Beef Stew & Beef Jerky

 Resurgence supper tonite…. Live from NYC…

Delightful days of autumn…  cool temps…  crisp afternoons…  bright sunshine…  crunching acorns underfoot…  leaves beginning changes…  open windows…  clean fresh air…  a joy to behold

Breakfast… iced coffee🧋and a banana 🍌 yogurt, toasted english muffin and  hot tea 🫖 for the hubs…  his tummy better after a day of upset.  Cool weather motivating a kitchen play day alongside chores…  laundry 🧺 beef stew 🥘 peach cranberry crisp 🥧 the perfect accompaniment to cool weather 

Time flying in the kitchen… chopping ingredients…  browning the meat… deglazing the pot…  enjoying the process… stresses of the week floating away…  cooking the barley 🌾 slicing peaches 🍑 for the crisp…  cooking and baking… some of the best therapy 

The hubs smoking project a great success… beef 🥩 round sliced 1/8” to 1/4” marinated overnight in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, agave nectar, red pepper flake & brown sugar… smoked at 150°F for three hours then left to dry inside the smoker as it dropped to 100°F over the next hour… beef jerky perfection 😛

Supper tonite… beef stew with potatoes 🥔 and greens 🥬 served over barley 🌾 warming… delicious… tender… alongside a glass of Pinot Noir 🍷 

Peach cranberry crisp for dessert 🥧 and a very special treat… our son popped over for a visit on his way home… joined us for supper and took a serving home to our DIL… what a delight 😁🙃🥰

Covid booster jabs in full swing…  eligible? Make that appointment and #GetYourJabOn  Pfizer boosters available now… Moderna coming in the next couple of weeks… Americans so fortunate to have the ability to get a third dose while folks around the world 🌎 yearn for their vaccine 💉  how lucky we are to live here and have these life saving vaccines… no first dose yet?  Get busy!!  Mask up… limit interactions… sail through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?  What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Tagliatelle in Fresh Tomato Cream with Longaniza

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Rain…  thunderstorms ⛈  dreary morning…  mid afternoon sun breaking through… couple of hours of bright skies…  nightfall… rain returning as a steady drizzle…  Mr Sam unhappily stuck in the house most of the day… snoozing…  

Breakfast iced coffee🧋and a banana 🍌 the hubs hot cup ☕️ alongside his yogurt… blueberries 🫐 blackberries and strawberries 🍓 deciding on a menu for supper… defrosting in progress…

Off to the attic for further decluttering… discovered two MORE old air conditioning units waaay back in a storage area… must be Narnia back there… we have already given away two and tossed three…  shocked to find two more… put out three bags of recycling and four bags of garbage 🗑 

and we have only made a big dent  ~sigh~ 

Supper tonite… tagliatelle with fresh tomato cream and longaniza…  napa cabbage slaw…  lovely glass of Pinot Noir…  espresso chip ice cream… decaf coffee ☕️ for the hubs

NYS has implemented a vaccine mandate for health care workers… NYC school employees have until Friday to get vaxxed…  now is the time to #GetYourJabOn   Mask up… limit interactions… trot through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?  Thoughts?

Spatchcocked Chicken, Napa Cabbage Slaw, Tomato Avocado Salad and Heart Shaped Potatoes

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Temps inching up a few clicks… humidity as well… last breaths of summer before autumnal weather arrives… out on the deck… iced coffee🧋 and mini wraps… the hubs hot java ☕️ listening to the snap and crunch of acorns as tires squash them…  our three oak trees shedding nuts 🌰 as cooler weather approaches… squirrels busily scoffing them up for cold weather storage

Front stair railing installed today… looks terrific… custom made for us by Flushing Iron Works… excellent craftsmanship… reliable service and installation 😁

Market day…  picking up four bags of 5 lb produce bargains each $2… oranges… tomatoes… potatoes… lettuce and cabbages…  making the budget work 🧾 amidst rising prices…  the hubs clearing out debris from the garage… tools now accessible… 

