London Commemorates WWI

These are actually ceramic poppies that have been made.  A total of nearly 900,000 will be placed by the time the final one is "planted" on November 11th.  A stunning display.  More on the project and several more photos can be found by CLICKING HERE.

Mid Week Summer Image

There are times in doing this blog that you sit and ponder what to write about.  It is near the end of July and the temps here in Seattle are low 80's so I am getting by.  At the same time I was looking at facebook and came across the above image and it just made me go aaaaaah!  A cold crisp beer on a hot summer's day is so refreshing.  Much like a gin and tonic.  Funny how I am not a major fan of either, but do enjoy them from time to time.  Damon is a huge fan of beer and I got him hooked on porters and stouts.  Last week he bought a 6-pack of IPA by accident (a light bitter beer) and it was amusing to watch him force himself drink them.  Happy hump day and hello August!

Grillin' Dinner

Last night Markie came over for dinner and to discuss a small printing project.  As I cannot get near the grill due to open flame does not mix well with oxygen, I asked him to take the lead and do it, but at the same time give Damon pointers in grilling so he can do it as well on his own.  This weekend he will get another tutor moment when Rob is over.  Needless to say, the NY Strips were amazing and the grilled corn on the cob was simply delicious.  

Here is the whole feast laid out complete with a tomato enhanced coleslaw and some steamed, then chilled asparagus.  Decided a nice blend of cool salads with the grilled items would be perfect for this warm July evening.  A bottle of white wine was used even though steaks were served, but it was cold and refreshing.  You may notice a bag of something in the upper left corner of the table...

Left over fortune cookies from Markie's million mile party on Sunday evening.  A mutual friend makes custom fortune cookies and each fortune has a quote or question about flying - very fun.  A very nice evening to be sure.

Kate & Eric's Big Adventure

Over the weekend, it began.  The Big Trip...Summer 2014 my friends (also known as the Colonials to some) Kate and Eric are planning a grand adventure for 60 days. They intend to drive to Alaska (and back, too). Kate has been planning and planning and planning, and they're making list and studying things they might want to see along the way. Their motivation is simple........they don't know how much longer they'll be able to drive for days and days, and get to where they don't want to. So, they're going to see it NOW. Should be fun.  If you want to follow their adventures the CLICK HERE.

Three Weeks Later...

The race started 3 weeks ago in England and after nearly 2,500 miles it ended today in Paris.  Vincenzo Nibali is the winner of the 101st Tour de France, a race he led for eighteen days out of twenty-one. It's also the big return of French riders on the final podium with Jean-Christophe Péraud and Thibaut Pinot second and third respectively. The last stage on the Champs-Elysées went to Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) just like last year. The German outsprinted Alexander Kristoff in a spectacular final sprint on the Champs-Elysées.

No Post Saturday - XV

Indeed, it has been a while, but just too much happened throughout July to even think of not posting, until today.  It is time for a break and so no phone or computer.  That is all.

Weekend Temptation

Indeed it is Friday and it is time to unplug and think of all the possibilities that are available.  OK, so right now, I get to dream from my apartment, but one of my favorite summertime destinations is Snoqualmie Falls.  It is a power generating facility in addition to a resort destination.  Amazing place to enjoy a Sunday brunch.  We even did a Ya-Ya initiation there once, Cindy I believe.

It Is All About Balance

Yesterday was a pretty rough day and yet, in the end, I lived to see another day.  The roller coaster of life goes up and down and I need to just embrace it as best as possible.  Thus, when I saw this beautiful picture I felt the need to post to share that with all the crap that goes on there is stunning beauty as well.  Happy Friday Eve to one and all!

A Realization Of Sadness

Today has proven to be one of the most challenging in a long time.  Funny how little things just keep piling up and then all of a sudden it becomes overwhelming.  Reached out to a dear friend and had a good cry and then some much needed laughter.  So what happened?

