Archive for the ‘Favorites’ Category

This morning I’m in Napa with Bush’s Beans trying to figure out what time it is. Crazy how a few hours difference in a time change can throw you off. In a few I’m heading to The Culinary Institute of America to cook all day. Me, cooking at The Culinary Institute. I just hope I don’t do anything ding-dongy like cut my finger off or something – although that would make for a really good post.

Anyway, since I’m eating yummy stuff all day long I may be having one of these for breakfast this morning.

KIND bars, found at many places, but I usually get them at Starbucks when I’m on the go. Yeah, I know not the most nutritious breakfast but it’ll work in a fix – or if you’re attached to the morning shows you never get to watch and are being too lazy to go find breakfast.

KIND bars come in many flavors but my favorite is Cranberry Almond.

So good and tangy and crunchy and perfect with a Mocha from Starbucks. Wish I had one of those right about now.

I hope y’all have a great weekend– thinking about ya!

(The great people that make the KIND Fruit + Nut bars or Starbucks didn’t pay or give me anything to promote their products – but that would be pretty cool wouldn’t it?)

This little lady waltzed into my life this weekend. While I was cooking it took up residence on this blue cup. I’ve never seen one of these…have you? It’s an ash grey ladybug, I think. After making it to the top of this cup it walked around and around…and around and around and around…

{“You spin me right round, baby, right round like a record, baby, right round round round…” Name that song and/or band.}

And she kept on goin’ that little bug. I began to wonder if she was a stupid bug or if she just liked circles.

Then I was reminded of my tendencies as of late…to get sidetracked and find myself in my own circles going around and around and around… Anyway, I don’t know if it’s my age, too much on my plate, too little on my plate, lack of an essential vitamin or mineral, my age, the fact that I can’t finish a thought before the phone rings or someone or something interrupts me, or maybe it’s my age.

I’m looking into the vitamin thing ’cause I don’t think it could possibly have anything to do with my age.

Back to the ladybug…

As I said, this is the first ash grey ladybug I’ve ever seen that I can remember. At first I was thinking it was some freak, albino, genetically mutated ladybug. The entomologist that I’m not, I googled it.

My research found that they don’t typically domicile in clean, well kept homes as they feast on mites, dust bunnies and boogers. We don’t have no boogers ’round here – unless you count Jake…

or Sam…

and that Sam’s a wooly booger for sure.

But I did just see one of them ash grey ladybug’s ridin’ down the hall on a dust bunny – yee haw! And out of great concern that they may be endangered, I have decided to hold off any further dusting until I hear otherwise.

I do what I can for the planet.

[The accuracy of these statements has not be evaluated by a team of independent experts, dependent experts, or co-dependent experts and is only from the personal research and observations of one lame housekeeper. Thank you and have a nice day.]

I love looking at old pictures. Always have. Lately it seems a lot of old photos from both sides of our family have been popping up.

This is one of my favorites. It’s of my husbands maternal grandparents, Ruth and Lee (we call them Mamaw and Papaw.) They’re so stylish, Lee with his brimmed hat and Ruth in her hip heels – some would love to get their hands on those today. Don’t they just look so in love? My husband thinks they have a mischievous look on their faces but I think they just look happy.

Mamaw passed away a little over a year ago and we’ve all missed her terribly, especially Papaw. He never failed to show his love for her, always speaking words of love to her for all of us to hear – never anything cross. I was happy to be a witness to the testament of the vows they took long ago being lived out for all of us to see.

Mamaw was spunky and feisty and a wonderful story teller. My husband tells how he felt as if he was the greatest thing ever when around her because she always made sure to make you feel like you were the best at everything. And look at those legs! No wonder Papaw is smiling so.

Sometimes I think we forget that our parents, grandparents or any of our elders were once young, in love, stylish and maybe a little mischievous too. I’m glad we have this old photo. For me the only difference in Mamaw and Papaw in this photo and how they were the day Mamaw passed is how they looked on the outside. This will always be a constant reminder to me of our never failing youth, that’s always there, even though we may start to ache, wrinkle and sag a little.

What memories do you have to share? What ways do you remember those dear to you?