WILDFLOWERS AND WANDETTES...AND BREAKFAST

Whoever said breakfast improves your day doesn't know what the heck they are talking about. I am not a breakfast person. But since a friend had been asking me to breakfast for a couple of days, I did agree to go, finally. He is an early riser and a great fan of breakfasts. So I set my alarm, got Shabree up and ready to go and we got to Chisholm only about 5 minutes late. While they had large, hearty breakfasts, I had a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of water. My day took a nosedive shortly after leaving. ....No, it couldn't be because I succumbed to junk food the night before, or that I only got about 5 hours of sleep the night before.

So then Shabree and I headed to town, but stopped in the cemetery along the way to count the graves I needed 'flower holders' for. (Never end a sentence with a preposition.) These white wild flowers were all over the place, and I stopped by the back fence and took a photo of these amid the thick cover of oak leaves and fence brush. We saw these all along the highway too. The wonderful rain we've had over the past few days caused some of the wildflowers to come up, finally. It's too hot by this time of year, though, for most of our flashier, more well-known varieties to still grow and bloom. We missed out this spring because of our severe drought.
There were also some clumps of these in the fenceline too. They look white in the photo, but were actually purple.

When we left the cemetery, Shabree and I went on to Beeville to do some quick shopping for clothes for her, and chicken wire and pvc pipe for me. Yeah, I lead a glamorous life. I was going to stop at the supermarket too, but during breakfast realized that I was a day ahead of myself, so got a short reprieve from having to buy the ingredients for the main dishes I am making for the luncheon on Friday. Besides, our fridge is stuffed, so it would have been a major job to squeeze more in without cleaning it out first.

Then we came back to Skidmore and went to the parish office so I could help the secretary for a little while, then accommpany her to Beeville to pick up some dry cleaning - vestments - that were supposed to be done last week. Guess what, once again they were not ready, even though the owner assured her last week that they would be ready this time, by Tuesday. And here it is Wednesday... I am thinking they ruined something and aren't fessing up to it yet. Anyway, we had lunch at Jalisco, and Shabree and I brought most of ours home for the dogs, since we were still full from breakfast, and I was still a little too nauseous to eat much.

When we finally got home, Shabree was anxious to set up a Wandette scene, so here it is - Marlene, Barbara and Jenna having lunch at a restaurant. I stayed stretched out of the couch, except when I got up to take the photo.

SHABREE'S VISITING!

And she's asleep by 11:30pm. She was dropped off here late this afternoon. I really didn't expect her until after the 1st, so was doubley thrilled to see her come in the door. But she has to go back to Austin in a few days, I think, and THEN will be back to stay longer.
We have a busy day tomorrow. We are having an early breakfast with a friend, and then we need to hurry to Beeville to the supermarket, again, to get the things I didn't get today. I forgot that I need things for a luncheon on Friday. After that, we are having lunch with another friend and I need to take someone to Beeville to run a work-related errand.
Shabree had only been here a few minutes when Chuck returned from the cabin, so he took her back over there to see her 'surprise'. He had bought her a new horse a few days ago. She named her 'Starlight'. I sent the camera with them and hoped to get a photo, but they forgot. I couldn't go because I already had dinner started and was in my nightgown. Well, actually, the nightgown didn't stop me - I go over there lots of times like that.

CHURCH LADY HATS...TRYING TO GET IT OUT OF MY SYSTEM

Miz Wanda Dale's Red Hat...the Gabby Hayes look.
Miz Wanda Wynona's Leopard Print Hat...Gabby Hayes gone wild. Actually, I bought this one for a rockabilly scarecrow last October, but never used it.
Miz Wanda Clara's Cowboy Hat from Mexico - The Lonesome Dove Look
Miz Wanda Leilani's Handpainted Tropical Hat
Miz Wanda Jane Means Business! This one has gone to church too, once a year or two ago, I think.
Miz Wanda Jenny modeling Shabree's Green Hat - Actually I've worn this one to Mass twice lately....the 'Jenny Cavaleri' (spelled right???) look. Shabree's worn it to Mass once or twice, too.
Miz Wanda Josephine modeling Shabree's Hat of Many Colors - I thought about wearing this one to town today, but didn't.
I do have at least a couple more hats that I forgot about while taking these photos. I used to have a small collection of vintage hats, but I sold them to an antique shop. Okay, maybe I am over hats for awhile, now.