Evening arriving with blustery winds cooling us off after a day of organizing and errands… a glass of Pinot Noir on the deck as the spatchcocked chicken grills under a brick…  napa cabbage slaw with dijonaise lime dressing… tomato 🍅 avocado 🥑 red onion salad with lime vinaigrette… two foil wrapped potatoes 🥔 on the coals…  dessert… espresso chip ice cream… vanilla bean ice cream and decaf ☕️ for the hubs

Covid delta variant kicking Americas butt… seniors and those ar risk getting boosters…  not vaxxed yet?  Time to #GetYourJabOn  avoid that hospital stay… meanwhile…. Mask up… limit interactions…. Trot through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Weekend Update… Salmon Loin, Potato Crisps & Green Salad

 Resurgence supper tonite…. Live from NYC…

Whirlwind of a weekend…  crisp fall air arriving… so very welcome… squirrels 🐿 busily tucking away stashes of nuts for the cold months… birds beginning to form flocks for migration south…  feeling energetic with autumn arriving…

Spending Saturday in the greenhouse… thinning tomato plants…  needing more sun ☀️ on late blooming vines… peppers 🫑 turning red… cucumbers 🥒 ripening the last few fruits…  leeks almost ready for harvest… parsley 🌿 still growing… rosemary bush doubling in size… thyme as well… lemon 🍋 tree gaining over a foot in height… Gardenia healthy… sweet potato 🍠 vines hiding their bounty beneath the soil…  

Had a surprise visit from the kids… always a delight to spend time with them…  ordering in Japanese supper shared with Danicha and Eduardo… ending our evening with a fire 🔥 in the fire pit… warding off the chill of nighttime 

Sunday clean out… spending the afternoon clearing out storage areas in the attic… sorting through boxes 📦 and bags of items not used in over 20 years… recycling three bags of paper… four bags of trash… barely made a dent… feels so good to declutter

Supper tonite… ground turkey sautéed with corn, peas, brown rice in a delicious lime chili sauce… on endive leaves… fast and filling… not very photogenic…

Friday nights supper… salmon loins… potato crisps… green salad with avocado 🥑 cucumber 🥒  tomato 🍅 & red onion in a lime vinaigrette… yummy and fresh 

Hope folks are getting vaccinated… booster shots available for those 65 and older and those at risk…  covid is no joke… make that appointment and #GetYourJabOn  mask up… limit interactions… fly through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What on your plate?   Thoughts?

Tuna Salad, Composed Salad, Jammy Eggs & Whole Wheat Bagels

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Is there a word to describe humidity more uncomfortable than muggy? 

Sultry… sticky… steamy… oppressive… damp ..moist… on the verge of rain…

Heavy clouds drooping over the Big Steaming Apple 🍎 most of the day… finally descending into thunderstorms ⛈ this evening…  

Breakfast… toast with homemade marmalade and iced coffee🧋the hubs grazing through the morning… cottage cheese… hot coffee ☕️ apple 🍏 beef jerky…  almonds…  cheese stick…  mini wrap… plum… whew 😅 

Tried out Amazon grocery delivery from Whole Foods…  excellent prices… everything arriving in perfect condition…  and on time 😄

Picking up Mom and her sweet aide for her cardiologist visit…  good report…  Mom is doing well…  stable… no edema…  weight steady  💝  see you in two months 😁 so pleased 

Mr Sam is improving… appetite increasing… voice still croaky but returning… energy up… our boy is on the road to recovery ❤️‍🩹 seems that his bout of attention in the intensive care unit of “Mom” has turned things around for the better… he still has a way to go… but we are pleased with his progress 😻

Supper tonite…  Genova tuna with chopped celery, red onion and dijonaise sauce (mayon, dijon mustard and lemon juice)  a composed salad 🥗 jammy eggs 🥚 and toasted NYC whole wheat bagels 🥯 with havarti cheese 🧀 refreshing on a hot humid day 😋

Delta variant of covid is kicking our American butts… we are losing about 2000 souls daily to this pandemic… not vaxxed yet?? Duuuuude #GetYourJabOn  those of us 65 and up… at risk jobs… underlying health issues…  been 6 months since your last jab?  Time for a bonus round… mask up… limit interactions… glide through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?  Thoughts?

