Friday's FIVE!

Margaritas in Chicago!

Betsy "Erckle"

Aunt B

Been in the dress up box at Grandma's

Kermit and Miss Piggy

Rock Stars!

Bruce and I enjoyed a day in Chicago with Betsy and Debbie yesterday. We had such a wonderful time - celebrating Betsy's (and Debbie's August) birthday...and wishing them a farewell before they head off for their Hawaiian commitment ceremony. We went to the Lincoln Park Zoo, enjoyed great Margaritas and dinner at a Mexican place and then packed up in a cab and enjoyed the view from the Sears Tower - we always have fun with Betsy and Debbie.

Betsy has been the life of the party since she was a child - she is natural born comedienne...

She has always had the ability to make all of us laugh... Betsy was born 26 years ago, on Oct. 31st at 9:33AM weighing in at 9# 9oz - with a head full of dark hair on her petite 19" frame...Betsy has brought joy to my life since the day she was born... I'm the luckiest mother in the world to have two wonderful daughters. In honor of Betsy's birthday - this weeks Friday FIVE! is a celebration of five things about Betsy that make me smile!

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1. When Betsy was about two years old, Katie was in preschool... Betsy and I would spend a few morning hours with Grandma Isabel and Grandpa Pete. Betsy loved her Grandpa Pete - and she would go back to the bathroom to 'shave' with him in the mornings. The look on her face and the determination in her walk walking back to the bathroom with Grandpa still makes me smile! She would proudly walk out with shaving cream on her nose ... knowing she would get a laugh from Mom and I. Her toddler and childhood antics were just a glimpse into the joy this child would bring to me...

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2. Betsy has always loved hats... When she was child - she always had some kind of hat on her head. A railroad hat, a baseball hat = you name it... she had a hat a on her head. She would wear the hat as part of her 'costume' - as a prop... or just to keep her long pony tail out of her eyes. She had a huge collection of hats and most childhood photos of Betsy are those with something on her head. I still laugh thinking about Betsy in all of her hats and head-dresses.

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3. Betsy has an incredible sense of rhythm...and she is a very physical comedienne. Her body movements - head movements and facial expressions are often enough to just send me over the edge. It doesn't matter if she is 'dropping it like it's hot'... or singing Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime" or... Barenaked Ladies "One Week"...I just start laughing. She is so funny - and she has so much rhythm and she moves her head and body with so much energy... that it usually has all of us laughing to the point of tears.

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4. Betsy loves movies - any movies...she always has. She knows the dialogue to many movies - line by line...and she can flip through a movie and edit the bloopers for all of us to see. Betsy has extremely high level perceptual skills and she has the ability to 'see' things most of us cannot - it always amazes me the detail she is able to percieve that most of us would never even recognize. Some of Betsy's favorites (that I remember)... are Fried Green Tomatoes, My Girl, Sandlot, Late for Dinner and many, many more. She has a collection of movies that rivals the local rental shop.

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5. Betsy has a compassionate heart - and a deep love for animals. She had so many little 'critters' in her room when she was growing up. She had siberian dwarf hamsters, fuzzy hamsters, guinea pigs and geckos. Our dogs were usually 'Betsy's' dogs... she was Prissy's forever companion... she loved her pets - but her ability to love isn't limited to animals. Betsy is warm and loving and has the ability to bring us all together. She and her sister have a very close - deep love for each other... and she is Aunt B to her nephews and I'm certain that Trevor will grow to love her as much as Tyler does. I'm so thankful for the love of both of my daughters...and for the love they have for each other... and the love they each have for our family and their partners.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETSY - I LOVE YOU!

Betsy's Birthday Week!

It's Betsy's Birthday week!!! This Friday - on October 31, my Betsy will be 26 years old! She was born on Halloween making it a pretty hectic fun filled day. It involved careful planning to get the trick or treating, the birthday presents, the cake and the favorite birthday dinner scheduled. Birthday dinner menus in our family traditionally involved the birthday persons favorite foods...and Betsy always chose her Mama's baked MACARONI AND CHEESE.

I would usually add Hamburgers and a vegetable to the menu... but I think Betsy would have been satisfied with just the Macaroni and Cheese! HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEK, BETSY!

