All posts by Guests and Former Contributors

N.U.T. # 1 – I am faithful to my wife.


This one was at the top of the list of examples I provided in my intro to this post and I have chosen to put it first on my list because of how important I think it is.

Obviously being faithful to my wife means not getting involved romantically with any other woman, but it means so much more than that. It means being faithful to her with my heart and mind as well as my body. It means not staring at other women. It means not flirting with other women. It means not thinking about other women. It means not putting myself into situations where there might even be an appearance of unfaithfulness. It means not looking at pornography. It means not betraying her confidence to other people. It means always taking her side when other people are involved. It means always sticking up for her and watching out for her best interests. And it means doing all of these things and so much more NO MATTER WHAT.

In many ways, this N.U.T. doesn’t have anything to do with my wife at all. Sure it affects her, but my being faithful to my wife is really about me. It’s about who I am as a man and the content of my character. It’s about me placing a high premium on the value of fidelity.

I’m confident that a lot (not all, but a lot) of the problems in our world today could be greatly minimized (if not eradicated entirely) if men would simply honor their commitments to be faithful to their wives. Think of how many divorces, broken homes, and kids growing up without a dad could be prevented if men everywhere made this one of their non-negotiable, unalterable terms.

***

To read more about N.U.T.s from Michael, please visit:

Introduction / N.U.T. #2

Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch: My RDC T & Me

Last week I was in the dark digging around in my t-shirt drawer, and my hand landed on a shirt that was softer than the rest.  I pulled it out and flipped on the light.  It was my RDC T!  I realized that I had only worn it a handful of times, so I made the commitment to wear it every day of my spring break.  What a week it’s been!

These little egg shakers are fun to play! I'm listening to all of Bryan's CD's so I can be ready to perform next time.

Day One: Saturday night my husband, Greg, and I attended one of Bryan’s (He’s Home) shows at his Farmhouse Studio. It’s always a good time, but this night I discovered egg shakers, and Bryan called me up to the stage to play.  Later I advanced to the tambourine.  Was it the t-shirt that gave me rhythm?  I don’t know for sure, but there is audio of me singing.  The audio will remain locked in a vault, but I am happy to share this picture with my fans.  I mean “fan.”  (me)

Day Two: It’s hard being a rock star.  I woke up with a sore throat and a sore leg (from the tambourine), but a quick glance at the weather report (rain tomorrow) was the signal I needed to get me up and moving.  Armed with a shovel and compost material from my kitchen, I headed to the compost pile to do some turning.  It was cloudy, but the temperature was perfect for my RDC T.  I wondered how I was going to do everything I wanted to do today. Then I got a call.  A parent of one of my 7th grade students called to see if they could come out to see the goats.  The dad chatted with Greg as he worked on the barn, and the mom and three boys were eager to brush and pamper the horses.  The boys left covered in dirt from corn stalk wars and if I was covered in dirt, you’d never know it.  My RDC T is brown.  Perfect.

Three items that are always needed on the ranch: a tool, a bucket, and an RDC T.

Day Three: It was cold and rainy, but I was multi-tasking.  The rain was drenching my compost pile and I was getting my car serviced.  I had chocolate meringue pie  for dinner.  It melted in my mouth.  How did Mrs. Wagner know that my mind and body deserved that melt-in-your-mouth pie and coffee?  My RDC T was hidden under a sweater.  She must have had x-ray eyes.

Day Four: Three girls (okay, four if you count my dog, Mae) and two sets of mattresses made for a nice day and lunch at the local diner.  My RDC T and I were happy to give away a queen mattress to our friend Katherine.  She and her mom brought their full size mattress to exchange and bought us lunch.  I saw even more friends later!  I didn’t let the cold tempt me from not wearing my RDC T.  It looks great with an orange long-sleeved shirt underneath! Continue reading Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch: My RDC T & Me

The Madness is Sports At It’s Finest

The American economy may be slowly recovering, but I promise you there is zero growth taking place right now. Congress might as well go ahead and declare national holidays for the first two days of the NCAA basketball tournament. Don’t act like you actually got anything accomplished at work yesterday. Unless you were waiting tables or bartending, I’m willing to bet you wasted hours of company time glued to a TV while constantly checking and re-checking your pathetic bracket. America’s businesses are coming to a screeching halt and rightly so. The NCAA tournament is the single most captivating sports event we have in this great country.

