Just something to listen to while you read the "previous" post. Hope you enjoy!

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Here comes the Bride, da da da dum...

Well, I should've posted this yesterday, and left Guapo for today, but anyways. This past Sunday was my One Year Anniversary! Really! So, now I'd like to tell you a little about my Dear Husband, R...
We probably first met during band camp, the summer of 1996. He was a 9th grade prop-tech and I was a 10th grade guard girl. At our high school, the 9th grade is it's own thing (completely separate from the high school), so he was just there to help out with the props for our band show. Anyways, I don't particularly remember meeting him, we just later figured out that he was there. When he got to 10th grade he was dating this other girl (whom everyone thought was crazy). He played sax in the band, and I was a guard girl, so we knew of each other. During winterguard season of my senior year (his junior) we flirted a little, but didn't date. Then, one trip...the longest one of the season (Jacksonville, FL)...the one where we actually had a chartered bus...I only had one thought on my mind: I'm a senior, and I want my OWN seat! Well, the guys were last to load, and lo and behold, he didn't have a seat. So, being the nice girl that I am, I let him sit with me. I pestered him the whole ride, too. We talked about cars, music, movies, band, plans for the future...for the entire 10-hour ride! I guess it's like they say...and the rest is history. A few weeks later, we had our first kiss on another bus ride--just as we were going through the Mobile Tunnel. Our first date soon followed, we went to see Forces of Nature (yeah, I know, a movie about a wedding). We went to many more movies, dinner dates, goofy golf (although Fun Time is no longer there), walks on the beach, etc, etc. Sadly, he didn't go to my Senior Prom with me, but we did go bowling afterwards. The following August, I left for Mississippi State (4 hours away).
Somehow we managed to stay together (mostly) and the following August, he joined me at State. Years past, then, in December 2003, he finally popped the question. There was no big fanfare as I had always (jokingly) suggested. Instead, he fixed a quiet dinner at home, got down on one knee, described his love for me, and gave me the ring. And, being the everthoughtful man that he is, he had already talked to my parents! So, after five and a half years of dating, we were married at the beautiful Chapel of Memories.

Mr. Guapo aka MoMo

So, I've mentioned this guy before, now I'd like to introduce you to El Guapo. One cool day in February 2002, R and I took a drive down to our local Humane Society.
We were not exactly intending to get a new pet (we already had a cat, and were living in a place that didn't allow pets), but we wanted to look at the kittens. There were some very cute little ones there, but R really didn't want another pet.
Well, I asked if we could just look at the dogs. There were mostly bigger dogs, and they looked so sad and hopeful that I wanted to take them all home. R was a little standoffish (he's really a cat person) but one little guy caught our eye. In the middle of all the chaos of barking, crying, howling dogs, this one little puppy sat quietly with his eyes locked on R. I said "I want to hold that one." Still he was very quiet, licking R's fingers, and practically melting in his arms.
The worker told us where he came from. A few weeks earlier, an older lady was driving down the highway behind this old beat-up truck when she saw two little balls of fur go flying out the passenger window. One "ball" landed on the grass, while the other "bounced off a Bud Light can in the ditch." She immediately pulled over and saved the puppies.
Yes, that's the story they told (pulling at my heartstrings). The "other" puppy was a cute black and white girl, while this "Bud" (as the H.S. workers were calling him) was white with brown and black spots. He even had this adorable "mole" on his cheek! Needless to say, less than an hour after we had arrived, we were leaving--with a new addition to our family!
Currently, Guapo is on vacation in New Mexico. He was staying at my gramma's house, but I guess he got to be too much for her, so now he's staying with his "cousins" at my mom's.

Happy Turkey-Day!

