Coming Soon....

MoMe and NeeNee are off on different adventures! At least for now. 

MoMe's job requires participation in various workshops where we hope she learns bunches of fascinating stuff and takes amazingly interesting photos.....of people...locales...FOOD!

NeeNee's medical adventure continues next week but in the meantime....she is off for a quick visit to catch up with friends and family.  Monday she meets the newest member of her medical "team"....the surgeon!  Let's hope he doesn't mind photos being taken.....lots and lots of photos.....of everything.  After all, a picture is worth a thousand words right?

We hope you'll become a follower of our adventures.  Submit your email address and you'll be notified of new posts! (We don't share those with anyone...promise!) And please leave comments!  Maybe you could suggest advenures for us!  WooHoo!

Let the journey begin!

A New Kind of Adventure



Dad was driving and NeeNee was riding shotgun.

Getting some exercise!

MoMe and I embarked on a very different kind of adventure several days ago.. Truth be told, the adventure began three weeks ago when my endocrinologist discovered two nodules on my thyroid.  One was relatively small, 1cm and perfectly round.  The other was ovoid and 2cm which according to my doctor called for a biopsy.  Who would call a medical procedure with a scary name an adventure? We would of course.

Anything we can do that we've never done before is considered an "adventure."  Attitude is everything my friends.  So Wednesday, MoMe and I along with my Dad, who had no idea what he was in for, headed to the hospital for my biopsy.  Of course MoMe took photos to document our journey into the world of medical procedures!  The staff at the Medical Center was not prepared for the fun MoMe and NeeNee can introduce to a situation.

Looks like I'm about to have a facial!

I have to say everyone we encountered at the doctor's office was professional and friendly.  There was little lag time between our arrival and being whisked back for the procedure. Nurse Jennifer put us into a room to wait for my turn with Dr. W.  Of course, MoMe examined all the thyroid models...without dropping them I might add!  Unlike my first visit when she dropped one just as the doctor came into the exam room.  Lucky for us Dr. Wiethop has a great sense of humor!

Don't move! Don't worry, I won't!

When it was time for the procedure I have to admit I did get a bit emotional.  Nurse Jennifer gave me lots of tissue and kept telling me how great I was doing.  Daddy held my hand.  And MoMe....well, MoMe was taking pictures of course!  And Dr. Wiethop kept making suggestions for different shots.  He is amazing really.  He kept me informed with every step of the procedure which made the discomfort easier to handle.  Of the three, the last sample he took hurt the most and left a bruise. My youngest son said it looked as if someone had punched me in the throat. I assured him it felt that way too.

Because the nodule had grown from 2cm at my last visit to 3cm two days ago, the doctor felt that surgery was not optional.  The results of the biopsy will determine the extent of the surgery and what additional treatment may be necessary.  Dr. W recommended a surgeon who is a specialist in this type of surgery said they would get me the earliest available appointment so the surgery could be done sooner rather than later.

Dr.W and his handiwork

Yes I see another adventure on the horizon......unfortunately this will be one I will have to take alone.  I wonder if one of the nurses will take pictures for me?



MoMee and NeeNee Have a Cooking Weekend

Momee's trip to my place during our three day weekend was loads of fun!  Even though I was experiencing a severe pain episode, it was wonderful having my long time best friend here.  We laughed alot.....talked a lot.....enjoyed playing cards with friends and family...made project plans for our next visit/roadtrip.

Our menu Saturday was yummy.....White Bean chicken Chile, Cheddar Broccoli Cornbread and Blonde Brownies.

I cannot wait to make the cornbread myself......it was delicious and almost a meal in itself.  I wonder how we could "change it up" so that it is a meal??? Gonna have to think on that a while.

Side Trip: MoMe Heads to NeeNee's For the Weekend

I haven't been to NeeNee's for a while. When a three day weekend came up for the both of us, I jumped at the chance for a road trip, albeit a short one. The road tends to put me to sleep in a hurry so I made a couple of stops in preparation for the trip. After perusing the audio book section of Books-A-Million, I purchased a Jennifer Weiner, "Best Friends Forever". It sounded perfect for a BFF weekend. I added two Gregory Maguire to listen to on the way to work the following week...and just incase I wasn't in the mood for Jennifer Weiner. Next stop, Walmart for a few snacks - Jelly Bellys, because it is a road trip tradition, and a box of Cheese Its, as a salty balance to the sweet. I run by the house and make a turkey sandwich, grab an apple, and a bottle of Ruby Red grapefruit juice, and I hit the road.

After two hours on the road, I leave the Interstate. I stop at a Chevron for gas and a PowerBall ticket. (I am sure I am going to win this time...) I get out and stretch my legs and head inside. I fill out the PowerBall form and grab a much needed cup of coffee. The clerk tells me that I need to fill out the form again because I can't buy more than one draw. After a little discussion, I give up and refill out the form, even though I think I am right and she is wrong. I give her the new form and she asks if I realized that I filled out a PowerBall form and not a Lotto form. Yes, I know I have filled out a PowerBall form and yes, I know it is $2 and not a dollar.

After we get that straightened out, she rings up my order and two young men walk into the store. One has a hood over his head. She visibly tenses up. She asks him to take the hood off. He ignores her. Do I stay so that she will have someone with her? Or do I get out and worry about my own safety? She asks him a second time. This time he takes the hood off. She relaxes a bit and other people walk into the store. I head out to pump my gas.

