Sonic's newest menu item

Huh? While waiting to turn in to Sonic for a quick lunch, my eyes must have been playing tricks on me:

But no, they weren't ...

By the time I reached this point, I'd lost my appetite

Lessons learned

Crisis du Jour:

Poorly-stored Christmas treasures at the hands of an unwelcome guest in my attic

This ornamental elfin caricature of my daddy, complete with cute schnoz and name emblazoned on his pure heart*, has been the perfect touch to my parents' household each Christmas. I recently had to break the sad news that a hungry critter's ate it half up:

*Old family joke

In the hopes that others will learn from this mistake ...

My lesson:
Rubbermaid storage containers are worth the small investment.

My parents' lesson:
Anything put away for temporary safekeeping ... shouldn't be left at Carla's!

MaggieMaggieMaggieMaggie

If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first.

Lois Wyse · 1926-2007

A morning nap in Gramma Tea's arms

She's got the moves! And more fun to watch than Dancing with the Stars:

Pollenation and procreation

Today's inspiration:

Daddy's recent Alabama butterfly snapshot

My generous sister-in-law Pat, who brought a hardy Shasta Daisy from her Texas flower garden last Spring, deserves some of the credit for attracting this Pearl Crescent butterfly to mine.

Although its caught-on-tape behavior could be to attract a female, this territorial little butterfly is probably marking my back yard's only aster-family plant as his:

Homegrown goodness

It is difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.

Lewis Grizzard · 1946-1994

Besides a no-show peanut sprout prior to entering Kindergarten, this summer heralded my first attempt at growing something more nourishing than a flower garden. I confidently invested about twenty-five bucks in two tomato seedlings and supplies, including a newfangled upside-down tomato planter, then doomed the first plant to failure by placing it in a spot with limited sun exposure. Learning from my mistake, I cultivated the second plant in full sun, where it grew tall and sturdy. A week or so after being blown down by a summer storm, I harvested its only tomato:

After sitting on the kitchen counter for a week, my tomato ripened to an impressive deep red. Although it looked ready for eating, I was still apprehensive about doing a taste test. What if my tomato was bitter? Or sour? Or full of salmonella? Or harboring a microscopic parasite that will turn my internal organs to mush?

Finally, my curiosity got the better of me, and I sliced it open to reveal its perfect deep red meat. And it tasted as good as it looked.

No wonder this variety is named Beefmaster
(unretouched photo ... I promise!)

80+ MPG

First trip out:

First trip back home:

Success!

Sentimental sandwich

The sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories.

Rachel Carson · 1907-1964

After scouring the pantry to avoid grocery shopping, I ended up fixing a tuna sandwich for today's lunch. Its not-so-sweet aroma brought back pleasant memories of the Sunday suppers of my childhood. My mother's recent trip down memory lane has inspired me to share it with my dedicated readers:

LIVING... MAEDEANS STYLE
A Special Sentimental Letter

---

Mae Dean's Sunday Night Tuna Sandwiches

· one can of the best tuna you can afford
· one hard-boiled egg, peeled and smashed into bits
· a dollop of Kraft Real Mayonnaise
· toasted white bread (wheat will suffice)
· You can include yucky pickles if you like that sort of thing.

Slicing the sandwich in half diagonally is recommended, since this makes it taste even better:

This really hits the spot, particularly with a great big glass of skim milk. I regret that I haven't carried on my mother's tradition with my own kids.