and life goes on...

Last Friday I stayed as late as possible to get everything done and still make my bus connection, the commute was only slightly slow. Did manage to get home in time to get the car and go pick up my glasses. Little bit stronger prescription. Must be slow in the eyeglass industry, they only took 4 days.

Saturday morning we got on the road for my family picnic. Made really good time until we were nearly there and got stuck behind a combine. Not for long and we knew the reason when folks that came from close by were late arriving. There were 4 generations represented, the youngest 1 1/2 years and the oldest 86 years. Six little kids. A cousin from Swiss Miss' side of the family. Conversation with her helped me fill in the blanks on some family connections. Several people brought memorabilia: toys & knickknacks that had been in grandmother's house, the old stool we had to sit on "in the corner", Great Aunt's family bible, Swiss Miss' 1st Communion, Grandparent's Marriage Certificate (in German and fancy script), Great Grandfather's enlistment in Union Army and discharge from Indian service. I was MOST happy to learn that he was in the post hospital and had to miss Custer's Last Stand! Think those last 2 interested D.W. the most. There was plenty of good food. I made a list of everyone there afterward, we numbered 37. Weather? Sunny and hot (high 80's) but we ran into rain just as we got home; we could smell it before we saw it.

Sunday we went to the Scottish Highland Games (and Ren Faire). D.W. got some more Wicked Tinkers cds. [Poor curmudgeon tried to use Wicked Tinker to combat rap music at work and then found out that those owners of obnoxious music were also Tinker's fans. Go figure.] I found a short, season spanning, Celtic knot design dress suitable for work and a tank t-shirt which will have to be a project before it is wearable. Why any clothing manufacturer would only make size small seems odd. I'll have to cut it off at the spaghetti straps, open the side seams, and then applique' the panels onto other solid color regular tanks. It's an intricate Mother Earth/Green Man design. When it's done I'll post a pic. We also played a bit in the tent of a leather clothing company. Black (his) and white (hers) highwayman coats? We'd have to un-gafiate. They WERE pretty.

And then it got hotter! and hotter! The fans went into the windows and have stayed there, running full out. We have the exchange fans and can blow hot air OUT as well as bringing outside air in, I think that helped. Hard to tell when the temperature didn't really drop into anything "normal" even at night. We set lots of records: hottest day ever in area (twice), multiple hottest for date, longest heat wave. We are not made for 100 degree temps here! Today it only got to 86 and everyone is enjoying the coolness. It's going back up again tomorrow for another week or so they say. Boss actually sent us home early a couple days because it got so hot in the (NOT air conditioned) office. I took 1 "personal health" vacation day to avoid 100+ temp.; at home I could wear less ;)

I found out last week that my high school class is having our 40th reunion this coming weekend. There actually are a few with who I would like to renew acquaintance. There is a Friday night dinner event, and then the main event on Saturday at the Tulalip Casino & Resort. Looking at the RSVP's for the Friday event it appears that there will be 2-3 dozen people (so far none of my reconnects). BTW my graduating class had close to 700 students; it was the last year as the only high school in the district.

This coming weekend is also the annual family gathering nominally celebrating my paternal Grandmother's birthday, Swiss Miss passed away in 1989 at the age of 97 yrs 51 wks. Guess where we will be on Saturday.

If your guess was ON THE ROAD you would have it right. Because this weekend is also, drumroll anyone?, the Highland Games; where we will make an appearance on Sunday and thereby miss being part of Raven's Saturday presentation on period dress.

It looks like we will have another week of mid-80's weather with a couple possible excursions into the low 90's. I'm ok with the lower 80's during the day if it would only cool off at night; I have dresses, skirts, and this year even shorts. I have sunglasses and sun hats - one of which I am told makes me look demure. Please to stop laughing. What I dislike, have a real preference AGAINST, is when the temp doesn't drop below the mid 70's by midnight. I would like to be able to sleep.

Adding more fun this week was the buying of sticky traps for the latest outdoor toy which the boys (at least 1 of them) brought indoors. It didn't get stickied this time. Guess the boys were keeping it from getting to the kitchen and it got hungry enough to go for the peanut butter in the electronic trap. Bye bye Ratbert.

I bought onions this past weekend so that I could reprise the spinach pie rolls. Bagged baby spinach doesn't make as good an impression as fresh from the field spinach. Today the annual "gift" of Walla Walla Sweets to our office from one of our vendors arrived. I now have a sufficiency of onions.

Our Farmers Market was back this weekend. There were 2 booths that had golden beets, hurrah! This year's "trendy" veg looks to be Purple Kohlrabi. Tastes just the same as green. I'm not sure I understand why it was developed other than that they could as it has to be peeled to prepare so the color goes away.

This is Day Two of "Torchwood, Children of Earth", on BBC America. This 5 day mini- series presentation of the story is presenting a lot more depth of character than most of their past storylines. Check it out. I think I saw that it releases on DVD around the end of the month.

Dad called, seems that he got an astronomical gas bill. Seems his meter hasn't been working and they just figured it out. This sounds all too familiar, seems there was a whole slough of dysfunctional meters last year. We're going to review his past bills tomorrow.

I ordered my new glasses yesterday, they should be ready in a couple weeks. These have a light violet colored frame, it will be a different look. I'll probably get new lenses put into my current frames when I have the new ones. I'm thinking that there will be times when I will want the more neutral color.

So between then and now - life happened...

Last weekend we went to Cabelas. 'Nuff said? see D.W.'s blog for his comments. As an incentive for the road trip he suggested a visit to Shipwreck Beads, "the world's largest selection". It's about 2 miles from Cabelas and, though it is hard to credit, I had never been. WOW! We spent a couple of hours and I bypassed whole sections, including the books and instructional dvds.

The next day I rearranged the corner where my new gun safe is located. Moved several furniture pieces that were not large, but cumbersome. My back complained a bit for a couple of days. Aleve to the rescue.

We have gone back to "summer schedule" at the office. From now through September I will be working 4/10's, Tuesday - Friday. Makes morning come pretty darn early! I catch the very 1st express bus of the day from this area into town, and the next to last bus out.

This weekend is Kent's Cornucopia Days celebration. No Farmer's Market but a rather extensive street fair set up. We found a few Xmas gifts. I also found out that a local shop hosts spinners for a few hours twice a month. YES! Much easier to get to than visiting Weaving Works in the U District in the evening after work. Picked up cards from a couple of local craftspeople who do custom refinishing.

Last night D.W. showed me a page from Wednesday's, July 8, Seattle Times which featured a recipe for Spinach Phyllo Pie, (actually a roll). I decided to try it for tonight's dinner.

Before baking



During baking we opened a bottle of Sangria, which we 1st tasted on the trip to Long Beach for D.W.'s birthday.
His glass says King Crab
Mine says Queen



After baking



D.W. says
"YUMMY"!



I have now written several amendments on the page and it will go into the recipe box.

Tomorrow I am planning to visit Carpinito's fruit, vegetable and plant center to see it their produce department carries golden beets. I found out last summer that I can eat them easily, unlike the red ones that bite me back. They seem to be one of those "specialty" veggies like kohlrabi (another of my summer faves).

Then I'll be visiting my Dad.