Pink countertops, aprons, a giveaway elsewhere and ramblings

Reading your comments from the other day after I mentioned that I was in my kitchen making dinner and wearing my apron, well you had me cracking up, people! Yes, I sometimes wear an apron. It's mostly due to the fact that I'm a bit of a slob when I cook and am always wiping my hands on the apron. I also don't want to ruin my beautiful designer clothes and cashmere sweaters while I cook.

I'm also sorry I'm such a fibber because I don't own a single cashmere sweater.

I do like wearing aprons, though. An apron not only helps me to stay clean, but it makes me look as if I know what I'm doing as I concoct dinners nightly on my fun and quirky stove in my pink-countertopped kitchen.

Tonight I'm making linguini with clam sauce and those who know me know that my husband is the real cook around here. However, since his surgery back in October, I took over in the kitchen. It was just a bit much for him to have everything ready all at the same time and to try to find things in a kitchen he wasn't familiar with in the first place. You see, we moved here in October after he lost his job and after he had brain surgery.

Frankly, I think maybe he's just milking it for what it's worth, having me cook all the meals. Or perhaps he just likes seeing me in the apron. I've noticed that sometimes when he walks by as I'm chopping or stirring, I'll see him raise his eyebrows and wink. I think he likes this arrangement and so, if this makes him happy, I'll don the apron and do the cooking! Speaking of aprons, this is the one I really want. I just think it's fun, don't you?

The giveaway I mentioned in the post title is over at Le Jarden girl's site. She's giving away two sepia toned floral prints and they are absolutely gorgeous. So head on over and check it out.

Those of you who have asked to be interviewed (from yesterday's post) will soon receive your questions, if you haven't already.

Also, some of you have asked me if I mind my husband using my camera, and the answer is a resounding NO! I don't mind at all. And if photography makes him happy, he can use it all he wants. Except for when I'm using it. And maybe someday we'll get one of the lenses that I'm lusting after. So, for now, we'll share.

I love having all of you visit and it's so good to see so many new faces that are fast becoming regular and welcome sights.

Until tomorrow, my friends . . .

Another day, another chardonnay

Continuing on with my husband's idea for taste testing several different chardonnays from the Russian River Valley in California, it's me, the wine dork, again.

I'm doing all the taste testing as he is looking at me, with amusement, mind you, down the reading glasses on the edge of his nose.

Well, this was your idea, my husband dear. And this afternoon on this glorious Sunday in Maryland, I'm having a glass of 2005 Martin Ray Chardonnay.

Today, I'm using my favorite tasting glass from Barboursville Vineyards in Virginia. It's just the right size.

Our guest bottle stopper for this tasting is one I purchased at the gift shop at the above-mentioned winery.

It's an old drawer-pull that was fashioned into a wine bottle stopper and it's also another one of my favorites.

Readers should note that for a real wine review, they should go elsewhere. I'm just a girl, who's having some wine, and asking it to love her.

What the hell?

The first thing I notice about this wine is that it rhymes. "Martin Ray, Chardonnay".

Chalk one up, so far. You should all know by now how much I like rhyming.

The winemaker notes that this 2005 Russian River Valley Chardonnay begins with rich aromas, highlighted by fresh peaches, apples and vanilla. It also notes that the wine's superior structure and balance has a backbone of crisp apple, peach and creamy vanilla flavors that continue flawlessly on to a ripe and elegant finish.

Yum. And I can't agree more. This is the perfect afternoon drink to sip as I sit outside on my front porch with a good book and a little knitting project that I'm working on.

It would also be excellent paired with a succulent dish of fresh lobster tails with a rich butter sauce.

Chalk up about another 20 more, then.

On my own personal wine scale, this one gets an 8 on a score of 10.

Signing off here for now, and until tomorrow my friends . . .

Forever the dork,

The perks (and downfalls) of my job

Look at this beautiful creation. This has to be the prettiest cupcake I've ever seen in my life.

And it's extra large. You probably can't tell by the picture, but it's twice the size of a regular cupcake, and was made from scratch.

When it's a child's birthday, their parents often send in something sweet to celebrate it. We are always getting little visitors to the office, offering their cupcakes and telling us today is their birthday.

And please don't tell them this, but although I always accept their offerings, I rarely eat them. It's not just the caloric bounty of the little devils, it's that they don't look (or taste, I'm sure) like THIS!!

