We all LOVED the salmon pasta, and there wasn't one morsel left! I'll definitely make that one again.

Then, there was my failed attempt at lemon meringue cookies for the doll event. It was another recipe that I hadn't tried before, but it looked foolproof. Silly me! It called for unsweetened lemon gelatin instead of lemon juice to flavor the beaten egg whites, and I thought that the gelatin would help to stabilize the meringues.

Well, maybe it did, but unfortunately we had a LOT of rain here on Friday night, and that killed the meringues anyway; they're supposed to be dry and delicate, not gooey. Secondly, the lemon gelatin left some sort of bizarre bitter after taste, so the forty meringues went into the trash! They were just horrible. Major ewww. A miserable failure! Disgusting...

Otherwise, the event went well. I'm exhausted, and am SO glad that it's over with now. I love my ladies, though. They're amazing! They came through for me big-time, as they always do, and I think that we may have generated some interest in the club.

One member of our club who hasn't come for about two years (because of surgeries, and stuff) showed up with some dolls she'd made that were just amazing. (No, I didn't take pictures because my camera is still broken, and because I didn't even think to, with everything else I was trying to do and remember!) Another woman, a brand new member, worked her fanny off making massive display boards, and examples of what was being illustrated. One very talented dollmaker arrived with a gazillion dolls (just charming), and a random gift for another member of our club. She's a very modest person, and always downplays her dolls, but she's just amazing, and totally smack-worthy for all of her energy and talent. (We found out yesterday that she also MAKES her sons' boxer shorts!!) I seriously don't know where she finds the time to do all that she does..

Then there's my core group who come down all the way from Baltimore and Columbia, MD. I've asked so much of these three women, and they've never complained, and always come through.

Lastly, the women who are in the Education Department where we meet have been so accommodating and supportive of our club, that they also have my undying gratitude!

But I told everyone yesterday that this was my VERY LAST "brilliant idea" for a very long time!! My brilliant ideas for promoting the club are about to KILL me, and everyone else in the club. LOL...

So, I'll relax until our October 15th meeting, and then regroup in time to hang our Christmas tree with dolls the first week of November, in The Mansion at Strathmore Hall gift shop. Of course there are the November and December meetings. Um, and I have to come up with a program for November. I need to follow-up with our newest visitors to our last meeting, some returned members, another well-known doll artist who may be joining our club next month (newly moved to the DC area), and with our visitors from yesterday. OH -- I need to make some additional dolls for the tree. And, I have to go back up to Rockville next Tuesday to pick up the dolls from the display cases, since our exhibit is over now. And I have to coordinate our current club challenge...

Um...maybe there won't be much relaxing after all.

Good heavens, Moore! That ought to keep you out of mischief for a few months. Please get that camera fixed! I'd really love to see the displays.

Mike is rallying a little and has to go to his band's photo shoot for a little while this afternoon, but he is staying here tonight and most of tomorrow to shake this flu off once and for all. He says he doesn't want to take that 6 am flight from here to Dulles anymore. The cab arrives here at 3:55 am. lol. He's learning...

Time to try to do something with this mop of hair, then we're off to buy Ted's "lingerie". The dryer thingy that turns it off when the clothes are all dry conked and it went on all night a couple of times. That doesn't do socks much good.

Glad the salmon pasta was a hit. And easy too, non? I'm making it tonight, will take some over to my parents. They don't want to come here after all, called Mike Typhoid Mary.

I don't blame everyone for wanting to stay away from Mike's germs!

I've been a total couch potato today. I'm currently sitting next to Jim who's doing something he rarely does: he's watching a football game! I guess that fall is officially here...

Good to see you, jojo.

I think that I may pull out my needlepoint, and watch the game too.

I'm sorry, jojo, but we're rooting for The Skins! It's the best we've seen them do in a long time... LOL. ESPECIALLY against the Cowboys, so we're happy campers.