Down in the Back

Down in the back has been the theme of my week. Early in the week my lower back felt sore, and quickly descended into an annoying and painful bout of sciatica. I may have strained my back pulling Aunt Rita up and down the mall last Sunday - I'd like to say the dreadful quality of the latest Robin Hood movie felled me. Whatever. It was painful and immobilizing. I was able to get in to see my doctor Wednesday, and spent the rest of the week in various drugged conditions trying to find a comfortable position. I guess it goes without saying that I did not get out on my bike even once.

We did have an organized ride scheduled and paid for, but I did not feel it would be prudent to try. I was willing to bring a chair and wait for the rest of the group to return from their rides, but with the mold count rising Shana was not up for a ride and we stayed home. Or mostly home. I was willing to try a little walking, so I took the dogs to the dog park for an outing. We went early in the day to avoid the heat. We also avoided the crowds. We all walked around the park a few times, then back home.

With Fathers' Day coming on Sunday Shana wanted to invite her father for dinner. She's been working on the menu all week. It's to be steak for her and Shelley and a beautiful piece of wild salmon for John and me, accompanied by a lovely asparagus risotto. I'm in charge of desert - making the desert, not choosing the desert. Shana selected the dishes she wanted and I will be making a brown sugar pound cake from Soul Food - Classic Cuisine From the Deep South, to be served with home made peach ice cream from a recipe of her choosing. This is a cookbook we turn to again and again for the classic southern dishes Shana loves. It's a slim book, but full of delicious treats, stories, and photos of country life. Every recipe we've tried has been excellent.