Dr W's What's Up

Did I forget my blog?

2011-12-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

Baby Hosta Baby Frog

2011-03-27T19:25:00.002-04:00

Random Raccoon Thoughts

2011-03-27T19:04:00.002-04:00

Plants that cost less than $14.99 are not worth digging up.

If you dig first, then play in the bird bath, your feet will get REALLY muddy for playing with the clean bird feeders.

No bird feeder is too good to try to destroy.

The heavy expensive bird feeders are often too heavy to get over the fence and will not, therefore, make it all the way to your own place of residence.

All bird seed is good - especially that expensive kind with the cayenne pepper in it.

A really clever raccoon can make his human do remarkable things like putting chains and locks on otherwise beautiful bird feeders.

If the humans open the windows to sleep you are more likely to get run off.

And last, but not least, it's worth staying up in the morning to watch your human come outside with a cup of coffee and see what all you've done!

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

2011-03-27T00:56:00.002-04:00

Be sure to turn off the playlist down the page before playing the video. Enjoy!

Bread Baking Day

2011-01-18T10:48:00.005-05:00

Dough ready for first rise in a nice warm place.

First Rise

Ready for second rise.

Second rise

Hot from the oven

Delicious! Actually too delicious - with butter and jam!

Icy Sunroom Day 2

2011-01-11T13:01:00.000-05:00

Snowy, Icy Georgia Day

2011-01-10T23:49:00.002-05:00

Another Squirrel Feeder

2010-08-24T17:36:00.002-04:00

There are times when I think my complex neocortex and opposable thumb are somewhat overrated! Albert can open this feeder a bit faster than I can. Should I be worried?

Baby Bunny Attack

2010-07-17T18:04:00.002-04:00

Recently the sweet potato vines started getting naked up to about 6 inches off the porch. Also, patches of grass were disappearing. This is too good not to share! If he sticks around I'll have to name him...

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T00:10:00.002-04:00

I have seen the face of God in her face. I have touched the hands of God in her hands. I have heard the voice of God in her voice.

Thank you, Mom! I love you...

Garden Pondering

2010-04-30T10:44:00.004-04:00

This morning I met Mr. Fox in my backyard. In a fraction of a second it became clear who my nest box robber was. I growled at him, why did I growl, and he ran back out of the yard using the bunny hole escape under the fence. I've never seen a red fox in person before and I was hoping that, when I did, he would not be in my back yard, licking his lips, and heading for my bird feeders! If I had had more time, I would have told him about the only other red fox I have ever seen - the stuffed one at the science center.

On a lighter note, I have harvested my first dill weed to put in my salmon salad at lunch. I also harvested parsley and rosemary for the dinner pork roast. I feel like such a farmer!

I have finished cleaning up from the giant, big-blow, storm on Tuesday. The yard looks beautiful but I need a bigger wheelbarrow...

On the lightest note of all, have you noticed how doves act? Always in pairs and always "after" each other. Mine are either sibs wanting to fight or lovers wanting to......oh well... I love the doves, their beauty and their mournful song, and I REALLY love their chocolate!

Garden Work

2010-04-27T08:40:00.003-04:00

I went out early yesterday and worked in my gardens until I was weary. I pulled weeds, errant ivy, poison ivy, sticker vines, and Virginia Creeper (that does anything BUT creep). Then I rested in the gazebo and realized that no one would ever notice what I had done - only the few I had missed. Isn't life funny that way!

Callaway Gardens in April

2010-04-13T23:18:00.001-04:00

Pause the playlist at the bottom of this page then enjoy a few minutes at Callaway!

Happy, Happy Easter

2010-04-04T15:33:00.001-04:00

Getting Ready for Easter

2010-04-02T11:47:00.003-04:00

Remember to pause the music at the bottom of this page before starting the video - or you get dualing tunes!

Spring in Georgia - Truest Beauty

2010-04-01T09:03:00.002-04:00

Magnolia, cherry, and so much more...

My New Favorite Video - CatConcerto

2010-03-03T13:29:00.001-05:00

Please pause the music at the bottom of the page before starting video.

