I love your musings, Steve. :) I've been trying to make things with all the herbs from the garden. For whatever reason this year my herbs have never been better. My French Tarragon is huge (comes back every year but this year!). So yesterday went to a Father's Day picnic with all the cousins and I made a green salad from the garden (I'm partial to the limey green Simpson Elite), a potato salad with potatoes I had left over (not from the garden), a ton of tarragon, chives and parsley from the garden and just mixed with olive oil, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar Yum! Spinach is just about done but I've been trying to eat a handful with every meal. I need to make some batches of pesto before all of my parsley and cilantro go to seed. Saturday night we had some friends over, the kids were running around barefoot squealing, friends were over for good company. We made a huge salad from greenns/herbs with hard boiled eggs from our chickens and bbq'd grass fed beef from a local Colo. ranch and I made vodka mojitos with mint from the garden. We got out the instruments and I thought that I hadn't been happier in a long time. It was all so simple and lovely :)

Thanks for all the ideas. I have given him a few photo books, which he always enjoys. And we are taking him to the area where he grew up (across the country) this summer, to visit his siblings. That was his birthday gift! I think I'll stick with the "experience" idea. He's not really into art museums or shows, but he likes beer (!) so DH and I are taking him on a brewery tour, including lunch, on Fathers Day. Later, for dinner, we are all (including my kids) going out to a nice restaurant.

Awww, I missed it! Please post the next one!

I’d say yes. A gesture of solidarity. If you’re thinking in these terms, it appears family relation of extended family is good. You are lucky and any action towards preserving harmony is a good move.