A fun time was had by all.

After listening to my mom go on and on about how funny Nadine the Church Lady is, and how much they enjoy watching "Larry's Country Diner" on cable TV, I did a little research and found that tickets to the taping for the show could be attained.  So, last year for Christmas, I presented momma with a "Best of Nadine" cd, and tickets to the taping. You should have seen her dance around the living room. It was hilarious. She was so excited.   The good part was that she liked the gift. The bad part was that the reservations were for early October, which seemed like an eternity to wait.  However, early in the summer, I received an email from the very nice lady that coordinates the reservations for the show, and they were redoing the schedule and had moved us up to a date in August, which worked out very well. So, our journey began this past Sunday morning. My mom, step-dad of nearly 50 years, and beloved aunt and I hopped into the car and headed south. Destination:

We arrived in steamy Nashville, Tennessee mid-afternoon, found our hotel, and had a fun time snooping around Music Valley.  I surprised them with reservations to a Nashville dinner theatre, which was fabulous. The buffet food was wonderful, and the two hours of toe-tapping classic country music was great.  Every performer had abundant talent, sang familiar songs and gave their all.  Every musician was expert and we loved when Charlie Vaughan played "Orange Blossom Special" on his fiddle. I highly recommend this show if you're going to be in town and need a filler one evening.
Monday morning arrived, and after a Cracker Barrel breakfast, there was still some time to kill before heading over to the Northstar Studios for the taping.  We explored the area a bit more and found:

The Dukes of Hazzard museum.  I never knew there was so much Dukes promotional material and souvenirs and merchandise made.  It was a fun nostaligic trip back.  The day before we had also discovered the Ernest Tubb museum, but it was sadly lacking in excitement, at least for me. The tour bus was available for a walk-through, and that was a bit interesting, with the horseshoe drawer pulls and claustrophobic bunks.

Next door to the Dukes museum was the Willie Nelson museum and gift shop. They were wanting $8 per person to tour the museum part , so we satisfied ourselves with looking at all the Chinese crap souvenirs and finally, it was time to go. A short commute later, we were there. Actually, we were early, and the security gate nazi  guy wouldn't let us through yet, so we waited a few minutes and finally were allowed in so we could stand in line waiting to actually get IN.  Someone didn't get the memo that three dozen folks were sweating their butts off outside the doors. It's a very laid back operation and the staff have multiple hats to wear, so the audience lady just didn't know we were there. We did eventually get in, and went to a waiting room, since the first taping of the morning wasn't finished yet.  Nadine and Renae, another lady from the show, came in and chatted and made funnies and gave us the lowdown on the actual taping and what was expected of us.  There was time for picture taking, so here is the gang with Nadine:

And Renae:

Renae is the waitress in the diner. She works her fanny off. She is constantly on the move, delivering actual food to the patrons (us), and bringing drinks and pie and cleaning up and everything. She does take a minute now and then to enjoy the entertainment.  When I got reservations for the show, I didn't have a clue who the entertainment would be, and actually nobody knows until day of. They just don't announce it. We lucked out. Instead of Nick Nasal and his Nosepickers, we had EXILE.  Absolutely fabulous. They have been together for nearly 50 years and  still have a great sound. Their harmony was spot on and they are all excellent musicians, as well.  What fun. We were up close and personal. The diner set is very intimate, and we were right up front.  After the taping and promos were finished, there was time for picture taking, so we did that, too. Here is my aunt with the Boot Daddy guy. Boot Daddy is the show sponsor, and they are an American company, selling American made products. This guy was such a friendly young man. Cute as a button, too.

This was quite exciting for a 70-something young lady. 

This was quite exciting for a 50-something young lady.

They were nice. Very nice (insert me, fanning myself....lol)

Anyway, the diner excitement ended too soon, and the lush, green landscape of Tennessee was soon behind us, as we ventured north towards Metropolis. We were staying out one more night and the plan was for the parents and aunt to win fortunes to enhance their children's inheritance, but since that didn't happen...ahem...we just had a good time and before you know it, we were back home.  I had a good time and I'm pretty sure they all did, too.

