Green Scene: Gas Works Park

There is an interesting dichotomy that plays out at the historic Gas Works Park. On the one hand you'll find an endless field of green hills and valleys with the shores of beautiful Lake Union at its base. And if that weren't enough, from atop of those hills is a, be still my beating heart, view of downtown Seattle with Space Needle serving as it's mascot.

At Gas Works Park, families gather for picnics, while some folks come solo to read a book or strum a guitar. On this day, there was a serious game of Catch the Flag going on and under a picnic area we found Latin dancers swaying their hips at lightning speed to spicy music emanating from an old boombox.

On the other hand, the park is in perfect harmony with relics from the old Seattle Gas Light Company. These relics are perfectly aged to a brick red, rust patina -- a color that only time can create. Yes I know, an old gas company? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen and yet people flock here year round. Several years ago I vacationed in Belize where I toured ancient Mayan ruins -- somehow these old clunky structures remind me of that trip. This site, though not nearly as ancient as the ruins in Belize, still stand as proof of what the world used to look like some decades ago. My 5-year old asked me if there were ghost here and of course I said no. However, secretly I believe there are. How can there not be old souls showing up every morning to the sound of a whistle for the first shift to begin. With tin lunchboxes in hand, dark denim coveralls and work boots. Don't you see it?

Then, just a few yards away we find a Stand Up Paddle Board Race in progress. Paddle Boarding is a relatively new sport but done in full view of the great tanks that guard Gas Works Park make it seem that much more modern. By the way, I'm trying to convince my husband to do this since he is a fan of all things related to surfing.

It certainly has been a challenge to adapt to the heat in Seattle, but when you see what clear blue skies and warm weather brings out, one can't help but marvel in all it's glory.

Cool Relief in a Glass

Temperatures are supposed to reach a whopping 101 degrees today which means, cooking and baking will be unbearable. And I'm pretty sure that doing the laundry will feel much like being in a sweatshop in Middle Earth. I don't mean to quibble but as a lifelong Seattlelite -- it's dang hot and I need some serious relief.

I suggest we all take our over ripened fruit and make smoothies. No need to crank up the stove. Just open the freezer and grab a handful of ice, throw in some ripe bananas, peanut butter, vanilla yogurt and then pour in soy milk. Blend it all up and enjoy. Ahhhh, relief in a glass.

That's the nice thing about smoothies, you just add in whatever you've got around. If the kids can do it, so can you. Stay cool.

Macaroni and Cheese

It is so terribly hot in Seattle at the moment that unbeknownst to my children, I've resorted to devouring their Popsicles. "How come they're going so fast mommy?" My eyes dart up to the ceiling and I sheepishly respond, "You guys have been eating them all." Bad mommy.

As I type this blog entry today, the nanny has two loaves of Friendship Bread baking in the oven which has my kitchen/family room sweltering. That's dedication to baking I tell you.

If you're ready and willing to try this recipe despite the soaring temperatures, I suggest you strip down to your unmentionables before you begin (and just for the record, the nanny and I are fully clothed while baking the bread). For you see, I didn't realize on Friday that today would be as hot as it is. I'm not complaining, Seattle needs the sunshine just as much as the next city so I'm thankful for this tropical bliss. So I'm done dawdling, here's the recipe and step by step pictures too:

Vegetable oil

1 pound elbow macaroni (penne works great too)

1 quart whole milk

8 tbsps (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup flour

12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (4 cups)

8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)

1 tbsp Kosher salt

1/2 tspn freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tspn grated nutmeg

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (I use the crust and all of any bread I have. I've used day old french bread, Kalamata Olive bread, sliced whole wheat or plain wheat bread)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni (or penne) and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4 quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth.


Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked pasta and stir well.



Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.



Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.


Note: To make ahead, put the macaroni and cheese int he baking dish, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes.
Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Episode#: IG1B07 Food Network

Craft: Cat Ears

Most days my daughters are nowhere to be found, instead there are rabbits, puppy dogs and sometimes cheetah's roaming the house. But most often, there are these kittens that slink around. They get themselves into positively downright silly situations. They climb on everything and then I have to shoo them away with a commanding, "Get down from there." They're always hungry and thirsty so I'm constantly putting more food out for them. It really is quite a job taking care of such frisky, finicky animals. They purr and climb and sometimes snuggle up to me. Every now and again their claws come out and they fight, which I guess is what siblings do, even in the feline community.

Yes, my girls have quite the imagination. Yesterday their nanny had a brilliant idea to help make these kittens really come to life -- she made them cat ears using felt, cotton balls, a medium sized hair clip and a glue gun. So precious.

