Holiday Cheer

Holiday cheer abounds here at the ranch.

Well, for all but one...

Mad Dog.

He's still a little miffed.  But I think he's one of those that will always have that sour look on his face no matter what.  He better be glad his brothers were good cause Santa brought them a load of feed.  He gets to benefit off their nice behavior.

Crazy M Tradition

Since we usually spend Christmas at home (our families live a good distance away), the husband and I have started a few traditions of our own.  For many years now, we have made Christmas cookies.

And of course, decorating them is the best part.




We are so dressed up for Christmas, aren't we?




Anyhow, we have all the sprinkles and icing you could want.  Decorating talent, on the other hand, is not abundant!




If I try to get all creative, the husband asks, "What, you entering a cookie contest or something?!  Geez!"




But we have lots of fun and enjoy eating them up!



Hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas day.

Twas The Night Before Christmas in Texas

'Twas the night before Christmas, in Texas, you know.
Way out in the prairie, without any snow.
Asleep in their cabin, were Buddy and Sue.
A dreamin' of Christmas, like me and you.

Not stockings, but boots, at the foot of their bed,
For this was Texas, what more need be said,
When all of a sudden, from out of the still night,
There came such a ruckus, it game me a fright.

And I saw 'cross the prairie, like a shot from a gun,
A loaded up buckboard, come on at a run,
The driver was "Geein" and "Hawin", with a will,
The horses (not reindeer) he drove with such skill.

"Come on there Buck, Poncho & Prince, to the right,
There'll be plenty of travelin' for you all tonight."
The driver in Levi's and a shirt that was red,
Had a ten-gallon Stetson on top of his head.





As he stepped from the buckboard, he was really a sight,
With his beard and moustache, so curly and white.
As he burst in the cabin, the children awoke,
And were so astonished, that neither one spoke.

And he filled up their boots with such presents galore,
That neither could think of a single thing more.
When Buddy recovered the use of his jaw,
He asked in a whisper, "Are you really Santa Claus?"

"Am I the real Santa? Well, what do you think?"
And he smiled as he gave a mysterious wink.
The he leaped in his buckboard, and called back in his drawl,
"To all the children in Texas, Merry Christmas, You all!"

Watusi Wednesday

These cattle amaze me.  I get a headache from a pony tail.  

Battle of the Desserts

The husband informed me that Dr. Pepper has a dessert contest every year at the Christmas party.  He advised me that I was making my pecan pie to enter and we were going to win.  Then he proceeded to tell me that he has already told everyone at work, including Betty Crocker (the past winner), that they was goin' down!

I told him to quit talkin' smack at work but he wouldn't listen.  He said you can talk smack when you have something to back it up and he did, my pecan pie.  So this had gone on for about a month until the Christmas party last Friday.

So did the husband have to apologize for all the trash talk?


NO WAY JOSE!  I won!!! Oh yea, oh yea, it's my birthday.

Now I'm the proud owner of a Garmin GPS unit, the prize for first place.  Second place was a key lime pie.  The guy admitted to buying it at a bakery.  The husband really had to gloat then.

Betty Crocker asked for my recipe.  The husband told her it was a longtime family secret (whatever! it's out of a cookbook!) and we don't give it out.  The later is true.  I keep the recipe under wraps.  I want to have one thing I can claim I'm good at so I'm selfish and hardly ever give it out.  Is that bad of me?

Really, it is pretty close to any run of the mill pecan pie recipe.  I think the secret is in the mixing!  Shhh...

Harley's Holiday Misery

I can't believe Mom made me do this.




Doesn't she know I am a COWDOG!



I'm NOT some prissy Hollywood pocket pet.




This is so embarrassing.   I sure hope the others don't see these pictures.  I'll be the laughing stock of the ranch.



I have a reputation to uphold.  I'm the baddest dog around these parts.  I'll show Mom what I think of this!





If I tear this stupid hat up, maybe she'll never try dressin' me up again.




I better get extra goodies in my stocking for this.  She and Santa owe me big time!

Shhhhh....Don't Tell Dad!

I don't know how this happened.




Diesel, what are you doin' in the house??




Daddy already thinks I let you in when he's not here.  He's questioned me about it several times.  I can only come up with so many excuses as to why you try to run in the house.




Don't eat his houseshoe....how will we keep it under wraps?




Diesel, you're leaving evidence on the shoe!  




Hand it over mister!  We have to get the house back in order before Dad comes home.



Look all innocent when he gets here.  He can't know we cuddle and run around the house in the evenings.

It's Fun to Be Me

My life can be quite amusing.  Here are a few snapshots from the last week...

**Split my skirt after court getting into my vehicle.  Had to drive back to my office.  Turned the skirt so the slit would be on my thigh instead of my backside.  Then I looked like a high priced street walker. Luckily a coworker had a pair of sweatpants in her car.  So there I was, at the federal courthouse, in my suit jacket, frilly pink camisole, grey sweats and black high heels.  Stunning!

**Husband has entered me into the great dessert bake off at work.  I could not, for the life of me, find my recipe for buttermilk pie.  I finally broke down and decided to try googling it.  Just maybe the recipe would come up.  It did and can you guess where?  MY BLOG!  I had posted it.  Geez, I'm an idiot.  

**Got two pictures from the husband today.  One pic-Diesel sittin' in the middle of an explosion of fuzz.  Second pic-Diesel with a doggie bed carcass in his mouth.  He is such a goober!  Guess he's figurin' Santa is a very forgiving man.

The Christmas Card

Mad Dog CAPTURED!

What's on the end of Cowboy Buddy's rope?




That would be a very angry Mad Dog!  We finally got him caught!!  I had my doubts it was going to happen this day either but the stars aligned.



Then I got the "Hey Wife, if you're not to busy hiding in the trees, taking pictures, you mind helping he out here?"




Well, I suppose I can remove myself from cover since you sat on the wild beast.  But y'all didn't see him initially try to tie him down and he got up.  Then the rope got around the horse's back legs, he started buckin', Mad Dog was runnin' and I thought the trees were the best place to be!




Alright, now we've got him tied down, just need the trailer to load him up.  Husband, can we get the trailer?  What, you're stuck?!




Good thing we had Rent-a-husband's truck there too!  Got the husband pulled out and over to Mad Dog.  Let's get him loaded!




Woo hoo!  Got him in without Rent-a-husband gettin' kicked untyin' the legs.




Now to get the rope off his neck.  They looked like monkeys hanging off the trailer.




The girls didn't know what to think about all this commotion.  I discussed with them that this is what happens with you are bad and don't get on the bus.  Believe me, you don't want to be bad.




Mad Dog was plenty UPSET with his new confinement.  He was snortin', huffin', puffin' and biting the trailer.



Now he's back at the house in the pen with all the other children.  I hope he doesn't corrupt them with his bad ways.