From My Throne

The view "from my chair".  BTW, I drug this chair home from Walmart yesterday and have christened it, "My Chair".  One can do this when she declares herself the reigning Queen of said Bayou.  I adjusted the settings and reclined onto my "Throne".  Lil' Mama noticed and sneaked up behind me for this candid shot.  Note to self: Queen's must watch out for the Paparazzi.

HERE'S WHAT I SAW FROM MY CHAIR  THRONE:

Grass/weeds freshly mowed by the first-visit-

of-the-season from the lawn guys.
I also noticed the only things of color were 

the plastic pinwheels I had placed in the garden.

The trees are bare and very little has greened in 

the yard.  But the smell of freshly mowed weeds
smells just like freshly mowed grass.

I.LOVE.IT.

Behold!
When I looked closely I could see the roses
beginning to leaf out.

And, the potted Hydrangea has buds!

It doesn't take an ocean view, a swimming pool, or even blooms of colorful flowers to conjure up warm thoughts of what's to come very soon.  SPRING!  Hang tight girls, every day brings us a day closer.

QUESTION
If it was 75* and sunny, what would you do/have done differently today?

Sometimes the Truth hurts, then sometimes "not-so-much".

I ate a small bowl of this last night.

**Then I took my sleeping pill.**

Later in the night . . .

I finished it off!

I am giving thanks this morning that the container was only a pint, rather than a gallon.

(If you, or someone you know, takes Ambien

then you know what I'm talkin' about!)

Past and Present.

Valentine's Day isn't just for Sweethearts, but for friends too!

So glad you're in my world, Bloggy Friends!

* * * * * * * * * * *

For Mister, my Valentine for 44 years.

His "Mama's Chocolate Cake".

 Of course I wouldn't forget the single ladies in my world -

These chocolates are for my Mama.

And this is for HK.

Her very first Lollipop - This should be interesting.

I mailed treats to our Grands and also had a chocolate treat for Lil' Mama.  Shhh!  This is a secret, so don't tell her I told you.  Lil' Mama has a date tonight so I'm guessing she'll get a Valentine of some sort from her new, special friend.

* * * * * * * * * * 

Just a couple of Valentine memories to share:  When I was in fourth grade Gary White gave me a Valentine and a set of tiny doll china.  I still remember how special I felt.  YAY for all the Gary White's in the world that give to make a special memory.

In the 10th gr. I remember coming home, opening the front door and having a box of chocolates drop onto my head.  The mystery giver didn't sign his name so I never knew who it was from.  Ahhh, sweet youth!

I also remember a young guy who had a crush on me and gifted me with a 4 ft pink stuffed Bunny Rabbit for Valentine's Day.  I didn't like the boy and was never especially kind to him.  Shame on me!  Sometimes youth is mean.  I hope he has long forgotten my lack of appreciation.

I also remember a time when the roads were ice and snow-covered.  Mister and I were dating at the time.  He worked late that bitterly cold night then drove 20 miles across town, risking life & limb to deliver a GIGANTIC box of chocolates to me.  It was midnight when he arrived.  Poor Guy!  We begged my Mom to let him spend the night on the sofa so he wouldn't have to make the drive back across town in the awful weather.  Mom said NO, as it wouldn't look right to the neighbors if his car was in our driveway the entire night. <sigh>  It's such a different world we live in today.

I hope your Day is happy and you help to make a memory for someone, and remember, "Valentine's Day isn't just for Sweethearts".

Strike up the Band!

MY MEDICINE CABINET

 BEFORE/MESSY

*note the medicines on the edge of the shelves

are about to fall off the shelves.

AFTER/ORGANIZED

*Now look closely and you see things have

been organized and arranged in plastic organizers.

YEA!!

STRIKE UP THE BAND!

NOT BAD FOR A SNOWY DAY IN THE SOUTH!

I threw away a mountain of old prescription bottles.

YAY!

This is one BIG project I can mark of my List!!

I'm feeling pretty cocky about putting this one behind me!!

S.O.D.

Every once in a while I find it fun to post about a Simple Ordinary Day.  It's true that the normal, every day, run-of-the-mill days are the very sweetest in our memories when we look back over time.  So with that thought in mind, if you were a "fly on our wall" (no offense intended) this is what you would see.

Mom had a bit of a health scare over the weekend and was in the hospital overnight, but everything checked out fine.   So today we took the opportunity to indulge (celebrate) in a seasonal favorite here in Louisiana - King Cake!  We bought "Strawberry", our favorite flavor.

Any day that has King Cake included is a

VERY GOOD DAY!

Lil' MaMa had this great idea for HK's monthly photo shoot.  I was all too pleased to wear the trashy RED lipstick and smooch all over our wiggly, Princess.

HK received a package in the mail -

a Valentine tee shirt

and a Red Rubber Ducky, from my Sister!

"Auntie D surely knows how to please!"

I'm a couple of days into a new Bible Study.

