This Perfectly Imperfect Life

(Taken this morning in my garden, 'Queen Elizabeth' grandiflora (pink) & 'Love' grandiflora (red) opened as the fog lifted). Only one day before July is finished once again. I'm amazed at how quickly the year is passing by, but I'm glad Summer is getting on with itself. The heat, humidity & storms have been much to bear this year. Autumn is quickly approaching and that excites me so! Makes me a little sad as well - Summer, for me, seems endless while Autumn passes by in a flash! July 21st was a day I dreaded deeply, but glad we all got through unscathed (or so it seems). In the morning, we spread Dad's ashes where we spread my mother.in.law's 2005 then headed to his old firehouse where the fire company & family honored him. When asked to speak, the only thing I managed through my choking tears was that I love him. It was such a long day. When we walked through our front door, I was so glad to be home.   That night was the first ni

We lost my father.in.law a few days after I last posted here.  There have been many tears & much to do since then and I'm only now just getting back into the swing of things, finding another new normal.  Thank you for sticking with me. Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

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Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

I originally posted this recipe in 2009 (click here for that post). I still have no precise measurements - it's all a matter of what and how much you like any one thing!  (I love cooking this way and that's why my baking doesn't always turn out so well LOL!)  Today I added chopped zukes, fresh corn from the cob and diced chicken to what's listed below.  You can also use a pre-bottled red wine vinaigrette dressing instead of the one listed below as well. Don't like the veggies I've used? Switch them for the ones you do!  Or use whatever you have on hand .  There's so much you can do with a pasta salad to make it a great, healthy meal for a hot day. A big change I've made to the original recipe is to keep the dressing separate from the pasta salad and toss it with individual bowls vs with the whole thing - the pasta keeps better and longer in the fridge for leftovers! Salad: (toss well as you add each ingredient) cold mini pasta bow ties

The Tender Mercy of Roses by Anna Michaels My rating: 5 of 5 stars Debut novel by this author and another pleasant surprise! I'm not usually one for mysteries but again, I do love Southern novels and gave this a try based purely on the title. A side of Southern writing I'm not familiar with, woven with Native American Indian lore. Beautiful prose intertwined with a captivating plot and vivid characters. View all my reviews

Sitting by the screen door, listening to the cicada's & birds. Breeze from a whirring fan, reading, drowsy. Peace, finally. Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®