when i saw a peter gabriel song featured on this blog it reminded me of one of my fave peter gabriel songs (along with afro celt sound system).

it's really good.  give it a listen.




i went through a major peter gabriel phase in early high school.  
i think, as a lovesick teenager, i dreamt of that special man holding a stereo 
over his shoulders with "in your eyes" streaming from it.  
right outside my bedroom window. beckoning me to love him.


hope you got the movie reference.

oh wow.

one tip. it's a good one.

when you order something online, before you check out, google "such and such store promotion codes."*   you will almost always (as long as it's a well-known store) find a code for free shipping, and sometimes 20% off.  it is the most satisfying thing in the world.

*not literally "such and such store" but j.crew, oldnavy, whatever.  you probably knew that.

if you don't do it already, start.  if you already do, bravo to you.

this post reflects my lethargy this morning because it's already like 90 degrees and it's early and i am hot.

totally lame.  my apologies.

Sunny skies, loaded chili, campfires, waterfalls, loved ones, and a very happy dog made camping 2010 one perfect weekend.  We camped at one of my favorite spots in Pennsylvania... no, the U.S... Ricketts Glen.  22 waterfalls along a 3+ mile hike.  Heaven, I say, heaven!  I have had a love affair with waterfalls--they are like bread to my soul (Bridget, you're so poetic!).  If you love them, do go to Ricketts Glen State Park sometime.  You likely will not regret it.  Now for the pictures.

She's smarter than she looks here.  I promise.

Hubs helps my Dad set up their palace.  This was no tent.  It was a palace (naturally, when you are finally empty-nesters, that is the time to buy a gigantic tent).

Dad with our Father's Day present to him on his head.  What can I say?  He's a hat man.

Feed me!

My mom makes a mean chili.  It was delicious.

Lindsey developed, over the course of the hike, what she called the "camper's pose."  Here, you see it.

Just so you know, Nathaniel's not in any pictures because he didn't come.  Not because I just chose not to take pictures of him... but teenagers just don't love getting their pic taken as much as the younguns.  I'll try harder.  They're going to love it!

sorry for the silence!  i'm flying home today... back to the hubs, and the kids, and the dog, and the lovely state of massachusetts which won't be quite as hot as the NJ heat i'm experiencing now.  camping was great fun (pictures to come!) and i only got, oh, 5 mosquito bites which really isn't so bad for me.  then, seeing sister kate and her baby-in-the-womb was fabulous as well.  got some pictures of that too which i told her i'll be posting at mysisterisacheeseball.blogspot.com to which she replied something i can't repeat on this blog.  annnnyway, i'll be back at the blog soon.  hope you all had lovely weekends!

and i neglected to also say happy father's day to my dad (on my blog... i said it in person...) - so, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY dad!

bridget (that's me!) will be spending father's day weekend in nature cavorting with mosquitoes and smores all at the same time.  in other words, we're going camping.  then i'm finally spending some time with that prego sister of mine.  i'll be rubbing some baby belly - don't be jealous!  back next week!

in case i don't get to it... which i totally won't since i will be in the woods and/or tent (no wifi there, dumb), i'd like to say happy father's day to the sweetest, funniest, sexiest man i know.  so glad i married you and that we're in this together.

AND

happy 40th to my madre and padre!  wow!  40 years!  you go guys.  glad you met, procreated, and then continued to love on each other so that i could have a good example of real love.

interview with the second to littlest one.

me: who's your favorite superhero?
w: batman

me: why?
w: because he's cool.

me: what do you want to be when you grow up?
w: state trooper.  that's kind of obvious, isn't it?
me: not for the people reading this.
w: well, for you!

me: who's your favorite sibling?
w: i'm going to say jordan.  laughs.  no, i'm just kidding.  my favorite sibling is nathaniel.

me: what's your favorite meal?
w: my favorite meal.... i have a bunch of favorite meals.  you wanna know my top 3?
me: sure
w: that soup we had... on the camping trip... chicken chili!  um... fajitas... and what else?  chocolate chili.

me: if you could be invisible, fly, or hold your breath under water as long as you want, which would you pick?
w: i would pick breathe under water.
me: bad choice.
w: why?
me: the other two are so much cooler.
w: fine, fly!
me: it's your interview, you can pick what you want.  just saying... bad choice.
w: stop!

me: what clothes do i want you to wear that you hate to wear?
w: khakis and really dressed up shirts.  and vests.
me: so basically you prefer to look grungy?
w: no, i like t-shirts and shorts.
me: so grungy?
w: you're grungy.
me: i am rubber and you are glue and whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.

me: what's your favorite book?
w: drufus the dragon.  no wait wait... i'm thinking...
me: what about ralph s. mouse?
w: oh yeah, the ralph series.

me: anything else you want to say?
w: state troopers rock.  and i hope you are one when you grow up.
me: my readers?  they're all pretty much grown up.
w: oh never mind.

and the floors too.

want to see the rest?

They all are.  I think I just notice it most with this one.  When her two front teeth fell out and her big teeth came in, suddenly, she was a girl.  Any semblance of toddler was up and gone.  Now, she's even more girl.  She's dancing around the kitchen, mostly to Taylor Swift and she's pouring her heart out to me when I go up to kiss her goodnight.
"Mom, I'm in love," was the confession two nights ago.
"My heart tells me I should tell him."
I kid you not.  I told her she should just keep it to herself, that sometimes boys get funny when you tell them you like them.  That they can be kind of mean just to show off.  She assures me not this boy.  He is not mean.  The following night she asked me to write him a letter, in my handwriting.  She began telling me what to write.  Imagine this boy bringing home a love letter written in an adult's handwriting.  I declined.  So, I told her instead to journal.  That journaling helps with feelings.  So, that is what she's doing.
All of that to say that she's just growing up and lately it seems to be so fast.  The year I became her Mom she was in diapers (at night).  I don't think I really enjoyed each of the kids then.  I was too busy figuring out life and I was just plain in-over-my-head.  Now that the dust has settled, I'm having so much more fun and, to sound like a broken record, noticing the speed at which they grow.

