Florida Adventures

Once again another week has passed and I think I have fully recovered from my trip to Florida.  It was a fantastic trip that went by way to fast!  We (Michael and I) arrived Friday afternoon and were greeted by sunny skies and warm air.  We decided to take full advantage of being tourists and rented a convertible.  I had never been in one for an extended amount of time so it was a thrill for me!  We headed our way to Gram’s house and were so excited to see her new apartment.  What a nice community she lives in!  We went up to the care center area to visit Papa and it was great to see him.  He looked great and was plenty chatty.  After that Aunt Linda and Uncle John picked us up and we went to Tarpon Springs to eat seafood.  Aunt Lisa and Uncle John (Another John) met su at the restaurant as they had drove down from Ocala.  The hushpuppies were to die for and the food was equally as good. None of it could beat out the great company we got to share it with though.  It turned into a  late night and I was very happy to finally crawl into bed at the end of the day.

                Saturday we visited in the morning with Gram and Papa and then headed out to Ybor City with Lisa, John and Gram.  We ate at the Colombia restaurant and I am still having dreams of that meal.  The sangria, the bread, salad and main dishes were indescribable.  They are specialists in Spanish and Cuban style food, something that we don’t find here on the high plains very often.  I can’t wait to go back!  After gorging ourselves we strolled through the streets of Ybor which is famous for its cigars.  Michael and I both bought hand rolled cigars.  All in all it was a great day.  We had hoped to eat at Gram’s community dining room for supper but we were all so full we couldn’t handle it.  Hopefully next time we will get to try it because it is supposed to be wonderful!  Somehow we did manage to load everyone up and head to Cold Stone Creamery and indulge in some ice cream.  It is not often that there are this many dining choices in the area so I was not about to pass up the opportunity for some of my favorite ice cream!  We stayed up until midnight and I sure was tuckered out by the time we got to bed!

                Sunday was the 3^rd eventful day.  We had 8 AM church with Gram, Lisa and John and then went out to eat at a Greek restaurant that has delicious breakfast.  If you haven’t noticed yet, eating is one of our families strong points.  This weekend was no exception.  After  brunch it was off for a quick change at the apartment and Michael and I went out to the beach.  We went to honeymoon island and it was a stunning day.  The beach proved to be a little cold with the breeze but that didn’t stop us from laying out, smoking our cigars we bought in Ybor and even taking a swim in the gulf.  After the beach we returned to Gram’s place and warmed up in the complexes’ Jacuzzi and then took a long swim in the heated pool.  I miss being near the water and having so many opportunities to swim! I absolutely love to swim and also love the feeling after.  A day out in the sun and in the water provides a kind of exhaustion that is unique to that activity.  I absolutely love it.  We finished up with a nice supper with Gram and watched some of the football playoffs. 

                What a fabulous weekend we had! We departed early Monday morning and by the time we landed at home I was already wanting to go back!  I feel blessed that although it was short, I was able to get away and visit family.  Getting to spend so much time with Gram, Aunts and Uncles and visiting Papa 3 times a day was priceless.  Although short, some time is better than no time in my book!

A Country Lesson Learned

Don’t Honk Your Horn Unless You Mean It

                I have something I need to admit.  I have a terrible habit.  I can’t seem to stop it.  It brings joy to my life.  I don’t think my friends feel the same way about it. Let me explain.   I am terrible about honking the car/truck/tractor/bus/whatever I can find horn and trying to scare people when they walk in front of any vehicle that I happen to be in.  It makes me laugh, lots.  Yes, I know that is a joke that a 7 year old plays but I can’t help it.  And, if I may, I’d like to gloat a little and say that I am very good at getting people to jump frequently with this trick.  A few weeks ago I learned a lesson about this trick though.  That lesson, you ask?  When on the ranch, don’t honk your horn unless you mean it. 

Michael and I were out looking at the horses and stopped by the barn to check on the cats there.  Michael, being chivalrous got out and opened the gate so he could drive through (Typically it is the job of the person in the passenger seat but being the dashing man he is he took responsibility as the driver that day).  When he walked in front of the truck I played my trick and laid on the horn.  I really let it rip.  He didn’t even jump though.  It fact he shouted, “Don’t honk the horn!”  I thought he didn’t want me to because it’s annoying and childish.  I was wrong.  I soon saw why.  I turned around and saw a mass of cows and calves headed in the direction of our truck from over a far away hill.  They were headed our way because they are trained that when they hear the horn it means food.  Guess what?  We didn’t have any food.  It wasn’t a cake day (Cake = Cattle Feed).  One little (sort of short) honk and they all were headed our way!  They didn’t stop until they got to the fence either.  And there waited 50 or so mommas and babies waiting for cake.  I felt terrible.  Michael was not impressed by my joke either.  Overall,  it was an educational experience and I can promise you that I will NOT be honking horns without reason out at the ranch anytime soon.  This is just something that they don’t prepare you for when you take “country living 101.” 

