He still makes my heart race!

I married a Yankee - I know.....what was I thinking? I guess I was thinking...."hey...this guy totally speaks my language (minus the Texan drawl)".

But then the differences became obvious. He like the Cleveland Browns, I was a die-hard Dallas Cowboy fan. He's 6'5" - I'm 5'2". He wore suits to work.....I lived in jeans and flip flops. Rest assured, they were always cute jeans and fancy flips ....you know, the kind with sparkly things and bright colors. But as newlyweds you don't necessarily notice those differences at first....well, I did notice the height difference but the other things we just so cute. **sigh**

I'm here to tell you what true love is all about. Adapting. Not so much compromising because that pretty much means meeting in the middle somewhere - but learning what the other one likes and making some changes. WHAT ( I hear you !) ?? Isn't that just a slap in the face of the 21st century woman? Haven't we worked our tightly toned tushes off to achieve equality? Why would we want to start giving in to what the man likes again?? Well.....maybe because HE LIKES IT!!

But it's a two way street. There were things I liked too. And then one day it happened. My suit wearing, northern boy came struttin' out of our bedroom wearing (oh...I can hardly think about it without my heart racing) blue jeans, a white button down shirt and cowboy boots!! And I was smitten all over again....not just because he looked SO DARN GOOD but because I knew he did it just for me. Now that's what true love is all about.

I say "Let the Sun Shine"!

Have I mentioned I'm from the South or...did I really even need to? :-)

I love the south but I must confess that the heat can be a bit of a challenge at times. Southern Belles don't say we 'sweat'...we say 'we're glistening'. And we like to have a mint julep in our hands if we are.

But I am considering reviving this trend from a by-gone era ~ the Parasol!

Beauty and functionality all in one! Now...where did I put that invitation to the Garden Party?

Is there such thing as "Too much of a Good Thing"?

I believe that life is all about balance and that 'too much of a good thing' is probably a valid statement - although I am not sure it applies to the weather but then again, I live in a state that actually has seasons. So maybe if I did live in a place where it was 78 degrees year round with no humidity to make my hair do the exact opposite of what I want it to do then maybe I would make a seemingly irrational statement like "ya know..you really can get too much of a good thing - I think I'd like to live in place where it's so hot in the summer that your shadow sweats."

So I was listening to a radio program (Ok..it was on NPR - yes, sometimes I listen to NPR and so do you and you know it!) where they were interviewing Paula Deen - I woman I admire because she loves real butter and uses it not sparingly which is why her Pound Cake will be served in heaven. BUT... I heard her describe something that I'm pretty sure even if I did my "Hip Hop Abs Cardio Burn" workout DVD four times a day for an entire month I would still not be able to work off the calorie packed, carb filled, deep-fried damage. It's called "The Lady's Brunch Burger". And here is the recipe just in case you're having the girls over soon:

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons grated onion
House Seasoning, recipe follows
2 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
6 slices bacon, cooked
3 KRISPY KREME DONUTS (YES...you read correctly)

Directions:
Mix the ground beef, chopped parsley and grated onion together in a large mixing bowl. Season liberally, with House Seasoning. Form 3 hamburger patties.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Add the burgers and cook until desired temperature, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Fry bacon in a hot pan until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

While burgers are cooking, heat a non-stick pan, over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Crack 3 eggs into the pan. Cook until the yolks are just set and still slightly runny and remove.
Place burger patties on glazed donuts, as the buns. Top each burger with 2 pieces of bacon and a fried egg.

Yes, friends.....that is what TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING looks like!

Judge NOT!

Seriously...I consider myself a pretty low-maintenance kind of girl. Ironically, I'm writing this from my time share condo in a beautiful Caribbean island but that's just because my hubby insisted on this purchase and because I love and respect him so very much...I didn't argue. :-) But...I'm not into designer labels - if the purse if pretty and functional, I'll buy it. Shoes? I just want them to be cute and comfortable. Actually, truth be known....if I could wear sandals or flip flops all year long, I would. Really?? $800 for a pair of shoes because some group of marketing boys decided to put Mr. Big Deal's name on them and convince the world that THIS leather is worth more than THAT leather?

But I discovered a while back that I'm very particular about my coffee....mug. Not the coffee so much...the mug. I do NOT like a dainty, fancy china cup. I do not like short mugs. I do not like a cup where the lip swoops outward. I don't like a thin rim. I do NOT like styrofoam or a metal travel mug.

I want a BIG ceramic mug, with some fancy art-work that holds at least a pint of coffee!! Is that too much to ask?? WELL?? IS IT??