Cedar Waxwings

2010-02-26T14:21:00.001-05:00

It's always a special day when the waxwings visit!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T11:06:00.001-05:00

Bluebirds Are Shopping!

2010-02-11T13:33:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite times of year is when the bluebirds start preparing to build nests and raise their families. They're here and looking! It's always Valentines week - how do they know?

St. Theresa's Prayer

2010-01-09T11:47:00.002-05:00

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be confident knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

SnowJam 2010

2010-01-08T22:37:00.002-05:00

COLD! SNOW! PARTY! I must admit that I am over it and ready for 50 degrees again - but nobody asked me. It's still 20 degrees and frozen - OH MY!

Getting Ready for Christmas

2009-12-16T18:22:00.002-05:00

Raymond always helps with wrapping...

I always try my hand at candy making...

Here's my favorite room at my house...

Take 2 - Since I didn't like Take 1 so much...

2009-11-12T17:36:00.000-05:00

Susan took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

"Very active imagination and may be prone to fantas..."

Click here to read the rest of the results.

Color Quiz - Creepy Accurate

2009-11-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

STW took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

""If motivated, she will easily and quickly learn n..."

Click here to read the rest of the results.

Kenny's Latest Project

2009-11-01T15:09:00.005-05:00

Mom and Dad in front of a beautiful 1946 Mercury recently restored by Kenny Coggin (in the sepia photo below)! What a beauty! Remember that Mom and Dad were married in '46!

Parsley Snipping Time

2009-10-28T15:41:00.001-04:00

I went out to snip some parsley for my salad and LOOK who got there first! Oh, my! Hope he will be a beautiful butterfly one day!

Otis

2009-10-20T19:53:00.002-04:00

Saturday I adopted a beautiful little boy. His name is Otis. I'm in love!

Happy 63rd!

2009-10-19T22:43:00.001-04:00

Mom and Dad celebrated 63 years of marriage today at a luncheon at my house. I love them so much and am very proud of them!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2009-10-14T19:29:00.003-04:00

My sweet Mom turned 81 today! For her birthday lunch, she requested meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, and turnip greens. She got it! And I surprised her with a fig birthday cake. She had a great day. I love you, Mom!

Matthew 18:20 Does This Count?

2009-10-12T12:47:00.001-04:00

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

Girlfriends!

2009-10-10T15:47:00.001-04:00

Martha, Tammy and me in Orlando. OK, so it was 25 years ago!

Where It All Began

2009-10-10T15:41:00.002-04:00

Sixty-Three Years Later

2009-10-10T15:40:00.001-04:00

Mom and Dad outside the pastorium where they were married. After 63 years, they still love each other! Amazing!

Another Window

2009-10-10T15:36:00.001-04:00

The Entire Window

2009-10-10T15:34:00.001-04:00

Great Grandparents

2009-10-10T15:32:00.001-04:00

I took this photo at Chatahoochee First Baptist where my grandparents generation gave a stained glass window in honor of their parents. Pretty cool! This is the church where Mom and Dad were married.

Another

2009-10-10T15:22:00.001-04:00

Birthday Cake

2009-10-10T15:20:00.001-04:00

I'm experimenting with baking and uploading photos in Picasa. Here's Louise's birthday cake I made her and it was quite a hit!

Love These Guys!

2009-08-01T23:07:00.000-04:00

Before the Party

2009-07-04T11:17:00.002-04:00

Happy Fourth, America!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

2009-06-21T15:59:00.005-04:00

You don't get to pick your parents but I couldn't have done better if I had tried. I needlepointed Dad a piece once that says, " A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow". Thankfully that is very true in my family!

We had a nice lunch today at my house and, as you see, dessert stole the show. Wish you'd been here to join us!

I'm Trying to Buy American!

2009-06-17T22:01:00.003-04:00

Today I went in several gift shops and noticed that everything was made in China. I know things are still made in America and I think they're worth saving. Here's a website that will help me and those like me to find what we want. I hope you will work on this with me!

Chattahoochee First Baptist

2009-06-13T22:29:00.005-04:00

Today was the anniversary of Dad's cousin and his wife - celebrated at Chattahoochee First Baptist in Atlanta. I enjoyed wandering the grounds and through the church while Mom and Dad visited with family they seldom see. The church is Dad's home church where he and Mom were married (in the white building, the Pastorium, beside the church) and where both Mom and Dad were baptised. It's a beautiful church and we all had a great day. At the end of the video you see Dad's elementary school and the house he grew up in. Pretty cool, huh?

A couple of my favorite shots are the mossy brick path to the church and the cornerstone on the front right of the sanctuary building. And, of course, the stained glass is remarkable!

In My Rainy Morning Garden

2009-06-09T18:00:00.001-04:00

The Glory of the Garden

2009-06-02T15:44:00.002-04:00

Our England is a garden that is full of stately views,
Of borders, beds and shrubberies and lawns and avenues,
With statues on the terraces and peacocks strutting by;
But the Glory of the Garden lies in more than meets the eye.

For where the old thick laurels grow, along the thin red wall,
You will find the tool- and potting-sheds which are the heart of all ;
The cold-frames and the hot-houses, the dungpits and the tanks:
The rollers, carts and drain-pipes, with the barrows and the planks.

And there you'll see the gardeners, the men and 'prentice boys
Told off to do as they are bid and do it without noise;
For, except when seeds are planted and we shout to scare the birds,
The Glory of the Garden it abideth not in words.

And some can pot begonias and some can bud a rose,
And some are hardly fit to trust with anything that grows;
But they can roll and trim the lawns and sift the sand and loam,
For the Glory of the Garden occupieth all who come.

Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
By singing:--"Oh, how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
While better men than we go out and start their working lives
At grubbing weeds from gravel-paths with broken dinner-knives

There's not a pair of legs so thin, there's not a head so thick,
There's not a hand so weak and white, nor yet a heart so sick.
But it can find some needful job that's crying to be done,
For the Glory of the Garden glorifieth every one.

Then seek your job with thankfulness and work till further orders,
If it's only netting strawberries or killing slugs on borders;
And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden,
You will find yourself a partner in the Glory of the Garden.

Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees
That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees,
So when your work is finished, you can wash your hand and pray
For the Glory of the Garden, that it may not pass away!
And the Glory of the Garden it shall never pass away!

Rudyard Kipling.....

Sibling Unit Scores BIG!

2009-05-24T19:14:00.002-04:00

My sister played a perfect Wii bowling game today. Holy smoke! I've never done that! Guess I have to now...

Great Movie

2009-05-12T19:26:00.002-04:00

I saw Star Trek today and everybody is right! It's terrific! One to buy and watch over and over. And I'm not even a trekkie! (Well, maybe I am now!)

Fabulous Book - Very Valentine

2009-05-07T15:21:00.003-04:00

Have you ever read a book that was so good that you didn't want to read the last forty pages because then the book would be over? Well that's where I am and that's what's happening. I'm heading to the sun room to read the last forty pages and I fear that Trigiani isn't writing fast enough for me to get the next installment in this series when I finish.

This book is beautiful! The characters are people you know and the problems belong to all of us. I know the next forty pages will only leave me hanging and waiting with baited breath for the next one. Adriana Trigiani, I love you! Wow!

Christian, the Lion

2009-05-04T13:15:00.001-04:00

Look What I Have to Look at From My Sunroom ...

2009-05-01T17:48:00.002-04:00

This red-headed woodpecker is almost having to tie himself in a knot to eat from this tiny feeder. But he's not complaining. Isn't he a remarkable gift!

The Tasty Elephant Debuts

2009-04-27T13:02:00.001-04:00

I have created a new blog to document my journey of losing 50 pounds. It certainly can't hurt and it could be down-right fun. If you want to visit and encourage, here's the link to The Tasty Elephant.

Still Feathering the Nest

2009-04-19T19:04:00.003-04:00

For the last few days I haven't seen any signs of the chickadees at the house they had worked so hard on. I was thinking they had abandoned the project or something tragic had happened to the eggs or babies. Well, today I finally see them adding a bit more dog fur to the nest. Interesting! I was expecting baby chickadees by now!

Gift for the Hard to Shop For.....

