Super Suppers

Monday I had my first experience with Super Suppers, located not far from my house. I had a bunko group over for dinner, and no time to prepare, so I picked up two great casseroles from SS. Their entrees change from month to month, but I heartily recommend the Swedish Meatballs over Pasta and Poppyseed Chicken entrees that I picked up from their February menu. You have three options - make it yourself from their work stations with all ingredients, watch them make it, or buy from the freezer. I am looking forward to going back for a do-it-yourself casserole, because you save a WHOLE DOLLAR off the price that way.

1939 Summer

While I'm posting family photos, this is one of my favorites that I wanted to post. It's a photo of my grandmother Lucille and in her handwriting on the photo it says, "Taken in Mobile [AL] on dock - I was really tired (new shoes). 1939 Summer." I wish she was around so I could ask her who took the photo. I do know that she married my grandfather in Nov. 1939, but that's all. I just like this slice of life photo.

Genealogy

I'm pretty interested in family history. I guess I should say genealogy is my interest, and I am interested in bloodlines, but the family stories are more valuable to know, I think. My mother keeps up with lots of family stories and has passed down a lot verbally. Her mother even wrote down some family stories and I have a published book with them included. My 'unsolved mystery' now is my grandfather Troy's family (pictured). I have this photo of George and Laura (his parents) along with five of his older siblings. This photo was taken in 1910 before he was born in 1911. I know next to nothing about this family group. I don't even have anyone to ask about this side of the family - we're stumped. The next step is to go to the Mississippi Dept. of Archives & History and look at public records. This means I'm going to drag you with me, Mom!

My New Skates

We went blading Sunday afternoon to try out my new skates; a Valentine's Day gift from Todd. I had missed skating terribly. I misplaced my skates last May in a hotel room when I forgot to leave the hotel with them. Then it was a couple of weeks before I remembered and they were gone for good. Anyway I like this 80's style photo, but my skates look a little more modern than this. :-) So skating we will go. Our neighborhood has flat streets and Sunday we went to the local elementary school nearby and covered the sidewalks.

The Illusionist

For Valentine's Day dinner we rented and watched The Illusionist and I recommend it. It's a mystery, which I like, and it's a little bit romantic.

Home Crying Shirt

I had to use this. It's a quote from tonight's episode of Veronica Mars. One character chides the other for moping over his ex-girlfriend. He then advises him to put on his 'I'd rather be home crying" tshirt and come out with him. So I totally stole this one.

Town of Lost Rabbit

Today we visited the 'Town of Lost Rabbit' in Madison, a new planned community. Today was an open house so we got to see the inside of several houses. It will be interesting to see how the community grows, but it shows potential. Craftsmanship is great, but I did notice some small master bedrooms.

Birthday Weekend

We spent all weekend celebrating birthdays! I regret I did not have my camera Friday night when a great group of 10 of us went to Mediterranean Cafe for Stacey's birthday. Laura took this shot of Stacey, me and Vanessa with her camera phone. Aside from Stacey's smiling face, and spending time with close friends, the highlight was a chocolate cake with raspberry icing (pictured)...yum.

Scott's 40th Birthday

For Scott's 40th birthday, we went to Two Rivers restaurant in Canton and had dinner, accompanied by karaoke. The karaoke highlight was John H's rendition of a great 90's song dedicated to Scott :-). Scott's red velvet birthday cake was memorable. Holly had asked us to all wear black to 'mourn the passing of Scott's youth,' and you can see from this photo she used black icing on his cake.

Scott's 40th Birthday

We were privileged to take part in Scott's 40th birthday this past weekend. Holly put together a great surprise for him when we all showed up in a stretch limousine to pick him up. Scott and Todd were roommates when Todd and I were dating, and Holly and Scott were dating, and John and Marissa were also dating. . .It is hard to believe that was 10 years ago! Pictured are, from back left, Laura, Scott, Holly, Amy, John H, John D and Marissa. Todd and I are in front.

Oscar Month on TCM

Turner Classic Movies is showing 31 days of Oscar nominees, and we've DVRed (what the heck, I'll invent that word) several great movies - we recently watched The Barefoot Contessa with Ava Gardner and Humphrey Bogart, plus Shane and The Longest Day. Here's a plug for their Movie Morlocks blog.

Rereading Sharyn McCrumb

I'm rereading one of the novels of Sharyn McCrumb, one of my favorite authors. The 1997 book, The Rosewood Casket, is the first one she authored that read, and after that I proceeded to read her entire 'ballad novel' series, as she calls it. Fictional Hamelin Tennessee, in mountain country, is the setting of all the ballad novels and her characters seem truly real to me.

How I Spent My iTunes Gift Card

I am in love with Brit pop band The Fratellis, so I bought their EP 'Flathead' with 4 songs. I am annoyed that iTunes does not offer their new album on sale in the UK. I also bought a few dance songs like the JLo/LL Cool J song, 'Boston' by Augustana, 'Galvanize' by Chemical Brothers, 'Bring It' by Cobra Starship, 'Bohemian LIke Me' by Dandy Warhols, the Fall Out Boy single 'This Aint a Scene,'
'Fidelity' by Regina Spektor and a couple more.

Biltmore Mansion

Jen, Breck and me at the Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, during our late-January trip. Photo taken by Ron. Take this to the bank: the best time to visit Biltmore Mansion is in January. The crowds are miniscule. We did not have to wait in line for anything. We were able to speed through the house in no time, walking at whatever pace we wanted. Although the gardens were bare, the house and grounds are still impressive, plus there isn't the annoyance of the elbow-to-elbow crowd.

Pre-Ski Concentration

I have to include this final shot of our ski day at Cataloochee ski joint in Maggie Valley North Carolina. This is Dad, Breck and Todd getting ready for a day of skiing. Dad with diet Sprite and fedora, Breck with a Throttle sports drink, and Todd with his new gray cap. This is the only existing evidence that he ever owned that cap; it was lost on his third run down the black diamond, along with a chunk of Todd's rotator cuff!

Cataloochee

This is the beginner slope at Cataloochee ski joint in Maggie Valley North Carolina. This is also the slope where I fell about a dozen times trying to avoid the crowd, trying not to careen into a ski lift, trying to remember what the ski instructor said. The crazy thing was I let Breck and Todd talk me into going up to the medium-hard slope when they had just witnessed how many times I fell on the easy slope. Whew...I walked right into that one.

Up and Away

This is Todd and Breck on a ski lift at Cataloochee ski joint in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, on our late-January trip. Todd skied while Breck snowboarded. Breck did a really nice thing for me when my ski fell off on a steep stretch of mountain and I couldn't get it back on. He not only helped me get it reattached, but he stayed with me on the mountain - behind me - and gave me encouragement and direction. Getting down that medium-hard slope was no small feat for me - thanks B! Think I'll stick to the lodge.

We Actually Chose to Do This

I was actually thinking this while almost literally falling down the pseudo-mountain. This is Breck's wife Jen and me during our late-January ski trip to Cataloochee ski joint in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Jen was nice enough to take skiing lessons with me. The end-of-day fall count was this: Kristen 45+; Jen 0. The world is small - we met a girl from Mississippi - very close to my hometown - in our ski school.

Family Resemblance

Breck and I were both at Dads house in late January and we took this photo. This is one of the only photos I've ever seen where I think we actually resemble each other.