>Welcome, Jenny! First off, let me say, I loved Just Between You and Me. Before we get started, I need to tell my readers that you need to read all the way to the end. There you will find my review of Jenny’s book AND a chance for you to win the book!!! Café: Jenny, you have a gift for …
>Introducing Debut Author MYRA JOHNSON with AN IMPERFECT CHRISTMAS
>I’ve anticipated having my friend, Myra Johnson, here at the café for months. This time last year we both lamented whether we would EVER be published. Myra got the first contract, and honestly, I couldn’t have been happier. I’m looking at her to pave the way! Myra’s first book – from Abingdon Press – officially releases TODAY, but it’s actually …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – Baked Walnut Fudge
>CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???? It’s been more than a month since I’ve featured chocolate here at the Café.Shame on me! Take heart—this week’s recipe is a simple, gooey, divine treat that whips up in seconds and is the perfect finish to just about anything – breakfast, an afternoon nap, a candlelight dinner. You name it, this recipe works! The hardest …
>WHEN SUMMER ENDS
>Here’s a section of my garden only a few short months ago. It’s hard to believe the days are already growing shorter. I’m not a fan of heat and humidity and find the end of August tolerable at best. But here we are: the dying days of summer, and I’m feeling in limbo. Today I realized my life the last …
>ONE OF LIFE’S SIMPLE PLEASURES: HUMMINGBIRDS
>Last weekend, my sister, Donna, found this little fella slumped over on a plant stand in her underground garage. Surprised that it was a hummingbird, she took it up to her patio, where she saw that it was alive . . . just barely. Cupping it tenderly in her hand, she held it up to the hummingbird feeder on her …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – The Joy of Pesto
>Used to be, when I read “pesto” as an ingredient in recipes, I skipped over it. I didn’t know what it was – a spice? Something that comes in a little jar in the condiment section of the store? Something from a foreign market? I’m not sure when I discovered pesto as being one of those divine little “additions” that …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – Allison’s Perfect Guacamole
>This week’s special comes from my daughter-in-law, Allison. Born and raised in Orange County, CA, she’s been an avocado / guacamole aficionado since the cradle. Her dad (waving to Jan!) had an avocado tree in his yard as a kid. Talk about heaven on earth. I, on the other hand, grew up a thousand miles from California and only knew …
>SAY WHAT? Historical Tidbits on Language and Tradition
>My thanks to my good friend, Debbie, who sends me all kinds of mesmerizing, worthwhile emails. This one’s a keeper. Ever wonder where some of our unusual phrases and traditions came from? Take a step back to 1500 and read on . . . Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they …
>COLLOQUIALISMS, EUPHEMISMS, & MALAPROPRISMS
> Language is a peculiar and yet magical way that we communicate ideas, tell stories, persuade others, and learn vast amounts of both trivial and essential knowledge. Since the first grade when I mispronounced “Nancy” in my reader—I said Nancky—I’ve been on a mission to conquer this world of words. I love finding a new word or phrase that dances …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – My Sister Donna’s Special Salsa
>I just returned from a mini-reunion of sorts. Some California relatives ventured to Oklahoma (and my dad’s house) so on Saturday, some of the local kinfolk joined us. My sisters were there and one of my boys and two grandsons. All in all, a very fun day. Everyone helped out with either the cooking or making some of our favorite …