Just Got Engaged Vegetable Pasta
Posted: July 24, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
Before I knew Russ Lange, I had a catering business on the side. The majority of people who worked for me at catering jobs were my gay male friends in Washington, DC. They were the best educated waiters and bartenders, who were lawyers, doctors and business men during the day, but loved the fun of working one of my parties at night.
More than one of those men used to tell me that whomever was going to marry me would do it for my cooking. They were gay, what did they know about who would marry me.
This week twenty-five years ago Russ and I had a whirlwind romance where for the first ten days I did not cook one thing for him. On the tenth day, at last the time came for me to cook him something. He had no food in his house so we went off to the Acme supermarket and before we could get out of the car, in the heat of the July night, he said, “I can’t wait anymore, will you marry me?”
That night I made a pasta dinner of many summer vegetables cooked up in a fry pan.
“Oh my god, this is the best meal I have ever eaten,” he said after his first bite.
It was probably the endorphins of love that made him feel that way, but one thing was for sure, he wanted to marry me before he knew I could cook.
Today I made a pan of similar vegetables, but since we rarely eat pasta anymore we just have them over chicken. Holding out for a man who married me for me and not my cooking was a great thing. That being said, love comes and goes, but good cooking lasts forever.
You can use whatever vegetables you have. His just happens to be what I had today.
1 red onion- chopped
20 mini eggplants – cut in half
20 okra – cut in thirds
1 sweet red pepper chopped
2 pints of cherry tomatoes- halved
3 cloves of garlic-minced
Crushed red pepper flakes
30 basil leaves – chopped
Heat a big nonstick fry pan on medium high and spray with cooking spray. Add the onions and cook for two minutes, tossing it twice. Add the eggplant and spray with a little more cooking spray. Cook for two more minutes – stirring only once. Add the okra and cook for three more minutes, stirring once a minute. Add the red pepper cook another two minutes.
Add the cherry tomatoes and cook another two minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook two more minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes to your taste and salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and add the basil.
Delicious over pasta, rice or just as a side dish. It won’t get you married, but it will make your spouse happy.
Not a BLT
Posted: July 23, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Summer Saturdays mean early morning visit to the farmer’s market. Usually our eyes are bigger than our table and I have to work hard to cook up all the interesting vegetables we buy. Since Carter is away Russ and I are happy to eat grazing meals.
I made a Spanish style Gazpacho adding some farmers market tomatillos today. That was a good healthy start on a dinner, but certainly was not enough to complete it. We had bought some pork side meat, which is kind of like thick bacon that has not been smoked. I cooked it in the oven and it felt like a decadent item to act as our main course.
Russ had his weekly polenta bread from Loaf, the best downtown bakery so it seemed like BLT’s might be in our future. It was a good plan since I had bought so many vine ripped tomatoes.
After enjoying the soup I could not bring myself to eat the bread in a BLT so I decided to make BLT lettuce wraps with a little avocado for a treat. I washed the market lettuce and lay out three leaves, a half a slice of tomato went on top. Since I was skipping the bread I allowed myself a little touch of mayo on top of the tomato. Then added the bacon and avocado. Salt and lots of pepper completed my wraps. Looked like a good alternative to a regular BLT.
It was not. Yes all individual ingredients were good and together they were fine, but they definitely missed the bread. There is something about the way the juice from the tomato soaks into the bread and the crunch of the crispy bacon yields to the bread.
Don’t get me wrong. I normally would be happy to eat these items as a salad, but even a BLT salad is not a BLT sandwich. Even the addition of avocado did not make up for the loss of bread. Somethings are actually perfect in there simplicity and a BLT sandwich is one of those things.
I am going to have to work hard not eat something naughty due to my dissatisfaction with my dinner. I would have been better off just to eat the bread.
Have You Had Your Mammogram?
Posted: July 22, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 3 Comments
Since most of my readers are women I think this is a public service announcement blog. If you are a man you might want to stop reading now. If you continue I want you to serve the woman in your life breakfast in bed once you understand what she goes through.
In my attempt to work through my “to do list” while Carter is off working at camp for the month I made a call to my radiologist to get my long overdue mammogram. To my surprise they had an opening this morning and I knew I should take it, even though I would have preferred to postpone it even longer. The scheduler asked me if I wanted a new 3D mammogram. I asked what the benefits were and then forgot to listen to the answer, while I day dreamed that a 3D would be a less smashing procedure.
If you are a man who is still reading let me describe what a regular mammogram is like. A strange woman takes your naked breast in her hand and lays it on a cold plastic plate and then spreads it out to be as flat as possible, then while still holding your breast she brings the clear plastic top plate down to sandwich your breast between the two plates with what my tech says is 20 lbs of pressure. You stand there, naked and in pain as she walks behind the machine to take the image while you are holding your breath so that your breasts don’t move. Move? The 20 lbs or pressure is holding me by the t$t. Repeat on the other breast and then again with them both at a 45 degree angle. Four major mashings.
My imagination immediately thought that a 3D mammogram would be something like a cup I just hung my breast into and it took pictures all around it while it just hung there. What was I thinking? That a woman might have invented the new technology?
For the record the 3D machine works exactly like the old machine as far as the smashing part goes, but costs $60 more. Now I’m sure the picture must be better and hopefully the quality of catching potential cancers is improved, but the customer experience is exactly the same.
That being said, I encourage all woman over 40 to go have your mammogram no matter how uncomfortable. I know that insurance companies have been fighting about how often they will pay for them, but don’t be deterred.
Now to all the women imaging engineers in the world, and I am sure there must be at least three of you, please consider inventing the machine my mind made up. Even if we have to lay on our stomach on a table with a hole in it with our breast hanging down to get a 3D image it would be better than smashing them. As it is my breasts already resemble two blue berry pancakes with one blue berry each and I can’t imagine the smashing is doing anything to help keep them perky.
Sorry Men, I warned you to stop reading.
Undescriptive
Posted: July 21, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Yesterday I was with my friend Lynn Toms and we were googling her to see if we could find something. Today I can’t even remember what we were looking for, but I do remember something we found about someone named Sheryl Lynn Toms. The Google listing was for a ancestry.com site and it said “Sheryl Lynn Toms, mother of 0.” What?!
I have never heard anything so insensitive, except for maybe things that come out of Donald Trumps mouth. For the first thing to say about a person is that they were a mother to none is not the most descriptive way to characterize a person. If we were to do that you might say “Dana Carter Lange, never in the Army,” which really doesn’t say anything at all about me.
I wonder if Ancestry makes the same distinction about men who never had children. Of course with men you never really know if that is true because there could be children out there they don’t know about, as long as the man is straight and not celibate.
I love being a mother and really like my child, but it is not the definition of me. I’m not sure I would want my listing to start, Dana, mother of one. I certainly think that anyone who does not have a child, for whatever reason does not want to be called out for it.
Let’s try and be more thoughtful in our characterizations of people. There has got to be something better to say about Sheryl Lynn Toms. I don’t know her and I would bet you good money she has done something in her life that is more memorable than not having children.
I am thankful I saw this yesterday because it saved me from writing about the Republican convention and Mrs. Trump. Enough has been said on that subject, but I do wonder if Ancestry will list her as, “Melania Trump, mother of one, good quoter of Michelle Obama.”
Mah Jongg-a-Rama
Posted: July 21, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
My friend Denise decided we should play Mah Jongg today at her house and asked us to all bring something healthy to share for lunch. It is amazing how many more people can make it out to play when they are invited to someone’s house rather than just showing up at the club to play.
The action was fast and loud as three tables of ladies kept the tiles moving. For the first time ever I am certain that my table was not the loudest, something no one who was not playing with me would believe. The room was so full of friends there was almost never an empty seat at the table.
My great friend Jan was visiting from Texas and came to play which makes me happy. Jan is one of my original Mah Jongg friends from when I started playing in Durham over twenty three years ago. I looked around the room today and was so happy to be with so many good friends, both new and old who love to play the game. The life histories we have shared over the Mah Jongg table could fill volumes. The support and laughter we share is hardly matched by any other group.
A new friend of Denise’s came and tried her hand, winning a game early on. Even with that win she thought she might want to join my next Mah Jongg class. I have talked to a few people who are interested in taking the three night class but of course can’t remember everyone who tells me that. If you are interested please send me a message so I can find a time that suits.
Thanks to Denise for opening up her home and encouraging such a healthy lunch today. I consider myself very lucky to have this group of women in my life. It also does not hurt that we all love the game so much. It’s days like today that keep us young.
Salmon Burgers
Posted: July 19, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
While I was away in Maine Russ was invited to some friends house for dinner. They served him salmon burgers which he raved about to me when I got home. I had never made a salmon burger before but thought I would try it as an alternative to regular old grilled salmon. I was a little skeptical that I could improve on the straight fish, but was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Salmon burgers are not exactly like crab cakes, there is no egg or mayo holding them together so they are a little healthier than a crab cake. I kind of improvised this, but was really happy with the end product.
The secret is to run half the salmon in the food processor for a few pulses just before becoming a paste. This becomes the glue that holds the whole thing together. They are a little like a blank slate so you can add any flavor you want to jazz them up. I made a basic one for my first try.
2 lbs of skinless fresh salmon
1 slice of good bread
1 shallot
1 T. Dijon mustard
2T. Lime juice
1/2 t. Garlic powder
Salt and Pepper
Put the peeled and rough chopped shallot and the bread in the food processor and pulse until it is a fine crumb. Remove from the bowl, but don’t bother to clean the bowl.
Cut the salmon into one inch strips and put half in the processor. Pulse about six times to chop up the salmon well. Add the bread crumb/shallot mixture, mustard, lime juice, garlic powder, a little salt and pepper and pulse two times. Add the rest of the salmon strips and pulse three times. You should still have some small salmon chunks, but everything should be well mixed.
Place the salmon mixture in a bowl and cover and refrigerate it for at least half an hour.
This recipe makes six nice size burgers, which you form just like a regular old burger, gently forming into a patty.
Heat a nonstick fry pan on medium high heat, place the burgers so they are not crowded. Cook for three minutes per side.
I served them with a remoulade sauce.
Celebrating Sara
Posted: July 18, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Seems like I spend a lot of time during the summer seeing old friends from far away. This is not a bad thing, but it means that sometimes I am not around home to spend time with my tried and true friends. I am trying to find a balance and still be productive in something other than just visiting.
My friend Sara had a birthday last week so I wanted to make sure that I got to celebrate with her soon after the actual day. Sometimes it stinks to have a birthday in the summer because your friends are often away and you get forgotten. It had to be worse to be a kid with a summer birthday because there were no cupcakes brought to school for you, or birthday parties with your whole class.
At least now with Facebook your friends can wish you happy birthday on the real day. I was happy that Sara was free for us to go to lunch on a day I was home. True to her humble self when I asked her where she wanted to go she did not pick someplace fancy or extravagant, but instead just picked Foster’s Market. I asked her multiple times if that was where she really wanted to go, not that it is not good, but because no one would wait on her there.
With a simple sandwich and an ice tea we got to catch up on all the goings on. After lunch I got to visit with her grown daughters who both happen to be home. Even with a three plus hour visit I don’t think we actually caught up.
I got to thinking about how hard it is to keep up with those we love. Yes, facebook gives us way more information than we ever used to have about our friends, but there is nothing like that face-to-face time to have real conversations, tell stories and be truly connected. The more I visit with my friends the more I want to see them and see ones I am missing. I guess there is not enough time in the year to spend time with the people we love, especially one-on-one. Today, I am just thankful that I got to celebrate Sara.
Happy Birthday Logan
Posted: July 17, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Today is our good friend Logan Tom’s birthday. Yesterday when his wife Lynn and I went to the movies I asked if they could come to dinner tonight. Lynn’s initial reaction was no, since it was his birthday. Then Logan heard it was possible for him to eat my cooking on his birthday so that became his birthday wish.
I love to cook for Logan. There is no human more appreciative of a good home cooked meal than he. Describing him as a gourmand is not too strong a representation. Since I had been away from Russ so long he too was happy that I was going to cook an entire meal that he would get to enjoy with Lynn and Logan.
Despite his love of good food, there is no pressure in menu planning for Logan because he truly loves almost everything I make. This quality puts him at the top of my guest list, so I was thrilled to provide his birthday meal.
To differentiate tonight as a celebration from any regular dinner I made a special drink in honor of Logan. It was a blueberry basil ginger smash. The good thing about it is that it could be made as a cocktail or a virgin and be just as tasty.
Blueberry Basil Ginger Smash
1 pint of blueberries- washed
4 T. Lime juice
2 lemons sliced thinly
1 inch of fresh ginger- grated
20 fresh basil leaves- chiffonade (that means cut finley)
Vodka-optional or Rum or tequila
Diet ginger ale
Put the blueberries and the whole lemon slices in a jar and mash them all up, other wise known as muddling. Add the other ingredients and chill for at least an hour so the flavors can marry.
In a glass filled halfway with crush ice, add a jigger of vodka, two big spoonfuls of the blueberry mixture and top it off with the diet ginger ale. Stir and enjoy.
You can live the vodka out and it is just as good!
Happy birthday Logan. You are always welcome at our table.
No News Is Good News
Posted: July 16, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
One of the greatest thing about the vacations I have taken this summer is I did not watch any TV or read any newspapers and thus missed all the news that was happening in the world. Well, not exactly all the news. I still had Mr. Information, Russ Lange in Spain who let me know about the most important stuff like Brexit. Outside of him giving me the edited version I was fairly protected.
In Maine, not only did I not see a TV or newspaper, I did not even hear a radio or look at news on Facebook. Now that was a real vacation. None of my time or mind was taken up with unimportant information that I could do nothing about. I had no anxiety about the presidential race, which I don’t need since I already know who I am not voting for.
Since I have been home I have not turned on the TV. I have continued my no news life and am quite enjoying it. When I was on my way home Russ mentioned that downtown Durham was taken over by Pokemon Go. Amazingly I had no idea what that was by just being out of touch for one week. How can something so new take over so quickly? Don’t answer that, I don’t want to know.
I am wondering how long I can go with this news moratorium. The only current event I looked at was on Weather Bug. Everything I needed to know about how to dress for or plan for a day I got from that one app. No superfluous data came into play. No celebrity gossip, no deals or steals hawking products I don’t know about and therefore don’t need, no super models making me feel inferior, no holy wars that make the world sound as if it is going to end tomorrow even though they have been going on for centuries, no misunderstandings blown out of proportion, nothing.
I know that at some point I need to reenter the world, but I am not sure why so I am in no hurry. I am happy just to play my game on my I-Pad and keep the room silent and free of talking heads, who are just too biased to listen to. If there were a puppy channel I might consider watching that, but that is as confrontational as I want to get. For now I am still on vacation.
Yes, an old movie star may pass away and I won’t know about until the In Memoriam section of the Academy Awards, but I am willing to take that chance. I am also decreasing my chances for winning a trivia contest by not watching the news diligently everyday, but since I make no money at that kind of thing it is fine I forgo winning. I am embracing ignorance as a truly blissful state. I can only do this while Carter is away at camp because it is ultimately very irresponsible of me, but as long as she is gone I think I am safe.
Getting Off The Sugar Train
Posted: July 15, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Wedding Cake at Cory and Eric’s wedding on the Cape.
Chocolate Cake in Barcelona
Crème Caramel in Maine
In the last months I have been on three vacations, a wedding at the Cape, family trip to Spain and old friend reunion in Maine. This gaggle of vacations have been more fun than any one person deserves, especially when I have been as naughty as I was in relation to my eating. There is something about vacations that make my palate say, “celebrate.”
Well, the party’s over. I have had a lax relationship with my scale for a while. Not that I needed the scale to tell me what I was doing to myself. My bra did that quite nicely. When you have to move hook rows you know you are headed in a direction that was in my cases the wrong way.
My relationship with food is one I need to pay constant attention to and sometimes I take a break that gets too out of control. This last week in Maine was a sugar extravaganza that I will be paying for for two months of clean living.
Today was the start of my sugar detox. It takes a few days to fully get myself free of that sweet demon, but by Tuesday I should be good. The trick is to keep busy and stay hydrated and well rested. If the desire for sugar rears it’s ugly head the best thing I can do is take a nap. I have found that it is practically impossible for me to bake brownies in my sleep. See that is about the only way I could get some sugar since our house is fairly treat free.
I am hoping that even if I go on another vacation I can stick to the no sugar life style. This idea that I get to take a vacation from healthy eating is over. It has been a delicious few months, but now it is time for my bras to fit better. Back to more treadmill time and no tastes of chocolate. It sounds worse than it is. Dropping recently added pounds can be just as exhilarating as eating a blueberry pie, it just is a much slower reward.
So goodbye sugar. Hello thighs not rubbing together. Farewell white flour. Welcome flatter tummy. So long naughty snacks. Bring on the fruit. It’s time to pay the piper and it was a long beautiful song, that unfortunately ha turned into an ear worm I need to rid myself of.
Lucky to Vacation
Posted: July 14, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
On my way home from Maine today I heard a story on NPR about vacationing. It said that 25% of Americans have not had a vacation in the last five years. It made me incredibly sad to think that so many people do not get a chance to go away rest, relax, discover new things and see new places.
I count my lucky stars that I not only get to make memories with my family and go do new things, but that I have the best husband on earth who lets me go away and spend time with old friends while he works. I wish that everyone could find away to go on holiday, as the British say.
There is a reason Maine is called “vacation land” but this trip was not so much a vacation as a visit. My friend Warren is such a great host. It helps that he has a Howard Johnson’s literally built into his house, but without the mid-century modern orange and turquoise motel rooms. My trip involved seeing eight different friends, making many meals, driving up and down the coast, antiquing, and visiting Warren’s booth at the Rockland Market place at least seven times.
Warren has always been into antiques, but the need to recycle some of his mother’s furniture as well as collections he has, precipitated the need to have an easier way to sell things. Thank goodness that both Shannon and Julie got into the job of going through Warren’s attic to help determine what should go to be sold next.
All week we would prep new dressers, or old tool boxes, sets of dishes or hand crank antique ice cream makers and carry them over to the Marketplace. Each day it was a surprise to see what had sold. And then restock the booth so it was always full. It was not a normal vacation activity, but one that I quickly got addicted to. I was often surprised at what would sell and what did not. It was a good thing I flew to Maine and had no way to bring anything home because I really liked the glass topped coffee table with the soap box derby red metal wheel base.
Vacations don’t have to be a trip to Disney World. Sitting on the front porch talking to friends can sometimes be the best vacation there is. My trip was not relaxing because we would stay up much too late and then because it is summer in Maine where the sun comes up at 4:45 I would not ever get a chance to sleep in even with the curtains drawn. But despite the lack of sleep and the playing store at the market place it was a great vacation.
I wish everyone had a friend like Warren who welcomes you into his home. But now it is great to be back at my own house, with my own Russ and Shay Shay. Perhaps I can now get some rest and relaxation from my vacation and begin to dream where I want to go next.
My Friends Becoming Friends
Posted: July 13, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Last year when I was here at Warren’s in Maine I invited Sheppy and Dick Vann for lunch at the HOJO’s room. Immediately they hit it off as Sheppy tends to do. Since Sheppy and Dick moved to Nashville I don’t get to see her as often as I used to in Durham so Maine seems to be our best chance to get together.
Warren had so enjoyed Dick and Sheppy last year so he gladly agreed to a lunch out this year with them. I emailed Sheppy an invitation and she thankfully was free, but sadly Dick was not in Maine. Warren suggested we meet at a favorite diner about half way between Sheppy’s and Warren’s called the Olde Mill Diner.
It was a beautiful summer Maine day, clear and bright blue as we traveled up the Georges River Scenic Byway. The fields were vivid green with long grasses blowing softly in the breeze. Our trip was only marred by the dozens of Maine department of transportation workers who it takes to fill in a hole in the road, who hold the stop signs stopping traffic one way for at least five minutes without anyone coming the other way.
Miraculously we arrived right on time to find Sheppy standing just inside the door in front of the many homemade pies. We hugged and found a table that was the perfect place to tell stories while we had lunch. I have met my match in story telling in Sheppy Vann and Warren was perfectly entertained as we volleyed back and forth with tales about growing up, meeting our spouses and marrying.
In all this story telling I somehow got onto the story of when I was a thirteen at summer camp and decided that I needed to give my parents a surprise fifteenth wedding anniversary party when I got home from camp. This involved my sending four special delivery letters to their best friends and asking them to provide food, invite guests and get my parents out of the house so I could set up the party.
The one thing I did not think about was asking the grown ups to bring the adult beverages. Lucky for me and the fifty or so guest we had, my parents had plenty of liquor to serve a whole party. No wonder my favorite childhood drink was whiskey sour mix. Sheppy was able to match me story for story.
After a lunch of healthy followed by the requisite Maine desserts Warren and I sadly had to leave Sheppy. But Warren and Sheppy now left as friends, not just friends of mine and could see each other here in Maine without me. There is nothing I like more than when my friends from different parts of my life become friends with each other.
Friends or Shopping?
Posted: July 12, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
After four days of staying up way too late, laughing much too hard, eating considerably too much sugar, telling too many stories and realizing that we have been apart far far too long our reunion had to come to an end. Sadly Julie drove off for home as Warren and I were taking Shannon to the metropolitan Owl’s Head airport this morning for her flight to Fort Worth. Thirty-six years apart had not dulled our love for each other in anyway. It proves my theory that if you have a great friendship once you can pick it right up at any point.
Despite the lack of sleep in our go-go-go weekend Warren and I had to rush back to his house to get ready for another old friend of mine, Wendie Demuth, who was coming for lunch. Since I just saw Wendie at her daughter’s wedding last month it was a huge bonus to get to spend five hours yaking away with her on Warren’s porch as we watched the tide come in on Clam Cove.
Warren is such a good sport about entertaining my friends at his house. He made us his famous tuna melts and served us on the porch. Every year I find more and more old friends in Maine and invite them to lunch. If this keeps up at this pace Warren might change me catering fees.
Late in the day Warren and I got in the car to go visit a store called Big Al’s so I could get some things to put in a care package for Carter at camp. I can’t tell you what I got so as not to spoil the surprise, but I can show you somethings I did not get.
The first was this do-it-yourself doll kit. If I were a child and received this package of lose doll parts I am certain I would have nightmares. I have no idea who this “Horsman” is who makes this product, but adding the word “shoppe” to the title does not make it more valuable.
Another item I did not get Carter was the “Salon Perfection Hair Coloring Brush.” Why this blond woman on the package wants to color her hair red I am not sure, but at $8.88 I was not going to find out.
One item I was slightly tempted to buy for myself was this “Jobar’s Sauna Suit.” After all the reunion naughty food I have eaten since I have been in Maine I thought that anything that helps with reducing should be considered and at $2.88 it was not much of a risk. The one thing that held me back is that it says on the package, “one size fits all” and I have a universal rule never to buy anything that makes that claim because I find it just not to be true.
Big Al’s had the most extensive card department with the best organization I have ever seen. They had signs over the racks so you could easily find the card you were looking for, for the person you were looking for. Even those hard to find cards for people like sister in laws, step sisters, or like a sister or anniversary cards for “granddaughter and husband.”
The most confusing grouping was the graduations cards, broken down between “college and regular.” I am not sure what regular is, but whatever it is, college in Maine must be special.
Needless to say the things I got for Carter’s care package are special and are sure to elicit some big response. I think I should stick to visiting friends in Maine and leave the shopping to another place.
At Last Perfect Maine Weather
Posted: July 11, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
The perfect Maine summer day has finally come to Clam Cove. Three days of rain and cold gave way to sunshine, soft breezes and blue skies. Despite going to bed at two-thirty last night I was up early enough to get breakfast ready because my old friend Jamie Kyte Sapoch, who I went to both Walkers and Dickinson with me was coming for a visit. Since Jamie was two years ahead of me in school we never are at the same reunions so it had been just too long since we had seen each other.
There is hardly a nicer person on earth than Jamie and it was lovely to introduce her to Shannon and Julie and for her to see Warren again after all these years. Coming to Maine is a little like going back in time when I get to reconnect with so many wonderful old friends. Jamie is just as kind and fun as she always was and our visit was way too short. Now that I have discovered she is in Maine for the summers I am going to make plans to see her again next year.
After Jamie left, Shannon, Julie, Warren and I took advantage of the fantastic weather and went to the walk the breakwater in Rockland. This sun could not have come fast enough because if we had another day of rainy day eating like we are back in boarding school we might not be able to fly out of Maine. How quickly we fell back into the same girls school eating patterns, dessert for breakfast, lunch and dinner with an afternoon pick me up. Walking the breakwater is a good two mile walk. We probably should have done it twice.
At last tonight we are going to have a big night of games. We ate leftovers for dinner so no time was wasted cooking or cleaning. Instead we quickly had a plate of chicken and squash so we could play Mexican Train dominos. This was not something we played in boarding school, but we can’t remember the rules to “screw you neighbor” and we are just too old and tired to do that anyway.
The laughing continues despite some people not winning any games. I know our friendship can survive a competitive game, but quite frankly desserts help everyone’s mood. I am going to have to renig in this blog as a diet comedy until I get home from Maine. The only good thing I can say is that I did not eat any ice cream today, but the dessert smorgasbord that was just put in front of me by my opponents is obviously a tactic to throw me off my game.
A Day Just Like at Walkers
Posted: July 10, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Today could be described as a day just like I would have had when we were back at boarding school. We started slowly, had a little education where we discovered that we loved learning so much it did not feel like school, had some treats, and ended the day laughing so hard with new and old friends that we almost wet our pants.
The cold and rain continued this morning. My friends Warren, Julie and Shannon and I huddled at the kitchen table over our regular Maine breakfast planning our day. Because of the weather we decided to go to the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland that has a wonderful collection that features works of the Wyeths. We toured the collections and then went on a guided tour through the house of the Farnsworth family that was still in it’s original condition of it’s 1850 building. It was a good tour and we really liked our docent.
Little did we know that it was just warming us up for the best tour we were going to take today. The Farnsworth had acquired the Olson House which had been the 30 year location where Andrew Wyeth had come to paint every summer. If you are at all art aware you would recognize the Olson house as the subject of Wyeth’s most famous paining, “Christina’s World.”
We drove the twenty minutes down to Cushing, Maine and found the farm on a winding thin road, surrounded by water on three sides. The stark, raw clapboard building sits alone on the hill. We went into the building that was mostly empty. I wondered what kind of tour this was going to be with just plaster white walls to look at.
At just after two the four of us met our docent, Pam, a spitfire of a woman, originally from New York, herself an artist. She took us in the largest room on the first floor and started to tell us the story of the Olson family, a rich sea captain and his wife who built the largest framed house in the county in the 1800’s. She told us of their three boys and one girl, Christina. The painting was beginning to come to life. We eventually learned that Christina was handicapped and by the age of twenty had no use of her legs and lived her 73 years in this house with her next youngest brother, pulling herself around by her hands.
