Week in Review: Why is it that one can provide lovely bird houses like this (made by Paw-Paw) and they sit empty while the birds continue to nest in the dryer vent, even though Bob has affixed nails to it to keep them out? Why is that? Sheesh. Very busy last week with lots of meetings - Annual Tuesday Club luncheon, Common Grace, and Tri Kappa. I had an 8 page paper due on Tuesday evening for the 20th century American fiction class and I subbed 3 days for 5th grade. We had a kickball base running faux pas when the base runner (who was watching the fielding) plowed into this little peanut standing in the baseline (who was NOT watching anything). Profuse nose-bleeding from the plower and threats to pass out from the peanut. Very exciting.

I saw my first chipmunk of the season on the deck this very morning. I always worry about the safety of those little guys because the only thing that Maddie the Amazing Barking Dog likes more than a tennis ball chase is a chipmunk chase. Here is a bad photograph of Hickory Hill Hans in the flesh, or in the fur, I guess. It's a relief to know he managed to gnaw his way through the old produce that was blocking his door.

To all of my peeps who've been sending me mail after reading about how I stalk the mailman, thanks! I got a very funny book from Landon - Skippyjon Jones, correspondence from Maw-Maw and Baleigh sent me a note on the back of a great song called The Water Cycle. It's sung to the tune of She'll be Comin' Around the Mountain and also Would You Care to See My Mutilated Toe, another great folk tune:

The Water Cycle Song

Water travels in a cycle, yes it does.

Water travels in a cycle, yes it does.

It goes up as evaporation,

Forms clouds as condensation,

Then falls down as precipitation, yes it does.

Dynamite song. I love you guys.

All of the daffodils and hyacinths are blooming and it's beautiful here, just as I'm sure, it's beautiful in your neck of the woods. And speaking of Hyacinth: "Richard, what a thing to say to somebody with a solid silver self-cleaning sauce separator!"

I was on the hostess committee for last week's meeting so I made a couple of Orange Poppy Seed Tortes. This recipe came from the Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Heritage Meals and Menus, one of my favorite cookbooks.

Orange Glazed Poppy Seed Torte

Cake

1 & 1/2 cups cake flour

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

Glaze

1/2 cup strained orange juice

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 * 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

1 8-oz package cream cheese

1 Tablespoon grated orange peel

2 Tablespoons orange juice

Heat oven to 350. In small bowl stir together flour, poppy seed, baking powder and salt: set aside. In large mixing bowl combing sugar, butter, orange peel and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until light and fluffy. Continue beating, adding eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients. Spread into two greased and floured 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a full boil, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool to room temp. For frosting: mix all ingredients (except orange juice)

To assemble cake: Slice each layer of the cake in half (HORIZONTALLY - although I can't imagine that anyone would think you meant vertically) Sprinkle some of the orange juice on each layer (but not the top - I use more orange juice than the two tablespoons - it soaks in to make it extra-yummy) Spread 1/2 cup of frosting on each layer. Frost the sides and then spread the cooled glaze over the top. I pipe some extra frosting around the edges. you can garnish with curls of orange peel. Refrigerate.

"If you ever crawl inside an old hollow log and go to sleep, and while you're in there, some guys come and seal up both ends and then put it on a truck and take it to another city, boy, I don't know what to tell you."

Jack Handy