Off Kings Highway

2010-11-02T13:33:00.001-05:00

This blog is not dead.

2009-04-11T17:21:00.002-05:00

Three months. That's a new record.

Lots going on, not a lot of time to post. All good, just busy.

Am blogging about cooking with Andrea (Showem, of Toytown fame) here. Interestingly, I've never met Andrea, but we e-mail, and go back and forth on facebook and have enough in common to blog together. She's married, with a toddler so our lives are really different in a lot of respects, but we both love good, fresh food and I am hoping the blog reflects that.

Anyway, off to finish dinner and polish off a nice glass of wine.

2009-01-25T12:21:00.002-05:00

Amazing week for me. Monday I got a phone call from Joanna, who is working on the Presidential Transition Team, offering me a ticket to the Inaugural. Off I went with another friend of Joanna's named Roseann, who I have known for years. I like Ro alot. She's a good egg. We drove down on Monday afternoon and were fine until we hit DC and a massive amount of traffic. Jo and her colleague Tim actually walked to us and drove the car into some parking lot where they'd scored a parking space for us, which, considering the amount of people converging on Washington, was an absolute miracle. We stayed at Joanna's apartment and had a quiet night for the most part and got up at the crack of dawn to walk to the Capitol with two milliuon other people. We had tickets which put us right at the Capitol steps - amazing but had to line up for hours in the freezing cold with thousands of other people. We were with Joanna's work crew - a really fun and diverse group whose company I enjoyed immensely. Everyone around us appeared to be part of the Government and I enjoyed hearing snippets of their insider conversations. The Inauguration itself was amazing and I had the chills as it unfolded. Tears were running down my face as Barack took his oath of office. I was overjoyed and absolutely moved. There are no words to describe how I felt, and how happy I was to be part of such a transforming moment in history. Well worth the cold.

We had planned to leave shortly after the Inauguration ceremony but we didn't count on all the streets around us and our parking spot being closed until early Wednesday morning so we stayed on and celebrated! Fantastic!

On Thursday, I flew to San Francisco to meet Chris who is working here. We're staying in San Jose at the Fairmont which is a fairly swish hotel. We had a great day on the Coast yesterday and are headed to see friends in Walnut Creek this afternoon. I head back tomorrow and Chris comes home on Thursday. I love California. I could live here.

Anyway, gotta dash. It's been overcast and there's some blue sky peeking out and I want to feel the sun on my face!

2009-01-15T11:59:00.001-05:00

It's freezing and I have a pounding headache. That's all.

2009-01-12T09:44:00.002-05:00

It took three whole days for me to fall off the Blog 365 wagon...got to be a new world's record or something.

We've been sick and just lazing about the house. We overdid it - to put it lightly - during the holidays and are now paying with colds and coughs and general inertia. Though I am feeling better today. Chris is headed to California for a week of work and other than the usual smattering of work, knitting and exercise, I have nothing planned.

2009-01-10T13:23:00.002-05:00

There's a threat of a snow storm but of course it's after one in the afternoon and nothing has materialized yet. I'm thinking that the more sophisticated the weather equipment becomes, the less likely it is to be right. It was supposed to start at dawn. In any case, we're both nursing colds and are hunkering down for a nice quiet day at home. I am braising a pork shoulder in cider with onions and apples and it smells great. I am serving it with a mashed white bean puree I saw Nigella whip up on her show, brussels sprouts and a spinach salad. I am itching for a sweet but trying to refrain!

2009-01-09T10:45:00.002-05:00

Just back from Pilates which probably wasn't such a great idea considering my cold. It was a real struggle to do even some of the basic stuff. We've got a quiet weekend on tap - small family celebration for Lily's 15th birthday tonight and then nothing else. I need some stay at home time and I think Chris does as well. His new assignment is in California. Great! Not only will he be gone all week, but three times zones away which makes phoning difficult. C'est la vie!

2009-01-08T09:58:00.002-05:00

As usual, my impetus to start blogging is the lovely Alison from Wales, who I recently saw at a wedding in Ireland. Al always is at me to blog and she's right. So I am going to be really bold and try Blog365 which means blogging every single day. Let's see how long I last with it. I might flake out and use lists, but it's still blogging.

Here's some questions from Thursday Thunks to get me going today.

1. Are you a celebrity news junkie?

Ridiculously so, even for the British reality star celebs. I love them! Fave celeb - got to be Britney.
2. Have you or anyone in your family ever had braces?

Just the kids

3. Name 4 things in your garage that you don't think anyone else has in theirs.

No garage!

4. Do you order Girl Scout cookies?

Hell yes, Mint is my favorite!

5. If you have a cat or a dog, what brand of dog/cat food do you feed them?

Purina

6. When you cook, do you use measuring cups/spoons?

Always use 'em while baking, hardly ever when cooking main courses. i can eyeball things well. I also improvise.

7. If you were stranded on a desert island, how many sand castles would you build?

Probably none

8. Whats one thing you own too many of?

Balls of yarn.

9. If given the chance to go to the moon, would you?

No.

10. Talk radio - listen or not?

Not standard AM type stuff, but NPR. The highbrow stuff, natch!

11. When you put silverware in the dishwasher or in the drainer to dry, do you put the handles up or down?

Down.

12. Video Games for kids - good or not?

Not. But if I had kids they'd probably be parked in front of them all day. My one *kid* loves them.

13. Share a website with us.

www.ravelry.com

14. Water - bottle or tap?

Tap!

15. Have you ever eaten a giant jawbreaker, the ones that are the size of the palm of your hand, all the way to the end?

No.

That's all for today. Fingers crossed. Again.

2008-11-13T19:57:00.002-05:00

We're off to New York for the weekend tomorrow after I get back from a Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance event Lynn and I are attending on Bob's behalf. Spent the past two days running in circles preparing and I sincerely hope we are able to hold our own. I've really been out of touch with this one particular project, but Bob brought us up to speed today and barring any questions out of left field, we ought to be okay. Fingers crossed!

Lisa and Mike will be with us on Friday night and we're going to a lovely little French place called Gascogne which I read about on Chowhound. Saturday, we're on our own and I suspect we'll do something ethnic. I'd like to go back to Tia Pol in Chelsea, a great tapas joint we've been to in the past, but I'm open minded. Or we could just find some corner bar to inhabit - we love doing stuff like that!

Here's to the weekend!

2008-11-11T15:25:00.002-05:00

I'm having a real bout with melancholy this week. The weather is changing and it's getting dark really early and that doesn't help at all, but mostly I'm feeling bad for some of the more important people in my life who have suffered serious and real losses like losing parents and long standing relationships coming to an end. Having been through both experiences, I can empathize. I just want everyone to feel better and loved and secure, but the truth is that they have to go through their trials to get to the other side. Very tough.

There is some happy news on the horizon. We've got a nice trip to Munich coming up after Thanksgiving and we're looking forward to seeing our loved ones over there. We're staying with Lise and Richard and though I'm happy to be seeing them, the one I am most looking forward to seeing is their absolutely beautiful daughter, Stella! I'm also happy to be seeing the Plants and their boy Hugo, who is full of personality. I enjoyed seeing him in Bratislava and here this summer - he's a sweet child, full of happiness and light. Babies are good. It makes me sad that I couldn't give Chris a child. If only we'd gotten together eleven years ago when we first met. But neither of us was ready then - funny how things work, isn't it?

2008-11-06T15:09:00.004-05:00

I know, I know, I'm neglecting this thing again. Went to California and never checked back in again. I'm a bad blogger. My best offense is to blog every day - if I leave things go a few days, it's very hard to get back on track.

I'm blasting Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" right now. They played it during a lot of Barack Obama's campaign appearances and it's a song I've loved for a long time and now it has more significance than ever.

I've been completely emotional since Barack was elected on Tuesday night, alternating between complete euphoria that my country would actually look past color and elect the most amazing candidate we've had in my lifetime, and being completely choked up seeing and hearing the reactions of African-Americans. This is so huge. Seeing people who marched with Martin Luther King with tears streaming down their faces right after the election results were announced is unbelievably moving. I so wish my mother were here to see this. She was on board early, years ago, with Barack, and saw his potential and really talked him up. Hard for me and Lisa not to think of her on Election night as we sat watching the returns come in with the girls, Kerry and Justine, whose interest along with Lily and Jack's as well, thrilled me.

I got the nicest short note from my friend Pete in Munich - "Glad to see that the world can rely on Americans, and not just a few Americans." Boy, did that make me feel good because when I lived there I felt so much that I was being judged by a lot of Europeans because of my godawful Red State fellow citizens who followed Bush blindly. I kept explaining that where I came from the majority of people didn't think like that. I must have explained Blue State/Red State twenty times.

Michelle Obama got completely excoriated when months ago she remarked "For the first time in my adult life, I'm proud of my country" and I totally understood her and today feel the exact same way.

Lots more to post, but not a lot of time. Missed you!

2008-09-25T19:35:00.002-05:00

It's Thursday night and there's another Nor'easter ripping up the Coast so Chris' flight is delayed again and I am feeling low. Let's just hope he gets home tonight. We miss him.

2008-09-25T18:59:00.004-05:00

Thursday Ten

Stuff I'm listening to today (Warning: Some Old Boyfriend Songs and One Husband Song Ahead - I'm in a remembering kind of mood)

1. Save It For Later - the English Beat - always reminds me of a drunken Saturday afternoon with a boyfriend, sadly now dead, and a good friend, happily still alive and kicking.

2. Shelter - Lone Justice - Great underrated band. Maria McKee's voice is amazing.

3. Falling Slowly - the Frames - Maybe my favorite song of the past five years. I loved the film and I love this song. Makes me cry.

4. Everybody's Changing - Keane - Brings back very happy memories of driving in the car with Chris in Germany with Henry in the back seat.

