This and That...

1.  BACON!!!!!!
How is it that bacon is so bad for you but tastes so delicious?  And for those of you who know why it's bad, I'm not really looking for an explanation.  I WOULD love for someone to say to me, "Oh it's not really bad for you.  Eat all you want" and mean it!  My son has invited me to someone else's dinner party tonight.  I was pleased and also had the opportunity to see the hostess and tell her and she welcomed me also (thank you Ms. Sam!).  My son also told me he was to bring cole slaw and a side dish.  I have NEVER in my life made cole slaw so TR Baker contacted another wonderful friend (Ms. Shannon) and got her recipe.  Fingers crossed!!!!  The side dish we chose to make is shrimp and grits.  Hence the bacon.  I always top my shrimp and grits with diced green onions and crumbled bacon.  I know you can buy fake bacon, already cooked bacon, REAL bacon bits, fake bacon bits, and on and on.  But you just can't beat the ever-popular bacon "fried up in a pan"!  Which brings me to my other question about bacon.  Why do we cook something that makes such an awful mess?  While frying, your hands are all greasy.  After frying, your stove top is a disaster and you have to nearly clean the whole kitchen.  You have to hot soapy-wash the fan filters to get rid of the odor.  (How can it smell so good while frying yet leave the worst stinky smell behind?)  Well, I've had two pieces and am waiting for it to cool enough so I can ziplock bag it and hide it from myself in the fridge!!!!!  Don't you just LOVE bacon?

2.  MARCH - Already?
Didn't we just celebrate New Year's Eve?  Yesterday was March first.  Someone posted a photo on FB yesterday showing tiny purple crocuses poking their beautiful heads up through the snow.  My heart warmed for a half a second until I realized they sure weren't poking their heads up through the snow in my neighborhood!  They won't be able to blink their eyes in this snow until June, that is if they survived and this snow has melted.  The good news is the TV weather people have not forecasted any large accumulation this week and by Friday, the temperature is supposed to reach 35!!!!!!  Now that's good news.

3.  GRACIE -
Gracie and her Dad have gone to Mt. Pleasant, MI, today.  Gracie's 5th grade basketball team won the district and today and tomorrow in Mt. Pleasant, is the regional tournament.  (Needless to say, I have not been invited back to see a game since I spoke my mind to that stupid woman who was screaming at my granddaughter and accusing me of not knowing anything about basketball!  You've probably forgotten that silly episode, sorry to mention it again!)  Anyway, today and tomorrow, Gracie will be playing the big dogs...from Detroit area.  Oh my!  Say a prayer for them for safe travels and safe games.  Please and thank you!  (Emily and Garrett have stayed behind to run the store!)

4.  MY GRATEFUL JAR
Remember at the first of the year I talked about my grateful jar.  It is an old Ball canning jar and it sits in my kitchen window.  Well, Gracie and I are the only ones adding to it.  I've already had to empty the contents into a shoe box (my grateful storage facility!).  When Gracie comes over, the first thing she does after arriving is to write she "got to come to Jo's" on a tiny piece of paper and puts it in the jar.  Do you wonder why I love this child?  Did you "do" a grateful jar?  How's it comin'?

Time to hot soapy-wash the fan filters.  Gotta' go!  Stay warm!  OOPS!  Is it already warm where you are?  Don't tell me!  I can't stand it!  Stay LOVED!  xxoo