All on Mama's Birthday

"Will you be able to get by the vacuum cleaner?" the Husband asked, who hauled the vacuum cleaner upstairs and set it beside the bathroom door, as I pretty please asked (so I hope). "I'm sure you will."

"I have a plan," I said, tippy-tapping on the keyboard, not realizing yet that he had headed down the stairs. "Bathroom, office, and bedroom. I'll vacuum in that order." 

At least, vacuum the bathroom today. Over the next few days, I'll also dust and vacuum downstairs. No party, thanks for asking. (For those who are new to my quirks, I generally do heavy cleaning for an upcoming party.) Sometime soon, we'll be going on a short road trip to Northern California to visit the Husband's family as well as take in a bit of the coast and redwoods. Since Molly the Cat will be roaming indoors for a few days, I thought I'd clean the house. Maybe even give her a dry shampoo.

By the way, the photo above of Missy and the Husband was taken in the backyard last week. Molly likes it when her humans hang outdoors with her. I've probably said that before. 

LIMONCELLO BUNDT CAKE
Today I made a limoncello bundt cake recipe. I say recipe because I used an angel food cake pan rather than a bundt cake pan, which I realized as I was flipping the cake onto the rack. I did wonder why the baking pan's wall was so high when the Husband got it down for me from the cabinet above the icebox. It's a good thing I checked the oven before the full 55 minutes was up. I would've ended up with a burnt bundt cake recipe.

This is my first try at the recipe. I followed it 98% of the way. Okay, 96%. I added uncalled-for lemon juice and a bit more sugar to the cake batter to balance the slightly bitterness of the limoncello, which I'm happy to say I made in May. Other than that, I did everything the recipe said: Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg one at a time, sift dry ingredients, and so forth and so on.

The cake is on the dry side (probably due to using the wrong pan) and the limoncello flavor is weak. Maybe the lemon flavor will be stronger tomorrow after a night in the icebox. If only it would become moist. The Husband said I ought not be so critical about the cake, to which I reminded him that I shall be entering a limoncello bundt cake into the county fair.

I wonder where the bundt cake pan is.

BEST VIEWED FROM FAR AWAY
Another work in the progress for the fair is a pastel drawing I started last week. It turns out pastels and me agree. The colors are rich and thick similar to what I get with crayons and acrylic paints. And, best of all, I use my hands directly with the medium (correct term and usage?). I still remember that sense of surprise, joy, and amazement I felt the first time I finger painted. Getting messy with pastels, same feelings.

I haven't decided yet if I'm done with the drawing—that's what you see up there, next to the cake. I like what I see in the drawing from 10 feet away. Up close, it looks like a mess. The Husband suggested that I post a sign saying Best Viewed from 10 Feet Away, At Least.

MAMA'S BIRTHDAY
Mama's Spirit turned 98 today. Two years shy of the 100 that Mama liked to say she was when people asked, "How old are you now?" Mama thought that was a rude question.

For several years, she visited an ophthalmologist every six months to ensure that all was well with her eyes. She thought it was unnecessary, and maybe she was right, but she disliked seeing physicians, so I jumped when a physician wanted to monitor her health. Mama had to have liked the cheerful, flirty demeanor of her ophthalmologist to be willing to clean up, dress in her best duds, put on makeup, and sit uncomfortably in the back seat for 15 miles or so to the next town. Within seconds with the ophthalmologist, Mama was all smiles. He always gushed over how healthy she looked followed by the question, "What do you eat to stay so young?" She replied, with a giggle, "Rice."

In honor of Mama's day, I deadheaded daisies in the front yard, baked a cake, made chicken vegetable soup with leftovers (which tasted horrible!), and vacuumed the stairs. The Husband picked up the fallen fruit in the backyard and watered the flowers and trees back there. All things about which Mama was happy to see us do when she was still with us. Also, surprised, but she'd never say so.

Sundays seem to come quickly.  Please come along and wander links to other blogs at All Seasons, hosted by Jesh of The Jesh Studio, and Mosaic Monday, hosted by Angie of Letting Go of the Bay Leaf.