whirlwind vacay

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how quickly does a week pass? 

it's gone within a blink of an eye!

the saying is so true that time flies when you're having fun!

i spent saturday to wednesday in the big city.  i saw tons of sights, laughed a lot with my best girl friend, and met some amazing people!  i cannot wait to tell you all about it and share my experiences with you!

i miss the fast pace of life in the city and even though i have been back in the south for several days, i'm having to remind myself to relax and slow down. 

after returning i was glad to spend some quality time with my hubby.  more on that later too!  we are celebrating our three year anniversary this coming wednesday!

for now, i must get ready for work in the morning.  am i the only one who dreads going back to work after a nice vacation?  i honestly can say i didn't even think about my job while i was off.  maybe i can talk the hubby into bank robbing and skipping around the globe together. 

for now, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!

the lazy goat

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this weekend the hubs and i ventured out with a few of our dear friends

 to our new favorite place to eat, the lazy goat.

wow.  the food is devine.

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jessi being quite amusing with the appatizer plates. 

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good company, great food, and amazing atmosphere.

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even though we were completely stuffed, we all shared a pistachio brownie drizzled with a sweet cream sauce and a side of goat milk gelato.  so very yummy!

forty-five minutes

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i have a forty-five minute commute to work and back everyday. 

 i see so many beautiful mornings. 

some of my favorite drives are in the fall when the sun is waking up and casting it's warm glow on the chilled earth.  i take the back roads through the country and i see so many things that give me reason enough to believe this is where i belong for the time being.  i always feel rushed to get out the door to a job i would rather not go to.  though, something about spending forty-five minutes in a car alone eases the anxieties of the day.

until morning comes again....

 

concrete jungle where dreams are made of

{via}

***

guess what folks? 

i'm going back to the big apple to stay a few days with this girl.

she's planning lots of adventures for us

and i am excited about lots of giggling, sightseeing, and girl time!

i will be living my dream of being in NYC in the fall.

cannot freakin' wait!

peaceful saturday

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yummy hotdogs grilled over the fire with mama's homemade chili

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have i ever mentioned how much i love the place i grew up?  well i do.

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a relaxing evening by the fire. 

 roasting marshmellows, listening to my newphew sing "bye,  bye miss american pie", playing bocci ball, bike rides down the dirt road, fresh popped popcorn over the flames,

and just good quality family time with loved ones.

do moments like this have to end?

happy sunday folks!

october ~ robert frost

***

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--

For the grapes' sake along the wall.

salmon stew + a cold night

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it's a perfect night for a stew.  so i whipped up a good ol' batch of salmon stew.  want the recipe?  here it is:

empty 1 can salmon, bones and skin removed into a short stock pot, with salt and pepper.

add 1/2 a stick of butter & let the butter melt on medium heat.

when that is just about melted, add one can of evaporated milk and about 1 to 1 & a half cups of milk.

let the butter continue to melt while slowly simmering the milk.  stir several times but DO NOT let it boil.

once the butter is melted and the stew is hot, it's ready to serve. 

so yummy and so southern.  my mama always made this on the first cold night of the fall season. 

gotta love comfort food.