To Tweet or Not to Tweet

   After much avoidance, I joined Twitter last week. Why has it taken me this long, you ask? Because I find Twitter to be intimidating. All the codes and Twitter-jargon left me confused and ready to give up before I've even begun.
   As ridiculous as it is, I joined because I want to read celeb's Tweets. I think Twitter is super cool in that it really lets you see that celebrities truly are just regular people (with better clothes and way more cash flow). And so, I gave in to the temptation and am now updated on Kim K's every move. (Yes, I really do follow her on Twitter. I love to hate her and hate to love her. It's complicated.)
   My internal conflict is that I feel it's incredibly narcissistic. I have trouble coming up with something to say that "the whole world" (aka my 6 followers) could possibly care about. I mean, how narcissistic to think that people care that you are baking cookies, or leaving the store, or it's raining at your house. Celebs? Sure, it makes you feel like they're just another person living a regular life. But a regular person tweeting about regular activities that they do in their regular life? Not as cool.
   I guess this is going to give me new incentive to lead a more interesting life. We'll see how long that (and my Twitter account) lasts. ;)



Image obtained from mediafunnel.com

The Walking Dead: Shane vs. Rick

Like most of our pop culture, I love the Walking Dead. Something about the goriness, the awesome camera shots, and the fascinating story line reels you in from the first episode you watch—no matter which you start with.

               Not since Lost has a show provoked so much thought in me. I find myself thinking of the show often. I can no longer step out on my porch after dark without quickly glancing around for Walkers. If I hear leaves rustling, I automatically think “Walker”. I’ve gotten to where I lock the door to the bathroom when I get in the shower. Yes, I absolutely know these are irrational fears, but aren’t those the best kind? There’s something fun about being scared.

               I’ve heard a lot of people speak of their dislike, and even hate, for Shane—especially after the mid-season finale. Most people are usually pro-Rick who leads with his heart, but I am not settled on my decision to dislike Shane. You have to look a bit deeper than to say he’s a heartless villain. You have to look at the deteriorating world around them and remember their world is no longer our’s. Has Shane lost his humanity? Yes, or at least, it’s rapidly fleeting. But in a world where the vast majority of the population has turned into heartless, mindless zombies who want nothing more than to tear your flesh from your bones and feed on it, your best bet for survival requires losing your humanity. You can no longer live by a lost world’s laws and moral code when you’re on the endangered species list. Shane has two things on his mind: Lori and survival. Ignoring the first, I’d say Shane is dead-on (pardon the pun) for the second. When it comes to Walkers, you have to kill them—even if it was once your loved one. The key word is once. We saw in the CDC that the person that once was is no longer after being bitten. You cannot think of them as a person.

               Aside from his slight obsession with Lori, most people focus on the fact that Shane killed Otis as their main reason for disliking him. In our world, yes, that is wrong. But when it comes down to survival, I have to say Shane did the only thing he could. If he still had his humanity, Shane would have died right alongside Otis, and consequently, so would Carl. There was only one bullet left. The smartest and most humane thing to do would be to shoot one of them while the other gets the medicinal supplies back to the farm. Shane was in the best shape and was the obvious choice to be the runner. I’m not saying what he did was right. He could have shot Otis in the head so that the shot would have killed him instantly. He didn’t have to shoot him in the leg and beat a dying man off of him. He didn’t have to let him be eaten alive by zombies. But we’re looking at this with our humanity. And in a world gone zombie, you have to exchange your humanity for your life. Your actions should have only one motive: survival. And that’s why Shane is a survivor. Hate him if you want, but I’d say he’s the smartest of the bunch.

