OK, another Kentucky romance author has got me craving cupcakes. She ate two at Gigi's yesterday and I am craving them. I am baking cookies in the test kitchen ( actually they are already done) as I had to film a video. But I want cupcakes, so I will have to venture out to get confectionary sugar, as I am out. I make my own buttercream icing- YUMMY!!

I want to change my blog password where only I can get into it. My friend ( and I love her dearly) was on my computer when she was in town AND I did tell her not to post on my blog ( she is my former publicist, too and has my passwords, but she did. I do admit, we are close, and she has my Yahoo password, but I also have helped her check email, too, when she was on a cruise. If she posted REAL things, I would be OK, but she is all glamour and glitz. Well... she did post about my new grandbaby for an online newspaper and got attacked for doing that because it looked like a word-salad. She means well...she is retired and works for a lot of clients for little pay, but she doesn't know when to listen to me.

It is 84 degrees and thunderstorms are predicted this evening. I wish I was shopping like some of my friends. I am working on the computer, drinking a Mocha Latte. Mom has helped me develop my own version- very yummy, and it actually tastes better than other places. We are having Green Onion & Cheddar Potato Cakes, Mac & Cheese, and Mixed Soup Beans for dinner, topped off with a loaf of Sicily's Oven-baked Crusty Bread!! I a fixing some chilled beet soup with Creme Fraiche for tomorrow's evening meal. I love to cook, but have to say momma cooks much better than I do.

Pictured above is the church room where we always and still have potlucks.


Ok, I'm trying to persuade my friend to see that kids need time over things. I looked back over the years and jotted down what I remembered most as a kid, and it was usually not materialistic things. What's your list?

1. Playing on the rock creek near grandma's house.

2. Washing our arms off with Zest soap under the waterfall with grandma.

3. Picking blackberries with my sisters.

4. Going to the fair.

5. 4th of July watermelon and cookout at grandmas.

5. Going to the Railroad Salvage Store with mom and dad and my sisters.

6. School Field trips

7. When mom was 4-H room mother and brought the whole class Christmas cookies and soda.

8. Church camp

9. Pathfinder camporees

10. Church potlucks at The Game Farm

11. Mom making me new Sabbath dresses.

12. Singing in the backseat of the car with my sisters as we went riding in the country.

13. Riding on the river in grandpa's boat.

14. Working in the garden with Grandpa.

15. Little League cheerleading with Ms. Gash as our coach.

Ok, I've been trying to help this family that lives in another city. The husband got downsized and the wife's hours have been drastically cut. They have children, all of whom are high-maintainence kids.
I have been a foster parent to five kids all of a sudden, before the foster care money started rolling in and know how it is to be a single- parent ( well I had mom to help me, but I was going back to college, the only one who drove, and worked as a deli manager at a c-store.) It was hard, and I know all about the cries for Happy Meals and Chuckie Cheeses. OK, I wish I could say I was perfect, but not many of us do all the right things. "Yes", I splurged on Chuckie Cheeses and Happy Meals...sometimes. I look back and wished I had done better.
Now I see my friend and want to help her not make mistakes like I had made. The kids, all but two, are adopted out, and I wished I had spent more time with them instead of working, more trips to the park, more pool excursions, noodles in tow, etc. I've tried to talk with her and make her see how terribly I wish I had put time over things and, well, its not working. She just bounced checks to get pizza, when I had emailed her a pizza recipe that you can make for under $6.00. Any tips?

I went to The Cincinnati Zoo this past week for a segment. It was 86 degrees and sticky hot. I did like the 4-D movie, though. It was about how Africa's Wildlife is tracking animals to try to save them, as well as how they educate tourists on safaris. I took a train ride around The Zoo, too. It was fun, and the cool breeze was a much-needed relish from the sun's rays. There were several schools there on a field trip, laughter everywhere. Seeing the joy and sparkle in each child's eyes as they came upon new experiences reminded me of my foster parent days...and the great patience and dedication I had as a school trip chaperone. I can't wait to share these trips with my new grandbaby and my other new grandbaby-on-the-way ( they are inducing Andrea on June 7th.)

Tiffany was found today and she is home snug and safe. I am so glad that God answers prayers!!! I got tons of hugs and have balled my eyes out, but I am thankful they were happy tears.

My cousin's daughter, Tiffany Florence Hill is missing. She was last seen on Wednesday, May 13th at 1:15 PM in a black Toyota Corolla 90s model. Please go to www.celebritytravel.typepad.com for more photos and info.

OK, I have to confess, I'm addicted to Twitter. I love it so much that I have got to Twitter on the road. Anyone else do this?

I am finally done staging mom's house for the appraisal. We had a quick dinner of pizza and crazy bread. I ate a piece of the wonderful Key Lime Pie that Nancy who is the owner of Carousel Cakes in Rockland county, NY sent me. It was very good. It is 1:44 PM, so I am going to bed. Got to weed the garden tomorrow and water the cabbage, onions, etc. We have tons of crisp, fresh lettuce from our garden. I will make a sweet-vinegar dressing and boil some eggs for a salad for dinner.

Today has been a long but blessed day. I had to get a tooth extraction, but I am doing fine now. I am finally caught up on reports-HOORAY!!! Can't wait to venture off tomorrow. I am going to Fairfield, Ohio.

I am headed out to the garden and will be helping mom on the house renovation. I love to incorporate my college textiles skills into real life...but mom has the final say as to what goes where, and she is very organized. After that, I will be back to the computer desk and test kitchen...I have got to test variations of recipes that will go in a new cookbook; I also have to edit some chapters, too. It will be a busy day!