A Nice Sunday

First thing on Sunday morning Kirby got out the sour dough starter and began making his bread. While his bread was doing it's thing, I set about making curry. Curry has become sort of a comfort food for me. I absolutely love it. This time I used pork, zucchini, carrots and potatoes. Sounds like a good pot of stew doesn't it? And actually that is what it is but oh, the nice spices I use!! I love them. Lots of curry powder, (I have many and combine them for fun) extra cumin, loads of garlic and ginger, garam masala, onions, tomatoes and hot peppers. I have such fun creating it!


So, about noon the bread came out of the oven (curry was just about finished). Have you ever seen such a beautiful loaf? Kirby does such a great job on his bread. He sort of wants a bread maker but I think he is going to borrow one from our neighbor, Ray, before spending the money on one. He thinks I am silly to take pictures of his bread but I don't care.

For lunch we went to North Charleston to a great little Irish Pub that I had found when Kirby was traveling. (there was a going away party there.) http://www.madraruapub.com/ MADRA RUA IRISH PUB.
It is a really good find for pub lovers like us. Great atmosphere, food and all our favorite brews on tap. I think we will be back.

We went home, Kirby went to Phil's Garage across the street for 4 screens of TV and I messed around the house doing whatever it is that I do. Then grandson Casey and also Phil of Phil's Garage came to eat Curry with us. All we had was the curry and rice. Sometimes I make salads and chutney's but not this time. Simple. Just good hot spicy curry. Ah, we all ate too much but it was worth it!

It was a nice Sunday!

Love affair with a lizzard!

So what do you think of this little guy? I went out on the porch to get the table ready for dinner and he ran in. I had to shoo him out again. He didn't seem to fear me at all. I think he eats mosquitoes and I think I love him!

Bonfire

Last night we went to the Shumbie's for dinner and a bonfire. The weather was perfect for sitting outside with a fire. Not too hot and not too cold. But it was hard to take decent pictures. I love my little camera but for this - it didn't work too well. I couldn't get people to be still long enough!

We had lots of fun talking and laughing as is usual when we all get together.

Flowers

I have to thank Lucy again for the lovely flowers that she sent me on her blog. Lucy, that was so thoughtful of you and I could almost smell them. And I would like to give these little flowers to my friend, Barb, who is the wonderful "mom" to the best dog in the world - Holly! Love you, Barb!

And here is a little story about my orchid. I bought this orchid at the grocery store last year and took it to work until it lost all of it's blooms. Instead of throwing it away I brought it home, put it in the windowsill and watered it regularly. Months later I was so surprised to see a little sprout with 2 buds on it. Wow, lovely blossoms and I did nothing!

Last year it had a long stem of light lavender blooms. This year - only 2 but the color is much more intense.

It has been fun....so I bought another one and took it to work.......................

Fat Lady

I have started a diet - again. I am using Sparkpeople to track my calorie intake - it is always too high! Robert's heart attack and death has had an impact - I will try to at least take a lot of the fat out of my diet. And no white things - like Kirby's wonderful bread and basmati rice which is a favorite! OK - here goes nothing!

Bakerman!

Kirby is really getting into this bread baking thing and I am getting fat. Yesterday he decided to make hot cinnamon rolls. Oh, my but they were good. He tried to tell me they were low calorie but somehow I didn't believe him.

Cousins

This has been a week of extreme ups and downs for me. The death of my friend and co-worker was extremely difficult and it is not over as I have the service to attend tomorrow. But in the midst of all of that I received a phone call from my cousin Rick Brines - he was in Charleston on business! Rick and his family live in Raleigh NC. They moved there about the same time that we moved to Charleston but we didn't know it. The last time that I had seen him he was a happy go lucky bachelor living in Colorado - that was at a family reunion back in 1995......long time ago. Now he is living in North Carolina with a beautiful wife and an even more beautiful 6 year old daughter! We had recently found each other through Facebook (yes, there are some really good things about Facebook and I love it!)

So, while I was in the middle of stressing over my friends death, Rick shows up and gives me such a great break and makes me laugh! It was wonderful! I would have enjoyed seeing him anytime but I especially needed it yesterday!

Rick is just a little younger than I am - by maybe 15 years!! So we didn't really grow up together but....we did share all those wierd aunts and uncles and oh, my but we had fun yesterday going over the wierdnesses of each one of them!

Thank you, Rick, for your visit! I love you and loved our time together! Now let's do it again SOON!

Treasure my loved ones

I just returned from a nice evening walk on the golf course in the nice cool air. There was a phone message waiting for me when I got back. I returned the call and was told that someone at work had just suffered a fatal heart attack. I am in such shock. He wasn't a close friend but certainly someone that I knew and liked. He was one of the executives and I saw him regularly. He was young with 3 daughters, the oldest just 16. Not knowing just how to handle my emotions and having this blog, I decided to write.

Death can come so suddenly. Our lives are so short and we just never know what the next chapter will bring or even if we will get a next chapter. I will use this as a reminder to enjoy each moment and treasure my loved ones.

Kirby's First Car (Truck)

Kirby was a hot-rod for sure. Just look at his first car! A 1956 Ford Pickup.

