This is how you know..

Yesterday at work I got a text from the receptionist at my dentist's office confirming an appointment for today that I had completely forgotten about. I was supposed to work today, but after thinking about it I decided that even dental work is more fun than my job.

So I'm taking a personal day to go to the dentist.

My mom laughed at me on the phone when I told her that I chose an extra day off this week rather than reschedule the appointment. I reminded her of what I said to the surgeon who took out my gallbladder a while back (resulting in three weeks off with pay): "Isn't there something else you can take? I'm not using my appendix!" She really laughed then!

Yes, it's sad. And kind of pathetic, too. You know you hate your job when even the torture chamber dentist's chair is a better place to be!

Fun stuff

I mentioned in my last post a couple of exciting things I've been planning lately. Here's the first one:

I'm starting a book club! This is something I've been thinking about for months and it's finally happening. I'm in one book club already, as regular readers probably remember. It's a large group of women, most of whom average about 15-20 years older than me. I enjoy it very much, and will continue to be an active member, but I wanted to start a smaller group with some of my younger friends who wouldn't be comfortable as part of the big group. I'd  also like the chance to read and discuss a bigger variety of books, possibly including some science fiction and fantasy that the older, bigger group wouldn't care for. So with the help of my friend Marla, as well as another avid reader friend named Martina, I've gotten the ball rolling!

Our group's first meeting will be Sunday, May 29 at my house. I'm looking forward to hosting it! The book we've chosen to read first is a favorite of mine and Martina's.....Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Martina and I are planning themed food and cocktails to go with the book to celebrate our first meeting! Future get-togethers won't be quite so elaborate, of course, and we might occasionally meet at a restaurant or coffee bar to save anyone having to host. All told, besides myself there are six people in the group. We still have a few things to decide on at our first meeting, such as how we'll choose books going forward and where we'll meet. We've already established that meetings will take place on the fourth Sunday of each month, at 4pm. My other club meets on the third Wednesday of each month, so there won't be any conflict with the two.

I'll post a book review here each month after our meeting, as well as share photos of the food and drinks I serve when I do the hosting. I can't wait to show you the things we have planned for this first one!

Something pretty to start off the weekend

Flower Mandala made from materials found in my backyard.

I'm off this weekend--yay!--but I also have a to-do list as long as my arm. Exciting plans for the next few weeks are taking shape, and I can't wait to tell you all about them! In the meantime, in the midst of being busy and productive, I plan to stop now and then and admire the beautiful month of May unfolding outside my door. We have fledgling birds and their parents at our feeders, the sky is blue, and everything is lush and green and blooming. What a lovely time of year!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Bedtime Snack

A slice of cool, delicious Key Lime pie eaten in bed on a hot, stormy night hits the spot. Perfect!

Sunday night supper

A tough day at work calls for comfort food for dinner. Tonight I'm cooking one of my favorite Southern recipes--Chicken Bog.

Yes, I know the name isn't exactly flattering. But Chicken Bog is a classic dish served at plenty of group meetings--fund-raisers, church socials, family reunions, etc. --because it's cheap, filling, and almost universally liked. Served with fresh sliced tomatoes, cornbread or biscuits, and sweet iced tea, it's a wonderful meal. Here's my version of the recipe.

Chop 1 small yellow onion and saute in butter until translucent. Add 2-3 pounds of boneless chicken pieces to the pot. I like a mixture of breasts and thighs for a good white/dark meat balance, but either alone is good too. Cook the chicken until golden and falling apart. And don't forget salt and pepper to taste! I like a couple of teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, like Slap Ya Mama, too. Tear the chicken pieces apart with a fork.

Next, slice 1 pound of smoked sausage (I like Hillshire Brand) into bite sized pieces and throw them in. Measure out 2 cups of rice and sprinkle it evenly over the chicken and sausage.  Add 3 and 1/2 cups of water, about a Tbsp of salt, more pepper, and cover the pot. Bring it to a boil, and then immediately reduce the heat to low and go forget about it for 40 minutes. Don't stir the chicken bog!! This is important! If you stir it while it's cooking, it will turn gooey and gummy and gross. If you leave it alone the rice will be fluffy and perfectly steamed. This is the secret to good Chicken Bog!

