Blog

March 22, 2022

Some people make oatmeal. Others have cereal. Or fruit. Or fruit on their cereal.

But it’s important to know the basics of a sweet breakfast treat that, for most people, takes too much time and effort. Yes, you know I’m talking about cinnamon toast. (And for the record, I’m NOT talking about cinnamon toast cereal from a box).

So what makes cinnamon toast so special, besides its melty sugary cinnamony goodness? The answer is simple — it gives you that one moment in your day when you get to sit down for just a few minutes and truly enjoy something without having to rush off immediately to go somewhere else. That’s because it takes time to make cinnamon toast the RIGHT way.

Here’s the simple, easy way to make cinnamon toast — consider it an experiment in taking a little time out of your crazy day to make something you can be proud of:

1. Toast a slice of bread in your toaster. Two slices if you want to share or are especially hungry after climbing a mountain or running a half-marathon.
2. While the bread is toasting, get out a tub of butter. Also mix a few spoonfuls of sugar with a smaller quantity of cinnamon. (You’ll need to experiment to find that PERFECT ratio of sugar/cinnamon. Fortunes have risen and fallen over information this valuable.)
3. HERE’S THE SECRET: As SOON as the bread (now toast) pops up out of the toaster, grab it and throw it on a plate. Then, as fast as humanly possible while still following all standard kitchen safety rules, take a knife and spread butter on the hot toast. As soon as you’re done, QUICKLY sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the melting butter.
   
   Why is this important? If you’re fast enough and the sugary/cinnamon mix hits the buttery toast while it’s all still hot, it carmelizes and creates a little slice of heaven.
   
4. The last step is the best one: take a few minutes and enjoy the masterpiece you’ve created.

Will eating a leisurely piece of cinnamon toast change your life? Well, I certainly can’t PROVE the rumors that Galileo, Shakespeare and Albert Einstein all ate cinnamon toast before they started their day. But I know what I believe. They understood it’s important not only important to start the day with breakfast but to make sure it’s a breakfast you can be proud of.

Where will cinnamon toast take you?

March 15, 2022

I like hiking. It’s good for me.

It’s always good to get exercise, which is why I enjoy running and rowing. But there’s something special about hiking in Nature. Sure you’re getting your daily requirement of steps (if you’re counting). But going hiking elevates the benefits a few notches more.

Think about it: what else can you do that improves your body, calms your mind, gets you some fresh air AND lets you see all kinds of animals in the wild?

My favorite hiking is walking along quiet dirt trails, listening for the far-off call of a bird or the rapid tapping of a woodpecker looking for bugs in an old tree. If you’re lucky, you get to walk along a meandering creek or look out over a small lake as the herons and ducks float on the water’s surface. You get to hear deer running through thickets, the buzz of bees, the call of geese flying overhead. And that’s just for starters.

Next time you get a chance to go for a walk, don’t just hurry around a few blocks in your neighborhood. Go to a park in your town, a state park, a trail along the river running through your city. Listen for the nature sounds and make list of what you hear and see.

Then take a deep breath and enjoy that fresh air. And repeat it soon.

February 5, 2022

Blank field of snowfall,
Waiting for an artist’s touch
or a morning walk.

The swish of snowshoes
moving softly on packed snow,
reflected sunlight.

Breath comes out in clouds,
Exposed skin feels the cold air.
Sense the trail ahead.

January 27, 2022

Everyone needs to see a buffalo up close.

I live in Oklahoma and there are several wildlife preserves where buffalo (also called bison) live in herds. This part of the country is where they traditionally lived, and they played an important role on the North American plains for centuries. (The ones I saw in this photo were at Woolaroc, the ranch retreat of oilman Frank Phillips that is now a 3,700-acre wildlife preserve and world-class art museum.)

They’re amazing creatures. Here are few facts you might not know about them:

• Buffalo can be up to 7 feet long and stand up to 6 feet tall.
• They are the LARGEST land animal in North America, and they can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
• Their thick brown fur keeps them warm on the snowy, frozen plains during the winter.
• Buffalo are herbivores and feed on about 60 pounds of plants and grasses a day.

Oh, and don’t try to pet a buffalo. They can run at speeds up to 40 mph, which is as fast as a horse. (No, I didn’t try).

Why do I bring this up? Sometimes it’s just fun to appreciate wonders around you — like an amazing animal that has been around since saber tooth tigers. I mean, it’s THE biggest animal in North America and one of the fastest. It’s also a part of the history of the American West. What’s not to like about all of that?

Yep. Everyone needs to see a buffalo up close.

December 20, 2021

Everyone enjoys a secret tunnel, right?

Especially when it’s a tunnel that was built in the 1920s by oil barons to keep their families safe from kidnappers and marauders! This tunnel is one that few people get to see — it’s in the basement of one of the skyscrapers in my home town of Tulsa. We took our family for a trip of the tunnels in downtown Tulsa at Christmas time, and this one was the best. By far.

I think it makes for a great story: you’ve built a fortune in oil — and unfortunately that’s made you and your family targets for people who want your money. So you hire guards and build secret tunnels that allow you to go where you want to go. What’s the thing you hope for most? That the bad guys never find the key to open the big door at the end of the long tunnel.

So…what kind of story would you tell about this scary tunnel under the skyscraper? Does someone have the key? And when you’re in bed at night, do you hear the soft SLAM of a thick door several floors below you. And do you wonder — is someone in my tunnel?

November 3, 2021

We all love getting a little scared.

I enjoy hearing stories about ghosts in old houses, wandering small-town cemeteries at night, taking our girls to a mysterious “gravity hill” where our car seemed to roll uphill. It’s good to feel your heart beat a little faster and know there are things in this world we can’t explain.

I think it’s the same with scary stories. There’s just something eerily wonderful about nervously turning the pages of a book, knowing that something horrible is about to jump out of the shadows and grab the main character. It’s going to happen soon. Maybe this page, maybe in two. And there’s nothing you can do about it. (But you keep reading!)

So who are some of your favorite scary authors? Stephen King is still one of my favorites – he can make anything terrifying, from a car to a sprawling hotel in the Colorado mountains. Neil Gaiman is another writer who can keep you spellbound, whether it’s in Coraline or the Graveyard Book. There’s one book I loved as a kid called “The Halloween Tree,” which sets a spooky mood and tells the story of Halloween in different cultures.

Whoever your favorite spooky author is, and whichever book gives you goosebumps, I hope you had a scary Halloween and were able to scare yourself (just a bit) with a story that made you look over your shoulder as you walked down the empty street.

Wait, was that the soft sound of footsteps in the dead leaves behind you? Don’t worry, I’m sure it was nothing…