The Wild (Mid)west Adventures of the Shushing Librarian - Part 4

After a night in a "hammock," it was time to get on the road again. Time to say good-bye to C’s family and head back to Omaha to repack the Harley for a week-long Road Trip to the Black Hills.
We divided the nine hour drive to the Black Hills into a two-day ride: five hours the first night, with an overnight stay in Valentine, NE; then onto the Black Hills.

We were excited to see the landscape change from the sandy, rolling hills of western Nebraska to the towering ponderosa pines that blanketed the Black Hills. Our private log cabin was located in Custer State Park, home to 1,500 free roaming buffalo. As we entered into the park, posted signs warned us not to feed the wildlife and that buffalo are dangerous. SERIOUSLY!B and C chose to stay at Blue Bell Lodge, one of the four resorts located in the state park.

Trivia note: President Calvin Coolidge made Custer State Park the “summer White House” in 1927.

B and C now understand why. The dirty Harley was happy to come to a rest after a long drive – and so was B. (I did offer to drive, but he didn't take me up on that offer, for some reason!)The cabin was especially cozy and contained a small kitchen, large king-sized bed, bath, sitting area and a fireplace (complete with traditional décor). But it was the unobstructed views of the Hills which B and C loved the most. (My friend C, the nature model!)

All was pretty peaceful in the Hills and everyone immediately fell into a relaxed pace. The mornings, however, proved to be a bit exciting. Every morning, around 6:00 a.m., the neighbors came over for breakfast.
Howdy neighbors!We celebrated our first night in Hills at the local restaurant and enjoyed some of the local cuisine. We just couldn’t resist “saddling up” to the bar.Over the leisurely dinner, we planned out the week, making sure to fill the itinerary with lots stops at all the historic sites and long rides on the Harley.

Stay tuned for the next installment of my Wild (Mid)West Adventures.

The Wild (Mid)west Adventures of the Shushing Librarian - Part 3

The next morning, after a very yummy country breakfast and having been given a large goodie bag of homemade deer summer sausage, jerky, and salsa, B and C followed brother Jesse back to Omaha to reconnect with C’s mom. The plan was to quickly unpack and then repack the Harley for an overnight stay with family in Big Lake, Missouri. C’s cousin, Lisa, along with her husband Tom and their three boys, recently rebuilt their cabin, after a major flood two years. In addition to seeing the new cabin, C and B couldn’t wait to see the family’s newly purchased pontoon boat.

Here’s the cabin. It’s the hangout for C’s family during the hot summers. Many bonfires have taken place here.
Upon our arrival at the cabin, B and C were greeted by aunts, uncles, numerous cousins, and most importantly, Zoe the German Shepard. Everyone was so happy to see C and B arrive safe and sound (and didn’t mind that they were a tad bit sweaty).

Before B and C could even catch their breath, C was whisked away by her mom and “redressed” for a surprise vow renewal ceremony in honor of B and C’s upcoming ninth wedding anniversary. I snuck away for a few minutes to help with the decorations.Sorry, neighbors. This is a private event. (This sign is super serious!)C’s mom planned the special occasion, with the help of C’s aunt and uncle (who brought the champagne) and C’s cousin-in-law, Steve, who did a lovely job of presiding over the ceremony. The beautiful, late summer afternoon ceremony took place down on the dock, next to the shiny new pontoon boat. The set-up was actually a bit similar to C & B’s actual wedding, which took place on the Long Island shore. (Sadly, I was not in attendance back then, as this pre-dates when Auntie Nettie and I met the delightful Ms. C!)

Here’s the lovely re-bride and re-groom! (They did ... again!)After the ceremony, the champagne flowed and many toasts were given to B and C. It was a joyous celebration!I, for one, had a lot fun (Maybe a bit too much fun. What’s new about that!?).***C’s family loved me and took me everywhere! They let me drive the boat. (Not really, they've heard about my driving record. Who finked?)They taught me how to dance on the stumps (a "special" family tradition).Since I was a non-family guest, I had this weird thing, were I felt I had to earn my keep at the party. (Too much of Auntie Nettie’s influence, I suppose.) I made myself useful.