AND MORE CHURCH WOMEN IN HATS

Or is that, 'Women in Church Hats'? Speaking of church, today was the last day of children's religious education classes until August 20th. I did not wear a hat.



Miz Geneva's Purple Hat



Miz Rowena's White Hat



Miz Beatrice's Red Hat



Miz Rosalie's Pink Hat



Miz Dorothy's Red Hat



Miz Vivi's Green Hat

CHURCH WOMEN IN HATS

First 5 in a series of artist trading cards.
Miz Myrtle's Blue Hat
Miz Alvina's Blue Hat
Miz Regina's Orange Hat
Miz Naomi Ruth's Blue and White Hat
Miz Mae-Jean's Pink Hat

BORN TO BE WIIIIIIILD...

Today has been long on 'entertainment' and short on productivity. First thing this morning I went with Reagan, Amy and Mathieu to a supposed-to-be huge yard sale off of Highway 59, way the heck out there. We got there to find that it had shrunk considerably from the advertizement in the classifieds, and nothing advertized specifically was anywhere to be found. What a concept to draw buyers to a mediocre sale! Well, not really, I guess... Reagan heard the man telling someone that their water well went out the night before and so that caused them to just not push ahead with extra effort in the yard sale...

After that, Reagan had to go to Tractor Supply to get something for the horses, and that's when I took the photo of Mathieu on the small motorcycle. He tried out the display of go-carts too. They all looked like fun. Then we got breakfast tacos and came home.

At noon, Lydia and I went out to lunch. She did have some things to take care of in Beeville, but they got postponed until next week. But we went to Beeville for lunch anyway and ate at K-Bob's.

There is another funeral here tomorrow, but I am not sure if they are having the meal in the hall afterwards. If so, I'm going to have to scramble a little to get something prepared in the morning. Yes, Skidmorians, Skidmites, Skidlings... ?...are still dropping like flies. It really does seem strange that so many people are dying around here lately. This is at least number 9 - maybe higher... Not to be macabre, but that seems like a rather high number for such a small town.

Other than the aforementioned, about all I did today was putter around with the potted plants a little, take care of the dogs and cats, play on the computer, watch a little tv, and paint a few more artist trading cards. What a bum!

DO I LOOK LIKE A CRACKHEAD TO YOU?

Here is the new pot I bought and then planted with a variety of new plants and put by the front door. I thought the light blue looked nice, considering the shoes hanging from the shoe tree are done in pastels. So I moved the pot of zinnias out back.

Today is chili rellenos day at Taqueria Jalisco in Beeville, so I called Andrew to see if he wanted to go out to lunch, then went to pick him up. I also had to go get some art work copied and get some things at the supermarket. I got the ingredients to make the artichoke-tomato salsa with pita bread chips that I read about on Cookbook Junkie's blog. Maybe I'll make it tomorrow. If I do, I'll try to remember to post a photo. I dropped off my prescription bottle at the pharmacy on the way in, but then forgot to pick it up on the way out. D'oh! Now I have to go back to town tomorrow. And after I was regaling Andrew with how the world would be a much better place if people didn't waste gas so much but conserved gas - and everything - better. I don't think I'll borrow a bike and ride it to Beeville tomorrow though...or saddle up the horse either.

I got into a conversation with someone...who shall remain nameless... about the number of people who are now selling newpapers on the street corners in town. This has only been since Nov. or Dec. Before that there were no street corner sales to the traffic going by. He...or she...said "Why do you go out of your way to buy one from them, when it's much easier to get one at a store you go into anyway?" I contend that they wouldn't be selling the papers in the heat on the street corners if they didn't really need the money. He...or she... contended that they were crackheads or homeless people doing it for beer money and should get a regular job. So when I went into the Bee-Picayune office for my copies, I commented to the guy who waited on me about the number of newspaper persons on the streets now. He perked up and was tellng me about territories and acting like he thought I was considering doing it. Ha! He obviously doesn't know me at all! I asked him if they had to be bonded...thinking that would disprove 'someone's' theory, but he didn't know. He said it really wasn't his department and recommended me to someone else. Oh, well... Soooo....after we left, I asked 'someone' if he...or she... thought I looked more like a crackhead or a homeless person after beer money. I realize I don't exactly 'dress for success', but I don't drink beer either. LOL! Oh, well...
So, on the way back home, I stopped in the cemetery and cut a piece off of one of the shrubs growing by my great-grandparents' and great uncle's graves. After I got home, I re-cut it under water, trimmed off some distressed parts and stuck it in the water with the ivy. Does anyone have any idea what it might be? It's from a shrub about 2'-3' tall.

