Can you chill like Gary?

Some of my husbands work – One of my fav’s

And Ethan’s favorite thing to make our cat pretend to say while he waves his paws around in the air.

It leaves one asking,

"I'm chill."

“BUT. am I chill like Gary?”

With that note, Im going to sleep.

I'll be a pumpkin soon.

My Great Great Grandma’s Potato Salad

When I was growing up, we didn’t buy potato salad from the store.

But we could have.

No, my mother made it from scratch, as she did most everything.

Southerners love their salads.

Potato Salad, Pea Salad, Pasta Salad, Tuna Fish Salad, Chicken Salad, Cabbage Salad, Fruit Salad, Shrimp and Watermelon Salad Pretzel Salad, Cornbread Salad and of Course, Watergate Salad….. just to name a few.

Not a whisper of lettuce draweth neigh to any of these.

But they are good; Most of them require a jar of Mayo as a first ingredient.

Yes, salads are in a league of their own.

Closely followed by Casseroles and Molds.

My mother wasn’t into molds though.

I think the instability of the gelatinous mass caused her anxiety.

There is a lot of stress relief in chopping up bucketfuls of vegetables.

I made my first Potato Salad yesterday.

To accompany Hank’s second round of ribs which were great once again.

All my life, I have helped my mother make potato salad.

Gallons and Gallons and Gallons of potato salad.

But I’ve never made it unsupervised.

It was a lot more work than I expected!

It took me about 2 hours to make it!

Good Lord.

I thought if I ever saw another potato it would be too soon.

I also realized that I made WAY too much.

The family recipe called for 10 Pounds of potatoes.

(To feed my parents, my grandparents and my 6 younger brothers and sisters)

I thought I would be safe by cutting everything in half and making 5 pounds.

(To feed 6 adults and 2 kids)

Still it made too much.

But another great thing about salads is they keep for a few days, so we will have leftovers.

I remember now that Mom always made a lot because it was so much work, it was good to make a few days worth at a time.

The potato salad turned out delicious.

Just like I remembered it.

Creamy and crunchy and the same time.

It was worth the work.

And Hank was impressed.

(It’s always nice to impress the husband)

He kept saying, “The potato salad is really wonderful Megan… its really good!”

I forgot to ask him if he ever had homemade potato salad.

There’s a big difference.

This is my family’s recipe; we have been using the same one for almost 100 years.

If you feel so inclined, you should try it.

I suggest doing everything to taste.

Some people like more eggs in their salad, some people like none at all.

Same thing with the relish, dill, garlic, mustard, etc.

**My Great Great Grandma’s Potato Salad**



I’ve had to alter this a little bit simply because I know most of you don’t have home-made Mayo, etc. sitting around at home. For the most part, this is it.

10 Pounds potatoes (I like Red Potatoes and we always leave the skins on – some people don’t)

6 to 8 Eggs (Depending on size of eggs and how much egg flavor you want. I like 6)

2 Large Green Bell Pepper

1 Large Bag of Radishes (Will equal 2 cups when sliced)

4 Stalks of Celery

1 Large Onion

1 Jar of Mayo or Miracle Whip (I like Kraft – Real Mayo, it’s a lighter mayonnaise)

¼ Cup of Mustard (I like Guldens spicy)

¼ Cup Sugar (I forgot to put it in this time, and it couldn’t tell it was missing)

1 Jar Sweet Pickle Relish (8 oz.)

2 teaspoons Salt

2 teaspoons Garlic powder

1 teaspoons Dill, more to taste (Dill can make or break anything, so use it carefully!)

Wash potatoes cut the eyes out and cut them into fourths – put them in water and on stove to boil. Add the eggs in with the potatoes to boil as well so everything will be done at the same time.

Boil the potatoes until they are soft when you stick a fork through them.

While the potatoes are boiling, start cutting up all the vegetables. Everything will need to be chopped up into very small pieces.

