Mommy, Will You Marry Me?

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used. 

They're the words most girls dream of......the proposal that takes you into exciting nuptials and wedded bliss true love stories are made of; unless of course, they come from your six-year-old son.

When Cameron was about that age, we were in our usual bedtime ritual of bath, brush the teeth, put on pajamas, read a book, say our prayers, tuck that little chubby boy with his curly locks into the sheets and coverlet like he was a sausage-in-a-biscuit, kiss his forehead and say "good night".  Just as I reached the door and my hand felt for the light switch, I heard, "Mommy?"  "Here comes the excuse train to avoid sleepy-time.", I thought.  But instead when I answered, "Yes?" I received this response: "Mommy, when I get older, will you marry me?"  Well, if that doesn't just make you melt, you've no heart in your chest. I know some of you are thinking I sat down on the bed and cautiously explained all the reasons that didn't make sense or how in real life, that would never happen - and if that's what you're thinking, then you're wrong.   "Of course I will" was my response.  He smiled with heavy eyelids, nodded slowly, and faded off into slumber.

You don't forget those moments.  Not ever.  Cameron is 19 now and even as I type this, it is vivid in my mind, food for my soul, and brings tears to my eyes.  Since that moment, I've seen Cameron grow into a man any girl would love to marry.  He has heard devastating diagnoses and taken them with grace, come close to death a few times and testified accordingly, has such a strong faith and is not ashamed to say so, and climbed more mountains than any thrill seeker - and made it to the top every time.  He's so handsome (he's ROCKED both a 'fro AND a faux-hawk), strong like an ox, and his heart is just the right amount of tender.  And this is not the biased writing of the mother of a Momma's Boy, either.

Well......yes, it is.

Now Cameron and I have a very special relationship.  We've stood by each other through thick and thin.  But a few years ago, we were in the car together and I was feeling nostalgic and taking a stroll down memory lane.  "Awww, Cam.  Do you remember when you were little and you asked me to marry you?"  He smiled wryly, and put his hand on top of mine on the middle console of the car.  "Yyyyyeeaa...about that, Mom......I don't think it's gonna work out."  (Not exactly left at the altar, but dumped just the same!)

It is a cute follow-up to an adorable story, I know.  But the story doesn't end there at all.  Cameron continues to do whatever he feels he must to take care of me, protect me, and truly love me.  He is proud I'm his mom, though my mistakes have been many; and I am proud of him as my son, though the frustrations have been, too.

I pray for him daily.  I pray protection from evil and all wicked intent, and I pray he continues to grow in strength in his faith.  I pray he finds the RIGHT woman to marry, one whose faith mirrors his, so that their union is strong and clean.  I pray I can hold those special memories in my heart and mind for as long as I'm alive.  And I pray my legacy is great in his heart and mind as long as he's alive....and I pray he rises up, and calls me blessed.

And of course, I pray he's Mr. Right for the girl of his dreams - that he does whatever he feels he must to take care of her, protect her, and truly love her......and that his proposal leads them into exciting nuptials and wedded bliss true love stories are made of.

Don't take one trial or test of faith for granted.  Even the worst of days are meant to raise you with moxie and help you learn to relish the good ones.  And when a proposal is presented to you, be sure to carefully consider it before saying no.  It could be the transfer of some of your journey to someone else's path, all while building the legacy you leave behind.

Fire in the Hole

free download:Video Game / Prime World Wallpaper - submitted by torinoGT - ID 326501

This is the time of year I watch my roses bloom bigger than my FACE, I smell my gigantic honeysuckle every time I step out my back door, and I get to plant all my seasonal veggies from seed.  

So a few weeks ago I went out to the garden to till and get those seeds planted.  I noticed a TON of fire ants along the entire line of the above ground garden Adrian built for me last year.  They were in between the soil and the wood that surrounds the garden itself...and they were just about as 'happy' to see me as I was to see them.  As I was crouched down trying to assess the damage, I felt a far-too familiar burn on the top of my foot.  I looked down and saw three ants curled up and chowing down.  OUCH!!  So then I end up standing there (five feet away) for ten minutes scratching the spots that were stinging, rubbing the top of my foot on the back of the opposite leg, smacking the whelps, and cursing the ants straight to the fiery pits from whence they came.