This is my Friday post so I'll be taking it easy this weekend -- you'll hear from me again on Monday where I will post a scrumptious M&C recipe. For those of you not in the know, M&C is code for Macaroni and Cheese.

In the meantime, over the weekend I'll be nestled under some magnificent shady tree in a tank top and breezy cotton skirt inhaling Sunset, Better Homes and Gardens, Fresh Homes and Dwell magazines whilst sipping lemonade or some sort of summertime coolness.

Enjoy the weekend and I'll chat with you soon.

Zucchini Bread with Walnuts

Growing up, my dad always tended a vegetable garden in our backyard, side yard and anywhere else he felt suitable for plantings and so we had an endless supply of zucchini every year. Which also meant we had scads of Zucchini Bread to munch on for afternoon snacks or a quick breakfast before heading out into the wide world that was our neighborhood (because back then, kids roamed freely throughout the neighborhood and had to be home by the time the street lights came on, or at least that's how it was in my neighborhood).

Back then recipes were for eating sake, not for "let's see how much less calories or carbs we can fit into a single loaf." It was purely, this is what we've got, let's see what we can make out of it. And so it went without much of a blink of an eye, "2 cups of Crisco, and add to that a mound of sugar and don't forget the heavy cream." We were none the bit worried about what that would do to our middle. At least it wasn't a concern in our family.

I borrowed my mom's Betty Crocker's Cookbook from way back then so that I could replicate some of the flavors that I remember from my youth. And while the recipes back then called for a bit more butter and sugar, I figured I can still bake this way if I do so only in moderation.

So yesterday I got a hanker'n for Zucchini Bread. Yes, I know, I digressed quite a bit back there so I'm sure you were wondering why I started out talking about my dad's garden. Well, in any event, the Zucchini Bread that I made came straight out of 1981. Funny, the book is titled Betty Crocker's Cookbook, New and Revised Edition. Certainly an odd title for a home cook in 2009. But it took me down memory lane and yes indeed, the Zucchini Bread came out just as I remember. If you don't mind indulging, you should try this some time. Oh, and by the way, my friend Cristin, "Cristin meet world, world meet Cristin" made a Zucchini Bread last night too, but hers was a recipe from Whole Foods. I'm going to ask her for the recipe and hopefully have it to share with you soon. In the meantime, here's the circa 1981 version:

2/3 cup shortening

2 2/3 cups sugar

4 eggs

3 cups shredded zucchini (I found that 1 medium sized zucchini was equal to about a cup)

2/3 cup water

3 1/3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 9x5x3 inches. Mix shortening and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs, zucchini, vanilla extract and water. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans. Bake until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes; cool slightly. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing. To store, wrap and refrigerate no longer than 10 days.

Betty Crocker's Cookbook, New and Revised Edition, Including Microwave Recipes, Golden Press/New York.

Surprise Fresh Gift

Yesterday a cute, but curious package arrived on my front porch. The chartreuse tissue and colorful bows are just begging to be ripped open.

Ahhhh!! I couldn't believe my eyes. I blogged about these very same glass votive candle holders several weeks ago and wished on a lucky star that someday I would own them, and poof, here they are. Sorry about the kid's slide and picnic table in the background. Oh and even further apologies for the brown lawn. How embarrassing.

Tonight these beauties alighted my Japanese Dogwood tree that sits directly in front of my front porch. I also placed one on the porch. This photo isn't great, I know, but I so desperately wanted to show you them in action that I posted a picture anyways. Albeit, terrible picture, but a picture nonetheless.

You can't tell from the photo but this tree is just to the left of our walkway as you ascend the front steps to our home. Oh how I wish I knew more about photography, or at least, more about shooting at night.

Kim of Kim Graphics Design Studios, Inc. purchased these candle holders while sitting in the comforts of her Jacksonville, Florida home. Fresh, here in Seattle was kind enough to hand deliver the gift themselves. Now that's customer service. Great products and great service, what more can you ask for.

Kim is such an amazing person. I thank her with all my heart for all that she does. She truly is one of a kind. Thank you immensely; I will certainly cherish these for many summer nights to come.

The Road

From the same author that brought us No Country for Old Men, comes a terrifying tale of a father and son surviving the best way they know how. With only a pistol, shopping cart, tarp and each other, they make their way in the dark and deathly cold, ashen terrain to the coast where they hope to find something better than what they’ve seen thus far. In The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, America is no longer. There is no food – living or dead, just the charred remains of what used to be.

