Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It's officially summer (in the northern hemisphere anyway). Which summer month is best and why?

  I prefer June because while it still has everything I love about Summer, it hasn't had the time to become outrageously hot like July and August.

2. Can you swim? How did you learn? June 27th is National Sunglasses Day. How many pair do you own?

  I have actually just learned how to swim a few weeks ago and I am unbelievably excited about it! I was taught how to swim by my Dad's, Boss's, mom (we call her Grandma) she has actually never swum before but has taught many people, including me by demonstrating the doggie paddle then standing by the pool edge ready to throw in pool noodles if necessary (I have never needed them thank goodness.)

  I actually don't love sunglasses as much as most people do and only wear my one pair when absolutely necessary. 

3. What characteristic do you judge most harshly in yourself? How about in others?

  My patience, or lack thereof, is what I judge the most harshly about me. In others I can't stand when people are fickle and insincere, as in pretending to be something they are not around one person and completely different in front of another, and pretending to be sympathetic or happy for you while not meaning a thing they say.

4. Robert Frost wrote the now well known poem entitled The Road Not Taken. What's a road (literal or figurative) you've always wanted to travel, and where do you hope it takes you?

  A road I have always wanted to travel is one that goes on behind our barn that leads up to the windmills that adorn the hills around us.

5. Popsicles-yay or nay? If you answered yay, what's your favorite flavor? 

  When I was maybe 7 I used to love popsicles, eating them whenever possible. Now I'm loathe to even try one because their fake, strange flavor is something I abhor.

6. Brexit-on a scale of 1-10 how knowledgeable are you on what's involved here? (1=very knowledgeable and 10=what's Brexit) Is this news you'll follow or is it something you think won't impact your life in any way shape or form?

  10, I have never even heard the term before and and if not for the phrase "Is this news you follow..." I would have assumed it was a kind of algebraic equation.

7. Share a favorite song on your summer play list.

  I don't particularly have a favorite song but one from "Capital Kings" or "Royal Tailor" would be on my most listened to list.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

   Have you ever run into a raccoon, in your bare feet, in the dead of night?.........I have.

Summertime Frittata

    I have always loved experimenting with recipes in the kitchen and even though not everything has always been a good idea (pea pesto, fried cucumbers), all of my disasters have never deterred me from inventing a delicious recipe.

  A few weeks ago I was watching one cooking show where the lady was cooking a frittata, and my mouth was watering so badly, even though I am not normally a person who loves egg based things (I can not stand scrambled eggs, or omelettes) but the frittata looked so good I just knew I had to make one for me.

  I went online and researched how to make an easy frittata but quickly became frustrated when every site I found kept on saying that the equivalents of egg to dairy were very important and to be sure to not to throw caution to the wind. Well I did just exactly what they told me not to, I threw caution to the wind full force and marched out into the kitchen where I proceeded to invent my own frittata recipe which somehow turned out tasting so delicious I ended up making one for each and every one of my family members.

  Today I will be sharing my Frittata Recipe with you.

Summertime Frittata

3 eggs
1/4 cup cheese
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch of salt
4 diced grape tomatoes or half of a regular tomato
2 thawed, chopped, hash brown patties (I discovered you can thaw them in a toaster)
1 tbsp butter

In a small 8-9 inch skillet melt the butter and fry the hash browns. In a medium bowl beat the eggs. Add in the spices and milk making sure to beat well. Once your hash browns are crisp cut each one into 12 pieces if you like things to be precise, if not, simply crumble, then pour the egg mixture over the hash browns, tilting the pan to level out the mixture. Sprinkle the tomatoes on top. Cook on medium heat loosening the sides of the pan and pulling the egg back gently so that the uncooked eggs in the middle ooze around the sides. Do this until everything is almost cooked. There will be a little layer of raw egg on top yet. Sprinkle the frittata with the cheese and more parsley. Broil on low for 1-3 minutes or until golden and firm. Loosen the egg from the skillet with a spatula and carefully slide the frittata onto a plate. Enjoy!

This is technically supposed to serve one but I find it makes the perfect amount for my sister and me  to share.

Tis the Season to be Sweaty....

    Ah, Summer! It sneaks up from behind in gentle breezes and then BAM, you're sweltering in insufferable humidity (which is the curly girl's worst enemy), and everything is so sticky and warm you wish you could just hibernate till fall.

  Though heat is tolerable if you don't mind when you're body cries, and the humidity is pleasant if you like big hair, I have developed a not so serious list of everything you can do to avoid all of Summer's terrors.


