Banana Bread (an easy to make great tasting recipe)

 I know this wonderful couple, both are true Christians who love people, and are former missionaries to the men and women of the military  in Asia, including Mongolia. Be honest when is the last time you thought about Mongolia? Rufus and Pam Parker are great people and I am fortunate to name them among my friends; I should ask if they name Mary and I as friends...I sure hope so.


We had Brother Rufus Parker, who was at that time a missionary, come to Wausau and talk to our men at church on a Friday night. As a Command Sergeant Major in the Army he had achieved the highest rank that an enlisted man could attain; so he does know a great deal about dealing with men, and motivational skills. Sis. Pam his wife, is a excellent communicator, and teacher. Teaching practical Christian life skills is what she does best, (at least I think so). Great People!


As a missionary Bro Parker was selling a cookbook that had been put together by families in the military, and friends; it was here I found one of my favorite recipes. You know me I like simple recipes that produce great tasting food, if the recipes is too complicated I will likely not make it no matter how good it is. Croissants being the possible exception. The recipe is for Banana Bread. It is the sort of bread that you can teach a kid to make, it is simple and very good; but you really need brown or black bananas to make it taste best. Don't be shy pick up a brown bag of brown bananas next time you go shopping and give it a try. Here it is.


Banana Bread by Amy Regal
1 cup Sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1  1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/3 cup water
1  2/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)


(here is the best part) instructions:
Mix all together and pour into greased bread pan. Bake 350 until golden brown. (Simple) I use a tooth pick to check the center; like a brownie.


I bake mini loaves. If you oil the blade of a knife and slice the top of the batter before you bake, you will be able to control the "crack" that forms when you bake any batter bread.


If you are interested in the books that have been written by Rufus Parker or his daily devotional, check out:
 http://morningmanna-parker.blogspot.com/


Books by Rufus Parker:
"If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us"
"Developing The Man In The Mirror"
"Reflections of the Man In The Mirror"

Bob Played the Bagpipe

The other day Mary and I were in Manitowoc, and decided to stop by the lake, take in the view, and enjoy some fresh air. It was a beautiful day; the sky was clear and the temperature was in the low 60s; it was a beautiful day to slack off. We stopped at a lakeside scenic overlook, rolled down the windows and turned off the car. It was at that moment I heard the sound that is the brunt of comedy sketches; but I loved it. I love live entertainment. Bob was playing the bagpipe. This was live music and he was the real deal.

One of the only other vehicles in the parking lot was a semi-tractor and trailer; I thought to myself this is so crazy, a bag pipe playing, over the road truck driver. I took some pictures from a distance but as I listened to Bob, the bagpipe playing trucker, I knew I wanted to hear his story. So I walked over and struck up a conversation. He was a great guy, taking his lunch break.

One day Bob was invited to a chili dinner by a neighbor who was part of a group of Irish bagpipers. Bob was very interested that first year and loved the music, being Irish himself he thought it struck a chord inside. When the invitation came again for the annual event, he accepted and took a deeper interest. When lessons came up during the dinner as a possibility, Bob jumped at the opportunity. The instructor told Bob that it might take two years to get "good" at the bagpipe; but after seven months Bob was already passing up his teacher.

Bob has been playing now for a little over two years now and is in a Bagpipe marching band that has it's home in Milwaukee (somewhere). The band will be playing and marching in Door County in a little town called Fish Creek (I think) on the 17th of October. When they are done with the parade route they will very likely continue marching until they find a local pub.

Bob showed me how the bagpipe works; all 4 of the reed locations, where and how to tune a bagpipe, and how to inflate and deflate the bag. When you practice you do not need to play the bag, you can practice with a finger piece that makes a sound all by itself; it is much less distracting to the neighbors than playing the whole instrument.

 I know that I am a nerdy sort of person, but I was fascinated and amazed that this guy would take up bagpiping after he was 50 something years old. I was inspired by Bob. Bob has a neighbor who also plays the bagpipe, but not in the same band that Bob plays in however. Can you believe that there is more than one band of bagpipers in the same city? Bob is an Irish bagpiper; but there are others that are Scottish bagpipers; that is so cool. But I never knew. I am sure there are lots of things I don't know...I don't know what they are, yet, but I am sure they are out there, and I am going to find out what it is that I don't know. Know what I mean?

Bob Rocks on the Bagpipe!

