Three on Thursday | Three of Us Throwbacks.

In the end, I wasn't able to join the girls for dinner last night ... so I don't have the recap post I'd planned (things we talked about/things I learned, creative cocktails, food p*rn) or the requisite three of us photo. Instead, how about revisiting three of my favorite meals with my two favorite girls.

1. Lunch at Gallo Nero in NYC. December 19, 2009. (blogged here)

Katie lived in NYC that year and Sara and I flew up the evening before for a before-Christmas break. Sara was a senior in high school and had just been accepted to Georgia Tech. I was winding down my real job, preparing to retire in January. We were in big celebration mode. I don't recall how Katie knew about Gallo Nero, but she'd been there before and suggested it for the long, leisurely lunch we had in mind. It was perfect (I've been back several times, including last September and I'd still recommend it). While we were there, it started to snow ... the city got quiet ... we might've gotten a little louder (I'm pretty sure there was a bottle of wine).

2. Lunch at Bistro VG. August 8, 2007. (blogged here ... barely!)

Wow, we ALL look young ... and sun kissed! Sara and I had just returned from a week at the beach and Katie'd spent the summer abroad (trivia note - she met Rob on that trip!) I don't recall this particular photo, but this one, taken at that same lunch

is still one of my favorites. Bistro VG has been one of our favorite restaurants for years and the site of many of a lunch out (not so many dinners). Sadly, it was sold last fall (too soon to tell what that means ... I've only been twice since the sale and both experiences were fine).

3. Dinner at ECCO. November 10, 2012. (apparently not blogged!)

This dinner was to celebrate Sara's 21st birthday. We also had a family celebration at our house (and I did blog about that one), but this was the special girls night out. Sara lived right around the corner from the restaurant, but Rob drove Katie and me (and found something "fun" to do while we had dinner ... better than Uber for sure). We had cocktails - always a favorite with this trio - and shared food (ditto).  It was, quite simply, fun!

I'm not sure when the three of us will be together again ... and have the opportunity to slip away for a meal, but hope it won't be too long.

Check in with Carole to see what others are sharing for Three on Thursday!

Three on Thursday | A Birthday Throwback.

In the past few months, two albums of photos from Katie's early years have - most happily! - come into my possession. When Katie moved into a home of her own, I gave her the two albums I'd compiled (thankfully, I still have all of Sara's photos ... but of course, they're not in an album. second child and all that 😉). So this past year, I was almost giddy to acquire two new-to-me albums from those years - one from my mom and one from my mother-in-law. Last night, I finally paged through both. cover to cover. I had in mind a post for today (because birthdays!) and I was not disappointed. And because it's Three on Thursday, I have three photos to share:

If you did the math on Wednesday, you might've realized that my sister was 19 when Katie was born. She'd turned 20 by the time she visited us in March (her college spring break!) to meet Katie for the first time. I'm pretty sure this is the first photo of the two of them together. Karen still has that same beautiful smile! (also note the hoop sitting next to her - she's good with a needle and thread.)

The only activity I remember from that visit is that I had a baby shower to attend - work friends ... and introducing Katie. Of course I wanted her to wear the ruffled tights with the ruffled dress. Well, the ruffles on the tights were coming loose.

Yep, here's Karen with needle and thread (and oh my goodness, I hope Katie is asleep!!!!?)

And we're ready for show and tell!

I carried a copy of this photo in my wallet for years. That pair of scissors foreground left was cropped from my wallet copy, but here, it's a nice reminder of the story - and photo - that came right before it! (and yes, I knit the sweater vest I'm wearing!)

Three cheers for old photos ... and photos that tell stories!  Happy Thursday!

Head on over to Carole's to read more ToT stories.

Throwback Thursday | Thirty-four Years.

On Sunday, Marc and I celebrated our 34th anniversary and he shared a few two-of-us throwback photos on Instagram. A few were actually new to me and I asked him to send them to me. 

from the cover of our wedding album

engagement photo - fall, 1983 

November 19, 1983 

2001

at Katie's wedding - a favorite!

this summer - and technically three of us :-)

So this will be our 35th Thanksgiving together as a married couple. We spent our first Thanksgiving in Cancun (honeymoon) and I don't remember much about Thanksgiving dinner that year except that it was a hotel buffet. The next year, though, we were in Illinois, visiting my parents.

previously shared in this post - more knitting history!

Since then, we've spent every Thanksgiving with family ... mine, Marc's and eventually "ours". This year, we'll be getting together with family later in the weekend, but today, it's just the two of us (again). I opted out of a traditional meal - instead, we're having turkey sandwiches and a few sides ... likely in front of the television. I think we're both looking forward to it!

We have much to be thankful for ... and the two of us together is definitely a big part of that.