5. California Stars - Billy Bragg and Wilco - a beautiful song.

6. Building a Mystery - Sarah McLachlan - this is Amr 1997-2002. I could have written this song - if I had a scintilla of talent. "oh you're so beautiful/with an edge and a charm/but so careful/when I'm in your arms"

7.One - U2 - must be Amr day. His birthday is coming up on Saturday, maybe he's climbed into my subconscious.

8. The Weakness in Me - Joan Armatrading - Peter, Peter, Peter.

9. Bobby Jean - Bruce Springsteen - one of his best songs ever.

10. The Late Show - Jackson Browne - 1976 - first love. Still hurts.

2008-09-16T09:42:00.002-05:00

This morning's coffee was crazed again with everyone yelling and screaming which is absolutely hilarious because we all agree on politics, the economy and just about everything else. Well, I think Frank is a bit fiscally conservative, but he's socially liberal. Anyway, today's topic was the over 500 point loss on Wall Street and how could we elect McCain for four more years of the same. There's two main agitators - me and Laurel. Laurel, who is the kindest, gentlest, most ethical person around gets so wound up about this that her voice gets tinnier and tinnier. She's fun to watch. My volume, not normally low key, goes WAYYYYY up as well.

Couldn't sleep again last night - was wandering the house. Ugh,

2008-09-15T16:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday got ridiculously hot - the warmest day since July so I have no reason to bitch, yet still...It's cooled off considerably today and the forecast is looking good so I guess I can relax a bit.

We had a great weekend. We did a little socializing with the gang on Saturday night - I made pizzas on demand - but the rest of the weekend was about reconnecting and I feel much better. How Chris deals with my ever changing moods is beyond me. If he were involved with me ten years ago, we probably wouldn't be married today. I was a huge pain in the ass, full of anxieties and depression and not nearly as comfortable in my own skin. He's been good for me and so has time. I find the older I get the less I am sweating the small stuff.

Though I did get into a bit of a vocal disagreement with one of the organizers at the Haddonfield Farmer's Market on Saturday. That thing is a mess and needs to be completely revamped with a new location and a new time. It's absolutely pathetic that a prosperous little town like this one cannot get a decent farmer's market going. This woman accused me of negativity because I made a post on Haddonfield Talks about Javier, a new local restaurant which received $50,000 in incentives from the town (Read: out of our tax dollars) and then received a thrashing from Craig LaBan in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Dude, I call 'em as I see 'em and that place is lousy. I love this town to distraction, have lived here twelve years, came back here from Europe, but am completely baffled by the rah rah cheerleaders who can't handle constructive criticism. I'm living here, paying insanely high taxes, support the school budget even though I do not have children, yet I am "negative." Go figure. I am really trying to find a diplomatic way to discuss this with the Mayor. The Farmer's Market is a wonderful idea, but we're holding it at the same time as the local originator of the concept, Collingswood, which is two towns down, and as such we are competing for vendors. Since they've been at this so long, they've really got a successful little venture going with a great vibe. Ours is awful. Chris and I went to a fabulous farmer's market in San Luis Obispo last September when we were on vacation and we were very impressed with it. There was a bounty of produce, but I guess you should expect that in California. Still, one of the main streets was closed and there were musicians and yummy food and all sorts of stuff happening. I say we have ours on a Friday night when we can attract more vendors on Kings Highway or Mechanic Street and not the Parking Lot of the Presbyterian Church where it is now buried. If we close one of those streets, and sign post it like crazy it will draw people in. I also think the local businesses and restaurants would get a shot in the arm from the increased foot traffic. I'll keep you posted.

2008-09-10T08:35:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling much better about everything, though still not thrilled to have Chris away so much. I seem to go through cycles - sometimes I'm fine with it - other times very unhappy. Bottom line, it's not changing - I better learn to live with it.

It's a beautiful morning - a bit chilly even but we all still sat outside the coffee shop. We had a large group today and topic number one - well almost - after Helen's home inspection and my meatloaf recipe :) - was Sarah Palin. Imagine eight to ten people - all of whom agree - screaming and yelling about this on our very proper main street. Really funny. Lots of passers by getting involved - businessmen, moms with strollers, all sorts - it was very animated. We were talking about how the Democrats really need to get aggressive and Laurel mentioned a quote she heard on NPR "Democrats never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity." Hilarious, and sadly very true. We can't blow this.

2008-09-08T09:14:00.002-05:00

Traffic has been insane since the kids went back to school. We have wayyyyy too many cars in this small town and half the drivers are completely distracted, making what they think are covert cell phone calls which are against the law or dealing with their kids in the backseat so consequently most drivers do not heed pedestrian crosswalks and do make illegal right turns on red. As a pedestrian and a cyclist, I'm pissed off beyond belief by this behavior which is going unchecked by the cops who seem to be above the law themselves making cell phone calls. It's absurd. I'm also angry because this does not appear to matter to anyone in power. They fight over every little thing in this town - we ahd a montsh long debate about off leash dogs in a park and are currently having a major battle about a new library - but this serious public safety issue just gets swept under the carpet. I stepped into a crosswalk recently and yelled at the four cars who whizzed by me at a very high rate of speed and one of them cursed at me! Nice.

We're headed to this cabin in the Russian River Valley on October 5th with Tom and John and I need it. Chris' insane schedule is taking a toll on both of us and last night we got into a bit of a hassle when he came home from watching football with his friends a little intoxicated. I was upset because I only have three days with him and most of Sunday was a write-off as far as I was concerned. He's upset because this only happens every autumn and he needs to be able to let off some steam. He's absolutely right about this yet I still get annoyed. I know I need to be less of a bitch about this, but truth be told, I'm frustrated by our three day a week marriage.

Aargh. It's going to be a long week....

2008-08-29T11:55:00.002-05:00

I've had a splitting headache for the better part of the past two days. I went head to head with someone on one of our work projects on Wednesday and ever since then have had a headache. Can I blame it on verbal jousting or absorbing really misogynistic comments? I'd really love to, but I'm afraid it just has to do with the weather, which though lovely, has been a bit changeable recently. The dust up at work really threw me for a loop and unleashed a torrent of tears the likes of which haven't streamed down my face in ages. I was alone so I shut the door and just sobbed it out. I've had problems with this guy before and though we'd sort of kissed and made up, I knew his apologies were hollow but I just decided to keep things sweet for the sake of workplace harmony. I'll be professionally cool with him but that is all. I'm cocky enough to say out loud that I am well liked and fairly reasonable. His loss.

Have been crazy busy socially since Tara left last week. The weekend was a blur - in every possible way. Friday night was spent celebrating both of my sisters' birthdays - loads of cocktails, Saturday was two parties - Jason's birthday in the afternoon with lots of booze as usual, and poker at night with lots of beer and Sunday was a friend's dad's 70th and we went but kept it relatively real. This week has been all about paying penance for last weekend's excesses.
But never fear, I'm sure we'll be off on a spree this three day weekend...

2008-08-20T11:34:00.002-05:00

It's been quite a week here at work. We are adding some new accounting software to ease our tax preparations and the brunt of this has fallen on me, which is fine, but it's been a challenge. All sorts of stuff has gone wrong and I have had to stop and fix things along the way. But I am just about ready to get up to speed so am happy about that.

Really interested in all the Obama vice president drama and am curious to see who he finally chooses. I'd be happy with Joe Biden. I would have probably been happy with him as president actually. ABM. Anybody but McCain.

2008-08-17T07:17:00.002-05:00

An old family friend Tara is in town to visit. Aside from when I saw her in Munich for a few days, we haven't seen her in thirty years. She lives in Phoenix and came east with her friend Karen and her daughter Chelsea to see Chelsea off to college in Switzerland.

Every time we talked or emailed, she woudl wax poetic about hoagies so we had a bunch of them last night. What a fun night it was too. Lisa and the girls came and they brought the hoagies and we all sat in the yard on a beautiful summer evening eating and drinking beer and laughing and crying. Seven women and Chris, bless him!

Today we're headed to Gina's for a barbecue and pool party. Really should be fun.

2008-08-14T14:34:00.003-05:00

Twenty Five Random Songs I Really Love In No Particular Order (beware: I plan to be adding more lists…)

1. The Whole of the Moon – The Waterboys
2. Waterloo Sunset – The Kinks
3. Falling Slowly – Glenn Hansard & Marketa Irglova
4. 2Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten – Lucinda Williams
5. Polyester Bride – Liz Phair
6. Sandy – Bruce Springsteen
7. Tangled Up in Blue – Bob Dylan
8. California Stars - Billy Bragg and Wilco
9. Romeo and Juliet – Dire Straits
10. Don’t Go Back to Rockville – R.E.M.
11. To Sir With Love – Lulu
12. Walking Down Madison – Kirsty MacColl
13. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl
14. In My Life- The Beatles
15. Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
16. Thunder Road – Bruce Springsteen
17. Into the Mystic – Van Morrison
18. Pump It Up – Elvis Costello
19. One – U2
20. Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley
21. Jolene – Dolly Parton
22. Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye
23. Like A Prayer – Madonna
24. Maggie May – Rod Stewart
25. Knowing Me, Knowing you - Abba

2008-08-13T17:49:00.002-05:00

It's only 7 p.m. amd the weather is still perfect here so I thought I would take advantage of it by taking Rooney out for a nice walk. He LOVES getting out for walks and goes absolutely berserk when he sees the poop bags or his leash come out. It's cute.

Our normal Pilates instructor is on vacation so we had a fill-in who just about kicked my ass up and down the street, but she was awesome. I absolutely enjoyed it because it was new and a real challenge. I was able to hang through most of it and that made me very happy.

I am doing loads of work at Buckingham this week which is good too. Bob and Lynn are both away so I really have a chance to attend to some long dormant stuff. I miss them though - it's dead quiet.

Righty-o, off for that walk.

2008-08-12T13:21:00.002-05:00

The weather is still spectacular, absolutely beautiful with not a trace of humidity. I know this won't last so I am enjoying every minute of it.

