tantara!!!

Oops! I disappeared. Unfortunately, it was not Alice-style...no talking caterpillars to report. I just, well, got busy and forgot how much I was enjoying the blogging and then accidentally stopped doing it.

There is just so much going on right now and this morning's quick, work-diverting thumb through the online news tells me that a lot of it is bad. Well, to that I say, "no thank you," and "how 'bout something happy?" So here is a list of things that have been pleasant, amusing, and interesting to me lately:

a recent word of the day that I was able to work-in today during noisy, morning rush-hour traffic.

Giada on the Food Network.
(who does NOT want to eat "eggs in purgatory?" I'm renaming all recipes using themes from Dante from now on.)

also, Giada gave me these, which were a total hit at the most recent party.

this morning on the Today show, Meredith Viera was giving Martha Stewart a hard time about complicated recipes ("Can't I just buy canned sweet potato?" "No." "It's not gonna taste any different.") and then at the end of the segment, Martha handed Meredith a Cranberry Meringue Tart and once Meredith took a bite and said yum, Martha chirped, "It's poisoned!" I will try to find the video. We laughed out loud.

names. I love names. I remember reading the section on name meanings in my mother's college dictionary over and over again. There are lots of baby name sites, but I like this one a lot (and it doesn't have pop ups).

France. Good food. Purse chairs.

and last, and perhaps most excitingly, did you know that Koko the gorilla is still alive and well?! Love her website.

especially love the kids' page.

Now go flutter around and spread some happy fairy dust.

And check back soon. I promise to stick around.