We thought you'd like to see how the new hedge at the pavilion looks. Joe Cassani, who operates a landscaping business called Live Outdoors, put it in place. It seems to have gone very well, and being cedars, fits in nicely in that setting. It is very nice and should be some benefit for JPAers as well as our neighbors.

When we were there this morning, David Talbot was there with yoga instructor, Susan Murphy, waiting in vain for the rest of the usual yoga class to show up. It was well past the time class was supposed to start. Before we left, Marty Talbot came by, but I guess everyone else thought last Monday was the final yoga class instead of today. But Susan, who comes from Woodstock, NH, was a good sport about it and said she hopes to have a class in 2011. That's David, Susan and Marty in front of the pavilion.

I don't know if the pavilion's side curtains were generally closed for the classes this summer, but with them open, there will be a nicer feeling of privacy with the hedge in place. On windy days, the hedge should give some wind protection, too.

As those of you who where at the last JPA meeting know, the membership voted unanimously for the cedar hedge.

Henretta Splain was visiting her family in Italy earlier this summer and sent these pictures of Burano, an island in the Lagoon of Venice. This certainly looks like a great place to spend some quiet time. Here's what she said about Burano:
They are trying to preserve the hand made lace making but there are very few women that still know how to it. This town/island is also know for its brightly colored homes - each painted a different color. This was done so the fisherman/sailor husbands could spot their homes while they were still a bit out to sea.

Henretta loves Italy and this was her fourth trip. She has lots of family there and is quickly learning the language - plus bringing back some great Italian recipes. She is a great cook even without the first-hand instructions from her Italian family, as some of you who have gone to the fund raisers for the Danville library already know.

Here is a review of what's in the planning stages for the next dinner - but I'm not sure when they will begin taking reservations, so stay tuned . . . !
September 12th:
LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE – MEXICAN MENU
REVIEW:
Expect to be very hungry (and perhaps amorous) after watching this contemporary classic in the small genre of food movies that includes Babette's Feast and Big Night. Director Alfonso Arau (A Walk in the Clouds), adapting a novel by his former wife, Laura Esquivel, tells the story of a young woman (Lumi Cavazos) who learns to suppress her passions under the eye of a stern mother, but channels them into her cooking. The result is a steady stream of cuisine so delicious as to be an almost erotic experience for those lucky enough to have a bite. The film's quotient of magic realism feels a little stock, but the story line is good and Arau's affinity for the sensuality of food (and of nature) is sublime. You might want to rush off to a good Mexican restaurant afterward, but that's a good thing. --Tom Keogh

Tentative Menu:
Red Sangria
Guacamole or Chile Con Queso or Breaded Jalapenos or Roasted Mushrooms and Chiles /w goat cheese on baguette slices
Beef/black bean chili recipe /w avocado relish
Or
Five Alarm Chili
Roasted Pork Tacos /w green mole sauce
or
Roast Pork /w Chayote (outrageously good!)
Caesar Salad (was actually created by a chef in Mexico)
Jalapeno corn bread
Mexican chocolate banana skillet cake