Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news first; I found out this past week the adoption process for little Abby Jo is going to take longer than I expected. It looks as if things are backed up 10 months or more. That means I probably will not be getting her until December or maybe even sometime next year. I guess all I can do is pray about it. I have been telling myself that everything happens for a reason and there must be some reason that God doesn't want me to have her this year. So I am going to wait patiently and pray for the day she arrives in my life to be as soon as possible and for it to be the most perfect timing I could ask for. I thought the timing was right for me now but that goes to show you how much I know.

The other bad news I have for you is that I had surgery last Wednesday in my mouth. It was HORRIBLE! I had to have some receding gums fixed. The dentist said it is from me brushing too hard. If any of you do that, take my advice and change the habit now. He had to cut my palate open and take tissue out for grafts to be stitched to my gums where the receding was taking place. I have a cut on my palate about an inch long with stitches that are annoying the daylights out of me and four other areas along my gum line that are stitched with grafts. It's very difficult to eat and I have to wear this mouth guard, kind of like a retainer, to protect the cut. Not a fun week at all.

Now for the good news; We announced this week that George Bryce and I will be working together again. It's the Rush Reunion Tour! George and I have talked a lot in the past year or so about racing together again, but the timing just didn't seem right until now. I am so excited to be working with him and Jackie again because I know we make a really great team. With George behind me with his coaching skills, I know this year is going to be the best! We won three championships together and many races and had lots and lots of fun. Now is the time for us to reunite and put our best effort forward to really be a thorn in the competition's side.

I think the time we spent apart was really good for us because we were able to get out on our own and be successful alone, but at the same time it allowed us to realize how much stronger we are as a team then we were apart. Racing against each other was fun but racing together is much better and I can't wait to get started.

Well, after my surgery I wasn't really in the mood to get out much this week but I did manage to get over to my grandmother's house to visit with her, my Aunt Faye, and my little cousins, Claire and Sadi-girl. Maw Maw is what we call my grandmother and she was cooking chicken and sausage gumbo with potato salad and the girls were helping her to make cupcakes for desert. I also like to call Maw Maw "Robo Granny" because she is in her mid 80s but is so healthy and strong that she just can't be human. She still mows her own lawn and paints around her house and you can search with a white glove for dust in her house and you are not going to find any. The woman is an incredible cook to boot. Her Red Velvet cake is the bomb. She use to make one for me every time I would win a race but there was a season that I won seven out 14 races and she said I was going to get tired of them so she just started cooking a special dinner for me instead.

A MySpace friend of mine asked if I could post a family recipe for gumbo and or Jambalaya and I thought maybe some of you guys and gals would like it so here goes:

Chicken-Andouille Gumbo
1 chicken, cut-up in pieces
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup onion tops, chopped
¼ cup celery, chopped (optional, I don't use the celery)
1 link andouiles (or your favorite kind of sausage)
¼ cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can of chicken broth
1 tsp. file (pronounced fee-lay)
½ cup oil
½ cup flour


Prepare medium size roux. Heat ½ cup of oil for three minutes on medium-high heat, then add the ½ cup flour slowly, stirring constantly. Cook on medium-high heat until it turns brown, remember to stir constantly. Maw Maw says the color should be just a little bit darker than peanut butter. It's really important to make a good roux, if you burn it, your gumbo will not be good. So be patient, if you mess it up, just start over with another roux. Once your roux is like dark peanut butter, add onions, parsley, onion tops, garlic, and celery. Smother for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Then add can of chicken broth, chicken, and links of andouilles. Season to your liking with salt, pepper, and Tony Chacheries or any cajun season. Let smother about half an hour, or until grease appears over gravy. Stir often. Now add about 4 to 5 cups of water, enough to cover everything, and let it boil until chicken is tender. Stir occasionally. After gumbo is cooked, add 1 tsp of file, stir, and serve over rice.

Gumbo should be served in a bowl and traditionally has less rice than Gumbo. However, some people like it more like a stew with a lot of rice. I prefer the traditional way.

Good luck and enjoy. Please let me know if you were successful and if your family enjoyed it. I'll do a Jambalaya recipe another time.

Take care gang,
Angelle