First day of school

We weren't on the ball enough to take pics of the girls on their first day back to school. Luckily our neighbor was thinking ahead and snapped a shot of our girls with her kids at the bus stop.

Charlotte and Klara in the middle with our friends Zach and Maddie flanking them.

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Go here right now!

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com

You won't regret it! Check the 'Awkward Family Pets' tab too! Don't forget to come back and comment on whether you peed your pants or not.

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Old School T-Bucket

I was at Fry's Electronics yesterday and saw this old school T-bucket. Holding true to the jalopy hot rod roots of the 50's there's a lot of homemade goodies on this rig. Check out the hand-made valve covers, copper water pipe breather risers, windshield frame and fuel lines, long-handled shifter, home-spun upholstery, oil lamp tail lights and transverse mounted leaf spring suspension and amateur paint job.

I'm not too partial to the excessively chromed-up T-buckets and Highboys you see these days. It's nice to see some true home garage work. Respect.

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ProFlowers

Peggy was sad that she missed the Mother's Day flowers I got her. They came and went while she was still in the hospital. Today she called ProFlowers and explained the situation. ProFlowers kindly sent her replacement flowers completely free.

That kind of service deserves a reward and the best I can give them is my word-of-blog referral...

Please use ProFlowers when you buy.

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Peggy's Accident

As most of you already know, Peggy was in a very bad crash on the night of May 1st. She was hit on the driver's door by a 27,000 lb tour bus.

Peggy sustained several skull fractures, bleeding and swelling of the brain, sheer damage to her brain, broken ribs, a collapsed lung and torn spleen. She was in a coma for almost two weeks, but is now in rehab and quickly regaining her memory and cognition. She's got a long row to hoe, but doctors and therapists say she is doing very well and expect a 95-99% neurological recovery. Physically she will be great, except for a missing spleen.

Thank you so much to all our family and friends who continue to provide their love, support and prayers.

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Venison Artichoke

I've been reading and hearing about this recipe for a while, but yesterday was my first try. It was DEE-LISH-OUS!! It's my new favorite way to have venison. Peggy liked it a lot too!

I put the recipe up on Sis-Bliss, so if you have some venison to cook up head on over there and get it now!

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Budget Saddlebags

More proof that Harbor Freight is where the thrift-conscious can thrive...

Don't forget to check out the most excellent hi-rise handlebars too!
Old water pipe, check! Welder, check! Built-in bud vases, check! Style, Check!

Well, at least the saddlebags can be locked!
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Best Boudin Ever!

A few weeks ago I was lamenting to a friend that I couldn't find a local source for natural sausage casings. She surprised me a few days later with about 10 feet of it! She went to a butcher shop that I haven't been able to get to and they gave her some.

Today I made about 10 pounds of delicious Boudin (pronounced "boo-dan"). It's a Louisiana-style pork sausage with rice and herbs. A little spicy and totally yummy!

I have recommended Boudin to others at restaurants here and there and have always been sorry I did. I find that restaurant-made Boudin is horribly bland and generally worth leaving alone.

I got my recipe from a Cajun transplanted to Washington State. His version was excellent, but I've made some modifications over the years that make mine even better. Not bragging, just truthin'! Peggy and I almost stood by the bowl of stuffing with spoons and ate until it was gone, but we restrained ourselves.

Here's some of the results cooking on the grill tonight (next time I gotta remember not to stuff it so tight!):

It's Boudin time ya'll!
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Happy Easter

Have a Happy Easter!

And just to make sure you do...~

Interesting Sculpture

I don't know if anyone reading this blog recalls this, but back in the 70's there was a fun little craft of forming human and animal sculptures by stuffing a nylon stocking full of cotton balls and then shaping it into something recognizable. I haven't thought about it in..well, since the 70's. But then I stumbled across the website of Lisa Lichtenfels and see that she has taken this method and made something really special out of it.

Of course she doesn't use actual stockings, but the basic technique is the same. Have a look. I think you'll be suitably impressed.

http://www.lisalichtenfels.net/
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