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We spent a good chunk of the day at a swimming pool today. Man, it was a hot one. I purposely didn’t put sunscreen on my legs because I really enjoyed peeling the skin from my 4th of July sunburn and I was hoping I could recreate that experience.
I think I only succeeded in getting a sunburn on my back. This wasn’t on purpose. Now I am going to have to beg someone else to peel it.

Speaking of summer, I have a giant bowl of summer fruit on my kitchen table. It’s lovely, overflowing with nectarines, plums, bananas, and grapes. The down side to having a giant bowl of fruit on my kitchen table is the abundance of fruit flies buzzing around. I really, really hate those pesky little things. They even started invading other rooms in my house. I read online that they can lay up to 500 eggs at a time and the larvae (!) feed on the fruit juices and even the gunk on the inside of your kitchen sink’s drain.

{reading the words larvae and feeding together really gives me the willies}

{knowing that larvae are feeding and growing into more flies and then reproducing more larvae in my house makes me want to set my house on fire.}

I Googled ways to rid my life of fruit flies and found many. I tried a few until I hit on one that really works and as it turns out, it was the simplest one. Go figure.
I’m going to share it with you in case you too, have larvae (!!!) and fruit flies and the willies.

Get a small bowl and pour about an inch of apple cider vinegar into it. Add a few drops of liquid dish soap and set near the fruit, your sink, your pantry or wherever you notice the most flies. Leave it there overnight and you’ll be amazed. The bottom of the bowl was loaded with dozens of those little buggers. Repeat if you still have a few lingering fruit flies. You may have to do it for a few days because they eggs are still hatching. (yuck!)

Anyway. There’s that.

Tulips in progress.


 
Daffodils just before dark.

Without going into specifics, I have recently been in touch with a piece of my past, and I have been thinking a lot about whether or not it’s useful to spend time on regret.
I know that choices we make (good or bad) are all opportunities for growth and learning, but do you ever wish you could just have a do-over?
Is there something in your life that you wish you could have a second chance at?
I’m really curious.
I’m always telling you what I think about things, but I think you should take a turn now.
What would your do-over be? If you had to pick just one?

This was my first time doing this, but I don’t think it will be my last. Every year at Gardner Village they have Witches Night Out. This year I was invited to come and I’m so glad I said yes. There are events and contests and all of the shops are decked out for Halloween. The best part is that almost everyone comes dressed as a witch.

The crowds of witches were almost as insane as the size of the line in the fudge shop. But as promised, both were worth the wait.

I loved seeing T’s reaction to me in costume before I left. His face was full of delight. Seriously, he was all lit up, and now I feel like a dud for not having dressed up on Halloween with my kids before. Henceforth and forever, I am going to wear a costume on Halloween. It was really fun dressing up last night.
Also, I think I might start painting my nails black as part of my daily look. I liked how my hands looked every time I pointed at something or picked up an object. Goth might be my new thing. Only time will tell.

The restaurant at Gardner Village had like a 3 hour wait, so we shopped for a while and enjoyed the freak show, then headed over to Famous Dave’s for dinner. It was fun. We ate man-sized portions of meat and cackled until well past my bed time.

Another chapter in the book of people I love.
Meet my friend Erin. (not to be confused with Erin)

I met her while I was photographing a wedding, she was the videographer.
I don’t remember exactly how we started our friendship, but it was obvious early on that we have so much in common.
She loves all of the things I am passionate about like photography, cooking, gardening, etc… We never run out of things to talk about.
Also, if I ever need a creative idea, or help with a project, she is the friend I can count on for inspiration.

While all of this is nice to have in a friend, this is not what I love most about Erin. The things that I love most about her are things that I learned over time.
She is such a great example of what a good mom is. She has endless patience, is always doing fun things with her kids, and whenever I’m around her family, it is abundantly obvious that she loves them.


 

She always speaks kindly of others.
She is a good listener. Whenever I talk to her on the phone, I end up crying. I don’t know why, I think maybe it’s because I can talk to her about things that are close to my heart, and she always listens. AND! She knows just what to say.

