RFD* to NYC

The new season

2010-09-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

A lovely corner at the Common Ground Fair in Maine to remind us that fall is here !

December

2009-12-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

Yikes - Thanksgiving has flown by and it's already the first week of Advent. As you can see by the picture on the right, I have a new Advent calendar this year - it's a culinary one and each door will open with a recipe from a German food blogger. Yum ! I can't wait to start baking .

November

2009-11-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

There has been no hard frost yet and the garden is still going strong - we're still picking Swiss chard, peppers,arugula, beets, carrots and lots and lots of potatoes. In the background cilantro has self-seeded and now covers a huge area - yum !!

The dahlias love the cool nights and the more I cut them for bouquets for the house, the more blossoms seem to open. This beautiful fall just doesn't seem to have an end !

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Billy goats, queens and pussy cats - even Sarah Palin promoting her new book - came out last night to celebrate Halloween.

and just look at all those treats they got to choose from !

Maine !

2009-09-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

We spent the night in a delightful Bed & Breakfast called LeVatout in Waldoboro. It's run by a German ( ! ) writer and an American photographer and gardener extraordinaire. The two of them have created an incredible garden filled with an amazing array of plants, all of them tucked in many garden rooms and secret corners. There are places to sit and relax, a fire pit, a vegetable garden, a little building with a stage for workshops and lots more. All of this on less than an acre, but it feels like the garden is at least 5 acres in size.

Inside, the house is just as wonderful as the garden with lots of rooms and corners to explore. Just look at our room, it had a wonderful bookshelf with lots of books by and about Virginia Woolf among other authors. Someone loves books and loves to read !!

And best of all, the writer is also a fabulous cook . We enjoyed her shrimp and egg breakfast tremendously in her huge kitchen which is in the center of the house - truly the heart of this home. The gardener came in and joined our breakfast conversation and when I admired the bank of blooming streptocarpus in the window, she gave me two of her plants which are about to flower. I was so blown away by her generosity. Here they are on the balcony of our hotel room enjoying the view of the ocean.

We spent the day poking up and down some of the peninsulas near Waldoboro, enjoying the glorious fall weather, the ocean, the woods which already are changing color and the fine old buildings you can glimpse on small country roads and in the little villages as well.The old boat builders had not only high standards for the boats they made, but their houses as well. The architectural details and the craftsmanship are probably unique in their excellence and artistry.

The day concluded with the obligatory lobster dinner. Totally delish - 'nuff said.

First day of fall in New England

2009-09-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

and it's time to celebrate by taking a little trip to one of the many used book stores in the area.

After a lovely drive along the Connecticut river on a winding country road through fields where pumpkins and squash were being harvested and turning left at Montague Center just past the village green, I found a little bridge and then this old mill - just stuffed full of lots and lots of books - heaven !

Lots of cozy chairs and sofas invite you to get comfy, have a cup of tea and enjoy the rushing water just outside the window while you try to decide how to reduce the stack of books to a manageable size to take home.

I can't think of a better way to welcome the new season !

The morning after

2009-09-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

Now that the euphoria and excitement of the workshop has worn off a bit, I am breaking out in a cold sweat thinking about Mr. T's fabulous, valuable, and much-loved Civil War book. I totally took it apart, ripped off its covers, pasted and sewed things and now I have to put it all back together and make it look better than before.

What was I thinking ? People charge hundreds of dollars to do this job ! Why didn't I stick with the ratty old hymnals everyone else was practising on ?

Time to call on my inner Obama and cry " Yes We Can !"

GAS workshop

2009-09-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

What a weekend ! We took books apart, put them back together, learned how to line out, make a new corner, discussed Moriki , guillotines, Davie boards and tight English and generally had a grand time. All this took place at a workshop for book restoration at the Garage Annex School in Easthampton, MA.

I was the least experienced in the class and was totally overwhelmed the first day. All the other students were experienced and knowledgeable and both my teachers gave us an incredible amount of material to learn. But this morning I thought " This isn't rocket science - I can do this ! " and jumped right in and did a full reback of Mr. T's favorite Civil War book, which is the fat book in the last picture.

It's amazing what a change in attitude can do - suddenly I was having a ton of fun and all the new information made sense. There's a tremendous moral here : just a slight change in outlook can affect you in a major way ! I can't wait to get home and work on all of my books. French joints anyone ?

2009-09-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

The busy summer has flown by and fall is here. School started yesterday and we are so proud of our very own first grader ! Here she is holding her Schultuete,a German tradition to sweeten the first day of school. The Schultuete contains candies, little presents , school supplies like a pencil case, cool erasers, magic markers - you get the idea. Judging by the size of this Tuete, R's school career should be very sweet.
And yes, the first day was great - according to reliable reports the girls had so much fun they didn't want to go home !

Yikes !!

2009-07-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

In all my years of driving, I have never seen 2 cars totally ablaze in a short period of time. What's going on ? There didn't seem to be any apparent cause for the fires - the cars were simply stopped by the side of the road , completely engulfed in flames. And what's even stranger, there were no fire engines, emergency vehicles, or bystanders - just one single policeman directing traffic.And we never saw any fire engines or police cars speeding to the disaster sites, even though both wrecks were on major interstates !

What a strange start to our little mini vacation.

Just

2009-07-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

monkeying around ...

Remembering

2009-07-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

I love old cemeteries and there was a particularly nice one across the street from our Bed & Breakfast this weekend.

Since this is Vermont, the headstones are made of marble and still very well preserved. Most of them are from the 18th and 19th century. Here's a cheerful angel with a big heart; are the two doves on either side added to give additional uplift to the dear departed as she wings her way up to heaven ?

Love the little bosom of this one

A rather dour and grumpy face, but check out what's under the chin. I suppose it's supposed to be wings, but I interpret it as a big bow tie., especially since there's a neat row of buttons underneath.

Pretty flowers and a little billet doux - is she taking it with her to send a note back once she gets there ?

The inscription over the face reads " Remember Death " , but when I visit all those graves, I remember Life.

I like to imagine all the stories of the people who are buried there, what made them happy and what made them sad . Often you can piece together the story of someone's life by the surrounding stones - a baby who died or several small children taken from their families by what illness ? Often there are husbands who mourn their wives , but keep on marrying again and again. What dramas were lived, what gossip and meanness is buried here, what quiet, sometimes noble lives were played out in this little village ?

Their headstones , carved and placed with such care and - I believe in most cases - love, call out " Remember me, remember that I was alive, don't forget me..."

Our weekend trip

2009-07-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Judging by this picture, you would think we took a quick trip to Italy this weekend, wouldn't you ? But instead we went to New York and visited Kykuit, the marvelous Rockefeller summer house , overlooking the Hudson.

Three generations of Rockefellers came here for the summer to get away from the city heat and to enjoy golf on their private golf course and riding and driving their horses. Some of their vast fortune was spent on collecting art - most surprisingly, modern art. The entire basement of the house is an art gallery filled with all the modern greats - Picasso, Miro, Calder, Motherwell, Warhol, Grace Hartigan - it's an amazing collection.

There's lots of sculpture outside as well and we could have spent hours exploring the grounds, but we needed to move on - we had reservations in Vermont that night at this charming Bed & Breakfast.

And just look what's next door - the annual Library Book Sale !! Of course we had to hit that the next morning and came away with a big box full of goodness.
And then it was time for the real reason for this trip - the wedding !

The setting and the weather were perfect

The bride was lovely, the groom handsome and the ceremony made me cry - so many hopes, expressed so earnestly and with such feeling and so much love and fond good wishes surrounding this young couple who is taking their place in the long chain of people who came before - all of them bravely taking that step together into the unknown.

Some very funny speeches were made

lots of socializing took place and then the dancing began !

Could this be a little breakdance action on the side ?

And then a wedding cake appeared - what a wonderful party ! I think the expression on the children's faces says it all.

Crisis Management

2009-07-20T09:18:00.001-07:00

I was all set to post about our fabulous weekend away from the farm, but instead I've just finished dealing with a veterinary crisis of major proportions - I'll spare you the details, but it made a grown man turn green and faint ! Real tragedy was averted , however, and the clean-up took only 8 hours - sigh.
Now to clean myself up and then I'll be back with some lovely pictures of our grown-up, non-farm weekend getaway.

Buster gets company at 5:30 AM

2009-06-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

For Rhys

Three Ponies

Arthur Guiterman

Three little ponies who didn't like their hay

Said to each other "Let's run away!"

Said the first "I will canter!"

Said the second "I will trot!"

Said the third "I will run if it's not too hot!"

And they all started off

With their tails in the air.

But they couldn't jump the fence

So they're all still there.

Except this time they made it - from the farm across the valley all the way to our house.

P.S. They liked our hay just fine.

Short trip, long post

2009-06-21T04:15:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my travels took me not so far, just " next door " to Philadelphia where the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society, known as PHS, took us on a tour of green spaces which they have created in partnership with the city and neighborhood organisations.
The rain poured down, but we boarded our trolley and off we went. Like all big cities, Philadelphia has abandoned lots, which are strewn with trash and worse. They are eyesores and dangerous places. Simply cleaning the space up, seeding it with grass , planting the odd tree or two and enclosing the whole with a rail fence, has made a huge difference to neighborhoods. Not only because of the aesthetics, but the space is now safe and usually becomes a public space where the social life of the neighborhood can take place . Some spaces were used to grow beautiful vegetable gardens - the excess produce is even being given back to the community food bank !
The green space also alleviates rainwater run-off because it absorbs the rain before it rushes into the sewer system , an appropriate topic yesterday. Usually property values increase as well . A win/win situation created with only a minimal input of money.

