want to know

a secret?  I was looking at paint today.  It's really no big deal because it's for the laundry room.  Still though, about 15 years ago I was asked not to pick out paint and start painting... ever again.  It's not like anybody cares if something gets painted but let's just say I'm not known for having the best judgment.  As much as I like an awesome shade of neutral drab, I've had some pretty drastic outcomes.  I know I've told this story many times before but I guess it all started when Cosme woke up one morning and the kitchen was a goldish color.  The color wasn't crazy but it didn't match the counter tops.  Easy fix.  Get new counter tops to match the new paint.  New counter tops installed and the gold still didn't match.  This time he went with me to pick out a color and everything looked fine.  He had his doubts about my ideas at that point but I think painting the living room walls with sections of brown might have done it for him.  Or maybe it was the green I selected for the old bathroom.  Or maybe it was when I decided to antique the old kitchen cabinets.  Either way, I was politely asked not to do anything crazy again... like pick out paint by myself. 

Anyway, we painted the kitchen and living room a couple of years ago and the laundry room was never done.  Sure, I could stick with the color we have on the other walls but why would I do that?  I mean it's the laundry room.  What would it hurt to be a little off and prove I can do it?

Here's a strip I picked up today.  The top two colors are too similar to what is already there.  I really like the third one.

But when I hold it next to the tile, I just don't know.  I could go with the darkest to match the grout but since the grout is just dirty, I won't do that.  (For the record, I wouldn't do that anyway since the laundry room is so small and pretty dark.)  And the longer I look at the samples, the more purple I see and realize I need a different tone of grey.

Or maybe... just maybe... I could paint it any color and then get new floors to match!  That would be nice but I think there are too many other things on my wish list right now.  Oh well, maybe I'll stop and pick up a few more colors before I do anything drastic.

we haven't had

my grandmother's peach cobbler since about 2002.  We've tried them in restaurants but never found anything like hers.  One place came close (The Jay Cafe in Needville) but not enough to go back for more.  Anyway, I've been searching through recipes since probably 2007 trying to find it.  And then, one day last month, there it was.  I had been flipping through one of her recipe binders (for the 100th time) to compare the recipes she had with how I remember her making it and there it was, staring at me.  I know it's not the exact way she made it because I remember certain substitutions that wouldn't be listed in any of the recipes she has.  BUT... I found what I believe to be the base of her recipe.  I made it a few weeks ago and confirmed everything.  Again, it wasn't exact because I went by the recipe.  Now I'm on round two, after making a few changes that I know she made in the way I think she did it.  I doubt we're at 100% now and probably never will be but this is the closest we've had to her peach cobbler in 13 years and that makes us all happy around here.

Look at that.

Now for a little depressing news.  Although we never topped her cobbler with anything, I was in the mood for ice cream (probably because it's been all over the news lately).  Since Blue Bell has shut down production to clean up all that listeria mess they have going on, there isn't good ice cream on the shelves and we're having to use... Blue Bunny.  I feel so wrong just typing that.  It's like the hot sauce that's made in New York City.  Get a rope.  On the bright side, the cobbler was a little tart so the ice cream helped.

just like I said

I came back for the second day.  And this time, my card reader decided to join me.

These were from the storm last week.

And when I was waiting out the lightning flashes, I was getting the cars going down the street.

 

Now I just hope the weather calms down and stays dry for a few days.  A week or so would be good.  Long enough for me to pressure wash the back porch and enjoy a few days without muddy paw prints everywhere.  I don't know.  It's weird.  I've not only been wanting to do the whole spring cleaning thing but some kind of a DIY bug has hit too... and I'm totally not the DIY type.  Well, I'd like to be the DIY type but I'm only lacking a couple of things: skills and patience.  Who knows, maybe this will be The Spring of Melanie.  Probably not but it has a nice ring to it, in a far fetched sort of way.  Ready, Set, Go.

I've been a horrible

horrible blogger and I blame it all on social media.  Social media makes it so easy to forget about the blog because everybody is updated on everybody else instantly.  Photos? Straight to social media.  Seeing a movie?  Straight to social media.  Have a headache?  Straight to social media.  You love God and the only way to prove it is to share a picture and say "Amen"?  Straight to social media.  Social media can be great.  On the other hand, social media can be awful.  Sometimes it's possible to have too much of a good thing.  Sometimes I just need a break BUT I CAN'T TAKE A BREAK BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE BREAKING NEWS.  Ugh.  There's no winning here.  So for the sake of the blog, I'm sharing pictures that I already shared on social media.  And starting today, April 27, 2015, I will make it to my computer to post everyday for the next month.  (By then I'll be back in the habit, right?)  And if I don't follow through... well, I don't follow through.  So, here are a few pictures from a pretty severe storm we had last week.  I waited for the hail and rain to pass before I went out to the driveway to get lightning in the distance.

And then there are those days when my card reader is having a case of the Mondays and I can't post the pic. 

On that note, I'll return tomorrow.