Or more specifically, the 100 foods you must try before you die...according to some blogger somewhere that started this list and I noticed it and decided to check it out because, well, I heart food. I'll let you know which I've tried. And various other comments.
1. Venison – Yes. I am from a moderately redneck family in the South. Nuff said.
2. Nettle tea - Apparently this has amazing health benefits, but I've never even heard of it.
3. Huevos rancheros – Yes - at our fave breakfast place in Wilmington this summer...yum to the 84th power.
4. Steak tartare - Not sure. I'm not averse to trying it if I haven't.
5. Crocodile - Nope. Gator, but not croc.
6. Black pudding - This disgusts me and that's hard to do. Have never and will never.
7. Cheese fondue - Melting Pot what what!
8. Carp - Not sure.
9. Borscht - No, but after googling I definitely want to.
10. Baba ghanoush – See above.
11. Calamari – One of my faves. But only the body part cut into the little circles and deep fried. The tentacle part wigs me out.
12. Pho - No. But James' ex girlfriend is Vietnamese. And certifiable.
13. PB&J sandwich – Oh man yes.
14. Aloo gobi – Nah.
15. Hot dog from a street cart - Yes. Outside of Lowes. That's how I roll.
16. Epoisses - Not that I know of, but I've had a lot of cheese, so it's possible.
17. Black truffle - Yes at the fancy restaurant James proposed at.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes – Not that I know of.
19. Steamed pork buns - Oh yes. Dim sum anyone?
20. Pistachio ice cream – Not a fan. Although pistachios are my fave nut.
21. Heirloom tomatoes – Definitely.
22. Fresh wild berries – I'm scared to pick things off bushes and eat them.
23. Foie gras - Absolutely disgusting.
24. Rice and beans – Zatarans in the house!
25. Brawn, or head cheese - After googling, I discovered this is akin to souse meat, which I have been unfortunate enough to taste. Pickled pig parts, no thanks.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - I like my taste buds, thanks.
27. Dulce de leche - I'm sure.
28. Oysters – Many a oyster topped, horseradish laden cracker.
29. Baklava – One of my faves.
30. Bagna cauda - No and I'm not a fan of anchovies, so I'd pass.
31. Wasabi peas – Yep. Instant nose pain.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl – Clam chowder, yes. Sourdough bowl, yes.
33. Salted lassi - Never heard of it. But I instantly started hearing the Lassi song in my head.
34. Sauerkraut – Yep. From a can. Rock on.
35. Root beer float – I'm not sure. I don't like floats or root beer, but I'd give it a whirl as long as someone else pays.
36. Cognac with a fat cigar – I don't really like to eat my tobacco products.
37. Clotted cream tea - Nope.
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O shot – I went to ECU.
39. Gumbo - Oh yes.
40. Oxtail - Oddly enough, no.
41. Curried goat - No. And I don't really like curry.
42. Whole insects - Will. Never. Happen. Unless we are in a zombie apocalypse. Cause you know roaches will survive.
43. Phaal - See number 41.
44. Goat’s milk - I've had goat cheese.
45. Single malt whisky – Not sure. Probably not if it's expensive.
46. Fugu - Is that the fish you can die from? No thanks.
47. Chicken tikka masala – Not that I know of.
48. Eel – Love.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - By the dozen.
50. Sea urchin - I think so.
51. Prickly pear - I think so.
52. Umeboshi - Nope.
53. Abalone - No, but I like other mollusks, so I'd try it.
54. Paneer – No.
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal – Actually, I doubt it. I don't like Big Mac's. Special sauce doesn't do it for me.
56. Spaetzle – Not sure.
57. Dirty gin martini – Gin smells like trees.
58. Beer above 8% ABV – Just learned what ABV means.
59. Poutine - Sounds interesting.
60. Carob chips - Nope.
61. S’mores – Oh yes! LOVE LOVE LOVE. Kendall called them Snores last summer.
62. Sweetbreads - Gross.
63. Kaolin - Um google says this is clay. Weird.
64. Currywurst - Is this curry sausage? Ew.
65. Durian - No.
66. Frogs’ legs - I'd like to try.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – Boy have I.
68. Haggis - I just think it's a good rule to leave organ meats alone.
69. Fried plantain – Yum.
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette - I have. As a kid when I didn't know any better.
