I'm One Lucky Girl!

It was a great birthday indeed! Sandy called while I was getting ready. I left the house about ten to 8. I was surprised to discover this:

15 degrees---that's like our coldest temperature in 5 years! No wonder I was so cold. I did notice that my windshield was partially defrosted, but didn't give it a moments thought. It was freezing and I was too lazy to go back in the house for gloves. Plus, I was still on the phone with Sandy.

My first stop was Starbucks for my free birthday treat. I had a cranberry scone and my regular ventiicedblackteashakenwiththreeequalsplease.  From there, I dropped a package in the mail at the post office, took a return back to Lowe's, another return to Hobby Lobby and purchased two lamps for Morgan's room. That was all the way in Franklin, but there was really no other time this week that I could get there. 

Now I was really ready to start my birthday---well, after one quick drive-through the bank. I met Connie at Venetian for our monthly pedicure---our first since last August before my surgery. I always enjoy that as it give us time to catch up with each other. I'll admit, now that she's retired, we see each other a lot more, but any excuse is A-okay with me!!

We met Karolyn and Nancy at Cheeseburger Charley's for a quick lunch before our Movie Monday. Connie picked it---The Hateful 8. It's a Quentin Tarantino film. His films are "out there." I knew that I had seen a few of his movies, but only Pulp Fiction came to mind. So, I looked him up. He's made over 25 films. Mitchell gives me a movie every year at Christmas and part of the gift is watching it late at night together. A few years ago, he gave me Django. The best one I've seen is Inglorious Bastards. Anyway, that's about it with my experience of QT films. 

The Hateful 8 was certainly weird---and long. Connie professes that she's never picking another movie. We all pick some that aren't so great. And when you try to go every week, you are bound to hit a few bummers. We have hopes for next Monday when we're seeing Revenant with Leonardo DiCaprio. He just won the Golden Globe for best actor for this one. I don't really know anything about it, but I saw him on a talk show so it piqued my interest. I hope it's good. 

I didn't get home until nearly 4 p.m. I walked in the house to this:

The picture does not do the roses justice. They are the palest, peachy, most beautiful pink I've ever seen. I called to Butch that I loved them---and he even arranged them. Doing the grocery shopping is gift enough! 

He then asked me if I'd noticed that he'd heated up my car. Then I remembered about the partially defrosted windshield. But the car was not warm at all, so I didn't really notice that. Considering it was 15 degrees, it didn't have much time to warm up. My remote start only goes for 10 minutes. At 15 degrees it would get cold pretty quick even if it had started to warm up.

My birthday present from Connie were these darling little antique chairs. She knows I have a "thing" for chairs. I'll have to find the perfect place for them. Plus she gave me the first three seasons of one of her favorite shows---Major Crimes. She's been talking about it for a long time. I finally found it and set it to record. I've only watched 4 episodes but like it already. I'm glad to start at the beginning and see the relationships develop. You can jump in any time and won't feel like you don't know what's going on. Still, I like watching from the beginning. Once I finish Justified  in my scrapbook room, this will be next.

I should back up a little. My birthday actually began last week. Madelyn and Mary Jo took me to lunch on Friday. Madelyn made me a loaf of her famous banana bread. I've put it in the freezer for when the family is here in just two and a half weeks. Mary Jo gave me the most aromatic candle I think I've ever had. I could smell it through the wrapping. I left the box on the counter for a couple days because it smelled so good. I'll start using it next when the one I have going now is finished. I'm looking forward to it.

Karolyn gave me a pretty pair of earrings. I forgot to take a picture of them---I'll do it later. I have another package waiting to be opened from my sister-in-law, Chris. Stephanie and Mindy are coming for dinner tonight since we're working on a few wedding things. I'll open it then. 

I got 4 cards in the mail (okay, so one's from the bank and another from the Dominican Campus---but I'm counting them---the other two are from my cousins, Chrissy and Judy), 11 birthday texts (all 5 of my grandchildren sent me the sweetest texts), 4 phone calls and about 50 Facebook birthday greetings. And, it's not over yet! I'm having lunch with Sally on Wednesday. Plus, we're going to the Bonefish Grill on Friday night when Justin can be with us for my birthday dinner. 

I love week long birthdays, don't you? 

I am one lucky girl!

