Friendship

Many thoughts have been expressed and many verses composed of real friendship.

One may write on and on about the many virtues of a friend. Few of us have not been helped or guided by a friend. There will surely come a time when we will have the opportunity to do a good deed for a friend.

A friend is someone special. He or she is someone who will see the genuineness in their friends. He or she will be a true comrade to us when we might have no one else to turn to. A true friend will try to develop an insight into your unspoken joys. They will recognize your opinion although it may not correspond with their own.

A good test of a real friend is whether or not one can forget the faults of others and think only of their useful qualities. No man can expect to find a friend without some faults. A person who wishes a faultless friend will go friendless.

A true friend will always reveal his loyalty in times of stress. They are always there when needed. They will be understanding when most people will only raise doubt. They offer hope when there are bad times. They come with no invitation. Fairweather friends are very easy to find, there is never a scarcity of them.

It is a steady friend who stands by you in life's periods, joys, and sorrows that will be cherished always.

I wrote this when I was 13 years old.

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Inspirational Monday - Bucket List for Life

We all have heard that saying, "Bucket List" but have you ever thought about what yours might look like? Do you recall that movie, "The Bucket List" with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman? 

Without giving too much of the movie away, I will say this...it deals with real-life situations from two completely different people who become friends in the process of dealing with their personal journey of terminal lung cancer. The movie is hilarious and yet, sad at the same time. I would grab the box of tissues before sitting down to enjoy this one. 

If you have not seen it, why not add that movie to your list of things to accomplish. It is a movie worth watching and who knows, it might give you some inspiration to start your own bucket list. 

From time to time, I think about things I want to achieve before I pass from this life and I write them down. I have an extensive list so far and with the world in an uproar as it is today, what better time to revisit those lists. 

Today, my Bucket List looks like this: 

Plant a flower garden

Take the train through the Rocky Mountains into Canada

Pick a “blow flower” and make a wish

Go to Church

Sign up for online college courses

Greet people first

Visit Yellowstone National Park

Meet all my new cousins I have met through DNA testing

Do something nice for someone else

Start a conversation with someone

Get a makeover (new clothes and all)

Take a long, extended road trip with no care in the world

Make time for me daily

Attend the Summer Olympics

Live long enough to see my grandchildren become young adults

Be fearless

Take a trip to Italy

Smile more often

Try to be more understanding of others

Go back to Niagara Falls

Plan our 2020 Vacation

Get out of bed and look for something to do

Visit the Eiffel Tower

Compliment myself daily 

Take another trip to the Grand Canyon

Call an old friend just to say “hi”

Be patient and kind

Identify my weaknesses

Visit Africa

See the Eagles in Alaska

Finish up all my current crafting projects

Make someone’s day

Publish my book

Make a return trip to Montana

Take time to be selfish - I deserve it!

Make a difference

Visit all the 50 states - I am more than halfway there! 

Start a new Glue Book just for my bucket list

Finish my second book

See the Whales from Seattle when they come through

Travel to Mount Rushmore

Obtain birth and death certificates/records of all my Great Grandparents 

Finish my Genealogy Binders for my Great Grandparents

Cut my hair short again

Just BE happy

Go on a safari

Visit Israel

See the Pyramids

Drive a Convertible

Plant a garden

Create more yard art

Plant a butterfly garden

See all my grandchildren before I die

Ride in a Hot Air Balloon

Camp in an RV Trailer

Travel the world

Identify my strengths outside of working 

Build my blog

Stand under a waterfall

Eat Mexican Food for 30/31 straight days

Join a facility where I can swim 365 days a year

Lose weight even with the health issues

Begin walking again 

Find laughter daily

Attend a Murder Mystery Dinner

Get more house plants (especially those that help with Asthma)

Own a hot tub

Be Thankful every day

Visit the mountains

See Shenandoah Valley

Eat Main Lobster

Grow my spare change jar

Write my will

See the sunrise for 7 days in a row

Visit a Tiger Sanctuary

Take a two-week vacation by myself

Organize my Craft Room (yet again)

Make amends with self and others

Visit the Golden Gate Bridge

See the Redwood Forest

Visit Scotland

See the windmills in Holland

Put my feed in the sand on a beach

See the sunset from a beach for two weeks

Skydive

Drink green tea daily

Get all of my photos scrapbooked our placed in a journal

Participate in a Breast Cancer walk

Buy a bicycle again

Learn how to quilt

Go on a romantic picnic

Road trip with a friend or friends

Eat Chocolate Fondue

Visit Epcot Center again

Sail off into the sunset

So, are you inspired yet? It is never too late to start working on your own Bucket List. Keep in mind, this is your list and it can look like what you want it to look like. These are goals specific to you. They can be simple. They can be complex. They can be achieved in a day or may take months to plan. Whatever the case may be...what are you waiting for? Grab a pen, a piece of paper, or better yet, your computer or your cell phone and start creating your list today. 

