I’ve been a bit negligent this week. Sitting down to the computer to write is sometimes a luxury that I just can’t afford. Writing for me is not a chore, it is a guilty pleasure. Sometimes putting things on paper gives perspective but more on that later. For now, I’d like to give you some updates on things I’ve been writing about.

Several weeks ago I told you about FAMILY STORY TIME at the Bucks County Free Library in Doylestown. Monday evening I walked down to story time and met up with my daughter, daughter in law, 4 grandkids, 2 of my lovely nieces and their kiddies and my sister in law and her husband. So for us it really was a “Family” story time. The web site says 6 months to 3rd grade as an age range. I think that’s a little bit of a stretch. Kids under three will enjoy some of the activities but not follow it all. When their attention span reaches it’s limit there are lots of other things in “Froggy’s garden to keep them amused. The oversized musical instruments were of particular interest to my grandsons. On the other end of the age range, 3rd graders may be a little beyond the material. My granddaughter is going into 3rd grade and really is into chapter books. That being said, I think she really enjoyed the family time with cousins. All in all it was a really nice experience and one that I would whole heartedly recommend.

————————————

Next up, THE MUSIC MAN. I’m really looking forward to seeing this at Town and Country players. Below please find a review from my friend Tom. Now I value Tom’s opinion on shows. He has been in a number of them himself and well, is quite honest in his assessment. He will tell you if it “dragged in spots” or if he liked this but not that. He went to see the show last week and . . . . I think he should tell you himself.

TOM’S TAKE ON THE SHOW

This production was absolutely flawless from beginning to end. Let’s start with the casting; John Zimmerman as Prof. Harold Hill was spot on. Great voice, great stage presence, totally believable. Mariel Rosati was perfect as Marian the Librarian. Not just a pretty face but a Broadway quality voice and wonderful innocence but a little saucy. The Barbershop Quartet comprised of the 4 Palardy brothers stopped the show. They even did a more contemporary song at intermission. The supporting cast was outstanding. I never noticed one actor “out of character”. Very able choreography by Page Ridgeway. Live music led by Joe Nappi was a plus over “canned” music. Don’t miss this gem. It runs through August 2nd. Tickets are available on line at http://www.TownandCountryPlayers.org.

————————————

Update from Thanksgiving in July.

Last Sunday we had Thanksgiving in July and it was really nice. Grandpa Glen never gets to spend a holiday with us so we all enjoyed sharing a turkey dinner with all the trimmings with him. We even had pumpkin pie! It was also our first BIG Sunday dinner in the new house and I’m pleased to say it went well. Enjoyed using all the new fangled features on the stove. The one thing I didn’t make was traditional stuffing. In planning the meal, I decided to go with a little lighter version for summer. Besides, a plethora of mashed potatoes is enough. What I made was a squash casserole that you may really enjoy. Those of you with gardens will soon be inundated with squash. This recipe came out of the summer (a few years ago) with so many squash in the garden that my son in law coined the expression 101 ways to cook squash.

Get out the food processor and enjoy:

Three cups squash – shredded
One cup onion – shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup of either grated Swiss cheese or parmesan (can also use a little of each . . . get creative)
2 cups of seasoned croutons

Thoroughly mix the above ingredients, add a little fresh ground pepper, garlic and sage to taste.
Coat a lasagna pan with pam before putting the mixture in the pan.
Bake at 350 till casserole is bubbly and brown on top (about 45 minutes to an hour)

Watch out kids! Thanksgiving in July was a success . . . maybe a Christmas Cookout in August?