Snowed In, Muffined Out!

With snow up to our hips on Saturday morning, we got our exercise just shoveling and taking the garbage to the dumpster.  Since the power was out, G went to the gym for a shower.  I went with for something to do.  Not that we showered together.  I sat on the couch and read The Secret Life of Bees while the ceiling dripped on my head.  Even when I moved to the other end, it dripped on my head.  I mentioned it to the guy at the front desk, and he just kinda squinted up and shrugged.  Honestly, everybody's so worn out by the snow and having to play Worst Case Scenario by flashlight that I don't see how some people actually made it to the gym to work out.  I heard a woman panting on a treadmill!  Also odd, after I moved from the couch, a guy stretched out on it and read a book.  He stayed there!  I fell asleep sitting up at the coffee bar (having mastered this technique in too many years of college).  His face wasn't even dripping when G came up the stairs.  I'm getting like the dogs, I guess, so I subconsciously recognize his footsteps.  Just as in school, I gracefully awoke with no one the wiser.

This winter has been the best we've had here.  We just happened to make up for the dryness in the course of 3 days.  Good planning, I say.  It's back in the 60's now, so with the sun shining, you could have a day of skiing naked in the backyard if you wanted to.  Just have to avoid the fallen trees.  And Lordy, I'd hate to hit that high tensile wire fence.  80's are forecasted for Denver Thursday.  Hopefully the Mini will have thawed out by this afternoon.  Thursday evening art class left me snowed in at the library lot, where thankfully, Hayley rescued me.  

Ok, I've found my muffin recipe!  It's Strawberry Corn Muffins.  After trying out several of our old favorites, I discovered this one in a picture book, Olga's Cup and Saucer.  Mimi's didn't say the recipe had to be original.  This one is scumptious and healthy.  Try it!  I've pasted it to the side panel.  Harry sits by my side and woofs for bites, and Ellie and Woody even love it.  They don't eat junk food.

Harry definitely needs a shave.  #1:  He'll melt on Thursday.  #2:  He collected snow over the weekend to such a degree of balled upness that he could barely walk!  He looked like a boy baggin' with those baggy pants, who had to keep his legs spread wide.  We had to scrub him off, which he truly appreciated.  But after cabin fever set in, he started just having melt downs on the tile.  Left giant puddles wherever he layed.  People do have their limits of empathy.  We all get kind of burned out, and when he just keeps going out to get layered again, well, as Hayley said, "He's not going to die from it."

Speaking of Hayley, who absolutely hates mice....  She just walked in from the barn.  I picked up some good old fashioned wooden mouse traps on Sunday, and she's setting a minefield in the hay storage room.  Unfortunately, she looked up and saw a mouse looking down at her from the top bale.  So she set some on the top of the bales too, but they're not very stable, she says.  "I hate mice, geez.  If someone had made that barn better we wouldn't have them there.  If they hadn't put that door there.  It was horrible Mr. Ed's, just horrible!  I'm not happy, Mr. Ed's.  I'm not happy."

I'm going to paint a mural today.  I'm happy!    

Geoff Resigned

Geoff told me when he walked in the door at lunch yesterday.  

"Well, I resigned."

It's a real upheaval for him, leaving the people he's worked with so long.  They're like family, and of course he feels awful doing it.  He'll hammer out the details of when next week with the CEO of Russel. 

I'm very supportive, and know it's the best thing for him and for us.  

In a way, it's "pop open the champagne", but it's also "what lies ahead?"

I'll keep you posted.  

Painting's Done

Finally finished the rabbit.  

The girls at school thought group lessons in painting and dog obedience were dumb.  So much for that!

Summer Activities & a Muffin Contest

What if some of us moms kept costs down this summer by offering to teach our girls what we know?  I'm offering to give group painting lessons to McKenzie's friends. All the girls would have to buy are some $2 bottles of paint at Walmart, and a $5 packet of brushes.  I could get some cheap canvas and they could cut it up, make little individual works, and work together on a big mural for each of them.  

I've taken enough dog obedience to pass on some knowledge and fun there too.  We'll just have the lesson at the lake so we don't have all the rest of our dogs running interference.

I hope some of McKenzie's friends want to do it, and maybe their moms can teach a group lesson about something fun too.  I'm also thinking it would be nice for Gram to get together with McKenzie one morning a week to show her how to make some of those good pie recipes.  Especially banana creme.  Hayley could use some help teaching her young horses ground manners.  That's something McKenzie and I could both do with her this summer.  And McKenzie's hoping to teach her friend, Sam, guitar.  Why didn't this idea occur to me before? 

Mmmm, I've just finished my third apple spice muffin.  Hayley told me about a Mimi's contest (link to the side) for a Meaningful Muffin recipe.  The prize is a $1000 worth of Mimi's meals.  Also, you get a coupon for something if you submit an entry.  Soooo, yesterday, McK and I made our own applesauce, miraculously just enough, and whipped up an old recipe I used to make for muffins to bring to Montessori snack time.  Back then, I altered Laura Ingalls Wilder's Applesauce Cake recipe.  Now I'm wondering if it would be good to try it with a bit less cardamon, and the addition of some dark chocolate pomogranates.  But Hayley says it may be too pricey to add those, so maybe chocolate chips.  Mimi's is phasing out their banana chocolate chip muffins for this new type.  I know, maybe dark chocolate chips.  Hmmmm.  Entries are due by May 15th.  I'd better not experiment from now till then.  I'll start looking like a muffin. 

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail

Easter's coming, and Mom's making dinner.  Yea! 

She and Hayley should be the organizers.  I came back from Walmart with some Del Monte fruit/jello.  Thought it would go well with the ham Mom's making.  Hayley told me it was so gross, and I tasted it:  yuck!  So, back to the potato idea.  I mash 'em and bring some white gravy.  Ah, such a gourmet.  I also signed on for Hawaiian rolls and pinapple slices.  Am I a slacker, or what?

I'm so thrilled with Mom's paintings.  She tells a story in every one.  

I'd like to get my rabbit done today....  McK & I did a mural over the weekend.  It's hanging in her room now.  Hope it doesn't give her bad dreams.  The strawberry lady had to be done over because she was too mean looking, but is my rendition now any better?  I don't know.  Definitely not mean...kind of looks like Dad.

Thought I'd get out of the Easter baskets, but the girls are adamant.  Candy is a must!  What's Easter without Laffy Taffy?  We can at least forgo the egg hunt, although the dogs will miss that.  Toby has gotten so good at cracking open the plastic eggs.