Ramblin' Bamblin"

Ordinarily, i'd say let's go to the Waffle House and get some breakfast, drink coffee, and talk treason until dawn. This just isn't reasonable because i'm wherever i am and you aren't. You are where you are and most likely asleep. In lieu of that, i figure i'll just sit here and see what bubbles to the surface.

It's about three thirty in the morning and i just got the last glass of ice from the bag in the freezer. Add to that a fresh can of caffeine free Dr Pepper and a BC Powder and many of you can envisage the scene. I'm here at my desk; sipping, puffing, and playing with my moccasins with my toes.

It's been bugging me that i set a goal of twenty-six postings for this year and i'm only at twelve with three quarters of the year gone. I'd like to think that my postings happen organically and are in no way forced. Then again, i'm reminded of the previous posting that was anything but organic. Or wasn't it?? It did indeed occur from those elements that bubbled up while writing it. In some regards though, i would say it was forced. I was feeling the pressure of not meeting my own goals and i had a couple of friends ask me to post something, so maybe it was. I'm not sure and i guess i'll have to leave it as it is.

It's not like i don't have anything i want to write about. I have a list that is only rivaled by my grocery list and Santa's. I've been threatening for months to write one about my Aunt. She is a beautiful lady that has been a parent, a friend, and a great influence on me. While it is a bit scary writing about one of your friends or relatives, it can be very rewarding in a sense of tribute or sharing with the world how wonderful these people are.

It's not just people either. I drive a 1991 Isuzu Trooper. It's a big square chunky refrigerator box of an SUV built before they attempted to make them comfortable. It's ugly, the paint is faded and chipped, the seats are like a wooden chair and the carpet is horrifyingly dirty. (and NO, a steam cleaner won't help) However, for everything it isn't, my Trooper is two or three times over.

Then somewhere in there i'm hoping to find my silliness again. I just haven't been silly in a while and that's starting to bug me too. Hell, i'm probably on the downside of a Bipolar swing or something. I probably shouldn't joke about it as it sounds like self pity, but if you can't smile with the bad, why smile with the good?? I found out last week the celebrated football coach Vince Lombardi was Bipolar. Maybe i should have been a football coach. Hmmmm, nah, the cord on the whistle would mess up my hair too much.

At any rate, there's a meeting of the Married Single Parents Association in a few hours so i should try to pass out.

I certainly hope you are all doing well and that the Autumnal breezes find you soon.

Until i write again, Peace be with you, Dave

Stick a fork in Me: formerly Back by popular demand

Okay, so it's been a while since i sat to write anything. I've even had a stalker or two, casually comment on my absence. I do appreciate the attention and i certainly hope i don't let you down. One thing though, don't forget, you get what you pay for.

I'm not overly gabby these days. It's quite possible that my son's football is taking its toll on me. Then again, my younger son and his FFA is a concern,but not quite as bad. Let me attempt to clear this up a bit. When it comes to football, he's attending two games a week. I thought the UIL had rules about this, but what do i know? I'm just a housewife. Honestly, i don't see how he's going to be out that much and be academically successful. Time will tell, but it's a burden knowing everything. Then the FFA thing. Last year, the cost of a hog was 190USD. Much to my surprise, this year it is right at 400USD. What in the hell. Feed is twice as expensive too which equals something in the order of two hundred bucks a month for feed for a pair of hogs for eight. Sorry Zeke, i guess you are going to concentrate on the political side of the club this year cause the animals are out.

Okay, sorry, had to go meet the teacher. Someday, someone is going to have to tell me just why we do that. It's not like the teachers ever say anything other than i enjoy having BooBoo in my class. Though there was a high point, if you could call it that. I threatened to whack his AP English teacher in the head if she used "Took'n" as his physics teacher had. I have to admit. I use poor English regularly, but i'd never use Took'n in place of " have taken".

Ah hell!!! It has taken me two days and a number of hours to write this. I did manage to make the orange and black table cloths i was asked to make, but other than that i think i'm fried. By the by, those are organizational colors not linens for Halloween.

Ok, that's it. I'm posting this without editing. It is what it is. And for the record, i just found out that Mr Football has fallen behind in his classwork.

You know i love you more than my luggage...

