A Southern Fairytale: A Southern Fried Mom Blog

By Rachel on November 20, 2009

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Every Thanksgiving, my family gets together for food, fellowship, football, silliness and fun. We each bring our favorite dish, and a bottle of wine (or beer, in my brothers’ case). I’ve discovered some new wines and even gone out of my Merlot Comfort Zone to try a few whites, and found how much I enjoy them.

If you or your friends and family share this same tradition, I encourage you to visit One Hope wine and get your wines from them.

ONEHOPE Wine - One Hope, Many Causes I had the distinct pleasure of spending some time at the Social Luxe party at BlogHer at the One Hope Wine booth. Shauna and I bonded quite a bit over tasting the different wines and talking about the various charities with them. There I learned all about this amazing company that gives 50% of it’s profits to charities. Each bottle of wine (flavor) has it’s own charity. full disclosure, they did give each attendee a bottle to take home.. .mine broke

The Cabernet, supports Autism research

The Chardonnay, supports Breast Cancer Research (and y’all know how close to my heart that cause is. The Chardonnay was delicious and I am decidedly NOT a white wine person.

The Merlot (my favorite), supports AIDS research

The Zinfandel, supports Our Troops

The Sauvignon Blanc, supports our Planet

If you’re going to be purchasing wine to take to your Thanksgiving, Housewarming, Birthday Party or any other Holiday Party, I strongly urge you to buy this wine, you will truly enjoy drinking it and you’re doing something good for someone else at the same time.

This post is in no way sponsored, I’ve received nothing from them, they don’t even know that I’m writing this post. I get nothing if you buy wine from them, you and the charities they support are the only ones who’ll receive anything.

I’ve been inspired by so many things lately, the most recent being Anissa and the way that our community has come together and rallied in support of her and her family. Anissa loves wine (hee hee) and she loves the One Hope Wine Company and their causes. She and I talked numerous times about them and their charity work and then argued about which kind of wine is better

If you want to know how you can help Anissa’s family, you can read on Aiming Low

Peter wrote an update in his own words today: entitled, I’m Going To Need A Little Help On This One The site is running a little slow due to traffic, so please be patient.

You can follow all the tweets by tracking the #prayersforanissa hashtag

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Posted in charity | Tagged charity, one hope wine | 6 Responses

By Rachel on November 18, 2009

November 18, 2003

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Today, November 18, 2009

nov 18 2009

Dear Princess,

Happy Birthday! Happy SIXTH birthday. This morning as I was making your cinnamon rolls and bacon, a realization struck. Today, you will have to use TWO hands to show your age. I don’t know why.. but that struck me to my core and actually made my knees go a bit weak. nov 18, 2009 SIX

You’re no longer a one hand age.. it now takes two hands for you to proudly show off your age. For you, it is so exciting, for me… it is exciting and yet it leaves me a bit wistful for those brief moments when I held your small head in the crook of my arm as you nestled and nuzzled and nursed. Me, the center of your universe. And yet, looking at you now, watching you… I wouldn’t go back.

Looking at those pictures up there, it’s almost impossible to believe that it’s been 6 years since you shot your way into this world. You were here, the world could start turning now. You are a whirlwind and a constant joy. You turned our lives upside down and it was the best thing that could have happened to us.

You are so smart and so well spoken, I often forget that you’re just now 6. You amaze me on a daily basis. You read books to your little brother at bed-time, you rejoice in writing love notes and leaving them around the house for us to find or taking them to school to give to your friends. Your mind is constantly racing, absorbing, tumbling new things around until they fit into the world you understand, while at the same time, ever expanding to allow new ideas to subtly change you, grow your world. I’m in awe of you.

You are such a treasure. From your loving heart, your bubbling laughter, your strange sense of humor, your compassion and your sparkling personality… you are everything I could ever have asked for in a daughter, and more.

I am blessed to be your mother, the one chosen to teach you, guide you, love you and cherish you.

There will be times that I will yell at you, there will be times when we won’t like each other very much, there will be times we both say things we don’t mean, but there will never be a time that you are not loved, a time you are not cherished, a time where I am anything but thankful for you.

