Presenting the Sunday edition, now with more bullets!

* Not real clear on why my son was sleeping with a softball last night.

* “Because I told him not to,” sez his sister. “Because I told him not to” is not a v. good answer, in my humble opinion.

* Not sure why the Tooth Fairy keeps stopping by, even though my kids do not believe in her/him anymore.

* Facebook keeps sucking me in, but I must study. And blog. And write some book reviews.

* Wii-Fit is getting me in shape and I’m happy about that. Stomach muscles. Leg muscles. Arm muscles. Turns out I’ve been neglecting my body for the last decade or so. Ouch. Wii is pretty fun, except I don’t really care for the soccer header game where you get smacked with tennis shoes and panda bear heads. It confuses me. I see a ball coming, I want to duck, not let it hit me in the head. I do like the penguin game though — it reminds me of eating sushi. Ahhhhhh, sushi. No more meals out. No money + need to drop some pounds + sometimes restaurants aren’t even that much fun = staying home is fine.

* I am lying like a rug when I say restaurants are no fun. Restaurants that suck are no fun. But we don’t go to those ones, anyway. You know who I loved as a child? Eloise. I am meant to be a city child, and live at the Plaza. But here I am in North Portland, U.S.A.

* Could be worse. At least Poppy bought us a Wii for Christmas. My children are lucky to have nice grandparents, aunties, uncles and friends. For example, do you know I never buy them clothes? For real. Jeans, shoes, occasionally, perhaps a coat once in awhile. Now that I think about, I don’t remember the last time I bought either one of them a coat. We purchased socks and underwear awhile back. Why is this? Because I am not proud and our friends with older kids load us up with hand-me-downs. I have done this since they were born. I also am partial to thrift shops.

* Thus we could afford the GPS that Poppy insisted we buy. Since, y’know. We get lost all the time and refuse to ask for directions. (Both of us, not just Hockey God.) That was also before we ran out of money.

* I thought you could just order more from the ATM. Turns out that is not the way it works at all. Not one bit.

* However, we’ve got a good stash of spices, herbs, dried goods, canned goods, bulk items, frozen items already. The garden is starting to do its thing (spinach, strawberries, herbs, potatoes will come on soon, beets, carrots) — we’re fine.

* But… cannot make manicotti for dinner, as planned, cuz there are no manicotti noodles for the manicotti. Critical ingredient, gone missing.

* It is going to be a lean, mean summer, did you already guess? Can you relate? Before we ran out of $$$ I paid the bills (this month’s, anyway. Isn’t that irritating how they show up just like clockwork?) and in the last two months I renewed our memberships to OMSI and the zoo. We do our weekly trips to the library, and the parks, and Portland is great in the summer with free outdoor movies, concerts, theater performances… it could be worse.

* A troupe is doing a production of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” from 2-5 p.m. today at Peninsula Park, fyi. I don’t think we’re going though, cuz…

* My family is out geocaching all over the neighborhood. They keep popping in at home to get more treasures to replenish the boxes, then they leave again.

* Geocaching is our new love. It’s free, fun and keeps us busy like squirrels on treasure hunts. Plus, you get to have fun avoiding Muggles — wouldn’t want them to see you ferreting out the boxes of treasures and the logbooks. (It’s free once you buy or borrow a GPS, make that. Just like Wii-Fit is “free” once you spend the 80 bucks on it. And the 250 to buy the Wii. Still, cheaper than a gym membership, especially one with the obligatory one-year contract.) (No, we’re not getting Guitar Hero, sorry Wacky Girl. Go play a real guitar, would ya? Your dad has one you can borrow.)

* My cousin J turned us onto geocaching. She is geo-dork, rock on, J and thank you!

* Steve picked a huge bowl of strawberries this morning and I used up the rest of the sugar making jam. I also put up two freezer bags’ full. That is a lot of berries, whoa. I don’t know what this kind is called but they’re good. I got the plants last year from the Nekkid Neighbors. Free. Free is my new lovah.

* We’re having fun with no money! Only we’re out of sugar, so I guess I’d better forget about making cookies for now. And manicotti. Ha. We have… molasses I think. Molasses cookies, yes. Who needs dinner? Oh, wait — cookies does not = losing weight. I love to bake, dammit. Do not take my baking away from me.

* What about you? What’s new?

Love,

WM

Cooky of the Day:
Stone Jar Molasses Cookies

3/4 c. molasses
1/2 c. shortening or lard
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 c. flour
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Dash of ginger
Dash of cinnamon

Heat molasses to boiling. Remove from fire and stir in shortening and baking soda. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Mix everything together. Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into balls and press with the bottom of a stoneware jar or drinking glass. Bake in preheated oven for about 6 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.

NOTE: We made our balls about the size of a quarter. We placed them about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Do not grease the cookie sheets. Cookies will be slightly soft when pulled from oven. Let cookies set on cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

NOTE: No coffee, no eggs, no chocolate = Depression Baking. We’ve been doing a lot of this lately. Applesauce Cake! Almost as good as chocolate chip cookies. Almost.