ROCK THE VOTE 2018

I voted today. And you should, too.

I grew up in a house that always talked about the importance of respecting your elders, saying "no" to drugs, and voting in every election. Today is no exception! I got up this morning, got dressed for work, then promptly headed up the street to cast my votes... all of them. And there seemed to be quite a bit to vote for this year. 

In this election today, my community had the chance to vote for those people that are to represent us for the next few years. They are our voice. They stand for us. So vote for who is listening to you!!

Also on the ballot for Warren County, KY is whether or not to make the county a wet county. The city of Bowling Green has been wet for as long as I can remember. But outside the city limits, you cannot buy adult beverages. It seems to me that we are behind the times here. There is a lot of money to be made for our community with the taxes off of alcohol. Lets bring it to Warren County! 

Another topic on the ballot that has been gaining a lot of attention is for Marsy's Law. Y'all... read it. Do not depend on the wording that is on the ballot today. Read what it stands for. Read up on what it will mean for you and your Right to Stand Your Ground. I'm not saying which way I think you should vote on this. But I will encourage you to do what is right. Read the proposed Law. Find out what it could mean for you. And vote.

40 New Recipes Before 40: 6-7

I am moving right along with all of my "lists!" Because of this, I have added two more recipes to my 40 Recipes Before 40 List. Here's the info:

Coconut Macaroons: Now, I do not eat coconut. Let me just start with this one fact. I like coconut flavor in some things, but I hate the texture of flaked coconut. However, I was in the process of making a care package for my best friend just to let her know I was thinking about her. I texted her husband to find out what her favorite cookie was so I could include some in the package. After some investigating, he said "anything coconut." So I thought I would try out these lovely cookies. According to her, they turned out well! I'm so glad seeing as I never tried them.

Fried Apple Pies: This was something else that I do not eat. I love a crisp apple. But I do not love cooked apples. For over a year now, I have been promising my father that I would make these fried apple pies like his mom used to make... using dried apples. I finally came across some apples that were already dried for me. Of course, that was last year when I found them at Huber's Orchard & Winery in Indiana. Anyway... So I found the courage to try this recipe that I have thought to be intimidating. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I made them in really small sizes because of the cookie cutters I have at home. In the future, I will probably make them about double in size. But the filling was amazing! My father and sister were happy eating the filling just as it was.

All in all, I think both recipes were a success! I have marked two more on the list and I am looking forward to whatever I can find to make in the future.

40 New Recipes Before 40: 1-5

I am creating lots of lists that I would like to accomplish before I turn 40. And one of those many lists is this one... 40 New Recipes Before 40. I'm trying to up my skills in the kitchen by trying out some new recipes.

Because I just came up with this list over the weekend, I am only starting with any new recipes I've tried within the last week. I will try to chronicle this list with you, too. I did a lot of cooking this last week, so here we go...

1. Crock Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup. I'm sure we all have a potato soup recipe that we know and love. But I did not. I have tried many potato soup recipes, but a lot of them were just "add a little of this and a little of that." I did not write down my recipe before so I could not really recreate it again. But this time, I searched the internet until I came up with a recipe that I wanted to try. And Oh. My. Goodness. Was it good?? It was amazing!! We served this up with some little dinner rolls for dipping. I had this for supper on Saturday night. Then lunch on Sunday. And again... lunch on Monday. It was the perfect soup to start the fall season (especially here in Kentucky where the weather has been cool, grey, and rainy).

2. Pumpkin Bread. Now I don't know about you guys... but I LOVE pumpkin bread. And what better way to start your autumn season than with soup and pumpkin bread?! This bread did not last long at my house. Both loaves were gone completely within 3 days. In fact, I still have some pumpkin and I might have to make a couple more loaves before the weekend, or maybe a bundt cake with it?! I made a simple glaze of butter, milk, and confectioners sugar to drizzle over this slice of bread below. But it, honestly, was so good without it. #glazenotnecessary

3. Pillsbury Crescent Cinnamon Rolls. Okay. So this, visually, was a complete failure! However, it did taste pretty good. I followed the directions in the recipe exactly. But the crescent dough was not easy to handle. And in hindsight, I might have done it all differently. The dough did not puff up. The filling oozed out all over the pan. It ended up tasting more like cinnamon toast... which I did not hate. This is actually what I made the glaze for (used on the pumpkin bread). I was so ashamed at the way these turned out that I did not photograph them. They looked HORRIBLE!! But they were eaten anyway.

