Can an Old Dog Re-learn Old Tricks?

It's been a gray afternoon with oppressive heat and humidity that keeps the threat of severe thunderstorms hanging over our heads. I brought the beach towels and swimsuits in off the deck rail where they'd been drying and tied off the grandchildren's big dragon raft in the pool. Otherwise, one good gust of wind and it would be flying off to who knows where.

The grands were here earlier for a couple of hours so their mother could nap before going to work. The little one has developed a bad habit of waking up in the middle of the night and staying awake with no hope of getting her back down for a nap until at least mid-morning. We had fun for a while. We played with Play-doh and made a ginormous mess, then watched the Paw Patrol movie, read books, and had a small snack. When the little one grabbed a blanket and began to get all snuggly and cozy on my lap, it was time for them to go home so she could nap.

The house is feeling cozy and smells divine with the competing smells of ribs cooking in the slow cooker and a yellow butter cake, fresh from the oven, cooling on the counter. I am trying a new rib recipe I found on Pinterest. I'll print the recipe at the end of the post. It's ridiculously easy.

I've recently finished a book and need to choose another, but for today I've been watching v-logs about simple living on You Tube. It's a way of life that used to be quite familiar to me. It was the way I grew up. The way my people did life. We worked hard, played hard, enjoyed our family and our neighbors. We grew much of our own food and preserved it. Going out to eat was a treat. Shopping was something you did only when you really needed something. We didn't automatically buy a new anything. Things got repaired or reused or repurposed somehow. We didn't waste anything. Scraps either went to the dogs or the compost pile. Glass and cans were recycled. Old clothes became rags and quilts. My beloved grandmother even crocheted plastic bread bags into braided rugs for the floor (those things lasted forever!).

As much as I love my husband, it has been him over the years of our marriage that bought into consumerism, not me. I got drug along for the ride. I could be wrong, but I think because he grew up poor in a large family, he sees being able to run out and spend money on new things as success. We have, admittedly, butted heads more than once over it and it was usually me who gave in to keep the peace.

Lately, with all that is going on in our world and with the scarcity of some items and the rising cost of everything, I find myself being drawn back to my former ways. And one of the things I've been trying to do is live more simply and intentionally...really thinking about each thing I do and each thing I purchase. I'm asking myself, do I really need it or do I really, really love it. If I can't answer a resounding yes to either question, then I do not need to do or purchase whatever it is. Life is too short to clutter it with things that don't make us happy.

I am also trying to "thin the existing herd" so to speak. I am looking around the house and if I don't use a thing, truly love it, or have a strong sentimental attachment to it...out it goes! It is hard and sometimes I wish (very much) that I wasn't such a sentimental sort.

The world has changed so much since I was growing up. Many call it progress and there have been some wonderful advances in health care and technology, but sometimes I feel like we've lost more than we've gained. When I look around it seems to me that we've sacrificed a lot of what made us human...the family ties, friendships, looking out for the people in our neighborhoods. Too many of us have buried our faces in whatever glowing screen is in front of us and we don't look up often enough. Younger people today really don't know how to have a face-to-face conversation, meet people, find a spouse, or deal with feelings. Just watch the news for proof.

Anyway, that's where I'm at these days. I'm just an old dog relearning old tricks.

Crock-pot Boneless Country-style Ribs

Ribs

Coke

Barbecue Sauce

Salt and Pepper

Spray Crock-pot with non-stick cooking spray.

Salt and pepper ribs to taste and place in crock-pot.

Pour Coke over ribs.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for about 4-5 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with foil.

Remove ribs from Crock-pot, discarding liquid.

Place ribs on foil covered baking sheet, slather with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.