Keep your fingers crossed - update ;)

Well, the leftover recipe from my previous post turned out okay, it tasted like Thanksgiving again.

Super easy, which is always great. It was kind of like leftover lasagna. I did not cook it quite as long as I should have so...I had to scoop it off our plates and put it back into the oven.

So, if you opt to try it...cook it as long as it says.

Hm...what other leftovers could you do this with??

Keep your fingers crossed...it included almost all our leftovers ;)

LAYERED LEFTOVER THANKSGIVING CASSEROLE

Leftovers: turkey gravy mashed potatoes stuffing green bean casserole French Fried Onions Grease a casserole dish that will fit the amount of leftovers you have. (I normally have to use a 13x9x2). Put stuffing as a bottom layer first, then place a layer of turkey. Put mashed potatoes (sweet and/or regular mashed potatoes; pour gravy over them. Spoon the green bean casserole over potatoes and gravy, then top with French Fried Onions. Heat in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy! (Great for potlucks as well.)

Beards, beards, beards - part 2!

Well, I must admit that I am amazed at how many hits my post about beards has received. Beards are pretty popular. Why is that? When you do a Google search for beards you could likely spend hours looking through the images. There are a few that jumped out at me in just a few minutes. So, is it creativity, individuality.

This one on the left, well, not just a beard thing for him now is it. My husbands theory on hair is "grow it while ya can" - this man sure is.

This one in the center, is this sideburns gone wild?

I find these curly ones especially interesting. That just has to feel weird to have something extending from your face like that. My dad had a cousin that always, and to this day has a mustache that he waxes into a curl.

This picture above is just a fun angle. I love it!

So, if ya have a minute someday and are looking for some amusement/amazement....do a Google image search for beards....it's worth a few minutes of your time.

Much too late to catch it on the big screen....

but....I do think it would have been "big screen worthy".My current class is Spanish 1. It's a 4 credit class! It could be quite useful...that is if I ever get the hang of it. In class "La profesora" had us watch - "The Mission" with Jeremy Irons, and Robert Dinero (both looking so young). She had us do a research project on the Guarani, a native tribe in South America. The movie touches on the early days when the Jesuits tried to build missions and "save" the Guarani.

I highly recommend this movie. It touched me having just researched them, but, if it doesn't touch you....well...just think about it. Yes it is a Hollywood film, but it is based upon real people. You can catch it I believe on NetFlix, or if you have Amazon and can stream it.....do it.

We had to do a short paper on the movie, answer 2 questions. The other night in class "La profesora" said to me..."Janet, your paper was so good, I have never seen anyone who struggles so much with Spanish write so well in English" ;) I am choosing to take that as a compliment! ;)

Okay, I confess…I do tend to be a bit of a name critic.

Okay, I confess…I do tend to be a bit of a name critic. On my blog I even have a “name of the week”…..well....it is more the name of…...until I change it.

On night my husband told me to look up the roster for the St. Johns basketball team. I’m a bit predictable for him. He asked me to read the names to him, I read the first one and then I paused…and he started laughing.

The first one, plain and simple and others are somewhat common. Ones you have heard before.

2011-12 St. John's Red

• Phil Greene
  
• God's Gift Achiuwa
• Maurice Harkless
• Norvel Pelle
• Nurideen Lindsey
• Jakarr Sampson
• Sir'Dominic Pointer
• Amir Garrett
• Jamal White
• Malik Stith

A couple, well, what were their parents thinking!!!!!

“God’s Gift”….yes a child is a gift from God of that I have no doubt. Why though name your child that? Surely you could find a name that means the same and go with that.

Sir’Dominic….well…makes me think the mother couldn’t decide what pizza she liked best when she was pregnant. “Sir Pizza or Dominos”, and his dad was “Nick”.

I don’t know what people think these days when naming their children. A name is really something that is pretty important. That child has to live with that name, and the harassment that it could bring.

I find it rather hard to believe that those two did not get picked on while they were growing up.

Sometimes I think that the hospitals give out “Boggle” games to expectant parents and they just shake them up and whatever comes out is what the kid gets stuck with!

I can remember sitting at the kitchen table with my dad one day. I asked him why they named us with such plain names. My oldest sister was named, Sally, the middle daughter is Judy and I am Janet. You can’t get much simpler than those names. His reply was “we named you what you were going to be called”.

My father is one of 9 children, and he is named after his father so he was called “Jack” rather than “John”. Of the 9 only my Uncle Lowell was never dubbed with a nickname, or called a shortened version of their name, or known by their middle name.

