Directionally Challenged Drummer Guy Learns a Lesson

By YOUR words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. Psalm 119:105 (The Message!)

The Bible study Janis and I are currently participating in is studying the letters to the seven churches in Revelation. Our challenge for this week was to choose a verse, or a thought, to intentionally focus on during the coming week. Psalm 119:105 is the verse I chose. Friday at work I saw my Heavenly Father - probably smiling - speak to me concerning this verse.

I needed to make a delivery with an Inman, Kansas address. Inman is a little town about 15-20 miles away. As usual, because I'm directionally challenged, I took a Garmin with me. I entered the address and took off, expecting the Garmin to tell me to head out of town the way I though I should go, and the way I thought was fastest. SURPRISE!! - It said to head in the opposite direction. But I thought, as is sometimes the case with a GPS, the Garmin was wrong. So I went my own familiar route. But I kept hearing the Garmin say, "RECALCULATING". I heard that so many times, I finally just turned it off. When I got to Inman I turned it on again only to find that it had not changed its mind and it kept telling me to go back the direction it had been telling me all along. Although it was an Inman address, the location of the house was out in the country. The Garmin was RIGHT!!! If I had listened I would have saved myself 14 miles of unnecessary driving.

I laughed and thought how GOD's ways don't always make sense to me. I go my own way only to learn I was wrong and HIS ways are right and good. I hope I've learned a valuable lesson about trusting HIM! HE knows best!

New Recipe Night!

My good friend Debbi makes this fantastic Tomato Bisque. I’ve asked her for the recipe 2 times and now I can’t find it. She created the recipe based on a soup a local restaurant serves. As best I can remember, here is the basic recipe:

Tomato Bisque Soup
4 cans tomato bisque soup
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
Velveeta cheese
6 T of rice
Onion
Carrots
Celery
Milk or water to desired thickness

Mark likes a soup with a little meat/chicken in it, so here is my spin on Debbi’s recipe:

KICKIN' CHICKEN & TOMATO BISQUE

Table of Contents:
2 cans Tomato Bisque soup
1 can Rotel Tomatoes (I used original)
1 medium onion – diced
6 oz. cooked chicken
EVOO
1 cup milk
2 oz Velveeta
3 T Minute Rice

(I didn’t take any pictures of the ingredients because when I first started cooking the onions I still had no idea what I was fixing for dinner.)

How To:
In medium size pan, heat EVOO over medium high heat; sauté onion until golden brown. Add chicken and cook together for a few minutes. Stir in canned soup, Rotel tomatoes and milk. Bring to boil and add rice. Decrease heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes to cook rice. Stir in Velveeta cheese to melt.

The Outcome:
You will note the original recipe used 4 cans of the soup with 1 can of Rotel. I only had 2 cans of the soup but still used the whole can of Rotel. (I couldn’t waste it!!) When I tasted the first spoonful of this, I thought, “Oh, tomato-y”. Then my brain caught up with my taste buds and I said, “Whoa, that has a kick!” (That’s when I added the “Kickin” to the name of the recipe.) Mark and I both really like this soup and I will definitely make it again. I asked Mark for a quote about this recipe, but he was sweating and had to go get a cold drink. I’ll take that as a compliment!

It is only the end of April and I am half way through The Resolution with my new recipe I made for supper tonight!! I just might see this through!

(Check out other great recipes at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday!)

A Lesson From the Garden

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27-29

I had a frustrating day working in my garden yesterday. Last night I was so discouraged I was wondering how much it would cost to rent a backhoe and get a big load of rock delivered.

The garden bed I was working on is surrounded by a sea of Bermuda grass. Bermuda grass covers bare ground quickly which makes it a good lawn grass. That same quality also makes it invasive. It travels by runners, called stolons, that are root-stems and which advance forward, putting down new roots. Once it has crossed over into a flower bed it can very difficult to get rid of. Over the years, I have pulled a lot of Bermuda grass and have made some progress. But in this particular area of the garden, there are several thick, tenacious patches of this grass where the runners just won’t let go. My hands and wrists were aching from trying to pull them out.

