INNNNNNNTERESTING night, I say... :-(

On the 4th of July, there were lots of other desserts, for rest of the family.  But I made these, for my daughter-in-law and myself...  We who are staying Gluten/Free.  And mostly lactose free and sugar free.  

Yes, that is fruit and real whipped cream, layered.  And if we *pay* some, for ingesting lactose, so be it.  :-)  But we had our own yummmmmy loooooking parfait!!!!  -grin-

One of those "Surprise Photo Ops"!!  -grin-  I added some clear dish washing liquid, to the little bit left, of the pomegranate (pink) dish washing liquid.

The pink on the bottom, started rising up, through the clear.  I was mesmerized.  And I kept clicking...  -grin-  A "Because-I-Can" photo op!!! 

 Well, last night was interesting...  :-(  At 2am, our alarm system went off.  And when I say "went off," I mean loud enough to wake the dead, and nearly fracture ear drums.  Between ourselves and the Alarm Co., we deduced that no break-in-attempt had occurred.  But the system said; "Front door was violated." 

Nope.

The Co. has to come over and check it out.  Some glitch in the system...  Some low battery or something...  Well, we know it makes a helllllllll of a lot of noissssssssse!

 Whole lot of Phish-ing going on, in town, this weekend.  Ugh...  Ugh...  Ugh...  Guess what?  I'm not a fan. 

Nor am I a fan, of all the illegal substances, which are floating around, during this annual occurrence. 

Yes folks, "Auntie" is "Olden".  She may have fun with some Hollywood Soap Operas.  But this Phish-stuff, is beyond her/me. 

Pretty weekend... But hot, hot, hot this week beginning...

He wanted the taste, of grilling over REAL old charcoal...  So he got this itty-tibby-charcoal-BBQ.  Isn't it the cutest thing?!?  :-)
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Daughter and Gabe, squinting in the Sat. afternoon sun.  She is nearly 54, btw. 
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Took this picture, through the blinds, window and screen.  :-)
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Another pic of "BK," for Sandra...  Who loves pics of critters.  :-)

See how she ("BK") is looking right at me?  I go out, and tell her, that I'm taking a picture of her, for my friend in FL.  :-)........  Looks like she's posing, doesn't it?
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His small yellow and blush 'Old Roses'....
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Another pic of the little-bitty BBQ.  Just enough room for 2 free-range Hamburgers.  :-)
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Back-lit, by late afternoon sun...
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Gorgeous Peonies...
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I like to get pics of these flowers, while they are lovely.  Then, make sure to 'dead-head' them, when they are past prime.  In bloom-Peonies look so pretty.  But past-prime Peonies do not look lovely at all.  Sad but true....  :-)

