Holy Apples Batman!

Somehow, apple picking season has snuck up on me.    It didn't occur to me until I saw about a million posts on Facebook about how everyone went apple picking over the weekend.  But surely I haven't gone apple picking until October in years past.  But, that was "sooo last year."  Local orchards are saying that the apples are ready about three weeks earlier this year than normal.  The weather is to blame for the early blooming--which is NOT welcomed by this procrastinator.  In fact, everything has been early this year.  The strawberries, the blueberries, the tomatoes.  Do I dare question whether or not winter will be early too?

There is also not going to be as many apples either...apparently the yield is also down this year.  By about 40 percent, in fact.  Well, isn't THAT just great?  Not only do I have to hurry out to go picking, I might be involved in a "1980s cabbage patch kid fight" over them! 

Jonathan was so cute last year during our trip to the orchard.  He was amazed at all the trees and couldn't decide which tree to pick from, so he just ran from tree to tree grabbing apples and putting them in his basket.  I had no idea if I had Fuji, Macintosh, or Gala when I got home.  It didn't matter, though.  they all tasted so much better than those from the grocery store and we ate them for weeks! 

I'm not sure we'll be eating for weeks this year, but hopefully we at least get one batch of applesauce and a pie out our picking!

What are some of your favorite apple recipes?

Don Henley Is Going Country

Don Henley, legendary lead singer of the Eagles, is making a solo country album.  Henley is currently on tour with the Eagles, but according to "Diablo" Magazine, the Eagles front man is planning to record a collection of country tunes.  The songs will be both cover songs as well as some originals.  Now, the Eagles have always had a mass appeal and particularly with country music fans, so the idea is not that far fetched.  In fact, they have had success on country radio, but this will be a first for Henley's solo projects.  Henley tells the mag that he would even like to collaborate with Merle Haggard.

Bringing Out The Fall!

It is here!!  My favorite time of year.  Maybe it's because my birthday is in the fall and it was always such an exciting time as a child.  Maybe it's because it is the prelude to the Christmas season and the beginning of such celebration.  Or it could just be the sounds, smells, and tastes that make me L-O-V-E fall! 

This morning I sipped on my morning cup of joe with my favorite coffee creamer added...International Delight's Pumpkin Pie Spice.  That's when I thought, it is sooo time to bring out the fall!  I have so many fall decorations and today is the day they are coming out of storage!  I like to call my decorating style "country chic."  Or "country couture."  And I really get to go hog wild on that style this time of year! 

A couple of years ago, I tried this project and it has become one of my favorite things to display.  Here's how I did it:

A friend of mine had an Uppercase Living party, so I decided to purchase this cute little fall saying to add to my decor. I was a little hesitant to stick any of these on my walls...in case I got tired of it too soon. Keep in mind, that I love to do crafts, but I am not the most artistic person in the world. I decided to place my saying on a board, which my hubby put some finishing details to. So, armed with spray paint and my decal...away I went.

Painting the board was not so hard...although I did have to move inside because it was too windy outside and I was getting grass clippings on my masterpiece. (I told you, not so artistic) Anyway, getting these letters to actually adhere to what I wanted them to was rather difficult. It took a lot of rubbing and manipulating. I thought this was supposed to be for the creatively challenged folks. I mean after all, if I could paint well, I wouldn't need these words. After about an hour and a half and many fingernail pull offs and resets, I finally finished my project. While the first and last words came out beautifully, the main lettering looks a little bad. I don't care, however, and have proudly displayed my project in my dinning area.

By the way, no one has ever said anything to me about those imperfections and if I didn't point them out obsessively, it would probably go completely unnoticed. 

I have plenty of projects and fun menu items planned for this year and cannot wait to blog about them this fall!  In the meantime, I'm going to sip some more pumpkin coffee and breathe in that wonderful fall air!

I Will Never Forget

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

I was in Holland, MI.  I was doing the morning show for a full-service AM station after serving as the station's news director for several years and was having a great time doing it.  It was a great day too.  A lot of listeners called in and we were having a great time!  The weather was just perfect.  A beautiful morning full of sunshine. 

I was getting ready to go into the news and was trying to fill enough time to get to the top of the hour and wasn't paying much attention to the TV in the studio.  The phone line lit up, so without hesitation, I answered it.  "Did you just see what happened on TV?"  the voice on the line asked me.  "No, what?"  The listener frantically said, "A plane just ran into the World Trade Center building."  

I quickly flipped the studio TV onto a news channel and saw the billowing smoke.  What in the world was going on?  How could a plane lose such control that it could run into a building like that?  It never occurred to me that someone would do such a thing on purpose.   

You know, a lot of people talk about how radio folks can never shut up and always have to get in the last laugh, or be the center of attention.  Not that day.  We were all huddled around the TV. Completely.  Silent. 

Another plane hit the towers and yet another plane hit the Pentagon. I thought, "my father-in-law used to work in the Pentagon."

 I finally mustered up enough courage to leave the station, and leaving all the news coverage up to a then rookie radio guy who would later become my boss and is now working in Detroit as "the boss man."  I know he too has quite a story to tell of that day. 