I wish more parents would think long and hard when naming their children. There is nothing wrong with giving your child a unique name, but, there is a difference between unique and “God’s Gift”…I would not want to be named something you can type into Google and get images of peoples tattoos with my name – I’m just saying!

So, thank you mom and dad, I love you and miss you both dearly and am grateful for my plain and simple name. Janet – “God is gracious”

Big screen worthy...maybe...maybe not....

Okay, so, if you have read any of my post you know that we seldom go to movies at the theater. My husband has certain guidelines that deem them either "big screen worthy" or no....

My step-daughter was down from school and had decided she wanted to see "Lion King" in 3d. So, my husband being a huge fan of baseball had been thinking of going to see "Moneyball", with Brad Pitt so we went to see that and she went to her movie.

I actually liked the movie more than he did! Though, I did not know very much about the story behind the movie and my husband did. Maybe that made the difference. Maybe not.

Though I will say that though I liked the movie, it wasn't worth the money we spent to see it in the theater. It is so sad how much it cost these days for a family to go see a movie. There were three of us and it cost close to $70 to see the two flicks....and...that is not even in a nice movie theater, with comfy seats that recline back. Here in Ocala we do not have a nice theater to go to, don't get me wrong it is not the worst I have ever been to but it is far, far from a nice theater and so very far from giving the consumer bang for their buck.

Which, is pretty sad in an economy where people are giving up entertainment outside of the house to save money. Wake up Regal Hollywood 16 of Ocala, take a few tips from Celebration Cinema.....make more movies "big screen worthy"....even if the movie is so so at least if the theater is a good one it would draw more people!

So...all that being said it was good but...."Moneyball"....maybe...but....maybe not "Big screen worthy"....

Big Screen Worthy!!

I have been remiss to mention a great movie that was deemed - "big screen worthy".

"Unstoppable" with "Denzel Washington" who I think is just a great actor. This movie it was like time stood still, it seemed longer than it was and it had you on the edge of your seat.

We went to see this in "The Villages", a retirement community south of where we live. It is one of my favorite places to go see movies, the theaters remind me of what they were like when I was a kid!

So, if you get the chance...check it out. It was big screen worthy, but don't miss out on it because it isn't in the theaters anymore....it is just plane screen worthy!

hair…hair…hair…where are the scissors?

Okay, I confess, as I age I kind of look at guys with long hair differently. Boy, am I getting old. Often when we are watching sports my husband hears me pipe up and say ---

“he needs a haircut!”

My husband’s theory on hair is – “grow it while you can”. Me – “he needs a haircut”. Which having lived through the 80’s and big hair it is not like long hair is something new to me. I am not old enough though that I don’t remember the hippie era.

I don’t know why it is that I now think they should avoid lengthening their locks and just get it cut!

For some reason I feel the need to mention that my husband does his fair share of yelling out during a game though his is usually something like “WILSON”! When Wilson Valdez is up, or makes a good play. (which scares me almost every time!)

What do you think?

”Grow it while you can”? Or....run and find some scissors!

The paths you travel...

I have come to think of life as being a series of paths.

I have many regrets in my life, have made poor choices in how to face something or what action to take. I’m quite sure that everyone has regrets they face.

I have not been known to choose what seemed at the time to be the best path to take, if I had done this I could be this by now. If I had gone there, instead of here it might have turned out better. It is one of the great mysteries in life….”woulda, coulda, shoulda”…if you do a Google search putting that in there is quite a bit that comes up.

How are we to know if our lives truly would have turned out better? How do we know we weren’t meant to be right where we are at each given moment?

Yeah, if only I had not taken a buy out from GM I could be close to retirement. Yeah, if only I had gone to college right after high school I would not have had to take as much math, and likely would be in a better paying job. Yeah, if only I had not trusted someone I would not have gotten burned. How many people really can’t say – “yeah, if only” about a few things.

Maybe there is some sort of cosmic fate that is in store for us each which guides us along the way. Maybe we really aren’t the ones making the choices…

“Robert Frost” makes one think about life with his poem:

“The Road Not Taken”.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I do think that life happens the way it does for a reason. I was fortunate to have had loving and supporting parents or my paths would have been bumpier.

I am thankful for the paths that led me to my husband. I did not marry until I was 42, which meant I missed out on being a mother, but, maybe I wasn’t meant to be one. I do have a beautiful niece that I love as a daughter. I have two beautiful step-daughters that I love very much. Maybe that is as much of a parent as I was meant to be.

