Takin' a Break . . .

It's time to get our fall on . . . and plant those hardy mums!

In the midst of my sixth month of blogging, I have to say that I’ve enjoyed doing it immensely.  Thank you to those who have been faithful readers.  It’s time for me to take a break, as I’m deep into teaching and grading papers, pursuing free-lance article ideas, and implementing all of those gardening plans that I've said I'll do!  I will continue this blog at some point, possibly going on the wider web and opening it up to the public. We’ll see!

Please have a wonderful and blessed fall, and thank you again for visiting my site throughout the months . . .

My Backyard DIYs

My backyard Do-It-Yourself projects include finding pieces of old furniture and painting them wonderfully bright colors!  The inside of my house is pretty traditional, so I enjoy using really fun, lively colors outside my house!  Hope you are inspired!

I found this old wooden table at an antique
store when I was looking for a potting bench.
I painted it "John Deere" green with a mint
green drawer for contrast.  It's got a nice wide
aluminum top that can be easily washed off
with a hose.  I love it!

I painted this chair "Tangerine Dream."
I've got it on the deck as a plant stand,
now holding an ornamental pepper.

I use this little bench for my watering can,

pots, and garden trinkets. I call this color

"French Blue."  It was fun to paint with

such a lively color!

This window frame was made of old fence

 posts. I've wanted to paint something robin's-egg

 blue, so that was my choice (it looks paler in

this picture).  I then planted pansies in the

windowsill and hung it on the side of

the garage.



Homemade Muffins and Pie, Oh My!

These muffins look yummy cooling off on the baker's rack.

I’ve got a great muffin recipe given to me by a friend – it makes normal-size muffins (not those monstrosities you see nowadays) and they are very healthy (also not like the ones they make today).  They’re only 127 calories per muffin, and are full of lots of yummy stuff.  Here’s the recipe:

Apple-Carrot Muffins         

1 1/3 c. Raisin Bran cereal

1 ¼ c. all-purpose flour

¾ c. sugar

1 ¼ t. baking soda

1 t. ground cinnamon

¼ t. salt

1 egg

¾ c. milk

¼ c. canola oil

¾ c. finely chopped peeled tart apple

¾ c. grated carrots

¼ c. chopped walnuts

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients.  In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk and oil.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apple, carrots and walnuts.  Fill paper-lined cups ¾ full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-23 min. Cool for 5 min before removing from pan to wire rack.  Serve warm.  Makes 1 dozen.

My annual fresh peach pie just waits to be dug in to!

Also, when the peach season peaks at the end of summer, I always make a fresh peach pie.  I admit I don’t do a homemade crust, but the refrigerated pre-made crusts are a good substitute.  Here’s a basic recipe that I use for this delicious pie.  At 200 calories a slice, it’s a modest splurge. And of course, each piece needs to be topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or whipped topping)!  Too good for words . . .

Simple Peach Pie

Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie (I use Pillsbury)

5 cups fresh peaches, sliced

1 c. sugar

½ c. flour

½ t. cinnamon

2 T. butter

2 T. sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stir together flour, 1 c. sugar, and cinnamon and set aside. Wash, peel, and slice fresh peaches.  Mix together peaches with the combined dry ingredients. Turn into pastry-lined pie pan and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, cut slits in it, seal the edges. Sprinkle top with 2 T. of sugar. Cover the edges with foil to prevent over browning; remove foil for the last 15 min. of baking. Bake 35 to 45 min. or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust. Cool and enjoy!

Sports: What I Love, What I Don't

The K-State Wildcats face our rival, KU!

Since my grad school days at a Division I school, I have become a fan of college sports. There’s nothing like the electric atmosphere of a football stadium on a crisp fall day; likewise, the energy and talent on a college basketball court pumps me up as well. I do watch the Superbowl and catch the NBA Finals and Wimbledon every June, but otherwise, it’s college sports for me.  Yet there are things I don’t like about the sportsworld. Here are the good and the bad, as I see it.

            First, I’ll talk about what I love.  I love watching outstanding athletes perform during the best years of their ability.  I admire it because although I can do other things well, I don’t share that talent!

I love the way that sports binds people together.  I like that I can walk into a sandwich shop and talk with the clerk about how he filled out his bracket during March Madness.  I like that I can call my dad on the phone in Indiana after seeing a great play on TV, and know that he just saw the same one, and we can share our enthusiasm.  I like the community and spirit that sports builds at a large university.  And I like the feeling of walking around Aggieville before a game and seeing everyone proudly wearing their purple.

I love the energy a good game generates. This happens both on the court and the field, as well as in the crowd.  It’s a great emotional release, and allows everybody to forget the stresses of everyday life and put their focus on something fun.

            I love learning about the game.  Although I’m still an amateur spectator, as I learn to appreciate the different strategies involved in coaching, teamwork and plays, it becomes all that more interesting to me.

            Now for what I don’t like.  I don’t like that sports are driven by money, unfortunately, even in the college world. Especially in the college world, because ultimately schools are supposed to be about academics, right?  I don’t like all the scandals that go on, and that some athletes really don’t give a rip about their classes – they just want to play.  I don’t like the sense of entitlement that some of them project, thinking they’re special.  While I know that fancy stadiums are the result of private donations and not school funds, it really bugs me that our buildings on campus too often don’t match the quality or luxury of the sports facilities.

            I don’t like when people take sports too seriously. Many make it their religion, because that’s where they put their money, their time and their energy.  There are just too many more important things in life that don’t get enough of these, that people are apathetic about, yet when it comes to sports, they’re totally there.  I don’t like when fans get upset in the stands and take the game so seriously that they get angry and cause riots.  Get over it, and get a real problem!

            And lastly, especially with football, I don’t like all the macho stuff that often goes with it.  I don’t like the ads with the male-adoring girls holding beer bottles, or the silly guffaws of the sports commentators behind the desks. Sports are watched by everyone, and while I appreciate the physical strength and talent behind them, I don’t like it when the testosterone levels get too high!

            Does the bad outweigh the good?  It may not seem like it here, but I still think it does!  So grab some munchies and a good cold drink, get comfortable in your seat in the stadium, arena or at home, have fun with those around you, and cheer on your team.  It’s some of the most exciting entertainment there is.

For life is what you make it.  So make it good!

Tailgating is always a good time!

Outside the Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

A sea of purple covers the student section.

Watch out for the drunk guys in the big purple shirts . . .
(I don't even know these people!)