I love the NFL playoffs, but that’s only a couple games per day at the most. The first and second rounds of March Madness feature four glorious days of 48 games. I can’t even describe how amazing it is to know that I can roll out of bed, flip on some hoops and remain nearly motionless until the sun goes down. I can then repeat that beautiful process for three more days. I’m convinced this is why pizza, beer, and sports bars were invented. I can’t wait for the NHL playoffs, but only a game seven scenario can match the level of drama in the NCAA tournament. A single elimination format where the little guy always has a shot at realizing a dream, upsets reign, and one bad game can send you packing? Brilliance. The Masters is four straight days of unbeatable scenery and shot-making, but there’s no bracket for a golf tournament, no office pool, no opportunity to talk trash to your co-workers. The rest of the globe can have its World Cup; I’ll take these four days of buzzer beaters and last second heroics over 90 minutes of no action, no goals, and fake injuries. And the Olympics? Come on, don’t tell me you really get excited to break down the matchups in ice dancing or call in sick so you can watch equestrian.

We’ve already witnessed what makes the tournament so special… Continue reading The Madness is Sports At It’s Finest

Finding Your “Want To”

“Have a Coke?”
“Or…..have a bikini?”

I’d love to lose 10 pounds. I’ve actually been saying this for a couple of years now. Everyday, I wake up, get dressed and depending on what the scale says and how my clothes fit, I usually think, “I’d love to lose 10 pounds.” Some days it’s 15. I adore cooking, enjoy eating even more and don’t really like to exercise. That’s pretty much the trifecta of doom when it comes to a productive weight loss strategy. Using the most accurate tdee calculator could help me better understand my daily calorie needs, making it easier to develop a realistic weight loss plan.

In my mission to wear a bikini in public again, I have armed myself with some pretty amazing tools to help me take off these stubborn last few pounds. We bought a used elliptical machine and placed it in our bedroom. I have at least 10 DVDs of numerous workouts ranging from kickboxing to stress relieving yoga. I bought a daily deal for 10 Zumba classes. For Christmas, I asked for “Just Dance 2” on the Wii so I can shake my groove thang while burning calories. I even got Zumba for PS3 so I can pretend that my groove thang is Latin when I want to switch it up.

Strangely, even after arming myself with all of these amazing weight loss tools, I have not lost more than a pound or two. The ugly truth is this: Until last week, the elliptical was a great place for my husband to hang his laundry. The workout DVDs are gathering dust under the DVDs of Baby Einstein that see a lot more action these days. I went to two Zumba classes with my sweet friend and neighbor Berween but our schedules got busy and we have not yet been back. I have done “Just Dance 2” a few times but the Zumba PS3 game is still in the package. Continue reading Finding Your “Want To”

Stockyards City Cookbook Cook Through: BAKED APPLES ~ Plate Lickin’ Good!

Whitni's friends are great "tasters."

As I was flipping through the Stockyards City cookbook, looking for a healthier option for a desert, the baked apple recipe caught my eye. What an easy, healthy option for getting your friends and family to enjoy fruit!

Baked Apples
By Annette Trammell

4 med. apples
1/2 c raisins
2 T brown sugar
1/2 T cinnamon
1/4 T nutmeg
1/3 C apple juice

Core apples and peel a strip from the top. Place in small baking dish. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and raisins together. Fill each apple with the raisin mixture. Pour apple juice all over. Bake at 350 for 40 min or until apples are tender. Serve warm. Can serve with drizzled cream or cool whip.

(I doubled the recipe and added extra brown sugar and apple juice. I also added Marzettis cream cheese fruit dip on top.)  For my tantelizing photo gallery covering this recipe, click the “read more” link below…

Happy Cooking!
[whitni]

Continue reading Stockyards City Cookbook Cook Through: BAKED APPLES ~ Plate Lickin’ Good!

