Sunday, nice and easy...

I got up at 8:30 after a long, frequently interrupted night. It's raining outside and gloomy. I warm up a cup of coffee while I strip the bed. The bedding goes into the washer and I go into the bathroom to shave and shower.

Next, something a little different: breakfast! I was a little dismayed to learn that the cinnamon raisin bread I bought yesterday was probably NOT the same one that Jake and Carla got. But, be that as it may, I am trying the French toast they raved about. So, I mix up some eggs and milk and cut three thick slices from the loaf. I let each slice soak up some of the egg mixture on both sides and then slide it onto the electric griddle.

I topped each piece of bread with a pat of butter and some real maple syrup I warmed in the microwave. Yum-o! It might not have been the correct bread, but it's damn good! Thanks for the idea, guys!

Now, I get my second cup of coffee and wander out to the front porch rocker. The rain has stopped and I rock and drink and watch the world go by for a while. Reluctantly, I go back inside and clean up the breakfast mess. Then I get out the watering can and give the hanging baskets and the urn a drink. I deadhead the wave petunias while I am at it and realize, now that they are bigger, this is starting to be quite the chore.

I reluctantly roll the wet grille into the garage (I really don't want it to rust!) If it gets sunny later today, I'll put it back outside to dry. I pop the bedding into the dryer.

I am deep-cleaning the main bathroom when, at 11:45 AM, I notice that the sun is out. So, I roll the grille back outside and get back to work. By 1:00 PM, the bathroom is done, all the floors are swept and the wood floors have been dust mopped, using Endust. Oh yeah, and the bed has been made in case I get a chance for a nap and the now dry grille is back in the garage. Now, its time to start dinner.

Dinner, you ask? Yes, this is a recipe test of gazpacho (a cold Spanish soup). If it tastes okay, I'll make it again and take it out to Lake Orion on Wednesday. The thing about gazpacho is it must be chilled for a minimum of 4 hours (or up to two days) before you eat it. So, I must make it now for dinner later.

So, the recipe called for three beefsteak tomatoes. But, when I went to Westborn Market, their beefsteaks were all "greenhouse" looking, so I bought seven vine-ripe smaller tomatoes. Those I cored and quartered then dug out the seeds with a teaspoon. Then I cut them into 1/4 inch strips and then cut those into 1/4 cubes.

I don't own a big (at least 4 quart) non-reactive bowl (glass or plastic) so when I was out Saturday, running errands, I stopped at the dollar store and bought a round plastic dish pan. Once I had about four cups of diced tomatoes, in they went! Next I added two medium-sized red bell peppers, also cut into 1/4 inch cubes. Here I learned a new trick: You cut about 1/2 inch off the top and bottom of the pepper and slice down one side. You pull out the seeds and flatten it out, then cut off the white ribs inside the pepper. You cut the flattened strip of pepper into 1/4 inch julienne slices, turn them and cut them into 1/4 inch cubes. They went into the bowl as well.

Next came two cucumbers, one peeled and one not. Once cut in half, I dug out the seeds with a spoon, as well. Those, too, were cut into 1/4 inch cubes and put in the pan. Somewhere in here, my daughter Melissa (or M______ as she likes to be called) called. I explained I was in the middle of making soup and would call her back in 30 minutes or so.

Next I diced up 1/2 of a Vidalia onion and minced two cloves of garlic and added them to the bowl. To the veggies I added two teaspoons of table salt and some fresh ground pepper. Then I added 1/3 cup of sherry vinegar, stirred it and let it all sit until the vegetables released their juices (about 5 minutes). I called Melissa back and while we were talking, I finished the soup by adding five cups of tomato juice, one teaspoon of hot pepper sauce and eight ice cubes. I stirred it all together, covered it tightly with Saran Wrap and stuck it in the fridge.

I talked with Melissa for about three hours (well, her phone kept cutting out and I kept calling her back). She and Dave have bought a house in North Carolina and she was supposed to be painting a room. Dave and his son Dustin were out of town, watching a baseball game and due to be home today around 5:00 PM. So, she was making barbequed ribs in her slow cooker. Everything seems to be going well with them and she is adjusting to the slower pace of life down south along with the bugs and geckos (she is not anxious to become acquainted with the local snakes, however).

About 7:30, I decided it was time to try the gazpacho. Very, very good! A definite "summer" taste. I will make this again on Tuesday to take out to Lake Orion!

My brother Carl called me to tell me his granddaughter, Amanda, just had her baby. So, he is a great-grandfather (the first in our family) which, come to think of it, makes my Mom a Great, great grandmother for the first time! He promised to send pictures of Aurora Jubilee when he gets them.

I watched my usual Sunday shows and then the news, so I didn't get to bed until 11:30 PM.