71. Gazpacho - Yes. Although I feel like soup should be hot.
72. Caviar and blini - Not a fan.
73. Louche absinthe - Nope.
74. Gjetost, or brunost - Hmm. Brown cheese. Not sure about that.
75. Roadkill - Okay seriously?
76. Baijiu - No.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie – I'm sure I have.
78. Snail – Yes, but I need to try again.
79. Lapsang souchong - No.
80. Bellini – Peach.
81. Tom yum - No.
82. Eggs Benedict – Yes. But hollaindaise is a bit much for me.
83. Pocky - Many a stick.
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - No because I'm a USA kinda girl. But I would.
85. Kobe beef - Yes.
86. Hare - No.
87. Goulash – Yes.
88. Flowers – Probably as a garnish.
89. Horse - That's gross. And probably illegal. At least in Kentucky.
90. Criollo - That's coming up as a person of Spanish descent. I'm thinking not.
91. Spam - Once. Fried. At Melissa's.
92. Soft shell crab - Yes, but I prefer crab legs or regular ole' crab. Soft shell crab is always greasy
93. Rose harissa - Nope.
94. Catfish – Oh yes.
95. Mole poblano – I don't think so.
96. Bagel and lox – Yes. Which I used to really like. Not anymore for some reason.
97. Lobster Thermidor - Nope.
98. Polenta – Any chance I get.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee - Yes. Since James randomly sold coffee for like 12 minutes before we got married.
100. Snake - Yep.
So at the end of the day, I think this list is really odd. And I've had 49ish.
Showing posts with label A-Z. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A-Z. Show all posts
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
E is for Elvesmere
A couple of years ago, Cross Culture Church had the fabulous idea of rewarding their children's volunteers (mostly female) with a pedicure for Christmas. Boy oh boy do I love a pedicure. Can't believe that I didn't get them regularly for so many years...evidenced by my jacked up toe nail cutting and that one ingrown toenail that hurt for months. But I digress.
At this fabulous Christmas reward party, we (myself and some of my best girlfriends that happened to be there) started talking about Christmas traditions and Lisa brought up Elf on a Shelf. I had no idea what she was talking about, but wanted to start building some of my own Mason family Christmas traditions, so after our pedicure, we loaded into Coral's van and headed to Barnes and Noble and we all bought Elves on Shelves for our families.
For those that don't know what this is: you can check it out here.
Anyhoo - I had a name in mind, thanks to my BFF Melissa. Well, actually Melissa's uncle. Elsmere. Yes, that's his real name. She also has an aunt Snookie, but that's another story. So Elvesmere was "born" into our family that very night. The first year Kendall wasn't all that impressed - she was a teeny little thing and so I didn't really expect her to be amazed by any means. Last year she was more into it. This year she is CRAZY for Elvesmere. I don't think I've ever seen her as excited as she was on Thanksgiving evening when she spotted him in our bedroom window (after we lost him for the second year in a row...note to self - ensure that Elvesmere understands that mom and dad need to be able to find him on TGiving 2012.)
For the first two years, Elvesmere kinda just appeared in random places - in our tree, on the ceiling fan, in Kendall's book shelf. This year, he's been getting into mischief. So far he has colored Kendall and Raegan's bathroom toilet water purple, rode Raegan's stuffed giraffe, danced with Princess Tiana in Kendall's room and eaten some M&Ms.
Just like anything else, I think Elvesmere is trying to keep up with the Jones'...or in this case Elfin. Our friends the Scoggins family has a very naughty elf - he does all kinds of cool things...fishing with a candy cane in the family fish bowl, taking a hot air balloon ride to the top of the Christmas tree, etc.
Hopefully our elf will be creative while we are in Disney world. I see Mickey Mouse ears in his future.
At this fabulous Christmas reward party, we (myself and some of my best girlfriends that happened to be there) started talking about Christmas traditions and Lisa brought up Elf on a Shelf. I had no idea what she was talking about, but wanted to start building some of my own Mason family Christmas traditions, so after our pedicure, we loaded into Coral's van and headed to Barnes and Noble and we all bought Elves on Shelves for our families.
