I was sitting outside with Mark and noticing how low the sun is starting to get. Where spring seems to ease in, summer seems to blow out quickly. As soon as July fades here in VA, the crickets begin heralding the impending end of summer. We are generally ready for it given how hot and humid it can get. However, with what others around the country have been dealing with in terms of heat, floods, drought and fire, we don't complain about the weather.
We live amongst the oak trees. Fall brings the falling of both leaves and acorns. Mark has a heavy backback blower. It works wonders with the leaves, and could probably knock a small child down it is so powerful. So every week for about 3 weeks, the leaves are gathered and then burned. But first let's get through summer.
Once the leaves are off the trees, and the sun is lower, our home is sunny during the day. The eaves of the house are design so that a high sun is blocked from heating the interior of your home. A low sun comes in and makes you feel sunny and warm even if it is cold outside.
The snapped tendon in my middle finger (mid April accident) is still mending. Until you get such an injury you do not realize how much your fingers work in concert. Accordingly grippy activities such as opening a jar or handling a knife must have the full cooperation of all your hand members. My hand has become weaker and stiff from not being able to do normal activities. I can type without my splint (or taping the joint). For the longest time after I was cleared to have the splint off during the day (but still at night) typing felt like I had a dead finger! The joint felt funny (unstable), so I taped it.
My finger now is still bent at the tip. The literature says "acceptable" results when talking about healing. While the worst of the pain and squishiness is gone, the joint still requires support by the end of the day. It is curved so much it will not straighten. But the splint at night gets everything happy again, and I can enjoy a straight finger briefly in the morning.
We've had Esteban almost two months now. He has made us so happy (he's a dog). Uncontained joy is how I feel; that is not a feeling if feel often. I have a bed for him under my desk. He lays down there while I work. If sew, he goes to my sewing area. He's basically my shadow during the day
Mark's birthday was yesterday. We typically eat out at a local Mexican restaurant. We don't eat out much, but we like to go there and get pizza at the local pizza place. When I say local, I should say "only". I live in a rural county. The pizza place was the ONLY restaurant prior to our having a grocery store nearby. Now where there was nothing, there are many things.
It was too hot to eat out comfortably. I didn't have much in the fridge. I think that part of the cook's craft is to figure out how to make something from almost nothing. I had 4 pieces of bacon, bread, green tomatoes and sweet potatoes. An idea was born: I made fried green tomato BLT's with remoulade sauce and hand cut sweet potato fries. Yes, it was a bit of a prep and a mess, but the results were spectacular and exceeded my expectations (which is hard to do). The sweet potato fries work the perfect accompaniment.
I had one of my "If I owned a bistro"(which I would never do) moments. I would have that sandwich (summertime option of course) but in addition I would have homemade pimiento cheese on it--but add the elements of the remoulade sauce. I think that would just send it over the top.
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