First up, I am going stir crazy here in the apartment and was looking forward to seeing Dr. Youssef this week.  Well, that appt. got delayed until August 7th due to an emergency on his part.  So that was the first little thing.  Next, Curtis brought over the wooden stand from the office I needed.  If it had just been the stand, that would have been one thing, but rather, he thought he was being helpful and had cleaned up all my travel memories and trinkets in the office plus my artwork.  And it was all just piled in boxes.

Boy, did that just hit me, my life at E&A in a couple of boxes.  Not a great feeling and it took a couple of days to even begin to get things cleared up a bit.  Then Damon got my mail yesterday and I opened it this morning and there were the first two bills for the medical procedure at the end of last month totaling over $2,200.  YIKES!  Forgot about the $3,200 deductible.  Add on that it is raining like crazy here in Seattle today and it all just came crashing down.

Well, as I type this I have now had two good crying binges and realize that life will not stop as we know it and things will get better.  I need to take things one day at a time.  I am fortunate to have amazing friends and loving family.  Damon is a joy and bright spot in my life.  I have my health for the most part and life marches on.  But sometimes, you have to let the sadness flow to make room for joy.

A Moment of Ahhhhh...

My friend Stephen sent this wonderful picture taken at their dining table last week at dinner time.  The simplicity of the moment and yet the fantastic coloring of the candles plus Puget Sound right out the window makes for a true moment of pleasure.  Stephen and his partner Gordon live on Vashon Island and it is a joy to visit from time to time.  They call their house Sound Cliff.  The gardens outside are astounding and you can tell Gordon puts a lot of love into them.  It is moments like these that make so enjoyable.  Thank you for sharing Stephen and Gordon.

National Junk Food Day

Who among us is not guilty of eating junk food and enjoying it.  A true guilty pleasure of life.  Yes, we know it is not good for us and yet it just tastes so good and calls to us at the most odd times.  State fairs are notorious for having a plethora of junk food to indulge in.  Seriously, can you say friend food heaven?!  But I must share that for me the guilty pleasure of junk food for me is about once or twice a year I get a craving for Dick's Drive-In here in Seattle.  A real 50's style drive-in and they have a very limited menu.  No changes allowed on anything!  Cash only and in the end they are jammed.  Funny how I crave them and then the day after having a fix from DICK'S I ask myself why do I love it so?  Go figure.

Landing On The Moon - 1969

It was a moment you will never forget.  We drove like bats out of hell down the mountain to see it on TV. We had been up at Lake of the Woods for the weekend and hightailed it back to see it in time.  Glued to the TV we took in every minute of coverage.  The memory of Walter Cronkite taking off his glasses and just being overwhelmed still sticks with me.

Lunar landing operations for the Apollo 11 crew officially began around 9:27 a.m. July 20, when lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin crawled through a tunnel separating the command module Columbia from the lunar module, Eagle, to power on the lander.

Four hours later, Buzz Aldrin and his commander, Neil Armstrong, stood in Eagle while it separated from Columbia. At the controls of Columbia, command module pilot Michael Collins turned on the ship's engines and moved it away. He watched as Armstrong and Aldrin fired Eagle's engines for the lunar descent. "Everything's going just swimmingly. Beautiful!" Collins said over radio to Mission Control.

But not everything went to plan after that. Eagle's computer experienced several task overloads that tripped program alarms in the spacecraft. Just after 4 p.m., Armstrong looked outside the window and saw the automatic landing system was taking Eagle to a rocky field. He took control of the spacecraft, steering it down to the surface with just seconds of fuel to spare. Apollo 11 was on the moon.

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed," he radioed Mission Control at 4:18 p.m.

The main event, the moonwalk, began at 10:39 p.m. when Armstrong opened the hatch of Eagle and backed outside, watched by Aldrin. He carefully moved down the ladder, turning on the TV camera on the way. His first step took place at 10:56 p.m. "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind," he radioed Earth.

Armstrong quickly moved to take samples from nearby Eagle, and Aldrin followed him on to the surface. The moonwalk lasted 2.5 hours, in which time the men picked up several rock samples, deployed science experiments, erected a flag and took a phone call from U.S. President Richard Nixon. Eagle's hatch was closed, astronauts inside, at 1:11 a.m. the next morning.

