We Survived the Tornado

I live in Alabama.  April 27, 2011 is a day that we will never forget and never want to repeat.  Our town was devastated by an EF-4 tornado... possibly more than one.  The downtown area of our little town was devastated.  Many 100+ year old trees were literally ripped up by the roots.  Many homes have been completely destroyed.  Many business now lay in a rubble heap.  The landscape was changed forever.

My family was blessed.   We suffered no physical injury and only minor damage to our home.   We watched the TV weather until our power went out.  I knew that the tornado was close.  I saw the swirling debris cloud right before we took shelter in our linen closet.  I heard sounds of things breaking, trees coming down & wind blowing, but most the sound of my own voice praying.  I was afraid of what I would see when we emerged.  Praise God! Our house was still standing.  The damage was minor.  Our neighbors down the street weren't so lucky.  There are probably 3 houses on our street that will have to be torn down.  They had multiple trees fall on them.

At my home, we still have no power or internet connection...and we don't have smartphones.  We were able to get a generator a few days ago, which has made things easier.  Luckily, Sew Daddy likes to grill so he's been able to cook much of our frozen food before it spoiled.  Frozen pizzas & homemade lasagna are very good when cooked on a Big Green Egg.

Last Thursday, we drove a 2 hour round trip to find gasoline and a wifi connection.  At that time, I put my Etsy shop in vacation mode.  It will remain that way until power & internet are available again.  Today, I'm at a family member's house to check email for the first time since the storm.

I will be checking into FB later today.  Given the number of emails I was finally able to read  today, lots of you have posted on my personal wall and also the  SG wall.  I haven't read them yet; still trying to get through about 300 emails. :) Your ourpouring of support, concern, offers to bring us supplies , etc is overwhelming.  I can never thank you all enough; especially because there are only a few of you that I've ever met face to face.  I don't want to call it "the kindness of strangers" because I feel like I know so many of you even though we've never met.

I have lots of pictures that I would like to share but that will have to wait a few more days.  Today when I came to a family member's house to get internet access, I brought my camera but forgot to bring my camera cable.  I grabbed my cell phone charger instead.  However, I'm sure you've seen pictures on the news. I heard that Diane Sawyer opened one of her broadcasts over the weekend with a picture of our church sanctuary.     I can only image the other images you've seen.  I have to say, seeing it on TV is nothing like living it.  Many times, I've just been overcome with tears when I see our town...landmarks gone forever.   I heard that Diane Sawyer said that our church would not be worshipping this past Sunday.  I'm happy to say that she was mistaken.  Our church did meet on Sunday, with no power, in the fellowship hall.  It was standing room only!  God's people came together and it was wonderful.

That brings to mind another point.  This little town has united to help each other.  Even with the devastation, all area churches and other organizations are working together to doing outreach during this difficult time.   It's a true test of God's people.  It is up to US to help our neighbors and not wait for the government to do so.  Of course state and federal aid is here, needed and will be needed for months to come, but the Church is doing what God expects us to do.  I'm thankful for the service of our first responders, police force, state troopers and national guard soldiers whose presence is so reassuring.

There was a community faith service on Sunday night.  It was a time for people to gather, pray and just take a break from reality for a couple of hours.  We were treated to a free concert by Casting Crowns and it was incredible!  Many, Many thanks to Mark Hall, the members of the group and the local officials who were able to provide that for our community.

Ok, I've gotten a bit long winded here.  Just know that I appreciate you all and ask that you continue to pray for our community!

much love,
Pam

Alive & Kickin'

Hey Y'all!  I'm still here!  I haven't skipped the country, joined the foreign legion or otherwise disappeared from the face of the earth.  Did ya miss me? ;)

For the past 2 weeks, our house has been the mayhem know as "installing tile flooring in the kitchen & laundry room".  Yes, I decided that dust was an instrument of the Devil as I tried to keep things clean during the 2 week assault on our home.  I finally gave up, got in a funk and just decided to ride it out.  Let's just say I couldn't find my happy place during those last few days.  It was a struggle, but I kept looking for the light at the end of the tunnel; praying it wasn't a train headed right for me.

The work was finished the middle of last week, but only over the weekend did I finally find my happy place.  Sew Daddy was THE MAN on Saturday.  He helped me do some major spring cleaning!  There is no more dust, no more dirt, no more evidence of the craziness that happened.  We are left with a clean home and a beautiful new floor.  To finish the day off, he even helped me hang new drapes in the bedroom.  Yes, he's a good man . . . a mighty, mighty good man!

This floor job was a "have to" job thanks to a faulty dryer vent.  We've been through this once in the past 7 years when our dishwasher leaked.  We replaced vinyl with vinyl that time.  Five short years later I declared that if we have to do this again, it will be done with tile.  So, we have tile.  The sub-floor is incredibly sturdy and this floor is permanent.  I'm happy.

During the renovation period, things were torn out to the point that I could see the ground below my kitchen floor while standing in the kitchen.  Sub-floor came out, right down to the floor joists.  Oh happy day!   I tried not to go to the disaster area  kitchen often because it was just depressing.  I knew it would all be worth it, but that was a LOOOONG 2 weeks.   Our work crew was great.  Headed by a friend from church, we were blessed with working appliances {washer, dryer & stove} almost everyday.  He knew how hard it would be without those things working so he moved things around, but hooked them back up at the end of each work day.  NICE!  We did do without a stove last weekend, but that was ok to.  No stove = no cooking.   Ah, the silver lining!

If you've followed this saga on Facebook, you know some folks have asked for pictures.  I haven't taken pics of the finished kitchen.  After the cleaning marathon yesterday, it was late and I was tired.  I also plan to repaint the kitchen so I may way to share the complete unveil at that time; however I will share a few to represent the bliss of the past 2 weeks.

BEFORE:  Not so bad, but it is vinyl

FLOOR JOISTS:  Yes, that black plastic is what covers the ground under the house. 

New, Sturdy Sub-Floor! No more squeaks, no more problems!

Concrete Board Base and NEW TILE!

A little bonus; just in case you like Simple Minds. ;)

Cucumbers in Sour Cream : A Special Thanksgiving Recipe

Part of the Thanksgiving meal is having special dishes that bring back memories of years gone by.  In Sew Daddy's family, one of those special dishes is Cucumbers in Sour Cream.   His Mother made it every Thanksgiving and it was always a family favorite.  It was a nice, fresh taste among all of the other yummy, rich food that comes along with holidays. Sew Daddy's mother is in Heaven but she is remembered every year when we enjoy her special recipe.  She was a generous woman and would be happy for me to share her recipe with you.

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Cucumbers in Sour Cream

3-4 large cucumbers; washed and peeled

1/2 sweet, white onion; diced

salt and pepper to taste

sour cream {I use light}

Slice cukes into very thin slices {about 1/16" if possible} and put them into a large bowl.  Add diced onion and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add enough sour cream and toss to coat all cukes and onions.  Add more sour cream as needed to make sure the dish is moist.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  Overnight is best, if possible.

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This is great made a day ahead, but can be enjoyed the same day if made early.  if there are any leftovers, I enjoy it over it over a green salad. It serves as the dressing and is DIVINE!  If you plan to do this, add a little extra sour cream when making the dish.  ENJOY! 

Giving thanks today and everyday

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Pumpkin Pie is not just for Thanksgiving : recipe

Today is Sew Daddy's birthday.  He has always loved anything pumpkin.  When we first met, he let me know he prefer pumpkin bread over birthday cake anyday.   No problem!  I have a great pumpkin bread recipe that I used to make Pumpkin Muffins.  You can get that recipe here.  Ever since I've known him, I've made pumpkin bread for him in October.

This year he original declared he wanted a cheesecake.  That was good.  I like cheesecake too!  ;-)  Scratch that!

Instead, he decided that a pumpkin pie was in order.  No need to wait for Thanksgiving when you can celebrate a birthday with pumpkin pie a month early.  So, this is what I making for him today!  His favorite pumpkin pie!

The best recipe I've found is the one on the can of Libby's pumpkin.  It's easy, has great spice/flavorings and I don't have to dig through files, folders & clippings of old recipes.  It's right there on the can of pumpkin every single time!  Doesn't this look DIVINE!?  Whipped topping is a must! 

So, whether you have a pumpkin lover or just need to get a jumpstart on Thanksgiving ideas, here is the Pumpkin Pie recipe straight from the can of Libby's pumpkin!  ENJOY!

Libby's Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (a must)

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Homegrown Veggie Medley Recipe

Having a garden can be work, but it is oh so rewarding when the harvest starts!

