thank you

High Fives for the Bass Clef

i played piano as a child, and a little classical guitar, but neither relied solely on the bass clef for its notes. so when His Royal Highness and Miss Priss both chose to play the trombone, they were pretty much on their own for scales and such.

and both have done all right, if I do say so myself.

today, Miss Priss was recognized as the

Best 6th Grade Band Student

at her middle school's award ceremony.

that's #1 out of 96 and covers the spectrum of orchestral instruments.
high five to you, Miss Priss, and your bass clef.

after 16,380 hours of instruction

wishing you

happymother'sday

a nod to the duke and duchess

If you were anywhere on the face of the earth today you know that Prince William and Kate Middleton were married at Westminster Abbey. Maybe you even rose from a deep slumber well before the crack of dawn here in the States to watch the pageantry. Miss Priss and I have been waiting for this day for some time now. Apparently over two billion other people were watching, too.

Two billion?? That is so crazy to me. But theirs is a happily ever after tale after all. And to honor their nuptials, Miss Priss donned a fascinator of sorts...


She's been waiting weeks to wear this ruffly, fluffly headband for the occasion.

I drank my morning joe from this cup...

It was a gift from a dear friend many, many years ago who is a Brit that grew up in a castle (that's another story for another day). I needed the six cups to stay awake in the wee hours of the morning. Then I had a caffiene crash in the early afternoon, fell asleep on the sofa, and almost forgot to get Miss Priss and her fascinator from school.

Sample, Sample

the mail has been rather crappy lately. made me want to stop using capital letters, so i have for a while. his royal highness was out of state. miss priss is a preteen girl - nothing more to explain there.

just when it was looking bleak and dreary and turning out to be just another day in the neighborhood minus mr. rogers and his really cool train, my postman delivered a slick box...


start sampling is a service of the postal service...see?

i was one of the lucky ones...


the box included some coupons and samples of wisk detergent, nonni's biscotti, secret deodorant, coffee mate, and dental picks.

i promised to tell my family and friends about the box. tag, you're it. head on over to the website and sign up. you can't ever tell when you'll need this little pick me up to show up in your mailbox.

Low Country Boil

Shrimp. Conecuh sausage. Red potatoes. Corn on the cob. Served with lemon wedges, bread for soppin' and plenty of wet-naps for afterwards. And none better than at the original Wintzell's Oyster House in Mobile, Alabama. Yes, there are several other locations throughout the state but the atmosphere on Dauphin Street in historic downtown is hard to beat.

Oh, and if you're searching for oysters, you can get 'em fried, stewed or nude, just like the sign says.

Here's a recipe that may just hold you over til you can get it some of their good stuff...

Low Country Boil
Two keys to a successful Low Country Boil: Stagger the addition of the ingredients and don't overcook the shrimp!

2 Tbsp. crab boil seasoning per gallon of water (or more to your taste)
several lemons, halved (optional)
redskin new potatoes (3 or more per person depending on the size)
Conecuh sausage, cut into 1-inch slices (1/4 lb. per person)
fresh corn on the cob, broken into halves or thirds (1 1/2 ears per person)
shrimp (1/2 lb. per person)

Fill large pot halfway with water. Add crab boil seasoning. Add the lemons here if you are using them.

When the water comes to a boil, add potaotes and boil for 20 minutes. Add sausage slices and boil for 5-10 minutes. Add the corn and boil another 5 minutes. (Begin timing immediately. Do not wait for it to boil again.) Then add the shrimp. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain and pile on a table covered with brown paper.

Serve with melted butter (corn), cocktail sauce (shrimp), and sour cream & ketchup (potatoes) if desired.