Lessons in Cake

So today is Andy's birthday and I had decided to actually BAKE a cake this year instead of buying one. Plus I'd gotten an email from Whole Foods with this delicious looking - and sounding - Frosted Carmel Apple Layer Cake. Yummmmm.

Since I can't leave work early, I planned to make it last night. Murphy's Law, I'm behind schedule, I agreed to help Andee study for her Geography test, and to top it all off, Andy and I have an argument. So there I am trying to happily do it all while ignoring the events of the evening. In all my efforts, I grease the pans, but completely forget to flour them. Trying to be optimistic I tell myself - grease is enough - the cakes will come out no problem. It will be fine.

Not exactly. So there I am at 10:30 at night, after a not-so-great evening, staring at this cake that has come out of the pan in pieces, knowing that there's no way I'm going to be able to layer and frost it. Looking at it just seems to sum up my whole evening. And then Andee eats a bite and says - "Wow, it's really good! Don't worry, it doesn't matter what it looks like. I'd rather have it taste good then look good." So as I lay in bed, still upset over my cake and the evening, I started to think how accurate Ann was without even realizing it. Sometimes the outside ends up a little rough, but the inside is still pretty darn good. And that's really all that matters isn't it?

Procrastination

Ok, so I'm procrastinating. What else is new? I hate writing documents and that's exactly what I've got on my to-do list. So welcome procrastination - come right in.

Here's an interesting set of facts that I learned from my little 7th Generation email newsletter today. Just figured I'd share. Especially interesting given the current economy....

• Percent of U.S. household waste currently being recycled: 33
• Percent of U.S. household waste that could be recycled: 75
• Cost per ton of garbage collection in the U.S.: $70-$200
• Cost per ton of curbside recycling in the U.S.: $50-$150
• Number of jobs created per 10,000 tons of waste incinerated: 1
• Number of jobs created per 10,000 tons of waste landfilled: 6
• Number of jobs created per 10,000 tons of waste recycled: 36

Lancaster, PA

I tried to post this while on vacation, but alas I was not able to intuitively post from my iPhone. And since I was on vacation I was too lazy to put any mental thought into it.

This picture is from the porch of the vacation home we rented. The dogs loved it too, Spencer more so than Blackie. She was a little screwed up as she has her specific territory patrols she has to do and couldn't. We ended up finding a great development that we both Andy & I agreed on, so we'll see what happens. Should've taken a picture of that. Oh well. Probably would've jinxed it if I'd done that.

But, in the meantime, a nice snapshot of the Susquehanna River.

All-Time Personal Best

Double digits tonight on the way home. Eleven groundhogs. Must be the cooler temperatures, everyone's coming out for a nice meal. I even spotted a whole groundhog family right around PNC Bank Arts Center. Maybe they were waiting for the Projekt Revolution show to start. Lucky groundhogs.

Lara Goes Green

I used to go back and forth between organic and not. Mostly I did it because it made me feel I was actually treating my body good for once and being healthy. Ultimately I'd either go back to my slacker ways or splurge my money at the mall.

But this last year, I've moved beyond organic and embraced green. And not just because I'm on a perpetual health kick or trying to do something good for myself, but because I'm really starting to believe that we all have to do something for this world. Needless to say, when I embrace something I EMBRACE it. (Ok, Ok, I admit I still love and drive my Land Rover, but I drive it MUCH LESS.)

Andy has been getting just a tad fed up with me and all my environmental purchases, suggestions, and reminders. But even though he'll never admit it to me I have noticed my Green Guide magazine left open on the nightstand - and pages even dog-eared! Now if I can just convince him to install the geo-thermal heat pump in the next house......

An interesting fact for the day: According to this non-profit organization Green Seal, 40% of trash found in landfills is paper products including Kleenex, napkins, and paper towels since they're not recyclable unlike copier paper, newspapers, and magazines. I think that little fact is enough to make me by recycled napkins and such.

Latest Knitting Project

Just before Christmas 2007 Robyn told me she was expecting her 2nd child this summer. With so much time to prepare I decided that this was my opportunity to make her something instead of just buying a gift. The final decision: a baby blanket. And of course I started right away since I knew I needed all the time I could get!

Well with only a couple of weeks, if that, to spare I am glad to say I'M DONE!!! And on top of the baby blanket, a couple of bibs too. So cute. Even better, since I'm now on my environmentally friendly platform, made with 100% organic cotton. Now I just have to find a box and get everything wrapped up.

Craziness

So life has been whirling by - is that a word? I think that's the way of the Spring & Summer. There's so much going on in Spring - you want to get out, enjoy the weather, the kids are getting ready for the end of the school, summer plans are in the works. And then of course, Summer itself hits and before you know it it's almost Labor Day again. Whew! As the oh-so-wise Dr. Seuss once said "How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn." Which makes me think of a little sidebar here (this is how my mind has been of late) children's authors are just the best for stating the obvious and insightful.

Anyway, back to my point, although I'm not sure I really had one, just a guilt for not keeping up with original blogging intentions. We are well into our summer even though we've just past July 4th. Andee has returned from her first field hockey camp of the season. Tara (and Adam) are both looking for new (but used) cars in preparation for college in the fall, Brittany is busily working on her summer courses, and Andy & I are getting ready for our vacation to Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks. Which reminds me I have to figure out an Anniversary gift. Cotton or China. Gee- towels or place settings. There HAS to be something better!!!

