Canning and Stuff……….

 

Well how have ya’all been?  I’ve been super busy…….yeah right? :0)  I have been working in veggies.  My brother has a big garden (bless his soul) so I always reap some of the benefits.  I went over Saturday and got green beans and tomatoes.  I ended up putting 11 quarts of green beans in the freezer and last night I made homemade marinara sauce, 5 pints and 2 quarts.  I don’t know about you guys but I hate working with tomatoes, I always have them from head to toe and all over my kitchen.  I will be finding tomato seeds for weeks.  I had something really freaky happen though, to prepare my jars instead of boiling them a friend of mine told me several years ago that she always just puts them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.  I have used this method multiple times and never had a problem with them.  But last night was a different story, I pulled them out of the oven and started to fill one of my jars and the whole bottom cracked and broke apart in pieces, marinara sauce going everywhere.  It also caused 2 other jars to bust on the bottom from running on the cookie sheet so I had to hurry and save 3 jars before the sauce got to them.  I don’t know what the heck happened but then I had to go find more jars and sterilize them.  I let the other jars cool down and finally got them all filled and they all sealed properly. Go figure!  At least I will have homemade marinara sauce for the winter.  Yumbo!

 

I am getting ready to take another mini vacay to Nashville with my bff M and 6 other friends.  We all try and get together a couple times of year.  One time we usually spend at M’s cabin and the the other time we try to go somewhere out of state.  Last year it was Put In Bay, Ohio and this year it is Nashville.  I’m super excited because I have never been to Nashville.  I’ve been through it but never stayed there and seen the sights.  And these girl’s are a riot, we always have sooooo much fun together.  No wander I am so broke all the time, I have been traveling a lot this year but I love it.  The kids may not like it when they don’t get anything for Christmas because their momma is so broke from vacationing all over the country but they will get over it…….maybe!?!

 

I will be sure and take lots of pics to share with you and I’m sure will have a funny story or 2 to tell.  Grand Ole Opry here I come……..!!

 

My trip to N’awlins!

Sorry for the long absence but I have been extra busy.  I’m back from my quick vacay to N’awlins with my bestie M.  We arrived on Friday and unpacked and headed out to see what the hype was all about.  First stop…..beignets and bloody mary’s, how’s that for a start to the Big Easy.  Beignets – awesome heaven in your mouth and bloody mary’s – awesome heaven in your mouth.  Then we ate the famous Muffuletta. There were 3 of us me, M, and M’s boss, that’s right the boss went with us but let me just say she is a hoot and pretty cool chick.  We just spent the day checking out the city, Bourbon Street, Canal Street, voodoo stores, lots and lots of alcoholic beverages and some awesome food. 

Saturday we took a tour on the bayou with Captain Tom at the Cajun Pride Swamp Tours.  It was an awesome trip if you ever get a chance to go to N’awlins, you need to take advantage of this tour if you like seeing alligators and learning history of the bayous. M was a chicken, she wouldn’t hold the alligator..lol

Sunday the conference started so I was left to fend for myself.  I grabbed my iPad, an adult beverage and put on my bathing suit and headed for the pool.  Aw….heaven right?  Well as soon as I got settled it started to sprinkle so basically I sat in the rain and read my book.  Then I had to pee really, really bad so I go back to the room, my key won’t work.  M is in the conference with the other key and I didn’t particularly want to go to the fancy lobby in my bathing suit to get it fixed.  So I headed back to the pool and waited for lunch time so I could get into the room.  All the time not knowing there was a bathroom around the corner from the pool…..go figure! I’m not always with it……….Naw? Are you kidding…….lol!  Sunday evening included a guided walking Ghost Tour, not scary but gained a lot of history of the town.   Before the ghost tour we ate at the famous Yo Mama’s and a couple of us even ordered their famous peanut butter hamburger, I tasted it and it was pretty darn good actually!

Monday was another day of reading by the pool except this time I made sure my key worked…..lol!

We flew home on Tuesday evening and fun was had by all.  They have the most awesome food I have ever ate.

And just a note, I survived the flight………obviously.   Yeah, I am scared to death of flying and have done it twice this year already,  whoo hoo I’m getting brave.

