"SOMEBODY"

Seems all some folks can say talk about these days is somebody.  Been hearing a lot of somebody should have been there, somebody should have helped, somebody should do something lately and it has gotten me to thinking about this issue.

Have you ever stopped to think about what you are saying when you see that homeless man begging and you think "somebody will bring him some food" as you hurry on your way to yoga class? Or how "somebody" should do something about those kids who you see after school hours just roaming the streets as you drop your child off at dance? Better yet, "somebody" should have gotten to that fire call faster and done more to help that family who just lost everything, all while you live across the street from the station and have never darkened the door.

You are right, you know. Somebody should have stepped up. That somebody should have been you.

In the middle of the very word somebody are the letters m & e. Together those letters spell Me. Every time you say somebody what you are really saying is you should be doing whatever it is you think needs done.

Before you complain about kids roaming, ask yourself, is there a local program that might need more volunteers in order to let more kids into the program? Ask yourself is there a talent I have that I could teach to those kids, some books I could read to them, some time I could invest so that they know somebody cares? I bet there is.

Before you shift your eyes downward at the homeless person, ask yourself, do I really need that latte more than they need a sandwich? Do I need that $100 pair of jeans more than they need a blanket to keep out the cold? Ask yourself is there a shelter, a food bank, a church outreach that I could invest my time into so that they know somebody cares? I bet there is.

And lastly, before you complain about a perceived slow response to an emergency call, (be it a medical one, a police run or a fire call), ask yourself when the last time you jumped out of bed at 3am to the sound of a shrill alarm, or left a meal at a restaurant you just paid for, perhaps your first of the day & its now 4 pm, donned protective gear, fought traffic that refuses to yield to you even though your lights and sirens blare? Ask yourself when was the last time you held a mother back with all your might because your fellow firemen where trying to gain entry and save her child all while she fights you to go in herself? Ask yourself when did you last help fix a broken truck because a mechanic to do it just isn't in the tiny budget you have to work with? Ask yourself if there is anything, anything at all you can do to help the emergency workers in your community? I bet there is.

I know there is. Know why I know? Because you are Somebody. I am Somebody. I come from a long line of Somebodies. Somebodies who see a need and fill it. We don't do for the praise or the glory. We do it because its the right thing to do. After all, Somebodies got to do it, right?

It easy to act like others are not doing right when in fact they are doing more than you are. How would you know they are not doing all they can when you are doing nothing yourself? All you are doing is complaining about a job you aren't even willing to do your own self. This is what's wrong with our world today. Way too much finger pointing and not enough hand lifting.

The simple truth is this. I know some folks can't physically herd children, fight fires, or stand out for hours handling out blankets but everyone and I mean everyone can contribute something. If you are not willing to volunteer your time, your talents, your resources or your money, then you have no right to complain about how things are handled. And you have zero right to critique those who do step up. Zero.

Next time you feel the urge to complain, check yourself. Ask what you can do to fix the problem. Maybe you can't do it on your own, but you sure as heck won't fix it if you never try.

"It's Those Damn Foreigners! They Need To Go Back Where They Came From!"

Pretty inflammatory title, huh? Bound to catch some attention, raise some eyebrows, that sort of thing. Good. I hope it does because I want the entire world to read what lesson I am about to teach.

Yesterday while making a visit to the town that will be our new home, Hoss, the youngest 2 children and I were verbally accosted by a woman whom we do not know, for reasons we also do not know. Her exact words to us after my husband smiled at her and said "Howdy", where "Get the HELL out of Ball" as she angrily stormed past us into in the building we had just come out of.

 Now, assuming there are some people reading this that are unfamiliar with the term howdy, I  can assure you it is a greeting that simply means hello. Add the warm, big smile Hoss has to it and there is a less than zero chance that the greeting can be construed as anything but nice and inviting.  

As this person left our person space, I turned to my husband in shock and asked him to clarify what I just knew I could not have heard. He told me my ears did not lie to me & that she had even told him to go home at the meeting in which he was hired, telling the "outsider" to "go home"  while hurling several other expletives his direction. I was shocked to say the least. I knew some did not want us in Ball because they are mad but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be taken as far as it was on that sidewalk, in front of my children. This woman, then opened the door, screamed her name at us and once again, angrily stormed off.

