The Movie-New Year's Eve

It isn't often I rave about a movie.  The movie New Year's Eve is one of the best movies I have seen.

Not on a deep, profound way...but in a total feel good, laugh, cry, head scratcher kind of way.

The movie is full of big names and very well written. Two thumbs up!

Happy New Year! (for real).

New Year's Champagne Punch Recipe

A great recipe from fellow blogger "Between Naps on the Porch".

Yum!

Champagne Holiday Punch

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 bottle champagne (Korbel Brut works great)
Small amount of Grand Marnier (or any orange liqueur you prefer)
Red sugar
Green sugar

In a saucepan, bring water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Discard cinnamon and cloves.
Cool to room temperature and pour into a large pitcher.
Add cranberry juice and pineapple juice.
Chill in fridge until ready to serve.
At serving time, add 1 bottle of chilled champagne.

Deeds

Deeds

Often is said that this world is full of good people, but hearing about them isn’t deemed necessary. Bad news makes money, we love to watch train wrecks and it’s more exciting to see someone fall off the mountain than climb it.

As I thought about this, I turned to my “googler” and attempted to find good deeds done this year. Not much out there. There was no problem finding stories about crime, politics, disease and stupid criminals. Not many positive words flowing across our airwaves.

We (our children) are conditioned to think that drama, rehab and not being accountable for any action is the “norm”.  Sadly, so many young lives are shaping into what they have seen for years on reality TV and the tabloids. An average day should not consist of rehab or paternity tests or yelling and slamming doors or drunken binges or ending a relationship via texting.

 After a tiresome year of Charlie Sheen (who didn’t win), Kim Kardashian (10 minute marriage=$10 million) and Lady Gaga (“should I wear my meat dress or just wear my underwear today?”..) I would love to get an ear full of nice people stories. Good manners maybe? Respecting other people? Being nice without expecting praise just for being nice? Helping our fellow man? Act nice and have reporter cameras follow you everywhere for a snap? Doesn’t happen much.

I know good acts still exist and I still witness it in my daily life. There are more good people than bad. Maybe I am just lucky that I have nice acquaintances, neighbors, co-workers, friends..but I have seen perfect strangers pick up something I dropped, hold a door, give a compliment, share a warm greeting. The good is still there. In 2012 I will strive to do one good deed a day (without telling anyone about it) and I will listen to less news...pretty sure TMZ won't be following me around.

Connections

There are so many people that make us who we are. Not sure we stop to think about that too often, but in life it truly does "take a village" to develop a person. No matter who you are or what your background is, there are many people that have shaped you.


The obvious connection would be parents. If we are lucky we have both a mom and dad. I lost my mom when I was 14. Being from a large family, I was fortunate to have a grandmother (and a great dad) that had always been there and continued to be. One of the most influential people in my life was my neighbor Karen. On a daily basis my sweet neighbor (who was only 24 at the time) checked on me, taught me to bake, polish silver, identify depression glass, use coupons to shop and fold clothes. I still fold all my towels with the folded side outward and stacked neatly. The love and effort of this neighbor and friend has stayed with me.


After my father remarried I found myself at family gatherings of a family that were not blood relatives. I was a teenager and was experiencing drastic changes in my life, but as time passed I came to love and be loved by a family that I now consider my own.


I am not the exception to the rule by any means. Anyone that has lived for any amount of time has experienced relationships that have touched and changed them in some way.


I married and have stepchildren and grandchildren that came with my husband as a package deal and I love them with all my heart. Love travels wavelengths that the human brain cannot comprehend, but it is very real and very powerful. My own children have a stepmother that has been instrumental in their lives and has been a blessing on so many levels. Her love for them is clearly visible.


Not sure we take the time to truly be grateful to those in our daily lives that make us who we are. The people who are not the obvious ones (spouse, parent, child) can sometimes have the largest impact on us.


A new year. As long as we are breathing we will meet new people who, at the end of 2012, will have changed how we look at things in some way. Let's take the time to say thanks.

going slowly into the new year

This is how I feel after the holidays. Not exactly sprinting into the New Year...

Paper Towels

I try to be green and for the most part I do ok, after all-I am married to Mr. Greenjeans. We compost, recycle, hang clothes to dry and have a garden. But I have to admit, I use more than my fair share of paper towels. I use the neighbors share too.

Anyway, the reason for this entry is the review a very good, very economical paper towel from Target. The Up & Up Brand is excellent for the price and one of the best paper towels I have used. It's one of those items that I will drive a little further to pick up. Good job, Target!

Yes, my real name is Mimi

Hello. My name is Mimi (really..it is). I have a fondness for good reading, pretty things, strange people, underdogs, talk radio, bacon, dumb jokes, pearls, Alabama football and have a slight addiction to sweet tea.


Ok, no twelve step program for sweet tea addicts, but there darn well should be. Maybe it is the tea that makes all these thoughts stir around and bubble up.  My husband, Mr. Greenjeans, is tired of being the recipient of all this valuable info, so it's going to be typed out on here in grand fashion.


I am always finding great deals that should be shared. And creating something that the average person should not live without. I have more opinions than Carter has liver pills. (how is that for showing your age?) We usually review every restaurant we visit and write about travel experiences. So, this might just be the place all that ends up.


About me-I was born in the south (accent, big hair and all) and have ended up in a little wooded spot about twenty minutes from the gorgeous gulf coast. Being an odd combination of flower child, beach bum, southern belle and Mother Goose, (throw in a dash of redneck farm girl)I somehow found my spot in the sun and got comfortable in my skin. That pretty much means that I like who I am and how I got this way.


Mr. Greenjeans and I have a total of 5 grown kids, 3 of the cutest grandchildren ever birthed, and some of the best friends anyone could ask for. We love to shop, plant things, cook and when we can sneak away, take out the boat or tour an old plantation. We are pretty much perfectly suited and that is a good thing because we are waaay too "unique" for anyone else.


I really like what happens at this stage in life (let's just say I graduated in the 80's and leave it at that). Maybe my survival skills have been sharpened by being a parent. I am somewhere between PTA Meetings and the Mall Walkers Club and I am finding that there is SO much to do and experience.


I would love to have input on the things that I will share and hope that you are as entertained at this life as I am.