Fat Froggie

My college friend, Amy, asked me to share my mother's Big Mouth frog joke.

Click here to go to THE BIG MOUTH FROG

Most of you know why I paint so many frogs, but maybe a few of you still wonder.

I have been taking a blog break.
I do that with stuff to refresh.

It has been a hot summer, and we still have August to go! Yikes...🤤

Time is going so quickly.

I have stayed busy.

Charcoal doesn't like this hot weather, either.  I almost have to push him out the door to go potty--he must have an iron bladder.

Just like many of you, life has been challenging for me, but everything will somehow work out.

At the same time, some areas of my life have been going really well, and I pray they just keep getting better.

That is life.

I just pray that God's Will be done in my life, and that I will Keep listening for His still small voice.

Here is a little something for you.
He can be drawn on cards, embroidered,  inked, watercolored, painted...use your imagination...

Link to free Fat Froggie

I hope you are happy.

I hope you love yourself.

I hope you feel loved.

I hope you know that YOU MATTER
And you are needed.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world and for your love, support and encouragement of me.

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Pecans and Pimento

If idle hands truly are the Devil's workshop, then my Daddy had nothing to worry about.

Working was his hobby.

Don't get me wrong, he loved to talk to people and to pick on them, but never did he tary long. He had things to do.

When fall arrived, and winter was near, Daddy loved to pick up nuts, and crack them in his rocking chair by the gas hearter, after supper.

Each night, as he came to the house from the shop, where he cut my wood for me to paint, he would wander toward the orchard to pick up a pocket full of pecans.

With two cooks in the house, we knew how blessed we were to have a never ending supply of pecans!

When our tobacco barn burned several years ago, Daddy was kindly trying to make sure the fireman kept the GOOD Pecan tree watered, because the barn could not be saved, but the tree could produce.

I laughed at him, but he was right!

Today, as I was trying to get Charcoal to come back to the house,  I stood 8 feet away, screaming at him, as he ignored me. It drives me crazy!!

When he finally decided to acknowledge my presence on the earth, we were walking back, when I stopped to get a stick to throw, and I saw a Pecan on the ground. I had no idea there was a Pecan Tree there!

We got back inside and enjoyed the roast/carrots/potatoes/onion/celery I had cooked on this chilly morning.

He took a nap and I putzed. As the day was drawing dark, I decided to go see if there were pecans at the GOOD tree.

There was one...then another. I decided to try to get 100! I got approximately 112, in case one or two were bad, and, well, there were one or two bad ones! 😁😂🤣😃

Yep, like momma, I count stuff! 🤤

I am so excited to have a quart bag of mostly, pecan halves.

It felt so good to feel like I spent the day with Momma and Daddy, doing something that was so special to them.

Making memories out of memories.♡

All of this kinda goes along with my Facebook post about what was in your refrigerator when you grew up?

I had a friend ask HOW to make pimento cheese.

Well, y'all know that I don't measure stuff, but maybe this can get you there.

Pimento Cheese was always made with American Cheese, at my house.

As I have gotten older, I have discovered that you can use your favorite cheese or cheeses mixed.

Last night, I made my "lazy" pimento cheese.  I even mixed it right into a ziplock bag,  so all that was dirty, was the fork I used to dig out the Miracle Whip! 😁😂🤣😃😄

Of course, if you want to mix it in a bowl, as most normal people do, go for it, but really--normal??!

I simply emptied a 2 cup bag of Sharp Cheddar Cheese into a quart ziplock bag. 

Added a 4 ounce jar of chopped pimento. 

A few shakes of black pepper (If you don't like pepper, don't add it, cause momma never did! 😁😂🤣😎)

Enough Salad Dressing (Miracle Whip) to bind it together--start with 1/2 cup, and remember, when it gets cold, it will get dry, or hard. I have no idea how much, really, because I just threw in 2 big blobs..😁😂🤣

I added about 2 Tablespoons of sugar to cut the tartness.

Close the ziplock, and gently combine the ingredients.

Throw it on a piece of celery, and you have Heaven on Earth!

This is the basic recipe, and there are tons of recipes on Pinterest. Many use Cream Cheese. Some add garlic...onion...Some use different cheeses...but I have shared what I grew up eating.  Mother made it in the blender, so it was smooth.  Not much is better than pimento cheese on white bread, cut on a wedge, served alongside homemade chilli! 

If you really want something fancy, add some crushed pineapple in there...

You can add jalapeno, too!