               Most people prefer Rick because he makes important decisions using his conscience and heart. In our world, yes, Rick is definitely the better man. But when the zombie apocalypse is taking place, using your heart will take your survival rate from 100% to 10%. By the close of the mid season, we start to see a change in Rick. Some say for the worse; some for the better. Rick is starting to step up when it comes to making hard decisions. He chooses to ignore the fact that his best friend started a relationship with his wife because punishing them both would do no good. Even if they hadn’t thought he was dead. What’s done is done and splitting the group would do no ultimate good; there’s safety in numbers. In the last scene of the last episode, he shoots Sophia in the face. Again, looking at this from a humane point of view, that would be terrible. What if Hershel is right and they’re really just sick people in need of a cure?!?! But, again, you have to remember looking at it in a humane way is no longer an option because the world that we live in is not the world these people live in. Someone has to step up and do what has to be done—in this case, shoot Sophia in the face. I have to admit, I fully expected it to be Shane. I felt nothing but pride for Rick when he was the one who did it. I really think we’re going to see a shift in the way things are handled when the show returns in February, and I have to admit I’m very much looking forward to it!

A Hero Returns

  I am so happy to say that a good friend of mine, Terry Henley, is home from deployment. He married his bride, Mehgan, this past October and they have collectively spent about a month together since their wedding. Mehgan orchestrated a surprise dinner party for Terry and his family. The event was a double surprise. Terry's mother, sister, and grandmother thought they were meeting Mehgan for dinner. Terry, not knowing his friends and extended family were there, thought he was going to surprise his family when they showed up for dinner. It was perfect!

   Though Terry has not seen battle first hand, he is the epitome of a hero. He knew his job could lead directly to a grave. He knew he would have to give up the freedom to live his life the way he wanted to for the next four years so that his family, friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans could. He knew he could possibly see things that would change him forever. He knew he would have to leave the wedding planning up to his wife and show up the day before the wedding and leave town two days after. He knew he would have to leave his new bride for months while he was deployed. And he did all of these things willingly--for us. For his country. For our freedom. For our way of life. For our security. For our future.

  Thank you Terry! We are so grateful to have you home!

Terry with his sister, mother, and bride



I'm Over October

   As stated earlier, I love the month of October. (If you wanna know why, click here.) And this October did not disappoint. Because I have not blogged about any of the happenings this month, I'm just gonna sum it all up in this one post. So here goes:

Main Event 1:   Words cannot describe how much I look forward to the Alabama National Fair's annual visit to Montgomery. I absolutely love rides that spin, and the vast majority of the rides at the fair go in some sort of circle. So I'm pretty much in a state of bliss the entire time I'm there.
     I went with a dear friend this year, and we had a blast! We exerted so much energy that I literally had to be carried to the car because I was so exhausted. And I didn't leave empty handed--I left with a HUGE pink pig. My students were so happy because the pig is now our class pet. (We named him Herbert.)

Herbert



Main Event 2: Daddy turned 50 the 19th of October. We got (almost) the entire family together at Kelly's house and threw him a surprise party. It was so much fun!

 Not the best picture, but it'll do.



Main Event 3: This is the first year that I have decorated the house for Halloween. I usually decorate the house with fall decorations but skip those decorations specifically related to Halloween. I really enjoyed trying to make the porch cute but scary at the same time.



Main Event 4: Tyler turned 11, and Kelly and Troy had the fam over to celebrate. I love that I'm considered T's family. I love him like the nephew I never had! :)



Main Event 5: Liberty set up a booth at Trade Day to raise funds for a mission trip to Haiti. My role was to paint faces. I can honestly say there was virtually no rest from 8:00 am-1:00 pm for me. And I'm not complaining! We raised a good bit of money for the mission team! I know they're going to do great things in Haiti this December!



Main Event 6: Kelly, Aunt Lynda, and I went to see Dracula at the Shakespeare Festival. We had so much fun! We had dinner at Bonefish that was absolutely delicious, and Dracula was fantastic! I already can't wait until April to go see a play about King Henry VIII. ASF knows how to put on a good show!



Main Event 7: Jenna and I went to Syrup Sopping this year. It makes me sad to say Jenna had no idea what I was talking about when I asked if she wanted to go. So we woke up early (Okay, that's a lie. We actually slept in crazy late for us, but I feel like I have to say we woke up early because you're supposed to on Syrup Sopping Day.) and headed to Loachapoka for some handmade goods and sugar cane syrup. We had a great time!



Main Event 8: We celebrate Homecoming Sunday at my home-church in October. While I do not attend Calvary anymore, I absolutely love my sweet church. You won't find a more God-fearing pastor and people. We heard a great message and had dinner on the grounds afterwards.



