A Labor Day Weekend Cup

                                                     (Alliance Diagram)


Now that the dust has settled on the Miley flap...


I know we are all suppose to be putting away our white shoes and firing up the grill...popping a top while we relax in the protective bubble of the US Military...and ignore the writhing, burned, skin falling off dead bodies in Syria because...well...because "It isn't our business and we don't need to be involved"
Kind of like when the next door neighbour is punching his wife and kids around and we avert our eyes and turn the stereo up. Not OUR problem. And I understand even bringing it up on a holiday weekend is kind of a bummer...

And as long as I am headed off on a rant here...WTF???? 

President Obama is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. 

Before this afternoon's press conference...a lot of you were whining

"He is just gong to send missiles over and strike...and not even LISTEN to the American people have to say about it."

and calling him names like "Hitler" and "Dictator"

Now that he has issued a statement that this will be voted on by the Congress we ELECTED to represent us

"He is just handing off and not taking the Responsibility"

and

"See..he is a WIMP...go play golf...Obammy..."


(BTW...these are REAL comments left just after the Press Conference)

And I have to stop and think to myself...is this a GAME with you people????

Maybe the wonderful world of GTA has warped your little minds.

The above chart shows how convoluted the whole thing really is...how many alliances there are to be considered...how a shift in power in one area causes ripples across the entire region.

However...there is the use of Chemical Weapons to consider...and while many might sit at the backyard grills or behind a keyboard armchair warrioring or saying how this is none of our concern...should we wait until a terrorist brings this into LAX or Laguardia or a school or shopping mall?

Chemical weapons make the conventional blow-themselves-up terrorists pale in comparison.

So an across the board

                      "This shit isn't going to fly" 

might be in order.

And, I am not even going to pretend I know what the right answer is...and I am relieved that the President did put this to a vote in Congress...which is suppose to be listening to We The People...and although I am not sure if missiles flying is the correct response...I know we (globally) have to do something...to make sure that Worldwide the chemical weapons aren't "another tool in a terrorist's belt" but continue to be globally unacceptable.

And don't even get me started about the whole Fukushima,,,ooops we are still dumping tons of radioactive waste into the ocean...our bad.  Check out the cancer rates worldwide in the next five years. Okay?

So...there we are then. 

If you are a praying person this might be a wonderful time to consult your particular deity. Instead of bashing and belittling and hatred...you might just ask for wisdom...and leading our World Leaders into making a sound decision to handle all of this.

If you are atheistic...or Buddhist like me...this might be the time for quiet reflection...metta...spreading your love and light. Practising compassion and making whatever difference you can make in your world.

It is all we can do.

ANYWAY...

Took advantage of the sunny 98 degree temperatures today to finish spray painting a recently bought metal ivy-trimmed three-tiered rack for my bath-towels.  Drying time...minutes :)  Basked a bit...and have that new layer of tanned glow.  The heat index puts it at 105 degrees...but it is a dry heat today and is reminiscent of Arizona summers. Also enjoying my Kindle and a crystal goblet of sweet tea.

This week's read: A new release by Christina Baker Kline- Orphan Train.

A fictional account of a factual event occurring in the United States from 1854-1929 this story follows the lives of several of the Orphans who were transported from the East Coast to the Mid-Western States. Some to arrive greeted by loving parents and given the lives they dreamed of...others arriving to realize they were destine to a childhood of labor. Free household and field help. A wonderful mix of fact and fiction. Informative and entertaining. Well worth the read!
Be prepared to laugh...and to cry.

Have a lovely holiday weekend and remember...as Ghandi advised

"Be the CHANGE you wish to see in the World."

   

A Tasteless Cup

Yeah...it was kinda of like this.
 And poor Will Smith's children may need serious THERAPY.

In case you missed it Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) re-branded herself recently at the MVA...and not in a good way. 

There is a time and place...and this was NEITHER.

It was a moment when...although I neither care for Billy Ray Cyrus or his music...I felt really sorry for the guy as a parent.

 I also believe if he had walked onstage during her...er..."twerking"...or performance...or whatever-the-hell THAT was suppose to be...and grabbed her by the ear dragging her offstage...he would have received a standing ovation.

Lest you shake your head and think I am a prude...years before a very successful Nursing Career...I was a stripper. It takes a LOT to shock or disgust me.  Not only is Ms. Cyrus decidedly unsexy...including that whole cow-tongue thing...but incorporating the Teddy Bears was creepy...like pedophile creepy.

