Chow Time!

This week I am going to try not one but two new recipes.  I know, I know. . . . . .there is something wrong with that picture!   Cooking three nights one week (that means nothing from the freezer!), maybe it will rain! The hubs wanted shrimp and I wanted chicken so we are both getting what we want.  Here is what we will be chowing down on!

Monday:  No Boil Chicken Alfredo Skillet and corn

Tuesday:  Roasted Shrimp Enchiladas with Jalapeno CreamSauce and Spanish rice

Wednesday:  fend for yourself

Thursday:  Taco Salad and guacamole

Friday:  out to dinner

Saturday:  fend for yourself

 
Can’t wait to tell you what the verdict was on Monday and Tuesday meals!! 

 PS:  I have just posted my 701st post!!!

Waiting for the Rain

They (the weather people) have said that almost everyone would get rain this week.  HA HA HA I say.  We got a little sprinkle this afternoon but it was just enough to cover all of the tire tracks in the driveway and that was all.  We have a huge need for rain around here.  I walked out in the pasture last night to take some pictures of the thunderstorm that passed us by and the grass just crunched under my feet.  Our ponds are going down pretty fast and my Dad has started feeding hay to the cattle.  I decided that I would show you the beautiful cloud formations we have had the last two days even if the rain has passed us by. 

Storm from yesterday (taken with Canon Rebel).

I have wanted to take a lightening shot for a long time and I finally got not one but two!!

 

Clouds from tonight (taken with Instagram).

 

 

Ch Ch Ch Changes!!

I had decided to make a little change. Here is the before.

Here is the after.  What do you think?

What Do You Say?

What do you say when you find out friends are suffering from terrible diseases?  In the past two weeks we have found out that three of our friends are fighting cancer, one is waiting to find out if he has it and one passed away after a 4 year fight.  I am not eloquent with my words and I wish I was.  I wish that words of comfort came easily to me so I would know what to say to my friends.  I have added them to my prayer list and I am asking you to add to yours if you don’t mind.

The first person we learned about was my husband’s friend and co-worker Vickie.  Vickie and Mr. Giggles have worked together for 15 years and have been through the loss of one of their friends and co-workers to cancer.  They were all three math teachers and were very close.  About 7 years ago we lost Gary to cancer after many years of fighting.  Now Vickie is fighting triple negative breast cancer.  She is single and her family does not live close by.  Right now she is having chemo and the rest of her treatment plans are up in the air because the cancer has grown so incredibly fast. 

The second friend is someone who I worked with for a summer but in a short time we became very good friends.  Her birthday is around our anniversary and her anniversary is around my birthday.  She was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer.  She is in her mid 40’s married with fur babies.  She is currently taking radiation and I haven’t had a chance to talk to her about anything else.

Yesterday I found out that a family friend has an inoperable tumor in his liver.  They are praying for a miracle because at this time it seems that is all there is for him.  He is such a bigger than life person and it is hard to believe that he is that sick. 

Last week the 42 year old daughter of my student teaching mentor passed away after an incredible four year fight with breast cancer.  Rachel didn’t let cancer rule her world, she ruled the cancer.  She and her husband purchased a condo that they totally remodeled and furnished to house people who are going to MD Anderson for breast cancer treatments.  If you are a Houston Chronicle subscriber, there is a write up about her in yesterday’s issue.  I have not been able to read it because I am not a subscriber but if you are and have a minute, read it and see what all she accomplished while fighting cancer and continuing her job.

These things have been weighing heavy on my heart and I hope that I can be the friend these friends need even if I can’t come up with the right words to say.  Do you ever feel that way?

 

Favorite Thrift Store or Garage Sale Items

This was the subject of Kelly’s Korner Show Us Your Life last week (yes, I am behind!!).  We have noticed that our thrift stores and garage sales just don’t have the caliber of items found in other areas.  But occasionally I do find something that I really like (especially when I am at my sister and our friend’s garage sale!).  Anyway a few of the things I don’t have pictures of because they are not currently at my home but they are an antique highboy chest of drawers (church garage sale), a cute little phone table (side of the road), old windows (side of the road) and a set of bunk beds twin/double (from a friend who was getting rid of).  I love old dishes so that is mainly what you will see from here on!!  I got everything pictured at either garage sales or Goodwill.

blue & green oblong bowl
 

gold goblet
 

blue vase ? with lid

gold bowl
 

clear bowl
 

creamer from Bugaria

divided serving dish

small plate

cute gate I am going to use for pictures

cute little pitcher candles

denim jacket

What's Cookin'

Last week was Vacation Bible School so I didn't have time to cook.  This week I don't appear to have anything so there will be a little bit of cooking going on!

Monday:  sloppy joes and French fries or tator tots

Tuesday:  bbq brisket and potato salad

Wednesday: leftovers. . . .fend for yourself

Thursday:  fish fillets and mac and cheese

Friday:  out to dinner

Saturday:  fend for yourself

Nothing fancy or exciting but two of the three meals are ones that the Mr. has been requesting.  The other is food in the freezer that needs to be eaten and can be used for lunches this week.

