Partying hearty in the Buckeye state

I'm back! The vacation was great, which maybe you could tell, because I was too relaxed to care that I hadn't posted in over a week. Life at the new house, situated in the middle of nowhere as it is, is quite easy-going. It's not much of a stretch to say that we sat around and watched the corn grow. There was great excitement during one supper when it started pouring rain through a mainly sunny sky and we spotted a double rainbow. And I spent lot of time watching the hummingbirds that buzzed around the back porch while I'd sit out there reading.

The party was a great success. I think about 30 or 40 people showed up, and everyone feasted on Mexican food that my mother had spent days and days preparing. I hadn't realized the similarities between Mexican and Indian preparation techniques: every sauce that I helped her prepare began by roasting flavorings (in this case mainly garlic and various peppers) then pureeing them into a paste that formed the basis of the sauce.

I forgot to take pictures at the party, although I snagged a few of the cutest party attendees. Here's Andrew with Molly, the cat who adopted my parents and shows her gratitude for being allowed to sleep in the shop by bringing freshly-killed birds and mice to my clearly hungry parents.




And here's Kyla, clutching her toy of choice, an empty soda bottle. I can't imagine why she's looking so surprised - maybe she's astounded that my parents run a household with just one cat, instead of the four they have at her house?