the rise

i have embarked on another adventure....

MAKING BREAD

this is the real deal, the whole kit and kaboodle....not killing the yeast (weird but true), pounding the dough--nicely of course, waiting for it to double, etc., etc.
while it was a great endeavor, time consuming and slightly frustrating...i succeeded and produced 3 loaves of 'crusty italian bread' guaranteed "just like your grandma made" according to my recipe. i didn't take any pics of the dough process but here's how wally and i coped with the stress of whether my bread would turn out or not:



here's a peak at how my loaves turned out...they smelled delicious but i have to work on the actual taste a bit. but i'll be sure to keep trying!

Fun Outdoors...

so the hubby and i had a busy weekend full of exciting happenings outdoors. Ben got called up for the men's softball tournament on saturday, they had a good run won 2 lost 2 in the end. he played well and showed his mad skills at 2nd base!!

while he was doing an excellent job, the softball thought differently and decided to give him a fresh one...the ball won...see the evidence.
OUCH!!

i also finally got some pics of my newest venture...rowing or "sculling" on Town Lake. it's incredibly fun and so enjoyable after a day in the office. we are learning so much and it's exciting to really get some speed up on the water!
that's me in bow position (the last in the boat)
these pics are from this past sunday 8/9. enjoy!!!

Eggplant Wot...

just got back from a truly random and unique experience in pflugerville of all places...we ate with some friends at 'The Taste of Ethiopia'. it was very good food that we got to eat with our hands!!!! all of it....utensil free!! yay!!! the service was good, very friendly. after eating family style from woven bowls (2 hours) the owner invited us to the patio where her family was sitting to watch the coffee ceremony (could possibly have been an ethiopian mafia...but who knows)
we had coffee and listened to her story about africa and how she started the restaurant. incense (sp?) was burning, the coffee (ethiopian version of espresso after sunday dinner) was good and strong...it was a good time.
can't wait to go back.

lesson: go try your local ethiopian diner and see what you find.
peace out.

happy july 4th!!

well kids, july 4th came and went in a pleasant blur. our friends from louisiana trekked over and celebrated the holiday with us. we had an awesome time hanging out all over austin and eating tons of good food! we miss them dearly and always enjoy a good visit...hello homeslice reunion!!!
the holiday also marked a HUGE milestone for our household. we have officially had Sir Wallace-Tiberius-Sacchamono-Dryden-DeBellis for one whole year!!!! yay!! he's been a joy to live with...it's like he's been here forever. :)
the weekend also marked my first foray into racing cardboard boats...i was part of a team of lovely ladies in the Round Rock Cardboard Boat Regatta. it was soooo very interesting. we built the boat over many weeks during our lunches and after work toward the end. it was a labor of love, and the end product is mighty pretty in my opinion! we took the theme of Top Gun and ran with it...we had wings, tail fins, a boom box playing the soundtrack...matching uniforms with our nick-names.
we felt the need for speed...and got 2nd place!! and the july 4th crowds voted us people's choice award - prettiest boat. hell yeah! (see more pics)
it was a great time and lots of fun on the race day....could have done without the 100* heat but we survived.

no summer shows...

there are no good tv shows on in the summer, so we decided to re-roof the house!
actually, the roof was leaking so we definatly had to get the roof...it looks soooo awesome. we are very pleased with it. wally did not really enjoy the large group of people on the roof pounding away, so he stayed next door with the neighbor and fenway (thank you!)

wally did enjoy the many visitors we had in the month of june...friends from baltimore mary and myke. wally could have been instrumental in showing myke how cool dogs are! yay! he also enjoyed having my parents and cousin mariah in town for a brief visit.

in another vein
how is that billy mays dies and the stupid sham wow guy is still around?!!?!

The Danger Zone

well, our cardboard boat, the "Danger Zone" did not get the chance to blow people away with its speed, awesome handling, good looks, or amount of tape...the regatta was cancelled :(
but, rest easy folks, it is rescheduled for july 4th. yay!
i'll post a pic soon.

a ransom for a lawn!!

we have a real yard!!! woo-hoo!! it is so exciting to see a green carpet out the back window instead of dirt and exposed tree roots. it's gorgeous and lush and...still alive (1 week after installation).
see the photos here.
the project was part of a 2 weekend production. after 11 yards of landscape mix (wheel barrowed in...ouch!) and 3 pallets of zoysia sod (green side up) we are go for lawn.
you'll see in the pics that wally was acting supervisor for much of the "fun". our backs were sore and our hands throbbed with blisters....but oh the lawn is a beautiful sight!