Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Other Side of the Street


It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)

Sometimes we become discouraged. The sun may be shining brightly; but, like this small tree, we are surrounded by cement, slowly withering in the hot sun. If we could only manage to get to the other side of the street where there are underground sprinklers and twice-weekly landscape maintenance.....

Friday, August 27, 2010

Stalking the Sunflower








Ya know, Van Gogh loved sunflowers. Me too. Of course, he was crazy; I'm not commenting on my own sanity, but I do still have both ears. I just saw the doctor today, and she verified their presence although they are currently struggling against the Texas allergens.

Sunflowers are beauty queens and work horses (so Texas, y'all); and they are not at all choosy about where they grow. A few scattered seeds in an out-of-the-way alley for a sunny surprise or tidy rows in a well-tended field for a pretty profit. The old bloom where you're planted idea. I don't know who plants them at Whole Foods. However, they must be organic so I take them home in my recyclable shopping bag.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Too Hot to Cook








I have mentioned how hot it is here in Texas, land-of-the-free-home-of-the-brave, haven't I?

Yes, you have. Waaay too often.

And did I tell you how I strive to limit my time in the k-room?

Uh-huh. (yawn)

We had lunch at a very fancy French bistro this week .....

Indeed.

And the owner extolled the virtues of a very nice chilled melon soup they were offering that day.......

Do tell.

I giggled to myself, "Why I made that myself this week."

You don't say.

Watch for my new cookbook Almost Cooking coming to a bookstore near you.

Friday, August 13, 2010

A Messy Desk


Albert Einstein supposedly wondered, "If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?" Methinks the answer to this question is probably much more simplistic than that E=MC2 thing. So we're all in agreement, then .............. a cluttered desk is a sign of genius.

My desk was in this state of disarray while I ranted and raved, as I do every month, about our cable bill, which just went up again last month. The DH throws in his two-cents worth about television used to be free." (He's old.) I remind him that we receive a lot more channels now, but we both agree that there's not a lot worth watching despite the increased selection. However, he never complains when he's watching football ...... or baseball ..... or golf ..... or basketball ....

On the other hand, we don't usually complain about the bill from Texas Power since we are sandwiched between two condos and, therefore, run our AC less than if we were more exposed to the sizzle of the Texas sunshine. Fourteen consecutive days of temperatures over 100 degrees. I hope we're not striving for the record of 42. And yes, it feels just as hot as you imagine it might. But, I digress. Texas Power sent a notice this week, informing us that they had compromised our personal information, and we are currently at risk for identity theft. With a lukewarm apology, they gave us a list of tasks it would behoove us to perform ASAP, which included placing fraud alerts on all of our accounts. We have to go to the bank in person. Thanks, Texas Power, and what is your penalty for your laissez-faire attitude regarding personal identification info? Is it spread out on your desk in a jumble or neatly organized in stacks of social security numbers and bank codes?


At the moment, my desk is clear; but my mind is cluttered. Yours?

Monday, August 9, 2010

Please, Mr. Weatherman

I am not dropping my leaves, but I can identify with the resident ficus tree. Does it really have to be so friggin' hot every day? Doncha know variety is the spice of life? Sure. I love the sunshine as much as the next person, but if every day is sunny and hot what have you got to compare it to? You have seen that groundhog movie, right?

The President was in the Lone Star State today. Even he mentioned it was hot, and you know presidents spend a lot of time in hot water so they really ought to recognize hot when they see it.

So ............ if you need me, I'll be in the bedroom ........ raking leaves.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Summer in the City

This frowzy geranium had perky blooms not too long ago. Perhaps if she used a good moisturizer, her leaves wouldn't get so dry and crackly. I attempted to move her out of the hot sun, but she turned all weepy and moldy on me. After I removed all the unsightly bits, she's having another go at a spot in the sun, but I don't really hold much hope for her .... maybe a more heat resistant pot?

It's summer in Dallas when:

it is not a dry heat
the thermometer is stuck above 100 degrees outdoors
the AC is below freezing indoors
car convertible tops are up
restaurant patios are deserted
the supermarket ices down your purchases for the ride home
the alley cats have disappeared
it never rains
hot water comes out of both faucets
there's no ice in ice cream.

What can I say? When it's hot, we're hot. The geranium too.