In closing, you can even date each item you add to your list. This way, you can date it when you achieve it. I do that myself! 

Now about that Bucket List...

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Silicone Kitchen Utensils 13 Piece Giveaway

Kitchen Utensils. We all have them and if you are like me, you just might have a piece from this set and a piece from that set. Why not try your luck at winning a new, matching set by entering this Give-Away at a chance to win a 13-Piece Kitchen Utensil Set. Don't delay. This Give-Away ends on 8/10/2020. Good luck!

Welcome to the Silicone Kitchen Utensils 13 Piece Giveaway!

Retail Value $25.99

1 Winner

This giveaway is part of our Back To School Gift Guide. Stop by to see all the giveaways and great products.

This would be a great time to win a prize and put a smile on your face.

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This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only. Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 8/10/2020. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to mikesgiveawaygator@gmail.com or a new winner will be drawn. You may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below. This information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the Giveaway Tools program. The sponsor is responsible for shipping of the above prize. No blogs associated with this contests are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email mikesgiveawaygator@gmail.com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.

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In The Kitchen with Grandma

Grandma loved cooking. When I asked family members what something was, they remembered her cooking the majority said, "Zucchini Bread". 

I have not ever tried my hand at Zucchini Bread, but if it is anything like Banana Bread - I am sure it is delicious and quite easy to make. I can smell it baking in the oven now. Can you? 

When summer hits, I enjoy frequenting the local Farmer's Market for fresh produce. In my bag of goodies, you can find Zucchini, yellow squash, fresh tomatoes alongside the Honey-dew melons, and from time to time watermelons. 

I remember mom and dad having a huge garden in the back of our house. We called it the back 40. Dad, grandma's son grew several different types of squash, zucchini, corn on the cob, cucumbers, okra, green beans, black-eyed peas, carrots, potatoes, cantaloupe, watermelons and, had a nice bounty of sunflowers. I am sure he gave his mother, my grandma many Zucchini's among other fresh produce throughout the summer months. 

In fact, I remember family (his sisters) coming to harvest their share of the bounty that he grew year after year. 

I enjoyed mom canning the fresh vegetables and freezing them so we would have them throughout the winter months. I will never forget the shelves in the garage lined up with mason jars filled to the brim with yellow squash, green beans, and then some. Mom even made her own pickles out of the cucumber's dad grew. 

I wonder if Grandma would bake a fresh of piping hot Zucchini Bread today if she was still living?  

Grandma Kercher

ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 eggs beaten

1 c. oil

2 c. sugar

2 c. grated zucchini

2 T. vanilla

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. chopped pecans

Add oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla to beaten eggs. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together. Add sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 325* for 1 hour. 

Have you ever had Zucchini Bread? If so, do you bake it yourself? 

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Thankful Thursday or Throwback Thursday - Which is It?

Hello, it has been a while since I have dropped a post due to being sick once again. Luckily for me, the tests came back negative. I am feeling a tad bit better, but still am weak with a nasty cough and wheezing. I suppose the weather change three weeks ago, sent my Environmental Asthma into orbit. I just know the symptoms I was experiencing were like none I had had before. Anyway...moving right along. 

Today is called Thankful Thursday and it is also called Throwback Thursday. I have done both. Most times leaning towards the latter of the two simply because I write a post on Friday's called, Ten Things of Thankful (TToT). 

For my post today I am going to incorporate both into my writings. I am quite thankful for Throwback Thursday's. Last year, I met an individual on My Heritage DNA matches who ended up being my 2nd cousin on my great grandfather's side. She was his brother's youngest daughter. Her name is Margaret. She is in her 70's. 

When she contacted me through MyHeritage, she asked how I was related to the Chenault lines. I told her my great grandfather was Jerome Washington Chenault. Her reply was your great grandfather was my dad's brother. I was elated! I asked her if by chance she had any photos of my great grandfather and indeed she did. 

