To Have Thanksgiving Dinner or Not?

Every Thanksgiving Day, I am always in a fix.  Do I have everyone over or do I just plan to fix for my husband and girls.

Well, this Thanksgiving I found myself with so much stress on my life that I actually told my sister, Tammy that I would not have the dinner at my house this year.  But, as my children know, I caved in and told everyone that we would have dinner at my house.

It is so hard to let others down.  So last night I started on my cooking.  First the Baby Food cake for Gabrielle.  Then on to the Pound cake(only my grandmother's will do).  So I fixed two, one for my sister and then one for Payton( Alexis' boyfriend).  Then on to the Deviled Eggs.  Now one year, we let Marie fix them and thank- goodness I had fixed some and we replace them.  Now we know when asked, we give her something else to fix.  I only know one way to fix them and that is the way my mother taught me.

I had gotten some squash at the store and decided that I would fix a casserole.  Now when it comes to this, I just wing it.  I never fix it the same way, I just add things until I think that it tastes good.  I do think that this year I would have added jalapenos if I knew that others would have enjoyed the heat.  But to say the least, I think that it was the best one so far.

I got the tea fixed, oh, I almost forgot the brownies.  This time I used small muffin tins and then I forgot to set them out.  The kids will enjoy them when they all get back from Mississippi.  So this holiday, I had none of my children at home.

We still had a great time with Tammy and her children and their families.  Normally, each Thanksgiving I bring out a book that I made in 2002.  We will bring this out each year and we all write something that we are thankful for.  Except this year, I completely forgot to get it out.  I even forgot to take pictures until my Mandy reminded me about pictures.  So I went ahead and took a few pictures of things always asked for.

This year my life has been filled with alot of ups and downs.  Without God being the Lord of my life, I am sure you would find me in a mental institute.  My Margins have been tried and have gotten very small, but then the Lord always brings me back to normal.  What do people do that don't have the Lord in their life?  How do they handle the day to day problems that come up?  It is a blessing to know that with every problem, I have got the Lord on my side.

 Here's hoping that your day was everything that it could be.

Something I Love About Myself

This one is even harder to write than the last one.

I guess the thing that I most like about myself, is my willingness to help others.  One of my friends always told me, that I had a sign on my forehead that said ASK ME.  Actually, I am not that bad, but I do tend to have a problem saying NO.  But I am learning.  I just like to help others.  But it does bother me some when after helping someone that they continue needing help.  After awhile, you need to get up off your duff and start doing for yourself.

Both my parents were givers and I always want to be like them in that area.  My Mother would always help those that were not able to do for themselves and I never remember my Daddy saying no, when there were others in need.  So it just became a part of me.  I think you could just call me a "Martha" not a "Mary".

Something I Hate About Myself

This I had to really think about.  Do I really like my body?  I have watched the show on BBC where they take a woman and have her look at their body with just undergarments on and then at the end, they agree to have their picture taked nude.  I don't think that I love myself enough to go that far.

So, I had to think, are my breast really that large, my thighs really that big.  Well, yes, I would say so.  Oh, to go back in time and realize all the food I could eat without gaining, was only for a season.  Now I need to hit the gym and lay off the carbs.  But at the same time, I don't think that I am that bad.  I keep telling myself that it is just age.  I need to be content that I am healthy, have a loving husband of 36 years and have a family that loves me.  So with that said, I will continue to watch my weight and chill out.

Writer's Workshop- Why Are You Burned Out?

When I was 18 and looking forward to being married and having a family, it turned out to be a little different than I had pictured.

I remember asking the Lord for a husband and that I wanted to get married before May of the next year.  I also asked that I would have 2 girls.  Well, I did get married before May, actually the 12th of April and we had 2 beautiful daughters that are 15 months apart.

My Tommy and I have been married for 36 years at this date, still married to each other, in love and enjoy our time together(what little time that is).

My Mandy & Bridgett

Now to the present day, I have 2 more daughters that we adopted when they were born.  Our 2nd daughter, is the birth mother of both of them.  One is 17 and the other 14.  Add to that my mother-in-law that has lived with us for the past 16 years.

I find myself so burned out, that I don't enjoy doing the things that are important to me.  The last 2 daughters are much more vocal and definitely try my patience almost daily.  I realize that the times have changed and children are different, due to media, music and such.  But it seems no matter what I say, they say different.

My mother-in-law, which is a jewel(at times) is now experiencing Alzheimer's.  My days are beginning to not be my own.  I really try my best to remember to treat her as if she were my own mother.   And with God's grace I am surviving.

Now take all this and add two trailers that I am trying to get painted by the end of this month, Thanksgiving coming up and will be getting the house in order for company, my life is just not a little stressed but loads of stress.  My body tells me that I just need to stop and let each day come as it will.  But I am one that likes to get things done and I really hate to put things off until the last minute.

I thought that when my Tommy and I got to the retirement age, that the children would be gone and that it would just be the two of us.  So now I just burn the candle at both ends and continue to try my best to get past the BURNED OUT stage.

But don't get me wrong, I love my 4 daughters and mother-in-law.  My daughters especially, are the bright spot of my life, not to mention my grandchildren.  I just keep remembering that the Lord will continue to give me the strength as I need it.

