It was DEFINITELY a Full Weekend

I hope all of you had a glorious 4th of July. Around here it was filled with activities - some of which were certainly unplanned, to say the least.

Friday, members of my family traveled to Stonington to lay my late sister-in-law's ashes to rest in the private cemetery created on her family's estate there. It has been just over a year since her unexpected loss - seems much less - and the immediate family was gathered from England and Massachusetts and those of us who are right here from Stonington and Eddington. Thank goodness for my gardens where I still talk to her all the time.

******

Saturday, with the help of two good friends, the stone walkway FINALLY got put together at the foot of my back steps. You have no idea the challenge of using a two-step step stool getting up to the back porch at mid-point from a semi-lawn in pouring rain. And we will not discuss unloading groceries when there is nothing but a dirt/mud hole where there used to be a trail of rug runners for the last two-plus years (all seasons) to avoid the mud/snow getting from the driveway to the porch's back steps. So, for the past month, I have walked to the back porch (unscreened) and deposited the grocery bags on the floor, pushing them as far away from the overhang dripping until deciding to "mount the stool" and step over the bags, trying not to step on the milk or bread...

Try shoveling snow that has fallen on top of rugs. Frozen rugs, thank you. And the thrill of watching the snow plow clipping the edge of one of said rugs. I've had two winters of that. THIS was the year for a decent walkway, I assure you. Am I happy to see the solid surfaced walkway? Oh yes. Not too large - just about 12 feet deep and maybe 5 feet wide (enough to shovel so that the heating oil man can get to the connection near the steps) and stopping before the magic spot where my brother knows not to pass with the snow plow blade) - but no more mud - I think... if this rain ever stops! But the travails of getting the area dug out, getting the materials (knowing who to call and then getting the calls answered, etc.) You have such a project? I can now tell you who to call - and not to call.

There was just enough time once we'd finished to collapse for 40 minutes, take a shower, and then off to Clewley's Restaurant - rain and all - for one of the best meals I've had since returning to Maine. The appetizers were better than anything I've had at the Muddy Rudder, Thistles or that high priced Italian restaurant across from the old court house. Since I'd rather have scallops than lobster I had to taste the scallops with pesto and the creamy sauce (so tender and perfect - PERFECT). The coconut crusted shrimp with an orange-something dipping sauce were YUMMY. And the al dente cooked asparagus wrapped in prosciutto with mozzarella - DELICIOUS. And then the cook sent out a complementary cup of the corn chowder - delicate - with small pieces of potato and slivers of roasted red bell pepper. With the rain (pouring outside our Garden Room windows) the soup was warming. I could picture the corn chowder as a perfect lunch with hot rolls, a small salad and a glass of white wine.

We all chose different entrees but I think the best choice (at our table) was the grilled, boneless pork loin on a bed of spicy (Oh YES!) eggplant (that didn't look or taste like eggplant). The presentation was perfect and as long as one took care with how much of the spicy eggplant one put on the piece of meat, you only needed to consume a limited amount of water. :-)

I would have liked to try the filet mignon stuffed with crab meat but I'm not too big a fan of crab meat, so I selected the Chicken Francaise (I do love lemon butter and capers). In truth, there was so much on the special menu (and the fresh green bean were too good not to eat down to the bare plate) that none of us got to the salad bar.

For those who missed the Chef Judi special evening, you really missed an exceptional menu. Now it's back to Cheeseburgers. :-] (Maybe we should try to get Bob & Lonnie to try for just another Appetizers Only Evening. I could make an entire meal on two or three of them alone.)

*****

Sunday's Farmer's Market got off to a good beginning. I loved seeing a woman there selling garden perennials (hostas, too) and her prices are better than any of the local big stores. I did see vendors with fresh lettuce and greens, soaps, cheese and baked goods - before I got called away by family putting in the dock at my house. Of course the three-vehicle accident at Tradewinds didn't helps with traffic at the Farmer's Market.

We're glad that of the five people transported via ambulance for medical attention, none were in critical shape. And there was our local hero, Deputy Richard Harburger, on WABI's 6:30pm news. But we'd rather have the traffic at the Town Office for the Farmer's Market - which will be there every Sunday from 10-1.

*****

The SUN today was great. I'm having to weed whack my lawn at the moment because all this rain has made the loam and new seeded grass just too muddy for a ride-on lawn mower. For all the holes I was filling in (caused by the removal of boulders which the lawn mower did not appreciate!), I now have large "indentations" that look like Big Foot was here - right where certain family members walked while arranging the dock for forward motion into the water. Some times there are more challenges than situations allow..... :-(