FULL DAYS

Hello friends!  I hope all of you are doing well.  I know so many bloggers in Texas, Florida and Georgia, and my heart goes out to all of you.  In this house we have been following CNN and MSNBC relentlessly.  We are on edge.  I awake in the middle of the night and check news alerts on my cell phone, which I keep under my pillow.  I normally want to be available for family, but in this case, I felt the erratic path of Irma bothering me 24/7. 

 In my own small way I try to help.  As I do in December with the Salvation Army volunteers-who stand in the freezing cold- I keep a few dollars tucked in my wallet to give to these goodhearted souls.  In the last few days as I went from the grocery store, to the drugstore, to the gas station...any place with a check out, I saw donation buckets provided by the Red Cross.  I started to save up those dollar bills again in my wallet and pockets.  Not much, but if you shop like I do, it does make a little dent.  

I'm home from the lake for a week or so.  I was on Facebook recently and found a page for my lake with some really spectacular pictures.  I shared this one on Instagram.  See the island in the middle?  100 homes on that little paradise.  A ferry shuttles islanders and their cars back and forth.  It gives you a sense of scope as to how this is one of the very largest lakes in Southwest Michigan.  Our home is situated on a bay that would be in the upper left side of this photo going way into that narrow inlet.  We face north so I can stand on the balcony off of our bedroom and see this gorgeous sunset most summer evenings.  

We had a great group at the lake for Labor Day weekend.  Family.  Can't say enough.  We really missed those who couldn't make it.  That's always going to happen, but it leaves a little sense of longing that time passes so quickly and we need to grab these moments together.  Believe it or not, all of the family here were able to stay at the house-sometimes we've had to enlist accommodations from the nearest motel!  

We did the traditional burgers on the grill, a lot of boat rides, sitting on the beach, snacking on yummy apps on the patio, adventure rides on the wave runners, and serene paddling on the kayaks.   We recently scored paddle boards on sale.  They look like surf boards but you stand or kneel on them and use one paddle to maneuver your way about.  It's a totally intense balancing act with a lot of falls in the water (for the young and lithe), and a great core workout.  I've yet to find out, of course.  

The University of Notre Dame is about a half hour southwest of us (we are just over the Indiana/Michigan border, or Michiana).  It makes the home games a bit more exciting.  For some reason we watch the games in the Summerhouse (guest house) most times.  The open windows and ceiling fan make for a perfect spot.  Some cold brews and comfy chairs, and we are happy campers.  Miss Madelyn and her daddy Mike are true fans as you can see.  And we won this game!  Go Irish!

And speaking of family and grandchildren, here is Elsie today on her first day of school.  Doesn't she look all grown up?  And that precious little baby next to her is Patricia Mae, or Patsy, who arrived at the end of May in a whirlwind of pre-summer chaos.  As we get less busy, I'll try to get more pictures in whenever I can.  They are cuties! 

I have a guy fixing and tuck pointing our huge stone chimney(at the lake) on the roof.  I was waking up every morning at 7:00 a.m. to thuds and banging on the roof just over my bedroom.  I'd stagger outside in my PJ's, hair all over, eyes squinting in the morning sun, and grouchy as ever as I took the dogs out to do their thing.  Even with working in the hot sun on the roof for eight hours a day, he'd always called down, "Good morning!"  Ouch.  And he would bring tomatoes. My enthusiastic, "Thank-you", seemed to encourage more tomato offerings.  At one point I had twenty-one in all shapes and sizes.   

I couldn't bear to waste them.  Gardening, and I know from experience, is a matter of hard work, love and hope, and finally, gratefulness.  Knowing people enjoy the fruits of your labor is so, so gratifying.  

Some days my activities at the lake run the gamut of A to B.  I went to the grocery one day and bought onions, peppers, cilantro, and limes.  Chop, chop, chop.  I don't usually puree my salsa, I like it chunky and fresh.  You can definitely puree it in a blender or food processor but I'd check out a recipe for it.  Here's mine:

10 tomatoes, any type or size, chopped small

1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped small

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped very small

1 red onion, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 bunch green onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed and chopped

1 T ground cumin

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice each tomato in half, scoop out the seeds, and let drain, cut side down on a paper towel while you prepare the other ingredients. Chop the tomatoes and combine all in a large bowl and taste for seasoning.  If you want the mixture more spicy, use the seeds of the jalapeño or add a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Let the salsa chill in your refrigerator for at least 4 hours.  Stir and strain off excess  liquid.  Adjust seasonings to taste. Store in jars or plastic containers for up to a week.  Once open, use within 3 days. 