Sidenote: TAYLOR HICKS WON AMERICAN IDOL - YAYYYY! "SOUL PATROL - SOUL PATROL!!!"
Now I have to get back to the finale of Top Chef. Go Harold!

SOMEWHAT PRODUCTIVE DAY

I did this artist trading card today...with colored pencils and ink instead of paints. Not sure what to name it... 'Esperanza Starts Over'? Maybe.

Today was a pretty good day. I got laundry done, changed the bedding, got all the new plants potted, got the deck about halfway cleaned off, finished painting the metal table base and a metal hanging plant shelf/holder thing. I got one side of the glass top table cleaned, although I'm sure it will need to be done better tomorrow. I started off with Windex, but it was way too dirty for that, so I sprayed it with the hose and wiped it down. Tomorrow I'll Windex it. Then I'll have to have someone help me lift it up onto the table base, and then I'll clean the other (top) side of the glass. Then I'll get the plants set on it, safely out of Patti-Jo's and Coconut's reach. I'm trying to situate the table where it can be used as a table, too, but I also need it where the plants will be shaded as much as possible, which is going to be too close to the side of the house to be able to sit facing out, I think.
So tomorrow, I'm going to try to finish cleaning the deck, and doing all that.

TIRED....

It's not even 10pm yet, but I am going to have to go to bed. I just feel completely tired and achey. I guess it's too many very late nights and early mornings lately. I am too exhausted to even upload a new photo, so this doll scene from last year, with three of Shabree's dolls will have to do. I took the photo, while Shabree, with the aid of a hiking stick and fishing line, enabled the Cabbage Patch doll to jump rope.

I just got back from taking a food handler's class in the next town. Blah...but now I can legally serve food 'to the public' in parish fundraisers. Afterwards I went to Walmart to get more spray paint and a picture frame. I started painting the metal frame to the glass top table for the deck today, but ran out of paint.

Other than that, all I got done today was to help Lydia in the office until noon, then we had lunch at Chisholm. Also this afternoon I potted some mixed flowers in a new blue pot I bought. Maybe tomorrow I'll post a photo of that. I have more plants to get into pots tomorrow, too.

Oh, and today I saw the guy that owns the business that has been supposed to fix my broken kitchen window since JANUARY. So I stopped and asked him - for about the 10th time - what the deal was. Blah, blah, blah.... apologies, excuses and promises. Yeah, I know where that is going.

MATHIEU'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Today Mathieu had his 4th birthday party. His birthday was April 30, but today he finally had his party with other kids invited. - In the photo is Mathieu 4, Matthew - 3, and Myda - 4. Sarah 7, Eddie 10 and Zachary 11 were there too.
The kids played on the trampoline, rode the bikes, kiddy car and kiddy tractors, played on the swings, rode one of the horses and ran all over the front 7 or so acres.
Reagan and Amy grilled hamburgers and had the fixings to go with it, plus a Sponge Bob Squarepants birthday cake. Jay and Esther, Eddie and Elena, Craig and his wife, and Chuck and I were the grown-ups there.
Last night Zachary and Mathieu spent the night at the cabin with Chuck as they do almost every Friday night. So this morning he took them out for breakfast at The Chisholm Trail. Mathieu made the announcement to everyone that it was his birthday, so some of the morning coffee drinkers gave him dollars. He was so surprised and delighted. ;)

