Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (I cut into bite-size pieces)
1 pound small red potatoes, cut in quarters
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
chopped fresh chives, if desired
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease jelly roll pan. (I use olive oil)
2. Place chicken and potatoes in pan. Mix remaining ingredients except chives; brush over chicken and potatoes.
3. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers
of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with chives.
I usually mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl to coat everything before roasting. This is such an easy meal served
with a Caesar salad and crusty baked bread. My family loves it.

The FarSide

This is one of my favorite comic strips. I also love Ziggy and Calvin and Hobbes. You'll probably have to click on the picture to enlarge it enough to read it. The Lone Ranger learns the sad truth.

Alaskan Cruise

For our 30th wedding anniversary, we took a cruise to Alaska with some friends from church who also were celebrating their anniversaries too. It was the best trip ever. 7 days and nights of luxury! I would recommend this cruise to everyone. Alaska is breath-taking. The mountains, the glaciers, wildlife, the ocean, Alaska has it all. We went in July which is the warmest month and the best weather. It was 50-60 degrees. Beautiful. We traveled on the Diamond Princess which was new that year and they had the best service and food. I tried everything, wild Alaskan salmon, lobster tail, grilled shrimp, prime rib, everything imaginable. The best part was being on the promenade deck and watching the ocean and sky. You felt like every care in the world was gone away. The glacial water was 1000 feet deep and so blue green. The trees were spectacular.

Toasted marshmallows

I laugh at myself or with myself all the time! You should be there. I'm funny. I must be my biggest fan 'cause I crack myself up daily or perhaps nightly. I have never used my cooktop flame to toast marshmallows, but for some reason I thought of it last night. They were so cute and little, those marshmallows. I only ate a few, but they were yummy.

Diddle diddle dumpling

My son, John. It's hard to believe that my little boy could have grown up. He's a good one. There was a time he would pose for pictures, but now it's very hard to get a photo. Kinda like pulling teeth.

Beauty Tips borrowed from humbleorigins@blogspot.com

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people . For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others...

...Audrey Hepburn wrote the above when asked to share her "beauty tips." It was read at her funeral years later"...
A thought borrowed from humbleorigins@blogspot.com, I hope she doesn't mind. I read this quote from Audrey Hepburn to my ladies in Sunday school class a few months ago. Audrey was inspirational and a beauty inside and out.

Daughters and giraffes

We visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs where my children (not so small anymore) got to feed the giraffes. Here are Becky and Melissa, up close and personal with the giraffe. Do you see any similarities? In the girls? Giraffes have very long tongues. They like to eat crackers too.

More squirrel and a chipmunk

Doesn't this squirrel look wild? Oh, I guess it is! Ha ha. Two little chipmunks lived at the cabin too. Of course, I named them Chip and Dale, but more likely Dell (as in female). We enjoyed watching them. It's not something I see every day being from Oklahoma. I love Oklahoma, but Colorado is a beautiful place on earth.

Ebert squirrel in Colorado

This black squirrel is supposedly called an Ebert squirrel, found in the mountains of Colorado. It visited our cabin every day of our vacation. Loved that birdseed! It was a beauty, and so was Colorado. Look at that view!!

Cracker Barrel

This was a picture taken by my one and only sister, Megan. She is much younger than me, 26 years actually. Our dad passed away in July and this is the day of his funeral. We are at a Cracker Barrel near his home which is close to Denton, Texas. Daddy liked to eat at Cracker Barrel and IHOP. I sure miss him. I can't say that Cracker Barrel is my favorite place to eat, but I will never see one and not think of my dad. My son and I like their apple butter on biscuits.

My shower remodel

This bathroom is so small, I had a hard time getting back far enough to take pics. I love everything about it though, I picked it all out myself. Slate, niko blue walls, texture, creamy-white cabinets, clear glass shower doors, rain shower head, Kohler sink and toilet, Brizo faucet, satin nickel finish and stainless steel, green slate counter (very small vanity), heated tile floors, so great in the winter with a timer to come on in the morning and evening.

Rich Mullins - The Color Green

This is my favorite song

Barney Fife on Andy Griffith

"Like they always say...the quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth like a gentle dew from Heaven...well, you're not talking to a jerk you know!" - Barney
That is one of favorite Barney quotes. It is from the Merchant of Venice.

"The quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath: it is twice blessed; it blesseth him that gives and him that takes: 'tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown; his scepter shows the force of temporal power, the attribute to awe and majesty, wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings, but mercy is above this sceptered sway, it is enthroned in the hearts of kings, it is an attribute of God himself, and earthly power dost then show likest God's when mercy seasons justice."

I once saw a movie about Nero, he was killing Christians right and left. He was told that mercy became a ruler and that the power of pardon was the greatest power of all. Supposedly Nero found this to his liking and started pardoning prisoners.

Van Gogh "The Cafe"

My favorite impressionists are Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet. I love the water lilies. Impressionism = romanticism in my book. Van Gogh's Night Stars are also my favs. I like Edvard Munch's "The Scream". Henri Matisse too. Those little cafes in Paris are so cool.

Another Chance Ranch Giveaway

Here is the link to this contest:
http://anotherchanceranch.typepad.com/another_chance_ranch/2007/10/the-first-evah-.html

She is giving away
http://anotherchanceranch.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/09/27/gift10.jpeg

Such fun! She's so pretty!

Older brother Kenny

Kenny is my older brother, but he is the youngest of my three brothers. He is just 19 months older than me, which put him only one grade ahead of me in school. He was a December baby and I am an August babe. LOL. He is holding my son, John, when he was two. It's funny, my son John and his little sister, Becky, are exactly the same distance apart in age as Kenny and I are, almost to the day! My birthday is August 4 and Kenny's is December 11. Becky's birthday is August 11 and John's is December 17. Becky and John are 19 months apart just like Kenny and I are. Well, anyway, I think that is the way it happens in families. You share a lot in common. I love all three of my brothers, they are great. My oldest, I have always been in awe of, and Dennis and I have always been buds, and Kenny, I got to play with the most after the older boys started back to school. Kenny and I had one whole year of playing together before he started first grade. After first grade started, he came home a little mad at me that I did not have to go to school yet. Yeah, those were the days, my friend. (I thought they'd never end)

Second older brother, Dennis

Now this brother and I got to be on the same team with each other when my oldest brother and youngest brother chose up sides. We used to build forts in the snow, big ones like four foot high, and fight each other. Wayne always got to choose whether he wanted Dennis or Kenny on his side, I got whoever he didn't want, or I should say whoever he didn't choose got stuck with me! Three boys and one little girl, not a lot of options, bro. At least they didn't all three side together. Oh, the days!

Wayne, my oldest brother

My brother and his wife Jean tried for years to have a baby. They even went through in-vetro fertilization. They tried to adopt and were put on a waiting list. Finally, they got past a certain age and were taken off the list. Then, miracle of miracles, Jean got pregnant!!! And here is living proof. You can certainly tell that Wayne is so proud and pleased to have them in this pic. Adam and Sarah are now 14 years old. Wayne just retired from 30 years teaching high school physics. Yes, he is an intelligent person.

Harvest Moon

I took this picture tonight as we were driving home. My camera is only a Sony DSC-H2 and I'm not the great photographer, but it still was a beautiful sight. l guess this might be called a harvest moon. Psalms 8:3-9
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Speaking of birthdays

I had my 50th birthday this year. My children gave me a surprise birthday a week early and it did surprise me. Sadly, my dad had passed away two days before the party, but the kids decided to go ahead with the party to cheer me up. With the family coming over, I just assumed it was a get together for comfort and guess what? it was a comfort. We all enjoyed being together and also got to play with my darling niece, my brother Kenny's grandchild.



Life is definitely a blessing and having birthdays means you're still around to enjoy it. Hold your loved ones closely and remember to tell them that you love them. My dad's last words to me were,"you know that I love you," and it was hard not to cry. I said,"Yes, daddy, I know that you love me." And I do know it.