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BETSY'S FAVORITE MACARONI AND CHEESE

3 C Milk

6 T Butter

6T Flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 and 1/2 Pound Velveeta Cheese, cubed

1 16oz pkg elbow Macaroni

6-8 slices dark toast

1/2 C melted butter

Prepare macaroni - undercooked, rinsed with cool water, drain thoroughly and set aside. Wisk flour with 2 C milk - Pour into large saucepan, add remaining milk, 6 T butter, salt and cheese cubes. Stir constantly over med heat until thickened and cheese is melted. Toss macaroni into cheese mixture. Pour into 9X13 baking pan. Cut toast into small squares and toss with 1/3 cup melted butter Top macaroni and cheese with butter toast cubes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

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MACARONI AND CHEESE -NEW VERSION

8 oz uncooked Elbow Macaroni

1/2 C Butter

1/3 C Flour

2 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp salt

5 C Milk

4 C (1 pound) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Optional - Buttered Bread Crumbs

Cook pasta according to directions. Preheat over to 375 degrees. In large saucepan, over med heat, melt butter, stir in flour, mustard and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Add 2C cheese, stir until melted. In larw bowl, combine sauce and cooked macaroni. Spoon into PAM sprayed 13X9 baking dish. Top with remaining 2 C cheese. Top with Buttered bread crumbs if desired.

Bake 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly - let stand 10 minutes before serving.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEBBIE ANN!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DEBBIE ANN!!!!

My daughter's partner - Debbie celebrates her birthday today ... I'm very, very excited that very soon Debbie will officially be my Daughter-in-law as Betsy and Debbie travel to Hawaii in November for a formal commitment to each other. I'm so thankful to have Debbie in our lives. There isn't anything in the world that makes a mother more happy than knowing that her children are happy...and I'm blessed to have such happy, peaceful adjusted children....

Happy Birthday Debbie - I love you!!!

Friday's FIVE!

Sunday was a wonderful day! Our youngest grandson, Trevor was baptized at First United Methodist Church in Marion, Indiana. It was a wonderful service - with a wonderful message delivered by Pastor Kaye Patton - Family surrounding Trevor at the alter included his Great Grandmother Isabel ... and his Great Grandparents, George and Dubie .... His GREAT Great Grandma, Mildred Myers, Trevors Grandfather, Steve and his partner, Kent... Trevors Paternal Grandparents, Mike and Michelle Morgan - His Paternal Great Aunt and Uncle ... and his MeMe and Grandpa Bruce and of course, his Mother and Dad and his brother Tyler! Following the service - we all gathered at a local restaurant for a Sunday dinner to celebrate the day!
Trevor was baptized at our family church where I was raised and baptized, the same church my mother was raised... and the same church Trevor's mother and Aunt Betsy were raised and the same church where his brother, Tyler was baptized. So in honor of his baptism - this Friday's FIVE! recognizes five significant events that have occurred at First United Methodist Church in Marion.

1. Our family has been a part of First United Methodist Church for five generations. My mother was confirmed as a member of the "First Methodist Church" in Marion in 1949 under the pastoral leadership of Dr. Benedict. My Mother and Dad were married at "First Methodist Church" May 5, 1951 by Dr. Graham.

2. Although Steve and I are no longer married... We are the parents of Katie and Betsy - and we are the reason our legacy continues in these beautiful grandchildren. Steve and I were married at First United Methodist Church in Marion on July 31, 1976.

3. Katherine Marie Fennimore was baptized in August, 1980 by Rev. Phil Stephens

4. Elizabeth Jean Fennimore was baptized in January, 1983 by Rev. David Byrum

5. Tyler was baptized at First United Methodist Church in 2000.

Friday's FIVE!

My son-in-law celebrates his magic birthday this week - Phil Morgan is 28 on the 28th of this month. In honor of the father of my grandsons... this week's Friday's FIVE! is a tribute to my son-in-law, Phil and five things that I appreciate about him....

1. Phil is a wonderful father to his two sons... I'm so proud of my grandsons and I will be proud of the men they become because of the father they have in their lives.... Phil spends time with his boys - when they visit us at the lake... Phil ALWAYS spends time with Tyler throwing a ball around in the front yard. I appreciate the time he gives to his boys, Tyler and Trevor!

2. Phil is a wonderful balance to Katie - she can talk (a lot)... and he lets her. He just smiles at her - and lets her talk (and talk)...

3, Phil loves his sister-in-law. Katie and Betsy are very close, and Phil has always appreciated that. He loves his little sister-in-law, Betsy and I love to watch them together.

4. Phil enjoys beer - and we like to drink beer with him. This Friday's FIVE! was almost a list of my favorite micro-brews as a tribute to Phil - but I wanted to say more about him than... Bells, Sierra Nevada, Pacifico etc. etc. etc.

4. Phil is just fun to be with - Bruce and I both enjoy his company... We enjoy having him around. We enjoy laughing with him.... and watching the wonderful father and husband he has become. He is helpful - and will assist with family projects (you should have seen him wrestle a 164# pig at our hog roast) - We enjoy him and are proud he is our son-in-law.

HAPPY 28TH BIRTHDAY, Phil!!!!

Friday's FIVE!

I have always considered myself lucky to share my life with my cousins... I have a total of seven cousins - 4 on my Dad's side of the family - Mark, Bob, Nancy and Amy.... and three on my Mother's side - Rex, Angie and Elizabeth. My cousin Angie and I are 18 months apart ...
(I need to make it very clear here that Angie is 18 months OLDER than I am).... and while I will forever tease her about being older than me... the age between us has never been significant. We have always been very, very close - and while time can pass without much contact - the love and bond we share is deep. I was thrilled to see her at our Luau this year... and was able to have a short visit with her this week. We have shared our deepest secrets... and our greatest fears... we have shared happy days - and we have shared days filled with sorrow. This Friday's FIVE! is a tribute to Angie just because I love her and I've enjoyed reconnecting with her this month!!! This Friday's FIVE! will highlight five of my best memories with my close cousin... my lifetime friend- Angie Alexander Moon

1. Chickens, Crayons & Tabasco Sauce - It must have been around Easter - because the Lumber Yard was having a promotion and giving away little chicks. The chicks were in a wooden bottle case- the kind glass soda pop used to come in... and each chick was in its own little space in the case. They were being safely stored in the shower at our house. Mom and Dad's house on 52nd street in Marion had a large shower - the depth of a regular bathtub with a large ledge to sit on. The chicks were in the case sitting on the ledge. Angie and I decided we needed to 'feed' the Chicks... and for some reason, we decided that Crayons and Tabasco Sauce would be a delictable treat for the tiny yellow chicks. I'm not sure what Dad ended up doing for the promotion ... but those chicks didn't live to see that Spring Promotion at the Lumber Yard.

2. Sleep overs at her "D" Street House - we spent the night together a lot. When we were little and when we were teenagers. I can remember spending a lot of time upstairs at her house on "D" street listening to albums and talking forever ... I loved staying all night with her - because she lived in town and had so many friends within walking distance. I grew up in a 'neighborhood' on the far south side of town... and it was a completely different environment. We could walk to a Shroats market... and we could walk to her friends homes. I loved it!!!

3. BOYS BOYS BOYS Angie was pretty and Angie was blonde. I was the chubby brunette. Whenever with Angie - wherever we were.... there were BOYS BOYS BOYS. Angie would come to the lake with me = and we would meet new boys. Jimmy Heltzle was a friend of my brothers, and a very cute rebel boy on the lake. Jimmy Heltzle was around, only if Roger or Angie were here....

4. GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS Angie and I grew up together - and it was our dream to have children at the same time. Our dream came true - My oldest daughter, Katie is just 2 months older than Angie's twins, Laura and Tara....and 2 1/2 years later, my Betsy was born.
The girls were also raised together - we went to the Elks pool together, we shopped together, we sat in our yards together with inflatable pools, we went to rummage sales together, we would come to the lake together.... If we weren't together, we were on the phone. We would spend hours and hours and hours on the phone - we would look through Christmas Wish Books and talk about Christmas gifts....we would talk about Dr. appts, menu's, soap operas, child development, husbands, family, and our lives.

5. Empty Nests and other Mid-life crises - Angie and I have shared so much, our own weddings, our daughters school days and graduations, fledgling daughters moving on...our empty nests, my divorce, the loss of grandparents, fathers and her mother and sister-in-law, tragedy and joy... new babies and new homes - jobs and life. Ahhh - the circle of life - here we are ... How did we become our mother's age so fast??? The joy I've shared with my cousin - softens the growing pains of aging and I'm so thankful to have her in my life!

PS: HAPPY 28TH BIRTHDAY LAURA AND TARA - JULY 24, 1980!!!

and... Happy Birthday to Rex, too!!!

Trevor's first weekend at YCL!

We are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend at Yellow Creek Lake! Katie and Tyler and Trevor have come to visit. We miss Phil, because he works Saturday, Sunday & Monday nights... however, it is Phil's work schedule that gives us this precious time to spend with our grandsons and Katie....So, while we do miss Phil, it is wonderful to have this time with Katie and the boys.

