Valentine’s Day is not far away.  Wow!  Where did January go?  The weeks are flying by and in just a week and a half, a lot of people will be giving flowers for Valentine’s Day or some thoughtful gift.

We’re sending jewelry to my mother-in-law because that’s something she really likes a lot, not that she doesn’t like receiving flowers too.   Some people like to give and/or receive candy and some like stuffed animals, age making no difference.  The old saying still holds true, “it’s the thought that counts.”  Knowing that someone cares means so much!

For our family, February is such a busy month for family and friends’  birthdays plus Valentine’s Day.   I was at the mall a few minutes ago and got a necklace and earring set to mail to my mother-in-law for Valentine’s since she loves jewelry, so that gift is taken care of.

Some people have even more gifts to think about such as having godparent gifts delivered, anniversary gifts, etc.   Fortunately, we don’t have any of those to think about this month.  We have enough as it is.   It’s fun buying gifts for others, don’t get me wrong.  It’s just nice to not have too many to shop for during a work week.  I guess that’s what makes shopping online so nice!

Our young grandson had to go to the emergency room this week because he tripped and cut his lip.  Wish I could give him a gummy bear gift and a kiss and hug from grandma.   He is doing well now which is a blessing.  Kids can fall and get hurt and then in no time be playing as if nothing happened.

When our son was just 15 months old, he had out-patient surgery.  Later that day when we got home, he was playing and climbing on things as if nothing had happened.  I was a nervous wreck, though, because we were supposed to make sure he was careful since he had gotten stitches.  Oh, the joys of being a parent! 

Several people that we know have had babies recently within the past few months, and one of our daughter’s very good friends just had a baby girl and another very good friend is due any day now.  This makes me think back to when we had both of our babies.  I remember when it was time to leave the hospital with each baby, they would wheel me out to the car in a wheel chair.  A hospital cart would carry the suitcase, flowers, gifts, etc., so I could hold the most important thing, our precious new baby!   Those are such special memories!

Basements are rare here in Texas.  I’ve seen a few, but I could probably count them on one hand.  Where my m-i-l lives, however, a lot of people have basements.  Hers is really nice and has basement floor tiles, finished walls, and a ceiling.  It’s quite large and includes a separate bedroom and a 3/4 bathroom.  Plus, it has a pool table, a couple of sofas, a chair, and a full-size fridge as well as her laundry room area.  We slept downstairs for many years when we would visit because we had plenty of space for kids plus a dog.  It’s a great basement for company to stay in because there’s so much room!

My husband is talented when it comes to music!  He plays the guitar and has even played a 12 string guitar before.   Right now, he has two guitars and a banjo tucked away in a closet somewhere that he played occasionally years ago.  Actually, he used the banjo mostly for a few music lessons and mainly taught guitar and violin lessons.  Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that he plays the violin.  The violin was his first instrument which he started playing when he was eight years old.  In fact, he is still playing on the same violin (the sound is beautiful) and plays in a local orchestra.

Our son is in college and has played in a school band for nine years, and he’s now playing in a steel drum ensemble group.  He is talented, too, and has won UIL State Music Awards in the past.  When he’s home, our son likes to play the piano in our living room (used to be my piano when I was growing up).  One advantage to having musicians in the family is that I get to listen to great music at home and at concerts!

……..
Well, forget the wordless. Our son layered a fresh-made brownie, warm chocolate instant pudding, vanilla ice cream, and canned whipped cream drizzled with dark chocolate syrup in crystal stemware for an elegant dessert in a few minutes. Delicious!!

Sheila, my college roommate, emailed me this recipe that she received from her cousin, Bev, who says that she makes a “mean meatloaf.” This sounds very tasty and like it would make a special holiday dish for meatloaf lovers.

Meatloaf (serves 3-4)

INGREDIENTS:

• McCormick Meatloaf dry mix

• 1 lb ground chuck

• 1 egg

• 1 slice white bread, crumbled (let bread sit on counter to dry out for a few minutes- easier to crumble)

• Diced bell pepper (might only use half, depending on your preference)

• Diced  small onion

• Brown sugar (approx 1 ½ cups)

• Ketchup ( a few squirts)

• 3 strips raw bacon, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except brown sugar and ketchup.  I use my hands, so that all ingredients really mix and there’s no meat that doesn’t have the dry mix on it.

In a square pyrex dish, place the 3 strips of bacon.  Then add the meat and form into a loaf.  My loaf is fairly flat (probably about 1 ½- 2 inches tall) because I want it to cook thoroughly in the center with no pink.

In a separate small bowl mix, with a fork,  brown sugar and ketchup.  The goal is for the ketchup to wet the brown sugar and turn it into a glaze.  The glaze should not taste ketchup-y.  spread glaze over meatloaf and bake at 400 degrees for 30 mins or so.

Serve with mashed potatoes and English peas!!  Enjoy!!

There are so many things I’m thankful for!  I was sick for several days this week, so I’m just now getting this written.  Here’s top priority on my list:

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• God’s love, mercy & grace,  His Word (the Bible), and prayer
• My dear husband
• Our precious children (son-in-law included) & precious young grandchildren
• Relatives (many of whom I rarely or never get to see, but we stay in touch through email and phone calls)
• Technology which enables us to stay in touch with those we care about and love
• Loyal friends
• Our church family
• My job (even though it gets really stressful sometime with all the other work there is to do, the actual teaching part is wonderful.  I love my students and the people I work with!)
• Our country with the freedoms we enjoy
• Blogging and the friends I’ve made through blogging
• All of the material blessings such as a comfortable home that is so nice to be in when I’m sick
• A mini-van that gets me to and from work or where I need to go, and that is great for trips with the three of us
• My health (even with the minor ailments, it’s such a blessing to have good health and the stamina to work at a job like teaching school)