It's raining, it's pouring...

I knew that it had been a rather wet year in this part of the country,
but when I saw this graphic in the paper on Tuesday morning,
I about spit out my milk! (And, yes, it's raining outside as I type this
post.) For 2009, our area (we live in northwest GA, just south of
Chattanooga) has had almost twice as much rain as Seattle??
Seattle? The city known for it's rain? Now, that is impressive.
And to think that last year we had almost a 13" deficit!
Welcome to the "sunny South!"

Peace be upon you Bill Lockerby

(Bill and his beautiful family)

I was reading the paper this morning, when I saw an obituary that brought me up short. William H. Lockerby. I had to read it a second time. Only 64.... arrangements to be announced.

When I was in a K-8 elementary/middle school, Bill Lockerby was my principal. I learned early on the way to remember how to spell principal vs principle because our principal is our PAL. You know how there are just certain people who leave an indelible mark on your growing up that you never, ever forget? Bill Lockerby was one of those people. For, not only did he become principal of my school when he was only 27 years old, but he became the essence of the school until it closed a couple of years ago. And, he was also my basketball coach who taught me more than the game. He taught me about life and being a fair, honorable person. I was a guard, and I'll never forget his telling me, "Jayne, if you don't stay between her and the basket, she's going to eat your lunch."

I left that school in 1976 and went on to high school fully prepared to learn and be successful, in part to the love and education I received the previous years. I kept in touch with Mr. Lockerby and would stop by to see him occasionally. I was touched that he always kept a bulletin board of newspaper clippings of honors and such that "alumni" had received prominently displayed outside the office. They were proud that their alumni had gone on to be successful in the community. And I always got a very warm hug and time to chat and catch up.

Life went on, and I did not see him for a while. Sam got his diagnosis, and we embarked upon our home program. We thought we were ready to integrate him into a regular education kindergarten with a shadow to be there with him. Who did I call? Bill Lockerby of course. He listened to the story of our journey, and was fully on board with Sam coming to his school, along with his shadow (a therapist who'd be working with him) to help him. He was a mentor when I was in his school, and there he was embracing my child as well. He was Sam's greatest cheerleader.

After that year, we knew. It was time for Sam to be in a setting where he could receive the one on one attention he needed. It was a time of deep sadness for me, and there was Bill Lockerby with his arms outstretched as he enveloped me and told me that he knew, no matter what, Sam would be fine with me for a mama.

He was the kind of man who inspired others. He was a huge part of so many kids lives, and his legacy will live on in all the young minds and hearts he inspired. I will miss you Bill Lockerby.

The difference is so apparent

My hubby gets lots of vacation time, now that he's been with his company for 24 years. But, the catch is, if he does not use it, it's gone at the end of the year. I've really encouraged him to take the time he's due, but with things being so busy, he's been hard pressed to be able to take time off. But, this past fall and early winter has been particularly stressful for him, so I was not surprised when he told me with a grin on his face, "I am working December 16th, and then I am taking the entire rest of the month off!" Yep, he does not go back to work until January 4th. Now, THAT is a vacation, no?

But me? No, I am not off, though I am still working only three days a week. I leave when the sun is rising, and don't get home until it is setting, or already dark. Last week, and this week, I am working Mon/Tues/Wed as both Christmas Day and New Years Day fall on Fridays (I usually work MWF), and the wound center where I work is closed. By working on Tuesday, I get my three days in, which is nice. I leave the house around 7:40 in the morning and pretty much don't get home until 6PM or later.

Yesterday, he was lounging on the couch, where he's pretty much been for the past ten odd days, (OK, so he did venture out to find the Bailey's) and made the comment that he is "so relaxed" and is convinced he's going to really enjoy retirement one day. Seriously, he's hardly gone anywhere or done anything, and it has fully reinvigorated and energized him. He is smiling like someone in a deep, blissful state, and I worry what will happen come January 4th! His blood pressure has even dropped considerably. That man is R-E-L-A-X-E-D.

That's when it hit me yesterday, and how our differences are so apparent. If I had to stay in this house for almost three weeks with little to no interaction with anyone other than him, I'd lose my ever loving mind people. I would be so drained and droopy, and depressed, and fat, and, and, and.... well, you get the picture. Heck after a long four day weekend, I am ready to get back to work! I need interaction with others like I need food and drink. We shake our heads often and wonder how on earth we, the classic extrovert and introvert, ever courted, let alone got married! I am thinking I may never retire. I'll just dust around him... grinning contentedly there on the couch when I find the time to clean.

Checking in - Week 7

Holidays are the ultimate test. Can we resist the pull of all the delicious food? At work, our director wanted to take us all out to lunch on Tuesday. The crew had agreed to go to a Japanese hibachi/sushi place. Hmmmm. I looked over the menu, and decided to order the hibachi chicken with no rice and extra veggies instead. And, I only got one small serving of the white sauce, which I love. The veggies were wonderful, and I was full without the fried rice.

Christmas Eve day, I restricted my eating to breakfast as I knew we would be gathering at my parent's house later in the day for my mom's famous finger food buffet. We do this every year. I mentally decided upon what I would eat and what I'd leave alone.... namely those oh-so-delicious sausage/cheese toast thingies. I got a good plate of the shrimp cocktail, some of her cocktail meatballs (with no rolls, thank you), and I had taken some whole wheat crackers to enjoy with some of the cheese ball I made. It was plenty and I was full and thoroughly enjoyed it. I skipped the breaded things, the nuts, the cookies, and Chex mix.

I got my four days of walking in too, which felt good. I can truly feel such a difference in my body and how I feel and move. I am glad the holidays are behind us, and we can move forward into the New Year! January marks 10 years since I finally decided to take control of my life and my eating. I can not think of a single decision in my life which has had a bigger impact on how I feel inside and out. It truly changed who I was, and brought me to this place of feeling content and powerful in my own skin. What a gift. What freedom. It's there for the taking. It always was.

Letting go of Christmas

Well, as you can probably tell, I am one of those souls who, once Christmas Day has passed, is ready to move on. Having not been a cradled Episcopalian, I never grew up observing the 12 days of Christmas, and have this urge.... OK.... compulsion... to get things back to our normal routine once it has come and gone. Yes, we'll have lessons and carols today in church, as in the Anglican tradition, the observation of Christmas starts on Christmas Day. But, for me, once the presents are opened, the wrapping is discarded, and we are gearing up for New Years Eve, I have already transitioned in my mind.

So, yesterday, the outside decorations came down, and truly, had I not spent all day getting the house cleaned up, I'd probably have taken down the tree and inside decorations as well. That will more than likely happen today? Don't ask me why. I can't explain it. Maybe because I grew up being told it was bad luck to have them up once the new year arrives. But, truly once it's all been up for the entire month of December, I am ready to reclaim the house and regular routine.

Hence, the blog changes as well. Guess it's in my genetic make-up!

eastmountainsouth

My wonderful Blogger friend Beth recently sent me a compilation CD of music
she thought I'd like as our tastes in music are so similar. I am enjoying
the music so much, but this one band, eastmountainsouth, who I'd never heard
of, is touching my soul in a huge way.

I found that they only had one CD before going their separate ways, but what
a CD it is! Here is one of my favorites. Mercies how I love music!
Thank you again Beth for introducing my ears and heart to a wonderful new sound.

Let us rejoice...

This beautiful carved wooden nativity was given to me
by a dear friend. It belonged to her Mother who collected them.
I love its simplicity and will cherish it always.
Much love to you Mata.

Merry Christmas to all with love and peace.

Merry Christmas Eve!

So, hubby had to go to FOUR liquor stores to find the Bailey's Mint!
Seems it is a new holiday hot seller.
It made my really-nice-holiday-cocktail-after-work taste even sweeter.
YUM! It was really good!
Merry Christmas Eve to all!

