Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Raisin the Roof

I do not usually like oatmeal raisin cookies. More specifically raisins. I do not like raisins. Until I met these babies:



Oh. my. goodness. Love these. I could eat the entire batch of these cookies. No kidding. This is why I make them, eat a few, and then take them to work to give away to unsuspecting victims. Yes, they're organic. Freshly picked from oatmeal raisin trees. Okay, okay, what that really means is all natural ingredients. The real stuff.
So delicious. I cannot vouch for the other flavors from the Immaculate Baking Company because I haven't tried any of the other flavors. When I find a good thing, I stick with it. (Joey will like hearing that!)
Anyway, make these cookies. They'll change your life. And quite possibly your waist line.
P.S. Wouldn't cookie trees be wonderful?

Monday, August 23, 2010

Seasonal Impatience




"Don't you just love...fall? It makes me want to shop for back to
school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." - Kathleen Kelley, You've Got Mail


That is exactly how I feel. That line right there is why I love that movie. And also why I love fall! I am not in school. I am not a teacher. I don't have kids in school. But I'm ready for school! Or just the idea of what it brings I guess, which is fall. I never have hard feelings about summer being on its way out.


I become scholarly and introspective in the fall. I tend to wear my glasses more often. I love to read at all times during the year, but there is nothing like curling up with a good book in the fall. I like watching cozy movies like Little Women, You've Got Mail and Harry Potter. I want to meet in coffee shops and drink pumpkin spice lattes. And oh the scarves we can wear!


Football. I love college football. Joey and I are ready for Aggie football in particular. There is just something comforting about a football game going on in the background. And chili cooking. Mmm-hmm.


Oh, and one of the best things about Fall for me are the coming holidays! Thanksgiving might just be my favorite. I love the fall decorations, smells, football and the anticipation of Christmas. Thanksgiving is relaxed, yet festive. Same great food. Same great family time. BUT, you know you still have more of it to look forward to with Christmas.


I have had to put myself in check several times while at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. I could wipe them out of fall decorations if allowed. This is my mantra: "Jenny, you have plenty of fall decorations already. Remember the after Thanksgiving sale you ravaged last year at Pier One? Put the pumpkin and faux fall leaves down." And repeat.


And one other love: it will be unreasonable to be put in situations requiring a swimsuit for at least another 7 months. Pumpkin pie, don't mind if I do. Can I get an amen?
All this I am perfectly ready and waiting for.

However...
Walk out the door and you are still engulfed in a heat wave. Sigh. I am ready for crisp fall weather. For falling red, orange and gold leaves. Leave it to God to make fading beautiful.

So, what are you looking forward to in fall? Am I the only one who has Fall Fever?


Thursday, August 19, 2010

Random Fact #2: Traveling Muse-ician


Joey is so blessed to get to go on road trips with me for the rest of our lives. Why?

Because I provide running dialogue.

I read every sign we pass. Out loud. "Rhonda's Ric Rac Room." And then I ask a question, not unlike an incessantly inquisitive three year old. "Do you think that Rhonda sells ric rac only?"

This is a common answer to my questions: "I don't know, baby." I'm not really expecting any answers to these sort of questions, just co-musing. But like most guys, he thinks that this requires solving and that I'm really needing to know if Rhonda sells only ric rac.

Muse with me baby, muse.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Stop striving to earn grace. You already have it.

I needed to hear this today. Maybe you do too.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Vegetables with an Inferiority Complex

This is what I saw at HEB. I had to show you.

It's hard to tell in this picture, but these are miniature squash and zucchini. To put them into scale, those are mushrooms in the basket above them. Seriously tiny. These would have been perfect in Barbie's kitchen.

I stared at the vegetable babies for several minutes. So long I thought I might as well take a picture. And so I did.

What you also cannot see is behind me: an elderly couple who thought a girl taking a picture with her cell phone of vegetables in HEB must be a lunatic. What's with the kids these days? Don't they know a vegetable when they see one?

Look, I'm from East Texas and we don't have petit squash. In fact, in our neck of the woods the goal is to grow big vegetables. My grandfather would have been embarrassed if these pip squeeks ever showed up in his garden. Thank goodness they were at least separated from their normal sized counterparts.

So now my question is this: what do you do with them? Well, besides stocking Barbie's pantry.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Pulp Fiction


Me: I have to say, there is one thing I really miss since we've been married.


Joey: What's that?


Me: Medium pulp orange juice.


Joey: But you don't like orange juice with pulp.


Me: What? I buy the pulp-free orange juice because YOU don't like orange juice with pulp.


Joey: I like orange juice with pulp. I only bought the pulp-free orange juice because I thought you liked it.


Silence.


Isn't that about right?


See people, marriage is all about communication. Communication is the key. Think of all the bitterness that could have built up over the years if this hadn't come to the surface. I shudder at the thought.
Communication can help you avoid some major pitfalls in life. Like drinking pulp-free orange juice for 1.8 years.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

August Book Club: Water for Elephants


This month we're reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. We'll be meeting to chit chat about the book at the end of the month. Please let me know if you want to join! We would love to have you! It's just a fun time for girls to get together and talk about our favorite books. Jump in at any time if there's a book we're reading that you might be interested in.

I've actually read Water for Elephants and I LOVED LOVED it. If you don't read it with us, put it on your list at some point.

By the way, my little spiel reminds me of...



Remember those book reviews from Reading Rainbow?

So just go to your local library or bookstore and pick up Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen!

Da-da-dttt!

That's my best attempt.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Random Fact #1: The Procrastinator Reformation

Alright, so about 5.2 million years ago on a blog not all that far away, Stephanie tagged me to give ten random facts about yours truly.

The first fact is that I can be a procrastinator. I've said it before, if I were Hindu I would put everything off until the next life. Not because I don't want to do it, but I'm just now getting around to it. I'm working on this not so great character trait.

For instance, this list. I tried to start it and failed miserably. Why? Because I'm wordy and one sentence lists aren't my style. I like to use too many amazing adjectives and really fill out the story a bit. I can't just give you ten facts and leave it at that. It's all about the 'why' for me.

So I'm going to sprinkle the other nine facts over the next few weeks.


Or...when I get around to it.

Monday, August 2, 2010

ZooPuttBat Weekend

That's how I feel, Giraffe. Today was a Monday, let me tell you. I am worn out from the weekend fun and still catching up from being sick. Tonight I should be at Bodypump, but instead I'm recuperating just in case my body starts getting any ideas about being sick again.

This weekend my favorite brother-and-sister-in-law spent the weekend in Katy with us. We went out for Mexican food on Friday night, the zoo Saturday morning, grilled Saturday night, played putt putt golf and watched the boys at the batting cages (our boys of course :P). And of course came back for ice cream.


Just three monkeys hanging out.

Haley & I in the Lion's Den.

Josh waving to the crowd after sinking a putt.

Haley concentrating.







Joey and I knew a little secret about the course. He made me keep quiet about our "trick" and let our competitors go first. Such a wonderful host.

Great weekend! Couldn't be more blessed to have married into a family with these two!