DD Daughter, Ms. En, and Mr. T - Summer at The Lake

Word of the Day

Thictatorship - God, having absolute power, wins and everybody else loses, specifically in the case of religious governments. Otherwise known as theocracy.

It's Big Bang Theory Night. HTP and I always sit down and eat in front of the TV on Big Bang Theory Night. Finger food. Tonight I plan to make pizza, which means that I better get my rear end in gear because I need to go to the store to buy the pizza crust. One of our local grocery stores (Bashas) sells pre-made pizza crust dough. We love it. Easy, peasey to flatten it out on a greased pizza pan and add our favorite ingredients. It's lots cheaper than ordering pizza to be delivered....tastier too.

I've got to make bread for tomorrow morning too so I'll get that started before I head out grocery shopping. HTP gives me a hard time about going out grocery shopping almost every day but it's so easy to just run out when you need something here. That's not the case at The Lake. I miss being at The Lake but I don't miss the snow and cold.

Random Quote of the Day

Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood.
William Penn (1644 - 1718)

Kylee Stole My Spot in the Sun

Word of the Day

Thesisize - To research, write, or edit one's own thesis.

I've decided that Wednesday is going to be Fish Day from now on. I found this great recipe for beer batter. Easy and VERY good. You mix equal parts beer with flour and then you cover the bowl with the batter with a towel and let it sit for three hours before you use it. Those three hours are VERY important. It tastes OK if you don't wait the three hours but the result isn't as crunchy, so, thinking ahead is worth it. Of course, I need to go out shopping to get some fish (I'm going try swai tonight instead of cod) but, since the store is less than five minutes away, there will be fish tonight. If we were in Wisconsin, I'd use fish that I'd caught myself but that's not an option here. I've got some left-over bacon dressing and some left-over asparagas that I think I'll combine to serve with the fish.

As soon as I finish this blog entry, I'll change out of my yoga clothes (there was yoga this morning), check the food ads (they come out on Wednesday), and head out shopping. My cupboard isn't exactly bare but I have no fish.

Random Quote of the Day

The best way out is always through.
Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)

My Silver Agave

Word of the Day

Thermalophobia - An abnormal fear when one is showering that someone might sneak in, flush the toilet, and scald them to death.


It's laundry day. Sis would laugh at this because she KNOWS that Tuesday, for me, is always laundry day...unless it isn't, on rare occasions. I like to be predictable, probably because it comes as such a shock to everyone when I choose to jump out of harness and do the unpredictable.

I finished the Outlander series this morning. Sometimes I regret being such a fast reader, especially when this particular author leaves you with so many loose ends. She's fond of cliff-hanger endings. I only wish I was fond of them. Now I'll have to wait until her next book comes out to find out how these loose ends weave into the tapestry of the tale. *sigh*

Thankfully, I have other books waiting to be read.

Random Quote of the Day

Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?

George Carlin (1937 - 2008)

Little Jon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Word of the Day

Testlice - The tiny bugs that invade one's hair when they're taking an exam.

HTP told me the disturbing news that he heard that our desert temperatures dipped to 30 degrees last night. I raced to check my digital temperature sensor and read 33 degrees. I sure hope that it didn't freeze last night because I didn't protect any of my tender plants. Oh well...there's nothing I can do about it right now and coming home from yoga this morning, everything looks about the same. I'll probably go outside later to take a new picture of my agave. I have lots of dead-looking plants and trees outside right now and LOTS of leaf drop. I know things will recover but there's no point in taking lovely landscape pictures of things that look dead. I've scheduled a landscaper to come in and do some cleanup work but not until mid-March.

As I mentioned in the last paragraph, I'm back from my Monday yoga class. I'm thankful that they yoga instructor has been more than willing to record the class for me, using the digital recorder that I bought from Amazon. She's recorded five classes for me so far so I can continue doing yoga this summer while I'm at The Lake or while in Ireland and Scotland. Of course, I'm not actually sure that I'll have time in the mornings while I'm in traveling with Sis but at least I'll have a variety of classes to guide me should I find the time. I think I'll bring the recorder with me, regardless, so I can record some of the musical offerings or story-telling while we're pub-sitting in Ireland.

