College Football
Big 12 Showcase

As college football season comes to an end, several teams from the Big 12 South will be featured on or near the day of their bowl game. (For those teams who aren't in bowls, that's okay, you'll be featured on the "filler" days.)

I am most excited about this series of blog posts because I have guest bloggers who have submitted their pictures, stories, memories and traditions.

Visiting college campuses has always been fun to me. I enjoy getting a sense of the school spirit and traditions.

Thanks to everyone who has agreed to participate so we can all get a glimpse into the schools you love! (It's not too late if anyone wants to be a guest blogger.)

OKLAHOMA STATE

A BIG thanks to Leigh Ann for taking the time to write this post and provide the great pictures. Be sure to visit her blog (click here) and leave comments for her.

"I just love football season and the fall! Most of all, my Oklahoma State Cowboys! I live in Tennessee, but do watch the Cowboys every chance I have. I’m so excited they’re having such a successful season. Gosh, they should have beat Texas. No offense KayVonne! I went to OSU very briefly in 1992. I had a tad too much fun, so transferred to a smaller university in Oklahoma and got serious about school and graduated. My time at OSU was so much fun and I continued to visit when I could. I am the only person in my family that loves OSU, my dad and brother are OU fans (they did not go to school there). My mom wears orange just to please me I think. What a sweet mom! As you can see, my husband even participates and he’s a Tennessee Vol!"

Leigh Ann, John, L.A.'s mom

A Family Divided

"I think one of the best football memories I have is in 2001, OSU beat the OU Sooners 38-28. I went to the game and the OU fans were on their high horse, undefeated, seeing the national championship in their site. OSU played like it was the national championship! I’ve never seen an OSU crowd get that crazy, yes, goal posts came down. Then we headed over to Eskimo Joe’s for a beer, then for pizza at The Hideaway."

"The newest addition is the renovation of the old Lewis Field. It was in need of expansion and updating. Thanks to T. Boone Pickens, Cowboys got their wish. I’m sad I have not gotten to see the new stadium since I moved. Maybe my husband will take me there next season?"

"There’s a lot of tradition at OSU. We were founded in 1890, before Oklahoma was a state. There are around 26,000 students and offer a broad range of educational programs. Some include agriculture, engineering, veterinary medicine, and osteopathic medicine. OSU’s mascot is Pistol Pete. Known as "Pistol Pete" for his gun-totin' skills, Francis Boardman Eaton was a deputy U.S. marshal in Indian Territory. Born in 1860, the Perkins, OK resident was one of the Wild West’s most colorful characters. Another great tradition is the “Spirit Rider”. The Spirit Rider is a cowboy mounted on Bullet, the horse, and together they represent more than just school spirit. They are an example of OSU's western heritage. When OSU scores a touchdown, Bullet rides out on the field to celebrate. It’s so great to hear the announcer say “Heeere comes Bullet” after a Poke TD!"

"I’m proud to be an OSU fan and will always cheer for my Cowboys. It’s a great school, full of rich tradition, and maybe our kids will be OSU alumni someday!"

THANK YOU LEIGH ANN!

Tune in to the Holiday Bowl tonight when Oklahoma State plays Oregon.

2008 Year in Review

I hope you enjoy my third annual Year in Review.

To watch the slideshow at your own pace, click the 'next' button in the lower right corner. If you click 'play' or let it play on its own, it goes too fast.

Make a Smilebox photobook

Merry Christmas 2008























Merry Christmas to you and your families. Thank you for visiting my blog and especially for the comments you leave.

Here are some upcoming posts I have planned so be sure to tune in:

• Big 12 Football Showcase - send me your pics, stories, game day traditions, etc.
• 2008 Year in Review
• Bedroom Make Over
• Recipes - including Black-Eyed Peas for good luck!
• Christmas & Holiday Season Pictures
• 5,000 Visits to my Blog - when this happens, I am going to have a give-a-way! Watch the site meter at the bottom so you'll know when it's getting close.

Happy 70th Birthday PaPa!

December 12th was a very special day and the start to a weekend full of fun and surprises.



































PaPa (a.k.a. Fluff) & Mel flew to Dallas for the weekend.

They knew about the flight....

















....and knew we had dinner plans at Bob's Steak & Chop House......


















....and about the tickets to the Prestonwood Baptist Christmas production "Gloria".....
















....and plans to see the neighborhood with the best Christmas lights.















But little did they know that lunch at the Purple Cow on Saturday would bring much more than their famed purple milkshake.















