A Late Night Cup

                                   Hell hath no fury like a bathed cat.

Although I adore a deep warm bubble bath...Tucker does not share my enthusiasm.

That glare can only mean one thing~

                                      "I KNOW where you sleep..."

Actually, this photo was taken on a previous bathing occasion.  Today's bath was a self-inflicted necessity. After nearly 13 years of clean living...his close encounter with a less hygienic stray resulted in mites.
Yes.
Kitty crabs.

 CRAP!

The only solution...and the vet concurred...Lime Dip which is basically a sulphur based kill-on-contact medicated...well...dip.  Which is every bit as horrible as it sounds.

When Chris and Jake stopped by this afternoon the moaning of the damned was emanating from the back room and the door to the bathroom had become "The Portal to Hell". The smell of sulphur hung thick in the air. (...fire and brimstone, anyone...)

And although you would think traumatized for life...after he dried all seemed forgiven if not necessarily forgotten...and he shared my broiled Sirloin as though he had not been required to swim across the river Styx, earlier.

And not sure it is entirely proper to knife into an amazing Sirloin...with sautéed Portabellas and onions and minced fresh garlic...fresh steamed asparagus spears dripping with (real) butter...half a baked sweet potato...Sweet Tea and a home-made Raspberry Trifle for afters...while you are watching Les Miserables.

Just Sayin'

(...kept waiting for French rabble to Break Down the Door..."Here have some CAKE"...oops...)


And smiling at photos of my 3 year old grandson, Brenden. And the news that sometime in the near future my oldest will be back for a visit with all the kids (and me...)

                                                        Brenden (Age 3)

A double book review this week...and a wonderful interview with both writers.

http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/joe-hill-owen-king-interview.html

The first...by Joe Hill  (Stephen King's Eldest Son)

NOS4A2

(...a license plate joke...Nosferatu...)

A grab you by the throat novel from the first chapter.
Definitely one of those-damned-books...you know...the kind you pick up and finish hours and hours and hours later while the kids and pets wonder why dinner hasn't been served...and mumble about the service in the place sucking. A horrific trip to Christmas-land with Charlie Manx in a 1938 Rolls-Royce where children disappear...forever.

Peter Pan's Neverland if it had sharp pointy teeth and was evil and undead.

His 4th novel...and possibly the best to date.
Definitely continuing the King legacy. A "must read" for psychological horror fans.

                                                The Second?

The debut novel of Owen King  (Stephen King's Youngest Son)

Double-Feature

Depicting a son with "father-issues" (the father in the story is a B-grade washed up actor) who (although) Owen stated in several interviews was a depiction of Orson Welles  one still gets the unsettling feeling that Owen may have more than one "father-issue" of his own...and despite his protests this may be a literary vent of almost autobiographical proportions. The alcohol...the drugs...the other women. Verbose. At times disjointed...difficult to read/finish. Definitely a different path than the Stephen King/Joe Hill scare the living hell out of them and leave them with nightmares...and possibly worth the look see just because it is different...but I'm not sure that even curiosity is a reason to waste time with this one.  Suit yourself.

I once made the fatal mistake in a Stephen King Usenet Group (...way back in the dark ages before Facebook...when all there was...were written comments and sometimes by the more creative,ASCII Art...nope not a single cute kitten anywhere...) a fairly sexist comment concerning Tabitha King and her lack of literary talent...something along the lines of hoping she baked cookies...and yes...I was soundly flamed and for a time shunned for my heresy...never underestimate the level of loyalty among fanatical Stephen King Fans...

One (Dani) went as far as to say that Stephen sometimes reads/comments the group and

"How DO you think that would make him feel???"

Hmmm...like having cookies and milk, maybe.


Well...now I am hoping there is room in that kitchen for Owen, as well.

                                                     ~ducking~

In the kitchen.

Tonight's dessert recipe

Raspberry Trifle

 In clear parfait cups or for the more adventurous and for amazing presentation- wine glasses...layer crumbled (day old) yellow cake chunks...canned raspberry topping...and whipped cream. Alternating until glass or cup is filled to the top.
Refrigerate for several hours or ideally overnight. All flavors will mingle and become a layered pudding-like dessert. Just before serving top with spritz of whipped cream and garnish with fresh raspberries or shaved dark chocolate curls.


Great way to use up excess cake...and looks/tastes like a dessert fit for The Queen  :)  Having originated in England, doubtless at one time or another it has been.

Enjoy!
 

