Sweet Southern Belle

Like most Saturday mornings my dear husband, Little Belle and I ventured out to Target and the grocery store. We first went to Target to get Method Cleaning Products. However, instead of heading straight to Kroger we headed to a local college to feed ducks and then to a local market. Little Belle loved feeding the ducks a ½ loaf of bread. She has quacked since we left the pound.Then we headed to another area of the college for the local market. The market had lots of fresh produce, homemade bread and goodies. It also had some yummy homemade peach ice-cream that we all shared. I bought a few veggies and then we headed to Kroger. We shopped for and purchased our “big” weekly groceries and are now home to put them away. I can’t seem to stay out of Kroger. It seems that I spend a great deal of time and money there each month.

The afternoon will likely prove to not be as much fun since I know it will include mopping the kitchen and cleaning a bathroom. However, I’m thankful to have spent my Saturday morning having fun with my family.

I realized today that in spite of the fact that I’m trying to teach Little Belle about sharing with her friends I really don’t like sharing myself. A few nights ago I popped popcorn right before Little Belle’s bedtime. And, of course she wanted some before bed. I was completely annoyed but let her have some popcorn anyway. Little Belle has grown a love of Ranch dressings and today while I was eating my carrots and dipping them in ranch dressing she kept taking carrots, dipping them and then chewing on the carrot. She did return the carrots after they had been chewed. Gee thanks! As I was getting annoyed and wanted to yell, leave my lunch alone you have your own, I realized that not even an hour earlier I was telling her she should share with her friend Ladybug. I guess I need to work on sharing too! Man, being a parent is so humbling!

My maternal Grandmother is 81 years old and is still in good health. She cooks several big meals a week and a few small ones. Most of my family lives within miles of one another and share dinners together several times a week. I live 2 hours away and I’m only able to attend such meals every few months. I love eating in my Granny’s kitchen for lots of reasons.

The food is excellent! She is a tenured southern cook and knows how to make everything “just right”. For years I tried to cook a Pot Roast with no luck until Granny gave me a few “tricks of the trade”. My favorites are her Roast, chicken& dumplings, eggplant puffs, and peanut butter pie. Those are of course, only a few of Granny’s treats.

 The fellowship is fun too! It’s neat to sit with my grandparents, mother, aunts & uncles, and cousins. It’s fun to hear about what they are doing and what’s going on in their lives. I think in this fast pace world we don’t do enough “sitting and sharing”.

Her house is always warm and inviting. Granny loves company and particularly loves feeding others. Everyone is always welcome! Some of my younger cousins invite friends without asking Granny because they know she will always have enough food to feed extra mouths. Granny always offers seconds and thirds to her company. Food seems to multiple in her kitchen.

I’m just returning from a visit with family and I’m stuffed from enjoying all that Granny’s kitchen offers. One meal included Roast & Gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn on the cob, squash, lima beans and rolls!

Little Belle is quite impatient these days. She wants what she wants; when she wants it, end of discussion. She whines first and then pitches- a- fit if whatever she wants doesn’t come quick enough. One of the worst times for this is at breakfast. She’s not a big eater and generally eats very little at dinner so by morning she’s pretty hungry. She has little patience with me while I’m preparing her meal. The situation can be extremely frustrating because I’m making her breakfast as fast as I can and I know that she’ll be fed. She’s not old enough to reason with so she just screams. I wish she could understand that the food is coming, but she doesn’t. This morning after the breakfast ordeal she because very impatient while my dear husband was trying to get the DVD player to work. As she was fussing I was reminded again of my relationship with God. I want what I want, when I want it. I often become impatient with God when things don’t seem to be happening fast enough or when things happen that I just don’t understand. And, just as Little Belle can not understand all that her father and I understand I can not understand all that God knows and sees.

It helps to remember that God sees all and knows all even when I can’t.

One of our gracious church members gave my husband and I a gift certificate for dinner at one of the finest restaurants in our town, Natalia’s. We received the gift for Christmas but saved it to celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary. Last night my dear husband and I had a lovely time at Natalia’s. The atmosphere was unique, the décor was classy and the food (and it’s presentation) was exquisite. We had vegetable pasta with pesto sauce for an appetizer, I had a salad with mandarin orange dressing, and for our main course I had duck and my dear husband had filet. Then on to my favorite course of any meal, desert! My dear husband and I shared a slice of layered white chocolate caked with whipped key-lime frosting. It was all wonderful and we are certainly grateful to the person who gave us this opportunity.

While we enjoyed such a nice time at dinner Little Belle had fun too! She attends a Mother’s Morning Out program at Martha Bowmen Methodist church weekly. The program offers what they call “Daddy Day Care” one Saturday night a month. Little Belle enjoyed pizza and fun with her friends and teachers.

It was a great night for all!!!!!!!!

Yesterday my dear husband and I took Little Belle to the Atlanta Zoo. We all had a great time and enjoyed seeing the animals. The weather was perfect in the high seventies and all three of us pasty white folks managed to leave with no sunburns! J

 I don’t think I’ve been to a zoo since I was a kid so it was a real treat to look at all the animals. It’s simply amazing to me that God created so many different animals with distinct purposes.  Little Belle’s favorites were the monkeys, tigers, and the duck. I think they were her favorites because those are the animal sounds she’s mastered. We also spent some time playing on the playground and eating ice cream. It was a fun filled day!

Here are a few of my favorite photos of the animals!

My dear friends have recently recounted lessons learned from their precious child. This morning I learned a lesson from my 17 month old daughter, who for the purpose of this blog we’ll call, little belle.

As little belle was watching Elmo’s World and I was busy getting ready and doing household chores it hit me that I did not give her a morning dose of antibiotic ( for a recent ear infection). I went and carefully filled the syringe with the appropriate amount and went to give it to little belle. She immediately balked at me and refused to take the medication. Since I didn’t feel I had the strength for the fight it would take to force the medicine down her throat I sat the syringe on the dining room table and went on my way. Later I saw little belle with the syringe slowly sucking the medicine out. I thought “Uggh, it had to be on her terms. What am I going to do with this strong-willed child?” And, then I was immediately convicted of my own strong-willed nature with God. How often does God show me “the easy way” and I balk him and insist on my own way?

A few minutes later little belle brought me the syringe to help her get the last bit of medication out and then insisted that I get the sticky mess off of her hands and face. I was once again reminded of my relationship with God. After I’ve gone my way and messed things up I return to him and ask for help cleaning up the mess I’ve made. So, I did what my heavenly father often does with me. I picked up little belle, hugged her, and cleaned up her mess.