What are your N.U.T.s?


A lot of the blogs I read have written recently about the need for men to have a firm grasp on their non-negotiable, unalterable terms or as Wayne Levine (the man who coined the term) calls them, our N.U.T.s.

To quote Levine:

To be the man, father, husband or leader you want to be, you must develop and maintain a firm grasp of your N.U.T.s

N.U.T.s – non-negotiable, unalterable terms—are the things that define you as a man. They’re what a man is committed to. And when these N.U.T.s are compromised, men become angry, unhappy, frustrated, depressed. They would rather blame others than take responsibility for their own actions. They’ll play the victim as they take out their negative feelings on those they love. They’re also the guys who will try to drown their sorrows in alcohol, drugs, porn, and a slew of other equally destructive behaviors.

I’ve borrowed a list of a few examples of N.U.T.s from Levine’s website and have listed them below:

* I am faithful to my wife.
* Compassion for my family trumps my need to be right.
* I am a risk taker.
* I do what I believe is in the best interest of my children, even if they disagree.
* I do not ask for permission.
* I do not indulge my addictions.
* I take my problems to men, not to women.
* I do whatever it takes to keep my family in our home.
* I honor my daily spiritual practice.
* I do not sell out who I am to please others.

Although I suspect I have an unspoken list of N.U.T.s, I don’t think I’ve ever actually voiced many of them to myself or anyone else. In the coming weeks, I’m going to spend some time thinking about my non-negotiable unalterable terms and will be posting them here on the RDC as a permanent reminder to myself of those things that I will hold to no matter what. Some of mine will be fairly similar to the ones above and some will be quite different. Either way, I’m looking forward to the process of considering, defining, and listing my own N.U.T.s.

What are your N.U.T.s?

Meanwhile Back at The Ranch: I’m Braking For Spring

What a day!  It was the barn with the Daffodils that caught my eye first, and after that I just kept noticing glimpses of color and new life all around.  If you haven’t already, stop and notice. (Click photos for a larger view).  Have a great week!

On my way to Wal-Mart, I noticed these beauties in front of an old barn.

 

 

It looks like my strawberries survived the winter. I'm going to clean out the dead leaves and start watching for blooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a welcomed sight coming up the drive. Looks like it's time to get out the rake.

Continue reading Meanwhile Back at The Ranch: I’m Braking For Spring

Does Capel Deserve More Time?

Could Jeff Capel's tenure at Oklahoma be over? (courtesy thespread.com)

Jeff Capel is a good basketball coach.

“Good” will cut it in just about any profession, just not Capel’s. Good coaches get fired every season and some in this state believe now is the time for a change in leadership of the Oklahoma program.

Capel’s detractors have a case. The Sooners finished the season last night with a 20-point loss to Texas and an overall record of 14-18. For the first time in 46 years, OU has posted back to back losing seasons.
Capel’s squad will also miss the NCAA tournament for a second consecutive year. The Sooners haven’t been left out of the dance two years in a row since 1994.

There was a brutal string of nine straight losses at the end of last season. At one point this year, OU dropped eight in a row and wound up losing nine of its last eleven.

Can Capel win without Blake Griffin? So far, the answer seems to be no. (courtesy sportige.com)

The Sooners have fallen close to the cellar in the Big 12 conference. Only Iowa State finished lower than OU in the standings, and ten of the Sooners conference losses were by a margin of ten points or more. It isn’t just that Capel’s team was losing, it’s that his team wasn’t even consistently competitive. It looks worse for OU when you look at recent history against the top teams in the conference. The Sooners have now dropped four in a row to Texas, four in a row to Texas A&M, and six straight to Kansas.

Critics also love to point out Capel’s recruiting history. Willie Warren, Tommy Mason-Griffin, and Tiny Gallon were all McDonald’s All-Americans and were supposed to be the next wave of Sooner superstars. They were going to pick up the slack after the departure of Blake Griffin, and continue to keep the program in a position of prominence. Warren played two seasons and bolted to the NBA. Mason-Griffin skipped town after only a year and was quoted in the Houston Chronicle saying, “School work was just not in my comfort zone.”  Gallon also left Norman after his freshman season amidst allegations that he and his mother received $3,000 from a financial adviser. OU assistant coach Oronde Taliaferro was rumored to be connected to the adviser and the NCAA launched an investigation into Taliaferro’s actions.

