 |
Good Morning, Good Evening, welcome to the Froggy Bottom Cafe, come on in, sit down, papers are to the side, coffee and pastries over there, laptop hookups at each table. |
|
Good Morning, Good Evening, welcome to the Froggy Bottom Cafe, come on in, sit down, papers are to the side, coffee and pastries over there, laptop hookups at each table. |
Just to let you all know the FBC is open and ready for business. Self serve today!!!
Good morning, Diane and everyone! It is already another insufferably muggy day here in NC and I am wishing that I was enjoying sunrise at the beach, like in this picture taken last week.
I am also out of coffee this morning, so I need to go to my favorite market and grind a little for the next few days. Maxwell House just doesn’t cut it for me anymore. What a freaking coffee snob I am!
Have a terrific day, everyone.
Beautiful pic, laura! Coffe snob eh, then you wouldn’t like my instant decafinated, probably, oh dear I shall have to send out for some Gevalia…
I don’t drink much coffee, it doesn’t make me feel good and I cannot drink caffinated coffee at all.
I gave up coffee for a while but then I justified it by telling myself it is really my only vice and one or two cups a day isn’t going to hurt anything.
Even though I have a grinder, I can never grind it exactly right for the french press that I use….coarse but not too coarse. I usually end up with pulverized powder mixed in with big chunks of coffee beans. About once a week I get a couple scoops of Sumatra and mix in a handful of this wonderful orange-flavored stuff and grind enough for the week right at the market.
Coffee snob, I am. So shoot me 🙂
I do get all my clothes at Goodwill though…does that make up for it?
Yeah, the Goodwill thing does. I am a devoted fan of Salvation Army, Goodwill and around here we have the Assistance League a group dedicated to helping women! Its all volunteer and run by women and they have shops here and there with donated items for sale and they also have a consigment antique shop. These items in the thrift shop usually come from the ‘rich’ women and friends as they are the ones that run the thing, so you can find some truly good quality articles for a low price.
Goodwill here is overpriced, Salvation Army has better prices, and better stock. They also have an antique outlet that I used when I was Antique Dealer.
My kids are being converted slowly, everytime I drag them to a thrift store and they come out with a wonderful item, I get almost giddy with happiness. Great place to find odds and ends as well as clothes…hey laura, how about doing a diary on this on my site. I would love it!!!!!!!!!! Thrift Stores….oh boy, i hope you do…if not I will surely do it.
our posessions, so the thrift shops are a favorite beneficiary. After 2-3 garage sales, the high end stuff is gone, and the effort isn’t worth the monetary return.
One of us is a pack rat and she is working through her own private 12 step process. Fortunately, 2 recent and rather brutal house-moves, plus the knowledge that we almost certainly must move at least twice more in the forseeable future, have shown her the light.
So I’ll probably be filling the car for another few trips to the thrift shop in the coming months.
And speaking of thrift shops…
There used to be a “scratch and dent” grocery overstock warehouse not far from my normal market, but then a year or so ago the landlord raised the rent because they were doing well and they consolidated two stores into one, so now it’s WAY across town and when I’m there I stop in and stock up…
This is a heavily Latino immigrant area so they get a lot of stuff from the Latino grocery wholesaler, and last week they had two CASES of a wonderful Shade-grown dark roast from a small fair-trade finca in Salvador. Full bean, of course. Mineminemine…
I’m good for at least six months. <whew> At least that’s one less worry….
Morning Everyone and lots of gorgeous pictures to see.
I think coffee gets a very bad rap-unless you’re someone who can’t tolerate caffeine I don’t see why drinking coffee all day does any harm(or unless it makes some people unable to sleep if they drink to much).
I’ve never heard a good medical explanation why more than several cups of coffee a day is bad for you if the above mentioned is not a problem for you.
And speaking of coffee I should get out my coffee grinder and start using it again-grinding fresh beans has got to be one of the best dam smells in the world.
