Papa's truck

When Carson was 4, he's 14 now,  well, let me back up a minute.  Papa has had the same truck.  A 2002 Toyota Tacoma.  I asked him when would be trading it in to get a little more comfortable one.  His reply, "it's paid for.  It'll last me until we die."  Well now, that was pleasant.  I'm excited to ride an old stinky truck which has no shocks what so ever.  At least that's how it smells and feels.
The grand kids would argue with me if they heard me say that.
Like I said, Carson was 4 when we bought it.  He would sit on Papa's lap once we got in our neighborhood and drive, drive, drive, or so he thought, Papa was helping him on the sly.  The little man he was, feeling so big, so proud, with the biggest smile on his face, chest puffed out, explaining to grandma how he could drive now.  "Wanna See"
Every time Papa was going somewhere he'd shout first.  "Come on buddy"  Carson knew that meant shifting gears for Papa.
Sitting in the back of the truck was a pleasant win too.  O my, there was millions of things back there, not messy, not dirty, Papa had a pouches, nets, pocket slots all over the place.  He could tell you where something was in a second.  Treasures everywhere.   Today?  Carson knows how to drive and has been knowing for quite some time.
Kirra, our precious 5 year old grand daughter is at the gear shifting age,  She spent many years in the back of the cab in her car seat, just as content as ever, we never heard a peep.   I suspect that she will, like her brother have some wonderful memories about Papa and his truck, and like her brother, able driving by 12.
Now there's Baby Rae, the sweetest piece of sunshine you ever saw, shes in the car seat stage at 7 months, and you know what?  She loves it back there.  If we give her a toy, she will hold it without playing.  Not one time in 7 months has that baby ever ever cried in the back of Papa's truck.
Papa's truck,... I guess we'll keep it...

Go love

To give back...

To me, that means to help, give where you can, go where you can, smile always.

What charity do you choose.  How to make since of it all.
For me, it's just that, to help, to carry on.

All of this will seem to , no, it will jump all over the place, as my thoughts race beyond me.  I apologize, feel free to ask any q's that I might have sparked. The thoughts and ideas are jumping to where I am thinking and babbling about several different things.  Well, that's where my thoughts are.

We have all been hurt, all of us have our pasts, we all have had things that have molded our character.  Who's is worst?  Who's matter?  my thought, every one's and no one's.

See, I think it is important to be helped, rescued, listened too, and nurtured.  Then, move on, help others, I don't mean it doesn't matter, I don't mean to forget it.  I mean, go live, go help someone who needs it, go listen to the one that is not heard, to hug someone that is standing alone in there own silence.  That is what charity is, I don't think it's all about the money.  It's about doing all the things that we so desperately needed ourselves.

Go do it.  You will love the healing that takes place.
Go love.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Who New!

After 46 years of being morbidly obese, heck, I've been overweight from memory one.  48 now, a month ofter turning 46 I went through weight loss surgery.  I received the Lap Band.  OMG!  I love it, I love it, Love it.  I will have this Lap Band until it's time to take a dirt nap.
But now? & map; auhggg!   they took some fluid out!
I simply made an apt to get a fill, fill= to add saline solution to my band that circles around the top of my stomach.  I have a band that holds 10cc's, 5.5 cc's are in the band.  After two years of no fills, no problems, no nothing, I decide to make an apt to tag team in and to get a fill.  I had been getting hungry too soon after eating as well as eating larger portions.
Dr. Allisson is a great Dr.  Funny, personable, just a all around great guy.  He asked me if I ever had a fill under Flora.  I replied, "No Sir", he said, "let's do it".
The next morning I meet him at the hospital to do just that.
I drink the stuff, blahhh-gag,  there it was in black and blue, my esophagus, there sitting, swollen.  "I reccomend taking some of the saline out and allowing you esophagus heal."  "Well of coarse you do."  I said with a smirk.
Now, 3 weeks later, I have gained SEVEN LBS. !!     to be continued...

Yummo and Bologna?

Term created by Rachel Ray, I have always hated that phrase.  Now I can't stop referring back to it.  When I taste, when I eat, and I smell.  "Yummo"  Comes out of my mouth.  Ironic I think.

So, I am always trying to get down and dirty clever with my cooking.  I sometimes am far from successful.  The times where I think something is going to be spectacular falls short from the ole' oven mitt, (WTHeck!)

Then there are times where I even surprise myself. Luckily, the family agrees.  It's when I least expect it, when I have shoved everything into a recipe, forgetting to mention to the memory, "hey! remember this for next time."   :/

Relaxxkiller's Pot Roast

Yes, Yes Virginia, there is the best pot roast you ever had, cooked right here in sunny Central Florida.  The meat not only was seconds away from Vegetable Beef Soup, It was so tender I thought I was eating Roast flavored Butter. (I know, I know, I'm a dork, it's ok, I like it like that)

The smell filled the house within 2 hours.  The neighbors were standing outside the kitchen windows drooling like dead zombies.  (Walking Dead anyone?)

Right away I put some in a single serving Ziploc container for my husband to take for lunch the next day.  I do that with any meal made.  He works about 2 hours away so needless to say I make sure he eats other than processed meat.  B O L O G N A... though he wouldn't argue.  The man loves bologna, raw, fried, thick, thin, as long as it's bologna.

Thanks for watching PEOPLE!!!