McCarthy is masterful in drawing the reader into the desolate wasteland – the reader walks along with father and son as they trudge through the snow wearing boots made out of pieces of blankets and tarpaulin. Your gut will surely feel uneasy during the times when there is simply no joy to speak of. Then at times, your heart will balloon as a father brings along his son with such tenderness in the direst of circumstances.

The Road is a must read. It is a quick read, yet abounds with suspense that builds with every page turned. You will not be able to put this book down.

Yoga: Shavasana

Last night after a rigorous yoga practice and many more mosquito bites to boot, me and my yoga-mates shared opinions about how yoga practices have been going thus far. We talked about what we liked and what we'd like to see more of. From this discussion we realized that we'd gotten away from doing our deep relaxation poses or Shavasana (Sansrkit) at the end of practice and talked about working them back in.

If you're not familiar with Shavasana, I'll do my best to explain it. Shavasana is a pose in which you lie flat on your back in a restful state. That is, there is no movement except for the rise and fall of your chest as you calmly breathe in and out. Your eyes are closed, your mind is calm. Although your eyes are closed it is not a sleep state, it is a wakeful state with the intent to induce deep relaxation, rejuvenation and introspective thought. Your breathing becomes the center of focus; the in-breath is positive energy flowing in, the out-breath is the tension and stress flowing out. Typically while in this pose, the yoga instructor will give Meditative Visualizations to give your mind something to do, rather than falling asleep, which is the natural impulse.

Meditative Visualizations are usually subtle hints of things you might want to reflect upon while in the Shavasana Pose. They are directives that generate thought that usually centers upon either a place or a part of your body. Example:

Visualize a clear blue sky, a symbol of the infinite spirit, of love and goodness. . . " and so on and so forth.

But on one occasion we were asked to think of a place where we would like to go or be. A place where we found connection that brought peace and good feelings. I struggled with this one, and while I was supposed to be relaxing and clearing my mind, I became preoccupied with the thought that I didn't know of such a place. I've been to Maui and loved it, I've been to Spain and loved it and many other places and well, I loved it. But did I find peace and a deep overwhelming connection to those places, and I gotta say, no. And then if that weren't enough, I started thinking, while in Shavasana, ". . . where would I want my ashes spread if I didn't know of such a place?" I realize this is a morbid thought but in truth, it was all I could think about.

So last night while telling my yoga-mates this story, a knowing smile came over their faces and they told me that, the Shavasana Pose is also referred to as the Corpse Pose or Death Pose. Your body, in this pose, should be heavy like a corpse. It creep me out. But the question still remains, where would I want my final resting place to be? Where is that peaceful place that I am drawn to again and again?

Now I'm not going to ask you where you would like your ashes spread, instead I would like to know what place in the world brings you the most comfort or joy or an overwhelming sense of connectedness? When or if you are ever in the Shavasana Pose, where would your mind take you?

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Scones

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you. I've made these scones about a zillion times and each and every time, they are tasty, buttery, flaky and satisfying. This recipe will yield 16 decent size scones but you can always cut them to the size that you want. I normally make the dough, cut them into triangles and freeze them, that way I can bake them off individually or a few at a time depending upon how many people want them.

This is a Martha Stewart recipe that originally calls for currants. I like currants, but I like dried cranberries and chocolate chips more. You can substitute in anything you like. Walnuts, bananas, blueberries -- the dough is what makes this scone, you just have to add in whatever your heart desire.

One thing to note, these scones have to be placed in the freezer for up to 2 hours before baking. So don't think you'll make the dough and then immediately shove them into the oven because that's not going to happen.

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tbsps granulated sugar

2 tbsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

1 cup dried currants (or 1 cup dried cranberries and 1 cup chocolate chips)

2 1/4 cups heavy cream, plus more if needed (get more, you'll need it)

1 large egg yolk

Sanding sugar, for sprinkling (optional, I never use this)

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger clumps remaining. Fold in the currants (or dried cranberries and chocolate chips). Make a well in the center.

Pour 2 cups cream into the flour mixture. Using your hands, draw the dry ingredients over the cream, gradually gathering and combining the dough until it just comes together. If it is too dry, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured hands, gently press and pat the dough into an 11-by-7-inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the rectangle into 16 triangles. Place the triangles on the prepared baking sheets; cover with plastic wrap and freeze until the dough is very firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. (At this point, you can freeze the unbaked scones in a resealable plastic bag until ready to bake, up to 3 weeks.)

