I love to read

I love to read weird books about books.  

I don't  think the books about books are weird, I just think it's a weird thing to like as much as I do.

These three are following me around right now.

They go from my book table to my computer desk to my book bag here at work--the one I bring with me every morning.

(DANG----I just said, here.  Here at work.  I'm going to get found out one day that I'm writing a blog post, and then, well... I already gave my 3-year notice the other day.  Perhaps they'll let me finish out my time)

 First...the Read-Aloud Handbook.  Seventh edition.  I have editions 2-6 already.  I read every word of every one.

Edition 1 is out of print or I would buy that one too.

I just like to keep up on what is happening in the area of children's lit and reading. 

I like to be at a party and spout stuff like this:

As you read to a child, you’re pouring into the child’s ears (and brain) all the sounds, syllables, endings, and blendings that will make up the words she will someday be asked to read and understand. And through stories you are filling in the background knowledge necessary to understand things that aren't in her neighborhood—like war or whales or locomotives.

(from Jim Trelease and his Read-Aloud Handbook)

because I'm a big dork.

But still....

...I love to read and I want my grandchildren to love to read too.

It's really, really important to me.

(sad sometimes when I take them to Barnes and Noble and all they want are the Legos. I know, I know...that's why an Indy book store is the BEST!)

I want every child  to love to read.

The 2nd book is this one:

Read for the Heart, by Sarah Clarkson. I just got it in the mail, so I really haven't had time to read the whole thing.  I've just skimmed it.  I do think it has really good reading lists, but it's from a very conservative perspective.

There is nothing wrong with that of course, I'm just sayin'.... lots of classics and older books.  I do love them too tho.

And then #3.

Book Lust by Nancy Pearl.  

A real bookworm, a bibliophile!

Book Lust is about books for adults!

While I have also just started this one,  I love her quirky structure in the book.

There are not  just lists of good books to read, but chapters with---well QUIRKY lists.   Very original and unpredictable. 

Chapter one is  "Call Me Alice" and after a short little essay  she lists many books that she has loved  with authors named Alice.

I love it!

Some of her other chapters are titled:

Bird Brains

Lost Weekends

Shrinks and Shrinkies

Zero: This will Mean Nothing to you

 I can't wait to see what books she has listed under those themes.

And so, there you have it.  

I like to read books about lists of books to read.

Have a good evening and remember--tomorrow is national  chocolate chip day!

Books and cookies go together!

Outdoor Wednesday (and other rambling stuff)

Do you ever wonder if....in 50, 75, 100 years, people will be taking photos of our toilets?  It's kind of scary when you think about it.  Because that means our homes will have been abandoned and deserted and left to rot.

I don't know if you see this in the East, but in the West?  There are lots of abandoned places.  Out in the vast rural areas.  They are called Ghost  Towns, and there midst the old town ruins,  bathrooms/toilets still stand.  In fact, they are treasure-troves filled with all kinds of goodies.  

I am not kidding.
If you are out searching for  great finds,  search the old abandoned outhouses.
I have a few skeleton keys and old bottles which were found in outhouses.  

I DID NOT go searching for these things in old outhouses,(that's gross) but people I know, who know I like skeleton keys and old bottles, did.  (and I thank them, because--they are really pretty old bottles)

I might be giving you too much old toilet information.

I will just proceed with some photos for OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY, hosted by A Southern Daydreamer.

This is the kind of 'vastness' we are talking about.

The High Desert of Northern Nevada.

And those are old abandoned homes or homesteads or just random settler buildings.  Most likely from miners looking for Gold.

And this?  A luxury toilet for your use! 

I don't like the idea of  no door. 

I do like my privacy!

At least it's not a 2-seater!  I've seen those. 

And.... I don't get the point of a 2-seater outhouse.

As I said--I like my privacy.

And here is the home you get with this lovely outhouse!

Notice a nice little carport in the front?  or would it be a horse port?  Or covered patio?  for entertaining?

Your guests would not have far to go to the toilet there.

