CROCS

The first time I saw CROCS, I thought the same thing. I do have a pair and wear them occasionally. They are light and airy....they weigh very little...they are good in the rain....but when I saw this photo...I couldn't help but laugh. Wish I could say this was my kitty. My kitty does like my shoes....she will curl up and stick her face in my ballet slippers...but this was PRICELESS. Don't you agree?

Dreams

What kind of dreams do you have?
Do you always remember them?
Do you try to analyze them?
I had a funny dream last night...I was with Robin and a group of her friends, seems like they were all a part of some group..they knew each other well...We ended up in an airplane...like the Blue Angels fly. We were all in there....don't know how we fit, but the pilot - Robin's friend from San Juan, was flying...it was great. He was swooping down for close views of the area and then zooming up and even flew upside down. I kept thinking, I hope I don't get sick and embarrass myself and Robin. I didn't. It was exhilarating....just like an amusement park ride. There were some other weird events....I was with a co-worker and needed to get ready for work, I asked if I could use her shower and she said, not until my granddaughter wakes up...because she will be upset if she misses something...I thought HOW SPOILED...but waited. My dreams seem to jump around. Or maybe they are separate dreams and I just remember them as one.
We've all dreamed of "falling" , do you catch yourself and wake up?
Have you ever thought..."this is a dream" and kept dreaming?
Have you ever been sorry you woke up because it was such a good dream?
Have you dreamed of someone you loved and lost?
Do you dream in color or black and white?
Do characters in your dreams change? ( do you start out with someone in the dream and then that person changes to someone else?)

Have you ever laughed out loud in a dream? Jason says he has heard me laughing in my sleep.

Just curious?

Boston Butt Birthday!

Hey there...enjoyed a wonderful birthday. I was starting to feel sorry for myself because unlike the Purpose Driven Life...I have always thought...It's all about me! (sidebar...if you haven't read this book, I think the first sentence is "it's not about you.") For the past 13 years we have spent my "birthday week", that's right...I get a week...in North Carolina with our dear friends, David and Linda. They are true friends who have indulged me for 13 years. My birthday week has become well known to the area residents. One year, when David and Linda still owned their own grocery store - TNT Market in Elk Park , NC...they put me on their sign up on 19E for all the passers by to see..."Happy Birthday Week, Sara!". My birthday week includes a card and a present every day of the week...it's kinda like my own personal Chanukuh...anyway...this year we were unable to go for our usual end of summer trip ( had to reschedule my vacation due to work issues). I was feeling so "why me?" when I decided to take the actual day of my birth off from work. Robin invited me to lunch and we went to a neat little bistro named SAGE. It's a popular spot of one of her co-workers, so we decided to try it. It was very nice. I had the quiche and salad. I just love home baked pie crust and their's was so flakey and buttery...just the best. Just spending time with Robin is always a treat...as many of you know. Then for dinner, Jason and I tried Harry's Seafood and Bar downtown. Last year when Jason's youngest brother, Adam, visited Tallahassee, we took him to the Capitol Building. It's a must see for visitors. We went to the top floor which is glass on all sides. You can walk around and see the best view of all of Tallahassee. We noticed this neat looking area and what appeared to be a restaurant. After inquiring, it turned out to be Harry's. We finally got around to trying it and it was WONDERFUL.
I have to say...my favorite item on the menu was my "side". I ordered GRIT CAKES! Oh my gosh....had I known how scrumptious they would be...I would have skipped my entree and ordered two sides. LOL. Robin gave PaPa a cookbook one year for Christmas, I think, and I found a recipe for Grit Cakes in the book. I also discovered why I like them so much....Grits, milk, Half and Half, BUTTER and FRIED. Don't ask me how many points...
Anyway...for all those who wished me well, sang to me, sent cards, bought me meals and hugged me....Thanks!!
Last night was the TOPPING ON THE CAKE, as they say...Jason made his famous Boston Butt and the O'Donnell's joined us for one more celebration. Guess I got a "week" after all.

Still good advice

How do you rate yourself on this one, Ladies?

HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE

Home Economics High School Text Book, 1954

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the home just before your husband arrives, gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home.

Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Grace Church

This morning Jason and I shared our Testimonies at Grace Church and were welcomed into membership. We have not felt led to join a church since leaving Boca in 2004. We are looking forward to finding out what God has planned for us within this body of believers in Tallahassee. Please pray for us that our gifts will be exercised and that we will serve and give all the Glory to God. We have been on the sidelines for too many years now. We are more than ready to be used.
I am thankful that Robin suggested Grace Church. We know, too well, that there are no coincidences in life...this is exactly where we are supposed to serve.
Check out the website.... www.gcot.org for more information about our new Church home.
Thank you for your prayers and encouragement over the past 4 years. Your patience and perseverence have not been in vain.

More to follow

This past weekend we attended the wedding of Christopher Turner and Caroline Edwards. It was a great weekend. We flew in to Tri-Cities, Tennessee and drove to Elk Park, NC. On Saturday morning I was invited to a Bridal Luncheon at the Coffee Company in Elizabethton, TN. The Bridal party and family were invited. Delicious food, cake and punch. Saturday evening we attended the Rehearsal Dinner at StoneWalls. I helped decorate in the afternoon. 50 guests attended the rehearsal. The wedding was on Sunday afternoon at 5pm. The Bride was beautiful and the ceremony especially touching. One of the Brides maids sang How Beautiful as the couple took Communion together. We were all sobbing when she began to cry. Her voice was one of an angel and the service was very moving. After the ceremony we drove up the mountain to a lodge that had a breathtaking view of Grandfather Mountain. ( see photo). The evening was cool, clear and full of dancing, good food and fun. We have known Christopher since he was a very young boy. He is now about 6'4" and all grown up. The Bride chose pink and yellow for her colors. All of the gals wore strapless gowns, a very rosey pink with silver sparkly strappy sandals. They danced to Michael Buble - You're my Everything. The cake was unbelievable...there were layers of Chocolate....vanilla with real strawberry filling and then a Strawberry cake layer. The topper was Pepe La Pew! They had a power mix in envelopes that said " Perfectly Blended" Chris and Caroline - August 3, 2008 for each guest and a framed PHOTO of themselves that each guest could sign. Monday morning we had breakfast at the Times Square Diner with the Groom's family and then headed back to Tri Cities airport for our flight home. Spending a weekend with dear friends and seeing Christopher begin his life with Caroline was so special.

