Wordless Wednesdays: New Kicks!!

Monday Afternoon Ponderings.

Happy Belated Easter to YOU!!



I meant to post yesterday. Completely forgot about it for some reason. Sigh.

Anyways, I am sitting here pondering during my lunch time. 

I made the best salad for lunch today. And it was pretty too.

Best of all, The Cowgirl Cre bought me some strawberries, cabbage and dressing from Easter Dinner at her parent's house. Best of all, she brought me an Easter egg.

I was so happy for this, as I'd wished I'd colored a few eggs for Easter.

And I was happy because it perfectly matched my pink work folder.

LOL.

That's completely irrelevent. I just noticed they were the same color.

For my Easter dinner, I had stuffed acorn squash.

I posted up a couple of weeks ago about my foray into the land of acorn squash. This stuffed squash looks a tad bit different, and it has a bit of sausage mixed in. I liked my first attempt at stuffed squash best. This was great also.

I tried the recipe that one of my readers suggested last week. I forgot to post a picture of it, though. She suggested slicing the squash and adding some salt, olive oil and a maple syrup drizzle, and then baking at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Good stuff!

Oh wait... It's missing something.

Chopped pecans make everything better. Oh yeah.

That was so good. I have enough for the week. It's easy to reheat and it, along with a salad, fills me up. 

I had a quiet Easter weekend. I didn't even leave the house, save for taking out the trash. That was about it. And it was all nasty and drizzly out. No need to venture out into that.

Long gone are my days of Easter dresses and Easter speeches. I spend time thinking about the reason for the season. And I, as always am thankful for it.

That's it for my ponderings.

I MIGHT post everyday this week. Wouldn't THAT be something. 

Have a great week. On purpose! 

Ten Thursday Thoughts

I am not posting regularly, because I am so busy. But I can AT LEAST kick out some thoughts, right?

1. We have had fairly nice weather this week. It feels good to open the sunroof, let down the windows and let the wind blow through my hair.

2. Lucy Jr (My lexus) had a problem this week: whenever the car heated up, and I was at a stop sign, I would smell what I thought was oil burning. So I thought I had a leak.

3. I thought this because Pam has had a leak for 8 years, and I just make sure to regularly check oil  and add oil when needed. Normally I wouldn't care about a leak, but I would feel bad if Lucy Jr.'s engine blew up because of something serious. I really like that car.

4. So yesterday I took her in to be checked. It turned out that I'd run over a plastic grocery bag an it stuck to the exhaust pipe... and it is melting off when the car heats up. They pulled off what they could, but it has to just burn off. This means I have to deal with these noxious fumes. Yuck.

5. I don't recycle much, but that makes me want to recycle. It makes a strong case for it.

6. Yesterday was LadyTee's birthday.  Happy Birthday LadyTee!
 
That picture is probably 10 years old. I can tell because my grass doesn't look that good  anymore.

She still looks the same, though! The big 48 looks good on you, LadyTee.

We have been best friends close to 38 years. That is a long long time. 

7. This was the first year in the past 15 years or so that we haven't spent our birthdays together. It is due to me having these hard work hours right now. I can't even take off if I really need to, for fear of falling way behind. It pisses me off.

8. But when I get that "pissed off" feeling, I think of what The Cowgirl Cre says...

"These some good azz jobs!"

Yes they are. We have to remind ourselves of that because we are around a bunch of serial complainers... they too, having these same "good azz jobs".

9.  I also spend a good amount of time thinking about something my Grandfather said some 20 years ago.  Here's the convo.

"How's school, Lee?!"
"It's alright," I said.

I then went on to complain about how difficult it was. He sat quietly and listened, a frown clouding his face.

Then he said,"Your grandmama didn't get down on her knees and clean white peoples floors for $3 a day and cab fare so you could sit up here and whine and complain."

That shut me up right there. And when I get to whining, albeit to myself, his words come to mind.  Quickly and sharply.

And I shut up. 

10. Additionally, one of my rule is s in affect:  However much time I spend complaining, I BEST spend twice as much time in thanksgiving and gratitude.

I picked that rule up from reading the book of Psalms, as I noticed an interesting trend. David would wail about something, then spend time in gratitude and thanksgiving and praise. If he didn't have anything to be grateful for in his own life, he was grateful for something good that happened in the life of his ancestors.

Amen.

That is it for ten Thursday thoughts.

Have a good evening!

Changes in My Hood, Part 2

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the street changes in my 'hood.

The streets are being changed from asphalt to bricks.

Quite fascinating. Much so because this is not an affluent neighborhood somewhere on the northside. I would expect that in such places. But this is downtown ATL.

So when I went to vote a couple of weeks ago, I saw the beginnings of it.  I vote at the local elementary school a couple of streets over from my house. I saw the gravel they put down before they put down the bricks.

I almost thought about driving over it, but that raised sewer would probably tare up the bottom of my car.  I  wanted to get to the entrance driveway of the school. Luckily they had exit driveway of the school open. We all had to figure out how to maneuver around.

But that looks like much work. And I wonder how people's trash get emptied, as this process is super slow.

I will worry about all that later.

I am not sure if they are hitting my street any time soon. But they have began marking and measuring the cross street near my house... hmm...

I know that this is for our massive flooding issues. My street doesn't have problems, but other streets do.

But there is a rumor that they are building some massive $20 million complex nearby. And my alma mater is buying the Braves stadium, which is a mile from my house, when the Braves move. They will most likely develop that area.

Hmm...

We will see where this all goes...

Of Camels and Bashes

So my sister Kentucky is getting adventurous over in the UAE.

We talk several times a week, usually while she is getting ready for work and I am getting ready for bed. (The UAE is 9-10 hours ahead of ATL time). 

She went on a "desert safari" a couple of weeks ago.


My face was tight as a fist when she talked about doing it.

"You know we can't come get you, right?" I said.

In other words... Why are you out doing dangerous stuff?

"You are NOT in Alabama, where I can come get you. So be careful," is my constant refrain.

So she sent me a picture of herself talking to a camel.

"That camel was upset," she said. "He was moaning and groaning."

Never mind him moaning and groaning. I was shocked at how big he was and she actually rode the thing.

"Why he got that thang on his face?" I asked.

"Because they sometimes spit and bite."

O_O

"Why in the world are you that close to him then?  Leave that thang alone!"

She laughed. "I was only trying to talk with him."

"Man... you know we can't come get you, right?"

She had a good time. She even went dune bashing, which cause me to groan, probably worse than the doggone camel.

I didn't know what dune bashing was, but it sounded... dangerous. So I looked it up.

O_O

*crickets*

What. In. The. World?

"Man, listen!"  I hollered. "You know we can't come get you, right? It ain't like you in Alabama where I can come snatch you up. You on the other side of the world."

Yes.

She is on the other side of the world.

She is on other side of the whole entire world.

And she is doing things I will never get a chance to do. She can say that she lived abroad. And she really experienced the life and times of another culture.

So be it.

She can talk to all the camels and bash all the dunes she wants.

All I know is it is a chance of a lifetime, and I am proud of her for stepping out on faith and doing it.

And one more thing I know for sure:

I miss her so much.