A Wonder-full Weekend...

Have you ever had one of those days that you look back on and wish you could repeat it... not because you would want to change anything but because it was so great you just want to do it all over again? That's how today was for me. (Well, really, the past 48 hours or so.) It's just been a great, RELAXING couple of days... which I needed.

Actually, the good times started Friday night when I got to spend the night in Goldsboro with Mamaw and my mom. We met in Kinston, ate supper with Jonathan, and went home, where I proceeded to go through all of my mother's recent purchases and decide for her what could and could not be kept. (She protested a bit, but someone had to be the voice of reason. Ha!) So, I squeezed a visit to Belk out of her (Mamaw begged out of it... something about being 82 and tired?) and off we went to spend money "just look". (Those words have got to be one of the biggest lies ever told by women.) This little excursion was especially profitable because I have been searching for the perfect black maxi skirt for a long time... and, ladies and gentlemen, the search has ended. I found a beauty, and (drum roll....) it was a whopping $7. Guess who paid for it? Not me... the ever-generous Gigi, thank you very much. So now whenever I wear my beautiful skirt (which makes me feel fah-bulous, dah-ling), I will think of my mother and how she repaid me for forcing her to return items that could only be described as a temporary moment of insanity. =)

Oh, and we stopped at Chickfila for the best cookies in America. Yum-o.

Saturday we slept in, laid around the house watching movies, and finally got out to eat lunch at La Paz (the oh-so-wonderful Mexican restaurant in Goldsboro whose equivalent I have yet to find in New Bern.) That night I came home and Jonathan and I watched the first BAMA game of the season with our friends Stephen and Lauren (and their adorable girls, who looked so cute in their Bama shirts!) After church Sunday morning, it was off to Goldsboro again, where we had an amazing lunch of homemade cajun chicken pasta (thanks again, Gigi) with enough left to bring home (because I, as you know, will make food last for days, and this stuff is soooo good.)

Being at Faith last night was so nice. We haven't seen a lot of friends since the middle of the summer and catching up was really fun. My favorite part was seeing several of my students... I have missed them terribly! Those little munchkins will always be so special to me. =) Anyway, going back and feeling missed was very sweet, and I'm glad we were able to be there!

THEN after church (where we were the last ones to leave... I'd blame it on Mom and Mamaw but I was just as guilty), we remembered the coupon we had for a free dozen donuts and off we went to Krispy Kreme...


Can you believe there's not Krispy Kreme in New Bern? Tragic, really.


Of course I had to be picky and get my one chocolate glazed. Oh... but it's so heavenly.

After staying up waaay too late last night, we got up waaay too early this morning and took Mom and Mamaw to the airport (a journey made worth the early hour by a trip to a REAL mall... oh, and extra time with my mother, of course.) After dumping her off a tearful goodbye at the airport, it was time to shop.


Even Jonathan was excited!

 We went to Triangle Town Center and the Target/Old Navy across the road. As usual, I found awesome deals at that mall (it's a blessing/curse!) and the Target AND the Old Navy. It's like these stores just save things for me or something! Okay, I know that's not true. But it was a very worth-while shopping excursion. I promise. 

We met Rebecca (Jonathan's sister) for lunch in Knightdale and it was SO good. I probably haven't had Five Guys in three years, but it was just as delicious as I remembered.


This was the beginning of a bit of DIY fun that took place this afternoon... more about that later this week! A trip to Michael's got me feeling all crafty (an illusion that usually only lasts a few days... so we'll see how this little project turns out. I am excited about it, though!)


The spoils. Some shoes, a sweater, a dress... you know... necessities. =)

We made it back to Goldsboro to eat dinner with Jonathan's family, visit with Uncle Walter and Aunt Peggy for a little while, and came home in time to get unpacked, chill a little bit, and find out that we are going to be an auntie and uncle again! (Don't worry... no family pregnancies... Blake and Brook got a puppy this afternoon. =)

So, time with family, friends, and a wonderful day with my sweet husband (worthy of commemorating because it may have been the first time EVER that we've spent the entire day shopping together without coming to blows arguing about anything)... yes, I'd call this weekend a success. It really was "wonder-full"... full of laughs and fun and good memories! I'll be tucking it away in my mental file labeled "must happen again."

