WELL I may not be so little anymore but the nursery rhyme fits...it's been raining now since sometime last evening and while that is great for sleeping, it's not so good for concentrating on work. lol I messed up my report not just once but twice and a co-worker had to fix it for me. MONDAY right?
The weekend was fun with Paul and Missy visiting. Missy loved the puppies and had them walking on their leashes together without incident. They still won't behave for me to do that but then she has 7 dogs so she's pretty well used to handling them. At one point she had all 4 of them laying their heads in her lap :) It was so cute. She spent some time with the horses too but as always, Smokey stayed off to himself. Rebel loved her to death with her hands full of apples and carrots...lol!
They drove up Friday afternoon and got to the cabin just after dark. To their delight, I was frying pork chops and had green beans and squash cooking in separate pots when they got there. They unloaded their bags, grabbed a couple beers and the visiting began. We haven't seen them since last April so it was nice to catch up. They have a lot going on same as we do so it's hard to get together. We're planning an April visit we're just not sure where it will be :)
I wouldn't let them help with the dishes but there was very little clean up. The dogs got the bones and the vegetables were all gone so it was basically plates, forks, knives and the pots and pans. They all sat right at the bar so it's not like I was out of the conversation... :) We moved into the living room and watched a little tv, mostly AFV that we had recorded. It was pretty funny stuff. We stayed up much later than we're used to but still woke up early the next morning. What else is new? lol Fortunately, Paul and Missy are early risers too so we were all up and about at the same time. Paul did mention that he wasn't a "rooster" person... hahahahahaha
Speaking of which, I don't like to have to tell you this but Roo decided to vacate the premises as of Friday afternoon. I fed them all when I got home from work and everything was fine. When I went out to feed them Saturday morning, there were only 4 roosters. Roo had been distancing himself from the others for about 2 weeks now and I have a feeling he found himself a little chickey-doo down the road. There are some free-range chickens up on the corner and he likely caught wind of one of them being interested in a rooster who is a loner... off he went I guess. I don't think another animal got him because we would have seen the evidence just like with the other two. Who knows, maybe someday he'll show up with his little chickey-doo in tow - that would be cool! I guess roosters gotta have some lovin too...
We spent our Saturday morning going over to the meat place and stocking up on everything. This was the last weekend for business but we were the only ones there. I got ground beef, sausage, stew meat and a roast. I got the last of the tenderized pork tenderloin too. The guy who was working said they didn't have any bones for the dogs so we planned to go back Sunday and get those. Wally took us on some back roads while Missy counted the traffic lights and then we decided to go to Dickson and have breakfast at "Farmers Family Restaurant."
You know me, I'm not big on going out to breakfast. I can make it at home for less money and, in my humble opinion, it tastes better. BUT everyone wanted to go and we were already out so we went. It's a buffet style breakfast (another thing I'm not a huge fan of) and we all ate way too much before it was over, hence my preference for eating breakfast at home.
I had bacon (not crispy enough for me) and fried bologna (I thought it was ham or I wouldn't have picked it), corned beef hash with those little tiny potatoes in it, a small portion of cheesy hash browns and a piece of sausage that was way to spicy for me. I had some grapes and grits (not mixed together) on the side. Missy had blueberry pancakes that looked really good and Wally and Paul both had biscuits with tomato gravy among other things... For dessert, like we needed anything else to eat, we had coconut cream pie that was sugar-free and wonderful!! My stomach hurt.... and kept on hurting.
I don't think any of us even considered eating lunch...lol
Back at the cabin we took all the meat inside and while the guys watched powerblock on tv, Missy and I separated and bagged it all up and put it in the freezer. The guys started working on the broken down four wheeler while Missy and I went to feed the horses and other animals. That's when I noticed Roo was missing.
The 4 wheeler refused to get well so we headed off to the barn to get a trailer so the 4 wheeler could go back to the barn and be worked on some more. Paul took the 4 wheeler on the trailer while Wally drove me and Missy to the barn in the Camaro. She absolutely loved that ride. We hung out at the barn while the guys tried to fix the 4 wheeler but it wasn't working out for us so we all loaded up in the Camaro and headed for Centerville....you know what that means.
We showed them the sights and then took them to Pee Wee's Place. It was hopping in there for a Saturday afternoon. There were no seats at the bar and only two at a table that Joe kindly shared with us. Being the new folks, everyone had to stop and talk to Missy and Paul and before long they were feeling right at home. The weather was nice and everyone was happy to be out and about without their heavy jackets, scarves and gloves. It's always fun to go for a ride in the Camaro so it wasn't long before we were headed down the driveway and squealing out of the parking lot feeling as carefree as a bunch of kids who don't know any better yet . Hello, Wally was driving okay? lol that's why we were squealing out of the parking lot.
The cabin awaited us. I got the sweet potatoes in the oven while everyone else was hanging out at the outdoor kitchen. Wally let the puppies run free for a while and boy were they some happy little campers. They were jumping all over everyone, including the big dogs, tails wagging, crotch sniffing and everything. Before long, Missy had Ruger giving her kisses. Colt, not so much.
While Missy walked the dogs, the guys cooked steaks on the grill and I got the plates and everything ready for dinner. We had the macaroni salad, the sweet potatoes, green peas and the juicy, perfectly cooked steaks. Mine came off first, of course :)
It started getting a little cooler outside so we came inside to eat. Dinner was good and clean up was easy again and before we knew it, we were back in living room watching tv. Somewhere during the conversation it was decided that we would give Wally a haircut. I got out the clippers and Paul showed me how to use them. We cut his hair really short to where all the curls are gone :( I didn't want it that short but he did. Like he said, he can grow it back out.
So now his hair is really, really short and he had already cut off his beard down to a gotee only. He looks a lot different that's for sure. I'll post pictures on the flickr site for you shortly.
Sunday dawned with a slightly muggy feeling in the air. Missy and Paul were almost packed by the time we got downstairs so we made plans to go back to Farmers (Paul apparently loves the place....lol) for breakfast and then Wally and I wanted to go back to the meat place and get bones for the dogs. I made a much smaller plate for breakfast and skipped dessert entirely. I didn't want to feel so full all day long again...
After breakfast we drove the long way around to Pee Wee's to drop off a birthday present for Claudia. I read the paper while the guys messed with the Camaro - since it was way too early for them to be open, we hand around long. They don't open until 1:00 on Sundays and they have to close at 5:00 so if you plan to hang out on Sunday, those are the hours for your window of opportunity. hahahahaha There was nothing much of interest in the paper so I was glad I didn't buy one. Even the sale papers weren't having very good sales. Maybe it's the calm before the storm? Everyone knows that spring is on the way and people are getting anxious for it to be here.
I placed my seed order through Burpee this morning. The final choices were peas (of course), bush beans, carrots and golden beets. We'll get the tomato plants from the Mennonites when they open for business. They start them in a green house so they're already strong when you get them. They are kind of like what you get at Lowe's or Home Depot but they are organically grown. No pesticides :)
I also ordered a Phlox plant. It kind of resembles a butterfly bush but it's nowhere near as big. It's white and promises to re-seed on its own. I hope so :) those are the best kind. The seeds should be here in about 3-5 days while the Phlox will be shipped more toward the end of March. They only ship live plants when there is less chance of another frost or freeze. My seeds will be planted by the moon phases as Arlene tells me that's how she does it, that's how her grandmother did it and the gardens are and were always a success. My Farmer's Almanac will come in handy for that knowledge :) I feel so much better prepared this year than I did last year. woo hoo!!
As you'll see on the flickr site, it appears we did get the tulip from that abandoned homesite last year. I thought we did but Wally thought we missed it. While I was walking around with Missy on Saturday, I noticed the leaves had come up and were just starting to unfurl. They are definitely not leaves like the day lily. If it is the tulip that I suspect it to be, it will be a bright, rich red color when it blooms. woo hoo!!!! You know you'll see pictures of it as soon as that starts to happen :) :) :)
The ones I planted not long ago, that the puppies dug up, haven't showed the first sign of blooming although the irises from Claudia are starting to green up - yeah!!! I remember vividly my anticipation last year when things were blooming all around and I didn't have any of the flowers in my yard. I may not have a lot but I will definitely have more flowers blooming this year! I didn't get down to the trailer to get the rose bush but it's on my list and Arlene tells me now is the time to transplant it - maybe tonight????
I guess all this rain is good for the ground and we are starting to see some greenery. The spring onions are everywhere and there are little blades of grass starting to show. The list of things to do is growing but still the danger of frost exists so I'm in a holding pattern. Can you tell I'm ready to get started??? lol
If you're in FL, I hope you have already planted your tomatoes. You might be too late if you haven't...
I hear there was lots of yard work being done in GA over the weekend, maybe I'll get an update from Teri once the ache has gone from her muscles :) I can't wait for that feeling again!
As the weekend wound down and our guests headed for home, we heated up some pinto beans with ham and I made us some cornbread while we settled in to watch the race. We had enough of the heavy food and only ate just a little bit at dinner time - we were still too full from breakfast. lol The race was much more interesting than Daytona and we really enjoyed the quiet and the downtime. When Paul called later to tell us he was 80 miles from home, we were both so happy to already be in ours. :)
I hope you spent your weekend with friends and family and I hope you found time to rest when it was all said and done.
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." ~Jane Austen
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover...
SURELY here you would be mistaken to do so. It is warm and the sun is shining and anyone who didn't know any better would swear it was springtime. But don't be so quick to judge. We still have 4 more weeks of winter and from what I hear, it wouldn't be the first time that a "false spring" came along and fooled everyone.
The day lilies have come up and are about 4-5 inches tall. No sign of any daffodil action although I did see some blooming in one of the yards on my way to work. I'm guessing mine are of a different variety... Claudia said hers are up already too. They don't refer to them as daffodils though, they are all called butter cups no matter the variety. So butter cups it is going forward. It's kind of like "coke" in the south. No matter what kind of drink you want, it's typically called a coke.
When Colt was doing his Houdini act the other day, he apparently found and dug up my tulips AGAIN. I picked them all up and found them a new home where, hopefully, he'll be too busy to locate should he free himself another time. The ones in the pots haven't shown any signs of greenery either so now I'm hoping I did them right. Claudia says her tulips are up too...dang it!
The poinsettias I got at Christmastime have dropped all their leaves but they have new green sprouts on them so I know they're doing fine. I'm just not sure when they should go in the ground. In FL, they would already be there. Advice on this subject is eagerly anticipated and will be greatly appreciated.
Finally the Burpee seed catalog arrived!! I've been plowing through it on and off since it arrived. The problem is, there's just so much to choose from. I'd love to plant a little bit of a bunch of things but I have to limit myself so that I have enough time to care for everything. My garden will be doubled in size this year though because I need room for the pea trellises and bush beans. I'll keep you posted on the progress. Don't forget to keep me posted on the progress of your gardens too :)
The weekend turned out to be fairly busy for us with Wally and the guys working in the garage/barn most of the daytime while I worked up at the cabin. It didn't quite get warm enough for me to do any serious yard work but as you can tell from what's written above, I did at least get to take inventory and mark some progress.
On the way home Friday I stopped at the grocery store so I wouldn't have to go over the weekend. I made a list and pretty much stuck to it. I think my only exception was mayonnaise. They had it "buy one get one free" so I got it. Since the discovery of the mayonnaise biscuits, we've been going through it pretty quick...lol After the grocery store I was off to the gas station where I paid $2.99 per gallon....ugh!! They say it's only going to get higher. "They" are as bad as the weather people...
It rained for about 20 minutes which served to wet the roads and make for small puddles where the snow plow had been. Of course the dirt road was really pleasant on account of the rain...lol All the rinsing of my car that the rain had done was hidden under a new layer of mud. It's going to have to get washed one of these days. I told Wally, when it rains at work, the dirt leaves an outline around my car like a homicide scene chalk outline...LOL! I always know where to park :)
So I got home and started in making macaroni salad to take to Tennesha's birthday party. I made the one with the red kidney beans in it and Tennesha absolutely loved it... she raved over it and I was surprised and delighted. She said she had never had it like that before. hmmmm? I thought everyone had. I must say it was very good with the crunchy peppers, onions and celery and the slightly thick texture of the beans while they slipped themselves nicely into the shell macaroni that was coated in mayonnaise, salt and pepper lol...I have to figure a way to ship this to FL without it going bad. I have so many requests for it all the time!
When we arrived at the birthday party, we both got out of the car and headed for the door. In my hands I carried my jacket, my macaroni salad, my keys and my satchel. I stopped on the sidewalk to move a glass jar that was in the way and then promptly tripped on the step up. I took a hard fall down and everything went flying through the air! Of course, Wally was already up to and almost inside the door seeing as how his steps double mine. He heard me say loudly, "crap!" and came back out to see if I was okay.
I'm too old to be falling down like that - it hurt like heck and kind of made my stomach a little upset. I hadn't even been drinking for pete's sake... lol I landed hard on both knees and both hands. I had to sit there for a minute or two and kind of get my bearings - you know? Well Wally and Kurt were both waiting for me to make this speedy recovery so I acted like I was fine and let them help me up. I was in some pretty bad pain though. I pulled up the leg of my jeans and checked the damages and it didn't look anywhere near as bad as it felt. It was already bruising and there was just a little tiny scrape. I wasn't about to get much sympathy out of that...lol Well, I got inside and took a seat and started visiting with everyone and eventually forgot about it. The macaroni salad was in Tupperware and the lid remained intact - just in case you were wondering if it survived.
The dinner was good and Tennesha was very sweet and grateful for everything. We ate wings, ribs, corn on the cob, my mac salad and some of the marinated mushrooms. I had served them at the house one night and Tennesha liked them so much she asked me if I would make them for her at their house. She had all the ingredients so I started chopping mushrooms while Claudia cleaned the mason jar. Kurt and Wally did the wings and ribs while Beverly did the corn, some french bread and made sure we had styrofoam plates, napkins and forks. Working together we put on a nice little party for her and we had a good time doing it.
After we ate, everyone had to go outside and smoke. I didn't want to be the only one inside so I went out with them. Well it had certainly chilled down temperature-wise so I had to put on my jacket. I was the only one. How do they do it? They even had on short sleeved shirts and flip flops... not me man. My blood is still FL blood apparently lol!!
After their ciggies, they all decided to go to Pee Wee's. Kurt and Beverly live pretty close so it was no big deal. We left Tennesha and her friend at the house and loaded up for Pee Wee's. There were maybe 4 or 5 people other than us and they were having a good old time. Kurt played the juke box, Claudia played pool and Beverly was talking to a lady she hadn't seen in awhile. The rest of them were cutting up as usual and the time passed quickly. We were out rather late for us so when it came time to go, I was more than ready :)
You would think being out later than usual I would be able to sleep later than usual. Ha ha ha not so much. I was awake when the first rooster decided to take the opportunity to wake up the world. Once he got started, they all got started. It was a rooster chorus as is the case every morning. The thing you have to remember about them is that they have no weekend or weekday...it's all the same to them. So what if you want to sleep at 4 in the morning? The roosters are up and chances are you won't be able to sleep through all that racket even if you tried. Although I have seen some people do it with no problem...
We got up Saturday morning and I fixed some scrambled eggs with smoked sausages and we had cantaloupe and red seedless grapes on the side. We were out of bread (but I didn't know it) and I didn't have time to make biscuits because the guys were coming over to work. It was filling and very tasty and easy to clean up so it wasn't long before I was off to tend to my Saturday morning list. Does everyone have a Saturday morning list? lol
First up, feed the animals :) The horses were whinnying at me the minute I walked out the door and the roosters followed me over to feed them. Rebel was happy because he got the cantaloupe rinds and seeds. I tossed a couple Smokey's way but he's not a big fan of cantaloupe and didn't even finish them. I gave the roosters some of the seedy pulp and they loved it! They were pecking away at it the whole time I was getting the sweet feed ready and fed to the horses. Of course, the one rooster made fast for the feeding pen. He wandered around in there like he owned the place without a care in the world about those strong hoofs that could take him out in a second.
I guess the horses don't really even care that he's in there or they would surely make him leave. LOL
Off to feed the chickens, fill the water buckets for the dogs and give them each a dog biscuit. The chickens are doing a good job of digging up the dirt around Dizzy's apartment and it should be ready for the day lilies to go in as soon as they are ready to be separated. I hope that's soon...?
The puppies were a tangled mess so I undid all that while they fought over the biscuits. They don't realize how strong they are and when they pull on their chains, they pull me along too. Somehow I managed to get them untangled, watered and fed them their treats without getting scratched, without falling down (been there done that) and most importantly, without stepping in dog poo... lol The big dogs just sat there patiently waiting for their treats.
I went back inside and got dressed to go to the store. Ugh! Well I was only going to the Dollar Store so it wasn't so bad but I didn't want to leave with so much "to do" stuff still on my list. I needed stuff for cleaning though so off I went. I had to call Neccy to see what would be best for my tub and she told me Scrubbing Bubbles so I grabbed a can of that. I picked out a few birthday cards, some brake cleaner for Wally and then I checked out the "spring garden" stuff. They didn't have everything out yet so I held of buying any of that stuff although it was very tempting... lol!
I went over to Ace Hardware for some plumbing pieces, topped off my fuel since we used so much going to Kurt's and Pee Wee's and then I headed back home. It rained almost the whole way there. Thankfully, the rain had stopped by the time I got back home but when I got there I noticed that both puppies were free. I went and got some more biscuits and got them to come back over to the dog house where they were easily chained back up. Those little plastic clips on their collars are no longer strong enough to hold them so we're going to have to go with metal already. They're really getting big now!
I changed the laundry over and took the ham out of the refrigerator to cook for dinner. I read the instructions, then re-read them because I got distracted with a phone call. I did finally get the ham in the oven and then went out to find that last bag of fresh green beans from the summer (both ham and beans are pictured on the flickr site). Wow - we sure have put a dent in that freezer stash and I'll be glad to get started replenishing our supplies. So the beans were simmering in chicken broth with a little garlic powder and the ham was in the oven baking away. I had sweet potatoes wrapped in foil and waiting to go in with the ham and the house was smelling like ham-heaven if such a place exists... lol!
While all that cooked, I cleaned the bathroom - including the tub and I made the bed in the spare bedroom. I re-arranged the pantry rotating the older stuff to the front and the newer stuff to the back just like everyone else does :) right? lol Last on my list was getting a few boxes out to the trailer. Some had Christmas stuff that needed to be sorted through and the rest was stuff that needed to go on my kitchen shelf in the laundry room. I cleared a major path in the living room and planned to get to those floors the next day.
