LOOK WHAT I CHOSE

Today is Monday.  Today is Columbus Day.  Today is a day off from school.  Today is the day after the most entertaining political event I've watched.  Today is crisp and sunny.  Today my son "cleaned" his room because I took  his phone until such time I didn't have to hold my nose when I walked by his room.  Today I took my kids to our favorite ice cream place because it was the last day of the season.

Today I was searching through my saved memes that I stumble across on social media every freaking day from time to time and caught some JOY re-stumbling.

                                                                         

Today I also found photos I took last week.  Unforgettable night with my bestie.  Look what I chose!

ANDDDDDDDD today these were delivered.  Ahhh!  That's the one!!!  The Day 19 JOY!  So I guess I was a class action member of a law suit against Barnes and Noble and I received a $50 credit.  So I went shopping!!  Free stuff!  Yay!

You know what  JOY Day 19 post is about?  Yup, THIS...

DAY 18 on DAY 19

Yup - forgot again only I really didn't until I did.  I remembered.  Then I became completely hysterical over riveted to the debate.  Then I went to bed.  I guess I forgot...

Anyway...after a tough week on the homefront, my faith is re-inspired.  As I went thru my saved memes to find what I wanted to post yesterday on Day 18.

..

Pure JOY to be accidentally reminded of this!

GIRLS RULE!

You know what's JOYful?  GIRL TIME on Day 17!

You know what else?  Women keeping women strong!

Don't forget:  Catch JOY as it flies by.

SERIOUSLY - THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY LIFE

It's unbelievable.  So every fall, Italian Plums come to market - late August till late September, early October.  

AREN'T THEY BEAUTIFUL??

Every year at this time I attempt to make Zwetschgenkuchen.  HUH?  You say?

Let me give you the back story.  I have a best friend of 53 years.  Growing up, her mom was THE best cook.  Unlike my many children of today who don't like "real" food, I LOVED "Aunt Mary's" food and I tried to eat as many meals at their house as I could.  In all honesty - even her tuna fish sandwiches tasted better than any other.  No idea...

Anyway - so every fall, Aunt Mary took a day and made a sh*tload of Zwetschenkuchen which is Plum Kuchen or Plum cake.  It's a German thing!  Well - when I tell you this cake was to DIE for?  I LOVED her Plum Kuchen.  The smell, the taste?  OMGGGG.

So now, every fall, I try to make Zwetschenkuchen.  Try - being the operative word - because it just never comes out like hers.  I CAN duplicate the smell and the taste but the texture of her wonderful yeast dough?  I SUCK at making yeast breads.

So a few weeks ago, I was in the Italian market in the next town over and I spotted Italian Plums and bought a bag full.  A few days later I flipped through my zillion, organized recipes...NOT.

(Sharlene - check out the recipe showing!  LOL!!!!)

And finally found the sweet dough recipe.  (I have the actual Kuchen recipe in my head.)  Found it!  Then I realized I didn't have any yeast in the house.  Like why would I???  Hello?  I suck at yeast bread.  Hence - I don't make it.  Hence - no yeast in the house.

So a few days later I FINALLY remembered to buy yeast and as I'm walking down the baking ingredients aisle, I pass the flour.  Do I need flour?  Nahhhh - impossible.

Get home...yup.  No flour.  Sigh.  Grrrrrrr!

Now it's a few days later - I stop and buy flour, head home and I'm on a mission.  I open the fridge...

...husband ate nearly all the plums...

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?????????

SIGH.

So today I go to the store - no Italian Plums.  Damnit.  I'm making this f'ing kuchen if it's the last thing I do.  Bought a mess of regular crappy plums and went home and whipped up the ugliest yeast dough I have ever seen.  AWFUL.  TERRIBLE.  I JUST don't understand!!!!  So I threw it in my Kitchen-aid mixer.  Attached the dough hook, added some warm water and made not even a passable dough, but carried on.

Looks odd, huh?  (It's unbaked.)  Well - so I went hiking with my German friend Erika (she immigrated in the 60's) Wednesday and I was telling her I was going home to make  Zwetschenkuchen.  She asked me how I make it and I told her terribly I sprinkled sugar on the top before baking and she said her mother made a streusel and why don't I try that.  Hating to break from tradition, I made 2/3rds with streusel (because I made so much - lol) and 1/3rd with sugar which is my way.

Soo - just took it out of the oven...

...edible.

And where's the JOY, you ask?

Follow-thru.   The JOY is in the follow-thru.  I made the damn  Zwetschenkuchen.  Day 16 JOY.  

Are those tears of JOY or tears of despair?

THE JOY OF THE BATHROOM...

So I walk into the restroom at the Wholistic Health Center this morning and what do my wondering eyes should appear?

Only THE best photos I've ever been privy to.  OMFREAKINGG - I just made a pun!  

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priv·y

ˈprivē/

adjective

1. 1. 

   sharing in the knowledge of (something secret or private).

   "he was no longer privy to her innermost thoughts"

   synonyms:

   in the know about, acquainted with, in on, informed of, advised of, apprised of; More

noun

1. 1. 

   a toilet located in a small shed outside a house or other building; an outhouse.
2. 
   

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   I am cracking myself UPPPPP!!!!!!  Day 15 JOY.  (Yea, I missed Day 14.  UGH - this is HARD!!!  So here's another for yesterday!)

   
   

   

   
   

   So my friend Tracy etched the sidelights on my front entrance with what else?  Morning Glories!  Yesterday morning I was climbing my stairs to the gym and this was reflected on the stairs.  Way cool.  Day 14 JOY!

   
   

   

   
   

DAY 13! NO TIME TO POST!

Because I'm busy catching JOY in this!!!

Highly recommend you catch it here too!  Day 13 JOY.

THIS IS HARD!

So, yea.  This IS hard.  Day 12 and I'm laying around in my daughter's room blabbing away, playing on our phones, listening to music and I bolt upright.  OMG - my blog!  I start to dash out of the room and she's like, "What just happened??  Where are you going?"  LOL.  I guess I just caught JOY!  SHE LIKES ME!

Day 12 JOY.

PS - this arrived on my Facebook page this morning.  Profound.  Thank you, Cathy P.  I love you, my friend.  This one will stick.