I Love Thrift Shopping!

We have a few thrift stores in my area where I frequently find great deals on really nice clothing.  Yesterday I made a little haul.  I found two cute Ann Taylor tops, a Talbot's jacket, and a cute belt for $15 total. Because I find such bargains, I don't feel guilty about adding to my wardrobe frequently.  Okay, I also bought a Miss Me sweater at a shop in San Antonio that always has a Groupon.  It's a great bargain...$40 for $20, and I bought the Groupon a month ago.  So the sweater was $60, but it only felt like $20 - logic only my bargain-hunting sisterscan appreciate! Here are some pictures of my super finds.

Back of the sweater

Front of the sweater

Ann Taylor



Dat's Cajun Gumbo Cookin'

My mom is truly Cajun, and my dad is truly French, so I grew up with great cooks, and delicious food.  I tend more to healthier fare now, but I will always have my childhood heritage favorites. 

Where I grew up, most people were Catholic and couldn't eat meat on Friday.  So our schools often served seafood gumbo on Fridays..really!  My mom always had plenty of shrimp in our freezer that she bought from the guys down the street who were professional or hobby shrimpers.  But for some reason, we mostly ate chicken and sausage gumbo.

It's been the worst winter in Texas that I can remember (be gone, Polar Vortex).  Cold weather to a Cajun equals gumbo.  So, today my husband (Cajun by virtue of being married to me forever), is making gumbo for the family.  My sons and families will be here...my daughter would, but is a little far away for lunch.

So, here's the family recipe....minus details because a Cajun girl really just needs an iron skillet, Le Creuset pot and some natural Cajun soul to get the cooking job done (in other words, we don't measure ingredients).

Chicken, chicken parts (whatever you like)
Sausage, several links (we like Opa's Beef, but I'm not sure where that's available)
Roux (I really can make it, but have turned to roux in a jar)

Chopped veges...onion, bell pepper, celery, green onions (add these at the end), garlic (and many use turnips).
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, file
Rice

Brown chicken, cook sausage in boiling water..then discard the water.
Make stock by boiling the chicken and some veges together...then discard the veges before adding the ones you chopped for the gumbo.  Take the meat off the bones and set aside.
This part is controversial among my Cajun sisters...some cook the chopped veges in the roux..easy to burn, some add them to the stock.

At any rate you end up with the chicken, sausage, roux and veges in the stock.
Season with salt and pepper, red pepper, and file.

The Seasonings

You need to cook it for awhile, but don't let your chicken get stringy.  Adjust the roux to the thickness you like.

You'll need some large bowls to put a couple of delicious scoops over rice.  What do you serve with gumbo?  Garlic bread and potato salad are traditional...many a true Cajun will put a dollop of potato salad in their gumbo.

Gumbo Bowls

And always remember that it's much better the next day!

Finished Product!

May cher, dis house smells good, yeah!

Thoughts on My Career

I’m glad my daughters and granddaughters don’t have to wonder what they can do with their lives..anything is possible for young women now, especially young women who know the Lord, and know that He has a purpose for their lives.


When I was young, I never thought of myself as a career person, but now, I have a career that has spanned almost 25 years that I can’t imagine having not experienced.  Some women in all generations have gone forth, meaning to shatter a glass ceiling, and have done just that. Some women, like me, have to shatter the glass ceiling in their head.  Based on where I started my career, I would never have imagined that being a woman, and being a principal were not mutually exclusive.


I know this sounds really odd to most people reading this in this day and time…even that small ET town where I started has several female principals and has had a female superintendent. But, I can promise you this, I would NEVER have thought about trying to be a principal during my time there.


The day that I started working in my current district, we were at a new employee orientation. One of the first things they did was to introduce all of the administrators in the district.  The person who was sitting next to me had also spent some time in the same ET school district. I told her that I was shocked at the number of female administrators. She responded that ours was an equal opportunity employer!  As Tin Cup says…some moments are defining moments, and that was one of mine.