4. Pioneer Woman Lighter Chicken Parmesan. This was amazing! I love most every recipe by Ree Drummond. I use her recipes all the time. This one was featured on one of her shows recently and I thought I would give it a try. So the Sunday before I started making these lists, I made this for dinner. Everyone loved it! And it was gone pretty fast. I also made The Bread (which my mother refers to as Crack Bread because it is so good). I am not including The Bread in my list of new recipes because I've been making this amazing wonder of deliciousness for years!

5. Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo. This was one recipe that surprised me. I thought it might be decent, but it was so much better! I grilled up some chicken inside on the grill pan with a little salt and pepper to add to my pasta. This really was the best Alfredo sauce I've had besides Olive Garden. I served this up with some frozen garlic breadsticks that filled the air in my kitchen as they baked in the oven. We ate on this for a couple of days, too. It was that good.

Overall, these five recipes were a good start to my 40 New Recipes Before 40. Comfort food always makes me feel good, like a warm hug. I cannot wait to try some more and add to my list! And I highly suggest you give some, if not all, of these recipes a try!

40 Before 40

I'm staring at 40... right in the face. 

I have just about eight months left in my thirties and I realize, now, that I have so much to do before I can turn the page on another year, another decade really. So this is my beginning. 

I posted to my Facebook page recently that I was looking for some ideas of what to put on my "40 Before 40" bucket list. Fifty-some-odd Comments later, I had a list that included a lot of traveling, skydiving, and adventures. I'm ruling out skydiving right now. That is something I am not at all interested in doing. Not today, not tomorrow, not by the time I turn 40. Traveling I do as often as I can, so that is easy to incorporate. And I just got to thinking about how I was going to go about adding things to my bucket list, and if it was important to chronicle it for others to see. I think it is more important for me to know that I am marking things off of my list, though I have decided to start this blog back up and include my accomplishments as I work toward becoming 40. 

For those of you reading, wish me luck. I've got a lot of things to work on!

 

This is me... Looking at you 40!

Spit it out

In my life, I have been accused of being a bitch or giving my opinion a lot more than I should. I have tried to bite my tongue with those opinions because I know that some of the things I say or think are probably hurtful. I do not apologize for the things I say, but sometimes my execution is not on par.

Even though I have this problem, I am still open and honest. I have talked about it on here before and I've said it in my personal life many times, but I so over someone lying to me. I don't care what your reason is behind it, it is not okay with me.

I talk about some very personal things with my closest friends. If my closest friends are going to lie to me, who I am supposed to trust? Just spit it out. Respect me enough to not lie to me and then act like you didn't. I think I deserve more than that.

Moods, Rudes, and 'Tudes

I don't really know what is going on out in the world these days, but whatever it is... we need to fix it. I feel like I've been dealing with bad moods, rude people, and intense attitudes the past month or so. I'm getting tired of dealing with hateful tones and smart comments. What reason is there for it? Why do we deserve to listen to it? To put up with it? I am trying to be a happy person right now, especially in this "blue period" I am experiencing... but I'm not trying to be rude to people. I guess I missed the memo on how to behave this year. If 2013 is going to be filled with this attitude, I think I'm ready to bypass it and move on to 2014.

Out With The Old

They say that with every new year is a new beginning. There are new adventures that wait for us and new discoveries to be made. In my case, there are new places to see and suitcases to pack. There are new passions to be found and new people to meet.

I am looking into 2013 with an open mind and a free spirit. I make no resolutions, ever (except that this year I will try to stop hogging all the laundry baskets in my bedroom). In saying that, I have opened up that book that I keep the list in. You know... my bucket list. Anyway... I fell short on so many things this year and my list has very few checkmarks. I know I must try harder to live my life for me... to find my true happiness... to love with my whole heart... and to experience all that I can.

Happy New Year from this thirtysomething girl... I believe 2013 is going to be my year.

A Year Goes By...

I wanted to write yesterday but I couldn't find the words. I wanted to sing yesterday but I couldn't hear the music. I wanted to dance yesterday but I couldn't wear the shoes.

