Most folks rolled out of bed this morning thanking whatever-higher-being-made-Fridays, they were one short work day away from the weekend. Some of us glared at the morning alarm wishing Monday morning wake up calls weren't such a shock to the system. Either way, I'm thinking not too many folks gave a fleeting thought, or care, as to whether a groundhog would see his shadow.

If I were the groundhog, I'd be moving with no forwarding address. All you need to do is look at a calendar to see that the 'first day of spring' is March 20th. Why wouldn't you expect more winter for the next six weeks?

The Pacific Northwest experienced a look-a-like spring day, with bright sunshine and minimal cloud cover, if that's anything to go by. And we didn't have to drag any rodents out of the ground to determine if a shadow would be detected. That might say something about the water they're drinking in other parts of the country. Or it's an elaborate hoax designed to distract you from realizing January flew past, and any resolutions you've made and dropped by the wayside aren't as important as waiting for Phil's forecast.

Speaking of resolutions, or as I've renamed them, challenges (love that no fail clause), week five got not only an early jump by a day, but has raised the standard for future recipes. My computer-auto-guru-repairman, we'll call him J, suggested this weeks cookie. Almond Joy Cookies. Feel free to hum along with me, sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.

I had a hard time keeping my hands off of these. The chewy coconut, crunchy nut and, yes, I relented, the milk chocolate all combined made me think of the candy bar. They are so good! The consensus was unanimous with the taste-testers at work and is a definite must-add-to-the-repertoire cookie.

There is so much information available via the internet, and recipes like anything else are posted by the gazillions. In my humble opinion, recipes are made to share, they've just taken on a different form than being passed along on a handwritten card. I try to give credit due when using a recipe I've found online, and as any baker/cook does, I've tweaked things to accommodate my taste, and baking preferences. I'm still a tad confused about the copyright wording and such, and hope no one thinks I'm stealing from them. So if you wish me not to link to your site or recipe, please feel free to contact me with your concerns. Phew, sorry, had to get that out before I imploded as a co-worker brought the subject up.

And last but not least, this blog is for fun. I'm not and never will claim to be a professional anything. I have a few hobbies and enjoy discussing and sharing them, and you're welcome to join. I'm pretty down to earth and relish the simple pleasures of life, and won't apologize for my opinions. It's what makes us all unique, perspective.