Thursday, November 15, 2018

THE ARTIST VIEWING ART


This is my wife's daughter, also known on this blog as the BRD or Beautiful Rich Daughter.

Now why, you might ask, does she have that blissful grin on her face?

Because, you see, she is an artist in many genres and she is taking an art break.

In Scottsdale, where the 2018 Canal Convergence is going on for another four nights, the last of a 10 day run of performance, light, music and temporary art on and around a canal running through the city.

You can learn more about the event by going here and be sure to view the video.

But that's after the sun goes down which leaves all day for exploring.

So the BRD toured the MIM, Scottsdale's highly regarded Musical Instrument Museum.


So no wonder she's smiling.


I texted her that with those rose-colored glasses and the jeans with the knees carefully frayed she looked like a rock star.

Her reply?

"Hey!  I do rock!!!"

Yes you do, girl, yes you do.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

GIMME A BOOST, WILLYA?


One cat helping another to get a drink.

(And the black one does not have big gray spots on his fur.  The window needs cleaning.  Sorry.)

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

TURNING PURPLE?

Arizona has elected a new U.S. Senator and it illustrates history in the making.


As of late yesterday Democrat Kyrsten Sinema won the election to replace the retiring Republican Jeff Flake.

She will become Arizona's first female Senator and the first Democrat elected in 24 years.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

REMEMBER

Dedicated to all those who gave their lives while serving . . .




Saturday, November 10, 2018

THE LOOK


This is why I call her SWMBO

(She Who Must Be Obeyed)

Friday, November 9, 2018

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Don't you just hate the television news reporters and anchors who greet their fellows with "Hey"?

It's one of my pet peeves.

Lately.

But, hey, can't we all just smile awhile?


Yep, it's time for the Friday Funnies.










Awwww-right, Gentle Readers, that's it for this week.

Let's all get out there and have a great weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing.


Oh, man . . . .

Here, kitty-kitty . . .


Thursday, November 8, 2018

SO WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS?

There were some interesting comments from TJ on yesterdays clouds/blue sky picture.

So, Gentle Readers, what can you do with this one?


Wednesday, November 7, 2018

RE-SET

Feeling a tad better today?


Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Monday, November 5, 2018

YOUTH

Judy and I paid a visit to Prescott Valley's Sunday Farmers Market yesterday and she pointed out something to me.

As we oldsters doddered around she had spotted a young woman displaying a much younger sensibility.

And sense of balance.


Wearing quite high-heeled shoes she was balanced atop a cooler chatting with the cook in a food cart.

We watched as she jiggled her feet in that seemingly precarious position, perhaps in time to some inner music.

Ah, to be young again.

(BTW, I got the young woman's permission to take the photo.)

Sunday, November 4, 2018

CLAFOUTIS

Some time back I baked a recipe I'd found for a French dessert called a cherry clafoutis.

Yesterday I found myself with an abundance of champagne grapes rapidly turning and decided to try some of them in the pastry.


It looks good but we haven't tried it yet.

Judy said that we'd save it for Sunday breakfast.

Anybody hungry yet?


Saturday, November 3, 2018

THINK PINK

Spotted in my town recently:



Would you care to guess what the owner of this beauty named it?

It's on the back.




Friday, November 2, 2018

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES


All right, voters.

The mid-term elections are only four days away here in the United States.

Be somebody.

Vote!

And that's my political speech for the season.

Now on to something important.

Humor!








Okay, campers, now you're going to have to succeed crazily with chutzpah and cozying up to your cupcake this weekend, chuckling all the way but with absolutely no cuckolding or crackups.

In other words, have a great time!

And always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .


Thursday, November 1, 2018

THE MIX MASTER

For months and months I've been pining and pining for a stand mixer for our kitchen.

So many of the recipes that I look at online seem to start with "In the bowl of a stand mixer . . ."

I really was enamored of the KitchenAid brand because all the reviewers said it was the best.

But the price was way too high for our budget.

Then the other day SWMBO brought me a page she'd torn from an old magazine she was throwing away.

It showed a Hamilton Beach mixer, said it was nearly as good as the KitchenAid and was only $100.