Ani Comes To Visit

I have know Ani since the mid-80's when we both worked at Old Wives' Tales restaurant in Portland.  I was a wining room manager and she worked in the kitchen.  She is an awesome cook.  Got me to truly appreciate Verde Enchiladas among other things.  She moved east and I got to visit her when I loved from Dallas to New York City in 1987 and then she moved back to the west coast and has lived in Orinda, California for a while.  In 2004 we spent a month together in Europe visiting Turkey and France.  'Sacre Bleu'

She had to deal with a tire issue first thing in the morning and soon was here and it was so great to see her and she looks amazing as always.  Damon met her for the first time and they instantly hit it off.  Below leaving he was showing her his tattoos and much laughter was shared.  

Decided on making a couple of tried and true salads for lunch, but needed a main course of sorts.  Since it was summer kept to a cool lunch theme.  We had a stretch of hot weather and of course the day I go for the cold lunch is when the overcast returned, but believe me, no complaints here.  From the picture above you can see that I made my Roma tomato and English cucumber salad as well as the asparagus and strawberry salad.  Both are so tasty.  Decide on a Rose wine to go with lunch.

I had recently, with Damon's help, made a shrimp pesto pasta dish with mushrooms and tomatoes.  So today, I mortified it and made it with chicken plus as you can see in the upper picture, I had bowls of feta cheese, walnuts and olives to add to the dish pending your tastes.  I knew Damon does not like walnuts or olives.  It was awesome and filling.

Ani has heard me talk about Catan for years now and it was delightful that Moonsong joined us first for lunch and then for a game of Catan.  We played the basic game as it was her first time.  In the picture above you can see how serious she is about learning the game.  Additionally, you will notice a tray of miniature lemon tarts that Moonsong made for dessert.  Oh so tasty.  Below is the swan song to the game as Moonsong puts it away.  OK, ok, yes, I won.  It just keeps happening.   Damon is now encouraging me to throw the game so he can win.  But we do have fun!

Remembering...

This is a photo I took in the fall of 2002 at a flower market in Amsterdam. My thoughts go out to those affected by the horrific Malaysian Airlines crash.  It all just makes no sense.

Talk About Thursday Throwback...

London Celebrates The Monty Python Reunion By Putting A 50-Foot Dead Parrot in Potters Field Park

by Dan Solomon

Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue.  Lovely plumage.

The Monty Python reunion in London began on July 1, and after a 10-day break, picks up again tonight at the O2 Arena for the final five nights that will see Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin on the same stage together, doing silly things one more time. Of course, it's not all silliness--the first five-night run of the performance raised more than £20,000 for five different charities chosen by the Python members, by giving those charities the opportunity to auction off the right to perform in a sketch alongside the cast.

Oh My Goodness

Chicken Fried Bacon!

That is all.

17 Days & Counting

We were out on the balcony last night as the last shades of the day were painting an amazing picture across the sky.  All the more reason I love the view I have from the balcony.  We have gone 17 days now without rain.  But there is morning and late evening fog to make for interesting views.  The balcony door remains open from about 11pm until 11am each day to keep the interior of the apartment tolerable.  Thankful for the air conditioning in the bedroom to guarentee a good sleep.

Viva la Bastille

Bastille Day, the French national holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis the 16th's Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the king's power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.

It All Comes Down To This Today

This is the stadium where the final was played today.  The World Cup trophy and ball below are images as well.  Germany won in the 2nd overtime of the match.  It was an exhausting experience.  The past month has seen some amazing matches and a lot of attention focused on Football or as we say here - soccer.  It is amazing at how much it has been the focus of conversation.  And now it is on with the Tour de France which just completed its' first week.

