Gloomy Days

On A Loss of Dinner Guests

"They flee from me that sometime did me seek
With naked foot, stalking in my chamber
I have seen them gentle, tame and meek that now are wild
And do not remember that sometimes they put themselves
In danger to take bread at my hand
And now they range, busily seeking with a continual change."

Thomas Wyatt, published between 1536 and 1540.  (He died in 1542 so no more poems.)

I do sympathize.  All of the guests who once took bread at my hand have vanished, too.

First, Bob and Pat scuppered off to Claremont to take up residence.
"Raffish" is headed to Okinawa for the next nine months to major in karate (and who, pray tell. will carve my Thanksgiving turkey?)
"D" flies back and forth to Chicago every other month on business
John and Angie and the kids are in England, visiting his parents.  

On the Futility of Eating the First Corn-on-the-Cob of the Season and Pretending It's Summer

We have had overcast mornings long, long after they should have ceased.  Usually our tradition is "Gray May" followed by "June Gloom" and then in July the sun begins. 

Not this year.  It is nearly mid-August and nine out of 10 mornings are ... overcast.

Nevertheless, Richie bought corn at yesterday's market and we had the first ears with dinner last night.  Richie loves corn-on-the-cob and would eat it five nights out of seven if I didn't demur (which is putting it politely.)

This made a good sauce for it though -- equal parts white balsamic vinegar and lime juice with a shake of cayenne pepper.  Chilies and lime juice are classic Latino accompaniments for mangos, pineapple and other fruits, but white balsamic vinegar brings a lot to the dance  and points up the inherent sweetness of the fresh corn.

It brightened my mood.  Briefly.