Rainwater management was a big topic and we could see it in action, as in this special teaching installation at a school.

The drainpipes from the rain gutter snake across the wall in a wonderful pattern, like a gnarled old vine. Some of the sections are made of clear pipe, so you can watch the water rushing down. The rain is funneled into a concrete collection basin ( barely visible to the left of the long windowbox ) at the ground , which is divided by strips. This dissipates the water on to the paved patio and channels it into the planted beds surrounding the space.

The best stop came last, however. We visited a small, 20 acre park , high on a hill overlooking the city and the Schuylkill river. Members of the neighborhood organisation which takes care of the park met us to give us a tour and tell us about all the changes which they have made with the help of PHS, the city and a lot of their own hard work. There were open grassy spaces, stately old trees, new plantings, the requisite playground, a gazebo where a wedding was about to take place in the pouring rain !!! and a marble memorial to the fallen soldiers of WW I.

The park was given to the city in the 19th century and was a happy place, used by lots of people. After many years, it fell into disuse and became a dangerous place where drugusers and pushers lurked in the overgrown vegetation. It was so bad, that it was known in the neighborhood as Pill Park. When I asked what happened to turn this terrible situation around, I got the most astonishing answer.

Two people whose houses bordered the park simply started to cut the overgrown grass and to clean the place up. That's it, simply two people making a start. And today the space is the focal point of the neighborhood, there are concerts in the gazebo, children play on the playground, there is a big vegetable garden in a corner, a fundraiser to support soldiers in the Middle East was being announced , in short, it has become an important part of the community once again and all because of those two people who took action, no matter how small.

I ended my trip to Philadelphia by a visit to an art supply store where I scored not only lots of terrific bookmaking stuff, but - oh joy - there just happened to be a bookmaking demo and I made a little book with Coptic stitching. Now doesn't that make your heart feel all warm and happy ? It did mine ! Gardens and books - what a great day.

Travels, near and far

2009-06-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Where did we go ? To the land of timbered houses, grapes and vineyards, cuckoo clocks

and Black Forest Cherry Cake - to Germany, in short. Tomorrow I'll tell a little about our adventures, because the trip started out with an amazing one about an hour after we got off the plane.

GuyBind Bok, a love story

2009-06-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Good food, good company - a recipe for a great weekend!
Kamsamnida,
M and R

MD S&W

2009-05-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is - the haul from the Sheep & Wool festival :

Sock yarn

When I saw this funky Merino roving, I thought it would be a great sweater for a little girl. The fleece is very soft and if I spin it as a single, the colors should stay distinct and make a cool stripey sweater.
This is silk and merino, very soft and luxurious in feel. This is what I want to make out of it for myself.

The first pair of socks from the above stash , knit for Mr. RFD in record time. The colors are all somewhat strange, because we haven't had any sunshine at all since Saturday and have to make do with artificial light for taking pictures. And there's no end in sight - the forecast is rain, rain, rain for the next 6 or 7 days.

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

2009-05-03T11:55:00.001-07:00

It's the first weekend in May and time for the annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, the mecca for all shepherds and fiber enthusiasts .

Despite the rain, which came down on and off all day long, the true devotees were not deterred and enjoyed themselves as if the sun were shining.

Displays like this helped keep the enthusiasm high - how could you resist all that fiber and yarn ? ( I didn't ! )

Lovely junk food helped keep the energy levels up, to haul away all the purchases that were made.

And when the rain started again in earnest

you could always find refuge in one of the many barns admiring the sheep. I love the expression on this guy's face - clearly, it is his first encounter with a lamb and both are loving the experience !

So despite the less than perfect weather, I would say that a grand time was had by all .
What did I get, you ask ? Stay tuned ...

Country pleasures

2009-04-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

Is there anything prettier than an apple tree in full bloom ?

My Wild Life

2009-04-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people ask me " What do you do all day in the country ?" , implying that they would die of boredom if they were to live out here in the country, far away from friends, neighbors and people generally. Actually,we have lots of unusual neighbors and quite a lot of excitement.Here's what's been happening the last few days :
the swallows have returned , filling the barn with their chatter and their amazing aerial acrobatics. I am greeted by them every morning when I go to feed, and suddenly the quiet barn is filled with excitement and life once again.

This is not a swallow, as you may have guessed, but a wild turkey, who was strolling on the front lawn the other morning, just sightseeing. He inspected the pen where the guineas live and both turkey and guineas stared at each other in amazement for a long time. I wonder what went through their little birdie brains ?

And then there's Mr. Fox, who hangs out under the birdfeeder in the backyard. I think he may be the rascal who is emptying the suet cage every night, but we have yet to catch him at it. Or maybe he's just dropped by for a little swinging ?

Next up are the snapping turtles, sunning themselves on a log in the pond. Mamma Turtle is the big one on the left and then come all the babies lined up neatly in a row.

In a tree above the pond, I spied this handsome fellow - or possibly madam. There's a nest in the tree and a baby eagle has been seen !

We also have less exotic neighbors who drop by for a little slurp on the cheek once in a while !

And tonight, while I was having a last walk around the house, I saw the first hummingbird of the season. It makes me so happy to greet the swallows and hummingbirds after a long winter's absence and to realize that once again they have found their way back to the farm where they spent last summer.
It's deeply comforting to realize that we are all part of the great wheel of the seasons , which is at once familiar and predictable in its regularity and fascinating and exciting as each detail unfolds in turn.

So what do we do all day ? We open our eyes and pay attention to what is happening all round us and appreciate the incredible things we can discover by doing so.

Back in business

2009-04-26T12:26:00.001-07:00

Pour yourself some iced tea, grab a good book and join me on the porch for some summertime relaxation.

Fowl Play !

2009-04-22T10:56:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful spring day yesterday - sunshine, green grass, bugs and worms crawling happily in the dirt - just the perfect day to let the chickens out of their pen and go on a little adventure.
Little did we realize what an adventure it would be. When I came home after running errands all afternoon, I went to shut the chickens in for the night and as I passed the pasture, here's what I saw :

One of the chickens was swimming in the horse watering trough, surrounded by a few feathers ! What crazy circumstance had deposited here there ? Chickens don't do water ! All kinds of scenarios crossed my head :
a triple dare by another hen? Go on, I bet you can't stay afloat ! Certification for the Red Cross Swimmers Badge ? Deadman's Float - 5 minutes minimum . Extreme Chicken Sports ? Fly as high as you can, fold wings and plummet into the tub or some horrible catastrophe ? Eagle attack !!!! well, more probably chicken hawk attack .Or possibly suicide ??

I plucked out the exhausted bird and placed her gently into the chicken house with her compatriots who were already on their roosts for the night. She seemed fine, if somewhat subdued and very clean, but this morning, alas, she was dead.

And the moral of the story is : overreaching has bad consequences, stick to your area of expertise and definitely don't take your chicken swimming.

By request

2009-04-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

I seem to have become a vegetarian quite by accident. This didn't happen out of some moral imperative not to eat our fellow creatures, but because I just didn't feel like eating meat any more.
So now everyone wants to know , what do you eat ? Well, here's the lunch I had yesterday :

Carrot patties with a mixed salad and a strawberry dessert - looks good, doesn't it ? And it tastes even better than it looks.

Carrot Patties

( serves 1 since Mr. RFD still eats meat, see previous post )

1 small carrot

1 small potato

1 T whole wheat flour

1 egg

fresh lovage and chives, chopped fine

a grating of nutmeg ( don't even think about using pre-grated, powdered ,in a box nutmeg !)

salt & pepper

1 t olive oil

Grate the carrot and potato and mix with the flour and egg.

Mix in the herbs and the salt and pepper. Shape small patties and saute in the olive oil until golden brown.I actually made just one huge patty and it fit my little no-stick pan perfectly.

Serve with a lovely , fresh salad of mixed greens, some sliced radishes, a chopped tomato, some sliced carrot, a little minced onion - whatever you have that's fresh and looks pretty. Add lots of fresh chopped herbs and dress with a simple vinaigrette.

The dessert is simply a few strawberries chopped up in the food processor with some yogurt of your choice - my choice is Greek yogurt . I drizzled a little maple syrup on top , decorated with an almond and enjoyed.

The whole meal was very quick to prepare and was really yummy. You can tell it was good since half of it was eaten before the camera came out and I remembered to take a picture !

A rainy and slow day

2009-04-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

After the excitement of a housefull of Easter guests, I had a lovely quiet day putting the house back together and just generally fooling around. No time or desire to spend hours in the kitchen - it was clearly time to inaugurate the new slow cooker.

I made Mahagony Glazed Pork from Beth Hensberger's excellent new cookbook . It was so incredibly easy and so good !

You simply put a piece of pork - in my case a shoulder roast which had been on sale cheap - into the slow cooker, pour on a marinade, plug the thing in and turn it on low and enjoy the yummy smells which slowly creep through the house.
The marinade was simplicity itself : soy sauce, orange marmelade, red pepper flakes , minced garlic and a little catsup. At the end of the day, throw in a handful of sugar snap peas and a sliced up red pepper, let it bubble a little longer and voila, dinner !

To make my no-work dinner complete, I cooked some brown rice in the rice cooker. This , however, was not a success with Mr. RFD who pronounced the meat delicious, but thought the rice was too " puffy " and weird. I liked it.
The slow cooker will definitely make many more appearances here at chez RFD ! And I'll probably try one of the recipes I found here.