This song by “Rascal Flatts” always makes me think of my life and my husband:

"Bless The Broken Road"

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

[Chorus]
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

[Chorus]
Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

Life is a mystery, at times it can be a maze. We all find our way out of the maze at some point in our lives, and sometimes we just go back into it at another entrance. I have been mulling this over, and over in my head and I’m not sure if all this will make sense to anyone but me. If not than it is just a little exercise for my brain. I hope though that you are reading this and maybe, just maybe seeing some new appreciation for the paths you travelled.

more about movies....

Aside from the movies mentioned in my last post we have also seen two others that were "big screen worthy" and we left the theater almost in awe. "The King's Speech", with one of my favorite actors, Colin Firth. His performance in this was wonderful. Writing this makes me want to go in and watch it - of course we bought it when it came out!

Another that was "big screen worthy" especially 3d worthy was, "Avatar" it really drew you in, the characters were great, and again we left thinking "wow, what a great movie". It too was worth of buying!


Last Christmas on our trek to Michigan for the holidays we saw a couple of great movies, "Red" - which left me wanting to be a CIA agent! "Due Date" - which left me a fan of "Zack (insert funny last name here)" who is was also in "Hangover" which my step-daughter's ordered for us. The previews for "Hangover 2" where showing while they were both here and they thought we had to see it before the second one.

"Hangover" was hilarious, I had sat down on a Sunday afternoon and watched it, opting not to wait for my husband to be ready to watch it and then later in the week he decided to watch it and I watched and laughed even more. Possibly because it was fun to see his reactions. No we didn't catch this one on the big screen, but, yeah it would have been "big screen worthy" - at least to me it would have been.

So....there you have it....more about movies!

Okay, I confess....it was better than I expected.

When my husband said - "Emlyn would like to go see Cowboys & Aliens" I had a flashback to going to see "Piranha 3d".

We don't go to the movies often, in this household a movie must be considered "big screen worthy" to fork out the fortune it now cost to go see a movie in the theater.

My niece, Julie and I used to go to movies fairly often. Little harder now that we are separated by 1200 miles. So, these days I am glad when they find one they consider "big screen worthy" and go along for the ride. Sometimes I leave thinking - "oh god", sometimes, "hey, that was actually good", or "wow, what an awesome movie". Take a guess which thought was in my head after leaving "Piranha 3d" ;)

We had seen the previews for "Cowboys & Aliens" when we went to see - "Super 8" and I thought - "OMG - does that look awful". Well, I was wrong it was actually pretty good and it was indeed "big screen worthy".

Also big screen worth was "Super 8". This was one that my husband had wanted to see, this time I really didn't know much about the movie, I hadn't really remembered seeing any previews until we were having lunch before the movie...and...I wondered what I was getting myself into. That one was fun for me because it was kids growing up during the time I was growing up - minus the aliens.

As I go through life more and more I learn to open my mind. Of course I may be skeptical about things from time to time, but, I am more willing to say, okay, I was wrong...it was "better than I thought it would be".

So...which is more likely to be real?

Hm, a leprechaun, a unicorn or.....a

honest politician...which is the true myth?

How lucky am I...

I am married to a most amazing man. He is a loving and caring father to his beautiful daughters, Kendra and Emlyn, who I have no doubt are the amazing young women they are due in part for having his influence in their lives.

He is a thoughtful, caring and loving husband. I never dreamed that I could be so lucky to find someone to love me as much as he does.

He is an artist, with an amazing eye and talent for creating things in many medias, on canvas, in word. Our walls hold just a few things that are an example of what he can create. He can do such great things using Photo Shop and a couple of photos.

He has been researching a British children's book author, and has created a website through which he has reached out to others in ways I am sure he did not anticipate. His work has even helped people with their search for family information. Also through which he was invited to write an article for "The Croquet Gazette" a British publication.

Some people think of an artist as someone who paints pictures, well, my husband is living proof that an artist is so much more than that!

As a teacher he touches so many lives. I may be a bit biased but when we are out and about it is not uncommon for us to hear a child scream "Mr. Williams, Mr. Williams" with admiration and a huge smile which proves that he will be remembered....some of them were never even in his class, they just attend the school where he teaches! Sadly they can't all be placed in Mr. Williams 5th grade. The face on Leigh is an example of those happy smiles!

So, how lucky am I that he is the man that I love!

Words with big meaning...

This semester in school I am taking “Introduction to Social Sciences”.

I am willing to bet I will learn more from the class than my letter grade will reflect. Which I guess could be said about any class that I take because I am so…NOT…a test taker. My husband will quiz me about something and it is like my mind goes blank! It could be something that I know stone cold.

It is not that the class material isn’t interesting, because it is very much so. It makes me see things in a different light. Many things I have never stopped to think of before.

