Washed Out

This has been an exceptionally wet fall for south Arkansas. Our unofficial rainfall in September was more than 20 inches. October surpassed that. The weather between noon Thursday and noon yesterday brought torrential rains, high winds and spawned several tornados. Thank goodness we didn’t have a tornado at our house, but we sure did have the rain! By my estimates, more than six inches.

Fortunately our pond is well constructed. The levee which surrounds the west side, and is also the road to our pasture, has a spillway built into it along with two overflow pipes. Actually, I think there is a third pipe with a valve on it for draining purposes, but it stays closed. The road from our house forks once it reaches the pond. To the left is the equipment shed, the right leads to the pasture. This is where we had our troubles. I wish I had taken pictures while there was still water rushing across the road, but I didn’t get down there until this morning.


Here’s the view of the road leading to the shed. The bucket on the right is as high as the water got.


The boat we use for fishing got washed down along with various other things. It makes my husband sick to see all the gravel that washed away.


You can see how the flow of the water flattened out the grass in its path.


Here’s a lily pad in the grass. Too bad its roots aren’t still attached. Ripping up those nuisances would have been a bonus!


This view is from the other side of the washout, looking back towards the road to the house.


I don’t think I’ve ever seen the pond this full. Many of the tops out of the dead trees broke off and washed to the bank, some clogging the overflow pipes. My husband said they were probably only draining at about 50% capacity due to this. He had to clear the pipes several times.


Here you can see a log he pulled up onto the levee. Water was starting to cross the levee some in this area, but not bad enough to do any damage.


Looking towards the east pasture.


You can make out some of the cows watching us. Fortunately my husband can still ride his 4-wheeler to the tractor in the shed in order to put out hay.

All in all, I’m quite thankful. It could have been so much worse, and was for many people. My husband is already noting ways he can improve things in the event something like this happens again. Let’s pray it doesn’t any time soon!

Pilots & Controllers

WhiteStone has a good entry at her blog today about the Northwest pilots who recently lost their jobs after overshooting their intended destination.

When I first heard about the incident, it brought to mind something that happened to me a long time ago. Those who read my 360 blog might remember an entry where I told about getting my single engine pilot’s license (VFR) shortly after I got married. My husband was bound and determined to get his and with a history of heart disease in his family, I decided I needed to have mine, too. I sure didn’t want to get caught up in the air with him and not be able to land the plane if I ever had to!

I have no idea what getting a license these days entails. At that time, one of the requirements was to plan a “long cross country” flight. It had to include stops at several different airports, one of which had to be a specific distance away. It was a lengthy solo flight and required refueling at one point. My flight plan took me from Arkansas to Texas, then to Louisiana before returning home. As I neared the final airport on my route, the tower put me on a heading for approach. I complied, saw the airport ahead of me, and then watched as it receded into the distance behind me! I called the tower again and it was obvious what had happened. They’d forgotten about me!! I could hear laughter in the background! I was already pretty nervous, so it was no laughing matter to me at the time (even though I can tell the story now and it seems funny). Once I landed, I vaguely remember getting my log book initialed by someone on the ground then getting back in the air as soon as possible to get back home.

My experience was pretty trivial in the big scheme of things. It was just me. But you think about the hundreds of flights each day carrying hundreds of people from one place to another. It’s important that pilots AND controllers stay vigilant and never get complacent.

My squeaky wheel

I’m not an assertive person. My husband is. Let me back up…

Tuesday morning I headed off to the church with laptop in tow. First of all, let me say I feel a little silly now. I guess it’s been quite awhile since I dealt with using a wireless network other than our own setup at home. I had no idea that once I logged on to the internet at my church that I would be able to download the mail from my server through their server into my Outlook Express! Duh! Both of my college-age kids said they could have told me that, but I sure don’t remember getting that assurance from them while I was obsessing about it on Monday! Yeah, well. Live and learn.

Late Tuesday afternoon my husband called me at the church with good news. (I was working on church stuff, not still messing with my computer) After some frustrations trying to line up a local installer he decided to contact the company again. He told each person he talked to that if they didn’t give him the satisfaction he was looking for, then to transfer him to their superior. He finally convinced one that, although we had been with them for a number of years, he was going to switch to another satellite provider if they didn’t do something this week. They agreed to install our upgraded system the next morning, and at price much less than what they originally quoted us. Wow!

