Confessions of a Cook in the Kitchen

Everyone has a secret or two, don't you agree? The problem may not be in the secret itself but in the fact you forgot you never confessed the secret until...oh....about twenty-eight years later.

Let me start off by giving you a little background to the truth: When my husband and I first started dating I wanted to impress him with my home cooking. Because we all know the way to a man's heart is through food.....yea, whatever. Oh, I could cook a few things at that time in my life, but I quickly ran out of ideas on cooking great dishes that were not repeats. Unfortunately for me, I did not grow up with the convenience of internet to search recipes online. No, I had to search my brain for friends who could cook great dishes and ask them how or would they make it. Yes, I so did that.

Now, my best friend's mother made some of my favorite dishes. One of my favorites was her lasagna. Oh, she made the best lasagna. So one day, I shamefully called her up and asked her if I purchased all the ingredients for her lasagna, would she make it for me. She quickly offered to give me the recipe (which she did and I still make it today) but I was afraid I'd mess it up since I had never made it before. I explained that to her and I remember she just laughed but agreed to make it. It was a huge relief. Seriously.

So the day my then boyfriend/now husband was coming over for dinner, I dropped all the ingredients off at my friend's house before I went to work, and picked it up on my way home. If I tell you that I flew like the wind to get home so I could pop that pan of lasagna in the oven (so it would appear I had cooked it) would you believe me?? Wait...don't answer that! The results however, were exactly what I wanted...he loved the lasagna, and I assume, he thought I was a magnificent cook with that meal and some of the other things I felt confident in cooking...he married me after all ;-)

I am sure you are wondering if I felt bad for that little indiscretion and letting him assume I had made that dinner. I really did not, no sire. I mean after all, I did learn to make that wonderful lasagna myself, and well, no harm was done.I had forgotten that little secret of mine from long ago until a one night this weekend.

My daughter wanted to do something nice for a boyfriend who lives out of town. She very cleverly got him to confess to her what his favorite cookies were and she made a plan to make some and send them to him in the mail as a surprise. They were well received and he loved them. He loved them so much that he told my daughter that they were much better than the cookies his very own mother made him.

He told her that his mothers cookies sometimes tended to by dry..and hers were perfect and wonderful. Now, that would be the conclusion to a happy ending, all except for one small little problem. He assumed my daughter had made those cookies from scratch and he thought they were better than his own mothers...and the fact of the matter was she purchased the cookie dough at the store. Ahem.

I am here to report that my daughter, just like her mother, did not say anything to her friend. She did not confess about the cookies.....but after about three weeks of him bringing the subject up, she decided enough was enough. She could not, with a clear conscience hear him say how great she was and how wonderful she was in making him those cookies, and how great they tasted one more time. She had stood all she could stand and one night she replied..."yea....about that"....and she came clean.

She told him that she had purchased the cookie dough from the store and they were not made from scratch...not really homemade. Luckily, he did not care about that and was more concerned with the sweet gesture made by my daughter. Her conscience bothered her in the fact he assumed she had made them from scratch....She is so unlike her mother!

Last week as my husband and I were talking over dinner, I had told him about her and the cookies. He laughed, but really did not pay me too much attention as he was in the middle of enjoying his grilled steak and potatoes. I continued on with my story and compared it to when I served him lasagna long ago before we were married and how I had not even made it.

There sat my husband, with his fork stabbed into a piece of steak suspended in mid air, just mere inches from his mouth and he stopped mid stream, tilted his head to the side and asked, "What did you say???" 

 I threw my head up from looking at my own plate and when I looked at him I knew right away this was clearly news to him. Likewise,what do you say when you have let the cat and the kittens out of the bag with your big mouth. I guess I thought I had told him that little story earlier in our marriage. Nope. Clearly it was a surprise.

He did not say it, but I know he secretly thanked his lucky stars that our daughter could not keep a secret like that for twenty-eight years. In fact, she could not keep it three weeks.

Moral of this story: Always raise your kids to be better than you consider yourself to be and if you have something to confess....just tell it and get it over with, because you will get to a point you won't remember if they know the truth or not and telling on yourself is not always how you want the story to end! Luckily, I learned to cook rather well even if I started out rather slow and a little dishonest!

Five Minute Friday: "Wonder".......

Today I'm linking up to Lisa-Jo aka the gypsy mama, who chooses a topic every Friday and writes for five minutes.

Only five minutes

And the rule is that whatever you write about in that five minutes is what you posts. No editing your thoughts. Today, her topic choice is "Wonder....."

Ready. Set. Go......

The wonder of parenthood and what it brings is an amazing thing. From the time of your child's birth, on into adulthood you are forever wondering about this and that, or at least I am.

I often wonder to the fact that when my kids were small, I used to wonder what it would be like when they were grown, gone from home. I would wonder and imagine how quiet and less stressed my life would be when that day came. I'd imagine the "magic" of having just my husband and myself alone with not a care in the world....finally. I seriously wonder why in the world I ever thought those thoughts.

I have wondered why there was no "magic" when the day finally came and my kids left on their own to start their own lives....far from it. I wondered why the stress was magnified one hundred percent. Now that they were gone, out of my sight, let me tell you how stressful that is. You always worry about their well being and hope they make good choices.

I wonder today, how long this melancholy feeling will last as my son pulled out of the driveway to go back to his home. I am thankful he was here for his vacation, and we got to spend time with him, but I miss him so when he leaves. He is a sweet boy wonderful man and he is the "son"shine to my days.

The one thing I did get when my kids left home was the peace and quiet.....and I seriously wonder how I ever thought that was going to be a good thing.....stop......

~Footnote~ If you are a young parent.....don't rush your kids into growing up. Enjoy them now when they are small...even if you are so tired and stressed you think you can not make it....this is the best time of your life...you will know I am right when they are grown and gone from home.

Vintage Thingie Thursday: A Vintage Memory With My First Car

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday. If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a "dog-gone" good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so  please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week.  

Lastly, if you link in, your post needs to include:

1. the LINK back to my blog and or the button for Vintage Thingie Thursday. I have been visiting lately and when I click on a link, there is no mention of Vintage Thingie Thursday or my blog. 

2. make sure your post has something to do with something vintage. All advertisements will be deleted. If you'd like to advertise on my blog, email me, we can work that out. No more free advertising by linking in.  Shame on those who do this, nothing is free in life.

Starting this month, if you fail to either have the button on your blog, or in your blog post and/or have not linked back to my blog in your post. I will delete your link. 

It is not fair to those who follow the rules to allow others not to do so. I am not being ugly, but rules are rules.....in all aspects of life. So if you find your link removed, check your post, you need to see why that happened. Hopefully, I won't have to do that. 


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This week, I'd like to share a vintage memory!! Oh, how I wish back in the days when I was in High School, that we had taken photos like today's teenagers do....but we did not, so this will have to do for today!!

My first car, or should I say, the car I had to drive was a lime green Vega. It looked like the one I found a picture online to show. Only, mine was not this shiny or bright. It did not have air conditioning, and only had a am/fm radio.....no tape deck ( notice I said "tape deck"). Nothing fancy at all...but it was drivable and I drove it, Oh, did I drive it. One thing about this car was that it used oil, and when my dad let me have it to drive, he stressed how I'd have to keep an eye on that. I had to learn how to check the gauge and dipstick to see if I needed to add more oil when it was low and I had to know what type of oil to buy (Pennzoil 30W), and how to put it in. But hey, it ran, so I was all good.

I got to thinking about this car the other day because I have several friends who's teenagers are getting their drivers license and driving now without their parents. And naturally, they are worse than a cat on a hot tin roof .....worried. They talk about all the rules, no driving here or there. I sorta laughed at that when I heard about it and remembered how those words sounded to us at that age. I remember we did just about whatever it was we wanted to do, no matter what my mom said. Sorry mom, true. The key was just not to get caught.

One friday night during football season, the game that week was out of town. I had only been driving on my own a couple of months, so I was limited to where I could go.  And if I remember correctly, I had a small crush on one of the football players and could not miss the game. It was not that far, maybe 30 minutes away but my mom would not let me drive there and none of my friends were driving at that time. My best friend and I wanted to go to that game, and guess what?? We did just that. We left town, and drove to the game. We did not even stay that long, but it was the thrill I guess of doing what we wanted to do and get away with it. Yes, I was that kind of child.