Enjoying The Last Of Copper River Salmon

Last night a long delayed dinner was enjoyed by the three of us.  Jeff arrived and joined Damon and I to feast on the last of this year's batch of Copper River salmon.  It turned out fabulous as Damon had his first go in cooking salmon.  He is a star in the kitchen these days.  We had a lettuce salad and I decided to toss in a can of sliced water chestnuts for a bit of a crunch and it was enjoyed by all.  Broccoli is Damon's favorite vegetable and so I steamed some with Alfredo sauce.  Cocktails and wine flowed and it was shared that both Damon and Jeff had birthdays in May so we made it a festive celebration.

After dinner we enjoyed some homemade Nanaimo bars that Moonsong had made. Nanaimo Bar is a dessert item of Canadian origin popular across North America.  It is a bar dessert which requires no baking. It consists of a wafer crumb-based layer topped by a vanilla or custard flavored butter icing which is covered with melted chocolate.  We paired it with a bottle of Framboise that a friend gave me for Christmas 2012. 

Happy Birthday Lisa Morrison

Lisa and I met years ago and became fast friends.  Life moves on and orbits changes.  Don't get to see her nearly enough these days, but she has been able to pursue her interest in beer with verve!  The picture above just makes me laugh.  Only Lisa can make holding a stuffed chicken look distinguished.  Below, a recent picture celebrating two other's birthdays but look who is wearing the cake!  Sending along big hugs to you my friend.

A Dessert That Must Be Shared!

Since today is Sandy's birthday and she posted this marvelous recipe I thought I would share it with all of you...

Lemon Bars are probably one of my favorite desserts, but I recently saw the following recipe started to wonder what they would be like with limes. I wanted to enjoy the taste of fresh limes in pastry form, and I was not about to be denied. Naturally, I set to work finding the perfect recipe to fill that craving.

Coconut Key Lime Bars

Ingredients

CRUST

·         2 cups finely crushed gingersnap cookies

·         3 tablespoons salted butter, melted

·         1 tablespoon brown sugar

FILLING

·         4oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

·         4 large egg yolks

·         14oz can sweetened condensed milk

·         1/2 cup finely shredded coconut

·         1/2 cup key lime juice

·         2 teaspoons lime zest

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1.    Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9"X9" baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on the sides, and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Mix together the melted butter and brown sugar. Set aside.

2.    To make the crust, pulverize the crunchy gingersnap cookies into a fine crumb with a food processor. Pour into a medium sized bowl and mix with melted butter and brown sugar mixture. Press firmly and evenly into the prepared baking pan.

3.    Bake the crust for 10 minutes.

4.    While the crust is baking, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks until incorporated. Beat in the condensed milk, coconut, lime juice, lime zest, and salt until combined. Pour into the warm crust once it's done baking.

5.    Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges of the bars begin to brown. Allow the bars to cool at room temperature in the pan or on a wire rack. Once cooled, place in the fridge to chill completely (at least 2 hours).

6.    Once chilled, lift the bars out of the pan using the foil overhang. Cut into squares.

7.    Garnish with confectioners' sugar.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction 

A Perspective On Color

I am not sure why, but this just had me laughing a whole lot when I saw it.  In some ways it could also have been labeled gay on the left and straight on the right.  See what HGTV has done to the world of design!

It's Getting Hotter

Today, I am going to try and keep this image in my thoughts and try and keep cool.  The temps are going u and as many of you know my bitch barrier is like 80 degrees.  We will pass that by without a problem.  Last night I was talking to Mom at 6:30pm and it was 100 in Ashland at that point.  I would so not be a happy camper.  Thankfully, we do get the cool evening breeze and so around 10pm the balcony door gets opened up for the night and then closes up around 9am.  Helps keep the main part of the house cool, especially with the blinds closed.

The saving grace is the air conditioner in the bedroom.  I do not know how I could get along without it to have a good night's sleep.  I radiate so much heat and then you add Damon to the mix and oy!  So it does really help to keep things cool and comfortable.  And joy of joys - it is only July 8th.  Just need to keep thinking cool thoughts.

