need a push~

There are all kinds of jokes and stories about the actions of drunks.  Having been a bartender in my past life, I've been subjected to many of them... I've heard them all... but this one ~ I think ... says it all:

NEED A PUSH

A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o'clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door.

The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, is standing in the pouring rain, asking for a push.

"Not a chance," says the husband, "it is 3 o'clock in the morning!" He slams the door and returns to bed.

"Who was that?" asked his wife.

"Just some drunk guy asking for a push," he answers.

"Did you help him?" she asks.

"No, I did not, it is 3 o'clock in the morning and it is pouring out there!"

"Well, you have a short memory," says his wife.
"Can't you remember about three months ago when we broke down and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself !"

The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pounding rain.

He calls out into the dark, "Hello, are you still there?"

"Yes" comes back the answer.

"Do you still need a push?" calls out the husband.

"Yes, please!" comes the reply from the dark.

"Where are you?" asks the husband.

"Over here on the swing!" replies the drunk.
~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~

to be 6 again ~

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, observing his wife
turning back and forth, looking at herself  in the mirror.
Since her birthday was not far off, he asked what she'd like
to have for her  birthday.

"I'd like to be six again", she replied, still  looking in the mirror.

On the morning of her Birthday, he  arose early, made her a nice big
bowl of Lucky Charms, and then took  her to Six Flags theme park.
What a day ! He put her on  every ride in the park; the Death Slide,
The Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster Roller Coaster...
everything there was.

Five hours later they staggered out of the theme park.

Her head  was reeling and her stomach felt upside  down.

He then took her to a McDonald's where he ordered  her a Happy Meal
with extra fries and a chocolate  shake.
Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite
candy , M&M's.  What a fabulous  adventure!

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and  collapsed into bed exhausted.

He leaned over his wife  with a big smile and lovingly asked,
"Well Dear, what was it like  being six again ??"

Her eyes slowly opened and her  expression suddenly change;    
"I meant my Dress Size, you dumb ass  !!"
  
The moral of the story:
Even when a man is listening,  he is going to get it wrong!!!!
~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~
My blog post may be put on hold for a bit until I have access to a computer again.  We leave in the morning for our road trip; but I'll update when possible.  Love ya!!!

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

in memory~

Rose Beyond the Wall
by A.L. Frink

A rose once grew
where all could see,
sheltered beside
a garden wall,
And as the days passed
swiftly by,
it spread its branches, straight and tall...

One day, a beam of light
shone through
a crevice that had
opened wide ~
The rose bent gently
toward its warmth
then passed beyond
to the other side

Now, you who deeply
feel its loss,
be comforted ~ the rose blooms there ~
its beauty even greater now,
nurtured by
God's own loving care.

~~~
Today is the anniversary of my sister Lana's passing from this earth to her Heavenly Home.  Today is also the date of my parents wedding anniversary; should my father still be with us.  It's a day for me to cherish the memories of my sister and my dad ~ I'm feeling sad; but I know that one day too I will be with them in our Heavenly Home with Our Lord and that brings me comfort.
~~~
The rose photo is one of the blossoms from my plant that I received from my Dear Hubby earlier this month. He's so good to me :)

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

road trip~

It's less than a week now and I'm so excited ~ we're heading south to Texas to visit with my sister!! 

Yesterday, in preparation of our trip to Texas, we took a little road trip to the cheese factory. Yes Colleen ~ we're bringing you cheese!
It's about an hour and half drive from our place ... but so worth the drive.  Once you eat cheese straight from Bletsoe's Cheese Factory in Little Chicago, WI it's pretty hard to eat the waxy stuff they call cheese in the store made by the big company that starts with K.  Truly, there is no comparision.  Of course, we picked up some cheesecurds ~ straight out of the vat and squeaky warm.

We used to have a cheese factory in the town of Butternut, just to the north of us; but they went out of business a few years back ~ so now it's the drive to Little Chicago.  Oh how I miss the Butternut factory.
 
It always cracks me up when I see those commercials on television about California cheese and 'happy cows' and then how they depict the cows from Wisconsin as freezing in a snow storm and all sad and gloomy  looking.  Well... just to set the record straight ... I think our cows in Wisconsin are a lot happier than the California ones; especially through the winter months because they all get to spend it in a warm and toasty barn.  They aren't exposed to the elements.  In the summer months they graze in lush green fields. lol

 Driving the roads down there you have to be on the alert ~ for horse and buggy.  It's Amish and Mennonite country and they are all over the place.  I always find it so interesting, their way of life; but sometimes wonder why?  With all the modern conveniences available that they still insist of living like that. Yet ... on the same hand I have to admire them for all their hard work and life style. 
We also took a swing over to another one of our favorite stops down there, in the town of Athen, by the Beaver Creek Country Store.  It's a dry goods bulk food store.  I usually buy all my baking supplies through them.  Slim has found a new love in their store ~ the cinnamon swirl bread.