I hope y'all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Check out this link, these little characters are sooo cute! They make me giggle like a little kid, too. Hoops&YoYo

One of my childhood favorites, even though I didn't understand the words back then! :) Enjoy

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A Busy Day

I've decided that blogging will be my reward after I've completed several hours of sincere, constructive Work-Time. That's how I find myself late this afternoon, ready to go home, blogging about random stuff.
I think I've convinced R to not fry the turkey. So, hopefully I'll be roasting it my way. Which brings me to my "Secret" of Turkey. And, I discovered these before becoming hooked on the Food Network, so please don't say I "copied" anything. I use an electric roaster, so the bird can cook overnight. (I'm not a morning person, cannot get up at some crazy hour to cook a turkey!) I prep the turkey by letting it thaw for several hours (until almost completely thawed). Then, I put lots of butter under the skin (between skin & muscle/meat). And I put a lot of spices (salt, pepper, chili powder, oregano, rosemary, whatever) inside the cavity. I put the whole thing in my electric roaster. I cut up some veggies (celery, carrots, and lots of onions) and put them inside and around the turkey. I add a can (or 2 if it's a big turkey) of chicken stock. I roast on high for about an hour, then on low overnight. I don't even baste it during this time. Then, whenever you're ready to eat (the next day), just baste a little, take some of the juices for gravy, and cut the turkey in the roaster. The meat will literally be falling off the bone, and the best pieces are those that fall in the juices!! YUM! Now that I think about it, maybe we better get 2 smaller turkeys, cuz I know we'll be fighting for the breasts!!
Since my in-laws will be my guests this year, I'd like to do most of the work (of course, momma has to do the dressing), so they can just relax! We also have a Football Game on Saturday. This game has always been on Thursday, but last year they changed it, and I guess they're sticking with the new thing. So, if you happen to catch the Egg Bowl on tv this weekend, keep an eye out for us!! Can you believe it, this is my 7th football season at MSU, and I have never gone to an Egg Bowl!?! I know, it's terrible, but at least I'll be going this year!
Why does this cat insist on driving me crazy??

Here she is on the shelf, curled up oh, so pretty On Top Of My Wedding Album (Like there is NOWHERE else to sleep)!

Now, they have fleas (thanks for letting them out, R) and they climb up on the bed and scratch themselves. So, lately, we've been keeping the door shut. But, last night, somehow, they managed to Open The Door! They don't have thumbs, nor are they tall enough to reach the knob, but sure enough, after several hours of scratching & shoving & crying & hurling their bodies at the door, they Did It! So I woke up with cats scratching & barfing on my bed! P.S. What flea medication do y'all recommend? We've tried several baths, collars, powders, and sprays, I guess it all comes down to Medication.

For your listening pleasure...

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Finally, Finally, Fall Has Arrived

Okay, so I've been doing a lot of complaining about the weather, but come on, give me a break! Now I'm feeling much better! It's in the mid 40s and breezy, Just Right!! I finally found my music CD, so I have something to listen to. I've made a lot of progress on my various assignments. It's almost Friday. Thanksgiving is next week. I finally went grocery shopping. Our ancient gas furnace is running good. The Major Problem with my truck is fixed. Things are looking up! :)
Oh yeah, so my truck literally broke down yesterday. Hmmph, right in the middle of the highway! Just lost all clutch pressure. See, it's been leaking fluid for a while (a long, long while), but no real issues--we just knew we were going to have to fix it eventually. Well, "eventually" arrive yesterday with a greasy foot and flashing lights. Hubby & I were driving home from campus when It Happened. We managed to get it out of the road (last little bit of juice) and into Wendy's parking lot. Then, we had to walk almost 2 miles home to get the other truck (no, HE couldn't walk by himself). Towed my little truck home, drove down to O'Reilley's and got the part (we were very lucky that they even had it in stock). It took less than an hour to replace. Wow! See, R is my hero! And believe me, I KNOW how lucky I am to have him!! (My mom said I better watch what I say on here, or y'all are going to realize what a Great Guy I have and try to take him, but I trust you!)
The reason I mention the furnace is because it's 30 years old (same age as the house), and it's a Coleman gas-burning bohemath! We had it inspected before we moved in, and it's okay, but still. The latch on the little door doesn't really work, and the pilot light is HUGE, and we live in a very, very old trailer! At night, when all the lights are off, you can see the shadows and flickering of the pilot light and it makes weird noises. We had it on for a few hours a few weeks ago when it was "kinda cold," but last night was the first time that we left it on all night. So far, so good.
I'm still trying to decide when is the best time to do Thanksgiving Grocery Shopping. When do y'all go? See, our freezer isn't very big, so I don't think we'd have room for a turkey (or 2) and a ham and pies and everything else that needs to go in there. I think I'll go this weekend and get all the non-freezer stuff (that's most of it, anyways). Then Tues or Wed we can get the meats. Yeah, that might work.
Well, I'm making excellent progress on my various assignments, so I better keep up the pace. I really don't want to be working on this stuff during my Holiday! I guess since y'all didn't comment, that you don't know much about biochemistry or Nitrogen budgets for cattle, what about Farm Bills? Eh, just thought I'd ask.

