A Lovely Weekend

This past Saturday was Valentine's Day and I had the day planned for my sweethearts. The night before, I had given my men their gifts—a nice bottle of wine and a movie for my hubby while David got a stuffed dog and beautiful crystal drinking glass. David loves to drink out of our fancy crystal and since he isn't always so graceful this was also a gift for us. I received a book on genealogy and a glass pitcher.

The next morning we headed out early to deliver David to Saturday school (once again.) Rich and I then headed to the local market where they were holding the "Chocolate Challenge." Local people could enter different types of chocolate for looks and taste and there were lots of chocolate venders that we were able to purchase from. We bought a few goodies for each other and some close friends. We then headed over to a great coffee shop across the street. Rich and I had breakfast and had lots of time together before picking David up.

David and me at the restaurant

After getting David we headed for lunch at a wonderful restaurant next to train tracks, just the type of place to interest David. Once again he ordered calamari and you would think he hadn't eaten in a month. There were several trips out to the porch for him as trains would go by.

The best part of the day came next and was a live play at his future high school. The nationally aclaimed drama department was putting on "Disney's Beauty and the Beast." We had heard lots of good comments about the drama department and so when I had to plunk down $10.00 a piece for a high school play I was a bit worried. But, I thought with so many school systems that have cut all their art programs due to budget problems this is one way to keep a program going.

After lunch we headed to the school a full 45 minutes before the program was to begin. When we got there we were surprised to see that the parking lot was already almost completely full. The auditorium was beautiful and very large, but was quickly filling up. There was not only a center stage and orchestra pit, but also a small stage on both sides of the main stage. Luckily we got a place up close and sat back to wait for the show to begin.

The stage settings and costumes were amazing! Everything looked so professional. The acting and singing was wonderful and the kids weren't even fazed when a prop that was to go off stage became detached from the piece that was to drag it off stage. This resulted in a wishing well right in the middle of the beasts castle. The kids acted around it and when Belle walked off stage at the end of the scene she just pushed it off.



It proved to be well worth the price of the tickets and we hope to attend more of these productions in the future. David was shocked that the kids who acted, played in the orchestra, made the sets and costumes were only a few years older then he is. He has already expressed an interest in working on the props in next year's production.
By the time we got home we were all exhausted and ready for an early bedtime.

Thinking Ahead

I admit it, I am a planner. I love to give to others but our budget doesn't always allow for everything I would love to do. So with a bit of planning and organizing I am able to do more.

This year I wanted to give a small thank you to David's teachers. I know that teaching isn't an easy job and want the teachers to know that they are appreciated.

But, as a middle school student David changes classes and has multiple teachers, along with the school nurse that gives him meds each day and his one-on-one specialist there are lots of people to thank. It was so much easier when he was in elementary school and only had one teacher!

So after thinking and searching for a nice, but inexpensive way to thank each of the people who touch David's life every day I finally found it. Betty Crocker's web site had a recipe for Cookie Cutter Fudge. The recipe was quick, easy and cheap. The idea is to make the fudge in the cookie cutters then remove the cutters before giving the fudge. I decided to keep the fudge in the cutter since it would keep the fudge in better shape as David went through the day delivering his gift. It also made the gifts a little nicer without too much of a cost.

I used the recipe right from their site, but I imagine any good recipe would work. They were so well received that when I found beautful cooper cookie cutters at Kroger this morning I snatched them up for next year. They are normally $2.99 each, but I got them at only .75 each!

This would also work well for Valentine's Day in little heart shaped cutters so I thought I would pass along the idea now.

Betty Crocker's Cookie Cutter Fudge

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Betty Crocker^® white or red decorator icing (in 4.25-ounce tube), if desired
• Candies, if desired

Place each of six 3x1/2-inch mitten-shaped cookie cutters, or other cookie cutters in a simple shape, on 5-inch square of foil. Seal foil tightly around outside of each cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheet. Lightly spray cookie cutters with cooking spray.

