It was delicious!

As the stone was rolled away....

As the stone was rolled away...., a photo by wvgasguy on Flickr.

Patches

Above: Patches, on the ride home from the vet. Ever heard that song, “Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high-yi”? Yeah, just like that.

Patches is 16, so things are wearin’ out, I guess. She was put under so that two of her teeth could be removed. While she was out, the vet discovered a mass on the left side of her mouth, way in the back behind her molar, running down her throat. Her throat was so constricted they had to use the smallest tube they had to put down her throat (for whatever reason they have to put a tube down the throat during surgery). The good thing is they obliterated the growth, she’ll be able to breathe with more ease. We’ll find out the results of the biopsy in a week or so.

 She is one tough little dame.

My Camera

Photo by titancia

My Nikon Coolpix P80. Best camera this novice has ever had.

Before this I had an Olympus C700, which got me through my eBay days fabulously. I loved it so much that when it quit working I bought a used one. I'd probably still be using it if not for the batteries, man, it ate AA’s like there was no tomorrow.

Good Ol' Fried Cabbage

I made some fried cabbage the other day, first time in a long while. I was the only one who ever ate the stuff, so I try not to offend the noses of those who don't. Then Hubby told me it smelled so good he had to taste it, and, hey, Mikey! He liked it!

My recipe is sort of fly by the seat of your pants because that’s how my dad cooked everything and he’s the one I learned from. But I think that’s what makes it easy and also gives you the freedom to make it your own.

Fry up a few pieces of bacon in the same lidded-pot you’ll cook the cabbage. Set bacon aside, leaving the drippings in the pot (a Tablespoon or two should do it). Add a chopped onion (whole or half, up to you, as big or little pieces as you like) and saute for a couple of minutes. Add chopped cabbage (mine end up looking like squares), but if it won’t all fit at once, put the lid on it and let it cook down for just a minute or two. Keep stirring while adding the cabbage until it all fits. Add some granulated garlic powder (about a teaspoon or so, you don't want it to overpower the taste of the cabbage), and salt and pepper to taste. Cover, stirring occasionally. When it’s almost done, crumble the bacon and toss it in. Finish cooking to your liking.

Cooking time is less than 10 minutes. That said, I like my cabbage with a little crunch to it, but some prefer it more on the mushy side, you just have to play with the cooking time a little. Also, I buy my bacon in those already cooked packages at Costco, so all I have to do is zap it for a minute. Since I don’t have bacon grease on hand, I just use a splash or two of olive or canola oil instead. It doesn't require much fat, just enough to flavor it, because the cabbage will make its own juice which actually steams it. Good stuff, Maynard.

Found Objects

We had an unexpectedly gorgeous day, yay! In need of Vitamin D, I grabbed my new garden tools and went to work. I'm not a gardener in any sense of the word. Yard work is work. Period. But today I actually enjoyed playing in the dirt. I was grumbling to myself about how much work it is to get down to the roots of those weeds and get them out once and for all, and feeling old because nothing works as it used to (I really have to think about getting up and down off the ground!).

Then I thought about the devotional I had read that morning, about praying with a thankful heart. Instead of griping about the work that needed to be done, I thanked God for giving me the good health to be able to do it. I thanked God for the blessing of being a home-owner, for being able to be out there on such a beautiful day, safe in my own back yard, working to make it more attractive.

Pretty soon I wasn't minding being on my hands and knees, getting my hands dirty. I was sincerely appreciating the new set of tools I picked up at Costco the other day, especially the yellow cushion that padded my knees so they didn't hurt near as much as usual. And that nifty container to toss the weeds in, way better than making piles all over the sidewalk and then having to scoop them up and put them in the big ol' yard waste container that I would have had to drag, kicking and screaming, into the back yard.

And then little unexpected surprises began to appear as I dug deep into the soil. I knew there would be earth worms or possibly a salamander or two, but what I didn't expect was the tiny plastic Barbie shoe, the opalescent glazed piece of ceramic, the pretty green chunk of glass, a tiny pumpkin garland or my favorite find, a tiny white button!

Pretty soon I found myself turning the soil not only to get to the roots of the pesky weeds, but in anticipation of another surprise. Hmm...now that I think about it, it's kind of like the way we live our lives, getting through the muck and the mud in order to enjoy the little discoveries and joys we uncover along the way. I'm very thankful for it all.

Cover Tune Grab Bag - "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

The Rock & Worship Roadshow 2011 presents "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" featuring MercyMe, Jars Of Clay, Matt Maher, Thousand Foot Krutch, The Afters & Lecrae.

My new favorite music video!