Duct tape

I was watching an episode of Holmes on Homes on HGTV this past weekend, and one thing that Mike said was, (and I'm paraphrasing) "Duct tape is good for everything but duct work." Then he grabbed some of it off the duct work and said, "See, it's not sticking!"

I didn't think about it when I was watching it, but the next day (no one ever said I was the sharpest tack in the box!) I thought to myself, "Self....if duct tape isn't for ducts, why do they call it 'duct tape?' "

So I searched on the Internet.

The "why" was not completely answered, but Mike hit the nail on the head (pun intended). Wikipedia says, "Duct tape is not used for sealing ductwork. Building codes usually require a special fire resistant product, often with a foil backing and long lasting adhesive."

Read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape, including how duct tape helped "when the square carbon dioxide filters from Apollo 13's failed command module had to be modified to fit round receptacles in the lunar module."

That got me to thinking about all the other ways duct tape has been used: Prom dresses. Sailboats. Martha Stewart even has a page on how to make duct tape wallets.

My dad once used duct tape to repair a rusted auger.

My kids have used it for all kinds of creations.

How do YOU use duct tape?

Dawn

Wordless Wednesday: "Finally! Grass!" says the dog

I've posted it everywhere but here, so...

I spent the last few days editing this video, and yesterday I think I posted it everywhere but here. This is postiviely my new, favorite video. There is nothing fake about it. It's a little 2-year-old boy and his joy in discovering all the animals at Morton County Farm Bureau's Ag Day.

It makes me smile every time I watch it. Hope it makes you smile too.

 Dawn

Hunk of Meat Mondays: Lasagna

I didn't take a picture, but I made lasagna for supper last night that my son said was really good, so I thought I'd share it even without the pictures. The ironic part about this is that I modified a recipe from a "low-calorie" recipe book that I got free at the grocery store several years ago. I'm guessing MY version is about as calorie-laden as you can get! And it's pretty easy, because you don't have to cook the noodles first!

Ingredient list:
Box of lasagna noodles
Jar and a half of spaghetti sauce
1.25 pounds of sausage
Ricotta cheese (the big tub)
Cottage cheese (the big tub, again)
Any other cheese you like (I like to use the 6-cheese blend)
Italian spices

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Fry up the sausage. Taste a little, then a little bit more, to make sure it is thoroughly cooked! ; )
Once thoroughly cooked, strain, rinse and place back in the pan and add 1 jar of sauce. Add between 1/4 and a 1/3 cup of water and heat.

In a cake pan (I use a glass one), add a thin layer of sauce without the meat.
Place lasagna noodles over it.
Dollop Ricotta cheese on the noodles.
Place a thin layer of cottage cheese over the top.
Sprinkle oregano, basil or other Italian spices over the cottage cheese
Add a layer of your other favorite cheese
Add layer of meat sauce
Add another layer of lasagna noodles
Another layer of cheeses and spices
Top with remaining meat sauce.
(If it seems dry, use a little more sauce from the half a jar of spaghetti sauce.

Cover with foil and back for 1 hour. Take out and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

And as Katie Pinke pointed out on her blog that has a stir fry recipe that made my mouth water...

"Share any favorite meaty recipe today on your blog and link up with Beyer Beware today for..."

Dawn

Spring cleaning on a snow day

This past Wednesday, my kids did not have school, because of the late Tuesday evening snowstorm that managed to dump snow and ice on a substantial portion of the state.

Because it was an unplanned kind of thing, I decided to stay at home in the morning. Besides, I was in no mood to get stuck or land in the ditch, and I figured an extra four hours would allow the snow plows to do some of their work.

And since I "smelled" dust in my daughter's room on Tuesday night as I was putting her to bed, (I'm serious!) I figured I would use extra time at home to do a little vacuuming in their rooms.

It wasn't long before I was crabbing about  how there was so much stuff, I needed a scoop shovel to pick it all up so I could vacuum under it. I'm guessing my son, in his room across the hall, heard my grousing and decided that he was going to start cleaning his room before I came in there with the vacuum and started crabbing.

He started a pile. I came out of his sister's room and saw the pile. I asked him what he was doing.

"Spring cleaning on a snow day," he laughed.

What a good idea! I decided that it would be a good idea for BOTH of them to go through all their "saved" school papers and art projects and keep what they really wanted and throw the rest.

In less than two hours they had filled a garbage bag. I was pretty proud of them. I wasn't expecting so much progress.

But after those couple of hours, their resolve was starting to wane, and my daughter was starting to feel guilty about some of the things she was even "considering" throwing away, like pictures her friends had drawn for her. I told her, "As long as it fits in the box that goes under your bed, you can keep it." It all fit.

My son had a stack of "questionable" items he wasn't sure about, either. I started looking through them. One was a dinosaur drawing he did when he was very young. Another was a project he did at my office that I don't remember, but he remembered clearly. Another was a school paper with an accompanying drawing. It was all so precious and sweet and reminded me of all the loving, little art projects these two had done for me and my husband over the years.

That's when MY resolve started to wane. Suddenly, all those sweet pictures were more important than the lack of clutter.

I proclaimed "spring cleaning on a snow day" finished.

I'm gonna need a bigger box, methinks!

Dawn

I was locked up today

That's right. I was "in jail," today. In a few weeks, I will have the photo to prove it. But for now, you'll just have to take me at my word.

Of course, it wasn't real jail. It was MDA jail. I had a cell phone, rolls, coffee, pledge sheets and was seated on a comfy chair with a sturdy table in front of me.

I didn't raise a lot of money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, but I'm not very good about going out of my "comfort" zone, either. So I didn't call a bunch of people who may or may not remember me, or who I don't talk to on a semi-regular basis.

And since I tend to be on the introverted side, and don't go out of my way to meet and greet, a call from me only when I want you to donate money....well, it seems kind of....for lack of a better word....mean.

I really do appreciate everyone who was kind enough to donate to my "bail." I dreaded making the calls, but I'm glad I did make the ones I made. Everyone was kind and very gracious and you know, it just made me feel good, knowing that we were making a positive difference in someone's life who struggles with an illness that I can only pretend to understand.

So, yes, I was locked up today. But it was well worth it.

Dawn

Wordless Wednesday: Before and After

Sunday, March 20

Wednesday, March 23

Dawn

Thundering snowstorms and other bits and pieces

When you hear thunder during a snowstorm, does it mean spring is really coming, or does it just mean you are crazy? I ask because crazy old me heard thunder during a sleet/snow storm this morning. I was walking into a meeting 13 minutes late when the thunder rumbled. I looked up. I don't know why I looked up. It's not like you can SEE thunder or anything. Then I looked around to see if anyone else had heard it so I could confirm that I was not crazy. Of course I received no such corroboration.

What is the aging phenomenon called when you haven't seen someone for several years and you expect them to look like they did the last time you saw them? I do this all the time. I'm so surprised that someone has gotten older, which is silly. But I never -- I repeat NEVER --  say to anyone, "What happened to you?" Someone actually said this to me about a year ago. She turned to my husband and said, "Did you do this to her?" Well, I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to blame looking like an old fogey on someone else, so I quickly said, feigning righteous indignation, "Why yes, as a matter of fact, he did!!"

There is no better use of your time than taking your 8-year-old daughter to the store that sells chocolate candy that looks like rocks and gummi butterflies, and buying a pound of each, then sitting in the car saying silly stuff like, "Well, here we are, sitting in the Jeep, eating rocks and butterflies! Gross!!" and listening to her giggle, even when you say it several times!

I am very late sending two of my nephews their birthday cards. Mostly because my brother told me that after they graduate from high school, I don't need to keep sending them money. And now it's just a lot less fun sending them cards. Why IS that? And what is the appropriate age to stop sending your nieces and nephews money for their birthdays?

Do you ever feel like you just need a time out? My son constructed this break-away chair out of cardboard for a skit at school. He reports that it "broke away" just like it was designed to do. Which is pretty cool and inventive, if you ask me!

Dawn

Spring, sprang sprung

I have been been complaining about the weather for about a month now, and today is no different. It's the first day of Spring and we have been postponing Route 1000 classes because they are predicting a snowstorm.

I have finally been able to clean all the dog doo on the back porch. (He doesn't go far when there is a lot of snow on the ground) And I'm not really very excited about a new batch to clean up!

One of my co-workers sent this picture via e-mail this morning with the subject line: Spring is just around the corner. Not sure where it came from, but it put our "spring" weather in perspective!

