Night

I tried to sleep. Really I did.
It's just too hot, and the full moon is peeking through my blinds and taunting me.
It knows that when it is bright and full, it makes me want to drive up into the hills and look at the stars in the sky and the lights in the valley below.

I like to watch the bats come out and get them to dive at the little pebbles I throw at them, and remember the days of night games, tree houses, and sleeping out on the big front porch.

I love my little town at night. The streets roll up, and it's so quiet and still.
I've spent many a restless night driving around and discovering little crannies and hills with views that take my breath away. All those favorite little places hold memories that are best enjoyed alone because that's how I first experienced them...

But since it's too late for a respectable old lady to be wandering around town alone, I've been sitting here looking for pictures of favorite things to cheer me.

One of my favorite sites had tons of gorgeous pictures of Oregon - which led me to think of my children, and how things are going to change at the end of this Summer.

My son is going to move back to the Pacific North West - not Oregon, but even further. Seattle.

On the one hand, I'm excited for him to be going off to a new adventure, and continuing on to fulfill his goals - but on the other hand, something in my gut fears that he will never come home again. Ever.

I've been so spoiled having all my kids so close.

But fish gotta swim, and birds gotta fly.

(...While crotchety mamas sit home and *Sigh*)


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Summer Solstice

It's official (by the calendar anyway) Summer is here.

When the kids are out of school - so am I. No more reason to get up early in the morning. The thing is, that for me, school is out forever. No more children in that routine ever again.

Trying to make plans to fill my days. I must accomplish things - or just sit around waiting to die. (Boring!)
Planning to de-junk the house little by little, get the garden in, start reading again, and hopefully do some creative things too.

Planning a trip this fall - so working to save for that. Difficult when the job is dwindling down to nothing...

I spent this past weekend at a couple of dance recitals for my granddaughter.
The one on Friday was for her tap/jazz class, and the other on Saturday was a full blown ballet (Coppelia.) The performances were at the new art center in Provo, a very nice venue.

Long performances, but it was fun to see how focused she was, and how seriously she was taking it. So cute. Wish I could share pictures, but they wouldn't let us take any...

Saturday I also went with my sister to the Parade of Homes. It's always fun to tour the homes and see what is new not only in the architectural styles, but in decorating styles as well.
We were only able to get through four of the homes before I had to leave for Millie's dance recital (the homes are spread all over the county) but it was fun - I enjoyed it.
In past years, the homes have all been huge and outrageous, but this year they were mostly small and conservative - signs of the times.

There was one huge "castle" type home that was my favorite - because I could imagine my entire family being able to live there together without feeling crowded. I never knew I wanted that - but it would be awesome, I think.
It was completely self-contained - movie theater, gym, indoor pool, even a dance studio! The only thing the place didn't have was a bowling alley!
Awesome. *Sigh* Unfortunately, the only oil on my property belongs to Questar.

News
Sad week in the neighborhood - 2 of my neighbors passed away this past weekend.

One a nice old gentleman who lives around the corner. Salt of the earth - his kind smile will be missed.

The other was an 11 year old boy. So sad when there is a life that will be unfulfilled - and especially when it was an accident that could have been easily prevented with a little forethought. The boy is in a better place, but his family will struggle.

Enough for today - I have laundry to do, and dishes to wash.

Happy Summer! (Wish I were on that beach...)

Weekend Rewind...

Thanks for being patient with me...

It's not that I have nothing to say these days - it's a technical thing.
It's so complicated to post these days, because I have to go back & forth between computers, email photos to myself, download them onto the other computer, then post them... (I have an unhealthy virus on my main computer, so I don't trust doing everything there.)

I haven't deserted - I've just gotten lazy. (Too much work)

Anyway, It's been a good week here - Sunday we celebrated my daughter in law's birthday with a barbecue up the canyon. She did all the work herself, and it was AMAZING! Yummy ribs, dutch oven potatoes, and home made doughnuts.

The weather man (as well as Mother Nature) kept threatening rain, but thankfully, that didn't happen. It was a bit chilly, but it was green and beautiful up there!
The party was a success, and lot's of fun! I enjoy her family, they are kindred spirits.


Family& Friends


As the air got cooler, the circle around the fire got closer...


Babe in the woods Sighted the elusive Babe-squatch


Beauty My daughter caught this shot - lovely.


Sorry the photos are so small... still trying to get the hang of this.
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Friday

It's been a pleasant week here - rain during the nights, cool breezes during the day. I love sleeping with the windows open, and what the rain does for my flowers.
(Even though it does make the grass grow a little too fast...)

It's also been very quiet.
Hubby has spent most of the week at the Huntsman Cancer Center with his brother, so I've been on my own. (The brother is doing well - almost beyond expectations.)

Been finding this & that to do - finished a little album for my daughter's best friend. She's been a part of our family for almost as long as my daughter - so a mere graduation card just didn't seem like enough...


I had the hardest time deciding what to do for her - then it occurred to me that I had all these photos of times that she had spent with our family - and voila! ...the idea was born.





I only hope that she can recognize the heart-felt sentiment that comes with it - she means a lot to us.


Other pass times this week?

Wrote a few chapters on my silly story, spent some time with the grans and my girls. Last night my daughter and I watched "On a Clear Day" together - what a trip back in time! (Gotta love those fashions from the '70's!) ...and the ever present laundry and cleaning.

It's Friday now, and I'm so ready to get out of here for a bit - any suggestions?

Have a great weekend!
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HellOooooo!

It's Summer vacation - now if someone would just alert the weather...
Still coolish and damp here, but the upside is that for the time being, everything is very GREEN.

I made a little trip to the garden shop this week, and lost myself among all the flowers. Heaven.
I wish those folks would come and re-do my whole yard for me, the shop was so full of beautiful blooms.

I picked up just a few to plant in my 'giant' teacup:

I had such a hard time deciding with all the beautiful choices there - but I settled on a few that were unique and fun.
These petunias captured my imagination - they are so different from any I've ever seen...
Love the green around the edges - so cool.

I had a plan to eliminate some of the large plants in my front flower beds - they have always been unruly, and laid flat in a tangled up mess. I was finally going to rip them out this year and replace them with daisies or something - but guess what? The darn things are pretty this year!



I've also been creating a little. With graduation comes the need for more cards...

Not terribly exciting, but I was in a pinch...

I also made this little recipe book for my daughter who will be leaving home for the first time this fall.

I made it out of one of those inexpensive photo albums you can find at any department store. I used some Basic Grey papers I had on hand, and the vintage title which is Cosmo Cricket. I don't know if she'll appreciate the "old fashioned" look that much, but it spoke to me of my momma and yummy home cooking, so there it is.
I'll fill it with my recipes that are her favorites, so she can create them herself. (Although she already knows most of them!)

Lastly, a little card to celebrate some new ribbons that came in the mail the other day...

I was inspired (or should I say 'tempted'?) by some creations by my favorite card artist; Lilybean. She is such a hazard to me - anything she uses on her blog - I have to have. She just makes it look so gorgeous! I swear the woman could sell me old socks, and I'd be happy about it. I hope the folks she designs for appreciate her!

...But I digress... I ordered the ribbons from This Good Day at etsy.com. The papers are some K&Co. that I had laying around, and the vintage 'seed packet' is a sticker that was a fun sister gift last fall (from Victorian Trading).

That's it for today. I was supposed to work this afternoon, but they are cutting hours again. I'm wondering how long until I find myself laid off again?

Nursing a toothache, so I just may put myself to bed...

Enjoy your weekend!
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Graduation Day

May was a busy month - just trying to get the daughter's loose ends tied up at school, then graduations, holidays, etc.
I think I spent half the month washing dirty dishes from all the gatherings!

But it's been good.

As I was shooting pictures at my baby's graduation, I couldn't help but feel so proud - not just of her, but of all my children. I am so grateful for each and every one of my family!

jenny grad

our family

proud parents


Now that it's all over, I've been sleeping in a bit - no more reasons to get up early. It makes me wonder - what am I going to do with the rest of my life?

We also had an anniversary this month - 34 years.
We planned to get away, but it just wasn't in the cards. (Or the budget!)
Hubby had some time off, so we spent it doing quiet things - breakfast out - yard work, touring model homes (dreaming) ...and I even talked him into an afternoon of scrapbooking with me! (He actually got more done than I did.)

Spent Memorial day with the family - cook out (we actually had a nice day for it!) and just visiting.
My sister stopped by, and we got to visit with her and her son's family. His little boy is so cute!

