A Cain’s Wedding-Luchador Style

So, most of my friends are weird. That’s why we get along.
I have this one friend in particular, that not only has blown up one of our rental properties, but has also shot a 16 penny nail through his finger with our framing nailer.
This weirdo’s name is Beau.
Beau asked Biceps to be the best man at his wedding, which was quite an honor. Biceps was able to stand alongside his best friend throughout the entire event, enjoying the transition of single Beau to married Beau.

The wedding took place at the historic Cain’s Ballroom in downtown Tulsa. The guests were in for a treat and they didn’t even know it.

The ballroom was outfitted with bistro tables, mood lighting, yummy appetizers and a beautifully lit stage.

The ceremony took place on the same stage that Bob Wills, M. Ward, Weezer, and many other ‘super awesome famous people’ have graced with their presence.

Here’s our buddy waiting center stage for his bride. Biceps (the hottest guy up there in a tux-in my opinion), is just to the right of Beau.
This is the third time that I have ever seen my Biceps in a tux. It was a momentous occasion.

This wonderful woman made a good choice. Beau is pretty awesome. But she’s pretty awesome, too.

And together, they are both awesome enough to have realized what every wedding has been missing since the dawn of time.

Luchador’s.

After the newly crowned ‘man and wife’ had left the stage, after the pictures had been taken and after the cake had been cut; the lights in the ballroom dimmed and the music swelled.
The entertainment had begun.

Strutting up towards the stage, bedecked in spandex and face masks, the Luchador’s took the stage. The outfits were skin tight, brightly colored and ridiculous.

Small children were frightened, big children were rooting for their favorite character and the Luchador’s ate up every last bit of attention.

Eventually, a ‘winning Luchador’ was declared and the audience would retreat to the dance floor until the next match was announced.
We enjoyed watching a ‘Panda Bear’ wrestle a ‘Meter Maid’, a ‘Lion’ fight a ‘Money Grubber’ and two others I couldn’t quite tell what they were-duke it out, enjoying the boos or the cheers from the crowd below.
The Luchador’s were definitely one for the record books.

A Mexican Reminder

I had a bit of a pity party this weekend.
I am woman enough to admit it.
My cell phone (my right hand) was snatched from my cart while shopping at Lowe’s. Right out from under my nose. I saw the ‘perps’ and even tried to get them to admit to what they had done. They took off, of course.
My one chance to punch someone had passed me by.

While waiting for the workers to review security tapes at Lowe’s, I began to pray that ‘those dirtbags would get caught, that there would be a prosecution and a restitution’.
And my Creator, for some crazy unknown ‘Omniscient’ type reason, brought to mind our trip to Mexico-where my cell phone didn’t matter to me anymore.

Slowly, my prayer began to change. I started praying for the men who stole my phone-that they would find Jesus somehow. My Creator brought to mind this picture as I was praying, and I knew what He was trying to say to me. I speak German, so sorry if this translation isn’t spot on. I believe the words on the fence say, “God is much bigger than my problems”.
Do you know where this fence was? Scroll down.

Here.
Next to the city of Reynosa’s landfill. This is where several hundred people call home, living in shanty’s and shacks and surviving off of other people’s trash.

Their children played soccer in this dirt lot, which was surrounded by the smoldering landfill. They were some of the happiest children I have ever met.

The shanty townspeople pilfered through the garbage, finding anything they can sell. They are so hip and green and don’t even know it…

And as I drove my air conditioned vehicle back from Lowe’s and pulled into my driveway, I was reminded of the enormity of the blessings in life. The blessing that I didn’t deserve.
I noticed that my driveway was surrounded by a freshly mowed lawn with landscaping and pathway lights. That my white house had beautiful black shutters and fresh paint on the windows.
And that my wonderful husband, Biceps was waiting for me inside with a huge hug and probably Cowboy at the helm. I cried right there in my van, realizing how unimportant the loss of my cell phone was to me at that moment.
I think it’s always good to have a little Mexican Reminder.