Hon...when an ex-stripper tells you that what you've done is offensive...trust me...it's offensive.

Kind of waiting to see what Disney...and some of her other sponsors do now.
Walmart, for crum's sake.

Take a Moment and reflect on THAT.

How tacky do you have to be to be too tacky for Walmart????

And yes...I know in the grand scheme of things...in "the big picture"...the worldview...this pales.

We've teens who (recently) killed people out of boredom or for sport...we've an 8 year old who shot and killed his grandmother after an afternoon of playing Grand Theft Auto...we've 1,300 Syrians who are dead thanks to chemical warfare and we are dealing with the debt ceiling and threats of shutting down the government.

The difference? Why does it matter?

This was suppose to be entertainment. Our escape.

Unfortunately, it was neither.

A Cup of Recovery

Sometimes...there just isn't enough coffee!!!

It has taken a week to recover from the PA Adventure. Apparently I don't "bounce back" the way I used to...

 But it was amazing...and so worth it!

Came home to a garden-spot and flower beds which sorely needed weeding...herbs that had dried themselves in the heat needing to be stripped and containered...seed heads to be gathered and a couple of bags full of Yellow Day Lily thinnings (shared by my friend and neighbour Rita) to be heeled in.

     Amazing that These

Will Become These

(next season)

Opened a jar of both my Pickled Peppers and Bread and Butter Pickles...put up shortly before leaving and they are crunchy and wonderful already.

And plenty of both...and the lily thinnings...to share. "Idgy"...a box headed your way, soon! Good things come in boxes :)  Going to enjoy some of the Pickled Banana Peppers tonight using our pizza recipe :)

But it is Sunday. The weeds are pulled. The herbs jarred. The Den cleaned. The laundry done (...for the moment...anyway...) the news and e-mail caught up...and that small grassy area between the garden-spot and the flowerbeds that we dubbed earlier: North Patio Beach is sunny, warm and beckoning.

(...it is on the North Side of the Patio...you see...)

So a relaxing Sunday filled with basking, books and a quilt on the ground is definitely part of my day plan.

Have a wonderful relaxing weekend!



Idgy and Rose's Homemade Pizza

Crust:

Can use pre-made...or rectangular canned...or for the slightly more adventurous...combine 1 and a half cups flour with 1 packet yeast...1/2 cup water...one teaspoon of sugar...and 1/4 cup olive oil...gather into ball...and flatten to edges of pizza pan.

Toppings:

Top crust with 1/2 cup marinara sauce. Spread to edges.

Add 1/4 cup each of

Pepperoni (sliced)

Pineapple (well drained)

Banana Pepper Rings (drained)

Sprinkle with oregano...and 1/2 cup shaved fresh Parm...add 1/2 cup fresh Mozzarella and top with a few sprigs fresh basil.

Bake at 350 degrees until crust rises and cheese is bubbly and browned.

The saltiness of the Pepperoni...The sweetness of the Pineapple and the sour bite of the Banana Peppers make this just amazing!

Mangia!

A Cup Full of FAMILY

...home...is where your heart is...

For the past week it has been in Pennsylvania with EVERYONE!

Perfectly amazingly smooth flights (both ways)

With little to no interference with TSA and can't say enough about the helpfulness of US Airways!

Arriving to meet Janine (from South Africa) whose incredible accent was matched only by her stories of growing up in SA during the days of Apartheid. She speaks multiple languages fluently including dialects of Zulu and Afrikaans.

                               
Accents filled this Gathering with Dave (who crossed The Pond) for his first time...speaking not at all like James Bond...but rapidly and without the letter "H" (hence LuAnn being known from hereafter as the "Orny Ussy")...and Janine's lyrical accent, of course...Shirley and LuAnn down from Canada (without a proper "U" between them)  "I don' know what yor talkin' aboot"...Vicki Y, Loren, Paula and Deanna from the deep South working hard to teach Dave to say "Cheers, y'all"...and "Kin I git another Beer"...Betty...Darleen and Jeff...Vicki H. and Myself and our midwestern TWANG...Diane...Sal and Lillian and their Chicago clip...and a mix of New York and New Jersey accents. Ann: (Kohffee anyone). Just waking up in the morning was an adventure.

                                              " Owdy, Y'all"






And speaking of Coffee...

