He's a Winner!

I guess it's better late than never when it comes to posting.  Last Thursday was the annual spelling bee to raise funds for the Learning Center for Adults and Families, Inc.   They offer a lot of great services to aid persons with education.  Some of the funds are used for GED scholarships.  Can you imagine studying hard to pass the test but not having $75 to take it?

Anyway this was our team's fifth year to participate and after 20 rounds, we took second place.

This is my sweet husband.  There were two other members on our First Baptist Team but I did not get their permission to post their faces so just cropped them out.  The good news about being second is it was time for another team to win since we have taken first place the last three years.  The 2010 first place winner  was Merck.  They have been the corporate sponsor each year and our close competition.  They generally finish the spelling bee in the top three.

The funny thing is our team could spell words of this difficulty:  ulotrichous, unguiculate, marcescent, and acciaccatura.  The word they missed is anisette.  Do you know why?  Our church team missed the name of a liqueur!  None of them had ever heard of it.  Let's just say that our church friends were pleased to know we were not familiar with anisette!

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.  Ephesians 5:18a

Mama Said

The owners slept late this morning.  She normally does not work on Friday but he decided to take a comp day and be home, too.  So I didn't see any sense in ending my slumber early either.

(And that's not dirt on my blanket but rather fur that's shedding for the warmer weather.)  So what does "she" do on our lovely relaxing day?  She starts crating us one by one to go for a short ride.

We ended up at the "scary" place.  She said the people here are nice and keep us healthy but we never go there to play - - - only to have hurtful things happen.  

 And before we went in the door, I saw this sign hanging on a fence.

My owners think it's a great deal because it is only $10 a shot because there is no office visit if you are only there for the clinic.  Do you think it's a good deal to be forced out of a crate when dogs are in the same room and have the indignity of being stuck with everyone watching?   It reminds me of a few words from the song by the Shirelles - - - "Mama said there'll be days like this.  There'll be days like this, Mama said.  Mama said.  Mama said."

But from a cat's perspective, is Mama the one who is supposed to start your day this way?

And God created . . . . every living creature that moveth . . . . Genesis 1:21a

Cleaning Up

Do you ever rearrange anything in your kitchen?  I don't do it often but when it begins to feel like it is not operating efficiently, I will shift things around.  Last week the drawer that holds all the seldom used - - - but definitely needed - - - items got sorted.  This drawer has a meat thermometer, beaters for the mixer, corn-on-the-cob handles, etc. etc. and these . . . . . They were in a plastic bag shoved way in the back part of the drawer - - - past the dividers.  I had forgotten about them!  They were my mother's.  These little forks are half the size of table forks and are used for finger food buffets.  I think she had them especially for things like cocktail franks or cheese cubes.  Then I moved onto our regular silverware drawer that also holds serving spoons and a few other "often-used" utensils like vegetable peelers.  Did you know we had five of them?  Why???? That collection has also been better organized and "pared" down.

The great thing about a project like that is you see immediate results that will last a while.  And then there are other things you do that are 3 steps forward and just as many back.

These have been falling off our trees for 2 or 3 days.  I used the leaf blower on the driveway 3 times on Friday.  My husband got on top of the house and blew them off the roof.  It rained hard this weekend and the wind was ferocious at times.  You would think nothing could have kept hanging on the limbs - -- but yet - - we are still clearing the driveway today.  This is our least favorite part of having beautiful shade trees all around us.  Dealing with the leaves in the fall is preferable to the pollen and seeds in the spring.  But it is almost over and then it will be regular maintenance for the summer.  Plus we have the benefit of lower utility bills because of the trees' foliage.

And God said, Behold I have given you every . . . . . tree . . . . . .  Genesis 1:29a

Sweet Sister

Usually I try to post a couple of times on the weekend but when I am not here, it doesn't happen.  Last Friday, I drove to Augusta, GA to be with my sister.  As usual, we had a great time together.  However, my reason for going was not the happiest.  Her home burned to the ground on April 12.  Squirrels were probably the cause.  A neighbor saw electricity arcs at the top of the power pole which meant the insulation was probably missing.  The fire fell to the ground and caught the brush, leaves, etc. which quickly spread.

The best news is no one was home when it happened so there were no injuries.  Other good news is people have been great to give her donations and help her with clean-up of the land.  She also has a temporary place to stay with no time restrictions.  It has this view from the front yard.  You can see the horse on the left.  Can you see the white car on the right-hand side of the picture?  That is her property.  She is in the woods - - - a very peaceful place where the temperature can be almost ten degrees cooler than in the city of Augusta - - about twenty miles away - - - where she works.

Sandie is working on plans to have a new modular home on her property soon.  She is working with Deer Valley Home Builders on a contract this week.  It is a beautiful house she will purchase.

As usual, when we get together, we have an excellent time of fun and food.  We began on Friday night by going to Hildebrandt's in Augusta.  It is an OLD building that contains various items - - the best of which is a delicatessen - - - with DELICIOUS sandwiches and salads.

Before I came home on Sunday, we went to Country Boy's Cooking in Keysville, GA.  The funny thing is the restaurant is not in a town.  It is a nice restaurant built beside someone's home on one of the beautiful country roads.  We had the absolute best barbecue I have ever eaten.  It was so good, I brought some home and my family agreed with me.  That barbeque is almost worth making another ten hour round-trip drive!

We got there just before the church crowd arrived so I was able to get this picture of the empty restaurant.   - - - - and our weekend started with destruction due to fire and ended with nourishment cooked over fire.

How good was it?  Look at the happy faces that Sandie and I have!

". . . . . He sat down among the ashes."  Job 2:8b

New Church

  This is where our church congregation will move in August.  Today members were invited to come and write Scripture verses on the concrete foundation before the floor covering is put down.

 This is the left side of the building where the children can be dropped off directly at their department.

Look at the design of the bricks.  It's very attractive. The following pictures show the view from the children's entrance.

 

I love it!  We have a modern building by shopping centers and next door to a field of cattle grazing.  It's very peaceful.

For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.  Psalm 50:10

Saturday

It has been a beautiful day with weather that looks like this picture.  It is a Bradford Pear with blossoms that are quickly being replaced by leaves.  The flower petals have covered the ground in "snow".

We were up earlier than usual for a Saturday morning for a couple of reasons.  This was the first day recycling pickup was scheduled for us.  I read on the blog of one of my daughter's friends about Green Guys Recycling.  Yes, you have to pay but it is going to be so worth it.  Number 1 - - I don't have to take time to fit one more thing into my schedule by going to a drop-off on my day off on Friday.  Number 2 - - they take EVERYTHING!  I don't have to carry the plastics to Chattanooga.  I met the gentleman this morning who decided to do this business with his neighbors.  He is very nice and we are very happy to have this convenience because we do not like to fill the landfill with items that can be reused.  Plus, does plastic ever biodegrade?

The second "out-of-the-ordinary thing on our agenda was waiting for the arrival of my husband's boss & friend.  He was selling his treadmill because he exercises at a local gym.    Bill's treadmill finally cried, "Uncle" after 10 years. I was happy for him to get another treadmill because it has helped him lose weight and keep it off. Bill is very disciplined with his walking, covering at least 50 miles a month.

He paid for over 70% of this by cashing in his change that he has been collecting for 15 months.

This is my coin jar but his is just like it. - - except his has NO money in it now! It has a digital display that shows your new total each time you add change.  It also helped Bill know that our bank's coin counter was accurate!

In addition to moving heavy equipment into the basement, he decided it was time to tackle this other job.  When he replaced the railing last fall, he was told that the treated wood needed to cure outside at least six months before it was painted.  The time was up; the weather was right; and the job has been completed.

Now he is watching the Masters.  I am taking a break from switching some winter/spring clothes into the proper closets.  We have accomplished a good bit today but it has also been a very relaxing day.

(And maybe I can figure out how to get some of the extra space gone from between pictures and texts before I post next time.)

And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.  Acts 24:16

Rotel Recipe

I have no idea where I copied this recipe from.  I thought I got it from this blog but I don't see it in the index.  However, I want to give it to you because it is DELICIOUS!  The Rotel you pick will determine the heat of your finished product.  You could sense enough taste of heat after you began to swallow this - - which brought us to the discussion about where the taste buds are in your mouth that sense spicy foods.  This is a slow-cooker recipe but I used my waterless cookware on the stove since it cooks a bit faster and works like an oven at the same time.  Also, we used Eye of Round Steaks rather than flank - - - and we discussed trying this with meatballs sometime.  Mini-sized would be great appetizers!

Slow-Cooked Italian Beef

2 pounds Beef (roast or steaks)

2 (14 oz) cans Rotel

1 1/2 TABLESPOONS Italian Seasoning (dry seasoning in spice jar) (seems like a lot but it's not)

1/2 tsp garlic salt (or powder)

1 medium onion, sliced

Beat meat to tenderize it.  (We didn't and it was fine.)

Mix Rotel, Italian seasoning, and garlic in the slow cooker.

Submerge the meat.

Place onion on top of meat.

Cook on low 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 hours.

Serve with "gravy" on side.

It's an excellent recipe that has been added to our recipe box.

And I feel a bit guilty about not posting any Easter pictures.   I left my camera home.   but that didn't stop us from having a GREAT day celebrating our resurrected Savior - - - church and then lunch with our married daughter's extended family.  The weather was gorgeous.  The food was great and the company was the best.    However with Jesus in our hearts, that makes every day a celebration, doesn't it?!!!

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  Matthew 28:20b