Tyler and Trevor are the 5th generation of my family to enjoy Yellow Creek Lake... the joy of family, friends, fun in the sun, and evenings around camp fires - roasting hot dogs and Marshmallows.

We had a great visit with Grandma today - and we enjoyed KFC and an assortments of salads - and Grandma's homebaked pies!

I'm so blessed - I love living at the lake with my peaceful husband- it often feels like we are on vacation all the time. I love sharing the lake with my children and my grandchildren. I love it when Mom comes up - and we all share this legacy that Grandpa and Grandma Pence started for us in the early 1930's....

PS: Betsy & Debbie - We hope you had a great time at Summer Camp... We Miss You -

Addendum....

In honor of Katie's 28th birthday - my Friday FIVE! this week focused on the things that Katie and I enjoy doing together... however, there is one thing that I didn't include in the Friday FIVE! that is certainly worth an addendum - and possibly could have been top on the list of the Friday FIVE! When Katie was just 13 years old - we took our first family trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Little did we know, that it would become a family favorite vacation spot. We have since returned many, many times - and hiked many, many different trails in the National Park. Katie celebrated her 16th birthday on the Abrams Falls trail - and Betsy celebrated her 16th birthday on the Alum Cave Bluff trail. Two years ago - we took Tyler, the next generation to hike Andrews Bald. Discussing this with Katie today - we realized that there are so many things that we love about hiking in the smokies - packing the sandwiches for lunch on the trail, the sights and smells and vistas to enjoy on the trail, the time together, the silence, the hustle and bustle of downtown Gatlinburg and the taste of the cold beer after the hike - just to mention a few. There is just so much to enjoy - together as a group ... or just with our partners. We have passed this love on to a new generation....and before long, we'll be planning a trip to introduce Trevor to the Smokies.....

Homemade Noodles!

One of Katie's favorite meals is her Momma's Homemade Noodles...

When I would make noodles when Katie and Betsy were little - I had to shoo them out of the kitchen area or they would eat the noodles raw before they had a chance to cook. So, for Katie... in honor of her birthday month - I am posting my Homemade Noodle Recipe -

Mindy's Homemade Egg Noodles

1 Cup Bread Flour

1 T Vegetable Oil

3/4 tsp. salt

3 T Water

1 Egg

Bread flour for rolling and dusting

Place four in a medium bowl - make a well in the center and add the rest of the ingredients. With a fork, stir to combine until a ball of dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured space and knead until a smooth dough is achieved - about 5 minutes. Cover dough with tea towel and allow to rest for 45 minutes.

Cut dough in half. Roll out one-half to approx. 14X8inch rectangle, not quite paper thin. Sprinkle dough surface lightly with a bit more flour, flip over, and sprinkle more flour on the other side. Transfer to a tea towel and repeat with remaining dough. Allow the rolled out dough to stand 20-30 minutes.

Roll dough up like a jelly roll, starting from the short side. Use a very sharp knife, cut the noodles about 3/8" wide. Unroll each slice onto the tea towel, sprinkle with a bit more flour and allow to stand until noodles are completely dry - this may take several hours, depending on the humidity in the air or the amount of moisture in the flour.

We like to cook our noodles in a very rich, chicken broth seasoned with clove.

I love the satisfied look on the faces of my family as they enjoy the taste of the rich homemade noodles!!

Friday's FIVE!

I admit it... I'm a reality TV show junkie - well, not really a junkie - but I am a huge (no pun intended) fan of The Biggest Loser ... and I follow American Idol. I have been watching Biggest Loser since the very first season. I've struggled all my life with wieght - and I share so many of the issues that many of the contestants face. The finale is this week - and Alli and Kelly are two women in the finals!!! I have appreciated this special edition - Biggest Loser Couples because this is such a close knit group and they are so supportive of each other. There has been very little knit-picking, back biting and traditional reality TV drama.

It has been very motivating to watch this group support each other - and to watch the amazing transformations.

http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser_5/

Betsy lives in Chicago - right downtown, in the city...and she works in northern Chicago and has about an hour commute to and from work each day. Often she will call to chat on her way home. I love this time with her. I love catching up with the things that are happening in her life - and just sharing a laugh with her. We both love Biggest Loser and it has been a topic of discussion for us many evenings....and we discuss our diets and our work outs - and how we are trying to lose weight.

