My Life As A Short Order Cook

In a small west Texas town, (population about 300)..............there is a small post office, a small Baptist Church, and one very small diner, that looks like it belongs back in the 50's. There, at the grill, every morning............at 6:30, you will find me.........cooking bacon, eggs, pancakes and sausage...........and in between that time, I'm preparing for the day's busy lunch crowd. I just got hired as the cook. One might think that there would hardly be any customers..............however, this diner caters to the many oilmen, truckers, and farmers, that do not want to drive 30 miles into the neighboring towns and then 3o miles back to work. By noon, the diner's tables and chairs are filled, work trucks of every kind surround the building, and a lot of take out orders are sent. Today was my third day of work and I have already started cooking all of the meals by myself.............thanks to the patience of the previous cook who is training me before she leaves, and with the encouragement of a wonderful boss............the lady has angel wings............I promise! I get off and still have a lot of day to do my gardening...........which is already sprouting!! ( More about that next week) pay attention to my animals.........Sophie loves the way I smell now, and I still am able to do my embroidery work in the late night. I have managed to get things done in the less amount of time I have. I never thought I would want to be a cook...............however, I have been one...................... in smaller terms for the past 27 years ..............to my family...............now I just have a bigger family to feed. Now, if I can just keep up my enthusiasm and energy! How about you? Have you ever taken on a job that you thought you would never do and wound up loving it? I would love to hear!

My Plate Is Full

In the greenhouse the tomato plant has tomatoes on it! I have the sprouting and growing down right................

now I just need to get the timing right. I think that if I plant and sprout tomatoes in August of this coming summer.............I should have tomatoes in the greenhouse during the winter. This vine sprouted close to November of this past year.
The seeds I received from Hometown Seeds are breaking ground and I still have other seeds like corn, beans, and squash to plant. I also opened my embroidery shop on Etsy.com to hopefully sell my embroidered linens on line.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/yesteryear61
And I also came upon a job opportunity on Tuesday and was called early Wednesday to be told that I had the position. I was supposed to start to work next week, however, they called me in today! I love the work..............it's busy............a little stressful..........but it is something, at this time in my life, I need to do. I will talk more about this job in a later post.Now my day begins at 5:30 in the morning, at work by 6:30 and at home by 3:30 in the day. The hours are good and I get off early enough to still have the day to work in the garden, tend to the animals, and to stitch on my embroidery...........my plate is full at the moment. How about you? Do you juggle, career, hobby, creative work, and other things in your life? I would love to hear!

Outside..........Inside

Outside..............spring has brought the flowers to life.............and they are all showing off their cheery blossoms. The garden grounds lay bare, but underneath is a bounty of seeds that I have planted this week.................Inside of the greenhouse................
my newly sprouted plants have been eaten down, by a critter that looks much like this........I found this photo on the internet and just had to add the caption..............because the mice have really played havoc on my plants. I think mice are cute...........however...............as much as I dislike to.............I have had to terminate their visits to my greenhouse. I am hoping my methods have worked and that I can be planting in there by this coming week. What are your pests and what do they destroy? I would love to hear!
*****One more note******If you love vintage embroidery designs, go to my embroidery blog

http://yesteryearembroideries.blogspot.com/ and you will find a vintage design you can click on and then print off

**********and********* if you love rich fudgy chocolate, go to my cooking blog for a wonderful Texas Fudge Cake recipe!

http://countrykitchenkat.blogspot.com/

Awaking

Although from a distance, the woods look still, barren,...........dead.
But by walking into it's quiet thickness and carefully looking.........one can see colors..........

of life waking up from Winter's deep sleep.

Maybe it's just the "Texan " in me.........but I love this stickery, prickery, life that surrounds me.

There is beauty...........everywhere..............one just has to look.

How about you? What is one thing in your surroundings........that strikes you as beautiful?

I would love to hear!

Meeting Neighbors

Years ago, when we lived in town, I got to meet our neighbors by one small knock on our back door........upon opening,................seeing a small child and being asked if "my kid" could come out to play. It wouldn't be long during play times , that their parents, our neighbors, would come over and introduce themselves. Since moving out to the country................where neighbors and visitors are scarce.........things have changed................

this is the most common way...........I have met all of my "distant neighbors" ..................from way down the road............over the fields............through the woods...............through their beloved dogs. This is Diesel(above photo)...........he has been over...........off and on..........for the past several weeks. I have shooed him, yelled, thrown rocks, chased him with a broom, and have done the strangest things that would chase even the meanest bobcat away.............but no.........not him. He's delighted in my behaviour and jumps around and all over me in tail wagging glee. I have carted him off in the back of the pick up several times, depositing him around other farms.......hoping he might belong there.............only to find him at my back door.............excited to see me.........in few days. Yet, I have to admit...........he is a big sweetie. This time he showed up with a phone number written on his tag, in which I called and got to meet my neighbors who live on a cattle ranch a little ways from here. Although there have been several sets of dogs that have run through here way before I had Sophie............I need to get Sophie spayed. This would probably cure Diesel's problem................and mine. And as for Sophie?..................well

Her eyes say it all!

Eggs

When I grow so very old and don't seem to recall,........remember..........,or fit into life any longer..........

I hope I will always...........somewhere tucked away in all of the files of a life most cherished........have this picture in my mind. The hues of green and brown, the texture and the warmth of how eggs feel......... fresh from the nest..........can their ever be a sweeter memory.............except for toothless grins from babies???
And when I am sitting in my solitude and a smile comes across my wrinkled face...........I will probably be remembering................ Opal...........thinking............."now where did those eggs go?...........they were just here a minute ago.............

How about you? Besides toothless babies...........what memory would you want to cling to the most? I would love to hear!

Computer Woes

Hi, everyone......thank you for all of your sweet comments. Just want you to know that I will be absent for a bit..........my computer has died..........the funeral will be quick and swift, but the recovery will be slow.........so until a new computer enters my life and fulfills my blogging destiny.......I will be thinking of all of you...................maybe by then, I will have more to talk about than chickens, gardening and Sophie...........but of course, they will still be the topic bouncing around. So happy blogging days ahead to all of you and I can't wait to be back here again! blessings,Kathleen