Today has been great, even though I made a total fool out of myself early this morning. Let's just call it another senior moment or she's stupid, too or what goes around comes around.
I would like to blame my stupidity this morning on M.I.R., but Mercury is not in retrograde or blame it on F.M.T, but we are not in full moon time either, so I am narrowing it down to Karma, even though it wasn't instant Karma.
What happened to me this morning also happened to me and my dear old grandmother in 1970, when I was a senior in high school, in Fort Worth. And I find it amazing that it has taken all of this time for my Karma to finally come back around to kick me in the behind.
In the past I've laughed many times when I have told this funny story about my grandmother calling me one Saturday morning, "Good morning, Nancy."
"Good morning, Grandma."
"I need to talk to one of your parents," she said, sounding a bit anxious.
"Dad's playing golf and Mom has gone to the grocery store. Is everything okay?"
"No, it isn't."
"What's wrong?"
"My Sunday paper was not delivered this morning," she said. "Did y'all get your Sunday paper?"
"No, ma'am, because it is Saturday not Sunday." Then she started laughing and so did I.
Forty-three-years later, Tony woke me up at 6:00 this morning, as I had asked him to do, so I could wake up before calling my friend (Gordon Ames) one of Kerrville's favorite radio host Big G onThe Real Deal KOOK/KERV 1230 radio show, so we could do our weekly Utopia segment.
Around 7:00 I called Big G at the radio station. "Hi Big G. It's Cousin Nancy. Are we off air?"
"Yes."
"I was calling early to make sure that we were going to do the show this morning at 7:20, since we haven't done it because of the holidays falling on Tuesday." Big G started to laugh.
"We're doing it tomorrow, Nancy."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes. Nancy, today is Monday not Tuesday."
"Oh my goodness! I thought it was Tuesday. The holidays have gotten me all confused..." After we had laughed about it, we adios-ed each other.
As I sipped my second cup of Donut House coffee I started laughing at myself all over again, for thinking it was Tuesday. And I bet that Grandma was laughing and rolling over inside her casket in her and Granddad's mausoleum, in Ft. Worth, Texas. And that is about it for tonight, because I need to write and go to bed early, so I can get up early to do Big G's radio show, again.
Y'all have a great evening!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Test Kitchens!
Today has been a quiet, peaceful great day, because with the help from Jim, The Mineral Man, we finally solved the mystery to why his delicious, secret gluten free, 100% stoned ground whole wheat bread recipe, always cratered at the bottom of our loaves.
Yesterday, when I gave Kinky a halved loaf of of my dented bread, he teased me about it and this morning when we talked all he could do was rave about how delicious my bread was.
So, this morning after Tony and I did our outdoor chores I came inside and carefully read the Oster bread machine instructions to see if I could figure out what the problem with the bread was. Then I checked my e-mail and found out that Jim had also been trying to figure out why our breads were sunk in the middle. Then he sent me another e-mail to let me know that in his test kitchen, he had just started another loaf in his Oster and told me the changes he had made to his recipe, hoping that would solve the problem.
Wanting to help Jim get to "the bottom" of this, I decided to bake another loaf, adjusting the recipe too with a few minor things in my test kitchen. And three and a half hours later when the bread was finished baking, I pulled the hot bread bucket out of Oscar (Yes, I've named the Oster Oscar, because I know how to pronounce it correctly.) and turned it upside down on the cooling rack, so it would fall out—it was missing a sink hole!
After I had half-hollered at Tony about the loaf being perfect, he came running down the hallway to see for himself. "It looks like a normal loaf of bread and it smells delicious." Then I grabbed my camera and shot it, so I could send it to Jim, who was busily baking bread in his test kitchen.
Yesterday, when I gave Kinky a halved loaf of of my dented bread, he teased me about it and this morning when we talked all he could do was rave about how delicious my bread was.
So, this morning after Tony and I did our outdoor chores I came inside and carefully read the Oster bread machine instructions to see if I could figure out what the problem with the bread was. Then I checked my e-mail and found out that Jim had also been trying to figure out why our breads were sunk in the middle. Then he sent me another e-mail to let me know that in his test kitchen, he had just started another loaf in his Oster and told me the changes he had made to his recipe, hoping that would solve the problem.
