La Familia Brophy

It’s strawberry season in Roslindale… Here’s tonight’s batch, as many as last night.

Strawberry harvest

Ben here. I don’t write enough about the Lisa Style. Check out this pie. The Rhubarb came from Stacy and the Strawberries from the Roslindale farmer’s market (an actual farmer finally showed up there!).

Why is it indicative of Lisa Style? You’ve got a dying domestic art (homemade pie crust) combined with seasonally appropriate local foods, and it tastes great.

More examples: Tonight we had glasses of cucumber water poured out of the hand crafted pitcher Beto sent, after a dinner it was chilled tuna pasta salad with fresh peas from our garden. it wasn’t special dinner - there’s a new incarnation of Lisa Style every night.

It just keeps coming: This evening Lisa came in from the backyard with a quart of strawberries (and there’s another quart just waiting out there). What’s next? Fresh strawberry sauce poured over ice cream made from unhomogenized milk and cream?

I love summer. And Lisa.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

We went to Plymouth today with Jackson and Margaret. They have a little cabin on a pond. We were all pretty stunned by the number of caterpillars emerging from their cocoons as well as the damage those who came before them had done. Huge oak trees were completely leafless.

We had a great time though and got to play in the pond and have a picnic lunch (while picking caterpillars off us). Now we’re back in hot old Boston getting ready for a humid weekend.

Gypsy moth caterpillar

Lisa had a dentist appointment in Central Square this morning, so I took Nathan to the 1369 on Mass Ave while she was there. We ran into but Fellow Best Man Justin Deri tapping away at his laptop. Nathan and I completely broke his concentration and eventually drove him from the cafe, but we had a nice talk in the mean time. Then Nathan and I went for a walk down Bigelow Street, Nathan balancing on all the walls edging people’s gardens.

After work I went to an open house for a condo between Inman and Central Square. It was nice - great price - but had one of those funky Cambridge floor plans, with the bathroom practically in the kitchen. I wrote this the City Girl Cafe in Inman Square, enjoying the free wireless with a delicious grilled panini. Then I strolled over to meditate at the CIMC on Broadway for 45 minutes before starting my long trip back to Rozzie.

I miss Cambridge so. It would be so beautiful to live there again.

Nathan, Lisa, my father and I went for breakfast and newspapers at Mom’s house in the morning. Then after nap Lisa, Nathan and I visited the MIT museum to look at robots and greasy machines. Lisa made me a special father’s day dinner including enchiladas in a green mole sauce, and mojitos. At Nathan’s suggestion we also had chocolate cake (good idea, Nathan!). Then I took my Dad to see Batman Begins (which got batman just right - I was really pleased).

So it was great day. One of the best part was having nathan interject “Happy Father’s Day, Papi!” every now and again.

Oily Machine at the MIT Museum

Nathan has a birthday party to go to tomorrow and I made the little girl this apron and chef’s hat for the occasion. Here is Nathan helping me check the size. I think he looks pretty great in it.

Birthday present

Nathan made this beautiful hat at his toddler group this week. This photo doesn’t show the beautiful coloring on the hat that he did but you can get the general sense and see how great Ben looks in it. He also illustrated a lovely poem which he presented with the hat.

Father’s Day gift

I guess I’m getting used to it because I thought today was feeling cooler.

Check the photos page for our photos from Baltimore where it was HOT!

Close to 100

We had a great camping weekend at Tully Lake in Royalston, MA. The weather was perfect. We got to swim! Unfortuately the bugs were very present and let us know it.

We lucked out and got a water front site. Check out the view from our back window!

Tully Lake

Well, last week when I got back from CT there was a surprise package for me from Cornwall Bridge Pottery in CT.

My new pitcher

Inside was a beautiful pitcher that I have wanted for a very long time. I first really wanted it after seeing Colonial House on PBS (via Netflix). I really loved how they used stoneware pitchers just to serve their water and such. Since our dinner plates came from Cornwall Bridge I turned to them. So that is how this pitcher ended up on my wishlist which I didn’t realize anyone but family looked at during the holiday season.

In fact my mother was the first one I called because I assumed that she sent it. She claimed that it wasn’t her. I couldn’t imagine who else it could have been so I called the pottery place and I believe I spoke to Todd Piker himself who remembered the transaction and said, “That was someone from New York who sent it.” That really shocked me and it seemed to take him a long time to look through his papers and tell me that it was my friend Beto who sent it. Wow what a surprise!

I haven’t talked to Beto for some time. In fact I’m not sure that any of my contact info is still current. I know the email address I have is wrong. And although a thank you note is on its way in the mail, I’m not sure that address is right anymore either.

So here is a big blog thank you to Beto! I love it! Come to Boston and have some lemonade with us. And send me your email address.

Pitcher in Action

And click here to see the strange note taped to the side of the box it came in.