a bunch of stuff

decorating this office is hard.  it's a real working office that larry uses everyday.

he sits at that desk and in that uncomfortable chair and talks to/at his computer all day long.

he takes naps on that sofa.

i love the dark, moody walls but i think sitting in this room all day may be making him crazy.:)

i really need to change things in there.  

pretty basic/boring.

but that's me.

the last 2 afternoons we've had monsoon like conditions sweep through here.  the garden has finally gotten a good deep watering.  yay!

but...

the meditation garden didn't fare so well.

see that 150 year old pepper tree that is pretty much the showpiece in this garden?

this is what happened this morning...

boo.

that's pretty much it.

hope you all have a long and beautiful weekend.

xo

janet

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59

fresh things

it's been so hot around here.

yesterday i finally snapped out of a heat induced stupor and got busy.

you might want to be reminded about
how to wash a slipcover.

i just washed all mine.

too bad they can't bottle the smell of white cotton that's been washed and dried on the line because, wow, it smells so good.

i have been patient...
colored pants are finally starting to make their way to the goodwill.

these are made by french connection and i like them, esp. for $3.

oh and thanks for all the great comments re the length of our dresses.
i  read somewhere, that someone needs to open a women's dress store and call it...
2 inches longer.

perfect!


xo
janet

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49

do or don't - knees over 50

jackie o

how do you feel about a woman over 50 showing her knees?
recently, there was some controversy in the comments about this issue.

there was a time when i thought it was probably in poor taste.

but now that i'm over 50 (i'll be 55 this year, yikes!) i think a lot differently.

funny how that happens.

i am...

guilty

guilty

guilty



i think we each get to choose for ourselves how we want to dress.
isn't that wonderful?!

what do you think?
is this a do or a don't?

what are your thoughts?
do tell!


xo
janet

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142

the first thing i learned in culinary school

the very first thing i learned in culinary school, i mean before i was even allowed to pick up a knife, was to place a damp dish towel underneath my cutting board.

i've been doing it now for so long i don't even think about it.  but i have watched friends in their kitchens chopping on boards that rattle around on the counter and the other day larry asked me why i always do it and it made me realize that maybe a lot of people just don't know about this.

it is just a simple trick that stabilizes the board and makes cutting safer, faster and more accurate.

so that's it.
put a damp cloth under your cutting board.

xo
janet

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34

the $1 dress

recently alex and i went to check out a new junk store in a neighboring town.

while i explored inside, he wandered out back and starting going through box after box of junk.

he found a few goodies and told me he saw an old dress that i might want to check out.

so i went out back and found this silky-soft dress from the 1960's.

it was a little dusty and dirty but in otherwise perfect shape.

is it just me or does it look like a kate spade pattern?

i mean even the navy, white and yellow color scheme is perfect.

vintage junk store dress - $1

try and stay cool this weekend.

xo

janet

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64

pasta with pesto and cherry tomato salad*

it looks like the entire U S of A is experiencing quite the heat wave.

i know it's hot here.

yesterday morning i got up early and picked some tomatoes and basil and basically assembled dinner before i had my breakfast.   i was happy i had done this at dinner time.

all i had to do was cook a package of spaghetti and dinner was done.

i found this recipe while waiting in a doctors office many years ago.

it was an old magazine and i'm not quite sure how it happened but the page found its way into my handbag.  oh i hate people like me.

it's from the restaurant tra vigne which i had the pleasure to eat at while visiting the napa valley.  it truly is one of my all-time favorite recipes.

give it a try and i'm sure it will become one of yours too.

i substitute nutritional yeast for the traditional parmesan.

pesto

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

2 cloves of garlic

2 T pine nuts or walnuts

1 t salt

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c nutritional yeast

place first 5 ingredients in food processor or blender slowly adding the olive oil.

add the nutritional yeast and pulse a few times.  refrigerate until ready to serve.

cherry tomato salad

3 cups or so of cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 c chopped basil leaves

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 t red wine vinegar

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

combine and chill.

cook a package of spaghetti and toss with pesto.

plate and then top with the tomato salad.

*no animals were harmed making this delicious pasta dish

xo

janet

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37

a simple soap dish

before i tell you about this little soap dish i have to convey my overwhelming gratitude to you dear readers.  i have been blown away by the outpouring of love that you have shown suzanne.  i just cannot get over the concern and kindness that is flowing her way.  she is such a courageous and sweet woman, i can't help but think that this love will help her heal.  

so yesterday i was sorting through some things in the basement and i came across a small bag that had a few hotel soaps in them.  do you ever take those?  sometimes i do.  i wanted to present them in a little bit of a different way and this is what i came up with.  it's pretty and was free.  i have these turquoise melamine dishes from the 1960's that we use for camping so i borrowed a little bowl and filled it with some garden stones.  i'm sure you could get these at michaels.  i think sea glass would be beautiful too.  


  

nothing earth shattering but that's ok it's monday.

xo

janet

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29

essentials

have you ever daydreamed and imagined what it would be like to start over?  i mean from scratch.  what would your choose today to live with?  what would your home/wardrobe look like if you could wipe the slate clean and start fresh?  what would your essential list look like? i mean the rock bottom basics that you really wouldn't want to live without.  mine looks kinda like this...

a good mattress
soft linens
a comfy sofa
a couple of good reading lamps
good cookware
books
music

for one of my dear, sweet readers this isn't a daydream, it is actually a real life nightmare. i noticed she wasn't around and commenting like she used to,  so i sent her a email asking how she was.

this is part of the chilling email i got back...

janet,

on may 29 i woke up, thought my kitchen smelled funny, lit a candle, and my home exploded from a gas leak. i have been in st john's mercy burn clinic and am presently in mercy rehab hospital in st louis. if all goes well i will be moved home in 7 days with home health care assistance.. my husband and i will live with my mother and father in law since we have no home or belongings. my husband is well and i am in rehab with 70% burns---3rd degree on parts of my body, 20% on my face. i am lucky to be alive. i said i regretted lighting that candle, but one doctor said to me, if i had not done that, my husband and i would have very well been found both dead from the gas line leak.

i'm so grateful to be alive and have the chance to be with my loved ones.

i'm happy to report that she is out of the hospital, improving everyday and living with her in-laws.
and all she is asking for is some help with putting together what she is calling an essential list.
maybe you can help?  can you think about it for a moment and share what your essential list would look like?  thanks so much.  think about wardrobe too b/c i'm gonna ask about that next week.:)

xo

janet

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