My Thoughts

Many, many years ago when I was first married, we spent Christmas break in Houston with my ex-husband's older sister and family.  They hosted numerous family members.  My ex-husband was 1 of 9, and at the time we all mingled in Houston, there were already a dozen "grandchildren".  I had only been in Houston once before in my lifetime, and my imagination ran wild with the sheer size of the town. My sister-in-law Janet remains all these years later, the epitome of the minster's wife and devoted family member.  She taught me how to make yeast rolls and broccoli cheddar soup .  I was so young, and watching her effortlessly maneuver sleeping arrangements, cooking and church business, I resolved to be more like her as I grew older. It's getting colder here in Central Texas, and the Hamilton Bungalow is cozy.  I am finishing up the broccoli cheddar soup.  Here is where my attempts of emulating Janet end.  For the past fifteen years, I have been a sin...

It's been forever since I've had time to blog...............I want to, but I rarely have the extra time to actually put my thoughts on paper.  That creative writer in me cries, and the angry advocate rages at all the missed opportunities to vocalize concerns.  Sometimes, I try to placate these two, but emotions are so often impossible to quell with sentiment. American society is in a state of flux - it's horrible.  Even now, as I have chili in the crockpot and pumpkin roasting in the oven to make some pumpkin butter tomorrow, my mind wants desperately to take some time and process out all the thoughts jumbled in there. First..........I am utterly disappointed in the NFL and the players for their spoiled sense of superiority and entitlement.  If the non-white players feel exploited, then stop taking the millions of dollars in pay and instead turn that money over to causes.  It is the greed of the franchise and the owners that has created the situation, not th...

It's cool this morning but very bright outside - the weather perfect for some family time.  I have started cooking what will become our Christmas Eve dinner, and as the smells circulate through our home, I am so reminded of Christmases of the past.  Only a few years ago, I would've been double checking all my supplies, including film.  I am not sure why the thought of film crossed my mind this morning, but for a second, I flashed backward 10 years. Things have changed so much in the last 10 years with the advance of technology.  Digital cameras, electronic downloads, digital movies.............the list goes on and on.  I still have a few VHS tapes of my favorite movies, many of them Christmas themed. Christmas Eve 2003.................My lil' angels were 10, 7 and 5 with a belief in Santa Clause and magic.  There still existed in our lives some innocence.  Stores closed at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and remained closed on Christmas Day.  This w...

When I was still married (so many years ago), my anger and frustration at my spouse often centered on his lack of acknowledgment of how hard I worked to create a home, to create family.  While other people we knew - from church or work, friends of my children, etc - remarked over and over how cozy our lives were, my spouse somehow could not see or either could not acknowledge the life we were building.  That last line is very generous, because in all the years since our divorce, I fully understand it was a life that I built. With the onset of single parenthood ..........three children and multiple jobs to sustain us............ I always knew that the home and family I created provided unity and stabilization for my daughters.  Many times I seriously have questioned that last statement, especially as my daughters grew into young women and began to question everything about my life and values. To clarify..........the creating of home, of family, entails things such as h...

My Grown Up Christmas List Have you heard the song? As the song plays in my mind, I think of all the things I would tell the person I love completely.  I want to believe in something bigger than myself...............the true magic of the holiday season. Faith can sometimes be the hardest thing.....believing in something unseen.  As the cool, crisp air envelopes our area and the light drizzles make all lights truly glisten, I want to lay under my tree and just imagine a magical world the way I once did. This year I had an opportunity to see my future in some weird haze..........my daughters grown up and on their own, and me, alone.  My loneliness consumes me during what used to be my favorite holiday.  So, my grown up Christmas list is this:  for the world to accept each other where and when we are; for hunger, famine, fear, sadness, illness........to be removed from the human condition; I wish that the economy improves and no one suffers due to pollutants...

~Eggnog French Toast Casserole~ Update:  this has been a very busy post, viewed almost daily and consistently since it's original publication.  I would love to hear about anyone's attempts at making this Eggnog French Toast. copied from Women of Faith daily newsletter This recipe sounds so amazing.  I wondered if this was the casserole that Jessica and Rachel ended up rolling around in on the floor in The Family Stone .  A little digging revealed that instead, it is actually Breakfast Strata which sounds equally appealling.  I did not like the movie, The Family Stone.  Maybe it was too realistic.  Maybe I was hoping for something more whimsical and hopeful.  I have tried a couple times since my initial viewing to watch it, but I cannot bring myself to sit through it. Eggnog French Toast Casserole A make-ahead breakfast perfect for Christmas morning! 1 loaf French Bread 8 oz. Cream Cheese 10 Eggs 2 cups Eggnog ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg ...

"Dee, we are headed out now. You coming?" one of her co-workers blurted as the end of day bustle meandered down the hall. Still on a telephone call and gazing intently as figures on her laptop, Deandra did a quick thumbs up gesture and returned to the task at hand. She was finalizing her first assignment where she was project lead since her arrival in Philadelphia six months earlier and she wanted to make a good impression. "Actually, we came in under projected costs which allowed us to apply our project surplus to a secondary project in that neighborhood. I feel very strongly that by contributing to the park re-modeling with the money and the volunteer hours by several of our staff members the community is beginning to trust our motives in rebuilding," she said. Glancing at her watch, she was calculating her walk time to city hall for the ceremony. "Mr. Henderson, I hate to rush off, but I need to take this other call. If you have any furt...

It is such a wonderful Christmas season........the air is cool and crisp, all the girls are home and in rare pockets of amazing spontaneity, we get to truly chill together. Derrick was driving through town, so we met at Saltgrass for dinner. On the way home, jamming to the radio, for one small window of time, all three girls were singing this song together. Just sitting back and watching this rare moment, my mind flashed back across the last few years when we all were closer, when the girls were not separated by interests and age, when I was not so busy with work and building a career..............my precious daughters are almost all grown. 3 amazing and beautiful young women.....each with different perspectives and talents. I really wish I could roll back the time and slow it down. I imagine many parents feel the same way. I want to live in that one rare moment until the world ends. I want to return to the young innocent Britney time.... that was a time when my girls were still...

Christmas Eve 2010 The Birth of Jesus 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “D...

Original date:  December 9, 2010 By far one of my favorite songs, "Carol of the Bells" brings to mind crisp cold air and lights reflecting off the snow. In Texas, we do not see these things very often; in fact, in my lifetime, I can recall only 2-3 times that all these magical elements came together. It was not at Christmas time either. The closest experience in Texas I remember is standing in line in Burnet to enter Bethlehem . The smells from inside the walled city filter outward - wax, hay, baking bread. When I close my eyes and take a deep breath, I can almost transport myself to a Norman Rockwell ideal. My brother asked me last night if I liked Christmas or something........maybe it is the decorations, the constant music and only watching Christmas movies on cable. It is more than that, too. It is the reading of the Christmas story in Luke, the advent symbols, the holly and ivy..........and mostly thinking about how one small precious baby came into the world to sav...