Weekend

I want a real weekend! One where my house is clean, so I don't have to do any of that annoying housework. One where I don't have to go anywhere unless it's because I want to, not because I have to! One where I sleep late, get a good nap in, and stay up late doing something fun. One that seems to last way longer than 2 short days!

Slip Sliding Away

Or tubing, but I couldn't think of a song or catchphrase for that. This afternoon we went out on the boat with Gene and Cindy and Jacob, Paige and Matthew tubed. I was scared to death we were gonna send one or all of them careening out of control, but they all did great and HUNG ON! Jacob tried to knee board, but couldn't get the hang of it. I tried and tried to keep them from trying this without someone who knew what they were doing, but oh no, no one would listen to the one in the life jacket who can't swim and is a complete scaredy cat about water...whatever! We left when the clouds started boiling up, and we made it home right before the bottom fell out of the sky. I didn't have my phone or camera, but I sure wish I had gotten pictures of the looks on their faces...it was priceless to see them have so much fun!

Friday Night Lights

Headlights, that is. As soon as I got home from work yesterday, we hit the road. Some awesome weekend getaway, you think. Uh, no. We drove to Pell City, AL to pick up a trailer for the pontoon boat. Frank had alredy been looking for one long before he bought Rick's boat. (He had some crazy idea about getting Daddy's broken down pontoon boat and turning it into a bow hunting boat....I'm not sure he has totally ditched that idea!) Anyway, pontoon boats trailers are VERY pricey, but he found one on Craig's List for a lot less. And it wasn't a used hunk of junk, it actually was custom built to his specs. And built out of square tubing, not angle iron, which apparently is a big deal or something. All I know is that his trailer was ready, so we made a road trip. We drove straight over, with one stop because my bladder was gonna burst, got the trailer, ate at Cracker Barrell, then drove straight home, no stops. We left at 3:30, and got home at 11:30. I finally watched Confessions of a Shopaholic on the ride home, so it wasn't too bad. (but the back seat is not near as comfy as the front seat) Frank was very happy with the trailer, and Paige was very happy with Cracker Barrell. Jacob was at Coop's house, so this was a date night for Paige. Frank said at dinner that Paige would have made a perfect only child...but then again, so would Jacob. It's amazing how well behaved one child at a time is compared to the heathens my children can be in a vehicle for hours and hours sitting next to each other...but after sitting in the backseat myself last night, I think I know why they would show out so bad!

Fried Pickles and Friends

Tonight we went to dinner with Stephanie and Wayne. I should have melt downs more often if it means I get to go out with my friends! Over fried pickles we talked and listened, and had a good night. I do feel much better than I did and I appreciate all of your prayers.

Frank started back to school yesterday, so life just got more hectic. He has Western Civilization every morning 8-9. He has American Government T and Th 3-5. He has a crazy gotta have GMC class on Saturdays 8-12, but we don't know how many Saturdays he has to go yet. He only has to go until mid Nov, so I know we will survive this. He is then off until January.

We are planning to go camping over Thanksgiving, and I'm really looking forward to that. I feel like we stay gone all the time, and I really want to be home, but I'm constantly looking for somewhere to go. I know, I'm crazy...I proved that already this week. This weekend though, we are home, and I'm glad to be home. And I'm glad I feel more like me again.

The Ingredients for a Good Day

Today was a good day. I got a letter from my nephew today! He is in Marine bootcamp, and I hadn't heard from him in about a month. I actually wrote him a letter waiting for a meeting at work today, then got home and there was one for me from him! He sounds good, and he and his fellow recruits are planning a picnic for Family Day. (planning a party, he must take after his Aunt Cathryn!) He said there are about 16 recruits wanting to do this, and I was so happy to see that he has made that many friends. He said he had a few things he wanted me to bring to the picnic...I turned the page, and there was his list.

brownies

cookies

cakes

ham

potato salad

baked beans

green bean casserole

2 24 packs canned sodas

deviled eggs

peach cobbler

pear cobbler

apple crisp

blueberry cobbler

squash casserole

lemon cake

mashed potatoes and gravy

biscuits

mac and cheese

sandwich stuff

chips and dip

fried chicken

coleslaw

If I couldn't bring the food, that's ok, we'll find a place there to eat, but if I could bring the food, bring a lot, because they hadn't eaten real food in over 3 months. :o) I better start cooking, I only have til October to get it all together!

