thankful thursday #154

Sometimes I get lucky.

Last weekend I landed the chance to enjoy a Michael Bublé concert from a suite, and well, in my world that qualifies as lucky.

I loved spending time with some of my favorite people, including this gal:

We had a belated birthday celebration for her, including fresh flowers, dense chocolate cake, and random strangers singing "Happy Birthday" for all to hear. It was good times.

And Michael Bublé as the backdrop wasn't terrible, either. While we know I have good friends who love him more than I do, I still enjoy him in concert.

It was nice to have a little fun tucked into my busy season. Made me thankful.

And you? Any fun surprises in the middle of your every day? Go on, be grateful!

thankful thursday #153

Just over a year ago, I had this awkward conversation that, along with other personal experiences, got me thinking hard about the issue of church segregation.

About how, if I feel like the church has cordoned off the single population, or the young families demographic, or the senior adults, then I should think about my part in bridging those gaps.

In other words, what was I doing in my own life to better connect to people outside my so-called category of friends?

I wasn't doing much, unfortunately. So I decided to pray more intentionally for opportunities to visit with other people, specifically women older than me, outside my group of single friends. And even more specifically, married women, because they are the ones with whom I often feel the most disconnected.

I need to be challenged in that way: to relate to women that I wrongly assume are incapable of discussing anything other than their families.

And so the process began, and the Lord has been faithful to introduce some new friendships in my life, slowly, and gently, over a period of many months.

Tonight I spent the most delightful two hours with one of these women, and oh, I am grateful for it. It was surprising and unexpected, but I am hopeful it is the beginning of many more hours to soak in some stimulating conversation.

There is so much to learn, and wisdom to glean, from the people living very different lives than we do. Here's to de-segregating!

Do you have a friend like that? Go on, be grateful for them!

it's the great pumpkin, little man

Little Man is sprouting up so fast, and I am grateful for every second I get to watch him grow.

On my visit this past weekend, he was on the mend from a wretched fever, so spirits were not super-high. But despite that sadness and his short attention span, we did manage to get a few snaps at a little pumpkin patch of a local church.

These little guys were called "Wee Bees Little."

Cute, no?

Little Man was intrigued by this one.

He didn't want to let it go, either.

Eventually he did let it go, right onto the concrete, and it lost its stem. Oops.

You know those signs in stores that say, You break it, you buy it? That happened.

Little Man sat on these monster pumpkins for about 2.5 seconds.

And then he was ready to call it a day.

His eyes do not lie.

Happy fall, people. Do you have your (im)perfect pumpkin picked?

thankful thursday #152

Tonight marks my eighth football game, in as many weeks.

It's particularly significant because it lands on a Thankful Thursday, it's happening in the great state of North Carolina, and it officially marks the start to the second half of this travel season. The light at the end of the tunnel is starting to peek through.

It is a good day. Worthy of gratitude.

And I get to hug these bones tomorrow.

(I wonder if he loves a new pair of jams as much as I do.)

Is there a light starting to shine at the end of your tunnel too? Go on, be grateful!

life unedited

The thing about blogging, and insta-face-tweeting social media, and texting and emailing is that you get to edit your image. Life looks glamorous, like a highlight reel.

Lest anyone feel that I withhold the messy parts of my world, here's a little gem from my week:

I don't think I'd checked my mail in over a week.

And lest anyone think I'm showered with fan mail, about four pieces of that stack were keepers, not because they were handwritten notes, but because they were bills.

Can I get an amen here, people? Tell me your lives are messy too?

a salad that men may or may not scorn

Salads aren't perceived as manly; I know this. Some salads, though, are particularly susceptible to a man's scorn. They usually involve fruit, a gourmet cheese, candied nuts, and/or a vinaigrette.

This is one of those.

But it is oh-so-delicious, especially for fall. And more importantly, it is make ahead-able, so you can assemble it just prior to serving.

Grilled Pear, Gorgonzola, and Pecan Salad
 Serves 12-15

for the dressing:
1/4 c. (2 oz.) balsamic vinegar
3/4 c. (6 oz.) extra virgin olive oil
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of coarse ground pepper

for the salad:
2 containers of your favorite greens (I used one spring mix, and one arugula)
6-7 Bosc pears, cored and sliced about 1/8" thick
about 2 c. pecan halves, toasted
1 container Gorgonzola cheese
dried cranberries, optional
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt

1. Combine vinegar, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper, and whisk until emulsified (or use a salad dressing shaker -- it makes the measuring and mixing super simple!). Set aside.


2. Drizzle olive oil (a couple of tablespoons) on a grill pan and heat on high. Place pear slices across the grill marks, sprinkle with kosher salt, and grill about 3 minutes on each side. They'll turn a glorious golden brown. Repeat until all pear slices are grilled, coating the pan with oil as needed, and set aside to cool.