GARDENING IN POTS

These three gnomes have their work cut out for them in nurturing these half-dead zinnia that I bought today at Walmart. I love zinnias. They are one of my favorite flowers. Walmart only had about 5 pots of them in red/pink or yellow, and the two pots I bought were the least dead-looking out of the bunch.
I also got a hanging basket of mixed flowers and plants. I guess I mainly got it because of the globe amaranth. We always called them batchelor buttons, but they are really named globe amaranth. Mommie, which is what we called our paternal grandmother, always grew lots of them. They make great cut flowers. For years, here, I had them growing in the front flower beds, then they just died out, when the angel trumpets took over. Then the four o'clocks took over after that, but with the drought, they are almost gone too. Anyway, I am hoping the globe amaranth will provide seed to get another large patch of them going again.
Meanwhile out the back door...
MARLENE - It looks like Wanda planted another large pot of something. I do think it is a yellow bell pepper plant and cinnamon basil! Mmmm...it smells wonderful!
BARBARA - Look at these leaves. Some kind of bug must be preying on them. Wanda must be neglecting these plants.
Well, it looks like she has done some companion planting....basil, tomatoes, peppers together. Basil is probably the most widely used companion for tomatoes. Basil attracts bees to aid in pollination, as well as repels whitefly, aphids and spider mites. And I read that peppers should be planted near tomatoes and basil, too.
JANET - Hey, look! I found a ripening tomato!
BARBARA - And look at the damage on THOSE leaves!
JANET - I heard Wanda telling some one that tomatoes do well planted with stinging nettles.
BARBARA - Stinging nettles?! Oh, good grief!
JANET - Yes, she said, "It's been scientifically proven to dramatically increase the overall yield of tomato plants as well as to deter fungal disease."
BARBARA - Well, I wouldn't believe every hair brained idea that Wanda has. And I just hope she doesn't decide to seed the yard with stinging nettles! Wouldn't that be a mess?!
MARTIN - Hey, look what I found! There are 4 ripe tomatoes on this plant.
BARBARA - And more insect damage.
MARLENE - Well, I do see a couple of ladybugs crawling around on some of the plants.
MACAROON and CARLITO - Arf! Arf!
BARBARA - Gasp! These plants are so crowded together, it's like a jungle here. I lost my shoe when I tripped over that vine.
MARLENE - Well, Wanda can't plant things in the ground this year because of Patti-Jo and Coconut digging everything up. And this soil is very rich. She mixed a lot of compost in these pots.
JANET - This vine is a 'volunteer', I heard her say. What's that?
MARLENE - That means Wanda didn't plant it. It just came up by itself. She doesn't know what kind of a vine it is.
JANET - Here is another tendril from the other side of the pot. It has a pretty flower. Maybe someone will know what kind of vine it is, and tell her...

So how about it? Does anyone reading this have any good guesses? Pumpkin? Cucumber? Squash? Melon? Something else entirely?

TRACKS - RACCOON OR 'POSSUM?

I'm thinking raccoon, probably. I saw these when I got out of the van at the church today. Too bad I didn't have a doll with me to pose with the 'mystery' tracks. Jane West would have been a likely volunteer. Or maybe Martin. ("If a raccoon and a opossum had a fight, who would win?") I looked along the road for more tracks but these were all I found. We've had foxes, javalinas and now raccoons visit the parish in recent days. At least those are the ones we know about.

LIFE IN A SMALL COUNTRY TOWN...

I have gone to 3 funerals within a week and a half. I just got home from the third one not too long ago. I had gone to the Rosary last night, and then today, I took food to the parish hall, and waited for the family and others to come for the meal, after the burial. I served and then washed all the dishes. I think I have found the perfect dish to take to funeral dinners. Yesterday I bought a gallon can of sweet potatoes and a bag of marshmallows, and so I made candied sweet potatoes, which disappeared rather quickly once the serving began. And it was extremely hassle-free to make, for a non-kitchen person like me.

After getting home from the Rosary last night, I changed to my nightgown - ha! - and drove over to Reagan and Amy's to watch American Idol, that she had recorded for me. All of the remaining three contestants are good, of course, but I thought Katharine was better than previously, last night. But you all know Taylor is my favorite. ;) He doesn't have Katharine's amazing voice, but she doesn't have his charisma and entertainment value. I love 'odd' people - to a point, anyway. Elliot's songs were good, and he has a good voice, but to me, he just doesn't ever stand out.