I guess that old saying about the squeaky wheel getting the grease really is true.

Woe is me

See the box in the picture? That is the remote terminal for our satellite internet system. Notice there are only two blue lights lit up. To work properly, there must be five.

We've been without internet since Saturday evening. ETR (estimated time for repair) doesn't look good. With an upgrade (yes, that means extra money) it might be in a couple of weeks. Repairs on the current equipment could take months!!!

Switching to DSL or cable is not an option. We live too far out in the sticks for that. Even switching to a different satellite provider would take awhile.

I can do limited things on my Blackberry (which is how I'm posting this, if I remembered how to do it correctly), but that's also "iffy" since we don't get good cell reception at our house.

At least I'm getting more done at home since my #1 time-waster has been curtailed. *sigh*

Not what I planned

I had every intention of posting the recipe for the cookies I made today. I clipped it from my Simple & Delicious magazine awhile back and thought they would really be good. They weren't. They're edible, but definitely not worth sharing (either in print or in reality).

Instead, I'll share a recipe for piecrust that my cousin gave me years ago. She took it from the January 1977 issue of Gourmet. I rarely make piecrust from scratch (it's too easy to buy good ready-made ones) but when I do, this is simple and very good.

Cream Cheese Pastry

In a large bowl cream together 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter and 4 oz. (1/2 cup) cream cheese, both well softened. Thin mixture with 2 Tbs. milk and sift in 1-1/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and 1/2 tsp. salt, stirring the mixture until it is well combined. Form the dough into a ball, dust it with flour and chill it, wrapped in waxed paper, for at least 3 hours.
Makes a double crust.

Favorite Five - Fairy Tales

I didn’t plan to post another Favorite Five entry this soon, but I thought it would be appropriate after reading the post about Fairy Tales over at Pen and Paper.

Even though Disney has its darker moments (think about Bambi’s parents or Mufasa’s death in the Lion King), most of its stories are candy-coated. That’s a far cry from the way many of the traditional fairy tales were meant to be told. If you don't believe me, just go back and read the Brothers Grimm!


Some of my favorite fairy tales:

1. The Ugly Duckling

2. Aesop’s Fables

3. Shrek

4. Hansel and Gretel

5. The Three Little Pigs (check out this version my sister gave my kids when they were little)

Others: Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Elves and the Shoemaker, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk.

TV Sets

I posted the following entry on my 360 blog a few years ago. I thought it would be an interesting follow-up to yesterday’s post about sitcoms. The book is evidently out of print now and only available from third-party sellers. My copy is paperback and has a different cover from the one shown on Amazon.

If you grew up watching shows like Leave it to Beaver, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Honeymooners, The Munsters, M*A*S*H, etc., you will LOVE this book!


TV Sets Fantasy Blueprints of Classic TV Homes by Mark Bennett


I've actually had this book for years, but thought about it again when my daughter was flipping through the channels tonight and landed on I Love Lucy. My degree in college was in "Design & Housing" (I still don't know why I didn't go ahead and get an architecture degree instead) and I always loved drafting (by hand, not computer). So... the hand-drawn plans in this book are right up my alley. It's great fun......full of "blueprints" and maps for tons of classic TV shows, including some of my favorites: Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch, The Flintstones and more. Check it out for a fun trip down memory lane!

Favorite Five - TV Sitcoms

Watching television is an activity I’ve enjoyed in spurts over my lifetime. I don’t remember watching a lot of TV while growing up, but I must have since I can remember so many shows from that time! The first couple of years in college were lean TV years, then my viewing time picked up once I moved out of a dorm. I watched a fair amount during the early years of my marriage, only to slack off in recent years. I watch very little TV at this point in my life.

One of my favorite types of programming has always been the Situation Comedy or “sitcom”. Many of the sitcoms I’ve enjoyed over the years were shows that I could watch with my family, either when I was a child or when I had children of my own. Often mindless and silly, occasionally witty or clever, but always a pleasant escape from reality. If only all life’s problems could be resolved in the space of thirty minutes!

