AN OLD NEW POST

 I was looking back into the archives of this blog to see if there might be something interesting that I could re-post and I found the post below from about ten years ago.

I thought of how the years have changed a lot of things, including the people who read this blog so I decided to run it again.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

BOOKIN'

This was a scene I encountered a week ago at a familiar location.

The folks at my local library were trying to clean out their overload of books by offering many of them for sale at bargain prices in a used book sale. The books were displayed just outside the front entrance of the library and local bibliophiles were having a great time perusing the collection and searching for good deals.

I had to prowl the piles of written material myself having had a lifelong love of books. Regular readers here may remember that SWMBO and I owned and ran a bookstore called BOOKENDS here for 7 years.

I was tempted numerous times by some of the titles but then I remembered our bookshelves at home with so many volumes waiting to be read.

And then SWMBO, noticing what I was doing, reminded me of the normally closed cabinet with the cookbooks!

By the time I got around to taking this picture, our curious big black cat, Blackwell, had discovered a new niche to be explored. I didn't notice him in there until I was editing the pictures.

Having taken this inventory, I am glad I refrained from buying any more books at the library book sale.

Sort of.

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While I didn't take note of it when I posted this originally, ten years ago, June 6th was my mother's birthday.

She, too, loved to read and maybe would have enjoyed looking through our book collection.

Regrettably she died in 1953, before we had accumulated this houseful, many of which are gone now, passed on to other readers.

CLOUDS

Yesterday was a rainy day, off and on, but the sky views were the treat.

There may be more today.

Great for cloud watchers.

FLOWER TIME

June arrived with hot weather but the past couple of days have been cooler, just right for Judy's "Spring" flower shopping and planting.

More flowers this year to make our patio bloom with color.

Not a moment too soon as the rain has come today.

In the trip home from the plant store, one blossom fell off but quickly found it's spot in a glass bottle top that was just the right size.

It's so nice to have an artist in the family to work with the artistry of Mother Nature.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Let me see now, what is the special day today?

Um, yesterday was National Coq au Vin day so what is today?

Oh wait, I've got it!

It's Friday!

And you all know what's special about Friday, don't you?

Of course.

These:

So that's it.

Looking back over these I'm not sure how funny they were.

A lot of them seemed to hit too close to the bone.

Oh well, whatever.

Please excuse my sarcastic sense of humor and try to have yourselves a spectacular weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . yup, truth . . . )

THURSDAY

 

Today is National Coq au Vin Day.

So what is Coq au Vin?

One website describes it as "Pronounced 'cuhk oh van' it's a dish made of chicken braised in a garlicky, musroomy, bacon-lard sauce with plenty of wine added."

As you might guess, it's French but it gained popularity in the U.S.A. after Julia Child published "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and went on to further fame on one of the first television cooking shows.

I'm not doing "coq au vin" today.

I have a rather simple sheet pan meal planned with sausage, small potatoes, sliced apples and asparagus.

By the way, the photo at the top of this page doesn't relate to either recipe.

It's just a picture I took a while ago of some rather photogenic peppers.

Whatever you're doing in your kitchens today, bon appétit!

A SAD DEATH

When we moved into this duplex a couple of years ago, three big trees shaded the property.

You can just see the trunk and a bit of foliage of the third one beyond the back of our car.

But last year that one and the one on the right had to be taken down as they had died.

We clung to the one in front of our unit as it showed some greenery and we thought we could save it.

But it was not to be.

We learned this spring that the greenery was a parasite and the tree was pretty much dead.

So this morning, it too came down.

Our once lovely shaded yard is now barren, bringing with it a sense of sadness as we view our neighbor's healthier trees.

We've learned that the two trees in front were Arizona Ash trees which, though fast growing and drought resistant, have a relatively short life span.

The third tree was a Siberian Elm, which has more cons than pros, and is well gone.

So we are treeless.

Just in time for the summer heat.

PAYBACK

You may remember I made my darlin' a cookie a few days ago.

It was her favorite but only ONE GIANT Chocolate Chip Cookie!

Well she returned the favor, only she didn't go for ONE GIANT Frosted Cinnamon Roll.

A dish of 8 lovelies and, as she did with her cookie, I generously shared them with her.

Were, as in past tense, cuz we ate 'em all in one day!

Yum!

They were good.

MEMORIAL DAY

Lest we forget . . .

 

TEXAS BLUE

You don't often see a car with this shade of blue.

And a Bronco at that!

With painted white flowers scattered on it.

Not making any judgements here but I figured with the Texas license plate it must be from Austin.

COOKIE

On a whim yesterday, I made a cookie for my dear Judy.

Yes, I said "a cookie".

She's always liked chocolate chip cookies so this roughly 12 inch monster cookie not only had them inside of it but I dotted the top with them.

To prove the size of it, I offer this photo.

The baker's hand to show the comparison.

And that's what happens when you allow the (mid 80's) amateur baker free rein in the kitchen.

So why didn't you make a batch of cookies, rather than just one, you may be wondering?

Oh, just for laughs, I guess.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Greetings, all my fabuluous, fantastic, fine friends!

It has come time once again to frolic in Friday facetiousity!

I think that's enough "F" words to begin this foray into the fairgrounds of foolishness.

Oops, there I go again.

Let's just get started.

And that, my friends, is finally the end of today's Dad Jokes!

I know you're happy.

Now try to have a toothsome and splendiferous weekend!

And never, ever forget to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . yup, I know just how you feel . . . )

WHOAAAA!

 I think my man Wacky Wally is workin' too hard.

Look at what he just sent me!

Are you dizzy, yet?

GARDENING

My wife, She Who Must Be Obeyed, has told me and others many times over the years that she was raised not to plant new seedlings until after her birthday, which is on May 12th.

She noted that from then on it's full speed ahead.

Which puts us, she said, in the most ferocious time of gardening season.

I don't know if Wacky Wally, one of the most proficient contributors to my Humor Bank, knew that or not but he's right on time with this contribution he sent me today.

Happy gardening, everyone!