Continue reading Does Capel Deserve More Time?

What’s For Dinner Mom?

Have you ever looked at your watch and realized it is dinner time?  You haven’t started dinner much less decided what you are going to fix and someone walks in and asks “what’s for dinner Mom?”  It seems like this happens to me more often than not.  I have tried to plan ahead and buy my groceries for the week, but life gets in the way, dinner gets cancelled and the next thing I know the meat has to be thrown out.  So I  go to the grocery store several times a week to at least purchase meat.   These trips usually occur after 3:30 and most days closer to 5.  My family is shrinking and planning meals seems to be getting harder instead of easier!

If any of this sounds familiar, you will love this week’s recipe.  From start to finish you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less.

Microwave Beef & Tater Casserole
by Jana Lowry

1 lb Frozen Ground Beef

1lb Frozen Tater Tots

2 T Minced Onions

1 Can Cream of Celery Soup

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

Paprika

Crumble beef in a 2 qt. casserole.  Microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Drain the liquid off the meat and top with onion and tater tots.  Mix two soups together and put on top of tater tots.  Microwave on high for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle paprika on top.

I have to admit that I was hesitant to eat this.  I’m not very adventurous when it comes to food.  I tend to find something on the menu, at restaurants we frequent, that I like and stick with it.  Why?  Two reasons, one it irritates everyone that I am always the last one to make up my mind and two I know when I get my food I will like it! Continue reading What’s For Dinner Mom?

Real Men and Fear

I’m afraid…

I’m afraid my daughter might grow up not realizing how much I treasure her. I’m afraid my wife might not know how much I really love her. I’m afraid I will get to the end of my life and realize that I’ve wasted many of my days chasing things that don’t matter. I’m afraid of insignificance. I’m afraid of not being awesome at everything I attempt. I’m afraid of people who would do me and my family harm with no concern whatsoever to the consequence of their actions. I’m afraid of the consequences of some of my actions. I’m afraid of getting passed over and left behind. I’m afraid my life doesn’t matter and my contributions aren’t significant. I’m afraid of getting cancer and dying before I’ve lived the life I always imagined for myself. I’m afraid of knives and guns. I’m afraid of not being liked. I’m afraid of snakes and poisonous spiders and velociraptors… yeah I went there. You would too if you happened to be a child the first time you saw Jurassic Park… those terrible bird-like buggers are some nasty creatures.

I’m afraid of all those things and more, but I don’t let fear paralyze me.

A real man knows that he’ll always have fear. No matter what he does or who he is, there will always be some things that cause him fear. And he’s OK with that because a real man knows how to experience his fear.

He doesn’t shy away from fear. In fact, he doesn’t even try to resist it. He wants to experience the feeling of his fear fully. He acknowledges the presence of fear and seeks to understand its cause. He knows that fear, much like happiness or anger or any other fleeting emotion is just that… a fleeting emotion.

A real man stares fear right in the face, tries to understand it for what it truly is, and then he acts. Continue reading Real Men and Fear

Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch: Estate of Confusion

 

There were TWO of these.

I can’t say that I have always loved garage sales, but in my adult life I have hosted and helped friends with several of them.  I love cleaning out closets, getting up early, and putting similar items together.  However, this weekend our family hosted an estate sale at the home of my father-in-law who passed away last November.  Most of the family showed up to help organize and price the artifacts left behind by their father.

Price.

That’s where I drew the line.

It started a few weekends ago when I went up to help get ready for the sale.  I had cleaned out a few of my own closets and found several things I could do without.  They were donated to the cause without a thought, but then this question kept resurfacing: “Julie, how much do you want to put on this?”  No matter what I said, my suggestion was either too high or too low.  No matter how many times I declined to answer the question, they continued to ask. However, a few of my items were taken home by the family for personal use.  I guess “free” was a good price for those. 🙂

loading
Goodbye washer and dryer. Hello $100.

One week before the sale, I let a friend do some shopping in the trailer.  She spent $67 on two chairs, a quilt rack and a cat food bowl.   Another friend bought the stereo for $50 and a pair of boots and a napkin holder for $10. Then it happened. “How much do you want for that outdoor furniture?” he asked. “It’s not priced?  Are you sure it doesn’t have a price on it somewhere?” I replied. Really, I looked everywhere.  My husband and I looked at each other.  I had already told him that I was NOT going to price one single item because my prices were always rejected by his family, but he wouldn’t say anything so I decided. “$25 for the two chairs and table.” Needless to say, when I revealed that information on the day of the big sale, it was not well-received.  All I could do was shrug my shoulders.  I mean, someone walked out with a free $129 Tempur Pedic pillow, and the other pillow I donated was sold for $1.  I guess I’m still not clear on the pricing procedure.  I’m just glad it’s over.

I'm not surprised this didn't sell. Go POKES!

We still have a trailer full of some over-priced and some under-priced goods. I just hate that I still can’t tell which is which.

[julie]

 

Want To Be A Coach? No You Don’t.

Scott Brooks' job only looks glamorous, there's many more moments full of frustration. (courtesy aolnews.com, nba/getty images)

The coach is always an easy target.  If your team looks bad, the knee-jerk reaction is always to blame the coach.  If players aren’t living up to their potential, must be the coach’s fault.  If there’s a key breakdown at a crucial moment in the game, the coach is clearly an idiot.  If your team’s fortunes don’t turn around immediately, this coach must not be the right man for the job.  If your kid isn’t getting enough playing time, the coach must have no idea what he’s doing.

Professional and collegiate coaches get paid big bucks, and I’m sure many of you would trade places with them in a heartbeat.  Not me.  No thank you.  I’m not sure the paycheck is worth the constant pressure, scrutiny, hatred, name-calling and second-guessing that coaches put up with from fans, players, and media.  Even if you can handle it, what about the toll it takes on your family?  Every day, your kids get to hear about why you stink at your job.   Entire websites are created just to promote and encourage your firing.  Your demise is almost imminent from the moment you take the job, because there is no sympathy, no grace, and zero tolerance in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of sports.  These days, owners fire coaches like it’s a bodily function.

Let’s say you’ve got thick skin, and can get past all the material pointing out every reason why you’re an imbecile.  Good for you.  Now all you’ve got to do is take a group of men, women, or children and turn them into winners.  Do that by managing several different personalities, varying backgrounds, an assortment of skill levels, and a dizzying array of attitudes.  You have to know who to coddle and who to criticize.  Who gets treated tenderly and who gets a dose of tough love?  Make sure you earn your players respect, but don’t be too hard on them.  Keep things fun and entertaining, but not too fun, because then you’ll lose that respect.  Keep players happy with minutes and playing time, and you better know how to massage the ego of your stars and high draft picks.  And if you happen to be a high school coach, good luck explaining to parents why Timmy didn’t make varsity.  That’s a fun conversation.

Continue reading Want To Be A Coach? No You Don’t.

Dips Galore!

Ever have a craving for chips and dip? I’ve decided that’s a staple in my diet…I would suggest adding some fruit and veggies in the mix though.

I recently moved salons, from Western to Casady Square, where my friend also followed and received the position of executive assistant. (We don’t like to use the word “receptionist”) 😉 The traffic flow is amazing in that area so we decided to have a Stella & Dot Trunk show Monday night. (If you haven’t heard of the jewelry line check out stelldot.com/jennifermanning….its amazing!) Anyway, I volunteered to make some appetizers to take. Can I please tell you that I made 4 in less than 30 min! If you don’t like to cook at least give some of these a whirl! Its easier than opening a jar from the grocery store and putting it in a bowl to take it somewhere. You know we all have done that! Most of the items in the dips you could easily have/keep at home for a quick homemade appetizer!