A Cup Beside the Garden

After 10 inches of rain in April and a cool, windy and wet May...not even THIS could save my Heirloom tomatoes.

 Composted what was left of them and replanted a heartier variety yesterday.  Also filled in the washed away areas in the Green Beans (...looking slightly mangy themselves after the deluge...) Love the whole compost your own soil...btw...should have done this years ago! Everything else growing like mad, now. The Snow Peas up, bunchy and ready to bloom. Cukes, Green Onions, Peppers (Banana and Green), Beans, Radishes, and Herb Basket doing well. Found Winter Savory to add to the herb basket at Cox Nursery. Wonderful with meats and poultry. The Concords are twining their way up the trellis. Saw an amazing article that showed how they could be kept pruned into a woody shrub size later without losing producing capabilities. May actually try this later.  Also used sweet potato slips throughout the winding flowerbed for extra greenery with not only the addition of beautiful Fall colour later in the season but the bonus of tasty sweet potatoes when I turn the beds for Winter.

My early Purple Flag Irises have bloomed...the Red American Beauty (rose) is in full bloom now...and clipping a few to bring inside. The Blue Morning Glories are slowly climbing their way up the rain-spouts and the Torch-Red Geraniums are bright clusters along the winding flower-bed and match my neighbor's Monte Carlo parked below perfectly...lol.

                                   Tucker, of course, sprawled on the green grass.
                                          Lord and Master of All I Survey.

Sunny and warm today. Moist and tropical feeling.
A few more container plantings planned...but for the most part done. Happy to say I am getting better at Small Space/Urban Gardening!

 

A Memorial Day Weekend Cup (of Gratitude)

In Indiana, we may be huddled around the grill for warmth this year, given the ups and downs of the temperatures in the past week!

Starting the morning with a mug of cold milk and fresh baked (warm) chocolate chip cookies!  An event made possible by Don (my Schwann's guy) who showed up Thursday afternoon with a frozen box of chocolate chip cookie dough rounds and a smile. Evil.  
Right up there with the girl scouts and their boxed temptations.

Happiness is a cold mug of milk and fresh baked cookies!

A step in the right direction as the BSA have made the decision to "allow" gay scouts". Helpful hint...there have always been gay scouts...the new ruling just means that they won't be openly discriminated against or hopefully made feel like outcasts now. And proving that they are missing THE POINT entirely...they are continuing the ban on Gay Scout Leaders...although apparently Paedophiles are still welcome...not unlike the Catholic Church...to apply and serve. Get a clue, people.
Shaking my head.  

Proud of MJ and Brenda today. Two of my DS sisters. Check out the interview they shared about our group and Gatherings with the Twin Cities News Live:

http://twincitieslive.com/article/stories/s3042115.shtml?cat=10692

The PA Gathering has snowballed into a huge event. We've even extended invitations to Oprah and Ellen...lol.  We're 115 strong, these days. And pleased to announce that Darleen's "Bring a Brit To The States" campaign was a huge success and Dave will indeed be winging his way "across the pond" in August!

Rumours that STAN...whisked away since The Cruise by Lillian (she has been keeping him "Chicago-style"...in her trunk) will also be making the rounds.
Probably still pining for that Canadian Hussy, LuAnn. She is also coming in August :)

Can't wait!

Anticipating the September release of Stephen King's- Dr. Sleep, but for now have both of his sons (Joe Hill...his full name Joseph Hillstrom King...and Owen King's) new releases in queue. Hill's latest offering NOS4A2- (nosferatu...get it?) and Owen King's debut novel Double Feature. I love Hill's writing and am looking forward to seeing what Owen King has to offer!

This week's book. Rather dismal. Finished Kurt Vonnegut: Letters. Edited by Dan Wakefield. Basically a compilation of letters written by Kurt Vonnegut to various individuals through his life. Perhaps this would have been a more interesting read if the correspondence would have included the various responses...but my gut feeling is that it would have made very little difference.  

My initial thoughts?

What if the minutia of your life's correspondence (anyone's) were on display for all the world to read. Included in this collection were some fairly revealing and painful letters to his daughter Nan...who never quite forgave him for his divorce and much later remarriage. So maybe the question isn't whether or not this book should be read...but whether it should have been written/published/revealed at all.  I have read several post-humus Vonnegut pieces in the years since his demise. Some by ersatz friends...one by a long ago lover.

All uniformly bad.