I crushed the used cans. (It’s important to recycle).
I chilled the wine and made sure everyone had cold refreshments. As an anniversary present, Lisa and Tom arranged for B and C to stay at their own, private cabin along the lake.Mega Million Lotto tickets were purchased in hopes of hitting the big jackpot. B and C actually won – a whole $7! (Hey, you can't win if you don't play!)It was very comfortable there. I had to take a brief nap.A journal was available for the guests to jot down a few lines about their stay at the cabin. Of course, C wrote an entry expressing our happiness with the cabin.Later on that evening, everyone piled into the pontoon boat for a sunset cruise. Earlier in the day, C’s family noticed some odd behavior out in the lake and found out that Asian flying carp have invaded the quiet waters of Big Lake. Stories of fish nearly landing in the boat and hitting people in the head were described – scary! Still, we couldn’t resist seeing the beautiful sunset over the lake.We managed to go unharmed thanks to C’s brother, Jesse. With his bare hands, he managed to block a two-foot-long fish from trying jumping on board. (My hero!*swoon*)

C’s cousin, Matt, was also using his own scare tactics [patent pending] to keep the fish at bay. Since nothing could top that, we all retired for the evening. I asked if I could stay with the relatives, so C and B could have some "relative" peace and quiet!


That may have been a mistake. There was no where inside for me to sleep.


Stay tuned for the next installment of my Wild (Mid)West Adventures, to see where they put me up for the night!

*** Please see our early disclaimer.

The Wild (Mid)west Adventures of the Shushing Librarian - Part 2

The next day dawned early, and we were ready to hit the road with our awesome rental – a 2010 Electric Glide Ultra Classic Harley Davidson courtesy of Dillon Brothers (thanks Dan!).

It was love at first sight.

“It’s beautiful and blue!” It was quickly nicknamed Ol’ Blue by B.We dismissed the predicted rain showers and grabbed our helmets, rain suits, and essentials, pointing the bike west towards Columbus to see some of C’s family before heading to the big tractor pull that night.

(You read that right. Big. Tractor. Pull. YEEHAW!)

We stopped in the don’t-blink-an-eye-or-you-will-miss-it town of Cornlea (population 40 people!) to surprise C’s Uncle Lee at his newly purchased tavern and to grab some lunch.

Cheeseburgers $3.25
Fried mushrooms $2.00
The splurge of the day?
Shrimp Basket with homemade macaroni salad ONLY $5.50!

After lunch, we stopped by to see C’s Grandma, who would have loved to have jumped on the Harley for a quick spin but the high temperatures, topping close to 95 degrees, kept her inside. After a quick kiss and hug goodbye to Grandma, we were off to Erv’s (C’s dad) where we would park the bike for the night and ride together to the big tractor pull in Wisner, NE.

At that time, Erv’s tractor, Wild Fire, was currently holding the number one position in points (and ended up winning the season) in the Light SS category of the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulling Association. Wild Fire is pretty famous in these parts, so I felt privileged that I was able to climb aboard the green machine. (Editor's note: Seriously, it's famous. Google "Wild Fire+tractor," and there are YouTube videos!)The goal of tractor pulling is to pull a heavy sled as far as possible. We sat at the 300 yard line, which is a pretty respectable distance, to cheer onWild Fire.One thing that I quickly learned is that tractor pulls are LOUD, and a bit dirty from the diesel fumes and flying dirt. B thinks tractor pulls are the one of the reasons for our ozone problems!Boy, that machine can go! C’s brother, Jesse, drove Wild Fire 297.22 yards. I think I will stick with something more my size.After a long, sweaty evening at the tractor pull, we headed back to C’s dad’s house for hot showers (it was a filthy day) and some much needed shut eye. But before we crawled into the John Deer sheets, I was asked to judge a contest that C’s dad and his fiancee, Jolene, have going between them – who has found the longest turkey beard!This does not come as a surprise to me knowing that C’s dad loves to hunt and has quite the gun collection. Here is B showing off some of Erv’s prized shotguns (which go nicely with B’s camouflage shorts, don’t you think?)
Stay tuned for the next installment of my Wild (Mid)West Adventures with C & B.

