Tuesday, September 30, 2014

A happy thing



Look what came out of the blue today as a surprise from my mother! 

Daily Koda

 A very happy dog after spending the weekend with our next door neighbor, we put the co in codependent. One of the people we were with this weekend was the President of the Westminster Kennel Club, a very nice guy with a lovely friendly wife - and upon seeing a photo of Koda he declared him to be by far the finest dog he had ever seen !
At least that is what I heard, Neil heard something like  " thats a great looking dog "......

Holding back



 Odd how farther along Fall is over in the Berkshires that here in the Finger Lakes, where as you can tell, the color is just starting to pop in the trees. Many of which are already bare....

 The garden is just chugging along, we will get flowers, Dahlias, until the first hard freeze.

 The weather has just been total chamber of commerce, beautiful clear warm sunny days, with cool crystal nights, just perfect. If there had been a frost already it would be all that Indian Summer can be....
Some much needed rain tonight, but back to the perfect for the rest of the week.







Great New Food Blog Find




Loads of great pics , recipes and cocktails, if you dont have time to visit today, store away for the long Winter months ahead

I really should, just for my own reading enjoyment put that " BLOGS I READ " feature back on here sometime. It would be so different these days.....

Monday, September 29, 2014

Happy Durga Puja


"Festival of Durga" or Sharadotsav is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddessDurga. It refers to all the six days observed as MahalayaShashthiMaha SaptamiMaha AshtamiMaha Nabamiand Vijayadashami. The dates of Durga Puja celebrations are set according to the traditional Hindu calendar and the fortnight corresponding to the festival is called Devi Paksha, "Fortnight of the Goddess"). Devi Paksha is preceded by Mahalaya, the last day of the previous fortnight Pitri Paksha, "Fortnight of the Forefathers"), and is ended on Kojagori Lokkhi Puja ("Worship of Goddess Lakshmi on Kojagori Full Moon Night").
Durga Puja festival marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. Thus, Durga Puja festival epitomises the victory of Good over Evil.
Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indian states of AssamBiharJharkhandManipurOdishaTripura andWest Bengal, where it is a five-day annual holiday.[3] In West Bengal and Tripura, which has a majority of Bengali Hindus, it is the biggest festival of the year. Not only is it the biggest Hindu festival celebrated throughout the state, it is also the most significant socio-cultural event in Bengali Hindu society. Apart from eastern India, Durga Puja is also celebrated in DelhiUttar PradeshMaharashtraGujaratPunjabKashmirAndhra PradeshKarnataka andKerala. Durga Puja is also celebrated as a major festival in Nepal where 91% is Hindu. It is also celebrated inBangladesh where the 8% population is Hindu. Nowadays, many diaspora Bengali cultural organisations arrange for Durgotsab in countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Singapore and Kuwait, among others. In 2006, a grand Durga Puja ceremony was held in the Great Court of the British Museum.[4]
The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in Bengal.[5] After the Hindu reformists identified Durga with India, she became an icon for the Indian independence movement. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the tradition of Baroyari or Community Puja was popularised due to this. After independence, Durga Puja became one of the largest celebrated festivals in the whole world. It is also the largest open Air Art Exhibition in the World.
Durga Puja also includes the worship of Shiva, who is Durga's consort (Durga is an aspect of Goddess Parvati), in addition to LakshmiSaraswati with Ganesha and Kartikeya, who are considered to be Durga's children.[6] Worship of mother nature is done, through nine types of plant (called "Kala Bou"), including a plantain (banana) tree, which represent nine divine forms of Goddess Durga.[7] Modern traditions have come to include the display of decoratedpandals and artistically depicted sculptures (murti) of Durga, exchange of Vijaya greetings and publication of Puja Annuals.


Long time readers know that there is close to nothing that I enjoy more than a good White House State Dinner - search around the k+b for some coverage of State Dinners past...

So, when is a State Dinner NOT a State Dinner ?

