Finally ...The Sun!

Well this morning it looked like it was going to be another washed out day. I peered out my bedroom window and into the low corner of my yard and ta da! A lake... a pond... and ducks. yes, in fact ducks were swimming in my backyard. That did not bode well for the garden work. But I pressed on. I headed over to Lowe's, picked up some fencing, some stakes, some weed barrier and some more seed pots.

Driving back home the sky grew dark and boy did the wind whip! Ugh. I went inside and did some work and then joy of joys - the sun came out. It was still windy but I was determined to get outside. It was great - I was able to do a lot of weeding, straightening up of the rock border. I even got most of the fencing up - I still have to decide what to do about a garden gate.

I was able to prune down and trim many of my plants. I even got a chance to start to train my blackberry bush around a trellis.

It was so nice to take a break and sit on the bench and dream about my garden. I have a plan for my herb plot and a great idea for a movable trellis for my beans.

My new little plastic greenhouses came in the mail. I popped them up today. I am going to place them in a bare spot in the garden. Unfortunately tomorrow it is supposed to rain. If it doesn't I will place the greenhouses. Even if it does rain I am going to cover the dining room table with plastic and plant my seeds.

Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Yumm-o from Martha Stewart.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup butter at room temp, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable shortening melted and cooled, 1 large egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in melted shortening. Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Using a 2 1/2 inch ice cram scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 4 inches apart. Bake until edges are firm, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Snickerdoodles

I love cookies. These snickerdoodles are a cookie lover's dream!

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, 1 cup unsalted butter at room temp.,1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into twenty 1 3/4-inch balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

These cookies barely have time to cool before my family starts to eat them up!

Love My Knifty Knitter

I have always wanted to knit but I completely lack the coordination and let's face it the patience. So, a few years ago I found this "knifty knitter" in JoAnns. They come in circles and other shapes. Looms - mini looms are what they are! I have been "knitting" hats and scarves with them and they really come out looking great.

I have found one that looks just like a straight line and now I am "knitting" sections to put together to make an afghan for Mother's Day. It should be really pretty. So far I have only used rose colored cotton thread but think I am going to add other colors to it.

Blame Someone Else Day

I was reading a post on MaryJane's FarnGirl Sisterhood forum this afternoon. One of the girls was discussing that she heard announced on the radio that it was "Blame Someone Else" Day. She was appalled and suggested that instead she was going to "Praise someone else" today. I felt myself agreeing but thinking in the back of my head "Lighten up" to the outraged sister.

Then I stopped myself. Lighten up? I recalled my week, as a substitute teacher, in the classroom of 8th graders and 1st graders. This whole week has been "blame someone else". Rarely when I had to address any type of disciplinary situation had any student actually taken responsibility for their actions.

Lighten up? Flashback to the last 17 years that I spent, mostly as Vice Principal, 1 year as Principal of the same Elementary School. Let's face it - Vice Principal should just be synonymous with "Warden". How many kids actually took responsibility for their actions? How many parents actually allowed them to take responsibility and face the consequences? Precious few. (And I could go on forever about that and probably will at a later date).

So kudos to the outraged farm girl. And kudos to her speaking out against it. Kudos to taking a self centered narcissistic day and turning it into a day to praise other people.

I can only hope that there are many more people who are involved in the lives of children who feel this same way and don't say, "Lighten up".

Mary Higgins Clark

Mary Higgins Clark. When I see her name embossed across the front of a glossy paperback I can feel myself start to salivate. Actually salivate. I can devour a Mary Higgins Clark mystery as fast as I can devour a piece of chocolate cake.

But why would I want to do that? It is so deliciously wonderful to read her books that I try, really try, not to read it so quickly.

I know, I know she has a "formula" for her books. But you know what? I am hooked. I love the way she describes the setting , I love the way her characters are strong but also flawed. I love the last minute switcheroo that she does. Love..love...love.

So I bought her latest out in paperback "The Shadow of Your Smile" at Costco on sale. I tried to read it slowly....but it is finished...and it was delicious.

Now where is that chocolate cake?

Excited about new camera

OK - I used some of my puppet money and finally went to Target and bought myself a new digital camera. I took my daughter, Sara Jane, with me because, well because, (whisper) she knows more about this than I do.

We finally picked out a camera, on sale, about $30.00 that I can plug directly into my computer and download pictures. So now there is some hope that I will be able to post more pictures here.