Tag...I'm It, so read on....

I have been tagged by Luciana, so here are the rules:

Rules:

1.Each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their 7 random things and post the rules.
3.At the end of your post you need to tag 7 people and post their names.
4.Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


1.My family tree has a few odd branch members. I am directly related to Amelia Earhart, the Shelton Brothers Gang (gangsters), members of the Iowa regiment at Bloody Pond (Civil War), as well as Cherokee Indians.
2.My oldest daughter was born on the same day as her great-great grandmother. Their birthdays are 10/22/1883 and 10/22/1983. According to family records, they are also approximately five minutes apart in birth times.
3.I have lived in three states in my whole life (so far): Tennessee, West Virginia, and Texas. I have lived in four cities: Memphis, Charleston, Sugar Land, and Houston.
4.I have two brothers and one sister and there are seven years between my sister and myself. The four of us are secretly planning my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary for 2008.
5.I have been crocheting since I was in the fifth grade (10 years old). I taught myself to knit when I was twelve and I have never looked back. The Sahara that I just finished is the first thing that I ever made for myself.
6.I HATE peas. Little green peas……YUK! Conversely, I LOVE chocolate. Nevertheless, make no mistake, even if peas were coated in chocolate, I would still not eat them.
7.I will be able to buy a motorcycle once I have finished my college degree (hopefully within the next 18 months).

Who will I tag?

The Knitting Troll, Purly Girl, Texas Purl Girl, Good to be Girl, Kayleen Knits, Danielle w/Worldwide Knit In Public Day, and Knitted and Purled

Dilemma Solved

Okay, the dilemma was solved by wifey herself. She decided that she wanted the whole world to know how she felt about our lives together and thus, she paid for both rings, set up an intimate ceremony at a dear couple's house and had the Munchkin tag along to take pictures. We had a photo op prior to the exchange, and I'll share some of them, as well as pictures of the rings.

I must admit, if we could do this in Texas like other states can, we probably would have gotten the license and did the whole thing up legally, but, alas, Texas is just not that progressive.

Let me know what you think of the pictures and the rings (I designed them...).

I have a dilemma........

I have a dilemma. Wifey and I will be celebrating our tenth anniversary in late November. In honor of this auspicious event, we have been at the local jeweler’s shop designing our matching rings.

Sounds like a terribly romantic and wonderful thing, right? So what’s the problem you ask? The jeweler called Wednesday morning (7:30 AM to be precise) to inform me that our completed rings were back and ready for us. I know you keep asking what is the problem…..

Wifey is VERY superstitious. She thinks that if we get them and wear them before our actual anniversary that it is, “like putting away your bats before the game is over…”. She has been soliciting opinions from everyone and so far the votes are pretty tied between wear them now and wait until the actual anniversary.

What do you think?

Munchkin Got Her Grades

The Munchkin called to tell me that her grades for Spring had been posted. Sure enough, I checked her account and voila!

Section Course Title Grade
HIS -134 -018 US HIS 1877-PRES A
PHI -153 -005 INTRO PHILOSOPHY B
SOC -137 -001 INTRO SOCIOLOGY B
PSY -210 -001 DEVELOPMENTAL PSY B
ART -485 -001 RENAISSANCE ART A
HIS -321 -001 NON-WESTERN WORLD C

Makes both her mamas proud. Who knows, she could graduate cum laude after all......

She must take after me more......

Mother's Day Treat

The glue in my house is at her nephew's graduation in NY. She left on Friday at 6:50AM and won't return until tomorrow night at 7:50PM. I hate it when she's gone, but it also allows me some "me time" as well.

I was surprised this Mother's Day when the Munchkin got up early (11:15AM). For those of you with college children, you might be in a better position to understand the rationale behind the first weekend home after finals and the end of the semester, so her sleep time is not a surprise. She plopped down on the bed beside me and then jumped right back up. She came back with two items. One was from her, a lovely glass fingernail file (picture later). The other was a card and a lovely small box.

The card (part of the picture above) was from the wifey. Not her traditional funny card, but a serious one. Guess that goes along with having been a part of each others lives for almost ten years. The box contained the opal necklace that is also in the picture. I will have to get the Munchkin to take one of her professional grade pictures (since photography is her major) to update the site later. I just wanted the world to know that I have the best partner ever. She left money for the girls to take me out for sushi as well.

That was also fun, and the sake was a bonus. We had Marble Slab to cap off the whole trip. All in all, it was a good day to be the mom....

Munchkin and Trouble are Home Again

Well, so much for quiet nights and productive mornings. The girls returned home from college today like whirling dervishes. The cats are all out of sorts and the house looks like a storage unit of some kind. Over the next few days, they will put things away and settle down to our "old" routine, but I will no longer be able to go to bed at 9:30 PM and read or knit without reminding them about the volume on the TV or the stereo. No longer will I be able to get up and do housework in the mornings as I like to do.

