Driving Sadness Away

It was a very sad day for a family I have known for 24 years. It’s not my story to tell, but I have had them in my prayers all day. I tried to go about my day, but the sadness kept creeping in.

I have heard from a number of people who have been having hard days. There is so much sadness that takes a long time for people to process. On my way home from teaching in Raleigh tonight I started to listening to NPR and it was a sad story. I couldn’t deal with anymore sadness.

So I changed the station to the 70’s on 7 and stumbled upon a replay of Casey Kasem doing the American Top 40 from April of 1977. Not a great period in musical history, but since I was on the cusp of turning 16 it was a group of songs that I had in my memory. All the way home I was singing along, albeit very badly. Before I knew it I was home and it was the only half hour in my day I was not sad.

It is amazing how music from your teens can take you out of your situation and fill you up in a different way. I welcomed the break and the knowledge that if I am feeling low I can change the situation my immersing myself in familiar music. It helped that none of the songs were particularly sad, nor were they particularly good, but it was hard not to get into KC and the sunshine band and forget everything else.

Easier for music to take me out of the sadness because it is not my tragedy. For those who are dealing with a serious heart break I hope that loving memories can hold you tight through these dark days and know that the sun will shine again. May music soothe your soul and your dear ones keep you close.

It’s Christmas in Durham

It never works out this way, but for the first time in years I was available to go to a work event with Russ. As a tenant at the American Tobacco Campus Russ was invited to a party before the lighting of the tower at ATC. It was a fun dinner and a good chance to see the lighting of the tower in person.

There were kids singing and Santa and Mrs. Claus making the rounds with Wool E. Bull. The chamber music quartet played while we enjoyed Angus barn fare. Since it was an actually cold evening it felt very holiday like. Children ran round with flashing light glow sticks and so did I. Not the running, but waving the lit stick.

As we drove home from downtown I got to enjoy all the houses with light displays. I can remember when there were no lights outside downtown homes, but now the lights line the streets. It’s festive and fun. Christmas has come to Durham and I am all for it.

Retractable Leashes Need a License to Use

Shay had her day of beauty today. While I was waiting for her to be presented to me after her grooming I witnessed one of the scariest things ever.

A very frail elderly woman came in the vets with her two well groomed but ill behaved Bichons. Each was on their own retractable leash. Neither paid one bit of attention to what their human was asking of them. Not that she asked forcefully.

As the human was standing there, in a pair of fur lined mules, her full grown dogs circled her in opposite directions wrapping the even expanding leads from their retractable leashes around her thin legs. The dogs had her hostage in less than a blink of an eye.

I was quickly fearful that she was going to go down and break a hip. I asked if I could help and she said, “No,” but I feared the blood was being cut off to her lower extremities.

Thankfully a tech came out and unhooked the dogs from their leashes and another tech unwrapped the retractable leads. The human had to be in her late eighties, my guess based mostly on her recently pumped up hairdo.

It seemed to me that this wrapping was a normal occurrence as she feared not for her ever shortening life and that her dogs were so badly behaved they had to be getting away with this behavior forever. They were equally coiffed as their human so they certainly were pampered.

I feel like humans should have to take a test to see if they could handle a dog on a retractable leash and if they want to have two they need to pass the test with their two dogs at least once a year. This woman could have handled two dogs on two short leashes, but not on retractable. Her demise is eminent.

A Little Bit Christmasy Everyday

My friend Christy knows me well. She gave me the 12 days of Christmas puzzle advent calendar. It has 12 little 80 piece Christmas puzzles. I know technically the 12 days of Christmas are from Christmas on to epiphany, but I feel like any 12 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas count.

So now that the house is all decorated I am allowing myself the joy of doing one little puzzle whenever I feel like it. I am not looking at the picture of the puzzle since half the pieces are edge pieces it is not that hard to do. In fact I did this little one today in under five minutes. It is less decadent that spending hours on a bigger puzzle, but just as satisfying.

I also was able to obtain a Holley Broughton Original Santa Cookie Jar, jazzed up in only the way Holley can do. She texted me this morning and I was able to run over to her glitter filled workshop to see all the other cute decorations she is making.

I am thankful I was able to get one because as soon as she posts one on Facebook they are sold. She gave me a preview of what she is working on for Garden club so fair warning it is going to be fabulous of course. I expect big bidding for any Holley creation. I hope all the other Garden Club members are thinking creative thoughts when it comes to their auction items.

It’s time for me to go turn on all the lights to shine the happy into the dark of winter. I got two pillar candles for my outdoor lanterns and they have a remote control with a feature where I can chose for them to be on for just two or four hours. I wish everything Christmas came with a remote control, oh wait it does.

Right On Time

It’s done. Christmas has taken over our house. All the crates have been emptied and returned to the attic. I moved some decorations around to make things seem new and different, even though 90% are in the same places. I retired a few bows whose curls had gone. Finally I vacuumed which is the sure sign I think I am finished, hoping to get up the stay glitter.

