Household Hints from a Pioneer Bride

2009-02-03T00:39:00.000-08:00

More wedding photos

2009-01-26T08:40:00.001-08:00

Back to the blog

2009-01-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Finally, I have made it through the whole wedding experience, the honeymoon, and am settling in to life on the frontier.

I apologize to my dear, loyal friends and family who keep coming back month after month looking for wedding photos, recipes and news of my life as a married woman.

Do I have tales to tell, and household hints to share.... but first, let me post some wedding photos to soothe your soul. And yes, I am GREATLY dissappointed in the quality of the photos. But we will get over this in the next hundred years or so. Some photos were taken by my dear friend, Lynette. and these aren't so over exposed. If anyone has wedding photos, I would love to have copies.

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

2008-09-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's just 11 days until the wedding! The countdown begins tomorrow, as I become gainfully unemployed.

I won't be able to post for a while until we get through the wedding and honeymoon (WOO-HOO!!) and we get a chance to shop for a new computer and internet service that reaches to the wilds of civilization.

Please check back in late October or Early November for wedding photos and the REAL adventures of the Pioneer Bride as she begins life in her covered wagon with Miner '49er, 3 dogs, 2 cats, assorted cows, bulls, steers, wild animals, ferrell pigs, owls, in-laws, cousins.... and the list goes on.

Let us not forget she will be at least 40 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart!

Say a Prayer and visit in a few weeks!

Lots of love!

Pioneerbride!

The official engagement announcement

2008-09-18T15:36:00.001-07:00

Mr. and Mrs. Harley L. Newman of Okeene and Mr. and Mrs. Arley Rauh, Jr. of Canton are pleased to announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their children, Lesa Kaye Newman of Pawhuska and Ronald Dean Rauh of Canton.

Lesa is a graduate of Bartlesville Sooner High School and Oklahoma State University. She currently serves as the Family and Consumer Science Educator for Osage County OSU Extension. Previous adventures have included working as a home economist for Taste of Home Cooking Schools of Greendale, Wisconsin and teaching and working in Juneau, Alaska. She is the granddaughter of the late Roy and Claudine Marrs of Nowata; and the late Eugene and Goldie Newman of Okeene.

Ronald is a graduate of Canton High School. He attended Southern Nazarene University in Bethany. He has been employed with United States Gypsum for over 28 years. He also farms with his father. His adventures have included rodeo bronc riding, 4-wheeling, hunting, and rappelling He is the grandson of the late James and Lilly Leslie of Fairview and the late Jacob and Katie Jantzen of Canton.

The couple is planning an October 11^th wedding at the Fairview Church of the Nazarene. Following a honeymoon to New Mexico and Arizona, the couple will make their home on Ronald’s farm west of Canton.

I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

It's 23 days until the big event. No stress, no worries, it is well with my soul. One week and 3 days of work left to complete. It is time for the "To Do" lists to be written, items to be checked off, and final shopping to be done. Am I panicking? No. Am I harried, not in the least.

That's because all of the stress has already occurred. That is why I haven't blogged in 3 months. I've been a little preoccupied. What would consume 3 months of my life?
Let me count the ways....