A Visit To IKEA

The key is to go in the exit, instead of following the herd.  And what is even more entertaining is that this is too true!  I used to really like going to IKEA, but now the one up here in Seattle is so HUGE it must have its' own zip code.

A Moment Of Summer

My friends Dan and Keith love gardening.  I do not.  Here is a lovely picture they sent me this week and I thought I would share with all of you.  I do hope your holiday weekend was a good time and a fun way to pause at the "mid-point" of summer...but let's be real, summer has only begun!  Happy Sunday!

What A Great Holiday Get Together

4th of July is all about having fun, eating good food and getting together with good friends.  Well, yesterday was no exception as Jodie and Rob came over for the afternoon.  We are of the firm belief that while it is good to get together on the 4th, it is also good to be home by the time the sun is setting and all the crazy people are out and about.  So we start the day with a frig that is groaning with food that is to be enjoyed.

We played games throughout the afternoon and had some nibbles along with Prosecco & Blood Orange soda.  Quite tasty.  I got to win the first game of Catan and then we played other games as well.  Rob and I took a break for a nap with Jodie and Damon continued to play away.  By 5:30 or so we were in full food prep mode and soon the table was a feast to be enjoyed.

Jodie made a patriotic fruit salad of watermelon, blueberries and little florets of whipped cream.  There were leftovers and this morning for brunch I took the leftover watermelon and blueberries and added some honey yogurt to make a breakfast parfait.  I liked the change in taste from the whipped cream. 

Rob is truly the grill master.  He really does know how to make various cuts of meat shine when grilled.  In this case it was tri-tips.  He had marinated them for several days and oh my they were so tasty.  There was enough left over to enjoy steak and eggs all around this morning.  Can you say YUM!

While they were over visiting we discussed that there have been pictures of me and pictures of Damon but few of the two of us.  I took the opportunity to get a picture of the two of us and even took off the oxygen long enough to get a good picture.  It is good to have Damon back in town.  He will be here until August 25th and then back for the holidays.

You might remember from our last dinner feast there were two salads that people really enjoyed and so I made them again.  The roma tomato and English cucumber salad with a balsamic vinaigrette plus the asparagus salad with strawberries.  Mighty fine and the latter used a blue cheese vinaigrette. 

Here are two of my favorite people and they make for a fine couple.  It is always a good time when Jodie and Rob are around.  They are what we call "good people" and it is a delight to consider them friends.  As a cap to the evening, we celebrated both Damon's and Rob's birthdays which were in May.  They got the festive tiramisu cake and we all shared it.  Again, can you say yummers!  It proved to be a festive day with watching fireworks on the TV to cap off the night.

Happy 4th of July

It would be so awesome if congress and the rest of the American public would just take what is the basis for our country and make it work and not keep trying to clip, twist, mangle and ruin all that has worked.  If we just move on with our lives, it just seems it would be a whole hell of a lot easier.

However you decide to celebrate this day, I hope it is done with verve!  Happy 4th to all my fellow Americans.

Damon Arrives

Boy, when you think about a week ago and my unexpected journey to the emergency room and then brief hospital stay...fast forward to today it has been quite the week.  Not sure if I have a job from one day to the next, but just keep thinking good thoughts and then there is the whole being back on oxygen thing.  Add to that the fact that I am just frustrated about a few things and can not make them all go away.  Well, it all shakes down to being manageable in that Damon arrives this evening.  He has been gone since February 10th and so it will be good to see him again.  Trying to keep focused on getting what needs to be done out of the way and then there will need to be a few things attended to around the apartment.  He is due to land at midnight and Curtis has been kind enough to offer to pick him up.  Many thanks.

Southpark Bridage Reopens

The South Park bridge is open after a four year closure – and Markie could not be happier. Not only is it open, it’s beautiful – incorporating pieces of the old bridge in the new design:

The bridge opening party was Sunday from 3-9PM complete with parade, food booths, small car show, fireworks, and it being South Park, Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling). As for traffic across the bridge, 6AM Monday morning.

And here is the bridge...