Fond Memories

Cadillac Mountain near Camden Maine. When Robin was 5 months old, my mother decided she would fly up for a visit. We were living in a very RUSTIC cabin at the time (another post) and so she stayed in a log cabin motel in Skowhegan, nearby town. Wanting to make her trip worthwhile...sidebar - now a grandma myself I can tell you no extracurricular activities are really necessary - the grandkids make the trip worthwhile...I decided we would rent a car and drive up the coast to Camden Maine and Cadillac Mountain. There is a beautiful photo of my mom holding Robin with this same view in her baby album. I was just thinking about this day and how nice it was to do something special with my mom and my daughter. Making memories is so special and I am so very thankful that my mom was able to make the trip. I was thinking the other day, too, that she came to every place I lived at least once...except for this home in Tallahassee. She passed away in April, 2002 and we moved her in 2004. Take time to make memories, girls...it is so important to fill your mind with happy times with family. God brings them to mind just when you need them. Isn't is just amazing how the mind is able to store so much? And we can close our eyes and remember so many scenes in our lives. Looking at photos will jog the memory, too. While on our recent trip to Cincinnati, Holly shared some old photos. I really wish I would have taken a few. There were some of her wedding back in 1974, I think. I was wearing an aqua crepe pants suite that my mother made for a Lambda Chi Alpha Dance a few years earlier. I was crowned Sweetheart that year and I had forgotten how lovely that pants suit was. Mom made several evening gowns for me - my favorite was a dark green velvet dress with rhinestone straps. I felt so glamorous. If I had a scanner and knew all of the tricks, I'd scan it and share. But let me say this...the material was $15/yd. and it took 2 yds. I remember thinking that was SOOOO expensive. It was a beautiful dress and my mom did such a professional job with every detail. I still miss my mom.
Take care to cherish the time you have with family...get out and make those memories.

Did someone say Wasabi?

Tonight Jason and I decided to go on a "real date". We went to Nagasaki Steakhouse - Japanese Cuisine. What a wonderful evening. We started with Tempura Sweet Potato as an appetizer. They brought 6 little flat patties with a delightful soy"ish" dipping sauce. The meal began with Miso soup. It had a light oniony chicken flavor with mushrooms and scallions. Just yummy. Followed by a salad with iceberg lettuce and a sweet dressing that could be compared to a thousand island taste. Very nice. Shortly after we were seated, a young couple was also seated at our grill table. I was glad because this kind of restaurant is much more fun when you are with others.
Our chef was Michael. He was FANTASTIC. He began with all the fancy maneuvers - and all with a spatula and a knife. He did some tricks with eggs that he eventually scrambled for our fried rice. He also made noodles that were to DIE for...I'm glad I didn't because I ordered shrimp and scallops and they just melted in my mouth. He did serve up a ginger sauce and a seafood sauce but honestly the food was seasoned so well no sauce was really needed. Jason ordered steak and scallops. His steak was also melt in your mouth tender. One really neat trick he did was to slice a big onion, then stack it and fill it with oil. He then lit it on fire and it was like an onion volcano. Very cool. He had a great personality. All the time he was cooking, I noticed he had slipped two nice plump shrimp on the edge of the grill and I kept wondering who those were for. After he was finished preparing all of our meals, he started chopping and flattening the shrimp. When finished, he explained that he was going to catapult the shrimp and we were to catch it in our mouths. It was HILARIOUS. I was able to catch 2 out of 3. Jason did the same. Mary, the gal at our table, caught 2 and her boyfriend caught 3 out of 3. It was Mary's birthday, so we got the added pleasure of a birthday dessert and tea.
After dinner, we watched a little longer as another table was getting the same treatment. There were children at that table and the chef was "pretending" to salt them as he was seasoning the food. All in all it was a wonderful evening. The food, the service, the entertainment and the overall atmosphere made it a 5 STAR evening.
I would highly recommend Nagasaki Steakhouse to all my Tallahassee viewers. It's pricey, but worth it for a special occasion.

ooh la lift

Lighten, tighten, brighten...that was what they told me the first time I learned about ooh la lift. I was in Chicago (very early post) for the American Girl Museum visit with Robin and Hannah. While in Chicago, a visit to Marshall Fields is a MUST! We were just walking in when an attractive sales representative at the Benefit Make up Counter approached and asked if we would like a makeover. Not the "extreme" makeover we all just talked about in Cincinnati...LOL...well maybe that is relative...anyway....I must have been looking very tired from our whirlwind tour of the windy city and the gal decided I needed a lift.
An ooh la lift! It is a GREAT PRODUCT. You just dab 3 little spots under your eyes and you get an immediate "lift"...no more tired look. If you combine that with their eye bright you really look like you just took a 15 minute power nap. I am serious. It's a little pricey...but worth every penny....you will need quite a few pennies. Anyway....as Melissa says...these are the things that I love.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Is there anything else to say?