Week 33

Thimbleberries

Indian Creek

View from the Eagle's Brow

Murphy the therapy dog

Priest Lake

Dinner at the Ram in Riverside

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Following a beautiful, albeit smoky, getaway to Priest Lake, a yellow jacket stung my middle finger (of all the fingers!) as we departed the cabin. The days that followed almost made me forget how much fun I had in the water, on the dock, on a paddleboard, and aboard the boat with all the cheese and smoked fish I could possibly want.

After quite a bit of research regarding my ginormous finger, I now know to refer to it as a large localized reaction. I don't require an epi pen for this condition, fortunately, just a lot of sympathy and help. I only relished in the fact that I couldn't do the dishes for several days. I was constantly assessing how much it felt like my finger was going to burst, wondering if it was indeed possible for one's finger to burst, and trying to remember what it was like to have two fully functioning hands. I saw a doctor who put me on antibiotics, which I think are probably unnecessary but I'm taking them just in case. As a result, I didn't do a whole lot Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. By Thursday, there was some give to the swelling, and some hope in my heart. We hosted the friends we stayed with in Priest that night before they flew back to Baltimore Friday morning, and at that point, I was officially in vacation mode for our quick trip to Missoula, and it was the best of times, once again.

On Wednesday, Joel ensured that Ferragosto, the Italian holiday of August 15, was observed in our home with a traditional Roman dish of braised chicken and peppers, served on a crusty bun. It was probably what led to my recovery. 

I one-handedly made this recipe from Bon Appetit for Fiery Green Tahini Sauce (my food processor did all the work) with some modifications - I didn't have quite enough parsley, so I supplemented it with cilantro. I also couldn't find the serrano peppers it called for, so I just used jalapeno. It made for spicy and delicious dipping (chips, mostly) all week. 

On Friday afternoon, we drove to Missoula. Back in March, after we'd booked our tickets to Italy, I booked this trip as well, knowing I would need something to look forward to toward the end of summer. And suddenly, there we were. We had tickets to see Andrew Bird and the Punch Brothers at the Kettle House Amphitheater, and had just enough time in town to reacquaint ourselves with the charms of downtown. We stayed in an Airbnb that was a 1947 trailer converted into a quirky home. We enjoyed a BBQ dinner - ribs, smoked turkey breast, baked beans and slaw - at The Notorious P.I.G., got a post-concert night cap at Plonk, had brunch at Catalyst, ate black licorice ice cream from Big Dipper, picked up some tea at Lake Missoula Tea, browsed some bike shops, and I bought some seriously cool canvas fabric at The Confident Stitch. There was an abundance of outdoor markets on Saturday morning, too. The air was a bit clearer there than what we would return to in Spokane. Needless to say, I had a new lease on life.

The Punch Brothers

Andrew Bird, with special guest, Madison Cunningham!

We stopped in Wallace on the way home, where we scored free espresso and La Croix simply for our patience in waiting at the counter. There was also a Jeep Fest and street fair going on. I've never seen the town so bustling.

As for all the other stuff I usually cover in these posts, I'm still reading Lancelot, we just watched Dimitri Martin's comedy special, and I'm ready to get back to normal life where I make dinner sometimes and am able to knit. High hopes for Week 34!