I Got A New Toy (and so did Mommy)

Last night some nice people came by to watch me eat dinner. They brought me a pretty gift bag with some excellent tissue paper.

Also, they brought me this bucket. It has colorful items in it which all taste the same. Also, the lid has holes and they all taste the same. The handle tastes like everything else, too. I've been practicing picking up each small piece and tasting it, then tasting the larger pieces. So far, the results have been remarkably consistent.


Mommy's friend Karen brought a toy for Mommy and Dad, too. It's a little less eat-able, but it's just as colorful. And sparklier.

And it comes with a doggie. Mommy says she loves it, but I haven't seen her taste it yet so I have my doubts. What's the point if you don't taste it?

Ditch the Hat, Bring on the Candy

Turns out the idea that you lose most of the heat from your head is only true if you are bundled up everywhere except your head. But wait, there's more:

Another myth exposed by the study was that sugar makes children hyperactive. At least a dozen high-quality studies have investigated the possibility of a link between children's behaviour and sugar intake, but none has found any difference between children who consumed a lot and those who did not. The belief appears mostly to be a figment of parents' imaginations. "When parents think their children have been given a drink containing sugar, even if it is really sugar-free, they rate their children's behaviour as more hyperactive," the researchers write.

Follow the link above for more from our friends in the UK.

We'll Always Have Lexington

This is a love letter to Gracie. You're the one, baby. From the first moments after we met, till you sashayed out of my life, I knew you were The One.


When Juno tried to "assert dominance" because she saw my love for you - I resisted her. I knew that no amount of oppression from the Alpha Female could dim what I felt. You, Gracie, it's all about you.

I hope that one day you'll return. We'll gambol together through the frozen mud of my backyard. We'll sniff for rabbits and bark at the fence. I'll veer dangerously close to the fish pond, but you will avoid it (you hate water, which is adorable). I'll follow you everywhere and share my pet baby with you, including his teddy bears.

But even if you never come back...we'll always have Lexington. Always.

Grandparents

Iain's grandparents visited this week. Lest they think they were on "vacation," we put them to work immediately!

Granddad toiled away on the electrical system (replacing light switches, which he's good at partly because he has a background in electrical engineering).

I kept Grandmother busy, too. Together, we made sweets (chocolate truffles, almond cookies with dragees, ginger cookie sandwiches with ginger/orange cream filling, meringue cookies with dark chocolate chips and toasted pine nuts, and lemon zest shortbread).

On her own, Grandmother hemmed trousers (yay!) and made Juno 2 doggie beds (poor Juno needs some padding because of her arthritis. She's old).

We had a great time, and got so much done! I also got a chance to run about 5 errands, because with Granddad and Grandmother around I can go out while Dad works and Iain's happy as a clam.

Having two more people to dote on him certainly brought out the ham in that little guy. Ever since they left he's been looking around, like "where is everybody? Hello? Hello?"

Soooo TieTie

Although I have no photos to prove it, we've had a marathon day in the kitchen.

For our delightful guests, we prepared:
Short ribs
Roasted beets in vinaigrette with goat cheese
Swiss chard with toasted pine nuts and dried cranberries
Roasted root vegetables (potato, sweet potato, parsnip)
Baked red bell peppers stuffed with wild rice.
Vanilla pound cake with candied kumquats and whipped cream.

Whew! It was great fun, and I enjoyed every step. But I am soooo tietie. It's off to bed for this Cinderella.

Yurm

It's always nice to wake up to an email that contains the phrase: "cinnamon berry sauce."

I'm Sorry - What?

Top Chef just ended.

They played a little preview of next week.

Here, let me help you out: Jamie makes scallops.

Seriously? For the 800th time? Seriously???

Charles said, "I like her, but I'm sorry. She's gotta go home."