annie blog

Gary in the House

This is Gary.

He is a pretty parakeet that is the pet where Jon works. He came home to spend the weekend with us. Interesting fact: the person who bought Gary thought he was a canary and that is why he was named Gary to rhyme with canary. Gary the parakeet doesn’t roll off the tongue with quite the same amount of ease, you know?

Having Gary here is really nice. I could actually even see myself having a bird someday. I love all the little sounds that he makes. The problem is that our dog, Conan, has been ape ever since Gary entered the house. The dog is so crazy with trying to watch the boys in the yard and bark at passing dogs and be filled with rage at the mere existence of the postman AND keep track of Gary that he has just now, at 4:49 pm, gotten around to eating the food I placed in his bowl at 8 am. Crazy crazy dog.

Okay, I’m going to go make dinner for my folks now.

I hope that y’all are having a great Saturday!

Gary in the House

This is Gary.

He is a pretty parakeet that is the pet where Jon works. He came home to spend the weekend with us. Interesting fact: the person who bought Gary thought he was a canary and that is why he was named Gary to rhyme with canary. Gary the parakeet doesn’t roll off the tongue with quite the same amount of ease, you know?

Having Gary here is really nice. I could actually even see myself having a bird someday. I love all the little sounds that he makes. The problem is that our dog, Conan, has been ape ever since Gary entered the house. The dog is so crazy with trying to watch the boys in the yard and bark at passing dogs and be filled with rage at the mere existence of the postman AND keep track of Gary that he has just now, at 4:49 pm, gotten around to eating the food I placed in his bowl at 8 am. Crazy crazy dog.

Okay, I’m going to go make dinner for my folks now.

I hope that y’all are having a great Saturday!

Making Cookies, Again

You know, I really must apologize to my future daughters-in-law (should I eventually have some, that is) because I’ve raised a bunch of boys who like dessert. They don’t feel entitled to it, I don’t think, but I sure do get some plaintive looks after dinner if I announce that there isn’t anything sweet in the house. So, mythical future daughters-in-law, I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can turn this tide of dessert wanting, but I’ll do my best to get them to have some good habits, too. Like squeegeeing after showering or something like that.

Last night, I was without dessert. So, I threw together a phyllo dessert involving cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon and chocolate chips. I made individual little filled triangles and baked them until golden brown. The little triangles tasted good and the recipe was well received with the exception of my youngest son. He didn’t want to try the triangles. He declared that he would have milk for his dessert, instead, and told his brothers that they could have his. Later on, in the kitchen, I decided to try a bite of dessert, myself. He ambled in right as some of the creamy chocolate mixture was oozing out of the side of the phyllo triangle, looking surprisingly JUST LIKE an earthworm.

“Hey, E,” I said, “I know that you don’t want to eat the phyllo part of the triangle, but what do you think about this little worm here? Doesn’t he look delicious?”

You know what happened next, right? He came right over and delightedly ate the “worm”.

I’m never going to understand these boys, never.

Happy Friday, y’all!

Making Cookies, Again

You know, I really must apologize to my future daughters-in-law (should I eventually have some, that is) because I’ve raised a bunch of boys who like dessert. They don’t feel entitled to it, I don’t think, but I sure do get some plaintive looks after dinner if I announce that there isn’t anything sweet in the house. So, mythical future daughters-in-law, I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can turn this tide of dessert wanting, but I’ll do my best to get them to have some good habits, too. Like squeegeeing after showering or something like that.

Last night, I was without dessert. So, I threw together a phyllo dessert involving cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon and chocolate chips. I made individual little filled triangles and baked them until golden brown. The little triangles tasted good and the recipe was well received with the exception of my youngest son. He didn’t want to try the triangles. He declared that he would have milk for his dessert, instead, and told his brothers that they could have his. Later on, in the kitchen, I decided to try a bite of dessert, myself. He ambled in right as some of the creamy chocolate mixture was oozing out of the side of the phyllo triangle, looking surprisingly JUST LIKE an earthworm.

“Hey, E,” I said, “I know that you don’t want to eat the phyllo part of the triangle, but what do you think about this little worm here? Doesn’t he look delicious?”

