A Special Visit with our Grandson

This week John and I drove to New Hampshire to pick up our grandson, Jack, to come for a pre-camp visit to North Hatley and Montreal.  We have not had Jack all to ourselves in a very long time therefore we are cherishing this time with him.  He used to come for the summer along with his sister until he went off to Camp Wabun three years ago.  We now have Libby all to ourselves for the summer which we all love.  This visit with Jack was a happy surprise.  He was invited to Montreal to visit with his childhood Canadian friend, Rory, and they have had quite a time exploring the city.  We got him to North Hatley and then he went into town with Rory the next day.  Today he will come back out to the country on the bus.  A big adventure.  We will then have four days here before we head back to New Hampshire for his sister’s celebration upon graduating from Elementary School on her way to Middle School.  Jack and his grandfather got his boat in the water so he was able to go off on his own some.   That boat belonged to his great-grandfather, my father, many years ago.   I believe it is now about 55 years old.   It used to have an 18 horse power motor on it when my brother, sister and I were growing up but that motor died some years ago.  It now has a 9.9hp which is perfect.  It is an aluminum boat and pretty much indestructible.  Jack loves it.  He is licensed and now old enough to drive the big boat but his boat is more fun. Unfortunately the weather has been awful up here in Canada this week so no boating for the last few days.  It has been cold, in the 50’s or less, most days and it has been raining and misty.  It won’t last but it has brought us back into the house to sit by the fire once again.  Imagine going from the 90’s a couple of weeks ago back down to the 40’s and 50’s.  Hopefully the sun will shine again this week and he will be able to go out in the boat when he gets back from Montreal.

Farmer’s Market

Our local Farmer’s Market had a pre-season opener this Saturday morning.  It is a wonderful spot in the summer and so many of the local farmers and artisans come there to sell their fresh food and various creations.  It was a small market this week but some of my favorites were back.  There is the flower lady who comes with her daughter every Saturday bringing the loveliest bouquets of local grown flowers with her.  All for a very reasonable price.  She has the best booth because it is the first one you see when you arrive and it just puts you in a perfect mood to try and pick out the best bunch for your own home.  The gentleman who makes hummus, gazpacho, salsa and an assortment of spicey tapenades that could put hair on your chest, was back.  He makes everything from scratch and frankly I can’t compete so I buy his.  I snack on hummus and his version is just so wonderful with nothing but real ingredients in it.  So good for you!  It’s not really gazpacho weather but I will have it for lunch anyway.  The meat man was not back yet but I suspect we will see him in a couple of weeks.  He has terrific local meats and eggs.  They are from his own farm and are a healthy version if you like to eat meat.  We are so incredibly lucky here in North Hatley, to have something like this for our summer.  The fresh veggies and fruits are just great.  There are lots of breads and homemade pizza things too for those who like to eat breads.  My grandchildren like the donuts and the apple turnovers.  I like the strawberries but they are not in yet.  Too cold!!!  Hope you can find a Farmer’s Market near you so that you might enjoy the lovely seasonal and local to your area food.

Healing? or Not?

I have been able to continue to walk this week and even tried a couple of hills.  The toeless sneaker is definitely the way to go and I think it is getting better.  It seems that I have not been blessed with a sufficient amount of patience as I am ready to have this broken toe go away and get back to my regular walking.  You might say that I am not speedy at this point.  Average time is somewhere around 20-25 minutes a mile.  Not always because of speed though.  It also has to do with stopping and talking with people we run into and finding out how their lives are and what is new in the village.  There is always something.  For most of the year it is just Jen, her dog Lexie, and me who walk but we are joined in the summer months by our friend Genie and her dog Nala and eventually Jen’s sister and her dog Riley.  It is quite a gathering.  At one point in time, when I still walked my two dogs and both Genie and Jen’s sister each had two dogs, it was quite the sea of dogs and people.  My dogs just can’t make the distance anymore but they still love to go on short walks closer to home.

In Honor of almost Summer

Here is an explanation about what constitutes Gazpacho that I found on Wikipedia:

“Gazpacho; Andalusian: is a soup made of raw vegetables and served cold, usually with a tomato base, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. Gazpacho is widely eaten in Spain and neighbouring Portugal, particularly during the hot summers, as it is refreshing and cool.”

So here is a recipe for you to enjoy.   I found it on  SimplyRecipes – Gazpacho .  I hope it is actually warm where you are so that you may give it a try.

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Something New

Normally I don’t endorse products but I have been trying some new ones from a company called Beauty Counter.  I saw on The Today Show a few months back the 4-minute morning makeup routine and during the demonstration they used some of their products.  It was time for me to update my makeup products and I prefer to use the most natural and cleanest products I can find.  I have sensitive skin and actually had a negative reaction to some mascara that I had used.  Anyway, I thought I would give it a try and as it turns out, a friend from my Proctor days, is a consultant with the company, so I ordered some to try.  It has been about three weeks now and no negative reactions from anything.  Love the all day face cream and the makeup.  So, if you are looking for a good clean product, then give it a try.  The link above will go to Kate’s page.  You can tell her I sent you!  Good luck and,