It's the 5th of July -- Feelin' Independent!

Hope you all had as nice a "4th" as we did. John and I hosted the neighborhood (3 houses) block party yesterday, and it was a fine success.

I made Pan Bagnat, a 2-hour creation of one sandwich – but what a Sammie! (Large baguette cut lengthwise, hollowed out a bit and brushed with a Dijon vinaigrette, and filled with Italian olive-oil-packed tuna, fresh basil leaves, sliced hardboiled eggs and tomatoes, thinly slivered red onion and bell pepper, and chopped Kalamata olives – drizzled with more vinaigrette; then you top off the loaf and press down heavily over all, tightly wrap it in Saran, and weight it; chill for a couple of hours – when it's time, you slice it thickly crosswise, and serve it forth). The neighbors brought prawn cocktails, jicama-cucumber salad, guacamole and crudites; John made Margaritas; and we finished off the three-hour meal on the deck with NY cheesecake topped with fresh macerated strawberries and blueberries: a red/white/blue salute.

Otherwise we are having as quiet a 3-day celebration as possible, resting up for the end of July festivities.

June was for me a month of preparation for the Reunion, and July will be more of the same; and while there have been a few little changes along the way, the plans are going very well indeed. We look to have between 50-60 people at the Big Picnic on July 31st; and John and I are hosting an Open House up here at the cottage on Sunday afternoon, as everyone is leaving – especially for those who have not yet visited in Boulder Creek, but everyone is welcome to come up for sandwiches and lemonade (or whatever) and hang out in our garden on the deck that afternoon, before going off to Real Life again.

(In August John and I will need a real vacation! We may just go back to Carmel Valley and spend some days enjoying The Quiet!)

We're so looking forward to having all of our dear ones together from near and far; it is one of the great blessings of this huge clan to be able to experience this Group Love-In every few years.