The Wild (Mid)west Adventures of the Shushing Librarian - Part 1

S.L. back again, this time with the highly anticipated tales of my 2010 trip with Auntie Nettie’s friends, Bob and Christine, to Nebraska and South Dakota.

Perhaps you saw my earlier postcards giving you a glimpse of my grand road trip? This is the Full and More Complete Tale.

Why Nebraska and South Dakota you may ask?

Well, it turns out that B has always dreamed of riding cross country – on a Harley!

When it was time to plan their annual vacation, C recommended that they give it a try by starting their adventure in Omaha (where most of C’s family lives) and take the scenic route to the Black Hills. B was overwhelmed with joy at the idea and plans were made immediately. Auntie Nettie insisted (Hey - I asked politely! Thank you very much!) that I join them knowing how I’ve always wanted to spend time on a “hog” and see the Midwestern sites.

But, first a gal has to learn how to pack for such a trip. I was instructed to pack light and only bring the essentials.

Thank goodness C had an extra helmet for me since Auntie Nettie was unable to find one.

A gal needs lots of sunscreen and cash for this trip. As C helped me pack, she also helped herself to a celebratory glass of bubbly and toasted to our upcoming venture.I promised Auntie Nettie that I would keep track of my adventures so it was mandatory that I pack a journal for the road. C was pleased since she is still regrets not bringing one on their Italian vacation last year. (Stick with me kid, and I will teach you a thing or two!)After a pleasant car ride from Bedford Hills to Newark (the only airport that flies non-stop to Omaha), we arrived safely at the airport and anxiously waited for our flight. We're not sure if photos are allowed in the terminal anymore but C managed to sneak this one in. (I'm blind now.)C’s mom picked us up at the airport, and afterwards we found sometime to relax and discuss our dream vacations over a glass of wine.***

B felt that he could possibly fix my injury that was incurred a few years.

WARNING – extremely graphic photos, not for the faint of heart!

Don't say I didn't warn you!

I think I passed out from the pain, because I don't remember ANY OF THIS! Did I sign a release form for major sugery?

B’s attempts to put the action back into my swing were unsuccessful, so he patched me up as best he could, and left me to rest a bit.

Once recovered enough to go out, we filled our bellies at P.F Chang’s. It was a really long (and traumatic day), so we all turned in after watching a bit of pre-season football.

stay tuned for the next installment of my Wild (Mid)west Adventures

*** And once again we have the disclaimer that Auntie Nettie in no way imbibes of the alcohol. It is only me, The Shushing Librarian, drinking here. Okay! Let's just make that clear.

Recipes from Ollie J -- Peanut Fudge Candy Redux

If you've been following along the last year or so, you've been seeing lots of references to the grandmas, and the various recipes that have been discovered in family boxes and passed down as part of the family lore. I've been trying to test and tweak some of the recipes to pass along to the nieces and nephews and other branches of my extended "families."

I first attempted to make this one in November but was thwarted by rancid dry milk. I actually found dry milk in the coffee/tea/filter section of the local emporium, and have marked the container where the excess is stored, so I'm not surprised when I go to use it the next time!

Just looking at this you know it's going to be sweet. 1 cup of syrup AND a cup of powdered sugar? Makes my teeth ache already.

Peanut Fudge Candy

1 cup peanut butter (creamy)
1 cup syrup (Karo, white)
1 1/4 cup dry milk (in this case, 1 full packet and part of another)
1 1/4 cup confectionery sugar (powdered)

Mix all ingredients well, and then make little ball. Press into 1/4 inch thickness.

I skipped the pressing part of this, and just made this very stiff and sticky dough into little bite-sized balls. I filled 4 layers of this Ziploc container with over 100 little bites of peanut buttery fudge. Since there were so many holiday parties, I slipped these into the gift tins, along with rocky road fudge and brittle.