I LIKE this cake

I think I've posted this before but I believe that you can never have too much of a good thing. Right?


Tequila Christmas Cake

1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
Nuts
1 bottle tequila
2 cups dried fruit

Sample the tequila to check quality.

Take a large bowl; check the tequila again to be sure it is of the highest quality.

Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.

At this point, it is best to make sure the tequila is still OK. Try another cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck iin the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the fruit up off the floor.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the tequila to test for tonsisticity.

Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something.

Check the tequila. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fald over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window.

Finish the tequila and wipe the counter with the cat.

Cherry Christmas!

Christmas Trivia

Did you know:

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, Americans buy 37.1 million real Christmas trees each year; 25 percent of them are from the nation's 5,000 choose-and-cut farms.

Christmas trees are edible. Many parts of pines, spruces, and firs can be eaten. The needles are a good source of vitamin C. Pine nuts, or pine cones, are also a good source of nutrition.

After "A Christmas Carol," Charles Dickens wrote several other Christmas stories, one each year, but none was as successful as the original. Before settling on the name of Tiny Tim for his character in "A Christmas Carol," three other alliterative names were considered by Charles Dickens. They were Little Larry, Puny Pete, and Small Sam. And,  Charles Dickens' initial choice for Scrooge's statement "Bah Humbug" was "Bah Christmas."

Alabama was the first state to recognize Christmas as an official holiday. This tradition began in 1836.

An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees. A spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.

Christmas is not widely celebrated in Scotland. Some historians believe that Christmas is downplayed in Scotland because of the influence of the Presbyterian Church (or Kirk), which considered Christmas a "Papist," or Catholic event. As a result, Christmas in Scotland tends to be somber.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

My Helper!

Sometimes he makes me absolutely insane,,,makes me feel like I'm an ancient old crone and too old to be raising children.

At other times he does the sweetest things and helps us out so much.  He helps the little ones but  he may also be tormenting them by teasing them unmercifully.  There's no doubt though, that he loves them.

Last Christmas I let him help with the gift wrapping just a little.  This Christmas he's developed such a great talent for it, he'll probably wrap everyone's but his own! 

Thank you Zach, Nanaw loves and appreciates you even when you make her crazy!

Favorite Christmas Present

I think mine was the bendable leg Barbie who had eyes that closed and three lovely wigs so I could change her look whenever I wanted.  I think I was 11 or 12 when I found it under our tree. We only ever got one present that was a toy cause the rest were clothes or shoes that were necessities. But I truly believe our Christmases meant more to us than the materialistic holiday they call Christmas these days. 

I also remember that on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter there was anything that anyone could possibly want to eat on our table.  I think I looked forward to that the most.

The Truth About Reindeer

REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME 

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game,
While both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year,
Male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter,
Usually late November to mid-December.    
Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.
Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer,
EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should've known…...
ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit
All around the world in one night and not get lost.

HO-HO-HO!

Christmas Fun and Funnies

Christmas is just around the corner, is everyone through shopping?  I'm getting close but not finished yet.  I thought I'd post a link or two to get everyone in a Christmas mood.

How bout a visit to the North Pole to look around? Or maybe try a game or two to get your twinkle going? I even found some Christmas Fonts you might like to try.

And Lastly, a few Christmas cartoons are always good for a few Merry giggles.

Busy Weekend

We knew there was some rain coming but God sure painted a pretty sky before it arrived.

Friday night was pretty cool when I took Alexis, Jillian, and Zach, to the little ice skating spot at the Court Square in Helena for a few spins around the rink.  Beans (Jillian) had a little problem staying on her feet but the Chick (Alexis) below, seemed to get the hang of it pretty quick.

 We awoke to a little rain on Saturday morning but didn't have much on the drive to Little Rock. It turned out to be a cloudy but nice day.

The girls spent the night and on Saturday we got up early and drove to see 2 other of our girls, Jaylen and Jordan.  We had fun laughing at their boxers who thought there might be a bite of Rice Krispy treats to be had.

Jaylen's happy, smiley, face!  All of our girls are such cuties (and I'm not a bit biased).

I stopped a couple of times on the way home from Little Rock to get a few shots of the gorgeous Canadian geese that were landing in the harvested rice fields to feed.  We get loads of Snow geese but not so many Canadian geese the past few years. 

That was pretty much our weekend. Family, fun, and food. Can't beat it!

