This Public Service Announcement Brought to You By...

I'm wishing I could find a more creative way to sum up my week. But nothing comes to mind...yet...And since I promised myself I would write for a couple hours today, I will have to make this pretty brief.

My project this week was to create a public service announcement. I procrastinated until too late to make it very detailed, but I was amused by the results anyway.

I didn't take any scenery pictures this week even though I saw some pretty awesome views. This week my eyes were trained more on the ground looking for rocks. I found a few I liked enough to carry the two miles back home. My parents introduced me to a guy at church who has done rockhounding for years and he told me I was welcome to come over and see his finds. He also said he had tons of pointers for me to aid in future rockhounding excursions. So I think I might take some time and really educate myself and do this more often!

On the left we have what I think may be a river-tumbled coprolite.

(The one on the left, the other is for comparison sake...tee hee...)

On the right, two pieces of petrified wood, some purplish sandstone and then a smooth rock I loved even though I have no idea what it is!

I made an awesome Beef, Beer, and Barley Stew. It had onions, celery, carrot, apple, and tomato all pureed and then mushrooms and corn added. Lovely delicious, but not so very photogenic. As we were sitting around enjoying it, Mom said, "Mmmm, I wish I had hundreds of gallons of this and could send it to all those people in Japan." I love my parents!

And that's all for today!

This has been a singularly disappointing week. I'm not even going to report on all the things I didn't do. I will show you my unsatisfying results on my project. My mental image was beautiful, but my skill lacking! There was supposed to be a whole detailed scene reflected in the lady's eyes. If you look close you can almost see something, but the effect is not nearly what I imagined. And need I even point out the awkward angle of her hand?




I had a food assignment, but I don't want to talk about it. Nor do I want to talk about the total lack of exercise nor the three pounds gained. So I will tell you about rockhounding. I found nothing, but every source says you have to have loads of patience. So I am saving my money for some books on the subject and in the meantime just enjoying being outside and pounding apart boulders with a sledgehammer. Marysvale is a gorgeous place and I am praying for an improvemet in weather so I can get out and enjoy it!

I did create a truly delectable dinner. Salmon and salad was easy.

And then a nice cream of green banana soup! We had about seven severly green bananas (would not ripen, set my teeth on edge just smelling them while dicing!) that were drying out and had to be used or gotten rid of. I remembered seeing a recipe for green banana soup in one of my African cookbooks. I had to keep the beef out for dad, so the soup looked way too smooth after blending it. In a stroke of inspiration I diced up a slightly green banana and added it for texture. It added a bit of sweetness that was really tasty. In another stroke of inspiration I pounded some peanuts in a mortar and we sprinkled that on top. Mmmmmm! Truly delicious-- the critics (i.e. Mom and Dad) gave it two thumbs up. Dad decreed that if we ever have fully green bananas we won't even wait until they ripen, we will just make this soup again!

So let's pray for a better week this time. I don't know what I need to do to keep myself from cringing in horror every time I attempt to write. Either that or change my mind about wastign time trying to be a writer!