Have fell in LOVE with the Keurig system. Tiny pods of wonderfulness and a perfect fresh cup each time and requiring only minimal consciousness in the morning. Drop in a pod and push the button. No problem.

Came home and bookmarked this immediately for order! 

And...then there was DAVE's coffee definition.  Coffee in England having a naughty secondary connotation. Asking someone if they would like a cup of coffee is a bit of a euphemism for...well...sex. Imagine Carol's surprise as we learned this late in his stay.

"OMG...I've been asking him if he wanted Coffee every morning!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 LMAO!

Envisioning him back at the Pub with his mates saying

"America is alright...but those women are a loose lot. One tried to talk me into coffee every morning!"

We arrived at Carol's in the early evening and how wonderful it is to walk into a home filled with love and hugs and kisses...oh and Diane handing me a Red Velvet Whoopi pie...the Queen doesn't get a better reception.

And yes...we pulled off the Welcome The Brit to the States thing effectively...amidst a flurry of gaudy lipstick...even Sal and Jeff joined in the fun.

We broke off in smaller groups for some of the adventures and toured Gettysburg...and the battlefields. Though there wasn't a civil war re-enactment that day...and Loran punching some Yank on the field would hardly be the same. We brunched at The Dobbin's Spring House in Gettysburg. The Renaissance Festival in Shippensberg...The Lancaster Amish Community and Shops...Covered Bridge Hunting...and more.

But the very best times were just spent hanging out with each other. Laughing...loving...sometimes crying...then laughing some more.

We passed The Travelling Hat to Lillian.

and Flat Stan is now securely in the clutched of our shelf elf...the bayou babe...Deanna.

We continued to share the "need for speed" with Christina who was the recipient of TWO of PA's  "High Speed Driving Awards" 

And Carol and I took the Chally out for an unforgettable 1/4 mile at 122 MPH. Sans the "High Speed Driving Awards"...I might add. We're THAT good.

Okay...so it was the Interstate instead of the track...picky picky...some of the truck-drivers we blew by will never be the same.
This baby can MOVE! 

The same goes for the neighbors when we did Carol's pin-up shoot at 9 AM on a Sunday morning with her working it on the black and red Chally in a black dress and bright red lipstick...pumps...and earrings. The guy on the riding mower will NEVER recover, you know.
 
 Long nights spent singing and listening to Loran play guitar for all of us...and Syd (the dachshund) howling along.

 And copious amounts of beer, wine coolers and a new taste for me as a bottle was circulated of Tarantula Tequila...with everyone doing a shot.

OMG @@

 (...it MAY actually be made of spiders...it couldn't have tasted any more vile....)

And tears on that last day...lots of tears...and more hugs...and kisses...and never goodbyes...just see you later...always...and cars...trains...flights to catch...and some wonderful new memories together.

Lillian, Sharon and Ralph already working on next year's Colorado Gathering...and Paula posting a mini-gathering in April in New Orleans!

To quote the Grateful Dead

                          "What a Long Strange Trip It's Been."

Twas the Night Before...

PENNSYLVANIA!

And The Gathering has already started to assemble :) Loren so glad you brought your guitar! Can't wait to hear you play :) There should be around 40+ when all arrive. Dave, so glad to see you made it across the pond!

Can't wait!

One more sleep...and I will see everyone tomorrow afternoon!

Will catch up here when I return...

A Star-Gazing Sunday Cup

Only Four More Sleeps till The Gathering!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pennsylvania...here we come :)

With Lillian already burning up I-76...and Shirley and LuAnn crossing the border from Canada already at the PA State line (with photographic evidence) and plans in place for pick-ups and deliveries to Carol's from Harrisburg and Philly. And Dave...ready to experience America and all she has to offer...well...the BEER anyway :)  Vicki and Loren hanging out before they arrive...enjoying a Braves-vs-Mariners game AND THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY. Christina who not only will meet all of us for the first time...but also making a stop in Chicago on her way to meet her daughter she lost in an adoption for the first time :) And Vicki who made all of us a little misty-eyed with her summary of how far we have all come in the last 2 years! Deanna...can't wait to meet you.  Ann...trust me...there will be someone there when the train stops :) I learned this first-hand in Chicago when Karl and Sal met my train looking like a couple of guys from The Sopranos...lol. Sal and Diane are arriving early to help set up and coordinate the tents/the grocery shopping et al. And, of course, Carol...who is our Hostess with The Mostest (and her faithful...sexy...sidekick...The Chally)

Meanwhile here at home...

Chris (hereinafter referred to as Tonsil-Boy) is making a full recovery after a long long long...long bout with tonsillitis...and he may never look at a bowl of soup or an ice pop the same way again. Not even going there about the pureed food. But he is doing much better and was even able to wolf down a slice of French Toast this morning! A good thing for him because Nurse Mom is unavailable in 4 days...he is almost 24 after all.

Using these last few days to get everything taken care of here...and buying New Jeans...Thanks to The Fast Diet :)

Picked up where I left off when "Idgy" and I went on holiday to The Dunes. Not only re-lost the 2 pounds I had put back on but also lost one more pound and I am down 8 pounds with 22 to go for my IBW.  This is the most amazing diet/lifestyle ever. I am going to make my goal before Christmas!

I have dropped an entire size!

No huge aspirations...just want to get back to a 7/8 and stay there. I was a size 5 from 1978-1987 so i have had those 98-110 pound days...too thin...always sick...and seriously...it didn't look great...it looked anorexic with jutting hipbones and ribs...not interested in getting them back. I would be extremely comfortable at 125...I think.  No interest in losing the ladies (...after 53 years they are far too old to be referred to as the girls) and have always had an "Oakland Booty" even when I was thin...and I'm okay with that. Mainly working on the tummy/abs. and overall toning.

And The Fast Diet even has a "maintaining" 6-1 Fast after you've reached your goal.
I am pumped.

Slowly getting up to speed with the Kindle...although the feeling of wanting to turn the page may never go away. Love the ease and selection of books and all the free classics!!!
Who knew?  Everybody...you say?  
Face it, I am a Luddite from way back.

Enjoyed puttering in the flowers and garden today...fixing sweet tea and cucumber sandwiches and fresh tomatoes for lunch all enjoyed al freso while reading...with the Tucker-Cat curled in the newly weeded garden spot. The Bread and Butter pickles and pickled peppers are tart and crispy and ready to eat.

Staying up to see the Meteor Shower tonight.
 The peak should arrive on the 12th.

Should be spectacular! 
 Happy Star-Gazing.

An Evening Cup of Details

                                                         "RUN!!!!"

Apparently someone phoned ahead and told them about us...

The Pennsylvania Gathering.  Gearing up and it is down to the details!  So excited. Not only to see everyone again...but also to meet those we've never met in person- but shared the minutia of our lives together for a few years now!  The agenda now involves poolside at the hotel...a BBQ at Carol's...the Ren Faire...The Gettysberg Tour...Luminaries...Sky Lanterns by the Mill Pond...A Winery and The Pub  :)

Love Carol's suggestion of several of us standing along the route we bring Dave in with signs reading
                 
                     "The British are Coming!!! The British are Coming!!!"

Waiting to see if Diane and Vicki actually let Sal show up in Geezer Attire. Loved the picture. If he shows up like that I am hanging one of those Christmas Tree Air Fresheners around his neck like a lei.

A moment of silence amidst us...as Diane has already KILLED the pool vac. (...without giving us each a turn...I might add...)

                                                  Only Six more Sleeps!

Had to share this...Sheri...Mark's wife in Tampa...who is as into Pintrest as I am...tried these out. LOVE the results. I am so totally going to do this in Fall! I have to wait until Garden Season is over to have great nails...but I do enjoy getting creative with them from late November until about March these days.
Can't wait to see you (and Mark) in April!

Saw Minion Halloween Pumpkins (painted with ginormous googly eyes) as well!
Too cute. 

Enjoyed brunch with James and Nicki this week who are back for the time being...and busily helping refurbish an old apartment...doing a beautiful job!  Saw the progress pics this evening! WOW!

Lennon's classes start soon and Chris is slowly recovering from tonsillitis. We are mutually contemplating the whole "roomies" thing for one more year. Give him a nice nest egg in the bank to start out.  :)   And I can use the split expenses to get a few of the "extras" I want as well!
 A win-win for both of us.

Ever so slowly getting used to the Kindle. I admit it is exceedingly easy to buy the books you want (and inexpensive)...and so very very portable. An entire library in my purse. Still...it will never (for me) replace the tactile experience of books or the curve of my silver bookmark with its tiny Mikimoto pearl dangling. And (because I have it in one of those leather booklike covers) STILL catch myself starting to turn the non-existent page.
                                     
Old habits die hard.