Wishing you and yours a most Happy Thanksgiving!

Throwback Thursday | Moving to NYC.

Hello and happy Thursday! I'll be back next week with more about our trip (in short, it was awesome!), but today, I have a different story to share.

Way back in 2009, Katie's first job out of college was in New York City. She worked for NBC/Universal at 30 Rock.

Katie in the driver's seat - June 2009

That June, she and I made two trips to the city - the first to find an apartment (we flew) and the second to move in. For that second trip, Katie drove a U-Haul and I rode shotgun. Looking back, it was a crazy couple of weeks (here's a link to all the photos and the story I shared here on the blog), full of wonderful mama memories.

Next month, I have the privilege of helping Sara make her own move to NYC. Her last day with Epic in Madison is September 15. She starts a new assignment working from New York on October 2. Last week she found an apartment on the Upper East Side and signed a lease. She'll be driving a U-Haul from Madison to NYC - with me riding shotgun - starting September 16.

I'm excited to be part of this new chapter in Sara's life - and look forward to sharing the story with y'all.

I'm also looking forward to catching up with you and the 100+ blog posts in my Feedly reader. But my mom is here until Sunday and the weekend is full of family plans ... so, next week for sure!

Think Write Thursday | Again for the Very First Time.

Today's Think Write Thursday topic is to tell about a book we wish we could read again for the very first time. It took me all of about two seconds to come up with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the seventh and last installment of the Harry Potter series (and even better if I could do it over the first two days of a girls beach week like I did back in 2007).

It's no secret that those books (and the movies) are all-time favorites. I'm grateful I got to experience the story as it evolved. and it's crazy to think that we once lived in a world where we didn't know how the story would turn out!

A quick search through the mere-et-filles archives turns up quite a few mentions of Harry Potter - and many of them were Ten on Tuesday posts. Here's one about the things I love about the books, and this one about D.E.A.R. is a keeper if only for that adorable Charlie photo at the top (almost exactly a year ago!). I even found one from before I read that seventh book - about what I was planning to read on that beach trip (too bad there wasn't book bingo back then!)

But my favorite post - for reminding me about a wonderful time - is this one, from August, 2011.

Sara and I had a great day together just before she went back to school (her sophomore year at Georgia Tech). We saw the Harry Potter movie, we had lunch ... and of course we took a photo. Don't  we look young! (and happy!)

Thank you Kat and Carole for a fun topic and a great excuse to travel down memory lane!

I'm headed off to South Carolina this morning. I do have plans to blog with my iPad... and maybe this time I'll get the photos right!

Throwback Thursday | Four(ish) Months.

Charlie's on the left and Sam is on the right. I see a lot more similarity in their actions than their looks!

(and what a difference a little mascara and LipSense - one layer of Aussie Rose and two of Apple Cider - makes for me!)

Thursdays with Sam.

...officially began today! The morning was a little rough, but by this afternoon we'd found a good groove. He drained his bottles, napped like a champ ... and posed for the camera.

We even took a selfie.

And looked through his mama's photos to see if we could find one at about his same age.

Now can you see why I've been saying Sam looks like his mama?! (also note the outfit - I'm guessing this photo was taken in early May ... already sleeveless weather 😊)

p.s. the Think Write Thursday crew is writing letters to February today. I'll be back with mine tomorrow.

Throwback Thursday | A Special Dinner.

I forwarded the email about this week's Think Write Thursday topic - to plan a dinner party, inviting 3 people, living or dead - to my mom, suggesting we collaborate. Last night, we started to talk about it. Hands down we agreed my dad had to be the first guest - he loved a good dinner (party) and he was a fabulous guest (ate everything and talked to everybody). From there it wasn't long before we decided that recreating one of our five-of-us family Christmas Eve dinners would be fun. Family dinner was the norm in my house growing up, but Christmas Eve was special.

of course my mom isn't in this photo - she was taking it!

After much talk and looking through photos, we think the last time just the five of us sat around the table for Christmas Eve was 1987. My folks were living (back) in southeast Texas. Karen, Steve and I all traveled there (I brought Katie, aged 11 months) for the holiday.

there's Katie peeking through ... from her high chair

As long as I can remember, the highlight of Christmas Eve dinner was roasted cornish game hens, stuffed with cornbread stuffing (always Stovetop) and topped with an orange glaze (thawed frozen concentrate). That was the only time of the year we ever ate cornish game hens (or cornbread stuffing). Mother is sure we also had this Holiday Salad

(from Kathryn Windham Tucker's Treasured Alabama Recipes; Mother has the first edition, published in 1964)

and of course Christmas cookies (and ice cream) for dessert.

Things changed quickly for our family. Just three years later, we were gathered in Florida (my folks' first home here was a vacation home, in the panhandle).

