A Smoothie Move

     Last night I decided to make Strawberry Smoothies with a new blender. I put the 2 cups of partially-thawed strawberries along with one mashed up banana and a king-size dribble of orange juice. I mixed it up and the blender buttons worked fine. Then I added 2 cartons of strawberry yogurt, and hit the "Blend" button. The mixture turned a beautiful shade of pink, although it was a bit closer to the Pepto Bismol shade I didn't want to think about. 

     I wanted to empty the contents into a small pitcher and it just didn't want to dislodge from the blender's base. So I turned the glass, and turned it, and turned it. Finally, I felt it give, and OOPS! I had Pepto Bismol Smoothie all over the counter, the little pitcher, the toaster, the blender, and dribbling down the cupboard to the floor.

     What a mess! And right before bedtime when I was hoping for a snack. I took an aspirin instead.

Mimi

The 80 Year Old Antique

     My husband, Rocky, known as "The Old Coot" on another of my blogs used to collect and tinker with antique cars. That's just an example of an interest of a man who has been interested in many subjects, and thereby becoming a most interesting person to know.
     In the 35 years I've known him, Rocky has never ceased to amaze me with his abilities from playing the piano to laying stone to building furniture. And telling stories about it all!
     Rocky will become 80 years old on March 4. I wanted to have a surprise party for him, but he asked me not to and with his health (and the weather) keeping both of us inside this winter, I decided it wasn't a good idea.
     So as a substitute celebration, I thought it would be fun to shower Rocky with birthday cards. So I've sent out postcards, e-mail invitations, and Facebook announcements to ask friends, new and old, to surprise Rocky with a mailed birthday card on or around his birthday, March 4, two weeks from today. I've invited them to include a personal message, a memory, or an anecdote if they wish.
     If you're reading this and did not get a notice about the card shower, please send him one. He will be surprised, heart-touched, and probably embarrassed. Thanks!  Mimi

The King Cake

   

This is a true story about a Mardi Gras custom:

     Our very good friends lived about 75 miles north of New Orleans so we visited in the area several times a year for well over a decade. 

     One year we were there for a storytelling event the weekend before Mardi Gras started. Everyone was at the community college theater where the storytelling was taking place. I left the theater early so I could go to our host's house to help set the table etc., in preparation for a late-night party. 

     No one else was there when I arrived. As I got out the cups and plates etc. I noticed that someone had left a cake on the table while we were all gone. "What ugly purple and gold icing," I thought. (Remember, I come from Indiana and didn't know anything about Mardi Gras customs.) 

     Wanting to be helpful, I decided to cut the cake into squares, and I had made the first long vertical cuts and had started on the horizontal when a storyteller, and baker of the cake, walked through the door. With her loudest voice, "What are you doing?" she screeched. I was confused, holding the knife in the air, "Why, cutting this cake into serving pieces." 

     Needless to say, she took the knife away from me and firmly instructed me on the meaning  of a King Cake, the special tradition surrounding its cutting, and that it definitely is NOT cut prior to the festivities.  

Mimi

Happy Valentines Day

Funny Valentine's Day Quotes

“If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?”

Anonymous

“Without love, what are we worth? Eighty-nine cents! Eighty-nine cents worth of chemicals walking around lonely.”

Hawkeye, M.A.S.H.

“Without love, the rich and poor live in the same house.”

Anonymous

“Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.”

Hoosier Farmer

“True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.”

Erich Segal

“Love wouldn't be blind if the Braille weren't so damned much fun.”

Anonymous

“Falling in love is so hard on the knees.”

Aerosmith

“Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties.”

Jules Renard

“Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.”

Peter Ustinov

“Love is a grave mental disease.”

Plato

A Whipped Cream Winter

     Ever wonder what it's like to live inside a marshmallow? Well, we here at Castle  Yonder are finding out--once again. The big snow of the East Coast missed us last weekend, but found us yesterday. Still, we didn't get as much snow as DC, Philly, etc. but measured 8.5 inches accumulated on our deck railings.


     Snow like this used to mean snow play--building snowmen, throwing snowballs, and finding things to slide on. Especially when the grandchildren were visiting, and way long, long ago back to childhood.


     Now, snow means sitting inside looking out--if you're lucky. We are definitely snowbound. Running our 4-wheel drive truck would mean shoveling it out first and getting the ice off it which is not only too labor-intensive for us oldies, but dangerous for us as well. 


      I've pretty much used up all the quickie meals from the grocery store I've had frozen, and am at the point of finding recipes to go with what I'm digging up out of our small chest freezer. BTW, that freezer is over 25 years old. It's never been defrosted and I can see ice build-up at the bottom. Also, I spilled a package of pecans in there so I see nuts scattered through the ice crystals. I hate to think how much energy it's using!


     Fortunately, our dear neighbor, Rudy, called this morning to see if we need anything. I asked if he thought he could get back here with his vehicle, and he said, "I'll walk it in if I have to." Bless his heart!


     So all we really need is a gallon of milk and our mail. I also have 4 letters here he'll pick up and mail for us. Hopefully, by the 17th when I have an eye appointment, we'll be able to get out.