More notes from the Sandwich Life

1. We seem to be having an influx of large spiders in our house. I know it's spider season outdoors, but indoors? This is quite disturbing. The last two seemed to be racing right toward where I sit. I mean what are they doing scuttling across the living room floor? Where are they going? What is their goal? How do we get rid of them?

Sigh.

2. Saturday's gloomy weather was delightful even though it did cause Teri and Brian's party to be postponed. Ernie and I curled up and watched a couple of movies and a couple of cooking shows. We giggled and snacked on some peanuts and opened the windows to hear it rain, pausing the tv every so often to tell each various things we thought of or remembered.

3. I'm feeling the need to start thinking about cooking for fall. The other night I pulled out some vegetables from the refrigerator that were getting a little bit gone. The green beans were good but kind of big and slightly tired, so I took them and a bunch of Swiss chard stems and threw them in a pot with some garlic oil, water, salt and oregano and braised them and cooked them down. Then I added the leaves of the chard and continued to braise it. It all just melted together. We put it in bowls and sprinkled it with lemon juice and feta. I can't say it was a beautiful dish but oh damn, it tasted wonderful.

4. Hurricane Ida and the destruction of the barrier island, Grande Isle made me go back and reread Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast by Mike Tidwell. I read it some time ago, it was written pre-Katrina. I think it was the first book that truly brought home to me the effect we humans have had on the environment and our blindness to it. It is also just a wonderful travelogue Cajun life. I highly recommend it.

5. Teri and Brian's postponed party was wonderful yesterday. All outside in their gorgeous yard, lots of space, food, friends and music.

6. The other night I went upstairs to read but I got antsy and came back downstairs. Ernie had pulled a chair up to the turntable so I knew it was 45 night. I love 45 nights.

7. Today I slept late as I had tossed and turned all night. Then Bob peed on Ernie's jeans in a silent but effective protest against the state of the litter box. I'm not sure what the rest of the day holds but potato salad for Ernie may be involved.

Onward.