When You Have A Good Job...

...your birthday sort of rocks!  :)  Yes, I said it!  One thing that my company does that is super duper awesome is that they send you a package to your house for your birthday.  Granted, it's not always on your birthday, but it's usually the week of your special day.  Want a sneak peek of what's inside?  Of course you do!

Basically, anything from here is AHHH-MAZING!

Pretty packaging!

What's a present without a card?

Oh my goodness - what do we have here?

Cookies, peanut butter squares, and brownies - OH MY!

Double decker brownies!!!

Attack of the Chicken Wing!

HOORAY for birthday treats!!!

As I always say, it's the small things in life that mean the most, and it's little touches like this that can set a company apart.  It's easy to get busy with the hustle and bustle of your everyday duties, but it's really nice to know that your company cares enough about you to acknowledge you on your birthday!

As you're reading this, I will be hopefully figuring out how to settle into turning twenty-seven and enjoying my birthday treats with Comanche on the little birthday adventure he's planned for me!  Let's hope Hurricane Irene doesn't invite herself to my party!!!  I don't like party crashers, what can I say?

Until next time,

Reverb 10 - Prompt #30

December 30 – Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? (Author: Holly Root)

While I have had to really buckle down and think on a lot of these prompts, this one is actually incredibly easy for me.  I have received the same gift over and over in the past year, and it never gets old.  This is one gift that I have never wanted to return.

There were plenty of things that were bound and determined to break me last year.  There were plenty of times when I could have easily chosen to give up and wallow in puddles of grief and self-loathing.  Because of this gift that I was given so often last year, though, I never even considered those options.

This gift was given to me in many different ways.  One of the ways I found most surprising was via facebook.  I have never been so shocked or so humbled by the amount of love and support that was sent to me.  Whether you did it by posting on my wall, commenting on one of my posts, or sending me encouraging messages, I was so incredibly touched by every single one.

People whom I had assumed could care less about me actually cared more.  Some folks I hadn't even spoken to in YEARS reached out to me at one time or another.  There were so many people who sent well-wishes and took precious time out of their days to lift me up.  I cannot say thank you enough.

Then there were the more traditional ways of support - cards (actually sent by snail mail - YAY!) and phone calls, and emails, too.  These also meant so much to me and I couldn't believe that in a nation as time-starved as ours, that people would even have the time to devote to sending me love and support.

There were the personal face-to-face interactions, as well.  The hugs.  The presenting of tissues.  The sending of flowers.  The shoulders that were offered.  The jokes that were told.  The invitations to events that were extended.  The times that kept me busy and kept me sane that were shared.  I have always been one of the most blessed and lucky girls I know, and this year only furthered that fact for me.

I know without second thought or reservation that love and support were the best gifts I could have ever received last year, and I am so grateful that I have so many people in my life who are so incredibly generous.  I love and appreciate each and every one of you so very much, and I know I don't communicate that often enough.  I hope that if any of you ever need me, you know that I am here and will be here for you.

Thanks a million, Peeps.

Until next time,

Sunday Songs That Move Me

As I've stated before, I was blessed enough to discover an incredible new church this past year that has allowed me to rebuild the structured relationship I had been desperately seeking with God.  It has been an awesome feeling to listen to the message week after week and to get something out of the teachings every single time.

Another part of this church that I love so much is the music.  I love music to begin with and believe that it is one of the most powerful forms of expression out there.  Couple that with lifting up a congregation of people in worship and you've got one amazing vehicle.

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So, since today is Sunday, I thought I would share a few of the powerful and non-traditional songs that have moved me since I began attending this church.  If you listen to the lyrics, along with the amazing singers and arrangements, I think they could move you too.  I hope that each and every one of you have found something special to believe in and something incredible to put your trust in.  I know I have.  If you're still looking, don't give up!  Happy Sunday, everyone!

One Thing Remains - Jesus Culture

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Glory To God Forever - Steve Fee

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No One Higher - The Stand - Steve Fee

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Mighty To Save - Hillsong United

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And finally, one from the music worship director at my church, Nicolas Carver - he truly is incredible, and I hope you enjoy!





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Until next time,

Reverb 10 - Prompt #3

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)

There were many moments that I really felt alive in 2010, but one that sticks out most just happened recently.  One moment during which I felt most alive this year was Thanksgiving Day. 

Grandma Chicken Wing's house was warm, which perfectly offset the chilly, gray day that happened to be drizzling rain for the majority of the time.  There was a table full of food to perfectly complement the table full of family.  While I was so thankful for the bounty my Grandma had prepared for us year after year, I was also mindful of a few things that were new to the experience.

