Reading: I can't find my Galileo's Daughter book. I think there is a blackhole in my house somewhere that sucks books into it. I want to read that book!

I am currently reading A Woman's World which is a collection of writings by women about traveling. According the the introduction, women travel differently than men. Women, it is said, look for different things, stop for different reasons, take different things from our travels. "[W]e pause more to listen, assimilate, to move in and out of the lives of those we meet on the way," says the editor MaryBeth Bond. "Where women go, relationships follow." It is fun to read. Some of the women travel to places I long to go, some visit places I try to avoid. They travel to escape, to explore, to learn. Sometimes they learn lessons other than those they set out to learn. Travel is about discovery, of other people and places but also of oneself. When confronted with a completely new way of living, you cannot help but examine yourself and your own beliefs.

Eating: Last night we tried a new recipe from Kraft.com, Cheesy BBQ Skillet. E gave it a "I would request it but not on a Sunday" rating. 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips. Cook in a large skillet, 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in 2 C. Minute Rice (uncooked), 1 1/2 C. barbecue sauce (they say Kraft, I say whatever your favorite sauce is), and 1 C. water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in 1 C. canned black beans, rinsed and drained, and 1 C. cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 C. cheese and cover. Cook on low until cheese is melted. It was pretty good, even without the beans.

Gardening: Mrs. Quackers has left. She is not coming back. We have no ducks or ducklings. What we have is a big pile of mulch with a bunch of feathers in it. So long Mrs. Quackers. We hardly knew you. :(

Over the weekend we went on some garden tours as part of Maple Grove Days. We saw big beautiful gardens. The first one was on 4 acres, in the woods. They had a cute little log cabin in the back of the house. Very nicely laid out, a little pond with some goldfish in it (a little girl was telling us all about "Finding Nemo") and a very cool waterfall under the deck. It was very nice, though a little mosquito-y. I will tell you more about the others later (there were 5 of them).

My own gardens need to be weeded.