SimplyLife

We left a yard of maples, pines, and an elm tree in New York for a yard of mesquite trees in Arizona. In fact, we have three acres of mesquite trees.  The mesquite is a tough, drought tolerant small tree. Famous for its wood that smokes meat to a delicious flavor, the tree averages about 20 feet in height. Its leaves are delicate and lacy looking, but watch out! Most mesquite varieties have thorns--along the same lines as thorn apples Back East. They are deciduous and when they leaf out in April, it's about the only green we have until the monsoon. There are several varieties of mesquite and the ones most plentiful in our area are the honey mesquite. The tree flowers out in May with a long, fuzzy yellow bloom, and then long pods form once the flowers are gone. Unbeknownst to us, these pods are sweet and have been used in the Southwest for a long time. Our local farmers market has been milling the dried pods for a few years to make flour, so we decided to take a crack at collect...

Our daughter and her husband are in the throes of moving half-way around the world over the next few weeks. Things are crazy for them as you might imagine. But there's more than meets the eye on this move. It's a military move for one. Then there's the fact that her husband, an Air Force captain is stationed in South Korea at the present time. She's in Arizona trying to coordinate this massive transition while waiting for paperwork, selling household goods, vehicles, and transporting their dog to their new duty station. It's a stressful time, full of uncertainty and frustration. Anyone who's ever moved even down the street knows it's not a walk in the park. And if you've been through a military move, it probably sounds familiar, and you have a story or two about that experience. Life is full of pressures or trials, and they are temporary, but not at all pleasant to endure. We know what the ultimate goal is, but the road is usually difficult and full of...

Boarding Kennel Dog sitting Dude with Clancy as chaperon. At one time or another, dog owners will have to be away and arrange for someone to take care of their four-footed friend or friends. It's not always possible to take Fido with you, although you'll find toy dogs underneath airplane seats or dogs of all sizes in hotels and motels. There are excellent options for care and it's up to you to find the best accommodation. 1. Friends or Family - Dropping off your dog with friends or family is usually the most economical option and  many times for the most comfortable for owners. The dog will have lots of company and attention. However if your dog is thrust into a new family environment it may be stressful both for the dog and caregiver. A dry run with introductions to children, other dogs, the house and the yard may alleviate those stressors. If there are other dogs in the house, separate eating and sleeping areas will help with the visit unless the dogs are old bu...

The term yo-yo dieting has been around for a long time.  As you probably know, yo-yo dieting is a common weight loss problem. The dieter follows the strict ABC or XYZ Diet for a period of time and then once the diet is over, proceeds to overeat and gain back the weight. The person usually gains a few more pounds to boot. Studies show that over time, if the person continues this pattern, it puts a strain on the heart and can lead to heart disease. The metabolism slows leading to weight gain and it can damage you emotionally. Yo-yo dieters may become depressed, feeling like failures. Success is always just out of reach. It's an easy comparison to the Christian who is constantly dealing with the same sin or spiritual growth issue. We decide to finally have a daily quiet time and it will be 30 minutes every day. It starts off well until a missed alarm comes along and we don't have time that morning. Then, one of the kids is sick all night and we're dog tired. We decide to d...

One of life's little pleasures is that deep fried delicacy - the doughnut or its variant - donut. Fall brings the advent of cider and of course, doughnuts. This simple combination of the sweet fruit drink and fried sweet dough has been around for a long time. This is where I have to put a plug in for Schutt's fried cakes from Schutt's Apple Mill in Webster, NY.  I'd love to have a dozen of those beauties. They are the quintessential American fry cake. OK--back to the post. Then there's coffee and doughnuts. Definitely an eyeopener for breakfast - caffeine and lots of refined sugar.  There are two different kinds of doughnuts, the yeast dough type and my absolute favorite, the humble fry cake type doughnut that isn't a yeast dough recipe.  The cake doughnut is heavier since the leavening agent doesn't puff it up like the yeast dough variety.  The fry cake comes in a wonderland of choices - glazed, chocolate frosted, plain, powdered sugar, frosted with spr...

As I've written before, Cochise County doesn't have a long history of law and order. From the early days of the Apache wars to wild times in Tombstone, there's a healthy supply of interesting tales.  Cattle rustling was one enterprise that the Indians, Mexicans and Americans seemed to enjoy.  The terrain is well-suited because of the multitude of canyons, arroyos, and undefined borders which benefited rustlers. Curly Bill's gang (of the OK Corral shoot out fame) headed an active bunch of rustlers whose most famous exploit was killing a group of Mexican smugglers in Skeleton Canyon. After that awful deed, they proceeded to steal 300 head of cattle in Mexico and jubilantly returned to the Tombstone area with their catch. The Mexican vacqueros pursued the bovine bandits back into the U.S. and recovered the cattle and managed to rustle 200 more head on the way back across the Mexican border.  This only escalated the whole affair with Curly Bill who wasn't going to acc...

Yesterday I saw an unusual sight for our neck of the woods. An Amish buggy pulled by a sharp looking bay horse was trotting down a road near the house. It was one of those moments when you stop and try to make sure you're really seeing what you're seeing. I haven't seen any Amish since leaving New York ten years ago.The horse and buggy was out of place. If I'd seen a guy in a cowboy hat astride a horse of any color, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. That's a pretty common sight. The horse and buggy were out of the ordinary. Photo by Christian Homekeeper That little incident made me think about these verses from Matthew 5:    No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Although it's popular for Christians to blend in with the culture an...