For those that don't know what this is: you can check it out here.
Anyhoo - I had a name in mind, thanks to my BFF Melissa. Well, actually Melissa's uncle. Elsmere. Yes, that's his real name. She also has an aunt Snookie, but that's another story. So Elvesmere was "born" into our family that very night. The first year Kendall wasn't all that impressed - she was a teeny little thing and so I didn't really expect her to be amazed by any means. Last year she was more into it. This year she is CRAZY for Elvesmere. I don't think I've ever seen her as excited as she was on Thanksgiving evening when she spotted him in our bedroom window (after we lost him for the second year in a row...note to self - ensure that Elvesmere understands that mom and dad need to be able to find him on TGiving 2012.)
For the first two years, Elvesmere kinda just appeared in random places - in our tree, on the ceiling fan, in Kendall's book shelf. This year, he's been getting into mischief. So far he has colored Kendall and Raegan's bathroom toilet water purple, rode Raegan's stuffed giraffe, danced with Princess Tiana in Kendall's room and eaten some M&Ms.
Just like anything else, I think Elvesmere is trying to keep up with the Jones'...or in this case Elfin. Our friends the Scoggins family has a very naughty elf - he does all kinds of cool things...fishing with a candy cane in the family fish bowl, taking a hot air balloon ride to the top of the Christmas tree, etc.
Hopefully our elf will be creative while we are in Disney world. I see Mickey Mouse ears in his future.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
D is for Disney
I am so stinkin excited. What started out as a random "wonder if we could go to Disney anytime soon?" turned into a full blown WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY IN 10 DAYS!!!!
See James' parents are timeshare aficionados from way back (like multiple decades back) and have more than one week in more than one place. This year, they decided to give us a week to use. Instead of our normal Hilton Head vacation, I wondered out loud if we could trade it for a Florida week instead. And the next thing I knew, we were booked into here and going to Disney.
I haven't been since I was in 9th grade and I am super duper excited. Kendall is through the roof ecstatic. James is pumped. Raegan couldn't care less, but she's going even though Nana has asked no less than 83 times if I'd rather leave Rae with her for the week. I considered this before I realized what a laid back baby Raegan would be. Homegirl should breeze through the trip nicely (watch - she'll hit a growth spurt, start teething and give up sleeping through the night when we get there).
Here is our tentative mommy itinerary:
Saturday - Fly down and arrive around 5pm-ish. Check into hotel. Go to grocery store for essentials. Possibly eat at Downtown Disney.
Sunday - Magic Kingdom - 8am reservation at Crystal Palace (Winnie the Pooh and friends), 2pm reservation at Cinderella's Castle (yes, I've heard the food is bad. It's okay with us. We just want to sit in the castle).
Monday - Hollywood Studios - 8am reservation at Chef Mickey's (which is stressing me out because it's at another resort, but there is literally NOTHING else available for Chef Mickey's and if I don't get a Mickey Mouse ear waffle I could be emotionally scarred for life), 3pm reservation at Hollywood Brown Derby, 6:30 reserved seating for Fantasmic! (which I think is probably going to scare Kendall, but if I'm riding Dumbo she can take one for the team), check out Osborne dancing Christmas lights.
Tuesday - Free day during the day and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party that night at Magic Kingdom (it's gonna snow on Main Street!)
Wednesday - Free day - we'll be out til midnight on Tuesday, so I'm sure we'll want to take it easy.
Thursday - Animal Kingdom - 1pm reservation at Tusker House (which now offers their safari character experience with Mickey and the gang at lunch).
Friday - Free day - we have park tickets to use, but nothing set in stone
Saturday - Fly back around 1ish.
Now, I know that this won't go as planned and I'm not super stressed about everything working perfectly. I know that there is no way to see all of Disney in a week or even a month. So we're going to enjoy ourselves and not feel rushed and just experience the magic that is Disney at Christmastime.
Provided I get my Mickey Mouse waffle, of course.