Although when I think about it I can't put my finger on what exactly has made me feel so completely busy, but yet I seem to have. Hopefully I at least have a lot accomplished to show for it. Still I'm resolving myself to be better about documenting all these days as they so quickly pass us by. I should be taking more photos, writing more down, following my own proclamation of remembering the little things. Otherwise, I will continue to forget.

And on a final note, a nice photo of Andee, Tara, and I taken after Tara's graduation on June 18th. (YEA!!!! SHE DID IT!!!) Usually when I take a photo with the girls I always love the way they look and hate the way I look. I'm definitely a behind the lens kind of gal. But this one came out really nice. And goes to show how far we've come in only a year. Life is good.

Groundhogs

I'm not sure when, but a few years ago I started counting groundhogs. There was one patch of open space on my drive home from work where it was inevitable that they'd be out munching away. And I've been doing it ever since. It's kind of like a good luck thing now - as if I don't see one something's going to happen.

So now that it's spring again, they're all awaking from their hibernation. My little furry friends are back! And I'm back to searching and counting.

First Day of Spring

Well, almost. Two more days to go. But it's pretty darn chilly around here, at least for NJ, so I'm not quite thinking Spring just yet. Although it has been a pretty warm winter, with only 1 fairly good snowfall. As someone who grew up by Lake Ontario, winter just isn't winter without snow. Unfortunately there's that pesky little global warming issue and while my mom still lives in upstate NY she just doesn't get the snow that we used to.

So I've been reminiscing a little about the good 'ole days of winter. When "Storm of the Century" meant like 10 feet of snow - all at once. Too bad I don't have a copy of the picture of me sledding down the snowbank in our front yard. That one was taken after a particularly good storm and landed in the local newspaper.

But still - a few pictures from when I was young and of course one from our one & only snow storm this year in Jersey. The girls had off from school, so the two of them and Tara's boyfriend Adam headed outside to build a snowman. One of only a few I saw, but maybe the great artistic-ness of theirs scared off other wanna-be builders.

(Here I am, 3-years old with my dog Laddie helping me build a snowman.)

(Top snowman in the neighborhood! Hair courtesy of Adam.)

Vacation - Day 4

About halfway through our vacation and winding down our visit with my Cousin Cathy, her husband Bill, and daughter Lindsay. And of course, Max, the dog. The weather has been great and my mom and I have definitely been enjoying it. The first day we spent most of the time outside enjoying the playground and local dog park where we met Sebastian - a loveable Bassett Hound.



Yesterday we went to Mixon's Fruit Farms for some fresh oranges, the Village of the Arts, and of course the beach. We even managed to pick up some old clothes and material to make Lindsay an outfit for her "Harriet Tubman" day at school. (She needs to dress up like a slave.) Oh, and I got some great material that I'm going to attempt to use to make pillows. We'll see how that goes, but for now I have grand visions.





Today we were off to church, brunch and plenty of Sunday relaxation. Tomorrow morning we're heading down to Ft. Myers to visit John and Jackie. Oh - and how could I forget - Mom's introduction to the Wii.

38 Hours and Counting...

Life has been crazy busy lately. Not in a bad way, but in a perfectly ok, just really busy way. Guess I've been trying to do all the things I never have time to do when the weather is nice so I figure I'll do them in the winter things. You know what I mean. Plus, right around the holiday I discovered that a very good friend of mine is pregnant, so I've been madly working on a gift for her. Course she's not due till this summer, but I figure I need the time! I'd provide more details, but with my luck she'd stumble upon this post and my secret would be blown. Murphy's Law.

Toss in work, plenty of football parties to cheer the Giants to the Super Bowl win, and all of the other little things that seem to take forever and here we are already to the middle of February!

But, in 38 hours I will be boarding a plane with my Mom to go to Florida for a week. Off to visit my cousin and her family as well as my brother and his. We haven't seen any of them in almost 3 years, since Dad's funeral, so this will be good. I'm hoping to take lots of pictures, so keep a finger or two crossed that I'll get something up here! In the meantime, here's the last picture I have of me and my little cousin Lindsay.

Memories

Well, it is the new year and my resolution was to Organize! I grew up in a house where my friends were afraid to sit for fear of putting a wrinkle in the furniture, so needless to say, I like things neat. I'm not quite as bad as my mom - I can handle a little clutter. But not a lot.

Living in a 1500 sq. ft. house with no garage or basement that combine two complete households and includes two teenagers has lent itself to a lot of clutter. Course the house is comprised of 50% pack rats (although my husband would never admit it). Thankfully my youngest stepdaughter hates mess, so at least I have her on my side.

So after 3 years in this house, the disorganization had finally gotten to me. I have since been on an organization frenzy, purchasing all sorts of containers, baskets, and other products that greatly appeal to my anal nature. I've still got a lot to go, but my latest focus as been on the piles of photos, negatives, and such. In going through all the boxes and envelopes, I've come across some great old stuff. Pictures of my parents when they were first dating, Andy in his Navy uniform, and the girls when they were little. Little angels.....