Father's Day Weekend - In Cinemascope

I found a new photo editing toy and put all the pictures from this post in cinema-scope.  Just because. Go here to play around.

Father's Day weekend started with a visit to Breaux Vinyard for their annual Cajun Festival.  It was a really nice day to sit under a tree and enjoy being outside. 

We got to sample some wine, eat Cajun food, and take Daphne on a hayride.  Can someone please remind me why hayrides are supposed to be fun?  I was hot and itchy and couldn't wait for it to be over.  I don't think Daphne loved it either.  But still.  In all, it was a good day out.  I have to say, though, I think I enjoy the wineries more when there is not a big event going on.

Saturday afternoon, I used the last of the blueberries in a clafoutis.  It was very tasty and not overly sweet.  Time to get more blueberries.

 
On Sunday morning, Daphne and I surprised Kev with a Daddy and Me cooking class at Cookology.  They made Crispy Chocolate French Toast and Candied Bacon while I wandered around the mall.  Alone.  I was happy that Daphne, who is completely against French Toast, cooked some, tried it, and loved it.  I've said it before, if they cook it, they will eat it.  I think Kev really enjoyed the class.  Cookology is such a great place.  I want to do one of the adult classes sometime.  Hint hint.  If anyone needs any birthday ideas.
 

 In the afternoon, we drove down to Manassas for a cookout, minigolf, and ice cream at Nathan's Dairy Bar.

It's been forever since I've had a cheeseburger, and it was great.  All the food was good.  The golf was very entertaining (Daphne has a unique style) and the ice cream was a perfect ending.  That Nathan's is apparently the place to be in Manassas.  I swear the line was at least 50 people long, but it went fast, and since it was Father's Day, all the daddies got free ice cream.  I think Leesburg needs a Nathan's.  Maybe that's my ticket to not having to go back to the world of Speech Pathology.  

So, Happy Father's Day to Kev and my dad and all the other good daddies out there.  I hope yours was as good as ours.

One other quick item of good news:  my Uncle Danny got sprung from his physical rehab facility for a day, to go to my Aunt Kathy's for his own Father's Day cookout.  He said he felt like he was getting out of jail.  I think the field trip went well and cheered him up quite a bit.  Maybe this means he'll be able to go home soon.  Yay!

Now it's Monday.  Daphne starts her new swimming class today, and we're going to the library because they're kicking off their summer reading club program.  There is laundry to do, messes to clean, and groceries to buy.  Plus, I want to start deep-cleaning a room a la Emily.  I need to make a list.  I think that will help. 

It's supposed to get pretty hot again this week.  All the more reason to stay inside and clean.  Happy Monday!

A Little Inspiration

My friend Emily, who is coming to visit me in August (YAY!) has started a new project.  She has eleven rooms in her house, and eleven weeks of summer vacation.  So, she is completely cleaning and organizing one room per week so her house will be perfect (or as perfect as a house can be with two kids and a puppy) by the time school starts.  In order to keep herself from giving up, she is blogging about it.  You can check it out here:  11Rooms11Weeks.  I am totally inspired.  To hire her to do MY house when she's done. 

(Kidding.  I'm TOTALLY going to do this.  In the fall, though.  When my sidekick is at school.)

The Zen of Blueberries and a Big Rock Show Review

Yesterday, we got up early and headed to Eagle Tree Farm and Vinyard with some preschool friends. Goal: Pick as many blueberries as possible.

We arrived at the farm just as the only other people there were leaving, so we had the place all to ourselves. There was a pond with geese, a little house, and rows and rows of blueberry bushes. It reminded me of England.

We got straight to work, and so did our helpers:

Blueberry picking is a cakewalk compared to strawberry picking. The berries are at just the right height. No bending, no stooping. It was easy to get into a groove. It was quiet, peaceful, and relaxing. And did I mention the temperature was about 70? PERFECT.

