Shine Baby Shine!

Just look at this guy..........

I'll bet you're thinking that this would have been a good picture if the flash didn't go off on his glasses aren't you?  Well, I hit the 'do not shine' button on the camera and so I'm thinking that it's simply because he 'shines'!!

  Call me crazy but do you think that there should be a law or something against somebody looking so happy and cheery after working 8 hrs. and of course before that having set the alarm to get his power walk in???? 

Let's try to figure it out .............could he be smiling because:

• He can have his fresh-brewed and favorite choice beverage whenever while he's working?

• He has to wait on women all day that smile and say........ 

                   I don't know, what do YOU suggest?

• He has just gotten to sit for the first time in 8 hrs.?

• He's outside in 70 degrees with NO HUMIDITY listening to the band and the fountain in the background at the place he calls "his" village?  (You'd better hurry back Tom, he's taking over!)

• He is waiting for a grilled salmon sandwich with some exotic sauce on it?

• AND the most likely reason..............we are together!!!

Shine all you want Mr. Barista....you are amazing!

On a Side Note..........

On a side note to my little story about the DMV office:

I just thought of something while in the shower last night and it's pretty amazing.......

.......(no, not that I was in the shower) but the actual revelation to my brain.............

My sister didn't even request a special plate or say please or anything and guess what????

She got an easy to remember prefix  alright..............  how about:

                                   XTC

Now I don't know about you, but when she and her hubby ride around town, don't you think that people now KNOW how special they are?   oh yeh they do!  

Then I've got my other sister with this plate:

With these results, I have got to rethink my strategy for that 'all so special visit' to the DMV!

What a Dress It Is!

I find it quite amazing to discover in myself that at no matter what age in my life, there has and still is something exciting about putting on that 'just right for the occasion' little dress.  I clearly remember my favorites from kindergarten up............ the brand- new- for- school plaids......and then my springtime birthday was the perfect excuse for a new pastel.....loved my first 'little black sheath dress' (still favor that style)....

....oh, of course the prom and ball gowns and then ........the ultimate princess style for my wedding gown that my sister Linda and I shared.  We both loved that dress and always dreamed that one of our FIVE girls would feel the same about it. 

By the way.......no one did.  They obviously did not inherit our sense of style!

This posting is not about any of those styles though.  This story is about a very, very, special dress that has always been my favorite since my first baby girl was born.  This dress was sent by a dear friend of my husband's family named Helene who lived in Chicago and heard about the birth of our daughter and just 'HAD to send something really gorgeous' to her. 

 

She certainly did.  This 'sweet wonder' still has the Marshall Fields label carefully sewn into the soft lining that ends, just before the hemline with a tiny ruffle edge. Quite honestly, everyone that ever saw this pale yellow dotted Swiss creation marveled at how beautiful it was, first on baby girl #1 and then on baby girl #2.

In between, my nieces looked so lovely in it as well, but when they grew out of it, I washed it, wrapped it up and have kept it safe and secure for 'future wearings'.........a.k.a 'being hopeful'

We're reminded in Ecc.3:6 that there is a time to give up and and to keep and (a slight paraphrase) "give" away. 

Well, my baby girl #1 just had a grown up birthday yesterday and now ................today that beautiful dress got wrapped up in a pretty pink box and hand delivered to little 8 wk. old Hannah who is the daughter of my husband's nephew.  It just seemed right to keep it in the family.

 

 

Thank you Helene..........you'll never know how much enjoyment came from your most generous gift but God certainly does!   How amazing!

How about you..........is there anything special you're saving, that might be better off shared?

Now THAT'S Birthday Excitement!!!

If only everybody enjoyed their birthday like this huh!   

Sept. 18th is still her favorite day!

Oh yes, you are looking at just one more of 'the best of family attributes'

sheer joy!!!!

over a home-baked birthday cake.  That bib is simply to catch the drool, not the cake, believe me.

This little cutie petutie  is Mommy's Baby Girl and trust me on this one, it's accurate!

She was most comfortable with the title Queenie because she always felt that she belonged to royalty somehow.  

There was a time during her younger adolescent (oooh, she couldn't stand that word) years that probably any person that saw her out thought her name was Squeeze Me!!!  Mom washed the shirt and no sooner was it dry that she had it on............again!

Thank goodness she grew out of that.......literally!  She could actually have been on the roles of American Mensa by IQ alone,  the title of Little Miss Reader of 88 books  in the first grade was no small project, of course now she reads that many in a month!!!