Of course, I wanted to run straight to the garage and grab the chemical-ridden ant killer that Adrian purchased last Spring.  As I stood there scratching, I started to day dream about coming out of the garage in the style of the movie 300 - in slow motion, of course - wielding and waving the open bag of fire ant killer over my head, it spilling all over the place, and every ant coughing, gasping for their last breath, falling on their backs and dramatically dying.  I then drop the empty bag to the ground - still in slow motion because that's awesome - put my hands on my (much smaller) hips (it's MY day dream, I can have little hips if I want!), and let out a scream of honor and satisfaction, knowing I had saved my garden - and the world, obviously - from the diabolical evil of the Fire Ant Kingdom.

Back home on earth, I came to and realized I had to do something ELSE.  I pride myself on a total organic garden; that includes soil, seeds...everything.  I peruse every soil I buy, checking for metals, chemicals, or anything that doesn't match the organic label.  (Yes, believe it or not, America, the FDA allows the label even if it's not completely and entirely organic...GASP!)  The last thing I wanted to do was sprinkle chemical ant killer on the plants and seeds, and then feed them to my family or ingest them myself!  So what the heck was I supposed to do??

(You guessed it.  I put it in the "Googla") I Googled for a while, really wanting to compare notes, websites, and suggestions.  "Kill the ants in my garden naturally."   I decided to try a few of them out.  So I put another ant mound I found out back to the test.  On it, I put sugar.  (I used organic, of course, for testing-purposes).  This was supposed to kill them AND make your fruits and vegetables sweeter as they grew.  Sounded like a fine side effect to me.  They ATTACKED the sugar.  Oh, yes, My Pretties...eat, EAT!!  This was to take three days.  I patiently checked every day, fully expecting the mound to be inactive.  It was three times bigger by the third day.  Apparently, organic sugar is like steroids for those little boogers.  

Next - grits.  This was supposed to be carried by the ants down below (to the evil lair that holds the wicked queen) and then literally blow them up because the grits cannot be digested.  Sounds like another day dream waiting to happen.  So I searched for organic grits.  If I purchased regular and any of the grits were left on the soil, then it would be processed yuk growing into my cherished organics.  Finally, I found some.  Way too expensive to purchase just to sprinkle on ants.  So even though I wanted to hang out and watch them blow up, I couldn't justify the pricey purchase.

Third time's a charm!  COFFEE GROUNDS.  This is the easiest, best, and least expensive way to get rid of those vile creatures - especially if you already drink coffee!  I buy the store-brand organic coffee for us to drink so as soon as was done making coffee (we don't have a fancy-schmancy kuerig coffee maker), I let the grounds cool and took them out to the garden.  I sprinkled them around the entire perimeter of the garden and then throughout with whatever was left.  It didn't even take a lot.  Not only did it kill the fire ants (death by caffeine, perhaps?) it acted as a natural growth agent for the veggies!  (New compost item!!)  

When you have something biting you over and over again - slowly destroying the things that nurture you, and you're tired of the pain and heartache, you must ask yourself what its worth to you.  If quick fixes are only addressing the symptoms, it could be poison.  Stay at it - naturally, organically.  In the end, you'll overcome...and the best part is, you will see the growth in you because of it.

Please and Thank You

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My husband said something to me the other day that really surprised me.  Apparently, I've never noticed that I say 'thank you' when someone tells me they love me...nearly every time.
Now that he has pointed this out, I've noticed he is absolutely correct.  "Why do you think that is?" I asked him.  And I wonder why it was so subconscious that I never realized I do it.  And it happens no matter who it is that says it, and whether or not I say it first - if someone says it to me first I apparently say, "Thank you.  I love you, too."  Or I can say, "I love you", get an "I love you" in return, and I close with, "Thank you."   I've even gone as far as to say, "...and thank you for that."  It can be my husband, my children, a good friend, family member, and even (and most especially), God.
 