Please recall that we have never met this woman. We have never interacted with her on any level. We have done absolutely nothing to this woman to make her react so violently, so rudely, so hatefully towards us and our children. Nothing.  All we have done is apply for a job, got the job, and are in the process of moving there, paying taxes there, shopping there, etc. Bare this in mind as I continue this post. 

Flash forward to this morning, here in Winnsboro, La. I decide to stop in at our local Subway for a sandwich for my son and I. As I arrived there is a woman who appears to be having some issue with her credit card not working and had gone to her car to call the company. She comes back into the restaurant, walks to the register and proceeds to tell the manager (I know this is the lady that runs it, seen her many many times) "its those DAMN foreigners! They need to go back where they came from!" as she pays for her sandwich finally. To which the manager agrees with her, mentioning how "they" can't speak the language, etc. It is at this point, that I lost my temper.

I turned to the lady and said "You know what? Half of my family was forced onto Reservations and the other half came over on a boat and I take MAJOR offence to what you just said!" 

This woman has the nerve to turn to me, obviously not understanding what I actually said, and says "that's what I mean! Its those foreigners!" At this point the manager, who is smart enough to catch my meaning, although its not like it was muddled, starts backing out of the conversation.

I then proceed to explain to this ignorant woman that unless she is a 100 % Native American, which she clearly is NOT, that she herself came from IMMIGRANTS and she should be ashamed of herself. I told her that this entire country was started by immigrants and that her attitude was extremely offensive!  I also told her that had it not been for Immigrants, she herself would not be here to complain about it now!  She stuttered, grabbed her sandwich and dang near ran out the door. Guess she wasn't expecting the Great Great-Grandchild of an Native man to nail her in the Subway for being an idiot. The manager tried to change the subject then another employee walked in and she shoved me off on them under the guise of having to go get an employee (her son) for work. 

I told the other employee what happened and that I was no a happy camper. I was told by that employee that sometimes you just have too "let things go". I told her no I did not. Because it was wrong and I have a problem with wrong. I will not be visiting that Subway again. Not because of the customer because you can't help what walks in your door but because the manager joined in the hate and I was told it was not a big deal. 

Now, I have an honest question for anyone who reads this blog. How many of you read the 1st part and got angry at how unfairly this one woman treated me & my family? I would venture a guess most of you did. Why is that? Because it was wrong of that woman to act the way she did to total strangers who have done nothing to her personally. 

Now, another question. How many of you think the words of the customer and manager at Subway where wrong? Not as many as who think the woman on the sidewalk was wrong, I would be willing to bet. Why is that? The two incidences are the same. 

Some will argue that what happened to me is not the same as the woman in Subway but the truth is, its the exact same hate. It's hate people. Hate. Unfounded, unnecessary, hate. That woman showed us how much she hates us though she has no legitimate reason to do so. The women in Subway showed me how much they hate immigrants even though they have no legitimate reason to do so. 

The woman on the sidewalk hates us because of things she has been told that are untrue. She hates us because we aren't "from there" and are "outsiders". Most of y'all know us. You know how hard working we are. You know we are very community minded. You know we are a good, honest family. She thinks otherwise and for no reason. That's not right is it? No it's not. 

When you spout off about people who immigrate here to the USA, you are no better than that woman who was hateful to us. You are being mean to someone mother, someones child, someones husband or wife. You lump every immigrant into one box and you label them. Just like she has done with us. 

So many people come here legally. They pay taxes, they work hard, they just want a new life and a chance. They aren't asking you to be their best friend but I personally don't think just basic human decency is asking too much. Just like we are asking from the town we are moving to. 

I refuse, do you hear me, refuse to judge the entire town of Ball based on the actions of one person. I also refuse to judge all immigrants based on the ones who are here illegally and cause trouble. Guess what? People who where born here cause trouble too. 

Don't assume because I am white, straight and vote Independent that I agree with you because I don't. Hate is wrong. It has never been right and it never will be. 

Think about what you are showing someones child when you spew hate at people you don't even know. Think about what you are saying about your community, your church, your own family when you spew hate at someone you don't even know. Think about it. 