Pam, who new Andy Wyeth, as she called him, told us he met Christina and her brother when he first met his soon to be wife Betsy who lived nearby. Wyeth would come every summer to the Olson House and paint many works. As Pam would walk us through the house suddenly the empty rooms were recognizable as the scenes in Wyeth’s paintings, the blue door in the kitchen, the window looking out to the bay. It was thrilling to be seeing the world of Wyeth first hand. I was actually sad when the tour ended, still hungry to hear more stories of poor Christina, living a hard scrabble life in isolated Maine. Just to show how important a place the Olson farm was to Wyeth we discovered that he was buried in the Olson family plot, near Christina.
It was a great day of hands on learning, just like we might have had in boarding school. Just like school, we needed a snack after so much stimulation so we stopped at the tiny general store near the Olson farm. Spending time with good friends is always made better with snacks.
We rushed home to Warren’s because we needed to cook dinner for Joan Marshall Losee and her husband David who were coming to dinner. Joan had worked at Walker’s with Warren when we were all students.
As is my role, I was chief cook, making squash casserole and “Somebody died? Fried chicken” and rice. Shannon set a beautiful table and Julie made the salad under strict instructions from me. According to my friends I am just as bossy as I was in boarding school. They are still my younger friends who I must guide.
Joan and David arrived and he probably wondered how long he was going to have to stay at a dinner of old Walker’s girls. Then the story telling started. One story after another about antics of the old guard teachers and the way they treated the girls and we all were rolling on the floor barley able to hold our bladders. By the end, I’m sure David was wishing he had gone to Walkers.
Another fabulous day with old friends just can’t be beat. I’m not sure how much more laughing I can take, but I am thankful for the stomach exercise to counteract the treat eating. It’s just like boarding school.
Don’t Let Strangers Take Your Picture
Posted: July 9, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Today in Maine I confirmed that I brought all the wrong clothes. We started the day out in the fifties and here I am with shorts and tee shirts. It really didn’t matter in the morning since my friends and I idled away our time telling stories over fresh fruit and Maine Blueberry muffins. After so many hours sitting in the kitchen we decided we needed to venture out to the real world to show Shannon the beauty of the Maine Mid-coast.
Once out in the elements it was apparent I needed some warmer clothes so we stopped in Camden and did a little shopping for winter clothes. It was so great to have Shannon, Julie and Warren to pick clothes out for me so I just had to throw things on in the dressing room, eventually finding a couple of warmer items.
Back out in the elements I added a new layer to my original outfit so I was beginning to look more like a bag lady, but I was much warmer. When we got to the beautiful Camden library we tried to get a group shot. Warren took a nice one of Shannon, Julie and myself.
Then we tried to do a selfie to have all four of us together. Obviously we were making quite a scene because a couple of tourists watching from across the street could not stand seeing us trying to take our own picture. The husband sauntered over and offered to take our picture while his wife remind far away from us.
I reluctantly handed over my phone to the large man, hoping he could get a better shot. I should have micro managed this stranger the way I do all my friends because I could tell from the angle he held the phone that it was not going to be good. After he took a number of pictures he handed back my phone and I thanked him profusely, but did not dare look at the pictures in front of him because I am sure my face would show my displeasure.
We continued on our tour eventually heading home to change for our dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Primo, where they grow all the vegetable they serve. After the most yummy dinner of squash blossoms and duck we toured the gardens. Of course we took pictures at dinner and in the gardens.
After our big day together laughing, talking, eating and visiting we came back to Warren’s house to play games and look at the pictures from our day. That is when I first looked at the shots taken by the kind stranger. Without a doubt they were the worst pictures with the people only taking up about five percent of the shot.
Despite the lack of documentation of our fun day today it was the best. I am happy to have at least one terrible group shot. Tomorrow I will try and get another, but I am going to pick the photographer and set the whole thing up in my bossy way.
Thirty-Six Years is No Time At All
Posted: July 9, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
For me all girls boarding school was the place that I made some of my truly great life-long friends. Something about sharing the same small space while developing into the people we were meant to be.
Two of my most wonderful friends were Shannon and Julie who were in the class behind me. Julie was from Maine and was as opposite from Fort Worth, Texas native Shannon as two people could be but the three of us made a strong threesome especially when we were with our advisor friend Warren.
Despite our friendship I had lost contact with Shannon and Julie partially because we did not share the same reunion years. After college Shannon went back to Texas and Julie to Maine, but Warren kept us informed on what each of us were doing over the years.
Today for the first time in thirty-six years we are all together and it is if we have never been apart. It helps that we are visiting Warren without our spouses or children so we quickly have fallen into our old roles. Warren tried to reign us in, but to no avail because we have had such a great time reliving old times.
Today was just the beginning of our three day reunion and I predict not much sleep, lots of ice cream and constant laughing. Sounds a lot like boarding school. Being back to together after thirty-six years is plain ‘ole great. Why did we wait so long?
Hoping This Guy “Mainely” Knows What He Is Doing
Posted: July 7, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 2 Comments
I got up early to fly to Maine as my distraction from Carter’s departure to camp. Russ generously drove me to the airport and I had no problem making my flight to Boston. I got on the Jet Blue plane and as I was taking to my seat mate I realized that we were not taking off on time. The pilot came on and told us of a potential slow leak of a tire and announced the need for a mechanic.
All the passengers deplaned as one lone mechanic jacked the plane up and took off the big ass wheel with thirty lug nuts and switched the tires out. I guess that I am happy to have a three hour delay rather than a blown tire at landing, but it meant I missed my Cape Air connection to Rockland.
Cape Air may be the smallest airline working in the mainland US. If you remember the TV show wings you saw Cape Air’s fictional inspiration. I visited the Cape Air desk and the guy told me that Rockland was fogged in so my flight was not going there anyway. They were able to rebook me on one of the nine seats of the Augusta flight.
Thankfully my friend Warren was happy enough to drive the hour up to Augusta rather than the ten minutes to Rockland. That is why I come up here to visit him. My other option was to rent a car at Logan and drive the two and a half hours, but with a drop off fee for returning the car to a different location would have cost $165, highway robbery.
The only good part about having to wait my extra hours at the Cape Air gate during the summer is that you always see someone famous. Today I sat next to Leslie Stahl. She was smaller, whiter and thinner than she looks on TV, but very nice.
Eventually I got to Maine and have had fun rearranging my friend Warren’s kitchen to better suit my cooking for tomorrow our friends Shannon and Julie arrive and then the real fun begins.
Thankfully Carter got to camp safety and Russ is snuggled down at home with the baby Shay allowing me a week in Maine. I guess that a eight hour trip flying is still much better than a two day trip driving. I’m just happy to be back in Maine.
Last Night
Posted: July 6, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
Tomorrow Carter takes herself off to camp to have her first real job as a counselor. This is the first time that Russ and I don’t get to drive her up to the mountain. Of course it also means we don’t have to drive up and back in the same day. No watching the temperature drop exactly ten degrees as we climb the mountain.
This is the job Carter has been working to get since she first set foot at Cheerio as a camper eight years ago. If you asked Carter who her favorite people on earth were they were the people who made camp magical and now she gets to be one of those people for all her campers.
It will be six weeks of little sleep, lots of laughing, cool nights, games, activities and the best friends in the world. I hope it is everything Carter ever dreamed of. In a strange turn of events Carter’s co-counselor in her cabin is also named for a President, Reagan, so they have a theme for their cabin.
Tonight after all the packing and cleaning of her room were done we went for Asian food since it is the one thing she will miss about home. Well Asian and Shay Shay. I’m sure as she pulls out of the driveway she won’t even look back.
She won’t have to make the whole drive alone since she is picking up her friend Jovi, who is also a counselor, at the Greensboro airport. What an adventure she is in for. The best first job she could ever have, one she has been training for for years.
Drive carefully, sweet girl. All of us at home will miss you, but we know you won’t have a moment to miss us.
Standing By The Open Freezer
Posted: July 5, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Growing up without air conditioning we often would go and stand in the freezer section of the grocery store on really hot days. Back then, at the Village Market, the freezers were the chest kind without any lids or doors so they cold would just hang there around the Swanson TV dinners and cool off. You had to kind of lean into the freezer waiting for the cold to engulf your hot sweaty body. It was a pleasurable thing.
Now, thank goodness, I live in a house with air conditioning. Today was the kind of hot day that would have made me want to go to the Village Market and stand by the freezers. Sadly that is what I ended up doing in my own house, unnecessarily. Well, not to get cool.
The freezer in our garage is the worst model for draining. I am no freezer expert, but it seems like we have a very badly designed machine. Water from somewhere drips in the freezer and rather than going out into the pan it collects inside the freezer. Overtime it backs up inside the whole bottom and back wall of the compartment and eventually forces the door open.Today was the open door day which meant I absolutely had to defrost the freezer.
So like my childhood summer days, I stood beside the open freezer chilled by the giant blocks of ice. The only difference was I was hammering the ice, heating it with a blow dryer and pulling out all the food to see if it was salvageable.
I have come to the conclusion that I should just stop freezing food because most of the time it does not get eaten and I have to deal with it when the freezer gives way. I need to live like the British and only have one tiny freezer compartment, enough for one tiny ice cube tray.
