Collard Greens vs Mustard Greens

Which do you prefer?

Collard Greens or Mustard Greens?

We ate a lot of greens growing up in the tall piney woods of deep East Texas. Mama and Daddy always had a garden. Sometimes we ate mustard greens, for other meals we had collard greens.

As a new wife, my husband was stationed in El Paso, Texas in the early seventies.  One weekend one of his army buddies came for a visit while we were cooking dinner. We had collard greens AND mustard greens, but were only going to cook the collards that day. The mustards were for another day.

Mustard Greens

His friend asked why we were only cooking collards and leaving the mustards. He said his family always mixed the two kinds of greens together, and they loved them. We gave it a try.

The rest is history. We love Collard greens, and we love Mustard greens. We especially love collards and mustards mixed since we learned this tip. They are awesomely delicious!

Do you mix collard greens and mustard greens together? Do you only eat them separately? Let us know in the comments sections. We'd love to hear all about it. 

Healthy eating with mixed greens.

Retirement: Why I Retired from Teaching

Retire or Go To Jail

  

I started working full time when my middle child and only daughter, Jordyn, went to college. I had pretty much been a full time housewife and mom until then, working when and where I wanted to if I wanted to.

When I first started teaching I was fortunate to get the 2nd grade GT (Gifted/Talented) class. It was like being in heaven!

I taught second grade (not GT the whole time though) from the beginning until the 2000-2001 school year when I was moved to 5th grade. That was an administrative decision made without consulting me.

I absolutely hated teaching 5th grade! I couldn’t get used to the bad attitudes and disrespect of preadolescence 5th graders. I especially missed the parental support that the parents of the younger kids had provided.

Needless to say, I retired from teaching in May of 2002. I couldn’t take it anymore. I HAD to get out before I ended up in trouble or in jail from dealing with sassy disrespectful 5th graders. I realized I didn’t have the temperament or the inclination to deal with mouthy preadolescent kids.  

Teaching 5th grade was so disheartening and stressful I gave notice of my retirement a year in advance.

Then God moved in and took the reins. Administration moved me back to 2nd grade, one of my favorite age groups for my last year. It was even the GT class … again. It was like being in hog-heaven is all I can say about it!

BUT, I had to go. I couldn’t hang around and let administration move me to the older kids again. I certainly didn’t want to end up in jail or in the National Spotlight News!

I learned from my daddy, “If you fool me once, shame on YOU! BUT, if you fool me twice . . . shame on ME”! I wasn’t about to let that happen!

Briefly, that’s why I retired from a profession I am so passionately in love with

. . . teaching.

Click  images to view source 

Gadget Girl

Gadgets Widgets & Doodads

I love gadgets, gizmos, and devices of every kind. I am a self-professed gadget girl, no ifs ands or buts about it. I have a million of them. Well, nine hundred thousand of them anyway. My grown kids are gadget people.

My Photo

My daddy was a gadget man. He loved whatchamacallits of all kinds even way back then, even created a few of his own. I often wonder how he would have liked tablets, computers, hard drives and such.

I know he would not have cared at all about cell phones because he wasn’t much of a talker. He definitely was not a telephone talker. So, I could just imagine him opting not to even get a cell phone.

With that in mind, what kind of gadgets do I imagine Daddy liking? He would have ABSOLUTELY LOVED “remote controls.” I am as sure of this as I am sure that the sun rises in the east.

Back in the late 50s and into the 60s we had to turn the lights on in a room by pulling a string hanging from the light in the ceiling. Daddy connected a long, long, longer string to the light in his and Mama’s room. He then tied the string to the headboard on his side of their bed. Whenever he wanted the lights on or off, he only had to reach up from his comfortable place in bed and tug on the string.

 Lights on!

That’s how I know daddy would have loved remote controls.

My Photo

Do you love gadgets? Which of your devices or gadgets do you like best? Does anyone else you know love gadgets? What are your thoughts on gadgets and gizmos?  

