Summer is Over

Well, summer is over, at least because school has started, but the heat still feels like dog days.  We're in the 90s this week, with high humidity, and it's nasty.  In fact, the first day of school was cut short because too many of the un-air-conditioned schools were too hot for students.  The same could be said of today and Wednesday, but they aren't being released early, yet.

It was a full summer--Gommie's visit and our foray to Vermont, camps for each kid, regular activities lengthened (Bud helped out teaching kung fu to the younger kids; Sis went to the bard on Saturdays to help with ponies), then our big week in Maine.

And then there was the "little" matter of re-doing the hardwood floors upstairs, which entailed moving all the belongings, stripping out the carpet, days of sanding and finishing, and then painting the rooms and moving back in.  It took about 10 days in all.  The kids have new teen rooms--Sis got rid of her bunk beds and went with teal colored walls; Bud got a new bed and changed out his bookcases and dresser--his walls are greenish.  Mama and I have grey-lavender walls, everything else the same (though we'd love to have new dressers.)  Through it all, we stayed at a nearby suites, with the cats away at kitty camp.

There was also, of course, our new cat, Romeo.  And that's a whole story in itself.  I had seen a neighbor's post about a stray orange tabby while I was checking FB from the hospital in NJ over Memorial Day, but ignored it and the few that followed it.  She was looking for its owner and, when that failed, a place to send him, because she couldn't keep him. A few weeks later, on a Friday night, I got a text from friends who were at the neighbor's house for a meeting--did I know about this cute orange cat?  So friendly, sadly homeless.  And next morning, I showed Mama the photo.

And now we have a new cat!  Within an hour, we had called our vet for a lodging appointment and check up and gone up to the neighbor's house to get the cat.  He rose from the wicker chair on the porch and came straight to me, letting me pick him up--and he was PURRING!  He got right in the carrier and the vet would check him over and keep him while we readied the basement for fostering.  Yeah, at first we were just going to foster, but very soon we knew we would keep him.  He's the chill-est, friendliest, longest lap cat I have ever met.  We kept him in the basement for weeks, taking turns visiting, and he's only just now been spending his days and his nights upstairs.  He's uncomfortable when the other cats get too close, but they're beginning to work it all out--dividing the rooms and floors into time shares!  Albus and Hermione are usually up on our bed, Eris up in one of the kids rooms.  Ro is down here with us.  Usually over a shoulder.  We noticed earlier this weekend that his eye was inflamed--not injured or infected (yet)--so he went to the vet and had a collar for a few days not to scratch.  Seems ok now.

As for my list, we didn't get much done; we were more laid-back than that.  Also, the

• finish my Raptor Identification online class--I started it and will finish this fall
• practice painting mandala rocks--yeah, still working on this
• start embroidery project--nope
• organize photo book for first half of the year--not yet
• finish several crocheted blankets for hospice--too hot to crochet
• read down my nightstand pile--read a few Kindle books
• Practice "Viva La Vida" and "Amazing Grace" on piano--yes!

• computer camp for both--yes
• GS camp for Sis--she loved being a LEAD and wants to be a CIT
• horse camp for Sis--she loves it, anything with horses
• Parkour classes for Bud--he loved it and Sis joined it and loved it too
• Birthdays!--Sis had a slumber party and let Bud hang out for most of it
• teach Bud how to do laundry--yeah, but he doesn't love it.