Working to remove giant logs of ice is in no way as pleasurable and just standing by the freezer section cooling off. I was hot, sweaty and filthy by the time this terrible job was done. The only good news is that the freezer got very cold right away after I plugged it back in when it was clean and empty. I am going to wait and see if any water collects in the next day before I add anything to the box. If I can just figure out how to get the dripping water to exit through the drain I might never have to do this job again, but that probably involves a level of engineering I do not possess. Remember I am working with brain which was happy just to lean by the frozen peas and carrots.
Posted: July 4, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Happy Fourth of July! My dad had complained to me in May that he never sees Carter. May is the worst month to complain about not seeing a high school junior what with AP exams, and regular exams and final papers and projects. I promised that he would get to see her before she left for her summer job as camp counselor.
Thank goodness I was able to keep that promise. We spent the day at the farm with my parents and had the big surprise of getting to see my sister and her partner Sophie and her dog Zoe. It was Shay’s first time to meet her dog cousin who had been reported to be overly protective of Sophie when other dogs were around. Apparently Shay did not get the memo that Zoe might not like her and they got along fine, especially since Zoe let Shay lead on the farm walk.
It was a cool and overcast Forth, but we did force ourselves into the pool for a short dip, but not Shay Shay. She never liked the pool and the cooler weather gave her every excuse to stay out. She did however get snuck lots of tenderloin by her best partner in crime Russ.
All in all it was her kind of holiday. Ride in the car, check. Ride all the way on Daddy’s lap, check. Run free at the farm, check. Wear herself out, check. Passed out on the big bed at home, check. Making your dog, and your parents happy at the same time, check, check, check.
Glad we could all be together. Happy Forth of July.
What’s The Plan?
Posted: July 3, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentOn the eve of the Fourth of July I would like for us to think back to our founding fathers who understood the need for a plan to govern our new nation. They were a diverse group of men who did not always agree on everything, but they did inherently understand the need for structure to run the country and worked on it diligently until they came up with the Declaration of Independence, as well as a constitution and bill of rights later. This is not a political blog, so to speak, so please don’t send me responses debating my point of view. This is a blog about thinking about picking leaders with a plan.
It is clear to me that the majority of people are fed up with our political leaders and who can blame them. Being unhappy with the way things are going makes people want change. Bernie and Donald both have made traction with the idea that things have got to change even though they come at it from totally opposite sides. The majority of voters in the UK also wanted change and thus Brexit passed.
If things are not going well change is a good idea, but changing without a plan is not. It’s not exactly change that we want, but improvement. Improvement takes thoughtfulness and strategy. Not political strategy just to win, but strategy to compromise to make changes.
In the UK the people that were leading the exit group had no plan about what it would really mean if they won. They whipped people up in a furry promising that the country would be better off leaving the EU and when people blindly followed them they quickly discovered that the so called Brexit leaders did not exactly understand what it meant to untangle themselves from their relationship with the EU. It was fervor without a plan.
Our congress in the last few years has done nothing. They don’t legislate, they don’t negotiate, they don’t plan, when they do vote they mostly vote no. Seems like if congress is not going to do anything we don’t need them. Why pay for people who are about not doing their jobs?
The presidential race is the worst mess we have seen in a long time. Never have we had candidates who are so disliked. But these are the choices we have and we have got and we have to be involved and make a decision.
It is time to ask all our leaders “What is the plan for improvement?” We need to not just follow people blindly who are espousing change because we are sick of the status quo. Change for changes sake could be much worse.
I have heard so many people say they are not going to vote for anybody because they do not “like” the candidates. That makes you part of the do-nothing group, like congress. Instead of opting out so you can say, “I didn’t vote for that idiot,” listen carefully to the plans of the candidates and vote for the one who has the one that makes the most sense to you.
That assumes that a candidate has a plan. If they don’t, I suggest that is the worst choice. Wishful thinking that a candidate knows what they are going to do if they win is not always the case. Look at Britain.
If you want change, work to make it happen. It is not the most important thing that you like your President, it is most important they they are competent, have a level of understanding about all that the job entails and can make plans for improvement and carry them out.
As for congress I don’t know what the answer is. With as bad as the Presidential race is seems like Congress is the true mess. I think they are thankful for the spotlight on Donald and Hilary so they can continue to do nothing under the radar. I suggest doing nothing is not a plan.
Missing Spain Andalusian Gazpacho
Posted: July 2, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
In our house we don’t agree on our favorite type of gazpacho. I normally make a chunky, spicy, no olive oil version because it is the most healthy. Russ likes that kind, but it is not Carter’s favorite. She learned to make Gazpacho in Spanish class the traditional way, well blended with bread and oil. Bread and oil!!! Now it is something naughty.
Last week when we were in Seville, the home of real gazpacho, I enjoyed their version, well blended, a little pink, thanks to the bread, not spicy, but refreshing and flavorful. I came to appreciate a version different than my own.
Now that we have been home three days I am missing Spain and that cold yummy soup so I decided to recreate what I had there. This version tasted very similar, although I did not have any sherry vinegar and used champagne vinegar instead. I think if I had used the right vinegar it would be dead on, but this version still made me feel like I was sitting in a sidewalk cafe on a dry 98 degree day.
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, quartered and seeded
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and quartered
1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded and cut in thirds
1 clove of garlic
3 T. Sherry vinegar (I substituted champagne vinegar)
3T. Olive oil
3 inches of a stale French baguette
1/4 cup of spicy V-8
1/4 cup of water
Salt and pepper
Put everything except the salt and pepper in a powerful blender and turn the power on the slowest speed and blend for 15 second and slowly increase the speed until everything is well puréed.
Season to taste.
Chill and enjoy as if you don’t have a care in the world, like a Spaniard.
Happy Canada Day
Posted: July 1, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
For us American-centric USA dwellers I want you to take a moment and celebrate our great neighbor to the north, Canada for today is Canada Day. It is a little like fourth of July, but without all that celebration about not being part of Great Britain anymore.
Canada does not get the credit it deserves for putting up with us. I have never heard mention by anyone Canadian the need to put up a big ass wall to keep their southern neighbors from trying to sneak in the country and do a hard days work for underpayment. Not only do they not talk about a wall, they never talk bout making us pay for anything for them.
Unlike the isolationist crowd who thoughtlessly voted for Brexit in the UK, Canada is a most welcoming place. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees into Canada and even went to the Toronto Airport when the first group came in 2015. That same year we said we would only take 10,000 then many states started putting up barriers to let any into their state. If I were a refugee, I think I would pick Canada over the US.
In the years that I had the pleasure of working in Canada I was welcomed into many of my clients’ homes for meals when I would come to visit their city. Stuart and Saundra Wright, two of my favorite people I got to know while working with Stuart are a shining example of Canadian hospitality.
Of course there is my best Canadian friend, David MacKay. Thanks to the kindness of his family I got to know Canadian cottage life at Grand Lake in New Brunswick.
If you have never been to Canada I suggest you make it your next vacation destination. From the maritimes in the east, the French Canadians in Quebec, the metropolitan life of Toronto in Ontario, the windiest corner in North America in Winnipeg, the comically named capital of Saskatchewan –Regina, the cowboys in Alberta, or the spectacular mountains of British Columbia, Canada has something for everyone and they are not selfish about keeping it to themselves.
We are lucky to have such a nice neighbor to our north. I hope we can learn from their example and be an equally good neighbor to the north and the south. Happy Canada Day! You are a wonderful country full of the nicest people.
Farewell Good Friend
Posted: June 30, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
I had to come home from Spain specifically for today. I had a hair cut appointment . It was not just any appointment, but the last day with my beloved hairdresser, Kathy Jacobs. After at least a dozen years of her doing my hair Kathy is retiring from hairdressing to move to a farm in Georgia.
Kathy has been my hairdresser longer than anyone else I have ever gone to. I have loved her not just for doing my hair, but as a sharerer of recipes, story teller, and friend.
I am a well documented bad doer of my own hair. I grew up in the Marcia Brady era of straight hair parted down the middle. I have no skills when it comes to styling, being a spaz when it comes to folding a hair dryer and a brush at the same time. Don’t even get me started on the dangers of a curling iron.
Kathy appreciated all these things about me. She was able to cut my hair in a way that it could do itself when I got out of the shower. She never made me feel bad bout being a hair moron as well as never pushing me to do hair treatments, like coloring my hair. I am mousey brown and she was fine with that. Yes, color enhancement could do something for me, but Kathy understood I had little tolerance for sitting in the chair longer than an hour a month.
When Carter broke her leg and had a cast from her toe to her hip for six weeks it was Kathy who came to the rescue. She washed Carter’s adolescent hair every other day for those six weeks and saved my relationship with my daughter. For that and so many other reasons I am eternally indebted to her.
I know that she will go on to do great things, but I am going to miss her, not just for my hair, but for my friend. Good luck raising blueberries and restoring your old farm, Kathy. Just know that if you tire of the green aces life, the city and all your beloved customers will still be here missing you, with me at the front of the line.
Re-entry
Posted: June 29, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
It was an easy flight from BCN to JFK. Carter and Russ sat with each other in their introvert section and I sat across the aisle with a cute 85 year old mother of 10 and her number seven son who just toured Paris, Rome and Barcelona with his three college aged kids. She had a lot to tell me so it was good we were sitting in that configuration.