One of the very best things though, is that she is crazy like me. I really hope this isn’t insulting, because I just love that she understands what it’s like to live inside my head. It is a tricky place to navigate sometimes, but I don’t even have to explain the insanity to her because she already gets it. She lives it! It’s such a joy to talk to someone that knows me and understands me.

 
I believe that some people are in my life by divine design, and Erin absolutely falls into this category. At first it seemed like a chance meeting that brought us together, but as the years go by, and I see things in retrospect, I know that our friendship was and is a gift.

Lucky us. We had dinner at our friends’ house tonight. Jenny is a fabulous cook and she made the best clam chowder tonight. It was the perfect fall meal. I’m not kidding, this was REALLY good. I’m going to add this recipe to my permanent collection.
She was nice enough to let me post it here for you guys.

 

Jenny’s Clam Chowder

2 cans minced clams
2 bottles clam juice
1 C. onion, chopped
1 C. celery, diced
2 C. potatoes, diced
3/4 C. flour
1/2 C. butter
1 quart half and half
1 1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. sugar

 
Drain juice from clams, pour over vegetables in medium sauce pan. Add clam juice to barely cover. Simmer covered until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter. Add flour and cook a minute or two. Add half and half and cook until smooth using a wire whisk. Add undrained vegetables and clams. Heat through. Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.

 
Look at how cute this treat she made is…

Love spending time with the Matt and Jenny. I was so looking forward to just hanging out with them, relaxing, talking and laughing.


 


 


 


 
We also played RockBand. The Bakers now have a microphone stand. You guys. It made all the difference! I was on guitar and vocals. It was like a whole new world of awesome. Now I’m thinking that I have to memorize some bass lines in my favorite songs so I can play and sing with more accuracy.
It’s good to have goals.

The current arrangement on my kitchen table is made entirely with cuttings from my herb garden. It smells so heavenly. Kind of like spicy licorice. Every time I walk past it, I inhale deeply and smile.


 
While I was cutting them, this guy jumped out of nowhere right onto my hand. It scared me so bad, that I screamed and peed my pants, but only a little…

My vegetable garden is pathetic this year. Usually by this time, I am swimming in tomatoes and I give them away by the bag full. I don’t know what the problem is this year, but I’m just now starting to get tomatoes.
But, oh baby, are they good. I’m getting big, juicy, bright red, vine-ripened, still warm from the sun TOMATOES.
In celebration, I have been having these for every meal…

That’s a bit of an exaggeration, I didn’t have one for breakfast today. But I might tomorrow, because toasted bread and bacon? That as close to breakfast as anything else, right?
A good BLT is one of the great pleasures in life, no?

 
This is unrelated to tomatoes, but is related to bacon, as it mentions meat~
Me: “Fish, you’ve got some food on your face. Wipe the corner of your mouth.”
Fish: “Right here?”
Me: “No, other side.”
Fish: “Right here?”
Me: “No, here, let me get it” (I reach with my finger to wipe it off)
Fish: “NO!” (He backs up with a horrified expression)
Me: “I didn’t lick my finger first, just calm down”
Fish: “Well, it’s still kinda gross because your big, meaty finger is right there by my mouth.”

 
Wha?
For the record, my fingers are (a) very clean, and (b) long and slender.

With his glasses and everything.

All day yesterday at Bear Lake with our friends…

It’s so nice to be somewhere and not have any idea or care about what time it is. When you’re only job is to relax and enjoy.


 


 

I was a little worried about The Little Guy not having a nap, but he was actually very sweet most of the day. He did fall asleep pretty quickly once he was strapped into his car seat though…

We rented a water trampoline for an hour because it looked like it was going to be really fun for the kids, but once we got up close, it was kind of lame. Also, by that time everyone was cold so they spent most of the hour curled up on the trampoline in a fetal position shivering. But dangit, we payed for an hour!

It was a great day and the perfect way to end the summer…

This last picture is a scene from the lovely drive home through Sardine Canyon…

Now, I guess it’s time to get ready for school to start.