1.  The seating arrangement was different.  This was our first Thanksgiving without Papa Chicken Wing, and he always sat at one head of the table.  Grandma Chicken Wing always sat at the other head of the table.  This year, Uncle Chicken Wing sat at the head where Papa was usually seated.

2.  This year, I had full control of the amount of food I consumed.  While I won't lie and say I didn't go overboard on my own, this year Papa wasn't there asking me repeatedly if I wanted more creamed potatoes.  (His Alzheimer's had gotten pretty bad in recent times before he passed away, and he loved to help out during lunches and dinners by making sure I wasn't lacking in the potato department.  I made my stomach hurt so badly one time because I just didn't have the heart to tell him that I was full).

3.  As we all encounter sure signs of the circles of life, so did I this Thanksgiving.  It was the first that Comanche (my very handsome boyfriend, if you're a new reader) shared with our family.  Papa was gone, which saddened me terribly, and Comanche was there, which made me giddy with excitement.  It was also the first time that Comanche met Grandma and Uncle Chicken Wing, so I was filled with anticipation for that.

4.  Also new this year?  Grandma Chicken Wing actually let me prepare something for the Thanksgiving table - my homemade macaroni and cheese.  For those who don't know my Grandma, this is like finding a cure for something horrible, or discovering a new type of dinosaur - it truly is ground-breaking!  Grandma is famous for never letting anyone help or contribute - after all, it's her day to shine, as the matriarch of our family.  This was a huge deal for me, and I am happy to report that everyone loved my mac and cheese, including Grandma!

The Spread!  A picture's worth a thousand words!

Little Brother Chicken Wing enjoying scrumptious mac & cheese that someone made!  ;)

Oh you know there was more waiting on the stove!  We need a bigger table!

Not everything was different, however.  There were certain things that scream classic Thanksgiving to me, and those still were present in 2010.  The food was absolutely amazing, parades and football games were watched, and a game of toss-around football was played.  Dinner was had with the leftovers from Thanksgiving lunch, just as it is almost every year.  Games were played (this year, it was a colorful and competitive family favorite - Mexican dominoes).

I always feel so alive at Thanksgiving because it's one of many yearly reminders of how lucky I am.  I hope I am alive to experience many more Thanksgivings with my family, as it's one of my favorite holidays!

Until next time,

My Thank You Note to God

Dear God,

Being as this time of year always makes me feel closest to You, I thought I would write You a Thank You note.  If there is anyone more deserving of this type of correspondence, I genuinely have no clue who it would be.  Here goes nothing.

Thank You for the GORGEOUS display of changing leaves this year!  I thoroughly enjoyed every drive I took this fall because of the incredible colors.  I especially appreciated the amazingly vibrant colored skies You threw in as an added bonus.  Thank You for my family, my friends, my jobs, my furbabies, and for the little rented space I call home.  Thank You for my health.

Thank You for leading me into a new church that has honestly felt personal to me each Sunday.  It's always refreshing when the sermon feels like it was written just for you, and I know I wasn't the only member of the congregation who felt that way.  I'd been on the hunt for a new church to revive my structured relationship with You, and I feel much happier now that I've tried new places.

Thank You for helping me overcome obstacles this year, even when I questioned whether my strength would be able to sustain me in some of those instances.  (I later came to the realization that it didn't matter if I had strength left because You would always sustain me).  Thank You for answering some of my prayers, and for purposely ignoring other requests that I know I prayed entirely too hard for.  Thank You for educating me that it's not my place to try to force something I want, but that it's so much sweeter when I simply relax and let the plans You have for me play out.

Thank You for welcoming my darling Papa into your Kingdom of Heaven.  I should also thank You for being there for all of us as we embarked upon the journeys that are Alzheimer's disease and cancer.  It was very taxing at times, and no matter how dark things became, You never failed us.  Thank You for letting him pass on so peacefully after enduring so very much while fighting to live.  This will be our first holiday season without Papa, Lord, so I will again ask You to be there for us and look over us as I know this will be tough.  Thank You for welcoming my wonderful Uncle Deano into Heaven, as well.  Our family lost some of its best men, but I know they will have the most wonderful Thanksgiving of all at Your table, Lord.

Thank You for teaching my family resilience, once again.  We need to be reminded how to face fear and death and hard times, and the only way to be reminded is to go through them once again.  Although I doubt anyone would ever volunteer to go through those things, I have come to learn in hindsight that these experiences are more blessings from You in that they cause us to learn.