And last night, a weird thing happened... It was late - almost midnight, and I was at the computer (naturally) and Coconut wanted out. I picked her up and carried her through the kitchen door to the laundry room (screened in porch)... I have to give her a safe escort past the volatile mama cat who is enscounced 'en famile' in the
laundry room. The back door is past the laundry room and leads onto the covered 'porch' (cement slab). Anyway, as I opened the door from the kitchen to the laundry room , I could hear major yelling out there. The people in the house behind us...? Maybe... Garrett in his backyard kitty-cornered from us...? No... No other voices, just the one man going on and on with filthy ear-scortching language and
something about a dog. I think he was out in the road beside my back fence, in the dark. I couldn't see a thing without actually getting out there. Needless to say, Coconut didn't get to go potty. Patti-Jo (who stays in the fenced back yard) was barking, but staying well back from the fence, sort of running back to the porch area. Carl was inside sleeping by my desk. I am thinking maybe it was the 'sometimes neighbor' from across the street from the front of my house. Carl absolutely hates him, and barks at him anytime he catches sight of him. But Carl is a big chicken and will not go close to him, staying in our open front yard to bark. But he does throw a fit with the barking anytime he sees this guy. I get him inside whenever I do hear him barking, and he is more than happy to RUN inside. And we keep him inside any time we are gone.
But this person was going on and on about 'why you let your dog do that to me...etc.' Punctuated by hideous profanity and filthy talk, on and on and on. Maybe he thought Patti-Jo was Carl barking. But Patti-Jo is light brown and inside the fence. Carl is black and can be inside the back fence or loose in the front yard...but was sound asleep inside the house then... There is another dog in the neighborhood who is the same color/markings as Carl, but is not as...um...bulky as Carl is. Maybe that dog didn't like this guy swaying and bobbing down the street at midnight either. Who knows?! Anyway, maybe it wasn't even this guy. Maybe it wasn't directed toward us or our dog(s). I just have no idea. Weird.Anyway, that's a slice of life in 'Skidville'... the good, the bad and the stupid.

DIORAMA CONTEST FOR BLOGGERS

I love dioramas! Today, in browsing one of the dozens of blogs I check on daily, I read about a diorama created by a first grader, the daughter of the 'wife' who's blog is "The Farmer Takes A Wife (This One)". Her subject was the desert hare and it's habitat.

Do any of you remember making dioramas in grade school? I know Zach has made an Indian village one. I think I may have made one in elementary school, but don't really remember what it was. Well, anyway, now's your chance to do it again (if you did one before) or to make your first one ever! The subject of your diorama can be whatever you want - ancient Egypt, Washington Crossing the Delaware, Robots Taking Over the World, A Day at the Office, Sock Monkeys Gone Beserk - or anything! Well, let's keep it G-Rated, okay?

Just in case you are not sure what a diorama entails, here's a dictionary definition: A three-dimensional miniature or life-size scene in which figures, stuffed wildlife, or other objects are arranged in a naturalistic setting against a painted background. Life size, as in a museum display and as far as 'painted' - not necessarily, in this case. What I have in mind is more like, contained and movable. In other words, my Barbie scenes would not count, as they are usually done in a bookcase and therefore, not able to be picked up and moved whole.

These photos are not 'dioramas' either, since they are outside and not able to be picked up, scene and all and moved all together to be set down elsewhere.
This one is Shabree posed behind a 'fairy house' in a flower bed.
And this one is a photo of Janet and Stacy on a letterboxing trip to Mustand Island. Stacy was a vacation visitor from Australia.

The dioramas I remember seeing long ago, usually were set up inside an open sided shoe box, and included small figures, objects cut from paper or cardboard, paper mache created items, greenery...things like that. Zachary's Native American/Western Pioneer Diorama was created flat on a piece of plywood, I think. It had a plastic teepee, a plastic buckboard wagon, and used glued rocks, paint, a twig campfire and things like that. But besides these ways to make a diorama, there are many, many other ways too. Be creative! Think outside the box...or inside the box - either way. And the 'box' if you use one, can be any size - tiny or huge. You can google 'diorama' and find many examples.

The Rules:
1. You have to have a blog, so that your diorama can be posted there, and everyone can see it, and read what you have to say about it. Be sure to explain it, pointing out details that we might not notice otherwise. (It doesn't have to be wordy if you don't want it to be.)

