The Last Lecture

I just finished reading The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. It was written by a man who, at age 46, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given just a few months to live. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and after his diagnosis, chose to give a "last lecture," sharing the wisdom he had gained in life with his students. He also intended for it to be a message to his children when they are old enough to grasp it all.
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The topic of the lecture was "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," and he went through some of the things he had wanted to do as a child and had actually achieved, including working as an Imagineer at Disneyland, writing an article for World Book Encyclopedia and getting to experience zero gravity. He encouraged others to pursue their own dreams as well. He also talked about a number of ways that he had truly enjoyed life and made the most of it.
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I believe I learned some things from this book, but in my way of thinking, the thing that seemed to be glaringly absent was a faith in God. He did make a vague reference to his faith near the end without being specific about what he believed, but if I knew I were dying, the thing that would be top on my list of concerns, the thing I would most want to pass on to my children, would to be to know God and have assurance of spending eternity with Him. I don’t know for a fact that this author didn’t, and I pray that he did, but if he didn’t, then that is sadder than a life cut short, a widowed wife or children growing up without a father.
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Randy Pausch died on July 25 of this year at age 47. The book is really not a tearjerker for the most part, as at the time of writing he is still alive and looking at things from a positive viewpoint. It is entertaining and thought-provoking. I would probably give it 4 stars out of 5.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

This is a recipe that my mom gave me more than 20 years ago, and I have made it many times. It’s so easy, and it’s always been a hit wherever I’ve taken it.
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1 pkg. Devil’s food cake mix
21-oz. can cherry pie filling
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
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1 cup sugar
5 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup milk
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
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Mix first four ingredients in bowl. Stir by hand until well-blended. Pour into greased 9"x13" pan. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Glaze while warm.
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Glaze: Blend sugar, butter and milk in saucepan. Allow to boil 1 minute. Add chocolate chips and mix until smooth. Pour over cake and spread evenly.

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God is in Control

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him." Daniel 2:20-22

"Those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.
If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." Psalm 37:22-25

I will have to admit that there is some fear in my heart about the things that are going on in our country. I wish I could just completely trust God to work it out, but my human nature lays awake at night wondering what’s going to happen.

But God is in charge. He is greater than our president or our congress. He will decide who wins the next election. He owns more than our national debt. It really doesn’t matter whether I agree with the decisions made by congress in the next few days. God is in control. Praise His name forever and ever.

Couser's

My dad and I had lunch together yesterday, which we try to do a couple of times a month. We ate at what has become one of our favorite restaurants, Couser’s. It is just across the street from the zoo on Nolensville Road.

It is a meat-and-three kind of place that is not fancy, but has a comfortable atmosphere, friendly staff and good food at reasonable prices. We have never had a very long wait to be seated or to get our food. The average price for a meal is $6-$7. They also have sandwiches and a la carte items.

My favorite meal is the "Hot Roast Beef Sandwich." The roast beef is served on 2 slices of bread with gravy on it. It comes with mashed potatoes and cole slaw. My dad prefers the "High Brow" meals, where he can choose a meat, 2 or 3 vegetables and a bread. He thinks they have the best mashed potatoes he has ever eaten. They are pretty good. They have a number of other good vegetables and side dishes to choose from too, some standard and some daily specials.

I would recommend this restaurant if you want some "real" food without paying too much for it and enjoy a relaxed, homestyle atmosphere.

A Cutting Remark

I think one of the simple pleasures of life that rarely gets adequate consideration is a good knife. I have several knifes that I consider essentials when cooking. One of the problems I have with cooking anywhere besides my own kitchen is that I can rarely find just the right knife. Here are a few of my favorites:

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The paring knife. This one is perfect for peeling and cutting fruits and vegetables, nice and sharp but easy to handle. I have 4 of these, and it’s never enough between dishwasher runs.