Tagliatelle in Spicy Tomato Cream with Shredded Chicken Thighs and Honeydew

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Happy Autumnal Equinox to those who celebrate 🍂 officially fall…

muggy… today’s word is muggy… humidity over 80%… temps in the 70’s… 

skies mostly cloudy… blips of sunshine… insufficient to burn off the humidity rising exponentially through the day…  terrific day to be inside tending to chores and searching for the few dollars hidden prior to leaving for vacation… maybe should’ve left myself clues? No idea where it might be ~sigh~  

Iced coffee🧋and a plum… bananas all eaten… the hubs eating his cottage cheese with hot green tea…  LOTS of water… no coffee for him post wine dinner (too much wine 😂… hic)  hubs came home and crashed 🛌 

Laundry day… washing bath towels…  not drying after use in this humidity…  airing out the basement… making arrangements to take Mom to see the cardiologist tomorrow 🩺🥼

Supper tonite… tagliatelle in spicy tomato cream… fresh tomatoes sautéed in olive oil… salt, pepper, red pepper flake, thyme, basil, tomato paste and light cream… served alongside shredded chicken thighs 🍗 and honeydew melon 🍈 

Idaho and Alaska hospitals have begun Crisis Standard of Care…  meaning patients are triaged prior to admittance… those most likely to survive are treated… those unlikely to survive are given palliative care (made comfortable) if possible… many are sent home… no beds available… all this due to the surge overwhelming hospitals in these regions as Covid cases among the unvaccinated climb… 

Please folks… #GetYourJabOn  don’t be the person who causes someone needing dialysis or heart surgery to pass away for lack of hospital facilities… we are all in this fight together… mask up…  limit interactions…  gallop through the market… and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Chateau Montelena Wine Dinner at Ruth’s Chris

Resurgence supper tonite…. Live from NYC…

Decent weather for the autumnal equinox…  mid 70’s on the thermometer… humidity inching up…  still comfortable on the skin… squirrels 🐿 back in action…  hanging from tree branches… upside down… nibbling acorns… scurrying back to the nest… on repeat for much of the day…  storing nuts in every available nook and cranny for the coming cold months 🥶 

Breakfast iced coffee🧋& a granola bar… the hubs cottage cheese and banana 🍌 alongside his hot cup ☕️  off to visit Mom… pretty in pink… matching pants and top… big smile…  Wednesday Mom’s haircutter is arriving… she vacationed in Spain with family for the summer…  Mom is thrilled for her upcoming coiffure 🥰

Supper tonite… a fun filled evening of wine pairings and delicious plates at Ruth’s Chris…  enjoyed ourselves immensely with Mark, Andrea, Jesse and Elena… from the amuse bouche to the dessert… a fabulous culinary adventure… wines from Chateau Montelena… a Napa vintner…

Amuse bouche…. Ahi tuna poké with cilantro oil paired with a crisp dry Reisling…

Appetizer… Chicken thighs confit with braised fennel paired with a complex Chardonnay…

Pork course… stuffed pork tenderloin roulade with cherry demi glacé paired with a dry Zinfandel… 

Main… filet mignon, roasted potatoes, green beans & fried onions in mushroom sauce paired with a hearty Cabernet…

Dessert… almond cake with chantillí cream served with coffee and tea…

A delicious exploration of Chateau Montelena along with pairings by Ruth’s Chris 😋🍷

Both of us noticed the smaller group gathered for this wine tasting menu…  approximately half the usual complement…  tables spaced farther apart… servers all masked…  guests masked prior to seating as well…  air noticeably circulating more rapidly… pleased to see the restaurant taking proper covid precautions for their and our safety 🥰

