I have actual proof...

Carrie over at It's Not Easy Being Queen nominated me for a blog award...

First, I need to answer some questions then I get to pick some bloggers to award it to...

Name 5 fabulous moments of your life

1. Meeting my Husband (although I didn't know it at that moment)

2. The day he came home from the first Gulf War

3. Our Wedding Day (and the month that followed)

4. The births of each of our girls (or just after anyhow!)

5. Katy's Wedding Day

Name 5 things you love.

1. Hanging out with my family

2. Movie or Gilmore Girls marathons with my girlies

3. That "fresh" feeling you get when you change a room around or get something new for a room.

4. Planning and throwing parties

5. Yoga pants

Name 5 things you hate

1. The word "moist" (yuck)

2. Earwigs (Those bugs with the pinchers on the end)

3. Humidity

4. Gossip

5. Blue Cheese

Then I'm supposed to pass it along to deserving bloggers.

This is the hard part... I have about 12 people I'd pick, but I never know if they will even want a blog award... And a few already have this reward... I guess I will just have to limit myself... If I didn't pick you, I'm sorry... I meant to.

 Well, here goes...

1. Nina at "Nina the Mom"

2. Julie at "Herding Grasshoppers"

3. Conny at "The Life of an Ordinary Hausfrau"

4. Mindee at "Our Front Door"

5. Dawn at "It Just Dawned On Me"

Thanks for listening,

Local Tourist... Owls Head General Store...

Yesterday I promised you I'd begin a series on being a tourist in my own backyard... I live in Rockport, Maine on the picturesque Mid-Coast Maine coast...

This region is made up of half a million (give or take) little towns each with it's own "sights" to be seen... That's why the tourists flock here from late May until the leaves hit the ground in Late October...

I know you are expecting a light house or schooner or lobster dinner... And I'll get to those, but for today I thought I'd show you something a little different...

Last Friday I was headed into town (By that I mean into Rockland... The biggest town in our county with a whopping 7500 people) to run some errands with Paul and Allison... It was 1 PM and we hadn't had lunch yet, so we decided to call Jed & Katy and see if they wanted to join us.

Apparently the Food Network (who actually have spent quite a bit of time in this neck of the woods) declared that this little general store in Owls Head, Maine has the best hamburger in Maine... Katy & Jed live in Owls Head (about 15 minutes minutes south of us in Rockport) and we decided it was a shame we hadn't tried these famous burgers yet, and decided to pop on over and give them a try...

Yes, folks, this unassuming little store reportedly has the best hamburger in the whole state... But it turns out that this is no secret... Of course the "Food Network" sign out front was a giveaway! When we got there at about 1:30 the parking lot and street around it were packed with vehicles with out-of-state plates... And the store itself was wall to wall people... But within ten minutes or so of placing our order the whole place had cleared out... We had luckily hit the very end of the lunch rush... So there is your first tip... Have a late breakfast and plan to arrive around 1:45 to have the place virtually to yourself!

Hi Jed... He tried to get into as many of my pictures as possible and the girls who weren't "camera ready" refused to be in a single one! I actually had to edit him out of  several of the below pictures, but you may see a random arm...

This place is tiny... Seriously folks, if you look up "tiny" you will see a picture of this place...

Here is where you order your food...

Here is where you pay for everything...

And this table (one of four) is where we ate our famous feast...

It took about 15 minutes for them to cook all five of our burgers to order, and yes they were really, really good... Sorry I didn't take a photo of the actual burger... By the time I thought of it, it looked like a hamburger slaughter had happened on my plate!

The "store" also has a selection of "touristy" type made in Maine stuff for the actual tourists to take home...

Blueberry jams, maple syrup, and such...

Faux vintage lobster buoys in a rainbow of colors...

Oh, and apparently seagrass baskets... Thanks Jed for finding that... It's like a low budget Where's Waldo!

And a penny candy display... I took this picture because I'd like to make a rack like it to put candy in at Allison's wedding... I spotted the jars at the store the other day and was trying to describe to Paul what I wanted... I actually took this from several angles, and I'm sure they thought I was nuts!

Oh, and this is what I drank... It is a local (to Maine) product and kinda hard to find, but if you spot it, buy it because it is so good!!

Summery: Great burgers, Fun Location (once the crowds cleared out) and not too bad price wise... All five of us ate for a little under $50... Check it out if you are in the area!

Thanks for listening,

Random Stuff...

I have had a bunch of random stuff I've been wanting to write about for some time... None of them enough to be a full post, so here you go... The "Random Stuff" post...

