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Sig’s mother is down-sizing in preparation for living in a smaller place. Needless to say there are lots of ISSUES cropping up not the least of which is looking at everything and singing –will you go or will you stay? … Continue reading
Well, it wasn’t exactly a garden party, but it was a garden and it felt like a party. Twice a year, the Gardens at the White House are open to the public.
What is the most striking thing about the White House is its human scale. It was designed as a residence as opposed to a monument. Walking around the grounds, it is easy to imagine a family feeling comfortable living there despite the fishbowl feeling.
The White House grounds are the oldest continually maintained landscape in the United States. And just like home gardens, it has evolved over time. Although located in the heart of the city, landscape architects have created a rolling, rural-like backdrop. 
Here is the Rose Garden that borders the Oval Office.
The Saucer Magnolia tree in bloom was planted by John Kennedy in 1962.
Recent additions are a play set for Malia and Sasha Obama and of course, the much heralded vegetable garden. There is also a White House Beehive that produces enough honey so that the President and Mrs. Obama can give away jars of it probably at state dinners and Sunday brunches.
I love this microwave. After it reaches the time I’ve set, it buzzes politely and says,
Too bad all my appliances don’t give me affirmations every time I use them. It could be revolutionary — the sly vacuum cleaner that says, “Great workout,” just before you put it away, the prim little toaster that says, “You light up my life,” or the George Foreman Grill that says, “Yo, have a nice day.”
The down side of this affirming microwave is it does get a little pushy. If I don’t take out whatever I put in to heat in a reasonable amount of time, it will buzz again with an impatient edge to its voice. Ignore it again, and it bleats louder. Finally I fling open the door and slam the cup on the counter.
Good grief, I think.
Is it kind? Is it true? Is it useful?
According to Reader’s Digest — and other sources, that’s how Buddhists view their worlds. Which is all very right and good. Personally, among my favorite three questions are: Is it delicious? Is it stunning? Is it aromatic?
On a cold winter’s day when the sun just barely glints behind a mass of clouds and this old house is wheezy with cold drafts, it’s time to cook. So I drove to the store with one thought in mind — “Beef, it’s what for dinner.”
Here’s what I bought — carrots, potatoes, onions, a 3.5 lb chuck roast, milk duds, junior mints (movie-theatre-size left over from the New Year Eve’s family Movie Night promotion and priced to sell at a $1.00 a box), lettuce, a mini french bread loaf, a pint of chocolate chip mint and a pint of coffee ice cream and some Pepperidge Farm cookies.
(It was pretty obvious that I should have eaten lunch before I went to the store. But what was done was done.)
I dug out my 7 quart non-stick cast aluminum Berndes (name dropping) dutch oven, turned the burner on high, tossed in some oil and seared the chuck roast. I added dried onion soup, water and turned it to simmer. Adding water periodically to keep a fair amount of liquid in the pot, I threw the vegetables in two hours later.
Late in the afternoon, I took out the meat and vegetables and thickened the juices with flour and water and added salt and pepper. It was ready freddy. I opened a bottle of wine and dished it up. 
It was a winter weekend early supper and everything was just right.