With Love and Gratitude

National Cougar Day was on Wednesday, June 12. Our beautiful pals were celebrated on this day at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. Rogue and Winnie were pampered, loved, and fed well for their special day. Gorgeous babies and wow! What an amazingly beautiful species of animal to celebrate!

I would have recommended that Terry and I take a drive through the park on Wednesday, but work does take precedence over the fact that we love fur babies and want to see them. So from afar, we wish them the best life ever. 

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Not only was today the day of loving on cougars, but sweet man's last day of work brought on his celebratory Spicoli dance. He was off for four days again and this is one of his favorite things. 

Terry snagged a couple of cigars and went outside to begin his weekend enjoyment. Shortly after, I received a text from him stating he would like to take me out for dinner. Hey, I'm always on board for that. 

I completed work and went into the bedroom to get ready. Our dogs were walked and all was good. We were off. Shari's Restaurant was the eatery du jour for tonight. I was hungry for some stuffed hashbrowns again and anything else we could find to get into. Besides, it is free pie night at Shari's on Wednesdays. They have a marionberry and an apple pie that are both no sugar added options. Not sugar free, but less sugar. Hey, we'll take our chances. 

We began to peruse the menus and check out our phones while waiting. I'm scoring a lovely turkey-bacon club with fries. Terry ordered one of his favorites with the fish and chips option. As long as they have malt vinegar, he loves to eat fish. The malt and vinegar combination smells like nasty feet if you ask me, but hey, whatever rocks your boat. Our drinks were ordered and we were good to go. Now comes the wait. 

Club soda to go with my club sandwich. Life is good. 

Terry always orders at least one Diet Coke when we eat out. 

We have to ask for one order of stuffed hashbrowns to share. These hashbrowns, for anyone who has never been blessed to try them, are shredded perfection. Hashbrowns are browned, then shredded cheese and a couple of dollops of sour cream are placed on one side. Fold those lovelies over like you would an omelet and top with green onion. It's a wonderful combination! I make them at home sometimes as well, although I have never made any for Terry yet. I requested we go to Shari's at one point though, and did suggest the stuffed hashbrowns. He tried them and fell in love, as did I when I first ate them. 

While these are so delicious and at the top of our list, I would like to say I can never let Terry near cheese. Never. It never ceases to amaze me at how cheesy goodness becomes very stringy and he loses control every time he's around the substance. I can't take him anywhere. 

If it doesn't stream from the plate to his mouth, it releases along his chest area or slaps him upside his head. There was once we were at the Mexican eatery we love, Hacienda Vieja, and the cheese dangled from his mouth to his chest. The waiter stood there, with his mouth agape, while Terry ordered something else. I sat on the other side of the table, my mouth hanging open as well, but laughter boomed from my open mouth. Ah, I love my Spicoli.  

With cheese under control once again, we finished our meal, ate some pie, ran a couple of errands and then headed home. Our favorite show at this point is one I saw a few years ago and was hoping Terry would enjoy it. He does. We are involved in the fun, intriguing episodes of Scorpion now. Scorpion is based on the life of Water O'Brien, reportedly the fourth smartest man out there. He runs a business under the government umbrella involving a group of geniuses. Great show. A show that tells us even geniuses have their days where nothing goes well.

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Thursday, with nothing much happening. Our typical day involving me working, Terry smoking a cigar and enjoying his day off. He ran errands and remained busy through the day, but overall, we were just maintaining our life and all that entails. 

This weekend, overall, is a very special one for us. For anyone who follows the blog, you may recall that last June, on the 17th of 2023, we were married. I can't believe it is here, but this is the weekend of our first wedding anniversary! It will fall on Monday, but we chose to celebrate a bit on Sunday, since Monday involves work for both of us. 

Happy anniversary, sweet man! I love you beyond measure. We've shared some great moments, laughter galore, sad times, tough times, but here we are. One year together! So we are prepping for that lovely day as well as a family gathering on Saturday. 

Before that comes Father's Day. In our family, that means a BBQ and gathering at Dawn's house! I love these gatherings and it's been three weekends in a row or close to it. There was Mother's Day, three boys in the family had birthdays, and now Father's Day. There may have been a weekend in between, but it's all good. 

Friday, June 14, 2024

Friday was a good day. Between work and getting some things done, I was a happy camper. Between files, I had to move my washer and dryer out of their places to reattach the dryer vent hose. It was a bit challenging, actually, but I completed the task. I didn't ask Terry for help, as I wanted to see if I could manage it first. I am woman, hear me roar! I pulled it out and got it all hooked back up again. Finished a couple of files as well. Good, productive day! 

Terry had an audiology appointment while I had to run to the store and grab things for our BBQ on Saturday. Mallory would be joining us, which made us happy. 