The rap on coffee is the stimulant properties of cafine. Cafine is what they use to start hearts that have stopped beating. . .gives you some idea of what an over consumption of such a stimulant might do to a perfectly fine heart.
As always, use your own judgement about studies, about how things effect your own personal body and about people wagging their fingers in your face.
Not overly fond of people giving me advice about my own body and what I should or should not be eating, drinking, etc. Intellegent people can make their own decisions and choices and the fear mongering is not very helpful, in my opinion.
has had to cut back to one cup of coffee a day, in the efforts to get the blood pressure low enough so he can get back to work. He’s actually found that he doesn’t need any more than that any more, so whether it was a psychological need for the caffeine, I’m not sure.
As for me, I used to be a Coke Classic fiend…but when I eliminated that from my diet, I stopped having major heartburn problems. Never been a major coffee drinker, but I do like my iced tea, but it doesn’t seem to do a number on my esophagus. If I want something hot, I usually stick to herbal teas (with an occasional hot chocolate, yum!).
But that’s just us…
Morning! And oh, Diane. . .thanks for telling me about your coffee. . .I will be sure to bring my own when I come to visit. Yeck! I understand the “economy” of your choice, but oh goodness. . .not instant, you deserve better than that even if you don’t drink it often.
SN’s got it right. Grind some good mix of your own creation.
And I am laughing at all the “down sizing” I read about down thread. Oh, it is such a chore, but a real convincer to never have so much stuff ever again!!
Have a great day everyone!!
Awesome pic !!!! Drinking coffee on that beach would be a sheer joy! If I ever make it out your way, I will surely ask for a guided tour. . .very beautiful and very peaceful. Just my kind of place.
From one coffee snob to another. . .Cheers!
Things are still topsy-turvy around here — the stress is really getting to me, I can tell. I did at least get up early enough to get dinner started for tonight (turkey chili in the slow-cooker); I’d like to go and work out, but have a slight headache so may have to go lay back down for a bit after I update my iPod with the new Podcasts for the day.
Hope everyone has a great day…
Hi Cali,…..I am sending calming vibrations your way, are you feeling them..
I do hope you feel better soon!!!
Good for you for starting slow cooker, why do I never think of that…Mine just sits there in a corner all forlorne as I rarely even notice I have it.
diane, how are your shingles doing today? Hope you
are feeling better.
Ahhh, the wonders of slow cooking. I’ve discovered a wonderful secret… when I barbeque things like ribs or chicken or even sausage, I cook them half way on the grill then toss them,in a covered dish, in a slow oven (250 or so)for an hour or two. They slow cook in their own barbequed juices and everyone raves about the results.I use my toaster oven, which has baking settings, so I can cook like this all summer. I am a vegetarian and it gives me plenty of time to prepare my own food. (like grilled veggies… mmmmmmmm)
of slow cooking is that it makes the apartment smell sooooo good! Spent most of the morning sleeping and trying to get rid of my headache (a sure sign that the stress of the situation is getting to me), and when I came out of the bedroom, the aromas were wonderful! We’re going to treat ourselves tonight and go over to Le Boulanger (a local bakery chain) and pick up a couple of bread bowls to serve the chili in.
Definitely looking forward to dinner in a few hours…
Do you have good recipes you’d like to share? I’m dreading the fall school/college/lacrosse/homework routine, and I was thinking a slow cooker might help to ease the pain of returning to a busy schedule.
here’s the chili we’re having tonight:
1-1/2 pounds ground turkey (or extra lean ground beef)
1 16oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 16oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 16oz. can chili-style beans, UNRINSED
1 can diced tomatoes (I use the ones with green pepper and onions, but there’s also one with green chilis)
1 can tomato sauce
1 packet chili seasoning
Optional sides: chopped onion, shredded cheese, sour cream
Brown the meat in a skillet. While meat is browning, rinse and drain the kidney and black beans and put them in the slow cooker; add chili beans. When meat is browned, add to slow cooker and mix everything well. In a medium bowl, mix tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chili seasoning; add to slow cooker and mix well. Put lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 – 10 hours (the longer the better). Serve with optional sides for folks to add, and a side of Beano for those prone to gas. 😉
[Note: I usually brown the meat with chopped onions and/or green bell pepper, but I forgot to add those to my shopping list — most of the canned goods are pantry staples for me because you can do so much with them.]
