My Personal Physician

We are very excited this morning! We just learned that College Kid has aced her state and national board exams and is one step closer to being a full-fledged veterinarian. Now all she has to do is get her diploma next week and she can hang her shingle! The only thing we're concerned about is that she's hanging her shingle in Maryland. That's an awful long way from Oklahoma, and a fair piece to travel to see my own personal physician. I'm thinking webcam. Oh well, it's only for one year in a specialty clinic, then she'll be back (we hope!!!). She just finished an three-week stint at a veterinary hospital in sunny California, so before this is over she'll have visited both coasts and the Gulf of Mexico areas. College Kid should have been born with wings, she travels so much. And if she ever packs her bags and heads north for Canada, we're goin' with her!
~Tell

In the Kitchen with Tell

Something smells good in the kitchen tonight. Mom is cooking Bierox (pronounced BEER-ROCKS). It's a sort of German version of a hamburger. This recipe is very popular among families of German descent here in Oklahoma. I'll tell you how to make it so you can have a taste of this heavenly stuff in your home. Take one pound of sausage (or 1/2 pound sausage and 1/2 pound hamburger if you prefer) and brown it in a skillet on the stove. Add 1 cup chopped onions and 2 cups shredded cabbage. You can add a little water if you like, but not too much, you don't want it soupy but pretty dry. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp allspice and 1 Tbs flour. Now here is the secret ingredient -- add 1/2 tsp of nutmeg. Cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

While its cooking on the stove, make a yeast dough, or you can cheat like Mom does and buy frozen bread dough at the grocery store and thaw it out. Divide and roll out 4" to 6" circles, then spoon the meat mixture in the center. Fold up the dough and pinch it together and put it on a cookie sheet. Set them a little ways apart from each other because they'll rise some in the over and get bigger. Spread a little melted butter on the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the bread is golden. There you go, now you know how to make Bierox at home. They're scrumptious. My Boy can eat about 10 of these at a time, but they do keep in the refrigerator well. Bone Appetit!

~Tell

Green Grass -- The Feel of It, The Taste of It

I have a confession to make. I'm a grazer. Yes, I love to eat green grass. I don't need the fiber, my tummy's not upset, I just love the taste of all that roughage. With spring finally here, there's no shortage of green, leafy stuff in our yard.

After I tank up, I'm ready for a good romp around the farm. Here I'm checking the perimeter in case a chicken flew over the fence. I don't allow chickens in the yard. I shoo them right back where they came from.

Then I indulge in a good roaching. Man, I love the smell of all that fresh grass when I roll in it.

My Boy and I like to play DogBall. I don't always understand the rules of the game, but whatever makes him laugh is fun for me, too.

Glynn wastes no time and starts running right out the door. She's a serious runner, I tell you. It's like she's packing the most speed into every moment out in the yard. Go, Glynn!

Cap prefers a more sedate pace around the grass. He likes to do a lot of sniffing. Not sure what he's looking for, but he sniffs the place over good. Sometimes he finds a misplaced squeakie toy.

Here comes Glynn again! Her ears flap up and down, and she has a big smile on her face.

Being outside in the green grass always makes us very happy dogs! We've waited all winter for this.

A friend once told us, "You can either have a pretty yard full of flowers, or you can have dogs. I choose dogs". We agree!

~Tell

Retired Show Girls

All our heavy snow is gone now. It lasted a little more than a day, and now it seems like spring again. The cold was a bit hard on the grape hyacinths in the yard. They are looking straggly this morning.


But the American Beauty wildflowers are springing up everywhere! Grandma-Great used to call them Good Morning Spring flowers.


It's been a bit tearful on the farm this week as we say goodbye to some of our piggies. It's time to send them to Uncle P's farm for breeding so we'll have some fall show babies. The pigs look on this adventure as a trip to the spa because they get very spoiled and pampered at Uncle P's place. Since My Girl is a senior in high school, this was her last show season. She is retiring from the show ring, and when our sows come back to us this fall, My Girl will be away at college and won't see them much. She is giving Happy the Hamp a hug. Happy wasn't worried, though, she's been through this trip before and she likes to travel.


Twiggy is very anxious to load in the trailer and is squealing to be turned out. She will run and hop in, just like she did in her show days. My Girl is telling her to be patient and let the other girls load first. All of our sows are retired show pigs and are very gentle and sweet.

Okay, My Girl, we're ready. Release the hounds! (I don't know what that means, but I always wanted to say it.)

Asta the cow is looking on. She can't believe pigs go to a spa and wonders if there is room in the trailer for her, too. Oh, that's right. We have a cow named Asta (no offense, Asta NY and Asta Down Under, she's a very nice cow).

It will be quiet on the farm now, with no squealing to be fed in the morning. Pigs are a bit noisy. Now, if I could just sneak that pesky rooster onto the trailer, too, I can sleep late in the morning...

~Tell