Here’s my list, with a few runners up. Tell me some of yours!

1. Gilligan’s Island – I refuse to make excuses for this being on my list. I’ve always loved it and have seen every episode multiple times. I even own it on DVD.

2. The Brady Bunch – Another that I should probably be embarrassed to have on my list (but I’m not). At least I don’t own the DVDs of this one. Jan was my favorite Brady.

3. I Love Lucy – A classic in every sense of the word. Lucille Ball has to be one of the best comedic actresses of all time. It was great from the early episodes all the way through the birth of Little Ricky, the Hollywood & European episodes and the move to Connecticut.

4. Seinfeld – The show about nothing. It was hilarious! Enough said.

5. The Wonder Years – This show is sometimes considered a dramatic comedy rather than a sitcom. The pilot began with the main characters entering junior high school in 1968. I started junior high in 1970, so I readily identified with the events and emotions portrayed in the series.

Runners Up: Home Improvement, Cheers, Smart Guy, The Munsters, M*A*S*H, Psych.

C.J. Sansom

While browsing through back posts over at Petty Witter’s blog (Pen and Paper), I discovered an author that I’d never heard of. Okay, that’s not so unusual. There are plenty of authors I’m not familiar with. This author, however, writes Historical Fiction mysteries set in Tudor England. I love Historical Fiction, I love mysteries, and I love British history!

C.J. Sansom is currently a full-time writer, but began his career as an attorney. The central character in his mystery series is Matthew Shardlake, a hunchbacked lawyer practicing at Lincoln's Inn in London. Shardlake starts out as an avid supporter of reform, enjoying the patronage of Thomas Cromwell. Throughout the series his passion for reform wanes as he embarks on missions for Cromwell, then later Archbishop Cranmer.

The novels are very well written and, although fiction, contain a tremendous amount of accurate historical information woven into them. I thoroughly enjoyed the three I’ve read, Dissolution, Dark Fire and Sovereign and look forward to the US release of the fourth, Revelation.

Blue Skies and Dogs

There’s no doubt about it. We’ve had an exceptionally wet September and October. I’ve been told that my rain gauge is probably not very accurate - therefore my readings may not be correct - but, we “unofficially” had more than 20 inches of rain in September and we’ve already dumped more than 15 inches from our gauge in October!!! Even half those amounts would seem like a lot!

The sun came out yesterday for the first time in several weeks. What a glorious sight! I’ve wanted some new pictures of our outside dogs, so I grabbed my camera and headed out into the sunshine.


Blue skies never looked so good! Of course the grass is nice and green from all the rain.


The begonias I planted at the beginning of the summer have done well.


Now that she doesn’t have to feed puppies and is getting fed regularly herself, Mama Dog has a soft, thick coat. She’s gotten back her figure as much as a girl can after having who knows how many litters.


Jed joined the ranks of the “spay/neuter club” in September. No danger of future puppies from any dog at our house now.


Blue had obviously been sticking her nose somewhere it didn’t belong. At least that was the only part of her that was muddy!


Mama Dog and Jed love to romp and wrestle with each other. Blue will sometimes join in.


This time she chose to watch the woods for something more exciting than romping with them.


None of the inside girls really mind going out in the rain, but they do love a cool, sunny day! Mabel, Alice and Esther wanted me to put the camera down and let them out.


Betty loves to bask in the sun on the back steps.

Favorite Five - Children's Books

I love to read and books have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Although my mother read to me when I was young, I learned to read before I began school and always preferred reading to myself. We had a nice selection of books in our home belonging to my three older siblings as well as many of my parent’s books. In addition, I belonged to a "Dr. Seuss Book Club" where I received a new book every 6-8 weeks including books by P.D. Eastman, Bennett Cerf, the Berenstains and others as well as Seuss books like The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham.

Once I started school the opportunities for reading grew. Not only did my elementary school have a great library, our town’s public library was right across the street from my school. Even then there were so many books and so little time! I didn’t get around to favorites like Winnie-the-Pooh, The Chronicles of Narnia or Paddington Bear until I was a teenager. Others I didn’t grow to love until I read them to my own three kids: Goodnight Moon, I’ll Love You Forever, Runaway Bunny.

