Frankie and Slim

Frankie and Slim
Happy New Year

Monday, March 19, 2007

I DON'T HAVE LONG TO WORRY

Last night we let the children select a TV show at 7:30. They just had to see The Winner on Fox network. We watched it for a few minutes and Ron and I looked at each other and said "No Way!" The children were not happy about our dislike of the program. I was worried about the popularity of this show for our grandchildren but after reading about it today and looking at various reviews, I am pretty sure it is not long for the world. Grandpa and I aren't the only people who don't like it. Critics have panned it and it should be short lived........I hope. Pityful, pityful show.

TAKE OUT THE BUMPS

Ian, one of our West Coast grandkids, was visiting us with his mom and siblings when he was a little boy. I was fixing everyone peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I asked Ian if he wanted crunchy or smooth peanut butter and he said he wanted crunchy, but would I take out the bumps? LOL Now all the grandchildren ask me for crunch peanut butter but ask me to remove the bumps. We sure miss the California kids and quote many of their legendary phrases regularly.....like Jasmine's "I'll have to ponder that" and Joey's Arnold imitations. We're all hoping to see them soon!

MAYBE I COULD MAKE THIS???

I am not very crafty and I certainly am not much of a cook, but this looks like a possible Easter project of yummy baked goods. We know Karen would love Peeps In A Jar and I think this Granny Annie might impress the grandkids with these. Thanks mizsmoochielips for directing me to this recipe. The kitty litter cake is not as thrilling.......hum, who would dig into that?

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

DOUBLE TARTAR SAUCE

Yesterday we tried the new McDonald's double fish fillet sandwich. It is yummy. However, they are as stingy with the tartar sauce as they were on the single fish fillet sandwich so be sure and ask for double sauce.

KIDS AGAIN

I have found my best friend from elementary school and junior high. Her name is Janet and we were inseparable. She lived in the country and I lived in town. We were both the youngest of three (YOTs). We traded friendship rings. We filled our diaries with tales of important information like boys we had crushes on and girls we would like to crush. We ran around her farm chasing chickens and climbing hills (we were sure were mountains) and finding cow skulls (we were sure were human skulls). We attended picture shows in town and safely walked home on summer evenings after dark to my house.

I have been looking for Janet for almost 40 years. We are doing a lot of catching up.

ARTIST AT WORK

I was newly divorced and moving into an apartment. My son was four and my daughter was three. The children were supposed to be in their new room occupied with toys while the movers brought in the boxes and furniture under my direction.

The movers left and I located my son but my daughter was not in their room. I found her very busy in the bathroom drawing on the wall. She had managed to find an ink pen and had drawn a box with dots inside. It had two lines out the sides of the box and two lines out the bottom of the box.

My precious, artistic three-year old daughter looked at me with pride and announced, “Man!” The joy in her huge dark eyes left me no choice but to praise her drawing. I put a frame around it and left it there the entire four years we lived in that apartment. Of course guests would ask about it and we replied “That is the man of the house”.

We moved into a larger home later and I remained single while my children were growing up. My son was in college. My daughter left for college leaving me home alone. I walked through my empty house. I walked into my daughter’s bathroom and she had drawn that same picture on a smaller scale and put a frame around it as a going-away gift.

I cried then. I cry every time I think about it.

Monday, March 12, 2007

BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET

My son was five. I will always remember that Saturday morning. He knocked on the front door of our apartment. I stopped my housework to answer the door and found my precious son standing there with a grin from ear to ear. My little boy was always trying to find a way to cheer up his mother. This time he held what he believed was the perfect gift. He stretched out his arms to hand me a beautiful bouquet of big red........MARKER FLAGS. The utility company had been marking a site for some underground pipe or something and my child had pulled them all up to bring to his mommy a bouquet.

TWO TREASURES


Here is our precious ten-year-old granddaughter Beth. She is the best treasure. She is draped in a genuine fur coat. Grandpa Ron bought that treasure at the flea market for $3.00. Yep, I said three dollars. How bout that for a good deal? Once in a while we find a prize.
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Thursday, March 08, 2007

THE GANG

The original gang leader was being punished for a crime. This put M.H. (my husband) in charge. He was proud to become gang leader in place of his cousin. The cousin had stolen a gun – a toy gun from the general store. The punishment was being administered by the cousin’s mother. She grounded him and sentenced the cousin to mow the neighbor’s lawn for free all summer.

M.H. was a second grader when he became gang leader by default. He took this power seriously.