Peace be with you, Dave

The Amazing Flour Tortilla

My time in the kitchen began sometime well before i won my first cooking contest with a culinary curiosity called "Cheezy Grits Bake" in 4H. That little number happened the better part of forty years ago while still in Elementary School. Since then, i have spent an obsessive amount of time and effort documenting and preserving the cuisine that defines the culture i come from. Talk about your fusions of ethnic foods, everything from the soul foods of northern Florida and southern Georgia all the way across to western Texas and northern Mexico. Add to that, the foods i have had in my travels, that i chose to add, to what i already had and you end up with something really ecclectic. The best part about growing up where i did was, we had Mexican food before Mexican food was cool. Sounds like a country song don't it?? It was just what we ate. Hell my friends and I were eating Fajitas before Bobby Flay ever disgraced a knife by picking it up. In case you missed the dig, i'm not one of his fans.

The two food items that are both central to our food and at the same time were the hardest for me to master were the Buttermilk Pie and the Tortilla.

The problem with the Buttermilk Pie was solved by being sloppier in its preparation. You could say that, for me to make my Grandmother's version of the pie, i had to make it the way she did and she just threw it together. However, the Tortilla came down to my own expectations.

Over the 4th of July weekend, i promised an old friend of mine that i would share my tortilla recipe with her. She told me that she had tried several recipes and that it must be something in the way she was preparing them that didn't produce a tortilla up to her expectations. Now, usually when i share a recipe with someone, i monkey with it a bit. You know, nothing that makes it not turn out, just something that isn't exactly as i do it. Well, today is a special occassion for me. Here is the actual recipe i use for Flour Tortillas. It doubles as a pie crust, pancake batter, drop dumplings, biscuits and a few other things with a few minor additions to the mix or in the liquid. Generally, i'll take a couple of Kilos of flour and make up the mix in bulk just to have on hand much the same way other people would use Bizquik or some other mix. I'm sorry that my recipe is in grams, but it's the only way to truly get the same results every time. Flour settles, you can over fill or under fill a measuring cup with liquid, but using a scale makes everything friendly every time.

Tortilla Mix

• 250g Flour
• 8g Salt
• 8g Baking Powder
• 68g Shortening (I have made them with Lard, Crikso, Veg Oil and even bacon fat) The results vary slightly. I probably prefer half Lard (when my wife lets me) and half veg oil. In the end, shortening is shortening as far as the gluten is concerned.
• 172g Warm Water

Bakers Formula: Flour 100, Salt 2, Baking Powder 2, Shortening 17, liquid 43.

The Bulk Mix i made this time was 2000g Flour, 40g each of Salt and Baking Powder, and 340g of regular old Crisco. For the recipe on the video i used, 300G of mix and 130g of warm water. The warmth isn't all that important. If it feels warm and not hot or cold, then it's a good temp.

Here's the Video.

I must apologize for some of the camera work, but my son is only fourteen and he's still learning. All in all, for as long as he's been doing it, he doesn't do too badly especially since this was his first video.

If you guys have any questions about making tortillas, feel free to ask. I field questions about cooking and sewing everyday and i don't mind at all.

I certainly hope you got from this what you needed. I know you can do it. Now, go forth and tortilla your brains out.

Until we get together again, Peace be with you, Dave

Take the Long Way Home

It had been a couple of years since i'd been home. My last trip was, demoralizing, wrathful, and emotionally draining. So much so, it prompted me to swear to never again return to the place of my youth. So when a class reunion came up, it took quite a bit of coaxing to get me to throw in with my old friends. Though i had made room reservations back in January and had a car reserved, it wasn't until i found out that my Aunt and Uncle were going to be there that i knew i was really going to throw my arse in the car. I made one promise to myself for this trip and that was i'd only hang around people that made me, Happy!!!

I threw the family in the Rent-a-Wreck and headed out. I was so determined to make sure we

all had a good time that i insisted we take a little detour along the way.

Welcome to Happy, Texas. This simple divergence really set me off on the right foot. I know it seems silly, but this made me really happy. While we were there, a man out for a morning walk asked if we needed help. I told him that we were fine and just wanted to get this picture and he smiled. He took a few steps and turned back to me and said, "Welcome to Happy." I thought, Indeed.

We got to Alpine, running late as usual, and Donner got her nails done (Busy week before we left and fortunate enough to know people down home willing to stay late on Friday (Thank You Fred!!!)). We got checked into the hotel with just enough time to shower and get the boys pizza before the first night's activities.