Click Image of light to view Source                          

What did I come in here for?

What did I come in here for?

I just sat down with my tablet again, for the third time. I already made two trips to the bedroom to get something but forgot what it was by the time I got there.

The first time I went in the bedroom, I changed my shoes, emptied trash cans and, wiped off the top of my nightstand. As I finished taking the last bag of trash from its container and tying it shut, I glanced around the room to see what else I needed to do. Nothing!

That done, I start for the den.

Oh, wait! What did I come in here for in the first place?!

Ummm, I don’t remember. Oh, well.

Back in the den, I grab my tablet to take up where I left off. Click. I turn it on. OH DANG,

my battery is almost dead!

That’s what it was! I went to the bedroom to get the charger to charge my tablet’s battery.

Ok. Back to the bedroom! Durn battery!

As soon as I enter the bedroom, I hang up a couple of shirts. Then I…

What was it I came in here for?!!!

Click Images to View Source

How I Came to Love Music

How I Came to Love Music

 

When I was a kid way back in the 50s and 60s, my daddy was a music lover. He loved all kinds of music, from gospel to blues to country and even classical music. You name it, Daddy loved it. Yes, he loved it ALL!

Every Friday evening after work he would start the weekend fun by putting his favorite “record of the day”, on the record player. When Daddy put the music on, we knew the fun was about to begin.

Many times the fun was simply playing records on the record player and listening to them. There were other times when the fun included playing games like shooting pool in our tiny kitchen on Daddy’s 6 foot long pool table. Sometimes it was playing in the yard pitching horse shoes, or playing baseball, or basketball and many more.

Whatever the case, there was always music playing at our house on the weekend. And, Daddy didn’t just “play” music, he exude music. He sang it, along with the record or alone…by himself. He encouraged us to sing along with it and with him. He danced to it and always . . . reached for my hand to join him in the dance.

Daddy didn’t “do-no-half-stepping” when it came to music. He always opened up all the windows and the doors. He had to let the music out! When he opened the windows and doors, everybody in the neighborhood could hear the music.

I became a music lover myself by listening to Daddy’s music, by watching him make music a fun experience. And especially ... Dancing with my daddy!  Now, I am my daddy’s star student.

I LOVE me some music!  I am a music lover extraordinaire!!  I love all kinds of music, from gospel to blues to country to jazz, and classical. I love it ALL!

There you have it, a teeny-tiny bit about me and my love of Good Music.

Do you like music? What is your favorite kind of music? How do you like your music, soft or loud? Do you know anyone who loves music like my daddy did?

Daddy Daughter Photo Source: Click the Image. It is NOT me and MY daddy. 

When Toddlers Talk Back

When Toddlers "Talk Back"

One morning 4 year old, grandson Jace, disagreed with something I had told him to do. He had his reasons for not wanting to do as I asked. He and I talked back and forth about it for a minute. I stated my POV, Jace stated his POV. I listen to him without consequence.

My mama sat watching and listening to the whole thing with this totally disapproving look on her face. When Jace and I finished discussing the situation and I hadn’t “beat him to a pulp”, Mama asked, “Is he talking back to you?”

I answered her, “Yes, he is”. And, I left it at that. I knew her mind was churning a mile a minute about what SHE would have done or possibly what I should have done differently.

What I didn’t even try to explain to her is this. Jace is an exceptionally bright and strong-willed child. He has a mind of his own, already. He is adamant about what he does want and more so about what he does not want. For now, I give him the opportunity to “talk back”. I want him to let me know what’s on his mind.

I always discuss “talking back” and what is acceptable and what is not with Jace immediately following one of these circumstances. I plan to continue these discussions until he is old enough and his understanding has developed to the point where he knows what is acceptable and what is not.

My personal opinion, for me and mine, is this. I want Jace to have a voice and not be afraid to speak-up when he needs to. A spanking/butt whooping is not the answer. It would serve no good purpose to spank a child and have them fear talking to you or with you.

