Cat Show 2005

We attended the cat show held earlier today. I was in heaven -- it was so much fun and I spent a good part of the day there with my cameras. Since I love to photograph cats and children probably more than anything else, I took lots of pictures. I posted several of them online and will post more in the next couple of days including a 60-second movie (much fun to make these little things!). To view the cat show images, go to Cat Show Pictures. Click on the words, "<-- Newer Photo" at the top of each image to see them all.

I wish we had these shows more than once a year.

Seven Layer Cookies ... Sort of

I was craving chocolate so I spent some time today looking through the cupboard and found a box of devil's food chocolate cake mix. On the side of the box was a recipe they titled "Almost Candy." That sounded perfect and simple - so I made it and loved it.

This recipe is also known as "Dolly Madisons" or "Seven Layer Cookies."

Take a box of cake mix (any kind but chocolate is good) and cut in 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine with a fork. Pat it in the bottom of a 15 or 13 by 9 inch pan. On the top, sprinkle 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup coconut (optional), 1 cup chopped nuts and pour a 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk over it all. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until the top browns a little. Let cool. Cut into squares.

This truly is "almost candy" and very good. I like it better than the original version which uses graham cracker crumbs instead of cake mix.

Advertising Slogan Generator

Give this site a word and it will generate an advertising slogan from it. I entered the word, cat, and this is what it came up with. Refresh the page to see different uses for the same word -- or enter a new word --> Advertising Slogan Generator.

It uses already-established slogans -- so funny. H-m-m, a cat does feel pretty good.

Find Out Everyone On Your Street

... Well maybe not every single person, but I typed in the name of my street and got the names, address and phone numbers of nearly everyone who lives here (from Digg.com).

Find Everyone on Your Street (free)

Catboys

My daughter found this link. Its to a very humorous ad that played on the Superbowl. I died laughing.

Cat Herding

P.S. I finished Harry Potter Book 6. I loved all but the ending -- so disappointing, but now I am eager for the last book which might set it all right (I hope).

Best Veggies for Eating (Nutritiously Speaking, That Is)

Found this chart posted today by Melanie Douglas, R.C., CPT. These are the most nutritious common vegetables and fruits.

I would think blueberries would be in the top ten for their antioxidant abilities....? Maybe I just have blueberries on my mind. This morning, my daughter and I went to a farm and picked over 6 pounds of them between us. Yummy!

... And well worth the picking time which was more fun than I thought it would be -- with many ripe berries, few people, the grass was mowed, the sky overcast and few bugs (except for that one spider latched onto a berry I had picked and didn't notice until I was about to pop it into my mouth).

Make a License Plate

While I could do this in Photoshop, here's a site that will make a license plate for you. This is the one it made for me.

If you feel silly enough and have time to waste try this random domain name generator. Every page refresh suggests another domain name. If those don't keep you busy, try this maze generator. I got a chuckle out of the wanted poster generator. It made this one for me (again, I know I can do this better in Photoshop, but this was quick and easy enough for anyone to do).

Inspiring Podcasts

I am hooked on podcasts! (Those mp3 files you can download and listen to later). I listen to them nearly every day on my iPod or computer (but any music player can handle them). So far, my favorites are: TWIT, Diggnation, The Mike Tech Show, Geekcast, anything Leo Laporte does and my new favorite is "Digital Photography Tips from the Top Floor." While listening to the chapter on composition, I was inspired to take some photos (including this one).

Its wonderful to exercise and get educated at the same time or when driving on long trips. I walk almost daily and my daughter is 22 miles away so I get plenty of listening time.

Harry Potter Book 6 Arrives

Amazon.com came through and the new book arrived only hours after it was officially released. I had never preordered any of these books before, but I figured there were so many people wanting to give away the plot that, if I was going to be surprised at all, I had better read it right away.

I miss the playfulness in the first few Harry Potter books. They are getting dark and serious now. I hate nice people dying. There's enough of that in real life. Still, the books have been good and I want to see it through to the end. The movies have been superb, too.