To My Dearest Friends and Family,

There were probably many, many times this year when I may have

Disturbed you,

Troubled you,

Pestered you,

Irritated you,

Bugged you,

Or got on your

nerves.... 

So today I just wanted to tell you...........  

Suck it up Cupcake!!!  
'Cause there are  NO   CHANGES  planned for 2011 !!!

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!!

Not for the faint of heart. :-)

Running in my Sleep!

I love reading and I love reading horror novels most of all.  I love that little quickening of the pulse as you try to hurry to read your character out of a scary situation, one you know for certain you'd never find yourself in cause there's no way you'd do something so stupid as that! Nope,,,not when it comes to life and limb anyway.,,,

I've mentioned many of my favorite horror authors before I think, ,,Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston, just to name a few.  Each has their own style and give  little shivers as you read,, at just the right time to keep you wrapped up enough that you can't put the book down,,,
just yet.

Very few of the horror books, or movies, that I've ever read, or watched, have really scared me enough that I was bothered by what I'd read after I'd laid down the book, or the movie went off.  Not until some time in the mid-70's when I watched the original, the black and white, the horrific, Night of the Living Dead.  Before that movie was over I had moved from my chair and was sitting in James's lap on the couch!  I had a few nights of nightmares over that movie, one of which had me being trapped in a phone booth while I was surrounded by drooling, dead, bodies!

I woke up before I found a way out of that dilemma.

Later in life, after I'd reached a more mature level of adulthood, I watched another walking dead movie called Dawn of the Dead.  Once again I was very bothered by the movie and suffered through a few nights of nightmares.  You'd think I'd learn a lesson from this wouldn't you?  But nope, a few more years passed and I watched a remake of  Night of the Living Dead.  This time it wasn't so bad so I thought I'd worked through my terrors of reanimated dead folks.

Well, I downloaded several (as in 6) zombie/end times/walking dead type novels to my Kindle.  Holy Shit I never realized there were that many zombie/walking dead type stories to be told!    And I'm waking up exhausted from running from, and fighting, these dead folks.

Lordy, I sure hope I can keep it up so I won't be Zombie stew!

Autumn in the Arkansas Delta

It's beginning to look, and feel, a little like Autumn around here.

Colorful and cool.

Photo Challenge : Broken

It's that time again and I almost let it get away from me!  I'm glad that I remembered to get a couple of shots of my poor, broken, shelf sitter with her broken leg.  She sits and waits for me to remember to buy glue to put her back together which I hope to remember to do very soon.

1.  I don't know why these photos are appearing sideways on here.  It's weird,,,very, very, weird. 

Don't forget to click on the links at the Photo Challenge Blog to view all the other great shots done by our other talented shooters.

It'll take me awhile to get around to seeing everyone's take on the "Broken" challenge today but I'll make it as soon as I can!

Here We Go Again!

I thought I was through with this stuff.

The last time I attempted to help a hard headed boy with Algebra was way back in 1996.  I ended up taking off my slipper to use as a head bopping tool in order to allow the knowledge to flow through his mind.  Here I am again, attempting the impossible because I'm TOO OLD for this!!!!!

Just more Stuff,,,,,

I read some wise words once, but sadly, they were uttered by a made up character in a book.  I have hopes that the author of the book, "The Lost World" by Michael Crichton, put the words into the character's mouth and perhaps a seed of his wise ideas have sprouted and will become common knowledge some day. Michael Crichton died a couple of years ago and that is very sad.

As the wise, made up, Dr. Ian Malcolm once said, "What makes us think that as humans, we are aware?  Where is the evidence for this?  Humans never think for themselves because they find it much too uncomfortable.  For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told, (or hear, or read) and become upset if they are exposed to any different view.  The most characteristic human trait is conformity!  Other animals fight for territory or food; humans fight for their 'beliefs'".

Dr. Malcolm also believed that the internet would be the beginning of the end of our species because it would mean the end of innovation.

This guy was seriously wise.

There is a hole in the siding of my house.  I first learned about this hole when I found suspicious plaster dust and the bottom of said hole behind my computer monitor.  The man of the house ran over something while mowing that could have become a lethal weapon had it been emerged from beneath that mower in a different direction. 

Please forgive me if I refuse to put my faith, (and my hard earned dollars saved for literary purchases)  in a wet-behind-the-ears, barely out of diapers, poor little rich kid who don't know BEANS about Nuttin'.  Talk about never having trod a mile in anybody's shoes but those of some designer's,,,,Heaven deliver us. Please!

