Homecoming

Mikkie was in town for AC's homecoming, in big part because her son Ian is now attending AC. Ian plays trombone in the band and is involved in the choir.

I took Mikkie to Farmers' Market and she bought some raspberries so I made my famous Devil's Food cake with raspberry filling and chocolate ganache. Oh Lord, was it good! I used Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook recipe for the cake. It was an easy and tasty recipe I will use in the future.

Mikkie also bought a wild shelf mushroom that is orange colored. I was freekin out saying I wouldn't eat it, but in the end I tried it. It tasted like dry chicken. So when I returned to the Farmers' Market I told "Mushroom Man" that I lived, and that it tasted like dry chicken. He was concerned and gave me a new one and I bought a Hen of the Woods. Well these two (pictured above) are so tasty! The Hen of the Woods is my new favorite mushroom. It has a mellowness to it that I am having trouble describing. The Mushroom Man is now on my Cool People list.

Mikkie is a ceramic artist. She teaches youth art classes at Manassas Clay, in Manassas Virginia. She gave me one of her beautiful bowls, that make me feel so happy to touch and see. I miss Mikkie and have so many laughs when she is around so having her art is like a cozy blanket.
I had no art of my own to give her. FAIL. I am trying to make more art that doesn't need a side of a house to be on.
FYI Mikkie's husband Doug works with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope which recently discovered a "supersized ring" around Saturn, using infrared light. Spitzer brings me much joy. The images it has captured of distant galaxies were a source of inspiration for me when I was designing my door.