Hat's Off

HAT'S OFF or rather....ON!


I wore jeans and a white t-shirt as my "style" for most of my life. An anti-style to rebell against my 3 older sisters' styles and the preppy private school up bringing I was in the center of.


After a trip to Texas with my mom and sister I added a cowboy hat to that ensemble. (Now a mostly retired accessory it keeps its place in my wardrobe for situations where style triumphs when personality and charisma don't cut it.)


Such a time as my 16th summer... driving the river road until flashing blue and reds slowed my happy trail tromping to a halt.


I have tried so many ways to get out of a ticket. My one woman show has been seen many times by an audience of local law enforcement.


I melted into the seat of my no-air conditioning pontiac sunbird, propped my drivers license and proof out the window and waited for my destiny. With my hat blocking the sizzling afternoon sun John Wayne swaggered to my mind, "Talk low, talk slow, and don't say too much".




I answered, "Yeah. pretty fast"


Silence.


I squinted into the sun stabbing from behind the officer. He took off his sunglasses,
"nice hat, slow 'er down alright".


My thanks came with a smile and a new appreciation for how style, of all things, managed to do what tears and jokes and flashing smiles and flirting and lies could not.
...

Arrested Development

No, I did not realize that Tobias was gay until about the third time I watched the series through. Is it so impossible that he is straight and that is what makes it so funny? Apparently not.

Maybe? No, actually its Maeby. The very name that almost became my second child's but we decided we couldn't name her Maybelline because of the cosmetic line and I prefer longer names for kids that can be shortened.

CD burning party? How you understand this could say a lot about you.

Thanks to the encouragement from boy Michael I often put my head down and power through.

"That was a freebee" situations happen all the time and its good for the soul to see them and appreciate them.

The sweet kindness of mother's milk dried up years ago which is why even mother's guilty whine lands a  "Aw mom, God won't take a call from you after all these years"

Oh, and if you haven't tried sister-mother's hot ham water you are missing a real treat!

Did I mention that I love this show?

Ever since I visited my older sister Fauncy in Salt Lake City I have been craving the handfuls of sweet granola I ate for a morning snack everyday. I would love to say the idea to make my own granola came to me quickly but it has been more than 5 months since that trip. My wonderful husband has been warding off my desire for granola by making for me hot and sweet oatmeal since I had Phoebe in December. With the warmer weather setting I took to the kitchen.


I am by no means a chef and every time I cook I read three to five similar recipes to the one I am attempting and I go from there...

So here is my granola.


I added pecans that I crushed and a few dried cranberries after it cooled.


Favorite Things About this
1. The way my house smelled
2. Knowing exactly what is in it: oats, crushed peacans, honey, brown sugar, salt and olive oil
3. Eating it by the handful or making my own trail mixes


Worst Part


Throwing away the first semi burnt batch (that I ate half of trying to decide if it was REALLY burnt)


I hope this encourages you to try and make something you love. Its never as hard as it seems but might take three times to get it right.