By Sheri Hopkins, Lifestyle Contributor
Hello everyone! The heat is on, the heat is on! Remember that old song? Well, it’s on.
I had the most wonderful surprise Saturday. I thought I was going to a birthday party for my great niece, Raylee Belle, but it was a surprise 60th birthday party for me. I admit it, I cried. It was put together by my sweet, precious daughter-in-law, Loren, and my son Jacob. They got me good. I had so many great friends and family there. Thank you to everyone that came to help me celebrate and for all the wonderful gifts. You only turn 60 once and they made my day special.
Jacob was telling that the party was a decoy so he could get a U-Haul and load up all my junk and move me to Pink Bud Nursing Home. He thinks he’s funny. Jokes on him, I’m going to move to Van Buren, right next door to him and Loren. I will be just like Marie Barone in the Everybody Loves Raymond sitcom.
I do my best to obey the Laws of the Land. I try my best to be a good, upstanding citizen, but every once in a while, I slip up and do something I shouldn’t. I’ve had a few speeding tickets in my time. Once I went seven months without renewing my car tags and never got pulled over one time. I thought someone had stolen my sticker and the lady at the DMV really found enjoyment in telling me, no they have been expired for seven months. I’m surprised I didn’t have to give them a kidney to get them renewed. One time they spelled my name wrong on my driver’s license and when I told them, they made me prove it. I said, “you’re the one that done it.” Can you believe I had to bring my marriage license and birth certificate to get them to change it?
One time I had Elvis playing in the car CD player and was driving through Huntington and got pulled over for speeding. This policeman was from some other area, filling in, and obviously didn’t know me at all. I told him “if you said I was speeding, I was speeding. I was listening to Elvis and have no clue.” He really acted like it made him mad and he got an attitude with me, so guess what? I got one right back with him. I politely let him know that my nephew was the judge and that made him even more mad. I seriously thought he was going to cuff me and stuff me. To make a long story short, he went back to his car and ran all my information and he let me go and gave me a warning. I have often wondered why he let me go.
I have run a few stop lights in my day. I was at our one and only stop light in Mansfield, pulled up and looked both ways and away I went. Ella yells, “Nana, you just ran the red light!” Oops, I guess I was zoned out.
Also, according to Chuck, I do back up by braille. He always told me I could not drive. If that was the case, would y’all get in the car with me and let me drive? One time we were driving down the road and Chuck was driving my car, and we were in a fight. He pulls off to the side of the road and tells me to get out. Hello, Mr. We are in my car, if anyone is getting out, it’s you. The crazy stuff that we done during 28 years of marriage. I laugh sometimes thinking about it.
This week’s recipe is for a good dip that I love. Kandis Howard made it for me a few times, and when you get started, you can’t quit eating it. It’s yummy and easy, Cilantro Jalapeno Dip.
CILANTRO JALAPENO DIP
3-4 jalapenos, deseeded (I use the chopped ones in the can, because I don’t like chopping them) 1 bunch of cilantro
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 packet of Ranch dip (powdered dip mix)
Use a food processor to finely chop the jalapenos and cilantro. Mix the sour cream and mayonnaise together and add the dry ranch. Then add the jalapenos and cilantro, mix well. It’s better if you let it sit overnight. Get you some chips and enjoy. Have a great week and remember when you are smiling, the whole world smiles with you.