Wanting to help Jim get to "the bottom" of this, I decided to bake another loaf, adjusting the recipe too with a few minor things in my test kitchen. And three and a half hours later when the bread was finished baking, I pulled the hot bread bucket out of Oscar (Yes, I've named the Oster Oscar, because I know how to pronounce it correctly.) and turned it upside down on the cooling rack, so it would fall out—it was missing a sink hole!
After I had half-hollered at Tony about the loaf being perfect, he came running down the hallway to see for himself. "It looks like a normal loaf of bread and it smells delicious." Then I grabbed my camera and shot it, so I could send it to Jim, who was busily baking bread in his test kitchen.
Please note that the small indention in the middle is where I had to remove the bread machine's paddle. Ten minutes later, after sending Jim the above photo I turned the bread right side up and halved it, to make sure the inside looked right. Then I grabbed my camera again and shot it, so I could send The Mineral Man how the inside looked.
After Tony and I ate a slice of the warm, healthy, gluten-free, delicious bread, Tony grabbed his camera to go outside to take pictures, so while he was gone I wrote three more pages of The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Membership Drive, Part II novella and I am very pleased with it, because it's funny and made me laugh out loud.
Before I get back to my writing, I want to especially thank H-E-B for helping our rescue ranch once again, by including us in their H-E-B TexasLife January magazine. And I also want to thank Jim for helping me solve the real life mystery of, Our Dented Loaves. And that is about it for today.
Y'all have a great evening!
Thank You, H-E-B!
This morning when Tony returned from The Old Timer, in Medina, he handed me the San Antonio Express newspaper. After we ate breakfast and I had cleaned up the kitchen I pulled out my favorite things I like to read: Parade, Life, Taste, coupons. Then I saw the January H-E-B My TexasLife magazine, which I always enjoy and I decided to read it first.
The January issue, Healthy New Year was full of savings and fresh ideas about making healthier food choices with tasty-looking recipes. When I got to "A New Year's Pet-Solution!" section I about fell out of my chair when I turned the page and saw a full page advertisement, on page 55, for our rescue ranch.
I half-hollered down the hallway, "Tony! H-E-B has done it again. They've put a beautiful, full page ad about our rescue ranch in their My TexasLife magazine!" Then I picked up the phone and punched in Kinky's phone number and told Kink about it and he too, was thrilled about it. "That's great news, Nancy...."
You can check out H-E-B's Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch full page advertisement here. Thank you for helping us, H-E-B! We love you and your monthly magazines.
The January issue, Healthy New Year was full of savings and fresh ideas about making healthier food choices with tasty-looking recipes. When I got to "A New Year's Pet-Solution!" section I about fell out of my chair when I turned the page and saw a full page advertisement, on page 55, for our rescue ranch.
I half-hollered down the hallway, "Tony! H-E-B has done it again. They've put a beautiful, full page ad about our rescue ranch in their My TexasLife magazine!" Then I picked up the phone and punched in Kinky's phone number and told Kink about it and he too, was thrilled about it. "That's great news, Nancy...."
You can check out H-E-B's Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch full page advertisement here. Thank you for helping us, H-E-B! We love you and your monthly magazines.
Friday, January 4, 2013
El Sol de Mexico!
Today has been great for so many reasons. Around noon, Tony, my super hero dog, Roy Rogers and I climbed into Buttermilk, our Expedition, to go to Kerrville.
Our first stop was at the Post Office so I could mail out some more of my books that had been ordered. Then we went to Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic to drop off Roy for an hour or so, because he needed to get all of his yearly shots while we met our friends/volunteers for lunch, at all of ours favorite Mexican food restaurant, El Sol de Mexico.
When Tony handed off Roy's leash to Kathy and we started to leave the clinic, Roy started barking and pulling on his leash towards us, because he didn't want us to leave him.
Tony and I were the first to arrive at El Sol de Mexico and when we walked inside Beto, the friendliest waiter came to greet us, "There's going to be seven of us," I told him, then we sat down on the bench to wait for our friends and to let Beto and the owner set up a larger table for us.
