Governmental Help?

Do people really understand what they are saying at a particular moment or do they honestly believe what they are saying? The other night on the news, a story about the candidates (what else is on????) was talking about the needs of the American people and how they are suffering and how the government bailed out Wall Street with their recent financial fiascoes. One lady interviewed was sharing how she needed help herself and couldn’t understand why the government bailed out “big business” but didn’t help her. She ended with, “The government needs to help me too”.

No, Sister. The government does not need to help you anymore than it already does. Why do you think that you deserve help? If the government helped all Americans with all that they thought they “needed”, it wouldn’t have the time nor the money to do anything else. What ever happened to personal responsibility? Of taking care of one's own needs and living within your means and not above them? I know that people do need help at times, but expecting the government to help you out all the time for is asking for a bit too much, in my opinion.

Have a blessed day!

What Is A Southerner?

When one is asked the question “What defines the South?” I am sure that there would be more answers to that question than Carter’s got liver pills. Here is my opinion as to what makes a Southerner a Southerner. I am in no way saying that all of these aspects are exclusive to the South, nor does every Southerner exhibit all of them. But together, they have created the unique Southern culture that the area is known for.

1) Slow-paced life. This aspect is seen in numerous ways throughout the South, i.e. people enjoying a porch swing or rocking chair, sipping afternoon tea or lemonade on a hot summer day, or checking out the scenery while driving slowly down a two-lane road. Balms for the soul.

2) Outgoing dispositions. Southerners actually take time to talk to their neighbors and find out how they are doing. Other people brush through the day without so much as looking at their neighbor, let alone having a conversation with them.

3) Unusually descriptive language. Have you ever been as “nervous as a whore in church”? What about as “busy as a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest”? The way Southerners use words and phrases can bring about startling mental pictures that lend humor to any situation.

4) Tender, slow-cooked food. There have been many people of Northern persuasion that I have heard say that Southern food is cooked to death. Well, that may be true, but it sure is good going down! There’s nothing better than barbecue (pork here in NC) cooked over charcoal for several hours, ham hock-smothered black-eyed peas, chicken pastry, and collards. There is also no one way to prepare many Southern favorites. Each region of the South has its own method of fixing its slow-cooked goodness.

5) Hospitality. Southerners tend to show genuine concern for their fellow man and will help anyone that has a need. They are very welcoming to strangers and do their best to make them feel as comfortable as possible and even provide them with the best of their provisions while doing without. They are also very polite and maintain their composure even under the most trying of circumstances.

The South has undergone a lot of changes, especially recently. More and more people are moving here everyday and try to change it into something "new and improved". I completely understand why they come. But I hope that the above facets of Southern culture will remain strong and forever.

I am proud to be a Southerner. I have traveled enough to realize that no where else in the world holds a candle to it. No, the South isn’t perfect and it has some dark, dark periods of history, but I wouldn’t live anywhere else. It’s my home.

Now, pass the cornbread, please!

Have a blessed day!

And the Winner Is...

One thing I have learned since I began entering contests at the fair is that one can never know what a judge is looking for and what it will take to win a ribbon. It's mostly a gamble. You just enter and if you win, great; if not, try again next year. The reason I keep entering is for the sheer pleasure in making the entries and trying something new. I am no chef by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love to cook.

Last year, I decided to "force" Kellie and the twins to enter items in the culinary division. I know Mikayla has an interest in cooking and I want to encourage her in every way possible. This year, I let each child choose their items and how many they wanted to enter. I chose Kellie's for her because, well, because she's Kellie. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, Mikayla chose 3 items and Wesley chose 2. Unfortunately, Wesley's entries failed to place. Mikayla, however, won first place for her truffles!!! I was so proud!!! Just look at the picture to see her face!

Her layer cake placed third! She did a wonderful job for her first try at making a cake from scratch. I will ingrain in her head early on that, for the most part, scratch is the way to go...no box mix for me or her! Now she just has to continue to improve in the skills she is learning.

My entries did pretty well. I knew that some of them wouldn't have a chance at winning. For instance, my Orange Marmalade looked more like thickened orange juice with orange peel than actual marmalade. But I turned it in anyway. Also, I didn't think my Strawberry Jam and Cherry Jam would place because they separated after processing. I have no idea what happened there. Oh well! I will keep trying and learning. I was pleased with what I won, but the best one was the blue ribbon for my Banana Nut Bread. I have entered it for several years now. I won third place 2 years ago, second place last year, and now first for 2008! It will now be retired and I will move on to something else.

Concord Grape Jelly won a blue ribbon.
Chow-chow received a blue ribbon.
Zucchini Bread and biscuits won a red ribbon.
Blackberry Jam placed third.
The Fish Peppers placed 6th.
Besides all the ribbons, we also had a lot of fun and good food at the fair. One of my absolute favorites is a fried PB&J. Here I am enjoying it! I wasn't able to find the ostrich stand. I hope they returned this year! I will look again next Saturday! I have to have my ostrich fix!

