Tuesday, March 30, 2010

It's All About the Food

Keith's last words to me as I left for New York city were,"Eat lots of good food." Is it any wonder I gain weight married to this man, but I digress. So being the obedient wife that I am (quit laughing) on the first day there we drove to Brooklyn. It is home to my former"Best Pizza ever", place Grimaldi's.
But... If you drive through Brooklyn, along the Atlantic ocean, past Coney Island, through a very very Jewish neighborhood you come to the this place. It is home to the best pizza ever. You can't really tell from the outside, just look at it, but Di Fara's is the best pizza in the world.

One of the myriad of reasons is Because this little old guy makes every single pie by hand personally. Yep, he makes every one himself right down to scissoring the fresh basil off a big bunch and drizzling it with olive oil. Man
I am hungry again just typing this.


Is this a beautiful thing or what?
Can you smell it?
Does this make you crazy to go there? It oughta!


Notice all the write ups and pictures on the walls around us.
People come from all over and wait hours and hours for this man's Pizza pie. Last time we were there we waited three hours. I was doubting then, but after this one, no more doubt.







These smiles say it all.
YUM.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

weekend artwork

side by side alone together



tools of one



the others inspiration

from this



and this









to this








and this









together

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happy St Patrick's Day

Enniskillen Castle also know as Maguire Castle.
It is located in Enniskillen built by Maguires.
.
Well it has been a while and I haven't been to Ireland to visit this place.
What follows is an excerpt from the internet on MaGuires. I think it is interesting because I have only recently learned of my Gr-Gr- Grandmother Katherine MaGuire.
.McGuire ("Mag-Uidhir")

A distinguished and truly Irish Gaelic clan that ruled over the county of Fermanagh in Ireland for over 350 years, the Maguires were known for their courage, great leadership and for their resistance during attacks. And thus the Maguire clan was particularly targeted during the English conquest for Ireland.


Some early Irish genealogists believe the first origins of the Maguire clan may have started out in the province of Leinster in Westmeath County. From Leinster the Maguire clan is believed to have moved to the county of Fermanagh in the province of Ulster. In Fermanagh their stronghold (Maguire’s castle) was in Enniskillen, located in the middle of the county. The present-day town of Enniskillen developed around the castle, which dates back to the 15th century.

The strategic location of Maguire’s castle on an island between the upper and lower Erne allowed the Maguires to control the passage of all ships between the lakes and the flow of goods into the surrounding areas. The Maguire chieftains’ navy of 1,500 boats patrolled the waterways of the lake system that extended for forty miles.

The first Maguire to become prince of Fermanagh was Donn Carragh Maguire, who died in the year 1302. By the end of the 16th Century, the Maguires controlled almost all of the land within the present day boundaries of Fermanagh, and the territory was known as “McGuire’s Country”.

The seat of the senior branch was the original stronghold at Lisnaskea, and that of the junior branch was at Enniskillen Castle. The kingship was by election agreement and they alternated regularly between both branches. Many of the Maguire chieftains were buried at the Franciscan Friary in Donegal while others were interred at the monastery at Cavan. During the English conquest of Ireland most of the land was confiscated, resulting in many of the Maguire families moving into other neighboring counties. Some McGuire families fled Ireland to other countries during the “Flight of the Earls” in 1607. One McGuire family went to France, while others made their way to the colonies in the “New World”.

Today, those with the spelling Maguire are chiefly associated with County Fermanagh, in Northern Ireland, and those who use the spelling MacGuire or McGuire may have their origins from Mayo or Roscommon. Maguire is still a common name not only in Fermanagh, but also in Donegal, Tyrone, Sligo, Leitrim, Derry, Cavan, Monaghan, and even Mayo; it's now found everywhere in Ireland, and indeed throughout the entire world.

Samuel McGinnes born in Tyrone, Ireland is a g-g-great grandfather on the Cutler side. I am learning more there. You can also clic on Castle to see last years post

Monday, March 15, 2010

Brent Turns 60




Birthday best,big Brother!
This man is one of the last of a dying breed. Okay maybe that is an exaggeration but real cowboys who live off their land are few.
Yes, he wears boots every day, a cowboy hat most days and chaps and spurs when needed.
It's hard work, to put it mildly.
They (Tammy, his wife, may work harder than he does, plus she does the housework, prepares meals and works outside jobs) care for hundreds of head of cattle which includes branding, marking, tagging, vaccinating, calving, doctoring, castrating, weaning, feeding, watering, fencing, and moving/trailing.
To feed them means planting, fertilizing, irrigating, harvesting, baleing, storing, moving, selling, distributing, trucking, buying and selling, loading, repairing equipment and feeding them huge bales of hay you grow, put up and haul, or pellets of some kind to supplement and improvetheir feed, every day, without fail, no matter what. Blizzard? No matter. Broken bones or pneumonia? bah. Truck won't start? go anyway.
Then there are the horses.
Anyway, here's to the American small Rancher.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Sweet Sixteen-- David Style

This boy is the best. Really (please insert appropriate gushing here). Pretend I am Eliza.



Happy Birthday David Harrison Cutler!

December 6th 2009
Gilbert Arizona

A very late post but I have a camera that has been kind of fixed, rediscovered, replaced.

Rachel and Allison on separate coasts

Ladies--waiting.

Rachel is waiting (pictured here with Heidi) to hear if she is accepted to grad school in Montana. All her eggs are in this particular basket so I think she will be moving there(Missoula) no matter what happens.

How many weeks along are you now Allison? Would that be 28 and officially the 3rd trimester?
...and with the boys thrown in for good measure.

David Leaves on a big scout prep hike tommorrow. It is spring break here. He is preparing to go to Philmont this summer!

Dan is filming on a big shoot for school.

Dan is looking tough so David won't think he can take him. Gotta maintain the big bro image for as long as you can.
Maybe that applys for sisters too? I don't know.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Ever Have One of Those Days?

How about one of those weeks?
This palm tree evidently had one of those "years".
Life ain't easy-- even in a dry heat.