The next best thing....

....well, perhaps it's the next best thing.😊 When one is miles and miles away from the coast where lobster is a feature of summer, that 20-minute drive to Red Lobster just has to substitute.

Lobster Tacos will work - at least for now.

On Twitter, there is a book club - #HappyReadingBC - and we recently read Marcia Ferguson's book.

Of course, our meeting/discussion was not complete without Bronwyn's Hot Fudge Sauce on top of ice cream, then whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry! A true summer treat!

The best thing about this is that there were leftovers for future enjoyment!

I recently attended a baby shower, the first one in many years.  You will be able to determine what the gender is by the following pictures....

Yes!  A little girl is expected!  Everything was pink, pink, pink - quite a familiar hue as we reared three daughters!

We had a lovely time as guests of neighbors recently.  They had even planned entertainment!

All the guests participated in playing these lovely colored bells by watching for our corresponding color to appear on the cards that were displayed by the person directing the activity!  First time for me to have this experience, and I truly enjoyed it.

There was heavy fog one recent morning, and the spruce appears to be trimmed in lace.

Now, in closing, I'm trying an experiment and hope you will be able to hear the accordion music that was part of our afternoon with neighbors.

Sending you wishes for a good week-end!  It is truly summertime here, so we're staying cool!

Keeping our eyes sharp!

Wow! Here we are at the end of the first week of July already!  Did the time pass quickly for you?

It was time for that yearly eye exam recently.

Do you see any frames you like?

Although I could use a bit of a prescription, these still seem to serve me just fine.

No new glasses this time!

The women's chorus in which I sing had occasion to regroup, with heavy hearts, unfortunately.

We met for a special rehearsal to review these selections which we then sang at the service of a former member.

If blueberries are ripe, it must be time to bake!

A blueberry pie and blueberry muffins were first on the list!

Of course, food seems to be front and center in this blog's history.😋😋That is apparently still the focus, especially when there is a holiday.

A spinach souffle from Susan Branch's new Heart of the Home (p. 84) and that favorite summer squash casserole - served in patriotic blue as well as a star-shaped baking dish - both from Longaberger.

While lasagna isn't usually a dish that is thought of for this season of the year, it was what this baking dish was requesting!

As you can see, it was met with great acceptance!

There are some standbys that I keep handy for reference during the summer -

- but I've added this one to expand my library.  It is still waiting for that first try!  Stay tuned!

We've spotted - not hard to do as it's right by the front door - the efforts of birds....

....to build a nest above this light!  Not a good spot, unfortunately, and much of the "supply" winds up here....

It is always a pleasure to have an opportunity to eat at Cracker Barrel!  While there are many good choices, this is what appealed to me....

Have you been shopping at a Farmer's Market near you?  Many fresh vegetables are available, and one recipe I like to make at this time is succotash....

This is one of my very favorites!

I send along wishes for a good week-end ahead!