A shout out to my favorite stores

March 25, 2015March 25, 2015 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

I know Christmas is way over. However, I wanted to give a shout out to some remarkable merchants out there. Since I broke up with Wal-Mart or Walmart or Walmarts (as my Mamaw called it) my cash flow has been much more flowy-er. You can read about that here.

Just want to give a public & personal thank you to the following stores:

Kmart

Dollar Tree

Walgreens

Dollar General (which my Mamaw called the General Dollar Store)

Thank you, understanding merchants, for not having a maximum time you can visit your store, in a few days period. Thank you for allowing me to patronize your store every time, which seemed like I had just left your store, & then I remembered something I forgot. For the nine days I was off work at Christmas, I shopped just like it was my job. You allowed that. No questions asked. After I went back to work, one of your dear employees probably was chatting at break with a fellow coworker & said

“You know that lady we saw in here so much that one week during Christmas time? I have not seen her in a while.”

That’s because I have to face reality and go back to my real job. But thanks for not judging me.

And I can’t not say something about these folks without mentioning Kroger. Listen ya’ll, Kroger has been a life changer for me. They give you free stuff. Not just once or twice a year. Every. Single. Week. Just for shopping with them. They give you a free item every Friday. You just have to get online & download the freebie. When you check out, you give them your Kroger Card & it adds up on your ticket to be FREE. They also GIVE you in FREE UNITED STATES DOLLARS $.10 or $.20 off of each gallon of gas your purchase. That truly makes me weepy. I drove a gas guzzling Suburban for years. Only to trade into a Ford Focus that gets 75 miles to the gallon. Well, maybe not that much. But after spending my kid’s inheirtance on gas for that Suburban, it sure does seem that way. (Sorry kids. I know you thought you got all that shuttling around for free.)

And I can’t say something about Kroger without mentioning the lovely Katie at Kroger Krazy. That sweet girl just wants everybody to save money. If she lived closer to me, I know we would be tearing the Kroger store down together. Her blog is chocked full of life changing, game changing, deals. I love Kroger Krazy. Anybody that wants to do all the leg work for me, hey, we are friends for life. (Katie, you may or may not want to put out a restraining order on me right now, ha!) Seriously, this is a wonderful resource for anybody that want to save money.

My next new store to patronize & love is Dirt Cheap. Let me just say I bought a BUNCH of clothes for my Grand Baby Girl for not a lot in there. We are talking Target brand shirts for Dirt Cheap. EEEKK! I get happy all over again just thinking of it. And, too my daughter was a page for the Senate one year & got to meet the owner of Dirt Cheap. He was some sort of government official. He was a really nice man & held in high regard by his peers. I like doing business with nice people.

Some people may view my thriftiness as cheap. No, no, no. There is a difference. I seek out bargains, but will spend the big bucks when needed. As I get older, I realize, when it comes to my purchases, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. (Don’t get PETA after me. It’s just a Southern expression meaning there’s more than one way to do something.) With a little time & effort, you don’t have to pay full price for stuff. I do think it kinda my responsibility to take care of my home & the people there in. Just like the woman in Proverbs 31. I love this passage because I believe this is still a wonderful example laid out for us today.

Proverbs 31: 27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. (NKJV)

If you get the chance, reading the whole passage about the virtuous woman, will truly bless your heart. (Proverbs 31:10-31) It always inspires me to be better. I have been blessed to be acquainted with some of the most wonderful virtuous women ever. My Mama, Mamaw, Mama Boyce, & mother-in-law are the ones that come to mind. They all were wonderful examples that I try to pattern my life after. My Mamaw & mother-in-law would be tickled to death to see me saving money at the grocery store. They both LOVED a bargain.