There are still wreaths to be made and the Christmas train to be put up around the tree. Greenery will be cut and placed in the needed spots just a day before the first party. Russ has programmed the smart plugs so when I forget to turn off the Christmas tree I can whisper into my dark bedroom and Alexa will do it for me.

I actually had time to make a repurposed cream of stewed tomato soup. When we got home from church I cooked down some chopped onions and carrots with some chicken stock. Added the leftover stewed tomatoes and some half and half and, voilà, soup. I melted a little Gruyère on gluten free crackers and had lunch, which appeared to Russ as new food.

Tomorrow turkey tetrazzini. I was too tired today to cook two items and finish the decorating. I was also too tired to photograph much so if you want to get your family Christmas photo taken come on over and you can pick a spot and I’ll shoot your picture. Or just come over and have a cup of tea and enjoy my Christmas cottage. There is nothing I like better than a Thanksgiving in its earliest possible date giving me a whole extra week of Christmas. I like it even better when all the decorating is behind me.

Ornament Disasters

Day two of tree decorating was my most butterfingered day in my long and storied history of tree trimming. I purposely decorate alone to prevent breakage and hard feelings. My high opinion of my skills was dashed today as I broke ornament after ornament.

I have to climb the 12 foot ladder to decorate the top of the tree. So I don’t have to go up and down the ladder too much I fill a small basket with about 20 ornaments and carry it to the top of the ladder. Not once, but twice I dropped the basket from the top of the ladder. Thankfully it wasn’t full each time.

Then I dropped glass globes I thought I had hung securely only to have them jump off the tree to a certain death. I dropped a mirrored glass house and a hand painted glass ball. If all that wasn’t bad enough I rammed two balls together breaking both of them at the same time.

Just when I thought I had done all the breaking because I was almost done, I crashed a ball into the leg of the ladder. The total loss today was eight different beauties gone forever all due to my own clumsiness.

I still have house decorating to do. Please god let my breakage spell to be done. I can’t afford this streak.

The Throwing Up Begins

A big thank you to Russ and Carter for getting all of Christmas out so I could begin decorating. If there is ever a fight it occurs in our house it is on this day. Russ stoically goes to the hardware store for whatever missing three prog s are missing. Carter puts the tree together unasked.

My job is chief decorator. I always start with the needlepoint garland as it is my pride a joy. I have stitched 98% of the ornaments and the other 2% have been gifts from my needlepoint exchange group.

Putting the garland up and attaching all the ornaments is a process. I have to cover the center connection of the garland with a big ornament and then strategically place each ornament according to color and shape. I have stitched way too many blue ornaments and I am always looking for more red ones to intersperse.

I have not finished any room today, but I did get the glass village built in the living room, half finished the mantel, totally finished the needlepoint, put out the snowman show in the entry, and been up and down the giant ladder 20 times with baskets of ornaments hanging just about 5% of the total.

It’s going to be a whole weekend affair to get this party started. Sadly Carter returns to Boston tomorrow so I may take a break and run some errands with her before she goes.

At least the family input into the job is almost done. Russ and I can carry the empty bins to the attic on Sunday after I have actually. Everyone will be happy when that happens.

The Throwing Up Begins

A big thank you to Russ and Carter for getting all of Christmas out so I could begin decorating. If there is ever a fight it occurs in our house it is on this day. Russ stoically goes to the hardware store for whatever missing three prog s are missing. Carter puts the tree together unasked.

My job is chief decorator. I always start with the needlepoint garland as it is my pride a joy. I have stitched 98% of the ornaments and the other 2% have been gifts from my needlepoint exchange group.

Putting the garland up and attaching all the ornaments is a process. I have to cover the center connection of the garland with a big ornament and then strategically place each ornament according to color and shape. I have stitched way too many blue ornaments and I am always looking for more red ones to intersperse.

I have not finished any room today, but I did get the glass village built in the living room, half finished the mantel, totally finished the needlepoint, put out the snowman show in the entry, and been up and down the giant ladder 20 times with baskets of ornaments hanging just about 5% of the total.

It’s going to be a whole weekend affair to get this party started. Sadly Carter returns to Boston tomorrow so I may take a break and run some errands with her before she goes.

At least the family input into the job is almost done. Russ and I can carry the empty bins to the attic on Sunday after I have actually. Everyone will be happy when that happens.

We Can Do Better By Next Thanksgiving

I know all of you are thankful today, after all it is Thanksgiving. This purely American holiday is something we do not share with anyone else. In our very shrinking world that is so unusual. We have adopted other counties holidays like cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s day, but somehow other places have not taken up our Thanksgiving day, (except Canadians who celebrate on a different day and Germans who have a harvest festival and a few other which are mostly about the end of the growing season.)

