Dinner and a movie....a DRIVE-IN movie!

Jim's sister, Chrissy, came over to spend the night so Jim could have a date night. We were excited about that as we love to go to our favorite restaurant, the Beef and Barrel in Olean, NY.

As I have mentioned in former posts, Marcia (my sister) and her husband, Sean were up from Philly. They too love the Beef and Barrel....but then who wouldn't!?!?....so they decided to join us. We had a lovely evening catching up. It is so seldom we get to just sit down and and talk like that. Jim loves telling how much he is enjoying retirement and poking fun at his favorite librarian....well, I think I am his favorite one at least! They finished their meal with one a piece of the delicious apple pie...which comes with a little vile of sauce....apple drippings with cinnamon and sugar....to pour over it. I opted for a grasshopper, an after dinner drink with creme de menthe and creme de cocoa serve with whipped cream on top. Yummy! It was the prettiest shade of green. I should have taken a picture of that. (Sorry Randi.) I have had one of those in probably 20 years. It was hard to pick between that an coconut cream pie, but I saw one go by on a tray and couldn't resist.

They cut the beef any way you would like from rare (my choice) to well done. Trust me, it is all good no matter how you like it. I get mine medium rare...Jim prefers medium.
The thing so many people go there to eat is what put them on the map, "the beef on wick". It is a beef sandwich to die for on a Kummelwick...or is it Kummelweck? ....bun. There is rock salt on the top of the bun and caraway seeds. Just the buns are yummy. We always put horseradish on in abundance. Now this is not horsey sauce...although a person can add mayo and make their own horsey sauce if they please, but some how that just doesn't seem right to us.
The Beef and Barrel was a tiny little "hole in the wall" when I was 10. (It was opened in '65.) It featured the Beef on Wick ....and their apple pie. When we would go shopping (usually at Bradners...long gone dept. store) it was not unusal for us to stand waiting in line for a table outside in the street. I remember thinking it was well worth the wait even at the ripe old age of 10. Sometimes we would go some place else because the crowd was just too much. Since then this place has expanded several times and it takes the spaces of what used to be three or four stores on the main drag in Olean. It has come along way from being a little sandwhich shop.
After our wonderful dinner.....I brought half of my sandwich home because I also had a spinach salad with mandarin oranges and a drizzle of a sweet and sour dressing with bacon drippings. There were hard boiled eggs on the salad and the oranges but the dressing was what made it so wonderful....I think there were sun flower seeds as well. Just sooooo good. I sure wish this was a chain so we could have one in Louisiana.

Afterwards we were off to the drive-in movie. We were each driving our Toyotas because we wanted "front row" seating. In this day of high dollar gas we were being decadent, but it is 25 miles from the house so it wasn't too bad...especially with four cylinders.
We went to see WALL-E which was about a lonely little robot left here on earth once it was devoid of all life...well, except one tiny plant and cockroach. It was a very cute movie, but I am wondering if there wasn't a bit of an agenda behind it. I love Pixar movies and think their writers, directors, and producers are some of the most inventive and creative people. They are amazing!



No longer do you get speakers off polls and rest them on your windows inside your car, but you tune in on the radio. Much improved sound!!!! I loved that part.

I really liked WALL-E. I am not sure Marcia, Sean and Jim were in agreement. Maybe if we all hadn't been so full and sleepy it would have been better. We got home about 11:30 PM. I was so sleepy I went right to bed. Sophie was sure glad her Mom and Dad were home. We put the window fan on...it was about 63 degrees outside and we all slept like babies until about 8 am when we got up to get ready for church.

Yes, I am still an Episcopalian....at least for a couple more weeks anyway. I have been enjoying the old familiar Book of Common Prayer. It really is an amazing work and I am always interested in learning where some of these prayers originated.

Marcia was right next door ....I think she was checking her phone for messages. In the old days when you were at the drive-in you were out of pocket, but there is no where to hide these days...not even the drive-in!!

Breakfast is Served!

These chairs by the swan pond are spaced all around for visitors.

http://spraguesmaplefarms.com/

We decided to get up and drive up to Portville to eat breakfast at Sprague's Maple Farms. It is just the most beautiful spot with the BEST breakfasts! The four egg omelets are light and fluffy and to die for. I was a good girl and had a breakfast parfait with blue berries, plain yogurt, strawberries, with granola on top. I did have to get an order of "salt rising toast" though. It still doesn't taste like the bakery made when I was little, but it still great to taste that again....very unique. I ended up eating one of Mom's pancakes, too. So much for a light breakfast. Marcia and Sean shared some of their choices as well. They really give one person enough for two or three people! They have a lovely gift shop there also. We came here with Randi and Josh last year and they enjoyed it, too. We spent a long time afterwards taking pictures of the swans and the scenery.