Mamaw & Mama

I hope you have gotten some use out of this little blog post today. I know I love to shop. But I don’t think I have to spend ALL my money. Until there’s another sale at the dollar store, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: walgreens, dollar tree, dollar general, http://www.krogerkrazy.com , Kroger, Dirt Cheap

Biscuits & Jesus

March 19, 2015March 19, 2015 / kstrick7 / 3 Comments

My sweeties playing checkers at the Cracker Barrel

I have reinvented myself with my family. Do you know how? Biscuits. Not just any biscuits. THE biscuits. The other day, I picked up one of my Southern Living magazines, that I had laying around on my coffee table. (That might should be “lying around on my coffee table” but you see, things don’t “lie around” at my house. They “lay around”.) There was an article about biscuits. As I perused the pages I saw one that had a different recipe than I normally use. Who am I kidding? For years I have resorted to frozen biscuits in the name of convenience. I was, however, given the biscuit test before my beloved & I were married. Hey, he couldn’t marry a woman that couldn’t make a biscuit. A man has to have his standards, ya know? Clearly, I did a good enough job that I was worthy of matrimony. Anywhoo, I took this recipe & created quite a stir at my house.

2 cups of self rising White Lily flour (You can use whatever brand you have. This is just my favorite.)

1 stick of frozen butter (Cannot be margarine. It won’t turn out the same.)

1 cup of buttermilk (Or sweet milk works fine, too.)

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

Pre heat the oven to 425.

Grate the stick of butter in a bowl. Add your flour. With a fork, mix the 2 ingredients together. Make a well in the center of your mixture. Add in about ½ of the milk. Stir. Then, slowly add more & stir, until you get a doughy consistency. You may need more or less milk. I don’t measure things much. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour. If too dry, add a little more milk. When you get that mixed up, turn it out on a couple of paper towels or tin foil that has been floured. Knead the flour, only folding over no more than 15 times. Take your biscuit cutter or a glass or whatever you use- put in the flour, then cut into the dough. Do this using an up, down motion. Do not twist your biscuit cutter. This will make your biscuits tough. Take the biscuits & arrange in a greased cast iron skillet. Put in the oven & check after 10 minutes. Start out with them on the bottom rack. Then after 10 minutes put them on the top oven rack. Let them cook about 5 more minutes & check them again. When they are golden brown on top, take those little dickens out & eat them up!

Here are my biscuits, don’t hate me.

We also had some other delectable dishes that day such as

Mustard Greens & Purple Hull Peas

Fried Chicken- my Mamaw would be proud.

Seriously, these are some good biscuits. For the past few weeks around mealtime, everybody has been like, “So, are you going to make biscuits?”. Nobody has ever asked me to make biscuits before this, Who would have thought biscuits could have made my popularity rating go way off the charts with my peeps? Just goes to show you people who love to eat are always the best people.

Now, for some Jesus…..We were in a food team meeting Sunday night & I was caught a little off guard. One of the ladies said to our church secretary, “Put mom on my food team. She doesn’t feel like she’s doing anything.” What? It seems like she has her finger in everything. I know she helps with a Sunday School class. She’s always cooking & at the fellowship meals. She is a faithful member. She encourages others. The younger kids LOVE her. She takes care of her family. She is always at church. She is an example for her grandchildren & anyone who is around her very long. These are things I can think of right off the top of my head. I know she does much more. And she’s 84 years old. It makes me stop & think- Am I that on fire for God? If I’m not, I had better be a makin’ plans to do something about it.

Matthew 5:16 says

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (NKJV)

Titus 2:7-8 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,⁸sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. (NKJV)

Doing good is not something you do on special occasions. It’s a way of life. We must strive to stay busy for Jesus. Just like this precious Christian lady has done. When the sky splits open & Jesus comes, will he find us working? Think about it.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. The sun has been out a little & it’s been WONDERFUL. Ya’ll, I am looking forward to some warmer weather, that’s for sure. Until it’s time for biscuits & fried chicken again, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Mr. Sweetie Pants acting so good for his Grand because he promised her he would.

Meanwhile back at home, he’s back to standing on the barstools, that swivel. He’s just talented like that.

My favorite love story & I sure hope I get some chocolate for Valentine’s Day

February 11, 2015February 11, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Valentine’s Day is just right around the corner. Do you have plans? I know lots of people celebrate their love this time of the year. I think that’s great. However, showing your love for someone should be all about how you live every day. Because you never know when the other person may be gone. Which brings me to one of my most favorite love stories of all. The one about my Mama & Daddy. I will try my best to not let this be drawn out. I will also ask your patience as I squall like a baby the whole time I am telling this.

