Week of Firsts, Gracie's and Nell's Sweet Treats

Like the title says, this has been a week of firsts for us in Providence.

The first time we paid over $50 for a tank of gas in our Mini -- we can only imagine what the fillup costs might be for folks driving Ford Excavators. Thank heavens we can walk to work. . .

The first time the weather climbed above 34 degrees Celsius (93F). Fortunately the condo has a/c -- which works.

Strange as it may sound, this past week we ate at a Vietnamese restaurant for the very first time -- Minh Hai in Cranston. Delicious food, warm people, a great way to spend an evening out. Check out my blog entry on Dining in Providence. And speaking of dining out, it was also our first experience(s) at a waterfront dining in Rhode Island. More of that right here.

And of course the big news is the launch of Nell's Sweet Treats. The folks at Gracie's think so much of Susie and her delicious baked goods that they arranged for a line of sweets to be sold at local markets as well as in the restaurant. Wonderful packaging and a great design.

Oh, and if you're interested in cats, I was at the West Warwick Cat Show today, Sunday, taking some photos for an upcoming article for the August "Pet" issue of Prime Time magazine:

In the next week or so I'll be cobbling together information and more photos for an article on pet cemeteries for the same issue -- and I'll be thinking of Stan and Margie and the loss of their good friend Charley.

Another twist on the Gerrish story in Winter Harbor. It seems that a local woman -- a baker as it turns out who had once worked with Roxanne and Patrick making pies and such -- is planning on renting the place year round! She's going to turn it back into a basic, no-frills bakery and cafe serving up homemade goodies. Rumors abound that the roads in and around Winter Harbor, particularly the asphalt leading to Birch Harbor, have received major face lifts this year; long overdue to be sure. We hope to report on the veracity and accuracy of such claims later this summer.

Still scorching at almost 95F and tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. Heat seems to be the watchword this week.

Stay cool, keep calm and be well.

Ciao for now and wish you were here,

Steve