Oscars all around...

  (Not that this has anything to do with that...but I think there might be some wisdom here...)

 Oscars all 'round...

  Tonight we went to see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  It was an outstanding movie that was a real tear jerker at times and a marvelous snapshot of 9/11 and the impact it had on the city of NY and the people who lost loved ones.  Even the Irishman cried a time or two.  I told him it must be Oscar quality, because I was still crying off and on coming home.

We had supper at the new Japanese Restaurant in Litchfield.  It's called Sakura. It was wonderful. We ate like 5 people, lol.  We ordered appetizers of a Miami roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese and avocado--an inside out roll.) AND an appetizer of age dashi dofu, which is a crispy fried chunk of tofu with fish flakes on top (that wave in the heat) and a ginger soy sauce for dipping. Both were excellent.  Then we each ordered the hibachi meals --his shrimp and scallops and mine scallops, gently and perfectly grilled. Each plate came with a mound of really good fried rice and a stir fry of broccoli, carrots and lots of onions. Also came with a bowl of miso soup and a small salad. The salad was typical, iceberg and shredded carrots with their tahini dressing on it. The miso soup, however, was delicious...rich and simple and exquisitely prepared. Tiny bits of tofu and wakame and thinly sliced green onions.  The service was great, the new decor was beautiful and the ambience was very tranquil.  We will definitely be going back again. We ate all that food for under 35 dollars too. PLUS--(oh, and this was my favorite part) I ordered green tea, and it came in a beautiful small cast iron teapot. I really wanted to smuggle that pot out with me....

  So, it's Friday night and I have a very early morning --have to be up by about 5:30 in the morning. My Saturday schedule has changed and I'll be at MissB's from 7-3, which means one more night to have supper with my husband. That will be nice. That'll be 3 nights a week!!  woohoo!  

(And yes--I am cooking for him)

 Ai yi yi....

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I got a new Elmore Leonard book (I am a big fan--and the book isn't new-new...came out in 2009 I think.)  I also got a new (again) Wally Lamb book. This one is called The Hour I First Believed. There was one in between this one and the first one I read (She's Come Undone) which I loved. Looking forward to getting into it. But I have Elmore sitting on the bedside table, as he's a quick and easy read.  And I am reading (still)  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. mostly at work. It's been slow getting into, but it is starting to pick up, about a quarter of the way into it.  The new WL book is about a couple of teachers who move from Connecticut to Colorado and the woman teaches at Columbine. She's in the middle of the shooting spree and survives, while her husband is off in Connecticut because his mother died (or is sick or something). Apparently she never gets over the trauma...I'm looking forward to reading it.

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It was about 50 degrees here today. The Irishman piddled around working on things and chainsawing tree debris and I made some menus and a shopping list and went to the Green Earth market. I got some great deals, some needed spices (turmeric and smoky paprika), and spent a fortune on a  juice drink called Green earth goddess..It had wheat grass, spirulina, celery, carrots, beets...it was very good but I nearly choked when I saw the price. As you know, I juice all the time in the summer garden months, when I have all the produce I can stand. For free.  This drink set me back almost 7 dollars!!!!!!!!!  I'll probably not do that again.  lol  It was really good though...

  I got 2 huge heads of cauliflower, mushrooms, avocado, and red potatoes-all organic.  I got 2 packages of tofu. I got a dozen eggs to let my hens try to catch up, as they are slowing down in this yo-yo weather we're having. Cage free-naturally fed eggs for 2.99/dozen. (The organic ones were 4.79!!!!) I haven't had to buy eggs for awhile, so I experienced some sticker shock there. lol  I got rye flour so I can make the bread for some Vegetarian Reubens.  I got whole wheat lasagna noodles so I can try a recipe I found for a Caramelized Onion Lasagna. I got organic baby spinach. I got a pound of organic raw cashews (PRICEY!) And I got coarse ground corn grits for making polenta, which we love.  All  this for about 40 dollars. Not too bad, considering...and like my husband said--you can't put a price tag on our health. So--there you have it.

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  Okay--really have to hit the hay.  have a great Friday night, all you night owls...I'm outta hereeeeeeee.....

Namaste.

Threatening Thursday

[My favorite bandit in the whole wide world]

For Halloween this year, she's a pirate--just got a picture message on my phone this morning. When I took the picture above, and showed it to her, she said it was a stupid picture. I said --I love it! She said, very matter-of-factly: Then you like stupid things. It isn't easy being a 5 year old, almost 6 prima donna....lol

In the cities tonight around here was trick or treat night and one parade, but the big parade is tomorrow night, I guess. I opened the women's meeting, but apparently all those mothers had princesses and spidermen and skeletons and pirates to take around, because there were only 2 of us there. Like good soldiers, we kept the meeting open the whole time anyway, just in case someone od'd on candy and needed a meeting at the last minute. lol It was a chance for some good one on one time with my sponsee, so it wasn't a wash at all.

I baked that peach pie today and it turned out beautifully. The peaches were off our tree (and it's only 3 years old!!) and the thing was superb, if I do say so myself. We also had the brats and kraut. Tomorrow I have 3 pumkins set for slaughter, lol, and that will be canned. I have no idea how much it will make as I would never bother with them in the past--way too much work. We'll see how it goes. I may never do them again.

Tired tonight. I'm grateful to be a card carrying member of AA. I'm blessed to be walking upright. I'm blessed to have morals and ethics today. I'm grateful to have so much love in my life.

We had an invasion of lady bugs today. The temps warmed up into the 70's and the little buggers came out in hordes. I hate them in my house, and love them in my organic garden. I went around after I got home tonight and sucked them up in the vacuum cleaner. Every fall and every spring we go through this. YUCK! But I don't want to call an exterminator either. Ladybugs are a beneficial insect. IN THE GARDEN !!!!!! lol

I have to get up early and go feed the neighbors dogs while they are in Florida the next few days. Guess I'd better get to sleep--they don't like to be kept waiting. lol

It's after midnight here already. sheesh....