As I drug myself out of bed today after a long night dealing with sick people, not just my patients but some of my co-workers.   I realized that it was time to get prepared for Easter dinner.  So, I in my stupor  started on my “make a day ahead” salad and deviled eggs of course. Deviled eggs on Easter, is there anyone who doesn’t have this for Easter dinner? Anyway,   I couldn’t decide between making banana pudding or cake.  When I posed the question to my wonderful husband (who by the way, as I write, is graciously tilling up my garden so I can plant my tomatoes soon ….I hope) said maybe you could  make both.   I thought …Great…does he realize how much effort that takes…..especially today.   But, being the submissive wife I am (I know I did not hear a laugh out there), or being as indecisive as I am after a night shift, it was easier to just go ahead and make both and not think about it anymore.   So thats just what I did.   I had to get in the mood.  Music thats what I need.  I turned  Bluesville on, turned it up loud, perked my coffee. By the time I finished my salad, baked the cake and prettied up the deviled eggs with paprika I was really feeling the rhythm of the blues.   I whipped up my pudding and my excellent  chocolate icing.    By my third cup of coffee I was  jiving as the icing went on the cake. Whoahaaaaaaa….Yeahhhhh,  Whoaha,Yeahhhhh Yeah Yeah.  Beautiful.  The blues, coffee and Chocolate cake.   Try it sometime. It’ll get you moving.

Lately every time I plan to go to the grocery store it has been raining, or it starts while I am in the store.   I decided to try to avoid the rain this week.  I began planning last night after hearing the evening weather forecast. The weatherman predicted rain after noon today. My plan was to make a trip to the grocery store before the big rain hit.   I turned in early and got up around 7:ooam.  Anyone who knows me, knows that this is  early for me.  I usually don’t crawl out of bed until around 8:00 and rarely go anywhere until about 10:00.   So trusting the weatherman, I got up had some breakfast…..coffee.  I made it to the store around 8:30.  I was very proud of myself.  I leisurely began  gathering  my needed …. OK, maybe not so need groceries.  While browsing, I helped a lady using one of those motorized baskets coordinate her basket with trying to open the door and get her milk out of the milk case at the same time she was holding on to the wheel of her motorized cart.  Well she couldn’t coordinate all of that.  So as I helped her I started up a conversation…..the weather….yea.  I commented how I got up early to beat the rain.  I was so proud of myself.  She chimed in that she had done the same thing.  I thought aren’t we both so smart.   After that I continued to shop and finally went through the check out.   I started up a conversation with the check out lady as well, yes again,explaining how smart I was to get up early to beat the rain.  As I stood there being very proud of my perfect planning I heard her say it looks you are in the middle of it honey. What?  Say again……. In the middle of it?  She said yes it is already raining.  I looked around.  Everyone but me had an umbrella.  The lady behind me in the checkout line had a rain coat and cap on.  I couldn’t believe it!  The rain had already started.  I know that weatherman said noon not nine.   I walked out to my car…in the rain, at nine.  I said nine!  I could feel the cold drops hitting my head.  I think I heard laughter. Does rain laugh?

Hey all you philanthropists, I have a invitation for you.   If you don’t already give the gift of blood start now.  It is such a special way of sharing a part of you with others who are in need.  It is truly a gift.  More signifiercant than money.  There are so many people who are very ill,  have been injured or are having surgery who require life sustaining blood.  As a nurse I administer blood to many people, some require many units.  When you give  blood you usually only give 2 units and you can only give every 56 days.   You do the math.   I and my better half (who is the one that convicted me to become a donor) have been giving for several years.  I am not trying to toot my own horn. I just want to make a point.  I can only give approximately 6 times a year.   That adds up to about 12 units a year  between the two of us.  That is 24 units every couple of years.  This is literally only a drop in the bucket .   Regular donors are in need to meet the demands of those individuals who need blood.  Yes the stick to the arm smarts a little but it is a small thing to do to help in a huge way.  I have found  a new family in the Red Cross.   The people who work there go out of their way to make you feel comfortable.  They are so appreciative and kind.   This makes the dreaded stick to the arm less dreaded.  You always walk away with a food coupon, a hat, a t-shirt or something.   It is as if they can’t thank you enough.   I am the one that is thankful.  I am thankful  that the Lord has blessed me with a personal gift that I can share with others.  If you are already a blood donor, kudos to you.   If you have never given blood then tage time to think about becoming part of the donor family.  Consider yourself invited.

