March 30, 1951

No wedding photo available. This is the first that I could find. Shirley had just turned 16 on March 17 when she married Leslie who turned 20 that April. Daddy was a truckdriver. I don't remember if he had me call...or if he did the calling and I just picked them up...but he wanted one dozen long-stemmed roses. In a long box tied with a ribbon. The florist misunderstood and put them in an arrangement. Mama was still surprised. Their last portrait...August 2000 They should have had more time together.

Scanned Photos

I was playing with my scanner, scanning photos out of my high school annual and posting on Facebook. Yeah...gonna make some enemies...that's for sure! LOL I noticed these.

We still lived in Lake Jackson here. Seems like I remember...Mama and her sister, my Aunt Ruthie, came to visit. Jonathan looks to be about 16 or 17 here...maybe...so about 2000.I really like this photo of Jonathan.

Cast Iron

I mentioned my covered cast iron skillet in the Irish Soda Bread post. Everyone...and I do mean EVERYONE who likes cast iron and sees my covered chicken fryer...well...they are just flat out jealous! I've had it...like forever! Initially used for frying chicken...which I don't do any more...it is the best bacon fryer ever! I can tuck and layer six slices of bacon in the skillet and cover it. The grease does not pop all over the stove top. I do not drain the grease off every time I use it. I just cover the skillet with the lid. And just leave it on the stove top. I know...I know! Not 'classy' at all. But hey! This is my kitchen! And MY COVERED CAST IRON CHICKEN FRYER!

Mama Another Year Older

Saint Patrick's Day is also my mother's birthday! She was born March 17, 1935 in Bowie County Texas. A home delivery, she was so puny that the doctor laid her on the trunk to die. Her grandmother walked in and asked, "Why is this baby over here?" The doctor gave his verdict on her ability to survive. Mama Durham picked that little girl up, cleaned her up, and she survived. She survived to marry and have four children. I have the distinction of being Favorite Daughter. I am - ahem - the only daughter. But even if I had sisters...I'd still be the favorite. I just know deep down in my heart that that IS the way it would be. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

She supported me - literally - as I buried my first husband. Helped her sons as their marriages ended and supported them as they made new beginnings. She has buried her parents and her husband of almost 50 years...and she still survives.

Here we are with the Blocker family quilt. The family that the tenacious Mama Durham was born into. An article about the quilt ran in the local paper here in my hometown and in the New Boston paper near where Mama grew up. The photo was taken Christmas 2010.

Giving her a couple/three options for lunch, she asked me to pick up barbeque and bring it to her house for lunch Wednesday. I also delivered this...a purse I made for her. Complete with my label sewn inside. I do everything I can to keep the Favorite Daughter designation! ;-)

Irish Soda Bread

How EASY was this? Coming up to St. Patrick's Day, the internet was buzzing with talk about Irish Soda Bread. I did a search and came up with what was touted as a "traditional" Irish Soda Bread recipe.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Sift the dry ingredients together. Stir in the buttermilk. Blend well. The dough should be sticky. If not, add more buttermilk. Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead just a little bit...not much or you will break the gas bubbles forming as a result of the combination of buttermilk and baking soda. Pat into a circle. With a serrated knife, cut a deep cross on top of the loaf. Place in a lightly greased and floured pan. Cover with another pan or lid. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes.I baked my bread in a covered cast iron chicken fryer. And this is what it looked like. And taste? Slathered with butter...it was delicious!! Especially when served with corned beef brisket, carrots, potatoes, onions, and cabbage.

I don't think I've ever baked a simpler bread.

Wearing of the Green

Colt is definitely LUCKY!

Isabel and Mom going on a new adventure!

Spring Time in East Texas

Another trip to the car wash! When I got back home, there was a haze on the rear of the Tahoe. I ran my finger across the rear window. Yellow pine pollen. When it's run its course I need to do a really heavy spring cleaning in the house.

Remember the story about my "synthetic" Japanese red maple? LOL It's budding and the buds are starting to open. Azaleas have a few blooms on them. More and more camellias are opening. Both pear trees are in full bloom. Almost as many petals on the ground already as are on the trees. A few buds on my redbud have popped open.

Lunch Time

Sometimes I run errands during my lunch break. While driving, I am currently listening to To Kill a Mockingbird performed by Sissy Spacek. I pulled up in the parking lot, turned the ignition off, and sat there listening to the book while sipping on my iced tea...waiting until time to go back to work.

As I rolled my window down, I noticed the flags at the sheriff's office. I started watching them dancing in the breeze. They were performing an intricate ballet. Carefully choreographed. Each doing their own thing until totally unfurled.

Weekend Highs and Lows

I got to hold babies this weekend!!

Wonder what Colt is dreaming about?
The photos of Isabel are on Sam's camera. He left it with Brook. She's been taking photos with the camera on her phone, but there's an internal spot that shows up on all of her photos. Her provider is going to exchange phones with her, but they have none in stock so she's waiting on a backorder. So Sam left his camera with her.

Holding babies was the definite HIGH of the weekend.

This was the low... He burned my picture!

Almost home and we drove by...I saw the smoke and cried, "He burned my picture!" Sam said that the stump wasn't burned. Well this morning...sigh...I saw the proof of the dastardly deed.

Sunset and Spring

First camelia bloom of the season...
I'm going to have lots and lots of bluebonnets!
Redbuds are blooming all around. Mine is just starting to bud.
I purchased a couple of pork tenderloins at the grocery store the other day...they were buy one get one free...$2.50 per pound! I froze one. Tonight I baked the other. I sprinkled it with Kosher salt. Covered it with cracked black pepper. Sprinkled with dried onion and rosemary. Popped it in a 425 degree oven for about 45 minutes. You could slice it with a fork!!! So tender. And tasted so good! I thinly sliced a couple of potatoes and layered them in a baking dish. Chopped one leek and half an onion and sprinkled on top. Salt and pepper and some butter. When the potatoes were just about tender, I sprinkled with some shredded cheddar cheese. Oh, my! The leek added just the perfect touch. Along with a mixed green salad...olive oil and vinegar for me...homemade honey mustard for Sam. A near perfect meal!

I purchase almost no bottled salad dressings.

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons bold spicy mustard (or dijon)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Whisk it. Chill. Serve over your favorite salad.

Confession...I do not care for honey mustard salad dressing. Sam likes it. We went through several different brands trying to find one that tasted similar to some he had in a restaurant. I finally started checking the recipes on the internet. Tried some complicated ones...then landed on this simple recipe. Yesterday, da Judge bought our lunch. I walked across the highway (had to make sure there was no traffic...a Charlie's Angel I am not and refuse to run in heels!) to pick it up...grilled chicken wrap with homemade potato chips. I noticed that the dressing was honey mustard so was going to pass on it. Da Judge mentioned that she loved their JALAPENO honey mustard dressing. I tried it. I liked it pretty good! So I may drizzle some jalapeno vinegar in a small amount of the dressing and see if Sam likes it that way.

I had an epiphany in an antique store a while back. I purchased a couple of odd creamers (from sugar and creamer sets). I use them to serve homemade salad dressings! Perfect servers!