Dear Reader Column 03-23-11

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Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

Sixty bags of mulch are sitting in my yard waiting for the old "heave-ho." I've trimmed back weeds, put in some new plants (remember, I live in Florida), fertilized, and spread a little something for those nasty snails that insist on burrowing down deep and eating the roots of my flowers, and now I need to mulch. But looking at those 60 bags of mulch lined up, row-after-row, the word that comes to mind is TEAMWORK.

Paul, my four-year-old grandson, explained TEAMWORK the other day when he was trying to carry a box filled with toys. "Grandma, it's too heavy. My teacher told us TEAMWORK." Paul picked up one side, waited for me to grab the other, and together we sang the TEAMWORK song as we carried his box of toys into the living room.

TEAMWORK. It has a nice, easy, relaxed, ring to it. Especially if my team consisted of 20 people. Each person spreading three bags of mulch and my work would be done. But where am I going to get a team of folks willing to help spread 60 bags of mulch around my flower gardens? My grandson's smile would get me to do just about anything, but since I'm past the age where a cute little smile will get the job done, I think I'll cook a turkey instead.

Three or four times a year I cook a Thanksgiving feast when it's not Thanksgiving. Word has gotten around town and I have a waiting list of folks who would love to be invited. Hmm, TEAMWORK...

You're invited: Suzanne's Turkey-Teamwork Garden Party. A spring Thanksgiving feast; complete with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberries, jazzed green beans, cole slaw, deviled eggs, shrimp salad, pumpkin, cherry and apple pies--all homemade.

Time: Four p.m. (it's an early dinner so we have plenty of daylight to "enjoy" my flower gardens.)

Attire: Shorts, T-shirt and tennies. (Preferably ones you've never liked. It's a new dinner party concept. Instead of wearing your best clothes, you wear your worst.) Caps, gardening gloves, and sunscreen will be provided for our pre-dinner party "game" and dessert will be served outdoors, in freshly-mulched flower gardens.

To see a photo gallery of the flowers blooming in my yard, goto: http://tinyurl.com/4vbq3p8

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/

* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE SAGA OF GOSTA BERLING by Selma Lagerlof. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/March11Classics

AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

 

Comments

[NS]

I love your flowers. I especially like the little extras like the pig and tea cups! Your porch is beautiful, befitting of a beautiful lady. Thank you for who you are, what you share, and what you do. You are an inspiration.

[NA]

I just wanted to say Thanks! Your garden pictures were a sight for sore eyes, and trust me - these eyes are sore from seeing winter weather! My daffodils and tulips are peeking inches above ground, but received a brief covering of snow on the first day of spring. We're due for some more tomorrow night as well - oh, the joys of New York! Ah well, the warm weather will come and my gardens will soon flourish. It was a pleasure to get a sneak peek from your gardens.

[EW]

I am currently reading your book "Muffins and Mayhem" but then of course, you know the title! I don't always read your columns but I did today. I
like your idea of a garden party and hope you get a lot of takers. I like gardens too so I had to have a look at your flowers. What's with the china in the garden? Perhaps I'm too nosy for words but I'm also curious.

I especially like the sound of your crock pot stuffing as that is my very favorite part of the turkey dinner. Now there are just three of us, we
don't buy turkeys that will hold nearly enough. There are other recipes I want to try too. They appear to meet my two essential criteria, simple and good.

Thanks for writing the book. I'm enjoying it very much so far. I thought it would be a nice break from "The Arsenic Century" by James C Whorton. A fascinating book and one that makes me wonder what someone will be writing in 150 years time about the dangerous things we do unwittingly today!

[AA]

OH...I like the sounds of the first one..."teamwork"
I would have NEVER heard of this if it had not been for your sending it out like this...THANK YOU!

[AA]

What pretty flowers! Here in the Mid Atlantic, our spring flowers are just starting to bloom. Love the little pig, I have two in my garden. Will send photo of them when I send photo of me with book I won, the "Green Eggs and Ham" one. Had turkey for dinner last night but it was from Bob Evans! Still tasted great. Love reading with you every day.