Today I went back out and worked some more, but my perspective was changed. The difference today was I chose to think more about the goodness of God than the scope of my problem. There is a wonderful song by Matt Redman called "You Never Let Go". I haven’t heard it for a long time, but I think God called it to my mind today. It just kept running though my head as I worked at pulling out more of that Bermuda grass. Here are the lyrics of the chorus:

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Oh no, You never let go, through the calm and through the storm.

Oh no, You never let go in every high and every low.
Oh no, You never let go; Lord, You never let go of me.

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God’s hold on His children is somewhat like the grip of the Bermuda grass on the ground. He loves us so much that He holds on tight; He will not let go. Just as that grass cannot be separated from the ground, nothing can separate us from the love of God.

I will continue to wage my war on the Bermuda grass. But as I do so, I will have plenty of opportunity to remember and dwell on the lesson from the Garden.

For the Beauty of the Earth

Happy Earth Day, 2010

Calm Before the Storm

It's supposed to be stormy weather later this week in Kansas. But today was a sunny, gorgeous day - mid 60's - with NO WIND!!! Do you know how long I have been waiting for this??

So today was sprayin' day!

I knocked off 1 bottle of Kilz-All:

And 1 1/2 bottles of Round-up.

It took hours - I have "sprayer's elbow"!

Even though I spent my day trying to tame the undesirable elements of the garden, I took time to stop and enjoy some of the beauty of the garden.

Isn't God's handiwork amazing?

Front Yard Garden Bed Rehab

What perfect weather today, a great day for working in the garden. Today I worked in the garden bed in front of the house. It was quite a chore as I had not done anything in there for a couple of years.

Here are a few before photos:

The tall plants are some overgrown, scrawny Oregon Grape Holly. It, and the Oat Grass are obstructing my angel. This area is also invaded by Vinca, another lovely vine. I did not plant this!!!

This end is full of grass, weeds, and the dreaded ivy. There are 2 clumps of fountain grass that have never done well here.

And here is after - the result of 8 hours of work and 2 trips to the dump!!

Ivy - gone!! (Found the "Mother plant" - will spray it down on Monday.) Fountain grass - gone! Also dug a lot of dandelions out of this end. The daylilies on this end have gone crazy. I decided to leave them for right now and will divide them in the fall. Look at the beautiful curved line of that bed - love it!! I think I am going to plant some flowers in the bird bath.

Uncovered my angel and rediscovered the stepping stones in the middle of the bed that lead to the water hydrant. Got all of that Vinca vine out of there!

Decided to try to rejuvenate the holly by cutting back to about 12 inches. Found a few forgotten hostas that look like they might be in pretty good shape. The little red-leafed plant in the middle is actually a tree - a Japanese Maple. It is still alive, but not really growing. I think I will move it to a spot in the back yard in the wildflower bed.

Now I feel a trip to the garden center coming on. I accidentally sliced the soaker hose with my shovel, but it was pretty old and brittle. I also think this area needs some mulch.

Cookin' Up a Storm

This is unbelievable! Not only have I cooked 4 times this week, I have made 4 new recipes. I don't know what has happened to me. Mark is just filling up his plate and not asking any questions.

I stumbled upon this crockpot recipe online late last night while I was looking for something else. I had all of the ingredients and it looked so easy, I decided to give it a try today. Here is Recipe #10. Oh, My!!!

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SWEET & SPICY CHICKEN

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Table of Contents:

How To:

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Now, pay close attention to these complicated instructions: Place chicken breasts in crockpot - you don't even have to thaw them. Cover with 1 cup of the salsa. Top with 1 cup of brown sugar (I don't think I used that much - just threw some in.) That's it - turn the crockpot on low and get on with your day.