I pulled the ham and potatoes from the oven, turned off the green beans and got my shower. It was almost dark when Wally got back from the barn so we were both pretty well exhausted. We had our dinner and thoroughly enjoyed every bite of it, then together we cleaned up the kitchen and put away the leftover food. It wasn't long before we were upstairs in bed, both sound asleep. Did I mention how much it hurt my knees to climb the stairs to bed? Oh my... ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!
Sunday we were up and at 'em again since Kurt and Darryl were coming to work. Just as I had finished cooking breakfast they showed up in the driveway. Thankfully, I had enough for all of us so we all cleaned our plates and the guys headed out. Darryl brought me two 18 packs and one 12 pack of fresh eggs...woo hoo!!! I had just used the last ones the day before for our scrambled eggs so he had some really good timing. I gave him 5 empty cartons to take back for refills.
I made potato salad for Darryl to take to Pee Wee's in case we didn't make it over there for the race and then I cut the leftover ham from the bone and bagged it up for later. I poked a million holes in the London Broil and poured Italian dressing all over it. Throughout the day I flipped it over and over. I took the shrimp out and let them defrost in the sink and then it was outside to feed the animals again. This time I took an apple with me for the horses. I gotta get them buttered up for when the weather gets warm... lol
Smokey likes apples way more than he likes cantaloupe rinds so he ate his half and Rebel ate his. I gave them their sweet feed and scratched them both up under their halters.Soon they'll be going for a ride... shhhhh, they just don't know it yet.
The guys weren't long at the barn and by the time they got back, I was just finishing up getting my shower. Darryl and Kurt left for their other jobs and I made us both a ham wrap for lunch. It was pretty simple really - mayo on a whole wheat wrap, lettuce, tomato, chopped ham (left-over) and pepper jack cheese. We chilled out and then discussed whether or not we wanted to go to Pee Wee's. We were both okay with staying home so we loaded our cooler, and got situated in the living room. The London Broil was in the oven and the shrimps were peeled and ready for seasoning.
I'm very disappointed in NASCAR's decision to run the super speedway races like they're doing. This was supposed to be the "All American Race" and instead it was "All American Boredom." Sorry if you like this style of racing but I don't. You could tell by the way the drivers were talking that they aren't impressed with it either. With all the crashes due to not being able to see what's up ahead, it's going to be very expensive for the car owners. The drivers will get more 'dnf's' than they ever have and the fans get to sit and watch a bunch of boring laps... on the bright side, in the pool, Trevor Bayne was one of my cars so I won the money! $100.00 doesn't suck at all even though the new driving style does. LOL
As we watched the race, the London Broil cooked in the oven. I left it in for about 45 minutes to an hour because it was a pretty thick piece of meat. While we waited for that to finish, I peeled the shrimp and got them in the pan. They cooked in a mixture of butter, hot sauce, fresh garlic, black pepper, seasoning salt and a little bit of Old Bay. Since shrimp cooks so quickly, we were eating it in no time. The one bowl on the flickr site is really two pounds. Hard to believe, huh? Well, we ate the shrimp and watched racing and watched it rain out off the back porch. The rain didn't last long nor was it coming down very hard but it was pretty to see as it fell through what's left of the leaves on the trees in the woods. It was almost like a mist out there because it was so light.
The London Broil was a success - not sure why I didn't think to take a picture of it lol - although we were still stuffed from the shrimp so we only ate just a little bit of it. That's okay - plenty of leftovers for Monday night. I sliced up some more of it and we had it with the leftover sweet potatoes from Saturday night. Instant Dinner!! Love when that happens :) :)
Well as weekends go, this one was pretty darn good. My bathroom was sparkling, my living room floor was swept clean, we had more than enough food to eat including those fresh eggs from Darryl, my knees were sore from the fall and I kept so busy it seemed like I got some exercise out of it. When the race was over and the kitchen was cleaned up, we hit the hay. How was your weekend? Anyone fall down? Anyone win a race pool? Anyone cook a ham?
"Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead." ~Mac McCleary
The day lilies have come up and are about 4-5 inches tall. No sign of any daffodil action although I did see some blooming in one of the yards on my way to work. I'm guessing mine are of a different variety... Claudia said hers are up already too. They don't refer to them as daffodils though, they are all called butter cups no matter the variety. So butter cups it is going forward. It's kind of like "coke" in the south. No matter what kind of drink you want, it's typically called a coke.
When Colt was doing his Houdini act the other day, he apparently found and dug up my tulips AGAIN. I picked them all up and found them a new home where, hopefully, he'll be too busy to locate should he free himself another time. The ones in the pots haven't shown any signs of greenery either so now I'm hoping I did them right. Claudia says her tulips are up too...dang it!
The poinsettias I got at Christmastime have dropped all their leaves but they have new green sprouts on them so I know they're doing fine. I'm just not sure when they should go in the ground. In FL, they would already be there. Advice on this subject is eagerly anticipated and will be greatly appreciated.
Finally the Burpee seed catalog arrived!! I've been plowing through it on and off since it arrived. The problem is, there's just so much to choose from. I'd love to plant a little bit of a bunch of things but I have to limit myself so that I have enough time to care for everything. My garden will be doubled in size this year though because I need room for the pea trellises and bush beans. I'll keep you posted on the progress. Don't forget to keep me posted on the progress of your gardens too :)
The weekend turned out to be fairly busy for us with Wally and the guys working in the garage/barn most of the daytime while I worked up at the cabin. It didn't quite get warm enough for me to do any serious yard work but as you can tell from what's written above, I did at least get to take inventory and mark some progress.
On the way home Friday I stopped at the grocery store so I wouldn't have to go over the weekend. I made a list and pretty much stuck to it. I think my only exception was mayonnaise. They had it "buy one get one free" so I got it. Since the discovery of the mayonnaise biscuits, we've been going through it pretty quick...lol After the grocery store I was off to the gas station where I paid $2.99 per gallon....ugh!! They say it's only going to get higher. "They" are as bad as the weather people...
It rained for about 20 minutes which served to wet the roads and make for small puddles where the snow plow had been. Of course the dirt road was really pleasant on account of the rain...lol All the rinsing of my car that the rain had done was hidden under a new layer of mud. It's going to have to get washed one of these days. I told Wally, when it rains at work, the dirt leaves an outline around my car like a homicide scene chalk outline...LOL! I always know where to park :)
So I got home and started in making macaroni salad to take to Tennesha's birthday party. I made the one with the red kidney beans in it and Tennesha absolutely loved it... she raved over it and I was surprised and delighted. She said she had never had it like that before. hmmmm? I thought everyone had. I must say it was very good with the crunchy peppers, onions and celery and the slightly thick texture of the beans while they slipped themselves nicely into the shell macaroni that was coated in mayonnaise, salt and pepper lol...I have to figure a way to ship this to FL without it going bad. I have so many requests for it all the time!
When we arrived at the birthday party, we both got out of the car and headed for the door. In my hands I carried my jacket, my macaroni salad, my keys and my satchel. I stopped on the sidewalk to move a glass jar that was in the way and then promptly tripped on the step up. I took a hard fall down and everything went flying through the air! Of course, Wally was already up to and almost inside the door seeing as how his steps double mine. He heard me say loudly, "crap!" and came back out to see if I was okay.
I'm too old to be falling down like that - it hurt like heck and kind of made my stomach a little upset. I hadn't even been drinking for pete's sake... lol I landed hard on both knees and both hands. I had to sit there for a minute or two and kind of get my bearings - you know? Well Wally and Kurt were both waiting for me to make this speedy recovery so I acted like I was fine and let them help me up. I was in some pretty bad pain though. I pulled up the leg of my jeans and checked the damages and it didn't look anywhere near as bad as it felt. It was already bruising and there was just a little tiny scrape. I wasn't about to get much sympathy out of that...lol Well, I got inside and took a seat and started visiting with everyone and eventually forgot about it. The macaroni salad was in Tupperware and the lid remained intact - just in case you were wondering if it survived.
The dinner was good and Tennesha was very sweet and grateful for everything. We ate wings, ribs, corn on the cob, my mac salad and some of the marinated mushrooms. I had served them at the house one night and Tennesha liked them so much she asked me if I would make them for her at their house. She had all the ingredients so I started chopping mushrooms while Claudia cleaned the mason jar. Kurt and Wally did the wings and ribs while Beverly did the corn, some french bread and made sure we had styrofoam plates, napkins and forks. Working together we put on a nice little party for her and we had a good time doing it.
After we ate, everyone had to go outside and smoke. I didn't want to be the only one inside so I went out with them. Well it had certainly chilled down temperature-wise so I had to put on my jacket. I was the only one. How do they do it? They even had on short sleeved shirts and flip flops... not me man. My blood is still FL blood apparently lol!!
After their ciggies, they all decided to go to Pee Wee's. Kurt and Beverly live pretty close so it was no big deal. We left Tennesha and her friend at the house and loaded up for Pee Wee's. There were maybe 4 or 5 people other than us and they were having a good old time. Kurt played the juke box, Claudia played pool and Beverly was talking to a lady she hadn't seen in awhile. The rest of them were cutting up as usual and the time passed quickly. We were out rather late for us so when it came time to go, I was more than ready :)
You would think being out later than usual I would be able to sleep later than usual. Ha ha ha not so much. I was awake when the first rooster decided to take the opportunity to wake up the world. Once he got started, they all got started. It was a rooster chorus as is the case every morning. The thing you have to remember about them is that they have no weekend or weekday...it's all the same to them. So what if you want to sleep at 4 in the morning? The roosters are up and chances are you won't be able to sleep through all that racket even if you tried. Although I have seen some people do it with no problem...
We got up Saturday morning and I fixed some scrambled eggs with smoked sausages and we had cantaloupe and red seedless grapes on the side. We were out of bread (but I didn't know it) and I didn't have time to make biscuits because the guys were coming over to work. It was filling and very tasty and easy to clean up so it wasn't long before I was off to tend to my Saturday morning list. Does everyone have a Saturday morning list? lol
First up, feed the animals :) The horses were whinnying at me the minute I walked out the door and the roosters followed me over to feed them. Rebel was happy because he got the cantaloupe rinds and seeds. I tossed a couple Smokey's way but he's not a big fan of cantaloupe and didn't even finish them. I gave the roosters some of the seedy pulp and they loved it! They were pecking away at it the whole time I was getting the sweet feed ready and fed to the horses. Of course, the one rooster made fast for the feeding pen. He wandered around in there like he owned the place without a care in the world about those strong hoofs that could take him out in a second.
I guess the horses don't really even care that he's in there or they would surely make him leave. LOL
Off to feed the chickens, fill the water buckets for the dogs and give them each a dog biscuit. The chickens are doing a good job of digging up the dirt around Dizzy's apartment and it should be ready for the day lilies to go in as soon as they are ready to be separated. I hope that's soon...?
The puppies were a tangled mess so I undid all that while they fought over the biscuits. They don't realize how strong they are and when they pull on their chains, they pull me along too. Somehow I managed to get them untangled, watered and fed them their treats without getting scratched, without falling down (been there done that) and most importantly, without stepping in dog poo... lol The big dogs just sat there patiently waiting for their treats.
I went back inside and got dressed to go to the store. Ugh! Well I was only going to the Dollar Store so it wasn't so bad but I didn't want to leave with so much "to do" stuff still on my list. I needed stuff for cleaning though so off I went. I had to call Neccy to see what would be best for my tub and she told me Scrubbing Bubbles so I grabbed a can of that. I picked out a few birthday cards, some brake cleaner for Wally and then I checked out the "spring garden" stuff. They didn't have everything out yet so I held of buying any of that stuff although it was very tempting... lol!
I went over to Ace Hardware for some plumbing pieces, topped off my fuel since we used so much going to Kurt's and Pee Wee's and then I headed back home. It rained almost the whole way there. Thankfully, the rain had stopped by the time I got back home but when I got there I noticed that both puppies were free. I went and got some more biscuits and got them to come back over to the dog house where they were easily chained back up. Those little plastic clips on their collars are no longer strong enough to hold them so we're going to have to go with metal already. They're really getting big now!
I changed the laundry over and took the ham out of the refrigerator to cook for dinner. I read the instructions, then re-read them because I got distracted with a phone call. I did finally get the ham in the oven and then went out to find that last bag of fresh green beans from the summer (both ham and beans are pictured on the flickr site). Wow - we sure have put a dent in that freezer stash and I'll be glad to get started replenishing our supplies. So the beans were simmering in chicken broth with a little garlic powder and the ham was in the oven baking away. I had sweet potatoes wrapped in foil and waiting to go in with the ham and the house was smelling like ham-heaven if such a place exists... lol!
While all that cooked, I cleaned the bathroom - including the tub and I made the bed in the spare bedroom. I re-arranged the pantry rotating the older stuff to the front and the newer stuff to the back just like everyone else does :) right? lol Last on my list was getting a few boxes out to the trailer. Some had Christmas stuff that needed to be sorted through and the rest was stuff that needed to go on my kitchen shelf in the laundry room. I cleared a major path in the living room and planned to get to those floors the next day.
I pulled the ham and potatoes from the oven, turned off the green beans and got my shower. It was almost dark when Wally got back from the barn so we were both pretty well exhausted. We had our dinner and thoroughly enjoyed every bite of it, then together we cleaned up the kitchen and put away the leftover food. It wasn't long before we were upstairs in bed, both sound asleep. Did I mention how much it hurt my knees to climb the stairs to bed? Oh my... ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!
Sunday we were up and at 'em again since Kurt and Darryl were coming to work. Just as I had finished cooking breakfast they showed up in the driveway. Thankfully, I had enough for all of us so we all cleaned our plates and the guys headed out. Darryl brought me two 18 packs and one 12 pack of fresh eggs...woo hoo!!! I had just used the last ones the day before for our scrambled eggs so he had some really good timing. I gave him 5 empty cartons to take back for refills.
I made potato salad for Darryl to take to Pee Wee's in case we didn't make it over there for the race and then I cut the leftover ham from the bone and bagged it up for later. I poked a million holes in the London Broil and poured Italian dressing all over it. Throughout the day I flipped it over and over. I took the shrimp out and let them defrost in the sink and then it was outside to feed the animals again. This time I took an apple with me for the horses. I gotta get them buttered up for when the weather gets warm... lol
Smokey likes apples way more than he likes cantaloupe rinds so he ate his half and Rebel ate his. I gave them their sweet feed and scratched them both up under their halters.Soon they'll be going for a ride... shhhhh, they just don't know it yet.
The guys weren't long at the barn and by the time they got back, I was just finishing up getting my shower. Darryl and Kurt left for their other jobs and I made us both a ham wrap for lunch. It was pretty simple really - mayo on a whole wheat wrap, lettuce, tomato, chopped ham (left-over) and pepper jack cheese. We chilled out and then discussed whether or not we wanted to go to Pee Wee's. We were both okay with staying home so we loaded our cooler, and got situated in the living room. The London Broil was in the oven and the shrimps were peeled and ready for seasoning.
I'm very disappointed in NASCAR's decision to run the super speedway races like they're doing. This was supposed to be the "All American Race" and instead it was "All American Boredom." Sorry if you like this style of racing but I don't. You could tell by the way the drivers were talking that they aren't impressed with it either. With all the crashes due to not being able to see what's up ahead, it's going to be very expensive for the car owners. The drivers will get more 'dnf's' than they ever have and the fans get to sit and watch a bunch of boring laps... on the bright side, in the pool, Trevor Bayne was one of my cars so I won the money! $100.00 doesn't suck at all even though the new driving style does. LOL
As we watched the race, the London Broil cooked in the oven. I left it in for about 45 minutes to an hour because it was a pretty thick piece of meat. While we waited for that to finish, I peeled the shrimp and got them in the pan. They cooked in a mixture of butter, hot sauce, fresh garlic, black pepper, seasoning salt and a little bit of Old Bay. Since shrimp cooks so quickly, we were eating it in no time. The one bowl on the flickr site is really two pounds. Hard to believe, huh? Well, we ate the shrimp and watched racing and watched it rain out off the back porch. The rain didn't last long nor was it coming down very hard but it was pretty to see as it fell through what's left of the leaves on the trees in the woods. It was almost like a mist out there because it was so light.
The London Broil was a success - not sure why I didn't think to take a picture of it lol - although we were still stuffed from the shrimp so we only ate just a little bit of it. That's okay - plenty of leftovers for Monday night. I sliced up some more of it and we had it with the leftover sweet potatoes from Saturday night. Instant Dinner!! Love when that happens :) :)
Well as weekends go, this one was pretty darn good. My bathroom was sparkling, my living room floor was swept clean, we had more than enough food to eat including those fresh eggs from Darryl, my knees were sore from the fall and I kept so busy it seemed like I got some exercise out of it. When the race was over and the kitchen was cleaned up, we hit the hay. How was your weekend? Anyone fall down? Anyone win a race pool? Anyone cook a ham?
"Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead." ~Mac McCleary
Friday, February 18, 2011
Let The Weekend Begin...
LIKE everyone else, I too look forward to the weekend getting here. I just wish it could stay longer!
This weekend is sure to be busy as plans are already in the works for when I get home. First I'm stopping at the grocery store so I won't have to go on Saturday. I hope to be able to get in the yard if the weather holds out. So Food Lion, here I come! lol They have London Broil buy one get one free... I've never cooked a London Broil successfully - mine comes out tough and way too well done. Wally says he knows how to cook one right so I'll get to watch and see how it goes. Oh, the beer is $13.99 an 18 pack so I'll pick up a couple of those too... lol of course.
Today is Tennesha's 18th birthday. Kurt and Beverly invited us over there to have chicken and ribs and help celebrate her birthday. I'm not sure hanging around a bunch of old folks is Tennesha's idea of fun but what the heck? I know you'll be surprised to hear that I don't remember my 18th birthday but I'm pretty sure I didn't stay home with my parents and their friends. Nothing against my parents and their friends - they were the coolest after all - it's just that at 18, I was wanting to go out somewhere. That much I do remember... and the hokey looking clothes we wore and the hokier looking hairdos LOL
Without much notice of the birthday I had no time to shop for a gift so I decided to make her one instead. I went on the internet and found a wealth of useless information referencing Feb. 18th that I compiled into a nice little birthday card form and printed it out for her. I hope she likes it. She shares her birthday with John Travolta - how 'bout that?
