Pea Soup! And Cinnamon Buns!

It's Baaaaack! The Fog. Thick, swirling viscous fog of the marsh and California Valley. The fog that kills. Boats collide, cars and trucks mix up metals and paint.
Terrible stuff this because here...life goes on with or without it. One must drive in California, it's a rule. Everything you want, job, careers, training, food, fast food (not real FOOD but simulated...quite popular) and that commodity that makes it all run...gasoline! Yes We Drive For Gas! So in fog as thick as this the traffic barely slows down except to glare at some other poor soul who has given up and is parked in the high speed lane eyes wide open (or shut!) in fear for his/her life! Then they get hit! So went the commute to wherever. Fog so bad that hundreds of cars enter the fray when some woe-be-gone changes lanes into the side of a passing big rig. Others, the other way is to take only 2 lane roads and avoid the high speed travails of the Interstate grid lock death race. That's even more hazardous!
Uncontrolled entrances from side streets, mom and pop stores, mini-malls, strip malls, malls! Deadly game this Fog Driving business. Avoid the driving and you sit home watching reruns of "Dr. Phil's House" where couples take IT out on their spouses and Others trapped by the good Doctor in this HOUSE somewhere in Hollywood (I expect). Or watch your cats sleep. Life is OVER in California without your ever so reliable car. It's the way-it-is.
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Then there's Cinnamon Buns To Die For:

These are for breakfast in Heaven...
Now...think of that regular ol' Lute whole Wheat Nut Loaf from a few blogs back...make it but w/o the oats in the beginning and hold the nuts for after the 1st rise. Use dough cycle of your machine, or do it by hand, I don't care.

Same recipe except:
ADD 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon to the dough right in the beginning.
Now:
Mix thoroughly
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Cloves
2 TBSP (the big one) Butter or Margarine
1/2 cup chopped Pecans, chopped Walnuts (expensive these days), Pine Nuts,
Spanish Peanuts.
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The Glaze:
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Shortening or Margarine.
Heat this slowly in a small skillet til it just begins to boil, turn off.

At the end of the 1st full rise while the bread is still in the risen state,
poke a finger in it and knock it down...this is normally done by one of the
baker-helper angels but here on earth it's up to you. Don't punch it!
Never. never, never! Others are watching!
Now...after that rant...
Take your dough and place on a well floured surface. If God wanders by at
this moment because of the luscious smells...tell him it'll be a while,
he'll understand...maybe.
Roll and shape with a rolling pin to a large rectangle.
Sprinle the brown sugar mix over the entire surface.
Roll tightly into a long round loaf.
Cut 1" slices across the beauty and place in a well greased pan, skillet or
baking sheet.
Allow to rise til it doubles...45 min to an hour.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove and brush on the glaze as you like it,
thick or thin.
Allow to cool...HA!
Tell the angels to "beat it"! This disaster is yours and you'll make more
for them later...share one with God. Or two if you're friendly.

Ice on Laurel Creek and Other Matters

Ice, yes...ice on the surface of Laurel Creek. No waves, no ripples, no patterns of wind nor fish or the otters as they cross and weave thier ways. Just cold, dense and most of all, rare. This is, afterall California. Ice on open water here is virtually unknown. The last time I can remember such an event was about 1995 when on a boating trip on our vintage boat Zulu we ran into the ice sheet as it extended from Suisun out into Suisun Marsh just past the old boat ramp. It damaged her bow a bit but Zulu became an icebreaker that day as we plowed through the thin crust to dock at the dock behind our house. Today it was 27 degrees here, brrrr. But as we drank our coffee and suited up for the days work at the little house we watched as Audrey threw rocks skidding across the ice towards the opposite bank. Wonderful!
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The little house proceeds, Audrey and Kelly spent the day painting the laundry room and the dining room to be (was a bedroom). I, wisely I might add, kept my mouth shut about the color selection. Med do NOT make such choices if they have a brain. It's one of lifes little lessons. Fabric colors either unless you are gay and prone to clothing design. It's just not wise. Creates conflict when it wasn't necessary.
Anyway, they chose a light yellwish cream color for the entire house interior. Nice, light and sunny. In a <1000 sq. ft house it will certainly help the place feel larger. The trip is a bright gloss white, which shows every bump and crevis and paint drip from the last hundred years. It looks very good. I got called into service doing the difficult-to-reach areas high up on the 10 foot ceilings. I like the painting chore, it's fairly mindless and the end result is always worth the effort...IF you got the colors right!
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Israel's invasion of the Gaza strip is totally understandable given that Hamas apparently (a hot word I know) broke the cease fire some months ago with the multiple rocket barrages upon towns within 20 miles of northern Gaza. I'm no fan of the heavy handedness of the Israelis but what possibly does Hamas and thier Palestinian fellows expect after all these years and all these battles?! It's been proven...the Israelis kick ass to protect thier people and protect thier right to exist in Palestine. Those that don't like it can continue to harrass and harrang them but the outcome surely is understood by the world at large...Israel will strike back and the innocent and the guilty will shed blood. Nothing new is going on here this time. Hamas will be weakened by the killings of thier leaders and that is that.
New ones will sprout up and maybe, oh maybe another course except violence will be created between these war-like nations. Maybe. Nonetheless, while the world awaits another cease fire...pay attention to this now...Syria, Jordan, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt have NOT joined the battle. They know...they know what I've just said is true and they won't. I've watched the middle east and studied the action and reactions between the various societies over the many years since Israel's inception and often wonderred why the US didn't carve out a homeland for the jews in our country? Have Disney do a Jewish Epcot Center in the middle of the Mohave Desert with all the attributes of Jurusalem, 3/4 size of course, and be done with it. Give Palestine back to the Palestinians and walk away pleased. Know thins...it wouldn't work.