It had to happen

The first car I ever owned was a Chevy Vega.

I was very cool.

It had a 'hatch back'  (whatever that was)

oh...  A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area

so, i guess they still have 'hatchback's'.  No one ever uses that word anymore tho.

Very cool in the  '70's!

Then I met and married the Handyman.  I had to become a FORD person.

  Right before we got married he bought a baby blue Ford Pinto.

Believe it or not, we had a family of five before we got a new car.  Yes, 3 little kids in this.  2 in the back and one in my lap....in a car seat, but in my lap. 

This was long before car seats were a law--they were just a nice place to put a baby.

Then we've owned a Ford Cougar

and as our family grew we had our Areostar

and lately as we have gotten wiser  (not older)

a Ford Fusion

and a F-150 Truck

As you can see, we keep our vehicles.  For a long, long time.

We've been married for 36 years next week and in all that time, these are the cars we've had.

Notice that since I've been married, they are all Fords  (okay, I cannot tell a lie, we did have a  Plymouth Voyager for a long time)

but anyway,  my story is---

I am going to buy my parents  CHEVY Trailblazer.

My sister-in-law said to me...

do you think your garage will reject it?

I don't know---we'll see.

Outdoor Wednesday

While everyone else seems to be posting spring pictures, flowers, green, heading into summer pics--I am posting some of a hike we took about  6 weeks ago.

You know, we live in the high desert---not so much green here.  And while it was hot over this past Memorial Day Weekend,  we did have snow six weeks ago, up in the hills.

I am linking  up to Outdoor Wednesday.

Our hike up Water Canyon

I always think no one in the East knows what a cattle guard is---so I always take photos of them.

Cattle won't cross them, so it's a way to keep cattle out or in a certain place. 

So begins our hike...

It's a bit cloudy and the Handyman wanted to know if I wanted to carry on.

I did.

The sun kept trying to peek out here and there.

It IS Water Canyon, after all...so we had some little streams to cross here and there.

Rock formations on the way.

A cave!

For some reason I love to take pictures of old trees against the sky.

No one knows why...not even I.

I gave you some poetry there.

I've always been intrigued by tree carvings.

Strange to be out in the wilderness and see tree carvings and then realize you know this family!!

(small town)

Took time for a snowball fight!

More tree carvings!

Headed back to home!

And so ended our hike up Water Canyon.

Cool Beans Salad

The Handyman and I have decided to eat a bit more healthy.  The only trouble is--The Handyman sometimes doesn't like 'healthy'.  

I found this meatless main-dish  on the Taste of Home Website and I decided to give it a try.  

I knew the Handyman could not comprehend a 'meat-less' meal, so I did add some roasted chicken to this meal.

Surprise!  This is so good!  So good that even the Handyman said,  "I could have eaten this without the chicken on the side."

It's filled with beans and rice and corn--with a zippy tasty dressing.

We loved it.

I am hoping to have a few more good meatless meals in the coming weeks.   We'll see if the Handyman can handle more.

Cool Beans Salad

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked basmati rice

• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed

• 4 green onions, sliced

• 1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

• DRESSING:

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Chill until serving. Yield: 6 servings.
  
  
  

Reading Flash Mob (and WBN a little late)

One of our local elementary schools hosted a FLASH MOB this morning.  A READING flash mob.

So of course I made everyone at my work stop drop and read!!

The maintenance guys thought it a treat to stop working for  15 minutes.

(of course at that time, I had no  power to my computer and we were trying to find a breaker in this old building.  I was a bit worried about how I was going to 'post' this today, as we are supposed to take pictures of our community reading)

(no worries---they fixed it!)

The girls in the office next door---they too, love to stop and read for a while.

We do give Brenda a bad time about how big her print is on her Kindle.

And..... notice the extra books on Michelle's desk?

I brought them.

I brought all the books.

Just in case they didn't bring their own for the Flash Mob.

Of course everyone knew I would participate in the READING FLASH MOB!

and I would make everyone around me.

THANKS FRIENDS and co-workers!!  

THIS JUST IN!  My friend Shelly sent it  to me via Facebook.

(I feel like Rosanna  Rosanna Dana, from Saturday Night Live....

Never mind) (only my age people will get that)

Never mind....

Humboldt County School District (Nevada)

Today's scheduled Flash Mob reading has been postponed until Friday due to the rainy weather. It is rescheduled for 10:30-11:00 this Friday. Please take photos and forward them on! Enjoy the rain!

Well.....  never mind.

I made everyone  flash mob read anyway!!!!

I support reading every chance I get.

which leads me to this.....

...I didn't get the chance to share my World Book Night photos/experience.

It ended up being a very bad week, but I digress--and I want to share now.

Last year, we 'street walked'    (because you can in Nevada)  (that was a joke)  (but it's true)

check it out here.

But this year, we started out in a bar!

An Old Basque Boarding House bar

Yes, there were a few people in the bar at 4pm in the afternoon.

Trying to entice the cook!

He wasn't having it tho---he told us he couldn't read English.

So, perhaps a suggestion for next year? 

A Spanish edition?

A picture  of a basque sheepherder graces the walls.

What is a Basque restaurant?

Mostly it's the 'way' you eat--boarding house style.  

The give you big bowls of soup, salad, beans and bread before you place your order.   You have to share with whomever is seated at your table. 

And they DO place you next to strangers.

Lots of lamb, (but beef and chicken and pork too),  and lots of garlic.

It really could be on the show,  Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

It's really good.

Headed into City Hall and then the County Courthouse.

Our fearless leaders have to be readers!!

First stop, the County Recorder's office to give my friend Debbie E a book.

I have had coffee with her EVERY SINGLE Tuesday morning for the past 12 years at:

6am!

(in our jammies)

She really is a 'light' reader.

She had just gotten back from Boston, watching her daughter run the marathon, hence the Boston Strong T-shirt. 

We thought this was funny! 

No gum in the court house kids!!

At the Sheriff's office, we had to pass the book under the Plexiglas barrier. 

 The Planning Commission and the Treasurer's Office love to read!

(okay, it's a small town---we know all these people)

And then, us lowly little book givers!

(notice our stickers)

Again, we had the best time.

It was funny tho, as you who are Book Gives know, some people are very wary of  us giving them books.   

Some just say NO

Some want to pay.

Some think we are religious.

Some just want us to go away.

But....when they find out that our books are just  a gift, they love it.

We love to be book givers!

Saturday Snapshot

Just a quick Saturday Snapshot today...

My Twin Grandchildren celebrated their 5th birthday a couple of weeks ago.  They are very excited to be 5 now!   They each got a cake.   When Emerson bent to blow out her candles---her hair caught on fire.

Luckily just some singeing and smelliness, but not burns, etc.  Her parents acted quickly...and the photo was just because one always takes pictures of blowing out birthday candles, right?

But here's the thing...  while her head was being "put out"  her brother, Eli leaned over and blew out her candles.  

That was the icing on the cake!!!  

Your brother should just not steal your glory like that.

Saturday Snaptshot is hosted by  Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads.