here ju go

my cell phone clanged LOUDLY in church, the volume escalating as i anxiously tried to fish my purse from under the pew and my husband and mother furtively glared at me. as i grabbed it and turned it off, i saw "addis" and said "shit!" right in the middle of a quiet moment in the transcept.

rats. why couldn't i have said "rats?"

so then it rings again, and i rush out the door. or try. the small foyer between the transcept and the parish hall was no place to holler "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?" and the door was stuck so i couldn't even get outside. i kept repeating "hello?" and finally, crashing my shoulder in the door, banging up a finger in the meantime, got a baby heather elizabeth syllable or two from the receiver.

she was calling to let me know that they were trying to post, without success. this, a response to my whiny email entitled, "what? no post?"

knowing how difficult getting through from mexico and italy, why wouldn't ethiopia be even more challenging, sporadic, maddening?

lessee, now that she tells me she loves to read and keep us via this inane blog, i'd best get to brass tacks (as colonel klink/aka dad would have said).

i ended up preparing a few fairly simple dishes for dinner. here:

salmon rillettes on toast and on cucumber slices for an appetizer (ruth riechel's: smoked salmon, fresh poached salmon, capers, lemon juice, butter (yes, butter), lemon zest, shallots, mustard, s&p, flat leafed parsley, cognac, maybe that's a complete list of ingredients)

milanese salad (romaine substituted for arugula since that wasn't in the grocery, some baby greens to make up for the lack of arugula, radiccio, both of which sliced in ribbons, tossed with grated carrots in a white wine-olive oil dressing)

roasted pork stuffed with and rubbed with garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper

boneless chicken breasts marinated in equal parts of dijon mustard and lemon juice, then rolled in equal parts of shredded parmesean and whole wheat bread crumbs, placed on parchment paper and baked)

green beans sauteed in butter, s&p, and shallots that had first been carmelized in aforementioned butter

and -

this is soooo good -

peeled and sliced navel oranges (they are in season and very sweet right now) served on a dessert plate, topped with candied orange peel (matchsticked peel from two oranges, NO pith, boiled for ten minutes, drained, then cooked with 1/3 c sugar and 2/3 cup water till peel is translucent and liquid is syrupy, then 1/4 cup grand marnier is added and boiled for 1 minute) and chopped pistachios.

oh and i added a small dollop of GREEK yogurt. (not dannon or publix. big diff.)

this was a nice meal. everyone came over at seven and left at ten. david went to bed. i read "paul" for almost two hours, drinking one glass of the wine that was purchased to go with the chicken.

some damned yummy white stuff that really tastes like grapes that aren't sweet or purple. wine world recommended david get it. i'll share the name but am too comfy on the couch in the lr to go look at the label this mo.

and we are taking some of the salmon to david's party. i'll try to take less than half so that i have some for wba tomorrow, before melissa faye green's showdown at the uga corral.

i love you, gurley girls.