The Art of Dance

     Rissy was born with a natural grace and has become a most beautiful dancer. During her performances at a recent recital, it was vexatious not to have my DSLR and a tripod but I struggled through with my compact Coolpix. Of course, the action shots were blurry but a few of the others emerged acceptable, especially with some Photoshop help. Four of the best shots were combined in the montage below for the my office desktop. My favorite of those is the candid pre-recital shot of the ballerina wearing mismatched dark socks and rumpled tulle. 

     Photoshop is also responsible for the allure of the photo at right. I extracted Rissy from the background and the other jazz dancers, and applied a painting filter. She loved the effect (even though she did NOT like the costume because, "It makes my belly look fat!")

Berry 'Bobs

     These nibblers were a contribution to the potluck table at a recent graduation party. The original recipe called for strawberries but the raspberries at the local market looked much more appealing. They were big and plump - just the right size to be skewered alongside marshmallows and circles cut from fudgy brownies (packaged because I was pressed for time!) A quick diagonal drizzle of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips prettified the kebobs, which disappeared quickly at the party. Oh, and the leftover brownie pieces and raspberries, combined in the blender with frozen yogurt,  made some fabulous smoothies the next day!

Borador Duncan and His Pot

    A late spring day spent in the gardens was a combination of fun and work - digging, planting, mulching, watering - and puppy Dunc was thrilled with all of the activity. His self-assigned task was to grab a just-emptied plastic pot and happily carry it around the backyard for the duration of our enterprise.

     We were not overly happy, however, when it was time for bed and found that Dunc had forsaken his favorite stuffed bunny for the prized pot!

Zucchini Pizza Boats

     Summer dinner alert! Another weekday meal for two made easy with minimal ingredients. The zucchinis were halved and pre-steamed in the microwave, then the seedy center was slightly hollowed. Marinara sauce,  mozzarella, and pepperoni slices were arranged on top and then the boats were baked for ten minutes to a bubbly gooey cheesiness. Parmesan was sprinkled over and, along with some crusty garlic bread, dinner was served. (Pop wants this again with Italian sausage.)

My Life and My Herbs - Out to Dry

     Interested observers will note that I have not posted since April's end and it is now June. A  low mood and a persistent feeling of sadness seemed to cause a continual disinterest in my usual creative spirit, and the writer in me was repressed. So many things I'm trying to shake off: missing my family, the death of my mother, the perpetuation of racist claims by the media and the sensationalism of anti-police sentiment, weight gain causing depression and depression causing compulsive eating habits (and non-interest in exercise.)

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     So I'll stop there and with the beginning of summer, vow to improve what I can. First resolution is that I WILL write and/or photograph daily. Today involves the lovely task of cutting herbs from the garden and drying them on very low heat in the oven. The freshly cut oregano and basil leaves are so simple and attractive as they are arranged on a tray and soon the house has a savory smell that is quite pleasant. The gifts of earth can be very uplifting.

Summer of Sisters

     In the summer of 1963, four sisters played under the minimal shade of a young sweet gum tree. Content they seem, with their baby dolls, crib and paraphernalia, on the suburban lawn that still boasted an unobstructed landscape of  fenceless grassy knolls. I was the oldest of these four and probably directed the arrangement of the makeshift nursery. As I recall, however, we were just as apt to be running a veterinary with assorted stuffed animals as the patients (and the garage held a stable of imaginary horses!)

A Tater Tot Tale

     Pawns of  modern potato cuisine, Tater Tots have never figured prominently in my pantry. Once in a great while, I will buy frozen french fries, but mostly we eat fresh potatoes either baked, mashed, scalloped or fried for breakfast. Originally invented by Ore-Ida to use up scraps after the fabrication of french fries, Tater Tots, (a patented name for a product that has been knocked off by other manufacturers and given similar names), feature a sort-of fluffy interior and a crunchy exterior. Corn flour, onions, dextrose and flavoring are also listed as components of the characterless filling.

     However, a recipe was recently given to me by a friend and I thought the easily-prepared casserole would appeal to Pop. (Tater Tots also happened to be on sale at the grocery.) Browned ground beef, onion, broccoli and mushroom soup form the first layer which is sprinkled with lots of cheddar cheese, and then topped with the Tots, artfully arranged, of course. Crispy and golden brown, the casserole was actually pretty tasty, a comfort food that both Pop and I enjoyed.