The 6th was national fried chicken day. I made fried chicken. I took a picture of my fried chicken. Did I manage in a timely manner to get a post up about fried chicken? Clearly no. But we have had a very busy month! But back to the fried chicken. For years I attempted it. And each time was a failure until I quit trying. Then a few years back, while I was still cleaning houses. One of the men I cleaned for gave me a chicken cookbook. He had been going through his books and discovered he had two of that copy. I started reading through it and low and behold what did I read, but that after you coat the chicken in the egg and flour you let it rest for about 10 minutes on a cooling rack! I am thinking, is that what has come between me and good fried chicken all these years! Well...yes it was. As you can see from the picture my chicken looks pretty good! And no, it is not staged. I did not dig the skin off the bottom of the pan and strategically place it on each piece. That is how my chicken looks coming out! Thank you Mr. Fitzpatrick for changing my world!! Well, as far as fried chicken goes.
So now I am forced, by circumstances beyond my control, to play catch up. Though my last post was on the 4th we had not celebrated it yet. And we did our usual thing. The family across the street from us had all their company and at dusk they started setting of their fireworks. Liam in the meantime had been running to every window of the home that looks toward their house and peaking through the slats of the fence...waiting with baited breath for the first sign of firework activity. He and daddy had gone to the local stand to buy some. He picked out three big ones and five small ones. $50 was his limit. This had been going on since we all moved in back in 2007. We have watched the kids grow up and go from little guys sitting on the lawn while the dad's light the fireworks to big kids lighting the fireworks while the dads sit on the lawn. And because of that things go a lot faster. Those boys are letting off three at a time! It was hard this year for Liam to get his in but he and Craig managed. And one of Liam's was really very good!
So now I am forced, by circumstances beyond my control, to play catch up. Though my last post was on the 4th we had not celebrated it yet. And we did our usual thing. The family across the street from us had all their company and at dusk they started setting of their fireworks. Liam in the meantime had been running to every window of the home that looks toward their house and peaking through the slats of the fence...waiting with baited breath for the first sign of firework activity. He and daddy had gone to the local stand to buy some. He picked out three big ones and five small ones. $50 was his limit. This had been going on since we all moved in back in 2007. We have watched the kids grow up and go from little guys sitting on the lawn while the dad's light the fireworks to big kids lighting the fireworks while the dads sit on the lawn. And because of that things go a lot faster. Those boys are letting off three at a time! It was hard this year for Liam to get his in but he and Craig managed. And one of Liam's was really very good!
And something they have always done is during the last one the kids wave flags and shout 'Happy Birthday America!' Well, as you can see these kids are getting older. Teenagers now. And they now either ride bikes or skateboards around the last firework and hold larger flags. It was a good time. And Liam loved it! But we are not the only one that has watched changes through the years. In July of 2010 they saw Liam from his bedroom window as I held him to watch the fireworks. The next year he was in our arms, outside. The next year in our laps with his blanket and Craig keeping his ears covered because he was afraid of the noise. 2013 is when he started getting involved and that was the year the neighbor walked across the street while we sat out there to reminisce about his observations of Liam over the years. Now Liam is right in the middle as much as he is allowed. He loves the noise and the bright flashes of light and everything that comes with July 4th.
On the 7th we took the boat to Foster Lake. Craig and a friend had taken it out the day before but had not been able to get it moving very well. Thank goodness we found out it was operator error! The next day I went out with him and after some issue with the gas line it fired right up! The gear problem was solved and we tooled around the lake! Fast, slow...in between. It was so great to be on the Lan Ann Des after so many years.
On the 7th we took the boat to Foster Lake. Craig and a friend had taken it out the day before but had not been able to get it moving very well. Thank goodness we found out it was operator error! The next day I went out with him and after some issue with the gas line it fired right up! The gear problem was solved and we tooled around the lake! Fast, slow...in between. It was so great to be on the Lan Ann Des after so many years.
This is actually a picture from our camping trip which I will cover in my next entry. But I didn't manage, somehow, to get or find a picture of it in the water on the 7th. Just wanted to prove that it floats! Here Craig and Rich are in deep discussion. Who knows about what.
Both of them after a fresh wash. Craig spent a lot of time scrubbing the yellowed water line off the boat.
I can be very sentimental. And I didn't want Craig to cover up the lettering dad had put on in 1975 or thereabouts when he bought the boat. But I finally realized that those letters were fading. So here is the new lettering. It was a great day! I will be doing a camping trip blog and a garden blog soon.
Last night I was talking on the phone with Lance. I shared with him that every time I see the boat I see dad. When Craig is crouching down to hook up the gas line to the motor I see dad. When Craig is driving it I see my dad standing there. Very happy childhood memories.
I will leave you with a Liamism: While we were camping we had Amanda, Austin and Eden stay at our house. As I was getting my bedroom ready for them Liam came in to help me 'organize' things. He walked over to my night stand and very gingerly picked up a used tissue. As he walked toward the bathroom he said "Amanda and Austin don't want to see this." He cracks me up sometimes!
Last night I was talking on the phone with Lance. I shared with him that every time I see the boat I see dad. When Craig is crouching down to hook up the gas line to the motor I see dad. When Craig is driving it I see my dad standing there. Very happy childhood memories.
I will leave you with a Liamism: While we were camping we had Amanda, Austin and Eden stay at our house. As I was getting my bedroom ready for them Liam came in to help me 'organize' things. He walked over to my night stand and very gingerly picked up a used tissue. As he walked toward the bathroom he said "Amanda and Austin don't want to see this." He cracks me up sometimes!
Parting shot...Craig and Liam just hanging and bonding.