Schools Closed Today in Gwinnett

'I'm homeschooling my daughter today, although not by choice. 
 The rain that was  needed for the past two years in Atlanta is here now. 
We prayed for rain, you know.
Last year, Governor Purdue led the state on a prayer vigil for rain. I, along with every other God-fearing Georgian joined him.  Of course, the local news showed some atheist who opposed the public prayers for rain, but we paid him no attention and focused on the matter at hand. 
Our land needed divine intervention. 
Lawsuits with our neighboring states were sparked by the water shortage. We heard all sorts of interesting facts about mussels in Florida. No one really cared except a small group of environmentalists.  The phrase water rights became fighting words and a very nasty debate ensued between our Governor and his counterpart in Alabama.  Both fine Southern gentlemen, I'm sure.
Good thing the dueling pistol tradition ended long ago.
 There were wildfires in South Georgia, lakes drying up, and experts were predicting that Atlanta might run out of water.  People gave you hateful stares if your vehicle was not clearly filthy on the outside and neighbors eyed any patch of lawn with even a touch of green remaining with suspicion.  It was ugly.
Taught by both parents that God answers prayer in HIS TIME and HIS WAY, I am firmly convinced now more than ever that the teachings of my childhood were correct.
It rained.
By this spring and summer, the water restrictions were eased a bit. 
Lake levels rose. It's true that Lake Hartwell and Lake Lanier were not perfect, but they were much improved.
Cars were washed on a regular basis. My garden was revived.  Flowers bloomed. Pangs of guilt over my two hour baths  disappeared.  I stopped fretting over how much water was used as I brushed my teeth or  the number of gallons that I poured daily on the deck plants.


We haven't been wasteful of the water this year...it's been enough and we have appreciated things getting back to normal. 
Normal is always short-lived in the South.
Raindrops those first few days last week were a welcome break from the constant watering in the garden and a lower water bill was an added bonus. But the prolonged clouds and precipitation became annoying when local events were cancelled and cabin fever set in.  Tennis, golf and football games were postponed.
Today it's downright dangerous.
Newspapers are reporting that we've had between 15 to 20 inches of rain this past weekend and more is on the way.  Citizens from Acworth to Snellville are trapped in their subdivisions either because of flooding or massive sink holes. Roads are washing away. 
There was a mudslide on Hwy 78 near Hugh Howell Road.  A lake in my parent's Stone Mountain community is overflowing after its' dam broke last night. 
 One woman drowned  this morning as the road beneath her car collapsed.  Many trees, weakened by the earlier drought, are falling all over metro Atlanta, causing power outages and even more road closings.  
Schools are closed.
Here at home, I've said my prayers of thanks for the new roof we added last month. In spite of the fact that we have a service to clean our gutters on a regular basis, water is overflowing in this latest downpour.  Never, in my thirty-plus years,  have I seen this much rain.
The Mid-Western Yankee and I are considering the construction of an ark.
And the purchase of  strong anti-depressants for every member of our household; I'll never comprehend how people live with ongoing rainy weather in places like London or Seattle.
Southerners are just not designed to tolerate gloomy inclement weather for weeks and weeks on end.
My daughter, myself, and even our beloved Japanese Chin named Fuji, have been taking more naps these days.  Fuji weighs nine pounds, is deaf, hates cold weather, loves cheese and MWY more than life itself. 
The vibrations from our recent thunderstorms have scared him to death. 
He's smart. He's stubborn. He's Southern at heart and adamantly refuses to go outside in the dampness unless we bribe him with limitless treats and adoration.
My thirteen year old daughter is currently more depressed than the dog. 
Upon learning of today's school closings, her huge white smile quickly turned to a sour expression when I informed her that we would be using our time today for review of her studies on India, China, Japan, and North and South Korea.  We have a schedule of one hour study time with a half hour break every ninety minutes. 
 Needless to say, it's going to be a long day for both of us.
MWY has acquired a sore throat and is working at home this week.  He happily disappeared into his man-cave office well away from the homework war here at the kitchen table.
Thunderstorms are in the forecast for this afternoon. And with them, eight or more inches of rain.
At this rate, my dog will be psychotic, my husband will turn into a basement dwelling hermit, my daughter will hate me and I'll take up drinking in the afternoons...if we don't all get washed away first.
In the meantime, I am hoping for a patch of blue sky to appear soon.
I'll be as happy to see these rain clouds leave as I'm sure my ancestors were when they bid good-bye to the last carpetbagger to cross the state line headed back up north.
 And to quote Scarlett O'Hara...Tomorrow is another day.

