Tender Thoughts

Here in DC we have received our first official snow STORM of the season. Yes, folks, it is almost blizzard like conditions. I love it! I love snow because I get to stay in and enjoy the comforts of my home. And, besides, it is BEAUTIFUL! Want to see?





Although I was raised in the deep south, I've lived in areas since graduating from college that get dumped on by Old Man Winter. Iowa for six years and now DC for ten years. I still prefer warmer weather over cold weather any day.

I plan to get a lot done today since I'm stuck in the house. I don't even think I'll make it to a Christmas party that I'm supposed to make a dish for. No email has come out saying it's cancelled! What are folks thinking. I can't even get out of my parking lot! The kid ain't going NOWHERE!

It is 20 minutes til 3am in the morning. The washer and dryer are going. The TV is on, but on mute. I'm reading blogs, email, Facebook, and now scribing on my own blog. I have a lot of stuff running through my head right about now. Friends are hurting and I hurt for them. Friends are happy, so very happy, and I'm HAPPY for them! The way you plan your life may not be the way it happens, but do know that the results are WONDERFUL!

My Saturday did not go as planned. I had plans to get up this morning and go to aerobics class. Didn't go to sleep until 3am last night and didn't make it to the 8am class. I actually didn't get out of bed til almost noon. It's been stressful around these parts and my body was mentally and physically TIRED. So, that was some much needed sleep.

I was supposed to get my carpet cleaned today, but my handyman had to reschedule. I was pissed, but not to the highest level. Next Sunday. OH WAIT...I think I have two events next Sunday. Maybe my carpet won't get cleaned after all because I CAN'T cancel my engagements on the 20th and I leave to go home for Christmas on the 22nd. Maybe he can come on the 21st. Me and my schedule.

I was at church for a LONG time today. Went to take pictures for the church directory and ended up staying for kids' Christmas program and for evening service. Now I can sleep in later on Sunday morning. Ummm...no. Gotta pack and wash hair for the overnight work trip. Guess I should get off this computer, huh?

Patti LaBelle is on the Food Network on Iron Chef.

I think I have adult attention deficit disorder. I get sidetracked by Facebook.

I've never made a recipe by Paula Deen. Don't think I ever will. Who puts a stick of butter in spaghetti sauce??

Will be making this dish soon.

Prayers will be answered.

24 minutes after 3am...got sidetracked trying to complete this post.

Ciao!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I see it as a time to be with family and friends without the stress of gifts. Just a relaxing time eating good food and enjoying the company of your loved ones. This year I will NOT get the -itis. I just can't. I get VERY uncomfortable after eating too much and make myself really ill. I'll be going out of town to visit family in the Midwest and I'm so looking forward to it. My spirit was speaking to me and I knew that burning desire was to be around family for the holiday. I'm a little jealous that I won't be home in Mississippi for Thanksgiving because my sister is having a big dinner at her new home. My brother-in-law will be home from Iraq, all my nieces and nephews will be together, and other family members will be in attendance. Man, I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about the wonderful time that will be had. I miss them so. I'll be with my father's family in Indy and I decided to go be with them because I know my aunt will throw down in the kitchen like my mom does and I will get to see my little cousin Kennedy who's a year old. Also, Kennedy's mom who I talk to almost every day. It will be good to visit in their new home, too. I need to get some housewarming gifts, huh?

I also love Thanksgiving because of the opportunity to bless others. There are so many families who may not have all the Turkey Day fixings on Thursday because they simply cannot afford it. I can definitely relate. Money was scarce growing up and there were times that all my mom could do for Thanksgiving was whip up a batch of dressing for us four kids and some baked chicken. That was our meal. Yesterday, I helped fill Thanksgiving boxes for needy families in the DMV with Project Giveback. Boxes were filled with a turkey, two chickens, stuffing, tilapia fillets, top sirloin, apples, oranges, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, celery, and sweet potato pies. Over 800 boxes were filled for over 800 families. I helped to distribute four boxes and one lady just touched me so. She was so very thankful and stated how she would not have had a Thanksgiving dinner if she hadn't gotten a box from Project Giveback. She had tears glistening in her eyes and her little boy was the cutest. She even called us back after we left to say thank you again. My heart was full.

