Tried It, Liked It

A great recipe when you need to empty the fridge and pantry:
Tuna and Chick Pea Salad
¼ c. olive oil
3 T. lemon juice
½ t. dried oregano, crumbled (or raid your herb garden!)
1/8 t. black pepper
2 cans (1# 3oz. each) chick peas or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
4 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced but not peeled
10 radishes, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4 c. bite-sized pieces of lettuce
(I should have also added some of Holly's baby carrots.)

Still have pintos and peanut butter...

Winding Down

Holly has not yet had her fill of squirrels and frogs, but home and work beckon. Soon I'll start the sad process of buttoning up Home Sweet Home for another season. Then I'll load up Holly and her travel Valium and head back to heat and humidity. Ugh.

Living Under Cover

I had a haircut when I arrived up north. I liked it for a week or so, but my rapidly growing tresses quickly went "sheep dog." For the past several humiliating days, I've looked like an escapee from a nursing home. (No photo provided to spare you...) The obvious response would be to go get a haircut, but I tried that last year and didn't like the results. (It looked like I tried to do it myself and failed miserably.) So I bought a few bandannas, at $1 a piece, and I am now all "wrapped up" for the rest of my break.

Making Lasagna

When neighbor Karen showed me the beautiful scarf she's knitting, I immediately saw lasagna! So.... I went out and bought some cream-colored yarn, and I'm knitting a big noodle. Now I'm fighting the urge to throw some "meatball" pompoms on the ends. Such a foodie...

Living Vicariously

Home Sweet Home was full of family this weekend to support Stephanie as she competed in her first half Ironman. It was a bittersweet experience for me: I was so excited for Steph and yet so sad that I wasn't able to be out there doing something. It was a warm day for the area, and most of the bike course (50+ miles) and running course (13 miles) had no shade. As we stood at the finish line, we watched many of the competitors run through the gate and head straight for the lake, where they had started the morning with a mile swim. In contrast, my "athletic performance" was limited to mini-golf, where I shot an incredible 37, complete with four holes-in-one. (It all had to do with my pretty purple ball...) It was great fun, but I'd rather be able to run.

Knee News, Installment 176...

I'm now about 10 months into my gimpy knee, and it kept me out of this weekend's team triathalon. (You only think I'm kidding.) Shortly before heading north, I went in for a "big gulp" synthetic lube injection that left my knee feeling like it had swallowed a water balloon. (Camerman Tom was making fun of my concern over the size of the syringe until he saw it...) Although the injection may have improved the situation in the knee joint, I haven't been able to get past extreme tightness in the leg. (After sleeping or sitting, I have been unable to straighten it or bear weight.) My northern neighbors, who have worked in healthcare, took one look at me and made it their mission to persuade me to try to find some other ways to resolve my leg issues. So on Monday I drove two hours each way for an hour-and-a-half session with a myofascial-release therapist. I didn't fully know what to expect, but it was a productive session, most of which was quite relaxing. I came away taped up like a Christmas present, but my leg is the best it has been since the steroid injections. I hope it continues, as I'll soon have a long drive home in a six-speed...

And Today's Free Entertainment Was...

A percussion concert in the park: Caribbean tin pan drums, African drumming and dancing, Brazilian samba. It was excellent, despite the chilly breeze. There's always so much to do here. Doesn't matter whether you're into the arts, outdoor recreation, shopping, eating...

Connecting with My Communities

Last year was my first here, and I spent most of my time settling into Home Sweet Home, getting to know the area, and welcoming company. This year, I want to become a part of the community. I’ve been attending an outdoor concert series on Sunday evenings and going to $2 taco night on Mondays. This week we ended up at the community brew pub, where I sipped a local candy wine slushie (!) while watching the sun set over the bay.

Neighbor Karen encouraged me to join a Tuesday evening knitting group. Although I haven’t knit since I was a child, it seemed a good time to pick up a “sitting-down” hobby (seeing as my knee is still balky). I’ve enjoyed meeting locals of all ages, and I’m inspired by their incredible projects. I've also appreciated their encouragement and support as I try to knit a simple scarf. To keep things entertaining, Karen and I have supplementary “knit and sip” sessions in my screen porch. (Before my arrival, Karen placed a banner near my deck that advises, "Wine a little...You'll feel better.")

Last evening I volunteered for an outdoor theatre. I met some new folks and was surprised to see some of my neighbors turn up for the show. I had a great time and intend to volunteer again next week. Yes, I love it here!

Wildlife Sightings in the 'hood

Blue Jay Way is popping with baby frogs, some of them so “fresh” they still have tails. They seem to be the main source of protein for a feral cat that delivered a litter of four in the neighbors’ wood pile. At the end of the road, another neighbor has a roly-poly woodchuck living under his deck. And in the woods near the snow-melt lake are several raccoons, each chubbier than the next. At dusk we hear them growling at each other as they come by prowling for food. As the water has receded a bit, the Canadian geese have moved on, but the wood ducks remain. And, of course, we have countless squirrels, both gray and red, and chipmunks galore. All of this keeps Holly plenty entertained—yet she wonders why I won’t let her off her leash…

Life in My Small Town

The place where I spend my summers has a year-round population of 250, and the small-town attitude is evident. Yesterday I went for some groceries. When it came time to pay, the cashier told me they were having a technical glitch and could not accept debit cards. "Gee, I wish I had known that before I started shopping. I don't have cash or a check." "Oh, no problem. You can do a store charge." She handed me the receipt: "Just bring that back in and pay some time in the next month." Really.

When Tom was here, he thought we needed to order a load of stone to level our site. Neighbors Lyle and Karen told us to take the rest of their pile. Tom moved about half of it but then decided he needed a vacation. This morning I headed out to move the rest. Immediately company for the neighbors on the other side came out and volunteered to help. The cutest part was watching the girl-power team load up the wheelbarrow with their little gardening spades. Job done in no time! I love it here!

Small-Town Parade

It’s a beautiful afternoon, so I decided to check out the community 4th of July parade. I plunked myself down at the end of the route and waited. The parade started with every emergency vehicle in the county, all honking with sirens blaring. A few bikers followed and then nothing. I turned to the people near me in astonishment: "Was that it?!" "No, you just have to wait." I began to doubt their advice, but eventually some commercial vehicles passed. Woohoo! Then it was back to wait. Wait, wait, and more wait. Later a bellydancer girated past with a live camel. Really. And a topless man waved from a smoking chimney. After another wait, a guy came by in his underwear passing out candy to the kids. Seriously, isn’t there a law against that?! My thoughts quickly shifted from "Was that it, already?!" to "Please let that be it, already." I gave up and headed for the car when I spotted the team from the local market doing synchronized shopping cart maneuvers. (I suppose I should have gotten a photo of that, too, just to prove it…) This town also has a parade on New Year’s Day. The motto is you are the parade. I think I’ll pass…

Finally!

Warm weather arrived just in time for the big weekend. Holly is out of her T-shirt and doing her best to bake her brains in Sunbeam. The neighbors have switched on the A/C! I wore capris yesterday but went back to pants after getting my ankles chewed. (Mosquitoes love me, alas.) More later...

The Calm before the Storm?!

Or that's what the folks around here had been calling the last few days before the big holiday weekend. But they haven't been that quiet. Two days ago the community water pump blew, and the water has been on and off since. Then this morning I heard a huge crash as I was listening to the wind howl. Instantly the electricity and internet were off. I went out to investigate and saw a tree blown down across the power line and wifi antenna. With scowling workers and plumbers descending on the place, I decided to head out to run errands. Hope that's all the "calm" before the main event...