Anyway, after we paid to get into the game and left to come home, the "Oil" light came on and I knew if the oil light came on, then it as low.....so I pulled into a gas station to have it checked. Now, at sixteen, I had no idea how far I could drive with the oil light on, and here I was over 30 minutes away from my hometown with a total of .35 cents in my purse. Seriously. No cell phones to call home, not that I would have anyway, my mom would have killed me had she known. Oh the mind of a teenager, no money other than some change and never once thinking a thing would happen.

The service station man (which certainly is a vintage memory these days) told me how low the oil was, I asked him how much oil I could get for .35 cents. I am sure I told him I was not close to home, and batted my eyes while doing so, because he put the oil in and took my .35 cents and the light went off and so did we.

With a great sigh of relief, we went straight home....at least to out hometown. Was I worried? Yes, only that my mom would find out. It was thrilling to have got away with that and nothing happening. You know how silly moms are anyway, they overreact and worry for nothing.

I have to laugh to myself at so many of my friends who fuss and fret over their teenagers in their cars. Somehow, I don't remember doing that too much when mine started to drive, but then again, my daughter as always pretty cautious about things. Seriously, I am sure they would not do half the stuff that we did at that age......and we are still here to tell about it.

That car would have lots of stories to tell if it was still around and could talk. Believe it or not I eventually throwed a rod in this car due to driving it low on oil. That was the end of that little car and all its wild rides I took it on. It was a sad day for sure.

So.....if any of my friends who have teenagers driving about now, I'd like to say just relax. Give them a little room to breath, that way, you will always know what they are doing and where they are. Think about how innocent it was to us all the shenanigans we got ourselves into back then. We made it just fine, and they will too!!! Oh, and mom.....I guess it took me 33 years to tell this on myself......I am thinking it was the worse I ever pulled behind your back, but hey, I'm alive!! :)

Happy Vintage Thursday Everyone. Have a great weekend!

Twenty-Four Years Ago

Twenty four years ago today, I was being admitted to the hospital to have my second baby. I had no idea if it was a girl or boy, but today was the day....24 years ago. To make a long story short, due to the fact my first birth was a piece of cake...I insisted NO Anesthesia was needed the second go around. I was a rock star you see. Until reality set in....and well it was too late. In-case you forgot...I only have two children....there is a reason for that.

Today, 24 years ago, my sweet baby girl came into my world and nothing has ever been the same since. Not for me, not for her brother, not for her daddy. We went through years of crying fits....over snacks at pre-school she did not want to eat, kindergarten graduation she did not want to attend, dance lessons she decided she did not want to take, going to mothers day out, fighting with "best friends", breaking up with boyfriends, stressing and crying over grades, doctor and dentist visits....yep, we have seen it all.....and guess what? We just held her hand and made her do all of these things kicking and screaming and crying......it was good for her after all. But somewhere along the way we left the tears behind and put on new and different faces.

Ahem....did I mention my baby girl is 24 years old today??? Such a grown up face, so mature, so adult like.....at least there are no more tears....only smiles and giggles and silly faces most of the time.

Baby girl, your mean ole mommy made you do all of the things you did not want to because it was good for you. It would have been much easier to let you stay home and play and not have to make you cry when that was really what you wanted to do all along.  I'd like to think that dragging you all those years crying and pitching a fit maybe did some good after all. You have grown into a beautiful women and I am so very proud of you and love you with all my heart. Always be true to yourself because that is what is so special about you.

Happy Birthday Alisha......may this next year hold nothing but happiness for you and lots of great opportunities. You make us so very proud. ~ Love you, Mom, Dad and Jeff.



PS I don't think the contestants on Cake Boss have to worry about me stealing their spot in the new Cake Challenge to have a spot in Buddy's shop....just sayin' !!!

A Reality Check, A Reminder, A Way To Make A Difference

Sometimes the stress of everyday life really gets the best of me. I get down, upset and frustrated, especially when I absent mindlessly cause the issues. This time of year especially. The holidays are stressful, there it so much to do, and so little time.....and certainly no time for things to break.

This weekend, I fried my new computer.....somehow. Thankfully, it was still under warranty and hope to have it back by the end of the week. But when my computer is not working...I freak. Totally. All my photos are there, and we do have a laptop I can use, but no pictures on that computer thus....stressed over that this week. I will make do. In the big scheme of things.....this is so trivial.

