beans and potatoes

Mama is at this moment, doing her therapy exercises ~ I still should challenge myself with these exercises that she is doing so splendidly.  Maybe I just don't won't to be shown up by the 90 year old.  The therapy is certainly addressing her inner ear issues.

She was up early this morning and she had decided last night that maybe she shouldn't rush getting out to go to church.  We will be going for a drive in the pickup this week to see how she handles it.

Mama mentioned to me yesterday that she believes she is to the point that she will be alright and she wanted me to make plans to have Don come get me.  It was funny she would say that, as I had just gotten off the phone with Don.  Stephanie had called him and told him that she and family are coming to Branson next weekend to see us and that, if the time was right, she would come first to Norman and get me so I could come with them to Branson.  Well, now, that's just a blessing. 

I have, of course, mixed emotions about leaving Mama, but I am very excited about being home with my husband again.  I'm pretty sure he misses me, too. :-) He called me last night before he went to bed and then again this morning before he left for church.  I love that about him.  We prayed together ~ I love that about him, too.  After church, he called me.  I sure miss hearing him preach and he missed me not being there to lead the music.  He went with Dennis and Sally over to FBC Hollister, tonight and called me when he got home. 

Mom, Don's mama, called me tonight, also.  She fell at church today ~ knee just gave out with her and down she went.  Aunt Lois & Uncle Pete took her to the emergency room in Pauls Valley where they x-rayed her knee, but thankfully, nothing was broken.  It is very bruised however, and she's very sore.  She's fallen numerous times in the past and has never broken a bone, which is very amazing to me.  Praise the Lord for her strong bones.

Snookie called tonight and they are in Idaho and ONLINE!!  Yeah!!  So she'll be posting tomorrow, if not tonight.  Can't wait to see her pictures of Yellowstone and can't wait for you to hear her July 12th story.  What a hoot!

For those of you who know me, I don't cook a lot, but when I do, Don calls me the Queen-of-the-Skillet-Meal.  Why dirty more than one pan, right? While at the grocery store yesterday, I purchased fresh green beans and new potatoes and we had them for late lunch yesterday, cooked with lean ground meat, a smidgeon of olive oil, a dash or two of seasoning salt and wa-la ~ "lunch is ready!"  This skillet is my favorite ~ big enough to cook a whole meal in and it has a dome lid that opens and closes to seal in the natural juices and cooks to perfection with little to no water.  We added a green salad with wheat rolls and feasted. Today for lunch, I cooked the rest of the green beans and more new potatoes as I wanted to use the beans while still fresh and crisp.  In my favorite skillet, I cooked talapia (again with a little olive oil and seasoning salt) and in a separate pan, prepared the beans & potatoes.  Added grilled Texas garlic toast and we chowed down again.  I know we've had green beans and new potatoes two days in a row, but who cares... they were yummy.  It suddenly dawned on me today that there was a small dress hanging inside the closet door in Mama's 'work' room.  I asked Mama about it and she said that it's the only dress she has of mine when I was a little girl Mama made it of tiny, tiny red and white gingham material. Mama has always been a wonderful seamstress.  One particular fond memory I have of time when I was about four.  I laid down for my afternoon nap (under protest I'm sure) and when I woke up Mama had made me a new turquoise and white check with little flowers scattered all over shorts outfit.  There was a ruffle around the legs of the shorts and around the top which had straps.  I was so thrilled with my new outfit and I remember it so vividly.  Isn't it funny the memories that stick in our minds.  Another dress I remember, probably because Mama had my portrait made in it, was an Easter dress she made for me about the same age.  It was pastel pink with ruffles all around the top and the full gathered skirt ~ ruffles everywhere.  So pretty and I thought I was a princess.  My hair has always been sooooo straight and for this portrait, Mama rolled my hair all over in little pin curls and did not take them down until we got to the studio ~ if she had my hair would have been straight when we got there.  When a child, I commonly referred to that day as "the day my hair was curly."

Well, we played our daily game of Mexican Train and I got beat ~ again.  I think I've won one game since I've been here.  It's fun and we have a really good time together.  She cracks me up sometime, like here, she said, "Oh don't take my picture, my hair looks awful."

Excuse my randomness (is that a word?), but I found this website today and thought, "What a neat idea."... Letters to the Next President. I thought, probably there's a theme going on here, so I listened to the video messages of Andy Stanley, pastor of the North Point Community Church in Atlanta, GA, and read his letter to the next president ~ short and to the point... excellent charge to anyone in a leadership role.