Green Chile Roasting

Green Chile Time in Tennessee

It's always a treat when we decide to order fresh green chiles from Hatch, NM. Hatch is to green chile as Vidalia is to onion. They are harvested in late August and shipped practically fresh from the field second day air. The process goes like this: We wash them to get rid of any dirt that may be left on them and then roast them on the grill until they turn nearly black. From the grill they go into a paper bag for further steaming. We peel and seed them by running each pepper under running water and then each batch is put into a quart freezer bag for freezing. All those chiles in the picture only made five quarts of green chile! We can't wait to make green chile enchiladas for all our chili-loving children.

2009 Mississippi State Football Gameday Central - This Week's Game - Mississippi State University Bulldogs Official Athletic Site - mstateathletics.com

2009 Mississippi State Football Gameday Central - This Week's Game - Mississippi State University Bulldogs Official Athletic Site - mstateathletics.com

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Las Vegas

My New Alma Mater?????

I have yet to get a grip on the proposed name change for my beloved alma mater, the "W." I can see reasons pro and con for a name change. The word, "women" in the name is somewhat limiting but I do not think the name change will increase enrollment in droves. Sally Reneau was a young girl in the late 19th century who lobbied the state legislature to found the school and it was the oldest state supported school for girls in the country. There is a dorm named for her on campus and I am not sure how they came to the point of choosing her as the namesake of the university. I hope this will be beneficial in the long run as I would hate to see the university close its doors forever.

Inside a Lock

I have never wondered what a lock looked looked like from the inside but that was another reason I was scared to go on a jet ski adventure that included being in a lock. However, it was not as bad as I feared but I am claustrophobic.

Office Disaster

Oops, was that a BEFORE or AFTER picture of the office??????

Bloody Mary Bar

I discovered this concept of a Bloody Mary bar in Chattanooga while waiting on Dean to finish the river run from Knoxville. People were going to the bar and getting iced tea glasses full of vodka and iced and I thought that was a little strange until I turned around and found this long bar they were going to to make their own Bloodies. I thought it might be a good party idea for a brunch. That is a bowl of celery sticks in the background. This was the highlight of the trip.

The Grand Canyon of Tennessee

For years, I have heard about this part of the Tennessee River between Chattanooga and Guntersville, AL that is often called the "Grand Canyon of the Tennessee." Monday of the trip is always a day of rest but this time, I got coerced into getting on the jet ski and locking through Chickamauga Dam and riding 40 miles to Hales Bar and back. It was my first time in a lock and surprisingly, wasn't as bad as I feared. We had gone to Panera in Chattanooga to get a nice, gourmet sandwich for lunch and when we got there, our friends, Susan and Jerry had thoughtfully brought along a bottle of chardonnay to complement the meal. The ride back to Chattanooga seemed a whole lot shorter. I really did not want to do this but I figured it was better than going to the Aquarium again!

Office Mess

 

The children at Pickwick

The children at Pickwick are an interesting story. Kendra, the only girl, in the pictures is a product of the Memphis area Big Sisters program and was matched with our friend, Owen, several years ago. Since then, her brother Karlos, and cousins Courtney and Jonathan have joined the merry band. Earlier in the year, we were approached by Owen to see what we thought of the idea of bringing the children to Pickwick for a day of fun on the water. We finally found a date and everyone was all excited--especially Dean. Unfortunately, he was so excited, he fell on the way down to the dock and broke two ribs and got to go to the hospital in Corinth. The children were fortunate to have their day at the lake made anyway w/out Dean. A dear friend, Susan, came over w/her boat to take them for a boat ride on the lake while her husband took Deano to the hospital. The children are from inner-city Memphis. They have impeccable manners and are all doing well at their respective schools. They are so fortunate to have their Big Sister, Owen, and her most supportive family. It is one thing to talk the talk but Owen and Reid have walked the walk trying to make a difference in the lives of these wonderful children. Dean cannot wait to get well and have another opportunity to see the bright eyes of the children at Pickwick someday soon.

So Much Water Under the Bridge

It's been a long week of recovery from the Tennessee River 600 mile jet ski run to the big fall at Pickwick where Dean broke two ribs and storm damage from a flash flood at City Center. The TNRiver600 was marred by bad weather for most of the ride and the most water damage was suffered at home by the storm. Not only did it damage quite a few businesses including Dean's office, it also ruined the carpet in his car which was left in the parking lot. We still don't have that fixed! The biggest disappointment was that he fell and hurt himself as we were going down to the dock to take the Phillips' children for a day of fun on the lake.... However, we were bailed out by our good friends, the Edmonds, who divided their talents and one took Dean to the hospital in Corinth and Susan brought their boat over to take the children for a boat ride on Pickwick Lake. I think these pictures should tell a lot of the story.