Perhaps it is time to enjoy the Vonnegut that was
 ...and let Kurt  
"repose en pace"

So there is chicken to BBQ, corn to roast, sweet potatoes to mash and salad to toss. Chris has a Memorial Day gig lined up at the lake...and I am working on the second manuscript in the Zen Living series today. Life is good!

Taking a moment of silent gratitude for those who have served...stood in harm's way for the freedoms we so often take for granted. And a special nod to my dad. My grandfather who raised me...and served overseas in WWII.  The European Tour. And I would say if it weren't for you...and guys like you...I would be speaking German today...except you came home from the war and years later- you taught me German- anyway...go figure.

"Ich leibst du- auf Jeden Fall"

                                                        1923-2004
                                                              Dad










 

A Crazy Cat-Lady Cup

My friend Tess has now officially earned the moniker "...crazy cat lady..."

To bring you up to speed...she actually only owns two of them. Along with the feral siblings (3) we have been bottlefeeding. Until someone dumped a very large pregnant female near her house. And she took it in. And it had 6 kittens. 2+3+1+6= a grand total of 12 cats/kittens. Whereas it solved her immediate problem (bottle feeding the three ferals) as the mother immediately took them on as her own...it created a set all of its own. Namely...finding homes for 10 cats. Too bad it isn't closer to Halloween

"Trick or Treat"

"Here's your kitten."

The news of my tiny "tiger" taking a sad downturn. Shelby didn't make it. Buried her beneath my Seiseki Stone at the edge of my gardens. Woke this morning already missing her loud feed-me's and her tiny purrs and snuggles afterwards.  Even Tucker is padding around the house looking for her.

~sigh~  

These things happen.

A wonderful surprise yesterday morning as I opened the knock on the door to an FTD guy with boxed flowers from my oldest son. Everyone should receive boxed flowers at least once in their life. Not the tissue wrapped to your door from a local florist kind. Yeah. The other kind. This makes the second time in my life I have received boxed flowers. The first arriving on my birthday in 1988. Sent by an old friend/lover...opening the door to a long burgundy box wrapped with a satin cream ribbon. In it a dozen long stemmed red roses. Yeah. It is one of those moments you never forget. 

Anyway, yesterday, my long box contained a crystal vase and a dozen purple and white Delphiniums. Just gorgeous on my oak table with morning coffee. Thanks, kid!
I love you and miss you, too!

Enjoyed cooking with the first of my fresh herbs last night. An Italian dish that left the kitchen smelling heavenly, like a trattoria.

Zucchini Cassolette with Parmesan and Basil

Slice 2 medium zucchini lengthwise in half...arrange in lightly olive-oiled baking dish covering bottom.

Top with thin sliced onion, chopped fresh garlic, thin sliced green peppers, halved white mushrooms, chopped fresh Roma tomatoes or a chunky marinara sauce, and 1/2 cup Italian herb bread crumbs.

Shave a thick layer of fresh Parmesan cheese over the top. (...do NOT use that "sawdust in a shaker" stuff posing as Parm...this dish requires the genuine thinly shaved article.) A half inch or more is perfect.

Snip fresh basil, oregano, and garlic chives and sprinkle herbs over the top. (...the nice thing about snipping your fresh herbs is that it only makes them grow stronger and bushier...)

Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. The top will be golden brown and bubbly. Serves four.

Garnish with a rosette of fresh basil and serve with a chunk of herbed garlic bread and a good wine.

Mangia!
















 

Time for a Cup

Or a glass...or perhaps the whole damn bottle...

And yes...rumors of my demise are (as Twain wryly commented) "greatly exaggerated".

It all started with a simple upgrade to the latest and greatest version of Linux...started much too late in the evening...and babysat...until it was very late and I saw it progressing nicely...so I muttered those fateful words

"It's nearly done...what could possibly go wrong, now?"

and settled in for a good night's sleep...prepared to awake to my bright shiny new OS/Update in the morning with coffee.

Apparently the Update requires FULL PARENTAL SUPERVISION...who knew? 

On the upside...after basically an Internetless week...I have honed my telephone skills with those who called to find out if I had Fallen off the Earth and Been Consumed by Dragons...coffee and chat with "Idgy" became a telephone based affair as well...the house has never been cleaner...my mini garden and flowerbeds look amazing and thriving...red geraniums...irises bloomed and no visible weeds...the Frog Spa is re-mossed and filled and ready for the little hoppers...and Tess brought me a tiny black and white feral newborn kitten, a can of Tiny Tiger and Bottle.