Here are my top five and some runners up:

1. Moonymouse by Helen & Alf Evers

2. Cheerful by Palmer Brown

3. If Jesus Came to My House by Joan Gale Thomas

4. Epaminondas and His Auntie by Sara Cone Bryant

5. Mud Pies and Other Recipes by Marjorie Winslow

Bird Life in Wington (J. Calvin Reid), Eight Bags of Gold (Parable of the Talents), Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White), The Boy Who Discovered the Earth (Henry Gregor Felsen), The Illustrated Treasury of Children’s Literature, The McGuffey Readers.

Recipe Rehash (Couple-a-cakes)

Marion and I exchanged comments about her wonderful spice cake recipe on one of her blog entries recently. I think it’s probably the second best cake in the world.

MARION’S EXOTIC SPICE CAKE
1 Pkg. Yellow Cake Mix
1 cup oil
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
¼ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. cloves
1 cup of beer
4 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cardamom
· Mix all well and blend for 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Pour into greased & floured bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 55 minutes. Cool in pan for about 20 minutes, then glaze.
GLAZE :
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
½ tsp. grated lemon peel
1 or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
· Mix well and pour over cooled cake.

This is probably the best cake in the world!

VAN GOGH CAKE
4 eggs
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. instant lemon pudding
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine cake mix and pudding mix with the eggs. Blend in water and oil and mix thoroughly. Pour into greased tube or Bundt pan and bake 50 minutes at 325. Remove to rack and while hot ice with:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbs. butter
1/3 cup concentrated orange juice

Combine and blend until smooth

Day After Night

Historical Fiction has always been my favorite book genre. Over the years I have lived vicariously through many periods in history thanks to some wonderful authors.

Some of the best books are those which are not just set in a certain era, but whose characters are woven into specific events of that time. A good example of this is the novel Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, which I reviewed in an earlier entry. I know a book is living up to my expectations when I periodically set it aside to research a person or place in order to know more.

I first learned of Anita Diamant from her novel The Red Tent. It’s a stunning novel of life during the biblical time of Jacob, told from the viewpoint of his only daughter, Dinah. I think Diamant’s newest novel, Day After Night, is even better. From the inside cover:

Just as she gave voice to the silent women of the Old Testament in The Red Tent, Anita Diamant creates a cast of breathtakingly vivid characters- young women who escaped to Israel from Nazi Europe- in this intensely dramatic novel.
Day After Night is based on the extraordinary true story of the October 1945 rescue of more than two hundred prisoners from the Atlit internment camp, a prison for “illegal” immigrants run by the British military near the Mediterranean coast north of Haifa. The story is told through the eyes of four young women at the camp with profoundly different stories. All of them survived the Holocaust: Shayndel, a Polish Zionist; Leonie, a Parisian beauty; Tedi, a hidden Dutch Jew; and Zorah, a concentration camp survivor. Haunted by unspeakable memories and losses, afraid to begin to hope, Shayndel, Leonie, Tedi, and Zorah find salvation in the bonds of friendship and shared experience even as they confront the challenge of re-creating themselves in a strange new country.
This is an unforgettable story of tragedy and redemption, a novel that reimagines a moment in history with such stunning eloquence that we are haunted and moved by every devastating detail. Day After Night is a triumphant work of fiction.

Day After Night deals with a time and place that I knew very little about and I’m glad for the education it gave me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and highly recommend it to others.
(Thanks, Quid!)

Try-Change Eyewear

I first got glasses when I left for college. It wasn’t until my 30s that I discovered the joys of contact lenses. From that point on, I rarely ever wore glasses.

Then came my 40th birthday, when many of us start to notice subtle changes in our bodies. For some, that is the need for reading glasses (or longer arms!). I quickly learned the cheapest places to buy “readers” (at dollar stores) and stocked up on several pairs. Over the years the hassle of keeping track of them and only needing them for reading grew old. I tried the “mono-vision” idea of wearing one contact for reading and one for distance, but it gave me such headaches I couldn’t stick with it. My eye doctor didn’t think bi-focal contacts were very good at that point and wasn’t in favor of my trying them. So…. I plugged along with my regular contacts and the many pairs of readers I had stashed in every location.

More than a year ago I noticed something called Try-Change eyewear at our local optical dispensary. They are lightweight glasses with a wide selection of lens shapes and an even larger variety of interchangeable ear and nose pieces. They are a little pricey initially, but well worth the cost in the long run, especially if you’re buying disposable contacts. My purchase included one set of bi-focal lenses with three sets of ear/nose pieces. I’ve since added several more thanks to a gift certificate I got for Christmas. They are so light and comfortable I almost forget I have them on!

Who knew wearing glasses could be so much fun?!

Favorite Five - Comic Strips

Not everyone reads the comics, or as I called them while growing up… the “funnies”. My small, local newspaper only carries 12 comics, including the daily editorial cartoon. I have to get online (or grab the state-wide newspaper my husband takes) to read any others. I find that I still enjoy the same ones I read when I was little with the addition of a few that reflect some of the aspects of my adult life.

Picking my favorite five required dipping into the past for two that are no longer in circulation. If you’re joining in on this one, keep in mind they don’t have to be humorous strips or even a strip. Those single panel comics count, too.

My top five and a few runners up:

1. The Far Side (Gary Larson)

2. Calvin & Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

3. Andy Capp (Reg Smythe)

4. Zits (Jerry Scott, Jim Borgman)

5. Pearls Before Swine (Stephan Pastis)

Runners up: Pickles, Baby Blues, B.C., For Better or For Worse, Beetle Bailey.

Cheese-topped Lemon Chicken Breasts

I got inspired this week and decided to try another new recipe. Once again from Simple & Delicious, this one was submitted by Renee Mitchell of McChord AFB, WA. My husband seemed to like it well enough and I loved it! I will definitely make it again. I used chicken tenders rather than breast halves, “lite” butter & soy sauce and substituted 2% “Fiesta Blend” cheese (from WalMart).

Cheese-topped Lemon Chicken Breasts

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
¾ cup shredded Colby cheese

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in butter on both sides over medium heat. Sitr in lemon juice and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until meat juices run clear.

Remove from the heat. Sprinkle each chicken breast with cheese. Cover and let stand for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings.

The Queen's Birthday!

Queen Esther, that is. She and her brother JJ were part of a large litter of Rottweiler puppies born on October 6, 1999 to “Lady Bug” and “Jack the Ripper”. I had to look back at her registration to remember who her sire and dam were, but I never forget when she was born! Many of you know we lost JJ to cancer when he was only five years old, but Esther is still going strong. In fact, she’s now a year older than our first rottie (Angus) was when he died (also of cancer).

I feel lucky to have snapped this nice photo of her today. She normally exits the room quickly when she sees a camera in my hand. Maybe it was the promise of extra treats that made her cooperate.


Happy 10th Birthday, Esther!!!

Vanilla Caramel Truffle Tea

I haven’t made many blog entries here about tea, but those of you who followed my now defunct 360 blog know I enjoy my “tea time”. It started out as an occasional comfort thing and has developed into a regular daily ritual.

Thanks to sites like Stash and Twinings and to gifts from friends and family, I’ve been able to try a wide variety of teas, both loose and bagged. I have my favorites that I always keep on hand, but it’s fun experimenting and seeing what else is out there.

I’ve always associated brands like Lipton and Luzianne with iced tea more than hot. Lipton has several varieties of flavored black tea and a friend suggested I try the Vanilla Caramel Truffle. It is wonderful!! Its sweet aroma and flavor almost puts it more in the category of a dessert tea, but I enjoy drinking it any time of the day.

If you are a tea drinker and can find this variety at your local store, give it a try!

Something old and something new

My daughter was asking for this recipe over the weekend (originally from Quick Cooking magazine), so I decided it was time to rehash it here. Always a favorite during my vegetarian years, I still love it and make it often. I never hesitated to use chicken broth during that time, but assume vegetable broth could be subbed for those who won’t use meat-based broths.

