I picked up a new item from Trader Joe’s after trying a sample in the store. My children have vetoed it. It seems that they have strong opinions of which kitchen ingredients I am allowed to experiment with… or not. Evidently, chorizo is sacred to them.
I am the proud mother of The World’s Biggest Toddlers:
Nearly every favorite photo I have of my children is a two-fer… they almost always come as a pair, they are quite close. Even though they are four years apart, we frequently tease them that they are really twins of their average age.
Tonight we celebrated The Boy’s graduation. What a remarkable group of young people! The emails from his classmates are already coming in, they need a beach party tomorrow morning since they miss each other too much… it has been less than four hours since the 8th grade class of 2015 has seen each other. These are really great kids!
His sister will be going away to college. Will his friends -the old and the new- provide him with the kind of camaraderie that only the luckiest of siblings share? We shall see.
“The future starts Today, not Tomorrow.”
Saint John Paul II
When your child has attended the same school from 3rd through 8th grade, matriculation to the next level is a big step. No longer will they be the big kids that the little ones look up to. They will be the little-bitty fish in the big ol’ proverbial pond.
Eleven years of parochial schooling is finished… along with a drive that I am more than happy to leave behind! Who’s bright idea was it to send the kids to school smack in the middle of a popular California beach community? Oh wait… that was me.
It was lovely while it lasted, and now he will say good-bye.
I learned a new term- “Strawberry Moon.” Isn’t it interesting how there are so many different terms and names for the phenomena all around us in our natural world? So many of us have either forgotten about them or they have simply fallen by the wayside because we are out of touch with nature now-a-days in the modern world… time marches on, eh?
With my super-novice photography abilities, I snapped a few pics on the lovely moon we were all talking about on Social Media Tuesday night.
So, what is a strawberry moon, anyhow?
“The month of June’s full Moon’s name is the Full Strawberry Moon. June’s Full Strawberry Moon got its name because the Algonquin tribes knew it as a signal to gather ripening fruit.
It was often known as the Full Rose Moon in Europe (where strawberries aren’t native).”
When we lived in Indiana, I loved our local farmer’s market. There was a vendor that sold bratwurst and pork patties, which would always become lunch when I returned. We’d also have fresh corn from “My Dad’s Sweet Corn,” picked that same day. And I would get the best cantaloupe in Indiana. Here’s the secret: Indiana has the nation’s best cantaloupe. And tomatoes. Lunch of the gods, people, no lie.
The family had to try a new fruit today, because I wanted to. So there. Eat up, everyone! I’m pretty sure this is is an Orange Honeydew… whatever it is, OH MY GOSH, IT’S DELICIOUS! There’s a cantaloupe in the background for size comparison. This was worthy of serving with the bratwurst.
The Husband: This sure doesn’t taste like a cantaloupe.
Me: Because it isn’t.
Him: It’s good, though…
Me: (finally tasting the melon) This is good… (another bite) Holy COW, this is DELICIOUS!
The Boy: It’s good (high praise from a 14-year-old).
I tried looking up online what kind of melon this was, Google to the rescue! I’m pretty sure I bought it at Trader Joe’s, but I can’t for the life of me remember what kind of melon it is. CloveGarden.com came to the rescue with a great list and photos of all kinds of melons that you never even knew existed. I’m going to have to try some of these- anyone for a “Sugar Kiss Melon?”
Good grief, this is a great fruit. It kept forever on the counter -like two weeks- and was still crisp, and one of the sweetest melons I have ever tasted. Golden Honeydew has a very light texture, is more crisp than a regular honeydew, and is ultra-juicy with a sweet, sweet perfume-y and floral flavor. Really. I’m not making this up. Go get one, you’ll see.
branching out... on a limb 