Only Fern

Just a quick note because it's Monday. It was a great weekend! Patio sitting with friends on a Friday evening with some great Sangria wine. A BEAUTIFUL wedding on Saturday evening. They are sooo cute and one of my favorite couples! So happy for them! I caught the bouquet. Don't hold your breath. This has happened before, and it's still just me and Newt. Sunday was full of rest and recuperation and inventing. I threw together a quick supper. Invited another great couple over and we dined on Sam's Crazy Chicken "Enchilada" Adventure (I don't know if this will see a round two), Sam's Delish Black Beans, and Sam's Shrimp Pico on tosdadas. The later two, as demonstrated by their names, are also Sam Inventions. They also have been lucky enough to make the recipes to repeat list. For now, I'll leave you with the "How To" on the Black Beans. For now, let's call them Sam's Delish Black Beans . What you will need: 1 can chick...

Last night I spent some time outside...unloading a giant cooler of BEEF , replanting and salvaging the bovine caused destruction from last week, Miracle Growing my "garden", rearranging pots, and endangering my own health and well being by standing on a 3 step step-stool in the carport with no supervision and no one to call 9-1-1. It was a beautiful evening. My carport is one coat of paint away from being a fantastic summer lounge, minus the optional Japanese lanterns. Oh yeah, and I need to get rid of the swallows nest. Damn birds. I'm afraid to knock it down...stuff will fly down on me. Yes, I can take whatever comes out of a cow, but not a birds nest. I'm okay with that. I did, however, spray it with wasp spray while I was spraying wasps in the rafters of the carport. I really would like a BB gun to shoot them (the wasps, not the birds). That's taking it a little far...that's me turning into the crazy old lady. I'm well on my way, I've also...

This is what I woke up to this morning. Maybe before I explain, I should set the stage. Saturday, I went on a trip to the nursery, to Walmart, etc. Sunday, I worked in the yard...planting the results of Saturday's trip, painting lawn chairs, raking out the carport, and so on. I placed 2 large identical pots in either corner of my front yard. There is a pipe fence around my house with a top rail that is hip high on me and another rail about 2 feet below that. Surrounding my house and it's little fence is a pasture and the rest of ranch headquarters where cows "free range". I had set the pots in from the corners to prevent bovine snacking; however, as you can see by the bottom photo, not far enough. As I was making coffee this morning, I looked out the window to see it all go down. Out the back door I ran to assess the carnage and attempt to salvage what was left and/or save the matching pot. The top photo is of the mate in the opposite corner of the yar...

Newt and I spent the day in the yard on Sunday, even though there were temps greater than 95. This happens to be his hurry up and let me in the A/C pose. More to come on what we've been up to.

Testing, testing

Let this be my "comeback"....call me the come back kid... I've been contemplating what to do for a comeback for awhilenow. I've given the blog a face lift. I've tried new recipes. I've taken photos. I've made lists. For now, since I'm in the barn, on my iPhone, waiting on embryos to be recovered from a donor cow so that we may transfer them to recip mothers (surrogates), let me make a list. 1) Sometimes we shouldn't see it as failure, but see things as God saying, "Excuse me, you're headed in the wrong direction." 2) It's all part of His plan. 3) I praise God everyday for my parents who taught me strength and hope and kindness and independence. Although these are also some of my weakest points, somedays, they keep me going and are my strongest. 4) Homemade tomato soup is labor intensive and mily overrated. Campbell's is just fine. At least til I find a better recipe. 5) I need a catering van. 6) I'm a severe over committer...