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The Outcome:

Did I already say "Oh, My"?!?!? This was so incredibly easy AND soooooo YUM!! I put it together about 10AM. At about 4:30PM it was fall apart when you touch it with a fork done. I shredded it right in the crock pot, stirred it up with the juices, then just let it sit in the pot while I went out and mowed the lawn. I served it on tortillas with refried beans, sour cream, and shredded Mexican blend cheese. I think it would also be really good served over rice or pasta.

You gotta make this. I may have to make this every week!

And Now (Drum Roll, Please!) . . . A Word From The Drummer Guy

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

"Then JESUS told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:3-7

What image does a drum-set bring to your mind? A dark, smoky bar or a loud rock concert? Heavy metal or punk music on the radio? I think it is humorous that God chose to use drums as an “instrument” [pun intended!] of correction and discipline in my life.

Most of my life was up and down spiritually. I would go to church and/or listen to a radio Bible teacher for awhile. Then I would live like God didn’t exist. I didn’t engage in what most people would think of as terribly sinful things. But by not studying God’s Word, praying, and obeying Him, I was going my own way and that is as bad as any other sin you can commit. It was when I was doing my own thing that God used the drum-set for good in my life.

My kids were older and I was alone, so I decided to do something I like – buy a drum-set and take lessons. While I was taking lessons, my teacher, Ginger Z, told me of a local church that was looking for a praise band drummer. And, they would pay for it! I tried out and they liked me. I thought I would go Sunday mornings, play my drums, but probably not stick around for any preaching. But, in the end, I decided to stay for the rest of the service after playing. God used that to bring my wonderful, beautiful wife into my life AND to get me faithfully attending church, listening to the Bible on CD, memorizing HIS word, and praying and seeking God’s will like I never have before in my 50+ years of life.

Thanks be to THE GOOD SHEPHERD who wouldn’t let His stupid sheep stay wandering!! Isn’t it funny that God can use such silly things like music? He used an accordion (of all things!) in my younger days to bring me back into HIS GOOD WILL, and now my drums.

I have come to look at my drums as an Instrument for His Glory. I’m looking forward to marching to the beat of HIS drum and living to please HIM. I am so blessed!

Delayed Gratification

This evening we dined on the recipe I was planning to serve last night before I was derailed by the words, "cover tightly and refrigerate overnight". But on the up side, it was really fabulous to do nothing more to prepare supper than pop a casserole in the oven after a long day at work. So here it is, Recipe #9:

WAFFLE CASSEROLE

Table of Contents:
-1 pound bulk pork sausage (I used 1/2 pound Jimmy Dean Maple flavored sausage)
-6 frozen waffles, toasted and cubed
-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-6 eggs, lightly beaten (I used Egg Beaters)
-2 cups milk
-1 teaspoon dry mustard (I did not have any of this - I Google it and found that you can sub 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard for 1 teaspoon of dry mustard. Isn't Google great!)
-1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
-Maple-flavored syrup (optional)

How To:
In a large skillet, cook sausage until browned; drain off fat. Arrange 1/2 of the waffles in a 2-quart greased baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the sausage and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, mustard and pepper. Pour over layers in dish. Now, guess what we do next: Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight! Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, drizzle with syrup.

The Outcome:
Mark and I both say this recipe is a keeper. I especially liked the crispier waffles at the edge of the casserole. I drizzled 1/2 of my serving with the syrup and found that it tasted good with or without it. It took about 1 hour and 15 minutes to bake. I've never baked with Egg Beaters before, so I don't know if that was the reason for the extended baking time or not. I will definitely make this again but will change a few things to up the yum-factor. The sausage I used had a very mild flavor, so I would use something with a bit more spice next time. It could also use a little salt.

Overall, it was worth waiting an extra day for!

Calamity in the Kitchen

Today was a good news/bad news day in the kitchen. Maybe "calamity" isn't quite the right word, but it would probably at least qualify for "misadventure".

I had this great plan for the afternoon, which included whipping up a new casserole recipe, sticking it in the oven, and then running out to mail a package. My plan would put me back home just in time to hear the timer go "ding", pull my beautiful dish out of the oven, and have a fabulous supper ready for The Drummer Guy when he walked in the door. Well, I did have supper ready when he got home, but it wasn't quite the way I had it planned.

I was making this sausage & egg dish and had all of the ingredients ready to layer in the casserole dish. I was checking out the recipe one more time to make sure I had everything and that's when I saw it. "Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight." Oh, no!!! I don't remember seeing that before. Now what?!?!?

Instead of mailing my package, now I needed to come up with "plan B" for supper. I had 1/2 pound of sausage left over from my original supper plan and thought I might as well use it. After a quick online recipe search, here's what I came up with:

CHEESY SAUSAGE & RICE SKILLET

Table of Contents:
-1 lb. sausage, cooked and drained (I used 1/2 lb - I rarely put in all of the meat that recipes call for. The sausage I used was Jimmy Dean - maple flavored)
-1 can (14.5 oz.) ready-to-serve chicken broth
-2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked (I used Minute Brown Rice)
-1 pkg (16 oz.) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed and drained
-12 oz. Velveeta (Same as meat - I usually don't use all of the cheese called for - I only used maybe 2-3 oz.)

How To:
Bring broth to a boil in a large nonstick skillet. Stir in rice and broccoli. Top with sausage and Velveeta. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir and serve.

The Outcome:
Mark said, "I like it! You could make this again." It really was pretty good, especially for something I came up with at the last minute. The only thing I would do differently is cut the rice by about 1/2 cup.

(I was in such a hurry, forgot to take any pictures of this dish.)

So here's the good news/bad news tally for this little spin in the kitchen:

-Bad news: Not the meal I was planning and was kind of looking forward to.
-Good news: Found another new recipe that was quick and easy to make, and was really quite tasty.
-Bad news: Didn't get my package mailed.
-Good news: Supper for tomorrow is made and ready to pop in the oven after a day at work.
-Good news: Instead of making 2 new recipes this week, I ended up with 3 new recipes!

I guess overall, it turned out to be a pretty good day in the kitchen!

Recipe #7 - Quick & Easy Pizza Crust

How can this be only recipe #7?!?! I feel like I have been cooking my little heart out since The Resolution started. Oh, well - on to my latest kitchen adventure.

This is the BEST new thing I have made so far. The pizza crust is the new recipe. The topping is something I sort of made up loosely based on a fabulous Southwest Chicken Calzone that Old Chicago had on their menu for awhile. We usually use the chicken mixture for quesadilla or fajita filling.

I thought this pizza crust recipe was too good to be true - pizza dough that does not have to sit and rise. I was wrong. I found this recipe posted on I'm An Organizing Junkie's blog. Here it is:


QUICK & EASY PIZZA CRUST

Table of Contents:
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast (I used rapid rise - it's what I had)
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour

How To:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and mix well. I let it sit and proof for about 10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients in and mix. Dump onto a floured surface. Knead into a smooth dough - about 5 minutes. (I let my Kitchen Aid do this task for me - love it!!) Roll out and press down onto a greased pizza pan. (I used a 12-inch pan.) Add sauce and toppings. Bake at 450 degrees F for about 12-15 minutes, or until crust looks crispy and lightly browned.

The Outcome:
The dough had pulled away from the sides of the mixing bowl and looked like great dough. But when I pulled it out, it was so soft and sticky, I thought I had messed something up. I shaped the sticky goo into a ball and set it on the counter and let it "rest" for about 10 minutes while I got sidetracked doing something else. When I came back, it was the most fabulous, easy to work with dough. I rolled it out and put it in the pan and it looked beautiful.

Now here's my recipe for the topping. I'm going to call it:

SOUTHWEST BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA

Table of Contents:
1 large onion, diced
1Tbsp EVOO
1 - 2 tsp. brown sugar
6 oz. chicken (Remember all of that chicken I cooked & froze in meal-size bags? Yeah, baby!!)
Cayenne Pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce (I used KC Masterpiece Hickory Brown Sugar)
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 can corn, drained
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Mexican Fiesta blend cheese

(I got so excited about this that I forgot to take pics of the contents!)

