DELIZIOSO...

Don't you love it when you help a friend get dinner on the table and you learn something new?

QUICK ITALIAN SALAD

Fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4" thick
Fresh tomatoes, sliced thin
Italian vegetable relish (consists of diced black and green olives, carrots, marinated)

All you do is layer the cheese and tomatoes on the outer sides of  the dish, then fill the center with the relish.  Sprinkle any remaining relish over the top of it. Beautiful and goes great with any Italian meal!

BECAUSE I'M THE FAMILY JOURNALIST...

I got to be in charge of the powerpoint at Grandma's funeral.  I probably spent 10 hours wading through pictures at my aunt's house and on my computer, scanning, editing and making checklists to make sure anyone close to Grandma had their picture with her on powerpoint!  Plus I'm a firm believer after doing a few of these things that they shouldn't be more than 50 pics/5 minutes long, so you don't lose interest.  It's not an easy job!  But it's a sweet job, where you discover pictures you've never seen before and hear stories from long ago.

I had  to share a few of my favorites with you:

This one was made in 1935, while she was living with her sister and her brother-in-law in Tipton.  She was dating Raymond Bryan, and he wanted her to get her picture made and said he would pay for it.  So she borrowed the dress from a neighbor and went to a studio in Frederick to have it done.

Love this one - kinda glamourous looking of her - and my daughter thinks Grandpa looks like Tom Hanks! 

1950's - This is a neat one because of the items in the background, but my uncle, the little cowboy is pretty cute too!  The clock is a family heirloom and the picture on the mantel is of their daughter Myrna Rae, who died at age 7 after heart surgery at the Mayo Clinic.  So this picture is their whole family at the time, including Myrna Rae on the mantel.

                                                  1970's - I am lovin that flower print!

1992 - Wearing the t-shirt I painted for her with baby handprints of her great grandchildren!  They are wearing matching jumpsuits and socks from Hanna Anderson, which cost me an arm and a leg at the time.

Playing in the creek at age 85!  So great.

Pic of her sister Goldie, 99, and Grandma, on her 95th birthday last year!  Goldie made it to the funeral.

Thanks for going down memory lane with me today. Blessings to you and your family as you make memories!

TOUR DE HEFNER...

Me and my great ideas!  I thought it would be fun to do a post about all the beautiful sights there are to see as you bike around Lake Hefner.  Being the novice bike rider that I am, and choosing to do this on a Saturday which is probably the day of highest biker, walker, skater traffic of the week, got me a whole lot of this:

And this:

 Got more than 1 of these great shots!   Oh, you can't tell what it is?  My inside pocket. And, my personal favorite:

Power lines.  You know I worked really hard to get those angles...


Happy weekend!

SHARING A RECIPE...

on the back of the funeral remembrance!  My aunt and her husband thought of this idea and I agreed that would be a fun way to share with everyone at the funeral a little bit of Grandma!  She loved food and cooking and this was one of her favorite cake recipes.  A delicious lemon cake, which you can tweak and put less oil and only 3 eggs if you want.

                                  

MAKING THE MOST OF THE TIME YOU ARE GIVEN...

is a phrase we often hear, encouraging us to make good choices because we never know when our time on earth will be over.  Accidents and illnesses happen when we least expect it.  But the same thing could also be said for the aged.  My Grandma Flora told me for 40 years (yes 40 years!) that she would not be around much longer.  I vividly remember the first time she told me that as a child in the 1970's, when she was in the hospital before heart surgery.  I learned how to love this lady despite her preoccupation with death.  I learned a lot from her the past 40 years!  She finally died early this morning at the ripe old age of 96.

Flora Dee Townley McMillan

Her favorite verse:  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28 

So, the moral of the story today is:

  MAKE THE MOST OF THE TIME YOU ARE GIVEN.

YOU MAY JUST BE SURPRISED!

TIME CAPSULE BIRTHDAY...

Unbelievable...I have a 21 year old son, now!  On his first birthday I requested notes or mementos from family members, to be put in a time capsule, to be opened 20 years later.  The time has finally come for my son! We had a little party and we all enjoyed reminiscing.

21 collage, courtesy of Pinterest

Some of the goodies in it:

 Magic Johnson cup from McDonald's - apparently selling for $12 on Ebay now!

                   A hand-made card from cousins and a space shuttle postcard

My Grandmother Flora, who couldn't be here (she's in the hospital) gave him this bow tie that his Great Grandpa used to wear when he performed weddings.  She also gave him his cuff links and tie tack.

 Several sweet letters of encouragement and/or stories of items given

                                                 Mementos from my Dad

 A miniature hammer and nails, along with a story from his Great Grandmother Amy Trent about a real hammer her father ordered long ago, then she foiled and framed in the 1970's.  I think she wanted to give him the real one but didn't know exactly where it was stored at the time, but the story was neat!

                   Sermon book by his Great Grandad and artwork from a cousin

 An antique metal train I had given him that had been given to me by a great uncle.

 He received 2 pocketknives, both with interesting stories from his grandparents.

Another interesting thing to me was the letters my husband and I had written to him.  I was 28 years old, my husband 32.  I felt like the advice we both had given to him about what's important in life, God, and others was sound and maybe more mature than I would have thought I was at that age.  It reminds me that there are a lot of young parents out there in their 20's that probably really have it going on, spiritually speaking.  Of course I understand so much more now, but I think sometimes I judge younger generations too harshly.    Good lesson for me!

CAN YOU GUESS....

what this is?  My daughter gave it to me - she had found it in an antique store recently and knew I'd love it!  She gave it to me and I responded in the most delightful way mothers do:

OHhhhh!  Neat!  What is it?

I didn't know...

                                                             Ummm...

She gave me a hint...then I finally realized what it was!  I had a battery operated one that didn't last long and was so excited a few years ago to see a hand crank one at Restoration Hardware.  Only it was $50.  I just couldn't do it!  It looked a little different than this one.  So when my daughter found this she thought of me and got it as a late birthday gift.

Do you know what it is yet?

Look HERE.

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'...

It was about 4 years ago that I started blogging.  Right after my first-born went to college.  I had just worked on a project at church involving some young moms and found out about their blogs.  It intrigued me and I started loving reading about their lives, taking me back to a place 15 years earlier, reminiscing over my own young family.  And I decided someone needed to blog about what life was like with teenagers; that it wasn't as scary as they thought it might be.  So wawawaughs was born and one of my first posts was about my daughter leaving for college.

One of her favorite pics in Salida, CO

Now, 4 years later she is graduated (Hallelujah!) and the leaving is happening all over again.  Let me tell you friends, it doesn't get any easier!  Well, maybe just a smidgen.  (Is smidgen just for cooking?)  Don't get me wrong, it's what we wanted to happen eventually, but maybe there is a little part of me that wishes she needed to just stay with us a few months, to save a little money of course, before venturing out on her own.  I'm so proud of her - never would have I attempted something like that at her age.  But, adventure awaits for my girl!  She is a capable, independent Christian woman with dreams of her own.  She has found a way to make some of those dreams come true - living near the mountains.  Hiking and kayaking and all that stuff.   Thankfully she already has a place to stay with a Christian roommate - half the battle is done!  Now to find employment that will cover the rent and a few other things....

I'm looking forward to spending the next few days with her before she takes off for Denver:

Today we spent the early morning biking at Lake Hefner!

LIVIN THE DREAM...

Because my husband works at home, I occasionally get to hear bits and pieces of his conversations with others around the country.  The other day a co-worker responded to my husband's greeting with an enthusiastic,

"Livin' the dream!  How are you?"

I don't know if he was trying to be funny or what, but my husband replied, 

"I'm dreamin' to live!"

He probably didn't realize, but it caused me to think about what he said. Alot.  I hope I'm not living the American dream-Because that's a farce.  It's the way that leads to destruction.  It's a life filled with selfish ambition.  Maybe I'm going overboard but I'm thinking about all the stuff, all the pleasures, all the self-fulfillment we THINK we need.

I want to color my hair, have nice skin.  I think I need new furniture.  REALLY?  If we could only afford yard service, then my yard would be weed-free. I just need a few cute pieces of jewelry to complete my outfits.  If I could buy organic, then we would be really healthy.  YEAH, RIGHT. The list could go on and on...