When its Durga Puja - and the President of India, who is an Orthodox Hindu is visiting during the holiday which requires its followers to fast for the nine days of the holiday.. ( is Orthodox Hindu even a phrase that is used ? )


While President Modi only had warm water, President Obama and guests had :



more later if I can find some pics

HOUSEKEEPING



OOOPS!  - MAJOR COMPUTER ISSUES, 
BUT WORKING ON IT.... STICK AROUND,PLEASE

and yall have missed reports of a really fun weekend - will be back ASAP

Sunday, September 28, 2014

OLD NEWS NOW :


BUT
WE HAD OUT BABY !
Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky.
7:03 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26. 
and never to early for mean old uncle Rupert to get started, check out the front page of the NY POST the day after the baby was born HERE. Just goes to show you how very afraid of little Charlotte's Grammie the Fox News nation is....

On a happier note, the baby went home today 



The White House Christmas Card for 2017 just got more cute!

THE POLLS



This week going with USA TODAY, cause we are one up on the AP one......

  1. ALABAMA
  2. Florida State
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Oregon 
  5. AUBURN
  6. Baylor
  7. TEXAS A&M
  8. Notre Dame
  9. UCLA
  10. Michigan State
  11. OLE MISS
  12. GEORGIA
  13. Stanford
  14. MISSISSIPPI STATE
  15. LSU
  16. Wisconsin
  17. Nebraska
  18. Ohio State
  19. BYU
  20. USC
Bye Bye South Carolina ( and Clempson ) Missouri is #24 in the other poll, with a flipping of all the top three - but like they said 100 times on the tv on Saturday, these polls are even more meaningless that usual. 

Alabama plays Ole Miss this weekend, so that should get us one step closer to being back in the top 10, unless The Rebels pull off a massive upset. ESPN Gameday is going to Oxford for the first time ever - the Grove on steroids . Auburn hosts LSU - another big game, and the one Ill be watching after we beat Vandy.

Texas A&M is playing the other Bulldogs, who have been pretty spry this year, so that will not be a cakewalk and it is in Starkville, so who knows there. Still a couple weeks off till the FSU / ND showdown that could shake up the whole scene.

WEEK SIX



DONE
35 - 32

It was not easy or clean, and at some points, just plain out hard to watch, but UGA pulled out a win in one of the messiest division I college games you will ever see. We would be up 11 plus only to have the Vols come back - in the end it was the clock that was on our side.

Not that there were not some highlights, the weather for one - perfect game day, and Todd Gurly's hopefully Heisman-esque leaping of a Tennessee player.

Somehow out beloved bulldawgs have just got to come out of the tunnel more prepared, ready to go... we have been SLOW to the uptake all season long.

GREAT! ( Barrington )

 A WEEKEND IN THE BERKSHIRES

CROSSING THE HUDSON
It was out good pals Jack and Linda's big 50th wedding anniversary, so we - on a gameday weekend!  - headed east to their other hometown of Sheffield Mass to the weekend long celebration.We stayed one town over ( five miles ) in Great Barrington, I took crazy bad photos  - none really, of what turned out to be a pretty fun party.
We had the game on the radio on the ride over , which was very much some throw back fun, cant tell you the last time I only listened to a game. I very much enjoyed it, but we were in our huge motel room by about the half, so we watched it there.
Saturday afternoon evening was a big sort of community wide cook out picnic for a lot of folks, very few of which did I know - and that is why the photos are just so bad - I am not at all comfortable taking pictures of total strangers, even in this setting. We were in the town park in a giant pavilion thing - kids running around playing all sorts of ball, people gave speeches, some sang songs, it really was fun. Some friends that they have had for over 50 years were there, but everyone made us feel very welcome
basic picnic fare - but good.

The next day, and this time with no photos was a brunch at their house for family and out of town guests, which was very enjoyable - but just not a setting to take photos. ( odd for me )
This is such a beautiful part of the planet, and really we were one or maybe two weekends off from peak fall leaf season, so just a spectacular ride.
 This whole area is very old, just one of the beautiful houses around.