When our table was ready, Tony and I went to our table and minutes later Eileen and Lisa showed up, then Kris and then June and Ellen. We talked about Fruitful's adorable Chihuahua pups that Ellen rescued from the pound when they were only two days old. Ellen and June have found super forever homes for the mama and her pups and their are only three pups that need homes. Here is a precious picture of the puppies that June took this morning and next are two of the pups still looking for a super home. If anyone wants to adopt a pup, Ellen is asking $25.00 each to cover expenses and a week ago Friday they all received their first puppy shot. Please call me at the rescue ranch if you are interested and I will hook you up with Ellen.
Our first stop was at the Post Office so I could mail out some more of my books that had been ordered. Then we went to Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic to drop off Roy for an hour or so, because he needed to get all of his yearly shots while we met our friends/volunteers for lunch, at all of ours favorite Mexican food restaurant, El Sol de Mexico.
When Tony handed off Roy's leash to Kathy and we started to leave the clinic, Roy started barking and pulling on his leash towards us, because he didn't want us to leave him.
Tony and I were the first to arrive at El Sol de Mexico and when we walked inside Beto, the friendliest waiter came to greet us, "There's going to be seven of us," I told him, then we sat down on the bench to wait for our friends and to let Beto and the owner set up a larger table for us.
When our table was ready, Tony and I went to our table and minutes later Eileen and Lisa showed up, then Kris and then June and Ellen. We talked about Fruitful's adorable Chihuahua pups that Ellen rescued from the pound when they were only two days old. Ellen and June have found super forever homes for the mama and her pups and their are only three pups that need homes. Here is a precious picture of the puppies that June took this morning and next are two of the pups still looking for a super home. If anyone wants to adopt a pup, Ellen is asking $25.00 each to cover expenses and a week ago Friday they all received their first puppy shot. Please call me at the rescue ranch if you are interested and I will hook you up with Ellen.
Our lunch was fun and delicious and we were the loudest table in the restaurant, because of all of the teasing and laughter. And unfortunately that is all that I can say, because they made a pact, which I didn't want to, because their is so much to tell. Our pact is: What happens at El Sol de Mexico—Stays at El Sol de Mexico, Nancy. But who knows, I might just put some of their hilarious stories in one of my novellas. : )
Late this afternoon my new electric ukulele and my Oster bread making machine, arrived and I was more than thrilled about it, because the ukulele that Vern sent to Tony and me, is at Stans's music store getting electrified and Tiny should be ready to be picked up next week.
I bought the extra uke which I have already named The Nellybelle, because Tony wants to learn how to play one and tonight I taught him three basic chords and here is a picture of him strumming The Nellybelle with Roy snoring and he sounded really good. Please note that it was T. not Roy who sounded really good
Tomorrow after Brandon does his chores outside with Tony we are going to have a jam session with Tone and Brandon on ukuleles and me on guitar and I cannot wait. And that's about it for tonight, because my bread machine's very first loaf of bread, using The Mineral Man's secret whole wheat bread recipe, is almost cooked and ready to eat.
Y'all have a great evening!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
My New Year's Resolutions!
Last night after spending a few hours writing the beginning of my Part II novella, I thought about and finally made my New Years' resolutions. This year I am going to work harder at everything I do and I am going to really push my new novella, because it really is a fun read and I am so proud of it. And I am going to do as many book signings as I possibly can. So, here's a book review that I just received from Fay, who is one of the main characters in, The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Membership Drive, Part I. Fay wrote:
Happy New Year Nancy!
The books arrived the Friday before Christmas and I just
sat down this morning, finally, to read your novella.
I couldn't put it down and had so many laugh out loud
moments, it's awesome!! My character is so cool and interesting, heck, I would
love to be me! LOL
All of your characters are so fun and funny, interesting
and I can't believe you left the story hanging... to be continued...
Can't wait until you publish Part 2 of the Cowgirl
Sisterhood!
Fay
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Bucket List!
Today has been fun, but first I want to back up to yesterday morning. Rita, the woman from Las Cruces, New Mexico, visiting friends in Kerrville, who had called me on Sunday, about getting a private tour with her friends Monday morning, around 10:30 didn't happen.
Around 11:30, Rita's friend Carolyn called me, "Nancy, I am so sorry, but we have to cancel today's visit, because we had to rush Rita to the Emergency Room in Kerrville and everything is up in the air."
