Dining al Fresco

My "Wordless (or nearly) Wednesday" photo.
I made(for the first time) Seafood in A Sherry Cream Sauce this week. Contact me if you want the recipe.

Almost Too Darn Hot...

...to blog, but since it is way too hot and sunny outside this afternoon and it is passably cool inside (yeah, yeah..I know I have a reputation for not liking air conditioning, but I have to admit I am a fan of it big time today!), I thought I would load a few of the photos I took this morning(before my camera's juice ran out).
After picking up R's friend, we headed into downtown Westerly(which is a actually a bustling little place) and had a mid-morning breakfast at the spot that Conan O'Brien used to take his family when he was on this coast(his sister and parents live near Westerly). Of course, I had to order the Coconut French Toast that was Conan's favorite.
What a simple idea--lightly toasted coconut sprinkled over French Toast, drizzled with maple syrup. I'll have to try the coconut on my own homade French Toast when I make it next time.
Then we wandered into a few shops and stayed on the shady side of the street (it wasn't too bad because of a breeze).
One the way home, we stopped off at a farm stand for some ice cold soda( Yacht Club Brand-since 1911) and corn.

Hot Summer Night Randoms

Just some very scattered random thoughts for tonight.

We are actually enduring a sweltering hot one today(and tonight)--haven't really had anything much like this all summer--forgot what it was like to be uncomfortable in the house and sweating(er....perspiring, my mother would correct me) as I simply move my fingers over the keyboard. Just the other night, I was sipping hot tea-and tonight all I want is a cold Vodka & Tonic and watermelon slices.

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* My soundtrack for the summer has turned out to be the music from R's room. She keeps playing over and over the downloaded tunes she bought from iTunes--all Michael Jackson and Jackson 5(she has been slightly obsessed since M.J.'s death), AND(and this seems not to fit in with what she usually listens to, but I am SO glad she likes it) Regina Spektor's "Far" CD, which I bought for myself in late June, but haven't even seen since R confiscated it.

At least I get to hear the songs seeping out from behind her closed bedroom door.

I like it that there is still music R and I can share(like Regina Spektor). All three of us went to the Guster show in Newport last Friday night(beautiful night right on the harbor with a sunset). Although, it took her a little while to loosen up and not be embarrassed to be with her parents (and especially her mother being all loud next to her).

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* After work today, I went down to the nearest beach for a little dip in the bay(wonderful!) and a little sit-in-the-sand-with-a-book time and overheard the strangest thing come out of a little boy's mouth(he was maybe 6?):

"Mother, I washed off my belly, and now I am ready for tanning."

Struck me as weird, but I liked it, too. Not what you would expect a six year old boy to say at the beach.

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* One of my favorite local breakfast(and lunch) spots is going to be on TV (The Food Network, which I generally don't watch, but will look for this in January when it is supposed to air) . The crew and star(?) of a show called "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" were at Crazy Burger (delicious sweet potato fries and homemade ketchup!). The last time we were there, it was a quiet morning a few weeks ago-glad it wasn't when the filming was going on because according to this story, diners had to be turned away then, when the episode took over for a few days.

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* I saw this woman come in to the shop last week and I am still thinking about how fantastic she looked--a little older than I am (I think), with wavy hair similar to mine...but all grey. But she looked fantastic(as I said...not so good with adjectives in this heat) and inspirational to me for when I am much more grey(my few grey strands that my daughter insists on noticing for me that I insist are just light, sun-kissed summer hi-lights..heh..heh...)

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* There is some sort of large flying insect whacking itself against the walls and lights in this room-very annoying. It seems to be stuck behind the bookcase now.

Five on the 5th...of August

It's the fifth of August already!


I am pretty sure I missed/skipped doing my "five on the fifth" topic last month on the fifth day, so I want to at least get August's in.


Today's list is five favorite things in a bottle:



1. Vinho Verde wine from Portugal. We go through bottles of this stuff in the summer. Lightly bubbly, light and easy drinking with summer food(like fish on the grill, pasta with white sauces and even corn on the cob) and best drunk perfectly chilled. And, it's so cheap(always under 10.00 a bottle) 2. Eden perfume from Cacharel.

This is a new discovery for me. I had a little sample of this sitting in my bedroom drawer for months, and truth be told, I was actually afraid to try it. Many things I heard and read about this scent were about how strong and strange it was(lots of negatives, as well as positive reviews, though). So...over the weekend, after a shower, I decided to be brave and opened the little vial and dabbed some on both wrists.

It was a scent so not expected at all! I thought it was lovely and enchanting from the minute I smelled it! And, it lasted for hours and hours(which to me is a good thing-since so many perfumes seem not to last on me) and I found the whole experience of wearing it made me feel mysterious, earthy and sexy. It smells SO good to me, that, like with my beloved Ciara, I really don't care if other people don't like the smell of it. Of course, this is the kind of strong scent you only have to put the smallest amount on and NOT overdo it .

Now, I don't yet have an actual bottle of this stuff but am already scheming to get me one. The bottle looks a little strange, too. Sort of looks like it's made out of old Bakelite from the 1920's.

3. Floral Solaire (Filles des Iles)-yes, another bottled parfum. And, also a new discovery for me.

This one had me feeling so pretty and "beachy" at first sniff-the perfect summer scent.

"Floral Solaire contains notes of citron, star fruit, tropical breeze, passion fruit, blended with lily, tiara, & orchid. All of this frolicy sweet fruityness is rested on a bed of amber, benzoin, soft sand, musk and vanilla. Created by famed perfumer Celine Ellena. Floral Solaire is a wonderful dichotomy of clean cool breezes enveloped in a blanket of warm amber."

It actually is somewhat similar to another scent I have, L'Eau De Monteil (blogged about it here already) and am glad there is a "back-up" summer perfume I love as much, since the Monteil perfume appears to have been discontinued and it is getting hard to find.

4. Dr.Ph. Martin's India Ink

I love these inks for sketching and doing watercolory washes on drawings with dip pens and paint brushes. I have a whole array of colors lined up on my window sill above my drawing table. The colors are jewel-like and never fade, and are also waterproof.

5. Sparkling French Lemonade

Lightly sweetened, fizzy drinks(R likes the pink flavor and I like the grapefruit) that come in a tall bottles at the supermarket. Good for making nice summer cocktails and 'mock' tails, too.

;-)

Randomness and Loss

Life forms illogical patterns. It is haphazard and full of beauties which I try to catch as they fly by, for who knows whether any of them will ever return?

~~ Margot Fonteyn

This is the third summer in a row where I have had to learn the terrible, shocking news of a friend's unexpected death. We just found out Friday night that a long-time friend of Mr. F's (since college days) was killed by a drunk driver the evening before.

It has been very hard for Mr.F these last few days, and has once again cast a sad and strange pall over these otherwise sunny summer days.

Just makes you rethink the randomness of life and death and also makes me realise that you just gotta make the best of what you have today as there is no telling what can happen to you, your loved ones or world in the next instant.
So...
...hug your kid or dog or cat......

....if your SO is driving you crazy by snoring loudly, or forever leaving the damn toilet seat up , think of what it would be like if they weren't there any longer to do that(or you weren't around any longer to be bothered by it) and you might even begin to like that familiar noise (and that open lid)....

...call that friend you have been out of touch with--you never know if you'll ever get a chance to speak with them or see them again....

...each day, try to remember to breathe in the scents around you, as well as appreciate all the sounds, sensations and visual beauty of your little corner of the world....

..be kind.