I Love Old Things!

As I sit watching another reality show about finding treasure in things people no longer want or just forgot they have, it reminds me of the fact that I love old things. One man's trash is another man's treasure is a true statement. I have always joked that every bicycle I owned as a kid came from the dumpster. It was a fun thing on Sunday afternoon to ride with Daddy in his old pick-up named "Betsy" to haul off our trash in search of treasure. We found many treasures on those Sunday trips such as a beautiful painted canvas that hung as a room divider in our dining room for many years, old glass bottles, toys, pictures, boxes, bowls, lamps, pottery, what nots of every shape & size plus that old 10 speed bike. All these old things people threw away became fun and loving treasures for me and my family.

Recently my sister, Amber and I took off on a Friday afternoon and headed west toward Rustin, LA. It was an amazing trip down memory lane and a great way to make new memories searching for treasures. We had a blast and met lots of great people as we searched to find some special old things to bring home. I bought an old aluminum cake carry-all that reminded me of one like my Mamaw Smith's that she would carry her famous strawberry cake to the family reunion. And I love old copper so I picked up a copper fondu burner that now sits in my dining room. We even stopped by the old Trading Post antique store that we went to as kids that was owned by our step-grand father, Papaw Sullivan. I believe that it was playing there as a kid that gave me such love for things that have history, things that have a past, things that make you wonder if they could speak, what would they say?

What old things do you love? What memories do they trigger in you? It doesn't matter to me if these old things are valuable to some historic specialist or guru of all things old. What matters to me is if these old things make me smile and bring a memory of happy times in my life. One man's trash truly is another man's treasure!

P.S. Are all old pick-up trucks named "Betsy"?

P.P.S. I am including my Mamaw Smith's family Reunion Strawberry Cake recipe below for you to share with your family.

Mamaw's Family Reunion Strawberry Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box frozen strawberries (thaw & half)

1 box strawberry jello

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 box powder sugar

3 round cake pans

Non-stick cooking spray

1 stick margarine (softened)

For cake: In a large mixing bowl, add cake mix, 1/2 of strawberries, jello, eggs, water and oil. Mix well and then divide batter evenly between lightly greased and floured cake pans and bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set on racks to cool before icing. For Icing: In a large bowl mix powder sugar, margarine and other half of strawberries. Ice all three layers and stack evenly. Use fresh strawberries for garnish.

P.P.S.S. If you have recipe for fondu or any good easy recipe that I can use for my "old" new copper fondu server, please share.

Happy Living, Loving & Laughing,

Angie Lu

The new 29 Club President

People search there whole lives for a true friend and I had the gift of a best friend handed to me back around 2002 when I worked as a graphic designer and office manager for my father's company at Budget Printing Company. She worked as a marketing representative and graphic designer for a local company. We spoke often when she ordered printing jobs for her company. We had lunch almost everyday from that point on and the bond was created and is still there. She is the one and only Joy Henson. One of the best friends I have ever had the honor of having and getting to know and I have been thanking God ever since that he put her in my life. From the moment I first met Joy, I knew we would be friends forever. She is true and genuine, kind and considerate, loving and giving. Her name suits her well because she is a JOY to know and to know her is to love her!

On June 27th she will officially be the new President of the 29 Club and I know without a doubt that she will be the best president ever for our exclusive club. While she may fear the age, I embrace the opportunity to have such a unique and talented woman take the wheel to steer our club into the 2nd half of 2010. We need her for her leadership skills, her ability to communicate with others, her knowledge of party organization, her uncanty ability to never meet a stranger, her ability to make you feel like it will all work out, her courage to keep pressing on no matter what life throws at you, her true genuine love for her family and dog, her passion for life, her beautiful smile and gorgeous blue eyes, her creative brain that never lacks for new ideas, her love for food and fellowship, her ability to make you feel special everyday, her considerate and compassionate side, her knowledge of recipes for any celebration, her excitement for what tomorrow may bring, her ambition to share her knowledge and thoughts on a daily basis and of course her unconditional LOVE!

When the word joy was created it was meant for my best friend - JOY HENSON- The new 29 Club President! I love you JOY!

Happy Living, Loving and Laughing,
Angie Lu

Where have all the Wild Plums gone?

