What To Do?

I'm fine after my crazy jog the other day. The IcyHot did the trick. I didn't run Wednesday, but got back on the track Thursday and Friday. I didn't push myself too hard. So, I'm rolling my ankle...no pain. I'm flexing my knee...no pain! Woohoo! I want to go hiking this weekend, but I can't seem to get Lee motivated today. Fine. I'll motivate him in the yard with a beer in his hand around noon. We need to finish taking down the railing and pergola on the back deck, for the addition of a metal roof. I can't frickin' wait to set that up like a new room to entertain. It's going to be a lot nicer out there this year. Over the past few years it's been too hot for me to lay out in the sun like I used to. The back deck is useless. I'm getting old. Give me a roof, a ceiling fan and a mint julep, please.

Mmmmm, Mint Juleps!

* 10 mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
* 1 1/2 teaspoons superfine sugar
* Seltzer water
* Crushed ice
* 2 1/2 ounces Jack Daniels

Directions

Place the mint leaves in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass and top with the sugar. Muddle these together until the leaves begin to break down. Add a splash of seltzer water, fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice, and add the bourbon. Top with another splash of seltzer, stir, and garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.

Oooohhh, Whiskey Sour! Want this one, too!

* 3/4 cup whiskey (recommended: Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey)
* 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
* 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)
* 2/3 cup sugar syrup (see note)
* Ice cubes
* Maraschino cherries

Directions

Combine the whiskey, lemon juice, lime juice, and syrup. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and pour in the drink mix 2/3 full. Shake for 15 seconds and pour into glasses. Add a maraschino cherry and serve ice cold.

Note: To make the sugar syrup, bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil, and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Chill before using.

Out With The New, In With The Old

I'm taking it easy today. I tried to hurt myself at the track yesterday, apparently. My knee and ankle were killing me last night. I broken open a packet of Icy Hot, I received it in a race goody bag and cut it in half for each ailment. Geez! I was trying out the pedometer Lee gave me. The stride is not set for jogging. Guess it doesn't adjust, like we thought it would. Now, we will be getting the wheel from Lee's office to see just how many laps it takes to get a mile in at the track. And to see how much punishment my left leg and ankle can take. I would have been fine, even though I pushed it jogging at least 15 laps trying to achieve 3 miles, but then my neighbor called to take me up on going to the track with me. Well, there is no way I was going to turn her down, when I am constantly trying to get someone to go with me. I knew I was in trouble when I began to walk down the hill leading from the parking lot to the track. I went ahead and walked 4, jogged two and walked one more. Foolish, but it was a still a great day. I can walk on it today and plan to piddle in the house so I hope to be fine for exercise tomorrow. Heading up stair to do some sewing. Didn't play up there yesterday and I missed it. Throwing on some laundry and going to soak some beef strips to make jerky for a hike this weekend, I hope. Got some black eye peas soaking. I love the smell of them soaking. Very fresh and earthy. Reminds me of being at Aunt Minnie's and Aunt Cora's house. Aunt Cora always had some peas or beans cooking. I swear they lived off of cornbread, buttermilk and peas. I enjoy looking my dried peas and beans. I gives me peace. Reminds me of hanging out with Mom-maw in her kitchen or on her front porch. We'd sit on the swing, and shell, and look, and swing. Usually when it was too hot to be in the kitchen. I remember anytime a breeze would come by, she'd consider it a blessing and thank Jesus for it. I like the choices Lee and I have made for the way we live. When we bought this place our goal was the simple life. The simple life is slow going. It's not take-out and frozen food very often. It's cooking most things in bulk for about 6 to 10 hours. Why? Because it's less expensive and it tastes so good. It keeps your grocery bill down below $100. It's some other things that aren't exactly done because it's cost efficient, just more about a feeling, like push mowing the grass some days instead of hopping on the riding mower. Hmm, the simple life is a lot of work, but it brings back warm memories.

Blogging Your Way Sane?

When I blog, I try my best to write exactly what I think, like nobody is reading. My blog is open to the public, I know anyone can read it. Sometimes I sprinkle a little sugar on it, just in case. If a family member pisses me off, it usually ends up in here....well, jumbled up somewhere in the mix of other things going on, anyway. I've noticed a change in me here lately. I hope it's for the better. I've realized that I may have been carrying around some shame or perhaps I've been hiding from my past, for many years. I never recognized it as shame before now. It's just been this week that it crossed my mind that I feel differently about myself. Back a couple of months ago, I had a rush of bad memories that kept me awake one night. I grabbed the laptop and just started typing. I let it all hang out. I think it freed me. I find myself leaving the house a little more these days. I enjoy running into people. I've suppressed a lot over the years. Have no recollection of some things and it's probably better that they stay buried. So often, a family member will say, "Remember when....?" Nope, not at all. I believe it happened. Not doubting them. I just slap don't remember. But thinking back, remembering how and why things happened the way they did, and being honest with myself about how some of it was my own fault really helped me.

