That's what I would call a beignet....

Today I'm thinking of some favorite things, in a very random fashion.

One thing that comes to mind is a book titled "If You Give a Pig a Pancake".

I can only describe this book as just delightful. It begins with "If you give a pig a pancake, she'll want some syrup to go with it.....", then the syrup leads to something else, and then something else again, and before you know it , you've forgotten about the pancake all together. The illustrations by Felicia Bond are brilliant, and yes, I know. I'm an adult and this appears to be a childrens book. Silly rules, I pay no attention to them. This is on my book shelf at home!

Something else I like: undefeated MO football teams. MIZZOU! CHIEFS! I love Fridays, that lead to Saturdays with Mizzou ball on ESPN, which lead to Sundays with Chiefs playing at home. (against the Raiders. sshhh. No jinxing. Let's just enjoy the 5-0 record, okay?) and let's not forget baseball, Go Cards!

I seem to have missed the boat on a few t.v. shows (what's new) that I hear I need to check out. I don't have enough hours in the day, and what little I do have I refuse to give to watching t.v. 100%. With that said, I've seen the first episode of the first season of Breaking Bad, see how behind I am?, I have not seen Scandal or The Walking Dead, or Downton Abbey. I'm sure there's more. I usually give it 3 episodes before I decide if it's for me or not. So maybe by next year I'll be caught up to the point where everyone is right now, and of course they will then be watching the latest and greatest and I'll be behind again. Ah well, such is life. My point is, I like knowing that there are lots of things out there for me to watch when the mood hits. Just like books waiting on my shelf at home, for me to read, that I haven't started yet.

October. Just the entire word. I love this month. Fall leaves. Pumpkins. Halloween. Decorations, orange and purple lights, crisp air if you're lucky. I'm getting a few pumpkins so I can roast seeds tonight, this is my favorite item on the "things I like" list today. I love the smell of roasting pumpkin seeds. AND watching scary movies!

I love this word: Serendipity
'the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way'
"In general, serendipity is the act of finding something valuable or delightful when you are not looking for it". I can't think of anyone that doesn't enjoy a a fabulous something that they were not expecting. Of course, it must also be mentioned that I love the movie too.

Speaking of movies, I like movie quotes. I've mentioned before that I can have entire conversations with my sisters (and cousins and friends) using movie quotes. Does this make us weird? I think not. I think we're cool people quite frankly.

Sara: "Um, favorite New York moment?"
Jonathan: "This one's climbing the charts"

I like New York. I specifically like Manhattan.What needs to be done about this, though, is that I actually experience it. I mean, BE THERE. I've never been to Manhattan. Until I am able to be there, I can still say, I like NY. I want one of those "I heart NY" t-shirts. I'm the best tourist you'll ever meet, I don't care if it's touristy, if I want it, I'm buying it.

It's that whole "when in Rome" idea. For example, I just got back from a four-day vacation in New Orleans. I'm not a sweet eater, I just don't crave sweets. But, I've never had a beignet at Cafe Du Monde. So of course I had to do this at least once. I think they taste like a funnel cake, but in the shape of a pillow. A powdery white, funnel-cake pillow treat. That's what I would call a beignet.

 

Cafe Du Monde is a cute little cafe that serves wonderful coffee and beignets, and that's it. You won't have to spend a lot of time perusing a menu here. Just as I like it, when on the move during a vacation when trying to see an entire city in four days (can't be done, by the way).

So I'll add NOLA to my list. I like NOLA. I don't really like humidity, but Tropical Storm Karen has to be blamed for most of that, this trip anyway. Walking the streets of the French Quarter in the early morning hours was quite good for the soul.

 

And the JAZZ! Oh man, it was everywhere and I loved it. These people have nothing but time, and musical talent, and a great big smile to give you. I really enjoyed moving along to the jazzy beats, and turning each corner and hearing even more Jazz playing. So fun.

Does this conclude my entire list of likes in my whole life? No way. But Friday afternoon is about to become evening and it's time to wrap things up and be on my way.

I hope you have a weekend filled with many of your "likes".

See you soon friend,
Tiffany

PS Coffee and Jazz make a perfect breakfast combo. No, really!

Savoring October

I love the word, savory.

"That chicken and mushroom dish was so, savory." It just rolls off the tongue, this word. It means succulence. Not bland, but FULL of flavor. A dish you remember for days after eating it.

I decided yesterday that I was going to savor every second of October, my most favorite month of the year. I'm not going to let it disappear  before my eyes the way September did, I have no idea where it went by the way. I looked up and poof! it was gone for another eleven months.

No, October 2012 will be savored. I'm going to remember what happens each day as the temperature lowers into the 70 degree range. And the colors of fall leaves appear in the northern states way before they do in what I call, north southtown. We will see the beautiful fall foliage in North Texas too, but usually not until November. So please, friends and family, post as many pictures as you can in social media, of the rolling hills and the red and golds blending together, forming the autumn painting I love so much.


I know people say they are "drinking the day in" when they're out and about enjoying fabulous fall weather, and I so understand the phrase. I look forward to this time of year with such anticipation that the calendar can't change fast enough. Then, when it arrives, I want to slow the clock down. I want to DO something with these days, something memorable, even if it's just walking every morning or seeing pumpkin patches fill up with various sizes of soon-to-be-jack 'o lanterns at months end. Have you seen the SIZE of some of these?! They're huge, I always think I want a giant one but then wonder how I would get it into the car to drive it home.


Adding spices to each day of this month, making it savory, and memorable, is how I'll spend October. The football games and getting together with friends, and sitting around fire pits at night, roasting pumpkin seeds; these are the fall activities I love.

How will you spend this month?

See you soon friend,
Tiffany

PS Pumpkin breakfasts! so many different ways to add pumpkin to the meal, muffins.....pumpkin spice latte's, pumpkin bread.....or, how about pumpkin pancakes. That's it!

Top Ten on a Saturday

I woke up wearing pigtails, giggling. I have no idea what I was dreaming about but whatever it was, made me smile so lets assume I was walking the streets of Paris or some such fabulous adventure.

My top ten favorites of the week:

1. This GORGEOUS early fall weather. Dallas, I forgive you for the triple digits. You make up for it so well in October, nicely played.

2. #Mizzou bye weeks, #Chiefs bye weeks. I know right? Sounds weird. But I want my favorite teams to get some rest. And this allows me to wear my longhorns shirt, HOOK'em!!

3. Nieces in shining pink football jerseys who are named after me, and are adorable.

4. Haikus. I've somehow developed a love for these 5 syllable, 7 syllable, 5 syllable little stories. I'm in awe of people that can write one in 60 seconds, it's amazing.

5. Forgiveness and reconnecting with old friends.

6. Have I mentioned October yet? My favorite month of the year, and with it brings Halloween, my favorite holiday. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas too, but Halloween kicks it off at the end of my favorite month, and during my favorite season, fall.

7. Random text messages that make me laugh out loud.

8. Quiet Saturday mornings with the windows open, a great day stretched out in front of me....

9. Friends making plans for a cruise next year, and including me.....

10. Coffee. In large quantities.

I hope you have an awesome weekend my friend. Breakfast? I'll see you there.....
Tiffany