We're supposed to be over at their house around 7:00. Jeez, they must not realize that's my bedtime...how in the world will I ever be able to stay up that late? LOL Maybe we could go a little early so I can help get things ready or something. I can just see me crashing on their couch... :)
Saturday is sure to be filled with some cleaning, the upstairs floors need to be done in the worst way... where does all that darn dust come from??? I'm also planning to get out in the yard. I'm not sure I can do much in the way of preparing my garden soil since the ground hasn't completely thawed yet but I do have a nice little circle of rooster poo on the ground under the tree where they have been sleeping. Mom says if I move it to the garden, by spring it will be old enough to use for fertilizer...woo hoo I got poo!! lol
Chicken poo being the best of the best, I'm reserving it for the tomatoes since they will be the big prizes. The beans and peas will have to suffice with horse poo :) it's ranked lower than chicken poo and cow poo but it's free and easily accessed here on the farm so I'm going to use it. Might as well :)
I have a ham thawing out for Saturday's dinner. I'm planning to bake a couple sweet potatoes to go with it and we'll have the last bag of summer beans too. Darryl donated two plastic grocery bags full of beans back in the summer, if you recall? I snapped them and stringed them (is stringed a word? strung? lol you get my drift) and packed them away in the freezer. Now I'm ready to bring out that bag and get them cooking. Come on up and have dinner with us anytime you like. There's always plenty :)
I imagine by the time I get all that done I'll be pretty wiped out and ready for bed. Not only that but I'll be up later than usual tonight so I'm sure I'll crash early on Saturday. Sunday is RACE DAY!!! woo hoo!!! Bring on the boys!!!!!! I was able to get in the pool at Pee Wee's. We didn't make it down there but we called her and she said I could have the one open spot available. They pulled my number for me and I got #1. That means any car number ending in a 1 is mine. If any car number ending in a 1 wins, then I win the pot. I think it's like $250.00 or something like that. Keep your fingers crossed for me and root for my cars...lol I don't even know who they are yet. I have to look them up. LOL Someone please tell Ricky Kline - I'm sure he'll get a kick out of it. :)
Sorry to cut it short today but it's closing time for me - yeah!!! Off to Food Lion and Tennesha's birthday party. I'm not used to being so busy on a Friday night anymore...LOL! Enjoy the weekend, I hope your driver wins!
Oh yeah - I found the Farmer's Almanac that was misplaced back in November and here is the quote for February:
"Although the winter grey with age, yet reigns a sovereign king;
Sols plastic rays will soon assuage, and usher in the spring."
There are still 4 weeks until spring but everyone seems to get getting really antsy for it. The stores have their seed racks out and all the gardening supplies are being put out on the shelves. Bug spray, sunscreen, lawn chairs and patio lights are all on display encouraging you to buy them. Maybe it makes folks feel like spring will come quicker if only they get stocked up on bug spray? I don't know. LOL
"People understand contests. You take a bunch of kids throwing rocks at random and people look askance, but if you go and hold a rock-throwing contest - people understand that." ~Don Murray
This weekend is sure to be busy as plans are already in the works for when I get home. First I'm stopping at the grocery store so I won't have to go on Saturday. I hope to be able to get in the yard if the weather holds out. So Food Lion, here I come! lol They have London Broil buy one get one free... I've never cooked a London Broil successfully - mine comes out tough and way too well done. Wally says he knows how to cook one right so I'll get to watch and see how it goes. Oh, the beer is $13.99 an 18 pack so I'll pick up a couple of those too... lol of course.
Today is Tennesha's 18th birthday. Kurt and Beverly invited us over there to have chicken and ribs and help celebrate her birthday. I'm not sure hanging around a bunch of old folks is Tennesha's idea of fun but what the heck? I know you'll be surprised to hear that I don't remember my 18th birthday but I'm pretty sure I didn't stay home with my parents and their friends. Nothing against my parents and their friends - they were the coolest after all - it's just that at 18, I was wanting to go out somewhere. That much I do remember... and the hokey looking clothes we wore and the hokier looking hairdos LOL
Without much notice of the birthday I had no time to shop for a gift so I decided to make her one instead. I went on the internet and found a wealth of useless information referencing Feb. 18th that I compiled into a nice little birthday card form and printed it out for her. I hope she likes it. She shares her birthday with John Travolta - how 'bout that?
We're supposed to be over at their house around 7:00. Jeez, they must not realize that's my bedtime...how in the world will I ever be able to stay up that late? LOL Maybe we could go a little early so I can help get things ready or something. I can just see me crashing on their couch... :)
Saturday is sure to be filled with some cleaning, the upstairs floors need to be done in the worst way... where does all that darn dust come from??? I'm also planning to get out in the yard. I'm not sure I can do much in the way of preparing my garden soil since the ground hasn't completely thawed yet but I do have a nice little circle of rooster poo on the ground under the tree where they have been sleeping. Mom says if I move it to the garden, by spring it will be old enough to use for fertilizer...woo hoo I got poo!! lol
Chicken poo being the best of the best, I'm reserving it for the tomatoes since they will be the big prizes. The beans and peas will have to suffice with horse poo :) it's ranked lower than chicken poo and cow poo but it's free and easily accessed here on the farm so I'm going to use it. Might as well :)
I have a ham thawing out for Saturday's dinner. I'm planning to bake a couple sweet potatoes to go with it and we'll have the last bag of summer beans too. Darryl donated two plastic grocery bags full of beans back in the summer, if you recall? I snapped them and stringed them (is stringed a word? strung? lol you get my drift) and packed them away in the freezer. Now I'm ready to bring out that bag and get them cooking. Come on up and have dinner with us anytime you like. There's always plenty :)
I imagine by the time I get all that done I'll be pretty wiped out and ready for bed. Not only that but I'll be up later than usual tonight so I'm sure I'll crash early on Saturday. Sunday is RACE DAY!!! woo hoo!!! Bring on the boys!!!!!! I was able to get in the pool at Pee Wee's. We didn't make it down there but we called her and she said I could have the one open spot available. They pulled my number for me and I got #1. That means any car number ending in a 1 is mine. If any car number ending in a 1 wins, then I win the pot. I think it's like $250.00 or something like that. Keep your fingers crossed for me and root for my cars...lol I don't even know who they are yet. I have to look them up. LOL Someone please tell Ricky Kline - I'm sure he'll get a kick out of it. :)
Sorry to cut it short today but it's closing time for me - yeah!!! Off to Food Lion and Tennesha's birthday party. I'm not used to being so busy on a Friday night anymore...LOL! Enjoy the weekend, I hope your driver wins!
Oh yeah - I found the Farmer's Almanac that was misplaced back in November and here is the quote for February:
"Although the winter grey with age, yet reigns a sovereign king;
Sols plastic rays will soon assuage, and usher in the spring."
There are still 4 weeks until spring but everyone seems to get getting really antsy for it. The stores have their seed racks out and all the gardening supplies are being put out on the shelves. Bug spray, sunscreen, lawn chairs and patio lights are all on display encouraging you to buy them. Maybe it makes folks feel like spring will come quicker if only they get stocked up on bug spray? I don't know. LOL
"People understand contests. You take a bunch of kids throwing rocks at random and people look askance, but if you go and hold a rock-throwing contest - people understand that." ~Don Murray
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
71 Degrees....WHAT??? LOL
NOT today but tomorrow for sure - or so "they" say...
Today we're supposed to reach 61 degrees and tomorrow, for real, we're supposed to reach 71 degrees. I don't know if that's considered normal or not for this time of year and I don't care. LOL I didn't realize how much I missed wearing just one layer of clothes, one pair of socks and only a lightweight jacket -my good old standby, the gray hoodie.
I only turn on the heater in the mornings and by the time I leave work, I can actually crack the window just a bit. It's still cool air when it comes blowing in the window, right? lol The sunglass purchase came at just the right time because the sun has been shining brightly since Sunday and from what "they" say, it will be like this through the weekend with only a slight chance of showers Friday night or Saturday morning. SWEET.
I was soooooo hoping that my Burpee seed and plant catalog would be in the mail yesterday but alas the mailbox was empty :( I did notice, however, that the grocery store, Lowe's and Fred's all have seed packets available for purchase should I so choose to pick up a packet or two. I'm trying to hold off until the catalog gets here so my choices are greater. It's one of those true tests of my patience I must say.
For the record, the mystery plants from last year (Allium) have sprouted from the ground and are about 4 inches high. That's just the leafy part, of course, since we all remember well how long it took for the darn things to bloom last year. Can you believe come March 26th, I will have been living here a year? Wow, time really does fly when you're having fun or as I once read hanging from a frog statue "time is fun when you're having flies." LOL The blog sure has come far since way back then... I'm glad you stuck with me and encouraged me to continue. Reading some of the archives brought back those earliest days and reminded me of the beautiful springtime season lurking around the corner for me.
Winter takes it's time coming and going here in southwest middle Tennessee :) (that's what they call it on the radio here where we live lol) and it's silly to think it's over just because we're enjoying some warm temperatures. From what I've read and heard we could still get more snow. That's hard to imagine looking outside right now but never say never.
I spoke with Kelly yesterday and she said that while it is chilly in the mornings for those of you in Florida, the afternoons are already getting up into the 80s. Wow - even though I do fondly remember those days, they get pushed back further and further with each writing. I spoke with Bud yesterday too and he said Tammy Jo had gathered up a bunch of stuff so she too could decide what to plant at the house...she's looking at tomatoes and peppers.
I told her not to forget the banana peppers. As I recall growing those one year they came up taller than I stand and I had so many peppers that I didn't know what the heck to do with them all. I put them in everything. If you ate my macaroni or potato salad that year, you ate banana peppers. If you ate my spaghetti or ziti or anything Italian, you ate banana peppers. If you ate chili or hamburgers or deviled eggs, you ate banana peppers. I pickled jars and jars of them to use on sandwiches throughout the year. I even put them in my homemade salsa. And still they kept growing... I think I felt about those peppers that year much the same way I feel about the snow this year... ready for it to quit. hahahahahahahahaha I actually don't mind the snow as long as I don't have to drive in it...
I spoke with Dizzy Debbie Monday and she filled me in on her vacation in Florida. She said she was having a great time and she really enjoyed visiting with everyone again. I spoke with Ernie and she said it was really good to see everyone too and that she's going to try and stop in more often because everyone is just so NICE down there and she had so much fun. :) If you can't have fun at the Oriole's, you have problems. lol
The consensus seems to be then that NASCAR has sunk to a new low. So far, I have heard from four people who are in agreement with me on my opinion of the "new" way of racing. I'm going to reserve further judgement until after the Daytona 500 but it's not looking good for NASCAR. I hope all fans who feel the same way have registered their complaints on line. I haven't been able to access the site but I'll keep trying.
I've got 2 pounds of shrimp in the freezer for Sunday's "shrimp on the BarB." They'll be drenched in fresh garlic, hot sauce, seasoning salt, cilantro and black pepper. I still can't find the skewers that I use for the grill but I'm hoping to find them this weekend. I can cook the shrimp in the oven under the broiler but they are just so much better on the grill... hence the name "shrimp on the BarB." :) just ask Ernie, William and Britney, Sydna, Marcia, Dizzy Debbie and her son Brian... YUMMY!
For my birthday, my Mom gave me a gift card to Borders so before too long, I'll have my hands on some new books to read. If you're interested, I'll blog about them. I won't tell the whole story, just enough to get you intrigued. If you decide you want to read the whole book, I'll be happy to send it your way. I only ask that you pass it on so someone else can enjoy it as well. I typically read murder mysteries but you never know...something else might catch my fancy this go round.
As you know Colt has the nickname of Houdini and in living up to his name he escaped his collar and chain twice yesterday. The first time, Wally caught him. He took him for a walk and then chained him up again. Then when I got home, sure enough there he sat right next to Ruger who was still on the chain. He didn't appear to want to run and since he has learned to come to us, I figured I might as well give it a try. I called him to me and over he came right up to me - whew!! We know very well that could easily have gone the other way...lol
Colt sat down and let me pet him. I couldn't hardly hook him up yet because his collar was missing and his chain was so entwined with Ruger's chain that I had to untangle them before I could do anything with Colt. Jeez those little guys can make a mess of things! Round and round that chain was wrapped and the only way to unwrap it was to get Ruger to go under and over it time and time again. He was funny doing this because he thought he was playing. I tugged on his chain and he jumped over Colt's chain, I tugged, he jumped (the chain was on the ground...) and so on for however long it took. All the while this was going on, Colt was nipping at Ruger and trying to pounce on him. I gave each of them a doggy biscuit and they finally relaxed enough to sit down and eat them.
While Colt was eating, I found his collar under the leaves and hooked it back around his neck. With the chain now hooked to his collar, I went to pet Ruger one more time. The little monster jumped up and scratched the heck out of my arm. You may or may not know it but I have what I call "old lady skin." Mine does the same thing Joyce's skin does. It bruises easily and it always looks much worse than it really is. This time was no exception. I have big red scratch marks (about 3 inches long) right in the middle of my forearm. He didn't even act like he felt bad about it... lol Silly puppy!
Chains untangled, puppies eating their biscuits, I was off to feed the roosters. They are acting really weird these days but as I have no real experience with roosters, I've no idea what is going on with them. They have always shunned Roo and that still holds true only now they won't let him eat with them AT ALL. They run him off as soon as he approaches. I just started feeding them on one side of Dizzy's apartment and then I feed Roo on the other side. Only he and I know it's happening. Those other Rooster Thugs are too busy chowing down to notice that he and I are on the opposite side.
There is one with a white belly, one with a fully, freckled, belly, one with a patch on his belly and one with a fully, black, belly. Then there's Roo - he's a black belly too but he's easy to identify. So now that Roo stays far away from them, the fully-freckled belly rooster picks on all the others. He mostly picks on the white belly rooster. When I fed them the other day those two ruffled their neck feathers, stretched up as tall as they could, made some funny garble kind of sound and then went at each other! They pecked and clawed for just a couple seconds and it was all over with. What the heck that was all about is a complete mystery to me! Life with roosters is never dull :) lololololololol haha
I went back up to the cabin and cleaned off my shoes...puppy poo and rooster poo, it just never ends. I changed into a t-shirt (yeah, it was that warm), took out my contacts and got ready to go to the barn. Wally was down there working on the Bronco so I thought I'd go see if I could help...help watch that is. I'm no help at all when it comes to actual "mechanical" help. I know it and he knows it and we no longer expect much out of me on that level. I know when to leave well enough alone as far as that goes. I don't know why this paragraph has the white background...?
I took off on the 4 wheeler and enjoyed the ride through the holler with the calmness of the day settling in on the woods around me. I saw no deer, I saw no hawks, I saw not one single squirrel or rabbit. That was very unusual for the holler. Even so, it was a nice ride and before long I pulled up to the barn and Wally came walking out. He was covered in grease... he had been working on that thing all day and it was dirty, dirty, dirty I tell you! EW no wonder I'm not cut out to be a mechanic...you have to touch that stuff.
He worked for a little while longer and then we went home. Curtis had come by earlier in the day and we had two huge slabs of ribs in the refrigerator. I think we'll cook them on the smoker this weekend but just looking at them made me hungry. I already had venison out for dinner so the ribs would have to wait.
We put the puppies on their leashes and headed off down the driveway. The roosters had already flown up into their respective trees and were cock-a-doodle-doing back and forth as we took our daily walk. Roo has taken to sleeping in a cedar tree down past Dizzy's apartment so he crows, then they crow, then he crows and on and on until they finally sleep. Our walks don't seem to bother them one little bit.
When our walk was over, we put the puppies back on their chains, made sure everyone had plenty of water, turned on their night light and headed for the cabin. I washed my hands and started dinner while Wally got a shower. We both smelled like dirty puppies...lol still not warm enough for them to have a bath.
I browned the venison tenderloin then added some John Boy and Billy marinade and half a beer. I chopped up and added some green pepper, some onion and some mushrooms. I sprinkled in some garlic powder and black pepper and then turned all that juice into a nice brown gravy. We had the venison and gravy with some whole wheat yeast rolls and sweet baby green peas. It was a little too salty for me (and it takes a lot for that to happen) but all in all very tasty. The venison was as tender as it could be and the peppers and onions had just a little bit of crunch to them. In hindsight, I should have added some broccoli but it didn't occur to me at the time. It was a very low calorie, low fat, nutritious meal that we both enjoyed and felt just the right amount of fullness having eaten it.
The whole wheat yeast rolls aren't half bad when you cover them with dark brown gravy... lol!
We ate our dinner as the sun set through the back porch windows. The roosters had quieted down and the dogs were all in their dog house. I rocked in my rocking chair while Wally lounged in his recliner as we watched tv and waited for bedtime to come. We watched a show called Pioneers of Television and it was really good. It talked about how the late night talk shows came about and had old clips of all of them. It was cool to see Johnny Carson back in the day. I'm sure he would think the same of me hahahahahaha
As I stood looking out the front door this morning, while it was still pretty much dark there was some light from a soon to be full moon, I saw four little rabbits run out into the front yard. That's the second time in a week I've seen them... I sure hope they aren't building nests up under the porch. If the dogs catch wind of that, we might not have any baby rabbits come springtime.
We still see the deer from time to time. There are three who tend to hang out together and still one of them is very small. She must be a deer midget or something. She never grows. To her benefit, she'll probably out live all the others - seems to me the hunters in these parts are out for the big game animals - she's too small to be anyone's trophy deer. Good for her - even I wouldn't have the heart to take her down. See - I do have a heart.
It's Wednesday and we're supposed to go to Pee Wee's Place. I'm still hoping to get in the race pool and I know one person who is giving up his spot. He said he wanted me to have it but, unfortunately, it's not up to him. It's up to Pee Wee to pick who gets it. I don't know that I'm on her good side enough to get the spot but if we don't show, we won't know. So off we'll go....ha ha you didn't know I was a poet, did you? lol
In as much as I would love to continue writing today I have that darned work thing to do... annual mandatory training is due and all that. Once again I must leave you but I'll be back with more of our antics to share before you know it...
In honor of Neccy who insists that I "come home, come home" whenever we speak or email, here is your quote for today...
"A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double." ~Toni Morrison
Today we're supposed to reach 61 degrees and tomorrow, for real, we're supposed to reach 71 degrees. I don't know if that's considered normal or not for this time of year and I don't care. LOL I didn't realize how much I missed wearing just one layer of clothes, one pair of socks and only a lightweight jacket -my good old standby, the gray hoodie.