Now that the celebrations are all over, we can settle down to Summer vacation. If the weather will just cooperate...
Peace. (?)
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This 'n That

Feeling gloomy this Monday morning.
I could easily climb back into bed and pull the covers over my head for the rest of the day - if only I didn't have to work.
Totally blaming it on the weather.
I look at the calendar, and see that it's May - but there is no actual evidence to support that assumption.
Blah.
I'm so tired of wind and rain and COLD!
A little springtime please, before summer comes in with a vengeance?

A few celebrations this week - Saturday was our 34th anniversary, hubby and I.
We usually head down south for a weekend vacation - but due to the downslide in the economy (the nations AND ours...) we spent a quiet holiday at home.
Believe it or not, I actually got him to scrapbook with me for the day on Friday. We enjoyed it too - (and nobody died!)

Yesterday was my youngest daughter's Seminary graduation. Came home and spent the entire day in the kitchen to serve an early lunch, but it was worth it just to see my baby shine.

Sat between the grans during the ceremony, enjoying loves from each - moments that I live for...

Later, while we were visiting, we caught Jeff's 2 year old eating the Nestle's Strawberry Quick right out of the container.
A little hyper tonight? ...Sorry.

Rumors going around that Ghost Whisperer is being cancelled this year.
That would be a sad day for our household - it's the only show we can all sit down and watch as a family.
)The girls and I like the ghost stories - I think hubby just likes Jennifer Love Hewitt.)


Back to the real world now, schlepping fabric to the masses.
x.o
Tah!

Finale

Endings are so bittersweet.

Yesterday we attended # 2 grand daughter's graduation from pre school.
She was so cute and proud - she's such a little lady.
Miles to go from here - but she'll do great. She's already reading, so the sky is the limit!

Miss Moo




Last night was also my youngest's final choir concert.
They should have charged for awesomeness, because they really rocked the house!
They just got back from the choir competition in Anaheim, where they took 4 gold medals and 4 trophies - sweepstakes winners being one of them.
Wow. It really showed last night, they were amazing!

Yenny girl - front & center


As we were leaving, grandma T made the comment that our baby will be the last grandchild to attend this school.
It's true - she's ending a long family tradition here.
She's also the end of my legacy - long list of lasts for me...

Payson High Concert Choir

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Salutations

It's been a quiet week here in Grannyland.

I've been busy trying to get photos from my trip tucked away in the scrapbooks.

Problems with that are many - broke the bank to print the photos - and that was only half of them.

Spent hours setting up the work station, only to find I lack something... the basic background papers to put them on.

...Two hours spent at the scrapbook store, trying to make decisions.

Finally ready to work - but no ideas pop into the head... two more hours searching for idea books.

By the time I was ready to go, the family was coming home, and had to leave it for other things.

Such is life.

(I did get 6 pages done this week, so that's something - right?)

...And I finally finished the above card. Just in time to put it all away for the weekend.

Today is a work day. Another day, another dollar.
(Quite literally. *Sigh*)

Happy Friday :-)
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Road Trip

My road trip with my sisters this past week was so much fun! We saw so many amazing things - and so many others that we still want to see... (road trip the sequel?)
I fell in love with Arizona all over again (or should I say for the first time?) ...I never thought it was pretty when I was a kid.

Background: My parents were both from Arizona. They moved to Utah when my dad decided to go to Utah State. He finished school and found employment here, and we have been here ever since.
The rest of both of their families stayed in Arizona, so all of our Summer vacations were spent there. My oldest sister was there in the Arizona days, so she was our link to that era.
I never lived there - but still have many memories of the place...

Anyway, the purpose of our trip was to attend the open house for the new LDS Temple in Central. (Dad's birthplace.)

We decided on the way down to stop and see some of the sights that we had always wanted to see. (Dad was always on a tight schedule to visit people "back in the day," so we never stopped to sight see.)

We stopped at Camp Verde - a military outpost from the 1800's. It's a museum now, and was an interesting place - lots to see, and the views were so incredible - Beautiful country!

Camp Verde




Seriously the coolest headdress I have ever seen!


After that, we stopped at Montezuma's Castle. It was totally different than what I always imagined it would be.
They were cliff dwellings, in the most beautiful peaceful valley - I can understand why the residents stayed there for 300 years...
(Although how they got up there to build it boggles the mind!)

Motezuma's Castle




By the time we arrived in Central, it was dark - but we had to drive by the temple anyway... In fact, we got lost trying to circle it.
(*Hint - there is no road that goes around the temple - we ended up in some poor unsuspecting fellow's driveway.) Luckily, he was a very nice man, and we had a fun chat with him and his cat. :-)













The next day we did the temple tour. We met lots of nice people who were (almost) as excited to be there as we were.