All of the vegetables & herbs in this dish came from our garden {with the exception of the mushrooms}.  It was super quick and delicious.  After grilling chicken for dinner, Sew Daddy just put this in his handy-dandy saute' pan for the grill.  In a few minutes, we had the most divine side dish EV-AH!!!  For those who refrain from eating meat, this would be a delicious vegetarian dish too.

If you don't have your own garden, the local farmers market has everything you need to create your own medley to grill AND the farmers will appreciate your business!  You can put together your own combination, but I'll share what we used.

Nothing was measured in this creation.  Use as much or as little as you like!  :)

Grilled Garden Veggie Medley
4-5 garden fresh yellow squash
1 garden fresh Japanese eggplant
1/2 garden fresh Zucchini-zilla {or a couple of regular zukes}
1 handful garden fresh grape tomatoes, whole or cut in half
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms {portabellos would be delicious here too}
6-8 leaves garden fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade
garden fresh thyme, as much as you like
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Cut the squash, eggplant, & zukes into slices about 1/2" thick.  In a bowl, combine veggies with tomatoes, herbs & garlic.  Add salt & pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil, not to much; just enough to coat everything well.  Grill until desired doneness & enjoy!

If you don't have a grill, you may also roast the veggies in a 350' oven for 20-30 minutes or until they reach your desired state of doneness.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

So far, So good!

My name is not Mary and I'm not usually contrary,

but this garden thing has worked out pretty well so far. 

It is our first year to have a true garden.  We've had tomato plants in the past,

but this year I wanted to expand {and hopefully cut the grocery bill a bit this summer}

It's all really a learning process for us, but it's been fun!

Sew Daddy built us 2 raised planting beds from these instructions.  The beds are WONDERFUL!  Did you see that he even dressed them up a bit with copper covers for the 4x4s in the corners.  Love that!  In this bed, we have planted lettuce, beans, eggplant, yellow squash and cucumbers.

The Tomato Jungle!  We planted some Better Boys, one grape tomato plant and an heirloom yellow tomato plant.  They seem to be pretty happy here.  Next year we will have taller tomato supports as we have in the past. We have these tied & rigged in some creative ways this year.

This bed also has some zucchini, carrots and peppers.  I don't know if the carrots will do well because they are shadowed by the massive tomatoes and zuke plants.  Several varieties of peppers are slowly coming along on the far end.

Green Tomatoes!  The promise of good things {and good meals} to come!

Our 1st squash {and first harvest} on the vine . . . . . . . . then freshly picked.

Little Gracious and I also planted some flowers seeds on Mothers Day.  Our flower bed is doing well.  The birds did feast on a few of our sunflower seeds, but most survived and are growing tall.  They are at the far end of this bed. 

Zinnias are in the middle.  I adore zinnias in the summertime.  They make the best cut flowers and really bright up the house.

Although not in this shot, we also planted some carnation seeds and some other little miscellaneous flower seeds; just to see what grows.

Life is GOOD!

I'd love to hear about your garden this summer!  What are YOU growing?

15 Years Ago Today

June 10, 1995

It was a day like many other days; except I was at the beach.  It's a good place to wake up; especially when the weather is perfect.  Bright sunshine, blue water, calming waves & gentle breeze.  My best friend and I had the perfect day ahead and made plans for later.

My friend and I walked on the beach.  We sat by the pool & sipped cold iced tea.  I did my nails {french manicure . . .  yes, I got paid by other people to do that, once upon a time} . . .  R E L A X E D!  It was heaven.

Later in the afternoon, I showered and went to a salon to get my hair done.  Since I did my own nails, it was nice to have someone else do my hair.  The stylist treated me to a glass of chardonnay, a nice conversation and the world was a happy place, but I had to get back to the room because my best friend and I had plans for later.

Our room was beautiful.  We stayed at a B&B, right on the beach.  It doesn't get much better than that!   It was time to get dressed for the evening.  My friend had already dressed and gone downstairs.  I had the room to myself.  :)

Since it was such an exceptional day, I wore a dress for the evening's events.  Not just any dress.
It was special . . . because I had plans for 7pm.

The dress was white . . antique white, actually.  Not blinding white, but not ivory either.

There were only the two of us, my best friend and I; along with the minister and the planner.  She coordinated everything long distance.  We don't live at the beach, but she knew the best place to stay, she knew who should do my hair, she ordered my flowers, she contacted the minister and she was in the background when my friend and I proceeded with our plans.

Shortly after 7pm on June 10, 1995 my best friend became my husband!

