So Good Your Bones Will Melt

I have so been slacking off on baking lately. I really like to bake. And I like to blog about it. But boy, it's been a while. I made some malted milk cookies recently, but did I blog about it? Nooooo! But I sure did eat them. Mmmmm, those were some yummy cookies. And I made a chocolate pie the other day. But did I blog about it? Nooooo! But that wasn't as yummy. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. Hubby hated it. It didn't have enough sugar for him. Too bitter. Sweet Pea ate a little, but she didn't really like it much either. And I finished my piece, but wasn't thrilled. I expect the rest of it may just sit in the refrigerator for a week then see the bottom of the trash can. Too bad. It's a waste of a nice graham cracker crust!

I'll have to try that one again - a different recipe of course - soon. Maybe I'll even blog about it.

Nothing like hearing about all the baked yumminess, but not getting pictures, and not getting recipes. Oh! Stop being a baby! I'll post something useful soon. I promise!

Let's see. What's on my "To-Be-Baked-Soon List"? Snickerdoodles are right up there. As are 'Nile Cookies', so named by Sweet Pea for their cracked-like-a-dry-riverbed appearance (but delectable taste - they so do NOT taste like a dry riverbed) (and I know, the Nile isn't really just a dry riverbed or anything, but hey. River - riverbed - cracked - whatever. It works for us).

Then there's the mint cake. I mentioned that a while ago and still haven't made it. Both Sweet Pea and I love it. But the Hubster hates mint, so anytime I think of making it he has another suggestion and I end up making that. I almost made it yesterday, but ended up with the chocolate pie instead. Woulda been better off with the cake. But soon. Very soon I'll make it. (and stop making those faces. Mint cake is delicious. Just wait and see. You'll love it!)

And of course there's cinnamon buns. The woman who used to babysit the kids during the day used to make these awesomely delicious cinnamon buns. And by awesomely delicious I mean they are so good that your toes curl and your hair flies up in the air and your bones melt. That good. So, I got the recipe from her. Like, 5 years ago. And have I made them yet? Noooooo! And why not? Because I'm lazy? Because I'm afraid of yeast and almost never bake with it? Because the caloric content and sugar high would send me over the edge? Because I won't be able to stop eating them and my thigh will blow up like hot air balloons? Because the pure and utter deliciousness would send me spinning uncontrollably through the kitchen, crashing into walls and furniture? Because I'm hoping someone else will just make them and give them to me? No! Don't be silly! It's because, um, because, well, you see, um. OK OK! I don't know why I haven't made these awesome little beauties. But they are also on my list.

The list is getting longer. It's time I did some baking. And some bake-blogging. Stay tuned.


Quack!

A Masterpiece in Progress

I think I mentioned that I'm painting Sweet Pea's room.  I've been painting it for several weeks now. And how is said painting coming? Slowly! Oh so slowly! You'd think I was creating a masterpiece. I mean, it is a full 4-wall mural, but really, it's not a masterpiece. It's just that I only spend about 20 minutes a week working on it.

There is more grass now. And some trees and flowers, a waterfall and even a couple of birds, but there is still a lot to go. Lots more! I need more grass, trees, birds, flowers, butterflies, clouds, lady bugs, bumble bees, various and sundry mammals, reptiles and amphibians. I may even throw in a marsupial or two. If only I had more hours in a day.

But, what can ya do? It will be done when it's done. And I really will post pictures soon. A few 'in-progress' pictures. There's on my camera right now. But, my camera is no where near the computer right now, so it will have to wait.

But it will be worth the wait. Really.

And since I don't have any pictures of the masterpiece, I'll leave you with this. It's a picture of the ferris wheel at the fair. It's coming up in a month. Are you ready?

Quack!

Thunder Rumbles and Children Tremble.

Hey, let's go miniature golfing!

Yeah, yeah, yippee, hooray, let's go! Can-we-go-now-can-we-go-now-can-we-go-now? A chorus of happy shouts and dancing feet.

So, there we are, at the first hole and a big ol' black rain cloud comes sweeping up from the horizon. Rain pelts down, verging on hail.

Ah! Screech! Scream! Ouch! It hurts! I'm scared! I wanna go home!

I run to get umbrellas. It helps a little. Scared little bodies are momentarily appeased, grudgingly.

To the north, and rapidly closing in, are big black clouds, speared with flashes of lightning.

To the south, east and west, the sky is blue with a few fluffy white clouds and the sun shines down.

Things clear momentarily. Then thunder rumbles and children tremble.

Finally, we call it quits. Being struck by lightning will certainly ruin a fun outing even more than threatening clouds and pelting rain.


The good news is we got a rain check. We went back and finished our game on Sunday and there wasn't a drop of rain this time.


