Something New Every Day

First,

I want to say

Thank You

for being such dear friends.

All of your kind wishes, prayers and thoughtfulness

strengthen my spirit.

There is something new to learn every day.

This week, there's been plenty!

phone calls, schedules, doctor's appointments, pharmacies, heat and humidity

You know!

...Amidst all of this...

There must be time to refresh.

Ahhhh yes,

No hot tea this week-too hot and humid.
...instead...

Ice Cold London Fogs!

Same recipe only on ICE

Fabulous!
{ Dad enjoyed it to the last spoonful of frothy milk}

~ ~ ~

Dad loves fish.

I told him he would be my first dinner guest trying out this invented recipe.

It's made with taboule.

Taboule is a Mediterranean treat made with lots of parsley, tomatoes, garlic, onions and couscous.

If you don't have time for homemade, Cedar's makes a great taboule salad.  

Why not try something new!

Just add more tomatoes and a little olive oil and use it as a topping for fish.

The haddock was really fresh... and the taboule topping was fabulous on it.

Angel hair spaghetti was the perfect side dish with more taboule topping.

Don't forget the parmesano reggiano cheese!

{photos taken with my cellphone-my boys have the camera this week!}

Dad gave it two thumbs up and thought we should try it with rice too.

~ ~ ~

My boys {husband, Chris and son, Jason} are in the Adirondack Mts. on a remote island

watching the Perseids Meteor Shower.

This is an annual event for them, with reservations made in January since they are taken quickly.

I hope they have some clear nights when they can row the boat to the middle of the lake and watch in awe.

This year, with just a crescent moon, the show should be spectacular!

...and...

{Thank you dear, sweet Saskia!  You have a sparkling heart!}

The bouquet has flowers from the seeds you sent this spring!
The cheerful bouquet is on my Dad's desk.

~ ~ ~

Blessings to you, my dear family and  friends, for all your love and concern.

You're the best!!!

{hugs back to you}

Things Change in a Moment

On Friday, my 85 year old father fell just outside his backdoor.

He has some bruising, but Dad also fractured his collar bone

on his right side.

This is not an uncommon bone to break, but since he needs to use a cane to walk,

and he is right-handed... he has become fairly immobilized.

He's going to need time and help,

and so, he is here with me and Chris.

 

Koralee's post today is about writing down dreams so that they can become realities.

For many years, Chris and I would dream of adding a back porch to our home.

Three years ago, we decided to put that down on paper.

What could it possibly look like, what other purposes could it have, how much would it cost?

It only took a few phone calls to make our paper dream become a reality.

 

Those few phone calls turned into 100's.

An afternoon spent with a contractor turned months of work.

In the end, we had a lovely back porch with a nice space for Dad {for visits and just in case}

Some of our neighbors asked 

"Why?

...at this point in your lives you should be down-sizing!"

True.

But I like the friends who said,

"Why not!  If it makes you smile and comforts your heart {and Dad's heart}

Why not!

It's a good thing we did... My sister, God bless her heart, rushed down there this weekend, organized everything he needed, packed up her car and helped me settle him in his sweet area.

 

My wonderful neighbors, Bob and Pat, lent us the amazing transport chair and walkers Pat's mom uses while visiting her.  These have already been very, very useful! 

~ Thank you so much ~

 ~

Last night, my father was a bit discouraged about his injury... and said he will miss his garden and getting around as usual... I'm sure he will.

But with a smile, I told him that he gained lots of time with family.

♥ We're all here for him ♥

I'll be busy during the next few days with phone calls and appointments...

But, since I'm a night owl, I'm sure I'll be visiting you all while sipping Chamomile Nights tea.

Bless you all ~ and step carefully!

 

A Glorious Sky Watch

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful..."

{Proverbs 15:13}

The LORD's glory rose from the angels

to the entrance of the temple,

the cloud filled the temple,

and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD.
 {Ezekiel 10:4}

~

Glorious skies awaited us when we returned from our family get-together Wednesday evening.

~

Click here:

and find hundreds of people from all over the world sharing a glimpse of what they discovered while sky watching.

A BIG shout out to our hosts at  Sky Watch Friday

Thank you so much: 

Klaus Sandy Sylvia Wren Louise Fishing Guy

I am also participating in Friday's Pretties.

