Singing in the Rain!

 My morning started a little late....and while drinking my tea the rains began.  The day felt "soft" not chilly and damp.  It was the kind of day that I feel both lifted and supported and while the water kettle heated I found myself just dancing around in the kitchen.   I am going to store that feeling deep inside to tap when I am feeling terror and fear and outrage...the feeling of strength and presence of being well and being ready to just take it on....what a great way to start the day.  

 

View from my Porch!  

 

The rain felt different this morning, it transported me back to the days that I loved to hear the rumble of the thunder and the  sounds of rain dropping all around.   I could almost hear the earth say thank you.  

 

 

Homage to the Tomato

The beginning of my first Puttanesca of the Season.  I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish.  I can assure you it was divine!   I am having another bowl for supper and will make sure to remember to take a picture.  When I saw the lovely tomatoes at Ada's yesterday - yellow, orange, red, almost pink I knew that the day had arrived to make one of my most favorite August dishes.  This is a dish that evokes memories of being in Sicily.  The capers, black olives, garlic and anchovies give the lightly cooked sauce a brininess that opens my senses, sends me on dreams and makes my taste buds burst.  Puttanesca is a dish that I dream of in January.   I know that you can make it with canned tomatoes, and I have good canned tomatoes, but there is nothing like just ripened tomatoes freshly cut cooking up to make this delicious sauce.  

 

 

Such a good day.  Midwest rainstorm in Maine,  thunder rumbling, tomatoes cooking.  More vegetables put in the freezer.   Straws were picked up at the "Blum's".  The straw strategy really does seem to work in getting air out of the freezer bags.   

Tonight I am going to try another evening of successfully avoiding the RNC.  My little dip into that "show" was following the NY Times as they fact checked the convention oin real time.  Not a lot of truth telling going on there.  Tonight I am going to watch women's basketball.  I am so glad the (and somewhat ambivalent) about the WNBA being in the "wubble"  - a women's bubble!  The games have been good.  I have gotten used to not hearing cheering from the stands - basketball is fast paced,  and fans can be loud and cheer wildly, to make a basket or lock down on defense.  Without that intensity, it took several games to adjust to the new format in the wubble!  There will be 22 games in this shortened season and I am glad to have some good games to watch tonight.  Thank you Title IX - good thing this administration doesn't know anything about it or they would try to get rid of it too!  

I am off to the kitchen to heat up the puttanesca and pasta.  The next wave of "weather" is coming through.  The sky is darkening, the winds are picking.  My weather app says we have a weather warning for severe thunderstorms until 8 pm tonight.  The temperature has shifted from the softness of this morning to a chill in the air.  

I am headed upstairs to put on a sweatshirt,  I think I'll get out one from one of the  Women's Final Four Tournaments.  

It is Tuesday.  I have finished putting up this batch of vegetables.  I am taking a few days off, will resume canning and freezing on Saturday.  The weather for the rest of the week is supposed to be magnificent!  I am going to enjoy it and get out of the kitchen and into the great outdoors.