Foodie Bliss and Happy Cats

Whenever we escape to Lynn's river house, it's peaceful. Peaceful is the one and only word that adequately describes it. The river moves silently below her house, birds sing overhead, and there's no shortage of benches in the shade.

We had wonderful cherries. Oh the cherries. And while I was eating them and discarding the seeds (which ALWAYS makes me think of the Witches of Eastwick), I realized it is no longer spring. It's summer.

Lynn is a woman after my own heart for so many reasons. One of which; this aqua Adirondack chair on the patio.

Another thing you'll always find at Lynn's house: happy cats. Here's Clancy, basking in the window and eyeing the yard for birds while the locust swarmed above in the trees.

We perched under this umbrella and sipped coffee, watching the deep green river swirl as I restrained myself from rubbing this fantastic smelling lemon thyme all over my neck. Why don't they make perfume that smells like THAT? Lemon thyme perfume I would buy.

Miss Amelia is one of the happy cats that belong to Lynn. Or rather, I think Lynn belongs to them. These pictures were taken amid a flurry of meow's; all of which were meant to instruct me to scratch her head. She's quite the talker, this one.

Another thing Lynn and I share in common; a love of aqua pottery and bowls.

More fresh fruit. It's definitely summer.

And the cats were always there to remind us to rest. Relax. Take it easy.

See what I mean?

Matt cooked the lunch shift with his cedar planked salmon.

My very own chef.

And as if that weren't enough, we had roasted garlic on french bread.

The thing I love most about Lynn' s house is that it just feels happy. From the moment you step through the front door... you know a cheerful lady lives there. A cheerful lady with fantastic taste in sofas.

And lamps.

Lynn took the dinner shift and made Chicken Marsala. There were no words to describe it, so I wont even try. What a fantastic meal.

She also made fennel, something I had never had before. Somewhere in the middle of dinner I looked at her and said, "This would be my death row meal request."

So what was my contribution to all this cooking you ask? Peach tarts. What else. Except this time we added mint, vanilla and the teeny tiniest smidgen of cayenne pepper (Lynn's suggestion).

Oh yeah, and I did the dishes. I may not be a foodie, but I can clean like the wind.

So thank you Lynn! Thank you for inviting us into your tranquil little slice of paradise.

And thanks to your happy cats for reminding us how to relax.