If I could be trapped in a cabin in the woods for 3 months in a blizzard, I’d love it. As long as I had groceries. And running water. And internet service. And cupcakes. And a hot tub. And a man to cut my firewood.

Remember Mrs. Kravitz? My neighborhood-peeker out her window-crime stopper? Well a couple of weeks ago, during a snow storm, my husband wasn’t feeling well so I went out and shoveled. I know what you’re thinking … Jody … shovel? Well a girl has to do what a girl has to do. Well I didn’t just shovel our sidewalk, I shoveled several sidewalks. Because I’m nice like that. And they make me cake.

After a few hours of snowfall, I looked out the front window and Mrs. Kravitz’s daughter was in my driveway shoveling.

Oh no.

Darn her!!!

Now I have to go out and shovel again. She isn’t married yet and doesn’t realize a wife has a plan. Leave the rest for the next morning when your husband is feeling better.

It’s important that I note, I don’t do yard work. My husband is the grumpy neighbor guy whose grass you better not step on. He is out the door at 5:00 am pulling weeds, building a shed, and goodness knows what else because I’m still sleeping. By the time I roll over, the yard looks like a football field and we have a new warehouse in our backyard.

So there is Mrs. Kravitz’s daughter, bundled up, shoveling my drive.

For the love of nice neighbors.

I pulled on my long johns and headed outside.

That’s when I hear …

Mrs. Kravitz’s daughter: I didn’t know you knew how to shovel.

Me very politely: Of course I do.

And then I did what any very competitive ex softball playing, volleyball playing, cussing football watching girl does. I banged that shovel to the ground and shoveled my cupcakes off. She wasn’t about to shovel more snow than me.

And I talked to myself the entire time …

She did not just say … I didn’t know you knew how to shovel.  Yea that’s right … I don’t need to know how to shovel. The girl isn’t married yet. She has no clue. She’ll learn one day the ways of a wife. She’ll realize she has a Lifetime movie to watch but pretends she’s doing laundry while her snow gets shoveled.

And another important lesson – always make sure your husband is good to the neighbor ladies so you get cake.

Have a good day all … let’s hope by spring my husband doesn’t notice his football field has a few chunks of grass missing from my damn shovel.

How a squirrel got in my Mom and Dad’s house:

My Mom and Dad feed their squirrels throughout the day. They have a huge bag a peanuts on their kitchen table for when the squirrels come to the back door. The squirrels will sit and wait on the porch, sometimes scratch on the door like a dog or one of them has been known to hang from the screen. I’m surprised they haven’t taught them how to knock yet.

This has been going on for years and believe me, those squirrels are bigger than my darn dog. So when I called my Mom the other day this was our conversation;

Mom: Did I tell you what happen to me?

Me: No.

Mom: A squirrel ran in the house.

Me: OMG what?

Mom: One of the squirrels was on the porch waiting for peanuts and when I opened the door he ran in the house.

I know this sounds awful and I should have been concerned for their safety but I couldn’t stop laughing. Besides, I never got a call saying there was a squirrel attack and they were in the hospital.

Mom: He ran in the door, went through the kitchen to the dining room and was trying to get out the dining room window.

Me:  How much is that squirrel in the window?

Mom ignoring me: I screamed a few times for your Dad while I held the back door open so he could run back out.

Me: Why does this stuff always happen when I’m not around? Darn it.

Mom still ignoring me: He finally just ran back out.

Me: I’m surprised you didn’t set a plate for him at the table.

Still ignoring me: Scared me half to death.

And I know my parents, next time I go over there this will be a squirrel.

Have a good day all! I wonder if I leave my back door open all day if a squirrel will come in?

Cute squirrel image by: seizethedave

Congratulations …

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

#6 and #20

Timestamp: 2010-01-05
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#6 – Cre from Blue Ridge Mountain Mama

#20 – Chuck Sankey from WNY Deer Hunter

Congratulations! You are our winners!

Please email your address information to me at:
jody @ thehunterswife . net.

Thank you all!

We want to wish you all a very safe and Happy New Year!!!

And thank you for another wonderful year.  Your support and friendship has meant so much to me.

Wishing you all a successful 2010!

Please be safe tonight!

Jody & Mark

For the past few months my husband has been wanting to purchase a smoker. We searched a few places and thought we’d wait until we found one on sale. While Christmas shopping at Cabelas we found our electric smoker.

The smoker was originally marked at $169.99 on sale for $129.99. We had a coupon from their mailing for $20 off $100 spent. But we had a problem, they didn’t have any more in stock so we were offered the display model with a 10% discount. Total price paid $ 98.99.  I’d say we found a very good deal.

And my hunter couldn’t wait to use it.

In a snow storm.

So in went the chicken wings at 9:30 a.m.

If you notice the trays at the bottom, that is where you put your wood chips and there are many to choose from. Hickory, mesquite, etc.

Half way through Mark rotated the trays, added a little barbecue sauce on some and hot sauce on the others.