Delta variant still a major risk as schools reopen…  United Nations back in session these two weeks… loads of diplomats, families and staff arriving from all parts of the world in NYC for the event…  not vaxxed yet?  This is the time to #GetYourJabOn  Virus’ don’t respect state borders… Mom is getting her booster next week… mask up..l limit interactions… fly through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Rotisserie Chicken… String Bean, Corn, Artichoke, Olive, Avocado Salad… Pita… Honeydew Melon

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC… 

Stunning day… mid 70’s… crisp clear skies… perfect day to be outdoors… enjoying the warmth of sunshine… squirrels 🐿 still absent… acorns almost ripe…  waiting for the beginning of the winter hoard…  leaving acorn caps scattered across the deck… shells shards emptied of their innards… 

Each year grackles (mid size black bird with fluorescent wings) congregate in our trees by the thousands… eating acorns to fuel their flight south for the winter… first time seeing it reminded me of the Alfred Hitchcock movie… The Birds…  hearing hundreds of them land on the roof… in the trees… on the lawn… eating acorns… chattering… fuel for their flight… staying less than an hour… the flock then rising into the sky… flying off for the winter…  a few more weeks and the birds will arrive…

Breakfast out on the deck… iced coffee🧋peach 🍑 & buttered roll… the hubs hot java ☕️ with cottage cheese and a banana 🍌 Mr Sam relaxing on the warmed boards… sunshine beaming across the deck offsetting the chill breeze… 

A few chores await…  hubs cleaning the grill and fire pit 🔥 logs 🪵 to split… for yours truly… appointments 📅 to set…  letters to write ✍️ errands to run… the day flies by… chatting with Mom…  enjoying her bridge games 🃏 once again… her desperately needed haircut 💇‍♀️ scheduled for this week…  a check up with the cardiologist 🩺👨🏻‍⚕️

Supper tonite… cooks night off… rotisserie chicken 🍗 from the market… tender and juicy… string bean, artichoke, tomato, corn & avocado salad…. Toasted pita… the last of the Chardonnay… dessert… honeydew melon 🍈 

Covid has stolen over 675,000 souls from America…  some folks finding recovery extremely difficult… symptoms including overwhelming fatigue… heart damage…  lung damage… nerve damage…  headaches and blood disorders…  please… make that appointment and #GetYourJabOn  avoid the challenges of lingering illness… mask up… limit interactions… gallop through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Grilled Chicke Thighs, String Bean Salad, Grilled Pita, Pineapple & Evening Fire

 Resurgence supper tonite…. live from NYC…

Weekend weather… a tale of opposites… Saturday…  warm… humid… sticky… Sunday…  cool…  pleasant… crisp… haven’t seen many squirrels 🐿 lately… acorns almost ripe…  no empty shells on the deck rail yet… minimal digging in the planters…  birds plentiful… sparrows chirping… mockingbirds squawking…  robins and cardinals singing… 

Lazy Sunday… slept in… late brunch…  iced coffee🧋and a banana out on the deck… the hubs enjoying his hot cup ☕️ with eggs and toast…  Mr Sam lounging on the warm boards… basking… spent time chatting with the Florida contingent… haven’t visited in a long while…  covid concerns…

Saturday fun day… attended a small reception (all vaxxed) for dear friends who married during the covid lockdown…  gorgeous venue at family on the Jersey coast… delicious food… shrimp cocktail… chicken française… penne a la vodka… string beans almandine… baked penne bolognese… meatballs… potato croquettes… crisp green salad… lots of Prosecco… spirits… wine… beer… evil scrumptious pastries… cannoli… sfogliatella…  napoleon… mini tarts… eclairs… mouth watering…  but most importantly a wonderful time with people we love ❤️

Sunday… greenhouse day…  trimming tomatoes 🍅 staking peppers 🫑 watering fall crops… sweeping and cleaning out dead leaves and stems…  making room for fall crops 👩🏻‍🌾🌾 hubs finding a teeny rosemary flower 🌸 

