another summer coming to a close.

...Sara goes back to school on Saturday. and I'm certainly in a much better place this year than last - it helps knowing that Marc and I enjoy being empty nesters :-) and that she's been home over three months (and that I have another very small being to care for). but still, it's bittersweet.

Tomorrow is busy with last minute shopping, laundry and cleaning, so today was the celebration. We saw Harry Potter (quickly - it was wonderful - not as good as the book, of course, nothing could be - the book was the best!) and then enjoyed a(nother!!) very late lunch at Bistro VG.

The food was delicious as always. And I have to say it was a real toss-up about which I enjoyed more - rehashing Harry Potter...or the browned butter fig tart we shared for dessert.

click photos to see more details on flickr

But the best part for sure... sharing a lovely lunch out - and a photo! - with Sara.


Best wishes for the upcoming year, Sara - I'm sure you'll do well (and have fun, too!)

ending and beginning.

...with Sara's help (coloring is contagious!) I got the beach album photos and art done yesterday. Added the journaling this morning and it's done:



Then picked up the last 17 photos from the summer blowout and got them into the album - this is probably the most caught up with photos I've ever been!

...and thanks to Katie I have great patterned paper on the covers:

Katie left at 7 am - little katie-car was packed, but she managed on her own (I think she was ready to do it by herself and I only cried a little bit). She was all the way moved in before 9 am.

So instead of lugging boxes and bags on move-in day, I got to finish the albums, get my scrap area cleaned up and organized, pull together a donation for North Fulton Charities (one of the great organizations the Hewitt Foundation supports) and get inspired for two new scrapbook layouts. Note to self - I feel much more creative in an organized space!

Then I picked up Sara and we visited Only Ewe for yarn - I'd promised her a pair of socks when she finished her summer reading, but she was more inspired about the hats - fine by me - I can knock out a hat in an evening!

of course the one she wants (cross-top with one big stripe) takes three balls of yarn - get ready, girls, with the yardage on these balls, I'm thinking I've got five hats - we'll see how many different ways we can combine dark brown, blue and cream :-)

and best of all, I'm ready to get back to work tomorrow - today was perfect for getting my head around the end of summer and the beginning of another year.

one day left.

...before school starts and Katie moves back on campus. And I am very sad, but consoling myself just a bit - and yes - a smile, too - when I look back on this:

more photos here - the only regret so far is that we've watched ZERO chick flicks - zero movies actually. but we did watch a whole season of entourage :-)

tuesday.

...was fun today - because I accomplished some good things and got to spend real catching up time with Katie.

Got a good (early) start. Heard good news about Hewitt's earnings finally?!). Confirmed five appointments to followup on Hewitt Foundation organizations - site/phone visit summaries are due September 7 and I represent 10 organizations...all of them are wonderful, awe-inspiring and I wish I had more time to spend. Two folks returned my intro-emails with phone calls. And I so wish I could've had the phone visit right then because their enthusiasm was/is contagious!

Katie met me at 3:30 and we drove to Virginia-Highlands to visit Knitch (certain someone has a birthday coming up) and Key Lime Pie (Katie wanted a haircut). Fun, fun, fun! even have to laugh now at the poor Key Lime Pie person who had to tell me...15 minutes into a cell phone call with Karen...that I was in a "cell free zone". Ooops! but it was way too hot outside to carry on any conversation, so we ended it fast!

We'd planned to have dinner within walking distance, but nothing that sounded good was close - and "close" was required because it was 95 degrees outside (as I get older, and after Katie's summer, we just don't "do" heat!). So we got back into the car and drove to Nava (I totally crave the smoked salmon appetizer all the time) - and even Katie was impressed with the car, and how it adapted to our initial left turn onto Ponce (to Briarcliff, then Lavista, then Piedmont) when the original instructions were to turn right (Ponce to North Ave to P'tree). Still need a bit more work with the navigation system to figure out how to turn it off, and how to recall the destination info to call ahead for reservations (fortunately, no wait at Nava on a Tuesday night!) We totally enjoyed a full meal - shared.


but sadly, Katie didn't like our "two of us" shots. More photo ops tomorrow

christmas in august.

...what it seemed like at our house last night when Katie shared all the goodies she brought us back from Europe!

The scene at the airport reminded me of the closing scene in Love Actually, where someone says (something like) if you want to know about love, hang out at the arrivals gate at Heathrow. And it's so true - well the arrivals gate part, at Hartsfield-Jackson, anyway.


Saturday was lots of fun, too, except I didn't get any pictures of me and/or Sara enjoying our movie and lunch. The movie was delightful - superb performances by John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer and a crew of very talented younger actors. And we left Phipps before I remembered we hadn't taken a picture. So much for loads of photo ops! So I took a few shots of the different flowers in our yard right now (we do have something other than mandevilla and hibiscus!)

...and one of my favorites - the new car! (with a reflection of Katie's, which served me very well these past three weeks - thank you, Katie-car!)

sb kickoff.

...the summer blowout is officially underway! Sara and I experimented a lot with sandwiches this past spring and created this healthier version of the Barefoot Contessa's tomato, mozzarella & pesto panini. Our version uses just a little bit of pesto spread on the top and bottom slices of bread, then sliced tomato and sliced fresh mozzarella with a few basil leaves. We put the sandwiches on non-stick foil (or parchment paper) in a 375 degree oven until the bread is toasted. Flip the sandwiches and toast again until done. About 15 minutes altogether. No butter or oil on the bread - that's why we call it healthier!

Then we had a scrabble rematch (Thursday night, I beat Sara 264 to 177 - she didn't stand a chance - I played "jaded" on my first turn for 44 points!) and just for fun figured out that "mere et filles" is worth 114 points:

Last night, she beat me fair and square - 231 to 158. At one point, I had 4 A's and 2 I's. We were playing in English, not Hawaiian, so I couldn't do much!