Time to Call the Geek Squad

Last weekend when the Mid Western Yankee

and I leaving to start a series of  shopping errands, the phone rang.

 It was my mother saying that Daddy wanted to speak with MWY.

My father doesn't like to talk on the phone so it had to be important, but I couldn't imagine what had happened now to warrant a phone call to MWY on a Saturday morning.

MWY took the call inside while I took care of some plants and waited to hear about the day's request from Stone Mountain.

When MWY informed me that he was given the task of getting a computer for my parents, I about fell over in surprise.  My mother and father are eighty-two and eighty three respectively and the only computer my mother has ever seen had punch cards, as in a 1950's mainframe that took up a room all by itself.

A week later, MWY, ordered the computer after much research.

 It's going to be delivered in two weeks or so.

This ought to be good. 

I have a feeling that every employee from

the Geek Squad is soon going to know my parents very well!

The Best Time

Perhaps it's the scent of coffee brewing or the way the warm mugs feels in my hand, the stillness of the house and garden, the absence of interruptions or the anticipation of a new day, but the early morning hours are my best time.

Or it could just be another verification that I have, in fact, reached middle age and no longer require as much sleep.

Either way, these hours are when I plan the upcoming errands and events of the day, catch up on e-mail and jot down a few lines on my mindless little blog here. 

The very best days are mornings on the beach watching the sun come up. Each coast has it's perks...the big orange fireball rising over the Atlantic never fails to captivate me, but in Puerto Vallarta, on the western coast of Mexico, the sun rises over the dark purple mountains, illuminating them with golden rays until it reflects on the Pacific.  Sunrises in Puerto Vallarta  are in the hues of the most precious jewels. Sunlight dances on the sapphire water, the trees on the mountains appear either as emeralds or deep amethyst depending on the hour. The sun is golden there, not the harsh light of the Caribbean.  And once in a while, very rarely, visitors are treated to the green light on the horizon at sunset.

Several years ago, we spent Christmas in Puerto Vallarta and celebrated the day with hot chocolate on the beach as we waited for the sunrise.  That day has stayed with my daughter more than any other Christmas morning memory.  She doesn't recall the long lists of toys and presents every year, but she remembers that one special sunrise.

I had only married the Mid-Western Yankee the month before so the trip was our new family's first Christmas together.  And wanting a fresh start, I broke with tradition and left the holiday chaos and cold weather behind.  I traded turkey for fish tacos, coats for flip flops, mistletoe for suntan lotion.  It was grand!  We skipped the shopping and enjoyed our time together and for once, I wasn't exhausted on Christmas morning.

On a more recent trip, I spent my birthday on the beach in Charleston.  I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate than walking along the Atlantic shore with my daughter when the sun was not yet up.

It's these mornings I treasure.

The daylight has appeared as I've been rambling here and since it's not raining right now, I think I'll take my coffee outside and enjoyed my favorite time of the day.

Rainy Friday

This has been the longest stretch of rainy weather that I can remember.  Where, I wonder, was all this last year when Lake Lanier was so low that Starboard Marina went into bankruptcy, homes on the lake were left overlooking a giant mud pit, and our plants withered day after blistering day...Well, we've certainly made up for the drought now. 