FYI

Thanks for the concern about my mental well being. I am feeling better today. I am not immersed in the situation like I was, so I'm able to get some relief from it. I haven't changed my mind about talking to the person. I know that is the Bibical thing to do, but I am not ready for that. I really needed to vent, and I used my blog to do it. Now I'm moving on.

How bout that Kanye West...he's such a jerk!

BLAH!

OK, so here goes. I have wanted to blog, but what is going on with me is not happy so I just keep pushing it aside. I can't push it aside anymore, and I need to get it out. I'm mad. And bitter. I'm not mad at my husband or my kids, work is good, it's none of the normal culprits, but I am so angry just the same. Tonight at church, people were talking about how great things are, and about being on a high, but I'm in a valley. Someone really hurt my feelings. It isn't the first time this person has done this, and I am not the only person whose feelings have been hurt. I actually had finally gotten over this person hurting me when they did it again. And I know that they don't even know they did, and I truly don't think they would care if they did know. I don't think there is any good in going to them about it, because if they cared, it wouldn't have happened. But this stupid little petty problem has really soured my attitude about everything. Something that I was so excited about has been crushed for me. I feel used and unappreciated. It took me years to dig out of my self-imposed hole but just a moment to bury myself back into it. I absolutely feel like I can not function. And what really stinks is I know this person isn't worth what I'm going through, and what happened is really not a big deal. At some point, I'll get up and I'll get over it, but I am so not there yet. So, there, I got it out of my head and onto the page. I just wish I could get it out of my heart.

Anchors Away!

We are now the proud owners of a boat. Well, another boat. Frank already had my daddy's fishing boat. I would not go out on the fishing boat, being that I'm terrified of water and all. Frank has owned several boats while we have been married, and a couple of them, I let him take me out on them once. There, I did it, now take me home, kinda trips. A couple of weeks ago, Frank said he wanted to get a boat we could all go out on. Knowing Frank, and his many ideas that float in and out of him mind, I just said, yea, that sounds nice, and let it go. But this idea didn't go away. He told me all the reasons why we need a boat, and how much we will use it, and enjoy it together, and so forth and so on.

And then, something awful happened. Frank lost one of his best friends. And it's been hard. I have felt really helpless because I can't make it better. I'll do anything to make it better. Even get a boat. But not just any boat...Rick's boat. So, we are now the proud owners of a boat...Rick's boat. We took the boat out for the first time today. And you know what...Frank was right. It was really fun. The kids had a ball, it's big enough that I didn't pass out, and Frank now has more than a boat, he has something that belonged to his friend.

Dippity Doo Dah!

I know, I know, I haven't blogged in like, forever. To all my adoring fans (all 5 of you), I'm sorry, it's been a rough little while, and I didn't feel like what we were going through was blogging material. But today, I found something to be excited about...something that inspired me to blog... I love party foods. If someone says "finger foods", I'm there! As a child, when we played make believe, I was always some rich person eating hors d'oeuvres (yes, I had to look up how to spell the word). I didn't know what a hors d'oeuvres was, but I just knew I would like it!

I've tried to think of a dip recipe that isn't very common to post. Here's my contribution to the party.

Green Chile Dip

2 blocks of cream cheese (softened at room temperature)

2 4 oz cans of diced green chilies

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients and place in a shallow casserole dish.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

It's very simple to make, and very tasty! I usually serve it with Fritos Scoops. My husband put it on toasted French bread, and it was really good that way too. And I should get bonus points, because it has TWO blocks of cream cheese in it! I can't wait to read all the other dip recipes, and I have a feeling we will be having finger foods for dinner this weekend! Head over to BOOMAMA'S blog, and join this diptacular event!