Enjoy more beauty at I Love Pretty Little Things

~ Thank you Joyce for Hosting Us ~

It's Time To Put My Audrey Gloves On!

“I was asked to act when I couldn't act. 

I was asked to sing 'Funny Face' when I couldn't sing,

and dance with Fred Astaire when I couldn't dance

- and do all kinds of things I wasn't prepared for.

Then I tried like mad to cope with it.”

-Audrey Hepburn

~ ~ ~

I told my self to clean the house when I'm very inefficient and distracted;

I was asked to cook and entertain when I struggle with what and how to cook it.

I need to be 'cool' in the summer heat.

Thinking now,

What would Audrey do?

Try like mad!

and wear bright and cheery work gloves :D

...My gloves are bright yellow..

I saw these pink ones at Bed, Bath and Beyond and they are now on my wish list!

The baking is done!

...but now...

Back to my  "cooking"

...making shish cabobs with lots of veggies on rice for our guests tonight...

I can do that!

But, I'd better get up from here and try like mad :D

Guests are arriving today!

* * * 

~ Keeping another Audrey quote in mind ~

“For me, the only things of interest are those linked to the heart.”

♥

A night owl kind of night.

Little light's on.

Tea kettle's whistling.

Setting the oven timer for 20 minutes more.

Baking and Baking

...one of my favorite summer recipes...

Linda's Rhubarb Cake.

I can't make enough of it!

There's soooo much rhubarb in the garden!

 I've made cake, pie, microwave rhubarb and dumplings, crisp!

Do you any other ideas for me?

Chris' cousin is coming

from England!

Chris' dad and his friend Ann are coming too!

Amanda's coming home :o)

Lots of family time to enjoy!

It's Deep Summer.

"Fairest of the months!
Ripe summer's queen
The hey-day of the year
With robes that gleam with sunny sheen
Sweet August doth appear."
R. Combe Miller

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."
Sam Keen

~

Goal for today:

Making the house look 'respectable' for my company*

♥ Have a joy-filled week, dear friends ♥

Beautiful Veils

There is a soft, cool breeze flowing through voile curtains

Another veil is also flowing through my mind.

Never before seen photos of my mother were recently sent to my brother.
They are are a treasure to us.

~

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

{Matthew 6:21}

Wishing you joy and treasures of the heart

♥

curtains

 hanging in living room of Rachael and Juan's apt.
They were hand made by Dominga

{the beautiful mother of my son-in-law, Juan}

By the time we left Woodstock {VT}

It was as lovely as he said!

~

 Our son-in-law, Juan, told us that Woodstock, VT is a beautiful city to visit.
He said that we could plan our trip back from  King Arthur Flour Bake Shop
so that we pass through Woodstock.

Awesome suggestion, Juan!

 ~

This is how the Woodstock community decorates for summer!

~ It's historical ~

Flowers adorn every street.

The store fronts are so nicely done.

We found loveliness around every corner.

Shortly after we left, we passed some popular Vermont ski slopes.

{Killington and Pico}

The mountain views were beautiful.

But, the skies looked a bit different as we drove south.

... very different ...

"What are those?"



{EcoRover stopped over to tell me that these are called Mammatus clouds!}

As we approached Glens Falls, NY  the sun was setting, and the rain was about to begin.

Oh look!

~ pink virga ~

{Taken with hand out of the window, husband going 65mph}

When the sun set, the darkness gathered, as did more storm clouds.

... passing under the twin bridges of Clifton Park...

"I wonder what the weather looks like over our house?"

{heading towards the end of the "Northway"

Hmmmm

thunder ~ lightning ~ power's out

It was non-stop lightning all night.

Luckily the power went out only twice for brief periods.

*Love an excuse for lighting candles*

...Thankfully, we had power in the morning so that we could bake our King Arthur Flour scones!

 *

Each week you will find hundreds of people from all over the world sharing a glimpse of what they discovered while sky watching.

A BIG shout out to our hosts at  Sky Watch Friday

Thank you so much: 

Klaus Sandy Sylvia Wren Louise Fishing Guy

*

I hope you are having a

B*E*A*U*T*I*F*U*L

week!