A proposed new video series: denied. And pancakes.

Several years ago, I proposed a video series to the historian, called The Historian Explains:

Me: Remember when I had that idea of making a video with you explaining stuff? And maybe you'd be eating pancakes?

Historian: (eating pancakes) Vaguely.

Me: And you turned me down.

Historian: ...

Me: You wouldn't have to be eating pancakes. You could, like, explain things. Like surplus value.

Historian: ...

Me: I think people might want to know that.

Historian: Possibly.

Me: So maybe you'd do it now?

Historian: No.

I live to make this video series. We shall see what we shall see.

But the good news is, I made the best pancakes known to humankind tonight. It's the same recipe I've been using for years now, and they are still the best pancakes known to humankind. Also, we had them with peach jam that I made, and it is possibly the best jam I've ever made.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes, from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Mix 1 c. buttermilk and 2 egg yolks (put the whites in another bowl) together. Add 1 c. cottage cheese, 4 T. melted butter, and 1 t. vanilla. Whisk away.

Add 1 T. sugar, 1/2 t. grated nutmeg (preferably freshly grated--do it! it is so choice!), 1/4 t. salt, 1/2 t. baking soda, and 1 c. flour. Whisk this all in.

Beat the egg whites till soft peaks form. Stir a quarter cup of the whites into the batter, then fold in the rest until they're incorporated--use a light hand.

Get out yer griddle. Heat it up. Cook the pancakes over medium heat the way you usually do. Be a little patient. The batter's a little bit delicate.

Eat with jam. You will feel restored. These are perfectly wonderful for supper.

Start the party without me.

The people,

I was in California for the last few days. It was glorious.

Yesterday, I came home to the historian in a bower of roses, and the leaping up of dogs.

Tomorrow, we will be driving to Idaho. I'm thinking at the moment of never coming back. Oh, except for the part about the children, the grandchildren, Bruiser, the roses, the farmer's market and the Scotlands coming to visit. Also, later, my job. Other than that, I will be staying in Idaho forever.

Love,

htms

Playlist.

tags: anniversary

A proposed new video series: let the people decide.

This morning, whilst eating pancakes.

Me: I thought of a new video idea this morning when I woke up. It would be called, "The Historian Explains the Difference Between Socialism and Communism." And you would explain the difference, possibly while you were eating pancakes.

Historian: . . .

Me: Just like you explained it to singing son. When we were in Yellowstone.

Historian: . . .

Me: There could be a whole series, called, "The Historian Explains."

Historian: That could be interesting.

Me: So, you'll let me?

Historian: No.

Happy, go figure.

It's probably bad luck to talk about it this way, but I have been rolling from one good thing to another lately, it seems like, and I can't help it, I just feel happy. A list, in no particular order:

1. Saw two good movies last weekend, Rocket Science and No End in Sight. (not that the latter is a day at the park, of course)
2. Had an excellent writing group at my house, wherein I baked my first madeleines in my new madeleine pan, and also made a lovely roasted eggplant spread to go on crostini and the killer iced tea I've been making all summer. And I finished a draft of a new sestina. And the group mostly liked it.
3. We cleaned up the house, and I did a rather large-scale cleaning up of the kitchen, including throwing away ancient bottles of sesame oil and so forth from the refrigerator.
4. My online and face-to-face classes seem to be going just swell.
5. I love my children and they are all awesome and amazing people.
6. My husband the historian is a prince among men (the "prince" appellation must be taken as a metaphor, since, as a committed leftist, he probably wouldn't select this term for himself. Although he is discursively flexible, one of his many, many fine traits. Also, he's cute.).
7. My dogs are gorgeous and of excellent character.
8. The weather isn't so infernally hot. It's cool-ish at night and in the morning.
9. It's my birthday week, as my friend Jen reminds me, and even if I am turning fifty, it feels okay. Good, even.

Happy to be alive. Hope you're having a good week, too.

What is wrong with this picture?

More like, what is right.

Notes:

1. The daybed is part of a massive renovation taking place in the party-shed. Yes, we're starting another season. What you can't see is the brand new floor Teen Boy Squad have almost already installed. While it's true that there has been random thriftstore furniture in the yard and on the patio for a couple of weeks, and also they threw away a shocking amount of trash that was without question from last season, despite all the promises they made to me about how they had totally cleaned out the shed, progress is being made. Some progress.

2. Duck, you say? Yes, there was a wild duck in the yard this a.m. I tried for a closer shot but didn't want to scare it away. The historian took a longer view (what are historians for?), and shooed this duck and its mate away, thinking that perhaps they were seeking a nesting place. And, after all, we have dogs. Most likely at least one duck-eating dog (thy name is Bruiser). This reminds me of when a dog from my past life, a dachshund, captured a wild chicken in this same yard (I don't know--it was a chicken and it looked undomesticated--isn't that wild?) and ate it. He took it back to his bed and was protecting it pretty ferociously. The historian had to lure him--and dogs really never take the long view, do they?--away from the chicken carcass (precious!) with a piece of hot dog. Ironic.