We also had a lot of fun riding. This picture is of Wesley and me riding the Traffic Jam. He was dizzy!!
These last pictures are of us having fun on the bumper cars. Dad and I seem to be very competitive while enjoying this attraction! HAHAHAHA!OK. Now I feel like I have turned into Kellie! I have never had so many pictures in one blog entry! We had a wonderful time at the fair and will go again next weekend. The fair is one of the highlights of every year because we all go together as a family and have a wonderful time with each other, ribbons or no ribbons.

Have a blessed day!

Fair Entries

This week has been another busy one. In addition to going back to work (deep, deep sadness), I had to finish making this year’s fair entries. The process actually started on Saturday. Kellie and I went to the fairgrounds and turned in my jams/jellies and her picture and scrapbook pages. After a visit to the grocery store, we went back to her house to make the twins’ cakes. Mikayla went first because her layers wouldn’t take as long to bake and did pretty well with the directions when I gave them to her. She learned how to cream butter and sugar, how to measure and sift dry ingredients, how to crack an egg without it exploding all over the kitchen, and how to safely put cake pans in the oven. Her layers turned out beautifully. Wesley was next with his pound cake. He learned the same basic techniques of baking. He still needs to work on keeping the flour in the measuring cup or bowl instead of on the floor and table! HAHAHA

On Monday afternoon, I made my Banana Nut Bread, Zucchini Bread, and Sesame Brittle. I had to make sure those were finished before I went back down to the Fowlers because I would have no time to make them Monday night. After finishing there, I went down and began round two at the Fowler Mansion. Wesley had the night off. Mikayla started off with her Truffles (Yes, she chose Truffles!). She learned how to heat the cream, combine it with the chocolate, and scoop out appropriate-sized balls. When it was time to finish them, she rolled to cooled balls and I coated them with the cocoa to prevent her from getting chocolate-club hands. While rolling the Truffles, she, at times, became absorbed in what was on TV and didn’t quite create a ball of chocolate. HAHA During the time that the Truffles were setting up, she made her Blueberry Bread. It turned out well and I think will be a contender. Kellie made her Macadamia Brittle and I had to coach her in between Mikayla moments. Sometimes I felt as if I was being pulled into two different directions.

Tuesday was back-to-work day. A wide array of items greeted me on my desk that morning. After working my way through the pile, I left on time and went back down to the Fowlers for round 3. This time, I was divided into thirds. Wesley was making his Honey Muffins, Mikayla was making her frosting and then frosting the cake, and Kellie was making her Blueberry Muffins. Mikayla started with the frosting. She measured the ingredients and waited for them to boil. In the meantime, I was helping Wesley with his muffins. He did better with the flour measuring this year. After Mikayla’s frosting had boiled, we added the confectioner’s sugar and beat it until it was spreadable. It took a little longer than I had thought but it finally came out looking like frosting. I then helped her assemble her cake and she frosted most of it. I frosted the sides because I didn’t want the cake to be pushed onto the floor! It didn’t look half bad for a 8-year old that had never done it before. Wesley’s muffins turned out pretty, but I will change the recipe for next time because after this second try, I found that the recipe is seriously flawed. Both times, I had to make last minute adjustments to even get the batter into the pan. While helping Steve and Kellie arrange and tag their entries, I also helped Kellie with her muffins. She did pretty well and almost came across as if she had made them before! HAHAHA After finally finishing with their items, I went back home and made my Buttermilk Brownies in record time. I also plated my entries and made sure everything was tagged correctly.

I woke up early Wednesday morning to make the Buttermilk Biscuits. While making the first batch, I added too much buttermilk and ended up with a gooey mess. I just threw it out and started all over. Of course, that little faux pas put me behind and I was rushing to finish the second batch of biscuits. After getting ready for work, I went outside and picked the jalapeños, habaneros, cowhorn peppers, fish peppers, and okra for the produce entries. I then went off to work. A big thanks goes to Mom for taking all of our entries to the fair for us!! We would have been in a pickle without her!!

Until next time, have a blessed day!!

Adiós, Sra. Toral

Adios is the Spanish word for "good-bye". It originated from the phrase "a Dios vais" which means "you are going to God". I think it is an appropriate send off to a wonderful lady. Señora Toral, Noel's mom, went home to be with the Lord last night after battling cancer for over a year and a half. She has left behind all the pain, suffering, and sickness that has plagued her for so long and has entered into a place of eternal peace and rest.

I first met her in late 2003 and was immediately struck by her beauty and her lady-likeness. She was always very proper and made me feel at home every time I visited. Her family all loved her and she was the hub of the family. Everybody radiated out from her central matriarchal position. She will be missed greatly by her family and by me as well.

Adiós, Señora Toral. Descanse en paz. Tu fuiste adorado por todos. Hasta nos encontramos de nuevo en el cielo. Te quiero. Tu hijo-gringo americano.

Emotional Roller Coaster

This last two weeks have been a roller coaster ride of emotions without experiencing the thrill of the ride. Noel’s mother has been fighting cancer for a year and a half. Noel has been looking after her in addition to working full time. He wasn’t able to take a vacation last year and with the added stress of his mom’s illness, he was in need of an extended period of rest. But alas, that was not to be…

Señora Toral’s kidneys had stopped working efficiently before he left, but they were treating the problem and her body was responding to the treatment. The doctor’s had stopped the chemotherapy until her kidneys resumed working. Not long after Noel arrived here, he received word that her kidneys were working again and she was looking and feeling much better. We went on to New York and had a wonderful time. However, even while he was enjoying his visit, his mind was not 100% there. While we were gone, the oncologist decided to go ahead with a half-dose of the chemotherapy in order to keep the tumors under control. This past Sunday, Noel’s family called him while we were eating dinner. He talked to them and was able to speak to his mom. She told him that she was feeling good and not to worry about her.

Unfortunately, the situation quickly went down hill after that call. She rapidly declined in health and her kidneys quit working again. All of this past week until yesterday, he has thought about nothing else but his mom and how he wasn’t there to help her. He kept in constant communication with his family by text, chat, and phone calls. After a lot of thought, my family and I decided that he needed to get back to Mexico early. We took care of the arrangements and I took him to the airport yesterday morning to catch the first available flight out. He arrived there late last night and went straight to see his mom. This morning I received and email from him telling me that she had changed so much physically from when he last saw her. He could tell that she was enduring much suffering. That information is the last I have heard from him for now.

We went from the high of seeing each other again and taking a trip to New York to the low of dealing with this latest news about his mother’s sickness. There were moments of levity but for the most part, worry and wanting to be there consumed all of his moments here. She is in God’s hands now. He is in total control of her situation. All of the family knows it’s only a matter of time before He calls her home. Please pray for them. They need all the support they can get now.

New York

We made it back in one (or should I say two?) piece(s). Wow! What a busy place! I knew that already from visiting there before, but I was reminded again on this last visit. We had a great time and as usual, the time flew by at warp speed.

The first two days were blissfully beautiful in the weather department. We made it to our hotel from the airport in a shuttle van. Thankfully, our hotel was the second stop. After getting semi-settled in our room, we took in the scenes around us. We were right smack in the middle of Times Square. Our first meal there was a stromboli. After finishing, we just walked around taking pictures and looking at the sights (And there were some sights too! After all, it is New York). Noel was soaking it all in as best as one can in a sensory-overloaded area. That night, we went to see Mary Poppins. What a show!! It was absolutely wonderful and we were on the 5th row center!!! When we came out of the show, the streets were even busier. We made our way back to the hotel and slept the night away.

Wednesday was Empire State Building day. We walked all the way from Broadway and 47th Street to 5th Avenue and 35th Street, a distance of about 3/4 mile. We didn't mind (Besides, Noel didn't want to use the subway!) because we were able to see more of the city. We went right inside the ESB and made our way through all the security. The place has changed a lot since I was there my senior year in high school. They are still in the middle of a "re-building" of the ESB. We also opted for a virtual ride that was discounted for the day. It was OK for the $12 we each spent, but definitely not worth the normal $35 per ticket. After that was finished, we were elevated up to the 86th floor and walked out onto the Observation Deck. The wind wasn't too strong and we had a nice, but slightly hazy, view of the surrounding area. After returning to earth, we ate a quick lunch and made our way to our next Broadway play, The Little Mermaid. Noel was very excited and had already learned the new songs written for the play. It was very good as well. When we left the theater, we went to the Disney Store on 5th Avenue and 55th Street. While we were inside, a light rain started falling and we had to walk all the way back to the hotel in the rain! It wasn't too bad, however and we then ate a quick supper before seeing the next play, The Lion King. What another good show! This time was my third time seeing it and I never get tired of seeing it.

The next two days were drastically different weather-wise. Thursday was mostly cloudy and very windy! We started our bus tour and sat on the top deck with the cool wind whipping everywhere. We took the Downtown Loop and saw all the famous buildings and other sites. At 1:30, we took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We took several pictures there and walked around the island and inside the Monument. After returning to Battery Park, we got back on the bus and saw more sites before departing at the Waldorf-Astoria and walking back to our hotel. We ate at Roxy's Deli (very expensive!) and then went to our last play--an encore performance of The Little Mermaid. Even better the second time around!

Friday was more of the same weather except even more cloudy and windier. This time, I was finally able to take the Uptown Tour! We saw the many famous residences including Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, and the late Paul Newman. We also went to Harlem and saw the famed Cotton Club and Apollo Theater. We were going to get off at Central Park, but we were too cold and decided to ride the bus the short distance back to the starting point. From there, we went to a Thai restaurant on Restaurant Row and had a good, cheap lunch. After that it was time to walk around for a few more last minutes and then head back to the hotel to await our shuttle. Since they scheduled us four hours before our plane left, we had to wait in the airport for 2 hours. But we made it back just fine and will always have good memories of our time together in the Big Apple.

Until next time, have a blessed day!