Main Event 8: I now have a second job. A friend of mine has 12 pecan trees on his land and offered me a job helping pick up pecans. With Christmas shopping in mind, I quickly said "yes." So I've been picking up pecans here and there when I can after work and on the weekends. I really enjoy it. We can't ever sync our schedules to pick up at the same time so we basically work in shifts. I have really, really enjoyed picking them up. With work, television, and the Internet, we rarely spend time just "being." I have enjoyed having some alone time with just me and the pecans. It's extremely relaxing!



Main Event 9: Halloween weekend! Ben came to town to play with My Two Wings Friday and Saturday night. So, of course, we made a weekend out of going to hear them play. We had so much fun! I didn't dress up Friday night (gasp, I know!). Apparently I missed the memo that you are only supposed to dress up Friday night because I dressed up Saturday night and wound up being the only person in a costume. Finally, after a couple of hours, people started filtering in with costumes. I'm not gonna lie, it was awkward for a while. I couldn't exactly play off my costume like it was a regular outfit--I was a crayon. Haha! It was still a good time!

My Two Wings playing at Blue Bagel

 Josh, Ryan, and "Razzle Dazzle Rose" listening to My Two Wings

Main Event 10: Because Halloween fell on a school day, we decided to have a party in each of my classes on Monday. I was very nervous on my drive to work that morning because I felt like I was really going to regret allowing the kids to be all hopped up on sugar while I'm trying my best to teach a lesson on congruency. I'm so glad that my worry was unnecessary because the students did a great job! We only spent bout 10 minutes actually partying (I know, that's not really a party, but my job is to teach them--not entertain them), and no one complained. Apparently we packed enough fun into those 10 minutes for them to realize they didn't have a lot of time. :)

I can't show pictures of the kids, but you can take my word for it--they had some great costumes!



Must Read

Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Borrow it; buy it. Whatever you have to do, read this book.

That is all.

Tutu Extreme

  It's spirit week at our school, and yesterday was Extreme Team day. There are ten teams at our school and each team has their own colors. I decided make myself a tutu with our team's colors.
   It was really simple to make! I just googled "how to make a tutu" and found some great tutorials. I went to Hobby Lobby and spent $10 on the materials. All you need is elastic and tulle. I purchased 8 yards of tulle--four for each color--at $1.09 per yard. I wish I had purchased about 6 yards per color to make the tutu more full, but the great thing about this precious project is you can always add to it without having to start over.

Step 1: Cut elastic. Measure around your waist with the elastic and then make it about 2-3 inches shorter. The elastic will stretch out so if you make it using your actual waist measurement then it will be too big.

Step 2: Sew elastic. Okay, that's the real step, but I'll be honest and tell you I straight-up hot glued my elastic ends together. I didn't have a needle and thread on hand so I used the resources available. It worked great!

Step 3: Cut tulle into 6-in strips. I just held the fabric up to my waist and decided the length I wanted my tutu. Then I cut accordingly. One of the great things about tulle is that you don't have to be precise when you cut it. It's going to scrunch up so your strips don't have to be exactly uniform.

Step 4: Put elastic around something. I turned a large vase upside down and used it.

Step 5: Make a slip knot around the elastic. I alternated two blues then two greens.

Step 6: Scrunch tulle over as you go to ensure that your tutu is full.

 Finished product! :)



The Smell of Home

  I absolutely love driving to visit my family with my windows down because the road we live off of has its own smell. Of course, the individual scents are not exclusive to just RRR (Rifle Range Rd), but it is the combination of scents that make it unique.
  It's a very earthy scent. I pass hay fields and cotton fields on my way to my childhood home. I love the smell of fresh-cut hay. I love the expanse of green and white that is the cotton fields. It smells of the country. And I love it. It's not the type of smell you would necessarily want bottled up in a candle so your whole house could smell of it, but it's nice.
   It is said that the strongest sense tied to memory is smell. I believe it because I'm flooded with memories while driving down RRR. Memories of playing in the woods with Kelly. Watching my Granddaddy gather up cows and roll hay. Picking cotton on a class field trip.