When I was a little girl, I remember my mom taking us plum picking in the summer. We would just take grocery bags and head out on our search for plums. You could always find us pulled over on the side of the road picking plums not only because they were delicious and free, this was our family outing. Our time to have some fun. I know now that mom did not have the money to take us on some fancy vacation or to buy plums at the store so she made use of what God gave us to keep us happy and entertained. And we were very happy as we filled up our bags with plums a plenty! Mom loved the green ones with salt, my sister loved the ripe reddish purple ones and I loved the half ripe half green. Definitely something for everyone to enjoy with these delicious fruits of the hot Mississippi summer.

But where are they now? I have been on the search for the wild plum trees in our area. Yesterday I traveled one of the same roads that we used to go plum picking and I cannot find a single tree. For many years I have looked and every summer I still cannot find the wild plums of my childhood. Where could they be? How did every God made and free wild plum just disappear? This is driving me crazy because I wanted to share this memory and recreate the tradition with my daughter and let her savor the flavor of this mouth watering fruit.

So with my my taste buds anticipating the flavor memory, a grocery bag in hand and a box of salt, I am off on the trek to find the wild plums. On the sides of roads, in the woods, in the pasture, where ever these little prescious fruits are hiding - I will find them.

As I sing - "Where have all the Wild Plums gone?"

Happy Living, Loving and Laughing,
Angie Lu

The Quest to Find Aleigh

*I have been writing this story in my head for most of my 29 club years and this morning while I have been up cleaning house, singing and dancing, talking to God, I finally have the courage to do it and I ask you to read along with me as I share this heartfelt journey, chapter by chapter.

The Quest to Find Aleigh

Ava's Story

Chapter 1 - The Best Chore

She looks out the big window of the new house, watching her family work in the yard and the garden, She is 8 1/2 years old and excited that she was given the wonderful chore of babysitting her newborn sister rather than having to pick vegetables or pull weeds in the hot September sun. Yes, she was finally big enough to hold and take care of a real baby not just a plastic baby. Out of all the baby dolls she has and loves, her little sister is the most beautiful baby she has ever seen. Ava knows that if she does a good job then this will become her top chore and she wants this chore to be hers and only hers.

When her step-mom, Darlene, comes in with her long golden locks flying behind her, she proceeds to get water for Ava's father, big sister and little brother. She is excited that baby Aleigh is lying on the quilt Ava had placed on the living room floor, gleefully oohing and cooing with happiness. Ava had just changed her and was warming up a bottle to feed her. Darlene brags on what a great job she is doing and what a big girl she is for taking such good care of her newborn sister. Ava smiles a huge smile as she picks up the baby to feed and rock her in daddy's recliner. She really didn't want her to fall asleep for fear that she would have to head outside and shell peas on the front porch. As long as she held this beautiful real life angelic porcelain looking doll in her arms with her big blue eyes looking up at her, then she couldn't do anything else. Hold and rock her she did. Sing and sway her she did. "Jesus loves you this I know for the Bible tells me so", Ava sings sweetly to her. This was by far the best chore around the house.

A few hours later she is still perched in the big chair rocking back and forth with Aleigh in her arms. Her arms are tired and sweaty. She really needs to go to the bathroom but she just doesn't want to put her down. She would take care of this baby and show her the most love and affection. She would make sure she was happy and never hurt. Ava wants to keep her always and protect her the same way her big sister tries to protect her. Yeah, Arial is a very protective and loving big sister who always tries to keep Ava and her little brother from getting in trouble. Arial is a bit stern at times and overly cautious, much like a mother rather than a sister. That is exactly what Ava wants to be to Aleigh, the perfect big sister.

Arial walks in all red-faced and flustered from the hard work, brown eyes and beautiful long brown curls, by far the pretty sister between the two. She then looks over at the two girls kicked back in the chair, rolls her eyes and shakes her head, "can't believe you get to stay inside while we have to work in the dirt and heat", as she walks past them still rocking. Then Alston runs in red-faced as well but he heads straight to his Hotwheel collection in the corner. Grabbing his favorite bright red Trans-Am as he begins making racing noises and pushing it across the kitchen floor where it hits his dirty shoes before flipping over. "Crash!", he shouts with joy at how the car ended from it's quick ride. Her baby brother Alston is a handsome 6 year old with straight white blond hair. Full of energy and always running around the house, mostly happy but unusually quiet for a young boy. Arial has done a great job as his big sister too, and being the middle child for so long Ava finally feels she is old enough for this big responsibility of babysitting just as her 11 year old sister has done for the past several years.

