Green chile days & the NM State Fair...

I do love the art exhibit and all, but I really love to go for the green chile corn dogs that you can only get at the fair!  (Courtesy Bing Images)

This Saturday, we will be making our annual trip to Wagner's to pick out a bushel of green chile from Hatch, New Mexico!  After choosing our chile's, they take them around the side of the building to the roasting bins (see below). 

There are flames below, and the chiles spin around, roasting as they go.  In Albuquerque, nothing says fall like the smell of roasting chile.  After this step, you have to take them home and bag them for freezing ~ the  not so fun part.  In our house, a bushel is enough to last us the whole year....but there are some people who have twice or even three times as much chile put away in their freezers.  These are the folks who cook huge batches of green chile stew, enchiladas, rellenos (stuffed green chile that is usually deep fried, stuffed with cheese & ground beef, or just cheese).  Probably because when Grandma cooks on Sunday the entire extended family comes over for dinner.  I would too, if invited!

********

In about 2 weeks, the state fair begins.  Usually accompanied by rainy afternoons, which is ironically typical in a place that averages about 9 inches per year ~ we seem to always be able to count on it during the fair.  No matter, because I usually only go to eat green chile corn dogs (corn dogs with green chile in the batter), which I haven't found anywhere else.  I suppose I should ask if they sell any other places, but they are kind of greasy, and fattening, so once a year is probably best!  

Well, I have one more day of work this week, then I'm off for 4 days, thanks to Labor Day.  My co-worker has been on vacation this week, so I'm desperately trying to keep up as best as I can.  

Have a wonderful holiday!

Love, 365

And so it begins.......

You want me to what??????

This ends the first week of the fall semester.  I'm only taking the one class, so I shouldn't be too busy with homework and such.  I have a feeling that all the writing I will be doing will create bald spots on my head.....yikes!  This week we had to choose an article from a list and write a one to two page "journal" entry.  So he has this class set up a bit differently than other online classes I've taken.  The first week is generally an intro, so I expect the journal entries will become a bit more difficult as time goes on.  The article I chose was about our intestinal flora....and how they might be influencing the types of foods we eat...making us crave certain types of foods these microflora need to survive.  Wierd, huh?  Have no fear ~ we've been living with them for millions of years....it's a symbiotic relationship.  They help us with digesting and such, and we provide the nutrients they need (a very simplistic explanation).

***had I mentioned that Romeo has become interested in cooking....and just now had to show me a couple of recipes.  Just. Stop. It.  Making me totally batshit nuts.....

Well, I better go, he's still talking, and I suppose I should at least pretend to listen.

Have a great week, ya'll!

Love, 365

Cutting boards from Vermont....

I love a good cutting board...

These owl boards are too cute....

***************************************

Happy Birthday, Aaron!  Today is my eldest son's birthday....he lives in Round Rock (just North of Austin).  We talked on the phone, had a few laughs, discussed the wedding coming up in October.  If only we were 8 hours away instead of 12!  I wish we were closer, but it was my idea to move to Albuquerque, and for the most part I love it.  

I finally found a dress to wear to the wedding...it's lovely ~ and it fits! ~ I need shoes now, but I'm not in any hurry.  I'm sure I'll find the perfect pair somewhere.

**************************************

School starts on Monday, and I think I already mentioned we don't need to buy a book (woo hoo!).  I have enjoyed the summer, but I am ready to get back to it!  I suppose I will find out the focus of the class as soon as I log on.  When I took Human Evolutionary Ecology, I didn't have a clue that the focus was primates.  Still, Evolutionary Medicine seems straightforward.  

And now, for a little levity:

Hee hee...

Too funny, and yet...

Oh, Steve! Oh, Emily........

Tener una buena semana! (have a good week)

Amor, 365

Adios, Robin...te extranaremos..

You will be missed......(Bing Images)

I've read many eulogies for Robin this week.  I really don't have anything to add, but I was deeply saddened to hear that he took his own life.  I have laughed and cried in his movies, which gave many of us great pleasure to watch.  RIP, Robin.  

Buy it or make it???????

Courtesy of Bing Images......yum

****Meal time has taken a strange turn here at home.  Romeo and I have been married for over 30 years, and for 98% of that time, I've been the main cook.  If Romeo cooked, it was hot dogs and beans, and occassionally a pizza, or frozen entree.  Now, he's cruising Food Network, and constantly interrupts me while I'm reading, or watching a movie, etc.  "Look at this recipe!  It looks great!", while I'm rolling my eyes and trying not to be a bitch.  It's hard...ya know?

The thing is, he gets home at least an hour or two before I do.  So, he has been starting dinner, which is nice.  I don't mind.  My favorite thing is baking anyway!  But, some of his "experiments" haven't been embraced by all, shall we say.  Some of these sit in the fridge as leftovers until one of us sneaks it out to the trash.  

I'm the child of Yankees, ya'll!  (OK, so I grew up in Texas....).  I hate waste.  And we've been throwing out way too much uneaten food.  I suppose this is the reason he's been looking for recipes.  I even made him download an app called Recipe Box.  Which I already have.  So now we can share and produce shopping lists, which is pretty cool.

So, this morning I decided to make tapioca pudding for our dessert tonight.  Oh, sure, I've seen it in the store....I don't really like the idea of pudding that isn't sold in the refrigerator section (what kind of chemicals are in there?) and I've seen the pre-made that is refrigerated, but still.  Does it just have milk, egg, sugar, vanilla and tapioca?  Probably not.  15 min later of constant stirring reminds me why most people buy it.  But I'm sure it will be delicious.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Made in America.....the series, ha ha

I bet you're wondering what these are....

Cabinet handles?

Pendants?

Buttons? (although I admit this is a stretch)

No, these are toilet handles.  Flush handles.  Hmmmm.

Well, I did say I was going to highlight American made products, so here you go.   And just in case you can't picture it, have a look....

It is cute!

Have a great Monday, everyone!  Love, 365

Is pizza OK for breakfast?

I love this Iris pattern ~ these are made in the USA...see more here!

The company name is Emerson Creek Pottery, and they have dinnerware in many colors and patterns.  

I love the Iris pattern, which is hand painted!

@@@@@@@@@@

Occasionally I cruise through the blogs that you follow.  (yes, you!)  I sometimes find a blog I can relate to, or find interesting.  Once I wrote about had sad it was to see blogs that had been abandoned.  One had a final posting letting readers know that the author of the blog had passed away, but they left the blog as a rememberance.  Another final posting was written of a father's recent death.  Most, though, had an old posting from 2011 and simply no more.....perhaps life became so busy (or mundane ~ or too exciting to share?) that writing in a blog no longer held any interest.

Anyway, it's kind of fun looking for new blogs to read/follow.  I have an truly unique way of choosing how I want to waste time put off chores I need to do.  For instance, in the "no" column, there are the blogs that are too "highbrow" for me...I can't figure out what they're trying to say.  In the "yes" column are people who write lots of bitchy posts about how awful the neighbors are, or have funny cartoons of dragons setting an entire city on fire....I love these, which gives you a little insight into just how boring, stupid, uh normal I am.

Like my blogging friend Ami, there are times when you just don't feel like writing.  I don't write everyday, usually once or twice a week.  It is cathartic, as Ami mentioned in one of her posts.  Too cathartic, and you end up in trouble and end up deleting the entire blog (as I had to do almost a year ago)!  So, this is a farewell to absent bloggers and the blogs they leave behind.  

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Brodie, our Scottish Terrier, is now at a new groomers.  There was a groomer I had been taking him for years.....but I no longer go there after having $15 added to the usual $45 bill because he was "matted".  I was really pissed, because it seemed odd that after 6 years of the same ol' same ol', now the bill is $60?  Nope.  So I went to another groomer I had used before, but didn't frequent much because they over book and keep him too long.  The first bill was the usual $45, but the next one was significantly more, again because of "matting".  I wouldn't mind so much, except we brush him nearly everyday, and I know he wasn't matted ~ he had some tangles, but not matted.  At the very least, they should have called and given us the heads up that the grooming bill would be more than usual, but I didn't find out until I went to pick him up.  So, here we go again.  I hope this groomer will be reasonable.  Stupidly, I didn't ask how much it would be!  Gez, sometimes I am such a moron.  I suppose my family is used to it, lol.

Well, guess I might as well get myself going....it's laundry and house cleaning day, and my stove top desperately needs some cleaning.

Love, 365

Continued: made in America

If I had room in my kitchen, I'd add this adorable pie safe.  Love the pineapple detail!  More here.

You just can't beat Amish furniture.  Of course, I don't have any, because it's a bit pricey.  I still like it though.  

*************************

I normally work Tuesday ~ Friday (generally 36 to 38 hours weekly), this week it was Monday ~ Thursday.  Our boss had some out patient surgery yesterday, so although the staff was there working, he was not.  For some reason, even though I still worked a "full week" so to speak, it seemed shorter. So, I'm off today, and eagerly anticipating playing racquetball with a group of friends that normally gets together on Friday to play.  Because of my work schedule, I am only rarely able to join in, so I'm excited.  Playing well would be good too......lol.

My youngest son is having some dental problems, and unfortunately will have to have 3 lower teeth extracted and have a partial made.  I wish I could afford to help him have a bridge done, but I just can't swing the $3500 for that.  :-(   I told him he could get the bridge later, but he is still depressed about the partial, and I don't blame him.  

On Thursday, while I was getting ready for work, I was watching the Today Show.  Apparently they've been talking about turning 50, because Hoda Kotb just had that milestone birthday.  When I was a young person, say 10 or so, 50 seemed old.  Like a Grandma (grey haired, wearing a housedress and support hose).  Funny.  I don't know why I was thinking about it, but there you go.  I am happy to say that even though I'm a little past 50 now, I don't have grey hair, I don't ever wear housedresses (but I still see them at department stores, usually in the same area as pajamas).  As far as support hose goes, my Grandmother used to wear hers probably due to edema.  She wore really ugly shoes too.  But she was a wonderful Grandma.  She would even save all the peppermints through the year and present me with a jar full ~ because she knew I liked them, and she didn't.  How did I get off track here?  Maybe it's a sign of .....never mind.

Messenger bag made of recycled materials, made in the USA!  More here...

This is a very interesting company that makes a variety of products from recycled, repurposed, and new bicycle tire tubes.  The item below made me think of my sister, who does long bike rides with her husband....

It's described as a "glove box" for your bike.  Since her birthday is coming up, I may get her one of these!  Hopefully she won't read my blog before I get it sent out, lol.....

Well, gotta go.  I have a big job ahead of me ~ changing passwords.  Or maybe I'll watch tennis.....

Love, 365

Soapbox, literally

You can buy this soap here

Do you buy American products when possible?  I do, but it is difficult.  Some things are harder to find than some (like dinnerware ~ ceramics).  I have found some dishes that I've purchased.....they are from Italy.  However, I want to highlight an American product every week for a bit.  Today's subject: soap.

I loved this website, they have some unique and wonderful products.

Oh, and they also sell vintage looking wedding dresses, too.  Interesting.

%%%%%%%%%%

My class ~ Evolutionary Medicine ~ will begin in 2 weeks.  I discovered last week that there is no book to purchase, so the professor (Dr. Jack Baker) must be going to assign all of the reading material.  I have had one other anthropology class that didn't require a book either.  I like this trend!  In Human Evolutionary Ecology we didn't have a book, but we were given tons of reading material.  You could print it up, but I decided to start saving them as a pdf file that I could read on my computer and my i-pad (in i-books).  Just the one class shouldn't be too much to keep up with!

Iron Age bones in Denmark.  

