Countdown to Mistletoe...That is one empty tree....Day 3!

That is one empty tree!

Only a week ago at work there was a beautiful Christmas tree decorated with a mixture of silver and gold glittered angel ornaments.  Today...the only items giving this tree some color.....a handful of red poinsettias.

You see...my co-workers have taken the angels off the tree because each one was tagged with a special request from a child...and we added the parents in as well.  Today...the final three ornaments went to a good home and the shopping has begun.

We've partnered with the United Way for the last several years and I look forward to this time of year each and every year. 

As a child, giving back to the community was a part of life.  Whether it was sharing your favorite candy with the residents at the local nursing home, or helping replenish the local food bank....it's just what we did.

As an adult and a single parent, there was a time when I had no idea how I would ever find a way to make Christmas happen for my children.  Christmas happened alright, but it wasn't because there were presents under the tree.  When an anonymous envelope was handed to me with a handwritten message....Merry Christmas.... and enough money to 'make Christmas happen'...I cried all the way home (and still do to this day when blogging about it!).  It wasn't the money - Christmas is so much more than money.

Someone cared enough about me and my precious family to make a difference in my life.  I didn't know who to thank, but I prayed that night to please extend my gratitude by blessing their lives as well.

Dr. Seuss put it perfectly...... 

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?  It came without ribbons.  It came without tags.  It came without packages, boxes or bags.  And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.  then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.  What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.  What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

This Christmas.....be the 'little bit more'.

 

Countdown to Mistletoe....Day 2!

Countdown to Mistletoe.....Day 1 was spent watching Christmas specials on the Hallmark channel! 

I knew I could count on Southern Living to have a great photo of mistletoe!

Day 2...Back to work after a 5 day break!  Fantabulous!

On the 25th day of December, it will be my 1st year anniversary of the day I married my best friend!  It will also be our first Christmas in our new home and as soon as my loving husband will load up the few boxes of Christmas decorations I have.......it will be the most beautiful Christmas ever!

There are many other reasons this day is special and #1 being the birth of Jesus.  That my friends is the real reason we celebrate.  For God so loved the world, that He gave his only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

Each speck of glitter, jingle of bells, twirl of ribbon, and twinkle of light....I love it all!  





Wilmington, NC



As we walked around the skeleton of a house WAY back in August, Stephen said to me, "I know exactly where we can put the mistletoe.  Right here!"  As he pointed to the walk-thru going from the living room to the kitchen/dining room.  Well, my dear husband you don't need mistletoe to have a kiss, but we'll hang that mistletoe in that exact spot and on December 25th, you and I will share the day and a kiss. 

SWAK! 







7-Up Biscuits - New Ward Family Tradition

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope everyone was surrounded by love and laughter during this special time of year! 

I don't quite know what I was thinking by offering to have Thanksgiving in our new home (just moved in right before Halloween), but I did and it was great.  The fellowship with family was priceless and the food was quite delish too. 

Mom cooked the turkey and brought her cranberry/pomegranate jello salad - Yum!  Joyce made a crock pot full of mashed 'taters, deviled eggs, corn pudding and a pumpkin pie.  Debbie made a pecan pie that was outta this world....and the rest of the menu consisted of ham (said like Griffin Clark!), sweet potato casserole, coconut pie, stuffing (doctored up Dad style!) and....7-Up Biscuits!  Oh my...those biscuits!

That was the last item to come out of the stove because they are so so yummy warm.  They really do melt in your mouth.

Rewind a few nights....We are walking through Walmart and my husband, Stephen says...."You know, Andrew didn't get any of those biscuits on Thanksgiving.  Do you have everything you'll need to make him some?" I'm thinking that was his way of making sure I made more.

Needless to say, Andrew was a happy camper this morning when breakfast included those biscuits and after consuming THREE...stood from the table, let out a belch that was easily scored a '10' and said...."It must be the 7-Up in those biscuits.  Breakfast was really good Mom - Thanks!"

It's been a little while since I've blogged and I'll blame it on the move and just being busy.  I thought this morning, I'd kick off again with the recipe for the 7-Up biscuits - pictures and all! (As far as credits for the creator of this recipe...I have no idea!  I do know that you can google it or search for it on Pinterest and a gazillion versions will come up.  For all gazillion - I give you credit but this is my version) 

Grammie Ward's 7-Up Bisquick Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Bisquick (plus extra when kneading dough)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup 7-Up
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
• Optional:  Parchment or wax paper for easy clean up

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In microwave, melt a stick of butter and pour it into a 9x13 casserole dish.  I prefer glass or my Pampered Chef casserole dish.

