Dog Days of Summer

A year or so of having a blog named after me & I finally get a picture posted!

10 Random Things about Gypsy

1. My new favorite thing this summer is chasing Rabbits & Frogs.
2. I was touring the country with a homeless man before I moved in at the ranch. Hence the name Gypsy.
3. I have a love hate relationship with Miss Kitty the Cat.
4. I get to visit Browning Trophies & Awards every Wednesday because the cleaning lady comes to my house & I bark at the vacuum cleaner.
5. My best friend at Browning Trophies is Ruben.
6. I am buddies with a whitetail deer named Bonnie who has a brother Clyde.
7. I bark at Thunder.
8. I get excited when Nanny is mentioned. I love for her to visit! She lives a half mile down the road.
9. I love to sneak into the barn and eat deer pellets if my Dad leaves them on the ground.
10. I love peanuts & cashews. Really I love to eat just about anything.

My Buddy Ruben & I

Thanksgiving Favorites

This weekend I started thinking about my Thanksgiving grocery list & preparations.... hard to believe it is almost here. It was in the mid 70's in North Texas today.

As we look forward to Thanksgiving here are a couple of my family favorites.

First is my Grandma Jo's Cherry Pie. I love the fact that my recipe is written in my Mother's handwriting. It is one of my hubby's favorite deserts. As an added bonus it is super easy!

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons Flour

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 16 oz. cans of Cherries (in water; not heavy syrup) drain & reserve

1 cup cherry juice

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

red food coloring

2 unbaked 9 inch pie shells

Mix sugar, flour, & cornstarch and set aside. Heat cherry juice over medium heat and slowly stir in sugar, flour & cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat and add drained cherries, almond extract & food coloring. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Place top crust to cover filling & slit to allow for escape of steam. I prefer to add a lattice top. Brush with butter or margarin and sprinkle wit sugar. Bake in 400 degree oven about 30 minutes.

My second recipe, Corn Casserole, is a family favorite. I don't have a picture of it... Pioneer Woman I am not.

1/4 cup butter

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese

1/4 cup milk

1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies

2 cans of corn, drained

Tobasco Sauce, dash

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Melt butter in saucepan and blend in cream cheese. Add milk and mix together. Add green chilies, corn, and Tabasco sauce. Put mixture in baking dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.

Important note: The recipe calls for a dash of Tobasco but we are from Texas. This means I use a heck of a lot more than a dash (I use Choulula). But then again we have salsa or hot sauce or jalapeno peppers on the table at almost every meal including breakfast. So bottom line season to your own taste.

Enjoy!

Elephants

More pictures from Tommy's trip.

Lynsey wanted to see Elephant pictures so....

And my favorite of the two....

Goodnight All

Lion, Cubs and the Wildebeest Tail

After missed connections, lost luggage, two aborted take-offs going full speed down the runway (separate airlines), and an unexpected stop in Istanbul the Hubby has returned safely from Masai Mara in Kenya.

My favorite pictures so far are shots of a male lion playing with a couple of the cubs in his pride.

After snacking on a Wildebeest he brought the tail home for a couple of the cubs in his pride.

Some after dinner tug-of-war between dad & cub #1.

Now two cubs get in on the action.

Finally Dad lets the two have the tail to chew on.

I am off to look at the other 4000 plus photos. Will post more later.

Last Weeks Surpirse

Many of you are wondering what my surprise was last week (ok, 1 person asked) so here it is....

When I drove in from work Beisa Oryx were standing at my front gate as if to greet me. Tommy had told me I had a surprise. I thought it was a baby Dama gazelle (we are expecting) but much to my surprise it was a trio (1 male & 2 female - on the ranch we call that a trio) of Beisa Oryx that he purchased.

Now actually this is not one of the trio. After purchasing the trio he purchase this mature female at the YO Ranch last weekend. It was just easier to get a picture of her since I was home when they let her out of the trailer. I havn't been able to get close enough to the other 3 to take a picture. Hoping she is pregnant! The babies will be cute, for sure!

Not only is it Tax Day, its.....

...Grandma Dorothy's Birthday

A birthday wish for my Grandmother. Because she lives 6 hours away, we will not get to spend the day with her. So what better way to send a birthday wish than via the internet.

Warning: It is hard to star in a movie & be the camera man too. Julia Roberts probably does not have to do both.

OK, I didn't sing Happy Birthday because I am holding a 25lb dog. I had to cut it short!

Happy Birthday,
We Love You Grandma!

New Scripture Verse for April 1st

Here is the verse I picked for April 1st. I know, I have not posted my March verses. I will try today that today in between.... laundry, dishes, paying bills, bathing gypsy, watching Jeff Gordan win at Texas Motor Speedway, & more laundry.


Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Happy Sunday!