He's the Strong Silent Type

I honestly knew from the beginning what I was getting into, but he was cute so it didn't bother me.  Bobby wasn't much of a talker, but I was - we were a match made in Heaven!

He looked like my seventeen year old version of the Marlboro Man!

In fact, if I had to be honest, I took him home for the first time just for the shock value. He was to first boy I had ever taken home to meet Mom and Dad and he was 21 with a mustache and a motorcycle - this was going to be good!  Well, they loved him then and they love him now - they take his side on everything.

I often tell people that Bobby says ten words a day and that's just about true.  Half of those involve asking about what's for supper and the remaining are usually about golf and cars.  This week, his budgeted vocabulary got him into a bit of hot water and it all began on Tuesday with these three words,"Going to ER." 

Yep, that's all I got - three words.  You see he has a really great cell phone that can do many wonderful things - if he will carry it with him.  So by the time I track him down, he has become a cardiac patient and we are on our way to a whole new world. I will not bore you with the details, but he is much better and still has a ways yet to go.

One side note, the nutrition class was enlightening.  He will listen to a COMPLETE STRANGER tell him what his wife has been trying to tell him for years!  I kid you not, at one point, I swear I saw a tear roll down his cheek at then mention of how pizza is toxic.

I thought our nutrition class went really well.



Now just when I thought we had come to an understanding and had schedules figured out, I went back to school.  I was zipping back to the hospital one afternoon after a  great day spent with kiddos and I thought I would call and see if Bobby needed anything and this is what I hear...
"You just missed the cardiologist."
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!! he had never come before 7:00p.m. before.

breathe 

"What did he say?"

"He said I need an MRI of my brain"

WHAT!!!!!!!!!WHAT!!!!!!!!!!WHAT!!!!!!

that's it?
no explanation.
he obviously thought it was cool that someone wanted to look into his noggin.

Once I came back to earth and arrived at the hospital, I learned in the words of Paul Harvey "the rest of the story".  That husband of mine is really going to need to be more generous with his words or there will be two cardiac patients in our home!

Well, we are entering a new chapter.  Things are changing and that's OK. Friends and family have really come through for us and we don't know what we would do without them.  We will change and adjust and we will get through it all together, because while he may be a man of few words, I love the three he never fails to say, "I love you."

and we will LIVE happily ever after!

I cook for therapy and boy do I need some therapy after this week!
These cookies are AWESOME!  They taste wonderful, make your house smell divine, and are HEART HEALTHY!

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

 

1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup splenda

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3 cups wheat flour

2 t baking powder

2 t cinnamon (I add more:  1/2t nutmeg and 1/2 t allspice! )

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

2 t vanilla

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1-2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

 

combine: pumpkin, eggs, oil, splenda, cinnamon, and vanilla

combine: flour, powder, salt, soda

 

mix together and add chocolate chips and nuts

 

drop by spoonfuls and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes



"I am a bear of very little brain..."

"I am a bear of very little brain and long words bother me."

This is one of my favorite "Poohisms".  Pooh has long been one of my favorite characters.  As an only child he was not only my favorite toy but my closest companion.  As I discovered his un-Disneyized literature as an adult, I realized that Pooh and I see the world in much the same way and there is nothing wrong with that.  With that being said, there are things  that I will simply never understand, so allow me to share a few with you...  (this is a fun and light piece, not intended to incite riots, so sit back and enjoy)

Big Universities vs Small Universities
I LOVE my school.  (key the Beach Boys "Be True to Your School"). I am a Lumberjack through and through, I bleed purple.  In a land that demands to know if am am affiliated with longhorns, raiders, or aggies, I thrill at completely throwing them off their game when I state that I am a dual degree holder from Stephen F. Austin State University-AXE EM.
So the latest trend in college football is to match up bigger schools with smaller schools as one of the first games of the season.  To which I reply REALLY???  I mean miracles could happen - but it's highly unlikely (just like George Straight could show up at my door- he could, but he's not) Then I investigated.  It seems that the larger schools pay a great deal of $$ to the smaller schools for the privilege of playing them.  So I guess we now know who the real "winners" are.