Thank You for making me into the woman I am today.  I know that every decision I've ever made has not been without Your watchful eye, and I know that I would not have been ready to receive the blessings You've bestowed upon me without Your continual grooming.  Thank You for the tests You put me through, and the supposed "failures" I faced.  Thank You for encouraging me to push on when I had "decided" I'd had enough.  Thank You for laughing at me when I made plans, and for reminding me that there is only one plan I should be worried about - Yours.

Finally, thank You for the newest blessing in my life.  I call him Comanche around here.  Thank You for showing me that all my struggles were worth it.  Thank You for believing I was ready for something really grand.  Thank You for opening up the "Big Picture" for me and for letting me in on the secret.  Thank You for the genuinely happy feeling I get every time he takes hold of my hand, and for the smile that has consistently been on my face since the first day I met him.  Thank You for this incredible gift - I really don't know how to say thanks enough for that.

P.S. - Happy Thanksgiving, Lord!


Your Servant,

Thanksgiving 2009: So Much To Be Thankful For!

In case I've never said it before, this time of year is my favorite. Why, you ask? Because Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite holidays. They always offer the most fun for me. With Thanksgiving comes sitting down with family to eat a huge meal (one that we are so blessed to be able to have), toss the football around, watch the parade in the morning, take turkey naps, eat the leftovers (and boy, are there leftovers?!?!), then take another turkey nap. I mean, really, could there be a more perfect day?

Then, you have the opportunity to go shopping on Black Friday (which is a holiday that gets piggybacked onto Thanksgiving, for me) and score some great deals for Christmas gifts if you dare to go out in the madness. This year, Grandma Chicken Wing, Little Sister Chicken Wing, and I did brave the masses, and we made out like bandits for the most part. For Little Sister Chicken Wing, it was too much madness. For Grandma Chicken Wing and I, it was like a sport. We operated like a well-oiled machine. We knew what we wanted, we'd already priced it to know where to get it, and we went in, picked out our stuff, paid for it (most of the time with coupons!!! EXTRA SAVINGS.....YESSSS!!!), and went on to the next store.

Grandma Chicken Wing literally almost got all of her Christmas shopping done in a matter of a few hours! Go us! Toss in lunch at Sbarro and dinner at Cracker Barrel, and you've got yourself an awesome day!

Super slice of cheese pizza and a country ham dinner plate with mac & cheese and string beans, anyone?

I'm sorry for the drooling that probably just occurred all over your keyboard.

Either way, Thanksgiving this year was just as awesome for me as it always is. I have so much to be thankful for, and for some reason, if you slap a title on a day and call it Thanksgiving, it really resonates with me. I'm instantly grateful for all that I have in my life, and I genuinely thank God for all He has blessed me with. I know that there are many out in the world who would kill to be in my shoes, and I take some time out of my day to pray for them - I wish nothing but good things for them, and I ask God to look out for them even more.

I think the one thing that's different for me this year is that I really wanted to be present. What I mean is that sometimes you get so busy around the holidays (as previously mentioned in the post directly before this one) that you forget to be present and that is incredibly important. You can't go through the holidays in a fog...you'll miss out on some of the best memories. So, I decided that no matter how busy I get, I am going to make a huge effort to stay present in all that's going on around me. I want to pay attention to my family, my friends, and the memories we are making. I think that's a fair goal.

In closing, I wanted to share a few pictures from Thanksgiving, Chicken Wing style.

As evidenced by her face in the pic above, Grandma Chicken Wing had NO idea I was taking this. She was not too happy when she realized I was taking pictures of her putting food away. I believe her exact words were, "Why are you taking pictures of this messy kitchen? Stop that!" Haha!

Another gratuitous food shot. We are most definitely blessed - 1) for the food and 2) for Grandma Chicken Wing who makes the food.

Then the turkey naps set in. Oh, you sneaky carbs, you....you always win. (You know it's bad when your dogs see a photo opportunity and you are completely oblivious until you see mysterious photos on your camera...)

Here we have Mr. Chicken Wing and Little Brother Chicken Wing being taken over by the turkey.

Final Score:

Turkey-3, Chicken Wing Family-0

So, there's my Thanksgiving 2009 recap! I hope you enjoyed it! I also hope your Thanksgiving holiday was as fabulous as mine was! Here's to many more!

Who's ready for Christmas???

CiCi, obviously.

Until next time,
Miss Chicken Wing

A Website To Be Thankful For!

Wow, Peeps....can we say "fifteen-day-blogging-break?" I am so sorry for that...I've been so busy that I haven't had the energy to write. This time of year rolls around, and it seems that everyone is so busy - working before being off for the holidays, decorating the house, deciding what to get everyone for Christmas, strategizing the plan of attack for Black Friday shopping expeditions, planning and preparing food for Thanksgiving, etc., etc., etc. Honestly, the list goes on and on, and I know that every one of you goes through some of that "Holiday Busy-ness" just like I do.

