sunshine on my shoulder.....makes me happy

                        Can you say Olympic tackle?   Or maybe group hug?

                                    Which toy to tear up first?

                                   Can you say, "was a sock monkey?"



               

                                         Where's the beef?


                         It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

 

Dough boy?

 

 

Lately my Julia Child's alter ego has been showing itself. My other half thinks this is a good thing, as does the Bentman as you can see in the pic above. I decided to do a science project awhile back and made a bread starter that requires me to feed it. Daily. That is until it is happy to go to being fed on a weekly basis. Sunday I made a loaf of bread to test it out- usually no big deal. The problem was that I forgot to set a timer where I'd be able to hear it and I was in the office working on a Govt. paper. Got lost in lala land. The smell of "you've left me in the oven too long" came wafting back to me about 10 minutes too late. Turned out OK, just a wee bit crusty but nothing that some butter couldn't fix. Anyway, I vowed to give it another go and made some nice pizza crust yesterday to go with the awesome sauce that Kris makes. Not too shabby. Kris and her Mom gave it a thumbs up. But the best was the sinfully decadent cinnamon rolls I tackled. We sampled them last night after they came out of the oven. Olympic skating and cinnamon rolls- oh yeah! The four-legged's reaction to all this baking is priceless. They all sit so pretty at the edge of the kitchen and watch. Noses wriggling. Saliva dripping. Eyes darting. Watching every little move you make. Hoping you'll drop something so they can sample it. Funny little monkey butts. Yeah, they got some crust. I can't help myself. I'll keep you posted on my newest starter, made with buckwheat. It should make some great pancakes. That will have to wait till Sunday breakfast though. And yes, we all had to do a double long walk today because of all the yummies. Tonight we're supposed to get some of that frozen stuff they call snow. Lovely, huh? Of course by tomorrow the temperature will be back up to 70. Crazy weather.

Stay warm or stay cool -
depends on where you are,
Karen and the Bentman

some days you catch it all...

Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

Winnie the Pooh

Merle's Door

While searching for the Founding Brothers book I need for class this semester, I happened upon Merle's Door (written by Ted Kerasote) at the 1/2 price book store in Pearland. Various listers on one of the Airedale e-mail groups I lurk upon mentioned what a fascinating read it was. This is true. I've had a really hard time not just sitting down to read it all in one fell swoop. I'm trying to make it last longer and I also need to read other books that are pertinent to my school studies. I do know that this book will probably end with Merle leaving this realm and going on to his next adventure. This it what happens to all of us and the ones we love. But that's ok because Merle and his human are teaching me to look at my relationship with animals a bit differently. Through the science/ biology excerpts that the author relates to throughout the book about various species of animals, I'm becoming fascinated with data and statistics that normally would bore me to tears. The author makes it interesting and doesn't bore with extra details that the average person would find tedious or hard to understand.
Finding my awareness expanding with my 4-legged pack, I am paying more attention to the special body language that my dogs use with me and I with them. Anyway, if you haven't read Merle's Door yet, get a copy, read it and tell me what you think. I should be finished with my copy next week. I'm sure I'll read it again one day- definitely a keeper for the bookshelf. It makes me smile and think in a whole different direction. And don't forget to stop what you're doing, take a deep breath, and feel the joy of the moment for every minute of the day is a blessing.

Have a great day,
Karen Raye with
Bentley Beargrass

True

Whosoever loveth me loveth my hound.
Sir Thomas More

Looking smug as a bug...

maybe because it's been raining for days on end and he is KING of the COUCH? What do you think?

think about it...

The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. ~Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness