Good things come to those who wait!

YES, it took 9 hours to make Apple Butter this past weekend! But it was sooooo worth it.

My mom was here for a visit and we cut up 25 Stayman Winesap Apples from Carver's Orchard. The Stayman Winesap Apple has a smooth, waxy finish and a firm, crisp flesh and a delightfully sweet flavor with just a hint of tartness.


We simmered the apple pieces in a large pot on the stove along with 3 tbs. pure vanilla extract, 3 tbs. finely ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground nutmeg, and 1.5 cups of granulated white sugar, stirring often with a wooden spoon.

There is no need to "mash" the apples at any time, since over the course of the day, they will begin to mix on their own and turn into an applesauce texture with the stirring. We kept the lid on during the first 8 hours in order to keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom.

The last hour or so, the lid needs to stay off, since you'll be stirring practically constantly since the apple butter will be thickening.









Make sure to sterilize your Mason jars and lid in boiling water or in the dishwasher (dry lids quickly so they don't rust).

Blast From the Past !

OMG, I just spoke with Val... after all these years!! Val was my partner in crime in high school. I have missed her soooo much... there have been a million times I just wanted to hear her voice! Iiece of freedom. At the time, we thought school was such a prison and now, I wish I could go back just for one day (and have my old body back too) !! And our bud, Jon D. would ride around with us making us laugh.. I remember Spring Break and paper bunny ears !!!



It has been probably 18 years since I have seen Val... our freshmen year of college we wrote tons of letters back and forth, she was at mercer and I was at montevallo at the time. I still have those letters and read them occassionally...

Today is a good, NO, AWESOME day! I cannot wait to catch up with her and hear all about her life and babies and yada yada.. we will have to have timers so w want to jump up and down ! This girl could make me laugh so hard...

Val was so goofy sometimes, we would act silly and people would think we were crazy... Val had a beautiful navy blue/ white top convertible restored bug in high school... Senior Year, we occassionally left during lunch and took a joy ride to taco bell or mickeyD's, or wherever just to get a small pe can take turns talking (we both like to talk) lol.. tears of joy, I tell ya

Sistering Across the Miles

I miss my brother Brian. fishing with him. laughing with him. just being around him. He lives about 6 hours away and it has been over a year since I have hugged him. This distance is so hard for me to deal with, but I do. We fought like cats and dogs growing up, but as adults we are amazing friends. I feel unconditional love when I am with him and I can be me - bad mood me, fun me, sad me, giddy me, silly me.

I just learned via my mom that Brian had an accident at work that has interrupted his life. While working on a grinder, his left index finger was injured and although it has healed, it has not regained feeling in his finger. He is left-handed, so this injury has made a huge difference in his daily regimen. He used to joke about being the only one in his "right" mind. I wish I could be there to help him through this. And I am not sure how it will affect his golf game, which is one of his favorite hobbies. Brian is an amazing golfer!

I am praying that I can visit him soon. It is my duty as a sister and it would lift my spirits to see him. We can laugh like old times :)

Dates for Judy's Upcoming Dance Performances...

Sept. 19 at 11am -
"Beautiful Dreams"
Roselawn Arts Festival
Cartersville, GA

Dec. 13 (Sunday) at 3pm - The Nativity Ballet
Rome, GA


Dec. 19/20 (Saturday at 2pm and 7pm /Sunday at 3pm) - The Nativity Ballet
The Grand Theatre
Cartersville, GA

May 15, 2010 at 7:30pm - Spring Concert (Recital)
The Grand Theatre
Cartersville, GA

UPDATES: lots to tell ya

Time got away from me in the past few weeks!! So here's a quick wrapup...

1) Cole did awesome at the State Swim Meet in July!!! He placed 9th in the Sate for Butterfly, yippppeeeeee... very fun day hanging watching all of the competitions...






2) The kids started school... Judy in 6th and Cole in 8th... should be an awesome year! They have great teachers :) YAY






















3) We have had fun the last few weeks swimming with friends!!!

Carver's Apple House Orchard and Restaurant

Visiting my mom in Dandridge, TN and we drove over to Carver's Apple House in Cosby today for lunch... for the BEST Apple Fritters, Apple Butter and Chicken Pot Pie Ever!! My daughter grabbed the Pickled Okra right away of course... My son loves the Apple Cider BBQ sandwich... They only had a few apple varieties available... we will come back in October to get our favorite variety -Stayman Winesap! But today, we bought fresh "Paula Red" apples (tart, turning sweet after a few bites)

I can see clearly now

Took Cole today to pick up his new glasses and they look so sharp on him!! And he said it made a huge difference, YAY! This time we decided to go with the transition lenses so we'll see how he likes them... Ain't my baby good looking??!!!!!!! :) We picked the frames without a rim on the bottom so it doesn't box his face in as much.... and we got the Crizal again so he won't get fingerprints, scratches, glare...