Night Gown

I love this night gown! I bought this about 15 years ago and it still looks good, doesn't it? That is probably because I don't wear it that often. In fact it is my vacation night gown which mean it only comes out in the summer and when we travel. As I was ironing it -- yes I iron it, doesn't everyone iron their night gowns? -- it reminded me of my Grandma Dawkins. As I have said many times, I wish everyone could have met her.

Grandma Dawkins made her little white light weight summer night gowns on her treadle sewing machine. They were always 100% white cotton, plain, and always adorned with a little pink embroidered flower which she hand embroidered in about 5 minutes. Simple and simply beautiful to me. She had an old dark bureau and she kept her gowns in the top drawer along with her undies and her handkerchiefs. I remember the top drawer had hinges rather than a drawer you pull open. My brother and his wife have that bureau in their home today. They refinished it and it is really, really beautiful.

When I saw this nightgown in a lingerie store in Gainesville, TX, so many years ago, I had to have it. I never even questioned whether I needed it. It brought back immediate memories of staying the night with grandma. Sometimes you can buy memories....look at all the antique stores out there. Grandma's gown was quite a bit longer than this one, but I was in my mid-40s at the time and I wanted something a little more youthful. I thought this was sexy and still do. Just enough modesty to make me feel covered, but with the little lace and the cut work it brought it up to the sexy level....to me, at least. It really makes me feel pretty and feminine.

I have found a website that has pretty little white cotton sleepwear at www.thewhitecottongown.com. They are very reasonably priced so I will be checking them out. Some have longer sleeves which will be perfect for winter. I also saw a wonderful kimono that I would love to have to take with me on this trip.

I can remember my grandmother standing in the doorway of the bedroom telling me bedtime stories. There were two that were my favorites and I asked for them every time. One was about the hen who sowed corn and asked her baby chicks to help her. The other story was about a wolf who gobbled up baby chicks. The mother hen found him asleep near the creek and cut him open to get out the chicks. She filled him full of rocks and sewed him up. When he got up from his nap he went down to the creek to get a drink of water. He toppled over into the water and drowned. My grandboys might find this story a little disturbing. Thinking about it, it IS a little disturbing. I think we were less sensitive about that type thing back in the day. Either that or I was hardened to this sort of thing by living on the farm.

When pregnant with my second child, I told my mom that if I had a girl I would love to have a little white dress for her to wear home from the hospital. Back in 1977 we had no idea what the sex of the baby would be until delivery. It turned out that I did have a baby girl. After leaving the hospital after she was born she made my little girl a little white dress made from 100% white light-weight cotton. It had pin tuck pleats down the front, baby lace, and tiny, tiny buttons and white embroidered flowers. It had a Peter Pan collar and tiny little puffed sleeves. I still have it. Such a beautiful little thing and a beautiful thing my mom did for me and my daughter. Thanks momma.

Controversy

I hate controversy, even imaginary controversy and today I might have had some imaginary controversy. I finally got my broken bathroom back splash replaced today. It was installed in March, so I should have been thrilled that the installers were coming to replace it. I have been after the tile company to replace it for months now. Looking back, I am really surprised and proud of myself for even calling to complain in the first place. Every time I used that bathroom, I never saw the beautiful countertop, but the broken back splash. We could have gotten by with the broken back splash, but I would have never been happy. Ever! In 10 years time, I still will be pointing out the cracked areas if we don't fix it now. As soon as I got the call that the installers were on their way, I started shaking. Legs were trembling. They arrived and they were the same guys that installed it in March. Oh my. Now they are going to think I am complaining about their work. Oh woe is me! Are they going to yell at me? Are they going to curse at me for calling them back out? Are they rolling their eyes with disgust? Are they going to hate me?

My heart was thumping so loudly that I thought I might be having a heart attack. I was probably hyperventilating. I couldn't face these guys without my hubby. He sort of made me go check their work before they left. After all, he wanted me to be happy and happiness about a countertop is subjective. What if I go in there and an not happy again? What would I do? Am I going to have enough nerve to call them on it? Are they going to call me names and tell me I am just a "you know the word"? But this whole scenario ended well. The work was OK and I was happy with it. But it seems that nothing is ever exactly perfect. I think I must have too critical an eye because my eyes always seem to go right to a little blemish just like a heat seeking missile. Even with the little blemish that I kept quiet about, I am so glad they replaced the broken back splash and I am once again a happy woman. I even offered them bottled water as they were leaving - - but we had none. How embarrassing. Do you think we away saying it was the thought that counted?

