No. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY

Some time ago I asked Paul to pick up a library book for me that would be fun to read. He came home with a No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency book. He probably chose it from the "Good Books You May Have Overlooked" section since that is the first place we normally look at the downtown library. The book was a little slow in grabbing my interest, but before long I realized that it was a very fun book...very laid back but fun. I don't know if it is the African culture that makes it so fun and relaxing. It is partly the names:
Mma Precious Ramotswe, the director and owner of the detective agency who is "traditionally built" aka overweight, large, built for comfort, not for speed!
Mma Grace Makutsi, her assistant who prides herself on having earned 97% in her secretarial course
Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, Mma Ramotswe's husband who is always addressed as "Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni" even by Mma Ramotswe
and my very favorite, Mr. Molofololo

I was a bit unhappy with my sister and a reading friend who had read some of these books and not told me about them. However I have forgiven them! :) The author had lived in Africa and now lives in Scotland. He has also written some books about Isabel Dalhousie in Scotland. I tried one of those books, but didn't like them nearly as well!

(When I just did "spellcheck" all my favorite names were highlighted. Wonder why!?)

A Dessert to Die for...or maybe die because of...

(Flip side of recipe:
Freeze - do not stir during freezing. Spoon onto chilled dessert plates. Serves 10-12
I made 2/3 recipe which filled a 9X13". It is rich, so you don't need much at one time...
just over and over again! There's some in our freezer now, but we are hoarding it!)

We had this dessert y-e-a-r-s ago at the Athletic Club in Minneapolis with Dr., Mrs. Clearwaters and Jane as guests of Mrs. Harriet Bratrud. Some years later I found the recipe in the newspaper, I think. I have only made it a few times, but it is DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS!!! (The prime rib was good too all those years ago at the top of the Atletic Club in Minneapolis with Dr. & Mrs. Clearwaters, Jane and Mrs. Bratrud! Doc told the waiter to measure the prime rib by his foot. Funny, the things you never forget.)

Sugar Woods Activity

Random pics

the finished product

sap bucket

really muddy!!!

plenty of snow in the woods!

just in case

a "sweet" beard

maple snow candy...YUM!
All we could eat too!!!

one of the workers :)

fingers in the sap bucket

boiling the sap
40 to 1
(40 parts of sap = 1 part syrup)

sugar shack

GOOD NEWS

Praise the Lord for the good news for Alisa and her family! No cancer! No treatments necessary! Check out Kari's blog which she will be up-dating with more details after they have talked with the surgeon more.

PLEASE PRAY!

Our thoughts and prayers have been focused on little Alisa, our niece Kari's daughter, who will have surgery on Monday to remove a tumor on her spine. This is, of course, a trial for the whole family, but they are trusting our Good and Loving God. He is working in an amazing way to give Alisa the very best of care. We are keeping up-dated by Kari's blog. I am anxiously waiting to hear about the tour that sister, Ashlynn, and brother, Teddy, will have when Alisa shows them all the wonders of her new and temporary surroundings at the hospital. I bet she will be one good tour guide! It is wonderful that today hospital staff do their best to make a child's hospital stay as pleasant as possible.

March came in like a lion...

Flowers and more flowers

These beautiful white flowers are from the funeral of my friend, Mary.

Mary had been gone from her home across the street from us for over two years, since she broke her second hip. The Lord has given us some sweet neighbors right next door to us who gave us these beautiful roses.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits;"
Psalm 103:1 & 2