I bake cinnamon swirl bread at home; but I must admit ... theirs is delish!!  As is all their bakery products.  Maybe one of these days I'll get that little gal that runs the shop to share her recipe with me.... I know... I'm dreaming out loud here.  I don't know what it is... if it's the flour, or just the freshest ingredients ever; but they do make some good tasting bread at that place. 

My only problem it I have to soooooooooooooooo watch what I eat these days.  I have to be careful with all the carbs in bread and with the salt in cheese.  Oh well...

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

abc's of me~

the ABC's of me ~

Newt had sent the "abc's of me" back in 2006 ... I thought it was about time I did mine... so here we go... better late than never!

The ABC's of ME ~

Accent – Yankee all the way... but that's not an accent is it? That's just normal speech.

Booze of Choice – Make mine a Mount Royal Lite with a splash of diet Coke. I might tip down a really cold bottle of Miller Genuine Draft once in a blue moon too if the mood strikes me or a glass of homemade blackberry wine.

Chore I Hate – I haven’t really found one that I enjoy. I think that’s why they call them chores... but there is one in particular that stands out above all others; and that would be raking up dog poop in the spring.

Dog or Cat –Dog.  Brandy, our golden retriever, is our watch dog, greeter, and chase away any critter that comes into the yard dog.   Our other dog in the yard is Sam and Ashley's dog Amber the English Springer... only downfall... they poop!

Essential Electronics - Computer, iPod, television, radio, dvd player ... and I'm rather fond of the electric knife when it comes to cleaning fish.

Favorite Cologne – None in particular.  I like the soft scents of musk or jasmine, vanilla or cherry blossoms ... is Dial soap a cologne?

Gold or Silver – Gold! I would love to go panning and get myself a nugget.

Hometown – Born and raised in Park Falls, WI

Insomnia – It used to be a real problem until I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea.  Now I use a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) when I sleep ~ talk about a life saver!

Job Title – the exBaitlady ... I use to have a wholesaler who calls me "the Queen" ... I also find that a fitting title... but since we sold the bait business I guess I would have to use the title, "Senior Research Associate in the Field of Child Development and Human Relations"... sounds better than just saying Mom or G'ma ... lol.

Kids – 2 daughters, 1 son, and 3 granddaughters

Living Arrangement - Me and the Mr ... been together upcoming 34 years this August.  He learned early what's mine is mine and what's his is mine.

Money -  They say it's the root of all evil ... that must be why I'm so nice ... I have no money!

Number of Sexual Partners - Uh... now we're getting a little too personal.

Overnight Hospital Stays – Too many! Six knee surgeries, gallbladder, the big H, babies, whiplash, the neck, the back, the heart, the heart, the heart, the heart, the heart, the heart, the heart, the list goes on!  Some people have a thin little folder of their medical history ... I have a novel.  I think over the years I've paid for a whole new wing at the Marshfield Hospital and Clinic!

Phobias – None that I can think of, except maybe getting a little on the claustrophobic side as I'm aging. I hate crowded areas. When I had my last MRI I really felt like I was in a tomb. I was fighting off a panic attack the whole time the procedure was being done.

Quote – His Eye is on the sparrow; and I know He watches me.

Religion – I was raised a Lutheran, but I tend to have conflicts with the "Church".  I am a Christian!

Siblings – I have 4 sisters living,  who I am better looking than, 1 sister who has passed on . I also have 3 brothers living who look like my sisters, and 1 brother who has passed on.  There were 10 of us altogether.

Time I Wake Up – 6:00 AM.

Unusual Talent – I plunk away at the dulcimer once in awhile; and when I was younger I could plug my nose and air would come out by my tear duct of my right eye.

Vegetable(s) - Love them! BUT I hate fresh leaf garden lettuce. I keep getting flashbacks to a little worm I saw once crawling on a leaf just as I was about to pop it into my mouth.

Worst Habit – Using the F word when I'm really really really really really mad. It makes me mad when I succumb to that because I really really really really do detest it.

X-rays – I've had so many that I glow.

