Raves
Wednesday, May 7, 2008, by Sherra
I got home late Sunday night from five fun-filled days visiting relatives in Indiana.
As I shared last week, I went back home to Indiana to visit Imogene.
One week ago on Wednesday I surprised Imogene and spent the afternoon with her. She has fallen twice since I was there last year so she spends most of her time in a wheelchair. She has made a remarkable recovery especially at age 92.
She doesn’t go out very much, if at all. Since I was there by myself and was not on a schedule, I made myself available if she wanted to go anywhere. After a little encouragement because I’m sure you know how much her generation “doesn’t want to be a burden” she finally said “I sure would like to have some good food at Gray’s.”
Gray Brothers Cafeteria is a local landmark in Mooresville, Indiana.
Photo of Gray’s sign came from this fun food blog.
Cafeterias are not my favorite kind of restaurants. I actually refuse to eat at them here in Georgia. (Another one of my issues…for another day.)
But Gray Brothers is different. I love it.
PhilBillPaul loves cafeterias so I had to take a picture of our food so I could show him I had his favorite chicken and noodles (and corn and potatoes and a roll and butterscotch pie if you’re taking inventory.)
I found a far better picture of their food at RoadFood.com which is a fun site that features reviews the kind of down-home restaurants we love.
“A tray of lunch, Gray Brothers-style. Clockwise from the bottom left: candied beets, dinner roll, banana cream pie, orange chiffon Jell-O, lemonade, chicken with cornbread dressing.”
- Michael Stern
Imogene had those candied beets (yuck) and jello salad and fried potatoes and strawberry pie with her chicken and noodles. My photography skills really didn’t do justice to our meal.
Yes, it does appear that we might have thought this was our last meal. I’m happy to report it wasn’t. We actually took some beets, jello salad and pie back to her room.
Everything was absolutely delicious and words cannot describe what it meant to me to get to spend the afternoon with her and take her out to dinner.
The waitress took our picture and I’ve already ordered two 5 x7 prints that I’m framing–one for me and one for her!
Life Lesson (LL): In spite of gas prices and a nine hour drive, the trip was worth every moment I got to spend with Imogene and other relatives!
Share a Life Lesson (SALL): Any trip you’ve taken or are planning to take to visit someone special in your life?
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Categories: Food, Life Lessons, Milestones, Moments, Raves
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Friday, May 2, 2008, by Sherra
We have several pancake recipes that we love and rotate for Sunday brunch.
PhilBillPaul and I love breakfast any time. We have it for dinner at least once a week. Much to the chagrin of Wizzy. There’s one in every family or in our case–two. The Grunter doesn’t eat eggs.
Remember my food chart? Sigh.
PhilBillPaul loves IHOP buttermilk pancakes and I figured some brilliant cook had worked out a copycat recipe.
So this recipe was found through the detective work of The Grunter and Google. Mostly Google.
To keep it real, here is the actual recipe that sometimes finds its way back to one of my recipe binders divided by categories. Usually though, it’s just loose in the cabinet and we search through a big pile to find it.
Have I mentioned that we have a slew of artists in the house? This is an unsigned work so I can’t give proper credit.
Have a great breakfast this weekend!
P.S. Credit for the recipe source is noted on the recipe itself but in case you missed it, it was found on Top Secret Recipes.
Print This Recipe
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Categories: Food, Raves
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Monday, April 21, 2008, by Sherra
She turns nine tomorrow.
That last baby we actually planned.
The one that we waited so long to have because having one + two more in less than three years was daunting.
We strategically planned to have that last baby so that the first three would be old enough to babysit. That plan has served us well.
We also knew that we wanted an even number…um, why? I have no idea why except the first three so close together just threw me off balance.
I was sure #4 would round out our family.
I love, love, love babies.
I did know I wanted to rock and hold and nurse and love just one baby.
Side note: I confess that I did pray that there would only be one baby.
I didn’t know I would have to fight Roger Leroy (a.k.a. Mama Jr.) to get a turn to hold her.
I did know that that last baby would be adored by all of us and she would always be “The Queen.”
