A new day, Monday 21 May 2007

After a busy, busy week-end, I slept in until Schnicklefritz told me good-bye before she left for her new shop. I'm all rested up. I had my coffee, breakfast and EmergenC. I'm about to clear away all the papers beside my computer. In reality I'm trying to find my Medicare Card and my Scan Card and my State ID (the one that looks like a Driver's License, but isn't).

Two weeks ago Jeanette gave me her father's automatic bread making machine, since at 92 he's decided not to make any more bread and has retired from being the family baker. I've just put the makings for another loaf of bread in the machine. This time I'm trying for raisin-nut. Schnickle bought me an instant thermometer so I can get the water temperature right. Even though I do not do any of that extra special kneading by hand, I do feel quite noble. Last week's attempt was a partial success. I did garlic bread with powdered garlic and parsley flakes. It smelled wonderful while baking, but it was lacking in good flavor. I think that maybe the garlic was old as were the parsley flakes.

My old Wayfarer friend, Sharon, who now lives in Germany, has encouraged me to write a sestina. It is a real challenge and I'm working on it. It is a 39 line poem. six verses of six lines each plus an envoi of three lines. First off you choose six end words. Then end each line with one of those words...Each verse has the same words at the end of the line, only varied in order. The last three line verse has two of the ending words in each line. If you are really interested look up the pattern under on internet. Some examples are given. I especially like the one by Damon McLaughlin. I guess you could find it by searching just for his name.

Our time at CC's and Cupcake's Tenth Anniversary party was a happy time...we ate and ate and ate and I don't even like Mexican food. Uncle BB shared a few scriptures about caring. The children had a great time driving around in a battery-operated car and with the pinata. BB didn't manage the car, but she did push around an empty tricycle and draw on the driveway with chalk.

Yesterday we had lunch at Arturo's with EW and GW. Schnicklefritz had a great salad, EW had fish, GW had Abondigas and I had a seafood salad. Worked a little while on the computer last night doing some research. I don't want to make mistakes in my facts again. (Like using plastic bags in the supermarket in 1957 when in reality they were not used until the mid 70's).

The bread machine is humming away in its kneading cycle and it is time for me to get out in this gray day and do some watering. My purple petunias are calling me.