Dixie and Pam's squash casserole!

My mom made and now I make the best yellow squash casserole ever, if I might say so myself! Several have asked me to post the recipe so here goes below...

You can see the squash casserole 5 dishes in on the front row! It's the golden yellow pyrex dish.

This is how it looked when almost done in Mom's oven! Here's how I make it:

Ingredients: 1 plastic grocery produce bag full of yellow squash

minced onion

salt & pepper

5 eggs beaten

2 sticks margarine

1 entire sleeve of Premium saltine crackers

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Wash and pat dry squash. Slice and steam squash and drain. Mash drained squash well with a potato masher or whatever you have. Sprinkle minced onion, salt and pepper to your taste on top and mix in well. Place 2 sticks of margarine in squash and let melt as you stir it in. Crumble 1 sleeve of Premium saltines into the squash mixture. Add two cups of Sharp cheddar cheese and stir in. Beat 5 eggs in a separate bowl then add to squash mixture and stir/mix all together. That's it! Poor mixture into a large pyrex dish after spraying it with Olive Oil Pam spray or even just original Pam spray. Bake for about 45 minutes at 325 or 350 but keep checking it. Take it out when the top is just golden brown. You can add some crumbled Saltines and Sharp cheese to garnish the top if you want and just brown that a bit during the last several minutes if you want to but I usually skip that. Mom always added that!

Enjoy! Even people who swear they don't like squash LOVE this! You can serve it to them and just say it's quiche and they will devour it!

The irony of my watch collection!

I love watches! I have quite a collection of various styles, colors, and sizes. None are extremely valuable in a monetary way but valuable to me in sentimental ways. I have about 17 watches and my favorite has to be my gold watch my parents gave me for high school graduation.
The irony is that I love watches and have quite a collection but those who know me know that I struggle with being on time! I have struggled with this since 4th grade! My mother said it was because of Mrs. Madden, my 4th grade teacher. She was a very serious, unsmiling, stern, unhappy woman who made 4th grade a bad memory for me. You could not please this lady and she would criticize you and chastise you and label you as "late" even if you were early! I think that once I realized I couldn't meet her expectations even if I was truly early I decided to just meet her expectations and be late! She expected me to so I was! How's that! (maybe passive aggressive?) Lol! I think it was psychological and not really as bad as I make it sound but it has affected me all my life non-the-less. I can laugh about it and I CAN be on time and even early when I have to but it is difficult for me and it does take planning, effort, and help from my wonderful and practically perfect (in my mind anyway) husband who is very gifted and timely!
My timepiece collection.

These two belonged to each of my parents. The Seiko on the left was my Mom's and was given to her on her birthday well over 12 years ago by my brothers and me. She loved it and wore it everyday! I love wearing it now and thinking of her. It is a good dependable classic watch.

The Micky Mouse Timex was my Dad's and the last watch he wore regularly before he died in 1996 due to Cardiomyopathy. I was with Mom when she bought this watch for Daddy for one Christmas! He loved to outwardly demonstrate his down to earth values. He would proudly display his Mickey Mouse Timex on his arm as he worked side by side with some doctors who were caught up in expensive designer status symbols like Rolex! He was so funny and I loved how Daddy would proudly drive his very old Oldsmobile into the "Doctor's" parking lot and just be proud he drove a car that was paid for as he parked next to a BMW or Jaguar that some snobby doctor was in debt for! I loved Dad's sense of humor and mind set to intentionally not compete with status symbol seekers! Makes me chuckle just to think about his old cars and how he scotch taped EVERYTHING and more to make it last longer!

This is my favorite watch my parents gave me for my high school graduation gift! It was purchased at Nathan's jewelry in downtown San Angelo! I remember how mom paid it off month by month! I had my name engraved on the back and I took it every year to be cleaned at Nathan's. One year I finally had to have the wind up movement removed and replaced with a quartz movement. It has been a wonderful time piece, dependable, accurate, and aesthetically pleasing as well as sentimental.

These are my and my Mom's sterling silver cuff watches from Santa Fe New Mexico, made by the local Indian artists in that area. Timex made the time pieces just for them to fit into their crafted cuff. Mine is still a windup timepiece but Mom had hers changed to a quartz movement. Very unique is a good way to describe these watches.

These are the two fake Rolex's I asked Melissa to get me in China town in Manhattan when she was there as part of her graduate program. It's really an experience everyone should do at least once! Go to Canal Street in Manhattan and submit yourself to the street vendors of all things fake but designer! It's really fun! The various hawkers of goods pass by you and mumble words like "Louis Vittonne?" "Coach?" "Dolche Gabanna"? If you give them eye contact and nod or say yes the say, "follow me"! Or if you say "Rolex" back to them they say "wait here". In a minute a gentleman approaches you and nervously glances around before showing you a few choices! It's just hilarious! He states a price and you counter until you come to an agreed upon price! He tells you where he will set it down for you to claim. You agree and give him your cash. He then sets your fake item down in a near phone booth or window ledge for you to snatch. So funny. You then retrieve you lovely fake designer watch or Coach earrings or whatever it was you bought! You have then participated in supporting the Manhattan black market for all fun expensive looking fake stuff! A fun, silly, experience everyone should do at least once!

