9 p.m., 62 degrees

I think spring might have finally arrived. Yesterday it was in the 60s and today was nearly 70. We spent a while at the park yesterday, flying kites and throwing a frisbee. There were people everywhere, playing like they'd been in hibernation for months (they have). Wes broke his kite and I lost mine to some power lines, and we both have sore arms from frisbee, but it was a wonderful afternoon. (I wish I had pictures. There were also the college-age kids who had a hula hoop, a guitar, a harmonica and very white winter legs.) Then, to make the day even better, we watched the first two (original) Star Wars movies and ate jalapeño poppers and shrimp. Did you know that cocktail sauce is ridiculously easy to make and tastes way better than the stuff in a jar? See the (sort of) recipe below.

[I have public radio jazz playing in the kitchen, and I just heard "fell down the stairs and died." Who fell and died, I do not know, but there you have it.]

This weekend has also been spent catching up with friends. I've probably been on the phone close to five hours since Friday night. I forget how much I miss girl talk and reminiscing about old times. Sounds like I need to do some serious traveling/visiting soon. Good thing I have a girls weekend planned for the end of April—Boulder, here I come!

To round off the strange assortment of details in this post, here are a few...recipes.

Cocktail Sauce
(Wes found some recipes online, but this is what he put together at the coffee table.)

Ketchup
Horseradish
Finely chopped garlic
Tabasco
Red chile sauce or hot sauce
Lemon juice

Mix. Taste. Adjust. It's really the horseradish that makes the flavor so great. Don't be afraid of the burn.

Easy Gelatin Fruit Salad
(I've made this several times over the past few months. It's perfect with whipped topping, for dessert or breakfast.)

1 (15 ounce) can fruit cocktail (in fruit juice, not heavy syrup)
1 orange, peeled and chopped
2 packets unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups fruit juice
approx. 1 tablespoon sugar, if desired

Drain the fruit cocktail. Add 1/2 cup fruit juice to the cocktail juice. Sprinkle the gelatin over the juices and allow to sit for a minute or two. Add the boiling water and stir until dissolved. (Add sugar.) Add the rest of the fruit juice, orange pieces and fruit cocktail. Stir. Refrigerate until set.

Moisturizing Face Scrub
(You know those fancy facial products that have about 50 additives? Why bother. This worked great for my dry, scaly winter- and hard water-abused face.)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (either table or sea, or a mixture)

Combine. Scrub lightly onto face, especially in dry areas. Leave on face for a few minutes before rinsing gently with soap and water. Moisturize while face is slightly damp.