In 4-cup microwavable measuring cup, mix chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, milk and butter. Microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chips are almost melted. Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture into cookie cutter molds, filling to tops of molds. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until firm. Decorate with icing and candies.

Carefully remove foil. Gently press fudge out of molds to serve.

Taking His Job Seriously

With my in-laws visiting for Christmas we planned to show them many sites around town. We wanted to show them the reasons we enjoy our town so much.

On the Saturday following Christmas we began the day at the community market. We went to a coffee shop and used book store.

We then headed to the old cemetery. There were over 600 wreathes layed on graves by Wreaths Across America. The wreaths are placed by volunteers on the headstones of our nation's fallen heroes. It was a beautiful site with the starkness of winter and the beautiful greenery of the wreathes. We were not alone at the cemetery, we must have seen at least 15 to 20 other visitors. I had planned the day with a picnic basket already packed in the car, so we pulled it out and enjoyed it on the hill overlooking the decorated graves. As we were enjoying our turkey sandwiches I saw a sight that sent me into a fit of laughter.

I had grown up hearing the postal service saying "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." But we saw a mailman that went even beyond this motto. Around the bend at the cemetery came a mail truck. I just had to get this image of him delivering Christmas bills to the dead. Now how many take their job that seriously? Ok, I know he was really just delivering to the on site museum but I still found it very funny.

Happy 2009

Today begins a new year and I haven't quite caught up with last year yet.
We had Rich's parents visiting over Christmas and between the before-visit prep, the visit, and the clean-up following the visit I have had very little time to even sit down—let alone blog.

Their visit prompted me to completely unpack every single box that still remained from our move. I also cleaned the house and basement (where all the boxes were stored) from top to bottom. Then the decorating and planning of meals all before the visit had be exhausted before they even got here.

They arrived a few hours earlier then expected, just as I was finishing the final touches in the kitchen. Since it was Christmas Eve, I then had dinner to prepare and we all went to the candlelight worship service.

Christmas morning came bright and early with David waking us up at 5 in the morning. With the gift opening, cooking and cleaning I was on my feet all day.
After Christmas we took the opportunity to show Rich's parents around the town that we have fallen in love with. Since this was only their second visit to our home, their first visit just one month after moving to our new town, we took them to all the neat little places we have discovered.

Our guests have now all gone home and the clean-up has begun. Our livingroom still shows signs of hurricane K'Nex that are left over from Christmas morning. The decorations are still up and probably won't be packed up until David is back in school.

Even with clean-up still in progress I feel very blessed today sitting next to the fire with my handsome men beside me. My prayer is that I remember to feel as blessed and content every day this year as I do tonight.

A Virginia Christmas

Everyone who know me knows I love Christmas. Sunday we traveled back in time with our friends Joe and Abigail. A local historic site, Point of Honor, held it's 26th Annual Christmas Open House. Point of Honor is a home that is being restored to the period of 1815 to 1830 when Dr. George Cabell and his wife owned the home.

The museum staff and the volunteers of the Lynchburg Museum System did a wonderful job. They were so wonderful and informative to all the visitors. The carriage house was used as a hospitality house with warm cider, hot cholocate, and cookies served to the guests while a harpist played. There was a fire pit outside the carriage house that was so inviting.

The house was open and decorated as it would have been for a Twelfth Night Ball supper. The decorations were mostly greenery from the local woods which would have been typical in the Federal period. The table in the diningroom held food dishes that were made following recipes dating back into the late 18th century. In the parlor was a trio that played (harp, flute, hammered dulcimer, guitar) and sang while we sat in chairs arranged around the room.

After leaving the house we headed to the cook house. Upon entering it there was a conversation going on about slavery. The visitor was really into the slavery issue and the abuses of the system. He was questioning the director of the Museum. After the visitors group left and we were able to enter, David enjoyed hearing about the food that the workers had made for the day. He even asked who would get to eat the food since the event was almost over. One of the worker jokingly asked if he wanted to eat the stuffed fish with the heads still intact. They were quite shocked when my thirteen-year-old jumped at the chance because he loves fish. They then explained that due to health codes and regulations they were not allowed to offer the guests the food. One of the workers at the cookhouse works for the museum system to help education systems access the museum. She was wonderful while talking to David and has offered her help with any research he may need for school. She gave me her card and said she would be glad to speak to his history class.

We headed over to the carriage house and got more cider, hot chocolate and cookies. Poor Abigail is just over a week from her due date but she was a real trooper. I am so glad that we have friends that share our love of history and exploring different time periods.

What's A Gift Worth?

The morning of Black Friday my husband had the news on and of course they interviewed a man who was out shopping about how the economy is affecting his buying. He explained that he was shopping pretty much like he did last year, however he thought more people were shopping for just what they needed, "like TVs and clothes." I looked at my husband and said "Need? since when is a TV a need?"

Then later in the day we heard of the many stores where there was bodily harm and even death. One of the harmed was a pregnant woman and the death was an employee that was opening the doors of a Wal-Mart. [Newsday | New York Daily News]  My first thought was why would a pregnant woman continue to stay in a situation where there were hundreds and even thousands of people who were jostling and pushing for a chance to get ahead? Did she actually think that when the doors opened the crowds would get polite and walk calmly and politely into the store?

The employee was trampled to death and the shoppers continued to force their way over his dying body—even with emergency medical personnel working on him. When they tried to close the doors of the store due to this tragedy the shoppers refused to leave. They yelled that they had invested too much time waiting to be sent home without their purchases.

My heart and prayers go out to the family of the man who lost his life. I imagine they will never look at Thanksgiving or Christmas in the same way.

David and me at the park

I know that retailers and the media use Black Friday as an indicator of how holiday spending will go. But, with their limited time and limited available items at the great prices the stores are in part responsible for the situations. They must start taking measures to insure crowd control. Two years ago we went to a local store and the crowds were kept in a line. When the opening time came, the security would only allow a certain amount of people in at a time. At no time was there an unsafe or out-of-control feeling. Shoppers must also start using common sense that when a situation begins to look unsafe, it's not worth the risk.

So, for many, I guess the answer is nothing is worth more then a good buy. I was glad that we spent Black Friday not in a store, but in bed followed by a family trip to the park. We returned home to hot turkey sandwiches and a movie while cuddling in the livingroom.

Keeping Busy

David is off from school for five days so my concern was to keep him busy during this time. David tends to make poor choices when he is left to his own devices.

David's latch-hook craft

So I came up with crafts that I purchased months ago on major sales and stashed away until this weekend. One of the items I had purchased was a hooked rug that you make into a stuffed dog. I remember making hooked rug pillows when I was his age and knew how easy they can be to learn—also not a lot of clean up.

I pulled it out this morning only to find that the kit didn't include the tool. So off to the store we went and found that everyone else in town was out shopping.

Turkey pasta

This has proved to be a great activity for him, it requires lots of body control and focus since this kit doesn't have the pattern imprinted on the canvas. David must count and keep track of the pattern. This also will require lots of time that he can spend on it over the next few days.

I also purchased a little unpainted wooden train that he has begun to paint. This will satisfy his desire for instant gratification. He is actually taking a little more time and effort than I expected.

Several weeks ago I found turkey shaped pasta. This evening I made dinner and we all loved the early start on Thanksgiving.

Entering His Gates

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!"
—Psalm 100:4

This is a verse that has been entering my mind in the last few weeks and this past Sunday was read aloud in our church.

The first time this verse came to my mind was the day after Halloween when I saw no decorations for Thanksgiving. After searching through four stores I found that, other than paper plates and cups, there were no decorations available for sale. But the employees were very busy putting out Christmas decorations.