2009-04-04T18:02:00.005-04:00

I know many of you have been wracking your brains for the perfect gift for me. Well, to help you out, I have found a perfect bird feeder - you know how I love those - that I really want. It is from http://www.douglasfeypottery.com and is an original work of art - stunning, I say! So if 600 of my closest friends go in together, it will only cost a dollar a piece. Sound good? (I wish I had tons of money - I'd sure have me one of these!)

Amazing how God provides...

2009-04-01T15:47:00.002-04:00

Just at the same time that my chickadees need a fur-lined bed for their babies, the dog next door is shedding. Ain't it wonderful!

Moving In Day

2009-03-29T12:24:00.005-04:00

Today is the official moving in day for the precious chickadees who chose my new bird house to have their babies in this Spring. You will probably see many shots of these guys as the house is right outside my sun room. Stay tuned!

Hard to believe.....

2009-03-26T11:28:00.004-04:00

...that this shot was taken less than one month ago! What a difference a couple of weeks make! Happy Spring! PS - This is Albert in his beloved platform feeder that is now in the garage.

Never, Never, Never Give Up

2009-03-15T20:29:00.000-04:00

I'm back in the game. Stay tuned!

Rodent Wins - I Give Up

2009-03-14T23:11:00.001-04:00

Yes, Albert can now jump off of the witches hat baffle and stick a landing on the feeder underneath, thus spilling the goddies all over the ground. Of course, there are way to many for him and his family to eat, so they bury the rest of the !@#$%^&* seeds and nuts! I give up...

The Next Battle

2009-03-09T11:55:00.009-04:00

In the never-ending war between PhD and Rodent, I must confess that rodent is winning. However, I have just come up with a new feeder/baffle arrangement that has kept the wee geniuses at bay for three days now. Do I enjoy this too much?

I MUST get the nuts and seeds!

I must! I really must!

I meant to do this!

How is that bird doing that?

Mr. Rupert Bluebird looks on in disgust!

Snow Jam 09

2009-03-01T17:35:00.001-05:00

Hummingbird Babies - VideoCam

2009-02-26T12:50:00.003-05:00

Stream videos at Ustream
Eggs laid - January 21; Hatched - February 5; Due to fledge - today?
From: Sunnyvale, CA

Some Videos Are Even Better Than Mine! Here's Women Drivers...

2009-02-24T17:53:00.002-05:00

Cleaning/Tax Avoidance Behavior

2009-02-17T17:29:00.003-05:00

Now, seriously, should I really be inside cleaning and sorting stacks of paperwork when all this fun and happiness is happening right outside my back door?

Right in My Own Backyard!

2009-02-16T00:41:00.022-05:00

Today I saw so may things to enjoy and be thankful for. I am so blessed! Be sure to click on these images to see larger shots.

My Boy

2009-02-10T20:13:00.006-05:00

My Boy

August 2, 1995 - February 10, 2009

I love you, Little One!

MRS. DINGLEY'S DOG

"Pray steal me not, I'm Mrs. Dingley's,

Whose heart in this

four-footed thing lies,"

--- Jonathan Swift ---

inscription on the collar of a lapdog

My New Wordle

2009-02-05T23:00:00.005-05:00

At http://www.wordle.net/, I entered the text from my last few entries and it made this cool thought cloud. You may want to give it a try. (Click on the wordle for a larger image.)

Every time I look at it I see something new. I think it's pretty cool that God's love is right in the middle of it all!

Scripture Cake - Next Day

2009-02-02T14:53:00.001-05:00

OK - so the flavor is excellent. The top is excellent too. The rest is dry and crumbly. I'm going to try a little thingy of mandarin oranges with my next slice and see if they fix the wee problem. Still yummy - but not fit for company.

