Funny Friday - Happy Easter!

Baseball Season

Whoo hoo - Baseball season is finally here!!

I Am So Blessed

I have been kitty sitting my nep-mew since Saturday and this morning I said goodbye to him because his mommy, my sister, is coming back home today.  He is such a sweet kitty and he is so pretty - his coat is so shiny and healthy.

I've enjoyed spending time with him the past few days.  After I kissed him goodbye, I headed to work.  I have Sirius XM and was listening to 70s on 7 and they were playing such great songs...I was singing along to all of them and I didn't get into any traffic and I didn't have to deal with any jerky drivers....the day was starting out great!

I arrived at work and after plugging my Surface Pro in, I headed to the break room to fix my morning glass of iced tea.  

I thought - boy, I am so grateful that we have this awesome Pebble Ice Machine (I love ice but especially love pebble ice!)

So I poured my tea into my loyal Bubba Keg (if you don't have a Bubba Keg, you need one).  I had ice left in it this morning from a drink I made YESTERDAY morning - keeps your drink cold (or hot if you prefer) all day!!!

As I sipped my first sip, I looked out and admired the wonderful view I have of the Atlanta skyline.  Although it was an overcast day and the sky wasn't as blue and pretty as usual, it is still a breath-taking view.

I actually can see 2 skylines - the midtown skyline (in the photo) and the Buckhead skyline - but I didn't take a photo of that because I couldn't get a good shot without my reflection in the window.

The trees are all at various stages of green as their Spring leaves are coming out.  I love Autumn with all its colors but Spring is even more stunning at times because of all the different shades of green - so pretty.

I thought to myself as I admired the view...what a truly blessed and lucky girl I am.  I have a great job, I work with great people, my boss is wonderful.  I live in this AMAZING city and I live in this AMAZING country - I know it isn't perfect but we truly do live in a great country - we are free and can practice the religion of our choosing, we can speak out and not worry if we will be thrown in jail or killed.  I am so lucky to have been born in America and be an American citizen.

I thought about how blessed I am that I have a wonderful family.  That I had parents that loved me and were so good to me, they helped give me my education so that I could work at a job in such a beautiful building and in a building that is 10 minutes from home - even better.  I'm just so, so, so blessed!!

It is amazing what taking just a minute out of your day and reflecting on the blessings of your life can do - it is also amazing how many blessings you can think of in just a minute's time.

Thank you God for my life - You are so good to me!

Funny Friday

My Presidential Weekend

About a month ago, 3 friends and I headed down to Plains, Georgia to see Jimmy Carter teach a Sunday School lesson.  One of the friends and I have been discussing doing this for 2 years now and we have never gotten around to it and we decided it was time to go!

However, when we arrived that Sunday morning at the church, we found out that Rosalynn Carter had to have emergency surgery and was in Atlanta (where we had come from).  Of course her husband Jimmy was by her side and rightly so.  We were disappointed but totally understood.

We decided to try again this past weekend and fortunately, he was there this time.  He told us that Rosalynn was doing better and that she was almost 91 (he is 93).

Our weekend started out with a stop in Juliette, GA.  This is where the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed.  I have been here a few times before but I always appreciate a good meal here.  Their food is outstanding!!  Good southern food cooked from scratch and using fresh (not canned/frozen) vegetables.  Of course we had to get some Fried Green Tomatoes - they truly are the best I have ever had!!

 

I usually get the country fried steak when I visit here but this time I tried the chopped steak, which was topped with homemade mashed potatoes and gravy and onion rings along with speckled butter beans.  

 

I didn't finish my meal (lots of food) but if you ever visit - try and save room for dessert - the pecan cobbler is DELICIOUS!!

 On the first weekend, we paid a visit to Andersonville, which was a Civil War Prison Camp.  There is a P.O.W. Museum there and it is so worth taking the time to go through.  It is a National Park so it is free of charge.  It is a sad place but an important part of our history.

 

We also took some time, the previous visit, to ride around on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University where Jimmy and Rosalynn both attended college.  Here I am in front of the library with her statue.

 

We spent the night in Americus, GA and the next morning we headed to Maranatha Baptist Church. We got there about 6 am and we were the 60th car to arrive - there were already 150 people ahead of us!!

