Carson Village, Birmingham, Alabama
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. ~ Proverbs 16:25
Can you see how that tree is caving in the skirt around the bottom of the mobilehome?
Yikes!
And yes, it’s raining this morning. That’s a streetlight, not the sun. : )
We saw him! My baby brother, David!
Well, at one time he was . . . . about 50 years ago . . . until I got another baby brother. I tell them both (kiddingly, of course . . . now anyway) they’re the worst Christmas and birthday presents I ever got. David was born two days before my 5th Christmas and Lance, two days before my 10th birthday. They’re truly wonderful brothers with big, kind hearts and I love them. At least now that we’re adults. 😊
Or as I used to call him, Davey. : )
This morning we set out to check out our neighborhood. There’s a lot of hills in this place! It seems to be constant up and down, but it’s not a bad neighborhood. I know, because David informed me that he checked out the place before we arrived and deemed it so. See? How many brothers would be that thoughtful?
and a reminder notice to prepare their pipes for freezing weather. : )
But we had a deadline to keep – – we had to return home before 11am. Can anyone guess why? I know some of you definitely know – – like my mom and my friend Gail. 😊
In a nail-biting, screaming at the TV, pacing-the-floor contest, THE Ohio State University Buckeyes managed to defeat the Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions by a score of 28-17. Blaine enjoyed the game very much, and let’s just say he burned a whole lot more calories than me, who sat at the laptop and finished the blog and Christmas shopped.
As soon as the game was over, we took off for David’s. He’s a 15-20-minute drive from us. It sure was great to see him again! And the gigantic workshop he recently completed is every man’s dream! I caught Blaine with his mouth hanging open and drooling a couple of times. While we were in there, they tried to teach me how to throw darts. I wasn’t great at it, but I did get a few to stick without hurting anyone. Can’t say the same for the wood around the board, the walls, and the dart holder though . . . . 😊
It hung in her basement entryway, and kept us in line for many years!
We spent some time chatting (a lot of ‘remember whens’) and then it was off to dinner at this great Italian/Greek place called Costa’s, where we had scrumptious lasagna. We made it easy on the waitress and all ordered the same thing. It’s one of the best lasagnas we’ve ever eaten! And it comes with your very own homemade loaf of garlic bread! Good salads, too. We were too stuffed for dessert.
Tomorrow, I’ll cook for us. In the meantime, take in the public service announcement below, taken from the campground newsletter. . . .
Today’s Tidbits:
Plan a Healthy Feast (sounds good, but will anyone actually follow through?? Certainly not me. But who am I to stand in the way of helping others eat healthy? 😊)
You don’t need to feel as stuffed as the holiday bird after your Thanksgiving dinner. There are simple ways to lighten up the traditional meal and even add nutritional value without sacrificing taste. Try some of the following ideas when preparing your feast this year.
Better baked goods. Swap white flour for whole-wheat flour to create healthier homemade bread and rolls. Use an egg substitute in place of whole eggs in cornbread. Replace oil with applesauce in muffins and cakes.
Slimmer stuffing. Lighten up your stuffing by replacing a portion of the bread cubes with shopped onions, carrots, parsnips or apples. Or turn to versions that call for brown rice, barley or quinoa rather than bread. Instead of chicken stock, use vegetable broth. If your recipe includes pork sausage, opt for leaner turkey sausage.
Potato mashup. When made with heavy cream and butter, mashed potatoes are high in fat and calories. Try switching to skim milk and using fat-free sour cream. Replacing half of the potatoes with mashed cauliflower will cut calories and add nutrients.
Simple sweet potatoes. Instead of making a sweet potato casserole, let the vegetable’s natural sweetness shine with some simple preparation. Bake the potatoes whole, then scoop out the cooked potato and flavor with a little sautéed garlic.
And there you have it! Me? I don’t think the holidays are a time for watching what you eat. You can do that the rest of the year. Give me an abundance of fat, salt and sugar (I noticed they didn’t say anything about dessert . . .), and I’ll be a happy camper!
From the ‘Wit and Wisdom’ column:
Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
The only way to have a friend is to be one. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson