Shining Down On Me

On Monday I was driving home from taking Freedom to the library. I was a little distracted and reflecting on all the things that were piling up on my plate. Freedom, from the backseat, started yelling at me to look at the sky. Thinking I was about to drive into an oncoming tornado, I slammed on my brakes and looked up. Thank God there was no one behind me because I would have been rear-ended! But I saw the most amazing sky and it reminded me of all the blessings in my life and how I should be keeping them in the forefront of my mind instead of all the negative things. It looked like God had placed a spotlight in the sky for me to see and know that I needed to focus on the good things around me! As soon as I pulled into the driveway, I rushed to get my camera and was able to capture some of the vision that was filling the sky...

Thriving Within A Drought

St. Louis has had its fair share of days without rain. We were officially in a drought, according to the ever correct weathermen, in July. While plants withered away in the hot sun, longing for a deep drink of water, there were a few precious blooms that emerged among the dry and brittle branches and leaves. I have captured a few of those blooms here...

St. Louis From Above

Recently I took a trip to the top of the St. Louis Arch. I absolutely have a phobia of heights so this was a fantastic feat for me. The things we do for our loved ones is truly amazing. But, all in all, I did get some amazing photos of St. Louis that I want to share!

Bowling Is Not Just For Senior Citizens Anymore!

Back when I was in elementary school I thought it was so cool that my grandparents were on a bowling league. They suddenly lost all coolness when I entered high school and was ridiculed for spending weekends at the bowling alley with the “old people”. I did not realize how much my shunning their sport really hurt them until recently.

In a desperate attempt to draw in customers, bowling alleys teamed up and offered Kids Bowl Free Summer Program. Kids could come and bowl two free games. Freedom was not so sure about bowling last summer until she spent a few fun-filled afternoons with her friends tossing bowling balls down the lane.

She begged me this summer to go every week. While we did not make it a weekly endeavor at first – I still had misgivings about the coolness of the bowling alley – we did eventually become regulars. Every visit we made I saw more and more kids, teens and young adults enjoying the promotions that were being offered to beat the heat of summer. One of Freedom’s friends, Sprite, informed me that bowling was the coolest thing around. Another friend, Liberty, had never been bowling until this past summer and now says that bowling is the best thing ever!

Albeit, these are seven and eight year olds proclaiming the coolness of bowling, there were others such as the group of high school students in the next lane who were taking selfies and having a blast doing the unlimited bowling for $5.00. They were having such a great time and were talking about joining a bowling league.

Liberty’s mom and Sprite’s mom and dad also enjoyed bowling while the kiddos tossed bowling balls down the lane amid gales of laughter and finger-pointing fun. I decided that I would give bowling another try. Go figure – I actually had a blast! I may not be the insecure teen that I once was, but I still had the preconceived notions that bowling was not the cool thing to do and it was so lame. I had refused to give it a try last year because heaven forbid someone should see me hurling a 12 pound ball down a lane towards pins in hopes on knocking them all down.

Now, I, Micki Holley have joined a bowling league! Gasp! Freedom has jumped on board, too. She is a part of a kid’s bowling league where she is working diligently towards earning her very own bowling ball. She has teamed up with her best friends, Sprite and Liberty and loves every second of it.

I was amazed at the number of kids, ages 5 to 17 that are on bowling leagues! My own adult league is made up of mostly 20 to 30 somethings with a few 40+ year olds in the mix. Maybe I am just not there when it is senior citizen day at the bowling alley, but even then I have re-discovered something. It does not matter what others see as lame or un-cool. If you enjoy doing it, that is all that matters.

As for my grandparents, when they found out that Freedom had joined a bowling league, they were so proud. When they discovered that I was bowling too, they were speechless! To give them that little bit of pleasure and in a way a connection when their health is failing is a gift that I will always cherish and I hope that Freedom will come to understand that her great-grandparents have passed on a legacy for her to be proud of. Even though they will never get to see her bowl, she feels a camaraderie with them that can never be broken. Her 8 year old heart beats in rhythm with their 80+ year old hearts.

So, the next time you think bowling may be fun, take the time to follow that thought to your nearest bowling alley and give it a try. The relaxed atmosphere and interesting mix of people is well worth the effort!

Homemade Salsa -- Restaurant Style

How many times have we sat in a Mexican restuarant munching on chips and salsa throughout our visit? I am a chips and salsa junkie and if I could get away with just stuffing my face with tortilla chips and salsa when I go a Mexican restuarant, I surely would.

I cannot wait for summer to arrive and my tomatoes to be weighted down with juicy, ripe tomatoes. This means I can make salsa by the gallon! I have glass jars that I use to store the homemade salsa and have been known to pass out jars to friends and colleagues.

This year, my tomatoes are taking their sweet time ripening so thanks to a very dear friend, Melissa, I was able to make a batch of salsa. Thank you Melissa for providing so of the tastiest tomatoes I have had in a very long time!

One friend asked me to share my recipe for homemade, restaurant style salsa. So, Jane, this one is for you. I hope that everyone does try this recipe, it is super simple and very flavorful. You have the ability to control the heat and sweetness of the recipe, which I love. You can also add things to the salsa to make it your own.

Needed Ingredients:

2 pounds tomatoes
1 large white onion (peel and quarter)
2 jalapeno peppers (medium to large size)
2 cloves garlic (medium size)
1 teaspoon salt (plus extra to taste)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
1 lime
Suger (to taste)

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Slice tomatoes and place on cookie sheet (you may need 2 cookie sheets), sprinkle with salt. Slice jalapenos (stem and seed) and add to cookie sheet. Add garlic cloves (peeled) and quartered white onion to cookie sheet. Cook in oven for about 15-20 minutes, tomatoes and onions will be softened by not mushy. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes.

Transfer all ingredients from cookie sheet into blender and pulse until finely mixed. Romove to a medium bowl and stir in cilantro and lime juice (cut lime in half and sqeeze over the salsa). Using salt and sugar, season the salsa to taste.

I would transfer to a glass container and chill in the refrigerator at least  45 minutes to an hour before serving.

You can store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or you can freeze in glass containers for up to 3 months.

I like to add corn kernels to the salsa to give it more depth. You can also adjust the amount of jalapeno peppers that you use to adjust the heat of the dish.

**I will also be sharing this on my other blog -- MickiHolley19.blogspot.com