I didn’t know how hard it would be for her to have five pseudo parents instead of two. You have to have a lot of personality and a good sense of humor to keep up in our house. Obviously, she can hang with us.
I did know we would see the world through her eyes and she would make us slow down and see beauty in the simple things.
I didn’t know she would be my only girly-girl. But still love dirt and bugs and
caterpillars.
I did know that her daddy had more than enough love for another daughter.
He lights up in her presence.
I didn’t know she would test my patience in ways I never dreamed before the teen years even hit. Big sigh…
I did know that our family would be blessed beyond measure to have her in our world. And having an even number isn’t so odd.
Happy Birthday Baby Girl! You are beautiful and smart and funny.
We all love you to the moon…
xoxo
Mama
P.S. For the observant few, oh yes, that is a giant tattoo on her hand.
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Categories: Milestones, Moments, Raves, Toddlers (& babies), Tweens
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Friday, April 4, 2008, by Sherra
I am well aware that this site is read primarily by women. I’m fine with that.
In fact, reader comments are 98% women strong.
Yesterday that became 97%.
Rarely, if ever, will a comment become an actual post. That would be redundant.
But I also assume that many of you may never go back to an old post and read the comments.
Am I right? (I know I shouldn’t assume…)
In this instance, I felt deeply compelled to be sure you all didn’t miss this award-winning comment.
Okay, maybe not award-winning, because that infers there was a competition or a contest and there wasn’t.
If there was a contest, this is the blog badge I would bestow on the winner.
The winner could put their award badge on their blog to celebrate and brag about their achievement.
If there was a contest, the winning comment would be found…where else but here…
Wiener Dog Monday!
Instead of a contest and because he doesn’t have a blog…
I’d like to introduce you to Command Sergeant Major Daniel Bowman.
He also happens to be the husband of my wiener dog-loving friend, Ann.
He wrote this comment and to say I was surprised would be a huge understatement.
I have thought long and hard how to contribute to this insightful place on the web without emasculating myself. All of the pseudo pink/purple hues that border the home page have made me swear not to tell the fellow members of my man world a thing about it. Sorry Sherra.
But having close ties with a contributor and a real feeling that life lessons need to be shared, I’m jumping in. It’s funny how we (or maybe it’s just me) learn things. Take friendship. Oh, not the friendship you find in a pick-up basketball game or a friendship you make at work, a real deep friendship that is closer and more real than I can fathom. I have friends and since my return from my tour of duty in Iraq I have some VERY close friends, but not the type of friendship that I have observed between my wife and the author of this web site.
Sherra, I’m jealous. Maybe jealous is too weak of a word, but I can’t think of another. I’ve never heard two people laugh so hard or talk so long on the phone about who knows what. How can two college sorority sisters who met over 26 years ago be so emotionally close to each other? Heck their relationship is closer than the one my wiener dog and I have with my wife and the three of us sleep in the same bed!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, I’m a man of few words and anytime that massive verbal trail of every detail of my wife’s day and menstrual cycle can be directed to someone else’s ear, it’s a “praise the baby Jesus moment” for me.
I do wish I had that. Not the menstrual cycle, but the ability to share every detail of my life with someone (who’s not my spouse), who doesn’t judge or get paid for acting like they care. A true unselfish friend. When I look back to when I was away from my family for 15+ months I remember how my concerns were turned upon myself and my Soldiers.
I left my wife to fend for herself four thousand miles away, paying bills, raising our children, calling a plumber, and scratching the dog’s back. I only had 15 minutes on a phone every 2-3 days, that is if it didn’t go dead in the middle of a conversation and very limited email access. No time to discuss those details of the day, only enough time to verify that I was still alive and kicking.
Thank God for Sherra. She filled in for me and I owe her my thanks.
There’s a saying within the Military; “America isn’t at war, the Army’s at war, America’s at the Mall.”
My version is a bit different “America isn’t at war, the Army and its Soldier’s families and FRIENDS are at war…”
Thanks Sherra.
I can assure you Dan (and any other men who are lurking here) that you did not emasculate yourself. Women love words and Ann & I both loved yours. You are speaking our love language, dear!