I was going to make a seven layer salad for the event and then bring a bunch of fruit. Everyone pitched in and brought their favorite side dishes to go with burgers, dogs, and brats that Dawn and Andy made. Later this evening I will have to start the salad, such as boiling the eggs, peeling them, and letting them sit in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning I would begin layering the ingredients and putting it all together. 

Saturday, June 15, 2024

This morning I began the day by frying up a ton of bacon. The bacon needs to be super crispy to be able to crumble as another layer in the salad. Hey, a salad that has bacon in it is worth the frying! 

My salad was coming together well. 

A great mix of arugula, spinach, and lettuce on the bottom. Sliced hardboiled eggs for the second layer. Then the cheese. Lots of cheese! 

On top of that beautiful cheese mix lies the crumbled bacon layer. Oh, no, this isn't the entire layer. Bacon is the star!

Oh, yes. Bacon it is. I could fall face first into this salad bowl and not come up for air until it's gone. Love this salad! But the bacon ... Oh, that beautiful bacon. Yes, I am a fan of bacon. A connoisseur as a matter of fact. Although it's been quite a while since I've had a slice of bacon. This is why I'm drooling over it now, I'm sure. 

Next layer? Peas. Green peas. I love peas and I do need to make it at least look like we eat healthy. Minus the heart attack in all that bacon, we're set. 

For the finale, I mixed together 1/2 cup of mayo and a 1/2 cup of sour cream, salt, pepper, and voila! A layer of dressing that we mix into the salad once we get there and it is all ready to eat. The seven layer salad is one of the most commonly prepared salads according to word on the web. Not just for me, as I rarely make it, but as an overall choice of potluck and BBQ additions to the table.  

Terry and I were moving about the house, getting things ready to pack into the car, when Mallory called me. She asked if she could come over early. Of course, silly girl. 

We were supposed to stop by her house and pick her up, but instead, she wanted to visit us earlier than planned. I do hope everything is okay. 

Once here, she gave her dad a beautiful card and a couple packages of sugar free chocolates. That won him over. He received a nice hug and was happy. Happy Daddy's Day, sweet man! Your family loves you. 

And, speaking of family ...

We walked dogs again, put them away and we were off to see the BBQing wizard. Lookout, Eugene/Springfield. Here we come! There was so much going on that it made me sad, as I couldn't see some friends I had planned on seeing while there. I have a few friends I have not seen in a while and would love to. We had the BBQ, plus Jess was ready to pop that baby out and we were concerned about that. I will not miss out on that baby's birth if I can help it!

Plus there was family there and it's difficult for me to get away. But I am planning on setting aside a day for those friends being my focus now that I can drive again. I won't always have to wait for Terry to go have "girl talk" with my favorite ladies while in Eugene and Springfield now. That's something I do miss now that I live in Roseburg. It's not as easy to go see someone I want to see. It's a bit of a drive and with work, the dogs and cat, all of it, it takes some planning. But I will make it happen ladies!

We arrived without a hitch, besides the point that our butts were numb and my foot was throbbing. We were the first ones there actually, besides Jessee and her family. Dawn was quite surprised too. If someone is going to be late, it's typically me or Dawn. 

Jess is almost at her due date with maybe a week left, so spending time with her mom is a good thing. Her second child, we are thinking it will be a bit early, although she (Novalee) seems to be a little stubborn. 

Once I walked in, Zyrah was right there, saying hi to me. Of course, when I asked her to pose for a photo, she didn't look real happy about it. I think she's over the photo thing. 

I said hello to Andy's dad, Lorenzo, then headed out back to speak with Terry for a bit. He was already on the patio furniture, checking out his cigars. The man loves his 'gars. No, not the small fish, but the cigars he smokes. 

Dawn came out and surprised him with a box of cigars. The cigar box came with some nice cigars, a lovely wooden box, a cigar cutter, and a lighter. It was definitely a thoughtful gift! Terry was beaming. He didn't expect anything from anyone. It made his day. 

Terry sat in the chair at the end of the deck and enjoyed the afternoon with a cigar. He loves reading and smoking. Very relaxing for him. I wanted to join him but froze my patootie off sitting out there! The wind was chilly and always shoots up against the back of the house like a hurricane. I went back inside where it was warm. 

The family dispersed to various parts of the yard, house, and mingled with groupings of those attending. Younger folks had a beer pong game set up and the game was getting heated. Great part is that none of them can hit the cup from dropping it from above the rim, much less across the table. This. This is what keeps them sober and safe. Nobody is allowed to drive after playing the game if a cup of beer ever touches their lips.  

