Chicken Salad and other good stuff

I love good food and I don't know a soul who doesn't feel the same. I enjoy the prepping and cooking almost as much as I do the sampling. It's just as important to me for my plate to be visually appealing as it is to taste good. The adage that you 'eat first with your eyes' rings true - maybe it adds to the overall appeal of your meal. I know that once I ordered stuffed shrimp at The Chimney's on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and when they served me just four shrimp, I bet five bucks my neck did a ghetto roll. I'd already eaten those shrimp "with my eyes" before that waiter left my table good, and I was still hongry. (No, that's not a typo. Some of you know what hongry is, and it's way worse than hungry.) Admittedly, I couldn't even finish the last stuffed shrimp! They were so rich and like Mamaw Reid used to tell me, my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Restaurant - 1, Dana - 0.

Now that I'm all grown up, I get to play restaurant for real. I have four regular customers: three of the cutest little girls you've ever seen, and one tall, dark, and handsome man. He eats 2 out of 3 meals a day here! (I think he's got a crush on me.) I really like to make our meals interesting and tasty, and part of the way I do that is to serve the food on visually appealing plates. I pick up odds and ends at Ross and TJMaxx when I see something that I'm drawn to. I'm so over everything being matchy-matchy...like when I was a new bride umpteen years ago.
Guess how many dinner parties I've had on all that good china I registered for? These days, I'll throw one of those fine plates in my microwave and zap some hotdogs without batting an eye. My point is (new brides, I'm talking to you) mix it up and have some fun.

I've been craving some good homemade chicken salad ever since my good friend, Joy, blogged about a favorite café she haunts. Finally, I whipped up some just for ME. I put in all the stuff I like: freshly cubed chicken breast, mayo, sour cream, poppy seeds, apples, walnuts, pecans and sweet relish, along with some spices. OMGosh, was it good! It nearbout killed me, but I took the time to prepare a crisp lettuce wedge, topped it with two scoops of chicken salad, and washed some ripe strawberries as a side. The colors were so appealing together and it just made me want to dive right in. As soon as I got my Mason jar full of crushed ice and some Arizona Raspberry tea, honey I did! I have to give credit where credit it due: every time I make chicken salad, I think about a lunch forever ago that my best friend's mama, Sybil, put together. She plated chicken salad, a bakery roll, some pineapple spears and plump red grapes...and apologized for it being "so simple". All I know is it must have made an impact on me, because I copy and reinvent her menu over and over. Thanks, Mama Syb. ♥

Next time you're at Sam's, buy the good cheese. Serve a dipping sauce in a little cup on the side of your plate. (a cute plate, too...don't embarrass me) Serve your dessert in a martini glass. Just spoil yourself once in a while in the best restaurant ever -- HOME.

~DPG

Olivia Cecile's 12th Birthday

Yesterday, February 25th, was the birthday of my oldest daugher, Olivia. It's hard to believe it's been a dozen years since then, bearing truth to the adage that time flies. I often tell her thanks for making me a mom for the first time and that always gets a little grin out of her.

Maybe it's just that the old gray mare just ain't what she used to be, but just looking at the packages (plural) of streamers and balloons begging to be put up made me flat out tired. Was I really gonna have to get up and transform my living room? I just took down Christmas decorations! Settle down...I did it. An hour, a step stool and four ibuprofen later, it looked like we were hosting the Spanish Fort prom.
I bought a disco light and everything. Now, we just needed the sun to set and it would be O. N.

I bet I love to plan a good party better than anyone. There is some decorating-DNA tangle in me that makes me crazy; I can easily get a little carried away. I did ease up on the control-freak tendencies and outsourced the cake and supper. Thanks, Donny at Dominos. Anyway, it freed up some time for me to pack a LOT of fun stuff into the schedule. Our plans were to skate for an hour and a half, go to the Mardi Gras parade, then home for supper, cake, presents, and Wii Just Dance.

I wheeled into the parking lot of the skating rink and was so pleased with myself for choosing a time that was obviously not crowded. We all schlepped out of the van and went inside. I eased up to the counter, my preteen entourage behind me, and told Skate Guy I needed to pay for three girls, please. He looked at me all confused and said, "Uhh, there's a private party going on. I can't let you in." Excuse me? Pop out your retainer and repeat that, Skate Guy, because it sounded like you just told me we would not be skating. I'm sure it's a mistake, seeing how I've got a schedule planned out in my head, and I've made the effort to refresh my makeup. "Sorry, ma'am. But, I tell ya what...we open at 7pm. You could just come back." I really thought I was gonna snap his skinny neck like a potato stick. I've got three uber-chatty pre-teens behind me and you're telling me I've got time to kill? How about I kill you for practice? **HUHHHHH** Thanks but no thanks, Shaggy.

