Beat 3 eggs with a whisk, add 2 cans cream style corn, 1 can whole kernel corn, 2 cups herbed stuffing mix, 1 cup milk, 3/4 stick of melted butter, 1 cup grated cheddar, 1 jar of chopped pimeto, 2 tablespoons minced onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix together and let sit for 15 minutes. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle another cup of cheddar on top. Bake in a 325 degree for one hour. Cool and cover with Saran to keep it moist.
More gorgeous skies at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com
This beautiful architectural touch is mounted over the back door of our Court House. This is a spot that I love ... maybe because there is a box at the back door called the "Flag Drop" where you can put your old flags. How cool is that ? The piece is really very intricately carved and you should enlarge it for it's details. I always look up at it when I go up or down 3rd Avenue, SE. I'm always on the lookout for things to blog about so there isn't much that I miss. But I did try to photograph 3 deer in front of the Ethanol Plant yesterday evening. It was the perfect shot ... the sky was awesome, the cold temps have an effect on the steam and how it billows out, and I was going to call the post "Alien vs. Predator", my friend Julie's favorite movie. My card was full ... I was pissed.A few facts about the Year 1928: Hoover was President and Coolidge was elected, the cost of a stamp was .02, the Yankees beat the Cardinals 4 to 0 in the World Series, Reigh Count won the Kentucky Derby, Alexander Fleming invented penecillin, Walt Disney released Steamboat Willie and Galloping Gaucho, their first cartoons with sound, the Academy Awards were handed out for the first time with Wings winning Best Picture, the first TV, a Daven, was sold for $75, and a television picture was beamed for the first time from England to the US. Oh, and the first urine pregnancy test was developed.And my favorite is this one: 65 Nations signed the Kellog Briand Pact in Paris to outlaw war. We've come a along way, 1928 Baby ... you had the right idea ... and I can't help but think of Edwin Starr's song "WAR ... Who Is It Good For ? ... even though Tom Jones is on GMA singing "It's Not Unusual" right now.
Sometimes I see my sister Wendy's spirit sitting in the clouds. It's the honest, to God, truth ... and this is what it looked like the night before last.
I now have all my momentos of her in one place, and again, I am putting together a display of photos and objects. My niece, Catherine, gave back many of the things I gave her Mother during her life. And I have everything she ever gave me. I also have many of her clothes and all of her music and books. I have two of her cats. And I have Catherine.
When Catherine first gave me these things it was an absolute trip to come across so many things, from so many places, and over so many years and occasions. Going so far back in time and reviewing a history of my giving, from places she would never see ... a pair of silver Guatemalan Quetzal earrings, a strand of beads from the French West Indies, a bracelet from Hawaii. It was amazing and rewarding both, to see the care she gave in keeping these things safe and special.
So as it turns out ... when I was giving these gifts to Wendy, I was actually giving these gifts to myself, not knowing she would die at 46 and I would have almost all of them back. I would trade every one of these things, except Catherine and the cats, for one more day with her. It's obviously still very painful. And it doesn't seem to get better. It just gets different ... and farther and father away from the way it used to be.
In some ways it was much easier when the pain was fresh ... and shocking. I think I liked myself more when she was here. I should work on that. But I like having my identity all tangled up in hers.
More Sky Watching around the world at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com
This is a photo of an Immaculate Conception First Communion Class. These handsome boys graduated from High School as the Class of 1971. My friend, Jeff Thronson, who is in the back row with only part of his face showing, sent this to me. It's a wonderful subject, but a bad line up. Jeff is trying hard to show up in the photo, bless his little Catholic heart : ) My brother, Randy, is four heads to his left ... the one standing the tallest, holding his candle the straightest, and his little hands are clutching that Bible like ... well ... I just don't know. Really, I do, but I'm not going to say it. There are so many funny things going on in this photo. But I have to tell you about Laura Blais, on the left. Don't let the smile fool you. She's dead and gone now so I'm going to put it out there. Laura Blais was our Abusive Gym Teacher, and I feared her more than I feared Sister Nancy. And that was big time fear.As you can see in the photo, Laura Blais was not a physically fit person. She was a torture chamber on two feet and she had all of the equipment at her disposal, necessary to scare the shit out of any child. And the things she expected of us ... Good Lord! We went to the gym, several classes at once, boys and girls. There was a trampoline, a balance beam, uneven bars, and one of those leather buck things. And this was not about fun. Laura Blais never really explained or had demonstrations on technique or how not to hurt yourself. She merely lined us up, blew the whistle she wore around her neck, and said "Go". And if you didn't run, grab the high bar and mount those unevens, swing your legs up on the low bar, extend your right leg, bounce it three times to gain the momentum to do a backward summersault over the high bar, and dismount, standing, you got your ear torn off of your head in front of 50 of your closest friends. Thank you, Mrs. Blais. I now have a Black Belt in Therapy.Left to right, front row to back: ___ Remily, Ken Mernaugh, Russell Lampy, Lee Fortin, Steve Reifenberger, Tim Brist, Not Sure, Tim (?) Fox, Rodney Lindner, Chuck Schucard, Maurice Woolven, Jim Majusiak, Bob Mooney, Gary Cordell, Laura Blais, Melvin Reichling, Mike Sears, Randy Brandriet, Rodney Mack, John Larson, Ross Kranz, Jeff Thronson, Steve Sears, Dan Leddy, Mike O'Hara, Ron Brandriet (my cousin), Joe Wagner, Terry Murphy, Roger Schwanke, John Richter, and Sister Bianca.
How much Mary Kay would one have to sell to be able to drive this Pink Cadillac ??? Word up ... the owner of this car is a Man. I have not seen him driving it, but that's the story I got when I asked around. He was parked at the Extension Building on Election Day.
The original 9 skin care products were from a tanner's recipe. HE had much smoother and clearer skin than HIS age would indicate. Mary Kay Ash does not test her products on animals and PETA celebrated another victory when she stopped giving fur coats as incentive awards to her sales force.
I'll take two Jet Black Mascara's and one Revitalizing Spray ... and I wonder ... is Mary Kay really a Man ?
I took this photo of Lake Kampeska from Jackson Park last week ... but it was Lover's Lane back then, to us. A popular spot for kissing boys in their parent's cars, AM radio played a major role in our exploration of the sexual senses. Us and Our as in ... well ... my crowd.
It was KOMA - Oklahoma City until 11 PM, then KAAY - Little Rock for the Underground Music program called Beaker Street ... as in ... Why Don't We Do It In The Road and Samba Pa Ti. I have many facts, legends and stories that revolve around Lake Kampeska. For now; however, I'm going to leave it at this.
Everyone knows the Beatles did Why Don't We Do It In The Road. But tell me ... Who did Samba Pa Ti ? And don't you just love it ? It's a favorite of mine and you will find it on U Tube if you need to.
Some snow, a fence, more snow, a shelter belt, a farm, some clouds and a beautiful blue sky. For you ... on Sky Watch Friday. Weekend Love from The Prairie. xoxo.
To see more skies around the world ... http://www.skyley.blogspot.com
Lake Pelican is about a quarter of a mile from our place. You can't see it through the trees when they are leafed out, but this time of year there are several good views from our front deck. We live between Lakes Pelican and Kampeska. They are both in the process of icing over. The ice fishing houses will start popping up next month. I'm not big on the idea of driving in a vehicle going over a supposedly frozen lake. Mom, Wendy and I used to do it, to take lunch to my Dad and Randy. But today I can Just Say No. We are snow/sleet/iced in today. Our schools are all closed so I feel like I'm getting a free day to do anything I please. But I am going to press on with this huge project of unpacking boxes that came with us from Houston. Knowing we were remodeling, but needing to live in the house for a year certainly complicated the settling process. We lived on the main floor while the lower level was being built out, then lived there while the main floor was remodeled.
I committed Ron and I to hosting The Pelican Township Christmas Bash this year. I did so with motives ... 1) to be good neighbors and reciprocate the love that goes on around here, and 2) to light the necessary fire under my ass that will finally make this awesome house an awesome home.
Beat 3 eggs with a whisk, add 2 cans cream style corn, 1 can whole kernel corn, 2 cups herbed stuffing mix, 1 cup milk, 3/4 stick of melted butter, 1 cup grated cheddar, 1 jar of chopped pimeto, 2 tablespoons minced onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix together and let sit for 15 minutes. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle another cup of cheddar on top. Bake in a 325 degree for one hour. Cool and cover with Saran to keep it moist.