My friend, the art teacher, came in to visit at the end of the day and she took one look at this cupcake and pronounded that it could be in the movies. It's a movie star cupcake.

It was the talk among everyone at school this afternoon.

And to think this little girl whose birthday was today is only in the 5th grade. This means we get many more years of awesome deliciousness and layers on our hips.

And yes, in case you're wondering, it tasted even better than it looked, if that was possible.

Oh, mama.

Until tomorrow, my friends . . .

(if I can still fit into my jeans, that is) . . .

How did they know?

Today at school, I was given a lovely surprise from the children who had Library class today. It came at the end of the day and was a paper bucket filled with kind thoughts.

They are reading Have You Filled Your Bucket Today?, which is a Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids, written by Carol McCloud and illustrated by David Messing. It's based on Merrill Lundgren's thirty years of teaching. He has traveled the world teaching the importance of using words to lift people up and how detrimental words can be when used improperly and set out to write a book helping young children understand the importance of words.

The story is simple, yet profound and the images truly capture the heart of the story: every human being has a bucket that gets filled or depleted based on what others say. It's up to us to choose how to treat people. It's an excellent little read, and after our students read this book, they worked on a project.

Imagine my complete surprise to pull out their little slips of paper, written in their own hand. Here are a few of them:

"Thanks for helping me."

"I like you curly hair! and your self-estem!!"

"Your nice."

"Hi!"

"You make me giggle."

"You are very nice."

"I love your hair."

"You are funny."

"I like your sence of hummer."

There are a lot of reasons why I work where I do. I love the children, from kindergarten through high school, I love the people I work with. But most of all, I feel appreciated for what I do. It's a family. It is home.

And besides, I have an excellent sence of hummer.

Until tomorrow, my friends . . .

Great movie quotes

I was visiting some of my favorite blogs today and while reading a post about pets on the Mental Pause Chronicles, I saw in the comment section that MP had inadvertently left out her dear friend, Annie's pet, Stella. I'm sure MP feels really badly about it, but let me get to the point.

What is the point? Oh, yes. Great movie quotes.

Immediately, I thought of a Streetcar Named Desire and Marlon Brando screaming into the night, "Stella! Hey, Stella!"

And so I give you the top ten movie quotes of all time. I just love movie quotes, don't you? Well, don't answer that if you don't give a damn. Which, by the way, is Number 1. Also, please note Number 10, which I just used in this Skywatch Friday post.

1. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." (Gone with the Wind, 1939).

2. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." (The Godfather, 1972).

3. "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." (On the Waterfront, 1954).

4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." (The Wizard of Oz, 1939).

5. "Here's looking at you, kid." (Casablanca, 1942).

6. "Go ahead, make my day." (Sudden Impact, 1983).

7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." (Sunset Boulevard, 1950).

8. "May the Force be with you." (Star Wars, 1977).

9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." (All About Eve, 1950).

10. "You talking to me?" (Taxi Driver, 1976).

For more quotes, visit American Film Institute's movie quote site. I mean, if you give a damn, of course.

Here's looking at you, kids.

Show me the way to go home

Dang, I got nuthin' tonight, I'll tellya. I just spent three hours working on photos from this year's Alumni Banquet and set up a Photobucket account for the school. My friend, Katie, who's the editor of the Alumni Newsletter is working on a deadline for the quarterly newsletter and needed the pics. And just before that, I took George for an hour long walk after dinner and I am just plain tired. TIRED, I tellya. And I think my retinas are burning from staring google-eyed into the computer for so long.

So I'll leave you with this thought . . .

Show me the way to go home . . .

I'm tired and I want to go to bed . . .

I had a little drink about an hour ago,

and it went right to my head.

Now quick, name the movie this song was sung in. You all should know this. It's a classic.

And oh, Rich . . . I don't wanna hear how short this post is. And you'd better have left me one of those mini cupcakes from Bing's. The chocolate one. With the coconut sprinkles. I think I'll dream about it tonight.

Until tomorrow, my friends.

UPDATE: Pat-An Arkansas Stamper was the first to tell us the name of the movie in which this song was sung. Say that three times real fast, willya? Yes, Pat, it was JAWS. They were in the boat, it was at night, they'd had a few drinks and had shown each other their scars and told stories. Then they sang this song and all hell broke loose.

~ C.G.