My daughter sent me a link last night, and said if I needed something to blog about this would be good. Was she ever right. She reminded me to really look at what is important. She reminded me how little my troubles really are, and how we can make a small difference in the world we live in and the people in it. Alisha went to private school from kindergarten to 12th grade, in High School, the kids at the school participated in Samaritan's Purse/Operation Christmas Child. Alisha, said she was going to do that this year and finding a drop off place in Austin. She made my heart smile.

All you need to be a real blessing is a shoe box, some small toys, some candy, maybe a toothbrush and toothpaste anything small that a child would treasure, a child who never gets anything. And a little time. The time it takes to put this together, would be nothing to the delight on a child's face on Christmas morning. Each box requires a $7.00 donation to cover the shipping expenses. A small price for a smile. What a great activity for the whole family to get involved with...from the very young, to the very old.

Please go to the LINK to see what you can send and what not to send.

Click HERE to see the drop off locations in your area. Many churches participate in this program, so it should be easy to find a drop off location.

But hurry...the deadline is this week....so take a minute and be a blessing to a small child. The website also has links to print a label with a tracking number, Samaritan's Purse emails you and lets you know where your box ended up in our large world. I think that is really neat.

Please take a minute and watch this video, it is short but powerful. It sure served as a reminder to me this day how my problems are really not that important at all....and now, I am off to find a shoebox and some little treasures....please, would you join me?

Operation Christmas Child - A Lot Like Christmas

And the one thing I am so thankful for is the fact we were able to send our children to schools where they learned the value of individuals and how much they can make a difference...we do that at home, but is was nice to have them learn that lesson with their peers as they grew up in school.

When Free Does Not Always Mean Free!

One morning a few weeks ago, I woke up and started searching on Craigslist for furniture pieces that would work in my daughters new apartment at the end of the summer. She had already indicated she wanted a couple of bar stools. So I began looking.....I found lots of bar stools that were priced way above retail and I am sorry, I refuse to pay retail or above retail for something used. Buying new really is not my style either....so guess what I came across????? Under the FREE section of Craigslist was this super bar stool. And as luck would have it, no one had asked about it when I emailed the owner.

It was mine...well not mine, but my daughters...and it was really well made and sturdy like a brand new one. When my husband got home from work, he simply said...."there was a reason no one wanted that.....what a waste of gas going to get this piece of junk"......on and on he gripped.....and on and on I just ignored him. We do that a lot around here.....just sayin'

My plan was to recover this myself....I was sure I could do it....no problem. I found some really cute upholstery fabric at JoAnn's on clearance and I had a coupon. The fabric to recover this bar stool was only $3.85.

So one afternoon, with pliers in hand and a screwdriver, I set out to redo this chair. Little did I know that the most difficult part was removing the old leather seat cover. In fact, this was down right difficult.

Sophie just sat and watched with a look as if saying surely I could find somewhere else to make all this noise and remind me it was nap time around here.

The more I tried to pry the brads out of this chair and remove the cover, the more she tried to convince me I had taken on more than I could chew. All of a sudden my pup was singing the same tune as my husband about the chair....

Finally, after much work and a couple of scratches on my hands, the old cover was removed. That is when I began to loose faith in myself. I figured that the recovering was going to be the easy part.....but with a dog staring me in the face with a knowing look I had taken on too much this time, it was hard for me to have the confidence to cover the darn chair myself. I sat there with a old leather cover in one hand and the pliers in the other and felt defeated halfway into this project.

Luckily for me, there is a upholstery shop close and they know me well there, I have used them a lot. The man does not speak a lick of English and I don't speak enough Spanish to converse with him well....but he tried to assure me I had already done all the HARD WORK on removing the cover....the rest should be easy, I could do it. I wish I could relate to you how that conversation played out....I will say, it involved lots of grunting and hand gestures on his part and lots of laughing and stumbling with what Spanish I remembered on my part. I made it clear I did not feel comfortable trying to cover the chair myself.

Finally, he gave a huge sigh and said, "Veinte." And before he could change his mind, I shoved my hand in front of his to shake on the deal......twenty dollars, I knew was money well spent with his work....and that man does amazing work so I was happy.

Here is my daughters' $23.85 bar stool that was "FREE" and I must say, I should have tried to recover it myself, but I just did not have the courage.