 (See what happens when you can't look up cute kittehs on the internetz????) 

One of a litter of four...and she knows I am a sucker for a black and white cat. The rest were variations of tiger stripe.


Tucker is aghast.  

"It's LOUD,  Mom!"

(...perhaps I shall name her mini-me...)

Actually, I named her "Shelby" (like the Mustang GT 500) and to her credit she is just as LOUD comparatively~  and on a more or less two hour schedule.

Chris...ever the comedian...says meditation is, of course, the only answer.

"Ohmmmm...ighad what have I done?"

"Ohmmm...ighad is she LOUD."

"Ohmmm...ighad what the HELL was I thinking?"

In less than three weeks she will be eating solids. And for THAT I am grateful.

                                                            Shelby

A good week. Checked out Charlie's Chill and Grill with Steve, Loretta and Judy. New eatery in Greencastle...reasonably priced...great food and soft serve ice cream...a nice addition to our town.

Spent a lot of time reading/basking/playing in the "dirt".

Now I'm sun-kissed...have 50% of the beds planted and the rest "on the way". The bright red geraniums clumped here and there...some beneath the purple irises give that corner a very "Red-Hattitude" feel!

Awaiting the arrival of my David Austin (rose) and Meyer (potted) Lemon Tree. The latter having a space reserved in my bathroom for the winter months.

This week's books. One non-fiction. One fiction.

The Non-Fiction:  Kiss my Aster a whimsical gardening book by Amanda Thomsen...where the novice may learn a few things...but everyone will laugh out loud.

Her description of blue fescue:
 
"This is short and chalky blue when planted in full sun. It's brown and dead in the shade."

If you love gardening, plants, or just enjoy a good laugh...this is the book for you. 
Excellent and entertaining read.

The Fiction:  Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. This Oprah Book Club Recommendation is possibly the finest piece I have read this year.  A journey through the lives of Hattie and her children. A black woman transplanted from Pennsylvania to Georgia during segregation and the strength it takes to "get by" sometimes.
Definitely a must read.

 Friday evening spend with Donna, Eric, Dane, Chris and the rest of their "Dag" crew. Us watching the boys with their "Dag Weapons" on the lawn safely out of harm's way. Eric brandishing the grill for kebabs of grape tomatoes...steak...red onion...red, green and yellow bell pepper...smoked sausage...ham and water chestnuts.
"You have to squeeze the grilled grape tomato over the kebab"
and Eric referring to them as

"...grilled orbs of death..." 

Guess who doesn't eat tomatoes?


And catching up with all the boys on Saturday...with an early morning call from James

"Did you know your Town Square is burning?"

Enormous fire. Several businesses gutted. Especially sad given the amount of work recently done to refurbish the Town Square. Happily no one was injured.  And the news of he and Carl...roommates again...working hard and playing hard in Florida.Both considering learning to parasail over the Bay.

Chris swooping by with Zach on their way to who-knows-where...and surprised to see Zach has lost a good 25-30 pounds since college and added a few inches height. It is good to see them out and about together again. Both have the same twisted sense of humor and rapier wit. Entertaining just to watch them banter together.

And checking in with Lennon who is happy and doing well with his classes and has decided to go for the whole four year bachelor program.  
Huge surprise!  And plans to see him next April during the West Palm Beach/Ft. Lauderdale/Sarasota/Tampa/Port Richie tour...and possibly even San Juan for a couple days!

So...hoping to get the remaining glitches worked out with this machine soon and settling in with a bedtime cup of tea...after feeding "Shelby"...again.   

Where the hell does a 4 inch less than 4 ounce kitten put it all???

A Mother's Day Cup

                        Nothing says Mother's Day like Flowers and Chocolate       

                                                    
Woke to Ghirardelli's and bottled Coke this morning...waiting on James' box from Tampa (slowest postal system ever...but I know you'll love it, Mom)...and have decide on this Damask Rose from David Austin's

                                                  Queen of Sweden
                             

And got a nice surprise as one of my existing roses had a single bloom beginning on it this morning...picked before it was fully unfurled...but smells amazing). And all three bushes are budded out nicely. As well as the Irises.

Biscuit and gravy breakfast with Chris and calls from all my boys!  Lennon off soon to take his Grandmother out for a special "Mother's Day Brunch" in Bradenton...and James heading with Carl to a Tampa beach to paddle-board the bay before the work week begins (again) tomorrow.

                 (Overwhelming urge to start singing the Banana Boat Song!)



             Day-oh...Daaaay...Oh...


Played in the plants for a bit...and even got to slip under Chris' car for some automotive therapy today (replacing the fuel filter and needed the extra hand while loosing the old filter, immobilized by rust and time) so now the drop-cloth...my sweatshirt...and the rest of me has that wonderful "shop" aroma.  They should bottle it :)

"Garage Babe" by Calvin Klein.   
                                        ~laughing~

Haven't played under a car for a couple years.
 Almost forgot how much I love it!

"ALMOST"


Enjoying a film shortly. Completely chocolated out.

Wonderful Mother's Day!
Thanks Guys!

Chris- 23
Lennon- 24
James-  (at the time of this photo) 25
            







My "Babies"...All Grown Up!



The Snow Peas seem to have florished under the "kitty greenhouse"

An Evening Cup and Pasties

                                     Savory Meat Pastie and Dipping Gravy
                          

A chill in the air and a deluge of rain. The perfect time for homemade pasties.
Nothing says snug, warm, and home like a savory meat pie dipped in warm gravy!

The first one I ever had was in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near Whitefish Bay. Those wacky Yoopers. How was I suppose to know that they loaded their's with Rutabaga. Hint: There is not enough gravy on the planet to get rid of the flavour of baked rutabaga. The next I tried (yes...there was a next time...once they promised they had used civilised ingredients like onion/potato/cheese with the beef/spice mixture) it was surprisingly agreeable. Immediately, I requested the recipe!  Will share in a bit.


The storm rumbling through tonight, but overall it has been a lovely week.

Have finished two chapters in the second book of Zen Living...edited and with photos...this week. Weeded and planted and the flowers/gardenspot is really coming along. The snow peas are up about 3 inches! Ran off yesterday for some "mall-ratting" at the Honey Creek Mall in Terre Haute with friends...never ever get too old to mall-rat...and had a wonderful time. Started the morning at Cinnabon for cafe au lait and a huge cinnamon roll slathered with butter and cream cheese icing.  Shopped...sampled perfumes...lotions and make-up...played with hats...found the best new mist/fragrance/body lotion at Bath and Bodyworks (Forever Red) and bought some...maybe not replacing Giorgio...but certainly adding to my options...found Loretta's drapes and the leather handbag she has been search for at Penny's...plundered Macy's and all the little boutiques. Plopped down in the massage chairs for a quick pick-me-up...and on to Yankee Candles for the scent du jour (Lilac) votives and tarts...Bourbon Chicken and ending the day where we began with a cup of coffee for the road...lol...

I miss the bookstore at the Mall. 

Loving the warm sunny days and Tucker camps on my lap as I read out on the patio. Several in the works right now from the local library. A Compilation of Letters by Kurt Vonnegut (edited by Dan Wakefield)...The Twelve Tribes of Hattie...on the TBR pile...and a recently released non-fiction by renowned paleontologist Marlene Zuk entitled Paleofantasy examining homo sapient evolution and the more recent attempts to re-create an ersatz "natural" paleo-life including diet.  Her basic gist: Evolve People.

Excellent body of thought-provoking work.

Looking forward to the Mother's Day Weekend! Had to laugh today when Lennon (our middle's) card arrived early with the proclamation "From Your Good Son"  And a gift of a David Austin Rose Certificate.

The whole thing made funnier by the fact his brothers have referred to him (this term) for years, now.

Back to the manuscript. Tea's gone!

                                         James...at a (friend's daughter) Disney Birthday Party.
                                         WORD: When a little girl hands you
                                         a birthday hat...no matter how old you
                                         are...you put that sucker on!

 


Pastie Recipe (pronounced Pass-Tee)


Pastry

 2 cups flour
1/4 cup butter or beef suet
1/4 tsp dried savory
1/8 tsp coarse cracked pepper
1/8 tsp  salt
2-3 Tablespoons cold water

Cut fat and flour together until pea sized.
Add spices.
Add water and mix until ball of dough forms.

Pich ball of dough into 4 equal parts and roll each out into a large circle.


Filling:

1 pound ground beef (uncooked)

3 medium sized potatoes chopped fine

1/2 medium sized onion chopped fine

1 teaspoon dried savory

1/8 teaspoon garlic

salt and pepper


Combine filling in large bowl and mix well. Form 4 oblong patties with mixture.

Place one patty on one side of each pastry circle...moisten edges of pastery when folding over and crimp like pie crust to seal.