A Recap of the Latest Country Happenings

     How can time possibly go by this fast?  Life has been touting right along and I haven’t been able to post much (or at all – as you may have noticed).  Life is keeping me very busy at the feedlot and projects in the mill keep me swamped everyday it seems.  Last weekend was a wonderful weekend though, I got to relax all weekend!  I went out with Michael and his parents to help them move cows and their calves on Saturday.  They had to move them from one pasture on one side of the highway to pens on the other side of the highway.  The weather was so nice and the cows were definitely feeling frisky.  So much so they decided to go for an unplanned (on our part) jaunt down the highway!  This was my first time working cattle with them so I stayed back and was mainly an observer.  People have very specific ways and rhythms of working cattle and that method usually runs in the family, hence why I did some serious watching, I was not about to get in the way.  It all ended well and nobody (people or animals) got hurt.  All the pairs got loaded into trailers and moved to a new green (by New Mexico standards) pasture. 

                The rest of the weekend was quiet.  Michael and I stopped at the book store and goodwill to see what treasures we could find.  We hit the book jackpot.  Goodwill was filled with great books, and almost a better selection than the “new” book bookstore.  I am particularly excited about the one book I got called The 19^th Wife.  It is about Mormons and polygamy.  Michael’s sister suggested it so I was thrilled to find it for $1.50 at goodwill!  We got about 10 more books that I look forward to diving into.  Nothing makes me feel better than a good find!  Sunday we went to church and then drove around for the most part of the afternoon taking in the countryside.  That was followed by an AMAZING nap and quiet evening.

                Tuesday was an exciting day for me as I had quilt guild.  I hadn’t been for a few months and it was so great to be back!  Our new theme that we are doing is Asian inspired blocks.  I was not very excited at the beginning but after seeing it in person I think this will turn out to be a beautiful quilt!  Some people are using Asian fabrics and others are doing traditional American style prints.  I haven’t decided what direction I will go yet.  First, I better look for some time to start a project, or finish an old one!

                Today is an exciting day because it is my “Friday.”  Tomorrow I leave for Florida! Michael and I are going to visit my Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles.  It should be lots of fun and I will take pictures and make sure to post them next week!

Wednesday Already?

Who would have known there are so many decisions to make when it comes time to plan a wedding!  Michael and I are being faced with so many wedding decisions it is insane.  How do you begin to organize your thoughts? Who to book first?  I know it lists most of this in thousands of books but reading it is a little different than executing it!  Regardless of all that needs to be done I am still finding it all exciting and fun.  My mom was in town this past weekend and we found “the dress”!  I am very excited and hope that it turns out in the end as great as I remember it in my head!  Monday there was a nice surprise and Michael’s sister was in town with three of her kids.  We went over to his parents house to join them all for supper and to talk wedding.  Michael’s sister plans weddings at the B&B that they own so she is a great resource!  It was also great to see the kids and hang out for a little while. 

Time is flying by and it is already Wednesday!  I am facing my usual Wednesday drag and having problems getting going… Yesterday was Buster (The Boston Terriers) last puppy appointment and I am so glad to have those over with!  Now he has all the shots he needs and is ready to run with the big dogs.  I never thought I would turn into the crazy dog lady but life is full of surprises.  I have a yours, mine and ours type of situation going on.  I have my original 3, Gabby – my family’s dog that relocated to Texas when my parents went overseas, Honcho – the Jack Russell that I got my last semester of college and Sadie – the English Pointer that showed up starved and mangled at the feedlot and has now been a resident of my house for over a year.  Then Michael has his bull dog Tulip and we got Buster together in October.  Thank goodness that mine stay at my house in the backyard and when we visit Michael’s they can also be trusted to run through the orchard and burn off all that extra energy.  One thing I do know – no more dogs!

The Engagement

Last month I had the great experience of going to White Sands National Monument by Alamogordo, New Mexico.  I had never been that direction before and it was a neat experience!  Here is how the website describes the park, “The largest gypsum dune field in the world is located at White Sands National Monument in south-central New Mexico. This region of glistening white dunes is in the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert within an "internally drained valley" called the Tularosa Basin. The monument ranges in elevation from 3890' to 4116' above sea level. There are approximately 275 total square miles of dune fields here, with 115 square miles (about 40%) located within White Sands National Monument…This dune field is very dynamic, with the most active dunes moving to the northeast at a rate of up to 30 feet per year, while the more stable areas of sand move very little.”  I also got to see the White Sands Missile Range which is also home to the Trinity Site where on July 16, 1945 the atomic bomb was tested. 

Michael planned this weekend and thought it would be fun to bring the horses down and go riding in the park.  We each brought one down and took off riding across the park.  The dunes were amazing and so much larger than I thought they would be.  It was a surprise to find snow in the park as well.  It was a brisk day but made for nice riding.  We rode far out into the park and finally found a place that a tree had managed to survive in.  The sand and dunes made amazing formations around it.  We stopped and decided it was time for a bite to eat.  We had cheese, sausage, crackers and fruit while we soaked up the winter sun.  While riding we saw people setting up for a wedding.  We were chatting about it during our snack and came to the conclusion that we did not want to get married at the park. (Yes, conversations are very random with us) After I stated that, Michael asked if I wanted to get engaged at the park. My response was, “Well, if it’s to you I do!”  With that he got on his knee and asked me to marry him!  Oh the excitement!  I of course said yes!  It was a great moment in our lives.  What an incredible place to be with such an amazing person.  It made for a great day.  A long time ago Michael had asked what a perfect day would encompass for me.  I don’t remember him asking me this but I apparently said that it would involve horses so that is how he decided to take the horses out.  It really was a perfect day.  I know it has been almost a month now since the “big event” but I wanted to share it with you!  The wedding plans have begun and I am still on a high knowing that I get to be with such a remarkable man for the rest of my life.  Life is so good!

