Arizona V

More fun from Saguaro National Park ... who said a cactus couldn't wear Christmas lights? Not me!


Notice how Erik doesn't get too close ... even though it's just the cactus skeleton.

Arizona IV

On our way to see the San Xavier Mission near Tucson, we passed an Indian cemetery. What fascinated me were the iron crosses. Living in Ellis County, there are plenty of these to be found in the cemeteries in the area. (For anyone interested, I can take you on my back roads of Ellis County tour and throw in a few cemeteries for good measure. It's a good tour, just ask Erik. I gave it to him a day before I was diagnosed with mono. I gave directions while lying flat on my back in the passenger seat of his car). :)

Anyhow, the crosses at the reservation cemetery were way more colorful and visually interesting:



The San Xavier Mission near Tucson (oh, and it's pronounced like "Javier" ... FYI).


Also FYI, all of these photos were taken with my point and shoot camera. It's the eye and ability, not the fancy camera, people! :)


Evidently a LOT of restoration was done on the left side, the right side is awaiting renovation and a little TLC.





I was digging these little decorative holes in the wall ...


... so of course I made Erik go make an interesting picture for me. :)


I didn't see it until just now, but Erik is framed in the center one, and there's a headless statue on the right side of Erik, framed in the next opening .... creepy.


There was a courtyard with the Stations of the Cross built into the walls. Really nice. And interesting.


A nice pictoral.


And another.


Erik and I in front (notice how I'm wearing my WINTER coat in SOUTHERN Atizona!!!!) ;)


I'm not looking ultra-fab here. I think I had a bit of an ear issue going on that day. We didn't stay around too long because I was feeling rotten. Maybe it was a combo of the ear and the cold weather?

Things I love about my husband

In honor of Erik's 40th birthday, I've been compiling a list of my favorite things about Erik. Let's see where this takes us!

Things I love about my husband (these are in no particular order)

1. That he's my husband. That automatically makes him the smartest man on the planet.

2. His ability to raise one and only one eyebrow. It's a great parlor trick. One I can't replicate. And he can only raise his right eyebrow in a comic way. The left eyebrow wants no part in his silliness.

3. That he always refills the soap dispensers. I know it's silly and small, but it's one of the things I love about being married to him. It's as if the soap dispenser in the bathrooms and kitchen are endless supplies of soap.

4. His mad researching abilities. Seriously! When we were deciding where to honeymoon, Erik spent what I'm sure is the equivalent of days going over tropical locations. Same when it came time to buy a car. He researched the heck out of it. (which basically means he tells me a few options and I pick the one I like best, and don't have to go crosseyed over the whole thing).

5. That he loves him some big salad. Erik's affection for having a big salad at dinner is contagious. While a salad never quite fills me up, eating a salad most evenings before dinner is a new and good habit. If it weren't for you, honey, I wouldn't be so healthy! ;)

6. That in the beginning, Erik was not really a gardener. I simply love to go outside and see him checking out the tomato plants every morning. Usually, it's the first thing he does after he wakes up!

7. That he trusts me enough to saw holes into walls in our house. You're the bestest, honey! :)

8. Oreo ice cream. I'm not sure if it's his favorite, but I certainly associate it with Erik.

9. That since Esse moved into Erik's house, I haven't had to scoop kitty litter. Once. Nope, not once. Erik rocks out that household chore and I'm SO thankful he does it. Not that I mind doing it, but I have to admit, it's one of the more tedious tasks of being owned by a cat.

10. Chapstick. Seriously! If a girl ever needs chapstick, Erik has a tube on him. It's the middle of the summer? Not to worry, he has one! December? He probably has 2! Erik is the chapstick king!

11. That he makes a mean pot of chili. :)

12. On weeks when I am too buried in life to tackle the laundry, that he just does it without being asked or hinted at. Gotta love a fella who takes initiative, ESPECIALLY with the laundry!

13. He knows what shows I watch as a guilty pleasure. And he records them on TiVo for me ... really, could a girl ask for more????

14. That he'll eat anything I put in front of him. Even brussel sprouts. And he doesn't like brussel sprouts. Bonus points for that one, honey!

15. Flowers. Erik likes to surprise me with flowers, which is a wonderful treat. AAAAnd, the best part is that they are from a FLORIST. I can't explain why I feel so strongly about this, but I love it when a guy goes specifically to a FLORIST to get flowers. It sort of says to me "I made this special, out of the way trip to somewhere I don't normally go just for you." Yeah, that versus just grabbing some while in the checkout at the grocery store. It makes me feel more special.