Do with three remaining pasties.

Place on non-stick baking sheet...brush each with butter and sprinkle with additional dried savory and coarse crack pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour or until pastry is golden brown.

Serve with a side of brown gravy for dipping.

Serves four.  Can be doubled.

Warning: Do not expect the crust on these hand-pies to be the delicate flaky affair you see in Beef Wellington. These pies were originally created to withstand the rigors of traveling in a lunch pail or saddlebag. A hearty working-man's meal.

A Rainy Monday Cup and the Return of the Frogs

                                           (...last summer's frog spa...)



It appears I must get "hopping" on the refurbishment of the Frog Spa...this afternoon the Chorus Frogs are back en force after the Spring rains!

It is nice to hear them back. Last summer a gang of six took up residence for the warm months in the Spa and I treated them to meal worms (sky-food) so often that when I settled next to the small reflective pool six tiny froggy heads would pop expectantly out of its glassy surface.

The fresh morels got me thinking about times past. Specifically...The Greatest Morel Tale I was ever involved in.

Submitted it to hopefully be vetted along with one of the Morel Photos involved in the caper to CNN's iReport

(viewable here)

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-968753

So here's hoping!

And to Karl and Sal who sat over Chicago-Style Pizza with Lillian, Diane and I discussing "having game" one hot summer day...

Boys...that's GAME.  ~laughing~
 And I'm the COACH.

(...hearing Sal mutter..."yeah...a camera and ti...er...boobs..what is fair about that?"...)

And the Ironman 3 review from two of my three sons (Chris and Lennon) who ended up seeing it on the same evening (several states apart) and both agreeing that Robert Downey Jr. just gets better and better and that it is "awesome"...also warning me to wait past the credits for the "Easter egg"   :)
So I'm passing it on.

                            (The boys together during Lennon's Christmas Break)


Off soon to the garden shop for a few more supplies now that the rain has stopped!  My green beans are swimming...may need a replant.

A Morning Cup and Morels :)

Yes...the rain and warmer sunny week helping the wild ones "pop" at last :)

The bottoms and my spored patch, sadly decimated, from the more than 10 inches of rain in April...and these few (wild) appearing rather beat up themselves.

Luckily...the nearby garden shop ships in from the NW and Wisconsin...and they always have oodles...lol... Jack (the proprietor) always teasing that his "special morel patch" is always Indianapolis International Airport...and they are always there...rain or shine.

Also available online shipped to your door the very next morning.

The Internet is amazing!

In the gardenspot the sets/flowers and seeds couldn't be happier, after 75-80 degree temps and several good showers...everything is thriving!

 Even the snow-peas have sprouted despite Tucker-Cat's proclivity to curl up on top of them. Maybe the added kitty-warmth was akin to a warm fur-covered greenhouse. ~laughing~

                                                      

Pitching in with Darleen (and the rest of our little family) in her self-proclaimed endeavor to "Bring a Brit Over The Pond"  seemingly successful...with Dave's passport renewed and arrangements made. Already the plotting and planning and scheming begins...as Dave has an uncanny resemblance to Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard) complete with the freshly waxed bald head. Leading Vicki (...our Yiddish teacher...and all around rabble rouser...and you KNOW how easy it is to rouse our rabble...) suggested that we should all bring the brightest lipstick we could find and plant bright kisses all over said bald head...then get a photo :)  Sal and Jeff and Ralph and Loran would love to assist, Dave. But they'll be too busy laughing and trying to breathe.

So excited. Only 104 more "sleeps".

Our Circle of Family numbering 114 these days...with this Pennsylvania Gathering turning into the largest to date. Can't wait to see everyone from Iowa again...and to meet many for the first time...even though they have been brothers and sisters for over two years now.

Bringing Dave over from the UK is just icing on the cake!

And yes, Vicki...there will be cake. And BROWNIES (Ralph the "wonder-bear" promised...being from Colorado and all)

And only 79 more days until "Idgy" arrives for our Summer Adventure! Can't wait, girl!  Us...a bonfire...a beach and a bottle of Gallo... Sounds like summer fun to me :)

This week's book  Letters From The Dustbowl by Caroline Henderson. A compilation of articles and letters written from 1908-1966 capturing not only the feel and flavor of the Oklahoma Dustbowl era...but also the rising Civil rights Movement and the Vietnam War.  Excellent. A must read!

Baking a cherry cobbler on this cool misty day...and working on my latest manuscript :)

Life is good!