LOAD520 – Day 26

Oh my goodness! What a busy day! I made poolish for Celebration bread. I made Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets. I made Cherry Crumb Brownies. I was super busy. I’m really happy about the hot pockets. Sean can put those bad boys in the toaster oven and 15 minutes later have lunch. And, he loves them. I’m going to keep the bread recipe for them handy, and make some other kinds. Maybe turkey and cheese, or chicken pot pie inside.

I took brownies to three of my neighbors tonight for dessert. I’ve decided that if I’m going to bake, I need to share. It’s really that simple. We don’t need to eat that much, and I don’t want to stop baking. So there. I’ve got so much flour and yeast… It’s not a problem, until I run out of eggs.

Abbey LOAD – Day 26 – Penny Lane (song)
Story: Create a nostalgic page about childhood.
Technique: Use circles, (round like a penny!)

John told me to go look in my box for inspiration. And there it was. A very bad photo of my Great Aunt Dell’s alligator. My Aunt Dell had an alligator in her backyard. I don’t know how long it had been there, but the story went that Erik and one of his friends brought it home. I’d have to ask Erik, but Dell is a sore subject. So, she fenced off a portion of the backyard, put in a pond, and some bamboo, and kept it in the side yard. Every once in a while, she would bring the alligator in the backyard to clean it’s pen, and then back it went. She fed the alligator raw chicken on a hanger out the bathroom window. It was just a part of her life. We thought it was so cool. Our Aunt, in California, had an alligator.

In the late 1980’s, early 1990’s, a phone guy was working on the wires. He jumped down in to the alligators pen and freaked. Who wouldn’t. That was a full sized alligator. I think it was during the winter, so it was hibernating, but that was the end. Apparently an wild animal trainer that works in Hollywood took the alligator. Rumor has it that the alligator worked on the Lubriderm commercials. Erik reminded me of that. So I think it must be true.

This story is very nostalgic to me. The wonder of Dell’s backyard. She had a huge avocado tree, a kumquat tree, a huge tortoise and snap turtles. It was a exotic place like you’d never seen. Coming from Michigan, it was childhood wonder each and every time. She had drawers full of things. She would say “I’ve got something to show you” and go to a drawer and pull out the most marvelous things. A few weeks ago I found a gift that she had given me that I thought was long gone. I cried when I found it. I miss Aunt Dell. She was wonderful to me.

scrapbook layout of my Aunt Dell's alligator

I knew that I was going to do circles. That was a given. I went straight for my brand new paper! Shimelle’s Never Grow Up. I mean why not. It’s full of childhood wonder. I used the green leaves from the 6×8 pad, and then the trees from the project kit. I will tell you I will wish and wish that I had more than one sheet of these trees. I love wood paper. After I made my tree circle, I decided that I wanted the circle to be recessed. Kind of like you were looking into see the alligator. The circles with the green leaves represent that fact that the alligator wasn’t free. He was trapped, without his other alligator friends. If they have friends. I have no idea. I was grateful I bought the flower embellishments, because they gave it this hidden feeling, hiding in the bamboo.

I’m so pleased. I was a bit worried that it needed a white line around the outside to keep your eye on the page, but I feel drawn into the alligator, and the white journaling so close to the circle draw your eye in.

Do you have a great childhood memory?

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