• Audubon family camp--Amazing!! Especially with Goo
• celebrate 4th of July
• Gommie's visit--wonderful time, especially taking her to Vermont
• GS overnight for family in Boston--a hot trip but delightful--did I write this up?
• get new upstairs floor--yes, and it's cut down on the dust considerably!
• foster new cat, Romeo--love him!
• volunteer at cat shelter--not time

• backyard cookout--too hot
• practice dinner skills--add one meal each to repertoire--Sis learned shepherd's pie, Bud learned lomo saltado
• add one chore each--they've added vaccuuming and household garbage collection
• weed the garden--I did a tiny bit of yard clean up the first morning it was in the 60s.
• go swimming--everyday at the hotel where we stayed
• go to the beach--nope
• movies!!  Ant-Man and the Wasp, Pooh, Jurassic Park etc--we saw Ant-Man
• make ice cream--no, but we got a lot of it from the local shop
• putt-putt golf--no
• go-kart racing--no

Summer Recipes:
(to be completed) 

Flan, or Quesillo a la Ana (Venezuelan)

3/4 cups sugar (Ana's note: 3 big spoons and a little water)
6 -7 eggs (Ana's note:  6)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk (Ana's note: 1/2 a can!)
12 ounces low-fat milk (Ana's note:  only enough to fill the sweetened condensed milk can)
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Over med. heat melt sugar in a cake pan or in a pot. You can add a tiny bit of water (1 Tablespoon or so) before sugar heats up to make it a little lighter.
2. After sugar is melted it should be light brown. Don't let it get dark or burn. Take off the heat and if it's in the cake pan let it cool. If it's in a saucepan, pour it into the cake pan and let cover the bottom of the pan and harden a bit.
3. Put the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blend for a few minutes. Then pour on top of the caramel mixture in the pan. Place the cake pan into a larger casserole or round glass dish and fill the larger pan with water until the water comes up to about halfway on outside of the cake pan. This is called a bain-marie or bano de maria in spanish. Place this into the oven and bake for about an hour or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Place cake pan in refrigerator to cool for about 5 hours to overnight. If you're in a huge hurry you can also leave it in the bain-marie but dump the water and refill with cool water then add some ice cubes to this and place in refrigerator. If the ice cubes melt, add some more, removing a bit of water if necessary so as not to cause overflow. This could be ready in an hour or two if the ice is replenished often.
5. Alternatively I'll sometimes do this in two loaf pans and place both into a large casserole dish. In that case, sprinkle enough sugar to coat the bottom of each pan lightly.

(Ana's note:  Broil the sugar in the pan until it is caramel-colored and then swirl it around carefully.  You can make this on the stove as long as you cover the flan so the water doesn't get in, for example in a steamer.)

Lomo Saltado from NYTimes

2 pounds beef loin, sliced into thin strips

3 yellow peppers, sliced into thin strips

3 red onions, peeled and cut into eighths

canned peeled tomatoes, too taste

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

In a large skillet over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the beef, and quickly saute until the beef is seared and browned on all sides. Remove the pan from the heat, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a plate.

Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until the edges are seared and they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar over the mixture, and saute until the tomatoes have softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the beef and sauteed potatoes, and toss gently to mix well. Cover and simmer just until reheated, 2-3 minutes. Serve with rice and french fries (we used frozen.)

Shepherd's Pie


Atlantic Beach Pie from the NYTimes
I made this on the hot Friday of Labor Day.  We devoured it. So good.

Crust:

1 ½ sleeves saltine (with salt) crackers (about 60 crackers/200 grams)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

Filling:

4 egg yolks

1 (14-ounce/396-gram) can sweetened condensed milk

½ cup/120 milliliters lemon or lime juice, or a mix of the two

 Pinch of kosher salt

 Fresh whipped cream, lemon or lime zest and flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional)

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Make the crust by combining softened butter with broken up crackers in food processor; process only until crumbly, NOT dusty.  Press into pie plate.  Freeze pie shell for about 15 minutes. Bake at 350F until slightly brown, about 12-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs into sweetened condensed milk.  Then add lime (or lemon) juice and salt.  Save zest for whipped cream.

Pour into pie shell (need not be cool.)  Bake for 14-16 minutes until set.  Cool in fridge for at least 4 hours.  Top with whipped cream (I slightly sweetened it and added zest.)

Yum!

NYTimes


Butterbeer
Sis learned this at GS camp.
Cream soda
Caramel syrup (in a bottle, like Hershey's)
vanilla ice cream

Combine in pleasing amounts.  Serve immediately.