I've been gathering estimates for having the exterior of our house painted and I have one word: Ouch! But it needs to be done and we're not painting three stories by ourselves like Lisa and Mike. We're also talking to Johnny B about putting in a patio and I am totally excited about that. He does great work and really gets my aesthetic. So it's all go go go here on Colonial Avenue.

Chris has a few weeks of vacation time left so we are looking at the Russian River Valley or Sonoma in California in October. We're trying to drag along some friends to make it a party!

2008-08-08T10:19:00.003-05:00

Yippee - it's Friday. The weather has broken and the entire town seems to have decamped to the beach for the month of August so it's quite nice here at the moment.

Lots on this weekend. Dinner at Stephen Starr's new place Parc tonight with Cat and Jeb, grilled pizza here tomorrow night with Craig, Maria and Andy and the beach on Sunday with Jo, Tom and John.

Digging this whole grilled pizza thing. Am using a recipe from Al Forno in Providence, where I had the best pizza outside of Naples. It's a really fun night out in the yard with friends, wine and beer.

2008-08-07T16:11:00.002-05:00

I'm reading Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--And the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weller and am devouring it in record time. It's really interesting and full of insider gossip and a lot of background on the songs. Of the three, all of whom I enjoy, Joni Mitchell is, has been and always will be an idol of mine and I've been listening to her music all week. I have just about everything she's ever recorded but my two favorite records by her are Blue and Court and Spark because they really informed my teenage years. Not to leave Carole King or Carly Simon in the dust. I think I must have worn my copy of Tapestry out and the same is true of Anticipation and No Secrets. But it's always been Joni for me. In the book, she comes off as cool, complicated, intense and difficult but with real integrity which hardly came as a surprise. The book's also neat because the entire music community seemed to be sleeping with one another and I eat that sort of salacious gossip up like nobody's business!

2008-08-04T17:44:00.002-05:00

Chris is off again and I am having a very quiet day alone. Worked for a few hours, hit the gym, Shop Rite, did some gardening and am now going to forage for dinner and knit. Really wish I were sharing this night with Chris though.

Tomorrow Jo and I are sneaking off to the beach. We have a whole routine which basically revolves around parking near a really good pizza spot where we can grab lunch. Funny. I am looking forward to it - love spending quality time alone with Jo. It doesn't happen that often anymore but it's something which means a lot to me (and her too I am hoping!).

2008-08-03T10:01:00.001-05:00

It's a perfect day here - not too much humidity and a bit of a breeze. We took our coffee and the papers out back and watching Rooney with a rabbit who lives in our yard. They have become totally socialized and stand as close as six inches apart which is amazing. Rooney is fascinated with him and the rabbit tooks no notice. It's sweet as can be. Also, Rooney has to begun to point at him - and he's a lovely pointer. I guess the breed is coming out in him as he becomes more and more secure. We've had him two years and he has come such a long way from the cowering, sad dog we adopted. We adore him.

Off to see Les Miserables with my family and some friends at the Walnut Street Theatre this afternoon. Looking forward to it.

2008-08-02T12:49:00.001-05:00

Continuing with the theme of hot, I wanted to talk about Pilates, which I’ve been doing for a few months once or twice a week. It’s held in the basement of the Haddonfield First Presbyterian Church and it’s as cheap as chips (Britspeak from Chris and Catherine).The instructor is amazing – in her fifties, fit as anything and so encouraging. I absolutely love the entire experience and am signing him for the fall session as well – for Wednesday and Friday mornings. I go with my pals Lisa and Lynn but I might as well be alone because I totally get into my own zone.

The only bad part is that this summer, the basement’s been blazing hot. We leave there drenched and Lisa was feeling very woozy the other day. We’re all looking forward to some cooler weather!

P.S. The Haddonfield Presbyterian Church has some lovely authentic Tiffany windows which are worth a look!

2008-08-01T17:34:00.003-05:00

August's NaBloPoMo's theme is HOT, which is perfect in every way. Last night after the absolutely sweetest parade evr, one which actually caused me to well up with emotion, I whipped up my penne arrabiatta for Chris. I still remember in vivid color the first time I had it, outside on a piazza in Rome, in March of 1994, with John Joyce. It was absolutely sublime in its simplicity and as soon as I came home I learned how to make it.

1 28 oz. San Marzano tomatoes - spend on the good DOP kind - worth every penny.
6 garlic cloves minced
5 T extra virgin olive oil
2 t red pepper flakes or more if you like things spiced up
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c grated pecorino or parmigiano reggiano or both and more to grate
chopped fresh flat parsley - NEVER USE CURLY!!!
1 lb DeCecco Penne - again, use the good stuff.

Heat the minced garlic with the oil and saute until golden. Do not burn. If you do, toss it out and start again. Then add the red pepper flakes, swirl pan and cook for a minute longer. Then add the tomatoes which I like to break up with my hands as my mother taught us. Simmer for twenty minutes adding a touch of salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile cook the penne in rolling boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Add to sauce and cook a minute or two more to absorb all the flavor. Put in a serving bowl with cheese and toss with parsley. Serve with extra cheese and pepper flakes.

Anyway, it's now one of my staples and people love it. And it never fails to remind me of my first trip to Italy with John, one of my more memorable trips because Italy was everything I thought it would be and because with his artist's eye, John illuminated it in the most unique and beautiful way.

2008-07-31T16:42:00.002-05:00

We had a great visit with the Plants - Chris, Martina and Hugo. Hugo is a little dear - I truly enjoyed him. He's absolutely sweet as can be and is constantly smiling! We got along well.

We fed them some good old American style food - local Philly cheesesteaks, North Carolina style pulled pork with slaw and baked beans, homemade burgers and all sorts! It was fun. They seemed to like our town a lot which made us feel good.

A Haddonfield gal named Erin Donohue has qualified for the Olympics in Track and Field's 1500 meter event and the town is having a parade tonight down Kings Highway to send her off with a bang! I think it's a great idea and of course I am going! The parade will end at the Haddonfield Memorial High School where she was a State champion and the town has invited all the local kids to take a lap around the track with her. Small town living at its best! Go Erin!

2008-07-23T09:43:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post - trying my best to blog very regularly. Chris, Martina and Hugo arrived yesterday and we had a lovely evening. I made the Cook's Illustrated version of penne alla vodka and it was quite good. Got lots of other good food ideas up my sleeve for their visit.

I'll be back soon - am super busy!

2008-07-20T13:15:00.002-05:00

It is as hot as hell here and despite air conditioning, we're feeling mighty sluggish. Despite that, yesterday we managed to get out to a party at George's house which was alot of fun. George's yard is lovely, wooded and private. We spent our time between the inside and the outside. I made a really amazing S'mores cheesecake which was a big hit.

Today we've spent a lot of time preparing for the arrival of the Plants on Tuesday. My odl neighbor and good friend Pam brought a portable crib for Hugo and a box of toys as well, which was extremely sweet and thoughtful.

Later we're going to a neighborhood block party. I see as a quick dash and back as it is so stifling outside.

Had a nice conversation with Lise today and managed to whisper a few sweet nothings into teh phone propped up to lovely Stella's ear!

2008-07-17T08:57:00.002-05:00

An old friend came over last night and we spent hours talking and eating. It was the most pleasant night I had with him in years and reminded me of when we were both single and spending a ridiculous amount of time together. John is whip smart, talented, funny, compassionate and a joy to be around. We haven't spent that much time alone in years and it was wonderful. We've always found conversation on a wide variety of subjects to be easy. Last night we deconstructed Madonna - someone who has fascinated both of us for years, the current mood of the country both poilitically and economically, our families, gardening, books and all sorts. I had been very low earlier in the day and my spirits were really lifted.

P.S. The meal was grilled tuna steaks that I marinated in soy sauce, white wine, ginger, garlic, a hint of mustard and lime juice stuffed with arugula that had been soaked in the marinade, orange scented couscous and a plain old tomato salad. Fresh and good.

2008-07-16T15:58:00.002-05:00

Tuesday night Stitch 'n Bitch at Tivoli Kaffe is going great guns thanks to my networking it allover the place and especially lately because the local paper "What's On Haddonfield" ran a blurb about us in a recent edition. We have a nice little group which varies in six from a handful of knitters to fifteen or more. It has been great and I think it's got legs!

2008-07-15T14:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I used the phrase "white trash" in a post (which I have since edited to delete it) and it later got me thinking about it really is not really an appropriate thing to write or so. It has always been one of those phrases thrown about ironically by the self consciously hip and I have now come to realize it is really another ethnic slur. Once I used it in a conversation and Chris got very heated up about it and I thought he was being totally PC but on further reflection, I realized he was right AGAIN. I would not ever call someone a nigger - never in a thousand years - so why am comfortable calling someone white trash?

There's some interesting stuff about this very subject on the web.

2008-07-14T16:03:00.004-05:00

I had a total low rent lunch today - a roll filled with American cheese, juicy Jersey tomatoes and Hellman's mayonnaise - and it was amazing. I love the combo of tomatoes and mayo - yum. Next time I think I will jazz it up a bit. Take a look at this yuppified version of it. Looks fantastic!

2008-07-13T17:09:00.002-05:00

Chris and I had a really lovely day at the beach today. We left early and spent hours enjoying a perfect day. We got the perfect amount of sun. The water was cold as hell though! Yesterday there were three drownings on the Jersey shore due to deadly riptides so the lifeguards were being even more vigilant than ever.

Last night we totally chilled at Lisa and Mike's, ate some great food, drank a lovely bottle of Castano Monstrell rose that was absolutely perfect for a summer evening on the porch. We also knocked back a nice bottle of Provencal rose from Chateau Calissane that we pick up from Moore Brothers. It was just one of those perfect breezy summer nights and everyone was in good form, laughing up a storm.