So, pretty much, all this is written to say driving home makes me so happy!

Book Club

  A couple of months ago I was challenged during a Sunday morning sermon to do more for God. I realized that I certainly do my part in warming a church pew every Sunday morning, but I could be doing more--both inside and outside of the church walls. I charged myself to start attending more services and find a program to be involved in.

  Also, I wanted to find a need outside of church and fill it. I didn't really have anything in particular in mind. Of course, my first thought went to helping out with a Christian club at school. And while I think that would be amazing, it isn't finding a need and filling it. Someone else has already saw there was a need for that and is filling it.

   So I thought and prayed about it. I didn't want to start something up that was my own will and not God's. Finally, God showed me a need for Christian fellowship at school--for the teachers. We are given an awesome responsibility as followers of Christ and teachers of children. As Christians we are called to be like Christ, and for those of you who do not know, Christ is perfect. And, at least for me, its incredibly hard to show the perfection that is Christ through an incredibly imperfect person. Sometimes it's hard to show mercy like the Father has shown me. Sometimes it's hard to love with an agape love when someone is being really nasty. Sometimes it's hard to be patient and long suffering as my Savior certainly is with me. And, so, I decided that it would be nice to have a weekly gathering for teachers to discuss what God is doing in our lives and the lives of our students through us.

   I began asking around to get ideas and gather interest from my co-workers. Together, we decided to do a Christian book study. After sending out e-mails and getting feedback, we decided to start with Crazy Love. While I had never read the book, I had certainly heard about it. Everything I have heard has been wonderful.

   Tomorrow will be our second meeting. We are reading one chapter each week, and let me tell you, this book is phenomenal! I couldn't be more happy with our choice. It is straight-forward and challenging. I am so excited about this book and cannot wait to read it each week. In fact, it is so hard for me not to continue on to the next chapter.

   If you have not read this book, stop whatever it is you are doing and visit http://www.crazylovebook.com/.

Holy, Holy, Holy

   As stated in earlier posts, I use my 20-minutes commute to pray and worship God. When I stop and think of the Wonder and Majesty of God, sometimes I just have nothing to say. I am so small that sometimes I just find myself unworthy to worship a God so Awesome.

  It's times like those when I just repeat, "Holy, Holy, Holy" over and over. Isaiah 6 gives us a look at the Throne of God in Heaven. God's throne has seraphims standing above it. Each seraphim has 6 wings--Two covering its face, two covering its feet, and two to fly with. They are crying out "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."

  An account of God's throne is also given in Revelation 4. There are four beasts who continually shout, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

  Three is the number of completion. Many say that the word holy is repeated three times to represent the Trinity--God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Others say that three is the number of completion and they are repeating it 3x because God is completely holy. Either way, I like it.

  There is so much power in that repetition; so much said in one word. We worship a complete and holy God. So next time you're meditating on the Father (or Son or Holy Spirit) and you stand amazed and dumb with his awesomeness, try repeating, "Holy, Holy, Holy" and feel worship fall on you.

This Wreath does not deserve a "Boo!"

   For those that do not know, I have this thing about wreathes. See, the thing is, I love them. Unfortuntely, the ones that I fall for always seem to cost around $50. And while I think they're awesome, I have to remember that I am a school teacher with a limited budget. I have a beautiful Christmas wreath that I splurged on, a really pretty fall wreath, and my spring/summer wreath. Those three get me through the calendar year.

  This year I decided I wanted to try my hand at making a Halloween wreath. Kelly had mentioned seeing a really cute one that was covered in glow-in-the-dark eyeballs, and I had originally planned to make that one. After looking on Facebook and seeing some really cute "tutu wreaths", I decided it looked easy enough for me to atttempt to make one. So on to Hobby Lobby I went.

   I purchased a straw wreath, 3 yds of black tulle, 3 yds of orange tulle, and ribbon all for about $15. I got home, turned on Law & Order SVU, and got to work. By the end of the hour long episode, I had made this pretty little thing.