3. Once pears are all grilled, use the same grill pan to toast your pecans. Drizzle olive oil on the pan, toss the pecans to coat, and heat on medium heat for a few minutes, until they begin to release their aroma.


4. Refrigerate all ingredients until serving. To assemble, place greens in serving bowl, and toss with vinaigrette (add a little at a time until you get your desired flavor -- don't feel obligated to use it all). Add cheese and pecans, and toss to coat. Top with pears and a handful of dried cranberries, if using.

a note about the dressing: If you're only making the salad for one or two people, and want to make less dressing, keep the 1:3 ratio of vinegar to oil, but even that's not a hard, fast rule. Make it to your taste.

a note about the greens: Arugula is scary to some people, because it has a sort of peppery taste, but it's an excellent contrast to the sweetness of the pears. If you're feeling adventurous, give it a try! (It also looks prettiest, in my opinion, and can be mixed in with other greens if you need to ease yourself in.)

a note about the pears: Grilling the pears seems tedious, since they need to be turned individually, but stay the course. It's worth it! And, you could probably sauté them if you need a short-cut. Once they cool, they are fine to refrigerate overnight before serving, but you could also serve them on the salad warm.

a note about the nuts: I adore walnuts, and think those would be delicious, but I have gobs of pecans in my freezer that I was happy to use. Pick your favorite!

a note about the cheese: You can use blue cheese, goat cheese, or maybe Feta if you prefer. I think any would be yummy.

a note about the cranberries: I thought these would be a nice little pop of red and autumn, and they were, but I felt like they might've brought a little too much sweet to the party. Take or leave them; the salad will stand on its own.

I took this to a church potluck, and for the record, it was scorned by only one man, and enjoyed by the others. Be bold and serve it up for your next gathering!

friday lagniappe

Right after I graduated from college, I lived in New Orleans for nine months. That place simply bursts with personality and charm, and in the most endearing way, it's laced with a little bit of crazy.

I loved those people! They are warm, social, and know how to celebrate anything well.

Their accents are thick and varied, although not especially Southern, and I never got past the ways of their language. They'd say:

"I have to be at the stadium for 6:00." (Why not "at" or "by?" Never understood that preposition choice.)

A serve-your-own dinner was boofay style, and if you ordered a po' boy at a restaurant, the waitress asked if you wanted it "dressed" (translated: with lettuce, tomato and mayo).

The ladies in my office would regularly "make groceries" (a.k.a., going to the grocery store).

"Lagniappe" might've been my favorite nugget of vocabulary; it means something extra given, for free, and for good measure. Like the 13th beignet in a baker's dozen.

Or in my case, it's something extra on the blog that has no real substance, other than, just wanted to share it. For free. For you!

So, some random Friday lagniappe for you:

• Have you seen The Butler yet? It's old news now, but it is so. good. Sort of Forrest Gump meets The Help. And I wept in all of the above. If you haven't already, consider this my glowing recommendation and go see it!


• For you gals with longer hair, do you have one of these curling wands? I was a skeptic, but it's pretty great! If you can successfully avoid the flesh burns, the curls are lovely.


• At the end of September, I considered doing a 31-day blog challenge in October, with one post every day of the month about one topic. What a joke that was. And the right decision to not commit.


• I think these shopping bags are just the cutest! Wouldn't they make groceries so much more fun?

Happy Friday, folks! I hope it's filled with people you love, and a little lagniappe for good measure.

thankful thursday #151

Do you know this shoe? By Yosi Samra?

I ordered her today. I hope she fits, and has as much spunk in person as she does in her picture.

That cheetah print is a pretty flashy neutral, if I do say so myself. And I'm still in the market for the perfect flat for traveling. But wanna know why I really ordered her?

A 40% discount. That's why.

Thank you, Katie Couric, for offering up some clutch discounts on your show yesterday.

Shallow gratitude this week, folks. Allow me that, will you?

What about you? No matter how big or small, go on, be grateful!

thankful thursday #150

"Housekeeping ain't no joke."
-- Louisa May Alcott

Confession: I'm a terrible housekeeper.

Here are my strengths:

I keep clothes off the floor and in the proper drawer or hanger for the most part, and most "things" are kept in their designated place.

No dishes stack up in my kitchen sink; I'm persnickety about that. And my dishwasher is almost always clean and unloaded.

Beyond that, I don't have much to brag about.

The hard core chores, like mopping, dusting, scrubbing toilets and tubs, washing tiles and wiping baseboards? Blah.

During my fall travel season, I occasionally receive mileage income, if I drive my own car for day trips. I earmark appropriate amounts for fuel and maintenance, and sometimes with leftover funds, I splurge on a cleaning service.

Oh, man. There's just not much better than coming home to a sparkling house.

That's happening tomorrow, people. And I'm dang thankful.

Splurged on anything lately as a special treat? If you have, go on, be grateful!