How many of you make coffee in your dishwasher?

I don't, personally...

but apparently there is precedent for this odd behavior.

Otherwise, why would the manufacturer of my 

coffeemaker place these instructions right inside the top,

for everyone to see as they fill the reservoir with water?

"Not intended for use in dishwasher"

Really?

I don't know about you but I have never even thought about 

putting this thing in the dishwasher to make coffee...

Perhaps 

they are saying that you shouldn't try to clean it in a dishwasher...

But that's not what it says...

right?

Do you suppose that the same guy who answers the phone when 

you call with a technical question regarding your PC.....

moonlights as a coffeemaker instruction writer?

and that he felt particularly inclined to let you know

that this particular coffeemaker can't do the 

hokey pokey in the dishwasher?

What was Cuisinart thinking?

Is this really the depth to which we have sunk?

Maybe they better let us know that this 

coffeemaker doesn't DO dishes either.....

Whew!

That soapbox calls to me, you know!

Well 

on to better things...

I had my posse over for Friday Food night yesterday!

We love mac and cheese,

especially with these fat little boogers...

And a béchamel sauce to get the cheese all smooth and gooey...

And tons of several types of cheeses...

and of course, salt and pepper,

but the Barefoot Contessa turned me onto 

adding bacon!

who  doesn't like bacon??

And, truth be known,

this was turkey bacon, just as a nod to our ever expanding

waistlines....

One dear friend came over early,

and brought the tulips!

They look pinkish here,

but they were actually lavender and luscious...

I had choices for entertainment...

but we opted for one that is hidden under the pile...

we watched

"UP!"

I hope you know how special this little film is...

most of us are mothers of "20-somethings"

and so we hadn't had the occasion to take out little ones to this movie!

We loved it.

I hope your day is splendid!

smiles...

Rainy days and Fridays......wait!

Sort of a rainy day...

and usually I would find myself

glued to the desk....my computer....and

100's, literally, of images to "tweak".

But today,

instead I went to a huge fabric store,

called "Mary Jo's".

My mother called this morning

and wanted me to go along for the ride....

funny,

as I drove us over,

about 45 minutes away,

I was reminded of

the dozens of trips we have taken to

Mary Jo's over the years.

No lie, dozens....

Well, I am 52 yrs old,

and she started taking my brother and me

when we were small children.

Back then, it was located in a different location,

the current store is unbelievable.....really.

Check it out here!

As I have gotten older,

I appreciate these trips with my mother

so much.

As a child, I hated them.

There is not a lot for a grade schooler to do in a

big ol' fabric store.

Now....

well I have a ton of things to look at,

dream about,

envision,

create a plan...

well, you know.

AND

to top it all off, I get to spend time with my mother,

without anyone else needing our attention.

My mother is sweet as she can be,

and loves sweet fabric,

calicoes,

small little sweet prints,

traditional quilt designs.

I, on the other hand,

have always been drawn to the

upholstery fabrics,

wild prints,

toiles,

velvets,

stripes,

mid-century modern prints,

well,

decidedly not sweet.

So we go our own way when we hit the door,

and then later compare while driving home.

We are always diplomatic while

being shown the other's purchases,

but in our minds,

I am quite sure that we both are thinking

"What was she thinking?"

smiles.

Sand in my shoes....

I will admit....

I am a beach bum...

maybe not it the "real world"...

but in my mind

I lounge on the beach,

reading,

snacking,

dozing,

watching,

listening,

smiling,

breathing.....

Yep,

that's just about it.

All I need is an umbrella

(too many years of life guarding)

sunscreen..

(ditto)

snacks..

Diet Coke...

a good book..

magazines...

big fluffy towels..

(several)

and company,

but only company that wants to

read,

snack,

lounge,

and brings

their

own

drinks....

I especially

love the late afternoon....

when the sun is moving off

past my right shoulder,
and the mothers are all

rounding up their children,

who are tired, sore, hungry,

and ready for a bath,

dinner and bed.

I no longer have the

weighty responsibilities of a young mother...

but I remember them fondly....

Think I'll open another DC,

and start that new magazine...

smiles....

Spring on Cape Cod....

Summers, when I was much younger, we would visit my grandparents on Cape Cod. An exciting airplane ride, or a very long car drive, either way it was like a different world. Horseshoe crabs, their egg sacks, rocky shores, shingled houses, lush green grass lawns, asparagus plants in granddad's garden, badminton, a much slower, calmer way of life compared to the experiences I had at the Carolina shores.....

Last week, I drove up with my mother to see her sister in Falmouth. It is a very long drive, but we were on a mission. My grandmother died last fall, and we were retrieving some furniture from her house.

It was nice to see my aunt, an uncle and a cousin and his family, all within a short drive of each other. The weather was beautiful. We visited a library that displayed a quilt that my aunt helped make. We examined the garden that my uncle was breaking ground on to prepare for planting, we watched with interest, as my aunt described the "renovation" of the house she owns next door that she and her son were doing together.

We talked, and talked and talked and talked.....

My head was swimming with all the talk.

We came home in one long day.....

I am enjoying the birds singing, the fountain trickling, the dogs barking, and the laundry, thump, thump thumping around in the dryer.....

The light is flat today.....

So.....

Today is a day for playing "small ball",

for appreciating the things that we do everyday,

or just everyday actions that make our lives

wonderful.

Like....

opening a new bottle of lotion,

seeing the buds on the maple tree swelling to red,

watching the birds on the feeder,

or the blue birds fighting for territory,

finding just the right "Phillips" head screw for the repair,

listenig to the click, click, click of the big hallway clock,

or the giggle of little girls down the sidewalk,

signing the tax forms and mailing them,

getting a phone call from one of the kids,

talking to my mother on the phone,

clean clothes,

lemon scented Pledge,

lavendar scented dish soap,

friendships.....unexpected,

no deadlines,

physically pain free,

mental optimism,

and most of all,

grace.....

Afternoon Sunshine....

I love the afternoon sun!

Specifically I love the "winter" afternoon sun,

the way it slides subtly into my kitchen and rests on the platter that holds all the coffee additives....

By the time this happens, I am usually pooped, tired, distressed, or cranky.

The sunshine reminds me that I have choices today.

I can continue to race around getting things done, or I can leave it until tomorrow,

and enjoy a good ol' cup o' joe....

Well, you can probably guess that the coffee wins out most of the time.

Life is just too short to push yourself.....

No one notices if you do anyway....

So....I have given myself permission to do as the civilized Englishmen (and ladies) do,

I take an afternoon break, right about 4pm.

I am then my more likely to last the evening without meltdown.

If you haven't tried this, do it!!

Especially young mothers, just put them into their beds,

and let them cry for awhile.

They will get tired, and fall asleep, promise.

Enjoy!