POTATO CHOWDER

8 cups diced peeled potatoes
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup*
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled, optional
Snipped chives, optional

In a slow cooker, combine the first five ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until potatoes are tender. Add cream cheese; stir until blended. Garnish with bacon and chives if desired. Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts).

Nutritional Analysis: One 1-cup serving (prepared with reduced-fat cream of chicken soup and reduced-fat cream cheese; calculated without bacon) equals 148 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 655 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

* I prefer to substitute cream of celery soup. Cream of mushroom could also be substituted.


This morning I tried a recipe from my last issue of Simple & Delicious. It was contributed by Amie Longstaff of Painesville Township, OH. I didn’t have enough of a couple of the ingredients (and had to make a substitution for one) so I cut the recipe in half. Also, my muffin pans are standard sized rather than mini, so it ended up making 12 muffins. I extended the baking time to 20 minutes and probably should have pulled them out after 18. They still tasted quite good.

MONKEY MUFFINS

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the bananas, peanut butter, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups three-fourths full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 350ºF for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 6 dozen.

Favorite Five - Albums

Thanks to everyone who left a comment on the first “Favorite Five” entry. I enjoyed seeing the wide variety of movies everyone posted. This time I chose a topic I'm a little more passionate about: Albums. If I thought it was difficult narrowing down movies (looking back I can think of several I omitted), this was even harder!

I am of the vinyl record generation. I’ve progressed with the times and bought my share of CDs (never had many 8-tracks or cassettes) and now rarely buy anything other than singles from iTunes. Nothing compares, though, to the vinyl record album. Great cover art, more artwork or photos and often lyrics on the sleeve, the occasional poster, plus the warm, rich sound of vinyl. When purchasing an album, there was always a risk that the song you bought the album for might be the only song worth listening to. Then again, how often do kids today miss out on great songs because they only purchase the songs they know they like?

This time I want you to think about your favorite albums. I don’t mean the ones that have just a favorite song or two on them (favorite songs will be a whole different post), but the albums you put on so you can hear the entire thing.

My list, in no particular order, followed by a few runners up…

1. Close to the Edge (Yes) – I’ve blogged about this album before. It’s not only my favorite album, it contains my favorite song (title track) and Yes is my all-time favorite group.

2. Abbey Road (The Beatles) – I’ve always preferred late to early Beatles. Although there are a few of their songs that I might like better, this is my favorite overall… especially the songs from the medley on side two.

3. Tales of Mystery and Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe (The Alan Parsons Project) - I discovered this album purely by chance. It was recommended to me by an employee of a record store I visited while on a church trip in high school. I took a chance on it and it’s been a favorite ever since.

4. Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Rick Wakeman) – I love the combination of “Prog Rock” with story theme albums and this is a fine example. Actually, Rick Wakeman (keyboardist for Yes) released several great theme albums during the 70s.

5. Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd) – A masterpiece! It holds the record for spending the most weeks (741) on the Billboard album chart. Its popularity continues today.

Runners up: Selling England by the Pound (Genesis), The Wall (Pink Floyd), The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Rick Wakeman), Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd), Catch Bull at Four (Cat Stevens), Back in Black (AC/DC), Duke (Genesis), Days of Future Passed (The Moody Blues), Tommy (The Who), Pyramid (The Alan Parsons Project), The Six Wives of Henry VIII (Rick Wakeman), and most any album by Yes.

Recipe Rehash

I prepared this dish for my husband’s supper last night and thought I’d rehash it on this blog. Despite the fact I’m no longer a vegetarian, I still don’t do game.

Dove in Mushroom Gravy

Soak 10-12 dove breasts in bottled italian dressing overnight (in the fridge, of course).

Put about a cup of flour in a ziplock bag and season it with salt, pepper, or whatever seasonings you like. Drop the dove breasts into the bag (directly from the dressing they've been soaking in) and shake them around a bit to give them a little coating. Melt a whole stick of butter (I use the real thing...not margarine) in a skillet. Place the dove breasts into the melted butter and brown them on all sides. Next add a jar of mushrooms (drained) and a 14 oz. can of chicken broth. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until done.

This makes a rich gravy and is good served over white or wild rice.