Skunks, Stings and Salves

Tim and I had to divide and conquer this weekend. Both of us had family obligations - either entertaining incoming siblings or getting ready for incoming parental units. Tim didn't trust me being by myself and recommended that I invite my friend D to babysit me. I will admit I am not to be trusted by myself - I have a horrible habit of falling off ladders, 2 x 4's falling on my head or dropping rocks on my legs - call me graceful. So, I invited a couple friends for the weekend to help me get the house ready and keep me from killing myself.

D and C are great co-workers and friends and we had a great time. Shopping, cooking, ranting about co-workers and laughing about it was a pleasant release. We had a lot of fun. Plus, they were amazing about helping me pull the house together for my parent's visit.

I was enjoying the company but feeling guilty any time they lifted a finger to help. I wanted them to really enjoy themselves and the weekend to be perfect for them. Unfortunately, nature was working against me. Saturday night, as we were preparing for bed, a skunk sprayed right outside of their window. We had a window fan in their room that was drawing the smell into the house. We used a couple of fans, candles and Febreeze - but it took forever to get the smell out of their room. I felt so bad for them but sleeping with me in my bed was not an option. They are good friends but they are also co-workers. I do have some boundaries.

Sunday morning, C came out to help me pick vegetables and I didn't realize that there was a bee's nest in one of the garden beds. As I picked green beans and handed them to C, I must have startled them and they swarmed and stung C in the face. I was so upset and felt sorry for her. D came to our rescue with this makeup that has some bizarre healing properties that made the swelling and discoloration go away. D is so good for things like that.

Whew, now I just have a months visit with my parents - that should be nothing compared to animals attacking us all weekend.

Amazing Buttermilk Chicken

Tim made this chicken last weekend - very good recipe!

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon paprika

To taste - Kosher salt and black pepper

6 pounds bone in chicken pieces

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, garlic, paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper.

Divide the buttermilk mixture and chicken between 2 large resealable plastic bags. Let marinate in the refrigerator turning the bags occasionally, for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Heat grill to medium-low. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade) and grill, covered, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes.

Yard Sales, Episcopalians, and Medieval Knights

Finally, a quiet weekend - just the two of us. Tim and I had been on vacation in San Antonio with my family for a week and then entertained his parents July Fourth weekend. We really needed some time to ourselves. We have our normal routine on Saturday mornings - coffee, a quick frog inspection, the post office, Price Chopper groceries, liquor store, and cauldron shopping at the local "dark arts" gift shop for some herbs and occasional skull candle. Just a normal Saturday in Delaware county.

Saturday also happened to be the annual St. James Church yard sale. Local craftsman, booksellers, bric-a-brac dealers, all show up and brave the rain and hopefully sell something. We go to the event every year and always manage to spend money. Another event that occurs during the sale is the Medieval Jousting Event. Don't ask how Medieval Jousting sneaks past the event coordinator every year but it does. People paying to dress up in costume and pretend to fight each other with prehistoric weapons? Now, I can't pass up a joust or for that matter a mime act - but this year there was an interesting little twist.

We got to the yard sale earlier then usual and we noticed that the Medieval persons had added these charming new jousting tents. We walked over to inspect the tents and noticed that the "jousters" were sitting outside of their tents - praying? Oddly enough, it turns out that the jousters are Orthodox Jews and they were praying - in preparation for the day? It this allowed? I know that Medieval people didn't have electricity but shouldn't there be a boy hired to handle the weapons for them? They can't turn on a stove but they can run someone through with a sword? I know I am not always up to speed with all things kosher - I just find this a little disconcerting. I will have to google Hassidic jousting. Who knew?

Burning Down The House Or A Tree Or Random Children...

July Fourth! After being bushwhacked all day, we decided it would be a nice treat to take Tim's parents to a local Bovina tradition. One of our neighbors throws a huge pot luck dinner and fireworks party at her farm every year. It can be a lot of fun and a huge crowd turns out for the event. Now, some years are better then others - this was not one of them. Bovina is a charming town, however this event can open the floodgates for every wanna-be bohemian, nauseating realtor and bad parent. Not to mention a horde of unsupervised children who are allowed to be themselves and annoy the rest of us hard working, well-mannered, respectful, property owning wanna-be locals. Everyone brings food and sits on picnic blankets overlooking a stream where more lovely unsupervised children cavort. You have to arrive early to get a good spot for the fireworks show. The food is great and with good company it can be a lot of fun, but waiting for sundown can seem endless.

Once dinner and dessert are gone, you have hours to chat and watch bad behavior. Endless unsupervised children shooting fireworks into the crowd and woods - starting a tree on fire which led to the overly ambitious fire brigade putting the fire out. Creatively challenged and even more creatively dressed beautiful young things everywhere. The entire scene reminded me of horrible evenings at Pastis or the Ganzevoort Hotel.

Our neighbors, M and M, at some point asked - why were we all there and who WERE all these people? It was quite a scene. Finally, the fireworks started. It was really an amazing pyrotechnic show and despite the occasional loose cinder burning a hole into your Etro shirt - the half hour of child-like wonder and nostalgia was worth all of the insanity. When the last cracker fired - we gathered up our blankets and baskets, empty wine bottles and left over tupperware and walked back to our cars and drove home. We may not attend this party again but July Fourth is slowly becoming one of my favorite holidays as a result of living in this small community. Happy Fourth!

Weekend Frenzy

We were really looking forward to this weekend. We hadn't been up for a couple weeks and we had 3 days ahead of us and Tim's parents coming for the weekend. It was supposed to be a nice, relaxing weekend filled with some light gardening, simple cooking and wonderful company. Little did we know that we had invited two very serious task masters ready to whip us into shape disguised as mild-mannered 70 year old gardeners and bird watchers.

Tim's parents pose as retired botanists who specialize in ferns. They hold an annual event at their home where they sell cuttings from their garden. People pay good money for these very special ferns and perennials. They call their event the "Fern Frenzy." However, despite their sweet demeanor and very generous offering of an SUV filled to the brim with plants and compost for our garden, they are secretly garden terrorists ready to commit plant Jihad on unsuspecting junior gardeners. They had planned a little "Fern Frenzy" on the two of us.

For 3 days they had us digging, planting, watering and hauling with no sympathy for our lower back pain, asthma, low heat tolerance, new garden boots that caused blisters and man boob sweat. Tim's dad didn't hesitate to walk over my body lying incapacitated in the mud with a soaker hose wrapped around my neck as he was determined to get a 40 foot shade garden installed behind the house. Tim's mother cracked the whip as Tim frantically cut raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries into a red, white and blue cheesecake/fruit extravaganza for dessert. The frogs, tadpoles and surviving fish didn't know what hit them as Tim's parents swooped in to landscape the pond and kidnap a few dozen unsuspecting, pre-pubescent tadpoles to take back to their secret camp in Westchester. We had been ambushed.

Exhausted, Tim and I had been fooled by the sweet white hair and cute binoculars and charming bird guide books of our guests. They managed to out garden us and still had the energy to drink us under the table at dinner. Regardless of our inexperience and lack of stamina - it was a lovely weekend and we completely enjoyed having them. Next time we will be better prepared.