I wish I could be different when it comes to standing my ground. I am not proud of myself for being such a wimp. I hate that sick at my stomach feeling when people argue. Some people seem to thrive on controversy. Me, if someone starts to curse or is mean, I just want to run away and secretly throw my guts up. I even get embarrassed when someone sends their food back at a restaurant. I get run over a lot as you can imagine. Blessed be the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

Tomatoes

I have had one tomato on my one tomato vine so far this year and with the 100 degree weather, I suspect that it will be my last. But isn't it a beauty?

So pretty on the vine, so pretty on my counter. If you only knew just how we Dawkins' love our tomatoes. It was my mom's favorite food - homegrown tomatoes, that is.

This one sat on my counter for a few days till the time grew just right.

I had to cut it. Normally I would slice into sandwich type slices, but just to be different I wedged it.

Then I remembered I had cottage cheese. This was special cottage cheese, the 4% fat cottage cheese. Do you know how long it has been since I tasted 4% cheese? Probably 20 years. Oh my it was so good. The flavors of the tomato and cheese.....perfection. Memory - When I was in 4H, I gave a demonstration of 3 different salads. One of the salads was a tomato stuffed with cottage cheese and topped with a green olive. I remember using a mirror to reflect the salad so that the judges could see it. The other salad was a peach topped with cottage cheese. I don't remember the third salad.

Sunday I went to Carmichael's market in Bixby to look for homegrown tomatoes. They had boxes after boxes of tomatoes for $25 per box. They looked beautiful so I knew right away they were not local. I asked and they were vine ripened Mississippi tomatoes. The clerk said they were delicious and she had been living on them for a week. Sold me. She must be a connoisseur like me. Wrong! Oh they were not all that bad, but girls, I tell you, they were NOT vine ripened tomatoes as I am used to. I picked these tomatoes one at a time hoping they would be better than I thought. Now for the good news. The flavor is better than the ones you buy in the supermarket. Now I wonder, if these are Mississippi vine ripened tomatoes and if you buy these in Mississippi, are they getting home grown tomatoes? If so they need to come to Oklahoma and buy some of ours. There is a difference.

Next week my siblings and our spouses are going to the lake. We have been planning our menu for a couple of weeks and tomatoes fit into every meal; some meals consisting of nothing but tomatoes such as bruschetta or salsa. There are few people any more critical of tomatoes than my sisters and sister-in-law. I am not sure I can pass this box of tomatoes off as homegrown, but I am sure they will be happy with them if we cannot find any better. We were hoping that each of us would be able to bring a shoe box full of the home grown beauties, preferably ones that we had grown ourselves. With the heat this year, that will not be possible. Mom would be proud to know we were carrying on her love of tomatoes. Another memory: After I graduated high school I didn't have a job nor was I going to college. My siblings had started back to school in the fall so that left mom and me at home all day. I think that was the time that I loved most. We really bonded that fall. Tomatoes just kept producing that fall. I made us a grill cheese sandwich almost every day and added slices of tomato. Oh my gosh, it was so good. Mom would talk with me in her own way about what I was going to do with my life. I think she had some sympathy for me because she didn't have a job after high school and stayed home with grandma and grandpa until she was 30. I didn't have a clue about my future except I knew that I did NOT want to go to college and I sure didn't want to live at home until I was 30! In November I was called to work at the state capital where I worked for two weeks. Then Tinker AFB hired me and my life was changed forever. Life has a way of turning out okay. Hand me the salt, I have a tomato to eat.

Father's Day Pictures

Over the weekend we left Stormy with our daughter. When we went to pick him up and leave, Logan, the 4 yr old, went up to his Grandpa, hugged him, and told him bye. Then he told Stormy bye. Then he just walked right by me as though I wasn't there. His mom asked him if he was going to tell Nana bye, and he just cut his eyes at me and kept on walking. I had to laugh because I know other than his mom and dad, his grandpa is the most important person in his life. Sometimes I question his mom and dad's precedence in this list of those elite few of those adored by him. Blaine, however, might be up there with grandpa on Logan's adoration list. I fall somewhere around 12th. He hasn't yet realized I am the one that buys the toys, the snacks, the ice cream, the snow cones, the root beer, the chicken nuggets and all the other material things this little boy asks for every time he comes.

