SEX - TRIFEXTRA: WK 31

Here's the challenge:

Robert Frost once said, "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."  We want you to do the same.  Sum up anything you want, but do it in three words.  Your response should mirror Frost's quote by beginning, "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about--."  And the last four words are yours to choose. 

My answer to the challenge:

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about sex:  feels so good.

ROMANCE - TRIFECTRA WK 40

ROMANCE

Whatever happened to the days
When our true love took the time.
Today it’s a quick text
Can’t wait for the phone to chime.

Once upon a time it was quill
And lovely paper that was used.
Now it's waves sent in a hurry
And quick to be perused.

I miss the days of romance
Candy, written poetry, a flower.
A text is so inadequate
Provides nothing to devour.

Romance is a dinosaur
that needs to be revived
so that future generations
will not be deprived.

I went way outside my comfort zone this week and wrote poetry for this week's Trifectra Writing Challenge.  I'm not into fancy sonnets or not talented enough to write an acrostic poem.  I'm more into the limerick-y types of poetry so go easy on me.  

TRIFEXTRA: WK 30

She fished the telephone from her pocket but missed the call.  She cussed and fumbled with the buttons as she attempted to dial the number back but once again got his voice mail.  

My entry into this weekend's Trifextra challenge to use an animal as a verb.  Click on the link above and read some more entries.  Better yet, write your own and link up.  

CHILE RELLENOS CASSEROLE

One of my favorite foods are chile rellonos. When I found this recipe, I just had to try it. It's simple. It's delicious.

Ingredients

2 (7 ounce) cans whole green chile peppers, drained
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 ounces Longhorn or Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 eggs, beaten
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

 DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Lay half of the chilies evenly in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and cover with remaining chilies. In a bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, and flour, and pour over the top of the chilies. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, pour tomato sauce evenly over the top, and continue baking another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and serve.

Suggested accompaniments:  avocado, sour cream, green onions

TRIFECTA: WK 39

Each time I look into his eyes, I see nothing but pure, unrequited love.  Oh how I adore those copper-colored eyes.

Ranger came into my life 8 years ago on a fluke.  We wanted a new family pet but couldn’t agree on what type of dog to get.  Tim wanted a furry dog but I wanted a Jack Russell Terrier. 

I was searching the paper for the hundredth time when I ran across an unexpected advertisement. 

“For Sale:  American Eskimo/Jack Russell Terrier mix puppies $50 call 555-5555”

I jumped on the telephone and made arrangements to pick up a puppy before calling my husband and clearing it with him. 

We arrived at the address and were overwhelmed at how cute all of the puppies were. 

It was kismet.  These puppies were exactly what we were looking for!  One puppy stood out to all of us so we chose him to become our Ranger.

Ranger was the easiest puppy to train.  His potty training only lasted a week or so before we had no issues with leaving him out on his own.  He got the best of both breeds – smart as a Jack Russell and as loving and loyal as an American Eskimo, not to mention the fur!

When I’m home, he’s always at my side.   He walks with me with no leash needed and stays at my feet when I’m sitting.  For relaxation, he rests his head on my thigh as I sit on the couch. 

I love when I say “who’s my wubber dog” and he nuzzles his head under my chin.   He has a funny way of tilting his head and only perking up one ear when I call his name – the one ear with the white tip.   He responds to my petting with such a warm-heart that he gets any treat he wants.   I’ve never experienced the love for a pet that I have for Ranger.  

Over the years, Ranger has come to be my companion – in this case, woman’s best friend.

Another entry in Trifecta.  Come read.  Join in!

TODAY'S ME IN A SONG

I love it when characters in tv shows have a theme song.  You know the one I'm talking about.  The song that plays when that character is walking down the street.  Or the one that plays when they walk into the room.  Yeah, that one.

I don't have one theme song.  I have a mood of the day type theme song.  Sometimes that theme song will last a few days, months, or sometimes even months.

I don't need to be anything other than a prison guards sonI don't need to be anything other than a specialist's sonI don't have to be anyone other than a birth of two souls in onePart of where I'm going is knowing where I'm coming from
I don't wanna be anything other than what I've been trying to be latelyAll I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mindI'm tired of looking around rooms wondering what I gotta doOr who I'm supposed to beI don't wanna be anything other than me
I'm surrounded by liars, everywhere I turnI'm surrounded by impostors, everywhere I turnI'm surrounded by identity crisis, everywhere I turnAm I the only one who noticed? I can't be the only one who's learned
I don't wanna be anything other than what I've been trying to be latelyAll I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mindI'm tired of looking around rooms wondering what I gotta doOr who I'm supposed to beI don't wanna be anything other than me
Can I have everyone's attention please?If you're not like this and that, you're gonna have to leaveI came from the mountain, the crust of creationMy whole situation made from clay to stone and now I'm telling everybody
The highlighted or chorus part of the song sums it up.  
What's your theme song?  If I see you walking down the street, what song should I be hearing?

TRIFEXTRA: WK 29

My small hands trembled as I laid the gun down at his feet. I finally exhaled knowing that he could never touch me again. His ending was the start of my new beginning.

This is my entry into Trifecta's Trifextra.  Want to read more entries?  Yes?  Then click on the picture above which is linked to the challenge.  Go ahead.  I triple dog dare you to.

PEARS

We stayed at our friend's house for the weekend and one of the things we did to occupy the kids was pick pears.  We don't know what kind of pears these are but they taste like apples.

Uncle Jason took The Kid up in the bucket truck to pick some from the top of the tree.  At first, he was too scared to even get in but cool Uncle Jason prevailed.  He strapped him into a harness and up they went.

They went up really high.  On a side note, the sky was absolutely beautiful today.  

Then they got down to business and picked some pears.  Lots of pears.  Too many pears that any two families could eat in the time before they'd go bad.

This is just a small sampling of the pears we picked today.  A grocery bag full got peeled and put into the crock pot along with sugar and cinnamon and water.  Boy were my hands sore after peeling about 25 pears. I'm not a big fan of pears eaten plain so I'd never realized what a cruciferous fruit it is.

Several hours later, a few bouts of stirring, and we had some canned Pear Butter!  Daddeee says it tastes just like apple butter.  I agree.

Aren't the jars just adorable?  I like canning in the half pint jars because a) they fit well in my pan for sanitizing and b) I get more jars full so I can give them away.

I was able to fill 9 jars.  That's some to keep and some to give away.  Bonus!  I love sharing home made goodies with family and friends.


Pear Butter 

20-25 small pears (peeled and cored)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 T cinnamon
2/3 cup water

Place all of the ingredients into the crock pot and cook on high for about 4-5 hours.  Check and stir them often.  As soon as the pears are soft enough to smash with your spoon, they're ready.  I used my boat motor, otherwise known as an immersion blender.  You can do this until it's smooth or you can leave some chunks.  It's up to you.

Sanitize your jars in a pot of boiling water.  Place the Pear Butter into the jars leaving about a 1/2 inch from the top.  Clean off the edges of the jars and place the lids on.  Now wait and listen to them pop.  Once they've popped, they're sealed and good for several months.  A note of caution:  the Pear Butter and the jars are extremely hot.  Please be careful.

TRIFEXTRA - WK 28

THE HEART

My young son draws a heart on a piece of paper for me to be his Valentine.

The heart beats inside his chest as he grows.

The heart hurts from his first break-up.

Another Trifextra 33-word challenge.  For more, click on the link above and read some amazing works.

A note to other Trifecta participants:

I'm new to this and want to thank you all for accepting me into your group.  I'm forever amazed at the talent within this group.  Thank you for amazing me more each week.

TRIFECTA: WK 37

Jillian sat in the waiting area just as she had many times in the past.  This would be her final flight.  The check in was much easier than it had ever been.  Getting things ready for this flight had, however, been more difficult.

She found out she would be taking this trip months before.  Even though she had plenty of time to prepare, deciding what to bring and what to leave behind was difficult.

The forty-two year old mother of 2 spent the previous few months preparing.  The children would be well cared for and she had left plenty of instructions for her husband of 20 years.

Jillian had even managed to spend some time with her extended family thanks to a cleverly planned family reunion.  She had hugged her mom and her sisters.  She even joked with Uncle Steve about him making the same trip and meeting up with her.

While Jillian waited to board, she reflected on the other places she had been.  

Disneyland with the kids, cruises with friends, and anniversary trips with her husband were a few that were more memorable.  

Jillian stiffened slightly when the attendant announced that her flight was ready to depart.  She knew the tears would flow freely as she hugged her children good bye and took one last look at her handsome husband and kissed him gently on the cheek.  

"I'll see you," she told them, "when it's time for you to take the same journey.  Remember, I'll love you always."

She laid her head down onto her pillow and closed her eyes for the last time.  Jillian left with a sweet smile on her face and a peacefulness within her as she departed on her flight to meet her God.

This is my entry into this week's Trifecta.  You can view more about it by clicking on the above image. There are some very amazing writers who participate so take some time, surf their writings and enjoy.

TRIFECTA - WK 36

In less than three weeks, the kids go back to school. 


The Teenager will be in his junior year of high school. He has an extremely difficult year ahead of him with college courses and extracurricular activities (these translate into "things for Mom to do"). 


The Kid begins first grade. Hopefully, this year will go smoother since he's now experienced what school is like and he's a bit more mature. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one. 


We can go back to everyone being up early in the morning instead of sleeping past noon. Chores will be done in a timely manner. The house will be dark before midnight. 


 My sanity will be restored. Things will be normal once again.

This is my response to this week's challenge for Trifecta.  You can read more about the challenge by clicking on the image above.

BLT SALAD!

I don't know about you but I can't seem to get enough tomatoes this season. I don't know if it's lack of a certain nutrient or that I won't buy tomatoes if they're mot home grown. Luckily, I've had lots of friends offering freebies.

I love BLT's on toasted bread and I love salads so this recipe melted my heart.  

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

For the salad:

1 small baguette

2 tbsp. butter

salt and pepper

6 oz. bacon

2-3 medium tomatoes (Please only use home grown)

1 heart of Romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried, and chopped (about 3-4 cups)

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

For the dressing:

1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced

Juice of half a lemon

3 tbsp. low fat Greek yogurt or mayonnaise

3 tbsp. buttermilk

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450* F.  Remove the crust from teh baguette and cut into cubes, about 3/4 to 1 inches.  Combine the cubed bread in a bowl with the melted butter and toss to coat evenly.  Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake about 6 minutes, tossing once or twice during baking, until the bread cubes are golden brown and somewhat crisp. Set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, heat a large skillet to medium-high and cook the bacon until crisp but not burned.  Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined place and let cool.

In a large salad bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes, tomatoes, lettuce and Parmesan.  Crumble the cooked bacon over the top.  Toss gently to combine.  In a jar or small lidded container, combine the garlic, lemon juice, Greek yogurt (or mayo), and buttermilk.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Portion the salad into serving bowls and drizzle each serving very lightly with the dressing.

• 
  
*Make ahead instructions: For best results, this dish should be assembled just before it is served.  However, all of the components can be prepped in advance so that all that is required before serving is a bit of mixing.