Tonight we're trying a local Malaysian place recommended to us by our neighbors, Jill and John. I am seriously in the mood for spice!

2008-07-12T17:29:00.003-05:00

Tonight we're headed to Lisa and Mike's for dinner. She's making a Greek themed dinner with a great big salad and grilled loin lamb chops. I made a rustic blueberry nectarine tart and snapped a photo of it.

2008-07-10T17:39:00.003-05:00

A quick post before I head out for a night boat ride on the Delaware with Matt, Kay, Lisa and Mike.

I made a blueberry buttermilk tart last night and it was a very big hit both with my family who came for dinner and Bob, who ate the leftovers at work this morning. I love buttermilk and gravitate towards recipes using it. John and I were reminiscing about the long gone days when we both lunched in the Reading Terminal (over ten years for each of us) and that great old sign that said "Drink BUTTERMILK and Live Forever". Boy do I miss having the Reading Terminal as my grocery store.

2008-07-09T10:08:00.002-05:00

I joined National Blog Posting Month in an effort to keep up my posting. They have all sorts of ideas and give you a monthly theme on which to concentrate. July's theme is food. I can so do food.

The good local produce is starting to make its way to the farmer's markets and the grocery stores and I could not be any happier. I have been eating blueberries by the handful and making muffins, pancakes and cobblers with them as well. Tonight I might try a crisp. I have to look up some recipes. Full report tomorrow.

Chris is in California this week, but I am not feeling as blue as I was a few weeks ago. I am keeping busy and that helps. Monday night, Lynne and I have an exercise class. Tuesday , the Stitch 'n Bitch is going gangbusters and that's a small thrill for me! Tonight my family is coming over. Tomorrow night Matt wants us all to go out on his boat in the Delaware and the weather is sounding good so I think I am in.

2008-07-05T08:35:00.002-05:00

Really had a great time at T & T's house. It was a nice group of folks - and we had two Brits, three Spaniards and one Pole among us which was kind of fun. There are a lot of Brits living in Haddonfield and on the East Coast in general - it can be England West at times.

The food was quite good. Terry takes cooking as seriously as I do so we always have a good talk about food. He's boundlessly enthusiastic about everything - I totally enjoy being in his company. His eighty one year old mother was there and she's got a lively personality as well. The apple did not fall far from the tree.

The conversation was good as well. We like meeting new people and this group really had a lot to say on a variety of subjects. Add booze and laughter and the day was just about as close to perfect as you can get.

Trying to decide what to do tonight. Very overcast looking day so not sure if we'll be grilling. Thinking of fish and chips, but you've got to keep the numbers down for that or you're frying all night!

2008-07-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

Am heading up to our hokey Fourth of July parade shortly. I have a headache from drinking Mike's sangria which was laced with all sorts of booze and tasted so good and so unlike booze that I really went overboard. Ouch.

Going to hit the gym and then chill for a few hours before going to Terry and Teresa's for a barbecue today. I made Matt's baked beans and I hope they turn out as well as the time he made them for us. Yum.

2008-07-02T16:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday spent the day at Island Beach State Park with my sister Lisa and the kids. Was a perfect day for the beach, sunny and breezy. Ocean was ridiculously cold though but I went in three or four times. There is nothing better than the ocean in my mind - I find it calming when I am sitting next to it and exciting when I am jumping the waves. Island Beach is an undeveloped barrier island and it is spectacular with rolling dunes, all sorts of interesting birds and beautiful natural vegetation. It's what all the Jersey beaches must have looked like one day before we ruined them (most of them anyway).

Last night was Stitch 'n Bitch. We're up and running and have a nice core group of regulars. I'm happy about that.

Chris gets back later this evening. I guess we'll go grab some dinner somewhere. It will be too late to cook.

2008-06-30T08:14:00.003-05:00

I was annoyed yesterday, but it passed pretty quickly. I cannot stay mad at Chris! Boys will be boys and all that. A bit of retail therapy with a friend helped sort me out and then we had a few hours together later so all was fine.

Happy it's a short week due to Fourth of July on Friday. Not got much planned other than a shindig at T & T's and something at Gina's as well. got to figure out what I am cooking.

2008-06-29T11:17:00.001-05:00

I'm pissed off today. We went to a party yesterday afternoon which I had to drag Chris home from at midnight. As a consequence, he just got up and is no shape to do anything. I wanted to go to the beach, but it's too late for that and he's got plans to watch the Euro 2008 final at 3 p.m. which sort of leaves me out of the equation. I'm annoyed and hurt.

2008-06-27T09:52:00.002-05:00

Catherine and I spent the day at the beach yesterday and really enjoyed ourselves. We laughed it up until my sides hurt.

It's warming up here quite a bit. Yuck.

Chris is back and I'm very happy about that. I've been feeling very low without him.

2008-06-25T16:47:00.002-05:00

I am in a happy mood right now all because the saleswoman at Severino's our local Italian specialty store gave me a free ball of Mozzarella di Bufala! I asked the price and when she told me it was $8.00 for a 1/2 pound, I said no and she gave it to me and said "You know good food and you're a good customer. Take it!" Way to make my day. It just seemed like a lot of money for something that will be devoured so quickly. I am taking it to Lisa and Mike's and we're making a caprese salad.

2008-06-24T15:03:00.002-05:00

Our town has an online forum called Haddonfield Talks which I frequent on a daily basis, if only for the entertainment. I started reading it while I lived in Munich so I could keep up with the gigantic dog leash controversy which was currently brewing. It was "good value for money" as Chris likes to phrase it. There were actually over 200 posts on the pressing issue of dogs running off leash in a secluded public park. Hilarious! Yesterday, I posted about a crappy restaurant here in town and just about got railroaded into Cherry Hill (the adjacent town). Funny. Was tempted to get into a flame war with this one guy, but in the end decided that it wasn't worth my time arguing with someone who spelled tapas as "tappas". 'Nuff said. This town is great, but there are moments when I just want to shake my head or scream in silence!

Three months in and the Stitch 'n Bitch is going well. We've had a real mixed bags of folks and I genuinely enjoy that.

Okay, off to meet Joanna at Starbucks. I never go in there anymore, but she likes it so it'll be a change of pace from Tivoli, the new coffee shop in town.

2008-06-17T10:23:00.002-05:00

Another month and a half of no blogging except for the picture of all the wool I won from Ravelry. I need to figure out how to spin it or get someone to do it for me.

The trip was great. Busy as hell, but great. Lovely to see Mick and Suzanne get married. Mick's always been a real mensch in my mind and I am so happy he found someone like Suzanne, who is beautiful, smart, funny and nice and really appreciates him. Also wonderful to see Chris and Martina and sweet good natured baby Hugo. We hadn't seen them in three years and had never met Hugo so that was a real treat! And lastly, seeing our dear friends Lise and Richard with their newly born beautiful daughter Stella was great. We stayed with them and it was wonderful - Stella was a perfect angel - so so beautiful and often quite serene. She really responded to me and I got a lot of smile and giggles out of her which pleased me to no end.

Our friend Bev scheduled her big fortieth birthday bash for when we were there and that was a wonderful event. Bev's mum and dad are lovely fun people and I enjoyed spending time with them as they laughed at every third word out of my mouth!

We also saw the folks who introduced us - Jen and Paul and that was fun. We see them more often than the rest because of their local ties, but it still was nice.

We spent a good deal of time with Brian and Izzy and Lisa and Steve at the wedding and in the beer gardens. We saw both Alans - Graham and Jones - and their kids - a real treat as well as Rita and Greg and their angelic boy and girl. We saw Graham and Hans - another treat. We saw Gulsemin a few times - she's great - and Joanna and her boyfriend, and Steve Hastings. Chris saw Gary. Forgive me if I've left anyone out - I'm sure I have. My memory is fuzzy because it was a month ago and because most of out meetups were done under the influence of much booze.

I had a great weekend alone in Providence with Chris and we managed to get to Newport, which was all I thought it would be with its gilded age cliffside mansions. Years spent reading Edith Wharton and Henry James was good preparation. Loved it. Great food in Providence too. Yum.

Just sent our two latest visitors from England back home after a really booze soaked weekend which began on Thursday night with a fairly serious session at our house with our guests Colin and Clive who are friends with Chris from the early days in Munich and Peggy and John, who are always up for a tipple. The boys went into the city on Friday and we had a BBQ on Saturday night with a bunch of the usual suspects. It was an absolutely perfect night in the yard which went on for hours. Lots and lots of laughs.

Let's see if I can't jumpstart this blog. if I can't, I'm retiring.

2008-05-29T13:34:00.000-05:00

2008-05-05T10:11:00.002-05:00

Saturday was so much fun. We had a really good - if restrained (due to the fact that we were driving a few towns away) time at the Derby Party and an absolute blast at Laurel and Pat's party here in town which started off with quite a bang - a Tiki Torch fell and started a blaze on their back deck which Frank tried to douse - with wine! Hilarious - quite literally adding fuel to the fire. Fortunately he then grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out, but there was quite a commotion which funnily enough added to the night. Was a great great time with a really fun group of people. We ended up staying way beyond every one else. We had a ton of laughs. Laurel and Patrick are such nice people and really easygoing hosts.

Yesterday we worked in our yard all day long and it looks great. Was exhausted last night, but managed to get a walk up to Gracie's in for the first ice cream cone of the Spring season.

Scrambling to get ready to go away.

2008-05-03T09:29:00.003-05:00

So annoying. The last few posts I made vaporized into thin air. Let's try again.

Last night we went to John's First Friday gallery opening of some of his Silk Road photographs taken on the Turkish Armenian border. They're indescribably beautiful and his printing is masterful. John is a real artist and constantly amazes me. After the opening, we all went to a great little Turkish place on 2nd and Vine and had a meal and a bunch of drinks, watched bellydancers and congratulated John on his work. A truly nice night. It's extremely heartwarming to see someone you love accomplish something wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed feting him.