Look at the grin on his face as his grandpa reads the card he wrote his grandpa. He wrote that he liked his tractor, he like grandpa, and he liked Stormy. Not a word about Nana. hmmmm I may be getting a complex.

That is ok. I know he loves me anyway. Blaine also wrote a cute card and Johnny we keep these Father's Day cards forever-well I will keep them for him. I think I will write a note to Logan that I love him anyway even if he disses me. One day he will find it and feel GUILTY!! No, I am kidding, I would not do that.

To Logan his grandpa can do no wrong and I am not kidding when I say that. When his mom tries to put him in shorts, he wants to know if grandpa wears shorts. Nobody quite gets what it is about Grandpa that trips his trigger, but I suspect it because Grandpa basically lets the boys do their own thing. I, on the other hand, am all gushy and want to kiss them and hug them and try my hardest to get them in my lap for some grandma lovin'.

And here he is in his usual position--that being any position except being still. We went to an outdoor concert Friday night with him, Blaine, and Shawna. Blaine was mesmerized by the guitarist. Logan was great, too, being such a good boy setting in his lawn chair. Out of the corner of my eye, I knew the reason why he was being such a good boy. He was picking up wood chips and putting them in his chair. I caught his eye as he had a handful of chips over the top of his head just about ready to let them fall. He grinned at me and I melted. He knew he was caught and slowly dropped his handful of wood chips in his lap.

And here is my oldest little guy who will be 7 this Thursday. What a joy he is, trying on his grandpa's new belt. Just a little bit too big, but in about 20 years, it might just fit. We are so proud of him. He is soaking up information like a sponge. He is all about learning all the presidents, knowing about space, and learning everything he can about America and all the states. He got tons of learning tools for his birthday and is a happy boy!

Everybody ready for their picture except grandpa. There is always one.

Grandpa is showing them the snapping sound a belt can make which really intrigued Logan, but Blaine not so much. He almost got Logan to put his hand in there, but Logan didn't quite trust him on this one.






Both my boys are wonderful, but Logan is definitely a grandpa's boy and Blaine is definitely a Nana's boy. Love, love, love them.

Mom's Meringue Cake

This is a wonderful summer time cake. You can make this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for days. In fact it is better refrigerated over night. Mom used to make this for our extended Sunday family dinners. Note: Every Sunday my mom, her three sisters, and my grandmother would take turns fixing dinner for their husbands and their children. This was our noon meal right after church. In the country, dinner was always the noon meal. I will posts more about these dinners at a later time. Today, I want to tell you about mom's cake. It is "her" cake because she is the only one I ever remember serving it.

Last Saturday night, I had two of my sisters and their husbands for dinner - our evening meal. I opened the refrigerator door to show my sisters my dessert, but before they actually took a peak, I said, "Guess what I made." Immediately they both said, "Mom's meringue cake?" None of us have had this cake in 20 years or so. How uncanny!

I hope you have a chance to make Mom's Meringue Cake. You won't be disappointed.

Mix 1 yellow cake mix according to directions. Pour batter into three 8 or 9 inch cake pans, pans prepared as directed on mix. Beat 4 egg whites stiff with 1 cup of granulated sugar. Spread the egg whites on two of the pans of batter. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the meringue. Do not put meringue on the third pan of batter. Bake all three pans according to instructions on the cake mix. Remove the cakes and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Turn one of the meringue topped cake, meringue down on your cake plate and turn out the other layers on wire rack to cool.

FILLING:Blend 1 cup sugar, 1 T. flour. Add sugar mixture to 3/4 cup crushed pineapple, 4 egg yolks, 1 1/2 T lemon juice, 1 1/2 T. butter. Cook over low heat until smooth. Chill. Beat 1 cup whipping cream till stiff. Fold into chilled filling. Note: I used two small cans of crushed pineapple, drained. I also used Cool Whip instead of whipping cream and just guessed at the amount needed. Next time I will use whipping cream because I thought it was just a tad too sweet. Not a crumb left so I guess the Cool Whip worked OK.

ASSEMBLY:Spread some of the pineapple filling on the layer which is on the cake plate. Top this layer with the layer without the meringue. Add more filling. Top with the final layer, but place the meringue side up. Spread the filling around the outside of the cake, but not on the meringue. This makes a stunning cake and gets better with age. Keep refrigerated after assembly.

NOTE: I saw a pineapple cake mix and it might be really good in this recipe instead of the yellow cake mix.

Why Didn't We?

