Month: December 2016

Cherish the Moments

/ Jodi / 69 Comments

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I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful friends.  Earlier this week, my sweet Bubby, who lives two hours away, asked if I wanted to meet the GFC Gang halfway between our homes for a holiday lunch get-together.

Well – invite me to lunch… or coffee… or dinner… or whatever…. with friends, and I’m pretty much one to drop whatever task at hand is on my holiday staycation schedule and do it.

And so I did.

And before I left, I decided to see if my daughter-in-law and granddaughter wanted to join us.  After all, among the many other things my Bubby and I share, we became first-time grandmas only five days apart several weeks ago when each of our eldest children (sons) blessed us with grandchildren.

My daughter-in-law (much like me), said “what time are you leaving?” and happily joined us.

Well – of course Bubby immediately called her daughter-in-law, and invited her and her grandson too.

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How sweet to watch these two new moms so lovingly care for our new little loves.  (Though our cute little “C” was not in the mood to pose.  She wanted to sleep.)

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What a joy it was to share this time together.  The babies were passed around between all the ladies, and we sure enjoyed the snuggles and squiggles.

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Until the phone rang – about halfway through lunch- with the sad, sad news of the passing of my brother, who is just 13 months younger than me.

The blessing in disguise is that I was surrounded with love…
surrounded with support…
allowed to process the shock, the grief, the anger, the sadness, the anxiety…
by being with some of the people
who have grown to become family to me,
who understand the circumstances,
who help make up for the family I’ve lost.

Friendship is truly a gift to cherish.

And I sure do cherish
these sweet special ladies.

I believe life is truly all about relationships.
Please take the time to cherish the ones you love,
the ones you call friends,
the moments you share.

Those moments can be taken away from you
in a blink…
in a moment.

Today is my birthday.
I am cherishing the moments.
I hope you will too.

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Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

I Choose to Remember

/ Jodi / 88 Comments

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I choose to remember
your tender heart,
your innocent smile,
the carefree days of childhood.

I choose to remember
the boy you were
before life stole your goodness…
before difficult circumstances hardened your heart.

I choose to remember
there was a good soul within
the shell the disease stole
and lied to and hid.

I choose to remember
you tried to care,
even though you struggled
to show it.

I’ll try to forget
the things that hurt both our hearts
that you couldn’t recover from
and found other ways.

I’ll try to forget
the things we were told
that broke our spirits
and shattered our souls.

I’ll try to honor
the boy you once were,
the man you tried to be,
the goodness down deep.

I hope your pain is gone,
your soul is free,
your demons slayed,
and that peace is attained.

 

(written the night I learned my brother died this week)

The Day After the Day After

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

day-after-cold

The Day After the Day After

I had planned on being productive
(well maybe that’s a lie)
the day after the day after Christmas,
but the cough persisted and my nose wouldn’t dry.

So after a cold, but sunny stroll with Charlie
(a long time in coming)
and a steamy, dreamy longer-than-normal shower,
I still didn’t feel very becoming.

A makeshift bowl of chicken soup I made
from leftover noodles and carrot sticks chopped,
a tall ginger ale with a straw,
then I plopped.

A few more episodes
of Gilmore Girls sounded just right
for the day after the day after…
a peaceful delight.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Love & Be Loved: A Very McHendy Christmas

/ Jodi / 36 Comments

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After family Christmas parties last weekend and on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Monday was our McHendy Christmas.  A day we gather together with our “best friend family” – the McKinneys and the Hendersons – to celebrate.  We have been a McHendy friendfamily for over 25 years.

This year welcomed a few new members.  Here are the new moms with “B” and “C.”

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New moms mean…

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new grandmas…

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and grandpas…

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who nurtured while the rest of the gang…

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played crazy games like the hilarous SpeakOut – where you put a contraption in your mouth and try to enunciate what is on your card while your team mates try to guess what you are saying,

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and the social word game CodesNames, which I totally recommend for a great, easy to learn and fun to play group game.

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It was so fun to get this gang together in one place from all over the country this holiday season.  From tiny babies to adults and growing families, wings have stretched and flown, but when we’re all together, it feels just like home.

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We decided on a no-gift theme this year, and instead, contributed in a small way to a charity of choice, Ronald McDonald House Charities, by purchasing matching #LoveandBeLoved T-shirts.  You can learn more about LoveandBeLoved here, a great organization I learned about through the receptionist at my office who heads the local chapter with her husband.  Their mission is a simple yet profound one:  It is every human being’s God given responsibility to show love, and every human being has the right to be loved regardless of their race, gender, age, sexuality, or beliefs.