In a large mixing bowl, add Bisquick, sour cream and 7-Up.  Mix well.

Your dough will be sticky, no worries.  Just add a little more Bisquick and knead it until you can lift all the dough and place it on the parchment/wax paper.  **Sprinkle a little more Bisquick on the paper before placing the dough on it.

Handy dandy biscuit cutter - Love it!

Knead and fold dough until it's no longer sticky - adding Bisquick as needed.  (I think I probably added at least a cup overall, but just a little at a time).

Pat out dough until it's about 1/2-3/4" thick.  Using a round biscuit cutter or glass, cut out your biscuits and place them in the casserole dish (make sure you've already added the melted butter BEFORE placing the biscuits in the dish).



Everything is better with butter!



Cut out as many biscuits as you can and then knead/fold the dough again and repeat the process of patting it down and keep cutting out biscuits until the pan is full.  It's OK to squish them in a little.

Place the pan in the oven and set the timer for 12 minutes.  They will probably need to cook the whole 15 minutes, but you don't want them to burn.

Wish this were scratch-n-sniff?

Whether you cook them for breakfast, lunch or dinner...they are delicious!  I will add though, they are better when warm and fresh vs the next day.  Don't get me wrong, Stephen didn't object to having ham biscuits for his lunch the next day, but they are better right out of the oven.

Have fun and enjoy!

Robin

Holiday Confessions

While browsing through the November 2013 issue of Country Living, I came across the 'Editor's Note' and she gives a few details and her own tightly guarded secrets.

Of course, it got me thinking about our family holiday rituals and secret confessions.  However, most of mine do not revolve around the food that's made.  It's more of how we'd all be rich and famous had we thought to video tape one specific Christmas Eve.

This particular December 24th was spent at Nannie & Papaw's house and of course a FULL house!  Food?  You bet!  Nannie's collards and cabbage, macaroni and cheese, homemade fudge, Nancy's blueberry pies (my personal favorite) and bowls of goodness that just didn't make sense it was so good! 

The gift exchange was usually pretty much the same.  Someone was elected to pass out the presents and then we'd start....mostly with the youngest (because they can't fidget anymore) and then we'd work our way up to Nan & Pap. 

Laughter is a given anytime the Bailey/Wilder clans get together and this particular night fell right in sync.  I don't remember what prompted the concert I'm about to explain, other than the musical garland laced with ringing bells that Nannie used to hang on the wall.  I can see her now....."Let me plug in my bells so the kids can hear them!"  She probably shuffled a little bit to the music and Pap probably put something silly on his head to make the kids laugh (after the dreaded pinch from his toes!).

You see Toby Keith ain't got nuttin' on us and this is why we'd be famous had we video taped the event.  Before we knew it, we were all lined up across the floor with a Red Solo Cup (aka "bell") in each hand. As the musical garland continued to clang, the birth of the Bailey/Wilder Hand Bell Choir took place.

 

I don't think I've laughed so hard in all my life.  As funny as it was.....we were serious about every chime our imaginary bell made and when one Christmas carol ended, we'd launch into the next.  Unable to breath from the laughter, but the concert continued.

These, and many many more, are the memories that I hold near and dear to my heart.  One day Pap will pinch me with his toes again and I'll hear Dad play his nose harp (Yep - that says nose harp!) and I'm thinking we might have to have an encore performance this year! (BYOD - Bring Your Own Depends!)

What are your holiday rituals or confessions?  Don't be bashful because if I can tell you I stood in the middle of the floor using a Red Solo Cup as a bell pretending to make music.....you can tell us yours!

I want my hair to look just like THAT!

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing these are probably the two most requested hairstyles that a stylist sees.  

I want you to make me and my hair look just like that!

I'm kind of looking for something in between.  Sorry Honey, but the days of longer hair are history.  Plus, it's all in how you carry yourself regardless of what your hair looks like.  If you like it....own it!

Those who have cut my hair, know I love pictures.  Rarely do I walk into a salon without a picture on my phone, in my wallet....somewhere! 

I like this, but not quite as short here.  And not quite as long there.  The color is good, but don't make me look like a block party or create a mullet.

So I turned to my good friend Google and decided to do some hunting. There can't be THAT many different versions of short hair!  Wrong!

This is a little longer than what I have now.  Well actually, it's quite a bit longer. Cute!