Several of us sat in chairs up by the house to chat with Jessee, who is ready to have Novalee, her second child, at any moment. Her blood pressure has been high, so resting is a must. 

Mallory makes attempts at hiding from me when I pull out the camera. But guess what? I have not taken a drink of anything today, so I'm faster than you are. LOL. 

Another angle, another side of you. It's good to be the mom. 

Inside the house, people were snacking on chips and dips, fruit, and drooling on the red velvet cake peering at us from the plastic casing nobody can ever open. The cake was taunting us, teasing, and really being quite obnoxious. Just wait until after dinner, my friend. A jackhammer will open that plastic bubble and you're toast. 

Meanwhile, Zyrah was selling cupcakes and ice cream to everyone. Dan ordered a strawberry ice cream. Zyrah is a good little entrepreneur and got right on the task of making some for him. 

Dan left as soon as she handed him his order. She was not happy, as he hadn't paid her and he disappeared with her toy. The picture doesn't show it, but Dan turned around and came right back in. 

Brandy and Dan brought the little naked guy along too, but only after all of us were complaining he wasn't there. Toski received many loving pats, mostly because everyone wants to know what a naked dog feels like. They are actually pretty soft. We had several descriptors blurted out, mainly from our male family members as to what the dog felt like. Yes, and it's always the men who go there first. 

Toski is still afraid of people for the most part and is so into treats and food of any type, so it's difficult to get him to stop and say hello. He's constantly on the go. He is such an inquisitive pup and although we all know it's due to the search for food, he's adorable anyway. 

Tosky was also interested in checking out Bella, Dawn's elderly pup. She was okay around him, but not as interested in him as he was in her. I think she knew he is a baby, so the growls and biting were held at bay. 

Everyone swarmed in like locusts. We ate, we conquered, we flew out. I was wanting to see if Jess was okay, as she and Brandon took off for the hospital because her blood pressure had climbed to an uncomfortable number. They kept her in Labor & Delivery for a while, monitoring her blood pressure every 10 minutes. The staff was ready to induce labor if the numbers didn't fall. After a couple of hours, the numbers did fall and she was sent home to rest again. Or to get her supposed rest. She's always up and moving.

Terry, Mallory, and I loaded up all of our items and headed home. It was another great time spent with family. 

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there! I do hope your day was filled with love and admiration and respect for all you do. May your legacy be one remembered for the love shared.

Sunday, June 16, 2024

Well, here it is. The day we are going to celebrate some of our anniversary. One year. So hard to believe! We chose to give each other gifts on Sunday and have a nice dinner together since Monday means work and regular life tasks to be completed. 

Terry wanted a set of films he likes, so I got him those. I also purchased another gift that is more suited for our anniversary. Of course, we also have a concert in Bend, Oregon on the 30th of the month to celebrate our anniversary as well. We are going to see Styx and Foreigner on that day. Yes, there will be pictures, videos, and a story to follow on that weekend! The first anniversary is the paper anniversary, so what better gift than concert tickets? 

That concert will be followed up on July 27th with another concert in Portland. Billy Idol is playing in the Waterfront Park and should be a lot of chaotic fun. No, it's not for the anniversary, but it is a fun trip coming up. 

I had not asked for anything as a gift because I didn't think about it. But, I am never disappointed in the items this man chooses for me. He brought out a large box for me to open. Inside was a shiny new toy! I received a Cuisinart bread machine!

A while back I mentioned I used to have a bread machine and noted how nice they were to create dough. Typically I remove the dough once it is done and bake it in the oven. Choosing that option allows you to add cheese, garlic, spinach, nuts, grains, and other tasty options to the bread. 

It's shiny. It's beautiful. It's new. It makes a lovely loaf of bread from one pound up to a two pound loaf. I made my first loaf last night with dinner, choosing the one pound option as I wasn't sure how large of a loaf the machine could handle. Two pounder it is. 

I love the machines too because you don't have to heat up your kitchen in the summertime if you want bread with a meal. Bake them right in the machine if the weather is hot and you won't miss having a nice loaf with your dinner. 

Yes, there are fingerprints and smudges and even a bit of flour on it now, since I played with it the second it was opened. I love it! Gifts aside, the anniversary is actually tomorrow (Monday, June 17, 2024), and I couldn't be happier. My husband has picked up my spirits when I'm down, as I have tried to reciprocate when he's feeling blue. We laugh together all the time, making the marriage fun. I married my best friend, that's for sure. 

We have spent the past three or four days discussing how odd it is that one year has passed already. It flew by, without apology, but filled with life, love, and of course, laughter. I married my best friend one year ago and am so happy I made that choice. Happy anniversary, sweet man. I love you. You light up my heart. 

Vicki & Terry Macrae   06.17.2023