Rattlesnake Kate

I ran across an article about a lady in the 1920's who lived near Greely, CO, only about 30 miles north of where I live.

Her name is Rattlesnake Kate. You can find out a little about her from Google. Here is her story found here.

The best exhibit is Katherine McHale Slaughterback, who made a name for herself in 1925. The 31-year-old nurse and mother found herself and 3-year-old son surrounded by snakes.

Kate and Ernie had been out looking for ducks left behind by hunters, but soon were surrounded by a spaghetti-plate full of hundreds of rattlesnakes.

Using her .22 Remington rifle, Kate unloaded on the pool of snakes, but quickly ran out of ammo.

With glycerin madness in her eyes, Kate pulled a 'No Hunting' sign out of the ground and went Chuck Norris on the snakes, clubbing the rest of them to death. Two hours later the score was "Kate 140; snakes, 0."

Rattlesnake Kate gained fame across the country. She also made fashion history using over 40 snakeskins and her best Betsy Ross skill set to build herself a dress. It was flapper-fashion with Crocodile-Hunter flare; accessorized by snake-skin-covered shoes, a rattlesnake "rattle" necklace, earrings and a headband that contained 37 rattles.

Kate pioneered a work-from-home business hunting snakes, collecting venom for a research lab and crafting and selling snakeskin souvenirs.

According to researchers at the museum, Kate was a handful; married six times and possibly into prostitution. Questioned whether she was ever bit by a snake, all signs point to 'no'; however, Kate was struck by lightning... and lived to tell about it.

Cheesy Garlic Jalapeno Biscuits

Last week I got the craving for Jalapeno Biscuits and found the following recipe here. They were quite good.

We all know those famous seafood chain cheesy biscuits. They're as addicting as they are garlicky. Now I want you to imagine those, with just enough background heat to make you go WHOA! Enjoy these biscuits on their own or with a piping hot bowl of soup.

Yield | 20 biscuits

Ingredients:

• 4 cups baking mix (Bisquick)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 3 tablespoons diced jalapenos (jarred or canned)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix, cheese, water, jalapenos and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Mix until dough is firm.
3. Using a small scoop, place dough on the prepared pan.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and parsley. Brush over baked biscuits immediately upon removing from oven.

Notes:

• Not a fan of heat? Simply leave out the jalapenos.
• Sub in Pepper-Jack cheese for an added kick.
• Toss in 1/3 cup cooked, chopped bacon for a delectable twist.

The world is "God Breathed"

I ran across the following quote from a comment discussing "Whatever happened to Bill Gothard".

This world is God-breathed. It is a wild, perilous, vivid, and unpredictable place. You cannot put it into a paternalistic, legalistic box and hope to see His face. Where can we experience God if we refuse to experience anything?

As a parent, I want to keep my son from experiencing pain and injury. On the other hand, those are things that make us stronger.

A case in point is our bones. In a recent podcast on bone health, the woman who was the "expert" stated that while taking calcium was needed, your bones only became stronger with impact. While cycling and swimming are good thing for your aerobic abilities, it is the impact of running or walking or punching a bag that helps increase the strength of your bones.

I've often said that it is my job as a parent to let my son "fail safely" so that he can learn. Each failure helps strengthen his character.

Cover: John Lennon's Jealous Guy by Jon Stevens

I love the bass work on this track.

Easter Sunrise Service

For the first time in many years (maybe one of the first times while here in Colorado) Marj, Kyle & I had no responsibilities on Easter.

That allowed us the luxury of going to the Easter Sunrise service at Red Rocks. The day was cold with drizzle. We didn't see the sun rise but it did (I'm positive of that).

We enjoyed the service and I was able to take some photos using my phone.

Spring Break 2011

We decided we needed some rest and relaxation this year for spring break so off to Orlando we headed.

We tried using frequent flyer miles but that didn't work out so well... Spring Break is, after all, spring break.

Kyle & Joel ended up flying into Atlanta Friday afternoon and meeting Marj's brother Mario who took Kyle home. Because of parent-teacher conferences, Marj flew in early Saturday morning. Joel picked her up and we stayed near the airport, heading to Mario's house (near the Alabama border with Georgia) the next day. We ate breakfast with them and headed to Orlando.

The highlights.

• Seasons 52 - A restaurant that specializes in dishes prepared with foods that are in season in that particular week.
• Finding a Whole Foods market.
• The airboat trip, seeing alligators (from a safe distance).
• The trip Joel & Kyle took to Cocoa Beach.
• Creating a "custom" R/C car at "Ride Makerz" (sort of like build-a-bear for cars).
• Relaxing with little to no schedule

Answers and Questions

The other day a friend sent me the following quote because it brought me to mind. I really like the quote so I thought I put it here.

... An answer is a place where we can fall asleep as life moves past us to its next question....Perhaps the secret of living well is not in having all the answers but in pursuing unanswerable questions in good company.

- Rachel Naomi Remen

I am old enough to know that I have lots of questions (and am willing to ask others to travel with me on pursuing the answers).