Cheaha was awesome

It was a early Valentine's Day get-away. It was perfect. Just what I needed. I'd been going a little crazy over Mindy, so Lee got me away from everything for the weekend. We wanted a cabin, but they were booked...through April! So we took the honeymoon suite at the lodge. No, the room wasn't fabulous, but it was clean and it had a jacuzzi, which after a good scrub down with bleach, for my peace of mind, and the waiting game filling it up, we had a lovely couple of nights hanging out in it, drinking. We stocked the fridge in the room with plenty of beer. We brought it with us. I noticed the little convenience store had Budweiser (not Bud Light). We had breakfast at the restaurant each morning and Saturday night. The food was okay. PS it's a grit (top right)

The camp ground were cool. I want to camp next time we go. I was so jealous, driving though, looking at all the campers with their tents and fires. These folks had gorgeous views. Although, they do have a few pet friendly cabins, so if we need to bring the pups, we can.

We began with Bald rock Trail after breakfast, then took a connector to the Pinhoti, stopping at Blue Mtn Shelter. Later that afternoon we hiked Pulpit Rock Trail, which lands you on a side of the mountain overlooking a beautiful valley. The hike back has a steep incline that just about kicked our butts. Reminded us of the Lodge Trail at Guntersville, straight up. The next day we took the Pinhoti from the trailhead inside the park to the Blue Mtn Shelter. We didn't mind ending up in the same spot. It's a lovely site. Well, except for the fact that some obvious non-hikers stayed there the night before, got drunk on some cheap whiskey and left their trash behind. Bottles, paper and puke littered the area. And it looked like one of them purposely melted the fiberglass covering a map of trails with their lighter. Jerks. I bet it's real spooky out there at night in the middle of nowhere. I hope the little punks got scared.

I want to go back, I want to go back!

Bring Me Spring!

I love how quickly everything turns green, and how lush and bright the new growth is :)

I'm not going to get too excited and go ahead and start planting things. My green thumb knows it's boundaries. And never dismiss the fact that Mother Nature likes to throw in a March snow here and there. But, I am so ready to get out in the yard, this year! I love walking the yard, checking out what is coming back this year and how much bigger it has gotten. Momma says Pop-paw would get so excited he'd be caught gently scratching dirt back to see if something was growing that he'd planted. It is so cool to see something sprout from a seed. I feel so much better than I did last year. I had a really difficult time regulating my sugar last year. I did everything I could, through diet, to make myself better, but didn't get to feeling great again until I started running. I haven't had much time to get to the track here lately. I have been hiking and using the exercise bikes to keep fit. I hope to get to the track either tonight or tomorrow. I've been asked a lot if I've lost weight. Last time I got on the scales, I had actually gained weight, but my clothes are loose on me, so what do I care. I haven't asked it lately because a number doesn't mean much right now. I've noticed changes to my body. I have never had angles before. Maybe, my arms, a little. My legs are awesome, right now. I'm not bragging. Heck, I'm not even sure if they are my legs. They look foreign to me. I cut my leg shaving the other day and hollered for Lee to bring me a bandaid. As I tossed my foot on the sink so he could get to the nick below my knee, I noticed that my calf was flattened by the maneuver and I had developed several new leg muscles. Crap I didn't know was there to develop. After hiking this weekend, I noticed how my ankles are even changing. I've really been paying attention, trying to strengthen them, due to a tendon injury that seems to have finally healed. Off subject, rambling :) The yard, feel so good, lots of energy, can't wait! I want a roof on the back porch. It's just too damn hot to enjoy it out there these days. I believe it will also cut down on our cooling, bill-wise to not have the sun beating directly on the lower half of our house. I want it screened in with screen doors, but may have to wait until next year for that, unless I buy the materials and do it myself. The front porch needs a ceiling. I want to paint it haint blue, like people used to to ward off evil. I don't believe it, but I still enjoy the folksy sentiment. We need to decide on a gravel/rock to cover our mulch beds. I am so freaking sick of remulching every year. It's so much work and very dirty. Dirty for days, dirty. I may be pricey, but will pay off in a few years. We have been very happy with our river pebble path we created right after we bought this place. No maintenance in all these years! We want to plant some vines that actually produce grapes or muscadines. I need to prune the crepe myrtles and roses. I want to move the garden up closer to the house...I think. And, I plan on finishing that fence this spring. My window boxes are going to be sooo pretty this year! Hmmm, just remembered skeeters and ticks. Yuck! Not looking forward to them. Is too much Off harmful? Well, we're all gonna die of something, might as well be comfortable in the meantime.

Bitching about the vicious Alabama insects aside, here are a few of my favorite things, clockwise from the top left: Baby blue birds hatching from the houses we provide, Lee riding around the yard on his tractor, pciking our first ripe vegetables, and puppy dogs keeping me company on the porch when I take a break.

Some sewing, more snowing and much hiking

Thirty little birdies,
All ready to sew.
They'll be looking for somewhere to nest by the end of the week :)

Snow flakes top our Japanese Maple. Pretty :)

Ruby and Oliver in their snow covered jackets.
They both want to snuggle Lee. See Lee's new toy.

Beautiful snow covered oaks in our front yard.

Deer feeding in our back yard.

It's an ice hole.

I don't know why I like to take picture of holes in things.
You must know I'm weird...right?

If you fall of this trail that runs along the lake,
you're probably going to get wet...and hurt.

Me and my trust hound dog out on a fallen tree
off Seal Trail at Lake Guntersville State Park.