As most of you know, my mother passed away in 2002 from complications of Multiple Sclerosis. Leading up to that, I have to tell you, she was so sick. My Daddy had some choices to make. He could either stay around & try to take care of her the best he could or he could tuck tail & run as fast as he could. Well, he hung around.

Up until her sickness, they had been that couple. You know the ones. The ones that had it all together. The ones that people went to for help. The ones that were always there to support others. The ones that loved everybody. They were “the preacher & his wife”. Don’t get me wrong. Just like any couple, they had their problems. But in the end, they were right there for each other.

My Daddy got the job as caregiver far too early. When Mama was hurting & sick & tired of it all & she would call him to her bedside to pray for her, she would say,

“Just pray. Pray for me to go.” Well, good grief. Most people would have fell apart right there at such a request.

My Daddy has always been the positive one. He would say,

“You shouldn’t say that. Just think of all the treasures you are laying up in heaven.”

Confused at where he was going with this, she replied,

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“Well, “ Daddy explained. “you being sick, has been a blessing to others. Just look at all the good deeds people have done because of you. Our friends & family are here all the time, bringing food, paying visits, calling to see if you need anything. You are helping people to store up treasures in heaven.”

With that, she said, “Then store you up some treasures in heaven & go get me a bowl of ice cream.”

Daddy would get her ready for church, pick her up, put her in the van, & push her in sitting in a wheelchair. Some Sundays when Daddy finally made it to church with Mama, he would be exhausted. But he never complained. He worked 3 jobs so that he could make enough to pay for Mama’s medical expenses.

He got up every morning & made her breakfast before he set out on his 1^st job. Not something frozen, warmed up. Homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs, sawmill gravy, bacon, country ham, or sausage & fresh brewed coffee.

Daddy learned, from Mama, how to make the best biscuits in the world. He would be in the kitchen hollerin’ how much of what needed to go in the bowl. And she would be telling him, from the bedroom, how to make a well out of the flour & put the liquid ingredients in the middle of the bowl. That’s how my Daddy learned how to make the buttermilk biscuits, I would put them up against any granny’s out there. They. Are. That. Good.

When she finally had to go in the nursing home, he went to see her EVERY day. She had fresh flowers in her room, from him, at all times. On Daddy’s request, the manager at the local Hardee’s would make sure Mama had a smoked sausage & biscuit, day or night. If anything was wrong or amiss, it was my Daddy’s name my Mama was calling. When you ask Daddy how he did it all, he will kindly tell you he didn’t have to do it. He got to do it. Mama & Daddy loved each other before she got sick. But their real love story came after she got sick. That’s when the rubber met the road, so to speak. When the cream rose to the top. That’s when it really counted. It was a true, Godly love they had.

The one God said was between a man & woman.

My Daddy stepped up, out of love & honor, for my Mama. And she let him. That’s my favorite love story.

Lord have mercy, I am an emotional wreck after all that. But it’s ok. I wanted to share it with you all. Now that I’ve bawled my eyes out, I should feel better. I hope you have a beautiful Valentine’s Day. One with chocolate & the like. I should be getting some chocolate. When I say should be, I mean hope someone gets me some because, if I don’t receive any, I will be purchasing some. Just for the comradery of it all. Here’s wishing you chocolate kisses & Russell Stover heart shaped candy boxes filled with chocolates this Valentine’s Day. Until I get my own Valentine’s candy, I will be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: http://www.mydiaryyourstory.blogspot.com,www.raleigh.corpcaterers.com, http://www.diyready.com

What do Jesus & Malcolm Butler have in common & O how I love Mississippi

February 2, 2015February 2, 2015 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

So, did anybody see what happened on t.v. last night? As in football? As in Super Bowl Football? Well, I may or may not have skipped some of the game. I did try to watch some of the half time show. But ya’ll, Katy Perry. I just can’t. I can’t get past the kissed the girl & I liked it song. I did pull my 11 year old out from in front of the t.v. when Ms. Perry started belting that one out. I would say in the least, she probably has hundreds of songs in her arsenal to sing. But she chose the kissing the girl song to sing last night. Sorry (not sorry). It just aggravates me. If she were here, my Mama Boyce would say, “She needs them legs striped.” Meaning in northeast MS language she needs taken out behind the woodshed. Which means, oh well, she just needs to stop it.

Malcolm Butler – New England Patriots Super Bowl 2015

Anyway, let’s talk about Malcolm Butler. Did you see him make the winning play? Malcolm. Butler. Won. The. Super. Bowl. Now, let’s talk about where ol’ Malcolm is from. West Alabama? No, that’s where he went to college. New England? No, that’s who he plays for.

Did I hear someone faintly say, MISSISSIPPI??

As in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Really? Mississippi? My Mississippi? The one that has the lowest education rating in the nation? The one that has the highest obesity rate in the country? The one that you never hear anything nice about. Yea, that Mississippi. The one that gave birth to Elvis Presley. Well, not really. His mama did, but you know what I mean. The one where the famous author John Grisham is from. The one where other great authors like Eudora Welty, William Faulkner & Tennessee Williams lived & worked. The same Mississippi, in which I have been asked, if we have indoor toliets & running water.

The one where Eli & Peyton Manning came from. The one that is home to the John Stennis Space Center (NASA’s Center of Excellence for rocket propulsion testing isn’t in Houston, or even Florida. It’s Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi.)

I’m not trying to chase a rabbit here. I am just trying to make the point that even though Mississippi gets a bad rap, somehow, somewhere we have done some things really right. So for all you skeptics out there, the guy that won the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots was from the wonderful, fantastic, beautiful, & marvelous state of Mississippi. (I must apologize to all of my English teachers for that really long sentence there. When I get excited, I forget that periods are free & I can use them anytime.) You may be saying how could that be that he’s from Mississippi? Well, it just can. (That’s my best explanation right now.)

Nazareth from the South

There was a time when someone questioned the place where Jesus was from. He was from Nazareth. According to www.bible-history.com, in Jesus’s time Nazareth had an evil reputation .It has generally been attributed to the Galileans’ lack of culture and rude dialect. There was a man named Nathanael, who asked a question about Jesus.

“Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” John 1:46

Nathanael was himself a Galilean. He may have said that because Nazareth was such a common term of contempt among the more “righteous” Jews in Judea. Thank goodness one of the disciples, Philip, was there to say,

“Come see.”

I am happy to say Christ’s being from Nazareth has not had too bad of an effect on His message. I would think He put Nazareth on the map. There may have been some questionable things going on in Nazareth, however, evidently, obviously, there were some really right things going on too. Am I comparing Malcolm Butler to Jesus? Well, maybe sorta. Sometimes it’s as easy as looking for the good instead of the bad. The cream always rises to the top. So did Jesus & so did Malcolm. Before you stereo-type me or Malcolm from being from Mississippi, remember, everybody has to come from somewhere. By the grace of God, we were born & raised in one of the best places on earth.

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today. You are most welcome to come by any time. As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

If you want to read more about how Mississippi is awesome sauce & the cat’s pajama’s, you can go here.

To read more lovely poetry about our wonderful state by the talented Patricia Neely-Dorsey click here.

Photo credits:

Yahoo! Sports, http://www.patricianeelydorsey.com, http://www.prayfit.com, http://www.mississippibelieveit.com, blacksportsonline

Merry Christmas from I should be washing clothes

December 25, 2014December 16, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

photo credit: BlogSpot.com

Merry Christmas ya’ll & a happy & healthy new year, too, from I should be washing clothes!

Christmas fun & how your taste in Christmas presents changes

December 20, 2014December 19, 2014 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

While reading over my favorite blogs, I thought, perhaps you all would enjoy some of the Christmas fun I have been reading about.

First is one of my faves: Christy Jordan’s Southern Plate. Not only does Christy share with us about delicious food, she gives ideas on how to have some Christmas fun. Click on the cookies to find out how you can do 25 free & inexpensive things for the best Christmas ever.

Next, there is so much going on over at I should be mopping the floor. Kristi has some adorable printables & ways to make your holidays less stressful. Just don’t be mad at me if you spend A LOT of time there.

Then, my other fav, who is always keepin’ it real over at Only a Breath. Melanie has announced she wants us to share reading the Bible in 2015. I know she would love having you all join in to study God’s word together. Just click on her messy kitchen to go to the blog post. (And by the way, this was after a night of at the last minute reindeer cookie making. I feel her pain.)

