One Lucky S.O.B.

Today is Stan's and my 24th Anniversary! I woke up to my favorite dark chocolates and a card that had this on the envelope:

Stan wrote me a poem for this anniversary. I love his poems, they make me feel treasured and loved. And as we now are facing a new adventure, this poem is especially sweet to me.

Every day I love you more

Sweeter than the day before

Each hug, each kiss a golden treasure

A secret trove far beyond measure

Years in the making this priceless hoard

Given piece by piece from one adored

Gratefully accepted then stashed away

Waiting silently till this special day

No need to count or weigh these riches

They fill up rooms and halls and niches

They're found throughout, in every part

And the sum of all is in my heart

I am so grateful for the past 24 years, the family we have and the love we share. The future right now is a bit uncertain. but I can't think of anyone I'd rather face it with than Stan. I am one blessed woman. Thank you Mr. Mullis!

May 21, 1988

Summertime Series

Every summer the boys and I pick out an older television series to watch over the summer. We have a lot of fun with this and have discovered that it's more interesting than watching reruns or the summer shows that usually don't interest us. We've had a variety over the years, and as I was preparing to write this post I saw that we seem to have a lot of westerns and mystery shows.

One summer we watched Gunsmoke, and Kevin (who was about 10 at the time) fell in love with the character of Festus. In fact, he went dressed as Festus for Halloween!

We've watched The Avengers, Have Gun Will Travel, The Wild Wild West, Cagney and Lacey, Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War.

I have to admit that I look forward to our selection when school ends. In the evenings when we're relaxing and watching these "new" shows we have fun talking about the characters and what we like about the plotlines and settings.

This year we've chosen two British mysteries. The first one is Murder in Suburbia, a sort of Cagney and Lacey from England. The show is about two female homicide detectives Kate “Ash” Ashland and Emma “Scribbs” Scribbins and their hunky boss, whom they spend a fair amount of time oggling.

The second show we've selected is Johathan Creek, which is a little different. It's mostly a show you have to think about. Not really a detective show, more a "how was it done?" show. Jonathan Creek works as a creative consultant to a magician while also solving seemingly supernatural mysteries through his talent for logical deduction and knowledge of illusionism. He has a female side-kick who adds a little flirtatious interest to the show. It's also really quite funny in spots and so not only are we trying to see how the murders are done, we're also laughing out loud.

I think we're going to have a fun summer!

The New Book is Coming!

My new Maeve and Kate Mystery is coming out May 21st, and here is a brief synopsis of their next adventure. If you are interested in catching up on their previous stories, you can find them on Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle apps.

Their first mystery is What Would Nancy Do? http://amzn.to/hyRpFN which was followed by  Emails: A Maeve and Kate Mini-Mystery http://amzn.to/pnofVT

This second novel is Lethal Prescription which is full of all the fun, excitement and suspense of their previous stories!

SYNOPSIS OF LETHAL PRESCRIPTION:

Best friends Maeve Haile and Kate Hanson are at it again! During a hospital stay Maeve meets Victoria Winters, a young nurse who reveals her concern about something taking place in the hospital. When she turns up dead and it’s discovered her roommate is one of Kate’s clients, the pair set out to unearth what is going on in their small town of Elkhorn.

Nurses, doctors and patients in their hometown and the surrounding area are involved in a drug scam involving prescription drugs ... or are they? As the two women uncover clues they wind up with more questions then they have answers for. Why was Victoria killed, and who is threatening her roommate? A second murder, a threat on Maeve and Kate’s life, and a frightening and intimidating street thug all add up to a mystery that has the friends racing to discover who’s behind it all before some else winds up dead!

I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it!

An Easter Poem

My husband is one of the most amazing poets. Every holiday he writes me a poem and I cherish them all. He wrote one for me today for Easter, and I had to share it.

Sweeter words were never spoken

A love so strong it can't be broken

Two hearts standing against pain and sorrow

Our eyes turned always to a brighter tomorrow

Hand in hand, and shoulder to shoulder

Life getting better as we get older

Faith lifts us up as if to say

Remember the One who has risen today!

