Greetings from Washington

Well...made it through day two of meetings. There is a fair amount of "blah blah yadda yadda yadda" but every now and then, someone utters a little golden nugget of information that might be helpful in my quest to save the world. We'll see...I really only need $4,000,000.00 for this project. (Yes...that is correct...no mistake...four million should about do it this trip.)

You know that I don't just love flying by any stretch...I'm not scared...it's a control issue thing. The flying pills take the edge off , but I still need to be distracted. I turn to magazines...gossipy ones with lots of pictures. I can generally make it to DC with the latest issue of PEOPLE Magazine and an In Touch Weekly or the like.

Anyhow...I had just taken my seat on the plane Sunday morning and was thumbing through a magazine when a lady sat down beside me and mentioned that she and her husband were not seated together. Being the nice southern belle that I am (and noticing that he had an aisle seat which I much preferred anyhow), I volunteered to switch. I ended up having the nicest conversation with the fellow sitting beside me. He'd been at Kiawah and in Charleston for a few days with his wife, who stayed on for business. We talked kids, travel, politics, education, and Clemson football. Before I knew it we were touching down at Reagan National. It was quite an unexpected pleasure.

Here's to unexpected pleasure!

And the Winners Are.....

So...I put all of the names in a hat (actually it was the top of a Rubbermaid Cake Carrier) and the lucky winners are....

Pat Conroy Book #1--- BAREFOOT IN THE PARK
Pat Conroy Book #2---KERI
Scarf---SUBURBAN PREP
Candle Holder -----JULES
Starbucks Card-----BLONDIE'S JOURNAL

and...I chose three additional prizes that weren't originally posted about...

Cute Pink Photo Album---JESSICA from Life and Times of a Dietetic Intern
Atomic Cocktails Recipe Book-----COCO
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Peppermint Liquid Soap and Hand Lotion----(I love this stuff and it will be perfect for the holidays...I know it sounds like a wacky gift but it's great)---BLUEVIOLET

Ladies: Send your mailing address to lifeofasouthernbelle@gmail.com and I'll get your prizes out to you at the end of the week when I return from my trip to DC (work NOT pleasure, let me assure you!)

This was FUN....Thanks for playing along everybody. Stay tuned because you never know when the giveaway mood might strike. I'll be posting some gently read books in the next few weeks.

High Noon

Noon today....Chance to enter the giveaway closes!!

Thanks SO much for the good thoughts and prayers....Legare has received a call back. YAY

Still working on the in-state tuition issue.

Oh...Woman Who has Called Here from Discover for the Last Ten Days in a Row....IF you're reading...I'm sorry for getting all scrappy with you yesterday. I know you're just doing your job and I really shouldn't have lost my temper but GOOD GRIEF, how many days in row do I have to say "take me off of your list and do not call me again" ???? I don't want your card...I don't want your insurance or protection plan. I was nice to everybody I came across ALL day yesterday and trust me....some of those people pushed me to the limit. You, Woman Who has Called Here from Discover for the Last Ten Days in a Row, were the Tipping Point that sent me over into my dark side.

If you call today, I will try to not insult your intelligence again...the economy is bad...you might actually be a VERY intelligent person who just can't find a better job.

Legare is Having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

The sun usually shines pretty brightly on old Legare, but today he is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

I don't like it very much when either of my children has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I want to fix things, and the older they get the harder it is to do that. In this case, there's nothing I can do but listen and encourage patience.

Darn this economy...UNC denied his application for in-state tuition for this year. He did everything they said to do, including working in-state this summer for not a lot of money. He has 14 days to appeal so that will be taken care of first thing tomorrow morning.

Darn this economy AGAIN...the job market for law students is severely depressed. He's had some good interviews with top notch firms but the wait for call backs has him sitting on pins and needles. This is the kid for whom everything has always fallen into place pretty easily. Learning the life lesson that we can't always control everything and that things don't always happen the way we want when we want is a tough one.

Say a prayer for my sweet baby boy that he'll be able to dig deep for patience (and for the in-state tuition AND a job!!!).

Don't Forget...

Don't forget about the 300th post giveaway. It's FUN FUN FUN and there is still time to enter.

Things are quiet here on the home front, aside from all of the busyness going on in our places of employment. Legare is in Law Review orientation this week, while anxiously awaiting the arrival of his new sofa and callbacks from his recent interviews. He's like his mama...he likes to have a plan and isn't very patient.

Lorelai is full steam ahead into her new semester. I'm in Washington, DC for a few days next week on business. Hank will be on his own here at home with the dog and cat. I'll also leave him a honey-do list, but I have a feeling he already has a plan that involves deer hunting, since he missed opening day on the 15th and hasn't had time to go since. Personally, I think it's still too hot, but the deer stand is calling his name.

Hope you're having a good week. I haven't forgotten that I still owe you answers to a few more questions, not the least of which is what I believe to be the single most important challenge/biggest issue in education today. I'm having trouble narrowing it down...

Soon I'll Be Posting Number 300! Let's do a GIVEAWAY!

I'm not far away from my 300th post and feel like having a giveaway. I was going to do it around my birthday in October but this way we can have one sooner! YAY

A comment equals one entry
If you are a follower or become a follower you get two more entries.

Post about it and there are another two entries in it for you.

Total possible entries = 5 per person

Just let me know what you decide to go for.

Here are SOME of the prizes... I'm giving away TWO copies of my favorite author's new book...



A pretty blue cashmere scarf that I picked up in New York City...




This nifty wrought iron candelabra that fits into a wine bottle....wine bottle included if you do not have your own...

...AND...a $20 Starbucks gift card

SO....start entering NOW...The window of opportunity for entering closes at noon on Friday coming, that would be the 28th, I believe. Who knows...I might add a few additional prizes as the week goes on so SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!!!

God Bless the Teachers!

Legare is all tucked into his new apartment and Lorelai in her dorm suite. Last Tuesday, children in our county marched back into their school buildings for a bright new year of learning.

I always have flashbacks to my kids' days in school and for some reason a particular memory resurfaced of Lorelai's first day in first grade. Her teacher was a neighbor and our pastor's wife. As we wrapped up supper that night, the phone rang and it was, you guessed it, the teacher.

She was calling to tell me about Lor's day. It seems that around 10:00 AM, Lor came up to her desk and inquired as to what time they would be having their morning snack. Teacher had to explain that there were no snacks in first grade. Lor replied that she was very hungry and really did need something right then. Teacher sympathized, saying that while she, herself, was also hungry, they would just have to wait another hour or so until time for lunch.

They both managed not to starve to death before lunchtime rolled around and after lunch, went out to the playground. It was hot and humid, as it generally is here this time of year. After about 10 minutes, Lor ran over and announced that it was much TOO hot and they really should go on back inside. I can just see Teacher holding Lor's little hands and explaining, yet again, why she would have to be patient and wait until it was time to go back inside. Lor did...it was hard for her I'm sure because she IS her mother's daughter when it comes to the creature comforts.

May God bless all of the good, kind, patient teachers in our school systems. If you get the chance, do something NICE for a teacher this week!

Three Quotation Thursday

An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. - Jef Mallett

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If you're not confused, you're not paying attention. ~ Tom Peters


You know what...this quote sums up practically the past month in my workplace.

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Why is this thus? What is the reason for this thusness? - Artemus Ward

I refer you back to the second quote. What IS the reason for this thusness??

No Peace in My Valley...

I'm still trying to recover from the death of the Macbook when mother calls. She's been relatively calm lately...no crazy calls from Green Grove. Life has been good.

So...Hank answers and I hear him say...well, I'm pretty sure it's alright. I don't know why it wouldn't be. And then he walks over to the sofa where I'm all comfortable watching an episode of House Hunters and hands me the phone.

Me: Hello

Mother: I didn't think that I had an account at Hometown Bank anymore.

Me: You don't (Technically, this isn't true...don't judge me...I pay her bills from that account and we opened a spending money account for her in a different bank.)

Mother: But my Visa card has Hometown Bank written across the top of it. I can't use that card if I don't have any money in that bank.

SO...I try to assure her that the name of the bank on the card makes no difference at all. The bill comes to me and I send a check (actually I pay it online but that WOULD blow her mind) to the Visa people somewhere in Delaware...not Hometown Bank.

Mother: But that doesn't make any sense...Does that make sense? The card SAYS Hometown Bank!!!! We have to pay Hometown Bank and I don't have any money in Hometown Bank.

Me: Well, it makes sense to me. It isn't a debit card...it's a credit card. We pay Visa, not Hometown Bank. (Why I felt compelled to mention a debit card is beyond me...)

Mother: It DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. I cannot use this card. Can I?? Ask Hank if that makes any sense. I'm not letting you get me in trouble.

I hand the phone to Hank, saying, TELL HER IT MAKES SENSE!!! He didn't convince her either. We'll give it a couple of days and see if she forgets about it. Otherwise, I guess I'll go the new bank and get another card for her. Lawsamercy!

Sometimes you just want to cry...

Got Lorelai all moved back into the dorm. Last night, apparently, a bottle of water turned over on her desk. Her one year old Macbook was nearby but appeared to be unharmed. This morning the Macbook was dead. 911 was called but the patient could not be revived. If my blood pressure doesn't go down, somebody might be calling 911 for ME!

Here we go again...CLEMSON!

The tickets and parking passes have ARRIVED!!! Time to dust off the tailgating stuff and get ready to go!

And then there is THIS (photos below). I'm not sure that we ever truly got everything put away when Lorelai got home in May and here we go packing it all up again. I look forward to getting my pretty living room back again...

Finally...something for ME!!! Look at the cute skirt I just got for the first game! I also got Hank a pair of shorts like my skirt but I doubt he'll want to wear them at the same time. HORROR or horrors if anybody ever thought that his wife told him what he should wear!

Three Quotation Thursday

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye. - Miss Piggy

I've always kind of liked Miss Piggy, but the relationship between her and Kermit creeps me out just a little. She's flighty and Kermit can do better.

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Leadership is action, not position. ~ [unknown]

Yes? Yes!!

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too often we underestimate
the power of a touch,
a smile a kind word,
a listening ear,
an honest compliment,
or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential
to turn a life around.
-leo buscaglia

Miss Anne had this quote on her blog earlier this week and I just had to borrow it. It's amazing what a tremendous impact the smallest gesture can have. I've been trying particularly hard to do these things at work. Things are tense in our organization just now. Not BAD, just changing and conflict is essential to true and long-lasting organizational change. A smile, kind word, listening ear, small act of caring...all of these things can cut the tension and make the days a little easier.

My Favorite Recipe- Caramel Pecan Pie

I've never had a better pecan pie in my life...and I'm not just saying that because this one is the one that I make. I found the recipe in a magazine many moons ago...Southern Living, I think, but am not 100% positive. I hope you're enjoy it too...

9" frozen pie crust (or make your own)
28 caramels
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick holes in crust and bake for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

Combine caramels, butter, and water in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until all are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Stir together sugar, eggs, salt, and extract until well mixed. Stir in pecans and pour into crust.

Bake at 400 for ten minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 and bake 20 more minutes, shielding edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.

When done, remove pie to wire rack to cool.

Serve with ice cream, whip cream or plain. It's delicious any way you serve it.

A Giveaway at All Things Southern and Preppy

Preppy 101 is having a giveaway to celebrate her 300th post. I hesitate to encourage you to enter because I REALLY want to win, but hey, that's what bloggy friends do.

Run on over there. You'll love her blog and she ain't storying when she says that each one of the prizes is FABULOUS!!!

Moving Day for Legare

I'm taking a little break from the question answering to show you our weekend activities up in Chapel Hill. We moved Legare into his very OWN apartment. NO more roommates. He thought that living with two gals that he already knew from college (who were in law school also) would be a smart move. Nicer apartment...they would understand the need for quiet time, etc. Well, the honeymoon lasted all of three weeks, but he had to tough it out for the year.

We agreed to let him stay in the same complex...lots of his friends live there and he is SO excited about having company now. While I directed the decorating of his room in the old apartment, the girls did the downstairs and it was AWFUL. He spent all of his time in his NICELY decorated room or at the apartments of friends.

We hardly got back from dinner (Yes...we did go back to Il Palio...delicious once again) last night before three of his friends arrived to wish him well and see the new digs. I think they were scared to go to the other place. No sofa yet...I had to throw some Belle sunshine on the Bassett Furniture manager as soon as I got there Friday afternoon. It will work out. Legare hasn't had enough life experience in home decorating to know that "it will be here in four to six weeks" means eight to twelve weeks, if not longer. He's tired, bless his heart (who isn't?). He had interviews in NYC and DC last week and is headed out on Thursday for more in Greenville and Atlanta.

Here are a few photos from the weekend. He's a good boy and lets his mama be in charge while she's there. It might possibly look totally different now that I'm back in the Lowcountry (but WHY?? It's almost perfect for an aspiring young lawyer's first apartment). You'll probably want to move through the show manually...for some reason it wants to go too fast on this end.

Parenting

As Tales of an Empty Next pointed out to me the other day...lots of us in blog land have GREAT kids. They're not perfect by any stretch, but they have made it to young adulthood without falling into peril (that we KNOW about) related to at-risk behaviors such as drug or alcohol abuse and other promiscuous behaviors. I agree with Tales..., that some of us more mature (OK...older) parents might have some good advice to share. I'm going to give it a try...

First and foremost...know that things DO happen in our house that aren't all joy and sunshine. Both of our sweet darlings are a tad bit spoiled. If' I've heard them say, "that's not fair" once, I've heard it 500 times. Legare went through a phase of wanting to drive too fast. He also went through a phase when he was younger of being sulky and sullen. He made the Christmas holidays close to misery his freshman year in college because he was going to be at a mock trial competition in California when they handed out the fraternity bids and, in his own words which we heard 1000 times, "THAT IS JUST NOT RIGHT." Once, when he was in 4th or 5th grade...around the time boys and girls start calling each other on the phone...he was VERY rude to a little girl who called asking about something at school. I made him call her back and apologize. He never was rude on the phone again...at least not when I could hear him.

While Lorelai has had a great summer, we've had our share of angst, including a battle of wills surrounding her adjusting back to our at home schedule after having been so independent at college. She can be VERY sassy. (She got that from me...I used to get in trouble ALL the time). Last week, we got a notice that her checking account was overdrawn...WAY overdrawn. My blood pressure went WAY up, but she learned a valuable lesson. (We were just a phone call away, but made her go to the bank and get it all worked out by herself.)


As parents, Hank and I get irritated and we fuss and nag... and then we pray with all our might that this is as bad as it will ever get. Face it...these are minor irritations compared with what a lot of people go through with their children, but the minor irritations cannot go unaddressed.

We have always held our children accountable. They know right from wrong, and when things get a little off kilter for whatever reason, each of them has to put their big boy/girl britches on and deal with it. They might get mad with us, but there is never a doubt that we love them more than life itself. (I believe that there are some kids out there who DO doubt that their parents love them more than life itself...that's one reason why they get into trouble.)

Lorelai has worked with kids over the past couple of summers and is going to be an educator. We were talking yesterday and she said, "You know...some people ought to have to pass a test before they can become parents." It's very clear to her, even at 19, that a lot of kids haven't been as fortunate as she has.

We encouraged our kids made decisions about what they wanted to be involved in, but also pushed them outside of their comfort zones at times. Legare says that he detested every minute that we made him play Upward Basketball at church when he was in about the 6th grade. He needed to try and he wouldn't, so we pushed him for that one season. We made Lorelai take piano lessons for a couple of years, and while she played well, there was no joy in it for her so we let her stop. Each continued to try out new activities until they found their "thing." For Legare, it was mock trial, cello, and extra-curricular activities at school around student government. For Lorelai, it was interpretative speaking, cheerleading, softball, and extra-curricular activities at school similar to what Legare did. Hank and I were always there, cheering them on every step of the way.

We took our kids to Sunday School and church. We pray for their success, safety, and welfare constantly. Our kids DID watch TV...they each had Ipods and computers. (For some reason neither was interested in video games). We said "no" to a lot of things, but never said no to buying a book, and checked books out of the library in stacks. We read to them every night until they were old enough to read by themselves. We traveled, taking both kids to visit a friend in Europe about ten years ago. We took them to nice restaurants so that they would know how to behave in nice restaurants. I still remind them of their manners. Good manners are critical in this world and some people ain't got 'em. (Oh...and don't say "ain't")

Getting an education was not an option for our children. We believe that it is our obligation to provide that for them. I realize that not everybody can swing college for their kids from a financial standpoint...but it doesn't take a dime to set high expectations, encourage, and provide emotional support and praise. My heart goes out to children whose parents are not equipped for whatever reason, to at the very least, give encouragement. I know kids Lorelai's age who are not in school and do not have jobs...they just live at home with their parents and do who knows what. I do NOT get it.

