G'day, folks.
Linda, enjoy your warmer temperatures. I should do some biscuit baking too. I need to get people to eat the last batch. And the grill - you could use a charcoal one (or wood-fired) if you put some paves down under it, that should keep your deck safe. Enjoy your cooking!
TM, good luck shifting those cookies. 18 boxes - that's a lot. Then you need to get your local troop to get sponsored by Jenny Craig so you can go sell memberships to the neighbourhood, they'll need them after 18 boxes! That way it's win-win with every sponsorship!
Janna, our weekend paper had a great French toast recipe - you cut the bread twice as thick, cut a pocket in it and put some sliced peaches into the pocket. Then dip the bread in milk that has sugar and vanilla in it, then pan-fry in butter. Serve with a big dollop of cream. As for D - I hope you can get some satisfaction re D's room-mate. He shouldn't have been in a position to interfere with D's phone call.
We've had a productive but restful Saturday. I got some business dealt with at the local shops this morning - got prescriptions filled, made some health insurance claims (there is an automatic booth set up at the pharmacy, I could process claims while I waited for the pills to be dispensed). Then I dropped in on difficult child 3's godmother. We were just planning going for a swim - the water is warm, so people were tellnig me, and the morning was sunny. But then friend's boyfriend rang and she got ready to go visit him. So I headed home planning to take difficult child 3 for a swim, then the clouds began to form. So we hung around ,watched Pink Panther on DVD and made a leisurely lunch. When husband got home from his weekend workout at the train track, we got mother in law and went down to the art exhibition. I don't go to the opening (last night) because there are always too many people to see the art work, even though it costs a lot more to go to the launch. I just find that apart from the artists, a lot of the people who pay extra to go to the launch are the social climbers who jsut want to be seen, who want to feel like they are hobnobbing with the talented ones. I just find it too pretentious.
So we went this afternoon, the day the crowds are thinnest. As it turned out, there were only two other people there to look at the artwork. The only others were the artists on roster behind the counter, who happened to be friends I'd been chatting to this morning at the shops.
difficult child 3 came with us too (kids are free) and was chatting to the wife of one of the artists.
The art work this year - mother in law commented that there seems to be a lot more vivid colour, perhaps a reaction to the economic climate? There is some wonderful stuff there, some really innovative stuff as well as a lot of beautiful paintings. One painting I really loved - it's $220, more than we can afford, but he IS a good name to invest in, as well as a painting I'd love to hang on the wall. It's an oil painting of a seagull standing on the shore, his shadow cast across the water's edge. I seem to be collecting art work of birds and animals...
Tomorrow is the big village fair, in t he field beside the art exhibition. Over the road this afternoon was a sand mandala being meticulously crafted by a team of local people, under the direction of a local artist. Then one of our super storms hit very suddenly (those clouds I mentioned, finally opened up and dumped everything). Strong winds, downpour like a fire hose let loose, people screaming for tarpaulins and desperately tring to save their work. By the time we came out, the people were drenched, most of the mandala was safe and dry, and they were trying to find ways to keep it that way and begin to repar the damage. The huge heap of sand they were using, had got rained on and sand just doesn't flow so easily when it's wet!
Tomorrow will be very interesting...
I rang easy child 2/difficult child 2 because a friend of hers is the "featured emerging artist" of this year's exhibition. Both her parents are artists, I've written about her father's art before. I knew the girl was good; didn't think she was THAT good! One of her sketches is being raffled, I'm planning on buying some extra tickets tomorrow.
easy child 2/difficult child 2 can't come tomorrow, she & BF2 are both working. Pity. Hopefully difficult child 1 & daughter in law will be there.
Enjoy!
Gotta go now, it's Sunday here now. Just. Time for bed.
Marg