HAIL TO THE QUEEN

Forget that the Royal Wedding is later this week (it is Friday, right?!), I’m singing “Hail to the Queen” in my own way.  Check it out!

North Texas, bless its heart, finally got a teasing rain this evening. Most people in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex experienced heavier rain and thunderstorms, but here at our humble abode we collected about a half-inch of rain and a good sprinkling of marble-size to ping-pong-ball-sized hail. Luckily, no damage. Plus, I honestly didn’t care what was busted or broken or crushed because I desperately wanted rain. I swear the grass turned three shades greener in a matter of minutes. It was thirsty.

I’ll take the half-inch and be grateful. Kevin says he’s never seen this much hail. I like celebrating these little “firsts” with him, he’s such a cutie-patootie. In 2009, Kevin had his first White Christmas. It was the coolest thing. Ever.

Hail Storm - April 19, 2011

I have a question for you:

Who spends more than $50.00 at Hallmark on birthday and Mother’s Day cards?

Me. That’s who. $57.21 to be exact.

I think my Mom, grandmothers, and other lovely ladies who are also mama’s, will be pleased with the cards (yes, plural – I send multiple cards to individuals!) I send with love. I’m a stickler for cards. I probably own half of the company’s stock and the royalty checks have gotten lost in the mail. That’s got to be the problem. I should have my people call their people and get this whole thing figured out. I might have a trust in place – with lots of zeros on the account balance – waiting for me. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Another lovely thing is this gift I bought myself: it’s purdy. (That’s country slang for pretty, in case you didn’t know.) I was inspired by my friend and fellow-blogger, The Coastal Chicster. Miss Lisa went on an incredible Caribbean vacation in February and bought herself a fabulous piece of jewelry…click here to see her beauty. 

My gift to me, myself and I isn’t as fabulous as hers, but it’ll do in a pinch. I’m a real pinch though: it’s called being REALLY allergic to my wedding band. Yeah, that sucks BIG time. I’ve got to get it reset in platinum this summer. I’m severely allergic to the nickel elements in the white gold of my ring. It sucks. But here’s something else to add to my to-do list. The last time I wore my ring, I thought my finger would fall off after just 20 minutes. I spent the rest of the day with the symbol of my love and committment to my husband in the pocket of my pants. That was nerve-wrecking. I still have the scar from that nervous day in January. It’s like a severe burn on my ring finger. Ouch.

A Gift for Me, Myself and I

Whatcha think?

I think my nails need a manicure. Bad.

Celebrating our wedded bliss

Nicole & Kevin - March 31, 2007

This week, Thursday to be exact, Kevin and I will celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. We’ve been together eight years, but it seems much longer. We met in a Yahoo! Chat room, long before online matchmaking became popular. Most were skeptical and said we were crazy, but I credit our strong Christian beliefs, similar core values, and honest communication to the success of our relationship. Kevin and I based our long-distance relationship on honesty, trustworthiness, and hope in the future – our future. We were committed to one another from the beginning; we endured the hardships of being apart while being patient with God’s plan in our lives.

Courtesy of The Journal-Enterprise (May 15, 2002)

When we met in June 2003, I was in Kentucky preparing for collegiate golf at Bellarmine University in Louisville. Kevin was an IT supervisor in Dallas, Texas. In 2004, I earned an athletic scholarship to Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. God was making a way for this relationship. A year later, in 2005, I was accepted at Texas A&M University in Commerce, located 30 minutes from Kevin and his family. It was divine intervention.

Courtesy of Chris Owens Photography - Fort Worth, Texas (March 2007)

Today, Kevin and I are living a blessed life near Fort Worth, Texas. He is still in IT and I’m a middle school social studies teacher. Kevin enjoys team roping and I am active at church and enjoy reading, cooking, and blogging. If the weather’s nice, you’ll find us on the front porch with a pitcher of sweet tea or in the pasture with our golf clubs. Occasionally, we’ll challenge each other in a game of “the closest one to the water trough wins.” I usually win.