Has Thanksgiving just become the big foodfest that kicks off Christmas? Unfortunely, for our nation I believe it has. But I believe that this year more then ever we need to return to the thankfulness that the pilgrims had when our country was in its infancy.

As we are all tightening our belts, we need to pull together. There are those around us who are in real need and we may be able to supply some of that need with a joyful heart. If the Native Americans had not shared with the pilgrims they would not have survived. If the same situation was today I wonder what the result would have been.

David, carving the Thanksgiving turkey

As we all go around the next few days preparing our homes and kitchens are we preparing our hearts for Thanksgiving. I found that last night as I got into my bed I was truly more thankful for the clean sheets and warm blankets on my bed. Yes, I wash the sheets weekly, but have never thought about how fortunate I am for them. Yes, I would have a list of things I am thankful for, but had not thought so much of the little things in life that I take for granted. I am looking at my blessings more as we go through these hard economic times.

That Meal Was Gross!

Apple cider with
frozen cider hands and gummy eyeballs

We decided to make a meal for our Wednesday night kids that would reflect our warped sense of humor. The kids asked before taking any of the food since they weren't sure what the food was and it looked so gross.

Bleeding heart brie

Everyone loved it! We placed creepy spiders all over the counter and table and a skull held vials of bats blood (o.k. it was really ketchup darkened with food coloring). We floated gummi eyeballs and ice severed hands inside the cider filled punch bowl.

Body parts salad

I made a pork mummy, a phyllo-wrapped pork tenderloin. We had a bleeding heart brie cheese with cherry preserves wrapped in dough.

Our body parts salad was black cherry gelatin with cherries and oranges. I wrapped breadsticks around hotdogs and made them look like mummies.

Mummy pork tenderloin

A taco salad stared back at us as we proceeded to eat it. We finished off the meal with bat and bug topped cupcakes.

These evenings with our Wednesday night kids is so wonderful. We get to keep up with what is going on with them and at the same time make sure they are getting a good home-cooked meal at least once a week.

Taco salad with sour cream eyeballs

Skull with vials of bat's blood

Skewered mummy hotdogs

Mary Liz "Lizzie Borden" chowing down

Treat Bags

Yesterday I made up trick-or-treat bags to pass out to the kiddies on Friday. We don't have any neighbors with little kids so I invite friends to bring their little ones to come by anytime on Halloween day. I had so much fun making and giving out these bags last year I decided to repeat it this year.

Treat bags

I got the idea last year from Martha Stewart's magazine and saw the bag kits in the craft store this year. Even though the kits were available in the store I found that making my own were alot less expensive.

Each treat takes two lunch bags, a piece of raffia, a stick and candy for inside the bag. The first bag I just fringed the top about 2 inches. I placed the candy in this bag. I then took the second bag and fringed all the way down to the base of the bag (not cutting into the bottom of the bag.) I took the first bag and placed it into the second bag. Gathering up the fringe of the second bag, I placed the stick and tied it all with a piece of raffia.

Between the price of the bags and raffia I paid only a couple of dollars to make 20 treat bags. The sticks I gathered from our yard. Since it has been very windy this week there was no shortage of twigs and small sticks. The kits in the store made up only 10 mini bags for $9.99. The sticks also were just too perfect and straight looking, almost like a pencil. My larger bags also let me put a little more candy in each bag

The kids loved the bags last year and they look so festive right inside our door. This also prevents my boys from eating all the candy that is meant to be given out on Halloween night.

By Any Other Name

As we approach Halloween I am always intrigued by the changes that have occurred since I was a child. Growing up everyone in our neighborhood and church went trick-or-treating. There was no question that the next day at lunch everyone would have a lunchbox full of sweets.

Then when I was in elementary school the candy of a few became laced with drugs and razor blades. Then many schools began to create safe festivals to make sure we were safe. This not only allowed us to dress up, receive candy but also to play fun games on this night.

So much had changed when my own son was born. Christians no longer stayed home to pass out candy to their neighbors. They no longer sent out their children to their neighbors. No, the lights on many Christian homes were dark.

