Daddies are pretty wonderful

{l-r: Daddy, Mom, Mimi, Uncle Robert, me, Grandad, Daniel}

I enjoyed the opportunity to get together with my nearest and dearest this past Sunday to celebrate the daddies in my life. I'm blessed to have my daddy, my Grandad, and my great uncle (Uncle Robert) in my life. They're all beyond wonderful, and I could just go on and on about all of them, but I won't...they'd hate it. I've shared about Grandad here and here. Uncle Robert is Mimi's older brother, and he moved back to Tuscaloosa from Texas eight years ago. I've really enjoyed getting to know him, and I love to hear his stories. I'm glad he's still with us.

My sweet daddy has a wicked sense of humor and can do anything. If he doesn't already know how to do it, he can teach himself. He teaches me how to cook. He has a whole bed full of tomato plants in his garden, even though he hates tomatoes, because he knows I love them and have no garden of my own. He taught me how to drive. He works harder than any human being I know. He's helped me move 10+ times, even though he despises moving. He bit his tongue and helped dig me out of the hole when I bounced no fewer than 247 checks in college. He encourages my fledgling photography attempts. He loves me even though I'm a goober...he loves that I am a goober.

{We kinda like him.}

{dynamic duo}

{re-enacting the "Thinker" pose the church directory photographer made him do...needless to say, he didn't choose that picture}

Daddies are pretty wonderful.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the never-ending grace of the good Lord
• my delightful family and friends
• my health, and the health of my loved ones
• Uncle Robert working hard to make a recovery from pneumonia
• a weekend of epic proportions to look forward to :)
• a very productive week..in fact, I've gotten more accomplished this week than I have over my entire break so far...I'm a bit embarrassed by the scope of my laziness
• the dark clouds that just rolled in...we've had weeks of no rain and unrelenting sunshine, so I'm hoping a few drops will fall
• a lovely new shower curtain that makes me smile

• finally, FINALLY finding a recycling bin to unload the trunk full of plastic bottles I've been riding around since school got out
• Neeley getting settled in her new Dallas home...can't wait to schedule a visit!
• a successful internship for Daniel, so far
• money to pay my bills, make my car payment, and (sometimes) a bit left over for some fun
• air conditioning and clean, running water whenever I want it
• shoes on my feet, clothes to wear, a roof over my head, food in my belly, and a car that runs...I'm indescribably blessed
• the good days my mama has been enjoying...such a blessing!
• my first ever batch of from-scratch pizza sauce turning out to be, well...edible! It was so easy; I'll share next week.
• Ashley making a big decision that I think will really pay off for her...steppin' out on faith!
• the world's tastiest peaches (Chilton County, of course) that I bought at the farmers market this week

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Anything fun on your horizon?



End of an era

{playing a comb on her 90th birthday...photo source}

I was saddened last night to learn of the passing of Kathryn Tucker Windham. This woman could tell a story like nobody's business. She was a treasure, and will be sorely missed in our great state.

I fondly remember my Girl Scout troop hitting the road and traveling to Selma for the annual Tale-Tellin' Festival. We enjoyed listening to the music, looking at the quilts, and hearing other story tellers, but what we really looked forward to was Kathryn Tucker Windham. She was always the last one on the schedule, and the one everyone wanted to see. She would have the room absolutely silent as she sat in a rocking chair and wove her tales. Our favorite were her stories about Jeffrey, a not-too-scary ghost who loved to stir up mischief.  We would always buy one of her ghost story tapes and listen to it on the ride home, huddled together in the backseat, convinced those rural highways were littered with ghosts. We treasured our autographed copies of her books, and it makes my heart happy that my students still enjoy reading her stories. Her "13 Ghosts" series (profiling states around the Southeast) is beloved.

Kathryn Tucker Windham saw the importance in sharing stories and history to preserve it for future generations. I sure hope that doesn't die out with her.

{Anna Claire wrote more eloquently about this today. Check her out.}

Mule Day

Have you ever been to a Mule Day parade? No? I hadn't either, until last weekend. Mimi, Grandad, and I headed over to itty bitty Gordo, Alabama to watch the Mule Day parade. Mule Day is a celebration of the agricultural past, present, and future of the town. Didn't that sound great? Thanks! I copied it from a sign :)

The temperature was nearly 100 by the time we made our way to the parade route, but we were (blessedly) able to find a spot in the shade. The parade started an hour later than we thought it would, so we had plenty of time to chitchat and wander around. We also had plenty of time to people-watch. Are you a people-watcher? I am. I could keep myself entertained for hours just watching people and wondering what their lives are like.

