Labor Day Weekend Trip to Maine!

August 31st - Thursday: The Hurricane Idalia swiftly passed us, to the north and out to sea. My flight to Washington DC, was uneventful and a bumpy flight to Portland was okay. Mom greeted me with a Patches lobster roll, packed with meat, enjoyed it on the way to the lake as I was starved. The weather was beautiful, mid-70's and sunny. 

After Melissa finished working, we toured her garden of beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, spaghetti squash and flowers.

By 4:10 we were at a lady's home, taking the Pam Wilkinson pontoon boat to Jean's home, past the rocky narrows, east side of lake. 

About 36 ladies attended, chatting mostly about who was leaving for their winter home in Arizona, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. Lots of food including cute guacamole dip mini cups. I brought champagne and it went quickly.

We went to Walgreens for Melissa's prescription (headache) and then home. I munched on cottage cheese and a cucumber. Sleeping was perfect, Mom gave up her bedroom (I wish she hadn't) and all was wonderful for my first night back in Maine.

More of HOT August 08/21/23 + New Pasta Recipe

Monday: Ford did not go to his Parkinson exercises; his back is still terrible, waiting for the MRI. 

FIHS Girls first Golf Match of the season: AA and I walked about half the match, very slow going; HOT!! 

Laureen moved to 8:00 p.m. for her Spanish tutoring due to golf match but got home in time to have our dinner of pasta salad and egg salad sandwiches (planned a cold dinner since I did not have time to cook).

Tuesday: Donna came to clean, she just lost her mother a few weeks ago, we told her about losing Joy Morgan (Donna had met her). Ford and I ran errands, had brunch at Metro Diner, then to OP Ace Hardware, ran into Jill Weigand who works there - nice chat, catching up with her two kids, Dax (freshman in college at Santa Fe; Jane at FIHS, theater club). 

Another FIHS Girls Home Golf match, FIHS won, 2nd win! AA and I walked a few holes, chatted with Bryan K. and Randy Leftko (Clay Today Sportswriter/photographer). Another HOT, sweaty day! 

I zoomed over to the River House after our hot golf walk, visited for the last hour of Happy Hour with Ford, Hugh, Maureen (first time out since falling four weeks ago) and Kathy. Bartender Shannon is always a hoot (bold!).

Dinner was Ford's homemade spaghetti, meatballs and sauce.

AA finished her long History essay and History note cards and a tutoring Calculus session with Laurie. We are so pleased that she has two great "extra" teachers to help her excel at her Math and Spanish studies.
Wednesday: Usual work in the morning, a little yard work, laundry and Publix! PT after school and the NFJG banquet (separate post).

Thursday: Routine morning with AA taking a shower, off to school with a calculus quiz today. Girls Golf Team practice after school, putting with Coach Nedrich:

I made the potato appetizers (Cliffredia's), so good! Along with roasted veggies, a vegetarian meal (picture of toppings for the potatoes; the sheet pan of veggies).

Friday: Spanish Club then PT after school. Ford and I went to the RH to buy a pound of Kelly's chicken salad. Ford enjoyed a beer while I drank tonic water (had a headache earlier so no alcohol for me, plus I drove AA to the football game).

After making a new recipe by "Girl Meets Farm", I took AA to the FIHS vs. Clay High football game. She had a good time, being careful with her knee climbing on the bleachers (she did say the crowd was a challenge walking around, several times got bumped or had to go slow up and down the concrete stairs).

(AA is near top right, with dark green golf cap on backwards, near Kathyrn - she is behind/to the left of two guys in red shirts).

Orecchiette with Broccolini and Sausage

Recipe courtesy of Molly Yeh Show: Girl Meets Farm 

Directions: Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Add the orecchiette and cook to al dente (take 3 minutes off of the time on the box; it'll finish cooking later). Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain. 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate, keeping the fat in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the broccolini and cook until crisptender, about 7 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the pasta and sausage to the skillet along with the Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, a couple of pinches of crushed red pepper and a bunch of turns of black pepper. 

Stir in a few tablespoons of the pasta water and continue to cook, stirring, until glossy, adding more pasta water if needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. 

Sprinkle with more Parmesan before serving. 

