Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Valentine Shout Out

 

If anyone would like to exchange Valentine Cards let me know. As is very obvious, I am going through a second childhood or a very extended flash back. I am not sure, but it is a lot of fun.

This is a conglomerate of a lot of things I was just trying out. You  will not have to make a home made card for me, but you will receive a very unique piece of "mail art" from me (if I can keep a straight face and even calling it that!)

030/365

Paul's Fruit Market in St. Matthew's.

Courtesy of Project 365 (this link is way cool).

I am weary of the awful produce you find at Walmart and Kroger. Well, Walmart mostly. I knew there had to be a produce market open somewhere around here! I caught wind of one on River Rd. but was unable to find it.  So, I googled and found this one. Maybe I will find the one on River Raod when I receive more clues.

I bought strawberries, grapefruit, peaches and an eggplant!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Who Do They Think I Am? Paula Dean!?

Around Christmas time my daughter asked me to make some Peanut Butter cookies, her favorite. As a Christmas present. As terrible as it sounds, I never got around to it. Last week J. asked me to bake some store bought refrigerator roll cookies, chocolate and peanut butter for the crews at his work.

As a reward for no accidents. In their lingo, 00.

So I obliged him and for two nights in a row I baked.

This week-end I recalled Bridgets request with some guilt and whipped up a batch of home made, mouth watering, the most colossal, sumptuous, magnificent, cookies extraordinaire, beyond compare...the ultimate cookie of all cookies....the Shaker Peanut Butter Cookie.

I know you scoff at the idea, but it is true. So true, that I have been making them non stop since Saturday afternoon! J. took the tin to work (sorry Bridget) because he did not want them in the house as they are too tempting.

The next day he asked if I could make some more,  the night crew heard about the cookies and felt left out, slighted. I made a double batch. J. called from work the next day, the cookies, all eight dozen gone by 930 am and a lot of disgruntled people shaking the crumbs out of the cookie tins.

A second double batch was made last night and sent.  Today he called and asked, begged,  just one more time,  please!!!  The cookies are legendary now and the demand has increased.

Who am I? Paula Dean! I need two strapping young men in my kitchen doing all the work while I receive all the accolades.

Anyway, the final double batch was whipped up in the kitchen and the secret ingredient was added.....

J. will hint that the reason they are so divine is because of that magic ingredient, but he will not tell them what it is.

But I'll tell you, it's love.

(Bridget did receive her batch too!) 

029/365

General Breckenridge at Cherokee Triangle

I told myself yesterday that I would focus on the color red this week for the Project 365 and like magic I found this! Someone probably thought it was hilarious to put a hat on the General's horse. An orange caution cap.

Oh the shame!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Project 365

I am trying (again, I got to mid-Feb last year) to participate in the Project 365. A picture a day for the entire year.

This is 028/365. Bridget hamming it up with the desert menu....TBC

Digging Deep


I spent a good part of Saturday tending to these plants. I brought them inside as the first threats of frost knocked on the door. All of these plants have been transported, transplanted if you will, from FW. So, they carry  a twisted  kind of sweet sentiment inside of me. Especially the Patchouli plant.


I love that plant. I purchased it from a small nursery I found only days before moving South. I had never seen a Patchouli plant before. It came in a four inch pot and I grew it to a monster of a plant, at least eighteen inches high. It smells so good! At the height of summer the scent would drift around the back patio, mingled with those pesky roses. If you crushed the leaves in between your fingers....oh heaven!


Why is it that I fussed over it with a dedication that rivaled my determination to not let those 21 rose bushes fade away. Yet, when I brought it inside I began to neglect it. First of all, I was not sure when to water it. It never drooped and after a blistering summer in the relentless heat and sunshine I thought a respite in the south window would be the best thing for it. I have no idea if this is a plant that would fade away and die with the shortening of the days. I just had to wait and see.


It survived...at least the shortened days, it has not survived me and my becoming distracted over these gray and dreary days.


I noticed it was looking puny and upon closer inspection discovered it had some sort of fungus or something gross on quite a few of the stems and on several of the leaves. Out came the warm soapy water and an hour or more of washing, rinsing and trimming.


I had to redo it yesterday, and I shall examine it again today.


Incidentally this whole ordeal corresponded with a spat I had with J.


As I sat and tenderly worked with the Patchcouli plant I realized the significance of a lesson that was being presented to me by two different messengers.


It is an easy thing to stop looking closely at things/people. It is an easy thing to be unaware of certain signs that are there if you choose to over look them. It is easy to be distracted and maybe even unresponsive when you look the other way. Maybe you can become insensitive when you least expect to be.


The lesson I learned is that you can never ever take anything for granted.


 

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Been There, Done That

My entries become farther and farther apart. I have less and less to write about. I have already written about how my family gathers together each Christmas. I have for several years running reviewed the year going over each month with a photo. I have published my New Years resolutions for all to see and for me to know the failure.

It is not that I have run out of things to say, its just that I have learned what an exceptionally small place the Internet actually is, and how one must either go private or write with discretion.

I suppose I have chosen the discretion route which makes for boring boring boring at times.

I am going to rant about Bookmooch.

For about a year I have signed on as a participant and began with a list of approximately 25 books to "swap".  I have found that people wanted most my books, but those I am looking for are either "declined", not mailed, (i.e. request ignored) or simply not there. Factor in the move, I have no idea where the books are and when I am "mooched" I really have to dig.

Recently I was asked for "Tuscany for Beginners" and I found the book and mailed it off. I obviously messed up because the person "canceled" the transaction. I e-mailed her back and explained that I had mailed the book the day before.

I received back a snotty e-mail saying that I did not "follow the rules" and acknowledge her mooch therefore she considered it a non-transaction and canceled. Three days after the request.

Then, she slammed the book when she received it, saying it was not the edition she expected. Granted, it was an advanced reader copy that I had not read because I had inadvertently checked out the same book from the library and read it! (that is why it ended up in the Bookmooch web site).

My question is, what is BookMooch all about? Sharing books to read or book collectors in sheep's clothing?

I don't get it. The book had not been read. The spine not broken and the book itself in pristine, excellent, un-snotty condition.

And the very worst, this is a Kentucky girl.

She must have moved here from up North. (joke from Terms of Endearment).

On to a Rave. I saw the most fantastic movie via NetFlix that made me cry tears of satisfaction at the ending (and I was not drinking!!) and had me rushing out the next day to purchase the soundtrack. The later has been played at least 15 times in two weeks and I have burned copies for both my sisters and two of my closest friends. Not only was the movie terrific, the music is unforgettable.

Naturally an Irish movie called "ONCE".

If you have not seen it yet, quick! Rush out and rent it! If you are a romantic and a music lover this film is for you.

Per Per Post anyone? (just joking).