Life and cupcakes

Tiffany Granath quoted someone today, a numerology expert. She (the n.e. had said that people often ask her about noticing "9:11" on the clock. I know someone "in my real life" that this happens to ALL THE TIME. It bothers her. It seems somehow scary and foreboding because of what we associate those numbers with now. She wonders if it's a sign, an omen.)

The passage Tiffany read had to do with reframing how you see those numbers. I'm paraphrasing quite a bit, but what I took away is to try to see those numbers as a reminder. To never forget the innocent victims, the heroes in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania.

But also, when you see or hear "9/11" take it as an opportunity to remember that life is precious and short and fleeting and that you just never know when you'll be gone. None of the people we lost that day would have ever imagined how that day would collapse around us. Do the things you'd like to do in life, every chance you get. It is not often that we truly CAN choose how to spend a significant amount of time or money (unless you won the lottery recently, and if so, CALL ME. Seriously. Suzy and I could paint so many towns red, given the resources.)

I've been accused of being a daredevil of late. The kayaking (pfft... on a lake with no waves) and the parasailing are examples, and I grant that the average person might not do those things, but they were pretty damn fun. I've enjoyed the hell out of them. The race was a blast, even though it was So. Unbelieveably. Humid.

Oh, and I started running again. I ran an entire minute yesterday, with no pain, during a 30 minute walk on the treadmill. So at the very least I will go to the Komen run, collect my t-shirt, (since I paid for it) and who knows - maybe if I inch forward between now & then, I'll be able to run about half of it and walk the rest.

At any rate. I've gotten way off the track. Suzy has been trying a "new thing" to stave off "oh no winter is coming and it sucks around here" and art has traditionally been an area she excels at, but she has never really tried her hand at cake decorating before. Until now. And oh, wow.

Here are the "round two" cupcakes Suzy made. The flash made the colors shift a tiny bit when it bounced around the foil pan.. but the royal icing butterflies look pretty damn good! You have to click on this one for a closer look...






This is a little detail of the ribbon around the center cake. Just go ahead and go throw away any cake pans you have in your cupboards ;-)








Just to make me, uh, you, feel better - these are the alien life form cupcakes from attempt number one:

This is one of the piped butterflies that melted in the oven. (It was ALMOST cold and Suzy threw them in to dry.) They were royal icing:

So, there's all of that. Do with it what you will. And leave my girl Britney alone! (What? Oh, I'm KIDDING.)