Family night… out on the deck…  till the mosquitoes 🦟 attacked… dinner inside…  bbq chicken 🍗 thighs… string bean, corn, artichoke heart, tomato and olive salad… green salad… grilled pita…  evening fire on the deck in the fire pit…  smoke eliminating the little buggers…  dessert… sliced pineapple 🍍coffee ☕️ Mr Sam enjoying the evening alongside…  nibbling bits of chicken… feeling more perky as his throat improves 😻😽

Covid delta variant has once again struck close to home… two of the hubs granddaughters in Florida now recovered from their bout with the virus 🦠 Please folks #GetYourJabOn  avoid suffering needlessly… mask up… limit interactions… glide through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?  What’s on your plate?  Thoughts?

Tagliatelle in Tomato Cream & Tomato Basil Queso de Frier Salad

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC…

A much better day… bright skies… a bit lower humidity… temps in the mid 70’s… pair of mockingbirds squawking in the trees… sparrows taking dust baths at the bottom of the drive…  a lone dove sitting on a wire over the middle of the avenue… 

Breakfast for the hubs a quick dish of cottage cheese with black pepper before his early appointment for PT… back in the groove after vacation… excellent results… therapist pleased 😃 Iced coffee🧋and a trip to the local market… fridge empty once again…  grocery prices up 300% on fruits, meats & berries… sticker shock!  Seeing the effect of climate change in our wallets 😢

Spent the afternoon in the greenhouse… thinning and tying up tomatoes 🍅 staking peppers 🫑 checking carrots 🥕 and leeks….  sweet potato vines healthy…  parsley 🌿 and basil bushy… cucumbers 🥒 almost finished… new plantings of sweet peas and radishes producing seedlings… still waiting for lettuce to pop… another week or so to pull carrots… planning greens and turnips for late fall harvest 🥬

Supper tonite… greenhouse tomato & basil salad with queso de freir and balsamic…  fresh tagliatelle in a delicious tomato & wine cream sauce… longaniza sausage on the side… Sauvignon Blanc alongside to complement the meal 🍝 

Covid is still a serious risk… delta variant is highly transmissible and infectious causing serious disease in unvaccinated folks… filling up hospital ICU’s and Emergency departments… please folks… this is not over… #GetYourJabOn  before you end up gasping for breath… mask up… limit interactions… gallop through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Shrimp Salad… Composed Salad… Bialys

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Vanilla skies… clouds… haze… a dull dreary day in the Big Apple… humid… mid 70’s… even the birds and squirrels staying in their nests today… 

Today is Yom Kippur… day of atonement… a day to reflect on our behavior over the past year… the quality of our relationships… our interactions with our family… how we treat our neighbors and friends…  how we interrelate with those with whom we disagree… how we react when we fail to respond… 

a solemn day set aside for meditation and reflection…

And so the question… how do we measure up?  Are we satisfied?  Is there room for improvement?  In what areas can we do better?

Breakfast… water, of course… and iced coffee🧋non functional without water and caffeine… food can wait till dusk… the hubs enjoying his omelette… toast… coffee ☕️ 

Much of the day on the telephone 📞 confirming appointments… writing letters…  paying bills…  the hubs tending to his new hydroponic set up… balancing pH… letting water stand for chlorine evaporation… planting seeds… should be productive in the coming weeks and months 🥬 

Supper tonite… shrimp salad with dijonaise dressing… composed salad of romaine 🥬 baby cherry tomatoes 🍅 cucumber 🥒  toasted onion bialy 🥯 alongside a glass of Sauvignon Blanc…  perfect dinner on a humid dreary day

Hospitals in several states now overwhelmed with covid patients… practicing triage care… please folks… make that appointment and #GetYourJabOn  💉 no reason to wait any longer…  be brave… until then… mask up… limit interactions… jog through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Greek Eggplant Stew with Kalamata Olives and Turkey Mealballs

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC…

The Big Apple 🍎 still in the grips of summer… hazy… hot… humid…. 85°F humidity in the sticky range…  major adjustment…  Colorado  humidity… about 10%…. overhead blue skies sporting a light cover of haze… western wildfires smoke making its way across the country…  