The reason? Because "we don't believe in Halloween" was the answer I received. They didn't want to participate so they brought all their candy and dressed their kids up and headed to church for their "Fall Festival." When I began to question some of the other mothers that gave me this answer asking what the difference was, I was told "the kids don't dress up as Satan or a witch." What, you couldn't dress them as something nice to go out into their neighborhood?

David and his pumpkins

It became glaringly obvious that we were out of step with many of the church officials at my son's preschool (where I was their secretary) when the guest speaker at chapel was preaching against Halloween to the preschool and elementary school kids. The speaker explained to the kids that the carving of pumpkins was always evil. It was acceptable to paint or put stickers on a pumpkin at any other time of the year, just not at Halloween. He explained that people only carved evil images into pumpkins. He also said that his kids and grand kids were allowed to dress up in costumes any day but on Halloween night. Of course, he didn't believe that dressing up as Biblical characters was a costume. So the fall festivals were acceptable.

When the speaker asked if there were any questions my little four-year-old David stood up and told him he was wrong. We had carved pumpkins, but they had "David's House" and nice things. He also told him he was going to dress up as "Bear In The Big Blue House" and he was going to visit our neighbors. David also told the speaker that his mom said he could go out so there was nothing wrong with it. This little speech from the mouth of my babe left the speaker speechless.

Scarecrow David

When David was only 17 months old and we dressed him up as a cowboy, chaps and all, he would take the candy from each neighbor and then sit down on their front steps and talk to them as he enjoyed their treat. It took us about two hours to go to 8 houses, but not only did we enjoy ourselves but the neighbors got a chuckle out of it.

I can respect it if someone truly doesn't believe in Halloween and doesn't participate in any way. One of my friends told me this week that they never participated in Halloween, but that her parents also refused to allow them to attend the fall festival at church. This is consistent with their belief and I can understand and would never question that belief. However, a rose by any other name is still a rose and getting candy while dressed in costumes during the end of October is still Halloween.

I had fun as a kid dressing up and roaming the neighborhood. I even dressed up one year as a witch. And guess what? I never did have any interest in witchcraft or magic. Yes, nowadays we have to be more careful with what houses we allow our kids to visit. But I was more than willing to watch carefully over David's trick-or-treating. This year he is a teenager and will not be getting dressed up or going out, but I am glad we made the choice we did.

Eating Up History

Fourth of July found us enjoying the day at the president's home. Not the current president, but one of the founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson not only owned the large Monticello mansion in Charlottesville, but he also owned a retreat called Poplar Forest. So we packed a picnic lunch with lots of goodies and headed out. Our original plan had been to visit friends in Northern Virginia, but a change in Rich's work schedule and the gas prices had us explore a venue closer to home.

There were a few period artisans and one woman was fascinating as she demonstrated the way cloth was made from flax seed. She had many funny anecdotes that captured not only the adults, but also the children's attention.

David paid rapt attention to all as she explained about how wigs were made during colonial times. David provided a new anecdote as he asked her "Is that how they made Hannah Montana's wig? It looks just like it." Needless to say this got a big chuckle from the crowd gathered around.

While people explored different areas of the grounds we were serenaded by colonial music. At 1:30 a ceremony began with the American Legion's presentation of the colors. Everyone stood as we said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the National Anthem. The reading of the Declaration of Independence along with the names of all the signers was presented from the back porch of the mansion.

The American Legion Color Guard salutes
during the singing of the National Anthem

I have to admit, I had never heard much about Poplar Forest before moving to Central Virginia. We have been to Monticello often and eaten at Michie Tavern in Charlottesville. But it just seemed fitting to explore this property on the Fourth.

Thomas and Martha Jefferson inherited the 4,819 acre property from Martha's father in 1773. When they first took over ownership of the plantation they visited very little. But in 1781 the Jefferson family spent two months on the property in order to elude British capture. In 1806 Jefferson personally oversaw the laying of the foundation, an octagonal house much like Monticello. Following his presidency he visited this home three to four times a year. This was a place far away from official duties and his grandchildren often stayed during these visits.

Poplar Forest House

The house was inherited by Frances Epps, Jefferson's grandson. Two years later the plantation was sold to a neighbor. The property remained a private residence for several families until 1984. Having been updated over the years, the inside showed little resemblance to the home of the Jeffersons. The nonprofit Corporation for Jefferson's Poplar Forest purchased the property and has been taking painstaking steps to restore it to its original condition. The foundation raises the funds for the research and restoration.

We had such a wonderful time there yesterday that we decided to return today to take more pictures. This time we took a tour of the inside of the home and I tried to imagine the families that lived in the house following the Jeffersons. Can you imagine? I began to wonder where they placed the stove and how they furnished with no closets. As they dug into the handmade bricks to make a well to run electrical wires did they realize the damage they were doing to history? Did they know that the president whose words would be viewed as the most important document in the nation had personally overseen the building of "their home?" Or could they have just thought that someone had just imitated Jeffrerson's Monticello?

Rich and David at our picnic blanket

David was fascinated by the house and grounds and has a desire to purchase Poplar Forest for our next home. When I asked him yesterday what he liked most he stated "Eating on a president's lawn." Now how many people get to do that? David would even like for us to do some research on Jefferson as a "summer school" project. I am glad that David has a love of history, we have tried to instill the living history that is all around us. He loves to learn about the people and their lives, why they did what they did.

I don't like "Jefferson's Bible" since in it he took out the references to Jesus' miracles and the blood of Christ. He used slaves to run his plantations and while in today's eyes this is abhorrent to us, we must look at it through the glasses of the past and it was acceptable in his time. I can use these issues to point out to David that even great men are flawed. I sometimes wonder what commonly accepted practice of today we will be condemned for.

Happy Birthday America!

Living in Virginia for a large portion of my life I have been privileged to walk in the footsteps of the men and the women who have made our nation great. Virginia is called "Mother of the Presidents," since eight U.S. Presidents have been born here. Four out of the first five Presidents were from Virginia.

David playing the hoop game at Stratford Hall

While many will spend today at a pool or barbecuing with friends we will spend the day with a homemade picnic on the grounds of a President's home. For years we spent the Fourth at Stratford Hall, home of the Lees of Virginia and birthplace of Robert E Lee. They have always had old-time activities and events and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. Richard Henry and Francis Lightfoot Lee were both signers on this important document. Some years they have hayrides and they have always had the hoop and stick game for the kids. David has always been very good at this. They have a wonderful restaurant right on the grounds at the Hall that we usually ate at.

We always followed our visit to Stratford Hall with a visit to Westmoreland Berry Farm to pick berries, buy fresh fruit, and listen to a live blue grass band. The pick-your-own-berries worked really great for us since you didn't pay for any you ate in the field. David has been known to down a bucket of blueberries faster then we could pick it.

The changing of the guard at
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The architecture of Virginia is so beautiful. Our founding father's attention to detail and desire to create beauty is evident in the homes they designed and built. I am very thankful that the idea that as Christians we need to eschew beauty in order to show our holiness was not prevalent in their day. I believe their view is the more Biblical view. Didn't God give the Israelites very precise instructions in how to build the tabernacle? He also demanded the best materials and most skilled workmen available to create his dwelling place.

Arlington House, home of Robert E Lee, stands over Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The changing of the guards at the tomb is a sight that shouldn't be missed when visiting the DC area. The rows and rows of stones marking a lives given in service to our country shows the sacrifice needed to keep our nation free. I have a great-uncle that was buried there shortly after David was born.

Arlington House

The Fourth of July before 9/11 we watched the fireworks on Quantico Marine Corp base. Just a few months later we would watch some of the same men and women who oohed and awed with us over the fireworks drive into DC in tanks to secure our Pentagon and maintain order in a world gone crazy. It is with great cost our freedom was won and with great cost we must maintain this freedom.

