GARDENING STILL LIFE

 

The tomato plants await fresh water.

The Monja and the Blue Cat keep watchful eyes on the scene.

Heat, serenity, an Arizona summer.

KUCHEN!

 Very early (6:30 a.m.) this morning I began quietly assembling the ingredients and tools to make a blueberry kuchen (coffeecake).

You may ask why in tarnation I was at it so early.

And I would explain.

Yesterday evening I told my beloved wife that I was going to make the kuchen the next day.

"Oh", she said, "will it be for breakfast?"

"No", said I, "it would be for after breakfast.

So then I spent half the night worrying about the sad look that came over SWMBO's face.

And so I was hard at it at 6:30 this morning, even before she had wakened.

First, of course, I had to feed Sweetie-Pie (the cat) who begins demanding her breakfast at 5 a.m.

Now you'd think a pet cat, having filled her belly, would go lie down somewhere and take a nap.

But no, she is SWMBO's cat and once she is fed she thinks her lady should be awake and so she goes in and sits on her bed and stares intently at her, willing her to rise from the Arms of Morpheus.

Now the mistress is awake and aware of the pesky cat but is pretending to be asleep until said cat reaches out with one tiny paw and taps gently twice on SWMBO's mouth.

And that's all it takes.

So the two of them come into the kitchen where I'm trying to be quiet and SWMBO says "My, aren't you being ambitious!"

And so I turn on ALL of the lights and get on with my baking project making as much noise as I want.

Now I wasn't satisfied with the look of the blueberry kuchen but the taste of it was "ta die for"!

And where the sugar had hardened around the edges it became a crispy treat that both of us enjoyed.

So, here it is, the Early Sunday Morning Blueberry Kuchen, Catalyst Version.

BREAKFAST BREAD

Yes, I still bake English Muffin Bread.

Judy's supply ran out this morning so I hied myself to the kitchen and put together a couple of loaves.

If I must say so myself, they turned out pretty good.

I rarely have a slice but Judy loves it so I shall continue making them for her.

Now, let's see . . . what's next?

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 'Twas the day before Saturday and all through . . .

Oh, drat, I never wanted to be Dickens.

I'd rather make you laugh like the dickens anyway.

Huh, I just Googled that (like the dickens) to see where it came from and learned that it is a euphemism that may mean "like the devil".

I tell ya, the things you learn on the Internet.

And I didn't even need A.I.!

But enough philosophy.

Let's instead repair to laughology.

It's Friday after all.

So that's all for this week, my friends.

I hope you've enjoyed yourselves.

Now try to continue that enjoyment throughout the next couple of days.

In other words, have an enjoyable weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

SUMMERTIME

 Summer has landed!

The forecast high temperature here today is 84.

80 miles to the south of us, in Phoenix, it is supposed to be 104 today.

But remember, folks, we live in Arizona and it's a dry heat!

So this is the longest day of the year and tomorrow we shall begin our descent to winter.

But let's enjoy this season any way that you can.

LIFE IS GOOD

My life is good.

My computer is new.

It's not fixed, as an A.I. ode that was sent to me tried to say.

It's new, as in a different machine, brain, box.

I appreciate the effort but 12 seconds is not enough for truth with A.I., apparently.

But the "brain" is better and today I figured out that I needed a new driver to get my audio working and I got it and it did.

So I went searching for something to show you and this happened . . .

I hope your Monday is as good as mine has been.

Rock on!

RESTORATION

 They said it couldn't be done.

Or maybe that was me that said that.

My big ol' computer apparently had contracted a terminal illness last week.

In spite of many turnings off the power and back on and trying to reload, it kept telling me it had lost a kernel (whatever that means) and it was just not going any further.

I told all of you Oddball followers . . . no, no, I'm not calling YOU oddballs, I'm just abbreviating followers of Oddball Observations.

Any way, I told you the blog was going to have to go on hiatus until I figured out what to do.

But 24 hours later I was back.

Sorta.

I had dug out an old laptop and managed to get it working.

But, as I said then and have said many times before and perhaps I should stop saying it, I hate laptops!

The little screen, the little keyboard, the damnably maddening touchpad.

But it rescued me.

Sorta.

But then like a message from above, or somewhere, came word from old friends that they had a couple of newish computers because they had upgraded at their business and I could obtain one at a bargain basement price.

Not only that but My Favorite Computer Geek would try to get my pictures and docs from my old beast and transfer them into the new computer.

Well, he succeeded, dear friends, and once again I am back with my big (16 inch or somesuch) screen and a computer that could have fit in My Old Beast's body 5 or 6 times, I think.

And it's faster.

Much, much faster.

And late today I found all of my old pictures and documents!

I am one happy camper.

So without further ado, I will show you a photo taken yesterday by Crosstown Lori, who just happens to be the wife of My Favorite Computer Geek, who will now be known as Ruthless Rick.

And just to show you the full picture . . here he is with your contented customer.

There are many things one can aspire to in life but tops on the list is a category I have been blessed with: Good Friends.

Thanks, Rick!