Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Living each day the Earl Grey Way




I wake up every morning looking forward to my hot cup of tea. It doesn't feel like morning without it. The flavor of tea varies between Constant Comment and Earl Grey, but these days it's Earl Grey all the way. The perfect recipe: 1 teabag of Earl Grey from the "Republic of Tea" can + boiling water poured into a 16 oz. cup, 1 heaping teaspoon sugar, 2 Tablespoons of milk and Voila! There you have it. It's not only a great start to a busy day, but it's DELICIOUS!

So, in the spirit of all things yummy, here's a recipe you really should try:


Grandma's BBQ Chicken sauce:
(with a little modification by me)
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2-1 teaspoon mustard
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
3 Tablespoons of finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

Pour sauce over 6-12 chicken breasts and bake on 350 for 45 minutes, or until tender. Mmmmm good.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Spoiled

I love spoiling my horse. Stink has been in my life for over 13 years and I love spoiling her now as much as I did the day she was born on our farm. I guess you could call her demanding. She definitely has certain expectations when I come to see her: Peppermints, cookies, tummy rub or back rub, and not necessarily in that order. She's totally flexible about the order. :-)

But she's always been so gentle and kind and she looks out for me. I know experts say that animals don't have the capacity to really care, but I beg to differ. This horse cares. And she doesn't just care about me. She's always so careful with new riders, doing her best to insure that they don't fall off and on numerous occasions she's shoved Valiant out from under her feet to keep from stepping on her. She's a marvelous creation and I'm crazy about her. :-)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Rain




Yes, it's raining again today. I'm not complaining... I remembered my umbrella this morning! It's refreshing and it makes it cool and clean all around. The grass looks greener and brighter each morning and the plants all look lush. My horses are happy and content not to be sweating in the heat. That makes it worth having wet shoes!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Random “Isms” of this week so far…



When life seems up-side-down, it helps me to stop and consider the little things in life...

• I was causally strolling along the sidewalk under the trees, heading home after a long day at work. Note: I was minding my own business. Suddenly a squirrel came flying out of the trashcan next to me and hurdled itself in my direction. I’m not sure which one of us was more surprised, but we both let out an un-stifled scream upon collision and ran in opposite directions.

• I have been trying to be rational and not count the stairs at work (one of my quirks) and thus far have succeeded. However, I have somehow managed in spite of my efforts to the contrary, to make a mental note of whether each set of stairs has an odd of even number. I can certifiably tell you which set is odd and which set is even. How sad.

• I seem to be making a habit out of forgetting my umbrella on days when rain makes its appearance. Why is that?

• Baby Mac: is making sure I eat 6 square meals a day, no more than 2 hours apart; loves horseback riding (that’s what I’m predicting, since I feel so great after each ride on my favorite horse); is not showing much yet, but we can probably thank my longer torso for that… I don’t think it’s for any lack of effort on Baby’s Mac’s part; is going to be very loved by a certain Valiant puppy – she was so enthralled with a baby she met at the blueberry patch that I had to drag her away.

• I recently purchased 5 large bottles of Avon Skin So Soft… the insect count in TN is a great deal higher than TX and SsS is supposed to be a great alternative to fly spray for horses. It felt like a really extravagant purchase, though.

• And last but definitely not least… I’m happy to say that “George” is back – “Kris” has been around a little too much lately, which really makes me appreciate “George”.

Friday, July 10, 2009

New Life

Most of you probably know that we are expecting an additional member of our family in January of 2010! We, unfortunately, do not have any photos to share with you yet, as we haven't been able to get an ultrasound due to job/insurance changes we've experienced recently. We promise to post something as soon as we have it, though. :-)

Some "notables" from the past couple weeks:
• Food consumption: I’m constantly hungry. I'm trying to keep fruits and veggies within constant reach so that the temptation to snack doesn’t lead to unnecessary calories
• Fancy is overly-protective of me, making sure all other horses know that she’s the “Mama Horse” and thus the designated guardian
• The reality still hasn’t hit us yet, so we’re excited about getting a real live picture of this new member of our family
• Today is the first day I’m officially feeling uncomfortable in my corduroy pants – I think we had a bit of a growth spurt this week, if food consumption was any indication

We'll post photos soon!

"What I long for..." Sentiments of a dear friend

In response to my previous blog, one of my dearest friends sent me these sentiments of what "ought to be" in her life.

From one who no longer has to face the daily grind (she is retired):

Monday: the glow of Sunday worship lingers on and makes me eager to see what He will bring today
Tuesday: the lessons of yesterday lead me to prayer and a need to repent my un-thankfulness for not appreciating Monday :-)
Wednesday: ah, the need for fellowship ensures that I arrive at my class tonight
Thursday: the week is almost gone and there is so much to do – the tiny birds in the backyard He causes to amuse me (a reminder of His love for the smallest creature)
Friday: that longing for Sunday is building and I hear hymns in my soul and heart
Saturday: purify me today, dear Lord, that I might keep my accounts with you current and be ready for worship with my life tomorrow and every day
Sunday: my heart dances, my soul glows, my mind is quiet and He will give me peace today, as He does every day

Getting older has many unexpected surprises and joys

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Living for Friday?

Yeah, me too. :-)

Monday - Tough because it starts the week, and means you have 4 whole work days to follow.
Tuesday - follows Monday and isn't very close to Friday. Enough said.
Wednesday - Well, things are looking up - at least you've made it to the middle of the week, technically, even if you feel like it should be the end.
Thursday - Nearing the finish line, but still have a full work day to go... chin up!
Friday - You made it! Do you HAVE to work all 8 hours???

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Hawk vs. Squirrel




I was eating my lunch on a bench under a large tree yesterday. It was a cool, misty day and I was marveling at how quiet and peaceful it was for a Tuesday afternoon when suddenly there was a great commotion in the tree overhead. I looked up to see a giant red-tailed hawk tormenting a squirrel. The incredible thing was that the squirrel, who was clearly being pursued as a lunch option for the hawk, had managed to hold onto his own lunch (a large shelled nut) in the race around the tree trunk. The hawk dove in and out of branches after the clever squirrel, but never managed to snag it. In the end it was the squirrel who got lunch.