I’ve never calculated exactly how many servings, but it makes a huge batch, and it’s even better as leftovers; I’m going to freeze some this time so we’ll have it for a night I’m too cranky to cook. And I’ve made it for my in-laws, and my brother-in-law really likes it which is high praise!
I’ve got several slow-cooker cookbooks, so I’ll see if I can find other favorites and post those in the future. I just think the slow-cooker is great for being able to go out and do stuff (or stay in and do stuff), and not have to worry about coming home early or being interrupted to start cooking dinner.
Please be sure to check out our new Front Pager “Patrick Lang” and read his excellent diary Menage a Trois (The US, Iran and their Iraqis) and be sure to make comments and welcome him to the site.
…safe and sound from London – greetings to all
Oh Sven, welcome back. So glad to see your name on the site. Now I am getting all giddy again…lol
So tell us more than that my dear….and what about a few pics…….
Good to see you…
I was having a really hard time with this trip – here I am in this gorgeous place with my wonderful daughter and all I can think of is Cindy in Crawford and what’s happening there and wishing I were there. And then feeling guilty for not appreciating what I have.
So – attitude adjustment. This IS a gorgeous place – Vancouver Island. And my daughter IS wonderful in every way. And that is what Cindy is fighting for – for all of us parents to be able to share life with our children, so damn it, we’d better do it!
Yesterday we drove to Juan de Fuca Provincial Park (go west from Victoria to the end of the road – at the corner of Juan de Fuca Strait and the Pacific.
What a beautiful drive – you could peek through the trees and see the Strait all filled with clouds and the Olympics rising up above them. (Hi, Susan! I know you’re over there.)
We hiked down to Botanical Beach.
Famous for the tide pools.
My daughter at Botanical Beach. This is what it’s all about.
Beautiful pics Janet as always and I have stolen some once again for my own use, especially the tide pool.
I know how you feel about thinking aout these other things like cindy while vacationing, I have the same problem when I try to do anything outside of the house. I am constantly distracted, mind going to booman and what is everyone saying, what is happening, what am I missing.
Spent a lot of my last visit to daughter trying to get an internet connection on their old computer. Barley got online and not enough rams to maintain a site…
Fabulous pictures, Janet! Give that beautiful place a big hug from Shirl! Gee, I need to go back and visit it again. Such an absolutely divine place it is.
Glad you and your daughter can have this time to share with each other. Enjoy it! Try not to worry about Cindy and just enjoy the little time you will have there. We are all supporting and keeping an eye on Camp Casey, and all of those who are able to be there right now.
Wish I was there with you. How about a favor? If you have a baggy or a small bottle like an aspirin or pill bottle that’s empty. Gather up a small amount of sand from one of the shorelines and bring it back with you for me. When I manage to travel through Austin, I will sure enough claim it.
Big Hugs
Shirl
Here’s a tamer marina view we saw in Brentwood Bay as I recall, well east of you, N. of Victoria near Sidney where the Anacortes ferry docks.
For those of you in most of the country, marina scenes like this include sun shades, open portholes and wind scoops to funnel breezes down hatches.
Here in the NW, boats have chimneys. And you can hardly count the number of boaters who think the ideal vacation cruise goes north!
so lovely…I envy you for your travels. thanks for sharing
Howdy. My blog turned two today. Other than that had the beginning of the semester faculty meeting. Classes start back up on Weds!
Happy Birthday to your blog, after I write this I will jump right over and check it out.
Thank you muchly! 🙂
JB, not long ago, some one here gave homage to your blog site. I went there and very nice.