It's a big party day here - but not at our house thank heaven. I am still recovering from the kick ass home brew party we had a few weeks ago with about seventy people in attendance. The weather was perfect and we had people allover the house, on the front porch and gathered around a huge bonfire in our yard. We had a great mix of ages and peple of all sorts. People really seem to like coming to our parties - they are really freewheeling. Anyway, today we've got a Kentucky Derby Party at Billy and Susan's with some of the suspects from last night and tonight we have a Cinco de Mayo shindig and Laurel and Patrick's house a stone's throw away from our house so we'll end up walking home from there.

Tomorrow, we'll be in recovery mode and start getting ready for our trip on Tuesday.

2008-04-29T16:54:00.002-05:00

Tuesday night was Stitch 'n Bitch - think it's the fourth or fifth one - not quite sure, but we're having a good time. It's been attracting between ten and twelve people a night - a nice little turnout. Big news is that we got a really cute guy in to knit with us. Adorable medical student who everyone was fawning over - nice!

I'm working on a bag, and two shawls and waiting for some wool to arrive so I can make the cutest cropped cardigan you ever did see.

Weather is sunny and nice, which is a change from the past few days. I haven't minded it so much as the plants I put in on Saturday are looking good.

Offski now.

2008-04-26T15:25:00.003-05:00

Yikes, it's been almost a full month since I posted and I had been doing so well. C'est la vie. Am back on it now.

Have been in the garden almost non-stop for the past few weeks - even lost my wedding ring cleaning out the debris which accumulated during our wildly stormy winter. There were tons of twigs and sticks and I had huge bonfires going in our firepit which was fun - but probably illegal.

Just put in 21 hostas today and two flats of pachysandras - backbreaking work, but really satisfying.

We're off to Europe on May 6 to Amsterdam fora little fun by ourselves, for Mick's wedding in Northern Germany, to see Planty and family in Bratislava and to see the newly arrived Stella in Munich! It'll be our first trip back to Munich since we left three years ago - I'm looking forward to it. We're staying with Lise and Richard which should be great.

Not sure what we are doing tonight but hoping it involves wine.

2008-03-26T10:20:00.002-05:00

Chris' NYC project seems to be over and now he's involved in one in Groton, CT, miles away from here and not really an easy overnight as Manhattan was for me. I've been going a little bit out of my mind with loneliness and am picking up my knitting needles again. I've been into felting lately. The projects are a lot of fun and the end product is extremely unique. The absolute best patterns around are from Noni. Check them out - they're amazing! Here's a bag of theirs I am almost finished, but I've changed it up a bit and am using felted flowers instead of bobbles. I should have a picture soon.

2008-03-22T13:47:00.002-05:00

We've got a big crew coming for Easter tomorrow - seventeen including us. Should be a really nice time as it's a good assemblage of people of all ages. I like that. I know a few people who aren't keen to socialize with the older set, but not us. We really like a good mix of people of all different ages and stripes and find it makes for more interesting conversation.

So I've managed to prepare quite a bit of the feast ahead of time and tonight am going to see my good friend Stephen Heath as Pontius Pilate in an acclaimed production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Steve's a good good friend, partner of one of my best friends and a great actor, singer and dancer. You get your money's worth when you see him perform. Last time I saw him he had the lead in the Rocky Horror Picture Show and he was incredible.

Off now to put on my face!

2008-03-09T14:59:00.002-05:00

Chris and I are having a great day in the kitchen. He made homemade mozzarella - bless him and I whipped up pizza dough and a bunch of toppings. Lisa, Mike and the *kids* read: dogs - are coming by for supper. It's cold outside but very very sunny and our kitchen has perfect southern exposure so it's a warm place to be today.

I had a great time at dinner last night - lovely food, a few stiff drinks and a glass or two of wine and it was smooth sailing. The weather was perfectly insane yesterday though. Huge blasts of wind - trees down all over town, electricity knocked off a few times. Quite weird and a bit frightening as our house is surrounded by gigantic old sycamores and oaks. I was worried about our majestic Japanese maple, but it looks okay.

Daylight savings time started last night which seems so early. It's weird. Oh well, gotta go open a bottle of Pinot Noir...

2008-03-08T15:39:00.007-05:00

I've been on a shoe shopping binge today. I found three really cute pairs. Here they are.

I'm going out to dinner tonight with Lisa, John and Tom and am wearing those adorable silver shoes. Love them. Mike and Chris are at an all day beer festival so we figure we can get dressed up and have a big night in a French bistro. looking forward to it.

2008-02-25T16:36:00.002-05:00

It was really sweet and nice to see Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard win an Oscar last night for Best Song for "Falling Slowly" from the great film, Once. It's a beautiful and haunting song and I've been obsessed with it since the first time I heard it so it was great to see them win.

2008-02-23T18:37:00.003-05:00

It's a nasty day, gray and gloomy day here in the Northeast after a day of snow and ice. I stayed in last night while Chris walked over to Mike's to play cards. I think it was my first Friday night spent very quietly all year and it was great. Chris rolled in quite late - well after two this morning and I was still awake. I got up early this morning and hit the gym and then went for a solitary coffee, came home, showered and then got back into pajamas and we've been in bed all day with the dog, books, the papers and the television in our comfortable and warm bedroom. We're sort of camping out - as I've said before our house is chilly and drafty and our room is just cozy and nice. Chris just went out for some pizza and a video and I am headed downstairs to get us a nice bottle of wine and we're going to have a quietly decadent evening of doing nothing but relaxing in our room, with our dog, which seriously makes me very happy.

Tonight's wine: A cheeky, happy Costieres de Nimes, I think. I've got a few bottles -not sure which I am going to pick. Jancis Robinson thinks Costieres de Nimes are nice everyday wines and a good bargain and I agree. Perfect for a night in front of the telly.

2008-02-21T16:14:00.003-05:00

Our good friend of at least 30 years Chrissy lost her 47 year old brother last week and the funeral was today. Though I hardly knew Robert, his funeral just about knocked me over. He was single and left only two sisters, his mom and dad and three nieces and nephews. To see his mom and dad, two lovely, simple and good people, completely overwhelmed with grief was devastating. I really do not remember a time when I felt so sad at a funeral. Absolutely heartbreaking.

2008-02-17T12:11:00.003-05:00

It's freezing again. I'm sick to death of this seemingly endless winter.

Been running around a lot the past few days - we went to see John, who had hip replacement surgery at Jefferson Hospital in Philly, on Friday which led to us going on a mad drinking spree...Gah, as if that weren't hard enough on this old gal, yesterday, I had to make a condolence call on an old family friend whose brother died - very unexpectedly at age 47. I went with Gina and Tom. So sad to see his family so broken up by the whole thing. Last night, we went out with a small gang of friends to Cork to celebrate a bunch of February birthdays. It was a good laugh. Today, we had a quick breakfast at Jo's - the highlights were Jo's frittata and teh English bacon we brought. I got it at the English store in town. Ridiculously overpriced, but once in awhile, it's a good treat. Yum. Today, we're hanging with my family - yet another birthday celebration...Am ready to go on a fast, but I'll somehow manage to plough through Gina's homemade lasagne today.

2008-02-13T18:18:00.002-05:00

I've noticed the weirdest thing lately - our local grocery stores are selling Dr. Oetker products, which I used in Germany and thought were strictly marketed there. I must have opened up a hundred packages of Dr. Oetker's Bakpulver (Baking Powder) when I lived there. It's just strange to see the stuff on our shelves here. Apparently, I'm not the only one who noticed it - a quick Google search reveals several other bloggers who are a bit surprised by it. Intriguing.

Last night was fun. We managed to round up a nice group of six people to wander around the corner for dinner in a wicked ice storm. Lots of laughs, some truly good comfort food and wine, but a bit of a treacherous walk home.

I just got a call at 5:30 p.m. Haddonfield, New Jersey time from Jen in Germany, where it was 11:30 p.m. She forgot my birthday was yesterday but wanted to call before she went to bed before another day had passed. It was kind of a chuckle because an hour or two before I was kidding around with Chris about how she forgot me! Was nice to hear from her. And nice to be remembered even a day late. Thanks, Jen!

2008-02-12T10:06:00.000-05:00

It's really cold here. Our house is a big and drafty and old and when it gets extremely frigid, is very difficult to keep warm so we camp out in our room on the third floor which has electric baseboard heat. It's kind of fun. There are no more than seven or ten days a year that we have to do this so it's a mini adventure.

Just finished re-reading Pride & Prejudice. Am going nack through all of Jane Austen - only have a few more to go. Up next, Emma. Masterpiece Theatre has been running an entire Jane Austen series so it made sense for me to go back to what are some of my favorite books ever.

Oh yeah, it's my birthday today. We won't discuss the age...

2008-02-10T12:19:00.000-05:00

We had a nice chat with Lise and Richard who phoned us yesterday, full of overwhelming love and emotion on all parts because they have just had a daughter. i really wish we were there for this. It's the most I have missed Munich since we left. Richard sent some photos via e-mail and she is beautiful.

We had a terrific time at Melissa and Bill's. Was great to see Terry and Teresa, who is nine months pregnant and looking remarkably well and serene. We really like them and really need to start seeing them more. We have a lot in common and the conversation flows nicely. Terry had a great bit of Haddonfield gossip, which was fun.

Today, Chris is brewing. I just got back from a cold bike ride, but felt good to get some air pumping through my lungs. I'm knitting socks and chilling till tonight when we go next door to John and Jill's for dinner.

2008-02-09T10:34:00.000-05:00

It's a gloomy Saturday here in Jersey and I'm trying to figure out what to do with myself. Chris is going to two, count 'em - two - homebrew stores and then whipping up a new batch of IPA. The only thing I have on my agenda is making quesadillas for tonight's dinner at Melissa and Bill's house. I seriously could make them in my sleep. They're a fun thing to make and people love them. Melissa seemed semi-mortified that I want to finish them at her house. I do everything short of cooking them here - but they really need to be finished at the last minute. I am thinking of making two types - mushroom and caramelized onions. She'll get over it when she tastes how good they are.