I only turn on the heater in the mornings and by the time I leave work, I can actually crack the window just a bit. It's still cool air when it comes blowing in the window, right? lol The sunglass purchase came at just the right time because the sun has been shining brightly since Sunday and from what "they" say, it will be like this through the weekend with only a slight chance of showers Friday night or Saturday morning. SWEET.
I was soooooo hoping that my Burpee seed and plant catalog would be in the mail yesterday but alas the mailbox was empty :( I did notice, however, that the grocery store, Lowe's and Fred's all have seed packets available for purchase should I so choose to pick up a packet or two. I'm trying to hold off until the catalog gets here so my choices are greater. It's one of those true tests of my patience I must say.
For the record, the mystery plants from last year (Allium) have sprouted from the ground and are about 4 inches high. That's just the leafy part, of course, since we all remember well how long it took for the darn things to bloom last year. Can you believe come March 26th, I will have been living here a year? Wow, time really does fly when you're having fun or as I once read hanging from a frog statue "time is fun when you're having flies." LOL The blog sure has come far since way back then... I'm glad you stuck with me and encouraged me to continue. Reading some of the archives brought back those earliest days and reminded me of the beautiful springtime season lurking around the corner for me.
Winter takes it's time coming and going here in southwest middle Tennessee :) (that's what they call it on the radio here where we live lol) and it's silly to think it's over just because we're enjoying some warm temperatures. From what I've read and heard we could still get more snow. That's hard to imagine looking outside right now but never say never.
I spoke with Kelly yesterday and she said that while it is chilly in the mornings for those of you in Florida, the afternoons are already getting up into the 80s. Wow - even though I do fondly remember those days, they get pushed back further and further with each writing. I spoke with Bud yesterday too and he said Tammy Jo had gathered up a bunch of stuff so she too could decide what to plant at the house...she's looking at tomatoes and peppers.
I told her not to forget the banana peppers. As I recall growing those one year they came up taller than I stand and I had so many peppers that I didn't know what the heck to do with them all. I put them in everything. If you ate my macaroni or potato salad that year, you ate banana peppers. If you ate my spaghetti or ziti or anything Italian, you ate banana peppers. If you ate chili or hamburgers or deviled eggs, you ate banana peppers. I pickled jars and jars of them to use on sandwiches throughout the year. I even put them in my homemade salsa. And still they kept growing... I think I felt about those peppers that year much the same way I feel about the snow this year... ready for it to quit. hahahahahahahahaha I actually don't mind the snow as long as I don't have to drive in it...
I spoke with Dizzy Debbie Monday and she filled me in on her vacation in Florida. She said she was having a great time and she really enjoyed visiting with everyone again. I spoke with Ernie and she said it was really good to see everyone too and that she's going to try and stop in more often because everyone is just so NICE down there and she had so much fun. :) If you can't have fun at the Oriole's, you have problems. lol
The consensus seems to be then that NASCAR has sunk to a new low. So far, I have heard from four people who are in agreement with me on my opinion of the "new" way of racing. I'm going to reserve further judgement until after the Daytona 500 but it's not looking good for NASCAR. I hope all fans who feel the same way have registered their complaints on line. I haven't been able to access the site but I'll keep trying.
I've got 2 pounds of shrimp in the freezer for Sunday's "shrimp on the BarB." They'll be drenched in fresh garlic, hot sauce, seasoning salt, cilantro and black pepper. I still can't find the skewers that I use for the grill but I'm hoping to find them this weekend. I can cook the shrimp in the oven under the broiler but they are just so much better on the grill... hence the name "shrimp on the BarB." :) just ask Ernie, William and Britney, Sydna, Marcia, Dizzy Debbie and her son Brian... YUMMY!
For my birthday, my Mom gave me a gift card to Borders so before too long, I'll have my hands on some new books to read. If you're interested, I'll blog about them. I won't tell the whole story, just enough to get you intrigued. If you decide you want to read the whole book, I'll be happy to send it your way. I only ask that you pass it on so someone else can enjoy it as well. I typically read murder mysteries but you never know...something else might catch my fancy this go round.
As you know Colt has the nickname of Houdini and in living up to his name he escaped his collar and chain twice yesterday. The first time, Wally caught him. He took him for a walk and then chained him up again. Then when I got home, sure enough there he sat right next to Ruger who was still on the chain. He didn't appear to want to run and since he has learned to come to us, I figured I might as well give it a try. I called him to me and over he came right up to me - whew!! We know very well that could easily have gone the other way...lol
Colt sat down and let me pet him. I couldn't hardly hook him up yet because his collar was missing and his chain was so entwined with Ruger's chain that I had to untangle them before I could do anything with Colt. Jeez those little guys can make a mess of things! Round and round that chain was wrapped and the only way to unwrap it was to get Ruger to go under and over it time and time again. He was funny doing this because he thought he was playing. I tugged on his chain and he jumped over Colt's chain, I tugged, he jumped (the chain was on the ground...) and so on for however long it took. All the while this was going on, Colt was nipping at Ruger and trying to pounce on him. I gave each of them a doggy biscuit and they finally relaxed enough to sit down and eat them.
While Colt was eating, I found his collar under the leaves and hooked it back around his neck. With the chain now hooked to his collar, I went to pet Ruger one more time. The little monster jumped up and scratched the heck out of my arm. You may or may not know it but I have what I call "old lady skin." Mine does the same thing Joyce's skin does. It bruises easily and it always looks much worse than it really is. This time was no exception. I have big red scratch marks (about 3 inches long) right in the middle of my forearm. He didn't even act like he felt bad about it... lol Silly puppy!
Chains untangled, puppies eating their biscuits, I was off to feed the roosters. They are acting really weird these days but as I have no real experience with roosters, I've no idea what is going on with them. They have always shunned Roo and that still holds true only now they won't let him eat with them AT ALL. They run him off as soon as he approaches. I just started feeding them on one side of Dizzy's apartment and then I feed Roo on the other side. Only he and I know it's happening. Those other Rooster Thugs are too busy chowing down to notice that he and I are on the opposite side.
There is one with a white belly, one with a fully, freckled, belly, one with a patch on his belly and one with a fully, black, belly. Then there's Roo - he's a black belly too but he's easy to identify. So now that Roo stays far away from them, the fully-freckled belly rooster picks on all the others. He mostly picks on the white belly rooster. When I fed them the other day those two ruffled their neck feathers, stretched up as tall as they could, made some funny garble kind of sound and then went at each other! They pecked and clawed for just a couple seconds and it was all over with. What the heck that was all about is a complete mystery to me! Life with roosters is never dull :) lololololololol haha
I went back up to the cabin and cleaned off my shoes...puppy poo and rooster poo, it just never ends. I changed into a t-shirt (yeah, it was that warm), took out my contacts and got ready to go to the barn. Wally was down there working on the Bronco so I thought I'd go see if I could help...help watch that is. I'm no help at all when it comes to actual "mechanical" help. I know it and he knows it and we no longer expect much out of me on that level. I know when to leave well enough alone as far as that goes. I don't know why this paragraph has the white background...?
I took off on the 4 wheeler and enjoyed the ride through the holler with the calmness of the day settling in on the woods around me. I saw no deer, I saw no hawks, I saw not one single squirrel or rabbit. That was very unusual for the holler. Even so, it was a nice ride and before long I pulled up to the barn and Wally came walking out. He was covered in grease... he had been working on that thing all day and it was dirty, dirty, dirty I tell you! EW no wonder I'm not cut out to be a mechanic...you have to touch that stuff.
He worked for a little while longer and then we went home. Curtis had come by earlier in the day and we had two huge slabs of ribs in the refrigerator. I think we'll cook them on the smoker this weekend but just looking at them made me hungry. I already had venison out for dinner so the ribs would have to wait.
We put the puppies on their leashes and headed off down the driveway. The roosters had already flown up into their respective trees and were cock-a-doodle-doing back and forth as we took our daily walk. Roo has taken to sleeping in a cedar tree down past Dizzy's apartment so he crows, then they crow, then he crows and on and on until they finally sleep. Our walks don't seem to bother them one little bit.
When our walk was over, we put the puppies back on their chains, made sure everyone had plenty of water, turned on their night light and headed for the cabin. I washed my hands and started dinner while Wally got a shower. We both smelled like dirty puppies...lol still not warm enough for them to have a bath.
I browned the venison tenderloin then added some John Boy and Billy marinade and half a beer. I chopped up and added some green pepper, some onion and some mushrooms. I sprinkled in some garlic powder and black pepper and then turned all that juice into a nice brown gravy. We had the venison and gravy with some whole wheat yeast rolls and sweet baby green peas. It was a little too salty for me (and it takes a lot for that to happen) but all in all very tasty. The venison was as tender as it could be and the peppers and onions had just a little bit of crunch to them. In hindsight, I should have added some broccoli but it didn't occur to me at the time. It was a very low calorie, low fat, nutritious meal that we both enjoyed and felt just the right amount of fullness having eaten it.
The whole wheat yeast rolls aren't half bad when you cover them with dark brown gravy... lol!
We ate our dinner as the sun set through the back porch windows. The roosters had quieted down and the dogs were all in their dog house. I rocked in my rocking chair while Wally lounged in his recliner as we watched tv and waited for bedtime to come. We watched a show called Pioneers of Television and it was really good. It talked about how the late night talk shows came about and had old clips of all of them. It was cool to see Johnny Carson back in the day. I'm sure he would think the same of me hahahahahaha
As I stood looking out the front door this morning, while it was still pretty much dark there was some light from a soon to be full moon, I saw four little rabbits run out into the front yard. That's the second time in a week I've seen them... I sure hope they aren't building nests up under the porch. If the dogs catch wind of that, we might not have any baby rabbits come springtime.
We still see the deer from time to time. There are three who tend to hang out together and still one of them is very small. She must be a deer midget or something. She never grows. To her benefit, she'll probably out live all the others - seems to me the hunters in these parts are out for the big game animals - she's too small to be anyone's trophy deer. Good for her - even I wouldn't have the heart to take her down. See - I do have a heart.
It's Wednesday and we're supposed to go to Pee Wee's Place. I'm still hoping to get in the race pool and I know one person who is giving up his spot. He said he wanted me to have it but, unfortunately, it's not up to him. It's up to Pee Wee to pick who gets it. I don't know that I'm on her good side enough to get the spot but if we don't show, we won't know. So off we'll go....ha ha you didn't know I was a poet, did you? lol
In as much as I would love to continue writing today I have that darned work thing to do... annual mandatory training is due and all that. Once again I must leave you but I'll be back with more of our antics to share before you know it...
In honor of Neccy who insists that I "come home, come home" whenever we speak or email, here is your quote for today...
"A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double." ~Toni Morrison
Monday, February 14, 2011
Bud Shoot Out?? HA I'd sooner go shopping...
WHAT A BORING RACE!! I know I'm probably one in a million who thinks that but my gosh, I actually fell asleep during the race. All that tandem crap is boring!! No one really showed what he had except that one Bush boy when he drove up the high side of track going from twenty something to almost first before falling back again. He showed he had the car for the job but since no one would piggy-back him, he couldn't keep up the pace. Ugh! He's certainly not my favorite driver but at least he showed he could do it without the help of another driver...all that changed at the end of the race but still.
Two by two for the entire race? If that's what the Daytona 500 holds in store, I'm sure glad I didn't waste my money on tickets. Why not just get rid of the problem - restrictor plates - and let them run a race like it ought to be run? There wouldn't be any more of that pairing up stuff, there wouldn't be any more blaming of the other driver for taking the wind off the one in front and there wouldn't be the risk for the #2 driver not being able to see what the #1 driver was going to hit. LET RACING BE RACING LIKE IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO.
I guess I'm a lone wolf on that score. Everyone seems to like this new style where all the cars are exactly the same and the only way to win is with someone pulling up the rear for you.... I'll say it once more and then let it go...BORING!
Friday it was nice and warm. It was warm enough for me to take off my jacket in the car and turn off the heater. I think the heater has been stuck in the "on" position for a couple months now so it was nice to shut it off. I stopped on the way home to fuel up my car and the cheapest gas I could find was $2.93 a gallon. Outrageous!!!! What are y'all paying in FL, GA, ME, AZ, etc? I remember last time it got up in the three and four dollar range. People were having a fit about paying $4.00 for a gallon of gas, then they would stop at Starbucks and pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee...LOL! Remember that? It's all about those priorities, right?
So onward home I went and it sure was nice to get there. Traffic was mild, as always, but it is an hour drive and just pulling onto the driveway meant no more work for two days! I was ready for that. Wally was hanging out with one of his buddies and had taken out ribeyes for dinner. Jeff didn't stay long and the ribeyes weren't quite thawed out so we got in the car and went to the Diner for some cheeseburgers! woo hoo!! They didn't disappoint :) Friday night, a juicy, cheesy, burger, crispy, salty fries and a cold Bud Light - that's what I'm talking about :) :) :) Kat, you ready for that? lol
Saturday I got all my laundry caught up and then some... We finished a breakfast of fried eggs, toast and bacon then watched some tv - race qualifying on and off. As I said I did laundry but not just clothes... it was time for blankets, sheets and towels too. It's so nice to have all that done and then climb into the bed with nice, crispy sheets and blankets waiting for you. I read the newspaper - yes, it's true. It's a small paper but there was some good stuff in it.
From the paper I learned that there's a guy over in Primm Springs who makes Artisan breads. They are all sourdough so Wally can eat them without any side effects - most are even gluten free. We're planning a trip over there the next time we go to Centerville. This guy is actually becoming quite famous so you'll be hearing more about him as days go by. He built his own ovens and everything... they say you can smell the bread baking up and down his street all day long....ahhhhh reminds me of when we were little and mom would drive down I4 and we could smell the Merita bread baking. We even went there for a field trip in school. It was pretty cool.
I fed the animals Saturday morning since Wally does it all week. You can't just feed them and walk away though so I spent some time petting Smokey & Rebel and then took care of the puppies. Smokey was in a foul mood and ran Rebel off from the gate before I could pet him. Once he was in the pen, he seemed to calm down some so I took his picture...that's where the Mr. Attitude comes from. Rebel is so good-natured in comparison.
The roosters stayed out by the horses so I went to see the puppies. I emptied the ice from the big water bucket, cleaned the slippery stuff from the bottom and sides of it and then filled the puppies water bowl with fresh, clean water. They emptied that bowl in less than 5 minutes so I filled it for them again. I played with both of them, calling them to come to me and reinforcing the "sit" lesson. They're so full of energy that sitting is close to impossible but you can see from the pictures that they are managing quite well these days. I had to untangle their chains and of course, got tangled in the process! LOL They almost knocked me down while they ran circles around me tying me with their chains... yeah, real funny, ha ha.
Back inside I started in on my new Food Network magazine that Ernie got me for my birthday. This edition is all about Italian food so don't be surprised if I write about something new that I learned how to cook from the magazine. Those of you who don't like reading about the food I cook - you now have only Ernie to thank for it... hahahahahaha lol!
Saturday afternoon I drove over to Pamida (kind of like a small wal-mart - Marcia wouldn't be impressed at all) because they had jeans on sale for $7.99. I bought two pairs. I'm wearing one today and I know why they were so cheap. The zipper is off by about an inch too far to the left of center.Talk about annoying...all day I've been trying to adjust them but they just won't stay right. Whatever. Stupid jeans. I bought some WD40, some bungy cords, a sheet set and styrofoam plates and went home.
Back on the subject of food, we had a ham steak with white acre peas and my own homemade pickled okra for dinner. Well, Wally skipped the pickled okra but I had me a couple pieces of it...tastes like a pickle, what the heck? The ham steak cooked until it began to brown on both sides and the peas had plenty of salt and butter...yummmmmmm The briney taste of the okra made for a perfect combination. Don't blame this food discussion on Ernie - she didn't have anything to do with this one...
So we closed out our warm, sunny Saturday by watching the Bud Shoot Out. You already know how I feel about that...
Sunday we planned to go to the meat place and get some bones for the dogs in addition to whatever meat I couldn't live without. I made a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, cheese toast and sliced tomatoes. As we headed out, we had to appreciate the fact that it was so warm outside. It was in the 40s and promised to get up into the 60s before the day was over. I still had to have my gray jacket on but Wally went in just a t-shirt. It was soooooo nice. Not having to bundle up in all those clothes made me feel like I'd lost 5 lbs...I didn't but it felt like I did :)
I got more sausage, more hamburger meat, some stew beef and a roast. I got one bag of the tenderized tenderloin and the meat guy threw in a few pig tongues. I've never had pig tongue and I'm not sure what to do with it but I guess I'll try cooking it like I do the beef tongue. If it turns out to be gross, I'll just give it to the dogs. Wally is sure he's not even going to try it. lol Can't say as I blame him. I'll let you know how it goes.
After we got home I started bagging the meat in freezer bags and labeling them for rotation. We have to eat the older stuff first, you know? I'm hoping to save some of the tenderized tenderloin for when we have visitors but I'm telling you it's hard to resist so you better hurry up! LOL
I saved half the stew meat to make my beef, barley, vegetable soup. I had a little bit of hamburger meat that didn't quite fit in the baggies so I put that in the soup too. With the stew meat and hamburger browning, I chopped up onions, celery and carrots. I poured in some frozen baby peas and a container of beef broth. I added some garlic, some seasonings and brought that baby to a rolling boil :) I dumped in the barley and let it go for one solid hour. My house smelled so good you got an instant appetite even if you had just finished eating...lol or so I hear :)
While that cooked, I did my filing - it sounds horrendous but it's not. I file every weekend so it stays current. The biggest part of Saturday was taking out the 2010 folders and putting in the 2011 folders. Now we're all set :) The junk mail is in the burn pile, the receipts are filed and the insurance statements are matched up with their explanation of benefits. Would you have it any other way? lol
While I was at Pamida on Saturday I bought some new sheets for the spare bedroom bed. They are a little too big (as I knew they would be) but they don't make them any smaller unless I want to order antique sheets... at $40.00 a pop I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet... lol We'll see how these cheapo Pamida sheets hold up. If they are as bad as the Pamida jeans, I'll be ordering antique sheets in the next day or so...lol!!