Jesus said love thy neighbor not only love the neighbor who was born where you were. 

I didn't post this to start an immigration debate. I posted it so you can see that what happened to us happens to others in the country every day, many, many times over. It is wrong. Immigrants aren't the problem. Outsiders aren't the problem. 

The condition of our hearts is the problem.  

Leaving Home

As I sit trying to once again collect my thought, listening to Elton John Radio on iHeartRadio, I am reminded of the last time I was packing my house up for a major move. I was in our home on Childress St in Wellington, Tx, crying over some boxes. Bennie & the Jets was playing through our old turntable. 

I did not want to be packing. I resented every box, every run of tape, every whiff of marker as I packed away our life in preparation for a new start. I had just moved here 3 1/2 years earlier when we got married. Packed up my whole life and moved 9 hours & 600 miles from all I ever knew, 3 kids in tow. We had settled in Wellington and it was home. 

 Wes had gotten laid-off from a job he loved, we were broke and there was just no conceivable way to stay any longer if we were to survive as a family. It was heartbreaking at the time and I just didn't see anything worse than leaving his hometown, uprooting our kids from their home, and starting over in a place I knew nothing about. 

 I fought the move, worse than our children did, I won't lie.  He seemed to be the only one confident in what we were doing.  He had lived in this place called Winnsboro for a year or two in the past and had visited many times growing up. His grandparents lived there, his Dad was from there, he was certain it was going to be okay eventually. Me? Not so much. He was right. (yes, I just publicly admitted my husband was right. Mark that on a calendar! lol)

There was a lot of hurt in that tiny Texas town for Hoss and it was time for him to leave it behind. His family was all gone. The grandmother he loved and cared for had passed. He was all that was left. His job was gone (no fault of his employer, the economy was tough. They were and still are good people and we miss them.). The department he grew up in, dedicated 16 years to, didn't even so much as say bye when he resigned his post.  His heart was so broken and he had been so let down by people he thought were different. It seemed no one cared if we left and I guess that added to the hurt. We knew our friends (they know who they still are) didn't want us to go but they understood why it was time.  It just wasn't the Wellington he grew up in anymore. 

So, countless boxes of our things, appliances, bicycles, toys, 5 kids, 2 dogs, a cat, a Suburban and a pickup, we left "home" and moved to Winnsboro, Louisiana. 

When we pulled out of Texas, I couldn't bare to look back. As much as it killed me to see my kids cry as the said good-bye to their friends, I guess a part of me knew that they'd be okay in time. We would settle into a new normal and we had no time for looking back. It served no purpose.  

Funny how we thought we were leaving home. Funny how we had no idea 6 short years later we would be once again taking this journey, only to discover we just thought we were leaving home last time.  This time, oh, this time how it hurts so much more. 

We have found something here that we have never be able to find anywhere else. We have found what was missing.  We have found family. It hurts to leave family.

So many here have been there to lift us up, to help us when we didn't even know we needed help. So many have shown us love in ways they don't even realize. Our children have too many Aunts & Uncles to count these days. I know in my heart who loves us and who means it when they say "if you need anything, just holler". 

Saturday evening, Hoss' brothers called him the station. We arrived to find it packed with people, all there to wish us well as we start this new journey.  In true Franklin Parish style, we ate fried catfish with all the trimmings, Kool-Aid pies, tea & a cake the size of a small car hood!

I know these guys didn't think it was anything monumental, this gathering they pulled off but they are so wrong. They will never, ever, understand what it meant to Wes, to me. We are so very proud to be a part of this community, this parish and this family. I just do not have the words to tell you how loved these people are by us.  I pray they know that even though we are leaving, we will never be far away. 

As we prepare to move to Ball, La and start a new life, a piece of us is staying in Franklin Parish. After all, it's home. I won't say good-bye, I just can't. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for loving us and showing it. We love you all.

Sandy

  

Little Black Band

Take a look at this picture. That's my fingers, a strip of black elastic, a needle and some thread. I'm sure you think I have some new craft project up my sleeve. You'd be wrong.