I remember when we lived in London our English friends would ask us what Thanksgiving was about. They did not like my answer of America being thankful to have gotten out of England and survived. They easily could have thrown back that the indigenous people who helped us survive were none to happy when we took everything from them and drove them off their land. I wonder how much giving thanks is being done in indigenous communities.

In that so American way we have papered over the pilgrim/Indian situation and have turned Thanksgiving inward to be about what we personally are thankful for…our families, or at least the one we like and still talk to who agree with our politics, our health if it is good or the fact you are still alive if it is not good, the fact we have places to live and clean water and food, if you have all those things.

Although Thanksgiving is a beloved holiday we need to be thankful daily and work to make the world one in which everyone has something to be thankful for.

Today I was thankful that we had fun playing 3 generation Mah Jongg. That dinner all came out on time and we enjoyed by everyone. That Russ and Carter went to the attic and got most of the Christmas out without a request from me. That my mother is living in Durham and enjoying it. That we all have interesting and fulfilling work that has sustained us well this year.

There is much I hope for, world peace, to be beauty pageant contestant about it. A cleaner and more thoughtful environment as well as more cooperation between all peoples, stop shooting each other and a return to decency, kindness and honesty as just a baseline for being human would also be nice. I think we need to not settle for just being thankful for the status quo, (because the status quo looks nothing like my childhood), but to push a little harder for things to actually be better.

I kind of feel like it is no wonder other countries don’t take up American Thanksgiving. We have not set the best example lately. Let’s hope that we can do better next year. You have a whole year, start now.

Mother Daughter Day

I have to adjust my expectations and not in the down direction. I made a list of the chores and cooking that had to be done today and tomorrow. I showed it to Carter as a way of telling her what I was going to be doing. Without asking she jumped right in. Out of the whole list I only brined the turkey.

Carter made the apple crisp and while she was doing it she asked me just to sit at the counter and talk to her. So all morning she made the stuffing and the corn pudding. Then we took a break and watched Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret and another movie whose name I have already forgotten.

Carter then went back to work and made the mashed potatoes and then set the table. She pulled out my wedding china and some napkins I got for my wedding but never use since I only have four of them. Thanks to Jane Brothers I have a beautiful center piece.

Yesterday I predicted Carter would tire of cooking, but I was totally wrong. The only things left to make are the roasted Brussels sprouts, Turkey and gravy. I have hardly had a thing to do for this Thanksgiving and I had a very fun day with Carter.

After dinner we played Siamese Mah Jongg. This is when I wish Russ played games because he was left out of the after dinner fun. Tomorrow we will find something to do with him he likes and it can be Mother Father Daughter Day.

Carter’s Here

Carter’s Here

Carter came home last night. It’s great that she has a flexible job so she could come home before the rush. She did have a full day of work so she went into Russ’ office with Shay. She reported Shay’s job performance as Chairman of the Board was good. Shay liked having Carter there because she got to go inside a restaurant to pick up lunch. Carter says that if you don’t ask and just bring a dog in they usually let you. It helps that Shay acts like the chairman of the Board wherever she goes.

One of the best parts about Carter being home more days is she gets to spend more time with her grandmother. Carter just left to go pick her up so they could go out to dinner alone. Carter picked a nice restaurant to take her to. We will see who is going to pay.

I am sorry my mother only has one grandchild because she likes being spoiled by the one she has. At least Carter is an attentive granddaughter.

I think I will get my monies worth out of Carter tomorrow when she helps me with the cooking. She is capable of cooking the whole Thanksgiving herself, but I am not going to ask her to do that. Although she is a great cook she usually tires after completing two dishes. Thankfully I know this already and am prepared to do all the rest.

We are not expecting my mother to cook anything. Why start now. But the good news is that now both Carter and my mother play Mah Jongg so we can do that while we wait to have thanksgiving. This means I will get plenty of needlepointing done while we play. Win-win.

Ghosts of Thanksgiving

I got to thinking about Thanksgiving of my childhood in Wilton. My mom’s sister Susan and her husband Hank used to come so it was a small party. In the early years living in Wilton our dining room was right off the upstairs kitchen. That was when our house just had the upstairs kitchen and the maid quarters kitchen, not that we had a maid. It was just the four of us before Janet was born. And when Janet was born the maid quarter’s kitchen became her bedroom, still with the refrigerator in it.

I came across this photo of Margaret and me eating breakfast with my Dad sitting with us. I was probably about eight and Margaret was five then. We had an antique hutch table that my mother still has in her breakfast room, and a tall antique side board, which is still in my mother’s dining room.

The room was all windows with a window bench along one wall. Inside those hidden benches were lots of serving trays and other items my parents used for the many parties they threw.

We ate all our meals at that hutch table until we built our third kitchen and had a bigger table adjoining that kitchen. So Thanksgiving was just like any other meal at our one and only table. The only difference was my mother would put out these little pilgrim and Indian candles we never were allowed to light. Over the years the candles got dustier and dustier because they lived in one of those window benches in the off season.

