An Award and a Walk....

This is my very FIRST award - I am so tickled!!!! Thank you, Brenda, you are such a sweet friend. Both of us are from Louisiana - we have a special kinship!!!!! Please go and visit her - she has a wonderful place!!!

These are the rules:

1.Put the logo on your blog.

2.Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3.Nominate at least seven other blogs.

4.Add links to those blogs on your blog.

5.Leave a message for your nominee on their blogs

These are my seven:

Karen @ Country Life

Susan @ A Place Called Home

Kitty @ Kitty's Kozy Korner

Kari @ Just Livin' Large

Debra K @ The Bunnies' Bungalow

Annie @ Me and The Boys

Sandi @ The Whistlestop Cafe Cooks

Yesterday about 7:45 I went out for a walk around my neighborhood - I have been doing that for a couple of weeks now - It's not just an ole' wives tale.....you really feel better when you get a little exercise!!!!!

Here I am leaving my house - and first thing I have to do is cross the street and I HATE it -there is a big curve just to the left of the street and about the time I get out there some kid comes barreling around...it is not a pretty site....a 50 year ole woman scurrying across the street...no...not at all!!

OK - made it across the street - it's a pretty little neighborhood - older homes - lotz of shade...

Boy, that looks like a really long way........huff....huff......
I found some new settings on my camera - I got the manual out and read it - when all else fails....so I was trying some of them out...this is a really pretty yard - I was going to take some closer ones....the gentleman who owns the house came around the corner and I was in the street taking pictures of his house....I was trying to explain that I thought his yard was pretty and I was taking pictures for my blog.....Uh??? - he points to his ear - so now I am yelling....PRETTY YARD....TAKING PICTURES...BLOG!!!! He wants to talk.........O well, nice man....

Remember, I am trying new settings on my camera - apparently not the right one.....

This setting said something about Sunsets....so I got a little sunset in it.....

very peaceful.......


back home -

Are you where you wanted to be???

Ree, at The Pioneer Woman, posted a question today - it hit home and HARD with me!

How is your life today compared to how you THOUGHT it would be 10....20 years ago?

Last month I turned 50!

So I guess this is a very good time to look back, see where you've been, unexpected blessings you received and missed opportunities you regret.

I don't know that regret is the correct word for things, opportunities and people I missed. Maybe it is. I don't think I'm where I thought I would be 20 years ago. I guess I thought I would be "further down the road" to the dreams I had, goals I had set, prayers I KNEW would be answered by now!

I don't think my life would ever be used as an example of "The Way To Do It" - I have probably made every bad decision, wrong choice and missed opportunity allowed in one life-time. But somehow, someway I have also experience incredible blessings, untold mercy and grace and the precious forgiveness of those I have saddened and hurt.

You don't get an instruction manual when you start this journey called "Your Life" - it's a whole lot of trial and error. God very gently gives us His guide called the Bible.....then He also gives us our will - me, he gave a very strong one!!! Because He loves us so much - He did not create us to be His little robots - He gave us choices - to live or die, obedience or stubbornness, willfulness or dependence on Him.

I have gone through so many stages of my life - some I have had to do over and over and over again!! I am a survivor - but I have made it so hard on myself at times. Most of the difficult times and circumstances I have had to endure have been because of my own doing!!

Someone looked at me the other day and said, "You have lived 5 lifetimes". I probably have. But I have also learned lotz of lessons, had many "light bulb" moments (some, a day late and a dollar short!) and many, many second chances!!!

No, I am not where I wanted to be at 50 - but I am not through, yet!....and God has promised me grace enough for today!!

Two Posts in One Day.....Lunch......

This is what I have done today....came to work.....this is my desk - now I am a very busy person, that's why my desk is so messy!!!!!!!!

Annie - I hear you snickering.......

This is the other part of my desk - yes, that is a fresh peach that I will have for a snack this afternoon - somehow, I am going to pretend it is chocolate....look at this view - I have the best office on this whole floor - it truly is a blessing to come to work everyday!!!!

Just look at that sky - that is the Red River, ladies. I watch boats and skiers going up and down all day long.....I just close my eyes and pretend I am on a house boat out in the middle of it....
Every Friday (and sometimes in the middle of the week, when we are having a bad week) the girls in the office go out to lunch.

Today we went to a Shreveport landmark...Strawns...now there are several in town, but this is the original, a hole in the wall - but they expanded the hole.....but it still has the same charm and character. They have the best hamburgers and fries....and their lunch plates are pretty good too. However, they are best known for their pies.

This is Cynthia and Judy - they were sitting across from me - so they get their picture taken - there was a family at the next table and I bet that lady took 20 pictures.....I said, "Bet she has a blog." Look at Judy biting into that hamburger.......

...a shot of the room....and our waitress....and see those white bags - they have pie to go!!!! ....we are on our lunch hour, you know!

...there are murals all round the room...

...here is another - recognize any of those folks.....

...and now I am back at the office...tell me if you have to go to an office everyday - is this not the place to be????....look at that sky!!!!!

Recipes....

I thought I would post a few recipes today

....don't have any pictures....(I always forget to take pictures while I am making anything!!!)

these are just some that I have been making for years and we love them....