Plans for the Scotland/Ireland trip have been made. I'm really looking forward to the trip. I'm debating whether or not to learn some Gaelic. I've been reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series and the Gaelic phrases in the books have got me a bit stumped. I try to pronounce the words, mentally, but I suspect that my pronunciation is WAY off. I'm also thinking I should gt myself a map to refer to when I'm reading the books because, quite frankly, I'm geographically challenged. I started reading the last (latest) book in the series which finds me in the midst of New York during the revolutionary war with our heroes trying to get back to Scotland, but, I won't get into details. I hear that there will be another book in the series released...after I get back from Ireland. I'll probably finish reading the latest book by tomorrow. That leaves me with at least a couple of months to learn some Gaelic?

Random Quote of the Day

Any community's arm of force - military, police, security - needs people in it who can do necessary evil, and yet not be made evil by it. To do only the necessary and no more. To constantly question the assumptions, to stop the slide into atrocity.

Lois McMaster Bujold, "Barrayar", 1991

My Silver Agave is Going to Bloom

I'll have to take a newer picture. The agave flower stalk has grown LOTS taller.

Word of the Day

Thermoometer - A meter that displays the mood of the outdoor temperature; a thermometer that does not correctly indicate the real temperature.

It's been a LONG time since I've blogged. I'll blame it on Facebook. However,some saner people than me, myself, and I, live perfectly wonderful lives without Facebook.

Since I last blogged...


We've Had a Baptism

Sarge and Tammy surprised us with a visit in January of 2012. We were blessed to have Tammy baptized at the church where Sarge was confirmed by our longtime friend, Pastor Lee. #1 Son and fiance, #1 DIL, will make wonderful godparents.



#1 Son and Girlfriend (#1 DIL) Got Engaged and Married

#1 Son asked his girlfriend (#1 DIL) to marry him at the stroke of midnight 2012. They started planning their wedding almost immediately. It was so cute to see #1 Son and #1 DIL sitting side by side on our couch here is Arizona, laptops in lap, planning a wedding which took place, flawlessly, in Minnesota, in late August.


Mr. T, Ms. En, and Tammy As Official Attendants for their Uncle and New Aunt

The wedding of #1 Son and #1 DIL was attended by Mr. T as ring-bearer, and Ms. En and Tammy as flower-girls.


Welcome Little Jon

HTP and I have a brand new grandson. Little Jon. He and his sister Tammy live in Texas with Mom (Sarge), Dad (D Buddy), and big Sis (Jessie).

Unfortunately, I can't say all is wine and roses in my life. DD Daughter and GI Joe have decided to call it quits. I don't believe in divorce but have to admit that sometimes there isn't any other choice.

My Dad has Alzheimer's disease and there is no going back from that. He still functions fairly well but he and Mom have moved to an assisted living facility in the big city that is equiped with a memory unit for when the inevitable time comes when the disease makes it impossible for Dad to live independantly.

Meanwhile, I'm been to and fro to Wisconsin. Wisconsin for the summer months and Arizona for the winter. HTP remains in Arizona for most of the year since he's gone back to work for Intel. Right now, I'm in Arizona.

Since I've been back in Arizona, I started going to yoga with my neighbor and a friend. We joined a pilot program here at our community center. We've been participating three times a week. They tested us before we started and a couple of times since then. They plan to present the findings to insurance companies to see if we can eventually receive funding for the classes.

Church activities. I have a few. I am now a part of the altar guild as well as playing my clarinet for the orchestra and contemporary group. As part of the altar guild, I now have access to LOTS of wine bottles which I'm finding work great for my limoncello and arancello.

Speaking of alcohol, I continue making kit wines and my "cello" I bottled some Pinot Gris and some Montepulciano before Christmas and started some Limoncello, Arancello and, new, Pompelmcello (grapefruit liqueur). I'll be bottling the cello's in April.

For the future? Sis and I are planning on visiting our roots this summer with our cousin Alice and hubby Doug. Ireland and Scotland. I have my airline tickets and sent in my deposit for our tour.

Random Thought of the Day

Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book.
Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004)