SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY

I don't like to labor over the stove in summer. I try to make easy and light meals. This plate is ideal for a summer back-yard picnic. Boiled vegetables and a hard boiled egg goes well with a steak. I chose zucchini, fingerling potatoes, haricot verde (french green beans) and corn on the cob. For dressing I used extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice with finely chopped mint. Tastes good and it is a breeze to make.

I also came up with this dish of eggplant, tomato and pepper on the grill. It tastes better than fried version of it. I thinly slice the eggplant and cut the peppers (cubanel or bell) in quarters, put them in a bowl and drizzle enough olive oil and add salt.. Mix to coat and place them on the grill. Meanwhile grate a large tomato to a bowl and add 1 clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar. Once the vegetables are done place them on a platter, eggplants first then peppers. Pour the tomato mixture on top. Cover with stretch wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to eat. ENJOY.

THIS AND THAT

You can use white correction liquid from your desk/office to cover-up the scruff marks on your white shoes/sneakers in a cinch. Apply the liquid on the marks and buff with a piece of paper towel your scruff marks are gone.

Re-use the plastic bags you bring home from the supermarket to line your garbage pail. You'll save money on buying trash bags.

Don't throw away the Velcro ties that come tied to the vegetables. They can be used to tie the appliance cords or an unruly plant without damaging them.

Use frozen berries or grapes instead of ice in your wine and other liquor. They keep your beverage cold without diluting them and they'll look very decorative in the glass.

SUMMER FLOWERS

BUTTERFLYS ARE FREE

These two moths look like they are enjoying the sun and the flower.

This beautiful black swallowtail came to our garden and landed on the ground. It wasn't afraid of me. It fluttered around a bit and landed on the ground again. It is hard to imagine that this beauty came from an unsightly caterpillar.

EASY BREEZY DESERT

I have an easy recipe for a light summer dessert with strawberries and blueberries. At this time of the year they are bursting with flavor. After hulling and halving the strawberries, place them in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoon powdered sugar and 1/3 cup of your favorite liquor ( cognac, brandy etc.) let it stand for an hour. This application draws out the juices from the strawberries and produces thick and tasty syrup. Add blueberries to this mixture. Place a slice of pound cake or angel food cake on a plate and put the berry mixture over the cake with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream and pour the syrup over everything. Peaches can be substituted for strawberries. It is soo DELICIOUS... .

WORDS! WORDS!! WORDS!!!

Did you ever think about the English language? I did and I became more confused than ever. Like why do we "park" in the "driveway" but drive in the "parkway"? When we a have "yard or garage sale", are we selling our yard or garage? How about the "hot dog"? Are we eating a dog that's hot? Why does a" night cap "mean a drink before bedtime but not something we wear to bed? Anyway, my interest in the language takes me back to the etymology and pun on words. For instance "Palindrome" refers to a word or text that can be read the same back words, like "Mom" or "Wow". "Portmanteau word" refers to a blend of words like "Brunch" (breakfast and lunch) and "Smog"(smoke and fog). And then there are words that are pronounced the same but have completely different meanings and spellings.They are referred to as "Homophones" like, "Maid made the the bed" "Reigns are rained on" etc. "Neologism" on the other hand refers to a made-up or coined word. For example, "My dog Ginger was so human like I nick named her "Hominique".

No matter how much quirkiness we find in a language it is a skill that one should master to be able to communicate more effectively with one another. After all, many world famous authors have mastered this art. Thus we have literary classics and linguistic masters.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE.

My husband is an avid reader. Whenever he has time and whatever he can get his hands on be it history, fiction non- fiction, best sellers, bad sellers, sports, he'll read . Recently he came across an article about Mark Twain and found his books in our little library among his saved books from his high school ( yes we even have books from his childhood). Anyway I asked him to write me an article about his latest find and here it is:

Approaching age 60, I recently read for the first time both "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", the 19th century classical literary works written by Mark Twain. For some reason, they were never required reading in the schools I attended and I never had an interest to read them on my own.

I was inspired to do so by a recent article I read in "Time" magazine about the life and legacy of Mark Twain ( nee Samuel Clemens) the great American writer. It peaked my interest to read these books. I found both books in my library, apparently having owned them for many years, oxidizing and unread. Once started I could not stop reading them. Each is a masterfully written exciting tale about the adventures of young men living in the USA circa the mid 1800's. Not only did each entertain me with its clever writing style, each also gave me a vivid portrait of American life, culture and society in that bygone era.

Although I regret not having read these great American classics earlier in my life, it just goes to show you that it's NEVER TOO LATE.