I cleaned the kitchen and started on the floors. The kitchen and hallway floors hadn't been done in so long that it took two dust pans full of dirt, hair and dust-bunnies to get it all up. Wintertime grime I tell ya... Once they were clean and dry, oh my what a sight to see! All shiny and clutter-free... Since they looked so good I moved into the spare bedroom and did the same thing.
Now it may sound as if I had plenty of time to get started on the living room floors too but that just wasn't the case. It took the better part of the day just to get done with what I did. The rest would have to wait until next weekend...lol I seasoned up the steaks, turned off the soup and we loaded up and went down to the barn to work on the Bronco. Well, Wally worked on the Bronco - I assisted by sitting in the chair in the sunshine getting me some good old vitamin D LOL
When we got home, it was still nice and warm out so we cooked the steaks on the grill. I pulled the sheets in off the line (yes, it was warm enough to finally use my clothesline again!!! woo hoo!) and heated up some corn and green beans. We made pigs of ourselves and went to bed... lol well, first I had to clean up the kitchen. Did you ever get in the kitchen, get it all cleaned up and wiped down and dried off, blah, blah, blah only to find that you forgot a couple things? That was me last night dadgummit!! Oh well... out with the contacts, on with the jammies, up to the bed. I slept pretty soundly for a chance and awoke promptly at 4:00 am.
As I looked out the bathroom window this morning I saw a little rabbit go running and hopping out into the front yard. He was so fast! Don't worry, I have no plans to eat him or any of them... lol
So here it is Valentine's Day and I'm sure the majority of you will be celebrating in some manner... flowers, candy, cards, etc. For me, I have all I could ever want except a visit from you... :)
I don't celebrate Valentine's Day as you well know but the quote seemed appropriate...LOL
"I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon." ~Author Unknown
Two by two for the entire race? If that's what the Daytona 500 holds in store, I'm sure glad I didn't waste my money on tickets. Why not just get rid of the problem - restrictor plates - and let them run a race like it ought to be run? There wouldn't be any more of that pairing up stuff, there wouldn't be any more blaming of the other driver for taking the wind off the one in front and there wouldn't be the risk for the #2 driver not being able to see what the #1 driver was going to hit. LET RACING BE RACING LIKE IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO.
I guess I'm a lone wolf on that score. Everyone seems to like this new style where all the cars are exactly the same and the only way to win is with someone pulling up the rear for you.... I'll say it once more and then let it go...BORING!
Friday it was nice and warm. It was warm enough for me to take off my jacket in the car and turn off the heater. I think the heater has been stuck in the "on" position for a couple months now so it was nice to shut it off. I stopped on the way home to fuel up my car and the cheapest gas I could find was $2.93 a gallon. Outrageous!!!! What are y'all paying in FL, GA, ME, AZ, etc? I remember last time it got up in the three and four dollar range. People were having a fit about paying $4.00 for a gallon of gas, then they would stop at Starbucks and pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee...LOL! Remember that? It's all about those priorities, right?
So onward home I went and it sure was nice to get there. Traffic was mild, as always, but it is an hour drive and just pulling onto the driveway meant no more work for two days! I was ready for that. Wally was hanging out with one of his buddies and had taken out ribeyes for dinner. Jeff didn't stay long and the ribeyes weren't quite thawed out so we got in the car and went to the Diner for some cheeseburgers! woo hoo!! They didn't disappoint :) Friday night, a juicy, cheesy, burger, crispy, salty fries and a cold Bud Light - that's what I'm talking about :) :) :) Kat, you ready for that? lol
Saturday I got all my laundry caught up and then some... We finished a breakfast of fried eggs, toast and bacon then watched some tv - race qualifying on and off. As I said I did laundry but not just clothes... it was time for blankets, sheets and towels too. It's so nice to have all that done and then climb into the bed with nice, crispy sheets and blankets waiting for you. I read the newspaper - yes, it's true. It's a small paper but there was some good stuff in it.
From the paper I learned that there's a guy over in Primm Springs who makes Artisan breads. They are all sourdough so Wally can eat them without any side effects - most are even gluten free. We're planning a trip over there the next time we go to Centerville. This guy is actually becoming quite famous so you'll be hearing more about him as days go by. He built his own ovens and everything... they say you can smell the bread baking up and down his street all day long....ahhhhh reminds me of when we were little and mom would drive down I4 and we could smell the Merita bread baking. We even went there for a field trip in school. It was pretty cool.
I fed the animals Saturday morning since Wally does it all week. You can't just feed them and walk away though so I spent some time petting Smokey & Rebel and then took care of the puppies. Smokey was in a foul mood and ran Rebel off from the gate before I could pet him. Once he was in the pen, he seemed to calm down some so I took his picture...that's where the Mr. Attitude comes from. Rebel is so good-natured in comparison.
The roosters stayed out by the horses so I went to see the puppies. I emptied the ice from the big water bucket, cleaned the slippery stuff from the bottom and sides of it and then filled the puppies water bowl with fresh, clean water. They emptied that bowl in less than 5 minutes so I filled it for them again. I played with both of them, calling them to come to me and reinforcing the "sit" lesson. They're so full of energy that sitting is close to impossible but you can see from the pictures that they are managing quite well these days. I had to untangle their chains and of course, got tangled in the process! LOL They almost knocked me down while they ran circles around me tying me with their chains... yeah, real funny, ha ha.
Back inside I started in on my new Food Network magazine that Ernie got me for my birthday. This edition is all about Italian food so don't be surprised if I write about something new that I learned how to cook from the magazine. Those of you who don't like reading about the food I cook - you now have only Ernie to thank for it... hahahahahaha lol!
Saturday afternoon I drove over to Pamida (kind of like a small wal-mart - Marcia wouldn't be impressed at all) because they had jeans on sale for $7.99. I bought two pairs. I'm wearing one today and I know why they were so cheap. The zipper is off by about an inch too far to the left of center.Talk about annoying...all day I've been trying to adjust them but they just won't stay right. Whatever. Stupid jeans. I bought some WD40, some bungy cords, a sheet set and styrofoam plates and went home.
Back on the subject of food, we had a ham steak with white acre peas and my own homemade pickled okra for dinner. Well, Wally skipped the pickled okra but I had me a couple pieces of it...tastes like a pickle, what the heck? The ham steak cooked until it began to brown on both sides and the peas had plenty of salt and butter...yummmmmmm The briney taste of the okra made for a perfect combination. Don't blame this food discussion on Ernie - she didn't have anything to do with this one...
So we closed out our warm, sunny Saturday by watching the Bud Shoot Out. You already know how I feel about that...
Sunday we planned to go to the meat place and get some bones for the dogs in addition to whatever meat I couldn't live without. I made a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, cheese toast and sliced tomatoes. As we headed out, we had to appreciate the fact that it was so warm outside. It was in the 40s and promised to get up into the 60s before the day was over. I still had to have my gray jacket on but Wally went in just a t-shirt. It was soooooo nice. Not having to bundle up in all those clothes made me feel like I'd lost 5 lbs...I didn't but it felt like I did :)
I got more sausage, more hamburger meat, some stew beef and a roast. I got one bag of the tenderized tenderloin and the meat guy threw in a few pig tongues. I've never had pig tongue and I'm not sure what to do with it but I guess I'll try cooking it like I do the beef tongue. If it turns out to be gross, I'll just give it to the dogs. Wally is sure he's not even going to try it. lol Can't say as I blame him. I'll let you know how it goes.
After we got home I started bagging the meat in freezer bags and labeling them for rotation. We have to eat the older stuff first, you know? I'm hoping to save some of the tenderized tenderloin for when we have visitors but I'm telling you it's hard to resist so you better hurry up! LOL
I saved half the stew meat to make my beef, barley, vegetable soup. I had a little bit of hamburger meat that didn't quite fit in the baggies so I put that in the soup too. With the stew meat and hamburger browning, I chopped up onions, celery and carrots. I poured in some frozen baby peas and a container of beef broth. I added some garlic, some seasonings and brought that baby to a rolling boil :) I dumped in the barley and let it go for one solid hour. My house smelled so good you got an instant appetite even if you had just finished eating...lol or so I hear :)
While that cooked, I did my filing - it sounds horrendous but it's not. I file every weekend so it stays current. The biggest part of Saturday was taking out the 2010 folders and putting in the 2011 folders. Now we're all set :) The junk mail is in the burn pile, the receipts are filed and the insurance statements are matched up with their explanation of benefits. Would you have it any other way? lol
While I was at Pamida on Saturday I bought some new sheets for the spare bedroom bed. They are a little too big (as I knew they would be) but they don't make them any smaller unless I want to order antique sheets... at $40.00 a pop I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet... lol We'll see how these cheapo Pamida sheets hold up. If they are as bad as the Pamida jeans, I'll be ordering antique sheets in the next day or so...lol!!
I cleaned the kitchen and started on the floors. The kitchen and hallway floors hadn't been done in so long that it took two dust pans full of dirt, hair and dust-bunnies to get it all up. Wintertime grime I tell ya... Once they were clean and dry, oh my what a sight to see! All shiny and clutter-free... Since they looked so good I moved into the spare bedroom and did the same thing.
Now it may sound as if I had plenty of time to get started on the living room floors too but that just wasn't the case. It took the better part of the day just to get done with what I did. The rest would have to wait until next weekend...lol I seasoned up the steaks, turned off the soup and we loaded up and went down to the barn to work on the Bronco. Well, Wally worked on the Bronco - I assisted by sitting in the chair in the sunshine getting me some good old vitamin D LOL
When we got home, it was still nice and warm out so we cooked the steaks on the grill. I pulled the sheets in off the line (yes, it was warm enough to finally use my clothesline again!!! woo hoo!) and heated up some corn and green beans. We made pigs of ourselves and went to bed... lol well, first I had to clean up the kitchen. Did you ever get in the kitchen, get it all cleaned up and wiped down and dried off, blah, blah, blah only to find that you forgot a couple things? That was me last night dadgummit!! Oh well... out with the contacts, on with the jammies, up to the bed. I slept pretty soundly for a chance and awoke promptly at 4:00 am.
As I looked out the bathroom window this morning I saw a little rabbit go running and hopping out into the front yard. He was so fast! Don't worry, I have no plans to eat him or any of them... lol
So here it is Valentine's Day and I'm sure the majority of you will be celebrating in some manner... flowers, candy, cards, etc. For me, I have all I could ever want except a visit from you... :)
I don't celebrate Valentine's Day as you well know but the quote seemed appropriate...LOL
"I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon." ~Author Unknown
Friday, February 11, 2011
Snowy Days Were Here Again...
THE snow has yet to melt from the storm that blew in Wednesday. While the main roads are clear of it, the back roads remain slushy or frozen or powdery at best. The shady sides of the roads still have drifts of snow and the same goes for those roof tops that are under the trees. The snow on our roof melted and either dripped off or fell off in big slabs depending on where the sun was shining brightest.
All around the porches icicles hung in varying lengths. From under the deck there were rows of them as they grew between the slats of wood. They showed no signs of melting until around 11am Thursday morning and when they did melt, it sounded much like rainfall out there. I guess because there were so many of them.
The birds decided to hit the feeders again seeing as how the ground was covered with snow. They still won't perch more than one at a time. Rather they sit on the roof rafters waiting their turn. I don't get it... We will definitely have baby birds come springtime as a fat, little, mama bird keeps going in and out of the bird house with all manner of nesting materials. I hope I'm home when the babies get their flying lessons. :)
At my house in FL, the mama bird built her nest in my Christmas Cactus basket. It hung on the front porch, right outside the window and one day when I went to water it, she came flying out of the top of the basket. I had no idea she was even in there. I took a mirror to see up in the basket and sure enough, there lay two tiny little white eggs. No more water for that cactus...it did manage to survive somehow. When the baby birds were born, we could hear them chirping through the front windows. When they got their flying lessons, they went from the top of the basket over to the screen on the window. They just hung on for as long as they could and then they flew back up to the basket. After a week or so we didn't see them anymore but every year thereafter a mama bird would make her nest in that basket hanger with the Christmas cactus.
The puppies are doing well with their lessons. Ruger has become quiet the little gentleman when it comes to walking on a leash. Colt still won't budge and we don't like pulling him along so he stays tied up at the doghouse. Both of them will come to us when we call them and they will both sit when told to. Ruger will still give us his paw when we put out our hand - he taught himself that one, we had nothing to do with it. Colt always goes behind our legs when we call him. He runs over, gets behind us and sits down then puts both paws on the backs of our legs. We don't know why. They still get excited when we go out to play with them, so much so that they piddle every time. Ruger is the new Houdini. Apparently his collar was loose enough that he could escape so Wally had to fix it where that wouldn't happen again. He showed up on the porch barking and peaking in the glass door. Fortunately it was Ruger because you know what a time we would have had if it had been Colt who escaped. LOL
The horses don't want anything to do with us other than to be fed. They will let us pet them but they really just want to eat. I can scratch under their halters and up between their ears but after that I can tell they prefer I just leave them to their buckets of sweet feed. Come springtime, we'll get re-acquainted as they will be allowed on our side of the gate again. I thought about growing carrots but I think it would be too much to ask of a horse not to dig them up and eat them....
The big dogs continue to nap in the sun on the front porch and they tolerate the puppies but only to a certain point. When the puppies start jumping on their backs, they pretty much lay down the law. They're just getting too old for those puppy antics all day long. I did notice though that they will snuggle with the puppies in the early morning when the temperature is at its coldest. I drive by the dog house about 5ish each morning and they are all snuggled together, the puppies looking out at me, the big dogs still sound asleep. I tried to take a picture but it didn't come out. I guess it was too dark.
The roosters scratch and peck all day long and several times a day they'll make their way towards the water bucket. If snow melts on the driveway, they just drink from those little puddles instead. Two of them roost in the tree off the back porch while the others roost out in the woods. Don't ask me - I have no idea why it's changed to this. Roo remains their leader even if they do run him off. Wherever he goes, the rest are sure to follow within just minutes. I'm sure they're enjoying the puppies being tied up. They haven't been herded in a week! LOL
The roosters are doing their part to help out on the farm since we started feeding them around Dizzy's apartment. We throw out their food and they dig and scratch and peck until it's gone all the while tilling the soil for me and adding bits of fertilizer during the process. Good boys!!
For those of you in FL, it's garden-planting time :) For me that won't come for another couple months - or so I hear. Don't forget the newspaper when you plant your tomatoes, wet it and put it in the hole first. Be sure to plan on at least two "Early Girl" plants. They don't get very tall but they put out a bumper crop of maters. My little plant got just a foot and a half tall but we ate probably 25 tomatoes off of it. I bought it off the shelf at Home Depot for about $3.50 - $4.00 and it came in a biodegradable pot. In case you happen to get a late freeze, just cover the plants with a towel or pillow case. They'll be just fine if you remember to uncover them when the sun comes out the next day. Can't you just picture yourself eating a tomato sandwich with homegrown tomato slices tucked in between that white bread with mayo, salt & pepper??? mmmmm
My drive home Wednesday was an experience never to be forgotten. Let's see, it started out that I had to stay late at work. I finished my conference call at 3:00 and was out the door and in my car by 3:15. Before I had been on the road even 20 minutes the snow started falling. It fell fast and it fell in major quantities. Nothing like the northeast gets but all in all - it was a lot of snow. I had started out on my little two lane back roads but after seeing how quickly it was piling up, decided to get on the main road as soon as I could. The main road takes a little longer but I knew it would be more heavily traveled and that helps to keep the snow at bay...sometimes - not this time.
By the time I got to Fairview, which normally takes about 20-25 minutes, I had been on the road 45 minutes and the worst was yet to come. Fairview is hilly and curvy and everyone, it seemed, decided to get on the road at the same time so there was actually traffic. It was very slow going. At times we weren't going more than 10 miles per hour and that seemed too fast. The lines dividing the roads were covered with snow as well as the lines on the sides of the roads. The only way I knew where to drive was to follow the person in front of me who was obviously following the person in front of them. We kept about 6 car lengths between us at all times and even then slowing down, speeding up and stopping were risky at best. I couldnt' say how many cars were already off on the sides of the roads where they had slid.
My windshield was freezing over and the wipers couldn't compete. I had to turn the defrost on high to keep it warm enough so the ice would melt. The wipers were so clogged with ice that they only hit in a few small places. The ice was piling up around the wipers to the point that I thought they would get to the point where they couldn't move at all. I turned off the radio and I didn't answer any calls. No way could I talk and drive in that mess. By the time I got to Hwy. 46 I was pretty well stressed out and very much tired of driving in the snow and slush. It took me from 3:15 to 5:30 to get to the bank. I still had our little back roads to take to get home.
Fortunately Wally said I could park my car at the bank and he would come and get me. Oh Thank God. I sat there trying to just calm my nerves while I waited for him to get there and once I finally did relax, I realized I had to pee. I had to pee badly, as in painfully bad. I wiggled my legs and undid my jeans but the urge would not go away. I watched as car after car drove by up on Hwy. 100. I watched the snow plow truck go by (where was he when I was out there on that road???) and I watched the bank employees leaving for the night. I had to go, go, go. What else could I do? I zipped up my jacket, got me a napkin out of the door pocket and out I went. I figured it would be better to pee in the pouring down snow than in my car after all.
It was in between daylight and dark and at that point I didn't care who saw my big, fat, butt out there, I was going to pee on the far side of my car! As the snow crunched underfoot I made my way round to the other side, napkin in hand. I got squatted down and held onto the tire and...nothing. I couldn't go. I still felt the pain and the urge but nothing happened. Good grief! I made myself relax which wasn't easy to do considering my current position in life and finally the stream began. ahhhhhhhhhhhh I made lots of yellow snow in a hurry and was soon back in the warmth of my little car.
Wally showed up minutes later and we were on our way. As it turns out, I could have driven the rest of the way home. The little back roads leading to the house were in better condition than any of the roads I had been on since leaving work. Oh well. I was still grateful to let someone else do the driving and I wasn't going to need my car because there was no way I was going back to work the next day...not on those roads.
We watched the news when we got home and all over town cars and trucks were stranded or crashed. A few people talked about having to leave their cars and walk home - one guy walked 5 miles in that weather. The weatherman said what normally takes him 30 minutes, took 6 hours for him to get home because of all the traffic problems. I could feel for him. They say you get better at it and I suppose that's true but it's certainly not something I look forward to. I'd rather go shopping if that tells you anything. :) LOL it's true!