PS Mindy called and started with "Mom, I don't want to take away from your birthday, but I got a promotion and nice raise today!" I told her that was the best birthday present of all! Her new title is Senior Application Lead. She's very excited. What a way to start her new life!

Only Mindy would think you shouldn't steal someone's thunder on their birthday! More to the point---she wouldn't want anyone stealing her thunder on her birthday! I'm sure she'll feel differently when she's 64. 

OMGosh, I just realized I've reached that age. You know, the one in the Beatles song---When I'm 64 ---"when I get older, losing my hair, many years from now..." Who knew it would get her so fast!

Another Birthday

Today is my 64th birthday. Where has the time gone? I have never been affected by my birthdays or age. It has never bothered me. But, I must say, as I get closer to 70---that seems really old. I remember when my grandmother turned 85, I asked her what it felt like to be 85. She said, "honey, I'm still that same 18 year old girl inside." I totally get that. I feel exactly the same. The only thing I can say about getting older is that I do not like the limitations. Like, ever since I broke my ankle, I have really forced myself to slow down. It makes me feel a little bit like an old lady, but I certainly do not want another fall. I'm not quite over the last one!

Enough of the doom and gloom. I'm already having a good birthday. My friends Mary Jo and Madelyn took me to lunch on Friday. And that's just the beginning!

Besides getting ready for the wedding, I have a lot of other things going on. Stephanie has asked me to decorate the girls rooms. She gave me a budget that I was pretty sure was impossible. But, I'm really good at decorating on a dime. I spent the week visiting all of my favorite places. Yesterday, we hauled my full car over to unload and do a few things. It won't be until this weekend that I'll have both rooms put together. I can't wait to share the photos. Until then....

It's been awhile since I've shared a few layouts.

 This is the last layout I did for AYM.---"It takes a heck of a lot of FOOD to feed this family"

 I created a little fold-out to accommodate my journaling and some hand written recipes by my mom.

"home alone" is a layout about where we've lived and how I've always enjoyed having the house to myself. I like being "home alone!"

"when there's a chill in the air, it's time for chili!" This layout is about how I love my crockpots. The envelope on the right, contains my secret chili recipe.

I have a busy week---but as always, it's almost all fun stuff!
Later....

Recipe Share

So I made the 7-Up Biscuits for New Years Eve. This time I used 7-Up rather than Sprite. I'm admitting it here---and apologizing to Butch for my little rant on Christmas---it didn't make a bit of difference. Although to me, Sprite and 7-Up have completely different tastes, for the purpose of biscuit making, it made no difference. These biscuits are easy and oh, so good!

7-Up Biscuits
2 cups Bisquick (I used the store brand baking mix)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-Up
1/4 cup melted butter

Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough. Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board and pat dough out. Melt 1/4 cup butter in 9" square pan. Place biscuits in pan an bake at 450 until golden brown.

What I did:
I doubled the recipe and melted a stick of butter in a 9x13 pan. I put some dry biscuit mix in the palm of my hand and scooped about a meatball size glob of dough. I just patted it in my hand and placed it in the pan. I set the timer to bake for 10 minutes. You'll just have to watch them since there was no time given in the recipe. Mine took longer than 10 minutes, but I don't know exactly how long.

TV Watching

I just finished watching Breaking Bad yesterday. Actually, I binged watched it all through December---it was 4 seasons long. I kept hearing so much about it. I definitely enjoyed it---although there were many parts that were very hard to watch. It's a dark story. The optimistic part of me kept holding out for a happy ending---or at least redemption. I guess it ended the only way it could. That's all I'm sayin'.

The Bachelor starts tonight. I know, it's totally trash and a complete waste of time. Still I love all the drama. Mindy and Justin do too. They consider it their "guilty pleasure." I wonder what they consider "Keeping up with the Kardashians?" Okay, they are young 30's. I guess I shouldn't throw Justin under the bus with the Kardashians, as I do not know whether he watches that or not---but Mindy definitely does. 

Many of the shows that had fall finales will be starting up again later this month. What's up with fall finales? I remember when the shows started in September and ran all the way through May. Now-a-days with all these breaks for sporting events, awards shows and holidays, it's hard to keep up with what's happening on the shows. By the time they come  back, I need a refresher. I planned ahead for one of my favorites: How to Get Away With Murder.  I saved the fall finale episode so I can re-watch it before it starts up again. 