If you want to see us at  Larry's Country Diner, tune in to the RFD channel on cable tv, Thursday evening, August 30, 2012. It comes on at 7:00.  If you watch it, let me know.

Country blessings,

Brenda

The grass is always greener...I hope.

My DS texted me Friday and said "So, you didn't blog about the rain?"  My reply was "There really wasn't much to shout about here."  The rain did come, for some. Oh, sure, some lucky souls got a really nice rain. It rained inches just a couple of miles south of us, and at least an inch a few miles west of us. What did we get? Two measly tenths of an inch.  It did wash the dust off the trees and bushes and woke the crickets up for a little while. That's about it. I'm fed up. I have had it. I'm leaving this place. I am taking off for a change of scenery, someplace where the grass had better be green. I'm going to Nashville, Tenneessee to see:

Larry's Country Diner is one of my mom's favorite shows on cable TV. It is on the RFD channel on Thursday nights, and one of her favorite characters is Nadine the Church Lady.  Tickets to sit in on a taping of the show can be obtained (they are all taken through 2013) and during the taping,which actually takes place in a diner or at least a set which looks like a diner, you get to eat a meal, as if you are really in a diner.  (sorry I used the word diner so much).There is musical entertainment with various country music artists of currrent or has-been or never-was fame entertaining the audience. Lots of country humor and down home fun.  We will be there for the 11:15 taping Monday morning.  One Thursday night a few months from now, we'll be on tv.  You'll see us (well, if you watch that show), having the time of our lives. This was a Christmas gift to my mom and I think she liked it. :)
There may or may not be a country opry dinner theatre experience thrown in, and then on the return trip, Metropolis beckons. It's not only the home of Superman, but a gambling boat, as well. Since I don't have a lot of luck when I try to gamble (remember the lottery ticket machine that didn't like me and wouldn't let me play??....even though I hadn't even TRIED to buy a lottery ticket in years!!....go figure), I will mostly watch as the others win their children's inheritance. Ha.

So, DS, it doesn't really matter anymore if it rains. It really doesn't (sniff, sniff).

Aloha, I mean, Yee-Haw blessings,
Brenda

p.s.  Don't worry about the girls. Today, I'll be giving a lengthy tutorial to DH about chicken keeping. As a backup, I'm leaivng lots of pots of water here and there, and the food bin is full. He won't sing and coo to them like I do (hahahahaha...I'd LOVE to see that), but they'll survive without me for a couple of days. He did ask if he had to gather eggs while I'm gone. Sheesh.

Guess where I've been?

We had to take care of some legal business today in the big town, so we gathered our wits about us and headed out. After a so-so sub sandwich for lunch, we did what we had to do, then checked our list and began the fun stuff. Well, fun is a relative term at our ages. LOL

DH needed a few un-fun things and since I always welcome an opportunity to see what's new out there, we took a little side trip to one of my favorite stores. That is where I saw this:

and this:

and this:

and how could I miss this:

?????

There is just no excuse for boredom.  You don't even have to buy the stuff. Just take pictures of it and act like an investigative reporter for an underground weird food blog. Ha!  I love Rural King.  I am so easily entertained.

Blessings,
Brenda

This, too, shall pass.

Recent observations:
1. Rain dances do not work.
2. Praying for rain does not work.
3. Begging for rain does not work.
4. Pretending not to care whether or not it rained does not work.
5. Visualizing a nice drenching, soaking rain does not work.
6. Crying and generally throwing a fit because it didn't rain does not work.
7. Threatening Mother Nature with mean, vindictive insults to try to make it rain does not work.
8. Seeing my  Weatherbug pindot smack in the middle of a red/yellow blotch indicating it SHOULD be raining where I am will no longer elicit excitement from me. IT LIES.
9. Dragging a 100 foot hose from bush to tree to garden plant is almost as good as spending ten minutes on the Wii.
10. One thing is for certain. Nothing lasts forever. This, too, shall pass. The rain will fall again. The grass will one day be green again. One day we will be complaining about too much rain. We'll be praying, and begging for it to stop, and visualizing warm, sunny days instead. Rain will ruin outdoor plans and whining about it will do no good. Crops will be bin-busters again.