4-H camp cook for a week
Surgery, then a second surgery which was delayed for a month
Surgery delayed due to diabetes.. probably caused by wedding stress
Rescheduling calendars for a 4 county area to accommodate delay in surgery
Listing a home for sale, and keeping said home show ready
Packing up as many items as possible before surgery, but not too many so as to keep home looking nice for potential buyers
Recuperating for 5 weeks after surgery
Emergency room visit when incision bursts open
Selling home and all the paperwork that implies
Addressing 250 plus wedding invitations
Getting fiance' to provide names and addresses to his portion of the invitations
Scouting trips to Sam's Club, Garden Ridge and Hobby Lobby for wedding supplies
Multiple trips to above mentioned stores to purchase wedding supplies (please note that these stores range in distance from 45 minutes to 1-1/2 hours away from home base)
Doctors visits
Packing up (okay, others did all the lifting and carrying) house and moving all household goods to parents' garages over 2-1/2 weeks
Summer heat
Trying to determine which clothes not to pack away to wear to work for a month while living in a camper.
Going back to work the week of the county fair
Foolishly working 14 hours the first day back at work
Crashing and burning the second day back at work
Finding knee high pantyhose floating in the camper bathtub (which was being used as a dirty clothes basket and storage for luggage at the time) when the gray water decides to back up into said tub
Cleaning up the aftermath which smelled like rotten eggs
Spending two weeks in a 5th wheel with a 52 pound dog that sheds like five dogs
Stressing over pew bows (don't ask!)
Learning that the cake lady's colon exploded and she may not be able to do the wedding cake
Coming up with a backup plan for wedding cake
Changing from a groom's cake to cookie bar so that Mother of the Bride and Bride can bake and decorate the wedding cake if needed
Selecting a dozen salad recipes to feed 300
Discussing the food safety issuesof devilled eggs
Convincing groom to finally take engagement photos
Getting ready during the 100% humidity from hurricane Ike's outer bands with no airconditioning whatsoever
Having dog pee from nervousness during photo shoot
Fiance' with migraine during photo shoot
Pre-marital counseling with pastor
Writing and teaching 4 demonstration-style leader lessons with powerpoint and handouts
Wondering where I will live when my parents take the 5th wheel away to go camping
Planning the honeymoon since fiance' is too busy
Helping make 22 boutenieres, 28 corsages, and 6 bouquets
Visiting with the tux shop to make sure everything is ordered and groomsmen don't end up with powdered blue tuxes with ruffled banana yellow shirts.
Do I really need to add any more to this list? I could find at least one thing for each day, but seriously.... I've got a wedding to plan and a job to finish, and >>>

So, anyway, other than doing my nails and tanning at the salon, I haven't done much these past 3 months. I will try to keep up as the days approach the wedding.

Wheat Harvesting: It's harder than it looks

2008-06-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

Some days I just hate Martha Stewart. Not that I know her personally,mind you. But since we are in the same profession, I feel that I can express professional criticisms that reflect the ideals and integrity of our chosen calling.

One complaint would be the manner in which she measures flour. If you will watch, she always dips her measuring cup directly into her flour canister and levels it off. This manner of measurement will result in too much flour, as it becomes packed into the cup. The correct form is to stir the flour in the canister with a spoon, then spoon the flour into the cup, then level. If the recipe calls for 1 cup sifted flour, the flour should be sifted into the measuring cup. If the recipe calls for say, 1 cup flour, sifted. The flour should be measured first by the spoon method, then sifted.
Anyway,............It just puts pepper in my grits when she does that. Even her own staff on Everyday Food knows better than to do this. She also whacks her spatula on the sides of bowls, which is very noisy and picks up in the mic. Bad form, Martha!

But the real reason for this post comes down to yesterday's foray into cutting wheat. I come from a long line of wheat cutters. Custom cutters to be exact. My dad and grandpa and other assorted relatives have cut wheat from Texas to Manitoba. My great-great grandmother made the land run to start a wheat farm by herself with her sons. The legacy is similar for my intended and most of the local folks who will be attending the wedding. It's the way we roll.

So as I perused Ms. Stewart's wedding website, I saw the most delightfully perfect centerpiece idea. Sheaves of perfectly placed wheat, tied with a beautiful satin bow. AHA! The queen of craftiness has finally connected with the heartland. This is much better than used cowboy boots stuffed with silk flowers! We can do this! And besides, the WHEAT WILL BE FREE AND PLENTIFUL!

So, I get permission to cut wheat from my fiance's family wheat field. This field is ideally located just north of his uncle's home, which was his grandparent's home where he spent many a happy day as a child. His dad came to live there as a boy when his mother remarried after his father died from a bad visit to a dentist. This is special wheat. It represents heritage and blessings. Romance at its finest.

