No one is feeling sorry for me out there in cyberland, but I still feel like doggie doo doo. Double doggie doo doo. I have also (obviously) lost my ability to use similes and adjectives. It's pathetic. DT - Mr. Patience - is losing patience with me. He spent all weekend outside tidying our property. As soon as the grey soggy mist leaves the forest, maybe I will show you what it looks like out there.
For now, I offer this:

The lilacs are in full-on bloom mode, but they are droopy from the weight of the constant rain. I know this because they can been seen from the window in the master bath.

This photo was taken from inside the house. (I did open the window.)

I'm not going to trek through the mud when I can just as easily take the photo from inside our dry, warm house.
Welcome to Oregon
in the spring!
To keep myself from totally losing my mind to (non-contagious!) Cabin Fever, I have been poring over a fat stack of newly-released cookbooks that have somehow gathered
because I ordered them from amazon.com while we have been away.

Except for the cookbook on the top - my sister & niece brought
Mother's Best: Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again
as a gift Friday night. It was written by local-girl-does-good Lisa Schroeder. Ms. Schroeder runs two very popular restaurants downtown Portland,
Mother's Bistro & Bar and
Mama Mia Trattoria.

Pan-Seared Cod Puttanesca from
Mother's Best: Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again
.
2.
Spaghetti Limone Parmeggiano from Gwyneth Paltrow's
My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness
.
3.
Steakhouse Steaks from Ina Garten's
Barefoot Contessa - How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips.
I'm also whipping-up a few gnocchi in my spare time, just because I have been craving gnocchi.
This ambitious project should keep me out of trouble. Tonight's dinner?

A big steamy bowl of Jewish Penicillin. This batch was especially refreshing because I made the stock with (not only the chicken from Shabbat, but I also used) the unused green leek tops from
Leeks Vinaigrette. Very nice. I feel better already.
Until my next update, I remain, your recovering correspondent.