 the day after our 13 anniversary!

3. For crafty ideas that involve hot glue guns and reusing old things.

4. For little surprises just when you least expect them.

5. For baby dreams that never allow me to have closure on whether or not we're done having babies (okay, that was sarcastic.)

6. For nice customers.

comfort food and seashells.

Yesterday we ate some good old country food at a little place called Rolos. I go there once or twice a year when I really miss Grandma Stella's cooking. I fell into some sort of crisco psychosis while ordering and broke my own rule of no more than one kind of fried food on my plate. While we waited I told the kids a few grandma Stella stories. When everything arrived covered in gravy and the guilt set in...I heard her voice in my head saying "eat that fried okra, you need your veggies."

She never really bought into the healthy food phenomenon.

I loved her.

So do I miss greasy southern food or my grandma Stella?

Sometimes I think being sentimental is a curse.
It's hard to balance "living in the now" with missing a lot of things about your old life.

Lately I've really missed the beach.
I'm not a beach fanatic, but it was there anytime I wanted to go for 30 years of my life.
The other day I realized that I don't have a seashell in my possession
how could that ever be?
I remembered the glass table my Memaw had,
it was full of beautiful shells that were hard to find in one piece.
I could picture everything in that room I could even remember the smell.
I liked being in there again.
So In my mind I walked through her big white house on the ocean,
one of the few truly magical places on earth.
I visited each room
one by one,
and I missed her all over again.

So do I miss the beach or Memaw? Deep fried steak or Stella?

both. all of it.

and in some weird way it's all the same thing.

I found a quote this week that I thought it was perfect for how I've been feeling.
Today is beautiful and my heart is full.
Those days were beautiful too, and I loved my life the way it was...
that is certainly not a bad thing.
Older and wiser people tell you to appreciate things because it wont be like this forever...
I think I did.
I think I knew. always.

"Today is a smooth white seashell,

hold it close and listen to the beauty of the hours."

thursday thankfulness.

on my list today:

1. I am thankful that i have the next 3 days off work.

actually, thankful is an understatement.

i.
am.
over.
the.
moon.

p.s. matthew reminds me of the "soy bomb" guys sometimes.

the theatre of life

i have become increasing allergic to pollen, cigarette smoke, people who smell like cigarette smoke, bradford pear trees in bloom, huntsville air in general, abercrombie cologne, people who smell like abercrombie cologne or various other strong perfumes.

today at work it seemed like a organized crime spree of people who felt like giving me a sinus attack. it was almost too much to bear. have you ever seen "the man who knew too little" where bill murray thinks he's acting in the "theatre of life" when actually he's right in the middle of a real crime? it's a really funny movie...anyway...there is a scene where he starts to have a sinus attack. the guys who are holding him captive asks him why he's sniffing, and he says...

"Boris' Old Spice is lingering.

Do you think we could open up the window a little bit?

Hey, vodka...be a guy.

See that nasal spray?

Could you pass me over a couple of snoots worth, please?"

whoa...it's thursday already.

first, the song in my head...

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings
-bing crosby

today, i'm thankful for:

1. finally hearing from jenny. remember this post from almost a year ago? i heard from her on sunday, totally out of the blue...i was overjoyed!

2. i'm going to brazil! probably in may. i applied for my passport today!

what's in a name?

...your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. Genesis 17: 5-6

recession buster meals. #2

another great meal for under $10.00

it's based on this recipe
but i don't like wine sauces or olives so i changed it up.

the ingredients i used were:

10-15 cherry tomatoes on the vine $2.99
1/4 lb salami $2.34
rigatoni pasta $0.80
2 cloves garlic-on hand
feta cheese $3.49 (plenty left over)
2 tsp. + 1 Tbsp. olive oil - on hand

total-$9.62

after i roasted the tomatoes in olive oil, salt & pepper,
i slightly mashed them to add more liquid to the dish to make up for the lack of wine.
i added tomato and basil flavored feta cheese and it was PERFECT
and soo easy. it was kinda like a hot pasta salad.

recession buster meals.

so oprah did a show about cooking meals for cheap
and it really inspired me.
i'm already quite the thrifty shopper but i know i can do even better.
they said on the show that you spend 50% more if you don't make a list...i totally believe that.

thursday night is usually pizza night. carlos works late and i usually work a long shift so cooking is not on the top of my wish list. pizza usually runs about $22.00 after delivery and tip. i've been throwing around the idea in my head of making personal pizzas with my favorite asiago cheese bagels from panera.

i got matthew involved with prepping them and everything was finished and they were cooked in about 15 minutes.

my kids like cheese pizza. i made them with pre-sliced mozzarella just for the ease of it. but next time i would use freshly shredded. also, carlos and i love barbecue chicken pizza so it would be just as easy to use bbq sauce and thin sliced chicken i always have for the kids sandwiches, throw some caramelized onions on and hello! yummy dinner!

here is the price breakdown:

6 bagels $5.69 (almost $2.00 savings for buying a half dozen, and i have leftovers for breakfast tomorrow.)
8 slices mozzarella $2.00
sauce - i had on hand.

total - $7.69 vs. the $22.00 we usually spend.
yay for me!

thankful thursday.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100 :4

today i'm thankful for:

1. for my job. sure, it gets old sometimes. and some days are better than others. but for the most part it's fun. and i get decent pay and free coffee.

2. for my new (old) car.

3. for gunther. we hit the schnauzer jackpot! he is so sweet and lovely, unless you're a stranger, in that case he wants to invoke fear and terror in your heart.

4. for hannah. she has known me forever. you will never bond with anyone as much as a friend you are pregnant with 3 times.

5. for miss anne and shelby at the masters salon.

6. that my kids are good students.

7. for happy hour at sonic. it's a perfect after school treat for cheap.

8. for dancing with the stars. don't judge me.

9. for my brothers. all 3 of them.

fly glasses.

"Hello, Hello
Hola!
I'm at a place called Vertigo"