So began Plan B: we went to Target.

I picked up a new pink DVD player to put in my younger daughters' room (well, I'd saved all that money by NOT skating, remember?) and a new DVD. This purchase will ultimately buy me some quiet time next week, so really it was justified. I felt a little better after buying something in lieu of the almost-murder. The girls had just as good a time walking around without The Mom. Didn't hurt my feelings. I was shopping in peace and quiet. Plus, all Liv's friends gushed about how cool I was. Nicely played, girls. Now begone!

We racked up at the parade: a dozen or so stuffed animals, Moon Pies, and enough beads to alter your posture. They smell like fresh spring water, too. I love the smell of the beads. Just like I like the smell of old library books.

I turned everybody loose once we got home with all the pizza they could choke down and of course CAKE! PARENTS: always, always buy enough birthday cake to go with your coffee the next morning. If you'd seen the wedge I cut for myself, you'd wonder why I didn't just go ahead and smear it directly onto my thighs. The girls stayed up until 3am. 3AM! I remember what that time looks like, but all I care about seeing at 3am now are the backs of my eyelids.

I'm worn out, but now that it's behind me I can tell you it was worth every penny and ounce of energy it took to make it happen. Olivia was delighted in her celebration and that's all I ever wanted anyway. I love that girl.

~DPG

Dumb Things Done in Haste

I've been sewing again the past couple of days. I took a hiatus once I had all my Doll Whiskers holiday orders done, thinking I'd pick it up as soon as the new year began. Guess what I didn't do? There was only one project that I actually turned on my sewing machine for, and that was done in haste. I paid the price, and I want to share with you the cost.

For all my girlfriends out there, you know what a big deal it is to shop for, and find, a bra. There's no quick solution to that shopping trip -- it is a royal pain. I always end up sweating in the dressing room like a crazy person and more often than not, I leave with nothing except a bad attitude. Somehow, one of those psycho shopping sprees finally produced a bra. A cute bra, at that! And all God's amply-endowed children shouted, "AMEN!"

Like any unpleasant experience, this story has it's fuzzy parts and the vividly detailed parts. I won't bore you with the former, because the latter is so much better. I was getting ready to take one of the girls to the doctor and was slinging it together quick to make the only appointment they had open. (Define "slinging" as screaming down the hallway at the kids to move it!) Everything was done: makeup, hair, outfit ironed, new bra ON. Then the straps started falling. Now, I'm a pretty sweet girl (most of the time) but there are some things that just set me O.F.F. and this is but one of them. With little time to spare, I was still determined to have the upper hand in this situation. Now, are you noting the fact that I'm getting an attitude with an inanimate object? Good, just making sure you're on the crazy train with me. I swear I even said out loud, (really pissy) "I tell you what..." (read as "I'll show you")and I marched down the hall half naked (read "nekkid", unless you're a Yankee) to my sewing machine. My wise butt was about to fix this problem...sort of.

I took my scissors and cut the straps off at the back...and criss-crossed them. I added just a few inches of ribbon to lengthen the straps (I could always tighten them if they were too loose, right?) and sewed it all back together. I was thinking about how genius and resourceful I was. Pat - pat - pat on my back. Then, I put it on.

OMG.

I wish you could have witnessed that struggle. To say I misjudged how long to make those new straps is a gross understatement. It was so tight, and so high...I had to tuck stuff in from the bottom just to get those puppies sacked up. Horrible! My boobs haven't been that high in twenty years. The criss-crossing was all up on my neck! My shoulders were practically hiked into my ears. I looked like an idiot.
The straps now played pee-a-boo out of my neckline, but buddy they weren't slipping.

I sucked it up through that entire doctor visit, but that sucker came off the minute I got home. I'm about to get started with today's sewing. I bet you can guess what's first in line.

Have a wonderful day and stay supported.

~DPG

Good Deeds

There is something evolving at my house, and I'm going with it. For a few weeks now, it's been my determined purpose to do something good everyday -- for someone else.