Since then she has picked up a few very note-worthy titles that should make her feel much more important than the earlier ones..........devoted wife, loving mom, most serving friend to a huge cast, and now probably her fav.........Grammy to her little grand-tadpoles.  

She deserves ALL the cake today!  Happy Birthday MBG!!!! 

                                                             You really are AMAZING!!

Avoid!!! at all cost if possible!

Right now, the only person not laughing at this cartoon, is someone who has never had the experience of taking a trip to their local DMV office.

If that person is you and you're thinking that all this time you have missed out on a trip that you've GOT to go on, here are a few alternative 'visits' you might consider if you care to keep your blood pressure from skyrocketing!!!!

 


• book a root canal..... as soon as possible, maybe today! 
  
• travel your busiest interstate at 5:15pm with 1/8th of a tank of gas and a full bladder!
• call your online banking helpline and 'visit' another country thru 20 prompts and 40 min. and still wind up where you started!
  
• wait in line for an hour to be told 'we JUST sold the last one'
  

The above are just a few of the much easier things for your to do list........trust me.....I know!

Oh yes, we arrived 15 min. early to avoid the rush.  Okay......good start!  We go up to the counter all smiley and say 'hello, how are you today?'  She says.........'yer not from here are ya'?  

Oh no, I quickly reply, we're from New York!!!!  My sister Linda warned me about saying that and yet it seemed like the right thing to do.........it was NOT!!

This girl proceeded to simply try to trip us up on every piece of paper and signed and notorized document that we were required to have for this process.

Oh, but, little did she realize that I had my MVB Expert with me.........a.k.a. Mr.Barista himself.

Try as she may, we had it all!   Every last completed form!    Whew! 

So I got up my nerve to ask her as she was just about to go to the stacks of license plates behind her ............

Could you possible give us a plate that has some  

catchy number or letter sequence or something like that.... PLEASE?

ABOLUTELY NO!!! was the exact response.......................................

and she was about as friendly as my Mr. Post.

See that first in flight inscribed on the plate?  Well, 

visions of Jackie Gleason blurting out his famous Pow! right to the Moon Alice! came flashing before my eyes!!

Well, unbeknownst to little Miss Grumpy......             she handed over a plate (not the one depicted here)

with three letters and then the first four numbers of my Barista's drivers license !!!

Who could ask for anything more??? (hmm..that'd be a good song now, wouldn't it)

We giggled to ourselves all the way home........oh, and of course thanked God for his hand in even the little things of our lives!  He is AMAZING!

Psalm 118:6.....the Lord is on my side  

M.B.B. is King of The Road

Happy Birchler Birthday M.B.B.!!!

It's official!!  The King's birthday has arrived!!

You do remember me telling you that all of my brothers and sisters have some wonderful attributes right?  Well, here's the 'king'.  Oh yes, of course you would know that from the crown on his head...........silly me. 

You might not be aware of some of the other names he is known by, but one of my favorites for him is Mama's Baby Boy.  Now don't go conjuring up some crazy notion that he was a spoiled guy or anything..........it's simply that mom was crazy because of about him and he was the baby boy in our family!

He's now known as King of the Road due to his current job and clocking about 1,000 miles a day carrying  approx. 80,000 lbs.  DO NOT........I repeat.......DO NOT get in his way!                 

He has quite a commanding presence with this title.

hey........I just thought of something............I wonder if he has to be careful not to knock that crown off while getting in his big vehicle?

He's smart, whitty, handsome, 'very assured of himself'.......... 

ohhh...............

(don't even think of spreading THIS one around) .............

.............he is the King of the Kind-hearted Softees 

ooooooooooh........watch that crown M.B.B.    

So you see, a sister CAN call her brother names, even if it is his birthday!!!  No matter what name he's known by you he will always have a Y on the end of his name to me................

and he really is amazing! 

On Special Assignment!

Just in case you've wondered where I've been this last week, I have been on a very special assignment called Gabriel's Watch and of course I can't tell you where or well... you know what happens!

Oh yes, that's me, a special agent, chosen from a group of elite candidates to take care of two adorable little girls while their parents vacationed at Cape Cod.   I know, I know, you're thinkin' 'why can't these parents nowadays take their kids with them' but I guess they just felt they needed a break from the everyday of being at the house.  

I am not at liberty to give out the parents names or the address of their modest home but I assure you, these two little girls lack for nothing.  

I have four typed pages of instructions ranging from their eating habits to just where they'll sleep and then how and when they'll talk to me or when they like to dance................oh, and where their hair bands are... should one break.