Dreamin' to live...to live REAL life!  Life with the Father, our Master, our Creator.  No more sorrow, sickness or tears.  Forget our earthly bodies, forget keeping up appearances.  Reunited with our Christian family. Are you dreaming to live that life?  Heaven's a dream now, but someday it will come true!

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  James 4:8

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR...

Schedule pick-up day, of course!
And I finally have no problems with him going without me.  

STYLIN'

GTIOTMJIL...

I had seen this on a friend's Facebook the other day but didn't know what it meant. He had posted somewhat mysterious things before but I never asked him about it.  I'm friends with his kids, too, and knew he was dying of liver cancer (diagnosed just a few weeks ago) but I finally got to find out what GTIOTMJIL meant at his memorial service.

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN, JESUS IS LORD!

Sweet Gene

I think I would like to be known for something like GTIOTMJIL, wouldn't you?

It was his special saying, his code, his life-every day.  I knew him as my friend's Dad mostly- a happy guy who always took time for others.  I knew him as a lead guitar and singer in a country band, entertaining a lot in the 80's at church picnics and other venues.  I remember him changing the lyrics of some country songs to make them more acceptable!  A wonderful way to blend your Christianity with  entertainment.

But I got to hear much more about him at the funeral.  Got to hear how he wrote his wife love notes almost every day - what a romantic!  Got to hear how he randomly helped people, how he gave hay away to some folks that needed it, even if they couldn't pay for it.  Got to hear  more about his walk with God.  I shared this link of him singing the other day on Facebook, but it's worth hearing one more time.

Here's a song they had sung at the funeral - an oldie but the words really spoke to me this time:

To love someone more dearly every day,
To help a wandering child to find his way,
To ponder o’er a noble thought and pray,
And smile when evening falls,
And smile when evening falls:
This is my task.

To follow truth as blind men long for light,
To do my best from dawn of day till night,
To keep my heart fit for His holy sight,
And answer when He calls,
And answer when He calls:
This is my task.

And then my Savior by and by to meet,
When faith hath made her task on earth complete,
And lay my homage at the Master’s feet,
Within the jasper walls,
Within the jasper walls:
This crowns my task.

lyrics by Maude Ray

What are your tasks today?  Do they align with his will?  Blessings to you.

MY IDEA OF KEEPING COOL...

is staying indoors with a good book!  Here's what I've been reading lately:

Non-fiction account of the excavation of the Steamboat Arabia - I visited the museum in KC earlier this summer and was captivated by it!

Fictionalized story based on real events approx. 100 years ago - I wanted to read this one because my in-laws know the Abernathys in southwest OK.  It would be fun to read aloud to younger kids wanting to know how it was in the old west.  A little education in there too - I learned how the term "got gypped" originated! An easy, quick read.

Wow, I couldn't hardly put this one down.  What every parent fears - having to sit through a trial with your own son.  You really feel like you are inside the father's head on this one.

Has to be my favorite of the group.  Lovely historical fiction.  You bounce back and forth between the generations to solve the family mystery.  A big thick one that will take you a while.

Although I do love to read and have only gotten back into reading for pleasure the last few years, I still feel the familiar feeling since it is now the end of the summer again.  Happens every time - it's reading that is entertaining but I need something meaningful again - Bible study.  I have found that I can't really be focused on my Bible study while reading other books.  So I just don't do it during the school year Bible study.  I'm thankful to God for that hole in my heart that says "SO WHAT?" to these.

KEEPING COOL...

I realize how redundant this is but I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of my big boy and his friends when they came over to swim the other day!  Love to hear those whoops and hollers and love making them Blonde brownies - just like the old days!  :)

MY NEW FORM OF TORTURE...

But you know what they say:  Change up the routine to fool your body/metabolism.    This last Wednesday made the third one in a row for biking with the hubs at Lake Hefner!  It seems to get easier every time and the pain lesser.  One of the surprises to me is that my wrists hurt more than my rear.  But you know what they say, NO PAIN, NO GAIN.