The Worst "Ism" Is Commercialism

I was appalled when I open my e-mail yesterday and had received a $4.00 off a $20.00 purchase at CVS/pharmacy. This is not my normal response, but the coupon is only good for July 4th. I understand that pharmacies are needed even on holidays, but this coupon is not able to be used on prescriptions. If you follow the same thought that people get sick even on holidays and that is the reason the store should be open, what about during the night? CVS has a few with 24 hour pharmacies and these should be the only ones requiring employees to work on a holiday.

Having worked in retail as a high school student the argument was that as long as people purchase on these days then corporate headquarters doesn't want to miss the sale. Of course corporate big wigs who make these decisions are all taking off for the holiday.

The most offensive part of the CVS coupon is that since it is only valid today they are creating a reason for customers to purchase on a holiday. Then next year they will cite the increase of business as the reason they should be open. If they make the coupons valid tomorrow instead they may actually generate more business. This is one coupon that will not be printed since I for one will not be shopping today.

Just a side note—at the top of the e-mail the logo states:CVS/Pharmacy for all the ways you care. I am glad to see that they don't even attempt to say they care.

Crown Sterling

For our anniversary Saturday night we got all dressed up and headed for the finest restaurant in town, Crown Sterling. Their speciality is prime rib and ribeye steaks, meaning my kind of place! This was a place we had often driven by and deeply inhaled the wonderful aroma that surrounds the building. We had talked often about eating there, but had not yet.

My dates at the table

The atmosphere is old-world charm with the staff dressed as you would expect from a fine English manor house. We tried to talk David into trying the Escargot, but he decided against it. I will say he showed more manners then I would have at twelve if my parents had tried to talk me into eating snails. Rich chose the Ribeye with onion soup and baked potato, I chose the 10 oz. filet mignon with bernaisse sauce and baked potato, while David decided on the filet and lobster with bernaisse sauce and baked potato.

David and me

David had never had lobster before and has wanted to try it for over a year now. We didn't want him to order it as a meal and then decide he didn't like it and then complain that he was hungry. Since this a special evening we told him to go for it and his eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw the price. David ate all the filet, lobster, 3 rolls, 3 trips to the salad bar and half of Rich's ribeye and he still wasn't full yet. He did love the lobster and had them wrap up "Lacy the Lobster"s tail to show his friends at school on Monday. Then the server came with the check, but we added a Godiva Parfait dessert for Rich and David and I were to share a Volcano brownie dessert (ok I got one bite, Rich got one bite and David ate the rest.)

But good news, even after eating so much this weekend I lost 2 pounds since Friday! But I was hard at work this morning at the gym.

Happy Mother's Day

I wanted to wish all the women a happy Mother's day. Before the adoption of our son, this was a very painful day for me. The desire for a child along with the church message about motherhood left me aching and in pain. The talk about motherhood being the highest calling and a blessing was hard to hear since that was an unfulfilled wish of mine. The hardest part was when the Pastor would always ask all the mothers to stand and women all around me would be up, while I remained sitting. I always knew that God's plans were perfect and if His plan wasn't for me to be a mother I had accepted this. However, my heart still hurt for a child to love.

In the years after the adoption of our son, I have spoken to our Pastors and asked that they include all grown women in the celebration of Mother's Day. I am very pleased that our current church has done a wonderful job of this. I didn't even have to speak to the pastor about this and his message was geared to all the ladies in the congregation. All the ladies were presented with carnations, it didn't matter if they were mothers or not.