The radishes will need to be sliced into lots of little circles.

As soon as the potatoes and eggs are finished, drain them and place them in the refrigerator to cool.

After about 20 minutes or so they should be ready to be cut up into bite sized squares and places in a bowl along with the eggs, chopped up into fine bits.

Mix in all other ingredients, veggies first then mayo, relish and mustard.

** Do this to taste!

You may decide you do not want as much of an ingredient or you may decide you want more.

I use very little relish usually and I add it slowly.

Same with the Dill.

Mix everything together, cover and chill in the refrigerator before serving!

Of course – If you are not feeding an army, you can make a fourth of the recipe and I think that will make about 2 quarts.

Next time I make it, I’ll measure everything out and update this to know for sure!

So Im not dying...

I know this is short,

But I just wanted to write quickly and say that I am doing SO much better.

My back seems to be almost completely healed.

The real test will be tomorrow when I will try to clean to house for the firs time.

I cant believe Im saying this,

But,

I am SOOOO excited about cleaning the house tomorrow!

haha.

Just wanted to let you know.

This book.

It is the book I have been trying to write my entire life.

This frustrating, never ending book.

I have a little boy now, Ethan.

He is six.

A wealth of energy, a boisterous sack of convoluted emotions.

He is growing fast, trying to figure out who he is, who I am, where he came from.

Who are these people he calls family?

“Mommy tell me stories about when you were a little girl!”

Those precious bright beseeching eyes, soliciting from me information.

There are so many stories; I don’t know where to begin.

I rack my brain for the funny ones; those are the ones that boys of six like best.

But then there are the sad ones, the important ones that teach lessons.

Those I’ll save for later.

It’s part of what makes this so difficult.

What is the tone? How do I write this? How much do I tell and what should be held back?

There is always the illusive Unwritten Story of every book about real life.

Do I want to write one of those?

The truth can be so ugly.

I can write the ugly truth in a beautiful way. That might be interesting.

I get sick of beginning the book and it doesn’t go the way I like it so I start over.

I do this again and again and again.

There’s so many ways to tell the stories.

I cannot seem to figure out which one is the best.

Which is most honest without being cruel.

Whether to ‘fudge it’ or not.

Maybe I should hang it up and write something else all together.

Children’s books.

For now.

I thinking of it.

God.

I change my mind too much.

I wish I could just commit and stick with it.

I’m thinking that one day I will sit down and it will flow like it does in the beginning and just continue until it is done instead of turning into this painful extraction of memory.

Some of the words are like poetry to me, I love them and wonder where I got them from, then they slowly flow out into mush, slosh,

A disgusting goo of pish posh that wouldn’t move a bump on a log much less a human heart.

That’s when I get frustrated with myself.

“I don’t know what I’m doing! I have no business writing a book! This is a romantic dream!”

(I AM a hopeless romantic you know)

“Why did I ever think I could do this! I don’t even have a formal education! I have no papers! No right! No…. no…. Anything!”

Then I cry.

Should I feel inclined.

Then I listen to hear if I’ve answered myself.

In all these years, I usually never have.

Then I hang it up for the evening or afternoon or whatever time of the day it is and pick it up again on another.

It’s a hateful process.

You see why I’m so frustrated?

Anyhow.

I do feel better, every once in awhile, complaining about it – because one day I will finally get it out and then it will be done.

I have decided though that there is a very good chance it will not be any time soon.

I think I may be into my 40’s before I produce any great work really worth reading.

But a great work it will be.

Haha.

Somewhere, a long time ago I read that if you are not your own biggest fan, who then will be?

I took that to heart.

I have to tell you a story later on about hank’s aunt Mamie who years and years ago (forgive me, for I may convolute the details a bit)

Aunt Mamie being a teenager, 17 or 18 – graduated high school or did something grand of that sort and bring so proud of her self went out, bought herself a new dress and a dozen red roses.

