Our niece Brooke who graduated from high school last year is off to Africa as I write this. She is going with a large group to several different area's in Africa in coordination with her church.
She is sweet, gentle girl. Very talented in many ways. She is my hubby's youngest sister's daughter. So we will be thinking of her as she spends a month in Africa.
I am tired already and the day is barely half over. I was up early to get my husbands breakfast and pack him a lunch. He has another long hot day ahead of him.
I then took a long walk before the heat came upon us. I did my house chores, jumped in the shower, put my face on as I say and was out the door. I have just returned a bit ago. My back is aching that is why I am sitting at the moment and typing. There are $150 dollars worth of groceries still sitting on the counter to be put away. But oh I had to get off my feet.
I picked up three new to me books at St. Vinnie's. I cannot wait to dive into one of them asap as I just finished one yesterday. So I will rush to get my other to-do's for the day out of the way so I can read.
My project this afternoon is to wash my car inside and out. I usually run it through it the car wash but I decided as the weather is so lovely to do it myself this afternoon. I have always rather enjoyed washing an automobile. The spray of water flying back at you in the wind is quite refreshing on a hot day actually.
I remember when I was a young gal and I would wash my parents car. I would drive into the yard very carefully(that was the best part) and spend the afternoon in my tanning clothes washing and waxing away. I always put the car radio on (probably ran down the battery). Mom was always so sweet and would bring me some fresh squeezed lemonade or maybe even a coke or home made root beer. Whatever it was it was always icy cold and tasted so good on a hot day. Good memories.
Well my back has eased a bit so I can start putting my grocery haul away.
Nothing fancy for dinner tonight we are having leftover's. That suits me just fine. We are not big eaters in summer when it gets hot. That is a good thing I think
Enjoy your hump day! I heard through the FB that Seven/Eleven stores are giving away free slushies today, you know it is 7/11 today.
Till later.
It was our anniversary yesterday. Twenty two years married but thirty years total time together. WOW!
Hubby worked a long day so we just enjoyed a simple dinner of grilled steak and salad with my Mom's yummy Russian dressing. We sat out on the deck while the steak grilled and caught each other up on our day.
After dinner we watched Next Food Network Star one of our favorite shows and then settled down to drift into sleep mode while watching "the Alps" these shows are amazing they are filmed from the air and the landscapes are just incredible. We have watched many now mostly European countries but they have them also of the United States. They are on the HD Net Channel.
So that was our anniversary celebration. Quite low key but what to do when my husband worked a long hard day? We were content and happy to be in each other's company.
The photo is of me in a new top I bought for the occasion.
I am getting us ready for our camping trip with my brother at Silver Lake WA. We enjoy this trip so much and go there every year. It is a very fun time in a gorgeous area. What is not to like? So today I start the preliminary planning. I am sure I will have several lists going.
It is another stellar day here today. However there is haze high in the sky. When the sun came up this morning it was a rosy glow. It must be smoke I wonder where it is coming from?
As it was just our anniversary here is my thought for the day on marriage.
Be thankful for your mate always.
Tell each other every day "I love you".
Be thoughtful and caring of one another.
Do small things to make the others heart happy.
Do not hurt each other's heart. For that heart was given into your keeping.
Be thankful for this person that is in your life and give gratitude.
Have fun, laugh, be silly, enjoy one another.
Make the most out of each experience together.
Never go to bed upset with one another. Make your peace as tomorrow is another day to share love not anger.
On those sweet thoughts I will leave you for today.
What a great dish this is. So full of flavor.
This is what I did.
In the bottom on my slow cooker I put a half chopped onion, three celery ribs sliced, 1/2 mild pepper sliced and one jalapeno pepper sliced and one large clove of garlic chopped.
On top of these ingredients I put in cubed pork(use shoulder or country rib meat) about a pound or so seasoned it well with kosher salt, pepper,cumin and paprika. I then added a can of diced tomatoes with their juices and about a 1/4 cup of chicken broth. This cooked on high heat for about four hours I then turned it to low and cooked it another couple of hours.
