D is for Delivery Day

When you mention the subject of pregnancy or birth to any woman who has had kids, she is happy to share her story. This true whether she's had nineteen kids or one, or if it happened last year or seventy years ago. I'm no different. Today, I'm going to share the my delivery day story for my first child, Wally. (But don't worry. This is really a story about getting to the hospital rather than the details of the actual delivery.)

23 hours after it all started, Wally was delivered.

Picture it. It was 5 AM on a warm April day in New Orleans. I had just gotten up to go to the bathroom (again) and I seemed to keep peeing even though I was trying not to. Hmm. Maybe my water just broke, but I wasn't sure. My due date was three weeks away and I didn't seem to have any other signs of labor. I woke up my husband, Ward, and we discussed what to do. We were not sure, but decided rather than bother anyone at that early hour, we'd just show up at the doctor's office when it opened and get the doctor's opinion.

However, a funny thing happened on the way to the doctor's office. It was the day of the Crescent City Classic--a large race that had many of the streets blocked including the one that we needed to cross to get to the doctor's office. So we sat in the car, with me looking hugely pregnant, and listened to a police officer tell us that he couldn't let us cross even if I were having a baby. What to do next?

Ward decided to try to figure out a back way to the hospital. I had a breastfeeding class scheduled for there in a couple of hours anyway. We finally made it to the class and at the end, I told one of the instructors that I thought my water had broken that morning. She got excited and told me to go to the maternity ward.

I was admitted but still nothing more than random contractions. The doctor showed up about an hour later. He said he was very glad we called, because he was in the middle of his son's cello recital and was happy to leave. Because of risk of infection, the baby needed to come today so labor was induced. And then the fun began...

I realize that this story is probably of not much interest to anyone but me, but I had a very hard time thinking of anything to write about for the letter D.

C is for Crocuses

Crocuses are the stars of this week's Second Look. They are popping up everywhere with their bright colors and now I actually believe that spring is here. Besides crocuses, I'm also seeing more bird activity along with some fresh digging around the groundhog holes. It's just not me. I think all of God's creatures are enjoying the warming of spring.

Here are a few things I saw this week

 during a Second Look.

Crocus

Crocus

Crocus

Crocus

These sparrows have been flitting around together and checking out this box for a place to build a nest. However, unfortunately for them, I'm going to relocate them to give the bluebirds a chance here.

Usually, finches are present all winter at feeders. However, this winter they have been largely absent from ours. However, this week saw their return.

The snowdrops continue to bloom.

It's hard to see, but this is the first critter hole that we've seen fresh digging at this spring.

B is for Biscuits

I grew up in the Land of Biscuits where they were a frequent part of my family's meals.  However, I hadn't heard of Alabama biscuits until recently when I was visiting my hometown and talking with a friend, Jane. The conversation went through a maze something like this.

Jane started. "I went to high school in town just like Bee did. Did you know Sally was also from there? She's still with her husband even though she said that she would leave him as soon as the kids were grown. BTW, all of her kids have a good job except Winona has had some drinking problems. Anyway when I was a cook at the grade school, I used to work with Sally and she was our expert biscuit maker. She made Alabama biscuits every time we had spaghetti."

Me. "Were those the biscuits that were light and fluffy? I loved those things. How do you make them?"

Jane "I don't know. That was Sally's specialty. She started early in the morning to have them ready by lunch time. Did you know my brother-in-law was a chicken thief and knew Bee's father?" And Jane was off again.

I couldn't keep up with everything Jane was saying because I was thinking about those biscuits from my school days. After our talk, I did a quick Google search and found recipes everywhere for them. I chose one that looked like it had the right balance of ingredients (yeast, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, flour) to make ones like I remember and made them last night.

So how did they turn out? Pretty darn good--fluffy with a subtle sweet and salty taste. But some how, they were not quite as good as I remember them from the school lunch room. But when you go decades between tastings, I guess it's really hard to compare. However, I will be making them again. This is significant because I'm the person who usually doesn't use yeast unless there's a bread maker involved.

(BTW--My husband who didn't have history with them, thought they were pretty good. He had them for his bedtime snack and took them in his lunch today.)

Below is the recipe I used from Food.Com.

Alabama Biscuits
 Ingredients:
 2 1/2 cups all­ purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar 1 (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:
1. Sift dry ingredients together.
2. Dissolve yeast in water; Add buttermilk and add in sifted ingredients mixing well. Knead 20 times and roll out 1/4" thick.
3. Cut with biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Butter biscuits with brush and stack in twos, let rise for 2 hours.
4. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until brown.

© 2015 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved. http://www.food.com/298513

A is for April

Maybe I can get some ideas from here.

During the month of April, I am participating along with over 1500 other bloggers in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The idea is to blog everyday starting with a topic that begins with A and continue with one for each letter of the alphabet. If Sundays are eliminated, the 26 letters will take us to the end of April. Some people are doing a specific topic for the month, and others of us are going to be here, there, and everywhere with our posts. Meaning, we I don't have a plan yet.

However, I'm excited. My mind has been busy trying to think of topics for each letter but they're kind of jumbled right now. So far, I have today's, eight for the letter B and none for the letter D. Oh yeah. I need to slip a C in there. Stay tuned. This could get interesting.

Thankful Monday

I am thankful to be home.

And yet another cat picture. The cats were also thankful I was home.

After two different trips to visit ill family members, I am glad to be home. While the trips were good, there is no place like home. And for that I am thankful.