Rain this afternoon and the crickets, frogs and cicadias are chirping, croaking and buzzing like mad. The sun is slowly setting and out to the patio to enjoy the last light...a glass of wine...and "purr therapy" with Tucker! 

Night all :)

T'was a Drive-By Peppering...

And don't even get me started about the English Cucumbers- as long as my arm...

A knock on the door in the late evening and my friend (and neighbour) Rita with two fair sized bags of cucumbers and banana peppers...half of what had been given to her by Sue (another friend and neighbour), who in turn got them from her son...who raised them in his garden.  

Just like living in the Country without..er...the hayfield. 

And that is how I ended up spending the evening putting up Bread and Butter Pickles and Pickled Banana Peppers...and the reason the house reeks of vinegar and onions and garlic and mustard seed and sugar...and Tucker is still squinting, and wondering why on Earth we fumigated the place!

After chopping and packing and boiling and canning/sealing I sent back several pints of each to my benefactor thanking her profusely...and apologizing for the canning scents which crept into our shared hallway...it IS an apartment after all...lol. 

 May have to take our friend (and neighbour) Tommy some over as well!

Going to tuck some in a box for Idgy soon, too...to serve with BBQ and (in the case of the banana pepper rings) to make her amazing Banana Pepper, Ham and Pineapple Pizza.

Enjoyed the day out with my oldest childhood friend (Pam) today. Always a treat to catch up with someone who has known you for most of your life :) Ran off to Cloverdale for a piece of the best French Silk Pie and Coffee. We have been friends for 40 years now. Seems hard to believe!

We used to joke about growing old together...and now...it appears we actually have...lol.  

So without further adieu...the Pickled Pepper Recipe...and STOP calling me "Peter Piper" okay?


Pickled Pepper Rings

3 pounds of Banana Peppers (any colour or mixed colours for a beautiful jar)

6 cups of white vinegar

2 cups of water

3 cloves of garlic (separated, peeled and minced)

1 small onion chopped.


(...to make hot peppers you can also add jalapeños or chili peppers to the mix...)

Remove both ends of the pepper and clean...removing the seeds but leaving the pepper long.

Cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch rings.

In a large kettle add:

The vinegar...the water...the pepper rings...the garlic and the onion...and bring to a full boil.

then

simmer for 5 minutes

By this time a cloud will fill your kitchen, your eyes will be stinging, your nose will be running and you will seriously be wondering what the hell have you done...family members may ponder why you don't just buy the convenient pre-made glass jars at the store...and your pets will be pressing themselves against the door in self-preservation mode. Don't let any of this discourage you...and the correct answer to the pre-made glass jared peppers is

"...these taste better..."

Best delivered in that don't-make-me-poison-your-dinner tone of voice.

And maybe let the pets outside.
...after all...what did they ever do to you?

Fill sterilized canning jars with boiling pepper mixture leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Apply self-sealing lids and tighten rings...and invert jars on countertop to seal.

Yes. They seal.
That simple.
And no hot water pack...processing or canner required.

I always add a bit of pickling salt to mine...makes for crisper rings. Ready to use in 1-3 days.

Refrigerate after they are opened.

Will keep a year on the shelf.

As far as the Bread and Butter pickles...my Aunt Vernie always used Kerr Spices...just follow the directions on the package and they turn out magnificent. 

 Enjoy!

A Cup of "Rose and Idgy's Excellent Adventure"

                                      A Wonderful Holiday Together!



Back in "The Box"...

                      ~sigh~

Our adventures always amazing and always over too soon.

Mornings of Real Hugs and Coffee and Biscotti.
Plundering Greencastle (and surrounding areas)...starting with the Nature Park.

                            

                   


Including an impromptu tutorial on "grass whistling". And a trip to the local county fair...and a ride on the Ferris Wheel together...did I mention that we were both afraid of heights...

 

                                                                       

And the "carny"...sensing nervous passengers was a riot as he thumped the side of our basket as we flew by...and then grabbed the side of his head for effect!  And although we always do a "cheesin' " shot...everywhere...you will find NONE from the top of this ride...lol!

We were FAR too busy "hanging on".

The Fast Diet...abdicated for two weeks in favor of this

and treats like it!  I have gained back two of the 7 pounds I lost...and it was so totally worth it!

We had a quick tour of the local library...Lisa and Peggy referred her to "my office" (the periodical room)...picked up Stephen King's newest offering "Joyland" and over the two week holiday both finished it...discussed it...and found it very very good! 

