Honey Bears and In-laws

Posted on June 6, 2013 by April

So, I’ve finally been going through the zillions of photos I’ve taken over the past several months and came across a trip Bubba and I took down south to Las Cruces over the long President’s Day holiday. Yeah, I know it’s June, and these shots were taken waaaay back in Feburary, let’s just say I’m behind, and losing at the game of catch up.

Instead of getting all wordy like I always do I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Okay, I lied, I am going to get wordy, but only to explain the photos, because some of them really can’t speak for themselves. Well, they can but I’m a chronic interrupter. So anyways, that sandy stuff in the middle of this photo is the Rio Grande River. And those mountains are the Organ Mountains, very pointy.

Here’s another view of the Organ’s set in contrast to an alfalfa field.

Here’s where we almost got married. From another view you don’t see the green houses, but instead see the surrounding gardens. The grounds are operated by the local college, and quite often you’ll see some pretty interesting plant life. One year they did an entire ornamental pepper garden. It was gorgeous!

And here’s a giant rooster. Bubba wouldn’t let me bring him home. Maybe one day I will surprise him like the Bloggess (may contain four letter words, and I don’t mean words like “skinny jeans”) did for Victor.

And here’s a bench made from a Ford tailgate. I couldn’t fit it into my trunk so it got left behind.

And an old church, I love old churches.

This one is in Old Mesilla, Basilica of San Albino, gorgeous church.

While we were in town we stopped by to visit my Bubba-in-laws.

Father-in-law with Bubba niece.

Isn’t she the cutest? I couldn’t get an un-blurry shot though, the little rascal moves like lightening.

Here she is with her momma, enjoying some chocolate cake.

Speaking of momma’s, here’s Bubba’s mom.

After visiting with family it was time to head home and bail our brat girls out the kennel, which is actually considered a pet boutique. Yes, I’m that weird dog lover that can’t bear the thought of my beloved pooches spending any amount of time in a kennel. This place allows free range dogs, so the girls are part of herd while we are away. I think they like it…they come back exhausted as one usually does when away from home and ones favorite chair.

Or ones most prized sunny spot near the fridge….

Anyways, getting on with it…

Since the three day weekend fell around Valentine’s Day Bubba made my favorite brownies from my favorite cookbook by Helen Corbitt. The recipe can be found here.

As I munched on the most delectable of brownies and decided skinny jeans just weren’t in the cards for me I enjoyed gazing at the red tulips that Bubba surprised me with.

And unloading all the sweet honey goodness I found while poking around a farmer’s market while visiting the southern part of the state.

I couldn’t resist the teeny honey bears.

And now I’ve run out of pictures and words…how’s that for an eloquent ending?

Thrifting Thursday: Dr. Rice McSteamy

Posted on January 10, 2013 by April

When I was an infant my family spent about a year living in the back woods of Louisiana. Apparently, we lived near a rice field and were pretty close to the owner of said field, because we’d end up with huge bags of rice. Hence, the many rice centered dishes my mom cooked for us, hence my first solid food being rice and probably beans, hence my great love of this grainy carb. As a child, I remember craving things with rice, particularly rice, gravy, and chicken with a handle (ya know because I couldn’t call it a leg, things from the meat tree don’t have legs!), and for dessert red jello topped with a little poof of cream. Well, the point of this story is not tell you about my favorite childhood meal, but to share with you an appliance I remember my beloved carb being prepared in.

A Hitachi Chime-O-Matic Rice Cooker. Yeah, I realize it’s a weird thing to share on Thrifting Thursday, because it’s kind of an appliance and it’s not really something I’ve thrifted. But it’s old, and I think it’s kinda cool. I mean who wouldn’t love the giant orange bell, and where can you find something with a chime-o-matic feature nowadays?

Anywho, while we lived in Louisiana, my mom received this magical cooker of rice as a gift from my dad’s brother’s in-laws who were visiting for dinner. My mom was cooking rice on the stove top, ya know the old fashioned way waiting for the water to boil or however you cook rice the old fashioned way. Anyways, the point is that they thought it was taking waaay too long for that rice to get done, and that it was just a sin that my mother didn’t have a rice cooker to provide her family with rice almost instantly. So, they gave to her my most favorite of small appliances. That was 30 years ago, I was 1.5 years old.

