I Thought You'd Never Ask!

Anne Russell has kindly indulged me by asking after the puzzle. Oh, this old thing? This thing that represents senselessly wasted weeks of my life? Voy-la:


Michael read something recently about how it's great to play board games with your children precisely because they're so pointless: it communicates to your kids a desire to spend time with them for no other reason than to spend time with them. Of course, that totally suits me, given my profound love of board games (Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Chutes and Ladders, and Candyland excepted). But I figure it's the same with puzzles. Only, it's just me. And therefore both narcissistic and schizophrenic. Alas.

Moving on:


Pancakes! The best pancakes in the world. Which I posted, coincidentally, the day before IHOP's famous benefit pancake give-away! The last thing I ate at an IHOP were blueberry blini when I was pregnant with Birdy. And I left them in the parking lot, if you know what I'm saying.

xo

Happy Spring!

Okay, it's not really spring. But I have been repeating, "Look at the gorgeous light!" all week like a Pollyanna parrot.

Did you want to read about how revolting chicken is, followed by a recipe? I thought so! I've got just the thing for you.

And here, just for you, is a photo I excluded from the column. Parsley a little too sparsely. Or maybe not sparsely enough.

Maybe I could spend the 99 cents for a fresh bunch before trying to photograph it? No?

Romance

Oh my gosh, remember Birdy's valentines? Ben was just reminiscing about them and we got to laughing all over again. It seems like only yesterday that she was a chubby almost-four-year-old pummeling her little pals with sentimental snippings of death and devils. And now she's a skinny almost-six-year-old decorating bookmarks with doily bits. "No offense, but do your friends even read?" Ben asked, and although I called him on the tone, he did have a point. But that poor Birdy. She's sick, sick, sick with a fever--the kind where one minute they're lethargically nibbling dry Cheerios from a mug and the next they're lethargically drifting away into a fretful nap that they don't even wake up from when you sneak in to turn off Clifford. That's okay. "I know all these by heart," she'd said earlier about our little DVD of episodes. "They all end with sharing." Indeed.

Please go to family.com for my super-duper fancy-schmancy easy-peasy Valentine's Day recipe. And let them know you were there! They like to know that.


I took this picture just yesterday! Is that the face of a kid who's coming down with something? Actually, maybe it is. The smile doesn't quite make it the rest of the way up her face.

Thank You

As always, thank you. Your indignation over Wondertime's ending was just what I needed. I even forwarded it to all the folks there, because sometimes it feels good to wallow collectively. Your kindness is so helpful, and your words so inspiring. I will, of course, be all right.


Because I've applied for a Two-Thousand-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Grant from the U.S. government!


Also, a Hanging Out With Birdy Grant. As soon as one of those comes through, we'll be all set!

Meanwhile, here's a new recipe over at Family.com. Remember how you wanted a school lunch recipe? That's what it is. While you're over there, you may notice my little Super Bowl recipe from yesterday; "little" is the operative word. I did not exactly go all out.

Hope you are thriving.

xo Catherine