I am starting to feel like our house is cursed... Not really... But it does seem like every project we start is destined to go unfinished indefinitely. They all seem so simple when we start them... But as soon as we get into them we discover problems that either make them impossible to continue and we have to undo what we started, require professional help (so we have to wait), or they are going to require the commitment of more time then we allotted... Usually the problem is this last one and once my husband has stopped working on a project, it is really hard to get him to get back to it (without nagging which I really try not to do)  don't get me wrong, he will eventually get back to it, but not in what I consider a timely manor... So the kitchen (a project my step father started years ago and didn't finish) remains undone... The flooring in the living room is  undone, the bath room is undone, The closet we turned into a pantry is undone, the two bedrooms we added in the basement are undone, and countless outdoor projects remain undone... I have decided to take matters into my own hands... I am not inept when it comes to home improvement but I am usually too busy to commit to projects... I intend to dive into at least one of the above projects... I am right now accessing which one has the best chance for completion and will keep you informed.

Today is one of those perfect Maine summer days... I should be starting on these projects right away... Why then am I not? Because there is something wrong with me... Health wise I mean... 15 years ago I got really sick, and almost died from a chronic lung disease... I haven't talked about that on here, because I don't talk about it in my day to day life. Not that I feel like I am hiding it, but just because I refuse to let my health issues define my life. That being said, I do have issues that spring up from time to time... Right now I am pretty sure I am getting shingles... I have had them three times before, so I recognize the symptoms... I think... Anyhow, I haven't gone to the doctor yet, so I don't know for sure and if I am not feeling better in the next few days I will go to the doctor...

We are still "church shopping" and it is getting really exhausting... There are not a lot of churches for us to choose from here, and we have visited most of our reasonable (ie: close enough to be realistically involved) choices at least once... We just are not getting a clear message that any one in particular is where the Lord wants us. I am tired of visiting new churches... I like being in a church, being involved, having a church family... I am disliking this limbo very much. We have one more we are visiting this week, then we will be praying and making a choice... Please pray for us as we make this choice.

I have decided to start getting out and enjoying this beautiful Mid-Coast Maine region we live in... We generally do, but I have decided to start blogging about it... Kind of being a tourist in my own location... I don't want to commit to a weekly post, but I will be doing them regularly... Check back tomorrow for my first installment...

That's it for today...

Thanks for listening,

Hodgepodging... Roll Out Those....

Hazy, Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer... Those days of soda & pretzels & cheer...

(I know it's beer, but beer makes me feel sick, so I changed it up a bit...)

I am joining the Magnificent Joyce and her weekly Hodgepodge again...

Why don't ya follow the link below and see what everyone else answered... I know I will and then I will keep thinking "Good answer... I should have said that..." But that's probably just me...

1. The Summer Olympics officially begin this Friday night...will you be watching? If you could see just one event in person which one would you pick?



I do not enjoy crowds and when the sun beats down on my head (even with a hat on) I tend to get migraines... Summer really isn't my best season... So I would not really want to go to the Summer Olympics, but if I found myself there, I'd opt for inside, air conditioned venues...

Now the Winter Olympics is a different story... Sign me up!

2.Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?


Can I just say "Yes" here?

I love a good "do nothing" day, but only enjoy them if I am not staring house work, projects and to do lists in the face... That is why I love going to my parents camp (cabin for you non-Mainers) on the island for a few days!


3. July 25th is 'officially' Threading the Needle Day...can you sew? On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being not at all and 10 being Betsy Ross-like, how would you rate your skill with a needle and thread?

Yes, I can sew... I'd say I'm about a 5...

I can do simple projects and such, but am constantly amazed by other people's work. I did love making simple dresses and jumpers for the girlies when they were little and and make easy stuff like curtains and pillow covers... I've even made a few very simple baby quilts, but that is where my talent ends...

4. 'Threading the Needle' can also mean to walk a fine line between two things or issues (think awkward social situation). When was the last time you had to 'thread the needle', figuratively speaking?

This answer may be a bit on the long side... Feel free to skip ahead to #5...

We have only lived back here in Maine a couple years and most of Katy's closest friends are elsewhere... She had a hard time picking bridesmaids... Her sister and two others were easy, but she needed to come up with one more to match Jed's number of groomsmen, so she asked the daughter of a friend who she didn't really know very well... She had been away at college most of the time so Katy never really got to even have a full conversation alone with her before she asked her. We love her mom, and since she was also engaged to marry this summer so it seemed like a good pick...

