News from the Village

I will not even waste time apologizing for not posting ANYTHING in November,

December,

January,

February,

March, OR April.



Also, its not that I haven't had anything important in my life...yes indeedy, I have. I just kind of got caught up in the big things,
the little things,
and the long, cold dreary winter.
Really....did yall complain about the winter as much as I did? I will be remembered by friends and relatives for YEARS to come who are just so sick of hearing me whine about the weather. AND by a goodly number of people who just got unlucky enough to stand by me in the grocery store line, the post office line, or in the car next to me at the stop light. Okay, not really on the last one. But there have been times I was tempted.



HONK HONK...."Hey Lady...It's freezing, Huh?"



Is that normal? And did I just use the word "goodly" in the paragraph above?




I am SO relieved so see sights such as this:






and this:

that I could just squeal with glee!

With my heart beating with just a little extra delight these days, and a little lighter step..maybe I'll be writing more. I DO have a few little tidbits that I'd like to share with you in the coming days.

Hopefully, things more interesting than the weather report. (But is has been windy, hasn't it?)




I did NOT take pictures during the 80 mph winds and when temperatures were far below zero. Or the ground covered with snow. Because I. don't. like. that. I'm still trying to keep from shivering and am now trying to unclench my jaws from being cold all winter.

So....all this blah, blah, blah...is just to say....Yea!!! I feel reborn, alive, happy again! Yeehaww and yahoo, let's go outside and run a few miles! Or at least walk one mile. Or sit in the lawn chair and sip something yummy...whatever you're up for. Because I'm game.
Call me.

Dig In!! It's Pizza Dip

Well, it's Football season (the one immediately following Summer in the Texas Panhandle) and several people have asked me for the Pizza Dip that I have served recently, so this is the easiest way. Try it...it's all kinds of awesome...I served it with tortilla chips, but it would be great with french bread.

Enjoy!!

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza sauce
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
2 ounces pepperoni sausage, chopped
2 tablespoons sliced black olives


DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, oregano, parsley, and basil.
Spread mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate, or a shallow microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture. Spread the pizza sauce over all. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, then top with green pepper, pepperoni and olive slices. Cover, and microwave for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Put Your Little Foot

A beautiful fall night, fiddle music, good friends and family.

Now THAT'S the makings of a great evening! I wish that I had taken more pictures, but we tailgated before the band started playing and visited and laughed and ate THE BEST FOOD EVER (thanks D. and everybody) I just had so much fun I got distracted by the pure AWESOME of the evening.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Then we sat under the starry, starry Texas sky and listened to the C & W band that was heavy on the W. In other words, Western Swing. To prove it, the band had THREE fiddles, a mandolin, AND a steel guitar as well as a keyboard and heaven knows but I forgot how many guitars.

It had the added fun of an old-style wood dance platform and real outhouses with lanterns outside them that you actually take in with you when you go in.

Add to that NO shortage of handsome men ready to dance, including my sweet husband who can really cut a rug on a waltz, my nephew who taught me a new thing called the double two step, and my two great nephews......pretty much makes a perfect evening doesn't it?

You know, the stars at night ARE big and bright.....

I hope so much that you have a friend. And I mean a BFF, ya know?

For me, that means Christie. We have had us some times.

We have stayed friends through our marriage failures, our desperately alone days, our single-days, our disaster frog-kissing days and our weddings and now we're in a new phase altogether. We have stayed friends even when our sons, whose friendship originally brought us together, drifted apart.

I tell this to anyone who will listen: Christie is officially the most competent woman I know. If she could play the piano and sing, we would make her, like, "Queen of Everything" or something. She can do almost anything. I could list it all here, but sufficie it to say...if it needs fixin, or made up real pretty-like, she's your woman!

Although we didn't meet until our kids were in elementary school..she's the kind of girlfriend that I wish I'd had as a child. Really. We have code words, we adore each other's husbands, and we have sworn our undying love for each other. It's a little pathetic, reading that back. Still, we do have traditions that have stood the test of time. Most notably, we have coffee every Saturday morning. We go to the local coffee shop, chat about our week, catch up on the news and then run whatever errands we need to. There is so much comfort in this small custom that I almost cannot express it. Neither of us can remember how long this has been going on, but we both know it's been a long time.

At least two lifetimes ago, for sure.

It's comforting to know that someone in the world is truly happy for you when something great happens..or something just kinda a little better than average. But even better to know that someone shares your anguish when things are falling apart or you just need someone to shoot up a pray for you that day. Christie is that woman for me.

We have gotten into our share of mischief...we have a thing against gnomes and really worry about people who put those in their yards. I'll tell you about those antics someday.

We have completely different tastes in just about everything. We can shop together though, because we have the same shopping style which can be summed up in one word: RAPID. My daughter once said that the mall much be a mere blur to us as she was running along behind us on one of us shopping expeditions.

The very notable exception to this is purses. The very word gives me the shivers and I'll cover that in a later post if someone reminds me. Few can understand my trepidation, except maybe her Mom and Kevin.

If I called Christie RIGHT NOW and asked her to meet me TONIGHT and WEAR BLACK and DON'T TELL ANYONE.....I swear to you she would ask if we need to wear masks and bring a shovel. Because that's just the kind of friend she is.

Because Cooperation Really Does Make it Happen!

I LOVE ME SOME SESAME STREET!!!!

I forgot to tell you the reason for the possibly unexpected appearance of the Sesame Street band video....playing their breakout hit "Cooperation Makes it Happen" on my blog.

For one brief, shining moment..it was the only way I could figure out to get around the filter and show my students the video during the assembly even though it's on Youtube, which is blocked at school.

However, I have since found http://www.keepvid.com/ if any of you educators have the same problem.

My best friend once told me I had the widest vault of worthless knowledge of anyone she knew.

I hope beyond all hope that this proves it.

The End.