I'm Baking - Scripture Cake

2009-02-01T14:04:00.004-05:00

Almost lost my religion because I didn't wait until the butter was soft enough - but we'll see. They're in the oven. I made four mini loaves. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:1 cup Judges 5:25 last clause (butter)
1 cup Jeremiah 6:20 (sugar)
1 tablespoon I Samuel 14:25 (honey)
3 Jeremiah 17:11 (eggs)
1 cup I Samuel 30:12 second food (raisins)
1 cup Nahum 3:12 (dried figs), chopped
1/4 cup Numbers 17:8 (almonds), roasted and chopped
2 cups 1 Kings 4:22 (flour)
II Chronicles 9:9 (spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)
Pinch of Leviticus 2:13 (salt)
1 teaspoon Amos 4:5 (leavener, such as baking soda)
3 tablespoons Judges 4:19 last sentence (milk)

Cream first 3 ingredients. Beat in the 3 Jeremiahs (eggs), one at a time. Add next 3 ingredients and beat again. Sift together Kings (flour), II Chronicles (spices), Leviticus (salt), and Amos (leavener, or baking soda). Add to first mixture. Lastly add Judges (milk.) Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 hours, or until done. If using foil mini pans, bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, until done.

A Gift - Bandit - the Cedar Waxwing

2009-01-10T22:08:00.013-05:00

Here is the gift that was in my back yard today - a very hungry, very beautiful cedar waxwing. I am so thrilled that I saw him in the nandina bush having quite a new year's feast! He took plenty of time to pose for me but I won't bother you with all 100 pictures...I remember when Kathy and I would ride around in her old Volvo following flocks of cedar waxwings as they flew from holly to holly around Newnan. It was usually in February that we caught up with them. I know Kathy was smiling down from heaven as I took these pictures of this wonderful little bird today! By the way, Kathy, I named him Bandit.

Ever Wonder What's in Your Heart?

2009-01-06T17:15:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T21:17:00.002-05:00

From a friend:
After serious & cautious consideration . . .
Your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2009!
It was a very hard decision to make. So try not to screw it up!!!
My Wish for You in 2009 -
May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills. May love stick to
your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes
smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face
and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had forget your home
address! In simple words . . . May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!

When the Calm Returns

2008-12-30T10:15:00.007-05:00

I love Christmas. I really do. I also enjoy when things get quiet again and I return to the sunroom with my camera. Here's a wee sample of the good life from my sunroom.

Christmas Wishes 2008

2008-12-24T20:04:00.004-05:00

May your Christmas be especially happy this year. May you be surrounded with love and happiness, family and friends. May your days be blessed and every moment treasured! Thank you for the love you have given to me this year! It is the greatest gift of all! Love, Susan

Wrapping Day

2008-12-18T18:29:00.004-05:00

For the last three days, I have been wrapping gifts. Raymond is my elfish inspiration who has kept me going.

Hope your wrapping is going well and your Christmas is merry!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2008-12-07T19:00:00.001-05:00

My New Favorite Movie

2008-12-03T21:46:00.004-05:00

I LOVE Australia! Everything about this movie is fantastic! If you need someone to see it with, call me! You will laugh, cry, and fall in love - with all of them and the place! Wow!

The acting is remarkable and the movie is perfectly cast. You will love hard and hate hard - because the good guys are SO good and the bad guys are SO bad!

I don't own this image so if you do, and you don't want me to use it, just let me know.

As Thanksgiving Approaches...

2008-11-22T11:56:00.004-05:00

...I realize how truly thankful I am. For:

a special family. I couldn't be more loved.

Mom and Dad's new home. They are happy.

my boy who is so small and fragile - he's an aging teacup Yorkie for those who don't know.

health and happiness. Some take these for granted -maybe I used to.

close friends who know me so well and love me anyway.

the children in my life - reminders that life goes on...

my home that I now have time to enjoy.

the wildlife that call my backyard home. They wow me with their beauty, antics, and ability to eats many pounds of expensive seed, suet, and critter munchies.

even the chipmunks who take many pounds of safflower seeds underground for the long winter's nap.

America - even in the tough times - but my generation has never seen REAL tough times - and I hope we never will.

God's love for me and for all of us. I list this last because it is the one that I want to dwell on as I go through my day. Such undeserved love, mercy, and goodness - what all I could do so much better.

Happy Thanksgiving. May this season be filled with happiness and love!

And, did I mention that I am very thankful for smiling horses? I am!

