Beachy life

I'm alone on a second story balcony, feet propped up on the railing. Though the sun has started to set, it is still vivid out; the blue sky is streaked with salmon, peach and yellowish white brushstrokes. Awnings and tree tops blow gently in the slight breeze. Birds are all around. Some gulls and their avian kin fly by, low across the horizon, while others sing in the background. A crow just glided to a soft stop atop a chimney.

I just cooked dinner for everyone -first for the kids and then the adults- and feel wholly sated now. It was a simple meal but a thoughtful one, prepared with in-season produce and a hot grill. 

tricolor quinoa with grilled veggies and peaches

tricolor quinoa with grilled veggies and peaches

These sorts of dishes make me feel so happy and good. They aren't fancy or frilly (though those can be fun to prepare and eat too), not difficult or overly time-consuming. They aren't even mine, really. I riffed on recipes I'd eaten before and remembered clearly, or read about and wanted to make. 

grilled peaches with mozzarella, toasted baguette, mint, olive oil and salt

grilled peaches with mozzarella, toasted baguette, mint, olive oil and salt

They're healthy and beautiful and full of flavor, and I just can't imagine it gets much better.

The sun is sinking lower, ever so slowly which is delightful. You know those evenings where it drops like a guillotine? All fast and furious, and if you blink, you miss it. Not tonight, not here.

The crow has relocated to the other end of the roof. His tail is still moving up and down, up and down. Is it leverage? Is it a signal? He's not in a rush, and I like that about him.

Somnolent Sunday

Long story short, this weekend was really good in lots of ways, exceedingly challenging in others, and presently, I feel like I'm sleepwalking through my evening. Good time with friends, lots of laughter but not nearly enough sleep, especially for my youths. 5:20 this morning was an unwelcome wake-up call.

In any case, the boys are sleeping soundly now (J since 6p!), and T and I enjoyed a lovely dinner. I made tortilla soup with Swiss chard, à la Rick Bayless, grilled a turkey breast and some squash blossoms, garlic scapes and the baseball bat-sized squash -cucuzza- I bought this morning, and made a grilled corn, avocado, plum and queso fresco salad. Everything was really yummy, a nice change of pace for a lazy Sunday evening. I really liked the plums in the salad- delicious!

Grover Norquist is insufferable. Good lord, his voice makes me recoil in the same way as do nails screeching down a chalkboard. He's so smug and self-righteous and why does he always look supremely pissed? Repugnant human.