Road Trip with Dad Pt. II

Well, it is not 5:00 yet - but I figured these shots of Wayne, Maine
are a little more picturesque than what I'd see at 5PM on the NY State Thruway.

We arrived last evening to the Folks' place after what Uncle Butch figures was approx. 850 miles of driving and riding between the two of us for the first day. Despite the fact we were all up with the sun before 5AM, (obviously, I didn't think to take pictures at the am hour) we enjoyed a lazy morning and a great breakfast cooked by Aunt Jan. We not only took a walk through the woods up at their place, we also went strawberry picking before we even thought about repacking the truck to transport the perishables home.

On the way to the fields, I was regaled with the stories of Tubby's: Wayne's ice cream parlor that is an attraction for miles and miles around. It's a relatively new establishment (my last visit was 8 years ago) that is doing great business year round. If you've known me for any length of time, you know my penchant for good, homemade, or fresh ice cream. So I managed to delay our departure just long enough for the eatery to open at 11:00 and convince Dad we needed to get ours "to-go".

So while he waited for our order, I wandered around and got a few shots of metropolitan Wayne before we said our farewells, loaded ourselves into the cab of the truck, and pointed it homewards to get the last leg of 500 miles done and over with. We managed not to eat the lobster roll or the ice cream till we hit I-95 once we were off the roller coaster hills and curves of the state highways.

Even if it was an all too-quick trip (1,350 miles in 38 hours) it was nice to get away and see people and places I haven't seen in years. Isn't that what road trips are all about, anyway?

Road Trip with Dad Pt. I

Lincoln, Maine is the home of 13 lakes. It is also the town where Dad's truck was repaired. I managed to line this shot up and take it just a little after 5 PM. It might have a lovely foreground, but the rainbow arch that had been there moments before managed to disappear.

Here's proof that the rainbow existed - not a great shot, but it was there!

By this point of the day, we'd been driving since 5AM and still had another 2 hours in front of us to get to our overnight accommodations at Uncle Butch and Aunt Jan's. We were road warriors though, eating our fast food meal on the road after we dropped the rental car off an hour south of this place. Happily, our lunch had been spent at a fabulous spot called Stonyfield Cafe in Falmouth, ME. (They make a great yogurt I regularly get when I can find it. I really loved my salad - too bad the only one they have is there in Maine!) My friend Ruth, from swimteam days, recommended the spot just off the interstate when I called her mid-morning and met us with her three kids. Ruth and I had been in carpools together for so many years, she totally understood the delicate balance of wanting to visit longer but the need to get back on the road and accomplish the mission at hand. It was so great to see her that I didn't realize until I started uploading my pix that I managed to take none of the principal players of whom I mention in these two road-trip posts!

Back in Lincoln, the weather vein is more proof
of being in Maine: loons - not roosters.

The moose are on the loose in Maine

(We actually did see a young bull moose scamper across I-95
the next day but it was so fast he was gone before we could get the picture.)

The chariot awaits

Tomorrow at some unseemly hour of the morning before dawn I will be in this rented car headed north to Maine to retrieve my dad's truck. It's a long, painful, and pitiful story that still makes no sense, and the end result is that we are banking on the mechanic's words that there is an 80% chance the truck will be ready when we arrive. If not, we have another 24 hours in Maine to visit with some friends that are like family. Here's hoping we are back and off the road before the weekend holiday traffic gets going!

That's what friends are for......

Since sometime in April, I've been spending Sunday evenings at my friend Tracey's house watching the last season of The Tudors on Showtime with her. A few weeks ago, her husband Jeff and their daughters showed off the trophies they had won at a car show with Jeff's Bronco. Being the owner of a classic car myself, I asked a little more than just the politely interested questions. Last week, Jeff inquired after my sewing abilities as he wanted to custom fit the roof of the Bronco to some modifications he had done to the the front of the vehicle. One thing lead to another and I ended up bringing my sewing machine to their house this evening. (And yes, you Tudor fans, the show ended last week, but Tracey and I are going to spend summer Sunday evenings watching other productions about other Tudors; Elizabeth, Mary, Henry, etc. from a local library) After a simply scrumptious shrimp scampi meal, prepared by Tracey, I did my best to alter the top of the Bronco according to Jeff's specifications. Sometimes, you just don't know what having a few sewing skills (and a more than passing interest in classic cars) will get you.