So after Sunday dinner, I don boots,jeans and western shirt and head to the field with pruners in gloved hand. I bend over and begin to snip, and snip, and snip... did I mention that it was about 90-some degrees with high humidity? So I snip and drip and itch... and swear under my breath that Martha Stewart is a w---h!

Did she go out into a sun-baked field to cut wheat to make her darling centerpieces? I doubt it! Did she gather enough wheat to make 30 of said centerpieces? I think not! Has she ever had ants and chiggers crawling up her pant legs? Have her shoulders begun to spasm from sniping straw? Even if they did, she probably had her masseuse on speed-dial to work out the kinks.

As I snipped away, a bright light shone through a dust cloud coming toward me from the east. I raised up and placed a gloved hand against my brow to shade my eyes. Could it be? Oh, my yes! It was my cowboy in a shining pickup coming to rescue his damsel in distress!

His long lanky form eased from his truck, grinned behind his sunglasses (probably laughing inside at my flustered, dishevelled, itchy self) and drawled, "Could you use some help, Ma'am?" MY HERO! My SWEETHEART! MY MAN!

He pried the pruners from my aching hand and bent to the task with skill and agility. As we worked together, we discussed how times had changed since our ancestors first turned sod some 125 years before. He thanked God for threshers and all the implements that followed. I marveled at the time and effort it would have taken just to harvest that one field, and how it's yield could have provided for a large family for a year. Now his uncle cuts over 1000 acres with an air-conditioned combine with a 30-foot header. No scythe or winnowing fork. No bringing in the sheaves.
It reminded us of one of our favorite love stories "Ruth and Boaz" in the Old Testament. She was sent to glean the fields for the stray grain that the harvesters left behind. Desperate to provide sustenance for her mother-in-law and herself, she bent and sweat long hours to gather food to fend off starvation. There she met Boaz, a man of the earth, a farmer. He took mercy upon her and together they found love, and a future... the grandparents of King David.... and on down the generations to Christ,himself.

I wonder if Ruth decorated with sheaves of grain at her wedding?

Wedding Accomodations for all budgets and tastes

2008-06-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

Here are options for accomodations for the wedding:

FAIRVIEW: ALL HOTELS ARE NOW BOOKED UP!@!!! TRY IN ENID!!!

ENID: ( about 40 miles east of Fairview on US 60/412. Regional shopping hub with national chains and a variety of accomodations.)

Holiday Inn Express- 4702 W Garriot Rd., Enid Phone:580-237-7722
This is the newest in town and located on US 60. Website showed rooms starting at $110 or so per night and up. Very plush for an HIE with all the bells and whistles. Great for those who need intensive retail therapy at hand or travellig north and east from the wedding.

Other hotel chains in the Enid area include: Ramada, Baymont Inn, Comfort Inn and Day's Inn

WATONGA AREA: (about 26 miles south of the wedding site.)

ALL HOTELS ARE BOOKED UP!!! TRY ENID

CAMPING OPTIONS:

Roman Nose State Park

Canton Lake (a nice lake with clean campgrounds about 16 miles south of the wedding site --great walleye and catfish fishing)

The Ultimate Wedding Salad Contest!

2008-06-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

In honor of the upcoming wedding feast, I am asking Pioneerbride readers to submit their favorite salad recipe. A winner or two, maybe more, will be featured on the wedding buffet. So pull out your cookbooks, dust off that recipe box, clorox your cutting board and get chopping!

I am looking for salads that can feed a crew of field hands, impress home economists, and un-turn finicky noses. Salads must have reasonably accessible and moderately priced ingredients. Convenience in storage, color and ease of preparation are appreciated.

Choose salads that will compliment smoked beef brisket, pulled pork from wild hogs (not the bikers, city girl! We may be a little redneck, but we stop at canibalism!) baked beans, and delicious homemade rolls. We are planning on doing about a dozen different salads using favorite recipes from the wedding party and close family members. Winners will be featured on the buffet beside my mother's new cranberry fluff salad, my aunt's spaghetti salad, and of course, the bride's cornbread salad.