I made a large pot of rice and mounded the rice into deep bowls and ladled on the jambalaya.
Hot crusty filone bread to the side for dredging up all the juices was all that was needed.
Bon Appe'tit.
It is a grand Sunday. We woke to heat. I have the air going but keep to temp at 75 degrees I can handle that. I was just out to give the plants on the deck some water, they were very thankful they looked all droopy and were happy to be perked up.
I was out early this Sunday morning. I was at the grocery store almost by myself, then over to Walmart same thing. Back home quickly, no traffic. It is a good time to go but I usually like to laze on Sunday morning. You know three cups of coffee while reading the Sunday paper slowly. But we had to roll out of bed early as hubby is working so I just went into overdrive gave myself a quick jump start with the caffeine and was out the door.
Hubby will be home in about three hours and I am now going to plop in my chair and have a bite to eat and read my latest novel. It is a OK read but nothing special. But after such a busy morning I feel like relaxing a bit.
Have a fun Sunday!
Spain, I am thinking there are many dishes I would like to eat in this country. Paella is a famous dish made with meat or fish, rice, veggies, broth seasoning and herbs and saffron. Saffron is the ingredient that turns it's that golden color. My niece Sarah and I were discussing paella. Spain will be somewhere she is going when in Europe and being an adventurous gal she wants to try the foods the country is famous for. Saffron is very expensive sometime back I bought a jar of it........blistering price!
I am making jambalaya today. I will put pork short ribs into the slow cooker with onion, peppers, garlic, tomatoes herbs and seasonings and let it all simmer together all day. Then serve this over rice in deep bowls with a crusty bread to dunk up the sauce. My mouth is ready for this bit of happiness.
Today is a free day for me. What I mean by that is I do not have an agenda. Everyday for weeks now it seems has been filled. So today I catch up on some much needed house chores and see how the day unfolds. For sure I am making shortcakes to go with our Oregon strawberries I picked up yesterday at the farm.
My husband will be working so the house is mine once again.
I am leaving for my daughters soon so must prepare for that trip. It will be so nice to spend time with her with no men folk. We will have our mommy /daughter time. I know she has a couple things planned but mostly I think we will just be in her big backyard relaxing, chatting and trying to stay cool.
Yes the heat is on and going up every day.
Summer has arrived with a hot air blast!
Have a great Saturday!
Yes it is pickle time again.
Hubby and I were talking yesterday and he is going to make hot pickles and I am going to make sweet dills. Then also I am going to pickle some veggies with a few mild to hot peppers thrown in the mix. So we are looking forward to those treats.
I am so loving this weather. Summer is here it seems and it is heating up.
I sent a message to my granddaughter Megan in Topeka Kansas it is to be well over a hundred there today. The humidity in that part of country is always high so it will feel even hotter. I forgot to ask Megan if her new home has air conditioning I surely hope so.
We had a nice evening meal last night. It was hubby's birthday. So I fixed a half grilled chicken, made potato salad, baked beans and also fresh green beans from the farm. I drizzled olive oil over the green beans and sprinkled them salt and pepper and put into a double foil packet and placed on the grill the last half hour while the chicken grilled.
You want to put the packet on a med high grill about 350 is enough. Turn them frequently. They come out a little browned around the edges and the flavor is condensed like if you roasted them in the oven. They are really yummy.
We had an enjoyable 4th. Out for lunch and then spent the late afternoon and evening with family. Street fireworks of course. This year it was quite a show like a real fireworks display. Staying up late does wear me out though this gal needs her sleep.
I walked early this morning. There was still a bit of the night chill in the air. I like getting that walk over early in summer.
No news so I will leave you and do a few chores. Hubby is working so the house is quiet. I like that.
Ciao
What do you feel when you look at this picture. Go ahead take a moment and just feel.
I know what it brings to my mind and it touches me so.
Our sky today does not look like this. Our sky is, guess what? You are right, gray!!!! This year is so so odd. If we thought last spring and summer was late coming we were so fooled. This year they may not even appear.
I know I say this erroneously though as we are to finally start having nice weather with quite a few days in a row showing full sun. Now only if that will only happen we here in the northwest will certainly have big sunny smiles.
I had a fun time with my gal friend. Short but sweet as they say. My hubby dropped us yesterday into the 5th st area and we went to several establishments. We were hungry so we chowed down at the Cornucopia. It was good fare. Gerie had their cod fish and chips, they are rolled in a cornmeal mix there so very crunchy. The fish was fat and juicy inside. I had their sliders. Three tiny burgers made with organic beef from Knee Deep Cattle co. this is really good tasting beef. We then went to Marche' and sat out on their charming little patio. I had a glass of gamay wine and Gerie continued on her quest of micro brews. We called for a cab and had a safe and sane ride home. So a very nice day.
At home hubby joined us and we sat on the deck for a while but then it clouded over and turned cold and bit of wind came up. So off into the house we went. Hubby fixed himself some dinner we were still full so we declined. After his dinner he retired to the bedroom to watch a movie. Then Gerie and finished our evening with red wine and chatted until one am.
I must admit I am tired today and now I am going to sink into my chair and read and perhaps close my eyes and drift away into those clouds for a while.
Have a nice Tuesday.
Here is my beautiful granddaughter Megan and her Mother Gina and Father Tony.
Megan was married to Shannon Caudill on June 16th. The wedding took place in Eureka Springs Ark. This town is known as the wedding capitol of the south. It is a lovely town set deep in the Ozark mountains.
All that attended had an amazing time. I wish I could have been there also.
I have many photo's at this point but not the ones from the photographer. When those do become availbe I will post a few on the blog. I would imagine though that they will posted on FB.
Megan was my first born granddaughter. She is my daughters oldest child.
There were many there at the hospital waiting the arrival of this baby. Her mommy Gina of course was there and her daddy Tony and her two grandma's. Myself and Tony's mother Nancy.
What makes it grand is that Nancy and I were school chums and there we were now so many years later pressing up against the delivery room door to hear that first cry from our first granddaughter. When we heard her soft little cry and yes it was soft. We held one another and tears filled our eyes. What a moment.
What a little doll she was. I know I am her grammy and I know I am prejudiced but she was so so cute. A load of dark hair, olive complexion and chubby body. Her face held the tiniest nose and big dark almond eyes and rosebud lips.
Her hip was dislocated while she was being born so the way to rectify that was keeping her in triple diapers. In time her hip would heal in the right position. So for several weeks her little chubby legs stuck out from the sides of her body. Also the first few days of her life she had a little heart murmur. Gina had a heart monitor which we attached to Megan every night. Well no one got any sleep because if she barely moved it went off. Everyone would be racing to the nursery in a panic. So after a few nights we decided to not put it on her. All was well and we all slept much better including Megan. Though as everyone knows there is no rest for anyone with a newborn in the house.
Megan has been beautiful her whole life on the inside as well as the outside. There are many things about Megan that remind me of my Mother. Her tender voice, her sweetness and her manner.
I truly wish we could see her more often. She lives in Topeka Kansas as that is where her hubby is from, his relatives live there. So off she went about 4-5 years ago. She works for a technology company there and they recently bought their first home. So it looks as if she is staying. We her family here had hoped she would be back in the NW area at some point. Also she lives right in the tornado alley. Thankfully their new home has a basement. That relieves us somewhat.........but still we worry.
I will post more photo's from time to time of sweet Megan.
Now it is time for me to enjoy my Sunday.
Unlike the searing heat in the rest of country breaking all records we are cool here in Eugene. We have heavy mist today. I am hoping for a chance to walk later today so bring on the sun.
Tomorrow I have a gal pal arriving from Central Oregon. We will go to lunch and do whatever else grabs us. Two gals out on the town; really two older women out on a Monday afternoon. Not to exciting when you put it that way. But we will enjoy our time together we always do we have been friends since I was twenty one now that is a long, long time. We certainly never run out of chatter.
Ciao
Our niece Brooke who graduated from high school last year is off to Africa as I write this. She is going with a large group to several different area's in Africa in coordination with her church.