For the Brazoria County readers, this is not to be confused with Kitty's Purple Cow on Surfside Beach. (which sadly Fluff told me is closing because it couldn't make a recovery after hurricane Ike)
















As they entered the Purple Cow, they saw a lot of purple and a lot of small stuffed toy cows.....













.....and Derek's family?!?


















What? It couldn't be! They don't live here. They're not coming up for the weekend. Oh, but yes it can. Derek's family drove up for the weekend as a surprise to PaPa & Mel. Now the fun can really begin!

What started as a threesome for the weekend....



















....ended with all our family together.
























Fluff on his 60th birthday with no help on the cake, candles or presents
















Fluff on his 70th birthday....


















....with more than enough help on the cake, candles & presents.













































































Our only regret for the weekend is that we couldn't go to Wendell's Surprise 70th Birthday Party in San Marcos. Wendell & Fluff are BFFs and were born on the same day on the same year. Laurie, send pics from Wendell's party!

Check out the slideshow for more birthday pictures:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Thanksgiving 2008
What I am Thankful For

Here are a few of the things I am thankful for:

My Nephew and Niece

Hunter

7 year old Hunter is always ready to produce laughs. He is as silly as can be and lives life to the fullest. In the above picture, I was invited to his baseball game earlier this fall. In true Hunter form, after he had his turns at bat (and did quite well I might add), he was swinging from the overhead bars in the dugout or climbing on the fenced wall. (can you say monkey??) As soon as he realized I was near the dugout taking pictures, he ran out, turned his hat backwards, stuck out a hip, and started grooving. Thus, the picture above. This is quite different from my brother's first baseball experience where everything was cut throat and serious from day 1.

Summer

3 year old Summer is all girl and all pink. I love it! The above picture was taken at the baseball field on the same day as Hunter's picture. While I was snapping photos of Hunter getting his groove on, Summer was behind me saying, "Take my picture." As I whipped around, look at what I saw. Where did that pose come from??? It was unsolicited and a sure sign of things to come over the next 15 years.

Both Hunter & Summer bring such joy to my life. We spend time laughing, playing and having a great time together.

Gas Prices

As of 11/24/08, the gas prices have continued to drop. I like to stay on the go so I am liking this downward trend.

Travel Buddies

When I have time off from work, I like to spend it traveling. I am so thankful for my friends Paul & Paula who are adventurous, fun and always ready to plan another trip. Click here to check out Paul's travel blog to see pictures of his recent travels, a list of his upcoming trips, and the very impressive list of countries he has visited. The three of us travel very well together. We are all independent and can easily venture out on our own in a foreign country or stay together for a full day of touring, hiking, shopping & eating. Anything goes.

Patmos, Greece
May 2008

American Airlines.....

.....takes me anywhere in the world I want to go and for that I am extremely thankful.

My Parents

a.k.a. PaPa (Fluff) & Mel

The older I get, the more I can see distinct parts of my dad & mom coming out in me. For Fluff, it's the social, friendly, jovial side. For my mom, it's the more laid back but stern & assertive side. Also being level headed comes from my mom. When we're around my dad's family, loud laughter is prominent so that's where mine comes from (sorry to my office mates at work when I burst out in laughter; i know it's really loud sometimes) From both I get my organization & planning skills. Our household was run like an elementary school classroom with a lot of structure, routine and always with a plan & schedule. We rarely, if ever, varied off course. I'm not that structured or scheduled, but when I need to pull from my past experience, it comes very easily for me.

For all these traits I have acquired, I thank you.

(Do you think I look like either of my parents? If so, which one?)

Does this picture have church directory written all over it??? Why do all church directory pictures tend to look the same? Maybe someday I'll take the time to figure it out.

Fall Colors

Each year when fall arrives, it is quite possibly the happiest I am all year. The colors, the crisp cool air, leaving the back door open, football season, fleece blankets, autumn-scented candles and cooking comfort foods are the things I treasure and look forward to each year.

Employment

Shopping Buddies

I am forever thankful for people who like to get in the car on a Saturday and open the malls at 10 and close them at 9. What a perfect day for me!

Pictured are some of my favorite shopping buddies: Robin, KV, Stacie and Pam at the Houston Ballet's 2008 Nutcracker Market. This year's theme was Rockefeller Plaza; thus, the background scene.

I have been doing some serious shopping with Robin since high school. We tend to venture out to several different stores & cities in 1 day.

