The Simple Blessing of Friends

 Enjoyed the blessing of having "friendly time" with Jamie and Tiffany this Sabbath.  We had brunch at Denny's, services, and then went over to Tiffany's place who cooked us a yummy dinner.  Good times!  Then, Jamie and Tiff went to the singles B.S. at AA, and I went home and watched the B.S on my computer.  (I'm running out of time to deleaven, so knocking out the car travel time from B.S. greatly helps in deleavening tonight.)  Every time we're together the blessing of being able to spend time together always comes up in conversation.  We hope to keep building upon our friendship and hope it goes into all eternity.  

 Blooper pic by the waiter....Jamie's IPAD is the photo taker, so she's instructing the waiter how to take the pic, Tiffany looks calm, cool, and collected, and I look like who knows what!

 Took the enzymes today to have a Sabbath treat of nachos!...aka...enzymes "temporarily cure" those with serious lactose intolerant probs like myself.  Without taking enzymes...when I have anything with milk in it, even whole raw milk for me, I pass out.  Happened to me last feast in Grenada.  :-)

Our tasty and fantastic dinner.  Yummy spiced up spaghetti cooked by Tiffany.  :-)  ...so kind of her to cook for us!  Being able to serve one another is what makes friendships blossom and last.

BELOW:  This pic has nothing to do w/our lovely day today, but the Welsh family is such an amazing family.  It's so refreshing to see good Godly wholesome families; that's what life is made of, and I'm so happy to be friends with them.  ...so serving...they were going to have me over for dinner a day after they got back from their trip so I could go to Jamie's recital later on, which I made sure to go to anyway, but somehow communication wires crossed and I didn't make it to the Welsh's home, but Gladys said she had fixed me a health food pizza, etc. I felt terrible I didn't show. Below is a recent pic taken last week of them on vacation in Florida.  Really happy that God blessed them with that trip. Everyone is busy deleavening, so no time for tons of pic downloading I know, but hopefully, hint, hint, Gladys....when you get done you will tweet or email more trip pics!  :-) ....... I need to post this, and then get back to deleavening myself while focusing on what the focus should be this time of year....... Not much sleep tonight...more than half the house left!  Back to it.  Ta, ta!

Favorite Quote of the Month #2!

"Diamonds are valuable b/c they are hard to find, and when found, they are such a hard mineral that they can only be shaped by another diamond."

The Flu and Weight Loss

 Back to work today though not 100%

Another perk to being sick....extreme weight loss.  Paulette shot this pic showing how much of a difference having the flu for a few days can do to a gal.

Below:  Wearing the "mystery gift" mentioned in earlier blog post

Favorite Quote of the Month!

"Gold is so valuable because it's virtually impossible to destroy the unwanted and to refine it.  It takes very intense heat around 1948 degrees F to melt down."

More Thank You's in Order!

 Yesterday, I succumbed to the flu that has been going around HQ.  I thought it was allergies, but wow, it was the flu!  Sore throat, barely able to talk or swallow, can't breathe through the nose, too weak to do anything but lay down....etc!  Getting sick is not normal, but sometimes our bodies fail us when physical laws that make them work are broken unintentionally.  I've been ingesting, ginger, garlic, (both infection fighters) black tea, pineapple, and hot totties...

ABOVE:  My mom is SO NICE!  She made me homemade soup loaded with fresh garlic...and knock you out hot serrano peppers.  Perk to being all grown up and having your mom as one of your next door neighbors!  She's a beautiful lady inside and out!  Thank you mom!!!

 Last weekend, a just lovely lady, Valerie J. gave me this gift.  She went through her late mother's belongings, and found this, and was so unselfish and gifted it to me....aka lady bug jewelry as a way to remember her mom.  The past few days have been hectic for me,....cleaning, dinners, parties...regular work....concert....trying to start deleavening my house and car while working...not easy.  No wonder I got sick, but the positive is it made me stop.  I had time to finally open Valerie's card and gift yesterday when I first fell ill.  Valerie, words cannot express how much this gift means to me, and how much more respect I have for you.  Only a truly beautiful woman would be thinking of others when you have just lost your mother.  I love you like a sister.  THANK YOU!  It's so true, Texan's always stick together in the end!  THANKS AGAIN!  I need to do something for you and Mark!