Today has been a good day.

I am, once again, reminded of how blessed I am! 

When you get sad, pull out a favorite recipe and make it with a merry heart.

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte ♡

Who's a GOOD BOY!!

Who's a good boy?!!!

Why did you hesitate to answer??

Good grief...NOBODY should have hesitated for ONE second for that answer!

Charcoal HATES summer.

He is often at my feet for a bit when I paint. Then, he realizes that my pillow is available!

Ok, hate is an awful word, but I think he does! 😒

Our humidity in Middle Tennessee is just horrible.

Charcoal can tell.

I have to make him go outside.

He does not linger one second more than he has to.

Let me tell ya, it is tough keeping up with me, because,  my sleep schedule is awful. I never know if it is night or day, and trying to make sure that I feed Charcoal at a similar time is kinda hilarious. 

I think I have made him a night owl! 

He doesn't complain...much.🙄

Well, my boy is a lot happier these days, since we have, I hope, said good bye to the 90s. Even though the humidity is hanging on, it is nowhere as bad as it was.

Now, Charcoal is excited to linger outside longer. 

Before, Charcoal got excited when I opened the freezer so he could get some ice.

Now, he is back to listening for the door knob to turn.

I am even enjoying sitting on the back porch again.

So, a few minutes ago, I went to the door to retrieve my dry-it board, and sweet boy thought I was going outside.

I couldn't disappoint him, so I thought I would toss the tennis ball to see if he would go after it--he had little interest during the hot weather.

Sure enough, he took off in the DARK to get it.

Now, if your pup is like my pup, going after it is no reason to think he will be bringing it back.

I made a mental note to go find it when the sun rises.

Well, "2 dead mosquitoes, a few dozen more bites, lots of sniffing" later, Charcoal decided it was time to come in. 

My blood supply was ready, too! 

Mercy, mosquitoes--it is OCTOBER!  GO AWAY.😲

I grabbed my dry-it board (it has lots of tiny points on it to hold painted items to dry) and took it to my painting table to get started on my day of painting.

I had to go get something else,  when I turned to see Charcoal sitting on the couch with...

The ball!

You're such a good boy! 
Yes, you are.
You are mommy's good boy.
Here is a treat...
Oh, another one?

How did I get so blessed!!

Charcoal sends wuf-wufs to his Aunties...

Me?! 

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Peaches and Milk

I don't like milk.

Well, unless it has something good added to it! 

Yep, strange for someone raised on a dairy farm.

...AND, my mother was allergic to dairy foods.

The good news is Daddy ate enough cheese and ice cream to keep us all in business. 

In the line of true confessions, I don't care for breakfast.

I never have.

I do not eat eggs.

Ok, so that is not true.

I do eat eggs as long as I can't taste or smell them. Throw in enough cheese and onions, cook it crispy, and I will eat an omelet or a quiche. 

I have gagged over cleaning one too many iron skillets after eggs were cooked--eeeeeewwwwww...

I was the brat, who followed my Daddy like a puppy,  and sat at the table between my parents until their deaths.

I remember sitting around the breakfast table each morning with my family, as a young child. Mother said there were few meals that something wasn't spilled, and often, it wasn't one of the kids!  Remember, we had 3 people past 80 the first few years of my life.

As we got older, it became a joke that as soon as the blessing was offered, somebody always jumped up to get something! 

Daddy always had the same breakfast --2 eggs (fried with a runny middle---ick, or scrambled), 2 pieces of toast, covered in White Karo Syrup, and cut into 9 squares, 2 pieces of sausage, bacon or ham, and coffee.

I have shared this before, but it is as vivid a memory as it gets. I remember watching Daddy perfectly cutting his toast into those 9 squares, and this one particular morning, I asked him to cut my toast. 

I remember my eyes growing big in horror as he reached across me with that egg-yellow-laced fork to cut my toast! I watched in unbelief as those egg drippings were now on MY toast, and tears flowed uncontrollably. 

I remember the sternness of Daddy telling me to stop crying and to eat. I remember thinking that I would stop crying, but eat it, I would NOT.  Yes, Daddy got an extra piece of toast that morning.

Of all the things that I remember, I wonder why this is etched in my mind.

Maybe, this was the foundation of my not liking breakfast. A celebration of all things EGG is a bit much for me. LOL

Mother, long ago, gave up on trying to force me to get up earlier than I needed to stare at food I didn't want to eat. 