My two trendy watches from Charming Charlies (cheap and fun!) that fit the trend right now to wear a watch that looks like it's "your boyfriend's watch". Michael Kohr's started this look with his 3 to 400 dollar watches that look just like these I got for about 14.00! Fun!

My two Baylor University Logo watches. Bill and I gave each other matching BU watches back some years ago for Christmas. The one with the gold Baylor seal. Bill's finally wore out (mine still works!) but when we wanted to replace them on our 25th anniversary we had to opt for a new style, the old BU seal was no longer available. Baylor, being a private school charges a huge amount for their copyright so it's hard to find Baylor stuff. Fossil made some beautiful BU watches recently but no longer. Melissa and Jonathan got those when they were still available but we missed out on that one. I found some on E-Bay but do I really need to buy anymore watches? I think not. Well, Bill thinks not and says not!

Isn't it ironic that I love and collect watches when I struggle so with being on time! I am so thankful that I get to retire in 2 years and then I can relax a little more and not have to work quite so hard to be on time or early anywhere! Isn't it wonderful that we serve a gracious and forgiving God that knows us because He created us! He knows our struggles and he loves us unconditionally. He is strongest when we are at our weakest. He has all the time in the world, he has eternity. If we have accepted Christ as our Savior then we have eternity, with no clocks, to look forward! Ephesians 5:16 " making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the Lord's will is."
Make the most of your time! What you spend your time on is what is really truly most important to you. Examine how you spend your time. Are you "spending" your time or investing it?

Things I'm Loving Thursday!

I can't believe it's Thursday already! As I do my gratitude exercise, here are a few things I'm loving on this particular Thursday....


I am loving my Baylor Bears! The boys play Texas A&M this Saturday in Waco! We WILL be there, rain or shine! Robert Griffin the 3rd got his official letter that he is being considered for the Hiesman trophy! Both our Big 12 women's and men's basketball teams are starting their season off being ranked in the top 25! Praise God! Happy days are here again for my beloved Baylor! Why do I love BU so? Both Bill and I graduated from Baylor. Others in my family who attended or graduated from Baylor include: my dad, James D. Wimpee, his two brothers, almost all their kids, my daughter and many more! My wise Uncle W.J. Wimpee was the chaplain at Baylor for well over 45 years and he was the BSU director before that. His New Testament class would fill up immediately at registration. Because of him, Baylor was a wonderful place to have the last name Wimpee! No one laughed when I told them my last name! They would just ask, Oh, is Dr. Wimpee your father? I would then have to explain yes, but my dad is Dr. Jim Wimpee the orthopedic surgeon in San Angelo. His brother is Dr. W.J. Wimpee the respected and well loved Chaplain of Baylor University! Being at Baylor was one of the happiest most fulfilling and times of personal and mental growth in my life. I bleed green and gold!

I am loving this Merle Norman cream! If you have a bad cold that results in a raw nose area from blowing and wiping, this is the only thing that can soothe that skin immediately without burning! A must have if you have a cold!

Need I say more? The best!!!

My New Balance 1064 Women's running shoes! I am truly loving these shoes!!! If only I could wear them to work everyday!! I also got the arch supports and they are the absolute BEST shoes for this 50 plus gal who loves walking and running but whose feet need to extra good support!

My absolute favorite coffee this time of year!

I had this for the first time yesterday as I headed to Curves to workout I grabbed a bottle of this at CVS! Delicious, hydrating, non-carbonated, and low calorie!

Need I say more? Sic em Bears! We can finally hold our head high and proudly say we DO belong in the Big 12!

And most of all, this Thursday, I am loving my awesome husband, Bill! I am so glad he is back home from the BGCT!

Things I'm Loving Thursday!

Remembering to always be grateful and appreciate the things we enjoy is key to being happy and choosing joy! Here are a few things I am loving this Thursday!
Big 12 Football!! Need I say more? Sic em Bears!!

My Scentsy warmer with my current fragrance, Cappuccino! My house smells so good!

This is a MUST HAVE for all females who are old enough to wear make up! Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess, bronzing powder! I use it year round! My daughter says it looks amazing on me! It makes you look and feel like you just got back from a vacation on the beach!

Mouth watering! My favorite steak marinade! I am using it right now! Steaks are in the zip lock bag marinating as I type!

Rally House Texas Sports Botique! I can actually find Baylor stuff here!

Oh, and did I mention that I am loving this Fall's college football season? I am loving my Baylor Bears! Sic em!

If you need a lift, or just a quick pick me up, take a second to list at least 5 things you are loving or appreciating today! It's amazing how this exercise will buoy your spirits!

Thank you Lord for so many blessings!