What the challah's that?

Hey, I just realized I never posted the promised pictures of challah bread baking. (For the whole story, see all the July 5th posts.) I have nothing of value to report tonight, so I'll just do this:

And this:

(Doesn't the one on the left look a little like a roasting chicken?)

And this.

One just had to rebel a little.

Yum. I think I need to bake more challah very soon.

Book report

(I'm double posting this on both blogs...because I can.)

Last night, I finished reading The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult's most recent novel.

While not my favorite Picoult story, the presentation itself was unique. She used a cartoonist to graphically illustrate the book between sections, portraying a superhero and his travels through the different levels of hell (a variation on Dante's Inferno). Each cartoon revealed the emotions of the main character--in fact it was written as if he were drawing the cartoons.

I was never a big comic book fan (except Archie and Jughead--I bought every one of those books for months and months when I was a kid--and The Family Circus--my eyes still naturally gravitate toward that circle when I randomly open the newspaper to the comics. I have piles of both of those comic books hidden away somewhere in a box in the attic). Superheroes especially bored me to tears, so I struggled to concentrate on these drawings in the book long enough to "get" them, but wow, what a creative idea!

A surprise awaits the reader at the end of the book. Kind of gimmicky, but fun...and dare I say, educational. :) Other than going back to study a writer's technique, this is the first time I've ever flipped back and forth through a book for an extended period of time after I finished reading.

Oh, that I (or my future publisher anyway) should have such a creative idea for a novel one of these days.

Awed

Do you ever hear just a sliver of a song and become immediately hooked? I was watching a Grey's Anatomy rerun tonight and near the end, part of a song was played that started giving me chills. I snagged a few lines of the lyrics and plugged it into Google and came up with Foy Vance. His myspace songs drew me in nearly as much as this one, but dang, this is good. I just downloaded my first ever Itunes song. I've played it about 10 times already.

If you like Damien Rice, you will be mesmerized. The voice and the message are simply amazing.

Foy Vance - Gabriel and the Vagabond

There's a man in one corner and his clothes are worn
And he's holding out his hand
You could see in his eyes as the people walk by
He knows they don't understand

Ya see they just think he's gonna take their money
And go and spend it all on dope
Then a man stopped by and I saw a smile inside
As he gently whispered hope

Well the tramp started to cry, just kept saying,
"Why? why? why?
Can't you see I'm down and out
Well, I'm 32 and I've got this one pair of shoes
And a bad taste in my mouth
I think it's clear to see that even God don't love me
Or else why would He leave me this way."

Then Gabriel just smiled and said be peaced my child
Salvation is here today

He got up to his feet and he sang Hallelujah
People were turning around in the street
He looked them in the eyes and he sang,
"Hallelujah
There's someone here that you gotta meet
Someone you just gotta meet."

When the vagabond turned 'round well without a sound
Gabriel just smiled and disappeared
Then he looked to the crowd and they were laughing out loud
But he could not see them for tears

When his vision came round
There was a young girl on the ground
And he knew she was finding it hard to cope
She never was a fighter until he lay beside her
And gently whispered hope

They got up to their feet and they sang
Hallelujah
People in the street were turning around
They looked them in the eyes and they sang,
"Hallelujah
There's someone here we have found"

They sang,"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We are the voices crying in the wilderness
Hallelujah, Hallelujah."
The people in the street started their sins to confess
And a chorus of,
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Every knee will bow and every tongue confess
I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness
crying
Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

Calgon, please. And yes, I'd like to super size that.

May I just scream that BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK SUCKS!!!!

Thank you.

(Anyone know where I can find two packages of 9X12 manila paper?)

Back, but not back

I'm back from vacation, but my brain has not yet decided to follow. I'm too lazy to write much, so will just post some pictures from our trip that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I hope you enjoy them, too. Click on the picture for an enlarged view.

Here is Grandma Vera with her "Sweetie Pie." The look on her face was priceless. :)

She seemed pretty enamored of her first visit with the girls. She wanted Steak 'n Shake for lunch, so we went and here are the resulting girls with hats. I'm not sure what Emilie has in her mouth.

We didn't know this little boy, but he sure was hamming it for me, and I think Kristen was his hero. She seems to have that effect on little boys.

Our first road-trip picnic. Todd's arm was okay, it was just taking a little rest on the cooler.

My own personal Alice Peacock concert at the Apple Store. She is a very down-to-earth lady and talked to us for several minutes after the show.

The girls trade legs at Rocky Ridge Farm (where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived out her days with Almanzo).

That's all for now.