You look familiar...

A belated happy Halloween.. And an apology for vanishing for um.. Months.
Here. Distract yourself with a photo or two of our Halloween party faces.
Chaos. You know it.
Check in! How ARE you all?!
*kisskisskiss*

Decorating with a nature theme..

Maybe I took it too far this year?
(check the *ornament* in the center of the wreath)

Thank you, little Carolina Wren. That made my day :)

One month..and a thanks

4 weeks.
28 days.
Of confinement.
Pass the Xanax.

We're all doing really well..normal well for this time of year!
Things are busybusy at home, Michael is busybusy at work (retail management)...blahblahblah.
But, we're good!

AND...AND AND...
LOOK!

Santa must have heard my desperate pleas and sent a Pileated for Christmas.
About damned time.
It's only been 20 years.
First pileated woodpecker sighting was when I was 15..walking home from the bus stop..and I've only seen 4 since then.  FINALLY, a photo that looks like a bird and not a blackish blob!
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As a pet owner, I'm required by law to take embarrassing photos of my dogs on holidays.

I think her headband is a little too tight.

Made the mistake of using the command "watch it!"..he's so intensely focused on cheese he looks like a maniac.

No dogs were harmed..or emotionally scarred.
My dogs are snobs.  $16 a pound Manchego cheese is an accepted reward for complying.  Regular old provolone? 
Hell no.

Henry is getting pretty bored, but is finding ways to amuse himself during confinement.

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I appreciate you all not bailing on me during my vanishing act. I know we lose and gain followers all the time, but I gotta say..I really expected a lot of people to bail.  So, thanks for sticking it out :)

The quest begins..

Every year I search for THE Easter dessert.  I don't know what it is about Easter, but I become frenzied over the dessert part of the menu.
Nothing too dense and heavy, usually no chocolate.

Last year we had lime angel food cake with raspberry sauce.  Light, tangy..and I have to say, I rocked the cake.  It was perfect. 
However, Michael didn't love it.

I know.

His exact words were, "It's ok.".  This changed to "You did an amazing job!" when I whipped around and glared at him (I was also armed with a fork).

So, I'm on another quest for The Dessert, this time Michael Approved.  *snarl*
As far as the rest of Easter dinner- no idea!

Top contender right now:  Lemon Meringue pie.  I hate meringue, but I have some warped need to create "mile high meringue with a perfectly toasted finish". 
Thank the gods it's easy to remove from the lemon custard.

My hesitation over my lemon pie? 
Years ago, I made this pie for Easter dinner at my grandmother's house.  She had a tiny slice before dinner, and another slice after dinner.  Both times she rolled her eyes to the heavens and sighed in Pie Ecstasy.  Praise from my gram..?  Highest Honors. 
How can any future lemon pie compete with that?
Yes.  I carry emotional baggage over food I've cooked. 
Yes, I know it's completely ridiculous.

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It's rainy, chilly and beyond gloomy.  I want to bundle up on the couch with books, but instead I'm cleaning my kitchen cabinets today.  Woo.