"Oh my goodness," I said. "Is she going to be alright?"
"We don't know. They put her on Morphine. Can we reschedule our visit for tomorrow morning?"
"Sure....." After we adios-ed each other I was very concerned about Rita's condition. When Tony and Brandon returned to The Cabin to eat lunch, I told them about Rita being in the hospital and maybe coming out on New Year's Day. "Tony, you know Rita mentioned that visiting our rescue ranch was on her Bucket List. What if she has already died and never got to see our rescue ranch?"
"She might have, Nance," Tony replied.
Early in the evening Kinky called me, "Nance, I'll be back at the ranch late tonight. How are The Friedmans doing?"
After we had discussed them, I told him about Rita. "Kinky, she may already be dead, but if not she might show up out here tomorrow."
"I doubt if she is dead, Nance." Then a few seconds later Kink and I chuckled about the funny/morbid situation, because weird things seem to happen out here. "If Rita and her friends come out tomorrow—I definitely want to meet Rita and her friends.
This morning, as I re-cleaned The Cabin, in case Rita and her friends showed up, I couldn't quit thinking about poor Rita, while Tony and Brandon did the morning chores outside.
Around 11:10, our dogs inside The Cabin, started barking, so I looked out the window and saw a silver car, that I didn't recognize, driving up to our trailer. "Tony, I think Rita is here!" I half-hollered, before going outside to greet whoever had driven up.
"Welcome to the rescue ranch," I said, to three women climbing out of a car that had New Mexico license plates.
"Are you Cousin Nancy?"
"Yes. Are you Rita?"
"Yes, I am, but my name is Ria, not Rita and I am still wearing my hospital bracelet, because I am still on Morphine."
"I'm sorry, Ria. I am hard of hearing and I thought you said, "Rita." Then I recognized her friend Bonny and greeted her. Then Bonny introduced me to her sister Carolyn. After we had all hugged each other Tony and I gave them a grand tour of the rescue ranch, as we talked about our dogs and about Ria's visit to the Emergency Room.
Apparently, Ria has been seeing all kinds of doctors and taking MIR's etc. trying to find out what is causing her pain in her neck with no results. And the reason Ria went to Peterson Regional Memorial Hospital was because she started having really bad chest pains and thought she was having a heart attack. Then she told us, "Fortunately, it wasn't a heart attack."
"I bet it is your gallbladder," Tony diagnosed. "Nancy and I have known a lot of people who thought they were having heart attacks and it was their gallbladder."
"They've tested my gallbladder and it is fine..."
When we ended the tour we invited the women into the The Cabin, so we could visit some more and drink some coffee. Twenty minutes later, I asked them if they would like to meet Kinky and they all said, "Yes!"
Then I called Kinky. "Kinky, I have three women here and I wanted to know if I could bring them over?"
"Is it Rita?" He asked. Does she look like she's on her death bed?"
"Yes, but her name is Ria not Rita and she looks real healthy to me. We'll be there in just a minute."
Our visit at The Lodge was a lot of fun. They got their pictures taken with Kinky and before we left, Kinky invited us to toast the New Year, with his Man In Black Tequila.
Carolyn and Bonny accepted his invitation, but I declined, because I swore off tequila, when I lived in Crested Butte, Colorado. "I'll have some, too," Ria declared.
"You can't, Ria, because you are still on Morphine," one of the sisters said. Then Bonny ran out to their car and retrieved Ria's medical records folder. "Ria, it says no alcohol." And Ria seemed disappointed.
After Kinky poured the sisters and his shot glasses, I said, "Let's toast to Ria not being dead and scratching us off her bucket list." Then they clinked their glasses together and Ria and I touched their shot glasses.
As they sipped the tequila I said, "Ria, I'm glad that you're not dead and please don't drop dead here."
When it was time for us to leave, one of the sisters suggested that Kinky autograph Ria's medical records and he signed it, "To Ria, I'm glad you're not dead, yet."
Later this afternoon, Kinky treated Brandon, Tony and me to lunch, in Kerrville and we had a good time and that is about it for tonight, because I am going to start writing on Part II of The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Membership Drive.
Y'all have a great New Year!
Around 11:30, Rita's friend Carolyn called me, "Nancy, I am so sorry, but we have to cancel today's visit, because we had to rush Rita to the Emergency Room in Kerrville and everything is up in the air."