I love how it turned out. The fabric is so much my daughters taste, and with a little stain and glaze on the legs, it is really a great piece. Thankfully, my husband did not continue to say I wasted my gas on this project. He liked it, but I am sure he would have liked it much more minus the $20.00 I paid to have it recovered.

But like I said, the man at the upholstery shop does good work. I am pleased and so is my daughter.

Dora told me the other day, that she felt like Sophie should be hiding her face just like this for ever doubting me. She said she had faith in my all along and she said next time, the naps can wait.....she might even help me demolish the next project....she assured me she would rather enjoy tearing something up.

See what I mean, she would be more than willing....and she has the experience to do a good job.....just sayin'

And here the bar stool is in the new apartment....love the color and the fabric. I love that it is sturdy and does not have any issues. I love that I know without a doubt to find something like this brand new in the store would have cost way more then the $23.85 I paid for it. I love the fact that it was FREE.....sorta!

A Recap Of A Busy Week....

To recap this week, I decided to do a post about what has been going on around here so when things do slow down, I'll be able to look back and remember what fun I have been having this summer......while I sip sweet tea and catch up on a movie or two.

Somewhere in the midst of everything there has been lots of packing....and boxing things up....not my treasures mind you, my daughters.....and guess what??? The son's stuff will be transferred into boxes next......

I won't mention how I feel about any of that......it is really best that I don't.

I totally scored with this FREE bar stool from Craigslist........wait till you see what it looks like now......

Score again....this $5.00 end table from Goodwill......wait till you see what it looks like now.......

 

This was the slam dunk for sure.....$45.00 from Goodwill. Had the mirror too, but the re-do did not involve the mirror. WAIT till you see what this looks like now...........

I may or may not have inadvertently inhaled way too many of these fumes along the way this week......remember, always use in well ventilated areas......cans should warn that in 100 plus degree temperatures in the back yard with no breeze is really not a well ventilated area.....just sayin'

This Van Gogh print was another Goodwill find. It had a great wooden gold frame, (old lady gold) and it soon met with a can of spray paint and sealer. Beautiful print in a much more updated frame for only $8.00. I wonder what Van Gogh would have thought about covering up the (old lady gold) frame with black paint....at least it fits more in the decor of a super urban chic girl.

In the midst of all the goings on, I may or may not have had to trail behind the smallest members of our household when they took it upon themselves to break open the dog food sacks and help themselves. Notice Sophie licking her lips....ahem......and no, they were not hungry....they are very well fed. Sophie would eat until she popped....literally.

She even had the nerve to try and haul away the evidence..........

This sweet girl had no part of those shenanigans....she ran as fast as her little legs could go to warn me of the naughtiness going on in the back yard......and if you believe that one....well, you will also believe all these projects were completed without a little mishap along the way.......next week.....I'll show you the results and the process of each of these transformations.

Have a great weekend....we will be headed southbound I35 to Austin on Saturday......our second job kicks in...."Mom and Pop Moving Company" you know the ones with the slogan....."we haul and carry heavy stuff for free"  and in case you are wondering....we need good strong help, apply in the comments section!

A Tale of Birthday Wishes

Last Sunday, was my Birthday, and as much as I would like the day to pass without much fanfare, sometimes it just does not happen like that. This year, was full of surprises, and some of the best gifts I have ever received....and I don't say that lightly. I don't measure a gift by monetary value, sometimes, it is the things that cost very little or no monies at all that mean the most. I want to write about how wonderful this year was so in case my mind fails me in the years to come, I won't forget......because for me, it has been that special.

I have never had a Birthday cake for my birthday that was my favorite flavor. Some years, there was no cake at all, and others there was a chocolate cake....because that is what most of my family prefers. I am a white cake kind of girl, and this year, my husband made me the most perfect white cake...I told him Cake Boss better watch out!! Seriously, my husband does not bake....a thing.....and well, this was most special. Every year I secretly wish for a white birthday cake, and this year...that is exactly what I got. I am still smiling at the thought behind my cake!

We all know about my computer issues and whining of late....well, my husband and kids decided enough was enough....they purchased a new computer for me, and well, if this is not fancy.....you can view two web pages at once....my blog and facebook....now, if I can only remember how to use it! This is way high-tech for my taste.....I was using a computer from the stone ages, my son says. If I had picked one out, I would have been so much more frugal, and tried to find something similar to what I had....but it is fast becoming a friend that I don't want to live without!! This year, being on facebook was extra special, with all the Birthday wishes from friends and family, it really made my day.