We would get breakfast bars, granola, or anything that we could grab and go. Breakfast became only for special occassions--that wasn't a bad thing. It helped reassure me of the specialness of gathering around a table to share breakfast. I LOVED going to Shoney's breakfast bar with Mother and Daddy. 

Any time we traveled, Daddy planned a stop at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I never minded so much getting up a bit earlier for that.

My favorite breakfast, as of late, is Yogurt with granola. Of course, it comes later in the day. 😊

Yesterday, I thought I would try to use the rest of my milk I had bought for potato soup, before the milk spoiled, so I got a bowl of granola. As I sat down for my afternoon snack, I eyed my last peach, big as a softball, and too expensive to let spoil  ($2.98/lb), so I grabbed it and chopped it into my cereal. 

Mercy,  me, those food memories. 

I was transported back to my childhood years of eating fresh peaches with milk/sugar over them or blackberries with milk/sugar! 

WOW!!

I can't adequately express my gratitude for being raised in a home that smelled of freshly baked goods...for being blessed with fresh out-of-the-garden veggies...for the joy of growing up around a table with family and friends...for being taught that all good gifts come down from the Father of Lights...for learning to always bless the hands that prepared a meal, our food to nourish our bodies, and our health to God's service.

To God, be all glory, honor and Praise! 

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Getting old...

Getting old ain't for sissies. 

We have all heard this and have watched our parents and older friends sometimes struggling, all the time, thinking it will NEVER be us--nope, ne-va!

BUT, over the past few years, I find myself repeating: "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, I'm like my Mother afterall!"

Heavy sigh...

Ok, stop laughing! 

STOP IT NOW!

Oh, it has probably been true the whole time, but we refused to admit it.

As the body begins to fade, the moments become more Lucy-esque. 

We tell ourselves, "NO, I don't need to write that down" when the truth is, we probably won't be able to FIND the note, anyway.

My greatest lie to myself is, "I don't need to go get my glasses" as I go to the cupboard to prepare a can of Chicken Noodle soup to warm me, while the young one pants from heat (yes--story of my life with Charcoal).

So, I fumble and find that all too familiar can that has been a staple my entire life.

I go to the stove to prepare it...NOBODY has to read the instructions, for we all know that you add one can of water to the soup. I certainly did NOT need my glasses for THAT!

BUT, as I was pouring it out of the can, I noticed the noodles looked weird, and, my goodness, for a soup that has quadrupled in price, they sure have gotten cheap and stopped putting in enough noodles! WOW! 

To the microwave, I went...Pushed the 2 (whew...I am glad it automatically starts, or I might really have to go the extra steps to get those glasses!)...

Ah, the sweet music of the ding! 

I go to the stove, pull up the stool and take that first anticipated spoonful of yummy....


Aaaaahhhhhhhyuuuuuuuucck! 

That is the nastiest thing EVER!!

I Grab the can and look....

Yep...chicken Noodle soup....

Buuuuut...wait, it says something else!

So, I quickly go to retrieve the glasses, only to read, LOW SODIUM READY TO EAT.

Oh, no, excuse me--this stuff is NEVER going to be ready to eat...ick...ick...ick...ick!!

I wondered what would happen if I put SALT in it...I didn't think that would help...whew...nasty! 

I picked up the can to see if I could read what went so wrong ...

I wondered HOW it got in the cabinet, when I remembered having fun at the grocery store, and, yes, I picked up the can WITHOUT my glasses...sigh

As I read the can, the words, "ready to eat" came into sight, again.

I finally turned the can around to see the instructions, "Do not add water."

What the...

There was going to be no way to make this right, so Charcoal got a treat, and, luckily, I had another can of the GOOD stuff! 

So, as the body creeks and cracks and I groan, I smile at my silliness and give THANKS to God for the gift of laughter.

The seasons march onward, and my body begins to crave "summer food" and I giggle like a child, only appropriate as I must be getting closer to my second childhood, although, I am not certain I really ever left the first childhood. 

I LOVE that the Vidalia onions are in the stores, and the tomatoes are tasting like REAL tomatoes, so I grab a can of Garbanzo beans, drain them, and chop the onions, tomatoes and parsley together for one of my favorite treats (sometimes I add ham)...

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh...

Life is GREAT! 

I offer PRAISE for being fearfully and wonderfully made and that I was so blessed to have had such a great life growing up on the farm.

Make some memories with your family and friends, because, some day, that might be all that is left.

I am simply blessed to create ~charlotte ♡