Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1.  Ohhhh....I think Owen's going to like THIS one.  Well, I know Ernie will anyway.  Robbie Fulks with his song Fountains of Wayne Hotline.  It's several years old but I just found this via the great Power Pop blog and it is a WONDERFUL way to start the day.

2. My dear antique dealer (because they just can't help themselves) friends Diana and Jim wrote me from California yesterday and I must post this because it sounds like such a wonderful anniversary celebration.  It was in response to my Julia Child rant---and I must clarify I am NOT anti-Julia just anti-snarky-food-blogger-cattiness-about-Julie-Powell.  Anyway....

Dear Cynthia,

 

Yesterday was our anniversary, and in the MIDDLE OFTHE AFTERNOON we went to see Julie and Julia.  We have read one of thebooks written about Julia Child (the one authored by her nephew), so we knewabout her life and were eager to see the movie.  To say that Meryl Streepplayed the part of Julia to a "T" is a bit of an understatement! You need to goto see that part, if nothing else, but we enjoyed the whole thing.  It's a2 hour movie, so be prepared to sit for a long time. Also, you will need to eatdirectly before or after the movie, because the food that is shown inthe film will make you hungry.  In honor of Julia, we went to a Frenchrestaurant in Santa Rosa called Rendezvous Bistro and had a lovely dinner. I ordered petrale sole (a California fish) prepared with an exquisite sauce, andJim ate a rustic soup with crab, clams and mussels all in theirshells. DELICIOUS!  The wine we chose was a bottle of aviognier/chardonnay blend.  Oh my!  Oh, I forgot to mention that weshared a calamari and baby spinach salad before the entree, which was verytasty. We passed on dessert--too full!  So that was our experience withJulie and Julia. It was delightful!

 

Love, Diana and Jim

(Now married 47 years!)

Are they the coolest or what?  I wish California weren't so far away.....

3.  Last weekend my father's side of the family had a reunion in Rochester, New York.  I really wish I could have gone but given how much time I've taken off there was no way.  I would have liked to go and have my boys meet their....well, whatever my cousins' children would be to them (!)....and their Great Aunt Mary Ellen, my father's beloved youngest sister and the only one of his siblings left....and I could have seen cousins I haven't seen since I was a kid.....  I imagine it's probably a natural part of getting older....wanting to connect more with family....and everything that has gone on in our life has just exacerbated it....maybe next time I guess....

4.  Last year I grew pole beans on a trellis near the front porch but I wasn't really that thrilled with them so this year I just went with a moonflower....between that and our old fashioned climbing petunia and the nicotiana....it's fragrant out there in the evening....