What exactly is figgy pudding?

Does anyone know what a figgy pudding actually is?  And, if so, how to make one?

I've got about 500 ripe figs that need to be used.  And used fast. 

Our fig tree was a wee little guy when we moved in a year and a half ago.  Now it's a towering two-storey jungle of a tree that we can't cut back fast enough.  We pick a big bowl of figgies every day, but it's still not enough.  The ones we don't get to in time get eaten by the pesky wildlife (squirrels and birds) and then dropped on the ground to become fodder for the even peskier bees.  And I do not like the bees.

When Blake and I were picking figs last week, we accidentally knocked a baby bird out of its nest (disclaimer: we're not masochists...we had no idea there was a nest in the tree, or else we would have been more careful while picking).  Blake and Jimmy spent the rest of the evening devising -with the help of google- operation baby bird rescue.  They successfully got the little feather-puff back into its nest.  It was great news at the time, but now the little puff has been chirping as loud as he can for as much of the day as he can.  It's so bad that I'm about ready to go knock him out of his nest again. 

Tonight: The Final Showdown

via LucyLou

I love this.  My Blake, my brother and my friends are indulging me tonight and are coming to see the last installment of Harry Potter with me.  (Note: I generally refer to the beloved series as "HP" but it makes Blake cringe because of my nerdiness.  So, it is for you, my Blake, that I've called it Harry Potter above).

It's hard to believe that I read the first Harry Potter about 13 years ago.  Time flies.  But I guess I didn't really grow up much in that time. Here I am at 25, writing my 300th blog post, and it happens to be about Harry Potter. 

8:30 can't come soon enough.  Accio weekend!

Year of the Yard

You may or may not have seen what we've been doing in the yard lately, but the transformation is coming along nicely.  We've got big plans for the next month: a new shed, an arbor, and a slate patio...all good things.  But while those things are still in the pipeline, I've really enjoyed reaping the benefits of having a husband with a green thumb. 

New Digs

Due to an increase in hiring and a lack of office space, I now have a corner office for the next year.  I'm not quite sure how I got so lucky, but I'm certainly not complaining.

Five windows and my own controllable thermostat.  Does it get any better than that?

Some things take me a long time...

Remember this post from January of 2010?

I claimed then that days of our old dinosaur of a washing machine (age 43) were numbered.  After my I-Love-Lucy experience complete with sparks, smoke and a washer bouncing across the flooded basement, I just about threw in the towel. 

But, we made Dino last another year and a half.  Sure, we may have only been able to wash on cold.  Sure, we may have not been able to run more than two loads in a row without risking another explosion.   And sure, our whites may not have been as bright nor our clothes as sterilized as the average consumer.  But we did it.  We made it work.

Then a couple of weeks ago we officially became old and boring.  I got a small bonus from work and when we looked at the check we both immediately said: "Pefect! This will cover a new washing machine!"  See.  We're old.  And really boring.  But I digress.  Back to the main event:

Bye bye, dinosaur:

Hello, my beauty:

This sucker has a 4.0 cubic feet capacity and is, consequently, the new love of my life.