Lots of vintage goodies that have fast become a favorite of mine....look at these great needle cards...love.

These vintage hankies are waiting to be turned into a quilt. I just need to order the book on how to do this and I should be set after I buy a few more. Have you noticed how expensive these are now, seems like lots of folks are looking to buy these now.

This is the table set with my vintage tablecloth and dishes. It was a surprise when I got home from work, that my daughter and husband went to so much trouble.

But perhaps the best gift of all, was the story told to me by my friend....and of course it involves Goodwill. It also involves her daughter and shopping for my gift....it is such a delightful story, I don't want to ever forget how it made my heart smile....I hope you enjoy it as much as I did......

The week before my Birthday was Spring Break, and my friend and her daughter were planning their shopping trip that week. On their way home one afternoon, my friend tells her daughter she wants to stop in this store and look around.

Mom: "I have one more stop to make, I want to stop at this store and look around."

Daughter: looks around and frowns: "What store?"

Mom: "This Goodwill store....."

Daughter: " Huh????"

My friend pulls into the parking lot to park, all the while her daughter is looking around wondering what is going on......

Daughter: "Can I stay in the car?"

Mom: "No.......come with me, it won't take long."

Reluctantly, my friend's daughter gets out of the car and looks around the parking lot, eyeballing the potential Goodwill customers. Wondering just what exactly her mom is up to......


Daughter: "Mom, are we poor?"

Mom: "What did you say?"

Daughter: "Are we poor?"

Mom: "No, we aren't poor! I am here to look for treasures for Suzanne's Birthday."

Daughter: "Are you going to buy your friend a gift from Goodwill?!"

Mom: "Well, if I find a treasure I am."

This is about the time the daughter looks at her mom like she is crazy. Just as they were approaching the glass doors, the daughter turns to her mom and exclaims.....

Daughter: "Oh, my gosh, mom....are we really going in here?" Then once inside, very quickly, states, "Oh, my gosh, it smells...... OLD.....I can't breathe.......there is nothing in here, let's go."

My friend, bless her heart, was on a mission and tried to stay focused and not laugh at her daughter as she combed the isles of trinkets in the housewares department. She said she tried to remember markings and what types of things I had posted about on my blog.....she was intent on finding the perfect treasure. A gift she was sure I'd love.

In the middle of this treasure hunt, my friends young teenage daughter became the object of much unwanted attention by a group of....shall we say....latino young men. Oh, I remember those days when Alisha started noticing the stares from...shall we say.....latino young men. It does not matter that the young girl is pretty and that these young guys can not help but stare, even if it is a bit rude.....Those unwanted stares do make a young girl feel so uncomfortable...and throw in the fact the pretty girl is not comfortable combing the isles of Goodwill on top of it all. Let's just say, she told her mom, "it was time to go, that there was nothing there they were going to buy.....and they needed to go!"

My friend having drawn the conclusion that there were no treasures to be found this day, and while making their way to the door, she spots a sign that states that they sell gift certificates...and makes a statement to her daughter of that fact.

Daughter: "You are NOT going to buy your friend a gift certificate to Goodwill.....seriously.....what kind of a gift is that?"

Mom: As she is exiting the store this mom tells her daughter, "Well, I bet Suzanne would think that was a good gift."

And with that, they leave through the glass doors with a little faster pace then how they entered them just a short while ago.

Now, I have to tell you I laughed at this story of the gift shopping experience they had. I asked my friend, had they never been to Goodwill? Oh, she said they went to Goodwill to drop things off at the donation line, never to go inside. Never go inside???? unimaginable to me!

I was floored that they had never gone there to look around, to buy clothes for dress up days at school, just to go......my friend said, "no, we have not gone there..." I can not imagine that myself....but most of all.....I can not imagine what my friend's daughter must think about me.....I might be a little scary to her now! And let me remind you, this is the same friend I wrote about reconnecting with after all these years apart, so her sweet daughter really only knows me briefly......you get the picture!

And just to clear things up, (for my friend's daughters sake) I did get a gift certificate for my Birthday, and it has already been spent....Please, don't think I am scary!