Boston Cooler
I saw this in a FB post.
gingerale
vanilla ice cream

Combine like a float.  So good!


KAF Gingersnaps


Frosted Lemon Sheet Cake

FOR THE CAKE:

1 cup/227 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, plus more for preparing the pan

3 cups/385 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing the pan

1 ⅓ cups whole milk

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups/403 grams granulated sugar

4 teaspoons packed finely grated lemon zest

4 large eggs, at room temperature

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM:

¾ cup/170 grams unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

2 cups/246 grams confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

 Pinch kosher salt

4 to 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, butter and flour the paper.

In a measuring cup with a spout, combine the milk and lemon juice. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds after each. Scrape down bottom and sides of the mixer to ensure the mixture is well combined.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the bowl in three additions. Mix until just combined, then use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any large air pockets. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely on a rack before frosting.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: Combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined, then turn the mixer up to medium-high and stream in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Whip the frosting until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, adding additional lemon juice as necessary until frosting is smooth and spreadable.

Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and serve. Store leftover cake at room temperature, covered for up to 2 days.

  

NYTimes

Cinnamon Pancakes a la Chip's Restaurant
Oh, how Sis and I love these sweet pancakes with a caramelized cinnamon spiral!
Swirl:
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Combine and spiral through pancake (use zipper bag with snipped corner) in skillet before flipping it.  We only do one side.

Glaze:
4 tablespoons butter
2 oz. cream cheese
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter and soften cream cheese, then combine with sugar and vanilla.  Drizzle over finished pancakes.

From Life in the Lofthouse


Chocolate Cream Pie from Crazy for Crust
My first cream pie, with pudding from scratch.  I used a scant 1/4 flour instead.  I even liked that the chocolate chips didn't totally melt. 


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1 prepared No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk whole, 2%, or nonfat

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips milk or semi-sweet

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mini Chocolate Chips for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 400°F. Press pie crust into a 9” pie plate as directed. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the refrigerator, then poke it several times all over the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until slightly puffed and no longer glossy. Cool completely before filling.

Whisk sugar, salt, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and milk in a medium saucepan, then switch to a wooden spoon or heat-safe spatula. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly, about 5-8 minutes. Be sure to get in the corners of the pan when you're stirring as the solids can get stuck there. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and chocolate chips; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into prepared crust. Cool at room temperature, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill 4 hours or overnight.

Before serving, make the whipped cream. Beat cold heavy whipping cream in a cold bowl with cold beaters until stiff peaks form, adding powdered sugar slowly during the mixing. Spread on the pie and garnish with mini chocolate chips, if desired.

Chocolate Pie Crust (I used regular pie crust)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ice water

Dice butter into small cubes. Place back in the refrigerator.

Place flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.

Add the cold diced butter into the food processor. Pulse a few times until the butter is worked into the flour mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of ice water. Let the food processor run for several seconds, until the dough becomes crumbly. If the dough seems too dry, add 1/2 teaspoon water and pulse a few more times. You can add another 1/2 teaspoon of water as needed. Just make sure it’s not too wet! The dough should be pinchable, but not dry or wet.

Pour crumbly dough into a 9” pie plate. Use your fingers to presss across the bottom and up the sides. Chill for at least one hour (or freeze for 10-15 minutes) before baking.

If making a baked pie shell for an unbaked filling: poke the very cold crust with the tines of a fork all over the bottom and sides. Bake at 400°F for about 8-10 minutes. Cool, then fill as directed.

If making a baked pie, fill chilled pie crust as directed and bake as the recipe directs.


Simple Chicken
An old slow cooker recipe of mine, updated.

1 package chicken breasts
1 package boneless, skinless thighs
1 cup Italian salad dressing (I used Paul Newman's)
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced
2 handfuls baby carrots

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

Chicken Stew
Take leftovers from Simple Chicken above, add potatoes, any other vegetables (I had corn but no onions or celery), and 2+ cups chicken stock.  Season to taste and simmer until done.

Mommy Hungry

Broiled Fish Fillets
6 cod/ling fish fillets, defrosted
seasonings
pat of butter per fillet
optional sauce: teriyaki, garlic, ginger, scallions, and 1-2 teaspoons sugar heated through and reduced in pot on stove

Place fillets on foil-lined baking sheet.  Season liberally and place a pat of butter on each fillet.  Broil about 3-4" from element for 10-12 minutes, or until flaky.

Mama Hungry


Broiled Chicken
chicken pieces, marinated (I use soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and garlic to marinate and then I add chicken stock to leftovers and reduce it on the stove)

Mommy Hungry
Place marinated chicken pieces on oven-proof rack over baking sheet.  Broil about 3-4" from element for 10 minutes each side until it reaches 165F.

King's Hawaiian Sliders

deli ham
swiss cheese
12 King's rolls (I could only find hamburger buns)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (we skipped this part)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used the Swedish beer mustard)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup mayonnaise

Cut rolls in half and spread mayo onto 1 side of the rolls. Place a slice or two of ham and slice of swiss cheese in roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into a baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce.

Pour sauce over the rolls, just covering the tops. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for additional 2 minutes until tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve warm.

A Whale of a Time*

*I couldn't resist.

On the morning we left Hog Island, after a delicious big breakfast at Moody's in Waldaboro, we headed to Gloucester, MA, for a whale watch.  I've never seen a whale in the wild and was very excited, taking my binoculars so I could see them.

Well, I didn't need those.

See how the white markings glow green under water?

Mom, calf, and escort whale

Terrible thumbprint, but I was raising my phone above my head, without looking.  That is just the splash
caused by the tail of these school-bus-sized creatures.

Yep, they really do blow!  But it's mist caused by warm air of their lungs hitting
the cold air above the sea and a little bit of water covering their blow holes.  We could
see these at great distance, which was almost mythical.

Those are all pictures taken without zoom on my cellphone!  I included the people in the photos so you can see how close the whales came to our boat. 

We were in the Stellwagen Marine Reserve not far off the coast, in a large boat with about 150 other people (there was enough room to move around, though, and it didn't feel like that many.)  We came across whales almost immediately, seeing 12 humpbacks in total by the end of the 3-hour cruise (anyone singing "Gilligan's Island"?)  A calf, mother, and escort came right up to our boat, with the calf rolling around in the water and spy-hopping to get a look at us.  Later, another whale smacked its tail about a dozen times; in the distance, I actually saw a whale nose-breach out of the water, causing a huge splash!  The announcer kept us informed about the names of the whales, which have been studied here for decades, and other details--including their unique fluke markings that help with identification, the "fluke print" left on the water after the downward thrust of the tail, the reasons for certain behaviors ("fluking"--to remove parasites or communicate by slapping the water, etc.), their migration habits and motivations (they birth in warmer equatorial waters for the calf's sake; there is no food for them there so they have to head north quickly--they fast the whole time they're down there), gestation and birth (almost a year!  Calves are born tail-first so they don't drown, since whales are mammals and need air), and other things. 

Even the crew were impressed with how many whales and different whale behaviors we saw.  Mama and Goo, who had been whale-watching before, just couldn't believe it.  It was definitely a magical end to a great week.

Our Main Maine Event

Just like last year, we spent a week off the coast of Bremen, Maine at the Audubon Hog Island family camp.  And like last year, we loved it.  This year, though, we had a guest with us--Goo came along.  And it was a magical week.

We traveled up to Maine, making a few stops along the way.  We ate lunch in the pouring rain at the Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth--delicious lobster rolls and whole clams and fried fish and whoopie pies and Grape Nut pudding.  We didn't spend anytime on the beach or climbing the rocks, but I did get to sniff the lovely beach roses.