Thursday we woke to a beautiful scene around the cabin. Some critter with very large hoofs had walked in the snow outside the side door - possibly a big deer? Doesn't matter, we didn't see it and hunting season is over but those tracks were as big as Wally's hand so whatever it was, it was big. The sun wasn't quite up yet but it was coming and the snow once again looked as if someone had sprinkled silver glitter all over it. It sparkled like little diamonds were out in it.
I made pancakes and sausage for breakfast and planned for the rabbit stew for dinner. I did some spring cleaning in the kitchen - everything got scrubbed down. I took a shower, got dressed and we headed out to feed the animals. I think it was 10 degrees. It didn't seem like it was that cold though because by now the sun was up and shining brightly. Nothing was melting yet but it wouldn't be long. We hooked up Ruger to the leash and went for a walk to feed the horses. He's getting so big that he practically knocks me over when he jumps on me. His paws reach my chest. He's just having fun and doesn't realize how big he is but I'm hard pressed to keep my balance on flat ground, imaging me in the snow :) I'm sure it looked pretty funny if anyone happened to see it.
With the feeding out of the way, we headed back into the warmth of the cabin. We watched tv, made a few calls then tried to decide when to get my car. According to the news it was still a mess out there so we were happy to just hang out and do nothing until the snow melted enough to get back to the bank. I think we got it somewhere around 11am.
We road over to Centerville to get some things from Fred's and to check the specials at Chappels. You know what happens when we get to Centerville - we might as well go see Darryl. LOL We didn't stay long since we had to go back and get the truck. Darryl promised more eggs and put me on the list for the race pool. If anyone drops out, he said I'm first in line for their spot. They do it different and it's too much to explain but suffice it to say, it's not easy to get in.
Yes, I made the rabbit stew when we got home. The rabbit was okay but I didn't care for the juice it cooked in. Wally liked the juice better than the rabbit. So for those of you who didn't want me to eat the rabbit in the first place, rest assured I won't be eating another one any time soon. It was just kind of bland... :( The winter root vegetables that went with it were outstanding, however, and if you have never tried celeriac (aka celery root) I give it a good recommendation. It's a little difficult to peel but it slices up nicely once the peel is off. It has a slight hint of celery taste to it but no where near as strong. I think it would be good sliced up in a chicken soup - in fact, I'll let you know how it is as I'm going to use it in my next batch.
The weekend is finally here and we're looking at 50-60 degree temps for Sat. and Sun. respectively. We'll be outside doing something and you know I'll be cooking up a storm. That's a much better storm than a snowstorm FOR SURE.... LOL Give Ricky Kline a hug for me if you see him - his birthday is Valentine's Day... Thanks!
"The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had." ~Author Unknown
All around the porches icicles hung in varying lengths. From under the deck there were rows of them as they grew between the slats of wood. They showed no signs of melting until around 11am Thursday morning and when they did melt, it sounded much like rainfall out there. I guess because there were so many of them.
The birds decided to hit the feeders again seeing as how the ground was covered with snow. They still won't perch more than one at a time. Rather they sit on the roof rafters waiting their turn. I don't get it... We will definitely have baby birds come springtime as a fat, little, mama bird keeps going in and out of the bird house with all manner of nesting materials. I hope I'm home when the babies get their flying lessons. :)
At my house in FL, the mama bird built her nest in my Christmas Cactus basket. It hung on the front porch, right outside the window and one day when I went to water it, she came flying out of the top of the basket. I had no idea she was even in there. I took a mirror to see up in the basket and sure enough, there lay two tiny little white eggs. No more water for that cactus...it did manage to survive somehow. When the baby birds were born, we could hear them chirping through the front windows. When they got their flying lessons, they went from the top of the basket over to the screen on the window. They just hung on for as long as they could and then they flew back up to the basket. After a week or so we didn't see them anymore but every year thereafter a mama bird would make her nest in that basket hanger with the Christmas cactus.
The puppies are doing well with their lessons. Ruger has become quiet the little gentleman when it comes to walking on a leash. Colt still won't budge and we don't like pulling him along so he stays tied up at the doghouse. Both of them will come to us when we call them and they will both sit when told to. Ruger will still give us his paw when we put out our hand - he taught himself that one, we had nothing to do with it. Colt always goes behind our legs when we call him. He runs over, gets behind us and sits down then puts both paws on the backs of our legs. We don't know why. They still get excited when we go out to play with them, so much so that they piddle every time. Ruger is the new Houdini. Apparently his collar was loose enough that he could escape so Wally had to fix it where that wouldn't happen again. He showed up on the porch barking and peaking in the glass door. Fortunately it was Ruger because you know what a time we would have had if it had been Colt who escaped. LOL
The horses don't want anything to do with us other than to be fed. They will let us pet them but they really just want to eat. I can scratch under their halters and up between their ears but after that I can tell they prefer I just leave them to their buckets of sweet feed. Come springtime, we'll get re-acquainted as they will be allowed on our side of the gate again. I thought about growing carrots but I think it would be too much to ask of a horse not to dig them up and eat them....
The big dogs continue to nap in the sun on the front porch and they tolerate the puppies but only to a certain point. When the puppies start jumping on their backs, they pretty much lay down the law. They're just getting too old for those puppy antics all day long. I did notice though that they will snuggle with the puppies in the early morning when the temperature is at its coldest. I drive by the dog house about 5ish each morning and they are all snuggled together, the puppies looking out at me, the big dogs still sound asleep. I tried to take a picture but it didn't come out. I guess it was too dark.
The roosters scratch and peck all day long and several times a day they'll make their way towards the water bucket. If snow melts on the driveway, they just drink from those little puddles instead. Two of them roost in the tree off the back porch while the others roost out in the woods. Don't ask me - I have no idea why it's changed to this. Roo remains their leader even if they do run him off. Wherever he goes, the rest are sure to follow within just minutes. I'm sure they're enjoying the puppies being tied up. They haven't been herded in a week! LOL
The roosters are doing their part to help out on the farm since we started feeding them around Dizzy's apartment. We throw out their food and they dig and scratch and peck until it's gone all the while tilling the soil for me and adding bits of fertilizer during the process. Good boys!!
For those of you in FL, it's garden-planting time :) For me that won't come for another couple months - or so I hear. Don't forget the newspaper when you plant your tomatoes, wet it and put it in the hole first. Be sure to plan on at least two "Early Girl" plants. They don't get very tall but they put out a bumper crop of maters. My little plant got just a foot and a half tall but we ate probably 25 tomatoes off of it. I bought it off the shelf at Home Depot for about $3.50 - $4.00 and it came in a biodegradable pot. In case you happen to get a late freeze, just cover the plants with a towel or pillow case. They'll be just fine if you remember to uncover them when the sun comes out the next day. Can't you just picture yourself eating a tomato sandwich with homegrown tomato slices tucked in between that white bread with mayo, salt & pepper??? mmmmm
My drive home Wednesday was an experience never to be forgotten. Let's see, it started out that I had to stay late at work. I finished my conference call at 3:00 and was out the door and in my car by 3:15. Before I had been on the road even 20 minutes the snow started falling. It fell fast and it fell in major quantities. Nothing like the northeast gets but all in all - it was a lot of snow. I had started out on my little two lane back roads but after seeing how quickly it was piling up, decided to get on the main road as soon as I could. The main road takes a little longer but I knew it would be more heavily traveled and that helps to keep the snow at bay...sometimes - not this time.
By the time I got to Fairview, which normally takes about 20-25 minutes, I had been on the road 45 minutes and the worst was yet to come. Fairview is hilly and curvy and everyone, it seemed, decided to get on the road at the same time so there was actually traffic. It was very slow going. At times we weren't going more than 10 miles per hour and that seemed too fast. The lines dividing the roads were covered with snow as well as the lines on the sides of the roads. The only way I knew where to drive was to follow the person in front of me who was obviously following the person in front of them. We kept about 6 car lengths between us at all times and even then slowing down, speeding up and stopping were risky at best. I couldnt' say how many cars were already off on the sides of the roads where they had slid.
My windshield was freezing over and the wipers couldn't compete. I had to turn the defrost on high to keep it warm enough so the ice would melt. The wipers were so clogged with ice that they only hit in a few small places. The ice was piling up around the wipers to the point that I thought they would get to the point where they couldn't move at all. I turned off the radio and I didn't answer any calls. No way could I talk and drive in that mess. By the time I got to Hwy. 46 I was pretty well stressed out and very much tired of driving in the snow and slush. It took me from 3:15 to 5:30 to get to the bank. I still had our little back roads to take to get home.
Fortunately Wally said I could park my car at the bank and he would come and get me. Oh Thank God. I sat there trying to just calm my nerves while I waited for him to get there and once I finally did relax, I realized I had to pee. I had to pee badly, as in painfully bad. I wiggled my legs and undid my jeans but the urge would not go away. I watched as car after car drove by up on Hwy. 100. I watched the snow plow truck go by (where was he when I was out there on that road???) and I watched the bank employees leaving for the night. I had to go, go, go. What else could I do? I zipped up my jacket, got me a napkin out of the door pocket and out I went. I figured it would be better to pee in the pouring down snow than in my car after all.
It was in between daylight and dark and at that point I didn't care who saw my big, fat, butt out there, I was going to pee on the far side of my car! As the snow crunched underfoot I made my way round to the other side, napkin in hand. I got squatted down and held onto the tire and...nothing. I couldn't go. I still felt the pain and the urge but nothing happened. Good grief! I made myself relax which wasn't easy to do considering my current position in life and finally the stream began. ahhhhhhhhhhhh I made lots of yellow snow in a hurry and was soon back in the warmth of my little car.
Wally showed up minutes later and we were on our way. As it turns out, I could have driven the rest of the way home. The little back roads leading to the house were in better condition than any of the roads I had been on since leaving work. Oh well. I was still grateful to let someone else do the driving and I wasn't going to need my car because there was no way I was going back to work the next day...not on those roads.
We watched the news when we got home and all over town cars and trucks were stranded or crashed. A few people talked about having to leave their cars and walk home - one guy walked 5 miles in that weather. The weatherman said what normally takes him 30 minutes, took 6 hours for him to get home because of all the traffic problems. I could feel for him. They say you get better at it and I suppose that's true but it's certainly not something I look forward to. I'd rather go shopping if that tells you anything. :) LOL it's true!
Thursday we woke to a beautiful scene around the cabin. Some critter with very large hoofs had walked in the snow outside the side door - possibly a big deer? Doesn't matter, we didn't see it and hunting season is over but those tracks were as big as Wally's hand so whatever it was, it was big. The sun wasn't quite up yet but it was coming and the snow once again looked as if someone had sprinkled silver glitter all over it. It sparkled like little diamonds were out in it.
I made pancakes and sausage for breakfast and planned for the rabbit stew for dinner. I did some spring cleaning in the kitchen - everything got scrubbed down. I took a shower, got dressed and we headed out to feed the animals. I think it was 10 degrees. It didn't seem like it was that cold though because by now the sun was up and shining brightly. Nothing was melting yet but it wouldn't be long. We hooked up Ruger to the leash and went for a walk to feed the horses. He's getting so big that he practically knocks me over when he jumps on me. His paws reach my chest. He's just having fun and doesn't realize how big he is but I'm hard pressed to keep my balance on flat ground, imaging me in the snow :) I'm sure it looked pretty funny if anyone happened to see it.
With the feeding out of the way, we headed back into the warmth of the cabin. We watched tv, made a few calls then tried to decide when to get my car. According to the news it was still a mess out there so we were happy to just hang out and do nothing until the snow melted enough to get back to the bank. I think we got it somewhere around 11am.
We road over to Centerville to get some things from Fred's and to check the specials at Chappels. You know what happens when we get to Centerville - we might as well go see Darryl. LOL We didn't stay long since we had to go back and get the truck. Darryl promised more eggs and put me on the list for the race pool. If anyone drops out, he said I'm first in line for their spot. They do it different and it's too much to explain but suffice it to say, it's not easy to get in.
Yes, I made the rabbit stew when we got home. The rabbit was okay but I didn't care for the juice it cooked in. Wally liked the juice better than the rabbit. So for those of you who didn't want me to eat the rabbit in the first place, rest assured I won't be eating another one any time soon. It was just kind of bland... :( The winter root vegetables that went with it were outstanding, however, and if you have never tried celeriac (aka celery root) I give it a good recommendation. It's a little difficult to peel but it slices up nicely once the peel is off. It has a slight hint of celery taste to it but no where near as strong. I think it would be good sliced up in a chicken soup - in fact, I'll let you know how it is as I'm going to use it in my next batch.
The weekend is finally here and we're looking at 50-60 degree temps for Sat. and Sun. respectively. We'll be outside doing something and you know I'll be cooking up a storm. That's a much better storm than a snowstorm FOR SURE.... LOL Give Ricky Kline a hug for me if you see him - his birthday is Valentine's Day... Thanks!
"The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had." ~Author Unknown
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Super Bowl 45 Champions???????????? Oh yeah - Way to go Green Bay!!
Darryl's Birthday: Lightweights That We Are...
Puppies Went Missing: We Have Ruger back but Colt Remained Elusive...
Foodies: Farm Fresh Eggs, Italian Dressing and Simmered Greens...
Gardening: Bulbs Uprooted...
Weather: Warm, Cool, Cccold, Brrrrrr...
The Game: Amazing as it may seem I actually stayed up for the entire game...
Those are the headlines from the weekend and I'll elaborate further of course but I wanted to mention that photo taking tips are always appreciated. As you can see from the flickr site, I'm not the best at it. It seems some pictures just come out so much better than others when all I ever do is point and click. Some look really good - others, ehhh, not so much. Well, onto the weekend activities...
Friday's drive home was really nice. I don't know if a bunch of people decided to stay home or what but I felt like I was the only person on the road. I stopped in Publix to pick up some cupcakes for Darryl for his birthday - I wanted to make some for him but time got away from me. Anywhooooooo while I was there I found me some sunglasses!! They aren't as wonderful as the ones I had before but you'll be hard pressed to figure out if it's me or Raquel Welch behind those Foster Grants...hahahahahaha I'm so funny :)
The glasses are brown and the lenses are tinted brown so they are very similar to the old ones. We'll see how well they hold up (hopefully better than Lizzard's old reading glasses with just the one arm left on them...lol). I have to say though that the selection was, in my opinion, pretty limited. What's with all the tacky bling bling stuff all over the frames and not to mention the size of the lenses - goodness we don't have golf ball size eyes do we??? One would think so after seeing those lenses. You can either get really, really, big lenses or tiny, little rectangular lenses....there's not much in between. I consider myself lucky to have found a pair that's fairly normal looking in comparison. Shopping...bah humbug!
Once home I bagged up the stuff for Darryl for his birthday and we both signed his card. We chilled for a little while before hitting the Hickman County highway...lol Pee Wee's Place wasn't very busy but there were a few people in attendance - Claudia for one. It was nice to visit with her. While we have talked briefly on the phone, we haven't seen each other since before Thanksgiving. That's how it is when it's wintertime. Only a few people get out and about and then only for just a little while. We're the same way. Given the choice, we rather stay home when it's cold and wet outside.
Since I go to work it's not the same for me but I can see where cabin fever could become a real deal for lots of people. Claudia didn't go anywhere but the grocery store for two weeks when the weather was so bad. With her husband being home from Afghanistan, he uses her car to get to work and back so she is home all day. He works 14 hour days so the last thing he wants to do it go back out... she was glad to be out even if only for a few hours while she waited for him to come and get her.
We visited with everyone and made sure Darryl had plenty to drink - evidenced by his dancing behind the bar...LOL he only dances when he gets buzzed! It wasn't long before we left for home. It had started raining and snow was called for so we didn't want to be out in that. We had a head start on it but still it rained the whole way home. It sure was nice having that electric gate opener! :) Neither of us had to get out in that weather to open the gate :)
Saturday we blamed Darryl for the headaches we suffered with.
As you well know, Colt and Ruger have had all the freedom a couple of puppies could ever ask for. A big dog house, 3 automatic feeders, water fresh from the spring and acres on which to run and play. Well the little turds decided to up and leave us this past week. They were in the dog house when I drove by to go to work but by the time Wally was up, dressed and outside feeding the horses, they had vacated the property... Wally looked for them all day in between trips to the barn working with Daniel. He wasn't able to find them.
He stopped at a few houses and asked people if they had seen them but no one had. The next day he called a few people he knew and low and behold, they had been sighted at Bob and Rhonda's house that morning. She said they were still there so Wally went to go retrieve them. Who knows how many doggie treats later and Ruger was caught, collared and put on a chain. Colt - yeah, right. I've been saying all along how he stays about 4-5 feet back from us and only comes close on the rare occasion. We knew he would be hard to get a hold of. Wally told me how he tried to catch lil' Colt but lil' Colt wasn't having anything to do with it. There was nothing we could do.
Ruger, meanwhile, was learning how to be a good puppy on a chain. He walks with Wally now and will sit and come to you when you tell him to. He still has to stay on the chain until we know he can be trusted again...how long will that be? Got me... He barked his little head off...it's a wonder he has a bark left in him. He did not like being chained up - not one little bit...
Saturday we drove all over looking for Colt and we showed some people his picture. A few people had seen him and recognized him from the picture but he wouldn't come to anyone...of course. Most of the people we talked to said we were only about an hour behind him...lol little stinker. Well, the weekend passed and Sunday we still had no luck finding him.
Ruger didn't seem to miss him anymore and wasn't barking nearly as much. The roosters seemed to be pretty relaxed in that they didn't have to worry about Ruger since he was tied up and Colt was clearly missing. Even the big dogs were caught napping more than usual...maybe because they didn't have puppies jumping all over them all day long...but we knew he was gone :(
Monday I went to work, calling his name as I drove up the driveway. A little while after I left, Wally got a call from Rhonda saying that Colt was at her house. He drove down there and together they tried to catch him but to no avail. The little guy is fast I tell ya... They tried to lure him with food but he just took the food and went under the dog house. After an hour, they gave up.
Wally went and got Ruger and put him in the horse trailer. He parked it near Rhonda's house where Colt would be able to hear him. He was chained in and barking his head off and Wally could hear Colt barking back. Poor Ruger must have thought he was really in trouble going from the nice, warm, dog house to the cold, lonely horse trailer.
But still Colt wouldn't come... Well, since that didn't work, Wally brought Ruger back home and took him for a walk and let him play so he would know he wasn't in trouble. Darn Colt was still on the run...
