Hooray Sylvain is over here.

I too need my Lucy, and Dad stories as well as your enticing cooking stories.

woofie said:I saw what you did there, Gingin. Thought you'd just slip that little bluejay's name right by, didn't you?

well...perfect name for a baby bluejay and he WAS naked when he took over my life and screen room crud when I went to get the crickets I had a neighbor come to Naked sit as he was still eating every 20 to 30 minutes even bought a small grill for the patio because Naked loved to perch on the big grill and I was NOT wanting grilled birdie feet for dinner

Hi, everyone.

Yes, I know I have 2 profiles here. The 2nd was created during a senior moment earlier this morning when I couldn't access ATP, hence the 2 suffix. The problem is settled now. I will have to delete the 2nd profile one of these days.

Dinner tonight will be a beef bourguignon leftover from Christmas. I had made a big potful because we were expecting visitors that couldn't stay for dinner. It was delicious. What else could Julia Child's recipe produce? The leftovers were frozen for a rainy day and it did rain today. There is a beef and barley soup first, followed by the bourguignon and a tomato soup chocolate cupcakes for dessert. Should be good.

Lucy has been hunting all day, so I have to guess she is hungry. I played with her during the bad storm this afternoon because she is afraid of lightning, poor baby. Sudden movements scare snakes and lightining falls in that category with Lucy. So, I closed the plantation shutters and had me a snake fix. It was very nice.

Dad and I are now sitting outside with our afternoon rum & Coke and cigars. Life is good.

My cruising buddy wants to sail with me on a cruise next December. I will be searching for an itinerary tonight. Claude is a wonderful friend. We have cruised 3 times together already and never even so much as a grumble from either of us. That means he'll be here for Christmas and New Year 11 months from now. WooHoo. Claude integrates seamlessly into the life of the household, helps with everything inside and outside. He is a compulsive gardener. I swear he disturbs the soil to find weed seeds and pull them out before they sprout.

Mr UPS man just delivered a cigar order I placed on Monday morning. It would be extremely uncouth to run out of stogies or rum. Can't let that happen.

Take care, everyone.
Sylvain.

Sylvain - I thought that was good of you to notify the group in the Parking lot that you have moved on.

I sent Sheila a mssg on FB a few hours ago that DG is back up and running... I honestly have no idea if M5 has an ATP useID.

Tomato soup chocolate cupcakes ????

Hi Sylvain. Glad to see you and some Chair buddies. I won't be here very often but will want to keep up with Dad, Gail and Lucy.

And - June - we want to hear about your rescue work - that will be of interest to many people. On the Pet thread there are some adorable pictures of a basket of chihuahuas - Charlie want one for his birthday (but it is not to be).

Yes, Heinz tomato soup chocolate cake, except I bake it into muffin tins lined with parchment paper little cups to make cupcakes. An that way, the cupcakes don't stick to the little paper cup at all. The recipe is available on Google. It's a really good chocolate cake and a tad on the strange side. I also make Hellmann's mayonnaise chocolate cake, recipe also available on Google. I think that one is even better. The look on dad's face when I opened a can of condensed tomato soup and dropped the contents into the mixer: simply priceless. I sincerely believe that chocolate cake is one of nature's perfect foods, although I don't eat it. Dad dives into it every time. Cupcakes freeze well, so they can be thawed at room temperature for 2 hours before serving. Dad likes that.

I have a rodent thawing for Lucy. She's still hunting. Will she eat? Nobody knows for sure. I'll go and play with her a bit. We'll both have a good time.

Take care, all.
Sylvain.

How can you tell she is hunting? Does she crawl stealthy around, peering around corners with a predatory look in her eyes or does she just stand by her glass? (or window? or whatever) and say, "Daddy, chow time"!

When hunting, Lucy crawls around a lot, climbs her jungle gym an inordinate amount of time, pushes her nose under her water bowl. And when she sees me, she puts her tail in front of her nose as if to say, like Elmer Fudd: "Be vewy quiet. I'm hunting a wodent. Be vewy, vewy quiet". Well, it's all those things, minus the Elmer Fudd thing. But you already guessed that.

Sylvain.

Awww Ginger,
You have a tender heart, even for crickets.
ROTFL! Took me a minute to figure ''Naked'' out!

Sylvain,
I have everything but the wine and bay leaf. It sounds delicious!
I love that you have your Dad there. Is he considering moving in yet? Has his house sold yet?

June,
It will be good just to see you popping in occasionally.

Hi Sylvain -

Nice to see you here. I was Cville on the Porch Swing and on DG. There are a few others that I still check on over there as they haven't moved yet. But mostly, I'm on Cubits and ATP.

You and Lucy have fun here!

Greetings Sylvain, the bear
so I take it that Lucy is not that fuzzy green thing but rather an "exquisite animal with gorgeous patterns of ebony, brass, silver and mother-of-pearl scales"---please oh please oh please will you give us some pictures of her?!?!
I am dying to see her!

Sincerely begging,
Dirt

Another old poster from Chair from long ago ... I need a snake fix!!☺️

Hi everyone.

Beautiful day here in Delray-les-Embrums, blazing sunshine, slight breeze. Storms are expected tonight. We won't worry about it.

I'll have dad take pictures of Lucy and me some time soon, I promise. Poor thing is afraid of lightning and the camera's flash will need to be disabled. We don't want a skittish snake.

Good news, everyone: Lucy was fed last night and she ate. All that hunting really paid off.

Dad's house still hasn't sold. The buyer failed to obtain a mortgage. It's one thing to have $100K in cash, but it's quite another to a get $600K mortgage, I guess.

Dad is, by nature, anxious and fragile concerning the future. We haven't broached the subject of moving in with us yet. He has enough on his plate with that empty house that is not selling. We'll wait a while until we put it to him.

Tonight's dinner will be a watercress salad with poached salmon, glazed carrots and barley pilaf. There is dessert already made. Should be good.

I joined the Palm Beach Literacy Coalition. I'll help 3 school age kids, twice a week, to hone their reading skills. Literacy has always been very important to me.

We are about to start again. Lunch is almost over. Gotta go.

Take care, everyone.
Sylvain.

Sylvain, I am confused...........admittedly it is a short trip most days............but, you keep saying about someone's sons selling the house out from under your Dad, then you say he is worried about the house selling/not selling...........Just WHO does the house belong to? I guess I thought it was NOT his and he could move in with you, all problems solved. Guess not, unless I am reading it wrong.

First morning of the milking job. Didn't go too bad, but then again, it's not as beastly cold as "they" are saying it's gonna get. *sigh*...........

I need to make something to take over for our evening meal...............I'm thinking a nice batch of French Onion soup. That will chase away the chills with the brandy and white wine I put in it.

Anna - I bet Sylvain makes a great French Onion Soup - but he would not like your temperatures - he fled such cold from Montreal to Florida. Milking cows in a cold barn would probably not attract him although I bet he could find lots of mice for Lucy.

Sylvain,
I feel for your Dad. At least he's comfortable and feeling loved during his visit with you.
Lucky kids. I sometimes make myself cringe when I shorten up a word like tho, because I know other people would write the whole thing out.

Anna,
We're finishing up a batch of cabbage soup which is basically beef stew without the meat. I made cornbread to go with it. Naturally, us Northerners have sugar in our cornbread :o)

@IO1 Susan nice to see you here at ATP Moses...that is your dog's name if I remember right??...is even more handsome then the last time I "saw" him. Give him kisses from me and glad wags from my crew.