 

This simple piece of elastic means so much more than meets the eye . It is in fact a glimpse into a deep seated tradition. A tradition carried, out time and time again in the fire service.  Why do I show you this picture? Because this past week, we had to bring this tradition to the forefront as we laid to rest one of our own. You see, my husband's Chief with the Winnsboro FD passed away last Sunday morning. 

Chief Hutto had been sick for months but I don't think anyone really thought he would leave so soon. I guess you always think there is more time. Time to do what needs doing, say what needs saying but sometimes it just doesn't go the way you plan. He left behind 6 grown daughters, a wife, a huge family and so many friends that the church was nearly standing room only at his service. Willard was so well known, people came from all over the state to pay their respects and it was a real testament to his life. 

Admittedly, I did not know Chief Hutto all that well.  We did not socialize and hang out with him or his family but there was still a bond there. A bond that all firemen and their families share. It's hard to explain that bond to those who have never lived this life.

 Police officers understand it. Soldiers understand it. Have you ever noticed people looking at others in the mall, the grocery store, and they just nod at each other as they walk by?  You know they don't know each other but it almost seems like they do? It seems odd to the outside world but they do in fact know each other. One may wear a Vietnam Vet hat and the other a Operation Iraqi Freedom one. One wears a fire department t shirt while the other sports a SWAT shirt. You see it in their eyes if you look hard enough.

 Each one knows the other as well as they know themselves. They know the struggles, the pain, the heartbreak the other has seen and lived through. They know what is yet to come. That old vet sees his buddies that are now names on a wall in that young soldier's face, knowing he has no clue just what he signed up for. The cop sees the rookie she once was before the abused women and kids, the drivers who had too much to drink and the insults hurdled at her for wearing a badge became what keeps her up a night, making it hard to sleep soundly. The fireman sees the probie, so full of enthusiasm not realizing it fades so fast as the calls start to run together and you discover you can't save everyone, no matter how badly you want to.

There may be different colored lines but the black in that piece of elastic in my fingers represents that bond. That little piece of elastic is placed around a badge as a symbol of mourning but also one of endurance and hope. Every time one of these black bands is lovingly put into use, it is a sign to the rest of those who serve that we lost one of our own. It is a sign that we will protect their memory and honor them by carrying on. Death will never stop those who serve from rising up and continuing on. It just doesn't have that kind of power. That little black band is very nearly the strongest bond on Earth, second only perhaps to a parents love for their child or God's love for us.

As a fireman's wife, funerals of lost brothers are harder than most. My mind goes places it shouldn't when I stand silently by my husband's side as Last Call is sounded, the bell rings out and Taps plays, fighting to hold it together, to be strong for him. While I pray daily he is a crabby old man when that day comes, I know someday that same sea of uniforms, loved ones and badges wrapped in black bands will be for my love. I also know that the bond that holds us now as a fire family will be there to catch us and hold us tight if God forbid the worst happens. 

As you go about your week, say a prayer for the Hutto family. Losing a loved one is never easy. Pray for the Winnsboro FD as they pick up their gear, get in the trucks and go about being silent heroes to an unseeing world. All the while, trying to heal their broken hearts. Rest easy Chief Hutto, your men have it from here. 

#proudfirefamily

New Job, New Town, New Adventure.

  Wow has it been a while since I blogged anything or what? I am not expressly sure just how time has slipped by so quickly but it certainly has. So much has happened in the life of the Anders Herd over the last few months. Big changes are coming for us but we are ready.

  Hoss applied for a Chief's position in the small town of Ball, La. He applied, met the requirements, and got the job. My love is now officially the Fire Chief of the Ball Fire Department! I could not be prouder!!! He is such a dedicated fireman. He eat, sleeps & breaths the fire service. It is just who he is. If the town gives him a fair chance, they will be so happy with him as their Chief. Change is hard, its harder when you refuse to even try so please pray for the folks in Ball. Some are really having a hard time with the changes and are going way beyond the norm to cause issues where, in reality, there are none. 

  This new job means unfortunately, that a move is in our near future. We are having a hard time finding a rental due to restrictions on how far away from the town line we can live. Rent is insanely high, I'm talking $1000 a month for a 1960's FHA house! Not sure how its going to work out but I do know that we haven't been carried this far to be put down now. God will provide us with the right place in his time, of that I am certain. The packing has started in Faith that He has us something just around the corner!

