On top of Spaghetti

My birthday was a week ago and I learned from TJ this year that it is still your birthday until you have cake. Not wanting to go out and buy my own birthday cake, I just forgot about it. I am getting too old to have a birthday cake anyway, right? Wrong
Sunday afternoon we go to mom & dad's to visit and eat lunch. I am NOT to get into the fridge. Mom & Dad are up to something. Planning to cook chili for lunch Mom began the process, I informed her that we had chili the night before can we have (my personal favorite) spaghetti? Laughing at my suggestion, she said that was a great idea. Weird. As we sit to eat my personal favorite meal, "don't eat too much SPAGHETTI! Save room for dessert." At a point you just let the weirdness continue, you will find out soon enought. After we had all cleaned our plates, Mom brought out dessert.

More Spaghetti!

Me at 34 years old! Still getting birthday cakes. My new thing, no matter what, get a birthday cake. No one knows you better than Mom! Thank you for the Coolest Cake Ever! Thank you for the time and effort. thank you for loving me this much. I love it.

Barb

5k Fun Run

This past weekend was the Covered Bridge 5K. Jay did the 5k while Grace, TJ & Juju all did the 1 mile fun run. I was behind the scenes helping out.

Pre-Race Photo

Grace trying to catch up with her Daddy as she crosses the Finish Line.

And not to far behind Juju and TJ approach.

We saw bunches of friends and hugged bunches of necks. We miss our Oneonta Friends. This was a fun morning for all of us. Hoping it will help get us in training mode for the 1/2 marathon in February. Thanks Pops for taking pics.

Barb

Red Ribbon

Today was a big day for the Head of the Sanders' household. B&G Equipment & Supply is now offically open for business. Today was the Grand Opening of the Huntsville location. It was the day Jay has been preparing for. CEO, Regional, District and local Brasfield & Gorrie personal and also the Mayor of Madison and Chamber of Commerce members were in attendance. Jay gave a great wecome /thank you speech before the ceremony. He got to use the giant sissors to cut the ribbon. It was a monumental day for him. A true stepping stone in his career.

Everyone was very attentive, except the only 5 year old in attendance. This is TJ doing circles around the post hole digger during the speeches.

Cotton Pickin' Cotton

Here is #85 on the Master list. I have had the opportunity to do this one, but a dare devil I am not. So today I stopped and asked the people harvesting the cotton on the other side of the road if I could have some of the remains of the harvest. When we first moved to Madison, the cotton was still green. Only in the last month has is turned fields to snow white landscapes. It is Beautiful. So as I am out pickin' cotton, all I can think of is my grandparents telling stories of pickin' cotton. Aching backs, because that stuff is only knee high. Scratches all over because while the cotton is as soft as, well cotton, the cotton plant are tough bushes and the pods are very sharp. I am now thankful for giant harvesters (Frank on Cars) and machines that do the job for the cotton farmers. It is a beautiful thing and I am so glad to have experienced pickin' cotton.

Morning After

Time to get started on this list. I have much to do in the next 365 days and I plan to get it done. So many times there are lists made and to-do lists that don't get done. Last year it was a triathlon, actually 3 of them, I did zero. I don't like the way it feels to not accomplish a goal. The master list may be a little excessive, but I have a lot I want to do. Today-#84 Pick Apples at Isom's Apple Orchard.

Barb

MaMaw Woods' Cinnamon Rolls

MaMaw Woods moved to heaven about 15 years ago. There are many things I remember about her, and this was not one of them. Mom made these cinnamon rolls when I was little and and said it was Mamaw's recipe. It was one of those wonderful recipes that was not written anywhere and you just had to do it by feel and how it looked. After many test batches, I have gotten to the point I do not have to look at the recipe, but poor Jay had to endure the "not sweet enough' batches and the "overcooked, dryed out" batches. (Sorry Honey) Now I have it and it is published. Enjoy these gooey, hot, sweet morsels of cinnamon and sugar. If you are questioning the amount of sugar, add more, it can't hurt. This are great on a cold morning or when you get up before everyone else and want to wake them up to the smell of cinnamon all through the house. Thank you MaMaw for the goodness. Thank you Mom for showing me how.