So much goes on in a year. People move. Babies are born. Holidays memories are made. Vacations here and there. Through all of this, we grow and we heal from past hurts. Yesterday, I was hurting... even though I had healed a great deal in the past year, I was still hurting.

It's been a year since my grandfather passed away. A whole year. It seems like it was just yesterday that my sister, nephew, and I were driving home from her work conference. It seems like it was just yesterday that my mom went to the neurologist with my grandparents to get the diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. But that isn't the diagnosis they got. What started out as a pretty good day, turned extremely sad and scary at the same time. That was November 3.

The doctors kept saying they were sorry. There wasn't much they could do. You'll have him for Thanksgiving, but never by Christmas. That's what they kept saying. And they were right. We celebrated my grandmother's birthday on the 19th, and then Thanksgiving on the 24th. We spent every day with my grandfather... at least for a little while. We listened to him. We sat with him. We watched him sleep.

The day he passed was a Sunday and we were there with him. My sister and I helped our Aunt Pat give him a bath that morning. He just didn't look like himself. Aunt Pat kept saying he wouldn't want to be there like that. So we helped with his bath and then Larea cut his hair and I shaved him. By the time we were finished this morning, he looked like my Poppa again.

I still see his face and hear his breathing. I remember that last breath like it were my own. The release of life is so sweet and yet so heartbreaking at the same time. I knew the moment he passed. I knew the exact moment he was gone. My sister did... and my father did, too. We all felt it inside of us. It was like a weight lifting off of us because we knew he was home.

Not one day goes by that my thoughts do not drift to him. I'm healing though. Slowly... I am healing. Another year will go by before I know it and I will be faced with the same sadness that I am facing now. But it will get better. They say "This too shall pass." I believe that. The pain and the hurt will pass, but the love and the memories will last forever.

Day 22: I Am Thankful For...

November 22: I am thankful for my dad and my mom.

 

(Have you ever seen a more handsome man? Or a woman more beautiful than her? 

I haven't... but my sister comes pretty close)

I see so much of my parents in me. I see little bits of their humor and I see some of their strengths and weaknesses. I see my mother's eyes and my father's hair. I have a little bit of my mom's personality, but I have a lot of my dad's attitude. I walk just like my daddy, especially when I'm in a hurry. I have my momma's habit of biting our nails. There are so many little things that I get from my parents that make me who I am. And I am so thankful for those little things.

Even more than the bits of them that are in me, I am thankful to have them as parents. My mom and dad are such amazing people. I have never known anyone else to have a heart like they do. They give so much... more than they should really. And they love so much... with all their hearts. I don't know how they did it, raising three children in their early twenties. Hell, I sometimes shy away from the idea of raising a kid now and I'm 33.

I could go on forever talking about how special my daddy made me feel at marching band competitions when he'd yell "Go Buzzy!" before our show opened. Or "That's my girl!!" when I'd actually win the trophy. I could ramble on for hours talking about how warm my momma makes my heart feel just by being there for me. How my eyes tear up every time I hear the song "I'll Be" by Reba McIntire or "The Best Day" by Taylor Swift. For some reason, those songs make me feel my momma's love so much more, whatever time of day I listen to them. I could go on and on talking about how they were both there for me in my darkest days... how they held my hand and helped me out of so many holes I had dug myself into. I could talk about how much they mean to me for a lifetime. They truly are the most wonderful people I know... and I love so much that I call them Daddy and Momma.

Day 21: I Am Thankful For...

November 21: I am thankful for my nephew.

There is not one day that goes by that I don't smile, laugh, and feel true happiness. I'm not saying that my life is only happy because of this little dude, but he sure does make the sun shine a little brighter. 

Years ago, before Nolan came along, I wasn't so sure that I was kid-friendly at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure my entire family was thinking I wouldn't have much to do with this kid. If you knew me back then, you'd probably say they were right. I was not good with kids. I don't think any kid really liked me either. LOL. Then comes along this little boy... and he stole my heart completely. 

I'm so thankful for every moment I get to spend with him. I'm even thankful for the fits he throws from time-to-time because that means that I have him in my life. And that makes my life so special. I love him so much, and I'm pretty sure he's fond of me, too. :)

Day 20: I Am Thankful For...

November 20: I am thankful for my sister.

