Archive for category: Friday Afternoon

As we’re winding down in August, I was thinking about all of the wonderful fruits and vegetables available for eating. Trying to broaden my palate, somewhat tired of the “dogs and burgers” selection (only somewhat!!!) So, I thought I’d roam a bit and see what’s out there. Sweet corn is of course on my list, but also, plump tomatoes, juicy peaches, robust squash, and fresh herbs. Jackie loves to gather up the different fresh veggies and fruits, throw them in a salad, or I’ll roast the veggies on the grill as a side dish. I love to grill water-soaked corn in the husk and smother it in butter with a dash of salt and a little dill. I looked around the internet to see if I could find any new and fun recipes and hit a great site that seemed to match the season – Half Baked Harvest, authored by Tieghan Gerard. Be sure to dive in and find a few to try – some of my favorites include Tomato, Peach and Burrata Salad, Mexican Street Corn Dip – with a cornucopia of chips or crackers! And Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza

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A second. Seems harmless enough. Just a little time to get things right. Blink of an eye. Snap of a finger. Seconds seem precious some of the time (we still measure our best athletes in seconds, breaking records past generations thought were impossible). We measure our work sometimes in second/minutes/hours – always trying to shave a little time off to increase efficiency and performance. So, saying to the grandkids, “Sure, just give me a few seconds; today is an eternity.) The other day I was reading an article about FLOPS – A “flop” (or FLOPS) isn’t a physical size but a measure of computer speed. FLOPS stands for Floating Point Operations Per Second, indicating how many complex decimal calculations a computer processor can do in one second. And it blew my mind.  I remember when a “flop” was when a Broadway show or product or service or movie that just fell flat – (history is full of them, like clear Pepsi, Cheetos Lip Balm, Solyndra, DeLorean cars, early Google Glass, Carrie, the musical, CATS the movie (along with CATS the musical (Not a flop, just awful!), Harley Davidson cologne, and most of McDonald’s efforts in new products … (what actually is in a McRib – although very weird, still weirdly good??). Nowadays, FLOPS are super cool, and super-fast. I mean incomprehensibly fast!! I did some digging and learned a whole bunch of cool things about how computational power is just going nuts (Remember, I am a child of AOL CD’s and dial phone up log in’s – for my older readers, we can still remember the sounds: “beep, buzz, zing, aaarrrrr, zap” and then the connection) … so stepping into this arena is quite a rush. 

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I was in a big box store the other day, and marveled at the volume of school supplies. Paper, pens, crayons, folders – row after row of items just waiting for parents to hit aisles with their specific lists of what to buy – the annual scavenger hunt known as “back-to-school shopping.” They march into crowded stores armed with supply lists that somehow include 14 glue sticks, two folders with pockets, two without, very specific “wide-ruled only” notebooks, markers of different sizes, tissues and hand sanitizer, and so much more. As I think back to when the girls were in school, I’m pretty sure Jackie spent a small fortune on school supplies every year (of course the backpacks had to be a certain size and theme). Now, in full disclosure – Jackie is a way better shopper than me, so of course I let her do it!  I am a firm believer in the philosophy that if 2 items are required, then you must have 3 (backup), or if BOGO is available must have 4! And, after nailing the list, most parents are back shopping by Halloween, as half the items mysteriously disappear by October. (Somewhere I think there is a secret parallel universe filled entirely with lost pens and pencils, lonely Trapper Keepers, and missing calculator covers). It’s funny how little some of these items have changed over the decades. A yellow No. 2 pencil from 1975 looks remarkably similar to one bought today, and like the original. Pens, erasers, notebook paper, rulers, and protractors have survived; computers, tablets, and smartphones remain on the list. Somehow, a fresh notebook, some lined paper, and a perfectly sharpened pencil still feel like the beginning of possibility. Here’s some fun info and trivia I think you’ll enjoy. Kudos to all the Moms (and some Dads!) out there gearing up for the dreaded trip – good luck!!  (And good luck putting your kid’s name on each of those 64-box crayons and 24-count colored pencils.

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As a foodie, I love it when Jackie and I come up with something new to try (it’s mostly Jackie doing the “coming up”). The other night, Jackie made an amazing salad, using couscous as the main ingredient. It was complemented by sauteed yellow and red peppers, fresh tomatoes, chicken, and a light dressing of balsamic vinaigrette.  As usual, it was amazing – Jackie is incredible at creating dinners – no recipe, just a little of this and a little of that! Of course, it got me thinking about the origin of couscous, and how it made its way to my kitchen table from an origin centuries in the making. PLUS, I just love the name! Enjoy! 

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Two hundred fifty years ago, a bold idea took root: that people could govern themselves, that individual rights came before government overbearance, and that freedom carried both opportunity and responsibility. That idea became the United States.

As we celebrate America’s 250th tomorrow, this is not simply a moment to look backward. It is an opportunity to reflect on what continues to make our country remarkable—and why, after all these years, America still inspires people and governments and countries all over the world.

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