I know that Susan Hu has given props to my humble blog a couple times here, and I’ve really appreciated that. 🙂
Going to be swamped at work all week and next week…will check the crystal ball to see how you all are doing when I can.
Have a great week…deadlines will go away shortly. I hope…sooner.
.
Hey great pic and I snapped that one right up, I love the constant selection of pics. on this site…
Sally Cat have a great week and don’t work tooo hard..stop in when you can..
Great cafe today Diane (as always)!
I’m just stopping in to say Hi right now, I’ll be in and out all day.
I went hiking this weekend in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here’s a picture of my campsite on Friday evening (that’s my tent over towards the left-hand side of the picture):
And here is one of a very peaceful stream that I ran across.
I am stealing your pics as well, they are great. I love all pictures of wooded areas. Great Smokey mountain, I think they look a lot like my memories from Southwestern Pa…they are in same chain, correct!
I picked up a couple pics downthread as well.
How are you doing today!
This is one from hiking up in Banff a couple of years ago:
I am doing well today…I have the day off of work, so I’m trying to get some things done around the house. Hope you’re doing well!
I am channeling Infidelpig right now! “Hoo laaawddd, that’s a mighty fine picture there EJ, and also Cabins, girl right below, grabbed both of them.
I’m having trouble sticking to my real work! 😉
Banff is gorgeous, and I’ve always had a soft spot for CO.
of Mrs. Gooserock, who in her previous life (marriage that is) had traveled much of the continent and has seemingly seen everything except for somehow missing New England.
I’ve been to a lot of different places in my young life so far, and Banff blows the rest of them clear out of the water (including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, etc). If you haven’t gotten up there yourself, I can’t think of anywhere I’d recommend more highly.
Here’s a picture of our field trip destination in Northeastern Pa next week:
Great shot.
My family used to vacation in Cook’s Forest State Park in that vicinity, back in childhood days in the early 60’s. There was a horseshoe-shaped arrangement of a dozen or so log cabins, built I think as part of the New Deal, with a little creek called Tom’s Run along the back side of them. And lots of forest walks among big trees, including an acre or so of very rare old growth stands that was later decimated by a tornado.
This week marks the beginning of the Hell Season we Gooserocks always experienced living in Ohio, being plagued with vicious hay fever. Cook’s Forest was one of our escape vacation sites; northern Michigan seemed to help too.
It’s one reason that even the high prices and economic hardships of relocating to Puget Sound late in our working careers is worth the cost.
Ugh, hay fever is a drag-I’d move too!
I guess I should just feel lucky that the blooming season (April through June) is my allrgic doom, and not the whole summer season.
Oh. . . another one of my favorite places, the Smokey Mountains in TN.
Thanks for the great pictures! Brings back some fond memories. Truly a lot of nice visual memories.
I’m a late comer to the cafe this morning – so I’ll post a sunset photo.
this one’s taken from the purple row of seats (exactly a mile high) on the 1st base side of Coors Field in Denver.
the magic of zoom lenses. Here was my real world view (at least as captured without the zoom)
I love baseball, baseball with a view is even better.
I love good baseball movies-does that count?(don’t like watching baseball)
your thing does not have to be my thing. It’s all good 🙂
oh – but I will say – maybe you’re just not watching baseball with the right company 🙂
I’ve been meaning to click on that link for awhile and finally did..looks like a very good site. Like how the ignorance/homophobia, hate speech of churches(most) was characterized as ‘spiritual violence’. That really is perfect. And have added that link to my saves.
Soulforce has been very important in my journey – can’t recommend the group’s work highly enough. Lot of great information, resources, and projects.
. . . is a much prettier sight than the Rockies (the baseball team, not the mountains) this season. I just hope they’re not settling into the permanent expansion-team-itis that plagued the Expos.
.
Update [2005-8-15 16:19:48 by BooMan]: zahner3 has joined us!
He/she is our 2000th user!!
SURPRISE ME – YOU DID IT AGAIN!
