Memorial

At around 9PM this evening, my little dumpling boy, our precious Rocky, died. He had been with us not quite three years. He was too young to die and I don't know why he did. One minute he was with us. I heard him cough. And he was gone. He was a very special kitty and he'll be greatly missed by Mr. Dragon, his sister, Riley, his big brother Teddy and his Mom. Especially his mom. Here are some of the latest photos that we had taken of him -- saving them for a camera critters post.

I don't believe this has happened. It's just too sad.
We love you Rocky.
Rest in Peace little one.

(I will be taking some time off from blogging. I'm not sure when I'll be back.)

Food...

Shame on me for enticing you with the word Food. There are no recipes here today, just a review of one book - The Best Thing I Ever Tasted:The Secret of Food by Sallie Tisdale.

This book is used in an English class at a nearby community college. For a number of years I have given a tour on Food and Feasting at the museum for this class. I decided it was about time I read one of the books that the students were reading. Better late than never.

Maybe I’m still channeling Julia, but I found this book very interesting and easy to read. Her style is casual. It is part memoir, part culinary history, part sociology. She ties together history, folklore, personal anecdote and analysis. She talks about the medieval kitchen, the classic French kitchen, Betty Crocker’s test kitchen (General Mills), her childhood kitchen, her kitchen today.

Here’s a little something from the book:

“What did you eat for breakfast? For lunch, for last night’s supper, as an afternoon, snack? What did you eat, and why? We think we choose food consciously, deliberately, rationally. We think about calories, price, time, convenience, cholesterol and fat and protein and other people’s opinions, even as we mull over our desire. But what we choose to eat, even what we want to eat, is dictated by forces far beyond our reach, by tiny tides we do not see. Whether we want to believe it or not, we eat what we eat for a thousand reasons. We eat to settle our nerves, in joy and despair, in boredom and lust. We comfort ourselves, make ritual, find delight. What we choose makes us naughty or good. Food fills many empty spaces. It can be symbolic, mythic, even archetypal - and nothing special. How we feel about food is how we feel about our own lives ...”

I keep a scrap piece of paper in the books I read, especially the non-fiction, and take notes as I go along. This piece of paper is covered, front and back, up and down, where ever there was an empty space to take a note. Tisdale talks about whole grains and the change to milled white flour being the modern way to eat because it was farther from the soil. Betty Crocker being the idea General Mills had to answer all those cooking questions being asked by women who had never learned how to cook and the desire to keep things quick and easy with the use of processed foods.

Interesting partial quotes (because I didn’t write the whole thing down) like this one from Wendell Berry, “It is impossible to mechanize production without mechanizing consumption.” ...”impossible to make machines of soil, plants, and animals without making machines also of people.”

Or, the quote from Belasco and his Appetite For Change: “Avoid processed food.” “Awakening to the joy of cooking and eating, especially together...” I had just returned from a wonderful afternoon at the Path of Tea and came home, picked up this book and read the last quote. I thought how wonderful it was to spend time with people I enjoy, drinking tea, eating cake, laughing, talking. Wow! Just like we were *real* people!

Lots of wonderful things in this book. Lots to think about. I'm going to set the table tonight for sandwiches and enjoy every minute talking to Mr. Dragon about his class today. Maybe a beer to go with the sandwich in a nice, tall sparkly glass?! A candle or two?!

I guess you get the idea. I did like this book and recommend it highly.

My World

Visit My World to see more of our world or participate yourself!

We had to drop by Texas Art Supply last week to pick up some supplies for Mr. Dragon. He is taking color theory this semester. Someone should have told me we needed to buy stock in Texas Art Supply! This time I had my camera with me and took pictures of the murals on the building.

I've saved some for next week!

Remember to click on photo to enlarge.

Have a wonderful day!

Joy to You!

Click here to view all participants of My World Tuesday.

This and That

I'm posting early again. Busy Monday morning, but I can't leave you without some Monday Mullings!




I was presented with the MeME award by Barbara over at A Bird In My Hand. Barbara is a writer, mother, sister, new blogger and just plan fun. Go visit her and say HI! And, Barbara, thank you again. I hadn’t decided what I was going to write about today. You made my decision for me!

I’m supposed to mention seven things you may or may not know about me and then pass the award along to seven other blogs of my choice. I worked on this list all weekend and only came up with six things!

1. I’m an only child. My parents were not young when I came along and I’m sure I was a surprise. Poor things. Looking back, I don’t think they ever quite knew what to do with me! That meant that I learned a lot about what was acceptable and not, by watching other kids and their families. My birthday gifts and holiday gifts were what my cousin received. She was 5 years older and so the gifts were not age appropriate. One of my grandmothers would take me shopping and was very good about buying me a stuffed lovie. Something I COULD play with!

2. I had singing and dancing lessons from a very early age. It got me out from under foot! When I was five, I was on television in Dallas. That was when televisions were small and black and white. (Remember those?) I don’t remember much about it except that the dress I was wearing was very scratchy and I think it was green with tiny white polka dots. I had on my patent leather shoes and white socks with lace around the cuffs. Dressed to the nines for my singing debut on television! Let’s see: “How Much is That Doggy in the Window?” and “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (Has Anybody Seen My Gal)”. I also took gym classes. I enjoyed them, I think! I gave up singing at university, something I am now sorry I did. Singing is good for you. Increases lung capacity!

3. I love Kool-Aid. My mother saved S&H Green Stamps, saved the coupons off of General Mills and other things. She ordered a Kool-Aid pitcher. It was plastic and had the Kool-Aid man on it. I loved it. The mascot of Kool-Aid, Kool-Aid Man is a large anthropomorphic frosty pitcher filled with Kool-Aid (usually cherry, though other flavors have been used). He was introduced in Kool-Aid advertising shortly after General Foods acquired the brand (according to Wikipedia). Now, when I get a grape urge, I buy one packet and make a pitcher full of Kool Aid. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, its FUN!

4. I graduated from the University of New Mexico and worked to pay my way. It took me five years, but I did it! Later I went back and did some graduate work.

5. Mr. Dragon and I, while we lived in New Mexico, were part of a balloon crew. I had my first hot air balloon ride in Taos, New Mexico. It was spectacular. It was so calm, peaceful (except for the burner blast). I was hooked. The landings could be a little rough -- depending on the winds. The balloon pilot was someone I worked with. We became part of her crew and to this day count her as one of our very best friends. None of us fly balloons anymore.

6. I was THE llama lady at Moody Gardens when they had a petting zoo. School kids from Galveston would come and we’d introduce them to pigs, sheep, snakes, guinea pigs (they made me itch), turtles, chinchillas, some other small animals and the llama. I had been off for awhile (I was a professional volunteer and got too busy with other things). I received a phone call saying would I please come in and see what was wrong with the llama. Seems he had started to spit. I went in and right away had a good idea what was wrong. They had moved him into a smaller stall and he was mad. I would have been mad too if my living quarters had been changed from the suite to the efficiency. Once we changed that around and I started walking and talking to him everyday, he was fine. Moody Gardens quickly outgrew the petting zoo and it was closed. The llama went to a farm with other llamas.

Passing on the award is always the most difficult part. Everyone deserves to be special. So, if you are one of my followers, and you need a lift today or you just feel like playing along - grab yourself the MeME award and tell us a little about yourself!

***

I’m making a list of Snap’s Rules. I started writing them down because I forgot them almost as soon as I thought “that should be a rule”. So, every now and then, I’ll throw some out. Here are the first two:

Rule #1: When having guests over for dinner, any fancy new golfing equipment should be removed from the dining room table.

Rule #2: I love bubbles. You know, the kind that come in the jar with the little wand and you dip and blow and there go the bubbles. Or, you can dip into the jar and swing around and around holding the wand out from your body making bubbles. I also enjoy blowing bubbles (chewing gum type) and I think Double Bubble makes the best kind. Bubbles make you laugh. They make you joyful. They loosen you up. They remind you of what it was like to be a kid and that’s not bad. (Bath bubbles are pretty good, too.) Add bubbles to your life.

***

Better Homes and Gardens is getting ready for their free 100 Days of Holidays e-newsletter (YIKES). Starting September 24, you’ll get “daily inspiration with scrumptious recipes, festive decorating ideas, easy entertaining tips and more”. You can sign up here: BHG.com/100days

***

One last thing. You have to go visit Ashley Anna Brown and her Fern animals. All I can say is HOW CUTE ARE THEY?!!!

A little something to remind you of childhood!

I am thankful for another day on beautiful Mother Earth.

Joy to You!

Camera Critters 73

Everyone seemed to like Theodorable (Teddy) so much last week, I decided to post some more Teddy photos. I was lucky to get these. He was sunning himself, cat-napping. The light was just right.

Sweet innocent little guy!

Yep. Here I am with the camera again.
Poor Teddy. Too gorgeous for words!

Remember, you can click on the image to enlarge.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Happy Critter Day to You.

Joy!