Also am going to knit a pai of socks for Chris today. Am headed off to the wool store right now.

Here's a quick shout out to our dear dear friends Lise and Richard in Munich who just welcomed a daughter into the world. I am heartbroken that we cannot be there to see her right now, but we're looking forward to spending lots of time with the three of them when we visit in Munich. Here's to Baby Stella!

2008-02-06T16:27:00.000-05:00

I am so hungry I could eat my own hand, but not sure what it is I want. Thinking taht perhaps a bloody rare piece of beef would do the trick. Will take a wander over to Acme and figure it out when I get there.

My latest annoyance is with the entire genre known as chick lit. Looking for something light, I picked up two books written by two different thirty something women writers and was absolutely stunned by how dumbed down and insulting they were. I ran them right back. Terrible. The plots were so predictable that my fourteen year niece could have written them. The dialogue - revolting - who talks like that? I used to be able to stomach them - maybe it's because I'm getting older and grouchier - who knows? Give me something meaty any day.

P.S. I just remembered how much I loved Bridget Jones' Diary so there's some good examples of it out there. But none I've looked at lately. Rant over.

2008-02-05T09:22:00.000-05:00

I just voted in New Jersey's Super Tuesday primary and from the looks of it, turnout is high. People I know who have never previously voted or shown an interest are getting out there today, which can only be good.

I'll be in watching the returns tonight!

2008-02-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

Good news. Chris is now the proud holder of a Green Card, which means he's a permanent legal resident of the United States. The interview made both of us nervous, but our credentials were completely solid so the interviewer stamped Chris' passport then and there. In three years, he's eligible to be a citizen. We're going out for a few celebratory drinks with friends in a bit.

2008-02-03T11:53:00.000-05:00

I'm a teensy weensy bit hung over after swilling a silly amount of champagne at Jo's Mardi Gras shindig last night. It was a good one, with some fabulous food. We walked over which was smart because we knew we'd probably overindulge. Had a ton of laughs with everyone, was a nice crowd of folks all in good moods. Love when a party has a truly good feel to it and this one did. Tom, as usual, had me laughing my head off. My sisters bothc ame too and that was really good too.

Today's the Super Bowl which I plan to mark by sitting in front of the telly and totally ignoring. Fun, aren't I? I think I'll watch some movies and do some knitting and maybe read a bit. I really want to stay home and do nothing. Might take a walk with the dog, but then again, I might not. That's what Sundays are all about - sheer laziness.

Tomorrow we have our interview at immigration. Fingers crossed.

2008-02-02T08:41:00.000-05:00

I realized after yesterday's post that I really hadn't explained myself so well. The Indian King Brewery is the name we have concocted for Chris' homebrew attempts. After a shaky start, things are off to a flyer. His first batch was not-so-hot, tasted of wet cardboard, but, as our friend Miek Evans so succinctly put it "Four or five beers in, this stuff's not so bad!". With the help of his new found friends on the HomebrewTalk forum and the nice folks at Home Sweet Homebrew in Philly, his beer is rocking good. He's made a really good Weiss beer, a nice Holiday Ale, an incredible IPA, a nice version of Old Speckled Hen in addition to some other stuff. He's got a Munich style Helles on the go now as well as an Irish Stout. Brewing beer properly at home is not some penny pinching move, and in actuality, costs a bit of money, but for Chris it's all about crafting something nice, which really appeals to me - as I am the sort of person who makes her own pasta and bread, and does not cut corners while cooking.

We had a quiet night in last night. I was feeling a bit low and just wanted to hang out in front of the television with a takeout and Chris and teh dog for company. I had a sort of busy week and was feeling overwhelmed. Had seen Atonement on Wednesday with Peggy and on Thursday night went to spend a few hours with Jen, who was in from Munich for a few quick days on the end of a business trip. It was great to see her. She was staying with her brother, who I've known for years, and his wife and new baby. I really enjoyed it. It was nice to reconnect a bit.

Tonight Jo is having a kick ass Mardi Gras Party. I am looking quite forward to going to a party at someone else's place for a change. We love entertaining, but still it's nice to wake up in a pristine house which doesn't smell like a drunken piss-up.

We also just booked our trip to Germany in May yesterday. We managed to get it through Lufthansa Miles and More which is really sweet. We'll be spending a few days in Amsterdam, then going to Mick's wedding ins oem godforsaken corner of Germany, then off to Slovakia to see the Plants, and finally back to Munich to stay with Lise and Richard and to see all of our old friends. We haven't set foot in Germany since leaving almost three years ago and I guess it's high time we did. I thought Chris would be really anxious to go back sooner, but he feels that after fourteen years, besides his friends, there's not a lot he's sentimental about.

2008-02-01T09:34:00.001-05:00

Just back from a morning session with Chris and the gang at Starbucks, some of whom are proposing to invest in the Indian King Brewery. How funny is that? They also are lobbying to have the Indian King Tavern, which is now functioning as a tourist attraction, reopened as a pub. They want to pick the brains of a few of our lawyer friends as to the legality of it. The State owns it now. I would think that the property alone would be worth a few million dollars, never mind cutting through the red tape to serve beer in this dry town. Though the town had several colonial era watering holes, not a drop has been served here since Prohibition, but you are welcome to bring your wine to the restaurants. I think getting the town to go from dry to wet would be a real battle even though people here are real boozehounds. Remember, this is a town that went to war with a guy over his right to sell hot dogs from a cart on the main street. Also, the town which was up in arms when a homeowner painted his house purple. It's a moot point since no one has millions lying around to pony up for a fancy brewpub! But it's fun morning chatter.

2008-01-31T12:19:00.000-05:00

Here’s a huge difference between Europe and America. Everyday, I ride my bike with a wicker basket full of stuff up and down Kings Highway to and from work in my black coat, red scarf and red beret. Nothing special, right? Not so quick. People come up to me all the time and say “Are you the woman in the red hat who rides the bike with the wicker basket?” and when I reply yes, they are absolutely poetic about a) how cool my bike is (it is, I must say), b) how “European” I look, and c) how great it is that I ride around to work and doing errands everyday. In Europe, everyone does this year round. I am a huge object of curiosity in this tiny town and that amazes me. Our town is small and parking is a nightmare. Driving takes longer than walking or cycling. Get with the program people and hop on those fancy bikes I know are sitting unused in your garages!

2008-01-29T16:57:00.000-05:00

I am totally pissed because I just noticed the dress which I bought from Garnet Hill and have worn one time (and posted a picture of it a week ago) has a gash in it that I did not notice. I wasn't cheap and it's going back.

Thinsg are moving along with Chris' immigration which is good. We had a conference call yesterday with the lawyers to prep us about our official meeting next Monday and they were positive about all aspects of his case so fingers and toes crossed.

Swinging wildly between Hillary and Obama. On one hand, really want to pull that lever for a woman, and I do admire Hillary, but on the other have been succumbing to Barack Obama's charisma and message for change. Our Super Tuesday primary is next week and I think I'm pulling for Hillary. Right now. All subject to change.

2008-01-27T16:25:00.000-05:00

It's late Sunday afternoon and I am totally wiped after much merry making all weekend. A good friend from Munich was on business here in the States and planned his trip through Philly so he could spend a few days with us, which has been fun, but exhausting. Friday night we had a long one in town which culminated in cheesesteaks at 2:30 a.m. and yesterday we had some of Chris' football pals in for chili and homebrew and no one left till 2 a.m. Mick's going back to Munich on tonight's US Air flight with which we are very familiar and Lisa, Mike and dogs are coming over to have leftovers.

Time for a quick nap.

2008-01-23T10:25:00.000-05:00

Heath Ledger. Sad no matter what happened. His portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain was haunting and it's sad to see such a talented person's life get cut short.

Still cold here but not as bitter thank heaven.

I have the cutest dress on which I bought from Garnet Hill, my new favorite source for clothes.

2008-01-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

Our house is old by American standards - somewhere between 115 and 120 years old, poorly insulated and in need of new windows so when it is extremely cold outside, it simply does not warm up properly. Our bedroom is on the third floor and we have electric baseboard heat up there so we've been camping out up there. Last night, we had a pizza on our bed. It's cozy, nice and sort of fun. I'll be ready for a change though.

2008-01-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

It's like a frozen tundra outside and I have no plans other than staying in, cooking, watching a movie or two and having our friends come by for some pulled pork, which I am slowly roasting right now. The whole house smells incredible and I think it just feels more cozy when something is cooking. Chris is going to brew some Munich style helles and I am going to make a loaf of French bread. We sound frighteningly domesticated, but I've always been a nester. I'm thrilled that I have absolutely no reason to go out of the house. Friends with their dogs are coming to us, a lot of wine will be drunk and we'll have some laughs. A perfect day.

We had a great day yesterday as well - went to the Delaware Art Museum with Joanna to see the amazing permanent collection of Pre-Raphaelites, supposely the biggest and best outside of Britain, as well as the temporary John Sloan exhibit, which ends today and which I absolutely loved, being a huge fan of The Ashcan School and The Eight. The paintings all centered on New York in the first third on the 20th century and I loved every single one of them. Afterwards, we drove into South Philly and had some pizza and a few beers, came home for a few hours and then went out around 9:30 to see John's band with a bunch of people - really fun. John's totally enjoying playing with these guys and it's a huge relief from his pressure cooker career. It makes me feel good to see him so loose and happy.

2008-01-18T17:29:00.000-05:00

Another blue day. It's got to be January. I've not much to be unhappy about, but I am just feeling so low and listless.

