The week that was..

It's Monday and I making my first step toward keeping an updated blog.  Not a great deal of excitement this week but sometimes exciting doesn't equal good.  Stayed in for the better part of the week but capped it off with a Friday dinner at Outback with Kelly (they have a new iced tea cocktail that is deliciously dangerous).  My freezer is packed with a few meals from Kelly and my return to Supper Supers Vestavia including a Dr. Pepper Flank Steak, Maple Mustard Pork Chops with Cinammon Apples, Corn Beef and Cabbage, and Grilled Chicken with corn and tomato salad.  Sunday consisted of a lovely brunch with Kelly, Matt, and Kendal at The Original Pancake House (Minced Ham and Scrambled Eggs with Upgrade to Peach Pancakes! Heaven on a Plate!) and Kelly's Annual Super Souper Bowl Party. I made Chicken Enchilada Soup at the Hostess' request and Kelly made Southwestern Soup or as she calls it Stacy Soup because I gave her the recipe.  There were also yummy appetizers thanks to Kajal and Adrienne and corn muffins made by Marji.  My favorite was the cookie dough egg rolls (a la Jackson's) made by Matt and Kendal and dipped in Vanilla Ice Cream! They were sinful!

Some sad news this week though.... My maternal great Aunt (sister to my grandfather) Edna passed away early Saturday morning.  I will travelling home to Cullman on Tuesday Evening for her viewing and the funeral will be held Wednesday.  Growing up, Edna was the only one of my Grandfather's sisters who lived in the same town as us and so she spent a lot of time at my grandparents' and then my parents' homes at holidays and family get togethers.  She was a widow for many years prior to her death as my great uncle Leonard died when I was in middle school.  I don't  remember much about him except for always thinking of him as "old" (kind of like my cousin's Abby and Bella will always think of my grandmother as old even though I remember younger and much more vibrant). 

My parents found themselves as Edna's helpers/caretakers as she grew older because Edna's only daughter lived out of town.  My Dad would mow her lawn and my Mom would pick up groceries when she needed them.  Before she stopped driving, Edna owned a white Geo Metro and she drove that death trap like a bat out of hell! Most of all though, she had a real talent for all things beautiful.  She was a wonderful gardener with a yard full of plants, many of which she had rooted and grown herself from clippings.  She could cross stitch, crotchet, knit, and quilt and my family has many of the beautiful things she has made over the years.  When my brother and I were babies, she made us matching Dutch Boy and Dutch Girl quilts that stayed on our twin beds until we out grew them.  We then got to pick out new quilts for our beds that she sold to my Mom for almost nothing.  Mine has butterflies in neat squares and my brother's is covered in leaves in all the colors of fall.  My favorite quilt is one she gave to my Mom on one of those summer's after the lawn was mowed and to this day, I think is the most beautiful thing she ever made.  Last week when the weather got so cold, I pulled it out and put it on my bed and it was there on Saturday when my Mom called with the new. 
I am going to post a small picture of part of it to show everyone her talent.

I promised some highlights of the week and other random things to here's some of the stuff I said I could try to capture......

Crazy person quote the week:  This came after trying to talk to a Vet about personal safety in his neighborhood. 

Vet: My neighborhood is safe. (followed by more ranting.)
Me: You got mugged in front of your boarding home.  That is an indication the neighborhood is not safe.
Vet: I didn't get mugged.  They just stole my wallet and had a gun.

Weight lost/gained: no official weigh in at WW this Monday, as I am trying to do some laundry and get my tax stuff ready before I go to Cullman on Tuesday.  My scale at home indicates that Super Bowl Snacking and Pancakes were not the way to go so back to counting the points!

Gym visits: only 2 but that's two more than the week before and this week is not looking like I will get many in either.

Random Casper Pictures: Casper and the Giant Rawhide