Soon, we had about three quarts, so we went over to a picnic table to put our money in the money box (it's all honor system at Eagle Tree), stopped Temple Hall Farm for a short visit to the playground, and headed back home. This was truly one of the most fun mornings I've had in a long time. The farm was beautiful, the weather was awesome, the kids were good, and the blueberries were delicious and plentiful. And I have big plans for them. This morning, we had them in pancakes. There will be more freezer jam as soon as I can get some pectin. Blueberry Pudding Cake is in our future, as well as a possible pie. And there may be a blueberry ice cream experiment before it's all over. We will probably need to go back to the farm for more to accomplish all this. No one will need to twist my arm.

Now, it's time to completely shift gears, because yesterday EVENING was all about rock. My brother and I went to Wolf Trap for the big Elvis Costello show:

And a big show it was. As you can see, there was a giant wheel on stage which was spun by members of the audience to pick the songs to be performed. He played for about 2 1/2 hours. Highlights: Party Girl, Girl (by the Beatles), Beyond Belief, a cool slowed-down version of Pump It Up, and part of Purple Rain. I have seen him several times, but I think this was my favorite show. He looked and sounded great. I'm so glad we didn't miss it. (See the full set list here).

Wolf Trap is a pretty cool place. The sound isn't bad for an outdoor venue. A nice feature is the legroom. When people are going in and out of the rows of seats, there is enough room for them to get by without everyone having to stand up. I guess they made up for that by squeezing the seats next to each other together as closely as possible, though. I was seated next to an unfortunately smelly large man, whose right arm cascaded over into my space, making me VERY uncomfortable. I was happy when the people to my brother's right left half-way through the show and I could change seats. No more smelly man! Aaahhh. Things were much more enjoyable.

One last quick item: I tried a new food this week. We went to the Shoes Secret Garden on Tuesday night, and got these goat cheese stuffed peppadews. I was nervous, but I tried them and they were GOOD! It proves you can't go wrong with goat cheese.

Summer is still going well, and I am trying to take advantage of this awesome weather, because I know it can't last. A big Father's Day weekend coming up, with more activities planned. I shall report back soon. Until then, Happy Father's Day to all the good nice Daddies out there!

Monday Morning - Mavericks and More

This morning, everyone woke up in a good mood.  The Mavericks won the NBA Finals last night, after all.  Five years ago, the same two teams were in the finals, with different results.  I followed the playoffs closely that year.  I was 8 1/2 months pregnant and our house in Dallas was under construction.  We had no TV during the Western Conference Finals, so we listened to games on the radio or went to a local bar to watch them.  We celebrated advancing to the finals on the roof of some restaurant next to the Granada theater.  Then, Daphne was born.  I don't think I got to watch a single minute of the final series with the Heat, and that's just as well.  I was disappointed, but I had other things on my mind.

Here is Daphne, about 2 months old, showing her Mavericks spirit (Thank you, Stacey U!).  Fast forward to last night, same two teams, and Daphne holding the same rattle (see post below), but this time, the good guys won.  And I can't think of anyone who deserved it more.  They showed a lot of class.  I am so happy for them all.

Summer is off to a great start, not just because of all the activity and sports championships, but because suddenly, the youngest member of our family is showing signs of a new level of maturity that makes life so much easier and more enjoyable.  She is easy-going and agreeable almost all the time now.  She is more independent.  And she is fun.  I'm sure there will be moments of slipping into her old behaviors, especially when she's tired, but I have a good feeling about the next few years.  Perhaps this, plus the end of basketball play-off induced stress, will slow down the rate of silver hairs taking over.

This morning, we are off to the coffee shop to work on thank-you notes.  And it's delightfully cool as promised.  Maybe summer ain't so bad.

Yes.

Summertime Rolls

Week One of summer break is coming to a close, and it's been a big one.  Monday, we went to the doctor for Daphne's annual check-up.  Tuesday, we went to her Gardening Club meeting (Green Thumbkins - put together by our friend Miss Heather...so much fun).  Wednesday, Grandma and Grandpa came over and we got our new couch.  At last.  Kev and I celebrated by watching a movie (The King's Speech) since it is now possible to sit on the couch for over 10 minutes without extreme discomfort.  Thursday was hot.  I can't remember what we did...probably not much.  Friday, we took a morning walk to Shoes:

And in the afternoon, we went to a birthday party at Pump It Up.  Saturday, Kev took Daphne to the water park:

And in the evening, we ate dinner on the porch and walked to the new Frozen Yogurt place:

And this morning, we got up early and took a 10-mile bike ride to Paeonian Springs and back, and stopped at South Street Under for breakfast.

    

Then, we set up the new Slip-n-Slide, which Daphne slipped and slided on at least 100 times.  She took a LONG nap.                                                                  

 

Tonight, we're watching the Mavericks.  Game 6.  There will be ice cream.  

At dinner, I told Daphne that there is no way we'll be able to keep up this pace all summer.   But next week, there will be two field trips, a Big Rock Show, a sleep-over, a festival, and some Father's Day activities, so maybe I'm wrong.  I'm tired, but at least I'm not bored.

The next couple of days are supposed to be delightfully cool.  I hope to be outside as much as possible.  I hope your summer is off to a good start, too.  Almost game time.  Fingers crossed...

Bells

Part of the graduation entertainment was a short hand-bell concert performed by the kids. First, they did Twinkle Twinkle and London Bridge.  But then, they busted out the Beethoven (please press play).   Not bad for a bunch of 4-5 year olds. 

The Graduate

 It was a big weekend.    Daphne graduated from Preschool on Friday.

 She played her last soccer game of the season on Saturday.

 And she turned five on Sunday.

Her Mimi and Papa were here from NY to celebrate with us.

And G-Ma made it back from Indiana just in time to come to her birthday party with G-Pa - and Uncle Jeff (not pictured).

 We celebrated with a small group of family and friends, and the guest of honor, Hunter the dog.  It was a dog-themed birthday, after all.  There were hot DOGS and PUPcakes:

and Dalmatian ice cream (chocolate chip) and candles and presents and general fun.  Good times.

And today, we began summer break.  I am not a fan of summer break.  I am not a fan of summer in general.  But I am determined to make the best of it and have a good time with Daphne before she starts Kindergarten in the fall.  I have plans and goals.  Perhaps I'll share them in another post.

But now, it's time to go to sleep.  I need to rest up for tomorrow night's Mavs game.   So stressful to watch, but I can't look away...

Pre-School Graduation

Daphne told us that her teacher told them to "walk to the beat" and turn at the floor outlet at graduation. Apparently, she took this very seriously.

So much to write, so little time. Back soon!

Taking the Plunge

Here she goes, off the starting block on the last day of swimming.  We love Miss Jenine!

Strawberry Fields Forever

 Well, it is the end of a long Memorial Day weekend, and I haven't blogged in a while.  There's a lot to catch up on, but I'll try to keep it short.  My computer is more or less fixed now (Thanks, Kev!) so I can blog more often.  I need to backtrack a little to last Wednesday, which was Daphne's last swimming class.  Above, she is getting a certificate from her AWESOME teacher, Miss Jenine.  Daphne made a lot of progress since September, when she told me she was quitting school and never ever getting in the pool.  Wednesday, she jumped off the starting block and went all the way under water.  And it was HER idea!  I have video, which I will post when my Flip software gets re-installed.  I am so proud of her.  She was really brave.

 

On Friday afternoon, Kev came home early and we joined some good friends on a strawberry picking adventure.  We took White's Ferry across to Maryland (this time in the car) and drove to Homestead Farm, where the pickin' was good.  We ended up with more strawberries than I thought we could ever use, but three days later they're almost gone.  We've had strawberry milkshakes, strawberry shortcake:

and strawberries on our cereal and on salads.  I froze some to use later for smoothies.  I made strawberry freezer jam: 

 I just used the recipe on the Sure-Jell pectin box.  It is GOOD!.  I used the "less sugar" pectin, which only calls for three cups of sugar instead of four.  And it was still REALLY sweet.  We had some on biscuits this morning, which helped cut the sweetness some.  Maybe by blueberry picking time, I'll have my act together enough to make cooked jam. 

I also made strawberry ice cream, which we had last night:

And also yesterday, Kev grilled some salmon on cedar planks, which is a method we've never tried before.  It was great.  Here is the recipe we used.  There was one on the plank package that looked good too...maybe we'll try that one next time.  A quote from Daphne:  "I LOVE THIS SALMON!"  So, that's something.