Today we lost one of our family members, Jacky Brown. He is my hubby's cousin - more than a cousin, really. They were like brothers, sharing many of the same memories of their childhood including a long car trip to California. These stories still are family renown. They were at each others houses constantly even though they lived a few miles apart. Back in the 1940s and 50s it was a simpler time and people thought nothing of sending a child out on his bike for the day. Afterall, they knew all the neighbors for miles around.

Back in April Jacky asked that we and and Ronny, his cousin on his other side of the family, come to for a visit. In the late 1990s, we all got together for Jacky's daughter's wedding and had so much fun together that we promised to get together more often. We got together now and again over the next few years, but as life has a way of doing, we all got busier than we intended. The trip in April was another great visit. This is one of those times you say why didn't we....?

We were able to enjoy a lovely evening meal together. Check out the guys looking at the tab. I think this picture is funny and shows just how normal life can seem although each of us knew we might not get a chance for visiting like this again.

This is a silly picture of the wives. Ronny's wife is in green, of course, there is me in the middle, and in the pink you see Marcia, Jacky's wife. She is a delightful woman. My hubby and I were talking about her today - how her face always looks bright and happy. When she talks she just lights up. Tonight, I imagine her bright face is dark. Even though her husband is not in pain and in a better place, she has to be saddened that that her partner is no longer nearby.

Jacky and Marcia met rather late in life, but they experienced many adventures together in the last 16 years. He was a pipe line engineer and she was able to go with him on his extended stays throughout the world. We are so thankful that one week ago today, my hubby got to spend the entire day with him one last time. You just never know when it will be.......one last time. Why didn't we .........................?

You Might be a Red Neck If

you grab a ladder, put it on a trailer, climb up with an electric chain saw. Been married to this man for 39 years and he is the most cautious, safety conscientious man I know until I see this. Never thought that he would do something so stupid. Ladder on a trailer - how stupid. Had to jump off the ZTR and take a picture for my kiddos to have documentation of this life altering event. Let him have it, Steven!

This picture doesn't do this situation justice. It was much higher than appears in the photos. Even the neighbor had to comment about the sanity of this.

He has found a way to trim just a little higher on the trees without renting a bucket. We needed this trimming done, but at the risk of limb and life? He is an engineer, for Pete's sake! He has lost it!

I knew he wouldn't take any chances! He didn't loose his sanity after all. I knew he wouldn't really put a ladder in a trailer without it being bolted down. That would be just too red neck.

Looking down at the base of the ladder you have a better sense of how high this ladder really is.

Not to let the older guy outdo me, I had to show off a little. As Logan would say, "I not scared."

I still have it going on! Climbing to the top!
Memory: We had no mishaps with this solution for trimming trees; however, it brought back a memory of my daddy and some of his problem solutions. One funny one that I recall tonight is the time he decided to trim up the rubber/plastic flap that was loose and hanging down under the engine of his truck. He decided he would just take the acetylene torch and cut it off. Then......you guessed it. It caught on fire. Fire in the engine. Luckily there was a mud puddle nearby and he and mom grabbed a bucket and threw the muddy water on the truck. It worked, but not the truck. Had to take it to the shop. Gosh I loved my daddy, but never a dull moment on the farm.

It Did Not Rain Today

It did not rain today. It was hot, but the pics of rain we recently had are just cool and I wanted to show them. It has been hot for days, but my house is cold. Sometimes too cold and I wrap up in my afghan like right now. This afternoon I walked out to my front porch just to get warmed. Yes, it was that cold, for me at least. I propped myself up on the porch swing and just day dreamed a little. The warm air felt wonderful.





The hubby joined me and we just started reminiscing about how hot our houses were when we were kids. We had no air conditioning. What a treat it was to go to Kress' or Woolworth's for they were cool. Top that off with a cherry limeade at the lunch counter and we were in heaven.

I remember trying to get sleep in my hot room with a wet washcloth on my forehead. I'd move my pillow to the end of the bed where the open window was and where I would put my radio. It was always tuned to WLS in Chicago. Chicago seemed like the other side of the world and I thought it must be very urban to live there. What a different world it was from the Prague farm where we lived.

I remember the time Mom won a water cooler at the Rural Electric Associational meeting. That was the first thing we had that cooled the air besides just a fan. Mom would turn that thing on and man, it got cold. I remember her setting her ironing board up right in front of the thing.