I was completely taken aback by just how beautiful everyone was. All of these kids i had known had grown up. Suddenly, i began to feel old. It was a great night. I got to see Lavender Chick, Painted Groove Girl, Aura Mae, Kara and a litany of others that i hadn't seen in years. As an added bonus i got to visit with JENNIFER!!!!!!!!!!!! Who had some right interesting questions about Donner's benefits package. LOLOL

Here, i grabbed a photo-op with The Lavender Chick herself. She's just as charming and warm as she was when we first met. I guess i should have tried to hold her hand on that field trip in fifth grade. Alas, she's my friend and that's way better. Now, y'all go buy her Lotion cause it's just as perfect as she is and the Body Wash is something you can't live without!!!

Even my sister was a blast to hang out

with. Fun as it was, i still had a shopping list of things to accomplish in a weekend.

One of those items was to have a visit with my Aunt and Uncle. We moved

away from each other before Donner

and i got married. Therefore You might as well classify it as a moral imperrative. More on that later.

Finally, i would be remiss if i didn't give credit where credit is due, i managed to get a picture of the whole family together. Courtesy of Aura Mae, Celebrated Hair Magician, Talented Foodie, and yes it seems to be, Photographer too. It's pretty easy to carry a camera and get shots of people and events, but the hard thing to do is to get yourself in them. So, Thank You Aura Mae, you're wonderful and i appreciate you for doing this.

For most of the night, i let the guys run free with the camera, telling them only this: Don't drop it and get a picture of everyone, especially the couples. They did a pretty good job. Thank You guys. I know they probably don't get it, but by them taking pics it left me to spend more time enjoying the moment. I am surprised at just how friendly and fun it was. I wish i had gotten the chance to visit with Painted Groove Girl more and a few others, but if there is a next one, i certainly won't get so worked up about it.

One last thing, my favorite part had to be... Well some things are better left unsaid.

Until i address you again, Peace be with you, Dave

P.S. I am working to put my tortilla recipe. It's been crazy here, but when i do i certainly hope you get from it something you can use.

Potpourri for 100 Alex and a Reunion Too

In case you haven't noticed, i haven't journaled in quite a while, even for me. I've been pretty busy lately, what with the end of the school year, my container garden, and my beloved sewing machine. Then again, i guess the largest detractor from journaling are my wonderful boys on summer vacation.

Well, i found a few minutes and thought i would catch everyone up on the goings on here in the middle of nowhere.

The school year ended and the boys are moving on to their Sophomore and Junior years. The older one turned sixteen the other day and it made me a bit sad. I am going to make a terrible empty nester!!!

As for my container garden, this has been a tough year. I ended up with an infestation of Spider Mites, Leaf Miners, and Flea Beetles (I always want to spell it Beatles). I tried all of the Organic ways to rid them, but finally aquiesced and bought some Neem Oil and i'm just waiting on the Tomatos to rebound. The peppers and other veggies are blooming and growing again like i would expect them to. So far i have gotten a dozen tomatos, a couple dozen peppers, and one bhut jalokia. I haven't tried that pepper yet, but i'll let you know what happens when i do. I guess it wouldn't be fair if i didn't show you a picture of my little container garden. So, here it is.

As for the sewing part, it's that time of year when i traditionally make Donner something summery. I sure hope that's a real word, if it isn't it is now. This year is no different. I've made a few blouses and a couple pair of pants. Next up is a dress or two.

Finally, there is a class reunion over the 4th of July weekend. I come from small town America. So small in fact the reunion covers everyone that graduated during the 1980's. Now, a little tidbit, i didn't graduate from there or anywhere. I earned my GED in the Army, but we were all such a part of each other's formative years that nobody really cares. It's more about getting the people together to celebrate that part of our collective lives than who did what. I have to admit i'm a little apprehensive about going as there are only a dozen or so people i want to see, but i'll put on my brave face and go. Those few people i want to see are worth enduring the presence of those i'd rather not. The sad thing is, i'm related to a number of those i don't. Then again i learned there is a silver lining to this. I have a set of relatives, that i really enjoy, that will be there as well. I haven't seen them in something like fifteen years or so and that is just too long.

