Turn the oven on and ~ Smell

Monday Tuesday Thursday Wednesday... Friday Saturday Sunday.  The Godfather. 

 Sorry temporary movie moment

Anyway back to what I started to tell you; before the mixed up days of the weeks entered my head that is. 

While we received plenty of rain this weekend, I pulled out the backing pans.  Well, not only did I bake but we also cooked this super duperly wonderful chicken and outstanding mushroom lunch sandwich  

Is Duperly a word? 

All I can tell you is.   Well, let the Icing do the talking...

See?  Can you feel the water building in your mouth?  Nope?  Let me help you with that...

I would invite you over; but we have snacked on them so much; that I am pretty sure there might be only crumbs left.  Sorry next time, alright?

For lunch, my sister and I made these...

Washed and added EVOO to the underside of the Portabella Mushrooms then placed each one on the George Foreman grill until they were just right.  Added Swiss Cheese to them while they were hot, put a special sauce on the Kaiser rolls; and enjoyed each and every bite.

For dinner.. Here take a look.

Can you say... YUMMY!

First I squeezed the lemon all over the chicken, and then, carefully, used a knife to scrape the pulp over each chicken quarter. 

Then I poured the whole bottle of the Ken's Marinade over the chicken.  Let the chicken sit in the marinade for a while.  I started in the morning, got busy re potting plants; put the chicken and the marinade in a zip lock baggie and cooked it the next day. 

Small problem called ~ Side Tracking.  I'm working on that.

So, the next day I put the chicken back in my glass baking pan and baked it in the oven for about 2 hours on 250 degrees.  Slow cooking is so so sooo good.

What started out as a hopefully delightful Sunday night dinner; turned into a simply delectable Monday night dinner.

Hope your weekend was just as tasty!!

Doggy Play...

While My Sweety and his brother George worked on the Cobra, our four legged friends visited with family.

You already know My Sweety.  Well the guys hanging half in the car and half out, is George.  A brothers bond is a pretty strong bond.  I like George.  I think a lot of him, and I really like over cooking and sending some to Georges place.  Today however, I made him eat here; at our house.  The dog behind my Sweety, is Logan.  He is one of George pride and joy.

While the brothers worked on back up lights and tail lights; 6 dogs engaged in fun family time.

Tesla and Buddy

Logan, Thorn, Mattie, and Buddy in the pool

Thorn

Thorn doesn't like to share his pool, come to think of it; he doesn't like to share anything.  I think it is the ADHD in him.

Mattie

Now, Ole Girl Mattie wasn't into the whole pool idea.  She would rather have Paul mist her with the water hose, nothing but the best for Ole Girl Mattie.

Buddy, Logan, and Mattie

Oddly enough, Logan would only put his feet into the pool.  So the mist soaking caught on pretty quick with Logan.

Silly Sweety and Mattie

My Sweety thought if he got down on the same level as Mattie and showed her getting into the pool was fun, she would get into the pool. 

It didn't happen.  Mattie was perfectly fine laying next to the pool in the cool mud and getting a Mist Spray bath. 

But it was sure cute seeing my sweety try.

Mattie, Thorn, Buddy

When all the running, swimming, and misting was through; George feed each dog bone treats.  As you can clearly see, Thorn had more than his fair share.  Again, a sharing problem.

Logan, Buddy, Mattie, Thorn, and Tesla

Tesla was smart about his bone treats; he moved away from Thorn to eat them. 

It was an eventful reunion for all 6 dogs.  Oh, Bandit came out to visit only a time or two and Cassie? Well Thorn isn't to happy about sharing her either.  So she retired to the house for a while and came out when all the dogs were in relax mode.

Maybe on the next visit, we can have all Seven dogs running the yard at the same time. 

Before the Rain...

Today after my sister and I cleaned the outside of the house.  Yeah, we scrubbed the front of the house with soap, bleach, and a long handled brush.  We even bleached the front steps and whitened the steps.  It looks super good.

Here take a look...

OK this isn't the house, but wasn't the sky so pretty today?  Back to the house...

Awe Saturday...

Seeing how I do not live close to my grand children; I count on the photos my children and children in laws send to me.  

I LOOK for them.

I NEED them.

I CRAVE them.

I have to share them with you...

Laughing Sisters

Super Duper Friday...

  Fridays are the greatest day of the week.  For those that are calling a busy week to an end, you are most likely looking for a relaxing weekend involving family time, maybe a BBQ with friends, or catching up on yard work before the rain hits.

