Dogs, Books, Cooks, and Anything Else That Matters Today

I guess I don't need to blog anymore.  The title says it all!  Before I got out of bed I finished the book, Marley and Me and of course I cried.  What a book for dog lovers!  My daughter Cari loaned it to me.  John Grogan is the author and you can certainly tell he writes for a living as a newspaper columnist.  I laughed out loud, I anguished with them and rejoiced with them.  I knew what was going to happen in the end, but I kept reading! 

I probably will not be writing a book although I was editor of the high school paper.  Does that count?  What Mr. Grogan says in his interview in the back was that he writes in his journal every day and that is where he remembers events if he is writing about them later.  So, to be a good writer one needs to write every day.  I am a sporadic writer and I do lots of it in my head.  That is why I stopped what I was doing today to get some of those thoughts "out."

One other thing John Grogan said was "The internet is an amazingly powerful tool."  "It also is responsible for the biggest loss of productivity in the history of mankind."  I think that at times as I am "lurking" around on the computer.

If you have never bought one of these magazines, they are so worth reading.  I just do not have a subscription, so I buy one occasionally and the articles that caught my eye on the front were: "Rating Peanut Butters," "Secrets To Perfect Whole Wheat Bread," and "Dressing Up Steaks."  Is your mouth watering yet?  Cowboy likes perusing them too.  What I did read outloud to him was the editorial, PICKUP TRUCK RULES by Christopher Kimball.  It is very funny and you can buy your own copy or borrow mine!

Speaking of cooking, today I did the second batch of canned beef.  Yum, yum!

If you look closely, you can still see it bubbling in the jars.  It makes a quick meal when one is in a hurry and Cowboy likes that when I am gone.  Biscuits and hot meat, noodles and beef, hot beef sandwiches, anything that your heart desires.  We had a beef butchered at Ryan's Meat Processing and had them bag some of the stew meat in big packages for me to can.

I am trying to read through the Bible in one year and I got behind, so today was my catch up day.  While the canner was rocking I was reading...       I also got my Bible study lesson done.  It is making me dig in my Bible.  I have a Beth Moore I am going to finish this year also...   I am holding myself accountable so when you ask, I can say, "Yup!" "I am still reading and studying!"  It seems when June rolls around and branding starts, I put all my stuff on hold as we roll out of bed at 4 a.m., breakfast, dishes, cook, cook, cook, pack to pasture, feed the men, bring it home, clean up the mess, figure out who is coming for supper, start meal, bake for next day.  Then feed the men when they get in that night, do the dishes, fall into bed and that alarm is ringing AGAIN at 4 a.m. the next morning!  Thank goodness it is usually only four days.  If it rains, it might be five.  Of course, rain seems pretty far off right now!

One of the many blessings of today is that the sun is shining!  And there is blue sky!!

This is Tristin's tree skirt that she asked me to make for her.  I need to quilt it and put the ties on it.  I have been at a stop on quilting and sewing as I have been knitting.  I can't seem to do both!  Ha!  And naturally I seem to have a book going at all times too!  So I want you to see that I haven't been completely idle.

This pair of socks could be a blog all by itself.  Years ago I made mittens for the kids and I thought I needed to learn how to knit socks.  One uses four needles.  I felt pretty fumble fingered.  My teacher lives forty miles away and have you ever had directions explained over the phone when you are a visual learner?  The stitches kept falling off of my needles.  Cowboy asked me why was I doing that because it did not sound like much fun or relaxing!  Men can be so cute!  I sent the first sock home with the teacher to pick up my dropped stitches and I started the other sock with much better results.  I think I can see the end in sight!  I love the color and am hoping they will fit.