Just Three Things | #8

The week started out with a bang bringing us snow flurries and cold, cold temperatures. Then, it closed out pleasantly with sunshine and the temperature in the low seventies. As they say, if you don't like the weather in Tennessee, just hang around and it will be totally different tomorrow! 

- What I'm Reading -

I've poked through a few more cookbooks this week. One of the nephew's son is getting married and a bridal shower is planned for later this month. The invitation included a recipe card for me to share one of our family's favorites. We really love food. Eating is one of our favorite pastimes. So, narrowing it down to just one recipe is going to be really difficult! This week I finished up reading the Ina Garten and Mary Kay Andrews cookbooks and started in on some older ones that I used when I was a young woman just starting out on my own. 

Starr Recipes from Greystone is one I got when I was in college at The University of Tennessee. A friend baked me a cake and gave me the recipe book so that I would have the recipe to bake one later. Over the years I have made lots of those recipes and it has been a good resource.

Good Cooking is another oldie that I've flipped through this week. I got this one as a young girl and it is also a good resource. I think I was in about tenth grade when I got this one as a prize through some 4-H contest. There is nothing really fancy in this one but loads of good food came about as a result of folks having it. I know for sure I used it lots.

- What I'm Loving -

I don't know if it is the birthday week or the flipping through old cookbooks or the fact that Mike and I have had family members exhibiting livestock at the North American International Livestock Expo last week and this week. At any rate, there has been lots of nostalgia shared around here this week. We've both shared old tales and experiences from our youth, including that of showing our own livestock. 

NAILE

We were excited when one of the nephews and his family won big time at the NAILE. He nor I never won on the big stage like that and Mike asked, "What do you do with your animal after it wins a Supreme Champion award like that?" So, we came up with lots of ideas about how the cow who won might be treated differently and wondered if she will just be turned back into the back lot when they get home with her.

- What I'm Working On -

I think I have shared before that Mike is the manager of the Cemetery in the heart of our town. His grandfather was one of the founders and Mike's Pop managed it when he was alive. So, Mike has now inherited the duties of selling burial lots, keeping things tidied up, and such. He enjoys meeting and supporting the people who come to him to purchase lots and is grateful to have the opportunity to comfort some of them in their time of grief. I am his secretary. We inherited lots of information and some of it was organized well. Some of it, though, is a bit of a jumble. So, Mike and I have been trying to sort it out.

I have been trying to create spreadsheets of lot owners and update names of people who have been buried and the location of their graves. At times it is overwhelming. So, I guess w are in it for the long haul. I have several spreadsheets at this point. So, when Mike gets a call, I can search through in a couple or three different places and we can locate most of the the answers to people's questions. It is an ongoing process, though, and I'm not sure it is one that will ever be perfectly accurate and easy to navigate!

I hope your week has been one where your sorting and poking and reminiscing has been heartwarming and that you have a rejuvenating and restful time in the weekend ahead.