I began to think that maybe administration was a path I could take. Three years later I was a central office administrator. Although I learned a lot in that position, I began to miss campus life and started seeing myself as principal. I registered for college-for the third round-and started my career as an assistant principal shortly after.


And now, I am in my third year as principal, after four years as an assistant. I am amazed at where God has taken me in my professional life…from a stay-at-home mom (which was the most important career I’ve ever had-I taught my own three children to read), to a teacher in my very late 30s, to the leader of a school with the responsibility of the safety, welfare and education of 450 children, 50 employees, school grounds, building, and a budget.


I know that I don't/can't do this without a lot of help from the staff, faculty, fellow campus leaders, and central office administrators that I work with. But mostly, I have to cling to my savior every day. I take this responsibility very seriously. It has eternal implications for me.

New Braunfel's Farmer's Market

I love our Farmer's Market here in New Braunfels!  Where else can you go to buy local honey, homemade pasta, goat's milk soap, get your scissors sharpened and listen to live music?

It happens every Saturday, downtown, from 9-1.

Homemade Sangria...everyone's breakfast drink of choice, I'm certain!

 Handcrafted goat's milk soap from Soapzees.  I love the peppermint.  I'm a pretty regular person, not too high-maintenance.  But there are a few things I'm a snob about..tortillas, bed sheets, coffee and tea, and bath soap! You can find his here:
soapzees.com

Live music....does this happen anywhere else?



My bounty!

Delicious Texas honey for my tea. You can find it here:
http://www.realtimefarms.com/source/8335057/youngbloods-honey

Basic Farmer's Market equipment...a Hootie Bag.  You can find them here:
http://www.hootiebag.com/

Have a wonderful week!

Favorite Home Scents

Hello Everyone!

I should probably say...Hello Nobody...since I haven't blogged in a year and a half, and my few followers have given up on me.  I've thought about taking my blogs down, but then decided that someday I'll get back to it and I don't want to have to start over.  When I spend time at home, I realize how much I love being in my little farm-style house and that always makes me want to share things from home. Right now I'm on Christmas break!  I work so many hours during my extended school year, that home is mostly where I wake up to get dressed, and come to sleep at night.  It sounds awful when I say it, but it's where I am in life, and I know that it won't always be this way...and honestly, I do love my work.

This morning I was cleaning a little, enjoying being home, and lighting some candles in the house. I have used the Hazelnut candles from Wal Mart for so many years, that I think the scent has become my signature.  Their candles are very inexpensive and have as strong a scent as the expensive brands. My niece smelled this scent one day in a store and told her mom that it smelled like my house.  So, I'm still using those, but have found some delicious new scents (well, new to me) from Scentsy-Pumpkin Roll, and Cider Mill.  They are very fall-ish scents, and I do love them.

The other new fragrant home product that I'm enjoying is Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products in the Geranium scent.  The Geranium scent is wonderful, and lingers for a good while.  I'm even using it to wipe down the inside of my car. These products come in so many "garden" scents, and in every possible cleaning product you can think of.  They clean, but smell so much better than other products.

What's your favorite home scent?

My Coffee Bar

Several years ago, my sister had a wet bar in her home that she set up as a coffee bar. I loved it and decided that I would build one when I built my house. We used space that is under our stairway. We have had many coffee pots in the bar and have currenly become Keurig addicts!

Have a wonderful day friends!

I'm linking up with Delightful Order today!  Be sure to visit this wonderful site!

It's pretty complete will all the coffee fixins'

Close up of the drawer handles

Close up of the cabinet handles

Small baker's rack with coffee and tea paraphernaila...little gifts from friends who know about my coffee addiction!

My friend, Julie, made this coffee quilt just for the bar

Half opening into my dining room

It smells great in here!

Scenes From Our Independence Day Parade

You have to love small town America! We're still patriotic here, we still pray at public gatherings, and community is important to us. We still have trains that run through downtown on a daily basis.  But twice a year...once for our County Fair, and once for the Fourth of July..the trains are shut down so we can gather to watch a parade.  Hope your 4th was blessed!





All ages from young....



To more mature!