For Camryn and Andrew

2008-11-11T00:03:00.001-05:00

If you go to my YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/stwalraven, you can watch this video in high quality. It really is much better that way!

Licklog Creek - Cartecay River

2008-11-10T00:24:00.008-05:00

What a beautiful sight to behold is north Georgia in November! This year we stayed in a beautiful cabin on Licklog Creek of the Cartecay River just outside of Ellijay! The beauty is indescribable and is very difficult to capture in photos! Here are a few of my feable attempts. Enjoy! BTW, this area is known for its kayaking, rafting, and year-round trout fishing. We, of course, did none of that instead supporting the local economy with our shopping adventures.

Harry Potter and the Jogger

2008-10-31T22:29:00.002-04:00

We can't let the kiddies have ALL the fun! Happy Halloween 08!

Getting Ready for Halloween

2008-10-28T20:52:00.003-04:00

My boy and I are considering our options for this Halloween. As inspiration, we pulled out an old photo. Who knows what we will come up with by Friday. Happy Halloween Week!

Something To Think About

2008-10-26T01:14:00.000-04:00

In My Spare Time....(instead of ironing)

2008-10-24T00:40:00.000-04:00

Saving Grace

2008-10-17T23:12:00.003-04:00

As disturbing as all the political and economic news can be, I remember that God is in control; He is sovereign; and no one can separate me from His love.

Mom's Birthday

2008-10-15T20:35:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was Mom's birthday. We had a great time in Senoia where my boy got to play in his favorite creek. October is a beautiful time for a birthday - don't you think! I was entrusted to make the birthday cake and this one worked! Happy birthday, Mom! I love you!

Birthdays and Grandmammas

2008-10-09T22:32:00.005-04:00

I just had a birthday and with the exception of the homemade, self-made, disaster cake, it was a nice birthday. This birthday came in the middle of some pretty big changes in my world - what with china packing and all - and I have thought a lot about my grandmother who lived to the ripe old age of 100 years and 5 months to the day. So since I AM swimming in her gene pool, I could well be at the half-way point of my life - or not... (Also in my gene pool are those who make me hesitate to buy green bananas.)

We called her Nana and she was quite a Southern Steele Magnolia. She worked in a mill, played the mandolin, and had the good sense to marry my grandfather - the sweetest man ever to walk this earth. She was full of wisdom and shared it when needed. I remember her telling my cousins and me that "What's down in your well comes up in your bucket." She was right. Think about it.

This is a picture of Nana in her mother's arms. It is one of my favorites! I think they are both beautiful and I am proud to have them a few limbs up in my family tree!

Early Mornings

2008-10-03T00:15:00.007-04:00

I love to take my hot tea outside on cold mornings and enjoy what God brings to me. My hummingbirds are still humming, the cardinals and chickadees eat early, and the squirrels are always looking for yummy treats. A neighbor kitty will drop in my fenced backyard for a visit. Those things I can depend on. It's the rare treat I have to watch out for and not miss. On the morning I took this picture, Charlotte (the spider for those of you who slept through elementary school) had just caught a special treat and had wrapped it up in a lovely silk sac. What a wonder... (click on the picture for a larger image)

My #$%^&* Birthday Cake

2008-09-27T20:39:00.008-04:00

Well, today is my birthday. Tomorrow my family will celebrate my special day with a lunch at Mom and Dad's. I, of course, volunteered to make my own cake since I AM the proud owner of a new KitchenAid mixer. It is now 8:42 pm and the cake is out of the oven. LOOK! My little friend Betsy helped me create this disaster. Never in all my attempts at baking have I/we fallen so short of the goal. JM's Dad's cake at least just fell off the plate. Mine fell off the plate and oozed magma all over the counter. I wish you could have seen it when I first flipped the pan over on the cake plate. For approximately 17.38 seconds it was a beautiful cake. Betsy says I need a cake tester. I think I need a man in my life who can bake - to hell with the tester. Does anyone want a slightly used KitchenAid mixer? By the way, I WAS somewhat distracted by the eggs that were coming to room temp (see below - note my birthday portrait in the tea kettle). Perhaps I should stick to photography! And, finally, Note To Self: One should never make one's own birthday cake...