Iced coffee🧋and a banana 🍌 the hubs off early to see the orthopedic surgeon… excellent report… about 75% of strength returning… expecting 90% by one year anniversary…  continuing physical therapy… hot java and mini wrap brunch easing hunger pangs…

Stopped off to see Mom yesterday afternoon… her childhood friend since 3 years old (and daughter) from Pennsylvania arriving late afternoon… just in time for supper…  brought over delicious food from a local Italian restaurant… veal piccata… chicken piccata… eggplant parmigiana…  chicken marsala… linguini with white clam sauce… tortellini in olive oil with black pepper and parmesan… beautiful loaf of semolina bread 🥖 and extra parmesan for sprinkling…  didn’t have a chance to catch up with all the company… she was so pleased to see her dear friend… 

Visiting Mom again today… spent a couple of hours catching up… viewing old photographs we found in Colorado… chatting… enjoying a relaxing afternoon… she is stable…  adjusting to her new normal… ready to once again participate in fun games of bridge on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays…

Supper tonight… Greek Eggplant Stew with kalamata  olives and fresh tomatoes… turkey meatballs served atop… light and delicious after yesterday 🥘 a glass of Sauvignon Blanc rounding out the meal… dessert… chocolate chip cookies 🍪 one for each…  the hubs enjoying his hot tea 🫖 

Movie night 🎥  RENT… one of our favorites… a moving musical depicting the ravages of AIDS in NYC in the 1980’s with Rosario Dawson, Idina Mendel & Taye Diggs in the musical by Jonathan Larson… worth watching 

Per the CDC… more than 650,000 souls have been lost to covid… over 175,000 since the vaccines have been available… how terribly sad to die from a disease that has a vaccine 💉 available which saves lives… 

Make that appointment and #GetYourJabOn  why not?? 

Mask up…  limit physical interactions… sail through the market and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Grilled Kielbasa & Chicken Gyoza

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC…

A bit of heat 🥵 a bit of sun ☀️ a bit of clouds ⛅️ a bit of rain ☔️ a bit of thunder ⛈ & lightning ⚡️ a multi weather day…  

Breakfast on the run for the hubs… cottage cheese with black pepper scarfed… an early appointment at the dental hygienist… keeping’ the choppers clean 🦷 back in time for his hot coffee ☕️ iced🧋for yours truly…

Off to chores…  the hubs tuning up the snow thrower and generator… storms a comin’ sooner or later…  spending time finishing up paperwork… phone calls… appointments… all the odd remnants of a month of vacation… 

Lunch… mini wraps… turkey… salami… havarti… tomato jam… and of course… water 💦 keeping hydrated in the heat… Mr Sam feeling off… tummy troubles… lounging on the deck… napping in the shade…

Supper tonite… appetizer… chicken gyoza 🥟 with dumpling sauce… followed by grilled Cajun kielbasa 🌭 finishing up… sliced peaches 🍑 & plums with yogurt for dessert… refreshing and cooling 

It was back to school 📚Monday here in the Big Apple 🍎 kids in masks 😷 back in the classroom after 18 months… fingers crossed that it goes well… vaccinations 💉are cool 😎 get yours today… avoid the hospital 🏥 mask up… and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   Whats on your plate?  Thoughts?

London broil… salad and thoughts on 9/11

 Resurgence supper tonite…. Live from NYC…

Bright skies… low humidity… delightful temps in the mid 70’s… perfect day to be outdoors…  walking with the hubs through the neighborhood before breakfast… up and down the small hills…. noticing car doors open… trunks up… belongings out in driveways… garages open… piles of cardboard…  damage from flooding… hurricane Ida… each dip in the road… flooding… somber moments on a somber day…

Iced coffee🧋and a a banana 🍌 the hubs cottage cheese with black pepper long gone… mini wrap… turkey… salami… quartered tomato… and of course…  hot java.  Making a point of drinking more water 💦 

Spending the day in the greenhouse… cleaning out leaves…  replacing plants that have completed harvest…  adding in cool weather varieties… lettuce… radishes… sweet peas… still more cucumbers and tomatoes on the vines… tilling compacted soil… a quick run to the market for Mr Sam’s favorite food… picking up big meat for supper… a london broil… 

The hubs trimming bushes… clearing yard debris… immersed in hydroponic set up… garnering know how for the plantings… coming soon in the fall…  a gift from our son Mark… should prove to be great fun… 

Resurgence supper… grilled london broil… rare please…  crisp green salad with salad with chick peas and lime vinaigrette…  Sauvignon Blanc alongside… 

Feeling deeply on this somber day… almost 3000 souls lost in the twin towers collapse… losing 1500 souls each day to COVID-19… get vaccinated folks…  don’t risk your family’s health… until then… mask up… limit interactions… fly through the market and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Each of us recalls where we were on 9/11…

The moment of realization that this was no accident…

Desperately checking on loved ones…

Today… 

Missing the spirit of compassion & love existing in the months to follow…

Do we need a disaster to remember how to love one another???

Creamy Tuscan Chicken… Salmon Loins… Salad & Pita

 Resurgence supper tonite… Live from NYC…

Waking to the bamp bamp bamp of the alarm… sliding out of the bed… feet firmly on the floor… confusion… ah yes… back in Queens… a month in Estes and the bedroom looking momentarily unfamiliar…  such an odd feeling… no knowing where one is… in that moment feeling a bit unsettled…  padding off to the bathroom for morning ablutions… bright azure skies… yesterdays rain cleansing the atmosphere…  low humidity…  a pleasure against the skin 

Spending yesterday and this morning paying bills… catching up on phone calls… paperwork… all the usuals needing to be done after a month of absence… popped into the greenhouse… plants looking healthy… feeding time for all the babies… a couple of cucumbers 🥒 peppers 🫑 tomatoes 🍅 ready for harvest… leeks quite tall and healthy… parsley 🌿 full…  bushy…  carrots 🥕 ready to be pulled… sweet potato vines long… their heart shaped leaves bright green… basil 🌱 ready for picking…  rosemary grew over a foot taller… thyme bushy and thick… 

Tomorrow… time to replant pots with cool weather crops… beans… radishes… lettuces 🥬 …  some greens too… still time before the persephone phase begins and the chill takes hold for one last harvest

Our last supper in Estes… Creamy Tuscan Parmesan Chicken… special thanks to Magda Oehring for the recommendation… fabulous served over farro with fresh spinach and sliced grape tomatoes… divine… 

Resurgence supper tonite… fresh salmon with Olde Bay Seasoning… buttered baked red potato… crisp green salad with lime vinaigrette… toasted pita… Sauvignon Blanc for her… Cabernet for him 🍷 

CDC reports that unvaccinated folks are at far greater risk of serious disease and death than those who’ve taken the shot 💉  Get vaccinated… covid is for the birds…  remember… mask up… limit interactions and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?  What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

 Estes Park, Colorado... Day twenty four... Friday September 3, 2021

Bang bang bang... Pygmy nuthatches pecking at the siding on the house... drilling their little beaks into the freshly painted wood... making teeny holes to impress their mates... look for insects.. stake out territory... adorable but destructive... and annoying at 7:45am... banging back on the wall... gone in a flash of wings... back to sleep for a morning nap...

