Winding down the day

Just cut some more roses, not that we're experiencing any sort of shortage. There are buds galore out there, and we should have plenty to enjoy for several more days. When our next door neighbor moved into an assisted living apartment a couple of years before she died, the new neighbors put up a wooden fence between our houses separating the backyards. Before that, we'd had only a chain link fence between us. The guys who put up the fence set the posts so that the original climber rose would be on our side. The new neighbors didn't care and hadn't known the woman they'd bought the house from, so we've been able to cut slips and start 4 pieces, giving one away to another neighbor and having 3 of our own. The only downfall is that the ones we planted in the front yard are left to sprawl, being that they're in the flower beds and not against a vertical surface. But even so, they're all good-sized now, and are a real treat come Spring.

Now I'm just hoping for a weekend that rains out all planned activities. ;) Not that there are any, but a couple of days with not needing to run errands or do stuff sounds plenty inviting. Should be a dandy rainstorm during the night (that's why I cut the flowers), and the weekend is supposed to be wet.

Must fetch all my cactus and Jade potted plants in from the front porch so that they won't get scared with the thunder and lightning. My babies. While I might shudder with these darned African Violets (and Mona is still alive and well, thank you!), the cactus are more forgiving.

As for now...it's time to quit.

Antique roses

These roses are from climbers in our front yard, but they originated with cuttings from our former next door neighbor who passed away several years ago. The story goes that her grandmother had the original rosebush.

To tell you how old this rose is....the neighbor who died was in her nineties.

It smells just wonderful. Would love to know the name of it, if it even has an official name. It only blooms at the end of April/very early May, and appears to be very resistant to disease. A glorious flower.

Another birthday :)

Sitting here with fourth son who's frosting the birthday cake for third son. He made a chocolate cake with mayonnaise, and the taste of it (with cream cheese frosting) is wonderful. We usually use Crisco as the fat in cakes, but since we were out of that after making pasties last night, I got online to see if there were recipes using oil. Yes there are (to answer the next question), but in my searches I found the recipe linked above.

Total yum-ness! :) The cake has a tiny bit of bite with the flavor of the mayonnaise, and with the frosting...my oh my, it's good.

In a few minutes will put together the birthday meal, which is like Greek Spanakopita, but I use only one box of frozen spinach, don't add the ricotta and use some Parmesan instead along with the Feta, and also add cooked chicken. We'll have Green Beans Almondine as well, though we usually have a Greek-style salad.

Time to go, must lick the frosting knife, if the least one doesn't beat me to it. ;)

About book reviews

Since I've gotten into writing book reviews online, it seems that I read books a bit differently than I used to. Well, the ones for pleasure are still that...a pleasure. But when there's one to read for a publisher, my critical side rears its head. Guess that's normal.

What gets me, though, is searching through other reviews for the same materials I'm reading. When certain books get rave reviews, or are held up in high regard when I wasn't a fan, I have to wonder. Are book bloggers binding themselves to give the high five to materials because they've received a free copy to read? Or maybe they just like *everything*? I do realize that everyone's going to differ in what they like or deem good literature. But when a book isn't edited well, or has badly executed dialogue, seems to me it's up to the one writing the critique to point that out.

I have a review coming up and it's making me fret. While I want to be honest, at the same time, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But a reviewer doesn't do anyone any favors when they go nuts for a publication that's either mediocre, or poorly written. And to think that because something has been bound and put on a store bookshelf that it *deserves* to be published should be the farthest thing from our minds. There's lots of drivel out there.

Gentle honesty. Maybe that's what I'm driving at.

Late Wednesday afternoon

Another birthday tomorrow. Third son turns 19, and I'm thankful that Gary and I went shopping last night for his presents and dinner. I really can't stand it when we leave it to the last minute, either by necessity, or just plain laziness. :)

And hoping tomorrow can be a day at home without any errands. Might even get Friday's schoolwork set up early so the kids can work on their own that day. I do enjoy it when I plan that way, then when I get up, I can putter and do housework and not feel guilty.

I'm such a mess.

Anyway, earlier today I rented the movie *Georgia O'Keeffe* with Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons at Redbox. Can't seem to find a trailer online, but hoping it's good. Gary's committed to watching it with me, hoping in his heart that it's not a girlie movie. Shoot, I'm not watching *Dog the Bounty Hunter* tonight JUST so I can watch a movie with him. How's that for devotion? I think that says it all.

Now need to get the living room in order (vacuuming and such) and they get things ready to make pasties for dinner. Labor intensive, but the look on Gary's face when I bring them to the table is priceless.

Enjoy your night!

This was one of those nights where you wake up in the middle of the night and stay awake. Makes me CRAZY!!! Has nothing to do with whether you're tired or not, it just happens. And when there are issues in your head that won't go away, well, that just compounds the situation.

Will go back to bed for a morning nap in a minute. Otherwise I'll be mean as a snake today.

Attempts at quiet

A bit of stress in the extended family just now. My aunt (who's in her late 80's) has been at home from the hospital for awhile, after beating pneumonia. The drama now is about my uncle who retired from a part-time job in October and is now at home all the time as well. I think they drive one another nuts. He doesn't have a hobby, unless you call my aunt his hobby. He's feeling down in the dumps, and she's healing up and still feeling weak, and it's just a mess.

My mom's all worked up about it, and then when she shares with me on the phone, I get all agitated as well. When there's no easy solution to a predicament, it's hard to find peace about it. I think we all want to solve it, but seems to me, the main characters have to settle this themselves.

::mental pause::

So this morning I've put a couple of egg whites in a pretty bowl on the counter to get to room temperature. Thought the little girls and I could try some Macarons with them later on. I want to get out my sewing as well. Am going to finish the least one's dress this week, and plan on making some felt doughnuts for a young friend. And beef stew to get on the stove later on. I bought a pretty little roast (one of those wrapped up in string) to cut up for it.

Grounding activities. I need things to do that settle my spirits. Will cut some roses when the sun goes down, read my library book at nap-time, and fold some clothes. Puttering and quietness. That's needed here, I'm thinking.

(photo is a free image from vintage workshop)