Vaniall

I was at my dad's the other week looking through my mom's recipe books. I wanted to find her recipe for a weird dip she used to make back in the 1970s that she called veggie dip, but that she used exclusively to dip sesame sticks. It looked like Thousand Island dressing, but had cream cheese and... and I can't remember. Salsa? No idea. 

Anyway, I never found that (and it probably wasn't an actual recipe anyway - it probably was on a package of cream cheese or a bottle of whatever sauce went into it (cocktail sauce?). What I did find was a binder with a bunch of random recipes and this recipe card for Fruit Cocktail Cake. I loved that cake and you'd better bet I'm going to try to make it (but do they still make cans of fruit cocktail?). As I recall, it was ooey gooey deliciousness. We shall see. 

Looking at the recipe gave me all the feels because my mother never could spell vanilla. It made my heart do little backflips to see it misspelled in her usual way, in her handwriting. A little taste of Momcat. 

P.S. I'm intrigued that she wrote mine, my dad's, and my brother's names on the binder. Was she doodling her most important people? Was she saying - look here, family, I'm collecting recipes for you! As with many things mom related, I'll never know. 

P.P.S. We just found out this morning that Dr. M's Aunt Judy passed away last night. Sad times in the Bug Household today...

2022 Project 365 – Week Thirty-eight

This week has a slightly more sane number of pictures, but I just hesitated while trying to type “sane” (is it spelled sain? Seign? Seine?), so who even knows what is going on.
Sunday, September 18^th            
The flowers are really looking fallish lately, but still lovely.
 

We were planning to celebrate my dad’s birthday on Monday & I had the bright idea to BAKE A POUNDCAKE. Yes, you read that right. And, people. Mistakes were made, but it ended up being REALLY REALLY good. We didn’t have any all-purpose flour, and did you know that self-rising flour really does rise?  I mean, I left out the baking powder & salt like they said to, but we still had a cake volcano. When I realized what was happening I put a cookie sheet under the cake pan & ended up with the most delicious drop cookies (and in fact I think next time I’ll just make drop cookies instead of cake). After all that, the cake turned out just fine. And even though I had eaten a number of “drop cookies” and about four slices of pound cake in the form of the batter left in the bowl & on the beaters, I still had a tiny slice of cake late in the evening just to make sure it would actually slice.
 

Monday, September 19^th  
We had a great time celebrating dad. My sister-in-law brought BBQ, and I spent some time working a puzzle. As per usual, I took no photos of people, but here is one of my fabulous cake (it was too sweet for my original idea of a “Pound Cake Bar” with fun toppings like caramel & fudge so I just brought fruit & Reddi Whip).

Tuesday, September 20^th       
Dr. M took Floyd the Ford Truck for its inspection & car wash, then he & his dad took a ramble through the countryside. It’s something his dad really enjoys.
 

Wednesday, September 21^st                 
Dr. M walked by & told me that my hair was ready for bed, which, while true, seemed a little rude.
 

Thursday, September 22^nd          
No photo.
 
Friday, September 23^rd          
Stopped by daddy & Sue’s to help with the puzzle & they had FINISHED IT! HUZZAH! So I had the pleasure of tearing it up & starting the next one. Ha!
 

Saturday, September 24^th       
My sister-in-law made me leave my lair to attend the Pride Festival with her. We had a great time! Not pictured: Menacing Proud Boys and Loud Preaching Man (we’re all going to be cast into the void dontcha know).
 

I have a short week of work coming up. I’m off on Thursday & Friday – yay! We’re going to take a little road trip if Hurricane Ian cooperates. We shall see! Do you have anything fun planned this week?
 

Book Reviews – the August Edition

I’m not sure what happened in August, but I only finished three books (and one of those was a devotional for Enneagram 9s that I was supposed to have read over Lent – oops). I’m not going to include the devotional here since it’s for a pretty specific audience and I don’t think you guys are into the Enneagram like I am. But let me know – if you’re a 9 I can talk to you about it.

 

Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight (Stephanie Plum #28 duh) ★★★★, by Janet Evanovich. In this chapter of the crazy life of Stephanie Plum, Bail Bonds Enforcement Agent, she is joined by Diesel (no last name, or no first name - the whole name situation is a bit fuzzy). They are trying to track down a super computer hacker who is having some serious mental health issues. Mayhem ensues. And you’d better believe that another of Stephanie’s cars bites the dust.  

 

Open Season (Joe Gunther #1) ★★★★, by Archer Mayor. Joe Gunther is a police lieutenant in Brattleboro, VT. In the opening scene an elderly woman shoots an intruder just outside her home. From there the case takes a very weird turn involving a murder from three years earlier. Someone wants that case opened back up, and they’re using a very unorthodox method to get the police’s attention. My brother recommended this series to me & I think I’m going to like it a lot – I’ve already finished book 2 (you’ll hear about it next month).


I’ve already finished four books in September and there are still 10 days to go. I’m seriously trying to figure out what the heck I did in August. Podcasts? Music? Did I reread some old books? At this point, only the Shadow knows… OK, now you tell me what good stuff you’ve been reading!

2022 Project 365 – Week Thirty-seven

Whoa Nelly – there are a lot of photos this week! Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Sunday, September 11^th            
It was my best cousin-friend’s birthday! I’m not at all sure what was going on with my hair here, but Kim Jane is cute with her tiara, so we’re just going to go with it.
 

I went to my dad’s for lunch and ate homemade chili (delicious!) and helped with the new puzzle.
 

Monday, September 12^th  
Around the yard… Dr. M got the memo about taking some outside photos this week.
 

I saw a rainbow as I was leaving work.

Went to eat with the fam – I guess you can tell where. As you can see, I’m just Just Plain Dumb.

Tuesday, September 13^th       
Dr. M has had a LOT of feelings this week. His Aunt Judy has been living in the house where he spent the first 10 years of his life. He has a lot of memories from there – both good and bad. Now she’s heading for assisted living and the house will be sold. He spent part of the day putting a new battery in her car – they’ll keep it for her just in case she’s able to drive it again.
 

His dad’s muscadine and scuppernong vines are FULL of grapes this year. So are my dad’s. Anyone need any grapes?
 

Wednesday, September 14^th                

I went by my dad’s at lunch to work the puzzle (and visit of course) and they told me about the surprise on their chimney. We think it’s a sunflower – ha!
 

Thursday, September 15^th          
I had a meeting at church and had this situation. I had been doing really well, but, see, the spaces in our lot are kind of weird. Yeah, that’s what happened.
 

Friday, September 16^th          
Day off from work breakfast (which, I confess, I ate for three days in a row): Spinach pizza, black beans, fried egg, sour cream and taco sauce. It was GOOD.
 

Spent the morning cleaning out my car. It was SO DISGUSTING that even I started noticing (mainly from leaves and gum wrappers which I THOUGHT I was throwing in the trash. And dust). Ugh. But it’s all shiny inside now. And bonus – I found the piece of Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s robe that we were missing in this puzzle. The big question is: how did it get under the driver’s seat?
 

Saturday, September 17^th       
It was my dad’s birthday! In his usual dad way he took ME out to eat to celebrate. We went to Panera because he had seen a commercial with a chicken sandwich that he wanted to try. Although Sue and I loved our lunches, he decided the chicken sandwich was middlin. After lunch Sue went to a shower and Dad & I went back to his house to eat pudding cake and work the puzzle.
 

Later that day Dr. M took some photos of our asters and VERY BUSY sedum – it was getting all the love!
 

I left to have dinner with friends (we watched Kim Jane’s daughter’s wedding video & looked at pictures – so fun), but Dr. M had a visitor so he wasn’t alone.
 

I took a photo of a photo on Kim’s camera roll – this is from the day before the wedding when I was helping with set-up. Ha!
 

Tomorrow we’re doing more birthday celebrating with my dad, and it looks to be a busy week at work. I’m already pre-tired – especially because I woke up at 7:30 this morning after going to bed after midnight. Rude. How are you feeling heading into the week? I know some of you are retired, but you are still allowed to have Monday thoughts if you want to.

