Week in Review: This poor little guy was wandering between our house and Dinehart's early this afternoon. Where his mother is, we just don't know, but he was very frightened, so we took his picture and then left him alone. Another critter-close-call occurred yesterday when Maddie, the Amazing Barking Dog, encountered Hickory Hill Hans in the front yard. Maddie was thinking about mixing it up with Hans, but with some hysterical carrying-on, I persuaded her not to.

I subbed one day for sixth grade and two afternoons for 3rd grade last week. Lindsey and Brent came up for the weekend. We went to Lucy's bridal shower (here's Lindsey and Lucy) on Saturday afternoon. It was lovely. After the shower, we drove back to K'ville, collected our menfolk, and met Stormy at Casa Grille for dinner. Then we dropped Lindsey and Brent off at Pierre's to see Blind Melon and Bob and I went over to the Embassy to see Martin Short. Martin was pretty entertaining. He showed clips from his career and came out dressed as some of his characters. He interviewed Fort Wayne Mayor, Tom Henry, as the puffed-up Jiminy Glick.

Brent has a special connection to Blind Melon as his former babysitter/neighbor/friend, Lisa, was Shannon Hoon's longtime companion, and is the mother of his daughter Nico Blue Hoon, for whom an album is named. Nico caught the bouquet at Lindsey & Brent's wedding. She's about 11, and has sung with the band some recently.

A couple of new pictures of the cutest baby in Springfield, Illinois, Landon Kutscher - picking up pebbles at the farm, and riding in the wheelbarrow with Stella, who got her first outside bath of the season this weekend, I understand.

From the Archives: This is a new feature of the blog, a little something from the photo album. Here we all are 31 years ago, July of 1977. Brian, me, Jeff, John, and Little Lori, at our Mom's wedding to M.J. (Paw-Paw).

I know that last week, I promised a tribute to rhubarb, but I'm afraid it will have to be postponed, because my rhubarb is not quite ready, and I couldn't even find any to buy. I asked the guy who was stacking broccoli at the grocery store if he had any rhubarb and he said yes and pointed, and I looked.

"Those are rutabagas,"I said.

"Oh, they are?'

"Umm-hmm - but you got the roo part right," I said.

This produced hearty laughter from the produce man.

Just be patient, gentle readers, the rhubarb celebration is forthcoming.

"Please have a look around. Try not to brush up against my walls. I do hate it when people brush up against my walls." Hyacinth Bucket

Recipe of the Week: This recipe also comes from Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook. This potato dish has been pretty much a standard at the breakfasts I've catered, along with a sausage casserole, Karen's punchbowl fruit salad, (that would be a good recipe to share with you) and the cake mix cinnamon rolls that I featured some weeks back.

Hash Browns Helen

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 10 & 3/4 ounce can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 32-ounce package frozen hash browns, thawed (southern-style)

1 cup crushed corn flakes

2 tablespoons melted butter

Grease a 9 X 13 ounce baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the cheese, soup, sour cream, onion, peppers, melted butter, salt and pepper. Mix well and fold in the thawed potatoes. Put mixture into baking dish. Toss together the corn flakes and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle over mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Serves 8 to 10.

"As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing more than a bunch of honking and yelling? Sometimes it seemed that way." Jack Handey