Saturday's Photo Play and a Quick Chicken Soup.

The camera shop downtown,

decided that my camera lens 

"might" be in repairable condition.

The low end of the estimate for 

repairs was just $60 less than a 

brand new lens would cost...

Add to that a two week wait for

shipping and repair time...

If they can't fix it, 

we still would owe $30 for

their time and shipping charges.

Hmm, what to do...

post card from six year old Conner.

Rick brought home a new lens.

While I was home 

(sniffling and coughing)

I played around with the

long range lens trying to see

if I could get some close up shots.

It didn't do too badly, 

except for standing back far enough

to get things in focus and holding

the camera as steady as I could.

Most of those photos came out blurred.

1st. photo:  Our mantel behind the wood 

stove with some fall color added.  

I like having a strand of white lights behind

the glass hurricane lamps.  I love the 

warm glow from the lights.  

2nd photo:  Conner sent me this postcard,

that I got in yesterday's mail.

  Our daughter's family is on their way home 

from Disneyland today. 

I propped that postcard up against

the stovepipe and hid my address with

a bit of the fake fall foliage stolen from

the mantel behind.  

~~~

I made the best pot of plain

chicken soup today...

Usually I overdo it with ingredients,

but today I just wanted steamy

broth-y soup and accomplished just that.

I'm adding my recipe/procedure 

here so that I can replicate it in the future.

Chicken Soup for Sick Day's

Into a large stock pot

add:

2 quarts organic chicken broth,

3 chicken thighs straight from the freezer

a bundle of parsley from the garden.

Leave the stems attached to the parsley.

Bring to a boil,

separate thighs when they're thawed enough.

Simmer for an hour or so.

Fish out the old parsley

and the thighs.

Throw away the parsley

and let the chicken cool 

enough to handle.

Meanwhile to the stock pot,

Add three chopped carrots,

1 1/2 stalks of celery, chopped  

1/2 an onion, chopped 

Simmer while

the chicken get's skinned

and chopped into bite sized pieces.

Add a heaping half cup of

Orzo pasta  and cook 

according to the time 

on the package.

Return chicken to the pot,

and head back out to the 

garden for a  fresh handful of  parsley.

This time chop the parsley without the stems.

When the pasta is done

and the chicken is hot again,

throw in the fresh chopped

parsley and your done.

You don't want to cook the 

  parsley any further.

It adds a fresh bright taste to the soup.

I love having a parsley

(and basil) patch out in the garden. 

Parsley and onions and chicken broth

have to be good for colds right?