THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE

Thanks for hanging out or hanging on waiting for me to post something...anything. Well, the painters are finally coming on Tuesday. They will paint the kitchen the Behr "Pensive Sky" which is still not "quite" right, but close enough after all these months of agonizing. The foyer, stairway and upstairs hall will have the wallpaper stripped, walls skim coated and be painted some kind of pale gold ( guess I need to get some real samples up tomorrow). It will take 3-4 days. Now I just have to get everything off the wall etc and find a place to put it until the mess is over. Did I ever tell you how much I hate having my house disrupted?? Something about the ADD brain I guess. Hopefully I will be back to posting something next week, OK?

Later,
Janet

BOB'S BIRTHDAY

picture purloined from Google

Bob is 39 again!! Here is the dinner menu befitting a man who has been 39 for the last 17 years.

Roasted Chilean Sea Bass
Israeli Couscous cooked in Tarragon Infused Seafood Stock
Glazed Carrots
Haricot Verts ( OK, actually just green beans)
Chocolate Angel Food Cake ( from Whole Foods)

OK, so I can't seem to "bring home the bacon" lately, but I sure can "fry it up in the pan".

Later,
Janet

SHE'S GONE

Sadly my friend left on Tuesday and I miss her. We took a trip to Vermont where Old Man Winter decided to take an early exploratory trip. It was freezing and we were staying right next to the lake ( Lake Champlain) so everytime we went outside our noses and eyes starting watering from the cold wind. The air was a balmy 38 degrees...bbbrrrrrr!

We played with paint colors for the kitchen. Remember I was agonizing over the choices and had pretty much settled on a color called Copper Mountain. Then I realized it appeared "dead" to me and in a complete about face I have decided to go with a cool, pale blue. I wish it was just a tad warmer, but it will warm up when all my plates are up on the walls, my copper is polished and I accent it with touches of brown and brick red. Right now the walls look like a prop from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. So many colors that didn't make the final cut.

We went for long walks in very New England feeling neighborhoods, but alas my camera is acting very strangely these days, so no photos. We watched the Celtics ( did you know I am a basketball fan?) and we saw Julie and Julia on Pay per View at our Hotel in our cozy jammies. It was so much fun.

Now it is back to the real world. The new stair treads are almost finished...the last four should go down this weekend and hopefully the painters can come next week. I am tired of having power tools in the way in my kitchen and having so many splotchy patches. I do.not.do.well. with my kitchen or house torn up. I am a creature of order!

Later,
Janet

COMPANY"S COMING!!

In just a couple of hours my friend Jano is arriving from SoCal for 6 days of girl fun. Jano is my friend who comments as Anonymous/jkj. We have known each other for about 27 years now and although we don't see each other often, when we do we pick right up where we left off the last visit. Aren't friends like that great?? Planned is an overnight trip to Burlington VT ( where we both lived when we met) and maybe a day trip to Portland Maine. The weather is not supposed to be great but hopefully we will get some serious Housepeeping in too.

Her room is all ready with new flannel sheets and a down comforter to augment the quilts and puffy pillows. It looks very inviting if I do say so myself!!

Later,
Janet

PS. I cooked a turkey breast, some stuffing and gravy so we will have some hearty food when we get back from the airport. The house smells all warm and sagey...delicious!

Pizza Bianca with carmelized onions, chicken and fontina...
This is the best Pizza Bianca I have ever made or tasted. Because I am having way too much trouble trying to copy the recipe, please go to relishmag.com and search pizza bianca for the recipe. I used fresh mozzarella instead of fontina and made my own crust ( just cuz I always do!). This would be good made with leftover turkey too. It already tastes Thanksgiving-y to me beacause of the onions and thyme. Enjoy!

Later,
Janet