When their mom and dad divorced it was final on Arial's 9th birthday and ever since she had felt the need to take care of her little sister and brother, especially when they were not at their mom's house. Now that their dad had remarried and they have a new little sister to help with, Ava wanted to show Arial she could do it without her help. That she was a big girl now and could handle the bigger jobs such as this chore of watching Aleigh. Dad opened the back door, and yells for Ariel and Alston to get back to work, "you burning daylight" he shouts, "we still have work to do" as they rush out the door to finish the last few rows in the garden. Ava quickly stands up, carefully puts Aleigh on her shoulder and runs to the back door to show him how happy Aleigh is with her newest sitter. He smiles that proud father smile every kid longs for and says "good job A, keep it up" and Ava beams with joy to have pleased him. She wants so bad to make her daddy proud of her and today she did. No longer the middle child but the second in line of the four A's, Arial, Ava, Alston and now Aleigh to complete the sibling foursome.

Babysitting Aleigh, is by far the best chore and Ava had done a good job. She could only hope that next Saturday it would be hers again, as she puts the tiny pink bow back in Aleigh's strawberry blond hair and kisses her on her chubby little cherub check.

*Remember that the power of your words impact your children for life, make sure to fill them with positive and kind words to help them grow to be strong and happy adults.

Hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Give me your feedback.

Until the next chapter . . .

Happy Living, Loving and Laughing,

Angie Lu

Breastfeeding etiquette - Air Force 1?

I dedicate this blog to all you beautiful and amazing mother's out there who are breastfeeding your little miracles and commend you for being such wonderful women!

Last Sunday night as we boarded the Southwest flight from Houston, TX to Jackson, MS, I noticed a mother who I had seen in the airport with a her young child sitting in the second row in the first seat with no one sitting next to her. I also realized that no one was there (so I thought) because she had an infant was why no one had sat next to her, so being the mother that I am, I sat next to her at the window seat. Both of my children headed on to the back to sit where ever they could find but my hubby decided to sit in the middle sitting between us.

As we ooohed and coohed at this uniquely cute child that looked remarkably like Opie from the Andy Griffith show, we made idle conversation to pass the time and try to keep him happy before take off. The baby was teething and as soon as we began taxiing down the runway he became fussy. Mark and I tried to console him to no avail and I said "he is so cute, how old is he" and she said "one year" and that they were flying for the first time for him to meet his grandparents in Jackson. I quickly responded, "what is his name?" and she said "Obama".

This is the first baby I have met with our current President's name, so I was not sure how to respond but it was evident that she was very proud of them being from Sebastapool, CA. Yes, not Sebastapool, MS but there is a Sebastapool in the state of California even though she is from Jackson and married a man from California.

While we were a little shocked, we proceeded to make "Obama" happy but to no avail. (I worn you men out there that what happened next was uncomfortable.) Obama's Momma lifted up her shirt and whipped out her left breast to feed him. Not discretely but she literally lifted her shirt and pulled up her bra to expose herself for all the plane to see.

She did not warn us or ask us to please excuse her but she lifted up her top and pushed up her bra to pull out her boob and begin to feed her baby. Words can not begin to express the unprepared reaction by my husband seated in clear view of her exposure or myself. We were not prepared for this moment of what I consider a natural private moment with a mother and child. Even the people sitting on the row next or in front of her were shocked at her boldness and her lack of preparing us for this bold moment between mother and child. Needless to say myself and my hubby reacted with shock and embarrassment but Obama's Momma just did what she felt she had to do at no regard to the other's on the plane around her.

Priceless!

I think that breast feeding your child is an amazing and intimate moment between a mother and her child, but I immediately felt that she was rude to not warn or prepare us for such a show of intimacy. Breastfeeding is a beautiful and precious thing for both, yet myself and hubby were shocked to say the least that she just "whipped it out" without and forwarning or a second thought for the people around her.

Moral to this blog is: No matter what you name your child and if you breastfeed your child that does not give you the right to blatantly in public, pop out your breast and feed "Obama", unless you are flying privately on Air Force 1.

Just sayin'!

Thanks for the fabulous laugh because my hubby's reaction was priceless but from now on could you just please let your flying neighbors have a friendly warning of what you are about to do or at least put a blanket or something to hide your milk filled breast feeding your baby so that it doesn't offend others trying to fly home.

That is why I love to travel because you expose yourself "literally" to new and unexpected things! Who would have ever thought that I would meet baby Obama and his Momma on a plane! Hilarious!

