An addition

And I made chili last night. Definitely one of those dishes I can whip up in nothing flat, all because I memorized the recipe when I was about 12, from my 4-H manual.

I've made a few changes over the years, but basically here it is:

Brown a pound of ground beef, drain. Add large chopped onion and as much garlic as you like. Saute til tender. Add two tablespoons of chili powder and three of all purpose flour. Stir. Add two or three cans of tomatoes, including one with green chilis, and two cans of dark red kidney beans. Add maybe a teaspoon and a half of salt, possibly a cup of water. For variety, you can add sage. It's my favorite ingredient. You can also add hot sauce. When I'm trying to be healthy, I boil some wheat and keep it on hand in the fridge. You can throw a hand of that in the chili. Simmer for as long as you like, but on low because it will burn. Yum!

My favorite way to eat it is with cornbread.

What a week

So much going on this week in every level of life. Absolutely exhausting. So many times I wish I understood people better, but it's so hard to see things from someone else's perspective. And I wonder how often we truly even try?

Sometimes I think we could all try to be a lot better listeners, to really listen, and hear what the other person is saying. Why is it always our instinct to try to compare it to something in our own lives and bring it up?

Had a ride on a motorcycle last night. Wow. A lot of fun. Brought back so many fun memories of the convertible. Someday I really hope to have one again.

Working on finishing up this dress I'm putting together for Rosie for homecoming on Saturday. So far, she's happy with the results. Yeah!

Let's get things done

Very productive weekend, but exhausting. Somehow I have to work in some rest.

My Saturday:
Stayed up til 3 Friday night, helping my sister-in-law Brenda scope out a wedding venue, then making wedding favors, worked on the rocks in the courtyard and baked a three-layer carrot cake.

Woke up Saturday by 10, ran errands, bought some more muhly grass to plant out front. Frosted and decorated the carrot cake for the baby shower next door. Went next door and helped Sarah, my neighbor, make potato salad and deviled eggs for the shower. Came home after the shower and worked in the yard some more, then played with Katelyn our granddaughter in the hose. Went back over and cleaned and bandaged a cut on Sarah's foot, because I was worried about her. Came back and gave Katelyn a bath, then took Rosie shopping... Then, for some inexplicable reason, started cleaning out the linen cupboard, which it really needed and prepared my Sunday School lesson. Went to bed about 1 or 1:30

Sunday, did the three hour block of meetings at church, came home and make fried pork, biscuits and mashed potatoes for us and David and Patti. Napped for 45 minutes, then visiting teaching for church. Finished the linen cupboard. Looks awesome!

Tonight Brenda and Carol, my sisters in law, came over and we worked on wedding favors some more, wrapped silverware in napkins. Fun.

Full moon ...

It's really beautiful out at night this week. The full moon is just lovely. Why does it always seem like it's full of mystery and magic?
The next few weeks are shaping up to be nuts, with lots of things going on that need attention. Where to start?
For tonight, I'm scrubbing just one small fraction of the house that needs cleaning after Steve and the neighbor attacked the ceiling with knockdown. Note to self: Some jobs may be better done by professionals. I'm sure when it's done it will be great.
Just wish so many things weren't turned upside down all at once.

Bioluminescence

Five times in the past five days, I've taken the kayaks out into the Indian River Lagoon with a variety of friends and family to experience the incredible beauty of the bioluminescence that sets the lagoon aglow with blue fire. It's quite beautiful. Last night a young manatee drifted under me in the boat and I saw it completly aglow. Beautiful! It's so much fun to watch the mullet jump and sail across the boat.