Easter 2011

Still here, struggling today after too many hours on my feet which made my knee, back and leg from my back unhappy. I have not created any art this year, except perhaps through cooking but I do plan to. Unlike many of you, I don't feel the pull to art, usually I begin to feel some fulfilment from it after I get into it. I'll save that topic for later. First, this is a fresh pic of the offspring, Easter morning just after church. Words cannot describe the joy of announcing that Big Boy was home for his last weekend visit since he GRADUATES in early May!!!!!! He will be living at home probably until May 14th, his wedding day. VolleyGirl graduates from high school May 27th and will attend college here, at least her first year. They are a joy to have around so it's gonna be a year to remember, the last one under the same roof together!

My in-laws usually request that I bring dessert for my meal contribution and this year we were to celebrate my MIL's birthday so, as usual, unknowingly why, I try out a new recipe. My MIL loves chocolate so I chose to make a Dark Cocoa Buttermilk 3 layer cake with Cocoa and Mascarpone Icing. I also made a coconut cream pie cause it's a favorite of everyone (below) and

I made a Truffle pie to take to my brother's house for a get together later in the day (below). Oh yeah, I have been dieting the past couple of months, so I didn't have a piece of either and only a very small piece of the cake. Still have much to lose but am down around 15 lbs now.

Since three of the desserts were to be whisked away, I urged VolleyGirl to try her hand at a new recipe I found of Chocolate Dipped Macaroons since the guys here love coconut. Let's just say VG has yet to embrace the enjoyment of baking.........but I didn't either at her age so big deal. These were outstanding....okay, I did indulge these and this will be included in holiday baking in the future.

I hope all of you had a blessed Easter! Though I have been absent, I thought of you often and need to catch up. It is good to see Soulbrush back online.....Apollo and I have missed her!

Weather Outside Could Be Frightful!!!!!

The food, batteries, and salt have all been purchased, waiting now for the snow to start!!! We are in North Alabama and expect anywhere from 3-10 inches, down here that's almost paralyzing. Had to make preparations for the storm and to send BigBoy back to school today to avoid it all. He may get more ice where he is, miss him already. Will catch up with all soon as long as we get more snow than ice, keeping our electricity! VolleyGirl and I are thinking of snow statue ideas, if snow cooperates.

"FEED THE BEAST! FEED THE BEAST!"

My heart goes out to those north of me that are experiencing horrendous flooding, I have family and friends there, southwest, not far away, had deadly tornadoes, then further south, at our vacation playground, where they will be affected by the oil spill. We dodge and duck the weather, but so far, so good, we are very fortunate. Some of you were wondering, thank you for your concern. Count your blessings. Today, my attention goes to one of those awesome blessings...

My son arrives home this Thursday from college, for the summer. I so enjoy having him home as does Mr. U, VG and most of all, Apollo. While this is a joyous occasion, it does not come without consequence....OR without preparation. BigBoy is called so for a reason. He's a 6'3", 275-280 strapping 21 year old that may not be finished growing. He's also an avid weight lifter and those of you who have raised a boy can confirm, they eat large amounts of food.

One of these 5 ft. cubic chest freezers will make its home in my garage this week. Trips to the warehouse stores, Sam's and Costco, will hopefully provide some bargains to fill this baby with nutritional sustenance.

Hmmmm, perhaps one of these "park at your home" storage units would be in order to keep a full stock ready and handy.

Strategy is in the works to stay ahead of the game. I may be working more this summer, having knee surgery and do not want to go by the grocers every other day.

Why, you may ask, does the one that eats like an infant - every two hours, why doesn't he prepare for himself? He has and does occasionally, he's quite the cook, more so than VolleyGirl. However, I like to do all I can and here's why. He is a hardworking, never been in trouble and considerate son. He will take on all the Royal Canine Duties upon his arrival, helps in any way he can around the house, working full time (at home) on his computer doing graphics, will be a great help when I have surgery and is always considerate of his mom and dad. He's a protective, though often bossy, brother to VG. I keep his clothes clean and his belly full.....plus, he's still my boy and my time with him, living at home, is nearing the end. I enjoy it and want to help him. Hope he will have great memories of his mom being good to him all his years. Besides......what goes around, comes around. Circumstances may be that he provides some care for me one day - so I'm going to treat him very well! So, you see.....I'm no dummy! ;)

Dogs On Thursday: My Thoughts This Week

Every morning I enjoyed snoozing on my favorite comforter that is on the couch for me.

Mom lets me look outside the big window in the study...I rather think this would make a good addition to my other 'Royal Portraits'. It appears the heavens have opened up for me...I like that.

I'm a happy canine, not turning to the bottle! Dad always brings me a toy when he buys my big bag of food. He doesn't let me play with it very long, is that because I can tear any toy up if it is left with me? Can't help it if I am mighty....

Mom sometimes have me wait a bit at the door...........I just got tired.

Hmmmmm, I haven't seen this photo....that new dude obviously was moved out back....wow, he really gets around!

I really don't get how some of you blog EVERY DAY! This is exhausting!!!!!!!!! Big smack to all my buddies.....Snuffles, Luna, Annie........

