Run!

"Just ease out of the seat and run and get Honey, don't make any sudden moves, and do not start screaming as soon as you get out of the buggy." warned Lovey.

The lil hustler

Seeing the diamond back rattler coiled up, hissing and shaking it's rattlers was quite an adrenaline rush. One false move, one lurch, one bark from the dog, and the rattler only a foot away from the front tire would have struck. Lovey held the dog with one hand, and the 2 stick controllers with the other. Martha eased out of the buggy, slowly and carefully. Reaching the top of the hill, she broke in a  run. Not following  Lovey's warning immediately  she yelled, "Honey, Honey..." and yelled all the way to the cabin.

Finally reaching the cabin porch where Honey was working on the fishing tackle box, Martha was out of breath. Gasping, she said, "RattleSNAKE! Lovey said get the gun and come quick!" Honey grabbed the gun, loading it as she ran.

Right on her heels,and still panting from the run, the girl chattered away to her grandmother,
"It's a big snake, it's coiled up and hissing, Lovey has Ready by the collar so she won't move, he's keeping the buggy steady with the other hand. He said to hurry. It's the biggest snake ever, and it's really close to Lovey's side of the buggy!" Reaching the edge of the barn,  Honey turned back to her granddaughter commanding, "Stay back!" Honey saw Lovey holding the dog with a death grip, as well as steadying the buggy on a down hill slope. Under his straw cowboy hat, his eyes were locked fiercely on the snake. In just moments, the sound of Honey's gun fired, not once but 3 times. When Honey kills a snake, she unloads a gun, and nothing is left of the snake.

Lovey with "Ruff and Ready"

After recounting the adventure to one another,everyone breathed a sigh of relief.There were still chores to do, and the cows still needed to be fed.  Honey decided she would go and check on the cows too, and bring the gun just in case. Her theory is where's there's one snake there's bound to be another.

 Honey with some of the cows.

 When I was girl, there were lots of fun,exciting, and wild exploits with my grandparents, Honey and Lovey. 

This is based on one of the many adventures of my childhood.

Cooking with Honey~zucchini bread

Growing up I spent lots of time at my grands, Honey's and Lovey's House. Honey was always busy, cooking,cleaning, and doing chores as was Lovey, but his chores were mainly outdoors, or at the woods. There was always some wonderful aromas coming from Honey's kitchen. I always loved spending the night at their house because that meant being awakened by a rooster's crow and it also meant biscuits with syrup and sweet cream.

Now Honey lives with me, and there are no roosters that wake us up, although, I have been asking Karl for some chickens for awhile now. AND we rarely eat biscuits anymore because lets just face it biscuits just go to the hips or at least mine. AND there's no cow outside to produce the sweet cream...but there are times when I cook with Honey. And today was one of those days.

When she moved to our state, she became involved with the seniors at her church. She went on one of those trips with the seniors at church and came back with some new friends, including a boyfriend named Billy. She later married him at the young age of 79 having been a widow for over 20 years. They were married for a few short years and my family lived right next door to them. Each year when the zucchini came in she and her hubby, Billy, would make zucchini bread. It was pretty awesome, and even my daughter, Karlie, you know the picky eater, loved it. Honey has not made this bread since Billy died over 2 years ago. She says its a two-man job.

Billy and Honey back in 2008

Today, I went downstairs and said, "Let's make some zucchini bread!" We soon discovered we could not find the recipe, but Honey did a quick search on the internet and came up with the recipe...and we set out to make it.

First we peeled the zucchini.

Then we put it through this nifty contraption that Honey has in her cabinet and it came out grated.

The ingredients

the wet ingredients with the spices

add the dry stuff

slowly

stirring it in

Add in the yummy pecans and  don't forget the pineapple

Preheat the oven

Spray 3 pans and place in oven.

Wait around while it bakes for almost an hour...give or take.

Done!

Have a slice while it's still warm.

Make a little memory today and cook a little something with your loved ones. It's ok to eat a little slice just don't eat the whole pan and then maybe it won't go to those hips.

Zucchini Bread 

from the 1986 Southern Living Annual Recipe Cookbook

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple, well drained

Combine dry ingredients and pecans; set aside.

Beat eggs lightly in a large mixing bowl; add sugar, oil, and vanilla; beat until creamy.  Stir in zucchini and pineapple.  Add dry ingredients, stirring only until dry ingredients are moistened.

Honey turns 39....again

When I was a little girl, I would ask Honey how old she was. And the answer was always the same, "39!" And I believed her...I even commented to her that my bus number was the same number as her age. So to this day, I remember at least one of my school bus numbers from back in the day.

Honey's birthday, according to her mom, Granny Creel, was April 23. AND for most of her life that was the day it was celebrated on. Then one day, for some crazy reason, her birth certificate was needed and it was noticed that her birthdate on the official birth certificate was not the 23rd but the 22nd. SO now we just celebrate her birthday for a couple of days.

We all had dinner and cake on Friday night, to celebrate her 39th...again! Ya know what? I think I will be celebrating my 39th this year too.

Karlie usually bakes the birthday cakes around here, but she was in driver's ed. all day, so we let Publix do the honors this time.

 Honey with her 39th birthday cake

 No family birthday is complete without the official candle lighter, Shek, at your service.

Happy Birthday, Honey!
and to Shakespeare too.
Another famous fellow shares your birthday too.

Designs by HONEY

When I was a little girl, my grandmother, Honey sewed many of my clothes. She also sewed a few special things through my teen years and most of my bridal attire excluding  the wedding dress, she bought that one for me. She has always just known how to sew. She left home after graduation at the wise old age of 17 to work in a garment factory making men's uniform pants.

So when I found all these cute, cute clothes that the toddler set is now wearing, I knew where to turn. I bought some material (the hardest part...so many choices...but Gam helped)...we found a pattern and then showed her a photo of another outfit and she made a pattern for that one.

Honey at the sewing machine in her kitchen!

She finished the latest items for Jolie this weekend...and they are the cutest I've ever seen. We went Saturday night to get a shirt to wear under the dress. I took it with me to make sure I got just the right color. When I took it out of the bag several ladies in the Target toddler clothes area said that's a cute dress...I smiled and thought...yes it is, but you won't find it for sale in here.

Here's a few snapshots of Jolie in her new dress....

Jolie talks to Gam and tells her about her new dress.

Stylin' by the dishwasher...

Jolie and Shek pose after church...

I am glad Honey still sews...because we all know I didn't pay attention in Home Ec. class back in the day to learn how...I wish I would have...

Jolie always loves her new clothes, and when something has to be fixed after trying them on, or I leave something to be monogrammed, she just cries and cries...She must think we are taking them away. She always seems so excited and appreciative of her clothes. Thanks, Honey for sewing sweet clothes for Jolie! Let's go pick out some more fabric.