So I started to ponder why this could be.  I've had some pretty cruddy relationships of all kinds in my life - and I've been taken advantage of - and I've been hurt.  I realize that when there is someone I love that loves me, too, I'M GRATEFUL...really, really grateful.
I don't know when this started. I don't even have a memory of ever doing it before, so I have no idea how long I've been doing it.  But I can say I'm glad he brought it to my attention, because I like being very aware of how grateful I am that I'm loved.
 

I know I'm not the easiest person in the world (or even the same house!) to love.  I am obnoxious, talkative, sometimes a little insecure, and somewhat of a control freak.  I have obsessive compulsive disorder, I'm a germaphobe, and I cry about the silliest things.  There are so many more reasons why I'm hard to love, but I ask that you please try...and if you're one of the people that already do......thank you.  I love you, too.
 

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged-Cupid painted blind" ~A Midsummer Night's Dream
 

"Yo, Adrian!!  I loves ya!" ~Rocky Balboa, Sheila Garcia
 

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love." ~Jesus

My Funny Valentine

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Chelsea and I were told to wait upstairs as the preparation began.  We were in our loungy clothes and relaxing as we had been told to do, but we still heard banging and clanking and had no idea what was going on; however, we knew at the end of it a surprise awaited us.  Finally, Cameron came up the stairs dressed in black slacks, a crisp black button-down, and a tie, with a towel draped over his arm.  He said (very formally) "Ladies, I am here to accompany you both to your Valentine."  Chelsea and I looked at each other like he was crazy, and obliged.  He steered us down the stairs and we never could have imagined what our Valentine truly was.

The furniture had been moved out of the living room.  In the center of the room was a bistro table that was set beautifully, with two chairs and candles everywhere.  There was soft music playing and a maroon-sheet-turned-curtain put up to add to the ambiance and make the kitchen separate and a secret to us as to what was going on in there.

Cameron sat us down, welcomed us to Café Adriano, and informed us he was our waiter - the head waiter at that -  for the evening.  He handed us each a menu and told us he would return in a moment with our beverages, one of which (for me, in particular) was wine labeled 'Adriano'.  Uh!!  He was SO STINKIN' CUTE!  We looked at our "menus".  Are you kidding?!?  There are no words to do it justice...the only thing I can do to describe it is show it to you:

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used. 

So in and out of the kitchen came Cameron, bringing us our drinks, appetizers, one of the most delicious and thoughtful menu items we've ever had, and beautiful dessert.

Just a few weeks before, Adrian and I had been at a garage sale and saw a chef's coat for 50 cents.  We both thought it would be a cute idea to get it and figure out something to do with it later.  I washed and dried it and hung it in the Laundry Room, thinking we would make that some sort of project later.  The reason I tell you this is because at the end of this wonderful dinner, our "waiter" informed us that we were the meet the master chef who had prepared this amazing meal for us.

Out walks my husband - beautiful man he is with a matching heart -  wearing the chef's coat we had purchased at the garage sale.  He held a white tulip in each hand, and presented one to each of us, telling both Chelsea and I all the reasons he loved us as he gave us each a tulip.  Needless to say, we were bawling our faces off, all in the name of love.

FUNNY how we are conditioned to think Valentine's Day always has to be  about romantic love...it's an opportunity to express true love in any fashion to those around you when we may sometimes forget to during the busyness of our lives.  Knowing Valentine's Day is tomorrow, the first thing that came to my mind for my post today was the selfless way both Adrian and Cameron shared their love for Chelsea and I - as  husband and wife, brother and sister, mother and son, father and daughter.  

Be sure to celebrate all of those you truly love EVERY day of the year - but take Valentine's Day just as a simple reminder of who those people are.

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used. 

Flat Biscuits

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When you cook, do you do it with love?  Do you do it with tender, mindful, care?  Or are you aimlessly going through the motions?  Or maybe you're just task-minded? Maybe you've had a bad day and your attitude reflects that in the kitchen? Watch out if that's you!  ...or your biscuits won't rise.

When Chelsea first started dating Sam (and long before she became the amazing cook she is today) she came to me and said, "I would like to make Sam your home-made Big Daddy Biscuits."  (These biscuits are flaky, the size of your face, and ridiculously DELICIOUS) I was thrilled and quickly agreed.

