DINNER WITH FRIENDS

Besides great Asian fusion cuisine, Jin East has great ambiance too. I love to watch the sushi chefs and the way their white coats separate beautifully from the dark stone wall behind them. The play of light on the shiny stones is interesting too. I really had fun pushing the limits of my film speed setting (ISO) and seeing how the camera I am trying handled it. As for me, I handled the sushi without a problem!

COOKIES

One of my favorite Christmas memories are the cookies my Mom used to bake. It was a marathon cookie session involving more than ten pounds of butter that resulted in thousands of cookies. Mom would make pretty tins and give them to to friends and family. Her recipes were handed down from an earlier generation. At 90 Mom has stopped baking Christmas cookies and I just can't seem to find the time to carry on the tradition. So today, I was delighted when Laurel stopped by and dropped off some cookies that she made. The cookies really brightened my day and reminded me of all those holidays spent baking cookies with my Mom. Laurel's cookies are delicious and I can't wait to share them with my Mom.

JAVA JUNKIE

In search of a cure for the pain in my leg I went to yet another doctor today... this one specializes in a holistic approach to health care. I answered a number of questions and then after a number of muscle resistance tests this doctor proclaims that he believes the acidity in coffee is weakening the musculature in leg. He told me that coffee was the culprit. He suggested I eliminate coffee from my diet for two weeks! I was speechless. I don't know if I was more stunned by the idiocy of his suggestion or the thought of giving up coffee. Clearly he didn't know to whom he was speaking. I was so unnerved by this consultation that when I left I headed directly to Starbucks for a latte. I draw the line at giving up coffee. So much for that doctor! Just call me a java junkie.

FARM VEGGIES

On weekends when I was a kid my Mom used to take me to a local family farm for fresh vegetables. I remember how sweet the tomatoes and corn were. That farm is long gone as are many of the family farms on Long Island. A few remain and fortunately one is not too far from where I live now. I don't get there as often as I wish, but when I do I remember those Sunday afternoons with Mom. It was at that farm where she taught me how to pick the perfect ear of corn without opening the husk and other produce selection secrets! Years later the corn and tomatoes are never quite as sweet as they were so many years ago, but it is still worth the trip for fresh local produce.

SONIA SALAD

Mom always said, "Eat your veggies" and to ensure that we did, there was always a salad on the table before our entree. Since my Mom is essentially a vegetarian, I learned to like salads and vegetables at a very early age. I guess that's why every night my dinner entree is preceded by a very big salad. Tonight's salad was comprised of all the organic greens I picked up at my CSA share. The spicy arugula was especially yummy. Salads are kind of like life, a little bit of this and a little bit of that...just enough of everything to keep them interesting.

INDULGENCE

Sometimes at the end of an interminable day in the office the rewards must be sweet. I thought about the strawberries from my farm share. I daydreamed about what I could do with them. They tasted mighty good on top of a low fat klondike bar with chocolate cat cookies (for people) and a dab of whipped cream. The end of the day was the best part of the day. Seems it has been that way a lot lately!

TIME FOR THAI

It was a long day at the office today and by the time I left it was already late. Dinner would have to be out. I headed for my favorite Thai restaurant and with the last hints of daylight in the sky made this photo. I love the magic of the approaching night sky and the way it makes something familiar, like the exterior of this restaurant look different, almost exotic.

DINNER AT EIGHT

Seafood kebabs (salmon and tuna) on the grill with a buttery chardonnay. I will always favor red wine, but tonight for the first time in probably ten months I reached for a white wine. A sure sign that warmer weather and summer is approaching!