Bring it on!!

Now, from the chicken front, I'm happy to report that Opal and her two babies are doing well. They are growing and she is still leading them around the yard and finding tasty morsels to share with them. The other girls are doing well, too. The three new girls, the ameraucanas, should be laying blue eggs in another month or so. They are such sweet birds and like to perch on my hands and arms. When I get the energy to go outside, I'll take pictures to post.

August is shaping up to be a busy month for me. I'll be reporting back on a few adventures. I can only say it involves Nadine the Church Lady, a big high school class party, a trip to St. Louis with our son, and the build-up to a Tour of Homes.  Thank goodness I now have a personal shopper. hahahaha

Blessings,
Brenda in dry-ville

I'm so thankful

This summer has been depressing. It started out with such promise, but turned into the evil step-sister that just demanded attention and care.  Just going about everyday living has been stressful, with heat, drought and all that comes with that, living on a farm and in an old house. I find myself on the verge of getting an attitude, but then try to snap out of it by thinking about how much worse it could be.  At least when I cook I don't have to do this:

Scouring the countryside for buffalo chips for fuel would not be my definition of a good time. I also don't have to do this:

If we had to rely on what I shot for our meals, we'd soon be starving. I guess I could always send Pa out:

I'm thankful that when it's 105 degrees, I can strip down to nearly nothing, and not have to be trussed up in this:

Shoot me now if I have to wear that.  Give me capris and a tank top any day.
I'm thankful that when I go to town, I don't have to hitch horses to the wagon and clip clop for hours. Of course, if we all slowed down, we'd be able to stop and smell the roses, but we'd be smelling something else, too, methinks:

I'm thankful my husband retired from farming, and raising the crops in this dry year is someone else's worry. I do still worry, just not as much as I would have before. It is a struggle and hard work, every year:

If it just won't rain in my neck of the woods, at least I can still give thanks for other things. We are enjoying the last of the pumpkin blossoms tonight. The squash bugs and squash vine borers have pretty much done the vines in. I've already resigned myself to there being no pumpkins, watermelons or cantaloupes raised in my garden this year.  We are enjoying the ripening tomatoes. Keeping them watered is a high priority task. The green beans have seemed to laugh at the dry weather. I'm still picking some every few days. I'm happy others are getting rain. I'm thankful for farmer's markets, and the efforts of others.

Most of all, I'm thankful I'm healthy and able to shrug off this crazy weather year.  Who knew it wouldn't rain for weeks on end?  The well seems to be holding out, thank goodness, and I don't have to haul water from town, or worse yet, in buckets from a spring half a mile away.

I'm thankful there are Kroger's and Aldi's and Walmart's and other bountiful places to shop. I'm thankful I have chickens that gift me with beautiful eggs and their egg songs.


I'm forever thankful for my family, my church family, my friends and the warmth I feel when I'm around them.


Now, excuse me while I go water the maters with my crocodile tears. (hahaha)

Hot, dry blessings,
Brenda

P.S.   Dear Weatherbug. You are a liar. You just can't know how you've played with my emotions this last week. Do not, I repeat, do not show my dot in the middle of a yellow/red blotchy area if you aren't going to deliver the goods. That is just cruel. Thank you for listening. Signed, disgruntled viewer.

Snow in July?

