Cool Rainy Friday

Hmm the blogger dashboard has changed, why do they like to keep changing things?  I wonder what the point to that is?
A lovely respite to the hot weather, with lots of rain and cool temps.  Flooding up north again.  Not easy for those affected but it is nature's way.
I had some veal steaks that I got cheap so I decided to make Veal Parmigiana, or a version of it.  I made a sauce by pureeing a tin of chopped tomatoes, I sauteed two crushed cloves of garlic (I crushed them with my mortar and pestle, I am so sick of garlic crushers that break so I don't buy them anymore and usually grate it finely but the mortar and pestle worked well) in some butter then added the tomatoes and 1/4 cup each of wine and water.  It's a sauce from a recipe in my Italian cookbook that is actually for Veal Campagnola, which is veal that isn't crumbed but topped with cooked seasoned spinach then mozzarella melted.  It's such a simple sauce but so flavourful. I crumbed the veal with crumbs seasoned with Italian herbs, did a chicken breast for Emily as she won't eat veal.  Then reduced the sauce so it could be spread on the cooked meat and topped it with some grated "Italian" cheese mix that I had in the freezer.  It was very good, I did it with my garlic potatoes.

  I cut peeled potatoes into wedges then kind of braise them in olive oil for a while then add a few cut up cloves of garlic, I just cut them in half, then when the potatoes are cooked I ramp up the heat and crisp them, then discard the garlic and drain on paper towels and sprinkle on some sea salt.  Em didn't eat much of her chicken but my men enjoyed theirs.  Josh is a lot more adventurous with food now he's getting older.  Emily is fussier than ever. 
Phill and I went to the club yesterday for lunch, his suggestion.  We both had carpetbag steak and it was okay although not as good as last time we had it there.  Emily must be growing up, once she would have had a tantrum at us not taking her but I told her we need to have some "mum and dad" time sometimes and anyway, it wouldn't be fair for her to go out to lunch when Josh is at school.  She was fine with it.  We had a nice afternoon, I think we needed it.  He is making much more of an effort and I am trying as well (very trying lol!)
He's gone again till Monday so I'll get three good nights of sleep.
I ran into the mother and daughter who did group with us last year.  I couldn't get over how well the girl looked, I was sure she was on drugs for the last few sessions, she just looked awful, but today she looked bright and healthy.  I spoke to her mother and the girl is also doing distance education, but she goes somewhere to do it, perhaps with other kids, I'm not sure.  But it seems they have been down the same path that we did, we could never really compare notes because we only ever saw each other in group.  She suggested we have coffee sometime and I will follow up on that.  She said she hated the high school and I said that I wasn't overly pleased with it either and that Josh is still having trouble there.  As I said, at least our girls are safe and happy now and came through all the drama alright.  I wonder about other kids whose parents aren't as willing to go to bat for them as Rose and I were.
Natalie asked about our little cat, Harley.  Yes we still have her and yes she is having more kittens.  She must have gotten pregnant as soon as the last lot found homes.  As soon as these ones are old enough I think I'll have to insist on the vet spaying her, lactating or not, they told us we had to wait three weeks after the kittens went but she is so hard to keep inside and seems to get pregnant straight away.  I don't think it's hurting her, that's what she is built for, and we have never had trouble finding good homes for her gorgeous offspring, but enough is enough, and if we keep flooding this town with her kittens there is a chance they'll start inbreeding and that isn't good.
I've been having some very interesting dreams lately, and for some reason my late brother keeps popping into them, not necessarily doing anything but just being there.  I feel like he's trying to communicate with me but I'm not sure why.  And why me?  He has two grown children and my mother and he were very close.  It's starting to freak me out a bit and I wish I knew what he wanted, or that he'd just go away.  I have felt his presence very strongly today also.  I'd rather it was Sarah who was visiting me!  I dreamt of her recently too, but she was still a baby, and then she turned into a kitten for some reason and I couldn't tell her apart from the other kittens.  Don't know what it all means.
The news today has a child expert saying that smacking kids should be banned.  I don't know how they would possibly police such a thing but I agree with the concept.  I used to smack the kids when they were little but then made a conscious decision to not do that again.  I saw some footage of parents hitting their kids, not beating them up but just smacking as most parents have done, and I couldn't watch it.  If someone else did that to our children it would constitute assault so why is it okay for us to do it to them?  I don't think physical punishment achieves anything, violence breeds violence.  I've raised three good kids, one a challenge I admit, but they all know right from wrong without me having to lay hands on them in anger or as punishment.  There are many other ways to discipline children and I think they work much better.