The Great Haiku Garage Giveaway # LAST?

So here's the truth... The Great Haiku Garage Giveaway (heretofore known as TGHGG) is KICKIN MY ASS!! Bob announced a while ago that he was finished.  The thrill was gone for him, and he didn't want to do it anymore. I, however, had faith, and fondness, and the ability to get up on Sunday morning at the crack of dawn, and I carried the TGHGG torch onward solo.  And I have enjoyed it very much!

I am going to get in so much trouble for telling you that.

Anyway - since then our Haiku turnout has been fair-to-middling. We've never had a week where no one sent anything in, because we have kind friends who save us from public humiliation when they can, but we haven't been inundated with weekly entries. Maybe it's because most of our good stuff was sold at our Cocktail Tag Sale and no one wants the crap we have left. Maybe it's because, despite my valiant juggling efforts, I have not managed to get a Haiku up every Sunday morning without fail. Maybe it is simply that the TGHGG was meant to flair and fade, fast and furious, like we all wish Miley Syrus would do. It makes me think that perhaps the TGHGG fan base (always small but loyal) is perhaps a bit Haiku'd out.

How will I know?  I'll ask.  I'll ask you!  What do you think?  Shall I Haiku on until we leave? Or shall I let our TGHGG fade into that good night, like Dylan Thomas never could?  Nor Miley it seems for that matter.

If you think that TGHHG has life left - send in a Haiku. On anything at all. Needless to say - this week there will be no winner. If, in your opinion, it was a terrific idea whose bloom is gone, don't do anything. Standing still is also a decision made.

Here's to pawning off troublesome decisions onto your viewing public...  

Ever curious to see what happens next,

Brenna

Great Haiku Garage Giveaway # 7

Update!  We have our very last winner!  Congratulations Mara!!

Hey sommelier!

My hamburger's almost gone!

Bring me the wine, please!

It's been Grand!  

Voting Time!! This weeks winners were picked based on the pre-requisite that they entered.  This strenuous vetting process narrowed the field considerably. Here they are:

1.) Grateful to indulge

My pension for non-English

Forms of Poetry

2) Bob's right about how

Better looks mean better taste,

But Sausage Burgers Rule.

3)  Hey sommelier!

My hamburger's almost gone!

Bring me the wine, please!

When Bob and I were first together, we went to visit his family in Florida. It was Christmas time, and Bob and his sister Barbara and I made Christmas cookies one afternoon. Not just any cookies of course -- Christmas cookies never are. These cookies were from Bob's mom's shortbread recipe, and are the BEST Christmas cookie ever. Seriously. But I digress...

There we were - all happily icing away, when I realized that Bob and Barbara were staring at my cookies. You see, growing up in my house, when you iced a Christmas cookie you put the icing on the cookie and then you moved on to the next cookie. My mom was not one to dilly-dally. Icing cookies was a thing to do, and then cross off the "I made Merry damnit!" list. Take too long and she would get exasperated and toss the whole thing in the trash. My sister and I iced hard and fast while the clock ticked.  

So my method produced cookies that all had nicely sized smears of icing on them. Bob and Barbara's cookie meanwhile were works of art. They had a method, involving several steps, and ending with little shortbread masterpieces. Mine looked like ugly second cousins.

We all still laugh about that moment. But it did illuminate a major difference between Bob and I. I would call Bob a perfectionist.  Bob might call me haphazard. It's a difference in styles, and both have their strengths and weaknesses. I've learned to delight in Bob's method and meticulousness, especially in the kitchen. Bob loves tools and gadgets that I have absolutely no use for.

And - at last - we come to this weeks haiku giveaway: The Hamburger Press. It ensures that all your hamburgers will all be the exact same size and shape. I personally see no redeeming value in this. Handmade patties look, well, HANDMADE! But then again, I've been known to grab a blank t-shirt and a sharpie, and walk out the door 10 minutes later wearing whatever was on my mind. Bob hates it when I do that, mostly because then we're 10 minutes late. Truthfully he'd rather run out to the garage and screenprint the same shirt for me, making us four hours late. (I'm not kidding, we have a screenprinting rig in the garage!)

The Hamburger Press is a three part plastic gadget, brilliant in it's simplicity, and it does indeed turn out uniform (Bob's add: and tastier because they look GOOD) burger patties. Along with it, we're giving away a cookbook from one of our favorite cookbook authors, James McNair, and it's all about Burgers! In fact, it's called "James McNair's Burgers." Bob loves the Calypso burger on page 44. My favorite is the Spicy Sausage with roasted pepper relish on page 40.

There are days when a homemade burger and a glass of wine are the perfect dinner. Maybe I'll pull out that cookbook one more time before you win it...

Haiku Gone Haywire!!

Due to a time change, a dual panic attack, and too much wine last night - the Great Haiku Garage Giveaway will be appearing a little late this week.  Stay tuned.

Great Haiku Garage Giveaway #6

At Long Last!!!  We apologize for the delay in our weekly Haiku fun. We enlisted the help of the California Legislature in picking our finalists. They deliberated long and hard, and then took a recess. So we put all the entries in the poll. They were all fabulous anyway.  Good luck!

 1)  Garage of False Dreams

    Bring forth Ulrica's glass prize

    Daffodils await.

2)  In my crowded home

    I still have space for beauty;

    but not for golf clubs!

3)  Yellow,White,and,Blue.

    An Arrangement of colors,

    To adorn my home.

4)  I love artful glass

    and the bluer the better

    join my collection.

This is a Kosta Boda vase.  It is by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien, who is one of the 8 artists who design their own line for Kosta Boda.  See them all here .  See Ulrica?  She's been designing for Kosta Boda since 1972. She also designs for Ericsson phones and British Airways. She's cool-huh?  All of them look kinda cool in their own way.  Asa Jungnelius looks like a model who also reads Proust.  Anna Ehrner looks like she just came in from hoeing the garden behind her Yurt to finish straining the goats milk for cheese.  Bertil Vallien has salty dog written all over him - until you realize that the cap is a little beret-like, and then suddenly he's professorial.  And of course Ludvig Lofgren listens to Kraftwerk, has a 26 inch waist, and wears very pointy ankle boots.

So this vase is designed by Ulrica.  It has her initials on the bottom.  It's 7.5 inches tall, 3.5 inches at it's widest. I can't find this vase for sale anymore, so it may be retired.  It is bright and charming, and perfect for a bunch of spring daffodils.

Great Haiku Garage Giveaway #5

Update!  No voting this week.  We had one entry.  Actually we had two entries, but they were both by the same person, one just correcting the other.  Congratulations Yo Lama.  Here's your brilliant winning Haiku.

I've always wondered...
Do the green ones really work?
Try it on the wife!

Tell your wife we said congratulations too.

 Oh M&M man, so round and so red. 

I pour little candies inside your bald head.

You store them safely behind your weird smirk

Until someone pulls on your hand with a jerk.  

Happiness pours! A beautiful sight!

But only six pieces of chocolate delight.  

Alas, rounded one, you are stingy I fear.  

Nevertheless, I still keep you near.

I do have a question, my strange little man:

Under those gloves,

Have you actual hands? 

He has been in Bob's office for years, bringing small, round, colorful joy to all who pull the hand.  What was that you said? NO - It was M&M's! Geez! Now we know how your bread is buttered!