Yummy Foods I Make – ALL my cookin'! ~ thus the weight problems.

Zodiac Sign – the tenth sign of the zodiac ~ Capricorn the goat.

~~~
There you have it Newt, a few years late on answering this; but I did it!!


Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

the kids are here~

The school bus just dropped off the grandloves, Brooke and Bailey ... and the welcoming committee, Brandy and Amber are there to greet them.

Look at the faces here ~ Amber is smiling, she can hardly contain her happiness ... and Bailey looks like she had a rough day. PreK is a lot to handle for a 4 year old.... or maybe it's just that hour long bus ride to G'ma's house.   lol

When the kids got in the house Bailey couldn't wait to show me what she did yesterday for Valentine's Day.  She donated her long hair; which came almost to her little butt ~ to the Lock's of Love!

I'm sooooooo proud of her!!  

I was telling her how I've done that too in the past ... 5 times already... and each time it was a ponytail of over 14 inches.    My hair is now at that stage of life where the gray is more natural than the blonde, and it doesn't grow as fast anymore ... so now another generation is carrying on in my footsteps. 

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

role model~

Who is your role model?
This is amazing.

No cheating!!!  This is a great psychological test and extremely accurate.  It is amazing what modern math can do.


FIND OUT WHO TRULY IS YOUR ROLE MODEL.  DON'T SCROLL DOWN YET, DO THE SIMPLE MATH BELOW, THEN SCROLL DOWN TO FIND YOUR HERO.

It's CRAZY how accurate this is!

No peeking!

1) Pick your favorite number between 1-9

2) Multiply by 3 then

3) Add 3

4) Then again, multiply by 3 (I'll wait while you get the
calculator....)

5) You'll get a 2 or 3 digit number....

6) Add the digits together


Now  Scroll down
















With that number, see who your ROLE MODEL is from the list  below:

1.   Einstein
2.   Sandra Day O'Connor
3.   Prince Charles
4.   Genghis Khan
5.   Bill Gates
6.   Gandhi
7.   Ronald Regan
8.   Elvis Presley
9.   Melody Donner
10. John F Kennedy

I know, I know....I just have that effect on people.  One day, you too can be like  me :-)

P.S.  Stop picking different numbers!!  I AM YOUR ROLE MODEL, JUST DEAL WITH IT!!!!!!
~~~
~~~
Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

saturday~

Dear Hubby has been talking lately about getting new tires.  Well...  when I said I needed new tires... I went out and got myself a new pair of boots.

   Well... Slim needs new tires and what does he go and get???  You guessed it!

While he was out "tire shopping" ... I'm sitting at home being my frugal self making some new tote bags.  I was sitting home doing nothing and I called on my sister Darla to see if she wanted to collaborate with me on a project.  Originally, I was going to make a duvet cover; but down sized that project to tote bags. lol  Besides, I really didn't need another blanket or coverlet ~ but I am in need of some more new totes.  You can never have too many of those!  I'm not a huge fan of sewing; and I know Dar likes to sew... so she did up most of the stitching for me.  The little bit that I did do ... like on the blocks of the second tote ... I sewed them together backwards ~ lol

All three of these bags are from recycled materials. 
This first big one was once a pillow case:

It even has a divider in it creating a secret pocket:

This next tote is made of a mish-mash of different materials from blouses or pants that I once had.  The liner and strap are from a sweatshirt. 

This third one was once a sweatshirt also.  The pocket liner and the bags inside liner was once a silky blouse.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

makin' bacon 2~

Today we finished up the bacon.  It's all sliced and vacuum packed and put in the freezer for the coming year.  It turned out so nice and lean and very lightly salted and smoked.  Delish!  Dear Hubby sure does  a great job when it comes to this kind of stuff.  I guess I'll keep him♥.   We're so spoiled ... making our own smoked meats and such ... we can hardly stand to buy some of this stuff in the stores anymore; not knowing what's in it.  We make our own bacon, kielbasa sausage, polish sausage, breakfast sausage, hot dogs, bratwurst, salt pork, landjaegers, liver sausage and summer sausage.  Plus we do all our own canning and freezing of vegetables.  It's a lot of work ... but oh so worth the time and effort if you can do it.  We also buy our beef and chicken straight from our farmer friend ~ drug free ... no hormones or additives in there either.  I swear... if you can do it and set yourself up where you buy direct from the farmers market and know where your food is coming from there is just no comparison in flavor and quality.  Plus... it's so healthy for you!
~~~~
The birds sure were hungry this morning.  I'm thinking maybe because of the coating of ice on the tree branches ~ covering the buds that the birds like nibbling on.  The icy branches were just beautiful though.

the hungry buggers~

makin' bacon~

One of my goals in life is to become the person that my dog already thinks I am.