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The big knife. This is probably my favorite knife. I wash it by hand, and it almost never gets put away because I use it pretty much every day. It was given to me by my brother, the chef, several years ago. It is great for cutting most meat and larger fruits and vegetables or slicing a cake or bar cookies.

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The vicious knife. This was also given to me by my brother. I fear this knife. I have had a number of gruesome accidents with it, including cutting a hunk out of my thumb. I have developed a healthy respect for it though, and when I have something heavy-duty to cut (a fresh pineapple, tough meat, etc.), this is my knife.

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The electric knife. My husband warns me that I should fear this one, but I don’t. It has never actually personally offended me, and it is just right for cutting perfect slices of bread from a fresh, homemade loaf. Not overly expensive, I think this is a great "gadget."

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Maybe I just need to get out more, but my knives really do make me happy. ( :

SYATP – Reporting Back

I attended the See You at the Pole rally at Lakeview Elementary School yesterday. This is a school where Christians have truly had to fight for their rights as American citizens, even being taken to court by the ACLU (the judge said they could have the same privileges as any other group that meets on school grounds). Thankfully, the event yesterday was peaceful, and it was a blessing for me to be there.
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It was led by students who welcomed us and asked everyone to gather into small groups to pray as prayer requests were read aloud: for the school, the principal, teachers and other staff, the superintendent, our military, and others. Then we all sang “God Bless America” together. It was a beautiful thing to see these children, their parents and others gathered together with their heads bowed, praying for these things, and it made me so thankful for the freedoms that we have.

Iowa City Puzzle

My mom gave Don a 400-piece jigsaw puzzle for his birthday that was a map of his hometown, Iowa City, Iowa. It covers a 4-mile by 6-mile area, and in the center is a piece shaped like a house, which is where his parents’ home is located. Don had a fun time reminiscing as he worked it, and I learned a little geography.
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She got it from Catalog Favorites. Each puzzle is personalized and made to order. I think this is a great gift idea, especially for someone who may be missing their home town.

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See You at the Pole

See You at the Pole is held the 4th Wednesday in September of each year. This year it will be on September 24, and the theme is: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!" 1 Samuel 3:9b. Students from schools around the nation gather at their schools’ flagpoles in the morning before school begins and pray together for their school, their communities, their country, or whatever is on their hearts. I think this is a great opportunity for students to take a stand for God, band together as Christians, and pray for important issues. It is entirely legal, even in public schools; any attempt to prohibit it by school officials is against the law.

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It was started in 1990 by a group of high school students in Burleson, Texas and has grown each year. Even if you are not a student or parent, you can support a school of your choice in your community by attending this event. What a wonderful thing to be a part of: students around our country, and even in other countries like Canada and Australia, uniting together in prayer around the flagpoles of their schools.

H&R Block

We are quick to tell others when we feel a company has done us wrong, but I think we should also spread the word when one has done us right, so that is what I will do.

We filed our 2006 taxes through H&R Block. We were thrilled when they told us we had a refund coming of $2,500. We were even more thrilled a few weeks later when we got a notice from the IRS saying that our refund was not $2,500, but $5,200. Their reasoning seemed logical, so we took their word for it and told them to send it on.

Recently we got a notice that the IRS had overpaid us $2,700 for 2006, and now they wanted it back, with interest. Needless to say, we were less than thrilled about this, especially since it came at a time when things are tight for us financially. I considered 2 possible scenarios, neither of which was appealing: 1) We would have to pay it; 2) We would have to fight the IRS.

Don took the notice to H&R Block to have them look it over. When he came home, I hesitantly asked him what the verdict was.

"H&R Block is going to pay it."

"WHAT??"

"H&R Block is going to pay it."

I had a meltdown. They have always given us good service, following up on things, and even not charging us when we re-filed our taxes one year, but this was a complete surprise, not to mention a relief. When Don took the IRS notice in, the lady there had found the problem: the H&R Block person who did our taxes in 2006 had written down a number wrong.

