What a horribly (yet luscious!) lazy weekend we just had! Friday started with our usual Happy Hour at Don Pablos but this time it was just Hubby and I. Two other friends stopped by briefly but we didn't have 12-16 people joining us that we usually have. Not that I don't think that is GREAT fun but just Hubby and I was very nice. We stopped at Home Depot on the way home and splurged on new outdoor furniture. We were replacing a 20 year old set of treated lumber furniture that we loved but didn't find terribly comfortable to sit on and therefore rarely used. We used our anniversary last weekend and Hubby's birthday yesterday as an excuse.
Saturday, we got the furniture all set up and tried it out with coffee while waiting for the grass to dry. Hubby mowed while I straightened up the house and then we spent the rest of the day at the lake. We stopped on the way home and picked up some fresh corn and grilled corn and hot dogs for dinner.
Sunday morning was our usual church service and then breakfast. After that - a day at the lake! Summer took a long time to get here but this weekend it was sunny and almost 90 both days. Perfect lake weather! The corn was so good on Saturday that we picked up some more yesterday and grilled it again with some chicken.
We plan to celebrate Hubby's birthday next weekend with Low Country Boil (Frogmore Stew) and cake and ice cream. He was willing to postpone it for a week so that we can celebrate with friends and family. Everyone was busy this weekend!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Wear Sunscreen
This is one of my favorite speeches/columns of all time. It was originally written by Mary Schmich on June 1, 1997 for the Chicago Tribune. I am posting it the way I came across it years ago - as a commencement speech.
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2003:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.
Oh, never mind.
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.
But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future.
Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy.
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.
The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive.
Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters.
Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives.
Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees.
You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't .
Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance.
So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body.
Use it every way you can.
Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it.
It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your livingroom.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines.
They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents.
You never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings.
They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise.
Politicians will philander.
You, too, will get old.
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund.
Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse.
But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia.
Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2003:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.
Oh, never mind.
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.
But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future.
Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy.
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.
The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive.
Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters.
Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives.
Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees.
You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't .
Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance.
So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body.
Use it every way you can.
Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it.
It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your livingroom.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines.
They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents.
You never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings.
They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise.
Politicians will philander.
You, too, will get old.
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund.
Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse.
But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia.
Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Happy Anniversary!
Today was Hubby and I's 23rd wedding anniversary. It seems impossible!
We spent an interesting anniversary weekend. This year it corresponds with our community's Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival so yesterday morning we got up at 4:30am to go see our parade. It is the last year that we'll have a child march in the parade as our son is a senior in high school this year.
Last night, as we were deciding about cleaning up and going out to dinner, we opted to just crash at home and order a pizza - how romantic huh?
Today, it was just about our only 90 degree day of the summer so we decided to spend the day on our boat. We've hardly been out at all because this summer has been so cold and rainy. We came home and grilled hot dogs and hamburgers in the backyard.
As romantic as all that sounds, we've had some wonderful anniversary celebrations. We just chose to make this one low-keyed and laid back.
Hopefully, we'll have plenty more opportunities to have big, wonderful, romantic celebrations!
We spent an interesting anniversary weekend. This year it corresponds with our community's Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival so yesterday morning we got up at 4:30am to go see our parade. It is the last year that we'll have a child march in the parade as our son is a senior in high school this year.
Last night, as we were deciding about cleaning up and going out to dinner, we opted to just crash at home and order a pizza - how romantic huh?
Today, it was just about our only 90 degree day of the summer so we decided to spend the day on our boat. We've hardly been out at all because this summer has been so cold and rainy. We came home and grilled hot dogs and hamburgers in the backyard.
As romantic as all that sounds, we've had some wonderful anniversary celebrations. We just chose to make this one low-keyed and laid back.
Hopefully, we'll have plenty more opportunities to have big, wonderful, romantic celebrations!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Meatloaf
After finishing the coldest July on record, I'm REALLY hoping that August will bring us REAL summer weather. Here we are at day two and it's not looking good so far.
This week is our community's Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival. Starting with this past Friday, there are activities every day. We went to the Balloon Fest last night but there were storms too close by so the balloons, sadly, did not lift off. We did stay for a great fireworks display. We headed out to the lake for a bit today but it was too cloudy and chilly to even have our swimsuits on so we never did swim.
We came home and since I had some time on my hands, I made a meatloaf. This is my husband's favorite meal and he always begs me for it. I am not such a fan and even worse, I hate "handling" raw meat and I hate that, since I make a 3lb meatloaf, that it takes almost two hours to bake so I really only make it when I have plenty of time.
There is no recipe. I use 3 lbs of hamburger, two eggs, some grated Romano cheese, a grated onion (I hate big chunks of onion in my meatloaf) some minced garlic, oregano, basil and bread crumbs. All amounts are just eye balled.
I make this into a loaf that often looks more like a log. I bake it for 1 hour at 400 degrees and then turn it over in the pan. I use Mid's meatless spaghetti sauce to spread on top (what used to be the bottom!) and bake it for 30 - 60 more minutes, checking occasionally to see if it is cooked through.
My son is beginning to take after his dad, he had, at least, a one pound helping on his plate for dinner tonight!
As a side dish, I marinated a diagonally sliced zucchini and two yellow squashes from my garden in Italian dressing and threw them on the grill for a few minutes.
This will probably be our only home cooked meal this week as we have plans every night this week - either appointments or participating in Festival activities.
This week is our community's Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival. Starting with this past Friday, there are activities every day. We went to the Balloon Fest last night but there were storms too close by so the balloons, sadly, did not lift off. We did stay for a great fireworks display. We headed out to the lake for a bit today but it was too cloudy and chilly to even have our swimsuits on so we never did swim.
We came home and since I had some time on my hands, I made a meatloaf. This is my husband's favorite meal and he always begs me for it. I am not such a fan and even worse, I hate "handling" raw meat and I hate that, since I make a 3lb meatloaf, that it takes almost two hours to bake so I really only make it when I have plenty of time.
There is no recipe. I use 3 lbs of hamburger, two eggs, some grated Romano cheese, a grated onion (I hate big chunks of onion in my meatloaf) some minced garlic, oregano, basil and bread crumbs. All amounts are just eye balled.
I make this into a loaf that often looks more like a log. I bake it for 1 hour at 400 degrees and then turn it over in the pan. I use Mid's meatless spaghetti sauce to spread on top (what used to be the bottom!) and bake it for 30 - 60 more minutes, checking occasionally to see if it is cooked through.
My son is beginning to take after his dad, he had, at least, a one pound helping on his plate for dinner tonight!
As a side dish, I marinated a diagonally sliced zucchini and two yellow squashes from my garden in Italian dressing and threw them on the grill for a few minutes.
This will probably be our only home cooked meal this week as we have plans every night this week - either appointments or participating in Festival activities.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tilapia Experiment
I'm not a very good cook. And since I have virtually no imagination, I'm even less of a good cook if I don't have a recipe to follow! But, I thought I would give it a try as I had 8 nice pieces of tilapia to cook and I wasn't sure what to do with it.
So, I picked a zucchini out of my garden and quartered it and then sliced it very thin. I placed that in a bowl with a diced tomato (sadly, not from my garden YET!). I added some minced garlic, olive oil and some fresh basil from my herb garden. I combined these ingredients and put them in a baking dish.
I oiled, salted and peppered the filets and layed them on top. I covered the pan and baked it at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. The filets turned out tender and really flavorful! I really surprised myself that I could come up with a tasty (ok, but really simple) dish with no cookbook!
So, I picked a zucchini out of my garden and quartered it and then sliced it very thin. I placed that in a bowl with a diced tomato (sadly, not from my garden YET!). I added some minced garlic, olive oil and some fresh basil from my herb garden. I combined these ingredients and put them in a baking dish.