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher State Birds (week 5)

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is the Oklahoma state bird and for good reason; it is most common in a rather limited area and one of those states is Oklahoma. I took this photo at a state park in the middle of Oklahoma on the way home from Texas. 


The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is about 14 inches long and almost half of that is a very long black and white, deeply forked or "scissored-tail". Scissor-tails feed almost entirely on insects and to a lesser extent berries. They consume a lot of grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, and other ground-dwelling insects making them popular with farmers and ranchers. They can be found in open and semi-open country, roadsides. Often seen perched on utility wires, fences and stop signs at state parks in the middle of Oklahoma, (where people often see them on their way home to Wisconsin from Texas). 

Not a great photo but you can see the "scissor"

For more info check out:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Scissor-tailed_Flycatcher/id


The song sounds a little bit like a squeaker toy; check it out at:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Scissor-tailed_Flycatcher/sounds

I am still here!

I have been very busy lately taking pictures, being out of town and basic "life" sort of stuff; but I am still here. I have got some posts that I am going to put up about "Bagpiping Bob", "WAHE woohoo", "Scissor-tailed Flycatcher"a very easy and good Banana Bread Recipe and lots of encouraging stuff. I have just been too cool to post. So don't give up on me. Thanks I knew that you wouldn't.

Tell Them

A young fella rushed into a service station and asked the manager if he had a pay phone. The manager nodded, "Sure, over there." The boy pushed in some change, dialed, and waited for an answer. Finally, someone came on the line. "Uh, sir," he said in a deep voice, "could you use an honest, hardworking young man to work for you?" The station manager couldn't help overhearing the question. After a moment or two the boy said, "Oh, you already have an honest, hardworking young man? Well, okay. Thanks just the same." With a broad smile stretched across his face, he hung up the phone and started back to his car, humming and obviously elated. "Hey, just a minute!" the station manager called after him. "I couldn't help but hear your conversation. Why are you so happy? I thought the guy said he already had somebody and didn't need you?" The young man smiled. "Well, you see, I am the honest, hardworking young man. I was just checking up on my job!"

I know it is a cute story but it tells of the need everyone of us has; affirmation. I need to someone to tell me once in awhile that they think I am doing a good job or that they appreciate me, and love me. I know it is not very manly to say "I love you" to another man, or speak of feelings, or hard lessons learned but we add to others lives when we do. If your son or daughter is doing a good job in school; tell them, it cost nothing and you are building and adding into their lives (like elephants they won't easily forget). What is even more important to remember is that they need to hear it every now and then. They need to know that you think the world of them; that goes for kids, spouses, grandkids, co-workers, bosses (suck-up), mentors, Pastors, Sunday School teachers; the list goes on and on.

Does everyone need this type of reassurance and affirmation? Yes if the truth were told we all have a proverbial "itch" and kind words are the only way to "scratch" it.

I remember I was was called into a friends office one day; I sat down and he began to tell me about how a couple of people got together and began to accuse me of some things that were not true. He listened until they were done and explained that he knew me, and what they were saying could not possibly be true, and that the accusations surely were unfounded. He explained the accusations to me and asked if they were true; I said no and the case was closed. I must tell you, it made me feel great that a friend would stand up for me, and say good things about me when I was not there to defend myself. But I cannot tell you how It felt to hear him repeat those things so I could hear what he really thought of my character and integrity; it was amazing.

If you think someone is doing a good job tell them. Don't just tell others about them; tell them.

If we do not build into the lives of others they will look other places to be affirmed. Not just our family members either. Church people, work people, neighbor people, sick people, and healthy people. "Fat kids, skinny kids, kids who climb on rocks, tough kids sissy kids even kids with chicken pox"...(old Oscar Meyer TV commercial). We all want it, we all need it.


We are all so busy, and we are watching kids turning to each other, and these groups of kids are getting into trouble trying to find attention and affirmation. Dad your daughter needs a hug and a kiss on the cheek, she needs to know that you think she is special. If you drop the ball on this one thing, she may look to a boy at school to fill the need for love from her dad; the boy will only take advantage of her and cause heartache for the whole family. 

If you really want to add something lasting to my life or the lives of people you know; don't buy us something, tell us something

A Beautiful Time of Year

What a beautiful time of year. Don't think of it as the end think of it as the end of Summer, think of it as the beginning of...Winter. A swinging, slushy, snowing, snow blowing, book reading, bundled up, back breaking, long nights for game playing, long talks and hot chocolate drinking good time.

