Author: nananoyz

I'm a semi-retired crazy person with one husband and two cats.

Shivering in Havana; Basking in Bismarck

We don’t see temperatures like this very often here in Florida.

We’ll bundle ourselves up in sweaters, jackets, and scarves and turn up the thermostats. It’ll be a great day for sipping hot chocolate and gathering around a fireplace.

In North Dakota, though, where Studly Doright, our children, and I lived for four years, three decades ago, 32° temps on a sunny December day might feel balmy, inspiring folks to wear short sleeves and even short pants while frolicking in the unexpected gift of a warm day. It’s all relative.

Brrr!

What’s the weather like where you are? Are you cavorting in summer clothing or huddling beneath a blanket? Inquiring minds need to know.

Peace, people!

What’s a Nice Cow Like You Doing in a Place Like This?

On Friday night Studly Doright and I had dinner with our son, his wife, and her mother at a place called Blue Mabel Smokehouse and Provisions in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. It was a great casual place with a full bar and really good food. I ate way too much.

The decor was heavy on bovines. Paintings of Black Angus, Hereford, Charolais, and other beef cattle breeds adorned the walls. Very clever. The theme even continued into the ladies’ (and I’m assuming, men’s) rooms. But there I found a special kind of cattle decorating the wallpaper:

A Muckle Coo aka Highland Cow

I became so fond of these cows when I first saw them in Scotland that I purchased a Christmas ornament similar to this:

Cute, right? They just seemed a little out of place in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, USA, but they did make me smile.

Peace, people!

Jayhawk Surprise

I rose early on Friday morning and went in search of a t-shirt in one of the shops near Seacrest Beach. It seems the frenzy of Black Friday shopping doesn’t happen in these parts, so none of the clothing shops were open at 8 a.m..

Due to skewed packing sensibilities, I’d managed to pack as if I were going to a mountain in Tibet rather than a beach in Florida. I needed a t-shirt, and while part of me was pleased that Black Friday hadn’t gotten its ugly hooks into this beachside community, the part of me that needed a t-shirt was disappointed.

Rather than drive the two blocks to the shops, I walked and enjoyed people and dog watching. After I found and purchased two very unfashionable, yet beach appropriate t-shirts, at a cool little book store in nearby Rosemary Beach, I stopped at a little cafe and bought a croissant.

As I sat there munching on my breakfast I looked up and saw these banners hanging on the wall:

Here in a little cafe in coastal Florida was a team banner for my kids’ alma mater, The University of Kansas. I’m not sure why that made me so happy, but I smiled all the way back to our condo.

Hope you’re all having a great post-Thanksgiving Day, and avoiding the crazy crowded shops.

Peace, people.

Happy Thanksgiving, Florida Style

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

The view from our balcony.
Thanksgiving eve, sunset view from Seacrest Beach.

And now more than ever, peace, people!

Pecan Pie Recipe

A couple of folks asked for my pecan pie recipe after yesterday’s post. I’d love to claim that it’s an old family recipe, but the truth is that I use the recipe right off the Karo Light Corn Syrup bottle.

I know many folks who use the dark corn syrup, but like a Jedi I’m partial to the light.

These pies are ridiculously easy to make. I love how the pecans rise to the top. The first year I attempted a pecan pie I thought I was supposed to place the pecans on top. I read the directions multiple times and that step was never mentioned. That’s because it happens by magic! Or science. Either way, it’s a great pie.

FYI, I use the frozen deep dish pie shell.

Peace, people!

Pecan Pie Afternoon

I’m baking not one, but two, pecan pies this afternoon. They’re currently at that stage where they might be done or they might need to cook another few minutes.

That’s my least favorite part of baking—the wondering. In a perfect world. everything would have an exact time limit. For pecan pies the instructions might say, “Cook for 70 minutes at 350° F and voila!”

I tend to err on the side of caution, while Studly Doright errs on the side of, “A little bit too done is just right.” Some years when I’ve allowed him to control the process my pecan pies have ended up with the consistency of a Goodyear tire. But when I’m in charge, the pie often is best eaten with a spoon.

That used to drive me crazy, but nowadays, que sera sera! Whatever will be, will be.

https://youtu.be/

Peace, people!

Wine Was Involved

Write drunk, edit sober is good advice unless one’s drunk writing makes sober editing extremely difficult.

There’s really no point to this post except that I’m having TONS of fun (insert eye roll) finding all of the little mistakes and inconsistencies in my manuscript. I can see the finish line, but there are all these obstacles in the way, such as wayward quotation marks, accidental apostrophes, missing words, and redundant chuckles. She chuckled, he chuckled, they all chuckled. Back to back to back chuckles are annoying.

I shall stay the course, though. Let no chuckle go unnoticed.

Peace, people!

Turn Out the Lights

Fans of American football will remember Dandy Don Meredith on Monday Night Football. When, in a game, the lead became insurmountable and the outcome undeniable, Dandy Don would break out in song, specifically, “Turn out the Lights (The Party’s Over)”.

Maybe someone should stand outside the White House and blast that song from a boom box until the current occupant of the White House gets the message. Trump isn’t all that bright, but maybe we could annoy him enough that he’d finally concede.

Peace, people!

So Close…

We’re getting ready to publish my first book! Maybe not next week, but the next, Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort will be available on Amazon. Just in time for Christmas.

I’m pretty excited.

Peace, people!

In Black and White

My mother reclined on the sand, long legs extended

Shying away from the camera

Water droplets drying on her black one-piece bathing suit

Her cigarette held just so

While we kids splashed about in ice cold water

She was beautiful, but never knew it

No one ever told her; I believe they thought she understood

But she never did.

Peace, people