See James' parents are timeshare aficionados from way back (like multiple decades back) and have more than one week in more than one place. This year, they decided to give us a week to use. Instead of our normal Hilton Head vacation, I wondered out loud if we could trade it for a Florida week instead. And the next thing I knew, we were booked into here and going to Disney.
I haven't been since I was in 9th grade and I am super duper excited. Kendall is through the roof ecstatic. James is pumped. Raegan couldn't care less, but she's going even though Nana has asked no less than 83 times if I'd rather leave Rae with her for the week. I considered this before I realized what a laid back baby Raegan would be. Homegirl should breeze through the trip nicely (watch - she'll hit a growth spurt, start teething and give up sleeping through the night when we get there).
Here is our tentative mommy itinerary:
Saturday - Fly down and arrive around 5pm-ish. Check into hotel. Go to grocery store for essentials. Possibly eat at Downtown Disney.
Sunday - Magic Kingdom - 8am reservation at Crystal Palace (Winnie the Pooh and friends), 2pm reservation at Cinderella's Castle (yes, I've heard the food is bad. It's okay with us. We just want to sit in the castle).
Monday - Hollywood Studios - 8am reservation at Chef Mickey's (which is stressing me out because it's at another resort, but there is literally NOTHING else available for Chef Mickey's and if I don't get a Mickey Mouse ear waffle I could be emotionally scarred for life), 3pm reservation at Hollywood Brown Derby, 6:30 reserved seating for Fantasmic! (which I think is probably going to scare Kendall, but if I'm riding Dumbo she can take one for the team), check out Osborne dancing Christmas lights.
Tuesday - Free day during the day and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party that night at Magic Kingdom (it's gonna snow on Main Street!)
Wednesday - Free day - we'll be out til midnight on Tuesday, so I'm sure we'll want to take it easy.
Thursday - Animal Kingdom - 1pm reservation at Tusker House (which now offers their safari character experience with Mickey and the gang at lunch).
Friday - Free day - we have park tickets to use, but nothing set in stone
Saturday - Fly back around 1ish.
Now, I know that this won't go as planned and I'm not super stressed about everything working perfectly. I know that there is no way to see all of Disney in a week or even a month. So we're going to enjoy ourselves and not feel rushed and just experience the magic that is Disney at Christmastime.
Provided I get my Mickey Mouse waffle, of course.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Letter C
Last night we had game night at our house. I love game night with my whole heart. The best game nights include my parents, my brother and my BFF Melissa and her husband Dean. Everyone meshes really well and we've all known each other forever, so hilarity ensues.
And none of that has anything to do with letter C.
Last night, after we were done playing (aka dominating the boys in) Catch Phrase, we discussed blogging. And my mom discussed how I hadn't blogged in a long time. So here we are at letter C.
C is for Church.
Growing up, my parents did not regularly attend church (thereby making the fact that my dad is now a pastor of a local church even more amazing). However, I somehow ended up at churches on a somewhat regular basis. I attended a few Vacation Bible Schools each summer, went on special occasions, etc. After I became an adult and decided that following Jesus made more sense than drinking myself into oblivion 7 days a week, my church attendance obviously increased. I thought it would be interesting to list the churches that have made some sort of impact in my life, be that positive or negative.
The first church that I remember going to was Smith Chapel Freewill Baptist Church. Smith as in my grandparents. Who founded the church. And still live across the street from it. I attended VBS here in the summers and while I remember it being moderately okay because my cousins were also there, this church was a source of confusion in my impressionable little mind. I distinctly remember standing outside with other children waiting to be let into the sanctuary for the opening songs and prayers and my grandmother telling a little girl that she couldn't come back unless she wore a dress the next time. This was also the church that took my Precious Moments NIV away from me because it wasn't a King James Version and thereby not worthy to be read from. Even at 7 years old, I realized that there was something seriously not cool with these rules. I followed them, obviously, making sure that I had on a dress and leaving my Precious Moments Bible at home. But it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Then there was Plainview Baptist Church. I'm actually not sure what "type" of Baptist church this was, but I attended VBS there with my godmother's family and I remember it being fun and I didn't have to wear a dress, so I liked going there. It was here that I walked an aisle and professed faith as a child and here that I was baptized at around 9 years old. This church holds pleasant memories for me.