Spring Break Mini-Vacation

Now that my boys are both in college, we only get one week for spring break. And this year, Stan only got one day off. So we decided to take a day and spend it in Denver, get a couple of hotel rooms and make it a mini-vacation. We brought along Kevin's friend T.J. too. We all crammed into our Chevy and headed up. Our first stop was to a place so many of my friends have been talking about--Cafe Rio. Great food, fun place, and a perfect place to stop and relax after driving up there.

We checked into the hotel, the boys in one room and Stan and I in another. Our initial plan was to go and see a movie, but there was really nothing out that I wanted to see, so we just stayed for a couple of hours at the hote. The boys got drinks and watched TV and played video games, and declared it a blast. It seems to me it's what they would have done at home, but it made it more fun doing it in a hotel room.

Stan and I, being the party animals that we are, took naps. Yes, we did! Right in the middle of the afternoon!! It was heavenly.

Then we headed over to Dave and Buster's for the rest of the night. Dinner, games, and tons o' fun!

 My sweet husband!

While the boys took off playing games and spending tickets,

we sat and talked and talked and talked.

It was great! When we're at home we get interrupted.

Here it was like a date .... with three boys with us!

 AJ in his Magnum PI shirt!

He got a burger called "The Heart Pounder!"

It was a good thing he worked some of that off playing games!

 When we were finishing up dinner, Stan and I decided to get a fun dessert

to take with usover to the pool tables while the four guys played a few games.

Chocolate and white donut holes

with chocolate and raspberry dipping sauces.

YUMMMM!!!

The next morning we continued our quest to follow Adam Richman from Man Vs. Food.

Kevin and TJ are excited to try the same thing Adam did!

We had breakfast at Jack & Grills in Denver, where Adam was unsuccessful in

the 7 Pound Breakfast Burrito Challenge.

 Okay, we didn't do the challenge.

Instead five of us tackled it just for fun.

Here it is before we dug in!

But, in the eternal challenge of Man versus Food,

FOOD WON!!!

But as you can see, we put a dent in it!

We had so much fun, but it went by in the blink of an eye. Sometimes you just need to get away, if only for a day, and let your hair down. I'm glad we did, and look forward to our next "mini" vacation!



Remember This ....

Add Some Irish to Your Dinner Tonight

St. Patrick's Day is finally here! If you haven't planned for something special for your dinner this evening, here is an idea for a dish that's easy to make and very Irish: Colcannon or perhaps even Champ.

Colcannon is a traditional Irish meatless meal, but it may also be used as a side dish with sausages, meat or fish. Potatoes are such a large part of Irish cuisine, as are vegetables in general. I have made this dish with kale and found it to be too bitter for my tastes, but with cabbage it is very nice indeed.

Champ, which is similar to colcannon. is made by combining mashed potatoes and chopped scallions with butter and milk, and optionally, salt and pepper. It is simple and inexpensive to produce. In some areas the dish is also called "poundies."

Ingredients for Irish Colcannon

• 1 ½ lbs potatoes
• 1 ½ cups of milk
• 1 ½ cups of boiled green cabbage or curly kale
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Some folk will also add green onion which is commonly used with the recipe for Champ.

How to Make Colcannon

Boil the potatoes until tender.
Drain well.
Mash the potatoes well.
Toss the cooked cabbage in the melted butter.
Add the cabbage and butter to the potatoes and fold well.
Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

The Ides of March

The Ides of March .... it’s a term we hear often, a portend of doom in most cases. Do you know anything about the Ides of March?

The word Ides comes from the Latin word "Idus" and means "half division" relative to a month. Used in the Roman calendar it refers to the day that was the middle of the month. Back then it was a standard way of saying the 15th of March, May, July and October. It meant the 13th day for all the other months.

Today the Ides of March is known to be the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated, stabbed 23 times in the Roman Senate by the well-known Brutus and about 60 conspirators. When soothsayer told Caesar that he was to be killed no later than the Ides of March, he joked that “The Ides of March are come,” believing the prophesy had not been fulfilled.