● ● CONGRATULATIONS ● ●
~~~
Hey Oui, I finally talked my friend from Illinois to register..she reads here and other places and then we talk and discuss things. She just does not blog…so maybe we can see here here sometime..She did this just this past Sunday. I dont think this is her handle tho.
How did you learn this Oui, no comments, no ratings, no diary, this is a real mystery Oui, do you do a search for uid or what.
Well hurray for booman and bootrib, I am wondering if Booman or Susan wants to host the FBC today in honor of this occasion…
You could do the night edition!!!
Welcome Zahner3…pop on over to the cafe and tell us about you, if we haven’t scared you to death by now…lol
the doctor yet? (Not to nag, I’m just hoping you’re feeling better soon, if not today.)
Thanks for asking, yes I did and I am waiting now for my daughter to pick up perscription. I am doing quite a bit better..
I had some pills to help with the itching and tingling and that has been good…I asked for Valtrex, but I’m not sure what he will give me!!
BTW what is the cheapest…I hope the price of Valtrex is not going to be too high, no ins.
.
By chance from SusanHu’s diary I was posting a comment about eh …
strawberries (gardening Diane!) – unexpectedly there comes
the BooMan with a small [UPDATE] to diary!
<click pic for source>
~~~
Strawberries look lovely and I’ve been missing you Oui, on the site. Have you been to my site lately???Love to have you over there too!!!!!
And I am commenting here just to find out what my uid is. Apparently I didn’t miss 2000 by much. 😉
Missed by 13 (1987)
Welcome to Booman Trib, would you care to tell us a little about you….Custom on the site!!
Welcome wagon is always parked at the FBC….
WOW!!! 2000!! Welcome Zahner3. Know you will enjoy the Booman gang. One big bunch of lovely people and smart to boot. This is a big day for Booman. Way to go!!
Just a quick stop then back to work…bah!
Here’s something to help cool you off:
Banff
Winter’s not far off for us mtn. folks, could very well look like this in 4 wks…definitely not ready.
Later
Peace
Hey Tribbers. Hope everyone is avoiding a case of the Mondays!
I’ve been soooo busy getting quotes from sub-contractors. Did you know it costs $1600 to rent a bulldozer for a week? Hubby has me gathering all the info for constructing a house and it’s a chore.
Tomorrow I go to a meet n’ greet orientation for the Master Gardener Certification Classes I start in Sept. The next day, I drive 8 hours down to our old house to prepare for a EVERYTHING MUST GO! Moving Sale this weekend. I’ll be disconnected from the internet while I’m gone. <sob>
Then I come back and continue to get quotes from well drillers and septic tank layers, concrete slab pourers, plumbers, electricians, etc. At moments I feel, well, fuck it; we should hire a contractor who probably already knows all this stuff. I’m having a hard time getting these local boys to return my calls. I leave my number and explain that it’s a cell phone and it won’t be a long distance charge to call me back in the local area. I’d say in a few years — because of cell phones — area codes will be meaningless.
For those who missed the backstory: My son moved my grandsons away from me way out on the Left Coast, moved without a job waiting for him!
Well, he’s gotten a great job working for a software company in SanFran that supports non-profit orgs in their fundraising and educational outreach projects and it pays what he was making in DC. Lucky guy! (He got his luck from his Dad because I have none at all.)
So now they are house hunting in the Oakland Hills and some neighborhood around Berkeley — Mitchell Park? Anyway, the way life is treating them, they’ll probably get a great deal on a fixer-upper. When they’re moved in, they’ll send me a plane ticket to visit because my 2-1/2yr. old grandson keeps insisting that he wants to go visit GaMa — and besides, I’m so handy with sheet-rocking and painting…
Anyway, I didn’t want Diane to worry about me when I fall silent for a few days…
Welcome to our 2000th member!
Thanks for keeping me up todate and things really seem to be going good for you now, I am so happy for you. Hurry back now, ok…