2022 Project 365 – Week Thirty-six

I took about a jillion selfies to capture my new hair (I’m only posting two – to your relief, I’m sure), was apparently transfixed by food all week, and took no photos of the outdoors whatsoever. I’ll try to remedy that next week!
Sunday, September 4^th            
Pre-church breakfast – scrambled egg and fruit. It was a good day – had lunch with my dad & Sue and crocheted for a bit at their house.
 

Monday, September 5^th  
I never wear a ball cap, but I was volunteering at the soup kitchen and hadn’t washed my hair.
 

Tuesday, September 6^th       
Dueling snacks – I think Dr. M won with his breakfast toaster pastries & fruit.
 

Wednesday, September 7^th                
I don't know why I like these selfies I took with my computer camera better but these are the ones you're getting.
 

I’m not really a pumpkin spice kind of person, but we had this for dinner & it was really good! We added bacon bits to cut the sweet a bit.
 

Thursday, September 8^th          
Now here me out. I had taken two different snacks to work – Everything Bagel Pretzel Thins and Laughing Cow cheese, and strips of bell pepper and Greek yogurt. I thought, why not combine them all together? It was a pretty snack, but weirdly bland. I needed some sort of spice in there.
 

Friday, September 9^th         
New office photo shoot! It’s smaller than my old office, but does have windows. I really like it! I especially like being able to look down the hall to see what’s going on in the lobby.
 

Dr. M had a half of a biscuit left from his breakfast & I stole it to make a sort of strawberry shortcake situation. It was really good, but I had to keep reminding myself that that was Greek yogurt & not whipped cream.
 

Saturday, September 10^th       
I spent most of the day crocheting and listening to an audiobook. Housework? Never heard of her. It was lovely.
 

I don’t have anything to say here. You may talk amongst yourselves.

Couple of Words Wednesday

It's my old bugaboo, Fall come to tap Summer on the shoulder 
saying it's time to bow out head south don't let the door kick you...

And I am sad. Sad because Summer drags the sun with her and it's just rude. 

On the other hand, is there anything lovelier than a spent flower? It draws me in and says that dark things can be beautiful too, as if I don't know that that black is beautiful, and that night contains magic and ok ok maybe fall isn't as tragic as I think it is.

Goodbye Summer. Hello Fall. Keep your fat mouth shut Winter!

2022 Project 365 – Week Thirty-five

Last week I was sleepy from being full from my church potluck. This week I’ve waited so late to write this that it’s practically my bedtime (however, I have tomorrow off, so I’m sure I’ll stay up later than usual). What I’m saying is that I’m STILL SLEEPY. Proceed with caution.

Sunday, August 28^th           
Food from the aforementioned potluck at church. I got what I thought was quiche only to find out it was tomato pie. DELICIOUS! And yes, my dessert plate had as much food as my dinner plate.
 

Meanwhile, Dr. M rushed out of the house to take butterfly photos & had to wait on his camera lens to unfog.
 

Monday, August 29^th  
No photo.
 
Tuesday, August 30^th       
I arrived at work to find my lunch bag entwined with my purse. I am not at ALL sure how that happened – I had to go through some gyrations to get them separated. This was also the day that I moved into my new office, but did I take any photos of that? Reader, I did not. Maybe after I get my wall hangings up.
 

Wednesday, August 31^st               
No photo.
 
Thursday, September 1^st          
My evening hair situation.
 

Friday, September 2^nd         
My hair doesn’t look too bad in the first photo; however, it flopped in my face & made me a little crazy (I really do have a ridiculous amount of hair). Anyway, I got all that chopped off. This is the shortest it’s been for a while! These are terrible photos – maybe I’ll do a dual new office new hair photo shoot next week.
 

Flowers from the deck, looking a little bedraggled.
 

Saturday, September 3^rd          
Dr. M did some porch sitting with his dad.
 

I took a not very good picture of our spider friend.
 

And then when Dr. M came home he had a visitor! It’s always fun to see Free Range Roy. It doesn’t happen as often as it used to – he’s getting older like the rest of us.
 

So, let’s talk about how it’s September and how the heck did that happen? As usual, I’m a little salty about it (more on that on Wednesday). And I think not only do I talk about this every fall, but we discussed it on this very blog already this year! What can I say? At least I’m consistent. Or a broken record. Something like that.