Camera Club ~ Mid Month's Share

If you would like to join in on the Photo-A-Day Challenge by Chantelle @ fat mum slim, click here.

1. self portrait
2. busy
3. best part of my day
4. fun
5. on the floor
6. chair
7. garden
8. lunch
9. big
10. fave color
11. letter
12. texture
13. open
14. building
15. finger
last ~ just my dear orchid that is showing off

What to Do When it's Humid

When it's hot out, 

and it's rained all morning, 

it's the perfect conditions for one thing…

Bubbles! 

My daughter was given the Klutz book, How to Make Monstrous, Huge, Unbelievably Big Bubbles for her birthday a few years ago, but here in Montana we don't get a lot of really humid days. If it's wet out, it's usually also cold out. But today was perfect! So, we mixed up a little bubble fun!

Really Big Bubbles

12 cups water

1 cup dish soap (I use Joy*)

1 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons baking powder

We have a couple of  The Bubble Things, but a coat hanger works, so do hula hoops covered in yarn. We tried those crazy plastic things that hold two bottles together at Costco or Sam's Club. Try anything! 

 At first we had a hard time getting the hang of it! But check out this POP! Awesome! 

Now we're talking!  

 The official bubble popper! Bear has the bottle holder I mentioned before in his hand. 

 Wow! Mom did you see it? 

 Bubbles in the rain water are fun too! 

 This is what happens when a bubble goes for Mom! Picture though a bubble! 

And POP! What fun!

*According to Klutz, Joy is best; Blue Dawn 2nd best; and Ivory 3rd best. In Europe, Fairy detergent works best; in Australia, it's Morning Fresh. But the real fun is in the book! So be sure to check it out Here! 

Fabulously Fabulous

It was Mod Mom Beyond IndieDom who graciously bestowed the Fab Blog Ribbon to me. I am so flattered. I never in a million years thought that I would be honored for blogging. It's not like I spent my childhood dreaming of a blog. Seeing as I was graduated from high school by the time the internet made it's way into the world. No, I'm the kind who woke one morning and said, I live in the middle of nowhere, I have very few adult conversations and my life is kind of crazy and unique. I should write this stuff down. Yeah, that's about how it happened. At first I was thinking I would call my blog "The Sunday Nap" because I figured that was the only time I would ever get to write anything. When certain people in the family were napping on Sunday. But then inspiration took hold and I became Ranch Mama. The City Girl who somehow wound up on a ranch. And for some amazing reason, I have found that what I'm writing about is enjoyable to people other than my folks! So Thank You for reading! 

Back to the Ribbon! 

Here's the rules:

1.  Post the rules on your blog

2.  Name 5 of your most fabulous moments either in real life or in the blogosphere.

3.  Name 5 things you love

4.  Name 5 things you hate

5.  Pass the ribbon on to 5 other bloggers

1. I think starting this blog. It's become a fun outlet for me and I hope it continues to be interesting to the world, and not in a creepy, stocker kind of way. You know what I mean.

2. My four amazing children. I could list them individually but that might be seen as getting out of this part, so I won't. But the fact that they are turning into their own people is an amazing thing to be a part of and I am grateful.

3. I make a fabulous chocolate chip cookie. I'll share the recipe with you. Look for it, Coming Soon!

4. My husband. Not just our wedding or our ever meeting, but him. He's the best thing in my life, and really without him, this blog wouldn't have catch phrase!

5. Ok, now I'm thinking I should have listed the kids sepretly...

Moving on,
Five Things I Love:
1. Dark chocolate
2. Hand bags
3. Shoes (hmm maybe I should just say accessories...)
4. ( ), ...'s and this little thing: ~ I use them a lot.
5. Spell check. Oh my gosh did the spell check ever change my life!

Five Things I Hate.
1. Brussels sprouts
2. Spelling
3. Homework. (When they get home from school, they should be mine! They are on that bus for a whole hour! They don't have time for homework!)
4. ants
5. really slow internet… but beggars, who live in the middle of nowhere, can't be choosers!

And the Fabulous Five winners of the Fabulous Blog Ribbon are:
1. Creatively Blooming
2. Southern Belle Mama
3. Life, Experience Needed
4. Crazy Baby Talk
5. Crazy Mama Drama 

So please go check out these great blogs. And to the Fabulous Five, Feel free to come by and pick up your awards anytime, we're always here! Please pick up any trash you may have dropped and stack your folding chairs in the corner. Thank you, thank you. And drive safe.

Adventure Man's Grilled Cheese

Ok, this isn't Adventure Man's recipe. He got it from the sous chef from the luxury resort he last worked for. As the AGM he would often miss lunch due to meetings and the kitchen staff would always find something for him when they could. This was one of them, and we've been making it at home ever since. We even had a staff movie night at our house and made it for all our staff. We made it for our folks, our family and friends, anyone who is adventurous enough to try it, and so far, we have never had anyone say they didn't like it. In fact, quite the opposite. So, either it's really good, or look out Hollywood, we've got your next up and comer!

Use sourdough bread,
butter the outsides of bread
drizzle inside of bread with honey
add peper jack cheese
hamslice

Grill as you would any other grilled cheeses. We use a pot lid that is too small for the pan and just big enough to go over the bead to create enough heat to melt the cheese faster.

Ranch Mama's add on:
I add diced marinated artichoke hearts (See picture). OMG! My favorite, but Adventure Man doesn't like it like that! It's up to you!