My fingers were swollen.  A hot day at the beach can do that to you.  Luckily, we were able to exchange rings.   Check out the manicure!   And yes . . . those are my real nails; no acrylics, no tips.

No, I didn't marry an old man.  I'm actually a little older than he is.   Thanks to his genetic make-up, he is follically challenged.  It's OK.  Thank goodness he decided that hair is overrated and now sports a chic bald head & van dyke/gotee.  He looks 20 years younger now than he did then.

Yes, I was goofy and wore pantyhose.  I KNOW!!!  YUCK!  It was way too hot and shortly after that I realized that everything that was pounded into my head as a child {you HAVE to wear hose with a dress; preferably control top} wasn't necessarily true.

And so it began . . .

our life together.

It was a wonderful day.
a day that changed my life forever.
a day I will always remember.
a day that began my journey with the most wonderful man in the world.

Happy 15th Anniversary to Sew Daddy! 
~~~lyd <3 ~~~

Calamari, anyone?

Ok, I tried it . . .  for the first & last time in my life. 

Little Gracious wanted to try calamari.  Sew Daddy has had it and likes it.   I'd never had it and had no desire to try it, but . . . the things you do for your kids.

So, I tried it.

It wasn't as bad as I thought, but still too chewy for my liking.  I'm "texture-sensitive" with food and the texture of this was not pleasing to me.  I had to concentrate on the marinara rather than what it was.

The little fried tenticles didn't help.  I almost felt like I was on an episode of Survivor when they eat the weird stuff.  LOL

Thank goodness the rest of the meal was better.  Give me a grilled grouper sandwich anytime!

Miss You Much

Isn't this the sweetest picture?

I have shared it before, but it is one of my favorites.

I thought today it was appropriate to share again.

Today, my Daddy would have been 75 years old.

Hard to believe.  He went to be with Jesus shortly after he turned 69.

He never looked his age, nor acted his age, right up until the day he died. :)

I saw him that morning.  The last thing I did was kiss him on the cheek & tell him I love him.

He loved me too.

He always smiled.

People say that about me.  I smile all the time & I look like my Daddy.

What a beautiful compliment!

In this picture, I am about 6 or 8 months old and my Daddy is 31.

Look how handsome he was.

He was a wonderful Daddy, but an even better Grandfather.  He thought Little Gracious hung the moon.  :-)

He loved his 2 other grandchildren very much, but they lived out of town and were already on their own by the time he retired.  That's when he REALLY started to enjoy life. He was still working like crazy when they were little.

Little Gracious was there, his sidekick, to enjoy his retirement with him.  One of their favorite pasttimes was sharing a bowl of ice cream whenever she spent the night at Nanny & Pa's house.  What wonderful memories for her!

Since he's gone to Heaven, 2 great grandchildren have joined the family.  He would have been SO excited about these 2 precious ones, Ethan & Gwyneth. 

I miss my Daddy.  I wish he were here to enjoy all that we worked so hard for.  I wish he were here to spend time with Little Gracious.  I wish he were here for so many reasons, but he is not.

I do know he is in Heaven; watching over us always.

I love you, Daddy!

Quick Broccoli Chicken Stirfry Recipe

I know
Mom!  What's for dinner?
The age old question.

What's the answer?
Maybe I can help with that!

This is one of my family's favorites so I have it in the dinner rotation often!  Easy Peasy, baby!

I don't have a formal name for this recipe.  Call it Broccoli Stirfry, Broccoli Chicken Stirfry, Asian Stirfry, Oriental Stirfry . . . well, you get the idea.  Let's get on with the details.

First, let me say that Sew Daddy grills a huge batch of chicken every Sunday; enough for me to use during the week for dinner, salads, sandwiches, etc.  Cook once, eat lots.  It works for us. {love that Sew Daddy!}

To make this super simple recipe, you need the items pictured above along with a few other things.  I'll give you the basic instructions and you can improvise as you like.

Saute a bag of broccoli slaw {available with the bagged lettuces in the produce section} in Kraft Asian Light Sesame Dressing {available in the salad dressing aisle}.  Use as much dressing as you like.  Use a little to start because you can always add more to taste.  As the broccoli is going, add a dash of low sodium soy sauce &/or teriyaki if you like.  If you don't, leave it out.  You can add matchstick carrots, water chestnuts, onion, peppers, mushrooms . . . anything you & your family like in a stirfry.