Holiday Martini

We were watching the Today Show Saturday morning while in Savannah
and saw a segment on holiday entertaining. When the host started making
this martini, I just had to jot down the recipe! For some reason, it sounds
really divine to me . I'll let you know as hubby is going to try and find
ingredients today! I'll probably forgo the sugar and cocoa on the rim though.
Cheers!

Choco-Mint Martini
Sandra Lee

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces mint chocolate Irish cream liqueur, Baileys®
• 1⁄2 ounce vanilla flavored vodka, Smirnoff®
• Hershey’s Cocoa®
• Sugar
• Ice


DIRECTIONS

In a cocktail shaker, combine Irish cream and vodka. Add ice;
cover and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass
rimmed with cocoa and sugar.

One brave Mama Pileated

I received a link to this video from a friend.
I am sure there were probably babies in the nest cavity.
That is one brave little Mama, no?
Nature can be cruel, but she certainly did her best to defend her nest.

Checking in - Week 6

Well, week 6 is behind me, and I have to say I am very glad. It was a challenge for sure. I somehow pulled a muscle in my left thigh mid-week, and so did not get to walk on Thursday. Then, we left for Savannah Friday morning, hence no treadmill over the weekend either. So, I got in 2 of my 4 walking days, though we did walk a good bit during the weekend.

Because we were meeting some of husband's family there, I knew the challenge was going to be making sure we ate somewhere where I'd have some decent menu choices. Thankfully, that was not too difficult. On the way down on Friday, we stopped at a restaurant in Macon and I had their luncheon portion salmon with baby carrots and green beans which was delicious. Friday evening on River Street found us at The Shrimp Factory and I had their Grouper Florentine which was charbroiled and sauteed with purple onions, diced tomatoes and lemon butter, then served over sauteed spinach. I decided to forgo the rice, but did indulge in their famous table-side tossed salad with mixed greens, scallions, bacon bits, Parmesan, herb croutons and Caesar dressing.

Saturday morning, we decided to do a brunch and found ourselves at a neat bistro just across the street from the river called B. Matthew's and there I had the Veggie Scramble. It was some hash brown potatoes (not a ton of them thankfully, and not greasy at all) covered with scrambled eggs, spinach, goat cheese, mushrooms, green onion and cheddar cheese. Husband was the lucky recipient of my made-from-scratch biscuit. I ordered a side of fruit instead.

That evening we went to eat at Vic's on the River. Since we'd only had brunch earlier in the morning, we were pretty hungry. I ordered their Spinach Salad, and for my entree, had their Brown Sugar Cured Double Cut Pork Chop with whipped sweet potatoes, and a carmelized Vidalia onion demi glace. It was so delicious, and thankfully not terribly sugary sweet on the outside.

We left fairly early on Sunday and stopped on the way for a Waffle House omelet. I left the hash browns and toast on my plate. So, all in all, though I ate (OK, and drank) more than I would have wanted too had I been home, I felt I stayed reasonably in control of my eating choices. However, I am glad to be home, and looking forward to being back on track this week with my lean meats, veggies, salad, and fruit. Funny, but I missed my morning whole grain cereal the most. I truly think that when I have it, I am full and satisfied for much longer during the day. It's nice to take a trip and visit family, but I am so happy to be home.

December sunrise

View from my window Wednesday morning...

We're off to Savannah today to see some family.
Hope everyone has a good weekend and I'll
be back to blogging on Monday.

Despairwear

(Social Media Venn Diagram from Despairwear)

OK.... so I laughed so hard that I almost spit coffee all over my monitor!

I was telling a co-worker about the Demotivators when he was saying
how much he detested all the images with sometimes unrelated inspirational
messages. I remember finding out about these years ago, and getting a
good chuckle every time I saw one advertised. I mean, you HAVE to laugh.

But, as I was visiting their website and saw the new Despairwear, and
saw the t-shirt above, I had to share! Go browse and prepare to laugh out loud.