We're making bacon.
It all starts with the purchase of pork bellies; which weigh just a little over 10 pounds a piece.  The first step is giving each pork belly a rub down with a dry salt and brown sugar cure... Slim's secret recipe...lol.

After a couple days in a cooler with the dry salt cure ... they then get submerged into a wet brine for a few days ... another step of Slim's secret recipe... lol.

After a good rinse under cold water and a pat down with paper toweling to absorb some of the excess water ~ it's off to get hung up in the smoke house. 

Here's Dear Hubby Slim putting in the meat thermometer.

Our smoke house is a homemade smoker that we made out of an old double glassed door pop cooler which we gutted out and lined with stainless steel and made a stainless steel door.  The bottom is an old gas regulator from an old gas kitchen stove.  This sits under the ash pan ... that holds the wood chips ... that burn at a slow smoulder to make the smoke.  Not the prettiest of contraptions; but it gets the job done.  Also, on the picture besides  the thermostat you'll see our handy temperature alarm.  If the smoker gets too hot or the meat is cooking too fast it will go off and alert us.  Pretty nifty set up if I say so myself. lol

Here's a photo of the bacon after a few hours of smoking:

and Slim adding yet another round of wood chips to the burner:

Tomorrow  ... we'll have fresh ... home cured bacon for the year! Yum.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

raspberry doughgen~

 Dear Hubby and the guys down at the steam plant in the paper mill needed something sweet for dessert tonight.... so I whipped up a raspberry doughgen with some of my frozen berries from this last summer. 

This is an old recipe that was handed down to me by my Aunt Margie.  I've altered it over the years by adding vanilla and doubling the flour, egg and milk.  When Margie made it ~ it was very thin; but I found I like it a tad bit thicker. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  While the oven is warming up in a 9x13 cake pan melt 1/4 cup or 1/2 stick of butter.

Also, while the oven is warming and the butter is melting ~ whisk together the batter:

2 Cups of flour

2 Cups of milk

2 whole eggs

1 tsp. vanilla emulsion or vanilla extract

1/3 Cup of white granulated sugar

Pour this batter into the hot melted butter ~ like a yorkshire pudding:

Next top with 4 cups of raspberries (fresh or frozen) ... blueberries or blackberries also work great in this recipe.

Top with another 2/3 Cup of sugar sprinkled evenly over the berries.

Bake for 30 minutes until the berries are all soaked up in the sugar and butter and the batter has set.

Best eaten warm!  

Enjoy with a dollop of whipping cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

~~~

Now what can I eat?  I'll go have some yogurt with granola sprinkled on top.... maybe a few frozen raspberries too.  

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

finger lickin good bars~

I was asked on a prior post for this recipe.  I'm only too happy to oblige.

Finger Lickin' Good Bars

1 Cup butter
1 1/2 Cups brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 Cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix and press into a 9 x 13 cake pan.  Bake 10 minutes @ 350 degrees.  Cool.

In a double boiler melt:
1 (12 oz.) package of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Cup peanut butter

Frost the cooled crumb mixture with the chocolate and peanut butter.  Let cool to set.  Enjoy!

mon~

Well that was a good Super Bowl.... as they all are.  Since the Vince Lombardi trophy can't be at Lambeau ... it may as well be sitting in the hands of the Saints; keep it in the family with the NFC.  Congratulations!!!  So what was your fave commercial ~ although I'm not a huge fan of any of them .... I thought Dave, Jay and Oprah on the couch was pretty funny...  and the etrade babe trying to impress his girlfriend.  BUT... what up with all the commercials with men in their underwear?? 
~~~
Of course, I cooked for the game.  I ended up making chicken empanadas with chicken and carmelized onions and a chicken salad spread over crackers with the left over chicken.  Along with that I made a plateful of  beef teriyaki strips and a pan full of pizza burgers, and some ham and cheese quesadillas.   Quite the mix of ethnic foods ... but all quick and easy... fill your plate and stay out of Mom's way .... the Super Bowl is on and she's not standing in the kitchen to watch it!!
~~~
Took a little drive yesterday ...

We still have a lot of snow...

I went down by Crowley Dam to see if the river was open ... it was ... but just for a little ways then it's frozen again where the current slows down.  Although... by the Six Mile Landing I noticed a lot of slush on the river already ... so I would be careful snowmobiling along that stretch.  The rest of the area though is still going full bore for the snowmobilers.  The river down by us doesn't get traveled that much by snowmobilers; but up on the lakes and the flowages it does.  There's still a good three feet of ice on the flowage.

This is looking down the steps by Crowley:

A little logging project going on down by the dam ... looks like small pine logs are being harvested:

Looking up my driveway ~ see how much snow we still have ~ too much!

