Cucumber martinis........again

I love cucumbers, I have said it before and my love continues. What prompts this post was a visit to 111 Chophouse in Worcester a few weeks ago. The husband and I were sitting at the bar having dinner when I saw the bartender bring a martini to a fellow patron that was garnished with cucumber slices.. What a brilliant idea. I have had cucumber inspired martinis before, and featured them on my blog [Spicked Cucumber Martini] but adding a garnish gives you the flavor without all the work.

So yesterday I made myself a simplified martini...

yes those are my beloved mini cukes.

Not to be outdone the husband made the next one...

he blended the cukes with the marini. 

Both were delicious but I have to say I liked mine better because there was no pulp...

What do you think?

Vacation Day 2.... Shot heard 'round the world

We spent a great, albeit rainy day, Monday wandering around Concord Massachusetts looking at more amazing sites. We went to the Old North Bridge, famous for where the Revolutionary War started [see saying in title] we went to the Concord Museum and saw, amoung other things, one of the laterns used by Paul Revere in the North Church [one if by land two if by sea].

We also visited the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery which was very cool. In the Author's Ridge you can find the graves of Nathanial Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Enjoy the pictures.

I love this picture that looks across the North Bridge. Here I am on the British side. Although the Malitia were British subjects I kept referring to them as Americans, which they weren't...yet

 Saying at base of above statue

Minute Man Statue on the "American" side of the bridge

Concord River

Next stop, Concord Museum. Very nice and the first place we had to pay to see [price reasonable] and contains one of the two laterns used by Paul Revere to signals the British coming.

Revolutionary Muskets

Nathanial Hawthorne

Louisa May Alcott

Henry David Thoreau

I was impressed with the mostly unassuming gravestones. There were family markers with the family name. Notice the stones on and around the gravestone. Many were marked this way.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A view looking down from Author's Ridge.

Don't know who's graves these were but liked how they were all in a nice neat row.

How creepy is this stone with the hand reaching out.

The girls tried this tri-corners on at one of the gift shops.

And last but not least...dinner in the room that night.

I hope you enjoyed.

Vacation Day 1.... Let Freedom Ring

We had wanted to go back to Williamsburg Virginia this summer but for various reasons couldn't so we decided to take in some local history.... important history as well. We are in Lexington visiting the various sites in the Minuteman National Historic Park. It is truely chilling to be standing in the same places that men [untrained men] died for our freedom.  It may sound melodramatic but believe me it isn't. We watched a film at the Visitor Center that explained a lot about the first battles of the Revolutionary War, including the ride of Paul Revere and William Dawes. They were all very brave men and earlier that day we had been standing on the very "roads" they travelled.\\
Enjoy some pictures of our day.

Mile marker to Boston. 

Hartwell Tavern which is on the road the battle was fought.

A reenactment of a visit between Abigail Adams and her brother William Smith.

Daughters at the Visitor Center... "One if by land two if by sea"

We hope to see more today if the weather cooperates. 

Dinner was good at a Mexican restaurant...you did expect food pictures?

Delicious guacamole

Chicken chimichanga [sp] why is it Mexican food looks a mess, but tastes good?

Yummy Strawberry Margarita, I could smell the tequila across the table. Needless to say my responsible daughter didn't finish it... who is she???

Vacation Plans

My youngest daughter turns 16 tomorrow. Where does the time go and my vacation starts tomorrow, guess what I'm having?

For a complete review and recipe [which I have memorized] go visit Cathy at Antsy Pants

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

This Day

This Day..... be sure to click the links ;)

So far this day has been good,
Of course not doing, what I should.

Try as I might to movitate,
Only to my bed, did I gravitate

Eventually I did what I was told,
Bought a mattress, for our backs so old.

For my daughters, I need my rest.
To keep up, and be my best.

We're off tonight to see Green Day.
Sing their songs and rock away.

My vacation starts again next week.
Off to Lexington, US history we seek.

Then home we go, me to my bed,
Before back to work, I rest my  head.

Friday 55-ish

Somehow the poet died,

I look for words, 

I have really tried.

Nothing's there,

The brain is empty,

Sad as it is nothing to share,

I stare at the page,

And try as I might.

Suffering from, poets rage.

Hard to write,

I end it now.

Can't even get 55....try as I might.



[54 if you are curious]

For more Friday 55 check out g-man

Visit Grambam and G-Pop? No I Wanna go to Marelli's Market

Marelli's Market has been in Hampton, New Hampshire since I was a kid and it continues to draw me to it's doors. We spent the weekend with my parents, who live in the area, but what do my kids want to do, go to Marelli's and buy candy. [Mom and Dad, of course you know I jest] They don't want to go to Hampton Beach, they want to buy candy.  Saturday we were unable to go because after sitting in traffic on rte 495 we didn't get to Hampton Falls until 1 in the afternoon. After  lunch and visiting my sister and a few other things we spent the evening at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Portmouth is a beautiful coastal town just before you cross into Maine. We watched the musical Peter Pan in the open air with a nice breeze that came across the water.

The following morning after lovely omelets and English muffins the girls and I ventured off to Marelli's and bought candy. Not all the candy is unusual, but some is candy you don't see often and the variety is immense. A nice day was finished off with a drive along the shore to Rye,  New Hampshire and a view of the ocean and the luxurious homes that line the road. Oh to be one of the rich.....

Enjoy the pictures

Daughters picking out candy

Too many choices

Gotta have some candy cigarettes

and cigars

The view the rich have of the ocean

It slipped right by me.......

It slipped right by me without me even realizing.... my two year anniversary blogging. It is hard to believe I have been at it this long and I have had over 400 posts during that time.

It started out as a lark, a place to post poetry and it has become a big part of my life. I know this all sounds redundant and cliché but I mean every word. The people I have met and become aquainted with are fabulous. It has expanded beyond just my blog and reading others, we are friends IRL, twitter and facebook. I hope to meet more of you as time goes by. I hope to make it to one of the blog conferences one day.

This is starting to sound like some sort of speech so I'll stop and just say thank you for all making me feel welcome and thanks for reading my little bit of the interwebs.

Laura aka Vodka Logic xx

picture source

Music Monday-An Artist you should Know.

 Hand signed by Rocco DeLuca and The Burden. :)

Rocco DeLuca and The Burden

With all the going to the gym my ipod has gotten a lot of use lately so the songs are getting a good rotation. My ipod gets played in the car too but with easy access I often skip songs and stick with the familiar. At the gym if I am on a weight machine I will just let them play through and get surprised by a song I don't recognize or haven't heard recently. This brings me to Rocco DeLuca and The Burden. I saw them open for Keane a few years ago and enjoyed them. We bought the cd at the venue and had it signed while we waited for Keane to come on stage. I put it on my ipod but mostly stuck to their one familiar song, Colorful.  I have since come to love the entire cd and it is a great "gym music" The cd is called I Trust You to Kill Me.

I don't know how to categorize the music but the sound is distinct and the guitar playing unique.  They have other cds and I plan on buying them but meanwhile enjoy the videos below.

Swing Low


Colorful


Mystified