My bluebirds of happiness

After the breeding season has ended, they seem to vanish
for a while. I won't see them, even with their last brood.
But then, the leaves drop, and suddenly, there they are.
They come in pairs and in groups to the feeders to enjoy
sunflower hearts and the Bark Butter as well.
They roost in their houses at night, and await the spring
when they will start the cycle all over again.

Dear 身體,

Because of you, I have had to turn my comment word verification back on. You have decided to use my nice blog as a way to get a link out for your Malaysian porn site. I thought once I re-enabled the word verification, that would take care of it, but no. Now you are visiting posts, and kindly typing in the word verification to still leave comments with embedded links to your smutty site. And you are visiting friends who link here as well. Why? There are a myriad of ways you can advertise your site without using my nice blog. People who read this blog are truly not interested in your site. Really. I promise. You won't get hits or business by advertising here.

I wish there were a way to block your ISP, but Blogger is a big place and I suppose, other than going to comment moderation, there is no way for me to block your coming here. So, all I can do is kindly ask that you please find another way to get new customers.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

I mean it. Really.

Checking in - Week 5

It's been another good week, albeit one hiccup. I got in my four days of walking and that felt really good. It's becoming my normal routine again, and that makes it so much easier when I can incorporate the walking into a routine. I don't have to talk myself into it when I have it scheduled for first thing in the morning!

My hiccup occurred on Wednesday at work. I had diligently packed my lunch of some pork tenderloin, sugar snap peas, and corn, but we had a rep from a home health agency come and bring lunch. When I heard it was from Cracker Barrel, I thought surely it would be some veggies and a meat. I walked into the kitchen where everyone else was already seated with their plates full, and glanced over at the counter. I could have/should have just graciously said, "No thanks," and gone to the frig to get my food to heat up, but there stood the kind person who was feeding us to say thank you, and I caved.

As I looked at the offering, I had to hide my being rather perplexed. She had brought huge pans of chicken and dumplings (I could not even FIND any chicken), macaroni and cheese, hash brown casserole, and fried okra. Oh, and brownies for dessert. Seriously? What about some green beans or well... anything not carb/cheese/fat laden? I took a plate and only took a small spoon of each, only nibbling on it all. It was not good, and I was wishing I'd had the fortitude to just get my food out of the refrigerator, but did not want to risk appearing ungrateful or rude as five others were eating her offering with gusto. I simply took a few bites of everything, then quietly put my plate into the trash and then retrieved my huge Jonagold apple from my bag and sliced it up. It was delicious. A lesson for me. Be true to yourself and just get over chancing offending someone by not eating what they bring.

My clothes are all fitting so much more loosely and it feels sooooo good. I have a pair of pants that I bought in 2003 (yes, I keep clothes forever) and they are sort of my barometer. If I can get into them, I know I am back to a good size for me. I got them at Talbot's (using a gift card) and they were obscenely expensive for me, thus I shall wear them until they are threadbare...lol. But, they are so very cute, no?

(Jayne in 2003 in her purty pricey pants.)

My other big test this week was graciously receiving a container of my mom's Chex Mix. She only makes it at Christmas, and I LOVE it. The cereal, nuts, pretzels... Worcestershire, garlic, butter... mmmmmmm. You know it, right? I could eat my weight in it. But, I took it home, handed it to husband, and said, "Eat up!" I've not touched a nibble of it, and that my friends, lets me know, I have arrived back into my zone. Whew. What a test. If I can say no to that, I am doing pretty darn well.

Regal Raptor

This was yet another really beautiful sculpture
which sits perched on the mountain bluff
at Rock City overlooking the lights of Chattanooga.

So beautiful!

Enchanted Garden of Lights

Each year, Rock City on Lookout Mountain, transforms their
gardens for Christmas into the Enchanted Garden of Lights.
We've made it our Christmas tradition to visit each year, and
though we somehow waited too long last year, we were determined
to get up the mountain this year to see all the new features.

Those who have read this blog for a long time will notice that
(gasp!), I really do have a husband... lol!
I'm hoping he'll indulge my sharing our "official" photo
taken when we entered the gardens.

