Our Tuesday Dinner

It’s far from glamorous. Every Tuesday we go grocery shopping. And every Tuesday we have developed a habit of getting the same meal for dinner - something simple that requires little effort. We usually cook at home and once a week we order pick up from one of our favorite places. For whatever reason we developed the habit of having a sandwich, soup - usually tomato, salad, and of course potato chips. I absolute love tuna, but my husband doesn’t. So I usually get a tuna sandwich and he usually gets an Italian sub. Yesterday it was disappointing that tuna wasn’t available so we decided to split a large sub. I could have gotten tuna at the deli but the idea is to get something that is always made because I’m just too lazy - on Tuesday. It’s certainly not the healthiest meal, but once a week we go off the rails. Having had high blood pressure most of my life I never add salt to my diet. So on these rare occasions it just tastes so good. I’m not sure how long we will keep this fad going. We have a habit of starting something and then stopping all of a sudden. For the interim we need to cut up the sandwich because of dental implant issues. I wonder what the next trend will be? 

A View From the Balcony

I can tell that it is getting to be the end of summer. The sun is beginning to make its way back over from the far most western spot in the evening sky. I know because it hits me directly in the eyes from where I sit on the couch right before supper time. It direct sunlight also strikes the large mirror on the dining room wall and cascades rainbows all over the room. In the spring the same thing happens - but there is the anticipation of summer. Now it becomes the anticipation of fall. But fall is followed by winter - and that’s not my favorite season by any stretch of the imagination. So during these last few weeks it’s worth any time to spend on the balcony to see the beautiful golden skies and the serene atmosphere. Sometimes we will spend a bit of time playing iPad games before we settle in to watch tv for the evening. I always preferred the western view and it was a prerequisite prior to moving away from Capitol Hill. It’s much too hot to sit outside during the day time, but it’s beautiful in the early evening. I’m just glad we have a tiny place to enjoy the view. 

52Frames Peace Photo Challenge

It started with a scene in the neighborhood park. My husband looking at the stream of water looked very peaceful. “Peace” is the subject for this week’s photo challenge. Then another idea came to mind. When we drove in to DC we walked over to the only monument dedicated to Peace. She sits in front of the Capitol Building on the west side. It was mid morning and the sun was casting lovely shadows on to the classical figure holding an olive branch. You could say that was a literal take on the subject. Then we thought maybe we could find flowers that represent peace at the US Botanic garden. We found Easter lilies in front of the building, but not peace lillies. There were some interesting options at the American Indian Museum - using my husband again contemplating life overlooking the pond. The pigeons at the waterfall also looked quite peaceful but too far away. I wish I had a telephoto lens! Our last stop was to escape the heat and get in to air conditioning and the national gallery of art. Admiring the works could be considered peaceful too. There was a stained glass image of lilies and doves, but I don’t care for stained glass and the religious overtones. In the end we both liked the peace monument the best. Sunset always makes for a peaceful feeling. But I’m sure everyone else thinks the same way. I just wanted to be a little different. 

Balcony Flower Baskets

It’s getting to be that time of the year when the summer annual flowers show well for maybe the last time. This year the heat has been brutal, but the flowers have somehow survived. My husband dutifully waters them twice a day in the extreme heat. The zinnia was brutally attacked by a goldfinch but managed to come back to full splendor. The coco lined baskets have also been attacked by the crows who not only like to hide stuff in the baskets, but they also like to tear out the coco for their nests. It’s amazing that we have never seen a baby crow with so many of them hanging around. The spike greens that were planted in the center of the boxes were almost too tall for the space. And since the planters hang on the back of the seating the greens were constantly brushing up against us when we sat there until I had the great idea to cut them back. We always had flowers gardens, pots and window boxes in the midwest and on our tiny patio garden on Capitol Hill. It’s nice to watch the flowers grow and then change out the contents for the next season. Even the smallest space makes all the difference. 

Morning Walk on the National Mall

We left Capitol Hill over three years ago. But we visit almost every week. We always enjoyed our morning walks on the national mall, the Navy Yard, or the surrounding neighborhood. But living in the area became too difficult - especially the street parking and the 1890’s building we lived in that had constant problems. We lived in fear of the next big catastrophe. And when our kids moved away from down the street it just wasn’t the same. This week we parked by the Smithsonian Indian museum and had some trouble with the ParkMobile app. It’s still not acting right but at least it worked. That’s the one thing we miss the most - our residential parking permit. So we walked over to the Peace Monument for the weekly photo challenge first passing by the Capitol reflecting pool, then headed over to the US Botanic Garden. It was the least busy we have seen it. The gardens outdoors were lush and blooming. Since it was quite warm we then meandered over to the national gallery of Art for the air conditioning. It’s a great place to walk a few blocks while being entertained by the visitors and artwork inside. Our hour and a half time limit was about to run out. There are occasions that we really miss our old home - not so much the condo, but the location. This was one of them. 

Pillsbury Biscuits

My husband has coffee when he gets up very early at 6:00. I get up around 8:30 and have a swig too. Every day around 11:30 we have “brunch.” After a morning walk we come home and have the usual items - eggs of some sort, bread of all kinds to add cheese and jelly, and fruit. Sometimes we will share a single sausage or have small potato pancake sides. At the grocery store this week we noticed some Pillsbury items that we have overlooked for many years. We do get the French bread, but never the biscuits. So we decided we would give them a try. I’ve always liked biscuits and it’s been a while since we have had any since we don’t ever go out for breakfast anymore. For that matter we don’t go out for any meal anymore. So we got out the cookie sheet and followed the directions, placing the eight dough pieces and putting them in the oven for the allotted time. It’s not something that we would have that often, but it was a really nice change of pace. They were delicious! I prefer them with jelly - this time it was grape. So we froze the remaining four and had two more today, along with the eggs, bread, and fruit. We end up eating twice a day and that has been our pattern for many years. Luckily we enjoy the brunch time. It’s nice to switch it up once in a while. Maybe next week we will try the cinnamon rolls. 

Berries in the Park

When we don’t drive in to town for a morning walk we ride over to the neighborhood park. We could actually walk over, but we like to jump in the car afterwards for a quick spin to cool off in the air conditioning - or in winter - to warm up. As the seasons change so does the foliage and flowers. Earlier in the year there were what seemed like raspberries growing along the path. We have caught pedestrians eating the berries, but neither one of us would risk it. Now the leaves are beginning to scatter along the path - some of them green but more yellow and brown. A very noticeable change is another sort of berry that seems to be in abundance now. They are either very green or very purple. I’m not sure if they are edible but they look like something the birds might find delicious. It is such a relaxing and peaceful walk in this place. Many of the people we see are a little more than strangers as we pass by them quite regularly. We have saved a child’s lost shoe and someone else’s keys finding them just the right time. It’s nice to have a walking space that changes over time. You just have to take notice.