There were 2 churches that my Donnie dad's family were members of - neither of which I ever felt comfortable at. That was partially because I never felt comfortable with my Donnie dad's family and partially because these were also churches in which a woman can't darken the doors with a pair of slacks on and the KJV is held in high esteem.
And then there was Bethesda. I was first introduced to Bethesda by my BFF Melissa when I was 14 years old. I loved it. Went every time I could. Granted, it was because Bethesda had a fabulous youth group and all of my friends went there. But also because I felt completely comfortable. No one looked down on me because I was dressed a certain way. No one made me feel dumb for asking a question. No one made fun of my NIV. There were years that I didn't go to church at all in my teen and early adult years, but at 22 years old when I was at my rock bottom and needed Jesus to take over, it was the pastors at Bethesda that made me understand what all of that meant. My entire family (mom, Ronnie, Meg, myself, James) came to know the Lord at Bethesda and were baptized there. I was discipled so much at Bethesda. I learned what it means to fellowship with other believers, to be involved in God's work at the local church level, to go on mission trips...everything about my adult Christian faith was formed at this church. I would have gladly gone to Bethesda the rest of my days.
However, God had other plans and we are at Cross Culture Church now and I love it. My family is loved and accepted at Cross Culture. We are able to serve, grow, give - it's a wonderful church. And it happens to knock down some of those church traditions - we don't have a building of our own (we meet in a high school), our music is loud, most folks wear jeans on Sunday mornings. What matters is walking in those doors to learn about the Lord, to serve Him, to love other believers, to serve our community. What we wear doesn't matter. The color of our skin doesn't matter. Our politics don't matter. Loving Jesus and each other matters.
So I guess I'm oddly grateful for those uncomfortable moments at other churches - they did shape the way I view church. And they've taught me that church can get in it's own way if we're not careful. If we don't keep our eye on the end goal of glorifying God, we can get very caught up in rules that make zero difference at the end of the day. Being more like Jesus is what matters.
And none of that has anything to do with letter C.
Last night, after we were done playing (aka dominating the boys in) Catch Phrase, we discussed blogging. And my mom discussed how I hadn't blogged in a long time. So here we are at letter C.
C is for Church.
Growing up, my parents did not regularly attend church (thereby making the fact that my dad is now a pastor of a local church even more amazing). However, I somehow ended up at churches on a somewhat regular basis. I attended a few Vacation Bible Schools each summer, went on special occasions, etc. After I became an adult and decided that following Jesus made more sense than drinking myself into oblivion 7 days a week, my church attendance obviously increased. I thought it would be interesting to list the churches that have made some sort of impact in my life, be that positive or negative.
The first church that I remember going to was Smith Chapel Freewill Baptist Church. Smith as in my grandparents. Who founded the church. And still live across the street from it. I attended VBS here in the summers and while I remember it being moderately okay because my cousins were also there, this church was a source of confusion in my impressionable little mind. I distinctly remember standing outside with other children waiting to be let into the sanctuary for the opening songs and prayers and my grandmother telling a little girl that she couldn't come back unless she wore a dress the next time. This was also the church that took my Precious Moments NIV away from me because it wasn't a King James Version and thereby not worthy to be read from. Even at 7 years old, I realized that there was something seriously not cool with these rules. I followed them, obviously, making sure that I had on a dress and leaving my Precious Moments Bible at home. But it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Then there was Plainview Baptist Church. I'm actually not sure what "type" of Baptist church this was, but I attended VBS there with my godmother's family and I remember it being fun and I didn't have to wear a dress, so I liked going there. It was here that I walked an aisle and professed faith as a child and here that I was baptized at around 9 years old. This church holds pleasant memories for me.
There were 2 churches that my Donnie dad's family were members of - neither of which I ever felt comfortable at. That was partially because I never felt comfortable with my Donnie dad's family and partially because these were also churches in which a woman can't darken the doors with a pair of slacks on and the KJV is held in high esteem.
