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I have had numerous people tell me I look like Patrick Stewart when he played Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Barb strongly suggested I get a Picard costume for the Halloween party last Saturday night. She dressed as “a generic alien woman”. She was correct to make the suggestion:

Photo by “Bettie Page”.

The number of complements and favorable comments I got were uncountable. They ranged from numerous guys merely saying, “Captain” as they walked past and multiple requests to beam us to some other location to, “I just wanted to say you totally rock in the Picard costume.” I even had “Bettie Page” sit on my lap for a while (she also sat on Barb’s lap so it might not have been entirely the costume).

Barb: I’m going down to the kitchen. Would you like some grapes?

Joe: Maybe. I’m kind of hungry but I’m not sure what I want.

Barb: Would you like some cake? That’s a food group.

That’s my kind of woman.

ChiefJayBob sent Barb and I matching shirts.

Barb’s came with instructions. There was something in the instructions about wearing or not wearing them at the same time and being dorks. I don’t read so good and couldn’t really understand it that well.

Anyway, we appreciate receiving them and put them on this morning.

Here are the pictures:

When I was in Idaho last weekend my SIL Julie was making elderberry juice with the juice extractor I bought her last Christmas. I wanted some and brother Doug picked some more berries (as did I since I didn’t know he was doing it) and I ended with a full gallon of juice to bring back home.

Barb had said she would help me preserve any fruits I brought back but she was thinking apples, pears, and prunes. She didn’t know anything about elderberries. I happily informed her that you make jelly out of them. For some reason her enthusiasm did not match mine. Obviously she had been culturally deprived for all these years and once I informed her of this she would have the enthusiasm to match mine. For some reason that didn’t work out quite like I planned. She remained skeptical but looked up a recipe and yesterday she purchased the supplies.

Today we made elderberry jelly, cranberry jelly (from 100%, no water or sugar added, cranberry juice I bought in an Idaho store after daughter Kim told me about it), and 50/50 elderberry/cranberry jelly.

Here is the result:

Barb, after I insisted that it was really good, tasted some of the cooled foam that we scooped off prior to putting the jelly it in the jars.

She became an elderberry fiend. As soon as we finished with the jelly she made elderberry syrup, elderberry liquor, and some sort of mix of vodka and elderberries. If there are still elderberries on the trees when we next go to Idaho she wants more.

I think I have been forgiven for bringing home the elderberry juice.

Barb: I got all the kinks out.

Joe:  When you went to the gym?

Barb: Yes.

Joe: What did you do with them when you got them out?

Barb (after no more than a half-second pause): I put them in the corner for later when I want to get kinky.

Barb and I went to Idaho this weekend and as we were leaving the area on Sunday we had brunch at Tam’s Place in Pullman (Washington) with daughter Kim and Jacob.

I had a bacon and cheese omelet. I was impressed. The inside was mostly bacon with only enough cheese to fill in the gaps. I opted for the French toast on the side. I could have had hash browns or regular toast. I really liked the meal.

Kim and Jacob seemed to enjoy their meals:

Barb had eggs benedict and said it was marginal.

Barb’s Thanksgiving Day Jell-O turned out quite well. All her siblings complemented her on it and were very grateful. Apparently their mom was a Jell-O Jedi-Master or some such thing and they all missed the Jell-O at the family gatherings.

Barb has been assigned the task of bringing Jell-O to Thanksgiving dinner at Mark’s place. She didn’t have a Jell-O mold so she went to Goodwill and found one. Last night we put the test Jell-O and fruit in it. It spent the night in the refrigerator and when we got back from our walk she warmed the mold in some warm water then flipped the Jell-O and mold onto a plate. It turned out fairly well. She warmed it just a little bit too much though. It was good to do the trial run so she can have it turn out perfect for Thanksgiving.