We made our way into the kitchen, I got the recipe out and I started pulling all the ingredients out of the pantry and the bowls we would need from the cupboard.  She stood there with a blank look on her face, her lips in a bit of an Elvis-curl, and asked what I was doing.  After I informed her that the biscuits don't magically make themselves and there was a little work involved, her face changed.  She was not happy.

I had her read the recipe as I watched (managed), and making sure she did the work since she wanted to make them for Sam.  She begrudgingly added ingredients, fulfilling the recipe with each step.  As she progressed, I kept reminding her why she was doing this...that she originally wanted to make them to show her love for Sam, and to be careful as she was making them because with the attitude she had, the love was lost in the recipe and those biscuits wouldn't rise.  She rolled her eyes and hastily finished, ready to put the biscuits in the oven and be done with it.  As she opened the oven door, I reminded her once again, "Chelsea, stop and remember why you're doing this.  If you put these biscuits in the oven with your attitude, THEY WON'T RISE."  She looked at me like I was nuts (not the first time OR the last time I've gotten that look) and placed the biscuit pan into the oven.  She looked once more at the recipe to make certain she pulled them from the oven in the right amount of time, and smugly looked at me before leaving the kitchen.

DING!  (That was my impersonation of the oven timer going off).  We both head back into the kitchen...she turns off the timer...opens the oven door, pulls out the pan...and...FLAT BISCUITS. 

Boom.

She looked at me and without hesitation said, "Let's do this again."  So we did.  This time, she remembered why she wanted to make the biscuits in the first place, had a smile on her face at the notion of Sam being grateful for her gesture, telling me it was amazing that I knew those biscuits wouldn't rise.  The exact same recipe, a different attitude.  DING! (I'm jumping to the second batch being ready.) Chelsea opened the oven door to the most amazing biscuits that ever existed.  They were gargantuan.  She didn't even bat an eyelash before she smiled, hugged me, and thanked me from the bottom of her heart, knowing Sam would LOVE the biscuits she had made with LOVE.

This transcends into everything you do in life.  It's what you choose to make of it.  The biscuits that didn't rise were still edible, but the second batch were much more than that - they were incredible and delicious.  Make sure you make much of what's given to you to make life incredible and delicious...and do what you do in life with love...or you, too, will end up with flat biscuits.

BIG DADDY BISCUITS

2 cups flour (I use organic unbleached but any all purpose will do)

1 (heaping) tbs baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbs white sugar (I use organic. NOTE: agave will work, but they won't have the same texture as with regular sugar)

1/3 cup shortening (I keep old-school Crisco in my fridge...it lasts for years because I hardly ever use it, but it makes for great sustenance in this recipe)

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar) Cut in the shortening (I actually use my fingers) until the mixture is course and mealy. Gradually stir in the milk until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 20 - 25 times, about five minutes.  Pat or roll dough to about 1 inch thick.  Cut biscuits with large cutter (I use a juice glass, and just flour the rim so it doesn't stick)  Repeat this until all the dough is used. (I take the remnants and put them together, pat it out to an inch and use it, too!)  Brush off any excess flour (gently!) and place biscuits on an UN-greased baking sheet.  Bake for 13 - 15 minutes.  I have my oven down to a science and know that 14 minutes works perfect for me.   These are great with white peppered gravy, or butter, or just on their own!! 

Make sure you add the main ingredient throughout the cooking process - LOVE!

Just Like Camping!

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It was a few years ago that we decided as a family to go camping for Easter.  We go camping as often as we can, and it had been awhile so we seized the opportunity to go, knowing it would be one of the rare occasions when we would all be together.  (We're a blended family, and not being together often is one of the downfalls.)

We're pretty professional when it comes to camping, and not in a pansy sort of way.  Now I'm not judging all you pop-up campers, or those of you who like to bring along mini-televisions for the electrical outlets that some campsites provide.  To each his own, really.  And we've even gone both of those routes once or twice before.  But we like to CAMP.  C.A.M.P.   Find a spot in the woods, throw up a tent, find another spot close by to your tent, throw up a tarp in front of the hole you dig for a potty for privacy, and don't forget to pile up the leaves high next to the hole so you're not caught without something to clean your bottom with.  Now THAT'S camping.

