Will Be Visiting The Fat Farm This Year For Vacation

Clint and I love these deviled eggs so much we've been craving them like a pregnant woman craves pickles.  It's different in that it requires NO sweet relish.  Neither one of us likes sweet relish. 

We fixed deviled eggs approximately 3 times last week.  Not just ate, but fixed a whole new batch...

It's not just that they're so good (well, maybe it is) but I believe we have a little bit of fun boiling, cracking and peeling eggs together while trying to keep Dax from snatching one of the eggs before he takes off running (since we sit on the floor in the den to crack and peel ours).  Much like our chocolate pretzel tradition/obsession. 

Some families like to play games together, watch a movie together, etc... we like to make deviled eggs together. 

Later comes the real fun when we start firing off at each other with a fine display of methane gas.  Nothing revitalizes the senses like deviled egg aftermath.   

I thought I'd share our favorite DE recipe.  That is if you didn't lose your appetite after reading the above sentence...  ;o)

DEVILISH AMMUNITION:

• 7 Hard cooked eggs 
• 3 Tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch
• 1 or 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill weed (to your liking)
• 1 clove garlic, minced ( I use moist ready minced garlic)
• 5 dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
• 1/8 Tsp salt
• 4 Slices of bacon; crisp cooked and crumbled ( I use Oscar Meyer natural bacon bits)
• 1 Tsp seasoning salt
• 2 oz of ricotta OR cream cheese OR plain yogurt (only if your mixture somehow ended up too salty)

Halve hard boiled eggs lengthwise and place yolks in small bowl.  Set whites aside.  Mash yolks with fork.  Stir in salad dressing, dill weed, garlic (I would really recommend using moist ready minced garlic.  Clint and I use these with all our recipes that calls for cloves of garlic and it really makes all the difference in the world to us.), hot pepper sauce, bacon and salt.  Do a taste test and if too salty for your liking, add ricotta OR cream cheese OR yogurt, Stuff egg white halves with yolk mixture. 

Let me know if you try it and you like it better than the sweet relish DE's!

A Lifetime of Special People

So, I'm a bit behind... but that was the point, wasn't it?  I'm bad about "belated" birthday wishes so I'm doing these posts to make up for that...  ;o)

My best teacher, my biggest disciplinarian, my biggest provider and now that I'm all growed up one of my best friends, as well as my biggest hero, was born on February 19.

This person is quite, Wise, kind, calm, loving, DEPENDABLE, funny, intelligent, creative, respectable, well spoken, interesting, Brave, proud yet humble      (he isn't going to like all this praise one bit!)         FORGIVING, understanding, honest, faithful, hard working, unique and just about every good adjective I can think of... he's all these things!

So does this wonderful guy have a name?  Well, his friends call him Jimmy or Jim, but I call him Daddy, but more often these days he's known as Paw Paw (hearing Dax say Paw Paw absolutely melts my heart because he already loves his Paw Paw so much and vice versa).

When I told him this was going to be his Birthday present he told me the same thing he always does which is "I try to forget my Birthday"  (that makes two of us Dad)   and    "don't put all that on the internet."

Dad, sorry to disobey you but there's no way I'm going to post about all these fine people that are/were special in my life and leave you off the list when you are one of the most important.

I'm sure many of you reading this post feel the same as I do. When writing about all the good things our parents have done for us or how important they are, you could easily write a book the size of the dictionary and then some.  But, I'm going to try to keep it short-er.   ;o)

FACTS:

1. Born and raised in Mt. Olive to Travis and Athlyn
2. Has a younger sister, Sherry.
3. Grew up watching  The Gene Awtry Show, Rawhide, Gunsmoke and Bonanza.(apparently the Mickey Mouse Club too.  Boy, does he make wearing those ears look cool!)
   
   
   

   From Old Photos

4. Was a member of the 1st Graduating Class of G-dale.
5. Married my mother at the age of 20.
   
   
   
   

   From Old Photos

6. Was a Staff Sergeant in the US Army Reserve.
   
   
   

   From Old Photos

     
7. Had a Black Belt in Karate.
   
   
   
   

   From Old Photos

8. Has two kids; my brother, Brian, and me. 
   
   
   
   

   From Old Photos

9. Is and has been an Electrical Engineer for Alabama Power/Southern Company - close to or more than 30 yrs.
10. His shirts are always nicely ironed, tucked in with boots nice and shined (he doesn't wear ties as much as he used to, but, he still wears one of my all time favorite Father's Day gifts from time to time (below).
    (That doesn't mean he hasn't received bad Father's Day gifts that get put somewhere in his room to collect dust for 15+ years - ahem - Bath and Body Works Cologne and Soap... what was I thinking??)
    
    
11. Was raised riding horses.  So, he in turn raised us riding horses.
    
    

    From Old Photos

    From Old Photos

    From Old Photos

12. Loves to ride his Harley with my Mom. 
13. Enjoys making heavy duty farm equipment to attach to his tractors. (He's probably working on something right now as you read this)
14. Has 6 grandchildren and counting.  
15. He can fix anything with mecurochrome.  Sever a leg?  Just put some mecurochrome on it, it'll be healed up by morning.  In the picture:  Dad's medicine cabinet: plenty of mecurochrome (iodine tincture).
    
    
     
16. Now has a head full of gray/white hair with my name written on every strand.
    
    

My Dad needs a T-shirt that says "I survived Teri 1994-1998  I was such a little heathen when I was a teenager and for the life of me I still don't know why.  Looking back I'm glad he was the Dad he was.  Not a friend but a Father.  I glad he didn't budge one iota when it came to the disagreements - mostly about "why can't I go 'here'?" or "why can't I stay out until ___ a.m.?"

Eventually I came around when I realized I had nothing to be rebellious for to begin with.  I only needed to be THANKFUL because he loved us so much.  Thanks to both my parents I had/have a wonderful life filled with many blessings.  But, to this day I wince when I think of what I put my poor Dad through.  My mother said she never worried as much because she didn't have to; Dad worried enough for both of them.  So he got the brunt of it even though my mom got a good dose too.  What goes around - comes around and I'm sure it will come full circle when Dax hits the teenage years.  I'm positive I've got it coming.  ;o)

WHAT I LIKE MOST:

Writing these posts about very different people draws on very different emotions or reactions from myself. While writing about some make me laugh, others make me cry and some just make me plain stir crazy.  The feeling I get when I write or even think about my Dad, is the feeling of Awe.  I'm basically just in awe of him and pretty much have been since I've been old enough to grasp a concept of the person he is and the father he always has been.  And it's not just me.  Clint has pretty much vocalized the same feeling.  There's too many things I really admire about my Dad to name just a couple, but these are some that are easily put into words.

My Dad has always been quite the teacher.  He never told me I couldn't do something.  When I'd follow him around at the barn with the horses, making home improvements, using power tools or just piddling as he calls it, he'd teach me what and how anytime I showed interest.  With the exception of really dangerous power tools and what not.  Plus the "girl" in me had standards and a power saw just didn't appeal to me but working/spending time with my Dad did  ;o)

He never got annoyed with the fact that I'd hold him up either.  He always had patience with us.  I never heard him say "go inside with your mother."  He was always too happy for me or Brian to tag along and we loved it.  (Especially to go load hay.  Yeah, loading hay... let the good times roll, huh?  But we loved it.  I still have fun doing that.  When Dax is old enough to help, he'll have a blast climbing and jumping from one bale to another.)

He was like that with everything in life.  Always asking our thoughts to see what we'd learned  - his way of making us think for ourselves maybe?  He rarely tells us you MUST do it this way.  He listens to our thoughts and either he'll agree or politely point out a better way. That is of course unless we were dealing with something potentially dangerous.  In that case, he commands like fathers do to keep us safe. 

He's worked hard all his life to make sure that our family was taken care of.  It's always been such a tremendous comfort knowing that he's there for us.  If he could, he would take any pain we had away and suffer ten fold to keep us from harm or hurt.  When he's witnessed me go through a really bad migraine, I can see in his face that he'd gladly suffer that migraine for me if he could.  To be loved that much by a parent is what's expected but, sadly, doesn't always happen.  That's never been the case for me or my brother.  I think I've said before that we know how to love our children so much because we were so loved by him and my mom as well.