  We have another daughter set to graduate in June, the boy turns 16 in a week and our 2nd daughter is engaged to be married. I used to joke about how neat it was they were all a year apart and how they would all leave home quickly. Its easy to joke when they are 8, 10, 11, 12, & 13 and you do 35 loads of laundry a week. You are just tired and need a break but then you look up and your job as full time Mom is nearly over.

  What I wouldn't give to go back to those days of ball games & sleep overs. Days of colds that seemed to just recycle through the house over and over, and the chicken pox...oh dear Lord the chicken pox! Dinner every night, yes we ate at the table every night as a family. We said Grace and some of our best memories and inside jokes have come from countless meals around the table, (yellow rice). I miss searching for "Woofy", assigned seats in the old Suburban so they couldn't fight over who sat where last time, so many shoes by the front door you've thought it was a thrift store shoe rack. So many things you don't even think about missing until they are gone. Kids make you crazy. They give you mini-heart attacks on a regular basis and where do you think grey hairs come from? It's crazy being a mom. Its even crazier to discover that all of those things are what you end up missing the most.  

  All you moms going through the trenches today, I know its tough. I know its thankless most of the time, but I can wholeheartedly promise you that every single solitary moment, both good and bad, is worth it. I have been a mother more than half my life and I don't know how to be anything else. They made not need me to patch skinned knees, find lost toys and cheer at band half-time shows anymore but I am still their Mom. Their needs have changed but I haven't and that's okay. While its a little sad that this part of my life is winding down, I am excited to see what's coming next. 

  Pray for our family in the months to come. Lots of changes, lots of new adventures await the entire Anders Herd and we are ready! 


  I'll leave you with some pics from the last few months. Just the highlight reel, right?

 Our Christmas Card 

Oh I've Got A Christmas Card For You!!!

Today as I entered my local Post Office to mail off some paperwork for Hoss, I was greeted by my friendly Postman. Nice fella, always helpful, but today he inquired if I needed stamps for my Christmas cards that I send out every year. He commented on how I normally have a stack of them to go out. I informed him I was not, you read that right, I was not sending cards this year. He said, "well I'm sure some folks will be disappointed. People love Christmas cards!" I just shrugged, thanked him and walked to my truck. 

In the days since Thanksgiving ( all 7 of them) , I have had 3 separate phone calls where I have been asked why the person on the other end hasn't received a card from me yet. Well, I have thought about this and have complied a small list to help everyone understand why there will be no cards this year. (like I should even have to explain) Here is that list:

1. Every year I include a picture of my beautiful family. Every Year. However, this year I seem to be unable to wrangle all 5 of my children & my husband long enough to get a single group picture. Last years card had the only picture of my kids together I managed to snag all year on it. I am thinking this trend will likely continue as they are all growing and have their own things to do and places to be. As much as I am sure 6th cousin, Sally Mae would love to see how they have changed in the 12 months since the last picture, it just ain't gonna happen.  Am I thrilled by this development? No but it is what its.  Kids grow up, they move on, life continues even if we never get another family picture for a card! It's the Circle of Life people, haven't you seen the Lion King?
2. Postage is insane and my cards always cost a little more than just a regular stamp. I have tried in the past to send out the generic cards in an effort to save some money. All that got me was call after call after call from people complaining because it wasn't my "normal" card. Lets not even talk about the cost of the actual cards themselves because they are not cheap either.
3. I'm sorry if people are under the impression that we must not like them anymore because they don't get a Christmas card. This phenomenon perplexs me greatly. Folks get seriously wigged out if one year they don't get a card. They call and act like some major injustice has been leveled against them. Never mind the fact that we haven't seen a card from them since, oh I don't know, 2004? I sent out nearly 60 cards last year that I put a lot of time and thought into. We got a grand total of 7 Christmas cards from others last year. Do the math, I sent out roughly 8x more cards than we received. 

Please understand, I love, love, love getting Christmas cards in the mail this time of year but I have realized that its yet another thing that is dying off. In our culture of instant gratification, spending time on something like a Christmas card is just too much to expect of people. We all want it but not if it means we have to make an effort on our end. 

