I like eggs …
scrambled with cheese or in baked goods. I do NOT like deviled eggs or hard-boiled eggs or pieces of egg in anything. Yuck!!!!!!!! Just the thought of those rubbery white pieces of egg makes me want to gag.
I think I’m going to barf now.
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For breakfast this morning I ate …
nothing. Every Wednesday morning, before Bible study, I go to the gym to get measured and weighed. It’s not exactly the world’s worst thing that happens to me on a regular basis, but it’s not the most pleasant either. But, as soon as we get to Bible study, I scarf down a bowl of fresh fruit including blueberries, grapes, and a banana. Every ounce counts, right?!
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The thing I remember most about my great-grandmother is …
Oh gosh, there are so many things I remember about Nannie, my paternal great-grandmother. She owned and operated the original Edwards Florist in Sebree, Kentucky and had the greenest thumb of anybody I’ve ever met. She had hydrangea blooms bigger than your head, delicate African violets in every shade, an aloe plant that was 30 years old, and a huge fern that was 10 feet across. No doubt, she had the Midas touch for all blooming things. I think she had a significant impact in my blooming as well. I began staying with her an a young infant when my mother returned to work just weeks after my birth. Because of my parents’ work schedules, I stayed with her some Saturdays too.
I remember clearing out every cabinet and drawer in her kitchen, playing with pots, pans, cooking utensils, and dishes. I once fell asleep inside an empty cabinet but Nannie let me sleep in peace.
I remember playing tea party and make-believe waitress at a restaurant with her Blue Willow china. I never broke a single piece and now have the beloved dishes are in my home.
I remember going to Posey’s Main Street Market to buy groceries every week. It was almost a day-long affair as she meandered up and down every aisle and she always – ALWAYS – paid in cash. Speaking of cash, I remember my dad buying a used cash register at a yard sale. I thought it was the coolest thing for my make-believe restaurant. To enhance my imaginative experience, Nannie let me use her bills and loose change. All was well until the day the cash register stopped working. Nannie went to the garage, grabbed a crowbar, and opened the money drawer. Needless to say, the cash register went out with the week’s trash.
I remember watching The Price Is Right with Bob Barker EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. at 11am.
I remember hand-rolling dough for biscuits and stirring creamy milk gravy with a wooden spoon in Nannie’s cast iron skillet. She prepared three meals a day, rain or shine, and her kitchen was always full of family and friends.
I remember tossing banana peels under the giant magnolia tree, it always had the biggest, most fragrant blooms.
I remember playing around the trellis in the backyard and seeing a baby garter snake. I got scared and ran through the screen door on the back porch. Hashtag whoops. 🙂
I remember Nannie slept flat on her back with two small pillows under her calves to elevate her feet.
I remember Nannie letting me drive her car up and down the driveway years before I was 16 or had a driver’s license and gas was less than a dollar per gallon.
I remember Nannie giving my older cousins relationship advice, “Never date someone you wouldn’t marry.” I listened and married the only man I ever dated.
I remember Nannie’s favorite phrase was, “Well I declare!”
If Nannie thought you were ugly, she’d say, “You stood behind the door when the Lord passed out good looks.”
I remember Nannie had a rotary telephone on her desk. It was originally white but had faded through the years and the cord was multi-color because I adorned it with Sharpie markers. Inside the middle drawer was a large Ziploc bag and inside of that was a well-worn spiral notebook filled with every birth, anniversary, graduation, divorce, and death of every single person Nannie knew. And she knew a lot of people. I wish I had that notebook so I could write my own special dates: May 23, 2002 – high school graduation; May 12, 2006 – college graduation; March 31, 2007 – Nicole Edwards married Kevin Hutchison; December 19, 2013 – Kamden Alan Hutchison was born. She would have been smitten with my spouse and our handsome son.
I remember Nannie drinking a glass of warm buttermilk every day for good health.
I remember taking shelter in the bath tub, covered with blankets and pillows, when a tornado came through town. We were uninjured and the house was fine, but the two Bradford pear trees in the front yard were destroyed. When Nannie heard a clap of thunder, she’d say, “That’s the potato wagon going over the bridge.”
I remember Nannie keeping a gallon jug of vanilla ice cream in the deep freezer in the wash house. She probably knew my secret, but I hid a spoon in the blue coffee can filled with wooden stakes and rusted nails.
I remember Nannie letting me bring the neighbor’s white kitten in the house, I considered him my own and named him Snowball. He was the finest, most gentle cat but he shed like crazy. My mom got smart and kept a change of clothes in her car so I could wear clean clothes home every day.
I remember the last day I visited Nannie in the nursing home. I had known her to be a large, formidable, overweight woman. When she died, passing peacefully in her sleep, she weighed just 93. Her mind and body faded quickly and she no longer knew who I was. I don’t like remembering that woman, she wasn’t the woman I knew and dearly loved.
I remember Nannie. 🙂
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My most recent splurge purchase for myself was …
a box of Crayola twistable colored pencils, alphabet stickers, stamps and ink pads, and gel pens for my Journaling Bible. I think I spent less than $25 but I got a cart full of stuff thanks to clearance pricing, a coupon in the Sunday paper, and an additional discount because I always carry my educators’ ID card.
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I have a first date and we …
Well, first of all, let’s presume this isn’t a blind date and I know who I’m meeting because, let’s face it, ain’t nobody got time for surprises with strangers. Date Guy would come to my house, complement my t-shirt, jeans, and cap, and then he’d help me carry a bunch of gun cases and ammo to his car or truck. He opens the passenger side door for me to get in too. We’d shoot tons of paper at the gun range, as close as 30 feet with handguns and long-range (100 or more yards) with the target rifles. I would, most likely, shoot better than him but he’d be a good sport about it and tease by saying he ‘let’ me win. Yeah right. Then we’d go eat dinner at a place he picked out, I’m not picky, and he’d pay for our meal and leave a generous tip. If the night’s still young, and we enjoy each others company, we’d go bowling, watch a movie, or go to Top Golf. I’ve never been to Top Golf but 99% sure I’d like it. If the night’s going well, he might get a kiss after walking me back to my door. If the night’s going really well, I’d smack his jean-covered ass as he walked away and look forward to our next date.
I won’t apologize for that last part. 🙂
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Things I miss about being a kid …
not paying bills. Thanks to Husband’s great job and savvy financial skills, we’re secure and fine. But I still worry about the what-ifs and sigh every time I see a bill in the mailbox. Didn’t I just pay that damn thing?!
running through sprinklers, drinking water out of the garden hose, swimming in the lake, fishing at the pond, eating ice cream until my brain froze, and watering the hydrangea bushes with Nannie.
attending preschool at Lollipop Campus.
attending Robards Elementary School.
attending Webster County High School.
drama meant your best friend didn’t sit beside you at the lunch table or played ball with someone else on the playground. Speaking of playgrounds, I went to the principal’s office once in my life (second grade) for sucker-punching Phillip Dixon in the stomach while he hanged on the monkey bars because he wouldn’t stop kicking the back of my chair in the classroom and pulling my hair. I begged Mrs. Neely (the principal) not to contact my parents so we negotiated a plea bargain: I had to write Phillip an apology letter. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do because I wasn’t an ounce sorry for doing what I did. I must’ve been a great writer back then too, because Mrs. Neely believed my transcript and never called Mom or Dad. I finally confessed this moral transgression to my parents on my wedding day, some 16 years later, when I thought it was safe and I wouldn’t get into trouble. Dad laughed but Mom replied, “Nicole Marie, I’m calling Mrs. Neely tomorrow to get the full story and tell her you lied in your letter to Phillip.” I have no doubt the call was made, but Mom won’t admit it.
sleepovers.
youth group at church.
toilet papering my own house, with the youth group, and laughing about it the whole time.
calling “my crush” only to have his mom or dad answer the phone, YIKES!
I miss being a kid and living life without cell phones, social media, and political correctness. Sometimes, the truth hurts but we need to hear it. If you don’t get picked for the ball team, better luck next time or find a new hobby and don’t expect a ribbon for trying either.
Oh, and let’s not forget Lisa Frank and Trapper Keepers and Caboodles and playing cassette tapes in my Walkman.
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Everything I’m thinking about right now …
I feel like this link-up is slowly (quickly?) dying and most of the problem is me. It’s 4:35am, I just changed Kamden’s diaper and gave him a quick drink, and now I’m on the couch watching the monitor to make sure he goes back to sleep and typing this post. I haven’t blogged since last week’s link-up and, even then, I felt it was rushed and last-minute. Does anybody care about these anymore?
