my framed pepper

Yesterday we decided to go to Chili’s for lunch. They’re still doing peppers this month. Check them out!

We wanted to see if my chili pepper was framed and hung.

It was!

I still can’t get over it that they cared enough about our story to go to the trouble to frame my pepper! So touched and humbled by their kindness.

I didn’t even remember exactly what I wrote last year. Every year I tell a form of the story and hubs draws pics of Landon’s favorite things. And together they tell a sweet little story of his short little life.

Thanks St. Jude’s for all you do! (I took that pic as we drove through Memphis.)

And thanks Chili’s for your kindness toward us and our boy. : )

long ride home

Do you ever have a day that just feels ten miles long?

Well how about 900 miles long? 907.9 miles to be exact.

That’s what my day felt like yesterday. You see I woke up in an amazing log cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

And laid my head to rest last night in my own bed.

900-plus long miles and 15 hours later.

We went to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Yes, it was delightful.

And yes, there will be plenty of posts with pictures to come to tell all about it. : )

Where was I?

With the ten year anniversary of 9-11 there are so many tv specials about it going on. And there have been a few Facebook conversations about it as well.

But the most striking one was a simple question. Where were you when the towers fell? (how did you find out etc)

And for the life of me, I cannot tell you the answer. So the hubs and I discussed it at the dinner table last night. And he doesn’t know how I found out either. Did he call me? I don’t know. Did I see it on the internet? I don’t know.

But watching these images and hearing these stories has been like living it all over again. But the longer I’ve thought about it all, the more I realize that even though I knew it happened and was riveted to the tv and the news the way everybody else was, I am now wondering if I didn’t really take it all in like I thought I did.

And then I remember…this was the time we also found out Landon was a much sicker little boy than we had hoped at that time. I can’t even tell many details about the exact dates on those things either. It was all a blur.

I do remember still going to clinic and still seeing the faces of the parents and the kids…even as we stumbled through life after 9-11 in shock.

But seeing these things on tv and reading new info about the things that happened that day has stirred in me a new grief for people I never knew.

And a sadness for America…who she once was..who she should be.

*Both photos taken by me at Arlington National Cemetery.

it finally broke

It finally broke…the heat wave, that is. We had 60 something days over 100*.

That’s about 60 something too many!

I like summer and I really like warm weather, but that was stifling. We spent much of our summer indoors as it was just plain old sickening to be outside for any length of time.

As I write this, it’s still in the 60’s. We haven’t even SEEN the 60’s in several months….so let me just say Aaaaaaahhh! : )  I’m so thankful that maybe we are over the 100* stuff for the season.

But we really need rain. I am beginning to notice our troubles in the national media…we are having wildfires all over the place. It’s very bad. Several friends know people that have been touched by the fires. And they are still raging out of control.

Anyway, I’m enjoying it being just a little chilly in the house this morning. And the a/c not running continually for hours on end. So this is what quiet feels like. But as nice as this is, we are having wind and we need rain desperately, so please pray for our state.

pepper time

Today we decided to eat lunch at Chili’s.

After all it is September…which is Create a Pepper time for St. Jude’s!

We go every year. We never know what, if anything will be said to us. But we don’t do it for us. We do it for our little guy. It’s a sweet way to memorialize him.

And make a donation at the same time.

We feel like our peppers also raise awareness. Because kids from every community across America are touched by this, even though most people don’t realize it.

So we asked to color peppers. Our waiter brought out three for us and we got to work. After we completed our peppers, I took pictures of them with hubs’ iPhone. I had intended to take my camera, but forgot. I’ve never taken pictures of our creations, but thought it would be fun. So that’s what I did.

And then our waiter came and took them and walked away. This is the part where we never know what’s going to happen next. I couldn’t see anything because he walked away behind me. We continued on with our conversations etc, but hubs was watching. The waiter carried them under his arm..and then back to the back..and then back again..and then they changed hands. The next thing we knew, the manager came to our table. He had been wanting to meet us, as he’s been reading our peppers for a few years.

I was blown away.

He said our peppers were the only ones they kept last year and they are having one of them framed and hung by the entrance.

I was so humbled. I told him I appreciated his kindness and thanked him for his kind words.

We held it together but our girl was in tears after he walked away. We were just beyond words that our little story has touched so many in our Chili’s.

14

Last night I asked hubs if he knew what tomorrow was. He said “yeah, it’s Saturday”. I gave him a snarky look and he just quietly said “yeah, I know…”.

Nothing else was said.

Today at lunch, You’ve Got a Friend in Me played over the radio. We talked a little bit about how Bub loved Toy Story 2 and watched it over and over again.

At home, in clinic, in the hospital. It didn’t matter.

If we were watching it at home, he would act out the opening. He ran up and down the hall and rolled around on the floor..super animated. Hilarious!

So it was very sweet to hear that song today, as this would have been his 14th birthday.

Happy birthday to you, sweet one. We love you to infinity and beyond.

a few of my favorite things

First off…a multi-use item. I don’t know if you can tell from the pic, but that is the spool from a package of blank cd’s. Nothing impressive, right?

Well, look what this little thing can do…

Tada! I know that doesn’t look so great either, but imagine being curled up in your favorite chair with that propped up nearby watching a movie or tv show. My own private screening room! : )

And now on to the world of food. I saw this recipe on Pioneer Woman the other day. Parts of it sounded good..except for the whiskey, the chicken thighs and all the fat. Oh..and turning on the oven.

So, I piddled with the recipe and cooked some boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot.

Here’s what I did…I mixed about a half a bottle of ‘regular’ (non sugary) barbeque sauce with a jar of peach preserves. I chopped an onion and cooked it until soft. Then I mixed it with the sauce, the jelly and a few good shakes of worcestershire sauce. Oh..and some minced garlic. I mixed it all together, pour it over the chicken and cooked it on low in the crock pot until it was done.

The top of the chicken looked like a glaze, so I carefully took them out of the pot so I didn’t disturb the tops. The sauce was a little thin, but I still spooned it over my cut up chicken and it was delicious! It wasn’t overly bbq’y…had a nice layered flavor..sweet but some other flavor notes as well. It’s a keeper! My way, that is.

And lastly…have I mentioned lately that it’s hot? It’s been over a 100 for about a million days in a row now. The weather man said that fall is coming…but he also said it’s supposed to be hot and dry. He’s not going to win many friends with that kind of talk.

Even though I love water and drink a ton of it every day, sometimes I really long for a nice tall glass of tea. I discovered this recently and it’s a nice change of pace and very refreshing. : )

I brew it. And let it hang out for a little bit.

Then pour it over ice with sweetener already added.

Some of the ice melts so I have to add just a little bit of water to finish filling the glass. It is so bright and tasty..not strong..doesn’t taste like Koolaid (like Snapple does). Just light and yummy!

My other favorite thing is that it’s Friday! Woo hoo. Happy weekend, y’all. : )