Photo Hunt - View

PhotoHunt

Today's topic is View...here is how I see it...

The view from the back of our boat on the River at Sunset - Melbourne, FL...

Hubby takin' in the view at the base of Cane Creek Falls, TN...

The view of hubbins takin' a ride through the trees - Manatee Springs, FL...

One of my favorite views... from the bridge at Bahia Honda SP, FL Keys...

Wow...view from a lookout at at Rock City Gardens - you can see 7 states...

To see more Photo Hunt photos, visit tnchick.

Have a blessed and shutter happy day!

Friday Funnies

Ok, in my desire to get the focus off of me, LOL, I have decided to share my husband for a funny today. :)

When my dear friend Kim was pregnant with her second son, she asked to use a photo of MY husband as her focal point during labor. Now this may seem a bit odd, and you would maybe think that her own husband would be a bit concerned about this. No worries, Kim thinks my husband is the funniest man alive, maybe it's because she's a complete goofball too!

Here is the photo that was used as a focal point during her labor (not to mention, her husband and I entertained her the best we could by singing 80's songs from memory)...

Yup, that's my man! He's all mine and I love him! :) The glasses were bright orange, sorry, I couldn't find the color photo of this one.

For more funnies, visit Kim at homesteadersheart

Have a seriously funny and blessed day!

Photo Hunt - Roads

This is the "broken bridge" at Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys. This is the old highway that took you down to Key West until (I believe) sometime in the 70's. Prior to that it was the Flager Railroad, which was destroyed by a hurricane in the 30's. It has been cut on both ends, so that boats of all heights can pass through, and it is not accessible by land at all. We are standing on the cut portion on the park side. The new Hwy US1 is just to the west of this bridge, creating a nice calm bay area between the bridges. Can you imagine travelling all the way down south with no emergency lane to pull off in???? The water is beautiful and snorkelling is great right at the base of this bridge.

To see more "Roads" visit tnchick.

Have a blessed day!

Let's Eat Cake!

I love that Lisa at stopnsmellthechocolates is asking us to post chocolate recipes on Friday because I REALLY like chocolate. This past weekend, I was asked to make a cake for a sweet young friend, Jessica. I had the pleasure of making her wedding cakes several years ago and was honored that she asked me to do a cake for her friends Baby Shower. The shower had a Luau theme and the Mom-to-be requested yellow cake with Chocolate Frosting - YUM! I had a fun time making the cake match up to the invitation somewhat.

Here are a few pics of the process of cake making....

First I look over the theme (in this case invitation), then I draw up my plans on paper...

I fill my pans up 2/3 full of cake batter so that they will cook up real tall, I want my finished cakes to be 4 inches tall. Then I level them off with my Wilton Cake Leveler...

Next I mix up a batch of the most scrumptious chocolate-frosting ever...:) Then I ice the cake smoothe.

Next I head into the Laboratory,...er...ah,...Kitchen, and work on mixing up the correct shades of buttercream icing to decorate the cake with. I needed to mix a few different colors to achieve the right shades of blue, pink and yellow here.

Next thing you know,...voila! You have a finished cake...ok, it does take some time and effort to get to this step, but my hands were busy and I couldn't take photos, lol.

For more chocolate posts, visit Lisa.

Have a blessed day!

Friday Funnines - Slip N' Fall

For today's edition of Friday Funnies, I am again, my own worst enemy. Why is it that I have so much "material" involving myself????

The story goes like this...6 years ago we had a large family reunion in Fredericksburg, TX to celebrate my Grandaddy's 90th birthday (side note - he is still with us and celebrated his 96th this June!). Several of my siblings were staying at a Bed and Breakfast and we had all gathered there to hang out and do what siblings do...

I decided I wanted to get a group shot of the family members that were at the house, so I proceeded to set up my camera several yards back from the group, because that was the only way I could get everyone in the shot.

Here are the "Circumstances":

Setting timer on camera

Moist dewey grass

Long distance to run

Running fast

Slick bottom, slip on sandals

The result: As I ran toward the group, my feet slid out from under me and I ended up "sliding into first base",...or my sister. :)

I love this photo, because the timer went off and captured all the faces and reactions of the group.

You can barely see me, I'm laying on the ground, my sister Tina has bent down to make sure I'm ok - I was laughing hysterically. Neices and nephews laughing; my big brother takes the photo opportunity with the "whoa - what just happened" look; Sisters laughing; son claps for my performance and, of course, hubby gets it all on video. :)

I love how the little girl in the front (friend of one of my neices) is oblivious to the whole thing and smiling for the camera. :)

For more Friday Funnies, visit Kim

Hope this made you smile - have a blessed day!

Thankful Thursday - Friendship

I am Thankful for my Best Friend!

I know that my dearest friend Kim, has been waiting and waiting and patiently waiting for me to post about her, LOL. OK, maybe she hasn't been waiting that long, but she should, because she has been a great blessing in my life.







The day I met Kim, we were assigned to teach together in a Sunday School class. It was as if an immediate spark of friendship were ignited that would never go out, it seemed as if we had been friends forever already. We must have called eachother daily from that point on (I think her husband was a little jealous). Never in my life have I met someone that I clicked with that well.

We have been there for eachother in times of pain and sorrow and in times of great joy. She was my Maid of Honor when I married my prince. Making a lovely spagetti dinner for our rehearsal dinner.

She allowed me to witness the birth of her 11 lb 2.5 oz child!!!! (Something every woman should see once in a lifetime, lol), used a goofy photo of my husband as her "focal point", lol. During this time she had all the nurses laughing and smiling

She patiently (sort of, lol) allowed me to teach her to crochet, and sew. And handled my instruction when I insisted that reading directions was really quite important...






We have cried in eachothers arms over deep sorrows that have come into our lives, and laughed until tears ran down our faces, we have eaten way too many brownies, rice krispy treats, almond joys and cookies for our own good (but that's all in the past...LOL)...



Many of you have come to know and love her through her homesteadersheart, but I am here to tell you that she's the real deal (just in case you were wondering). She brings laughter to just about every moment in life, and makes others laugh along with her. We work out together at a womens gym, and I have never laughed so much during a workout in my life! There is nothing like joy and laughter to remove muscle pain and make time go by.



In many ways, we are quite different. But those differences are what helped to draw us closer, learning from eachother and with eachother we have both grown in our relationship with our Lord Jesus so much over the years. We have shared with eachother and grown in our marriages, freindship and as Moms.





I couldn't imagine life without a friend like Kim, but let's all try to remember that she's MINE, LOL. Find your own Kim. :) Hee hee hee. If you can't find a friend like Kim, be one and bless someone's life.





P.S. She better NEVER move away from here!!!!!



"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." Prov 15:30

See more Thankful Thursday posts here...stingmyheart

Have a blessed day!

Works for Me Wednesday

Sometimes it's easy to get suckered into buying a lot of kitchen gadgets that we THINK we will use a lot, but then we never really do. They take up drawer, counter or cabinet space and get in the way - next thing you know, we are donating them to Goodwill or piling them in the garage for the next garage sale.

Well, here is a handy kitchen gadget that I absolutely love and I use it A LOT. I got this from the Pamered Chef, it's an olive and cherry pitter. I love Kalmata olives on my salads and for various other dishes. In addition, when cherries are in season, we love to eat them for snacks, or to make small portions of cherry jam or fresh cherry pie.

This little guy is super simple to use and was well worth whatever I paid for it (can't remember, I've had it for quite a few years).

Just set the olive in the pitter with the pointed end facing down...

Squeeze the pitter and the pit pops out the bottom end through the hole...

Same for cherries, set it in the "bowl", stem end facing up...

Press, and Voila! the pit pops out the bottom.

Warning: Notice where my index finger is in the above photo. Don't let your finger cover the hold under the olive, as the tips of the Kalmata Olive pits are very sharp. I have popped one right into my finger and it has splintered in there and left a pin size hole - OUCH! Cherry pits are nice and round. :)

I highly recommend this kitchen gadget. For more WFMW posts, visit...rocksinmydryer

Have a blessed day!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...

