Recipe: Alabama Chicken

At long last, the recipe for Alabama Chicken.

This is really a concoction from Big Bob Gibson’s.  If you know barbecue, then you know BBG’s.  My husband’s family is from Alabama, and they would get this wonderful stuff and their other treats whenever they visited. Now, we make this at least twice a month.  It’s savory, spicy, and a real crowd pleaser. And, it is easy to do ahead of time… making it ideal for big gatherings like sporting events, summer picnics, family reunions, or…  Tuesday’s.

 

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Food: The Wine Tap (STL)

If you find yourself on east of St. Louis in the little hamlet known as Belleville, we recommend The Wine Tap. It’s a comfortable spot right on Main Street.  They have a great atmosphere, a welcoming back porch (which includes heat lamps in winter. Nice!), and a newly opened upstairs space.

On the food/wine side: the wine list has a very good variety (best in the area, I think), and the wait staff really know what they are talking about.  And if wine isn’t your thing, they have plenty of beers and other cocktails to choose from too.

The only “complaint” is the menu is really only bread and cheese.  They serve good appetizers including wonderful pear and gorgonzola bites (with honey, yum!). And, they have flatbread pizzas made right there in the outdoor oven. The combinations for those little pies are really yummy – we haven’t been disappointed yet.  BUT.. if you were looking for a little bit of a lighter fare or a different taste, then you are out of luck. Too, the menu doesn’t seem to change much to reflect the season.  Not necessarily a bad thing – just a thing.

So, if you’re in the mood for bread, cheese, an adult beverage, and a wonderful atmosphere… get yourself over there.  It’s a comfortable place to be. You’ll be welcomed with a smile, and you’ll leave satisfied.

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That Training Train and Thoughts of Spring

3.5 down.  6.5 to go.

I might have mentioned, one of the requirements to become adoptive parents in our state is 10 hours of training. The topics can be anything related to parenting or adoption. I’m especially looking forward to the child CPR one.. “Manny, Manny.. are you ok?”

Husband and I just finished our second through Adoption Learning Partners. Making online courses interesting, interactive, and informative is a challenge.  ALP are all of those things and more.  They address sensitive issues constructively and have great exercises that bring home the main points. We definitely recommend this site for anyone interested in learning more about any phase of the adoption process!. We might even suggest our families take a course as we bring this little one into the fam.

In unrelated news… it’s starting to snow.  I am ready for SPRING and leaves on the trees. When, o when, Springtime, will you get here?

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Home Stretch for the Home Study

Yesterday was our last visit with Beth, the social worker doing our home study.  We met at a Denny’s about an hour way – halfway between our homes.  (Man!  I forgot how bad the food is there. I mean… bad.)

Topics covered:

• Parenting styles – discipline, rule setting
• Expectations for who’s going to do what – roles and responsibilities
• Finances
• Marriage and what happens when a kid comes a long – ha!
• Examples of families we know who “do it right” (that was fun!)
• How would we describe each other and our relationship/marriage

SOoo…  Now, she has everything she needs to write the narrative which the Department of Family Services will review to approve us as adoptive parents.  We have a few more loose ends to tie up, but we’re closer to the goal line.  We’re still on the path to have this all done by May 1.  (Too many figures of speech?)

The one thing we still need to settle is whether or not we are 200% ok with adopting a child that is a different race than us. It is so important to be totally sure of this and that we both agree.  Believe me when I tell you… this is not an easy decision. There are a lot of factors to consider – and not just how this will impact me or H, but how it will impact the child, our immediate family, our extended family.  It’s a lot to think about.  It’s a lot to pray about.

Next steps:

1. Take classes. We need 6 hours before May 1 and 10 by September 30.
2. Make a final decision on the different race thing. (Easy to put on a list. Harder to actually DO.)
3. Start reading parenting books.  Nervous. Excited.
4. Start a journal for the baby. That will be fun!

 

 

 

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Yes, I stamp.

It’s true.  A friend got me into it. It’s a creative outlet. Plus, I hate spending $5.50 on a card when I can make something not nearly as good at not nearly the price.

