Easily Distracted

As I fly through my list, prioritize and get real with myself that not everything will get finished before my vacation I realized something else. I may have attention deficient disorder. Don't act all shocked.
I went to Joann's Fabric to get supplies for the Fair FFA dairy barn and found some cute boxes for my scrapbook paper. I bought two, one for solids and one for patterned paper. After setting them aside and looking for supplies to make the FFA decorations I realize I have a mess. So, everything comes off the shelves, I make piles, I drive back to Bellingham for more boxes, I organize and cull through paper, embellishments and stickers, look through all the packets of photos and reminiscence. I eventually end up with a tidy craft cabinet, a shopping bag full of craft supplies for my friend, Miss Emilyn, and no time to make the FFA banner.
Speaking of banners, have any of you made pennant banners? I need some tips to speed up the process. I got a little behind...

Everything is Bigger in Texas

I'm going to Dallas. Hubby and I hope to visit the Sixth Floor Museum @ Dealey Plaza(JFK museum), the Fort Worth Stockyards, the Cowgirl Museum, North Park Shopping Center, the Galleria, Billy Bob's(the world's biggest honky tonk) and more. Since everything is bigger in Texas I am hoping that the nordstrom sale will be too.



Hobby Lobby is in Texas! If you've been to a Hobby Lobby you'll understand my excitement. There may be more than one. Yee Haw!

We Have a Winner

And the winner is... Hannah. Congratulations! I will be in touch.

Thank you to all of you who entered, I wish I could give you each a prize, however; you may purchase a cookbook from Lynden Christian School, 417 Lyncs Drive, Lynden, WA 98264 or by calling 360-354-318-9525.

PreVacation Crazies

Hubby is on a little trip and I plan to meet up with him later this month. I'm busy getting ready.
*I like to leave my desk in good shape at the museum. Work all done etc.
*I like to have the museum calendar in good order before I leave town.
*I like to leave my house in ship shape condition before I pack up.
*I need to get a haircut and color and a pedicure.
*I want every bit of ironing caught up.
*I need to mow the lawn.
*I should wash all the vehicles.
*I need to pack just the right things in carry on luggage.
*I have to get everything ready for the Northwest Washington Fair for the FFA Dairy.
*I have to take my vitamins and EmergenC every day because I usually get sick after a trip, sometimes during the trip. Prevention!
*I have to get my menu firmed up for Garden Party Dinner. I have main course this year.
*I need to get notes ready for my house sitter, gardener, Hawley sitter, extraordinaire, Zach.
These prevacation crazies have been brought to you by yours truly. I do it every time, make myself crazy, that is. I prefer to leave on vacation later in the day so I can change everyone's bed sheets before we take off. Early flights make that difficult as no one will get out of their beds so I can change the sheets. The guys have not always cooperated with me.

Whew, I am going to need a vacation.

Can you guess where I'm headed? If I'm polishing my cowgirl boots...

REMEMBER THE CONTEST AND WIN!!! JUST LEAVE YOUR COMMENT IN THE PREVIOUS POST.

It's Here and It's a Giveaway

It's a giveaway on my blog. Never before have I hosted a giveaway even though it's a popular bloggers' pastime. That said, today is the day and here is the scoop.
1. Leave a comment and you'll be entered. Easypeasy!
2. Non-bloggers may leave a comment under anonymous, just "sign" your comment with your name.
3. These giveaway rules are making me feel pretty official when actually I'll dump your names in a bowl and draw one lucky winner.
4. I never did a giveaway because I never had anything so cool to give as I do now.
5. My sitemeter tells me I've had over 77,000 visits, 150 hits a day, but I get an average of 2.3 comments per post. WHO are you people? Beside knowing that you're shy, I know nothing about you.
6. It was a week of stalkers aka sweet and shy readers, introducing themselves to me out on the streets. This led to me wondering who are my readers.
7. My friend Ree,Pioneer Woman has many giveaways and she always tells us that she is having the giveaway because she loves us more than her luggage. I've always wanted to say that so here goes... Cuz, I love you more'n my luggage.
8. The prize!!! is the Lynden Christian School Centennial Cookbook. I just picked up my copy and yours from the school office. It is super thick with 500 recipes!
And the artwork is very groovy. Becky VH was the photographer and I am proud to say Miss Holly, who is my friend, over at I Wish I Were a Walton, was on the committee and her collections of groovy vintage items are used in the photos, along with torn recipe borders from the LCS 1930's cookbook.
9. There are some delicious recipes in the book, including Cran-Turkey Enchiladas. That recipe caught my eye and now they are all I can think about.
10. So, it's a contest, enter and you might just win it!
11. I like these numbered rules, better than blogging about the squirrel invasion at the Stone House or that an eat less, move more is going on. In a optimistic moment I returned the dress I bought to wear to Josh and Kristin's wedding and got the smaller size. Why do I do things like that? What was I thinking? In the summer when I love to BBQ and make new cocktail recipes... And now I want to bake Leslie's raspberry recipe.