Hope you had a fun and relaxing Labor Day! Back to work tomorrow... I'll sleep in if you will. =)


Ash

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High Five for Friday...

Okay, I realize I haven't done a H54F in a looong time, but I'm jumping back on (mainly because it's easier than writing 5 different posts about stuff I like. Does that make me lazy? I'll call it efficiency.) As usual, I'm linking up with Miss Lauren over at From My Grey Desk. Anywho, as I've whined about mentioned a time or two here recently, things have been cra-zy since school started back. I'm still adjusting to the schedule (bye-bye sleeping in!) and the VAST differences between teaching third grade and teaching middle/high school. Overall, though, it's going really well. So, five of the things from this week that were worthy of a high five are....

 1. If you recall, I posted a while back about how extremely nervous I get when performing in front of people.  Well, a few weeks ago Preacher asked me to sing a solo with the choir. It isn't the first time I've done that, but the song was waaay out of my comfort zone. So, after trying to pawn it off on other people (and almost puking at the very thought several times) I channeled my inner Lauryn Hill (ha!) and made it through without passing out or forgetting the words this past Sunday. It was nothing to write home about, but at least I didn't completely botch it up (yes, I know that's debatable. =)
2. We had this amazing baked ziti for lunch on Sunday and it was sooo good and ridiculously easy. Which, as you know, are my two primary criteria for any recipe. So, win-win. Make it! 

 3. We started writing units in my 7th-9th grade English classes this week, and let me just tell you... this teacher is excited. Those poor kids are going to get so tired of hearing me talk about editing and proofreading and summaries and details and paragraph transitions... but the writer in me just can't help it! It just bubbles out of me. I LOVE writing and I really love teaching about it, turns out. I'm excited to see what "material" I get out of these kids. (Do I exploit my students for humorous anecdotes? No way... =)
4. While I should have been cleaning last night (and I did get around to it eventually), I ended up "shopping" in my closet for about an hour and putting together new outfits. I do this occasionally as the mood strikes (it strikes more often than I do it, since I don't really have the time to tear my closet apart every week.) Anyway, this chambray and lace combo is one I put together and I loved it so much I decided to wear it right away! I usually have a propensity to "save" outfits but I went ahead pulled it out! (And thanks to my fellow instagrammers for your feedback and pretending like you aren't weary of my frequent outfit posts.) 

 5. This past Tuesday marked six months since my very first blog post! Crazy, right? It kind of feels like longer than that, actually. I mean, what did I do prior to blogging when I didn't have a reason to make mental notes of every one of life's mundane details to share with cyber-readers? Anyway, I've very much enjoyed this whole process of writing in "my voice", which is a whole lot more fun than I ever thought it would be. Up until my blog I had only written boring, collegiate-type stuff (which I'd love to share sometime, because I'm sure my papers about the laws of thermodynamics or various education psychology theories would absolutely thrill you.) But getting the opportunity to write like I talk (which apparently involved an excessive use of strikethroughs and parentheses) has been so very enjoyable. I love hearing people say "reading your blog is just like talking to you" or "I can hear you saying this stuff while I'm reading it." That's what I'm going for, here, peeps. So if I'm pulling it off, yay. 
That just about wraps it up, guys. I'm TRIPLE-DIPPED EXCITED that Monday is a holiday and that I do not have to awaken early if I so choose and that my lesson plans were shortened by one day next week. Boo-yah. That said, everyone enjoy this lovely long weekend. I apologize for the length of this post. Perhaps five separates would have been a wiser choice. We'll never know.

 Happy Friday!
Ash
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Chicken Italiano (My Favorite)...