Crab Dip

By Rose Davis & Keri Hale

1 (6oz) can crab
3oz cream cheese
30z cream cheese with chives (might be hard to find, I used 1 6oz container cream cheese and added chives)
2 T. mayo
2 tsp. lemon juice (easy to keep the little lemon shaped bottle in your fridge to add to any recipe)
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce (I used chipotle tabasco sauce)

Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees 15-20 min. Should be bubbling and brown.

(Great dip, looks fancy but is easy to make but fishy so not for people wary of seafood!)

I added a sprinkle of cayenne on top for a little extra flavor and color

Continue reading Dips Galore!

MacGyver Was A Real Man

First of all, the the fact that MacGyver was a fictional television character, which therefore clearly gives great irony to the title of this blog post, is not lost on me.

If you were not a fan, a quick perusal of the show’s Wikipedia page will tell you that MacGyver was a secret government agent who:

A) Preferred non-violent resolution to fighting where possible.
B) Often refused to carry a gun.
C) Was educated as a scientist with a background as a bomb team technician in Vietnam. (really who isn’t these days?)
D) Was laid back, intelligent, resourceful, and optimistic.

Oh yeah… I forgot letter E.

E) He could also solve just about any problem known to man, short of disarming an atomic bomb, with everyday readily available materials and his ever present duct tape and Swiss Army knife. On second thought, I think he might have actually disarmed an atomic bomb at some point during season three.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what made MacGyver a real man. Sure his anti-violence approach was laudable. But hey, I know a lot of dudes who aren’t violent who also aren’t very manly.

Now MacGyver on the other hand… give that guy a pine tree air freshener, a tube sock, a paper clip, a ballpoint pen, a rubber band, tweezers, nasal spray, and perhaps a turkey baster or two and he was virtually unstoppable.

MacGyver was a real man if there ever was one because he knew how to improvise.

Which brings me to the topic my post today. Last night my lovely and talented wife decided she wanted to return something she bought on the internet. We still had the box and all of the shipping material so she called the company to find out how to go about returning it.

After a few minutes on hold and the joy that is Burt Bacharach hold music, the customer service rep answers and tells her that she’s called just in time. They have a 30 day return policy and today is day 30 so the guy schedules her a FedEx pickup for this morning and tells her to put the pre-addressed return label that came with the package on the box and leave it on our porch first thing in the morning.

Simple enough, right? Continue reading MacGyver Was A Real Man

Deconstructing My “White” Christian Self, Part 3

It’s been February.

Black History month.

For thirty plus years that didn’t mean much to me.

But now with two black children from Ethiopia, I have come to care deeply about this month.

It’s an opportunity for me to lean in and listen to those who have suffered from America’s original sin of racism.

For the last three years during Black History month, I’ve been reading through Bearing the Cross by David Garrow, a Pulitzer award winning bio-epic of Dr. King and the history of the Civil Rights movement.

This book has been like a hammer in terms of deconstructing my “white” Christian self…and theology.

Truth, I’m learning, is largely situated.

All of us absorb like moons the cultures we live in.

There is an inevitable cultural transference.

From those over us like parents and pastors.

To those around us like our peers and pop culture icons.

Not to mention the places we inhabit.

Like our churches and schools and neighborhoods.

Growing up in an evangelical, middle class, suburban culture, for example, I certainly absorbed a particular worldview.  Those who passed it onto me did so with a genuine desire to see me respond to the call of discipleship.

I am so thankful for this.

But having said that, I never had a Dr. King speak into my life early on. Continue reading Deconstructing My “White” Christian Self, Part 3

Meanwhile Back at The Ranch: It’s Not Always Blue Skies and Butterflies: Part Two

Continued from Part One~

So Monday morning arrived and I was as ready as I could be to face my 7th graders.  Of course, this morning was going to be tougher than usual considering the news I had to share.  I waited for someone to ask about the baby goats, but no one did.  I  quietly announced that we had some “new kids on the block.”  That’s when the questions started rolling out.  I mentioned that we’d had two sets of twins, and I was going to show them a video.  I heard one little girl whisper under her breath, “I only see two; where are the others?”  I let them read the essay I had written about my experience that weekend.  I think I cried four separate times as I talked to four different classes. It was a quiet day in my room.

