Random Thoughts

• I can't stand the word obsessed! It is so overused, especially by bloggers. I am sorry but if you are obsessed with a pair of shoes you need to find something more productive to do with your time.
• Why do people think a red light is just a suggestion? Here in my little town people run red lights all the time! And I'm not talking the "oh no the light turned yellow and I am going too fast to stop before it turns red as I go under it" kind of red light running. It's more like the "oh it's red but I'm in a hurry or not paying attention so I'm going to just keep on going"  kind of red light running. I see this happen EVERY time I am out and about! 
• How can it already be the end of January?
• Having an 18 year old senior in high school is driving me crazy! Is it wrong to just want him to go!? I am looking forward to him leaving for college in August!
• It's supposed to be 80º here today. And then tomorrow it's only going to be in the 50's! I hate roller coaster weather.
• Speaking of the weather, my sinuses were going crazy with all the changes in the weather and maybe the stuff that was starting to bloom, I don't know the actual cause. I am one that doesn't like to take medicine but I was feeling so bad I thought I would try something. I am now taking the Walgreen's brand of Claritin-D and it is WONDERFUL! No more sinus pressure or feeling like I have to sneeze but I can't!
• Thank you for the sweet comments about grandmother. I wish you all could have known her!
• So, what's on your mind?

A Celebration of Life

Grandmother's funeral was Saturday. All of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were able to be there. Many of her friends were there also.

Husband's aunt had called me and asked if I would do one of the readings during the Mass. She said the church could provide someone but it was nicer if family members could do it. I agreed and was given Romans14: 7-12 to read.

Since she had been cremated and there had been no viewing at the funeral home, her granddaughter had put together a montage of photos of her from all through out her life. They had that displayed on a table in the vestibule of the church.

After the service we all went over to her house for lunch. It was nice to be able to catch up with everyone. Her youngest son, who is just a couple years older than my husband, didn't come to eat with everyone. He has been living in Myrtle Beach for awhile until he gets things in order for him to move back to Nevada. His story would take a whole post and it's not mine to tell, so I'll just leave it at that.

After we were done eating we opened a bottle of champagne and had a toast to Grandmother.

Then, we did something that made me feel really weird at first. Husband's uncle told everyone that we could go through some of her stuff and pick out things we wanted. Grandmother had a collection of Santa Claus's that she had in a display cabinet year round. So whoever was interested in the Santas could take a number and we would go in order picking one, and so on until they were all taken. I wanted something to remember her by,  and wanted my children to have something of hers, so I took a number! I ended up with six and told the kids I would put them out during the holidays at our house and then when they had their own homes they could have them. 

I did get one thing for myself! There was a really pretty wood carving of the Virgin Mary holding a baby Jesus. It was my turn to pick, so I picked it! If I could get my photos to upload I would show you how pretty it is!

So when the "lottery" started for making your picks, I walked over to husband and said "this makes me feel weird" and he said "yeah, I don't like it." But then as things progressed and I looked around I realized that it was probably a pretty good idea. Husband and I are the only grandchildren close by, the others live in Charlotte NC, Washington DC and Miami. So it was a good idea to let them pick something they would like when they were all together. I don't know when or if we will all ever be together again in Myrtle Beach. And I think Grandmother would have wanted everyone to get what they wanted instead of it being donated to goodwill or something. 

 (Photo taken at her 90th birthday party, she was fooling around and said she would just sit on husband's lap for the photo!)

 

So it actually ended up being a very nice day. Sad, yes, but she lived a full and active life and is a role model for us all. We could all be so lucky to live as long as she did and be so independent! Someone made the comment that she had recently told them that she hoped she didn't get sick and infirm in her last days because she wouldn't want to live like that. Well, I think she got her wish!

What a Life!

Well, I can't seem to get any photos to upload, so this is a photo-less post!

Can't believe that it has been quite a while since my last post! Life just seems to get in the way sometimes.

The weather here has been kind of crazy! The weekend before last it was in the 80's! Today it will barely hit 50! That's exactly one of the reasons I don't like living here. When it is January I want it to be cold! 