It did cool off some, and even though it may look like it has snowed in our yard, I can assure you I would have been dancing a happy dance if it was cool enough to do that.  No, the security department needed a good grooming. Major, our Great Pyrenees dog, has two layers of hair. In the fall, he grows a dense, fluffy undercoat.  The outside guard hair is coarser and longer and just glistens when it's clean.  Come spring or early summer, these dogs start shedding this inner layer and it comes off in sheets. It takes more than one brushing and one never really gets it all. Major loves to be brushed. He and Boots, our black lab, leap for joy when they see the curry comb. Such funny boys. After about half an hour I had this:

I'm not quite sure what to do with it. I've been told that dog hair placed under plants repels rabbits, but a neighbor came over this spring and got some and she has nary a petunia in her yard, even now. Shot that theory down, I reckon.

I've heard that some have taken this hair and used it like sheep's wool, cleaning, carding, spinning and ultimately weaving and sewing it into something really cool. I would love to wear a sweater made from Major's hair. Any takers? In about an hour, it will have been gathered up and placed in a bag, then in a day or two, if I haven't had any takers, off it goes to the burning barrel.

He's such a pretty dog. I think that sweater looks pretty good on him, too.

He is such a funny dog. Every dog has it's own personality, but we've never had a dog that preferred getting his drinking water from anywhere but the dog water bowl.  I find him drinking out of buckets, mud puddles, and just today found out where all the bird's water was going:

Now, has anyone seen my lint roller?

Blessings,
Brenda

Miscellaneous ramblings

I haven't been posting much lately, but it's been too hot to think. I have to have perfect conditions, the stars have to be in alignment, and the brownies baked before I can really think. And it's too hot to bake anything. It didn't used to be that way.  I could multi-task and thought of myself as a rather dependable sort when it came to memory retention.Now, when in deep thought,  if I also think to write those thoughts down, then I have them to share. Here are a few of my recent scribbles:

1.  It is so much better if I put my glasses on before I paint my toenails instead of after.

2.  I would rather go shopping in a Cracker Barrel store than Von Mauer's.

3.  My eyes are not bigger than my stomach. (hahaha.....*sad*)

4.  If it doesn't cool off and rain soon, my house will implode due to the crush weight of the dust I'm not dealing with.

5.  My bucket list has developed a leak.

6.  My personality changes with every degree hotter it gets. Mild temps with lush, moist greenery=happy.
 Hot and dry = crabby.  This is not a good summer.

7.  When you have a chance to grab a young man with a strong back to help move furniture, don't take no for an answer.

Now, more rambling.

The events of the last few weeks have rocked my chicken world.  I started out with 9 beautiful yr. old hens. I took the plunge and added 3 gorgeous americaunas to the mix. They are just now beginning to get their big-girl combs and it will still be a couple of months before I see blue eggs from them.  Then came Reuben and Miss Eula.  They are banties, and gifts from DS and DDIL. I guess you could call them gifts.... LOL...  Reuben is such a feisty, loving little thing. He lets me pick him up, talk and sing to him, and he crows right back, while I'm holding him.  He's quite the ladies' man, too. Or he would be if they were interested.  Mostly they are interested in running for cover when they see him running towards them. He seems to be uninterested in Miss Eula, even though she is more his size.  Next,  Opal went broody. She wanted babies, so after setting on donated eggs, she got them. Her babies are so cute and seem to be thriving.

They will grow fast. Laverne also became broody, but the eggs she was sitting on didn't hatch, and out of curiosity, because they sounded funny when I shook them, I broke them open. They didn't hatch because they weren't fertilized, but they did contain the nastiest rotten yolks. Imagine having a chicken sitting on you for three weeks in 100 degree heat. Ewwww. Laverne is still broody, sitting on no eggs. I've got news for Laverne. She'll just have to get over it. So, first there were 9, now there are 17. It's called chicken math.

Speaking of 100 degree heat. Again. If I were very wealthy and could afford to live anywhere in the world, I would have a summer home in the Colorado Rockies or the Pacific Northwest, a spring and autumn home in Tennessee or Kentucky or western North Carolina, and my winter home would be somewhere where it gets chilly and I can see my breath, but would not have to worry much about icy roads. I'm open to suggestions. I'll have to give it some thought, then if I can remember to write it down..........
Hot blessings,
Brenda