America's Problems

2008-09-26T13:33:00.002-04:00

There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens cannot cure....

Dwight David Eisenhower

Elvis' Favorite Pound Cake

2008-09-22T22:45:00.002-04:00

- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering
  pan
- 3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus
  additional for dusting
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups sugar
- 7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Special equipment: a 10-inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep; not with a
  removable bottom) or a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt capacity)
Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.
Generously
butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.
Sift together
sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl
(flour will have been sifted 3 times total).
Beat together butter (2 sticks)
and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale
and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6
to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after
each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour,
then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape
down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become
creamier and satiny.
Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface
once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven
temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in
middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake
in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of
cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool
completely. (from Epicurious.com)

If it's good enough for the King, it's good enough for my birthday. Cross your fingers!

If I were a rich man,Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.

2008-09-19T10:15:00.006-04:00

Is this not the most beautiful cookware you have ever seen in your whole entire life? It certainly is to me, so, if I were into coveting, I would covet this stuff! If I had a man with a million dollars (or a million men with a dollar), I would be the oh so proud owner of this very set. Guess I better find that man....

For those of you with money, it is Ruffoni Hammered Stainless Steel from Williams Sonoma. If you buy it, may I come over and visit it?

Adorable - Must Share

2008-09-17T18:16:00.005-04:00

You know how you get all those forwarded emails and you delete most of them with just cursory notice? Well today I received one that is so precious that I had to share. The topic is Identity Theft. I have no idea who composed or photographed these shots. If I did know, I would certainly give credit and thank them for sharing somthing so sweet and beautiful! Enjoy!

Life Changes - Passages - Should I Write a Book?

2008-09-14T20:24:00.011-04:00

OK - It's already been written.

Anyway, I love this picture for so many reasons. First of all, I am the adorable young child looking at the camera. The other child is my much older sister. We are standing over with my aunt who prepared this lovely dinner. (Notice there is no place for us children at the table. I'm guessing we had already eaten or were being sent to eat in the kitchen.) My mother is the one looking at the camera and Dad is beside her. Across the table are my cousin and his girlfriend. My uncle took the picture. I remember eating with Mom's or Dad's family all the time. We didn't have to have a holiday or special occasion, we just did it.

The china on the table belonged to my paternal grandmother - more about her later - maybe next post. I digress... Back to passages - my sister is now packing this very china up to be handed down to my great niece, her granddaughter, who is now the age my sister was in this picture. I love the way we do that here in the South.. My great niece already needs a china cabinet and she's not even ten years old yet. What a very lucky little girl! (This china came from her great, great grandmother!)

I love the watch chain you see on Dad's pants. His pocket watches are very special to us!

I love the color of the walls in my Aunt's dining room. I love the drapes. Note the battenburg table cloth - I must have inherited that gene from her. I remember that house and all the good times I had there. This was a cooking Auntie. She would let us watch and help and I know I learned a lot from her.

I love my family. They are rich blessings in my life. So we pack up the china and turn another page in the family history book. I love this story...

In Search of: THE PERFECT POUND CAKE

2008-09-06T18:33:00.003-04:00

I may not have it in me to make the perfect pound cake but I haven't given up yet. As I have talked to great cooks, here are some of the suggestions I have gotten:

Start with a cold oven.
Start with a preheated oven.
Use only unsalted butter.
Any butter will do. Don't use margarine.
Margarine will do.
Start with all ingredients at room temp.
It doesn't matter what temp the eggs are.
Spray the pan.
Never use spray in the pan. Always grease and flour the pan.
Only use an old tube pan. Never use a bundt pan.
Only use a bundt pan - the cheaper, the better.
Use only cake flour.
Use only plain flour.
Don't over-beat the batter. Just beat it until it looks right.
Beat the hell out of the batter.
Undercook it just a bit to get the "sad streak."
Never undercook your cake. You will get that nasty sad streak.
Don't walk in the kitchen while the cake is baking.
Don't open the oven door while the cake is baking.
Nothing really matters but how much LOVE you put in the cake.

Great cooks use terms like "looks right" and "little bit." They use definites like always and never. They know when it "smells done."

