Amuse Bouche - Monday, June 20, 2016

Amuse bouche is French. Literally, it means amuse the mouth. However, amuse bouche is an appetizer before a meal or could be a palate cleanser, such as sorbet, between salad and the main dish.

Trompe l'oeil is also French and literally means "fools or deceives the eye." In application, it is a painting or decoration giving a convincing illusion of reality. For example, you may have seen the chalk sidewalk art going around on Facebook. Or click on the link at the beginning of this paragraph to see an example.

Where am I going with this? As I was hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, it occurred to me that maybe I could create a new idiom: amuse l'oeil. While hiking, one sees many appetizers for the eye - tiger lilies, birds, ferns, moss, berries - while one is on the way to see the main dish, which could be a spectacular waterfall, an awe-inspiring view, a snow-covered mountain, a canyon, arches, etc.

Monday, June 20, 2016: The hikes are finished so I slept in this morning. My body definitely needed the rest.

After breakfast, I helped Mom take out a passion fruit vine that was trying to take over the side of her her house. We put out the awning over her living room window to cut down on the sunlight that comes in, and to protect the window from itinerant golf balls from not-so-experienced golfers hitting toward the 9th hole of a 9-hole golf course. (She's had her kitchen and living room windows broken a number of times, and golf balls have put holes in her plastic patio roof.)

Today I had to return my rental car, but first I took it to a car wash to make it look clean again. Then I got all my packing done.

Mitsubishi Outlander, rental SUV

At 6 p.m., I took my mom, sister and son out to dinner at Elmer's Pancake House. I was able to spend quality time with my loved ones and we had a delicious dinner. The four of us then went back to Mom's house and played three games of pinochle. Michael and I won two games to one. We were shocked that in three games of pinochle two double runs were played. Double runs don't happen very often!

After Michael and Jan left, Mom and I watched "The Bachelorette." Crazy show this season.

My flight is 6:45 am tomorrow. I'll have to be up at 3:45 am to leave for the airport by 5:00 a.m. Good night all.