JIM'S MI-5

Jim says: It is now fall and with that change we say goodbye to many outdoor activities for another year. This five is mostly about indoor things we do when the weather isn't so warm anymore.

Listening to Music
1. What was the first musical album (record, tape, cd etc...) that you purchased and do you still listen to it?

I remember the first CD I bought--it was a Bonnie Raitt CD, probably purchased around 1988. I bought it at Wild Rufus and was accompanied by my brother, Billy Rhythm. As far as a first record album, it had to have been either the Osmonds or the Partridge Family. I don't remember. That was way back in the 1970s.

Reading
2. What are you reading right now and if you aren't reading anything tell us the last book you read and if it is/was good.

For my devotions, I am reading "Lies Women Believe" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I love it. It's both interesting and informative, and provides many scripture references.

For "pleasure", I am reading "Redemption", a Christian novel by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley. It's about Kari, who is married to Tim. Tim has an affair with Angela and moves in with her. While Tim is living with Angela, Kari learns that she is pregnant with Tim's child, and also finds herself with very strong feelings for her exboyfriend, Ryan.

Eating
3. Do you have any favorite cool weather foods you enjoy? Please feel you can share a recipe if you have one.

The first one I thought of was Chicken & Dumplings. It's not a favorite for Dwane, but I make it from time to time, especially when I have a cold. Hey! I had planned on baking a chicken for supper tonight, so maybe I'll use the leftover chicken to make it. Since Dwane is driving the taxi tomorrow night, it would be the perfect opportunity to treat myself to a favorite (especially since I also have a cold right now). Here's the recipe:

Combine approximately one pound of boneless chicken, 1 stalk celery (cut into thirds), 1 medium onion (quartered), 2 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat. Simmer one hour. Remove chicken. Discard vegetables.

Prepare dumplings. (Just so you know---I like extra dumplings, so I double the amounts listed here.) Combine 2/3 cup flour, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cut in 3 tablespoons butter or margarine. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley. Add 1/4 cup milk and stir until moistened. Turn dough onto floured board. Knead 4 or 5 times. Pat dough to 1/4 inch thick. Pinch off pieces and drop into boiling broth. Add cut-up cooked chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Party
4. Do you enjoy the parties that cold weather can bring such as Christmas, New Years and Valentines? Tell us about a memorable one...

I love most parties. I especially love Thanksgiving at Ma's, Christmas Eve at Ma's, and Christmas Day at my Mom's. I remember one Christmas when I was a child---probably when I was in 4th grade. Christmas Morning brought a huge snowstorm, and we weren't sure if Nanny & Pappa, Uncle Roy & Aunt Ada, and Uncle Ashley would be able to make it. The whole snowstorm added to the anticipation. I seem to recall that by the time it was time for Christmas dinner, everyone had made it. And, I may have several Christmases lumped together into one memory. I seem to think that it was a Christmas in the new house, but I'm not sure if Nanny was still well enough to have come to our house at that point. I'm not sure.

The oddball question
5. You can relate this to our theme if you want or you don't have to if you don't want to. As a child did you ever think something crazy that as you got older you realized wasn't true?

I suppose there is always the whole Santa Claus/Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy thing. That myth was debunked before I hit 4th grade, because I remember sitting at the kitchen table at the old house when Mom and I discussed it. We were putting my name on labels to put into my clothes for summer camp. A discussion started about Mom's handwriting, and how her handwriting matched the handwriting on our Christmas present tags.