Fifty One Years

Good grief! Another anniversary?  Time just keeps moving on . . .

No, we don't do a big celebration beyond the Eggs Benedict and bubbly for breakfast and a nicer than usual dinner. I think it's a measure of our contentment that staying at home is our first choice -- and it's not just our advanced age -- we've pretty much always been that way. When you're already there, there's no need to look for something better . . .

 So thank you, John, for all the good years -- may we stay on track for many more!

The Play of Light on the Mountains . . .

Out of the Jaws of Death

 Yesterday morning, Corycat came stalking into the living room, making that muffled mrow, mrow that cats do when they have caught something and have it in their mouth, It was this little Winter Wren who must have come under the basement door and up into the house when I went down to do laundry. 

I suspect she flew into a window and stunned herself, becoming easy pickings for Cory.

I took her away from Cory and set her on the porch railing. She didn't move but there were no signs of injury. After about five minutes, she fluttered down beside a big planter and rested a bit longer before finally flying off into the bushes.

Cory is not amused.

Last Call . . .

Many thanks to all my blog and Facebook friends who have supported me by donating to 
Asheville Writers in the Schools. You all are the best!

Your donation will help to fund this year's Family Voices program at Hall Fletcher Elementary School in Asheville, where 70% of the students participate in the free and reduced lunch program. The Family Voices program brings together 3rd and 4th grade families for a series of evening creative writing workshops. Dinner, childcare and transportation are provided and the evening is conducted in both Spanish and English so that Latino families can participate most comfortably. You can check out the bilingual anthology that came out of last year's program by clicking on this link    http://www.blurb.com/b/5417593-happy-days-and-musical-ways

And, just in case you missed it (and because I was asked to post this one last time) -- there's still time to help foster literary creativity in the Asheville schools by donating to this great non-profit -- find out more at   ashevillewritersintheschools.org.

 

In return for your donation in my name I'll email you one of my unpublished short stories -- a spooky mountain tale.  (The organization will send me a list of names and emails.)

You can click HERE to sponsor me (or one of the other writers) via PayPal. 

End of shameless begging . . . back to scenery and kittehs and other stuff.

xox,

Vicki

  

The Return of Autumn

Because It Matters

I suspect that many of my friends have already voted but I feel obliged to post this reminder.

It's amazing how many people sit out the mid term elections . . .

But when access to voting is made more difficult

It can have a chilling effect.

Don't let the bastards get you down --

So many races are so close right now . . .

Every vote is important.

The first six pictures were taken Sunday -- we had almost eight inches of snow.

                           These three are from yesterday -- as the snow began to melt.

And this last one is from  National Public Radio's Car Talk website --  

Tom Magliozzi -- whose infectious laugh and quick wit brightened many a

 Saturday morning -- is gone and the world is a little darker.

You Know It's Getting to be Cold When the Orchids Show up

Attempted Home Invasion

I've been putting out food for this feral cat for several weeks now. It runs away if it sees me. It growls at Cory and Angeline. I think that it hangs out in the old cabin -- or the barn. There are plenty of places for it to get out of the weather. It doesn't really want to come in -- it just wants to get at the kittehs . . . there was a lot of growling and trash talking going on in these pictures.

That Barefoot Walk

We awakened this morning to a serious first snow . . . and you know what Miss Birdie 

says . . .

Walk barefoot in the first snow and you'll be healthy all year . . .

Salud!

 

Miss Birdie's Spice Cake

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. each,  ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg

1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup water

1 stick melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)

1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Set oven at 350 F.

 Grease two 8 or 9 inch cake pans, line with waxed or parchment paper, grease paper.   

Beat all ingredients together in large bowl on low speed till blended, Then beat on high speed about 3 minutes. Pour into pans.

Bake about 50 minutes till wooden pick come out clean. Cool ten minutes then remove from pan. Cool completely before frosting.

.

Browned Butter Frosting

 as you can see in the picture, this doesn't make quite enough to cover the sides. I used orange marmalade between the layers. If you wanted frosting there too, I'd suggest doubling the recipe.

Heat 1/3 cup butter over medium heat till delicate brown. Off heat, mix in 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and about 2 tablespoons of milk till smooth and spreadable.