Fresh Blooms and Dreams of Winter

It's mid-November and there are still gardenias blooming. I couldn't help myself. I love the way these flowers smell. I'm like a drug addict, I keep sniffing the flower. I'm really not a big flower person, but when it's gray and gloomy outside, still hot, and so humid your hair looks like it's never been brushed, the fresh scent of a summertime bloom can really brighten the day.

Although I am grateful for my gardenia, I really wish I could look out the window and see the scenes that this forecast describes. I mean, look at this, *whine* I Want Snow, Too! *end whine*
Okay, so today I actually have a lot of work I need to get done. I did very well on my 2 tests from last week, and now I have 2 projects/papers to finish (before Thanksgiving, arrrgghh!). Do y'all know anything about biochemical affectors on fecal bacteria or nitrogen and phosphorus budgeting in cattle?
Well, I can still daydream about:

Snowy Mountain tops


















and Natural Hot Springs. These were both taken in June, near Saratoga, Wyoming. Wish we were still back there.

*Update on Yesterday's Post

Okay, I talked to my mom last night and she told gramma that we weren't going to make it over for Christmas. Well, currently, gramma and Guapo are getting along, so she's okay with him for now. She also said that the only way she'd "let him go" was if she knew the people who were taking him had a nice yard for him to run around in. But, she's not going to actively look for adopters. She said that she's willing to keep him until May, then we have to take him back. So, that gives me a little less to worry about, and a little more time to try to figure out what to do with him when he comes back home. Thanks y'all for the compliments, I know he's adorable! When I get a chance to scan some of his old pics, I'll post his story; why we adopted a dog (we are cat people, after all), how the humane society found him, and more about his wonderful personality. For now, I'll just cross my fingers and hope he's a good boy and doesn't get on gramma's nerves (too much).

What's on my mind?

So, I haven't been sleeping very well lately. I guess I have a lot on my mind. Of course, school is at the top of the list. I had an exam today and I have 2 projects due before Thanksgiving. Finals are 2 weeks after Thanksgiving. So, of course there's all that.

Y'all know that I'm hosting my first Thanksgiving Family Meal at my house, but I'm determined to not let that be a major stressor, I'm sure I can handle that.

R and I finally decided that we cannot make our trip to New Mexico this Christmas. We had planned to drive over there to visit my family for a week or so. But, school+ work+ personal issues -money - time = no trip. That's sad. I'm pretty close to my family (mom, dad, 23 y/o brother, 19 y/o sister, and 13 y/o sister) and I only get to see them for a few weeks out of the year (usually during summer break or winter holiday). At this point, I feel like my "little" sisters are growing up so fast, that by the time a year has passed, they are almost "brand new" people! How can I share my "sisterly wisdom" with these budding young ladies if I hardly ever see them?

