ok, tagged.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inberkeley/detail?entry_id=96444

here is an alternative - right in Berkeley to big time homeownership.

And the weekend? i was dealing with another Urinary Tract Infection and the troublesome med to heal it. Good bit of rest then. During that time we had some sudden and severe thunderstorms. just read in the paper today that these storms brought well over 7,000 lightening strikes in the mountains. I know of several that were wide of the mountain mark and one that was so close we could smell the smoke. it was like something was burning in the house or yard but no evidence of that could be seen.

And I lived vicariously through Irene who was so relatively kind to NYC and City Island and Ariel while moving on to do some really terrible destruction further north.

and how was YOUR weekend?

Thanks for the Ariel and Irene update.  The names sound beautiful together, so I'm glad their time together "flowed" without being too much.

 And thanks,  also for the lemon pesto recipe!  It sounds do-able.

So, who worked this weekend? and who played? And who managed both?    I sure needed the week to end!  Very grateful I am for weekends -- managed some errands (glasses and computer and laundry),  some work (emails, grading), and did some exercise (4 plodding miles around the track).  I have over 1500 messages in my inbox at work -- 250 for August.  My goal is to clear out the August ones by Wed.  You saw it here first!

And that's Blah Blah Blogging for you! Tag, ya'll are it.

love, Lolo.

Ariel and Irene

Ariel met Irene as " an uneventful evening" and " an uneventful morning"...more like a normal rain. The sea is now lapping at her door but Irene has moved on northward and the last report was" Wait, theres the sun!"

LEMON PESTO

LEMON PESTO

2 cups chopped basil ( I have done this with arugula too)
juice and zest of 1 large lemon
3 cloves of garlic
3 0z Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp olive oil
Coarsely ground pepper to taste

Blend all in blender or food processor

This amount is for 1 lb of pasta
You can also double the recipe and freeze little portions that are right for a smaller amount.
To freeze just cover the top of the pesto in the container with olive oil.

Irene

I watched the first two parts of Spike Lee's WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE last week. The damage and confusion was astounding.

Glad they are taking Irene seriously -- will be good to hear from Ariel, Frank, and others in New York.  It looks like all of might  have to get used to serious weather.

HELLOE HOUSE

iou you pesto pink B. wishing everyone well this weekend and especially Ariel out there in Long Island Sound!

hello house...

wow lolo! what a fun party.
will post the lemon pesto as pronto as possible.
muy full days right now. like you. like us all.
but more later and maybe another fav recipe too.

tuesday

Viv just pointed at the screen and said house. I replied Lolo's house, now she is repeating Lolo's house. Now Gabe is dumping cheerios on the key board.

lemon pesto recipe? : - )

Mama, you were going to post it here, yes?

Late Sunday afternoon sun, after a foggy day.  Taiko drummers at a block party nearby.  Tibetians on the basketball court.  Lots to do to prepare for the upcoming day. Where to start?

Baby olives!

Nino's nephew's 2d birthday

A Grandmother, Aunt, and cousins came all the way from Russia for this party, and the other Grandmother call all the way from Georgia. I drove from El Cerrito ... I was the age bracket of the grandmothers, but I didn't speak their languages, so I took photos with my phone - like the daughters.

Great Grandfather and great grandsons -- traditional homemade cake, and American "car" cake, plus pastries and fruit

the little prince carries a big bat

Nino can be very serious

The little prince, and his godmother's father's girlfriend

everyone crowded around for the candle blowing

test

test

an Observation and a Question

Have had a fine day, doing many things that i love AND had Mildred and baby Maisie Moose in the yard all day. Now, very soon,it will be time to go to the last concert of the year and I have observed that i would rather stay home. A good and unpredicted storm is brewing, we have excellent leftovers and fresh cookies and after that a good book.
They say this sort of stay homeness belongs exclusively to the Cancer sign. Do you think that is true?

hello house...

... missing your owner!

BULL!

I just walked out past the cabin, solo, quiet and ever alert to be wildlife that frequent the wetland. Looking to my right I see, in a strong ray of sunlight, an unfamiliar tree. A bit of magnificent movement revealed not golden branches but a the big brown head of a HUGE bull elk. After staring at each other for some minutes both slowly turned away at the same time I to come back home to tell you about this, he to continue on his stealthy way with what is likely an ever increasing harem.

I have seen several herds here at 2750 in the past years ( Ariel spotted the first one about 3 years ago as she drove up at night). There have been at least 2 groups come through every year as they head up the levee to cross the Snake. This is the first elk I have seen in daylight and up close. What a privilege! I am grateful, really, for everything about living here.

Think i will post on annecam about this. it was such a unique experience.

SUNFLOWERS AT THE TOP OF OLD PASS ROAD

to write a caption under each picture create a space between pictures by clicking at the end of the picture info. The info always ends with and begins with

Hoorah!

Jolie, Ariel, Heather, Lauren and MaMa are all here!

If you are having trouble adding comments, try using a different browser (I learned this via the Help menu).

Those of you more experienced in blogging than I have been made co-administrators; feel free to re-design the template or add other flourishes.  Also I'd like to know how to put captions on photos.

Thanks! Ariel, for this idea.

back yard on Aug 13

Agapanthus

Pink Lady (aka naked lady) and Amaryllus

Laurie's tomatoes, sunflowers, and nurse uniform

It's solid rain all day in New York.

I've been spending time looking for regional half marathons, right now I'm leaning towards one in Rhinebeck, NY. It looks a relatively easy town to negotiate without a car. My aesthetic is not much drawn to these New England clichés I have to admit.

I should go into "town" but I'm hesitant with all this rain.

I dreamt I was doing math problems in my sleep.

Pinkness

Heather writes:  .i can not believe yu [got] pink chairs for dining room! 
it looks like madonna inn!!


Lola writes:  Ha! Ha! Those chairs are apricot.  But now the pink cake at the party for Everybody makes more sense. (see AnneCam blog)

Feeling blue or pink? or moving toward purple?

http://www.jeongmeeyoon.com/aw_pinkblue.htm

nice olive branch

What plants are in your garden ? I was thinking the other morning in the botanical gardens a banana tree would would be most evocative in a Singapore garden. Some 30 minutes later, I learned from a passing group of vocal school kids it is a Banana Plant.

Dear House

Hello Baroness,
Here in the little house on the prairie I have just finished making basil lemon pesto that I will freeze in small containers.
This is the first time I have been able to grow basil outside. Why? Because I no longer listened to what I had been told would not work. That works!

August 13, 2011

The last Saturday before classes start -- I need to unpack, pay bills, send thank-yous, shop, and prep. Thanks to Ariel's influence, I'm also aiming to get in a run.  Will post photos later of what's blooming in the backyard.

Have set this right now so that only the authors can view.  We can branch out later, if we wish.