Tis the season for family, friends, and gifts. However, it is also the season to GIVE BACK. I know I am blessed with many things in my life that others don't have. I didn't grow up like this. So this is why when I encounter families such as I did yesterday, I think about my childhood. It was similar. Volunteering is the core of who I am. I do it because of what God has done for me. I do it to show I care. I do it for my love of others.

Blessings, peeps!

I had to participate in a school project for my 6 year old nephew Kendall. His first grade class is reading the book Flat Stanley and Flat Stanley was sent to me in the mail so that I could show him around my city. Washington, DC. Flat Stanley and I had a very busy day yesterday. He listened in on a work conference call with me and then we walked around viewing the monuments. We took pictures together near the Tidal Basin, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and then made our way over to the Capitol and the White House. Flat Stanley wanted to play with Malia and Sasha, but I told him they were in school and weren't available. We had lunch at a great deli downtown that I will be frequenting again. That chicken salad sandwich was some kind of good!

Flat Stanley didn't want to be sent back to Mississippi, but he had to go. He didn't even mind the cold considering he had no jacket on. Just a shirt and tie. Sorry, Stan. I had a good time with Flat Stanley and I can't wait for Kendall's class to hear about Stanley's adventures in the nation's capital! I even printed out digital photos to send to Kendall. Something I hardly ever do. Only for the babies in my life.

Glad I read this Delta Sky magazine. It had a promotion code for free WiFi for first time users. Go me!

I'm excited about my first trip to Vegas! The veterans are going to show me the ropes.

Glad to help my girl T ring in her 40th! You look good!

Initially, I didn't like Chicago's infamous Garrett's popcorn. I got the wrong mix. Butter and cheese. Ugh. Now I know the Chicago mix is where it's at. Caramel and cheese. Won't make that mistake again.

I LOVE Chicago! I almost moved there after graduate school.

My Luther playlist on my iPod is the bizness!

No person in the middle seat on this flight is pure bliss. I can't put my laptop on the tray table in front of me because the person in the seat is 'leaned back'. Hmph. So I'm using the tray table for the middle seat.

The lady in the window seat is fidgety. She doesn't do long haul flights well.

I had to check two bags and I didn't want to. The agent could have let me slide with being 2 lbs over the limit. I asked her how much was the over limit fee. $90. Arruuuu?? Excuse me? What happened to $50? I immedietely removed my toiletry bag from my big suitcase and checked it for an additional $30. Sigh..... $50 total for checked luggage. On my dime.

Plane ticket and lodging for Vegas. $38. $28 for lodging at the timeshare and $10 for the plane ticket. Yep.

I hate I forgot my Netflix movies. I need to finish watching Season 5 of The Wire.

I'm going to read Push while in LV. I hate the movie didn't open in DC this weekend. Wish it was showing in Vegas. No dice.

Peace!

The other night I was talking with my mother and I told her that I was going to make a roast that evening. I haven't had roast since earlier this year and I was craving it big time. I love the aroma a pot roast gives off while cooking. Perfect for this fall weather. I explained to her how I learned about "stuffing" a roast from her. When you sliced into my mama's roast, the smell of garlic cloves and parsley wafted through the air. Mmmmm....I can smell it now. The way she stuffed her roast was by cutting small slits throughout the roast and literally stuffing the slits with a small clove of garlic and some fresh curly or flat leaf parsley. She said if she didn't have fresh parsley, she would use the dried variety. I cook my roast like this as well, but I also stuff some sliced onions in there, too (unfortunately, I didn't have any parsley - fresh or dried). In addition, I'll flour the roast and then sear it for a few minutes on each side in olive oil. This helps to make a nice thick gravy in the pot the roast is cooking in. I used my crock pot this time around. Usually I cook it in the oven with potatoes and carrots. Didn't add veggies since I already had some frozen vegetables that I was going to steam. I do season the outside of the roast with sea salt, ground black pepper, basil, cayenne pepper, and Creole seasoning. I also added some Adobo as well. It turned out GREAT! This time I used beef, but I'll cook a pork roast, too.

My mom has schooled me on how to make red beans, cornbread (none of that Jiffy stuff!), dressing, meatloaf (NO KETCHUP...tomatoe paste and stewed tomatoes are your friends), and greens. I didn't really COOK until I went away to Iowa for grad school. Hamburger Helper, anyone? There were hits and misses, but I would always call home and ask my mom "Why doesn't my _____ taste like yours???" and she would have pity on me and give me a cooking lesson over the phone. The one thing I just can't get right is potatoe salad. I've tried and tried and tried. I have given up that mine will never taste like Daff's (my mom) and I simply don't fix it anymore. When she came for Thanksgiving two years ago, I cooked everything but that. She was on potatoe salad duty.

My mom was my teacher in the kitchen and like most people we think our moms' cooking is the BEST! Do you discuss cooking techniques/recipes with your mommy?

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment with my internist. I go to her every three months or so to monitor my high blood pressure. Oops...I need to go pick up my prescription tomorrow. I called it in last week and I keep forgetting to go get it. My BP was in a good range yesterday and my doc said that the exercising along with the diuretic must be producing postive results. My goal is to get off of the pill a day. I will do it!

During my visit, my doctor asked me if I had ever had a body composition analysis done. I asked her did she mean like a BMI check with that instrument that pinches your skin. Noooo...a full body composition of how much of your weight is muscle and how much is fat in addition to where the fat and muscle is distributed throughout your body. Nope..never done that. "Do you want to?" "Yes!"

I stepped on this machine and after a few bleeps and colorful displays, a page was printed and all my innards were analyzed in living color! In short, half my body is muscle and half is fat. NOT GOOD. I need to lose the fat and maintain the muscle. In essence, I do not need to gain any more muscle. I'm well hydrated (yay!) and my lean muscle mass is on point. However, I do need to lose MORE weight. Upping the cardio and paying more attention to what goes in my mouth!

Tonight when I was working out with my trainer, I gave him my results from the body composition analysis and he said "We can do this, but YOU have to commit to doing it. Working out and then eating bad is not going to get the weight off you." I know...I know. I have been gaining and losing the same 10 lbs for several months. One thing that made me smile tonight while I was sweating my hair out was that my trainer noticed that I'm getting a six pack! Ha! He could see it through my t-shirt. He hates paying me compliments because he knows my head SWELLS! I need to whittle my waist some more and blast that lower ab fat and PA-DOW! Y'all ain't ready. But give me a few more months, ok.

I suggest you get your body composition analysis done. It's good to know and will help you develop a better body.

Friday after work while I was waiting to begin my facial at this new spa for Spa Week, I was reading this article in the November issue of Marie Claire magazine. I've heard of the sex slave industry in Third World countries before, but I think my heart broke while reading this article because I'm currently reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and the treatment of women in this book is akin to how these young girls were treated as sex slaves in Cambodia in the Marie Claire article. Just sickening.... The mother of the young girl in the article sold her daughter to a brothel! I cannot even fathom! And to think, this is STILL going on. Girls as young as 5 years old are made to have sex with grown ass men! This makes me ill. One part of the article mentions how if the girls didn't comply with having sex with the johns, that the pimp would crush up hot chili peppers and shove them in the little girls' vaginas. Y'all...Y'ALL! How horrid is that???

Please go read the article if you haven't and let's discuss.

P.S. - Are you glad I'm back? I wasn't gone that long...was I?