It's good to have an end in mind, but in the end what counts is how you travel. 

Sleeping In

 

Sleeping in is something that I apparently cannot do as an adult.  It does not seem to matter if I go to be at 9:00 p.m. or 1:00 a.m. I am going to be up before the sun.  Every day.  This is not a bad quality to have but at times it is frustrating.  Sleeping in has become a fantasy in my life.  It's never a reality unless I'm sick and I don't count that.  That is my body telling me that I'm on a different schedule because of some virus.  That kind of sleeping in is far from pleasurable.  I'll take it, because I need it, but it's not the same as just sleeping in.

As an adult, I have become a morning person.  I never saw that one coming as a teenager.  I can get a lot more done in the morning when I put my mind to it.  I am not always productive in the morning, but I know that the possibility is there.  Some mornings I'm just lazy LOL When Michael and I were together, I got up before he did and that morning time was like my sanctuary.  It was my alone time and I cherished that.  That is kind of when I first learned that I needed some alone time each day to focus on myself.  So, I got used to getting up early.  Now, that I am single, I really don't have that excuse, but I still get up early.  

Last night, I told myself that I was going to sleep in this morning.  I went to bed around 11:00 p.m.  I purposely did not set my alarm.  I turned on my radio instead and let it play all night.  I love those nights when I can let the radio play and have music in the background while I'm drifting in and out of sleep.  But then 6:15 a.m. comes around and BAM.  I am awake.  No alarm except for my body alarm.  And it's not the kind of awake that I can say I'll just roll back over and go back to sleep.  I am awake.  I even remind myself that I am off today and do not have to be anywhere this morning.  That held no influence this morning.  I went ahead and got up, made my coffee and here I am.

I am not complaining that I cannot sleep in intentionally anymore.  It is just disappointing sometimes because it feels like a luxury that escapes me. Ah, the joys of adulthood.

Christ United Methodist Church

 

I wonder if my ancestors would agree with this quote.  I hope that they would as that would be the Christian thing to do.  I'm not so sure though.  I grew up in a Baptist family and the further back I look into the family tree, the more Baptist they were.  Ah, well.  They were who they were, and I am who I am, and nothing will really change that. 

After searching for a long time, I am becoming a Methodist.  I began attending Christ United Methodist Church back at the beginning of June.  I absolutely love it.  Everyone there has been so nice and welcoming.  I enjoy the services and actually pay attention to the sermons.  I told one of the pastors that I've become someone who actually takes notes during the service.  And they have a good music program, which is important to me.  I used to feel that was a silly requirement for a church home, but I have come to realize how important that is to me. It is one of the ways I feel that I can serve in the church.  But I really love what this church stands for.  It is very community and service oriented.  They are out all the time helping with many community organizations.  And everyone is welcome at the table here. They really do seem to be guided by the teachings of Jesus.  Can't say that about many places of worship these days, sadly.

So, at the end of this month, I will officially be joining the church, and I am quite excited about that. While I think some past generations of my family may be rolling in their graves, I am happy with this decision.  It feels right.  And I'm taking Dolly's advice! 

Quote of the Week

 

A Bushel and a Peck - Faith Prince

 Stephanie and I went to see Guys and Dolls last night at UNCG.  It was so much fun.  My 4th time seeing the show onstage. The score is full of so many wonderful songs.  The cast did an impeccable job with the show.  Afterwards, we were discussing the film version.  A Bushel and a Peck is Miss Adelaide's first number.  This song was became very popular and was recorded by many artists yet was cut from the film.  Interesting. Here is Faith Prince and company from the 1992 Broadway Revival. 

The glass butter dish

 If you know me at all, you know that I love dishes.  I can't help it, I just do.  I give credit to Mom and Grandmother for that one.  Along with the love of antiques they instilled in me, a love of nice dishes goes along with that. And that goes hand in hand with entertaining.  I love to set the table, as you should have figured out by now LOL To me, that sets the mood for a meal.  The food just enhances that mood LOL

I have several sets of china.  I admit it.  I am addicted to it.  But I also really like to collect different serving pieces.  While it's fun to have the table laid out in one pattern, I like to add to that with different serving pieces.  This butter dish is one of them.  I found it at the Golden Antiques shop in Summerfield, NC.  It was one of those I just turned around and it was there experiences.  I have several different butter dishes, but I was drawn to this one for some reason.  I did not have a glass one yet. 

Glass butter dishes are not hard to find, and they range from reasonable to relatively expensive depending on the age, pattern and quality of the piece.  I love the fact that most antique glass butter dishes are round.  It's a reminder that people used to make their own butter and then mold it into shapes.  You don't often find round butter in the grocery store.  I don't think I've ever seen it actually.  Anyway, I was drawn to this particular one because of the simplicity of its design.  And most butter dishes are flat on the bottom, but this one has a small foot on the bottom. I love any dish that's footed, so that was a plus.  And it's versatile because it can go with all kinds of sets of china.  

While I haven't churned my own butter, I have made some herb butter which goes nicely in this dish.  Like most of what I buy, I love to use these kinds of things and look forward to having this on my table for years to come.

Recipe of the Week - Mazetti Casserole

 Apparently, this recipe (and its many versions) has been around for years. I have no idea how I missed it.  We didn't have it growing up and I don't recall anyone else serving it to me.  But when I saw this on an episode of Cooking with Meme on YouTube, I thought I would give it a try. I really did enjoy it.  It is not something I would want to make all the time, but every now and then it will be a good dish for Sunday Dinner!  If you have never tried it, let me know what you think.  If you have or have your own version, I would love to hear some of the different things you add to it.

Mazetti Casserole

12 oz package of egg noodles

2 lbs ground beef

1 lb ground pork or pork sausage

1 pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp garlic powder

2 cups chopped celery

2 cans tomato soup

1 jar of sliced mushrooms

8 oz cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325.  Cook noodles as directed.  Drain and set aside.  Brown meet.  Drain.  Sauté vegetables in butter.  Add garlic powder.  Toss meat and vegetables together.  Add noodles.  Add soup and mushrooms.  Pour into casserole.  Top with cheese.  Bake uncovered for 1 hour. 

Enjoy!