I wish I could give a really awesome gift like http://THEPIONEERWOMAN.COM
but I haven't gone pro with this bloggin' business like Ree.

After all, this is an educational pursuit, in the interest of science and cooperative extension. You will have to be satisfied with the knowledge and joy of a salad well-served!

Please submit recipes in either the comment section or by e-mailing them to: pioneerbride@gmail.com

Deadline will be August 11th, so take your time. Taste test, and enjoy before entering your final selection.

Winning recipes and honorable mentions will be posted for all to enjoy!

Household Hint of the Day--Change can make a change!

2008-05-30T12:07:00.001-07:00

I believe it was Ben Franklin who said, "A penny saved is a penny earned." Nowdays, a penny almost seems obsolete in our ever inflating economy. Nothing can be purchased for a penny. Gone are the days of penny candy, penny postcards, and pennies for your thoughts.

But pennies can make sense and cents as well if you dedicate yourself to saving your loose change each day. I can't say that I save it daily, but I do have a jar or two in which I collect odd change from purses and pockets. Previously, it has been used as my garage sale fund. Whenever I wanted to go garage sale shopping, I would limit myself to whatever amount I had collected in my change jar-- mad money, so to speak. No guilt, lots of pleasure.

But since I have become a bride-to-be, I have a new direction for my fund. Shoes, or cowboy boots, to be exact.

In researching wedding customs of our ancestors, I made a few odd and interesting discoveries.

In Scotland, the bride and groom's hands are bound together with a piece of tartan during the wedding ceremony (we are both of Scottish descent. Miner '49er refuses to wear a kilt with his cowboy hat and hand-tooled leather belt. I just don't get it... if Mel Gibson can wear a kilt in Braveheart--possibly the most manly of movies of all times-- why can't he?)
The Cherokee exchange gifts of bean bread (cornbread with brown beans added-I made it, and it's pretty tasty. Add some chopped ham and you'd have a handheld meal.) from the bride to show that she will be a good homemaker. The groom gives the bride a venison ham to demonstrate his ability to provide for the household. Nice, but deer season doesn't start until after the honeymoon. And would I really want to feed him BEANS before the wedding night???? I DON'T THINK SO!
German couples drink from a special wedding cup that has two vessels- one on each end of a stem that allows the vessel to swivel. The first to finish will have the rule of the household! Not bad, especially since the bride's end is half the size of the groom's. We're opting to toast with bottles of Pepsi and Dr. Pepper- our beverages of choice.
Another German custom is for the bride to save her pennies to purchase her wedding shoes. I am getting a really late start on saving for that. Especially since I want a pair of beautifully embroidered cowboy boots to wear with my dress. I would love a pair of Old Gringo's (works of art for the western foot)or Lucchese leather (quality to last a lifetime)boots but I will probably have to settle for Justin's or Ariats.

So, I am saving for wedding boots. Momma said she would pay for them if I would wear ORANGE boots, and poke my toe out at my intended when I reach the altar. You see, HE is a die-hard OU fan (Crimson and Cream) while I am an OSU (orange/black) alum and employee.

We will be a house divided, no doubt.

But try saving your change for something special, you'll be surprised how quickly it adds up.

Plus the joy of delayed gratification and saving will be almost as good as the item itself.

If you have any size 9 Lucchese or Old Gringos in your closet in white or cream with teal stitching, call me. Let's make a DEAL! Pioneer bride needs a new pair of boots!

We Interrupt this Blog...

2008-05-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the long delay in posts. A lot has happened in the past month... Thunder storms... lots and lots of thunderstorms... which means little sleep due to a hyperventilating 50+ pound dog in the bed.... leaking hot water pipe vents....putting the house on the market.... check it out @ Remax.com; picking out an engagement/wedding ring.... OKAY, THE ENGAGEMENT RING OF THE CENTURY..... designing save the date cards, having knee surgery, stewing over invitation choices and ordering vs. making invitations, hostessing two meetings at the house, trips here, there and everywhere.