 

I love this picture so much. In this one photograph, you can see the laughter and the friendship we share. Sometimes I take for granted what she means to me. Growing up, we weren't very close. In fact, there were times when I didn't like her much at all. These days, I don't know what I would ever do without her. People say that the bond between sisters is so much more than a friendship and I believe that now. She and I can complete each others' sentences. We have the same thoughts, at the same time. Some people think we are twins. Though we are not, we still have those moments that make no sense... but make perfect sense. I love my sister more than words could ever say. She makes me smile... she makes me laugh... and she makes me proud to be her friend. She's so great! 

I love you, Rea. You're such an amazing woman, mother, and friend. 

Day 19: I Am Thankful For...

November 19: I am thankful for my brother.

 

There are so many days when he gets on my last nerve... but I am so thankful to have him in my life. 

Growing up, we were the best of friends. I talked to him about everything. We were so close. As time has passed us, we have grown apart a little. I miss that closeness we used to have. We don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things... and that's okay. We just have to agree to disagree. I have to say, though, that close or not he is still one of the most important people in my life. And I love him so much. 

Day 18: I Am Thankful For...

November 18: I am thankful for my grandmother.

 

I have one living grandparent left. This time last year, I was thankful for every breath my grandfather took because I knew that meant he was still with me. He was still with us. After Thanksgiving last year, my grandfather passed away.  It was a Sunday afternoon and my family had spent the whole day there with him. We tried to spend a little time every day with him. I guess losing him last year made me realize just how much family means to me. I mean... I already knew my family was amazing and I knew we were unlike most families these days. But it had been so long since we had had a loss so great. Losing the patriarch of my mother's family was hard. It's still hard. But I'm thankful for those days with him. 

I look at my grandmother and wonder how she gets through the days without my grandfather. She's so strong and she's so beautiful inside and out. I know there are days, moments when she is lonely and I know my grandfather has to be on her mind every day. 

I think I got a lot of my strength from her. Well... from my mother first... but ultimately from her. She's very wise and she's witty. I love her more than she knows and I have so much respect for her. And tomorrow is her birthday. So I'm wishing her another wonderful birthday with all my heart. Today, I'm just so thankful to have her in my life.

Day 17: I Am Thankful For...

November 17: I am thankful for wonderful friends.

I don't care what anyone says, everyone needs a friend... and mine are awesome!

I am so excited that I got to travel a lot this year with some really great friends. I made a lot of memories and share a lot of laughs. But there are some friends that I didn't get to travel with... and that's okay. They're still amazing people.

Crystal... my soul mate. You are the rainbow in my cloudy sky. You are the butter on my popcorn. You are the adult in my beverage. ;) Without you in my life, I am not sure where I would be. I know that things would be a lot different... I wouldn't really know me.

Beth... I'm so happy you are back in my life. Life has handed us a ton of ups and downs. But you know, through it all we have gotten stronger. Our friendship has become stronger. And I'm so happy to have your friendship.

Casey!!!!!!! Where are you? I have not seen you in forever. Doesn't matter though, you know how we work. You have been a great person in my life and you always will be. I'm coming to see you soon, little momma. I know you can't get out of the house much so I must come to you. :)

* Must Get Photo Soon! *

Jennifer... What a trip we had to Vegas this year?! Thank you for thinking of me when you guys decided to go. I think we had a wonderful time and I know my life will be forever changed because of it. :)

Cameron... Our friendship continues to bloom. I have so much respect for you. More than you know. I cannot wait to get together and have a warm cup of life with you.

* Must Get Photo Soon! *

Aqua... Where have the days gone? It seems like only yesterday we were hanging out together on the band bus. I heart you. You're such a beautiful person inside and out.

* Must Get Photo Soon! *

Ashley, Kelly H, and Peggy... I never knew I could meet wonderful ladies through my work and develop a lasting friendship with them. Working with you three at Green River Fire School made me realize what wonderful ladies I work with. I'm happy I got roped into working that and I look forward to many more days spent with you three. I love you all! You're amazing women!

* Must Get Photo Soon! *

Robin M... I've already talked about you... but I'm thankful for our friendship. :)

Yankee... Meeting you has changed my life in many ways. NO. I am still NOT a Yankees fan. I don't think I'll ever be able to say that in my life. But you know what you mean to me. I know you know.

