Fairhope to Magnolia Springs

Yesterday I had some time off and went over to the parents' to visit. We went to eat lunch at the Fairhope Inn and rode around in Magnolia Springs. Magnolia Springs is just so pretty and special. I've mentioned this before on the blog, but I want to say again. Fannie Flagg wrote a book Red Bird Christmas. And when we saw this red bird yesterday, I told Aunt Sue..."That's Jack from the book." The town in the book is not called Magnolia Springs but so many things do point to it being this little town. The front cover on the book is illustrated just like the scene as you pass over the bridge and see the old boathouse over to the side. In the book, people received their mail by boat and this town used to have that type of mail service.

Magnolia River red bird

Magnolia River


This house is so pretty. Love the porches along the side.
You can see the little river there.


We ate lunch at the Fairhope Inn.
Daddy got this salmon salad and he liked it.

Mama and I got this eggplant stack with crawfish sauce. It was good. Poor Aunt Sue got marinated flank steak salad and it was not too good. My picture of it did not turn out.

This is the area where we ate lunch. It's a glass enclosed porch that goes along two sides of the house. There is also an interior room but it does not have windows. This porch was so nice and cool.

The menu.

I love this picture of the flag and the greenery. It says "July" to me.

The courtyard patio is so pretty. Too hot to sit out there now.

A koi pond.

when it's hot outside there's baskin robbins

hot dogs

I let Emma and Alfred out several times a day. Sometimes they go right out in the yard and do their business and sometimes they go right out and lay down on the hot concrete. I guess it must feel good on their old bones. I can't leave them out there unattended because of the pool, but it's too hot for me to stand out there for long. So I'll stand at the door and watch them. I grabbed my camera to get their pictures. They do not like to pose for the camera when they see it, so this was a nice way to get them while they were looking in my direction.



Alfred will not look at the camera at all when he sees me with it. I was inside when I got this picture of him.

friends forever

Our friends at church who recently got married will soon be settled in Texas together. We sure will miss them. Aunt Sue and I have sat behind them for a while now and we will miss seeing them there. I had to take this picture so I could look back as time goes by and remember this with a smile.


They gave us a gift certificate to the new Five Guys restaurant because we helped them with their wedding! So we went and it was so good. Looking forward to going back!


I think I'm actually going to be able to get some time off next week from my regular work, but I do have a project that I need to work on while I'm off...so I'll still be here plugging away.

Fourth of July fun

Saturday, we had the husband's brother and my sister-in-law and her mother
and their son (our nephew) and his wife and the twins and my parents and Aunt Sue come over for swimming and a BBQ dinner. It was a nice time. The twins love to play in the pool. I like the little swimsuit they wear with the floaters in them.

We had BBQ pulled pork and Corky's ribs and BBQ beans and potato salad and tuna pasta salad and hot dogs and potato chips and homemade ice cream and cupcakes and ice cold watermelon. Yummy.

Here are the cupcakes. I have to say they were good. Made from classic cake mix from the grocery store and canned icing.

I bought the twins these bubble wands and they enjoyed them. It's so fun to watch them having a good time.


Swampgirl's mom sent me a comment letting me know she has tried the Green Monster Smoothie and she liked it! Lilly, thanks for letting me know! I plan on having tomorrow. I missed making it today and yesterday so I'm ready for another one.

green monster smoothie video

I got Aunt Sue to take a video of me making the green monster smoothie today. It cut off right after it finished in the blender but I didn't know it cut off...so I was still showing you what it looked like after I poured it in the glass. I got Aunt Sue to taste it and she said it was "okay." I love it. Vintageswampgirl made one and liked it. If anyone else out there makes it, let me hear from you.


These are the ingredients: baby spinach, table spoon of raw almond butter, table spoon of chia seeds, 1 cup of almond milk, 1 banana and four or five ice cubes. Blend it all up and enjoy. It's so cool and fresh.


My attempt to show you how easy it is.

It's July Already

Last weekend Aunt Sue and I went over to Navarre Beach to pick up some BBQ beans to take to lunch at church on Sunday. We also ate some good BBQ while we were picking up those beans. We parked in a beach parking lot and walked up on the walkway that goes down to the beach. It was so pretty. We didn't see any oil mess in the water. There was a two-man crew there and you can see in one of the pictures their tools for picking up the oil. They were going on break when we got there. From where we were standing, I could not tell if there was tar/oil on the beach.

Here is a float that got away!

Folks having fun in the water.

Houses right on the beach. Some of these houses have their own walkways built over the sand dunes. That is a nice feature ... sure makes it easier to get to the water without having to trudge up and down getting over the sand dune.

I love seeing the color umbrellas and towels.

Here is the clean-up crews tools! Buckets and shovels and maybe some rubber gloves.

Ginger at Deep Fried Kudzu came to Pensacola Beach recently and she is sharing her pictures and story on her blog. Check it out!


Just a note to myself for future reference...

I saw someone today in the grocery store that I had worked with for 13 years. I have been harboring not-so-nice feelings for this person for so many years. When I saw her today and talked to her, I really came away from it thinking that I need to change my heart about her. We're all human and have faults. No telling how many faults I have that she did not like either. So I decided that I am not going to think of her in that light anymore. I want to like her for who she is outside of the job and not how she was when I worked with her.

Alan Jackson;Jimmy Buffett - It's Five O' Clock Somewhere

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere maybe Margaritaville

Jimmy Buffett is giving a concert to help promote tourism in Gulf Shores, Alabama, next weekend. It was originally scheduled for today, but with the remnants of Hurricane Alex making the waves and weather rainy and rough here, it had to be resheduled until next weekend. But looks like he showed up at his sister's restaurant in Gulf Shores today and played a set of music with his band called Freddy and the Fishsticks. How fun would that be to be sitting there enjoying your food and then he would start playing and singing?? I bet no one left that place till it was over.

Here is a list of songs that he played.

1. Surfing in a Hurricane
2. I Will play for Gumbo
3. One Particular Harbor
4. Bama Breeze
5. License to Chill
6. Son of a Son of a Sailor
7. Come Monday
8. It's Five o'clock Somewhere
9. Changes in Lattitudes, Changes in Attitudes
10 Cheeseburger in Paradise
11. Creola
12. Dreamsicle
13 Frank and Lola
14. Piece of Work
15. Jamaica Mistaka
16. Where the Boat Leaves From
17 A Pirate Looks at Forty
18. Back where I come From
19. Fins
20. Margaritaville

Encores
21. Pascagoula Run
22. Volcano
23. Southern Cross
24. When the Coast is Clear

campers at camp chi chi

Theh past couple of weeks, we've had campers here at Camp Chi Chi. We love campers. Jasmine, who belongs to Julie at Magnolia Sun, camped here for a week while her people were gone on a nice vacation to the great states of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee and all points that they had to go through to get there. I don't have a picture of Jasmine this time...but she is a sweet, little bitty girl.

Here's a picture of the greeting sign at Camp Chi Chi.

Here is the camper that was here this past weekend. She has a greek goddess name but I call her "Stephanie" because it's easier to say. She is a sweet girl, too. She missed her mama. Her mama left while "Stephanie" was in the back of the house and did not see her mama go and she looked for her the whole time she was gone. But she got plenty of treats!


I'm wondering if GoodBoy Norman will ever be coming back to camp? Norman, I know you want to come down here and sweat to death in this humidity, but you'll get plenty of treats.

Hot Friday

Wow, it's hot here. It's the kind of hot that gets you nervous about what can happen in terms of hurricane season.

I froze the leftover veggie burgers and ate one of them for lunch yesterday. I think it was even better as a left over. I have to say I am loving the green monster smooth. I skipped a day and had one this morning. I now know I don't even want to skip a day. I'm think about having one for breakfast and one late in the day, too, and see how I feel.

Aunt Sue and I had lunch at the beach last week. This restaurant is on the sound side where there are no waves. It's a great place for little kids because they don't get knocked down so much. It was a beautiful day.

If you read the news or watch the national news, you see what a mess is starting to happen on the beaches here. I am just so scared what is happening to the eco system in the waters of the Gulf. I just hope they can get the leak stopped soon. It's just sickening.

View from patio of restaurant.

Lunch at Bull Feathers.

When I left church Sunday, I got behind this boat. I thought this was so funny. You know about this if you watch Sponge Bob.

veggie burger

I have had a green monster smoothie every morning for about a week now. I do love them. I love googling them and seeing what other people have to say about them and what ingredients they use.

Denise at Sentiments by Denise is where I learned of the green monster. She also posted this recipe for veggie burgers. I copied her recipe except I didn't have any basil so I left that out. But here's what my dinner looked like. I have put the leftovers in the freezer for another day.
I found this at the grocery the other day. It's hard to believe it's half the fat and calories. Taste good to me.
I have my little bread rounds ready with mayo and tomato.


