LIFE'S BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS

Friday, May 12, 2017

We Love Lucy


Here it is Friday again and there has been so much "breaking" "news" that the week has seemed much longer than usual.  Our weather has warmed but we had begun to believe there is no such thing as "typical" weather anymore.

Our dear Lucy continues to keep us grounded with her routines and lack of concern for the world outside Lucy.  She loves to lie on the deck and soak up the sun even when it feels quite warm.  We bought canvas beds so the dogs would not have to lie on the rough deck, but Lucy doesn't care for them at all.  If she gets too warm she will move under the umbrella.

The deck has a south-eastern exposure and is one of the few places that gets full sun.  So that is where we plant our little herb gardens.  And baskets of blooming flowers, of course.

Lying on the hot deck
Lucy always looks a bit unkempt even if she has just been brushed.



She's very interested in the contents of the trunk any time it is opened.

She does not ever try to jump up into the back.
After all she rides in the passenger seat.



She stands inside the garage to see what is being unloaded.

I'll wait here out of the way.




But when the first of the herbs are placed on the floor she investigates.  She buries her face into each one and sniffs but surprisingly enough does not try to taste anything.

We will enjoy the fresh herbs all summer long.  It's ever so nice to watch the plants grow and to snip off enough for a meal.  In a very short while we will have wonderful summer tomatoes from our local farm stand.

And that means two of my very favorite things to eat.  One is a tomato sandwich on white bread.  The tomatoes must be room temperature and the slices must be very thick.  The sandwich is so juicy that the best way to consume it is standing over the kitchen sink.  I'm rather a purist and I don't want bacon or lettuce on the sandwich.  Just tomato, Duke's mayo and salt.  The other summer favorite is a Caprese salad with slices of fresh tomato alternating with slices of buffalo mozzarella, and basil leaves from the little herb garden.  A sprinkling of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.  This is consumed in a more mannerly fashion---sitting at a table and using utensils.

There is nothing to compare with the promise of comfort food to take one's mind off the happenings around us.  Hooray for these small things.  We enjoy them all the more in these troubled times.

It's is unfortunate that today's quotes are timely.

From Aesop (of the fable fame):
"A liar will not be believed even when he is telling the truth."

And an anonymous quote:
"We live in a world that is built on promises constructed by liars."

And from Fyodor Dostoevsky:
"The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him."

I came across this marvelous explanation of many things.  By Stephen Fry, it's well worth the seven minutes it will take for you to watch and listen. Here is the link .

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE


9 comments:

Arkansas Patti said...

Lucy always surprises me that "Oh yes, it's Friday." The curse of retirement. I love getting my Lucy fix. And bless her for being oblivious to all that we must endure. The good thing is that it all looks like it will implode on its own. Ahh.
"The incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence buoyed by something that feels to them like knowledge.” I thought this brilliant and explains a lot.

Anonymous said...

Always so glad to see Lucy enjoying her world on Fridays. Those herbs hold such promise. And just the thought of homegrown tomatoes is enough to divert my attention from the crazy ongoing headlines. Such a time we are in, such a time.

troutbirder said...

Reminded me of a most appropriate childhood rhyme..Liar Liar pants on fire. Perhaps the British won't have to burn the White House down this time. :)

The Bug said...

I am definitely going to grow some herbs next year. It's just too much work to get from here to there to mess with it this year. I love Stephen Fry - I'll check out the video after the baseball game.

Lowcarb team member said...

You can't beat fresh herbs and you can't beat a Caprese salad, I do like the sound of your ..." summer favorite, a Caprese salad with slices of fresh tomato alternating with slices of buffalo mozzarella, and basil leaves from the little herb garden.  A sprinkling of salt and a drizzle of olive oil "

Sounds delicious.

Enjoy the weekend

All the best Jan

PS I always like your photographs of dear Lucy.

Vicki Lane said...

The video is excellent. And I too am looking forward to tomato sandwiches. (My mouth is watering as I type the words.)

joared said...

Tomato sandwiches -- yum, yum -- but on whole wheat bread for me with a very slight smear of mayo. I always had said I didn't like tomatoes as a child. Then my aunt persuaded me to try a tomato sandwich with the big red juicy fruit we picked from her garden. I was converted.

Really enjoyed the topic and links with food for thought about circumstances in our country and the world today.

Ginnie said...

A big slice of tomato (fresh from the garden), Dukes Mayo and white bread. It's one of my favorites but don't try it with the store bought tomatoes .... they shouldn't even be allowed to call them tomatoes !

NCmountainwoman said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone.

Patti - I also thought it was a brilliant piece

Robin - Yes, I'm so glad it's spring with fresh herbs and tomatoes to take us away. Better than Calgon

Troutbirder - I hope you catch the SNL spot with Spicey using the fire extinguisher and shouting that very phrase

Bug - Here's hoping you will be back to 100% by this time next year. And sooner than that.

Jan - A large Caprese salad and a few ears of corn make many a summer supper for me.

Vicki - And yours are even better than mine since they come directly from your garden to your kitchen. No middle man needed.

Joared - We typically eat only whole grain bread. But in the summer I have to have white for my tomato sandwiches. That's the only time I eat white bread.

Ginnie - I totally agree. I use store bought only during winter for mixed salads. And we often omit the tomatoes and use dried cranberries instead.