So, I’ve grown up with rice cooked in a rice cooker, particularly the Chime-O-Matic Rice Cooker.

And ya know what?

It still chimes when the rice is done.

Remembering

Posted on November 30, 2012 by April

Today marks the 9th year that my earthly father went home to meet our Heavenly Father. I know it’s not good to live in the past, but remembering those who are no longer on this earth is important to keeping that person real within your life and family. So, today, I’ll be sharing a few things about my dad . It won’t be a long post laden with my usual juvenile humor, but I needed to acknowledge what this day is for me and my family. And make this time about remembering who Dad was and what he means to those he impacted in this life.

You see, Dad bestowed upon myself and our family many gifts, passions, and sweet memories that would carry us through life.

Dad was a private pilot, and a couple of times in his life even got to own a plane. This was the first of the two, and this is the one I remember the most. When I was a kid, he’d take me for a ride on Sunday afternoons. There was nothing better than seeing our little town from the sky, and sharing the cockpit with Dad. I still get excited when I see a little plane flying around in a clear and perfect blue sky.

Photo by Dad

My dad enjoyed photography, and documented so many important moments and even those seemingly not so important moments. With his trusty 35 mm in hand, he made sure that all of these moments did not go unrecognized. I suppose he bestowed the urge to document upon me, since I’m rarely without a good camera handy to capture everyday life.

Above all else, my Dad was a Christian. He was called to be a preacher as a teenager, and then a missionary later on in life. Dad followed the path laid before him with grace and humility, and taught us so many lessons along the way. Through the years, I was taught that everything else is secondary to serving the Lord. Yeah, it’s OK to have hobbies, but those should never come before God. Dad was a good photographer, a great pilot, but his greatest strength, was found in the Lord. That strength was taught through actions, and words, and thoughts, and just in the way he lived his life. And for that lesson, I am eternally grateful.

Remembering my dad, and especially writing about him, sort of brings him back to me for a little while. So, I thank you for indulging me as I divert a bit from the usual path this blog takes, and talk about the man who was my Dad.

Obviously, this was not a recent picture. That little girl is me, when I was about 5 or 6, and clearly we aren’t traveling near home as we appear to be on a large boat floating on a large body of water. 80’s-rific if I do say so myself, but aren’t we cute? By the way I distinctly remember those shoes, they were my FAVORITE pink Care Bear shoes that I wore every.single.day. until they either wore out or I out grew them.

Thanksgiving Recap

Posted on November 28, 2012 by April

So, here we are nearly a week after Thanksgiving and I haven’t provided a full and complete run down of my day of thanksgiving! Are you ready to be bombarded with too many pictures of pumpkin pie and faux gourds? No? Well sorry, you’re gonna have to endure this picture laden post, or not. This is the internet afterall, I can’t force you stay and watch my virtual slideshow as I detail each and every event that is documented within each and every photo. Maybe I should make some virtual queso so you’ll all stick around and listen to my babbling. (Can you name that Rotel commercial? Wait, I think I already did. Such a party pooper aren’t I?)

This Thanksgiving, much like every Thanksgiving, was spent at my mothers house. I got to pretty up the table.

I just used what Mom had around the house, nothing new here. The covered cake dish that I used for the base of my pumpkin extravaganza, was given to my mother for Christmas one year by me, her favorite child of course. The clear dishes have all been collected over the years from various garage sales and thrift stores. My mom has an even greater weakness for pretty glassware than I do.

The table linens were all purchased at Wal-Mart after the holidays many moon ago, at a pretty steep discount. That bargain hunting runs deep through my veins thanks to Momma. (Don’t you love how it’s all about me?)

And what Thanksgiving would be complete without the Thanksgiving fowl? No, not the one in the oven, the fowl of the decor variety. The hen and rooster are usually floating around Mom’s kitchen somewhere, but that little turkey in the middle? She’s made her annual appearance for the past 4 or 5 years, no Thanksgiving is complete without her nearby.

And did I mention that Mom has a weakness for interesting and vintage glassware?? I love this piece, and it was in brand new condition. Apparently, it’s previous owner never used it. Mom was able to pick up a few pieces from the same household that were all equally unused, and in perfect condition. If only I had thought to take a picture of these stunning pieces, but alas, dinner was calling my name.

