Tuesday's Half-Baked

Tonight on the phone Ty mentioned, “You haven’t posted in awhile.”

Yes.  Yes, you’re right, Ty.  I haven’t.  It’s because every post is only half-baked and the only thing that is really good half-baked is a chocolate chip cookie when it's warm with ice cream and hot fudge. 

None-the-less I bring you a half-baked blog:

• Sunday I met a woman (mother of 11) that was taught to play the piano by my great Aunt Emmabelle.  Aunt Emmabelle and Uncle Victor lived in a small town in Idaho.  That makes TWO people that I have met here in Washington who Aunt Emmabelle gave piano lessons to forty or fifty years ago.  Now what are the odds?  (Aunt Emmabelle was one funny woman; like Jack Sprat and his wife who were exact opposites, so were Aunt Emmabelle and Uncle Victor.  Uncle Victor was shy, reserved, soft-spoken; Aunt Emmabelle was none of those.)    

• One of Abe’s friends and fellow football player was shot down (and killed) in Afghanistan a few weeks ago.  It was a real tragedy.  Calvin and I met this friend a couple of times at West Point.  He is from California and an incredible man.  Abe loved and respected him.  I just found out today that one of my scrapbook friends from here knows and loves this man, now what are the odds we would both know him?   

• I have two different friends that were adopted when they were babies only to be given up for adoption again later in their lives.  One of them I knew after she had been adopted the second time, the other friend I knew in between the two adoptions.  I had since lost track of the latter friend, but today she found me through the internet.  It was so great to hear from her again.  She wondered if I still remembered her.  Of course I remember her, you just don't forget special people like these two friends. 

• We’re keeping Ande and Joe’s dog Chewie while they are abroad.  (Chewie is a Labradoodle.)  It is like the city cousin coming to visit the country cousin.  Chewie is so darn excited about everything.   Whenever we're doing something like feeding the pigs, cows, or chickens or drinking out of the pond he looks over to Dan (our dog) as if to say, "Is this how we do it here?"  When I open the door to the house he trots right in, which clearly miffs Dan, so he barks, "Chewie!  You don't own the place, you know.  You're supposed to ask like I do and even then they will tell you no.  They always say no."  Chewie is clueless.  I have to put Chewie in the garage when I'm working in the garden, for the life of him he can't learn that dogs aren’t welcome there.  Dan sits on the edge (he’s learned you just don’t go in the garden unless you want to be in trouble) and smugly looks at Chewie like he's the righteous one while I scold Chewie.  Chewie, again, is clueless, so I’ve decided to keep him in the garage instead of teaching him to be self-righteous.  Chewie looks like a fleece blanket that is peeling bad with a few June grass spears here and there.  He is one funny, happy dog.  (I never imagined that I would someday feel partial to dogs, much less occasionally share blog space with them.)

• Yesterday Grace was out jogging (No.  That’s not correct.  She went for a 10.5 mile run) and came across a baby bear digging through the trash cans.  She was worried that a she-bear was close by, so she ran up to a house and waited inside until the MP’s came.  Evidently this cub has been giving people on Post problems the last few days and they suspect his mother was killed in the fire last week and he’s scrounging for himself.  That's very sad to me.  I hope animals don't grieve long.

• I’ve decided to call Tuesday’s blog Tuesday’s – Tried It and share ideas I’ve used from fellow blogs or Pinterest.  Today’s is Super Simple Shrimp Tacos.  Cali tried it first and said it was a keeper.  I tried it next, and it is ohhhhh, so good.  I especially love the dressing.  I like it as is, but think I’ll put a jalapeño in it next time for added punch.  (Just click on the picture for the link.)

Super Simple Shrimp Tacos

Tomorrow is the 4th of July. Can’t wait. Someone asked me what our plans were for the 4th and I stuttered and stammered and finally half-jokingly said, “Well, I guess it's kind of like my religion. I don’t live it just one day a week, I’m patriotic all 365, so I guess we’ll just live life as usual – work in the garden, grill a hamburger, and maybe watch John Adams. (Rachel, please don’t cringe. I know you hate that movie, but I’m still willing to overlook the hidden agenda if it means I get to listen to the music and see the “Don’t tread on me” flag unfurl at the beginning of every disk.)

How about you?  Have you got any half-baked blogs, plans, ideas, or recipes?  What are they?