Week in Review: These are the packages that were delivered to our house this week - just left on the doorstep without explanation- not even a doorbell ring. Don't you think packages that arrive in this state merit a drive-by-howdy, a shout-out, a sheepish shrug of the shoulders, even? Maybe something like, "You see, Miz Pillers what happened was, the truck went off the bridge into the Ohio River and we had to use this package of yours as sort of a ramp so that the truck could make it back up the bank." Also, please note the tube - there's no lid and it's empty! nothing. Way to go FedEx.

I noticed this sign last week. Yes, yes, gas is very expensive, so in order to make up for that, you should buy more liquor. It makes perfect sense.







One more annoying, negative thing and then, I promise I'm done. Predators have invaded our happy critter haven. Hawks! Three of them have been hanging around, screeching, and diving at our little birds and other woodland creatures. One of them even perched on the deck this morning, but I didn't get a chance to take a picture. Bob took this one early in the afternoon. The birds are terrified. This baby bird (below) was cowering in the berry tree yesterday. Isn't it kind of late for babies? Even the squirrels seem wary, although I don't think these hawks could pick up a squirrel and good luck getting Hans off the ground. He's so full of fruit and corn, it would take many hawks holding on to the ends of a sturdy tarp to carry him off.


Aren't hawks endangered? I think they are, so, of course, one should not hurt them. But how about firing off bottle rockets to scare them away? Do you think that's against the law? Because, if it is, then that's definitely NOT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.


From the Archives: Happy 28th Anniversary to us! August 10th. I can think of nothing smarty-pants to say about this.


Lindsey came up Friday evening. She went to a bridal shower on Saturday afternoon and then took us and Rob out for dinner at the Cork and Cleaver to celebrate.

Recipe of the Week: For our reader's theatre presentation in L391, we actually did a Reader's Radio Theatre with sound effects. We presented the mock trial scene from A Separate Peace, and we squeezed boxes of corn starch to make the sound of the boys trudging through the snow to the First Academic Building. Anyway, one of the ladies in our group made the chocolate chip shortbread cookies from the recipe on the box and gave each of us a little plate of cookies on Thursday night when we took our final. They were some very fine cookies. I ate them on the drive home and they helped take my mind off the fact that I had a sore hand, arm, and shoulder from writing for 2 hours and 26 minutes. (KBR stands for Kettler Basement Radio) Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter (no substitutes) softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon sugar

Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla thoroughly with mixer. Gradually blend in flour and corn starch. Add the chocolate chips.. Form into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Pour the sugar on a small plate; dip bottom of a drinking glass in sugar and gently press down on each cookie to flatten. Press center of each cookie with tip of a teaspoon. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.



"If I lived back in the Wild West days, instead of carrying a six-gun in my holster, I'd carry a soldering iron. That way, if some smart-aleck cowboy said something like 'Hey look. He's carrying a soldering iron!' and started laughing, and everybody else started laughing, I could say 'That's right, it's a soldering iron. The soldering iron of justice.' Then everybody would get real quiet and ashamed because they had made fun of the soldering iron of justice, and I could probably hit them up for a free drink."
Jack Handey