#1. How to avoid getting sunburned if sprays and creams don't help ~ Wear a sun hat, hold a parasol, and to avoid sun damage on your arms, legs, etc. Wrap yourself in a thick cotton quilt so that the sun cannot penetrate the fibers as easily.

#2. How to escape the heat ~ First nail all of your living room's furniture in-place then glue items such as lamps, ash trays, and so on firmly onto the items that they are resting upon. Then purchase an industrial quality fan and place it against one of your living room walls. (You will find the fan not only cools the room but gives your face the same affects as botox.)

#3. How to avoid sweating ~ Begin by finding a clothespin, once found proceed to place it on your nose and shut your mouth. Count to 1,000 and you'll be sure to be sweat free for the rest of your life.

#4. How to avoid boredom ~ Purchase (or prepare) several lemon meringue pies and invite some friends over. With everyone armed with a pie, proceed to smash them into each other's faces.

   That concludes my list of terrific ideas on how to tackle most of the common problems Summer presents, and with that, I wish you all a wonderful Summer.

Liebster Award

  First off I want to thank Meredith for nominating me for the Liebster award, second of all, since I have already been nominated for this award I will change it up this time and only answer the questions Meredith asked.


 1. What is one of your favorite novels?
One of my favorite novels is Gone Camping just because of how hilarious the whole thing is.

2. What is your favorite recreational activity?
Though I have no particular favorite I love to go hiking through woods, swamps, etc.

3. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would it be? Why?
I would love to visit Galway, Ireland! Simply because it is beautiful and because I have always had an obsession with Ireland.

4. What is your favorite breakfast food?
I love breakfast! My favorite breakfast food has to be garlic, potato, egg muffins.

5. What is the last song you listened to? 
Since I always listen to music while I blog, this is easy, "Make a Move" by Royal Tailor.

6. If you could pick one person that you would say, 'really gets you' who would it be?
After much thinking I believe it has to be my Dad. Even though I'm a girl and he's obviously not, he always seems to understand my whims and so on.

7. What is the scariest thing you have ever done?
When I was around 9-10, I slept on the top of a bunk bed while my sister slept on the bottom. I had just finished accidentally knocking my pillow over my railing, trying to catch it I hung onto the railing and reached down to catch it. It so happens to be that my hand slips and I flip over the railing landing with a thud on my bottom. It took me quite some time to recover from that.

8. If you could go back in life and do one thing differently what would it be?
As strange as it sounds I would have established the habit of  having a specified tea time everyday.

9. What is your favorite sandwich?
This is easy, my favorite sandwich has to be a caprese burger on a sesame roll.

10. Tell about one time in your life when you have been really excited about something and when it finally happened you were slightly disappointed.
When I was very young my goal was to be 13, sadly on my 13th birthday I still felt just the same as I had when I was twelve.

11. What is your favorite Holiday memory?
My favorite Holiday memory is the one Christmas day when we woke up to open the few gifts under our tree. Though that was the Christmas when we had hardly anything, none of us children noticed because we already had everything we loved the very most, our family.

Orange Sneakers

  I have had many terrific (and not so terrific) childhood adventures in this one pair of brown sandals. I took them everywhere with me, from sloshing through our creek, trekking through the woods, marching through fields, running away from deranged cattle, rescuing my sister from yellow jackets, laughing, racing, and pretty much just living my life in those sandals.

  A while ago those poor mud-caked brown sandals saw their last day, Those poor things had served me well. I lovingly chucked them away being truly grateful for all that they've brought me through, and decided it was time time to move on.

  One of my friends gave me a pair of orange sneakers not so long ago, and from the very moment I laid eyes on those sneakers I fell in love with them, I could tell with every feeling of assurance that those sneakers would be my new best friend, they have carried me through ravines, ponds, islands, across our barn roof, across the creek, and as they sit down in the basement awaiting our next adventure together I wish many mud-cakes and grass stains for them, and just know that someday those sneakers will carry their badges of adventure every bit as proudly as my brown sandals do now.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. If you could sit beside and/or jump in any lake in the whole wide world today, which lake would you choose and why? 

  I honestly have no idea what lake I'd jump into, as long as it's not infested with water snakes, alligators, etc.. I'd be happy to take the plunge.

2. What's your favorite 'fruity' drink? 

  When I was a little girl my number one goal was to grow up so that I could have this one drink from the grownups menu, even now there is not quite anything that measures up to being able to order Strawberry Lemonade.

