Well Folks,

Not too many pictures, though we did a lot. Cooking, shopping, hair styles and more.

Also, by popular demand. MELANIE'S SWAMP CAKES (applause and cheers :-)

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn
2 cups finely chopped, firmly packed kale (make sure it is FIRMLY PACKED DOWN)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons melted olive oil/butter
2 cups milk/rice milk
1 cup diced onion
butter or oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, corn and kale.

2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs, melted butter or oil, and milk to combine. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix briefly.

3. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and saute until golden.

4. Add the sauteed onion to the batter, mix again, then drop about 1/4 cup batter per cake into the skillet, adding more oil or butter as needed to keep cakes from sticking. Cook until cakes begin to brown (about 3 mnutes) then flip and cook until the other side is golden, 1 or 2 mnutes longer. Serve warm.

Serves 4-6 (Note: I believe this recipe was originally found on www.cooks.com)

Enjoy! Well, gotta run.

Love in Christ,
Michael Thomas

I begin this week with my dear mother making some dehydrated snack crackers.

And set the timer for 24 hours or so

"Toeing" the line at dance rehearsal

Art

Ghosts of the dance

Micaiah and Ma makes homemade donuts/bagels

Art

Ma takes out the fresh warm bagels.

Hmmm

Jewelry for a cause (pulledfromthefire.blogspot.com). The Garsee family helps prostitutes in Thailand by providing them alternate work making jewelry. Check out their site!!

Art

Anybody home?

Could this be why our water has been tasting funny?

Art

In which Ma and I go out on a very special trip together. Say ... where are we? A barbershop!!!

Yup a HAIRCUT!!! And when I want change, it's gotta be DRASTIC!

NO TURNING BACK!

Looks like someone shaved a dog!

Wow!

Ma's art

Almost done ... DONT FORGET THE FRONT!

The final product. :-0

One of Dan's posters. I couldn't pass this up.

Melanie and Melissa's reaction.

Kathy's reaction

Art

Needing some beeds, sandles and such, the girls had to go shopping. Of course, what is a shopping trip without a faithful photographer?

Off we go driven, yes, by Melanie. I can assure you that this does NOT mean the roads are any more unsafe. She is become quite the competant driver.

Backseat art

Art - He he ;-)

Shoe shopping

No! Please Ma, not the gold ones!

... Oh dear!

Ack! Even worse.

And on to the next stop.

Nooooo ... I find myself trapped with four ladies in JOANN FABRICS!!!

Hmm, what are the ladies scheming??? ;-)

Examining costumes

Handling every fabric with a loving touch

Home again, home again.

My father's reaction to my NEW LOOK.

With our work bench covered with stuff, our chest freezer serves as a convenient substitute. Here I begin work on a dolly/glider of sorts for our film. I was not satisfied with our inability to make smooth gliding shots. So, with a few inovations, I can now follow our "actors" or dance demonstrators as they walk etc.

I do apologize, but you won't see the final project untill it is in action.

Since so many of you prayed for my mother, I thought it only fitting to post a few shots of her Swiss trip. I begin with her and her faithful travel companion (who could also use your continued prayers) Joyce Lima

Ma's new super fuel efficient dream car

A cute house

Ellen tries to keep Ma focused on the task of writing post cards. ;-)

Swiss art

Cathedral ceiling

Michael, one of Ma's new friends, teaches her a Greek line dance.