Today I read my lesson in the car as I

waited for Mom to  emerge from

her Beauty Shop appointment.

There was morning Play Time.

"HELP ME!

I don't know how to get out of this box!"

*NAP*

Then there was Afternoon Play Time.

Later. . .Li'l Mama came home from school (college)

and Boudxy and I settled into the recliner

for a little R & R before starting dinner.

Normal.

Average.

No-Drama.

My very favorite type of day!

(I'm pretending the sun is shining which makes it an absolutely PERFECT  S.O.D!)

Have you had a good day?

I.am.nosy.

I have a need to know. *wink

"Weather Guilt"

I've got friends in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Chicago, and one in Canada. Our youngest son lives in Atlanta, GA.  I know they're dealing with treacherous weather conditions which in turn makes for some very dangerous driving/walking issues and very expensive heating bills. I feel badly for all of them, as well as for you, if you're in the midst of weather problems.

Living in our area of LA means we almost NEVER have to deal with winter weather issues.            I'M.SO.GLAD.  

I feel a bit of  "Weather Guilt" as I look out my window and see sunshine, and only need grab a lightweight jacket to go out, even in the evenings.  Sooooooo, I'm gonna  ease my Weather Guilt  post a few photos which I hope will make you smile, even if you're completely gob-smack in the middle of a blizzard.

Do you recognize these pesky blooms?

Here is a close up.

It's a pesky weed.

Already.

All the dark greens in this bed

don't belong here.  

Yep, weeds.  (the legal kind)

It's still January and I already need to weed  the garden beds.  That's one thing you don't have to do if you're dealing with snow!   I admit it's a bit of a stretch to think you'd be cheered by photos of spring weeds when you're dealing with all-things-frozen and frigid temps, but hang on tight, 'cause if I've got spring weeds it means that Spring will eventually find you.

I.PROMISE.

(BTW, when it's 110* in the shade this Summer,

I'll be expecting you to cheer me on.)

How "Normal" is your guy?

Did any of you see the segment on the Today show, "How Normal Are You?".  Interesting.  It was all based on a survey by Esquire magazine and was intended for men.  Interesting.  I doubt that Mister would even bother to take the quiz, so being the  wife that really enjoys this type of thing   I was happy to take it in his place and do my best to answer as I thought he would.  His result was:

You’re barely Normal!

In some ways you’re just like 

everybody else, but just one 

or two more atypical behaviors 

and you’d find yourself 

squarely in the Weird Camp.

I guess that means we're a good match, which is a good thing to know after 43 years of marriage, doncha think?!  I think we're both probably "barely normal" and I consider that to be a good thing, just sayin...

If you want to take the quirky quiz for your guy you can find it HERE.

*You can file this under "fun stuff for a winter's day".

Second Best.

Summer,

 being my favorite time of the year, I find this time of the year to be my second best/ favorite.  That fact alone is almost an oxymoron, isn't it?  While I don't enjoy cold weather, our winters are quite mild and it's during this time that I seem to get my second wind and am able to fall into the rhythm of a quiet routine.  Gals like me love the idea of "routine", "schedule", "plan", etc. It's also a time of the year that we don't do any traveling.  Yay!   I do admit to having certain "hermit tendencies" when nighttime falls so early. I have to remind myself that it's healthy to be out & about on occasion.

I'm enjoying the sweet order of today.
I'm soon to put dinner into the oven for one of my favorite, easy, oven meals.  I'm gonna share this recipe as it's far to good to keep it to myself.  Yep, I'm that kinda girl.  *wink*    Give it a try and I promise it will become one of your favorites too.

Happy Wednesday, Bloggy Friends!

Company Casserole
(we call it this because it's good enough to serve to guests)

Round Steak, tenderized and cut into pieces
Brown Gravy pkt.
potatoes, sliced as for scalloped potatoes

Green Beans, 1 can, drained

1/3 C. water

Grease a baking dish
Place potatoes in 2/3 of dish.
Place green beans next to potatoes.
Pour water over all..
Salt & pepper to taste.
Place round steak on top of potatoes & gr. beans.
Sprinkle entire DRY gravy pkt over the round steak.
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 for 2 hrs.

I forgot the best part of this recipe - "it's so easy that a teenager can easily prepare it".  Whoopee!!

Happy X 3

Just had to share a few special things with you.
These are just a few of the things that have given me a reason to smile really BIG during the holiday season.

Mister came home from the after Christmas sale with this shirt he had bought for me.  There was only one left and this was it.  The color, the size, the message - PERFECT!  It was obviously meant for ME!!  Gotta love a shirt that says, "Happy, Happy, Happy"!  My new favorite!

Our youngest son, Tate, made it home for Christmas.  He's always a party!  So happy to see him and enjoy all the craziness that makes him so special!!

Also, for Christmas Mister replaced the diamond in my wedding ring.  We've been married for 43 years and this is the THIRD time I've lost my diamond and he has replaced it for me.  *blush*  I guess when I lose it and he fails to replace it I'll know it's "not gonna work out".  Till then, we're "good to go"!