But!  The flowers on the left of this picture...  I think they are so pretty, past-prime.  So delicate and almost lacy looking.  :-)  I don't dead-head them!!!
~~~

Midsummer's Eve...!!!

Getting set up...

Earlier....  "Bling"....

Granddaughter going to another party...  This time, an upperclassman's "Sweet 16 Party".  At a fancy place.  Wow!  Growing up has surely changed!!!!!

Sending her picture, to her boyfriend.  He is in another school, so was not invited to this party.

Love her make up.  Done by her!  :-)

Back to the fire pit.  First "S'more" for Gabe!  "Are you done with the picture yet, Nana??????"  "Can I eat it now?"

More getting ready.  Not all chairs here, yet.

And there we are!!!!!  Pretty fire pit. 

Concentration....!!!!!!!!

Perfection!!!!

Did I have any?  NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  But I had my "Drinky-Pooooooooo."  :-)  So I was happy, happy, happy.

This "Grand," likes her marshmallows FLAMING!!!  ,-)

"Pop's" perfect "Smore"...

Son/Dad's perfect "Smore"...

Cooooool!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daughter came over, from next door, and had some, and told us when to watch for the Space Station, passing over head.  We saw it!!!  Clear as a bell!  I remember seeing it, another summer.  Most had not seen it before. 

You can find some NASA site, where you punch in your own area...  And it will tell you when to look up, and see the Space Station.  It's cooool. 

Feet up.  Time to call it a night...  :-)

It was a grrrrrrreat way to Celebrate the Changing Of The Seasons!  Oh and!!!!  We saw FIREFLIES too!!!  Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect....

Wishing you a lovely Midsummer Night's Eve!!!

Wishing you a lovely Midsummer Night's Eve!!!

I doubt our fire, will be as big as these!!!  Better not be!!!

But next door son's family, does have a Fire Pit now.  Someone who couldn't use it, gave theirs to him.  So now we have the Tiki Torches.  And the Fire Pit.  :-)

Of course, I'm *scaring* everyone, by *threatening* to dance sky-clad, around the Fire Pit.   -giggggggles-

No dancing!  But we surely will have fire, to celebrate the return of the Sun.  

Head garlands of flowers, are pretty.  I did that years ago, one Midsummer Night's Eve.  When the Grands only numbered 4.  I made head wreaths of 'Queen Ann's Lace' for the 3 girls.  Youngest Grand then, was a little boy.  So he had to be the King.  

They danced around the back yard, for us.  :-)  While I played the CD of the music, from the film "Midsummer Night's Dream."  :-)

It would be lovely if the Fireflies came out, tonight.  Kind of don't think it's really warm enough, for them though.  Fireflies look so like Faeries!!!

(Source)

I love to notice the turning of "The Wheel Of The Year".  I love to pay attention to the changing Seasons.  Really pay attention.  Even if, in modern times, we don't really have to.  We now have light, heat, cooling, 24/7.  And it's easy to forget the Rhythms of Nature. 

But I think that when we forget, we diminish our lives.  We lose the connections, to the natural Cycles of Nature.  And we lose Magic, and Fun, and Joy... 

Again, wishing you a lovely Midsummer Night's Eve!!!

 And Oh Look!!!

Immense Beef Recall Taking Place in Kansas...
CLICK HERE to read article

Report~~~Baking~~~Midsummer Night~~~Coming~~~

ATTENTION CLASS:

My Click-able Links will now be in 

THIS COLOR...

Please and Thank You.

(Added this again, just in case someone missed it...)

Got a kick out of Gabe's shirt.  Sounds like a fancy vacation!  But it just came, from his other Grandmother.

About my doc visit.  Seems I have what is called Non-Allergic Rhinitis.  Vasomotor / Irritant rhinitis is not caused by an allergen and does not involve an immune mechanism.  But it seems to cause chronic year round symptoms.  Lining of the nasal passages seems to be extra sensitive to irritants (dust, tobacco smoke, perfumes, detergents, odors), temp changes, humidity and air pressure.  Patients have an exaggerated response to ordinary conditions, that most people tolerate without symptoms.

No apparent seasonal pattern of symptoms.  Allergy skin test are negative.

In other words, she can't do anything for me.  Other than give me samples of different nose sprays and inhalants, which she feels may work better, than what I have been using. 

But the diagnosis in itself, is very, very helpful.  When you know what's going on, you can handle it better.

Happy I went, though!!!

Did baking, for both of us.  :-)

Took a pic of this Good Fats/Bad Fats chart, in one of the library books I have out.  In case anyone is interested in some of the advice, about being Paleo.  :-)

(Midsummer Eve was created in 1908 by Edward Robert Hughes, a Pre-Raphaelite. This turn-of-the-century art movement focused on the natural world.)

Don't forget!!!

June 20th, Thursday night, is 'Midsummer Night's Eve.' 

Celebration takes place...  Romance is in the air...  It's the time of Summer Solstice...  The time of the longest day and shortest night of the year...  There are many festivals with the theme of fire...  Giving thanks for the return of the Sun...  As the earth shifts from winter to summer...

Shakespeare left us, his delightful "Midsummer Night's Dream."  Watch the film compact disc, if possible.  Or listen to the music from the film, on CD.

Read my 37th book...  "Brownies and Broomsticks"...  Delightful first book, in new series of cozy mysteries.  The "Magical Bakery Mysteries"...  So glad there are more!

You can read more of my review, by clicking here, and going to my "Auntie's Reads 2013" blog...