Our Day

For music accompaniment I suggest you click on either the Coconut song, or Brother Iz singing Over the Rainbow.

All of what I've written has happened in the past few months, I am copying it from my journals; but today I'm putting right where it belongs, here.  Right here.  It has been a wonderful day!

My cat, Elliot, went missing last night.  He is about 15 years old, mostly deaf, old, older than his 15 years.  He went out last night and did  not come in.  Usually he goes out, lays on the trampoline for a while, then comes in.
This morning he was still gone.  Still gone at noon.  After lunch Number One went out to look in the culverts for him, and found him!  Now, from the culverts run tunnels, small tunnels; too small for my shoulders tunnels.  But Yo is small and he was up to the rescue - yeah, my shy boy animal lover had a rescue attempt today that was a success!  I'm so proud of him.

Elliot will only drink from the sink; he was very thirsty!  After food and libation he sacked out on Man's chair. 

After Rescue Elliot Mission 001, we headed to the park.  This park is an all wooden structure, built like a castle. 

This pic is not from today, today the sun is out, the park is packed with spring break kids, and it's hot, heavenly hot!  The park is twice as big as the pic makes it look.

88. our missional group
89. crumbs in the butter - how great to even have butter!
90. goodbye kisses through toothpaste
91. clear to the bottom river water
92. frizzy black spunky doo
93. sun fish flashing
94. cannon balls into the river

We met my beautiful friends A and M there, along with their broods.  After the park I took my boys to the river - that's how we role, get hot and sweaty, find a river!

Yeah, this is where we live.  I still consider myself a recovering Washingtonian; I have great pictures from Washington, I don't need to live there anymore. 

Psalm 19 vs 1-4
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

At about 5:00 we headed home for burritos - a food that all 7 of us love!

At the park I had a cookie conversation with my gal friends.  I'm posting a few favorites here for their benefits; you, dear reader are welcome to these as well.
I don't have pics right now.  For Lent we gave up sweet treats, so I'm not making cookies. 

95. cookies

No Bake Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 Tbl. cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup nut butter
3 cups oatmeal
Melt butter in pan, add sugar, cocoa and milk.  Stir over med. heat.  When it starts to bubble stir and bubble for 1 minute.  Remove from heat, add vanilla and nut butter.
Stir in oatmeal.  Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.  Cool

Soda Cracker Cookies
Heat oven to 400
Cover cookie sheet with foil, and bring the foil up the edges.  Spray with cooking oil.  Cover foil with one layer of soda crackers, about 40 of them.  Boil 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, for 3 minutes, pour over crackers.  Put in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cookies float.  Remove from oven, sprinkle chocolate chips or butterscotch chips over, use a cup or two.  Let the chips melt a bit, then spread them with a spatula.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts if you like.  When cool, cut into squares, or break.  Store in fridge.

This one's not a cookie, but it's a great cake for snacking on:

Oatmeal Cake
1 3/4 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 3/4 cups flour - I use 1 cup unbleached white and 3/4 whole wheat
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
In small bowl mix boiling water and oats, stir with a fork.  Let sit.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pan
In large bowl mix butter and sugars.  Add eggs, beat well.  Add vanilla.
Add water and oat mixture, mix in.
Beat in the rest of the dry ingredients.

Bake 50 minutes

Topping (optional)
5 Tbl. butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup chopped nuts
1 egg
5 Tbl. milk
Combine all ingredients.

Spread topping over hot cake.  Return to oven for 10 minutes.  Cool and eat!
Both of my Grandma's made this cake.  They were smart ladies and new what was good for me!