It's the Little Things..... That Make Life So Beautiful

Jeremy from the Cincinnati area just nominated me for the Attitude & Gratitude award. Isn't that sweet? And here, I didn't even know he READ my blog?! Jeremy is a great guy ... he's only 23 but VERY wise for his years. He has a motto which I love: it's Courage + Belief = Life. I love that! Jeremy is always very positive and every time I stop by his blog I get a big dose of positive energy, which lately I really need!

Also today I was talking to my wonderful positive Mom (who sometimes reads my blog - hi Mom, if you're reading!) My mom is a caregiver for elderly people who can no longer live independently but aren't yet ready to move into assisted living. She helps them with daily "stuff" that most of us take for granted: cooking, bathing, dressing, etc. Today she told me that one of her elderly patients was apologizing to her for her having to take care of some of the more menial tasks... and my sweet Mom said "I'm honored to do this for you. To me, I just look at it as though I could be doing this for Jesus."

Isn't that the coolest? And I told Mom, she IS. She gets to BE Jesus' 'hands and feet' out in the world when she does her work, and what is cooler that that? Doing that beats the pants off a 6 figure salary, EVERY time!

Little things like that lift me up when I'm down. And they make me really, really happy to be alive. :)

Our 'Stay-cation' Week

Hubster has been on vacation this week from work. He's been a UPS man for so long now he gets a ridiculous amount of vacation (6 weeks, or something like that....)

So, although we had no specific plans for this week, he took the week off. It's been nice. I get so BORED during the week, now that my business is akin to a goldfish floating belly up in its bowl. (So sad, isn't it??) However, I have some semi-promising irons in the fire, so we'll see what happens....

Anyway, we've had a fun week together.
Lots of naps (yes, feel free to read between the lines), and we went to the see "The Wrestler" (which I loved, but then KBL told me that Mickey Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood are now an item.... which has an off-the-charts "Ick Factor"to it....). We've also done some household projects; and of course we've taken the dogs to an awesome park near our house that has (literally) 7 miles of walking trails (and equestrian paths.)

It's been a really nice week.
I think tomorrow we may go have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants in the area, Aqua Terra Bistro. (Tres, tres yummy....)

A mid-Winter vacation at home with one's spouse is quite fun. Highly recommended, and costs a whole lot less than jetting off to Aspen for a week of skiing. :)

"Tithe Rap"

OK, this is REALLY corny but I'm going to put it up here anyway. You guys all know how much I love my church. Kevin, my pastor, gives very relevant life messages (which can all be found online, downloaded for free, or just listened to, etc.) It's an awesome church; I can't say enough about it.

Anyway, Kevin only talks about financial giving 1 Sunday a year. That's it. Other than that, he doesn't talk about giving at all. Well, last Sunday was the Sunday. He gave his message and then to underscore the message 3 of the guys from the creative team came up and did this rap. They were supposed to be accountants, hence the nerdy attire, etc.
(And I gotta say - it was WAY funnier in person.... my daughter, who LOVES rap, had tears streaming down her face she was laughing so hard.) Enjoy. :)

Rest in Peace Billy Powell - Thanks for the Music

If you're my age (or older) and grew up in the South, Lynrd Skynrd was part of the 'soundtrack' of your youth. Let's all hold up our cigarette lighters (ok, well, I haven't had a cigarette lighter since high school!) as a tribute to a great song!

"The Wrestler" - A Movie Review

Hubster was off today so we went to see "The Wrestler".
Rourke owns the Oscar for this performance, my friends. Go see it.
Absolutely astounding performance by him as Randy "The Ram" Robinson. (And no, I'm not a pro wrestling fan... not by a LONG shot.... that's not a pre-requisite to appreciate this movie).
I was blown away by this movie. Near tears by his performance. Very honest, and vulnerable. He's such an amazing actor. Thanks, Mickey. I'm proud of you for coming back.