So that's what we're eating tonight, along with Florida - grown tomatoes sliced and salted on the side. For me, it's comfort food.

Soaking it in

In an effort to increase my blood levels of vitamin D, I've begun sitting outside in shorts and a tank top for 15 minutes or so whenever possible. Today before work was a good day for soaking in a bit of sunshine.

And I had company!

Yes, I cropped out my legs. The winter white glow could blind you. You're welcome!  

Just a simple day in the life...

Today has been an average day off for me, and just the kind of day I like.

First, I slept in until 9:30 and then took my time reading blogs with a cup of coffee. Then I showered, dressed, and picked up the house a little bit. I also finished a couple of chapters of the novel I'm reading at lunchtime.

Then I took a trip to the goodwill store to buy cheap blankets for the dogs' bed. George will chew up and destroy nice dog pillows, and we gave up on using them ages ago. He'll eventually chew up blankets, too, but I can always go buy a stack of them for $2 or $3 each and replace them once they're threadbare. Poor Ginger hasn't had a really comfortable place to sleep since George arrived. She had a wonderful doggie mattress along with thick fluffy comforters before he came along. Those are days gone by, George being the chewing machine that he is!

While browsing for the blankets, I found a pretty serving platter and a couple of really nice gardening reference books.  I ended up getting the books, the platter, and 4 large blankets, all for $20. Not bad.

Once I left the goodwill and headed towards the farm stand down the road, the wind started gusting, the temperature dropped 25 degrees, and rain started to pour. I feared hail because of the sudden drop in temperature, but it only rained. I sat in my car for awhile at the market trying to wait it out, but eventually I got out and ran in to make my purchases. I only got a little bit wet!

The small market is so pretty this time of year, with all the flowers for sale.

And I'm glad I went, because I got some nice stuff for our dinner tonight:

I've had steaks marinating all day, and now that the rainstorm is over (and the sun is back out) we can grill them just like we had planned. Gregg will be home from work soon, and we'll light the grill and sit outside and talk. I'll make myself a cocktail to take out with me. Since today is Cinco de Mayo, I thought about stopping by the liquor store to get tequila for margaritas, but it seemed silly when I already have good whiskey and can make whiskey sours with it. I like them just as well, and decided it was probably best to save the money. After all, we're planning a vacation next month to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and so should be saving our pennies where we can! It's going to be an anniversary trip for us (we'll have been married for ten years!) and I'm really looking forward to it. Which reminds me of something else I did today: spent some time searching the internet for the perfect place to stay up there. It's going to be a nice trip. The Outer Banks is one of the most beautiful places on the East Coast.

That's it for my day off. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Eight days straight......

Hello blog friends! Sorry for my week long absence from the Sparrow Tree. I had to work eight days in a row and my job has been extra heinous lately. In fact, I've started calling my workplace The Snake Pit. This is because after a terrible few days last week when I was subjected to the hateful gossip and nasty, unfair criticism of a couple of my coworkers, I had a nightmare one night that I was at work and there were two snakes outside (long, thick snakes...shudders...) and my work mates were trying to force me to go outside and get rid of them. It was horrifying. The symbolism couldn't be any more plainly obvious. For a few days there, I felt like I was indeed walking into a nest of vipers every time I arrived at work, hence the new name.

I'm finally off today (and tomorrow! joy!) and besides a trip to the eye doctor this afternoon I don't have any big plans. I need to do several things around the house, like mopping the floors and cleaning pet areas and sending Mother's Day cards to my mom, grandma, and mother-in-law, but all of those things suit me fine....it's just a joy to be at home taking care of personal life stuff.

Except for my job, my life is great. My marriage is happy. I have sweet, smart companion animals that bring me small moments of joy every day. I have a lot of friends, and they're all so varied and interesting that I never lack for good company if I want it. Then there's all of you: my blogging friends that make my life so much more rich than it could possibly be otherwise! It's such a pleasure learning about ordinary lives in places all over the world. I don't know much about politics in other countries so I can't really comment on political posts, but they make interesting reading. I like hearing stories and seeing pictures of your everyday life best. Now that I have some time off, I'll be able to catch up with you all and maybe even write a blog post or two.

I hope you all are having a good week and a good beginning of May!

Sunset at The Snake Pit