I spend a lot of time in my head. Even as I go through the motions of being a mom and a wife, my mind is a whirlwind of randomness. I think about reicpes, bumper stickers, sewing projects, my filthy microwave, what I'm going to paint next, do I have stamps?, why so many dentists have bad breath, and if bathing the cat is really worth the risk. There is never any rhyme or reason to my thought process, and thankfully my husband is the same way, so he totally gets me. I might ask him something about Criminal Minds (that we watched last Friday) while I'm brushing my teeth or tell him all about the new laundry detergent during supper. ???

I say all that to tell you that these random thoughts are peppered with purposeful thoughts, too. Every morning, I pray for an inspiration and seek out at least one way to do something nice for someone. I know I run the risk of piquing someones skepticism, and I'm assuming it's because people have lost a little faith in unsolicited good. Usually things or deeds come with strings attached. I'm setting out to change that, in little ways at a time.

Lately, I've begun including my little girls in my "secret missions". It's my hope that it will fend off some of the selfish instinct we all possess. They often struggle to share with each other, but love doing something sweet for others. I say give it time, and it will become second nature to them in all their relationships.
Now, we're not saving the world here. What I'm talking about are things like cards, flowers, compliments, simple gifts, and so on. It's usually something relatively inexpensive, but big on thoughfulness. Ava has come up with some doozies, many of which would require a bank robbery, so I have to scale her back. Still, she's getting the idea. Kindness is good for the giver and the receiver. I want my children to have a heart for others and I want them to be aware of the world around them. Being nice to someone may be the only 'nice' they get. More than anything, I just don't want to raise TAKERS. Society has plenty of those already.

Find somebody today, a friend or better yet a stranger, and do (or say) something kind. Next time you're talking to someone, really listen...listen for the little things they will inadvertantly share...and take note. I love doing this. Did they mention something they need? like? collect? It really has made me happy to be this way on purpose and I fully intend to keep it going. I don't worry so much anymore about people being skeptical of my actions. I know that I'm doing what I want to do with pure motive: to show God's love through me.

PS--just so you don't think I live in a bubble with rainbows and classical music, I write this from my dirty computer table, two more loads of laundry waiting, and I haven't showered yet. My kids' rooms look like crap, and there is cat hair all over the recliner, but that's life. I'm just a believer in positive thinking. : )

I hope you have a really good day.

~Dana

Spring, is that really you?

It is a gloriously sunny and warm morning just outside my window! ☼ How incredible that sunlight can have such a strong physical and emotional effect on us. Thank you, Lord, for this simple delight.

I realize I am in the minority in actually embracing the winter season. As a hot-natured girl, it's a welcome relief to have days and nights that are cool. I also love that we begin evening rituals of eating supper in front of the fireplace. It's so cozy and romantic...the ambient light, the smell of real wood smoldering, and the soft crackles and pops. I hang onto those moments and don't want them to end. Then, after so many gray days, the sun rises and makes everything so bright and warm. It doesn't take me long to come around to the idea that spring might not be so bad after all.

It's exciting the way God renews the earth with color and temperature every few months. (Sometimes every few weeks, it seems, in the South.) Just as I like seeing the colors of fall, I'm also just as excited to see the first buds on the oak tree out front. I love the way there is a surge of people at Lowe's on that first pretty weekend. I am content as I can be when I get to replant the flower beds and the big pots on the front porch. Doesn't it make you feel refreshed and like you've got a clean slate?

Looks like it's going to be That Weekend, beginning today. Maybe I'll take a little stroll over to Lowe's, even if it's just to buy something non-committal...like striped monkey grass.

"This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."
Y'all enjoy it, too!

~DPG

Keeping Your Word

Twice today, in two different situations, someone did not keep their word with me.
One thing was minor, and the other a little grander on the scale, but the outcome for me was the same: disappointment.

I know that things like this happen every day, all day. These were both business situations, and nothing personal, which is why it won't sink it's claws into me. Still, it got the wheels turning and gave me pause on the subject.

I am teaching my daughters to always make good on their promises. If they commit to something, then they are to follow through, regardless. Keeping your word garners you respect and fortifies your character. These things are not to be taken lightly.
I must remind myself to always treat others as I'd have them treat me. Imagine how refreshing that would be if honesty were the norm rather than the exception.

Today's lesson was not lost on me. Regardless of these slights, it reminded me that I have to watch myself carefully and pay close attention to how I treat others. Even the smallest details matter.

