Seven Things--Scorch'n Hot Edition

As I sit here and write this, it is 92 degrees in my house. I was outside a little over an hour ago and it was 2092 degrees outside. OK, I might be over-exaggerating a tad, but nevertheless, let's face it--it is a hot and miserable son-of-a-biscuit-eater out there.

I don't have a very good excuse for not blogging much lately. The fact of the matter is I just haven't felt like it. I've done what I've had to each day and that's it. The creative urge is gone--seems it headed northward when the summer temps got out of control. I wish it would have taken me with it. Jerk.

Anywho...although I haven't written about them, there have been some things going on around the farm lately:

1. Despite its best efforts, the drought hasn't killed everything.

Almost everything, but not everything. I love echinacea.

2. It's not only the heat that's been cooking.

I broke out the good china when I made this caprese salad with tomatoes and basil from my garden. I've also grilled up some killer lean turkey burgers and used whole grain Sandwich Thins as the buns. They turned out especially yummy!

4. I've enrolled at Hutchinson Community College--again. I'm taking biology, chemistry, and medical terminology. I hope I don't jinx myself by mentioning it on here, but my goal is to get into the Physician Assistant program at Wichita State next year. I'm really excited about going to school again. I loved attending HCC and WSU--they are terrific schools. I just hope I'm smart enough to make the grades I need to transition from a degree in English Literature to medicine.

5. I've been working out again. The cats haven't.

I've finally been able to maintain a steady weight-loss for a few weeks now. I was simply not exercising enough and taking in too many calories. So now I basically eat the same thing everyday so I don't have to worry about calories (1200 calorie diet) and I exercise for 2 hours a day. It might sound like a lot, but keep in mind, I come from hearty peasant stock--we're built for hard labor. In other words, I'm an easy keeper. I just pray the weight continues to come off. It's so easy to get frustrated and give up when it doesn't.

5 1/2. I'm going to try to enter the Prairie Fire 5K (again). I really want to complete a 5K! I've already started training and I have until October, so that should give ample opportunity for my back to go out and recover again in time for the event!

6. I've been wanting to post pictures of my horses since I haven't in a while, but the poor dears are so hot and sweaty it's just sad.... I do think a "bath day" is in order, and I'll get pictures then. They are so hot and sweaty, combined with the oil from the fly spray and then all the dust from not having any rain, that I think they've gotten more baths over the last few weeks than they have in their entire lives. I'm trying hard not to strip the oil out of their coats as well, so it's a balancing act. To bathe or not to bathe, that is the question.

The horses, not me. Contrary to rumors to the contrary, I do bathe.

7. I'm proud of my garden.

I just thought I'd come right out and say it. I think my veggie/herb garden is unusually aesthetically pleasing this year, and considering the drought and temps, I feel like this is an accomplishment I deserve to feel good about.

Oregano (above) and rosemary (below). I've been researching recipes and I think I'll be making rosemary lemon chicken in the crock pot later this week.

It doesn't hurt at all that the recipe calls for white wine. Although I'll only need a cup of Reisling, I'm sure by the end of the night the entire bottle will be "used."

Waste not, want not *hiccup*,

J-Lush