16. That he's the grill master. Erik makes the most amazing pork chops and grills a MEAN steak. Yumminess!

17. His online bargain-hunting skills. I've never met someone who purchases their "forever" stamps online, but Erik always gets them at a STEAL on ebay.

18. That when I'm supposed to take a supplement or something as such (over the counter-ish), he often is able to find it at a better price online. THEN HE ORDERS IT FOR ME!!!!! I'm totally absentminded and often forget to purchase more supplements, but Erik is always on top of this. And I appreciate it immensely.

19. His attempts at eye rolling. Seriously. Funny.

20. Lastly, Erik is the world's best snuggler. But I better not catch any of you ladies trying to take a test drive!

Happy birthday, E! :)

xoxoxo, ~K

Tasty chili addition!

Somehow, we started adding chickpeas to our chili. I think it started when I was making hummus and had extra chickpeas with no purpose for them, so I just threw them over Erik's shoulder and into the pot. Sneaky Karen!

Same story this weekend. I had extra chickpeas I'd cooked, then put into the freezer to await a purpose. And Erik was making chili, so into the mix they went.

And know what? They really add SO much to chili! Not that Erik's super tasty chili was lacking before, but it gives it more chunky goodness ... and is nice and healthy for you ... and gives you overall more chili to eat, which is all good.

So ... if you feel adventurous, give it a try!

Christians during Lent

Growing up, I always did things "because you're Catholic." I didn't mind or think much of it. I just got the impression other faith denominations didn't really observe the liturgical seasons as we Catholics did. Especially Lent.

In high school, I had non-Catholic friends, but they didn't observe Lent in any way.

When I was in college, I had a college roomie who observed the practice of giving something up for Lent. She wasn't Catholic and I have to admit I was confused. But I liked it. Along life's path, I've met other friends who are not Catholic, but also give things up for Lent. Just today, I was talking with someone who is not particularly religious, but gives something up for Lent.

SO interesting.

Somehow, I thought only Catholics did this. Not in a "we're better than them" way. But perhaps because Catholics are "more strict" in some regards.

Boy howdy was I wrong!

I guess I wish somewhere along the way someone would have TOLD me that other Christians observe Lent. Not all of them, but other denominations give up things they enjoy for Lent, too. Seriously, how could is it possible that I've lived for more than a quarter of a century and NOT known this???

Chicken in the slow cooker!!!

Yeah, yeah. 2 posts in 1 day. Deal with it. We just ate a killer dinner and I have to share!

So, remember my post HERE about cooking a chicken in the slow cooker?

Well, we did it again today, and adapted it a bit. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! It was the most tender chicken I've ever eaten!!!!!

Here's the drill:
1 pkg of chicken thighs (w/ bones) - this cost us about $3, which is awesome! :)
1 onion
1 bay leaf
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 c. chicken broth or veggie broth or whatever
1 c. water.

Cut onion and place in bottom of cooker. Mince garlic and put at bottom, too, along with a bay leaf. Be sure to remove the skin from your chicken, then place it on top. Pour liquids over, then sprinkle with garlic salt.

Cook for 4 hours on low. ***IF YOU COOK IT LONGER THAN THIS, THE MEAT WILL START TO FALL OFF OF THE BONE. I HAVE WARNED YOU!!!!

Perfecto!!!!

And I'm excited to use the broth for other cooking later this week! EDIT: *sigh* someone was being helpful and poured all of the broth down the drain. I should have been on the ball. Grrrrrr.....

Also, with Lent starting tomorrow, feel free to check out some of my meatless recipes by CLICKING HERE.

No Phone Zone!!!

As Lent is drawing near, I've really been thinking about what to do.

I've also been thinking A LOT about an Oprah show I saw about the dangers of texting and driving. Let's just say I've been guilty of this in the past. WAY guilty.

(You can view the show and more info by CLICKING HERE).

Since I watched the show, I have not texted and driven concurrently. But, I have to honestly say I feel guilty when I'm on the phone in the car. Way guilty. I'm not sure what the stats are, but it shows that being on the phone while driving is extremely distracting. EVEN if you're on a hands-free device. It's STILL a distraction. And should be avoided.

I thought "this can't really be an issue" but as I've thought about it, I realize it IS. There is a driver or two who I know (names withheld to protect the guilty), who when the phone rings, they go digging through the car for it, and I seriously fear my life will end because they are NOT paying attention to the road, instead trying to grab the phone from wherever it has gone to.