I think I should now keep trying and quit asking. Then one day when I have found my way to do it just the way I want it, I'm going to find me someone who just bought a new KitchenAid mixer and confuse the hell out of 'em!

Home-Baked Goods 2 - I DID IT!

2008-08-30T18:44:00.004-04:00

I did it! This is my second attempt and 100% of that sucker came out of the pan! Hooray! It is a Williams Sonoma Almond Bundt Cake. Actually, I'm sure I just paid big bucks for a box of sugar and flour - but it DID come out of the pan.

Now - tomorrow at lunch we find out if it's edible! Cross your fingers, please. And. Coach, things are looking up!

Home-Baked Goods - The Fun Starts Today

2008-08-27T22:08:00.007-04:00

Back in my old principal-ing days, Coach Kidd would always ask me about bringing in home-baked goods. He seemed to be serious, as if I should be expected to bring in goodies for such a great staff. Didn't he know that I was a busy woman who could not concern herself with such as that? Didn't he know that I didn't even have a cake pan - much less a mixer? Didn't he know I thought he was great even if I never made him a pound cake?

When all my friends were getting married (some of them over and over) and having showers and receiving mixers and cake pans, I was in school and working. (Not that Mom didn't warn me - she asked if I would be happy spending my life with my books - and yes, I am pretty happy with them...)

But I must admit that I have fond "growing-up" memories of home-baked goods. Mom and I would bake - with varying degrees of success. Once we had the GE oven man come check the oven. When it was found to be calibrated exactly right and performing properly, Mom and I had to take a bit of responsibility for a few disasters. But we got quite good with Lemon Supreme and Prune Cake (Yes, you read it right - had a jar of baby-food prunes in it - tasted like spice cake.)

My grandmother and my aunts were/are great cooks. I watched them for years and learned a lot.

Martha's Mom and Dad were pound cake bakers. I loved to show up when the cake was in the oven and the milk glasses were in the freezer! Yummm!

My sister and I would bake and still do, actually. We're still perfecting our cookies with royal icing and she's a pro with the gingerbread house. JM and I made a pecan pie once and left out the sugar. About half way through the baking time, we found the sugar bag still out and added it then. It was perfect, teaching us that all these silly steps in these recipes are not all really necessary. And the carrot cake I made for JM's dad's birthday cracked and fell off the plate - so I delivered it in baggies and he said it was the best cake he had ever eaten. He was a precious, precious soul!

Well, I bought my new mixer today and I'm ready to figure out how to bake. I made my first pound cake tonight and I'm proud to announce that over half of it came out of the pan. I felt compelled to eat all that part that stayed in the pan and I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow.

If you have recipes I must try, send them on - and please don't leave out any key ingredients - I'd never know it!

So, Coach, give me a bit of time to practice and then come on over. The home-baked goods will be waiting!

There's a New Dawg in Town - UGA VII!

2008-08-21T19:33:00.003-04:00

If Squirrels Could Cuss - Brought to You by Our Friends at Squirrel Buster Plus

2008-08-20T15:39:00.004-04:00

You Need a Day Like This Once in a While

2008-08-19T21:31:00.005-04:00

If you walked into my backyard or sat down in my sun room, you would not notice a single thing. Only if you had a before and after photo would you have a chance of knowing what all I did today.

I spent HOURS in one flower bed - the one with the bird feeders. I pulled up trees and weeds and sticker vines. I cut the limbs that the squirrels were using to get on my roof. That led to cutting other low hanging limbs. I cut dead limbs out of hydrangeas. I dead headed flowers and shrubs. I cleaned and filled feeders and the birdbath.

The birds kept on eating when they realized I wasn't going away. So, of course, I had to get my camera and take 126 pictures - OK - that took a while...

I was wearing flip flops and no gloves during all of this and copperheads did cross my mind a time or two as I reached into the dense ivy. The only scary moment was when this guy showed up. At first, he didn't mention that he was only a lizard - I thought I heard him say the snake word...Oh well, I got his picture and we didn't scare each other to death after all.

I had lots of time to think and solve the world's problems. I needed a day like this!