Dad, since I know you are glad your Birthday is gone and over with I will just say thank you for being the best Dad I could have or would ever want and I love you!!!

Dax Capitalizing On Our Mistakes

Clint and I were both in the kitchen.  I was loading the dishwasher and Clint was... well I don't know what Clint was doing, but point is the 3 of us were in the Kichen.  Dax was playing with his washed out empty containers of sour cream, cool whip - etc. that he pulls out of "his" kitchen cabinet space.  Well... that's what Dax was doing the last time Clint or I looked down.

Dax decided the back room was the place for him, or more specifically, this awkward ladder to reach Mama's glasses was the place for him.

From Winter 2010

From Winter 2010

Dax will be 19 mos. on March 1st. Can't wait to see what an 18th month old can do!!

A Lifetime of Special People - Mary Athlyn

April and May must be the months of fertility because there are so many Birthdays in February!!  I have my Dad and my brother's b-day to go for this month.

WHO:

My Grandmother Mary Athlyn R. (my father's mother) was born on  a February 15.  She passed away many years ago when I was 8 or 9.  But thankfully I was old enough to remember her and the things she taught me.

It was my Grandmother that taught me to draw and do the crafty things I so often enjoy doing.  Any holiday - Easter, Valentines and etc.  She had us making all kind of crafts.  She could make anything and could make it well.   She made a ton of ceramic Christmas tree ornaments that I keep in a safe place and one year in the future I plan on putting up an extra tree for them.

Though I spent a lot of time with her I don't remember much about her personality.  Maybe because I was too young?  However, I do remember what her hugs felt like, the sound of her voice and her projects for me like picking up pecans or raking leaves to get me off the coach and outside.  I remember shucking corn and breaking peas from my Uncle Pud's garden, or I should say field that ran behind her land...stuff that seems mundane or monotonous but you somehow enjoy doing these things and remember it fondly because it made times feel simple and calm.

My Aunt Stella, the youngest of her siblings, sent me an e-mail telling me more about her personality because I only saw her from the point of view of a 9 year old granddaughter. 

Here is what some of the e-mail Aunt Stella sent me had in it:

She was loving and kind. I remember her as a very talented person who could paint, sew, bake, crochet and even make her own ceramic molds. Everything looked professional when she finished it. 

She was like a mother to me when I was little since I think Mama made her take care of me most of the time. She was so young when she married (just 15) and I was only 5 but I remember feeling as though I had lost my mother and I stayed with her as often as I could. When I became pregnant with Bill she sewed maternity clothes for me and gave me the most wonderful baby shower where she decorated the bassinet beautifully and baked little pink and blue cakes that looked like baby booties. Mama said Athlyn felt as though she was going to be a grandmother herself when I became pregnant. 

She was a fanatic about keeping a clean house and one day while I was dusting her many little whatnots, I asked her if I could have a small ceramic Victorian shoe she had. She must have said I could have it after she died because  I  taped a note to the bottom of the shoe that said "This belongs to me. Stella". When Jimmy was going through her things, he found the shoe, read the note and gave me the little shoe, which I cherish.

I remember the family gathering at her house (your house) and filling the dining room on holidays where she served the most wonderful food. I especially liked her cherry pies. Each Christmas she would make a rum soaked fruit cake which she began weeks before Christmas so it could soak and always a Lane cake which is a very southern recipe. I still make her beef stroganoff recipe which I used to make and mix with formula, blend and freeze in ice trays for my children when they were babies. They loved it then and still love it as I do.

When she became a grandmother, I think she was the most happy spending time with all of you. Shannon has loving memories of spending time with her when we would visit from Nashville and she would stay with her.

Athlyn and Travis (Grandmother and Granddaddy)

From Old Photos

Grandmother and Aunt Sherry

From Old Photos

Granddaddy and Grandmother on an Indian

From Old Photos

Athlyn and Curtis or Ralph? (one of her 3 brothers)

From Old Photos

If you asked different people who Dax looks like, you'll get a different answer almost every time.  It's always been the same with me.  My physical appearance is a complete hodgepodge of all my family members from both sides. Going through old photos to add to this post I was astonished at what I saw...  

I've been told I look like just about everyone in my family at one time or another ~ except ~ my brother and I've NEVER been told I looked like my Grandmother, Athlyn. Even though the picture of her below is blurry, and isn't the best picture of her...this is pretty close (not exactly) to the way I see myself - this is the face I see in the mirror everyday even if nobody else sees the resemblance.  Only my face has blue eyes and blonde hair.  This is crazy to me!

She is standing 2nd on the left

From Old Photos

I hated losing my Grandmother so early.  She was in her 50's when she passed away.  When I was younger, I felt robbed and to be honest, that feeling still comes over me every once in a while.  But that pity party passes when I realize how blessed I am to have actually had 2 wonderful Grandmothers on my Dad and Mom's side.  If that weren't enough, I could simply think about all the special people in my life I get to post about.  So I really don't have a right to complain.  I'm thankful for the time I had with her, the person she was, the things she taught me and how much she loved Brian, Brandy, Me and Misty (her grandchildren).  Though there's a lot I'm sure I've forgotten over the years, one thing I remember that's most important was how much I loved her.

Clint, Dax and I live in her house and I had to redo a lot of hard work to get the house back to the shape it was in when she was alive (15 years of renting doesn't do a house good). I'm actually not quite there yet.  But, this house is very sentimental to me.  It's small, but if I never lived anywhere else, I would be satisfied.  There's a peace I have living in the house where I have so many memories as a child.

In case you're wondering what "Aunt Stella" looks like - here is the most recent picture of her.   J/K, Aunt Stella.  Love U!  

From Old Photos

Isaac

One Birthday I'm actually going to be early with!

My nephew, Isaac's, birthday is tomorrow and Clint, Dax and I want to wish him a Happy Birthday!!  I can't wait to see his sweet face and those big gorgeous brown eyes.  Thank you Brian and Emma Brown for all your sweet babies!  They are our family's biggest blessings.

From Winter 2009

A Lifetime of Special People - Sue Ann

February 14.. Valintines Day...

WHO:

It's hard to know where to start with this posts.  I'll start out with the fact that she is the most perfect    (double superlative... totally necessary)   example of what a best friend is and should be.  God blessed my mother with one of the best friends you could possibly imagine.

We all know that no one is bigger in our hearts than our own Mama's... and being good to my Mama is the same as being good to me. 

Actually Sue Ann has been very good to me as well.  If I ever needed anything - anything at all, I'm certain all I'd have to do is ask and she'd be there - except for maybe breaking the law.  I don't think she likes me well enough to do that.   But I bet I could talk Heath into it.  ;o) 

All joking aside.  Sue Ann has always been there for our family.   Long before weddings and showers, but those too.

WHY:

Sue Ann is a part of my past as much as anyone that are and will be mentioned in these posts.  I have so many memories wrapped up in the McKnight family I wouldn't care to imagine what it would have been like if they'd stayed in Mississippi where they are from. 

It's all too perfect that my Dad is best friends with Leonard too (Sue Ann's husband) ... who I'm just going to go ahead and dedicate this to him as well here now instead of on his birthday as I'm sure he no longer recognizes them... ) Heck, I'll just dedicate this one to the whole family... but Sue Ann first and foremost.

I have heard of friends as good as the one she's been to my mom, but honestly I've never seen them myself.  Of course I've seen that dedication out of my own blood relatives, but not from an unrelated acquaintence.  But Sue Ann proves they do exist.  She's a good person, a good mom, loves her grandchildren to the fullest and like I've already said, a very good friend.  

My brother and I used to love to watch mom and her work the crowd while waiting in the car after church.  They'd spot someone across the parking lot - wave or "point" them down with big smiles and commence  a pleasant but seemingly neverending conversation much to my Dad's dismay.  One of those "you'd have to see it to understand it" moments but truly hilarious. 

Then of course there were the bargain shopping trips.  My mom and Sue Ann were the original "bargainomics" ladies.  I'd follow them around to the point of exhaustion during shopping Saturdays to which they'd go through every item in the store looking for - if not trying to out do each other on finding - the best bargain of the day.  For someone who hates to shop it could sometime be down right tortuous but obviously not enough for me not to look back on it fondly. 