So as I sit here in my beautiful condo with every amenity a person could ever want, I am inconvenienced by the fact that they stock the cabinets with small coffee cups and now I actually have to get up to get a refill.....myself. Gees.

The point to my rambling today is....be careful who you judge and for what. Or better yet...just don't do it at all. Because that same woman with the designer shoes and 4 carat diamond earrings just might be the very same woman who just donated a pint of blood that saves your life...or that she gives anonymously so children in the inner city can have clothes for school.

Now....who wants more coffee? :-)

My Favorite Bra

While I was getting dressed I kind of whispered under my breath, to myself, that I wished my favorite bra wasn’t in the dirty clothes. My hubby, who must have assumed I was speaking to him since no one else was in the room, said “sorry, I didn’t hear you…what did you say?” I, somewhat startled that I had actually said that out loud, replied “oh…..I was talking to myself saying I wish that my favorite bra wasn’t dirty”. He, obviously unaware of a women and her relationship with her lingerie, said “why don’t you just buy 3 or 4 more of the same kind since it’s your favorite. That way when one is dirty you’ll always have some of the same kind handy.” Bless his heart.

My mind began to ping-pong thinking ‘should I inform him that his feeble attempt at solving my dilemma bordered on insanity or smile innocently and say “thank you baby for that suggestion…why didn’t I think of that?”’ How could I let him know that variety is the spice of life and how incredibly boring it would be to have one choice even if it was wonderful? Didn’t he love that I worked tirelessly to choose colors and designs that were functional, when necessary, but impractical….when necessary *wink wink*?

Then it occurred to me how perfect it is that he thinks that way. I’m thankful that variety isn’t the spice of his life and that it makes perfect sense to him that when you find that one thing that ‘fits’ just right….you stick with it. That’s good news for me. Maybe not such good news for him because my love of lingerie is probably not going away any time soon. But somehow….I don’t think he minds. :-)

Waxing Philosophical Y'all

So I was enjoying an amazing climb up our neighborhood mountain - and might I add it was truly one of those spectacular days weather-wise especially given the fact that one week ago it snowed ALL DAY LONG. But the temperature on this day was a perfect 72 degree with low humdity. So I was kind of a bit more 'in tune' with nature because I wasn't wiping sweat off my forehead nor was I tucking my hands in my sleeves because the wind picked up and suddenly I was freezing. Nope...it was pristeen and perfect.
Here comes the 'deep thought' portion of the show...seriously, and you know I'm not all that into 'seriously'. A woman was trying to take a picture of the skyline of the city off in the distance and I heard her say "I'm trying to get the big picture and the camera's auto-focus is focusing on the tree in front of me". Kind of like....I can't see the forest for the trees? Here....cool picture for visual effect.

WOW...it really made me go into some kind of meditative mode thinking about how often I have looked at the small 'issue' in front of me and did't see the beauty of the Big Picture. I think I'm going to disable that 'auto focus' in my brain and enjoy the view. And yeah....this is free of charge. You're welcome! :-)

Jury Duty and a few laws you may NOT know about

Hubby has jury duty this week. Now while it may not be the most fun activity one can imagine it is, indeed, a responsiblity and a privilege. This is truly a great country we live in. THAT BEING SAID...I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the lesser known laws that have been established "in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty...etc.".

Alabama - It is unlawful to wear a false mustache in church and cause "unseemly laughter.

California (Berkeley) - it is illegal to whistle for a lost canary before 7:00 A.M.
(Costa Mesa, Ca) - it is illegal to enter a movie theatre within four hours of eating garlic.

Connecticut - According to state law, in order for a pickle to be qualified as a pickle, it must bounce.

Delaware- It is against the law to pawn a wooden leg.

Georgia (Conyers) - an ordinance was passed that prohibits saying the phrase "two fried eggs and a fritter for a quarter" in an attempt to prohibit slang talkin'.

Illinois (This one may be my FAVORITE!)- it is illegal to make love while hunting or fishing on your wedding day.

Indiana (South Bend) - it is illegal for a monkey to smoke cigarettes. Violators are fined 25 dollars.

(Elkhart, In.) - it is against the law for a barber to threaten to cut off a youngster's ears.

Mississippi (Canton) - it is illegal to kill a squirrel in a courtroom with a gun.

Missouri (St. Louis) - it is against the law to drink beer from a bucket on any street curb.

Ohio (Bexley) - Ordinance #223 prohibits the installation and usage of slot machines in outhouses.

Tennesse (Memphis) - it is illegal for a woman to drive a car unless there is a man running or walking in front of it, waving a red flag to warn approachingmotorists and pedestrians.

And last on this list but certainly not least....
Wyoming (Newcastle) - It is against the law "to make love in a meat freezer."