Our favorite Mommy/son book

Yesterday David wanted to start Mother's Day early by giving me one of his treasured books. When he was in preschool I always liked to purchase at least one book when they sent home an order form. I ordered a wonderful book called "I Love You Stinky Face." This became a wonderful book that we shared often when I read to him each night. There were just two characters in the book—one the mom and the other the son. As the mother in the story tucks her little boy into bed he asks questions to see how much she loves him such as "But, Mama, but Mama, what if I were a super smelly skunk, and I smelled so bad my name was stinky face?" Of course the mother would respond with "...I would hug you tight and whisper in your ear, I love you, Stinky Face." The ending is just as wonderful with "I love you, mama" and "I love you, my wonderful child." This was such a well-read book at our house that David would say the son's parts and I would say the mother's parts.

I think one of the reasons he chose to give me this book was to keep it safe forever. This was a special book for this mother and her son. I also received a beautiful robe, which was put to good use today since the temperature has dropped drastically today.

We went out to eat at Logan's Roadhouse and had a wonderful, but very filling meal. The waitress was busy so another server brought our food to the table. She was a little embarrassed when she went to hand out the food and got it all wrong. I ordered the prime rib, which was delivered first but the two remaining orders were roadie burgers with mac and cheese and the last meal of steak and grilled shrimp. She handed the burgers to David and the steak and shrimp to Rich. The only problem was that the twelve-year-old had ordered the medium rare steak and grilled shrimp, while his father ordered the burgers. David has always had very mature taste in food. In fact, as a three-year-old when a waitress asked him in a very childlike way if he wanted a hamburger, he responded with "Actually I would prefer a medium rare prime rib." he promptly closed the menu and layed it on the table, the menu he had been ordering from had been upside down as he "read" his order.

Happy Easter

This sign appeared at a local bakery last Easter.

Easter Egg Hunt

Today our church held an Easter egg hunt for the little ones. Even though David is too big to participate, we went to see all the fun. It was a wonderful time for the whole family, many stayed after the hunt to have a picnic lunch. Grandparents, parents and children all had a great time of fellowship.

While there Mrs. Wilt said she really wanted a birds nest like the one my son found last year. I just happened to know where there was one left from last spring. We enlisted my husband's help in retrieving it from the tree.

Why Good Friday?

When I was about sixteen years old my father came to me asking why the Friday prior to Easter is called "Good Friday" if that's the day when Christ was crucified. My father is unsaved and generally doesn't ask about spiritual things, so this question really floored me. It was a question I had never heard asked before. As I put my thoughts together to give him an answer to a question that I had never been given an answer to, I also wondered why me? Why would he ask me, not my mother or older brother who were both Christians as well.

© 2007 Richard D. Gelina

I believe there were two reasons for his coming to me. First, we had always been close, but the second reason I think comes closer to the heart. He resists the hard-sell tactics. He wanted an answer to a legitimate question without feeling like he would be harassed into making an immediate decision about salvation. I explained that I had no "official" answer as to why it is called Good Friday, but my belief was that if Christ had not died on the cross for our sins and arose three days later no one would be able to go to heaven. All of us have sinned and none of us can achieve salvation without the sacrificial gift of God's perfect son. If there were no Good Friday (Death) then there would be no Easter (Resurrection). I asked if there were any other questions he had or anything he wanted to talk about. He said no, but he had always wondered.

After a little research I have found that some say it was the sacrifice of Jesus and other say that "Good" also means "Holy."

Dad is still not saved, but is now attending church most Sundays. He is more open to the gospel and we are praying for his acceptance of the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross.

A Touch of Spring

Entry decoration

The entry area in our home brings the joy of spring and Easter inside. I have used my wreath holder to display a picture of David's first Easter. The potpourri has been changed to a green and white theme that, when lit, sends a sweet smell into our home. Last year David found a bird's nest near our home, so I have placed it on a pedestal with mini pastel eggs. The most popular item on the table seems to be the candy store jar of jelly beans, which have had to be replenished several times already.

Nest basket with eggs

Last night we went out, giving Rich a chance to get away from the computer. We checked Lynchburg's Pier One and found a set of two "nest" baskets and some larger pastel eggs that go so well with what I did in the entry. The nest baskets are now displayed in our livingroom, carrying the theme further into the house.