Remember the other day when I listed the reasons I'm ready for fall? Well, I got started on that list tonight by making this soup. I remember the first time I made this... it was two years ago, a few months after we got married. As it came together and I got a good whiff of the Italian seasoning, it felt like being instantly transported back to my childhood and rainy Washington. Don't you love when that happens? (The memory thing, not the rainy Washington thing... unless you grew up there too.)

Anyway, this soup is sooo good and the best part about it is that it only gets better as leftovers. There aren't a ton of recipes I make that I actually get excited about reheating for lunch the next day, but this one is awesome. So, here it is.

First, round up your ingredients. You need:
- 3-4 chicken breasts (if they're small... 2 big ones should be enough.)
- One large onion, chopped
- 4 cans of italian style stewed tomatoes (You can find these at Walmart, but if for some reason your grocery store doesn't have them, regular stewed tomatoes are fine. Just add a little extra italian seasoning.)
 - One can of corn
 - One cup of uncooked rice
 - 2 tablespoons paprika
 - 2 tablespoons italian seasoning (or more if needed =)
 - Salt to taste

First, cover the chicken with water and boil until cooked through. Then remove from the water, shred, and return to water. Add all canned vegetables (undrained), onion, rice, and seasonings. Heat until heated through and rice is tender (letting it come to a boil is the easiest way to make sure it's done... takes about 30 minutes.)

And, if you were the kid who complained that the book didn't have enough pictures...

 
That's a looot of onions. But only part of the chicken.
 
 
Since there are a multitude of cans to open, I enlist the help of Mr. McNeese.
 
 
He does good work.
 
 
There it is, just stirred together.
 
 
And the finished product. Yum.

Guys, I promise you want to try this. It's good with crackers, and even though I've never tried it, maybe with cheese sprinkled in, chili-style? Who knows? Anyway, It's my mom's recipe, so you know it's good. Plus, it makes a ton and tastes even better then second (or third) day. What, you don't make a meal that lasts half a week so you don't have to cook for 3 days? Yeah, me neither.

Enjoy this first taste of fall! =)


Ash
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Ready for Fall...


I don't know about the rest of you sweet people, but I am sooo beyond tired of summer. (Although, since school has started my summer has kinda ended anyway.) Really, I'm talking about summer weather, summer clothes, and this blasted humidity. Growing up on the west coast, I never realized how good we had it when it came to the lack of ridiculously heavy moisture in the air. Seriously... it's like stepping into a shower! But... I digress. This post is supposed to be positive!

I love fall. Really, really love it. Winter is too cold (its only redeeming feature is Christmas), spring is too indecisive (sweaters one day, t-shirts the next... it drives the obsessive planning side of me crazy) and summer, well... see the opening paragraph. Fall is just perfection, from the weather to the clothes to the food to the colors outside and the decorations. So without any more blabbering to introduce my list of reasons I'm ready for fall, here it is.

I'm ready for apple cider and hot chocolate. Few things make me happier than both of these. (A close second is coffee with peppermint mocha creamer.)

I'm ready for sweaters. And scarves. And returning to my school-year uniform of an embellished/printed shirt, solid cardigan, and pencil skirt. (It sounds boring, but I have an almost limitless supply of cardigans. It's an addiction.)

I'm ready to pull out my (very limited) collection of fall decor. Most of it is just little stuff from Target's dollar section (we are very fancy over here in the McNeese house) but due to the deluge of autumn craftiness found on Pinterest (where else?), I have been inspired to branch out and at least try to make a few cute little things for the house. If I get lazy (which is likely) I might just go with these super cute free printables. 

I'm ready to layer unapologetically. Sweaters (obviously), tights, jackets. By late August, I'm sooo tired of flip flops. And frizzy hair.


I love this sweater!


I'm ready for pumpkins, and candy corn, and caramel apples.


I'm ready for homemade soup. This is pretty much what I cook 75% of the time when it's cold. Chicken Italiano, Potato Cheese, and Chicken Noodle are our favorites. Good thing, since those are the three kinds I know how to make.

