VACATION!!!!!!

Well, the day has finally arrived when we will be leaving for vacation.  I think everyone needs some kind of vacation from time to time.  Otherwise we would all go insane. 
The bags are packed, car is loaded and I am sitting here waiting for Ray to get home so that we can leave. 

 

Relaxing

Peaceful

Calming

Restful

 

These are the only things that I want to concentrate on for the next several days!  No Schedules.  Leave the cares and worries of life behind and take a break from the daily grind. 
 

Air your brain out. 

Get refreshed and recharged.

So whether you have been, are getting ready to, or can't take a vacation away from home...Take time out to enjoy an evening, a sunrise, a sunset, a walk in the park, a picnic, an ice cream cone with a friend.  You get the picture.  Life is so busy.  Sometimes you have to make time stand still, seize the moment and breath.

Enjoy your Summer!

See you when I get back.

Random Pictures

 

This past week hasn't been anything really special. 

Just a normal week for the most part.

However the temperature did get crazy Thursday and Friday.  When the Central Air unit, the window A/C unit, ceiling fan, and two other fans are running and it is still in the 80's in the house....yes I think we can say that we have been having very hot weather. 

We had a thunderstorm last night and they are calling for more today and tomorrow.  Hopefully that will cool things off a little.

I downloaded some pictures off of my camera phone.  Just a couple things from around the house.

A new wreath for the door.  Nothing special just a simple ivy vine wreath, but the yellow bow makes it cheerful.

 

I have been so anxious (impatient is more like it) for our vacation.

So, I decorated my mantel with a beach theme.  The sign is one that my mom had bought for me.  There is a story as to why it is crooked.  The sign that I had there before only took one nail.  This sign takes two.  So, I went ahead and put it up there with the intentions of having Ray fix it for me.  Well, we didn't get around to doing that for a few days.  When I finally said something to him, he said "I like it that way.  It looks relaxed."  I have to say it has kind of grown on me too. 

So we just left it.

Everything looks and shows up better than it does in the picture.  Below are some close ups.

The candle holder that was free from Khol's.  Mom's battery operated pillar candle.  My Grandmother's sea shells.  I can still picture them sitting on the book shelf by the door, where she kept them.

I reused some glass jars that I had accumulated from the store.  The next time you buy something and it comes in a glass jar, keep it.  There are several uses for it.  I put sand in the bottom.  Found some blue rock air freshener from the Dollar Tree.  Some sea shells and candles.  Then I tied a piece of string around the tops.  A few sprigs of white daisies for a finishing touch.

 

I had a candle and some sea shells left over so they went on my kitchen table.  Look at those beautiful fresh tomatoes and avocado.  That's what I love about summer.

That is a silk flower that I had on hand.  It looks so real!

 

Pizza Burgers

So simple and so good.  Simply make your hamburgers.  Take a loaf of Italian or French bread.  Cut it in half and then in individual sizes.  Toast it in the oven for a couple minutes.  Remove from oven.  Add cheese to both sides.  Place hamburger on bread and top with pizza sauce and more cheese.

Put it back in the oven just long enough for cheese to melt.  Yum!

 

 



 

Strawberries!

 

A guy that works with Ray asked if I would make a cake for his daughter. 

I was told that she loves strawberries.

I did a strawberry cake with buttercream icing.  Put a strawberry filling in between layers and made chocolate covered strawberries for the top. 

There are more pictures under Cake.

Ray took it to work with him yesterday morning.  Last night he received a text from the guy saying that it was awesome.  He also sent a picture of what was left...just some crumbs.

Five more days to go before we leave!!!

Enjoy your summer!

No Dough Pizza

Yesterday Ray sent me an email with a recipe that a

friend had shared with him. 

It was intriguing but I wasn't completely on board for

making it for supper. 

Today however, I went to the store and bought the ingredients. 

Came home and made it and I am so glad that I did. 

It sounds strange and when you whip up

the bottom layer it looks strange...

but trust me you will be glad that you made it.

No Dough Pizza

Check it out under recipes

Hushpuppies

Here recently I just have not had much inspiration

for cooking and planning menus.

This evening was not any different.

I did have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer that I had

bought back when they were on sale.

So, I had my meat.  Now what to put with it. 

???

We have had rice, a regular staple in our house,

 for 2-3 nights straight. 

So that option wasn't appealing, same goes for pasta. 

 

French Fries!  Yes, that is what sounded good to me. 

 

So I finally had a plan...

Shrimp, French fries, coleslaw and hushpuppies.

 

I had gone to the store for a couple things so I thought that I would cheat and buy some frozen hushpuppies.  I just didn't feel like making them from scratch and the box mix was over $3 just for the dry ingredients.  I searched and searched...nothing.  It even took a long time to find the box mix.

 

Come on!  What is wrong with these northerners? 

???

 

I remember back when I was first married and tried to buy some.

I couldn't find them then either.

A friend had told me that

they were more of a Southern thing.

Well, I guess they are.

These people up here need to get with the program.

