Breaking Bread on this Excellent Day

I had this day filled with plans and purposes.

But nothing has gone according to schedule.

I couldn't be happier.

It started off with a bunny surprise.

When I left early this morning to meet my running friend, all in the home was well. The kids were snoozing and the dog barely looked up at me in that I know you're not taking me out this morning look as I grabbed my keys and headed out.

I had a great run (although my knee hurt quite a bit) and I came home ready to get started with the day.

I hadn't yet made it to the door and I could here Kona the Wondermutt making funny sounds, whining and gruffling a little bit, but when I came to the door she quickly ran outside.

I made my way to the kitchen sink and grabbed a large glass of water. Imagine my surprise when I turned around and saw this hopping into my kitchen:

I knew nobody was awake, so I was trying to figure out how she got out of her cage. (She normally lives in the garage, but its been so hot we've allowed her in the family room for the summer.)

I scooped her up and walked to the family room where I found this:

So much for Italian Bunny Condo's found cheap. The bottom, literally, fell out.

I know that when I left that morning the cage was intact, but I'm uncertain how long she was roaming the house.

I cannot tell you how glad I am that Kona the Wonder Mutt did not eat Penny.

What a disaster that would have been.

The Boy and I jerry-rigged the cage to keep Penny safe, but when The Mister comes home he's gonna see what he can do to ensure the pets, at best, won't run-amuck....  or at worse: to keep our bunny from ever becoming dog-food while we are out of the house.

Since the morning was overcast the kids weren't too excited to go to the pool, so we opted to stay home. I went out and picked veggies and then I've been working on homeschooling stuff and listening to a book on CD...and icing my knee.

Gettin' old ain't for sissies.

I also decided that our impromptu stay at home lent itself to making bread.

I cannot tell you why I adore making yeasty breads and doughs, but I do...

I love the time it takes. I love the smell. I love the way dough feels...and truth be told, I love that impatient feeling of anticipation that happens...the goodness you hope for behind the door of the oven.

Making bread makes me (and others) happy...if even for a moment.


So I started with a banana bread, to keep the instant-gratification natives quiet. And while it was baking I started what was to be two big loaves of cinnamon bread.

In a flash of clear vision I decided to try something completely off recipe for one of the loaves - instead of cinnamon, I spread Nutella all over the top and quickly rolled it up, as if my secret might be found.

In the words of the Mr and Mrs. Carpoolqueen It did not suck.

So that is what's happening at the LaVida House on this fine, wonderful, bready day.

What are YOU up to?

Pretty as a Penny

The La Vida Dulce Family Proudly Presents:

The Girl's Newest Pet:

~ Penny ~

She's the sweetest Holland Lop bunny this side of the Mason Dixon Line.

We all love her already.

The Boy actually thought of the name based on her coloring, and The Girl thought it was perfect.

So do I.

Have I mentioned how sweet she is?

Cuz really, she is so sweet.

Can I share a secret?

I didn't tell anybody, but I had every intention of coming home with two bunnies last night. But there was a man, that I will refer to as The Sheriff, cuz he was six feet tall and packin' on his right hip. 

He swooped in behind us and picked the other female out. I sat back for awhile in hopes that he would find one of the boy bunnies to take home.

After a few minutes I tried to win the bunny back by looking him in the eye and saying in a mirthful, yet purposeful, voice, "Are you gonna take that bunny?"

Then I smiled real big for emphasis. 

He looked down at that little ball of fuzz with love in his eyes and said, "Yes I am" in a slow North Carolinian drawl.

So I paid for Penny and left.

Who am I to get between a man and his bunny?

So I came home without a friend for Penny.

That's OK. I have a feeling she isn't going to be wanting for love....

Happy Friday!

The Bunny Proposal

I will admit that I tend to have a soft spot for animals.

It's not a crazy-I'll-go-out-and-lay-my-body-in-the-middle-of-a-busy-street-for-four-legged-furry-people type of love. It's more like a I-can't-say-no-when-I-really-should kind of love.

Even my father pulled The Mister aside before we were to be married and warned him to "Watch out. She is a keeper of all strays."

I'll admit, that's true.

Growing up I brought home several dogs, a couple of cats, a mouse (which ended in an unfortunate event when he escaped his cage and was found one very early morning as he ran across my Dad's sleeping head. For the record, the mouse lived, but it was touch-n-go for me for awhile...).

Oh, and OK, I'll admit that it didn't always work out, like that time in the late fall of my senior year of high school when I brought home a Japanese Exchange student, who had been kicked-out by her host family...but that's another story.

If I like animals, my daughter is passionate about them (my mother would call this passion: pay-back.)

This is the same child who at the age of 6 came with me one morning to teach a pre-school music class. She pulled me aside to inform me that "Bringing Home the Baby Bumblebee" was not an appropriate song to be teaching children. After all, the bee does not fair well in the end. In fact, he gets squashed and wiped on ones pant legs--which is the REAL tragedy: more laundry for mom.

Those of you have been reading for awhile know that The Girl had a puppy (Sophie) for nearly nine months that didn't work out (at no fault of The Girl's). She has grieved over that puppy.

A couple months ago, she said she was ready to try another pet, she thought she might like a rabbit.

Since I tend to look at every opportunity as a "teachable moment" I told her to research rabbits... while I  approached The Mister about adding to our family allowing The Girl to get a new pet.

Thus The Bunny Proposal was born:

As you can see, we The Girl was given approval. So we she moved forward in the bunny process.

Yesterday we purchased what I originally thought was a bunny condo, but found upon construction that its actually an Italian villa; as the instructions came in Italian only. (I got it for over 60% off because it had a crack in one of the non-essential pieces. There is nothing like ocean front property at suburban prices.)

(The stuffed bunny was placed for full effect.)


This week has been a tough one for me personally. So the excitement of this new adventure in pet-keeping is a welcome reprieve.

My new furry bundle, (ahem), The Girl's bunny comes home tonight...

Happy Thursday!