Here is a picture of me riding at the dunes on my 10 year old mustang named Hooker

The Company Party

Last night I got to enjoy our work Christmas/New Year’s party.  It was canceled previously due to a bad snow storm but we got to reschedule it for last night.  It was so much fun!  We met at a great authentic Mexican restaurant and had our choice of any items off the menu.  The food and service were both so good.  I had the carne al pastor and it was as delicious as I remember it!  I remember this meat from my days living in Mexico.  It is pork stacked on a large rotisserie rod, the rod is then staked vertically on an electric motor and passes by a small flame or heat source on one side.  It just turns and turns all day long and when you want to buy some they stop the turning and slice it off for you.  It has a great orange/red color that makes it unique.  I had no fear of street food and this was one of my favorites.  I am not sure if I have had it since my days in Mexico so it was a nice treat!  We then had tres leches cake for dessert and it was savory as well.  The best part was having 77 people (we have about 34 employees on the feed yard and they brought their families) together for a meal.  It was just  a warm and happy environment.

This week will be nice to get back into a little bit of a routine after so much going on.  Getting engaged, Christmas, New Years, family time, friend time – I am tired and ready for a routine again!  My mom comes into town on Friday and I can’t wait for her to get here!  We are going to go wedding dress shopping on Saturday and enjoy a girls weekend.  It is much overdue!

Happy New Year!

                This was a different sort of New Years.  Like one I had not experienced before, I happened to love it.  Saturday morning I had to work.  We had a 55 foot auger (give or take a few feet) that was stuck and would not turn and so we had to hire a crane and crew to come in and remove the auger from the bin it went into. (It inclined down into the depths of the earth)  We had done all we could with the men and equipment we had so it was time to call in the big boys.  Turns out there was a turnbuckle that had jammed this auger up.  One of our mill employees jumped for joy as we found it and said he had been chasing down that piece of metal for 2 years!  What a great way to end 2011!  We removed the metal and it is in my mill work hall of fame.

                After work I rushed home and packed in a furry and headed to Michael’s house to pick him up and start the new year’s celebrating.  We drive up north of Santa Fe to visit friends and it was a lovely drive!  Such pretty views of the mountains and snow!  We got to stop in Santa Fe for a quick jaunt around Trader Joe’s for cheese, sausage, hippie beer, wine and champagne.  I was most excited that I found Hungarian bulls blood wine for $4.99!  The store almost made me break out in hives though – there were so many darn people you could barely move.  I bet there were more people in that store than the entire town I live in.  Thank goodness it was a fast trip!  We then headed on to visit with some of Michael’s friends that he went to college with.  They have 3 little ones (kids) so we had a great evening in!  They treated us to homemade lasagna, salad, garlic bread and a chocolate cake made from scratch that was to die for!  I need to ask for the recipe now that I think of it…  It was an interesting experience ringing in new year’s multiple times.  We got to celebrate at 10 PM with New York, 11 PM with central time folks and then finally at midnight with the mountain time zone.

                On Sunday we took our time driving home.  We stopped for lunch in Santa Fe and briefly walked around the plaza.  It was also crowded and full of skinny jean, tall boot wearing folks.  An interesting crowd that seems so unusual as we had spent the night on a ranch just 40 minutes away!  It is crazy how fast the cultural climate can change in such a short distance.  After that we drove towards Albuquerque and stopped at a casino – I could not resist any longer and it was my turn at the wheel so naturally we ended up in the casino.  I played a few dollars of slots and ended even.  I then headed to the roulette table with $5 (I’m a timid gambler to say the least).  Much to my joy I left the table with $25!  I cashed out and took my earnings in single dollar bills.  Wow were they ever crisp!  I was on a winners high!  We continued our journey into Albuquerque and stopped to visit with Michael’s sister, brother-in-law and their 4 kids.  We had not seen them since we got engaged and they were so excited for us!  I am so blessed to be joining such a great family!  Sadly we couldn’t stay for long but did get to see pictures and hear of their adventures on their recent “vacation of a lifetime.”  It really did sound like a one in a million vacation! 

                We had a late departure and did not get back until late but it was worth it.  The alarm was not welcomed as it rang at 4:25 AM to wake me from my slumber.  The statement that “you gotta pay to play” is ringing loud in my head today.  Regardless it was a great weekend and I would not trade it for anything.  Hopefully everything will run smoothly at work today and I can get quick nap in after work before our feed yard holiday party tonight!

                                Happy New Year to all!!