Week in Review: Now, what was I saying, just last week about these birdhouses sitting empty? Obviously, I was wrong. They're great things to drape yourself over for sunbathing and belly scratching and what-not.

Whoo-eeee, aren't the prices in the stores getting high? The cost of Maddie the Amazing Barking Dog's pouches of dog food has gone up almost $2.00 a box! I purchased a mediocre greeting card for $3.34, and eggs, well, I don't have to tell you how high eggs have gotten. I need a pair of nose hair scissors, and I found a pair at Wal-mart, but they were $7.21! Well, I just pushed my cart right on by. When I got up to the checkout, though, I had a thought. I'll ask Lindsey and Rob to get me nose hair scissors for Mother's Day. So, there you go, kids - Mama needs a new pair of nose hair scissors.

The Book Babes had quite a night last Wednesday. We met at Stormy's to discuss our April book, The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood and to select our 2008 Book Babe Scholarship recipient. Each year we award $500.00 to an EN senior to help with the cost of next year's college textbooks. Stormy served up crab cakes, veggies, assorted sauces, rolls, butter and chocolates. The butter was cut into pats and we could take some home to rub on our elbows as a moisturizer, as Offred had to do in The Handmaid's Tale. It took us some time to come to an agreement on the scholarship winner. It usually does, but we never come to blows. It's just not the Book Babe way.

We had a fun weekend. Lindsey, Brent, Bob and I went to Troy, Illinois to attend the wedding of Bob's niece, Melissa. It was a lovely wedding and the bride was beautiful. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of her, but perhaps I can get one for a later post. Rob didn't go with us because he and Candace went to prom, and I asked him for a picture from that event, but I haven't got it yet, so we'll table that for next week too. Instead, here's a picture taken at the reception. A server dropped a fork down Darlene's (Bob's mom) back. Here's Bob applying a Tide Pen to the stain.

"Your gout is an infliction acceptable in the very highest circles. It comes from excess of good living. Gout is practically a pedigree. You have gout."

Recipe of the Week: Well, I'm still working on Aunt Kae's meatloaf recipe and Stormy was gone over the weekend, so I couldn't get the Book Babe crab cake recipe, but here is one of Rob's favorite dishes. I got the recipe from a fundraising cookbook put out some years back by the Dayton, Hudson, and Marshall Fields store employees.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Crab

12 ounces fettuccine noodles

1/2 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream (1/2 and 1/2 is fine)

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound crab meat (imitation is fine) shredded or cut into small chunks

Cook fettuccine according to directions, test for doneness. While fettuccine cooks, heat butter and cream in small saucepan until butter melts. Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Stir constantly until cheese melts. Stir in crab meat. Drain noodles and return to pan. Pour sauce over noodles, stirring gently until noodles are well coated and everything is mixed well.

Super quick and easy.

"Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that, I'll be over here looking through your stuff."

Jack Handy