Outside my Window...Gorgeous brilliant blue skies with puffy white clouds, a butterfly fluttering around in the garden, plants that need trimming and heat that keeps me inside...

I am thinking..."Whe will the weather cool down a bit, I miss working in the garden midday"

I am thankful for...The use of my limbs. I saw a woman about my age at the grocery store last night. She was pretty, nicely dressed, and carried herself with an air of dignity, which caught my eye. Then I noticed she had only one arm. I immediately was reminded of how easy it is to take the use of our limbs for granted. What a gift.

From the kitchen...homemade pizza tonight

I am wearing..."House clothes", lol - dark pink and brown flowered cordoroy shorts and a baby blue everlast tank top. They clash terribly, lol.

I am reading..."The Gospel According to Jesus" - by John MacArthur

I am hoping...less humidity today, and possibly a few degrees cooler than yesterday...

I am creating...I am working on a brown cordoroy backpack with horses on it, a gift for a little girl

I am hearing...Cicadas making their unique noise outside my window

Around the house...Finish cleaning windows today, bake cookies for my son and get them mailed out, work in the garden later this evening,...

One of my favorite things...Touching the soft velvet ears of my sweet dog

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...make dental appointments, continue preparing the garden for fall, finish and begin various sewing projects, clean grout (ugh...) :)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Though I live in Florida, I am a born and raised Texan, and any Texan knows that is something that stays with you forever. :) My favorite wildflower is the Texas Bluebonnet and my favorite place to be is the Texas Hillcountry in the spring when they are blooming everywhere. I took this photo during a trip to the Hill Country about 8 years ago when my 5 brothers and sisters and I all surprised our Mom for her birthday...

To see what other women have to share in their daybook, visit...thesimplewoman.

I hope you have enjoyed a peek inside, have a blessed day!

Friday Funnies - Cooling Crust

I don't have a photo to share on this funny, but I will try to give you a good visual. I enjoy cooking, and I have been told that I'm pretty good at it. However, although my hair is light brown, I am convinced that I have blonde roots because often times I do some pretty ridiculous things....

I was making this dessert (4-layer-pudding-dessert) for a large group that was coming for dinner. I was running a little behind and after I baked the crust it needed to cool completely before I could spread the pudding and other layers on top. I had the 9x13 pan sitting on a cooling rack with a warm flaky crust sitting in it.

In a moment of sheer...stupidity????.... I decided to pick up the pan and FAN IT IN THE AIR to cool the crust faster. Do you know what happens when you do something like that????

Let's do a slow-Mo thought process...

I lifted the pan quickly up and proceeded to fan it in the down the position. The crust however chose to stay in the air as I brought the pan down. Then the crust followed, landing all over the table, and some back in the pan, in chunks and pieces. Hmmmm, brilliant idea on quick cooling!!!!!!

Sometimes I question where my mind is - I am a pretty smart cookie, but sometimes I do strange things that have no explanation. However, all was not lost. I picked up the pieces and pressed them back into the pan. After it "cooled" the right way and the layers were all put together, no one would have guessed. :)

Have a blessed day!

Would you like chocolate with that? - 4 layer pudding dessert

This recipe was given to me by my first Mother in Law, Mary Anglin, who was a sweet and lovely lady. I haven't made this in years, but it is a delicious dessert and great for a crowd.

4-layer Pudding Dessert

Layer #1 - Crust

1 Stick Butter
1 cup Flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Layer #2

1 cup powdered sugar
8oz cream cheese
1 cup (plus) cool whip
chopped pecans

Layer #3

2 small boxes instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk

Layer #4

1-2 cups cool whip (as desired)
chopped pecans
shaved chocolate

Heat ovento 350.

Layer #1; mix all crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan, bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool completely (see my Friday-Funnies post regarding this). Mix pudding and milk, chill.

Layer #2; mix sugar, cheese and cool whip well, spread on cooled crust, sprinkle with pecas.

Layer #3; spread chilled pudding over first layer.

