I Take it Back

Posted on August 6, 2012 by The Sugarlump

Since I have made such a big deal about the skies, clouds, and storms in the South during my first few months as a Nashvillian, my former hometown of Boston decided to teach me a lesson. While I was back … Continue reading →

Butterscotch Brownies

Posted on August 5, 2012 by The Sugarlump

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As a devout chocoholic, I am very skeptical of desserts without chocolate. Recently, Grandmother has made me question my chocolate beliefs by introducing me to “butterscotch brownies.” These things are so decadent and satisfying and buttery and fudge-y and delicious … Continue reading →

(Fake) Sun and Rain

Posted on August 2, 2012 by The Sugarlump

Earlier this evening, after work, I went to get a spray tan because I am going to be in my friend’s wedding this weekend and I’ve had a cumulative 3 hours to sit out by the pool this summer.

And I don’t really tan well.

At all, really.

My own mother even called me pale.

So, I found myself at the tanning salon trying to turn myself a natural bronze without subjecting myself to sun damage.

Do you know the number one rule of getting a spray tan?

Do NOT get wet. Otherwise your “tan” will spot. And the only thing worse than being pale is having a spotty tan.

Imagine my delight when I left the tanning salon and saw this sky. Oh goody.

I got in my car and decided if I couldn’t be out in the rain, I would drive around and chase the storm.

Funnel cloud?

The skies looked different in every direction. There were, dark clouds, sheets of rain, light clouds, pink clouds, a sunset and a spray tan happening all at once.

I could see the shafts of rain and then the sunset illuminating the clouds behind the storm clouds.

This looked promising.

Keeping an eye on that suspicious cloud in the mirror.

Uh oh. The rain was coming for me.

It got me. But luckily my spray tan was safe inside my car.

After my 10 minutes storm chase, I headed by to my apartment as the rain let up a bit. I ran like a mad woman from my car to my apartment with an umbrella after weighing my options of either a) getting my spray tan wet and splotchy or b) getting struck by lightning because I was carrying a metal object. I had decided option b was less likely to ruin my wedding look.

These shots were taken from the safety of my porch. Although, Gus was very vocal in expressing his disapproval of my being out on the porch in such conditions. I could hear his meow faintly through the glass door.

I survived, as did my spray tan.

Y’all be careful,

Sugarlump

Not So Bad After All

Posted on August 1, 2012 by The Sugarlump

After a few days of getting to know each other, it appears that Gus and Scarlett and their new bed are friends. Gus was more open about his approval of the bed. Scarlett, however, I only catch in the bed … Continue reading →

The Garden: Progress Report #7

Posted on July 31, 2012 by The Sugarlump

My first year gardening with Papa has been a bittersweet one. I began the season excited about finding the Partridge head beans in the deep freeze and eager to learn from Papa. While I have learned a lot from Papa, … Continue reading →

The Truck Pull

Posted on July 29, 2012 by The Sugarlump

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Not because it’s summer, the month of my birth, the peak season for butter beans and fresh peaches, full of thunderstorms, or a great time to go to the beach. … Continue reading →

Suspect

Posted on July 27, 2012 by The Sugarlump

While I was in TJ Maxx the other day, I happened upon the pet isle and decided to buy Gus and Scarlett a new bed along with 17 other things I don’t really need.

I was very pleased with my purchases. Gus, however, was a little more skeptical of his new bed.

Sniff.

Sniff. Sniff.

Sniff. Sniff. Sniff.

Very suspect.

Is it a black hole?

Inspecting the cushion construction.

Unfortunately, it is not the spring down he was hoping for.

Keeping one leg out just in case he needs to vacate speedily. You never know with these cat beds.

Not so bad, but he’s not about to sit down.

Enough of that.

Verdict: Questionable.

Not sold on this new lounging specimen just yet.

There’s Scarlett’s tail. Time to go inspect her.

She’s kind of suspect, too.

After all that, he prefers to lounge on the human seat, in a nest of freshly laundered linens and towels.

I guess I could have saved myself that $14.99 on the plush kitty bed.

Perhaps he would prefer my other purchases. I’m sure he could get great use out of my new flat iron.

Scarlett prefers the darn bag that the bed came home in.

I don’t know why I even bother.

Y’all be good,

Sugarlump

Search Terms

Posted on July 26, 2012 by The Sugarlump

WordPress has some pretty spiffy features that allow you to track and analyze your wordpress.com site. You can see how many page views you’ve had that day and the past few weeks in bar chart format. You can see where your page has been viewed from across the globe. You can see which of your posts were viewed and how many times, which links people clicked on from your site and how people arrived at your site. You can see what you had for breakfast everyday for the past month, where all of your high school friends live and how many pairs of shoes you’ve owned over the course of your life.

Just kidding on that last bit.

I think.

There is really an incredible amount of data that could probably be analyzed to develop a complex strategy for getting more page views, but I just like to look at it and take it all in. After that, I don’t do a whole lot with it.

While I always check my page views when I sign in, I think my favorite feature to check out is the box of search engine terms.

Now, many of these make sense such as “old cookbooks” or “sister birthday” because I have dedicated entire posts to these topics. Others, not so much.

Here is a good sampling of search terms that have led people to the Sugarlump:

Birdhouse in tree
Cat shoes
Fried chicken using Crisco all vegetable shortening
Sweet potato experiment
Scarlett’s birthday
Planting pot with dirt
My cat Gus
Men who love flower gardens
Love old cookbooks
Sugar sayings
Taller sister
Dirt rocks
Sugar and scared child
Growing roman beans
Drought sugar 2012
Annie Ruby’s café tomato
Strawberry one pot biscuit
Infant possum
My cheetah print chair
Dramatic clouds
Forced to wear aprons
Two people tap dancing
Qtip addiction
Minnie mouse canopy bed
Is Eugene a southern name

Although WordPress doesn’t calculate this statistic for me, I have taken it upon myself to do some extensive trigonometry and differential calculus to determine that in 35.87242% of these searches, the Sugarlump was a relevant result.

Obviously, the result was intriguing enough for 64.1276% to click on the Sugarlump even though I haven’t had anything to share about infant possums or Minnie mouse canopy beds.

Yet.

I would like to thank all of the search algorithms out there for providing me a good laugh on a regular basis and for sending some completely unprepared, soon-to-be baffled souls to the Sugarlump.

Y’all come back,

Sugarlump

P.S. Various versions of “eugene sugarlump” and “sugarlump eugene” are by far the most popular search terms. I don’t know what to make of this just yet. I’ll let you know after I do some more long division.

Cottage Cheese

Posted on July 24, 2012 by The Sugarlump

Although I try to post (almost) everyday, sometimes I just can’t pull it all together. And I subscribe to the rule, “If you can’t blog something nice/interesting, then don’t blog nothin’ at all.” Yesterday, all that came to mind was “tired. need sleep.” so I decided to cut my losses and go to bed.

Today, however, I have some news to report: turns out cottage cheese is not half-bad.

In my desperation to find something quick for dinner at the grocery store last evening, I happened upon cottage cheese as I was passing between the eggs and the sour cream (two things I really like). Now, I’ve had some brief experiences with cottage cheese in the past, but we never got along that well. I decided it was finally time to give it another chance.

After I got home from the grocery store, I prepared a robust and balanced meal of cottage cheese and steamed broccoli.

(It could have been worse. At least there was some nutritional value.)

Anyway, I actually kind of liked the cottage cheese and I ate it again this evening. I might even eat it again tomorrow and the next day.

After that, I will probably be tired of it and not eat it again for a few years.

That’s just the way I am with food. I become obsessed with things and then I can’t stand the thought of them for a while.

I think I need to review my self-imposed blogging rules.

Let me try again:

Hey there,

Welcome to Tuesday’s post.

I saw a lovely sunset the other night on my walk/run. Ralk? Wun? Trot?

I’ll work on that some more.

And one more random story for the road:

I did some laundry yesterday and I have yet to fold it. Miss Scarlett thought these sheets and towels made a perfect nest on top of her favorite chair.

Bliss.

I’ll do better tomorrow. I promise.

Y’all come back,

Sugarlump

Very Inspiring Blog Award

Posted on July 22, 2012 by The Sugarlump

A great big thank you to Marcy at For Your Good Health (http://marcellarousseau.wordpress.com/) for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! I am so flattered. I really enjoy your photos and the great variety of topics you write about. Very inspiring!

In accepting this award, it is my pleasure to complete the following:

Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
Post the blog award image on your page.
Tell 7 facts about yourself.
Nominate 15 other blogs and let the nominees know they been chosen.

7 Things about Me:

My ideal time to wake up is 7:00 AM. Any earlier and I feel robbed. Any later and I feel that I have wasted part of the day.
I love playing Scrabble. Especially with my family.
I don’t really care much about ice cream. Unless it’s homemade peach ice cream, in which case I can’t get enough of it. For the most part, I would take a big piece of chocolate cake over ice cream any day.
I could look at floor plans all day long. I just love figuring out space.
I love to try new recipes when I can take my time.
I make a lot of To-Do lists.
I rarely finish a To-Do list before I make a new one.

And, now, my list of nominees who inspire me with their words and photos:

Y’all come back and visit!

Sugarlump