A View From My Kitchen Window

I heard that the weather has been simply beautiful this week.

I wouldn’t know.

I’m still in the kitchen ~ watching the world go by from my kitchen window. It’s not much of a view either. Someone (had to be a man) built a workshop / storage shed directly in front of the kitchen window. The hammer in the window is the latest in kitchen design. Honest. I saw it on HGTV. And not only is it decorative ~ it’s practical as well ~ it’s the only way the window will stay open and this kitchen is an absolute sauna when I’m cooking. So this is what I see:

I installed the bird feeder there so that I would at least have something interesting to look at. I tried planting flowers in the bed, but the previous manager sprayed some sort of chemical sterilizer in all the flower beds in order to kill the plants because they were afraid of snakes. Granted, they had two small children, but honestly ~ children raised on a ranch know to watch for snakes and snakes will rarely wander into a yard filled with chickens, cats and dogs.

Apparently hanging baskets don’t like it there either although they have been somewhat neglected this week. I contemplated painting a mural there. I miss my mountains, so mountains would be nice. There’s one problem. I can’t paint. Oh I can paint walls, but as far as painting a picture, well, let’s just say that painting is better left to someone like Michelangelo. Believe me; no-one would be praising the Sistine Chapel if I had painted it. So I’ll slap a coat of white paint on there sometime and call it good. I spend a lot of time at my kitchen sink and I have become quite familiar with the side of that shed. Stupid men.

This morning I played a game of ‘flip the breaker switch’ with the electricity. As the bacon was sizzling, the Honey Bun Cake was baking and I was beginning to flip pancakes, I suddenly found myself shrouded in darkness. Well darn it! Caitlin was just on her way out to saddle up and I asked her to please check the breaker switch. She flipped it a few times and the lights flickered back on. Whew! Reset the oven. Turn the bacon. Flip the pancakes. Not even 2 minutes later ~ off they go. I run through the dining room wielding my trusty spatula and fly to the breaker box in the living room. Flip. Flip. Back to the kitchen. Lights on. Breathe. Off they go. Run back to the box. 7 TIMES! Gary came in and told me that I would have to move the griddle to a different outlet.

Hmmm…only two outlets in the kitchen (probably designed by men.). Should I cook pancakes in the bathroom? Probably not. So I settle for the corner of the dining room. On the floor. The dining room table has filled up with cowboys who are trying not to laugh at me. My father-in-law asks me if I want a Dunce hat. Very funny Grandpa! I finally turn to them and tell them that they might as well get it out and they all burst into laughter. Gary brings me the piano bench and a chair ~ ah, chivalry does still exist! He also tends the bacon while I continue my pancake vigil. I knew I loved that man!

So all the men jingle out the door into the still dark morning and I return to my incredibly cluttered kitchen, sigh, and fill the sink with hot soapy water and turn to yet another mountain (NOT the mountain I was referring to earlier) of dirty dishes. Sigh. Does anyone feel sorry for me yet?! Anyone… Just kidding. I really do enjoy when we work, even though I would like to get out and take some pictures once in a while.

Here’s a peek at today’s menu: Tea ~ Lasagna ~ green beans ~ salad ~ Butterhorns ~ Strawberry Shortcake Dessert

And stepping back a few days, here’s what we’ve had:

Tuesday: Tea ~ Barbeque Sandwiches ~ Corn on the Cob ~ Cole Slaw ~ Cajun Potatoes ~ Tabasco Pickles ~ Peach Cobbler w/ Ice Cream

Wednesday: Tea ~ Enchiladas ~ Beans ~ Rice ~ Salad ~ Rolls ~ Auntie’s Chocolate cake w/ Ice Cream

Thursday: Tea ~ Barbeque Sausage ~ Ribs ~ Baked Potatoes ~ Baked Beans ~ Calabacitas ~ Stuffed Jalapenos ~ Angel Biscuits ~ Cherry Pie w/ Ice Cream

And tomorrow: Tea ~ Chicken Fried Steak ~ Gravy ~ Corn ~ Mashed Potatoes ~ Ranch Rolls ~ Buttermilk Pie and Pecan Pie

I've served various breakfasts, but tomorrow's the day everyone looks forward to ~ homemade donuts! I'll make eggs and bacon and toast, but everyone will be saving room for donuts. I always make donuts on the last day of works. After all these years I HAVE to make donuts if I want to avoid a mutiny.

All is going well according to the one or two sentences Gary and I have had the time to utter to each other this week. This afternoon we were waiting for Dave and Grandpa to come in for dinner and I sat down with the rest of the crew for a few minutes. They were discussing the possibility of rain. Clint made a comment that he noticed a few sundogs on the sun and that was supposed to be a sign of rain. Travis asked whether anyone noticed the white ring around the moon last night and then he added, “That’s supposed to mean…something.” There was a pause and I just couldn’t help myself, “Yeah Travis, maybe it means its night.” I thought they were going to all fall out of their chairs. Once their laughter subsided, Travis began to pout and said, “I wanna go home”. I laughed, “Oh Travis, you know that we only pick on you because we love you”.

I miss out on most of the fun banter and practical jokes that take place between the crew ~ since I’m always in the kitchen. From what I can piece together I’ve missed out on something that has to do with a rabbit that came from lineage that included the famous bloodlines of “Spotlight”, Karaoke that included a few members of the crew as stage dancers, and a chicken dance. Hmmm… come to think of it ~ maybe its better that I don’t know the whole story!

I’m going on strike this weekend. As far as sustenance ~ it’s going to be every man for himself.