Later we actually got an a/c unit for the window, but it only cooled the living room. Eventually they got one for the kitchen and when I got a job after high school I bought one for my room. I am sure you kids remember their window units. That may be your last memory of anyone having window units for now we are fortunate to have central air.

There are so many blessings in life. When is the last time you considered air conditioning a blessing?

Quotes of the Day

Today I thought it would be fun just to jot down some quotes of the boys. They were a lot of fun today. These are random and not in order.

1. Nana, can we watch Wallace and Grommet?

2. Logan, I said I'm sorry.

2.a. Just ignore me. I'm going to take a lil nap.

3. We got all the mean guys, Nana.

4. Hey, Blaine, are you done playing?

5. Nana, were you married to Papa Mark?

5.a. She's married to Grandpa. (Logan)

5.b. I guess that is Me-ma.

More below.

6. Do you know the capitol of Russia?

7. Nana, Chloe farted like this last night. sssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh

8. No, I am THE warrior.

9. These pillows are bad guys.

10. Nana, does Grandpa believe in vampires? Not even when he was little?

11. Nana, will you get up on the boat with us?

12. You said you would stay out here with us.

13. Let's pee off the boat.

14. Nana, can we have a popsicle?

15. Nana, I love cheese pizza.

16. Can I have a cucumber?

17. You get it, knock me down, and it has blue fire on it.

18. Do NOT touch me, just do this.

19. You already took about a hundred pictures.

20. My eyes hurt.

21. Will somebody walk back to the big pond with me?

22. Look Nana, I can do this without holding on.

23. Nana, will you help me?

24. No, you HAVE to say dragon scroll.

25. Nana, I'm hungry.

26. Momma, I wuv you.

27. Can I watch cartoons?

28. I hate I Carly.

29. Hey, Nana, I have to go to the bathroom right quick.

30. Do you know the biggest state? What is the closest state to Alaska?

31. Go run your errands Mommie. We can't have fun until you leave.

32. Nana, did you have a car like this?

33. Nana, did Mommie leave Junior (blanket) here?

34. You can't see magic things. There are no such things as magic things.

35. Nana, close your eyes and open them when I say.

36. Nice try, but you are not a ghost. I don't believe in ghosts.

It's Always Something, Jane

Twas minutes into nap time and all through the homey, not a creature was stirring not even lil Stormy. I was snug on my couch, laptop precariously placed, head hung low, in hopes that the phone calls would be a NO.

When out on the roof there rose such a chatter, I jumped from my nap to see what was the matter. Away to the glass screen I flew like a flash, tore open the door, ran out in a dash.

The sun of the midday shown brightly on my picnic table, when what to my sleepy eyes should appear but a huge umbrella on the rooftop, unstable.

He spoke not a word but went straight to his work, grabbing his ladder, climbing like a mad hatter . And laying his hands around the umbrella pole, cranking the handle, he took control.

I heard him exclaim as he descended the bane,

"It is always something, Jane."

Happy Birthday Baby

Today a wonderful friend's first grandchild was born to her only child and it happened to be his 21st birthday. How cool is that? I imagine they are really celebrating tonight; celebrating his 21st birthday, celebrating the birth of the baby, and celebrating that the baby has arrived healthy.

These babies - they grow up so fast. My sweet little great nephew's mom bought his last two cans of formula today. He has a older sister just a little older than him so he probably will be the last child for that family. Somehow the Facebook posting about buying the last of the formula was a little sad for me for I know that little chapter of their lives is drawing to a close. By Christmas he will be walking never to look back at a bottle.

My own two grandsons are now almost 7 and 4 years old. They are old enough to tease and play tricks on me and are especially adept at maneuvering circumstances in order to get what they want. I wouldn't have it any other way. Even though they are old enough to manipulate me, they are still excited to see me and want to spend time with me. Hugs are rare these days, but when they come they are even more precious.

May God bless my friend's new baby grandchild. May God bless her son and her family. May God bless my great nieces and nephews, and may God continue to bless my grandsons. Happy Birthday Baby!

Pleasant Home Baptist Church

This little church was the basis of my childhood. I was baptized here and I was married here. Oh the stories I could tell of this church. So many lovely memories were made here. My grandmother was one of the original members and my daddy lead the music for years and years so you can see how integral it was to my life.

This little church was about 4 or 5 miles from our house, straight down a dirt road back in the day. Of course it now is a paved road, the Moccasin Trail, which connects highway 18 and highway 99. Can you believe they are on Facebook now? Of course, I had to friend them just to have a connection to my past and to keep up with some names of the past; now those last names are the grandchildren of those when I went there.

