Ranch Wife's Slant

Cowboys, kids, and ranch life

Month: July 2011

  • Focus on The Family: Sometimes It’s Tough

    There are times when my role in our family life needs recharged. When it’s been noted that Mom’s gone off the grid lately, I try to rein myself back in. I have always been a Dr. James Dobson fan and have read some of his books on parenting for guidance as a mother wanting to…

  • Hat Collecting

      If most women have a thing for shoes, then most men have a thing for ball caps. My husband rarely throws away a ball cap. He doubles his head covering pleasure with cowboy hats also. Between the tack room and the gun cabinet, he’s got cowboy hats for as many years as we’ve been…

  • Having a Family Hay Day

    We haven’t put up enough square bales to make an impressive trailer load in a long time, so my husband wanted pictures this time. The barn was originally built to house hay stacks but this photo seemed appropriate. For the past couple of weeks we’ve been busy putting up hay. We baled a lot more square…

  • Putting Food By Using A Dehydrator

    When I got married I used some of our wedding money to buy a food dehydrator and extra trays. Unlike some appliances I’ve bought, I’ve never regretted getting a dehydrator. I still use mine a lot. I originally bought my dehydrator to dry fruits but I’ve ended up using it more for vegetables and making…

  • Plays Well with Words

    I like to use idioms and puns in my writing to add interest to my column. I enjoy surprising the reader or making them wonder if a pun was intended or not. The Free Dictionary is an online tool I use for looking up idioms. Sometimes I look an idiom up to see if the meaning…

  • The View Outside My Office Window

    During the summer I spend a good chunk of my time looking out the window while I work…and think.   Sometimes I let other noises besides my inner voice like the radio, break into my long train of thoughts. I absorb enough news on the radio to last me for another whole year when I’m…

  • Beef Recipes from A to Z

    One of the things I love about cooking with beef is the many different ways I can enjoy it. I do a lot of experimental cooking mostly with roasts and steaks; sometimes hamburger, to discover new flavors and new favorite dishes. I’ve never been brave enough to try cooking a prime rib but I’ve always…

  • Deals Worth Waiting For

    I’m a frugal junkie. I love being thrifty and getting what I want for a lot less money. At the beginning of each new year I make a goal list of big ticket items I want. For starters, writing it down first gives me adequate waiting time to consider whether I really want or need the…

  • Mary Jane’s Farm Magazine Makes Waiting for Tanks to Fill Enjoyable

    Recently, my girlfriend Sadonna recycled her Mary Jane’s Farm magazines by passing them on to me. She gave me three issues and I haven’t been able to part with them yet to pass onto someone else because they’re so good! For any of you guys out there who might be reading, Mary Jane’s Farm magazine…