Potimarron (Roasted Pumpkin)

Roasted Pumpkin
There really isn’t any need for a specific recipe for roasting potimarrion; simply wash the outside well, dry it, then cut it in half with a large knife. (Be careful as the round shape can make it move around a bit.) Once halved, use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. You can use a non-stick sheet one or line the pan with parchment paper for easier clean up.
Sprinkle with coarse or sea salt and black or chili pepper. Other additions can include some thinly sliced garlic; fresh thyme, rosemary or sage; or cinnamon and brown sugar or maple syrup, replacing the olive oil with butter.
Slice the potimarron into crescents about the width of your thumb and toss them in the olive oil and other ingredients on the baking sheet. They should be in a single layer. (If you have a lot, roast them on two trays, or refrigerate the rest for another day.)
Roast the slices on the lower rack of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping them midway during baking, until they’re cooked to your liking.
Once roasted, the slices can be served warm, and any leftovers can be used in dishes like a Roasted Root Vegetable Salad and Wheat Berry Salad, Farro Salad, or in place of the butternut squash in Israeli Couscous Salad with Preserved Lemons. https://www.davidlebovitz.com/roasted-pumpkin-recipe-potimarron-kuri-hokkaido-squash/

Nice, France.

Nice, France-The Magnificent Cote D'Azur. via @MikaylaJTravels  http://www.mikaylajanetravels.com/blog/nice-france-the-magnificent-cote-dazur

Le Palais Saleya-Nice, France.

Le Palais Saleya, hôtel résidence haut de gamme vient d'ouvrir ses portes en plein coeur du Vieux Nice--The Palace Saleya, high-end residence hotel has just opened its doors in the heart of old Nice. http://www.palaissaleya.com/

He is just my dog

"He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog."

Memorial Day 2017

Today, we honor the courageous men and women who dedicated their lives to serving our country.

Just start

“Start now. Start where you are. Start with fear. Start with pain. Start with doubt. Start with hands shaking. Start with voice trembling but start. Start and don’t stop. Start where you are, with what you have. Just... start.”

Reflecting

(Reflecting)--As I approach my twilight years, I am struck by the inevitability that the party must end soon. And one clear, cold morning after I'm gone, my loved ones will awaken in the warmth of their bedroom and be struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore." No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never ...to return before we can say good-bye, or say "I love you." So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage, and old cars, and children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, and because we are worth it. Some things we keep, like a best friend who moved away or a son-in-law after a divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what. Life is important, like people we know who are special. And so, we keep them close! Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know how you really feel? The important thing is to let every one of your friends know your true feelings, even if you think they don't love you back.

Show us the way

Show us the way
during our dark times,
give us the strength
to work and wait
for our turns.

National Wine Day

It's National Wine Day: Get out and enjoy a glass of Walla Walla wine! Dunham Cellars and Sleight of Hand Cellars are a few of my favorites. "National Wine Day is celebrated annually on May 25. Each year, on this day, people enjoy a glass of their favorite wine with dinner, for dessert, with friends, at a restaurant, at home or at a wine-tasting event." http://www.dunhamcellars.com/  http://www.sofhcellars.com/ https://www.washingtonwine.org/ 

Floating in the blue

How sweet to be a cloud
Floating in the blue
A.A. Milne

Bob Dylan is 76 years old today

1. Bob Dylan is 76 years old today.
2. A musician, singer-songwriter, music producer, artist and writer, Dylan has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. He is often referred to as the Shakespeare of our times.
3. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest.
4. ...
5. A number of Dylan's early songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'," became anthems for the U.S. civil rights and anti-war movements.
6. Leaving his initial base in the culture of folk music behind, Dylan's six-minute single, "Like a Rolling Stone," radically altered the parameters of popular music in 1965.
7. His recordings employing electric instruments attracted denunciation and criticism from others in the folk movement.
8. Dylan's lyrics have incorporated a variety of political, social, philosophical and literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture.
9. Initially inspired by the performance style of Little Richard, and the songwriting of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson and Hank Williams, Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres.
10. His recording career, spanning more than fifty years, has explored many of the traditions in American song — from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll and rockabilly to English, Scottish and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.
11. Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards and harmonica. Backed by a changing line-up of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour.
12. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his greatest contribution is generally considered to be his songwriting. In Oct. 13, 2016, the Nobel Prize committee announced it had awarded Dylan the Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."
13. Since 1994, Dylan has published several books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries throughout the world.
14. As a songwriter and musician, Dylan has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Mahatma Gandhi

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." - Mahatma Gandhi.

Be the light

Be the light
where ever you are
today, be extra kind.
Let this day not be about you.
For you are enough.

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than $100

Out of work? Not for long! 101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than $100

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/283723

Roasted onion dip by Rosana McPhee

Looking for a light lunch to dip into? @Rosana_McPhee's roasted onion dip is perfect w/ @PetersYard bites

Just in time for Walla Walla Sweets!

http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/roasted-onion-dip-recipe

http://www.sweetonions.org/

A dream is like a river

"You know
a dream is like a river
Ever changin' as it flows...
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes..."

Adventure

"If adventure has a final and all-embracing motive, it is surely this: we go out because it is our nature to go out, to climb mountains, and to paddle rivers, to fly to the planets and plunge into the depths of the oceans... "

Chris Cornell

So sad to hear about the passing of Chris Cornell this morning. What an incredible talent and one of the greatest voices in rock music! My heart goes out to his friends, family and the Seattle music community. Here is a picture I took of Artis the Spoonman, outside the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market. I have met Artis many times through the years and had some very interesting conversations. I even met him backstage at Aerosmith! Nobody seemed to know who he was and was so happy when I walked up and said hi! So here me and Artis are standing in line to meet Aerosmith, just talking away. It was so awesome when Soundgarden came out with the song, "Spoonman". I was lucky enough to see Soundgarden once and have been to the Sound Garden at Warren G. Magnuson Park in Seattle. http://www.artisthespoonman.net/

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

I really enjoyed checking out the B-17 at the Olympia Airport this afternoon, so much history! Watched it take off then it flew over our heads. The Olympic Flight Museum is also worth visiting. http://www.olympicflightmuseum.com/index.php?as=index

Pike Place Market

The flowers in the market are just so beautiful this time of year, always worth a visit! http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/