The pasta aisle!

OK, when did the pasta aisle become so confusing?  You girls in London can't imagine the choices - and don't even get me started on the cereal and coffee aisles!  My nutrition Guru, Jeni H. has taught me to look for whole-wheat but with Rick's diet of no-wheat, that became a challenge - face it , pasta became a challenge!  But he's in London (Miss You!) and it's summer and I spotted some fresh (from somewhere other than here) tomatoes and my mind went straight to my Mom's Simple Summer Macaroni Salad.  Pure comfort food....home grown tomatoes, chunks of ham, green pepper, celery, and the almost extinct, Miracle Whip.  No basil, mint, or cilantro for flavor, just salt and lots of black pepper. I just could not bring myself to use Whole grain or multi-grain plus omega 3, and I knew better than plain white elbows, so I tried the NEW Smart Taste..."a delicious durum semolina flour plus 3x the fiber and calcium equal to an 8 oz. glass of milk".   That about covers all the food groups, right?  It has to sit in the fridge for a while so I'm waiting.  The true test will be whether C & H eat it, Doug will eat it - he eats everything!  

Swirls....

A full moon means a very high tide on the "Nawth Rivah". The water fills the marsh and from our windows it looks like we live on a lake instead of a rivah. When the tide goes out and the water recedes the tall grasses in the marsh SWIRL into the most interesting and haunting shapes. These are pictures I can only get this time of year........





I could have called this Bed-Head!!!

Haley's Pad

Fed Hill is a historical area in downtown Providence, RI known for it's Italian restaurants and shops...... and student apartments tucked into the corners and rooftops of brightly painted buildings. The pineapple overhead marks the entry to the neighborhood and Haley along with her 2 other friends is renting the top floor above the bright blue Pizzeria.....how convenient! She can even catch the Trolley to class - if she leaves an hour early!






We are making progress....Yesterday, while Haley worked, I spent the day in her empty apartment in Providence waiting for the delivery of her mattress. Those poor guys had to carry it up four flights of rickety stairs in a monsoon - good thing it was covered with plastic! I used the 4 hour window to paint her room a buttered corn yellow (she picked it out!) and line the kitchen shelves. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the floors will be finished this week and she will be able to move in by August 1.

Every HOME needs a porch!

This may be a "Southern" thing but I always notice a house with a nice front porch.  It may have pots of summer flowers or ferns, a rocking chair, or a bench, but it always says, "Welcome, come right in!"  Our home started out with a "lean-to"  (Is that a camping term?) which always seemed to hoover above the front door. The brick steps and sidewalk had seen their share of frost and ice and were breaking away one brick at a time.  The windows are all odd shapes but add character except that tiny one, left of the front door.   

So, here are the after's....after a new roof, a new porch, a new dining room window, new landscaping, and a new paint job.  This has been such a rewarding project and I am just thrilled with the results.  I think we made improvements but still kept the "Nantucket Sail Loft" character of the house. The neighbors think so too!  What do you think? 

Have you E-Bayed???

Do you like my "Vintage Boat Oars"? I love them and got them on E-Bay auction from a lady living on Lake Michigan. (That's her story anyway.) It took me a while to figure out the bidding protocol (and Haley wasn't here to help me!) but once I posted my "maximum bid" I just left it up to Mr. E-Bay and I won...Yes, Rick there were other bidders who wanted these!

They have "chippy" paint, worn leather straps, and one of the oars has a "B" (Boston maybe?) branded on the paddle. I hung them with black iron curtain pulls from Lowes.

Red, White , and Blue

Red watermelon, White trim against weathered shingles, and Blue hydrangeas....
Our neighbors in Scituate Harbor celebrate America's Independence Day on the 4th of July!










We hope all our friends and family had a memorable 4th of July where ever they celebrated it!

Fun Family Week at the Rivah Cottage

The Nor' Easter let up and we were able to enjoy some outdoor activities with our family visiting from the south.  We did a little fishing and took a boat ride down the Nawth Rivah.  Some of us relaxed, some talked and laughed, all of us ate.... including a hot lobster dip - after the girls raced and named the lobsters !  









 

Thanks for making the trip to Boston........

We will cherish these memories!