Kevin makes me laugh every single day; he is my best friend and partner for life. I am forever grateful that KyGolfGirl met TxTeamRoper and married March 31, 2007. God is so good.

Finger-Lickin’ Goodness (Papaw George’s Slopping BBQ Chicken Recipe)

Until I was six years old, I was the only grandchild on my Mom’s side. Still, I am the only granddaughter on both sides. Needless to say, I’m a tiiiiiny bit spoiled. (If you’re just visiting, I’m glad you know this about me and I hope will come again. Please invite your friends! For the rest of you, just roll your eyes and continue reading. Thanks!)

Me & Papaw George April '92 This photo was taken when he received a "Lifetime of Service" award from the American Trucking Association; he died three months later, in July.

My mother’s father died when I was 8 years old, but I have fond memories of my Papaw George. He had a big belly, wore polyester pants and shiny leather boots, drank Bourbon, owned a truck and tire company, enjoyed house-boating, and loved hosting backyard get-togethers with friends and family. My favorite Papaw George recipe is BBQ chicken. I always called this “sloppy chicken” because it was so messy and you weren’t eating it correctly if you didn’t have sauce all over your face, hands, and clothing. But “eternity chicken” could be appropriate, because when you’re hungry it seems like the chicken takes FOREVER to cook!

Papaw always used a charcoal grill and cut-up whole chickens – one reason it took forever to cook on a charcoal grill. Today, I used leg quarters (leg and thigh attached) and cooked the chicken on the grill as well as the oven.  There really is no official recipe with exact measurements or ingredients, but here’s my best attempt  on a family favorite. Note: I used Smart Balance butter (it’s milk-free) and Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory and Brown Sugar barbecue sauce – you use whatever you prefer!

1. Preheat oven to 400° and preheat gas grill to medium-high heat.
2. Add three tablespoons of butter to a large baking dish. Coat the bottom of the dish with your favorite barbecue sauce, approximately one cup. Place baking dish in the preheating oven. The butter will melt as the oven heats, stir at least once.
3. Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika (for color) and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Place chicken, skin side down, on grill. Sear 2-3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to burn the chicken and beware of flare-ups.
5. Remove chicken from grill and transfer to baking dish; cover with foil. Decrease oven to 350° and bake 60 minutes. When 15 minutes remain, uncover dish. I like to turn the chicken at least twice as it bakes, spooning the sauce over all pieces.

Look at those grill marks, I'm the next Bobby Flay!!!

Don’t know about you, but this chicken looks finger-licking good!!!

Hope everybody’s having a great weekend. I have successfully wasted a beautiful and sunny day by staying inside and completing  a month’s worth of lesson plans, laundry, and tweaking Papaw George’s “slopping” chicken recipe. Oh well.

Hugs,

🙂

ROT*10 and MOONSHINE

OK, so let me explain this title. Finally, after years of pondering, Husband and I, we think, have created the perfect nickname for me: ROT-10. (Instead of rotten, it’s rot and the number ten. Get it? Yeah? Not really? Whatever. Moving on.) I admit my spoiled-ness, but Kevin is always sure to extenuate the rotten part. He even suggested a personalized license plate for my car. I’m cool with that. (Hey, don’t nobody steal my idea, ya hear?) So, to prove I deserve this nickname, I will explain what I did today.

I woke up this morning with a delightful lover’s glow (I’ve been gone a week, don’t hate) and appointments at two salons: JKS and Deluxe Nail Spa. It’s been six-months-plus since I had had a haircut or brow wax (thank you, Shandee, for trimming my dreadful-and-curly locks from their frizzy hell and my eyebrows, oh my, bless your heart for saving that mess!). To me, a haircut and brow wax is enough pampering for one’s mental health but Husband (that’s what I call him in the privacy of our home, so why change it on the World Wide Web?) encouraged me to “get extra did” at the say-lon (his words, not mine). So, feeling much obliged, and with his credit card, I did. I made an appointment at Deluxe Nail Spa and told the lady I wanted the works, whatever that means. (I honestly do not remember the last time I had a manicure; I believe it was the day before our wedding: March 31, 2007). I was looking forward to the mega-massage chairs this place offers. You can see the extra-large chairs as you drive by, they are THAT big. Turn that puppy on and let me be. Sweet. Bliss.

