Nature's perfect food: The scrumptious Milano!!

Is there anything more divine, nurturing or delectible than  a Milano?

If I do say so myself....this is a HELLOVA loaf of bread!!

"Tall, and tan and young and lovely..."

Really, did you ever see bread so beautiful?  And it tastes even better than it looks.  Its hugely tall and ever so light and fluffy.  You have to hold it down with both hands just to keep it from floating off the cutting board.

Honestly, you just hate to slice into it.  I'd rather just frame it and put it in a shadow box and charge people to gaze upon it!.

I wish I could cut you up a big thick hunk right now, dear bloggee, and smear it with a thick layer of butter and jelly.  Serve it with a big glass of cold milk!  Sheer heaven, I promise you!

Two highly odd coincidences and a train wreck....

I've had such a weird 24 hours. 
Yesterday I wondered about two things - an essay I wrote years ago and whatever happened to it at the publishers.  Nothing I figured.  Then, for some odd reason I thought about a professor I had in graduate school and wondered if he was still alive as he had seemed rather frail and the last time I saw him was in 1995 when I graduated.
Then last night, or, rather, early this morning I had the strangest dream!  I dreamed that Tom and I and Pip and "Little Boy" my wonderful huge kitty who died 6 years ago all went on a short trip to a resort for a weekend of outdoor fun and concerts.  The place looked something like a combination of the Alpine Resort, a turn of the century old timey resort in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin and Ravinia.
As in a typical dream there's a bunch of stuff that is fuzzy or just lost in retrospect but I remember the end very vividly. 
It seems the pets had to stay in a separate area and Tom and I were preparing to sit in some nice Appalachian type lounge chairs on a big, open veranda to hear the night's concert.  There were thousands of people there, also, getting ready to listen to a grand night of music.
Unfortunately, we got into a big fight over something or other and he walked out and left me to go sit with the pets (!!)
I accumulated all of our belongings (blanket, picnic basket, etc) and went to look for him.  I walked for what seemed like blocks and blocks, passing thousands of people who were all looking at me very  oddly as I was walking against the tide of humanity.
Finally, I got to the front area where the pets were kept and a train pulled into an adjacent train station bringing up more revelers and concert goers at the last minute.
I wasn't paying any attention to the train at all, focused on finding Tom and resuming our fight when suddenly the train jerked wildly off the tracks and onto the grass.  The front car, filled with tourists, fell over and all the people were thrown helter skelter.  I continued on my way, not noticing any of the havoc caused by the train wreck, still seeking Tom....then I woke up!!  I wonder what it all means??
Then today, as I was walking down Broadway going north, about 2 in the afternoon, who passes me going in the opposite direction but Professor Marco - the very one I had been thinking about yesterday.  He looked fine and didn't notice me at all.  As he passed by I knew he looked familiar but I didn't place him right away and by the time I realized who it was he was way past me.  I had him for 5 classes - he was a really interesting and witty man.
To top it all off, when I came home I turned on the computer and saw an email from the publishing house that my essay was accepted (after waiting a year) and has been published into a book.  The editor said she will be sending me two copies in the mail in the next few days.
Pretty wild, huh?

Words of wisdom from my DM:

Time proven sayings repeated to me by my dear mom.  These wise words have come back to me many times over the years and, had I paid attention the first time, I would have saved myself a lot of misery.

"Less said, easy mended" (How often this old saw would have saved me from some really nasty interpersonal difficulties.)

 "Idleness is the devil's workshop" (Yep!)

"A fool and his money are soon parted" (I'm still guilty of this one!)

"Laughing turns to crying" (This was a hard one and I think it is a vote for moderation in your emotional life.)

"A stitch in time saves nine." (Why do I hate to drag out that old sewing box?)

"Always get your stuff ready the night before.  Then you won't have to rush the next day." (I still do this - every night I lay out what I will wear tomorrow.  If you are lucky enough to have a house with radiators - all the better.  Who doesn't love to put on toasty warm snuggies on a cold morning??)

Back around 1962...

My best friend, Mary Alice,  and I used to stop by "Hanley's House of Happiness," an Irish American tavern at 79th & Bishop.

It was, mainly,  a hang out for the Irish "just off the boat" crowd.  We were seniors at Visitation High School at the time and being first generation Irish American we would be known as  "narrowbacks" -  a somewhat perjorative word supposedly reflecting the fact that first generation men were not as strong doing manual labor as the Irish fellow who recently left the Ould Sod.

Jack Hanley, the owner,  was from the same area of Galway as my dad so he was, for sure, a "regular" at the bar.  When Mary Alice and I would go in dad would take us around and introduce us to his cronies who would always want to buy us drinks.  Pretty soon we 17 year olds would have a  table filled to capacity with 15 to 20 glasses of "highballs" and "7 & 7's" - the ladies drinks of the time.

Hanley's was the southside Irish "place to be" in its day, especially after the St. Patrick's Day parade but, also, on any weekend with the standing room crowds,  the live music and dancing. 

How great would it be to stop by once more and see dad sitting at his favorite bar stool in the middle of telling one of his infamous "tall tales" and see his face light up as Mary Alice and I strolled in, all dolled up in our sheath dresses, high heels and beehives and 'have him introduce his "little girl" around again.

What did the "little woman" do around the house today...

besides surfing the net, that is?
Well, its too miserable to run SO she washed the kitchen and lower bathroom floors, swept the house, washed down the counters, cleaned out the fireplace, and baked a loaf of honey wheat bread in the bread machine.  Now its time for the Photo Shop lessons.
Is is cocktail hour yet??

Spring is on the way!

I couldn't resist 'em.