…and on my kitchen table.

This recipe comes from Giada DeLaurentis of Food Network fame. Do you watch her show? I Tivo it and watch it at night while I’m in my bed. She has some great recipes, but beyond that…she’s very smiley and she always shows a little cleavage. Entertainment on so many levels.

 
Onion Marmellata:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large onions, thinly sliced (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar (or more to taste)
Pork Chops:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 pork chops
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For the onion marmellata, place a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the onions.

Stir to combine and cook until starting to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients.

Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to scrape up any brown bits. The onions should be a soft, jam-like consistency and a deep mahogany color.

Meanwhile, for the pork chops, combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

 
By the way, do you grow herbs in the summer? This is truly one of my favorite things in life…opening the kitchen door to the back and cutting fresh herbs to use in cooking. Also, it’s SO much less expensive. Fresh herbs are expensive in the grocery store, and you can buy a plant for less than one grocery store bundle, and it just keeps giving.

 

Using your fingers, work all the ingredients together until well combined.

Rub the herb mixture over the pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve in the refrigerator.

About 20 minutes before the onions are finished, remove the pork chops from the refrigerator. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Grill the pork chops to medium, about 7 minutes a side depending on thickness. To serve, spoon the onion marmellata over the pork chops. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.


 
Our friends the Bakers came for dinner tonight. Love those Bakers.
I have mentioned before how Matt is a great dinner guest. This is why they keep getting invited back. That, and because we have a great time together.
Having a camera sitting on the dinner table lead to a game of I say a word and you act it out with just an expression.


 


 


 


 
Guess you had to be there.

I planted all manner of sunflowers along the side fence in the back yard. The bees love them. The neighbors on the other side of the fence…not so much. Haven’t they heard about the bee crisis?
I’m just doing my part.

I’ve been working on this video project today that has both stressed me out and taken up a huge chunk of my day. Also, it caused me to growl at The Little Guy. I feel guilty about it. Really, really guilty.
It’s just that at the very moment he decided to say ‘Momma’ 500 hundred times in a row (getting progressively louder each time) I was learning that two weeks worth of video shoots had been filmed without sound. And I was going to have to call 10 people and ask them if they could once again meet with me to film their part of the project.
I’ll stop sharing details because they are irrelevant. Let’s just say that when I realized what happened, I felt my stomach drop, the blood drain from my face, and I screamed NO! so loud that it echoed throughout the neighborhood.
It wasn’t The Little Guy’s fault though. And I think I broke his heart.
I will burn for that someday, I know it.
The worst part is that about 20 minutes later, I realized that I am just stupid and my video is not ruined afterall.
I’ll spend most of tomorrow making it up to him. I might even give him a cookie after breakfast. He asks every morning even though I always say no.

 
Do you know what’s happening tomorrow? I know that there are many who consider it completely silly to be so excited about a book being released. But heaven help me, I was in love with these books before I knew it was considered uncool or strange for someone of my…ahem…age to love them. And, the truth is, I just don’t care.
I am dropping the boys off at my parent’s house and then I have plans with my friend (also crazy) for dinner and at midnight we’ll be at the bookstore to get our own copies of the much anticipated fourth book. We’re just going to read until our eyes won’t stay open any longer.

 
Lastly, I had a lovely conversation with my good friend Rachel tonight during which she referred to me as a hermit. It didn’t hit me until a little while after we hung up, that I don’t know if that is a good or bad thing. Guess what I did? I looked it up.

hermit

noun
1. one retired from society for religious reasons [syn: anchorite]
2. one who lives in solitude

I know Rachel didn’t mean it as a bad thing. (seriously, girl…the love is still strong) It’s just that I tend to be content in my own little bubble here. I don’t feel the need to make many phone calls or social visits. I’ve always been like that. Not to say I don’t love my friends, because I do. I guess I am happy in my own company too, and I am never good at calling people.
But, with your permission, Rachel. I’m changing the word hermit to self-contained unit. I like that description better.
It sounds a little less pathetic.