Mom has been in town since Saturday and we’ve had a wonderful visit. Kamden and I are dropping her off at the airport later today, we already miss her! The weather’s been great so we could be outside and we’ve certainly taken advantage. We went to Grapevine last Monday and walked through the Gaylord Texas Hotel and had lunch along the river walk. Kamden loved watching the fish (and people), he also discovered a large toy train display and enjoyed impromptu dance parties when he’d hear music playing throughout the facility. The kid loves to dance and I’m anxious to see where this infatuation with music leads. After lunch, we headed to the aquarium inside Grapevine Mills Mall. I’ll share those pictures in a later post, hopefully! Yesterday (Tuesday), we headed downtown to Sundance Square. The new pavilion and dancing fountains in the square on Main Street is fantastic and the perfect spot for Kamden to walk around and explore, especially when the weather is so perfect. Again, he could hear music being piped through speakers in the landscaping and overhead and would shake and boogie in his adorable way in the middle of downtown Fort Worth. That boy steals my heart all day every day! We ate lunch at Piranha Sushi and Kamden ate shrimp fried rice for the first time. He ate until I thought his little belly might explode.
Speaking of music, I’m in love with Ellie Goulding and her smash hit, “Love Me Like You Do.” While I absolutely hated the Fifty Shades of Gray movie, the soundtrack is surprisingly good. In fact, it’s really good. But, how can you go wrong with a mix of Frank Sinatra and Beyoncé with new, fresh, and young talent like Ellie Goulding. My car’s radio is tuned to country 99% of the time and I keep up with the latest dance and pop music thanks to my amazing fitness trainer and cycling coach and music fanatic, Crissy. Lately, I’ve heard “Love Me Like You Do” playing on several different genre stations. The song is definitely a smash hit on radio, ITunes, and has been viewed on YouTube more than 220 million times. Do they even make CDs anymore? If so, I’d like this soundtrack for my car. Kamden and I love listening to music while we’re out and about and I will not deny replicating my riding motion on the bike when a familiar song plays on the radio. Yes, I’m the girl dancing and jamming in her car that everyone stares at. #dontcare
At church tonight, I’m looking forward to participating in a traditional (and Kosher) Seder Passover meal. I was invited to a friend’s house to celebrate the Jewish Passover with her family, but it was years ago and I’ve forgotten many aspects of the meal, which is a worship service too. To my knowledge, this will be the first time most people at First United Methodist Church in Joshua, Texas experience a Seder Service.
Yesterday, March 31, Husband and I celebrated eight years of matrimony. Besides lunch at Chick-Fil-A on Friday and dinner at Spring Creek BBQ Sunday evening, he gave me the best gift of all yesterday morning: Husband put the toilet seat down. Y’all, I’m not kidding. He only does it on our anniversary and it gets my attention – EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. The guy’s a mess but I love him so much!
Bloggers, please add your post to the link up through the link below. 🙂
Spring is …
the perfect time for the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team to win another national championship. #MarchMadness
the perfect time to replace batteries in your smoke detectors and alarm clocks.
the perfect time to visit friends and listen to them preach and share a meal in the middle of their living room floor while your super-busy and very mobile toddler child chases their dog around the couch and completely empties a tower of books and DVDs. Oh well, it’s early preparation for the arrival of her own daughter later this year!
the perfect time to open the windows and let the fresh air in.
the perfect time to enjoy the sunny, beautiful weather at the city park with a bottle of bubbles and a bouncy ball.
the perfect time to grill chicken fajitas for supper.
the perfect time to buy a new bottle of Zyrtec allergy pills!
the perfect time to arrange your social calendar with friends based on the outdoor festivals and activities going on around North Texas. Anybody want to go to Ennis for the bluebonnet festival with Kamden and I? I’m taking my camera, if that’s incentive for you to go!
the perfect time to schedule your senior or family portrait session with me, I want to take your picture!
the perfect time for your mom to visit over a long weekend.
Bloggers, please add your post to the link up through the link below. 🙂
Describe a room in your home (include pictures if you wish) …
After Christmas in 2010, Husband and I embarked on our first home remodeling project. What was supposed to be a two-week project in the master bathroom turned into a major ordeal and overhaul of not only the bathroom, but we also removed wood paneling and retextured walls in the kitchen, dining room, and one bedroom and installed new door hardware (knobs and locks) throughout the house. From start to finish, our house was deemed a construction zone for two months. I’m confident that Husband and I will probably, most likely, never do it again. Ever. The original master bath was awful and I’m (mostly) happy with the end result, but the process in the middle, the actual remodeling part, was irritating, frustrating, expensive, and pushed my limits of patience. Husband hates spending money and I hate making decisions, we are not suited for projects like this!
