Three Beautiful Things 08-29-2025: Debbie's Been Elated, Bud Zero at The Lounge, Satisfying Red Curry Dinner

1. Debbie has been taking advantage of being in Virginia and of Molly being busy during the day with her home schooling tasks to get out and see people and go on field trips. On Thursday, she took a great trip to Fredericksburg and visited the James Monroe museum, the Civil War site, a yarn store, a Mediterranean restaurant, and a brewery.

But today was the crown jewel. 

Debbie returned to Dora Kennedy French Immersion school where she taught for three years. She hadn't been in the building since 2017 and the teachers and others who were on site were overjoyed to see her, and Debbie was overjoyed to reunite with them. 

When Debbie and I talked about her visit, I'm not sure I've ever heard her sound happier. Likewise, she beamed with joy in the picture she sent me of her with one of her fellow teachers and good friends. 

Debbie's excitement sent me on my own imaginary elated return to Greenbelt with an imaginary return to Washington, D.C., New York City, Nyack and Valley Cottage, and elsewhere back east. 

Thanks to Debbie's elation, my magic carpet ride back to the East coast was a source of great joy and I welcomed feeling sentimental. 

2. Ed and I met uptown at The Lounge this afternoon. I enjoyed a couple of refreshing Bud Zeros and Ed and I talked at some length about casino stuff and Ed told me about the trip Nancy and he made to Bonners Ferry and on into Montana and back to Idaho including a meal at the Prichard Tavern. Ed learned that the Prichard Tavern has steak nights on Friday and Saturday and that news definitely got my attention. 

3. Back home, I went to work to satisfy the yearning I'd had all day for some Thai curry. I made a red curry sauce and dropped a batch of Trader Joe's Thai noodles in it and also fired up the wok and stir fried chicken tenders, onion, celery, red cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower. 

I came pretty close to stir frying the chicken and vegetables just right and the curry sauce had a good amount of heat, but wasn't overwhelming -- just the way I like it. 

In other words, I satisfied my yearning and even had some leftovers so I can satisfy it again.