It's Friday and that means it's time for some
Random Things.
Thank you Nancy!
*
My kitchen chairs are back.
You may remember I sent them out to be reupholstered.
They look great and the kitties are so happy to have them back home.
We can now all sit at the kitchen table in the morning.
They nap while I have my tea and toast and check email.
**
When July rolls around that means it time for the
Tour De France.
I love watching these amazing bicyclists and really enjoy
seeing the beautiful countryside.
Arm chair traveling at its best!
***
I saw this on Face Book and it made me think of my Granny.
She always made a macaroni and pea salad for the 4th of July.
She added a little onion and some sweet pickle relish, I think.
The recipe for this one, Macaroni and pea salad with chives,
****
I recently finished reading A Cup of Light by Nicole Mones.
I really enjoyed it.
Lia Frank is a specialist in Chinese porcelains and is sent to China by her auction house to evaluate a privately owned collection that is for sale. Lia is amazed by the quality and quantity of the porcelains she must evaluate ... are they real or fake. There is great beauty in imperfection -- something Lia knows all about. Lia is extraordinary and she is flawed. She is a mnemonist -- she can remember every porcelain, every catalog, all the history of each piece she has ever seen ... and she must call upon that ability to fill in the missing information on the pieces she sees. She is also deaf without her hearing aids ... something she turns into an ability rather than a liability. This was my kind of book. I have enjoyed everything I've read authored by Nicole Mones. She knows China. Wonderful history on Chinese porcelains and the emperors kilns in Jingdezhen -- something I really enjoyed that others may find a little boring -- too much information, but with my interest in Asian ceramics -- I was in heaven! Fascinating look at the ah chans and the illegal sale and distribution of art works. Lastly, a very quick and sad look at lead poisoning in young Chinese children -- something that may be fairly common because of all the pollution in China. Throw in a little unexpected romance and Mones has another winner.
But this is not my favorite Mones book.
That honor belongs to The Last Chinese Chef!
*****
It is peach season and I'm enjoying peach smoothies.
The best of summer time!
I hope you are enjoying the holiday weekend.
Wishing YOU well and much joy!
Now that book does sound interesting. I've never understood the addition of peas to any salad...must be my aversion to them. I do like pea pods, though. A peach smoothie sounds heavenly!
ReplyDeleteI hope you share photos of the kitties new chairs and smoothies what a good idea! Love the Tour too, we were roadside yesterday and planning our next stage to see live ;-) hope it isn't too hot for them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the book tip - I'll start with your favorite.
ReplyDeleteThat macaroni salad picture reminds me of community picnics when i was a child - every cook brought some personal favorite dish. It's a great photo.
Happy Friday!!!
Crazy --but we haven't had enough hot weather here this summer YET for some smoothies... We're still eating soups! ha.... But--we do love smoothies in summer!
ReplyDeleteI like Macaroni and Pea Salad... We had our July 4th tradition yesterday: BBQ (pulled pork) dinner and watermelon!!!!
Glad you got your kitchen chairs back... Your kitties are glad too, aren't they?
Hugs,
Betsy
I returned to comment again - looks like my comments have not posted this morning . . . hmmm -
ReplyDeleteThe macaroni salad reminds me of community picnics when i was a child - every cook bringing her favorite dish. The photo is lovely.
Happy Friday!
I used to make that macaroni salad too, until finding out that my husband was not overly fond of peas. It's such a great summer salad!
ReplyDeleteUm peach smoothies, yay xox
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a marvelous 4th. We are also watching the tour de France races. So many wrecks!
ReplyDeleteYou made me remember that we had peach ice cream on one 4th of July as our peaches were doing so well that year. I need to check on them this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in this week my friend.
the pea salad looks just delicious. think i need to try that one out.
ReplyDeletehappy weekend. ( :
Yay for finding a new favorite recipe.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
Ranch Wife Robyn
Glad you love your redone chairs! I remember when you sent them off!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the book tip. I am writing down that author's name so I can check her out.
ReplyDeleteI love peas in salads. And the addition of sweet pickle relish would make it delicious!
That is so sweet that your kitties join you for your morning routine.
Wish I had one of those peach smoothies right now! I love peas so may have to try that salad.
ReplyDeleteYum...peach smoothies! And the pea salad brought back memories. My mom used to make a pea salad that had tiny chunks of cheese in it. I hadn't thought about that in years and now my mouth is watering for it!
ReplyDeleteBoth books sound very interesting! I'll add them to my ever growing "must read" list :)
ReplyDeleteI am amazed by the bicyclists we see riding up the steepest mountains here! Their strength and endurance is awe inspiring.
Hope you had a happy 4th of July! We had a wonderful family BBQ!
I agree, the Tour de France is fun to watch. Such stamina and discipline involved there!
ReplyDeleteI love Nicole Mones' books! When is she coming out with a new one?? It seems the best writers don't write often enough. (I guess that's a good think, really.) But waiting is difficult.
I adore macaroni and pea salad. So summerish and festive!
I've never made that salad, but it does look good. Good to have chairs back and a place to sit.
ReplyDeleteFabulous Friday
Every day seems random for me! Not a bad thing though. I love how you set the stage for your photos. They are always so warm and inviting.
ReplyDelete**happy weekend**
Deb
I like your Granny's macaroni and pea salad for the 4th of July. I hope you enjoyed it. I wonder too if she added a hard boiled egg or two also. Mine would.
ReplyDeleteWe liked the Chick-fil-A's peach milkshakes. A free one was on their calendar card this year (or any other milkshake). It was sooo good.
We have some dining room chairs that need to be reupholstered. We have no idea of who that would be good with them.
..
Our meal was salmon croquettes and peas, which I haven't had in ages. I haven't read anything by Nicole Mones, but I think I need to put her on my list. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post! I'm glad to read on your blog that you are enjoying retirement. I'm in the information gathering stage. Wondering if I should take the plunge. So you're a vote for "yes!" :)
ReplyDeleteMmmm, I'd love a peach smoothy right now.
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to make a macaroni salad that had peas in it, also a tuna casserole that was similar except hot and it had peas too.
ReplyDeleteI'm just starting to drink smoothies and when our peaches come in I'll try them in one too.
Judith
Hi, Snap....
ReplyDeleteI love that kind of salad....and we are really loving smoothies this summer, too.
We love watching the tour, too.
xo bj
Yummy Peach Smoothie, anything peach would be just peachy!! Enjoy the summer!
ReplyDeleteHow nice to have your chairs back! That smoothie looks mighty yummy.
ReplyDelete