I don't know who put this little photo together, but I have to tell you it made me giggle, which is better than cussing about the decidedly "unspring" like weather, which we can't control anyway.

So despite the fact that we might be getting a blizzard, Happy Spring, all!

Morton County Farm Bureau Ag Day fun

Morton County Farm Bureau's Ag Day celebration was held on March 17 at Open Road Honda in Mandan. It was the first year it was held at Open Road Honda, so it was a new experience for everyone, but my kids loved it just as much this year! My thirteen-year-old son helped out by taking photos and video taping. He did an awesome job! Here are a few of the pictures we took of my eight-year-old, who I affectionately call "Monkey" enjoying all the activities:

My Monkey loves bunnies!



Feeling all the different seeds.





Name the calf! What would you name this cute little girl?




Pumping water is fun when it's not a job you have to do!

Sheep sheering is always a big hit! The kids flock to feel the wool afterwards.



Kids love to play with the chicks! My Monkey is no different!








































A big thank you to Morton County Farm Bureau for all the great fun! We all went home with big smiles!

Dawn

Sometimes you just need the stuffed bunny

This morning my daughter told me I could bring her blue stuffed bunny to the office with me. I brought it in the car with me, but when it came time to go inside, I left blue bunny sitting in the passenger seat. For about an hour.

The first hour was pretty hectic and I decided that sometimes you just need the stuffed bunny there with you to remind you of the good things that you have and to be thankful for them. (Especially after cussing at the copy machine a few minutes prior!)

Thanks, blue bunny! And thanks to my little monkey for sending him with me today!

Dawn

Wordless Wednesday: Morton County Ag Day tomorrow!!

Busting ag myths

I was talking about ag myths the other day and it reminded me of a video my son and I did for Farm Bureau when he was in 5th grade. (He's an 8th grader now!) He played the role of Charlie, and he was an ag myth buster.

In honor of National Ag Day,  I'm posting the video here...



Happy Ag Day!!!

Dawn

No place like home

Dorothy was right: There is truly no place like home. Especially when you are trying to drive a scant four miles with your eight-year-old daughter in the back seat in white-out conditions.

It was kind of a bummer deal all around. My daughter had plans to have one of her friends sleep over at our house on Friday night. So my daughter came to work with me in the afternoon so we could go right from work to pick her up.

By 3 p.m., I was questioning whether we should even think about leaving the office that night. I called my daughter's friend's mother. She had just gotten home and had to stick her head out the window just to see where the turn to her house was. We knew right then our only goal this evening would be to get home.

By 4 p.m., with the building pretty much vacated, we decided to make a break for it. I turned on my Liberty's headlights, and once I realized that I would only be able to go 10 miles an hour, I turned on the flashers too.

There were a couple of times that I just wanted to stop, but my fear of having my daughter out in the ugliness was stronger than my fear of my inability to see a foot in front of me.

So we crept along.

And saw many cars pulled off the road or in the ditch.

Luckily, at the worst section of road (which only happened to be half a mile from home), I came up behind a Midcontinent Communications truck with its lights on and flashers flashing. That truck helped guide me through the worst of it.

At times we were stopped, inching forward, only to stop again and inch forward again. It was tedious and nerve-wracking. (And I know that my situation was much less scary than all those people who were stuck on roads miles from home.)

But 35 minutes later we pulled up into the driveway. (The trip usually takes five.) If it wouldn't have been scared of my lips sticking to the ground, I would have kissed it! Instead, I just clicked my heels together and said, "There's no place like home!!"

Dawn

Ag Week, Farm Bureau Week

Next week is National Ag Week and North Dakota Farm Bureau Week. Typically, we hold Farm Bureau Week the week ahead of Ag Week, but this year is different. It's exciting, too, because it seems like awareness about agriculture is intensified.

The theme for Farm Bureau Week this year is "Standing Firm with Our Philosophy." The theme for Ag Week is "Abundant. Affordable. Amazing."

We have a bunch of stuff lined up for Farm Bureau Week activities at the state capitol, and at the same time, there are national activities going on in Washington, D.C. for Ag Week.

So, with all this ag information going around, I thought I would include a little quiz to test your ag knowledge...



I will keep it active until March 20th. I have never done this before, so it should be kind of fun! Share it with your friends!

Dawn

Wordless Wednesday: I'm waiting for you, little bird!

Lunch with my folks

I don't see my parents very often. They live about 135 miles away, and when you have busy lives, it seems like those 135 miles could just as well be 800 miles.

But today, they were in town so my dad could see a doctor and they made it in time for the three of us to grab a quick lunch. Just the three of us.

So we drove to a sub shop. We all got the same sandwich, with slightly different toppings (my dad had jalapenos, my mom lettuce and tomatoes, and me, green peppers). But they put them all in the same bag, each individually wrapped, of course. And wouldn't you know it, but I opened up every single one of the wrappers before I got to my own. We giggled a little about that.

Then we got to talking. We talked about everything from my son selling pizzas for scouts, to why you can't get an MRI if you have metal in your head, to wondering if you could use a gold tooth as collateral on a loan. My dad even took out his partial plate, right at the table, when we were talking about the metal and MRI thing. And this was all in less than an hour!

It was so much fun. I left the sub shop with a huge smile on my face and a warmer heart.

It was just a snippet of time with my parents. But it was a great snippet. And when you spend so much time running around doing gosh knows what, those moments are moments to treasure. And I will.

Dawn

Hunk of Meat Mondays: I made THEE meatloaf

I happened to notice that two of my blogging buddies had made Ree Drummond's (The Pioneer Woman) bacon-wrapped meatloaf. They both said it was good stuff.

So I made it last Friday night.

My blogging buddies know their meat, I tell ya'! I can only describe it as heaven in a loaf!

My picture doesn't do it justice...

(These are the leftovers. It's a small plate. I ate most of the rest of it for lunch today!)

Go to The Pioneer Woman Cooks My Favorite Meatloaf page for my new, favorite meatloaf.

Did I mention that it's wrapped in bacon?

Dawn

How much IS two acres?

I don't look at my stats for this blog very often. Maybe if did, I would know what kinds of things bring people to this blog. But, very recently, I did take the time to look at those stats, and one thing that came up was a search for "how much is an acre?" or something similar.

Well, it just so happens I know the answer to that, thanks to the handy-dandy Farm Facts booklet I receive from American Farm Bureau Federation. (Never mind that I am a farm kid! When you come from a farm, you don't wonder how big an acre is. I'm not sure why.)

One acre is ABOUT the size of a football field. I live on just over two acres, so I could start a football team if I really wanted, but the "lot" all kind of slopes to the road, so it would really be better for crops. Well, actually, it's kind of clay soil, so it's probably better for pasture than anything, but I digress.

Just pretend for a minute that I didn't live in North Dakota and I could grow anything I wanted on my two acres. Depending on soil fertility, rain, temperature, sunshine, and how much fertilizer I put on that land, I could grow:

1,620 pounds of cotton (A bale of cotton weighs about 480 pounds and can be used to make 215 pairs of jeans. You do the math. I stink at it!)

or

5,388 pounds of wheat (Or 89 bushels. One bushel of wheat produces about 42 pounds of flour, which can be used to make 42 loaves of bread.)

or
23,000 pounds of sweet corn.

or
79,000 pounds of potatoes.

or
62,000 pounds of oranges.

That's kind of amazing when you think about it, isn't it? I mean, right now, all I grow on my two acres is weeds (mostly thistle and dandelions), grass, flowers, trees, and a little bit of corn, carrots and pumpkins during the summer.

And of course, since March is here and it is STILL chillier than I care for it to be, the only thing that is growing out there right now is the amount of dog poo from our beloved Springer, because I haven't wanted to spend a lot of time out in the cold picking it up.

Thank heavens there are two acres, eh?

Dawn

Wordless Wednesday: Enough, already!

Dawn

I like HER version better...

So far, March is not cooperating at all. I woke up to howling wind and went to let the dog out at noon to howling wind (and a drip pan on the Weber clanking in the "breeze").

Call me crabby and picky, but I expected more from March! Say, something more like my eight-year-old daughter's blissful vision...

I mean, we have a dandy rainbow, sunshine and a ginormous pot of gold that even has a few sparkly "jewels" in it, not to mention a teensy leprechaun. You gotta like the teensy leprechaun!

Yep, I like HER version of March much better than the real one.

Just wait until you see her April calendar!

Dawn