Don't they know that when you have fish and shrimp you have to have HUSHPUPPIES!!!

Summer's Heat

Last Friday was officially the beginning of summer

according to the calendar. 

Last Friday evening is also when our Central Air conditioning system decided to take a break.

 

It has been very warm around here lately.   So of course that's when it would decide it needed a break.  I have fans blowing, we installed a little window unit in our bedroom so that we could

try and get a little sleep at night.... 

I am melting or at least it feels like it at times.

 

The guy is supposed to come today and fix it, hopefully.

 

So, I have been doing as little as possible. 

Moving as little as possible. 

Trying to stay as cool as possible. 

I haven't had much success. 

 

I am coming to realize that I would be very happy with only 1-2 weeks of summer.  Keep winter as is, and then just extend spring and fall to fill in the gap.

 

More later, when my life has returned to some normality.

 

29 more days to vacation!!

 

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

I have had about 4 days of nonstop activities and events, starting last Friday through Monday.  Prior to that I had been working to get the house ready for company and have spent the past two days catching up on laundry.  (a never ending chore around this house)

Last Friday, I left the house a little before 8am to run errands, buy groceries and things that I would need for the company, meals and events.  I did not get home until almost 3:30pm.  Needless to say I tired and ended up getting subs from Subway for dinner that night. 
I did however get some good bargains while I was out. 

For one, I had received a $10 promotional gift card from Khol's and was able to get two household items completely free.  One was a pretty candle holder and the other a wall sign with a hook attached.  Regular price they would have been $25 plus tax.  I got them free and didn't even have to pay a penny of tax!

Another really good deal was on cereal and milk.  Our local grocery store had large boxes of Kellogg's cereal on sale, I had a coupon on 3 boxes, plus the store was offering a free gallon of milk with the purchase of 3.  Cereal can be expensive costing anywhere from $3.50-3.75, even on the small boxes and milk is $3.25-$3.65.  Here lately it hasn't been lasting long around our house.  Anyways, I bought 3 large boxes of Kellogg's cereal and a gallon of milk for around $7.  To me, that was a good buy.

Saturday, we had Ray's family over to eat.  It was for Father's Day, however like I explained before, my in-laws do not like to do things on Sundays because it interferes with their nap time.  So we do things on Saturdays.  We had originally planned a cookout.  Then with the weather going back and forth between constant raining and then hot humid days, we decided that Ray would still man the grill however we would eat indoors.

On the menu was...chicken kabobs, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, and coleslaw.  Then I made chocolate cupcakes and someone brought another dessert.

I have posted before how Ray is a grill master so I say this in his defense, it was the first time we had tried to do kabobs on the grill. 

I had bought yellow peppers, red peppers, green peppers, red onions, and mushrooms.  Had the butcher cut up chicken breast for the kabobs, soaked the skewers in water so they wouldn't burn.  Stood for what seemed forever putting everything on the sticks, about 40 of them.  Ray fired up the grill and we waited for everyone to get here, thinking it wouldn't take long for kabobs to cook.

Well, I don't know what went wrong but the veggies were starting to burn and the chicken wasn't done.  I was upset and about in tears.  However I tried to hold it together since I had a house full of company.  We stopped grilling, ran in the house, pulled everything off the skewers, grabbed a couple big skillets and I stir fried everything to finish the cooking. 

We did end up having a good time and they stayed for about 4 1/2 to 5 hours.  It was a good visit but I was tired and literally done by the time every one left.  It was a beautiful evening, not too hot, so Ray and I went for a drive to get out and relax.

Sunday is always a busy day and even more so on holidays.  I had the children doing things for their dads during Sunday school.  That evening, I played one of my dad's favorite songs, "Because He Lives," on the piano at church.  Then we served everyone Banana Splits after the service in honor of Father's Day.  We had all kinds of toppings and Dairy Queen was nice enough to donate the holders for the banana splits.

Monday, my mother-in-law roped me into helping her fix funnel cakes at the local senior center.  I had never been there (not a senior yet) and didn't know what I was getting into.  Don't get me wrong, I love old people, just didn't know what my mother-in-law was getting me into, she can come up with some doozies, no offense.  We ended up having a really fun time and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  I will probably be going back over to help with events in the future. 

I spent the past two days doing laundry, one load after another.  The rest of the week and weekend look to be pretty calm so far, at least we can hope.  Ray and I are counting down the days to vacation.  I think we have about 34-35 more days to go...can't wait!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Happy Father's Day

How does time fly by so fast?  It is hard to believe that my dad has been gone almost 8 years.  He was a great man and the best dad.  I miss him so much.  Hope all of you dads out there have a great day.

 



DAD

He never looks for praises
He's never one to boast
He just goes on quietly working
For those he loves the most
His dreams are seldom spoken
His wants are very few
And most of the time his worries
Will go unspoken too
He's there.... A firm foundation
Through all our storms of life
A sturdy hand to hold to
In times of stress and strife
A true friend we can turn to
When times are good or bad
One of our greatest blessings,
The man that we call Dad.

Happy Father's Day!