And then there was Bethesda. I was first introduced to Bethesda by my BFF Melissa when I was 14 years old. I loved it. Went every time I could. Granted, it was because Bethesda had a fabulous youth group and all of my friends went there. But also because I felt completely comfortable. No one looked down on me because I was dressed a certain way. No one made me feel dumb for asking a question. No one made fun of my NIV. There were years that I didn't go to church at all in my teen and early adult years, but at 22 years old when I was at my rock bottom and needed Jesus to take over, it was the pastors at Bethesda that made me understand what all of that meant. My entire family (mom, Ronnie, Meg, myself, James) came to know the Lord at Bethesda and were baptized there. I was discipled so much at Bethesda. I learned what it means to fellowship with other believers, to be involved in God's work at the local church level, to go on mission trips...everything about my adult Christian faith was formed at this church. I would have gladly gone to Bethesda the rest of my days.
However, God had other plans and we are at Cross Culture Church now and I love it. My family is loved and accepted at Cross Culture. We are able to serve, grow, give - it's a wonderful church. And it happens to knock down some of those church traditions - we don't have a building of our own (we meet in a high school), our music is loud, most folks wear jeans on Sunday mornings. What matters is walking in those doors to learn about the Lord, to serve Him, to love other believers, to serve our community. What we wear doesn't matter. The color of our skin doesn't matter. Our politics don't matter. Loving Jesus and each other matters.
So I guess I'm oddly grateful for those uncomfortable moments at other churches - they did shape the way I view church. And they've taught me that church can get in it's own way if we're not careful. If we don't keep our eye on the end goal of glorifying God, we can get very caught up in rules that make zero difference at the end of the day. Being more like Jesus is what matters.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Letter B
Deciding on a subject for letter B was extremely difficult. Should I go with bratwurst, Barack Obama, billy goats? Bubblegum, Biltmore, booty shorts?Such a tough decision.
Luckily I just so happen to know some fabulously cool people with the last name Bell. More specifically, my dad Ronnie Bell. Ronnie is actually my stepdad, but there are lots of folks that don't know that. See - unlike some stepdads, Ronnie has been in my life since my earliest memory. My mom and bio dad divorced when I was 3 and mama and Ronnie fell in love and got married when I was four (8/4/84 is their anniversary...neat, huh).
Growing up, I totally took Ronnie for granted. Now that I'm older and wiser, I realize that he didn't have to love me the way he always has. He didn't have to treat me as his own. But then again, maybe he did. After all, what makes a child "yours"? Is it based on DNA? Or is it wiping tears, videotaping dance recitals, coming to awards day at school, getting out splinters, building sand castles, driving car pool, going on field trips? I think it's the million little things that a parent does to nurture their child that makes a kid "theirs". And Ronnie did all those things for me.
I don't want to discredit my bio dad here. He loves me too and I know that. But lets face it - every other weekend and 4 hours on Thanksgiving does not build that daddy-daughter bond that I'm talking about.
That bond was built day in and day out - on good days and horribly rotten days. Through years of me being a cute and playful child and the years of me being an angry and rebellious teenager. Ronnie has been by my side for every joy and every pain that I've experienced since he and mama got married. He has comforted me, made me laugh, made me mad, bailed me out of sticky situations, come to my rescue when people were mistreating me, taught me about responsibility and love and Jesus and honor and loyalty and honesty. He moved me into my first apartment, walked me down the aisle when I married my prince, prayed me through my miscarriage, celebrated with pride the births of my girls. He has shown me what it is to love the Lord and what it looks like to follow through on a calling He places on your life - even when it's tough. He is disciplined and brave, sensitive and talented, strong and gentle. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he loves me and I pray that I can show him the depth of my gratitude for being the daddy he didn't have to be.
Luckily I just so happen to know some fabulously cool people with the last name Bell. More specifically, my dad Ronnie Bell. Ronnie is actually my stepdad, but there are lots of folks that don't know that. See - unlike some stepdads, Ronnie has been in my life since my earliest memory. My mom and bio dad divorced when I was 3 and mama and Ronnie fell in love and got married when I was four (8/4/84 is their anniversary...neat, huh).