Preheat the over to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk with the remaining 1/4 cup cream; brush over tops of the scones and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar, if using. Bake, until the tops are golden and flecked with brown spots, 30 to 35 minutes.

Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, Clarkson Potter/Publisher, New York

New Name Same Stuff

So you've probably noticed that the header for this blog has changed. Yes, I've been tossing the idea around for a while now and decided to just do it. The Familiar Home was a name my daughter suggested, actually she suggested the Family Home but that was taken, so the Familiar Home was born. Now that this blog has gotten off the ground, I wanted to give it a name that I felt fit my personality best. No disrespect to my 5-year old, but you know what I mean. Please let me know what you think of the new name. Personally, I think it's adorable.

A Farewell to Arms

At the moment, I am sitting at the foot of my bed with my beloved Hemingway novel, A Farewell to Arms and am missing my friends Frederick Henry or Tenente (Lieutenant) as he is referred to mostly, Catherine, Rinaldi, the Priest and poor Aymo as well as countless others that I have grown fond of over this past week. A Farewell to Arms on the surface seems like a “mans, man” type of novel where the men suck down brandy, wine and vermouth, suffer countless war injuries and suck it all up to “this is a grand war isn’t it?” and carry on with common conversations about woman, the weather and the war.

Though the war, and the love affair between Tenente and Catherine are foremost, I can’t help but melt at the eloquence in which Hemingway personifies night and day. Hemingway gives so much life to these moments as if they too are mere characters in the story. He does so in A Farewell to Arms and in The Sun Also Rises. It’s a continuous theme throughout both novels and I wonder why this is so. In both novels time is really irrelevant. Characters come and go, meet here and there and carry on with their day-to-day lives with little mention of the days of the weeks. Both stories collide against one season after the next and are sometimes the only “time” references to indicate the vast period of time that has gone by. Hemingway impressively waxes poetic the brief moments in time -- the times when day turns to night and vice versa -- it is in these times, that emotions run high and when, after an endless series of drinking this and that, laughing and bullshitting, characters are able to sit in silence and reflect. Sometimes these reflections are painful while others, bittersweet. Here are a few brilliant excerpts that I found:

From The Sun Also Rises:

“It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing.”

“But I could not sleep. There is no reason why because it is dark you should look at things differently from when it is light.”

From A Farewell to Arms, this passage is the loveliest sequence of sleep and then awakening that I’ve ever read.

“I know that the night is not the same as the day: that all things are different, that the things of the night cannot be explained in the day, because they do not then exist, and the night can be a dreadful time for lonely people once their loneliness has started. But with Catherine there was almost no difference in the night except that it was an even better time.”

“I remember waking in the morning. Catherine was asleep and the sunlight was coming through the window. The rain had stopped and I stepped out of bed and across the floor to the window. Down below were the gardens, bare now but beautifully regular, the gravel paths, the trees, the stone wall by the lake and the lake in the sunlight with the mountains beyond. I stood at the window looking out and when I turned away I saw Catherine was awake and watching me.”

And also from A Farewell to Arms:

“I might become very devout,” I said, “Anyway, I will pray for you.”
“I had always expected to become devout. All my family died very devout. But somehow it does not come.”
“It’s too early.”
“Maybe it is too late. Perhaps I have outlived my religious feeling.”
“My own comes only at night.”

Now I must say good-night and tomorrow begin anew. Tomorrow I will begin For Whom the Bell Tolls. I hope I’ll enjoy it as much as the last two.

Sushi Dinner

I am still without a proper camera so I apologize for the foggy images. I had to use my less than trusty mobile phone to capture these pictures.

Tonight I decided to treat my girls to Green Tea, homemade sushi and Chicken Teriyaki. . . sorta. I'll have to admit that I cheated a bit on the sushi. Yes, I cooked the rice, assembled and rolled the sushi but the sushi rice mix was straight from a pouch. It's the easiest way to make sushi and it taste good too.

You can't tell from the photos, but some of the dishes and bowls are quite lovely. The girls felt like they were getting a fancy meal because we used "real" breakable stuff, rather than their everyday plastic cups and plates.

I'm glad we shared this dinner tonight. While filling our tummy's, we talked about the food and practiced using chopsticks. We talked about hot vs. spicy while sampling the pickled ginger and wasasbi paste. It was such a civilized meal. I think I'll do it again soon.

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Sandwich

On Friday afternoon we lost our camera while playing at Alki Beach so future post may be a bit slim until I purchase a new one. I regrettably don't have pictures to share with you from the 4th which is too bad because there was so much I could have shown you.

