Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's rocks....oh, but I do, I do covet them. For you Illinois peeps, there are lots of huge, wonderful rocks in Northern Indiana and many residents have incorporated them into their landscaping. In fact, I think almost every yard in our neighborhood has a majestic rock of some kind on display. This is a rock down the road from us.

This is the rock next door........................

The rock across the street

You get the picture. Oh, we do have this. We dug it up in a flower bed about ten years ago. Obviously, it came straight from outer space, which makes it something special, but it's small and nobody ever notices it. You can't demand that people notice it either, you can't yell out at departing guests to "Make sure you get a good look at our meteorite before you leave!" That would be braggy and pathetic. No, people will just have to notice our meteorite on their own, without prompting or urging.

We also have this fine specimen. Rob found this a long time ago, at Maw-Maw's, I think. For years we wondered what it was, it seems just too round and perfect to be a real rock. Finally, I gave it to the head of the Geology department at IPFW and he reported back that it was, indeed, (hold onto your hats) a real sedimentary rock!

I guess we'd have to admit that we aren't lacking in the rock department and shouldn't complain, but I still would like to have a big rock in the front yard, and maybe we could even have our house number chiseled into it. I do know where there is such a rock, it's back in our own woods, behind the house, just west of the home of Hickory Hill Hans.

It's not gigantic, but it's pretty tall and has good color. I'm sure I'd be happy with it. Now, all I need is someone to help me get it up to the yard.

Still on the subject of rocks, (and this ties into our earlier post about songs with summer in the title) Bob Ritchie aka "Kid Rock," has a song out called All Summer Long. In this song, Kid says that in 1989, in northern Michigan, he was listening to the song Sweet Home Alabama, all the time. Well, that song is from 1974, and I guess he could have been listening to it then, but on his boom box or jambox or ghetto blaster or whatever portable sound system he had in 1989 (today, I have what I call my Ipod-thingy) However, I don't think he was listening to it on the radio.

Bob "Kid Rock" Ritchie really borrows big-time from the song Sweet Home Alabama, and that's okay, as that's kind of the point of the song, BUT...the rest of the song sounds just like Werewolves of London. Am I the only one noticing this? It's Werewolves of London. Didn't George Harrison run into a little trouble doing this - My Sweet Lord/He's so Fine?

And the lyrics: We were trying different things

We were smoking funny things

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I think those lyrics are right down there with "Way down the Road to Old Funkhouser."

But then, Bob "Kid Rock" Ritchie is making a truckload of money with that song, and I'm not, so................Rock on.

Bob "Man Rock" Pillers and I got this corn ready for the freezer Saturday night while we watched the Olympics. Yeah, we know, we're exciting, alright.

From the Archives: Earlier this year - a Tiki mask workshop at Maw-Maw's.

Recipe of the Week: My mother-in-law, Darlene, e-mailed me a recipe for Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. She didn't use this frosting recipe, but just glazed them with a powdered sugar and milk frosting. I did use their frosting recipe, and I think it makes them a little too rich. Darlene might have the right idea. I'll let you be the judge. Here are the rolls getting ready to go to neighbors (those lucky dogs with those great rocks)

Cinnabon Rolls

1/2 cup warm water

2 packages yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3 1/2 oz package instant vanilla pudding

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

6 cups flour

Filling

1 cup softened butter

2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon milk

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar. stir until dissolved and sit aside. In a large bowl , prepare instant pudding per the directions ( usually with 2 cups of milk) Add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture and blend. Gradually add flour. Knead until smooth. Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down and let rise again.

Roll dough out onto floured surface. Take 1 cup of softened butter and spread over dough. Combine 2 cups of brown sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon and sprinkle over dough. Roll up tightly and cut rolls - about 2 inches in size. Place on a greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan about 2 inches apart. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden brown. Frost rolls when they are still warm. make about 20 very large rolls.

"When I found the skull in the woods, the first thing I did was call the police. But then, I got curious about it. I picked it up and started wondering who this person was, and why he had deer horns." Jack Handey