So we packed up Friday afternoon, sang songs the whole way there, got there by dusk, and made our campsite.  It was a great night.  It was a little cool out, but clear and wonderful.  We sent the kids on the traditional kindlin' hunt to help get our rip-roaring fire going in the fire pit we built from rocks found around the campsite and then ate hot dogs cooked on a stick cooked over that fire.  We sang more songs, told the same old ghost stories, then huddled up in our sleeping bags, hunkered down, and went to sleep.  What a cheesy, awesome night, eh?

I suppose it was around 4am when we heard the first hit of hail.  As I sat up to listen intently and lose the hazy sleep ora, I noticed I could see my breath when I yawned from how cold it had become...what was going on??  What happened to the beautiful clear weather we were counting on??  The hail progressively got worse.  We bundled up the kids in their winter's best (we live in Texas, so winter's best consists of a wind jacket and skull cap) and started to tear down the tent before the hail could.  We watched the hail beat off of poor Jordan's skull cap (which was on his head) and threw the kids in the truck to wait while we gathered everything up as fast as we could and haul it and the family outta there.

Oh, how disappointed the kids were.  They sat in the back of the truck, cheeks red with cold and despair, no more songs in their hearts to sing.  I could hardly stand it.  There is just something about sharing your kids' disappointment, though, that throws you into go-mode.

It was pouring down rain and the hail was coming in droves by the time we got home, so we lit a fire in the fireplace, threw up the pup tent in the living room, got everyone in their pajamas and made s'mores and played cards and board games while the weather ripped and whipped outside, never getting to infiltrate the campsite we had built inside the house.  We stayed the entire rest of the weekend at that campsite, laughing and singing, sleeping in our sleeping bags together, and even went Easter egg hunting on Easter morning.  It was the absolute best camping trip (and Easter!) we had ever had.

Sometimes life can throw a wrench in your gears and mess up all the plans you make.  You can either let it put a chink in your armor, or you can go with the flow and make the best of it.  That weekend, we chose to make the best of it...and it literally became the BEST of it.

Good, Clean Fun

© Alexroz | Dreamstime.com - Bathtub Photo

I bathe.  I know, I know...you're all thinking, "Thank goodness!"  But what I mean is, I'm not the shower-girl, I'm the girl who likes to submerge in the hottest bubble-filled, aroma-therapeutic, quiet-in-the-bathroom, classical music playing softly, glass of red on the edge - bathtub.  Now, in the real every-day world, I don't get to do the aforementioned type of bath, but I still prefer bath over shower for the daily hygiene routine.

We have a great tub.  It's a large garden tub with a big iceberg window that lets in sunlight (which is super-helpful when it comes to seeing it is time to clean it).  We have a stained-glass window in front of it that makes for an even more soothing mood.  All good stuff.

Soooo...why am I talking about my bathtub and bathing practices today? Well, I've noticed lately that when it's time to let the water out so I can wash my hair (I'm a germ-a-phobe so there is no WAY I'm washing my hair in the water I just bathed in) it drains slower and slowwer, and slowwwer every time.  Man, I've got stuff to do and do not have time to watch water drain!!  I make a mental note to add this to Adrian's list of honey-do's, but my mental note never makes it to the list, as I get distracted easily by the other to-do thoughts running through my head.

Yesterday...I am rinsing the tub and getting it ready for mamma (that's me) so's I can take my epsom-salts-fix-muh-bones-if-you-please bath and I notice the water isn't going down at all though the stopper is not in.  I am taking it pretty personally because I want to take advantage of the rare quiet time that existed in my house at that moment.  Do I take the plunger (that's been in my TOILET) to it?  Only if I want to ruin bath time for the rest of my life.  Do I take a wire hanger and try to scoop out the clog?  Well, A) that would make me throw up and 2) my hangers are plastic, thank God.  Ahhhhh, Drano, perhaps?  I scour the house, looking for the chemical nectar that is going to give me my (now-cut-in-half) bath time.  But alas, I made the vow to try to stop using chemicals in my home whenever possible.  It's amazing how your belief system flies out the window when all you want to do is take a freaking bath, because I found myself praying for God to allow me to find some forgotten-about Drano way in the back of the cabinet under the sink.  I suppose there were other, more important prayers going on in the world because there was no Drano to be found.