Sending Love with Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Mac ‘n Cheese

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

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Bacon & Caramelized Onion Mac ‘n Cheese….

You want to get this in your belly!  No joke!

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Who can resist a yummy, cheesy, creamy, comforting homemade macaroni and cheese?

But add bacon….. and some sweet, buttery caramelized onions…. and oh dear lord!

Mix up you favorite cheeses.  I used extra sharp cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh Mozarella.  Tangy…. Salty and Nutty…. and Dreamy Creamy…. all in one dish!

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I made this dish (adapted from Ree Drummond’s Fancy Macaroni) kind of on a whim at the last minute to serve with our Prime Rib Christmas Eve family dinner.  I was going to roast some potatoes, but then decided to kick it up a notch!  And boy am I glad I did.  What a delicious hit this was!

Make this for your next special occasion.  It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

You can thank me later when everyone is ooooing and ahhhing and singing your praises.

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients:bacon-and-caramelized-onion-mac-n-cheese

  • 1 lb. Rotini or Macaroni or your favorite pasta shape
  • 8 Tbsp Butter (1 stick)
  • 2 Large Sweet Onions, cut in half & sliced thin
  • 10-12 slices Bacon
  • 1 Tbsp Bacon Grease (reserved)
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 1/2 cup Half and Half
  • 2 Egg Yolks, beaten
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup Grated Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • 1/2 cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
  • 6 oz Fresh Mozarella Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook macaroni for 2 mins. less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Fry bacon until slightly crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Reserve 1 Tbsp. grease.

Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a skillet.  Saute onions for 10-12 mins. or until golden brown. Set aside.

Melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. bacon grease in a large pot.  Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 min. Pour in milk and half & half, then cook for 3-5 mins.or until thick. Reduce heat to low. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Beat egg yolks and drizzle 1/4 cup hot mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into sauce and cook for another min.

Add all cheeses and stir until melted. Add onions and bacon and stir. Taste for seasonings.  Add more salt if needed. Add cooked macaroni, and stir to coat.

Pour into a baking dish and bake for 20 mins.

This decadent dish tastes great with with red meat and/or a green salad!

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Charlie’s Night Before Christmas

/ Jodi / 35 Comments

charlie-christmas-2016

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, except a brown dog.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
and Charlie couldn’t reach them – he didn’t even dare.

Mom and Dad were nestled all snug in their bed,
while visions of head cold relief danced in their heads.
But Charlie was anxious, he just couldn’t sleep.
He wondered if Santa would bring him a treat.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
Charlie ran to his door to see what was the matter.
He flew out onto the porch and skidded across
Woofing and sniffing even every piece of  moss.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
made it a bit easier for Charlie to see all below.
When what to his wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

“It was SANTA – Oh Santa!  You’re coming to my house.
I knew you would remember – I’ve been a good boy!”
Charlie ran back inside and jumped into bed,
he climbed under the blankets to cover his head.

He quietly waited and listened intently,
but he waited so long, he fell back asleep.
The next thing he knew, Dad was getting out of bed.
Mom gave him a pat, and said “Okay – Go Ahead!”

His stocking was full!  Santa really was here!
A new donut, a new donkey, and a tasty new bone.
Another Christmas miracle
for an adopted brown dog.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Woofs & Wags,
Charlie

Charlie is an adopted dog with brown eyes and a white-tipped tail who brings joy and laughter to his family and friends.  Charlie is a gifted writer, raving food critic, cat, chipmunk, and donut lover, and exceptionally photogenic model.  Some of his best friends are Mike the UPS Man, Cliff the Mailman, and ANYONE who delivers pizza to the house.   If you would like to read more guest posts by Charlie, simply type “Charlie” into the Search box at the top right hand corner of this link: thecreativelifeinbetween.com.   If you would enjoy a companion like Charlie, please consider pet adoption.

 

 

 

 

She is Beautiful

/ Jodi / 44 Comments

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“She was beautiful,
but not like those girls in the magazines.
She was beautiful for the way she thought.
She was beautiful for the sparkle in her eyes
when she talked about something she loved.
She was beautiful for her ability to make other people smile
even if she was sad.
No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary as her looks.
She was beautiful deep down to her soul.
She is beautiful.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Let’s teach this to our daughters
and granddaughters
and sisters
and friends.

And….
let’s teach this to
ourselves.

#BestGiftEver #LoveYourself

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi