Rain at Last

We got 2" of rain in one day yesterday.  The rivers and creeks are a little high but some spots in town flooded.  We are in an officially declared drought here in Eastern Washington, so is my old hometown of Seattle.  We have no snow pack to speak of so the local farmers were doing their happy dances yesterday.  There are showers predicted off and on for the rest of the week.  This morning we have sunshine and everything smells fresh and clean.  I got to wear my raincoat.

This is a little bridge over a little creek in a local park.

Most of our downtown streets are torn up while the city tries to patch the worst potholes along with replacing a failing water system.  Those poor guys were up to their knees in water in some places. The race is on to make the streets drivable (finally) before August. We are expecting a LOT of people in August for a Gentlemen of the Road concert.  The headliner is Mumford and Sons with the Foo Fighters (my sons are hysterically happy and have tickets) along with other bands.  The biggest thing we have here is the county fair each Labor Day. The attendance there was 70,000 but not all in one day.  There's been 14,000 tickets sold so far and the events last three days.

A big campground is to be set up near the venue site and there is not room at the inn anywhere for that weekend already. The population here is around 30,000. It will be a sight to see.  I'm going to the grocery store early.  Don't know whether to go visit my sisters in Portland or stay around and see what it looks like.  I'm leaning towards staying.  Haven't been to an outdoor rock concert since 1971.

Sunny Days

 Chance or fate hands you the opportunity to have this child or that child but not another.  The cosmic roulette wheel has given me these two permanent occupants of my heart.  Yesterday was the 41st birthday of my youngest son.  He was a little grumpy on this distant day, sitting on the kitchen floor with his grubby elder brother.

Yesterday we celebrated by having a family picnic by the river in a park.  This former baby now has eight children of his own, three home made and five adopted.  A picnic with just the family is a large affair.  We had two kinds of made from scratch birthday cake and drive-through from KFC. A lovely and relaxing Saturday afternoon. Five teenagers lounging in various places and an eight-year-old and two toddlers running foot races, running, running, running. And laughing. A good day.

Happy May Day

Went to see the new Avengers flick last night with my two sons and four grandgirls.  The guys and two girls sat in the front row, how do they see from there?  The other two girls and I moved back into the center.  I really enjoyed it. This is the kind of film I've enjoyed with my sons since they were younger.  They were big comic book fans and we used to hit all those events while they were growing up.  The youngest sold off most his comics to help pay for his tuition in college.  Glad they will still go with me, its very hard to get any of my friends to join in except for one who is currently in New Mexico.

Sunny day here, maybe up to 85.  I opened all the windows and got the vacuum out and sucked up all the dust.  Then I went to the gym.  It's a gentle program at the hospital for people with cranky lungs and I really like it. Not only is exercise good for you but weight training for large muscles (thighs and so on) help your body use the oxygen you do have. Today vacuuming was easier for me than it has been.  It works!

I'm trying to vegetarinize my diet.  Don't think that's a real word. I've been trading recipes with my sister Pam who is slowly transitioning to a vegan diet.  I'm just after less meat and bread, and more veggies and fruits.  Here's my newest favorite soup recipe.  I really love this one as I'm a big squash fan.

Curried Summer Squash Soup

This soup gets its smooth texture from yogurt and pureed chickpeas adding a bit of protein. Eat chilled or warm.

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp curry powder

2 medium yellow squash chopped (3 cups) I used butternut, my personal favorite.  I baked the pieces in the oven the day before I made this soup and I mashed them with a fork. It makes this a quick dish for dinner or lunch.

Large onion coarsely chopped

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 15oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup low fat or non-fat plain yogurt      

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in squash and onion, cover, and reduce the heat to medium.  Cook stirring occasionally about 8 minutes.

Add broth and chickpeas, bring to a simmer, and remove from heat.

Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup to the pan with the rest of the soup and stir to combine. Add seasonings.

Serve hot or transfer to a covered container and chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Serve in four bowls, top with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of basil.

200 calories per serving, 5 gm fat, 10 gm protein, 30 carbohydrates, 6 gm fiber and 690 sodium. You can leave the salt out, I did and it tasted great.