Pages

Friday, March 11, 2011

K is for Halo? Or Birthday? Or um Samuel? Hmmm...

Today was Samuel's 11th birthday. He had a big day playing Halo 3 on his new Xbox 360 (I'm so proud I know what that is!), eating cake and Thai food. (Still not a single word that starts with K....)





Blowing out kandles on his double-roll kake. I sure would like some kale.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

J is for jam, which I had to buy for the first time in a few years because {gasp} I actually ran out of my summer raspberry jam. Next year, I will try and remember to set aside two jars for Samuel's birthday. He likes angel food roll cakes with raspberry jam in the center each year for his birthday. I generally make two, because one cake goes quickly. This year, Eva learned how to separate eggs while we made his cakes together. She made the first cake, after figuring out the separation technique, mostly by herself, and really enjoyed sifting and folding the flour. After separating twelve more eggs for the second cake, she wandered off and I finished up the second cake. I have to say, after several years of trial and error with rolling these cakes, I have found that rolling the flat sheet while it is still hot creates a much smoother roll.

It is slightly disappointing that I didn't get to use my own jam for these cakes, because not only is my jam a better consistency for spreading, it tastes better. No matter. Samuel wanted raspberry jam so we bought raspberry jam. All we have left in the cupboard from last summer are a few jars of strawberry and marionberry, which I will probably use on Eva's roll cake that she is now requesting for her own birthday. She told me today that the marionberry jam is her favorite. So-unfortunately- I opened two jars of unmarked {marionberry} jam today. But- fortunately- I can use at least one of those jars in just ten days for Eva's birthday.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

baby guinea pigs

We had the good fortune to spend time with friends AND baby guinea pigs today.





And just how do guinea pigs have anything to do with the letter I? Why, because they love to sit in their plastic igloos, of course. Plus, I love them!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Slice of Life Tuesday

It happens (that counts for an H word, don't you think? and i wasn't even trying for that one...) that I am going to take a photography-ish sort of online course starting in April that focuses on- is, in fact, called- the Slice of Life project. While the course doesn't start until April, the woman who teaches (Darrah Parker) the course has a Slice of Life Tuesday group on Flicker. This week the theme is Up Close and Personal. Here's the photo I uploaded to that group. {For fun.}



Eva (and I) working on a craft project together.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Gee...

G is for giving up. It's all well and good to come up with an inspiration like words or the alphabet to help me post on my blog. Or to do anything, for that matter. I'm a big fan of the new system, that's for sure. But at what point do you drop the new system in favor of a newer system? Or no system? And is there anything wrong with that. Do you continue to slog through the mud or the tar or push past the roadblock of the currently-uninspiring-was-new-system, in the hopes that it becomes inspiring once more, or do you simply let it go? Or, more negatively put, give up? For me, it's always a bit of both, with a nod that has become stronger as I grapple with these questions, the longer I grapple, to the parts of me that enjoy developing new systems and the parts of me that enjoy breaking free of them once they become less inspiring and more hmm... shackle-like. But funny that giving up showed up with the letter G. Who can say what will happen next? A continuance of the alphabetically-inclined post? A reprieve? A follow up days later, after several un-alphabet-related posts? It's these thoughts that I encounter in most of my endeavors, on my way to the lovely balance of form (the new system!) and freedom (the inspiration!) and where the two shall meet.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Saturday, March 5, 2011

E is for Eva (pronounced Ava. as in Gabor. but with an E, nonetheless.)