Week 136, 7-29-2018

Thoughts and Quotes:    Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. 
                                                                                                          Sam Keen

And laziness found me this week.  Actually, it was part busy, part lazy. The lazy part followed the busy part. Maybe I should rename it recuperation.

Monday and Tuesday were grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning for the tea on Wednesday.

Teas: I wanted to test the June tea plan from my book, but decided to extend it.

Savories: Ham salad finger sandwiches, chicken salad on biscuit halves, tomato and butter sandwiches.

Scone: Raspberry drop scones (middle) with lemon butter (in the green cup).

Sweets: Frosted brownies with pecans, banana snack cake, pineapple cookies, brown sugar chews, and filled strawberries.

When I finished cleaning up and putting things away (though Joey helped me a lot with washing dishes), it was 11:30 p.m. Thursday I did laundry and a lot of deep couch sitting.

For the original June tea I used in the book, go to Week 76. All the recipes are there except Banana Snack Cake (which I posted last week), and the Pineapple Cookies whose recipe is missing in action. If I find it, I'll post it next week. Might have been thrown out in the hub-bub. Oh, and the Raspberry Scones are wedges in the recipe, but I did them drop this time, and I liked them better this way.

Friday I went to Wonders of Wildlife, and you'll be happy to know that I didn't take any photos. I'm sure you're tired of them by now.

Tales: Saturday, I was back on the couch with my book, which I finished and loved and highly recommend. Ann Barry wrote and edited for the The New Yorker and the New York Times. She never married, was from St. Louis, lived in New York and bought a 200+ year old country cottage in the southwest of France. She only went to France while on vacation; once in the spring, and once in the fall.

She kept a journal of her time there, which later became this book. I'm not sure of the dates, but it all takes place during the 1980's and 1990's. Lots of talk of food, so I loved it. She was a brave soul, taking on the improvements of the cottage and traveling around France alone. No photo on the book cover, so I went to the internet. This was her only book, and I'm not sure she published it, as the copyright is "The estate of Ann Barry". She died of cancer in 1996 at the age of 53. I was so sad, because she was so happy and full of life. She shouldn't have left at such an early age. I never could find a photo.  

Sunday I was back at Wonders of Wildlife and took only a few photos. The penguins were posing, so I couldn't resist.

And a photo of Chief Seattle, who sold land to the United States and wrote a letter to President Pierce.

I found the letter on the internet, click HERE. Though unverified, we should all read it and think about the message. You can pick up a free copy in the Theodore Roosevelt replica cabin when you visit the wildlife side of Wonders of Wildlife.

And while I love Wonders of Wildlife (WOW), you're probably curious about why I go so often. I have free passes for two people until Christmas eve, but I have to be in attendance and show my pass and ID. The admission is a little pricey, so I'm happy to take my friends.

The Pepper and Pals Report: Everyone is well and happy. The feral kitties continue to favor the flower pots. BJ is Midnight's only baby from a prior litter. She's the one I need to trap and have neutered. Very wily.

Midnight and her three grown babies from her last litter. You can see the trap. I left it out all afternoon, and the food went untouched all day until the janitor (possum) came and cleaned it up.

My indoor kitty Pepper (Roly-poly Pepperpot)

And Pepper's kitty Stormy (Stormy Weather Prettypaws)

That's all I have for you this week. Sorry I'm late. Will try to do better. We'll see. I'm in a reading mood, I'm behind in my lessons, and I want to try the raspberry scones with blueberries.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

EAT LOTS OF GREENS

AND APPLES

CANTALOUPE IS GOOD RIGHT NOW

TRY TO STAY COOL

GOD BLESS US EVERYONE

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE