Due to a previous commitment, Miss Jenny and I missed the Mardi ’Shroom, but the accounts from the Morgan Hill Times booth – hey, we sold a bunch of new subscriptions – are good, so mushroom caps off to all the organizers. Nice work entertaining a packed house. Am not happy that I missed Victoria Battison’s invitation on behalf of the Rotary Club to stop by for a cup of mushroom soup. Love mushroom soup, but it’s on the top of the list for next year.
Next year, indeed, or maybe a few more years for the Butterfield extension to open. Had to laugh out loud when I received this subtly altered photo via email from John Tarvin. Check it out.
Writes John with an assist from wife Linda, “Seems it was initially promised as a Christmas Eve gift last year. Then it got moved to the end of March 2012 … obviously they missed that target as well.” I missed the target, too, when I took the bait driving on Tennant Avenue by Johnson’s Lumber this weekend. “Really, they opened it,” I thought as I cruised onto the B-extension … only to join a parade of about 7 cars making a U-turn a quarter mile down the way where the barricades stopped all traffic. That’s a cruel traffic engineer who likes to waste people’s time and gas cash.
Never a waste of time to dine at Sicilia en Bocca. Too chilly for the patio, but the homey atmosophere inside filled with the aromas from the Italian kitchen combined with the wait staff’s always wonderful recommendations make it a tasty winner every time. Chef/owner Ferrante Salvatore capped off the evening with an off-the-menu simple, but scrumptious dessert – ravioli dough wrapping a lemon-tinged riccota cheese, lightly pan fried and dusted with powdered sugar. My grandfather, Angelo, would have loved this place.
Place: Pirate ship. Event: Chamber fundraiser. One week away ’til I climb aboard Rich Firato’s “A’hoy Matey” backyard fantasy and join the pirate club. Looking forward to it.
Most don’t look forward to residing for needed longer-term care in our senior years at Pacific Hills Manor, but with all the horror stories out there it’s great to know that PHM received a top award given for Clinical Excellence for: preventing weight loss, maintaining skin integrity, not using physical restraints or chemical restraints. As the population ages, having such a caring facility in our community which has been recognized with this distinction for 7 straight years, becomes more and more important for families.
In my fortunate experience, pets are a wonderful addition to a family – assuming one is willing to take the time and trouble to care for them. Getting the love and joy in return is well worth the effort. If you are, this is the perfect weekend to adopt a shelter animal. It’s Maddie’s Fourth Annual Pet Adoption Days Saturday and Sunday, and there are two local locations participating. PETCO in the Cochrane Plaza will host Perfect Dog Rescue canines on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Friends of the San Martin Animal Shelter and Perfect Dog folks will be at the county animal shelter at 12370 Murphy Ave. on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event is the brainchild of Workday co-founder and CEO Dave Duffield and his wife Cheryl. Their animal rescue foundation, Maddie’s Fund, gives a tidy sum to the organizations for each pet adopted. So, now’s the time to save a life …
Life – my whole life as it turns out – I’ve been brushing my teeth wrong. Who knew? Staring upward with mouth open, I heard my new dental hygentist gently say, “You’re a scrubber, aren’t you?” “Ah,” I gurgled guiltily as she made a gesture to explain further. I nodded and let out an affirmative open-mouthed answer, “un-huh.” She told me that I should be gently brushing my teeth with a soft bristle brush in a circular motion. So, going after those babies like cleaning the BBQ grill is not the idea at all, but that’s the first I’d heard it. ’Tis true, you learn something new every day.
Sometimes you can learn from movies, plays and music. One of my favorites – maybe because I have three very different, strong-willed daughters, is the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” the tale of Tevye, a poor milkman in Russia, trying to keep his family’s traditions in place in the face of persecution and changing times. The biggest change: His daughters want to make their own matches. So, when Elizabeth Mandel sent over the news that Congregation Emeth is working with South Valley Civic Theatre to put on special performance in combination with an afternoon of Jewish cultural heritage experiences, I thought that wonderful and intriguing. The special performance is on Sunday, June 9 (SCVT productions open June 7) at the Morgan Hill Playhouse, 17090 Monterey Road. Curtain rises at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $36 for adults and include a taste of Jewish food, raffle entry, multi-media lobby displays and a post-performance discussion with the cast. Don’t fiddle around, get details and tickets at www.emeth.net/fiddler.
Wow, Fiddler and the pirate ship on the same weekend … now that calls for a celebratory stop at one of my favorite haunts, the always-friendly Morgan Hill Cigar and Vino Company downtown.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at
ed****@mo*************.com
