Summer

Summer can mean a lot of things for the classical singer. I think for many (and me included) it gives a welcome break from the non-stop concert season. Some head to programs or summer festivals here and abroad (to perform, learn, or teach), some visit family while they can finally get away, some spend 3 months earning an 'honest living' at a temp office, some continue teaching and singing on a smaller scale, and for MOST of us it gives us a chance to reflect on the prior season and gear up for the craziness to come.

What do we want to accomplish in the next year, and what needs tweaking that cannot be easily tweaked during the concert season? What aria did we never have time to practice? Does the website need updating? Do the prior season's recordings need to be (sigh) actually listened to and organized? Do the piles and piles of music from last November's concerts need to be put away or recycled? Oh, and what about those e-mails to and from important people you never got around to sending? Auditions you meant to take? Headshots you meant to update? Competitions you meant to apply for? Ring a bell, anyone? :)

Well, at the moment I am... surprise, surprise... gearing up for a little audition. I flew to BWI yesterday, am enjoying a calm day of preparation at my Grandmother's house near Annapolis, and will be heading into D.C. in the morning for a quick little sing.

This is quite an ideal situation! :) I love that I can come down here for "business", aka- TAX WRITE-OFF, but still enjoy visiting family and friends. After the audition tomorrow it's going to be a bit of an Oberlin reunion, and I can't wait to see my girlfriends!

Onto the food.

I know we have great Farmer's Markets up in New England, but let's face it, people. You come down here (and I know Maryland isn't even the South...) but all of a sudden the tomatoes are divine, the peaches juicy. YAY!

My Grandmother and I, after a dip in the neighborhood pool, headed over to Diehl's Produce Stand in Severna Park. Wouldn't you know it, little Diehl's even has a Facebook page where they update weekly on what is at it's peak. They've been in business for nearly 40 years, and it's where my Mom's family has been getting their 'lopes, tomatoes, peaches, beans, squash, corn, and berries all that time. Yesterday we popped by for tomatoes and peaches, but stumbled across some gorgeous squash! We picked a few small yellow, 1 nice looking zucchini, and 3 cute little pattypans. I love those little guys! :)On my Dad's side of the family, the Lebanese side, eggs with kusa (or squash) is a favorite. So, this morning I whipped up a quick breakfast of kusa eggs to enjoy with my tea. Ok, it was more like around 1pm- but I'm resting today!

Chopped up 1 yellow squash, the larger of the pattypans, dropped it in a hot pan with a little cooking spray, and browned those guys up. Added a tiny dash of salt, too. When they were cooked through, I added 2 whisked eggs, and let them settle.

Confession: a little butter never hurt anything. Those eggs and squash were never happier- seriously!!Flipped it over (nearly a success), cut in half, and ate it. With berries. And had seconds on the berries with a chopped up 'lope. From Diehl's. :)