Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

Brizzy Mays Books and Bruschetta is a blog I like. She likes to write about fun destinations in Australia and the unsung women of Australian history. She frequently references Aussie expressions and traditions that I’ve never heard of before—like Barbecue BOATS (do those sound fun, or what?)

Anyway, I thought of her when I visited the cabin of Maud Noble in Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming. (We went there after Yellowstone National Park.)

Maud’s cabin in Grand Tetons National Park

Born in 1879 into a wealthy family from Philadelphia, Maud Noble moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1915. Noble became a significant landowner and operated a homestead and dude ranch in the area. In 1923, she hosted a meeting at her cabin to discuss preserving the Grand Teton region. This meeting included notable conservationists and local ranchers and is credited with sparking the movement to create the national park.

And oh my…what an amazing national park it is.

Thank you Maud.

Lake Jenny in Grand Tetons National Park
Our first view of the Grand Tetons as we drove down from Yellowstone
The Grand Tetons jut up out of nowhere—there are no foothills—very dramatic!
A view of the shrinking glacial ice in the Tetons
Pristine, beautiful Jenny Lake in Grand Tetons National Park
Maud Noble reading in her Wyoming cabin (photo from National Park Service)

Thankful Thursday (sorry, vegans)

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

I’m thankful that I got to have lobster (“lob-stah” – if you’re from around here) last night. I typically have one lobster dinner per summer, so I’m glad I got this one in before Labor Day—the unofficial end of summer.

Growing up in New England, I’ve eaten many, many lobsters. And yes, as a kid, I was extremely concerned about the seemingly cruel manner of death – by boiling. But once I had that delicious claw meat dipped in hot, melted butter, I got over it.

For those who have never had a lobster, the best ones are from the cold New England waters, especially Maine. (I made the mistake of ordering a lobster in Hawaii once. It was a totally different experience.) In my opinion, boiled lobster is best accompanied by a baked potato and either fresh corn or good coleslaw.

And if you’re a GenXer like me, you must recall a certain song, whenever lobster is served. (You know the one.)

Five more days of summer!

Thankful Thursday

~ MaryG ~ 20 Comments

Homegrown or farmstand tomatoes are an August delight in New England—and maybe in other places too—but we wait all year for them here.

My Caprese salad recipe:

Put some extra virgin olive oil on a large plate

Top with heirloom tomato wedges and mozzarella chunks or slices

Sprinkle with Kosher salt, if desired

Drizzle with balsamic glaze

Top with fresh basil

Thankful for farmstands offering their own organic tomatoes in August

Thankful Thursday

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

I’ve never done a “Thankful Thursday” post before, but here goes.

I’m thankful for a solid house that does not leak. With hurricane season upon us, I’m reminded of past interior flooding — both in the home I grew up in and in the first house we bought after our daughter was born (a 150+ year old antique with a leaky fieldstone basement). I know there are worse things than standing ankle-knee deep in dirty brown water in your own basement, but I’m very thankful I haven’t had to do that in the past twenty years.

It is my understanding that Hurricane Ernesto has knocked out power for half of Puerto Rico (which still has not fully recovered from the devastating Hurricane Maria in 2017) and is gaining strength as it heads towards Bermuda. And hurricane season has only just begun…

Beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico in August 2016, the year before Category Five Hurricane Maria