10 Things About Those Home Renovation Shows

Drew and Jonathan, the charming Property Brothers

I have to admit, I'm a big fan of home renovation shows.  I just recently blogged about my addiction to Fixer Upper.  I've been known to binge-watch House Hunters Renovation, Property Brothers and Love it or List It, too.

Having watched so many episodes of these shows, I've learned a thing or two.  I thought I'd just share some of my observations...maybe you've noticed these things too?

Here we go...

1. Granite countertops and stainless steel appliances are going to go out of style at some point, and in fact may already be doing so. I'm amazed when prospective buyers on these shows literally make fun of, and call "dated," kitchens and bathrooms that would have been considered gorgeous just a short time ago. 

I don't know if I'll ever be able to redo my kitchen, but if so, I'm going to be so nervous about spending a ton of money on something that will look dated in a few years.

2. Whenever I see wallpaper being added to a home, I inwardly groan. Even though some of it is truly beautiful . You would too, if you've ever had to remove any. And it's going to feel dated in no time. Please, just step away from the wallpaper!

This is fairly close to the wallpaper border I had on the soffit in my kitchen.  Cute idea in  2005, then it began to remind me of the kitchen on TV's "The Middle." It was murder to take down!

3. Same with people who commit to surfaces in bold colors, like a massive amount of green marble I saw on one kitchen reno. You WILL get tired of that color.

4. On "Love it or List It" and "Love it or List It Too," Hilary or Jillian need to tell the homeowners right off the bat, "I'm going to need at least 50-thousand dollars more than you're giving me for renovations. Because there WILL be a catastrophic problem. Termites, dry rot, asbestos, leakage, faulty wiring...you name it, there WILL be a massive problem that will threaten the entire renovation, so just fork it over right now."

5 After the Catastrophic Problem is revealed to the home owners, they will always walk away saying "I just don't trust Jillian to be able to handle this" and/or "This is why we need to move out!"

6. If I had a dollar for every time someone says "Oh my God" during the dramatic reveal, I'd have enough money to renovate my home. Even after Jillian finds the Catastrophic Problem.

7 These shows are SO formulaic! Especially Love it or List it. Show after show, it's almost like they're reading from the same script .

8.  Who EVER thought popcorn ceilings were a good idea? How did that become a thing?

9.  It's interesting to watch the dynamics of the married couple on the shows.  You can almost always tell who is going to get their way, and who is going to concede.

10. The Property Brothers are adorable . End of story.

Ten Bible Baby Names You May Have Overlooked

My newest grandson, Landon

(It's Friday, so maybe you'll forgive me if I post one from the archives! This was originally posted March 2014).
The Bible has always contained a wealth of inspiration for baby names, and people have been taking advantage of it for hundreds of years.  

Take Michael, which has been on the list of top baby names for decades, and was still at number 14 in 2013.  

Bible names in the top 20 for boys in 2013 included Noah, Ethan, Jacob, Benjamin, Michael, Caleb, Lucas, and for girls, Abigail.

If you're a Bible-loving Christian,you may turn to God's Word for inspiration in naming your baby, or you may just love the sound and meaning of Bible names.

Here are 10 Bible names you may have overlooked in your search, but they're definitely worthy of consideration:

In the 2010 Iranian movie "The Kingdom of Solomon," Adonijah is the character on the left

Adonijah

Adonijah was a son of King David.   The name Adonijah means "The Lord is my master."

My reason for including it on this list? I just think it sounds cool, especially if you're not afraid of long names. :)

Asher

Asher was one of the twelve sons of Jacob in the Bible.

I first became aware of it as a modern given name back in the 70's, when Chaim Potok's book My Name is Asher Lev was published.

From Wikipedia:

The book's protagonist is Asher Lev, a Hasidic Jewish boy in New York City. Asher is a loner with artistic inclinations. His art, however, causes conflicts with his family and other members of his community. The book follows Asher's maturity as both an artist and a Jew.

More recently, My Name is Asher Lev has been staged as an off-Broadway play.

I've heard it mentioned more lately as a potential baby name, perhaps partly because of the popularity of names like Ashton.

Benaiah

Benaiah was a pretty awesome person in the Bible.  The meaning of his name is "Yahweh builds up."

This from Wikipedia:

(Benaiah) was the son of the priest Jehoiada and David's general for the army of the Kingdom of Israel and his chief bodyguard (2 Samuel 23:20). The stories of him follow that he once killed an Egyptian with the Egyptian's own spear and a club. He was also said to have killed a lion in a snowy pit.
He was one of David's "mighty men" (1 Chronicles 27:6) who commanded the Cherethites and Pelethites. He was renowned for his heroism.

Interestingly, Benaiah was responsible for executing Adonijah after Adonijah was involved in a revolt.

The Biblical character of Benaiah  is the protagonist in Cliff Graham's book, Day of War, pictured above. I haven't read it, but several reviewers on amazon.com give it high praise and say it's faithful to the Biblical story.

Damaris

From Ohbabynames:

A lot of people are unaware of the fact that Damaris is a Biblical name. She appears briefly in the New Testament (Acts of the Apostles 17:34) as a woman who listened to the Apostle Paul give a thundering speech in Athens to the pagan Athenians, preaching Jesus and the Resurrection.

While many of the Athenians mocked the resurrection of the dead; others were eager to hear more. Damaris is specifically mentioned as a woman who “joined [Paul] and believed”.

What’s noteworthy about the recording of Damaris’s name in the New Testament is that it provides evidence of her high-standing and education (not many women were invited to speeches given at the Areopagus in Athens circa 50 A.D.).

You can choose how you want to pronounce it.  The name has turned up as DAM-aris, Da-MARE-is, and Da-MAHR-is.

Suspense writer Victoria Holt, who also wrote as Phillippa Carr, included characters named Damaris in Kirkland Revels and The Song of the Siren.  


Damaris Carbaugh, pictured above, is a Christian singer who sometimes sings with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  She was named after Damaris in the Bible.

Hadassah

Hadassah is the Hebrew form of the name Esther.  The name can be interepreted to mean either "compassion" or "myrtle tree."

I had heard of the name, but it really came into focus for me when I read Francine Rivers' incredible Mark of the Lion series.  Hadassah is a main character.  She's pictured above on the cover of the first book in the series, A Voice in the Wind.  I highly recommend it.

Actor Jude Law

Judah or Jude

In the book of Genesis, Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, and founder of the tribe of Judah.  The name literally means "thankgiving" or "praise."

From Wikipedia:

Although Judah is only the fourth son of Leah, he is expressly depicted in Genesis as assuming a leadership role among the 10 eldest brothers, including speaking up against killing Joseph, negotiating with his father regarding Joseph's demand that Benjamin be brought down to Egypt, and pleading with Joseph after the latter secretes the silver cup into Benjamin's bag.

Jude was one of the twelve apostles, and also the name of one of Jesus' brothers.   The name has the same meaning as Judah.

Jamin

Jamin is the name of three minor Bible characters.  The first is a son of Simeon, one of Jacob and Leah's sons.

The meaning of the name is "right hand of favor."

According to Wikipedia, the name belongs to American football player  Jamin Elliott (born 1979), American wrestler Jamin Olivencia (born 1985), and American filmmaker, writer, editor and composer Jamin Winans.  

Selah

If you've read the Psalms in the King James Version, you'll have seen this word many times inserted in a psalm.

The word is believed to be either a musical mark, a musical interlude or an instruction to pause and think about what's being said.

The Christian singing group Selah pronounces it "SAY-la."  However, actress Sela Ward was named after the Bible word, and her name is pronounced "SEE-la," so it would be a matter of your preference.

Sheerah

Recently in my Bible reading, this woman's name popped up seemingly out of nowhere in a long genealogy (I Chronicles 7:24). Women aren't often mentioned in Bible geneologies, but the text mentions that she built two towns.

The name means "a song" or "poetry."

From this website:

Sheerah was obviously an influential woman, and probably wealthy. She built and established the towns of Upper and Lower Horon.  These towns were built in a strategic location and went on to have a long history.  Sheerah even built a town that bears her name: Uzzen Sheerah.  She was probably a leader of the towns she established.

Sheerah is just one example of a Bible woman who had a prominent position of authority and influence.  And, as with other Bible women with authority, there is no hint that this was inappropriate or improper, or that anyone had a problem with it.

More about Sheerah here.

 The female names Sherah and Serah are also found in the Bible.

Shiloh

Shiloh is actually a place name in the Bible, but the name Shiloh has been given to both boys and girls.  

From Wikipedia:

In the United States the name has associations with the Southern United States due to the Battle of Shiloh, a battle during the United States Civil War, and to many towns named Shiloh in southern states, which were usually named after the town in the Bible. 

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie named their first biological daughter Shiloh Nouvel.  Men with the name include American actor Shiloh Fernandez and football player Shiloh Keo.

Have you come across, or named your baby, a cool or unique Bible name?  Or do you know of anyone who has these names?  Let me know in my comments!

What you might not know about pecans

Photo source

Today is National Pecan Day! That fact immediately made me think of my late mother, who loved pecans.  A little Google research yielded some fun facts about this popular nut.

(Side note: how do you pronounce pecan?  I say it as "pe-CAHN," but I know some people go for "pe-CANN, or even PEE-cann.)

Thanks to the website Ilovepecans.org,  here are some fun facts about pecans:

"Texas adopted the pecan tree as its state tree in 1919. In fact, Texas Governor James Hogg liked pecan trees so much that he asked if a pecan tree could be planted at his gravesite when he died."

From "Texas Trading Post,"a site that sells all kinds of fun Texas stuff

"Albany, Georgia, which boasts more than 600,000 pecan trees, is the pecan capital of the U.S. Albany hosts the annual National Pecan Festival, which includes a race, parade, pecan-cooking contest, the crowning of the National Pecan Queen and many other activities. 

"There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans. Many are named for Native American Indian tribes, including Cheyenne, Mohawk, Sioux, Choctaw and Shawnee. 

"Some the larger pecan shellers process 150,000 pounds of pecans each day. That’s enough to make 300,000 pecan pies! 

"The U.S. produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecan crop.
Before a shelled pecan is ready to be sold, it must first be cleaned, sized, sterilized, cracked and finally, shelled."

How do you like your pecans?

My sister Beverly got me into eating yogurt with pecans mixed in.  Yummy!

Of course, there's pecan pie...which is delectable, but I rarely eat it because of its extremely high calorie count, and I'm not a piemaker.

Both my parents loved pecan pralines. Some Mexican restaurants in Texas have them at the cash register to buy as the perfect end of a delicious TexMex meal.

If you'd like to make your own, I found this recipe.

They're good for you!

If you just want to grab a handful of pecans to snack on, or add to your cereal or yogurt. you can do so knowing that they're benefitting your heart!

Again, from ilovepecans.org:

"Pecans are now designated as heart-healthy when enjoyed as part of a healthy eating pattern by the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Certification Program (www.heartcheckmark.org).

'Pecans stay with you longer than high carbohydrate snacks that your body burns through quickly,” said Vickie Mabry, NPSA Executive Director. “With antioxidants as well as a tender texture, rich buttery flavor and gentle crunch, pecans make an ideal snack choice for everyone,' she added."

Enjoy!

I'm taking part in the Thursday Favorite Things linkup at Katherine's Corner!

The Joys of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Photo credit

Today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.  Is there anything more deliciously simple than a grilled cheese sandwich? Bread with cheese, a little butter, heated up.  And yet what comfort and satisfaction is the result.

According to the website:

Melting cheese on top of bread is a culinary concept that has been around since the time of the Romans, but grilled cheese sandwiches as we know them didn’t become popular until the 1920s. Due to the ready availability of cheese and sliced bread, they became an American staple, but also spread around the world.
 but also spread around the world.

Comfort Food

For me, grilled cheese sandwiches will be forever linked to my late mom.  When I was feeling poorly, the standard meal was a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup and 7-Up.

Far from reminding me of being sick, this meal takes me back to a time of unconditional love and comfort.

Interestingly, I'm pretty sure my mom broiled her grilled cheese sandwiches in the oven.  I make mine in an electric skillet, slathered on each side with just the right amount of butter.

And I rarely get creative with the ingredients.  It's just American or cheddar cheese and whatever bread is on hand.

And my favorite way to have it is with tomato soup.  Nothing fancy here, either: just Campbell's made with water, not milk, because that's the way my mother made it.

How do you like your grilled cheese?

I asked this question on Facebook and here are some of the responses I got:

Barbara Sanders I love them. Just give me a grilled cheese and sweet midget pickles.

Jim Kobernat:  My wife fries them in a pan with extra cheese and butter on both sides.  I'll have soup if there is any, but there doesn't have to be.  I'll eat three for four of them at a time.

Rhonda Steinwand I love grilled cheese with bacon on it, and parmesan cheese on the buttered sides of the bread. Yummy but not too healthy.  Actually, Steak and Shake makes a decent grilled cheese with bacon that my kids like. It is inexpensive too!

Tina Fontenot Butter on BOTH sides of the bread and cooked until it's just golden and the cheese is super melty. Putting a lid over the pan the last few seconds helps get the cheese melted all the way, and the butter has to go all the way to the edges. It's perfect made on the King's Hawaiian sliced bread! And I agree it goes best with sweet pickles!!!

If you want to get really fancy, you can go the European route and do Croque-monsieur - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croque-monsieur. I had this in Amsterdam, France and a French restaurant in NYC. Very tasty, indeed!

John Matthews Here in North Carolina Pimento cheese is popular.

Beverly Garrett Nickson They're delicious with tomato soup.

Daylyn Warren Swanson Yummy...a place in town (food truck) call Sweet Cheezy....the name says it all.

DeDe Doty Buum I like mine with sliced ripe tomato in it! Yummy!

Karen McLaughlin Trickovic Love good old fashioned grilled cheese on wheat bread and tomato soup..

Katy McKenna Doug is working from home today and when I told him what he'd be celebrating at lunchtime, he got all kinds of happy!

Cassie Garrett Parmesan crusted grilled cheese with avocado and bacon\turkey. Sooo good!

Phylis Dunlap-Huerta With bacon. Grilled with butter. .. yum. (Not so healthy!)

Kathy Moyer Jalapeños and pepperjack!

Traci Lange Davis Brie and tomato or Mozzarella, tomato and basil!!

Steve-Megan Alberts This one from Baker Square..it was my dads favorite. It's very good.
Supreme Grown-Up Grilled Cheese:
Every kid's favorite with a grown-up twist. Hickory-smoked bacon, tomato, cheddar, mozzarella and American cheese melted between two slices of Parmesan-crusted bread.

Katrina Johns ALWAYS put shredded parm in the butter for the outside...gouda is a wonderful melty-gooey cheese, black olives and those crispy onions inside are good, too.

Terri Christians I like mine with tomato soup. Sometimes with bacon. Basil tomato soup is tasty to with cheese.

Janet Moses Tom+Chee www.tomandchee.com

Savanna Stivender Nothing fancy for my grilled cheese. I use to love the ones at Waffle House with the sliced pickle on the side.

Daniela Bowe Cindy I like mine with ciabatta bread  with provola cheese, rucola and little cheery tomatoes salt pepper!

How Being a Cubs Fan has Changed

Today is the Chicago Cubs' home opener at Wrigley Field.

A few years ago, that would have barely elicited a yawn from me...although hope sprang eternal for my lifelong Cubs fan husband.

But I have become a real fan.  I care about each game, I look forward to experiencing the excitement of a  game at Wrigley Field again, I check the scores, I have my favorite players.

No, I can't lay claim to being a diehard fan like my husband, who has followed them and rooted them on through thick and thin...through years of when being a Cubs fan was a big old joke to most people. 

But guess what?  No one's laughing now. 