~Dana

Happy Birthday, Guella

I was in the first grade when my little brother was born. It was February 16, 1977, and I proudly shared with Mrs. Autry's class my exciting news!

When my sister was born, I was two, so of course I don't remember a thing about that. It was different with Michael. I was facinated with him and always wanted to hold him. I confess (now) to once pulling his hair just a litte -- to make him cry -- giving me reason to pick him up and hold him. That went over about as well as you'd imagine.

Growing up, of course we fought, but nothing ever serious. We always seemed to share a special bond, which remains still today. When he was little, I called him my BayBay. I don't know why...c'mon, I was in grade school. Somewhere along the way, he inherited the nickname "Guella", which is even more ridiculous. I totally made it up, but that's what I still call him. I think it's sweet. ♥

He always loved his money. Even as a kid, he kept his dollar bills straight, neat and all turned the same direction. Once, just to be mean in a fight, I took one of his dollars and crumbled it into the tightest ball I could form with my evil middle-school fingers...and he "went ham" on me! (haha--I just learned today what "going ham" on someone means and here I am using it in a sentence. I am so cool.) Appropriately, that little boy with the money OCD became a banker. I'd like to think I helped him commit to that career path by torturing him but I really can't put a good spin on it.

I am so proud of the life he's made for himself. He's happy and healthy (he's a marathon runner now!) and he has a vast sense of humor. He totally gets that from me. ; )

Happy Birthday, Guella. I am so proud to be your big Sis and I love you with all my heart. Watch your mail in the next few days...I'm feeling a little bit compelled to mail you a crisp, new $1 bill.

~Sis

Lucky 13

Most might steer clear of it, but the number 13 has sentimental value to me.

A mutual friend introduced Jason and me in the fall one year. We had one date, and the timing on both our parts was just not right. The way the cards played out, we didn't see each other again until the next summer.

Jason and I met (again) on a Friday the 13th, though a twist of fate. I was at dinner one night with friends, after other plans fell through. He was also there, with his friends. He walked past my table, and I thought he looked so handsome and about eight feet tall. He stopped to thank me for a card I'd sent him months earlier, and I kissed him on the cheek and told him how great it was to see him again. After he walked away, my friend's husband said, "I'm glad you know him. He's been staring over here at you all night." That made me feel all mushy inside. When I left, I might have been a little bit flirty with him as I scratched him on the back and smiled my goodbye for the evening. I drove home wondering about him.

The next day, I was in a really crabby mood about 'those plans' I'd made the evening before with another guy falling through. I was not very pleasant to be around. My mother was going to the wedding of her best friend's son, and not wanting to go alone, asked (read "begged") me to go. Ugh--NO. I was in no mood to go to some wedding out in the boondocks for someone I barely knew. Needless to say, I went anyway. I threw on a black sleeveless dress, heels, and some lipstick. I'm not even sure I brushed my hair. When I tell you that this wedding was in the sticks, I mean it. We arrived on the cusp of being late, and the church was packed. I remember actually telling the usher, "Groom's side, please" and he looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Mother and I would be doing good to find one seat in the place, let alone two together. I don't know what made me look, but on the very last pew, in the back of the church, there sat Jason. (The groom was his college roommate!)When we locked eyes, we both smiled. I asked if the seat next to him was taken, and he said, "Now it is." I have to tell you, I was suddenly very self-conscious about my thrown-together look. All that dissolved as soon as he made me laugh. (There was a lady playing the violin pretty fervently before the ceremony...Jason joked that she was Charlie Daniels' wife.) The next several months were wonderful, leading to a February proposal.

***

Seven years ago this night, February 13th, Jason popped the question. We rented a cabin for the weekend and as we sat next to each other in a couple of rocking chairs talking, it was dark, except for the light from the fireplace. I think we both knew we'd finally found in each other all we ever wanted. He had been dropping little playful hints to me here and there, and I was so hoping that he would ask. I'd even planned a fun way to answer him. So, as we talked over glasses of champagne, (and I don't even remember what the conversation was about) I said, "...I can't imagine that", when he got down on one knee and said, "You know what I can't imagine? Spending the rest of my life without you. Will you marry me?" He held up the most gorgeous sapphire and diamond ring, and waited for my answer. I handed him a dark blue velvet box (that I'd been hiding next to my rocker), and told him to open it. He looked at me with a look that said DID YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST ASKED YOU?! He did open the box, and inside was a fortune cookie. When he broke it open, the fortune inside held my answer: "Yes, Jason. I will marry you." ♥

So, that's why I think the 13th, especially when it falls on a Friday, is pretty special.