New posts to appear soon, including wedding information and accomodations to fit every budget.

Thanks for your patience. As a reward, I will include a picture of Miner 49'er and myself taken on Christmas eve. 45 minutes later after he left, I was out for the count with a combination of the flu and a sinus infection. Love makes you strong!

This is the man.... his real name is Ronald. A bit formal, but I am getting used to it. Since I have 2 Ron's and one Ronnie in my life as well, Ronald works to make him distinctive.

I love his heart. He is loyal, honest, kind, grumpy, and dedicated. We fit one another. He tells me I am bossy, but that's okay.

The Pioneer BrideSaga Continues.... The Dating Game becomes the Waiting Game

2008-04-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

The die had been cast.... Uncle #1 was selected to make contact with Miner '49er. It is now mid-June.

Ma and Pa -humor me as I use "Little House on the Prairie" references, I was and still am a HUGE fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder books- packed up the covered wagon (aka: 26 ft. air conditioned 5th-wheel camper complete w/ stereo system, full kitchen, bath and VCR) and hitched up the horses (Dodge Ram 2500 w/ Cummins Diesel engine) and headed for the Frontier (Colorado) to escape the unbearable heat of the no man's land (aka: western Oklahoma).

Speaking of Colorado, be sure to check out Colorado State Extension's website. Those folks do great work and have lots of helpful research-based hints for every household. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ I have found their information to be helpful and easy to understand.

Anyway, Ma and Pa head out west for the summer, so I have no reason to go home for a visit. Uncle #1 makes contact with Miner and tells him that he has a niece he would like him to meet. I am certain he had heard that line from MANY sources-- and probably the results had been a little scary over the years. Especially after Seriously Competitive Cousin set him up with a STALKER! a few years back.

Finally, 2 months pass and Ma and Pa return from their adventure. I get invited to judge culinary events for the fair in Fairview--a reason to visit the folks! Uncle #1 arranges for a meeting of the families. History is about to be made.

The waiting game is over. What happens next can only be rivaled by a Bollywood Movie without the dancing, singing and really spectacular embroidered clothing.

Household Hint of the Day

2008-04-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

'Shroom Cleaning 101

First, when purchasing mushrooms look for white, firm caps with closed veils (that's the underbelly- think of them as an unopened umbrella.-- the more open, the older the 'shroom.)

Mushrooms need to breathe! Store them in a brown paper bag rather than in plastic. They will last longer.

When cleaning fresh mushrooms, use a mushroom brush, a clean, soft toothbrush or a damp paper towel. Never soak 'shrooms in water, as they absorb water like a sponge.

For a little fun with whole mushrooms that are to be used for crudites or garnishes, use the point of a paring knife to press slight indentations into the top of the cap to create a flower pattern. The lip edge of a teaspoon could be used also. I start in the center and work in concentric circles outward to the edge. A dip in lemon juice helps seal the deal.

HOUSEHOLD HINT OF THE DAY

2008-04-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

DUSTING DONE DIRT CHEAP!

Okay, the title was a little too good to resist. Experts say that a lot of our household dust comes in on our shoes. In Alaska (my other reality) this was true. It was the custom to remove shoes and snow boots at the door. I once attended a party with over 100 pairs of shoes at the doorway. (if you have a picture please send and I will post it!) Carpets lasted longer, truly great hostesses kept baskets of clean slipper socks at their doorway and provided a shoe bench.

My mom loved this concept, so I cross-stitched her a little sampler that said, "Please observe Alaskan Tradition by removing your shoes at the door. Thank you." That lasted about two weeks. After getting asphyxiated by a couple of cousins' fetid foot foulness, she decided that a little red dirt on the carpet was less offensive than noxious fumes imbedding themselves into the fibers.

