more sun, less stress

I still find the Solar Oven highly entertaining; like a 3rd grade nerd proud of a science project.  Some would say it's weird...perhaps bordering on the obsessive.  Me...obsessive?.....naaaaaah!  You can see the Solar Ovens here:
http://www.amazon.com/Global-Sun-Oven-Solar-Cooker/dp/B00286KQ1W
***the Sun Oven folks do not know I exist nor that I have made an idol of their oven***

This week is one I'm ready to put in the record books.  Don't mean to complain, mind you.  Especially in the light of all the innocents who were wounded and killed in Tucson.  Those families have had one helluva week-mine is but a gnat bite in comparison.

Moved my mom into an extended care (nursing) facility this week.  (Hi Mom!)  She reads this blog, so I won't badmouth the old witch bat too badly.  She would admit the move was stressful.  We (God bless the Texan, his bro, and our niece and nephew) moved her into this very lovely facility.  The staff is nice and trying really hard to please her.  She's been complaining of back pain...INTENSE back pain.  The pain has been ongoing for three weeks and it puts a huge hitch in her get-along.  This condition is a big reason for her move.  She finally saw the doctor today and he thinks she has a compression fracture in her back.  Ouch and ouch.  We'll get through it together....like we always do...OK, Mom??  Keep hangin' in.

Before I went to the nursing home, I placed some pork ribs in the Sun Oven.  Just put a dry rub on them and placed them in this glass dish.  Didn't put any moisture in the dish-just the ribs.



Doesn't this dish remind you of your Grandmother?  It does me..love ya, Lucy!




The ribs safely placed in the space ship solar pod.

Returned from the facility and checked on the ribs.  The heavenly odor was wafting around my backyard.  One of these days, I'm gonna find a pack of wild dogs devouring the Sun Oven and it's contents-but, not today.

While admiring the juicy ribs, the highly interactive wiener dog dropped a prized rock at my feet she had dug up just for me.



Don't know why there's a yellow parking stripe on my back driveway, but there it is.  Odd.

Charmed, I sat down and we partook in some rock-retrieving, rock-digging, rock-rolling (with the nose), and general rock whup-ass.



Please do NOT tell her dentist she is playing with rocks!

   Count these moments among my 'stop and smell the roses' time.


This is not meant to be a Doxy anus shot.  You are to notice the flying leaves and how intently she is pouncing on the rock.....ears flapping!



Notice the dusty snout?  She rolls the rock with her pointy nose.



Sorry about the crappy focus.  Sometimes the grass is very BAD and must be punished simply for being near her beloved rock.  She tears it out by the roots and flings it side to side.  It must be taught a lesson and stay away from her precious boulder!

These activities are my natural beta-blockers.  How can one have a heavy heart while interacting with a silly, stupidly-serious sausage dog?  It simply isn't possible.

Oh, and you must see how the ribs turned out.  We'd already eaten a few of them when I snapped this picture.

These would have been perfect with some sauerkraut, if you ask me.  The Texan thinks sauerkraut is nasty, so we didn't have it.  Made a fresh salad and Pioneer Woman's Dilly Bread (http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/jans-dilly-bread/) as the side dishes.  Mmmmm....food....another highly effective beta-blocker.

Press forth into the glorious weekend, bloggy friends.  Have fun.

Juicy, pork rib love to all.