  For those that are starting their week on Fridays, you already know your weekend will possibly be filled with demo jobs,  traveling to a business location and from another one.  No matter how you look at it, I still think Fridays are the best day of the week.  For me, it is neither the end of a work week or the beginning of a work week.  I work all 7 days; weather permitting.

  My Friday this week?  Well I would just like to show it to you in pictures.  Ready?

The morning was beautiful

Phase One... First Seating Area of the porch gets a face lift.

Phase Two... Painting the Second Sitting Area.

Second Seating Area.  Looking wonderful already.

Entrance to the back porch and First Seating Area.  Looking good.

Taping off to add our Chocolate Brown.  YAY!

Before...

After.

All Dry.  Removing the painters tape.

Chocolate Brown Trim.  Yummy!

Another thing off ~  The Home Project List.

Perfect end to a long hot sunburn day..

  Hope you were able to scratch something off of your To Do List, Friday.  Late last night, My Dear Sweet Love; added something to ours...

  See that make shift half door in the picture, the one to the right?  Well that area is the "tool work area".  My Love wants to remove the wood closing in his 'tool area' and screen it in so it matches the rest of the porch.  Love the idea.  Hate that the tools will be exposed to everyone out side of the porch area.  So now to come up with a crafty idea that will allow the area to be screened and, protect the items from larking eyes.

Have a Super Duper Weekend....

Lights. Camera. Foggy Thingy.

  Yay!!! We have Chocolate Brown!!!!  I have waited for this; for such a long time.  I can not stress how long I have wanted my porch complete.  It still has some rocky spots, but things are really looking good.  This past week, we added Chocolate Brown Paint. 

  Look over the red laundry basket.  OH, and the blue painters tape.  Picture the table cleared off beautifully, and sitting on one of the rockers enjoying a cool Fall day.  See it?  Yeah.  Me too.

  I hadn't put the rocking chair back in its place, so forgive the odd seating arrangement.  And, again picture the table clutter free.  It will get there one day.

  We not only add Chocolate to the beams HMM makes me want a fun size snickers, hold on a second.

Back to what I was saying.

  My sweety hung up my yard sale lights.  Remember the ones I picked up for $5.00 each.  Well they now hang in my home, quite perfectly if you ask me.

  Now here is where things get pretty interesting.  During our painting, the electrical panic attack I was having while my sweety hung the lights, the moving patio furniture, and snapping pictures; everything looked fine.  It is hard to explain, so let me show you this one photo...

  Everything looks like it should in this picture right?  Well, everything looked fine to us as we were painting too.  Now let me point out to you what the camera caught.  See the screen to the left of my sister?  How it seems to be foggy?  While I was taking the photo, I didn't see anything.

Look at this...

Removing the old light

Wiring the new used light.  Hmm.. Hello.

Attaching the new used light.  Remember there is no power to the kitchen dining room yet.

Foggy thingy all gone.  Light all connected and power back on.  Let there be light.

  Is it possible the camera had a moment?  Sure it is.  Is it possible the operator had a snapping clicking moment?  Sure it is.  Is it possible there is a foggy thingy hanging around our house?  Well.  Anything is possible.

Do you remember?

  It's funny how the mind works, isn't it?  How the Demons we bury deep inside, surface when we least expect, or right on clue.  Ask me what I ate for lunch yesterday, and I will tell you my sister, my mother, and I ate at Burger King in Brandon.  Ask me what I might had for breakfast, lunch, or dinner a month ago; and I can't place a single meal on any one of the days during the month of August.

  Now ask me where I was September 11, 2001 ~ and the mind will bring it all forward as if sitting in a movie theater; and I can tell you plenty.   11 Years ago today, and the demons are as fresh as there were that day.

  I was living in the same apartment as I was 2 years ago.  Crestridge Apartments in Hillsboro Texas.  My apartment was one building back from I.H. 35, where from my front balcony I could see the traffic driving both North and South bound.  Good Morning America was on the T.V. and I was getting ready to go into work.  It was grocery ordering day at Exxon Tiger Mart, and I had just put my red vest on and was watching the news while sipping my coffee.  I didn't have to be at work and any specific time, so I was in no rush at all.  Michael Ramey, the man I was dating at the time, had just finishing dressing; he had an interview with the local Walmart.  I just set his coffee cup down on the bathroom counter and walked in the living room when I heard Dianne Sawyer say there was an explosion at one of the Twin Towers.  The news station was waiting on conformation, when right there live on the air; the second plane flew in the Second Twin Tower.

  I dialed my mother.  Both my uncle and aunt, long with other family members live in New York.  Where were they?  Had anyone Talked to Uncle Billy?  Have we heard from the rest of the family?