Slow down, guys.
(Unless, however, you're in a sort of rotten phase of whining/arguing, in which case, quicken your speed.  Then, stop when you are nice again.)

I made what I would call a delicious soup on Saturday night and while maybe the cook shouldn't say that about his or her own soup, here I am committing a kitchen faux pas and going right ahead and doing so.  That run-on sentence was probably a literary faux pas too.  Anyway, the reason I can tell you it was delicious is because hubs said so (I thought it, he said it).  And the kids didn't really say so but they took seconds.  That is always a good sign.  Kids are more apt to starve than to eat food they don't like.  Unfortunately for you, I don't have a picture of it.  But, I will describe it.  It's a red soup, and it has things in it.  That's the best I could come up with.  Oh yes, and it is vegetarian and I am psyched any time I find a vegetarian recipe that we like.  And, if you're like me, you pretty much have the ingredients on hand all the time (except for the cilantro; that needed to be bought and now, what's left will most likely go bad in my fridge).  

Delicious Mexican Soup 

(I think my Mom named it though I'm not sure what the original name is).

serves 4 (I doubled)

2 tsp. oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 large sweet potato (or yam) peeled and cut into 1/2 in. pieces (I left mine unpeeled and it was fine)

2 cans chicken broth

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 can (11 oz.) corn niblets, drained

1 cup mild or medium salsa

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (15 oz.) canned black beans, rinsed and drained

Garnish with sour cream and cilantro (I would say this is imperative because it made it really delish).

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat.  Saute onion until translucent.  Add sweet potato, chicken broth, and cumin; bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat.  Simmer 15 minutes or until sweet potato is tender.  With immersion blender (I used our normal blender--let cool a bit first) process soup until smooth.  Stir in corn, salsa, tomato sauce, and beans.  Simmer while covered 5 minutes to blend flavors.  Serve.  Maybe some TJ's corn bread or Tostitos would do you well here too?

whoever said we can't post on saturdays first of all?  my sat. and sun. mornings are

way drearier without your posts.  

let's start a revolution!!

so, this is what i've been doing today.  cover to cover, i've had a date with r.steves.

he's great.  thanks all for the tip.  

especially emily who actually ran into him in italy... i can see it now.  

me with my head in his book bumping into the man himself, dropping his book into a dirty puddle.

rick: don't worry little traveler!  here's another!

and he pulls one out of his knapsack.  yes knapsack.

  

annnyway...

my favorite r.steves quote yet:

"if you fall off your moral horse, call it a cultural experience.

italy is for romantics."

rick, you cad!  

also, important question:

rick doesn't really say amalfi coast is a MUST SEE.

por que rick, por que?

cinque terre he says is, however.

we have a few days wiggle room here and there so i'm trying to figure out which to stay longer at.

positano in amalfi or vernazza in cinque terre?

i know.  my life is really hard.  these decisions suck.

peeps who've been to both, can you help a woman out 

so i can stop googling "amalfi coast vs. cinque terre?"

(also - is it pretty standard to send credit card info over email to make hotel reservations?)

i first read the story here and found an article here.

doubt this has happened for hubs and me.  

ya know, we've got a bit of an age difference.

maaaybe my mom was pushing me in the stroller while husby was 

heading off on the rollercoasters at disney?  

maybe mom was breastfeeding me on a bench in disney 

while husby was getting wasted in disney's "china"?

unlikely.

well husby, glad we found each other now, anyway.

don't think you would've thought me in my onesies were real sexy then.

decals, decals, decals!   they are everywhere.  along with bunting, bunting, bunting!

and, me loves it.

and i love you.

have a fabulouso friday and a even snazzier weekend and i'll see ya back here monday mornin'!

(I'd like these purple pom pom flowers all over my garden, please.)

The kids' grandparents were in town so what better activities than some duck tour action (hosted by Plucky Ruffles--complete with cheesy but semi-funny jokes... and was entirely self-deprecating which, let's be honest, is the best way to be) and a Fenway tour?  Some of his funnier jokes:

"Why is the road bumpy?"  "It's not your fault, it's not my fault.  It's asphalt!"

"What side of a duck has feathers?"  "The outside!"

There were others.  Oh, there were others.  But those are two that I remember, anyway.  

Really wish you'd have kept your eyes open, William.  

And glad Jordan recovered from Nathaniel putting his arm around him resulting in a big fiasco.  Did you know?  Teenagers DO NOT like to be touched.  You have been warned.  Touch one and suffer the consequences.

Lindsey = cute | Hubs = HOT

We learned stuff about Fenway that we had never known.  What a cool place that is.  Did you know that there is Morse Code on the Green Monster score board section that is the initials of both Mr. and Mrs. Yawkey as a memoriam to them?  You didn't?  Me neither.  But now we both know.  Also that random red seat amongst all the green ones?  That's where Ted Williams had a home run hit a guy (you might've known that one).  

That's William driving the Duck boat just before we crashed.  J/k, obvi.