I’ll be honest…I’m as lost as an Easter egg when it comes to being inside a nail salon. I don’t know the difference between acrylic or acetone (that’s a lie, but it sounds good). However, I know what a French manicure is and I like them. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to nails, nothing crazy or fancy, just simple. And, for goodness sakes, the length of the nail is very important. I’m pretty sure I would be capable of bruising myself in a padded room, but I could cause serious bodily harm with long, sharp nails.

The very nice lady at the front desk tried to explain to me all the options and differences – she had a thick accent that was hard to understand – but it all sounded Greek to me. When she had that expression on her face that said, “So, what’s your choice, Sucker?” I replied with my Polly-Anna smile, “Whatever you suggest!” She smiled with glee and I happily followed her to one of those ginormous massage chairs. She was happy with a juvenile (a.k.a. sucker!) customer and I was happy with my throne that wiggled and giggled my back, neck, and shoulders. 

I was just getting my fat rolls situated when a lady parked her petite self in front of my feet. WHOA! Let me set the record straight here: I am VERY ticklish. I’m also apprehensive because I have callused feet. I played competitive golf for 14 years…walking 36 holes a day in golf shoes in not pedicure-friendly. I was also the child that refused to wear shoes. I remember my Mom fussing at me in church one Sunday because I had somehow left our house without shoes. And, I digress.

While Little Miss was rubbing my feet with gritty-lotion and using a saw-like motion with a tool that looked like a citrus zester, a young man with a tray of nail tips grabbed my hands. EASY THERE, BUDDY! I asked for an explanation and he replied, “You order solar nails, best option for you!” Oh gawd, what have I gotten myself into?! What are solar nails? There’s no time for details because Nail Guy is already glueing three-inch-long tips to my nails. LORD HAVE MERCY! I asked, “umm, are you gonna trim these?” He laughs and says I sound like a gitty teenage girl. He also asked if this is my first time, I hesitantly reply, “yes.” MAMA! Thus, Little Miss continued to scrub my feet (poor thing, I can’t imagine the torture) and Nail Guy kept with his talon-sculpting. Seriously, do humans really wear nails that long?!

I tried to enjoy the massage and pampering, but to be honest, I was too freaked out by the tedious process of solar nail application. Nail Guy dipped a brush into a clear solution, pink powder, then white powder and all I could think was, “oh my, I look like a bad girl.” Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse he got out this drill looking thing and dusted me with nail powder. Ewww.

I think my toes look good, see?

Nail color is OPI Cajun Shrimp

But I’m not so sure about my finger nails. I think they are too short with too much white tip. What do you think?

Husband says he likes my nails and says I should go once a month for a mani/pedi…I like how this man thinks! I’m definitely interested in his sweet offer. In fact, I did some researchin’ this afternoon and found what I think is the length I want to try next…with smaller white tips:

Photo courtesy of nailsartphotos.com

Have you seen the moon tonight? It’s a SUPER moon – whatever that means. I tried to take a couple of pictures, but it’s really windy out tonight and the gas trucks are at the rig behind our house so the extra light is distracting as well. It’s a natural phenomena that hasn’t happened in 20-plus years and won’t happen again for just as long.

So,  there you have it. My “rot-10” nickname and the super-shining moon. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, I plan to. I have thoroughly enjoyed my spring break but, to be frank, I’m not looking forward to Monday. I’m as bad as the students wishing and hoping for summer to arrive.

Signing off,

Rot-10 🙂