L-R - Mother, my grandfather, Karen, John (Karen's then husband), Lydia, Daddy, Marc, me, Steve - my grandmother took the photo

Karen had married earlier that year and was seven months pregnant (note that glass of milk at her place). Steve and Lydia were dating. Two of my grandparents (my mom's mother and dad's father) were also there, as was Marc. Katie was still the only grandchild (she had her own special table).

that's Marc, pouring the wine

And we still had those game hens for dinner!

Thank you Carole and Kat for the topic - we had a fun time reminiscing about all those wonderful dinners!

Throwback Thursday | 1965.

I was three. We lived in southeast Texas (note the open window!). My dad worked for Texaco and back then one of their gasoline blends was called Fire Chief. Perfect for this hat!

I remembered this photo when Charlie donned his fire chief hat for the photo with my mom last month.

But it wasn't until I looked more closely that I saw the similarity in the two dads. Both with big smiles ... having a ball being dads!

The Think Write Thursday crew is tackling a challenging topic this week - about staying positive when everything is going wrong. This blog is my best answer. I try to look for the good in the posts I write (some days, like today, that's easy - other days...not so much) ... thinking about leaving a smile on my face and the faces of all you who will read it. And looking back through the archives never fails to remind me that even if things aren't going well right this second, my life has been full of blessings. And those memories can keep me going through some very dark times.

Throwback Thursday | These Two.

From Thanksgiving, 1998. I found the top photo earlier this week and thought about how nice it was going to be this year to have these two together again in the kitchen (with me!) Not that there's much cooking left to do - but I know we'll be gathered around the counter eating snacks ... and then of course cleaning up!

It wasn't until this morning, when I scanned that photo, that I realized the one below (previously shared here) was taken the same day.  These two clean up nicely don't they?

I love that we're together for this holiday weekend. I wonder if they'll let me recreate these two photos?!

Wishing you and yours a most wonderful Thanksgiving.

Throwback Thursday | Fifty!

I turned 50 four years ago and I had a most wonderful party to celebrate. Obviously four years ago I was not playing along with NaBloPoMo, because I never shared much about it here.

The party was November 16, the Friday before Thanksgiving back in 2012. My folks were already here for Thanksgiving - and everyone else in my family lived here then. Karen hosted, Katie helped and I know the rest of the girls pitched in with flowers and food. It was a completely lovely party and I had a ball.

Katie coordinated the decorations, which included birthday photos from years (and years!) ago. I think she and Karen coordinated the cocktails together - of course they did a fabulous job! (I have the best memories of gin, a spiced simple syrup, maybe a little lemon, and a little seltzer... and I still ask Katie to recreate it for me every November.)

Karen baked my cake - by request a brown sugar pound cake. It was delicious.

Here I am - much later - when I realized that the candles in the cake were the kind you couldn't blow out. (don't you love the looks on everyone's faces?!)

And my mom - just last night!! - admitted they'd been her idea ... Karen has taken the blame all these years :-)

...and a little later with the five of us "just family".

Katie and Rob were still planning their wedding (for May of the following year). And Sara was still in college ... in a city where it rarely snows :-) Who knew what changes our little family would see in the next four years?!

I feel very blessed to be spending my 54th birthday with many of these same people. My mom arrived yesterday and we'll be meeting up with my brother and sister-in-law for lunch. Then Katie has invited Mother and me for "birthday cocktails" - I cannot wait for my mom to meet little Sam and see how much Charlie has grown up since she last saw him (Memorial Day!)

Happy Birthday to me! and thank you for sharing in the celebration!

Throwback Thursday | Kathryn Windham Tucker Museum.

A year ago, we had a little family reunion in my dad's hometown (funny, I titled that post "Time Flies" and that would also be an apt title for this post - how was that trip 12 months ago?!). 

One of the very cool things we did was visit the Kathryn Tucker Windham Museum. Kathryn Tucker Windham and my grandmother (my dad's mother) were cousins (Grandmother was a Tucker, too, before she got married). I've heard stories about Miz Windham practically my whole life. But really, she was the story teller. I own many of her books and added her last one to my collection when I was there.

The museum is a really wonderful tribute to Miz Windham's life and storytelling legacy. 

Its director (whose name I've forgotten) is a real fan, too. She was thrilled to meet "family" (she took the photo at the top of this post and shared it on the museum's Facebook page) and gave us a personal tour. 

This story quilt (made by Dorothy Williams Shepard) is one of my favorite pieces in the museum's extensive collection.

...and of course this

(I wish I'd written this post sooner or taken better notes because now I can't remember the details - all I have are these photos!)

That's a sculpture of Miz Windham. It reminds me that she told stories with words and photographs. I have her book Encounters, which includes some of her best work. The museum has many of the photographs from that book on display along with their stories. It's impressive.

