Summer Treats and Feats

Another hot day in suburban Maryland. Today, it's supposed to be 99. These are days meant for fasting, or simply eating fresh summer fruits and vegetables. One of my favorite summer treats is Moon Berries. This was something we enjoyed almost exclusively at our grandparent's house when we were kids. Take green grapes, add enough sour cream (or vanilla yogurt) to coat and then a tablespoon of brown sugar to sweeten slightly. I've tried serving this up to my kids but they don't seem to enjoy it as much as I did when I was a kid. Another summer taste treat is cucumber salad. I take cucumbers, wash and peel them and slice them. I add a handful of slices of sweet onion, enough plain yogurt to coat and a dash of chives or dill. I love the crunchy, cool texture of the cucumbers, the slight bitterness of the yogurt and the blast of onion. The combination of flavors satisfies hunger without weighing you down on a hot, sticky "triple H" day.

Two days until my brother and sister get here. There were a flurry of emails yesterday about weekend plans. It was quite overwhelming. My sister and I hadn't spoken for almost 3 years. We had a severe falling out after our mother's accident in January of 2004. We were all under a tremendous amount of stress and in text book fashion, did everything you shouldn't do when a parent has a health crisis. Things were said that were very hurtful. We reconciled in a fashion at our brother's wedding in March of this year, but I still find myself somewhat skeptical. Consequently, I'm not sure I want to spend every waking moment of 3 days with her. I want a break to decompress with my family. I tried to get a couple outs with the swim meet on Saturday, in the hopes that she would just go see our other brother and his son in Bethesda for the morning, but that didn't work. I guess I was too subtle. I'll be more direct when they get here.

On an upbeat note, our mother has agreed to come visit the two assisted living facilities this Friday. She said she will see them so we can put this all to rest. What a relief. This statement gave me the opportunity to tell her that no one wants her institutionalized, but we want to ensure that she's safe. With our mother, I think a lot of her resistance is related to her attachment to material objects. She would have to downsize significantly if she were to go to assisted living. That would mean giving up a lot of stuff. Her stuff matters to her, probably too much. She would also most likely have to get rid of her golden retriever who is the most important living thing in her life. This isn't a definite. I think a home-based facility would be willing to let her keep the dog as long as she could walk her, and take care of her. Her ability to do this now is questionable. She can't walk her when it's too hot or too cold so she simply puts her on a lead in front of the apartment. I doubt this would work anywhere else she would live. I'm not ready to battle her over the dog right now. Perhaps I'll leave that for someone else.

Off to swim practice, then the gym and lunch with a friend. Sounds like the day of a truly useless woman. Try not to judge.