As you can see, the weather wasn't very cooperative. The wind blew the whole time (no such thing as good hair days!) ...and it was COLD!
(Where do AZ natives keep the warm during the day?)

This was the view out of one of the windows at our hotel.
I had to get a picture because it just spoke to me of my dad - the Arizona cowboy.



We filled the rest of the day visiting museums, past homes, and cemeteries (sadly, that's where most of the relatives are now.)

It was fun to see that some of our old family photos were in the museum (which was in my sister's elementary school building.)
We have an aunt and uncle who are still living in the area, so we stopped to say "hi." They were in good shape, considering that he is 99 and she is 97!

The next day we drove up to Heber. We took a different route, so we were able to drive through Sunset Crater and walk around the Wupatki ruins.

For some reason I always thought Sunset Crater was a single crater created by a meteor. I wasn't even close. What it actually is, is a series of small volcanoes.

Sunset Crater













Ruins













Canyon













We drove around Heber while sis told us stories about that location. It was so nice to have her there to fill in the blanks from that time. I have a sister buried there.
We spent the night, then drove around Snowflake the following day.

There is a Temple there now too. (Amazing!) We found a helpful grounds maintenance person who took the only photo of the 3 of us together. :-)



We could easily have spent a couple more days, but it was time to get home.
It got dark around Kanab, and everyone was tired and quiet, so I asked my sis if she knew any good ghost stories.
That opened a whole can of worms that probably should have been left alone on a dark road in the middle of the night...

I'm getting to wordy and boring - long story short - I'm home again - and planning the next adventure...
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Snowbird

I'm outta here - yesterday's news - gone.

My sister has arranged an impromptu trip down south where (I hope) the sun is shining, so I'm blowing this cold and dreary place for a few days.

Making a pilgrimage to the place of my family's origins...

Tell you all about it when I get back.

*Poof*

You can always tell that good weather is here, because everyone immediately disappears from their computers.

It's been another quiet week here - (love it!)...and I've just been puttering and trying to get a little spring cleaning done.

It went from winter to spring overnight, so I'm feeling like I need to get my gardens planned in a real quick fast hurry.

Don't want to miss out on planting one again this year - I love having my own veggies out back, and the flower beds could sure use a remodel.
Wonder if I can talk the grans into helping...

Work is slowing way down too.
It's amazing how fast people abandon indoor hobbies when the sun comes around.
I've been cut back again - from 3-4 shifts per week, to one or two!

I'm ok with it for now, because I have so much I want to get done, but it will sure make a dent if it goes on this way for long.

Any-who...
Just touching bases, 'cuz it's been a while.

You may have noticed (if you were one of the 2 people who ever looked at it - LOL!) that I have closed my crafty blog. I just haven't been doing enough to warrant keeping it up lately. I know how aggravating it can be to keep looking and never seeing any change. Sorry about that - I'm currently searching for my butt-n-gear. It must be around here somewhere? (Probably hiding out somewhere with my give-a-darn! LOL!)

Seriously though - I've been struggling a bit with the old identity. Not really sure who this middle aged granny person is, not the same one I used to be who loved trying new things and being crafty into the wee hours...

Got the weekend off for a change, hope it's a good one!
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Milestones

It's tax day, which is always a bitter / sweet day around here...

Bitter, for obvious reasons, but also sweet because it is the birthday of my darling daughter Melissa.

This year is one of those "milestone" years for her.
We chatted about it the other night, and it seems like she's in a good place about it. Life hasn't turned out exactly how she planned, but she's content.

I'm so grateful for her - she's an awesome daughter - better than I deserve.

Happy Birthday Baby!
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~Closed~

Do you ever have one of those days where you just want to lock the door and hang a sign that says "This life canceled due to lack of interest"?

...yeah.
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Homeward Bound

I've been on vacation this week. Good times, good times.

My son and his family are here with us, and we've had fun hiking and sight seeing with them.
We came to the desert to escape the cold, but it's been pretty chilly here.
The wind hasn't stopped blowing, and, well, it could have been nicer - but according to the news, we'll be going home to 9 inches of snow tomorrow.

*Sigh* I'll take the wind.

We did some hiking today, and it was lots of fun, but I can see that granny needs to get in better shape before good weather is here to stay...
I had to come back and have a 3 hour nap.
(Ok, I'll blame part of that on the allergy meds, but still...)
I wasted valuable time snoring while everyone else went off and did their thing.