I look at this and can't believe how tall Sam is now.
Where does the time go?

Sam was helping the toy soldier point the way down the path!

I think his favorite display was "Candyland" with the candy
house and accompanying lights.
Until next year...

Cool sculpture

Last night we went to an annual holiday lights display
and I came upon this very cool sculpture of a raptor!
I did not notice when I took the photos, but there is also a huge
"nest" in the tree just above the wing, as you can see above.

Rock City has a raptor show in the summer and fall seasons,
and commissioned this creation called Perched Raptor by Isaac Duncan III,
which is just outside the amphitheater where the show is held.

Taking things for granted

Sunday evening, I had taken my bath, and we sat down to watch the news and some other shows via the DVR, when all of a sudden, every light in the house dimmed by half. Whaaaaa? The TV was still on, but even the Christmas tree was half as bright. Out of our chairs we came. We headed to the basement to check the fuse box. No, nothing there looking out of order. Hmmm...

I called our neighbor next door, and sure enough, they were having the same issues. We went out to the street between two neighbor's yards and met up with them as we all listened to the transformer in our cul-de-sac. It was popping and cracking and buzzing to beat the band. They had already called the electric co-op to report it and so there was nothing left to do but to head back into the, soon to be gone, warmth of our homes and wait. Sure enough, within 15 minutes we were all thrust into the darkness. "Moooooooommmmmmmmmm!" I heard from Sam's room. We'd already supplied him with a lantern, and he came downstairs to begin his anxious soliloquy of the power being out. It really, really makes him anxious like nothing else. He vacillates between anger and anxiousness, and it's so hard to reassure him that it will come back on.... eventually. He talks non-stop, trying to get himself to calm down and so, well, you can imagine how much fun it is.

Literally, within 35 minutes of our neighbors calling, we heard the truck come down the street. Now, mind you, this power failure was affecting just three homes on our little cul-de-sac, but it was already below freezing, and a long night without heat, coupled with Sam's anxiety, was certainly not appealing. We watched as the gentleman got out of his truck to survey the transformer. It did not take long before we realized that he was calling for back-up help. He got back into the truck and waited. Within another 30-40 minutes, a second truck with two more men arrived. They worked and worked in the freezing cold. Finally, at 10:30, I convinced Sam to go upstairs with me and lay down. He was still pretty keyed up, but we got into his bed, snuggled under extra comforters and tried to fall asleep. I would just start to drift off, when he'd start talking about it all again. I was awakened by his squeals of delight as suddenly, everything roared to life again, and of course, lights came on in the house. We thought we'd turned everything off, but had missed a few lights. He was joyous, no doubt. I left him to try and go to sleep now that order had been restored in his regimented mind, and headed to the comfort of my own bed.

I heard the men finishing up and could hear faint voices as they collected all their gear and loaded their trucks. I looked towards the atomic clock. It was 12:10 in the morning. They'd stayed out there, in the freezing cold, for hours to ensure my family was warm and safe. As they headed up the street, and I was tucked into my very cold sheets, I closed my eyes, and sent up prayers of thanks for each one of them. I know they were just "doing their job" but I was filled with gratefulness for them and their prompt response and dedication to their work. I wrote to the manager of the co-op to let him know that this one homeowner wanted each of them to know just how much their efforts were appreciated on a cold Sunday night.

New feeder finial

Last weekend, I was looking out towards the feeders
when I saw a new finial there!

A huge Red-shouldered Hawk!

I took the photo above through the window and decided
to try and slowly sneak out towards the deck...

...but no sooner had I rounded the corner with my lens,
he tucked into position to fly away!

I watched where he landed in the tree line and tried to stalk
him for another photo, but he was deep in there on a branch
with very little visibility or light. I wondered if he was the
same one I photographed back in November.

He heard the shutter click immediately and turned to look back
my way before flying away to a place with less paparazzi!

