Miriyummy and KCC
Thank you to Miriyummy for interviewing me on her blog.
And Cooking Outside the Box has presented her first Kosher Cooking Carnival.
Learn how to make homemade sauerkraut on this post.
photography
Summer Stock: Fireworks on the 4th
Last year we watched the fireworks on Asbury Park beach. This year we plan to travel to Donaldson Park (a five minute drive from home) to watch the local fireworks show. My daughter and I have planned a picnic dinner – she and my son remember being hungry last year on the beach and watching others with their picnic feasts.
If you don’t live in the U.S.A., on what occasions do you get to see fireworks?
Summer Stock: City vs. Suburb
My suburban example is watermelon at the annual Congregation Etz Ahaim picnic in Johnson Park, New Jersey.
This woman in New York City was accompanied by two men also dressed in black, funny outfits. No idea what they were trying to sell. They did get a lot of people’s attention.
Review with Painting
This is a detail of a still life painting by my mother, Elaine Wenger.
This week I converted my blog to what is known as Responsive Web Design – in other words, the blog should look good both on large windowed browsers and on small mobile phones. You can see what I mean by shrinking the corner of the browser page.
Elsewhere in the Blogosphere
- First, I want to show you Robin’s cherries. This luscious photograph inspired a whole post that is still in my head. I will let you know if the post becomes reality. Speaking of Robin, if you have summery photos, you might want to participate in Summer Stock Sunday.
- Miriyummy reminisces on childhood memories of the Catskills. And be sure to read her interview with Batya Medad.
- Ilana-Davita has written of the 2011 Philosophy exam in France. Which question would you pick? I chose “Can liberty be threatened by equality?”
- Among other books, Rayna Eliana reviewed The Coffee Trader which transports the reader to Seventeenth Century Amsterdam.
- Laura at Pragmatic Attic has some tasty fish recipes.
- Know anyone who runs a small business? They should check out my post Ease of a Facebook Business Page.
Nature Notes: Catbirds + Gardens
My flowers-instead-of-grass front lawn meadow is doing nicely. I believe the last time my husband mowed the front lawn was two years ago? Three?
In our backyard, the raspberries are beginning to appear. This makes our yard even more inviting for the birds.
About two weeks ago the catbirds showed up again in our backyard. They seem to love resting on my tomato plant holders.
Do catbirds like hydrangea? I like this white flowering shrub, even if they don’t notice.
Unlike other birds, such as the cardinals in the winter, the catbirds don’t seem to mind when I get up close with my camera.
I think this catbird is about to take off. They make such endearing sounds, like a meowing kitten.
For more Nature Notes:
Watery Boy
My middle son graduated from eighth grade last night and then left for camp. Today he is flying to camp, which started yesterday, as he didn’t want to miss graduation. I’m a little sad – I miss him! I know it’s a cliché, but they *do* grow up too fast.
This frolic-in-the-waves photo was taken last month at Asbury Park Beach.
For more watery photos, visit Watery Wednesday:
Bridge by Grand Central
This is the Pershing Square Bridge next to Grand Central Station on the East Side of New York City. I was in New York on Wednesday for the 140 Conference. Here’s a cool night photo of the same bridge that I found on Flickr.
This is the top of Grand Central Station in New York City. From here I took the Lexington Avenue subway uptown to the 92nd Street Y.
Summer Stock Flag
For more Summer Stock Sunday:
Review with Mime
It was fun to watch this mime perform on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. He would start to move towards you and then suddenly stop and freeze. When I gave my daughter some money to put in his bucket, he motioned toward her, but she didn’t know why. You can see what happened next in the photo at the bottom.
On My Blog
The BIG GIGANTIC news today in our household is that the RPRY team of middle son (5 of them) won the Torah Bowl Championship. They previously won the New Jersey division, and today they beat New York schools SAR and HALB. Torah Bowl is sort of like Jeopardy – they get asked questions about certain parts of the Torah, and they have to answer quickly.
Elsewhere in the Blogosphere
- I got a kick out of this video of the preparation of a health salad. But he never does explain why he doesn’t think you should wash vegetables if you grow them in your own garden.
- Ilana-Davita conducted an interview with Rabbi Josh Yuter.
- Rayna Eliana reviewed City of Dreams, a historical novel that takes place in Amsterdam.
- I enjoyed chatting with Mrs. S. last week about Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. If you haven’t watched it, I recommend it. It’s historical.
- Sparrow Chatter has some exquisite shots of a florist’s window.
- Batya talks about problems with the new trains in Jerusalem and a certain politician who created many of the problems.
- Robin is starting Summer Stock Sunday 2011 – and these mime photos are my first entry.
Here’s my daughter and the mime – he had motioned toward her so she could get her picture taken with him. He did that to anyone who put money in his bucket.
I posted these mime photos as part of Straight Out Of the Camera -I have a bit of time online on Saturday night. On Sunday, I’ll be marching down 5th Avenue in New York City with my kids’ school.
June Rhododendron
This photo is actually from May, as is the one below.
It’s good I took photos in the middle of May, because if you look below, you will see what is left of my rhododendron flowers in early June.
Maybe it was the heat wave, or maybe they just don’t last very long. I’ve never paid much attention to the blooming of my rhododendron – it’s good I’m playing the First of the Month theme so I can observe.
For more First of the Month photos:
May April February