"Why are you yelling?"

We've all heard the saying, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  I have found that this is true of wives, regardless if you have children or not.  It's amazing to me how quickly my mood can affect Michael's mood.  Women truly do set the emotional tone of the home.  If I come home in a bad mood, before I even realize what's happening, Michael and I are at odds over the littlest things.  Or if I am joyful, Michael is more joyful.  If Michael comes home in a bad mood, I have observed that my reaction is usually what can prolong it or temper it.

This can weigh heavily on me at times because, of the two of us, my temper tends to flare much more quickly.  In the midst of a disagreement, I tend to be the one who winds up yelling.  Michael and I have had arguments where all of a sudden, he will just stop and say, "Why are you yelling?"  Praise the Lord for a gentle, gracious husband. 

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.  Proverbs 15:4

Weekend in the South

Two weeks ago, Michael and I headed down to Nashville for my friend Brooke's wedding and to celebrate our 2 year anniversary.  It was a beautiful wedding!  It was great to see friends from college and spend some quality time with my favorite person in the world, my husband. To celebrate our anniversary, we went to Belle Meade Plantation on Sunday for brunch and to take a tour of the home.  If you know Michael at all, then you realize how much he loves me to do this with me. :)

the blushing bride

my heart needed to see them

we love each other

rockin on the porch

enjoying the greenhouse

Eat This Now: Pineapple!

One of the most unfortunate fruit tragedies of our day is that most of us grew up eating this:

And not this:

The first time I can remember eating fresh pineapple was in Hawaii when I was 16 years old.  If you come back from Hawaii and don't love pineapple then you were stubborn and didn't try it.  I was surprised to learn that the pineapple is not native to Hawaii, but was brought over from South America.  It is most associated with Hawaii, though, because 1/3 of the world's commercially grown pineapple crop is produced there, most notably at the Dole plantations.  If all you know is canned pineapple, you are missing out.  Fresh pineapple is much, much more flavorful than canned.  It's almost like a different fruit!

Pineapple is available year-round, but its peak growing season is March - July.  Most of the pineapples at the grocery store are still pretty green.  Go ahead and buy it but wait until it turns more yellow and has a pleasant smell.  Avoid buying any that are soft or have brown spots - that pineapple is past its prime.  I think one of the main reasons many people avoid pineapples is that they are not sure how to cut one up.  It is very simple and there are a ton of videos on YouTube explaining how to do it.  You don't need anything fancy except a sharp knife.

Health Benefits:

2 slices provide 50 calories, 0 g fat, 13 g carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 1 g protein

Pineapples provide:
- Manganese (a trace mineral important to bones, thyroid, etc)
- Vitamin C
- Thiamin (vitamin B1)
- Copper (another trace mineral important for many things, including acting as an antioxidant)
- Fiber

Did you know?  Pineapple is a symbol for hospitality....and deliciousness.