I have always known and understood love, your Daddy showed me a different kind of love but you, you my precious angel girl, you have taught me a love like no other.
You are borne of my body, my heart, my soul and my mind and you opened up a place in me that I didn’t know even existed.

You are smart, funny, strong, beautiful, compassionate, silly, confident, loving, temperamental, friendly, energetic, inquisitive, vibrant, frustrating, head strong, lively, independent, fearless and amazing.

I pray that at 16, 26, 36, 66, 96 .. you retain all of these qualities.

I will do my best to stand back and allow you to live, fall, experience, fail and triumph. I will try to never stand in your way, to allow you to stumble and fall because the biggest disservice I can do you would be to never let you fail. That being said, I promise that I will always and forever be there to pick you back up, kiss away the tears, whisper I love you and nudge you back towards the right path.

You are my firstborn.

My only daughter.

My always and forever, Princess Stinkerbelle.

I love you more than words.

Happy Birthday, my amazing daughter.

I love you.

Momma

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Posted in Princess | Tagged Birthday, Princess | 28 Responses

By Rachel on November 17, 2009

The first time I met her.. she grinned and the room lit up. She laughed at my shoes and agreed with Sugar that they were totally Lucy Does Dallas shoes. This was Blissdom 2009.

In the last year and a half.. she has worked her way into a suite in my heart. She is compassionate, funny, silly, snarky and stronger than I could ever imagine being.

She, is Anissa Mayhew.. @anissamayhew on twitter, the driving force and power behind Aiming Low and someone whom I am proud to call friend and confidante.

Tonight, we got news no friend wants to get. Her husband let us know, Anissa had a stroke and was in ICU. This is not her first stroke.. nor is it the first obstacle her amazing family has faced and yet, Anissa approaches it all with Faith, Humor, Strength and an enviable sense of being completely grounded and level-headed.

My heart is shattered and hopeful and I am sending to each of you.. tweet with #prayersforanissa because that hashtag is the only one that holds true meaning, send prayers, thoughts, love.. whatever you believe.. send your powers to the ether for our friend, our leader, our light and our source of laughter and inspiration. Anissa.

The Aiming Low website.. Anissa’s baby… has a form that you can fill out to send love, support or offer your help. Please respect the family and do not flood their phone or home.. use this form to offer your support…

From everyone at Aiming Low:

More than anything, Anissa needs your prayers and positive thoughts but to the many people in the Atlanta area who have offered help to the Mayhew family, we have set up a form for you to fill out so we can have everyone’s contact info in one place and your information will be kept private.

Things that would be helpful right now are gift cards to restaurants and gift cards to the movies or to Blockbuster (to help keep the kids’ occupied) and gas/hotel gift cards for her extended family. We will be setting up a PO Box on Wednesday and posting the address here along with any updates. Please don’t send anything to the hospital or the Mayhew home. If you have questions, please email helpforanissa@gmail.com

We ask that you please respect the Mayhew family’s privacy by NOT calling the hospital and we thank you all SO MUCH for your outpouring of love and support for Anissa and her family.

With thanks and love,
The Aiming Low Team

This post gives all the information on how to contact and how you can help

update: 12PM from Anissa’s Husband Peter: 11/18/09

12 pm Eastern UPDATE FROM ANISSA’S HUSBAND:

What we know is she had a massive stroke.

She bled into the brainstem and pons areas of the brain. She is no longer sedated but still unconcious and unresponsive. Vitals are mostly stable except for a lowgrade fever most likely due to the damage to the pons. The pons control the bodies ability to regulate temperature. She is still on a vent and it is unclear if she is capable of breathing on her own. She has had an mri/mra/ct today. An eeg is pending. We’re in a waiting game now for survival first, and ultimately for her to wake up.

UPDATE 2: 12:37 CST from Peter to the AimingLow girls

She’s had more bleeding in the left thalmus.

She has bled into the spinal fluid.

Also has more swelling

UPDATE 3: 3:45 CST From PETER

From Peter:Not much change.

