Toast

Update, a Winner, and News for Gardening Pittsburghers

A report from the bad blogger: So where is the roundup? Why haven't you heard from me? Where's my banner?
The shortest, truest answer is sloth, on the part of the undersigned.

In more detail: There was insufficient response on the Terrinereama front to warrant much of a roundup. I think I picked a topic which may have appeared fussier and more complicated than it actually is, putting people off. In any event, I do have a winner of the cookbook. She is Solange, of Just Baking. Her terrine can be found here, and her book will be on the way in short order.

You haven't heard from me because I'm having a lazy patch. I expect to have a new post up within the week, as I'm making something I hope will be fun. I love writing this blog, and have never viewed it as a chore. I don't intend to start treating it like work...so if I don't feel like writing it..I don't. There are an awful lot of old posts available if you feel like browsing the categories...unlike my banner, they have not mysteriously disappeared.

Typepad assures me that they are working on the mysterious disappearing banner issue. I really hope that they can restore it..I don't have it backed up anywhere, because I m a fool. I patched it together with inadequate software, no experience, and some good luck, on my old (late) computer. I was very attached to it, despite its inadequacies.

Good News: If you live in the Pittsburgh area, and have a garden that's not all planted up yet, the Urban Farm in Wilkinsburg still has a good selection of naturally grown seedlings available. This is a great boon, because it's getting really hard to find what you want at this late date. They have heirloom varieties and seem very interesting indeed- I hope to go visit them soon. You can find out more about them and proprietor Mindy Schwartz through their website.

See you soon.

Every once in a while, I suffer a setback in my ongoing battle with myself to keep from posting pictures of my cats in this inappropriate forum. It's a slippery slope, as I am totally non-objective on the issue of how delightful and fascinating they are. Once I get going, there's a major danger of overkill. This would be Archie, who is unimpressed with the excuses cited above.

Technical Problems

Having some Typepad technical problems. Wha? No banner? Hope to be figured out soon.

Banner in Progress

I'm fooling around with making a banner, as you can see. Please excuse trials, works in progress,etc. I have no real graphics software (or knowledge), so things may look peculiar for a bit. I just was feeling it looked a bit too plain at the top. Everything else will continue as usual around here (whatever that means) while I play with this from time to time.

Addendum: I have been using a free on line image editing tool, which is fairly simple and works with my mac (which Picassa doesn't, last I checked.) It is limited, of course, in fonts and otherwise, but hey, it's free. And since I am not so clever tech-wise, perhaps it is the best sort of thing for me. Someday, I'd like to be able to afford and play with photoshop or the like, but meanwhile...this is fun.

The watercolor painting you see on the banner is by an artist whose last name seems to be "Landini". The signature is very small and difficult to read. I bought this small painting at a house sale, and have it
hanging in the bedroom.

Home, home on the domain

This is just a note to let you know that Toast can now be found at its own domain name: www.lindystoast.com. Old links still work... and the skies are not cloudy all day. The occasional Discouraging Word may still slip in from time to time.