Sunday Night Cooking

No, these aren't ants, roaches or beetles....they are the uncooked penne pasta shells that scattered all over the floor tonight as I was trying to finish up my cooking for the entire week. One snip of the scissors, one slight lift of the plastic bag and whoooosh...clatter. Out came all of the pasta. All except for the 10 or so conscientious objectors who decided to remain behind.

The conscientious objectors

What did I do this the mess you might ask?  Certainly I didn't use it?  Yup.  Hey, it was going to be boiled anyhow and it is not like I am going to serve it to guests.  I boiled it up, measured some of it out into baggies to freeze and deal with later and mixed up the rest with some shrimp from Trader Joes!  Yum-O!

Vacation in Review--part 5 Friends and Fun

Friends

Meet my friends, the goats. I came love these two, four-legged critters. They call to you, eat (anything!) out of your hand. Tthey frolic and run with (and after) you.

I really came to have a a deep affection for these little guys. I think of them often when I am weeding or cutting out strawberry hulls. I could feed my goat-buddies with these I think. Maybe one day I'll be able to have some, but for now their memory will live on in pictures.

Fun

One of these happy vacation days was spent swimming in a river (not the one in the in-laws backyard, a different one). We jumped and dove off of rocks as well as those overpass cement post thingys (never in a million years would I have thought of jumping off of the actual overpass! EEK!)! I later took County Sis's dog's example and took an nap in the delicious sunshine using Callie-dog herself as my pillow (honestly, you didn't expect me to use a rock for a pillow do you? I hear it gives you weird dreams and strange visions. Just ask Jacob of the Bible.)

Sigh...the whole day was wonderful....what relaxation!

Vacation in Reveiw--Part 4 Harvesting

“I’m a God-fearing hardworking combine driver
Hogging up the road with my p-p-p-plower
Chug-a-lug-alugin 5 miles an hours
On my International Harvester”

Such are the words to the country song written by songwriter Craig Morgan. I always thought this upbeat tune a fun one when I heard it played on the radio; however, the humor became much more real as I got a taste of real combine work.

To continue yesterdays’ narrative…after we finished with the blueberry pie filling, The Lady and her brother Wrestler Man had to go to their Combining job with a local farmer. Were we (Curly-Q and myself) up to ride along with them? Were we ever! It was between one and two O clock in the afternoon when we left for the fields. Because of the recent rainy and damp weather, their work day began later so as to give the cut rye grass a chance to dry out.

The cab of a Combine is not designed for two females of feminine proportions to fit spaciously into; however, The Lady and I squeezed in (good thing we know each other and are friends!) so we wouldn’t have to endure the dusty conditions resulting from an open cab door. Yes, you can keep the door open when you Combine without any fear of being sucked out at the incredibly high speed of 5.7 miles an hour! Round and round, The Lady and I went, chit-chatting while the monstrously large machine “ate” at the fallen grass that lay before it. With rye grass, The Lady told me, you have to come at it a certain way. The grass has to be facing the Combine (the rye heads forward) so it will be collected, sifted, and separated all properly. I even got to drive for a while, having to pay a little more attention than I did last year when I “helped” (if you can call 30 minutes of driving “help”) combine wheat grass.

I felt almost special knowing that I was helping make food for other people. It was one of the highlights of my trip.

I still think the song by Craig Morgan is funny, perhaps even more so now that I can identify with it a little more. I sure didn’t “hog up the road with my p-p-p-plower” but I sure “chug-a-luga-luged 5 miles an hour!”

Vacation In Review--part 3 Blueberries For Gals

A note of explanation… before I begin my narrative let me explain the “names” I use:
Country Sis is my eldest sister whom my family was visiting
Curly-Q is my middle sister
The Lady is Country Sis’s sister in law who lives across the road. When I call her “ The Lady” I am meaning it with all kindness and seriousness (and certainly not an austerity) . She is indeed a lady in the best and noblest of ways.