Not going to New Mexico brings up my next concern. Meet Guapo. This is my "little boy." He is a nearly-4 y/o "mutt." Actually, we really think he is one of these (or google search Kromfohrlaender and look for pics). He is currently on vacation in New Mexico (he's staying at my grandma's house). See, the place we live does not allow for dogs to be kept outside (no fences, no runners) and Guapo is a very, very active puppy! So, we tried to keep him inside (that lasted a few months), but he got really bored and started chewing things up. Before, we didn't care so much, but now that we've done so much remodeling, we don't want him tearing up the good stuff. My gramma-in-law in Florida kept him from Jan to May. And he's been with gramma in NM since May. Well, apparently, he's been digging up her flowers (she's really into gardening) and barking too much (I think the squirrels, birds, neighbors, etc really bug him, because he didn't bark a lot when we used to keep him outside). So, she can't keep him any more. We were supposed to pick him up while we were there--then what? I was trying to convince R to let me bring him back home. Well, R is not very attached to the dog, so it doesn't matter to him, but this little guy is my little guy! He's well behaved, he minds, he's trained (housebroken, sit, down, wait, get in bed) and he's very lovable! I've already given the "go ahead" that if she finds someone who wants him, just let him go, but it really breaks my heart! We will NOT be living in this place forever and I really do want him to come with us when we move, but what can I do until then? Put him in boarding? It will be at least a year (maybe 1 &1/2) before we move...ahhh...I don't know. Okay, enough of that, I'm starting to get a little teary...
If I just had a few of these on hand. That would help with a few of my problems...We could go to NM AND we could board Guapo somewhere (or pay a friend to keep him for a little while).
I guess those are my big worries/concerns right now. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I do feel a little better.

What is Thanksgiving all about?

Family. That is what Thanksgiving means to me. I always knew that my family would sit down and have a nice, long dinner on Thanksgiving. We would also go around the table and share a few things that we're Most Thankful for.
Then, when I started college in 1999, we began the tradition of watching the Egg Bowl (Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss) after eating. Of course, I had to wait until the Macy's Day Parade was over (my dad's contribution to the holiday).
The last Thanksgiving that I had with my whole family (mom, dad, sisters, and brother) was in 2000. That was during my sophomore year in college, and only 6 months before my mom, sisters, and brother moved. My dad stayed behind for another 6 months to finish school, close up the house, and move all their furniture. Dad and I went out to eat Thanksgiving dinner in 2001. I think we went to a casino (hey, they have the BEST buffets).
After that, Thankgiving was celebrated at the home of my husband's (then boyfriend's) family in 2002 and 2003. Their traditions are a little different than my own families' but I still felt right at home.
In 2004, we were married on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so our Family Meal was a few days "late." Yes, we served an entire "traditional" meal at our wedding reception. In fact, my bridesmaids (my sisters), my bestfriend, and another family friend helped me cook most of the food. We did all of this in my house, the night before the wedding! This is where the "mean turkey" from the previous post comes in. (I think I will post my Cooking Directions on another day.) My mom, grandma, MIL, and grandma-in-law also helped with a lot of the food.
Well, this year, it's all ME (and Dear Husband, R)! We are hosting our very first Family Thanksgiving Meal at our little house in Starkville, Mississippi! My MIL, SIL, nephew, and family friend will be joining us for Family Time, Hot Meals, and Football!
Currently, that is at the top of my "OMG! It's almost time!" list! And, being the planner that I am, I already have my "menu" and grocery list written up! Here it is:
Turkey (R wants to try frying it--I just hope he doesn't set our new deck or house on fire!)
Ham (Yes, we must have both meats--especially since he's cooking the turkey.)
Dressing (I always called this stuffing, and it came from a box, until I met my MIL. This dish is all hers. As I've already been informed that "nobody makes dressing like mom's.")
*GreenBean Casserole (Even if I am the only person who eats it, it will always be on my Thanksgiving table!)
Yams (aka Sweet Potatoes, swimming in brown sugar syrup, and covered with toasty marshmallows.)
Mashed potatoes (You can never have enough starch at the table.)
Rolls (See above. Besides, you need something to make sandwiches on for the weeks worth of leftovers.)
Gravy (To cover the turkey, dressing, potatoes, and rolls.)
Pumpkin pie (I don't really like this dessert, but the meal just doesn't taste the same withouth the smell of baking pie.)
Pecan pie (My dessert of choice. Complete with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.)