2. It has to be transportable - so that the whole diorama is able to be picked up, whole, and moved around. Not because you will be transporting it, necessarily, but because that is a major part of what my definition of a diorama is. You know - as if it had to make the trip, in a bumpy school bus from your house to the school in one piece.

3. Post your photo(s) to your blog anytime between Sunday, June 25 through Saturday, July 1. No sooner (you don't want to scare off the competition) and no later.

4. Oops! I almost forgot...The contest is open to ALL ages. Children can enter through their parents, grandparents, or other relatives blogs. Oh, and children can get all the help they want from anyone. The diorama can be a group project. Adults are urged to enter as well. I envisioned this as a fun thing for people like me - you know, slightly off-kilter adults.

Think originality, fun, humor (or not), detail... The winner will be selected by a panel of 'experts', to be named later. There will be a prize, only I am not sure what it will be yet. I do have an idea, though.

Does this sound like fun? I hope so. If you do plan or hope to enter, please leave a comment so I'll know if there is at least some interest.

LOST AND FOUND

Obligatory photo: 'Lupita', an artist's trading card.

The big news is we had an inch of rain last night. It was such a rare sight, that people were out on their porches or looking out their windows admiring it. It didn't last nearly long enough, but at least it was heavy while it lasted.

I kept Mathieu for about an hour and a half late this afternoon, while Reagan, Amy and Zach went to a junior high (!) orientation meeting. We played with the blocks, the lego letter tile set, read a book, went outside and admired the kittens. We wanted to play cards but I couldn't find his set of cards anywhere. I guess they joined the ever growing list of things that are just inexplicably missing:
1. art journal
2. 'glue book' art collage book
3. art postcard album #1
4. art postcard album #2...
..... Oh, heck, I can't remember the rest, but it's a LOT. And now,
5. Mathieu's cards

On the other hand, I have found a few missing items lately...
1. The 4 frisbies that I got when I was obsessed with disc golf
2. My bottle of gesso
3. The package of 5" x 7" mailer envelopes
4. The giant size package of batteries, I gave up on.
5. A postal letterbox that should have been returned to the owner long ago. *blush*
...and I forget what else.
Isn't this cool? This is what Reagan, Amy and the boys brought over today, for my Mother's Day gift. I got the soil in the pots this afternoon, but haven't planted the seeds yet. I'll do that tomorrow. It has parsley, basil, cilantro, chives and thyme.

MOTHER'S DAY

This is a painting I finished last night - A Dispatch of Angels. It is for an art trading buddy, who I hope will like it.

Today was the May Crowning before Mass, and I was busy with that. It was kind of difficult to coordinate this year, since it slipped up on me, and the drought has made wildflowers and home garden flowers pretty scarce. There were few children there for it, until the last minute when they absolutely poured in. I always take extra flowers from home, just in case, but this year I had almost nothing - a few decent blue plumbago stems and one lone red canna stem. So I was running around before Mass all over the parish grounds cutting flowers from the rectory border and the large flower pots in front of the church. There weren't that many flowers blooming there, either, and none that were really cut flower types, but by that time, I couldn't be too choosey. Many of the kids didn't have flowers to bring either, but fortunately some parents bought a bunch or two of daisies or carnations. So we did have enough - barely.

The procession and crowning went well, with kids from around 2 years old to about 15 participating. Briana C. crowned the statue of the Blessed Mother. The honor always goes to the recent First Communion student with the best class attendance.

The church was very crowded, so after attending to the children, I found I had to sit in the very first pew, with no kneeler, along with a young family, since all the other places were taken. So Chuck and Mathieu sat a couple rows back in our usual place, while Zachary served at the altar. At least this way, I was close enough to where he saw me giving him 'the eye' to quit whispering to Eddie (the other altar server) during the homily. Halfway through Mass, Chuck sent Mathieu up to me to tell me he had to go to the restroom. Chuck was pinned against the wall, in his pew, so I did the honors.

After Mass, all the mothers came to the front for a blessing and to receive a red carnation and a small rosary, in a case, as a gift from the parish.

Speaking of red carnations, this was the first year that I didn't get to buy Shabree a red carnation corsage, since she has been old enough not to eat one. Living too far away to come down on a normal two-day weekend, we didn't have her this Mother's Day. I had ordered and picked up my white carnation corsage the evening before. I almost let it slip by me this year, but did squeek by with the last minute ordering. She and I always observe the old tradition of wearing a white carnation (denoting and honoring a deceased mother) or a red carnation (honoring a living mother), to Mass, each Mother's Day.