The one thing about looking at this picture is the room was smaller than I remember it.

I think our childhood homes are always bigger in our memories. It has to be that we were smaller so our perspective was different.

We are having a small Thanksgiving this year. Just my Mom and Carter. My Aunt Susan passed away a few years ago and Uncle Hank has lost his memory. So I will remember for all of us. The foods we eat are similar to the ones my father made for those Thanksgivings back in the late 60’s. I started cooking the stewed tomatoes today, the same way my grandmother taught my father to do them. They take so long we only have them on Thanksgiving, but since I have been having them for the last sixty years once a year they became an institution.

It is not quite the same without my father. He always was the cook until he taught me to cook. His thanksgiving menu never varied. He loved creamed onions and giblet gravy. Now that he is gone I never have to have giblets in my gravy again, but I would if only he could be at the table one more time.

The Weekend Before the Weekend

I made my list Thursday night of all the chores I wanted to get done this weekend in preparation for the Holiday season. Carter comes home Monday afternoon. We have a small family thanksgiving and then the real work begins decorating for Christmas

In anticipation of that, this weekend was dedicated to cleaning and fixing anything and everything. I deep cleaned the kitchen and Russ emptied the refrigerator so we have space for not just Thanksgiving food, but all the party food for the month of December. Every counter was cleared and piles of note pads and jars of spices all got put away.

I dusted, vacuumed and mopped everything to a sparkle and shine level not seen since last Christmas. Mail that had accumulated on the front hall chest was dealt with. Four loads of laundry was done with an eye on every kitchen towel.

I ordered things I knew I would need in December. I finished making projects that I had been working on all year. Russ chiseled out the old grout and together we replaced the towel bar holder and Russ took to heart that it should be held tightly in place for 48 hours so he fashioned a pole that pushed against it.

Shay did not like all this activity. I on the other hand took great glee as I checked off one by one the things on my list, including things like purchasing plane tickets for far off trips and making sure Santa was ready, sending emails that had gone un-composed for weeks.

I now recognized that the weekend before Thanksgiving is my “get ready to get ready for Christmas” weekend. I realize that this weekend has been used similarly in the past, but not to the degree it was this weekend.

I pray that I am setting myself up for a month of fun. I know I can’t cook for parties that are still two weeks away, but at least I can have the house ready. Thanksgiving is just the warm up for the main act. I can hardly wait.

The Crown Real Life

My BFF Suzanne couple not believe yesterday’s blog was not about The Crown. I had to admit to her that I had not watched it as of the writing of the blog. So last night I started. I was three of the four episodes in when I finally had to go to bed, but was dying to watch the fourth episode. I did not stay up and push on because I wanted to give it my full attention and 11PM was not the right time to start.

I love how The Crown has written this part of history. Of course it is historical fiction as we will never know exactly what went on, but I do feel like they had portrayed the royal family in a fairly good light considering the facts we have in evidence.

The part of the show that I am most happy with is the portrayal of Diana’s relationship with Dodi Fayed as not some great love and how Charles appeared to grieve the loss. I do feel like Prince Phillip was a big factor in the royal family’s initial public reaction. I never liked him much, and felt like he had trouble changing with the times.

Russ and I were living in London the day Diana died. My sister Margaret was visiting from the states. I will never forget her coming into our room and waking us up telling us that Princess Diana had died. It was a surreal day. It was a Sunday and the city went completely silent.

Russ and I went into the office because we didn’t know what else to do. Our offices were next to Euston Station and I walked into the station to buy a news paper. Although the place had people in it, no one was speaking. The newsstand was stripped of most papers. You have to understand at that time Britain had something like 137 national newspapers and the newsstand at Euston carried at least 75 different ones,

We lived on the north side of Hyde park, not far from Kensington Palace and about a half hour walk through the park to Buckingham. By three days on from her death the smell of fresh flowers was so strong at our house due to the millions of flowers people were leaving at both palaces. Eventually those flowers didn’t smell so good, which was reflective of how people were feeling about the royal family’s handling of Diana and her tragic passing.

I was born the same year as Diana, and often have wondered what she would be doing as she aged. She will always live on in our memories as the most beautiful young woman who left us too early at 36.

Now we have to wait until December to get the final 6 episodes of The Crown. It will be interesting to see how far into the Queen’s life they go.

For now, if you haven’t watched the four episode of Season 6 I think you should. I feel like they handled that era well considering how much we all knew from living through it.

Both Too Strong for Our Own Good

I was trying to get all the towels off the towel rack in the shower so I could wash them. I pulled too many towels too hard and I bent the plastic towel rack to the degree that it came out of the ceramic holders. The holders that are set in the tile wall with motar and grout remained intact.

I put the now freed towels in the laundry basket and tried to replace the rod by putting it in one holder and bending the thick stiff plastic towards the wall. Russ seeing me struggle to do it stepped in to save the day.

He placed the rod in one holder and while holding the ceramic holder at the other end while pushing the rod into the indentation he pulled the ceramic right off the wall. Now instead of not having a rod, we also did not have two holders for the rod.

It never fails that helping makes the problem twice as bad. Now I have to find the right mortar mix it up and get Russ to help me hold the rod in the currently stationary ceramic end while replacing the one he pulled out of the wall.

Life feels like maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.

The Santos/Botox Defense

A congressional committee has found George Santos guilty of using his campaign funds for personal use. That’s a big No-No. I am unsure why it took a congressional committee so long to get around to figuring this out, but I suspect the razor thin majority that republicans hold in the house has everything to do with it.

Meanwhile Santos has been collecting his congressional paycheck, while not being allowed to serve on any committees. I am hoping the DOJ takes the report and charges Santos with the crimes he has committed.

One of the things the congressional committee found Santos illegally spent campaign funds on was many Botox injections. This has got to be the worst endorsement for Botox ever. Santos may have a smooth forehead, but did all that Botox perhaps paralyze his brain. Could his alleged constant lying be due to too much Botox.

I can think of some other big liars who look like they use a lot of Botox. Maybe Santos can say his illegal purchase of Botox was what caused him to lose his mind and spend money wildly that was not his and lie about his ancestry, his schooling and his previous employment.

Poor Botox. They are now linked to Santos in the congressional record. A fate I don’t wish upon my worst enemy.

Planning for Christmas

Those who know me know that Christmas throws up at my house on the day after Thanksgiving. My family hates Black Friday more than any other day because it means they have to go to the attic and bring down the 75+ crates of ornaments, decorations and Christmas crap that is stored there.

It’s time for the tree, the Christmas village under glass, the many wreaths and mini trees, the needlepoint garland, and every other unique Christmas thing I have made over the years. Every year I make one new Christmas thing for the house. This year I have not had the time, nor the inspiration to sew, or saw, or paint or assemble my way into something never seen before on Pinterest. So I have decided to expand to create something outside instead.

For years we were known as the house with the giant snowman, way before inflatables took over and people littered their yards with Santa’s in a Bass boat. Once other people got in on the giant yard thing I got out of it.

So I am making a plan to do just one tasteful new thing. I ordered the supplies and am planning my attack. Since this will be new territory for me I am unsure exactly how it will go, but I am hopeful since the outdoors is virgin space, save the terra-cotta soldiers and big glass candle holders that are on my front porch.

I am not quite ready for Thanksgiving, but that is just a meal. The main course is the Christmas decorating and for that, I am gearing up.

Save America, Play Mah Jongg

People often ask me why I think Mah Jongg has had such a huge surge in popularity. I have come to realize that there is a yearning to be together with people and not talk about anything controversial. People need community and community without strife. That is what Mah Jongg is giving to people.

When you get together to play you may have time to chat a little, but mostly you want to play and be in a room with real people. We learn as children that when we play with people they become friends. That is true for older people too.

If you are friends you are more forgiving of differences. You are more likely to try and understand different points of view from a friend than a foe. We spend too much time in this country being divisive and a game of Mah Jongg can be a starting place for remembering that we are more alike than we are different.

I think if all of America could play Mah Jongg together we would be a happier country. So Mah Jongg could potential save America from itself.

Next time someone asks me why I spend all my time, literally all day and night today, teaching people Mah Jongg I am am going to say, “It is my little way of trying to bring people together as friends to heal America.” I know if I say that out loud people will look cockeyed at me, but how else can I explain the pure hunger people have to learn this game. Everyone knows they need to do something to be with people, they just don’t know what that something is and Mah Jongg is filling the void.

Save America, Play Mah Jongg.

The Kindness of Old and New Friends

The highlight of my day was a small celebration for Needlepoint Nancy’s birthday. We needlepointed, had a yummy ricotta cheese cake made by Karen, Nancy opened gifts and it was general merriment.

This small group I belong too is kind and generous and is a joy. The friendship and fellowship is something I cherish and hold dear.

Then I went to work. I shouldn’t call it work because it is pure pleasure. This was my third class with a group of young mothers who mostly live in the same neighborhood. They have been so fun to teach. Tonight was sadly our last class and Faith, whose house we were at tonight gave me two sweet gifts, she said we’re from the group – A darling Mah Jongg Pad and tea towel.

I certainly don’t expect gifts, but it seems like I am getting them more and more often. I am so touched by people’s generosity. It does make me a little sad when I finish a class with people I like, but it will be time to move on to the next two new classes tomorrow.

Is Oyster Stew Stew?