Now that I have shared some of my favorite blog stuff with you, I want to talk about how my taste in Christmas presents have changed. When I was younger of course it was toys, toys, & more toys! Then, as I became a teenager, it was a special piece of jewelry, clothes, or whatever it was everybody else was getting that year. As I got older & had kids & now grandkids -it’s hard to buy my Christmas present. Not that I am that hard to buy for. You see, what I want for Christmas has become something you can’t buy in a store. My kids will ask what I want, every year.

For the past several years, it’s been the same- nothing.

I just want them to take care of their own babies now. To make sure they get what they want. My Christmas present is my house full of people who I love & who love me. Being able to open up my house to the ones who are dearest to me is a wonderful feeling. In the past few years, people have become so much more important to me. I think it’s just something that tends to happen when you lose those who are very dear to you. Many of our loved ones have gone on & you start to really pay attention to the relationships you have. My mama loved a get together. I think I am getting more like her. I love eating together, laughing together, & watching them all be excited for the season. Seeing the little ones squeal & rip & romp through my house. Having enough food for everybody & then some. Being able to cook with my sweetie. That is what I want for Christmas. The feeling of contentment that right then, for a split second, my loved ones are fed, safe, & sound. There, for the moment, there is peace on my earth, that I live in. I wouldn’t take anything for all of that. Now show me how to bottle & sell that & we will be gazillionaires!

What are you doing for Christmas? Whatever it is, I hope you feel as blessed as I do. Not with what’s under the tree, but being grateful for your family, friends, & spiritual blessings. That’s what it’s all about anyway. Until next time, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

A little Christmas perspective from Calvin & Hobbes

Raising a peacemaker & this is what my Thanksgiving looked like

December 4, 2014December 4, 2014 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

The other day, I got a phone call from the school. It was my Miss Neenee. She began telling me she was in the nurse’s office. (Which from my experience, has never turned out good.)

She said she had been hit by a boy in P.E. They were playing basketball. They were both going up to catch the ball. The boy slammed into her, to get the ball. Then, the ball hit her in the face. All of that commotion broke her glasses & left a cut on her eyebrow.

She started by telling me,

“Mama, I’m in the nurse’s office. I cut my eye playing ball & broke my glasses.”

“You cut your eye? Your eyeball?” I was just a smidge panicked.

“No, the outside close to my eyebrow. And it’s bleeding.” She said.

“It’s bleeding???” Now, full blown anxiety & confusion has set in. And apparently, I sounded too frantic, because the nurse got on the phone.

The kind nurse reassured me she was not bleeding profusely. That she took a lick on the eye & her glasses were broken. She put the Miss back on the phone. I asked her did she need to be picked up & she did not.

After we got home, I asked her, “Who was this boy & what did you do when you got hit?”

Well, first she cried. Then, she went to the nurse’s office (accompanied by one of her besties, no less).

“What happened with the little boy?” I pressed.

“He kept saying he was sorry & he said he would buy me some new glasses.” She said

“Well, what did you do to him?” I quizzed.

“Umm, nothing. He said he was sorry. A bunch.” She replied.

Really? No big throw down? No show down amongst the 5^th & 6^th grader P.E. students? If it had of been me, I would have probably had to smack some heads. You can’t push somebody around & get by with it. Then, I thought about what Jesus said, in His sermon on the mount:

Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (ESV)

Matthew 5:38-39

³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (ESV)

By Miss Neenee just letting it go, she became a peacemaker, like Jesus is talking about there in verse 9. She passed on the opportunity to retaliate. She turned the other cheek. Perhaps I could learn a lesson here. Maybe we all could. Keep your temper & anger in check. It’s what Jesus would want us to do.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We most certainly did. I was off work for 4 days. Out of those 4 days I saw my kids & grandkids every day. That’s a lot of happiness for me. I even got to keep my grandbabies for some of that time. Fun was had by all. I hope you have a wonderful week. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Some Thanksgiving highlights:

My Daddy & sister in law

Me & my big brother

Jay-Dub & Livie – sweetest nephew & niece ever

Daddy & Livie

Livie & Miss Neenee

Thanksgiving breakfast sorta agrees with us.