You can add or delete a lot of things to this salsa.  My daughter likes corn kernels.  I like to add black beans.  And...some like it hot!  Salsa is very good but I also like to top my scrambled eggs with a few spoonfuls.  You can add some to a tossed salad, or make Bruschetta on thick bread.  Sauté it with fresh shrimp, or top your grilled fish with a scoop.  Maybe you just can't have enough tomatoes.  

We went to a party yesterday and I always try to volunteer an appetizer.  I stared into my fridge at the nine jars of salsa, and then I spied 2 large balls of fresh mozzarella, this was all going to go to waste.  I checked my best friend Google and I was inspired to use won ton wrappers to make cute little cups to hold the salsa (or anything else desired...chicken salad, chili topped with cheese, French onion dip topped with crushed potato chips.  Okay, the last one was my invention.  But really, the ideas are endless.  The best thing about the baked won ton wrappers is that they don't get soggy.  So...

Using a regular size muffin pan, press won ton wrappers in each to make a cup sort of shape.  Spray with vegetable oil and bake at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and let cool completely.  Add your salsa and a slice of fresh mozzarella.  I got fancy and sliced the cheese very thin.  I then used a teeny little cookie cutter to make little flowers shapes (or clouds as I envision), and placed them on top.  Voila, you have turned tomatoes into salsa; totally overdone, overused and hopefully not boring anymore.  

I specifically came home from the lake to see my dermatologist, Dr. Lio.  He had been treating me for over a year for an auto immune disease that has caused me to have severe atopic dermatitis, or eczema.  It's such a long story and I know most of you may have  forgotten the long road I've been on.  I'll abbreviate my recent treatment:  I started a new medication in June, which was just approved by the FDA in March.  I give myself injections every other week.  If you hate getting shots, try giving yourself one.  You can't close your eyes.  For some, the results and relief is immediate.  I'm plugging along, hoping my skin will heal or start to heal soon.  The side effects however, are something I always manage to experience; dry itchy eyes, rash-like hives around my mouth, and hair falling out like crazy.  When I saw my doctor on Friday, he was pretty shocked that I still had open sores on my arms and legs.  The worst area is below my knees on each leg.  He wrapped them up in gauze and then bandages after applying three topical medications.  I wore these for three days and I was feeling and looking a lot better Monday night.  I also started a two day per week dose of the  medication that caused me to be so physically ill last winter.  I have to be vigilant in staying away from anyone sick and contagious.  I'm really hoping taking it less will keep me from feeling so sick to my stomach as it did in the past.   

Brunch, River North, Chicago

I usually go to my doctor appointments by myself, but The Husband was free and went with.  The best part was finding this restaurant right around the corner.  It had a great Northside vibe, bustling and loud, and the diner style menu had eclectic versions of our typical morning fare.  The Husband had the Donut French Toast, and I had the Morning After Tacos.  I now have a place to go after my appointments to cheer me up.  Do you ever eat in restaurants alone?  I don't have a problem.  I don't even hide behind a book or newspaper.  But maybe I'll bring my laptop-I can always use the time to catch up on writing.  

I wanted to share these pillows I just received from my favorite new Etsy shop, With Lavender And Grace.  I simply love the natural fabric, how well made they are, and the quotes.  You might remember me sharing ones that I bought for the lakehouse, Beach Shack and Simplify.  This is turning into an obsession!  But I wanted to share the link with all of you.

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And here I am.  We celebrated my nephew's birthday at a family party yesterday, and today I did mindless chores that could be done now or later; a car wash, trip to Petco for Milo's arthritis meds, some grocery shopping, pharmacy pickup, and some backyard clean up. 

No-I'm not a whirling dervish.  Tomorrow I may be totally unmotivated and sit in front of my laptop trying to find ideas for my columns.  I may take a looooong nap.  But sharing with you, my friends, makes me take a good look at my crazy but full life.  I endlessly try to come up with ways to better organize my time, set goals, get projects done, maybe go off on little vacation with The Husband.  Dividing my time between houses is so gratifying but I often feel like I'm stretched thin.  I think fall is going to be much more easy.  I think I'm going to have more moments to be in that moment.  If not, well, you'll know. ;-D

Jane x