I met Stacie in college and we were instantly friends when our love of shopping was discovered. That was even further enhanced the first time I met her mom. To this day, Stacie's mom Pam can still out-shop ALL of us! (those shopping stories are blogworthy for another time - just pictures about 6 ladies piled into a suburban with shopping bags & furniture strapped to the top, back, and so full inside that the people hardly fit for the ride home)

"Shop til you drop, then crawl."

Roxy

Roxy is the love of my life. She is always happy and loves to ride in the car - which makes us very compatible companions. I call her a model dog because she is one. When someone even hints at a flaw, I don't know what they're talking about. For almost 8 years, this little dog has followed every step I have taken. She is always by my side and never lets me out of her sight. Because of her fox and puppy-like face, she gets so much attention everywhere we go. It takes me twice as long to do anything when Roxy is with me because she is s show stopper. She does not like clothes and that is probably a blessing because if she did, she would have more than me.

She also goes by the names of "Little Dog" and "Foxy Roxy".
Thank you Roxy! You're a model dog!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Food Feature on College Game Day

Beef Stew

This is a recipe that came with the purchase of my crock pot. I have refined it over the years to my liking. Other than taking your first bite, the best of part this recipe is being away from home all day then walking inside to the delicious smell of a fully cooked meal.


















Before I list the ingredients, I need to emphasize the importance of using extra lean beef stew meat. My idea of great beef stew is to cook the meat to the point where it falls apart. As you'll see in the picture above, the meat is not in chunks. I have used 2 forks to break apart all the meat pieces after the stew has fully cooked. Some people really like perfectly cubed meat in their stew and if that's you, I would still recommend extra lean.


















When I grocery shop for the ingredients, I go first to the meat section. If they don't have extra lean beef stew meat, I leave & go to the next grocery store. In all my shopping excursions, I walk out of many stores empty handed but rarely the grocery store. It kind of feels funny, but you'll be glad you did. For the LJ readers, I wouldn't start at Food King or Walmart.


















Ingredients:
2 lbs. extra lean beef stew
2 cans beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 lb. carrots (chopped into small pieces)
2 potatoes (I use 2 medium sized baking style potatoes; chop into small pieces)
1 onion (chopped)
1/4 - 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Coat the meat with flour, salt & pepper. To do this, I put the meat, flour, salt & pepper in a freezer size ziploc bag and shake until the meat is coated.














Put the meat and all the remaining ingredients in the crock pot. Stir to mix well. The liquid level will be much lower than the ingredients but that's okay but the meat will produce juice during cooking. Chopping: I am a big fan of chopping the carrots, potatoes & onion into pretty small pieces. That's what my mom does so I have followed suit.

Turn the crock pot on high and cook for about 6 hours. Crock pot cooking times will vary. The stew is ready when the vegetables can easily be cut with the side of a fork and the meat crumbles/shreds easily by tugging at it with 2 forks.




As everyone is busy this week preparing for the Thanksgiving meal, this is a good, hassle-free recipe that can be prepared then left alone while you get many errands & "to do" list items done. It makes a lot, so you'll likely have left overs which is always a bonus!

I hope you like it!!

Food Feature on College Game Day

Taco Soup

After trying many Taco Soup recipes, this one is my favorite. I got it from the Weatherlys - Michelle to be exact. The key ingredient is the Velveeta cheese.



















Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
2 pkgs taco seasoning mix

Brown the ground beef & drain. Add the taco seasoning mix according to pkg instructions.

In a large sauce pan, combine (do not drain):
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can yellow hominee
1 can Rotel
2 cans petite diced tomatoes (if I only use 1 lb ground beef, then I only use 1 can of tomatoes)
1 can pinto beans (or add your own homemade; see my recipe)
Velveeta cheese (I usually use 4 oz for every pound of ground beef; 1 lb beef = 4 oz cheese)

Add the cooked ground beef to the sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about 20-30 minutes.

This is so yummy and easy to make.


















Product Endorsement & a Story:
I like to cook large batches of soups & chili and freeze them. I have found the Ziploc twist n loc storage containers to be the BEST.


















A few years ago I was at a baby shower and it came time to play the dreaded game where you have to write your best piece of advice to the mommy to be. Being childless, I can't ever think of anything. At this shower, the host decided to read the advice to the group. It said, "Always stick to 1 brand of sippy cups. That way your cups and lids will always match and you won't be in a panic with a screaming child."

That was a lightbulb moment for me! I decided to incorporate that into all the plastic food storage containers I have. Once I found the Ziploc twist n loc, I decided to slowly weed out all the others. It has been great!