The PB & J

I just finished a PB & J! My favorite J of this acronym is Strawberry Perserves (Smuckers). My favorite PB is Jiffy. I take two pieces of “fresh” bread, spread a thin layer of PB on the bread, too much PB sticks to the roof of my mouth. My husband likes a thick layer of PB on his PB & J. On the same slice of bread, I put on a thick layer of Strawberry Preserves. I lay the clean slice of bread on top, pour a tall cold glass of 1% milk and bite in!

I have been eating PB & Js all my life (hundreds). I just found out who was responsible for such an easy, cheap, and tasty meal! Around the 1890s a Doctor from St. Louis decided to develop a health food that provided protein for his adult patients. He mashed some peanuts in a meat grinder to make a paste. His friend then mechanized the system and WALA! Peanut butter was developed. Peanut Butter has evolved into PB w/peanuts (go figure!) PB w/o peanuts (how do they do that!), PB with jelly mixed in, etc. My preference is to eat PB on crackers, wafers, banana sandwiches, in fudge, in milkshakes, by itself, etc. PB & J is equivalent to a three-course meal (so I have been told). So how do you like your PB & J?

Oh Yeah! Can someone tell me why there are two font colors?

How Do They Do It!

These little flowers are incredible! Their petals are thin, petite, and very stubborn when it comes to cold weather. They hold their heads up high in freezing weather and cold winds. They burst with color and need very little maintenance. Pansies are one of only a few plants that can survive and thrive in the cold winters here in Alabama. I have planted them in specific areas around my house so I can see them when I look out my windows. Their tenacity amazes me and motivates me to weather the hard winters in my life. What motivates you through your winters?

Jigsaw Puzzles

As a little kid, jigsaw puzzles were intimidating! Hundreds of little pieces that were shaped alike and colors that melted into each other. Why spend so much time on something that would be taken apart and put back in the box?

Until……I went to a garage sale in my neighborhood and found a wonderful idea for completed jigsaw puzzles. I paint them with Mod Podge (water-based sealer and finish). I let them dry and tack them to the entrance wall of my garage. I don’t stop there! I cover each one with a piece of Plexiglas and bingo! I have a transformed my garage entrance into an art gallery.

But the best part is the quality time I spend in conversation with my husband as we sit around a card table putting all the little, look-alike pieces together. We are working on our 6th and have two waiting to come out of the box (one is a picture of the Hoover Dam…..really cool, but VERY hard!). What a great way to spend the cold winter nights sitting by the fire, sipping vanilla caramel coffee in cozy PJs.

I got tagged on the Back Porch

I've been tagged by Mels World

This is wutcha do…Link to the person that tagged you, that would be ME, and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So...here goes!

My maiden name is the same as my married name (freaky!)
I have a sister who looks just like me (my twin)
I married my best friend at 16 yrs. old and still happily married to him 40 years later!
I started to college at 42 and graduated at 49 with a Masters in Science (if I can, anyone can!)
Moved in to my first new home in June 2005 (was so much fun to decorate...my daughter is great in this area!)
My 84-yr-old mother still cooks for her church every week, goes on mission trips and cuts her yard (an acre ....go mom!)
Became a grandmother at 42 (now have 6 grandchildren who are all awesome!)

Traditions

I love traditions……especially Thanksgiving. I have a semi-large family that gathers every Turkey Day to experience a 40-yr-old tradition. It begins at my parent’s home (just mom now) with 30-35 people including, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and whomever else one might choose to invite. We all bring our “homemade favorite recipes.” Several generations of males play a game of football while the women and non-football players catch up on the latest news, drive the children around in a small trailer attached to a riding lawnmower and decorate the Thanksgiving table. After the turkey is bare and the dishes are cleared away, the tournament of games begins. Each year new games are introduced and the winner of last year’s games is challenged to give up his/her reign. As the day winds down, the men and boys have built an enormous bonfire complete with chairs for sitting and smores for eating. The years have come and gone, but the tradition still lives on. What are your family Holiday traditions?

Well we are back in Alabama where the weather is cool at night and warm in the day! I love the Fall and all that goes with it......chili, college football, bonfires, smores, hot chocolate and apple cider (just finished a cup). The view from my back porch drastically changed in 4 days. It was green when I left and now it is orange, red, purple and yellow........breath taking! My mums are loving the cooler weather and our bulldog (Bruno) wakes up each morning with cold ears!

Thanks Melissa for teaching me to blog.....you are the guru of bloging! I want to be like you when I grow up! Looking forward to get more blogging in as time goes on. Lots of ideas for blogs, finding the time is a challenge.

I never learned to dance as a kid. I always wanted to. I loved to watch others dance. Guess what? Now I can dance (but not with my feet). When life drops me to my knees, I bend over, put on my dancing shoes and start dancing (in my heart). Just knowing life is not about me, but about God, allows me to keep on dancing. So put on those shoes girls and let’s dance?

Welcome to the Back Porch

Steping from my back porch into the bloging world..... this is going to be fun!