Baking Cookies!

I bought a huge 72oz bag of Nestle's chocolate chips at Costco about a month ago, plus a 2# bag of pecans. I got the ingredients to make cookies together two or three days ago and decided I'd have to put them all away if I didn't make the cookies soon. I tried something new - making my own brown sugar - with white sugar and molasses. It is so much more flavorful than the boxed brown sugar I've always used, but it made the texture of the cookies just a tad different. They are so good and I quit counting how many I've eaten today. Of course I ate some from each batch to make sure they were ok, and then had to bring a plate into the living room to go with my afternoon "tea".

Speaking of afternoon tea, the term has an entirely different meaning in Ireland and the UK. I was invited to someone's house at 4pm for tea shortly after I got there. I was expecting a cup of tea and some conversation, and walked into a full meal! And of course the cookies are called "biscuits", which I couldn't ever get used to. Biscuits are what my Kentucky grandma made to perfection, to be eated warm with butter and jam. But late afternoon or early evening tea usually means a full supper.

It was difficult for me when I returned from living in Ireland to get back to the American words for things - I no longer call a truck a "lorry", nor is an elevator a "lift". I still refer to catching a ride somewhere as "getting a lift". I will never ever forget asking a pub owner how to go about getting a "ride" to town. He looked me in the eye and said "Marta, don't EVER ask anyone to give you a ride". And I never have. There were many differences in words as well as pronunciation, and sometimes I retained my Americanisms "just because".

I did some trimming of the ugliest rose bush I've ever seen, and Lady enjoyed being out on the porch watching the world go by. It's amazing how she can lie in the sun with all the fur she has, but I suppose it is an insulator for heat as well as for cold. I went on to trim some dead ends off a couple of plants I'm not familiar with, and got stuck by the thorns enough to draw blood. I have come to the conclusion I dislike succulents, except for the aloe plant. I much prefer flowering plants.

Today has been a beautiful one. Although my desktop weather says it is 64F, it feels much warmer outside. I think I will go put some fresh sugar water into my hummingbird feeder now, and then savor the afternoon sun. I'm continuing to add a couple of blocks to my morning walk each day, and my legs can certainly feel it. I could go for a jacuzzi about now.