Spring in the 'hood

I had a wonderful weekend. My family, as usual, was great to be with and it was quiet and peaceful and somewhat delicious. We had ribs, sweet potato fries, home made cole slaw and corn bread from the new place around the corner. Folks down south would faint at what they charged for a rack of baby backs but we tried to ignore that(BIL Bob bought us the anniversary dinner we didn't get in Feb) and wow was it great. A pretty perfect day to remind me of how fortunate I am. Thanks guys!

I'm giving you a peak at the color of spring around here. As Roger said yesterday, "you wait all year for this color" It's a green that only appears for a brief time. Vivid and intense and in many shades from lime to deep forest. Very alive. Not that the garden is not beautiful the rest of the summer-it's just that spectacular spring green that inspires such bliss. The picture of the harbor is an interesting one because in a wekk or two there will be so many boats that you can nearly walk from boat deck to boat deck around the harbor. This is a brief blissful moment.

A while ago I came home from the grocery store and one of the 2 million trips (sigh) that I have to make there during the week, and this sweet cardinal was back again. Yesterday he practically sat for Roger while allowing photographs of his lovely self to be snapped. Today I was unpacking the stuff from my car and he landed not two feet from me in the gravel. I moved-he stayed-I moved some more...he stayed and re-positioned himself several times, as if to say "I'm ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille" He's still hanging around out there munching seed and looking wonderful against the grey and blue stone. I sort of wonder who he really is. Maybe a relative come home to visit? Is that you Pop? He won't say.

Well, despite the beauty of this day and it is stunningly pretty-I have the requisite crap to accomplish. Laundry, dinner prep. Crap waits for no one!

I promised my honey that I would re-create the meal that Lydia made on her show yesterday. It's a salad that includes roasted Vidalia onions dried black Greek olives, red bliss potatoes and green beans. Finished off with bibb lettuce and oil and vinegar dressing.I may throw in some cheese shavings and roasted peppers- so it's off to the grill. She made a scalopini with wild mushrooms with it but I think we will just have the salad and some good bread, fresh mozzarella and sopressata. Who's up for dinner???

Here are the accompanying shots of winter-Goodbye to all that!