Pier 39

What a fun day but then who wouldn't have fun in
San
Francisco ?

We always have a great time.

This time we ate at a little cafe away from Pier 39.  It's in the city and called Cafe Divine on Stockton and across from Washington Square.  The food was good but the service was not.  We enjoyed walking around although I must say not a fan of the up and down hill walking.  It's a little difficult when you are not use to it. Tootles

San Francisco

Crossing the Bay Bridge.  Just think about it .
                         Tootles

Elviria !

 Need I say more ?  Yes, I guess I will as she is the sweetest and most loving kitty ever.  Right now I think she is tell us to barbecue and I am on the swing not in the mood for cooking.  I'm in the mood for swinging as in dropping my self back in the swing stretching out my arms, hanging on and looking up in the walnut tree.  Remember doing that as a kid, well I still do it today.  I love to swing, always have and always will. I could be out there for a long time, sometimes going fast but most of the time just swinging back and forth and enjoying the birds singing to me as well as the gentle breeze.

 This is what I am looking at if I turn to my left while swinging.  The walnut tree is wonderful not only for shade but the yummy walnuts we get off of it in the fall.  We are so lucky to have it.  My ferns are doing great.  So far this year we have only had a couple days of 100' and the rest have been in the 70's and low 80's.  Go figure, we don't understand.  This is the end of June and it has been great.  We are loving it.  You can just see inside.  That's the funny room as we don't really know what to call it.  We don't really use it other than to get outside or inside.  It's a passing through room.

 Now standing in the passing through room and looking out the doors you can just make out the swing.  That's where I was swinging.  Everything is so cozy, how I do love my home.  It's a little odd and a whole lot strange but I do love it.  My husband has build every room and has had a lot of fun doing it.  We call it the fun house. Ha!  Not really, actually I have named it.... It's called......
" Arcanes Portus Aveo " .  It means Secret Haven of Happiness and Good Health.  You could also say Hidden Home of Happiness and Good Health.  How I do love it.

This is a corner of the Passing Through Room.  My treasures from the Thrift Stores.  I do love to shop at them and just look at what I found.  Of course, not Sadie Blake.  She's my doll my Mom made me.  Isn't she sweet but the flowers, the rooster and the plant divider is all from the thrift store.
I have rearranged it since I took this picture.  I'll get around to taking more pictures and show you but until then .....Tootles.

Our Garden growing And Books or Kindle ?

 These are our lovely Peaches.  Now, they are not freestone which I really love the best but I must say they do have a sweet flavor.  I want the freestone to put on the barbecue.  I''m sure you have seen the recipes which show them  and they talk about the caramel glaze.  I guess you cut them in half and, of course remove the seed then place them on the grill.  That's the only problem with these peaches there is no way to cut them in half.  You have to cut around the seed.  They look so pretty hanging there in the tree.

 Next is our artichoke.  They are so yummy.  I tried a new recipe, I think I already told you about it, where you cut the stem off the bottom place them in foil put garlic inside the leaves, pour olive oil over and sprinkle with salt.  Wrap it up put it in the oven for at least an hour and you have a treasure of taste.  It is so good.  Of course, the first thing you always have to do is soak them in water.  That, is to get the earwigs out believe me they are in there hiding. I also just boil them and dip them in mayo but the other method really gives them a great flavor.

Then we have the tomato.  You can just see one starting to turn.  I swear there is nothing like a tomato from your garden the flavor is so good, nothing like the tasteless ones in the grocery that seem to turn to mush.  It's obvious they have been frozen.  Hey, if you can't have a plant yourself then go to a farmers market you won't be sorry.

We also have grapes and wild berries but will show you them another day.  It is great having them in my yard.

So have you read any good books lately ?  Speaking about books and I do mean the one with pages that you actually turn yourself.  Well, I do miss them.  Yes, I do have a Kindle and yes, I love it But.......  I have to admit it's great but I am going back to the book.  I regret buying some of the books and getting them on the Kindle.  Yes it is convenient but I want the feel of the book back in my hands.  When I'm reading a good part I always rub the pages.  I take my whole hand and caress the page and you just can't do that with a Kindle or any other ereader.  Don't get me wrong I think there is a place for them and I will continue to use mine.  Let's say going on vacation, although I never take a book on vacation, I'm too busy seeing the sites and maybe picking up a new book to read later after the vacation is over, but I know some people want several books to take.  Well, here you go, load them on the Kindle and your set.  Another place is Schools.  Let's get rid of those back packs.  Have you lifted one of those.  Hey, go up and ask a student sometime if you can hold his backpack (well, in this day and age, maybe not such a good idea) but if you could you would not believe how heavy they are.  Talk about back problems later in life.  Anyway that would be a great place.  Yes I know there would have to be some regulations about them but, Books for Schools are not cheap and let's face it a lot of them have ended up in mud puddles.  Well, anyway that is my take on it and I must get going so I can order my new book from Amazon.  I will hold it and love it and smell it and pat it and squeeze it and place it on a shelf when I am done reading it so that whenever I look at the spine I will remember what a great feeling I had while reading it.  You just can't do that with a Kindle.  Sorry Kindle.  Tootles

Come in and sit awhile

Hello and welcome.  What brings you by on this lovely day as summer begins ?  We are very lucky as the weather has been springlike.  Although we did have a couple of days that reached 100 last week, and believe me we did not like it, that is forgotten.  Now we are enjoying just being outside.  So as I said before come and sit a spell and let's chat.

Welcome !

 How is your day going ?  Here at the Dusty Cottage it is going great.  I'm still eating the Paleo way and my tummy is very happy. I do have to admit it is somewhat of a challenge.  So far I have been able to overcome and move on, so to speak.  You see not only am I eating the Paleo Way but after reading in both the books I have, about Paleo.  I have discovered the nightshade vegetables are not so good for you.  That is for some people.  It seems some of us have a gene that has a problem with a eating nightshades and I am pretty sure I am one of those people.  I won't go into that now but let's just say that has scratched off some of the veggie's I ate a lot.  They are potato and tomato.  There are more but those are the ones that effect me.  I do miss potato but hey, I'm doing fine.  Just like today I made a soup for lunch.  I added a couple of chicken pieces, cooked, to my veg soup.  I started out with the usual....onions, garlic, carrots, mushrooms got a good caramel crunch on them then....and here is the really super part
I just learned about.  I slice zucchini with a potato peeler and it looks like noodles. I added them along with curry, basil, cumin and salt and pepper.  Talk about yummy !!  It was delicious.  I plan on having that a lot.  So slowly I am getting use to and loving it
This sweet doll is Sade Blake.  My Mom made her for me.  I love her too pieces.  The picture above her was in my Mom's things and I just love it, especially the colors in it.  Tootles

Eating Well.....

I am enjoying my new eating program.  I have been trying some new recipes from an app I pick up, it's called Fast Paleo.  It was rated 4 and 1/2 stars and I have to say it's pretty good. A lot of detail went into it.  However, as I stated I have tried some new dishes and were not impressed.  Don't get me wrong they are yummy to some people I am sure but just not to my liking.

 This is Edgar, he is spending time on our roof of our barbecue area.  He is big, soft looking, has a sweet face but you taking your life in your hands if you attempt to pet him let alone pick him up.  You steer clear, walk around and under no circumstances do you go near him.