Bizarre finding of pelvic bones threaded through a stick.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

We have been enjoying a wonderful weather weekend!  The temp's have dropped to the low 80's, and we have had lots of rain.  The desert is greening up!  Romeo and I took the dogs for a nice long walk yesterday.  It is amazing how quickly the desert blooms and becomes green following a bit of moisture.  It will be short lived, though....we're due to have 90+ beginning on Wed.  Fall will be here before you know it...my favorite season.

Have a great week!  Love, 365

Repeating the news & "playdates"

Mom's flowering vine...

Saturday morning....we had been taking the 2 dogs out for a walk early (before 8, because of the heat) but Romeo (my husband) was quite grumpy this morning and said he didn't feel like it because he had "lots to do".  He promptly took a shower and left.  Presumably to the hardware store, where the employees likely know him well.  

While enjoying my coffee & deliciously decadent croissant, I have been watching the news.  I prefer the morning news as it doesn't get down and dirty like the evening news does.  So, as I'm watching, I see that it's basically a 30 min show that is on for 1 to 2 hours, and they just keep repeating the same stories every 30 min.  I have taken to changing channels at the half hour so that I don't have to keep watching/hearing the same story over and over.  It seems strange to me that there is so little news that they repeat every 30 min?  It's a pretty big world out there.  Let's broaden our horizons and look out the window now and then.

This week on Facebook, one of my friends shared a post about "playdates".  I wasn't going to read it since I don't have any little people in my house (& my grandson lives in another state), but the news was repeating itself, so I indulged.  It nearly perfectly described my childhood, except that instead of calling friends to see if they could play, my sister and simply walked around the neighborhood.  We lived in a neighborhood that housed mostly Air Force families, as it was close to the base, and inexpensive.  (I think my Mom told me the house I grew up in until 7th grade cost about 13,000 ~ less than the price of a new car these days!)  On Saturday mornings, I would scarf down breakfast (usually cold cereal), grab my bike and Dennis, Julie, or Mary and I would ride until lunch time, exploring the neighborhood.  Once we found an old graveyard and had fun walking around looking at the names on the headstones and the year they died ~ at the age of 8, death seemed pretty exotic.  Sometimes a few of us would walk down to the elementary school down the street and play tether ball (back when they didn't take the ball down at night, because no one would steal it).  My Mom didn't worry about where I was or what I was doing, as long as I came home for dinner.  Now, apparently, parents make "playdates" because parents must know where their children are every minute of the day.  Understandable.  We've seen the news stories, haven't we?  Would you let your kid leave in the morning and bike ride all day without knowing where they are and who they are with?  And yet, it seems that everything has become too structured.  Lacking in spontaneity, and creativity.  Kids don't know how to entertain themselves (which was a survival mechanism when I was a kid, or Mom would give you something to do, namely chores).  Giving your child the i-pad to play with is not creative, and is not an activity.  However, that works when you're trying to grocery shop, lol.  I don't know what the answer is, but I will take this opportunity to mourn the loss of freedom to today's kids.  

Love, 365

P.S. I heard this week that I was accepted into the Bloomsbury Honor International!  

Gobbledygook~nonsense or jargon: language that is difficult or impossible to understand, especially nonsense or technical jargon

Gobbleygook makes me tired...

And now.....

Snow Falling On Flamingos

Ok.  I took this photo at the zoo.....and it wasn't snowing......I honestly don't know where the snow falling through the photo is coming from, but as it's kinda neat, I'm just going to go with it!

I am so.....tired.  It has been an exhausting week.  Not sure why, exactly, but it is.  I am so glad that tomorrow is Friday!

I paid for my class today....and instead of paying throughout the semester, I figured I would save that $50 financing fee and just pay the whole damn thing right now.  I'm excited about the class which is Evolutionary Medicine.  It's funny because sometimes these anthropology classes can have deceptive names.  My common sense tells me it's the "evolution of medicine & medicinal theory", but I've been surprised before!  I think I still have about 4 weeks until class starts.  I'm too tired to look or care at the moment!

I applied for membership in the Bloomsbury Honor International, which is (of course) an Honor Society chapter.  I guess I'll find out in a week if I've been accepted.  

Love, 365