Here's Denise's recipe that she modified from another blogger.
Homemade Veggie Burgers

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 carrot, chopped into 3-4 pieces
2 green onions, chopped into chunks
1 small orange sweet pepper, chopped into chunks
1 handful of fresh baby spinach
1/2 tsp fresh dill
1 med-large fresh basil leaf
a pinch of sea salt
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp fresh minced garlic

1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 T. pepita seeds
1 T. chia seeds
1/2 c. spelt flour (or whole wheat)

Preheat oven to 375deg and prep a baking sheet with spray oil. Place all ingredients except seeds and flour into a food processor and process until mixture is well blended (may have to stop and scrap sides of bowl). Transfer mixture into a large bowl. Add seeds and stir well. Add flour, in 1/4 cup increments, stirring until well blended. Shape patties, place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes , then flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Makes 7-8 patties.
(adapted from this recipe at Oh She Glows)

30 questions

The twins and their daddy and granddaddy came over a week ago and had fun in the pool. I had fun watching them! I still cannot tell the boys apart. Now that they are living here, I hope to see them more often and finally be able to tell them apart.


30 Questions I found over at AM's blog.


1. It’s 2AM and you are not home. You are more than likely:

The last two times I've been out this late was in the emergency room. Once for me and once for Aunt Sue.

2. What’s the last thing you spent more than $100 on?
I bought some stamps and supplies this week. I have to admit I am addicted to buying stamping supplies...I don't have time to use them hardly but can't quit buying them. And I'm running out of room. I need an INTERVENTION.

3. What do your bank checks look like? Light green. I'm the only one writing checks. I don't use a check card because mine was compromised years ago...talk about a mess!

4. Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from?
Belk's.

5. Name something that will be on your Christmas wish list:
Maybe a new camera that is small/lighter than the one I have now.

6. What color is your toothbrush?
Blue and white

7. Name something you collect and tell us about it.
I collect matchbooks. I love them but they are hard to find nowadays. My daddy gave me his collection which had his daddy's collection...so I have a lot of old ones.

8. Last restaurant you ate at. Who were you with? How was it?
Aunt Sue and I went to Bull Feather's this week for lunch and it was okay. We usually like the hamburger with blue cheese and wing sauce, but we just weren't that happy with it this week.

9. Who was the last person you bought a birthday card for?
A lady at church.

10. What is your worst bad habit?
Staying up too late.

11. Name a magazine to which you subscribe?
Card Makers

12. Your favorite pizza toppings?
cheese...I've started not wanting anything on my pizza but cheese. I'll pull the toppings off if I have to.

13. Whose number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book?
I hate to use a phone book. I use the Internet. But I'm thinking it was something the husband needed me to look up for him.

14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most?
I love a lot of people...and I don't easily say the words...but I'll be thinking about someone and I'll say "I love you" out loud to myself....Hey mama and daddy, I do that all the time about you and daddy! Now that's a little info I would never ever tell because someone would think I was so weird...but it's out there now.

15. What is the last thing you cooked?
squash

16. Name something you wouldn’t want to buy used?
Shoes...I know a lot of people do and I don't think it's a bad thing at all...it's just me.
17. Which shoe do you put on first?
I usually put on the right shoe first. Not sure if that has anything to do with being right-handed.

18. What is the last thing you remember losing?
I lost a good pair of scissors and I'm hoping that they are here in the crafting mess buried under something or put in box of crafting things...hopefully they will show up.

19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house?
The husband would not be happy with me for saying this because he bought it...but he bought it without discussing with me first. It's a picture/painting in the living room area of some tropical greenery. It's huge. It doesn't really go with anything other than some things in there are green and cream and white...so I'm just going to make it disappear some day!

20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning?
A shirt I ordered on line but took back to the local store.

21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why?
The last cologne I bought was Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir. It's about gone now. I have my eye on something else...I'll share if I ever get it. If I could stop buying stamping/crafting items, I could afford the cologne.

22. Your favorite board game? I don't have a favorite, but enjoy Monopoly. Aunt Sue and I went to Charlotte three years ago for the bloggy friends meetup and I took some question cards from Who Wants to be a Millionaire game and we took turns asking each other the questions on the ride up...fun way to spend time in the car.

23. What was the last board game you played?
Monopoly.

24. Where did your vehicle come from?
Toyota dealership and husband's came from Craigslist.

25. If a movie was made about your life what would the theme song be?
I truly cannot think of one that would match my life!

26. You’re sad, who can cheer you up easily?
Puggies

27. What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to?
Black

28. What house cleaning chore do you hate to do the most?
bathroom

29. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?
fried

30. It is your birthday. You hope the cake is?
just about any cake with buttercream icing...real buttercream...not whipped and not light icing.

baby shower pictures

EDITED TO ADD: February 4, 2011, I am participating in Papertrey Ink's anniversary party. We were asked to show a card we made from the past year. I really like how this card turned out. You'll have to scroll down to see it.


Last Sunday afternoon there was a baby shower at church for a lady who is having her first baby. I took a few pictures to share here.

