Thursday, June 26, 2008

Greetings from Morocco! (tales from my virtual vacation)


Hello all,

Wish you were here. I am writing to you from a rooftop patio festooned with colorful pillows. The weather is warm but the breeze is perfumed with the scent of a nearby olive grove. I am enjoying a lovely afternoon cup of mint tea served on a silver trayed dotted with exotic pastries.

I spent the day wandering through the busy market streets drinking in the heady smells of fresh spices and local produce. Barrels of olives and buckets of lemons... Gorgeous! The sound of local vendors plying their trade still rings in my ears.

I refreshed myself with a dip in the courtyard pool and a chilled drink recommended by my charming hosts. Heaven!

Tonight I will sleep in luxury. A king size bed decorated in generous yards of rich brocade will be my final destination. Every detail of my accomodations are a celebration of color and beauty. Stunning tile mosaics, peaceful garden settings, flavorful local dishes...

Hope all is well with you,

Michele

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Cherry Pie and a cuppa joe


Paul and I are always looking for something to celebrate. If possible to celebrate with some tasty morsels, so much the better. So, as we came to the end of our Twin Peaks DVD's it was a no brainer. It had to be cherry pie.

As fate would have it, its cherry season. Fresh cherries are affordable and plentiful. I scooped them up, brought them home and got to pittin'. I made my favorite pastry compliments of Julia Child. Shortening and butter together make for a beautiful crust. I mixed the cherries with some sugar, cornstarch, butter and some grated apple.

We waited anxiously for the kids to go to sleep so we could discover Agent Cooper's fate. We were armed with hot coffee, warm pie and cold vanilla ice cream. Heaven. Full points to the pie for flavor, but I would try a different thickening agent next time. Tapioca?

Life is sweet. Just add pie.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

graduation day



Last week we celebrated Duncan's graduation from preschool. We crowded into the gym with all the other parents and grandparents to watch the parade of little people stream onto the stage. I tried valiantly not to cry and managed to isolate the tears to one eye only which I discretely wiped away when noone was looking. They marched up the aisle wearing little cardboard graduation hats with blue tassles made of yarn. They sang a good selection of songs including the theme song from "Spiderman". Duncan did pretty well until he completely lost interest. He yawned repeatedly and pulled constantly at the elastic holding on the hat. At one point he began lifting up his shirt and saying, "Look at my big fat belly" to the children standing beside him. At this point one of the parents turned to me and said, "Michele, you must be so proud." Strangely, I was. I understand now how parents are steadfastly proud of their children despite their imperfections.

After receiving his diploma (which he used as a telescope to examine the ears of his non-fidgeting classmates) he was delighted to get the ceremony out of the way so he could get to the main event...the snack table. Now that is my boy!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

The good ole summer time

I am feeling cautiously optimistic that summer has arrived in Nova Scotia. I have stopped wearing socks and jackets. There is the unmistakable sweet scent of the salty Atlantic in the air. The backyard has changed into a beautiful tangle of green. Life is beautiful.

As the mom of two small guys there are other signs of summer as well. The frequent demands for popsicles for every kid who wanders into the yard, the trails of water across the kitchen floor that are testament to the filling of supersoakers... Good times.

Having such a short season of warmness as we do here on the east coast, I treasure every beautiful day. Every ice cream at the park, trip to the beach, family barbeque, every line of sweet smelling laundry.