garden blend...

And now for the cucumber soup... I wanted a refreshing summertime side dish for meals, and this recipe in Real Simple looked intriguing enough to give a whirl. It blends basil (from Jana's garden - yay!) and jalapenos and onion and lime juice. Salt and pepper. Sour cream. And lots of cucumbers. Don't wrinkle your nose. It is really good! My roommate Renee says so. Cucumbery, or course with a melding of basil and lime juice followed by a deep but brief and unexpected heat from the jalapenos.

flippity...

Time for another quick update. Yesterday was a cook-a-thon for Renee and I. I had a few recipes I'd been wanting to try, and she wanted to master crepes. So away we went. The kitchen was crazy chaos for awhile, but eating crepes for breakfast and lunch made it worth it. Side note - next goal is to document everything with the same directional layout. Not loving this horizontal/vertical combo thing going on. Oopsies.

kalamata...

Hi. I'm behind on posts. Or ahead on photos or something. Either way, there is a lot to tell/show, so I'm attempting to do so quickly. A few things to note. I love food - cooking it/creating it/ tasting it/making yumminess. I really like trying new recipes that seem to have the flavor profiles that never let me down. So prepare yourself for lots of food photos. Renee and I are cooking up a storm this summer. Hold onto your seats. Also, I don't know if anyone really wants recipes so I'll spare you, but if you do, give me a shout and I'll post.

First of all - the Overland Park Greek Festival. Again, food. But not anything I prepared. There were also dancing groups of all ages, and lots of shouts of "Opa!" It's a can't miss event. Come Denver or KC, at the Greek Fest I shall be.

serenity...

By mistake I started a personal project. It's called carry my camera with me (almost) everywhere I go, and when the spirit moves, take photos. It started with the drive through Abilene to Justin's farm. The puffy clouds and vivid green wheat - I couldn't pass it by. I had too many times before, and missed the privilege to share the breathtaking scenes. It continued with the journey to Western Kansas. The thick rain clouds, the setting sun, the old windmill. I had to stop. Pulled over on the country road, breathed in the wonderful country air, and felt simply surrounded by peace. No noise. No distractions. Just quiet, simple peace.

Yesterday it happened again. On the way back from Lawrence, before stopping for fuel in DeSoto. The gas station was to the left. And for unknown reasons I went right. The curve in the road took me past old buildings and rumbling semi-trucks to a barb wire fence and a blocked of entrance with a 'DANGER - Do Not Enter' warning. There were also purple flowers (uh, weeds). In the ditch and on the edges of the road. And there goes the camera. Click clickety click. A strange peace again. I'd like to think of it as God's way of saying slow down - look around at all this beauty that I've created. It's here for you to enjoy. Just make sure you take time to do so.

And I thought I could do a small part by passing on the beauty via a blog post. Not much maybe, but a little something to share.

when the lights go out...

Ah, the last couple months have been filled with such great stuff. I feel guilty for not sharing more often. There's so much more, but I was going through photos tonight and wanted to quickly share. So, in order of occurrence, not importance... 1) Mom celebrated a beautiful birthday last week and Dad took us all out to the Kirby House in Abilene for dinner. It was so yummy... salmon and dill something or other with mashed potatoes for me. Wow. We left as the sun was lighting up the bright orange sky. 2) Amber, her sister, Tiffany, and I secretly whipped up homemade ice cream while my Brother and Dad distracted Mom in the living room with really boring stories. They actually didn't have to try very hard though, because the one margarita Mom had at dinner had her dozing off like a little bambino. We woke her up with 25 burning candles. Possibly excessive, but she blew them all out! 3) The sun set as I left a friend's farm Sunday evening. It was too beautiful to let the moment pass by. Sometimes you just have to stop the car and breathe it all in.

Quick disclaimer I put on the photo blog as well - I'm not editing photos before posting (I haven't been for awhile, but wanted to make it official). You're just getting the real me, and the real shots. Plus it challenges me to be a better photographer in camera, instead of in editing. Don't judge me. Okay, that's all.

we'll leave the light on...

Wowzers. It's my last night in St. Louis. Many, many days and nights have been spent here in the past two years. It's strange to be in the middle of the last hoorah. We had dinner on The Hill tonight, with all the fixin's. The Area Manager drove us all around his stomping ground when he was a kid. Loved it.

One more flight, and the travels are done. One more hotel room and the overnights are... over.

I'm trying to soak up every last minute, wondering if I'll miss it when it's gone.