The Candy Cane Legend

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TUFF STUFF she says...

My daughter, the tough cookie that she is, who has in the past laughed at my attempts to be current with the times and be a blogger -- has FINALLY BROKEN!!!

SHE'S A BLOGGER, TOO!!!

And she's found that she enjoys writing about her passion(s).

Being tough is great, but a little flex makes us even stronger! [my words to Tuff Stuff!]

Love ya Chick! [mom]

I think I'm a blog stalker...

I really do enjoy blogging. I hate that I deleted my original blog. UGH! Double UGH! I still can't believe I did that. Occasionally I get something I want to get off my chest and I enjoy putting pen to paper so to speak. [Does that phrase date me? I think I just gave away just how old I am... No one writes with pen and paper any more do they...???] There I go, digressing from my original thoughts...

I don't "write" as much as I'd like to because I always get on and want to get "caught up" with everyone else first. I have great intentions. But I enjoy reading everyone else's blogs so much that I never get to the writing of my own before it just gets to be too late. Therefore I do believe that I've become a blog stalker... Oh my gosh, how weird! I think it's best that no one does follow my blogs - that no one is reading my confession! Ewww...!!

I need to attend a support group for blog stalkers anonymous... Wait, I just looked in the yellow pages and there isn't any available. What now!!!!

What???!!!! Me???!!! You've lost your marbles!!! Well.... maybe you're on to something... I could be the president and solo member. No one would be the wiser.... Sounds good to me...

Welcome to the first meeting of Blog Stalkers Anonymous! I call this meeting to whatever it is they say... Now, meeting adjourned!

Geez, I feel better already! Let's go see what Pioneer Woman has done lately! :-)

Do You Wish I Was DIfferent?

Today my sweet Baby Girl asked me, "Mom, do you wish I was more girly and didn't love hunting so much?" In that nano-second of fear and thinking "Oh my gosh, I hope I answer this right and don't get this wrong - oh no, what if I do, what will happen? How will I wreck her life? Will things ever be the same between us again?" Oh yes, trust me, I do think like that - yes, I did think - and just that quickly.

Before I share my answer, let me share a little about my Baby Girl. She's special, you see. She's not your ordinary "girl". She's beautiful - a natural beauty. She doesn't need make-up to be beautiful, she just is. She isn't into shopping - she deplores it. She doesn't care about fashion. Her idea of fashion is the newest line of women's camo and a good pair of "Georgia" boots. Fancy cars don't impress her one bit. She loves the pickup that she bought when she was 16 with babysitting money that she'd been saving since she was 12. Sh

e's not afraid of work nor is she afraid of dirt. But she is afraid of spiders, snakes and bugs. Her idea of fun is riding in the woods looking for the perfect hunting spots. Her idea of big bucks has nothing to do with money - everything to do with deer.

She hunts with a bow or rifle - in a tree stand or with dogs. She'll carry her own gear and then some. She's the only girl in her hunt club. All the guys and men respect her and protect her. She belongs to them. They all treat her like she's either their little sister, daughter or granddaughter. As I said, she's special. She goes out there with manicured nails and perfectly fixed hair, but she's ready for the hunt - always!

Any boy interested in her better be worthy of her. She's got one now that she's had for awhile, that loves hunting too. But he loves fishing more. She enjoys fishing too. But her love is in the woods. She gets this from her Daddy and her brother. I was born and raised in the City. I'm a transplant to the country - but I sure do love the country life. Guess that's why she is the way she is.

Would I want her to be more girly? Would I want her to be more concerned about fashion and spend her time in the mall all the time? Would I want her to be obsessed with boys? Would I want her to be obsessed with her looks? Would I want her to be obsessed with whatever it is girls her age obsess over?

No, sweet Baby Girl, I wouldn't have you any other way. That was my honest to goodness answer. We both were relieved with the outcome. [She had even asked her Daddy if I would want her to be different and he told her that her mama would not want her to be anything she wasn't right now. Smart man!]

My Baby Girl is special and unique. How I love her so! She's becoming the best friend I'd hoped for when she was born so few years ago, as she becomes a woman herself. I'm very pleased with the woman she is becoming. I think her Heavenly Father is pleased too.

The Road Trip of many FIRSTS

We made our trip to see our son in Idaho. We took a very long way to go see him so that we could see lots of the country side and we're so glad that we did. We left on a Sunday after seeing our Baby Girl off to Church, boy was that hard. Hubby reminds me that I "only" cried once on the hour for the 1st 4 hours and then each time she called after that which was about every 2 hours. The 2nd day was better as he kept me busy site-seeing in San Antonio which I happened to really enjoy, but did me in. [I left with a sinus infection and wasn't doing too well.] The 3rd day I slept on and off and missed much of the driving portion of the trip.

We seen and experienced many, many firsts on this trip, Hubby and I. So much so that we started keeping track of them and filled a page and then some! Of course, I have to share them!

