Summer 2013 Begins

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013 – Summer 2013 Begins

Most teachers, even when they’re retired, get excited about summer vacation, and I’m no exception.  School hadn’t been out for more than a couple of days when Elliott and I set out on our first road trip of the summer.  It’s been a while since we’ve taken a road trip that was longer than a couple of hours in duration.  But with frequent stops for caffeine, food, and stretching, I was able to make the drive down to Yorktown, Virginia, a distance of 167 miles.  After a brief but delightful visit with our daughter-in-law Jean and grandson Tyler, we moved on to the home of Teri and Dave, our future machatunim.  (This is a very handy Yiddish word, which means the parents of your child’s spouse.  English has no such term, but in Spanish, it’s consuegros.)  Elisa and Christian flew down from New York to join us there for the weekend.  

Visiting Tyler in Yorktown

Tyler and Jean

Teri, Dave and Christian

Thanks to all of our hosts for welcoming us so graciously.  And a special thank you to Jean and Teri, both master gardeners, for helping me expand my horticultural knowledge.  Before this trip, the only mimosa I knew of were those bright yellow blossoms that blanketed the hillsides in the South of France every February.  Now I know that there’s an American version of mimosa, it’s not yellow but pink, and it blooms in the early summer.  And I also learned that “encore” azaleas bloom two or three times per year.    

Of course, family time means good food.  When we went out to eat with Jean and Tyler on Friday evening, Tyler tried his first Caesar salad.  I’m happy to report that he liked it.  On Saturday, I could hardly contain my excitement when Teri offered us three different kinds of hummus!  Later in the afternoon, she and I spent a couple of very contented and productive hours in the kitchen.  We baked an impressive looking and delicious tasting pie filled with strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.  Topped with vanilla ice cream, it was the perfect dessert after our grilled marinated salmon and vegetables.  The following evening, Teri and Dave introduced us to Tidewater-style barbecue at a local restaurant called the County Grill. 

Looking out from the front porch at Teri and Dave's house

Elisa helped get ready for dinner at Teri and Dave's house

 I don’t have to go far from home, however, to feel that special summer vacation mood.  Eating out, especially when it involves new restaurants, is an important part of my summer holiday plan.  With Elliott, Marshall, and Matt, I brunched out at Matchbox in Merrifield – wood-fired pizza because it was lunchtime for me, and cinnamon rolls served piping hot in a cast-iron skillet because it was the first meal of the day for a couple of family members.   

Post-pizza family portrait at Matchbox

 At Alegria, a relatively new Mexican restaurant on Church Street in Vienna, my friend Lilia and I sampled some terrific tacos:  portabello mushroom with chihuahua cheese, chipotle, browned onions, toasted pumpkin seeds; crispy battered fish with cabbage, lime, mayonnaise and pickled jalapeño; and fish a la plancha with Mexican salsa. 

A trio of mini tacos at Alegria

Not all of our summer activities are food-related.  One day last week, I took Elliott for a walk through Greenspring Gardens, where we noticed several interesting plants that we couldn’t identify.  One looked like an artichoke, but we were told it wasn’t edible.  I asked about an unusual blue flower.  The woman manning the desk in the welcome center wasn’t sure but she thought it might be called Peter Pan.  And when I remarked on the striking shade of blue, she confided that when the flowers lose their color, the garden staff spray paints them with blue paint.  Hmm, that’s an idea I should consider.

Do you know the name of this blue flower?

Actually, I’ve been fairly lucky with my garden this year.  Most of the plants I put in, such as vinca in the sunny part of the yard, coleus in various colors in the semi-shaded area, and a mixture of caladium and begonias in the pots that sit under the shade of the portico, are doing quite well.  I’ve tried to remember to give them water on these scorching summer days.  This morning, I even watered a new plant with pretty pink flowers that suddenly appeared in my yard.  Maybe it’s a weed, but it certainly was an attractive one.