BCN is the first world airport compared to JFK. Customs and Immigration was fine thanks to global entry, but moving from terminal four to terminal two was a a third world experience. First you have to take the air train a very short distance, but then you take a tiny elevator to the ground level and walk a thousand yards across two streets and into a building that has no escalator and one elevator the size of a pack n’ play to get up to departures.
For some reason Carter and I did not have seats so we have to check in again at the kiosk to get a boarding pass to get through security. The machine did not put pre-check on our boarding passes so we had to wait in the cattle line. None of this is good when it is eleven at night your body time.
Since we had a couple of hours we went to get dinner. Breaking ourselves of our Spanish orientation was hard. As our food was placed in front of me I said “gracias” to our server. Carter looked up at the wall behind me and in her jet lagged-used to being in a highly Catholic country-read the posted sign as “resurrection kit” rather than “resuscitation kit.”
I’m not sure how long Spain will stay with us, but I suspect I will be making Gazpacho tomorrow.
Last Vacation Day Chill
Posted: June 28, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
We awoke early in Seville after staying up late, late, late with our friend Shireen last night. We had gone to Contendor, a very cool restaurant in the Macarena district for the second time since it was the best food we ate in Spain. It was sad to be leaving Shireen after our two day reunion, but we had to get back to Barcelona where our flight takes off from and she has the rest of the world to conquer.
The high speed train rushed up across the whole country and back to the very cosmopolitan city. I picked a different place to stay in for our last night so we could have a taste of another area. Our first accommodations in BCN was an apartment in the swanky Eixample neighborhood, in Seville we stayed in a tiny property right in to idle of the historic district with a terrace over looking the Cathedral.
For our last night I picked a hip place called the Casa Camper right in the thick of the old city. I did not realize that it was a hotel run by the cool, Camper shoe company. I chose it because it had a suite where Carter could have her own room with a hammock as well as a bed, but I did not have to spring for a whole second room.
We arrived and they gave us a tour of the hotel. The 24 hour free food, the roof terrace, the snooker room, the Heath club. Since we had already done the city we decided to chill and do the hotel. We went to the food room and pick out our some lunch, salmon wraps, goat cheese salad, hazel nuts, cheese, watermelon and sweets, got drinks and took our trays up to the roof terrace where we were all alone to relax.
After our late lunch Carter chilled in her hammock and Russ and I walked the neighborhood. Now back for a shower in the fabulous multi he’d shower and out to dinner. A little rest before home. We have loved Spain. The people are chill, the food is yummy, the history is interesting, the weather is good. We are going to have to come back, but I might like to just come back to the Casa Camper and hang in the hotel. It is a real vacation.
Heathens Come to Town
Posted: June 27, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Sometimes we forget that these beautiful cathedrals we are visiting are churches. Today we went to the Cathedral of Seville which towers over our little eleven room hotel. We have been here three days and have enjoyed the glorious peeling of the bells multiple times. Of course they ring on the hour, and sometimes the half and every once in a while on the quarter, but they are a little fickle and sometimes they ring and ring and ring and it’s 7:20. We can’t figure them out, but they do work as an alarm for Carter to get up.
The Cathedral is a major money making operation. We waited in a long line today to get in at 9 euros a head. They would not give Carter the student rate since she did not have a student ID, there is no explaining that her school does not issue ID’s. As we were waiting in the snake of a line through the gift shop, Russ looks over at a shelves of books and asks, “Carter, who is that cartoon character over there?” She glances at the shelf with her young eyes and says in her most droll tone, “Jesus.”
This Cathedral is filled with fantastic works of art, mostly of Jesus and his mom, but some lesser known Popesand randomness nuns are also featured. One other famous person has his crypt in the Cathedral, Christopher Columbus, since this was the most powerful maritime location in Spain and the place Isabella and Ferdinand ruled from, sending Christopher Columbus off to the new world from this place 50 miles inland.
We walked all around the main floor of the Cathedral that has just a little seating for actual worship. As Russ passed by a four year old Asian girl, sitting on a pew, who was holding a giant I-phone 6 swiping wildly, he heard her muttering, “Wifi, wifi, why can’t I get any wifi?” Seems like the Catholic Church could charge an extra euro per head if they made the whole inside of the Cathedral a hotspot. Might also do something to get butts in the pews for services, but then again they might need more actual seats.
After finishing looking at the main floor we climbed the tower, known as “la Giralda” the 35 story minaret, that was built for the original Muslim mosque and was engulfed into the Cathedral when the Christians drove the Muslims out. The tower has ramps instead of stairs so the climbing is easier. It was built that way so that soldiers could ride up to the top on their horses. I can not imagine a horse making the turns on the narrow corners on the way up, let alone not slipping on the stone ramps on the way down.
The climb to the top was worth it because we could see all of Seville and the surrounding countryside from that highest point in the city. Somehow we timed our visit perfectly because no bells rang while we were standing just feet below them.
After the climb down we needed liquid refreshment so we went to a cafe with our friend Shireen and sat under the mist spraying umbrellas and did what has become our favorite afternoon activity in the heat of Seville, to talk and tell stories.
Tonight is our last night in this beautiful town. We are going back to have dinner at our favorite restaurant, far from the tourist section of town. Hopefully the temperature will be below 100 when it is time to walk to dinner.
Surprise Spanish Reunion
Posted: June 26, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Nineteen years ago I spent the best year of my working life going around the world making TV commercials with a fabulous group of people. One of my favorite people was my friend Shireen,my travel specialist, who is probably the happiest most easy going person I had ever met. We were quota pair, I was the hard ass and she was the magic fairy who always made everything good happen. 
Although we were working it was not bad to do it in South Africa, Bali, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Vancouver. The worst part about that assignment being over is that I did not get to work with Shireen again as I stayed in London and she went back to the states. Over the years we have kept in touch through the wonder of Facebook, but have not seen each other since she worked in LA.
Fast forward to yesterday. Shireen quit her job and is two months into a year traveling around the world. When she saw we were coming to Seville she did too and we have had the best reunion. She arrived last night and we caught up at dinner where she got to meet Carter and see Russ, who she had only met when he came to two days of our Puerto Rico shoot. Carter took an instant liking to her, especially when Shireen told Carter that one of her best customer’s was Joe Jonas.
Today we just folded Shireen into our family and did our touristy things. We started the day at the Real Alcazar. In this case “real” does not mean the opposite of fake, but instead means Royal. It is a palace of Seville that had once been an Islamic Palace, then a Christian Spanish one. After our great tour of Pompeii last year with a private guide I decided that we should do the same here since I did not know the history of this area very well. So we met Manuel at the Palace before it opened and had a wonderful tour where he explained all the complicated history of Seville to us.
After visiting the gardens Manuel walked us through the Jewish section abutting the Islamic palace and gave us the quick version of the inquisition. History is so much more memorable when you are walking in the place where it took place.
Before parting with Manuel he pointed us in the direction of a non-touristy area for lunch. Full of gazpacho and tapas after lunch Carter left us to do her own thing and Shireen, Russ and I walked the city for hours. Exhausted and dirty we went to clean up before going to dinner at a most beautiful restaurant on the river that unfortunately had the worst food. The only good thing was the light was beautiful for pictures. We walked back to the area where we all were staying and said goodnight to Shireen with promises for our continued touring tomorrow. Russ and Carter said it was much more fun for me to have a friend on vacation with us and next year we should bring one for Carter too. Russ declined a friend. I’m just glad to spend time with my old friend.
Seville Equals Spain
Posted: June 25, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
When I learned about Spain as a child this is what was taught to me — bull fights, Flamenco dancers, gazpacho, hot days, beautifully painted tiles, sangria, oranges, dark haired beauties. This is the Spain we have found in Seville. Well, everything but the bull fights. That is something our animal loving selves can skip.
The morning was beautiful, not too hot so we walked to the Plaza de Espana, the beautiful Renaissance revival style building built for the 1928 Iberio-American Exposition. Try explaining what expositions were to a millennial internet child. The idea that countries would gather in one spot for a year to display new inventions, foods, and the like and promote themselves seems totally foreign to Carter. When we explained that the Eiffel Tower was built for an exposition and since it was such a hit they kept it she began to understand.
After wandering the outside we stumbled upon a cool military museum inside. It would not have been something we would have sought out, but loved it. That is the best thing about slow traveling. We are in no rush to see all the “top spots” so if we find something interesting we just do it.
On the other hand, sometimes it makes Carter crazy when I stumble upon something. Like the white dove I found in the Plaza. I wanted to get a picture of it and we to wait patiently for it to fly by me. After getting a still photo I wanted a video. It was worth waiting to catch it in slow motion.
After a lunch of Gazpacho and a little rest we went to a Flamenco show. Wow! From our front row seats we were practically at eye level with the dancers feet. How in the world this woman could tap her feet at different speeds at the same time I will never know. Russ was concerned about stress fractures.
Tonight we are meeting up with an old friend of mine, Shireen, who is traveling around the world and we somehow made it to Seville at the same time. This is the best surprise of the trip. I love traveling!
BCN To Seville By Ground
Posted: June 24, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
It would have been a perfect day to take a nap, but somehow I was the only one who did not. We were up at the crack of dawn this morning to catch the early Renfe AVE, high speed train from Barcelona to Seville. It was five and a half hours and Carter made good use of that time to nap. I, on the other hand, watched out the window so I could take in the whole of Spain since we were transversing from one corner of the country to the other.