Waking well rested despite the nuthatch invasion... breakfast... toasted cranberry walnut bread with raspberry rhubarb preserves... Awake Tea by Tazo... the hubs enjoying his usual... cottage cheese with black pepper... sliced banana... raspberries and blueberries... this time with toasted cranberry walnut bread with strawberry preserves... hot java and of course... water

Calm afternoon... the hubs in his workshop making several bird houses to keep the nuthatches off the house... they will be attached to trees behind and alongside the house hopefully giving the tiny invaders a better place to peck

Calling Mom on her birthday… 91 years young… she is happy as a clam… her grandson, Mark and Drea arriving with chocolate mousse cheesecake and flowers to celebrate… so pleased that she is happy 

First Friday art tour tonite 5-8pm... neighbor Anne inviting us to her gallery for a special introduction to a local artist along with music and wine... jazz band playing in the background... a glass of Cabernet folks mingling... meeting new friends... Melissa & David Anderson... moved to Estes Wednesday from Maryland... long time visitors and hikers

Stopping off at Louise’s Ice Cream shoppe... picking up a single piece of dark chocolate covered toffee for dessert....

Resurgence supper tonite... joining Melissa and David for a delightful surprise supper out at Mama Rose’s... excellent Italian fare... fettuccini with tomato cream sauce... the hubs enjoying Angry Eggplant Parmesan in a hot spicy arrabbiatta sauce served over spaghetti alfredo... super garlicky bread delicious... and... a night off for the chef...

Returning to a dark house... luckily windows left closed... temps dropping precipitously... the sun scooting behind the mountains... two glasses of water for thirsty mouths... time for a fire to warm chilly bones and a movie Independence Day... Resurgence... with Jeff Goldblum... Bill Pullman... & Judd Hirsch... all from the original movie... humorous at times... entertaining... followed by another episode of Planet Earth off to bed... nighty night 

 Estes Park, Colorado... Day twenty three... Thursday September 2, 2021

Sleeping in... waking to another chilly day in the Rockies... skies overcast... low clouds skimming the tops of Mt Meeker and Longs Peak... sun playing peek a boo every now and then... insurfficient to warm the atmosphere... scattered drizzle on and off...

Breakfast... toasted buttered multigrain seeded bread and Awake Tea by Tazo... the hubs hungry... eggs... ham... toasted multigrain seeded bread... coffee and of course... water

Doing some wild crafting... mullein growing prolifically on the property... drying the soft furry leaves... excellent expectorant for coughs... strengthenes weak lungs... freshly dried leaves have higher levels of active constituents

The hubs in his workshop... securing the house for our departure next week

Spending time checking in on friends and loved ones... hurricane Ida dropping extensive rain in the northeast... massive flash flooding... inundating homes... Mark & Drea... two inches of water throughout their basement... soaking flooring... messy clean up... our house had some minor water seepage in the unfinished basement... the kids able to clean it up early today... no damage... Mom experiencing no leaks... Daniche and Eduardo’s building flooded the lobby but their apartment fortunately untouched... hurricane Larry out in the Atlantic revving up to be a massive cat 4... hoping it remains a storm for the fishes

Late lunch... Greek yogurt with strawberry preserves and of course... water sitting out in the garage... enjoying the drizzle... Anne... neighbor and art gallery owner... stopping by with a loaf of cranberry walnut bread and a gorgeous giant tomato sending her love to Mom... inviting us to a jazz and wine evening Friday from 5 - 8pm at the gallery... sounds intriguing

Some good news... a flash of white poofy tail... gray fur... long stand up ears... Henry making a flash appearance... streaking across in front of Kathy & Rich’s house... so happy to see him.... Spotted two white tailed deer bucks eight pointers... handsome & healthy... nibbling grasses behind the house

Resurgence supper... chili night... 90/10 ground beef... vidalia onion... garlic... cumin... coriander... turmeric... chili powder... red pepper flake... dark red kidney beans... tomato sauce... salt... pepper... and the magic ingredient... beer Using Fat Tire IPA... delicious... hubs didn’t say much... too busy eating two huge bowlfuls... so yummy… His accompanied by a Guinness... yours truly finishing up the rest of the Fat Tire... cheers Dessert... sliced honeydew... refreshing and sweet

Movie night double feature... Lala Land... Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone... not sure what all the raves were about... dragged on... maybe just not our taste? Stealth... action packed... Josh Lucas, Jessica Beil, Jamie Fox and Sam Shepard... excellent storytelling... thought provoking discussion of drone warfare... off to bed.... Nighty night