Hope your are having a great week.

VBS and the Dentist

Wow, this has been a crazy week.  We started out the week with Vacation Bible School at our church which was fun but exhausting!  We learned about the KING OF KINGS, King David, King Solomon and Jesus.  I was in charge of the 5-7 year olds and on Monday we had 3 but by Wednesday night we had 6.  We were grouped with the 3’s and 4’s and on Wednesday we had a total of 12 very lively youngsters!!  I have to admit that I was very happy to not have to go anywhere last night. . . . . .well, the hubs and I went to Sonic to partake in ½ price shakes.  I got the strawberry cheesecake and the Mr. got the coconut cream pie.

I made two trips to the dentist this week.  Tuesday I went in for my regular cleaning and today I had to go get a filling redone.  I hate going to the dentist, especially when I have to have work done.  My dentist knows this about me and he always tries his best to make me comfortable and to “enjoy” my trip as much as possibly!  So glad I don’t have to go back until February.  My mouth is still asleep and it makes it very hard to drink!

It has also been an emotional week for me.  This month 6 years ago we found out that we were expecting.  What an exciting but horribly scary time.  Unfortunately 5 months later we lost our beautiful baby boy.  I have also been missing my Mom A LOT this past week.  And a friend of ours lost her 37 year old daughter after a very courageous 4 year battle with breast cancer.  And then add to that the fact that school is about to start again and I still don’t have a job and haven’t even had any interviews or anything.  All I want to do is be in the classroom teaching and I can’t seem to get there.

It has still been very hot here.  Pretty much 100+ all week again and there has been rain but just trace amounts around our place.  It keeps pouring in town where all there is to be rained on is concrete. So frustrating.  I would say that I am ready for fall but that doesn’t usually have too much of a change from summer!

I don’t remember if I mentioned this or not but we have to have part of our kitchen floor replaced.  Not the linoleum but the wood underneath the linoleum.  We have one big spot where the wood is pretty much gone and another where it is getting really soft.  The contractor came out and looked at the floor yesterday so soon I am going to have to get pretty much everything, appliances included out of the kitchen so they can come do the work and then replace the linoleum.  I have to say that I am not looking forward to this happening.  Well, I am looking forward to new linoleum because I hate having a white floor but not looking forward to the rest!!

Well, I had better go so I can get some housework done, especially in the kitchen!  I hope you had a great week..

A look at the little bit of rain we got yesterday.

 

 

 

End of Summer

I am calling this the official end to our summer.  Mr. Giggles has Friday off during the summer and this Friday was his last one.  We went shopping yesterday to take advantage of the Tax Free Weekend.  The crowds weren’t too bad but then we only went to Academy, Sam’s and Wal-Mart.  I got some new tennis shoes and a few tank tops to wear under other shirts that are not “school” appropriate and Mr. Giggles got a couple pair of shorts, socks and a t-shirt.  And then we had a late lunch at our favorite hole in the wall Mexican food restaurant which was yummy, yummy as usual!  We made a late night excursion last night to get gas for one of our trucks and then we hit up the new Bahama Bucks snowcone stand.  We only had to wait in line for 12 minutes which is pretty good (it was also 9:45 at night).  I got white coconut and cream and Mr. got blue coconut and cream.  They were ok but when I have something with coconut, I want A LOT of coconut flavor which these did not have.  Our hometown JJ’s Snowcones still has the best in our opinion but they don’t stay open as late and they are much further away.

Today has been a lazy day so far.  I didn’t get up until 10 and it is almost noon and we are just now getting breakfast done.  Well, Mr. G is getting breakfast done.  He is making waffles, sausage and eggs.  I think this is only the third time our 16 year old waffle maker has been used.  The last time it was used was when we had a waffle breakfast at work which was at least 6 years ago.  I am not a big waffle fan but last time we went to my sister’s house we had them and I ate mine with honey and they were ok.  I don’t like syrup or pancakes!! 

I don’t know what the weather has been like where you live (I am very jealous of those of you who have been getting rain) but it has been very hot (over 100 every day this week) and very dry around here.  In the past two weeks there have been several grassfires and those make me nervous.  We live on a farm with grass (very dead) and trees all around us and people who think that they can control their fire should they have one.  So far everyone around us is playing it smart. 

As of right now I still have not gotten a job.  There is an instructional aide position opening at my husband’s school and one at one of the elementary schools in CS that I have applied for.  Even though they aren’t teaching positions, it would be a job and a foot in the door so that hopefully I can get back into the classroom as a teacher.  Prayers and good thoughts appreciated!  If I do not get either one of these jobs I will have to look for something else.  Substitute teaching just doesn’t pay the bills.

