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When the phone rang at 11:00 last night and it was my neighbor asking if I was messing with her, all I could do was laugh. Of course I was messing with her! WeÂd just had a cookout/party for our neighbors: ten grown-ups, six little kids, and six dogs (including a puppy), and I was tidying up the kitchen before going to bed. When I dog-sat for the neighbors last week, theyÂd given me their garage door opener and insisted I keep it when I tried to offer it back. I could see from my living room window that their garage door (which faces the side of our house) was still open, and since theyÂd just left our house, I knew they were still awake so I pushed the button, knowing full well it would confuse the heck out of them. I giggled myself to sleep. What a nice way to end a nice day.

Neighbor lady and I managed to get the last two slots in a cooking class this coming Thursday night at a really good local restaurant known for its work with local crops and sustainable farming. ItÂs the kind of place you go to celebrate a very special occasion: The food and service are always sublime. The cost of the class includes wine and a three course meal. WeÂre learning to make: Heirloom Tomato Tart on Home-made Focaccia with Arugula and Stravecchio & Parmesan Cheeses - Halibut and Summer Vegetables Featuring Two Tomato Sauces: White Wine and Tomato Broth and Tomato Fondue - Crêpes with Tomato Marmalade, Basil Infused Crème Fraîche and Candied Bacon. Yum! The curriculum sounds both timely and delicious. I canÂt wait!

Steve and I toured the U of WÂs Horticultural Demonstration Gardens today. Every time we drive by it, I lament that itÂs not open to the public. Actually, they are open one day a year, but I never seem to know about it in time. It was fascinating and fun --- perfect spouse date! We each got three utility flags at admission, and enjoyed voting for our favorite plants by sticking the flags in the soil next to them. We also got to meet several local celebrities by "celebrity" I mean frequent guests on Wisconsin Public RadioÂs weekly garden show. ItÂs funny really, I couldnÂt tell you who won American Idol, but I know the UW Extension EntomologistÂs name, and I instantly recognized the voice of the Hort Prof who is so bonkers about peppers. In fact, he sent us home with several roasted peppers and a recipe for chilis relleno, which is what weÂre having for dinner.

They grow a lot of corn at the research facility and Steve and I stood in line for what I believed to be fresh roasted sweet corn in fact, they gave us fresh raw sweet corn, and coaxed us to eat it that way. Unbelievable! It had been picked only 15 minutes prior, and was sugar in my mouth. Delicious! It never occurred to me to eat raw corn before.

Today is such a beautiful day I wish I could bottle it and relive it on a cold Monday in February.