How To:
Heat oil over medium-high heat, add onions and saute until soft and starting to brown, approx 5 minutes; add brown sugar and continue to stir over medium heat until caramelized. (I understand that onions will caramelize naturally if you let them cook for 30-40 minutes. I'm not standing over steaming onions for that long. The brown sugar works beautifully.) Add chicken and season to taste with cayenne pepper (we like it a bit spicy!) Add BBQ sauce and let simmer a couple of minutes to blend flavors.

Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce over prepared crust. Top with chicken and onion mixture; layer corn, beans, and red peppers; top with cheese.

Bake 12-15 minutes at 450 degrees F.

The Outcome:
This was so fantastic it took all the willpower I could muster to not go back for a second piece. (Mark did have a second piece, following his first BIG piece, and has dibs on the leftovers for lunch today!) The crust was gorgeous - thick and golden. In fact, it was so thick, I was afraid it might be doughy inside. It was not. The crust was golden on crunchy on the outside and soft and melt-in-your-mouth wonderful inside. And the topping was oh, sooooo good!

I can hardly wait to make pizza again, maybe next time with an Alfredo chicken type topping. Perhaps that will be Recipe #8!

"De-vine" Design

Today was the hardest work I have done in the yard so far this spring. The area I worked on is in the front yard up against the fence on the south side of the house.

BEFORE:

Is this curb appeal or what!

Once again I am dealing with vines. I had this bright idea years ago that English ivy would look so "di-vine" growing up the fence! As if that wasn't bad enough, I also planted it, along with some Boston Ivy, up against the house and it has trailed up the brick on the front and south sides. What a mess! I have pulled it off the house multiple times. It is going to be hit hard this year with Kilz and/or Round-Up. I am determined to conquer them this time! The thing about this project that was so hard is that all of those vines had to be pulled out by hand. My hands and wrists are aching tonight! Some of the ivy main stems were probably 10 years old with stalks well over 1" in diameter. This little area also "featured" multiple volunteer trees that had to be dealt with and a stump from a Crabapple tree that I had cut out a year or two ago. I will call my tree guy to come grind down that stump someday soon.

AFTER:

This may just look like just a bare patch of dirt to the untrained eye, but to me, this is beautiful compared to before! Now that's "de-vined"!

The debris that came out of this small area alone filled up the entire back of the pick-up. Under all of those vines that covered the ground, I found some long forgotten Lirope that I had planted. I cut those back and will try to save them. If they survive, I will probably move them to a different location in the garden. I am thinking that after a summer of intensive chemical vine control, I may plant some Burning Bushes up against this fence.

Accessorizing

Every woman knows that accessories are the key to a well pulled together, fashionable ensemble. My gardening outfit is one that others could only dream of!

The basic foundation of this little number is a big t-shirt (courtesy of Mark) and a pair of jeans that are a size too big. It just gets better from here.

Look at these great shoes I found today for $3.50. They are called Muckers and they are actually pretty comfortable. Great for slipping on and off when I need to run in the house! Also,I can just rinse the mud right off.

I lost my pruners Saturday (actually, I lost 2 pairs!) So we made a trip to Lowe's after church on Sunday and found these great bright red handled pruners. Maybe they will be easier to keep track of. But it gets better . . .

Mark bought me a holster to put them in. Is that great, or what?!?!?

Add my stylin' sunglasses that fit over my regular glasses . . .

And my awesome sun hat (modeled here by the Basset Butler!)

Put all of these items together and I have a gardening ensemble that screams, Send In the Clowns!! Sorry - no photos of the complete outfit today - or ever!

Today I worked some more on the wildflower bed. One load to the dump this morning and another on the truck ready to go. I am beat but making progress!

Here are some before pics of the area worked on today:

Here are a few after shots:

(Lots of daylilies and other perennials that can be divided and moved around to fill in some bare spots.)



It's getting better! But still so much to do.

Saturday in the Garden

Saturday was supposed to be the day we cut down the ornamental grasses in the back yard. The project is massive. Here is the yard from two different vantage points that show the scale of this task:

(In the photo above, see the green up in the tree in the upper left hand corner? That is not new growth of leaves. That is another vine that was lurking beneath the grasses and run wild. Mark's new garden slogan: Vines are NOT fine!!)

Unfortunately, the chain saw was on the fritz and we only got a few of the grass clumps cut down before it gave up completely. Mark spent a lot of time trying to get it to run, but we finally just ended up taking it to the shop for repair. The guy asked us if we really needed it back quickly. We practically in unison said, "YES!!"

But all was not lost for this day. We had started cutting in the east end of the wildflower bed and were able to get all but one clump of the grasses in this section cut down. We also got that awful purple honeysuckle vine cut out before the chain saw quit. (Unfortunately, I will probably be pulling runners of that vine for years to come.) I also pulled a lot of stray Bermuda grass and weeds from from this section.

Here is a before shot of work for this day:

And here is after:

Again, a lot of grass & weed killer will be needed in this area. There are a lot of beautiful daylillies and purple and whit phlox in this area. But there is also a lot of wild mint growing in this section that I work yearly to eradicate. (I did not plant it!) But we did make progress. Total trips to the dump Saturday - 2 from just this small section, with 1 more on the truck for a dump run on Monday morning. Our yard is insane! Some days I'm ready to plow it under. But other times I look around and just marvel at the beauty of God's creation. So for now, I will keep forging ahead.

Recipe #6 - Orange Juice Cake

When I was young I had an aunt who always made this fabulous cake with orange flavored frosting for birthdays. It was so yummy. So I was really excited when I found this recipe for:

Orange Juice Cake

Table of Contents:

1 yellow cake mix

1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding

1 tsp. orange extract

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup oil

4 eggs

(There really are 4 eggs in that bowl!)

How To:

Mix all ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes. Baked in greased bundt pan for 50-60 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool on baking rack for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Allow to cool completely and top with orange juice glaze.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 Tbsp. orange juice

Mix and drizzle over cooled cake.

The Result:
This cake was pretty good, but lacked the intense orange flavor I was hoping for. It just tasted like a moist yellow cake and really didn't have much of an orange taste at all. I took it to my Mom's for Easter and we ate about 1/2 of it. The rest goes to work with Mark tomorrow. Would I make this again? Probably not!

Grateful

“In HIM we have redemption through HIS blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of GOD'S grace." Ephesians 1:7

A Good Idea Gone Bad

Years ago I planted some trumpet vines on the north side of the yard against the wood fence. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was still somewhat of a novice gardener and I thought they would fill some space and add such colorful interest to my summer garden. Well they did fill space, as well as take over everything else in the area. The vine covered the fence and every year the root system sends up hundreds of little sprouts EVERYWHERE within 6 feet of either side of the fence. The vine climbs the tree in front of the fence and even sent some vines high up into the blue spruce. The only thing that ever benefited from them were the bugs and maybe the folks at the garden center that sold them to me. (They were all probably laughing when I carried 5 of those babies out to my car!) As for the colorful interest - not so much. It was a project run amuck and today I decided they have got to go!

The gardening lesson I learned from this project: If the name of the plant or the description include the word "vine", DON"T DO IT!!! You will spend a lot of time chasing after those suckers when you could be doing more enjoyable garden chores, such as digging dandelions. I have asked Mark to please firmly tell me "NO!" if I ever again mention planting such things.

Here are some photos of the project I attacked today.

Before:

(Look at that - those aren't stems, they are trunks!)

2 trips to the dump later:

Look at that clean fence!

All that I need to do here is hit it with some Round-up or Kilz, mulch, and add some annuals to the planter.

I am beyond tired. I have to go back to work tomorrow so I can recover because Saturday is: Chain Saw Day!! The ornamental grasses are coming down. (Mark is so jazzed!)