Testing one two three... what's wrong with my blog?

Let me tell you about shoes. I have always had a thing about shoes. I like to shop for shoes, try on shoes, and purchase shoes. That is if I can find anything to fit. Big Fred called me Amelda Marcos because of the number of shoes I own (maybe 8 pair at the most).

I'm going to a wedding at the end of the month and have looked and looked for the right shoe, not too dressy, not too casual. Oh, did I tell you that my foot is fat and is size 5 1/2. And, I have a back problem so high heels are out. Waa,waa.

I have recently sent for shoes I've seen in a catalogue, but have sent them back. They don't fit. I've had this experience for many years. As a child, my dad would be very patient while the stack of boxes piled up by the chair. Finally, he would say," We'll take the boxes and put on laces." I thought that when I went to Japan I would be in shoe heaven, but I found their shoes narrow and my foot just hung over the edges. Again, waa, waa.

People always say, oh you're so lucky. You can find all the sale shoes. Or they advise me to try the kid's shoes. Those kid shoes are not for an over 55 year old. How ridiculous!

I'll be the special auntie at the wedding with my cool dress, jewelry, and the lovely doll sandals. I'm sure that should enhance my image. Aren't they cute?

My hometown library-900 sq. feet. I love the people and the idea of being able to borrow. I don't need to possess (unlike Big Fred). I think you can check out 25 items. I tell the librarians that I keep them in business. Sometimes a wheelbarrow would be helpful in getting my selections to the car.

I have been going to this library for 50 years. When we were in grade school, we would walk up to the town library every Friday. I couldn't wait because not only could I get books, but they gave away magazines. I shared my reading materials with my mom. She would read my book during the day while I was at school. I think we went through the Little House series together . Sometimes she would read aloud to me. What a gift!

Now, when I come into the library, they say,"That book hasn't been published yet." They tell me to put my initials in books because I tend to forget what I have read. It is like my own special cache.

Good news is that we are building a new library. It's really heady to be a part of a group ( Friends of the Library), who have raised $780,000+. Everyone has worked so hard. I'm thrilled to be a part of such a caring community.

So, that's my story about the library. As Charles W. Elliot (1834-1926) said, "Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." Yup.

Introducing my dog, Mudge. Sir Mudge McDuff of Windyhyll or Mudgie to his family and friends. Also known as Mister. What a great dog! He's intelligent, playful when he wants to be, loves people, a loud barker, and rodent control. He loves to run and do figure eights through the house bouncing off the edge of the sofa and skidding across the wood floor.

We bought Sir Mudge over the Internet when he was just a baby. After looking at all the cute doggies, we picked the one with his little pink tongue hanging out because Big Fred said the dog had a sense of humor. And he is a riot. He is such a lovey and most people warm up to him right away.

Big Fred took him to work with him when he was little and for some reason the dog has a thing about shovels, moving wheelbarrows, pushbrooms, and hoses. Mudge loves to bark and bite at any of these objects. He got a tooth knocked out while biting at a moving dibble.

And, did I mention that we had just bought a new dining room table and chairs and new rugs for the living room just before we bought Mudge. Usual stuff happened like a gnawed chairleg and missing rose patterns in the carpet. All thanks to a new puppy. Of course, he took over the newly upholstered sofa and has claimed the bed in each bedroom as his own.

He has never been to obedience school so I have been working with him this summer to get him to sit when people pull into the driveway. He also has the bad habit of jumping up on his company. I think he gained three pounds from the dog treats I have been giving him.

What can I say, but that he is a terrific person. He has his own recording label, gets e-mail, and receives messages on the answering machine. Let's hear it for Mudgie. O.K. Mister, get off my pillow!!

Big Fred couldn't find anything to read when he went to Border's so he bought The Cake Bible. This is a fabulous cookbook with tips, tips, and more tips. We (my husband thought it would be fun to make the cakes together) started with the Easy Cakes section. First, we made Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte (pg. 84). This receipe calls for 1 pound of bittersweet chocolate, 1 c. unsalted butter, and 6 large eggs. It took all 4 arms, teamwork, and frequent rereads of the receipe, but it was well worth every cussword. The biggest problem was that we started cooking late in the evening and the cake had to cool on the rack for 45 min. and then needed to be refrigerated for about 3 hours. Problem solved, we had it for breakfast the next morning, and then lunch, and then just a sliver for a snack. We tried it at room temperature and then cold. This was a to-die-for way to eat chocolate; a giant chocolate mousse truffle candybar. But, we didn't stop! Next, we made Cordon Rose Cream Cheesecake (pg. 81). With 2 pkgs. cream cheese and 3 cups sour cream, this cheesecake doesn't have a crust and certainly doesn't need it. Wow! Big Fred saw the picture of the three layer wedding cheesecake and declared that he could do that. It was just a sweettooth starter. We went on to the Down-Home Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake. We both remembered this from our childhood. The recipe is intriguing since there are no eggs in the cake, but then mayo is made out of eggs. This cake was easy to make, but we didn't like it. Somehow it had an odd taste. Fudgy Genoise Jeffrey was our next attempt at being bakers. This cake proved to be our last for awhile. It is made with 8 eggs and the whites have to be beaten to form stiff peaks, then this mixture is added to the sugar, chocolate mixture alternating back and forth until the final baked product is light and moist and as Beranbaum says, "pure poetry". Well, that's not our story. While separating the yolk and white, Big Fred got a little yolk in the whites. The whites wouldn't form soft peaks or any kind of a peak for that matter. We later learned that yolk in the whites will not let it whip up. So, we put it all in anyway and baked the cake. Sad to say, it was very dry and not poetry. But, in our house we have a cooking rule: We eat all of our mistakes. I just got out The South Beach Diet , Big Fred won't have anything to do with these cake recipes.

My cousin from Chicago paid a visit today. My mom, aunt, and uncle were here too. Everyone loves a good story and so the conversation went from recipes to hauling a semi load of beer from Newark to Michigan during the brewery strike.
It reminded me of the summer days when my Great Uncle Ralph would visit my Grandpa. Great Uncle lived in the Detroit area and was a world traveler. This was in the 50's and my biggest summer adventure was weeding potatoes and picking pickles. I was enchanted as I listened to his stories about China or where ever he had just returned from. Who would have thought that I would become a world traveler. I have traveled completely around the world including a stop at the Snake Temple on Penang Island in Malaysia. I didn't share any of my travel stories today. Sometimes it is hard to believe that I ever did such a thing. I guess it takes summer visitors to remind me of the stories I'm waiting to tell especially about hitchhiking across Malaysia. But, that's for another time.

So many books, so little time. I think I got it right this time. Each summer I read the same books. The Country of the Pointed Fir by Sarah Orne Jewett is first on the stack. This book, published in 1896, is about the quiet life and colorful folks who live in the Maine fishing village of Dunnet Landing as seen through the eyes of a young woman writer . I'm especially interested in Mrs. Todd, the landlady, and her knowledge of herbs and herbal medicine. I've read this book a number of times, but never knew about London pride (saxifraga urbium) or elecampane (horse heal). I don't have these plants in my garden, but I'll know them when I see them. I'm not finished with the book, so who knows where it will lead me. I do enjoy the descriptions of an uncomplicated time, just right for a sleepy summer afternoon. No need to rush to get finished. I wonder what other people read during the summer.