heading out on a rainy day
to explore, discover things, and learn
in the much larger classroom of the universe.
—
“the universe is a great university.”
-sai baba
Apr28
Author Archives: beth
Apr27
happy accidental birthday, bumpy cake.
A Beloved Treat, Born from a Happy Accident
German confectioner Fred Sanders Schmidt first opened up his confectionary in Chicago, but that venture was short-lived, as it was a casualty of the Great Fire in 1871. Sanders and his wife, Rosa landed in Detroit, where he reopened for business in 1875. Sanders Confectionery has been a Detroit institution ever since.
For its first few decades in business, the store was simply a good old-fashioned chocolate and candy shop, with most of the products handcrafted by Fred and Rosa. In 1912, Fred decided to begin selling baked goods to honor the passing of his father, who had been a prominent baker and business owner in Illinois. One of those items was a rich chocolate cake, first frosted with vanilla buttercream and finished with a glossy chocolate fudge ganache, a nod to Fred’s candy-making skills. During one recipe test, Fred began to run out of vanilla buttercream, and instead of frosting the cake in a thick layer as planned, he playfully piped the white frosting in several rails across the top of the cake, which created a bumpy surface under the fudge icing and made for an attractive cross-section. After recognizing that most Sanders customers always asked for “the cake with the bumps,” the name was changed from “Devil’s Food Buttercream Cake” to “Chocolate Bumpy Cake” and a dessert icon was born on April 27, 1913.
side note: this is one of my favorite cakes and also the nickname given to me by the waiters i worked with years ago, who suggested that i should use the name ‘bumpy teacakes’ should i ever become a dancer, and the entire restaurant crew knew me by this name forever after.
—
“nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
-ralph waldo emerson
—
credits: sandersbakery.com
Like many happy culinary accidents, the newly fashioned cake with its unique look took off with customers. Initially called “Devil’s Food Buttercream Cake,” so many people simply asked for “the cake with the bumps” that Sanders changed the name to “Chocolate Bumpy Cake.”
Like many happy culinary accidents, the newly fashioned cake with its unique look took off with customers. Initially called “Devil’s Food Buttercream Cake,” so many people simply asked for “the cake with the bumps” that Sanders changed the name to “Chocolate Bumpy Cake.”
Apr26
show or tell?
not my baby brother, but a similar-sized baby with one more hair. —
my brother was born
when i was in my very early elementary years
i was so excited when he was born
he was the newest thing our family after all
i wanted to bring him in to share with my class
during show and tell
i couldn’t believe it when my mom
refused to let me take him on the bus and bring him in
telling me i had to bring a picture of him instead
i was furious
i couldn’t believe it
she was so mean
the nerve of her
i ended up showing his picture
told stories about how he cried and was loud and smelled but was cute
and years later
when i had my own children
i kind of got it.
—
“maybe there’s room for both, telling as well as showing. it’s something to think about.”
― a
― a
Apr25
board meeting vs. bored meeting.
after someone moved
i was asked
to be an ‘at-large’ member
of my condo association board
filling in for a few months
but i soon
found myself elected to a two-year term.
i’m not really a fan of boards, meetings, or committees
nothing against them
just not my favorite pastime
so not exactly what i was hoping for
but i do want to say a big thank you
to all who voted for me
even if it possibly had something to do with
me being the only one willing to join
but that is neither here nor there now
you are all invited to at least one of my inaugural balls
i’ll get the invites out as soon as things calm down
i’m very busy
working on lining up the entertainment
and trying on gowns.
—
“never schedule a board meeting on wednesday, because it kills two weekends.”
-kurt vonnegut
—
image credit: napoleon dynamite, 2004, fox searchlight pictures, paramount pictures, mtv films
Apr24
wonderful day.
back at the lake for the first time this spring
—
“this is a wonderful day, i have never seen this one before.”
-maya angelou
—
irish hills, michigan, usa – spring 2022
Apr23
seed sampler.
what a wonderful collaboration between the library and local seed organizations
once again showing how important a library is to a community
“inside every seed is the potential for an incredible harvest.”
-farrah gray
Apr22
on earth day, and every day.
kinder in their natural habitat capturing the ever-elusive giant stick
—
“live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink,
taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the Earth.”
-henry david thoreau
Apr21
to the bat cave!
Bat Bar in Lost Canyon Cave, Ridgedale, Missouri
If there’s another drive-through golf-cart bar in a bat-filled cave on top of a mountain, we don’t know about it.
IN THE MISSOURI OZARKS, THE Bat Bar gives new meaning to the term “watering hole.” It’s next to a waterfall within a mountaintop cave. The good thing is it’s never all that crowded, unless you count the bats.
Visitors park at the Top of the Rock welcome center and take golf carts through a 2.5-mile woodland path over streams and bridges, stopping at both a butterfly garden and a scenic overlook calledEagle Pass. Shortly into the trip, the trail dips into the Lost Canyon Cave, wherein lies the one-of-a-kind bar. Tipplers remain in their carts as they park next to the wood-built bar constructed in 2014. “Better Settle Your Nerves,” reads a paint-splashed board below the counter. They can choose from a number of cocktails, from John L’s Hoop-de-Hoo (vodka, tonic, and grapefruit), the Cannonball (amaretto, bourbon, and pineapple juice), or Bat’s Blood (vodka with strawberry and peach lemonade). Bottled beer and wine by the glass are also available.
Take your time rolling through the Lost Canyon Cave: It’s home to a natural waterfall, a live bat colony, and the skeletons of both a saber-tooth tiger and a short-faced bear. Visitors aren’t allowed to walk around the cave itself, but a railed pathway snakes around the waterfall pool at the heart of the lantern-lit cave.
If the bar does get the best of you, Big Cedar Lodge always has overnight housing available.
Carts are available for rentals from 8:00 a.m. until 45 minutes before sunset. Drivers are permitted alcohol, but not before signing a liability waiver.
“come on, robin, to the bat cave! there’s not a moment to lose!”
-batman
—
credits: atlas obscura, trip advisor
Apr20
noetic or poetic?
NOETIC
no-ED-ik
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Greek, mid-17th century
Definition: Relating to mental activity or the intellect.
Examples in a sentence:
“The philosophy department attracts noetic students.”
“Noah was equally athletic and noetic”
—
Some travel life,
Shining brightly noetic
But as for me,
I’d rather wax poetic.
-beth
—
image credit: npr brightside
Apr19
this time.
even though
it’s mid-april
and the skies
delivered snow today
i thought back to a few days ago
when just like today
i had my sandals on
and came upon
a mother and child
in the sun
taking time
to create art
with simple and happy words
‘have a nice day’
for anyone in the neighborhood
who may come by
needing this message.
—
“this time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”
-ralph waldo emerson
I didn't have my glasses on.... 