Star of the show- brined, smoked & ready to eat. Best. turkey. ever.

Some of the Thanksgiving dinner. The rest continued around on the other side of the counter. Whew! We were full!

Here’s some Thanksgiving kids. Coincidentally, they do not like turkey. However, are stuffing their little faces with the “chicken” we had.

Two of my sweet boys

When you can’t find the butterflies for the Elefun game, you try to make other things fly out of his nose.

Like cups or guns….

And here was the guilty culprit! Look at that sweet face. Now, how many times do you think he gets in trouble at Grand & Pap's? If you said none, you were right.

And here was the guilty culprit! Look at that Mr. Sweetie Pants! Now, how many times do you think he gets in trouble at Grand & Pap’s? If you said none, you were right.

photo credit: pinterest

Singing to the top of my lungs & leaning on the everlasting arms

September 10, 2014September 9, 2014 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

What would you do if you didn’t know how to sing? There would be no singing in the shower, no happy noise around the house, no entertainment in the car. There would be no sayings like,

“He couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. Bless his heart.”

One time we were having a Ladies Day at church & I was asked to lead singing. I was so excited! My family was full of people who could sing well. My uncle is a song leader at his church.

I asked him, “What do I need to do? Which songs should I pick out? I can’t even read music. Is that going to be a big deal?”

He said, “I am going to tell you something a lot of people don’t know. Our family sings by letter. We just open up our mouths & let ‘er fly.”

Whew! I’m so glad I got to carry on my family tradition. Because that’s exactly what I did. And I think it worked out ok. I had a lot of fun, I know that.

We had a missionary come to church Sunday. He gave a report on work he & his wife were doing in Italy & Ukraine. He showed one picture on Powerpoint & said,

“This is a time we were teaching the people how to sing. They didn’t know how to sing church hymns.”

Well, don’t that beat all? Since I have been singing in church since I was a wee thing, I can’t imagine not knowing how to sing church songs. I remember thinking my job was to sing louder than anyone. When I was 5 or 6 years old, I can remember my mama telling me she loved hearing me sing, but it was not necessary that I was the loudest in church. Do tell.

When making trips to town, as a young girl, my grandfather & I would sing Old MacDonald, in his old Corvair pick up truck. My grandmother used to sing to us kids. It was mostly songs she had made up. She would rock us & sing. It was better than anything you can imagine. She had such a way to comfort us young’uns. After church on Sundays, at my Papaw & Mamaw’s house, one of us kids would grab a song book. We would stand in the den, with my grandparents, mama, daddy, aunts, uncles, cousins, & one of would be the song leader. All of us would sing our hearts out. My brother would sing, “Leaning on Jesus Everlasting Arm” just like my Uncle Frank did at church. Everybody would “request songs” & we would sing them. Good times.

At church, there were Sunday singings after our dinner on the ground. That’s where the men of the congregation would take turns singing songs. We would go around the room & whoever wanted to lead a song could. Young, old, it didn’t matter. We just loved to sing.

Did you know one of the things we will be doing in heaven is singing? That makes it mine & your responsibility to be a practicin’!

Revelation 15:3

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! (NKJV)

It’s a known fact that everybody can sing. Some may read music. Some may sing like a bird. Some may make the dogs howl when they commence to singin’. Like us, some may sing by letter, but it’s all beautiful to God, when we worship the Lord. Even though my mama thought it not proper to sing to the top of my lungs, when I was a young lass, that didn’t damper my spirit at all. I still love to sing along with our congregation. It’s hard to sing & not just feel better. And don’t think I have not taken the opportunity of teaching my kids & grandkids to love singing. I sing to these babies & Mr. Sweetie Pants sings back to me. He can belt out, “Jesus Loves Me” or “Rock Me Mama Like a Wagonwheel” in just a split second.

I hope you are having a good week. We are going to be having some cooler weather closer to the weekend. Oh yeah! I got to see all my grandkids this weekend. We had a big ol’ time. What fun things have you done lately? I want to hear all about it. But for now, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: pinterest, keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk, fumctroy.org

Are you blood kin? & Mamaw’s Sunday Dinner

August 20, 2014August 20, 2014 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

I am so fortunate & blessed to be surrounded by good people. And when I say good, I mean Godly folks. I come from a family full of Christians. My church family is wonderful, as well. It is such a great feeling to know my blood kin are related to me through Christ, too. My Sunday School teacher made such a terrific point Sunday about our relationship with Jesus. He posed the question,

“Ain’t it wonderful to be blood kin to Christ?”