I should have slept. What did I see? A lot of olive trees, and other fruit trees which were unidentifiable at three hundred miles per hour. Mountains, hills, plains, wheat, dirt, red dirt, brown dirt, yellow dirt and sand. Throw in some rocks. Every once in a while we might have seen a village, but mostly some deserted stone buildings with holes in the roof. Obviously the high speed line was put in the places that would disturb the fewest people. So no people at all.
The strangest thing is in the whole way across the country I did not see any live stock anywhere. Now I know that the famous hams come from Iberia, where acorns are grown to feed them so it made sense that I did not see pigs, but no chickens, no cows, no lambs, no meat on the hoof anywhere. Maybe the train is bad for animals.
After arriving in Seville were made our way to our little hotel that has a view of the cathedral. That meant we had to be dropped off at the cathedral and meander on foot with our rolling bags down alley ways to find our spot. Only one or two fights broke out during that part of the adventure, of course it did not help that it was 2:30 and we had not had lunch yet.
That remedy came quickly and we completely over ordered at a fab tapas bar. Ordering food to share is great, but we never know how big anything is going to be. We need to start ordering one thing at a time so we can pace ourselves to decided if we are actually hungry. After lunch Russ and Carter both took naps. What was wrong with me? It was almost 100 degrees out and I certainly was not going to going sightseeing in the hottest part of the day.
Eventually everyone got up and we meander through the tiny streets. Still full from lunch we went to a fancy restaurant for late dinner. It was the perfect time to go to an expensive meal because we hardly ordered anything. Russ and I had the best salads that really hit the spot. But I was fading fast, just as nap refreshed Russ and Carter were ready to go. It certainly was cooler in the night air than it had been at five in the afternoon. We are going to have to really start to see Seville tomorrow, after I have gotten some rest. Looking at all those olive trees flying by today really took it out of me.
Barcelona Is For The Dogs
Posted: June 23, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Literally, there are more dogs in Barcelona than almost any city I have seen. Everywhere we went people had their dogs with them. It helps that so many of the restaurants have outdoor seating so dogs are welcome.
The first few days we just admired the cute dogs. It made us all miss Shay Shay so much. But then we realized that Shay was in no way Barcelona trained. These dogs are good. Many times the dog would not be on a leash and would follow at their owners heels in lock step. We did see one cute little yellow dog waiting at the opened door of a bakery while her owner was in shopping. When the owner came out the dog started a step ahead of her to go home and the owner stopped and spoke harshly to the dog who sat at attention feeling badly that she had gone in front and not behind.
It made Carter a little crazy when I started taking photographs of dogs. She said I was stalking them. For the most part they did not know I was taking their picture and no owners were disturbed. The interesting thing was the variety in dog breeds. I am not sure we saw the same dog twice, except for whippets, which I think I saw three or four of.
Even our apartment hotel allowed dogs. I saw one in the lobby. But never heard a peep out of any of them. That was also true of all the dogs we saw on the street. They were quiet and well behaved. Nobody jumped up on anyone or begged. We have clearly done a very bad job of training our dog.
Besides seeing dogs, today we went to see Gaudi’s famous apartment building, Casa Mila, otherwise known as La Perdera, the quarry, which is just across the street from where we are staying. Gaudi was certainly ahead of his time. Thank goodness enough of his work survived to make a whole tourism center on its own. Other cities could only hope to have such a huge economic driver.
Tonight is the festival of Saint Joan, so there are fireworks going off across the city. Of course the noise is not helping on the night we need to go to bed early to catch our early train to Seville. I wonder if there will be any dogs on our train? If there are Carter certainly won’t let me take their picture.
The Things You Do On Vacation That You Never Do At Home
Posted: June 22, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
We have totally gotten into the vacation mode. We have now been in Barcelona long enough that we feel little need to go look at anything, unless you count food. I knew that I had been pushing the cultural aspect of the trip to a point where I could have full blown teenage rebellion. So I searched on Time Out, the guide to what young people like, and found that The Pentatonix were doing a show in Barcelona tonight at a club.
Going to any kind of club, other than Costco, is not something Russ nor I would usually do. Have you ever seen Russ dance? There is a reason for that. But in order to make Carter feel like this was her vacation too we bought tickets for this show.
It was an all teenage day. Sleeping late, then Carter and I had a little cafe breakfast before doing some clothes shopping for her. Good egg Russ, worked while we played. The only thing we did without Carter’s consent was walk La Rambla and eat lunch at the Mercado de La Boqueria, the big market place. It was full of all kinds of stalls selling fresh fish, cooked to order, fresh fruit, Spanish tapas, ham, cheese, all things yummy. The part that did not make Carter happy was that we were not doing a sit down lunch. Oh well! It was hot, but that made coming back to the hotel and swimming on the roof even better.
We had our best dinner yet at La Pepita – early tapas, before going to this Club Razzmazztaz for the concert. It was packed, but we got there with only a few minutes to wait, packed like sardines before the concert started. Carter wiggled her way into the center of the room, while Russ and stood still in the periphery, still mushed between other people. The only good thing is that no one chooses to stand right behind Russ, for obvious reasons.
The concert was really quite good since The Pentatonix are an a Capella group and there was no loud drums or bass. After it was over Carter amazingly found us and a taxi pulled right up and we jumped in, miracles. The best part was Carter announced it was the best concert she had ever been too. Teenage happiness. I killed her buzz a little when I told her we were going to the Casa Mila, the Gaudi building across the street, tomorrow when it opens at nine. What a horrible mother I am to make her get up on her vacation, but hey, she had today.
Strangely Attracted to Puzzles
Posted: June 21, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
Today Russ, Carter and I went to our early morning appointment to see Gaudi’s most famous work, the still unfinished Sagrada Familia Basilica. As crazy looking as it is on the outside, with basically four different styles of facades, the inside is amazingly symmetrical. The stained glass windows are glorious and the various colors of the columns are harmonious.
Of course Gaudi gets most of the credit, although he was not the first architect on the job, nor will he be the last, but the craftsmen who have carried out his drawings are the unsung heroes. The number of artisans it has taken to work on the building since 1882 could hardly be counted. The work continues with the goal of finishing the Basilica in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death. From what I can see it is going to take every waking minute to meet that deadline.
Thank goodness there is plenty of money pouring in from the throngs of tourists. At an average of 24 euros each and the tickets are constantly sold out there seems to be no shortage of funding. Carter especially liked watching the Asian tourists, who made up a large portion of the visitors, because they walked around filming the entire visit. Carter said, “When the hell are all these people going to watch these movies?” Good question, but I’m sure God knows they took them.
I took plenty of photos. I was strangely drawn to a sixteen square stature of random numbers. I did not know what it was, but I took a picture of it nonetheless. Sadly I took the photo at an angle that I could not see all the numbers. Later, in my tour of the museum underneath the temple I found the key to what the number statue was. It was a cryptogram, kind of like the precursor to sudoku, where in many directions a row, column, square or other pattern of four numbers always adds up to 33, the age of Jesus.
It never fails that if there is a game or puzzle in something I am going to find it and study it whether I know it is a game or not. I probably could have spent hours in the Basilica looking for all the symbols and meanings designed into the building, but then I had other’s with me who were not as enthralled with figuring out the puzzle. Well, I also was surrounded by many short people holding up video cameras spinning to ensure they caught every angle. Maybe they like puzzles too and are going to go home and watch their films on endless loops looking for the hidden meanings. Maybe not, they probably have 650 hours of other videos from their whole trip to watch. Probably they just never will watch any of it.
The Siesta Life
Posted: June 20, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Carter and I have quickly adapted to the Spanish schedule. Russ on the other hand is still in full on work mode, although he refrained from working when his girls were awake. Of course since Carter and I slept late and both took naps that gave Russ plenty of time to do as he wanted.
Our first full day in Barcelona was the uphill walking day. I did not mean to trick Carter into this, but somehow I did, and she did not complain. It helped that we were going to the Parc Guell, Gaudi’s failed real estate development, now UNESCO heritage site, that Carter had studied about this year in Spanish class.
We had tickets for the Gaudi house museum, but not tickets for the Parc. Since our timed entrance to the museum was in the afternoon Russ and I convinced Carter that we should walk there. Most of the walk was only a slight incline through a residential area. We stopped at a big mercato which was interesting to all of us with the various stalls of fruits and vegetables, ham, cheese, coffee and other foods. My favorite stall was the egg vendor who had not just chicken eggs, but everything from tiny quail to giant ostrich. The most unusual ones we’re the big black emu eggs, about the size of a grapefruit. If only I spoke Spanish I would have asked the woman where she got these eggs from, unfortunately my translator had already moved on.
As we continued up steeper and steeper slopes we still could not see the Parc, we turned a corner and saw high above us the edge of the Parc. According to our walking app, it was only about 20 flights of stairs up. Thankfully we happened upon an outdoor escalator that took us three flights up. Once we discovered that we also needed tickets for the monument zone of the Parc we bought those for the next available entry time, three and a half hours later.