My 12 Guilty Pleasures Meme

This meme is courtesy of Pumpkin Delight (my homegirl and fellow Hugh Jackman admirer!) This is the Guilty Pleasure Meme. Go to Flickr, search your answer to each guilty pleasure, choose one of the pictures on the first page of the search results, copy and paste the link to that picture into Big Huge Lab's Mosaic Maker (4x3), and create the mosaic. Post your mosaic and your answers for others to see.
Here are my answers:

1. Fave Snack Food - Blueberries (yes, this is TRULY my favorite food of all time)
2. Fave Cheap Restaurant - Chick-Fil-A (thank you, Truett Cathey!!)
3. Fave Expensive Restaurant - Aqua Terro Bistro (Buford, GA)
4. Fave Alcoholic Beverage - Cosmopolitans
5. Fave Non-alcoholic Beverage - Mountain Dew
6. Fave Sad song - "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" (Death Cab For Cutie)
7. Fave Convenience Store item - Spree!
8. Fave Tabloid Magazine - People
9. Fave TV Show - Dirty Jobs (Mike Rowe, will you marry me?)
10. Fave Celebrity - Viggo Mortensen (since Pumpkin has "dibs" on Hugh Jackman :)
11. Fave 80s Movie - Ferris Buellers Day Off
12. Fave Way to completely waste time - Hmmm... FaceBook? Blogging? Might be a tie. :)

I tag everyone who wants to participate! (It takes a little time, but it's fun!) And you learn a bit about your blogger buddies! :)

Thanks, Pumpkin, for a fun idea! :)

PS: And be SURE to check out my "dog blog" to find out why we are WITHOUT satellite TV currently.... it's rather humorous.

O2

Last night was O2 at my church, 12Stone. As my church has grown, this special Friday night service has been called different things: "Believer's Worship", "The Well", and now "O2".

We only do this service once a quarter and it's very intense, and very intimate. Basically, there's no traditional sermon/message - there is some scripture reading (last night focused on Isaiah 40), but mainly it's a whole lot of singing (we have a rockin' band.... it's truly like being at a concert), and we have communion, a lot of prayer, intercession, etc.

And baptisms, too. And the baptisms are really celebrated. It's so cool. :)

Anyway, last night, one of the pastors asked that those who had been laid off, were unemployed, looking for work, or were going through financial hardships and wanted to be prayed for to come down. I went down (since my business is on 'life support') along with probably 25% of the congregation. (Keep in mind my church is large - if it's a "full house", we can seat 2,500 in the auditorium.) There were hundreds who came down front. Each and every person was prayed over. It was wonderful.

I love having a supernatural buzz. It is so far superior to any other buzz available.

The service lasted over 2 hours and when I came out I felt so energized. It was amazing and wonderful. I love my church, but more importantly, I really love GOD.

FaceBook How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Recount One Special Way....

My best friend from 2nd grade came and FOUND ME TODAY on FaceBook.

Yes, she is my very oldest friend. We have the same first name (albeit spelled slightly differently). We met when we were six years old - yes SIX - the Summer before 2nd grade, in Charleston, SC.

I love FaceBook.

Playing House in the White House

For those of you who haven't yet seen this, it's lovely. This is the letter that the Bush twins wrote to the Obama girls, on growing up in the White House. (It is read aloud but Jenna and Barbara Bush themselves.)

No matter how your feel about our 43rd President, there's no arguing that he and Laura Bush raised two wonderful young women, full of kindness, warmth and each possessing a generous spirit.

This is really lovely and touching. Enjoy.

When you Need a Bit More Motivation

When you need to pick yourself up and dust yourself off... one more time.

"44"

It's a new day, y'all!

I Loved This

Dr. Lowery is well loved, and well respected, here in Atlanta. He didn't disappoint today. I loved his benediction, despite the fact that many found it controversial.

Excited....

One word: HOPE.

HOPE for our economy.

HOPE for our country.

HOPE for a more peaceful world for our children and grandchildren

and HOPE for blessings and continued favor for our country.

If you believe in prayer, pray for our new President. He's stepping into a huge quagmire, and taking on quite a difficult job (even in the best of times, which this clearly is NOT).

Pray for him to make wise decisions, and to surround himself with people who will help him, and pray for his safety.

And, of course, pray for our great country. God Bless The USA!

Encouragement

Even the storms bear a message of encouragement for us: Deeper roots make for stronger lives.

When you accept the face that sometimes seasons are dry and times are hard and that God is in control of both, you will discover a sense of divine refuge, because the hope then is in God, and not in yourself.

-Charles Swindoll

My Love Affair with Andrew Wyeth

A couple of years ago, two of my girlfriends and I decided we needed more culture in our lives. So, every couple of months or so, we have what we call "Culture Day" (except when say it, we say in an "Edith Bunker Voice".... so you have to say it that way in your head when you're reading this, OK? )

We have done lots of cool things that would put our husbands to sleep, and we've seen lots of art.

