Still Getting Better

Even though I've been happy with the Sullivan Street bread recipe from the beginning, I am finding that my loaves keep getting better.

Pictured above is my latest. The dough remained in the refrigerator for about seven days. When I shaped the loaf, the dough smelled more like beer than bread.

When I baked it though, it became wonderfully aromatic, light, spongy and delicious bread. Perfect for dippng in balsamic vinegar and oil.
Equally so it was divine this morning, toasted, with butter and honey.

Greenhouse Complete!

I bought areenhouse kit for Heidi's birthday last year. Lo and behold we got it complete a mere two weeks before her next birthday.

The plastic panels are held in place by strips of plastic, cleverly engineered to snap into place and hold the panels under firm tension. The roof panels are designed similarly, only with rubber strips. Yesterday afternoon we put half of the wall panels and all of the roof panels in place. Putting the rubber roof strips in was murder on our thumbs.

As we gazed at our handiwork, Heidi remarked that the roof panels didn't seem right. I had to agree and we resolved to fix them in the morning. Hopefully a night of rest would heal our wounded thumbs.

This morning we wanted to get an early start, so despite the frost on the greenhouse and our still sore thumbs we went out to fix the roof.

As it turned out, the frost made the rubber strips so much easier to slip into place, that we finished in record time with minimal additional trauma to our thumbs. We just had to warm them up a few times.

Just another example of how something that seemed unfortunate turned out to be the opposite.

So, here it is. The place where Heidi will launch the lives of multitudes of beautiful and delicious vegetables. (And it really will be only Heidi. I can't stand up straight in the greenhouse.)

Full Day of Fun

Not mine, mine was a fairly full day of fun. I got to so see where the kids are taking art classes and I have to say 'Wow!'. Not only are my two churning out fantastic drawings at a rapid clip, but it is clear from the 'before and after' pictures on the wall, that the institution gives fantastic instruction.

Next we got to eat out at Tan Tan, a Vietnamese restaurant with my nomination for 'friendliest waiter'. Heidi said it is her new favorite restaurant. She was able to get a veggie dish that was delicious and satisfying.

Finally, we headed off to The Jim Parsley Center, which is a public pool.
From childhood years of spending long summer days in a swimming pool, I have been accustomed to feeling like a dolphin in the water. Last night I felt more like a sea-turtle. Or, maybe this:

Next stop: driftwood.

Heidi and the children had other fun before I could join them.
First going to their Mad Science class where they played with optics and got to take home a periscope. Then on to OMSI (the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) where they got to see themselves in infrared. The images apparently back-up what we suspected: Heidi and Arthur are cool little cucumbers and Jamey is practically a nuclear reaction in progress.

What do Gram Parsons, Neil Young, Mark Knopfler and Conor Oberst Have in Common?

Emmylou Harris.

Is there anyone cooler than Emmylou Harris?
No.

eMusic has added Warner Bros. back catalog, so this morning I downloaded:
Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball (Neil Young wrote the title track)
Neil Young's Greatest Hits
Gram Parsons' Grievous Angel (Emmylou duets with Gram)

I can't wait for my commute!