So - while I still struggle with my weight - and would love to be back down to a size 4 again, the real priority for me is to be healthy so that I can enjoy a fit and healthy life.

This week I am focusing on Five of my personal favorite Get Fit tips - as a motivator to myself ... to remind me, I've done this before - I can do it again!

1. Water - lots and lots of water

2. Cardio and weight training - at least 5 days a week

3. Oatmeal every day for breakfast

4. Beer - no more than 2X a week :( (Damn - this is the hardest!!)

5. 40/30/30 Daily Diet Composition

Friday's FIVE!

I recieved an email from my Aunt Barbara this week - I've always had a very special place in my heart for my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Ovie. Aunt Barbara is my Daddy's older sister. When I was 4 years old, they moved to California - and to my four year old mind, that was a million, gazillion miles away. I vividly remember the day we gathered for a cook out at my Grandparents house to wish them farewell. I remember that I cried. My sentiment for my Aunt Barbara has always been strong - there is a very, very special bond between us. I'm thankful for this dear Aunt of mine.... and I'm thankful she is still very present in my life, even though she lives a million, gazillion miles away. While I hestitate to focus on 'things' - her email this week informed me of a few items that belonged to my Great Grandmother and my Great Aunt that she wants me to have. I appreciate that I will have these items - but mostly, I appreciate that my dear Aunt wants ME to have these things. So in appreciation of my Aunt's generosity to share these items with me... this weeks Friday FIVE! will focus on a few of my most sentimental treasures....

1. My Mothers Wedding Dress - She loved her wedding dress....and she loved my Daddy.

While the dress is beautiful - the marriage that began the day she wore it is the true sentiment of this dress.

2. A Quilt that my Grandma Pence gave me - A quilt made from my Aunt Barbara's dresses and stitched by my Grandma, My Great Grandma and my Great Aunt Vera

3. An amethyst ring that my Grandpa Alexander had given my Grandmother for Valentines Day before I was born. I was very small when my Grandma promised it would be mine on my 16th birthday - because the heart shaped amethyst stone symbolized my Valentine birthday. She kept her promise and gave it to me on when I turned sweet sixteen.

4. A small black and white pillow that my daughters, Katie and Betsy gave me....that says "Your love and belief in me have been my inspiration. Thank you for being my mother and my guide, I love you" I love my daughters so much - and am so proud of the beautiful women they have become.

5. My 'handcarved' engagement ring from my dear husband, Bruce. When we were engaged, he lead me to believe he couldn't afford and engagement ring, so he 'whittled' one for me. He asked me to marry him with the little whittled ring, and then suprised me with the real thing later that Christmas day. The ring did not matter to me - I was just delighted to say yes to him!

Friday's FIVE!

In the news this week - a couple from Georgia won the largest Mega Million lottery in history ...
275 Million dollars - for a single lottery ticket. The numbers they picked, were their grandchildren's birthdates.....
I have a new grandchild due May 16th - so I know how special those days can be....
My favorite dates are:
1. 2/14 - My birthday.... and my wedding anniversary ... and valentines day. It is my TRIFECTA day -
2. 3/22 - Bruce's Birthday
3. 5/17 - Katie's Birthday
4. 10/31 - Betsy's Birthday
5. 1/18 - Tyler's Birthday

I love my family and I love to celebrate their special days!!!
It would be a good guess, that if I were playing the lottery - the numbers on the ticket would be (and have been)........

1-5-10-17-18-31

or a any other combination of the above 5 dates!

Golden Birthday Party!!

I'm so grateful for my family and friends....
Last night I celebrated my Golden birthday - hosted by my Daughters, Katie and Betsy and my Mother....
About 75 friends and family gathered for the celebration...
Some I haven't seen for years... many traveled long distances...
the food was wonderful - the cake was amazing...
the setting was perfect - and the company was as good as it gets!
Thank you so much to everyone!
and an extra special thanks to Mom and Katie for all they did!!!!

Friday's FIVE!

From this point - my Friday blog will focus on FIVE Essential things in my life.....
It may be things I'm thankful for - or things I enjoy.... or favorite things -
This week - I will focus on 5 essential things I'm especially thankful for.

1. A full week back to work - and a GREAT team of co-workers!
2. Fresh Ground Coffee from Betsy
3. Two feet on the ground (instead of hobbling on crutches)
4. Sharing a Mug at Mad Anthony's with my Peaceful Husband, Bruce
5. Telephone chats with Katie