{I so love old houses. I had to restrain myself from knocking on the door and asking to see the inside.}

{the 3 Musketeers...love 'em}

{beautiful Clydesdales}

{I got so tickled at these guys, just chillin' in lawn chairs in the back of an old truck.}

{Yep, it's a racing lawnmower.}

We had a great time. This was such a quintessential Southern, small-town affair. I love where I live.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

• the never-failing grace of God
• my lovely family and friends
• my health and the health of my loved ones
• summer break
• my job, which provides me an opportunity to impact the lives of children...oh, and which provides me a nice little summer break :)
• this chance to rest and recuperate before gearing up for another school year
• fun plans for a girls weekend coming up soon...SO excited
• the tasty fruit and veggies I got at the farmers market this week
• my popsicle mold
• finally finishing PawPaw's book...I can't wait to get my thoughts together enough to share it with yall
• all the modern conveniences, luxuries, and clothes I have...reading PawPaw's book made me feel very spoiled
• getting to chat with Kate tonight...so glad they made it safely home from their European adventure
• a really, really wonderful conversation with Grandad yesterday
• fun plans with Mama and Mimi this summer
• sweet, thoughtful LA...she read that I've been searching (unsuccessfully) for agave nectar, so when she saw some, she bought it up for me...so sweet of her!
• a successful start to Daniel's internship at the hospital...I'm glad he's enjoying it, and I'm thankful he's getting to get some experience that will come in handy when he gets his first nursing job
• Suzy's recipes o' the week...French Toast Casserole and Homemade Ice Cream...I think I could stick my face in a bowl of that casserole topping
• my visit to the library this week...first of the season, with many more to follow
• the blessedly wonderful rain that fell from the sky this evening...okay, so it was only a short-lived sprinkle, but I went out and let it tickle my face and drank in the lovely, rainy smell of it...I so love summer rain
• my Tigers finally getting their recognition at the White House...I'm so glad Kodi Burns got to present the helmet and jersey...such a classy fella

• more blooms on my desert rose...for a plant that hasn't flowered in nearly four years, it sure is showing off these days!

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Blueberry-peach yogurt popsicles

I'm working to refine my popsicle-making technique. In my last batch, I was left licking a bar of plain yogurt with some fruit chunks scattered throughout. Eh. I could use flavored yogurt, but I want these to be as low in refined sugar as possible. (A couple of people commented on my last post and mentioned agave nectar. I'm still on the lookout because none of the stores I visited carried any.) A squirt of honey made my second batch a bit closer to what I wanted, but it still wasn't perfect.

I pondered. I reflected. I scratched my noggin.

Then, it appeared to me as if in a vision. Drag out that handy dandy food processor and work it! Last go-around, I just chopped my fruit into pieces and mixed it with the yogurt. This time, I nearly pulverized the fruit...big difference. This batch of popsicles has been a real treat. Try for yourself sometime!

Blueberry-Peach Yogurt Popsicles (inspired by Tyler Florence's recipe)
1 cup combined blueberries and peaches (I used half a pint of blueberries and two fairly large peaches. It was probably more than 1 cup; I just eyeballed it.)
3 cups yogurt (I used organic plain, but any variety would work.)
juice from 1/2 lime
squirt of honey, to taste (optional)

{Step 1: Cut up peaches and dump in food processor with blueberries. Complicated stuff here. Pulse until you reach a consistency you're pumped up about.}

{Step 2: Move past the sheer repulsiveness of this picture. I ain't no food photographer. Squeeze your lime, add a bit of honey if you want, and pulse a few more times.}

{Step 3: Mix fruit with yogurt. Accidentally wind up with more than 4 cups. Spill fruit on your recently-cleaned counter.}

{Step 4: Pour into molds...or paper cups with craft sticks...and freeze. Eat them as if it's your job and your sole purpose in life. Refill molds as needed, since you'll probably have a lot of mix left over.}

And yes, I'm still eating these for breakfast. It's a fun way to kick off these blisteringly hot days!

Various and sundry thoughts on a Monday

I grew up hearing "various and sundry" to describe a random assortment of something, and I use it often. I thought it was normal until I first said it to my students this year and they looked at me as if I had multiple heads. Have you heard various and sundry? It's one of my favorite phrases. Your challenge for the week: use various and sundry in a conversation this week. And...GO!

Have you used it yet? How 'bout now?