I'm ready for Psych. (I realize this isn't necessarily specific to the fall season, but new episodes start in October so it just adds to my excitement.)

Seriously... funniest show ever.


I'm ready for colored leaves (and crunchy leaves.) When we lived in Washington, the tree across the street turned THE most beautiful colors I've ever seen. I've yet to find one that beat it, but I still love seeing the trees turn.

I'm ready for boots. I (stupidly) talked myself out of a perfectly awesome pair last December (I had a gift card and everything... it's one of the great regrets of my adult life.) I reaallly want a pair like this : 
We shall see. I'll have to talk to the family treasurer (unfortunately, that's not me.)

I'm ready for cooler weather. As I have previously ranted, summer weather is charming for all of one week, and then I'm tired of it. When your choices are "sweating profusely" outside or "freezing your butt off" inside, there's pretty much no comfort the entire summer. Unless you have a pool. If you do, I hate you. =) Anyway, I'm totally ready for the temperature to drop... not too cold, just enough for a little briskness in the air and an excuse to wear a jacket. (Do I sound fussy yet?)

Finally... I'm ready to enjoy fall quickly, because, let's face it... it's just a cute little pumpkin-shaped car that ushers in what's really important. And that would be Christmas, folks. Don't you know I'll pop in the Carpenters by September 1st?

Happy fall, y'all!


Ash

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Lately...


This is how I've felt lately.

My humblest apologies for my lack of blogging. I know it has left a gaping, ragged hole in your daily dose of sarcastic, leisurely reading material. (Not...) Anyway, I have not been intentionally neglecting my 3-8 (depending on the content) faithful followers. I have been insanely and terribly busy. School starts Monday, so last week (and part of the week before) was spent feverishly hanging clever sayings and inspirational quotes around my classroom and this week (in-service) has been spent in daily sessions regarding discipline, lesson plans, and other "teacher talk" that would bore the average person to death but that we educators (such a lofty title) find absolutely riveting. (Most of the time...)

Anyway, I won't continue to whine lament my lack of onesectositdownandbreathewithoutaddingtomytodolist way of life these days. (Especially since I'm afraid that anyone reading who has children will be tempted to slap me, considering I do get to  sleep through the night and all that jazz.) However, I will just leave you with these soon-coming topics (and teaser pics, just to create that cliff-hanger feeling.) If I don't get around to posting about all this, at least you'll know (to satisfy your insatiable curiosity) what's been going on in my life recently. (You're welcome.)


Our two-year anniversary trip to D.C. was a lovely, lovely time. (The whole trip was great, but my first visit to Maggiano's made it totally worth it.)


This is one "bulletin board" in my classroom... the theme is "Adventure is Out There" (because Up is one of the cutest movies ever and because I love Disney/Pixar and because I will never grow up.) Anyway, nothing inspires learning like a little Dr. Seuss wisdom and hand-made mountains/waterfalls. 


Finally, the cat has been let out of the bag and I can announce (for the two people who don't know yet) that my beautiful seester April is pregnant with Baby #2! Yay! (This one better be a boy!)

Even though she and Jakey did a stand-out job with Baby #1.
Cutest. picture. ever.




My other seester Amanda, along with Stevo and her ah-dorable children, came to visit this past weekend. We squeezed quite a lot of fun and frivolity and snort-worthy laughter into a short time. 


More on these events coming soon, promise! Until then, pray I don't kill myself fall asleep at the computer as I enter 43,286 hours of lesson plans. =) 


See... I don't always exaggerate!

Ash

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I'm Over It (Again)...

Well, friends, it's that time again... time for me to vent my spleen get some things out there that I'm pretty sure we're all thinking. Right? (Just smile and nod...)


I have put off this post for a little while (mainly because I've been horrifically busy) but I felt that today would be an appropriate time for it. (You know, because sunny Tuesdays are just ideal for a rant about my pet peeves.) So, without further ado, here are my newest grievances with humanity...