Easter Week

2009-04-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Rhys came and visited for a few days before Easter and we had quite an adventure ! She had wished for a chicken, which " doesn't get big ," of her very own and being a good and dutiful grandmother I scoped out a place which had Bantam chickens for sale. Bantams are miniature chickens which won't " get big" - perfect.

We drove off to Amish country and saw the most wonderful sights - Amish buggies of all sorts and sizes clip-clopping down the road, a man plowing a field with a handheld plow while his wife was leading the big workhorse which pulled the plow, we even saw a team of 8 horses plowing.

We stopped to watch and were amazed at the intricate maneuver performed by 8 horses as they turned the plow at the end of the row. The horse on the inside of the turn stepped in place while the outside horse walked around 180 degrees and the rest all adjusted themselves so that the turn was perfectly in line with the next row of plowing. It was really a dressage move and I was amazed to see that the farmer had only one set of reins which communicated with one of the lead horses, the rest all took their cues from that one horse. What must it be like to train a large team like that ?

Sadly, the Amish do not want their pictures taken and we respected that, of course, so if you want to see what I'm describing, you will have to take a trip and come see for yourself.

We found the Amish farm where the chickens were for sale and had a great hunt for chickens all over the farm. They had a huge number of driving horses and when I expressed my amazemnt , the young girl who was taking us around said " I have a lot of brothers. When an Amish boy turns 16, he gets his own driving horse and buggy." Then she added " The girls don't." When I said " Oh, that doesn't seem fair." She smiled and said " Yes, but I know how to drive." And then we looked at each other and had, what I fancied was a small Women's Lib moment. And here is Rhys with Chicken No.1 - Chickadee.

Chicken No.2 - Chitterchet.
And then Easter started in earnest - lots of guests arrived, much food was consumed, every bed was full and yes, the Easter Bunny did come.

And those chickens settled right in and laid 6 eggs in 3 days. I guess you have to watch them carefully to make them produce such a splendid number.

Unintentional Impressionist Sunset

2009-04-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

A beautiful but blurry sunset from Guttenberg - it's beginning to feel like allergy season again, i.e. Spring. Can't wait to come and visit you for Ister!!
xoxox Meg

2009-03-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

After watching this video

I am seriously considering getting a sheep or two at the Maryalnd Sheep & Wool Festival this May. What do you think ? Should I ?

Earth Hour

2009-03-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

Please consider joining us for Earth Hour 2009 on March 28 at 8:30 PM. Click on the link and find out all about it and see how many cities and countries are joining in marking this night to remind us of global climate change and the need to do something about it now.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could still turn this thing around ? Turn off your lights for a little while on March 28, go outside and experience the wonder of a star-filled night sky !

Newsflash

2009-03-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of Spring !

Wow

2009-03-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

Look what was hiding under 6 inches of snow ! Isn't nature amazing ?

The Philadelphia Flower Show

2009-03-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

We managed to slip and slide our way down the driveway through the snow drifts to attend this year's Philadelphia Flower Show. It's the country's oldest ( and largest ) flower show and Philadelphia is justly proud of it, as can be seen by this mural .

This year's theme is Bella Italia and was illustrated by many columns topped with abbondanza-style flower arrangements.

But what we liked best of all was the green roof mock-up which showed a huge green roof constructed by PECO in Philadelphia. Why did we like it best of all, you ask ?

Because the sedums are grown entirely on our very own green roof media, that's why !! Isn't it handsome ?

Green roofs were all the rage - here's one on a birdhouse . And what's not to like about a green roof ? It retains storm water which would normally run off the roof , it keeps the building at a steady temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, it provides a safe habitat for all kinds of flora and fauna and it ameliorates global warming - not bad for a little bit of dirt and a few plants on the roof .

And, yes, there were other exhibits and lots of wonderful flowers there, too.

But here at home on the farm we have our very own little flower show going on and I almost think it's the best flower show of all. What do you think ?

A scary day

2009-02-20T14:27:00.000-08:00

We had a chimney fire today and five of these huge fire engines responded to the call I made. Eighteen men in full firefighter regalia swarmed into the house, checking it from top to bottom.

The rest were outside, attempting to scale the roof to look inside the big center chimney. Despite the frigid temperature and the fierce wind, they went up the ladder and on the roof. The wind and the pitch of the roof was so bad, that one man slid down the roof and was just caught by the gutter and his comrade who was on top of the ladder, as you can see in the above picture.

They brought another ladder as an extension and were able to get up to the chimney. I don't know how they managed all this wearing their heavy suits and carrying lots of equipment and also wearing great big clunky boots.

The short version of the story is that there was no injury or loss from the fire and all ended well. Words absolutely fail me right now to express my gratitude and admiration for these brave men who came so quickly and worked under such awful conditions to save a house for someone they didn't even know.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all the brave guys of the Level Volunteer Fire Company !

Ice Capades

2009-02-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

Tried to call Ms. RFD on the phone lately ? If you have, you know the phone has been out of order for months. I finally went outside to test for a dial tone in the phone box on the side of the house and saw mountains of ice ! The water had not been turned off and the garden hose froze, split, and shot a fine stream of water on to the side of the house for many weeks of freezing weather, which resulted in the spectacular ice formations above.

The phone box was underneath all that ice, of course. Tried to break it all up with a hammer, but the ice was way too thick. Try calling me after the spring thaw - until then, send messages by carrier pigeon or pony express.

A Celebration

2009-01-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, dear Virginia !

This lovely picture is from The Atlantic's January/February issue where Alison Light's new book Mrs. Woolf and the Servants is reviewed.

Yesterday, January 25, was Virginia Woolf''s 127th birthday . It was celebrated by all of us who have loved her books and have admired her courageous and sometimes heartbreaking struggle to tell the truth about the world the way she saw it . Her writing is so imaginative, so delicate yet tough, funny, touching and piercing , but above all honest, it takes the reader's breath away even now 100 or so years later.

Thank you , Virginia - we are thinking about you on your birthday with love and affection and gratitude for your courage to open yourself in your writing , letting all of us share in your vision of life and beauty and truth.

Private Yoga Class

2009-01-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I taught a great private yoga class to a bunch of lovely ladies in NYC. They get together every couple of months to treat themselves to a private class and then eat lunch. I really enjoy teaching small groups because everyone can get some individual attention and the class feels more like a workshop. Isn't it impressive that we fit four students and one teacher all into someone's NYC living room?

Glamour Shoot

2009-01-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Hey there, Mrs RFD - we still want to keep the blog going! Here are some shots of my recent Glamour shoot at DriveIn studios in Soho --

Sadly, we did not get to go to Florida or a more exotic locale to shoot our swimsuits. Hence the fake beach - I wouldn't have wanted to do that cleanup. It's amazing though how realistic it looks in the shots. The lighting was so bright that it totally looked like natural sunlight. The last shot shows the big racks of bathing suits they pulled for the shoot. We probably only wore 7 or 8 of them total but they had every option you could think of available just in case. The models ranged in size from very large to very slender - one of the positive things about Glamour is that they always have "dress your shape" stories where they show every possible body type wearing something like jeans and how to do it in a flattering way. The negative? We had to shoot a really hideous bathing suit which was the Don't in addition to our fabulous Do suit. In the top shot I am wearing my Don't which was a black and white flowered one piece that made me look pregnant. A tough feat since one of my parts which is shapely is my waist. Luckily, my Do suit was a purple halter top by Miraclesuit which looked so excellent that I'm hunting it down on the web to buy. Bless the crew, they kept us toasty despite the fact that it was 19 degrees outside that day.

A Milestone

2009-01-24T07:52:00.001-08:00

First time on skis and loved it ! Apparently she went " as fast as an arrow !" - which we can all clearly see.
Reportedly little brother was also a star on the slopes; unfortunately the paparazzi didn't get it on film . Was he faster than a speeding bullet ? We are waiting for answers....

Decision

2009-01-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone and the new year isn't so new any more and still not a peep from any of the three bloggers who are contributing here. Is it time to shut down the blog ? What do you say, ladies ?

Who did you say is coming to town ?

2008-12-22T05:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/12/20/fashion/20081220-street-feature/index.html

Waiting

2008-12-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

for Santa and a bit of snow ...

An evening with R & W

2008-12-10T20:42:00.000-08:00

We have been very busy here at Christmas Central, crafting apple Santa Clauses . Here's how : first you must polish a round, red apple until it is shiny. Next, a walnut head is attached to this apple body with a toothpick and then a pointy hat is created from golden wrapping paper and much glue ( cut a half circle out of the paper and glue long sides together. Make sure it fits your walnut head.) Attach hat with glue and give your Santa two round little eyes and a sweet red nose. Last, glue on a cotton wool beard, but we used fleece from a white sheep instead. R opted for two fir branch arms and proceeded to trim each needle off very carefully.

Then she had a great idea - let's give Santa a cloak. " I know just what to do, Oma ! " and she did. She cut out and attached the cloak by herself and decorated it with a big golden star - very Santa Clausish, I think.

Two year-old brother made a Santa too, with a little help.

Then we got totally carried away and made a house for Santa, complete with Christmas tree and ornaments.

Where there is glue and cotton wool, there has to be some silliness, too, of course !

And where there's an Oma babysitting, there has to be some good-night story reading, as well. What a fine evening the three of us had !

Thanksgiving '08

2008-12-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

After the big turkey dinner and the laughter and fun of a big family, it's good to get outdoors and have a quiet moment and be thankful for some very special friends.