Once the broccoli is crisp tender, serve it up; topped with grilled chicken and some crunchy chow mein noodles.  If you have some silvered almonds, that would be a nice touch too.  This dish is great alone or served with some steamed rice or orzo on the side.  I like using chopsticks. . . . at least till I get down to the last few bites; then I need a fork. 

This was our dinner last night.  YUM!  I've shared this on Twitter & on Facebook so I wanted to share it with my blog readers too!

ENJOY!!!

Get Down!

Decorations, that is.

I LOVE Christmas and love to have our home decorated, but come December 26; I'm ready to have it all safely packed away for next year. We were a day late this year because we did a little shopping/exchanging yesterday, but I'm happy to say that it's all picked up & packed for 2010.

Sew Daddy was THE MAN today. He helped more than ever and it was so appreciated. Undecorating is never a fun time for me, but he kept me laughing so that the job wasn't so dreaded. Once the ornaments were put away, he removed lights & dismantled the tree and would NOT let me help.

Have I said that I have the best husband in the whole wide world? Well, I DO! Our first date was 15 years ago Christmas Night. {collective awwwwww. :-) }

These pics are actually from the past {we have hardwood now . . WOO HOOO!}, but I promise, it all looks the same. Tons of Rubbermaid storage totes, reams of tissue paper & ornament boxes out the wazoo.

Perfect Pumpkin Muffins : recipe

If you noticed the fine print at the bottom of yesterday's post, you know that it was Sew Daddy's birthday. He has always preferred pumpkin "something" rather than traditional birthday cake. Maybe it's because his b'day is on October, I don't know. Before meeting him, I was never a big pumpkin eater {and my name's not Peter}.

Early on in our marriage I found this recipe for Pumpkin Bread and it became his instant favorite.

This year I decide to make muffins rather than loaves. We just happened to have fun Halloween cupcake liners on hand! Yea! Wanna make your own pumpkin muffins this weekend? Here ya go!

Perfect Pumpkin Muffins

Dry ingredients:

1-1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped pecans {optional}

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Makes 24 muffins.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add all wet ingredients and mix well by hand. Pour into 24 lined cupcake pans. Bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Don't overbake so the muffins will be moist.

Enjoy!

Old School Jack

If you've read my blog for the past few years, you know that our family always carves a pumpkin or 2. It's never anything elaborate like some you see on TV or in magazines, but it's good family time anyway. In the past, I've gotten free templates from the web or drawn out my own designs for carving.

This year, I decided to completely wing it. No pattern, no transfer; strictly free-hand. Old School Jack is the result. He turned out pretty cute, didn't he? Did you notice . . . I didn't even have to carve a nose thanks to the natural little "dimple" on our gourd this year.

Jack-in-the-Dark

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For pumpkin carving posts from years past, click here
For all Halloween posts, click here

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p.s. Happy Birthday, Sew Daddy! Love you!

I DO!

and 14 years later, I'm still glad I did!

An Anniversary Message to SewDaddy:

{it's not too mushy; you all can keep reading if you like}

You've earned a gold star.
I know it's not always easy being married to me.
I mean, what's not to love, but I do occasionally have my moments!

Sometimes.

Not often.

Less than I used too; I've mellowed.

Rarely.

Once in a blue moon.

Almost never.

Ok, maybe a little less than you.

.........

........

hmmm, maybe I should get the gold star? ;-)

I will always offer a kiss & a hug.
through thick & thin

no matter what

you are there for me

supporting me, encouraging me, loving me

I am SO blessed and I look forward to going through the rest of

my wonderful life
with YOU!

May we enjoy many, many, many, many, many, many more years of happiness together!

I love you, SewDaddy!
Happy Anniversary!

Demolition Man

Meet Demolition Man, aka SewDaddy

Yes, friends we are still working on getting hardwood flooring put into our house. To save some coin, we are doing the prep work ourselves. Let's face it, our labor is cheaper than the floor dudes. We are taking out baseboards and replacing the subflooring ourselves. I should really say "he". I'm a DIY kind of girl and can paint with the best of 'em, but SewDaddy is much better with sledgehammers and saws so he did the lion's share of this job.

Demolition Man's Best Friend . . . Spartacus the 36" Crow Bar

Sick of sawdust, dust in general and the mess. My mantra "it will be worth it when this job is done". ;-) Looking forward to the Floor Dude's appearance this week! :-)