Ode to a Squirrel

 

"A squirrel leaping from bough to bough, and making the wood but one wide tree for his pleasure, fills the eye not less than a lion, is beautiful, self-sufficing, and stands then and there for nature." - RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Outside my window, in the early light of the morning, I spot this squirrel.  He is a busy, happy little fellow, hopping from the tree to the roof of the trailer beside of us, gathering his nuts, his tail swishing joyfully.  He takes his treasure back to his tree to enjoy in peace.

Watching him in the mornings gives me such a feeling of peace and happiness.

Last Sunday, Phil and I went to the Pittsburgh International Auto Show.

 

 

The best thing about the car show?  I did not see one new car that I’d trade my convertible in for.

I made Lefse this week.  I first had this when we were in North Dakota last year, when Sherry brought it to me.  I had forgotten about it until I came across a recipe the other day and decided to try it.

 

Lefse is like a tortilla but it is made with potatoes and flour.  I topped mine with cinnamon sugar.

Ingredients:

10 pounds potatoes, peeled

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1.
Cover potatoes with water and cook until tender.  Run hot potatoes through a potato ricer.  Place into a large bowl.  Beat butter, cream, salt, and sugar into the hot riced potatoes.  Let cool to room temperature.

2.
Stir flour into the potato mixture.  Pull off pieces of the dough and form into walnut size balls.  Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out lefse balls to 1/8 inch thickness.

3.
Cook on a hot (400 degree F/200 C) griddle until bubbles form and each side has browned.  Place on a damp towel to cool slightly and then cover with damp towel until ready to serve.

I won four things this week

$50 Gift Certificate via e-mail to Sterling Silver Jewelry Gallery that I used to get this ring.

Doggy Dangle

The Doggy Dangle is great for dogs OR cats.  It clips right onto your pet’s collar, offering a burst of color!

Objects in the Mirror earrings

Journey Gem

What's a Journey Gem?  A unique and beautiful gift for the person who has everything or just for you!  A gorgeous stone "donut" tops a spray of shells, stone, glass and crystals.  Add serenity to your drive by attaching this journey gem to your rearview mirror.  Or hang it from a mirror in your home, a lamp, a doorknob, or on the wall.  Wearable?  Why not?

I just finished Margaret Coel’s novels about a Jesuit priest on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.  Great series!

Now I’m reading Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

Supernatural fantasy has a new antihero.

Life sucks, and then you die.  Or, if you're James Stark, you spend eleven years in Hell as a hitman before finally escaping, only to land back in the hell-on-earth that is Los Angeles.

Now Stark's back, and ready for revenge.  And absolution, and maybe even love.  But Stark discovers that the road to absolution and revenge is much longer than you'd expect, and both Heaven and Hell have their own ideas for his future.  Resurrection sucks.  Saving the world is worse.

Darkly twisted, irreverent, and completely hilarious, Sandman Slim is the breakthrough novel by an acclaimed author.