You know what happened next, right? He came right over and delightedly ate the “worm”.

I’m never going to understand these boys, never.

Happy Friday, y’all!

Making Cookies, Again

You know, I really must apologize to my future daughters-in-law (should I eventually have some, that is) because I’ve raised a bunch of boys who like dessert. They don’t feel entitled to it, I don’t think, but I sure do get some plaintive looks after dinner if I announce that there isn’t anything sweet in the house. So, mythical future daughters-in-law, I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can turn this tide of dessert wanting, but I’ll do my best to get them to have some good habits, too. Like squeegeeing after showering or something like that.

Last night, I was without dessert. So, I threw together a phyllo dessert involving cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon and chocolate chips. I made individual little filled triangles and baked them until golden brown. The little triangles tasted good and the recipe was well received with the exception of my youngest son. He didn’t want to try the triangles. He declared that he would have milk for his dessert, instead, and told his brothers that they could have his. Later on, in the kitchen, I decided to try a bite of dessert, myself. He ambled in right as some of the creamy chocolate mixture was oozing out of the side of the phyllo triangle, looking surprisingly JUST LIKE an earthworm.

“Hey, E,” I said, “I know that you don’t want to eat the phyllo part of the triangle, but what do you think about this little worm here? Doesn’t he look delicious?”

You know what happened next, right? He came right over and delightedly ate the “worm”.

I’m never going to understand these boys, never.

Happy Friday, y’all!

Belle and Sebastian

have some good songs.

I like this one, “There’s Too Much Love”.

There are a bunch of free, legal mp3s of Belle and Sebastian, and lots of other great bands, as well, on Indie Rock Cafe.

Happy Thursday!

Belle and Sebastian

have some good songs.

I like this one, “There’s Too Much Love”.

There are a bunch of free, legal mp3s of Belle and Sebastian, and lots of other great bands, as well, on Indie Rock Cafe.

Happy Thursday!

Belle and Sebastian

have some good songs.

I like this one, “There’s Too Much Love”.

There are a bunch of free, legal mp3s of Belle and Sebastian, and lots of other great bands, as well, on Indie Rock Cafe.

Happy Thursday!

Night Journey

is a lovely poem by Theodore Roethke. I was introduced to the poem by my 2nd son, N, who was assigned to memorize it for school. Here it is:

Night Journey

Now as the train bears west,
Its rhythm rocks the earth,
And from my Pullman berth
I stare into the night
While others take their rest.
Bridges of iron lace,
A suddenness of trees,
A lap of mountain mist
All cross my line of sight,
Then a bleak wasted place,
And a lake below my knees.
Full on my neck I feel
The straining at a curve;
My muscles move with steel,
I wake in every nerve.
I watch a beacon swing
From dark to blazing bright;
We thunder through ravines
And gullies washed with light.
Beyond the mountain pass
Mist deepens on the pane;
We rush into a rain
That rattles double glass.
Wheels shake the roadbed stone,
The pistons jerk and shove,
I stay up half the night
To see the land I love.

Here’s my boy reciting it last night at the Spring Expo at his school. I’m so proud of him.

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

Night Journey

is a lovely poem by Theodore Roethke. I was introduced to the poem by my 2nd son, N, who was assigned to memorize it for school. Here it is:

Night Journey

Now as the train bears west,
Its rhythm rocks the earth,
And from my Pullman berth
I stare into the night
While others take their rest.
Bridges of iron lace,
A suddenness of trees,
A lap of mountain mist
All cross my line of sight,
Then a bleak wasted place,
And a lake below my knees.
Full on my neck I feel
The straining at a curve;
My muscles move with steel,
I wake in every nerve.
I watch a beacon swing
From dark to blazing bright;
We thunder through ravines
And gullies washed with light.
Beyond the mountain pass
Mist deepens on the pane;
We rush into a rain
That rattles double glass.
Wheels shake the roadbed stone,
The pistons jerk and shove,
I stay up half the night
To see the land I love.

Here’s my boy reciting it last night at the Spring Expo at his school. I’m so proud of him.

Happy Wednesday, y’all!