We also stopped at the Kittery Trading Post, a bit like a local Cabela's, where we got some souvenirs and some last-minute camping supplies.

Then we made it to the boat and our weeklong home-away-from-home.  Many of the staff were returnees from last year, as were many of the campers; I think that made it doubly special.  And much of the week was familiar.  We even played the same four or five getting-to-know-you-games that first night--Stuffed Animal name toss, Human Knot, Marshmallow River Cross, and Captain's Coming, a kind of Simon Says.  At one point, the kiddos were standing together and the next move was a waltz; they looked at each other and headed in separate directions!

Our Loft:  Our room was in the attic of a 19th-century chandlery, a huge loft with twin beds, a private bathroom, and a view with a breeze.  We were right in the center of camp above where the boat docked (half of the building stood over the rocks of the shore), not far away like last year.  I liked the location and the room.  I spent more time sitting in the Adirondack chairs looking at the water and sitting in the hummingbird garden watching the three flitting birds.  The kids and I spent much of the last day trying to catch a picture--at one point we were staring at one feeder only to discover that the birds were on the feeder behind us!

That's the chandlery aka Fish House; our room is in the attic.

Shakedown Cruise:  On our first full day, we took a boat cruise around the island.  This is a slow, lovely ride with lots of birds.  We saw gulls, cormorants, guillemots, a juvie bald eagle and then a beautiful mature one sitting in a spruce.  I was the one who spotted him, from his white head against the green.  Amazing, iconic.  We also had a long talk about whether a bird was a Greater or Lesser Yellow Legs.  Apparently, if you can imagine pushing its beak out the back of its head and it is long enough to emerge, it is a Greater; this one was.  We also saw a harbor seal or two, following us around!  I've always loved boat rides, even slow ones like this.  Makes me want to get my boating license and buy a boat.

Can you see the eagle?? 

Optionals:  Sprinkled throughout the week were various optional classes from which to choose.  Many were the same as last year which made deciding easier.  And because the kids are well-behaved, the instructors didn't mind if they attended alone.

• Ponding:  Bud enjoyed mucking around with nets.
• Geocaching:  Goo enjoyed the GPS "treasure hunt" so much that he took it twice.
• Nature Journaling:  I really enjoyed the drawing lesson, complete with detailed bird wing and feather discussion.
• Nature Photography:  Mama and Sis liked practicing their photography.  All the photos here are mine, but theirs are much better.
• Joy of Birding and Citizen Science:  Birding was my favorite subject at camp, still being quite a novice, and so I enjoyed both the intro Joy of Birding (which I took last year, too) with its discussions of habitat and food source and behavior (Mama took it with me) and, later in the week, the discussion of digital birding platforms like eBird and Project FeederWatch plus a practice walk with some new skills for listening, watching, and counting.  

This was a lesson in food source and beak shape.

Evening "Campfire":  We gathered every evening in the large Fish House for evening guest lecturers and music.  Oh, I loved the singalongs with the camp staff band--Colleen played guitar, Russell on banjo, volunteer John on guitar, and camp director Ron on violin/fiddle.  We all sang along to songs such as "Eider and Osprey," "Island Lullaby," "Rattlin' Bog," "This Land is Your Land."  A new counselor Rosie, the younger sister of ornithologist Anna (whose new husband Ryan was the new camp photographer), introduced us to "The Sun is a Magic Fellow" and "At the Roseville Fair."  And a few times, a very musical family joined them, singing "I'll Fly Away" and "Charlie of the MTA" and "Isle au Haut."  One night, a guest musician, Jud Caswell delighted us with his "backyard songs" about "Blackberry Time," "Getting Poor Slow," and other touching ballads; he'd performed last year, too.  I really enjoyed seeing how much Goo loved the music and even sang along--he's a clear tenor and harmonizes really well.

Meals:  Oh, the food.  It's such a treat to have a chef at camp (not that canned Sysco food I recall from my Girl Scout days), especially one devoted to local, sustainable, and delicious fare.  Our favorites included

• Salad dressings such as strawberry, orange mint, spring onion, and southwest buttermilk, which were delicious on spring greens
• desserts: chocolate-chocolate chip cookies, ginger snaps, flourless chocolate cake, strawberry shortcake, ginger ice cream with chocolate ganache and cranberry sauce, and my favorite these moist chocolate cupcakes with delicious buttercream frosting.  And of course, the last night's cream puffins!! (Handmade, with little shortbread puffin heads!)
• Lobster night:  Okay, I don't like lobster, but Mama, Bud, and Goo relished in the lobsters and the haddock chowder.  I had the delicious pizza.  Sis, who doesn't eat anything with tomatoes, had a little grilled steak.
• Other dinners included roast chicken, spaghetti with either pesto or Bolognese, hamburgers.
• Breakfasts always had a main dish--broccoli and pepper frittata, pancakes, scrambled eggs--plus a buffet with oatmeal and yogurt with toppings.  And lots of coffee.
• Lunch was sometimes served outside (which was great until the awful black flies hatched in numbers on the first sunny day!  Bud and I attracted them--I looked down more than once to a dozen flies on my socks and bet I had fifty bites--my ankles swelled beyond recognition.)  We had grilled cheeses with tomato soup, quesadillas with salsas and toppings, plus two days of sandwiches for hikes and cruises.  

Hiking Day:  I sat out hiking day, and Mama with me.  The kids went with Goo on the long hike around the whole island and had a great time.  Mama and I sat in the Fish House and talked and drew and ate our sandwiches.  A little squirrel, one of the chatty ones that lives in the middle of camp, came in and out of a small crevice in the closed screen doors.  I drew the eagle and the seal, the hummingbirds and the beach rose, based on a nature drawing book that the resident artist had used in the Nature Journaling optional.  It was restorative to sit around camp together alone.

Puffin Cruise:  It was a bit foggy on puffin day and, when we got to the island, we didn't see any for awhile.  Then there they were--four little rubber duck-like puffins with their colorful beaks were floating in the water.  They hung around for a long time and we all got some great pictures.   We also saw both Harbor and Grey Seals, the grey being larger with longer snouts and more unusual in the upper parts of Muscongus Bay.  And then we went to Harbor Island for hikes and lunch.  The kids hiked around with Goo while Mama and I hung near the beach, sniffing roses, watching the fog roll in and out, and building rock cairns that were eventually inundated.  It was a glorious day.

"At Home" Day:  On the last full day of camp, we all hiked out to a cove and explored the area.  The kids and Goo did some seining with nets, finding all manner of intertidal critters, while I scrambled across some rocks to take in the view.  I am still awed by the coast, with its huge tidal differences (about 12'), boulders and rocks, and evergreens.  It's just so beautiful and unlike any coastal landscape I have known before--certainly not the Gulf Coast!  We had our periwinkle roast again--the boiling of small snails in seawater--and Bud again almost ate his weight in the tiny tidbits.  We took a few more optionals and then celebrated camp with our Lobster (or pizza) dinner and our "Treasures of Hog Island" exhibition and show.  Another week of camp was over, our last time at family camp.  Sure, we can go to Hog Island again, for teen camp or Raptor Rapture, but not together as a family, not with this staff for these activities. Very bittersweet.  I will treasure the memories and our time together.

(For my recollections of Family Camp 2017, see here.)

Second Cadette Year

I can't believe we've finished our second Cadette year already--maybe because I am way behind on sewing the badges to Sis's vest!!  It was a good year, wrapped up with that hot-as-Hades campout in the harbor. 

We're already planning our next year . . . and trip!

