Thinking of them...

 My parents gravesite, Arlington National Cemetery

My mantra...

She of the blooms is back from her trip and care for grandson and his mom. He and his parents are moving temporarily for military duty, so grandma is back home after an extended stay. Mercy and I expect a quiet day, cooking, napping and genealogy. The tree is getting large and parts are very sad. I have a bit of everyone, from revolutionary soldiers to confederates to pacifist Quakers. It has been hot and getting into the 90s. Summer promises to be a scorcher.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!
 

Toum is...to die for...

 Unless you hate garlic. The ingredients are a simple blend of garlic, lemon juice, salt and olive oil and the resulting dip or sauce, traditionally served to accompany chicken dishes, is divine.

A traditionally Lebanese sauce often served in restaurants, I prefer its garlicky goodness on crackers, as an addition to a plate of vegetables or salad or on toasted sprouted bread. It makes a lovely replacement for any ma*yonnaise, too. As a kid, I learned *to despise mayonnaise, largely because mommy dearest had a heavy hand on the spatula. Mayo never appears in my fridge or in anything I make and I tend to avoid the classic American egg, tuna or macaroni salads and salad dressings made using it.

Looking for a favorite dip that proved to be out of stock, I found Toum as a substitute and have enjoyed every bite! Recipes for this abound and I may try my hand at a homemade version.

Anything tasty on your plate today?

A heartfelt thanks to reader Barbara for her comments and book suggestions. Some I've read but others I'll check out. Happy reading and eating.

Cheers!

Trailer for an old series

 One of my readers mentioned interest in this after my remark in a previous post. The first season aired in 03-04 but can still be found online, Here is the trailer for season one.

Having a good day?

 

Rainy and soaked

 It feels like it has been a long, mostly dark and rainy day. It started early as groceries expected by 7 AM arrived at the earlier portion of the timeframe for delivery, so Mercy and I arose at 5 AM. Getting the groceries in proved a damp affair as it had rained overnight. After putting them up, I got a soaking in my run to the dumpster and turned on the heating until I could change. Mercy did not like the trails of liquid left on the floor by my chair as I moved around and secreted herself behind the bathroom vanity until I returned to bed for several hours. She, ever the vigilant alarm, poked me back to reality in time for our lunch.

If any of you recall the stern admonishment about getting a chill or cold from the rain that many in my mother's generation believed true, this is a popular fiction created by parents to keep their offspring from getting drenched at inopportune times. Being in this area means rain can come at anytime, especially in the next six months and at any amount. The sprinkle I had going out became a full onslaught in the short distance to my door and a soaked chair is slick and hard to maneuver. The black rain coat that makes me look like one of the grim reapers in an old television series entitled, Dead Like Me, is currently aired and hanging at the front of the closet in case I decide on another such adventure. If you've not seen the series, Google it. The first season is quirky, deftly done and the cast is great.

Cheers!

Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day to my readers and your loved ones, regardless of species. May you all have a great day!

Happy Friday

 My daily highlights: I've finished both of the Hazel Prior books I discussed briefly the other day and have begun another featuring a completely different slate of characters and otters rather than penguins. Ecology, nature and climate issues appear as the backbone of her books. I may doubtless enjoy this one as I have the others.

On the home front, some bills have been paid, laundry done, groceries collected and all things Mercy completed. My chair still needs a good going over and the kitchen and loo need a re-mop. Supper included a bunless chickpea burger and broccoli salad. Amazon appears to have an interesting selection of McVities Digestives, Hobnobs and Jaffa Cakes, though none seem to survive shipping and handling in this hot clime. They either crumble to dust or stick together if iced to the point that a knife is required to free them. So far, I've resorted to putting them in a dish, pouring tea over the mess and eating them using a spoon. Hardly ideal if one prefers dunking and only a couple at a time. Apart from the fact that they represent a small luxury and a very frivolous problem that I find slightly embarrassing to discuss given the state of things in this country at the moment, I'll refrain from ordering them again, I really don't need to engage in anxiety snacking.

 I also noted that the tomatoes I ordered came encased in plastic and from Canada of all places. Although I don't mind supporting my Canadian friends, I do live in  a State  and county that produces and sells them yet most of those available to me come from either Mexico or Canada, according to current information. This. like everything else these days, seems a bit crazy.

Or does it??

Yours in batshit craziness...

ZZZ...

 I live in hope of going back to sleep after being disturbed at midnight and taking the next hours to take out garbage, mop, bake some burritos and make a salad, have an early breakfast, clean all things cat and devise a post here.

Thank you Boud for the mention of the Thatcher mysteries. They are available here. I'm currently reading a book and a sequel by Hazel Prior. Like Donna Leon, she uses environmental and climate change issues in her books in addition to an octogenarian central character is is hard not to love despite her often curmudgeonly exterior. 

Time feels as though it flies, and yet, I still have a full slate of books, chores, calls and other things to do...

Do you feel the same?

Cheers and I hope, goodnight!

No rain after all...

 It is just after 4 AM and rain is slated to start here in about three hours, according to the message on this lap top. I prefer the science-based assertions of my favorite meteorologist but the rain is needed so I live in hope.

The girl and I are fine. She has begun sleeping in bed next to me, an appreciated activity. Body heat is a great thing. Chores are getting done, and I've very sadly completed all fourteen books in the Mrs. Pollifax series. The last book left me keen for more and of course, that cannot be since the author died thirteen years ago from complications of Alzheimer's Disease and the last book in that series appears to have been the final one in a career spanning from the late 1940's to the millennium. The first Pollifax adventure made its debut in 1966.

Audiobooks are becoming a staple and I have recently read and enjoyed The Traveling Cat Chronicles and The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa and I'm re-reading the entire Brunetti series by Donna Leon via Kindle.

Are you reading?

Nothing beats a good book, a favorite hot drink and a heat-seeking feline friend.

No rain here, so still dry as a bone...

Cheers!