Bialetti Espresso

I've added a new link to my "interesting sites" list. Yesterday a friend from college was telling me about this shop near where she lives. Oh,how I wish I had a shop like this near me!

Anyway, I jump tracks, I know.

My point here is this: all one needs to make a fantastic espresso is one of these coffee pots and a good coffee like Illy or Lavazzo. Actually I buy Caffe Bustelo at the commissary. My sense of taste is not so sensitive as some I know, so I can get by with a cheaper brand!
Not only do I get a fantastic espresso without the big expensive machine, but I use this every morning to make my cappuccino, which is probably a caffe latte. I fill this (a three cup pot) and then heat 1 and 1/2 cups milk in a glass measuring cup for 2 and 1/2 minutes. Then I get a wire wisk and spin it between my hands in the milk for just a few seconds to get the foam. Pour it over the coffee in a very large mug, add sugar to taste and voila! An excellent way to start the morning.
Who needs the big expensive machine?

We Are One Concert, 2009 Presidential Inauguration, 18 January, Washington, DC

We Are One Concert, 2009 Presidential Inauguration, 18 January, Washington, DC
Originally uploaded by TDLphoto

Flickr has a whole section for Inauguration photos. People upload them to a special site. Check it out. Great pictures. This is just a sample.
Just click on the photo for the link.

The Inaugural Fete

peanut gallery in the tree.
Originally uploaded by emilybelz

The photo is "borrowed" from our friend Emily Belz's Flickr pictures. We were wondering if Will was up the tree!

I don't know if you watched the concert in Washington D.C. yesterday or not, but we happened upon it after watching a movie last night. They were re-broadcasting it over and over on HBO. We caught one of them around 9 pm.

America can throw a party, and how! It was exciting, amazing, inspiring to watch and listen to speeches and great music. We felt very patriotic and proud to be Americans at this time in our history. The setting at the feet of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial gave a sense of awesomeness. The crowd joining in to sing "Shout" made us want to get up and dance ourselves.

We are so blessed to be part of a country that can unite and celebrate all its unique characteristics. Power is not only peacefully passed from one man to another, but is celebrated. Yes, we will not always agree, but we can live with one another and accept one another-Jew or Palestinian, Irish or English, Muslim or Christian. Where else, but America?

I'm ready for some more celebration!

A Sweet Evening

Empty nest for a week!

Will left yesterday morning for the big celebration, so since it was just the two of us for dinner, I thought I'd set it up downstairs in front of the fire.

I pulled the couch up, set up two benches and covered them with a tablecloth. We ate minestrone, and the rigatoni with tomato sauce and stir-fry onion-zucchini, red pepper from the night before. Candlelight and a bottle of petit shiraz topped it off. We sat down there until after 9.


We're ready for a long weekend of just the two of us!

Who says there's no romance after 30 years?

Easing the pain of the Alberta Clipper

A very large south-facing window, a pillow and good book.

My book happens to be a warm, soul-satisfying one.

Ah, it makes me feel like cooking Italian, gardening, painting and fixing up anything that is old.

I can get as close as I can. I'm eating fresh, homemade parmesan and oregano foccacia with ham and Swiss. Just need a little arugula to top it off. But the black Greek olives are doing a pretty good job.

Let the wind blow! Where's my book?

Will got Inauguration Tickets!

By FedEx in the mail yesterday. Whoa, they look so cool. The green ones are for the "OFA Staff Ball". I had to ask Will what that was, "Obama for America". OK. The purple ones are the tickets for the actual Inauguration. The color tells what section he's in. He got a paper that has the diagram of the stands along with the screening gate and the nearest Metro stop. Exciting. Momentous. Something that he'll be able to tell his children and grand children about.

He's riding out with friends and co-workers from Council Bluffs, and they're staying with relatives in Bethesda, MD. Pretty exciting if you're 22 years old! Hope the weather is good both for the drive and the actual day.

Now me, no way would I want to go stand out there with millions of people. I'm still an Iowa country girl at heart. The biggest crowd I can handle is at church!

He's got TWO tickets. Hmmm, I wonder who he's going to share the other with?

Guess I've taken a blog break

I didn't mean to. Last week just flew by! I thought once the holidays were over, I'd have quiet days enjoying warm living room sunshine, reading books, tidying up. But things got moving rather quickly!

• Monday I got the house cleaned up after the weekend.
• Tuesday I took the tree down and cleaned that mess up. Got groceries. Car washed.Went out with church ladies in the evening to Wheatfields. Good time.
• Wednesday was run-around day. Got my hair cut. Ran around looking for a good deal on a new artificial Christmas tree. Got one for $30! All set for next year! Went to church to teach my class.
• Thursday I subbed for the Chemistry and Physics teacher. Great classes! They all got down to work...and I crocheted! Thursday evening my uncle came in with his friend Frank on their way to Minnesota. My aunt died on Saturday, so Lester was heading home. We had a rather hectic dinner prep since I didn't get home until nearly 4. Andrew comes in on Thursday to eat on his way to class, so he needed to eat by 5:30. Lester and Frank arrived at 5, so I burned the skirlie, sprayed milk from the mashed potatoes all over the counter, and Andrew ate standing up in the kitchen talking to me while I tried to regain my composure!!! Dinner went great once we got there! Football was the evening entertainment.
• Friday morning we were all up and out early. I did sit down and eat oatmeal with my guests before they left at 7:30 and I left to teach 5th grade at 7:45! That was another wonderful day. Friday evening Will was out, I talked to Linnea for over an hour, then Den and I played rummy.
• Saturday mornings I always talk to my mom for an hour and then sit around in my housecoat reading blogs, Facebook and just enjoying the slow morning. Andrew and Stephanie showed up about 11:30 while I was still looking my best. :) I made them some brunch and we all had a good visit before they headed out to the SAC museum. Got cleaned up after that!!! The presepe got put away and the Christmas stuff on the sideboard. Nice and tidy in there now.
• Sunday is always a good day. Great worship music in church, great sermon. I think we have the best church here ever! Sunday lunch lasted for a couple of hours. We bring out the tea pot and a bowl of nuts after dinner and we all sit and talk for a long time. It's the highlight of my week! As long as no one fights! :) Then last night Den and I went to Bill and Joetta's for supper in their new house! We had a great game of cribbage afterwards. Joetta and I let the men win this time...we don't want to hurt their fragile egos!!!
• God is faithful in all the little things, the daily activities. I'm so thankful for good times as well as the provision of all my needs both spiritual and physical. It IS a wonderful life!