Ellis, a pesky, local boy, wanted to join the gang. M.H. believed Ellis was too young for serious gang business. Ellis, about four years old, was not even in school. Ellis begged and begged so finally M.H. told Ellis he could join the gang if he got them some cigarettes. M.H. did not believe this pre-school punk could manage such a challenge.

Needless to say, Ellis met the task and showed up with a pack of KOOL cigarettes and a bonus plug of chewing tobacco. The boys had seen men chew tobacco. They had not noticed the men spitting the tobacco.

M.H. was chewing and swallowing. M.H. suddenly remembered some "gang business" he had to take care of elsewhere. He made his excuses and left the gang (which was only Ellis as far as I can tell) and he headed for the house. He had to stop periodically to vomit. By the time this 7 year-old boy arrived home, his mother noticed he was deathly ill and put him right to bed.

Dad came home from work and the worried mom took him to the sick child. Dad took a look and immediately announced M.H. had been chewing tobacco. There was something about a pale ring it caused around the lips. All sympathy for the sick child disappeared.

M.H. gave up gang life in 1946
.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

ROOSTER UPDATE

Tiger Lily takes a stroll with Rooster Mouzon.



Moe keeps an eye out for his ladies.


Boss Hog hides to try and surprise a lady.


The chickens are having a good time as the weather warms and they get to free range more. The egg production is up and all the hens have stopped moulting. They look healthy and beautiful and all is well with the world.
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Tuesday, March 06, 2007

PURSE TAG -- YOU'RE IT!

BUSTED! If you are reading this, you are tagged. Go immediately to your purse and take a picture of it where it is sitting right now. Following instructions from Monica and Miz Smoochie Lips





Now, dump it out and take a picture.


No cheating! You can't take things out of the shot. You have to leave it right there. Now, tell us what's in it. My purse is right where I threw it on the couch when we returned from Wal-Mart yesterday. Yes, there is money in my purse, but don't tell my spouse. Checkbook, money, prescription medicine, mail, ink pen, eye drops, cell phone didn't fall out but it's there and wrappers. Kind of boring.
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INSTANT GRAVY


My new Frigidaire range was initiated yesterday. I fixed instant brown gravy on the stovetop. Not much of a gourmet meal to start out, but it was perfect instant gravy:-)
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Friday, March 02, 2007

FOOD KICK

Our hearts and minds are troubled so we turn our attention to food. We have found an Amish Deli in town and they have horseradish cheese!! Have you ever heard of such a thing? Oh yummy. I had made a batch of Jalepeno Tuna Salad and we had that today on toast with melted horseradish cheese. Oh yum. Plus, did I mention that the other day in Tulsa we ate lunch at Red Lobster? Ron had King Crab and I love their cheese bread and Top Shelf Margaritas. I am definitely feeding my emotions.

Back to the subject of the Amish Deli -- they also have salt water taffy and carmel corn to die for. We’re going back tomorrow for their one year anniversary celebration and free meat and cheese tasting. Ron told them he was bringing his cot to set up and stay all day. They said fine, just to bring his own crackers.

RANGE ON THE HOME

I am cooking a pot of rice. Why? We bought a new range today. If all goes according to the plan, it will be delivered tomorrow. Meanwhile, Ron has to disconnect the existing range and move it out. I am cooking a pot of rice in case the new range is not delivered as planned and we have to wait until Monday. We could not be without a pot of rice if that happened. I’m surprised that I was not instructed to also cook up a pot of red beans.

I’m getting a new gas range. Hip, hip hooray! Yi pee! Thanks dear spouse!!!!! Our Lowe’s salesman was a desert storm Navy veteran who served on the last tour of the battleship USS Wisconsin. I think I’ll get all kinds of new appliances now.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

COMFORT FOOD

How can we ever be skinny with comfort food at every turn? Today, at the least expected time, I had a religious experience for lunch.

One of our local restaurants had chicken pot pie as the lunch special. I ordered it because it smelled so wonderful. I entertained the prospect that it might taste something like my grandma's chicken pot pie. That is always my hope, but usually restaurants can't come close.

It did not come close -- it was exact! Big, fluffy, browned top, homemade biscuits with the bottoms soaking up luscious, thick chicken broth with big chunks of chicken, peas, carrots, potatoes.

The portions they served were huge. I brought my leftovers home. I am just sitting here waiting to get hungry enough to eat some more. Then maybe we can drive to Afton for lemon meringue pie.

Comfort food is fond memory food!