   I still want to purchase some Halloween accessories to add on it and make it more festive. But even if I don't, I am pretty proud of it! This was so affordable and fun, I may just be making one for every holiday. And this may be my go-to gift idea for all occasions.



Ode to October

  While every month has something to bring to the table, I love the festivities that October brings the most! Below is a nice concise list of why I love October.

1. Trading my summer dresses and flip flops for boots and thick fabrics
2. Pumpkins, both whole and carved
3. Alabama National Fair
4. Autumn-scented candles
5. Homecoming Sunday at the church I grew up in
6. Those pretty red flowers that pop up around Notasulga for a couple of days each year
7. The anniversary of my grandparents (Oct. 15)
8. Halloween--one of my favorite holidays (and, no, I still do not know what I'm going to be this year)
9. Haunted Houses and Hay Rides
10. Decorating my house for Halloween and autumn
11. Fields of cotton getting ready to be harvested
12. My dad's birthday (Oct. 19)
13. Sweet Potato harvest

Out of the Mouths of [Semi] Babes Part Deux

   So I have a whole new batch of kids for the 11-12 school year, and they are continuing to crack me up with their comments and logic.

• Today's Thought for the Day: "Procrastination is opportunity's deadliest assassin." Me: "Okay, what do ya think about this one?" Student: "Well, it's like my favorite pitcher, Tim Lincecum. He's really good, but people always think he's not very strong because he's really skinny. So yeah, those people are procrastinating Tim Lincecum because even though he's skinny, he's a really good pitcher." Gotta give him an A for effort!
• I made it a point to not smile during the first five minutes of class to prove a point--you are more approachable and people feel better around you when you have a pleasant look on your face. (There's a back story to why I was doing this, but that's not really important.) So when I asked the kids to raise their hands if they thought I was in a bad mood when they first walked in and half of the class raised their hand, I was very satisfied that the point I was trying to make was made. When prompted with the question, "Why?", a student says, "because of your outfit." Several of the kids nod their heads in agreement. (I was wearing black pants, solid grey shirt, messy pony tail, and glasses.) So I'm thinking (a) my point actually wasn't made, and (b) what the heck is wrong with my outfit? So, of course, I had to inquire what the problem was. They said, "Well, you normally dress really cute. Like yesterday, you had on a pretty dress. Today, you look like you just don't care about anything." Well, alrighty then. Haha! Guess I asked for it  :/
• I asked a child about his mother coming to eat lunch with him in the cafeteria. He said he wasn't a fan of that. Another child says, "I wish my mom could come eat lunch with me." I agree and say that would be cool. He continues, "Unfortunately, she naturally repels children." I die laughing because he's totally serious. "From the moment I step off the bus to the moment I open the door and walk inside my house, I have this intense sense of fear." (Mommies and Daddies, beware of what your children will say about you when you're not around.)