Turns out this girl was not a good fit for the wedding party... She spent every moment spewing hateful things about her mom and by the end of the second "bride & bridesmaids" get together had alienated herself from the rest of the wedding party... To the point where Katy was in tears after the rehearsal asking if she could just ask her not to come...

Problem was, before we really got to know her and her (then) fiance', they had asked Jed to be one of their groomsmen... And when one of Jed's groomsmen dropped out three weeks before the wedding, Jed asked her fiance' to be one of his... And remember we LOVE her mother... She is an amazing woman who without her help I don't think the wedding would have run smoothly at all... It was just a big, awkward mess... I begged all the girls to just be as nice and patient as possible because it was just for one day, and I think her mom might have spoken to her because it did seem like she really tried on the wedding day... (for the most part.)

BUT that isn't the awkward part... The awkward part came four weeks later when we all went to their wedding... Again the mom really wanted us there and Jed was part of the wedding party... I was feeling bad about how little I wanted to be there, but I guess it wasn't just me... The best man wouldn't toast them, the maid of honor left right after the ceremony and the one bridesmaid that was willing to do a toast actually did more of a roast then a toast, pointing out that none of their friends approve of them marring, but that she is sure she can speak for their when she says she is "pretty sure" they all want them to be happy... I guess this girl (couple) have burnt quite a few bridges on the way to the alter...

When we were leaving and had to say our goodbyes I wished them "Best Wishes" and told them I would be praying for them... But that was literally the first time I ever wished anyone "best wishes" because it was the nicest thing I could say...

5. Kidney, pinto, black, or navy...your favorite bean?


Pinto... Hands down... I love baked beans and homemade re-fried beans... (Homemade because the canned ones are full of all kinds of yucky stuff.)


6. Have you ever hosted a garage sale? Was it more success or bust?


I have hosted many, many garage sales and a couple have been a bust but most of them have been a big and sometimes HUGE success... I have even hosted fund raising yard sales and a few weeks back a friend was moving who lived about 30 minutes past the middle of nowhere so we did her two day moving sale here and it too was a big success... They are a lot of work, but usually a lot of fun if you have someone to do it with!


7. What makes you roll your eyes?


Passive-Aggressiveness... Can't stand it in others and really, really hate it when I catch myself being that way! I grew up with a lot of people around me who use passive aggressive manipulation as their weapon of choice, and have a low tolerance for it now. I much prefer to deal with things head-on, even when they are uncomfortable.


8. Insert your own random thought here.

Here is the link to the recipe for my "sold out" macaroons from the antique show this past weekend...

I made them drop style not squared like she did and ended up using a 1 1/3 (14 oz) bags of coconut for every can of sweetened condensed milk and I made my own chocolate ganache' (which is just semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream melted together in a pyrex bowl over a sauce pan of simmering water until smooth and shiny), but her way might be easier... I was making the ganache' for other stuff too. 

These were so good people who don't generally like macaroons, loved them... One woman traded two she had previously bought with another vendor for a sandwich... Our sandwiches cost $7 and the macaroons were $1.50 each... Yes, there was a macaroon black-market! Make these! (Or not... it's up to you.)

Thanks for listening,

We Survived...

But just barely...

I don't know if you remember, but Allison and I were catering the antique show & sale at the high school this past weekend. In years past my cousin's bakery would cater it and she hired Allison and I to work it last year as she was in the process of closing her bakery. We were thrilled to get the chance to do it this year... We were responsible for providing lunch (sandwiches as the only "cooking" we are allowed to do is microwaving.) drinks and snacks for vendors and customers to purchase.

The plus side of this gig is that we basically have a captive audience as people pay to get into the show and don't usually want to leave and vendors need to stay so they can make sales... Also, unlike the vendors, we don't have to pay to be there...

The minus side is that we have to provide all the food, guessing how much to buy and bake... And since it is all out of pocket, if nobody shows up we are out of luck...

Last year the show was packed with people... We could not keep up with the orders... This year it was crickets... The people who coordinate it said it was the slowest show they have ever done... And since the vendors weren't selling anything they were very cautious about their buying... By the end of day one (the busiest day) we had just broken even money wise, barely... That doesn't count the weeks of planning, days of shopping and 2 1/2 days of solid baking to prepare everything. We were paying Katy to help out during the busiest times and by the end of day one she had made more then we did... It was so discouraging... By the end of day two (crickets again) we had made about $240 each... We made more as employees of my cousin last year and she did all the baking, shopping and prep work...