Speaking of Shonda Rimes series (she does How to Get Away with Murder), I also like Grey's Anatomy. I think that show is coming to the end of its run. But, I started another of her series on Netflix---Scandal. Now I know why people went crazy over it. The writing style is just like How to get Away with Murder. There's a little cliff hanger at the end of each show. I'm somewhere in the middle of season 2. 

I'm not sure which series I'm going to start now. I like to have 2 different series going at the same time on Netflix. In m scrapbook room, I'm watching Justified. OMGosh!!! Timothy Olyphant---I don't need to say more. I had never heard of him, but it turns out, he was on Deadwood (which I've never seen---add it to the list). Justified takes place in the backwoods of Kentucky. Really good. Each season takes on another hillbilly crime family. 

Downton Abbey started its final season last night. I haven't watched the episode yet. I'm sad to see it ending. I can watch it just for the clothes and set. I have started watching another show by Julian Fellows. It's actually a documentary---Great Houses---I thing that's what it's called. I've seen two so far. The show was about the Goodwood House. This show is giving me some good ideas for new places to visit the next time I get to England. 2017 for sure!!

So what are your favorite shows? What do you look forward to every week? 

2016---The Year of Travel

I cannot believe how many trips I already have for this year. It might even be too many, but when you think about fun with family and friends, what can you leave out? Not a one. I'm game. We'll see how it goes.

1. Sister's crop at Kentucky Lake in February.
2. Annual ski trip to Vail, Colorado with the Broussards in February.
3. Spain with Stephanie and Nicky in March---they invited us. Any time our kids want to spend some of their precious vacation time with us---we're doing it. Don't think we're paying---we're not. Our kids aren't the type to invite us so we'll pay. We don't.
4. Farm crop (this isn't on the books yet, but we go every year around Easter).
5. Sister's trip to Italy at the end of April and first part of May.
6. Annual Santa Rosa Beach, Florida trip with my friends in mid-May.
7. Oklahoma road trip with Walter and Chris in June.
8. Family vacation to the beach the first week in July.
9. Gems of the Danube river cruise with Bruce and Karolyn for two weeks in August.
10. Beach trip with cousins, Chrissy and Judy in September.
11. New Orleans with Walter and Chris the end of September.
12. Long weekend in Washington, DC with church friends the end of October.
13. Charlotte, NC to the Sandy's for Thanksgiving.

Plus, I plan to work in another visit to Sandy's sometime. And of course, another farm crop.

It's good to be retired. But there it is---right in the word. "Tired." I will definitely be...in a good way.

The Not So Happy Ending of a Happy New Year's

So it started like this:

We started the fire about 10 a.m. while watching the Rose Parade. We had it going the entire day. I love a fire. 

Then, it ended like this:

Yes, that would be firetrucks---as in plural---and one emergency vehicle. I did a stupid, stupid thing. I took the two very dried Christmas tree branches that I'd used to decorate the powder room and threw them in the fire. Of course I know how flammable they are. What I didn't know is that they would cause a chimney fire. It's not like they blew up there---they didn't---just burned very fast.  It was loud---a roaring sound---long after the branches had burned---in about 10 seconds. We ran outside and saw sparks and the red glow coming from the chimney. I called the fire department. I offered Butch an "out!" I told him he could go upstairs, that I'd handle it since I was the idiot that caused it and he wouldn't have to be embarrassed. He stuck by my side---just like the time I set the alarm off in the Louvre. The firemen were very nice. By the time they got there, the fire was out. I was surprised that they brought those big trucks right up to my front door. I wish I could have gotten better pictures, but I was trying not to be seen. 

They checked out everything. Butch had already used our fire extinguisher to put out the fire. It was still going a little, so one of the firemen asked for a pitcher of water. He said that if he used one of his tanks, it would make a huge mess. I have to admit, I was already thinking about that before they got here. I was visualizing water everywhere---and the work and destruction. It would have served me right for being such and idiot. I won't be making that mistake again!! Not exactly how we wanted to end New Year's Day!

And it had nothing to do with this. It was only my second glass!

Happy New Year!

I'm not good at selfies and neither is Butch! But you get the gist!