This is the BEST Banana Nut Bread you will ever eat - I make it in mini loaf pans

Banana Nut Bread


½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 very ripe bananas
1 c. chopped pecans

Cream together oil and sugar.

Add eggs and salt to sugar mixture.

Combine the soda with the buttermilk. Add to egg mixture with milk.

Add bananas and nuts.

Grease and flour loaf pan.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

This soup is very easy and very, very good.....

Broccoli Cheese Soup


3 cups frozen chopped or cut broccoli
1/3 cup chopped onion
½ cup flour
1 stick butter
1 ½ teaspoon dry mustard
16 oz Velveeta Cheese
2 15 oz cans chicken broth
2 cups milk

Add onion to frozen broccoli and cook according to package directions. Drain.

Melt butter in saucepan and stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended.

Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, cook until thickened.

Add broccoli and remaining ingredients.

Cook until cheese is melted.

One of my favorite summer-time salads..........

Chilled Corn Salad

12 oz can whole kernel corn – drained
2-3 green onion – chopped
½ cup green pepper – chopped
2 Tablespoons minced parsley
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon oil
salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill overnight.

I Believe......

I believe - That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe - That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe - That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe - That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe - That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe - That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe - That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe - That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I believe - That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe - That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe - That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe - That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe - That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe - That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe - That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe - That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe - That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe - That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe - Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe - That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe - That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I believe - That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe - That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Lazy-Hot-Days....

Well, I have some good news, I FOUND MY CAMERA.....

I found it in the trunk of my car - I told ya'll I was cleaning out my car and I had it in my hand....

I thought I had either thrown it away with trash...or laid it on the top of my car and drove off with it up there....

Apparently, I laid it in the trunk....I had looked through that trunk so many times and then I looked one more time and there it was!!!!!! I was hollering...Thank you, Jesus....Thank you, Jesus!! I'm sure my neighbors thought there was a tent revival going on over there.....

I have just really had the blahs, blues, whatevers lately. Must be the heat!!

I tend to be a very controlling person (I hear all that snickering from the people who really know me)....they are saying..."did she say, TENDS to be"!!!!!!!

I have been single most of my life and I think women tend to get that way when they have to fight the world by themselves. I am always trying to arrange everyone and everything the way I think it should be.....trying to maneuver situations to where certain things might happen....I am not manipulative...I always think I have everyone's best interest at heart....but I am learning that even when you THINK you are doing someone a favor or helping....sometimes...you're just not.

I have really been thinking on "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your OWN understanding......

It's my own understanding that always gets me in trouble - God very plainly tells us, our emotions and feelings are not very good barometer....and I always have lots of those...feelings and emotions. Sometimes, I just don't understand why something is happening the way it is - when I know that another way would be so much better....for everyone!!!!

That is when that TRUST part comes in...I tend to always want to follow my instincts, my emotions, my feelings......oh, those things have caused me so much pain and heartache.....Trust, it's such a simple little word and so easy to just flow out of your mouth when you are talking to someone else about THEIR situation or THEIR problem.

But when it is you, who is having to do the trusting, it can be so very, very hard.

That is where the FAITH also comes in, where the rubber meets the road - where you put your money where your mouth is......Do I really trust God to take care of me....Do I really think He has my best interest at heart....Yes, I do, I just have to take a step back and look at what He has done for me......and know, with all my heart - the He will continue to walk beside me - I just have to learn to not get ahead of Him.

Here HE is.......

Yes, we have a little "Mr." - we are all soooooo excited - especially Landon (Daddy) - we about had to scrap him off the ceiling.

Most times the tech doing the ultra-sound has to tell you what the sex of the baby is - well she didn't have to say a thing......

I would put captions under the pictures, but Brandi emailed these to me as one - so the explanations are at the bottom.........

Picture #1 - is the profile - he's head is to the right and the feet to the left - you can see his nose and little cheeks - his hand is on the other side of his head in the air.

Picture #2 - is the 4-D picture of his back and legs - his little feet are crossed - he is still very skeletal - she is 20 weeks - they said they really didn't like to show the face on ones of these just yet - because it is a litte "scary" looking. I said he looks like a little dinosaur - so right now he's name is "Dino".

Picture #3 - the "money" picture - like I said they didn't have to say what it was - we all screamed boy when we saw this. The legs are in a "V" - and the arrow is point to the "boy part" - I hope I don't get in trouble for showing this!!!!

A friend of Brandi's had lunch with us after the ultra-sound and she said she had never seen one so obvious -she felt like she should not be looking at that!!!!!!!

So needless to say - we are all so excited - but we cannot come up with a boy name - the last name is Jones - so we need a really "kickin'" first name.....any suggestions??????

BTW....did I mention I am just SICK over losing my camera!!!!!!

BOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO......

I have lost my camera!!!!

I am sick, sick, sick!!!!

I was cleaning out my car before going to work - I had it in my hand - I either threw it away with the trash from the car, or drove off with it on top of the car!!!!

It was only a Kodak EasyShare, but it was ALL I had!!!

What's a blog without pictures....it's kinda like trying to talk with your hands tied, and God knows I can't do that!!!!

I do have some news - and even a couple of pictures to go with it!!

We found out what Brandi and Landon's baby is...........

Take a guess and I will be back soon with the news......

(Did I mention....I am just SICK about my camera!!!)