We had a lot of fun last night. We're headed out for dinner with another group tonight to meet our good friend's new boyfriend, with whom she is head over heels in love. She's a fantastic person and deserves some real happiness. Am pulling for her. I'm thinking my mood will perk up when I see everyone.

It didn't help that Chris and I got into a silly spat this morning, which was just plain dumb and we've sorted it out. We never let things go on without a chat and a resolution. It's something we have done since our relationship began and I think it's healthy.

Right. Upstairs for a quick nap.

2008-01-17T16:12:00.000-05:00

It's snowing heavily outside our window and it looks absolutely beautiful. Here's the view from our second floor.

I love it!

We're going to walk downtown tonight to have sushi with Lisa and Mike at Fuji accompanied by a bunch of wine, sake, and home brewed beer. It's always a terrific night as the sushi there is absolutely incredible and the four of us have a great time together talking, arguing about politics and laughing at everything. They are one of our closest couple friends here in the States, right up there with Tom and John, who we adore too.

Snow, ya gotta love it!

2008-01-16T09:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was so long and so dark and I really reacted to it. Today is much better. Got up to a sunny but cold day, cycled over to Starbucks where I spent an hour with the gang and that really helped. I definitely feel more blue when it is overcast and/or dark and I have to remind myself of that.

Planty sent a sweet and encouraging e-mail. Thanks mate, as he would say, it really helped!

Lots to do here at work. The project which we are working on locally has been recognized by the Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance and it is a real honor and particularly gratifying because we killed ourselves on it. We're working on another Smart Growth application for another organization and are hoping it's going to be easier - fingers and toes crossed.

2008-01-15T17:47:00.000-05:00

I'm miserable and lonely today and trying really hard not to convey it to Chris in New York. It's cold and it gets dark early and I hate hate hate eating alone, but there's nothing to be done. Thank heaven for the dog. Lisa and Mike stopped by last night which helped break up the night. Right now I am looking at another long night alone and feeling sorry for myself. I had been hoping Chris would skip out of New York to be home for dinner tomorrow night, but that's not to be as he has plans with a former colleague. Shit. Guess I'll see him Thursday night.

2008-01-14T18:33:00.000-05:00

Back. Again. Let's see how long I make it this time.

So what's happening here? A lot of home brewing by Chris, for one thing. His IPA is amazing, really polished and nice, The first go was not the best but he's been improving and now is really getting up to speed. I mentioned him teaching me, but he's afraid that I'll go all competitive on him, a legitimate worry if ever there were one.

Very quiet in the house today as Chris is in New York again. During the holiday season, I had gotten quite used to having him around and I do miss having him here. We're going on five years and it's been wonderful. We still are in synch. He just gets me and I get him. His absence is felt.

Watched the new adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion last night and hated it, which surprised me as I usually love that stuff. I had just re-read it and really knew the ins and outs of the book and was not thrilled with some of the liberties the producers seemed to take with it, especially the ending which had Anne Eliot running allover Bath chasing Captain Wentworth. Shudder. It was awful. But I do look forward to the rest of the Jane Austen stuff they will be presenting, with perhaps the exception of Northanger Abbey, Jane's nod to the Gothic fiction which was so pervasive during that time. They are running the BBC's version of Pride & Prejudice, with Colin Firth diving into the pond at Pemberley, be still my heart. It really is the definitive P & P, IMHO. There's a version of Emma with Kate Beckinsale which I have not seen before, but am looking quite forward to as I never bought Gwyneth Paltrow in the role. There's Sense and Sensibility, but it's going to have to go a long way to beat Ang Lee's film with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, which I loved. There's also a new version of Mansfield Park. My Sunday evenings from now till the beginning of April are booked solid!

2007-11-27T10:06:00.000-05:00

Here Are Five Things

I've always wanted to do:

1. Have children.
2. Drive across the United States.
3. Make a really good flaky pie crust.
4. Live in London.
5. Read War and Peace.

Found in my bag:

1. Wallet.
2. Haddonfield Adult School Flyer.
3. Chanel lipstick(s).
4. Mirror.
5. Pen.

Found in my wallet:

1. $63.00.
2. Expired Macy's coupon.
3. A blank check.
4. An Amtrak receipt.
5. A receipt for a "secret sushi" lunch at Fuji. (Secret Sushi is when my girlfriend Lisa and I meet for lunch, spend way too much and don't tell our husbands. Guess the cat's out of the bag now!)

I'm currently into:

1. Knitting for a friend's baby-to-be.
2. Dolcetto d'Alba.
3. Perfecting my cookie competition recipe.
4. Lots of library books.
5. Exercising maniacally.

2007-11-26T18:09:00.000-05:00

For the third year running, my good friend Lisa and I are engaged in a cookie contest. We formerly had only one category – “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” – but have now expanded to it to include a “Best All Around Cookie.” For the contest, a bunch of us assemble in her super duper gourmet kitchen with several ovens, a Wolf range with six burners and enough counter space to draw and quarter a couple of cows. It’s a great kitchen to cook in and to just mill about in. So anyway, there’s a few of us who compete, but none so keenly as Lisa and me.

I have won “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” two years running now through no fault of my own. I’m an underbaker and I use Ghiradelli chips, which the *judges* appear to like. The bragging rights that go with winning this extremely informal award are worth it alone. I torture her all year! But it’s good natured. Lisa’s my cooking pal, someone I speak to nearly every night as we are both whipping up dinner. We compare notes, take each other leftovers and have a great thing going in this department. We joke that everyone is lucky to know us, but secretly we really believe it.

Anyway, I’m mad obsessed with winning “Best All Around Cookie” and Chris tells that he thinks I am too competitive. It’s fun for us! Lisa likes the competition as much as I do and I don’t think it’s competitive in anything but a really fun way, although I do think she may have been taken aback when I mentioned bringing my potential entries into my coffee group for them to try. Chris kept saying “Can you believe she has a focus group?”

My friend Joanna also thinks we’re too competitive. She’s the type who helps her opponents with their questions in Trivial Pursuit. That’s just wrong.

I grew up competing, playing games, racing each other across the length of our swimming pool, seeing whose test grades were higher and so forth. It was all in good fun. My mom and dad really fostered this in us and I grew to enjoy it. If you’re going to play, you might as well win. My parents never let us win anything as kids, not monopoly, cards, dominoes, scrabble (which I am crap at by the way) or anything else.

But if you’re going to compete, you also have to be willing to lose from time to time. I just lost a fifty dollar bet about a song lyric. Ironically, it was Lisa’s husband Mike to whom I lost. Go figure.

I’m fairly easy going. I think that I play with and share with others well. I have a lot of friends most of whom get a kick out of competition. But I do wonder why some folks get unnerved by a competitive nature. Do you?

P.S. The contest is December 8th. My entry is French Chocolate Macarons as suggested to me by my friend Mia. Stay tuned.

2007-11-25T11:33:00.000-05:00

We’ve had a great time these past few weeks entertaining in our home. Whether it’s just us with Lisa and Mike and their two Australian Shepherds or a big party full of half the town, the two of us really enjoy having the house full of friends and kids and dogs and lots of laughter.

Saturday night a week ago, we had our friends Tara and Will in from London, and in honor of their visit, we really threw a kick-ass tapas party that didn’t break up till four a.m. I think it’s one of the best parties we’ve ever had (right up there with the Good Friday Bonfire, don’t ask) in terms of an interesting mix of people, good food and good booze. It was chilly outside and we had a blaze going in the back yard and people were going in and out between the tapas, the keg and the fire, the crisp smell of which lingered in the air. It really was a good night with no sour notes as far as I am concerned. I whipped up a lot of varieties of tapas and some of my pals brought them as well. Maria brought her amazing homemade truffles which were so good that Dan was making them for himself on Tuesday! Lynne brought gorgeous and very elegant looking canapés. Lisa put together shrimp in a garlic sauce and Suzanne and Mike both brought their special sangria renditions. There was a really nice spread of things to eat. Our neighbors strolled in very late in evening formalwear and started hammering at the keg beer and the tapas. It was a fun night. On Sunday, Chris, Will, Tara and I all cozied up in the living room and ate the leftovers while we had more wine. It was nice for me as I hadn’t spent much time with them before and I enjoyed getting to know them better.

Three days later, we crazily hosted fifteen family members for Thanksgiving and it went off without a hitch thanks to the help of both of my sisters and their daughters as well as my cousin Julie’s partner Delores who fits in better with my mother’s crazy Italian side of the family than with Julie’s WASPy and very proper side of the family, of which my dad was a member. But both sides blend really well and the conversation flows very well.

Since Friday though, we’ve been doing some major league chilling plopped on the couch reading and watching movies. It’s been a great little respite for both of us but I am getting a bit antsy today to go somewhere or cook something. The Eagles play tonight and we’ll wander over to the Evans’ to watch them get pummeled by the Patriots – not sure what the afternoon holds.

All in all, a fun and somewhat exhausting few weeks – a great start to the holiday season here!

2007-11-15T11:44:00.000-05:00

Would it help if I said I constantly think about blogging? No, I didn't think so.

I sit at the computer for a silly amount of time most weekdays, but I rarely can get the energy to blog. Gah. if I can exercise 5 or 6 times a week, which to me is human torture, I ought to be able to blog.

Will and Tara will be in from London for the weekend and we are having a party on Saturday night. At first, it was going to be a small gathering of friends, now it's a full blown party. Oh well, ought to be fun. There ought to be about thirty people in attendance - a nice mix. I feel sort of bad that I cannot invite everyone, but the truth is that party throwing with homemade food is a big job and if I don't pare the guest list, I won't have fun because it will be too much like work. Problem is that everyone in this small town knows everyone and word is probably out. Oh well. Some folks I like an awful lot but do not socialize with them in their homes or in ours, but I still enjoy their company and they mine. I gotten over my need to be on everyone's list. I absolutely understand that there is a line that must be drawn when it comes to issuing invitations. Cut me out by all means! But I am a good guest it must be said. When we were young and full of mischief and fun, Peggy and I called ourselves the "party savers" because we thought we livened up any event and truthfully we did, and we still do. But I don't mind getting axed at all! Axe me if you must.

2007-11-01T08:26:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is in three weeks. We have a rather large group coming to our house and I need to get cracking on a plan. I should make up the menu, make a list of groceries and a strategy list. Go ahead, laugh - it works!

We're also having a small tapas party the Saturday night before Thanksgiving when Will and Tara roll into town from London. I haven't seen them since their wedding in Dublin, but Chris saw them recently in London. I am looking forward to it. We're also planning a quiet night alone with them at Fuji.

Really trying with the blog entries. Got content, now I need meaning...

2007-10-31T12:20:00.000-05:00

I love that our cleaning woman is driving a late model BMW and I am driving a 10 year old Volvo with loads of miles and dings allover the place!

2007-10-29T16:16:00.001-05:00

If I can't come up with at least three or posts a week between now and Christmas, this blog is history. It's like a sweater that's half knitted, a book sitting unread and I feel so guilty about it.

At long last, there's a real chill in the air which I love. It was warm till the weekend which was really odd. The trees still have most of their leaves and they're green - strange for late October.

Chris is now getting obsessed with homebrewing in the most frighteningly nerdy way. I joke but I am sure I will be tossing them back!

Off to exercise class. Hope to be back to the blog tomorrow.

2007-10-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

I was at my sister's last night for dinner and we talked about my dad who died fifteen years ago yesterday. Four children have been born in that time, our mother is gone too, one marriage has occurred, another is being dissolved. My dad has missed all of this and so much more. I'm glad he didn't live beyond my mother though - he couldn't have taken losing her. I like to think they are together and happy again. Despite all, theirs was a love match of two souls who truly understood and appreciated one another.

I look in the mirror and this old person looks back. I was thirty three when my father died and young. I still feel young in my head, and still very immature in some ways, but I've my share of hard knocks - most of which have been learning experiences.

Sitting there in the kitchen I've eaten thousands and thousands of meals in, I told my sister that I felt more comfortable eating there than anywhere - felt at home. The house is different, but the bones are the same and it resonates with my parents and my childhood.

Everything is bittersweet lately though. My brother is moving and we're hoping that it is an easy transition for him. My sister is bearing the brunt of this as she is the one who has been doing the caregiving for him since my mother died. She took care of my mother too. It has not been easy for her. She's a substantial person with an acute sense of responsibility, which, for better or worse, I don't have. I'm trying to look in the mirror though and make any changes I think might be needed.

2007-09-28T15:35:00.000-05:00

Go Phillies! It's very exciting here at the moment. We struggled through the first few months of the season and have been running behind in the National League East division trailing the New York Mets, the most hated team in this town. We've been struggling for a wild card playoff spot thinking we'd never catch the Mets, who with 17 games to play had a 7 game lead. Well, in what is usually Philadelphia Style, the Mets started to fall apart and as of last night, we're now tied for 1st place with only 3 games left to play!

Go Phillies!

2007-09-26T17:17:00.000-05:00

I don't know what's with the fits and spurts surrounding my blog posting for awhile. I need to make a point of updating daily. I should make it part of my routine like brushing my teeth.

I just put two very dry and almost dead ferns, which had been hanging on our porch, on the curb with the rest of the trash and an hour later a really attractive older woman came to the door and told me that she was taking them to put in her greenhouse and that she's been picking our trash regularly! Being a huge fan of reclaimed stuff, I was tickled. Good for her! I always prominently place stuff I think folks might be interested in and it's usually gone very quickly.

I've been a trash picker for years. Got about twenty Italian terra cotta pots years ago - someone was insane to dump them. Have gotten lots of neat things.

Trash picking, dumpster diving - it's all good.

2007-08-01T17:54:00.000-05:00

I am still in recovery mode after a pretty great drink and booze filled weekend. I just cannot hang like I once did, but I am here to tell you that I really gave it the old college try!

On Friday, we decided we wanted to have a big gang in for tapas. We're obsessed with them since our trip to Barcelona and many Saturday nights spent in Bar Ferdinand in Northern Liberties. We started cooking on Friday night and finished at about five on Saturday afternoon, producing ten kinds of tapas! We made the following:

Spanish tortilla - basically the Spanish version of a frittata. Fabulously, simple, beautifully presented - this is a dish every cook ought to master.
Albondigas - Spanish meatballs in an almond sauce - classic Spanish food, beyond belief delicious and one of those dishes which is even better when reheated the next day.
Cannellini bean and rosemary dip - I made this up taking Tuscan food as my inspiration.
Catalan spinach with golden raisins and pine nuts - Basically spinach which has been sauteed in olive oil, garlic and anchovies (which disappear and leave a magical taste behind)to which you add plumped raisins and toasted pine nuts.
Lamb empanadas - I made this up myself and gave the empanadas a very Indian flavor using turmeric, ginger and garlic.
Grilled Pork skewers - Pork tenderloin kebabs marinated in Middle Eastern type spices. Quite tasty and with a real bite to them.
Grilled Chicken bites - morsels of breast meat marinated in saffron and garlic. Served with spicy tomato jam made with ginger and Jersey tomatoes.
Pissaladiere - Classic French onion tart made with onions that have taken at least an hour to caramelize properly, anchobies and Nicoise olives as a garnish.
Shrimp sauteed with fennel and hot red chilies. Easy peasy but really delectable.
Mushrooms in a sherry sauce - Plain button mushrooms sliced and sauteed in butter and sherry. Finished with lemon juice and parsley.

We were joined by my sister Lisa, our new neighbors John and Jill. Melissa and Bill, Joanna, Catherine, Lisa and Mike and Tom and John. Mike and Chris both made incredible batches of sangria which, in addition to tons of beer, kept everyone in very high spirits!

It was a classic night - lots of really good laughs and camraderie and everyone in a great mood! I love it when everyone is up for a great time!

2007-07-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

Jersey fresh produce is almost at its height right now. Last night I made us BLT sandwiches with the most delectable tomatoes I can recall eating. Paired with a hot ear of Silver Queen corn dripping with butter, it was an explosion of taste.

I am not sure what I am making today, but it'll certainly feature some good local vegetables!

2007-07-25T09:13:00.000-05:00

We are staying at my sister's house for a few days taking care of Chip and the dogs and it's no bad thing because they have a beautiful yard with a gorgeous in ground pool. Last night we sat outside listening to the Phillies on the radio and drinking a beer. It was a very familiar feeling since it's the house and yard in which I grew up. I still feel at home there.

Our big dog Rooney is scaring the life out of Gina's smaller Dachsund, Penny for no reason other than his mere presence. Roon's as sweet as can be and means no harm whatsoever. Funnily enough, Gina's larger Dachshund, Harry, has Roon intimidated, if you can believe that! Henry would never have backed down from any dog let alone a wimpy tiny Dachshund. We've got a sissy on our hands! But a wonderful sissy.

2007-07-20T17:19:00.001-05:00

Friday night finds us headed on foot to Lynne's for dinner on her terrace with her and George. It's cooler and a bit more breezy - extremely comfortable for sitting outdoors. I've made my signature peach cobbler which is still in the oven and we're bringing a nice bottle of Cava from Spain.

My nerves were jumping earlier this afternoon so I thought it might be good to find a project to divert my worries. I went downstairs and started to clean our basement and made some serious headway. The problem is that there are at least fifteen boxes which went into storage when I left Potter Street for Germany. I've been steadily progressing through them and trashing a lot of things. I did end up stopping a bit to look at pictures and read letters and cards, but that was pure pleasure. Some stuff I found: My eighth grade report card which was all A's - but marred by teacher's comments about my lousy conduct (guess I started the rabble rousing early) a photo of my sister Lisa and me on the edge of the Grand Canyon, a love letter from long ago written by someone I never thought I'd get over (I did), cards made Lily for almost every occasion - in general really nice stuff which changed the blue mood that had been threatening to overtake me.

My other new friend Lynn has been really wonderful and helping me to keep on an even keel. She's full of passion, compassion, love and laughter - strange how people come into your life and do so much good in a small amount of time. I love the easy intimacy I have with people - I feel lucky to be able to share my feelings easily and to have people in my life who truly react with empathy.

2007-07-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today is my father's birthday and though he's been gone for nearly fifteen years, I'm feeling terribly about it this year. I miss him.

I'm anxious and depressed about some things but I am working on getting myself out of the mire before I sink even deeper.

I did receive some happy news today from a friend which has helped.

2007-07-16T15:29:00.000-05:00

Just back from a good long dog walk. It's warm but a bit overcast which makes things a bit more bearable.

Saturday night was a hoot. Lots of good food and some laughs as well. Yesterday was spent hanging in enjoying our air conbditioning and reading the Sunday papers.

I'm busy like mad all week. Out for a beer with Melissa tonight, doing some cooking event with Lynne and the other hens tomorrow and have our book club on Wednesday night.

Lynn M., my colleague at Buckingham and I went out for lunch today. She's just back from Italy with her college friends so we had lots to chat about. Have I mentioned that I absolutely love her witha capital L???

2007-07-14T12:38:00.000-05:00

It's Saturday afternoon and we just got back froma walk round the Haddonfield Arts & Crafts Festival, which is a nice way to while away a few hours, especially when one of your friends (Suzanne) owns a store and is plying you with margaritas in the mid-day sun. Yikes, I'm half looped....

We're headed to see my brother-inlaw's band Cranky for a couple of hours today and then are going to Lisa and Mike's for a night of eating, drinking and hopefully lots of laughter. I made a pasta sauce with grilled eggplant, radicchio, fresh Jersey tomatoes, fresh thyme, fresh basil, white wine, sauteed onion and garlic and goat cheese. Looks sublime! Will let you know!