Layer #4; spread cool whip over pudding layer. Sprinkle well with pecans and/or chocolate shavings. Chill and serve.

Variation: Can add coconut or use instead of pecans.


For more Chocolate Recipes, visit Stop-N-Smell-The-Chocolates

Have a blessed day!

My Husband Rocks - Fun

Well, once again, my sweet honey bunches lovin cakes (hee hee hee) Rocks because he is a fun man! :)

Thanks to the fact that my man is so brilliant and fixed my best friends Mom's computer, she gave us 2 1-day park hopper passes to Disney (Disney, MGM, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot). :) To top that off, hubby recieved a free one day park hopper pass to Universal and Islands of Adventure and a discount pass for me from work!






So, off we went for a mini-vacation. We stayed 2 nights at Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground (highly recommended for family fun, as you don't even need to leave the grounds to do fun stuff).



We have been to almost all of these parks way too many times, so we weren't trying to do EVERYTHING, but hit the shows and rides that we enjoyed. We went at the best time of the years, so lines were short and it was not too crowded - it was actually pleasant, even though it was HOT and HUMID!!!!!

Look how empty the bus stop was in the morning - mid summer it would be packed!

Someone doesn't like mornings, can you guess which one? :)

I LOVE to ride roller coasters, and Mikey likes them, but they tend to mess with his head a bit, he was a sweetie pie and rode several rides with me though - he survived without headaches which is a good thing!!! :)

Tower of Terror (you have to make faces for the photos - of course!) This things is a blast, my friend Kim and I have gone on it 11 times in a row (I think that's our record, lol)

Rockin Roller Coaster is way too fun! I could go on it over and over again. :) Hubby knows just when the camera is taking his picture - LOL
We had never been to Islands of Adventure before, as it is a major "ride" park, so we popped in there so I could ride on roller coaster before we headed home. I chose to ride the "Hulk" - it was REALLY fun! :) I have decided that I must return there with my ride buddy (Kim) someday. :)

I am thankful that my sweet husband likes to do silly fun things with me, even things that I enjoy more than him. I am thankful that he doesn't mind waiting in line for 40 minutes with me just so I can ride in the front row! :)

Have a blessed day!

Thankful Thursday - Thankful that I am nothing

I am thankful that I am nothing. In this day and age, these are "fightin' words". Our society is so keen on telling people they are "something", in lifting up "self-esteem", in "empowering" ourselves. Who are we that we think we can be anything on our own? Did we create this world? Did we create ourselves? There was a time in my life when I certainly thought a lot of myself. Oh yes, the world must have revolved around me. I am thankful that my eyes have been opened and I now know that without Christ, I am nothing.

It doesn't matter what job we do, who we know, how much we make, how big a car we drive, how expensive a home we live in, what clothes we wear, where we vacation, how much we donate to charity, how much time we spend "doing good", it all boils down to nothing in the end.

The good news is, that because of the power of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and through His power to forgive sin, I am someone. Someone loved and someone special. Someone created with tender loving care. Someone with a purpose and meaning in her life. Someone who desires to please God, but still makes mistakes, and knows she will be forgiven. Someone who has been pulled from the pit by the hand of God, and who knows what it feels like to be there. Someone who can love others without wanting anything in return. Someone with hope.



Who but our great Lord has the power to save us from our sins? Who but our great Lord has the power to turn a life upside down and completely change a heart inside and out?



I am so thankful for the precious gift of salvation that God has graciously given to me, one who doesn't deserve a thing....

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Psalm 103:1-5

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed He remembers that we are dust."

Psalm 103:8-14

I shudder to think of where I would be, and what my life would be like today without Him.

For more thankful posts, please visit StingMyHeart.

Have a blessed day!

My Husband Rocks - Great Anniversary Date

My Husband Rocks Friday - Great Anniversary Date

My sweet Husband of 9 years (see our Anniversary page from yesterday...Anniversary), completely rocks because he took me on a wonderful date last night to celebrate our special day. Here we are on the outside deck of the Restaurant - our nice waiter Patrick came outside and took a couple of photos for us. :) I made this dress just for our special occassion. :)

He took me to The Chart House, a very nice restaurant that is on the river with a pretty view of the water.