Quack!

Snuggled Up Under the Zinnia Sprouts

 Aren't these the sweetest little mushrooms? I found them in one of my pots the other morning, snuggling up under the zinnia sprouts.

I imagine a whole village of little fairies lives in there, sheltering under the mushrooms in the rain and cavorting through the leaves all day. Makes you wish you were there, doesn't it?

(Just don't think how big the bugs would be if you were that small!)

Quack!

The Wonder and Beauty of Nature and All That

 This little beauty was lurking in the basement.

Under a paint can. Normally I wouldn't be moving the paint cans, since I'm working on Sweet Pea's room it had to be done. The good news is he didn't jump right out and attack, all two-hundred and fifty thousand legs clawing at my eyes and trying to scurry up my nose or in my ears. He didn't even try to zip across the floor, across the top of my foot and up my pant leg like a chipmunk would (long story - did I ever tell you?).

Anyway, all it did was sit there. Sit there and pose as if to say 'Aren't I beautiful?' I don't know that I'd say beautiful in a 'Wow! That is the prettiest thing I've seen' kind of way. Or even, 'Hey, that's kinda nice if you look at it out of the corner of your eye' kind of way. But, if you can appreciate symmetry, and the wonder of nature and all that, and if you can overlook all the legs. Oh the vast array of long, creepy, crawly, striped legs. And the waving, wiggling, waggling antennae. Then yes, I suppose it is rather appealing.

But I can't get past those things, so I just think it's pretty creepy.

But by all means, if you can get past those things, then enjoy.

Quack!

A Trick of the Light

 This is our entryway.

Doesn't it look nice and white and clean? It sure does. But is it? That is the question.

I like the picture because it really makes it look clean and new. It never looks that way in real life - only in pictures. Must be a trick of the light.


Quack!

Bland Coolness

 I had lunch Thursday. Actually, I have lunch everyday. But Thursday's lunch was special because it was with some of my old co-workers. (I don't mean co-workers who happen to be ancient, although all three of them are older than me :-) Age-wise anyway. But they are all very young at heart. I mean co-workers that used to be my co-workers, but aren't any longer. They were my co-workers at my last job. But you knew that's what I meant, right?)


Anyway, it was very nice. The restaurant was nice, the food was good and it was great to see them again and get caught up on where everyone is and what everyone is doing. And it was also nice to get out of the office for a little while, out into the heat and out of the bland, coolness of the office. And of course it was nice to step back into the coolness after a little while, but mostly it was nice to get out and spend a little time with friends.

Hmmm, "bland coolness". I sense a haiku coming on. Give me a minute.

Aaah. There it is.

Out of bland coolness
Into blazing summer heat
Blasting off pavement

A welcome respite
From the chill of the office
A visit with friends

Then back to the cool
Office, computer, paper
There's more work to do

Quack!

Long Weekend

 Busy weekend! No, not this coming weekend, last weekend. I'm a little behind in my posting.

So, last Saturday we all dressed up in our Rennaissance Faire outfits and headed out to the Faire. Hubby had a schedule so it was rush rush rush to get out the door and to the Faire where we promptly waited in line for 30 minutes. Hmmm, not a great start. But other than the fact that Sweet Pea was somewhat grumpy for the first 4 hours and that Doodlebug won't eat anything other than perfectly formed, rectangular, unmarred peanut butter sandwiches (the ones I brought were slightly squashed) we had a good time. Snickers ate a LOT of big soft pretzels. Sweet Pea ate a LOT of salt potatoes. We all listened to a lot of music and looked at a lot of great stuff (spun glass, blown glass, hand-made pottery, hand-made woven fabrics, wax sculptures, stained glass, pewter, wooden swords, pounded-coin necklaces). We all watched some very entertaining shows. One of our favorites was the sword-swallower who was funny, somewhat gross and very fun to watch.


We didn't get home until about 8:00 so it was a long day!

What else did I do on the long weekend? I made half-moon cookies (which are now gone), took the kids swimming, visited my Mom, went grocery shopping, ate a lot, snuggled with the kids (weekend mornings are great for that!), read a little. I even played my dulcimer for a little while. It's been too long since I did that.

And meanwhile, Sweet Pea's bedroom is still half painted. But what can ya do? I'll get to it soon. Really. and when I do, I'll post pictures.

Quack!

Random Quote of the Day

You lethargic, waiting upon me, waiting for
the fire and I
attendant upon you, shaken by your beauty

shaken by your beauty

shaken.

--William Carlos Williams, Paterson

I like just about everything I've read by William Carlos Williams. One of these days I'll get a book of his work out of the library and read the entire thing. I'm sure I'd enjoy it. In the meantime I'll just read and re-read this quote. I really like it.

Quack!