Sue Ann more than once took the time to hand make something for me and then later for Dax.  Her mother even did so as well!!  Mrs. Warren who is a beautiful person to meet and talk to herself gave Clint and I pillow cases that had her embroidery on them.  When someone takes time out to hand make something - for me... it touches my heart and will always be cherished. 

Sue Ann, thank you for being the person you are and being such a wondeful asset to our family!  Have a wonderful and blessed birthday.  I pray you have many more.

As for you Leonard... "My heroes have always been cowboys, and they still are it seems."  You and my father are not the type of cowboys Willie Nelson sang about (thank goodness) but heroes nonetheless.  Men of your integrity and unwavering values are a dying breed I'm afraid.  But you are proof they still exist and are alive and well. 

As for Scott - there's never been a time your quiteness and shy grin wasn't appreciated especially since I always had too much to say.  I can't help but laugh... I was always envious of your calm and quite nature.    and Heath:  I can still whip you, so watch out!

Sue Ann and Mom

From Miscellaneous

Being Confused For Brobee On A Snow Day

We've been LOVING the snow!  Especially since it's the kind you can drive in. 

From Winter 2010

Friday, just like everyone else, we built our snow man and enjoyed the excitement.

From Winter 2010

From Winter 2010

From Winter 2010

From Winter 2010

From Winter 2010

That night, Dax must have had a bad dream because he woke up and wouldn't go back to sleep unless he was going to sleep on Mama.  Clint got up with him first but as soon as he brought him to bed with us, he rolls over on me and won't budge.

After about 20 mins I thought he was asleep enough to put him back in the crib.  No go.  So Dax and I just curled up on the Toddler bed.  After about an hour I finally got him to go back in the crib but I stayed on the toddler bed just in case he woke up again.

The next morning he woke me up when he started crying.  Still in the toddler bed I started talking to him:  "Dax, what's wrong baby?"  Dax didn't realize I was still in the room.  After continuing to talk to him and him confusingly looking around he finally spotted me lying in the bed with the covers over me.

He looked at me through the crib bars and then stood up and said:  "Grobby???"  I know I look bad in the morning, but bad enough to resemble Grobby Bear? (that's how he/we say "Brobee" from Yo Gabba Gabba)

From Winter 2010

For those of you that don't know, Brobee is the green monster with very long arms from the toddler show Yo Gabba Gabba that plays on Nick Jr.  It might help Dax not getting me confused with Brobee if I stop walking around the house singing "there's a party in my tummy - so yummy - so yummy!"
Next day Dax had a blast running around playing with Mom, Boss (the dog) and me.

From Winter 2010

From Winter 2010

From Winter 2010

From Winter 2010

From Winter 2010

One of the neighbor's snowman I thought was cute

From Winter 2010

This is the best snowman I've seen so far. It belongs to my Jr. High teacher, Coach Love

From Winter 2010

Another Neighbor's snow people - reminded me of CRACK THAT WHIP!! (Although I think all the Devo hats are supposed to be red and they're minus a band member. I assure you I didn't know there were 5 devo band members until I googled their picture)

From Winter 2010

D E V O

From Winter 2010

There were a couple of BAMA Snowmen I saw that deserve an Honorable Mention... there... I mentioned them. I'm not posting the pictures though. That's against my strong AU principles. ;o)

I NEED The Network

I got so embarrassed last week I'm afraid to show my face in G-dale for quite a while.  It's not because my car went dead while changing lanes and it's not because an old man had to push us - while I steered, it's what came after.

"See what happened was"  my vehicle has a kill switch in the passenger floor board.  Yes, I said kill switch and no, I don't drive a bass boat.

I don't know why or what purpose it serves for the manufacturers to put a kill switch there or to have one at all but I'm always forgetting it's there and throwing Dax's diaper bag in the floorboard which knocks the plug out and completely kills my car.  Once this happens you have about one gas pedal pump left before the vehicle goes completely dead. 

Whose dumb enough to do this more than once a week?  and  Whose dumb enough not to learn how to reset kill switch after it happening over and over?  If you haven't caught on by now, the answer is  ME.