~~~~
Slim started a new batch of bacon today.  Right now it's getting a dry rub cure put on ... then in a few days it will go into a wet brine ... then the smokehouse.
Surprisingly ... this bacon comes out so lean ... but you wouldn't think so by looking at it in it's early stage.  lol ... kinda like me. haha  Too bad I can't be eating this stuff anymore ... all that salt and fat ... are no no's for this girl.

~~~
Time to go for a walk ... do some laundry ... and who knows what.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.

football sunday~

“The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.” Vince Lombardi

Well it's finally here .... Super Bowl Sunday ....  not that I'm a football fan or anything .... just thought I'd remind you.

Time for my favorite commercials ... a baby & beer ... eTrade & Bud
~~~

I have 3 left over chicken breast from last night's supper ... what to turn them into today???

chicken quesadillas, a kettle of soup, bbq chicken sandwiches, chicken salad, chicken stir fry, chicken taco, chicken nacho, chicken pot pie, chicken casserole, chicken empanadas, chicken chili, chicken nuggets, chicken stuffed potatoes, spinach chicken lasagna, chicken alfredo, chicken tetrazzini ...

what to do .... what to do with my left over chicken?

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

roses~

Time to catch up and get with the program again.  As if there ever was a program.

  I had a doctors appointment again yesterday with my cardiologist.  I wish I could report that things have changed for the better; but no can do.  Let's just say his final parting words with me were, "go home and try to live a happy life."  Well... isn't that what we all do??  Live happy lives.  I guess that's a better report than the doctor before him gave me.  His parting words were "I'll see you in the ER when this blockage here gives you a heart attack... if you make it to the ER." 

Some days it's just so frustrating!!!
I know I need to be as active as I can; but where am I suppose to get the energy to be that way?? ... when your heart can't put out what your body demands??? I wish there was a magic pill or a wand that could be waved over me and make me feel like I was 20 again.

My Dear Hubby even went in with me yesterday to see the doctor.  He's so concerned, and about as frustrated as I am over all this. He doesn't like to see me get so weak, and on the verge of passing out and breaking out in these horrible sweating episodes that I get.

I guess sometimes there just is no easy fix and that's life.  We need to deal with it.

So ...
He bought me a rose bush!

Today's Flowers (a website where you can share your love of flowers with others)

Actually, there are six plants of miniature roses in that pot.  I hope I can keep them going until it's warm enough to put outside in my flower bed.  In the meantime... within a few days all those buds should be open and it'll look like a big bouquet of blooms.

Hopefully, after they bloom I'll be able to cut them back and they'll give me another show this summer. 

I think Slim and I both are so ready for spring and warmer weather.  Day before yesterday he bought me two amaryllis bulbs to plant.  I know it's a little late for the amaryllis bulbs ~ they are usually planted in anticipation for blooms at Christmas time ... but they were so cheap he couldn't pass them up.  They were only $2.25 each.  At Christmas they were 5x's that.  Slim's so sweet sometimes ... he gives me those bulbs and asks if I think I could grow those outside.  Well... they are an indoor plant; but I'll try them in the flower bed this summer.  I know I'll have to dig the bulbs back out in the fall because of our harsh winters. 

We both are getting antsy now for our road trip at the end of the month to Texas and Arkansas.  When we're in Texas we plan of going to the Ft Worth Botanic Gardens to see the release of the butterflies.

It's so cool having a hubby that loves flowers as much as I do.  Now... if I can just get him to help me tend the flower beds.  lol ... I know he'd do it if I asked ... but digging in my flower beds is my escape ... and he respects that too.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel
~~~
Update....
See... I did it again.  I used my blog as my "bitchboard".  I keep telling myself I am not going on a pity wagon and posting stuff about my bum ticker ... yet here I am again... doing it.  Oh you poor souls who stick with me and let me use this blog as my therapy!  Well... you asked for it... and I deliver.  Sometimes I just can't keep my emotional feelings to myself... especially when it's something I live with on a daily basis. 
Okay now...
go be happy!!!