We still had one pregnant goat left in the pasture.  I tried not to let the loss of the two babies diminish my enthusiasm for the impending birth of Blackie’s offspring.   Blackie had already had one baby while with us: Baby Brown.  She had been a good mother, and the weather was getting warmer, so that was going to be good for the new babies and for me when I videoed her birth.  Of course, I was “in town” when she gave birth on a Sunday afternoon.  Could the goats had known my documentary plan?

A call from Greg revealed that Blackie had given birth to two healthy little girls.  One of them was white with all the brown markings of a typical Boer goat, white body and brown head.  The other goat was the brown of our Red Dirt Chronicles shirts.  Really, that’s the only way I know to describe it, and she had a black stripe down her back and black feet.  I tried to envision them as Greg described them.    The babies were curled up together in the corner of the shed and already as big as small dogs.  I guess their mom had not had time to warn them that I would be wanting to pick them up and hold them, so they were extremely trusting when I made my way to them to touch them and cuddle them one at a time.

Twins!
This was before they really understood that they should be running away from me.

We enjoyed watching our four new babies grow as the week turned into the weekend, and finally, Greg mentioned something about one of Blackie’s babies having the same “hangy downy things” as her mother.  I had not really noticed the “wattles” on either side of Blackie’s neck or on her baby’s neck.  I also did not know they were called “wattles” until I typed in a search for “what are the hangy downy things on either side of my goats neck.”  One of the most reliable web sites revealed that wattles are common…. in DAIRY GOATS.  Blackie is a dairy goat! Continue reading Meanwhile Back at The Ranch: It’s Not Always Blue Skies and Butterflies: Part Two

Call Me Commish

Acting as Commissioner of a professional sports league cannot be an easy job.  It requires business savvy, knowledge of the law, negotiating skills, and the ability to wade through piles of criticism while maintaining a tough, confident appearance.  Most of the job responsibilities aren’t glamorous, and the hours are long.  Commissioners are rarely praised and often vilified.  For the most part, I think the four Commissioners, David Stern (NBA), Roger Goodell (NFL), Bud Selig (MLB), and Gary Bettman (NHL), do a pretty decent job.  But every fan wonders what it would be like to be in charge.  We’d all love to take the ownership reigns of our favorite team for a week, but how does one attempt to change an entire league?  Well, like this for starters.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

Is anyone else tired of talking about the same players and the same teams over and over? (courtesy bumpshack.com)

The first thing I’d address as NBA Commissioner is what I like to call the “redundancy factor.”  The league’s biggest problem is that 75 percent of its teams are almost irrelevant.  This is a league that revolves around seven or eight franchises at the most.  The conversation, the media, and the telecasts, focus on these so-called elite teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Mavericks, Heat, and Magic.  The rest of the league is barely worth talking about and that has to change.  The gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” has to close for the NBA to become an all-around better product, because when only a few teams have an actual shot to win a title before the season even starts, then why is the regular season interesting?  Where’s the drama?  Right now, we’re all just biding our time until the playoffs start.  In my mind, the best way to solve this problem is contraction.  I know it’s a dirty word, but it’s time.  Too many small market teams (Milwaukee, Utah, Sacramento) acquire star players only to see them bolt in a couple years for one of the big cities.  The teams that can hold onto stars are eventually forced to trade them away because the players have too much power (i.e. Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams).  Getting rid of six teams would help bring the league back into a better competitive balance.  Talent wouldn’t be spread so thin, and increased parity is the result.  In other words, a more interesting, compelling NBA than what we have right now.  It gives me no pleasure to do it, but I’m taking the ax to these teams:

Continue reading Call Me Commish

Chicken Spaghetti

I have made something similar to this in the past, but I called it Rotel Spaghetti and it had fewer ingredients.  Basically my recipe consisted of Rotel cheese dip with spaghetti and chicken mixed in.  This is a little “fancier” version.  I must say I have only cooked one or two things that my family did not like. This recipe they loved.  It is great for a busy school night where you don’t have a lot of time between, school, work, and extra curricular activities.  I have included a tip to  make this an extra quick dish.  So, let’s get cookin’!