When we do it for a crowd we broil them in the oven. Flipping once. SO easy!
Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Big Sky Sunsets and Little Red Birds 

Saying I Love You, to You, No Me!

The other night we all sat around the dinner table enjoying something I probably didn't cook myself, but simply warmed up. My son turned to me and said, "Mom, I love you."

"I love you too!" I say "And I love Bean, and Daddy, and Lou Lou, and Bunny!" As I went around the table.

Then he said, "And you?"

Me? "Oh yes, I love me too!" I say.

And I am reminded of all the times I've heard someone say to take care of yourself too. We, as mothers, spend so much time caring for others that it is easy to shove your own needs aside. How often have I skipped the shower because I was just too tired to care. There are days that I don't even get dressed, do my make up, or eat anything remotely healthy. When was the last time I gave myself the opportunity to exercise. Am I really too busy, or am I just not making the time. The time I need to de-stress, unwind an get stronger. Not to mention those last 15 pounds I've been beating myself up about. What do I say when I look in the mirror? Do I say "I love you!" or do I say something else?

Do I really love me? Do I?
Do you?

I've always had good self esteem. Do I still? I'm not sure I have an answer for that right now. My son, from the mouths of babes, reminded me of someone I hadn't thought of in a long time. Someone else who needs my love.

Me.

Graphic credit: Creative LDS Quotes

Being Kreativ

As I mentioned before, I have been graced with the Kreativ Blogger Award from Bev at Black Ink Paperie. I'm sure this is because of my own creative spelling errors that I showcase on my blog. Here is how it all works. 

The requirements:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog.

2. Answer 7 questions about yourself.

3. Provide 10 random factoids about yourself.

4. Hand the award to 7 deserving others

Bev, here is a Haiku just for you. Enjoy.

Black Ink Paperie

Thank you for the complement 

It is an honor.

Now, the Q&A. The questions were provided by Robin From Thoughts and Reflections. Robin tagged me in 11 Questions and I haven't had time to participate, so I'm adding her to the fun! Thanks Robin! 

1. If you could go back to any year of your life, what would it be and why?

I guess I would say, at this point in my life, the year my husband and I taught English in Japan. That was a nice year because it was just us back then. We were young and I haven't gotten to go back to Japan since.

2. Are you still friends with your best friend from High School?

Yes, it's the beauty of the Internet hard at work. I am very lucky to have fiends who, after not seeing each other for ages, can feel as if no time has past when together. That being said, these people are saints to put up with someone like me!

3. Is your spouse or significant other good at buying you gifts?

Yes, he has very good taste! But he works so much that he doesn't have time to shop, so mostly I get stuff from the resort's gift shop. It's really a win/win. I get a new sweatshirt and he gets a walking advertisement! Of course I could bring up the thermos I got as an anniversary gift... It was the "keep liquid hot" year... Which ever that is! Luckily for him, I make up for his lack, in my ability to shop.

4. If you could only take ONE thing (other than your children) from your home during some horrific, catastrophic disaster, what would it be?

Emergency preparedness is very important to us. We have 72 hour kits, large amounts of food storage and extensive first aid kits. But I've heard once, by someone who has had to evacuate a home in the night, that what they needed was their shoes. They recommended keeping a set of shoes in a bag on the doorknob of each bedroom. We can never find matching sets of shoes in this house. This is actually something I have lead awake at night and worried about, "where are the shoes? And would we be able to find them in time?"

5. When you retire, what is your ideal plan for the rest of your life? or will you ever retire?

"some beach, somewhere..."

6. If you could have any vehicle, regardless of price, what would it be?

Such a car does not exist. It seats at least seven, has loads of cargo room, is all wheel drive, runs on trash... Oh, I know! The time machine from Back To The Future! Not the first one, the one that runs on trash! That's it! But with all the above things...

7. Do you prefer the beach and sunshine or Mountains and snow?

The beach and sunshine. And yet I live here in the mountains where the winter is by far the longer season. But I learned to SCUBA dive while living in the Rockies and I've always loved the ocean. Don't get me wrong! I love it here, but if here was also a deserted island… you get the idea. 

10 Random Factoids +1

1. I live on a guest ranch. 

2. In the mountains.

3. Very far away from anywhere.

4. The guest ranch was started in the summer of 1930, they had one guest from NY that summer.

5. People come to ride horses, hike, fish and swim in our 80 year old pool. And hey, just because it's old and was probably dug by a shovel, doesn't mean squat! It's awesome!

6. We have 31 horses.

7. That's the only kind of animals we have...

8. Other than a really old dog who can't hear a darn thing and uses it to his advantage to not do what we want him to do and a really old cat who spends his time sleeping, meowing so loudly that it will wake the dead in the Indian grave yard across the field and puking.

9. But we do have an employee who has a dog and a horse, and another who has 2 horses and two dogs, and another who has 2 dogs and 4 horses and a pet magpie.

10. All but 3 of our employees live here on property with us but all six of the said horses we keep here, and 2 of the 5 dogs, and the magpie.

11. Wait, the employees don't live WITH us, but in the employee cabins here on property.…

And now that you have endured all this… 

On to the winners! 

In no particular order:

Wonky Wonderful

Emily's Thought Blog

Thoughts and Reflection

Everything Your Mama made & More

Frugalistablogdotcom

You Know It Happens At your House Too

Off Wellman Way

Now please go visit these dear bloggers, they are lovely.