a quarter teaspoon

You and I might bump into each other today. And you might say, wow Em, your hair looks great. And (sniff sniff) is that a new perfume?

Well, it's not that I've happened on the latest styling product or a nice new fragrance for spring. It's sudafed. See, Handsome Jr. has the snots, and he hates taking medicine. Even the pleasant-tasting and aromatic sudafed. We've switched back to the baby syringe to give him medicine. Handsome Sr. gave him some cough medicine in his sleep last night, and he took it fine. Not so this morning. He fussed, but I had gotten all but the last quarter teaspoon in him, and I was feeling gutsy. Decided to power-squirt the last bit in his mouth when he opened it to protest.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. I clearly saw the palette of his tongue. Then, like something out of a 3D movie, I saw the purple fluid flying back at me, into my hair and all over the pillows in my bed. Can't believe how much that little quarter teaspoon splatted everywhere.

I know you are thinking, "Why doesn't she just wash her hair?" No way. Not today. I washed it yesterday. So today I'm due my alternating good hair day. (That's how my hair rolls. Wash it one day, it's cute the next. Lather and repeat.)

I slept better last night knowing that I was going to have a good hair day today. I woke up joyful as I greeted the morning today, knowing that I would have to shave my legs, but as for the hair, I was set. No problems today. It's your good hair day. Oh well. Guess I will settle for the next best thing. A grape hair day.

Sharing the magic...

Okay, so I've told you about how much I love my food processor. It chops, purees and blends in the blink of an eye, literally. I feel so strongly about the powers of my food processor, that I've pondered hosting demos, just to show my friends how cool it is.

But, doing it this way, I don't have to put makeup on.

Now I can use this chicken in a casserole, chicken salad, or freeze it for later. How easy is that?

Thank you, Ray Don!

"Yes, you can give him a message. You do take shorthand, don't you? Good, we take it in the South too. Anyway, just tell him that I have been a Southerner all my life, and I can vouch for the fact the we do eat a lot of things down here... and we've certainly all had our share of grits and biscuits and gravy, and I myself have probably eaten enough fried chicken to feed a third world country - not to mention barbecue, cornbread, watermelon, fried pies, okra, and... yes... if I were being perfectly candid, I would have to admit we have also eaten our share of crow, and for all I know - during the darkest, leanest years of the Civil War, some of us may have had a Yankee or two for breakfast. But... speaking for myself and hundreds of thousands of my Southern ancestors who have evolved through many decades of poverty, strife, and turmoil, I would like for Mr. Weaks to know that we have surely eaten many things in the past, and we will surely eat many things in the future, but - God as my witness - we have never, I repeat, never eaten dirt!"


Dixie Carter has passed, but Julia Sugarbaker will live forever.

The pattern is full

So letting the kids watch Top Gun in order to encourage my own love of planes into them was a negative. Too many bogeys. So, we watched it on mute for a while. They liked that okay, but it's not the same.

My boy is all about airplanes lately. The Air Force Thunderbirds were at Maxwell AFB a couple of weeks ago, and since then, we've been flying our hands, shampoo bottles and a few hot wheels all the time. Each one propelled by toddler spit.




So, when I went to Wal-Mart today, I strolled through the clearance aisle. I found some little plastic jets for $.50, and the kids loved them, and the spit flying began again. FWWWHYY Mommy!!

Best two quarters I have spent in a while.

And- special note: My Top Gun DVD has an option to watch the movie in French. All the action and music, but no...French.

Gotta run, time to buzz zee tou-wer.

Thanks to Billy Pope for your pics of the air show- I swiped them off Facebook.

Greatest Hits

We have a potty closet, and Abbie likes to sing while she's in there. Her latest hit, "Stand By Me," which she learned from the latest muppet video on you tube.

loaded mashed potato casserole

I am going to take this to my next family get together, and my mom had better duck. This one is "slap yo' momma good."



* 1 Bag Ore Ida Steam n' Mash Cut Red Potatoes (I got the garlic ones)
* COOKING SPRAY
* 2/3 Cup(s) EVAPORATED MILK canned
* 2 Tablespoon(s) BUTTER
* 4 Ounce(s) CREAM CHEESE softened
* 1/2 Cup(s) SOUR CREAM
* 2 Teaspoon(s) CHIVES dried
* 3/4 Teaspoon(s) SALT
* 1/2 Teaspoon(s) PEPPER
* 1 Cup(s) CHEDDAR CHEESE shredded
* 1/4 Cup(s) BACON real crumbles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 9- x 9-inch baking pan with canola spray.

Microwave Steam n' Mash Cut Red Potatoes according to package directions. In medium bowl, mash cooked potatoes, milk, and butter. Stir in remaining ingredients, except shredded cheese and bacon, until well combined. Spread mixture in bottom baking pan; top with cheddar cheese and bacon crumbles.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve hot.

How many lost people know you?

Jesus. Salvation. Heaven. Love.

2 Peter 3:9 says "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

That phrase, "not wishing that any should perish" is all over me. My husband and I have been reminded of that phrase painfully over the years. It doesn't say, "not wishing that anyone Emily likes should perish," it says "any." That covers everybody. Even that person who grates on me worse than any in the world.

So the human side of me loses a battle. Again. Again as I try to let Christ grow in me, and fill me up from top to bottom, I have to recognize that He doesn't want anyone to perish. He doesn't want anyone to not be in genuine real fellowship with Him.

Ken told me once that God has lessons for us. Ways that He wants to teach us. If we fail to learn the lesson, He'll just give it to us again. And again. And again. (For me, it gets less fun the more times He has to teach it.)

My lessons are often people. Sometimes, it's people who chap my hide. And guess what? if I fail that lesson, I get another one who chaps my hide even worse.

There was this one. There was a person with which Ken and I shared something precious. Imagine that this something precious was a cup. This cup was the only thing that could hold the Living Water. We shared this cup with someone else. We could have it. So what if we did? What if we took the cup away from a lost person?

We, who live by the Fountain, could take the precious cup from a lost person, leaving them without anything that would offer them Living Water.

We had to put our own wants away, and remember that God doesn't want anyone to perish. That every detail between now and then didn't matter. He doesn't want anyone to perish; to be without Him, and we are to be about showing Him to others.

So now, I will drop the metaphors, and shoot straight. What if you are the only Christian in someone's life? What if you are the only person who reflects Christ to them? How are you showing them Christ's unfailing, ever-present, died-on-the-cross-for-you love?

What if you left, and took the Light with you?