Spa Shopping

Yesterday afternoon, my new friend, Sandra, from our TORCH group, and lovely mother of six girls, took it upon herself to have my three children to her home for play. The kids had a great time, and I shopped for two hours by myself. I went to the Natural Foods Warehouse and Publix, and I could not have had a more mellow time if I'd spent $250.00 at a day spa. It is very pleasing to my hubby when when we eat homecooked meals. It is to me as well. It is one of my major weaknesses that I do not plan and shop as I should, thus leaving us ordering way too much pizza and buying drive-thru tacos.

Since my grandmother, Elsie, died the last Sunday in December, I have been talking to the children alot about my childhood. My grandmother had such an influence on me. For over forty years, she owned and operated. along with several other women who rented booths, Elsie's Beauty Shop. Down the street from her shop was a typical homestyle resaurant called Polson's Restaurant. In the south, we crave a good "meat and three" (1 meat and three vegetable, served with warm rolls and cornbread). served with a meringue topped pie of some sort. So, I got out one of my southern cookbooks, filled with Kentucky favorites.

I am going to try to adapt some of my southern "meat and three" meals to healthier ingredients. "Chicken-fried" steak, mashed potatoes and gravy. The famous Kentucky "Hot Brown." more later on yummy, tummy-warming southern food...

My daughter is gathering the family to the basement for a movie. Last night I read the "Ash Wednesday and Lent" chapter in this very inspiring book (click here for the link). If you look in the upper right corner of the cover, their is a photo of a lovely Madonna and child statue. Well, we just inherited this very statue from my husband's granparents' home last year.

Sorry if my prose is stilted this evening....I am so very tired (happy, good tired, that is...) from working the nursery this afternoon while all the big kids were in the coop.