What are other sources of dust? Do you really want to know? Let's start with dead skin that sloughs off of all of us, then there is the pet dander, hair of assorted varieties, lint from clothing, linens and paper products (even toilet paper makes lint!). There are dried insect parts, pollens, molds, fungus, spores, microorganisms, smoke and ashes, sawdust, plaster, insulation, decomposing stuff, powders and makeup and then there is all forms of dirt in various states of hydration.

Before dusting, pick up all the clutter in the room and deposit in its proper place. Start at the top and work your way down- going clockwise or counterclockwise around the room. Use old t-shirts, towels or cloth diapers or even tube socks. Rather than bunch up a large rag, fold, tear or cut into smaller, manageable sizes. I like old wash cloths. Use one side til it is dirty, then turn to a clean surface. For socks, slip them over hands like mittens and give everything a rub!

Look up! Use an extendable duster (I like the Swiffer extender) to get the grime on ceiling fan blades, crown moulding, window and door sills, and other hard to reach places.

For silk plants, throw them in the shower for a quick rinse.

Don't forget to look down at baseboards, chair rungs, and low shelves. Now you are ready to vacuum!

I hate red dirt!

2008-04-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my future. For those city folks who are reading this, let me explain what is occuring in the photograph.
This is what is known scientifically as Soil Erosion. Erosion can take many forms: water, wind earthquake, drought.... but it all boils down to dirt moving without permission from one place to another.

It damages fields, homes, crops, and can make neat-freak housekeepers pull their hair out.

Blowing winds (as we see here in exhibit A) remove good topsoil from farmland and carry it away.... to the top of my mother's piano, the fresh laundry that hung from my granmother's clothesline, and let us not forget that it seeps in closed windows-coating freshly washed breakfast dishes while one is at church. This particular favorite of mine results in mud-coated plates that must be washed again before serving Sunday dinner.

Ah, the joys of living in Western Oklahoma. Everyone knows our state song about "winds come sweeping down the plain...." We ain't jokin'! It'll blow your skirt up, it'll mess up your 'do! It'll make pioneer brides age before their time(well, let's hope not!). Everything gets a pinkish-orange tint to it.

The dark cloud you see in this photo is not a tornado (yes, we have those, too!) but rather a "Black Roller" or a huge dust devil or dust storm headed for town. I bet whoever owned these cars were ticked had they just washed them.

This is what the fenceline looks like not far from my intended's homestead. This photo courtesty of the USDA (check out their photo galleries) depicts soil that has blown from other fields and drifted against a fenceline. Fortunately, the soil at the homestead is sandy rather than the persimon-colored dirt of my great-grandmother's claim.

The things we do for love. If you love to dust, please come visit after the honeymoon. Swiffers provided at no cost.

Household Hint of the Day

2008-04-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

Olive Oil: It's not just for Salads

Olive oil has been a part of daily life for thousands of years. We read about it in the Bible being used for everything from anointing a king to dressing wounds.

Here are some practical uses for olive oil:

Wounds and Scars: rub into fresh wounds or dry scabs. Olive oil promotes healing and regeneration of new skin. It will also reduce the size of permanent scars.

Sore Back: a sore back will feel better after being massaged with olive oil

Dry Skin and Scalp: try massaging a little warm oil into dry patches, elbows, heels, or scalp. Warmed oil (about 2 T. ) can be worked into dry, brittle hair. Work into unwashed hair. Cover hair with a plastic bag and wrap head in a towel. Keep on hair for about 15 minutes, then wash as usual.

Household Hint of the Day

2008-04-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Spaghetti Sauce Stains in your plastic storage containers?

A spray of prevention is worth a scrubbing of cure.

Before you plop that piece of leftover lasagna or scoop those spaghetti scraps into a plastic storage container, spritz a little non-stick cooking spray over the inside surface. It will help prevent those unsightly orange sauce stains from soaking in to your containers. Cleanup will be easier, too!

