Big Announcements and Such

This weekend, the Lilypad was all abuzz with ideas!!

Due to the Blisschick's and Connie's BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, it was like there was electricity in the air. The Blisschick was flapping around Doing Things, and asking me questions, and talking incessantly, and in the middle of it all, we got an idea for... Something Else, which we're not sharing yet.

What is all this Announcement Business anyway?

And that was all cool.

Miss Zoe and I did some painting. We are almost done with our Portrait of a Certain Someone. If I hadn't had to work at the Library yesterday, we might have finished it. But then, it was also, like 1000 degrees here yesterday with about 150% humidity. So we might also have melted into a puddle on the floor. (Needless to say, I was glad to work in a lovely geo-thermally cooled building for the day!)

Also, the wine was ready to bottle, so we took care of that. Miss Zoe did not help with that, as she is much too small to hold the siphon or use the corker. Also, she's not much interested in Helping, per se. Miss Lilly, however, looked on with much interest. She tried to get a sip here and there, but was foiled.

No one needs a drunk cat in the house.

We bottled 28 and a half bottles of Chianti. YAY!!


Below, you see the corker. It may be, like a Portuguese Corker or something. I can't recall it's Title. Nevertheless, it looks a little like a torture device. Le Corker!! And, I guess it is a torture device for corks, now that I think about it. You drop a cork into that little black hole you see, and it squeeeeeeeeezes the cork and shoves it right into the bottle. The Blisschick loves to use the Corker!

Besides the Blisschick Excitement and the Painting of Portraits and Bottling Wine, we were also informed that it was Leave a Zucchini on Your Neighbor's Porch Day at some point recently. So, we took advantage of that day by leaving a little something for Neighbor Bill:

So far, sadly, we don't think he's been on his back porch to notice it. Sigh.

Stupid Zucchini!

It better never be
Leave a Bunny on Your Neighbor's Porch Day.
I'm just sayin'.

That was Our Weekend in Review.

How about you? Did anyone else leave a zucchini for a neighbor?

I think there's still time.

Jazzfest and Giant Zucchini-- What's the Link?

Ah, Monday.

Who knew it would come so fast?

I guess it normally follows Sunday, but even so, I could have used another day.

I worked at the Library all day Saturday, but our Sunday was wonderful. Although, when we woke up, it was raining, and we feared it might foil our afternoon plans. Our plan was to spend the afternoon and evening at the Erie Art Museum's Blues and Jazz Fest.

"Zoe," I said to her at about 1:00 PM, "do you think you could do something about this weather? You know, maybe help to clear it up? Maybe just move some clouds away?"

She looked up from munching her Lunch Salad and stared at me.

Then she said, "Bring me a sacrifice, then. Isn't that how these things work? It's either that or you have to dance, and frankly, I'd rather not see you dance."

Back to munching the salad. She had spoken.

And, so, I went off in search of a sacrifice. Earlier, we found this lurking in the neighbors' garden, and I took it up to Miss Zoe:

"What?!?!?"

"This is not exactly what I had in mind when I said 'sacrifice.'"

A Disclaimer: Don't fret. We don't just go around the neighborhood pinching people's Giant Zucchinis or other Random and Large Veg. It might seem that way. It also might seem like a Wallace and Grommit movie. But, seriously, our neighbors are out of town and told us that they didn't want to see any Giant Zucchinis in the garden when they got back, and that we were to take them and use them. Truthfully, I'm hoping to get this 2 foot Zucchini cut down to size before it eats one of the Cats or the Rabbit. Or, the Blisschick. I feel sure I can fight it off.

The moral of this story is this: Don't try to bribe Your Rabbit or any Rabbit You May Know with a giant Zucchini. They don't really make a great sacrifice. A Willow Ball would have served the purpose much better.

Miss Zoe did not clear the clouds away. It even rained a bit on our way to the fest.

We set up our chairs in what we anticipated would perhaps later be a sunny spot. I was sitting under the overcast sky and was really starting to regret the Sacrificial Zucchini Mistake, when I heard Miss Zoe's little voice in my head (She has Telepathic capabilities, you know).

"Oh, Good Grief. Alright. But I'd better get that Willow Ball soon, or, well, you don't want to know what."

And then, the sun came out.

Thanks, Miss Zoe.

We enjoyed the rest of the Festival in the comfort of the Sun until the Blisschick got too hot and we had to move into the shade.

We heard the end of the Valerie Horton Brown Project, and then full sets from three other bands, including our new favorite local band, the Heliotropes, the Tessa Souter Quartet, and finally Elaine & Susan Hoffman Watts and the Fabulous Shpielkehs. (The last act was Klezmer music, which Zoe absolutely loves. I think the weather clearing had a lot to do with her wanting to be able to hear the music through her open window. Hey-- whatever works.)

So, what did you do that was fun this weekend?

OK, it's a little scary. Time to make some mini loaves of bread.