Level: Easy Total: 30 min Active: 25 min Yield: 4 to 6 serving 

Kosher salt 

8 ounces orecchiette   

1 pound pork sausage, casings removed (I used bulk hot sausage, Jimmy Dean type)

2 cloves garlic, minced (I doubled, we like garlic!)

8 ounces broccolini, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (recommend pre-steaming the stems of the broccolini, were still very crunchy)

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving  

Zest and juice of 1 lemon  

Crushed red pepper flakes 

Freshly ground black pepper

Saturday: We all were tired so happy that AA slept in to 9 a.m.!! (I slept in until 6:30). I worked for two hours, allows me to have a shorter work morning this Monday (Ford and I are getting our flu shots). I did light grocery shopping, we ate Kelly's chicken salad sandwiches for lunch with sliced cucumber. I made homemade spinach dip (have made many times, it is delicious!). The River House has a large deck party so Kathy invited us to her condo for Happy Hour. AA did homework so will have time to go to Carolyn's tomorrow/swim/visit.

Sunday:  Off to Carolyn's to "help" with a chore she really wants to do but never makes the time - cleaning our bedroom #2, recently Tyler's room (of four total). AA drove us and Ginger to Mixed Fillings Pie Shop (Five Points/Riverside) and I bought four slices (a "flight": Chocolate, Key Lime, Lemon Lavender and Peanut Butter) and then to Carolyn's for a swim after our work task and lunch (I brought chicken tenders and coleslaw from Publix). The room cleaning took two hours of packing up Tyler's things, dusting, sweeping and moving the boxes to the garage. A bit hot, sweaty work. 

The pool was glorious! AA swam for the first time and said it felt good!

Back home for dinner of leftovers, AA doing homework, meeting with Laurie (Calculus) and showers! We did watch the last half of Hidden Figures, a perfect movie!

NFJG Awards!

We attended the NFJG Award ceremony, very special for those junior golfer who spend the time practicing and honing their skills by being brave and competing. It was very different for us (Ford did not attend as his back gives him severe pain) with ZERO awards, she was unable to compete since last November so missed the entire NFJG year.
Last year, we enjoyed seeing Alyzabeth receive six honors/awards. This year, we went to support the organization and to continue to be present in her chosen sport. We were happy to sit with Chloe Blanc and her parents, Vanessa and Sebatian. 

Alyzabeth with FIHS Girls Golf Teammates:

I was happy to chat with Mark, Susan and Jack (did not manage to meet with Lynne or Jody); they are all dedicated to this organization, need to give them big thank you's! We took a few photos for Chloe:

Mark and Susan:

Cloe's Mom and Dad:

Every junior golfer receives an envelope, cannot open until the end, and they receive a "prize", everything from golf clubs, hats, dozen balls, umbrellas, etc. This year AA's gift was a new Titleist bag in the color Reef Blue/Lagoon. 

We enjoyed Jack's opening comments, always brings up interesting and fun comments about the past year; Gary Smit (Jacksonville Times-Union) spoke, asked golf trivia questions, spoke of having fun (irritates us when everyone says just go out and have fun during these tournaments - it's a focused, serious competition just like all other high level sports!) and he wrapped it up with there is always the next swing, keep going to the next swing, move forward. 

We were the last table called to the dinner buffet, AA missed getting any chicken, but it was refilled, she chose not to go back through the line; the pasta and salad was all good; very much the same each year. Hopefully next year, AA will be back in contention for awards, competing at her new level with her new knee!

August 14th - Month is Flying By!

Monday: I am back to driving AA to and from school. Ford went to his Parkinson exercises with neighbor Nancy Coats. After school, AA had her annual physical with Dr. Christopher Emanual (included a meningitis booster shot and her blood iron was good). The doctor is so nice and thorough, asking many questions about AA's knee surgery (which he was well informed about, and brought up Ian's death which we all teared up over. Afterwards, we went to Witt's Frozen Custard Shop on San Jose, sweet treat - our favorite flavor, Mint Chocolate Chip was the flavor of the day!

We were full so did not cook the planned bruschetta dinner (save for Tuesday's dinner), we heated up leftover taco soup and enjoyed the mango salsa I made over the past weekend.