Yes, I got some of the most amazing gifts this year, but the gift of laughter over this shopping outing, really tops it all. I smile every time I envision my friend walking into Goodwill, not knowing what to look for, but determined to find a treasure, only to leave empty handed and with a daughter wanting to run for her life......man, I tell ya'.....that is the good stuff.

I feel so blessed that so many people went to so much trouble to make my day special.....they certainly did make it most special. Thank you!

The Pioneer Woman came to Dallas.....and I missed it........

I know there is no need to explain who The Pioneer Women is.....I mean, by now everyone knows her and her wonderful family.....Last night, she was in Dallas for her cookbook signing....and guess what??? I had to work.....I could not make it.....and I have only been talking about this for weeks....WEEKS....did you hear me?....Weeks!

Here is the review of the book singing by the one person who loves me beyond compare, who did not want me to drive to Austin on my day off, who was certain this was going to be a simple book signing.....that person is none other than my 26 year old son....

The day started out with him driving to Dallas to the Borders Bookstore to buy the cookbook and get a wrist band for the night event....He got a red band, which meant he was in the second group. I tried to warn him about the crowds, but guess what....he did not believe me....after all, according to him...who really goes to a book signing?.....are you laughing yet?

The crowds were just as I said.....huge....this poor man looks to be a little lost...just the way I pictured my son.....lost in a sea of women.....he did meet some nice ladies in line who kept him entertained while he waited. One lovely lady owns a quilt shop in McKinney, Texas and he has assured me he got all the details on that.....thank goodness I learned to quilt this past summer...at least it gave him something to talk about.

Now....when he agreed to go to see Ree.....I gave him strict instructions....take lots of pictures.....don't be shy.......oh....and be sure to take a picture and get Marlboro Man to sign the cook book if he is there.....my son asked, "What is a Marlboro Man?" I kid you not....Jeff has NEVER been on The Pioneer Woman's Blog in his life.....EVER.....I am willing to bet he was the only one in the place who could say that. On the other hand, I could tell him anything he would want to know.....he thinks I am crazy......anyway...

And just like the good son I know him to be ....he kept me updated via text messaging while I was at work.....

The first update I got read..."I am here in line, no Marlboro Man, think I heard the girls here, surrounded by women..... your age......." Well....so much for the notion of possibly meeting a young single girl in line.....I was certain with a sea of women, there would be some young single girls wanting to talk to a cute cowboy waiting in line.....the stars just did not align.....

After being in line close to 2 and a half hours.....he sent another text..."I am five feet away" and after about 5 minutes.....another text..."done and long" I am assuming he was talking about the line and wait, not Ree's beautiful long hair.....

I believe these are The Pioneer Woman's daughters in the background of this picture.....I was so sorry I missed seeing them, they are beautiful girls, so full of fun.

Another shot of the crowds in line......by the way, the red wrist band was the second group to line up to get a book signed.....I am sure Jeff was thanking his lucky stars he went in the morning to get a band.....or he might still be there in line......I understand from what I read online, the line lasted six hours....I know Jeff loves his mama, but I'm not going to ask if he loves her six hours worth of standing in line to see someone he does not even know......


I think this is when his text message said five feet away.....after a long wait....almost there.....

And here is my book......Seriously, Ree.....if you could only know how THRILLED I was to see I was missed....I mean, honestly, how could you even know who I am....but I can pretend you know me......and this signature....the next best thing to being there!! I asked Jeff what he said when he got to the table....because he had all kinds of things he was going to say....but he tends to get nervous around pretty women, and I am sure he forgot any conversation he might have wanted to have...but he did tell her how upset I was to miss the event, and that I had to work so he came instead.....He told me Ree replied,"How Sweet".....I wish I could have seen him blush.......

I am here to tell you, if Jeff had any notion of what to expect, it was certainly not what he experienced. He could not believe the crowds and the willingness of everyone to wait hours to see one person.....He was surprised at how gracious, patient, and sweet The Pioneer Woman is....I don't think he really expected that one.......but all in all, if he would have just paid closer attention to his mom talking about this for weeks....he would have known exactly what to expect.....

Thanks Ree for taking the time out of your busy life to meet and greet your fans....and thanks Jeff.....my wonderful son....who spent his free time waiting in a long line of excited fans just to get my book signed.....I will make you another one of Ree's Chocolate pies that you love so much........~Good Stuff