I'm in for this!

I plan to incorporate Big Phil's Phamily plan into my world. Sad it came after the girls had gone off to college. Again we'll have to work around the Xbox junkie's ball schedule but if we could manage 5 days a week...that would be a nice goal.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye...another blog awakens!

My youngest brother, Pharmer Phil, is back to blogging as well!

A Fruitcake

For Aunt Thelma

While going through all of Thelma's things....I ran across several bags ( at least 10... maybe more) that had little containers of candid fruit. Still in the grocery bags they came home from the store in. They had been placed in a room right off of the kitchen. Maybe she was buying ahead so she could make her annual fruitcakes without having to buy so many containers at once. I really have no way of knowing. I do know...that it caught my attention and I know she MUST have had big plans for that fruit.

About a week or so ago my mom and I went to visit with Thelma. On our way, my mom stopped by the store to get her some snacks, drinks and special little things she likes to keep stashed in her room. Among the things my mom bought that day was a little fruitcake....and I immediately thought back to all of those little grocery bags that contained the candied fruit that we had to pitch out.

During our visit I asked Thelma about fruitcake. If she liked it, who all she made it for, how she made it. Just typical fruitcake chat. :) She said she had made it many for people in her community...and for many years. She said she just found a recipe a long time ago but couldn't recall how to make it. So a mission was born... I asked around for a tried and true recipe. Someone I work with had a recipe that her husband's grandmother was famous for...so I chose to make that one.

Mix, stir, coat the fruit w/ flour, squeeze juice from oranges and a lemon, several flavorings, pecans, white raisens, flour, etc.......I ended up w/ a tube pan...filled to the rim....and weighing nearly 20lbs (or so it seemed). Curiosity got the best of me and i tried the candied mix fruit as I was putting it in the bowl to coat with flour... GAG... it was bitter. Maybe something magical happens when it cooks FOR 3 HOURS...low and slow. I took the cake to my moms at Thanksgiving. Unbeknown to me...my oldest brother (Big M) loves fruitcake. Since I had sliced it and put it in Ziploc bags for Thelma....Big M snatched a few pieces. He called me that night saying he was finished with buying fruitcake...this would be a holiday tradition for him as well. Like Thelma...I went straight out to get my fruit so I would have it available to fix and take to my parents house on Christmas Eve. Although Big Daddy assures me that the stores would never sell out..but I wanted to be prepared...just like Thelma.

I did not take ONE PICTURE...and I am truly mad at myself for that....but the next one...I shall post just a picture of the fruitcake.

I hope Thelma liked it....I realize how hard it is to try to imitate something that she probably perfected. But surely it was at least equal to Claxton's! :)

Yes folks....some people really DO like fruitcake and I must admit that I enjoyed the experience.

Since Wednesday

3 Thanksgiving meals

1 All night shopping excursion

1 Day picking out the perfect Christmas Tree

8 hours sleep

Up at the 'butt crack of dawn" to pull a shift in the Ed *to quote Wormie.

:blink:blink:

:yawn:

:surreal feeling:

:blink:blink:

:YAWN:

{red swollen eyes}

Rescue me Einstein Brothers....

Wormie joins the blog world!

http://ashleysroundabouts.blogspot.com/

YAY for us! Wormie is on board!

Twice New - Shabby Chic bedroom for Wormie

Wormie needed a bedroom suite when she changed apartments in July. I had just redone her bedroom at our house (the fall before...I think I blogged it but never published pictures as promised...maybe I will when my new camera cable comes in) with the bedroom suite Big Daddy made for her. (It's a Japanese platform bed that I dearly love!) Her room at our home is so cute she decided not to take it away from me..quite yet. Even though she knows I wouldn't have minded.

The focus the new room??? It would be Shabby Chic.

We took an old bed, dresser and nightstand. (Mine and Big Daddy's)
Sanded.
1st coat of paint was periwinkle blue.
2nd/3rd coat was eggshell white antique.
Sanded corners to antique enough to make shabby.
Sealed with lacquer.
Changed out hardware to make it chic.

Added iKea bedding. Love, love LOVE it! She did a great job picking that out! :)

Accessories from Garden Ridge.

It was a long, long project in a very hot garage....does anyone remember the heat index in July? I sure do! But it was worth it after it was all signed, sealed and delivered.

Pictures doesnt really do it justice.

If we could talk Wormie into blogging with us..she could have put this one on her blog. Blog wormie...Please blog with us.

2Shaye will be moving into an apartment in the fall....she has already decided that we will find her an old, well loved suit...and rock it out in her own specific style. We love projects that challenge us. Also remember...we love Twice New...especially 2Shaye.

The man on the right.....

...has been mine for over 30 years.

...has been a father for almost 23 years.

...loves his kids more than even he can explain.

...loves sports...especially when his kids are playing.

...is the original laundry nazi.

...loves Reese (one of our 3 dogs) even though he probably would not admit it.

...loves a good meal and a nice glass of wine.

...is a pyromaniac.

...loves it when his girls share his recliner with him.

...ultimate fights with the xbox junkie way too much...and never taps out soon enough.

...still misses softball.

...is a huge WFU fan.

...is now shorter than the xbox junkie.

...loves being at home.

...can't hear a dang thing...period.

...always says 'Hey baby!' when the girls call.

...knows that the simplest things in life are best.

...never forgets to tell me 'thanks' for cooking dinner.

...always washes the dishes when I cook.

...hates the grocery store.

...asks EVERY night.."have you heard from the girls today?"

...has a work ethnic that is unmatched.

...pouts when he's mad.

...rubs his feet together...constantly.

...never leaves home in the morning without saying to me 'Be smart, be careful and I love you"

...would stroke if he saw this blog....doesnt like getting kudos for just being him.

...never met a stranger.

...has a kind soul.

...is a wonderful husband and I probably take that for granted way too much.

...lives by the early to bed, early to rise rule.

...drinks grape juice with meals.

...loves to watch the horses run.

...prefers going without so he can give to his children...it's not a sacrifice to him.

...loves music...if we're home the outdoor speakers are constantly pouring out music.

...hates ... i mean HATES to paint.

...loves the hammock.

...is loved completely.

...is what a true soul mate looks like.