Sunday Update - Week 49?

Another week of 2020 is finished.  2021 will soon be here.  I have great hopes that it will be a better year, but I'm not holding my breath.  I had great hopes for this year and look how that turned out.

Anyway...

I wrote about 150 words on a weird little story that popped into my head.  I'm calling it Bert the Immortal.  I got mired in researching his backstory and then got bored with myself.  Never a good way to start a book.  The premise is sound, though, so I may go back to it once I get out of my own way.

Last week's marketing was wrapped up in Friday's post.  

I wrapped up last week's reading yesterday.

In baking news, I made another pumpkin cheesecake and I also made Peach Jam Squares - recipe below.  (Okay, they were supposed to be half peach and half strawberry, but I accidentally grabbed sugar-free jam instead of regular and I don't like usually sugar-free jam to bake with, so I ended up with 1/4 strawberry from the old jar and the rest peach.  Turns out the peach was yummier anyway.)

In deer news, the rut must be over because the does are gathering up again and they're pretty much ignoring Arthur when he feeds with them.  (He's ignoring them, too, so it's all good.)  Here's hoping we see lots of fawns in late spring.

Not sure if any of you need to read this, but here's an awesome article: Put an End to Emotional Abuse.  I got out of my wicked spiral of emotionally abusive relationships a while before I met Hubs. I can't even begin to count the number of people I've known over the years who were either in an emotionally abusive relationship or who had already escaped one.  Hell, I met another gal the other day who told me about the crap she once put up with.  We commiserated.  If you're in one of these poisonous relationships or if you, too, have escaped one, you're not alone.  There's a sea of us out there.

I sat down and watched Steel Magnolias yesterday.  (The original one.)  Balled like a baby, as always.  The funeral scene... need I say more?  I also cry during the first beauty shop scene because I know what's coming.  Let me also just say, I love Weezer.  I think I'm turning into her.  "I'm not insane.  I've just been in a bad mood for 40 years."  ;o)

And on that note, I'll let you get back to your day.  Have a great one, wherever you are.

How was your week?

Recipe:

Peach Jam Squares

1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups quick oats
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup peach preserves

Preheat oven to 400F.  Grease or nonstick spray a 9x13" baking pan.  In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until smooth and consistent in color.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Stir into butter mixture until well combined.  Stir in walnuts.  Set aside two cups worth of the dough.  Press the remaining dough into the bottom of your prepared pan.  Spread the preserves over the it until preserves covers every inch.  Crumble the set aside dough over the top of the jam and press it down until it's flat.  (You may still see some jam here and there, but that's okay.)  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the jam is bubbly.  Cool completely before cutting into squares.  Store the squares in an airtight container.  I refrigerate mine. (You can easily use any type of fruit preserves for this.  I like peach best.)