Random Notes from the Sandwich Life

1. Can we have four day weekends more often please? I've read about 4 or 5 books, cooked a bit, planted some windowboxes for all, and laughed at my boys. That's about it. I planned to clean the living room and dining room. Didn't do it. I thought about going over bills and money and checking on some things. Didn't do it. I relaxed. I slept. I read. I listened to music. Now I'm trying to avoid that feeling of the-weekend-is-almost-over-and-I've-done-NOTHING. Only semi-successful thus far but it was worth it.

2. The weather has been glorious and I've loved having all the windows open. It's supposed to be hot again today so I broke down and turned on the A/C for Leo. He has a wretched cold and it does get really hot in his room. Somehow, being hot and sweaty when you have a cold adds insult to injury, so I turned it on last night, as it was the only thing I could think to do for him. Poor sweet pea.

3. Owen's spent the night with some friends so it's quiet this morning. His friends came over to see his bug. It cracked me up to see them run from his friend's new BMW SUV and excitedly hop into the bug. Owen spent much of yesterday morning just sitting in the bug, at least when he wasn't cleaning it and fussing with it. He parked it in the alley so it was just feet away from where we sit in the yard, so it made for easy conversation with us. He looked so happy just sitting in there.

4. Today, if Leo's up for it, we're planning to go see Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I'm kind of wondering why I cheerfully agreed to that. Perhaps it could be a father and son thing...and I could read another novel. 

5. Our summer windowboxes had gotten fried and stringy I should have cut them back and fertilized them last month but I didn't so I dumped them. Parsley was not a good idea in them....it dried out and browned way too easily. I spent more than I should have on new plants but as I earnestly explained to Ernie and Leo, "But considering how much pleasure I get from then, it's not bad at all." Ornamental cabbage and peppers with some grass, and purple pansies for fall. We'll see how they do.

6. These are the glory days of summer annuals. The zinnias and cosmos, the spider flowers and the nasturtiums....just stunning right now with the goldenrod glowing in front of them. I'm already planning for next year.

7. Ernie and I made a delightful dinner last night. I browned some chicken thighs in my big yellow Le Creuset. I took them out and poured out most of the fat, then I dumped in two sliced onions (thank you sous chef Ernie), a can of whole tomatoes, just scrunched up a bit, and a bag of dried kalamata olives I'd gotten from Trader Joe's when we were in Omaha. I let it all cook a bit, added a glass or so of white wine and some oregano and red pepper flakes, set the chicken back on top of it all, covered and let it cook about half an hour, then another half an hour uncovered. Utterly delightful. We served it over quinoa and skipped the zucchini I was planning to do for the side.

8. Ok, that's all I've got for now. Back to my novel. Onward. Happy Labor Day all.