H&R Block offers "peace of mind insurance" for an extra $30, which means that if they make a mistake that costs you extra money on your taxes, they will pay the difference. I don’t usually go for these things, but since our taxes were a little complicated that year, Don chose to purchase it. I had completely forgotten about it, and I think he had too.

I would also like to say that this was definitely answered prayer as well. God knew, even a year and a half ago, that we would need that insurance and gave Don the nudge he needed to buy it. We had been praying since we got that notice that we wouldn’t have to pay the extra money. God already had an answer!

P.S. Happy Birthday Dad!
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Enoch

"Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Genesis 5:24

"By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God." Hebrews 11:5

We are studying Genesis in my Bible study. I have studied it several times before, but each time I study it, I learn new things. One of the things that has really struck me this time around was what it says about Enoch: He walked with God, and he never died. Thousands of years later, we have no idea what this man looked like, what he did for a living, where he lived or anything else about him. We only know those two things.

I wonder if my name will even be recorded anywhere a few generations down the road, and if it is, what will be said about me? I can’t think of anything I would rather have said than, "She walked with God." Nothing else I can do will ever matter as much as that.

Cici's

Someone we knew bought a new Cici’s Pizza franchise and asked my brother Andy to help manage it. It is in Smyrna, just off of I-24 at the Sam Ridley exit, right beside the new theater, near Target. The address is 900 Grammar Lane. The grand opening is set for this Monday, September 22. Cici’s has an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet, including salad, pasta and dessert, for very reasonable prices. Come check it out, and say hi to Andy!

Mamommy

Today would have been my grandmother’s birthday, my dad’s mom, who we called Mamommy. She died a few years ago at age 97, and I gave a eulogy at her funeral. Those who know me know that standing up in front of a group of people and speaking is definitely not my thing, but this was something I wanted and felt like I needed to do. Here is what I said:
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My grandmother, Grace Wheeler Cobb Jeter, has always been a part of my life. I’m finding it hard to believe that she’s not here anymore.
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When I was a child we often had family gatherings at her house. She had a big seashell in her front hallway that everyone would blow like a horn when they came in the door. Her house always smelled of good food, including the best homemade rolls I have ever tasted. We would gather around her large dining room table and enjoy food and conversation and later, with full stomachs, retire to the living room for more family togetherness.
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When I was older I would often go stay at her house for a week in the summer. We would draw and paint together, and I was proud when she hung my artwork up with my cousins’ on the wall in the back porch room off her kitchen. I also enjoyed walking to the town square to shop with her and sitting in the swing on her porch in the evenings while she told me about days long past. She took me to church with her, where she taught 1st and 2nd grade Sunday school for many years. Every night we had devotions together, and then she would kneel beside her bed to pray before going to sleep.
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It was very hard on her when she became disabled and had to give up the home she had lived in her entire life, but she made the best of it. It was always good to see the way she would light up whenever anyone came to visit her in the nursing home.
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During the last few years her health declined, and she could no longer communicate effectively. When we came to see her, there wasn’t much to say, but we would read to her from the Bible. She would close her eyes and listen peacefully, always seeming to want to hear more when it was over. One of her favorite passages was the 23rd Psalm:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul;
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

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Forever has now begun for my grandmother, and I believe that today she is in the house of the Lord, in heaven, being joyfully reunited with her parents, siblings, her husband, her daughter Mary Jane, and other loved ones. I have no doubt that she believed in Christ as her Savior, and during her final years I saw a peace in her in spite of her suffering that could only come from knowing that she would soon be with God.
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My grandmother died this week, but she leaves behind a legacy to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as the many others who loved her. She leaves us with memories of happy childhoods that she was very much a part of. She leaves with stories that we will never forget and a godly character for us to imitate. Though she is gone from us physically, those of us who knew and loved her have the privilege of carrying a part of her with us for the rest of our lives and to pass it on to generations to come.

Dusting

If anyone asks me what housework chore I dislike the most, I don’t need any time to consider it: dusting. I’d rather scrub toilets, run the vacuum or wash dishes any day. There’s something about moving all of my knick-knacks aside and having to wipe under them, or maybe it’s just having to clean up a mess I didn’t make. Possibly it’s because it’s a detail-oriented chore, and I’m not a detail person when it comes to making for extra work. I’m not really sure why I hate it so much; I just do. Therefore, I do it as little as possible, usually 3 or 4 times a year, and that’s only when I’m having company and it’s bad enough that I know they would be grossed out by it. I did it this weekend, because my mom was coming over and you could write your name with your finger on our furniture. I’m looking at doing it again maybe at Christmastime.

What chore do you dislike the most?

And Skating

Abbie is my 4-year-old niece. She is full of personality and surprises, and pretty smart too.
Andy and Melissa have just recently started bringing her to church (as opposed to staying in the nursery), and she hasn’t quite learned all the proper "etiquette". This past Sunday she was sitting with us and coloring during the service, and I had no reason to believe she was listening to the sermon at all.
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The pastor was talking about heaven and the new bodies we would have, and began listing all the things we would enjoy doing: running, jumping, swinging . . .
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Suddenly a 4-year old voice piped up, "and skating!"
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Abbie was oblivious to the giggle that swept through the congregation as she went back to her coloring.
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P.S.: My oldest 2 nieces are blogging! Check out Gracie’s at jetergirl.blogspot.com and Hannah’s at www.hannahbananajeter.blogspot.com.

Amber’s Wedding

On Saturday Don and I went to the wedding of Amber and T.J. It was kind of a sentimental day for me because I used to rock Amber to sleep. In fact, I was her first babysitter when she was only a few months old. I babysat for her, and her 4 younger siblings as they came along, for many years. I went to her piano recital, high school graduation and other events through her life, and now "my little girl" has gotten married.
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It was a unique wedding in a lot of ways. One of the first things I noticed was that the ushers weren’t wearing shoes. I thought maybe the tux provider hadn’t given them any, but then I noticed that the bridesmaids weren’t wearing any either, nor were the bride and groom. During the ceremony the pastor explained that Amber and T.J. considered it to be holy ground on the altar where they were pledging their vows to one another, so they had the entire wedding party remove their shoes, as God told Moses to do in Exodus 3:5.
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The pastor talked about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples in John 13 to demonstrate His humble servanthood toward them. He told them to wash one another’s feet in verse 14, so Amber and T.J. washed each other’s feet during the ceremony to demonstrate that they would be servants to each other. It was an emotional moment with lots of sniffling going on.
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I was so happy to be a part of Amber’s day. I think she has found a Godly man, and I wish them the best for a lifelong and happy marriage.

James Galway

On Saturday night Don I went to see James Galway playing with the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Center. This was a late anniversary celebration for us.
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Sir James Galway (he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2001) is quite possibly the best flute player in the world. I was both entertained and inspired by this amazing man. He holds his 20-karat gold flute at an odd angle when he plays, but obviously he knows what he’s doing. The sound coming out of it was phenomenal.

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He has recorded over 60 CD’s, most of which are classical music, but he has also done some pop, folk and played on the soundtrack for one of the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

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I couldn’t take pictures or videos during the concert, but there are a number of videos of him playing on Youtube, including this one.

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It was an impressive concert. I doubt I’ll ever play flute anywhere near as well as he does, but he at least gave me something to strive for.
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Cool Thing to Know: If you’re a flute player, James Galway gives some great tutorials on his website (go to the "You Tube Sir James" section).

Joining the Church

Click below to view a slideshow of pictures from when I joined my church a couple of weeks ago. You will probably need to slow it down to read the captions.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Iced Coffee

I said I would never do it, but I have had to eat those words (or drink them, in this case). I have become a caffeine addict. The problem (well, one of them) is that I don’t enjoy drinking hot coffee when the weather is hot. I do like iced coffee that I get at drive-throughs, but they are always overpriced, so I have learned to make my own. This takes a while, so I have to plan ahead.

