25 Random Things You May Not Know About Me

*Saw this on Homegrown Sunshine's blog and thought it seemed like a lot of fun*

1. My mother and husband agree that I am very like Monica on “Friends”.

2. I often have to use a “relaxation mantra” to fall asleep at night.

3. I usually mix my coffee half regular and half decaf.

4. Whenever I walk through our dining room, I always look out the window to look for deer.

5. I feel the most anxious when I am driving on the highway.

6. When I was about ten-years-old, my sister (hi Karen!) and I drew up “plans” for the mountain cabin that we were going to build and live in along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

7. I am in love with my labelmaker.

8. I am a ‘thrower awayer’ and not a ‘saver’.

9. Summer is my least favorite season.

10. Someday I am going to take a photography class.

11. I am on the prowl for an antique/vintage corner cupboard china cabinet.

12. I feel a little ADD when I try to read and there is noise in the room – I absolutely can’t concentrate.

13. I have no desire at all to go to Europe again, but I would love to travel out west every year (haven’t gone yet).

14. I love my freckles and wish they were more visible on my face.

15. I am such a sucker for infomercials. Not that I buy the products, but I always believe the pitch.

16. If I had the choice between a bigger house or a smaller house (than our current one), I would choose smaller every time. Especially if it was a craftsman-style home.

17. I will get sick if I ride the spinning rides at the fair.

18. I almost always order a BLT or a chicken salad sandwich at a restaurant.

19. After reading a few chapters in a book, I will often turn to the last few pages in the book and read those next (I know, I know).

20. I love, love DHC skincare products (thanks, Jennifer, for turning me on to them years ago!).

21. Our potential girls’ names for Matthew and Michael were Sarah Ellyn (Ellyn was to combine all of our sister’s middle names) and Lauren Elizabeth (just liked it).

22. If I had the guts, I would get my nose pierced.

23. I have had a thing for high heels since I was a tot and used to walk around on my tiptoes and tie on triangular, wedge-shaped wooden blocks to my feet with string.

24. My favorite body part (of MY body) is my legs – very muscular calves (thanks purely to genetics)!

25. I used to love and be able to quote passages from the “Trixie Belden” youth mystery series.

Much Better Than The Snakes

We've been seeing this doe and another doe and fawn (a FAWN!) in our backyard frequently over the past couple of weeks. There must be something about this time of year - things drying up? - that brings the deer out a bit more. They are always so timid, and if they sense you, they make the funniest huffing kind of noise to warn each other. There are deer stands in the woods behind our house (a safe distance away). I plan on opening up my official deer sanctuary as soon as possible!

Fifth Snake of the Season (and this one totally counts even if it wasn't in our yard)

Saw a similar one of these crossing the road about a block or so up from our house when we were coming home from church last night (about 9 p.m.). Brought back memories of last summer of the ONE ON OUR DRIVEWAY. Ick. Alan may have run over it. As long as it doesn't head down the block...

Fourth and a Half Snake

I'm not sure if this counts as an actual snake sighting.

I mean, it's not like the snake is still there.

But he (she?) was.

We think it's probably a black snake's skin, and you could clearly see where the eyes and head were.

Maybe it's from the one that's been hanging around our yard (we actually found this in the neighbor's pine needles)?

The shovel is for a size reference...the head end of the snake skin was all bunched up, so it's actually longer than it looks.

Because We're Fancy Kind of People

There is something about Saturday nights that makes me not want to cook. Well, I don't know that I ever really want to cook, but it's even worse Saturday nights. When I was planning the meals for the week, I pulled out this recipe from my last Kraft magazine (I do cook other things, btw, besides what's in that mag). Easy and fast. Family Verdict: The chicken was really juicy. Michael wasn't crazy about the stuffing, but everyone else gave the dish two thumbs up. I'm just glad it didn't require a lot of thinking or effort. And if you're having guests, this one's kind of an impressive main course to fix. Because you know. It's all about appearances.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: 6 servings

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Lower Sodium Stuffing Mix for Chicken (or choose generic like me)
6 (1 1/2 lb.) small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (chicken breasts tend to be big these day - seems like there's a joke there - so I cut mine in half)
6 slices (lunchmeat) thin sliced smoked ham
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup (or any "cream of" soup)
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
6 Swiss cheese slices

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.
PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish (actually, I used a smaller one and it worked just fine...but then I didn't have six chicken breasts either); cover with ham. Mix soup and mustard; spoon over chicken. Top with prepared stuffing.
BAKE 25 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165°F). Top with cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Dryer Update

My mother-in-law (hi Janice!) was concerned about you, Blogging Audience. She knew you would all be in a tizzy not knowing the fate of our dryer after last week's post. So, sleep easier tonight: our dryer was finally repaired last Friday when Craig paid us a return visit and reconnected something he had knocked loose the day before.

Aren't you glad she cares about you so much?

Scratch, scratch, scratch

Why do I keep forgetting to spray us before we go outside?

Still, I'd pick mosquito bites (even the 967ish bites that I have) over poison ivy.