Pork Chops & Tortellini!

Today has been great, but yesterday was a little more than exciting to say the least. Yesterday morning, after breakfast, I was getting ready to make some salsa and was in the middle of opening a can of tomatoes when the phone rang—it was Kinky. "Nance, you and Tony need to get over here right now! Tex fell..."

I hollered, "Tony! We've got to go to Kinky's now! Hurry!" I then put the partially unopened can of tomatoes inside the fridge and then we fled The Cabin, jumped into Buttermilk, because Trigger was still parked outside the rescue ranch with the bees.

On our way over to Kinky's I filled Tony in on what was going on and when we arrived, Kinky walked up to greet us. After he told us about Don falling and being diabetic and passing out because of low blood sugar and not getting his new glucose package opened in time, we went into the Annex to check on Don, while we waited on the ambulance to arrive.

To make a long story short, Don was taken to Peterson Regional Medical Center, in Kerrville and Kinky, Don, Tony and I were more than impressed with the professionalism of the Kerrville Fire Department EMS and the caring staff at, the P.R.M.C., that treated our dear friend.

So yesterday, Tony and I spent most of the day in Kerrville and we brought Don back to the ranch around 4:00. Don is fine, but he broke his foot when he fell and early tomorrow morning Chet is going to drive Don to Austin, to be with his sister. And that is one of the reasons why I didn't write last night and the other reason is: I could not wait to finish reading Donna Gable Hatch's fabulous, fiction book For Every Goodbye. I love her book. It touched me and I can't quit thinking about it, so I suggest that all of y'all read it, because I promise that you will love it as much as I do.

Today has been great, but much quieter, thank goodness. Late this afternoon Carol came over to borrow my copy of Donna's book For Every Goodbye, because after I told her about how much I enjoyed reading it—she could not wait to read it.

When Carol arrived, I went outside to greet her and then we jumped into Buttermilk, to go over to the Lodge, to visit with Kinky, Chet and Don. When we arrived Chet and Kinky came out of the kitchen to greet us and we had a fun visit, in the front yard, talking and laughing about Chet's and Tony's crazy trip back, from Port Aransas, transporting the bees.

At one point during our conversation, filled with laughter, Chet's dog Willie and Kinky's dogs Sophie and Winston walked up and I teased Chet about Willie putting on some extra pounds since coming to the ranch. Then Carol teased Kinky about Sophie and Winston being a little more than pudgy. They thought it was pretty funny and then Kinky changed the subject and started talking about what to fix for their dinner. "How does pork chops and tortellini sound?" he asked.

Before Chet could answer him, I teasingly remarked, "That's the dog's new names." Kinky, Carol and Chet started laughing.

"That's a good one, Nance," Kinky said. Then he looked at Winston and pointed at him and said, "He's Pork Chops and Willie is Tortellini." Then we all went into the Annex to visit with Don for a few minutes. Don seemed to be feeling fine and he was in good spirits.

A few minutes later, Kinky went into the Lodge, so Carol and I visited with Chet and we talked about our exciting, upcoming Concert for Utopia.  A few minutes later, Kinky came back outside and he was chuckling. "Tony just called. Kent's over there and Tony needs for you to come home, because he needs his bee gloves." So Carol and I adios-ed them and came back to the rescue ranch to give Tony his bee gloves, so he and Kent could move the bees.

Carol and I visited for a few minutes and then we adios-ed each other and she left with Donna Gable Hatch's book For Every Goodbye. And that is about it for tonight.

Y'all have a great evening!

Donna Gable Hatch!

Today has been great. Tony and I got up at 5:30 this morning and I only got six hours of sleep, but I felt fine. The reason that we got up so early was because we had much to do before he and Chet O'Keefe left for Port Aransas.

While Tony showered, I fed the dogs and cooked his breakfast, while enjoying a delicious cup of Green Mountain Donut Shop Coffee. Then while Tony ate his breakfast I showered and got cleaned up. While he packed for his trip, Hazel and I vacuumed the entire trailer and dusted it, because Donna Hatch, a fabulous writer for the Kerrville Daily Times, was coming out, at 10:00, to interview Kinky and me about our rescue ranch and upcoming Concert for Utopia.

Around 7:10, I was totally awake and Tony was packed and ready for his trip to, Port A, to pick up the bee equipment and hives that Rick was giving to him. With all of our earlier accomplishments, we then went outside, as planned, to do the morning chores and it was still pretty dark outside, but we got it done in record time.

When Tony and Chet left the ranch at 8:30, I returned to The Cabin, so I could wash a load of clothes, answer some e-mails, etc. before the volunteers started arriving.

At 10:00, Donna Hatch arrived, while I was outside visiting with Kris' husband Jim. When Donna got out of her car we instantly liked her, so we immediately struck up a fun conversation with her. While we were waiting for Kinky to arrive, I told her about how much I had enjoyed reading her great article about George Fischer, The Last DK Cowboy and so did Jim. Then Donna told me that she had just written a fiction book For Every Goodbye and she wanted to give me a copy. Then she took off for her car to get a book for me.

When Donna and I got into Kermit, to take us up to The Cabin, I was telling her about me being an author also when June walked up with two friends and she said, "Nancy, do you remember Jane and Bob, from Canada?" My mind started racing, but it never made it to the finish line, because June said, "They were the first people to ever take me out to the rescue ranch, over ten years ago, and if it wasn't for them, I might not have never known about y'all."

"Wow!" I said. "I have to admit that I don't remember y'all, but thank y'all so much for bringing June out here, because of June, she has recruited everyone of our volunteers, except for Kris & Jim, The Mineral Man, because Tony and I invited them to come out and volunteer..."

A few minutes later, Donna and I went into The Cabin and she loved our old trailer and then I gave her signed copies of my four books. Then Kinky arrived for the interview. For forty-five minutes, while Roy slept under the kitchen table by Donna's shoes and Belle slept next to my pink boots, Kinky and I had a wonderful time visiting with Donna and being interviewed by her. Here is a picture that I took of Donna interviewing Kinky.

A little before noon, the interview ended and the three of us went outside, so Donna could meet our super friends/volunteers and take a few pictures for her article about our rescue ranch. Donna visited with several of our volunteers and then she took a group picture of us in Rufus' and Roxanne's pen. 

Then Donna thanked all of us for our time and then she went over to the Lodge, with Kinky, to visit with him and to meet The Friedmans and all of us went up to the Medina Highpoint Resort to eat lunch together, which of course was a lot of fun.

When I got back home, I took a short nap with Mama, Roy, Belle and Beau and then I went outside and push-mowed some small patches of tall grass, in three dog pens. Then I spent two hours killing Thistle, before returning to The Cabin, so I could trim some of Mama's long, white hair.

Around 7:00, after I had put the chickens up for the night, I started reading Donna's book For Every Goodbye and I love it and I can't put it down, so I hope that you will check it out. So that is about it for tonight, because I plan to read her great book non-stop, until it is time for my special slumber party, with all four of our dogs.

Y'all have a great evening!