It's all about Connections

   I always knew I wanted to do something that involved math, but I had originally thought engineering would be the career for me. After babysitting five incredible kids throughout college I finally saw the light and switched my major, and I couldn't be happier with my decision!
   I have two main goals as a teacher: (1) to get kids to fall in love with math (or at least in like), and (2) to make a difference in a child's life. While it's possible to manage the second without the first, it's virtually impossible to manage the first without the second unless the child doesn't already like math.
   (1) Most people fall into one of two categories--they either love math or they hate it. By the time kids get to high school they have a general idea of whether they like math. Those that like it are good at it, and those that do not like it usually aren't very good at math. I have the privilege of teaching 7th graders. I consider it my job to catch those who think they're not "good at math" and build their self-confidence, thereby changing their opinion of whether they like math or not by the time they get to high school. It's hard to like something you're not good at. I know--I hate playing most sports because I know I have no athletic ability, and therefore, I don't even really try. Most people that know they're weak in math usually stop trying to "get it" somewhere along the line. However, if you have self-confidence, well, that changes everything. I want kids to believe in themselves when it comes to their mathematical ability. I want kids to at least like math. It's going to be in their daily lives forever.
   (2) An effective teacher makes connections with kids. Sure, you can teach your content area until you're blue in the face, but bottom line: most kids aren't going to listen and pay attention to you unless they like and respect you. I know there are some people that I don't particularly care for, and I generally do not care to hear what they have to say. (I know that's not nice, but I'm just being honest.) I want to connect with these kids. Being a teacher sometimes feels like you're the warden of a madhouse. Things get crazy! The kids can drive you crazy! You can drive yourself crazy! If you do not genuinely care for them, the madness isn't worth it. Period. You don't become a teacher for the money, and you don't become a teacher because you get summers "off". You become a teacher because you love children and want to help them grow into adults who are positive contributors to society. You cannot make a difference without connecting. Children, as well people of all ages, know the difference between someone who genuinely cares about them and someone who's there for a paycheck.
   (1 & 2) Teachers can make or break a class. We've all experienced this at some point in our education. Why else do sites like http://www.ratemyprofessor.com/ exist? I know I certainly tried my best to plan my college courses around the teachers of the classes. Some teachers are just easier to learn from. It may be the way they explain it, it may be their grading style, or it may be a personality issue. We learn best from teachers we like.
   Now I'm not saying I'm trying to win a popularity contest. Of course I want my students to like me, but that's not always going to happen. Anytime someone is in authority over you, you're going to butt heads. You're going to have a difference of opinion. You're going to disagree with how they handled something. I'm not saying I will do anything for them to like me. I'm saying that I'll do (almost) anything to connect with them. Going to one of their extra-curricular activities. Asking about something that's going on in their personal life. Pretending that I think Justin Bieber is the coolest. Anything that makes them feel like I'm interested in them. Because I am, and when they know this is true, the material just comes easier to them. Trust me.
   With that being said, I invited the students from my homeroom to the movies this past Friday afternoon. I don't get to spend as much time with my homeroom students as I do those who are in my actual math class, and I felt like I needed to get to know them a little bit better. We are a part of the Lions team so we decided to go see the Lion King 3D. Students were responsible for their own transportation and tickets, but everyone and their families were invited to come. There were five of us, and we had a blast!!
   I'm so grateful to be making connections with such great kids! I'm so honored to be their teacher!

A Little Background Info and The Harvest

      Most people are perturbed when they first learn that I live in Notasulga and even more so when they learn that I am not from Notasulga. They cannot understand why I choose to live in a podunk town. The truth is I never would have thought I'd live in Notasulga either. Not that it's a bad place to live; it's just that there's nothing in Notasulga.
      When I was hired to teach in the Auburn City school district, I immediately started looking for places in Auburn. I lived there in college, and I really liked the convenience of living in a city. I knew that I would not be able to afford much more than a one or two bedroom apartment with my starting teacher salary. I was fine with it. The only reservation I had was living beside, above, or below college students. College students, and I can say this because I completely fit this description when I was a student, are loud and keep all hours of the night. "Professional Jamie" does not. I like my privacy; I like my solitude; and I like my sleep. Lots of sleep.
     A friend of mine from Liberty City (part of Notasulga) suggested I get a house in Notasulga. I balked and asked why I would want to live in Notasulga when I'd be working in Auburn. He said he could find me a house with a yard for about the same or less than I'd be paying for a 1-bdrm apt in Auburn. Of course, this sparked my interest. Fully expecting him to fail, I told him that if he could find such a house then I'd consider moving to his hometown. Meanwhile, I continued to tour apartments in Au.
     After looking at several homes in Notasulga and not being very pleased, my friend told me there was a house that was for sale, not for rent, that he would drive me by. While I have never experienced love at first sight with another person, I have DEFINITELY experienced it with objects. And me and my home? It was love at first sight. I thought it was the cutest little thing ever! I loved that it was small and brown. I loved that it had a nice front yard. I could picture a yard full of flowers (check), rocking chairs on the porch (check), and the American flag proudly flying in the wind (check). We pulled in the driveway and I went around to see the backyard. And that was it. After seeing the back yard, I knew this was MY home. The selling point? The fruit trees. The yard contained plum, crab apple, granny smith apple, and pear trees. Anyone who knows me well knows that I adore fruit trees. This little home had a deck on the back with apple trees hanging over. Done deal. I had to have it.
     So skip over a few months of pretty much begging the owner of the home to rent it to me and we get to the part when it was mine--at least for a year at a time. I was so pleased with my perfect starter home. I have more space than I would in an apartment, Skunk has room to play, and I'm less than 20 minutes from work. Not to mention my friend made good on the promise about rent pricing. Score!
     Okay so there's all the background information. Here's the actual point of this post: After two years of the pear tree not producing any pears, I am proud to say I HAVE PEARS THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And not just any pears--the sweetest, crispest, most delicious pears ever tasted!! (No, I am not exaggerating.) I have harvested, peeled, cut, chopped, and cooked the pears. I am currently 4 hours in and still not finished. Tonight I have made apple pear jam, apple pear cake (hope coworkers are reading this and getting excited because it's coming to work with me tomorrow), and am currently working on preserves. So exciting! I still have an entire basketful of pears to do something with tomorrow, but I think I've put a nice little dent in them. Can't wait to make some biscuits and get to eatin'!
    My sweet grandparents gave me a book about canning for Christmas 2008. That has been the best book! Here are a few pics.

