This is my first posting since my "hunny" unlocked the secret of the Blogs. Spring is poking her nose out through the clouds occasionally and making me long to get out the seeds for planting and dig in the dirt. Skip and I pruned the fruit trees Saturday. The clipping isn't so bad, but picking up all the sticks and trying to figure out what to do with all the debris is the biggy. We have come to the conclusion that the apple trees are far more work than they are worth for the amount of produce they bring, so we have decided to make one last pruning to the ground and plant a shade tree instead. With the work and the cost of spraying all summer, we figure we can buy a bushel of apples that are "worm free" and be money ahead.

Recipe of the day:

(this is really easy and good)

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN

2 cans (15 oz.) whole-kernal corn, drained

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 jar (16 oz.) chuncky salsa, divided

6 (I used 4 and cut them in 1/2) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In 5 Qt. slow cooker, combine corn, black beans, and 1/2 cup salsa. Top with chicken; pour remaining salsa over chicken. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hrs. or on low 7-8 hrs. or until meat juices un clear. Sprinkle with cheese, cover until cheese is melted, about 5 min. (Yield: 6 servings.)

Things I am thankful for today: butternut squash... so yummy. Just finished freezing the last of it from my garden last year.

Elaine

Ya, but it'a a damp cold.

It is a brisk 14 degrees here, high atop the Radisson Hotel in beautiful downtown Fargo. This place is flat. The highest thing between here and the Canadian border is a barb wire fence, and the way the wind was blowing this morning I think the top two strands are down. I am working on a helicopter that is inside a huge storage hangar. It has about ten airplanes in it. It is heated, but every time the temperature gets barely up to comfortable, the line guys have to open the door and move an airplane in or out. Like a dope I left all my long johns safely in my dresser drawer at home, so I spent a fruitless hour and a half today scouring the stores here in Fargo for a pair of thermal bottoms. Now, you would think in a town this size somebody would have a stock of long johns left. I mean, it's still WINTER here. But no. If I wanted a highwhyan floweredy shirt or a pair of shower shoes, they've got plenty of those. The only nice thing was driving the rental car. It is a new Mercury something or other and it has heated seats. Strange and wonderful. It's exactly like backing up to the wood stove, without having to stand up. I think I'll go drive around a little before bed.

Weakly blogcast

It was a quiet week in Meridian, our hometown. We both put in some overtime this week. Probably just as well, since the weather is too crappy to do much outside. We observed Valentine's Day saturday as Elaine works next weekend. So we started out in the morning by going to the temple. Then we had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (great place!) and did a little shopping. After that we both got massages. On the way home we test drove a Lexus just for fun. That evening we went to the monthly ballroom dance and learned the Bolero (Sloooooow, quick, quick, sloooooow...)and then we danced until our feet gave out. It was a very nice day.
I talked to Carla and got updated on her birthday. She said she had 14 of her friends to her party. The day we talked she was teaching Adrianna and Shania how to shave their legs. I guess that is a rite of passage similar to teaching your son how to shoot.
Today Nate and Michelle, Kara and Branden, and Aislyn came over for roast beast and mashers. It was a wonderful meal, the kind that grandma used to try to make. Once again I am reminded that I am eating way above my station.
So, that's about it from this end of the empire. I enjoy your comments and we also get a kick out of the other blogs that some of you are doing. And the pictures are great (check out "dirty Chloe" on Kevin and Amy's).
Stay well and keep in touch.

Second First Entry

So Michele and Elaine have goaded me into attempting a blog again. I guess it's about time. It's only been eight months.

We flew down to Ft. Rucker last weekend for Chloe's blessing. Had much fun. She is without a doubt the prettiest baby I have seen recently. Of course, I was rather good looking at that age, but that was years ago. We had a fine time going to the Army Aviation Museum and playing Whacky 6. Kevin and Amy are making great daddy and mommy already, although last weekend they kept getting elbowed out of the way by everyone else.

Elaine is hunkered down in quilting mode, except when I can pry her loose to go dancing. What with here broken arm and my gallbladder deal, plus work and other things, we hadn't been out dancing for about six months. So when we got the chance a couple of weeks ago, we took it. Got in about five hours in one Saturday.

I have been waiting for the weather to warm up so I can fly the cool R/C airplane my wonderful wife got me for Christmas. It's been sitting here on the counter for a month, ready to go. I'm kinda wired up about flying it the first time. It has been about twenty years since I last had my thumbs on a transmitter. After the first crash the stress level will be lowered somewhat.

In kid news: not much change from the Christmas letter. Carla's birthday was friday but I haven't gotten a hold of here yet to see how it went. John blew out his knee again. We are hoping it is not too serious. Kevin is starting his next class tomorrow. He is glad to be doing something towards training instead of sitting home all day. Of course, I think Chloe and Amy make that a little easier to take. Kara has moved into here new apartment. We haven't gotten to see it yet but it sounds pretty nice. Amy J. is getting ready for Junior Miss, which is April 18th. She is pretty excited. Michele and Jesse are working away on their scrapping mail order business. It is moving right along, with lots of sales an lots of new things coming out.
We will try to get updates on the rest of the gang for the next entry. I will now attempt to post this without losing it.