I oiled, salted and peppered the filets and layed them on top. I covered the pan and baked it at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. The filets turned out tender and really flavorful! I really surprised myself that I could come up with a tasty (ok, but really simple) dish with no cookbook!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
England Trip
I've been meaning to do this for awhile now. Since it's a chilly, rainy Saturday, I guess it's time!
We recently had the opportunity to travel to England for the International Rotary Convention and to do some sightseeing. I really intended to journal while I was there but just couldn't find the time. The next best thing are the daily e-mails that I sent to my mom while we were there. I want to use this space to compile them into a "diary" type format:
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 10:18 AM
Subject: We made it!
Got in about 8am local time (3am home time). Checked into the hotel and slept for a bit. Just got to the covention center and found a computer so I thought I'd say HI!
Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2009 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: We made it!
It's cold and drizzly here too for day two. We just got done with Opening Ceremonies. Pretty amazing, actually. There are 50,000 people here from 154 different countries. And, of course, I met a lady in the restroom (ok, the Loo) from Toledo, Ohio. Go figure.
Stonehenge isn't on the list this time. They said on the news this morning that they are expecting 30,000 people there for the sunrise, despite security concerns :-O
We explored "downtown" Coventry last night. Isaac ordered a Guiness with his dinner. Most of the shops closed at 6pm though so we didn't get to do any shopping. Tonight, we're headed for Warwick Castle - 1000 year old castle- for dinner, tour and shows. Could be hokey, could be authentic. I'm not sure!
We're going to try to get to Stratford on Avon tomorrow, if possible.
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 6:04 AM
Subject: Re: We made it!
Well, the sun it out today and I don't have my jacket on!!!
Warwick Castle was a little on the hokey side but it was neat to see - none the less. The kids said it reminded them of Yankee Peddler.
Stratford-upon-Avon was really interesting yesterday. We toured Shakespeare's birthplace, deathplace, and a house that his daughter lived in. I wish we would have had more time to see Anne Hathaway's cottage and (oh, I forget the other one that is nearby). We just can't fit it all in but we'll do what we can!
Stratford-upon-Avon is an interesting town. All around Shakespeare's house are these really fancy stores and restaurants. Then, down the street is a food co-op/post office/bank building thing. There is also a huge, school there so in the evening, all the kids in their uniforms were all out and about.
Remind Isaac to tell you about the apparently drunk group of boys (rugby team) who were sinking the boats and swimming in the Avon river in their boxers and/or various forms of undress - quite the scene just across the street from the Royal Shakespeare Company's courtyard dining area - where we paid $60 for lunch yesterday - two sandwiches and a meat and cheese platter.
Everything is outrageously expensive!
Tonight, we're off to Birmingham to eat, shop and watch a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 7:28 AM
Subject: Re: We made it!
Yes, we're enjoying the trip.
Yesterday was sightseeing/shopping in Birmingham. It's a really great town with closed streets for shopping. They are having an International Food Fest there so there was tons of food (and beer) all over town. It's the second biggest city in England so it was packed with people.
One of the other suprising thing is that all the shops here close at 6pm. I can't understand how anyone gets any shopping done but they're not doing it in the evenings! Of course, yesterday we were in Birmingham about 1pm and everything was CROWDED - maybe no one works?
We're going to attend closing ceremonies for the convention today and get ready to head for London early in the morning. By the way, it's daylight here by 4am so we won't be traveling in the dark no matter how early we need to leave!
Enjoy the weather. It was sunny all day yesterday and so far today but highs are still around 72ish so it's not hot.
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 2:48 PM
Subject: Re: We made it!
Just another quick hi since we found wifi on our iPods. We killed a couple hours visiting Cadbury World today. There's actually a really cool story behind the founding of Bournville. It was worth the trip! I'll check in again tommorow when we reach london.
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 6:11 AM
Subject: Re: We made it!
We made it to London and got all checked in. We're off to visit the queen!
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: We made it!
It's interesting! Taylor says it looks like a really old DC. Everything is so BIG! I don't have a wide enough lens on my camera to capture everything!