Now I'm curious about y'all's holiday traditions (whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not). And, what's the ONE THING that you MUST have to make the meal complete? *The Green Bean Casserole is it for me!

Seven Things...a Tag

So, I've seen this before, and I don't really have much time to "chat" today, so here goes:

Seven things I want to do before I die:
1. Raise a family (know my grandkids).
2. Build my dream house (in Montana).
3. Travel to different countries (Spain, Japan, Italy, Austrailia, Egypt, Brazil, etc).
4. Retire.
5. RV across America.
6. Publish something (a book, photos, poetry, whatever).
7. Do some "extreme" activities (skydiving, explore a sunken ship, bungee jump, go caving, etc).

Seven things I can do:
1. Drive a stick (thanks mom).
2. Remodel a house.
3. Drive in the snow.
4. Operate power tools.
5. Complete crossword puzzles.
6. Make people laugh.
7. Cook a mean turkey.

Seven things I cannot do:
1. Whistle.
2. Cook grits (they're always undercooked, overcooked, or lumpy).
3. Swim to the bottom of the pool (hurts my ears).
4. Give up control of the checkbook.
5. Sing.
6. Keep a rhythm (dance).
7. Put down a good book.

Seven things I say a lot:
1. Yeah.
2. Anyways.
3. Dang it!
4. Babe, sweetheart, Hon (other various "pet" names for my Honey-Bunny).
5. Psst (to the cats when they're doing something bad).
6. Y'all (it took me a long, long time to finally accept this word into my vocabulary).
7. Richard (because I talk about him, like, all the time).

Seven things I find attractive in a man:
1. We have things in common.
2. Sense of humor.
3. Respect of family.
4. Confidence.
5. Resourcefulness.
6. Manners.
7. Good kisser.

Seven celebrity crushes:
1. Brad Pitt.
2. Julian McMahon.
3. Steve Burton.
4. Hayden Christensen.
5. Tyrese Gibson.
6. John Mayer.
7. Tyson Beckford.

Eh, I don't "know" many bloggers, and most of y'all have probably already done this, so if you want to, "Tag, you're it." Really, I'd just like to see some comments (tell me some of your "Seven Things" or comment on mine)!

My Girls

So, I've talked a lot about these Special Little Ones. Now I present to you...my furkids (that term is credited to Mon)...La Reina and Nabi...


Yes, Reina is that BIG. Last time we weighed her, she was just at 20 pounds.
Reina is a 4.5 year old domestic long hair cat. We adopted her from an old cat lady in a neighboring town. She can be very sweet and loving (when she wants something) but is usually moody and standoffish.



I retook this picture like 10 times, and this is the best I could do. She's just not very posable. Yes, her tongue is sticking out (it was like that in half of the pictures, while the other half didn't have her face at all). And, yes, she is wearing a "dress." It's like a little knitted evening gown with feathers around the neck--very in this fall.


And here's my little angel, Nabi, relaxing on my lap. She's wearing her Team Jersey and looking absolutely adorable. She always wants to be in my lap when I'm watching TV. She just hops right up, stretches out, and falls sound asleep. Obviously, she's not camera shy!

Here she is posing in her winter coat. She's so small (7 pounds at last weigh in) that I'm always worried she's going to freeze on cold nights.

Nabi is a 3 year old domestic short hair cat. She was the runt of the litter, and was the only one to survive. I think it was due to her cat-mom being very, very young. Her cat-mom was a feral cat who chose my MIL to take care of her (but hated me). When we realized that Reina had more mothering instincts for this kitten than her own mother, we had to have her!