music-city-missy
Well-known member
Discovered Gails back in about 1995 or 1996 - can't remember and don't feel like going back there to research it.
Born April 15, 1963 Jackson Mississippi
Mom was a secretary in a one girl CPA office (note the birthday)
Dad was fireman and as all firemen do - had numerous side ventures - making custom display cases; making cultured marble countertops back in the '70's with the shells or fake coins in them - you remember those horrible fads don't you?; making picnic tables and grills for state parks; and finally owning a bicycle & lawnmower shop where I spent all my spare time as a teenager. He was also one heck of a cook but only at the firestation.
I learned to cook very early - first memory is melting the red plastic handle on my brushed aluminum cookware coffee pot when I put it in my Grandmother Clinton's oven to 'cook' my coffee - age 2-3ish. By second grade I was walking home from school and taking care of myself and helping to get dinner started (making out fresh yeast rolls from refrigerator dough) and making peach and Velveeta cheese salads. Didn't take long before I did most of the cooking at home and even at my Grandmother Presley's house in the summer (it got me out of the hot fields).
Took home ec in high school and won 1st place in District and 2nd Place in State. Taught myself cake decorating after spending a fortune in JC Penney's on Wilton stuff. Did my first wedding cake for the mock wedding at school when I was 17. Graduated a year early and went to local junior college for one semester before dropping out to pursue my career in upscale retail. Did retail including buying from 1980 until 1991.
Moved to Nashville for a change of scenery in 1987 and had fun with my friends in the country music business when I wasn't working. Got married to Jeff in 1990. He's a project manager for the Corps of Engineers and is a landscape architect on the side. He had two sons who are turning 29 and 32 this month (oct. 06) but that doesn't mean they are grown by any means! Youngest just decided to go back to school and we are supporting him while in my humble opinion he plays around - he's got the perfect set up, we pay most of his living expenses, he goes to school and meets kids and acts like a kid and then he goes home and parties and plays on the computer all night. Not a bad life huh?
Daughter Kristen was born in 1991. She's got it all - smart beyond belief, loves to read, artistic, her pride and joy is her guitar, sings, is doing video/media right now, cute, and one heck of a temper. Almost died from alcohol poisoning back this summer because a boy repaid her for money he stole from her by giving her a pint of vodka and then selling her a pint of tequila after that. She's getting over it and doing a video about alcohol poisoning and the teen alcohol poisoning. We are both working to change the laws - the boy got off scott free because it's not against the law here in TN for a juvenile to contribute to the delinquency of another juvenile.
After years in retail I got into construction by accident and worked for general contractors. Then I went to work for an archictural/program management firm that I just left to take a project manager position with a big computer manufacturer. I just completed my second week and love it - think this is where I'll be until I retire.
Never had a degree so in Spring 2005 I decided to pursue one and decided at this point in my life to go for something I love and started Culinary Arts. I have 4 classes left plus my internship but am taking this semester off after going for 5 semesters straight taking 3 classes per semester since I started - figured it had been a tough summer and I need to get adjusted in my new job.
We live in a suburb south of Nashville on 5.63 acres that is quite wooded and full of wildlife since everything else around us has developed into these subdivisions with almost no old growth trees.
Cooking is my passion but I love to play with all sorts of crafts too - painting, jewelry making and such. I do a good bit of community work and have done all sorts of Citizen's Academies - police, fire, drug task force, leadership programs and such. I am in the Eastern Star. I have WELL over 2,000 cookbooks and tons of magazines that DH gives me a hard time about so one of these days going to have to figure out what to do with them. Trying to put together recipes into a family and friends cookbook.
Born April 15, 1963 Jackson Mississippi
Mom was a secretary in a one girl CPA office (note the birthday)
Dad was fireman and as all firemen do - had numerous side ventures - making custom display cases; making cultured marble countertops back in the '70's with the shells or fake coins in them - you remember those horrible fads don't you?; making picnic tables and grills for state parks; and finally owning a bicycle & lawnmower shop where I spent all my spare time as a teenager. He was also one heck of a cook but only at the firestation.
I learned to cook very early - first memory is melting the red plastic handle on my brushed aluminum cookware coffee pot when I put it in my Grandmother Clinton's oven to 'cook' my coffee - age 2-3ish. By second grade I was walking home from school and taking care of myself and helping to get dinner started (making out fresh yeast rolls from refrigerator dough) and making peach and Velveeta cheese salads. Didn't take long before I did most of the cooking at home and even at my Grandmother Presley's house in the summer (it got me out of the hot fields).
Took home ec in high school and won 1st place in District and 2nd Place in State. Taught myself cake decorating after spending a fortune in JC Penney's on Wilton stuff. Did my first wedding cake for the mock wedding at school when I was 17. Graduated a year early and went to local junior college for one semester before dropping out to pursue my career in upscale retail. Did retail including buying from 1980 until 1991.
Moved to Nashville for a change of scenery in 1987 and had fun with my friends in the country music business when I wasn't working. Got married to Jeff in 1990. He's a project manager for the Corps of Engineers and is a landscape architect on the side. He had two sons who are turning 29 and 32 this month (oct. 06) but that doesn't mean they are grown by any means! Youngest just decided to go back to school and we are supporting him while in my humble opinion he plays around - he's got the perfect set up, we pay most of his living expenses, he goes to school and meets kids and acts like a kid and then he goes home and parties and plays on the computer all night. Not a bad life huh?
Daughter Kristen was born in 1991. She's got it all - smart beyond belief, loves to read, artistic, her pride and joy is her guitar, sings, is doing video/media right now, cute, and one heck of a temper. Almost died from alcohol poisoning back this summer because a boy repaid her for money he stole from her by giving her a pint of vodka and then selling her a pint of tequila after that. She's getting over it and doing a video about alcohol poisoning and the teen alcohol poisoning. We are both working to change the laws - the boy got off scott free because it's not against the law here in TN for a juvenile to contribute to the delinquency of another juvenile.
After years in retail I got into construction by accident and worked for general contractors. Then I went to work for an archictural/program management firm that I just left to take a project manager position with a big computer manufacturer. I just completed my second week and love it - think this is where I'll be until I retire.
Never had a degree so in Spring 2005 I decided to pursue one and decided at this point in my life to go for something I love and started Culinary Arts. I have 4 classes left plus my internship but am taking this semester off after going for 5 semesters straight taking 3 classes per semester since I started - figured it had been a tough summer and I need to get adjusted in my new job.
We live in a suburb south of Nashville on 5.63 acres that is quite wooded and full of wildlife since everything else around us has developed into these subdivisions with almost no old growth trees.
Cooking is my passion but I love to play with all sorts of crafts too - painting, jewelry making and such. I do a good bit of community work and have done all sorts of Citizen's Academies - police, fire, drug task force, leadership programs and such. I am in the Eastern Star. I have WELL over 2,000 cookbooks and tons of magazines that DH gives me a hard time about so one of these days going to have to figure out what to do with them. Trying to put together recipes into a family and friends cookbook.