One of my VERY favorite things we've done so far was go to see the Andrew Wyeth Exhibit at the High Museum in Atlanta. Before we went, I was a "so so" fan of Wyeth. After we came out, I was completely SMITTEN with Wyeth. Completely.

My very favorite painting of his (although it's hard to choose) is "Daydream"... it's from his Helga series. It's at the top of this post.

I would encourage you, if you've never studied his work before, to do so. Or, if you've only seen "Christina's World" (his most famous painting), look at the rest of his work. It's absolutely masterful.

Rest in peace, Andrew.... and thank you so much for the beauty you created for us.

I think you're amazing.

Rest In Peace, Ricardo.....

Did y'all watch "Fantasy Island" in the late 70's, like I did?
It always followed the ever-schmaltzy "Love Boat".
I always liked the mystery and intrigue of Fantasy Island (but then again I was around 12 or 13 when it was on.....) :-)

I always thought Ricardo Montalban was very suave and sophisticated ("rich, Corinthian leather".... remember that???) :)

Rest in peace, Ricardo, rest in peace....

A Change of Perspective....

I saw a wonderful movie today (my mother INSISTED I get out of the house....and out of my FUNK. Thank you Mom, for insisting!) And yes, it helped to change my perspective. I'll add more to this post later, but - FOR NOW - take my advice and go see this movie.

You won't be sorry you did!

.... and now my left ovary hurts....

I really am being melodramatic.

And now I'm apparently ovulating as well!
The merriment just never ends, does it?!

LOL!!! :)

.... and on the Job Front.....

I have a couple of good leads.
Both with major insurance carriers. Both have expressed at least a fledgling interest in the services of little old moi.

Looks like I'll be re-immersing myself into the world of Cubicle Dwelling Insurance Nerds sometime in the fairly near future.

But really, that's fine.

Being a self employed entrepreneur is fine and dandy as long as you're MAKING MONEY. If you're not MAKING MONEY, then it just becomes a depressing exercise in futile day after futile day..... which it has been for FAR TOO LONG now....

(Yes, I'm being melodramatic. I'll get over it in a day or so....)

Anne Coulter: A Dressed Up Venomous Viper

I really can't stand this woman. Watch this clip and see how venomous she is.... she's just filled with hate.

Why Sean Hannity and other conservative talking heads give her air time (and TV time) is beyond me. She's a viper with blonde hair.

If she represents "Conservative America", then I'll have to say no thanks.
She's a blonde viper. (I even found a photo.)

The Bachelor, Episode 2 (I can't believe I'm posting about this drivel....)

CLEARLY, I'm having writer's block..... why else would I choose to post about such drivel?! (Or, as Morton Downey Jr. used to call it on his show: "pablum". Do you guys remember the Morton Downey Jr. show? He was obnoxious, but very funny.)

Anyway, I digress.

Last night was episode numero dos of "The Bachelor" starring cutie pie Jason. This guy has SO much on the ball, is so good looking, smart, adorable, charming, etc. I can't help but wonder WHY he needs to go on a show like this to attract women (does he possess some Serious Flaw that is not visible to the naked eye???)

Anyway, last night the cattiness amongst the female contestants was ramped up quite a bit (yes, I know you're shocked).
The two cattiest girls (Megan and Erica) were, inexplicably, given roses at the rose ceremony, so they'll be around for more shenanigans next week.

There's also another pop-tart (Natalie) who appears to be sharpening her claws.
And then there's the pseudo-stalker (Shannon?) who knows everything about Jason and his family. If I were Jason, that would creep me out a little.

So far, the girl from Dallas with the great smile (I forget her name - Melissa?) seems the most real to me. But truly, they are all so "over-eager"...

Dealing with Fear During Economic Uncertainty

My pastor talked about this VERY thing today.

His message was relevant, engaging, funny and GREAT (as always) and you can find it here.
("Abe and Fear" 1/11/09).

(The system takes a little while to bring up the audio .... be patient... it will come up! And listening to Kevin's messages are always worth the wait!)

In case you just want to look at the "cliff notes" of the message, here they are. (It's a .pdf file that you can print out.)

