Fall Harvest

There is only one thing to do when your dad's apple trees go wild and produce hundreds of apples! Bake, bake, and bake some more! Quinn has been baking apple pies, apple crisp, cinnamon apple slices, etc. It has all been very delicious! Dad's apples have the best combination of sweet and tart flavors! Perfect for baking!

I picked two plastic grocery bags of apples and looked up many recipes. I finally decided to make some apple butter. I haven't had it in years and I thought Pacen would enjoy it. It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. :) I have a caramel apple pie recipe I want to try, but I'll have to wait until I am able to pick more apples (I better hurry because it will be freezing soon).

APPLE BUTTER

Apples (enough to overfill a 4 quart crock pot)
1/2 cup vinegar
3 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Peel, core, and slice the apples. Add vinegar and cook on low for 18 hours (10 hours on high if your crock pot cooks fast). Stir occasionally. Add white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir thoroughly. Put into blender and blend until smooth. Put back in crock pot and cook four more hours. Seal in jars. Makes almost 6 pint jars.

This was just about half of the apples I used. Yeah, they look kind of rough but that's from a hail storm.

See the apples on the side? That's what the whole batch looked like before blending it. I was nervous for a while that it was ruined.

"Almost all wild apples are handsome. They cannot be too gnarly and crabbed and rusty to look at. The gnarliest will have some redeeming traits even to the eye." ~Henry David Thoreau

My Little Hunter!

Last week Pacen took the Hunter Safety course. He hasn't taken the test yet. Thursday night is the defining moment. Anyway, yesterday was field day and all the kids went out to the gun club to practice firearm safety. I think they all had fun. They started out with the compound bow. Pacen hit the bear a couple of times.

They they shot clay pigeons with a shotgun. I was taking pictures like crazy (yeah, I'm one of those moms) and I finally thought "I think I've taken enough pictures of Pace shooting the shot gun". Just after I turned my camera off he hit a clay pigeon! He turned around to look at me and had the most excited expression on his face! I can't believe I missed that "Kodak moment"! His expression was priceless! I guess I'll be more on the ball next time!

My little hunter! Doesn't he look cute in camo? :)

He is still small enough that Dick had to kind of catch him as he shot the shotgun.

Next on the agenda was rifles and pistols. The kids had to practice shooting in the four positions (prone, standing, sitting, and kneeling) with the rifle and then they got to shoot a pistol. Pacen did alright. He hit the target a couple of times. It was great to see him get excited about something. I just wish he had an experienced person to take him hunting.


It turned out to be a pretty good day. Well, except for the weather. It was so windy and cold that I could've swore winter was moving in! I was proven wrong today though, as it was nice out. Wyoming. *sigh* When we got home in the afternoon I turned the heat on and made some hot tea. I couldn't feel my hands! Pacen, on the other hand, was hot. He ran around the house in his underwear. Go figure!

Oh, and I participated in field day too! Yup, I shot more than just my camera. I shot everything except the shotgun. I don't like how they kick. I must say I think I did pretty well with the rifle and pistol, especially considering how bad the wind was blowing.

"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." ~ George Santayana

Home Improvement Projects

Everyone is always giving me grief because I have started many home improvement projects, but I haven't finished all of them. Sometimes I get motivated and I'll start a project and then half-way through I'll lose that motivation, or I'll run out of material, or I'll find that I need help, and the project is left to be finished at another time. Unfortunately a few of those projects have been waiting to be completed for a year or more. What can I say? I'm not the best at asking for help. I like to be independent and prove to myself that I am capable of doing things on my own. I also find it hard to go back to a project that was started when I have decided there is a more "fun" project that needs to be done! :) It's never ending.

Well, during Labor Day weekend I decided to complete a project that I started about a month ago. The sidewalk in my backyard ends just past the garage door and beyond that is 10' or so of dirt covered in weeds, leading to the back gate (leading out to the alley). When I moved into my house that area was a jungle of bushes and trees, which I had removed the year after. I decided it would be nice to have a rock path to the back gate so when Pacen or I take the trash out we don't have to trudge through nasty weeds or mud. So, about a month ago I started digging the area out (about 10'x3' or so). I dug down 4" and tried to make it as level as possible. Luckily as I was digging I found many flat rocks. Apparently there was a path there before the trees and bushes took over. When I was done digging I laid some landscaping fabric down (so the weeds wouldn't come back) and covered it in sand (2-3" deep). I then beat the bejesus out of the sand with the flat side of a snow shovel, trying to pack it down (while relieving some stress). After I made sure it was packed down pretty well I laid the flat rocks out the way I liked. I then spread red rock
(five 5-gallon buckets full) around and swept it into the areas between the big rocks.

That's it! I finished a project! Yahoo! Maybe now I should finish a project that is half-way done. I think I'll finish the guest room so my sister can sleep there when she comes twice a week to work at the hospital! :)

Do you see how I screwed up here? I forgot to lay the landscaping fabric down first! *big sigh*

I fixed that problem! :)

"Little by little does the trick." ~ Aesop

Road Trip

A couple of weeks ago I decided to take a road trip. I knew there were still some fawn around with spots, and I also knew they would be outgrowing those spots very soon! I wanted to try to get pictures of them before they completely outgrew those cute spots! I also just needed to be by myself for a while. I needed to get out of town and just drive where the roads would take me. I do some of my best thinking in my car with the music blaring. I feel very at home in my car. Driving relaxes me, and sometimes I just need to get in my car, drive, listen to music, and sing at the top of my lungs! So, I drove in a big circle on some country roads around Lusk. It took me a couple of hours and it was exactly what I needed. I saw a few fawn who still had some spots, an owl, and lots of great countryside! It was even nice enough for me to drive with my windows down, so I got some fresh air and I got to take in all the wonderful smells of the country (okay, all the smells are wonderful except for the smell of cow manure!). I think I might take a road trip at least once a month. Head in a different direction each time. Maybe even make it a weekend road trip...get out the state or head to a different part of Wyoming to see some new scenery. I know a perfect country road near Cody, WY that has been calling my name for over a year!

The leaves looked so pretty as they blew in the wind while the sun shone on them.

This owl was just sitting in the road.

There are still so many sunflowers along the roads. So pretty!

Mmmmmm, delicious!

My co-worker's (Twyla) husband (Jim) requested some homemade cookies a while back and last week I decided it was the perfect time to make some. A couple of weeks ago some people moved into the house just down the street so I decided to make a double batch of homemade Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies...enough for the new neighbors (as a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift), Jim & Twyla, Doug & Julie (some friends), the linemen, a really nice salesman that was going to be at the NEA the next day, and a few for me!

Earlier this year I found the best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. It is the only one I use now and you'll never guess where I found it...recipezaar.com! Did you sense the sarcasm? Yeah, so recipezaar.com is where I get many of my recipes. It's a great site! You should check it out if you haven't yet done so.

This Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is DELICOUS! The linemen literally devoured their large plate of cookies within fifteen minutes or so! The salesman called today and told Rick (Line Superintendent) to tell me not to make him anymore cookies because he ate his plate all by himself! Twyla told me they were the best cookies she's had in a long time. She also mentioned how hard it was not to eat them all before Jim got any. So...I suggest you try these cookies! You won't regret it...unless, of course, you eat the whole batch by yourself, which may happen. Maybe these cookies should come with a warning.

Warning: These cookies are so devilishly delicious that you may not be able to quit eating them. You might create an addiction! (There, you've been warned!)

Oh, and as far as the new neighbors are concerned, I haven't heard if they liked the cookies or not, but even if they didn't, it felt good to be a nice neighbor. I like to give...it makes me happy to make others happy.

"Giving is more a dictate of the heart than a command of the brain." ~ Henry A. Rosso

Bucket List

Last year I watched the movie "The Bucket List" with Morgan Freeman (one of my most favorite Actors) and Jack Nicholson. The movie was okay. It definitely isn't one of my all-time favorites, but it did help me open my eyes. I've always known life is too short, and that I should be doing all the things I've dreamed of before it's too late, but I also always thought I was too busy to pursue many of those things. I was too busy with school. Too busy with work. Too busy with Pacen. Too busy doing other things. Plus I am not as financially well off as I need to be in order to pursue many of my dreams and interests. Not even close! (I think I really need to find a sugar daddy who will fund my expensive hobbies, interests, and dreams!)

I decided to make a bucket list. I put all my dreams, hopes, desires, and interests on paper, well, actually, I put them in my computer. The initial list was long, and, well, it keeps getting longer! I've been able to cross some things off my list, but it seems I add more than I cross off. Many of the dreams on my list have to do with traveling and, needless to say, traveling is way too expensive.

Some things I've been able to cross off are: see Aerosmith in concert, learn to scuba dive, learn how to rock climb, earn a Master's Degree, learn how to weld, and travel out of the United States. Some things that might take me a while to cross off are: travel to Petra, Jordan; dive the Great Barrier Reef; take Pacen to The Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin was his hero); backpack Europe; swim in The Devil's Pool at Victoria Falls; etc. Luckily there are still a few things on my list that can fairly easily be accomplished: raft class 5-6 rapids, skydive again, compete in a Triathlon, and travel to Las Vegas.

I suggest everyone make a bucket list. See what your list entails and I guarantee there will be at least one thing (maybe even ten or more) that you can afford to find the time and money for. Then go from there. It might take years to cross everything off your list, but so what. Your goals are on paper and it will keep you motivated. I read the other day that people who set goals and accomplish them are happier, healthier, and live longer than people who don't. So make that list, start crossing things off, and live a better, more fulfilling life!