*I went to the farmers market today for the first time this season. I spent $20 and came away with a bounty:

{I inexplicably left out my onion, cabbage, and new potatoes. They were sitting on the counter inside, feeling dejected.}

{I love a good speckled egg.}

There was a group of dulcimer players providing shopping tunes. I so admire people with musical talent, especially people who can play instruments that are a bit out of the ordinary. They were playing old hymns and were quite popular. I talked to one elderly man who wasn't planning to buy anything, but he saw the group playing and decided to stop and listen for a while. He said his mother used to play the dulcimer and it made him think of her. {Heartstrings tugged.}

*I heard this on one of my XM country stations this afternoon and wanted to scrub my ears out with bleach, just to rid myself of the sounds. I wanted to invent a time machine and go back to the happy, peaceful time before I heard this song. What. The. Heck. I refuse to embed the official video because it features greased-up, short-short-wearing, redneck girls dancing on poles. Not kidding, and I don't want that mess on my blog. Take a listen, and then pass the ear bleach.



*History nerd alert...Did you remember what today was? Read up. It's worth remembering. This is also worth a click.

*I went to the eye doctor this morning to pick up my new contacts. I've been wearing my new contacts all day, and now feel as if they are superglued to my eyeballs. On the uncomfortable scale, I'm sittin' at a 14. I have a love-hate-hate-hate-hate relationship with contacts.

*I want so desperately to have a green thumb. Nearly everyone in my family does, my mama especially. I have a desert rose that a student gave to me at the end of my first year of teaching. Four years later, it's still alive. {Insert enthusiastic fist pump here.} It's only flowered once, when she gave it to me, and I thought it's just been dying really, really slowly. But this past week, tightly closed pink blooms have appeared. I've checked on my plant multiple times a day, waiting for the blooms to open. My patience was rewarded this morning; two of the blooms were waiting to greet me!

{yesterday}

{today...sweet, flowery victory!}

Happy new week, yall!

Bathtub dreams

There's a bathtub that sits in my great-grandmother MawMaw's garage. MawMaw went on to glory 16 years ago, and her house still stands just as it has for 70+ years.

PawPaw and his brother built this house themselves in the 1930s. Grandad was raised here. I love this little house so much that it deserves a post to itself. I'll get on that one of these days; back to the bathtub.

Here she is. A little worse for the wear, yes, but that adds to her charm. I think of this tub often. It tugs at my heartstrings to think of this pretty thing just sitting there, neglected and unused. My mind wanders to the decades of babies bathed in it, the hands that scrubbed it clean over the years...

 I imagine the cost of having the tub refinished would be more exorbitant than this schoolteacher can afford, and I don't know if I'd ever consider it clean enough for my behiney to touch. I have a thing about clean tubs and my behiney. I won't elaborate; you're welcome.

My visions for the tub lean more toward this...

{photo source}

Oh, the dreams I have for this tub. Someday, I want a yard with room for a garden. I see this tub in a spot of honor, filled with lovely blooms and frilly green leaves. Alas, there are a few kinks in my scheme:

1) I have no yard.

2) The tub surely weighs eleven million pounds.

3) I live in a tiny little nest with absolutely no room to store a tub that weighs eleven million pounds.

4) Everybody in my family claims they're unwilling to move and store the tub that weighs eleven million pounds. Clearly, they're not thinking about how cute it will look in my backyard filled with summer blossoms. Someday. You know, when I have a yard. 'Cuz I currently don't. Sob.

Until then, I settle for driving by to visit the tub every once in a while. She's almost as excited about her future purpose as I am. One of these days, I'll get myself a yard and give her new life. One of these days.

Thankful Thursday...on a Friday

During summer break, I tend to lose sight of what day it is. I spent the whole of yesterday, a very nice day, convinced that it was Wednesday. It was not Wednesday but was, in fact, Thursday. Which means today is Friday. I feel like I lost a whole day of my life. What does it all mean? Waaaaaa! Building a bridge and getting over it...

Today I am thankful for...

• the never failing grace of God
• my family and friends and their health and safety
• my health
• my job, and that it provides me a lovely break between school years
• this chance to rest and relax
• being able to take more than 15 minutes to eat my lunch
• being able to drink as much water as I want and visit the facilities whenever I want :)
• air conditioning, particularly this week...the highs are nearing 100 degrees, the humidity is swampy, and it's miserable outside
• my new popsicle mold...so fun
• a chance to catch up on reading the books I've been trying to get to for months
• electricity, a roof over my head, clothes and shoes, plenty of food, clean running water
• a fun girls' weekend approaching
• the fact that Garrett Jones is still fighting for his life as hard as he can...he's a friend of a friend, a tornado survivor who lost his wife of 8 months...check his blog out and please add him and his family/friends to your prayers
• exciting news that Lisa and her husband have decided to adopt!
• Suzy's recipes this week: Chicken Asiago Spinach Quiche and Mocha Chocolate Chip Scones
• plans with Mimi & Grandad this weekend

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

A happy toilet

I need to get something off my chest: I like cleaning toilets. In fact, that may be one of my favorite chores. Is that strange? I'll ponder that someday. I like that kind of cleaning because it's immediate and you can clearly see a difference. Unlike sorting through clutter...easily (EASILY!) my least favorite task. Gag. Shudder.

I've become very interested lately in finding chemical-free strategies for cleaning my little home. I'm convinced that breathing in all those fumes can't be good for you. Plus, many of those cleaners aren't cheap, and I'm all about saving pennies. I've been using white vinegar/water solution in a spray bottle and baking soda for a while with much success, but I feel like a toilet and a tub need a little more scrubbin', know what I mean?

Enter: my new cleaning arsenal...

Borax and lemon juice. That's it! Just pour 1/4 cup of borax in the toilet along with some lemon juice (I used a half). Let sit for a while and then scrub it out. I couldn't get over how well it worked and how nice and fresh it smelled. So much better than those fakey "mountain meadow spring" smells in some cleaners.

Give it a shot! It's better for you. It's cheaper. It makes you feel delightfully old-fashioned, which is always fun. Plus, it makes your toilet happy. Who doesn't want their toilet to be happy?

I found this idea and oodles of others at Make It Do, a treasure trove of little tips like this one. Just a great site that I found and wanted to share with yall!

Memorial Day

{Korean War Memorial...Washington, D.C.}

Thank you to all the men and women...past, present, and future...who have been willing to sacrifice for our freedom. Thank you for sacrificing your health, your safety, your peace of mind, and time with your family for our country. Thank you for being willing to die for a nation full of folks you don't even know.

Thank you also to the family members who keep up the good fight at home.

I hope we can all take a moment today and say a prayer of thanks for those who keep our blessed America free.

{Birmingham Veterans' Day parade 2010...a fabulous event if you ever get a chance to go}

Popsicles for breakfast

I changed out of my pajamas yesterday just long enough to make a grocery run. A girl's gotta eat, ya know? I had a specific goal in mind: find some popsicle molds and make homemade popsicles. I'd been sifting through dozens of popsicle recipes all day. I was ready to roll.

It's been years since I've made homemade popsicles. I wanted to venture past the Dixie cup and craft stick method. I wanted something a little snazzier. Enter: $3 popsicle molds from Target.

{Not top-of-the-line snazzy, but snazzy enough for this girl.}

To say I was excited about my purchase was an understatement. Giddy would be an accurate description. I love popsicles more than anyone should. I like the idea of making my own and knowing exactly what is in them. I also love not spending excess money, and homemade is far cheaper than storebought. 

I really, really like popsicles. Did you know that? I'm looking into taking most of my meals in popsicle form this summer; I'll keep you posted.

Yogurt Popsicles (recipe adapted from one by Tyler Florence)

3 cups plain yogurt

1 cup fruit

juice from 1/2 lime

Mix everything together in a bowl. Spoon into popsicle molds and freeze. Enjoy!

*I used strawberries and a banana, chopped into tiny little pieces and smushed together a bit. Yum.

*Okay, the plain yogurt needs some work. I like not using flavored yogurt to control the amount of sugar but plain yogurt isn't my most favorite thing on the planet. At all. I added a few splashes of orange juice. The popsicles were really good, but I think my next batch will contain a pinch of sugar or a squirt of honey. You know, just a little somethin' to tone down the taste of the plain yogurt.

*This recipe makes a ton. My mold only makes 4 popsicles at a time, so I have about 1/2 of the mixture sitting in my fridge still waiting to be popsicle-ized. If you don't want lots of them, half this recipe.

*The flavor combinations are endless! I've got all sorts of ideas swirling around in my head. Ready yourself for endless popsicle posts this summer!

{This was breakfast this morning. Good morning, indeed!}

Confession time

It's the first Saturday of my summer break. It's nearly 4:00 PM.

I'm still in my pajamas.

I haven't been outside all day.