Second bleed was not good.

I brought the kids up.

She responded slightly, then a lot of movement 20 minutes after they left.

She’s fighting and has reached for me. Hard to say the reason, but she stops when contact is made.

Feeding tube is in
Please Pray.

UPDATE 4 FROM PETER 4:32 CST

Neurosurgeon just stopped in.

We talked about the second bleed.

I mentioned in the past 30 minutes her movement had picked up:
- she was searching natalie’s hand for a ring we think
- she was moving her left leg and arm more deliberately
- she was having some facial expressions

So, he rubbed her sternum and said her name loud. She tried to open her eyes! Did it again, and the eyes opened wider. She keeps trying to reach the tubes and such.

Very encouraging!

KEEP PRAYING PLEASE

you can link your post here and it will show up across the board on all the Aiming Low Anissa Posts

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Posted in Family | Tagged Family, friends | 20 Responses

By Rachel on November 16, 2009

Mouthwatering Jalapeno Corn Pudding

This is one of my MUST haves for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. It is delicious, rich, savory, creamy, a hint of spicy and absolutely the best take on a cornbread stuffing/pudding that I’ve ever had. This dish is the epitome of Tonguegasmic. One bite and you’ll be thanking me and your friends and family will be so enamored and impressed with your culinary skills that they’ll even offer to do the dishes while you kick back with your ~~bottle~~ glass of wine.

Since Thanksgiving is coming quickly and I know y’all are getting your shopping lists and elastic waist pants together, I had to share it with you.

Jalapeno Cornbread Pudding

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 C diced yellow onions
1 1/2 C fresh kernels of corn (about 3 to 4 ears)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 C heavy whipping cream
4 C cornbread, crumbled
8 oz Jalapeno Jack cheese, shredded and divided (1 C and 1 C) You can add more if you’re like me and love melty cheesey goodness.
dash of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced*
2 to 3 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Grease and 8 inch square pan.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and corn, saute until onions are translucent. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs, cream, cornbread and 1 C cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour pudding into pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with jalapeno and red pepper slices.
Place pan in a water bath and bake 1 hour or until firm.

*If you have never seeded and sliced fresh jalapenos before, I suggest gloves and WASH those hands VERY VERY well and very carefully before going to the bathroom touching your eyes. Trust me. Should you not do this… buttermilk works well to soothe the burning sensation.

Do you have a favorite Holiday dish that just makes your holidays zing? I’d love to hear about your must have Tonguegasmic Holiday Dish!

the dish on the linky love: If you’re joining the Mouthwatering Monday link up love, Thanks! I’m thrilled to have you on board! Please make sure you leave your recipe URL in the link, leave a comment on here saying Hi or Howdy or Yum Whatever you please. Make sure that you link back here in your post so that others can find us and go visit some of the other MWM participants!!! Thanks y’all! Rachel

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Posted in mouthwatering monday | Tagged mouthwatering monday, recipes, Thanksgiving | 16 Responses

By Rachel on November 11, 2009

Today would be Maddie’s 2nd Birthday.

Today, many around the Blogosphere are writing Birthday posts to honor her and to show love and support for Heather and Mike.

maddie

Maddie was a little girl with sparkling eyes, dancing curls and an infectious laugh. She charmed and enchanted everyone who met her, and thousands who only met her through her Mom’s blog. Thousands fell in love with her through Heather’s words, stories, pictures and videos and hundreds of thousands mourned her loss.

Today, is her birthday.

Honor the tiny girl with the huge legacy by donating today, her birthday, to the foundation started by her parents, Friends of Maddie.

Meet Maddie : Friends of Maddie – Supporting Families Supporting Babies_1257952895093

To read more posts written in honor of Maddie’s birthday, go to Meghan’s Blog

To learn more about and donate to Friends of Maddie, go here

and please join in the #Maddie hashtag twittering between 4 and 5 PM Pacific Time ( 7 – 8 CST or 8 -9 Eastern)

Heather, Mike and Binky.. All my love and prayers.

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Posted in Family | Tagged Maddie | 1 Response

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