“Aye, Caesar,” the seer replied, “but not gone.”

I guess we know who had that one right.

It’s because of this that the term “The Ides of March” has always seemed to evoke a dark mood, partly because of Shakespeare’s play.

Luckily we live in a modern time where we neither refer to the 15th as the ides nor do we attach any feeling of disaster or misfortune to the date and can just enjoy the fact that spring is almost here!

Also, it’s only two days until St. Patrick’s Day!

Myths and Legends of Ireland

Ireland’s long history is riddled with ancient mythology and folklore. Ireland’s ancient societies, the Druids and the Celtics, believed in the power of magic and many of these beliefs spread to modern day legends told again and again across the country. Stories of warriors with all the knowledge of the world, fairies playing pranks on farm owners and leprechauns hiding their gold at the end of a rainbow add to the mysterious appeal of Ireland

While Ireland is a country with countless tales of myth and folklore, none are more often repeated than the tales of leprechauns, selkies, shamrocks and, or course, St. Patrick himself.

The Leprechaun is perhaps the most famous of all Irish legends. Said to be a type of fairy, the Leprechaun is a cobbler, making the shoes of all other fairy folk. Usually depicted as an old and bearded man, Leprechauns are never female. Legend tells that when the Danes invaded Ireland, the fairies hid all there treasure from the marauding hordes. The Leprechauns were given the task of guarding the treasure. Unfortunately, the rainbow always points to the location of the leprechauns treasure, so he must constantly be moving the trove. And with the climate in Ireland and plenty of rain, the rainbows are plentiful! It is said that if you catch a Leprechaun, he must either give you his treasure or grant you three wishes. The image and legend of the Irish Leprechaun has endured the ages and is very prevalent in western society today.

The legend of the Selkie is very similar to the mermaid. But Selkies are brown seals by day and human by night. The legend comes from the numerous seals inhabiting the Irish coast. Sailors who caught a Selkie at night in human form married these lovely brown eyed maidens. For the rest of their lives, they would serve as patient wives, while constantly looking to the sea. If Selkies we released by their captors, they would return to the see but would forever more guard human families while on the sea, and on land.

The three green leaves of the Shamrock is more than the unofficial symbol of Ireland. The Shamrock has held meaning to most of Ireland’s historic cultures. The Druids believed the Shamrock was a sacred plant that could ward off evil. The Celtics believed the Shamrock had mystical properties due to the plant’s three heart-shaped leaves. The Celtics believed three was a sacred number. Some Christians also believed the Shamrock had special meaning- the three leaves representing the Holy Trinity.

To most people, St. Patrick is the man who brought a day of good times and green beer to pubs across the world. In reality, St. Patrick wasn’t made a saint until centuries after his death and he wasn’t even Irish. St. Patrick was born in Britain to a wealthy family. During his childhood, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. During his years in slavery he converted to Christianity and once freed he did spend the rest of his life teaching the Irish about the Christian religion, but he was soon forgotten after his death. It wasn’t until many years later that monks began telling the tale of St. Patrick forcing all the snakes out of Ireland. Something he never could have done as there never were any snakes in Ireland.

 
References:

http://bit.ly/nzeUlk

http://bit.ly/ih0mt3

Irish Proverbs

It's that time of year ... St. Patrick's Day is coming! I enjoy my Irish heritage, name and stories of my ancestry. One of the things I enjoy the most are Irish proverbs. Some of them are so funny, some so sweet, and all of them are interesting. I've put a few down here to help get in the mood for the day. Bain sult as! (Enjoy!)

A guest should be blind in another man's house.

Firelight will not let you read fine stories but its warm and you won't see the dust on the floor.

It is no shame to tell the truth.

It's often a man's mouth broke his nose.

The schoolhouse bell sounds bitter in youth and sweet in old age.

You’ll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind.

Hunger is a good sauce.

If God sends you down a stony path, may he give you strong shoes.

A turkey never voted for an early Christmas.

There's no need to fear the wind if your haystacks are tied down.