When Hudgebend Is Always Right...

On a sunny day, there's nothing better than packing up the truck for Battery Townsley. Beach hiking is hungry work so I started to pack a big tubful of lemon anchovy capellini with two fat sausages. Chris came up behind me and said matter of factly- "Nobody's going to eat all that." When you've been married long enough you just nod and say "One never knows."

Of course after trudging up various hills, one happily chows down on sausage and noodle. Clees ate more than half the tub and sheepishly left the last few bites for me.

As we were starting up on the trail head, I said "Be careful of poison oak." Husband just said "Nah, it's way too dry for poison oak to grow here." As soon as he finished that sentence, huge huge clumps of poison oak were threatening to brush his unprotected knees. Poor guy- what can you do when you are so right all the time.

Prancing around in Jordan

I had dawdled so much at el Deir that I forgot I had to meet the rest of my tour group at the end of town. My own legs too worn, I hopped on a poor mule called Michael Jackson who nearly had a heart attack to take me to the entrance of the Siq.

On my flight back from Tel Aviv connecting via Atlanta, I was trying to get settled in my aisle seat. An elderly gentleman walking down the aisle held out his hand to me saying in a slow drawl, "I like your hat." As I shook his hand, my eyes were at his waist level- I spotted his belt buckle inscribed with a giant JC. JC I thought. JC? Then I saw the secret service men trailing behind him. Jimmy Carter was on my plane. I was pleasantly flushed and starstruck for days- as you know I am a humongous huuuge fan of JC- my favorite living president. It was worth going to Haifa just for this treat.

Pleasurable Summer Reads

Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler

Moira Hodgson's "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" is chockful of delicious bits.
The composer Virgil Thomson made his coffee by straining the grounds in a sock for 75 years.