THE BEFORE // The original master bathroom was very outdated with its white tile, floral wallpaper border, laminate countertops, dorm-like shower stall, and brass fixtures. The toilet was also in its own “closet” and there was a lot of empty, wasted space in the room.
REMOD PROCESS // This whole project came about because we wanted a larger shower. The original was just too small and we discovered a small leak in the drain that had to be addressed immediately anyway. But we were limited in what we could do for budget reasons and the overall layout of the rest of the house. There are two exterior walls involved (behind the tub and one sink vanity) going through drywall and brick was NOT an option. We also didn’t want to reconfigure our living room or closets to improve our master bath either. The only possibly solution, and to keep costs under control, was to leave most electrical and plumbing fixtures in tact. By turning the toilet 90-degrees and removing one wall, we opened up the space for a larger shower while keeping the overall layout of the bathroom the same. We installed tile, custom 42-inch-tall wood vanities with under-mount sinks, a built-in corner cabinet, granite countertop, brushed nickel (silver) fixtures, and new lighting.
THE RESULT // Besides keeping it clean, I really like the overall space, especially our new shower. I was hesitant about the glass door and half-wall but I think it elevates the space and looks really great. (This picture was actually recently taken, I stopped taking pictures of the construction process at the five-week mark. I was so done and over it by then!)
I wish I had better photos to share but here’s the honest truth: this project cost more and took MUCH longer than anticipated so our patience had long run its course by the time we got to the end and the crews left. By week six, I was tired and out of patience and Husband was out of patience (and money) by week three! Looking back, there are small cosmetic details (paint scuffs, grout line, etc.) that I wish I had seen before the contractors left so they could have been repaired, but you live and learn. Husband and I learned we never want to do this again. Needless to say, you won’t see us on any upcoming HGTV or DIY home improvement show. Stick a fork in us, we’re done!
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I have $250,000 to spend as I wish, so I purchase …
First, I’d tithe and give God what is His. And yes, there’s a reason this is at the top of my list.
Next, I’d invest $75,000 in our retirement fund(s). Actually, Husband is the finance-genius in our relationship, along with our financial advisor, so I’d tell them to make the final decision on the 75K. I trust them implicitly. Then, I’d invest $50,000 into Kamden’s 529 college savings plan. The kid is going to college or trade school, no exceptions.
When I purchased my car in 2007, I really didn’t think I’d be a mom or need a more spacious vehicle. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with my car and it is functioning properly and all of our needs are sufficiently met *BUT* it would be nice to have a larger vehicle. I’d like a crew-cab pickup or large SUV, mainly for a spacious back seat and cargo area, and rear A/C is a non-negotiable. For Husband, I’d get him a hybrid sedan (four door) to drive to work and it would be a back-up vehicle we could all still fit in, if needed, including Kamden’s large convertible car seat. Neither vehicle would be brand new. Instead, they’d be new-to-us, well-maintained, and quality inspected. Since Husband is the king of frugal finds, particularly vehicles, I assume there will be funds remaining in the budgeted line item. If so, I’d buy a new DSLR camera and zoom lens.
The next line item is imperative to me and ridiculous to Husband, but this is my blog and my imaginary money to spend as I wish … so I’m setting aside $35,000 for future travel including family vacations. They won’t be extreme or extravagant, but memorable and fun. I’d like to take Husband and Kamden to the mountains (Husband has only seen “hills” in Texas, they don’t count!), Disney World, the Grand Canyon, New York City, Siesta Key Beach in Florida, just to name a few. I don’t care have stay-cations, as long as we get out and explore and enjoy some sunshine, fresh air, and adventure as a family!
Finally, and I’m honestly a bit wishy-washy about this last $15,000 and how to spend it but until I think of something else to buy or invest in, I’ll put it aside for home improvement projects. When we remodeled our master bathroom several years ago, Husband offered to install granite countertops in the kitchen but I said thanks-but-no-thanks. If we update the kitchen countertops, I think the cabinets need some work too. And if we do the cabinets and countertops, we’ll need to update the sink and cook-top. I’d love to have stainless appliances, we currently have all black, but our dishwasher and refrigerator are fairly new. I really like our kitchen and I don’t want to commit to a major project without doing it properly, so maybe I find something else to do with the 15K because I am WAY over budget with what I have in mind!
If you had $250K sitting around, what would you do with it? Leave a comment, I want to know.
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Three 31 