70mph, I like sweet things, Banana Boat

1. "Where are you?" she yells through the cell phone. "I don't know!" I yell back. "Steve, where are we?", I turn and ask in a normal voice. He tells me, Kentucky. "Kentucky!" I yell again into the phone. I've always wanted to sort of not know where I was.
2. A pretty glass filled with cold and fruity white Sangria.
3. I'm able to wear the dress more confidently thanks to the tan-in-a-bottle stuff for my legs.

In the furrow, Loaded with flavor, Laughter

1. A morning of solitude in the garden. I've been waiting all week for the rain to stop so I could finish planting the vegetable garden. Green beans and zinnias are finally in.
2. I made Karen's recipe for Scalloped Tomatoes. Even with store-bought tomatoes it was fantastic and a big hit with everyone at our place tonight.
3. New York family arrives for a short visit. When you see family so rarely, every visit becomes a celebration. The house and yard are bustling with activity, from food to games and plenty of visiting in between.

Good idea, Move!, It's a long story

1. Ikenberry's has some beautiful planters on display. The one filled with herbs inspires me to use one of my large planters the same way. Beautiful and practical.
2. Wow! Turkeys can move faster than I thought.
3. She has been voted, "Friendly to Everyone". I wish I could post the irony of this.

Loving the colors, Cocoon, We need food... now!

1. Thick mist settles into the hollows of the mountains. Its white contrasts deeply with the green mountainside backed by a dark gray sky. A short scan of the horizon shows other mountains bathed in beautiful sunshine!
2. Spent an hour waiting in the car with the rain as my companion. I don't bother with wipers. Sound becomes muffled as I watch the world drip and smear through the windshield.
3. She's not accustom to explaining the difference between the Chicken Dollar Menu from the Classic Chicken- crispy vs. grilled. I'm definitely out of my element when I walk into McDonald's, but that's OK.

Saigon 1951, Added interest, Cold candy,Spring cleaning- sort of

1. I indulged myself on this rainy afternoon and watched The Scent of Green Papaya. In contrast to yesterday's Arctic landscape, the scenery in this Vietnamese film is green and lush. Beautifully filmed, I was transported to tiled courtyards, hot, humid air, green foliage and frogs underfoot.
2. The rain was different today. It was accompanied by thunderstorms, low and rumbling.
3. M & M's click on my teeth when I drop them into my mouth.
4. I chose this day to wash windows and curtains and I feel really good about getting it done.

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

I read this book slowly, captivated by the life and times of Michelangelo. Historically well researched, this biographical novel is rich with detail. It also includes passages of Michelangelo's poetry and prose. This passage is taken from the time when he paints the Sistine Chapel:

"Sleepless, racked with pain, homesick, lonely, he rose in the inky blackness, lit a candle, and on the back of an old sketch tried to lighten his mood by pouring out his woes:"

I've grown a goitre by dwelling in this den-
as cats from stagnant streams in Lombardy,
or in what other land they hap to be-
which drives the belly close beneath the chin:

My beard turns up to heaven; my nape falls in,
fixed on my spine: my breast-bone visibly
grows like a harp: a rich embroidery
bedews my face from brush-drops thick and thin.

My loins into my paunch like levers grind:
my buttock like a crupper bears my weight;
my feet unguided wander to and fro;

In front my skin grows loose and long; behind
by bending it becomes more taut and strait;
crosswise I strain me like a Syrian bow:...

Come then, try
to succor my dead pictures and my fame;
since foul I fare and painting is my shame.

Perfect! Pretty good- in hindsight, It will need to be done again in two days

1. Walking in circles at the mall trying to think, think, think of the perfect gift for her friend. Suddenly a brilliant gift idea pops into my head and we make a beeline out of the mall to Breuster's ice cream stand!
2. We watch a rather slow moving Russian film. The fact that he sat with me for its entirety made it special.
3. I am so pleased that the morning stayed dry long enough to mow lawn. And then the rains returned...