Boundaries? What Boundaries?

March 17, 2015March 24, 2016 / Dora Hiers

For those of you who joined us recently, this is Bruiser, our 10 1/2 year old Golden Retriever. Yes, I know…isn’t he adorable? Add mischievous and protective and jealous…you get the idea. But, he’s a wonderful companion and a great watch dog. Although he’s mostly inside, nobody steps foot into our yard without us knowing about it.

A few weeks ago, hubby noticed Bruiser edging closer to the neighbor’s yard, so we knew the collar battery for the electric fence must’ve croaked. I wasn’t too worried. We’ve lived in the house for almost eight years, with an electric fence the entire time. Since the initial training period and a couple times trying to follow hubby to the mailbox, Bruiser never wanders outside his boundaries.

But, I ordered the new battery anyway because the brute’s much bigger and heavier than our neighbor’s two small children. He’s a bit, um, exuberant with kids (I don’t even allow him alone with our grandkids) and I was more worried about him hurting them accidentally than him running into the road. As hubby says, Bruiser wouldn’t wander too far from his food dish.

The day after I ordered the battery, Bruiser made it all the way to the neighbor’s swingset. See that big tree in the middle? That’s the edge of our property.

Seriously? With a half acre of his own to play in and living here all this time, Bruiser still tests his boundaries?

Seriously? All this I’ve given you to enjoy and you still test your boundaries? How many times has God whispered those same words to me? Gulp…

Have you no respect for me?

Why don’t you tremble in my presence?

I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline

as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross.

The waves may toss and roar,

but they can never pass the boundaries I set.

But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.

They have turned away and abandoned me.

They do not say from the heart,

‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God,

for he gives us rain each spring and fall,

assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’ ~Jer 5:22-24 NLT

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

March 14, 2015March 24, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 6 Comments

This week’s Excited about Eating is headed to Uptown Charlotte to visit Ri Ra Irish Pub. When we walked into this restaurant, it felt like we were walking into a pub in Ireland. Our server told us that the interior was transported from Ireland and restored into its existing condition.

Ri Ra Irish Pub

Interior

We started with the Potato Cake appetizer, pan seared potato and cheddar cakes served with savory sour cream and a balsamic reduction. The Potato Cake was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. On the downside, it was loaded with onions and only served lukewarm. Dora here, in blue. Good thing we didn’t stop there. 🙂

Potato Cake

I ordered the Shepherd’s Pie, made with minced lamb, gravy, peas, carrots, and leeks served with a mashed potato crust and a slice of brown bread. The term “shepherd’s pie” is used when the meat is lamb; the theory being that shepherd is connected to sheep and not cattle. This was an outstanding dish. The lamb and vegetables were perfectly cooked and full of favor with just the right amount of liquid, and the mashed potatoes were creamy with a nice crust. I’m always game for Shepherd’s Pie, and this was the first I’ve tasted with lamb. Thankfully, hubby shared with me or I might’ve resorted to stealing his fork. Soooo good!

Shepherd’s Pie

My wife chose the Ri Ra Burger, topped with Ashe County cheddar, country ham, brown sugar onions and a Brioche bun. This burger was tall, juicy, and almost too big for the mouth. The caramelized brown sugar onions were sweet, and the garlic mayo added a unique taste. The “Chipper “ chips are actually thick cut fries. I snagged a few and enjoyed dipping them in the garlic mayo. This was a messy burger, but oh so yummalicious! And I probably drank a gallon of their iced tea.

Ri Ra Burger

I would rate this establishment 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food. If I included the less-than-thrilling appetizer, I’d lower my rating to 4 forks.

~Ernie Hiers, Food blogger at Fiction Faith & Foodies