(As an aside, the educator in me feels compelled to clarify something...Our kids chose paths that are taking them through four years of college and beyond. That's not for every student. Some students are able to get certifications through apprenticeships and career and technology programs in high school. Others get what they need from an associates degree. The point is that we as parents must make sure that our kids have the information they need to make these decisions that will chart the course for their life's work. You can't leave all of that to the school system...parents MUST be involved.)

Whew...I HAVE been preaching, haven't I? As I've mentioned before in posts, Hank and I agree that nothing we've accomplished as individuals has ever made us as proud as the accomplishments of our children. Legare just came away from three job interviews in New York City and three in Washington, DC, for his 2L summer next year. He may or may not get call backs, but the mere fact that he was chosen to interview makes us SO very proud. Lorelai went on two church mission trips this summer and her change of major from nutrition to early childhood education has been approved. She wants to eventually be a guidance counselor. The world needs more educators with big hearts and level heads (even if she can't balance a checkbook). We could NOT be more proud of these two blessings that God gave us.

Have your told your kids lately that you're proud of them? Run as fast as you can and tell them right now. Stay tuned...a few posts from now when I'm done answering questions, I'm going to issue a challenge to all parents out there. It's going to be interesting.

Why I Blog...

Still Answering Your Questions...


georgie at Decisionally Challenged wants to know what made me decide to start a blog AND keep it up...what was my defining OR favorite blog post and why...

Both of our children were graduating in May of 2008...Legare from college and Lorelai from high school. Long about March, I started thinking about how in the world I was going to manage everything...the graduations were at the end of May...a mere 24 hours but 200+ miles apart. Then in August, we were going to have to move Legare to Chapel Hill, lock stock and barrel, and Lor to Clemson. I was feeling overwhelmed, but I didn't want to miss a minute of these milestones.

All of a sudden, the blog idea popped into my head. I like to write and I like to scrapbook, so I saw blogging as a good combination of the two...I'd journal the entire experience online. I'd have my memories and the kids would have a little insight into my heart (and my craziness)... plus our friends could see what was happening. Blogging is also wonderful therapy and I don't see myself quitting anytime soon. My husband Hank doesn't read the blog unless I show him something in particular, but both kids do. Legare is OK with me writing about him, and Lorelai LOVES it when I write about her. She takes after her mama...we like attention.

I don't blog much about my job other than to share an occasional funny story. I don't have many bad days but when one comes along, boy howdy, it is a DOOZIE. I would like to blog about some of those doozies, except for the fact that I like being employed MORE. Today, actually, was something of a doozie. I thought about starting a second "invitation only" blog so that I could do a little more venting and opining on certain subjects but shoot...I don't have enough time to write all I'd like to on this blog.

Oh goodness...my defining or favorite blog post. I have to say, I still get a kick out of my Funerals in the South series. (here, here, and here) A defining post is a little harder...I think it's probably a post I did titled Challenges, as we were beginning the process of moving Mother and Ned this past Spring. I received the most comments ever and SO many good thoughts and prayers from my blogging friends. Hank and I were at our wits end around that time and I FELT those thoughts and prayers every single day as we were going through all of the hullabaloo. Blogging brought me a great deal of comfort during that time...plus, lots of folks are in love with Ned now. He doesn't know exactly what blogging is, but he likes it a lot when I tell him that my blog friends are asking about him.

So...how about you. Why do you blog?

Religion and Tomato Pie

Some of you might have noticed that I got ahead of myself. I was working on the Politics post, which was supposed to come AFTER this one and apparently hit "publish" instead of "save" so it's went up first and politics went up second. Oh well...I also owe you the Caramel (Best) Pecan Pie (in the world) recipe. It's coming as soon as I get these posts back in order....

Post #2 (now #3 instead)... Answering Your Questions

Lisa at akawest asked about my views on religion and politics. If you've been reading for awhile, you know that I don't talk much about either. Not because I don't care...I care...A LOT. I was just taught that politics and religion were topics best NOT discussed. Politics, religion and MONEY. I never did listen to my parents, so I'll tackle religion today. (I did politics the other day out of order.) Money, never.