I went to the Googla...(Translation: I Googled it) and typed in: (I know.  You think I'm going to tell you I typed in "How to pray properly so that the Lord answers your prayer to find some stinkin' Drano in the house so a person can take a bath...but I didn't) "how to unclog a drain without Drano".  Apparently I'm not the only one who suffers the clogged bathtub plight because there were many great links and conversation threads regarding the subject.

There was one method in particular that kept coming up that was fast and easy. It costs only pennies to do and I was able to use items I already had in my pantry! I will share this method with you, but before I do, I think it's important to tell you that the method worked, I got to take my bath, and I got some good material to use in my post in the process!  I think I'm going to invest in a rubber duckie...

CHEMICAL-FREE WAY TO UNCLOG A DRAIN:

1/2 cup baking soda

1 cup vinegar

1 gallon boiling water

Carefully pour all the baking soda down the drain. Pour in 1/2 of the vinegar, covering the hole with a towel or stopper so the fizz is forced down, not up. Add the second half of the vinegar, following the same procedure. Allow to sit for 15 minutes or so, and then flush with an entire gallon of boiling water.

For particularly troublesome stoppage, multiple applications may be in order, but it WILL WORK so hang in there.

Follow up with a smile.

What's It Gonna Cost Me?

My husband and I date - not other people, of course, but we date each other.  Last night was a good date.  Times are definitely tough right now and belts are tighter than they've ever been; somehow, we managed to have a great date night...free of charge!!

It started when he picked me up at my house.  Okay, we live at the same house, but a lady likes it when a gentleman comes a-callin'.  (Besides, it makes for a good story!)

Adrian has always opened doors for me.  I'm a bit of a male-chauvenist, so it's never bothered me.  I actually love it.  He has opened my car door whether we are leaving home, a garage sale, or the opera...he does not discriminate and I love that.  It's the little things that mean a lot.  But it's especially nice on date night.

Anyway, back to the story.  So he picked me up (or walked me out to the car).

We headed to our first destination, which was a (sooooooooo long-overdue) mani / pedi for me, while Adrian sat in a massage chair next to me with the power on full blast.  Sipping wine and listening to soft music while getting my foot rubbins and arm and neck massage on was amazing...but what felt better is that it was all fer-ee!! (WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!?)  You heard me right!    Cameron gave me a gift card for Christmas to my favorite place (which I haven't seen in awhile) and we decided to start our date there because we knew they offered a free glass of wine with your pedicure.  So massage, manicure, pedicure, (tip, of course, was covered by the certificate) before-dinner cocktail, soft lighting and music = all free.  So far, so good.

Next, we decided to go to one of those places you can get dinner and a movie all in one place - not always the cheapest route to take these days, but apparently nothing's too good for us.  Guess how much I'm gonna tell you it was?  Come on, you see a pattern here, don't ya?  Well, in case you're on the edge of your seat with anticipation and wonder - it was free!  HOW THE HECK WAS DINNER AND A MOVIE FREE, YOU ASK?  Chelsea and Sam gave us a $25 gift card for Christmas (yea, we made out like bandits from our kids) and that covered the dinner part.  I received an email from this establishment for one free ticket.  (The name of the place is not relevant, because I subscribe to tons of places for reasons just like this one and you can, too).   I then searched through my Entertainment coupon book, found one for a free movie ticket to the same place, (did a yippee-doo-dah dance) and voila!  Dinner and a movie = all free.  WORD.

Now keep in mind that all the affection we showed each other throughout the night, holding hands (yes, we still do that), the laughs we shared, the time together = all free.  Exhausted from being pampered all evening, we headed home.  

I am grateful for the Christmas gifts, but even without them, we know how to paint the town red free of charge all the time, and we do it.  Date night is necessary.  PERIOD.  It doesn't matter what the dynamic or make up of your family is: small kids, grown kids, no kids.  Date night is essential to keeping your marriage healthy.  And we're proof that you don't even have to spend a lot to do it.

I won't tell you how we ended the date, but I WILL tell you that didn't cost us a thing, either. ;-)