Hubby had someone hack into his bank account just before we left (luckily, the bank caught it and froze it.)
But my card isn't working today. (Different bank, different account.)
What goes on out there anyway? Can't a hard working slob save up to have a little fun any more without being burgled at every opportunity?

Sheesh.

All else is well, we're heading home tomorrow. Sure wish I could bring these palm trees with me.
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The Quest for Joy

A couple of weeks ago, I sent my writing buddy a couple of chapters of a story my son is writing for her critique. Her first comment was;
"He likes writing more than you do - doesn't he?'

That comment made me laugh out loud at first, (because it's just so true,) but the conversation that followed got pretty deep.

Basically she said to me; "if you don't enjoy doing it, then why do it?" She told me to find what it is I love and pursue that instead. ...But that's the whole problem - I don't know what I would enjoy doing anymore.

Back in the day, it was always crystal clear to me what
I loved, and I couldn't help myself from going after it.
Challenges? Bring 'em on - I loved it!

...But I'm just at a weird place in life now - all those things that I used to love, I've been there - done that - either eliminated it, or peaked at it, and am on the downhill slide.
I can't stand that. If I can't be excellent at something any more - I don't want to do it.
In a nutshell, I've lost the passion for it.

So, where does that leave me now?

My friend suggested taking classes, and trying new things... The question is, what is there left for me to try?

- But, at least that little conversation stirred me to ask myself "What is it that would bring me joy in life?"
And I've made a vow to myself to dig deep and try to find it - whatever it might be.

...So, off I go on that quest for joy - I may fall off my horse a few times, and have to joust a few windmills, but if I die trying, at least I will have something to show for my life besides all my properties and farms on facebook. (Ha ha)

Speaking of all that time I have - I am really learning to enjoy that.
I live for the peaceful hours when everyone is at work and school, and I can govern my own hours any way I want.
I have never been one who liked to be stuck home alone all the time - I would rather go and see and do - but I am learning to cherish the quiet and the freedom.
(Good thing, because I'm too poor to shop and too lazy to do anything else! LOL)

I could truly love every aspect of it.... if it weren't for the fact that hubby is working two jobs, and getting none of the rest and peace that I have. It just makes me feel so darn guilty.

Life is out of balance, and it's so not fair.

Enough for today - off in search of dragons. Sancho, bring me my horse...
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Girl's Day Out

It's sure nice to break out and just have some girl time now & then.
My daughter in law and her sister took me with them to Scrapbook USA this weekend.
It's getting to be a tradition a couple of times a year. I had planned to be good and not buy much, but it was so hard to resist all the good deals they had!
We shopped until we dropped. (And yet, I still have a little cash in the bank, can you believe it?)

On the way home, we stopped off at IKEA.
It was a first for me - I could have easily played "kid in a candy store" there. (But then, where would I put anything else in this house? LOL)
Lots of fun stuff though, and lunch to boot!

Not much else new here...
My old high school class is gathering on facebook. It's so fun to see how many of them are jumping on the bandwagon and re-living old memories. I've found a couple of my good friends - I have missed them so much! (And they are still crazy after all these years!) Good times.

The nice weather has put me in a "Spring Cleaning" mood. It's time to de-junk, unclutter, and scrub the winter blahs away. (Have you seen those teasers for the TV show about hoarders? *Shudder* not going there, I swear!)

If I come up missing again, that's where I'll be...
(Cleaning, not buried under rubble - I hope.)

Well, I've been to church, had my nap, and the girls are cooking my dinner. Does life get better than this?
Happy Sunday
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The Best Laid Plans...

For a day that started out with a clear plan of what was to come, things couldn't have gone more awry.

Tuesday, I spent the entire day sorting and organizing my scrapbook paper, so today, I decided, would be a good day to actually use some.

When I cleaned up yesterday, I purposely left out some pre-cut cards that I found, and some of my 6x6 paper pads, and proclaimed St. Pat's day as "Card-a-palooza."
I was going to create something from the mess as a reward for all my hard work.

But, by the time I was up and dressed and done with my morning routine, my youngest was home for lunch.
She took a phone call just after she got in, and had her plans totally crushed by her friend, reducing her to a sobbing mess.

