Thank gawd for the blawg

This weekend is, as you all know, 4th of July weekend. Mike and I are going to a bbq, so we are trying to come up with stuff to make. And whaddya know, I thought: "calico beans!" Mike wanted to make some sort of bean dish, baked beans, or something. I suggested calico beans and he said "Do you have a recipe?", to which I replied "It's on the blog!" Finally, months later, I have found a real practical use of this blog, which has apparently been sitting here quietly waiting for someone to tack up an update. Soooooo....here goes:

I am finishing up with school. I am so excited to be dine--no more papers! No more research projects! No more getting graded! Yeah, not really. The trouble with going into librarianship is that I am doomed for a life of continuous reading, research, and writing. I am also doomed for a really competitive job market right now. My internship library has been given permission to hire on one .5-time librarian (no benefits/20hrs a week) and I am afraid to tell anyone about it because new MLS graduates will be coming out of the woodwork to apply for this job. So keep it on the DL, Beechams. I will know more about it later on--but lets just say: cross your fingers for me.

Kirsten and her beau, Daniel, are coming out to Portland to visit me next month. I am really excited to have Nebraska visitors again. We are living in a place that is so much more home-y than our last apartment. Well, we've been in this apartment for 2.5 years, but you know...Anyway, they are coming out for my graduation ceremony, so now I guess I have an excuse to go. And it'll be august, which is the absolute most perfect time of year to visit Portland. The rain is gone, the sun comes out, and people get happy.

Mom (and other Beechams), I have a foodie question for you now. I am planning on making a big pan of rice krispie treats for the barbecue on Saturday. Mom, there is a recipe for the treats in your cookie cookbook that calls for corn syrup. My whole life, I have made them with melted marshmallows, butter, and rice krispies. My question is this: which recipe did you all use for family gatherings because that's the one I want to use: with peanut butter and melted chocolate chips on top. Is this the corn syrup recipe? Let me know! I will post the recipe on here for all to use. I will also report on the success of the calico beans.

One more note: We are drawing ever closer to the Horrible Anniversary. I want to say right now that Sarah is constantly in my thoughts. I was bequeathed her beautiful vintage green Fire King dishes last year and I use it all the time. Every time I go to a party, I make sure that I take Sarah's green bowl (now called Sarah's Bowl). I feel like whenever I take Sarah's Bowl with me, I am taking Sarah's fun-loving spirit along for the ride. I love that I have this reminder of her with me here in Oregon. I miss her so much, and I can't believe that it's almost been a year. So Margaret, thank you so much for giving me her dishes. They are a beautiful and appropriate reminder of Sarah's personality. They not only capture her love of thrift-shopping, but her love of food, parties, and family.