Chipped Off

Miss Persia did NOT have a good day today.  We made a trip into town so she could be microchipped.

The PetCo pet store hosts a monthly mobile vet clinic and the prices are really good.  VIP Pet Care does not come to just PetCo.  Right before they arrived here, they were at a local Tractor Supply Store.  Check the web site to see if they are in your area.

Do you see that microchipping for $15!!

Since she travels with us it was a must that she be chipped.  She just turned 8 months old so it was time.

She's up on all her shots, but I'll be back with her in May.

The process was fairly easy.  

We showed up at the pet store and I took my place in line while Himself took Persia to another part of the store.  The line was full of idiots with their undisciplined dogs and we were truly concerned that one or more would go after her!  (This was the only bad part of our experience which had nothing to do with VIP Pet Care.)

Once it was my turn, a young lady took my info then I went to another station to pay my $15.  From there we walked to the back of the store where we were seen straight away.  The ladies in the photo were fast, efficient, and very gentle with Persia.

We'll now baby Persia for a few days while she gets over the soreness in her shoulders.  (It is such a big needle for a little kitty!)

Salud! at Whole Foods: Bacon Jam!

When I first heard about 'bacon jam' I thought it was one of the most awful combinations I'd ever heard of... and felt doubly so once I saw the recipe.

But first impressions aren't always correct.

My first bite quickly led to my second bite...and my third bite...and...

Let's just say it is more than a bit addictive, OK?

So I happily share with you this yummy recipe.  You can thank me later.  Oh, try it as a BLT on a biscuit.  Oh my...

Ready to Store Up Summer

My summer learning project has come to an end... and to a whole new beginning!  I love canning, and so does Himself.

We are already talking about next year.  Our garden is planned for canning and we will be hitting the Amish produce auction regularly (we haven't managed the time this year...at least not yet).

I have canned two different types of strawberry jam without any instructors to help.  I decided that I want to do small batch preserving.  So much easier doing pints and half pints plus you can do all sorts of different recipes for variety.

I had 8 pounds of strawberries we'd picked to work with.  They were already pre-cut, so that made it much easier.  The big deal was cooking them down...

...and cooking...

Not ready yet...

OK my darling husband... it's YOUR turn to stir...

Then all of a sudden they were done!  Into the hot water bath for the allotted time.

DING!  Time to take them out.  (Isn't that a cute little half pint jar?)

First stop - the counter to dry the lids so I don't drip all the way across the kitchen.

Then to the table to cool.  Three pops and I was in happy land... they had all sealed!

This batch is honey-sweetened strawberry thyme jam.

And the four on the outside is my second batch: vanilla strawberry jam.  

Four more pops and I'm hooked on small batch canning.

OH!  If anyone has a really good tart dill pickle recipe to share, I would love to have it.  We aren't much for sweet pickles (except sweet Gerkins... love Gerkins) so we'd like something more like a deli pickle.

http://www.earnesthomeco.com/12-weeks-to-playing-the-ukulele/  

Shall We Gather By The River...

.... for the best Southern fish fry ever?

For the Labor Day weekend our Sunday School class had a pot luck supper at the Cheatham Dam campground.

It's a lovely campground right on the Cumberland River.

The pavilion sets above the camping area.  The grounds were super clean, as were the 'facilities'.

When we arrived the fish were already frying.

The little jewel made coating the fish so easy.

At 310*F they cooked quickly and perfectly.

Bill and Sherry supplied the entire class with delicious crappie (pronounced CROP-EE).  It's a type of perch considered by many to be the best fresh water fish.

Perfect, just perfect.

They fixed up the hush puppies too.

Or 'hush husbands' as I prefer to call them!  LOL

OK folks, this is a 100% pure Southern pot luck going down here!

From Right to Left:

Grilled bologna (plain and spicy), corn bread and corn cakes, a big ol' mess of greens (with hot vinegar to dress it), slaw, couple pots of white beans, cucumbers & onions, mac & cheese casserole, corn on the cob, hash browns... then finally the dessert area.  Sweet tea to wash it down.

I have excellent willpower... except when it comes to a church pot luck... especially a fish fry pot luck.

Time to eat!

Yes, I Would Do It Again

I most definitely would!

What?

Marry Himself all over again!

Happy 34th anniversary darling!!

Strange Change

The other day Himself and I stopped at our favorite Amish farm stand to drop off a bunch of plastic bags and some egg cartons (country recycling!).  When I saw the fresh peaches and their wonderful herb bread I just had to get them.

As the girl was counting back my change, there was a noticeable 'thump' into my palm with the coins.  I looked and saw this Kennedy half dollar!  I was excited and show it to Himself.  The girl then asked if I wanted a two dollar bill for the rest of my change.

Well yeah!

She was smiling as she handed it to me, saying "We have a man that pays with these.  Almost everyone doesn't want them for their change.  They think they aren't real!"

Oh for Pete's sake!

A Bottle for a Masai Baby

During our trip to Kenya in 2006, I was given a very special gift.

A Masai baby bottle!

It is made out of a calabash gourd, with a goat hide strap.  Hot embers were dropped inside to clean out the fibers that remained after it was cleaned out.  You can see the charring at the mouth of the bottle.

The shape is perfect.

A closer look at the bead work.

Pieces of hide stitched together to make the strap.

How did I become the owner of a Masai baby bottle?

Glad you asked!

It started with a very stuck truck and a Masai man named Peter...

We traveled south of Nairobi to the pink salt lake of Magadi.  As our guide Macharia was showing us this and that, we noticed a truck stuck in the mud (see in the background of the above photo?) and there were about 8 Masai men trying to help get him out.  Our Rover had a wench on the front, so Macharia asked if we minded if he tried to help.  Of course we did not mind!

He took off and we played around in one of the hot springs (which was really fascinating).  A few minutes later we noticed a man walking over to us with a smile on his face.  He asked if he could visit with us and tell us about his home lands since our driver was helping his friends.

What other answer is there by "Of course!"?

The guys worked and tugged at that truck for at least 45 minutes before they gave up.  Someone headed over to the salt factory to get a tractor.  And we prepared to head off to our destination, a larger hot spring about a half hour away.  

Peter thanked us for the visit and said he needed to hurry to get (walk) home before dark.  Uh yeah... there's lions out here!!  A very quick counsel in the Rover, and we nixed the drive to the hot spring.  Himself asked Peter if he would like a ride home.  The offer was quickly accepted.

We drove a half of a forever into the bush.  About halfway there the road ended (such as it was) and Macharia put it in 4 wheel drive.

This is where we ended up...

  

Part of Peter's boma (that is the goat shed where the kids are put at night for protection).

Talk about a 'hostile environment'!    See in the background the light tan areas raising up against the ridge line?  Those are BIG whirlwinds!  One time I counted 14 of them as once.  And this was 'home' for Peter's family.

Peter introduced us to his lovely wife and their sweet son.  Look at that chubby little darling!  He showed us his home (behind them) and gave us the grand tour of the boma (compound).  As living here were his brothers and their wives and children.

After this Macharia whispered to me that NOW would be a very good time to break out the pile of cookies I'd bought on our way out of town.  After a bit of noshing, it was time for us to head back to Nairobi so we got in by dark.

It was then that Peter's wife did her own whispering that sent Peter trotting over to their hut.  He came out with the bottle, saying he wanted to give us a gift 'to remember them by'.  The bottle was made by his wife.  She would milk a goat directly into it, then feed their son with it.

Oh wow...

Linked to:

https://nihongojapango.wordpress.com/2015/09/07/seeing-and-remembering-my-trinkets-and-memories-15/