Wonderful Christmas music

I loved him when he was on American Idol, and now he has this wonderful
Christmas CD out. What a voice this young man has, and what a gift that
he can share it as he does. Check out some samples from this beautiful offering.

Checking in - Week 4

I can't believe it's been an entire month since I finally had a Come-to-Jesus meeting with myself in the mirror.
Here is what I know:

1. It takes preparation and planning to stay in control.
2. That planning reinforces to me that I am worth the effort.
3. It's so easy for us to see to everyone else and put ourselves on the back burner.
4. Misery loves company and it is amazing how many people will try to talk you into eating things you really should not.
5. There is such intense personal satisfaction in being able to politely say, "No thanks."
6. I really enjoy having quiet time to read while I walk, though it's hard to read and walk more than 3mph. Oh, well. I am walking and that is what matters. I have stars on four days out of every week.
7. Like Glenda says to Dorothy, "You've always had the power..."

Friends in the snow

I sure was glad I had filled all the feeders on Thursday...

because everyone was really hungry in the snow!

Uh, please stay out of the small cups Ms Dove, OK?

Yes, Virgina, it does snow in Georgia!

The view outside when we woke up this morning...

Even these guys seemed confused by the white stuff.

A beautiful start to December, but soon to be all melted by the afternoon.

Fluffed out in the cold

The little Brown-headed nuthatches are so tiny,
I often wonder how on earth they stay warm enough
in the cold winter weather.

This little guy was perched on the branch and using
his feathers to try and maintain some warmth.

~~~~~~~~

As an aside, I have to say that I am sorry I had to

turn the comment verification back on. Sadly,

I had someone post comments to five different

posts, some years old, with imbedded links to some

sort of Chinese porn site. It just saddens me that

there are people who feel the need to do this.

Sorry for the extra step in leaving comments.

It's that time of year!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Always a surprise

Even though I know that certain varieties of the Camellia
bloom in the winter, it's still always such a thrill to go out
in December and see a bloom like this in all its glory!

Check out all the buds on this little plant!
I admit, I had to cut the one above and bring it in to enjoy
as I couldn't bear to see it the next morning crumbled by the frost.

Mrs. Madge's Squash Casserole

For Thanksgiving, my mom asked if I might bring some side dishes along, and so I decided upon creamed spinach and squash casserole. My Mother-in-Law had a wonderful recipe, which she shared with me years ago, and so I dug it out of the drawer in preparation for the big day. Now, I am not a cook. I don't particularly like to cook, and seem to get frustrated following recipes which are more than a few simple steps. The weekend before Thanksgiving, I wrote down all the ingredients I'd need for the casserole and spinach, went to the grocery store, and was ready to commence cooking Thanksgiving morning. As I assembled the yummy creation, the dawning dread hit. Uh, yes I purchased everything on the recipe card, but as I looked at the top of the card, it clearly said, "Serves 4-6."

Gulp. Uh, we were having... let's see.... 15 of us eating at my mom's house? ACK! I had forgotten to double it!! I knew the kids probably would not eat much of it, but that still left 9 adults. Oh, well. It was a bit late to run to the store, and so I calmed myself by noting in my head that we'd have so many side dishes, most people would more than likely only get a small spoonful so that they'd have room for everything on their plates. Sigh. Did I mention that I am not a cook? To be on the safe side, I told husband on the way, "Don't eat much squash!"

So, casserole and spinach in tow, we went for the festivities. Thankfully as I had prayed, most people got only a spoonful, and there was even a little leftover. Whew. It was a big hit however, and everyone was raving about it. To reward husband, I decided to make some more this past weekend. His very own casserole that he could eat, with no sharage. It is quite yummy, and so I decided to share it with you as well. Bon appetit!

Mrs. Madge's Squash Casserole
Serves 4-6

2 1/2 pounds cooked yellow squash, drained and mashed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 medium sized onion, grated
1 egg
12 saltine crackers, crumbled

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased casserole. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. When done, top with more shredded Cheddar and place back into oven until cheese is melted.