Suppertime!

What we've eaten lately. (I see Mrs. H's weekly menus and get inspired.)

this week:

Monday: Beer Battered fish (I know, frozen from a bag, but, some nights are just this way!!)

HEB Edamame, broccoli, red pepper (that was delicious!)

Tuesday: (Lar not home) Make your own nachos---Jamie had some leftover shrimp and made his shrimp nachos. very interesting! Mine was more like a taco salad.

Wednesday: (tonight!) Enchilada Bake (Granny's recipe) It's something like this picture, and a recipe you can use what you have on hand. Start with a bag of Doritos crunched on the bottom of the pan. Add on in layers: taco meat, can of corn, can of black beans (or any kind), can of Rotel, cheese. Bake until heated through.

Also, a green salad

Thursday: Stromboli and some zucchini, steamed

Friday: Taco Salad (old school kind with ranch style beans, Fritos, and Catalina dressing) Mrs. H has a recipe! We have gotten out of the habit of making this one (I can blame it on the kids.)

Saturday: J's Paninis---or possibly another Rachael Ray recipe. His choice!

Sunday: Sandwich supper @ church. I think J might make his Turkey/Provolone sandwiches and some panda cupcakes!

Monday: Ham hock/bean soup

I've been waiting for this one!!

The afternoon is quiet (except the gong sound that happens when J's txt message comes in). I told the kids no more computer or TV until they practice their instruments! heehee! All I'm asking for is 20 minutes. Is that so hard? But I have kept them busy with learning a new game, too---Mexican train. Or as one friend of Mexican heritage calls it, "Train." ;-) I just learned it at a teacher gathering last Thursday night.

I about have all my ducks in a row for getting B taken care of when I start back to teacher days and they don't go back for 2 weeks. It's hard being a working Mom!!

I've been good and walked twice this week. I was fast walking today with no walking companions, but was glad to have B with me yesterday morning. We walked all around the neighborhood on the other side of the park from me. I'm feeling good! I started my cholesterol medicine this week, too. Bleh! I'm high blood pressure, high cholesterol and overweight. Bleh!!! Maybe I can stay inspired even when school starts back up.

Walking on Wednesday

A lot of songs on my playlist are from the A section!

Cowboy Take Me Away (Dixie Chicks)
Ain't No Other Man (Christina Aguilera)
Pride (In the Name of Love) (U2)
All You Need is Love (The Beatles)
Velvet (Fergie)
All for the Best (from Godspell soundtrack)
On the Last Night (Rockapella)
Play That Funky Music White Boy (Wild Cherry)
Always on my Mind (Pet Shop Boys)
Kiss From a Rose (Seal)
I love that song!
American Woman (Lenny Kravitz)
An American in Paris

I'm coordinating the lunch for my first teacher workday---it's coming up in one week!! We are pot lucking a baked potato lunch. I love it!! I'm bringing dessert---just need to decide what it's going to be! Lemonade cake? Eclair pie? Cherry Dump Cake? Chocolate Chip Cookies? (leave your opinion.)

Today holds a trip to Wal-Mart. I'll be looking at paint samples with Jamie. We're painting his bed!

And for anyone who doesn't already know, my Mom's surgery went well. She came out of the anesthesia much better this time, and she was up making her own sandwich and iced tea as soon as we got home. It was SO much better. She has another surgery on the 22nd. It could be the last one or there might be another one. This time, the bottom of her nose---the part around her nostril---is starting to look like a regular nose. And it seems like it's staying healthy and coming together the way it ought to. Whew!!

Have a great week!!

Songs to Walk By

Mad About You (Sting)
Love Me Do (The Beatles)
Love Song for No One (John Mayer)
Love Shack (B 52's)
Look What You've Done (Jet)
Long Time Gone (Dixie Chicks)
Locked Out (Crowded House)
Livin' on a Prayer (Bon Jovi)
Little Wing (Sting)
Linus and Lucy (Vince Guaraldi)
Light in Your Eyes (Cheryl Crow)
Lift Up (Rockapella)
Life is a Highway (Rascal Flatts)
Life in a Northern Town (The Dream Academy)
Let it Be (The Beatles)
Let Love Rule (Lenny Kravitz)
Last Train to Clarksville (The Monkees)
Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer)

This is in reverse order. I think My player must be on a "play through all the songs in alphabetical order" mode or something, which works for me. I started where I left off yesterday with "Kiss Me" and worked through my Ls this morning. Some of these at the end---I was sitting in front of the computer uploading photo sot Wal-Mart! I just kept liking the songs, so I kept listening. I did actually walk a good 45 minutes.

Enjoy your day!

I'm Walking . . .

Today I walked alone. J is at church camp, along with little sis B. I had gotten used to his company along those neighborhood streets. But my music keeps me company, and often inspires me to walk faster. My years marching to band music always give me the urge to keep my steps in time to the music. It's more so when I was walking at the track. It's smooth, flat and even. Out on the streets, I almost always have a slant to the side. And rocks and sticks to maneuver around.

Here are my musical accompaniments:

If I Fall You're Going Down With Me (Dixie Chicks)
New Year's Day (U2)
Back to You (John Mayer)
Can't Buy Me Love (The Beatles)
If I Needed Someone (The Beatles)
It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over (Lenny Kravitz)
Bali Ha'i (Charlotte Church)
Jesus Take the Wheel (Carrie Underwood)
From My First Moment (Charlotte Church)
Superstition (Stevie Wonder)
Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer)

Larry and I were at dinner when that storm popped up over us last night. We were eating out for our 18th anniversary, and I wanted it to be kinda romantic, so we went to the restaurant Larry took me to the night he proposed. Its' Cenare, on University Drive near the A&M campus. He didn't propose there, but under the Century Tree on campus---a traditional spot.

We sat right up front by the windows, so we had a real great view of the wind, rain, and little bit of hail we got in that part of town. The really bad stuff was south of us. We did not see the funnel clouds! Our view was looking east. We waited at the restaurant about an extra half hour for the weather to calm down enough for us to drive in it. Nothing much more to report!

Dinner was yummy---we started with stuffed mushrooms and both had a salad. I ordered the Pollo Carciofi, and Larry had Tortellini Toscana. We finished by sharing a chocolate dipped Cannoli (there's a picture of one from our restaurant on the top of this page!). I really enjoyed eating the delicious food and enjoying my delicious company. I even did the healthy thing---I brought about half of my entree home with me. I can't wait for lunch!

Have a happy day!!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, July 18th

These are all mixed up chronologically, but I am late enough as it is. Today's theme is ROCKS. I went with a literal, concrete term, and pulled out many from my files. My rock collage:
When we took our spring 2008 Girl Scout trip, we crossed the Paluxy River during our breakfast time. On the rocks!

Here's our B on a rock in the river. Look how long her hair was!!

The year before that, we took our Girl Scouts to . . . Natural Bridge Caverns! It was inside some underground rocks. B is the 4th from the right.

This is a honeymoon picture of my Mom's parents. It was 1947, and they are near Fontana Dam, sitting on the rock wall.

This is my Mom by another rock wall in East Tennessee, circa 1950.

I took a trip to the Grand Teton National Park with the church youth group. These are the biggest rocks!! This is Jenny Lake. IT IS SO PRETTY THERE!!

These are the rocks on the seawall in Galveston, TX. On the rocks are my hubby and my two kids. They were 2 and a half and 5 and a half in 2001.

This last pic is my college friend and I near a rock riverbank. I think this is at Camp Hensel.

I hope you enjoyed my rocks! Check out more rocks at TNChick's website---follow the comment links.

Next week's theme is Utensils. I may not get to it---I'll be going to my Mom's to be there after her surgery, which happens on Saturday. I didn't even know they scheduled surgeries on Saturdays!!

Everyone have a great week! Hi Kelly!

San Antonio #2

Guest writer---our B!

In this picture, Bananas is in front of a building that we thought looked cool in downtown San Antonio.

This is Bananas in front of a sign at Mission San Jose.

Bananas and me are park rangers at the mission!!!!

In this picture Bananas is sitting by a hole in the wall that people who were fighting there would stick their guns through.

Me and Bananas are sitting by some baskets in a fireplace thing in the corner.

This is me and Bananas sitting in a window behind the church part of the mission.

Bananas is sitting in the opening of an oven.

Now Bananas is sitting on the oven!

Bananas is in the corner of the mission.

That's Bananas in front of the church dome.

This is Bananas on top of a well.

In this picture, me and Bananas are sitting in a window.

This is a little water bowl in the wall in the church.

This is Bananas in the back of the mission.

This is me and Bananas sitting in a different window.

Bananas thought this mission was kinda big.

Bananas really liked how we rode back to the hotel---we rode there on the bus.

Summer Photos

This summer has been full of activity! The Troupers sang a parody at the airport for Stanley Wayne Mathis as he came into town. J is the one in the scarf. (Don't ask why)

We went to the Granbury parade. J was loud and crazy enough to get people to squirt him with the water. It's been SO HOT this summer.

On the square in Granbury. Strike a pose, J!

J and my dad are Vannah White-ing the BIG ice cream cone.

Me and my dinner. I went to the square hoping I could find this stand with the Shepherds' Tacos. They're pork, and you squeeze all that vegetable goodness with lime juice before you eat it. Under there, it's 3 tacos. Yeah, it was messy.

Dad's Big Band---they're cool!

B keeps herself busy during the break in the concert. She has finished TWO library reading charts already, and is on her way to finish #3.

The band played into the night, leading up to the fireworks show. We all wanted to just leave after the show, though! It was hot, and we'd had to leave my Mom at home. She's recovering from some surgery on her nose.

The new-to-us car. I didn't know this was blurry until I got it on the computer. I really am enjoying it!

It's been a Charlie Brown Summer. Get on the bus!!

J is Schroeder. He's frustrated here with people disrupting the peace he needs to be his artistic self. A role J has embraced.

The song---Beethoven Day. The crowd surrounds Schroeder as he sings about his love for Beethoven and the holiday he looks forward to the most.

This is my favorite song---The Book Report. Schroeder likens the book Peter Rabbit to one he likes, Robin Hood.

The song---The Baseball Game

These three actors also sang last summer in "Easy Street." J was Rooster, the girl in the left was his girlfriend, and the girl on the right was Mrs. Hannigan (Rooster's sister).

The end. The blur on the left is someone's hands clapping! J is the one with the blond-haired mask.

It's been a good summer---but it's half over!! :-(

Jamie and I walked for about an hour this morning. That's three times this week so far!! GO US!!

My song list this morning:
Song 9 (Rockapella)Hello, Goodbye (The Beatles)
When You Come (Crowded House)
I Want to Tell You (The Beatles)
Sh-Boom (The Chords, from the Cars soundtrack)
Shape of My Heart (Sting)
Don't Tell Me You Do (Rockapella)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (U2)
Clumsy (Fergie)
Phantom of the Opera (Sarah Brightman)
She's Too Good for Me (Sting)
Sweetest Thing (U2)
3x5 (John Mayer)
Blue Canary in the Outlet by the Lightswitch (They Might Be Giants)
Doctor Robert (The Beatles)

I haven't compared the list here to what I wrote on that other post---to see if they're the same. I have about 250 songs on my little off-brand MP3, and I keep it on shuffle. It's funny how often I get the same artists on the same trip. Of course, what you see here repeated---Sting and The Beatles---that's pretty well represented in my collection.