This has been a rough year for her. Besides the fact that it's spring, and Senior-itis is at it's all time high, she's having some serious growing pains too.
She's having to make those tough rest-of-your-life affecting decisions, and learning that life as an adult is a little more complicated than she imagined.

Today's situation was a pretty sad one. I couldn't stand to see her cry, so I grabbed the keys and told her to get in the car. We went to lunch, then I offered her a choice of going shopping or just for a drive.
Seeing as how we are both financially embarrassed (as my neighbor always calls it,) and she wasn't in the mood to mingle with the public, she opted for the latter.

We headed up through BYU campus and around the Temple, then up into the hills above (the high rent district,) and ooohed and ahhhed at the mansions there.
Then on a whim I decided that today was the day for the "Mommy tour".

I've been telling her for years (or threatening?) that I was going to take her around the town where I grew up someday, and tell her about my childhood.
(Hey, somebody's got to document it, right?) So, we did that.
Sadly, there are aren't many landmarks still standing, but it was fun to show her some of the places I used to roam.

We visited my birthplace, homes, schools and church buildings and visited my brother's grave. Then we drove up the canyon a little way (until the snow got deep, and we feared the road would end.)
That was the first time I've been up there since I moved away decades ago. It felt strange and unfamiliar to me. I didn't recognize anything at all.
She actually enjoyed the tour, and came home feeling much better.

I've gotten carried away, but there is a point to this tale. We have a dear friend who has dubbed our family the "no-plans-Taylors" (that's a very long story for another day) ...but now you know why.
If we take the trouble to plan out our day, you can bet that all plans will change completley before the day is over.

That's just the way it is.

On the other hand, we took a disastrous day, and turned it around.
Huzzah.

Happy St.Patty's
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Food Challenge # 1: Evil Chicken

I mentioned last week that I was reading a novel called Devil's Food Cake, and that there were a few recipes inside...

We decided to try one of those for our challenge today.
The recipe we chose is the one called Evil Chicken.

I have family members who have issues with spicy food, so I had to promise to tone it down a bit. I only added 1/3 of the chili powder that it called for.
In that case, I suppose you could say that my chicken wasn't evil, it was only slightly naughty.

Here's the recipe:

Evil Chicken
(The book says dieter's beware!)

1 pound bacon, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 to 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite-size pieces (one large chicken breast will usually do the job)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 cup brown sugar
up to 1/2 cup water, as needed
Cooked rice

In a large pan, cook bacon over medium high heat until nearly done. Do not drain.
Stir in chicken and chili powder. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until bacon and chicken are fully cooked.
Add brown sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved and sauce begins to thicken, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Be careful once the sugar is added not to let the sauce turn into toffee.) Add water if necessary to thin the sauce, but keep in mind the sauce is more of a coating.
Serve mixture over hot rice.
Serves 6

The chicken turned out rather tasty.
I think I could have added the whole amount of chili powder and no one would have noticed, because the sweetness of the sauce coveres it up. It didn't taste spicy at all to me.
I have to say, I'm a little skeptical about the part where it one chicken breast is enough for 6 servings. I used 4 to serve my family (9 were here today) and it was just enough.
I served it with brown rice, a garden salad, and some sweet potato french fries.
Yum!

***

My brother in law starts his cancer treatments this week.
My husband called a family gathering tonight at his house to offer our prayers and support. Grandma estimates that there were about 79 of us in attendance.
If numbers count at all in prayers, then he should be well covered.
Best wishes to his family.

Happy Sabbath.
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Chocolate 911

It's been one of those weeks again.
Everyone at school and work for all hours of the day...
My youngest takes the car to school most days, so I'm stuck in this house staring at the walls 24/7.
Most of the time I don't mind - I love me some peace and quiet, but there are also those days when I just can't take it anymore.
Have you ever been imprisoned at home during a serious chocolate emergency?
It's not pretty my friends.

Meet my newest addiction:
This is some serious life support baby. Won't be home without it.

While we're on the subject of Chocolate...
I escaped long enough to run to the nearest bookstore the other night, and grabbed me a copy of this:

My sister mentioned this was out a few weeks ago, and I've been dying to get my hands on it ever since.
It is the third in a series of 'culinary mysteries' (complete with recipes.)
The heroine is a middle aged lady, (much like myself) who just can't help herself from getting involved in all kinds of crazy cases, much to the dismay of her detective 'boyfriend.'

I'm loving this one, just like the rest.

Ahhhhh - I may just make it through the week after all...
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