The traditional snow dance method of bringing flakes has worked again! Our world was (briefly)coated in sparkling white. Sure, it’s mostly gone now, but it was enough to get the kiddies a day off school. Monday is a holiday so those flurries provided a four day weekend for local teachers and students - that’s cause for celebration!
I met a sweet friend for lunch yesterday at a place called The Cuckoo’s Nest. It’s an adorable restaurant located in a renovated cottage and they offer delicious food. I opted for broccoli quiche and asian slaw. To die for. While we dined and chatted the morning’s misty rain turned to snow flakes. I had to fight the urge point at the window and yell, “It’s SNOWING!!” Old habits die hard. After lunch I hurried home and spent the afternoon watching snow fall. I highly recommend it as a pleasant way to pass time. I puttered a bit and then settled in with a book and a sleepy dog. The wind was really howling and I had high hopes for a real blizzard. Our accumulation fell far short of that, but it was enough to make it feel like winter.
I had to pick the mister up at the airport around 9pm so it was just as well that things didn’t get too awful. He made it in right on time and as we drove home it started to snow again. We cuddled up and prepared to wake to a winter wonderland. Eh, not so much. Although it was plenty cold, our dusting of snow didn’t stick around long.
Mickey was trapped in his office all day today, fielding phone calls and putting out fires. I dusted, vacuumed, spread some fresh hay for the hens, started some laundry and dropped off a plate of lunch to the mister. Then I got down to the business of making cupcakes. There’s a pageant this weekend (perhaps I’ve mentioned it a time or ten?) and I thought I’d do something pink and girly. I also wanted to try my hand at fondant. I think it’s high time I learned a little something about it and today I did. Mostly I learned that I don’t know diddly squat. It’s basically made of marshmallow, powdered sugar, and Crisco. Not too appetizing, but handy for making shapes. Well in theory. I decided to make little pearls in a gold setting - painted of course with edible gold luster powder. Mine were like snowflakes - no two were alike.
I tried my hand at making curlicues and other shapes, then I decided to use the scraps of leftover fondant to cut out crowns. That didn’t work so well. I wasn’t sure how thin or thick to roll it. Then I got the frosting WAY too pink. I had a soft, pastel pink in mind but ended up with a true Pepto-Bismol hue. Then I whipped a tad too much which caused air bubbles and a less than smooth delivery. Thank goodness these cupcakes will never leave the comfort of our kitchen because around here they’re what we call “just fine”. Dorky, but fine. There’s still chocolate underneath so all is well.
As the last patch of snow faded away I figured I’d better rustle up some dinner. I threw together an easy chicken dish (SO easy - here’s the recipe from an earlier post: http://nancypullen.tumblr.com/search/honey+balsamic) and we ate and watched Jeopardy. We are geniuses from the comfort of our living room. Pretty sure it would be a different story with a buzzer in our hands. We’re good at different categories - I could do alright in art and literature, Mickey would kill in the science and political categories, and we’d do okay with history and cinema. In fact, if we found a long trench coat and I sat on Mickey’s shoulders and we entered under one name…I’ll bet we could win. Only Mickey would have to do the wagering since I’m not great at math. So he’d have to sit on my shoulders. We haven’t really thought this out. But yeah, we’re really smart.
Anywayyyyy, the evening is slipping away and soon we’ll greet Saturday. Our weekend will be spent tying up loose ends like saggy hounds and hens in order to leave for D.C. on Monday. It’s high time we went somewhere and looked around and we figured that the nation’s capital in January might not be crowded. We’re certainly not afraid to bundle up and run around, and the majority of our time will be spent in wonderful spots like the National Gallery and the Smithsonian. Can’t think of a better way to pass a week in the winter. Representative Cooper came through with passes for a White House tour, a Pentagon tour, gallery passes for the House, and a Capitol tour. We’ll have plenty to do! We’ll get to see Tyler one day and hopefully Cathi on another. How’s that for a splendid trip? I can’t wait!
The dryer just buzzed and that means that my flannel nightgown and other jammies are ready. If I hurry I can slip into them while they’re still toasty. Perfect for a chilly night! Time to settle in with a book and let the remainder of this evening take care of itself. Not a bad day for Friday the 13th, not bad at all. Hope your Friday was uneventful and satisfying. Until tomorrow, my dears…