I further believe that I can better help Jace by helping him understand the difference between speaking up for himself, stating his opinions or frustrations, and simply being disrespectful.

Do you think kids should have a voice? Do you believe in the old, “Do What I Tell You to do Without Question”? What are your thoughts on this?

Needs vs Wants

There are quite a few household and personal things I need to do. But first, I need to get some rest. I want to REST! I want to SLEEP! I want some sleep and some rest!

If I had the opportunity, I could sleep for two days straight only getting up to eat or go to the lady’s room. Seriously!

I need to go grocery shopping soon or the family will think I lost my whole entire mind. I could put away some clutter that’s accumulated. Siiigghh ):

I certainly need to get better acquainted with Sir Hoover, the vacuum cleaner and Lady Pledge, the dust-buster queen. I need to do all this but, will I?

I should probably do a couple of them, maybe all of them. Then again I don’t feel like doing any of them. Truth be told, I don’t WANT to do anything. So I won’t!!!

The more I think about it, the more I think it would be nice to just lollygag and play around on my computer and my tablet. Okay, that settles it. I’m going to diddle the time away until bedtime.

Maybe I can rest when I go to bed tonight.  I don’t know if any of this made sense, but I got it out. That’s my rant for the day!

Just My 2-cents worth,,,

Okay, enough already. Now, go sit down somewhere and be quiet dellgirl.  

About Me

100 Words About Me

I am a female, born and raised in the great State of Texas. I am a ‘Daddy’s Girl’ …always have been, always will be. Daddy looks down on me from heaven now. I am still, Daddy’s Girl. I Love You Daddy!

I was born in the fall. That is probably why fall is my very favorite season. I have three brothers, I am the oldest. 

I was a tomboy. I played backyard football with guys who later played pro-football.

My daddy taught me to shoot a rifle when I was eight years old. He also taught me to respect guns.

There you have it. That is 100 Words About Me.

What Did You Do Today?

What Did You Do Today? What about yesterday?

Here it is 8:15 pm Thursday August 1^st and I’m trying to settle down for the day. The past several months have been a complete blurrr, more so than usual. So much going on and to do, I don’t dare “Go-there”. Those are drama stories for another time.

All of these goings-on have brought to mind something that grabs my attention every time it happens. Have you ever watched a crime drama movie where the police asked a suspect where they were on a particular day (in the past) and what were they doing?

I have. I watch them all the time, they’re my favorite stuff to watch. And, it never ceases to amaze me that the police expect a full accounting of the person’s whereabouts and actions. I would be all the way “up-BLANK-creek-“without a paddle if they asked me that question. They would probably lock me up and throw away the key.

The past couple of days were extremely busy with lots of things to do while grandson Jace was away on vacation. I remember most (not all though) of what I did today. But, I couldn’t tell you one thing I did on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, even if you paid me. It’s just that bad.

Okay, enough already! I’m rambling on and ranting about much of nothing. Anyway, I forgot what I was trying to say here. Guess I’d better go regroup and get myself together.

So, what did you do today? What did you do Monday and Tuesday? What about this past weekend?

Wishing you a beautiful Friday!

Nightmares vs Sweet Dreams

Nightmares vs Sweet Dreams

Have you ever had a nightmare? I have! If you have never had one, you don’t know what you’re missing. AND, believe me you don’t want to know either.

I started having nightmares as a kid somewhere around 10 or 11 years old. I remember my daddy always coming into the room to wake me up and talk me through what had just happened. He would quietly talk with me until I was calm again and could go back to sleep.

The nightmares continued into young adulthood and on into marriage. During our early years together, Papa-dellgirl would gently shake me awake (I had told him about my experiences) and hold me until I could go back to sleep.

The nightmares continued and, after many years of the same old soup just warmed over, Papa started to nudge me awake. He would simply nudge, nudge, poke, poke until I was awake. Then he would turn over and go back to sleep himself…no more holding. No more cuddling. Ummmmm? Ok, I guess enough is enough.

Finally, around 2005 or so, the nightmares stopped. I haven’t had another one that I know of since. Why did they stop? I have an answer, but that’s a whole ‘nother story all by itself.

Thank God the nightmares are gone! There’s a new and enlightening peace of mind that comes with that.

Have you ever had a nightmare? Does someone you know have nightmares? How do you/they handle them?

Click Images to view Source

Up The Creek Without A Paddle

Up The “CREEK” Without a Paddle is An Old Saying. I know you have heard the old saying, “Up the creek without a paddle”.

Yes, I see you smiling over there, you’ve heard it. I have actually cleaned the title up a bit so that it is not considered profane or inappropriate.

The actual title is “Up BLANK Creek Without a Paddle”. The word in the blank begins with an “s” and, it ends with a “t”. It has two letters in the middle, “h” and “i”.

Why am I talking about being up blank creek without a paddle? I am talking about it to keep from going absolutely head-banging crazy. Mama is on one of her “out-of-her-mind” journeys. I’m dealing with it as calmly as humanly possible, without getting dramatic myself.

If it would do any good, I would scream! But, it won’t. So, I won’t. Thank God it’s almost her bedtime.

Until then…

I am “UP BLANK CREEK”!!!     

People Who Energize You & Make You Smile

People Who Energize You

Some of my favorite people have a special place in my heart and mind. They have a way of making a stressful day less stressful. They make you feel special in ways they aren’t even aware of.

These people are a joy to be around. They make you forget about your troubles even if your circumstances have not changed and you are still in a world of trouble.

They smile when they see you coming, they always have a kind word for you or a positive thought to share with you. They genuinely care about you and it shows through their words and their actions.

Image source

YOU smile when you see them coming, you know you’re in for some positive chit-chatting…some laugh till your jaws ache interactions.

They leave you positive messages even when you have not been around for a few days. And when you do show up, they let you know they are glad to see you.

People who energize and give you hope do so just by their mere smile and their sincere greeting. I love people who smile and share happiness…just because.

They are a joy to be around!

There you have it, my random thoughts on positive people who energize you. Do you know anyone who energizes you? What is your favorite thing about them?

© 11-22-16 by ~dellgirl~

The Great Punctuation Rebellion

 Sometimes I find myself rebelling against writing rules, especially the rules of punctuation.  More specifically, I often rebel against the comma.

For the longest time, I could not write and publish anything that contained a mistake of any kind. I tried many times, but I just couldn’t do it.

After writing almost continuously online since 2008, I began to question the need to stick strictly to the rules for using the comma. For one thing, using a comma to set-off a name within a sentence has become a real sticking point with me.

Most of the time, I don’t feel the need to use a comma before a name AND after the name to set it off while writing so casually on blogs, my website, and such. Sometimes I use the commas, sometimes I don’t. After all, it’s just me talking to friends through these writings.  

When I’m feeling full of myself, I bend the comma rule and only place a comma where I think necessary if I am dealing with a proper name. Other times, I don’t  use the comma at all if I am really writing the way I talk in person.

There are a couple of more instances where I rebel against traditional punctuation rules, but this is #1.

There you have it, my rant for the week.

Do you ever knowingly NOT follow traditional punctuation rules? Do you always follow the rules exactly? Which punctuation rule would you choose to rebel against? 

If I Were a Blackbird

If I Were a Blackbird

If I were a blackbird sitting high in a tree,

I’d fly away from everyone that keeps messing with me.

People with their begging and their constant needs,

I’d find myself a secret place and go hunting for some seeds.

 If I were a blackbird all sleek and shiny,

I would get away from people that are constantly whiny.

I’d find myself a quiet place to rest in peace,

I wouldn’t go back until the neediness has ceased.

 Awww, But “IF” is such a useless word, it doesn’t do much good.

It accomplishes nothing, so I never understood

why I indulge it and use it, it doesn’t help one bit,

So if(ing), could(ing), and would(ing), I had better quit.

©2014 by ~dellgirl~