With what was left of a gift card on my Amazon Prime membership the price came down to around $60.

With Judy's nod, I ordered it.

Two days later, it was on my counter.



Does he look confused?

Yesterday I finally broke it in.

No, no, no, Gentle Readers, I did not say I broke it.

But there is a bit of a learning curve.

By the time I was through with it there was a not- so-fine coating of flour over it, the counter and the floor nearby.

But the bread dough was mixed perfectly.

Then there were a few minutes of kneading and later rolling it out.

I remembered midway through the latter process a trick SWMBO had taught me sometime back.

The bread board will move around on the counter so just put a damp cloth under it and that will stop.

Well, it was too late for that so I struggled through and finally had two loaves in the oven.

Here are my finished products.


Two slightly irregular French baguettes.

As Judy pointed out, they could have stayed a bit longer in the oven to brown a bit more but the taste was amazing.

Especially compared with the ones I've brought home from the grocery store.

Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and a great flavor.

We dined on them, some Brie cheese and another of Judy's great slaws for our evening repast last night.

And we kept the outside lights off and never had a trick-or-treater.

So now, not only do I have that fancy new stand mixer to play with but I also have a (nearly) full bag of candy!

And the November baking season is upon us!

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

FINALLY!


At last it's finally here and I can officially say: 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This spooky fellow is waiting to greet Trick or Treaters at a home in our area.

He's even spookier when you see how big he is.


Meanwhile, far away in Montana, my musical cousin Bonnie and her mother Lil dressed up for a fiddle jam recently.


That gal on the right is bearing down on her 97th birthday next March.

It's great to see she still has her sense of humor.

(Love the stockings, Aunt Lil!)

Here's hoping you all have a great night this Halloween and don't have any nasty tricks played on you.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

MUFFIN, MUFFIN, WHO'S GOT THE MUFFIN

I tore a recipe out of a magazine we received recently and yesterday I tried it.

Banana Oat Muffins.


Very simple to make.

I got the dozen out of the pan and put them on a rack to cool.


Wait a minute.

Didn't I say "a dozen"?

But there's only ELEVEN!

Where did the other one go?

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

JUDY!!!!!

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

O.K.  a little honesty.

We both wanted to taste one but since it was getting on toward dinner time we split one.

Delicious!

Monday, October 29, 2018

FARMERS' MARKET

I visited the inaugural Sunday Farmers' Market in Prescott Valley yesterday.

The organizers had warned there would only be about 15 vendors the first time but they had hopes that it would grow.

I walked around and visited with several of them and they all said they would be back next week.

One man had a big display of peppers of all kinds.


I was particularly taken by something I hadn't seen before - purple Bell peppers.


He said they were sweet and though I didn't buy any yesterday I may in the weeks ahead, if he has them.

I did buy some Shishito peppers from another stand.

They were five dollars for a pound so I asked the little girl running the stand for a pound.

She was carefully weighing them out when her mother returned and said "these haven't been going so give him a bunch more" and started shoveling them into my bag.

But she told the little girl to only charge me for a pound.


This is half or less of what I brought home.

I bagged up about the other half and put them in the freezer.

I tried one raw and it had just a hint of spice.

Judy chopped one and added it to our dinner salad and it gave it a nice tang.

Incidentally the vendor lady had a bag of Ghost Peppers too.

But she told me she doesn't eat them.

Too hot for her.

And for me.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

CONFUSION


The Weather Gods seem as confused as we lowly citizens are.

Trees are changing colors and leaves are falling but we've had an upsurge in temperatures the past few days and it's supposed to be near 80 degrees today for the third consecutive day.

I'm not complaining.

It feels great.

It's a dry heat, you know.

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Friday, October 26, 2018

WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Another lousy week is drawing to a close but have I got a surprise for you!

Since Halloween is next Wednesday, the spectacular, sensational fall howl-iday edition of The Friday Funnies will be TODAY!

So get into your costumes and grab your trick or treat bags . . . here we go!

















Well, I hope you and your urchins or grand-urchins or great-grand-urchins enjoy the frightful day ahead and that you all have a great weekend.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .