Ok, I hope I don’t make too many people cringe by saying this, but every time I eat a blackberry, they remind of ants. YES, they look like a group of ants in my mind.
Blackberries are a strange fruit, so many little black balls that pop in your mouth. We had a blackberry tree where I grew up. It was glorious to pick blackberries daily and just munch on them non-stop, fingers turning purple. Of course, there was a mad dash to get to the tree first before siblings / friends ate them.
You probably won’t look at blackberries the same now.
This past week has been cold, below zero temps the other day. It’s not possible to walk, so I had to find “something” to do.
Joann Fabric had a huge yarn sale. I decided, time to knit a blanket. It’s coming along. I feel a bit like a granny. Since it will be big, it might take until Fall to complete, depends on how much time I commit to it.
While knitting, I’ve been watching Top Chef on Netflix. I didn’t know that show was still on. As they race against the clock competing, it keeps me going. Keep knitting – one more row, one more row!
Right now, I have dark grey and this light blue color. I’m trying to decide, stay with those two colors only or add this purple violet color. I’m always drawn to bright colors versus earth tones.
I’m amused when I go on a train or bus and see people knitting/crocheting. It does take time, we have to use every minute to get the project done!
I’m a bit under the weather, it happens. Nowadays, if a friend sends a message, it’s always in a Text or Email.
Guess what though, this friend took time to send a card. It was so funny, it lifted my spirits.
So, here’s to taking time to send a greeting card to someone, I liked Becca Cahan’s humor. I’d like to see what other cards she’s made. Thoughtfulness does make a difference!
I was at Joann Fabrics recently. They have so many discounts on everything in the store. As I went through the isles, I came across these adorable storage bins. Quite a few of them. Take a look.
They are so amusing. Too bad I don’t need one, but I did like that orange fox a lot.
A few more you might enjoy.
We do need humor in our lives and walking by one of these baskets every day, would give me pause and that feeling that I should “slow down” enjoy life more.
January is the perfect time to bake. For Christmas, my daughter gave me a madeleine pan. I was excited to make them. Sadly, after two failed batches, I’ve given up, not forever, but for now.
If you know madeleines, you can tell from the photo that they aren’t right. I can hear the Chef’s critique now as he/she bangs the madeleine on the table and breaks it in half. Good, you got the hump, but they didn’t rise properly, too dense and too brown on the edges, turn the heat down. TRY AGAIN!
There are so many recipes out there, it was hard to choose one. For the first batch, I went with Martha Stewart’s recipe. As madeleines are tricky, I thought Martha’s recipe would be full proof. Maybe it is, but not for me, I got a fail!
I then tried “another” recipe. I don’t remember which one, I randomly chose one. Again, somewhat similar to this batch. This makes me think that “maybe” I’m not whipping the eggs/sugar enough. BUT I feel PROUD of myself for getting the hump. That’s a big deal with a madeleines. You have to have the hump!
If you haven’t tasted a madeleine. they are a nice cookie type cake. There is debate on what they are called. They are like individual cookies; however, the texture is clearly a cake.
So, stay tuned. I am determined to get them right. Maybe I’ll try again next week. It’s just painful in this tough economy (groceries so expensive) to waste ingredients, but baking takes practice.
Well, I’ve done it! I’ve hit 10 years of Blogging.
When I told my daughters, it’s been ten years and I’ve decided to change my little bird photo. They said in unison, “Go Mama, rebranding your Blog.”
I didn’t think of it that way, but they’re right. Big corporations are constantly rebranding. I still sniffle that Aunt Jemima is gone, replaced with Pearl Milling Company brand name. Sometimes we miss the old brand. New is not always better.
Rebranding my Blog meant the hunt was on for a NEW animal photo / background color. As I went through my photos, I plugged them in to see how they looked. There were runners-up!
Each one special in a different way. I do like that sheep on the top right. Doesn’t he speak to diversity and uniqueness? The owl was amusing, as well as the other sheep.
After careful consideration, days of this or that, I decided on the eagle. Yes, he’s the WINNER.
So, here’s to 2025, embracing change and focusing on new challenges.
Recently, I saw these shoes at the department store. I was brought back to DISCO days. So many great disco songs to choose from. How about this one… Disco Inferno!
Wishing you all a fun evening. Stay safe and dance the night way. Celebrate!
People are doing their last minute shopping. I walked by a pet store and saw this huge unicorn. While I don’t have a pet, I think this would end up under the Christmas tree.
I was at Joann Fabric, they have a 70% off sale on Christmas items. If anyone needs a tree, you can still find one at a good price, fake, but that’s ok. I liked this little one.
I baked some anise biscotti. I haven’t baked cookies in years, it was fun. The house smelled good.
I found Italian Baci candies at Trader Joe’s, along with the yearly mint star cookies.
A friend sent me a Christmas present. So BIG, it really FEELS like Santa came down the chimney!!
Finally, I lit my Christmas Angel. She looks beautiful. Our Guardian Angels watch over us.
I wish you ALL a Merry Christmas… and a Happy Holiday!
You might enjoy this story. Recently, as I was traveling and connecting flights, I had to go through Passport Control. As you know, this is always stressful. The lines can be long, we hope it won’t take forever.
When it was my turn, I walked up to the window. I pulled out my passport, I heard a clink, I didn’t think much of it, but wondered why the Agent was looking at me so seriously. They do have intimidating looks.
THEN he lifted up my Angel coin and said, “Is this YOURS?”
“Wow, why YES,” I said smiling.
He tried to keep his serious composure, but had a grin. I told him, ”This is a special moment for both of us! What were the chances that this would happen? Thank you for giving it back!”
I often have an Angel coin in my purse. Somehow, the Angel coin ended up in the pages of my passport.
I hope I’ve made you smile. We never know what surprises await us from day to day!
That day, I did feel like I was being “watched over,” and I bet that Agent felt the same. At least he had a funny story to tell when he took a break.
While in Florence, I walked through the Sister’s garden after breakfast every day. While it wasn’t a huge garden, it was a nice size. I was amazed at all the fruits / vegetables / flowers they had.
I loved the shape of this olive tree. Turning the corner, I saw this huge tree with pomegranates. I eat them, but I’ve never seen how they grow.
I had no idea what this was… ANYONE? The Canadians I met didn’t know either.
They had an over abundance of red peppers. They start out green, then turn red.
Their roses had the most fragrant smell.
A shamrock…
Rosemary, time to cook!
Finally, a pigeon. My grandmother used to feed the pigeons that came to her window every morning. So, I smiled when I saw this one, all alone
I enjoyed the peaceful garden walks every morning with a quick stop in the Chapel. The Nuns were putting fresh roses from the garden in the vase for the alter. It was nice to see them.
Brilliant Viewpoint 