Tales of the Unexpected

I've had a bird shit on me three times in my adult life. The first two times were in the U.S.A., two different (possibly adjacent) years, in the same geographical location, exactly on my birthday. On my head.

The third time was in Sweden, another (possibly immediately subsequent) year, on my head, on the day AFTER my birthday.

The way I figure it, that bird went looking for me, couldn't find me, boarded a plane, travelled the eight hours it takes to get to Stockholm, flew the remaining distance, and delivered my blessing a day late.

It makes you wonder.

Bets, anyone?

How long is Jeanne going to last in a mandatory class on morals and ethics, where the premise is that both of the above are relative to the environment of the individual?

Jeanne: I don't think it's right to say that certain brain-damaged people don't understand anything.

Teacher: I meant the really severely damaged ones.

Jeanne: You can say that they can't process input, or communicate, but you have no idea what they understand or don't understand.

Teacher: Well, of course, you treat them as if they were normal people. That's where the ethics part comes in.

Varsågoda

In Sweden, it is traditional to bake a cake oneself on one's birthday, and to treat all of one's friends and relations who drop by, announced or not, during the day. It's my birthday today. Varsågoda, which means be my guests, and have a bit of cake. You'll have to bake it yourselves, but I assure you it's worth it.

Crystal's Carrot Cake 150¤ C, 300¤ F

4 eggs
1 3/4 (american) cups/3,5 dl. sugar (the plain white kind)
1 cup/2 dl oil, preferably sunflower or canola
2 cups/4 dl. flour (the plain white kind)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinamon
1/2 cup/1 dl. crushed pineapple, drained but not pressed
1/2 cup/1 dl. shredded (flaked?) coconut
3 cups/6 dl. grated carrot (well packed)
1 cup/2 dl. chopped walnuts (good, but not necessary)
(Sometimes I put in about 1/4 teaspoon of salt, too.)

Mix the eggs and sugar, add the oil, then the flour and other powders, and finally the rest. Pour into 2 greased and floured round cake pans, and bake in the bottom of the oven for 1 hour. Let it cool before you take it out of the pans, or you'll end up with carrot pudding, as Johan did on his last birthday. I was the one responsible for that mess, but I don't want to think about it until my cake's safely out of the pans.

Frosting:
1 1/2-2 200 gr./8 oz. packages of cream cheese, depending on how much you like, mixed with about 2-4 cups/4-8 dl. of powdered sugar (even less is good, too), and a bit of vanilla. Put this between the layers and over the entire cake. I do this frosting by taste, and sometimes I like it sweeter and sometimes less sweet. It's good whatever you do.

I should have posted the recipe last night, because this cake is even better the next day. But it's all right, because there's usually some left over.

I hope you enjoy it.

Dreams and Divinations

"Happy is the man who cares not what he dreamed upon awakening"
-Jeanne

I had a disturbing dream last night. The strongest and most lasting image was of a shallow lake with clear water, which I walked along on a wooden path. The sandy lake bottom was covered with dead crows, the heads, wings and tails of which were intact but which had been plucked or eaten by fish in their middles.

I can't seem to let go of this image. I have the feeling I am walking through the day backwards, trying to interpret what's happened. I'm quite sure if I turned and faced forward, the dream would follow me if it was meant to, but my uncertainty bogs me down. I think I'll go outside and try to cast it to the winds. This doesn't feel good.