Here's the walk we just took. All thousand or so miles of it:
Buckingham palace - caught the tail end of the changing of the guard
The Mall
Trafalgar Square
Scotland yard
Walked across the Thames
The Queen's Walk
Saw the London Eye but didn't ride
Walked back across the Thames
Big Ben
ParlimentWestminister Abby
Walked along the river back to the hotel to die!
Not sure what the plans are for the rest of the evening but tomorrow we take the tour bus to see some more sights
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 4:01 PM
Subject: Re: We made it!
We had a little bit of a fiasco trying to figure out our London Day Passes but after we figured that out, we took a boat on the Thames to the London Tower and yes-we saw the crown jewels as well as watched some military people do a fancy ceremony shooting this fancy cannons over the river because today is Vetern's Day. We walked across the Tower Bridge, the kids rode the London Eye and we shopped at Harrods - where they were playing only Michael Jackson music.
It looks like we need to leave our hotel about 5am to catch our train to Paris. I'll be headed to bed soon!
Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2009 5:30 PM
Subject: Re: We made it!
There were ENTIRELY too many people to see any ghosts yesterday. I actually did buy a purse at Harrods, my third bag this trip! Turns out that hundreds of steps in thousand year old buildings are really hard on handbags!
We, relativly successfully did Paris today. We managed to briefly see everything that was on our list. Notre Dame was closed because of something big going on. Looked like a bishop type person and hundreds of priests. We couldn't read the sign or find anyone who spoke English to tell us what it was so I took pictures of the sign so that maybe Doug can translate for us.
We also saw the Louvre, champs elyesse (spelling-I know), arc de triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower.
For any number of reasons, we all like London WAY better than Paris but I'm glad we saw it!
Heading home tomorrow. We should be in Cleveland around 3:30. We'll call shortly afterwards to check in!
We recently had the opportunity to travel to England for the International Rotary Convention and to do some sightseeing. I really intended to journal while I was there but just couldn't find the time. The next best thing are the daily e-mails that I sent to my mom while we were there. I want to use this space to compile them into a "diary" type format:
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 10:18 AM
Subject: We made it!
Got in about 8am local time (3am home time). Checked into the hotel and slept for a bit. Just got to the covention center and found a computer so I thought I'd say HI!
Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2009 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: We made it!
It's cold and drizzly here too for day two. We just got done with Opening Ceremonies. Pretty amazing, actually. There are 50,000 people here from 154 different countries. And, of course, I met a lady in the restroom (ok, the Loo) from Toledo, Ohio. Go figure.
Stonehenge isn't on the list this time. They said on the news this morning that they are expecting 30,000 people there for the sunrise, despite security concerns :-O
We explored "downtown" Coventry last night. Isaac ordered a Guiness with his dinner. Most of the shops closed at 6pm though so we didn't get to do any shopping. Tonight, we're headed for Warwick Castle - 1000 year old castle- for dinner, tour and shows. Could be hokey, could be authentic. I'm not sure!
We're going to try to get to Stratford on Avon tomorrow, if possible.
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 6:04 AM
Subject: Re: We made it!
Well, the sun it out today and I don't have my jacket on!!!
Warwick Castle was a little on the hokey side but it was neat to see - none the less. The kids said it reminded them of Yankee Peddler.
Stratford-upon-Avon was really interesting yesterday. We toured Shakespeare's birthplace, deathplace, and a house that his daughter lived in. I wish we would have had more time to see Anne Hathaway's cottage and (oh, I forget the other one that is nearby). We just can't fit it all in but we'll do what we can!
Stratford-upon-Avon is an interesting town. All around Shakespeare's house are these really fancy stores and restaurants. Then, down the street is a food co-op/post office/bank building thing. There is also a huge, school there so in the evening, all the kids in their uniforms were all out and about.
Remind Isaac to tell you about the apparently drunk group of boys (rugby team) who were sinking the boats and swimming in the Avon river in their boxers and/or various forms of undress - quite the scene just across the street from the Royal Shakespeare Company's courtyard dining area - where we paid $60 for lunch yesterday - two sandwiches and a meat and cheese platter.
Everything is outrageously expensive!
Tonight, we're off to Birmingham to eat, shop and watch a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 7:28 AM
Subject: Re: We made it!
Yes, we're enjoying the trip.
Yesterday was sightseeing/shopping in Birmingham. It's a really great town with closed streets for shopping. They are having an International Food Fest there so there was tons of food (and beer) all over town. It's the second biggest city in England so it was packed with people.
One of the other suprising thing is that all the shops here close at 6pm. I can't understand how anyone gets any shopping done but they're not doing it in the evenings! Of course, yesterday we were in Birmingham about 1pm and everything was CROWDED - maybe no one works?
We're going to attend closing ceremonies for the convention today and get ready to head for London early in the morning. By the way, it's daylight here by 4am so we won't be traveling in the dark no matter how early we need to leave!
Enjoy the weather. It was sunny all day yesterday and so far today but highs are still around 72ish so it's not hot.
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 2:48 PM
Subject: Re: We made it!
Just another quick hi since we found wifi on our iPods. We killed a couple hours visiting Cadbury World today. There's actually a really cool story behind the founding of Bournville. It was worth the trip! I'll check in again tommorow when we reach london.
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 6:11 AM
Subject: Re: We made it!
We made it to London and got all checked in. We're off to visit the queen!
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: We made it!
It's interesting! Taylor says it looks like a really old DC. Everything is so BIG! I don't have a wide enough lens on my camera to capture everything!
Here's the walk we just took. All thousand or so miles of it:
Buckingham palace - caught the tail end of the changing of the guard
The Mall
Trafalgar Square
Scotland yard
Walked across the Thames
The Queen's Walk
Saw the London Eye but didn't ride
Walked back across the Thames
Big Ben
ParlimentWestminister Abby
Walked along the river back to the hotel to die!
Not sure what the plans are for the rest of the evening but tomorrow we take the tour bus to see some more sights
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 4:01 PM
Subject: Re: We made it!
We had a little bit of a fiasco trying to figure out our London Day Passes but after we figured that out, we took a boat on the Thames to the London Tower and yes-we saw the crown jewels as well as watched some military people do a fancy ceremony shooting this fancy cannons over the river because today is Vetern's Day. We walked across the Tower Bridge, the kids rode the London Eye and we shopped at Harrods - where they were playing only Michael Jackson music.
It looks like we need to leave our hotel about 5am to catch our train to Paris. I'll be headed to bed soon!
Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2009 5:30 PM
Subject: Re: We made it!
There were ENTIRELY too many people to see any ghosts yesterday. I actually did buy a purse at Harrods, my third bag this trip! Turns out that hundreds of steps in thousand year old buildings are really hard on handbags!
We, relativly successfully did Paris today. We managed to briefly see everything that was on our list. Notre Dame was closed because of something big going on. Looked like a bishop type person and hundreds of priests. We couldn't read the sign or find anyone who spoke English to tell us what it was so I took pictures of the sign so that maybe Doug can translate for us.
We also saw the Louvre, champs elyesse (spelling-I know), arc de triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower.
For any number of reasons, we all like London WAY better than Paris but I'm glad we saw it!
Heading home tomorrow. We should be in Cleveland around 3:30. We'll call shortly afterwards to check in!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Garden Harvest!
I have had a REALLY crappy year for my garden so far. The nights have not been warm enough to ripen my tomatoes and the rabbits ate all my lettuce and beans. I did FINALLY get a ripe, yellow squash so I picked it tonight and used it with dinner. I made some penne pasta and then made a "sauce" of olive oil in which I sauteed garlic, the squash, some mushrooms and tomatoes (not from my garden :-( ). This is one of my favorite, easy, quick, summer meals.
Son is at band camp so I didn't have to hear him complain about vegetables and Hubby just picked out the pasta and left the vegetables.
I hope everyone else's garden is doing better than mine!
Son is at band camp so I didn't have to hear him complain about vegetables and Hubby just picked out the pasta and left the vegetables.
I hope everyone else's garden is doing better than mine!
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