It's sad and it hurts my heart to not be sending cards this year. I cannot recall a year I have not sent a card. When I was little, I would "help" my Grandma and she would let me send my own out to our family. I miss those days and maybe that why I have tried so hard to hang onto this one thing for so long. It's time to let it go though. I am spending money we don't have to spare on something no one but me seems to care enough about to make happen.

So,Mr. Nice Postman, to answer your question, no, I will not be needing any extra postage this year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. SALK!!!!!!!!!

As I logged onto the interwebs this morning, I discovered Google has changed its logo to honor the late Dr. Jonas Salk. It looks like this:

This simple little cartoon sure made me smile this morning. Without the work of Dr. Jonas Salk, I would likely not be here. Lots of people would not be here for that matter! You see, Dr. Salk invented a vaccine to fight Polio in 1955.

Polio (poliomyelitis) is caused by a virus that is spread through person to person contact. It attacks the nervous system and in a matter of hours can cause paralysis that is irreversible. Most people who are infected show no symptoms and are often misdiagnosed. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headaches, vomiting, limb pain & paralysis. 

  The milder cases are often just thought to be the flu. It is possible to be totally symptom free yet be able to spread the virus. Leg paralysis is most common however more severe cases can have brain stem paralysis which causes breathing difficulties as well as issues swallowing and speaking. About 10% of deaths are due to not being able to breath once the diaphragm becomes paralyzed. 

Polio is still alive and well in our world. It remains an epidemic in Afghanistan, Nigeria, & Pakistan. As long as a single person is infected with polio, the entire world is at risk. The polio virus can easily be carried into a polio free country and can spread like wildfire to those not immunized against it.  

The last known case of polio in the United States was in 1991 and now days, people just aren't taught about it the way previous generations were. So many people died from this virus and many more are still living with the after affects, now known as Post Polio Syndrome but its just glossed over in the books as some "past issue". 

I probably know more than most people my age about Polio because my mother had Polio as a child and it has been a rather prevalent topic of discussion my entire life.  I have been to countless doctor visits with my mom, support group meeting for people with Post Polio Syndrome and have watched her steady decline as long as I can remember.

PPS is a further weakening of muscles that were affected by the polio virus. Common symptoms include slowly progressive muscle weakness, fatigue & muscular atrophy. Pain from joint deterioration & scoliosis are common as well. 

Most people have never heard of Post Polio Syndrome. Even now, most doctors are just now becoming aware this exists. Not everyone who contacted Polio will suffer form PPS but so many do. Doctors who had no knowledge of this often misdiagnosed patients with Multiple Sclerosis. MS affects the nervous system and so the doctors just made the link to it because so many of the symptoms were the same.

 Hoss grandfather, Jess, had polio and suffered greatly as an adult. The doctors just didn't know what he had so they called it MS (pretty common practice in the late 70's & early 80's). With all the advancements in medicine today, I would be willing to bet he would be correctly diagnosed with PPS now. It just fits his condition so much better, it makes perfect sense. 

I like to think Dr. Salk understood the magnitude of his vaccine. How could he not? As a parent, he knew all too well the fear that Polio brought with it. Dr. Salk did so much more than save lives, he brought relief from that fear to millions of parents worldwide. 

Dr. Salk never tried to patent his vaccine. When asked he said, "There is no patent. Can you patent the sun?" As far as he was concerned the vaccine belonged to the people, not one person or country for that matter. His vaccine has changed entire nations and made the world a little less scary for us all.

Happy 100th Birthday, Dr. Jonas Salk! My family thanks you for all you did!

  

Thank you Panera Bread!

While on vacation with Hoss, we took a run over to Pensacola Beach. We stopped for a lunch at a Panera Bread restaurant some where along the way. Having never been to a Panera before, I took a relatively safe chance on their BBQ chicken pita and a bowl of cream of chicken with wild rice soup. I was not disappointed! It was so good, naturally I had to try and make it once we got home.  I found a few recipes online that looked promising but needed a little tweaking so I got to work. This is what I ended up with!

Crock Pot Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

4 1/2 cups chicken broth 

2 cups water

1 package Rice-a-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice (including the season packet)

1 cup chopped carrots 

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onions

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp. dried basil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp black pepper

2 cups half and half

In a large crock pot, mix the first 9 ingredients, stirring to combine. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high 4 to 5 hours. 

After cooking according to the time allotted, remove the chicken breasts and shred them with a fork and return to the crock pot. 

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Whisk the flour into the butter and then slowly stir in the half & half until well combined and smooth. Add pepper. 

Pour the cream mixture into the crock pot and mix well. Cook on high for about 15 more minutes.

Here is a shot of the yummy goodness you will end up with! Prepare to eat way too much!

A few notes on this recipe, for the chicken broth I use this: 

It is instant chicken bouillon and it is really cheap! A little goes a long way, just follow the instructions for making broth and use it instead.

I also use this for the veggies: 

I would use 2 bag just if you wanted a nice healthy amount of veggies, 1 bag if you don't. 

Oh and if you don't have half & half, just use half milk & half whipping cream.

Let me know what ya think of this recipe, we loved it!

Good Guys Finish Last

We all know the old saying, "good guys finish last". Have you noticed people say this a lot when things don't favor the "good" guy? Not exactly sure where this started but I'm going to bet it wasn't a good guy who coined it. It is said with pity and is not meant as a compliment. This confuses me. 

Why is the fact that good guys finish last a bad thing?  We throw this phrase around with a tone of resentment and resignation, like being a good guy is a bad thing because you will never be first or as important as the "other" guy. You will never have the prime spot on the team or the job with the six figure income, all because you are a good guy and "good guys finish last". 

Let think about this for a minute or two. Our society does seem to reward those "other" guys. We all know them. They seem to be the ones who have it all.  The ones who will just as soon stab you in back as look at you to get what they want. The ones who skirt their responsibilities at every turn, leaving their jobs for others to do, yet once finished they scoop in to take the credit. Let something go wrong though and they are the first to throw the you under the Greyhound.  The ones who will say one thing but when pressed deny ever opening their mouths, leaving you to look like the Lone Ranger without Tonto much less Silver.  They seem to have sold their souls to get where they are cause they sure act like being ahead is more important than doing what's right.

These types of people always seem to come in first in life and at an initial glance, it seem so very unfair. I am here to tell you that is just simply not true. As someone who has watched her husband always be the good guy no matter who is watching or what the situation is, I can tell you it gets really old seeing him get kicked in the teeth time and time again. I have asked on more than one occasion why he just can't catch a break but then it occurred to me.

My Hoss is a Good Guy. He will always finish last. He will always be cleaning up someone else's mess, always helping someone who does not appreciate it, always taking crap for someone else's problems, and always giving when it is a hardship for him. It's just who he is and he is not alone. The world is just full good guys and for that fact I am so thankful! 

Being a good guy is not a bad thing. Its the most wonderful title in the world if you ask me. Know why? Because it means you win. Not matter what life throws at you, you win. It may seem that you spend your life coming in second to people are less than honorable but the real truth is that you aren't last, you finish it.  They burn out and are forgotten but you endure. You finish.

No matter what it is, you finish it. That is something to be in awe of. Life keeps throwing you to the ground but you just keep getting up and you keep going until you finish whatever it is that someone else started. Oh, they run ahead and leave destruction behind them but you come along and you fix the wake they caused. You fix the mess they leave as they hastily run through never thinking about who they step on in the process. You pick up the people they cast aside as they use them for stepping stones to the top. You pieced back together the broken parts. You are there to speak the truth when they tell lies or keep silent when they should have said something. You are the one who fixes it all. You do what they are not capable of doing. You finish.

I am reminded of this other Good Guy. He lived a long time ago, and he just never caught what the world considers "a break" but He was perfect. The Ultimate Good Guy. He came to cleaned up an entire world's worth of mess and what did he get for his trouble? Crucified, literally. He was hung on a cross and gave His life for people who did not deserve it. Like I said, the Ultimate Good Guy. 

He finished what the world started. Jesus didn't make the mess but He cleaned it up. There is nothing else to say except that while the other guys think they won that day, the simple truth is, they didn't. They don't win, ever.  Sadly, the same battle keeps playing out day after day in small ways all over the world. In homes, in churches, at work, at the store, everywhere. Satan can battle all he wants, in the End, God finishes and He wins. 

So the next time someone looks at you with raised eyebrows, shrugs their shoulders and says with a hint of sarcasm in their voice, "Well, you know what they say..Good guys finish last!" Just raise your head, spread a smile from one ear to the other and proclaim proudly "Yes They Do!" Be proud to be a Good Guy, you are in some amazing company!

9 Years Just Isn't Enough...........A little story about a little girl.

You see this little sawed off piece of spunk and spitfire?

 This is the way I met my middle child Erin. She was barely 9 at the time, being raised solely by her Daddy along with her older sister, Jessica. Though its hard to see in this picture, the day I met her she had a skinned knee, a smirk on her face & those pigtails you see where my doing to try and gain some ground on her unruly hair. She was the living embodiment of the term "tomboy"! She was a Daddy's girl if ever one lived but she was also yearning for something else. She wanted a Mom. 

Erin used to ask women in the grocery store if they were single cause her Daddy needed a new wife and she needed a new mom. Yeah, poor Hoss. They meant well but its hard to explain to young kids that you can't just pick out a new mom at the store!

I knew Erin all of 3 days when she asked me, while floating in a lake, if she could call me Mom. I was thrown off guard at first and didn't really know what to say to her. I didn't want to upset her but it was definitely too soon to know of things were going to work out with her Daddy or not. I just told her that Ms. Sandy was good for now but that I sure thought she was a great kid. And man was she! 

She was just so hungry for a real mom, God love her. Hoss was and still is a great Dad and the girls were so blessed to have him step up and carry that weight alone all those years but she still wanted what every little girl wants. A mom of her own. 

Erin was so ready to have someone help her pick out clothes and braid her hair. Someone to read her stories (Llama Llama Red Pajama!). Someone who would let her sneak in the bed with them at night for no real reason other than to snuggle. Someone who helped her with homework and made dinner for her whole family to enjoy around the table every night. Someone to remind her not to scratch when she had a horrible case of chicken pox and someone who was at every assembly and awards show beaming with pride. Someone to be there for first dances, first loves and first heartbreaks. The funny thing is, yes, she needed me but I needed her too.

You see, I already had 3 kids of my own when I took on the job of  Mother to Jessica and Erin. I chose them when I married their Dad. (A fact Erin likes to be sure the other children never forget! I CHOSE her, I got stuck with them! LOL)  I chose to be the mom they both deserved and wanted. A choice I have never once regretted nor will I ever.

 It has not always been a smooth road. There have been a lot of someone else mistakes I have had to clean up and help them deal with but they rose above it. Both my girls have grown so much over these years and I just love them so! They have helped me to be a better mother than I ever dared dream I would be. They have shown me a capacity for love that I just didn't know existed. We don't need a piece of paper to know I am their Momma. They may not have my blood in their veins but they carry my heart with them where ever they go and they know that. That's all that matters at the end of the day after all isn't it? Blood may be thicker than water but LOVE is thicker than blood!

Today, I had to let my Erin go. Now I know its not forever, its just to college, but tonight it feel so empty without her here. I can't bare to even look in her and Sarah' room because I know her stuff is gone and so is she. She just lights up this house with her smiles and her infectious laughter. So much like her Daddy it's scary but enough like me to be hilarious! I am missing my sarcastic partner in crime as I type this. She has already called me 3 times since we left her at La Tech this afternoon but its just not the same. I'm sure as she adjusts to campus life, those calls will get fewer and fewer. It just happens that way. 

I don't feel I have had enough time to be her Momma. She is off in the world on her own now and I am here wondering where the years have gone once again. So many things left to tell her, to teach her, to make sure she knows. I can only hope she carries the lessons and values her Dad & I have taught her with her wherever life takes her. She knows I love her, she knows I will always be there, I will never leave her. Even if she needs to move on and start her life, I will be here, waiting just in case she needs her Momma. Just in case.

Look out world, here comes my girl!!! Hope you're ready cause she's something else!!

 Momma loves you Bob, go get 'em Baby!

PS. Daddy loves you too.