My family and I attended the Chris Tomlin concert last night.   We aren’t really big on crowds but thought it would be worth breaking out of our comfort zone. We haven’t been to a concert in years.   We arrived and looked for parking following the ques of the swinging orange sticks. Payed to park  far away from the stadium.  Treked  up the ramps(Clay doesn’t do stairs well and prefers the flat surface incline).  We rendezvoused  with some friends and made our way to the concessions.  We of course had to get some T’s and then we were ready to find our seats. 

The concert started off with a high energy band, Israel (I think that is the name of the lead singer as well).  This band was impressive.  They had the crowd going……yes me too!    They definitely got everyone warmed up.  We had a short intermission before Chris Tomlin came out on stage.  His music is really amazing. It can really draw you into worship.  When you see so many Christians  lifting their hands to Jesus in worship, through song, it really impacts your heart.  It is music for your soul.  Chris Tomlin did a wonderful job despite the loss of his grandfather that day.  He talked about how close he was to his grandfather.   How hard it must have been for him to perform on the day of his grandfather’s death.   He sang a song for him that was very beautiful.  He really magnified God’s glory as he sang. 

 My family and I enjoyed ourselves.  I am glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone.  It was well worth it.  Maybe next time Chris Tomlin is in town you will check him out.  It will be worth it.

Well it is time for our annual family check up at the doctors.  Time to evaluate our eating habits and lifestyle….again.  Our family usually tends to have borderline trends on everything cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, glucose, etc,etc,etc and so forth and so forth.   As a family we all need to lose weight and exercise more. Where is the time to care for yourself?  I find it hard to manage our diet strictly.  I use whole grains,  we always have fresh fruits and veggies on hand.  I try not to use to many processed foods. We could cut back on our sugar (who couldn’t).   Yet still our levels remain borderline……I hate that word, it means you are on the verge of being in danger and you need to do something quick!  That stresses me out.  Doesn’t stress raise your triglyceride level?  I googled Mayo Clinic and got some pointers.  Looks like our family needs to start exercising.  Ugh.  That stresses me out too.  I feel my triglyceride level rising already.  Let me see….. I will try to schedule a daily exercise activity for us, always take the stairs, park  the car at the far end of the Super center parking lot ,  plan my meals to the greatest detail, count my calories, avoiding all bad fats, all bad sugars,  increase my fiber, eat more beans (and buy more air freshener), eat more fish, eat more fruit, eat more vegetables, forget about eating out or eating anything that comes from a box.  Phew!  I am already worn out thinking about it…….where is that bag of potato chips? I need some comfort food quick.

Terry and I had the pleasure of visiting Queen Wilhelmina State Park last weekend. You can see the park at www.queenwilhelminastatepark.com   We couldn’t have picked a better get away.  The peace and quiet was wonderful.  It was a beautiful place and an exquisite example of God’s majesty.  The park is located along the Talimena Scenic route www.talimenascenicdrive.com which is along the Ouachitas.  The lodge is  perched on  top of Rich Mountain.  The original lodge was built in 1897 by the railroad and used as a retreat for passengers.  It was closed within 3 years.  In 1957 it was acquired to develop a  state park.  In 1963 the original lodge  was reconstructed and became a popular spot for visitors. In 1973 It was destroyed by fire  and immediately replaced with a new updated lodge which stands today.   This spot on top of  the mountain has quite a history.  The park is named after a young Holland Queen, who by the way never visited the park named  in her honor.  What a shame she missed a really great view. 

I was very disappointed,  initially as we made our way up the winding road on the mountain because  our view was obscured by a  controlled burn on the day we arrived at the lodge.  It was more like “smoke on the mountain”.  It was not the scenic view I had expected.   We got settled in to our room and checked out the lodge restaurant.  The restaurant offers a reasonably priced buffet that includes dinner, drink and desert for about $10.00 per person. Kids eat 1/2 price.  When you consider the other choices in town (Mena), this is a fairly good deal, unless you want McDonalds or Taco Bell.  Although if you want to visit a fairly good restaurant in  Mena, we tried a place called the Chopping Block Steak  House. You can find the menu at www.menachoppingblock.com .  If you want a good steak this is the place to go.  They offer chicken and seafood too.  We also got a great cup of coffee at True North coffee shop.  It was very yummy and a good pick-me-up  after a long drive. 