What do you think?

Happy Living, Loving and Laughing!
Angie Lu

The Bulgarian and The Southern Belle

Wow, I cannot believe that the "BIG" wedding day for one of my best friends is finally almost here. After almost 3 years of planning this fabulous event it is about here. As I have stated before this will be my 8th time to have the honor of being a bridesmaid and this Saturday, in Austin, TX, I will walk down the isle representing my favorite Bulgarian. Yes, Maria is originally from Bulgaria and I remember dearly the first time I ever laid eyes on her. My father has a local printing company, Budget Printing in Acme Plaza, and we hired Maria as a graphic designer intern while she was at MCC. From the moment I met Maria we became fast friends and I was amazed at how organized and enthusiastic she was. After having many people apply for the job it was no doubt that she was the one! And we fast became the Bulgarian and the Southern Belle to everyone. The modern day odd couple and I quickly began to learn from her fantastic work ethic, dedication, and unique way of thinking plus I was happy to share my southern belle knowledge with her.

She only worked with us for a year before heading off to finish her degree at Southern in Hattiesburg and now I am proud to say that she has her own design firm in Austin, TX. Very accomplished for such a young woman. Pride is an understatement of what I feel when I speak of her. I feel like she is my little sister and I am blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of her wedding this weekend. With many events planned for the weekend, it is sure to be the event of the year for me and my family.

Early Friday morning we will fly out to Austin and begin the festivities. I found a gorgeous rehearsal dinner dress today and of course the beautiful "strawberry preserves" designer gown that I will wear for the wedding at the Austin Museum of Art overlooking the beautiful hills and elaborate homes that fleck the landscape. We will be staying at the historic Driskel Hotel in downtown Austin and I cannot wait to take this wedding road trip to experience new things with all of the bridal party. (Be sure to check out the 393 Road Trip article that I wrote for our bridesmaid bachelorette get-a-way to New Orleans in the April/May issue of 393 Magazine.)

A friendship fairytale is coming true as she begins the step of marriage and I will be there with her to share this new beginning. Always be open to the new person that God will on a whim place into your life because you are sure to find a new friend that will positively change your life forever. The new chapter of the Bulgarian and the Southern Belle is about to begin and I cannot wait. Thanks Maria, I love you!

Happy Living, Loving and Laughing,
Angie Lu
The Southern Belle

Hey Mom - Dad - can I drive?

Ahhh yes, don't you remember? Your first time to ever get behind the wheel and the wide open road. Yes, seems just like yesterday I was getting my first driving lesson as a young teen and one thing is for sure it was a learning experience from both parents. Mom was sure to freak out and tell me to pull over because I didn't stop just right at that stop sign but she was always singing along on the ride in her blue Chevy Chevette until you scared her. That poor Chevette went through 4 girls learning to drive and we all have great memories of that car. Now Dad was another story he loved to have you get in his old pick-up truck named Betsy that shifted on the column and he would make you back down the "L" shaped drive-way and drive up it until you got it. Even though I managed to plow up his garden many times before I caught on, he hung in there and just laughed because he was having so much fun. I loved Sunday afternoon because he would let me drive him to the "dump" to look for lost treasure and back.

I remember my first car I bought and paid for myself - for only $500 cash - it was a 4-door blue dodge automatic that the brakes barely worked so you had to pump them and pray that you would stop in time before you hit someone. People always cleared a path when they saw me coming in my "Big Blue". It was all mine and I was so proud of it - until Mom road with me one day and after pumping til my legs hurt to stop I had to run the redlight and into a parking lot where Mom was so freaked out with fear she made me let her drive (and pump the brakes too). Yeah and now it is my turn again to begin that milestone of parenting where you teach your child to drive.

For the last two weeks every chance my daughter gets she is asking for us to let her drive. With nerves of steel I finally gave in the other night and now she is waking up extra early and staying up extra late for the hope of talking her Dad or me into working with her home driver's ed in the driveway or pasture. My Dad has graciously volunteered the fabulous "L"driveway and his pick-up, so I think since I want her to know how to drive a standard - then it is off to Papaw's soon. I will just let him laugh and have fun at this driving lesson since I am more like my Mom and would rather me be in control of the wheel. I did survive my son learning how to become a good driver, so I know she will be one too but Lord give me patience as we get through once again another parenting challenge that is sure to be some great and funny memories in a few years.

Happy Living, Loving, Laughing and driving,
Angie Lu