More X-Rays Tomorrow

Update: Doc says my lungs look great. The "questionable" area was apparently resolved with the the antibiotics I just finished on Friday - it's no longer there in today's x-rays. As far as the persistent cough, it's caused by the persistent cough, which is exacerbated by the persistent cough, etc. (ie - it's a vicioius circle and my airways are inflamed and "angry"). He said to continue with the cough syrup and also gave me steroids and an inhaler to relax my inflamed, constricted airways.

He said I should start feeling much better soon.
All good news!

Tomorrow I go BACK to the doctor.... his nurse called me Friday afternoon to say the x-rays I had a week ago were sent off to be reviewed and came back "questionable" and I must come in on Monday.

So, lucky ME gets to go back for more X rays tomorrow.

Actually, I'm somewhat relieved. I'm really, really tired of coughing! I've been coughing so hard the muscles in my stomach hurt, and of course my chest hurts too. I've already been through one round of antibiotics and unfortunately they didn't do much.

Even the prescription cough medicine doesn't do much (except make me loopy...) :)

On Finding One's Purpose in Life

I read the below in the middle of the night last night (this darn cough is STILL keeping me awake) and thought it was lovely. Wanted to share it.

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I am grateful, God, that I have finally come to realize your purpose for me.
Just when or how this came about I can't say. It wasn't sudden and dramatic, the way it happened to Paul on the road to Damascus, or Peter Marshall with his experience on the Scottish moors.
There have been no visions, no voices, no letters written in fire upon a wall saying: "Do this." "Do that." "This is your reason for being."
No, my search for you and for the meaning you had for my life has been uncertain, groping, erratic, filled with accidents, false goals. Sometimes I seemed to sense that purpose and clearly see it; but it vanished like a mirage in the harried, often cruel buiess of everyday.
Yet somehow you keep track of your floundering creatures.
Maybe because life is so filled with defeat and heartbreak, we find ourselves turning to you, yielding ourselves to your will, fighting less furiously for selfish, often empty goals. And when this happens we find that you have turned our sufferings and our failures into little stepping stones.
Looking back we see them. These rocks which gradually, all unkown to us, you have been shaping to lead us towards our purpose.... And we have been following! However blindly, however zigzag the course, yet we have been moving toward it.
And looking about, we see there are results. There are signals, heartening little affirmations, unexpected proofs.
However humble our circumstances or undramatic our talents, our true purpose has been revealed. We were meant to be to be this person at this time and place. Not only for ourselves, but for you and other people - we were meant to make this particular contribution to the world.
And so we must do it well. Do it with faith and patience, with all our strength and passion. And in so doing discover who we really are.

-M. Holmes

A Moment of Silence

It was bound to happen..... eventually.

Ladies and gentleman, my VERY FAITHFUL Kenmore washing machine finally DIED LAST NIGHT after 19 years of service. (Yes, 19 years! I remember buying it in 1990 when Hubster was just "Boyfriend-with-Potential")

19 years is a LONG LONG time .... I'm very pleased it lasted as long as it did!

PS: The 19 year old dryer is still humming right along! :)

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes!!

Doggie New Year Resolutions

Cute canine resolutions, courtesy of my dear friend Jenn (picture of Jenn and I above, taken just a couple of weeks ago)

1. I will stop trying to find the few remaining clean pieces of carpet in the house when I am about to throw up.


2. I will NOT chase the ball until I see it LEAVE THE IDIOT'S HAND!


3. I will not eat other animals' poop.


4. I will not lick my human's face after eating animal poop.


5. I will not eat "kitty box crunchies".


6. I will not eat any more socks and then re-deposit them in the backyard after processing.


7. I will not bark each time I hear a door bell on TV.


8. I will conquer my fear of thunderstorms!


9. I will not steal Mom's underwear and dance all over the back yard with it.


10. The sofa is not a face towel.


11. I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm lying under the coffee table.


12. I will not roll my toys behind the fridge.


13. The garbage collector is NOT stealing our stuff.


14. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur BEFORE entering the house.

So Today at Lunch.....

I met my friend Dawn for lunch today at Chipotle.

I happened to run into one of the pastors from my church, Miles.
Miles has just gotten back from a trip to Liberia - the team did some work helping to build an orphanage, install generators, etc. - basically making life better for the kids in the community he went to visit.

Anyway, Miles also happens to be very attractive and my friend Dawn was (almost literally) drooling. (I was afraid I was going to have to take a beverage napkin and dab at the corners of her mouth while Miles was talking about his trip. It was very cute.)

I've been trying to get Dawn to come visit my church for a couple of years now. I think, maybe now, she'll finally accept my invitation and come visit. :)

Motivation - "Dave Style"

Below is courtesy of Dave Ramsey. (And if you're looking for a really good book to get you even MORE motivated, get a copy of The Total Money Makeover!)
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Think back to December 2007. Doesn’t seem very long ago, does it?
Well, now we’re finished with 2008. We’re all making the new year’s resolutions that will last to mid-January—lose 20 pounds, get out of debt or maybe even read a book. Statistics show that most of us will quit before we get anywhere close to those objectives.
This year, set a goal to not quit!
If you had stuck with the goals you made last year, then you would already be done. Wow! Last year went by quickly, and so will this year, so don’t let the time get away from you. The sooner you make something part of your routine, the less you’ll notice that you’re doing it, and the quicker you’ll be finished.
Don’t make a goal and then look at it as something you have to do. That’s the wrong attitude. Soon you’ll come to resent doing the thing that is supposed to make you better. Remember that every time you pay off a debt, get on the treadmill, or do something else productive, you become stronger and get closer to your target.
Think about when you graduated from college. You were used to going to bed at midnight or later. But now that you have a job, you need to get up earlier. So you start going to bed at 10 or even 9:30 p.m. You didn’t like it at first, and it took some adjusting. But now you’ve done it so much that you don’t even notice. It’s part of your routine.
Getting out of debt, losing weight, or anything else is the same way. Do it for a while, and it goes from being difficult to being a bother to just another thing. By the time beating debt becomes just another thing, you are reaping the rewards from it, which makes the process fun. And when it’s fun, the year passes quickly.
Whatever your financial goals are for 2009, we have resources to help you. Go and seize the year with full force!

I Admit It....I Was Sucked In...

Yeah, that's right. Y'all know exactly what I'm referring to.

The season premiere of "The Bachelor".
Total drivel, I know. But that Jason is awfully cute....

I was only going to watch the first 5 minutes or so, but I couldn't turn it off.
(And I can't ever get those two hours back, now, can I?!)

But hey, there were some positives. My 11 year old daughter came wandering in the room and there were definitely some "teach-able moments" about dating that I could share with her, like:

• Don't dress like these girls... there's really no reason to show your boobs. Leave something to the imagination.
• Don't be catty and competitive with other girls when it comes to guys. Tacky, tacky, tacky.
• Let the guy do the pursuing.... ultimately, guys really DO want to pursue the girl.
  
  and, the big one,
• DON'T act like Megan did. A "potty mouth" is a big turn off to most guys. They had to *BLEEP* out much of what Megan said at the end of the show. Trashy. (If I were Jason, I would have "repo-ed" the rose I had given her, just because she was SUCH an unpleasant person there at the end...).

Snuggie Sighting at the Mall...

Not long ago, when S., her BFF, my good friend Dawn, and her 2 daughters went to see "Twilight", we happened upon a couple eating their lunch in the food court at the Mall of Georgia.

Normally this would not be a blog-worthy event, however, this otherwise nondescript couple was eating their meal while wearing matching Black Snuggies.

They looked like Scientology bigwigs, trying to dine incognito.

Either that, or they happened to stop for a bite to eat, while on their way to DragonCon. (Seriously, have you seen the folks at DragonCon? Atlanta hosts this event every year.... and these people are VERY serious about their SciFi stuff.....)

Anyway, I really wanted to take out my cell phone and (stealthily) take a photo of the said Snuggy-wearing couple (who were quietly eating their Chick-Fil-A's) but I thought if they saw me, they would surely pull out their light sabres and smite me dead.

Simply too great a risk, my blogging friends....

Tomorrow....

....is the first Monday of a brand New Year.

• Fresh start (isn't that a delightful thought?!)
• Fresh snow (no tracks yet.... YOUR footprints will be the very first...)
• Fresh page (yours to write whatever you want).
• Fresh beginning (throw the past away... the guilt and worry weren't serving you well anyway).
• Fresh thinking (throw the negative out)

Go get 'em!

To the Anonymous Jerk Who Left The Comment at 4 AM

I gotta vent. Y'all ready??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been blogging now for about 16 months. I love it. I really do.

I've met some absolutely wonderful people in the Blogosphere and I am truly thankful for the friendships I have made. There are some amazing people out there.

However, I've always been fairly "closed" with my real identity (only a few know my "real" name), and I like to keep it that way since blogs are, by nature, a very public medium. In fact, as most of you know, I don't even blog about my kids all that much.... and when I do, I never use their full names.

Last night (at 4 AM), I got a really nasty, mean-spirited and hate-filled comment from "Anonymous". (Of course. Ugly comments are always from "Anonymous", right? They never have the cojones to identify themselves....) He/she read a post that involved my children and said I needed to "get a life" and they went on to say they thought I was a "mother from hell".

What the.....???

Now, even I, on my MOST insecure day, know I'm a damn good Mom, and I know I have a pretty amazing life....

But, again, what the heck?!

I just don't get it.

Thank You for a Great Season, Atlanta Falcons!!

Today's loss to the Arizona Cardinas was very tough.... BUT.... we had a GREAT season, with a rookie QB (the extremely cute and extremely clean cut Matt Ryan) and a new head coach (Mike Smith).

It's very encouraging to know that the Falcons were able to rebuild so quickly after the Michael Vick debacle, and after ex-coach Bobby Petrino snuck out of town in the middle of the night (without telling his players) to accept a job in Arkansas.

The last time I was really excited about a Falcon player was when Warrick Dunn played for us. (Dunn now plays for Tampa Bay, but still does a lot of charitable work in Atlanta. He's a good man.)

As a city, we're all really proud of our Falcons!

2008 Year in Review (courtesey of JibJab)

Yes, it's a bit naughty, but very funny. :)

Mexican CrockPot Chicken (a VERY simple recipe)

FIRST of all, it's very important to understand that I don't cook. I'm really a horrible cook. My husband does about 95% of the cooking in our house.

However, I'm going to TRY NEW THINGS this year and, I found this recipe, tried it, and SHOCKED AND DELIGHTED my family.

Here are some of the actual responses:

My 12 year old son: (with shocked look): "This is actually good, Mom!"
My 11 year old daughter: "You cooked?" Then, after taking a bite, "Wow. You made this, with no help from Dad?" Then later, telling her BFF how good it was "I can't believe that my own mother made it."

I was beaming.

Ok, super easy - here it is:

Mexican CrockPot Chicken & Rice
1 or 2 lbs. chicken cutlets (boneless/skinless)
1 envelope taco seasonings
1 jar picante sauce (I used the tequila/lime kind)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Throw all this in a crock pot - mix it up and turn it on high for 3- 4 hours.

Cook some rice. (Follow the directions.)
When the rice is almost done, stir 8 oz. of sour cream into the crock pot mixture.

Serve the chicken/sauce mixture over the rice. If you want to be healthy, have a crispy green salad. (You should be doing this anyway; after all it's the beginning of the new YEAR, for cryin' out loud!).

Delicioso!

Proof That My 12 Year Old Son Is Growing Up... (Sigh)

1. He is in his room talking on the phone to a girl (door is closed and LOCKED, which makes eavesdropping VERY difficult for me)... but I can hear lots of laughter and him talking in goofy voices, clearly trying to make her laugh.

2. He wanted to install one of those little "push-lights" above his Jessica Alba poster.... I guess so she would be properly illuminated, much like a billboard.

No longer my little snuggling 4 year old, is he? Darn.
That's one tough realization for a Mom. :)

Soul Food on New Years Day

Hubster, J & S

My Mom, and J.

Hoppin' John, and Collard Greens - A Southern New Years Day Tradition
(technically it's not hoppin' John until you mix the beans and rice together...)

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Hubster, the Chef-in-Charge at Casa de Nuestra, makes a ton of soul food every New Years Day and whoever wants to come over and chow down is welcome.

In the South, Hoppin' John is for good luck in the coming year (for the uninitiated, hoppin' John is rice served with black eyed peas, which are cooked with a ham hock, onions, celery, and spices. Yummy).

Collard greens are for prosperity for the coming year. Maybe the reason I'm not rich is because I don't eat them. Have you TRIED collards?! They smell like flatulence, and they taste like grass clippings. No thanks. I'll continue to work for my cash, if it's all the same. :-)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Say it with me now, y'all:

"2009 will be just fine!"

"2009 will be sublime!"