Ford's brother Bill called with news from speaking to Donna Keller (Joy's daughter). Donna will have Kaci plan a service near end of September (a graveside ceremony, but inside the funeral home); not sure how that decision was reached since Joy's wishes were for "no fuss". We will be happy to attend and see the family - this was a tough loss to both Joy's families. We have a family party planned for Sept. 23rd and Leaa and her family will be in North Carolina the last weekend in September so something will have to change.

At 7:00 p.m. AA had her conversational Spanish lesson with Laureen; it is going very well.

Tuesday: I worked (as usual); Ford went to lunch and movie Oppenheimer with Hugh. I made a batch of Cliffreda's bran muffins for our breakfasts.

AA did not go to the FIHS golf team practice, cancelled due to thunderstorm/lightning. Bruschetta for dinner.

Wednesday: Ford and I went to the Hallmark store and Publix after I worked and did a load of laundry in the morning. I took AA to her new Surgeon's appointment, Dr. Snyder at Baptist South. He was 50 minutes late, came into the room with a booming voice, large presence and asked questions like he was testing AA or didn't know her medical case. Granted this JOI office was "dumped" with most all of Dr. Sacksteders' patients, but he was gruff and in a rush. He didn't know they did not order an x-ray, so we waited while they took AA for that. Doctor/He came back in asked her to do a squat (which she could not do with the brace on), he immediately said, "take it off, you don't need it, I'm not conservative like the others, start doing activities". So, we did have a good discussion about her golfing, carrying her backpack. He basically said do whatever she wants slowly, as long as she is comfortable, then do more a little at a time, such as with golfing. Start putting, then chipping, every two weeks add a little more swing, then a nine iron, etc. Looks like by his recommendation, she could be using her driver in October which was the original schedule. All good, he just came across as a gun slinger, wild, wild west! We both were slightly traumatized, he's crazy! There was more conversation at the end, getting the release note for school and him talking about his buddy the Ladies Golf Coach at Mizzu needing golfers!

Thursday: Ford went to his Parkinson exercises. Nancy didn't go with him due to prior appointment; we did chat on the driveway for quite awhile, about cars, lawn care and her trying to give away some of David's belongings (non-sentimental). Ford and I got the Subaru washed/cleaned (probably last time we go to Charles Car Wash, they don't clean the inside very well; will get it "detailed" before giving the car to AA on her 17th birthday), went to Publix then leftover pizza casserole for our lunch. We also made a batch of spaghetti sauce in the crock pot.

AA went to school without her brace! And she drove home from school!! First time since April.

Dinner was early, made panzanella:

FIHS Open House (see separate post).

Friday: I continue to work in the mornings (weekly Friday meeting was cancelled today). Ford and I made meatballs, froze for future meals (makes 60 - 0.9 oz each).

I pulled weeds and vines around the yard, way too hot out! 

AA went to her PT appointment, then spaghetti for dinner along with finally joining Masterpiece PBS Pay Channel so we can watch the last three seasons of Grantchester.  

AA did not go to the first FIHS football game (preseason), this is a photo of the "construction" theme:

Candy posted this about her Mother Joy:

And Jason posted this about his Dad; cousin Mike:

Saturday: Ford and I were both up by 5:00 a.m.; AA got up and almost always tells us how Ginger is a bed hog, snores, kicks her or curls up to her with Ginger's butt in her face; this morning, she said the way Ginger was on her back, looked like a baked potato! Always a funny story, Ginger does hog half her bed! I worked for two hours, showers, swiftering the floors, walk Ginger and then we began AA's driving journey to Gainesville. AA drove the 1.5 hours, we enjoyed lunch at Satchel's - our favorite salad and pizza! Didn't do much else and drove home. Quiet afternoon.

Sunday: I made some spaghetti for later in the week and for Larry Bradley; cooked/prepped for the pasta salad for Monday's cold dinner. AA worked on a history essay - five pages on two issues going well in America and two issues trending to the negative in American - very long assignment, takes a while just to decide on the four subjects! We did have "champagne Sunday", enjoyed a little, Ford drank most of it (hoping to help his back!). AA continues to drive us to any local place, logging her hours.

In the evening, after dinner of Mojo's BBQ, we watched the 2013 movie "Death Comes to Pemberley".