However, I do have a photo that I pulled from MSN.com that was taken by photographer, Charles Maraia of the ice-cream sandwiches that my husband and I made last week.

Instead of the mint chocolate chip ice-cream, my husband made vanilla chocolate chip. I made the cookie. Even thought the look of the dessert was impressive, our efforts unfortunately didn't produce the results we were hoping for. Firstly, the ice-cream came out more icy than creamy; the sandwich, too cracker crunchy rather than cake like. All in all, the taste was good, but the texture wasn't great. I only post this recipe because I feel the recipe is a good one, it was our execution that I think went wrong.

To make life easier -- buy the ice-cream.

2 cup(s) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup(s) cocoa powder 2 tablespoon(s) cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 cup(s) powdered sugar 2 large egg yolks 1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract 2 quart(s) mint chocolate-chip ice cream, slightly softened 1. Make the cookie-sandwich dough: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and the vanilla to the butter mixture and beat to incorporate. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Beat until a firm dough forms. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a rectangle, about 4 by 3 inches. Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes.

2. Shape the cookies: Line a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with plastic wrap and spread the ice cream in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refreeze. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Roll one rectangle of dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness -- approximately 9 by 11 inches. Cut the dough into six 2 1/2- by 5-inch rectangles. Repeat using the remaining dough for a total of 12 cookies. Using the blunt end of a wooden skewer, poke holes into the cookies (5 rows with 3 holes in each row). Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the pan. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

3. Assemble the sandwiches: Place 6 cookies face down on a clean work surface. Remove the ice cream from the baking dish and unwrap it. Using a sharp knife, cut six 2 1/2- by 5-inch rectangles from the ice cream. Place one piece of ice cream on each of the cookies and top with remaining cookies. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until set -- about 30 minutes.

Happy 4th of July

My morning started off with a 45 minute yoga practice mostly of balance poses so my legs are definitely feeling the burn. A bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and then a hot shower. I feel refreshed.

Tonight I'm off to the Green Day concert at the Key Arena and hope to meet up with a few friends for dinner before the concert. Later in the evening, it's drinks with more friends. I'm keeping myself very busy today/tonight before the 4th of July festivities tomorrow. What am I doing to myself?

Today I scoured my home for holiday items to photograph for today's post, but couldn't find anything but a roll of stamps and these luscious cherries. Why cherries? Well, I was speaking to my girl's nanny yesterday and she said that cherries remind her of the 4th of July because it was always something she and her family had for the holiday. So I thought they would be appropriate for today's post -- aren't they lovely? And yes, they taste just as delicious as they look. Thank you, Susan for picking them and giving me a large bag full. Unfortunately, this is the last of them. We will try to savor them.

And then lastly, here are some images from a recent window shopping trip to University Village.

I love this woven tray and the dishes are something to behold. Miller Pollard has some of the best home accessories and furniture for small homes.

The children's section at Miller Pollard is magical. What child wouldn't love to have all of this.

One day I will own this book. Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth by Jill O'Connor is right up my alley. I found this while at Crate&Barrel.

Enjoy the holiday weekend and I'll have more posts on Monday. Watch for images of my gigantic homemade ice-cream sandwiches and images from the 4th.

Very Simple Chicken Salad

Here is a quick, cool summer meal that my children enjoyed. I had all the ingredients except for the chicken so I bought 1 fully cooked roasted chicken. I took all the meat (white and dark) off the bone and placed in a mixing bowl. To that I added a heaping spoonful of mayonnaise, a small handful of raisins and walnuts. I chopped up 2 stalks of celery and 1 apple. Used about 1/4 of a teaspoon of paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Mixed it all up. My children ate it with whole wheat bread but for a low-carb option, just wrap the salad in lettuce.

Concert in the Park

Ah, a concert in the park is the best. We went to the Ballard Locks to cheer on our friend Manisha who performed many songs including, Stars and Stripes Forever. And to the tune, I softly sang to my daughter, Be kind to your web-footed friends, for a duck maybe somebody's mother. . . "

Here's Manisha performing. So poised I must say considering she played for 90 minutes.

I love this picture of Alex with her back to the concert doing her own thing.

Ah, yes. A concert in the park is the best.

Flowers in the botanical garden at the Ballard Locks.

Before and After

I bought this old school desk from Value Village for only $4.99.

With a little cleaning, a $5 can of hot pink spray paint and leftover green craft paint from another project, this desk now sits perfectly in my daughter's bedroom. Not bad for $10.