This is actually one of my favorites!  I'm not too far from that now and although I don't have that very defined jawline like this lovely lady....I still think it's for the Definitely Maybe file! 

This appears to be just slightly different from the photo above and another favorite. Of course lighter in color.  The bangs are a little longer and we all know how much fun it is to grow out bangs.  I'll be pullin' a Miranda and cuttin' those bad boys with some rusty kitchen scissors!

I want to be able to wear it curly sometimes too and I think with a little extra length, I can pull that off when I want something a little different.....and sassy!

And of course, you know I had to have a little fun with this adventure!  Just like there is someone for everybody....there is also a hairstyle for everybody.  And this goes into the Face Palm File. and the front of it reminds me of a teenage boy that has naturally curly hair and will do whatever possible to comb it out and it creates that lovely flip outlining the forehead.

And speaking of teenage boys with curls.............This was back in December and it's grown about 3-4 inches since then.  Love him and his curls!

I can wiggle! Can you?

I clearly remember as a child going to see Dr. Fletcher in the offices across from the old Williamsburg Community Hospital.  And, it was the highlight of the visit when he'd make his bow-tie bounce and his ears wiggle.

I'm proud to say I can wiggle my ears too, but if I see you in Target or in passing somewhere don't ask me to do it, because that talent is saved for the grandbabies!  Oh  my!

I saw Dr. Fletcher this morning while waiting for tires to be  put on my car.  I was not happy this morning and the cha-ching of the cash register wasn't making it any better.  "Mrs. Ward, when's the last time you had the alignment checked?  Since we are putting tires on, we can check it today for you.".....20 minutes later...."Mrs. Ward, your car is due for state inspection, we can do that for you today too AND we'll give you a $5 discount."  I wanted to ask....Could you check the air in my tires, vacuum it out, change the windshield wipers....Let's just go all out today!

About that time this sweet man walked through the doors with a cane.  As he shuffled his way to the counter, he smiled and spoke to everyone.  "Good  morning Dr. Fletcher.  How are you?"........."Well, I'm pretty good for a man my age."  We chatted a few minutes and when he learned my children now have children, he covered his face, laughed and said...."This makes me really feel old, but keeps me going too!" 

He looks exactly like I remember him when I was little and when he took care of Robbie and Ashley.  Seeing him turned my day around and I've wiggled my ears several times while typing!

I guess it really is the little things!

Paintin' Ain't For Sissies!

Tonight I relived all the times I slid into 2nd, 3rd or home!  All the stretches at first base, pulled muscles and abuse I put my body through playing softball!

I started painting before Stephen arrived and by that time....I was pooped!  I wanted the good paint fairy to swoop in and just finish it! 

I assumed the position of resting in the chair, sweat pouring and smelling oh so lovely...while Stephen did everything I couldn't reach. 

I couldn't leave well enough alone and it was like Ol' Herman was standing there yelling from the dug-out.....Put 'r on!  (When you say that you have to get it just right!  Take your voice down as deep as you can get it and then just run all those letters together.....put 'r on)

Alright!  Alright!  I'm up and ready for another inning!  Gimme that roller because it is NOT going to win tonight.  Paint?  More paint!  I've gotcha covered there too.  Uhmmm.....I'm going to 'Put 'r on like a pro!......and feel like an old goat tomorrow!

Scratch that....I'm going to feel like an old goat tonight!  I'm guessing just night after night of painting and going up and down the ladder, arms reaching points I haven't reached in ages, squatting.......Oh my LuLu.....the squatting!  My cheeks are screamin' and it's not from too much smiling.

H-o-w-e-v-e-r....I got about halfway finished and then I was done.  Done for tonight anyway.  No more paint in the tray and no more game in the girl!  Calgon take me away! 

Side note....You won't find Put 'r on in the dictionary.  Not even Jeff Foxworthy's (hehe).  But if you've been to see a ladies softball game at Quarterpath Park - probably Country Grocery & Deli playing Whiting's Angels...you've heard it!  Runners at 2nd and 3rd and first base was open and Lisa Gorby steps up to the plate with her weapon on choice....aka...the bat! (and knowing Lisa, her bat probably had a name like Bertha, Earl or something).  Ol' Herman coached Whiting's and was determined NOT to let Lisa crush the ball into left center field and send his girls running.  What did he do.........yelled to his pitcher......"Put 'r on!  Put 'r on!"  Herman's way of saying an intentional walk and off Lisa would trot to first base!

I believe Herman was called home several years ago and I hope he knows his legacy has carried on for many many years!