Growing up, I totally took Ronnie for granted. Now that I'm older and wiser, I realize that he didn't have to love me the way he always has. He didn't have to treat me as his own. But then again, maybe he did. After all, what makes a child "yours"? Is it based on DNA? Or is it wiping tears, videotaping dance recitals, coming to awards day at school, getting out splinters, building sand castles, driving car pool, going on field trips? I think it's the million little things that a parent does to nurture their child that makes a kid "theirs". And Ronnie did all those things for me.
I don't want to discredit my bio dad here. He loves me too and I know that. But lets face it - every other weekend and 4 hours on Thanksgiving does not build that daddy-daughter bond that I'm talking about.
That bond was built day in and day out - on good days and horribly rotten days. Through years of me being a cute and playful child and the years of me being an angry and rebellious teenager. Ronnie has been by my side for every joy and every pain that I've experienced since he and mama got married. He has comforted me, made me laugh, made me mad, bailed me out of sticky situations, come to my rescue when people were mistreating me, taught me about responsibility and love and Jesus and honor and loyalty and honesty. He moved me into my first apartment, walked me down the aisle when I married my prince, prayed me through my miscarriage, celebrated with pride the births of my girls. He has shown me what it is to love the Lord and what it looks like to follow through on a calling He places on your life - even when it's tough. He is disciplined and brave, sensitive and talented, strong and gentle. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he loves me and I pray that I can show him the depth of my gratitude for being the daddy he didn't have to be.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Inspiration: A - Z
Now that I'm back in the blog world on a consistent basis (because one whole week = consistency, right?), I thought I'd give this whole alphabet thing a try.
Tonight (actually this morning - it's 1:59 a.m. and I can't sleep...no surprise there) I'm going to start with (drum roll please) - letter A.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of letter is A is Ann. Or Anne. Because both are significant to me.
Ann was my maternal grandmother's name and I was the Apple of her eye (couldn't resist). She died when I was 9, but I have so many memories of her. I think God allowed me to keep those memories because He knew how very much I loved her. Some of my memories of my mama's mama:
- She wore Charlie perfume. I always curled up in the backseat with her when we would go places as a family and she smelled like Charlie all the time. She drove a gigantic Lincoln Towncar with navy blue leather interior. You could press a button and have these little round lights come on in the backseat - I thought that was way cool.
- She had an infectious laugh. So did my Papa, who has also since passed.
- She always had a couple of my favorite things to eat in her freezer. Namely brunswick stew from Redwood Fire Department. I loved that stuff.
- She devoured books like I do. Or I guess I should say, I devour books like she did. My mama told me she read Gone With the Wind in one day and I totally believe it because I've read similar length books in a day. I love getting lost in the characters and I bet she did too.
- I distinctly remember sitting in her lap one night at the shop (her and my Papa owned Triangle Ford - basically an automobile parts and repair shop) and biting into a gumball machine figurine from my shadow box. Why was it in my mouth? I have no clue. But I remember my mama freaking out and trying to piece back together the glass to see if I had swallowed any (I didn't).
- Her and my Papa had beach homes in Salter Path and Atlantic Beach from the time I was born and one of my clearest memories is of my grandma waving my family goodbye from either of their beach homes. She would stand on the porch/deck and wave until we were out of sight. Later in life, my mama would do the same when I would leave the beach.
- She was my mama's best friend. And now my mama is my best friend. I pray Kendall and Raegan feel about me the way I feel about my mama.
- She could cook...old fashioned, fat-back included country cooking. I'm pretty sure that's where my love of all things greasy and salty came from. She also made a mean cheeseball.
- She bought me my Holiday Barbies - which I have in my Hope chest. She gave the Hope chest to my mom, my mom gave it to me and I'm going to pass it to Kendall. She also gave me my very first American Girls doll. Samantha. She collected dolls - she had a complete library in her home and that's where she kept her doll collection. I remember the way that room smelled - like old books (which is the absolute BEST smell in the world) and those dolls. She had an Elvis doll that played music that I loved.
I loved my grandma very much. Still do. I can't wait to see her again someday in Heaven. Grandma accepted Christ late in her life...actually she was fighting for her life when she finally accepted Him. Praise be to Him that He doesn't give up on us.