"Nothing happens unless first we dream." ~ Carl Sandburg

Dream Come True!

On August 5 I got to attend something that I've been waiting 15 years to attend! I went to an Aerosmith concert! Yes, I've waited 15 years to see Aerosmith in concert...15 years! I almost gave up on the dream, thinking they wouldn't go on tour again, and if they did they surely wouldn't hit any venues within driving distance of Lusk, but alas...they started a tour with ZZ Top (another of my favorites) and decided to play at the Buffalo Chip Campground in Sturgis, SD!

I found out last October that they were going to be playing at Buffalo Chip this year. Kurtis and I were eating at The Pizza Place and he says, "I have to tell you something." I said, "Okay, what is it?" He then says he can't tell me until we get outside. We hadn't even gotten our food yet and I was thinking, "You can't just leave me hanging like this!" When our food arrived I scarfed mine down in no time flat (curiosity was really getting the better of me) and he took his sweet time. Arg! Finally we left and as soon as we were in the parking lot I turned around and said, "So, what do you have to tell me?" He said, "Aerosmith is going to be at Buffalo Chip next year." Oh! My! God! I started screaming, squealing, and jumping up and down! He looked at me and said, "This is why I had to tell you out here!" As soon as tickets began selling I bought two! I wanted to upgrade to VIP but I couldn't afford to. Aerosmith had two different VIP packages. One was about $1,600 and the other was around $900! I seriously shed a tear when I discovered that I wouldn't be able to afford VIP tickets.

Finally, August 5 arrived! I took my friend Dawn and we got to Buffalo Chip around 2:00 pm. We set up our tent and headed to the amphitheater to see if people were already starting to crowd around the stage. It wasn't too bad so we roamed around, grabbed a bite to eat, and then headed over to the stage to find a spot to sit for the next 5 1/2 hours while we waited for the concert to start. We forgot to bring chairs so we ran over to the Buffalo Chip General Store and bought $22 camping chairs, which turned out to be well worth the money. We grabbed our spot again (very near the right corner of the catwalk) and lounged in our new chairs. We met some nice people while we waited, visited with them, and drank $1.00 tap beer (can't beat that)!

Saving Abel opened for Aerosmith and began playing shortly after 8:00. I've never really gotten into Saving Abel so I didn't know what to expect. They were pretty good. As soon as they got done a pretty big thunderstorm rolled in. It was lightning like crazy and pouring rain. Luckily we were close enough to the stage that it blocked a lot of the rain so we didn't get nearly as drenched as the people further back. It rained for 1/2 an hour or more and I was beginning to think that maybe I wouldn't get to see Aerosmith afterall, when it finally quit! Yay! It took another 1/2 hour for the stage crew to get things ready again.

Finally the moment I'd been waiting for happened! Aerosmith made their way onto the stage! AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!! (That's my scream!) We had made our way right up to the fence surrounding the catwalk, so for much of the concert I was only 10 feet from Steven Tyler and Joe Perry! AWESOME! I felt like one of those crazy teenage girls that goes to a concert and screams, and cries, and reaches for the band, except I didn't cry or reach...I screamed, screamed, screamed, screamed some more and took pictures! :) About the eighth song in they started playing "Love in an Elevator". Joe was on the catwalk and an amp blew. He motioned for the music to be cut, but it didn't happen. He walked back to the main stage to figure out what was going on and Steven grabbed his mic and headed onto the catwalk. He started doing a crazy dance to keep the crowd going. He spun around and...off the catwalk he went...backwards! Oh! My! God! My mouth dropped open and you could hear the whole crowd gasp (all 160,000 people)! He fell on the other side of the catwalk so I couldn't see what was going on. After what seemed like an eternity, the stage crew helped Steven back onto the stage. He was bleeding, but he was walking...with some help. After another eternity, Joe Perry came out and told us the concert would be ending since Steven was on his way to the hospital.

I couldn't believe it...I wait 15-years to see Aerosmith and Steven falls off the stage! I have a theory about what happened. You see, just before Steven fell he made eye contact with me, got flustered, and fell off the stage! He literally fell in love with me! LOL!! Seriously though, that's what happened! I know some of you don't believe this theory, but it's true! (I can dream!) Okay, though, I seriously do think that we made eye contact at least once during the concert. He was only 10 feet from me and I swear he looked at me (at least once)! Dawn thinks I'm crazy, but I'm not. I'm just a dreamer! :)

So, it turns out Steven broke his shoulder and cut his head open. I'm thinking they should change the name of their song "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)" to "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Shoulder)". :)

Agggggggghhhhhhhh!

Joe Perry playing behind his head!

Sad!

"Dreams are necessary to life." ~ Anais Nin

"Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning." ~ Gloria Steinem