I will go to bed tonight with a guarded sense of excitement for the 4th of July weekend.

On a personal note Painted Groove Girl and Lavender Chick, I certainly hope we all find time to sit down, split a beer, and talk a little treason.

Until I write again, as always, Peace be with You, Dave

Smells like Summer

For as long as i can remember, I have been one of those people that, according to Kant, experiences transcendental episodes created in response to olfactory stimuli. In short, there are certain smells that take me to a place and/or time. Many times it's as though i am living it for the first time.

I would guess the first smell i really remember having these trance-like episodes over was, of all things, a hairspray. It was either Aqua Net or Final Net. I remember it came in a blue can with this kind of net pattern on it. I had a girlfriend that used it and to this day, i still have fond feelings associated with it. Then there is the weird. I absolutely love the smell of skunk. Now, not a heavy smell of skunk, just a light whiff of skunk in the distance. To me it is a peaceful and calming thing.

There are those smells that are straight forward and just stand for something, like; baking bread, babies, a clean bathroom, and leather. Which brings me to my favorite smell of all. I completely love the smell of a woman first thing in the morning. I'm not talking about that whole kitten breath thing. I mean it's not like i've been eating tic tacs all night myself. I'm talking about the smell on her. That warm, maternal, lovely homey smell she has right before she wakes to start her day. The scent of a woman could be a whole post all by itself and yet i doubt i'd deliver justice on the subject. It seems as though i have wandered pretty far from the path, but what can i say, it's just one of those things.

The other day i was at the store, in the produce section, and evidently my smell thing caught up with me. I was standing there with a lug of Village Farms tomatoes smelling them. I was frantically searching for a hint of that earthy smell home grown tomatoes have. While i was smelling them, the woman next to me said, "it's not there." I looked at her and smiled and said, "What's not there?" She said, "That tomato smell you're looking for."

I didn't know anyone was aware of what i was doing, but i had been smelling all of the produce before putting it in my buggy. The funny thing is, she was right. I was looking for that tomato smell.

That dirty, earthy, almost evergreen smell that homegrown tomatoes have just screams summer to me. It takes me back to when i was a kid and my grandmother would have this immense garden filled with all kinds of vegetables and i hadn't yet learned that produce without blemishes or natural odor even existed.

For about the last ten years, or so, i have been container gardening on our patio. This year is no different save the location change which got me started later than i normally would. I have two varieties of tomato, jalapenos, cayenne peppers, some orphaned strawberry plants my mother-in-law gave me, a few garlic, a bed of salad greens and one of carrots and radishes. I may add some green onions to that, but essentially that's it. It's a typical offering from me, but it's the first time in a few years i have planted all of it.

I was admiring my plants yesterday when i came across that familiar tomato smell that i've been longing for. I'm happy to report it smells like summer at my grandmother's.

There is one more plant i am growing this year. It's the Ghost Chili or Bhut Jalokia. It's supposed to be one hot mother. If a Jalapeno is 4-6 thousand Scoville units in heat, i can't imagine what 1.1 million Scovilles is going to be like from this monster. I am planning on drying them out and using them to augment the lack of heat winter jalapenos have i use in our salsa here at the house in the latter months. I'll let you know if i can still taste anything after i try one. In the meantime, it's an attractive plant and doesn't really look like a pepper plant. The leaves aren't shaped right. That is the plant i am holding in the picture above. (The first picture is of one of my tomato plants) Oh, and that piece of glass you see behind me is the top of my solar water distiller. I'm getting a couple cups a day, not quite a quart yet. I'm still tweaking it.

So, there you have it. A somewhat intimate look into one of the things that drives the person i am.

Until i find you again, Peace be with you.

Dave

Truculent with a subtle touch of recalcitrance

Today i add another ring around the oak that is my life. My leaves are tattered, my trunk is sturdy, and i don't bend like i once did, but i hope the shade i cast is comforting to my family and friends.

I saw some of those friends this past weekend in Dallas. Those few hours reaffirmed just how precious those people are. I am thankful for being entwined such that we are and I love you. I haven't the ability to articulate it any better than that. Rest assured there will always be a branch to hang a swing on.

And in response to the general state of things, i will indeed take a few minutes for myself today. I Promise.

Again, I thank all of you for the enrichment you have brought into my world.

Till we talk again, Peace be with you,

Dave