~Dana

She Gets That From Me...

Last summer, I got the priviledge to welcome a new face into my circle of family.
My handsome little brother began dating a petite blonde girl, with the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. They sparkle and when she smiles, her eyes smile back at you. You can just tell that she is a very happy, confident person.

There are enough party poopers in the world, so I really don't prefer to waste much of my time around people like that. None of us know how much time God plans for us here, so we should make the best of every day we're granted. Smile more! Be kind to others! Do something thoughtful and unexpected for another everyday! I see these characteristics of kindness and vivaciousness in her. That delights me because when joy comes from within a person, it's positive effects radiate to everyone surrounding them.

A sense of humor is also a key element here. A must. For I am incessantly joking with her, that all of her positive attributes "she gets from me". It's been a little joke we've shared from our very first meeting and continues on. What a good sport! So, I welcome this little ray of sunshine into my inner circle! I shall take her under my wing and teach her all that I know!! (imagine that last sentence: me standing, arm raised in proclaimation) ;)

In all seriousness, someone did a wonderful job raising this beautiful young lady. I'm glad she and my brother have found each other and I hope she stays forever.

Happy Birthday, Jenny Mc....You're awesome! And, yeah, you get that from me.

~Dane

Little Things, Big Impact

I'm sitting here in the semi-quiet of my morning, one cup of coffee down. Taylor Swift music is playing quietly in the next room, and my two youngest daughters are singing along and making more rules about how it should and shouldn't go. The cat is snuggled into a tight ball in one of the recliners and the dog is faithfully at my feet. What a weekend it's been in our house.

It seems that a lot of Mondays I wake up with a cozy feeling. Not all of them, mind you. There are certainly those where I wake up, hair parted the wrong way, horns showing...

We didn't do anything spectacular this weekend, so there's really not any breaking news. Friday night, after the kids settled down and went to sleep, we had the den to ourselves and watched some of our favorite TV shows. (My daddy jokes he cannot believe anyone could relax during a Criminal Minds marathon, but we do.) Jason kept a fire going most of the weekend, and there is almost nothing better than the crackle and smell of a real wood fire. The walls in our den are wood paneling with a rustic hearth and it gives a genuine cabin feel to the room. It's the only room we have not updated, so to speak, and I like it that way. It's like our very own private getaway.

Saturday was my day to sleep in, and my husband made coffee and fed the kids. Once I finally dragged myself out of bed, I enjoyed a cup of coffee and got dressed for the day. Everybody pitched in to do chores around the house, which is my equivalent to winning a small lottery.

Sunday was Jason's turn to sleep in. I still get pretty good benefits from that one, too, because I implement Whisper Time. The girls played in their treehouse and made the dog their prisoner. Don't be fooled...he secretly loves it. A while later, we ate a late lunch at Ruby Tuesday then went to the park. It was cool, but the sunny spots warmed my back, and it felt so good. There is a massive live oak at the center of the park, and a second oak in a corner that you can climb. Jason climbed up first, and I teased him about being Bear Grylls. (Don't fall in the creVASS.) Up next went Ava, then Marilyn. Olivia and I stayed put, but I wish you could've seen how happy those two babies were to be in that tree with their daddy. All this excitement meant nap time was missed, but it's a fair trade because it brought an early bedtime.

Supper was easy: lunch leftovers from the restaurant. :) The Super Bowl was on, but I think it was the very first time I've ever (sort of)watched it. I mostly played around on Facebook (shocker) and just enjoyed vegging out on the couch. Jason and I talked about our weekend and how much fun we had doing a whole lot of nothing. He is really so fun to be around. Whether we're talking or just sitting quietly, there's no one else I'd rather spend my time with. I'm kinda sweet on him. ♥ Didn't know if you noticed.

Which brings me to today. I'm still in PJs and glasses, and content replaying the past two days. Having a relationship like we do is a blessing, and it's also something we make a priority. We work at it everyday; the benefits it produces are worth it. I can only hope that it also makes for happy childhood memories our daughters will oneday recall with smiles. Never pass up the opportunity to make the most of your day or to love those who fill it. You're the one who gets something pretty great in return.

~Dana