3. I read a list here of thirteen things to do right now to simplify your life. They were-

clean as you go, re-evaluate your relationships (cut toxic ties), unsubscribe (too many blogs and websites), de-clutter, write down your daily goals, reply to emails right away, forget multitasking, create a morning routine, re-evaluate your commitments (which hobbies and responsibilities are most important to you), say no, clean up your computer, and plan your day ahead

Which of the tasks listed do you currently find most helpful in keeping life simple? Which item on the list should you adopt in order to simplify your life this month?

  Planning my day ahead of time has come in quite useful and though I'm sure multitasking is responsible for some of the confusion in my life, I still love to multitask as it is more efficient way of doing some things.

4. What did you do the summer after you graduated from high school?

  I'm not quite there yet but I would love to think that I would go swimming constantly, perhaps get a job or start a little business,  and pretty much just have the best summer in my life.

5. Are you a fan of podcasts? If so what's a favorite? 

  I have never listened to a podcast, and don't really think I'd go crazy over them anyway.

6. Do you think today's fathers have it harder, easier, or just different than fathers in the past?

  I think they have it harder since there are so many more problems to deal with concerning their children and the world, so in general their responsibilities are a lot heavier.

7. Tell us one way you're like your father? Or not at all like your father if that's easier?

  Our laughs are pretty much identical with chuckling, drawing breath, and chuckling again. Plus a ton more little things like both preferring chunky peanut butter, both being completely crazy when we're bored, we pretty much both have the same lame sense of humor, and we both love the other to no end.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

  Having heard quite a bit about keeping a dream journal I have recently decided to keep a book of my dreams as well. It came as quite a surprise to me to see how hard it is to remember what I dreamed about.

First Date Fears

  Back in the days when I was a little girl the thing that scared me the most was the dark, well, at least what was in the dark. But now I have come to realize that being scared of what's in the dark is a waste of time, and since I am prone to be "logical" I have now spent my horror on something much worse than the dark, something that haunts me at every turn, First Date Fears.

  I have collected quite a massive list of horrifying possible happenings on first dates and because of all of those possibilities I have decided to spread awareness about FDP (also known as first date phobia) by sharing my list of terrible possibilities.

First Date Fears

Coating my face in food because I ordered something messy

Choking on food

Spewing food or drink in my date's face

Knocking over my glass

Tripping and falling

Sneezing

Getting hiccups

Laughing with food in my mouth

Saying something stupid

Freezing in awkward silence

Snort while laughing

Having nothing to say

Spill food on my clothes

Accidentally insult him

Get lost in thought while he is saying something important

Say something intended as a joke but turns out not funny

Come over-dressed (cocktail dress to play baseball)

Awk+Awe ~ May

  For quite some time now I have been reading and enjoying this one blog that is written by an inspired young woman. One thing she does several times a year is an awk+awe post where she writes all the awkward and awesome things that have happened to her in the last month. So here's to Olivia for inspiring me.

  May has been very busy and with that busyness I have gotten to experience a mixture of awkward and awesome moments. A few of those include the following:

Awkward

Being chosen as a participant in a Celtic Concert and having no idea what to do.

Wearing heels for the first time ever in public and doing a "strut" that looked kind of like a mixture of a sick kangaroo and the Hulk.

Having my nose slammed into some old man's shoulder blades because of a pressing crowd.

Doing a weird dance in Walmart and turning around to see several people staring at me as if I'm a lunatic.

One of my friends refusing to watch me deal cards because I deal cards counter-clockwise.

Being asked a ton of questions by a college dude/salesman that was visiting the area trying to sell curriculum. 

Awesome

Trying to learn how to swim in the creek in our backyard.

Playing a game where you need to sit and bounce on the trampoline while the other person tries to throw a water balloon under you just as you land causing freezing cold water to burst all over your clothes and legs.

Having 3 new little kittens that Diane and I got to name, Piper, Jasper, and Weston.

Being told I should have all of my teeth for the rest of my life by my dentist.

Holding a slimy toad I found in our yard one evening after dark.

Having finally found a product that works splendidly with dry, frizzy, curly hair. (Moroccan Oil)

Staying up till midnight reading old diaries about the Alamo, Indians, and Salem Witch Trials.

Going to a delightfully elegant, and new to us, library.

Being told by a truly caring friend who was teaching me how to swim in our creek "You won't drown, besides, the current would sweep your corpse into my arms."


  And those, my dear friends, are just a few glimpses into my awkwardly awesome daily life as me.