4th of July Holiday Weekend

GOOD NEWS!

Baby Boy/Girl Hicks

Our daughter Barbara is expecting a baby December 28th! The neat thing about that is that the 28th is Dave's AA anniversary (32nd), and it's also our grandniece, Dana Pagano's, birthday!  We're hoping that the baby will be a boy. There are a majority of girls in our family, and a majority of boys in Andy's family! Barbara teaches 5th Grade at Wadsworth Elementary School in Palm Coast, FL. She has a daughter, Morgan, who is going to be a Junior in the fall. Morgan, Barbara and Andy are very excited, as are we all!!!

The "new" Food Plate

SUMMER YUMMY
Dr. Andrew Weil sends a newsletter every week and I thought this summer soup sounded wonderful:

Ingredients
4 cups ripe cantaloupe, cut in 1-inch pieces (about 1 large melon, rind and seeds removed)
4 cups watermelon, cut in 1-inch pieces (rind and seeds removed)
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1-2 teaspoons honey, liquefied (20 seconds in microwave)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely minced
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. Purée the cantaloupe and watermelon together in a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice, honey, salt and jalapeños to taste. Chill for up to 4 hours.
2. Garnish with fresh blueberries and serve
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Cool & Refreshing Beverage
Lime (fresh or the "squeeze" kind)
(Limeade-optional)
Seltzer water or Club Soda
Ice cubes

Dave  and I don't drink alcohol, so it's nice to have something around besides iced tea and iced coffee. You can use as little or as much of the lime or limeade, whole ice cubes or crushed ice, and fill to the top of a tall glass with Club soda or seltzer. Add a slice of lime and you have a nice refreshing drink.

(I think I'll make one now...it's a very warm day!)

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From The Book Shelf

(Ones I'm reading right now, or have recently finished or are on deck!)

1 Star="Fageddaboudit";

2 Stars=Okay, if you like that genre;  

3 Stars=I liked it.

4 Stars=Highly recommend it;

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I understand that this book, the author's first, is being made into a movie.
(Coming out August 12th) Read the book, just in case they choose to leave something out for brevity's sake. As To Kill a Mockingbird became the early
1960's symbol of race relations in the deep south for many of us, The Help is going to sit near Mockingbird as another literary symbol of how black people (mainly women) were treated by their "employers" (mainly women)  at that same time. The question I asked after finally putting the book down: I wonder: Is the author "Miss Skeeter?" Read it and let me know what you think!

I loved The Help and give it 4 Stars-Highly Recommended.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday, United States of America!