Mom & Dad told me that they are loving, obedient and truly the best children they have ever seen and you know what?............amazingly, they were right. 

They like to watch me in the kitchen while I watch the experts on tv and fix their fancy dishes for them.

 

When I talked to Mom last night just before she knew I'd be getting the girls ready for bed, she said that they tried to change their airline reservations to come home a day early because they miss the girls so much but because of a new ruling that has just taken effect as of Sept 1st it now costs $150 per ticket..........yes, just for the change!!!.............they will be staying til Thurs. as originally planned.

I assured her that they were fine and that I'm kissing and hugging them and watching them like

 'a hawk'...............oh NO!!!! .....why did I use that expression!! 

See out this kitchen window??

  

Well, it's a beautiful 20 x 40 foot open porch, which sits two stories up from .........

this picture where a very large hawk likes to swoop down and snatch moving objects!!

Mom and Dad's biggest fear is that this hawk will fly down and attack either Sarah or Rebecca

..........now.... I've said that I'll watch them like WHAT!!!    After calming Mom down I call:

Okay girls, it's time for bed, let's go !!  Without a moment of hesitation they head for bed!

(my own girls should have been so easy)

Now, in this next picture Rebecca is waiting for Sarah to enter their bedroom:

Do you see Rebecca on the oriental rug? 

I'll bet you thought that was one of the girls' toys??

No, that IS the youngest 'child' who weighs 3-1/2#.  Big sister Sarah weighs almost 5#.

Gotta run now because Aunt Vicki has to pick them up and put them in their bed now.

Tell me all this isn't amazing??? 

Bet you wish YOU were a Special Agent now don't you

Squashed But Not Beaten!

Hey that's a neat title, isn't it? 

 

Well, not an original phrase I must admit.  2Cor 4:7-9  speaks to that issue of the heart but today I'm.......... 'talkin' to the tummy'......... and I mean yummmmee!

Isn't this bowl of squash variety amazing though!!  These came from the Charlotte regional market on Saturday.  They are beautiful!  AGAIN, we're reminded of the all the same and yet different from each other.

Just when you thought that you knew about every squash available, along comes something called Chirimen and Gold Nugget

 but THIS one has my name all over it............

Fairytale Pumpkin (which is named for it's coach-like form)......

                 a.k.a. in France as Musquee de Provence 

This one makes me want to dream up a recipe using it right now and then dress up and dance the night away.  

Where IS that shoe now?????............. I had it on just a minute ago!!

Well, anyway..............today I simply want to give all of you squash lovers and gourmet (or not) cooks something to to shine about at your dinner table. 

GINGERED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & PEAR SAUTE

This scrumptious side dish will entice even the fussiest eater and it looks delightful on the plate as well. I'm a firm believer in the 'if it looks great, your guest has already half enjoyed it before the first bite' theory.

Market list:

1 butternut squash- about 2# size (choose the long necks for most meat)

1  red underripe pear  (the color is striking against the orange) 

1  chunk of fresh ginger

From time to time I might have an amazing recipe that I've found to be just

too good to simply not share with my friends.  If they're complicated...... (not my friends, silly goose, they're all complicated.......I mean the recipes) I'll make certain to give you the steps with a couple of  pictures to better help your prep, but this one is quite easy to do,

so here we go:

• Heat 2 Tbs. butter in a large skillet and add 1 Tbs. of finely chopped fresh ginger and saute 1 min.
•  Now add the butternut squash which you've cut up into 1 inch pieces, stir the butter, ginger and squash together; cover and cook over medium heat for approx. 10 min.  Stir gently every so often.
  
• Now add the pear which you've cored and cut into 1 inch pieces as well.  Stir it all together and cover for about 5 min. until it's all tender but not mushy or ................squashed!!  get it!
  

Probably great with any roasted or baked meat but just to give your taste buds a tiny revitalization...............here's what we, at the Bistro of Hastings Farm shared our new side dish with:

A tasty Grilled Sirloin with Buttered n' Broiled Mushrooms

  

and.....................

Fresh Mustard greens from the gardens where the chefs in Charlotte's finest bistros shop at.  Oh yes....nothing but the best for my Barista Man! ...sauteed with a little garlic and cracked pepper and oooooh, laah, lah!!

If you're keeping up here with Chef Wannabe, let me know what you think of this dish.

Remember.........you might feel beaten down..........

but you're ........NOT SQUASHED YET