• Public Speaking badge (read a poem, give a speak on the GS law)
• Volunteered at local food pantry
• Did holiday crafts and sang to folks at senior living center
• Packed holiday meals for Christmas
• Attended archery overnight (some of us!)
• Safety award pin (swimming safety, emergency kits, etc.)
• Media journey--making seven layer dip, doing media quiz, conducting survey on Gold award, making videos
• Cooked for local soup kitchen
• QSP sales
• Saw Newsies
• Cookie Booths
• Outdoor Art Apprentice badge (natural egg dyes, sea glass suncatcher)
• Trailblazer badge (put up tents, hike, etc.)
• Class in compass orienteering
• Gardening volunteering at Audubon
• Boston Harbor Islands overnight camping

It's Been So Long

I don't think I realized that it's been practically the whole summer since I posted on this blog.  Not that there hasn't been anything to say, just that I don't seem to get to it.  I'm wondering if that will change in the fall, when the kids are back at school.

To catch you up:

1. Zentangle:  I'm running a summer Zentangle challenge, where participants use the listed pattern in a drawing each day.  Something to spur on the creative impulse.  I've enjoyed making my tiles and posting them.  I've been thrilled to see others in the Zentangle community participate and I know I'm expanding my own skills.
2. Romeo:  our rescued marmalade cat is still in the basement because he is having trouble adjusting to the cats upstairs, probably because he had to be wary when he lived rough.  But we've found the kind of treats he really likes and that is helping encourage his adjustment.  And with us, he is amazingly sweet and cuddly.  I hope we can move him upstairs soon.
3. First political protest:  I had never been to a political march before, mostly out of anxiety not indifference.  But the issue of the separation of children and parents at the borders was just too much--and the rally was short and not far from home.  So I made posters, wore white, and encouraged friends to attend.  Mama and Sis even came.  The politicos talked too long and not well--very political droning not energizing the crowd.  I saw several friends among the 100+ people, one whose daughter led a great chant against a mayor who hasn't declared the city a sanctuary.  I don't know if we really made a difference, but I needed to try.  I as asked by the MoveOn people why I came and I said that I'm a lesbian with bi-racial children and I'll stand up with others because I want them to stand up with us.  We're all nervous and in jeopardy.
4. Parkour:  the kids have a new pastime, the urban gymnastics known as parkour.  Both Sis and Bud have gone to local classes (it's more like an open-house half-day camp) to climb, run, jump, flip.  It's freeform and energetic.  I knew Bud would like it because of his kung fu activity, but I was surprised that Sis did.  But, still being out of speedskating with a sore foot, it gave her something to try.  We'll see if we can arrange for more classes in the fall.
5. GS camp LEAD:  Sis spent two weeks at GS day camp as a LEAD, which is like a pre-counselor.  She helped organize the girls, led the activities, and was helpful behind-the-scenes. She really enjoyed it and can't wait to be a counselor-in-training (CIT) next year.  She has even chosen her camp name, "KitKat."  
6. Aquarium and zoo:  While Sis was at camp, Bud and I did some day trips.  We wandered the local zoo, remembering all the times we'd been when he was little.  The prairie dogs were our favorites, cute fuzzballs bopping around.  Another day we went to the Aquarium, where he'd also been a lot as a kid, even celebrating a birthday.  We liked the sharks and turtles, but we liked the seals more than anything.  (Though, I was sad to hear that Susie the blind seal had died--peacefully--at 45, two years ago.)
7. Shark week:  after our trip to the aquarium, we were interested in sharks, so we watched Shark Week!  I was fascinated by several of the shows, especially the one about the shark "highway" through the Pacific and the various underwater robots and sat tags they use to track the sharks.  The show about what happens when you are shipwrecked reminded me of that disturbing movie, "Open Water."  It was a fun evening activity for us all for a week.
8. Boston Harbor Islands:  we spent 36+ hours camping in the National Park situated in the Boston Harbor Islands.  It was hot as hell (seems to be a theme this summer) but delightfully far-removed from the urban environment by which it was surrounded.  We even slept in yurts.  I'll post separately about the experience, with pictures.