(and hopefully when  you entertain,the wind is blowing in the opposite direction)

Can you spot the Handyman walking around the property?

He LOVES to look for treasures in old abandoned sites.

This one looks a bit more modern with some 'tin' siding added!

(and there was still some TP in this one)

A different day...

a different part of Nevada.

Some water!  And something green!

Still tho... when you gotta go, you gotta go.

I am not making fun of old Nevada homesteads or mining camps or whatever.

I love them... or else I wouldn't be taking pictures of them.

Happy Wednesday!

Weekend Cooking--Chocolate Crunch Brownies

If you love chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, well you might want to try these brownies.

That's it.  That's all I have to say.

You can tell by looking that they are good.

Great for a special picnic or lunch box treat!

I am still 'slowly' making my way thru all of my cookbooks.  This will be cookbook #64.

My own Cookbook Countdown.

Want to see my list?

Just click here.

I have bookmarked many recipes in this cookbook.   Not fancy or done by a celebrate chef--but one can't really go wrong with Taste of Home recipes.  Especially since they are recipes sent in by readers.

Like you. And me.

Chocolate Crunch Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 eggs

• 1/2 cup baking cocoa

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

• 3 cups crisp rice cereal Directions In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture until blended. Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool in pan on a wire rack. Spread marshmallow creme over cooled brownies. In a small saucepan, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in cereal. Spread over top. Refrigerate until set. Cut into bars. Yield: 3 dozen.

Thanks again to  Beth Fish Reads and her amazing WEEKEND COOKING blog posts, where I can share my crazy cooking posts.  I am linking to her meme. 

This Mother's Day

This is  a picture of my parents on their wedding day.

This  mother's day is a strange one for me.

My dad passed away 2 weeks ago and 1 week ago, my mother moved to an  assisted living community.

Most of the time, she thinks she is in Hawaii  (if you have to be someplace, that's a good place to be, I guess),  but  she also forgets that my dad has passed. 

Every day.

That is very difficult for my brother and his wife.  I don't live there, so I don't deal with it every day like they do.

The good thing is---she gets distracted very easily.

Show her a picture of a baby and she is all smiles and laughter.

She loves babies.

A few days after my dad passed away, I was lying in bed with her and she wanted to know the story of dad.

They grew up on the same block

They played hide and seek with the neighbor kids and hid together in a chicken coop when they were 10. Dad tried to kiss her and she turned her head away and he kissed the wall.

I went on like this for a while and then stopped thinking she had fallen asleep.

She hadn't... she said  "then what?"

I said,  you got married then and moved to California, where you had a baby...

My mom then said, in a really soft voice,  "a beautiful baby"

That baby was me.

and that makes me get tears in my eyes.

That is a short, short version of my parents story.

I love it.

We all have our stories---and I hope on this mother's day we can all realize how lucky we are to have had such stories.

I hope they make you smile today... memories of your mother.

Smile today---don't be sad.

God is good.

Even in  (especially in) this (sometimes difficult ) journey of life,

(but most times it's a beautiful journey.  I have to make that clear.

My mom, in her pre-dementia days, was the most optimistic person ever.  I want to hold to that in her honor.  And my dad's)

Saturday Snaptshot

What I did today---part 1

I did a short 3 mile walk.  I am just getting back into walking, but I plan to be back in shape for the Columbia Gorge Half-Marathon in October.

I am linking up to Saturday Snapshot hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.

Stop by her blog and check out all the other great links to Saturday Snapshot.

I began the walk with my DIL Jessica and my friends Robbie and Tami.

It was a fun morning!

I really do love to walk... I just haven't been doing it like I should.

You can't really see the balloons in the air, can you?

I'm not a fan of letting balloons go---because of the birds.  They are bad for the birds, but I have to admit, they look pretty.

IF you can see them.

The weather held for us and didn't rain while we were walking.  It was cool enough and warm enough.  Just right.

My good friend Nicole---talking to the crowd (with microphone) before the walk/run began.

