Tuesday, April 17, 2012

O is for Ocopy, Orange marmalade cake and Old courthouse

From Google Images

- My darling two-year-old great niece Mina has a bunch of little plastic animals she likes to play with.  She brought one over to me to look at and I said, "What is this?"  She replied, "Ocopy!"  Hmmm - scratching head, "I don't know that one."  Her mom said, from the kitchen, "I didn't know that one either - we had to look it up."  I asked Mina what the ocopy says and she looked at me and said, "Ohhh."  It's our family joke to invent a noise an animal says if we don't know.  :)

- Stopping by my volunteer organization on a non-volunteer day, to drop off some printing I handled for them and finding there is cake.  Delicious cake, everyone says.  It turns out to be that orange cake of Mitford fame, "Esther's Orange-Marmalade Layer Cake."  It was that very cake that sent Father Timothy into a diabetic coma in one of the Mitford novels.  If you haven't read those books, start from the beginning and read them all - they are truly wonderful.  Here's a link to the recipe.  (And the cake was good, but so sweet I couldn't finish it, although I ate all the icing, which is my favorite part on any cake anyway.) 

- The old courthouse in Milledgeville, Georgia, c. 1885, now empty, taken from the steps of my mom's bank. A beautiful building and I am so glad that they are keeping it, even though it has been replaced by a newer model nearby.  I still always check the time on that clock on the bell tower.

Day 15 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, featuring the letter "O".  Three things that give me pleasure.

20 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

I loved the Ocopy and the Orange Marmelade cake and the Old Courthouse. I will admit to some confusion though. The name Mitford to me means the English family of eccentrics many of whom wrote books. Which I love. Father Timothy? Don't remember him at all. So I followed your link. Aaaah. An entirely different Mitford. Which I will have to chase up.

Riot Kitty said...

Good for you, Lynn! Always eat the icing first.

That is an adorable animal story. I had never heard of an Ocopy. It looks like part horse, part zebra.

Snaggle Tooth said...

The Okapi Johnstoni is one of my Faves, n I have a plastic one too, from Micheals n has a tongue sticking out! They are from the deep Congo Rain forest, n are extremely shy, n silent. Some in zoos have died from heart failure due to hearing radio music! They are so sensitive. I did a design / research college project on what's camoflagued inside the Congo... Also they are cousins to the giraffe. n cool looking!
Looks like a very flavorful cake to try! N books too... Watch that glycemic index!
Another columned n pretty Building- I love public clocks! Especially round face ones!

Leonora said...

I enjoyed the Mitford books. Our little playhouse put on "Welcome to Mitford" last month. They crammed about 5 books into one evening. : )
I've tasted the cake and it is good!

happygirl said...

I LOVE the Mitford series. I read them again and again. They transport me to a quiet, simple time. When I look up from the pages and see the four walls of my home, I have to admit, for a moment, I'm sad. :)

Jannie Funster said...

I think I'm in a diabetic coma just looking at that cake. :)

Can you tour the building? What a nice wedding venue it could make. Or restaurant.

xoxo

Louvregirl said...

"...That orange cake of Mitford fame;" YES! And boy, does that LOOK wonderful. I could definitely grab a slice of THAT right through the darn screen. Did you say that you were taking orders, Lynn???!

louvregirl! (Remember me first.)
:-)

Maude Lynn said...

I'd love to give that cake a try!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynn - I could do with some orange marmalade cake now - I don't make cake very often .. but it's a good one.

The Ocopy is fun .. while the Old Courthouse - maybe it'll become a museum or something useful to the community ..

I bet your niece loves her animals .. cheers Hilary

Debra Harris-Johnson said...

Ocopy- love that name. That cake is awesome looking. I must have a recipe for it. Great post

D.E. Malone said...

Great 'O' words! Love them all, especially the look of that cake! I'm trying it!
What a shame that courthouse is empty. Hopefully someone can find a use for it. I hate to see old, sturdy structures like that go to waste. They don't make them like that anymore!

Unknown said...

OMG that cake looks awesome!! Thanks for posting the link to the recipe!

Stopping by from the A to Z Challenge

Giggle, Laugh, Cry

Lynn said...

The Elephant's Child -

My cousin Ron was the first person to tell me about Jan Karon's book "At Home in Mitford" - the first of the Father Timothy / Mitford books. He said how much he and his wife had enjoyed them for their wonderful characters. It truly made me wish I lived in Mitford after I read them.

I will chase up your Mitford series, too. Thanks for the tip!

Riot Kitty -

Always my motto. And I kept that Ocopy story just for the O day of the challenge - it actually happened when they were visiting a few weeks ago.

Snaggle -

So interesting that you know about them. I had never heard of them. So sad that music made them die. I have mixed feelings about zoos.

I had that cake about two weeks ago and saved the pic for this O post. :) Since then I am off sugar (for the most part.)

I adore clocks, too.

Leonora -

Wow - that sounds wonderful. You live in a wonderful place, sounds like.

happygirl -

They seem to rustle up a bit of drama here and there in those books, but it always comes out OK in the end. I feel the same way - I always wish I lived there, too.

Lynn said...

Jannie -

I think they probably have city records stored there. There was a rumor that Confederate gold was buried on those grounds, but I see no one ever found it. Or maybe they did. :)

Yes - it was really sweet.

xo

lg -

lol - you are the first one I'd call!

And they I love that Mitford was modeled after your nearby town of Blowing Rock, NC. :)

Mama Zen -

Let me know if you make it!

Hilary -

I don't bake much either - we have that in common.

Mina does love animals especially her grandmother's Corgi, Tucker.

Debra -

The recipe is in the link. Thanks for stopping by.

Dawn -

Let me know if you make it.

Kerrie -

Thank you for stopping by!

Louvregirl said...

Love seeing Milledgeville, as well.
:-)
louvregirl (waiting for THAT cake, now...)
:-)

Sparkling Red said...

Marmelade cake - what a good idea! My mother makes a wonderful spongecake with orange juice in the buttercream icing. Just a little tang cuts the sweetness. It's perfect.

LL Cool Joe said...

Icing is my favourite part of the cake too. :)

Lynn said...

lg -

Thanks for coming back, lg. :)

Sparkling Red -

Ooh - that sounds yummy!

Joe -

Yes - and chocolate frosting is my most favorite.

Granny Annie said...

What can I say about this great blog post? How about Ohhhhhhh!

Lynn said...

Granny Annie -

Ohhh back! :)

Since I know you come back and read comments, I'll tell you this story. I was with my sister, brother-in-law and kids (sis and bil that are now Mina's grandparents) and we passed some buffalo in a field. One of the kids asked what a buffalo says and my bil said, "Buff-a-LOWWW!" I pretty sure that's where OHHH came from. :)