Happy Birthday, Bam-bah!
Who's birthday is it? Finn's or Grandpa Fox's? I have to say a little something about this homemade, all-scratch Pecan Pie Cake. That's all I need to say. Yum.
My mom: all dressed up and somewhere to go. Lucy kept her cool for part of the time. I like having guests over around 8 PM because it diverts her attention from herself and her cryingness to the noises of people talking around her.

Another matter of business:
Big Bob Gibson's Alabama White BBQ Sauce
1 quart mayonnaise
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup corn syrup
cayenne pepper, to taste
1 cup prepared horseradish
Lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a very large blender or food processor. (It may be necessary to do all this in two batches; just add 1/2 of each ingredient and then repeat.) Blend for 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and mixture is smooth. Pour sauce into a large bowl.

Use when grilling chicken; brush lightly over the chicken during the last few minutes of grilling. This sauce is also great for dipping; set some aside for passing at the table.

(I only make a quarter of the recipe and even then, it provides an ample portion of sauce.)

And, thirdly:

Someone asked why the move to Cleveland. Travis is going to Case Western Reserve University's dental school there. (Don't worry: I had never heard of it before either). Or, maybe you're alot more up on that kind of stuff than I am. At any rate, Travis and I will be packing our bags and heading out mid-July. Anyone needing room and board on their cross-continental trips through the Emerald City are welcome and encouraged to stay with us. We might even whip up a cake from scratch for you. Now isn't that hospitality?!?

And, I almost forgot:

Several posts back I posted a picture of me and asked readers who I looked like. Well, the prize went to a reader who calls herself "What the cat dragged home" (Deb Fox). Personal ties aside, I think I looked the most like Mozart. I'm not sure what the prize is. Maybe I'll find something yardsaling and add it to the other things the cat-lady drags home much to the delight of her husband.

Bellingham Trip

Look closely, there's a fry in his mouth and a fry in one hand. I had to fish the fry out of his mouth and it was a long one. How in the world? Leave it to Finn...
4 Generations. The fourth one is a little blurry, but this was the best picture. Emily did a great job on her painting and I was very proud of her. Lauren and Erin did a great job on the concert and I felt like I was amongst true artists.

The Forest City

We have been honing in on Cleveland as our home for the next four years. I won't go into the details, but it looks like "The Mistake By the Lake" is calling our name. I'm not sure how I feel moving to a city with "mistake" in it's nickname. It could be worse. We could be moving to Eltopia. Other nicknames for the city are: America's Best Kept Secret, The Emerald Necklace, or, my personal favorite, North Pittsburgh. Some people have said it feels like a small version of Chicago. All I know is it's snowing there right now and I have been basking in the blossoms and warm weather here. I guess I'll just get a gym membership and run inside in the winter. Honestly, that's my biggest fear, that I won't get to run outside. Another fear is that we'll get robbed. Positive thinking: I guess that could happen wherever we move.

The best news about it all: I can take my blog with me. Will Life at the Chicken Coop still be life at the Chicken Coop? I don't know. I guess we'll have to find out...

More Amor

Spring Sandals

Who Do I Look Like?
Ronald McDonald? A white James Brown? You decide. I'm sick and so is Finn, so I'm offering a prize to whoever's guess is the best. Good luck!

George, George, George of the Jungle

Dinner tonight: Big Bob Gibson's Alabama White BBQ Sauce-smothered chicken, green beans, corn, brown rice with Smart Balance and some yogurt and Go Lean for dessert. Yum! Travos (I almost changed that typo, but it is kind of funny having a husband with a Latin-sounding name) is an awesome bbq-er.

Tales

Finn is always trying to kiss Lucy. He loved posing with her for this picture because they got to be really close. He is a lover, for sure.
Lucy was blessed this Sunday in her 100% organic cotton dress from Karen Sharp. She didn't even cry during the blessing.
Yesterday Travis accidentally ran over Finn's favorite car. Finn went outside to find it laying in a heap next to our garbage can. He kept saying, "Uh-oh!" and tried to put it back together. Travis bought him a new one last night.

Fresh Start

I was sick of my blue, plate-covered wall in my dining room, so I painted over it and did an installation called, "Women and a Chalk Dog."
The big picture in the middle is by Walker Evans and is called, "Subway Portraits." The other pictures are of my mom, her mom and sister, my great-grandma and her family, and an etching my mom did when he was pregnant with Whitney in college.

And, the chalk dog? Just went well with the pictures somehow.

Long RespiteSorry I haven't posted lately. It's only because I've been working on THIS (see above)! Okay, maybe not. So, I haven't been very faithful to my baby blog, and I wanted to make up for it by posting even though I don't have alot to say.

One thing I will report is: Class is Cancelled. You know that feeling you had when you showed up for class and the sign on the door read, "Biology 311 Section 2 Cancelled Today"? That's how I feel right now because Travis' mom, Grandma Gigi, just came over and Finn insisted on going to her house. How did we know? He started saying, "Bye-bye," and refused to let Gigi put him down. She has a car that looks like this:

You can imagine his delight riding in a car that looks like Lightning McQueen. So, I made some peanut butter cookies for Travis' Scouts, painted over my dining room wall and am now posting. All fun things to do when you have an unexpected moment to yourself.

And, did I mention that Lucy is asleep? Bless her little circadian rhythms!

Harley and Wheezie

From our house to yours: Wishing you a great weekend with lots of adventures!