I had the largest of plans for today. I was going to wake up with the sun and go for a walk. I was going to clean my whole little home top to bottom. I was going to run some errands. Eh, it didn't so much happen. Thanks for not judging. You do this, too, right???

Instead, I've watched TV. I've eaten strawberries. I've started a book...read four whole pages! Oh, and I've taken two naps. It's been a productive day.

I feel like all those nights during the school year when I didn't get enough sleep are paying me back now. I guess I need to catch up on my sleep before I can officially start my summer adventures.

And those pajamas? I plan to lose them when I go to the grocery store in a bit, but you better believe they're going back on as soon as I get home. They're the key to my productivity, after all.

Thankful Thursday, from a very tired teacher

Today was the last day of school. I've got four years of teaching under my belt, and I've now had the privilege of teaching 99 wonderful young people. I'll miss my students, but I'm not sad about two months off to rest. This girl is more than weary!

Today I am thankful for...

• the grace of God
• my supremely fabulous family and friends
• my health
• my job...I truly think that I've been called by the Lord to do this
• my students and their parents this year...it really was something special, and I'm glad to have been a part of it
• Sasha...we make a pretty good teaching team!
• Connie, who could run my classroom with her eyes closed...don't know what I'll do without her in my room next year!
• a chips and salsa date after school today with a really great group of folks...the perfect way to celebrate the end of school
• the students maintaining some semblance of self-control today, even after starting our morning off with the fire alarm (!) and two firetrucks (!!)...it's hard to recover from that, but they did a nice job!
• a group of my students who let Connie and I play "Just Dance" with them at the video game truck today...I was embarrasingly bad...good exercise, though!
• a successful 5th Grade Day ceremony yesterday
• a work day tomorrow...it's nice to get paperwork done in a quiet, empty room :)
• summer break
• getting to see Kira and Elizabeth this past Tuesday
• Suzy's new recipes this week...Loaded Potato Soup and Skyline Dip...if you think I'm not making that dip at my earliest convenience, you are sorely mistaken!
• a shoutout on Lauren's blog...I'm so glad her college casa was unharmed when the tornado came through and that I could take a picture for her
• summer break
• Kate and her parents being able to carry on with their long-anticipated European vacation despite the nasty, evil, airport-closing Iceland volcano dust...can't WAIT to hear all about their trip
• LA's dog Gidget being okay after being bitten by a rattlesnake...yikes!
• fun summer plans and alternately, very few plans at all...having a wide open schedule makes me smile
• a chance to rest and rejuvenate before planning for my next batch of schoolbabies
• the American Idol finale last night...I didn't care who won, but it sure was entertaining! So many great musicians in one place, on one night...
• air conditioning, electricity, clean running water, plenty of food, a car, shoes, clothes, a roof over my head
• summer break

HAPPY WEEKEND, yall!

Patchwork birthday banner

Alright friends, I'm ready to unveil The Project. I started working on The Project back in November, after stumbling across it here. Sarah Barry is a blog friend of mine, and she's just incredible. I've gotten so many sewing ideas from her. Her blog is so fun and real...check her out, and I dare you not to fall in love!

Anyway, I was searching for the perfect homemade gift for Elizabeth's first birthday. I knew I'd hit paydirt when I found this patchwork-style "happy birthday" banner...just what I was looking for. It's colorful, homespun, and something I hope they'll enjoy for years to come. Oh, and it's twelve feet long. Go big or go home, people!

Do me a favor and get a drumroll going before you see the pictures. Got it? You ready??

{boy side...Buddy and Dorothy in their supervisory positions, making sure everything stays under control}

{girl side}

This project was so fun and quite easy. It's a bit labor-intensive (lots of cutting and ironing) but I would absolutely recommend it for a beginner. I don't think I'll post a step-by-step tutorial (unless anyone is desperate for one) because Sarah Barry already did that beautifully in her post. I did vary in a couple of ways:

*I do the Wonder-Under step differently, but it all works out just the same in the end.

*I used storebought spool ribbon instead of making ribbon from scraps. This is partly because I didn't have that many scraps and partly (actually, mostly) because I'm lazy when it comes to sewing scraps together to make a ribbon.

I met Kira and Elizabeth in Montgomery yesterday evening to deliver the banner and...

I think they liked it.

Let me know if you have any questions! I'd be happy to answer them...I'm on fire with banner love these days :) If you make your own, PLEASE be sure to share a picture! I'd love to see different takes on this.

Happy Wednesday, yall!