Week in Review: Help me! Help me! I'm, like, drowning in teenage angst, courtesy of L391 - Fiction for Young Adults. I just finished book twelve and have three more to go. We read a book about a girl in L.A. named Weetzie Bat who has a lover named My Secret Agent Lover Man. We read about this young fella who finds a pasty looking man in a black suit sitting on the floor of his garage. This guy has wings on his back, but is he an angel or a bird? We don't know, but he poops owl pellets! We've read about a sinister Catholic boys' school and high school lesbians who keep saying over and over to each other "I'm scared too," and rape and violence and death, and, of course, good old Holden Caulfield whew.

Wednesday was a great day because my dear friend, Cindy, and I went to lunch at the Kimmell House Inn - in Kimmell, where I had a creamy tomato bisque with basil that, dear readers, I cannot stop thinking about and will not rest until I can replicate. After lunch, Cindy and I drove back to her house, got some scissors and walked over to Stormy and Nick's and cut some of their hydrangeas to hang and dry. That evening, our neighbor, Marcia brought over a yummy rum cake to thank Bob for his annual trimming of the hedge. Bob spent the entire week in Minnesota at paper school, where I think he: 1. Drives people around on a shuttle bus. 2. Wears a hard hat. 3. Poses for group photographs and 4. Takes people out to eat.

And speaking of Stormy, she and Nick celebrated her birthday in New York City this weekend, with a matinee performance of Gypsy and dinner at La Grenouille. Happy Birthday Stormy - you old Leo, you. Here's a picture of the two of us, at a baby shower last year. We were just about to signal the start of the playdough baby competition, which, I believe I just might have won. Below are some of the hostess gifts that Stormy bestowed upon us in the waning months before her final departure:

A lovely ceramic flower bowl

A very nice basket

Some twisted nylon line

A barrel of monkeys

.From the Archives: June, 1964 - I'm eight and my little brother, John, is one. He was adorable. I can remember having this picture taken. I remember that he was adorable and I think I remember that he was heavy.

Oh, Brett.

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Recipe of the Week: Bob has been cooking this evening - salmon with fresh pineapple salsa. He's still working on it, so I'm unable to report. I, on the other hand, have been "rethinking cornbread." Here's a recipe for spicy jalapeno cheddar cornbread, which Bob is not that crazy about because he doesn't think it's a good combination - he likes sweet cornbread. My son-in-law, however, does like it

Spicy Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 medium jalapeno chile, cored, seeded and chopped fine.

3/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a food processor or blender, process sugar, corn kernels, and buttermilk until combined. Add egg and process. Mix dry ingredients adding half of the shredded cheese. Toss to coat. With a spatula, make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into the well. Fold with just a few turns to mix. Fold in the chopped pepper. Pour the batter into an 8 inch baking dish, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

"I can still recall old Mister Barnslow getting out every morning and nailing a fresh load of tadpoles to that old board of his. Then, he'd spin it round and round like a wheel of fortune and no matter where it stopped he'd yell 'Tadpoles! Tadpoles is a winner!' We all thought he was crazy. But then, we had some growing up to do." Jack Handey