* Must Get Photo Soon! *

Libbi... I love our story. I love that we met through a mutual friend and have developed a friendship connection that means the world to me. I adore you. I'm so glad that I've gotten to see you TWICE this year!! I feel like such a lucky lady! I can't wait to visit you again.

Which brings me to Mary Jo... Your name may be at the end of this, but that has nothing to do with our friendship. I think I waited until the end for you because I have so much love for you that I cannot even begin to write the words. We have something special... I know you know what I mean. When I met you 12+ years ago, I knew we would be have forever together. Our friendship still amazes me. I wish I had the words... You are such an amazing woman, mother, wife, and friend. You mean the world to me.

To all my friends that I have not mentioned, you mean the world to me. I love you all!

Dad, Mom, Larea and Jeremy... your days are coming. I have special words for all of you.

Day 16: I Am Thankful For...

November 16: I am thankful for my career and the people that make it so special.

I'm getting into my "most thankful" week and I have to say that one of the things I am most thankful for is my work and the people I get to share that with.

Starting with my boss... John is more than I could have ever asked for in a supervisor. I have never laughed so much or enjoyed my job (any of my jobs) more than I do now. It's true... I used to think about taking off work all the time. Lord knows I love to travel. But working with John, I've found a good working relationship where I can be myself, as crazy as I am. He respects me and the person that I am, and I hope I show him the respect he deserves.

I have to say thanks to my instructors. If you guys are reading this... I think you're all amazing. I think we all have an understanding of how things should work... and we make it happen. We've added a few new people within the past year, and they've all fallen in just nicely. I can honestly say that I enjoy every one of you.

My student workers...
Charles, thank you so much for all you do with our IT stuff. Those envelopes drive me crazy every month and you worked real hard to help me fix that. And that website... you've created a wonderful website where we can showcase our area and the training we provide.

To my dear friend, Robin... Well, we've had busy days and not-so-busy days. You cook up a mean lunch and you always have a fund raiser going on. I enjoy your company every day and I'm so glad we have developed more of a friendship than just that of boss/worker. I hope that you know how much trust and faith I have in you. You're a wonderful person... don't let anybody tell you any different.

For all of my co-workers, you have made SFRT Area 4 more than just an office providing training. You have made us a family and I'm so happy to be a part of it.

So with that being said... I'm so thankful for the work family that I have and a wonderful job to go to every day.

Day 15: I Am Thankful For...

November 15: I am thankful that I have a place to call home.

I take it for granted. There. I said it. I'm proud of my home. I'm so happy I have one to go to when it's too cold, when it's too hot... There's nothing like home. I moved away when I got married and came back when I got divorced. I moved out with my sister. And then I moved back. I moved across town for a boy... then moved back. I moved out with my sister again... then I moved back. It's a back and forth kinda thing, but it works for me. They always say you can always go back home, and they're right. There's no place like home.

Day 14: I Am Thankful For...

November 14: I am thankful that I keep a diary.

At 33 years old, yes I still keep a diary. It might not be every day, but I do write every time I need to. I have a blog, too. But it isn't the same as keeping a diary. My diary is something so private, so personal to me. I can write every thought I ever have in it. I can be myself. I can be truly honest about my feelings without worrying about whether or not I hurt someone's feelings. Because my diary is for me.

Day 13: I Am Thankful For...

November 13: I am thankful for DVR.

I don't know how people sit down and watch television as it happens. I have to record all my shows and watch them later. When my brother moved home months ago, he would make fun of me because my television was always paused. I would get into a show then have to go do something else. So I just paused it constantly. LOL. I would never get to watch anything if it weren't for DVR.

Day 12: I Am Thankful For...

November 12: I am thankful for my past.

My life has been far from perfect. I have done things I know I shouldn't have done. I have said words that should never have been said. I cannot say whether or not I have regrets. I mean, I guess I do. But then I don't. The things that I have done, the experiences I have had make me who I am today. And no matter what happened in the past, I am proud of the woman I am today. And for that reason alone, I am thankful.

Day 11: I Am Thankful For...

November 11: I am thankful for freedom and the veterans that made it possible.

There's not a lot to say about this, I think it speaks for itself. But I will say that I have several friends who are veterans and I am so thankful for what they do, and what they have done, to keep my country free.