THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye!

Court is now in session!

Wait a minute.

That was a dream.

It's what comes from dozing off into a nap in the middle of the day.

So with that, I bring a respite for you from this week's gaiety.

And just in time for you to adventure forth in pursuit of good fun and a GREAT weekend!

And never forget to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . wanna go outside . . . ? )

PASTRY 1.0

That number in the title of this post does not mean I scored a 10 with my latest kitchen adventure.

It's more like a Beginner's Course Number.

So, brace yourselves.

That is supposed to be a Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart.

As I told Judy when she was viewing it, it's "Rustic".

I don't know if there is such a thing as a rustic tart but this version certainly would fit the description.

The good thing is I know and have had explained to me by the Master Chef of the household some of the mistakes I made.

I'll not bore you with the details.

And we haven't tasted "The Thing" yet and it could be delicious.

The cream cheese underlying the strawberries is flavored with sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and a pinch of salt.

So we'll see.

Meantime, I guess I should leave the fancier stuff to SWMBO, who can make even a salad plate of cucumbers and Kalamata olives look great.

6-6

 Today, June 6th, is a day marking many events.

To many, it is D-Day, the day in 1944 when British, Canadian and American troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France in World War Two.

But there are other events that happened on this day.

In 1523, Gustav Vasa was elected King of Sweden and the day today is celebrated as the National Day of Sweden, though historians quibble about the actual date.

In 1859, Queensland separated from New South Wales in Australia, becoming a separate colony.

The day is still celebrated as Queensland Day down under.

Much more recently, on this day in 1987 my wife Judy and I crossed the border from Nogales, Arizona to Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and a happy life as expatriates that lasted over 4 years.

You might say it was D Day for us with the D standing for departure.

And then, as I've written here before, June 6th in 1904 was the day my mother, Hattie Loretta Hylland, was born.

She would be 119 today.

Here's an early picture of she and my dad during their courting days.

Though she left us way too soon, I always think of her on this day.

WHO ELSE?

 This is the week that Pence, Christie, Burgum and who knows who else will announce they are seeking the Republican nomination for President.

That's former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and (I forgive you if you didn't know this one) North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

They will join former South Carolina Governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, California conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, entrepeneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy, and . . oh yeah, some guy named Donald Trump.

That's ten and counting.

A few people who thought about running and gave it up are New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and former Kansas U.S. Representative, Secretary of State and C.I.A. Director Mike Pompeo.

They must have seen the handwriting on the wall.

Or in the back of a taxicab.

St. James Infirmary - Another Version

Yesterday's post featured a version of the St. James Infirmary Blues, performed by Arlo Guthrie.

The classic has been recorded by almost everyone.

But my friend Gentleman Jim commented that he heard a version many years ago that had become his all time favorite.

That performance was by the legendary New Orleans trumpeter Louis Armstrong.

I'm sure I too had heard that version back in my younger days and since I, too, am a big fan of Satchmo I thought I'd offer it up here and give all of you readers, commenters and lurkers a chance to say which is YOUR favorite.

SATURDAY SATURNALIA

Just a little music for you.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Gosh it's been a long week.

But also a short week.

It seems like just yesterday I was posting about that sheet pan dinner that SWMBO prepared.

Well, sorry for my absence from your blogroll.

I'll try to make up for it as June has arrived and the gardening season with it.

So let me entertain you.

So you have now been entertained.

The weekend (back to a short one, dadblast it) is up to you.

Have a good time as you enjoy the outdoors before the blast of summer (or winter, if like River, you live in the Southern Hemisphere).

But always, always, remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . and that's what drives us crazy . . .)