Dear friends,

Here's what's on my mind particularly in light of recent heart-breaking losses in Afghanistan.

A family friend visited this past week. 

This incredibly personable, bright, talented, thoughtful, fun young man is going to Afghanistan.  I simply cannot imagine.

We shared dinner bundled up in shawls and hats he had carried to us from his last trip. Our Tent was a perfect place to spend an evening with family, friends and CB before he left for Afghanistan. The evening was rich with his stories/our questions/much laugher. Very much a celebration of friendship. And talent. And devotion. And courage.

Obviously we're all concerned about his safety.  

Whatever your personal preference, practice or persuasion, would you join me in sending light and love/prayers for our friend, "CB," in Afghanistan along with the many, many other dedicated men and women serving with him.

Thank you. 

Here's to a super summer weekend!

Truly unbelievable!  An amazing, laugh out loud video.  Assuming you adore dogs.

thank you, Jan!!!

The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. 
William James 

Hmmmmmm.  I wonder what that might be.  Any thoughts on your part?

Good advice.

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself. 
Harvey Fierstein 

Quote from StoryPeople

He discovered his reset button early on and there were not many things 
that bothered him all the rest of his days just because of that. 
Brian Andreas

I think I need to find my reset button.  

Do you know where yours is?

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. 
Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Intermittent bulletin #1

Santa Barbara Bay All Natural Seafood Salad.  

OK, I haven't read the label. This is totally irresponsible, I know, but it was just served as an appetizer.  On Rye Crisp.  I had to report in.

Source:  Costco.

So flavorful!  

Be the first on your block to introduce it to the rest of the world.

I'm currently scraping the bowl.  

Is licking the bowl is acceptable?

Probably not.

Too bad, I just did it.

Thank you, Susan!

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost." 
— Martha Graham

Quote week commences.

What follows are a few I recently found and very much like.  I bet you have one or two to share.  And maybe it would be helpful to post your favorites.  Here and on your mirror. 

Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you're not alive. 

Mel Brooks 

Update on Monday, August 1, 2011 at 2:16PM by Lois

My 89 year old mother says, "Eat steak while you still have teeth."  

And as to why she doesn't do organized workouts, "I'm saving my parts."  Linda

IL VOLO!

Barb, where do you find these sensational pieces?

This made my day.

I hope it makes yours as well.  

Thank you, Joan!!!!!

A sign I can relate to.

And a message I seem in sync with this week.  

Why am I smiling when I watch this?  

Are you smiling, too?

Pretty powerful performance.

I'm obviously not the only one in tears.  

Barb, thank you.  

Spectacular save!

Mary, thank you so much!

Good boy!

Thanks, Barb!

Wild ride clarified.

At the exact moment

I needed a bit of inspiration…

IT ARRIVED!!!

As it so often does. 

Thanks to you, darling niece of mine!!!

Happy Weekend Message!

Well said.

"If you truly expect to realize your dreams, abandon the need for blanket approval.  If conforming to everyone's expectations is the number one goal, you have sacrificed your uniqueness, and therefore your excellence."

Hope Solo

Thanks, Steve!

Purse problems resolved

Kate can pull it off.  Some of us simply cannot.  

I would look, and more importantly, feel totally lame if I carried a smart hand-held bag as she so successfully does on a daily basis.

Kate could clutch a dead squirrel and still look stunning.

And, I would undoubtedly leave my cute purse somewhere if it wasn't actually attached to my body.   

Enter the beaded cross-body bag. 

Why not the shorter, over-the-shoulder variety? Tried that. Tuns out that they roll off shoulders onto the ground. 

Where to gather what you need?  Local bead shops, shows, resale shops, estate sales.  Or simply repurpose necklaces/bracelets that you no longer wear.

I loved the process as well as the resulting products.

Here's to carving out more time to be creative and to play with possibilities!

  

Super simple success story!

All of you, no doubt, have the following information tucked away in the deep recesses of your very large brains/I, on the other hand, did not.  As a relative newcomer to low sugar jam making, I was in the dark about low methoxyl pectin.  

Read more about about this pretty amazing product:

"Pomona's Universal Pectin makes thick jam and jelly with rich, full flavor undiluted by large amounts of added sugar. Ordinary fruit pectins require your jam or jelly to be 55-85% sugar to set firmly. Not so with Pomona's Universal Pectin which is a sugar-free, low-methoxyl citrus pectin that is activated by calcium. Since it does not require sugar to jell, jams and jellies can be made with less, little, or no sugar. Some other possible sweeteners are honey, fructose powder, concentrated fruit sweetener, maple syrup, frozen juice concentrate, stevia, Splenda, and other artificial sweeteners."

I found Pomona at Whole Foods and made a batch of cherry jam with only one addition: the rind as well as juice from the lemon.  Otherwise, I did not diverge from the directions on the back of the box using the smallest amount of sugar possible.  Super easy and quite flavorful/colorful!  A definite winner when added to Fage 0%.  YES!  SUCCESS!!!

Stay tuned for Zucchini Pancakes.  I put on a pound eating what we produced yesterday.  Trying another recipe tomorrow.  Will share the best.  

Plant zucchinis now.