Planning

Lee & Brad are in town, and I am enjoying spending the weekend with them. They are at a friend's wedding, and I wish they weren't, b/c I'm dog-sitting for them instead. But, Ellie's a sweet girl, and I don't mind. Oneday, maybe they'll babysit! :o) And this gives me an opportunity to watch some much-missed cable television (i.e. Law & Order).
Today Knox, Lee, Mom, and I went for a little walk around town in which Knox promptly spotted a "little horse," a "ly-won," and white flowers (the little horse being an anti-bellum horse & carriage pitch that is so common here in small southern towns, the ly-won being how Knox says 'lion,' though he mistook a yorkie for it, and white flowers being, well, white flowers). Wesley has been working on music all weekend, though mostly not his own, so far. He recorded a co-worker's music most of the day today, thus sending Knox & I to Dad's for a good part of the day. Then, after a quick dinner, he headed off to band practice. I am excited that he is getting back into playing with a band. I really enjoy his acoustic work, but there is an aspect to playing with a band that I think Wesley misses when he doesn't play with a group for a while. I don't know if its just that its something he really enjoys, or that its b/c he has basically always played music in bands since he was quite young (or both), but either way, it's good for him to get back into it.
This week, I have planned a menu and already bought the groceries, so I am excited to get started on the meals! :o) Here it goes!
Sunday a.m.: my best attempt to re-create the breakfast-biscuit-egg-muffin things that I had at a little coffee shop in Kingston Springs, which are incredible.
Sunday p.m.: Mammy's Cupboard's recipe of Vegetable Beef Soup w/my Granny's Jalepeno Cornbread Muffins
Monday: Slow-cooked Chicken with bacon & greenbeans, and "potato salad" (though if you know me at ALL, you know this must not have the "m"word in it. It doesn't. I'm going to do my best attempt to duplicate the potato salad from the restaurant Zoe's Kitchen).
Tuesday: Mammy's recipe (again) for Chicken Salad Sandwiches (but, again, without the M-word, and instead, fat free plain yogurt) with a side of vegetable soup and mixed fresh fruit
Wednesday: church night
Thursday: chili dogs with Kosher dogs & wheat buns & fat free turkey chili, and steamed broccoli
Friday: miniature whole-wheat pizzas
Saturday: breakfast with Dad, and a wedding to attend that night, so I'm sure we'll eat there

our trip

Ok, so, we are back from nashville. I say we had a good trip. nothing in particular is settled, and though we do have some job leads, nothing is certain. it was nice, however, to even get out of town for a few days and spend some quality time with wesley. so, i say its a success. in addition to putting in job applications, working on the record, and trying to meet with some hopefully future boss(es), we:
-visited with some friends;
-caught 2 movies;
-walked around several shopping centers;
-ate at an Italian restaurant with REALLY good food (Antonio's of Nashville)
-got some other really good food (5 guys burgers, or something like that, Zoe's Kitchen, etc)
-rode around and saw different neighborhoods;
-saw just about every guitar store in the nashville area.

and when we finally got home last night, we were soooo excited to see knox, and hoped during the whole ride home that he wouldn't say, "shoot," or, "dang-it" when he saw us. he didn't. he bawled. (eyes rolling)

currently

so, we're currently in nashville looking for jobs. please please please pray that wesley is able to meet for interviews and get a job that will provide for our family.

wheat pizza dough

yummy. this recipe is from the best of cooking light.
1 pkg dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/2 c. warm water (100-110')
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 all-purpose flour, divided
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
cooking spray

1. dissolve yeast & sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 mins. lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level w/a knife. add 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour whole-wheat flour, oil, & salt to yeast mixture, stirring until well blended. turn dough on a floured surface. knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 min's); add enough of the remaining flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, to prevent the dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).
2. place dough in a large bowl coated w/cooking spray, turning to coat top. cover & let rise in a warm place (85'), free from drafts, for 45 min's or until doubled in size. (press 2 fingers into the dough. if indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) punch down; cover and let rest 5 min's. divide dough in half; roll each half into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. top & bake at 450' for about 15 min's on a pan or stone. note, if you want a crisper crust, place directly in oven (off pan) w/about 8 or so min's left.

life without gas

we don't have gas right now. it was shut off because we have a big leak problem in the pipes under the house. but its really not been that big of a deal, practically, with it being off. we can't use the stove or oven, and we do not have hot water, but that's it. we have a little toaster oven that i have been suprised at what all you can do in it. we also have an electronic water-boiler thingy for wesley's tea that i have been using to heat up water, though with the heat outside, i don't nearly mind the cool water as if it were cooler out.

Sooo...Gustav...

We made it. We got power back on yesterday, and there was no damage to our house. I am very thankful. This afternoon I have the daunting task of ridding the fridge/freezer of everything. Thankfully we still have bread, peanut butter, noodles/sauce, and canned stuff that we can eat b/c there is NOTHING food-wise in any of the grocery stores here. Even some of the fast food restaurants have nothing.
Lee (my sister) said that Baton Rouge is a Mess. No one still has power and trees are down everywhere. She said that for the first hour of the storm, she and her husband just watched trees fall down on houses in her neighborhood. Brad (her husband) went outside and watched. They say that the damage is almost (if not worse) than Katrina there b/c of the wind damage, not water damage. But they were peeved b/c none of the national news people are reporting it. They all go down to New Orleans, and saythat, well, it wasn't that bad. Not as bad as we expected. But it is that bad in Baton Rouge. Thankfully, the police and National Guard were ready, and they are helping patrol the area. Some area drugstores and Walmarts are opening, letting people in about 10 at a time with flashlights, and people are getting some supplies. They are waiting hours and hours in line for the stuff, but Lee said that they didn't even care that much b/c they don't have anything else to do.
Lee is here for a while, and her husband will be joining her soon. We went to Jackson Tuesday, adn stayed until yesterday, since we didn't have power. Thank you Brooke & Chad for letting us stay! :) We had a fun time! While we were there, we were able to get some sushi-making supplies that I have been needing and wanting since forever. We got sushi rice, seaweed, chopsticks, rice paper, and soba noodles from a little Asian Market. I also got some cute glass canisters from Hobby Lobby that I have been wanting along with a couple of seasonal candles. We got back last night around 10:30 or so, and went strait to bed. Knox didn't sleep a wink on the way home, so he slept in this morning.

Sooo...Gustav...

So, we're riding it out here in good 'ole southern Mississippi. Winds are blowing pretty good, and rain is pretty regular, but I don't think the worst of it has hit us yet. There's a little tree down outside of my Dad's house, and thankfully it landed on part of a powerline of some sort, or else it would have clobbered our car. However, I am still hoping it doesn't do any scratches. And, while we still have the internet & electricity, I have decided to watch a movie and catch up on blogging. Here are some pictures that I have been needing to post.

Go Tigers!

blueberry "nuffin" faceKnox singing into his drumsticks

Wesley singing into Knox's drumsticks