* * * * * * * * * * 

Some of my friends have been posting a single word they feel God has layed upon their heart for the new year.  I've also done the same before and it's been interesting to see how God has taught me about that particular word during the year.  The word I feel God gave me for this year is "Bounce".  I know that seems a little odd since it's not particularly a "Bible word".  So the year should be interesting.  The first thought that comes to mind is the OLD song by Bobby Vee, does anyone else remember it?  

"Like a rubber ball I come bouncin' back to you [God]"  Perhaps I'm gonna learn how to be more consistent with my faith.  That would make me "Happy! Happy! Happy!

Bump-dah-Bump-Bump

Sometimes you can be cruising along, sun shining, radio playing your favorite tunes, THEN  all of a sudden there are some bumps in the road that jar you a bit. Unexpected bumps.  That's what happened to us this past weekend.  Great Christmas.  Great family.  Looking forward to a new year, THEN. . .the unexpected bumps.  Before I continue let me assure you the bumps aren't looking quite so bumpy right now and we're thinking the ride may move forward smoothly.

Maybe.

Sunday morning Mister got out of bed and began getting ready for church, but somewhere in the process his head began to ache and he went back to bed and slept much of the day.  This was his way of dealing with the bump.  I've done this before and if you can find sleep it sometimes does work to ease the tension.

I got ready for church and Mom and I went to church as planned.  We were late.  Very late.  But at least we were there.  After church we went to Mom's favorite place to eat then on to see a funny movie.  We called it our "Girl's Day Out" and didn't get home til 4:00 o'clock.  It was fun and kept my mind (most of the time) off of the bump.  Upon returning home I soon had a splitting headache and sat mindlessly in the recliner the rest of the evening.  Morning dawned as usual today.  We are totally back on schedule and the road doesn't seem nearly so bumpy today.

God is our friend.

Time is our friend.
Speaking of God and time,
here is my prayer for each of us as we begin a new year.

"May we all be blessed with a wonderful 2014

with smooth roads and only enough minor bumps

to keep life interesting."

What do you do when your road 

gets surprisingly bumpy?

What works for you?

Polar Express

Our "Polar Express" trip, aka "our trip to Oklahoma" last weekend.

See what I mean?

Truth is the roads remained clear while everything else iced up.  It was absolutely beautiful, but very cold.  The only problems were power outages as tree limbs broke from the weight of the ice.  

This is one of our family parties.  

The lights went out in the middle of our celebration,  yet we managed to still eat way too much, and to exchange gifts and even play our annual "Sneaky Santa" game.  The kids thought doing all this by candle light was lots of fun.  I admit there was something extra "cozy" about it all.  It certainly made for a memory that we'll all remember.

Here are some photos we took "before" we were plunged into darkness.  (just had to say that for dramatic flair)  

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Merry Christmas dear Bloggy friends.
I pray all is well with you and all those you love.
~ Deb

Today on the Bayou

Anyone feeling a bit like this?

Thanksgiving and Christmas is a lot of fun

AND

(forgive me for stating the obvious), it's also a LOT of work!

I've done most of my shopping online this year and that's simplified things dramatically.  I've also reduced my baking to just one type of Christmas Cookie.  (OK, make that two types of cookies.)  We've also put up a smaller tree and haven't decorated the outside of our house at all.  To read this makes us sound a bit like the ol' green Grinch, but that's actually not the case at all.  We're still having fun anticipating Christmas and being around our family.  Things are very good here, but time for all the "extras" is almost non-existent, so we cut back where we can so we CAN enjoy the most important things. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Haylee Kate

Me with our Granddolls and Lil' Mama.

Fun times during Thanksgiving holiday!

All these lovely girls are at the top of my Christmas List.  We absolutely could never "cut back" here!

Have you done anything to "cut back" during this year's Christmas season?  I'd love to hear what you've done. 

Retrospect

OK, it's not our family photo, 

but I'm sure you get the idea.

Some family gatherings go better than others.
This year's Thanksgiving was "Norman Rockwell perfect". My daughter, Amy, (Land of Fluff) threw-down a wonderful meal.  She has 3 children, a husband, an overnight guest, and worked the day before and after Thanksgiving, so this was no easy feat.  She is AMAZING!

We had some extra time to enjoy our 3 Granddolls while we were there.  We all went to a movie and also did some shopping and enjoyed some dinners "out".  Those girls give me such a rush!!  It seems like the whole world is a little "rosier" when I get to spend time with them!

I've been looking forward to sharing some photos of our fun, but, alas (how often does one get to use that word?!) I left my camera in Tulsa.  So I'll be delayed in sharing my photos.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yesterday was Mister and Lil' Mama's b-day.  It was a travel day so we have put off their birthday celebration til today.  Lots to do, so I'm outta here.

POUF!