I think the expression on her face says it all . We hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving too !

Beef Beer Bread Bonanza

2008-11-24T18:10:00.000-08:00

So, as I posted earlier, Kahlua Pig and I went to Oktoberfest cooking class last month. Tonight I was lonely cause Piggie has to work until 10, poor guy! I went nuts and made -- Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs. The photo does not come with smell-o-vision but it should. It is off the hook (as we say in the hood.) Then I made roasted winter root veggies to assuage the guilt of having zero nutritional goodness. The veggies are sweet potatoes, turnips, squash and onion coated in olive oil, s&p and roasted to perfection. Then I made the absolute coolest recipe of all BEER BREAD. That's right folks. Bread. With Beer. The recipe is so awesome I provide it below. It comes out gooey on the inside, yeasty and beery with a crispy outside. I am bringing my crazy beer bread to Thanksgiving. Try and stop me.

Beer bread (makes one loaf)

3 cups white flour

3 T brown sugar

1 t salt

1T baking soda

Combine the dry ingredients. Grease up a loaf pan with butter. Now, the fun part, take a 12 oz. bottle of some flavorful beer like a Sam Adams or a Guinness - a good ale or a stout - and pour it directly into the dry ingredients. Holy #$%$! It's foaming like a 6th grade science experiment! That, my friend, would be the yeasty goodness getting to work. Stir only enough to wet the dry ingredients leaving in plenty of lumps. Pour batter into the pan, break off a few chunks of butter to put on top so that the crust is nice and browned, then pop the loaf pan into a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 -40 mins. And....voila.

Hungry?

Interlude

2008-11-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

We were looking forward this weekend to a long visit from our adorable grandchildren and had planned lots of fun and exciting adventures - hiking in the woods , playing in the creek, riding ponies, playing in the attic - but instead we spent most of the weekend tending to a very sick little boy.

Thank goodness he got better eventually and this morning we were greeting the dawn ( note condition of the sky through window ) by playing with every toy in the house. What a relief !

And just look at the fine crown which was made for Pete, prince of cats.

And now,

2008-11-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

we return to our regularly scheduled program

The Greek Cruise

Episode One : The Ship

Tea is served on deck or in the Lounge where a grand piano accompanies the genteel tinkle of tea cups being placed on saucers

Our luxurious living room, doors lead out on to a veranda complete with chairs and a table, where tea can also be served, as well as any other little nosh you might fancy.

The pool deck, where there is a grill and a bar , but tea is also to be had.

The dessert buffet - in the center is a castle made entirely of dark and white chocolate. It is the size of a small bungalow in a modest subdivision of Smalltown, USA. Drink of choice ? Tea, of course !

Oh,yeah, in case you were wondering - there was lots of other stuff to drink besides tea ( the bar opened at 9AM and closed in the wee hours ) , it's just that I loved teatime so much....

Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode : The Sights !

Hope Springs Eternal

2008-11-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

It's a new day in America - a time of change, progress and peaceful revolution. GO OBAMA!!!

Busy,busy,busy...

2008-11-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

We cruised, we toured, we island hopped in the Mediterranean and now we're back and still sorting through hundreds of pictures. Come back in a day or so and we'll share some of the most amazing pictures with you.

The Acropolis

2008-10-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

After climbing the steep hill up to the Acropolis, we entered through the Propylae and saw the Parthenon for the first time. What an imposing structure, even with all the scaffolding all over it.

My favorite temple is the Erechteion, however. Notice that the columns now have Ionic capitals and are much slimmer and more graceful. The whole temple is just lovely, its feminity underscored by the wonderful karyatids which gaze out over the city of Athens.

This is how high the sacred rock of the Acropolis rises above the city.

Next stop, the ancient Agora at the foot of the Acropolis, where the public life of Athens took place and where Socrates, Aristotle, Demosthenes, Xenophon and St. Paul instructed in the stalls of the building below. Many of the great debates of Athenian democracy were held here. The Agora was marketplace, administrative center and THE place to hang out in the 6th century BC.

For now, however, I must say " καληνύχτα " ( that's good-night to you ) , we must go to bed so we can get up early for our last day here in Athens. What to do - more Agora, both Greek and Roman ? or the National Museum with priceless treasures from the ancient world ( gold mask of Telemachus anyone ? )

Time is just zipping along and getting short- tomorrow we also board our ship for the beginning of The Cruise ! There is so much to do and see here, I haven't talked yet about the food ( yummy ), the people ( fun to watch and very pleasant ) and the amazing breakthrought that happened to me late this afternoon in an alley - I am beginning to be able to read Greek !!

Greek Adventure Day 1

2008-10-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

It seems like just a day or two ago that we were sitting in a little Greek restaurant at home, celebrating The Patriarch's 70th birthday and trying to recover from the shock of his magnificent present.We were still trying to come to grips with the reality of this magnificent gift as we were packing for the trip and now we are actually here !

Does this look familiar to anyone ? It's the Acropolis, as seen from just outside our adorable hotel, the O&B, a ( and I quote ) " boutique hotel, very modern, but very cozy. " And indeed it is. The staff is incredible, someone came out into the street as soon as we pulled up in our car (complete with driver ! The luxury ! ), greeted us, whisked our luggae to our room, brought us tea and frappe ( iced Greek coffee ) and made us feel totally welcome and at home.
The first thing we did after our loooong flight, was take a nap and then we took a stroll up to the Acropolis as the sun was setting and a big full moon came out to light our way. As in all mediterranean countries, the twilight hour is the time to take a stroll, to see and be seen, and we enjoyed not only the Antiquities at every step, but the local color as well.

Athens is a huge city,very spread out, but cozy in feel. There are mountains on three sides and the sea on the other. This hill has a small church on top which lit up fiery and golden as the sun set.
After a lovely dinner in our hotel ( American Greek food does NOT equal Greek food in Greece ! ) we are ready to turn in early so that we can do a long sightseeing day tomorrow - Acropolis, Agora, and more-a !!!!
Thank you again, incredible family, for making this dream come true !

Recession Amusement Park

2008-10-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

Two seats aboard The Couch, newest ride at the Old Homestead Amusement Park - $0

One Indulgent Uncle - $39.99 (cost of Korean pork belly lunch)

Childish Mirth - Priceless

SURPRISE!

2008-10-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

70 is a landmark birthday. Perhaps The Patriarch was expecting Le Cirque? Why was he driving further and further away from the bright lights of Baltimore into Greek town! Why on earth was he dressed to the nines standing outside a neighborhood hole in the wall? Surely his daughters had given him the wrong address? Where was valet parking?

We played in cool - greeting him with hugs and launching into a platter of never-ending souvlaki, saganaki, pita, hummus and leg of lamb. Fine food, but certainly not 70th worthy? Where was the filet mignon? The crystal, the linen tablecloth? A bottle of Moet was produced and toasts were had all around. This was more like it. Maybe they were scrimping because of the Dow? Poor daughters. How prudent of them. We presented the patriarch with "The Odyssey," a tale of epic adventure for a lifetime. How thoughtful.

As the evening was winding down we produced one more small gift - a silver box. Inside - SURPRISE!! Two tickets to a cruise of the Greek isles! Leaving on Tuesday! Tears, cheers of "Opa!" from the surrounding diners, many laughs and high-fives - success.

R.I.P. Paul Newman

2008-09-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

A sad day indeed, goodbye Paul Newman, my mother's husband in reserve. A great actor, humanitarian and all around hottie for the ages....

The Common Ground Fair

2008-09-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

It's a big place !

The first thing you better do, is study where you what you want to see and do. There are the usual farm fair sections which celebrate the harvest and the animals on the farm,

but there are also lots of other areas to investigate. There's a Social & Political Action area,alternative energy is represented, you can watch stone workers, learn about woodlot management and how to work with oxen. There are poetry readings, Reiki and herb healing, environmental concerns are addressed and don't forget the children's parade, where they all dress as vegetables ( organically grown, of course - the fair is put on by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners' Association, after all.)
Best of all ( almost ) are the many workshops. We learned what needs to be done in the fall and winter garden , how to raise beef on grass, and took a terrific workshop in Making Sourdough bread.

This is the wood-fired outdoor oven which was built by the instructor and which I want to build when I get home.

Her dough is rising in a nifty basket made of willow

here you can see the spiral pattern of the basket before the loaf is put into the oven

Voila, beautiful, crusty loaves, fresh from the wood-fired oven !

We learned so much today and enjoyed being with so many congenial people - where else can you sit down with 6 strangers to eat lunch and have a spirited political discussion where everyone agrees with each other ? Only at the Common Ground Fair here in Unity, maine !

6:30 AM

2008-09-18T19:20:00.002-07:00

Yup, still there...

Just checking ....

Midnight Update

2008-09-18T19:20:00.001-07:00

We just refueled after a long and tiring day.

Here are the results of the day - hers is red, his is yellow. What's on the top of your car ???

Bibliomania

2008-09-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

We came, we saw and we had a terrific time. The Book Barn in Niantic is definitely worth a trip ! There's not only a huge barn full of books, there are also numerous outbuildings (as you can see above in the bosky dell - yes, the bosky dell. This is a literary post, after all. ) These outbuildings house more books, of course, in every genre under the sun, 350,000 books to be precise. If you don't find a book to please you here, you're a hopeless case.

We found lots to please us - see bookstack above. And just in case you feel faint after perusing all those books, there are lots of nooks and crannies - inside and out - where you can sit down with a cup of tea and some cookies to revive you , all courtesy of the management.

