Happiness is...

....eating the vegetables from your own garden - or in the case of tomatoes, I think it is fruit.  Last year, my attempt at tomatoes was a downright failure.  This year - success!  I planted them in a corner of the garden and have nursed them along.  Yesterday, as a snack, I had some tomatoes in Italian salad dressing.  I came home, and A had taken some more tomatoes and some of the cilantro we grew and some other ingredients and made salsa.  YUM!  He barbecued pork chops and topped them with the salsa.  Double YUM!  I have peppers growing, soon to be picked.  Can't wait to see what we can do with those!

Happy Birthday Daddy

My father would have been 82 today.  My guess is he probably would have spent the day playing golf with my brother, my husband and my cousin before going out for a nice dinner with Mom.  I always wonder what he would have been like as he aged and retired.  What would he think of the things his children have done.  How proud would he be of his grandchildren - I have to say I think my niece would have been his favorite.  We'll never be able to know how all of our lives may have been different had he not died so young, so suddenly.  Thirty years on and I still miss him.  I always will.

Hairspray is your Friend...and other thoughts from vacation

"Hairspray is your friend."  I had a hairdresser who used to say that to me.  I realized just how much of a friend it could be when I was on vacation on the Cape last week - and had forgotten my hairspray.  Permed hair, a weak hairdryer and no hairspray make for some bad hair days.

I don't know how I survived childhood without air conditioning.  How did anyone ever survive it.  My favorite person on the Cape was the guy who fixed my mother's a/c late Friday afternoon.  Boomer loved him too.

Sand stings on a windy beach.

Thundershirts work on dogs that are scared of thunder.  Don't know how, but they do.

Flowers grow differently on the Cape.  My mom & I both have gallardia plants, but hers grow much taller than mine.  Balloon flowers too.

Hydrangeas are everywhere on the Cape. 

Pedestrians can be really stupid.

We have great neighbors on the Cape.

Retread pictures

I didn't take any pictures this week.  I plan to take some next week - like the ones below.  What do they all have in common?  All take on the Cape.

Friday Photos...

A study of the Stink Doggie, aka the Boom Doggie.  A week ago tonight, Boomer got skunked.  Such fun.  The boy does not like being bathed, but we managed to get it done.  He's still a little stinky though.  I took these photos a couple of days after the skunking, playing with the Retro Camera app on my cell phone.  The stuffed animal on the floor next to him is Charlie the Chimp, his consolation prize for having to endure two baths.  This dog is spoiled!

Friday Photos

The usual - flowers, knitting and Boomer.  The knitting is two more squares for the blanket for our new niece.  I took the flower shots this morning.  Sadly, some of the shots that I thought would be really cool - like one I took of the shadow of the daisy on the fence did not come out.  There was too much light.  I need to learn more about how to work with different lighting.