Inside there are interesting little attractions. There are barrels by the fire place and if you watch them long enough stuffed raccoons will pop their heads out periodically. Little kids are waiting and watching to see that happen. There are also red headed wood peckers that will begin pecking on the walls every so often.

The odd looking family below were praying at a table as we walked in. We tippy toed by as not to interrupt.

If you ever get to to the southern tier of New York State make sure you check this out.... especially on a beautiful day like it is today.

The father appeared to be a moose...but the wife and kids were black bears. I over heard the little boy bear complaining there wasn't enough whipped cream for his pancakes. I guess bear kids are no different than boy kids.

The chandeliers are made from deer antlers. This is about half of the dining room. It is a very large room....good thing because the parking lot always has a lot of cars. Mom said you should see this place on Mother's Day. I bet!

Marsh, Mom, Dad, Debbie

Heathcliff and Gertrude the swans. They were free to roam the whole pond last year, but this year they are fenced in. I don't know who they are protecting, the people or the swans. I guess swans can be very feisty.

Mom and Sean walk off their breakfasts.

A Nice Day for a Quiet Fourth

I got up early and made my deviled eggs and Jim cleaned off the patio and made hamburger patties.   I had prepared salad and baked beans yesterday so I didn't have too much to do today.  Marcia and Sean made the trip from Philadelphia yesterday.  Mom, Dad, Marsh and Sean came down around 1 PM for our picnic.  Mom made her famous potato salad with the broccoli.  

We missed seeing Julie and the James Gang but they are in Florida at Universal Studios having a great time, so we are happy for them and are anxious to hear all about it.  Lori and her crew couldn't make it.  I think Joe was on call at the hospital and the kids had commitments. Paul and Sue were planning on coming, but it was hard to get away from work.  Maybe next year.

Rudy, my father in law, enjoyed being outside and all the yummy taste treats......as did Jim and yours truly.   Jim grilled some delicious burgers and of course I had to try one...well half of one anyway.  There were left overs so I will get to have some of this for lunch tomorrow.  Jim was glad that Mom brought a carrot cake....his favorite!!  (THANKS!)

After we stuffed our faces we all went inside where Jim played a medley of patriotic tunes on the piano.  It was very pretty and heartfelt.  America the Beautiful was by far my favorite.  I am amazed he never plays it quite the same way twice.  The chords he weaves together are better every time.  I just don't think he knows how much we enjoy it.

Then some of our members took naps while the others chatted and played with Sophie, the brazen Bichon.  Yes, it was a quiet fourth of July......our town fireworks were last night.....but we will try to increase our numbers for next year and we will really whoop it up.

Contemplating our Constitution

I was reading on the web about Independence Day. There is a column by Alan Keyes written July 2001 is very good and worth reading. His eloquence and his wisdom is unsurpassed in my book.

This is the link...this is a link to all of his articles so you have to scroll until you get to July 4, 2001. Alan Keyes has a lot of great articles at this sight.

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/keyes/010704

I voted for him in the presidential primary. I didn't have any hopes of him winning. He makes too much sense. I appreciate his knowledge of history and also his loyalty to our Lord. I think Dr. Keyes sees the whole of our country because he understands the deep Christian roots supplied by our forefathers. Those men had a desire to please God and also form a government pleasing to Him.

It is obvious we, as a country, have lost sight of this fact and today of all days is a good time to be reminded of it. When Josh did his social studies fair project on the separation of church and state, I knew he wouldn't win any awards, but both of us learned the origin of that phrase and how it had become a catch phrase which bore no resemblance to the original intent. (It is only found in a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Church to remind them there would be no national denomination such as the Anglican church in England.) It is amazing how this has been twisted, turned, and spun into a web used to ensnare and convince us that religion was not the very foundation of the beliefs espoused in our constitution. When I read the Federalists Papers I realized the truth of the founders intent and how the Bible was instrumental to the composition of not only their ideas but their deeply held personal beliefs. If you are feeling brave, read them for yourself.

Have great fourth of July and remember our founders and contemplate the vision they held for us a country. I wonder if how they would grade us if they could come back and evaluate our "progress".

Sophie is loving it here....

We found out Soph does pretty well with little kids....cuz she did well with Laurel. She loves being with her Nama and Papa. Uncle Bailey, the 12 year old lab, who has no time for her and seems totally annoyed by this bouncy little ball of white fuzz....I am not sure he even knows exactly what it is. He did the same thing with Gatsby.

Sophie has settled in here like she has always lived here. We were worried about how she would do, but she loves her Grampa Rudy. She loves lying in the grass in the front yard...it is fine and soft and the cool weather is to her liking. She watches the cars, cats, birds, people pass by. I have to remind her that if she moved here she would have snow to contend with in the winter and she might not care for that....but then again....