Bits and bobs (and biscuits) on May Day.

Happy worker's holiday. Today is the first day I am not a (paid) worker in a good long while. Sad to say, I was laid off. You know, I LOVED my job. LOVED.

It's been a hard time. For a long time, really.

This makes my third lay off since the Mister and I were married in 2002, and he himself has lost two jobs.

I do have some leads, and feel optimistic.
Even in this climate -- political, economical, seasonal.


So back to it.


Meanwhile, we are experiencing the first ever "for no reason other than life" weekend with the Mister home in Ziggy's whole life. He, the Mister, has left the radio station, at least for a time, to focus on school, which is intensifying. He has been the weekend announcer at Nashville Public Radio going on seven years, so it's a big deal to all of us. It's been that long since my Mister and I have had a dedicated day off for relaxation, home projects and basic rest and reconnection.

Last night, realizing that Daddy would be home all weekend with us, the boy was all aglow. At bedtime he said, "So we can do anything we want to! ALL day! We can have pillow fights and boxing fights and make train tracks." Happy happy little boy today, basking in the presence of his father.


Extra grateful we are all here cozied up at home today with storms raging -- the worst flooding we've had in Middle Tennessee in thirty years, I hear. Tornado warnings and watches abound, lightening strikes were in the thousands by mid day. The much anticipated soccer game was canceled, as was our trip out to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens to celebrate its birthday, and even the alternate plan to visit the Adventure Science Museum (I scored us a half price membership this past week through Groupon!)


We don't seem to mind, as long as we are together, and there's another pillow fight scheduled and horses are running races and there's stovetop popped corn and granola with milk and a lovely celebratory breakfast of CSA porkchops and eggs with homemade biscuits nearly, but not quite, worthy of Zona, my grandmother. I am thinking of her particularly today, as Papa and Diggy (my folks) are down in their native Deep East Texas this weekend for a family reunion and for May Day, what we've always called Decoration Day down in Panola County. My father, I hear, has a big new hat to wear to the graveyard working and dinner on the ground tomorrow. I am sure that my mother will be her smashing and ladified self, as ever.


If you want to make some delicious biscuits, here's the way I do it (baking them in my late grandmother Gertude's pie tin.)


Almost Zona's Drop Biscuits

Sift together 1 C (all purpose) flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda.

Cut in 1/4 C shortening (usually I use butter.)

Stir in one cup sweet milk w/ 2 tsp vinegar OR 1 c buttermilk.

Drop by spoonfuls into a lightly greased pie plate or some such, with spoonfulls of batter touching.

Bake 10 minutes at 450. 7(or so) minutes in, put bacon grease, chop grease, or a teeny bit of butter from back of spoon on top of each biscuit, making a slight depression on top. This helps brown the tops.

When done, pull out of oven, lift biscuits out of pan and turn over. You can then see where to pull apart.

These are biscuits like my grandmothers made, and my preferred kind. Less fancy, but to me, tastier than other dry drop biscuits or rolled and cut out biscuits.

They are scrumptious plain and hot from the pan, drizzled with honey or sorghum or molasses. Filled with preserves or eggs or sausage. Or used to sop up gravy.




In completely unrelated, though everything is related news: I adore my friend Betsy's blog. She is such a good writer. Check her out.

And please continue to pray for Katie's boy, H. and the whole family and his caregivers.