Community garden yields…..

Wow! After returning home from more than a week away, my plot in the community garden looked terrific. I was shocked to lift the elephant-ear sized leaves on the zucchini and squash plants to find….zucchini and yellow squash! And when I say zucchini, I mean 4 zucchini the size of my upper arm.

What does one do with such bounty? Well, here’s a recipe that turned out incredibly delicious. Halve a zucchini and a yellow squash and roast in oven at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes while you mow the lawn, as needed. Mince a yellow onion and saute until beginning to caramelize in butter. Add more butter and to the saute add chopped mushrooms in a generous amount. Let the zucchini and squash rest and cool somewhat then scoop out the roasted zucchini and squash and chop into bite sized pieces. Add them to the saute pan. Toss and heat all. Season with a mix of herbs and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. To serve, put in a bowl and top with a few teaspoons of freshly grated parmesan. Excellent as a side dish with Ukrop’s cold fried chicken.

Making it home

It is hard to get to Panama City, and apparently, harder to return. Marie and I had a great day just hanging out, which included a round trip to Dothan Alabama for 15 5-gallon oil drums, delivery to Mexico Beach job site, popping in for a howdy to her family at the beach, errand running to return tuxes, chafing dishes, and the like, and a lovely marina-front drink and snack before heading to the airport. My 5:45 departure left by 8 pm, ensuring I missed my flight to Charlottesville. Luckily, I was booked on the 10:30 to Richmond, with Mom waiting in the wings to retrieve me, but that flight left around 1 a.m. All told, I returned by 4 a.m. to my silent home and had to get up at 7 a.m. Yikes! My reward was being surprised by a garden now full of flowers. The gladioli are blooming profusely on the west side of the house, and the salvia is perky and lovely in several spots, along with soft lamb’s ear and hosta in the top picture.

Young love, old friends, and feeding 6-80 in Florida

Kevin and Becca married on June 23, 2007, in advance of going up to Florida State together. They left the reception amid a flurry of bubbles.
 Kevin and Becca Cox.

Mitch and Marie were the proud parents of the groom and they held up amazingly well, while I cried a bit throughout the ceremony being a complete softie at weddings. All weddings. I guess the poignancy of the leap being taken gets me every time.
 Proud parents of the groom after the newlyweds left.

In advance of the wedding, we had quite a raft of activity. Marie was decorating the reception hall, as well as self-catering the rehearsal party for 80! It was ambitious but with several of us pitching in, she pulled it off admirably and there were lots of compliments for the food–we had quite a spread.  I was impressed with 14-year-old David Cox, my personal helper hero, who leaped to his feet to unload the car on the many trips we made to deliver items to the house, and who looked fantastic in his tux despite hating every minute of it! Her friend Terri did the flowers, and Bea and Sharon were in charge of other decorations.    I personally was on a ladder for 2 hours stapling strings of lights all around the room!   We applied beach Scene Setters to one long wall, and it transformed the room into a tropical paradise.  The theme was Family Union, a take on family reunions, so for the menu we had chicken, and honey ham, and side dishes like a layered salad, rolls, green bean casseroles, glazed carrots, roasted potatoes with rosemary, and multitudes of pies for dessert. Check out the decor and some of the food.
 The rehearsal dinner decor.

 Teri, Marie, and me at the reception

After the wedding, the real culinary treats came courtesy of Greg, butcher for Whole Foods, and bf of Amy, Marie’s sister. Here he is showing off his fantastic shrimp creole. Other treats of the weekend included a corn and green onion pancake topped with fried eggs and a side of bacon for breakfast one morning, and a freshly made slightly lemon-tinged cheesecake that was the perfect ending to a long day at the beach.

 Greg and his Shrimp Creole.

It was wonderful for me to get to see Marie’s brother and sister, their partners, and Marie’s mom, uncle, and aunt.   I forgot how much fun families from New Orleans can be–their zest for fun, storytelling, and even gameplaying felt like I was home again.  I was also excited to see Teri, my long-time friend, and catch up on both of our lives.  Hanging at Mexico Beach was lovely with warm water, an overcast sky that allowed us to evade burns, and great company with storytelling continuing in the water all day.

What do men want?

A smart guy recently said to me that if I’m confused about motives of men, it’s easy:  they want money, sex, or a nap.   Women’s motives may be more complicated but other than adding emotional connection or good food, it’s probably a short list for us also!

Sometimes boiling things down muddies them, but in this case,  considering a short list of motives may help me to respond appropriately.

Recently, my social and work relationships have undergone seismic shifts and it’s time to rebuild, reinforce, or raze them.   I am reconsidering my long habit of valuing loyalty and affiliation above most things.    Certainly some of my loved ones have earned continued loyalty and strong attachment.  With others, it’s been mixed.  With some, it’s clearly over.   Time to check motives and see how the categories shake out.  

And I don’t get off the hook either.  Time to think about my own motives and choices.  Am I living in accordance with my values?