And now back to the conversation regarding the end of summer. . . . . . .the college students are heading back into town which means a dramatic rise in the population around here which means the regulars can’t get into the hip restaurants because of all the students and their parents.  Then comes football season and that is a whole different nightmare in and of itself!!

Well, I have got to go so I can do some grocery shopping for the casserole we are taking to the church luncheon tomorrow.

This picture shows where I wish I was right now instead of in the heat!!

 

Favorite Apps

This week over at Kelly’s Korner Show Us Your Life, everyone is sharing their favorite apps.  I don’t have many on my phone because I am worried that my phone will catch something (which it already did once) and stop working correctly.  My husband laughs at me and you probably will too but I don’t want to deal with trying to figure out what is making my phone ill should it happen again!!  I didn’t become a smart phone user until last November.  The hubs and I got Samsung Galaxy III’s and we really like them.  My hubs had been a user longer because of his work.  He is the technology person in our family.

Apps On My Phone (I only use FREE apps)

1.        Open Bibles:  my husband uses this on his tablet and phone and I started using it because one Sunday I forgot my at home.  It has several different versions of the Bible and is fairly easy to use!  I only use it occasionally because I can find things in my Bible faster than on my phone!!

2.    Kindle:  I am a “real” book type girl but I do like this app (it came on my phone) and when I am waiting somewhere and I have forgotten to bring a book, I will read whatever I have on my Kindle.  So far I have only read the free books and have started some really good series.  I guess I will one day have to pay to finish the series!!  Until then. . . .

3.     Instagram:  I enjoy using instagram because I can occasionally keep up with my nephew who doesn’t use facebook much anymore and my niece who is too young for facebook.  It makes me use my phone camera more and I am getting better with it.

4.    The Weather Channel:  this one is pretty obvious but I only put on there because my husband kept asking me about the weather and I never had the answer for him.

5.     Funny Sound Effects:  I can make my ringtone something that will annoy the love of my life!!!  Right now my ringtone is the “The Witch Doctor” sung by the Chipmunks!!!  It also gives students a good laugh when I am subbing in a classroom and my phone happens to ring.  Maybe they will think that I am somewhat cool and hip!  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

6.     Big Bang Whip:  because when I need something done I can just crack the whip!!!

Well, I think that is everything.  The hubs and I are looking for a list we can both add to.  I think I may have found one but we will see.

What's for Dinner

And it is only a few days late!!!

Monday:  beef stroganoff casserole, corn, broccoli, cake mix cookies

Tuesday:  fend for yourself (we ate a (big) late lunch)

Wednesday:  Chicken Express - out to eat (hubby had to work late so we ate after church)

Thursday:  Red Lobster - out to eat (hubs got a giftcard for his birthday and we have a coupon that expires today)

Friday:  out to eat

Saturday:  fend for yourself

 

Since it has been 103 almost everyday this week it has been nice to not have the oven heating the house up even more!!!

Throwback Thursday

My sister's and I.  I wish I knew the year this was taken.  I am pretty sure it is Easter.

Wordless Wednesday

 

So hard to believe that these two kiddos that I love with all my heart are going to be in 10th and 7th grade.  Where has the time gone?  Sure do wish Memom was here so she could see what great kids they are.  Tator Tot and Maddie Moo, I love you both more that you will ever know.  ILYMTYLM!!

Hot. . .HOt. . . .HOT!!!

Not sure how many of you who might read this are from Texas but if you are then I won’t be telling you anything you don’t already know!  After a rather “mild” July Texas has been backhanded with a HOT August!  And when I say hot I mean over 100 everyday this week, stay in the house and sit still so you don’t sweat kind of hot.  For example, it is currently 9:29 pm and the temperature on our front porch is still 89 degrees.  Our a/c has been running pretty much non-stop with two fans going and the living room is 77 degrees and I didn’t even turn on the oven tonight.  Luckily we got the a/c compressor fixed in one of our trucks last week so my husband wouldn’t combust from the heat this week!  My plan this week was to go swim and walk in the mornings early and then stay at home during the hot part of the day.  Yesterday I had to go grocery shopping in the afternoon and today my husband and I went to lunch and then had to run some more errands.  The last stop was Walmart and I let him do that one on his own!!!  I say all of this to say that I hope you are staying cool!!!  Here is the best place to stay cool!!

What I Like About Summer

I thought I would make a list of things I like about summer since it is quickly coming to an end. 

I enjoy the fact that my husband works four day weeks so we get to spend 3 day weekends together.

I enjoy not having to set the alarm clock every morning.

I enjoy being able to get a few “honey-do” projects completed (not all but some!)

I enjoy going camping.

I enjoy going to the matinee movies (so much cheaper!).

I enjoy long days (not necessarily the heat on those days!)

I enjoy spending a little more time with my nephew and niece and other members of the family.

I enjoy the beautiful sunsets.

I enjoy spending time in the pool.

I enjoy the university students being gone and finally being able to go to some of the nicer restaurants around town!