Please tell me what you think Winter is all about.

State Park, a few years ago.

Bird Food

Hwy N

Our Deck

Billy Goat Hills

Our deck at the end of a beautiful fall day

The Wooly Bear Caterpillar...Rural Legend

A Wooly "Teddy" Bear Caterpillar

The other day Mary and I were out for a ride looking at fall colors and came across some Wooly caterpillars crossing the road. It never fails that Mary wants to stop and predict what the winter will be like based on the brown bands that mark the caterpillar. Mary actually picks the caterpillar up; she hates things like that. Maybe it should really be called the Wooly "Teddy" Bear caterpillar.

Isabella Tiger Moth

The Wooly Bear caterpillar is about 2 inches long and covered with stiff bristles; I am guessing that during late summer and early fall this little guy grows himself a winter jacket. A caterpillar is actually the larva of what will become a moth or butterfly; the Woolly Bear caterpillar is the larva of an Isabella Tiger Moth. You can actually capture one and put it in a jar and keep it over winter and watch it become an Isabella Tiger Moth. To find out how to do it check out this website http://www.backyardwildlifehabitat.info/captureabear.htm

After researching the the Wooly Bear I discovered that we have been doing it all wrong. We thought that the number of brown rings actually predicted the number of months that our winter will have, and remarkably the little fellow has been accurate because we have always had months of winter. (Yes, yes I did get my "UH-DUH" patch in boy scouts). We ALWAYS get months of winter so yes this little guy is very accurate.

4 1/2 months of harsh winter?

Well, after years of "brown banded" winter predictions (and might I add again, very accurately); we now find out that the black portions of the caterpillar predict the "severity" of our winter. According to legend, the portion of black on the woolly bear's bristle coating forecasts the severity of the coming winter. The longer the black segments on the ends of the caterpillar, the harsher the coming winter. So I am guessing after looking at this one that we will have a harsh 4 1/2 months of winter. This fellow has a rather long black band in front and 4 1/2 brown bands. Winter starts when the snow stays on the ground. Game on!

Well, after inspecting the photographs that we took I came to the realization that winter really is coming, it is going to be exactly what the Lord sends, and there is not much we can do about it. There is an honest to goodness beauty to winter, even if it is cold and there is a lot of snow to shovel, what a gigantic blessing to be here to experience it. I know people that can't seem to enjoy any season of the year because of failure to see the miracle of waking up everyday and just being alive. I understand people have "seasons" in their lives that are not so wonderful, but hang on, change is coming. Life is not about stuff and money it is about loving God and other people. Winter is on the way, so enjoy it.

What does this mean? Know what it is?

The American Goldfinch State Birds (week 4)

Goldfinches in the G.W. Mead Wildlife Area 

The little American Goldfinch is the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington, is common at feeders, where it takes primarily sunflower and nyjer seeds. The have been called wild Canaries because of the males bright lemon yellow feathers. Female Goldfinches colors range from a drab yellow to an olive green/brown color, during the winter the males and the females look the same. The Goldfinch is a small bird between 4 and 5 inches long with a wingspan of up to almost 8 1/2 inches; about the size of a "skinny" chickadee.


Gold finches love seeds and get them from grasses and feeders; so if you do not have a feeder, put one out and they will show up. Goldfinches stay all winter here in central Wisconsin, so now is a great time to put out that feeder. Goldfinches can be found in open weedy fields, roadsides and backyard flower beds and feeders, especially during winter when the natural food sources are harder to find.




For more Goldfinch info check out http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/id


To hear the Goldfinch check this out  http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=23

Lucy's Lemon Bars

The Peanuts recipe of the month is Lucy's Lemon Bars. I actually did make this recipe twice; it is a simple almost anyone can do it bar. Lucy's Lemon Bars have a mild lemony flavor and not as tart as I would have liked; but it is still a sweet and comforting sort of bar. A great lunch or after supper snack.

This recipe is over 40 years old. Can you imagine a mean little black haired girl making lemon bars on an autumn afternoon? I can't, unless it would be my sister Laurae. Lucy would be too busy trying to get Charlie Brown to kick the football.

I hope you like it. Do you know what Lucy's last name is?

Baby Hummer

This is such a cool video of an injured baby hummingbird. Don't be alarmed though, it has a happy ending.