I wanted to take a 5-Minute Mental Health break and dedicate it to the men and women of our armed forces...the ones who might not get to spend the holidays with their families because they're protecting all of ours. I know that I whole-heartedly appreciate all that they do and all that they sacrifice for the rest of us. Sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of the season, and when that happens, we lose sight of all that we have to be thankful for.

I don't want that to happen to me. I don't want it to happen to anyone this year. Let's make a resolution to remain thankful, no matter what kind of stressful situations come about. Let's also make sure that we slow down and actually thank God for all that we are thankful for. This year, I am making more of an effort to include the military in my prayers and messages of thanks. And luckily for me, for you, and for everyone, there is a website that makes it 1,000 times easier to thank the men and women who need it the most!

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You heard right. Click --> here. Pick out your design, customize your message, and hit submit.

That's it. Three simple steps, and someone in service gets a holiday card thanking him or her for their service. Could it be any easier?

I want as many Peeps as we can get to go to this website and send our troops a message! Let's thank them for allowing us to be thankful for so many things - they've given us our freedom, and that's the best present we could receive!

Thanks for reading this post, and I will be better in the coming days about posting even more! I apreciate each and every one of you...thank you for following this blog. Thank you for your love and support! It truly means the world to me, and this blog is as much for each of you as it is for me. I hope that I can bring a smile to your face every now and again. I hope that I can alert you to something you've never run across before. I hope I can offer each and every one of you something - that is my goal.

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING, PEEPS!!!

With all my love and devotion,

Miss Chicken Wing

It's All Good

Well, Peeps, I hadn't acknowledged this on the blog yet, but it's officially November. You heard me. NOVEMBER. I know, I can't believe it either. It's hard to believe but Thanksgiving is upon us and Christmas is juuuuuust around the corner! The shops and stores are out in full force, trying to get you to pull your wallet out for them - they've got just what you need! You're trying to round up everyone that you want to buy for and get them to at least hint to you what would bring them joy around the holidays. Then you want to price check, make the purchase, come home and wrap it up, and you're set!

I have to admit that Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite holidays! I love all holidays, but these two take the cake for me. It's the family, friends, love, FOOD, and good times that make these most important to me. They give us reason to get together, and the memories I have of these two holidays are among the best of my life.

The other reason why I love this time of year is because something especially moves me - moves me to want to do good for others. I've come to realize that it doesn't matter how much or how little you do for others - what matters is that you're doing for others. That's what counts, especially during what's supposed to be such a joyous time of year. And this year, I'm trying to incorporate some smaller ways to help others out.

For example, did you know that for $1.30, you can feed a family of four at a soup kitchen? I didn't literally until tonight. I have been wanting to stop using plastic bags for my groceries for a long time now. I, in all honesty, have two LARGE gatherings of plastic bags - one for Walmart and one for Kroger. I know that I can recycle them, but for some reason, I can never remember to take them with me! :( Tonight, I decided that I needed to make myself take the first step, and I decided to start off small. That's why I purchased two of these for $1.99 apiece:

When I purchased these at $1.99 apiece, Kroger donated $1.30 of each bag's purchase to a local soup kitchen, and now two families can be fed there! :) That's something good for two families I may never meet and something good for me and the planet! (No plastic bags!)

I'm definitely not as green as I need to be, but I'm a work in progress. And, in case you want to go green, here are some really cool reusable bags! You honestly don't have to sacrifice style when saving our world!

Even though these may be a little pricey to me for what they are, I still may end up investing in a set of these Baggu bags. You can choose pretty much any color, and you can buy a set of 5. They seem to be really sturdy, and they're machine washable - can't beat that!

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They're really cool, and if you do a quick and easy Google search, you can find some awesome reusable bags that suit your personal style. The experts say to buy several and keep them in your car so you don't ever forget them at home. So, multiple cars = multiple sets of bags. But, all in all, I think it's worth it. Tonight's groceries would have been packed into five plastic bags, but I fit them into my two bags with room to spare! That's a pretty considerable difference!

So, as I stated before, it doesn't matter how much good you set out to do, just that you do it. Whether it's contributing to the planet, animals, or people in need makes absolutely no difference. There was never a better time to do something better than you've ever done it before - it's not too late. With the holidays fast approaching, embrace the reason for the season and just make a change...make a difference in some small way. You'll be amazed at how it makes you feel!

Until next time,
A Semi-Green Chicken Wing