SUPER BOWL XLV . . .

Unless you have been out of the country or had your head buried in the sand you should know by now that Super Bowl XLV is coming to North Texas. It has dominated the news around here for months and I think that most people will be glad when it is over and we can move on to something else. Having said that, Saturday one of my neighbors called and invited me to go downtown with her and her husband to see where ESPN had set up shop in Sundance Square and to see the monument entitled "Cradle of Champions." There were so many people trying to find a place to park and traffic was so awful that I was very glad Mary was driving but I can tell you this - it was well worth battling the crowds.

There were men working late into the night trying to finish getting everything ready for ESPN to air starting this morning at 5am.

There is quite a lot of excitement around town when we think about all the exposure Fort Worth will be receiving during this Super Bowl week. I can tell you that the  residents of Fort Worth are tired of Dallas always getting the recognition and feel that it is high time we are recognized too.

Fort Worth is known as "Where the West Begins" and because of this most people imagine cowboy boots and ten-gallon hats, while you do see these around Fort Worth, it also has a myriad of cultural and contemporary expressions.

This mural was painted by Richard Haas in 1985 and is located on the south facade of the Jett building in the heart of Sundance Square. The mural is about three stories high and has a three-dimensional effect. If you are a NFL fan you will be seeing this mural a lot during the first week of the Super Bowl.

This monument is known as "Cradle of Champions" and was built by Gerdau Ameristeel, honoring the Historic Legacy of Texas High School Football. It is a 7-ton monument made entirely of repurposed steel and lists nearly 2,000 names of former Texas high school football players who have successfully reached "The League." We have heard that following the end of the championship game the structure will stay in North Texas (on the TCU campus)  and will stand as tribute to the widespread talent of Texas' young athletes.

As we headed back to our car you couldn't help but notice how the city was ablaze with red (the color for the AFC team - Pittsburgh Steelers, who are staying in Fort Worth and practicing at TCU). Even the Bass Performance Hall's angels were in red.

Here they are in the daylight.

Even though our Dallas Cowboys are not playing in the Super Bowl we can still wish good luck to both teams.

LIFE WITH GRANDCHILDREN . . .

Sorry for the long period between blogs but things have been very hectic at my house. I have been taking care of children with running noses, dirty diapers, disinterest in eating, whining, etc. One day it was so stressful that all I wanted to do was cry but God somehow knows when we need Him the most and knows just how to brighten a day. It was a very cold and windy day and everything was going wrong. The grandchildren wouldn't behave or stop fighting, they didn't like anything I fixed them to eat, didn't want to share (you Mothers know what I mean). Just at the lowest point of the day my doorbell rang and there outside my door was a lady holding the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. They were sent by one of my daughter's friends and man oh man how they lifted my spirits on that cold and nasty day.

No one will know just how shocked and surprised I was and, I hate to admit it, but the tears started to flow. I couldn't help but think that just when we are at the lowest point in our lives God lets something wonderful happen - like the flowers. I think Wendy and J.T. must have known I needed some uplifting in my life.

Oh my don't you just love Fridays.

Yesterday was perfect . . . the weather was beautiful and warm so we were able to get outside and work off some of that energy. Kylie loves to take walks and especially likes to walk to the cemetery to see where her PaPa is resting until Jesus comes again. So, since the day was so pretty I loaded up Luke in the wagon, placed the little girlie in her car seat and situated it in the back of the wagon so it wouldn't slip out and then Miss Kylie and I pulled the wagon the few blocks to the cemetery. Talk about an adventure. They love to run through the wide open spaces and explore and then when time to go Kylie will tell PaPa goodbye and we start our walk back to the house.

Once back home they still wanted to play outside so we pulled out the swing and I hooked it in the tree. Kylie loved it and wanted to go higher and higher.


She would giggle and laugh the whole time screaming "higher, Lyly, higher". I have to tell you that when their mother got home both Luke and Kylie wanted to take turns swinging. Kylie was in the swing and her mother decided to give her a "double under" push. She was  going really high and all she could say was "oh my goodness, oh my goodness". She loved it.

While she was swinging our little man was playing in the cars. He first wanted to get into Norman's car, then into mine.

Sometimes I wonder what the fascination is with cars and the only thing I can figure out is  that he must think he is really big because he loves to pretend that he is driving.

There has been several times I have found paper stuffed into the slot for cassettes and had to use tweezers to get it out.

The baby just sits and watches all the craziness that goes on around her. I often wonder what she is thinking.

How often I have wondered what my life would be like without these children to keep me going. I have to say that God has blessed me in so many ways and I give thanks to Him every day for his goodness to me.

COLD AND SNOWY DAY . . .

All week long the weather man had been predicting cold weather starting on Sunday and for once they got it right. We woke up Sunday morning to the sound of rain, which then turned to snow later that morning. While the snow didn't stick because the ground was too warm it was still a pretty sight.

I decided that I wanted something to eat that was fast to prepare and along the lines of "comfort" food so I turned to my trusty recipe file and found one for savory mushrooms and polenta (I saw the recipe in our local paper but it was first printed in the Chicago Tribune). The word "polenta" is borrowed from the Italians and is a mush made from boiled yellow or white cornmeal. You can make it from scratch or purchase it from the supermarket, either in a box or roll (which is what I got).

Try it sometime you may like it.

I always try to chop all the ingredients before I actually start to cook - much easier that way.

After browning the shallots and  garlic I added the mushrooms. I just love the smell of mushrooms as they saute.

My polenta browning in the pan.

My wonderful dinner.

Savory Mushrooms and Polenta

1/4 cup olive oil, about

1 clove garlic, minced

2 shallots, chopped

3/4 to 1 pound assorted mushrooms (button, shiitake, baby bella, oyster), coarsely sliced

1/4 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth or white wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (thyme, basil, marjoram) or 2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 package (18 ounces) precooked polenta

Shaved Parmesan cheese, optional

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in broth, herbs, salt and pepper; simmer 1 minute. Check seasonings; stir in parsley. Cover; keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, slice polenta into eight thick (1/2-to-1-inch) slices. Heat about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook polenta slices until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Drain.

4. Place polenta on serving platter. Top with mushrooms and Parmesan.

Try it sometime you just might find it as wonderful as I do.

Enjoy!

BIRTHDAY GIRL . . .

Today is my daugher's 37th birthday. Seems like only yesterday that she was taking dance lessons, playing with her friends, fighting with her brother, and doing all the things that a little girlie loves to do.

You can't help but wonder where all the years have gone and how come they fly by so fast.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIN!!

OUR ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS . . .

On Saturday, January 1, 2011, our Texas Christian University Horned Frogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers 21-19 to become the Rose Bowl Champions. You can bet that all of Fort Worth is so proud of the home team.

WAY TO GO FROGS!!!!