My Alexis & Gabrielle

This post was part of Mama Kat's

Teenagers and Jeans

This morning I woke to the sound of rain on the windows.  I thought to myself what a way to start the day. I had made a promise to start my day with the Lord first and I fully intended to fulfill this.  First off, I should have taken my Bible and my devotional book upstairs.  I know that I need to do this before I even place my feet on the floor.  So down the stairs I go.  Except that when I got downstairs, the atmosphere was not at all peaceful.

I have Alexis (17), Payton (18 and living with us until I get the trailer ready for him) and then our lovely, dramatic Gabrielle(14).  It seems that Gabrielle has left her ONLY 2 pairs of jeans at her friends house and she has no jeans to wear.  Now if her sister would only get off her pedestal and let her borrow a pair, we would not be in the spot.  Alexis probably owns 20 pairs at least.  So asking nicely, I thought, Alexis proceeds to let me know that she is not sharing her jeans and that it is not her problem.  Never mind that I am the one that pays for the jeans.  So off to school Payton and Alexis go.

Now begins the real drama,  "Mother, I can not go to school without jeans to wear."  When I ask where are the 6 pair that she bought while living in San Antonio are, she responded - They are too short now.  Right, like she has grown in the last month.  Well, I send her upstairs to her sisters room only to find that the door has been locked.  At this moment, if I had high blood pressure, I am sure that it is skyrocketing.  So off I go to my desk, hoping that I have a key to the lock.  Yes, I do, so now perhaps we can get to school.

Drama must be Gabrielle's middle name.  Somehow it is my fault and all I did was get out of bed without giving the Lord the first 10 minutes of my day.  Trust me, tomorrow I will make this a priority.  So off to school we go and the car is silent.  I always hated when my mother would give the silent treatment.  I wanted to talk, but in my heart I knew that anything that I said would meet with disdain.  As we are pulling into the parking lot, I notice other parents letting their LATE children off.  Thinking that I could do the same.  Oh, no, now it would be my fault again if I were to decide that because it is pouring down rain, that she could walk herself in.  So I get out of the car, all the while not saying a word( you know how teenagers can be if you say the wrong thing).  When I finish checking her in, I ask the secretary if it was required that I sign her in when she is late.  Oh, no, she is able to do that herself.  I turn to Gabrielle and say "have a great day", to which she replies(you don't want to know).

So after school today, I take pick her up and take her to "the New Black"  a consignment store and start looking for jeans.  Nothing fit, but we did find some shirts, purse and a pair of shoes(new).  All for the total cost of $207.00.  Then I get home and order some on Hollister(fortunately the are on sale).  I look at Gabrielle and tell her, that she had better wash the jeans she has on, because those will be going to school tomorrow on her body.  I know that I should have just looked for jeans, but I knew that the shirts would be the next thing that she didn't have.

My Mandy and Bridgett were never this hard to please or dress.  One of these days, I am going to get to go shopping for myself and enjoy it.

In Need Of A Cool Drink

This afternoon, my daughter, Mandy called to say that she was on her way back to "Half Price Books".  It seems that while she was purchasing books yesterday, she came upon a new author for us.  Unknowingly, the author of these books is a "practicing witch".  She called last night to tell me.  My first response was to burn them, throw them in the trash, or better yet, put them in a bag and set them outside.  I have always taught my girls that Satan and his imps were real.  I have also taught them to be careful in their reading, music, and movie watching.

Well, she is such a wonderful and obedient daughter.  Even though she is married with two girls, she still remembers what she was taught.

So Mandy and the girls are in the car and they have decided that they need a cool drink.  Now, I take full responsibility for this.  You see, when they are with me, we will always stop by the "SONIC".  Not only do we like their drinks, but they have HAPPY ICE.  If I don't have enough money to stop for a drink on our outings, I will normally take an ice cooler with drinks in it.  I LOVE SPOILING my grandchildren.  So now, Mandy has decided that perhaps they don't need to come visit Nana (I really think she was kidding).  We will see.

I am so blessed with four daughters, not that the others always listen.  But I can always count on Mandy to listen and think before saying she has other ideas.

My Mandy and I both have made the statement that we should stop drinking the sodas or as my grandmother would say, "belly washers".  But each time we do, we realize that they taste so good and hit the spot on a hot day, that we will continue to drink them.

My grandchildren, know that they only have to ask and yes, we will find the nearest SONIC!

Chili & Lemon Peanuts

What a great surprise I got the other day.


Normally, my daughter and I will tell the other when we are mailing out a package.  But this time, she surprised me.  When I visit Mandy and her family, I always go by the Dollar Tree and stock up on these wonderful peanuts.  I have even gone so far to check out my Dollar Tree here in Alabama and they were not able to order them for me.  So they gave me the site online and I was able to order them.


But my sweet thoughtful daughter sent me some instead.  If you find these at your store, they are worth trying them out.  If you don't enjoy spicy things, then you might not want to try.  I enjoy eating these while reading or expecially watching tv.  The brand of these wonderful nuts are by Muncheros and labled CHILI & LEMON PEANUTS.

Thank you , Mandy for thinking of me.