Making Banana Pancakes

not literally.  I don't actually like bananas in anything.  Except banana bread.

But I've been taking tips from Mrs. Paula Dean herself these days!  I've gone through at least 11 pounds of butter in the past month.  I have a cookie recipe I like that *LIT-cherally* calls for 1 pound of butter. 1 POUND.  That's 4 sticks, y'all.  But I'm not telling you which cookie recipe it is...everyone who's had it likes them.  No need to ruin a good cookie experience.

Enjoy some of the things I've been 'a bakin' up!

Aimee Kessick monkey bread.  lots of butter.  totally worth it.

the mixing part of an Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Praline Frosting that I got the idea from this gals great blog.  Not butter heavy.  Butter light recipe.

An average fall pumpkin bread.  Butter medium recipe.

Aimee Kessick Choco Choco Chip Cookies.  Seriously excellent.  I'm gonna say butter heavy, and again, not sorry for it.  Aimee also studied under Paula Dean, for a while.

Not edible.  Just my poor Cambodian spatula that apparently should have been labeled "for display only."  Couldn't handle the pancakes.

I've had Jack Johnson crooning during this sesh, so I must give a shout out to Mark Cruz!  757 love.

So I'm not sure if I've written it here yet or just shared it with people in conversation, but I've gotten to the point of chemo where it's not fun anymore.  That should be capitalized.  It's Not Fun Anymore time.  I feel like it's a season I'm in, and I need to watch myself, because I can turn into a Negative Nancy if I'm not careful.  I've hit that 6 session mark (yea!), but I've also hit monotony.  (Yea, this is sounding familiar as I type.)  And I've hit a point where it's hard to stay positive about it all.  I know what's coming each time, and I know what to expect afterwards, recovery-speaking.  But I still can't get over the freaking OUTPOURING of LOVE y'all send my way.  Seriously, I've definitely said this before, but not a day has gone by without something coming in the mail.  Letters, cards, care packages, food....and this gem was in a bag around my front doorknob yesterday

I literally laughed out loud. (right after Africa LITCHERALLY turned into a beehive!!) You know how people say LOL, (or maybe how they used to like 7 years ago...ouch, dating myselffff) well, I did it.  Actually laughed out loud on my front porch.  Brought a smile to my face.  Thanks, Hayden.

Haha, what was I talking about before?  Oh yea, not being able to be positive anymore?  Well, looks like I'm cured ;)  Haha, funny how I was just digging into a good "wah" venting session and it was turned around.  Love does that.  And I've felt it.  In the facebook messages and posts (which I still haven't responded to 90% of them, I'm sorry.  Working on it!  I read every one though, and love them all. Thank you.  Thank you.), texts and calls.  Y'all do that for me.  I feel loved.  Y'all show me how God loves by how you love.  And I'm humbled by that.

I recently read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.  Definitely a favorite now!  I recommend trying them out.  But when I love a good book, or a good series, I get involved with the characters.  I feel for them when things happen, and I get excited when things work out well for them.  I feel like I know them [yea yea, I "know" characters in books...just another indication I'm well on my way to becoming a cat lady.  Wait til you see my new bathrobe-I call it my housecoat :)]  But I do feel a connection with certain characters, and I get sad when the books end.  Because it was just for a season in life.  Just for a time.  But then that reminds me that cancer and chemo are just a season in my life as well.  [oh, that Emily Danner. So deep. ;) ]  

Fun Fact for the day: I love my head scarfs, but I do have trouble hearing in them.  I'm constantly asking people to repeat themselves, or sometimes I just nod and pretend like I heard everything, because the only way to remedy it is to wear my scarves like this:

 Nerd alert!  Or, Lord of The Rings alert??!

*Disclaimer.  11 pounds of butter did not just go into those 4 recipies and one broken spatula. There were more goodies not pictured.

Last fun fact: Chad just yelled "Bruce Willis, you idiot!" From the living room.  Then I heard the familiar "zchoom zchoom" of Jeopardy.  Welcome to our Wednesday evenings.