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To make one tall glass, first I make strong coffee in the coffeemaker using 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee and 1½ cups of water. When that is done, I take the pot off the coffeemaker, remove the lid, and let it sit and cool at least ½ hour. Then I pour ¼ cup milk in a bottle with a lid (I have a little 1-pint Rubbermaid container that is marked with measurements that works great) and add 1 tablespoon of sugar (you can adjust this according to your tastes). Pour in the coffee, put the lid on and shake it up. (You can use a blender if you want it frothier.) Then pour over ice, and you’re all set. A great caffeine fix on a summer day!

God Uses Women

I have never been a feminist or anything even remotely close. I believe woman was created to be a companion and helper to man (Genesis 2). However, there are instances in the Bible when God uses women to do great things aside from being wives and mothers. Here are some examples:

Miriam – this young girl’s quick thinking saved her baby brother Moses (Exodus 1:15-2:10). She was a prophetess (Exodus 15:20) and a supporter of Moses throughout her life.

Rahab – a prostitute who saved 2 Israelite spies (Joshua 2). She and her family were saved when Jericho fell (Joshua 6:22-25).

Deborah – a judge and prophetess who was instrumental in delivering Israel from the Canaanites (Judges 4 and 5).

Jael – killed Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, by driving a spike through his head while he slept (Judges 4 and 5).

Esther – a queen who saved the Jewish people from Haman, who sought to destroy them (Book of Esther).

I know of a few ultra-conservative Christians who are not going to vote for McCain-Palin solely because they don’t believe a woman belongs in the office of vice-president, but I think that is a mistake. I certainly believe God can and does use women, and He has been doing so throughout history.

September 11: I Remember

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14
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If you are an American over about age 13, you probably remember vividly what you were doing on September 11, 2001.
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It was the scariest day of my life. Reports of attacks kept coming in, and I didn’t know when they would end. I feared I would never see my family again or know life as it was before.
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I’m sure most of you had similar feelings. That day was followed by a surge of patriotism and by a brief period of people turning to God as they were reminded of their own helplessness: Bible sales and church attendance went up, and even the media carried prayers for our nation and other references to God.
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I think our president and those under him, particularly our military, have done an excellent job in warding off further attacks; so good in fact that many people have seemingly forgotten that we ever had one. Liberals are shouting that the war is useless and needs to be ended, and our need for God has been forgotten.
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What happened? Now it seems we are back where we started, if not worse. The hostility toward God may be greater than ever before.
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We were founded as a Christian nation, and God blessed us with strength and prosperity, such that we have become the greatest nation in the world. But now we are turning away from Him, going against His principles and even denying His existence. We are really not very different from Sodom and Gomorrah, and if you want to know how God handled them, you can read about it in Genesis 19.
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What will it take to bring us back to Him? Will it take another day like September 11 or something much worse? Those of us who do seek first the kingdom of God should be on our knees regularly praying for revival in our country and for God’s mercy upon us.

The Four-Leaf Clover Gene

My mom has it. My brother and I both have it: the ability to find 4-leaf clovers with little or no effort. We spot them when walking down the street or mowing the grass. Sometimes we even look out the window and see one growing in the yard.
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An odd trait, but I have met others through the years who also have it. Those of us who have it are usually also good proofreaders and have an ability to easily spot other things that don’t belong. It’s just one of those ways that God makes us unique.
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Recently, my 6-year-old niece Hannah came up to my brother, clover in hand. "Look Daddy, it has four leafs (sic)." What a proud moment it was for Andy! At least 1 of his 4 children has inherited the gene. There’s still hope that it might emerge in some of the others, but for now we’re happy to know that the trait lives on.

Drugs

I just looked through my latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens and counted 12 ads for drugs, taking up a total of approximately 24¼ pages, plus 2 tear-out cards. That didn’t include vitamins or some kind of weird treatment to make your face look younger in only an hour. This magazine is certainly not alone in this; it’s just one I happened to have and am fairly sorry I subscribed to because I think it has more advertisements than substance.

