Nothing like playing around in iPod-land to make me feel dumb. For some stupid reason, recent pix are no longer transferring magically to my computer. So here I am in iTunes, trying to remember how it works. Wish me luck. (I need an Apple-smart person to hold my hand, is what I really need)

One of my favorite memories of being at the beach with my boys was the time that the sky opened up and POURED. Everyone else packed up their gear and fled the beach (as if they weren't already WET!) but we stayed and played in the water in the rain - it was glorious!

Dear All The People That I Know That Have My Cell Phone Number,

Please stop sending me photo texts and asking if I got them. I don't actually *have* a texting plan, so there really is no telling where those pix go. I think the pixels may actually end up in some distant picture-purgatory where they are partying with retired 8-bit characters.

Maybe in the future I will find my way to a phone that can play like that, but for now, it's Desktop, iPod, and the Verizon Dinosaur phone for me (but it's purple!!). This phone is from before 2007, with the cheapest plan you could imagine - so cheap, they don't even offer it anymore; so ancient, it confuses the guys at the Verizon store.

I only text when I'm at DragonCon, because you can't hear a freakin' thing there, and it's the only way to locate my other freaky friends who like to do the same freaky stuff I do. And even then, I pay an extra chunk of change for that special texting privilege. But it's so worth it.

So until my life changes to where it becomes worth it to shell out more bucks for more phone plan, please just Facebook me. Or email me.

Thank you, this has been a Public Service Announcement.

Bleuets Sauvages

This year we have so many blueberries!

The original people who built our house planted them and they grow bigger every year. I'm so glad the deer just walk right by 'em! And I could tell they do - there is a sapling right behind the patch where you could tell a stag was rubbing his horns.

The rainy conditions we had for so long this Spring were right for a monster crop. It came about 3 weeks late because of all the rain. So far we've picked about a gallon I think? Two full quart bags for the freezer, one monster cobbler, and another batch in the fridge. And in a couple days they'll be another haul. I'm guessing 2 or 3 more gallons still to come. That is a LOT of blueberries!

I love that "wild blueberries" is "bleuets sauvages" in French. When I lived in Canada, I learned a lot of what I called "grocery store French". My pronunciation was laughable, but my visual vocabulary got quite good. "Bleuets Sauvages" cracked me up so much because... savage blueberries! 

Thanks, Terry for helping me pick yesterday - and you'll have to try the cobbler when it's fresh next time!

Despicable Purple Minion in the Bakery Costume

Working on my Despicable Purple Minion in the Bakery Costume for Dragon*Con. I cut the brim off the hard plastic NY Yankees batters cap (yay thrift store!) and drilled holes for airflow. Over this will fit the purple wig and the goggles/eyes. That way I don't have to worry about wig & goggles & the cupcake fascinator - it will all be a single hat I can put on.

Took apart the cheapo water-blaster, sanded all the parts for painting. (Found out that as an actual water-pistol it would have been a fail - it was damaged inside!) But add the faux jelly-jar and LED lights and the cupcakes... oh yeah!

We have Great Stuff and Silicone and giant plastic cupcake muffin-papers... I suspect I really need to take up Quinn's idea and have a Cupcake Bandolier.

The question is: Sew up the frou-frou apron, or buy one from someone on Etsy who loves to sew up frou-frou aprons? By the time I hunt and find the right fabric, and sew it, and frustrate over it, I'm sure the price would be the same. And I saw one I think I love... I really do love to make my own costumes, but buying a piece pre-made from another artist can't be so bad, can it?

Besides I can always wear it when I'm making WAFFLES!!!! (Last night I made potato-pancake waffles! OMG sour creme & applesauce, where are you?!?)

Treehouse Style & a Chicken Coop Door

Woke up this morning, started worrying about finishing hanging the door to the baby-chicken coop, got tired of worrying about worrying about it again, so I did it, before coffee. And I did some other chicken-chores. Of course it was only going to take a little time. Boy was I wrong. I came in for a shower and lunch after 2pm. But I'm pretty satisfied with the results.

I grew up with a dad who did some pretty awesome furniture and fine woodworking. When you think of that style of furniture crafting, think how precise and pretty that needs to be. You measure stuff. Precisely. And allow for the kerf. I took woodshop twice in Art school, and also worked Set Design & Construction in college. I know how to do all that stuff. Half the fun of treehouse style is breaking the rules.

When we were kids, we built this awesome treehouse back in the woods from construction scraps. You see, that's "treehouse style"... a lot more eyeballing, guesswork, making it up as you go, and using the scrap that fits. Back then, we used nails, because that’s what we picked up off the ground around the construction sites. Nowadays I’m armed with 2 cordless drills - one for pilot holes and one for screws. And I’m loving this cordless circular saw!

The baby-coop is much more treehouse style, with its mash-up of old bunk-bed and swimming-pool pieces. The door is made from scraps from the bed-slats, wood scraps, and scraps of hardware cloth from the big coop. The frame of the bed is the roof, the corners are uprights from the pool, and the whole thing is wrapped in chicken wire. (I do plan to add some hardware cloth for better security).

It's all painted purple now, and it looks more cohesive!

Chainmail Chick and her gang of chicks came by several times to inspect. I think they approve? Freyr kept ducking into the baby coop to snack at the baby-chick feeder, bringing his women around one at a time, like it was some verboten date-night hang-out. (Shh... they actually serve the same food as the big house in there.)

Yesterday Freyr charmed us with some of his crowing antics. I actually had time to run in the house and get the kids to come out and see him perform. He really has improved. I hope he gets the hang of it soon. He sure has been busy pursuing the ladies. I think he’s forming a special bond with Mocha - and she seems to like him, too. But that doesn’t stop him from chasing the rest of the girls around, too.

So tonight the babies sleep in the baby coop, with a door that closes on hinges. Which I built and installed. Myself.

Key Lime Waffles? Oh yes I did.

Ingredients: 

One Box of Pillsbury Key Lime Premium Cookie Mix (I think this is a Seasonal item from Target stores)
One cup all-purpose White Flour
One cup Ground Almonds (I get this at Trader Joe’s)
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
One cup full-fat Ricotta Cheese
1 stick of Butter, softened
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 fresh Eggs
2 ½ cups Water

Directions:

Step 1: Mix dry ingredients:

1 box Key Lime Cookie Mix
One cup all-purpose White Flour
One cup Ground Almonds
1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Step 2: Add wet ingredients:
Add Butter, Ricotta, Coconut oil, vanilla, and eggs

Slowly add the water, ½ cup at a time, or your mixer may kick it all out of the bowl.

Step 3: Cook on a waffle iron!