Combine all of the above with a perfect early fall day of blue skies, sunshine and just enough nip in the air to require a light sweater and you have the beginning of a great vacation.

Hawaii 2008 - Final Thoughts

2008-09-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Kahlua Pig here.

As the Mrs. and I finally settle into the groove of our lives here on the East Coast, a perspective on our recent Hawaii vacation slowly emerged and presented itself. Much like the winds and waves that build and swell to epic proportions in that part of the world, our perspective only revealed itself when enough time had passed - revealing itself with sudden clarity and refreshing insight.

A few years ago, my Auntie Luz once joked that the Mrs. and I had an uncanny way of travelling outside of NYC, whenever disaster seemed to strike the Big Apple. When we realized that we were out of Manhattan during 9/11 and the New York Blackout, her remark turned out to be pretty on point. With the recent turmoil in the financial markets, my Auntie Luz's words hearken to me yet again: "REMIND ME TO CALL MY TRAVEL AGENT NEXT TIME YOU'RE OUT OF TOWN!"

The collapse of financial giants Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and AIG within TWO WEEKS of each other is as unfathomable as they come. As of this writing, Morgan Stanley is in merger talks with Wachovia, and WaMu is said to be next on the list of giants to fall. Many questions, few answers, much confusion, little clarity. An interesting experience for two New Yorkers who just spent time in an island paradise that is as far away from all of this as the North Pole is from the South Pole.

Today, while on break from my job as a personal trainer at Equinox, I found myself yearning for food I had enjoyed in Hawaii. With a time-crunch, hunger, and anxiety all swirling within me and around me, I found myself inside a McDonald's, eating a double-quarter pounder with medium fries. A McDonald's staple for most. The food wasn't bad; I just wish it came with a breeze and a view of the ocean.

And that's when it came to me - why we miss Hawaii so. The quarter-pounder and fries that I was eating as a late lunch was a brand standard PRODUCT that could be found in ANY McDonald's, in ANY location worldwide. The people behind the counter didn't even MAKE that food! Even if they tried, they couldn't put one of those things together from scratch.

The meals we had in Hawaii, from the deep-fried malasadas, the unforgettable poi, the fresh spring rolls, the butter-garlic shrimp at Kahuku's...were made and cooked by people who still understood that food is a basic human need that requires care and attention. They understood that the process of making food needed a HUMAN touch in order for it to have sustenance for the body and the soul. We didn't just "ingest" - we really ate and really experienced. We weren't just "sold" a product - we were really fed and nurtured. How many "mom and pop" stores did the Mrs. and I eat from, whose owners probably don't even have 401k's in these once majestic financial institutions, whose only real investment is in the basic human experience of making food that people are actually nourished by?

We are people living with other people. When people forget to consider others, they forget the process that feeds and nourishes our very humanity. Had the wealthy leaders of these financial institutions, the manufacturers of this financial debacle, only remembered that they were dealing with families (not borrowers), homes (not securitized loans), and personal accountability (not risk management)...my happy-meal experience at McDonald's would have been as undisturbed as the ones I had with my wife while in Hawaii, as we sat by the beach eating fresh Vietnamese sandwiches, watching the volatile waves roll on the shores of Sandy Beach.

Yippeee!!!!

2008-09-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

Guess where I will be tomorrow ? Right here !! I'm still fighting the heat thing, but I will not be stopped and I intend to have a wonderful time. Care to join me ?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

2008-09-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

Ms. RFD is laid low by heat prostration - sunstroke - heat exhaustion - call it what you will, it's unpleasant to the max and I am annoyed with myself for not paying attention to what my body was telling me yesterday.

I was out on the tractor, mowing the pastures one last time before winter, and just wanted to finish and yes, I was wearing a hat, drinking lots of water, wearing sunscreen, sunglasses and thinking cold thoughts, but the sun was stronger than all of the above and here I am, headachy, nauseous, irritable and miserable.

I feel one with the mad dogs and Englishmen who go out in the mid-day sun...when will I ever learn ?

Ono Kine Grindz

2008-09-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

It's only fitting that we end our odyssey of Hawaii with our last dinner at Ono's, a traditional Hawaiian restaurant on Kapahulu Avenue. Ono is derived from the Japanese and means "good." Kine means "kind of" and Grindz refers to the mastication of kine ono food like kalua pig! Which is exactly what we ate. Above you will see the charming hand made sign outside Ono's tiny place. We (KP, me and KP's bf from 8th grade, the witty Kemo) did indeed form a line to the right and no get mad and no huhu (as in "boo hoo" i hate standing in line.) The toothless waitress informed us that there was only one dish of laulau left and "she save it for us, you want?" To which Kemo replied yes - he was bringing it home for his wife. Nobody ever explained to me what laulau is but I gather it is pretty important since the moment the waitress brought it out all bundled up I was required to hide it on the cracked leather booth seat next to me so the other patrons would no get mad, no huhu.

KP and I ordered the kalua pig -- a succulent shredded pork which can be seen in the middle photo. Accompanying the piggie is a purple bowl of poi which is taro root mashed and blended. It has the consistency of yogurt and tastes tangy and sour. KP ate a large bowl, but I couldn't handle it because it makes your mouth really tingle. The sides that come with the pig are salsa of tomatoes and slices of raw onion which cut through the oiliness of the meat and are delicious together. You will also see some dark purple meat which was salty, peppery and cured. Kemo informed me that I shouldn't leave any behind because it was very expensive. And tasty! For dessert you will see haupia - a white jello-like sweet brick to the left of the shredded pig.

All in all a very satisfactory end to our grand tour of Oahu's food haunts. They can take the Garcias out of Hawaii, but they can't take the Hawaii (all those ono grindz) out of the Garcias. At least, not until we've completed many kettlebell workouts, cardio sessions and eating of boring vegetables.

Go Reindeer! I mean THUNDER!

2008-09-13T10:30:00.001-07:00

Today was R's first day of soccer! She is now on Team Thunder, a part of the Mt. Washington Soccer League. Not knowing what to expect, we met R's friend Avie and her family at their house and walked to the field. The place was JAM PACKED with children and their parents, I swear there were at least 300 children there, and although the weather was overcast when we left the house, it turned brutally humid and sunny - agh. Somewhat overwhelming for me, but R just followed me to her team gamely and stood there while I tried to figure out what to do and who to talk to. Her coaches, Gero and Whitney were very nice and we got our jerseys (she is #5!) and a pair of blue socks. Our colors are white, with blue writing. Her friend Avie was on a different team, Team Heat, and although R didn't know a soul on her team, she went out there and did so well! My "shy" child is actually really brave! At her first water break, R came over to me and said "Mommy, I did really well. I listened when they told me not to touch the ball with my hands and I ran all the way without touching it!" and then a few minutes later (whispered to me, so as not to hurt any feelings) "Mommy, everyone else forgot and touched the ball with their hands, I was the Only One who didn't!" It was so sweet! Never mind the fact that she beat everyone in drills because she took off running without her ball (slows you down, duh) and when the ball literally rolled across her feet in the scrimmage against Team Crunch, she looked around like, "shouldn't someone be running after this ball?" So far, so good. At least she got out there and tried her best and she really listened to every word the coach said and paid attention - and had fun! As we were walking back to Avie's house she said, sort of confidentially, "Mom, I think we won" with a knowing look on her face. Baby brother W, on the other hand, was not at all thrilled to be there and kept yelling: "no more soccer, no soccer!" when he wasn't cheering for his sister. It was so hot and I was totally unprepared - no sunscream (what W calls it) no snacks, nothing to sit on and only a travel mug full of hot tea. When it was finally over and we were on our drive home there was silence in the back seat and I almost thought he had fallen asleep, when out of nowhere I hear, at top volume, "GO REINDEER!" At least he's supportive! Hopefully my camera will be fixed by next week and I'll have some actual pictures of Team Thundering Reindeer.

BEHOLD! AHI POKE!!

2008-09-12T16:29:00.001-07:00

'Tis I, Kahlua Pig, once again.

So...what are we looking at exactly? This is Ahi Poke ("A-hee POKE-kee"). This dish is, perhaps, one of the most coveted island delicacies in all of Hawaii. The ingenuity of the dish is in the simplicity of the ingredients: chunks of "ahi" (tuna), "limu" (local seaweed), a dash of rock salt, soy sauce, and sesame seed oil, and you have what is arguably the most delicious island meal known to locals and tourists alike.

My favorite place to get this has always been at the Foodland at Ala Moana. At $9.99 a lbs., it's worth every scrumptious, fresh bite! I remember, when I left for the Mainland back in 1993, how heartbroken I was to leave behind one of my favorite dishes. Literally heartbroken (or "tummy broken", as Emlyn would say).

Ahi Poke, for me, represents my journey in Hawaii. When I first tasted Ahi Poke, I wasn't sure what to make of it. It's freshness and simplicity baffled me. "What is this?", I asked. The minute I heard "raw fish", my 12 year-old sensibilities made me gag. How could ANYONE eat this???

But despite my initial revulsion, I found myself being drawn to it again and again. Through my teenage years, this was my favorite local dish. When I left Hawaii for the East Coast, I knew I'd miss this dish most of all.

Much like Hawaii itself, it is fresh, original, bold, and laid-back...qualities that, to the uninitiated, can be off-putting at first. When we realize that our reaction is based on our own inhibitions, our own timidness, and simply allow ourselves to "hang loose", as they say in the islands, we find ourselves...enjoying ourselves. The rich flavors of ahi poke, or a simple breeze from the Pacific, or some distant moonlight that illuminates what seems like a hidden path underneath the dark waves...what majesty we find 0n a rock formed by a volcano in the middle of the ocean.

