It's been a while since I have posted, so my photographs may show up twice. With no expectations before arriving in Maui except to enjoy being with my friend, I was so pleased to have the opportunity to visit this magical place. Its natural beauty, culture, and idyllic weather made it a wonderful trip for me. From sea level to a moonscape at 10,000 feet of elevation on the Haleakala Volcano to the magnificent beaches to an unbelievable whale watch boat tour, I now understand one's attraction to these islands. And some of the most beautiful rainbows on my last day there reminded me that the long trip had been well worth it.

TotSite for Baby Smith

My friend Akilah set this website up for me. I just got done updating it. Feel free to follow our progress:

http://www.totsites.com/tot/babysmith2012

8 Friends Every Woman Needs

What are the essential friendships every woman needs? In reading an article from this month's issue of Prevention Magazine, I made mental notes.  Do I need to develop new friendships?  Am I working to maintain my current friendships? Either way,  I encourage you to take five minutes and read the article. According to the most recent issue of Prevention Magazine every woman needs the following friends:

1. Childhood friend
2. New friend
3. Workout friend
4. Spiritual friend
5. Younger friend
6. Your partner's friend
7. Your mom
8. Yourself     Click here to read the entire article: 8 Friends

A recipe to share

I love finding new things on the internet. I imagine some of you have heard of Pinterest. Like any other computer activity I get involved in, I find myself spending a little too much time on their website, but it has so many interestings things for home, cooking, decorating, jewelry photography. I was looking for something different to fix with my barbecue this evening and found this recipe. I thought I would share it with you all.

Source: purplefoodie.com via Mary on Pinterest

Hasselback Potatoes

6-7 large potatoes
4 tbsp butter, cut into tiny cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
salt

Preheat the oven to 440F
Scrub the potatoes clean, we’re going to be leaving the skin on. Oh yes, crispy, golden skin at the end of 40 minutes.
Boil them in salted water for 10-15 minutes. This will make sure the potatoes are absolutely clean as well as reduce the cooking time in the oven. If you’d like, you can skip this step, and cook the potatoes in the oven for 1 hour.
Now, slice a thin layer off the base of the potato so that it won’t roll while you are slicing through.
Cut across the potatoes at a 3mm/0.2inches interval, making sure that you don’t cut all the way through, but leave 1/3rd (about 1 cm) of an inch of potato.
Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet.
Place the sliced garlic in between the layers of potatoes, and push the cubes of butter in at equal intervals.
Give it a good sprinkle of coarse salt and then drizzle the olive oil over it and put it in the oven for 40 minutes, or 60 minutes (if you haven’t parboiled them).
While the potatoes are in the oven, baste the top of the potatoes with the olive oil from the pan to make the outside extra crispy.
Remove from oven and eat warm spooned with some pesto sauce!

I personally and not a huge pesto sauce fan. A substitution that is nice is to sprinkle on some bread crumbs and parmesan cheese before you put them into the oven.

Enjoy!

Jacqueline,

Although I am very far away from you now, please know you are in my thoughts and prayers. Losses affect us in so many different ways. However it is affecting you, please know it is your own grief and you will deal with it as you know best.

Ruth Anne

To everything there is a season

My ability to post more than two pictures is about to be tested. Having said that, I would like to share my favorite verse from Ecclesiastes along with some pictures of my family and seasons. I have a photo of this verse hanging in my bedroom. May you embrace all of your seasons!

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal ...
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.

ecclesiastes 3:1-8


Grandma and Grandpa Atkinson, thank you for our family!



Mom, thank you for me!




Thank you for my sisters. (Bet you can't tell which one is me, ha ha!)



My wedding day, wishing there was a season that would take me back to this weight! Thank you God for this day!



My son, Chris, grandson, Matthew. Thank you God for both of them!

My daughter, Sara, granddaughter, Taylor. I thank you God for both of these angels!



Of course, I can't leave out my dog family. Lucy, our chocolate lab, is four now, but I just love thjs puppy picture of her! Thank you, God, for Lucy!



Maggie Mae, my 2 1/2 year old Golden Retriever. Thank you, God, for Maggie Mae!

On the Hunt for Stone Crab Claws

So we arrive in South Florida to visit our son and immediately start making plans to find the "crab claw" truck that we discovered last year upon our departure from a visit to the Everglades. Couldn't remember the name, but discovered the business online (what would we do without the web anymore?) and made plans to travel south the next morning to Boca Raton. That location seemed to be the closest to where we were in DelRay Beach. Now, get this, going south is a big deal, because that means you're getting into Ft. Lauderdale/Miami traffic, heaven forbid! So we played it safe and took the A1A which is the beach highway and much more scenic. As it turns out, the distance was only 7 or 8 miles and we found the truck nestled in a very small farmers market in a very trendy shopping center. I had found their booth and purchased that wonderful food from the sea before my husband had a chance to find a place to park!

So we journeyed back to DelRay Beach with our food on ice, looking forward to the feast that lay ahead. Just as we were driving down the main street in DelRay (how many Atlantic Avenues there must be in Florida!) I happened to look to my right down the side street that was holding the DelRay Farmers Market. And there, about two blocks down, was a very large sign that said STONE CRAB CLAWS FOR SALE. So, for all our angst about finding the beloved truck that held our cherished food from the sea, it was right under our noses, just a few blocks from our son's home!

The joke was on us, but we had a lovely drive down the coast through some of the most beautifully lush landscapes we had ever seen in Florida.