Mojitos

For me, mojitos evoke summer. You have the mint straight from the farmers' market, the limes from the North End fruit & veg stand, and the refreshing mix of rum and club soda... Tonight Paul and I savored the taste of summer in a glass. We sat in our "formal room," put Van Morrison on the iPod, and basked in the feeling of not having to return to work for 10 days. Ahhh.

Here is my quasi-recipe (serves 2, twice):
*4 limes
*4 T sugar
*8 oz light rum
*~1-2 c. club soda
*a bunch of torn & crushed mint
*crushed ice

Sognando d'Italia

About nine months out of the year I'm perfectly content where I am--Boston. But just as soon as the sleeveless shirts with a light sweater wrapped around the shoulders come out, and when I slice my first few in-season tomatoes for a caprese, I dream of Italy. Our co-worker Rachael just returned from 10 days in Tuscany, and it made me so jealous to hear about the villa they rented, and about the wine country they visited... Now I can't stop thinking of Italy. It's already been almost two years since our honeymoon in Lake Como, and I cannot wait to get back there. For now, I will keep pretending that "Little Italy" is Big Italy, and that in Italian conversations with the shopkeepers right here in the North End, I'm really in Verona.

My Dad, in Memory

I remember the smell of you
and the circles your pipe made
as you climbed the stairs
creating a halo above you

I remember waffle mornings
and "good morning, america, how are ya"
and the world's greatest breakfast
and your joy among all of us

I remember your dives into Lake Huron
jumping up with a splash
and shouting to me
This is how you know you're alive

I remember the tight embrace
that only a father can give
when I was down or defeated
or just needed your arms around me

I remember your oldies sessions
with the stereo on high
dancing wooly bully on the porch
as the sun set over Lake Huron

This day I remember you
all the things that made you you
and celebrate your life
with all the joy you taught me

Happy Father's Day, Dad

Training Day

Most of you know that Paul and I are riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge on August 5. This is an 85-mile bike ride that raises more than $25 million for cancer research. We're doing our part, and have already raised more than $4600 (our original goal)! We are riding in memory of my dad, and in honor of Paul's mom and my step-mom. Thank you so much to all of you who are sponsoring us. It means so much to us to have your encouragement. Here is Paul on our 22-mile training ride on the Minuteman Bikeway today. We attempted to get a picture of both of us, but apparently the man we asked to take our picture by this nice lake wasn't coordinated enough, and did not in fact hit the right button (which we realized when we got home). Anyway, I hope this satisfies everyone's yearning for pictures of us on our bikes. More to come next weekend, with Training Ride #2.
If any of you are interested in contributing to our ride, click here to see our profile on the PMC website: http://www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp?eGiftID=TF0084.

Blue Ridge Mountains...

So of all the times to forget my camera, I did (this picture is borrowed). We went to Asheville, North Carolina this weekend for Paul's fraternity brother Doug's wedding. It was gorgeous there, being in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. And so nice to get away from cold, rainy Boston for a couple of days. Doug & Mindy's wedding was Sunday night, so we had some time before the big event. Our plane arrived at 8am Saturday, which was so strange to already be at our destination that early in the morning (6am flight). So since we had time to kill we went and explored the Biltmore Estate. It was really cool-- reminiscent of Versaille in Paris. I love old estates, touring the old rooms and seeing where the servants lived and the guests dined. George Vanderbilt even had two Renoir paintings. It seemed like the bedrooms went on for days. He must have had major parties. The house even had its own bowling alley, exercise room, and indoor pool, which was very ahead of the times for the 19th century. Paul's favorite room was the formal dining room, and mine was the cook's kitchen! How predictable! After touring the house, we went to the winery and did a wine tasting. Somehow we left with a case of wine. Yum. We're already enjoying it. As for the wedding, it was a beautiful event--with a not-so-light shower of rain right on the outdoor ceremony. They say it's good luck...

Wendy's Shower

Saturday was Wendy's baby shower! We'd been waiting for this ever since she shared the news that they conceived (in Ethiopia!). Little Corban-to-be received sooo many gifts, and we can't wait til he can try them on and use them (or benefit from the use of them, i.e., My Breast Friend).

Here is the Mom-to-be posing with Uyen's signature green paper and ribbon.