9. July 4th lake party:  we were again invited to a kung fu buddy's 4th of July lake party.  It was as hot as hell that day, so the kids really enjoyed swimming in the lake with friends.  Sis particularly took to paddle boarding, while Bud spent a lot of time in the kayak.  A lovely, memorable day.
10. FLOORS:  the majority of the summer has been affected by our second-floor floors project.  Our 15 year-old carpet needed to go, gross and allergy-inducing. We had the floors refinished, with a water-based sealant, and the rooms painted (with eco-friendlier paint.)  But only after moving everything off the floor, which was a huge project in itself.  We're still unpacking!  The kids have rearranged their rooms, gotten new beds, purged old toys--a whole update for our new teenagers.  But the floors look great, the rooms feel clean, even if there are boxes everywhere.  We've focused on getting the kids settled and getting the first floor workable (it's where we stored everything--with the help of movers.)  While this was all going on, we lived in a nearby hotel and put the cats in "kitty camp."  It was a big production.  We ate out a lot, swam some at the pool, and kept an eye on the house.  I liked swimming.  
11. Meals with Lee and Ma and Gong:  we've met up with family a few times this summer, eating dim sum in the city with Ma and Gong before watching the World Cup finals and then breakfast at a local hot spot with Goo on a few mornings.  
12. Dominican brothers:  over the summer, we had two Dominican seminarians interning at hospice.  They were young and enthusiastic--but so intellectual, so righteous.  They quoted Thomas Aquinas to me in every conversation, extolling lists of the daughters of various sins, etc.  It was so much a conversation as a monologue, a lecture. They were at hospice to save souls, they told me, only providing comfort secondly.  When a doctor raged against the condition of a declining patient and asked one why God allowed suffering, the young man began an exegesis on the theological definitions of suffering and explanation that God doesn't cause suffering--it's some kind of derivative state.  Comforting, huh?  I told the brother that we had differences of opinion on that score. As a Buddhist-inspired UU, I acknowledge that suffering exists and we are complicit in our unskillful response to pain sometimes.  But suffering isn't from God or a punishment; it happens.  He then decided he needed to convert me.  Another one was decrying the Mormons and making fun of their beliefs in "crazy things" and all their rules.  I laughed at that, coming from a zealous Catholic.  I asked what he would do if he had an LDS patient--"I'd lead them to the right way of thinking," he replied.  And he also once told me that I wouldn't want to hear what he thought of my definition of family.  I really didn't care what he thought, I told him.  I learned after they were gone that he had refused to enter the room of a gay patient.  And had informed a Jewish patient that the blessing from our more interfaith priest was meaningless because they weren't Catholic.  So, they were a bit of a handful.  They didn't understand the purpose of hospice.  They were too much in their own heads and couldn't really connect with people unless they agreed theologically--and it was hard to see all the Catholic patients and staff fall over themselves to admire and thank these guys.  I'm glad it'll be a year before we have another set.  (Though, apparently a few years ago, the brothers sent to a death bed visit, spent the time telling the spouse of the patient that she  would burn because they weren't married in a church!)
13. CPE:  I finished!  But I haven't completely digested the whole experience.  I made a new friend, which is the best takeaway of the online portion; the clinical hours at hospice were priceless.  But my supervisor was awful.  He was like the Dominican brothers, only Baptist, and covered his disdain for my "lifestyle," my beliefs, and me with that good ol' boy Southern civility.  I'll write it up sometime.  
14. Cinnabon pancakes:  Sis made pancakes on the morning she left for overnight computer camp, based on the ones we like at a local pancake place.  Combine 1/2 cup melted butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnabon; place in zipper bag and make a small snip in the corner; spiral onto pancake batter after pouring it into a pan.  
15. Computer camp:  both Sis and Bud are at computer camp this week; Sis is staying overnight and Bud is a day camper.  That's probably why I have a bit of time to blog--I'm alone for the first time since mid-June!!!