Out of My Head

Three months have passed since my last blog and lots has happened in our family.  Both kids have left for college and for the first time in 22 years there are no children in our house, unless you count the two black dogs they left behind.  There are so many things I could blog about today, but the pressure has been mounting to address one of the promised topics from my first blog - cheeses of the world. Yes it's no secret this is one of my favorite topics, cheese.  A deep love for cheese comes from my Hall family roots.   If I was on a desert island and could have only one food, it would be cheddar cheese.  I know there are many varieties of cheese available, but I have to admit my bias toward the cheddar family.  Be it mild, medium, or sharp, I'm all over it.  Colby is also a favorite.  Sharp is definitely the best for melting on other foods and far superior when making nachos.   And while I'm at it, canned nacho sauce is an abomination to humanity!    If you want nachos

It's been somewhat different this week around the Hall house. Payne, our oldest, is in Peru on a mission trip. Mary Paige, our youngest, has been freed from the shackles of high school and I've been freed from the shackles of making breakfast and the daily snack/lunch to take to school (Sometimes freedom is overrated). The day she has been counting down to and the day I've tried to hold back is only a few minutes away - graduation. Tomorrow night our family will hand our allotment of ten tickets to the ushers and take our seats in those uncomfortable bleachers with about 3000 other proud parents, family, and friends. No one likes graduation. They're long, awkward, rites of passage that mark a major milestone in life. But they are joyous celebrations and important for graduates and parents alike. And there's always something unexpected that happens that brings horror to the principal's face but comedic relief to the audience. I'm sure I'll be give

    I have been totally surprised at the number of views of my first blog and the people who have admitted to reading it.  So I'm feeling a lot of pressure for my first real topic.  Since it's Mother's Day weekend, I feel compelled to do a tribute to my 2 favorite moms.       First of all I salute my mom, Patsy Johnston.  You can't help but be amazed at someone who had the nerve to bring my sister and me into the world.  I guess the only disapointment I ever had with my mom was when I was 7 and I found out my dad and her were bringing home a girl from the hospital instead of a baby brother (which I did get over quickly). That's a pretty good track record if you ask me.  It's funny the things that stand out in your memory, but one of my fondest memories is the sound of music coming from our living room as she taught piano each afternoon after school.  At various times she played the piano or organ at church, led the children's choir, or sang in the choir her

Today is my first step into the blogsphere. For 20 plus years I've wanted to write a book, but where to start has always been the challenge. Since I will most likely never write a book, I figured a blog would be a good place to archive some of things I would put in my book. A blog at least gives me an outlet to unload some of the clutter rattling around in my head. Some of my family and friends wonder where so many random thoughts and comments originate. I have to admit my own curiosity as well. All I know is that they just seem to spill out of my head. I'm sure my brain would make for an interesting scientific study. There will be no rhyme or reason as to what is to come. But I do expect to share life experiences, both past and present, along with random thoughts as they come to the surface. Future topics may or may not include: bucket list, other lists, dogs I have known, matters of faith, if I was in charge, photographic memory, student ministry, influence, jet packs, s