A majesty that we cannot explain to others who have not experienced it for themselves.

So it is my hope that with these pictures, you can sense one of my beloved foods of all time. Raw tuna, seaweed, and aloha spirit: Ahi Poke.

The Love of My Life

2008-09-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is Rolando (aka "Kahlua Pig"). Here, on our last day of our wonderful vacation here in Hawaii (Nei), Meg and I had a chance to reminisce about our recent adventures in Paradise. We remembered how we first flew over the Pacific, how the sun sets playfully over the horizon, our round-the-island trip that had stop-overs in majestic Waimea, and how we ate the delicious local food.

The mountains, the beaches, the cooling valleys, the humbling surf...Meg seems saddened to leave. She wonders how I can keep my good spirits, knowing we're leaving behind a true wonder of nature that we mortals are lucky to have.

What she doesn't know is that, for me, all this beauty can be had when I simply look at her: my beautiful wife of 9 years. The warmth of the ocean is in her smile, the mystery of these mountains in her eyes, the promise of paradise is always nearby when I hear her call my name, when I hold her close in my arms.

The skies here are somewhat overcast, and I hear there will be showers. I head to the beach regardless.

My wife is my sunshine when she smiles.

18 is the Magic Number

2008-09-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

We came to Hawaii-ne for Number 18. Discovered by my mother in law in 1992 and subsequently eaten every single day by said mil for 6 MONTHS. It's that good, people. Seriously. It contains - BBQ beef thinly sliced and marinated in something succulent, beef egg rolls fried but not too heavy, cold rice vermicelli noodles, the ubiquitous julienned carrots, daikon radish, shredded lettuces, whole stalks of cilantro and mint leaves, fried shallots. To the left is the sauce bowl with some type of light oil and rice wine vinegar and ? It's a mystery. You have to wait for 18. They make it fresh when you order. It is worth the wait. Sit back, have an iced vietnamese coffee and some chilled shrimp summer rolls to dip in peanut sauce. The 18 will come. And when it comes, pause and smile as Mrs. NYC does above. Then, as Kahlua Pig demonstrates, pour your sauce into the bowl, mix like crazy with chopsticks and eat. Let the spring rolls sink to the bottom. They will soak up all of the savory sauce so that your last bite is even better than the first. How many dishes have you had that can claim they get better as you eat them? That is the magic of number 18.

On a side note, the original owners of Saigon Grill sold to new management somewhere around 2005. When we came to the restaurant on this trip and flipped open the menu we were perplexed to see that No. 18 was no some kind of Pho. What the #%#? Our waiter quickly reassured us that new management had not done in the 18. All the dishes had been reassigned new numbers. 18 was now 81. Does that make it Great? Or Taerg?

Got $700,000?

2008-09-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

The lovely neighborhood of Hawaii Kai may be our future home.....we just fell in love with this little collection of condos surrounding a marina. In the lowest picture you see the approach to the neighborhood off of the highway. It is only a short 5 minute drive from Sandy beach. The condos are tucked off the main road and very quiet. You can dock your boat outside your front door and still you are only 10-20 minutes away from the center of downtown. The location is tremendous. Beach front property! In Paradise! Contributions happily accepted to the Garcia family retirement fund.

This visit brought to you by The Luz

2008-09-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to Auntie Luz's beautiful house off the Pali highway way up in the mountains in the Nu'uana valley. Up here it is at least 10 degrees cooler than down by the beach in Waikiki. Cool breezes blow constantly and it is very lush and rainforesty as you can see in the photo we took of me on the street outside her house. The next photo is of the outside of her home. We brought her a Coach bag to thank her for letting us stay in the Banyan. I hope she really liked it - last time we visited we also gave her a Coach and she loved it. Filipinas love their brand name luxury accessories, so it was a safe bet. We had a big dinner and the last photo is of the majority of the family members present (there were actually more people but they couldn't fit in the frame.) This photo is of all the people who live in the house plus KP. The two men in the center in blue and red are Glenn and George, Auntie Luz's sons. Auntie Luz is on the right. The sons are holding their children and to the far left are their wives, Julie and Isa? sp?

Boogie Boarding and Body Surfing

2008-09-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of the boogie and body surfers who are catching some morning waves at Sandy Beach, Mrs. NYC's favorite. The athleticism of these guys is really impressive. Can you tell that the face of those waves is at least 5 feet? The force of the water landing on top of you when you get to the bottom of the wave must be incredible. The surfers wear flippers so that they can kick into position quickly. To body surf they point one arm straight down the wave and go head first with their feet in the air. We saw more than one go head over heels in the white water as a wave pulled back from the shore. Kahlua Pig and I bought a boogie board with hopes of riding some baby waves at Waikiki beach, but the waves there are so mild that nothing happened. We will leave it behind in the condo for the next vacationers to enjoy. I want to take a surfing lesson tomorrow before we leave, but KP says play it by ear in case we are tired. No use sitting on a 10.5 hour flight if you are injured.

Ba Le Sandwich

2008-09-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Once again, the images should be viewed from the bottom scrolling up to the top - for dinner on our way home from the North shore yesterday we decided to pick up two tasty Ba Le sandwiches. This Vietnamese chain is all over Honolulu and has screamingly fresh meat, cheese and veggies in all of their sandwiches. We got two of the "specials" -- pork meat steamed, pork pate, head cheese, fresh cilantro, marinated carrots and daikon radish julienned all a top a freshly toasted and baked that morning baguette. You can see photos of the sandwich at the top of the post. Just the thing to eat when you're hungry, but not too hungry and a hearty sandwich fits the bill. We like to drink iced vietnamese coffee with condensed milk - Kahlua Pig is holding up his caffeinated goodness in the first pic. If you don't fancy staying up late from a caffeine buzz you can order an iced Lilikoi passion fruit juice or passion fruit guava juice - much tastier than a revolting Diet Coke. If you have a hankering for dessert then you can have a cup of tapioca pearls with taro pudding or coconut pudding, perhaps lychee or azuki bean? can you spot the rainbow jello cups in the case? very old school and i'm sure would be pleasing to any accompanying Piglets. So much food, so little time....

The North Shore

2008-09-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

These photos (which should be viewed from the bottom to the top) are our day today on the North shore - home of big wave surfers, Shrimp trucks and all things rustic and relaxing. The first photo of red earth is taken outside the fields of the Dole Plantation. The next photo is the breathtaking view when you first glimpse the ocean on the windward side. We went into a little hamlet to the famous Matsumoto shave ice store. Shave ice is very fine and fluffy and served either with flavored syrup in a paper cup or with the addition of ice cream and azuki beans on the bottom. Kahlua Pig opted for coconut, lihingmoey and lime on top of ice cream and azuki beans. Mrs. NYC got green apple, strawberry and bubblegum. Thus refreshed we continued on highway 83 (which runs right by the water) to the gorgeous Waimae Bay. You can see the pic from the highway that takes in the whole bay. The parking lot is tiny so we had a little walk down the narrow highway to the beach. This is the beach where all the famous surfers come in December to catch the biggest waves on Oahu. In September it is like a very friendly bathtub. KP is shown resting from the exertion of a dip while in the background people frolic. After two hours of bathing and admiring tourists jumping off the big rocks in the distance, we had worked up an appetite. We proceeded down the highway to the famous Shrimp Trucks. There used to be only one original truck, Giovanni's - but now competitors have sprung up like toadstools. We went to a new truck and you can see Mrs. NYC posing holding her ticket for two plates of butter garlic shrimp with a side of local corn on the cob. I had to wear that silly blue shirt over my bathing suit as I have unusually shaped sunburn on my chest from a washed off sunscreen situation at Waikiki beach. Disregard the lumpy shirt. Focus on the gleeful smile and the delicious buttery shrimp with CHUNKS of fresh garlic. Outstanding. The rest of the afternoon was spent meandering down the highway for home. KP took some amazing photos out of the passenger side window. He may have an alternate career here. The last photo is his work - the mystical Valley of the Temples wreathed in clouds and sudden strong showers where the air is so humid you can taste the jungle leaves. All in all a very satisfactory touristy day. More to come........

Sandy Beach

2008-09-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

This photo is from our first day at Sandy Beach, a local favorite spot to surf, just outside of Waikiki and awayfrom the tourists. Last night at dinner with the martial artists from the seminar one of the participants said "I heard it was really pounding at Sandy's." He was correct. Magnify the photo by clicking on it and you can clearly see a full grown enormous Hawaiian dude walking upright into the wave and beside him a surfer wiping out turned almost vertical in the wave. The face of the waves was easily 15 feet. I am not exaggerating. Measure the size of the wave with the size of that upright man. The beach actually shook while we sat on it.

Hawaii, Land of Food

2008-09-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

BEHOLD the glory that is Korean Plate Lunch! And be healed.....

Korean Plate Lunch is a sacred island tradition. Kahlua Pig would eat it every day if Mrs.NYC let him. Much like The King fell pray to the sexy allure of fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches so the mighty Kahlua Pig's proverbial eyes and left ventricle are at war over the delights of Meat Jun Plate Lunch - egg batter dipped slices of beef fried to perfection, mayonnaisy macaronni salad (the more mayo the better), seaweed salad, kimchee, bean sprouts, pickled cucumber, corn, etc.. All for $8.99. KP's favorite chain on the island is Yummy's BBQ. The photos above are a finished plate of Meat Jun, two photos of the sides you get (4 sides allowed plus two enormous scoops of white rice - I'm guessing almost 4 cups of it) and finally the menu board.

TESTIFY to the power of Malasadas!

The top two pictures are of delicious piping hot Malasadas, a Portuguese doghnut hole covered in crunchy white sugar. Leonard's, the chain that makes them, opens at 5:30am every day. This is when the Malasadas are screamingly fresh having just arisen from their morning oil bath and coating. Kahlua Pig and Mrs. NYC were there at 6:30am. They had to wait in line. IN LINE! At 6:30AM, people! That's how good these are. And quite a bargain at 79 cents a piece. You can have them plain or filled with cream for an additional 20 cents. This month's special cream flavour is Guava. They also feature coconut cream which KP tried and didn't like so much, mango cream, lichee cream and more exotic tropical fruit flavors. Leonards also has a pig in a blanket portuguese sausage wrapped in more dough called a pau pup. KP ate his while standing in line waiting to pay. At 6:30am. Note in the top picture the two cups of coffee. They are not your plain old boring French Roast, my friends. They are cups of Kona coffee, Hawaii's local bean and second only to Blue Mountain coffee is Jamaica for flat out rich flavour.

Now do you want to come along with us in 09????

Kayak School 101

2008-09-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

While Mr. & Mrs. NYC are riding the waves in Hawaii, Mrs. RFD also had a watery adventure. Early Sunday morning, I checked in at the Annapolis Sailing School for a full day course in kayaking.
Right off the bat, we learned how to do a wet exit - that's when the kayak rolls over and the paddler manages to undo the spray skirt and exit the upside down canoe. It looks totally terrifying, but actually was a lot of fun to do !
Fortified with that comforting knowledge, we learned all kinds of paddling strokes and toured around the Chesapeake Bay and enjoyed the beautiful day. Sitting low in the water gives you a completely different point of view and the kayak itself makes you feel at one with the water.
After a delicious lunch, we learned how to get back into a kayak after being dumped out and how to save other kayakers. It was surprisingly difficult to maneuver with a PFD ( that's a personal flotation device or life preserver ) strapped tightly to your chest and a spray skirt attached to your middle and shoes and pants on. But we all managed to master rescuing, which again was very confidence inspiring and comforting.
The rest of the afternoon we spent paddling around the harbor, a creek and the bay, We met large and small boats and let me tell you, even a fairly middle-sized boat looks like the Titanic from the viewpoint of the kayaker ! There are the most amazing boats in Annapolis, it's not called the Sailboat Capital of the World for nothing.
At the end of the trip, the wind kicked up and we even had some surf to maneuver and ride into the beach, which was tremendous fun. I am now a confirmed kayker - I want to do this again !!

Waikiki Beach

2008-09-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we enjoyed the tranquil blue waters of Waikiki beach and some super fun people watching. I would add lots of photos of the tourists but couldn't bring myself to blatantly take their pictures. Imagine lots of Japanese teenagers in heels, designer bathing suits and bling squealing like kindergartners as they jump the waves with their little floaty rafts. Adorable. Combined with baked tan locals who run the surfing schools that line the beach. Everyone was smiling, everyone was having a good old time just watching each other play. To the left there's a little girl with a rashguard and bathing suit kneeling on the front of a surf board while an older teacher smiles and steers her into her first wave. Will she get up? To the right a chubby pale guy from the "mainland" dives under at the last minute to avoid a breaking wave. It was good fun but we had to go in after two hours because Mrs. NYC has no melanin. Kahlua Pig is well on his way to a savage tan.

A restful day in paradise

2008-09-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

A little dip in the tranquil blue waters of the Pacific are just the thing to wash away the jet lag of a 10.5 hour flight..... A silly little sign isn't going to deter us, right? Mrs. NYC chose to go in up to her ankles. Kahlua Pig decided to just take a quick dip. And ended up with sand in places where the sun don't shine....all day. Good times. Aloha for now

They made it !

2008-09-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Ms. NYC and the Commander have landed. Where ? I'll let her tell....

Inspiration

2008-08-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but sometimes certain things really inspire me. Like this insanely expensive set of twig crayons I saw in Chasing Fireflies, a children's catalog that recently showed up at our doorstep. For some reason my inner child is dying to draw with them!

Tea with R

2008-08-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

I had a little visitor yesterday and while I was cooking lunch, she played quietly in another part of the house.
Imagine my delight and surprise last night after she had left, when I went into the room she had played in.

A perfectly set tea table, complete with napkins and everyone on their best behavior - even the baby in the highchair.

This is tangible proof that children mimic the behavior they see and it is humbling to me to realize how much influence we as adults have. Think about that the next time your child exhibits less than stellar behavior - how much of it is mimicing the adult and what skills have you taught, by your actions, on how to handle a situation .

A humbling thought ....

Garden Olympics, cont'd.

2008-08-19T13:03:00.001-07:00

We've just concluded the popular All Varieties Tomato Event here at the farm

After the judges deducted 1/10th of a point for excessive shouldering and another major 3/10 of a point for a small bruise at the top of a very popular contender, the verdict is unanimous.

The Gold medal goes to the small Suncherry ( seen here second from the left ) for sweetness, early ripening, amazing tomato taste and just all-around cuteness. Congratulations, little guy !
Next up : Tomato juice - a team event. Stay tuned for results.

A Watery World

2008-08-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

After consulting the tide tables, Mr. RFD and I loaded up the canoe this Sunday morning and headed for a shallow bay which is part of the great Chesapeake Bay. There would be 3 feet of water at high tide, deep enough for us to explore the bay and some of its tributary creeks.

The canoe is a very silent way to travel and lets you slip into the most secret places.

Can you see the old railroad bridge up ahead ? I love the way reflections mirror the real world and take on a reality all their own.

Out on the bay we saw ospreys diving into the shallow water for fish, egrets sunning themselves on tree stumps sticking out of the water, eagles wheeling overhead and close up, dragonflies, fish and lots and lots of water birds . The banks were covered in blooming wildflowers , like this lipstick red cardinal flower.

There were huge patches of water lilies in bloom and I almost thought I spied M. Claude Monet, painting away at one of his water lily pictures ....

Early morning walk

2008-08-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

I've started walking again early every morning, almost before the sun is up and while the evening mists and fogs are quietly drifting up out of the valleys , making way for the new day.

Along the way, there are some strange landmarks, like this venerable old tree, and I become more attentive to my surroundings. I am aware of the rich chorus of insects which is now an ever present part of these late summer days, so constant,that we become used to it and don't hear it any more. Thousands ( millions ? ) of cicadas and other little critters are singing their last song before winter closes in ; it greets us as we wake and sings us to sleep at night.

As I travel between the walls of green that flank my little country road, I see the different plants and their distinctly shaped leaves - what a complex and amazing variety of shapes. There is not only a difference between a fern and an oak leaf, but each leaf on each plant is distinct and different, no two alike.

I think about a picture I've seen of people in New York, a huge wall of humanity, like the wall of green I'm walking beside. Yet in that mass of people, no two are alike and when you look attentively , you can distinguish white from black, like I recognize oak from fern. Looking closer, we can , of course, recognize our relatives, our mother, father, sister, the baby, the old person, just as I can distinguish how each leaf on a single plant is unique.

But when I have narrowed my focus to just one person, there is inside that woman, that old man, a whole world which blossoms out and expands without limit. A world made up of life experiences, imagination, creativity, subconscious urges, longings , and I wonder if within that individual leaf there isn't a corresponding reality, expanding ever outward and , in the end, back inward, toward the focus point.

But I see that the dog and cat are waiting for me at the top of the hill, my walk is over for today.

It's time to pick peaches for jam

and feed the ponies. The day has begun.

Bean Olympics

2008-08-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

What ? You didn't know there was a Bean event in the Olympics ?

We've been training hard all spring and most of the summer and now we are ready.

I present to you The Yard Long Bean !!!!
I believe it will be a serious contender for Gold.Stay tuned to your local stations for the results of this exciting contest and remember, you saw it first here at Chez RFD.

P.S. The bean is really truly one yard long - I measured it.

Milestone

2008-08-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

Exactly one year ago we started this blog .

Happy Blogiversary to us !

Could this be it ?

2008-08-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

Our new summer place in Maine ? A small saltwater farm , with an old house , near, no almost in, a small fishing village at the end of a peninsula. The lobster boats go right past our very own cove which has a sandy beach - a rarity in Maine.

The house can just be glimpsed between the trees.

There's even a secret pond hidden away in the woods.

There's lots to discuss and ponder on our long drive home tomorrow !

Dedicated to

2008-08-06T18:52:00.001-07:00

all of you who had to stay home .
Having a wonderful time - wish you were here.

Maine is...

2008-08-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

buoys for lobster pots on a pier in a fishing village,

walking in the deep woods ,

islands and coves and small beaches with big pink granite boulders ,

old farm houses

and new houses on a river , peeking through the trees.

And a surprise in a bathtub ! Thank goodness not real, but made of cast iron - Mainers can be very quirky and quite funny.

There's the ubiquitous moose - this one in a house made out of a barn,

and this one - what's left of it - in a laundry room in the attached barn of an elegant house from 1850.

Not all the critters are large, here's a pretty bug we saw on a walk by the sea.

And, last, one of the many coves, as evening is painting a dreamy scene .

We love Maine !

