Mickey Takes an Uppercut

The first meal of the new year was pancakes, made by me. That happens often enough on Saturdays anyway, but this time I had pecans and blackberries on hand to add a little zip to the creations. Ann still asks for pancakes with mouse ears -- you know, like the famed cartoon character. Since blackberries were available, she asked for a face made of those, and watched me add eyes, a nose and a smile.

I had a little trouble with the flip. On a plain pancake, or even a nonrepresentational pancake studded randomly with blackberries, that wouldn't have affected its essential goodness. But since I was going for a smiling face, it looked like Mickey had gotten his jaw dislocated in a bar fight. Maybe he was defending Minnie's honor.

Ann didn't complain too much, eating it all with syrup, and gusto.