This church was a stepping stone for a lot of young ministers, some not even ordained, from OBU in Shawnee. Just because we were a small church didn't mean we didn't have a calling and some believed it was to give these young kids a chance to grow in their ministry. You see we had about 40 - 50 on Sundays and 25 on Sunday nights, pretty small but intimate and everybody seemed like family. Actually, a lot of us were kin. I don't want to mislead you into thinking that we never had a pastor because we did. Lots of them stayed for years and years, some only a year or so.

I remember when there was no addition on the right side. Now that was a long, long time ago. I remember Bible school and many parties, especially Valentine's party. Valentine's party was a wonderful sophisticated (to me) banquet served by the ladies of the church. Oh it was nice......table clothes, candles, decorations hanging from the ceiling, heart shaped place cards, mint cups, even appetizers. The meal was served in courses, each course more delicious than the last and ending with some sort of delicious dessert - always on the Valentine's theme. As preteen I had a girlfriend go with me. It really didn't matter to us whether we had a boyfriend, we just enjoyed the experience of pretending to be grown up for an evening. We dressed in our finest for the evening...no jeans for us.

Another thing that seems to have changed and in my opinion not necessarily for the better, is Halloween parties. When I was a child, we dressed in costumes, some scary, but none taken seriously. Sometimes I think parents of today need to lighten up a little. We were not devil worshipping when we had our church Halloween parties. It was just clean fun and a way to get some candy. I am even remember a Halloween party in an old abandoned house that was more for the adults where I fell asleep under a table. I must have been less than 4 years old. It is one of my first memories.

So many fun times; New Year's Eve parties, Valentine's party, Easter Egg Hunt, many summer homemade ice cream parties, Halloween parties, Thanksgiving Dinners, Christmas services with a sack of candy to take home, and lots and lots of church dinners. We were country people and our lives revolved around our church and our grade school. Our grade school was a few miles away from our church so we had our school community and our church community but everybody within a 12 mile radius knew each other.

This church is the basis for my spiritual life for which I am grateful. I am not a saint, nor do I pretend to be, but I think that I am who I am due to my early religous experiences. I am so grateful to the folks now long gone and a few members still there that were willing to do the Lord's work and teach the young the ways of Christ.

This is Not Good

This is not how you use a Zero Turn Radius Toro mower, kiddos.*

I love to mow especially using my almost new ZTR. Ok it is a year old, but it is the newest vehicle we own.....let me clarify that....it is the ONLY new vehicle we have ever bought. It is a blast to drive. Almost like bumper cars....don't laugh.

Off I go into the wild blue yonder, oblivious to everything around me, stretched out getting a few rays on my lily white legs, just vegging out on the mower. Almost done....... Going smooth and then all of a sudden the right front wheel comes off the ground. If you have never been on a ZTR, you will know that when this happens the whole thing get squirrelly and scary...like the thing might turn over.

I had no idea how to get out of my predicament, but I knew enough to kill the mower deck. I tried a couple of times backing up and rocking forward, but the back wheel was getting deeper and deeper and the front left wheel which was still on the ground was going everywhere but straight. I was afraid I would rock out of the hole only to circle around without control and go right back off the culvert....possible dismemberment flashed before my eyes even though the mower deck had stopped revolving. Luckily, hubby was near by and came to my rescue after my distressed screams. He is such a patient man. First thing he asks me before approaching is if the mower deck is stopped. Safe and patient, that's him. I think they must emphasize safety in engineering school, that, and his old stand by when something doesn't work for me "Is it plugged in?" The he tries to instruct me on how to maneuver my way out with him standing on the deck. That didn't work because I was just to scared and the back wheel is sinking deeper and deeper. He tells me to kill it and he heads to the house to get the tractor to give me a tow. He was able to pull it out without me getting back on that bronco.

Never once did he loose his cool although I knew he probably wanted to especially when he was trying to tell me to put the left control in neutral and go forward on the right. I guess he had forgotten I never learned my left from my right. 39 years.....you'd think!!.......there is a lot to remember when one is married to me. All is well........off I go again, day dreaming and thinking of lunch.

*Please don't think my ego is so great that I have followers that I call kiddos. The kiddos I am referring to are my children. I am not Lady Gag Me With A Spoon and I do not have Little Monsters.