Ah well...

Here are some pictures of our set up and baked goods... I took these right after we opened Sunday and there had already been a steady stream of vendors seeking coffee and a pastry... I snuck out to snap a few pictures but since a line was forming behind me I took them really quickly... Please ignore the poor photography... and the horrible looks on the girlies faces in the first one... I didn't warn them...

Our set-up

These macaroons were a HUGE hit... I made six dozen of them and they are the only thing we sold out of... By 11:30 Sunday these were the only two left... You can also kinda see the danishes I made on the left... I didn't take a good picture of them...

Turtle brownies... These were also a good seller...

Vanilla Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate buttercream frosting...

Lemon Cupcakes with a lemon cream cheese frosting...

Devils food cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting

Wild Maine Blueberry Muffins

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Cinnamon "doughnut" Muffins

Peanut Butter Cookies

& Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Also, not pictured were the lemon crunch bars, cinnamon rolls, orange rolls and ginger cookies...

We also made sandwiches to order (roast beef, turkey, ham, homemade chicken salad, egg salad and tuna) on you choice of three homemade breads...

Here Allison is (yes I warned her for this one) ready to take lunch orders...

Ah well, you win some and you lose some... At least we broke even... Plus, it was a lot of fun baking with Allison and working with both girlies both days... Memories were made, if not much money!

Thanks for listening,

The Last Dance... Part Two...

Here is the final installment on Katy & Jed's wedding...

I'll try not to bore you too much...

First up, the formal shots...

(You know, the pictures you take while your guests get to eat all the yummy looking appetizers...)

Boots! 

Sister..., Yep,  we're a silly family...

 Dakota trying to figure out right from left...

No, it's you other right!

 Oh, good... He got it.

I won''t bore you with all the "family shots"...

But I love this shots...

They are all best friends and by next summer they will all be related...

Yes, she loves him... 

 Oh, so serious!

That's better! 

The Reception:

(Warning... There will be dancing in the pictures below... I know a lot of Christians don't do dancing at their receptions, but we love to dance and have fun... Keep in mind, there was no alcohol at this wedding, so the photos you are about to see we have no excuse for...)

The tables...

Our center pieces...

Place settings...

Weird that Katy has a different last name now...

Let them eat cake! 

Or, six million (give or take) cupcakes as the case may be! 

The cake...

White with lemon curd filling on bottom and carrot (Jed's fave) on top!

(Allison made the cake topper about 1 AM the day of the wedding... She decoupaged the birds to match the little flowers we found at a craft store...)  

 The grooms parents...

 Paul and I...

 Flower girlies...

 I won't do every shot of the wedding party...

You get the idea...

 Mr & Mrs!

 First dance...

 Dakota & Allison

 Dinner!

Yes, the bride and groom got to eat!

Dinner's over?

Let the fun begin!

 This is our photographer (River Radley) and the wife of one of Jed's groomsmen, Jerry...

We met them right after we moved to Maine and they have been great friends ever since. They are youth leaders at a baptist church in town and we had a blast working with them while we were youth leaders! I insisted she be in at least one picture!

Father/Daughter dance... 

 Dinner's over, and the DJ cranked the music...

Jed led the way to the dance floor!

 I think he is excited to have some fun!

 The wedding party...

(Mostly, the girl in the floral dress is Sarah and she is dating one of Jed's groomsmen, and she is one of Allison's best friends so she will be one of her bridesmaids... Small town life...)

Go Regina... Show us your smokin' dance moves!

Flower girls just wanna have fun too! 

Vogue!

?????

Grooms dad and aunt...

Katy's sprinkler!

Go Regina & Kaite

Dakota impressing us all!

Cotton Eye Joe!

Boots...

(Regina, the dance is moving the other way!)

Groomsmen posse'!

(Remember, the hardest thing we were drinking was sweet tea!)

 Funny story...

This was the first wedding Jed had ever been to...

Crazy right???

Anyhow he cut the first piece of cake...

and ate it himself!! 

 Here Katy is explaining what he was supposed to do...

I love the look on Jed's face... And how hard she is trying not to laugh at him!

After the cake cutting Katy changed into a cooler dress to dance in!

And they danced on for several hours! 

Just before Katy & Jed leave, Jerry (the only married groomsman) takes Jed outside for some marital advice...

This seems like a good shot to end on...

It really was a magical day and it is just as fun reliving it in pictures!

Thanks for listening,