 The news is reporting flash floods, the lake is full and my plants have never looked better.  Every tree and shrub is a lush, dark green.  The three camilia plants that my husband moved last weekend are thriving in their new location. The season's last hydrangea has one gorgeous pale bloom; the pink roses and purple dahlias are so full that they are virtually begging me to cut the flowers and fill the house with color.  If it ever stops raining, I'll head outdoors and do just that.

Every day this week, I've complained about the rain. My tennis and my daughter's cheerleading practices have been cancelled or postponed and I have had a terrible case of cabin fever.  I miss sitting outside on the deck or further down in the yard at the outdoor fireplace, enjoying my coffee and the fall weather. 

But today, I'm content with the rain.

 After checking on my aging parents and taking a call from my husband, I unplugged the home phone and turned the answering machine off.  I did keep my cell phone on for emergencies, but that's it, no television, radio, or interuptions.  I looked through old cookbooks and made a list of letters to write instead of the hurried one line e-mails that I usually send. I decided to enjoy the solitude of the empty house.

My husband will fly in tonight from his weeklong trip in Texas.  Our football game for Saturday has been postponed so we have a weekend day tomorrow with no obligations or plans besides five o'clock mass and that we always enjoy.

So today I'm going to  focus on the simple pleasures of being at home, baking a cake and brownies, lighting the new candles that smell like vanilla and cider, ironing my daughter's sheets and pillowcases.  I just love the feel of pressed linens, the way the steam rises on the fabric, the fact that I can immediately see the results of my work. It's simple and old-fashioned and reminds me of my grandmother who used to iron even her towels to perfection.  I stopped ironing my towels twenty years ago. Most of all, I love the idea that my now teenage daughter still appreciates a lttle pampering now and then.  She'll smile at the sight of the brownies and hopefully, sleep peacefully on her crisp white lavender scented sheets.

That's how I'll spend this rainy Friday at home... quiet and content and very thankful.

Shrimp' N' Grits

This is so easy to make and everyone loves this recipe, except the Mid-Western Yankee that I married. The man still will not eat grits, although he has learned how to prepare them. You can take the boy out of Illinois.....blah, blah...you know the saying!


Boil 2 lbs. of shrimp with 1/8 cup of lemon juice, dash of hot sauce like Tabasco, and garlic powder (2 tbsp) until the shrimp is pink....DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Rinse, drain, peel shrimp.
Set aside and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning.

Cook 1 cup of grits with 4 cups of water, a sprinkle of kosher salt, and 1/2 stick of unsalted butter.
When the grits are cooked, add 1/2 cup of Pace Four Cheese Salsa con Queso. Stir in over very low heat.

Mix shrimp and cheese grits and serve.

***My daughter and I really love spicy foods so if it is just us two for dinner, I'll cook much less shrimp and grits and add a few chopped jalapeno peppers.

If we are having company, I like to serve a light salad with fruit such as mango or pear with this since the entree is very filling. Enjoy, y'all!

Chicken Salad

This isn't your grandmother's recipe. It's inspired by my love of the ladies' lunch classic: Waldorf Salad. But in order to get my Mid Western Yankee husband to eat it, I added lots of flavor and crunch.
One things that never changes:
Use ONLY white meat for your chicken salad in the South. Anything else is considered a sacrilege, right up there with bad manners or hating the sport of football. IT'S JUST NOT DONE, HONEY.


Ingredients:
1 LB. of chicken breasts, boiled, cooled and chopped (I vary the size of my chicken pieces, just my preference)
1 1/2 cups of freshly diced celery
1/3 purple onion diced
1/2 cup salted cashew halves
1/4 cup pecan halves
2 cups fresh pineapple or 1 can of pineapple chunks drained
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
2 bunches or 3 cups of red seedless grapes
2 cups chopped green apple with the skin tossed in lemon juice to avoid browning
1/2 jar of O'Charley's Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
3/4 bottle of Brianna's poppy Seed Salad Dressing
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise ( I used Duke's)
1/2 cup of honey (we are so fortunate that our neighbor has bees on his farm in Macon, GA-Thank you, Virgil)


Mix all the above ingredients gently and chill for at least one hour before serving.