Saturday Snapshot

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by

West Metro Mommy Reads 

To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post to West Metro Mommy Reads!   Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

You've seen my happy place before...

Wallowa Lake?

We have a cabin there and the Handyman and I went up to spend a week in October.

It was wonderful, as there was no one there--no tourists.  We got to walk and relax and read and really enjoy ourselves.

So, once again, photos of my favorite walk--down to the lake.

We saw a ton of deer!

Meanwhile back at our cabin-- Bailey doesn't ever see this big buck. 

Ever.

And those are my snapshots for today!

TBR Winner!

I love this monthly meme hosted by Michelle at  Because Reading is Better than Real Life, (even tho I don't join in as regularly as I want to)  in which we put up 3 books on the first Saturday of the month, and then you readers, vote on which one I should read, I let you know--on this 2nd Saturday of the month, which one won-- I read and then I write a blog post on the last Saturday of the month.

It's so much fun!

I always have a hard time choosing what book to read next....as any book nerd knows, it's because our TBR Piles are so big!!  So, this is a way to read something I've been meaning to for some time.

This was the book you chose for me this month:

I'm looking forward to it!

Here was the breakdown:

Eleanor Olipahnt is completely fine -- 8

The Vanderbeeks of 141st Street -- 3

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore -- 0

Friday Friend Recipe #175 - Mother-In-Law Mystery Cake

Come with me as I continue to countdown my Friday Friend Cookbook!

What is it, you may ask?

In a nutshell...
About 19 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.
I decided to count those down!
Why?

Because  one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog"
The Handyman--who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said,  "you'll never EVER do that."
Well,  maybe I will!  Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings me to recipes #175

 Traci's Mother-in-Law Mystery Cake!

My food photography wasn't at it's best during this cookbook countdown session.

This is a great patio cake.  That's my new name for any kind of dessert cake you might make for a backyard bbq or picnic.  It sounds good, right?  It should catch on I think.

Because this is a refrigerated cake, I always think of it a 'light' dessert.

But.... cake and pudding?  Maybe not 'light', but very good!

When I emailed her this morning and  said that  I needed another story about her, she wrote back:

Traci Marques:  married 40 years, 2 children and 'Noni' to 4 beautiful granddaughters.

There you go info about me.  :) 

SHE'S A SMART ALEC!!

 Above is Traci with her husband of 40 years, Larry.  And below is Traci with her kids, her mom and her four beautiful granddaughters. 

But this is her mother-in-law, Tillies' cake.

I do not have a picture of Tillie, but I do have a story.

Clotilde Marie Laurence Marques, known to all as Tillie.  Tillie hated the name ‘Clotilde’ .  Mary, Carmen, Joe and then Clotilde, what was her mother thinking! (that's from Traci, not me, but... what was her mother thinking?)

Full blooded Portuguese,  her parents where from Sao Jorge Azores Island. 

By the time we knew her, she was older and a bit, um,  a bit blunt in what she wanted. She said what she meant.

The Handyman was the manager of the JCPenney store in Los Banos, California and Tillie would often shop and try on clothes. Well, the mirrors were not exactly where Tillie wanted them to be.. and she kept telling the Handyman where they needed to be.  He would sigh inside and joke around with her, but she persisted (haha) and finally he decided to put a full length mirror where she had been suggesting  all those months.

And guess what?  It was the perfect spot (women kind of know what they need Handyman!) and all of the sudden he was getting complements from other customers on how they LOVED where he put the new mirror.

Tillie just looked at him and said 'told you'.

That's my story!

This is recipe #175--only 119 left to go!

My Backyard year---Up to date!!

Backyard Wednesday!

I started out calling it that, and then it got all screwed up, but now we are back on track--Wednesdays!

We've been having some gray misty rainy days lately.

Well, only for 2 days--the sun will be out tomorrow.

We really should get out there and clean up the backyard. But...  it's cold.

One of these days!

My Favorite.....

My Favorite.. is a weekly meme hosted by Maureen’s Books. In this meme we share every week something we love with each other. Because let’s face it.. The world can be a dark place and it’s time to share something positive. For more info: My Favorite Meme.

This week's question/subject is....

My favorite.... Moment to write my reviews.

Okay here is my confession -- I don't review books. I tried.  I really tried. But as much as I read (and I read A LOT--and the range is wide), I cannot for the life of me, when describing a book, find any words in my brain except 'cool' and 'neat'.

I must divert to Jr. High in the 1970's.  That's all I can think of.

Oh...and  'so good'. I wrote that a lot when describing books.  

Describing plot, theme and characters left me with--it's so good!

None of you want to read that every week--so I gave it up.  Having confessed that tho, the book world is my favorite place to be.  I love all you book reviewers and hold you in highest admiration.

I am beseeching you (HA--now a word besides cool comes to me) to not kick me out of being a hanger on to the book blogging world.

To be fair,  I read a lot--I am in a lot of book clubs--just look to the right of this....

Lots of book clubs. 

I feel I could hold my own with you in a face to face discussion, but on paper?  I don't have what it takes.

But if I was going to review, it would be in the early early morning, with a cup of coffee in hand.

Let me get back to book clubs for just a moment--  There are 8 listed on the right side of my blog.  A few of those are internet book clubs, but 5 of them are once a month, here in town, face to face book clubs.  I love them all, they are like my children, I can't pick one over the other.  There is also one just beginning, which I've joined, "the Postal book club".  I'll explain more about that later on, in another blog, but that is an 'every other' month book club.

So, just last night I had this crazy thought to start a book club with my grandchildren!

This will mean lots of mailing (Virginia, Arizona, California and Nevada) encouraging (nagging maybe for some), to read and send etc.  Four are  middle grade readers, ranging from 8-10, and one 5 year old, who I might have to modify and send picture books to him.

I sent a text to the twins in CA--they just received Ipad touches for Christmas--- I sent their text as a group text.

Here is how it went... (they are 8)

Me:  I was thinking we should start a book club.  what do you think? You could send me a book you want me to read and then we can talk about it, and then I'll send you one that I like and  you can read it and then we'll talk about that.  Let me know if you want to be in a Gram and Grandkids book club!

Eli: ok.  I just got home.  I want to do that.

Me: Okay, let's do it!  do you want to read a book 1st and send it to me or do you want me to read one and send it to you?

Eli: You send one to me

Me:  Ok

Eli:  Ok

Emerson:  OK

Eli:  Hi  Emerson.  What are you doing?

Me:  Um--are you guys sitting right next to each other?

Eli:  Yes, why?

Me:  hahahaa because you just sent her a text.

Eli:  I know.  

Me:  So do I have to read two different books?  And send one to each of you?  Can I pull of off  my shelf or should I get a new one?

Eli:  this is to Emerson--  what are you doing Emerson?

Emerson:  It's up to you.

Eli:  What?  Are you talking to Gram?

Emerson: Yes

Eli:  Sorry

Me:  Am I confusing you by doing a group text?

Emerson:  Yes

Eli:  No. Talk later.

***********

Remind me to not do a group text again. 😉

My point?

I thought they were kind of cute.... AND I am open to some suggestions for some good middle grade reads to share with them in the G and G book club.

Gram and Grandkids!

Who knows?  Maybe I'll review them, in the early, early morning, with a cup of coffee in my hand.

Which would be my favorite moment to write reviews, if I wrote them.

Have a great day!!