Cactus from the "Desert Garden" at the Huntington: these Pictures are for Jocebean's Enjoyment

Monger B. 1988-February 23, 2009

Monger passed away yesterday after a brief illness. He is survived by his loving Beane family including Alice, Tiger, and Gold Kitty. Monger was intelligent, funny, and quite naughty. He was always such a presence. Monger was adopted in 1989 from a local animal shelter not far from Pea Ridge, and he had a long and happy life. We miss him desperately and will always remember him.

I love my Sur La Table baking mat!

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Sometimes small 4-legged-creatures with whippy-tails wake me up very early on Sunday mornings. When that happens, I have no choice but to get up & BAKE!!!

You would think that bothers me to be jarred out of a deep, lovely dream filled slumber. Nope - I am ok with the furry wake-up call.

Why, you ask?


Well, I have the Sur La Table baking mat and it is awesome! Nothing sticks to it ... And all the goodies I bake on it are perfectly yummy!

Before, below ... I love my Anthropologie Owl! BTW, I read that Michelle Obama is decorating their home, in the White House, with Anthropologie ... She probably has some owls too. Did you know that Michelle & I have the same birthday?



After, below ... I always add lots of honey to my fluffy biscuits!



Sipping a cup of hot tea makes these treats taste extra good ... Starbuck's London Fog Tea Latte is my current fave!

Now, I have some work to do for a meeting tomorrow ... What have you baked lately?

Huggs,
JoceBeane

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My Tweet Valentine's Day e-card

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Roses are red
Violets are blue
I made this e-card just for you

It's not the neatest
It wouldn't pass a test
But it's made with love--that makes it the best!




Huggs,
JoceBean & all the Kitties
=^..^=

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Monger and Gold Kitty

Sweet Gold Kitty takes good care of his hero, the Monger! GK hangs out with his buddy most of the day, and they snooze together. (GK is a world-renowned expert on snoozing and its relationship to the stress-free lifestyle). GK also gives Monger a good grooming now and then because Monger doesn't remember to groom himself anymore. Here they are reclining together in one of their favorite hangouts -- bed!

Dissertation Report for February

This is an image of Elizabeth Montagu from an engraving after Reynolds & it hangs at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
I've set the end of February as my deadline for chapter one, and I'm on schedule I think, but it is slow work. The first chapter is about Elizabeth and her husband Edward. I've written all the historiographical background on 18th century marriage & interpretations of the Montagu marriage. Now I'm working on my own interpretation of the letters between them and that is much more fun! The letters I'm using are from 1742-1763 and are part of the Montagu collection at the Huntington Library in CA. The name of the chapter is "Court vs. Country" and refers to their differing opinions about the monarchy after 1760.
I work everyday on at least something related to my dissertation...after this chapter is done I am going to take a day or two break before diving into chapter two which will be about the friendship between Elizabeth and Lord Lyttelton. LL and Jocebeane have the same birthday -- see post below for an excellent close-up of Lyttelton from a painting by Arthur Devis! There is hardly anything written about Elizabeth Montagu that a general audience might be interested in...I think it would be fun to do a book and EM & the Bluestockings. They are very interesting!

Baby Bean has pierced ears!

Here is Baby Bean moments after getting her ears pierced last Sunday...notice the birthstone earrings (emeralds for May). Her ears are still a little sore, but BB is very excited and can't wait until she can wear all kinds of groovy earrings! She's got 5 weeks to go until she can change out her earrings........