Can we talk?
Yes, Of course we can…you and I have been talking for several years now and so I know I can tell you anything!
As you know, I have been painting all the rooms at Villa de la Luna….
OK, even though the Captain and I put up a plaque declaring that Villa de la Luna is the name of our home, (which means home of the moon)…yes, I name inanimate objects….the plain and simple truth is, it is our home no matter what we call it.
Stay with me here a minute my dear readers.
If you have ever painted a room, you can imagine what a mess it can be with drop cloths draped here and there, ladders (count ’em, 3 of them) set up in different areas and “stuff” that sits on tables such as little vignettes are all clustered together, as well as scattered around to any surface that is available. Therefore any surface is fair game to become the resting place of candles, vases, books, greenery, and lamps, etc. etc!
In other words, your room looks like the inside of a cluttered thrift shop.
EXCEPT!!! Except, my current painting project involves the “main” part of our home which consists of the kitchen, kitchen nook, dining room, entry and living room. Hooray for the open concept….except when painting! This wonderful open space which our friends and guests gush over….has actually become very cluttered with “paths” woven in an out among the…stuff!
Because I work slow.
Because the Captain is flying and won’t be home until next week.
Because I am in no hurry and I like to take my time and do a good job.
Because I am painting over dark stained woodwork…white no less.
Because I am also painting walls and because the Captain is good at painting the 15-20 foot walls…my part of the painting only goes so far up the wall. Yeah! picture that in your head.
And therein lies the problem.
It is a total mess but when it is finished, it should be very pretty. I hope.
So, I have on my paint clothes which consist of a pair of very thin, cut off sweat pants splattered with various colors of paint from previous paintings… an old “IN AND OUT” T-shirt….don’t judge here….yes, I have eaten my share of “In And Out” hamburgers and yes, I thought I needed a T-shirt to tell the world that hamburgers and french fries were once a staple in my diet! ….and a pair of paint spattered, once bright white but now an ugly dingy grey-ish tennis shoes.
We won’t even discuss my hair do…the messy bun with white paint specks, or my manicure of Kansas City Royal blue nail polish now with fashionable white flecks of paint scattered here and there.
And then it happens!
The door bell rings!
I am not expecting anyone but I stop what I am doing (which meant getting myself up off the floor with the help of a stray dining chair) and finding my cell phone (because we have one of those door bells that you can see who is actually at the door and you can talk to them from the phone) and I see two nicely dressed ladies.
I do not recognize them and I am assuming they are trying to sell me something so I spout off:
“I’m sorry but I really don’t want or need anything”….
I mean, I am busy here painting and perhaps I was a bit more curt than I normally would have been because it really took an effort to get up off the floor….I am going to have to keep my cell phone within reach next time.
Then one of the ladies said:
“You put a card in the offering basket at church Sunday saying you would like us to drop by to discuss a few of the missionary projects we are working on”
I did???? My mind raced back to last Sunday when the Captain handed me the collection basket and I dropped in the “tear out” from the church bulletin.
Oh, I did! So much for being in the spirit at the time.
I stalled for time….
“I don’t believe I have ever seen you at church”….I faltered looking around at my cluttered house.
“We go to the third service and we understand you go to the first service.”
You see, our church has an 8:15 a.m. traditional service followed by two contemporary services.
So I headed for the door because I didn’t feel I should tell them to come back another time.
I opened the door and they entered the courtyard, both of them commenting on how “lovely” it was. As I led them into the house, my thoughts were racing as to how “lovely” they would think the cluttered inside was.
But then it came to me….I had made a lemon pound cake recipe for the Blog and it was sitting in the fridge with only one slice out of it.
For the photo op, you know…ok, and for me to taste too!
So I hurriedly explained that I was painting the house as I moved “stuff” yet again from the kitchen nook table to the kitchen counter top. I was getting good at this transfer business.
I rescued a couple dining chairs to put around the table so my guests could have a seat.
I opened the slider to the courtyard to help remove the smell of paint on the inside of the house and then I took the pitcher of iced tea from the fridge…tossed in a few slices of lemon and offered them iced sweet tea and lemon cake….all the while talking about painting walls and the pros and cons of painting stained woodwork white.
I figured if they were listening to my endless chattering, they would overlook drop cloths and ladders.
They were delighted with the cake and tea and thanked me profusely.
Sigh…..it was just like it had been planned.
Warm, Summer breezes, birds singing and an impromptu “time out” from my painting duties, having sweet tea and lemon cake with two lovely ladies.
I think the sweet tea is what won them over….allowing them to concentrate on the tea and cake rather than the clutter! Most people down here in Florida prefer their tea sweet.
Or it could have been the moist lemon cake with the drizzled lemon glaze.
Or it could have been because I said yes to volunteering for the missions committee.
Have a Blessed day!
By the way…the handy dandy printable recipe is below.
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cups of sour cream
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice, at room temperature
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- Mix half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix in the buttermilk and then add in the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Pour the cake batter in a bundt pan that has been generously sprayed with baking spray.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn the cake over on a cake platter. Spread half of the lemon glaze over the warm cake so that the glaze can soak into the cake. Let the cake cool completely and drizzle the remaining glaze over the cake.
- Cream the butter and slowly add powdered sugar and lemon juice. Beat well until the glaze is a creamy smooth consistency.
Sounds yummy. Wish I was there to enjoy!
Thanks Karole…I do too! We hope to see you guys soon on your next travel South. Hugs Always