I was raised Methodist and, at the age of 14, became a church organist. Over the next 25 years, I served as organist and choir director in a number of churches...Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran. If I'm honest, I ended up being the most comfortable in the Baptist church; however, the church we attended went through a lot of upheaval, and while we weren't involved in any of it, and be it right or wrong, our ability to have a peaceful worship experience was limited. It broke my heart. SO...about six years ago, we joined the Presbyterian Church here in town and eventually, the Baptist church split. I'm very traditional in my Sunday morning worship service preferences. I love grand organ music and traditional hymns. First Presbyterian is a wonderful and loving church community, but I'm not as involved as I should be. I was so used to being "in charge" of something all the years of my music ministry that I can't seem to find my niche. I'm working on it...

My faith is SO very important to me...I try my best to be a person of STRONG faith, but as with everybody, my faith is often tested. Like I said, I have a thing about being in charge...all the time. God knows that's a problem for me, and we work on it. I talk a lot and He listens, and when He speaks....HE SPEAKS!

Our family has been blessed beyond measure. We've had sadness also, but God is a God of grace and He is merciful. God especially blessed my brother Ned. You all know that Ned has Downs Syndrome, but he looks at the world, particularly when there is sadness, in the most wonderful way. Our dad passed away in 1981, aunts and uncles along the way, and our grandmother in 2001. In every instance Ned says, "You know, (name here) died today." We always explain that we do know and that we are sad." Ned ALWAYS says in reply, "Well, he/she is up in heaven." As far as Ned is concerned, the recently departed loved one is JUST fine, and that is the end of it. He goes on about his business...never gets mad...never gets sad...never sheds a tear. Ned has the strongest faith of anybody I know.

God loves everybody...even the people who we, in our limited human ability to reason things out, might not find to be so lovable. He loves those who falter (and we ALL falter). He loves the people who don't love him back. We can dislike a person's behavior all we want (and there are plenty of "behaviors" in this world to dislike) but we have no right to make a determination about whether or not a person will spend eternity in heaven or hell. There is nothing wrong with speaking out against injustices in the world but there is a big difference between disagreeing and judging. A big difference, but a very fine line. (I'm preaching to nobody but MYSELF here...No person on this earth can never know any OTHER person's heart at the moment their life on this earth ends.

Out on the water at the summer house is one of my "thin places." I read a book one time (can't remember the title) that talked about thin places...places where we feel closer to God than any other place. It's hard for me to imagine how anybody could ever sit out over that water and watch the sunset (I'm never up for the sunrise) and not believe.

That's all I've got right now and I'm sure you thought that my sermonizing would NEVER end. Hey...I'm just trying to answer the questions...
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Now, on a lighter note. Anonymous requested my Tomato Tart (Pie) Recipe. I base my recipe on Paula Deen's Tomato Pie recipe but made a few changes. You can find her original recipe HERE. Here it is with my changes...

4/5 tomatoes, sliced (peeled or not...makes no difference to me)
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion (I like vidalia)
1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell (not deep dish)
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell (optional)
1/2 cup grated mozzarella (sometimes I only use cheddar or whatever is in the refrigerator)
1/2 cup grated cheddar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake one pie crust for about 7 minutes.

Place the tomatoes in one layer on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and let them sit for about 15 minutes.

Layer the tomato slices, basil, and onion in pie shell. Combine the grated cheeses and mayonnaise together. Spread mixture on top of the tomatoes. If you want, you can use the unbaked pie crust as a top crust. Just slap it on top of the pie and cut a couple of vents in the middle. Bake for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Keep a watch...my oven bakes kind of slow.

You might want to put some aluminum foil around the edges to keep them from getting too brown.

Let the pie sit for at least 15 minutes before serving if you want it to cut pretty. Otherwise just have at it.

Caramel Pecan Pie...watch for the recipe in a day or so.

You Have Questions? I've Got Answers!!

I can't believe it!! People actually asked me questions. I'm TOO tickled. As a matter of fact, there were so many questions (I'm TICKLED, I tell you) that I'm going to have to do a series of answers.

Be patient with me. I have one more week of working the four ten hour days then I'll be back on my usual schedule. Time in the morning to actually enjoy my coffee, read a few blogs, and watch the news...time in the afternoon to make a doctor's appointment or get my hair done. I know SOME people (not my blog friends...people around here) say, Well...you've had Fridays off. Do those other things on Friday.

I say...Do NOT judge me...I'm TOO DARN TIRED FROM WORKING THE LONG FOUR DAYS. I LIKE my routine and when I'm unable to be in my routine due to factors BEYOND my control, I get cranky, So HUSH UP!!!! Sorry, I went a little over the edge there for a minute.