  Even sitting here typing and reliving these feelings, there is a lump that wont go down.  A sinking sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.  You know the one that tells you something is very wrong; but you can't quite put your finger on it?  It started yesterday Sept 10, 2012 and hasn't left yet.

  I drove to the Exxon and Military traffic began to pour through I.H. 35.  Military Choppers landed at the small Hillsboro airport.  Soldiers collected cups of coffee at our Exxon brew station as the travels of customers stop and clap the soldiers who are either answering a call or reporting to station as they wait for their next step.  We all stood in silence watching the report of the Pentagon being struck by a plane as well.  Customers were shocked.  People wanted to watch the news and rush home to their families at the same time.   Cell phones were ringing for some, while others couldn't get through to their family members.  I tried my cell phone, and was able to talk to my mother again.  My Uncle and Aunt were safe.  People were sharing their cell phones in hopes to calm the worry of those who did not have cell phones.  The knot in my stomach tightened, and I remember running to the bathroom and being sick.

  What was once apart of me and every New Yorker; was now on fire.  The buildings I thought could never be harmed, never waver, never be touched.  The buildings that were the heart of New York was falling to pieces; and lives were being taken down with it.  I will never forget the falling people, is haunts me.  Seeing them trapped and waving for help.   The dust that made all humans alike.  The look on the faces of New York Heroes.

  I hear screaming.  A screaming that is so close, so loud.  A customer touches me.  Jeremy is talking to me, but I can't here him.  Who is screaming like that? "OH MY GOD.  Help them!! Please Help Them!!!"

Than I realized.  It was me.  I was screaming.

  I wanted to just jump through the television and bring them all back with me.  Save them all.  Help where I could and take away the pain and the weight of the world off of each and every one of them.  My feet were planted; I couldn't take my eyes of of the television.  Couldn't peel myself away from the events as they were unfolding.  What was going on?  What was happening? 

  No one would have ever thought there would be an attack on American soil.  Why would anyone want to attack America?  These poor innocent people in the Twin Towers.   But had we all forgotten?

  February 26, 1993 ~ ring a bell?  On this date, 19 years ago, The World Trade Centers were under attack. 

The World Trade Center bombing occurred on February 26, 1993, when a truck bomb was detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York, NY. The 1,336 lb (606 kg) urea nitrate–hydrogen gas enhanced device^[1] was intended to knock the North Tower (Tower One) into the South Tower (Tower Two), bringing both towers down and killing thousands of people.^[2][3] It failed to do so, but did kill six people and injured more than a thousand.^[4] The attack was planned by a group of conspirators including Ramzi Yousef, Mahmud Abouhalima, Mohammad Salameh, Nidal A. Ayyad, Abdul Rahman Yasin and Ahmad Ajaj. They received financing from Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, Yousef's uncle. In March 1994, four men were convicted of carrying out the bombing: Abouhalima, Ajaj, Ayyad and Salameh. The charges included conspiracy, explosive destruction of property and interstate transportation of explosives. In November 1997, two more were convicted: Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind behind the bombings, and Eyad Ismoil, who drove the truck carrying the bomb.
 

  6 Lives taken that day, thousands injured.  Not as big as the attacks in 2001 but, who can forget?  When the attack on 9 11 2001 happened, I remember saying to Michael "Again?" as tears ran down my face. 

  From what was started on February 26, 1993 {8 years 6 months and 15 days later} Al-Qaeda finished, on that horrifying September 11, 2001 day.  Destruction, panic, worry, and death of innocent people.




1993 World Trade Center Bombing

1993 Firefighter rescue in the World Trade Center Attack

2001 Firefighter rescue in the World Trade Center Attack

 September 11, 2001 Times Magazine

 February 26, 1993 Times Magazine



Note left from a Port Authority worker to his family in the 1993 Attacks ~ He lived.

A note felt from a worker on the 84t floor in the 2001 attacks. ~ This man, did not make it.

  Through both tragic events, we picked ourselves back up.  People from all over prayed and offered assistance.   We all United.  Race.  Color.  Religion.  Sex.  Was of no issue.  Giving of ourselves and where help was needed, was the only thing we each saw. 

  The memory of the attacks on February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001 will live inside each and every person for a very long time.  We didn't forget, simply learn to live with the pain and fear of those days.  Burying the demons of those days deep inside of us, while moving forward in the memory of our loved ones, our friends, our coworker.  Honoring them.  Taking them along with us in everything we do. 

The days begin, the night ends, and tomorrow bring on another step forward. 

The one thing we need never forget is...

Together We Are Strong.