The first night we saw little to nothing in the way of scenery.  So we stayed in our little room, deciding ways that it could be updated(since it had been built 30 years ago) and watching the Dog Whisperer on a very nice T.V.   The rain came that night and the next morning it was foggy and cold.  We munched on the breakfast buffet and wondered if we would ever see the view.  After breakfast we decided to head back down the mountain and visit the big city of Mena.  We like junk and antique shops so off we went.  We found some interesting things.  We came across an old aluminum Aladdin brand popcorn popper.  The funny thing is lately we have been trying to get away from that awful microwave popcorn and had been in search of an old pan with a lid to use.  This was quite a prize for us.  We quickly snatched it up as if someone else might get it first, even though no one else was in the store.  We took it up to the check out and the man at the counter looked at us like we were crazy to pick up, of all things, an old pot.  He picked it up and set it back down and looked at us and said “well I guess it will clean up alright”  with a tone of disgust.   I am not sure if he thought we were stupid or if  he thought we  didn’t see all the other items he had in his little shop or what.  Anyway it was odd.  We moved on. 

As the morning turned to noon the sun came out and the sky began to clear, we  decided to head back up the mountain.  That is when the gift began to be unwrapped.  The panoramic views along Hwy 88 were beautiful.  You could see for miles.  It was gorgeous.   We knew just what we wanted to do. We traveled up Hwy 88 following the 54 miles of the Talimena Scenic Byway into Oklahoma.   It was well worth the trip.  There were many places to stop and read about the history of the mountains and valleys.  I would recommend this trip to any one.

This park has several trails to hike.  The popular one is the Lover’s Leap.  We checked this one out.  It takes you to a bluff with another spectacular view.  We didn’t have enough time to check out any other trails.  We will just have to make another trip up the mountain sometime in the near future.  I look  forward to doing that.

This is a lovely place to visit.  The lodge is nice and tidy just a bit dated.  There are camp sites that are close to the lodge and close to each other.  A bit to close for our camping comfort.  They do have one walk in site for tent  camping only.  During the summer months they have a miniature train ride and miniature golf.  All in all this is a nice place and it has an unbeatable view of the Ouachita Mountains.  If you run out of things to do on the mountain there is always  Mena.  Who knows you might find your own popcorn popper.  Ours makes very good popcorn!

I recently read a post by a friend about reconnecting with a friend from her past.  It really settled into my heart.  I had it on my mind for way longer than usual.  I began to think of the people that I missed and could no longer connect with because they are not here in their physical body any more.   How I miss their voices.  Their presence.   I had two friends that I waited too long to reconnect with.  That was difficult.  I don’t want to do that again.  I miss them both.  So this brings me to  today.   I was having lunch with my daughter(which I love doing) and across the room of the restaurant I saw a familiar face.   I watched her for a minute  while she was chatting with the man at the cash register.    Her head was bobbing and her hands were flying up and down and pointing into space.   Yep,  she was her same crazy self.  We got to know each other  during a  church backpacking trip in Colorado a few years ago(which by the way I was crazy for doing and I will NEVER backpack anywhere again,especially at 12,000 ft, I was gasping for breath).   She and her husband were members of our church and I thought they would always be.   But she and her husband moved on.  I missed our  Sunday visits at church.    It had been too long since our last conversation.  When she finally made it to the Salad Bar, I approached her.  You know, it was like no time had passed.  Our conversation was easy.  Her sense of  humor was the same.  It was refreshing to experience her personality again.  I got the chance to catch up and find out how she is doing and where she is going to church now.  It was all so good.    This spurred me on and reminded me of how many of my friends I had meant to call or have lunch with or visit and didn’t.  When I got home I called an old friend that I have not talked to since before  Thanksgiving.  We both agreed that we don’t get together often enough or call each other often enough.  “I am going to make more of an effort” I said.     Well this was going so good that I got my fingers moving again and dialed another friend that I have been neglecting and you know what?  She needed to talk.  I was glad to listen and encourage.  I needed to do that as much as she need to talk.  We talked for at least an hour.  These are people that I care about.  All of these friends are on my list of things that I want to do.  Why do I put this off?   I need  and want  these relationships, so why is it the last thing I allow myself to do.  I always enjoy our conversations, our friendship.  And beside that , it  is a little contagious in a way.  When you talk and share with your friends, it makes it easier for them to talk and share with you.   When you go out with your friends and spend time with them they are more likely to want to spend time with you. It is just a good thing to do.  I guess I need to get busy.

