Back In The Rat Race

I caught a ride on the 40-hour train this week and, as a result, Saturday and Sunday have now become very sacred. No doubt I'll be spending the weekend cooking, cleaning and catching up.

Anticipating this turn of events, I made JB something special last weekend.
Peanut Butter Banana Pudding! It's just like it sounds--very rich, but oh so satisfying.



4 cups milk
2 packages butterscotch pudding mix
1 1/2 cups peanut butter, divided
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup confectioner's sugar
4 medium bananas, sliced

Combine milk and pudding mixes until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter.

In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and confectioner's sugar; cut in the remaining peanut butter until crumbly.

In a large serving dish or individual desert bowls, layer half of the pudding, half of the crumb mixture and half of the bananas. Repeat layers. Chill until served. (yields 12 servings)


Dinner this week has been an impromptu mess and we're all suffering. I welcome your ideas and quick dinner recipes.

If The Shoe Fits

Cats are naturally inquisitive and quick to take ownership of their new surroundings.

While I spent the better part of the day yesterday sorting through shoe boxes of mementos and papers, Lina tried each box on for size. With no apparent hesitation or apprehension, she stepped right in and made herself comfortable.

We humans hesitate. We often over analyze and ponder to the point of losing the opportunity altogether.

Just chill is what I keep hearing from my oldest daughter. I hear, but don't comprehend. There's too much to do--too much I want to accomplish--and I feel the clock is ticking and time is nipping at my heels.

I'm learning events unfold according to their own schedule...

And the best use of my energy is to simply embrace the waves.

We're Surviving

We're all stumbling around, finding our way and blending with our new surroundings...

Three of the thirteen eggs made their way and are hanging tough.

Leaps and Bounds

Friday the 13th conjures up all sorts of thoughts of mishaps in most folks. I gave up that notion ions ago.

I met Miss Jessica's (and Miss Jenifer's) dad on a Friday the 13th--with a full moon to boot! While that didn't work out for the long haul, I am blessed with two daughters, so all is not lost.

This is just another example of how something good always comes of every situation.

We're still blending here.

Lots of shifting of boxes to storage and rearranging of furniture still goes on, but we are adjusting to everyone's individual timetable.

I'm still a morning person and savor the time I have before the rest of the house wakes up. I enjoy the quiet time--the 2 hours or so I have before the rest of the world gets moving.

I read the Times on line and get all worked up over the injustice in the world. I usually have my opinions well-formed by the time Pop calls. When he asks me what I'm doing, I share with him what I've been reading. It doesn't take long before he passes me on to Momo. Pop is very progressive but he's smart enough to take a break when he needs it.

With Father's Day this Sunday, I'm hoping I can give him a break--I'm planning a dinner honoring him and my favorite father-in-law.

Learn To Count Your Blessings

While I was in Texas packing up the oldest daughter and grumbling about sleeping on loveseats and air mattresses, JB was doing his part for the world.

As I understand it, one of the neighbors ran over a turkey's nest and left 13 eggs homeless. My husband stepped in, aided by my little friend down the road.

Stella, (our talking thermometer) found a new home standing watch in the incubator for the unborn turkeys. I understand my crystal desk lamp was needed as well.

I have come to rely on Stella. She tells me the indoor temperature as well as the out door temperature, at regular intervals. I guess I have become somewhat spoiled.

I'm often entertained when she flakes out and gets things confused sometimes. This minor malfunction causes alarm to guests and is often a source of amusement to JB and I.
Nonetheless, she responded to a higher calling while I was away--and I understand.

I missed crystal my lamp, but quickly got over it when I realized how fortunate I am that the eggs are not in my kitchen!

I went down to visit the eggs today.

I think the due date is June 20.

Realizing Our Role In The Environment

It was so hot when I was in Texas two weeks ago, that even the animals at the zoo looked put out.

The constant wind was hot--very hot.
When the temperature reached the high 90s and above, I wanted ice cream.

I walked a block to the 7-11 one day and brought two pints of ice cream back to the apartment.

I ate one pint by myself.

Now that Miss Jessica and I are in Virginia, it's as if the Texas heat has followed us. Temps in the high 90s--coupled with high humidity--have forced us indoors to watch old movies and eat cucumber sandwiches.

This reminds me of a similar scenario when I visited Virginia and brought the cold weather back to West Texas. It was the visit that I married JB and returned to Texas to pack up the house and move to Virginia.

Have you ever seen snow on Prickly Pear and Yucca?

I hadn't heard of tornadoes in this part of the country either until after I moved back.
Did I bring those too?

Do You See What I See?

I've posted before about how each individual's perception can create an entirely different version of reality. I'm still sold on this idea. I believe it to be truth.

I remember being viewed as a desirable young thing until the day I brought home a baby. From that point forward, I was a mama--and we all know there's nothing like a baby on your hip to put you in an entirely different class on the "hot" scale.

But when you make a choice to be a mother, none of that stuff is important anymore anyway. The choice of motherhood involves having had enough of being preoccupied with your outward appearance, and striving for more important pursuits--like creating a human being and sharing the world as you know it with someone who's interested.

The connection between mother and child is like none other. They may not get along all the time. They may not even like each other all the time. But the connection is always there.

And in the end, you always have each other.

I watched a lot of old movies that profess the same thing of marriage. I'm not seeing it though. I would love to be wrong about this one.

Miss Jessica has a longtime friend in Texas that has been calling quite frequently to get confirmation on her daily wedding plans. They were more than a little put out when I compared a wedding to Thanksgiving dinner--all that planning and its over in 20 minutes.

I'm thinking more preparation should go into planning the marriage, rather than the wedding.

Share your thoughts and sway me, please.