This was a quiet day. I cooked and wrote today. With just Dick and I eating during the week food goes a long way so I divided 1 1/4 lbs of chuck steak up into two dishes. I made a really good vegetable beef soup for lunch. There is enough for lunch tomorrow too. The rest I cooked in the slow cooker and there is enough of that for another meal too. Don't tell Dick, but we will have that with noodles on Thursday.

Tomorrow was to be another quiet day, but my brother in law Ken called and said that his friend's concord grapes are ripe, so I am going to meet him at his house at 1:00 and we will go to pick them. I found a nice recipe for Concord Grape wine. It has a recipe for a 2nd batch out of the same pulp which I will try too. Dick and I worked on the Riesling that we have fermenting in the basement. On Friday, we rack or filter the Beaujolais, depending on how much sediment is there.

When we were in Washington, we went to the National Cathedral. It is spectacular. There are so many beautiful stained glass windows and it is huge. There is a special chapel for the armed forces. Any one who has served can have his or her name registered there. We had a great guide who was knowledgable and easy to hear. We went there on Wednesday and knew ahead of time that President Bush was going to be there speaking at the National Day of Prayer on Friday.

Have a pleasant Wednesday.

My friend and fellow author Jane Kocmoud wrote the following which appears in the 2006 Wisconsin Poet's Calendar.

SUMMER FASHION

lanquid squirrel
sprawls across the birdhouse
roof of fur


Isn't she great


Mary