In the old days if we were sick, we went to the doctor, who prescribed us with a drug if he thought we needed it. Now we see an ad for a drug in a magazine that treats symptoms that we didn’t even realize we had until we came across the ad, and then we go to the doctor and tell him what drug we need, and he writes us a prescription. I’ve heard (and don’t know if it’s true, but it makes sense) that doctors get kickbacks on drugs they prescribe, so it’s to their advantage to prescribe as many drugs as possible, whether we need them or not.

I broke my toe a couple of years ago. I tried to avoid going to the doctor, but it wasn’t getting well so I finally gave in. They X-rayed it to determine it was broken and gave me a shoe to wear to hold it in place until it healed. The doctor told me she was going to write me a prescription for a painkiller. I told her I didn’t need one. I had been living with the pain for 3 weeks, and if I needed to I would take aspirin. She said in that case she would write me a prescription for a drug that may help my toe heal a little faster. I let her write it but never got it filled. My toe healed in the amount of time she had predicted it would. I doubt the drug would have made much difference, but I guess she felt like she had to prescribe me with something.

God gave our bodies natural immunities and the ability to heal themselves. When we take drugs, we interfere with that ability and begin to break down our immunities. I’m not saying drugs are always bad. I realize there are times when they are beneficial or necessary; I just believe that they are WAY overused in our country, and the epidemic of cancer and other diseases may well be at least partially related to our destroying our immune systems this way.

When I am sick, I try to give my body every opportunity to heal itself. I think a day off from work, a glass of orange juice and a bowl of chicken soup is a far better remedy for most minor illnesses than antihistamines or antibiotics (which by the way, do not help viruses, though many doctors prescribe them).

But that’s just my opinion. You can take it or leave it.

Gracie's Soccer Game

My niece, Gracie, had her first soccer game of the season on Saturday, and I went to watch. She plays in a league for 7-year-old girls in Smyrna. She scored two goals! Click below to see pictures of it.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Gossip

"Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies." Psalm 34:13

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37

I overheard a conversation at work this week where two people were taking about a third in a not very favorable way. The things they were saying may have been partially true but were unkind and unnecessary. I was offended, because the person they were talking about was a friend of mine.

Why do we do this? I can’t claim that I have never been guilty of it, but I really try not to. There is no need to put another person down when it is not going to accomplish anything positive.

"Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down." Proverbs 26:20

It is so easy to "add fuel to the fire" of someone who is criticizing someone else behind their back, but the best strategy I have found when someone tries to do this around me is to defend that person or say something nice about them. This usually gets the message across that you don’t want to gossip and ends the conversation or sometimes even turns it around so that the first person adds something nice as well.

I think it may help us in our sinfulness to feel better about ourselves when we put others down, but it in the end it really doesn’t help anyone. My friends, if you catch me doing this, feel free to straighten me out.

Dog Sandwich

I didn’t sleep very well last night because I kept waking up and finding myself as the filling for a dog sandwich. This occurs when one dog lays right up next to me on one side (on top of the covers), and the other does the same on the other side of me. This leaves me completely unable to move in any direction without uprooting at least one dog. They are quite comfortable and not very willing to move, so I either have to work an arm free and move them manually or just suffer until one of them decides for themselves to change positions.

Yes, we let our dogs sleep with us. I started it with Dasha before I got married. Don agreed to let it continue after we got married, and then Nash joined the happy family. Even our king-sized bed can get quite crowded at times with our foursome in it. But at least they get a good night’s sleep!

The lesson here: think about what you are willing to put up with before you let your dog sleep with you. Once you do let them do it, you're in for life.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

By request from Jennifer, my Bible study leader and blog reader, this is a favorite recipe my mom made when I was growing up. Don’t let the name fool you if you don’t like sour cream; it’s delicious (but not very Weight Watchers-friendly)!

½ cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup finely-chopped pecans

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream

Put first four ingredients in a bowl with a lid and shake together well.

Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs and almond extract. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt and then sour cream.

Sprinkle 1/3 of cinnamon mixture into bundt pan. Pour in half of batter and cover evenly with another 1/3 of cinnamon mixture. Pour in rest of batter and cover with rest of cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until done.

She's Our Girl

Well, at the risk of being repetitive, I am going to write about Sarah Palin again because she is definitely our woman of the hour.

I thought she gave an incredible speech last night! She was confident and forceful, but at the same time used just enough sarcasm to show that she has a sense of humor and put those who have been attacking her in their place. She stands for pretty much everything I believe in politically, and isn’t afraid to say so. If you didn’t get to watch it, I would encourage you to. (Click here to see it.)

I hope she can hold on to this confidence, because I know the liberals and their media are out to tear her to shreds. She isn’t perfect and doesn’t claim to be, and I’m sure they will continue to find any little flaws in her they can and make mountains out of them. They can’t stand the positive attention she’s getting, stealing it away from their man, and they are going to do whatever they can to get it back.

Best wishes, Sarah. Don’t let them pull you down. You have my vote.

A Change of Plans

On Labor Day Don and I had planned to go drive down the Natchez Trace and find a good spot to picnic and hike with the dogs. Unfortunately, I thought I remembered how to get there so didn’t bother to get any directions before we left.
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I was wrong. We got all packed up with 2 very excited dogs and headed west on I-40. We got off at what I thought was the right exit. It wasn’t. My frugal husband was unwilling to waste gas to go looking for it, so when we spotted signs for Harpeth River State Park, we decided to change our plans and go there instead.
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Well, it wasn’t exactly the Natchez Trace, but we made the best of it. We couldn’t find any picnic tables so ended up eating in the car with 2 very frustrated dogs in the back seat. (We later realized there was another section of the park that we missed, so there might have been picnic tables there.)
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We did find a hiking trail and got out and hiked for a while and took in some pretty scenery, accompanied by 2 very happy dogs. They wanted to wade in the river, but last time we let them do this, Dasha got a parasite and was 1 very sick dog, so they were denied that pleasure this time.
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We returned home with 2 very tired dogs. The day wasn’t what we expected, but it wasn’t bad. (It turned out the Natchez Trace was 1 exit further down the road than where we had gotten off.)
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I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this park unless you are going to go canoeing (there are rental places nearby), but it wasn’t too bad for hiking. As my dad would say, "it beat a kick in the head."

Things I Have Learned from my Dogs

They say people who have pets are healthier. I truly believe this. Our pets give us a lot. Here are some of the important things my dogs have taught me:
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Forgive and get over it.
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Enjoy life as it comes to you; don’t worry about tomorrow.
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Take time to stand and enjoy letting the wind blow through your hair.
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Never pass up an opportunity to take a walk.
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Play every day.
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Stop eating when you are full (unless it’s something REALLY good).
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View everyone you meet as a potential friend.
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Greet those you love joyfully, even if they’ve only been gone a little while.
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When someone is talking to you, give them your full attention.
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And last but not least, my dog Nash has proven to me that . . . it is possible to be in a good mood 100% of the time!

Mourning the End of a Season

Well, it’s Labor Day, and that always makes me sad because it symbolically marks the end of summer. I guess summer more or less ended when school started back, but Labor Day kind of makes it official.

I love summer: the long days, the slower pace of life, lighter traffic in the mornings, gardening, the smell of freshly-cut grass, grilling, swimming pools, picnics, fresh produce, sandals, shorts and T-shirts. Basically I like everything about it except bugs and when the weather is extremely hot.

My husband is a "winter" person, which I just don’t understand at all. Who wants cold weather, short days, dry skin, driving in snow and having to put on a coat to go outside?

Oh well, at least that’s a short season here. I do enjoy fall and spring, and I can survive winter. At least I hope I can.