This place has sweet memories for us, since the first time we went there was 11 years ago (from last May), and after dinner we went to a park by the water and he got on his knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him - now I call that romantic, hee hee hee.

Mmmm, yummy sesame cracker in the bread basket!

My Honey's sweet smile

We had a lovely (and way too expensive) dinner of melt in your mouth filet mignon, garlic mashed potatoes and ceaser salad. In addition, the restaurant printed special menus that said "The Chart House Melbourne wishes Mike and Kathy a very happy Anniversary". How sweetis that? What a special keepsake for us!

After dinner we were given a free (I'm sure it got paid for in there somewhere) dessert since it was our Anniversary, the Mud Pie - A HUGE slice of coffe ice cream in a chocolate cookie crust, drizzled in fudgy chocolate and sprinkled with nuts, mmmmmmmm.

MMMMMmmmmmmm

Now, I have to mention that this place has this most awesome dessert called the Chocolate Lava cake, you have to order it ahead because it takes 30 minutes to prepare. We KNEW we would be too full for dessert, so we didn't plan to have one, but somehow we managed to finish off that mud pie - lol...maybe that's why my tummy hurts today, LOL.


After dinner we went walking on the beach. I love to walk on the beach, I love the sound of the ocean. It was extra windy last night due to Hannah making her way north, and the waves were really big (for us anyway, not like Hawaii 5-O, LOL).

For more MHR posts, visit here...http://myhusbandrocksblogroll.blogspot.com/

Have a blessed day!

Friday Funnies - Goopy Eyelashes

WARNING TO WOMEN EVERYWHERE (OK, maybe only the ones that don't live in snowy states...) DO NOT - I REPEAT - DO NOT wear mascara in sub-freezing temperatures....

I actually thought I was being admired for having snowflakes on my eyelashes,....um NO, my mascara had frozen and become wet and sticky like tar and plastered itself on my face, LOL...

Yes, I can officially say "Hi, my name is Kathy, and I am a dork"

I hope this brings a little laughter to your day!

Thankful Thursday - Anniversary

Today is my 9th Wedding Anniversary, and I want to say how very thankful I am that God has blessed me with a most precious gift - my husband.



When my son was 4 years old, I went through a not-so-fun divorce. I then lived as a single Mom for 6 years. During the later part of those years, I was introduced to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and my life was made new and fresh and complete,...but I still desired a godly husband in my life and father for my son.




VERY long story made VERY short...One day, I was called in to see the Sunday School teacher because my "precious son" (LOL) had been acting up in class. Well, that Sunday School teacher, 2 years later, became my most wonderful husband and I am forever blessed. Although he had never been married or had children, he rolled up his sleeves and wholeheartedly took on the role of Dad. He worked hard to learn what God requires of a godly Father. Two years later he adopted our son, and now we share not only our love, but our name as well. I am so thankful for the life that God has provided us with, and the abilities he has given to my husband to be our early provider. He is truly a blessing in our lives, God knew exactly what I needed, and He graciously gave me more!

He has always worked hard and provided us a wonderful home. He made sure that I would be able to stay home and homeschool our son, that I would never have to worry again about taking care of myself. He is the love of my life and has been my earthly Lover, Provider, Protector, Best Friend, Superhero, Personal Comedian, Mr. Fix-it, Mechanic, Carpenter, Mentor, and Godly Leader of our Household. I love this man, and I am ever thankful to my Lord for giving him to me. :)
Have a blessed day!

Nightmare at Walmart...

I had a nightmarish experience this weekend at Walmart, and I need to vent, LOL. I have to give a little history first...

I am what my hubby calls a "low maintenance" woman. It don't require a lot of "upkeep", lol. No fancy hair styles, expensive perms or dyes, no visits to the nail salons, I hardly ever buy clothes and if they aren't cheap I won't buy them, lol. That said, I am pretty basic in the way I wear my hair. I have worn my hair long and straight for pretty much my whole life and because of that, I have a pretty good idea of the "proper" way to trim/cut long straight hair. I won't go into too much detail, or we will be here all day, but basically, it should be thoroughly wet and taken up in layers so that each layer is trimmed exactly the length of the next for a smooth edge on the bottom. I don't like to spend a lot of money on having my hair trimmed, but I do want it done right.