As we sat in our chairs waiting for 7:00 to come so we could go to bed, we got a phone call. It was Rhonda telling us that Bob had caught Colt and was holding him for us to come and get him. Great...it had been snowing for about 6 hours and getting to Bob and Rhonda's is no easy feat in itself. The road through the holler and up to their house wasn't likely to be pretty...but we got dressed, got our coats on, got the collar and leashes and headed out the door. We were on a mission to bring the little guy home.
The passenger side door was frozen shut so I slid in over on Wally's side and we headed towards Bob's house. The holler wasn't as bad as we expected and we climbed the hill without incident (like slipping or sliding or getting stuck) and kept on going while we had the momentum. We did slide around a little going through the woods but we made it up there safe and sound. Wally went inside to get Colt. He thanked Bob and told him how much he appreciated it. Bob said it was no problem, he didn't say it wasn't any trouble...lol
So Colt was captured and once again sitting next to me in a truck. He was shaking and his eyes were bugging out but once I started petting him and rubbing his head, he calmed down and actually snuggled up against me. We decided he was probably exhausted from being on the lam for those few days, not to mention being tired from escaping every one's grasp. While he may have had quite the adventurous time while he was gone from home...he was showing signs of being a little bit glad to be back with us. I thought he was going to fall asleep in the truck before we ever made it home. He's getting lessons today - probably as you read :)
Yes, the hens are laying eggs again - Finally! We had to buy eggs from the store for almost 2 full months. There just is no comparison, indeed after eating those store bought eggs I believe I was actually craving a farm fresh egg. In fact I was craving two of them...lol As you can see from the photos, anymore than two and there might not have been enough room in that skillet, they were huge, moreover the flavor and texture did not disappoint. I dipped my biscuit in that creamy yolk and was forever more thankful that the hens were back in business and that I was the recipient of their labor :) :) The eggs were so large that I was hard pressed to get the container to close for me. As I await the weekend, those fried eggs are once again on my mind and in my plans. LOL Maybe we'll have some bacon on the side this time...
Turnip and Mustard Greens - bright in color and brighter in flavor, once again adorned our table...yes, summer and fall have passed us by but the greens were rinsed, rinsed and rinsed again before being bagged up and placed in the freezer for just such an occasion. When I put them in the pot and they began to thaw, the kitchen filled with scents of late summer and early fall when the last of the greens were coming from the gardens. These greens were a combination of those from Darryl and the CSA basket. Together they simmered with just a little ham bouillon, black pepper and garlic powder. The end result was a mess of greens, cooked down to about four helpings, two of which were heaped on our plates and sprinkled with pepper vinegar. Sitting there eating them, it was like it was 60-70 degrees outside, though clearly we knew better.
Mushrooms are not a favorite of most people, in fact, Britney Pattishall was never an eater of nor fan of the nutritious fungi but she is now...Rinsed, chopped up, stuffed into a lidded jar and filled to the brim with Italian dressing, mushrooms can be enjoyed by anyone with a half way decent taste bud... They soak up the flavor of the dressing and are an immensely satisfying appetizer! Of course you should feel free to put them in a bowl with tomatoes and the dressing...then, when you're ready to serve them, break off some fresh mozzarella cheese chunks and add them to the bowl. You better get your serving quick because this dish won't last long at any get-together, especially if Britney is there... lol j/k Brit, you know I love you baby :)
We had our chicken wings and chili cheese dip during the super bowl and my mouth was surely on fire from those wings. The thing is, they were hot and crunchy and just the other side of HOT so I couldn't resist. It seems like after the first couple of wings, your mouth just gets used to it and it doesn't burn so bad...maybe it was the beer that we rinsed them down with...lol!! hahahahahaha Wings and beer just go together, like pizza and beer...what else are you supposed to have with them I ask you?
While we were out feeding the animals, I happened to notice that something (dog, puppy, rooster) had dug up my tulip, daffodil and iris bulbs from where I planted them in the front yard...to be certain I have no way of knowing who the culprit was but I have a sneaking suspicion...don't you????
So there I was, out in the cold, expecting to be back inside within just a few minutes and now I had gardening to do in below freezing temperatures, of all things. I filled in as many holes as I could find and piled the soil back on top of the bulbs ever more grateful that they need not be buried very deep. I may have said a few choice words in the direction of the dog house but all are innocent until proven guilty so I kept those words to a whisper...I don't know how long the bulbs had been exposed to the weather so only time will tell if they survived. Claudia assured me the irises would do fine and if, for whatever reason, they didn't survive, she has plenty more where those came from... how sweet of her.
The weather is fickle again it seems as we went from below freezing, up to 50-60 degrees and sunny, back down to freezing and then finally the rain, snow and wind. Normal? Not from what I hear. Extreme? You betcha...folks round here say they haven't seen weather like this in so many years they can't remember. Uh huh, sure.
It's still a sight to behold and I'm taking as many pictures as I can so you can see what I mean. The ones I took yesterday look like they were done in black and white. That's not the case though. They were taken with the same camera I always use now - the one from Ernie and Briney. The pictures from yesterday were also taken about 3-3:30 in the afternoon. It had snowed my whole way home from work and the pictures show you what it looked like when I was almost home and then down the drive way. It didn't seem like it was that dark out. Coming up? More snow predicted to fall overnight Wednesday so if it's of any significance, or if it makes travel unsafe, I'll be keeping myself home on Thursday. Sounds like a good day for rabbit stew now that I finally remembered to pick up the wine :) woo hoo! I'll take pictures for you Kat and Kris :)
So my Green Bay Packers are the Super Bowl 45 Champions!! How do you like them apples? I didn't think I'd make the whole game and I really didn't think they were going to win but sure enough, they showed up to play and win they did. I guess it's okay for Brett to retire now - an era comes to an end. Aaron Rogers has proven himself an apt quarterback so I'll allow him to be my new favorite QB going forward.
The commercials were a disappointment...they used to be so well thought out but this year they seemed to be going for the shock value. They used to be funny or thought-provoking or patriotic. The Dorito's commercial with the guy licking the other guys finger totally grossed me out - ew!!!! I'd rather eat a rabbit...C'mon must we lower ourselves to that level for the sake of a dollar? I think not. Did it make you want to go buy a big bag of Dorito's? Nope? Me either...Which ones did you enjoy, if any?
I think the super bowl is the one program where people actually refrain from using their dvr or tevo to skip the commercials...maybe there are stats on that somewhere LOL.
All of the entertainment was horrible if you ask me - the best part was when Slash came up from under the stage to play "Sweet Child of Mine." The rest of them weren't even worth wasting my time typing about.
As our weekend came to a close we were once again snuggled in our cabin home with light snow flurries falling on the tin roof. We were warm and happy and knew it was enough just to be together.
On a sad note, I have to recognize the passing of a dear old friend. Sam Tanner was a gentle giant of a man. He had a bellowing laugh that you couldn't help but join in on. He would give you his last dollar if you needed it and never ask for its return. He loved us as we are and didn't try to change us and while he may have had beliefs other than ours, he stood by his convictions but never once judged us for standing by ours. He filled a small part of the gap left in me when I lost my own father and I'll always remember him for that. He loved life and lived it to the fullest and would want all of us to do the same. Sam will be greatly missed in the hearts of many. May he rest in peace.
"We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love." ~Madame de Stael
Goodbye Sam, Love You, Mean It.
Puppies Went Missing: We Have Ruger back but Colt Remained Elusive...
Foodies: Farm Fresh Eggs, Italian Dressing and Simmered Greens...
Gardening: Bulbs Uprooted...
Weather: Warm, Cool, Cccold, Brrrrrr...
The Game: Amazing as it may seem I actually stayed up for the entire game...
Those are the headlines from the weekend and I'll elaborate further of course but I wanted to mention that photo taking tips are always appreciated. As you can see from the flickr site, I'm not the best at it. It seems some pictures just come out so much better than others when all I ever do is point and click. Some look really good - others, ehhh, not so much. Well, onto the weekend activities...
Friday's drive home was really nice. I don't know if a bunch of people decided to stay home or what but I felt like I was the only person on the road. I stopped in Publix to pick up some cupcakes for Darryl for his birthday - I wanted to make some for him but time got away from me. Anywhooooooo while I was there I found me some sunglasses!! They aren't as wonderful as the ones I had before but you'll be hard pressed to figure out if it's me or Raquel Welch behind those Foster Grants...hahahahahaha I'm so funny :)
The glasses are brown and the lenses are tinted brown so they are very similar to the old ones. We'll see how well they hold up (hopefully better than Lizzard's old reading glasses with just the one arm left on them...lol). I have to say though that the selection was, in my opinion, pretty limited. What's with all the tacky bling bling stuff all over the frames and not to mention the size of the lenses - goodness we don't have golf ball size eyes do we??? One would think so after seeing those lenses. You can either get really, really, big lenses or tiny, little rectangular lenses....there's not much in between. I consider myself lucky to have found a pair that's fairly normal looking in comparison. Shopping...bah humbug!
Once home I bagged up the stuff for Darryl for his birthday and we both signed his card. We chilled for a little while before hitting the Hickman County highway...lol Pee Wee's Place wasn't very busy but there were a few people in attendance - Claudia for one. It was nice to visit with her. While we have talked briefly on the phone, we haven't seen each other since before Thanksgiving. That's how it is when it's wintertime. Only a few people get out and about and then only for just a little while. We're the same way. Given the choice, we rather stay home when it's cold and wet outside.
Since I go to work it's not the same for me but I can see where cabin fever could become a real deal for lots of people. Claudia didn't go anywhere but the grocery store for two weeks when the weather was so bad. With her husband being home from Afghanistan, he uses her car to get to work and back so she is home all day. He works 14 hour days so the last thing he wants to do it go back out... she was glad to be out even if only for a few hours while she waited for him to come and get her.
We visited with everyone and made sure Darryl had plenty to drink - evidenced by his dancing behind the bar...LOL he only dances when he gets buzzed! It wasn't long before we left for home. It had started raining and snow was called for so we didn't want to be out in that. We had a head start on it but still it rained the whole way home. It sure was nice having that electric gate opener! :) Neither of us had to get out in that weather to open the gate :)
Saturday we blamed Darryl for the headaches we suffered with.
As you well know, Colt and Ruger have had all the freedom a couple of puppies could ever ask for. A big dog house, 3 automatic feeders, water fresh from the spring and acres on which to run and play. Well the little turds decided to up and leave us this past week. They were in the dog house when I drove by to go to work but by the time Wally was up, dressed and outside feeding the horses, they had vacated the property... Wally looked for them all day in between trips to the barn working with Daniel. He wasn't able to find them.
He stopped at a few houses and asked people if they had seen them but no one had. The next day he called a few people he knew and low and behold, they had been sighted at Bob and Rhonda's house that morning. She said they were still there so Wally went to go retrieve them. Who knows how many doggie treats later and Ruger was caught, collared and put on a chain. Colt - yeah, right. I've been saying all along how he stays about 4-5 feet back from us and only comes close on the rare occasion. We knew he would be hard to get a hold of. Wally told me how he tried to catch lil' Colt but lil' Colt wasn't having anything to do with it. There was nothing we could do.
Ruger, meanwhile, was learning how to be a good puppy on a chain. He walks with Wally now and will sit and come to you when you tell him to. He still has to stay on the chain until we know he can be trusted again...how long will that be? Got me... He barked his little head off...it's a wonder he has a bark left in him. He did not like being chained up - not one little bit...
Saturday we drove all over looking for Colt and we showed some people his picture. A few people had seen him and recognized him from the picture but he wouldn't come to anyone...of course. Most of the people we talked to said we were only about an hour behind him...lol little stinker. Well, the weekend passed and Sunday we still had no luck finding him.
Ruger didn't seem to miss him anymore and wasn't barking nearly as much. The roosters seemed to be pretty relaxed in that they didn't have to worry about Ruger since he was tied up and Colt was clearly missing. Even the big dogs were caught napping more than usual...maybe because they didn't have puppies jumping all over them all day long...but we knew he was gone :(
Monday I went to work, calling his name as I drove up the driveway. A little while after I left, Wally got a call from Rhonda saying that Colt was at her house. He drove down there and together they tried to catch him but to no avail. The little guy is fast I tell ya... They tried to lure him with food but he just took the food and went under the dog house. After an hour, they gave up.
Wally went and got Ruger and put him in the horse trailer. He parked it near Rhonda's house where Colt would be able to hear him. He was chained in and barking his head off and Wally could hear Colt barking back. Poor Ruger must have thought he was really in trouble going from the nice, warm, dog house to the cold, lonely horse trailer.
But still Colt wouldn't come... Well, since that didn't work, Wally brought Ruger back home and took him for a walk and let him play so he would know he wasn't in trouble. Darn Colt was still on the run...
As we sat in our chairs waiting for 7:00 to come so we could go to bed, we got a phone call. It was Rhonda telling us that Bob had caught Colt and was holding him for us to come and get him. Great...it had been snowing for about 6 hours and getting to Bob and Rhonda's is no easy feat in itself. The road through the holler and up to their house wasn't likely to be pretty...but we got dressed, got our coats on, got the collar and leashes and headed out the door. We were on a mission to bring the little guy home.
The passenger side door was frozen shut so I slid in over on Wally's side and we headed towards Bob's house. The holler wasn't as bad as we expected and we climbed the hill without incident (like slipping or sliding or getting stuck) and kept on going while we had the momentum. We did slide around a little going through the woods but we made it up there safe and sound. Wally went inside to get Colt. He thanked Bob and told him how much he appreciated it. Bob said it was no problem, he didn't say it wasn't any trouble...lol
So Colt was captured and once again sitting next to me in a truck. He was shaking and his eyes were bugging out but once I started petting him and rubbing his head, he calmed down and actually snuggled up against me. We decided he was probably exhausted from being on the lam for those few days, not to mention being tired from escaping every one's grasp. While he may have had quite the adventurous time while he was gone from home...he was showing signs of being a little bit glad to be back with us. I thought he was going to fall asleep in the truck before we ever made it home. He's getting lessons today - probably as you read :)
Yes, the hens are laying eggs again - Finally! We had to buy eggs from the store for almost 2 full months. There just is no comparison, indeed after eating those store bought eggs I believe I was actually craving a farm fresh egg. In fact I was craving two of them...lol As you can see from the photos, anymore than two and there might not have been enough room in that skillet, they were huge, moreover the flavor and texture did not disappoint. I dipped my biscuit in that creamy yolk and was forever more thankful that the hens were back in business and that I was the recipient of their labor :) :) The eggs were so large that I was hard pressed to get the container to close for me. As I await the weekend, those fried eggs are once again on my mind and in my plans. LOL Maybe we'll have some bacon on the side this time...
Turnip and Mustard Greens - bright in color and brighter in flavor, once again adorned our table...yes, summer and fall have passed us by but the greens were rinsed, rinsed and rinsed again before being bagged up and placed in the freezer for just such an occasion. When I put them in the pot and they began to thaw, the kitchen filled with scents of late summer and early fall when the last of the greens were coming from the gardens. These greens were a combination of those from Darryl and the CSA basket. Together they simmered with just a little ham bouillon, black pepper and garlic powder. The end result was a mess of greens, cooked down to about four helpings, two of which were heaped on our plates and sprinkled with pepper vinegar. Sitting there eating them, it was like it was 60-70 degrees outside, though clearly we knew better.
Mushrooms are not a favorite of most people, in fact, Britney Pattishall was never an eater of nor fan of the nutritious fungi but she is now...Rinsed, chopped up, stuffed into a lidded jar and filled to the brim with Italian dressing, mushrooms can be enjoyed by anyone with a half way decent taste bud... They soak up the flavor of the dressing and are an immensely satisfying appetizer! Of course you should feel free to put them in a bowl with tomatoes and the dressing...then, when you're ready to serve them, break off some fresh mozzarella cheese chunks and add them to the bowl. You better get your serving quick because this dish won't last long at any get-together, especially if Britney is there... lol j/k Brit, you know I love you baby :)
We had our chicken wings and chili cheese dip during the super bowl and my mouth was surely on fire from those wings. The thing is, they were hot and crunchy and just the other side of HOT so I couldn't resist. It seems like after the first couple of wings, your mouth just gets used to it and it doesn't burn so bad...maybe it was the beer that we rinsed them down with...lol!! hahahahahaha Wings and beer just go together, like pizza and beer...what else are you supposed to have with them I ask you?
While we were out feeding the animals, I happened to notice that something (dog, puppy, rooster) had dug up my tulip, daffodil and iris bulbs from where I planted them in the front yard...to be certain I have no way of knowing who the culprit was but I have a sneaking suspicion...don't you????
So there I was, out in the cold, expecting to be back inside within just a few minutes and now I had gardening to do in below freezing temperatures, of all things. I filled in as many holes as I could find and piled the soil back on top of the bulbs ever more grateful that they need not be buried very deep. I may have said a few choice words in the direction of the dog house but all are innocent until proven guilty so I kept those words to a whisper...I don't know how long the bulbs had been exposed to the weather so only time will tell if they survived. Claudia assured me the irises would do fine and if, for whatever reason, they didn't survive, she has plenty more where those came from... how sweet of her.
The weather is fickle again it seems as we went from below freezing, up to 50-60 degrees and sunny, back down to freezing and then finally the rain, snow and wind. Normal? Not from what I hear. Extreme? You betcha...folks round here say they haven't seen weather like this in so many years they can't remember. Uh huh, sure.
It's still a sight to behold and I'm taking as many pictures as I can so you can see what I mean. The ones I took yesterday look like they were done in black and white. That's not the case though. They were taken with the same camera I always use now - the one from Ernie and Briney. The pictures from yesterday were also taken about 3-3:30 in the afternoon. It had snowed my whole way home from work and the pictures show you what it looked like when I was almost home and then down the drive way. It didn't seem like it was that dark out. Coming up? More snow predicted to fall overnight Wednesday so if it's of any significance, or if it makes travel unsafe, I'll be keeping myself home on Thursday. Sounds like a good day for rabbit stew now that I finally remembered to pick up the wine :) woo hoo! I'll take pictures for you Kat and Kris :)
So my Green Bay Packers are the Super Bowl 45 Champions!! How do you like them apples? I didn't think I'd make the whole game and I really didn't think they were going to win but sure enough, they showed up to play and win they did. I guess it's okay for Brett to retire now - an era comes to an end. Aaron Rogers has proven himself an apt quarterback so I'll allow him to be my new favorite QB going forward.