I REALLY do it because it’s nice to get actual letters and cards in the mail.  Call me old-fashioned.

I’m a Stampin’ Up girl.  There are lots of great places for stamping hobbyists, but I like this brand because all their colors match: ink, pens, ribbons, pencils, paper, prints.  Very coordinated. Very organized. (That’s me.)

Few Helpful Tips for First Stampers…

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Home Study… Let the examination begin

In the last post, we were pacing, waiting for the social worker to arrive for the home study. We’re adopting a varmint, you see. A child. A little tyke. A munchkin. Meeting with her is part of the process.  The update is this: Beth arrived, we ate lunch (she LOVED the Alabama Chicken.  Of course!), and we talked.

We talked and talked.  Talked about basics like where we went to school. Talked about tolerance stuff, like how willing are we to take a child who has been exposed to drugs during pregnancy.  Tough stuff.  Good thing H. and I had already covered a lot of this in our previous ponderings.  So, from that point of view, it went according to plan.

What I didn’t expect was that we’d have to meet again. And again.

Have I mentioned that we might be moving at the end of the year?  yyyyeeeaaaahhhhh…..

So, getting this part of the process done quickly is kinda important. If we move to another state, we’ll have to start over again (and pay again, of course).   So, we’re hoping to get this all done in the next nine months. What a convenient number, eh?

But, I realize this isn’t exactly MY timetable… darn it.

So, H. and I each had a phone interview with her this week.  Next Tuesday, we meet again in person for the last session, hopefully.  Once that’s done, she gets to work writing up the glorious document that will be our complete home study.  This lovely document will articulate to the state (and any adoption agency) our capacity and capability to care for and parent a child. Once done, we’re off to the races to search for the perfect match.

She estimated it would be done by May 1st.

Here’s to being patient. Here’s to this getting done sooner. Here’s to being patient.

 

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Haiku for Nervous Energy

Attempt #377-9 at poetry.

Today is our interview for the home study, a big step in the adoption process. It is past time for the social worker to arrive and lunch is ready. (We hope to win her over with Alabama Chicken. Recipe to follow.) Husband and I are distracting ourselves with doing small stuff and puttering around the house.

Didn’t think we’d be anxious.  Not a lot anxious, but a little.
So, as a distraction I’ll entertain you with haiku.

Version #1

Can’t stop puttering.
Snow falls and the windows are clean.
When, Beth, will you come?

Version #2

Waiting is no fun
Cold weather brings snow fall
Missing persons, alert?

Version #3

If this is canceled
Heated rage in a snow fall
First family views… wrong.

Man!  When will she get here??

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Captain Annex Earns His Stripes

A funny story about our vacation.

Annex is the French word for dinghy… and a dinghy is the little boat that sailboats tote around so they can leave an anchored vessel and go ashore without having to swim. (see picture)

In our past sailing trips, Husband has been called Captain Annex by our regular captain and crew because he’s the one that gets the outboard (engine) on the boat and drives us lazy people between the boat and our evening antics.

But this time, he REALLY earned his title!

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Votes for Variety

These were taken during a recent business trip.  I thought they were cool because they are all strangely similar to each other, all found in the same location, but at the same time… all strangely different.  Weird!

Variety is the spice of life, right?  A sock drawer, spice rack, or book shelf should have a wide range of selections. But how does coriander translate to a richer life?  Does our Patrick O’Brian collection mean we are in a higher plane of happiness? AND.. how proactive should we be to find variety in our lives?  How does all of this translate to seeking and experiencing cultural diversity? Hmm…

Lots of big questions today… not many answers.

Husband and I hope to travel far and wide in this crazy journey together. We want to be immersed and truly appreciate the different ethnicities found in our world. This means being open to challenging our own stereotypes. It’s an amazing feeling to realize certain beliefs you’ve held for so long have been just another lens through which to look at particular circumstance. (I wish I could think of an example right now. Dang!)  As when experiencing anything new, we will be challenged… but in a good way.

There is for SURE a lot more to say on this subject… especially as we consider enriching our lives through adoption. More ponderings to follow.  Stay tuned.

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