It was my pleasure to be there for Ann while you were in Iraq serving our country with pride and honor. Thank YOU, Dan.
xoxoxo
P.S. Now don’t be a weenie…go tell all your manly friends that you were featured on a girly blog 
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Friends, Life Lessons, Love Languages, Raves
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Monday, March 24, 2008, by Sherra
I need my friends like I need air.
I cannot imagine getting through my life without my girlfriends.
Ann is one of those girlfriends who makes my world a better place. We went to college together and even though she lives in Illinois and I’m in Georgia we have a friendship that truly transcends the miles between us.
Gosh, we were tiny little things back in the day aka “The 80’s.”
We went to the beach last week for her spring break. While we were sad that our friends Kim and Toni couldn’t join us this year, we decided to go anyway. (No big surprise for those who know us.)
Even with some wind and rain, we were delighted to be at the beach. Especially Ann who had been experiencing a bitter cold and snowy Midwest winter. Gosh, there is a reason I moved to Florida and now reside in Georgia - just a personal choice, I’m not gloating.
We relaxed. We talked. We shopped. We napped. We read.
We laughed. And laughed. And laughed.
The best tip I can give a woman of any age, at any stage of their life, is to make time to be with friends of your heart. There is no better gift you can give to each other or to yourself.
It is the gift of time.
Many people will walk in and out of your life. But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
–Eleanor Roosevelt
I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions about how you make time for girlfriends. I have some great tips on ways to plan a weekend retreat and how to find bargains especially if you’re on a tight budget that I’ll share in a future post. Email or comment if you’re interested in some ideas!
For now though, I just wanted to give a public shout out to my friend Ann for always leaving footprints in my heart. I’m still smiling from our days together. I love you, my dear friend.
Thank you Ann, for the precious gift of your time…
P.S. Later this week I will share what a unique welcome we received from some college boys when we arrived. The dating game seems to have changed significantly since we were in school. As parents with both daughters and sons, Ann and I feel it is our responsibility to share this with other moms!
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Categories: Friends, Moments, Raves
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Monday, March 10, 2008, by Sherra
I wish I’d known what a trendsetter Roger Leroy was before I posted about her eating trash at church last week.
I’ve always described her as living to the beat of her own drum. She is a quirky kid with her own unique personality.
When I received several emails about her eating trash and people asking if we had seen Oprah’s show on “freegans” we weren’t even sure what people were talking about so we had to find out.
I’d really never thought of her as a trendsetter. Until now.
Read why she is a such trendsetter here on Oprah’s show recap.
Roger Leroy isn’t ready to join the freegan movement and doesn’t necessarily like to be labeled. She said she already knew she wasn’t a trash eater even if Wizzy called her one. She just chose to use her resources like freegans are doing.
I think if she does decide to become a freegan, it will be a good thing. I won’t have to worry about her taking care of herself. I’m all about life skills.
I didn’t realize, until now, how the skill of retrieving things from our own home trash seconds after I put them there would be something that would benefit her later.
Come to think of it, The Grunter set the precedent for grabbing things out of the trash right after I put them in–you know that old saying:
“One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”
They always seem to find treasure in our trash (and sometimes the neighbors’ trash). Then they would try to convince me of how much they needed what I had just thrown away. Maybe they can go dumpster diving together.
I hope they bring home some nice things for their mom and dad.
They are smart, these kids of mine.
Oh, and I almost forgot to show you what she and her Daddy brought home from the church trash on Saturday night.
Call me if you need any buns…
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Moments, Raves, Teens
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Monday, February 4, 2008, by Sherra
Even non-football fans had to hear about what an amazing game it was!!!!
I have a tendency to root for the underdog unless a favorite team is playing. This year it was unanimous at our house - we all cheered for the New York Giants. That fourth quarter play when Eli Manning broke free and completed the pass to David Tyree made them winners in my book right then. Ahh, but then they scored the winning touchdown moments later and it was one of the best, if not the best Superbowl ending that I can remember.
Banner by Wizzy and Scary Baby.
Back-to-back Manning brothers Superbowl victories has to be so sweet for their whole family. What an amazing story for the history books.