Thank goodness that I have the computer and the back yard. I can knit out side on the porch and catch up on the internets without disturbance. I am determined to finish the Sahara this weekend so that I can move on to some of the other WIP's and convert them to FO's.

Say a little prayer for my sanity. We will all need it for a few days until "normal" returns.



Munchkin and Trouble

What Happened in 1962?

In 1962 (the year you were born)

John F. Kennedy is president of the US John Glenn becomes the first American in orbit when he circles the earth three times in the Mercury capsule Friendship 7 Cuban Missile Crisis occurs when Soviet offensive missile build-up is discovered Cuban Missile Crisis is averted when President Kennedy and Soviet premiere Krushchev agree to remove missiles Maryiln Monroe is found dead in her Los Angeles home The drug thalidomide is recalled when it becomes linked with severe birth defects in thousands of children worldwide Pantyhose becomes available for sale in U.S. department stores Jim Carrey, Sheryl Crow, Jon Bon Jovi and Tom Cruise are born New York Yankees win the World Series Green Bay Packers win the NFL championship Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley cup Lawrence of Arabia wins the Oscar for best picture The Beatles release their first recording: the single "Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You" Johnny Carson debuts as host of The Tonight Show

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whathappenedtheyearyouwerebornquiz/">What Happened the Year You Were Born?

That's Nice Dear

I love a good dinner party and what better excuse for a Southern Woman to entertain than the Kentucky Derby. For those of you that don't quite understand, then let me provide you the menu and perhaps you'll see the light, so to speak.

You start with Mint Juleps. The recipe is as follows:

• 2 Cups of Sugar
• 2 Cups of Water
• Sprigs of Fresh Mint
• Crushed Ice
• Kentucky Bourbon
• Thin Walled Glasses

Make the Simple Syrup by boiling the sugar and water together for five miuntes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight spriges of fresh mint and refrigerate overnight. Dip the glasses in water and chill in the freezer for several hours. Make one julep at a time by filling the cup with crushed ice, add one tablespoon of the mint syrup and two ounces of the bourbon. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the glass and garnish with a spring of the fresh mint. Make sure to hold the glass at the top or the bottom to keep the glass frosted and to keep the drink cool. Sip and enjoy.

The appetizer was next. The name is Benedictine. The recipe is as follows:

• 1 Large Cucumber
• 8 Ounces Cream Cheese - Softened
• 2 Tablespoons Grated Onion
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

Peel, Grate, and Drain the Cucumber. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. This spread can be used as a dip or a sandwich and canape spread. It was made popular at Louisville's Benedict's Restaurant earlier this century. Use a good sturdy (non-flavored) craker and spread it on. To die for.

Now for the dinner itself. You have Marinated Grilled Asparagus, Cheese Garlic Grits, and Grilled Tenderloin with Henry Bain Sauce. Here are the recipies:

Asparagus:

• 1 Pound Fresh Asparagus
• 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Cloves of Garlic - Minced
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Dill Weed
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Remove the woody parts and discard. Rinse and drain. Place in a flat casserole dish and cover with the remaining ingredients. Toss periodically and marinate for at least one hour. Grill and serve.

Cheese Garlic Grits:

• 1 Cup Instant Grits
• 4 Ounces Butter
• 12 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese - Grated
• 1 Egg
• 1 TablespoonGarlic Powder
• 3/4 Cup Milk

Prepare grits according to package directions. When thick, remove from heat stir in butter and half of cheese. Beat egg with garlic powder and milk and stir into grits. Add remaining cheese and serve.

Beef Tenderloin:

• Beef Tenderloin (enough for guests)
• 1 Cup Major Grey's Chutney
• 1 Cup Walnut Pieces
• 1 Cup Ketchup
• 2/3 Cup A-1 Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Worcestershire
• 1 Teaspoon Honey

Wisk the chutney and walnuts in the food processor and then mix in the other ingredients. Pour in serving dish and let come to room temperature. Prepare steaks to guests taste. Serve steals and sauce to guests. Refrigerate unused sauce.

And what about after dinner you ask. Fear not. Thoroughbred Pie finishes off this wonderful Southern meal. Recipe is as follows:

• Pie Crust - Store made if you aren't a pasty cook or make your own - ENOUGH said
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter - Melted
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Pecans
• 2 Tablespoons Kentucky Bourbon

Beat eggs with cooled butter. Add sugar and flour. Beat until well mixed. Gently fold in pecans, chocolate chips, and bourbon. Add to uncooked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until set). Serve with fresh whipped topping.

All I can say is that my guests called the next day to see what was I planning to upstage their last visit. Try a party for the next big horse race and get all Southern yourself.

That's nice dear.......