The commercials were a disappointment...they used to be so well thought out but this year they seemed to be going for the shock value. They used to be funny or thought-provoking or patriotic. The Dorito's commercial with the guy licking the other guys finger totally grossed me out - ew!!!! I'd rather eat a rabbit...C'mon must we lower ourselves to that level for the sake of a dollar? I think not. Did it make you want to go buy a big bag of Dorito's? Nope? Me either...Which ones did you enjoy, if any?
I think the super bowl is the one program where people actually refrain from using their dvr or tevo to skip the commercials...maybe there are stats on that somewhere LOL.
All of the entertainment was horrible if you ask me - the best part was when Slash came up from under the stage to play "Sweet Child of Mine." The rest of them weren't even worth wasting my time typing about.
As our weekend came to a close we were once again snuggled in our cabin home with light snow flurries falling on the tin roof. We were warm and happy and knew it was enough just to be together.
On a sad note, I have to recognize the passing of a dear old friend. Sam Tanner was a gentle giant of a man. He had a bellowing laugh that you couldn't help but join in on. He would give you his last dollar if you needed it and never ask for its return. He loved us as we are and didn't try to change us and while he may have had beliefs other than ours, he stood by his convictions but never once judged us for standing by ours. He filled a small part of the gap left in me when I lost my own father and I'll always remember him for that. He loved life and lived it to the fullest and would want all of us to do the same. Sam will be greatly missed in the hearts of many. May he rest in peace.
"We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love." ~Madame de Stael
Goodbye Sam, Love You, Mean It.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Yeah, It Got Cold Again... but it's all good!
WE went from the high fifties down into the twenties in one night. It's hard to imagine but it happened and I'm here to tell you about it. lol There's not much more than that to say actually :) This morning it was 22 degrees and with the wind chill factor, it was 10 degrees. I didn't really understand a "wind chill factor" until I walked out into it...We can't hardly complain when Chicago received 16" of snow the other day. This is nothing compared to that.
As always I go from the heated cabin to my heated car and then to the heated (or so they say) building. I'm out in the cold for a total of probably no more than 10 minutes. The wind was blowing pretty hard this morning but the building kind of blocked it for me.
Tuesday I was out of the office so I didn't get to update the blog. Wednesday I was busy trying to get caught up from being out Tuesday so again, no update. Here we are today and finally I have a few minutes to spend with you....
I don't remember what night it was, possibly Monday, when I came up with a new recipe. Well, it's new to me. There are probably lots of people who have made some version of it and there are probably many recipes out there on the internet for it too. However, in my mind, it's my recipe because I didn't refer to any website or cookbooks when I put it together - lol!
It's one of those really easy ones too... all you need is a bag of frozen cauliflower, a bag of frozen Sugar Snap Peas and a ham steak. For the sauce you need a couple tablespoons of butter, a couple TBSPs of flour and a handful of cheese - whatever kind you like, shredded or not, either way. For the topping - the fried onions like you use at Thanksgiving for your green bean casserole.
Cook the cauliflower and peas according to the package directions. It was my experience that they could be cooked together since both bags said "cook for 5 minutes." Cut up the ham steak and brown it in a skillet with just a little water (as the water goes away, the ham will brown). Technically you could leave out this step since ham steaks are pre-cooked but if you want the brown on the pieces, you'll need to leave this step in the process.
While the veggies and ham cook, melt the butter in a sauce pan and then sprinkle in the flour. Stir until the flour is smooth. Drain the veggies and ham (if any water is left but there shouldn't be much...) and stir everything together in a casserole dish. Remember, if you have animals, they would really enjoy drinking the veggie and ham juice over their boring old dog food... If you like your casseroles to be more creamy, kindly double the sauce recipe. You can either stir in the cheese with everything else (which is how we like it) or put it on the top of everything. Crumble the fried onions, sprinkle them on top and bake in the oven (at 350) for about 20 minutes. mmmmmm mmmmmmmm goooooooood! I wish I was there to make it for you.
I thought about adding sweet peas to the recipe but I tend to burn Wally out on peas so I left them out but they would be good to try :) Besides, sugar snap peas are technially peas... just still in the pod. What do you think? Do you think you'll try it? Well, if you do, let me know if you like it. The cauliflower will get mushy if you cook it too long so watch that. Do you have your own version of this recipe that you would care to share with me? If so, send it to dh4184@att.com and I'll give it a try :)
Now that I think about it, it had to be Monday when I came up with that recipe. Tuesday we stopped at Snappy's Pizza and had a late lunch/early dinner there. We haven't been in a long time but the waitress remembered us and she remembered what we liked to order. That was so cool. She even changed the channel on the tv to something we like to watch - don't remember what it was now - but doing so got her a pretty darn good tip! The pizza was consistenly good - lots of meat, cooked until the tips of the meat were browned, thin crust, cooked enough to be just a little bit crunchy...just the way we like it. This is a fairly huge compliment coming from me because I'm no fan of the pizza industry...Snappy's takes the cake :) LOL
We're gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday - how 'bout you? Steelers or Packers? I know Lizzard has made it clear who she wants to see win (starts with an S) but what about the rest of you? Could it be I have so few readers who even care about football? I know Kris doesn't - she's getting ready for racing instead.
Kick-off is 5:30 (I believe that's CST but don't quote me) and I'll be lucky if I make it to half time...LOL We're planning to watch it at home of course...on the menu???? Chili-cheese dip with "Scoops" for dipping :) Hot wings in our own homemade version of wing sauce :) and a sugar-free cake for dessert :) That's it. Pretty simple huh? What are you planning to have?
I have a dilema - remember the coat dilema? Well, this is about as important as that one... my sunglasses, that I have had forever, decided to give up on me the other day. I was distraught. They were given to me by my good friend and Orlando co-worker, Daiana Gutierrez and they have served me well for many years. I told her today that I definitely got HER monies worth out of them. The dilema? You guessed it... I have to go shopping :( :( :( ugh!
Well, while I was in O'Reilly's Auto Parts store I checked out their selection. They may as well not have even had a selection for what it was worth. I'm not even that picky about sunglasses but theirs were a waste of time. They had little bitty lenses and the only tint they had on the lenses was gray. C'mon people...whatever happened to brown or black? Does anyone really wear gray tinted lenses? Is it just me who is anti-gray? So here I am without sunglasses and surely not wanting to stop and shop for any. Daiana said she would see if her husband had anymore laying around that didn't fit his style and if so, she said she would send them my way...lol! yeah, it's that bad... thank goodness it's overcast today hahahahahahaha
I do have to stop at Publix so I'll give their selection a look-see but I'm not expecting any miracles. They will have buttermilk, however, and I do need that in order to try out a recipe for some whole wheat banana bread...that sounds pretty good, huh? I'll keep you posted.
It's also the weekend of the rabbit stew!! woo hoo!! Yes, I'm going to pick up the ingredients this afternoon and with any luck, we'll be dining on the wittle wascaly wabbit come Saturday :) LOL! I'll keep you posted on that one as well. With this weather, any kind of stew sounds good to me :) Sorry 'bout that Kat and Kris...just the way things are.
The puppies are growing like weeds!!! Oh my goodness are they ever getting big. I have to pop them on their cute little noses and tell them "down!" They jump up on me and they're so heavy that they knock me sideways...little monsters! lol I'm clumsy enough without their help...especially in the snow :) Of course they listen much better to Wally, indeed they sit their little butts right down and wouldn't even think of jumping on him... he's the one who most often feeds them so they know to sit for him. I'm always at work when the feeding frenzy begins so I don't get to participate except on weekends. They don't have that good of an attention span to remember from one weekend to the next. But they do know that they don't much like getting popped on the nose...lol my only saving grace for now.
Suffice it to say the roosters spend most of their time on either the hitching post or under the truck or in some way avoiding those puppies if at all possible. We still have 5 of them so I'm really hoping it wasn't the puppies who did in that last one. They are still roosting in the tree right outside the back door too. I don't know what the appeal is but now there are three of them in that tree and the other two are in a tree off in the woods. Crazy things. They scared the crap out of me the other morning. Everything was quiet and I was just walking out the door for work when they decided to start crowing...COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOOOOO! It was so loud and so close I'm pretty sure I jumped a little...lol! yeah, go ahead and laugh. Your turn will come... :) :)
Here it is Friday eve and once again I'm wishing it was already the weekend. Darryl's birthday is Friday but he doesn't know that we all know it. We're all supposed to meet over at Pee Wee's Place around 6pm so we can surprise him with a pizza and a cake and hang out for a while. I'm making the cake - pineapple upside down cake. It's supposed to rain Friday during the day and then that is supposed to turn to snow Friday afternoon...from there who knows? I imagine it will be some sort of combination of the two. If that tells you nothing at all, it should at least tell you that we won't be there long... I'm not trying to drive in a mess like that. LOL Saturday morning - off to the meat-gettin place for meat, of course, and bones for the dogs :)
Darryl does so much for so many people that we couldn't let his day go by without recognizing him. He brings me vegetables all summer long, he keeps us in fresh eggs as long as the hens are laying, he gets the grocery store in Centerville to carry the chicken feet for my broth and he supplied us with the pig back in August. He knows everyone's phone number and pretty much where they live. He knows who is good at welding, fencing, logging, etc and is generally a handy sort of guy to be friends with. We'll make sure he has a good birthday rest assured. :)
So happy superbowl to you and yours - hope your team wins especially if your team is the Packers! LOL! Enjoy your weekend - let me know if you cook up something you think I should try. I'm always looking for new ways to cook things. I'll be busy feeding animals, cleaning puppy poo off my shoes, and of course, doing some cooking. We hope to see you soon :) Got old cookbooks laying around taking up space and collecting dust? Send me an email - I'd love to have them shipped to me and I don't mind paying the shipping.
As always I go from the heated cabin to my heated car and then to the heated (or so they say) building. I'm out in the cold for a total of probably no more than 10 minutes. The wind was blowing pretty hard this morning but the building kind of blocked it for me.
Tuesday I was out of the office so I didn't get to update the blog. Wednesday I was busy trying to get caught up from being out Tuesday so again, no update. Here we are today and finally I have a few minutes to spend with you....
I don't remember what night it was, possibly Monday, when I came up with a new recipe. Well, it's new to me. There are probably lots of people who have made some version of it and there are probably many recipes out there on the internet for it too. However, in my mind, it's my recipe because I didn't refer to any website or cookbooks when I put it together - lol!
It's one of those really easy ones too... all you need is a bag of frozen cauliflower, a bag of frozen Sugar Snap Peas and a ham steak. For the sauce you need a couple tablespoons of butter, a couple TBSPs of flour and a handful of cheese - whatever kind you like, shredded or not, either way. For the topping - the fried onions like you use at Thanksgiving for your green bean casserole.
Cook the cauliflower and peas according to the package directions. It was my experience that they could be cooked together since both bags said "cook for 5 minutes." Cut up the ham steak and brown it in a skillet with just a little water (as the water goes away, the ham will brown). Technically you could leave out this step since ham steaks are pre-cooked but if you want the brown on the pieces, you'll need to leave this step in the process.
While the veggies and ham cook, melt the butter in a sauce pan and then sprinkle in the flour. Stir until the flour is smooth. Drain the veggies and ham (if any water is left but there shouldn't be much...) and stir everything together in a casserole dish. Remember, if you have animals, they would really enjoy drinking the veggie and ham juice over their boring old dog food... If you like your casseroles to be more creamy, kindly double the sauce recipe. You can either stir in the cheese with everything else (which is how we like it) or put it on the top of everything. Crumble the fried onions, sprinkle them on top and bake in the oven (at 350) for about 20 minutes. mmmmmm mmmmmmmm goooooooood! I wish I was there to make it for you.
I thought about adding sweet peas to the recipe but I tend to burn Wally out on peas so I left them out but they would be good to try :) Besides, sugar snap peas are technially peas... just still in the pod. What do you think? Do you think you'll try it? Well, if you do, let me know if you like it. The cauliflower will get mushy if you cook it too long so watch that. Do you have your own version of this recipe that you would care to share with me? If so, send it to dh4184@att.com and I'll give it a try :)
Now that I think about it, it had to be Monday when I came up with that recipe. Tuesday we stopped at Snappy's Pizza and had a late lunch/early dinner there. We haven't been in a long time but the waitress remembered us and she remembered what we liked to order. That was so cool. She even changed the channel on the tv to something we like to watch - don't remember what it was now - but doing so got her a pretty darn good tip! The pizza was consistenly good - lots of meat, cooked until the tips of the meat were browned, thin crust, cooked enough to be just a little bit crunchy...just the way we like it. This is a fairly huge compliment coming from me because I'm no fan of the pizza industry...Snappy's takes the cake :) LOL
I had put down Connie's Mom's cookbook for a time (too busy to read what with holidays and family and such) and recently picked it back up again. I got to page 726 (of 824) when I came to this paragraph. Just so you know, at this point in the book, I'm in a section that directs the housewife on how to set her guests at ease when the dining table shows the remains of the meal...Here's how it went:
"With regard to having no maid service and your guests leaving the dining table and moving to the living room…the hostess enters with the coffee while the host attends to placing the screen (to hide the dining area until it can be cleared). By the time all have lighted a fresh cigarette, the coffee is being poured and the dining table has been forgotten."
Now, is that out of date or what? LOL I got the biggest kick out of it... First of all, the part about having no maid service made me laugh...did it make you laugh? Then they place a screen up to hide the dining area? Hello? Get your butt in here and help clean up you lazy guests!! LOL! Then you want to go light up? In the house? Oh, I think not... I guess it just goes to show how much things have changed since way back when. I got a kick out of it and thought maybe you would too...
We're gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday - how 'bout you? Steelers or Packers? I know Lizzard has made it clear who she wants to see win (starts with an S) but what about the rest of you? Could it be I have so few readers who even care about football? I know Kris doesn't - she's getting ready for racing instead.
Kick-off is 5:30 (I believe that's CST but don't quote me) and I'll be lucky if I make it to half time...LOL We're planning to watch it at home of course...on the menu???? Chili-cheese dip with "Scoops" for dipping :) Hot wings in our own homemade version of wing sauce :) and a sugar-free cake for dessert :) That's it. Pretty simple huh? What are you planning to have?
I have a dilema - remember the coat dilema? Well, this is about as important as that one... my sunglasses, that I have had forever, decided to give up on me the other day. I was distraught. They were given to me by my good friend and Orlando co-worker, Daiana Gutierrez and they have served me well for many years. I told her today that I definitely got HER monies worth out of them. The dilema? You guessed it... I have to go shopping :( :( :( ugh!
Well, while I was in O'Reilly's Auto Parts store I checked out their selection. They may as well not have even had a selection for what it was worth. I'm not even that picky about sunglasses but theirs were a waste of time. They had little bitty lenses and the only tint they had on the lenses was gray. C'mon people...whatever happened to brown or black? Does anyone really wear gray tinted lenses? Is it just me who is anti-gray? So here I am without sunglasses and surely not wanting to stop and shop for any. Daiana said she would see if her husband had anymore laying around that didn't fit his style and if so, she said she would send them my way...lol! yeah, it's that bad... thank goodness it's overcast today hahahahahahaha
I do have to stop at Publix so I'll give their selection a look-see but I'm not expecting any miracles. They will have buttermilk, however, and I do need that in order to try out a recipe for some whole wheat banana bread...that sounds pretty good, huh? I'll keep you posted.
It's also the weekend of the rabbit stew!! woo hoo!! Yes, I'm going to pick up the ingredients this afternoon and with any luck, we'll be dining on the wittle wascaly wabbit come Saturday :) LOL! I'll keep you posted on that one as well. With this weather, any kind of stew sounds good to me :) Sorry 'bout that Kat and Kris...just the way things are.
The puppies are growing like weeds!!! Oh my goodness are they ever getting big. I have to pop them on their cute little noses and tell them "down!" They jump up on me and they're so heavy that they knock me sideways...little monsters! lol I'm clumsy enough without their help...especially in the snow :) Of course they listen much better to Wally, indeed they sit their little butts right down and wouldn't even think of jumping on him... he's the one who most often feeds them so they know to sit for him. I'm always at work when the feeding frenzy begins so I don't get to participate except on weekends. They don't have that good of an attention span to remember from one weekend to the next. But they do know that they don't much like getting popped on the nose...lol my only saving grace for now.
Suffice it to say the roosters spend most of their time on either the hitching post or under the truck or in some way avoiding those puppies if at all possible. We still have 5 of them so I'm really hoping it wasn't the puppies who did in that last one. They are still roosting in the tree right outside the back door too. I don't know what the appeal is but now there are three of them in that tree and the other two are in a tree off in the woods. Crazy things. They scared the crap out of me the other morning. Everything was quiet and I was just walking out the door for work when they decided to start crowing...COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOOOOO! It was so loud and so close I'm pretty sure I jumped a little...lol! yeah, go ahead and laugh. Your turn will come... :) :)
Here it is Friday eve and once again I'm wishing it was already the weekend. Darryl's birthday is Friday but he doesn't know that we all know it. We're all supposed to meet over at Pee Wee's Place around 6pm so we can surprise him with a pizza and a cake and hang out for a while. I'm making the cake - pineapple upside down cake. It's supposed to rain Friday during the day and then that is supposed to turn to snow Friday afternoon...from there who knows? I imagine it will be some sort of combination of the two. If that tells you nothing at all, it should at least tell you that we won't be there long... I'm not trying to drive in a mess like that. LOL Saturday morning - off to the meat-gettin place for meat, of course, and bones for the dogs :)
Darryl does so much for so many people that we couldn't let his day go by without recognizing him. He brings me vegetables all summer long, he keeps us in fresh eggs as long as the hens are laying, he gets the grocery store in Centerville to carry the chicken feet for my broth and he supplied us with the pig back in August. He knows everyone's phone number and pretty much where they live. He knows who is good at welding, fencing, logging, etc and is generally a handy sort of guy to be friends with. We'll make sure he has a good birthday rest assured. :)
So happy superbowl to you and yours - hope your team wins especially if your team is the Packers! LOL! Enjoy your weekend - let me know if you cook up something you think I should try. I'm always looking for new ways to cook things. I'll be busy feeding animals, cleaning puppy poo off my shoes, and of course, doing some cooking. We hope to see you soon :) Got old cookbooks laying around taking up space and collecting dust? Send me an email - I'd love to have them shipped to me and I don't mind paying the shipping.
"Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat." ~Author Unknown
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