Since Walmart opened a hair cutting place inside, I thought "Well, that would be convenient, I can just get my hair trimmed when I go to get groceries". So a couple of months ago I went. A nice lady named Flo trimmed my hair - she did everything she should have done, I was very happy with the job, and went home.

Saturday, I decided that it was time for another trim, so I headed out to Walmart. I popped into the salon and Flo was not there. There was only one gal on duty and she said she'd be happy to do my hair. MY FIRST MISTAKE: In my mind, she looked about 12. I was a little unsure about this, but certainly if she worked there, and Flo did a good job....

Since I had just showered, she didn't need to wash my hair, so she sprayed it to get it damp on the ends. She asked me how much I wanted taken off, I replied "1 inch" (that part is important, so keep it in mind). Then she had me stand up (my hair is long, but I have never had to stand for a haircut before). She combed my hair straight down all the way around my head and proceeded to trim all the way around, took off the apron and said I was done. MY SECOND MISTAKE: I should have questioned her while she was trimming, but I have a fear of telling someone how to do their job, especially when they have scissors in their hand and are cutting my hair!!!! She never offered me a mirror to see the back, and I didn't even think to ask (3rd MISTAKE).

The next day I took a shower and stood in front of my mirror to comb out my hair. As I combed it straight, I saw a LOT of long strands sticking out below where she cut (BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T DO LAYERS!). I thought I would just clip them off with my own hair scissors. Hubby assured me that since I had paid for this job, I needed to go back and have THEM fix it. The day got busy, soI planned to go the next day.

Monday, I took a shower and headed to Walmart. I figured I would pop in there, they would fix it up, then I could do my little bit of grocery shopping and be home in no time. My 4th MISTAKE - I should have clipped the hair myself.

I went into the salon and an older woman was there, I told her my problem and she went to get the manager....the manager was the 12 year old who cut my hair in the first place!!! Oh my!
The older woman said she would handle it as the 12 yr old was dying someones hair.

I sat in the chair and she put on the apron and turned me away from the mirror while we began to chat. MY 5th MISTAKE - I was not paying attention to the fact that A) she never wet my hair and B) she had been clipping away for almost 25 minutes to do something that should have taken less than 5!!!!
She asked me to stand and face the mirror so she could finish up and when I looked in the mirror I almost couldn't speak, I was literally shocked at what I saw.

(Now, I must insert here that I am a CALM person, I never get angry, I don't yell at people, I like people and I understand that we all make mistakes, but I was feeling a bit upset at this moment.)

I saw that my hair was about 4 inches shorter than it had been on Saturday morning!!! I also noticed that the hair was jagged, there was NO straight line to speak of AND the left side was a good 1 1/2 inches shorter than the right. It truly looked like a 5 year old had cut my hair with her round tipped school scissors!!!

My eyes got really big as she started to come toward me with her little scissors. I told her I was starting to get concerned and that I was "done". She again tried to cut more of my hair and I had to back away from her and tell her that I was "done", and that I would fix it myself at home. She argued with me saying there was a long piece she needed to get. I took off the little aprong, said thank you, and walked quickly toward the exit.

The 12 year old asked me if it was all better, LOL. Um, NO, LOL. I left so quickly that I forgot my sunglasses and I was in no mood to buy groceries, so I went home squinting (not wanting to go back in there for my sunglasses lest they chop more of my hair off, lol). So, after I vented at home, I wet my hair and did my best to make my new shorter doo look "evenish". By most standards, I still have long hair, but 4, almost 5 inches is a LOT when I only wanted 1 inch trimmed!!! :)
So that is my vent, I'm going to look a little funny for a couple of weeks because I need to let my hair grow back out a little before I can face the scissors again. :)

Have a blessed day - and stay away from the Walmart Salon!!!