The Dating Game

2008-04-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

The challenge had been issued. All the players gathered begin to formulate ideas for potential suitors. As the second hands ticked on my parent's cuckoo clock (that I hand carried on the sold out 747 back from Germany... the lengths children go to for their parents!) I could hear various comments spoken in stage whisper...... " nope, he's married" or "she wouldn't like his drunk driving convictions"..... " hmmm, how about.... nope...he doesn't use deodorant."

Remember, my family comes from the country.... redneck is a perfectly acceptable and often honored way of life.

15 seconds..... they are all looking a little confused.

20 seconds.... names are being eliminated left and right.

25 seconds..... light bulbs are illuminating over assorted ball caps and bouffants!

30 seconds.... Eureka!!!

One aunt looks at an uncle and says, "What about Miner 49'er?" He replies, "Yeah! That's it"

My Momma, ever the cautious, "Miner 49'er? Isn't he a little TOO country?"

My cousin, the competitive one, "You can't have him! I thought of him first!"

And so it went for the next few seconds. Not one or two, but SIX of my relatives laying claim to this poor soul who has unknowingly become date fodder for the clan.

I sat there aghast as the bargaining began over who had first contact with Miner 49'er and who would have the privilege of broaching the subject of fixing him up with the old maid niece/cousin.

As the claims poured forth, I soon realized that most of my family had known Mr. Miner for a number of years. My parents were obviously in last place. They had only met him at a pig roast at hi farm 3 months earlier.

The seriously competitive cousin had worked with him almost daily for five years (he was sitting next to me, so I slugged him in the arm- I can do that- I am the oldest cousin) .

Uncle #3 has worked at the same mine for over 25 years with him. Uncle #1 had attended church with him each week since Miner was oh, NINE YEARS OLD! (He is now 47)

So, it was determined that although the cousin had a valid claim (His 1-year old son mistakenly calls Miner, "Daddy!" whenever he sees him in public), Uncle #3 is the WINNER of the dating game.

Now it is up to Uncle #3 to approach Miner 49'er about dating his old-maid (and unabashedly favorite)niece.

Will Miner 49'er head for the hills? Will he ask to see photos? All those question and more.....

Household Hint of the Day

2008-04-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

"Do the WORST first!"

When approaching any group of tasks (say, housecleaning or exfolliating) do your least favorite job first rather than put it off until the last. That way you won't be dreading it as you do all the other tasks. Dreading an upcoming task can cause one to work more slowly or even avoid the task entireley. So, do the WORST first, and the rest will be a breeze!

Today is the first blog of the rest of my life!

2008-04-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

I was a mild mannered, old-maid home economist minding my own business.

For the under 40 crowd, a home economist is an old-school term for "Family and Consumer Scientist". It seems society cannot settle on a politically correct term for my chosen field. We have been called "domestic engineers" "home demonstration agents" and other such titles through the decades, but it boils down to the fact we home economists are professionals in the science of family, home and its near environment.

It had been decades since I had been kissed. I was devoted to my career, my home, my dog. I called my parents daily. I offered household hints to those who were harried. I shared recipes with the cooking challenged. I brought fresh home-baked goodies to small children in my Sunday School class. I spent every Friday and Saturday night at home with a good book or movie. I needed more........

I NEEDED A DATE!

June 2007-- Occasion: my 44th birthday party. The aunts, uncles and assorted cousins descend upon my parent's home to share cake and ice cream.

I suggest that for my birthday gift, each of them find me a date. They laughed.
I gave them the short list of minimum qualifications.

THE SHORT LIST:

1. Male. (not metrosexual or any limp-wristed, manicured derivative thereof)
2. Single. (that doesn't mean separated, looking, taking a break or on the prowl)
3. Sane. (don't waste my time with issues! I could be watching "Lost")
4. Godly. ( This one would be the clincher. If there were any decent single men left sittin' on a church pew, they would bave problems with numbers 1-3. All good church girls know that after a certain age all of the good ones are either married, gay or dead!)
5. Preferably a COWBOY. (If number 4 doesn't stump 'em. This one will!)

My family looked at me, they looked at one another......and history was made.

Tune in next time to find out!