The first thing I did, was call my husband only to find out that he had walked his students to a neighborhood park that day--it was a gorgeous day after all.  He had no idea yet what had happened. 

Then I called my mom and dad, because I just felt like I had to.  I couldn't stand being home alone, so I went downtown to a prayer vigil that afternoon.  I held hands with strangers and we prayed and cried together.  The mayor led the prayer.

I didn't lose anyone I loved that day, but I wept as though I had lost a million.  And I still weep for those lost on that day.  And for those who lost someone they loved. 

I can't believe it has been 9 years already, yet at the same time I can't believe how much has happened in those 9 years.  I could list all the things that has happened in our nation in that time period, but what I think about most is the anniversaries I have spent with my husband.  The birthdays, that I know are dwindling, with my parents.  The beautiful babies my husband and I have brought into this world, and every moment that they bring a smile to my face.  I will never forget those moments, and I will never forget 9/11.

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

Teaching a class full of innocent children

Driving down some cold interstate

Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor

In a crowded room did you feel alone

Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her

Did you dust off that Bible at home

Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened

Close your eyes and not go to sleep

Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages

Speak with some stranger on the street

Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow

Go out and buy you a gun

Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching

And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger

Stand in line and give your own blood

Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family

Thank God you had somebody to love

~Alan Jackson

Throwback Thursday!

Ricky Van...The Man!  I don't think there wasn't a wall in my room that was not covered in Ricky Van Shelton posters in the late 80s early 90s!  I was absolutely in LOVE with him!  Here's one of my favorites!



Yes, they are doing the "Tush Push" in the video, a dance I know all too well....AH, the good ole days!

Fun in the Mud!

For the past several years I have interviewed a gentleman responsible for putting on a local mud bog and every year he gives me tickets to give away on the air and always invites me to come out and enjoy the fun.  I graciously accept the tickets and have a ton of fun giving them away, but have yet to go to the actual mud bog.  I can honestly say that I have always had a prior commitment on the weekend of the event, but this year is different, I have no commitments for the day.

Now, to be even more honest, I wasn't exactly upset that I always had something else going on and could never attend the "bog."  You see, I am only country to a certain extent--let's face it, this sounds like it leans a little redneck.  A mud bog doesn't really sound like "me."  In fact, I didn't even know what it was when I did the first interview three years ago.  After learning that a mud bog is basically where a bunch of pick up trucks, modified or not, try there darnedest to make it through a huge mud pit, I flashed back to high school.  One of my guy friends (who may or may not have been trying to ask me out on a date) turned to me in Econ class and said, "Do you want to go muddin' with me this weekend?"  I think my exact response was, "Do I want to go WHAT-ING with you this weekend?"

That has pretty much been my mindset on the whole "mud" concept.  After all, I had hogs growing up can't I call it good on the whole "mud" thing?  BUT--a certain male in my life just my change my mind.  A very cute and very influential little man...Jonathan.  I am sure that he would love to go and watch a bunch of souped up pickups run through the mud.  So, this year, I say, "bring it on!"

Or, at least take these really yummy mudslide brownies and try to grin and bear it!  Now THAT, I can handle!  Enjoy!

Sandra Lee's Mudslide Brownies:

Ingredients
• Butter-flavored cooking spray

• 1 (18.3-ounce) box fudge brownie mix (recommended: Betty Crocker)

• 3 eggs, divided use

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup pre-made mudslide drink (recommended: T.G.I. Friday's)

• 1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals

• 1 tablespoon hot water

• 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter-flavored cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine brownie mix, 2 eggs, vegetable oil, and mudslide drink. Mix well to combine. Transfer to prepared baking pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine instant coffee and 1 tablespoon of hot water. Stir together until all the coffee has dissolved. Add cream cheese, sugar and remaining egg. Using an electric mixer beat on low speed until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread over brownie mixture. Use a butter knife to cut cream cheese mixture into brownie mixture for a marble effect.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Adding To The Collection

If there were only dinosaurs, rocks, and Colby cheese in this world, my 5-year-old would be just fine.  In fact, his rock collection is quite impressive.  Every year we head to the gem and mineral show at our local fairgrounds and Jonathan gets all kinds of treasures to add to his collection.  It is amazing that they just give kids all these really cool rocks and teach them about all the different types of minerals.  I feel like Jonathan has already far exceeded my knowledge in this area and it amazes me the material he can retain. 

This year, my little budding geologist had a different prize in mind, however.  You see, you might have noticed that I have been M.I.A. for about a week now.  That's because I had a minor surgery to remove my gall bladder.  It seems I had a stone that was creating some issues for me.  (Do you see where this is going?)  So, I opted to have the problem removed, but had to take some time off. 

The moment Jonathan knew that Mommy had a stone inside her, he was fascinated.  You would have thought I was a superhero!  Everyday he would ask me, "Did you get your stone cut out today, Mommy?"

While I was in surgery, my parents were kind enough to watch the kiddos for me.  And were kind enough to stay a few days to help out around the house, and in particular, with the baby.  Apparently, while they were waiting for me to come home, Jonathan told Grandma, "I sure hope they bring that stone home so I can add it to my collection!"