Simple Woman

Outside my window… It is pitch black because I am typing this in the middle of the night.  (Have I ever shared this insomniac riddle:  What do you get if you cross an insomniac, an agnostic and a dyslexic? ** Answer at bottom of post)

I am hearing...  Nothing but the ceiling fan and my fingers tapping on the keyboard.

I am thinking…  this summer has passed by like Cathy flying around our circle driveway on her bike: with amazingly fast spurts that whiz around in a blur of color --interspersed with long moments lying flat out on the lawn.  And occasional wipe outs.

I am thankful for… The long moments lying flat out on the lawn.

From the kitchen… Olathe Sweet Sweet corn (best corn in the world, and I am not kidding).  It is everywhere here -- thank-you, God -- because we have the great blessing to live smack in the middle of the valley that grows this ambrosia -- and the Sweet Corn Festival (of great reknown) was this past weekend, so the very air is full of the sound and smell and taste of sweet corn.  We've been feasting on it -- raw, boiled, plain, buttered, salted -- and are only waiting for Dan to come home to roast some in the fire pit -- and slather it with this recipe we recently found for:

Chipolte Herb Butter

3 Tbs lime zest
3 Tbs chipolte peppers in adobo sauce
2 Tbs chopped fresh morjoram
1 1/2 Tbs chopped shallot
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Melt butter in small sauce pan or bowl. With mixer at medium speed or with vigorous swishing of whisk, mix in lime zest, peppers, morjoram, shallot, salt, and peppers until creamy. 

Then: Roast 8 ears of corn as you like.  In oven at 350, shuck and coat each ear of corn with the chipolte mixture, then  wrap in aluminum, and bake for 30 minutes (seam side up).  Or, follow the campfire method, and brush on melted butter and chipolte sauce after roasting and shucking.  Yum!  Can't wait to try this!

I am wearing... khaki capris and an orange blouse with cowboy hats and guitars all over.  And silver dangly cowboy hat earrings.

Plans for the week...  Help the Sisters at school with whatever needs doing to get ready for 'opening day';* buy school supplies for the four going to school across the hay field with the Sisters; get ready for some more traveling because

I am going… to Omaha a week from today.  I'm taking a week to get Michelle settled back in to her school time digs, as well as  trying to catch a little time with Seminarian son, Dominic.  But most of my time in Omaha I hope to spend with our number three son, Jon.  We got to see him on our road trip earlier in the summer, but things were so busy, busy, busy that I didn't feel like I had ten words with him.  I think I'm going through some Jon-withdrawal!  I am so looking forward to some real relaxation and down time spent in his company!

I am reading… Not much right now.  Too much on my plate to hold a book!

I am hoping… for a smooth and successful school year for all of our children -- the one boarding, the one in college, those in Catholic school, the one in the Seminary, the one homeschooling with me, and the little guy who's starting Kindergarten!

I am praying...  for the 31 soldiers who perished in Afghanistan Saturday.  God bless and help them and their  families.  May their souls, and all the souls of the Faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. 

I am hearing… Yeah, I know you know about the ceiling fan and the tapping -- but added to that now is my stomach growling.  One of the side effects of insomnia.  If you're awake more than four hours after dinner, your stomach thinks it's chow time again. To eat or not to eat? That is the question that begins to go 'round and 'round an insomniac's addled brain... (Maybe I'll have a rice cake.)

Around the house… Monday morning?  Laundry, what else?

One of my favorite things… Kitty cats:




A picture thought I 'm sharing...


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One of our kitties.  "Boo" I think... 
A serene pose, but very possibly not peaceful ponderings going on there. td>

*Aside to any Grammar Nerds here present:  Standard rule is that semicolons and colons go outside the quotation marks -- but that just doesn't look right... Any Grammar Refs out there? (If there are, please have mercy on me!  Heaven knows I don't proofread  like I ought to   like I should  as I ought...)

**  Someone who stays up all night wondering if there really is a dog.  (Yeah, sorry.  That was pretty bad, huh?)

You are hearing...  Me munching on mini Creme Brulee rice cakes...

'Night all! Or, er, Good Morning!  Or whatever it is wherever you are, I hope it's a good one.