• Antelope
• Arches National Park, Moab Utah -- So cool!
• Border Patrol [see earlier post]
• Buffalo in the real!
• Colorado state
• Cows wandering in city streets of the Navajo Reservation
• Draws - Texas is full of dried draws - Louis Lamour books are too!
• Eating a YORK candy bar in YORK Nebraska
• Elk - though these were being "farm-raised"
• Idaho state
• Idaho spuds growing - lots of farms, now I know why ID is famous for their SPUDS! :-)
• Idaho stinging nettles [nothing like ours!] & the full stinging effects of them!
• Iowa state
• Jackrabbits
• Kansas state
• Kansas City
• Kansas City Royals Stadium
• Man-made hermit cave - chiseled into the side of a mountain, complete with closet, bedroom, shelves, kitchen, fireplace & front door!
• Memphis
• Mexican border
• Mexican flag FLYING OVER MEXICO!
• Mission Alamo -- LOVED IT!!!
• Missouri state
• Missouri River
• Mule deer in Texas - too many to count!
• Navajo Indians
• Nebraska state
• New Mexico state
• Old-timey windmills that still work
• Oregon Train wagon rut remains
• Petrified wood
• Petroglyphs with the naked eye
• Pheasant
• Plains
• Platte River
• Rio Grande
• Roadrunner
• Sagebrush - smells wonderful!
• Salt Lake City Utah Temple
• Seminary Institue Bldg right next to a HS - my kids would have loved this convenience!
• Small-scale rock climbing! :-)
• Snake River Canyon - lots of it - it goes and goes and goes...
• Street-less Main Street - the street had been completely ripped up! We were driving on DIRT! Downtown was teeming with activity tho'! All of which was construction equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, backhoes, you name it, the "street-less" Main Street had it!
• Sugar beets growing
• Tanker in a field that was elevated to gravity feed into another tanker WHILE still connected to the ground [oil,water, ???] AND still very much road-worthy! Very weird! :-)
• Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah -- I didn't want to leave the peace it offered me...
• Texas state - and there is a LOT of it! :-) [We went from East to West to El Paso. San Antonio was my favorite - we're going back!]
• The Navajo Reservation in Arizona - it was huge! We drove 150 miles of it during the BLACK of nite - they don't have street lights... We didn't see any motels
  
• Tumbleweeds - I wonder if they are just dried up sagebrush - I forgot to ask...
• Twin Falls Idaho Temple - at sunset, it was so pretty
• Utah state, from bottom to top
• Underground cave, under a highway!
• Western Mountain Ranges - very much different than the Eastern Mountain Ranges
• Wild black-eyed susan's by the millions! Field after field! I fell in love with them! They are so beautiful!
• WILD COWS RUNNING TOWARDS OUR CAR while driving a highway of the Navajo Reservation in the middle of the nite -- needless to say, I needed a change of clothing after that!
• Wild horses grazing RIGHT NEXT to the highway while we traveled the same highway of the crazy wild cows! Yes, another change of clothing!
• Wind turbines in several western states, especially Texas and Montana - Oh my goodness, are those things HUGE!!!
• Wyoming state - they have the coolest state sign! [And I do have pictures of all 15 states we went through!] ;-)

We returned home safe and sound. Tired and worn out. Glad we did it. And making plans to do it again - but only with more time! :-) I highly recommend it!

It does the marriage good!

One last thing - I commented on how much I cried leaving my Baby Girl, I should tell you, I started crying 2 nights before I even left my son. I sobbed myself to sleep both nights! And cried almost the entire day before we left and the entire day we left! I have photos where I look like I'm having some serious allergic reactions! :-)

Sir, Are You a US Citizen?

Hubby and I traveled the LONG way to see our son in Idaho. We hadn't long been in New Mexico when we came across a Border Patrol traffic stop. My sweet country boy, when stopped, asked the Hispanic Agent in his born and raised southern language "How ya'll doin' ta-day?" only to be asked by the Agent, "Sir, are you a US Citizen?"

Seriously, does he think any Mexican could really talk like that??? Not in a million years!!! Ever hear a Taylor County boy talk???

How does Hubby answer...? He says with this confident attitude, "Yes sir. I sure am, I'm from Florida. Do I need ta talk ta that guy up thar too?" The Hispanic Agent just chuckles and answers, "No, you're good."

Guess he finally figured out that no one could possibly be that Southern except someone born and raised in the South.

Long live the South...!!!

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

These just look SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!

I was visiting my friend MA's blog and seen she had this site as one of her favs... Anything titled "Our Best Bites" begs to be looked into -- and YES I hit the mother load!!!! I was not disappointed at all! Was it because I'm trying to diet and craving yummies? I don't know, but I was just hoping that it had to do with yummy food. And the recipe -- of all recipes that could possible be posted -- had 2 of my most favorite YUMMY ingredients listed in the recipe name -- Toffee and Chocolate!!! Oh, yes, this is going to be good!!!

Guess what I'm going to be making! What? Did I say I was on a diet? No... I was just joking!! I meant that I'm going on a diet - after I eat all these cookies! :-)

Check it out - You won't be disappointed - These gals have it going on!

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/08/toffee-chocolate-chip-cookies.html