This is the diaper cake! The duck topper is one of those bathtub faucet covers. So cute.

This is what all the round tables were decorated with. The bears were different colors.

One of the ladies at church saved all her children's story books ... they are vintage now. She uses them here to decorate this long table. I thought that this was a neat idea. And it was fun to see all the books.

Yummy food.





Yummy cake. I can't help myself when it comes to cake. I have to have some. And you got to cut your own piece...so you know mine was not small.

I made her several baby thank you notes but I didn't get a picture of them. I also stamped the white tissue paper with pastel colors. I made the little gift tag here. Aunt Sue and I also donated to the "Year of baby" photo shoot from a lady from church that is a photographer. I think that is a great gift!

This is the card I made for her. I CASE'd this card from Debbie Olson who is a design team member for Papertrey Ink. All supplied were from PTI. And I used Copic markers to color.


I had another green monster drink yesterday and am going to have one today, too. I really like them.

breakfast right now

I have been reading this blog, Sentiments By Denise, for a while now, and she has been eating healthy for a while. I enjoy reading what she is eating...so I decided to try it today starting with the Green Monster. Another blog that that started a Green Monster movement is this one.

I was afraid it would not taste good and that I couldn't get past the green color. But it really is good. It does not taste like it looks. But it does taste fresh but not sugary but it's still sweet.

Here is what I used.

Big handful of baby organic spinach
1 tablespoon of natural almond butter
1 banana
1 cup almond milk
a few ice cubes

I put it all in the blender and blended really well.

I know this has a lot of calories, and I didn't add them up yet. I plan on getting the lower calorie almond milk next time. I'm going to the health food store and get some chia seeds and flax seeds to add to it in the future.

Denise also has a recipe for overnight oatmeal. You mix up the ingredients before bed and put it in the fridge overnight and then add some toppings in the morning. I'm going to try that, too.

I am not a salad eater at all. I plan on trying out some things with vegetables and see if I can get some in my food every day. This green monster is a great way to get them first thing in the morning.

president obama was here

Today President Obama was at our beach this morning. We knew yesterday that the highway that runs through our little city was going to be shut down from Pensacola over the bay bridge through our little city and to the beach. So for three hours nobody could travel the highway here. I could get to the bank and grocery store, so I did that while the highway was shut down.

Here is the closest I imagine I will ever get to the president. His motorcade was passing by.

Here is the parking lot at 10:15 a.m. at Publix. Hardly anyone was shopping so that made it nice for me to browse the aisles.


Obama will talk about the oil leak crisis this evening during his Oval Office address. I want to hear what he has to say. He is very encouraging with his words. It's hard to believe that things will "be better" after this is all over with. If they can't even fix the leak, what can we expect? I know when a crisis is not in your back yard, it's so far removed from you and you just put it out of your mind. I have not said much here about what is happening here. We are just starting to see the beginning of what is going to be terrible. That mass of oil is HUGE HUGE HUGE and the south winds are blowing it this way. What is the most heartbreaking besides the beauty of this place being destroyed and the people who cannot make a living now is the wildlife that are covered in oil and dying a horrible death. This is a man-made disaster. I hope some lessons will be learned from this...that the oil companies have a PLAN that WORKS when they drill that far down and something happens where it goes wrong. I hope no other place on earth has this happen to them. Until that leak gets fixed, my mind has a hard time thinking things are going to get better. All the words that are spoken by BP or the president or anyone else are just words....

If you have ever been down here on these beaches along the Gulf Coast or eaten fresh seasfood from here, you know beautiful and wonderful it is to vacation here or live here. Maybe you have that sinking feeling, too.

This is all I've got to say right now. I just pray about it and know that God is ALWAYS in control. We don't always know why things happen, but do not ever give up faith in the Lord.

Here are some more pictures from last week over at the parents' house. It was a nice day to get out and about and ride around the area and take some pictures.

This little house has a patriotic look to it. It was decorated for the Fourth!

A close-up picture of the fence.

Little duck family in a little community called Silver Hill.



This is the back door area of a little house...I thought it looked like a nice place to spend a little time in the evening or early morning.

Here are the tin can things...I'm guessing they might have little light in them.

Figs are growing in parents' backyard.

blueberries are growing, too.

The local farmers market near the parents' house has a little bakery area that sells sandwiches and breads and ice cream and cobblers! This was not ours but another customer's. I had to get a picture of it. It's an apple dumpling with ice cream...I bet it was so good.

A picture of the inside of the farmer's market up by the register. They sell some good yeast bread among lots of other things. It's a popular stop on the way to Alabama's Gulf Coast.


The baby shower yesterday was very nice. I did take some pictures, so I'll share those soon.