The photos I received were priceless! You see, I had never seen photos of my great grandfather in his younger years and she had them! Talk about a treasure. I was elated. 

Today, I am very thankful for Thursday and the Throwback Thursday photos I have been given. 

My Great Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary
Jerome Washington Chenault and Nellie Cordelia Martin

My Great Grandfather, Jerome (3rd from left) with
his brothers

My Great Grandparents with my siblings and me (I am the oldest of the 3)

John Henry (a brother), Jerome (my GG), his son, Joe Lee
and unknown man on the right-side end.

Jerome, John Henry (his brother) and
my Great Granny, Nellie Cordelia Martin

Brothers
Jerome, John Henry and, Aris

My Great Grandfather, Jerome

Yes, I am very thankful for these photographs and that Margaret had them and was willing to share them with me. Otherwise, I would have never known they even existed. 

Thankful Thursday...

What are you thankful for today? Do you have any Throwback Thursday photographs? If so - share them with me. 

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In The Kitchen - Fool for Rhubarb Pie by Nana White

Many years ago, my mom told me that she liked Rhubarb Pie. I had no idea what she was talking about until I started researching what it was. I have never eaten Rhubarb Pie. 

CREDIT: Crisco

I began asking mom what it tasted like. She said, 'it is sometimes tart and sometimes tangy' and it is so good while her face lit up. I could see her mouth begin to drool as she described a Rhubarb Pie to me. She also said, 'they would eat the pie with homemade Vanilla Icecream' and that was a treat. 

I never did get mom a Rhubarb Pie and she never made one while I lived at home or even into my adult years. After researching the Rhubarb plant, I was not interested in trying this pie for myself. 

Rhubarb is a vegetable if you did not know that. But when it is cooked, one must add a great deal of sugar for it to get the sugary sweetness one is longing for in each bite of pie they enjoy. 

Rhubarb can be made into jam and served as an accompaniment to roasted meats. 

I asked mom if this plant could be eaten in its original form and she said, 'oh yes - grab a jar of sugar, remove the leaves and chomp down - really just putting the Rhubarb in the sugar and then sucking on the stalk". I asked her why she removed the leaves and she said, 'They can make you extremely sick'. When I researched this plant further, I did read that the small leaves are poisonous and must be removed before ingesting the Rhubarb. 

Did you know that Rhubarb stocks become very toxic and poisonous in late summer? They do. I found that to be quite interesting. It is best to harvest this plant in the Spring and early Summer. I have never even seen a Rhubarb plant - so I do not know what I would be looking for. Do you? Have you ever grown any? 

I do not know about you, but I am not really interested in trying Rhubarb Pie. It does not sound appealing to me at all, but my mom sure did enjoy the ones she ate. I wish now, I would have gotten her a piece of Rhubarb Pie when she lived with us. I would have loved to see her face while she was eating it. I can only imagine what it was like though, because as I am typing this post out - my mouth is watering just thinking about the tart and tangy taste. I guess I could compare this sensation to when I eat a lemon. 

When my husband got his Cookbook out for me a few months ago, I found a recipe that Nana White had shared for Rhubarb Pie.

FOOL FOR RHUBARB PIE

4 egg whites

1tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Vinegar

1 c. minus 1 T. sugar, sifted

8 oz. Rhubarb

1 T. butter

1/2 c. sugar

2 c. whipping cream

Heat oven to 225*. Grease or spray a 9-inch pie pan. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add vanilla, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon sugar; beat to blend. Continue to add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, continue beating until all sugar is added and stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue in the pan in a concave fashion, as if it were a pie shell. 

Bake 1 hour, then turn off the oven but leave the pie shell there until the oven is totally cool about 1 more hour. Chop rhubarb into small pieces. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add rhubarb and 1/2 cup sugar. 

Cook, stirring occasionally until rhubarb is tender and the mixture is falling apart. Crush some of the bigger pieces with a fork to make a smoother mixture. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator. 

When the meringue is completely cooled, beat the whipping cream until still. Fold in the rhubarb mixture. Use this to fill the meringue. 

***

Looking at this recipe, had I known this was in the cookbook my husband had - I might have tried to make my mom one of these Rhubarb Pies. I suppose now, this will be one of those would have, could have moments that will go down in history. 

Do you like Rhubarb Pie? Have you ever made one? Share your memories with me of eating Rhubarb Pie. 

Enjoy! 

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