Summer Storm

Wow, did we ever just have an electrical storm! Thunder was crashing all around us and seemed to be continuous - just one long rumbling roll. And then of course we lost power. And it was almost darktime so I quickly found my headlamp and was able to read. I was so engrossed that I was startled when the power came back on. Of course Kirby hooked up his genset and had the TV back up and running his movie minutes after the power went out.

So, all clocks are reset, I have determined that the batteries in them are worthless and I have my computer back!! Yea! Life is good.

So, anyway, before all the power went away, I was thinking that it might be nice to follow Lucy's example and post recipes. I made this on Sunday so it will be my first.

History: When cruising Mexico back in 1995 I was listening in to someone else's radio conversation because I was bored sitting at this beautiful island. Sort of like having a party line for those who are not familiar with marine radio - or like reading someone's email. Anyway, they were sharing a recipe so I quickly jotted it down. Years later I met the recipe owner and had to 'fess up. She didn't even remember giving it out! So, here it is - the best ever Banana Bread you will ever eat!

Royal Venture Banana Bread

2 large bananas, mashed
1 tsp. baking soda
5 T. milk (I used soy milk and it was great)
1/2 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 egg
1 1/3 Cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 Cup chopped nuts
1/2 Cup chopped dates (optional)

Mix together the bananas, soda and milk and let stand while you prepare the rest.

Cream the butter, sugar and egg together and then add the banana mixture.

Mix the flour and the baking powder and add to the banana-sugar mixture. Add the chopped nuts.

Poor into a prepared loaf pan and back at 325 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes.


This is a real winner! And very easy. Enjoy! And oh, yes, if you use dates it is Royal Venture Banana Date Nut Bread!

My Very First Car

OK, Heather, here is a picture of what my first car looked like and yes, I am really that old. My car was a black Fiat built about 1959 or 1960 and I paid $300 for it in 1964. I can still remember going to the bank with my father so he could co-sign for me. My first debt!

And for those of you who are wondering what this is about - check out Heather's blog at - http://catamaranmeerkat.blogspot.com/
She thought she was writing about dinner with friends but really she was writing about old cars and rich parents!

Boxes

Sunday is no different than any other day for Kirby. He is Mr. Project Man! When he gets going on a "fun to him" project, he just doesn't want to stop.

Right now he is making something that he calls a heater. He complained all last winter that it was cold but then he is always complaining that it is cold unless he is near the equator and sweating. So, he is changing the heating system in the house. Looks like a box to me but he promises that the new system will heat the house much more efficiently.

When our neighbors were getting a new air conditioning system Kirby went out and talked to the AC guys doing the work. From them he got a nice used blower and this started the whole thing. He was so excited. Then it was off to California where he visited the company he used to work for years ago and they gave him something called an A-Coil - whatever that is. And - another blower. These things filled the trunk of the car and made me glad I wasn't with him! So, since he returned from his trip west he has been working on this thing. He is having fun!

Purple Berries

I was sitting on the screened porch this afternoon talking on the phone when I realized that way back behind the big oak tree I could see something purple or fuchsia so I had to go investigate. I guess that tells you that I don't spend any more time working in the yard then I have too! Here are a couple of pictures of what I found. And while I was there taking these pictures I got a few little bites on my ankles - just a special gift from the local no seeums.

Does anyone know what these lovely berries are?

Picture in Title

Just in case you are wondering (are you?) about that picture up above, it was taken 2 weeks ago less than a mile from our house. Here in the Charleston area, there are many, many little ponds like this one to hold all the alligators and I managed to time it just right to get this photo. Kind of pretty wouldn't you say?? I love it here!!

Froggy Morning

Almost every morning my alarm goes off at 5:00 AM and I "rise and shine" to go for a morning walk. When I first started doing this there was a small amount of light in the sky but not anymore. It is pitch black outside at 5:20 when I make it out the door. I have become quite addicted to walking in the dark and watching the stars knowing that no one can really see me. It makes walking in a crowded sub-division seem more like walking in open spaces because I can't see much.

Yesterday I saw a lovely falling star and today I made friends with a nice little frog. Just as I was about to open the front door to come back in I heard a smushy kind of sound and looked around. You have to remember that it is still black outside. I saw a blob on the side of the house and realized I was not alone. There was a lovely big frog. Well, I quickly ran for my camera and went to take his picture. When I took it, I couldn't even see him as it was so dark out. but it turned out quite nicely considering all. Nice color, wouldn't you say?

So, there is more to early morning walks than just the exercise!

Welcome to Townsend Tales

If you have reached this page, you probably are looking for something interesting to read and you won't find it here. I actually have my blog posted somewhere else and can'tdecide if I want to move it. This site is much better than it was 3 years ago! You can check it out at:

http://www.lightblog.com/member/townsend/

We have an older blog also that I wrote when we were cruising the East Coast, Canada and the Bahamas. If you want to read about those adventures you can go to:

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/tobiascruising/

And I keep some pictures at Picasa -

http://picasaweb.google.com/TownsendTales/

Guess that is it. Maybe sometime I will post here.....you just never know!

Oh, and the picture is of me and Tanya last spring when they were visiting from Nova Scotia. She is my wonderful girlfriend and I miss her!