So back to the Ann part. My grandma was Ann (she was actually Minnie Ann Womble, but she hated the Minnie part...I don't blame her). My mama is LuAnn (obviously named after grandma). My middle name is Leann (for grandma and mama). And Kendall's middle name is Anne. For my grandma, my mama, myself and.....Anne of Green Gables. Yep - you read that right. I named my child after a fictional character (Anne with an "e"). Like I told you, my grandma loved to read. And I happened to learn to read (and comprehend) books at a very early age. I don't claim to be smarter than the average bear and I can't think of one single talent that I have, but dag on it - I can read with the best of them. One book that was a favorite was a green hardback copy of Anne of Green Gables that belonged to my grandma. It was (and still is) one of my favorite books. So when it came time to name my first baby girl - Anne seemed like a logical middle name.
So, there you have it. Letter A.
Tonight (actually this morning - it's 1:59 a.m. and I can't sleep...no surprise there) I'm going to start with (drum roll please) - letter A.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of letter is A is Ann. Or Anne. Because both are significant to me.
Ann was my maternal grandmother's name and I was the Apple of her eye (couldn't resist). She died when I was 9, but I have so many memories of her. I think God allowed me to keep those memories because He knew how very much I loved her. Some of my memories of my mama's mama:
- She wore Charlie perfume. I always curled up in the backseat with her when we would go places as a family and she smelled like Charlie all the time. She drove a gigantic Lincoln Towncar with navy blue leather interior. You could press a button and have these little round lights come on in the backseat - I thought that was way cool.
- She had an infectious laugh. So did my Papa, who has also since passed.
- She always had a couple of my favorite things to eat in her freezer. Namely brunswick stew from Redwood Fire Department. I loved that stuff.
- She devoured books like I do. Or I guess I should say, I devour books like she did. My mama told me she read Gone With the Wind in one day and I totally believe it because I've read similar length books in a day. I love getting lost in the characters and I bet she did too.
- I distinctly remember sitting in her lap one night at the shop (her and my Papa owned Triangle Ford - basically an automobile parts and repair shop) and biting into a gumball machine figurine from my shadow box. Why was it in my mouth? I have no clue. But I remember my mama freaking out and trying to piece back together the glass to see if I had swallowed any (I didn't).
- Her and my Papa had beach homes in Salter Path and Atlantic Beach from the time I was born and one of my clearest memories is of my grandma waving my family goodbye from either of their beach homes. She would stand on the porch/deck and wave until we were out of sight. Later in life, my mama would do the same when I would leave the beach.
- She was my mama's best friend. And now my mama is my best friend. I pray Kendall and Raegan feel about me the way I feel about my mama.
- She could cook...old fashioned, fat-back included country cooking. I'm pretty sure that's where my love of all things greasy and salty came from. She also made a mean cheeseball.
- She bought me my Holiday Barbies - which I have in my Hope chest. She gave the Hope chest to my mom, my mom gave it to me and I'm going to pass it to Kendall. She also gave me my very first American Girls doll. Samantha. She collected dolls - she had a complete library in her home and that's where she kept her doll collection. I remember the way that room smelled - like old books (which is the absolute BEST smell in the world) and those dolls. She had an Elvis doll that played music that I loved.
I loved my grandma very much. Still do. I can't wait to see her again someday in Heaven. Grandma accepted Christ late in her life...actually she was fighting for her life when she finally accepted Him. Praise be to Him that He doesn't give up on us.
So back to the Ann part. My grandma was Ann (she was actually Minnie Ann Womble, but she hated the Minnie part...I don't blame her). My mama is LuAnn (obviously named after grandma). My middle name is Leann (for grandma and mama). And Kendall's middle name is Anne. For my grandma, my mama, myself and.....Anne of Green Gables. Yep - you read that right. I named my child after a fictional character (Anne with an "e"). Like I told you, my grandma loved to read. And I happened to learn to read (and comprehend) books at a very early age. I don't claim to be smarter than the average bear and I can't think of one single talent that I have, but dag on it - I can read with the best of them. One book that was a favorite was a green hardback copy of Anne of Green Gables that belonged to my grandma. It was (and still is) one of my favorite books. So when it came time to name my first baby girl - Anne seemed like a logical middle name.
So, there you have it. Letter A.
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