Sayreville Sauerkraut - my own World Cup version

Once upon a time, a young woman, fresh from college was hired to teach science in the then-most-Polish-town in all of New Jersey. Little did she know when she signed her teaching contract that her career in the sleepy hamlet of Sayreville she would become proficient in far more than creating lesson plans and teaching objectives for college bound chemistry students. She would also spend two back-to-back football seasons (American version) working along side the King of Kraut himself, Wayne McCormick, and learn the secrets of Sayreville Sauerkraut.
In fact, the very same year that Jon Bon Jovi gave away his house on MTV, this young woman was informed that whenever the Sayreville Bombers hosted a home football game, it was her responsibility as Senior Class Adviser to have the ingredients ready for Wayne to start prepping the famous sauerkraut before school ended on Friday afternoon.
Now, many years later, before the start of the last match the USA will see in FIFA World Cup play this year, our heroine made her own version of the kraut to simmer and cook for dinnertime this evening.

Traditional Sayreville Sauerkraut (American Football)

Cut raw bacon into bits, cook, and drain excess fat. Chop onion and cook till tender. Drain. Rinse off kraut. Place all ingredients in large saucepan. Add a little moisture: water or apple juice if making for the minors and sale on high school property - a little fermented barley and hops (beer) if you aren't manning a concession stand at a high school athletics event. Let simmer and cook for several hours on low heat. Keep covered and stir occasionally.

World Cup Variation

Same as above with the following additions: 45 minutes before serving, chop up hot dogs, bratwurst and knackwurst. Add to kraut. Stir in another bottle of beer. Raise heat and let simmer 40 minutes. Serve with hot German potato salad. Enjoy. Refuse to think about the fact that maybe, just maybe, you've thrown your allegiance to Germany tomorrow morning instead of England because you ate kraut and potato salad. Decide to make blueberry scones in the morning to make up for your error.

Trust me - there's a difference

I know I've had a couple of shots like this already this week - but this time, the porch has been scrubbed down and it's about 10 degrees cooler than it was earlier in the week. Just sitting here till I figure out what to make for dinner.

evening plans

It's too hot to plant now - but this evening these
dahlias, portulaca, and impatients will find a place
to bloom where they are planted for the summer.

Feels like a Friday!

It's almost just like I pictured and anticipated it yesterday! I had a busy day running around the district, handing in books, grade sheets, and had sessions with two separate students. At about 3:30 I turned in my time sheet to the Director of Student Services, and I was done, done, done with the 2009-10 school year!
I drove back to The Homestead, fixed myself a cool adult beverage to enjoy on the porch, grabbed my camera, book, and to-do list and sat down with my feet resting up on my Pilates ball. It isn't like I have absolutely nothing to do - I need to read for a Bible study I am attending this evening, get this blog entry done, and organize the to-do list with things about going to libraries, retrieving books to read for my dissertation, projects I hope to get done, and then go back inside and deal with some emails about summer tutoring and adjunct teaching I will be doing after the 4th of July.
But for right now, these couple of hours, I am in the sacred moment of excitement that comes with both completion and anticipation. I do the happy dance that celebrates the high school graduation of two extraordinary young women I had the pleasure to work with the last several months. I revel in the knowledge that the last 10 months of my involvement in public education has come to a satisfying and temporary close for the summer hiatus. (It's been a hard year and a long one for those involved in public education here in New Jersey - but that is a story for another blog entry by someone else.) And I begin to make plans for the summer months hoping that the change of pace will restore my energy packs even as I set about goals I wish to accomplish.
Since kindergarten, I've only had three years where my life wasn't ruled by a school calendar. I think that qualifies me to reliably testify that regardless of the side of the desk one occupies, there is just nothing that feels like the last day of school. It is simply bliss.

One more get-up

In 24 hours, I don't know exactly what I will be doing, but right now, I imagine myself sitting on the porch and enjoying doing nothing. Tomorrow is the last day of school for Princeton Regional School District and I am looking forward to the change of pace that comes with the end of the school year and summertime. Actually, I will actually be doing some instruction for them this summer as well - but it won't be till after the 4th of July - and the hours will be greatly reduced which might be sad for my paycheck, but good for the research and reading that I have to do towards the dissertation I am trying to write.
The title of today's blog is courtesy my former colleague, Clare, who used to count down school days by the times we had to "get up and get going" to go to school. She believed that once you got up and got moving the day was downhill from there - which most people would believe is positive thinking - and it is - but then one reason so many of us like to have Clare as our friend is because she could manage to put a positive, perky spin on anything - just like her hero Pollyanna!

