Birthday picnic.

Birthday picnic in the house tomorrow. It's supposed to pour, so my grand plans of having everyone hang out in the back yard drinking gin t's and listening to chansons by Edith Piaf and Yves Montand have been dashed.

The Menu.

Hummus

Tomato basil thing

*Pickled green beans

Flat bread

Cornelian cherry soda

Lemonade

Cous cous & cherry tomato salad

*Just White Beans

*Pickled Red Onions

Zata

*Chili

*Cornbread

Asterisks indicate that the item has already been prepared.

It's late and I've spent the evening listening to British panel shows.

Preserves.

When we decided to join our CSA, I told Ryan that an important thing I wanted to do this summer was do more preserving and pickling.

I'm very excited that I've actually done this. The final results have, for the most part, been successful and if they weren't successful, they were at least delicious.

One exciting part of it is that we gathered all of the ingredients ourselves. And the plums came from my mother's garden while the Cornelian cherries were scrumped!

The next plan involves scrumping crabapples from the Ithaca airport and making crap apple and lavender jelly along with green tomato chutney from our sad little tomato plants that will have to be put to sleep soon as the have come down with late blight.

I'm also keeping tabs on the roses in the neigbourhood, because I like the idea of making rose hip jelly. It's in keeping with my little old lady fascination. Sort of goes along with Coty face powder and sachets of lavender. Basically, I'm thinking of my grandmother although I have honestly no idea if she's ever made rose hip jelly or not.

Healthcare Reform! Yay!

I was going to have a big announcement about my prodigal return to blogging, but what the hell. Linking to someone else's blog is much easier. Particularly when they've accurately described sentiments which I share.

This won't hurt a bit: Mob Scene

Here's the bit I liked best:

"As a nurse, I cannot speak strongly enough in favor of discussing end of life care with your doctors when you have the chance. Hell, I think all adults should have advanced directives. And your doctor should get paid for the time s/he spends talking to you about your options. No one is lining up to exterminate your disabled child or elderly parent. The fact that I have to write that makes my brain hurt."

Kids, now is absolutely the time to be reforming the health care system. Why? Because our economy is in the toilet (excuse the vulgarity) and people are out of work, and thus without adequate health care. What kind of barbaric society allows its people to suffer needlessly?