"Joyland" is a wonderful combination of a "coming of age" story...a murder mystery...and a minor ghost story. Told in that completely enfolding Stephen King "...let me tell you a story..." voice. A feel good ending and one I would love to see made into a movie.


An excerpt from Joyland...and one of the best summaries of "coming of age" I have ever seen distilled into a single  paragraph.

" When you are twenty-one, life is a roadmap. At twenty-five  or so you begin to suspect you have been looking at the map upside down, and not until you are forty are you entirely sure. By the time you are sixty, take it from me, you're fucking lost."

We enjoyed al fresco dining at Almost Home Tearoom

and their specialty dessert for afters

                                                   Strawberry Pizza



Which...being the "foodies" we are...we later set forth to re-create the concoction at home...only with Raspberries!!!! 

Which was even better :)


Raspberry Pizza


We fudged a lot on the crust by buying a bag of Sandies ( shortbread cookies) with pecans....crushing 10 or so and adding two tablespoons powdered sugar and a tablespoon of butter. Pressing it into a large shallow pan. Our's was square and our slices were a bit more modest. We did manage to finish it before the week was up, though...

The filling was a mixture of 2 bars of cream cheese mixed smooth with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla.

And our topping was a bit of a cheat, as well...as we used Comstock's prepared Raspberry Filling.

Refrigerate overnight.

Serve on a dessert plate sprinkled lightly with powdered sugar and drizzled with raspberry sauce.

Our results: TAH DAH!

Try it yourself :)

And a stop at the new Antique Shop on the Square...discovering (and buying) the PERFECT 1950's A-Line floral dress...to which Chris laughed and remarked

"Way to go, Mom! You've skinned a sofa."

After slipping it on and enduring all the "Honey...where's my dinner" and other Pleasantville references...I have to admit...I felt the overwhelming urge to make Rice Krispie Treats.

"Try one...they're SWELL!"


On a semi-related note, after exploring the town she grew up in on an earlier trip  ( Russellville Kentucky)...we set out for the town of my childhood for that trip down memory lane (Jamestown, Indiana) and even got a photo of my old house. I can't believe it is still that B.S.G colour.

And on the way back managed to find an amazing abandoned house to explore as well! Engaging in some geological and horticultural larceny, too...our M.O.

Maybe it has its own ghost story...

And ended that week with an adventure in paints :) And a photo-portrait I am STILL working on. And yes...although it was wonderful watching YOU paint...it was indefinitely better painting YOU...!!!!!

When i get it where I want it I am going to have it transferred to canvas and do a few hand-highlights in acrylic.

The second week we left for Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer Michigan.

 The nice part about Warren (as opposed to the Indiana Dunes) is how clean the miles long beach stays. And so far away from Chicago when you sit on the shore it appears a great ocean instead of (freshwater) Lake Michigan. Of course getting up the small dune from the shoreline was a feat all its own. Thought several times we were going to have to make base-camp and finish the ascent in the morning...lol! We built a sand village on the beach together...unfortunately the building inspector (in the form of a large grey and white seagull) found it not up-to-code and built in a flood plain. With no remaining potato chips to bribe him...it was subsequently razed by the tide.

                                          (Sawyer Building Inspector)

 

                                  

   


A trip to the fruit stand...and "Smokin' Woody's" BBQ...which is a story all its own...a sprawling Antique shop and Galleria for the local artists. And, as always, the trip up and back was a "mobile car show"...the strangest of which I sadly did not get a shot as it rumbled by...a full-blown engine on a restored El Camino...leaving both of us to say

"What The Hell?"

"WHY?"


Wine and bubblebaths...candles and chocolate and possibly the BEST authentic Tiramisu I have ever had...DELIVERED with the Italian meal to our room!

Back home we took a pair of Chinese Sky Lanterns to launch over the pond together. Wishing lanterns. As our coach slowly turned back into that pumpkin. And real life returned with laundry and schedules...weeds in the garden and Che's classes...and Chris (who is now down with tonsillitis...and enjoying clear broths and popsicles and anything he doesn't have to chew) and I am helping nurse him back to health.

                                 It was an Amazing Adventure...as always :)

But now the Gazing Balls are back...all 398 of them...and for a while we are back in the box.

CRAP!

See you in the morning for Coffee and Biscotti.

And yes...I miss you already, too!