He went on to say that we are made “kin” to Jesus through His blood that He shed on the cross. We come into contact with that blood through baptism. I always knew that, but it was a nice warm fuzzy reminder that Christ is my blood kin.

Matthew 26:28 (NKJV)For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Acts 2:38 (NKJV) “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost“

Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

In the South, we take kinfolk pretty seriously. We take care of our own. We love our own. We are proud of our own. We are loyal to our own. It doesn’t matter if one of our relatives is a little off or strange. We just shake our heads & say bless their heart.

I remember very well the Sundays growing up. My Daddy was the preacher. So, we got up & went to church every Sunday. We worshipped with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins. We ate Sunday dinner, that my Mamaw fixed, every Sunday. She cooked fried chicken every Sunday. Her table was full of peas, potatoes, slaw, casseroles, deviled eggs, homemade pickles, cornbread & whatever else this sweet lady came up with. She always made a cake, a cobbler, or some sort of delicious dessert type dish. It did not matter what you had going on. If you weren’t there for Sunday dinner, well, let’s just say she did NOT understand. Also, she made such a big dinner so that if a visitor showed up at church, she could invite them over. My Mamaw was just awesome like that.

Blood kin means a lot to me. That’s where I feel safe & secure. My Mamaw’s brother, my great uncle would hug us kids up, every Sunday. He would say,

“Ya’ll my kinfolks.”

As I get older, I love knowing about my ancestors & where I came from. I have pictures of my great grandparents hanging in my house. I look into their eyes & there I see who I am. It’s an interesting thing to know what you are made of. From a religious standpoint, I am made up of my blood kin- Jesus. I love that! I just want others to see less of me, in me, & more of Jesus. That’s the kind of resemblance I want to have.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. Thank ya’ll for always listening to me & what I think. The weather has turned back off H-O-T. It rained & stormed some this weekend. Since then, it’s been so muggy. I think we are making up for the nice weather we got in July. Ne’er a summer passes in Mississippi without hot, humid, can’t let the kids out outside to play kind of weather. Before I go, Miss Neenee came home & asked could she be in the chess club at school. Since she does not actively play chess, I asked the crazy question,

“What made you interested in the chess club?”

She matter of factly replied, “Well, that’s the only club they have for us.”

Oh well, then. Looks like we will be learning to play chess. Until then, I will be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits:writtenreality.com, pinterest

More stuff that I think:

Back to school

August 6, 2014August 6, 2014 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

Am I the only one wondering where the summer went? We go back to school tomorrow. Tomorrow. As in tomorrow. I’m just astonished & perplexed & wondering how in the world it all got by me. There was a list of stuff me & Miss Neenee were going to do before school started. She can’t go back to school. We haven’t finished the list! Oh well. All the wailing & crying in the world won’t stop the fact it’s time for school.

I have, in fact, found some helpful solutions to our beginning of the school year woes. Kristi at I should be mopping the floor has a bunch of neat things on her website that is back to schoolish.

She always has the best stuff on her website. That Kristi. I’m so glad she leaves those floors un-mopped.

After you get finished there, go on over to My Super Charged Life You will find a blog post that is about being nice. And who doesn’t need to be nice? This would be something good to go over with your kids, too. Seeing they will be with other darlings, that may well, not have much coaching on how to be nice. This would be something good for them to have fresh on their little minds. They may have to teach niceness to a few other kids this year.

I hope all of you have a wonderful school year. Miss Neenee will be in 5th grade this year. 5th grade. (sigh) I went to pick up her schedule & I asked them what she needed to do on the 1st day. The office lady said, “She will need to meet in the gym.” I thought, “But that’s where the big kids go.” Oh yeah. That’s her. A big kid. Maybe a little stressing out is in order here. Until then, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credit: ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com & clipartbest

My big girl standing beside a stuffed buffalo. Tell me we don’t get out a lot.