MaMaw Woods’ Cinnamon Rolls
2 ¼ cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter or margarine
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Milk to pour over rolls (2-3 cups)
1 cup Confectioners’ sugar
Milk (approx 2 tablespoons)

• Heat oven to 350*
• Mix Bisquick and milk to form biscuit dough. (any biscuit mix will work here, just mix according to directions)
• Roll dough out to a 1/8” thick rectangle
• Pour melted butter over the entire rectangle-to the edges.
• Mix sugar & cinnamon and sprinkle over melted butter
• Start on long side of rectangle and roll into a log
• Cut log into 1 1/2” pieces
• Place pieces cut side up in a 4” cast iron Dutch oven, leaving space between each roll.
• Pour about 2 cups of milk over rolls, completely covering rolls, but not so much they start floating.
• Place Dutch oven on a cookie sheet (rolls sometimes boil over and it makes it easier to get out of oven) and place in oven for 45 minutes or until all the milk has been absorbed and rolls firm.
• Mix confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk to make icing to pour over rolls after baking. Be sure to mix until lumps are gone.

Note: This recipe makes about 10 rolls.

My Master List

Thirty four is just around the corner. One week to be exact and I look back at the previous year and ask myself “what have I accomplished?” What have I done to make a difference in the world? Whose life is better because of something I have done? I want to be in a place a year from now not asking myself these questions. I have made a Master List of things I want to do before I turn thirty five. Some things are as simple as picking apples; others are going to require much more dedication and time, growing my relationship with God. I am a Christian, a wife, a mother, daughter, niece, grand-daughter, friend, and a daughter-in-law. I want to be a better Christian, a better, wife, a better mother, etc… Through this, I need support, guidance and motivation. Join me and help walk me through my 1 year Master to do list.

1. Grow my relationship with God
2. Pray more
3. Read a good book
4. Get the important stuff on a hard drive
5. Make a budget and stick to it
6. Keep track of purchases
7. Open a savings account
8. Have a girl’s night out with Grace monthly
9. Have “Date Night” with TJ monthly
10. do something romantic with Jay monthly
11. Make something I love
12. Do something really sweet for Jay
13. Blog Daily
14. Refinish my Huffy
15. Refinish my Free Spirit
16. Plant a veggie garden
17. Send someone flowers
18. Send Christmas card this year-a lot of them with a corny family picture
19. Take my mother to lunch
20. Get body fat % down
21. Get weight down
22. Exercise Daily
23. Run a ½ marathon
24. Do a 5k mud race
25. Do a full marathon
26. Do a sprint triathlon
27. Learn a dance
28. Do an overnight hike
29. Go Scuba Diving
30. Get a passport
31. Take a road trip
32. Water ski
33. Build a great snowman
34. Go to Mardi Gras
35. Drink wine and watch a sunset
36. watch my kids play
37. Build a great sandcastle
38. Buy a good book
39. Go to a concert
40. Go to a festival
41. Go to the flea market
42. Go to Chattanooga Open Air Market
43. See a play
44. Donate time
45. Donate $$$
46. Donate $5 to my new savings account for
everything not complete by the time I am 35
47. Teach someone something
48. Knit a scarf
49. Knit socks
50. Be done Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving
51. Swim with dolphins
52. Teach TJ how to ride his bike
53. Learn to be more care free
54. Learn to love myself
55. Learn something from my dad
56. Learn something from my mom
57. Learn something from my kids
58. Be silly
59. Laugh hard
60. Enjoy my hammock
61. Hand write a note to someone
62. Play a fun game
63. Make dinner for someone
64. Have a football party
65. Make Christmas ornaments
66. Vote
67. Beach Trip
68. Weekend alone
69. Make a new friend
70. Teach Grace respect
71. Teach TJ respect
72. Go to a zoo
73. Drink coffee and watch the sunrise
74. Go horseback riding
75. Go fishing-clean and eat what I catch
76. Get a grip on couponing
77. Enjoy TJ before he starts school
78. Meet someone famous
79. Sleep for 12 hours
80. Have hot chocolate by the fire
81. Make snow cream
82. Make fresh lemonade
83. Pick strawberries
84. Pick apples
85. Pick cotton
86. Read chronicles of Narnia to the kids
87. See a Braves game
88. Watch a really good movie
89. Finish something
90. Embrace 34
91. Write Grace a letter about growing up and give it to her later
92. Write TJ a letter about growing up and give it to him later
93. make a big deal out of each holiday
94. Find out what I am proud of
95. Fix something
96. Ask questions
97. Make a big deal out of my 35th birthday
98. Do something I used to love
99. Make myself something
100. Rock climbing
101. Reconnect with old friends
102. Make a 5 year plan
103. Make a 10 year plan
104. Make a bucket list