This 'n That

Haven't written since June 30th, almost two months. My thoughts are scattered all over the place.

Had tons of company here at the shore and loved every minute of every visit. Tomorrow our friends from Massachusetts arrive just in time for the potential hurricane, Danny, to arrive. Hope they don't watch the news tonight or they won't enjoy the 6-hour drive anticipating storms and beach erosion. Oh well, we love to play cards and Dominoes together so we will find a way to enjoy ourselves. I'm serving crab cakes with roasted red pepper sauce, Jersey corn on the cob and a salad tomorrow...an easy shore dinner. We had lobsters at home when both of our children visited so we may do that again this weekend. On the other hand, one of our favorite restaurants is having a special with two 1-1/4 pound lobsters for $28. No cleanup involved so that may be the way to go if Danny doesn't get too violent and keep us at home.

Our friend across the street had a death in the family a few days ago. Remembering how much it meant to me to have cards and condolences to help me through when my mom passed, I immediately brought over a card and a homemade dessert. The dessert had peanut butter in it so I put a big sign on it with a warning about peanut butter as an allergy alert. Odd, how I never in a million years would have thought to do this until this year when our youngest grandson was diagnosed with a peanut allergy. Now, realizing that it can be a life-threatening allergy, I am so aware of the dangers of eating food that someone has prepared when they don't know about food allergies. A word to the wise if you are ever giving food to someone who has a peanut allergy: beware of cross contamination. All work surfaces and utensils need to be thoroughly cleaned because even a trace of the allergen can cause death. Scary stuff, indeed.

On to cheerier topics...I celebrated my birthday yesterday. A fairly big one, too. Unlike some people who get depressed or grouchy at each passing year, I enjoy making it to one more year. We ate at a fancy restaurant in Avalon with old friends. I enjoyed an appetizer of seared scallops followed by rack of lamb. Yum!
It's the one day of the year you can indulge in decadent, costly food and not feel one bit guilty. At least I didn't. Life is short and I'm trying to make the most of it. The other wonderful thing about a birthday is connecting with friends and family through cards and phone calls. Simple gestures, but so important. Instead of a New Year's resolution, I like to make birthday resolutions because I'm reminded that time is flying by. Friends and family are worthy of my time and attention and I resolve to take the time to keep them prominent in my life.