Nutella

I had Nutella prior to the big trip to Italy, but had the American made version...not the Italian kind. There is a difference.

While we were in Italy I tried to pack as much Nutella eating as possible into each day....Nutella Gelato in Venice, Nutella on my morning bagette in Florence, Nutella crepes in front of the Pantheon. Yum-O!

When we got back to the good ol' US of A, I picked up some at the local Safeway. While it was certainly Nutella, it wasn't my Nutella.

And then I found an Italian market that imports the real thing.

Yes, it really is that good.

Memorial Day

This close to our nation's capital, the emphasis on Memorial Day is not as much about cooking out or starting the summer. It is about remembering the fallen heroes who have fought for our country.

There were lots and lots of events from the President laying the wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers to Rolling Thunder. All were totally appropriate as was the prayers we offered during church on Sunday to remember those fallen heroes and those serving in our country.

Let us not forget to also pray for peace in our time.

GROSS!

Why can't anyone leave well enough alone?

The world is officially coming to an end.

Dirty tricks may come and go

But Team Mimi is forever. Theo, Max, and I will be sporting these at the beach. Didn't figure anyone else would want one. If Steve can have matching swim trunks then I can by gosh have t-shirts. Rock on and GO DOG GO!

My head did not blow up - but it could have!

Since Steve has blogged about the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival, I thought I probably should as well.

What I bought:

2 skeins of Tilli Thomas Plie in Burnt Orange. It is not really burnt orange, more of a rust. A lovely yarn of 100% silk with glass beads interspersed through out. What I am going to do with it I have no idea. Right now I am thinking an ascot - but I might use it as an edging on a sweater.

1 Hank of mohair in peach (sorry Erin) from Puckerbrush Farm. No link I am sad to say, but trust me it is be-U-ti-ful! And as soft as a cloud.

1 kit on how to make felted flowers from roving (unspun wool). Sue and I each bought one so we will have to schedule a craft day.

Steve and Mike were as well behaved as we expected. I don't think either one of them expected that many people to be there. I did take some pictures of some really cute pygmy goats. No fainting goats much to my grave disappointment. It is probably a good thing; I just would have wanted one, Steve would have said no, and there we would have been: Me with no fainting goat and hacked off about it. Yes, it is a good thing there were none there.

Another disappointment was there was no tomato vine yarn. It had all sold out by the time we found the booth. There was some that was called "grubs" and it was as gross as it sounds.

Last night I went on a Myster Dinner (yes another one) and we ended up in Old Town Alexandria and made wine! It was great fun and I can hardly wait for 6 weeks to go by so we can go back and bottle it and label it. It was with the Southern Maryland Women's League and we get to design our own labels for the wine. Then we went to a candy shop and had chocolate and champagne (because life is short - eat dessert first!) and then to Underwoods, which apparently the new trendy place to be. Since there was no grandbaby being born, I did not buy a round in his honor.

Be proud of my restraint at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival....I know I was!

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

You know how Theo's head was about to explode with joy at Touch a Truck Day? Mine is due for explosion on Saturday when Sue and I go to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival on Saturday. Remember the Tomato Vine yarn? It is supposed to be at said event along with every kind of yarn that I could ever want along with some "I didn't even know I wanted!" (to quote young Mr. Simpson when he was a lad).

Mike, Sue's husband, and Steve are going with us. I am not sure that their hearts will sing with joy as will ours (love that phrase Erin). However, they did promise, albeit after several scotchs, that they would go with us. I have a feeling it will be an "Affair of the Heart" type atmosphere only with sheep. How could that not be a good time!?!

There will be sheep shearing contests and dog herding contests (can I borrow Daisy?) which should keep them entertained for about, oh, seven minutes. I guess they will have to content themselves with people watching for the rest of the time. I expect it will be the parade of humanity as those types of events usually are.

I will take my camera for live action shots of Steve and Mike dozing on a bench.

I am a big dummy

The cable to the modem came loose. Steve re-attached it and now we have phone and internet.

Yes - I feel like a big goober.

If you are looking for me...

Call me on my cell phone. Our home phone modem is shot so we have neither phone nor Internet service. Thank God the TV still works.....

Saturday night Sue and I went to a bachelor auction. (Now before everyone gets all excited, there were really only 4 bachelors on the block out of about 25 "items." The rest were things like landscaping, gym memberships with a personal trainer etc.) Sue and I pooled our resources and bought a Potomac River cruise for 6 that includes appetizers and drinks on the boat and then a crab feast at the home of the couple who donated the cruise. Yes, we are taking our cute husbands and one other couple.

This was an event that neither one of us wanted to go to. We really kind of had to talk each other into it, but, since we had purchased tickets and told another friend we would go, we felt like we had to go. Sue picked me up in her "classic" (i.e. old) Mercedes two seater. We were driving up 301 thinking we were all cute and sassy when the trunk flew open. Our cuteness and sassy-ness ended real quick when we both freaked out. Then all we could do is crack up at ourselves the rest of the way up the road. By the time it was all said and done we were glad we went.

This morning I opened my e-mail to find that I have been invited to a Pajama Party on the June 6 complete with chocolate martinis. I guess I will have to come up with something other than one of Steve's old T-shirts and a pair of flannel pants to wear. I am seriously considering footed pajamas, but I don't know how this group would roll with that.

If Only

If only I could stay at home and work in my pajamas. SIGH.

Holy Guacamole this is FABULOUS

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

The annual Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in Saturday, May 3, 2008. On my list of things to look for is the above hand spun yarn named "Tomato Vine." I have no idea what I will do with it once I purchase it other than laugh every time I look at it.

Which really makes it totally worth the purchase price.

A New World's Record

Today was destined to be one of those days. You know the ones I mean: nothing turns out quite like we think it ought and we are generally out of sorts for the duration.

I had to be in Leonardtown at 7:00 this morning. This means I had to leave my house at 6 a.m. We were not amused.

So I go to the Leonardtown Rotary meeting at 7 a.m. (the second Rotary meeting I have attended in the past week) where I listen to the coordinators of one of our programs proceed to tell the group that we really don't have anything to do with their program - they just basically rent space from us. CLUE: HUGE No-No.

After my head stopped spinning and my eyeballs returned to their sockets I had to get up try to speak civilly about how wrong this pin head was. Fun Times.

I then go to the Leonardtown office where the first thing I see is a big poster on OUR door promoting and fund raising event for a DIFFERENT non-profit. What. the. hell. As Erin would say/write.

After that was fixed, I got in my car to come back to the office (by this time it is 10:30) I receive a call that my boss has decided that she wants me to write a grant. A grant that is due by noon tomorrow.

Well boys and girls, it is 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and I have just finished said grant and made all 16 copies that are required.

I am going home to hide under my blanket now.

Update

Since my father fussed at me for not updating my blog....update I shall.

Of course the most fascinating and exciting thing that has happened is the arrival of Max and his large feet. That is the first thing that everyone tells me about him. The pictures on Andrea's blog confirm that Max's feet are indeed ginormous.

Thursday night while Andrea was in the throes of Labor (this word should always be capitalized when used in this context. Ask any mother.), I was in Little Italy in Baltimore having a cooking class and drinking wine. Quite a lot of wine as it turns out. I ended up buying a round in honor of Max's impending arrival, much to the dismay of my husband when I told him how much said round had cost. No new shoes for me for a month or six. But it is not everyday when one has the opportunity to celebrate in such a manner!

Saturday night Steve and I attended the Wild Turkey Federation Dinner with Sue and Mike. This is not, as Erin assumed, a dinner given over to the consumption of Wild Turkey. In her defense, since I called her several times Thursday to check on Andrea (during above mentioned debauchery) I can understand why this was a natural conclusion on her part. But no, this was a dinner honoring the sport of hunting wild turkeys. It might have been more interesting had we actually consumed said beverage. Never have I attended a more patriotic event with so many guns being raffled away. I almost won a cane with a wild turkey head, but I was outbid by $5. God was truly with me that evening.

Sunday Steve was good and I was bad. I did not attend church. I did, however, get to speak to Theodorable quite a while. He told me he had turned his ears off and had earned a spot in time out for that. Then "we" talked about monkeys jumping on beds, trains, Max, Erin, monkeys some more, trains some more, and then we were finished. Pretty funny stuff!

This week is another crazy meeting-ever-day week so it is very possible that I will not be updating for a day or two. Don't fret: I will get around to it!

SWEET CRACKER SANDWICHES!

Where has this been all my life? It is called the Wiener Tiara Bake. If anyone deserves a Wiener Tiara it is definitely ME!

I have no idea what gourmet delight is surrounded by this magnificent Crown o' Wieners. Does it even really matter?

UPDATE: Just found out that the gourmet delight surrounded by Crown o' Wieners is sauerkraut! YUM-O!

Apparently, you have to hold your mouth just right

Or at least I do when I knit. Not only that, I look like I am doing FearFUL knitting, not FearLESS knitting - all over a scarf called "Math Geek!"

The Governor and Me

Oh yeah....and my boss and a co-worker. BUT STILL!!!

The Sqare Shape Song

I had the opportunity to sing this song yesterday with a group of young friends. Trust me: hilarity ensued. So I am passing it on to you so you too can hold a square shape and jump, jump, jump.

We had laminated square shapes (mine was yellow, of course. I didn't even have to bite anyone to get it) and after sittng "criss cross applesauce" to begin with, we sat with our legs straight out to more easily facilitate putting our square shapes on our toes.

(Sung to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Put your square shape in the air
Hold it high and keep it there.
Put your square shape on your back
Now please lay it in your lap.
Put your square shape on your toes
Now please hold it by your nose.
Hold your square shape in your hand,
Now will everyone please stand.
Wave your square shape at the door,
Now please lay it on the floor.
Hold your square shape and jump, jump, jump.
Now throw your square shape way way up!

Please commence.

It's our turn

Maryland has been hit with a sheet of ice. As of right now, I am supposed to go to work at 10, but that could change if the weather worsens (and it is supposed to...I think).

Since I have been home with the 48 hour Bubonic Plague, I really don't mind at all. I have my new lap top, plenty to knit and/or sew, a little wretched dog who is always more than happy to take a nap with me, and stuff to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

AND my husband made me tomato soup last night using Pioneer Woman's recipe. It was YUM-O! He used fat-free half and half, lots less butter and it was fabulous. He even liked it and he doesn't care for tomato soup. He just made it because I am sick and he knew I would enjoy it.

Thanks honey for taking such good care of me!

I have the best husband

How do I know this to be true? Because I am typing this on my new lap top said wonderful husband purchased!

Too exciting!

Please let me explain.....

we are planning a June excursion to Ocean City! With all our wonderful children and our (soon to be) two precious grandchildren!