A few delicious pears

Cans waiting to be sterilized 

My canning book from my Grandparents

The inscription

Cooking the Pears for Preserves 

Recipes

Finished Product: Apple Pear Jam



Bama Rising

    Kelly, Troy, Josh, and myself loaded up Tuesday afternoon and headed to the Ham for the Alabama benefit concert. In case you have been living under a rock since April 27, Alabama experienced lots of tornadoes that left parts of our state in sad shape. The band, Alabama, put together a benefit concert that included several "big names" in the country music industry.
    Let me start off with saying that we ate at the Cheesecake Factory before the concert. So if we had turned around and went home right after dinner, the trip would have been a success. I cannot tell you how much I wish we had a Cheesecake Factory in the area. I had to wait until I was 24 years old before I got to experience this restaurant. If ever there was a time I wanted to ask my mother, "Why????", it was when I had my first bite of a Cheesecake Factory dish. Why had she never taken me there?? (I can hear her sighing right now as she is reading this.)
    Anyway, after dinner we headed over to the BJCC for the concert. As we were walking up, we got to stand just a few feet away from Kellie Pickler, Darius Rucker, and the dude from Montgomery Gentry (sorry dude, it's not that you're  not as cool as the afore mentioned people--it's just I just don't know your name). BTW, Kelly Pickler is way prettier in person and she is tiny.
     There's not much more I can say about the actual concert other than it was phenomenal. I have never, and doubt I will ever again, experience a concert this fantastic. Excellent cause; excellent line up. You know how some people just don't sound great, or even good, live? That was not the case for any of the artists performing that night. Everyone sounded  phenomenal!! It was so exciting and so much fun!
     Even though each artists set lasted only two songs, the concert didn't conclude until 1:30 in the morning. They rocked it out for 6 hours! So great!
     I didn't get photos of everyone, but here's a few for you to enjoy.

Troy, Kelly, Me, & Josh: about to find out seats

Alabama: Dixie Land Delight

 Montgomery Gentry: My Town

 Rodney Atkins: If You're Going Through Hell

Kellie Pickler

 David Nail: Let It Rain

 The Commordores: Brick House!!!!

 Luke Bryan: Someone Else Calling You Baby

Martina McBride: Teenage Daughters 

 Dierks Bentley: Am I the Only One

So excited bc Sara Evans is up next!!

Sara Evans: A Little Bit Stronger

Darius Rucker: Come Back Song

Sheryl Crow!!!!! Need I say More???

Brad Paisley

    Alabama: Dixlieland Delight video

Sara Evans Video

Brad Paisley and Alabama singing "Old Alabama"

Goooooo Biscuits!!

    We went out to support Montgomery's Biscuits last Thursday. That's Thirsty Thursday to be exact. While I'm not a fan of baseball, I am a fan of Biscuits games. They are always so fun with a group of people!! We had a blast--think it might be a weekly tradition for the remainder of the summer. :)

The Ladies: Jenna, Me, & Molly

The men: John & Josh

The Team: Go Biscuits!

Me and my Sweets