When you think of the word’s “culture” or “society” you do not realize how much meaning there is behind them. I sure never did, most of it we actually take for granted.

We have studied the different ages, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age – it makes me how will people years from now define us in this day and age?

Sadly, I think they will see us as very narrow minded. We are a “me” society.

We have millionaire senators making the decisions that will affect the poor people. Heck, why do they care if we have to pay so much for gas, or groceries, or pay more into our retirement or, get a raise….or even loose our jobs? They want people lower down the ladder to take pay cuts to balance a budget…when they are making more than 3 or 4 of those people make all together! Are they willing to take pay cuts - I bet not!

Okay, I’m done with my tangent now. Back to what I was talking about…

Both words are so much of what we are, who we are, and where we live. They are such defining words.

Of course in a lot of ways it has become human nature to take things for granted…and…okay, I confess I am as guilty of that as the next person. I am hopeful that with each class I take I will move forward personally, if not professionally.

Beards...beards...beards....

Okay, so, I confess there is no explaining what strikes me funny at times. One minute we are watching the Phillies play the Cubs and it strikes me that Matt Garza looks like an Egyptian.

Well, that sent me off on a search for a picture of an egyptian that looked like Matt Garza, and of course singing "walk like an egyptian" ( to myself, which I am sure my husband is grateful for).

So, what do you think? Does he look like an egyptian?

Of course, you stumble on a lot when you are a search....below too good not to share.

Willi Chevalier – 2001 Freestyle Full Beard World Champion

Wow, not sure what else to say....wow













Elmar Weiser – Windmill Beard

Jack Passion reigning World Beard and Mustache Champion

This is just a small sample of what can be found if you take a little of your spare time and do a google seach for "beards". Try it, I had fun!

Hey, I confess it was actually fun!

Well, I have returned to school to obtain what - I don’t know. To expand my knowledge to earn a degree and move forward in a career. All that sounds good and yet I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. So as I swim through the pool of basics that are needed in any degree you pursue I am encountering some interesting things.

Two math classes behind me, I had to switch and take something other than math. I chose “Introduction to Social Sciences”. It sounded interesting, and so far has proven much more interesting than I had thought it would be.

We were given two options to earn extra credit. One of which my husband and I went too today. The train show at the local National Guard Armory and it was put on by the Lions Club, it is an annual thing.

We went in and having not thought ahead scrambled for the entrance fee/raffle entry. I’m not known for having cash on hand but I did happen to have a $10 bill, and my husband had two dollars.

What we were to look for I admit I am a little unclear on, the professor advised us to look for the “norms”. My twisted mind thought, I’m going to try and find a guy with the name “Norm” and take my picture with it and tell him – “I found a Norm does that count”. Alas I found no Norm. The closest I got was a “Neal”.

I was not sure what to expect, having heard two different experiences from people. Our experience had parts of both. We went on a Sunday afternoon, and one vendor told me that they usually don’t get a big turn out on Sunday. Aside from the vendors and the members of the Lions Club selling hotdogs and raffle tickets there were, maybe 50 people give or take. I would say the vendors were all of retirement age, although these days that varies since I work with officers that are 50ish and retiring. So let’s say most of the vendors were I would say mid sixties. All seemed quite friendly, although I would think it would to their benefit in effort to sell their wares. The ages rather varied of those attending the show. There were the young couples with their children. There were the diehard train collectors. There were grandparents with their grandkids. Of course couples like me and my husband, middle aged – ouch.

In a separate room they had a couple of trains set up running on tracks which was so fascinating. You could see on the faces of those running them and the many observing them that it was something that really held their interest. It was easy to see that train collecting is something that appeals to all age groups. As I was leaving that room it was actually touching to watch one young boy eagerly showing his father what he bought, obviously an interest that the father and son shared.

It was a vast variety of items, so many cars that brought to mind songs “Chattanooga Choo-Choo”, “Wabash Cannonball” or cars with names that you would see on a Monopoly board, "B & O Railroad". We both said “hey look at this” at least a couple of times.

I had actually forgotten that my husband has a train set, one he has had since he was a child. He used to put it up to run around the Christmas tree. He even made a purchase to add to that set. My husband will be 53, and that boy I saw showing his new found treasure to his father was about 12 so, yes I would say it is safe to say that train collecting appeals to a wide range of ages, young and old. Even the degree in which people are interested in trains, a mild interest in it, like mine pure fascination. To that of an avid collector who is a member of a train club such as The Ocala 3 Railers.
(The addition to my husband’s set)

I think this was meant to be a train kind of weekend my husband is in the kitchen making gumbo singing “The City of New Orleans” – as I finish this.