Tofu & Sushi
Have these folks that eat this stuff ever had a good rib eye or fried catfish? 

Polygamy
Seriously, I can barely handle the ONE God blessed me with.

Skinny People
I love skinny people, I just don't understand them.  There are skinny people who think they are fat-SERIOUSLY, get you a double digit size then we'll talk.  There are skinny people who can out-eat an offensive lineman - I watch them with my mouth open in awe.  There are skinny people who exercise before work AND after work. Well I do that too - I put my Spanx on and take them off. Honey, that's exercise.

Denim
As you might can surmise from the above comments, I don't wear jeans often, but when I do I can promise two things.  One is that the pair that I am wearing aren't so big that in the words of my daddy "it looks like a family of sharecroppers could move in there with ya" or so tight that the aforementioned Spanx would need be worn on the outside.  SO why the baggin and saggin and the skinny jeans? Can't we find a middle ground people? I won't even talk about the ripped to shreds jeans.
Now, I will get on my soap box here for a brief moment.  I do like to look cute and while not exactly skinny, Omar isn't sewing my clothes in his tent shop yet.  It is my personal opinion that nothing is cuter than a denim jacket to pull together an outfit or a cute denim dress or tunic with a leather belt. Don't even get me started on chambray. But if you work in a denim-free zone you are SOL.  Again, it is just my personal opinion. But I studied many years so that I would not have to be a field hand; so in no way would I embarrass my employer by dressing like one.

House Hunters
This is one of my favorite shows to watch.  However, it always amazes me when the hunters are these young (early 20s) newlywed couples looking for their first home.  They want 4-5 bedrooms, huge bathrooms, entertainment space, granite, stainless, "I'm not sharing a closet", on and on..... Then they state the budget and it's anywhere from $250,000-600,000 and I am like whoa!!!!  Don't these kids have college loans?  Were there last names Buffet or Trump?  Times have changed - when we first married our major decision was whether or not to fry the bologna.

Well, there may be a lot that I don't understand, but there are a few things that I do...
1. I am loved
2. I am saved
3. I am forgiven
and if I wake up in the morining, I have 29 little smiles waiting on me to teach them to read- I'M BLESSED

who could ask for more!

Love and Blessings !
Puddin'

Say Hello to My Little Friend

We all have those things that make our lives just a little bit easier.  I will confess to you all that I love a crock pot.  I love them so much that I own two - I have even given them names!

Meet Sheldon. He's technical, scientific, and handles the recipes that require a bit more finesse with timing.  Sheldon turns out a killer pot roast and his chicken is out of this world!  I never have to worry about my food being over-done with Sheldon on the job.

 

 

This is Penny.  She's a bit more simple and straight-forward than Sheldon. You just turn her on and let her go.  Penny's the go-to gal for beans, chili, and soups.

No matter the make or model, you cannot go wrong with a crock pot.  They will not heat up your kitchen and you do not have to baby-sit your food to prepare a wholesome meal for your family.  I cannot begin  to describe the pure joy of coming home from work and having dinner already complete!  One of my favorite things is the clean up.  I have discovered the crock pot liners on the foil aisle of the super market.  These little beauties make clean up a breeze - just toss the bag and wipe out the crock!

If you don't have a crock pot, what are you waiting for?  If you do, does it need a companion? 


This is one of my go-to Crock Pot recipes that is a family favorite...

Chicken Taco Stew

Layer the following into your slow cooker in this order:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen is fine)

package of taco seasoning

package of ranch dressing mix

can of pinto beans, undrained

can of yellow hominy, undrained

can of diced tomatoes

can or Rotel tomatoes + Rotel can of water

 

cook on low 8 hours then remove chicken and shred before adding back to pot

serve over Fritos, tortilla chips, rice, or corn bread (my family's favorite)

top with shredded cheddar cheese, green onion, diced jalapeno, sour cream