It was a little hard yesterday to get back to business. Of course it was that dumb Valentine's Day. Luckily, my boss brought in heart shaped Dunkin Donuts filled with brownies. If I have to put up with all of that love mush, I might as well have good coffee and a doughnut. (I bought some really great French roast coffee for the Keurig at work.)
So today, I was determined to be useful. I decided to make bread, which I haven't done in years. I had bought more flour, but couldn't find yeast so I gave up. You would think the yeast would be near the flour in the supermarket, wouldn't you?) The yeast I have is a bit old, so I proofed it.
Those bubbles mean the yeast is alive. It's alive!!
After adding all of the ingredients, I had to 'set the dough to rise for one hour.'
Here's the bread rising under a tea towel that my cheeky devil Aussie friend sent to me. You even get a recipe with this towel!
So I went off to Jazzercise which is one hour of aerobics. Yes, I took ibuprophen first. Came back -- my bread was not risen. (It eventually took over 2 hours.) As Ann said, "No alleluia." Hmpf. But after the second rising, I baked it.
Mmmm, bread!
See how it's artfully placed? Ann and I HAD to taste it so there are a couple of slices missing from the right side. It's good and the kitchen smells amazing. I'm thinking, however, that I have to get something with more ingredients. It has been so long since I've had plain white bread, I was like, "Eh." Maybe I'll try oatmeal bread. That would be a fave. Maybe I'll make croutons ....
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Before Ann came over, I was busy in the sewing room. (Sorry, about the spoiler, Mom.)
As some of you know, my mother delights in making her grandchildren and me laugh. So when we're in a casino (in California, on board a ship), she loves to reach in between her breasts and dig around. She comes up with money because she has a woman's money pouch attached to her bra strap. Last time we were together, she said she would like a new one.
I don't know what store I was in, but I saw these "instant camisoles" that will cover up cleavage. It's just a triangle of fabric that you attach to each bra strap. And I thought, 'I can make that into a money pouch!'
Left is front of money pouch; right is back of the "skin tone" pouch.
Yes, I know -- they look like plus sized g-strings. They will not only hold a lot of dough, they could even hide her passport. Come to think of it, she could add glasses, phone, coins, and a snack! There are a lot of advantages to being a Jane Russell type!
Since Ann was coming over and she always admires my glass collection, I decided it was time to dust the 3 inches of dust off the baker's rack. One of these days, I'll get the toter full of other pieces and switch them out, but I settled for rearranging the colors.
I know, I know -- crummy shot. But it's %$#@ snowing again and almost sunset. I think we had a half hour of sun today. But there's no dust ...
Ann had me stuffing the little (about 3.5 inches high) dogs that she has sewn. I observed that I never thought I'd spend a Saturday shoving stuffing up a dog's ass and she observed, 'Better the dog than you.' She's tough. At one point, I didn't see that she had another dog for me to stuff and she said, "What are you? On break?" It's a darn good thing she didn't make a union crack at that juncture. (We are at totally opposite ends of the political spectrum.)
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We have Monday off because it's President's Day. Remember when we knew when Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays were? Now, I guess, we are honoring all presidents. Does Silent Cal get honored? Apparently, he wasn't any more talkative when he was in Northampton. Although he is the one credited with calling it Paradise City. (Yes, that is Northampton, Mass. that Archer Mayor writes about. Try his books, you might like them.)
Anyway, it's another day off and another day to get me used to hibernating at home. When I do have to go back into work, I am loath to do it and it's not because I don't want to see the people or do the work. A body at rest ...
So all of this no work stuff got me to thinking an calculating. My next trip to Palm Springs will be in April after we are done with the Sammy Awards on April 10th.
The Library will honor Norton Juster, author of The Phantom Toll Booth. (There will be two other honorees, but I'm talking about Norton here.) I did not know of the book and it turns out that some school systems use it in their curriculum. I learned that when a college student almost fainted after Norton had walked into the Library and I mentioned his name. All of this is to say, Norton Juster is a STAR. Tollbooth is in its 50th year and still going strong.
And so is Norton. He is a lovely man, a delight to talk to, and he loves his granddaughter (and I'm sure the rest of his family) dearly. I am a better person for knowing him. His good buddy and flat mate is/was Jules Feiffer, of New Yorker cartoonist fame. Jules changed my life when I saw "Ode to Spring" which is a grown woman cavorting and dancing to spring. That image has stayed in my brain for many years and always reminds me to cavort.
Cheers!
