on to Wisconson
Jul. 4th, 2009 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kareinaSpent yesterday with the family in Seattle. It was my nephew's 4th birthday, so we went to a berry farm in the morning. I can report that while the raspberries are still very early in the season in the Seattle area, there were enough ripe on the vines to make it worth the effort, thought the largest ones were on the dry side (and so weren't often put into the buckets, but were tasted several times to see if they were any different. This place seems to have several varieties, since there was quite a difference from row to row in the size/shape/taste/level of ripeness of the berries. After picking berries we spent time at their amusement park, which the kids loved. Then back to my sister's house, where I got laundry started, got a nap, and then spent more time with the family before deciding that I would walk up to the store and get some dried fruit and nuts to make hais for travel food (my version uses much less in the way of bread crumbs, and adds other fruits in addition to the dates--it is different every time. This time the store didn't have any pistachios, so I used almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. It also had very little in the way of dried fruit choices, so I just used dates and dried cranberries, plus two small figs I hadn't yet eaten from the last store I stopped at). I figure it will be good to have while traveling, and when I first get to Milan, since I don't know if my "room" that the Uni has arranged for me has a kitchen or anything. Once the hais was done I had just enough time for a quick shower and putting the last few things into the luggage before heading to the airport. Got to the gate on time to do yoga before boarding, but nothing else. Had a pleasant flight--nice and short (only three hours). Actually watched the in-flight movie while doing sewing--a sci/fi/fantasy/kung fu movie that was kind of cute, and then got a nap.
Landed at 05:00 and was met by my aunt and cousin. I'd last seen her at my step-sister's wedding a number of years ago, but I hadn't seen him since we were 16! Enjoyed the drive back to her house, getting caught up on the news of decades. Stopped along the way for breakfast, an d then took a nap when we got back to the house. Woke up around 1pm when my cousin returned, this time with his wife, a couple of his kids, and his granddaughter. (How can someone younger than I have a granddaughter?! Sure, he's only two months younger, and he did father his first child quite young, but still!) I'd like to compare photos of the little blue-eyed blond granddaughter with pictures of me at that age, I think I see a resemblance. Had a delightful time visiting with them all, and we made home-made pizza for supper. Was challenged a bit with the pizza dough, as the yeast in the house was a bit old, but it is good that we figured it out, because the plan for tomorrow is to bake garlic bread (with little pockets of soft, roasted garlic in it).
After the cousins went home my aunt and I soaked in her hot tub (nice!) and then I did yoga while she watched a movie. I confess to getting sucked in to the movie, and so I fetched my sewing once I'd done with stretching and saw it through to the (predictable) end. Two movies in two days--so not like me.
Tomorrow the rest of my cousins are coming over for a bbq, and a couple of my friends from An Tir who settled out this way will pick me up. I'll spend Monday with them before flying out Monday night.
Landed at 05:00 and was met by my aunt and cousin. I'd last seen her at my step-sister's wedding a number of years ago, but I hadn't seen him since we were 16! Enjoyed the drive back to her house, getting caught up on the news of decades. Stopped along the way for breakfast, an d then took a nap when we got back to the house. Woke up around 1pm when my cousin returned, this time with his wife, a couple of his kids, and his granddaughter. (How can someone younger than I have a granddaughter?! Sure, he's only two months younger, and he did father his first child quite young, but still!) I'd like to compare photos of the little blue-eyed blond granddaughter with pictures of me at that age, I think I see a resemblance. Had a delightful time visiting with them all, and we made home-made pizza for supper. Was challenged a bit with the pizza dough, as the yeast in the house was a bit old, but it is good that we figured it out, because the plan for tomorrow is to bake garlic bread (with little pockets of soft, roasted garlic in it).
After the cousins went home my aunt and I soaked in her hot tub (nice!) and then I did yoga while she watched a movie. I confess to getting sucked in to the movie, and so I fetched my sewing once I'd done with stretching and saw it through to the (predictable) end. Two movies in two days--so not like me.
Tomorrow the rest of my cousins are coming over for a bbq, and a couple of my friends from An Tir who settled out this way will pick me up. I'll spend Monday with them before flying out Monday night.