Six years ago, I wrote a post I titled "The Sweet Pain of Being a Diehard Cubs Fan."

I talked about what it's like being married to such a fan...watching their excitement on Opening
Day that gradually turned to disappointment and then resignation:

"Through the years of being repeatedly disappointed by the Cubs, my husband has learned to temper his emotions regarding the team. Yes, he'll gripe about their losses, but at the end of the summer, once he knows the Cubs are out of it, his attitude is one of quiet acceptance. 

Despite never winning the World Series, the Cubs have brought him the kind of enjoyment and pleasure that is the seasoning of a well-lived life. 

In April, hope springs in the heart of a die-hard Cubs fan as sure as the daffodils lift their sunny golden faces to the blue Illinois sky. .. 

So let the fun begin. And if the Cubs don't make the play-offs? 

There's always next year."

My husband Doug (far right) at his happy place 

But things have changed since I wrote that post.  For one thing, the Cubs now have a president of baseball operations named Theo Epstein who helped lift a curse from the Boston Red Sox, and who many believe is doing the same for the Cubs.

They have a rich roster of talent and a manager, Joe Maddon, who seems to know exactly what to do with this wealth.

The Cubs are mostly young and excited and FUN to watch.  And they WIN!  They do a lot of winning.

The other day my husband said to me with wonder in his voice, "The Cubs are GOOD."

That's how being a Cubs fan has changed.  Yes, diehard Cubs fans like my husband will never be able to completely relax and enjoy the season without a niggling fear that it's all going to fall apart.  There will always be disappointments, like the loss of Kyle Schwarber for the season due to an injury.

Diehard Cubs fans have endured years and years of bitter disappointment and shattered dreams.

But Opening Day is different now.  Because the Cubs ARE GOOD.  And hope is stronger than ever.

This could be the year.

My Love Affair with Fixer Upper

Chip and Joanna Gaines of TV's "Fixer Upper"
photo HGTV

Since I do a good deal of my TV viewing on Netflix, I'm always on the lookout for a good series.  I don't remember how I stumbled on HGTV's "Fixer Upper," but I was instantly hooked.

What's not to love about this show?

First of all, it's based in Waco, Texas.  If you know me, you know I have a deep love for Texas.  Most of my family lives there, and my late mom and dad called it home.

When my husband and I drive to Texas (I confess I'd rather be flying), Waco is one of the last cities we drive through on the way.  One of these days I'm going to stop and visit the Silos, where Chip and Joanna base their retail operations.

Then, the co-hosts themselves, Chip and Joanna Gaines, are so lovable.  Chip is kind of wacky and Joanna keeps him tethered to earth.  They are so real and unaffected.  I enjoy the interactions they show with their own family.

The way they transform properties so incredibly fascinating.  It seems the more delapidated, decrepit or deteriorated a house is, the more magic Chip and Joanna are able to work on it. The results of their workmanship and decorating are simply stunning.

I always want to move into every house that undergoes their transforming touch!

Joanna's decorating style is so clean, uncluttered and lovely.  I marvel at how she finds ways to display flowers and greenery, old signs, vintage clocks, framed maps, and reclaimed wood.

photo source

I've always been a sucker for renovation shows.  I've enjoyed many of HGTV, but I have to say "Fixer Upper" has moved up into first place.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.  It airs currently on HGTV, but the first two season are also available on Netflix.

Keep up with Joanna's blog here.

Are you a fan of Fixer Upper? Let me know in my comments!

Enjoying Bluebonnets and More!

My little grandson among the bluebonnets

Yes, it's been a while!

I decided to come out of blogging Missing In Action-ness to post some pictures of Texas wildflowers, taken on my Easter visit to my family in the Austin area.

We actually made it toward the tail end of bluebonnet season, and many of the bluebonnet fields were being overtaken by the equally pretty orange-colored Indian paintbrush.

If you ever get a chance, go to central Texas during bluebonnet season! It's beautiful.  Enjoy the pictures.

Join the Thursday Favorite Things Bloghop at Katherine's Corner!