One Year Ago Today

One of the things I really love about having a blog is the ability to go back to previous posts and see what was happening on Mt. Vernon Street. One year ago today, the sky looked like this:

and I was scramblig to find a gift for Maddie. Today, the sky looks only slightly less grey and Maddie's birthday has not only been remembered, but her gift has already been purchased and shipped.

Maddie, like most of my friends (and family for that matter) has a twisted sense of humor. So this year's gift is (she doesn't read this, so I don't have to worry)...

The Avenging Unicorn

from the weird and wacky Merch-Bot.com

Having a bad day? Boss being a jerk? People just suck? Send your Avenging Unicorn after them! Comes with four interchangable horns (classic spiral, chrome, glow and pearlescent) to spear the boss, the new age lady or the mime through the chest! As the Merch-Bot description says, "It's like voodoo dolls for your true enemies."

The first time I saw this, I lost it. I loved it! Yes it's sick. Yes it's twisted. And yes, it is just perfect for Maddie! Her birthday is Monday. I can't wait for her to see it (sure beats the failed attempt at a wrap skirt)!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Sweet Monday

Cracked ribs will not be keeping me from Wendy's Sweets Party - per my promise:

Sinful and sweet, blissful brownies from Simply Divine Heavenly Brownies of Maine

I will be certain to bring along plenty for everyone, especially of this one and this one and this one! Yum!

Oh, I better bring a lot of milk (regular and soy for anyone lactose intolerant) along with me - you really need something to wash these down after you've savored the chocolatey goodness!

I hope everyone enjoys the brownies!

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Oh btw, the ribs are feeling better (thank you and you and you and you for the well wishes!)...so long as I don't cough, or sneeze, or laugh too hard or breath too deeply - but they're so much better than on Saturday!

:^)

They Call Me "Grace"

You don't realize just how much your ribs are tied in to your range of motion...that is, until you crack them.

I actually did it on Tuesday. I was walking the dog. It was a beautiful morning. I looked up to admire a Red Maple and WHAM! STUMBLE, STUMBLE...SLIIIIIDE! And I was on the ground, half on the sidewalk, half in the mud.

My first thought? "God I hope no one saw me!" I jumped up, brushed the mud from my right hand while looking around - it was 6:00 in the morning, no one was awake enough to see the foolish, klutzy girl spread-eagle on her stomach. My left hand was scraped and bleeding, my left knee was raw, bloody and burning like there was no tomorrow.

Apparently I hit the ground hard enough that I also cracked my ribs on the left side. Seriously, I have no idea how I did it. The sidewalk was level, clean...maybe I am just a klutz!

I've still been going to work, but bending over to get things, turning certain ways, reaching over my head...it's all very bad! And not taking it easy, giving the ribs a chance to heal...well it's really catching up with me today.

Don't you hate it when you have a million things planned for the weekend, things that require your full range of motion and you have to scrap those plans? Maybe it's the Universe's way of saying, "Slow down!"

Here's to conceding to the ribs and doing things that don't require much movement.

Dianthus in the rain:

Oh, and panies, too.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Experimentation

Playing with make-shift filters (windshield, dark rain guard, and golden sunglasses)

Scenes from the State House

These are things that I see everyday that I take for granted, until I see a group of young students wander these halls, wide eyed, in awe and wonder. I get so caught up with the hussle and bussle and chaos that I forget to look around me...really see the history...think of those who walked this floor before me.

Tuesday Music Love

Falling in love with:
Brandi Carlile ~ The Story

Still in love with:
Feist - The Reminder

Dredging up some old loves:
Rancid

Social Distortion
The Violent Femmes

Wanting:

Johnette Napolitano ~ Scarred

(also falls into the old loves category!)

Clothes Horse

Now that my garden is growing and requires little attention other than watering, fertilizer and admiring (for the time being), I'm in a summer clothing making mood.

I’ve been scouring the internet for freebie patterns and had to share what I’ve come up with:

* Amy Butler's Café Wrap Skirt (scroll to the very bottom - it's so cute!)

* Hancock Fabric's Poodles in Paris Skirt/Dress (don't let the name fool you into thinking it's some cutesy poodle skirt kinda thing. It's actually quite lovely! Though I'm not one for strapless, that can be adjusted)

* Burda's Empire Top (love it! sooo comfy looking!) and skirt

And have you ever been to the Naughty Secretary Club site? Yes I know it sounds vaguely pornographic, but they have some really nifty bracelets (I'm lovin' the blue bakelite), hair clips and purses! Oh my!

~:o:~.~:o:~.~:o:~.~:o:~

Tonight, Melissa and her girls are coming to visit. YIPPEE! I may have to suggest a trip to my fav ice cream place, Webbers, for homemade ice cream! There is nothing more fun than watching little kids eat ice cream...especially when you're not the one who has to clean them up afterward!! ;^)

Have a fab evening all!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

My first foray into the world of strawberry rhubarb pie. Though I've eaten many, I've never actually made one...so last night, as I looked at the beautiful stalks jutting forth from my rhubarb plant, I thought, "I need to make a pie!"

So I dragged out my gram's trusty Fannie Farmer Cookbook (this is a 1945 edition). You can see it's been well used!

I used the "Plain Pastry" recipe at the bottom of the left hand page for the pie crust (the cooking instructions are on the bottom of the right hand page - click on the pictures to enlarge)
This is the easiest pie crust recipe I have ever used! But I do add just a little sugar (less than a tsp) to it, so it doesn't taste too floury.

Then I used the "Rhubarb Pie" recipe at the bottom of the right hand page for the filling
But as you can see, I added the last of the strawberries from last season (I can't wait for strawberry season!!! Just a few more weeks and the should be ready here in Maine!)
How yummy does that look?

The baking instructions are kinda funky. It calls for baking it on the bottom rake of the oven for 10 mins at 450 degrees (to thoroughly cook the bottom), then you move it to the middle rack for 40 mins at 350. If you make this, remember to turn your oven down! I forgot. DUH! But I timed it for 20 mins, just so I could check on it. I ended up turning it down to 350 for only 10 mins and it came out beautifully, despite my screw up!
And it really tasted yummy!This was the easiest pie I have ever made!

What I did on my Memorial Day Weekend...

4 days off =

Project #1:

2 1/2 truckloads of brush raked, loaded & removed

1 lawn mowed

14 bags of topsoil, garden soil & manure loaded onto a cart at the garden center, loaded off the cart and into my truck, loaded out of my truck and half to my parents truck, while the rest was lugged to various spots around my yard

1 pile of compost raked and spread across the base of the hill

2 raised beds planted

Over 1000 vegetable & flower seeds planted

To create this:

Just call me Farmer Tiff!
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Project #2:

1 clean house

6 boxes of x-mas decorations moved from the porch to the garage

9 totes moved off the porch...then back onto the porch :^P

3 bags of garbage tossed

1 twin bed moved from an upstairs bedroom downstairs to the porch (by myself I might add)

1 set of curtains found & 1 created

All to create this space:

Imagine:

Your sitting on a very cushy bed with a homemade quilt draped across it. A gentle breeze is blowing and the scent of lilacs, fresh cut grass and lily of the valley waft through the air. The urge to nap overtakes you and you are lulled to sleep by the sound of birds chirping and singing to one another as they swoop into the sugar maple to munch on the newly filled feeder.

Welcome to my cozy little den of Zen.

Blog Toy

Go here to play!

And thanks to this blog for sharing such a fun toy.