Freedom’s just another word

Today as we drove downtown to the library, we passed parking for the Rib Fest which runs Friday through Sunday.  I noticed that the parking signs said there was a “$13.00 donation” for parking, to be donated to some youth group.  That’s all well and good, but the word “donation” means a gift.  Surely not everyone decides to give a gift of $13.00.  What if I came to park and said I didn’t want to donate?  I don’t think you’d see my van in that parking lot!

Definitely my cup of tea

Tea – the cups that cheer but not inebriate. – William Cowper, Poet

It’s time to jam!

I’d never made jam before, but last year, when I found myself with a number of quarts of delicious berries from the farmer’s market,  I started searching for a recipe that wouldn’t be too difficult.  Fortunately, I ran across this recipe by Ina Garten, AKA The Barefoot Contessa.  It was easy and turned out to be very tasty.  I also love it because besides being easy, you don’t have to have an enormous quantity of fruit.  Three pints of berries is all you need.

Dreaming of Wyoming

In the summer, a woman’s fancy turns to vacation…rest, rejuvenation and the mountains.  These are some of my Wyoming dreams.

Wacky Wednesday humor

I love Chuck Norris sayings!  When our older daughter went to college, our younger daughter got her a poster with Chuck Norris sayings on it and we both laughed out loud when we read some of them.  So, for the middle of the week, here are some of the Chuck Norris-isms we like the most to help get you enjoyably through over-the-hump day.

After you’ve made ravioli, “make” the ravioli!

While homemade ravioli are wonderful with any sauce, to gild the ravioli lily, make this simple, unusual, and delicious sauce. It’s the sauce that makes the ravioli, even though you thought you already did.

Not the recipe, but it looks good!

Cooking classes and ravioli

I love pasta!  Pasta’s always been my go-to dish.  What to make for lunch/dinner?  How about pasta…with tomato sauce…or olive oil and garlic…or olive oil and Parmesan…or olive oil and sauteed mushrooms…of something else entirely?  But when I took a few cooking classes and learned to make ravioli, my pasta life changed.

Things our daughter did

“Was this the face that launched a thousand ships, and burnt the topless towers of Ileum?”
–Christopher Marlowe

Just a little monkey-ing around (really!)

(Not sure why the pictures didn’t show up when the first time this posted, but let me try this again and sorry for the weirdness.)

I looked into this and found it happened two years ago at a Russian zoo.  Since I found it in a number of places on the internet, I don’t think I’m violating anyone’s copyright to share these pictures, which are too cute not to share.  (Thanks, Ann, for sending them to me yesterday.)  If you’d like to see thirty pictures instead of just these, please click on this link,
http://thechive.com/2012/01/10/a-baby-chimpanzee-is-adopted-by-a-mastiff-dog-amazing-30-photos/
.

Take time to smell the roses

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,