Sweetness

These are Arnheim biscuits.  I found the recipe in a book called Pot on the Fire, by John and Matt Thorne.  It’s an idiosyncratic book, and it rubbed me the wrong way–I’m definitely not what Havi Brooks would call its Right Person.  On the other hand, this recipe made it all worthwhile.  No less a [...]

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Isn’t she adorable?

Meet my absolute dream rabbit, Frankie.  We’re going steady–and every Saturday, we ride down to the Farmer’s Market to buy bread from Wheatberries.  When I can afford it, I’m going to get panniers and a bell and a cupholder and a basket.  She deserves it, don’t you think?
It’s been at least 20 years since I [...]

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Anniversary

Our wedding anniversary is this week, and how nice for us that we’re still married–at least in California.  (Mr. President, if you’re just dying to defend marriage, why not consider defending mine?  For a change, you know.) We’ve got a dinner date, which I’m really looking forward to.
Fun things we’ve been doing:  making our own yogurt [...]

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Bella Mittens

I’m not a Twilight person.  I don’t particularly mind if you are, but I’m just not interested.  But these mittens, as worn by Kristen Stewart in the movie, and as reverse engineered by the talented and generous Marielle Henault, are pretty darned nice.  I’m on pair #2–the first will go to Lauren, my assistant, who [...]

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What I Did in June Instead of Blogging

June is gone.  While it was still here, this is what I was doing:

Took the kids on a breakfast picnic at Idler’s Rest.
Took Little Sunshine to the Emergency Department after she dislocated her left patella falling off that tree.
Finished my Minimalist cardigan (pictures later!)
Moved into an adorable little house in town, with the never-to-be-forgotten help [...]

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Dumbledore is . . . Jody Foster? What?

Seriously, I’m regretting this post already.  Here’s the thing, for those of you who’ve been in cryostorage over the last few days–at a recent fan event,  Jo Rowling dropped what has to be the flabbiest bombshell of all time: she liked the Smiths when she was young, and Dumbledore was gay. 
Gay, I might add, in the best possible [...]

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I’m In Love with the Spotnicks

The Spotnicks – Johnny Guitar 1962

Swedes in space suits. Many guitars. The haunting sound of Scandinavian surfer music . . .
Chris Isaak, eat your heart out.

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Aisai Bento

Lately my bento have been, well, uninspired.  Tuxedo Boy and Little Sunshine are very choosy about what goes into their lunches, and I’m not quite back in the swing of daily lunch making.  But last night I broke out of my slump and sent Joan off to work with my version of aisai bento (“loving [...]

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It’s Not Even My Birthday Yet!

But look what came in the mail for me! 
Joan, it transpires, came upon a Penzey’s catalog I had marked up (this is a bad habit of mine–I go through catalogs marking all the things I’m too cheap or too sensible or too poor to buy, but would get if I ever won the lottery and [...]

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Wedding Cake

I perpetrated another wedding cake this weekend.  This one was designed by one of the brides, a very artistic and creative person who doesn’t like cake.  But she knew what she wanted:  vanilla cake, raspberry filling, vanilla buttercream, and fondant.  She gave me a very detailed sketch of the decorations she wanted.  There’s a lot [...]

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