My southern father loved Oyster Stew. We made gallons of it every Christmas Eve for the more than 150 people who used to come to our house for our family Christmas party. The Connecticut Yankees ate it up, exclaiming they had never had such a thing. I used to wonder if it was a purely southern thing. More than that I wondered why it was called stew at all. Our family recipe included only onions, butter, milk, half and half, spices and oysters. Of course it was served with oyster crackers. It was much more a soup than a stew, but who was I, a mere child/indentured cooked to question.

Along with the oyster stew we served Ham biscuits made with real country ham my father would order from Virginia, like the kind his Charlottesville mother would have used. We had to soak that ham in a sink full of water for days to remove enough of the salt so the Yankees could eat it.

Of course we had standard 1970’s party food, such as onion dip and hot artichoke dip, but it was the southern foods which were devoured first.

This week on my way home from Kinston I stop at the fish market and bought a half pint of oysters and made oyster stew. The simplest of dishes and the best. I felt my Dad’s presence even if it wasn’t Christmas Eve. I still don’t get why it’s called a stew.

Demand for the recipe

2 T. Butter

1 sweet onion chopped

1 clove Garlic

Shake of cayenne pepper

1 t. Paprika

1 t. Parsley flakes

Black pepper

Salt to taste

2 cups milk

1 cup half and half

1 pint of shucked oysters in their liquor

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add the onions on medium heat and cook five minutes until translucent. Add garlic and spices and cook one more minute. Add milk and half and half and the liquor from the oysters. Heat gently until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pot.

Add the oysters and continue cooking for a few minutes until the edges of the oysters curl.

Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with oyster crackers.

Sometimes Amazon Knows Best

Last week I ordered a cordless electric scrubbing wand to clean my shower floor. I was tired of my twenty year old tile not being as white as it originally was. I thought a spinning brush would help the situation and one on a stick meant I did not have to bend over to clean it.

These mechanical brushes are not expensive so I looked at the many different models on Amazon and picked one. I noticed there was another product, that I had never heard of, that was frequently bought with the scrub brush. It was called Pink Stuff.

I read the description. It is a slightly abrasive clearing paste that sounded like it was perfect for my floor tile. At $5 what did I have to lose?

The products came last week and sat in the boxes all week as I was away. Today I opened them up and put the system to work. My shower floor has not been this white in a decade. The Pink Stuff was the trick and the cordless spinning brush made the job easy.

Now I am looking around at what else I can clean with this duo. I went ahead and ordered a caddy to carry all the various brushes, pads and tools with the pink stuff and the wand. I feel like a cowboy with a holster looking for a stain to rub out.

The Pink Stuff says it is good on stainless steel pans. I have a couple I am going to try and make look like new. I promise my blog is not going to become a before and after of things I clean. It just happens to be the most exciting thing that happened around here today.

Everybody Is Where They Should Be

Carter made it back to Boston today after a perfectly fabulous trip to Argentina and Uruguay. That kind of travel is life changing. Everyday she would report on the interesting people and friends she had made, the art she saw, the food she tasted and the sights she saw. It was fun to follow her on instagram, but I am glad she is home safe and sound.

I am home too from my work down East. It is exhausting to have so much fun working. I so appreciate my agent Kristi who organized everything so well. Staying with Debbie and Paul was a real treat. I am always touched by the kindness of my hostesses.

I know I will sleep early and long tonight. Shay and Russ were happy to see me, but I am afraid I was not up to doing much this evening. I did stop at Reynold’s seafood in Kinston and brought back some good seafood, but am too tired to cook tonight.

Tomorrow, I promise I will make dinner.

Lucky to be in Kinston

Day two Mah Jongg in Kinston and last day with my beloved beyond beginner class. The beginners progressed well and they will finish tomorrow. Sadly the beyond beginners class finished today. One of my students Teresa, who I met on a plane and does not live in Kinston has been warmly welcomed by the Kinston crowd. They are such a sweet group and dear friends.

My darling hostess Debbie had some friends back to her house for dinner. It was a rare 70°evening and we sat out in her glorious courtyard and enjoyed drinks and each other. Debbie went deep to serve gluten free things for me that actually were delicious.

We ate dinner under the pergola in the warmth of the shared friendships. Debbie’s husband Paul joined us and we talked on forever.

Jane’s love Warren arrived with their dog Lucky to give me a hug and see me before he was off to yoga. I just can’t spend enough time with these people. It is always a treat to be here.

Thanks Debbie and Paul for having me for this visit .

Kinston Redux

The pleasure of two visits a year to Kinston can’t be underestimated. This one is especially fun. These aren’t students for me, but friends I get to visit. This visit I am hosted by Debbie who always go above and beyond. Debbie is a great baker. She met me at the club this morning before my fist class and delivered fresh hot gluten free apple muffins.

I had a new group of beginners with one repeat student, Teresa. She was retaking beginner and advanced in the same week. She did not need the beginner, but I was happy to have her in class nonetheless.

The big show started at lunch as my friends started to arrive. Usually when I teach a class I have to have everyone introduce themselves so I can make a seating chart so I remember their names. This is the first class where I can honestly say I not only knew everyone, but loved them.

Debbie, brought a bouquet with ballons that said, “welcome back, you are the best, you’re number 1.” It’s no wonder I love to come here.

After class everyone stayed in the bar and visited. A couple of other friends who had to work instead of coming to class, joined us and we had dinner at the club. Debbie had gotten us all silly glasses because she is all about good props for photos.

It was a fun night, but thankfully early. Debbie and I went back to her house to rest. It was a fun day. You know I am never going to be able to sleep after all this extroversion fun, but I have to sleep and get up and do it again tomorrow.

Thanks Kinston, I love you.

Crazy Mixed Up Kind of Day

Well I slept for 16 hours and I hope that is the last I will report on that for ten more years. Now I feel like I m behind on so many things, including the holidays.

My day started with a little gathering of two friends and one brought us our Christmas gifts! It was because she wanted us to have a very cute cup to use through the holidays. I think I will use this cup all year since I love Christmas so much.

After they left I realized that I have two invitations I needed to create for two different groups. It is hard to believe that the Christmas celebrating is less than a month away. I have t even made my thanksgiving menu. (Carter, maybe you can do that. I hope she is reading my blog in Buenos Aries).

Russ reminded me to go vote. We only have the mayoral and city council races, but every vote counts extra in off years when few people vote. I hope my Walkers roommate Nancy wins her race in Southport, CT. If you live there vote von Euler!

I had to iron and pack for my early morning trip to Kinston in the morning before I go to Raleigh to teach some young people tonight.

I am ever thankful that Russ Lange is the best husband and took such good care of me the last few days and runs the house so well while I am gone. I know that Shay is happy to have him all to herself, but I hope she won’t mind when I rejoin them on Friday.

For those of you who wanted to watch my Mah Jongg talk on Expert Connect with Debbie Barnett here is the link to YouTube. https://youtu.be/rWBKXX0_wLY

All Clear

Colonoscopy Prep is not fun no matter how you put it. It was a rough night. Russ took me over to the Endoscopy Center. My Doctor is a friend so he came out to the waiting room and greeted me. Thanks David for the warm welcome. I wasn’t going to spend most of my time with him awake.

While waiting in pre-op I saw another Dr. I know from Church. The nurses wanted to know how I knew all the doctors. It’s just what happens when you live in the same town for 30 years.

The good news is I got an all clear. Ten more years before I do this again. I don’t have much recollection of learning that news. The post-op nurse was trying hard to get me to wake up so I could walk out. I think I slept in the car all the way home. I don’t have much memory of getting back in bed, but that is where I was when Shay woke me up.

Russ brought me dinner in bed. I had cooked a pot roast yesterday in anticipation of getting to eat today. Why a pot roast, don’t ask, but I really wanted those long-cooked carrots and onions.

I’m planning on going back to sleep soon. I’m not very good at doing anything right now. The anesthesia is good.

Thanks to Debbie Barnett

I am so glad finally responded to Debbie Barnett’s emails. Debbie owns Mahjcon, but her email came from Expert Connect, which I was unfamiliar with. I didn’t respond at first because it thought it was a marketing platform. I had no idea it was about Mah Jongg experts. Anyway, I finally answered her call and she asked me to be her guest on her show.

Debbie is a real Mah Jongg expert and a kindred spirit when it come to spreading the love of the game and the rules. We had a wonderful time talking about the game and easily could have talked for many more hours about the finer points and out pet peeves.

I have no idea how many people were watching this as it was on zoom and YouTube. I am just glad I don’t have to figure out how to run all these shows and deal with all the questions and comments. Thankfully Debbie read me the questions, of which there were many great ones. Thanks to all the people who tuned in and asked such interesting questions. I hope I answered them sufficiently.

I always have an opinion about every aspect of the game and love to answer people’s questions. Right after we logged off I got texts from many friends who had watched the show. That was so sweet of you all. I hope even you learned some new things.

When Debbie sends me the link to the YouTube I will post it. I won’t watch it because that would make me never do one of these shows again. I do like podcasts best, but understand that people like to watch things too.

The Mah Jongg community is full of wonderful people who are happy to share information with you and teach you how to play. We all can learn to be better players and I encourage you to continue expanding your knowledge. Mah Jongg will keep you young.

Bad Timing

I am the guest on a MajhCon zoom presentation tomorrow night. The host had been trying to get me for a while so I finally relented this summer and agreed to be the guest tomorrow. Little did I know when I made those plans that it would be the night before my colonoscopy.

I am in the throes of prep. Right now there is not much I can eat and tomorrow I will eat nothing. So it was also bad timing that we were invited to the first party of the season, or the Pre-season as our hostess called it. So no nibbles for me.

Next time I have a colonoscopy I am going to schedule it for a Friday so I don’t ruin a weekend.

A Little Brown Dog Goes to the Dentist

I knew something was up when my Mommy got dressed right after her alarm went off. First hint, there was an alarm. She taught Mah Jongg last night in Raleigh and did not get home until Daddy and I were almost asleep. That alone should have meant she was sleeping in this morning.

Second hint is Mommy did not eat breakfast and did not give me breakfast. Daddy came in and said it was time to go out. Go out? No one has eaten anything. Mommy put on my harness and that only means one thing…I’m going in the car. So Daddy came down to garage with me and Mommy even though he was just wearing his underpants.

Mommy opened the back door of the car, but I was having none of it. I ran all around the driveway and Daddy came out in the cold and ran around chasing me. Eventually they went inside so I followed them. It was a trick. Mommy picked me up and carried me to the car and snapped me into my car buckle. We drove to the vet.

Haven’t I been there enough. I just got my hair done and had a blood test. What gives? Nobody told me I was getting my teeth cleaned. I shivered all the way into the exam room. Mommy discussed if this was going to cost $650 or $1,050. I looked at her and gave her the sign, “It could be free if we walk out now.”

Mommy hugged me and said, “You have doodle tarter, this is for your own good,” and left me there.

I don’t remember much after they shaved a stripe around one of my front legs and put me under. I was groggy when I woke up, but I still had all my teeth. Mommy came back in the afternoon to pick me up and I heard the Dr. tell her I was a good patient and only had a two out of four on the grossness scale for dog teeth.

I was still a little wobbly but I was happy to jump back in the car because the only place we could be going was home.

I realized when I got home that I had on a new green bandana I must have gotten at the vet for being a good patient. Mommy said when she was little and when Carter was little they always got a prize at the dentist for being good. I wish they had given me a steak instead of a bandanna with avocados on it. It must have been because I was only a two.

Having an Adventurous Child

Carter arrived in Buenos Aires this morning. My globe-trotting solo-travel loving girl has been chomping at the bit to run off to some far off nation. She has had plenty of US travel going to a bunch of weddings and the cape and Maine, but nothing scratches that itch of hers like a foreign destination to discover on her own.

Carter was scheduled to go on a Mongolian horse trek alone in August of 2020. I was not thrilled about that trip through Turkey to Mongolia, but she had earned the money and had the time off between working at Bain Capital and starting a new semester at college. The pandemic had other ideas. So the world shut down and there was no travel for her. So instead she just kept working at Bain full time and going to school full time. It was crazy and it was sad.

Carter’s current employer is fantastic about giving time off so Carter thought November would be the perfect time to do a little jaunt some place new and exciting. South America seemed like a good answer since she had never been there and her airline points could get her there and back fairly comfortably.

Carter has become the master of hostels and one of her favorite brands has locations in Buenos Aires so she booked in there. I remember when she was going to London alone once when she was young I suggested she stay at a hostel and she turned her nose up at me. Then when she had to start paying for her own travel she tried it and has been hooked ever since.

Carter loves to go and experience a location alone, but have a place to also meet other solo travelers. She texted tonight that tomorrow she may go to a museum with a friend she just met in the hostel.

I love her adventurous spirit. Her ability to go alone and discover new things fearlessly is a trait that will serve her well. When she was little she didn’t even like the idea of going to spend the night at someone’s house. I am thankful to Hannah Hannan who said she would break Carter of that fear, and had her for a sleep over with Campbell. Hannah lay on the floor holding Carter’s hand until she fell asleep. That one step at age four of five gave her the knowledge that she could go to sleep away camp, to summer school in Taiwan at the age of 13 and live with a family who she didn’t know, to Berlin for her first semester of college, to London for a summer in college and then all over the world alone.

There is no better education than getting to see the world and meet people from other places. I’m thrilled that is a always a priority for Carter. Have a wonderful trip.

Colonoscopy Prep

Russ and I have different colonoscopy Doctors. His prep has always been different from my prep. Mine requires low fiber diet for the day before the terrible clear fluids only day. So tomorrow I start the low fiber. The idea of not getting fresh vegetables and fruits is a killer for me.

Now that I am gluten free the choices of what I can eat are further limited. So I turn to you my tribe of readers. Give me any good things you ate during the low fiber days. Gluten free. White bread is so horrible that I am trying to think of other things. All I am craving right now is a salad since I can’t have that. Or maybe some beats, they are a no. Or some roasted Brussels sprouts with pecans, no and no.

I am not too worried about my Day of Clear liquids. It is just one day. I can have broth, jello, tea, apple juice. It’s the low fiber days that are god awful to me. I feel like all I have been trained to do is eat more fiber so it goes against my every grain, pun intended, to come up with food without fiber.

I await your creative, non red or purple suggestions.