Funny in My Mind asked three questions. How do we pronounce "Legare"...What is my least favorite household chore...and...What is my favorite perfume?

The answers: Legare is named after my uncle, and it is pronounced "La-gree"...just like agree with an L. I'm not a fan of any household chores, but I'm pretty sure that cleaning floors is the least favorite...the sweeping AND mopping part. I'll take cleaning a bathroom over floors ANY day of the week. My favorite scent right now is Marc Jacobs Cucumber. I also like Kai a lot, and find Prada Fleur D'Oranger to be DELICIOUS (but so far I've only had a sample of that one.) I'm still seeking my "signature scent."

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A Tale of Two Blessings decided to de-lurk (I love it!) and ask...

If you were starting over, what would you consider the "core" pieces of your wardrobe? (and from where, i.e., what store/brand?

Well, I've always been pretty conservative in my choice of clothing, but try to be fashionable at the same time. If you saw me right now, you'd wonder about that. I have on my old tired (but comfortable) "at home" shorts and a t-shirt...no shoes

Black pants are pretty much the core of my wardrobe. I like the Chicos traveler pants a whole bunch because they are so comfortable and they hide a multitude of weight-related sins. I also buy a lot of basic classic pieces from Talbots because they last forever and aren't so "trendy" that they go out of style the very next season. Of course, I have to have a selection of orange and purple items (GO TIGERS) for football season. My very favorite store is Gwynn's of Mount Pleasant. If I had an unlimited clothing allowance, I'd go there for just about everything. I always feel SO happy when I'm in Gwynn's. I love Lilly Pulitzer, but don't have any for myself right now as my weight is not where I want it to be.

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Next post, I'm planning to tackle Religion and Tomato Pie!! QUITE a combination, don't you think? I'll also continue to entertain questions, so keep them coming.

Politics and Pecan Pie

Post #3--Answers to Questions--Remember...these are my opinions. If your opinions are different, that's OK by me. I'm respectful of them, as I hope you will be of mine.

Like religion, I don't post anything much about politics. The good way to explain my position is to share with you again some words that I wrote back in late September of 2008 on the Collage blog.

I'm 46 years old (yikes, 47 next week), a wife, school district administrator, mother of two almost grown up children, and lover of politics. My son, who is in his first year of law school, was a Political Science major and as you can imagine, we've had many a lively conversation over the years. In the small town where I grew up, most everybody was a believer in the "solid south." That has changed. Amazingly, since back in the early 1970's in this same small town, a number of the county offices have been held by women...good solid women who were the mothers of my friends and who played big roles in the person I've become. The day I registered to vote, the Probate Judge hugged me and said with a laugh, "If you can't vote democrat, stay home on election day." Sometimes I've followed her rule and sometimes I haven't, but I always vote and have never voted a straight ticket ever. It's about the individual candidate and the individual issues as far as I'm concerned. I have my opinions as do you, but it has bothered me lately when I've read what I consider to be MEAN things on blogs (both posts and comments) in regard to the opinions of people who were contrary to that of the blogger...whether he or she be Democrat, Republican, or Independent. Can we not agree to disagree, and take advantage of the freedom we have to engage in meaningful discourse with respect for an opposing opinion?

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Now, I could go on for awhile and get all SCRAPPY on certain topics, but I'm not going to do that. In closing...You can't believe everything you read...you can't believe everything you see on TV or hear on talk radio. Shoot, you can't even always believe what the politicians say. Do your research, form your own opinions based on the best information YOU can find (not what other people tell you you should believe) and VOTE. If you don't vote then you DO NOT get to complain. OH...and support our troops, whether you believe that some of our current conflicts should have happened or not.

Finally, a lot of people are up in arms about the universal health care issue. I'll be honest...I keep "hearing" a lot of things that support both sides of the equation, but I haven't done enough research on my own to form a strong opinion one way or the other. But this I do know...no CHILD in this country should EVER be without healthcare.

And so it goes in the Land of Belle...

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Princess Freckles asked me to share my favorite recipe. Lawsamercy, that is a tough one, but since my favorite food group is SUGAR, I'm going to give you my Caramel Pecan Pie recipe. If I do say so myself, I make the absolutely best pecan pie IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD. I must love you all if I'm giving you this recipe...