Super Summer Solstice Supper

These days watermelon is available in most supermarkets year round. But really, doesn't it just taste better in the summer? I decided this seedless melon tasted so good I would eat some for dinner. It was just perfect - juicy, tasty, and delicious. The best part was that it involved no pots, pans, stoves, or microwaves. Clean up was simple too - just wiped down the counter when I was done, put the rinds in the compost, and cut up melon pieces to be stored in the fridge to be enjoyed later during this mini-heat wave.

my brother - the dad

In our family, Father's Day is traditionally a relaxed, kicked back affair in which the guys can enjoy doing as they want. Our dad took off for incommunicado spots of the great woods and lakes of northern Maine yesterday morning for a fishing adventure. My brother, using his managerial authority, told his two assistants to enjoy their day as they pleased and he'd work solo. My brother's a smart guy, cause he knew his kids would love spending the day at the pool with daddy and he managed to get a picnic dinner out of the deal brought to him by his wife, his mother, and his sister - which we all did willingly.

Relax a bit, dad, relax!

She always helps me save money (by spending it!)

I've mentioned before that I got a sweet deal when my brother married Lorraine. I've also discussed that we both enjoy shopping at Talbots. And the nearly eleven years that the two of them have been married, hardly a shopping excursion goes by in which we don't discover all sorts of bargains in which I do all the buying and she does all the looking. Lorraine's been talking sales since I returned from NC last weekend and told me about some good deals in the current L.L. Bean catalog. I made my little wish list earlier in the week but held off placing it b/c we suddenly had an opportunity for our own expedition and I just knew if past history held true I was going to find some pretty good bargains. And I did. I found two dresses at the Bass outlet that were almost replicas of two dresses I earmarked in the catalog - and at 70% off their original price, I saved more than $25 on the deal had I ordered the similar dresses from L.L.Bean. As we were leaving the dressing room she let slip that she really thought I should have bought a dress I saw on sale at Talbots earlier. I shrugged her off and told her by not buying it today I was sticking to my budget better.
By the time we returned to The Homestead late afternoon with my purchases I'd forgotten about the Talbot dresses until Lorraine mentioned to my mother that I had passed up the deal of the day as she was willing to kick over to me her b-day coupon that could be used during the month to bring the sale price down even lower. So, off we all went to Talbots where they both convinced me that I had to buy a 2nd dress of the same style b/c the 2nd sale garment purchased was discounted an additional 50%. The dress looks great, I'll have them as a part of my wardrobe for years to come, and the price of both dresses was about 60% cheaper than the original price of one dress - so I really did save by spending!

Wearing one of the earlier purchases I made
as I made the purchase of the Talbots' bargain.
Thanks, s-i-l, it was a fun day!

Q: Why do farmers bale hay....

in rectangular bales?

A: So the horses can eat the hay!

yep - that's as profound as we get today.
Thanks, Dad!

,

Random Rock Garden

This little rock, river, and floral display was outside the little restaurant where I had dinner this evening with the UMW of the Sergeanstiville UMC. The food inside was pretty good and the company was enjoyable as we chatted and ate surrounded by all sorts of televisions discussing the most heated rivalries in World Cup history. Funny, not many of those match-ups involved the USA......

What's up, Tiger Lily?

With apologies to Woody Allen and Peter Pan's loyal Indian princess companion, the many bouquets of naturalized blossoms are making the daily commute just breathtaking these days.

This particular display on a bend in the road near the bridge are especially picturesque, yes?

Yes, that was a rhetorical question.
Just enjoy.

The blueberries are coming, the blueberries are coming!

They still aren't quite blue, yet - but the promises of a bumper
crop of blueberries here at The Homesetead are on the horizon.

See? Evidence of things to come. Denim blue and just lovely.

Just a couple of weeks more and
I can already smell the muffins being made.

,

Sometimes you go with what you've got

Fresh mozzarella in the fridge. Basil plant outside the door. Tomato left over from the weekend. A little extra virgin olive oil, ground black pepper, and PRESTO - appetizer!

How to take a Sunday afternoon nap

Lay on the couch
Tuck pillow under chin
Crawl up in fetal position
Tell Auntie to get lost (nicely)

Road Trip Heaven

I might miss diners, good pizza, decent bagels, and lebanon baloney when I don't live in NJ. But living in NJ for the past year means I miss some things I've come to love living in other places. Fortunately, my route between The Homestead and Greenville, NC (or Richmond, VA) has Chick-fil-a restaurants on both the north bound and south bound sides of the road. As long as the timing is right, the pit stop is a matter of just pulling off the road and not having to bother with a jug handle or reversing direction. Such was my ride north this afternoon. AND I managed to time the road trip during Chick-fil-a's special summer peach milkshake promotion! It's a meal in and of itself, and in my opinion, quite honestly, just perfect for an early summer Saturday road trip. Yum!

The Sweet Magnolias of St. James UMC

St. James United Methodist Church in Greenville, North Carolina is the church I served as Minister of Adult Discipleship in 2002-2005. The women of the church hosted the Deacons of the North Carolina Annual Conference for dinner here this evening. This magnolia was in bloom outside the Fellowship Hall. There were many others in bloom on the trees, too - but they were too high up for me to photograph very well.

These are the sweet southern 'steel magnolias' that hosted us for dinner: Judy (in the striped shirt) and the crew she recruited for the evening. I sincerely believe the best perk about having conference in the same town is enjoying a dinner that Judy made. Her chicken recipes are classics and have a simple elegance as well. Mary Alice, Lanie, Barbara, Katherine, Elizabeth, and Cheryl served us from soup to nuts - or more precisely, salad to cheesecake and then cleaned up after us deacons. How blessed are the diakonia, an order of clergy set apart for servant leadership, to have a dedicated group of laity be willing to serve and wait upon our tables?

The business of holy conferencing

It's Annual Conference time for the people called Methodist in North Carolina. That means that today and tomorrow the clergy and laity of the United Methodist Church are assembled in the Convention Center of Greenville, NC to discuss the ministry of the conference. Since the reality of denominational work includes the business of finances, pensions, and insurance, some of our time together is devoted to attending to those matters. That is exactly what we were doing in the hour before 5:00 and I was sitting with the crew from St. James UMC, the church I served before going back to school five years ago.

It's good to be able to sit with people you like, even through business meetings.

Good Mexican food - but not in NJ!!!

I made a pit stop in Rocky Mount, NC to have dinner with my friend Ursula and her kids this evening on my way to Greenville for Annual Conference with the Methodist Church of North Carolina. Due to a programming malfunction with the satellite navigation system, it took me longer than expected to arrive at her house (meaning my finger must have errantly selected the wrong street in the list I had to choose from) but when I arrived she greeted me with good news - we'd go have Mexican for dinner if I thought I might want some! I thought I couldn't get to the restaurant fast enough - and I was so touched that she has been following my blog. Her son Chris was happy to munch on a chip and pose for the camera. Trust me, there is some really great fresh salsa sitting just on my side of the chip basket! Chris is in a good mood as school is over for the year and World Cup starts on Sunday - yeah, I know it starts before that, but Chris is only interested in Germany. For those of you who were classmates of Ursula you might be wondering about how Germany figures into the equation - and there are no obvious answers, b/c she is wondering too. Regardless of the enigmatic whims of teenagers, he and his sister were good company and excited to share their respective summer plans with one of mom's 'old' friends.

See, the good Mexican food is in NC!
Thanks, Ursula, for a great pits stop - I'll have to give that satnav another go the next time I come down from Jersey!

Orange you having a hoppy birdie, s-i-l?

Today we celebrated Lorraine's birthday. I made out good in the in-law dept. when Jim proposed....and what has come along since the wedding hasn't been too bad, either.

The birthday mum isn't giving up her daughter's age!

Lorraine's signature color is orange,
so there were splashes of it all over the place.

A one of a kind purse for a one of a kind sister-in-law.

And she likes Carvel ice cream cakes - yummy!

Disheveled Shelves

My reading is in flux these days - hence the bookshelf is not ship shape or terribly organized for any one other than me to make sense of it right now.

"I spy with my little eye......

...something....BLUE!"
"Hmmm, Luke......could it be the sky?"
"Nooooo, Auntie, the sky isn't really blue right now!"

"Oh, you are right! Hmmm, then is it the storm cloud behind us?"
"Nope"
"Is the something blue outside the car?"
"No, it's not!"
"So it's inside the car?"
"Yes! It is!"

"OK, then is it the map in front of you?"
"Yes it is, Auntie!"

Yes, the initiator of the game actually took all the pictures of what we guessed during our car game today. The kid has a perspective and knack for framing that I couldn't resist sharing what he spied with his little eye and the camera lens.

see how the garden grows

Several weeks ago we toured Dad's garden here at the Homestead and before everything is harvested, I thought I might get a few shots recorded now that nearly everything is planted.
Above is the herb garden just out the kitchen for easy cutting during food prep.

I did a major operation on this mint plant at the end
of last year and pleased with its progress.

Lettuce - already making tasty salads

Leeks - a new crop for the garden

Tomatoes with scallions across from them

Squash - with Al foil to keep away the grubs.
There are at least 6 plants all together.

String beans, lima beans and something else.

Zinnias, cosmos, other flowers to bloom later this summer