August Past

It's already mid-September, and I'm still in semi-denial of summer's demise. Here are a few looks at my final summer fling.

Taking an unprecedented five-day leave of absence from motherly and wifely responsibilities, I took a 15-hour road trip to attend a friend's wedding as a bridesmaid. Carpooling with two other wedding guests, I stopped for the night at sister GG's conveniently located B&B. Happily, we arrived on her birthday (we seldom are together on her birthday due to geographical barriers) and got in on the silly celebrating.

After dinner Bro-in-law M whipped out a providential "Filipino" cake replete with beach, plastic palm trees and rubber slippers (a la Hawai'i):

Sistah A licked the icing off the bottom of a slipper (which we soon discovered to be magnetic):N-boy contemplated his slice of the beach before digging in:

Some of the wedding party (official attendants) and the newly dubbed "wedding posse" (unofficial attendants) collaborated to arrange floral centerpieces. All flowers were grown by friends/acquaintances of the bride:

The bride seemed to be thrilled with her bouquet:Bridesmaids' bouquets:

The glowing almost-newly-weds:
As a bridesmaid I got a makeover and hairdo (both of which are practically foreign concepts for me):The bridal party table:
The "fruit tree" centerpiece at the reception:The bride and her wedding posse (fast friends from college days):

August Portraits

Ruby slippers model:

My whole immediate family got together for the first time in about five years (unless you count brother D's wedding day last summer):

The sibs:

The Kitty and her Manager

Here's NS at one of her favorite activities--micromanaging Bandida's provisions:



Bandida loves a ride as much as her manager. Leave the car door, trunk or window open, and you're likely to have a feline stow-away. Leave the stroller on the porch, and she's sure to take a nap in it. When CP leaves his commuter bike on the porch for even a short interval, she finds a way into the bags for a comfy snooze. She hasn't sneaked a ride all the way to school...yet.

Finger Painting

Last month I tried finger painting with NS. I made the nontoxic paint by mixing a few tablespoons of flour and water with several drops of food coloring. We used wax paper taped to the tablecloth as a canvas. The colors lacked intensity, but that could probably be remedied with a little experimentation. What captured NS' imagination more than painting was the opportunity to stir and mix liquids using little bowls and spoons.

Huevos Verdes Con Jamón

This is NS' favorite book recently--Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham in Spanish. Lately she's taken to reading it by herself. ("Shall I read it to you?" we ask. "No 'anks," she replies matter-of-factly, clambering up on the chair.)

The Spanish version involves a pesky, insistent character called Juan Ramón, whose name provides the essential rhyme pattern for Huevos Verdes Con Jamón.

NS' version of the title and the story itself: "No! 'món!"

Canning Season

On Labor Day weekend, appropriately, NS got a little help from Grandma with the tomato canning.