"Oh my goodness," I said. "Is she going to be alright?"
"We don't know. They put her on Morphine. Can we reschedule our visit for tomorrow morning?"
"Sure....." After we adios-ed each other I was very concerned about Rita's condition. When Tony and Brandon returned to The Cabin to eat lunch, I told them about Rita being in the hospital and maybe coming out on New Year's Day. "Tony, you know Rita mentioned that visiting our rescue ranch was on her Bucket List. What if she has already died and never got to see our rescue ranch?"
"She might have, Nance," Tony replied.
Early in the evening Kinky called me, "Nance, I'll be back at the ranch late tonight. How are The Friedmans doing?"
After we had discussed them, I told him about Rita. "Kinky, she may already be dead, but if not she might show up out here tomorrow."
"I doubt if she is dead, Nance." Then a few seconds later Kink and I chuckled about the funny/morbid situation, because weird things seem to happen out here. "If Rita and her friends come out tomorrow—I definitely want to meet Rita and her friends.
This morning, as I re-cleaned The Cabin, in case Rita and her friends showed up, I couldn't quit thinking about poor Rita, while Tony and Brandon did the morning chores outside.
Around 11:10, our dogs inside The Cabin, started barking, so I looked out the window and saw a silver car, that I didn't recognize, driving up to our trailer. "Tony, I think Rita is here!" I half-hollered, before going outside to greet whoever had driven up.
"Welcome to the rescue ranch," I said, to three women climbing out of a car that had New Mexico license plates.
"Are you Cousin Nancy?"
"Yes. Are you Rita?"
"Yes, I am, but my name is Ria, not Rita and I am still wearing my hospital bracelet, because I am still on Morphine."
"I'm sorry, Ria. I am hard of hearing and I thought you said, "Rita." Then I recognized her friend Bonny and greeted her. Then Bonny introduced me to her sister Carolyn. After we had all hugged each other Tony and I gave them a grand tour of the rescue ranch, as we talked about our dogs and about Ria's visit to the Emergency Room.
Apparently, Ria has been seeing all kinds of doctors and taking MIR's etc. trying to find out what is causing her pain in her neck with no results. And the reason Ria went to Peterson Regional Memorial Hospital was because she started having really bad chest pains and thought she was having a heart attack. Then she told us, "Fortunately, it wasn't a heart attack."
"I bet it is your gallbladder," Tony diagnosed. "Nancy and I have known a lot of people who thought they were having heart attacks and it was their gallbladder."
"They've tested my gallbladder and it is fine..."
When we ended the tour we invited the women into the The Cabin, so we could visit some more and drink some coffee. Twenty minutes later, I asked them if they would like to meet Kinky and they all said, "Yes!"
Then I called Kinky. "Kinky, I have three women here and I wanted to know if I could bring them over?"
"Is it Rita?" He asked. Does she look like she's on her death bed?"
"Yes, but her name is Ria not Rita and she looks real healthy to me. We'll be there in just a minute."
Our visit at The Lodge was a lot of fun. They got their pictures taken with Kinky and before we left, Kinky invited us to toast the New Year, with his Man In Black Tequila.
Carolyn and Bonny accepted his invitation, but I declined, because I swore off tequila, when I lived in Crested Butte, Colorado. "I'll have some, too," Ria declared.
"You can't, Ria, because you are still on Morphine," one of the sisters said. Then Bonny ran out to their car and retrieved Ria's medical records folder. "Ria, it says no alcohol." And Ria seemed disappointed.
After Kinky poured the sisters and his shot glasses, I said, "Let's toast to Ria not being dead and scratching us off her bucket list." Then they clinked their glasses together and Ria and I touched their shot glasses.
As they sipped the tequila I said, "Ria, I'm glad that you're not dead and please don't drop dead here."
When it was time for us to leave, one of the sisters suggested that Kinky autograph Ria's medical records and he signed it, "To Ria, I'm glad you're not dead, yet."
Later this afternoon, Kinky treated Brandon, Tony and me to lunch, in Kerrville and we had a good time and that is about it for tonight, because I am going to start writing on Part II of The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Membership Drive.
Y'all have a great New Year!
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