In the afternoon, Andrew called and invited me to dinner out, so I met him around 5:30 and we went to Taqueria Jalisco for dinner.

Back home, later that evening, when Chuck returned home, he said that Garrett came by to wish me a happy mother's day while I was gone. Then Reagan called too, and said he had a gift for my hopefully non-purple thumb, which he'd bring by tomorrow.

Tonight was the Survivor Panama finale. I wish Terry would have won, but I was okay with Aras winning. This season's Survivor had the biggest number of really good, likable, normal people of any of the previous ones. Not all of them - Shane for instance, and that fire dancer woman - but a really large percentage of them.

EXTREME LACK OF FASHION SENSE

Good grief! No one ever told me how stupid socks and loafers look with capris. I went to Mass, lunch at The Chisholm Trail Cafe and shopping today looking like this! All that was missing was one of those fanny pack thingies - you know the 'purse-on-a-belt' thing.

THE D - O - DOUBLE G

Just when I'd decided that no one wanted my post card, 'Sauntering Soul' stepped up and claimed it. So, S.S., if you are reading this, email me with your mailing address and I'll drop your postcard in the mail today. My email address is in the comments from the previous blog entry. Thanks for guessing!

I ACTUALLY COOKED !

Okay, this photo has nothing to do with the title, but my own personal 'rule' says that I can't post a blog entry unless I have a photo to show. So... Any guesses as to who this is supposed to be? First person to guess (in the comments) will win (haha!) a color copy on cardstock of the original 4"x6" art postcard. You'll have to email me your mailing address though. But this exciting contest is not open to members of Fine Arts ATCs, since I have the title of the work posted there.

Back to cooking. Inexplicably, I was just in the mood to cook something... as opposed to disinterestedly throwing a chunk of meat in a pan, opening a can of something green, and nuking a potato. I was going to take a photo of my meal or at least one of the dishes, but forgot until it was no longer picturesque. Yesterday I got two recipes - one from AllRecipes.com (tomato pie) and one from recipe-source.com (pork chop dish). I LOVED the tomato pie, especially. It was scrumptious! Chuck liked the pork chops best, with the whole wheat capellini to eat with the sauce. Those were great, too.

Here are the recipes:

TOMATO PIE

INGREDIENTS:
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk (I used skim.)
1 teaspoon salt (I skipped this.)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I used fresh picked.)
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley (I skipped this, too.)
1 1/2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1/2 cup cottage cheese
5 plum tomatoes, diced
1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, basil, parsley, onion flakes and cottage cheese. Spread tomatoes evenly across bottom of pastry shell, then sprinkle with Swiss cheese. Pour egg mixture over cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until set in center.

EASY PORK CHOPS
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 lg Onion chopped
1 tb Butter
4 Chops (I used 6.)
1/2 Can cream of mushroom soup
1 c Sour cream (I used low-fat.)

Saute the onion in the butter until transparent. Add
chops to skillet and brown on one side. After
turning, add the mixture of soup and sour cream. Turn
down heat and cover. Cook 20 minutes, more or less
depending on thickness of chops.

The sauce makes a kind of gravy which can be served over egg
noodles or mashed potatoes. (As I said, I used whole wheat capellini.)

AND NOW THE MEME

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open it to page 161.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence along with these instructions.
5. Don’t search around and look for the coolest book you can find. Do what’s actually next to you.
And here is Sister Mary helping me out. She's pointing to the 5th sentence on page 161.
"But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land which he explored, and his descendants will possess the land in whose valleys the Amalekites and the Canaanites now live."

AND ANOTHER...

You Are Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

You take the title "mad scientist" to the extreme -with very scary things coming out of your lab. And you've invented some pretty cool things, from a banana sharpener to a robot politician. But while you're busy turning gold into cottage cheese, you need to watch out for poor little Beaker! "Oh, that's very naughty, Beaker! Now you eat these paper clips this minute."

The Muppet Personality Test

Hmmm...someone must have told about my failed experiment in painting cockroaches and fashioning them into jewelry. It was probably Zach who loudly told a line of people in Walmart one day...