I'm finding friend's recipes. Miss Leslie, my favorite raspberry farmer, submitted a yummy raspberry recipe that I can't wait to try.

Yummy fun! Enter today and tell me a bit about yourself. Like who you are, if you like mayo, if you're crazy, if you live on a boat, or tell me your dirty little secret. Well, maybe not that, but tell me something.

I'm off to my patio to drool over my new cookbook. Have a good weekend and enter through Monday evening.

Secwret Squirrel Stuff

We got an email from Sam this morning. He was brief and wrote, "loose lips sink ships". Seriously, that's pretty much it.

Southwestern Style Asparagus & Black Bean Salad

For a family salmon BBQ on Sunday evening I was asked to bring a salad. I didn't want to make the same old, same old so I got out my recipe file and came across this recipe for a fresh asparagus salad.

A summer salad full of fresh ingredients that my sister, Kathi and I learned to make at a community college cooking class. The class topic was everything asparagus. YummY!

Southwestern Style Asparagus & Black Bean Salad
1 lb. roasted asparagus, cooled & cut into 1" pieces, I roast it on my stone at 400 degrees just until it breaks into a sweat.
1 can black beans, drained
1 red pepper, diced
1 c. corn kernels, fresh if available
1/2 c. diced red onion
1 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing:
1 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped(yep, the whole pepper, no seeds though)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/3 cup canola oil
salt & pepper
Combine dressing ingredients in a food processor or magic bullet. Pour over salad and mix well.

It can be served with tortilla chips.
Or serve with BBQ'd salmon, potatoes, corn on the cob, garlic and onion bread and brownie sundaes for dessert. Trust me, that combo works!

More This and That

I've been working at the museum. The current docent shortage, since it's summertime, is keeping me on my toes.

Hubby and I are putting an addition on the Stone House. I take pictures of cabinets, tile, carpet and get a stomach ache every time we talk about it. Excited but a tad overwhelmed, I plan to drag my blog readers through every last painful decision. I bet you can't wait!

I land on my patio at the end of the day. It calms and centers me.

I think about Sam and what he might be doing right at that time in Iraq.

I have a sweet classmate of Max's show up at my door with a signed copy of her Aunt Sarah's book and a 2011 calendar.

The everyday things keep me busy and I am thankful for daily life. Enjoy!

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

This and That

Post picture today is of an Army Aid Station. I found it on flickr. It is NOT a picture of Sam rather an example of where he is stationed. We know he is in Iraq at an Aid Station.
We received an email this morning from Sam. He is doing well, enjoying the work and the people. He gets escorted to check his email once a week and can not tell us when he returns. But he sounds upbeat and happy. And that makes this mama happy.

Thank you for your prayers. Today make it a prayer of thanksgiving.

Question? Have you ever been to Anacortes Shipwreck Day? I'm thinking about going this weekend but don't want to waste my time. Thoughts? If you want to tag along, let me know...

Summer seems to have returned today. I hope it lasts for a long time. Enjoy!

Did You Just Say Audrey?

On Saturday I went shopping for black pants. I wanted cropped for summer, something that didn't wrinkle for traveling, a bit dressy for the holidays. Basically, I wanted it all. Last stop was the Gap where in desperation I tried the new skinny cropped style.

I took them home. Many reasons, including the following: they fit, the clerk told me they were slimming, then she told me they were very Audrey Hepburn, they can be worn with heels or flats, I had a 30% off coupon and $10 in rewards, I had no where else to look in Bellingham, and every clerk that saw me carrying them to the counter told me about the amazing fabric of the pants. Apparently, Gap had this fabric in the 90's and customers never stopped asking for it to come back.

Definitely, feeling a little trendy, edgy and scared. But slimming and Audrey-like tipped me over.

I also bought black leggings to wear with skirts. Love that look. It has taken two years to get up my nerve to even try them on. You may remember this.

Leggings are probably going out of style. But it's kinda cold here this summer and I still want to wear my skirts.

I'm no fashionista but I can try.

Honey, I Made Dessert

After running errands on Friday morning I hit the patio for some R & R. One of my stops was the library where I loaded up for some serious reading.

After my break I had some house cleaning, laundry, strawberry jam making and a bit of cooking to catch up on before Hubby got home from work. I decided to whip up a healthy dessert and found a recipe in one of the magazines I had picked up at the library.


Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
1/3 c. mini chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp. orange flavored liqueur
1 1/2 tsp. water
8 large strawberries
2 T. white chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet or container with waxed paper or parchment paper. Mix the min chips, liqueur and water in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave on med. for 30 seconds; whisk until smooth.

Hold one strawberry by hull, dip halfway into chocolate and and set on paper covered sheet. Repeat with the rest of your berries. I had more than 8 because they were medium to small berries.

Put the white chocolate chips in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave on medium for 40-45 seconds, stirring once halfway through cooking time. Whisk until smooth. Dip a fork into the white chocolate; drizzle over berries.

I found this recipe in a Weight Watcher's magazine so it must be good for you. Two large berries have 3 points, if you care about stuff like that; which I don't.
Obviously.

Cake Toppers and Such

Last week when I hosted a bridal shower for Kristin my Mom contributed to the Something Old table. She had their wedding cake topper. I think it is really sweet and if I had a daughter I would encourage her to use it. But I don't have girls.

Mom also had all of the little gift cards from her bridal showers. They were perched in with the cake topper, pearls, beaded purse and pink roses as a centerpiece. It was fun to see my great aunt's signatures on these cards filled with best wishes.

Hubby and I had a Precious Moments as a cake topper. Dad and Mom's topper got me to thinking about what we keep and what we discard. Since I don't have daughters I sometimes wonder why I am keeping my topper, my wedding dress, my wedding shoes and more.

Will someone want them? What do you keep and why?

Max on the Farm

Before Hubby, Kassie and I left George, WA on Monday morning we drove out to the field where Max was swathing(cutting alfalfa) to say good bye. Hubby knew where he was working. Max was at the Nolan circle as opposed to the home place, 78, Dippery's, Joseph's etc. Good thing Hubby knew because I would have been lost. The alfalfa is pretty and so green compared to the desert around it.


Max works with Cruz. Cruz and Max have a mutual admiration society going on and it's fun to see them together. Cruz was doing the cutting in, the first round to show Max how to do that and then Max swathes the rest of the field.


Max has farmer jeans. Apparently, his holey Gap jeans were a disgrace in the community to Uncle John's farm, so Aunt Marie took Max into town to get some new duds. Nice!

Hubby and Cruz were chattin' it up, probably talking about what a spud Max is. But they both love him so it's okay. Cruz is a nice guy and is patiently showing Max the ropes. They can't say enough good things about each other.


We said our good byes and hit the road, not far and we ran into a real cattle drive! With real cowboys and a cowMom moving their herd to a different field. I felt like I had stepped into Ree's blog. It brought back great memories of when my folks, Sam and Max and I were driving through Wyoming and got behind cattle and cowboys. That was when Max was obsessed with growing up to be a cowboy and was so excited.

The cowboy on the gator had a hay bale in the back and baited them right a long. The Mom was in the truck and the kids on horseback, as was the Dad who was yelling instructions like no bodies business. It was fun to watch, Kassie and I were just a tad excited about the whole thing.

We hit the interstate and got home by three. We had a good visit with Max. He loves what he is doing and it shows.

2010 4th of July

Hubby and I enjoyed fireworks three nights in a row. Hubby's Dad is a licensed pyro-technician so two of the shoots were his. On the 3rd he had a shoot at Sunland Estates on the Columbia River. The echo off the cliffs makes this one my favorite.

Since we were in George , Washington for the 4th this year we jumped in and took advantage of their celebration. Laura, Marie, Paul and Laura and their girls and myself came early and did the two mile Cherry Bomb Run. Some of us placed and some of us didn't, but we all finished. After the run we went to breakfast at the George Community Hall. At ten the parade started and everyone was in town by then. Brooke rode in the back of a decorated pick up and threw us lots of candy.




Laura and I went home to shower and then returned for the horchata and the el Salvadora treat, pupusas. The pupusas are eaten with a coleslaw called curtido. I would have liked to have taken this grandma home with me.


We spent most of the day in the park catching up with family and friends. Lots of games for the kids, live music and a car show.

I wanted to play BiNgO at the community hall at four o'clock but no one else wanted that experience so we went back to the folks. Hubby's Mom made ribs for dinner and then we watched the George fireworks show.

A good time was had by all. Tomorrow I'll share more about our visit with Max.

The 4th of July Celebrating Begins

Last night we went to the Bellingham Bell's game. It was Customs and Border Protection Night which meant the honor guard presented the colors, a fly by from Air and Marine, $2 admission and FiReWoRkS!

We had a good time even though it was verrrry cold. We huddled under lots of blankets and sat close. There are a lot of laughs and excitement at a Bell's game.

The best part was the brawl on the field. It was kind of like Hockey Night in Canada. The Bells won the game, so that was fun too. Winning is always good.