Lazy Sunday..with bumps

Hubby took the kids to the movies to see "Hancock" so I had the day to hang out and be completely lazy. It was delicious.

The peace was just interrupted by a phone call from him reporting that they just tried to start the car to come home and it wouldn't even turn over. CRAP. The dishwasher decided to give up the ghost earlier this week--we don't need anything else to break! He did call 5 minutes later to say he got it started and will drive it home, but I may be taking it to Enid in the morning to see what the heck is wrong with it. I don't need to get stranded when I'm going up to Newton.

However, I can guarantee that next pay period, I am definitely going to sign up for Triple A road service. We let our old policy lapse--I am going to get it again. It is worth the peace of mind. Towing can get expensive!

I'm frustrated about the car and the fact that it seems like these things happen when money is earmarked for better things. DAMN.

Changing the subject....

I got to do a little exploring last time I went to Stillwater and was surprised at all the new housing developments that are going in. A lot of them are really pretty gated communities, which seems to be a growing trend everywhere. Stillwater is really growing in leaps and bounds though. There is a winery on Jardot that I am going to have to try next time I am there. I didn't realize we even had one in Stillwater, so I am looking forward to trying them out. There is also a bead store and a quilt shop I am going to have to explore when I am there. It seems like there are a lot more shopping options downtown, as well as a new wine bar next to Aspen Coffee Company. It's always a good sign when a downtown is thriving. Chain stores are good and fine, but the strength of a community is in the local businesses. I try to shop in local businesses as much as possible so my dollars benefit the local economy. I find that I have moved away from shopping at Wal-Mart at all except for rare occasions.

I have to go to Stillwater at some point this week to complete wedding flowers for a friend of my niece. I was a florist through college and much of my time in Tulsa, so wedding flowers are a snap to do. The only thing I dislike doing are the huge plate sized corsages made of chrysanthemums and tons of ribbons and hanging gizmos that are popular at college homecomings. I hated making them-and looking at them. Yuck! And believe me, when I think something is tacky, it it TACKY. I have a high tacky tolerance! If you have never seen one, it may be that it is a Southern thing.

The only other thing on the agenda tonight is to finish (hand) washing the dishes and to make a New York style crumb cake. One of the boys tried to talk me into buying a box of crumb cake mix at the store the last time we were grocery shopping. I looked at the preservatives, the price and the quantity of the finished product and explained we could whip on up twice the size, half the price, without all the preservatives and much better--from scratch. He is going to help me make it tonight. I love the recipe that I found in "Afternoon Delight" by James McNair. The cake is flawless and smooth, the crumb topping is perfect. I usually double the topping recipe since I love a lot of topping..The twins are 14, more than old enough to start learning to make some of their treats from scratch.

After that, I am going to work on a pair of earring I designed this weekend. I found some really cute lampworked penguin beads the last time I was in Tulsa and I am going to add some 8 mm Swaroski crystal cubes so it looks like the penguin is sitting on an ice cube. I thought that's be cute--I'll post them after I get the cubes on Wednesday at the Newton Beadery. I've been making a few earrings lately. I got a really wonderful book "Perfect Match" that has some really good ideas and inspirations.