Dinner at Chez Nene & More

I volunteered at the Visitor Center at Multnomah Falls last Thursday and I got one more flower done on my Japanese Flower shawl.  A nice visitor named "Anne with an E" was admiring the shawl and I said she could try it on, so I snapped a photo.  Lots more work on this piece to do!

I snapped these pots of magenta geraniums on our back deck.. hubby is so proud as he wintered them over on our basement landing near the multi-windowed door.

This Sunday we're going to the Friends of Multnomah Falls Volunteer Picnic and it was my idea that we'd have a contest for the best decorated picnic basket.  So, hubby got my wonderful basket down off the top of a cabinet in my office and rubbed it with mineral oil as it was a bit dry.  This basket is handmade here in Oregon using Myrtlewood which  only grows in Oregon!!  Barber's Baskets

Today we watched our youngest grandson while our DIL Kristi took the 3 year old to an open house at the school he'll be attending in the fall.  Caleb enjoyed trying out my new little vintage stool.

In a blink of an eye he'd gotten out all the toys from the box and was goofing around jumping on Grandpa... Buddy the dog stays out of the fray on my lap.

When his parents returned to collect him we visited on the deck and Grandpa was filling up the pond which was low and of course the boys had to take turns helping him with the hose. :-)  The dog is fascinated with our 3 goldfish.

Below is the VW bus that our son bought for his wife to drive.  The little family is thrilled with it.

Is there anything cuter than a Pansy?

This afternoon we were invited over to my little sister's house for dinner and to see their oldest son who was home for a visit.  He lives in Virginia now.  My sister served up the most wonderful meal!  She also invited our daughter and her family to join us since they are moving to Ohio it might be a long time until she sees her cousin.  What a gourmet cook my sister has become!  Below is her Chicken Provencal.

Barbecued Marinated Flank Steaks.

Green Beans with Bacon

Salad Caprese with fresh basil grown in her garden.

And for dessert a wonderful chocolate chip chocolate cake with chocolate frosting!  Here is Shane making a wish and blowing out his candles.  These are my sister's 3 kids, Kevin, Shane & Whitney!

Nene (Denise) made grilled cheese sandwiches for the girls who are very picky.. and they were told if they did not eat them they would get no cake.  Paige was not going for this.. until Grandma said.. do you want chocolate cake?  Yes!  Well, to get cake you have to eat 1/4 of the sandwich.  After which she ate the entire thing! Success!  Paige asked like 10 times when we were having cake.. so here is a photo of her with the prize.

My sister's meat marinade:

1 C soy sauce

1 C oil

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp dry mustard

3 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp molasses or brown sugar

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.. time for another Summer weekend!!  Woohoo!

((hugs)), Teresa :-)