Finally I am getting a new back door in my sun room!!  Yeah! I have waited some time for this.  My old back door had really lived its life.  The outer screen door would barely lock and the inner door was splitting on the outer part because of the sun damage it had received over the years.   I will have a metal door to  replace the splitting wood door and a solid glass door for the outer door.  I will let the sun shine in and it will not have cracks under the door and on the top of the door that let air in( and other creepy things ).   Did I say Yeah!  Never thought I would get this excited about a door but I am.   The job should be finished by the end of the week.   Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!!  If you need a door put in  or any other job, I know some one who does excellent work.   Greg Powell has always done a great job and  charges reasonably prices for his work.  I told him I would plug his name into my blog so its done.

I had a plan that began probably around the middle of the summer. My sister (Pam) and I had talked about how my Mom wanted to have a meal with all of  us  (her kids) and use her china dishes. My Mom has given me her china.  It is beautiful and delicate and very old.  I packed it up the last time we were at the farm and carefully brought it here.  After some thought, I set the date for New Years day.  This was a day that most of  us and our families have off from work.   I began to plan.  In preparation,  I carefully washed each dish.   My mom supervised of course.  I watched her as she buffed each piece to make it shine.  She said “you need to use two towels to dry it you know”.   Her pride and love for these dishes was so evident.  She purchased the china at a time when you waited to buy what you wanted you didn’t just go out and get it when you wanted it.  I know that I really take the privilegesof today for granted.  I think that she purchased it after having her 5th child, with #6 on the way.  She talks about how she waited until she found just what she wanted.  She is very proud of that.    Her china is one of the nicer things she has.   My Mom lost quite a bit  of her things, when I was a baby, in a fire that occurred in our base housing in Japan.  She also lost some of her other cherished belongings when her house was broken in to about 20 years ago.    So this meal was an important thing to her and important for us to do for her.   We decided on a menu together.   We would have a first course of  gumbo file’  and  potato salad.   Then have  as a 2nd course the traditional black eye peas, cabbage  and ham.   My mom is from Louisiana.   All of us grew up with memories of  my mom’s gumbo.  It was quite a site when my husband got home from work the day we decided to make the roux.  The both of us where stirring as fast as we could.   It was crazy !  If you have ever made a roux you know what I am talking about.    The good thing is that we made this up ahead so we wouldn’t be overly stressed on the day that every one arrived.  Oh did I tell you that there would be 18 people?   Yep we filled up the house.  I had a table in every room.   Everyone had a good time.  I had a good time.  But the thing I will remember most is the look on my mom’s face when she sat down at the table with us using her  cherished china.  That was  priceless.   Her smile……The look in her eye……Yes it was a happy New Years Day to say the least.

I found out today that I am a locavore. As presented on the national news this morning. That is, a person who buys from the local farmers.  I am really feeling a kinship with the local farmers.  I visit the farmers market every Saturday. I really love the fresh food.   Not only do I like the fresh food but I like the relationships that I am forming with the farmers.  They are all so down to earth.  I love each personality.  Each week I pick up something that I think   I will be able to prepare that week, spinach, salad mix, sweet potatoes, eggplant, raspberries.  I have found a wonderful niche for myself.  I find that I feel the need to purchase from each farmer every week.  They all are so special and work so hard to bring their veggies to market.  I have developed a loyalty to each one of them.  So much for talking that up…… This week I purchased some raspberries.  Oh, Boy! were they gooooood.  I ate at least half of them and shared them with some of  the other farmers and some of the other”locavores” as well.  The rest of the raspberries went into making some syrup for  buckwheat pancakes.  I used a generous cup of raspberries, about  3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water and cooked it for about 45 minutes after it came to a boil.  It was wonderful!!!!  The flavor was to die for.  There is nothing like fresh fruit and veggies.  This week I will be fixing the turnip greens that I purchased  last Saturday morning.  The farmers involved in our market now have a web site so I can now plan ahead, knowing what they will have available for me to pick up on Saturday mornings.  Very convenient! I think that I will be a locavore for life.