Side note: Do you think the assistant principal ever called their mom? Just curious…
Our local grocery store was out of Carvel football cakes. Did all you local people go buy one after my post on Friday?
Scary Baby was disappointed but she managed to eat enough Ritz® crackers, squirt cheese and cheetos to compensate for the missing cake.
The raspberry double decker Knox Blox were scrumptious.
Funny how a silly little thing done while you’re single with a few goofy friends becomes an unbreakable family tradition.
The silly things can become the important things. Sometimes our simple traditions are exactly what we need when things get stressful…
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Food, Moments, Raves
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Friday, February 1, 2008, by Sherra
What the heck are Knox Blox? I think that’s plural. It’s not Knox Bloxes, is it?
Okay, I’ll share what they are and how important they are to our family and our Superbowl tradition.
It’s a spin off of an informal party I used to have with friends in Tampa before children. Just a gathering around the TV with good food and good friends.
We have a party with the kids. It started as a silly little thing I thought they might like even though we watch way more basketball than we watch football. For about 10 years now, the kids pick a team to cheer for and they make banners and hang them in the family room.
I believe banner skills have dramatically improved over the years or maybe we were just out of markers that year? I won’t bore you with banner photos from every year but…The Grunter must have had some extra free time in 2004 as he seemed to really put his mad artistic skillz into play on this banner.
I had to display last year’s banners because it was a Midwestern girl’s football dream with the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears matched up! (And we had obviously replenished our marker supply.)
After the banners are made, we get really serious because we are ready to do what we do best…EAT! Everyone gets to pick a favorite snack or appetizer and the big thrill for the kids - they get to eat in the family room. Every once in awhile, you gotta break your own rules. Truth be told, they break this rule a lot more now but that’s another post for another day.
Scary Baby is NOT eating a chicken wing, is she? Calm down, of course she’s not. She’s only two in this picture. We wouldn’t let a toddler eat a chicken wing. That’s a tortilla chip and I’m pretty sure she had enough teeth then to chew it up and not choke. I think.
I try to avoid cooking on this day. I’m not opposed to turning on the oven, so frozen appetizers might make the menu. I’m always looking for easy and simple so we like to order wings and our favorite Mexican cheese dip and chips. Sometimes PhilBillPaul will drive to two or three restaurants to pick up everyone’s favorites. Because he’s like that. (He really does have a servant heart.)
Roger Leroy always requests “squirt cheese.” Yes, I’m talking about that gourmet cheese in a can with a squirt nozzle just like the “whupped” cream that Scary Baby loves. Oh yeah, we are FAN-CEE like that!
If “squirt cheese” is making you kind of queasy and you are feeling adventurous and want to try some new recipes, check out The Pioneer Woman Cooks because she has compiled her extravaganza and just seeing the pictures will make you hungry!
For the kids, it’s not about the football. It is really all about the food, family and the most important thing…
It’s really all about…
The Knox Blox.
Notice the tiny team pennants adorning the Knox Blox.
They’re optional.
Are you positive they are sisters twins?
As you can see we put a lot of time and energy into which flavor and color matches which team.
I make the final decision on which color gets to be the DOUBLE DECKER Knox Blox (my personal fav because whipping cream in anything is never a bad thing)!!!
Now I know you’re dying to get the recipe for Knox Blox because you can plainly see these are not your ordinary gelatin treats. I have posted the recipe as a separate post so you can print it and add some color and fun to your Superbowl party!
I need to confess that I made these Knox Blox with the pennants before I had kids. So now you know I was super fun even before I had kids.
Did I mention that the Knox Blox do not count as our mandatory dessert? Scary Baby’s favorite? The football ice cream cake by Carvel…
No Carvel where you live? Oh, I hate that for you. Don’t despair, you can go to your local grocery or bakery and get some classy dessert like this:
Life Lesson (LL): The most important thing is just to have a party even if you’re not a football fan. Because the fun is in the food, family and friends!
Share a Life Lesson(SALL): Do you have a Superbowl tradition? Any fabulous recipe you can share? We’re always looking for new ideas to add to our upscale party so come on, let us in on what you do at your house!
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Food, Friends, Moments, Raves
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