It was 7:00AM when we got the call from Country Sis that The Lady was going a-blueberry picking. Did we want to come? Did we ever! 45 minutes later Curly-Q, the Lady, and I were dragging the drift boat to the river bank that bordered the in-laws yard. After almost getting our heads and hands spun off by the incredibly fast whirling crank/reel that releases the boat from the trailer in to the water, we piled in and enjoyed a rather surreal ride to the opposite bank where the “U-Pick” blueberry field awaited us. There, up atop the incline, was the field owner’s house surrounded by trees, from which hung decapitated milk cartons with twine threaded through their handles. Following The Lady’s example, we made little “blueberry baskets” by tying the headless milk cartons around our waists with the twine. (This, I learned, was standard procedure for any passerby wishing to pick berries. One never had to bother the owners until it was time to pay.) Away we went to the farthest end of the blueberry rows and “plink, plink, plink,” we picked, picked, picked. Between mouthfuls of blueberries we discussed the whys and wherefores of our favorite books and movies, until we came the end of our 4th row and realized we had collected a grand total of 8 gallons! As we rowed back home through the deliciously cool water that sparkled with the summer sunshine, I felt like a thief, having paid only five dollars per gallon!

Once home we continued in domestic busyness by making 14 jars of blueberry pie filling as well as one (each) fresh blueberry and rhubarb pie. The fun and industry didn’t end here for almost as soon as we had finished the pie The Lady…but if I told that, it would make this post terribly long. No, that story must wait for tomorrow!

Vacation In Review--Part 2

Don't sunflowers just make you smile?! This was the little beauty that graced the table of four of us ladies: Mom, L, A, and myself. We went a little town and eat lunch, and window shop, and simply enjoy the little chance we had at "girl time." This happy little table decoration reminds me of the joy it was to sit and discuss, take pictures (mostly of our food), and goof off.

Vacation In Review--part 1

I could write numerous excuses for why I haven't been posting much lately (ok, at all) , but here is one of them...I was on vacation! We went to visit my dear sister and her husband and his family in their house in the woods. Sigh...It was such a wonderful time.

This picture shows a bit of "dead" amongst the profusion of "green" It was taken on a morning walk with Mom in the clear (unpolluted) woodsy air!

It was the first of several walks that Mom and I took together. This particular ramble through the woods was sweet to me because, as Mom and I came to the medal green gate that stopped us from going further, we took the opportunity to sit on a stump, hold hands, and pray. As the birds twittered, and sun's fingers reached in past the tree tips that moved in thelight breeze, we talked with Jesus, told Him our fears and asked Him to be with the ones we love so dearly. It was a sweet time. One of the many of our trip. Stay tuned!!

Hills of fire and a Blood-red sky

Needless to say tonight's post is not the original one I was intending to post! In short, there is a fire in the sage brush hills behind my home. Here are some pictures. I am going to try and get the film clip to work too. (Kristin...I wish I was a bit more artistic in my pyro-photography!)

Note that the house isn't on fire! It is the hill behind the house that is aflame! The perspective is all off!

This last picture unfortunately doesn't show the detail, but the the little "swishy" in the sky is a helicopter dropping retardant/water at night. I have never seen a fire 'copter' do this except when they drill in the summer.

We got a false call to evacuate around 7:00pm. It ended up being a miscommunication. It turns out we heard the Police's bullhorn from several streets up. Whew (though it still is a bit close!)! I have to say that I dread the very idea of putting ALL of my quick-packing back into my room tomorrow. Then again, it doesn't seem so nasty of a job considering that I still have a house to put them in! God is kind.

I love my room. There is is just no getting around it. My little green room is my oasis and I love keeping it clean because it signifies that it is very own special space. Check out how many different items I have with my name on it!

Guess Who...or What

I had some fun with the camera the other day (the other month, rather). Perhaps you can tell me precisely what I was pointing my camera at? Anyone?

or this

Take me out to the antique shops...

This last Monday was Presidents Day which meant there were no college classes to attend!! Of course, being the faithful student I am (ahem, ahem) I studied chemistry for a few hours before heading off with my entire family to go antiquing. We never buy much, if anything, however it is always such a joy to hang out with the people I enjoy and love the most. I did toss a few pennies towards a quaint plate that I am going to convert into a chalk board, as well as a book entitled Three minute Readings for College Girls. I couldn't help snapping a few shots of fun, "old things." If you can't tell, I love close ups!

(Note to the concerned photo junkie: All the photos shown on this blog where taken without flash. No antiques were harmed in the process.)