I just love these kids,,,,

Photo Challenge : Fast Foods

It's Photo Challenge time again so let the fun begin!  Miz Donna chose Fast Foods; here we go!

 MeriKate is enjoying a Wendy's burger.

We stopped in here for burgers when we were in Mountain View, AR last year. The atmosphere was awesome!

 There was a pot of peanuts at every table...,,,and you couldn't eat just one!

Hope in Chili

Sometimes you look around at all the meanness and ugly going on in this world and you wonder what's to become of mankind.  Then God sends us a miracle and you know that all will be ok,,,at least for awhile longer.

Welcome home fellas!

Dusty Delta Sunsets

It's as dry as popcorn farts around these parts.  Could someone send us a little rain please?

Cymbalta

I knew I've been feeling down but didn't realize anyone else had noticed until the Terrorist looked at me and said Nanaw, you need Cymbalta.

I think maybe I do.

Photo Challenge : Orange

 I love the light orange petals with the reddish orange streaks in this lily.

 This little fella seems partial to the delicate pastel orange of this moss rose bloom.

I love how the orange of the floatie is reflected in the Terrorist's face in this picture.

Orange is it!  Time for the photo challenge where we get to view all the exceptional captures from our challenge buds.  Go on over and click the links to see what I mean.

Hello, Roy?

I was snuggled in and sawing some humongous logs the other morning when the ringing of the phone dragged me from my bed.


Sleepy, grumpy, me:  HELLO.

Voice on phone: Yes, I need to speak to Roy please.


Sleepy, grumpier me: What? I told you, or the person who called  yesterday, that there is no Roy here. Roy does not live here! Stop calling!

Voice on Phone: Is this 870-572-5555?

Sleepy, grumpier, me: Yes it is.

Voice on Phone: Then I have the correct number for Roy.

Sleepy, grumpier than ever and now even bitchy, me: Are you crazy? No you don't!  Roy does not live here. Roy has never lived here. I've had this phone number since 1981 and Roy didn't live here then, Roy doesn't live here now. I don't even know anyone named Roy,,,,except maybe Roy Rogers,,,but I didn't even know him really, just knew him from TV. You know they stuffed his horse when it died,,,,,,,

Click,,,,dial tone.

Voice on Phone hung up on me. Can you believe that?

Mr. Clean and Me

So,,I was gonna scrub the kitchen sink,,,,Have y'all tried Mr. Clean Multi-Surfaces Liquid Cleaner with Febreze Freshness in the lavender flavor?  It's some good stuff,,,so I hefted the bottle of cleaner out from under the sink and opened it.  When I  went to sit it down on the counter, I sort of lost my grip a little and it "plunked" when it hit the surface.  I happened to be leaning over the sink at the time and the amount of Mr. Clean that splashed out of the bottle was just enough to douse my left ear, arm, and get on my face and hair.  I then spent the next little while washing Mr. Clean Multi-Surfaces Liquid Cleaner with Febreze Freshness in lavender scent from my body parts.

I still pretty much smell like a sweetly scented Summer garden with an added undertone of a strange, tangy, note.  If anyone notices my new scent I'll just say "thank you kindly."

Photo Challenge : Dirt

Time for a new challenge and Miz Crystal chose the dirt topic. I can't wait to see all the participants over at the Brenda Photo Challenge blog.
The first challenge picture is of the Chick standing in a field of hipped rows a few days after a rain. It's the perfect time for looking for arrowheads, and old marbles, and just stuff,,, I have a family of gatherers, they search for and gather old things quite often.
I did not take this one, and I'm jealous. This is one of Jerri's shots of our Beans who's about as dirty as a little girl can get. I reckon the mud baths our children take do their magic cause I truly don't think we have a homely child critter in the bunch.

We don't lack for dirt around here. This is one of the field turn rows down the road a piece. See all the dust? That stuff billows and just hangs in the air sometimes when the humidity is as high as it's been this whole summer.
This little fella got a little muddy as Zach gathered him up out of the garden back in the Spring. He was safely moved to the corn field across the turn row.

I call this a Zen turn row cause of all the neat little evenly spaced harrow marks in the dirt. It lasted until we had a rain but even then kept it's neat appearance. Told you we had lots of dirt.
Here is the Beans and her friend Falon getting hosed down after another round of mud bathing.

Well that's all I'd better post. I don't lack dirt pictures here in the delta. :-)