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

by Kim Mask

16 oz. box of Velveeta
1 can Rotel
12 oz. Thin Spaghetti
2 large cans of Chicken
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

Cook  Spaghetti as directed on package.  While spaghetti is cooking cut Velveeta into cubes.  Drain Spaghetti, combine all ingredients in a 9 x 13 inch dish and bake for 45 minutes at 350.

Cooks Tip; If you are in a hurry you might want to speed this up some by melting the Velveeta mixed with the Rotel in the microwave, mix in the rest of the ingredients and pop in the oven until hot.

Happy Cooking,

[jani]

When I Am An Old Man (Serious Version)

Last month, I wrote a list of things I will do when I’m an old man. Most, if not all of them were pretty tongue and cheek. However, as I was writing it, I kept thinking of more serious things that I wanted to be doing when I’m an old man. And that’s what this list is all about.

Without any further ado, when I’m an old man:

  • I will still buy flowers for my wife and take her on dates. Just doing my part to keep the lovin’ alive. If I outlive her, I will take flowers to her grave on a regular basis.
  • I will rise with the fish before the birds. I will watch the former and catch the latter. Go ahead… just try to analyze that one. I dare ya.
  • I will give away lots of money. I have no idea what “lots of money” will mean for me when I’m an old man, but I’d love to be giving away at least half of whatever annual income I have at the time. If I have any wealth to speak of, I hope to also leave it all to charity. Sorry Iz… hopefully by the time you’re in your 50’s you won’t need your dad’s inheritance.
  • I will mentor younger men. If you’ve known me for any period of time, you’ve probably figured out by now how much I value mentoring. Most of my experience with mentoring so far in life has been on the receiving end. I hope to some day be on the giving end. Continue reading When I Am An Old Man (Serious Version)
  • Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch: It’s Not Always Blue Skies And Rainbows-Part One

    I'm no veterinarian, but I think she's expecting.

    For weeks I’ve gone to the goat shed to feed, and I’ve had my eye on a couple of goats that were pregnant.  My mind was made up that I was going to make a documentary of them having the babies if I was home when they were delivered.  I even looked up all the pictures that I could find on the Internet to see if I could handle what I was actually going to witness when a goat gave birth.  How was I going to create something that did not have the feel of either Paranormal Activity or The Office? As it turns out, I missed all three deliveries.  Yep, three.  I was not prepared for the aftermath.

    I had used my pregnant goats as a lure to teach my kids how great research could be.  One student asked me how I knew a goat was pregnant. My reply was that it looked like a chair was sideways in its stomach.  It was “just a feeling.”  At the end of the lesson I showed them all a picture of the suspect.  They agreed that I was probably right.  For two weeks every day my students asked me if my kids had arrived.  They hadn’t.  The momentum was dying down and I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to happen.  It was about then that I realized there were three pregnant females on the premises.  My students were so excited. I even got emails from parents inquiring about the event!

    One Saturday I took off for an evening with some friends and left Greg at home to feed.  Not thirty-five minutes after I left home, he called me to say that one of the goats had just given birth to twins.  I’d missed it!  This was compounded by the fact that the other one looked like she would give birth within twenty-four hours.  A few hours later I called to make sure Greg had set up the heat lamps at the shed, and he informed me that we already had another set of twins!

    The next morning I bundled up to head out into the below freezing weather to check on our new additions. Even though I’d missed the birth, I was armed with my camera.  I was also carrying some compost pile material, so I separated from my husband to head in that direction first.  I was not expecting the sound of distress that came out of his mouth, but when I looked in his direction, I understood.  Maybe three feet from a heat lamp lay one of new baby’s lifeless little bodies.  It was small and deflated as if Life had spent little time there.  I could barely even see it.  He hurried past it to the next pen where he found the same haunting image:  one of the twins from the other doe, just a few feet away from warmth, was also dead.

    Continue reading Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch: It’s Not Always Blue Skies And Rainbows-Part One