After we feasted on our roast beast and Who-pudding, it was the doggies turn for their Thanksgiving dinner. Let’s just say that didn’t sit around the table and talk about the things they were most grateful for before chowing down.

Pardon the fuzzy pictures, excited dogs are hard to photograph at dusk.

And the best part of this holiday, ya know, aside from the thankfulness and the spending time with family, the left overs.

Don’t they taste so much better the next day?

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2012 by April

With today being a day dedicated to giving thanks to all of the wonderful blessings the good Lord has bestowed upon us, I am forgoing the regularly scheduled Thrifting Thursday. Instead, this day of thanksgiving will be spent with my loved ones reflecting on those blessings too numerous to count, and also eating copious amounts of pumpkin pie.

“Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.”

1 Chronicles 16:8

Perception of Perfection

Posted on November 7, 2012 by April

As I cruise through the interwebs, I see so many beautiful rooms, so many clever crafts, and so many other creative things that imaginative people have come up with. And I want to make the rooms in my house that beautiful and try all of those creative crafts, but honestly, I feel a little over stimulated with all of it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy looking at those beautiful rooms and trying those clever crafts, but it’s become a little too much lately. There’s too much perfection, or perception of perfection. I realize that’s probably not the intent of these lovely creative people, but that perfection has become a distraction of mine recently. I get lost in the journey to perfection, because honestly, it doesn’t exist. And while seeking that nonexistent perfection, I am missing out on all the imperfect perfection around me. So, for the remainder of the month of November I plan to post about something I am thankful for, something that is not part of my journey to that impossible destination of perfection.

I know you’re probably thinking I’m crazy for committing to another series, considering how consistent I was with my 31-ish Days of Getting it Done. But this time, there’s no doing, it’s only observing, and picture taking, and quote copying, or whatever else tickles my thankful fancy.

So to start off my 23 days of thankfulness….

No, I’m not thankful for a U-haul truck, but for what the U-Haul hauled back to New Mexico, my sister and her husband. I am so thankful that she and her husband made it from Virginia to the Land of Enchantment safe and sound. Even through the scary-ness of Super Storm Sandy, a lost wallet, and numerous other dramas that caused delays and stress. But they made it back home safe and sound, and I have my sister back! *Happy Dance*

Oh and Happy Birthday Sister!!!

Also, I should mention that my thoughts and prayers are with all those that were impacted by Sandy. Too many people lost their homes, and in some cases their loved ones.

Weekend Happenings: Randomness

Posted on September 18, 2012 by April

Happy Tuesday all! I trust you all had a great weekend, and an easy Monday. On this Tuesday, I don’t have many words, but I have lots of pictures. So pull up a comfy chair pour yourself a tall glass of sweet tea and enjoy.

This weekend, I realized I would never make it as a 50’s housewife. I took it upon myself to make Bubba his favorite fried eggs, everything went smoothly until I had to turn them over. It was at this point I turned the spatuala over to the cook of the house before more disaster ensued.

So, we often feed our dogs morsels from the table while we eat. Therefore, this one sees fit to beg at every meal. Does this make us bad pet parents? And does calling myself a pet parent make me crazy?

With that in mind, I spied this mug at a thrift store. This is the first side.

And this is the other side. For some reason it reminded me of Annie-Dog.

Which brings to mind this other thrifty find. I know this is how Annie feels about her kibbles, makes me feel a little guilty.

Then I remember the evening pulls I get taken on every evening.

I’d say the evening pulls are worth it though, since it makes my puppies tired. And I get to take cute doggie butt pictures afterwards.

And I get to spend time outside, while they all wait for me to take pictures of a weed.

This weekend I also got to spend time with my mom. Isn’t she pretty?

We went shopping for craft supplies while she was visiting. She’s starting a new hobby of quilting.

While I’ve taken on the hobby of crochet. I’ll talk more about it later, if I remember, no promises of consistency around here.

We ended the weekend at Goodwill, that is next door to a rug store with questionable architecture.

The sunset was breathtaking though.

What did you do this weekend?

Thanksgiving

Posted on November 24, 2011 by April

“They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness.” Psalm 145:7

Thank you Lord for bringing me so much to be grateful for. And thank you for giving us this holiday to reflect on all those great and marvelous blessings.

Oh, family and our similarities…thank you.