Finally, the construction guys have LEFT...and a return of a bit of peace, quiet and calm.
Not completely because
A. They will be back to rip out the cabinets and install new ones, later.
B. Sofi decided THIS would be a good week (...well, four days...) to go into heat.
"...because I LOVE everybody right now...even you, duffel-bag!" ~Sofi
Chilly this morning. Definitely hot cocoa and sweater weather. The Colts play The Vikings at 1...and The Patriots play tonight!
Making a small pot of pintos with cornbread...and hot egg custard with nutmeg for afters.
Home smells like a woodstove right now...but more about that later.
Yesterday was September's Sisters Day!
Everything centered around Shagbark Hickory.
Who knew...you can teach an old dog new tricks.
A buddy of mine taught me about looking for Shagbarks (particularly those with dead tops) to find morels...and yes...this really works...
And I love hickory nuts!
But I had never realized all the ways they can be utilized.
Luckily our youngest sister, Tina, did.
Well-scrubbed harvested Shagbark...single layered on a baking tray and in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.
It smells amazing while baking...and the house smells like you heat by woodstove.
Better than any Yankee Candle!
The baked bark can be then boiled for 30 minutes to make a smoky spicy flavored hot tea...or
Sugar added to form a simple syrup...then boiled to thicken to make a wonderful pancake/waffle syrup...which can be then added to BBQ sauce for meats.
Or you can sweeten the hot tea with it.
Or you can use the tea...add oils and spices as an overnight marinade for pork.
And boiled down without sugar you have Liquid Smoke to add to dishes.
We made waffles, sausages and Mimosas for brunch...trying the hot tea later.
(...we may have made it too strong...)
Lisa's comment
"It tastes like sticking a piece of burned firewood in your mouth."
It was kind of like drinking a mug of SMOKE.
(...back to the drawing board...)
We had a wonderful day together. Learned there was an easier way to shell hickory nuts (boiling water), caught up, talked politics and kids, men and life, then made our plans for October's Sister's Day.
Politics.
Friday night, we lost another icon.
Supreme Court Justice: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Who...for those too young to remember...hasn't always been old.
Because of this woman's activism, as women we were able to have our own credit, our own bank accounts, our own voice in pregnancy, and many other things the next generation of women take for granted.
Before Ruth, a woman was basically "property" to her husband after marriage.
Imagine.
Yeah...no
Possibly even Hell No.
She will be missed.
James and Nicole and all the kids are sick.
Lennon has been dodging Tropical Storms and Hurricanes.
And when he is not doing classwork, Chris has been fly-fishing.
Brenda has nearly beaten Covid...still needs one more negative test...then we are planning a celebratory brunch together and maybe some Fall Shopping.
Loretta's facility is testing EVERYONE next week en masse, so that will be good.
My sister from a different mister, Diane, in West Palm Beach (married to Sal) showed me his new extreme make-over look. From quiet Jewish Guy to Total Badass!
You did good.
I'm loving the whole Breaking Bad vibe.
Still needs a Harley Shirt.
Angie is recuperating from her second sugery...and will be down probably another 4-5 weeks. Sue is minding The Shoppe, and the guys have been helping a lot at home. Che reports "I never knew there was so much you had to do, Mom!"
Diane Y. is still in Orlando, Florida for the foreseeable future...but her Mom beat Covid and has made it out of the hospital...so she will be staying until Mom is stronger.
John (mine) made Guy of the Year last night by sending me a delivery pizza and soda late after my sisters left...and I was wiped out too much to even think about cooking. But hungry.
Love ya, Guy!
Can't wait for our October Adventure.
Not much longer.
No movie this week...but thoroughly engaged in a re-read of Ken Follett's
Pillars of the Earth (1989)
which I have not read for years...
And WHY?
Because Follett is releasing a prequel to the hefty tome called
And I have slept a lot since 1989.
Looking forward to it!
And after seeing this...I now know they have taken the whole pumpkin-spice thing a bit too far.
Going to start the beans and sink into a hot bath while they bubble away!
Have a Great Weekend!
Post-Script:
The Colts beat the Vikings...and are now 1-1
The Chiefs bested the Chargers in OT and are still undefeated!!!
And watching Cam Newton (formerly of the Panthers) who has Tom Brady's place as the QB of New England Patriots, now play the Seahawks.
Still wrapping my brain around the fact
Cam Newton
Starting QB for NE Patriots.
Somewhere in penthouse boxes above them...aghast, disbelieving old white men are gasping and clutching their chests.
GOOD...
(...sometime the next day...)
Okay...three games in one day MAY be too much football.
Just saying.
But the game between the Seahawks and the Patriots was possibly the best edge of your seater, I have seen in a long long time.
Both teams started the night undefeated.
They were well matched and gave no quarter.
In the last 4 seconds of the 4th Quarter with only 2 yards to go...it was still anybodies game!!!
Wow!
The Seahawks won.
Russell Wilson was on fire last night.
And Cam will have NE saying shortly
"Tom who???"