Today it was really hot.  Upper 90's.  I successfully managed not to step foot out of the house.  We have spent the day doing various projects around the house, preparing for next weekend.  We'll have Daphne's preschool graduation, her last soccer game, and her birthday, and Kev's parents are coming for a visit.  It should be a lot of fun.  I am off to check on Kev.  He is busy repairing the squirrel wall.  Happy Memorial Day.  I hope you had some strawberries.

Polaroids Rule

This is a picture of me and my Uncle Danny in 1971.  I'm happy to say he is doing better and better every day at the rehab therapy facility.  Today he had to go back to the hospital for some more x-rays, which almost didn't happen because of some kind of mix-up.  Luckily, my mom and my two aunts, Kathy and Karen, were there to take care of business.  You don't want to mess with my mom and my aunts.  Anyway, the xrays indicated that things are going well...the news could not have been better.  So yay!  Now, it's back to rehab for intense OT/PT.  It won't be easy, but he can handle it.

I love Polaroids.  Here is another one of me and Danny from 1974.  I was about six.  I remember this day.  I remember going for a ride on that motorcycle.  I just can't believe my mom let me go.  And with no helmet! 

Now she barely even lets Daphne go on the monkey bars without having a nervous breakdown. 

For the record, Daphne is not allowed on motorcycles.  Ever.  Not even when I'm dead. 

Oh, I'll know.

Computer is Still Broken, Blogging Anyway

I am going through blog withdrawal.  My computer is broken.  It won't boot up, and Kev hasn't had time to look at it.  I fear the worst, but maybe he can fix it.  Time will tell.  In the meantime, I've been using Kev's computer, which I don't like for several reasons, but at least it's something.  Just wanted to blog a quick blog to catch up on things before I forget, so here are some highlights from the last couple weeks:

• Kev and Daphne made my belated Mother's Day breakfast the Sunday after Mother's Day.  Crepes.  So great.  Then we went to ride White's Ferry (above) the only ferry across the Potomac River.  It was about a five minute ride over to Maryland, where we took a short hike.  Kinda cool.  Daphne enjoyed it.
• We've been eating meals on the porch as often as possible.  Food is better that way.
• On Saturday, Kev and I went to Vintage 50 here in Leesburg, and I had a Lobster Grilled Cheese.  After I finished it, I overheard the people behind us talking over the menu and saying you just should never combine lobster and cheese.  Au contraire, mon frere!  This was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.  Lobster meat, melty brie, and basil.  Delicious.  Weird, but delicious. 
• Last night, I helped Kev mow the lawn.  This was my first ever lawn-mowing experience.  Don't tell Kev I said this, but it wasn't so bad!  In fact, I kinda enjoyed it!  But I wouldn't want to do it in the heat of the summer, especially when the gnats are bad.  Kev said mowing the lawn is worth cooking five dinners.  I mowed half the lawn, so I figure he owes me 2 1/2 dinners now.  I'd like gumbo, please.  Or eggplant parm.
• I took Daphne to a birthday party yesterday at Pump It Up, which is a bounce-house/giant inflatables place.  She had a blast.  We have two more similar birthday parties on the calendar in the next couple of weeks.  Meanwhile, I am planning a little party for Daphne's FIFTH birthday.  It is going to be very small this year, but fun nonetheless.  She is also having her preschool graduation next week.  Exciting times.  More on all that  later.
• Maybe the Mavs will win the NBA championship this year!  That would be cool.
• Here are some things I want to do if I can ever get my act together:  Make a new cushion for the porch swing, make pasta with my pasta-making tools, learn how to make berry preserves.   Strawberry season is almost over, though.  Maybe next year.

OK...I hope to be back on line for real very soon.  If not, I'll try to pop on here via Kev's computer from time to time.  Have a good week!

My Computer is Broken. Again.

I will blog a blog as soon as I can.

Bacon + Chocolate

In the car on Friday, I split one of these with my mom and Jeff.  It was surprisingly good.  Who knew?