We were let into the church at 8 am and received an orientation on how to act around a former President and not to clap and such as that, security and such. We met the preacher - a young man of only 23.  During this time, they passed around 4 collection plates so we could look at them.  They were hand made by President Carter (you can see his initials on the bottom).  Of course during Sunday School and during Church services they were passed around for the offerings but they wanted people to get a look at his handwork first.

He has made many things for the church (bookcases, tables, chairs and such) - he even made this beautiful cross that hangs in the sanctuary.

Between Sunday School and Church, we had a small break and I went to the ladies room.  While standing in line, President Carter came walking by with the Secret Service.  He looked me right in the eye and said "Good morning, thank you for coming" - I said "Good morning, Thank you!".  I get chills now thinking about it - we right there less than 2 feet from each other and he spoke directly to me.  How awesome is that?!

He gave a wonderful Sunday School lesson and we stayed for church and heard a good sermon.  Afterwards, we got to have our photo with him - what a gracious man!

 

After church, we went to the only resturant in town for lunch (very good).  The previous weekend we were there we went to the old High School he and Rosalynn attended, which is now a museum.

We enjoyed that so much that we went back there again (also a National Park so free of charge)

We didn't go there this time, but the last weekend we were there we also went to his childhood home.

Along this road is the famous Haunted House of Sumter County.  Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter along with their family lived here for 6 years.  You can see more about the haunted house HERE.  This video includes the the wonderful Ms. Jan, who I was very happy to meet since she is a church member at Maranatha Baptist Church.  She also runs the only Inn in Plains, GA.  We love Ms. Jan!

After seeing all the National Historic places in Plains, I had to stop and get my photo by the big peanut.  I had a photo taken with the same peanut (although it was at the depot then) in 1976!!

(I'm the taller one in the photo)

We ended our day in Plains by enjoying some homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream - yummy!!

If you are in Georgia and it happens to be the weekend that the former President is speaking - take the time and go - get there early to ensure they don't run out of seats (there are fire code laws that allow only so many people in the building).  You will be so happy you had this experience!!

NOTE:  While there, CBS was filming for CBS Sunday Morning.  We saw the film crew at the church, we ran into them at the High School/Museum, at the train depot/campaign headquarters and at his boyhood home.  I can't wait to see the show when it airs - who knows, maybe my friends and I will be on TV!!

Funny Friday

Local Recipes

Each week, our newspaper has a section called "From the Menu of...." and it features recipes from local (or nearby) restaurants.

You can write in (via email) and request a favorite recipe.  Sometimes the honor it, sometimes the don't but that is understandable (company secrets and all).

I once had the most delicious squash casserole of my entire life at a local place called Thinking Man Tavern in Decatur, GA and days later I was still craving more.  I wrote in for the recipe. 

I got a reply back from the Atlanta Journal & Constitution (AJC) and they said they would request the recipe but they have a big back log because they receive a lot of requests and it could take up to a year but to be patient...so I was.  About 10 months later, I received an email.

They requested the recipe and Thinking Man Tavern was happy to obliged but...the only problem was the chef that developed that recipe was not longer there and he didn't leave behind his recipes (naturally) and they no longer had it but they would be happy to give me their Broccoli & Rice Casserole recipe.  Well..I already have one of those that I like so I gladly replied with "Thank you for trying."

I am sure if I didn't have to wait 8 months I probably would have gotten the recipe because the chef still would have been there...but I totally understand that the AJC fills requests first come, first serve and it just took a while to finally get to my request...at least they tried.

I saw a couple of recipes in today's paper that I thought I would share.

One is for the yummy Macaroni & Cheese that is served at S & S Cafeteria.  There used to be one near my house but it closed about a year ago so Kroger could expand (and now it seems they may not) - there is another location but nowhere near me so I am glad they shared this recipe.

The other recipe is actually is from a resturant in Pine Mountian, GA - a short drive away.  My sister and I ate there back in December, twice (once for dinner and we went back the next day for breakfast) - although in Pine Mountian, there are not a lot of restaurant to choose from - Ha Ha!!

Since I only get the physical copy of the paper on Sunday only, I can't clip these recipes out of the paper and save them anymore so I thought...I will clip the digital copy and save it to my blog...easy peasy!

My mom is coming to visit in a couple of weeks - maybe I will make both of these while she is here - yummy!!