so i follow martha stewart on twitter, and when i saw this i was intrigued...

so i click and i find this on http://www.themarthablog.com/

(my copy paste isn't working on blogger for some reason and i'm too lazy to type it out...)

all my local bars are stocked with st. germain elderflower liqueur, aren't yours??

random things....in no particular order:

i lie on my facebook status sometimes. for example just now i wrote that i was making "frozen yogurt" in my new ice cream maker, when really i'm making whole milk, freaking awesome, full of fat ice cream...vanilla with cinnamon and the peach and raspberry innards of a pie i made that went horribly wrong (by wrong i mean runny and vomit-like in appearance). it turned out really well and i am excited at all the new flavors of "frozen yogurt" just waiting to be made.

i was the matron of honor at a wedding last weekend and it was awesome. when the bride told me she wanted to have fake birds glued onto sticks, i thought she had gone completely off the deep end quite honestly - but nope, i loved it!!

i also had a rocking good time with my family...the last few times i've seen them have either been for my great aunt's passing, or my dad's so it was good to break bread for a joyful cause this time. i think a few of them read my site and i just want to say thanks - you'll never know what it meant to me and i hope we do it again very soon...like saturday haha.

speaking of family, my uncle's 50th class reunion would be this year if he were alive. i've probably mentioned this before, but he died when he was 17 and my dad was 5 - he had Hodgkin's disease. it is one of those things that makes you wonder how different your life might be had things played out differently.

my tomato plants are huge. i have 2 of them and they have taken over my planter...i just hope josephine, my clematis does not suffer as a result.

i loooooove tomatoes and like to do all kinds of things with them, like stuff them with bulgur or quinoa or couscous, fill them with salad like cucumbuers and peppers and feta or get crafty with them.

we went to helvetia for father's day. i was really sad that the wunderbar gallery closed...i bought a beautiful little vase last year that got knocked off the night stand and i really wanted to replace it. now there is just a gift shop with things like those little wooden boxes that say "3 piece chicken dinner" the old homeplace was peaceful and it was a beautiful day. the property includes the 2nd oldest building in the settlement.

the history, arts and culture of the mountain state have always been a major interest of mine.

you can't clog for as long as i did, and go to as many vandalia gatherings, augusta heritage festivals, and jubilees at jackson's mill and not get teary eyed when you hear a dulcimer strumming out simple gifts.


you can imagine my excitement then when a friend invited me to a special state museum grand opening event:

i have been going to the cultural center for as long as i can remember, and even elementary school trips have stuck with me to this day. an amazing amount of work has gone into remodeling the museum - though revitalizing might be a better word.

i got to spend some much cherished time with good friends, finally get to see pianafiddle perform in a very intimate setting, AND get one of the first looks of a building that has held great meaning for me - you could say i was a happy girl.




did i mention i even tried some goat meat?

my friend Sarah gave me my first blog award!

My new role of Queen of Awe-Summm requires me to list 7 things that make me "Awe-Summ!!!"

1. i can ride my bicycle over 25 miles and still be able to walk the next day.

2. i can take beautiful pictures.

3. i love to cook and bake yummy things and share with others.

4. i am an awesome aunt.

5. i can tell what aisle something is in the grocery store, where it's at on the shelf, how much it costs, and what is usually on sale for

6. i'm good at visually arranging things.

7. friend, family or even foe, i would probably do anything i could for you if you needed me.

It is hard to pick who to tag with this, and I hope there aren't hard feelings, but with her recent injury Tonya has had a rough time of it as of late, and i want to remind her that she's awe-summmmm!

chocolate graham crackers + crunchy peanut butter + cherry butter + bananas = YUM


edited to add: right after writing this i went into the kitchen to check the bread dough i'm letting rise and i came back to find max in my chair trying to eat my graham cracker goodness - i yell "MAX" and he tries to get off the chair, flopping sideways and falls in the floor before he RUNS back into the living room. thankfully it doesn't appear this has resulted in yet another leg injury :-P