Not sure what I'm thanking her for yet, but BIG THANKS and HUGS to Mrs. Flurry for a "mystery gift" that Paulette told me that you delivered to my desk yesterday not knowing I was out sick.  Paulette wouldn't reveal to me what the gift is, so that is motivation to get well, and see what "shiny gift" you left me.  Thank you so much for thinking of me.  God definitely gives us what we need, and I must have needed to slow down, and maybe needed some encouragement too.  Life can be so fast paced sometimes.  Thank you again.  You know from the time I was a little teenager in your PYC dorm back in the day that you helped me to be where I am at today.  I will NEVER forget that!  Thanks for still being so loving and caring to everyone.  You are so Proverbs 31!

A Lovely Dinner with Mrs. Short

 Mrs. Short cooked a lovely healthy meal for me yesterday before I had to head to work over at Armstrong Auditorium for a concert last night.  She's so sweet!  She even baked and brought me "power cookies'"....sugar free cookies loaded with healthy ingredients to give you extra energy later on that night!  We both eat VERY healthy, so it's neat to be around people who are just as health conscious as you are.

 pumpkin and potato soup.......berry sugar free tea......salmon patties, and asparagus for dinner!

Going back earlier, right before I left the HOA to head to the Short's, I realized I had forgotten my black shoes which is AA concert uniform standard for those who work the concerts.  ...I phoned Deepika and asked her if she would trade shoes with me right then and there, and she did...saved the day!  Real Friends give you the shoes off of their feet and go home wearing your shoes!  #WeirdShoeRequest!  #TotalRealServiceOrientedFriend!  :-)

BIG VIDEO MOMENT...Don't Miss Michael and Kyle Cocomise Reading off the Exciting Cook off Winning Results!

Don't miss the reading off the official judging results of yesterday's cook off.  The videos are up on my ccoatsofmanycolours google page.  These guys rocked at the judging!  The videos are way too big to fit onto my blog which is why they are elsewhere.  A few other interesting videos are also posted.  (Two videos were recorded right side up, but when uploaded, google decided to flip them vertical.  BOO!)  If you want to check them out, they are at: 

 https://picasaweb.google.com/106055979659332220136/RoyalRestaurantNightCookoff

Pics From the Royal Restaurant Cookoff!

 Thanks to EVERYONE for helping with the Royal Restaurant Dinner yesterday!  It was a success!

The cook contestants were, Ramona Larsen, Ariel Buckler, Sarah Culpepper, Sharalee Fraser, David Savage, Aimee Goulet, Harley Breth, Tonya Wainwright, Anya Trietsch, Tasha Eagle and Jordanya Rouzer.

Thanks to Kyle and Michael Cocomise who tallied the votes, jodged, and read off the winning results in a VERY exciting way!  The winners were, Main Entree, Harley Breth and Tonya Wainwright's Mediterraean Kofta, and the winners for the dessert category were David Savage and Aimee Goulet's Sweet Date Pudding.  Also, winners of the most popular menu were, Ariel Buckler, Ramona Larsen, Sharalee Fraser, and Sarah Culpepper.  Thanks also to all those who took time out of their busy Sunday to come out to my place, and spend the evening with everyone.  This definitely was a BIG project that took tons of planning, but in the end, it was all really worth it!!!

 The very dedicated presidential judges were Kyle and Michael Cocomise.  These guys mean business!

 The night would not have been successful without the above people.  They weren't cooks last night, they were chefs!  They cooked the food, plated the food, and pushed it out to the tables with high restaurant quality standards!  As a gift for all of the HARD WORK that the cook contestants put into this, I designed and sewed them apron designs.  Hopefully they like.  B/c I had to sew so many aprons in a day, they were done really quickly, so they aren't perfect, but hopefully they like.  Thanks to my mom for helping me put finishing touches on three them that I would have not had time to do.