This happened while I was changing lanes during a red light.  I'd slung my Dax purse in the floor after getting him a cookie and bullseye!  Thank goodness the entrance to Race Track was 10' away from me when I hit the kill switch only problem was the car didn't quite make it there.  To make matters worse an old guy wasn't too happy with me since the light was green and I wasn't getting out of the way quick enough so he just lays into the horn and causes such a commotion that everyone in that packed intersection was staring at us.

However, again thank God and your many blessings, the car rolled into the parking lot, just very slowly.  Since I still had the bumper sticking out into on coming traffic an old guy comes and has to push me all the way in to safety.  Though I kept trying to tell him I had a kill "switch" in the floorboard he looked at me as if he were thinking "sure sure, it's okay honey... no need to be embarrassed"  -  he must of thought I'd ran out of gas and kept pushing me right up to a pump.  This of course got everyone's attention who were pumping gas.

I thank the man - over and over and over again - and then gather myself together amongst all the embarrassment and realize I need to call Clint and I better hope he's at home.  Since I don't have a cell phone - yep, you read right again (from a previous post I spank my child and now you know I don't carry a cell phone.  If you dare call me neanderthal, you might be right),   I don't have a cell phone.

I had the Network for 12 years and I got yelled at for not answering the thing more than the minutes I used - I hate cell phones.

Anywhose..so I go in to ask the gas/store attendant (whatever the politically correct name for the guy is)  "Sorry to bother you Sir, but is there a pay phone near by."  (I'm quitely mannerly)

He points it out and when I realize how far it is and due to the fact I'm holding Dax (who has no coat/hat on, because he wasn't supposed to ever gotten out of the car) I look at the man and ask him very nicely "I'll pay you if you let me use your phone, it's very cold and misty outside and he (Dax) has got an ear infection...may I please use your phone."  The little man looks at me and smugly says in his thicker than mud accent "so sorry - it hooked to internet"

[I think you all know where this is going -There are MANY things about me that I consider unpleasing or more to the point ~ugly~.  You hear the term "verbally abusive"...  "verbally annoying" or sometimes even  "verbally terrifying" fits me better.  When I'm mad at myself  (like I was for being in that position) I sometimes direct it at the person at hand (in this case:  smug gas attendant) and end up really embarrassing myself as if I hadn't done enough of that already. 

Me:  "so you don't have a phone??"

Smugness:  "No!"

Me:  "you don't have a phone to call out?"

Smugness:  "No, so sorry"

Me:  "So if you have an accident?  Like a crazed customer throws something at you and splits your head wide open, you don't have a phone to call 911 with??"  (I heard a gasp from a lady standing in the store when I said that)  ... I can't believe I actually said that... who says things like that while holding their child???  For my mom's sake or to save embarrassment from her.  Yes, she taught me better than this.  I'm just still a work in progress.

Smugest:  "NO!!!!"

Seeing that little man is feeling empowered by being able to tell a female holding an 17 mos old to go use the pay phone (which couldn't be any further away), I conceded and ran as fast as I could to use the phone to call Clint. 

FYI:  It costs 75 cents! to use a pay phone (which I'm sure no one does because you all are smart enough to carry cell phones) 

Thankfully Clint was at home and could be there in 5-10 short minutes - YAY we're saved!   But oh wait, the story's just beginning.

Still not the most embarrassing part yet...

Everyone in the parking lot that witnessed me having to be pushed now comes up to me offering cell phones - one sweet sweet woman tried more than once to give me money.  Just like the old man, she didn't believe I wasn't out of gas or that I didn't need help and folded a $20 up very small so she could pass it to me unsuspecting surely so as not to hurt my pride... So sweet, but I just as sweetly passed it back.

Since I'm waiting for Clint... I figured might as well get gas while I'm waiting on him so I walk back inside and give "Smugness" a $10 and tell him I'm on 2.  Get back out to my car and I wait .... and wait.... and I wait for little man to turn my pump on.  He never does so I have to get Dax back out of the car walk back inside and when I walk in the door the guy is leaning up against the counter eating a piece of pizza???!! 

Embarrassment Royale...

This is what happened next... or something like it...

From Miscellaneous

I now know how to reset the "kill switch"  which isn't a switch at all, it's a plug.  Still don't know why it's there though...

And if I'm going to teach Dax that it's not acceptable to throw tantrums, I'm definitely going to start practicing what I preach.