B'Gosh, B' gOllie

Let's all sing a round of For He's a J'Ollie Good Fellow......since this is his Forever Day with us! Even though he's not good ALL the time, he has blessed our lives for one year and still makes me laugh out loud at least once everyday!

Maybe these shots will explain why he is referred to as a Shitter Bean!

Give your pets an extra hug today - cheers!

Sup-Sup-Suppertime

Today's blog does seem to follow a theme, however unintended. I was out in the yard, following a different subject, while everything else distracted me.

This little guy (unfortunately, we've only had one this year) is making the most of the vanishing bee balm crop. He whizzed by my head, so close that I heard him, so I followed him to dinner.

This brood was so very noisy that I couldn't help go see what all the commotion was about. Ah, yes, dinner. I get pretty noisy when I am hungry, too. The baby you see on the left was a bully.

This next picture you might have to click on (to see enlarged). I have mentioned before, that I probably shouldn't have planted this butterfly bush right next to the pond - but since I am NOT digging it out, I am fixated by the frog, who is fixated by the butterfly. However, after ten shutter-button-finger numbing minutes later ... the Frogger jumped! Oooh, (and as Bob Uecker would say here ) "Just a bit outside".

Bon Appetit!

Anatomy of a Midwest Lunch

Mmm, Mmm, Mmm!

Really, I would imagine that anyone east of The Mississippi would recognize this summer fare, but it made me very nostalgic (like I was here). I can safely say that this is what I ate every summer for at least the first 14 years of my life - along with corn-on-the-cob for dinner (for which my personal record is one dozen ears - never to be gastronomically repeated).

I didn't grow these beans, but when I "put up" a half-bushel last week, I kept some to cook. That's right, slow simmered with onions, potatoes, and a ham hock. However, I DID grow the tomato that's in that sandwich. The mouth-watering flavor not to be outweighed by lack of basic nutritional value. White bread (must be toasted), spread with Miracle Whip (never mayo), and fresh thick slices of fresh tomato.

Here is a "partial" picture of some other summer treats. There were originally more of these little blackberry cobblers. Taken right from the oven, to cool, before we left to run a few errands. Yes, sitting right where the marked "O" is where the other two USED to be...

...when we came home, HERE is where we found them! So noted, we found them licked clean right here by Bella's bed. There was no sign of how she got them there - no stains, no mess, nothing broken - from the kitchen counter to the dining room. (and NO, the cat had nothing to do with it!) Hmm, wonder why she stopped at two?

I hope wherever you live, you can enjoy the flavors of your summer bounty. Now...where is it that the grow chocolate?

The Olliegator

WHAT does a cat do during the night to end up like this? And do you think in the morning he purred, "I will never, ever do that again ... as long as I live?

Oh, he just makes me laugh! Even when I hollered at him, all he did was look up and flash me this "What?" look. What really floors me, is that he passed by two bowls full of fresh tap water, and yet THIS was his choice.

And in keeping with the theme of tasteless humor, let me share the latest addition to the neighborhood decor. I saw our hillbilly neighbors struggling with something beside their barn shed - this is what I saw! Yes, its none other than Mr. Bib-Overhauled Chainsaw Bear ... with creepy glass eyes!
I {heart} My Fence!

Lend Me An Ear

Don't you just love the flavors of fresh garden food in the winter? With some extra freezer space, I am storing away some of these goodies already! While I cant take credit for this tip, it sure has come in handy: when cutting kernels off the cob, use a bundt cake pan - like shown here. It keeps the ear from slipping around, and catches all the corn.

This bright yellow corn will be my summer sunshine during the coming cold winter. I've also included a recipe we enjoyed recently.

Corn Fritter Casserole

3 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 large egg whites
1 (8oz) block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 (15-1/4 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained*
1 (14-3/4 oz) can cream-style corn
1 (8-1/2 oz) package corn muffin mix - such as Jiffy
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine first 3 ingredients in large bowl, and mix until smooth. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and all of the corn; mix well. Add muffin mix and black pepper, stirring until well combined. Pour into an 11 x 7 greased casserole dish. Bake at 375 for 50 mins, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
*1-1/2 cup fresh corn, can be substitute for the can of whole kernel corn.

Chip-In-A-Box

Yep, this is what I found in our bird feeder this morning. At first glance, I thought it was a large clump of seed. When I was taking the feeder down he went nuts - bouncing off all the walls - and no sooner did I get it tipped back on the grass, he came shooting up out one of the holes like a rocket. How bad am I that my first thought was to grab my camera in the house - before I saved him?

Here are some unrelated shots - but something pretty to look at. We have this butterfly bush planted next to the pond, and there were quite a few visitors a couple mornings ago.

In hindsight, I wasn't thinking how much the frogs would like this bush planted so close to their front door... but I'm not moving it. This fella seems pretty content about it.

Happy Forever Day !

One year ago today, Bella came home with us ... to her Forever Home. Since she is a rescue dog, we don't have an exact birth date to recognize - so we chose this day to celebrate! (you can read her story here).
Its been quite the fun year! She has brought us many new friends - Angie, her trainer - Margie, her nanny - all the local pet supply stores - and let's not forget the friendly staff at Med Vet, the 24hr emergency hospital! Yes, we found that Bella is quite the counter surfer. She got two sticks of butter, paper and all. She was fine. She got a whole plate of dark chocolate truffles. Other than a sleepless night, she was fine. Then, she got into the trash and ate stuff that included string. This time, we got to actually meet the MedVet staff in person, instead of just the normal phone visit. Sparing you the "non-surgical removal story", she was fine.

All this stuff aside, she cuddles warm with us at night, and licks my cheek in the morning when she knows I am really awake. I hope she loves living with us, as much as we love having her in our lives! I chose this picture to share her sweet happy face! Happy 1st Forever Day, Bella! xoxo

"Is there gonna be cake?"

Of course, there is ALWAYS cake!

Bounty with a side of Butthead

I think I found a secret to creating a bountiful garden. Chicken sh*t. Yep, two whole bags. I made my garden "patch" a little bigger this year, and when I made it twice as deep, I added the manure between layers of dirt. Ta-Da!
In the back row, I have five tomato plants. An Early Girl, and four Roma plants. The hanging basket to the left, holds a Tom Thumb cherry tomato plant. The front row holds three banana pepper and four summer squash plants.

I planted the garden on May 23, and here is some of what I have ALREADY!

And now for a side of Butthead. Part of the reason that we put in the fence last year, was because of neighbor trash like this. We kept hearing all this shooting, so I stood on our porch stool and got this picture. He is shooting at the birds! Yep, they put out feeders and birdhouses - then shoot at them! I assume they are trying to dissuade the nusiance birds, but nature doesnt work like that. Oh, it makes my blood boil to even look at this picture! And then.....

...I noticed something in the picture. Go ahead - click on the picture to enlarge it to full screen - and then look at it for a while. I'll wait.

Notice anything extremely funny?

If you look on the deck rail ... to the left of the picture ... you can see the most tasteless planter-EVER! That's right-its a man's hand urinal! Now your laughing, huh? ***I love the irony in their plant choice ... pee-tunia!

Some-Bunny new in town

Mmm, what tasty greens you grow here! The ones at the very top are most delicious.

What's this? If I climb all the way up, I can reach the very top.

Uh-oh! The gardener lady has spotted me!

Shoot! She can still see me, huh?

I'll just hide down here behind the watering can.

Ooor, I could jump over THERE...where the pretty flowers are.

In the meantime, isn't camouflage great!

Breakfast of a 40-something Champion

...as categorized under "How To Justify About Anything".

"Breakfast" is better than "No Breakfast". Right?

"Some" fiber is better than "No" fiber. Right?

I felt like a contract negotiator between the devil on my left shoulder, and the angel on my right, as strong arguments were made for what I would really like for breakfast. Two extra credit points for washing it all down with skim milk.

Here is to making getting a little older a little funner!

Which came first

the name or business?

During a recent day trip, the last thing I grabbed heading out the door was my camera...'cause you never know what you might see.

Funky Cold Medusa

It is my photographical (if that's even a word) opinion that anything out-in-the-open is free game to be recorded in history.
This is why, when enjoying a sunny Spring afternoon in New Orleans, sitting atop the bank of the Mississippi River, I couldn't whip out my camera fast enough!!...even through the scolding of my husband.

Hey, here is where I say, "if you are going outside like this, than you're gonna get your picture taken". Let me say, too, that I have not altered the color in any manner - what you see, is what you get.

I am all about personal expression, but I just cant help but wonder: Did you LOOK in the mirror? Where your eyes open? Both of them?
I'm just sayin' ...

Muskrat Love

Its Springtime at our house!!! Let me introduce the latest residents. I have named them Sam and Suzie (there is a memory throwback for my 40+ yr old readers). They have made a home in the creek on the edge of our backyard.

I don't know which one is pictured here, but they were sure entertaining to watch. I am going to assume they are immature, since research lead me to find that adults are 18-25" long (including tail) and 2-4lbs.
Uh oh, something tells me that this might not be fun much longer, if they are inclined to "roam withing 200ft of their dens"...cuz that's my yard!

These little ones are only about 5 inches long + their 4 inch tails.

...and they whirled and they twirled and they tangoed,
sining' and jingin' the jango
Floatin' like the heavens above,
must be Muskrat Love.

Its been a wild winter around here. We are all doing well, and we put a big addition on the back of our house. I was just too busy to blog much, and felt like we were Primitive Camping in the living room for three months. We also went back to New Orleans, which included the opening weekend of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. But that is all done and I 'm back with interesting pictures and funny stories.
OK, how many of you now have that stupid song running through your head?