52 weeks of Happiness: Thanksgiving Weekend and an Update.

For Thanksgiving this year we had a lovely time. We had family and friends over for a potluck Thanksgiving. We had tons of food and a lot of fun together.

After Thanksgiving we were invited on a camp out with some good friends.  We had a great time walking through the woods, making s'mores, and spending time together at Buescher State Park.

After long weeks of going back and forth about the big move we are really getting things moving. We were worried last week when unrest began in Cairo... but now that the elections are moving along as planned we have begun moving forward again. I will probably not be posting much during this busy time... but I'm sure once we are settled in I will have tons of photos and news to share.

Cheers,
Jenn

52 Weeks of Happiness: Happy Campers

It has been a long time since I posted a 52 weeks of happiness post... but that doesn't mean that I haven't had many happy moments along the way.  It simply means that I've been too busy to post them. 
This past weekend I got a chance to get away from the family and have a camp out with a friend that I've know since grade school.  It was nice to get away.

 Due to a burn ban in Texas we couldn't have a campfire... so we made do with this ghostly light.

 We couldn't cook on the grill... but propane stoves are still allowed so we made up some chicken and vegetable tacos for our dinner.

And what would camp stove tacos be without some old school (with a K) salsa.

 Feeding the fire.

 Two happy campers.

I need to treat myself to getaways more often.

Cheers,
Jenn

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Baby Steps at B.O.W.

• When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. Confucious


• Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. Henry Ford


• Have a bias toward action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away. Indira Gandhi


• Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. Martin Luther King, Jr.


• A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao Tzu


• He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance. Friedrich Nietzsche


• I dream of men who take the next step instead of worrying about the next thousand steps. Theodore Roosevelt


• When I face the desolate impossibility of writing 500 pages, a sick sense of failure falls on me, and I know I can never do it. Then gradually, I write one page and then another. One day’s work is all that I can permit myself to contemplate. John Steinbeck


• Confront the difficult while it is still easy; accomplish the great task by a series of small acts. Tao Te Ching Don't let the night sky intimidate you. Just take it one piece at a time. Start with what you know and build on that. Warren Hart (Astronomy Teacher at B.O.W.)

Many people have said it before, but sometimes it takes an experience like B.O.W. to bring something into focus. Staring up at the night sky and allowing the impossibility of it all to overwhelm me and make me feel small is not my personal road to enlightenment. I have to take baby steps down that road. I need to take it one step at a time. The first night at B.O.W. I did just that. I found the constellation that I know best... Orion... I looked for those three stars that make up his belt and from there I built the story that I had learned in class that day. I spotted his loyal hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor at his side. I also recognized the stealthy rabbit Lepus crouching at his feet who is thankful that Taurus the Bull is there to draw the hunter's attention away. It didn't make me feel small, it made me feel like I was a part of something big.

The next day I applied this to what I learned in my other classes. In my outdoor photography class I decided that I was going to tackle my digital camera one function at a time instead of trying to digest the whole owner's manual in one gulp. In my introduction to hunting class I began formulating my hunting plan rather than feeling like I have to rush to the end. Finally in my last class, geocaching, I decided that rather than moaning and groaning about how I can't afford to buy a GPS receiver I was going to explore the host of opportunities out there that don't need any special equipment. I'll worry about buying stuff when I can afford it and just have fun for now.

Thinking about all the ways that I can apply this idea to the projects and goals in my life can be a bit overwhelming... so I won't do that. I'll just start with what I know and build on that. To start a fire first you need a spark. but that's a story for another day... Another baby step...

Nature vs Nutrisse: B.O.W With Bows In My Hair.

I have a vision of myself. I'm wearing jeans that fit me perfectly. My behind looks neither too large nor too small but as Goldilocks would say... just right. My hair isn't coiffed in the fanciest new doo, but it is perfect. My nails while not brightly colored are well manicured. My footwear is practical for a hike in the woods, but also exceedingly stylish. My camo t-shirt is composed of the perfect colors to bring out my eyes. AND I'm packin' heat. I'm on a hunting trip and damn I look good!




I want to bring home the venison, fry it up in a pan, and never let him forget he's a man.

Right now I'm a woman who is caught between two visions of herself.

1. In January I decided that as my New Year's resolution I was going to learn to clean the fish that I catch and that I was going to learn all about hunting. If possible I want to hunt, clean, and cook something totally hands on. This isn't going to be easy for me... I'm not a squeamish person, but I spent 15 years as a vegetarian and I don't take the life of animals lightly. I think that that is the main reason that I want to do it... and if I can't maybe I need to rethink my diet again.

2. The other vision of myself is part of my vow for lent to give up negativity. A big part of that is getting rid of the negative self image that has been creeping in. I am banishing the sweatpants , holey t-shirts, and sloppy doo-rags (the stay at home mom uniform) to the back of the closet and getting back to a more girly me. I went through my closet and ruthlessly threw away the stained, the out of fashion, and the just plain ugly.

I'm sprucing up my clothing, taking care of my skin, reintroducing exercise and just trying to make the best use of this 40 year old body that I can.


So this weekend I'm off on a BOW retreat. There I will be taking classes on astronomy, nature photography, geo-caching... and yes HUNTING. And I will be doing all this with a bunch of women. Perhaps we can trade make up secrets while we hike through the woods looking for game...

So any fashion or hunting tips anyone?

Spring Break Camping

It is Spring Break here and my husband and daughter have the week off, and as a result I've been taking the week off as well. We went on a wonderful camp out for two nights and now we are back at home. Unfortunately I have come down with viris of some sort and have been in bed with a fever since our return.... but here are some quick pictures of our camp site grub and a few others as well. I will be back to posting regularly next week.

Foil packed potatoes, sausage, and black beans cooked right in the can... Typical camping fare. We served it with warm tortillas and lots of fresh fruit.

Chillin' in the hammock, a chilly dip in the spring, and a game of marbles.
A wonderful time was had by all.

Cheers,

Jenn

Feeding the Fairies

We went camping this weekend at one of our favorite spots... we don't just love it because of the swimming... although the sparkling spring water is delightful... but we love to hunt for fairies. Here is my oldest with net in hand waiting near a sprinkling of fairy dust to catch one coming out of a hole in a rock.

They like to eat grapes...or at least that is what the note said...

There is often a note exchange between the magical folk and the kids. My daughter who is usually the scientific type... believes in these magical creatures with all of her heart. She wanted to catch one... but she was just happy that they liked the food she left for them... She might have actually caught a glimpse of one fleeing the scene...

Translation for those of you not fluent in Kinderwrite...Can you have a party with me?

Once we even found a pair of fairy shoes in a hollow tree.

This little lizard was so friendly that my daughter thinks it might have been a fairy in disguise...

Apparently they live in holes in rocks... so be on the lookout next time your out in nature.

Jenn

Thanksgiving with the Whooping Cranes

Before my husband and I had kids we would sometimes go camping down at the Texas coast during the long Thanksgiving weekend. We would spend some time enjoying a bit of bird watching at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge . The Whooping Cranes make Texas their home during the fall and winter...so it is a beautiful time to visit. We would usually split our time between Mustang Island and Corpus Christi and make Thanksgiving dinner over a campfire.

The first year we did this we were planning on making foil packed veggies along with some fish for dinner. Somehow we left half our groceries at the store and didn't relize it until we had already set up our campsite. We ended up with just the vegetables for dinner and since the potatoes were still at the store with our fish... it was a bit heavy on the carrots... I was a bit angry about our meager meal at first... but after I had a glass or two of warming port in my belly I was feeling alright.

Here is the recipe that we used that year for dinner

Foil Packed Veggies

I make this dish almost every time we camp or cook out. This recipe never comes out the same… but it always tasted great. Use whatever veggie or seasonings you have on hand the following is just a suggestion. If you have basil and oregano you can make the veggies Italian style…or throw in a little taco seasoning for Tex-Mex veggies. Use you imagination! If it happens to be thanksgiving and you forgot the groceries... just marinate the guests with a generous amount of port and hope for the best.

2 Potatoes
2 Carrots
1 red onion
2 zucchini
3-4 mushrooms
1 bell pepper
garlic-a mix of whole cloves and minced (to taste)
tomatoes
salt, pepper, and other spices to taste
beer or other liquid

Place two pieces of foil across each other in the shape of a cross. Cut all veggies according to your preference. Layer them according to cooking time. Start with the hardest to cook veggies (potatoes and carrots) and top it off with the quickest cooking (mushrooms and tomatoes). Pour a little beer to keep moist or for crisper (and more fattening) veggies use butter. Fold the foil over and place on a hot grill. Cook until the veggies are soft adding beer as necessary to keep them from sticking. If you are short on time you can boil the potatoes and carrots until they are almost cooked before adding them to the foil pack.

Another year Paul and I camped out on the beach on Thanksgiving weekend. We bought some fresh shrimp in Aransas Pass and drove down the beach to a spot near Corpus Christi. We set up camp and began prepping dinner. The shrimp we bought had the heads still attached and I began the messy job of peeling the shrimp and preparing the marinade. Paul was going to collect kindling and build the fire while I started preparing dinner… it seemed like a good idea to me… All that changed, however, when I popped the head off the first shrimp and greenish goo got all over me. I got a bit squeamish and I asked Paul to help me finish the job…OK I’m rewriting history a little…what actually happened was this: After I got green goo on my shirt I whined like a baby. Then after a minor tiff Paul begrudgingly helped me with the icky shrimp heads. After our petty quarrel we had a wonderful evening and had one of the best damn dinners ever…so here is the recipe.

1 ½ lbs. Shrimp peeled and decapitated
6 key limes
1 small onion, sliced
6-8 mushrooms, sliced
Butter or olive oil
Cherry tomatoes
Peppers (we found small sweet peppers at the store)
Tortillas
Green sauce (canned or homemade)
2 heads garlic
Aluminum foil and skewers for kabobs

Begin by marinating the shrimp in the juice from the key limes for several hours.
Mix mushrooms and onions with oil or butter and wrap in foil. If you are using bell peppers you’ll want to include them in the foil wrap…
Cut off the tip of the head of garlic and remove as much of the outer paper as you can before smearing it with butter and wrapping it in foil as well.
The garlic and onion foil packs can be placed on the fire at any time. Just place them directly in the coals keeping an eye on them so that they don’t burn. When the onions and garlic are almost done you’ll want the put the shrimp and remaining veggies on the skewers. The shrimp doesn’t take long to cook so you’ll also want to wrap tortillas in foil and begin warming them while the shrimp cooks. To serve place the foil packs and kabobs on top of an ice chest or other flat surface and chow down. To eat the garlic…take a clove and squeeze the “meat” out of the outer paper. Throw all the ingredients into a tortilla, top with green sauce and enjoy!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving,
Jenn