There Are Nicer Ways To Do It, But the Nice Ways Always Fail

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts, solidarity, and the like this week through your comments, DMs, and emails. Always interesting to hear what people are thinking.

 

The 20th was Dan’s half- birthday and I was able to bake the yearly raspberry/ chocolate cake for him with some adjustments to keep it dairy free. Replacing milk with oat milk, and heavy cream with a coconut based coffee creamer, was straightforward enough. I had my doubts about the margarine and dairy free chocolate, but it turned out beautifully. I would say both the cake and icing feel lighter but that’s no bad thing. I should have tried it with egg replacement because I think this would be one hell of a vegan cake. Purée a pound of raspberries and anything is going to be special. 

I bought the raspberries on sale a couple months ago  and froze them. Also held on to a box of specialty cake flour and some chocolate in anticipation of baking the cake. I guess with all the disappointment for Dan’s school year ending the way it did and a summer without baseball, I just wanted to keep something the same. I know it is only cake, but it was a bigger deal to me than him. 

I’ve been able to purchase ethically raised and packed chicken locally, which is nice for the meat eaters in the family. Every few weeks I get my whole chicken, and for the next few days the boys have leftovers from the roast. I’ve done everything from salads to fried rice, and have discovered that much of what I consider retro food still appeals- so long as nothing is encased in gelatin! 

Fried rice, chicken salad with pineapple- what’s not to like?

There’s also been cherry pie...

The softest white bread...

Stromboli ( think rolled pizza) with vegan cheese 

And the chard that just keeps coming!

The sweet potatoes and cucumbers are happy.

As are the cardoons.

No fruit on the strawberries this year. Next year I will take Beatte’s advice and try relocating them. 

Since this photo was taken the stalk of buds has emerged so it should flower soon. 

There’s an unintentional garden of weeds/ wildflowers growing in the mud that pools by the garage. I appreciate their determination!

The Saharan dust clouds reached Omaha providing spectacular sunsets and some of the worst air quality we’ve ever had. Ah well, you take the good with the bad. These aren’t filtered photos.

 It was already a cloudy day making it all the more dramatic. This sort of once in a lifetime thing is exciting as it is over in a day unlike some things...

Yeah, please don’t. We can’t spare the hospitals or PPE. My usually quiet neighbourhood has been a constant Boom! Boom!Boom! For the past week- and it isn’t even the fourth yet🙄. It must be terrible for people with nervous dogs. 

We’re lucky to have an abundance of birds to watch this spring. This is a fledgling grackle. It screamed for mama bird to feed it, she ignored it, it screamed some more and finally went and fed itself. I can’t relate. As soon as my human baby could grab the spoon he was happy to feed himself- apparently I was too slow keeping the food coming! 

Speaking of my baby- when I go out to do the big shop every few weeks I like to bring him something back, even if it isn’t much. The pharmacy sells baseball cards, so I bought a couple packages, and the birdseed store has these plush birds that make accurate sounds when squeezed. The Great Horned Owl is in isolation for a bit to be extra safe, but it was happily received. The animal crackers/ biscuits were a fun throwback to when Dan was very small and would carry them around the supermarket swinging them by the string. The package has since been redesigned eliminating the string and also the cages in the picture. Sing it with me...”Born freeeee...”

On to the outfits now. These are old thrifted favourites getting a yearly wear.

The dress had an annoying built-in-bra that I finally removed. A padded bra isn’t something I will ever require. We were having a debate on Instagram whether the brooch is a dog or a pig. I reckon pig-what do you think?

Tee shirts are becoming my thing this summer. Don’t remember where I thrifted it.

The Chessa Davis 70s maxi skirt had a wear. I have two others to get to this summer. They go with absolutely nothing, but somehow work anyway. I love when that happens. These earrings are from Target, just before the pandemic hit. 

Another strange but satisfying combination of a skirt from Kmart circa 2000 and an 80s brocade shell that zips in the back from the bottom. The earrings were purchased new in the 80s and are Laurel Burch. The bonkers belt was thrifted at Hand- Me-Ups a few years ago. 

Everything here is thrifted from the Givenchy necklace to the Talbots skirt. The wood and shell belt is stamped Indonesia. 

My wardrobe doesn’t include many trousers but the ones I have tend to be quality. These are linen, fully lined Ralph Lauren. I found them on a dollar rail a few year ago.  The shell is vintage 60s. The jacket is Esprit, bought new in the 80s. I take care of my clothes, and they last. 

I love the vibe of this photo!

Ever buy something for the buttons? This bintage rayon blouse isn’t anything special, but the buttons certainly are!

Empire waisted dresses aren’t my thing , generally but here’s an exception. It was home sewn ( not by me) and is tastefully sequined. The bracelet is Monet, the necklace a vintage locket, and the earrings part of a set with matching necklace stamped W. Germany.

Who remembers this polyester dress? I thrifted it over 25 years ago  and after a few repairs it is still going strong. 

More polyester in the form of this sleeveless dress. The vintage basket bag was thrifted as well.

A brown and pink spotty dress isn’t obvious, but it looks better on than it did in the shop. Glad I took a chance as it now gets worn regularly in spring and summer. Earrings are modern from Target. Beads are vintage.

Finally, there’s this Vera Neuman skirt. It is a strange almost brushed nylon crossed with crepe material. I’ve never run across another. It might be home sewn though it has an old Vera label inside. Perhaps it began as a tablecloth?!

And that’s about it for the clothing roundup. 

Everything is still much the same here. Limited trips out, my husband working from home, and my teenager sleeping his summer away. We had some good news that he can stop going for allergy jabs as he is likely to have got all there was to get out of it. I’m glad to not be going to the med center right now! His school expects to start again in mid-August, but we all know that’s subject to change. The school district isn’t part of Omaha Public Schools so we have completely different decision making. They’re requiring masks, so that’s good. Westside district has been pretty good with flexibility before the pandemic , so hopefully it will continue. I think we all know there’s going to be a good deal of improvisation this autumn. I know Dan is eager to get back in the woodshop and pursue the second year of carpentry which just isn’t the same without being in class. They had to finish last semester’s welding course with films about welding🙄. I want to see how they handle distance learning PE.

Before leaving, can we take a moment to remember one of the greatest games in Baseball that happened 50 years ago this week when Dock Ellis  of the Pittsburgh Pirates threw a no- hitter against the San Diego Padres tripping his brains out on acid?  He thought the home plate umpire was Nixon and that he was pitching to Jimi Hendrix who was batting with a guitar😂.

I know I should say something like, “Don’t do drugs, kids!” But... yeah.  Amazingly no one tries LSD as a performance enhancing drug! I mean, it worked once...

Have a great week. Don’t drop acid.