Little Gnome in the Dunes

I swear that I saw this little guy this morning when I was in Ocean Grove!

True, he may have been blown away. It was very windy today. I headed into Ocean Grove to my favorite art gallery/shop for local artists - The Main Street Galleria.

They have the most lovely things in there. Beautiful bracelets and necklaces made from silver spoons. Sea glass turned into pendants. Soda pop tabs transformed into stunning jewlery. The paintings are gorgeous - mostly sea scapes and the surrounding area. The tents in Ocean Grove, the Great Auditorium, The Casino in Asbury Park, Convention Hall and mermaids. Lots of mermaids.

After I roamed in there I walked around the town and then down to the beach. It was a sunny but windy day. That is when I saw the little gnome in the dune.

At The End of A Long Day....

It was the end of a long day today. I had subbed yesterday for 6th - 8th grade science classes and today it was all about 5th grade science classes. It was a long two days. And today was rainy cold and just plain yucky out.

I knew I had some oatmeal raisin cookies waiting for me at home and the thought of them sitting there waiting for me made me happy. I walk in the door and - the cookies are gone (courtesy of my husband). That's OK I am thinking I have left over potato chips from my Panera dinner last night and - gone (courtesy of my daughter).

What to do? What to do? Panicky, I ran to the kitchen and opened my baking drawer. Flour, sugar, baking powder,egg, cocoa powder, butter? Yes, yes ,yes YES!!! (i felt like Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally").

Humming happily I mixed all of my lovely ingredients up and....nirvana achieved.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I was really in the mood for some oatmeal raisin cookies. There is just something about the chewy, oaty, brown sugary, buttery, raisiny taste that I adore. Adore.

I love it so much that, if I am not careful, most of the dough wouldn't even make it into the oven - not even to the baking sheet - not even off the spoon.

I love to try to eat them hot out of the oven with a big glass of milk (even though milk, now, is no longe good for you).

I love to eat them later when they get even chewier.

I love to put them into my cake server and see them sitting on the counter waiting for me.

Listen! I can hear them calling.

Osama Bin Laden is Dead

Happy 68th Birthday Dad!

So today is my dad's birthday. The picture above shows him with all 3 grandchildren.

My dad is the best dad in the world. He has helped me through so much and supported me in everything I have done or tried to do. Besides all of that he is just plain fun! So in honor of dad "Old Guys Rule!"

One of My Favorite Things....

This is one of my favorite curios. I love the idea of two people sitting down to tea and enjoying themselves. I love the homey feeling I get when I look at this. I also love the chickens on the mantle!

Royal Wedding

OK OK I will admit it. I am an unabashed anglophile. I love all things British. I could not wait to see the royal wedding this morning.

I woke up a little before 6am and began with Kate leaving her hotel with her dad. I savored every wave, every smile, every flag waving, crowd cheering part of it. I started getting panicky because I had agreed to sub today.

I showered in between the I Dos and hymn singing. I dressed in between hymns and sermons. I sat at the edge of my couch trying to gauge how fast I could realistically get down the GSP to Lincroft. How many lights would really be red once I got onto 520? I didn't really need to eat breakfast, or make lunch -- but I did need my am tea. Right - 3 minutes to get the tea. My daughter convinced me to wait a bit longer, "Until they get in the carriage mom."

Kate and Wills walked down the aisle got into the carriage and... I was off! Down the GSP in record time. Down 520 and into the parking lot in a blur. I signed in ran upstairs and the other teachers had the TV on. I was just in time to watch them arrive at Buckingham Palace.

I fiddled with the screen in my classroom and voila (or ta da)! When my first class came in we were able to see the royal couple come out onto the balcony and the 2 royal first kisses!

I absolutely loved it all. Her dress was so Grace Kelly-like. Simple yet stunning. She was beautiful. he looked like he was just beaming from head to toe. It just warms the heart to see all that happiness.