A few of my favorite things
My little friend Becca just watched The Sound of Music for the first time. My list of favorite things isn’t quite the same as Maria’s, but I thought I would give it a shot.
1. Whiskers on kittens – One of the little girls in my class has a new fuzzy gray kitten. Her mom occasionally brings it to class in a little basket. She is impossibly tiny, so small that she still drinks from a bottle. Her fur is the fluffiest, softest stuff I’ve ever seen.
2. Raindrops on roses (I know this is first in the song.) – My roses have already bloomed, but my agapanthus is blooming for the first time in 7 years. That’s pretty exciting.
3. Bright copper kettles – I don’t have a bright copper kettle. I did find a Le Creuset blue kettle at the thrift shop for $5. That pretty much made my month.
4.Warm woolly mittens – It is too hot to think about mittens right now. If I try really hard I can think about my wool cloche with the flower on it. It made me very happy this winter, but right now it makes me want a big glass of ice water.
I had to leave Maria behind for the second half of my list. I do love snowflakes on my eyelashes, but right now I am thinking about hot, sticky Houston summers.
5. Summer produce – I can’t get over how good watermelon is in the summer. I have had perfect watermelon, blackberries, mangoes and avocados all in the last few weeks. The stores are overflowing with 1015s and I have even seen Vidalias at Central Market. Cherries are starting to show up and I don’t think we have much longer to wait for peaches and plums. My class tomato plant finally has some tomatoes on it, the fig tree is starting to produce and my new lemon tree has tiny green lemons.
Watermelon Salad
Cut up a small bowl of watermelon. Slice a few olives and put them on top of the watermelon. Crumble feta over the top. If you like, drizzle some olive oil and/or lime juice or rice vinegar over the bowl. Toss gently. Sprinkle a little kosher salt on your salad and enjoy it with an icy beverage.
6. Horchata – Ice-cold creamy cinnamon and vanilla might be the secret to happiness. Once the temperature hits ninety I don’t think I am going to want anything else. I wish El Rey had some sort of frequent visitor punch-card system. Mmmm…horchata.
7. Home by Julie Andrews – Julie Andrew’s autobiography only covers her life up until the Disney days, but would be a nice summer read. She is surprisingly funny. Be aware that it will probably make you want to re-read The Once and Future King.
