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Peanut Butter and Tomato

August 21, 2025

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This “Michael” thing seems to be spreading.

Another Garden Pile

August 2, 2025

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The garden is going.

French Blonds and Stuffed Blossoms

August 1, 2025

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Brine That Bird

December 20, 2024

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This year we perfected the brining operation using Thomas Keller’s recipe from the French Laundry. 48 hours lead time is worth it.

Look at that bird! Crispy on the outside and tender and juicy inside.

We also made cranberry sauce.

And stuffing with fresh chestnuts and dried cherries.

And pies

Then came the family and the feast.

The licking of the beater was the best part!

 

MCA Chicago: Our Favorite Stairway

November 30, 2024

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We came to Chicago for art, and so art it was. On Sunday after arrival we had an excellent brunch at Marisol and then headed up to steep in the collection at the MCA.

No visit to the MCA is complete without a visit to the best stairway on the planet.

Kids do the Cooking

August 28, 2024

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Both grown kids are excellent cooks. This I find personally gratifying. When they cook together double yum happens.

The National Symphony Plays Black Star and other Bowie

July 1, 2024

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Absolutely excellent.  When we got our box seats at the Kennedy Center we really had no idea what a treat we were in for.  All of the musicians who played on Black Star were involved in the production (the drummer was swapped out).  Emotions were high.  Music was top notch.

Our plan was crazy.  We flew back down from Boston just in the nick of time, and were scooped by Katie who also picked up Amaury flying in from Alaska.  We all headed out to Fiola Mare for a delicious but slightly rushed dinner.

Then it was off to the Kennedy center…usually 6 minutes away, but we were not the only people coming to the show it turns out. One day we will figure out the crazy ass roads in and out of the Kennedy Center—honest.

After performing all of Black Star, the group performed Spiders from Mars, Rebel Rebel, Major Tom, and some other favorites. By the end, we were all up dancing in the aisles.

It’s bittersweet to hear Bowie’s music done so well but so obviously with a hole.

A Modest Proposal

January 16, 2024

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Our trip to Rio was memorable and filled with love on all fronts.  NYE in Leblon, Philosophy sesssions, poetry, and the most magical wedding we’ve ever attended. So how to celebrate Romey’s birthday?

With some misdirection and planning, that’s how.

The only person who may have had an inkling about what was to come might have been Noelie.  We bought the black diamonds together in London.

So dinner plans were made at the Hotel Santa Teresa (a place we are going to have to stay one day).  Dinner was excellent.

But what’s this Christmasy looking thing? A birthday gift?

Delivered with the lines, “I have a question first. Would you like to be a McGraw?”

Yes.

And with that, our trip to Rio reached perfection.

Yo Turns 65

June 17, 2023

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Nothing quite like staying with dear friends in Leuven.  Yo and Caroline are excellent hosts.  This visit was made even more fun by including a 65th birthday party for Yo.

Here are some pictures from my visit.

I even managed to sneak into the circus on Friday evening.  An incredible show focused on lighting matches, making pizzas, and spinning plates.

The cast of two and the poor “volunteers” who were pulled from the audience.

Leuven.

There was dancing in the kitchen.

And there were homemade cakes.

We even got to try out some mixology for the party.

Rosemary grappa lemonade…let’s call it the “yo-yo 65.”

The birthday king presides.

The actual power behind the throne is slightly capricious.

The site of the party is the back garden with lots of veggie plants.  Delicious food was about as “locally sourced” as you can get.  There were fresh snap peas and strawberries.  So healthy and so delicious.

This gorgeous cake was my favorite.  Banana cheesecake.  Yum.

There was some dancing in wooden clogs yo some truly bad fiddle sawing.

We walked several miles together all using the house as a base of operations.

And we visited the English books at FNAC to compare notes.

All in all about as much fun as you can have in Leuven!

Catoctin Creek: Local Excellence in Distilling

November 10, 2021

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It was an interesting evening…a fundraiser for the USO at the best local distillery (well, the best legal local distillery anyway).  The dress instructions were vague and a bit confusing.  Something about casual something or other with red and black.  LOL.

So anyway, we wore this.

Our dear friends Donnie and Geri came and we scored the head table with our excellent hosts and good friends Scott and Becky.  Scott and Becky are the powerful couple behind Catoctin Creek.

Scott pinged me and we did the kilt thing!

I love wearing my kilt, and I especially love it when my buddies wear theirs too.  More kilts is what we need to solve global warming.

The kilts and the stills

 

Romey was resplendent in her red shoes.

 

The food was good.  The company was interesting. And the 1908 Rye?  Well, you only get to try that once or twice in one 2021 life.

We ran the proof in the back.

 

Fred Minnick was the MC

Fred did a great job keeping things moving and imparting wisdom about the booze we were drinking.

 

Geri in the house

 

More fred

 

There was cake.

 

All the hosts at once.

 

A Paper Plane nightcap back at the home bar ended the evening.

 

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