Our Tuscan Farm Table

~So one evening while having dinner out on the back deck, someone said, "Wouldn't it be nice to have one of those big Tuscan style farm tables for our big family dinners?" Next thing ya know, hubby built one for us. It's nice and big and sturdy so when the little kids come, they can't lean on it and tip it over. Nice and big for lots of people which is what we usually have here during the summer on Old Cape Cod. Made from pressure treated pine, he joined the top pieces with biscuits and glue and then sealed the seams with something or other. He made two holes to accommodate two umbrellas. There was much discussion about the placement of the holes. We all thought they were too far apart. We came close to taking bets it.

~But...as usual, hubby knew what he was doing and the day that six of us carried the big table out to the back deck, the umbrellas fit perfectly. We christened it that night with a family dinner as you can see by the pics. The baked stuffed shrimp and beef tenderloin was our first meal.

~Lots of folks arrived this week for the big, annual Falmouth Road Race. Over 9,000 registered runners. The new table will be perfect because eating is a big part of every road race celebration. This year, we'll be celebrating Tuscan style!

Our annual summer event is over.

The Falmouth Road Race of 2009 has come and gone. It was a glorious, sunny day...not too hot for the runners. We only had 6 running from our group of family and friends this year, but they represented us well. Our oldest grandchild ran for the first time and he was amazing! The race is 7.1 miles long and began 37 years ago when three local guys were at a bar in nearby Woods Hole. Because that bar was closing they ran 7.1 miles to another bar in Falmouth Heights that was open for another hour or two. Somehow, that silly event evolved into an international road race with prizes of $10,000 to $15,000 for the winners.

The race draws famous names, including former Olympians like Joan Benoit. Our home just happens to be at the 4.5 mile mark along the race route and we take full advantage of that. Son-in-law, Johnny, rigs up a sound system that rivals even the loudest rock band. Another member of our group does a terrific job with a wireless microphone, calling out runners as they pass, and whooping up the crowd. When the race is over, we celebrate with our very own Uncle Frank's famous sausage grinders and an assortment of other delicious dishes. We even have Aruban Pistache.
Our annual Famouth Road Race party has become a family reunion, of sorts. It's that day of year when everyone is welcome. Friends and family come from near and far and with a bit of luck, we even get in a few hours at the beach. The day always ends the same way...a big fire in the fire pit with everyone gathered around for singing and smores. Not a bad way to celebrate the waning days of summer.
In the midst of all this, I did take some apron pictures with Emily modeling. I'll be posting them to my etsy shop as soon as all our road race guests depart. In the meantime, check us out at apronsgonewild.etsy.com

It's fire pit time.

I've been looking at old pictures, reminiscing about our summer fires...one of our most enjoyable past times during the warm evenings of July and August. Those nights call for a blazing fire, a soft guitar and smores. There's even an outdoor movie now and then. We acquired our copper fire pit about 10 years ago when hubby gave it to me as a birthday gift. It owns a lot of dents now, and the shiny copper color is no longer, but it still serves us well each and every summer. The nice thing about a portable fire pit is just that...it's portable. We can have a fire wherever we want. Every August, on the evening after the road race, we move the fire pit out to the big area in front of the house where we have lots of room for lots of people. It's always the perfect ending to a perfect day.

The Falmouth road race now draws over 10,000 runners each year. We usually have eight or nine running from our group of family and friends. When the race is over, we all celebrate for the rest of the day with great food, music and a lot of laughter. As much fun as the day is, everyone really looks forward to the evening when we all sit around a beautiful fire with the little ones toasting marshmallows for smores. There's quite a bit of talent in our group. A good fire inevitably brings out the guitars and and a song fest ensues. This year's road race is only two weeks away. I'd better get busy.
Even though I've been bad, bad, bad about sewing aprons, do check out my etsy shop at apronsgonewild.etsy.com
I've got two new ones that will be posted this week.