Yes.

doghousediaries

Mug shot.

     Check it out, my awesome custom mug came in the mail not too long ago!  It's blue, has glasses similar to my trademark pair, and the blog's URL on it!  I think the proper slang for this occasion is "SWEEEEEET!"  A travel mug would have been even cooler, get the word out there about the blog and such.  I'm about to add it to StumbleUpon, though, so hopefully some bookalicious nerds will find me in their quest for amazingness on the internet.

      I was Stumbling myself today when I discovered this gem-- goodreads.com.  Tell it which genres you like, then rate the books that pop up.  After you rate enough, it'll suggest other books tailored to your taste!  Rate more, better results.  Kinda like Netflix, which I have been watching instead of reading Catch 22.  Maybe they made a movie of it... 

I think I have a new addiction.

     I just clicked the "new post" button for the first time in over a month.  It scared me. 

     But here I am, back and hopefully better than ever.  Which brings me to my very important topic:  apple butter.

     I first heard of apple butter several years ago in, of  course, a book.  One of my favorite books, actually-- Weeping Willow by Ruth White.  The main character, Tiny, invites her city friends to visit her modest holler and make apple butter with her neighbors.  I've read the book so many times (I've had it for over ten years), I could probably do it myself.  Peel, core, add spices, boil to perfection.  But until recently I had never tried or even seen it.

     Skip back to Monday:  a work friend and I both had the day off and felt like some adventure, so we drove to the outskirts of town to test our navigation skills at Jacob's Corn Maze.  It was as true to October as any day can get:  chilly, windy, waffling between warm sunshine and precarious clouds.  We spent a couple hours twisting, turning through corn stalks; laughing at ourselves; jumping with joy when we found one of the trail markers.  We finished the first two mazes, then decided to skip the third and buy some cider and donuts in the barn.

     Lining the barn walls were shelves of canned goods, preserved right there on the farm.  I scanned the rows of jams, coffees, snacks.  Strawberry jam, blackberry jam, freshest coffee I've ever smelled.  My eyes fell upon the apple butter, and I thought of Tiny and her friends, having the grandest time behind Aunt Evie's shack.  I have a habit of buying things that remind me of books, and this was no exception.
 
     I ate so much at dinner on Monday and had to rush to work the next morning, it wasn't until Tuesday evening that I had a chance to sample my prize.  I had no idea (and still don't) as to what one does with apple butter.  I decided to treat it like a similarly named food:  peanut butter.  So I popped some bread in the toaster, slathered it on the toast, and took a bite.  My first wonderful, glorious bite.  I have mixed feelings on apples (I think it's a textural issue), but this was, without question, simply amazing.  If my tongue had knees, they would have gone weak.

     I have now eaten it multiple times a day for the last several days.  My jar is half empty, I suspect another trip to the farm is in order.  Perhaps I could even splurge on a jar of my favorite-- blackberry jam.   

Bad news...Good news.

     I know I know I know.  You don't need to tell me:  I've been lazy with the blog lately.  I'm well aware, and my excuse is always the same:  working 50+ hours a week.  On the bright side, I have some good news:  those days will soon be over.  I'm cutting back to one job, and therefore I will actually have time for a life and things I enjoy. 

     So, I've decided to take an official break to finish up my time at the extra job and get myself back to normal.  I expect to have things sorted out by October, and plan to start things up again.  Please feel free to still leave comments here, send e-mails, or post on the site's Facebook page.
  
     Until then, keep cracking!

(The) Secret Garden

No can has.

     I'll post soon, I promise.  Until then...

Blogiversary: Double Feature!