And out they came at about 12:00 p.m.

They were as good as they look.

Trust me.

And I refuse to  share how many hot wings I dipped in blue cheese. Oh Yum!

It looks like we will put our smoker to good use.  Tonight my hunter is cooking ribs in the smoker.

Have a good day all … I’m wondering if I can make cupcakes in there…

Maybe Susie Sorenson at Base Camp Legends would know.  When the Sorensons set up camp they mean business.  After watching many of their videos, I’ve never seen a camp setup like theirs.  And the food … oh heavens … Susie can cook anything on a campfire.

Please note: This post is sponsored by me for a product we love.

Tonight on the Sportsman Channel is the new 13 week series, Battle of the Bow where 10 -  2 person teams from Wisconsin document their recent hunting season.  What I find interesting, as mentioned on their site, there are no pro-staff, no major sponsors, no time off.  Just your everyday bow hunters hunting after a 40 hour work week.  Your everyday Joe or Josephine filming their own hunting season through their eyes.

As you all are very aware, I’m not a hunter.  Nor do I watch hunting shows. Once when I was folding laundry I just glanced over at the TV for one second and BANG … deer down.    And I then I had a “I don’t watch hunting shows attack.”  And probably used a bad word or two and took my laundry to the bedroom.  But I can’t wait to see Team HuntingLife.com – Terri Lee Pocernich of Camp Wild Girls and her son Kale Williamson battle it out on Battle of the Bow.

I have no inside scoop on the show other than the winner will be selected by our votes after the show.  So be sure to stay tuned to find out all the details during and after the show.

Show time:  Tonight at 7:30 pm Central.

If you miss tonight’s episode, the show will run again throughout the week at different times.  Check your listings.

Links from the show:

Sportsman Channel
Wisconsin Outdoors Network
HuntingLife.com
Camp Wild Girls

Good luck Terri Lee and Kale! We’ll be voting for you!

This post is sponsored by: Coleman

Christmas has come and gone but the great folks at Coleman are still spreading the holiday cheer. Two of my lucky readers will be selected randomly to each win a $25 gift card from Coleman.

I remember my Dad having a very old Coleman cooler. It was a little beat up but he had it for years. And as I think about it, he probably still has it.

When I was asked to host this contest, that is what I thought about. A man’s cooler. But after taking a look at their website, they have some really great outdoor items.

Would you have a look at this cute Coleman 20 can shopping tote:

This would look really cute on my fishing boat.

And if I ever went in the woods and had to camouflage myself, would you have a look at this Eclipse 3-D Leafy Pullover:

Although, you can bet a squirrel would crawl on me. And my husband would think this is proper to wear out to dinner.

The Contest:

To enter answer the following question:

What would you buy from Coleman this holiday season and why? (Please leave your comment in the comment section and have a look at their website. So many outdoor products to choose from.)

AND

Follow Coleman on Twitter.

The contest will run from today, Monday – December 28, 2009 through Monday – January 4, 2009.  US residents only please.

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Additional ways to win:
If you are following Coleman on Twitter – they are giving away a $25 gift card daily.  All you have to do is follow them and tweet the same answer; What would you buy this holiday season and why? Contest on Twitter runs until January 13, 2009.
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Good luck everyone and have a great day!

Last night we celebrated Christmas Eve with my family. And it never fails … someone always gets hurt. And it wasn’t my sister wiping out on the hard wood floor this time.

We bought my 3 and 4 year old nieces Zhu Zhu pets for Christmas.  Well it didn’t take long for someone to ignore the Zhu Zhu pet warning to keep away from hair.

Jody to the rescue … and please excuse the bad words.

And me poking my sister on the hand.

And the bad words.

Mark took over while I got the scissors.  Yes, we had to cut her hair.  But I made sure to fluff and mess it up a bit to blend in with the longer strands of hair.

She’ll never know.  It’s not like it got stuck in the front of her hair and we had to cut her bangs.  Like the time I was in high school and I let the same sister-in-law cut my bangs.  For the love of my softball hat, I had 1/4 inch bangs.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone and keep those Zhu Zhu pets away from hair.

It’s Wednesday. December 23, 2009. The day before Christmas Eve. Two days before Christmas. And I have shopping to do. Lots of shopping. With crabby last minute shoppers. Like me. And my hunter. Because he isn’t a shopper either. Help me! He is sitting in the recliner showered and waiting on me. Help!

So I am off shopping. And will return with an update later this afternoon. Because I bought something last night for my 4 year old niece and I might just keep it for myself. And I want all of you to see it.

Now that the 2009 Indiana deer hunting is coming to an end, there is no reason to put that camouflage away. In our house, camouflage is worn pretty much daily.

For shoveling:

For fishing:

For napping:

For whacking moles:

And out to dinner:

Oh wait.

Never mind.

I made him go change.

Yes friends, camouflage…It’s not just for hunting.