Two of Miz Windham's children - Ben Windham and Dilcy Windham Hilley - have created a wonderful home for her work on-line. The website even includes voice recordings from Miz Windham's radio broadcasts. I couldn't figure out how to link directly to that page, but there's a "Listen to Kathryn Tell Stories Here" link at the bottom of the homepage that will take you there. The one called Naps is especially delightful.

"It is highly unusual for a talented wordsmith also to be a gifted photographer, but Kathryn Tucker Windham has long used both media to communicate memorably about Southern culture. Whether telling stories, commenting on Southern customs, passing along cherished recipes, or capturing Alabama life in photographs, her work has a unity that centers on her powers of observation and memory and her love for the South, its people and its lifeways."
(from the museum's flyer, reprinted from the Encyclopedia of Alabama)

This is one cousin I'm certainly proud to claim!

Throwback Thursday | Reflected.

My mind is full of Matthew today. This morning's Bible study went well, but leading a lesson is always exhausting. and then there's the hurricane. My mom is in the Tropical Storm Warning zone, far enough from the coast that she's staying put. My brother drove down this morning so she's got company. I had lunch today with a friend who evacuated from the South Carolina coast. Many of my friends are hosting evacuees from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. At this point, it's hard to imagine it can be as bad as they're forecasting (and we're only hoping it's not worse).

So in light of all that - I thought I'd share two photos I found this morning. They made me smile and I think you'll enjoy them, too.

This is me (age three months), held by my grandfather. That mirror hung over the fireplace in their living room.

and this is Katie (age three years), also held by my grandfather in front of that same mirror.

I'm glad I didn't take the exact same photo because seeing the smile in my grandfather's eyes makes this one extra special. (and I think I might see a little bit of Charlie in Katie's smile... so far we think he looks like his dad, but maybe there is a little bit of his mama in him, too!)

Happy Thursday! and I hope any loved ones in Matthew's potential path are safe and sound elsewhere.

Throwback Thursday | Zucchini Fritters.

Remember back a few months when we shared favorite foods our mom's used to make? One of mine was zucchini fritters:

Mother had a vegetable garden when we lived in New Jersey (my high school and college years). Of course she grew zucchini and of course there was too much. I remember an entire meal of zucchini fritters...just us...one summer when I was home from college. (that might be the closest we came to a popcorn meal :-)

I managed to find a few photos of that garden from the summer of 1981 (I was home after finishing my sophomore year of college). Of course it's just in the background - the real photo is of my brother (aged 16) and my mom playing a game that was kind of like tetherball, but with a tennis ball and raquets (we loved that game!)

To give you a better idea of this suburban garden's size, here's another view across the back of the yard - more garden (and another view of my mom, which I captioned "mom in action" on the back - seriously!)

Early on in last week's visit, I mentioned how much I'd loved those fritters and asked if we might recreate that memorable dinner. Mother happily obliged.

They were just as delicious as I remember.

Here's the recipe from my file, copied 30+ years ago.

The only change I noted when Mother made these last week was that she used a lot less oil. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say they're "healthy", but for a once-a-summer treat, they're most definitely worth it!

Throwback Thursday | Happy Birthday Holly!

Holly turned seven on Monday. In dog years this is the last birthday when she'll be younger than I am. Which makes me happy and sad at the same time. I've had a very fun time today thinking about this throwback post and all the wonderful memories we've shared.

2nd birthday - August 2011

The last time I threw her a birthday party was back in 2011 (when she turned two); she didn't have much fun even though she did look very cute in her hat!  So this year, instead of a party, I'm writing a blog post. She's asleep in her bed behind me and I think she's perfectly happy with the low-key celebration.

our first meeting - December 4, 2010

In case you weren't reading my blog all the way back in December 2010, you might not know that's when Holly arrived in my life. December 4 to be exact. Pretty much love at first sight - at least for me. Sara had started college, Marc was traveling a lot and I was home by myself too much. Holly was the perfect solution. She's wonderful company here at home, but also

...she's a great travel buddy - by air (we flew to LA in 2011 to visit Katie) and by car. I might've missed a few trips, but I count Hilton Head and Beaufort, SC; Rosemary Beach, Leesburg, North Palm Beach and Gainesville, Florida; and countless trips to the yarn store, the nursing home, the park and a host of other local spots.

Riding shotgun - July 2011

(Holly)wood - February 2011

Rosemary Beach - September 2011

Thanks to Sara (moving so far away she only gets to see Holly a few times a year), she even has her own Instagram tag. If you ever need a quick boost, check out #HollyaDayforSara.

see what I mean?!

119 and about to be 120 posts - as soon as I share this one.

Holly, age 7 - August 2016

This is the birthday girl today - still looking sharp and aging remarkably well!