Here’s to N’awlins!!!

Let’s see….where to start….

Well my bestie M is going to New Orleans for a conference this weekend for 5 days and I had a prior obligation (which also included that I was broke) so I wasn’t going to get to go.  But as usual my prior obligation was compromised (and the bf coughed up the money for me to go……he’s nice like that! Love ya honey!)  So …..I’M GOING TO NEW ORLEANS and I am sooooo excited.  I have always wanted to go there and it is on my Bucket List……..can I get a Hell Yeah!?!  Also on my Bucket List is to be in all 50 states, I have been in 23 so far and this trip will add 2 more states to my list (Maryland because we switch planes there and Louisiana).  

I love when M has conferences because I get to go on great trips just by paying for my airfare and food……..Thanks bestie!  We went to San Francisco in April and I loved it and had a blast.  I got to see all kinds of sights because while she was in meetings I took a tour of the city and I also took a tour to Alcatraz which was just the most awesome thing. If you ever have a chance to go you will not regret it.  I am not a city girl and most of the time I hate the city….too many people but I fell in love with San Francisco.  One night we rented a convertible and drove to Sonoma to do wine tasting……magnificent! 

There is a funny story about the convertible.  There was 4 us of going and it was one of those little tiny convertibles.  Well M is almost 6 ft tall, not really but she is like 5′ 8″.  I didn’t want to sit in the back with one of the girls because I didn’t know her very well and even though she was an awesome person, she talked a lot and I mean a lot.  So I insisted on M riding in the back with me……by the time we got to Sonoma her knees were in her chest, her hips were numb and her feet were in my face.  Ahhh, what a good friend she is…….just so you know I let her ride up front on the way back.  I am nice like that….love you M.

I’m anxious to see what kind of trouble we can get into in New Orleans, we always have some kind of drama so it should be interesting. I’ll keep you posted.

Last night was not an awesome night in the redneck household. My son J was having one of his breakdowns. I am finally ready to accept the fact that he will be living with me and be supported by me for as long as I shall live….NOT!!!

How it went……

Where did you spend $22.95, that was $20 more than you were suppose to spend?

J – blank look on his face

J – well I needed this and that

I told you not to spend more than $20

J – blank look on his face

Can I have an answer please?

J – I just needed it and it’s your fault because you shouldnt have give me the chance to spend the extra $20.

Oh so now it’s my fault that you spent more than I told you to.  I see, I see how this works.  (I am the worst mother in the world who caters to his every need, did I mention he is 23 yo?)  I am the one that needs my arse kicked, over and over.

Then J calls his uncle my brother Bub and proceeds to dog me for over an hour while walking around the driveway with me sitting in the swing on the porch.

Hello son, I’m sitting right here.

Heelllooo…I’m sitting right here…..

Do you think I can’t hear you dogging me after you stole $20 from me. 

Are you kidding me?  I’m sitting right here.

I don’t know if any of you live with an addict but they are always feeling sorry for themselves and it is always somebody elses fault no matter what they do.  They are very manipulative and can turn on the charm, tears and puppy dog face at the drop of a hat.  The thing is after 3 years of it I have finally learned how he works and how not to fall into his traps, mostly.  Everybody in my family and circle of friends figured it out about 2 1/2 years ago, I’m a little slow.  As a mother it is the hardest thing in the world to turn your back on your child but there comes a time where it becomes a necessity for your own survival and state of mind.  Now that I am bucking on him and not giving in to his every whim, he is not handling it well.  I mean Mom has never turned on him, she has always been there.  Well there comes a time that I can’t be there anymore or I’m the one that is going to end up in a mental institution sitting in the corner of my room sucking on my thumb as I am rocking back and forth. Then where is he going to be? I can tell you, he is going to be ALONE!

I love my son more than life itself but I am not good for him.  Only problem is I am the only one in his life that will even speak to him.  It’s sad.

Once again didn’t mean to be a Debbie Downer but I had to get this off my chest and you good people get the good fortune of being my therapist.  But now I am off to N’awlins for a much-needed 5 day vacay to de-stress and come back like Superwomen……..haha!  Heated pool, a good book and bloody mary’s here I come…..Have a good week!