 Crossing back over to go home.


Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Dinner

Sure, it's the first full day of fall, but with weather like we had today, we are going to push Summer just as far as we can

 Asian BBQ Ribs
Italian Sausages
Bok Choy
Corn on the Cobb
Tomatoes

The sweetest corn we have had all season!

Mendonhenge



Proof that Mendon is a magical place, during the week of the Autumnal Solstice, the sun sets exactly over Rush Mendon road. Yes, it makes driving almost impossible - but its the price  you pay to be a good Druid.

Summer 2014 in one photo.



Daily Koda


 It was just a perfect weather day today - not to hot, bright and sunny
Spent the afternoon just hanging out in the back yard.
Just Lovely!


OLYMPICS



From JMG  : The International Olympic Committee today announced that future Olympics host cities must sign a contract with an added clause vowing to protect LGBT participants and attendees from discrimination.

“This is a significant step in ensuring the protection of both citizens and athletes around the world and sends a clear message to future host cities that human rights violations, including those against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, will not be tolerated,” said Andre Banks, co-founder and executive director of All Out, the global movement for love and equality. “This is a particularly important moment for the world’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens who face discrimination and persecution not only in Russia but in countries all over the world. We will continue working to make sure this change is powerfully enforced - these new rules must prevent a replay of Sochi.”

According to IOC Sports Director, Christopher Dubi, the new clause will include “the prohibition of any form of discrimination, using the wording of Fundamental Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter." This clause will ensure that future host cities must abide by international human rights standards in order to host the games, including the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens and athletes. “By adopting a non-discrimination clause into its host city contracts, the IOC is showcasing its own realization that we must protect the rights of every athlete to live free and openly,” said Hudson Taylor, Executive Director of Athlete Ally. “The Principle 6 campaign sought to shed light on the responsibility of host countries to uphold the olympic values, and this action validates all of the hard work by organizations and individuals across the world who’ve engaged in the fight for LGBT equality.”

SHANA TOVA


Rosh Hashanah folks!
HAPPY 5774 !
You have to  make honey cake ....
Honey CakeGourmet | September 2003yield:
Makes 8 to 10 servings

ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup honey (preferably buckwheat)
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup freshly brewed strong coffee, cooled
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon

  • Special equipment: a 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan

preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F. Oil loaf pan well and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk together honey, oil, and coffee in another bowl until well combined.
Beat together eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add honey mixture and whiskey and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Finish mixing batter with a rubber spatula, scraping bottom of bowl.
Pour batter into loaf pan (batter will be thin) and bake 30 minutes. Cover top loosely with foil and continue to bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Cool on a rack 1 hour.
Run a knife around side of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack. Turn cake right side up and cool completely.

Came out a tiny bit dry - could use a little icing or at least some ice cream - but on its own, it was fine ...

now and forever

THIS MORNING - Barbra became the ONLY recording artist 
to get a number one hit in the last SIX DECADES

PEOPLE - 1964

THE WAY WE WERE  - 1974


GUILTY - 1980

BACK TO BROADWAY - 1993


 LOVE IS THE ANSWER  - 2009

PARTNERS - 2014


There were lots of other #1 records, I only posted the first one that came about in each decade.



Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Dinner


 Our good pal Eric is in town, well sort of, and we met him for dinner out at a place that Neil used to go to when he was in college! Great to spend some time with him.

 Plymouth Burger

Turkey with a very cranberry-ie mayo
I will will be making this at home soon.

Matthew McConaughey's Lincoln Commercial

Monday, September 22, 2014

( I may have a slight problem )


MORE PUMPKINS




 The annual Pumpkin-palooza at our Wegmans

 They go all around the corner as well, just could not get them all in the photo




New York , New York

New York is having a building boom.

This is 100 stories above Central Park from the new building One 57.


All these " Super Talls " will be done in 2016