Two great peeps,  Karen and Sally!

Getting ready to  runnnnnn........

My good friend Betty hugging Tami!

AND....THEY'RE OFF!!

My good friends Sally and Paul. (the blue shirt and the man/gray shirt)  They RAN the 5 mile and were passing me on the 3 mile walk.   (sigh) it's been a while for me.  I need to get in shape again.

My good friends Robbie and Tami---coming in from their 5 mile walk. 

(look at the lady in red....she's saying  I FOUND THEM...because I they are usually fast walkers and they were kind of lolly-gagging today.)

My son asked me the other day to tell him who my best friend was.

I told him that it's not like that when you are older.... at least for me, it isn't.

 I am  lucky to have such good friends.  And so many of them!

Outdoor Wednesday

I am linking up to Outdoor Wednesday

and  letting you know the correct  term for  a  soft drink (soda, coke, pepsi, etc.  it is a POP)

(at least in the west/northwest)

It says so in this window.

When we were coming back from our birding weekend,  we went thru this little town called French Glen.

It was in Oregon, right before you cross over into Nevada.

A lovely little place.

You could do some good bird watching here.

Or just relax and have a beer.

Or if need be, hop into the phone booth to change into your Superman or Underdog  attire....because right there in the middle of nowhere, there is a phone booth.

Cottage Cheese Dip and Sour Cream Onion Burgers

Originally, this post was about the hamburger  (Sour Cream Onion Burger--Yum!), but.... last week, my mother moved into an assisted living home, so in her honor this post is all about her cottage cheese dip.  (which I had made for the chips, but never intended to write about)

Yes, it's one of those things.  You know---those things you ate when you were young, that you are SURE no one in the world ate except your family.  Like my friend Barbara Brown ate pork and bean sandwiches when she was little.  

We all have those things!

One of  ours was cottage cheese dip.  We loved it when we were little.

Truth be told, if I needed comforting today, I would make this and grab a bag of chips and put on an old movie and sit and eat the whole thing!  

I still love it.

Hey!  Don't judge ---what is your WEIRD family food?

Cottage Cheese Dip

cottage cheese

mayonnaise or miracle whip

ketchup

Just put a couple of blobs of each and mix and add until you reach a consistency you like.

Grab a bag of Ruffles chips and eat till you have to unbuckle your pants!

Growing up, my parents used Miracle-Whip, but as an adult, I use Mayonnaise--Best Foods or Hellman's (depending on which side of the Rocky Mountains you live)

Which might seem as if it ISN'T the same dip I had when I was little--- but it is.

My parents were huge picnickers.  Most of my summer memories from when I was younger are of picnics on the Columbia and Snake Rivers in Washington State.  

My mom would always make:

fried chicken (which we would eat cold)

baked beans   (which we would eat cold )

potato salad

pickles

deviled eggs

chips and dip  -- cottage cheese dip

homemade chocolate cake in a 9x13 pan

She got Pepsi and we got supermarket brand soda.

My dad would have a Budweiser or two.

That is the only menu I can remember on our picnics.

All things she made the night before, so our picnics were just spent swimming,  playing Frisbee OR  Lawn Darts (which are outlawed now ), cribbage, and of course, getting a tan.

Sorry, I digress....I am reminiscing. 

Oh...and about those  Sour  Cream Onion  Burgers?

I got the recipe from my friend Brenda, who used to have a blog  (Brenda's Canadian Kitchen), but has given it up.  I miss her blog---so many great recipes.  (Lucky for me I have a lot bookmarked)

This is a great burger!!  Just tasty and easy.

Sour Cream Onion Burger

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds ground beef 1 cup sour cream 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs 1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, sour cream, onion soup mix, bread crumbs and pepper using your hands. Refrigerate while you heat up the grill so the flavors have a chance to blend.
2.	Preheat a grill for medium heat. Form the ground beef into 8 balls, and flatten into patties.
3.	Grill the patties for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until well done.