I can't get the pump to work and ask the woman at the next pump if she had trouble. After waving goodbye to the man at the next pump, whom she had just met, she stepped over to my pump to show me that if you hold your hand over the small line of digital text to block the sun, and crouch down real low, you could read that you needed to type in your zip code. I never would have figured that one out by myself. I pump the gas and get back on the road.

The last hour is my favorite part. I am out in the country and pass mile after mile of fields and pine trees with a few oaks thrown in. I feel myself relaxing and the stress leaving my shoulders.

Finally, after three hours on the road, I arrive! There is no time to relax as we are cooking as soon as I walk in the door. NeeNee's roommate comes down to help carry my things in and I head to the stove. NeeNee has already started White Bean and Chicken Chili. The smells emanating from the pot are spicy and enticing. I start chopping onions for the Cheddar Broccoli Cornbread. Once the cornbread is in the oven, NeeNee shows me how to stir together Blonde Brownies. The brownies are made on the stove and not with a mixer. I am intrigued. This is like no brownie recipe that I have ever heard of. I can't wait to taste them.

Soon NeeNee's kids arrive and the fun begins! We discuss books we are reading, movies we have seen, and reminiscing about previous visits. The timer dings for the cornbread. I pull the cornbread out of the oven and pop in the brownies. We set the food out self-serve style and everyone digs in. The chili gets a dollop of sour cream and a warm square of cornbread is served on the side. Mmmm, comfort food. Nothing better on a cold winter night!

The food is cleared away and we pull out the cards and board games. We struggle through the first few minutes of Thirty-One until we all get used to the rules. After a round of cards, we switch to Apples to Apples. We all think our answers are the funniest and flutes of champaigne increase the intensity of our laughter.

NeeNee wins with five green cards and the party begins to break up. Melissa has to work in the morning so she and her boyfriend gather their coats and head for the door. Michael is smiling as he heads out and I know the evening was a success.

NeeNee's roommate begins cleaning up and we bring dishes for him to load the dishwasher. The evening is winding down. I feel a glow of satisfaction - good food, good friends, and entertainment. What more can you ask for?

Sidetrip: Auburn University Homecoming 2011

Mome and I have lots of adventures together however since we live so far apart, we often take sidetrips with other people.  This was one of those times!

My youngest son attends Auburn University where he is also employed as a videographer for the football team.  My daughter,also named Melissa, decided to take a young Italian couple we to know to see their first college football game.  We felt that the pagentry of a Homecoming game would be something to behold.....and it was.

We used the three hour drive to the Auburn to explain American football and to make them aware of the various traditions associated with Auburn University football.  They learn the Fight song (somewhat), Glory Glory to Old Auburn, why we say "War Eagle" when we are the Tigers, etc. By the time we arrived at the stadium Columba and Antonio were fully indoctrinated and could shout "War Eagle" with the best of us. Lewie was able to leave his post from above the Jumbotron to come and say hello just before the game.

As our War Eagle circled above the heads of a stadium full of Tiger fans, Columba looked at me and said, "Auburn is amazing!" Yes, yes it is.

Junkin'

MoMe and I spend a good portion of our adventures in junk stores, thrift shops and some flea markets. Recently, her husband Buster took us on a jaunt through Baldwin County in search of our kind of treasures.  We found very little to tempt us on this particular trip. In order to console ourselves, we stopped at a Farmer's Market ,and home of the "Giant Strawberry," to enjoy their version of strawberry shortcake. It was amazingly huge, filled with the freshest, juiciest strawberries and topped with either whipped cream or ice cream.  To say it was delicious is an understatement! The pictures truly are worth a thousand words.

Getting to Know Us

MoMe and I have been friends since the first grade which was a very long time ago.  So it goes without saying that we've had ample time for adventures of all sorts. And we have, although there are times when some go unremembered until the two of us are reminiscing over delicious adult beverages. Nowadays our adventures are usually trips we take together.  However while growing up life was all the adventure we needed.

Who are we and why are our adventures worth reading about and maybe commenting on?  We are ordinary people.....just women....women with jobs and children and husbands and exhusbands and siblings and coworkers.........women juggling every day stuff and trying to stay sane.  We experience  the same things every other ordinary person experiences.......our one advantage being we have each other to share it all with....a friend who is supportive and honest and funny and creative and never, EVER judgemental. That character trait alone has been a blessing many times during our lives.

Now an explanation of our names seems in order.  MoMe was so christened by my oldest son when his sister was born. I named my daughter Melissa after my best friend who is also a Melissa.  It was very confusing to my son. So he called baby Melissa, "Sister" or "our Melissa," while calling my best friend Mobile Melissa since that is where she lived, Mobile, AL.  That was gradually shortened to MoMe. Her daughter Emily christened me Aunt NeeNee because it rhymed with MoMe. And so we remain, MoMe and NeeNee to this day.

Most of the time when we travel it is just the two of us.  However, there are times when various other family members and friends join us.  However, MoMe and I have a travel rhythm which makes it easy to travel together whether on long trips or short ones.  Jelly Belly jelly beans and stick candy from Cracker Barrel always figure into our essential travel supplies as does a road atlas......we have no GPS. And laughter, always lots of laughter!  And many many memories.