One Bizarre Spring

It's snowing here. It's snowing on April twenty-stinkin-sixth. The snow is now blowing SIDEWAYS in the cold wind. Snowing all over my tulips. Snow piling up in the screened porch. Snow piling up on the daylilies I uncovered just two days ago. Someone's just MESSIN with us up here.

My husband and I had one of those stupid married-folks fights on the way to a public event last night. We hardly ever fight, but we sure made up for lost time. I hate those fights, when you have to put on a happy face but you're ready to commit cold-blooded murder in front of hundreds of witnesses. But you just KNOW that if you explain yourself all those people will take a swing at him too. But he's thinking the exact same thing.

PU!!! Spring in the Midwest

Today was drop-dead gorgeous. Temps in the 70's, plenty of sunshine, and a perfect breeze. I did some overdue yard work and ate my lunch on the screened porch.

All was perfect until the farmers to the south started spreading manure in their fields about 4pm. If you've never lived in the Midwest, you've never quite endured such a loathsome aroma. The air outside now smells like a giant dirty litter box. I had to shut every window before we became ill. Thank The Gods of Agriculture this happens only once a year. We WERE going to have burgers on the porch, but now it'll be inside. Ironic - eating burgers while being chased inside by cow dung.

We're supposed to see some severe weather the next few days including cold temps, rain, wind, thunder, lightning, and perhaps *gasp* SNOW!

First Night on the Screened Porch

We got all crazed with Spring Fever tonight and had supper on the screened porch. Ours is rather like the one pictured only older, more worn down, and dirtier. But the siding and sliding glass door are remarkably similar.
It was warm and humid in Minnesota all day due to the oncoming rain, and we soaked up every single minute. First we washed the thick winter dust layer off the table and chairs. Then quickly set the table with pasta, salad, bread, wine, strawberries, and brownies. We wolfed down the last bite just before the cold front blew in in a big way. We were wrapped in sweatshirts and holding down the tablecloth by the brownie course but by golly, WE ATE ON THE SCREENED PORCH!! Sometimes you just have to FORCE Spring to arrive here.

A Good Saturday Visit from MG

Our good friend MG and his partner attended my 14-year-old's volleyball game and we were so pleased! They arrived just in time on Saturday afternoon. We had a longish break between games so MG, Curt, and I headed to the nearby Asian buffet with the completely forgettable name. They had a large buffet with many traditional Asian choices such as red jello, tarter sauce, tiramisu, soft serve ice cream, and creamed spinach. They also had some lovely breaded shrimp, honey glazed chicken, fried rice, and crab legs. For $10 each we were mighty satisfied.
It was great to see them - they are just the best folks and I wish they lived right next door. Mostly so I could shamelessly steal their perennials when they garden, and have my screaming kids throw balls in their yard while they are enjoying their beautiful terrace.

MG blogs very well about creepy Mom's from the other team at the volleyball game. MG was horrified at the things they were saying "You can do it girls, they aren't very quick!" Some parents have big issues with their kids' sports events. The worst woman looked like a mean gym teacher and was wearing a sweatshirt from my Alma Mater, the University of Iowa! Only nice people are from Iowa, and she didn't deserve to wear those colors. She had practical helmet hair and ugly glasses - so THERE!

Fun Game!

A Tag! A Tag!

I've been tagged by our Dr. Monkey to list 5 of my most-oft-visited websites and to briefly describe why I visit them. I've excluded blogs. You are about to see how very boring my life can be.

1. AESOP - our public school's online listing of substitute teaching jobs available. Teachers plug in a day off, and within 1 minute there are thousands of money-grubbing subs climbing all over each other for the spots. It's a vicious dog-eat-dog world.

2. Northfield.org - my town's newsy news website. Lots of information for the dedicated Northfield citizen, including obituaries, the fun never ends.

3. Kare 11 News - I check the weather, who's been shot in Murderapolis, the weather, what the poll is today, the weather, which Vikings player is currently in jail, and the weather.

4. Crooks and Liars - like Dr. Monkey, I visit to keep current on the treasonous shenanigans of the idiot-in-chief and his posse of evildoers.

5. Evolve Fish - they have the BEST buttons, magnets, etc. I'm not quite as strident as the site might suggest, but I do LOVE to rattle the cages of right wingers.

I think I'll tag Laurie, Missy, and Kim

Getting Old Ain't For Sissies

Have I ever mentioned I get heartburn? Only about five time you say? Well here is #6. Seems the older I get the longer the list of forbidden foods. I sound just like my Dad.

Last night I made a batch of Heavenly Sauce - a decadent chocolate sauce that is KILLER over ice cream. We only make it about once a year - no kidding - because it's that rich. As a kid I'd eat two bowls with minimal ice cream and maximum Heavenly Sauce. Ice cream is merely a vehicle for the toppings in my opinion.

Suffice it to say I was up all night with crazy-bad heartburn and finished off my bottle of nasty chalky Mylanta. So now Heavenly Sauce is banished to the nether regions of gastronomic Hell along with most other things chocolate, red licorice, cucumbers, watermelon, onions, fresh garlic, etc. So I give you the recipe so that the magic of Heavenly Sauce can live on elsewhere.


HEAVENLY SAUCE
In a double boiler, melt 2 sticks of butter with 4ozs good quality unsweetened chocolate.
When thoroughly melted, stir in 3 cups of sugar
Slowly add, while stirring, a can of evaporated milk and a pinch of salt
Keep stirring until all the sugar is dissolved.
Keep in a glass container in the frig - we always used a Miracle Whip jar.