So, as Lent sneaks up on us, I'm kissing everything talking on the phone while the car is in "drive" goodbye. So, if you *think* I should be accessible and am not answering, it is probably because I'm driving, so please don't have hurt feelings!

Arizona III

As I mentioned before, it was awfully chilly during our trip to Arizona, so we drove through Saguaro National Park near Tuscon.


Lots of cacti.


Erik and I are "one with the Saguaro" ;)


Here, I'm trying to give it a hug, but the booger bit me.


Another view.


Last one.

I would have liked to hike around some, but it was just too darn cold. Perhaps we'll visit again when it's not so freezing. I'd like that.

Arizona II

On top of A mountain, in Tuscon, Arizona .... (picture me singing this to the tune "On Top of Old Smokey") .... Ok, I'm done. ;)


(but you may hum the "Rockey" theme in your head when you look at the above photo if you wish).


It's sort of like K-hill in Manhattan. A big "A" painted in red, white and blue to be patriotic. Wahoo.


View from the top.


A little local vegitation that got caught by the paint.


More view from the top.


E with the A.


Interesting dark mountains.


Us being goofy, of course. :)


More serious.


Another at the base of the A.

Additional info about composting and the like ...

I have an addition to THIS post on composting.

I was in downtown Salina this week and came across a flier that's trying to raise awareness about environmental issues. This is interesting: 14% of the Salina landfill is filled with food waste. Click on the above link to see all about composting ... it's another way to rid yourself of food scraps. BUT, be sure to NOT put meat in your compost, or you'll have the neighborhood dogs and coons in it.

It also compares water usage of Salina residents to that of Hays residents. Now, THIS is extremely interesting. In Hays, residents use an average of 89/gal/person/day. Any guesses for Salina?????

124. An average person in Salina uses 124 gal/person/day. When I first moved here, I suggested to the Salina city commission that they make water reduction a priority. In Hays, the city puts aside $1,000/year toward washer rebates. Yes, that's right. If you buy a high-efficency washer, the city will give you $100 towards its purchase. I believe they also take your old shower head and will give you a low-flow shower head gratis.

One of the most frustrating things about living in Salina is how wasteful people are with their water. I just cringe during the summer months. Maybe that's why I work so hard to use my rain barrels. I suppose I hope that my excessive collection and not using water will make up for the extra water that others are using.

Arizona I

When we were in Arizona visiting Erik's parents after Christmas, we went to a park with hiking trails not far from their house. I kind of dig the moon. :)


Another photo in/around Madera Canyon.


Us up there. NOTICE the snow ... and the sandals on my feet ... and the winter jacket on my body. Somehow when I found out we were going to southern Arizona, I ASSUMED it'd be warm and pleasant. Well, it's NOT necessarily the case. I'm told it was unseasonably cold when we were there. Pft.


View from where we were.

Traveling tidbits

When we were going to Arizona, we stopped over in Denver. I really got a kick out of this in the restaurant. It's the right size for luggage.

You just have to remember to collect it when you leave. ;)

Light lounger

I've not seen the cat chill in this location before, but she certainly seems to like it. :)

Comments ...

Hey blog people ... I was looking at the number of comments as of late, and just want to send a big kiss out to our blog readers who comment. Seriously, reading comments certainly encourages me. :)

For growing plants from seed ...

PSA to those who grow their garden plants from seed: I was talking with someone from the local nursery today ... and she suggested to have a fan blow on them. Just a little one.

I've been in a greenhouse before, and there were fans. I wondered what they were for.

Anyhow, the woman said they are to help prevent fungus or mold from growing on baby plants. :) So Michelle, this post is for YOU! :)

Composting

About a week ago, I made THIS post about gardening.

It's taken awhile (sorry!), but now I am taking the time to put words to the promise of blogging about composting. :)

But before I start, let me say that Erik and I have about 1 to 1.5 bags of trash that we put into the collection bin PER WEEK. I don't know how much your garbage out put is, but I'm pretty proud of that. We attain that by recycling everything possible (and we recently received a SECOND recycling bin from the city so we can put out even MORE recycling!!!), along with composting.

So, first things first, here is a photo of our compost pile:


(There are some dirt piles behind the pile, but the area inside of the wire inclosure is our compost pile).

There are certainly more elaborate setups, but this home-made setup works for us.

I simply went to Lowe's and purchased the 4 metal pole thingies, and the wire mesh stuff. I don't know the exact name of it. But I guess even chicken wire would work.

I hooked the wire stuff around the metal poles, but did make sort of a "door" that I can open it if I need to.


So, how do you start? Well, it's not terribly difficult. Seriously, VERY little actual SKILL is involved!

You take items you don't eat, or maybe they've gone bad, and toss it on the pile.

THAT'S IT!!! :)

Ok, so what do you add on to the pile? Fruit and veggie scraps.

It could include:
• apple core
• bananna peel
• the outer portion of the corn
• the center of the tomato
• the core of a pepper
• ends of an onion.
• garlic peel
• egg shells
• plants I've pulled from the garden at the end of the summer

Also .... GRASS CLIPPINGS!!!!! AND LEAVES. The first year, I didn't have leaves in the pile, just the grass clippings and the food scraps. It was a pretty smelly pile (my neighbor across the fence wasn't appreciative of the pile's placement). I did some reading, and realized we needed some "brown" in the pile ... so on the leaves went! (the neighbor is less objective to the pile now).

Really, lots of stuff. If we have lettuce that sits around too long, we toss it onto the pile.

Oh, I also put some peat into it when I started.


During the summer, I have my pitchfork and turn the pile about once a week. It's also important to be sure the pile gets some moisture. If it doesn't rain for a month or so, wet the pile down, because it will help to break down the pile.

Also, I will say that I have sort of a "backup pile." This is for when I've decided it's time to put the compost into the garden. Now, HOW do I know it's ready? Well, when you're turning the pile regularly, you'll notice that the pile sort of starts to look like dark, dark, dark dirt. Once I start to see that, I don't keep piling new stuff in because I want the compost to "finish" so to speak. I pile stuff onto a smaller area, and once the compost looks like rich dirt, I remove it and put it into the garden. Then I move the stuff from the "backup" site into the regular compost pile.


And this is what we use as transport. I learned this idea over the summer from the people Paul lived with. They had a nice stainless steel container WITH A LID. Previously, we'd just been using a big yogurt container with a lid. It would get gross and icky ... but with the stainless steel container, we can give it a really good thorough cleaning.

Oh, one last thought before I pull some photos of compost piles/devices I pulled from the web: It's important to have some slats or some way air can flow through/into your pile. I wouldn't suggest just sticking it into a trash can or something that is completely enclosed.

Ok, some photos of other ways of doing this I pulled from the web:



I really like the next two:




PLEASE don't feel like you have to spend a lot of money on one like this:


(but you can if you *really* want to).

Personal Photos

Shortly after making THIS BLOG POST, I read something that really kicked my butt.

I photo-blog-stalk an amazing photographer in Utah named Rebekah Westover. She made THIS POST on her blog about the importance of getting family photos printed and put in little albums. And I NEED to just get off my duff and do this.

Let's say I'm adding this to my "to do" list for 2010. People, HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE!!!!!

I think it's going to be a good idea for me to get into this habbit before any kiddos are on the horizon/scene ... because I'm sure the picture-taking will increase 100-fold at that time!

I concede (I'm going to be an *auntie*)

So, Erik and I formally concede the first Mikols grandchild to my sister, Robin, and her husband, Chris (you can read about it HERE on their blog).

And knowing my mother-in-law, baby Laws will actually be *her* first "grandchild" too. ;) When I talked with my mother-in-law yesterday, I said "if baby is due in August, that means there will be a little one with us for Thanksgiving" ... and there was a squeal of delight.

Life is crazy-busy right now, I'm sorry. I know I still need to blog Arizona pix, Grand Canyon pix (from like JUNE!), compost info. I'm also toying with the idea of fessing up about my trip to Topeka yesterday. You know, the one where I packed 2 pair of dress shoes, 0 pairs of dress pants and 0 pairs of socks. *rolleyes* my brain is just THAT fritzy. A quick Target run was in order to be sure I was appropriately clothed before I photographed at the Capitol yesterday.

Come to think of it, those 2 or so sentences summed up my yesterday, so I'll consider it covered. ;)

The spice hoarder

Erik enjoys an A&E show called "Hoarders" about people who compulsively keep JUNK.

And he tells me he's considering turning me in for being a spice hoarder.

Here's why:


But let me tell my side of the story, OK?

I think having fresh spices and herbs around rocks. Right? Are you with me, ladies? And when I see them go ON SALE at the grocery store, well I can hardly resist spending a QUARTER when they're regularly $2.99. ARE YOU WITH ME??!??!???


So, I get them, then stash them in the freezer.

I will, however, admit that it was getting a bit out of control. There were tons of little plastic packages and it was becoming a freezer hazard. So I consolidated them into baggies and we're all much happier.

Oh, and IN MY DEFENSE, I used TWO of these items just this week in my soups ... so I use them ... OK!

:)