Foodspotting

So, I found out about this website called "Foodspotting" where people can post photos of food they recommend from various restaurants around the world.  So cool.  If you are thinking about going to a certain restaurant, you can check the Foodspottting site to see if anyone has posted photos of the food they ate there.  Sometimes there are brief reviews as well.  And if a photo you see has lots of "noms," it means others have tried and liked that particular menu item.  Check it out...it's kind of fun to see what people have posted from your favorite restaurants.  I added a widget to my sidebar for my own pictures of food.  The most recent is the Kentucky Hot Brown I had on Derby Day at Buckhead in Jeffersonville when we took my grandma to lunch.  It just seemed like the appropriate thing to eat at the time.  I also posted the above photo that Kev took in DC of his Acadiana Sorbet Trio.  Yum.  Thanks to Jimmy B for the link and the new hobby.  I just hope I don't embarrass Kev to the point that he stops taking me to restaurants.

Home

Sunday Morning - New Albany

Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and the District of Columbia. That's where I've been during the last three weekends. This past weekend, my brother and I drove my mom to Indiana so we could see my Uncle Danny in the hospital, and so she could stay a few weeks to help out with his recovery. It was a quick trip. We drove all day Friday, spent time with my Grandma on Saturday, and drove back all day Sunday. We managed to work in two visits to the hospital, some Pizza King, and a stop at the Zesto. A good trip. My uncle is getting a little better every day, which is very good news. He gets to leave the hospital today or tomorrow and will be moved to a rehab therapy facility. I was really happy to see and talk to him.

Sunday Evening - Leesburg

Kevin and Daphne had a big time while I was gone. They did some shopping and gardening and playing and they went out to eat a few times. I arrived home in time to go out for a nice Mother's Day dinner. Next week, they are making me breakfast. I can't wait for that. I missed them. It's good to be home. And I think this time, I'll be staying a while.

Big DC Weekend

On Friday afternoon, Kev and I packed up the car and headed for the Nation's Capital for a belated anniversary weekend away. We packed a lot into our trip. Here are a few highlights:

We stayed at the Carlyle Suites near Dupont Circle. Very nice. I highly recommend it. It is very art deco and has those memory foam mattresses. I will tell you I am now a huge fan. I usually wake up all crooked and stiff and sore, but not after sleeping on the memory foam. Yay NASA!

We did a lot of shopping, including a stop at Red Onion where Kev used a gift certificate from Christmas to get some pretty good stuff on vinyl. We also went to Mitchell Gold Bob Williams furniture store and purchased a new couch for the TV room. We've been in the market for a long time, and we finally found just what we were looking for. Great store, too. No high pressure salespeople breathing down our necks. Goodbye, brown couch! At last!

We saw an amazing Cuban jazz piano player at HR-57. Chuchito Valdes. How great is that name? If we ever get a pet, it will be named Chuchito. This guy played the piano like no one I've ever seen. Check him out on youtube sometime. Incredible.

We saw a really good movie called Win Win at the E Street Cinema. REALLY good. Paul Giamatti is great.

We went to Ford's Theater to see where Lincoln was shot. Very interesting.

We had several great meals, including a dinner at Vento. I had delicious butternut squash raviolini. Yum. I recommend this place highly if you're in Dupont Circle at dinnertime.

And we had a great Sunday Jazz Brunch at Acadiana. Look how happy I am:

I had the "pain perdu" appetizer (a piece of french toast with bananas foster sauce), and the shrimp and grits and tasso ham entree. For dessert I had bread pudding. It was all really good. Kev's food was good too. I think it was probably worth the $30/person.

In between all the food and shopping and so forth, we walked and walked and walked some more. It was great. I got to spend time with Kev and hang out in a city. A real city with STUFF in it. And PEOPLE in it who go out and do stuff. I needed it. I feel refreshed. Thanks, Kev.

And thanks to my mom and dad, too, because while we were off in DC, they were holding down the fort and taking Daphne to her various weekend activities, like birthday parties and soccer games:

She FINALLY got to play. It was the first Saturday in weeks that it didn't rain. We missed her while we were away. It's good to be home.