Husband's grandmother died last Friday night. My MIL found her on the floor, dead on Saturday! The coroner says it was a massive heart attack.That has had me out of sorts! We had just seen her the Sunday before when she road down to our house with her daughter to pick up husband's cousin who was spending the weekend with us. I guess it was a blessing that it was sudden and not a long drawn out illness. And, she was 91 years old! So I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was! She was one of the most youthful 91 year olds I had ever known. In fact it was kind of funny because when she got here on Sunday she was complaining that she was stiff from having to ride in the car for 2 hours and she just didn't know how she was going to be able to bowl the next morning! Yes, she was on a bowling league! And she went to the gym 5 days a week. She traveled extensively here and abroad! When her husband died about 12 years ago we all wondered how she was going to fare. She was a rather shy person and we worried about her. Well she really proved us all wrong! She loved to play games and was in a Pokeno group like I am!

 Every year for Christmas she gave me a subscription to Martha Stewart Living and each month when I get my magazine I will think of her.

She has four children, two that also lived in Myrtle Beach and one in Miami and one in Virginia. So it has taken awhile for them all to gather to finalize plans. I just found out last night that the funeral will be on Saturday. So we will be heading to Myrtle Beach this weekend.

Hope you are staying warm!

Just Something I Threw Together...

It's been a little on the cold side here along the SC coast, if you can call mid-50's cold!

But, I decided that I wanted to make some homemade soup and just have a soup and grilled cheese sandwich kind of supper last night.

So I did, and it was so good!

Here's what I did:

Chopped into big chunks two rhutabagas and some carrots. Placed them on a baking sheet and drizzled with olive oil and roasted for 45 minutes at 375 º.

Then in a big stock pot I sauteed a medium onion and two cloves of garlic in some olive oil.

I added 10 1/2 cups of vegetable stock after the onion had become translucent.

Once the veggies were done roasting in the oven I threw them in and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. I added a little squeeze of tomato paste and hen I threw in a cup of pearl couscous, stirred it around and let it simmer for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally. 

And that's it!

It was so good, and there was enough leftover that I can have some for lunch today!

A Favorite...

I love it!

Read it yesterday in about an hour. 

Is It Really Friday?

The teens went back to school yesterday, so all day I kept thinking it was Monday! 

And it just doesn't feel like Friday to me. I will be so glad for next week when everyone is back to work and school and on a regular schedule.

I have been cleaning out my magazine stash! I have so many that I have saved for one reason or the other over the years and I finally decided that it has got to end! 

I figure that I won't even miss them, especially since they have been around for quite a few years and I couldn't even tell you what was in them!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Finally!

I just couldn't seem to find a few spare minutes to sit down and recap our holiday! Of course, I could always find a spare minute or two to read your blogs and see how your holiday went! ;)

So, before it becomes February, I give you our Chirstmas:

The Saturday before Christmas we headed to the upstate of South Carolina for Christmas with my family. We went straight to my parents, even though we would be staying at our new little house nearby.

Of course it's never a party until someone spills red wine on the carpet:

We ate our traditional dinner of lasagna, green bean bundles, salad and bread. 

And, apparently, while we were eating Santa came and left gifts for the grandkids and filled all our stockings!

 That night the kids spent the night at Grandma and Papa's while husband and I went to our own bed to sleep! I am loving having this house up there!

The next morning we headed to my sister and her mister's house for brunch.

We took lots of photos, and made sure to get one with my parents and the grandkids!

I had planned to go back to the mountain house after brunch and not head home until the next morning, but I was met with a chorus of Noes! Because you know it would be just awful to be without cell phone or internet for 24 hours! So, we went back over to my parents to grab the kid's stuff and headed back to our home in the lowcountry.

Christmas eve we put out our luminaries. We went to the 10:30 mass and it was absolutely beautiful! It was midnight before we got home and then I was so keyed up, I didn't go to sleep until around 1:00 am! That was okay, since the teens slept in until around 10:30!

Santa came!

 I baked Trader Joe's mini croissants, that are very much like the ones you can order from William-Sonoma, for our brunch along with omelets, grits and a fruit salad. The croissants are out of this world! And for only 4.99 for a box of 8 you can't afford to not try them!

 Some sweets for after dinner:

 We spent alot of time around the house enjoying each other's company. Husband and I saw two movies, Jack Reacher and Skyfall. I liked both.

We always spend New Year's Eve at our lake house. All of the neighbors in our little community gather to ring in the new year with a pot luck hosted by one of the families.

Sunset on NYE at the lake:

Me (in the back in the middle) surrounded by my lake buddies!

Whew! If you're still with me, that was probably a little overload, but at least I am caught up and ready for 2013!

Happy New Year! 

ETA: I just noticed that my Christmas Day post didn't post as scheduled, so weird! It's there now, just a little late! :-)