Ovens, Baking and Bread

2008-08-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

Here's the little house in which the blacksmith raised his 10 children. We met the lady who takes care of the flower gardens and she invited me to visit her so she could give me some seeds. Maine is such a friendly place and the people we meet are incredibly kind and generous.

Back at the bread conference, there were happy bakers ; this one made bread out of ancient varieties of wheat , which are being preserved and brought back into circulation by a group in the US and Israel.

We learned to build a clay oven and were able to fire it within 3 hours. Once the fire burned down, we were able to bake a pita bread ! We even mixed the clay for the ovens in that period of time. A great project to do with kids because of the instant gratification and success and the gooey, messy, fun factor.

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Lots of baking demonstrations went on everywhere. Look at those yummy brioches filled with a mixture of ground hazelnuts, sugar, grated orange rind, a touch of cinnamon , topped with chocolate ! Of course we had to sample everything and all of us were laboring under serious carbohydrate overload for the three days of the conference.

We were fed 3 meals a day, most of them cooked in outdoor ovens with locally grown or produced food and all of them totally delicious !

On the left is my favorite bread of all made with - surprise - sprouted wheat and sourdough and on the right is a very fancy art bread with the kneading conference logo in the middle.

We attended lots of lectures and hands-on workshops and learned so many new things, but the very best thing we came away with was a wonderful sense of community and connection with people . There is a definite spiritual element to working with fire, cooking and eating together and working as a group towards a common end. One of the organizers summed it up well as we said good-bye, he said " Remember this feeling of community and being connected when you get back home. Let it cheer you when you're feeling low or discouraged and call us if you need a friend. Know that you are working for something which is taking us in the right direction and will help others by your example. "

We got so much more than knowledge about bread baking and ovens out of this wonderful conference - we made many new and interesting friends and feel satisfied and nourished in body as well as spirit.

Every day there were extraordinary flower arrangements everywhere !

The Kneading Conference

2008-07-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

After a few hours of sunshine, the rains started and never let up all day, but the outdoor cooking went on regardless and we had an interesting workshop at Albie Arden's place, who is firing up the oven for our lunch . Albie, incidentally, was one of the founders of the Common Ground Fair which we visited last year and is a dedicated organic gardener with an amazing vegetable garden, as well as an expert in wood-fired ovens.

We built four different kinds of outdoor wood-fired ovens and also talked about the meaning of cooking together : fire as the heart of the community which brings old and young together , providing nourishment not just for our bodies, but for our souls as well.

From Freeport to Skowhegan

2008-07-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

We're staying at a wonderfully old-fashioned motel where lots of hikers stay . These boots have just hiked 17 miles of the Appalachian Trail and are going out again tomorrow.Doesn't that sound like fun ? Before I die I would like to hike at least a part of the Appalachian Trial - anyone want to join me ?

The countryside is filled with blooming wildflowers, mainly Queen Anne's Lace and Black-eyed Susans .

But it's not all summer fun and flowers.Logging seems to be the main source of income and lots of these trucks are zooming up and down the road ; sometimes they have two or three more trailers filled with logs hitched to them.

And since we are in Maine, there are lots and lots of dignified old houses to see.By the time we got to Skowhegan, it was early evening and most people were at home and outside, enjoying the warm weather which is somewhat unusual for Maine. This made it impossible to take pictures - " Pardon me, madam, may I take a picture of you natives at play ? " I think not.

However, I couldn't resist stopping to take this picture of a cool chicken tractor. When I asked permission to do so, the cheerful owner of the lovely old house and chicken tractor turned out to be an organizer of the Bread Baking Conference we came to attend. Not only was she extremely friendly and pleasant, she also had a terrific garden - I felt I wanted to know her better and maybe become friends.Maine is so cool.

The gardens are really stunning here. This perennial border is planted next to a charming old brick house on the banks of the the river, which we discovered as the sun was setting. It was built in 1839 by a blacksmith for his family of 10 children - mighty tight quarters for such a big family. It's a museum now and we would really like to come back and see it in the daytime when the house is open.

The river is the Kennebec, of course,very tranquil and serene here in the early evening light.

Vacation !

2008-07-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

We've crossed from the mundane world into vacationland - that's how I feel every time we drive across this bridge. Mr. RFD and I are looking forward to 10 glorious days here in Maine, starting with a little pitstop in Freeport. Hhhhmmm, what could that mean ?

My niece and nephew are so photogenic

2008-07-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

Love the pics! I submit to you these additional summer photos and some artistic photography by miss rhysie for the judges approval. she is a budding la chappelle.

Where have we been ?

2008-07-28T07:11:00.001-07:00

Tasting the fleshpots here at the farm !

A very complicated and compact " train" was constructed, as can be seen here.

This required the issuing of tickets, which were strictly controlled ( no ticket - no ride ! )

Eventually we arrived at a wonderful tea party.At this point my associate took over the camera and took approximately 70 pictures.

There was lots to photograph outside, too. Here's Pete, the cat, and

the first basket full of tomatoes from the garden. Pretty nice pictures for a 5 year old, wouldn't you say ?

Suddenly a pony came knocking on the door !

My associate is turning into a competent rider with a good seat, but - oops - we forgot the riding hat !

Naturally, you have to have a refreshing bath after a big ride.

Younger brother, meanwhile, is loving the pool and why not - it's 90 degrees in the shade. Time for all of us to take a dip . Hope your summer is as much fun as ours !

Seriously

2008-07-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I've been black balled from Blogger, but I've been trying to post the pictures of our Rockport beach extravaganza SINCE WE GOT BACK and it WON'T LET ME! Just had to express some of my frustration publicly.

Phew. I feel better now.

Just in time for swimming lessons

2008-07-02T12:26:00.001-07:00

so someone can tell which one is her towel

Rockport

2008-07-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Beach!

Here are some pictures from our recent vacation to the lovely Rockport, MA. It is an adorable (former) fishing village. Not very commercial, unless you count the irresistible shops downtown, beaches that are just made for small children and a cool breeze off the ocean. We watched the lobster boats come in with their daily catch and enjoyed playing among the seaweed covered boulders at the water's edge. R was thrilled to find tiny crabs and sea glass, and W practiced his climbing skills and developed a passion for the water. Here is our house:

And here are some other sweet pictures of the trip. Reading with Cheryl in the morning, playing and picturesque Rockport.

We are now picking ...

2008-06-25T04:59:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful summer day ! Best of all, the local orchard announced that their cherry trees are ready for picking.

When that announcement is made, you better get there fast since the local bird population also has its eyes on the cherries and will strip a tree in a flash as soon as they are ripe.
I had visions of jam, desserts, rows of gleaming canning jars filled with cherries, cakes...can you tell we love cherries ?

On the way to the orchard, I saw these elderberry blossoms and picked a bag full for an experiment. I'm going to make elderberry blossom syrup; it's supposed to be delicious mixed with mineral water or prosecco. It's a German recipe from a cookbook given to me by the Global Clapotis Knitter .

When I got to the orchard, the trees were absolutely weighed down with fruit and picking was quick and lots of fun. Blue skies, puffy white clouds, pleasantly cool with sunshine and birds singing and the occasional cherry to eat while picking - what's not to like ?

I finally stopped picking when I ran out of bowls. When the cherries were weighed, I had picked 24 pounds .

At home, I made a batch of jam and we had this Clafouti for dessert. What a delicious day !

Summer is here !

2008-06-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

The lilies are starting to bloom

The strawberries are ripe

and my first ever quilt is finished just in time for the first picnic of summer.

It's not perfect - the corners of the binding are kind of weird, but I don't care !

I love the way ity turned out. It took a surprising amount of time to decide where to place the different blocks, but the sewing was quick and the quilting of the top was fun.

The dollies grabbed the quilt the minute the last stitch was made and headed out side for a lovely ( felt ) strawberry tea under the trees. Don't forget your napkin, Mr. Bear !

Looks like it will be a grand summer .

Where the wild things are

2008-06-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

First they were in the orchard, then under our bedroom window and now they're in the house ! This bird was flying merrily around our livingroom while both cats were sitting on the couch, completely riveted.
Mr. RFD claims he gave the masterful command of " Leave it ! " and supposedly Pete , the more intelligent of the two, immediately sat like a stone. Yea, right.

After the bird release, Pete thought he would come and entertain himself where I was working. My sewing chair swivels and as soon as I got up, Pete would take a running jump which was enough to spin the chair around. He also does some complicated maneuver with his paws, pushing and pulling himself sideways so the chair spins faster and longer.

Kind of makes you dizzy in a delicious way.

( This cat can also open doors ! )

To show how versatile he is, he thought he would help me with my next project .

I wonder what it can be ?

Invasion

2008-06-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

What smells like pig manure, rotten eggs and a hint of cadaver ?

I do - after spraying deer repellent on our little trees in a slight breeze. That is one powerful spray !! Note to self : wait until total calm, wind will veer around in a split second and dose you with noxious smells.

After a long shower, I went to bed, secure in the knowledge that deer would find our orchard repellent and peace would reign on the old homestead for at least one night. What we did not count on was that apparently it would attract other wildlife. We spent the night listening to a bunch of foxes yodeling under our window. Yodeling is the wrong term, a fox has a high-pitched, hoarse bark that combines a scream and a cough - startling to put it mildly, especially in the wee hours , rendered at a high volume and without cease.

Where was our trusty dog, protector of hearth and home, you ask ? Fast asleep on her pillow, next to the open window where the fox concert took place. Maybe the fumes from the deer repellent knocked her out.