That's essentially the recipe my mother used all the time. They're great. She always used shortening. Nice and crumbly. My sister mixes butter and shortening. I usually use the butter flavored shortening. Also she never added the salt. Peanut butter generally has enough salt and if you use salted butter, that too has salt in it but use if you like. A suggestion to speed things up, just grab a bunch of the dough and roll it in your hands into a log shape about 1"-1 1/2" or however big you want them, then break off the pieces and set in the pan. Take the fork and go at them. My mother's recipe said to dip the fork in flour but I usually touch the fork to the dough then dip it in sugar. As you're breaking off pieces, usually 2-3 in the pan and one in the mouth. Love that peanut butter cookie dough!

patti I know how hard to say this too, will pass, but it does... I hope you have a favorite window from where you rest...there is always something so soothing about being nosey, lol...if it's not the birds, or clouds to watch, it was my neighbor today...he was trimming tree branches off a very shakey ladder...or the bunny that showed up to eat these awful apples we have on our tree, that have already fallen...I often did/do dishes at midnight, same laundry...and havn't gotten out of the habit! after chemo, dh started calling me vampira...gentle hugs!

Forgive the long note with so many photos. It's the commercial artist in me that gives this much visual support. The yard is large and this is just the beginning of developing privacy - so I planted much denser than what I would have anywhere else. A common mistake of many gardeners is not taking the mature size of the plant into consideration. The Dwarf Wax Myrtle are projected to grow 8’ to 10’ which will cover the windows next door. Right now, they are 4 1/2’ tall. Epsom Salt (magnesium) is helping the Wax Myrtles return from having become chlorotic. "Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye" is the best long blooming, full sun, xeric plant that there is. This transplant helped to set the color that this ‘wall’ would be. So, it became the official the Yellow Bed. In front is “Yellow Gold” Lantana. Another bulletproof plant for us. Recently planted it’s already going like gangbusters. Sedum will bet tucked into several areas once it gets going and I can rob from it. More sedum that I plan to tuck into the wall as I can move it. Oops, didn’t get a photo of the Ghost Plant that I just moved over there. Great xeric succulent that handles freezing weather. Also, recently planted and purchased from the Spring Master Gardener Plant Sale is the xeric, evergreen, Four Nerve Daisy. I’ve been pulling withering blooms for seeds to start so I can spread it this next year. The evergreen Tecoma “Bells of Fire’ will grow to to 6’. It might get transplanted. Not quite sure right now. I want to bring in a taller xeric evergreen, Tecoma "Jubilee” and distance it from this bed so that it will be able to provide some afternoon shade from our blistering Texas Sun. That will tie in the colors of orange across the bed. This was on the property and stunted by the only shade there was. Once moved out into full sun, it started to take off. It’s doubled it size since then and projected to get 4’ tall. A few of the other plants... The Sweet Osmanthus was on it’s own till I transplanted it over there. Many leaves and stems were removed in the process to insure that it would make it. There’s an identical one on the opposite side of the Yellow Bed. Now, I’m contemplating letting it return to a full and bushy evergreen. So, once again, I’m watering it in this first year. In the corner behind is Cestrum “Orange Bells”, another bulletproof evergreen. The Wax Myrtle to the front right will eventually hide it. While planted to become part of the evergreen privacy hedge, it might be pulled out front and enjoyed. I can’t wait to watch the hummers come to it. Rocks were used as a buffer to keep the dogs from pruning it. Also left many large bags of leaves to do the same thing. Gradually, I’m introducing those leaves into the soil that I’m making. Unfortunately, the oak leaves don’t compact like other leaves. But, they are free when I drive around the neighborhood with my trailer and pick them up. There is large bed that is probably the next area to work with. So, I might plant a vine there instead, along in the yellow to orange range. The Mexican Flame Vine is so beautiful with it’s orange blooms as it attracts the butterflies like crazy. But, it dies here every winter. So, I’ll probably start cuttings over the winter. Center: Bay Laurel. To be transplanted out further into the yard this Fall as I make an island bed just for trees. Right: Maxmillian Sunflower. Expecting to see some blooms witting the next couple of weeks. It has got a great trunk on it for having been there such a short amount of time. I stopped watering it some time ago. Will complete in the next note.

2pups -- The series is definitely 'film noir'! I think the aim is to put us inside Billy's messed-up head, but maybe it's just artistic license. Wait until you see the beginning of the second episode. (Eat your heart out, Busby Berkeley.) They must have a gigantic budget. Nice to see J. K. Simmons in the series. We loved him in "Counterpart", and everyone knows him from the Farmers Insurance commercials. No more Mr. Nice Guy here.