1. I am over songs that don't have an ending. You know, the kind that just repeat some type of tag line a zillion times as the music fades as if the artist is being carried away on a speeding train. This has bothered me since I was little (in age, not dress size!). Come on, people, is it too much to ask that you just simply end the song rather than slip away into the distance?


It's so much easier for us to enjoy the song if you will just end it properly rather than fade away like this.


2. I am over Justin Bieber (which I can say without any measure of fear of harrassment since, while my blog has no particular audience, my target demographic is decidedly not 14-year-old girls). I don't have anything against the Biebs personally (like the burning hatred some people seem to have towards him) but I just think the whole "white boi gangta" thing is WAY lame. I mean, really.

Besides, anyone who is responsible for the further perpetuation of words like "swag" deserves to be on this list. 

3. Speaking of "swag", I'm over it... along with the words/phrases "yolo", "seems legit", "like a boss", "that awkward moment when", and every other overused catchphrase made popular by Pinterest memes (or social media, or TV.) I understand that certain words just get popular (I remember when stuff was "tight", okay?) but these just seem a little out of control. Plus, they're annoying. (Right up there with "adorbs", "delish", and "EVOO"... oops, I guess I should have let Rachael Ray have her own bullet point! =) 

4. I am over the whole Magic Mike/Shades of Grey craze. I'm not about to get into all of the spiritual implications of this stuff that apparently some call entertainment (though you can read great posts about it here or here.) One is about strippers, and the other is porn... as a Christian, that's all I needed to hear to stay faaar away from them both. 


5. I'm over those who don't change the caption on their pins (on Pinterest, obviously.) I don't mean on EVERY SINGLE pin, because sometimes that's not necessary (for example, a pin that says "fall outfit" doesn't necessarily give a personal look at my opinion of it, so it's not really important for me to change it.) However, the re-pinning of the bookishly long descriptions are a little out of hand, or the ones that were CLEARLY not written by the re-pinner ("This would be adorable on my little Haley!" That's great, since you're single with no kids.) So, let's take a sec to change or abbreviate our pin descriptions, or at least rid them of personal anecdotes. Otherwise, a mysterious illness has befallen about 47 of my fellow pinners recently, because they ALL had surgery and they ALL had the same one-dish meal delivered to their house! What a crazy coincidence!




So, these are my jumbled thoughts for today. Not as many as last time, but maybe I'm growing more tolerant these days. (Ha, that can't be it.) Anyway, have a fabulous day and stay healthy... there's something going around (on Pinterest, anyway.)




Ash

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Papaw...

Isn't it crazy how things can change so quickly that your emotions go from one extreme to another? Last July, Jonathan and I took a little trip for our first anniversary. We spent some time at the beach, shopped, and just had a great time together, especially enjoying the break from our summer job. That same weekend, things had worked out for my Mamaw to attend a family reunion in Tennessee. She had been caring for Papaw at home (he'd been bedridden for over 2 years) but at the last minute a spot opened up at the hospice center and he was accepted, so she made plans and (reluctantly) left to visit her family.


We got back from our trip in time for church on Sunday, and that night after church we stopped to see Papaw (and for me to feed him bites of my Wendy's Frosty). He seemed down, but since that was always the case when Mamaw wasn't around, I tried not to worry too much about it. The next day, my aunt mentioned that she thought he looked sick and spent some extra time at the hospice center. Again, I was concerned but certainly did not realize what was actually happening. 


Tuesday morning is a time I will never forget. I was at work, sitting on the playground (since we were trying to beat the heat, it was only about 9:00 am.) Aunt Peggy called and, sounding panicked, which is very unlike her, told me that Papaw was very sick and I needed to get down there quickly. I rushed to find Jonathan, grabbed the keys, and sped all the way to Kitty Askins Hospice Center. I can remember it so vividly... in fact, every time I drive past the exit for the center I relive that morning. I pulled in, not knowing what to expect, but when I saw him I knew it wasn't good. He was pale and drawn and looked significantly worse than he had a couple nights before. 


Aunt Peggy and I spent the next 14 hours in that room. I think we left a couple of times to get food. I was letting the family know, through lots of calls and mass texts, how Papaw was doing and updating them each time the nurses came to take his vitals. The next day was more of the same, but it wasn't until late Wednesday afternoon that the doctor advised us to call Mamaw to come home. Then, she shocked us by saying she wouldn't expect him to live past the next 48 hours. I'll never forget what I felt hearing those words. I'll never forget my mom and Mamaw walking in after a gruelingly fast trip home and feeling my heart break when they walked in the room. 


Over the next 24 hours, I'd continue updating the family when I could, making trips to the airport, and trying to get drinks and anything else to keep people in the room comfortable. (By the way, the hospice staff could not have been more sweet or kind or helpful. They were such a blessing, as were the dozens of friends from church who stopped by and helped in any way they could.) At 22, and the only grandchild living in town, I felt the responsibility of being "hostess" for the family members coming in- making sleeping arrangements, borrowing air mattresses, playpens for the babies, etc. I am so grateful to have been there with Mamaw.


By late Thursday night, we knew Papaw wouldn't be with us much longer. His breathing had continued to decline, his heart rate had decreased dramatically, and the nurses were just trying to keep him comfortable without drawing out the process. Saying goodbye to him, despite his years of illness and the measure of relief that accompanied the knowledge he would finally be "himself" again in heaven, was the hardest thing I've ever done. 



Typical "Papaw" and me.

Even though the first anniversary of his death isn't really until tomorrow, it was the a couple of nights before he went to heaven that I, alone with Aunt Peggy in his room, started this poem. I spent the next day getting it just right, and it was printed in the funeral program. These words sum up "Papaw" for me.




As I sit here and hold his hand,
The thought comes to my mind
That sometimes the type of life we planned
Becomes a different kind.

What should have been the golden years
Of travel, fun, and ease,
Instead have brought a lot of tears
And time spent on our knees.

Looking at him in this bed,
It’s so hard to compare
The Papaw who once boldly led
Through preaching and through prayer.

A man so full of life and strong,
His laughter full and loud;
With his quick wit did not take long
To be the life of any crowd.

He was such a funny mix
Of tough and teddy bear;
No problem that he couldn’t fix,
But with a smile quick to share.

He preached without apology
Against every type of sin,
But with a tear he’s humbly share
The work Christ did in him.

But then things changed and no one knew
Just where that man would go;
The problems that they faced just grew
And more began to show.

From month to month and day to day,
Things have slowly changed;
We’ve watched him as he’s slipped away;
Our plans again have rearranged.

But one thing has remained the same,
No matter how he felt;
His wife has never tried to blame
The Lord for what He’s dealt.


Her care has been the very best,
She’s with him day and night;
Rarely stopped to take a rest
From a burden far from light.

Like the lives they’ve always tried to live
Even in these trying days,
They’ve showed the joy that Christ can give
When we trust Him and obey.

I’ve sat here in this room today
And heard news most would call bad;
But knowing Papaw’s on his way
To meet the Lord, we can’t be sad.

There’ve been times for laughter,
And times we’ve had to cry;
But now the time has finally come
For us to say goodbye.

To our Papaw, husband, daddy, friend,
The list goes on and on.
His influence will never end
Even after he is gone.

If he could, I know he’d say,
“Oh please don’t cry for me!
 I’ve gone on the Eternal Way
To my precious Savior see.”

“The one I preached about so long
And shared with all I met;
Please let my legacy stay strong;
My message don’t forget.”

As he goes to meet his Savior,
And hear “My child, well done!”,
We’ll thank the Lord the battle’s over,
And the victory’s finally won.


No more suffering, no more pain;
While we’re grieving that he’s gone,
Our great loss is Heaven’s gain-
Our hero’s finally, truly home.

~Ashley Baines McNeese
  July 27, 2011



Ash

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