When I grow up . . .

I want to be this lady! Victoria Woodhull ran for President of the United States in 1872 - before women even had the right to vote! You can read more about her here. She was quite revolutionary for her time . . . but as the website points out, it seems the media and politics really haven't changed much!

My Dove Chocolate wrapper

instructed me today to "make a list of my dreams." Soooo, I'll get started (in no particular order).

Finish college

Be a food critic

Go on a safari

See a a Broadway play . . . . on Broadway

Raise a happy, healthy, well-rounded child

Take a romantic vacation with my husband

See Billy Joel in concert with my husband

Find a dinosaur fossil!

Make a difference in America's public education system!!

Own land in Montana

Own land anywhere!!! :-)

Travel to Alaska and see grizzly bears (but not too close)

Take my mom to the Grand Canyon and up through the California's redwood forests

Take my mom-in-law to China

Ok, let's face it, I'd like to one day be independently wealthy enough to travel anywhere I please!

Goodness, I could keep this list going all day!

Family

This is my dad and me. Recently I had the opportunity to take my daughter on a cross-country drive (more about that in a later post) for an extended visit with our family in Georgia. Part of it was a soul-searching trip to see if I really wanted to move back there. I ended up realizing that I'm just an official transplant now - I couldn't imagine leaving this beautiful area. I've grown accustomed to the northwest, and the only thing I really miss about Georgia is my family. Yes, it has its good points, but it's just not home any more. Plus, it is HOT there! Temps are in the triple digits, and that's not the heat index! Add the humidity and it goes beyond miserable. So, I think I'll just hang out here where it hasn't gotten over 75 degrees all week. I'll just have to make a lot of trips because I still do miss my family! I don't know why I had to go and fall in love with a place that's on the opposite side of the country from them!

Diggin' up bones

I read an interesting article today about a man in Switzerland who happens to be a "hobby paleontologist" discovering a gigantic dinosaur graveyard when excavating a building site. They're saying it's probably the biggest site in the country. It reminded me how much I want to go on a "dig" for real dinosaur bones. Ever since I was a little girl, I loved finding rocks with fossils in them . . . usually a shell or leaf imprinted in a piece of limestone. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I ever came across part of a dinosaur! Living in the northwest, I'm a lot closer to areas that host dinosaur digs. There are places in Utah, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. One of these days, I'm just going to have to go out there and see what I can find!

oops

Of course I meant I am quite "fond" of teapots, not "find". Even spellcheck can't save us, sometimes!

I just found out . . .

that we have a tea shop in town! According to their ad, they specialize in unique teapots and hard to find sets, and have tons of different types of tea! I am quite find of teapots, and especially cup and saucer sets. Yes, I like tea, but it's really more about sipping from a dainty little cup and feeling like royalty! I think I'll have to convince my mother-in-law, who is also a fan, to come out for a visit so we can explore the shop together!

Yum!

Last night, pumpkin pie sounded really good to me, so I made some! And it was so good! I realize we're nowhere near any of the "traditional" holidays for it, but if you would like to have some, here's the recipe. I've taken a traditional recipe and doubled it to make two thinner pies, because my husband has to have his very own. :-)

2 Shortbread pie crusts (I just use the Keebler ready kind!)

1 29 oz. can of Libby's pumpkin (the big one)

2 14 oz. cans of Eagle sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

2 tsps. cinnamon (or a little more if you love it like me!)

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425. Mix everything together and divide between the two pie crusts. Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then lower the temp to 350 and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted one inch from the edge comes out clean.

**** I like to add a little whipped cream to mine!