She then went out and had her picture taken (this was in the 40’s I think) and somewhere that picture hangs, Aunt Mamie, being her very biggest fan, smiling like there is not a care in the world.

If that’s not a grand thing, I sir don’t know what is.





PS – I went out without my walker today – Almost made me have MY picture taken!

Happy Memorial-Watermelon Holiday

Memorial Day has always meant watermelon to me.



This Memorial Day was a great.



A little different, what with my new special friend following me around everywhere I went.



Hank brought something new to the Holiday.



Something that requires thermostat-watching and basting- on-the-hour.



The making of MAN FOOD.
(which is very delicious and wife approved)



It makes boys (who are MEN-to-be) smile...



On this glorious Memorial Day – there was the making of music. Or rather, the attempt to make music.



And finally, what we waited for all day,



Hank's very first slow smoked ribs!
They were delish.



Did I mention there was Watermelon?



In all its drippy goodness.

Im a little scared....

The Chiropractor seems to be helping – I have been twice and he has gotten me into a state of upright walking, un assisted for twice the periods I was getting on my own and sometimes longer.

Today though, I guess I was feeling frisky.

I’m not supposed to pick up ANYTHING or really do ANYTHING strenuous of any kind.

Hank and I went to Lowes and against Hanks imploring, I moved around some plants and then lugged around a water jug to feed my flowers when I got home.

It just felt so good to be doing something!

Needless to say, about 30 minutes later, I was hunched over, unable to even walk up on step into the house and in terrible pain.

Now, I’m using a walker to get around and Hank has had to force me not to try and do house work.

I’m not doing so well at taking it easy.

This is so disheartening.

I can’t believe what has happened to me and I have this sinking fear that I’m going to spend the rest of my life this way.

After all my hard work, getting my body into the physical shape I’ve always wanted.

I just can’t imagine that it could end like this.

I’ve been praying all the time, pleading with God to help me.

I would be a liar if I said that I am not scared.

I am.

This is one of the most frightening things that I have ever faced.

Sometimes, I go to get up and I feel like I can’t – I wonder what I would do if one day, I just couldn’t.

It terrifies me.

I feel like I have no control over it.

I guess I don’t.

Ah well.

So I guess for now, I will be going to the movies with my two favorite guys, sportin a walker and a mean right leg limp.

Sweet.

I think Hank deserves a refund!

Well,

I caught my husband down at Wife-O-Depot last week.

He was at the customer service counter arguing with one of the reps about my 1-Year warranty.

Apparently there’s some ‘clauses’ and he’s stuck with me.

Ha!

No……

He wasn’t really.

He called them on the phone.

Haha!

I’m actually the one who always insists he needs a trade in….

Case in Point,

It turns out there may be something wrong with my back now.

I just turned twenty-freakin-seven!!!!!

I have been debilitated to a state of mess, pulling myself up from sitting positions with my arms, unable to use my back at all most of the time.

Hubby Hubster and I figured that it might be worse than we thought when I went to see my doctor and they gave me a high dose pain med and months of refills with all the well wishes in the world.

This has been going on for 3 weeks (since my race)

I should be finding out what its all about soon.

I’m going to a Chiropractor this afternoon and I am just praying that they can do something for me to fix whatever is going on.

I just want to be ok.

I’m not even kidding or joking at all.

I wish to God I would stop getting sick in some way shape or form.

I’m so sick of Doctors and medicines and treatments and being scanned and lasered and poked and prodded and…..and……

I feel so guilty for even thinking that, because it could be so much worse.

I could have cancer, or be paralyzed.

I feel like a selfish brat every time I say stuff like that.

(sigh)

I am a brat sometimes.

It was easier to control when I had nothing to lose.

Still, I am tired of having these things happen to me.

All I want to do is run and be active and just BE.

Now that I finally can…..

Oh, and its 2:30

almost time to get eBert from school.

-M