Goin' Texan

Today is Go Texan Day. That's right pardners, cowpokes, and buckaroos, it's rodeo time in Houston. To commemorate this special occasion, I decided it was high time I owned my very own pair of boots. And here you see them in all their black, shiny leather glory. I think I just might have to wear these more than once a year.

Anyone else going to the rodeo? I'm not one for the giant turkey legs, but I've sampled a fried twinkie. This year Steve and I are going to see Trace Adkins. Can't wait!

The Saving Power of Soap

I thought of all sorts of spiritual applications, Biblical allusions, and gospel hymn bits. In the end, the pictures speak for themselves.

Meet Puppy Friend. PF is our puppy's stuffed animal. That's right, Radley has his own "mini-me." PF was looking a little, well, not himself lately so I subjected him to 20 minutes on heavy-cycle-super-hot-plus-bleach.

I don't want to use the word "miracle"....

ArmaWEDdon

Katie's comment "Does this picture make anyone else think of Armageddon" cracked me up. I knew immediately the movie image she was talking about. Here, judge for yourself.

Happy Birthday To Steve!

In honor of his birthday today, the dept. of public safety sent my husband his new driver's license. As horrible pictures go, that one ranks up there as one of the all time worst! To counteract the pain, I'm posting a sweet picture here. The song was "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw. Just think: in 3 months this "little girl" is going to have her own little girl. That's one of the things that makes growing older easier to take isn't it sweetheart? Love you!

Going Crackers

When I was visiting my post-surgical, convalescing mother 2 weeks ago (hah! That woman can run rings around me even after having an appendectomy. At 70.) we enjoyed this yummy snack, a recipe from her friend Dot. The very next week, one of my students brought a similar treat to class. And this week, we are pleased to announce that we are expecting grandchild #2. Jaimee is eating crackers, but not this recipe!

Spicy Crackers

1 box saltine crackers, with unsalted tops
1 cup canola oil (I'm told that canola is a must!)
1 pkg Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix oil, dressing and pepper well. "Un-sleeve" the crackers and place them in rows on a cookie sheet. Drizzle 1/2 the mixture over crackers, then fan them the opposite direction and drizzle the rest. Toss the crackers to absorb any remaining oil in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and store. Best if made a day in advance.

Wonderful Workspace

Some blogs I read post a "workspace of the week." Why not me? The short answer is because, until yesterday, my desk would only have won the "How on Earth Does Anyone Get Anything Done Here?" award. No more! Yesterday I busied myself at the task of creating peace and harmony on my desktop. The real one, not the computer version.

Positive changes: I cleared out the drawer on my left to serve as my "in box." I moved my laptop over to the right in order to hide all the power cords and also to free up the center space to be able to work at the desk itself. My Desk-Top Ten:
* Art for the Day Calendar
*Purple Post-it-note Pop-ups
*Picture of Alex and me
*Crystal box, gift from Troop 320, when I retired as Committee Chair
*Mini snow globe of New York City, memento of last summer's vacation
*Willowtree figurine of girl holding a book, gift from a student
*Candle in jar, surrounded by seashells and glass, gift from a student after her beach trip
*Bible verse of the day calendar, gift from Mom
*Huge paper calendar. Most of my life is organized online, but sometimes I just need to look on the wall for a date.
*Stapler. When my desk is clean, I can find it!

Everything I Need to Know, I Learned From a Crossword Puzzle

Oh sure, life on the grid is a great way to boost vocabulary. I can tell you about rocky outcroppings ("tors"), mine openings ("adits"), and Italian spewers ("Etna"). I feel genuinely sorry for those whose fame lives on solely through puzzles (Peter Fonda as "Ulee", Crying Game's Steven "Rea", and musician "Satie." For those aspiring to greatness, my advice: Change your name to include a lot of vowels.

We've all heard that a crossword puzzle a day keeps Alzheimers at bay. (Non-puzzlers, not to worry. I've also heard that 15 minutes of face-to-face conversation does the same thing.) Still, there must be something that keeps me coming back every morning, Sundays, and the Thursday NYT special in the Post's Preview section.

Solving the puzzle reminds me that sometimes you have to look at problems from all angles. Stuck in one corner? Let it go. Start in a different place and you'll eventually work your way back.

Be fearless! I solve in pen because I like the way it feels on newsprint and its contrast that pencil lacks. But what about mistakes? I cross them out and keep going. Arriving at a solution isn't always neat and tidy.

Is it cheating to head to google or wikipedia for help? Does this taint the success of the day? Not if I learn something that will help me the next time around. Puzzles teach you to manage your resources.

In puzzle-land, Monday puzzles are the easiest. Sometimes I put myself in speed-solving mode and other times I solve just using the down clues. This teaches me to always look for ways to improve.

When the squares don't make sense and the letters don't fit, I have to humble myself and admit I might be wrong. I have to let go of my determination to be correct and start over. Beating my head against the wall...er puzzle, won't get me anywhere.

Walk away. If nothing makes sense, then letting my brain rest is often the best solution to reach a solution. Amazing how often a fresh start offers an "aha!" moment.

For a cruciverbalist, life has its acrosses and downs, but nothing beats the satisfaction of filling in that very last empty square.