Tasty Turkey Meatloaf-Quick Cook Method

Meatloaf comforts the soul as the weather decides if it’s going to be cold or warm.
In those in between times, grab some lean ground turkey and make a belly-filling, yummy-tasting, soul-comforting meal for the ones you love.
Paired with Baked Rosemary Potatoes, this is sure to please.

This recipe is enough for a whole family, or great as a leftover if you are just a two-some.
Which we are. The cat gets nothing.

Here’s what you’ll need for Tasty Turkey Meatloaf:

2 LBS Lean Ground Turkey (or beef if you are into that kind of thing)
1/2 C Finely Chopped Onions
1/2 C Fine Bread Crumbs (Toast two slices, tear them into pieces and run them through your coffee grinder)
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Garlic
1/4 + 1/4 C Ketchup
1 C crumbled Tortilla, Frito, or any Plain Chips (I save the crumbles from my bags, freeze them in a ziplock
and use them for this recipe)

Preheat your oven to 350.

Put your ground meat into a medium sized bowl. Add the 1/2 C of onions.

Add your 1/2 C of bread crumbs. Shoo away the birds if necessary.

Ok, that was stupid….

Try using your left hand to crack your egg open, while photographing the action with your right hand. It’s a fun alternative to the normal way.
(Add your egg.)

Let’s spice it up! Add the 1/2 tsp Basil.

And the 1/4 tsp Oregano.

Finally, add the 1/2 tsp Garlic.

Dump in your 1/4 C of Ketchup.

Now get in there and get dirty! A spoon just won’t do it-you must use your mittens (hands)….

Here’s a secret I learned a long time ago in making meatloaf-make a ring out of your meat. It cooks so much quicker and the entire loaf is moist.
It changed my life.
Seriously-I didn’t like meatloaf until I discovered this secret.

Make a pretty ketchup pattern on top of the meat ring. Biceps loves ketchup, so I added a little more than this picture shows, just for him. He’s worth it.

Add the 1 C of crumbled chips on top of your meat ‘ring’.

Add a little more ketchup on top of the chips-this ketchup will brown and taste, oh so good.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the center is no longer pink.

Once done, let your meatloaf sit for a few minutes before serving. The juices will soak back into the meat if you do this.
I take this time to pour myself a glass of wine and dish up my sides. Then, I a slice off a considerable amount of the meatloaf and enjoy it to my heart’s content-and I share some with Biceps.

Broom Skirt to Halter Dress

This beautiful broom skirt sang to me from amidst the plethora of hanging items at my favorite thrift store.
After trying it on, I felt like a 90’s art teacher, as it hung to just above my ankles. Also, stuffed into this one broom skirt was approximately four times the amount of material needed for any normal skirt.

Please ignore the obvious tan lines.
But, I loved the gold, shiny material and knew I couldn’t go wrong.
It became mine for $3 and I began to brainstorm on the way home.

Here’s all that you’ll need for you own Halter Dress:
Broom skirt with an elastic waistband that will fit around your chest
Scissors
Straight Pins
Tape measure
Thread & Bobbin to match

For the halter straps: starting at the bottom of the skirt, cut a section of material from each side of the skirt two inches wide-narrowing this strip as you get closer to the waistband.
Do not cut into the elastic waistband. Leave well enough alone, you.

Seam together the cut sides of the skirt.

Sew a seam in the 2” pieces, leaving the bottom of each open. These will be your two separate halter straps. Turn the halter straps right side out.

Find the center of your skirt and pin the halter straps to it.

Fold the un-sewn ends of the halter straps under a 1/4”. Sew the halter straps into place on the inside of the dress, following the original stitching along the elastic waistband.

TA-DAH! This is the finished dress with a sassy belt-which is extremely comfortable.
But, sometimes I discard the belt and flit about my house with the material flying behind me, feeling very Roman-esque.

This is the back of the dress and another view of my lovely tan lines. You would think I would take the time to photoshop those things out.
I like to show you the real me-tan lines and all.