A Dearth, Darts & A Disaster

I've been struck lately with a personal dearth of blog fodder. Actually I've been struck lately with a personal dearth of life fodder. It's like I'm not all here, though I'm no where else, so I must be all here. Oh well, that's a story for another day...or maybe I'll just ignore the entire dearthy thing. That ignoring thing usually works for me quite well - I've practiced it too often. Now on to happier things!

Yesterday I showed you a picture of a cake my daughter created - her second cake. The first cake Remy created was a dart board replica she made for her boyfriend who was participating in a darts tournament. I was certainly impressed!

Here's her finished product - again the cake was covered with fondant - which this time Remy painted instead of decorating with other fondant pieces. The cake was a success, unfortunately the dart tournament, not so much. But there's always a next time!  

~

Lastly, this is a photo from the horribly devastating disaster, that occured in the Victoria area of Australia these last days. I don't know what it is about this photo, but it touches me deeply. A fire fighter stopping to share his water with an injured koala bear. Look how the bear's eyes are closed and how they are holding hands. Such a show of utter relief...and compassion. 

"Local CFA firefighter David Tree shares his water with an injured Australian Koala at Mirboo North after wildfires swept through the region on Monday, Feb. 9, 2009. Suspicions that the worst wildfires ever to strike Australia were deliberately set led police to declare crime scenes Monday in towns incinerated by blazes, while investigators moving into the charred landscape discovered more bodies. The death toll stood at 181." Photo courtesy of the AP/Mark Pardew.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

ABC Wednesday - It's a D!

Do Join Us!

A World of Fun

We hosted a baby shower this weekend and my daughter volunteered to make the cake. From scratch. Totally from scratch. I'm not kidding. I tell you this because anyone who knows me even slightly knows I am more than capable of botching even a box cake mix. I cannot bake. At all. And I'm a pretty decent cook. 

As you can see, the cake was iced with fondant. Tho she didn't make the fondant (Wal-Mart carries it in their craft department - along with butter extract - imagine that!), she had to dye all those circles. I'd say it was a pretty terrific job, especially considering this is only the second major cake she's made and only the second time she's worked with fondant. Of course, she wasn't entirely happy with it, but we were all impressed and thought it was wonderful. If I would have had to make this, I'd still be in a puddle on my kitchen floor, weeping copious tears. 

Extras...

Anyone need a decorated cake?

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

That's my world!

Do join us!

Sunday Serenity

Hold fast to dreams 

For if dreams die 

Life is a broken-winged bird 

That cannot fly. 

Hold fast to dreams 

For when dreams go 

Life is a barren field 

Frozen with snow. 

~ Langston Hughs

~~~

xoabb

Serenity's expected for all who visit here...

An Organic Complaint

Dear 365 Organic, 

I love your products, I really do, and while I'm willing to pay more for your organic product than for a non-organic equivalent, I am not willing to pay for a plethora of organic spinach stems. While a few stems are understandable, a plethora of stems is not.

Until you improve your stem count, sign me...

Not buyin' Spinach 365!

 

~~~

xoabb

expect irritations at times!

Sky Watch Friday...and a Stella Tale...

We've had extreme (at least for Connecticut) weather here this winter. Last Wednesday, early dismissal was called. I went home to do...well something, though two days later, who knows what the heck it was and then headed back out. I took the above photo while just leaving our driveway. Isn't this just a beautiful winter scene, even taken through the windsheild, what with all it's water drops? (Of course, you know how I feel about winter...)

And now a Stella-bella tale...

A little background first:

Stella and I have our routine we go through every morning before I go to work. I let her out, then back in a bit later, and always make sure her water and food bowls are clean 'n full. Then as I'm walking out of the house, I reach into the already open open the front closet, reach into the treat bag and give her a rawhide square. Stell grabs it and then goes to her crate cave and lies down for a good chew. (An aside: She adores her cave crate - and the door is never locked.) 'Nuff background, on to the story:

I'm sitting at the kitchen table watching TV when I hear quite a bit of ruckus behind me. I turn around and what do I see? Stella has her entire head in the closet, obviously buried in the rawhide bag. She pulls out her head and starts walking toward the kitchen and there are at least 6 rawhides sticking out of her mouth in every direction. Suddenly, she sees me and I swear to God her eyes widen to the size of saucers! She then promptly opens her mouth and lets all the rawhides fall out and scatter on the floor. Stella is now looking at the ceiling and everywhere else but at me, all the while slowly and as nonchalantly as a dog can, turning around to leave the immediate premises. "Stella! Naughty!" I say to her. Of course, she turns around and looks so damn guilty I totally forgive her and let her keep two of the rawhides...Don't tell anyone, but it's the second time this has happened...and there certainly could be a third...or fourth time...o dear! (sigh)

Yup, I'm wrapped around her paw...totally wrapped.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

Sky Watch Friday

Do join us!

Winter Remains...

And if I'm honest?

I really don't mind. Not one bit! While GB is definitely a 3-season, never below 55º kind of guy, I am definitely a 4-season kind of gal. Hmmm....who ever heard of having a home in a warm climate and going to the frigid for winter months??? (That would be me!)

Ornamental maple, photo taken 02/03/09

~~~

xoabb

I expect  snow!

Cuuute!

ABC Wednesday - It's a C! Today I'm sharing with you two definitions of the word ~cute~. The first is the sarcastic version, the second, the adorable version. 

Yesterday as I was driving up my street, what did I see? THIS, on the side of the neighbor's yard...cuuute! What's going on? Is this the new place to exercise, or is there a new dump yard I don't know about? Whatever it is, it's tacky! 

~

Cute: endearingly attractive in the way that some children (see below) and young animals are.

Little Miss Magic wants help putting on her princess slippers. 

She wore them the entire evening. 

It improved her bowling game immensely!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

ABC Wednesday

Do join us!

That's My World!

Photo taken 01/22/09

Just a few months has brought great 

change to my Saugatuck River...

Thankfully, with the rising and falling tides, the river

always has open water for the water fowl. 

Photo taken 01/22/09

Sunrise on the river...

Photo taken 01/22/09

Same day, looking up the river - totally frozen here, so 

the birds are ~walking~ on water!

Photo taken 10/03/08

The Saugatuck River

just three months ago!

What a difference!

~

xoabb

expect anything!

That's my World!

Do join us!

When Life Attacks!

Baby Blues by Jerry Scott & Rick Kirkman:

I thought I'd uploaded a video for today. It obviously didn't work, as I discovered this morning. Cathy's (Noble Pig) comment, "Where's the beef?" really just hit the nail on the head! Blah! Irritating to say the least.  

Hope you enjoy the above cartoon half as much as I did. If you have kids or work in an elementary school, I'm sure it will bring a chuckle!  

~~~

xoabb

expect to be frustrated sometimes!

Sunday Serenity

This path called life.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!