Tiring But Enjoyable

It's Monday but I am not fully recovered from the weekend. The first volleyball tournament of the club season. First let me state that this sketching my real life settings is squeaky new for me and it's super rough, but I am pushing on through it, continuing my effort to do some type of "art". I'm not even sure if I like doing it, but alot of that is because I am a perfectionist and yeah, it irks me for it to be so bad.....but I'm doing it. I also still haven't figured out how to get my posts layed out like I like. For example, I haven't been able to load my photos and place text in between them to comment on that particular photo. This irritates me to no end...........ok, I vented a bit, feels better.

For those of you unfamiliar with club sports, which is played during the school's sport off season, let me set the scene just a bit. Pack food, chairs, uniform, overnight clothes (this time), and me being team mom...utensils, napkins, plates, hand sanitizer, extension cords, etc. Since I made macaroni and cheese, I had it packed in a cooler and then brought the crock pot. We lived over two hours away from this one and they were one hour ahead of us so we went the night before and stayed over. The next morning (after sleeping poorly) we arrive at the location, secure a spot in the hallway, set up a table and camp out.

Arrive at gym at 8:30 and watch and play volleyball for the next 10 hours! The team doesn't play the whole time, they were referees, scorekeepers, line judges for some matches, sit out some (that's when they eat). There is alot of walking back and forth to the gym, stepping up bleachers, (I feel like an old woman between bad knee and back) cheering, standing around, sitting around and good visits with the parents. The girls have a great time, they all get along really well. They come from different schools in the area and I think it is good for them socially, not just athletically. This is her third year and I have made some wonderful friends. The team did ok, room for improvement, but no trophy. Proud of VolleyGirl, she never came out for any of the games, played the whole time!

The top photo is some of the girls, VolleyGirl is second from left, she will give me enormous grief if she sees I posted this, she wasn't prepared in it like a couple of the others! Then, I sketched the back of VG, the food table and my poor behind on the bleachers!

In Memory of Dad

I was blessed to have two wonderful parents. Both of them were talented, mom was a great cook, quilter, seamstress, gardener and also crocheted. Dad was also a cook, particularly known for his pork shoulders cooked on the pit. Down south, that's simply known as barbecue. Thanksgiving and Christmas it was his cornbread dressing. Then there was his hush puppies, spring rolls, barbecue chicken......oh, how he loved food and loved to prepare and feed people. I could talk for hours just on dad and food. For as long as I can remember he had a big garden which you can see part of it in one of the photos, in their backyard just steps from the covered patio where the pit was. He had alot of creativity. I recall his snow person in our front yard before I was 6 years old. He didn't make a snowman, he made a statue! That was one of the few big snows in my lifetime. I recall watching him work on the bust of Lyndon Johnson at our kitchen table, mostly remembering that he used toothpicks some on it. The only one he ever did that I am aware of. That table is where I do my painting now....it's a story in itself for later! He did all the wood carvings in the photo while he was a night security guard when I was very young. During his last year of life he told me he read through the bible twice during that job. The photo was taken for an article on them in the base newspaper. I found the drawings as we were cleaning out their house, I don't recall seeing them before. Obviously, the colored pencil one is of President Kennedy and the other is of a General but I don't know who he is. He didn't draw or paint that often. He did pencil drawings of my two brothers' baby photo. He used it in various ways. I've been that way myself even though I have an art degree. In the 70's when macrame became popular, he did that-I still have a purse he made, with a wooden handle. Made jewelry from old mercury dimes for each one of my mom's seven sisters and one for her and I to share.

Dad was in the service during the Korean Conflict, he and mom got married on a weekend pass. Next time she saw him he had been severely injured in the back by shrapnel and was in the hospital many states away for a year. They thought he would be paralyzed. During that time he made some items out of leather and the copper reliefs. He learned to cut hair in the service too and had a barbershop where he worked Thursday evenings and Saturday when I was growing up. His real job was with the government and was on the base, where he started out as the security guard. He wasn't an educated person and he had his job to provide for the family but lived to do all the other things he enjoyed. He had a quick wit and usually a joke, he enjoyed being around people.

Our childhood vacations were spent at the lake an hour or so away, camping in a school bus he had totally renovated. He worked on it in the evenings in the backyard. I would go out and sit with him to keep him company while he worked. It had built-in cabinets, sink, an icebox, he made a booth to eat in using two of the bus seats and a table...just behind the driver's seat. There were two sets of bunkbeds in the back and a couch that folded down that could sleep two. Mom made curtains and he put them up all the way around. Yes, there was room in the very back for a porta-potty! He had it painted blue and white on the outside. There were tables attached to the side of the bus that folded down....the place for the gas grill....and all that cooking. He loved to fish.

He retired the first chance he got and sometime later had a building built in the back of the house that had his barbershop and a workshop. He then began building furniture. He built gun cabinets, entertainment centers, bedroom pieces. He made cedar chests that some of the granddaughters have. VolleyGirl has a sweet babydoll crib. OK, I could go on and on, but you get the picture. He socialized with his friends in his shop working together with some of them on his and their pieces.

The last photo is dad and my two kids in 1999. Today is the fifth anniversary of his passing. He is still greatly missed but he sure made an impact and left a tremendous amount of memories.