Weird Weather and Mirdles,

The weather is sure screwed up this year, parts of the North America getting the highest temps on record, and parts getting cold wet summers - tomorrow is August 1 and everyone is saying maybe we will get some decent weather in August. The weather forecast is for better weather this weekend but rain again on Monday I believe. This map is just the States of course, but we are having similar weather patterns in Canada. Discussing weather, someone got me thinking about hurricanes and how many we lived through in North Carolina. The first one was the worst because we were without power for a week. After that, the electric companies got better at dealing with the salt encrustations on the power junctions, etc. and power was restored quite quickly. Of course we had to pump water and obviously couldn't do so without power. Luckily we knew to fill up both our baths so at least we had some water to heat up for various purposes or to use in toilets. We had a visitor from the UK the first time too. He arrived the day after the storm, and we had been expecting the carpet layers in but they too had been delayed. Place was a mess. That wasn't taking into account all the downed trees in the yard either. At least we don't have to worry about that kind of thing any more. Mirdles, what will they think of next. Actually men have been using girdles of one kind or another for centuries. They certainly wore corsets to hide their corpulence in the Regency period. Now they are being sold looking somewhat like a T shirt see GMA report including a video. Tide is turned. When I was a young woman a lot of us wore Playtex girdles or even worse tortures, however, these days women rarely wear such things. I would hate to try and force myself into one again. I love stuffed peppers, so when I came across this recipe I figured I should definitely try it. Eating Well again, that is a great magazine. Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers Makes 4 servings 4 yellow, orange and/or red bell peppers ½ cup whole-wheat orzo 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), chopped 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar ¼ teaspoon salt 1. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers cut-side down in a large microwave-safe dish. Add 1/2 inch water, cover and microwave on High until the peppers are just softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool slightly, drain and set aside. 2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. 3. Mash chickpeas into a chunky paste with a fork, leaving some whole. 4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and oregano and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, chickpeas, 1/2 cup feta, tomatoes, vinegar and salt; cook until heated though, about 1 minute. Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each pepper with some of the remaining 1/4 cup feta. Have a great day.