We wandered the free part of the Parc looking out over all of Barcelona to the sea. Then we walked back down the hill to find lunch at a small family owned place called a Bar Casi. It was not much to look at, but it was a great find. The owner was sweet and we had the best gazpacho which was a welcome and refreshing thing to have after our hill climb.
After lunch we re-climbed that steep hill to get to our appointed visit times for the museum and the Parc. Thank goodness Gaudi’s plan for a seventy house development failed because if it had not the world would not be left with the most beautiful view of Barcelona. The serpentine benches covered with mosaic of colorful tile are an inspired scene, only appreciated much later. The walk seemed worth it.
After a little shopping on our way home Carter and I fell into our beds for a good siesta. Russ who had been up since 5:45 went to the gym because the eight mile walk had not been enough. More Guadi tomorrow, but on the flat.
Father’s Day Barcelona Style
Posted: June 19, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Of course my selfless father of my only child gives up his day to make his daughter happy. It is not unlike my own father who never got much a Father’s Day since he was usually doing things for all his girls. I guess you do marry your father.
I am thankful that my father gave me the love of travel. He took his girls around the world and exposed us to history, beauty and the joy of differences. Russ has done the same for Carter. Now all she wants to do is leave home and see the world.
We arrived today in Barcelona, a place I have never been. I have no Spanish or Catalonian language skills and I would say that Russ is, well rusty would be putting it mildly. This trip is all on Carter. She has to translate, communicate, navigate and direct.
We checked into our apartment right across the street from the Casa Mila, one of Gaudi’s masterpiece buildings. Carter was in heaven recognizing things she had studied. After a lunch in a cafe on the sidewalk we took siestas. For me it was more like a good night’s sleep.
Sunday is a day of rest here so most restaurants are closed for dinner. Our concierge sent us to a place that was a nice twenty minute walk from our place that had seafood and live music. We arrived at nine and it was a little dark, but since the sun was still out we did not notice too much.
Turns out the power was out. The emergency lights provided enough light so we could navigate. They said the power would be back on very soon so we just went with it since we had so few options at this point. We ordered salads and Paella. One by one the emergency lights started going out, just as the sun was setting. The staff scurried about finding small candles.
The food was good, thanks to gas stoves. We had a leisurely dinner and the only nod to Father’s Day was the fact that we were having a rice meal, Russ’ favorite. Carter also gave him him sock of the month club, the perfect gift while on holiday since it will have to come in the mail.
Sadly their was no music, just a bizarre meal in the dark, but we loved it. All together on Father’s Day, doing what we all like best, seeing a new place. Carter had to do all the talking with the wait staff and it was a new experience for me not to be in charge. All those years of Spanish are finally paying off. I only wish my father were here to enjoy it with us. It is thanks to him that I love going new places.
Happy Father’s Day to the wonderful fathers in my life. I am thankful for you both.
Amateurs
Posted: June 18, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 CommentIt was a shit show at the airport tonight. We arrived early enough for our JFK flight that we were put on the delayed earlier flight. It was a good thing since our original flight was going to be late and we were happy to try and get to JFK as fast as we could. The only issue was the flight we were put on was already an hour late and it was full of people trying to make connections to European flights.
We were the last ones on the flight and as we sat down I felt the anger from the passengers around us, as if we were holding up the plane. Then we sat there. The old men sitting behind me kept yelling out, “Let’s get going.” For all the thousands of flights I have flown I am yet to know a pilot who decides to depart because someone told him to go, then again I have never been on hijacked flight.
We sat, and sat and finally were told that there was an air conditioning value that was stuck open and we were waiting to get it fixed. The old men, screamed, “we can live with a cold plane.” Again, no one listened to them. The wife of one of the old men kept asking the flight attendant to “Call New York and have them hold my plane to Prague.” These people really never fly much.
I know it is frustrating to miss your connection, especially for a valve problem, but screaming out from your seat never helps. The family in front of us was going to London and also had a lot of choice bits of advice for the flying professionals.
Seems to me that old people should not try and go to Europe during the height of summer vacation. The planes are more full, the flights get more delayed and they don’t have any patience for snafus. Old people have the luxury to go in the low season. As for the family, they probably have to travel during summer break, but maybe they should have planned a longer layover at JFK just in case of delay.
We finally took off and flew like a bat out of you know where to NYC in time for everyone to make their connections, but then when we landed there was another plane in our gate and we sat and sat and sat. The screaming continued and they were really choice words.
People jumped up from their seats well before we were at the gate and the flight attendants didn’t say a word. At this point they just wanted them off the plane. We stayed seated, letting the tight connectors off first. I just wanted to put as much distance between me and the screamers as possible.
Now we are safely on our Barcelona flight where everyone is in a party mood. My only problem is I forgot my eye covering mask, but no worries, I have NyQuil.
A Chicken In Every Dog Bowl
Posted: June 17, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 3 Comments
Carter snapped this unattractive pic of me when she and I stopped in Costco to buy just one item, a rotisserie chicken for our dog Shay Shay. Yes, it may sound like we spoil our dog, but I want to make the case for our choice of foods.
Shay is a picky eater. Unlike most dogs she does not live to eat. She usually does not beg. If you put her food down, she stays on her bed for a respectable three or four minutes and then gets up to eat. When I say eat, she just eats enough to take the edge off leaving most of her food in her bowl.
Shay does not get purely rotisserie chicken for her meals. The majority of her meal is dry food. She gets just a few shreds of chicken on top which makes her even consider eating the dry food. Without the chicken, or in a pinch a few shreds of cheese, she would never touch the dry food and would rather mope around hungry for days.
This menu came about after many months and dollars of trying different dog foods. Canned dog foods, the types in little plastic bins, frozen, fresh, everyday food we made did not interest her. It was costing us a fortune to figure out what she might eat.
Then one day I brought home a $4.99 chicken from Costco. Shay went mad. I was thrilled. It is cheaper than dog food, smells better than dog food and does not stink up my refrigerator like a half covered half portion of canned dog food. When I get a warm chicken home I leave it on the counter long enough to cool so I can handle it. I put on a pair of disposable rubber gloves and shred every bit of meat off that chicken. I can get two quarts of Shay ready food that will last almost two weeks. One quart goes in the freezer until needed. That makes her chicken portion of her daily food cost only .35 cents so it is much cheaper than dog food.
I see this as an everyone wins situation. I am not grossed out opening a can of smelly dog food that I have no idea what is in it, I don’t need to have a separate dog food can opener and I have the happiest dog on earth. Yes, I do drive to Costco to buy her chicken because their chickens have twice as much meat as the $6.99 Harris Teeter chicken. Usually I am going by a Costco at least once every other week anyway.
So don’t judge me and the horrible picture Carter posted about chicken for my dog. I would do the same for you if you loved me as much as Shay does.
Friend Day
Posted: June 16, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentOnce a year we have Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day and even administrative assistants’ day, but as far as I am concerned every other day should be Friend’s Day. I am glad that no one has created one day a year to celebrate friends so we can do it all the time.
Today was a particularly good friend day. It started out with a long planned trip to Chapel Hill needlepoint with my friend Lane and her assistant Sarah so they could learn to needlepoint. Lane and Sarah got a look at my big ass plastic box where I keep my needlepoint Christmas ornaments and declared they wanted to start making them for themselves. That was in October and we finally got around to scheduling their visit and lessons.
My friend Deanna came along to stitch at the table with us and many other fun stitching friends stopped by while Lane and Sarah were conquering the basket weave. Thankfully Nancy provides the best place for friends who love needlepoint to gather. Everyday at Chapel Hill Needlepoint is friend day.
After that planned friend excursion I had a surprise Friend Day meet up. My Pi Phi big sister, Marlene “Bodene” Ostrow of Cincinnati, called and said she was visiting her sister in Raleigh. So I drove over and met her son Jordan, her sister and niece. They left us so Marlene and I could have a good two hours of old friend catch up time. We have known and loved each other since 1979, but there were many years, before the Internet and Facebook where we lost track so tonight was fun to fill in the gaps.
Yesterday I found my old friend, Jay, from Washington days, on Facebook and we reconnected after twenty years apart. How quickly you pick up with someone as if you just went on vacation for a few weeks.
I think that I would like everyday to be Friend Day, because then I would be assured of having nothing but fun. Today was way more fun than administrative assistant day, but maybe that is because I don’t have one. Friends are better than anything else anyway.
Shameless Plug
Posted: June 15, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
My sister Janet owns a business that makes gift boxes filled with beauty products that are sold at America’s big retailers. Part of her business also involves selling other beauty related products, like the Travelo, a small perfume atomizer that you fill with your own bigger perfume that you don’t want to carry around. It is cool.
Janet just posted that one of her products is going to be on Good Morning America on the Deals and Steals segment. She could not tell me what it is, but whatever it will be a big discount from the list price.
The name of Janet’s business is Retail Reaction so of you are able to watch GMA in the morning look for her product. I will post on Facebook, which one it is during the show. If y miss watching live I am sure you can log on to GMA and see what the Deals and Steals are after they have aired on TV.
It is fun to see my sister’s products featured on TV. She has worked so hard to grow her business and she deserves every success. Yeah Janet!
No More Wisdom
Posted: June 14, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 Comment
I failed as a mother today. Carter went to the oral surgeon to have her four wisdom teeth removed. It was an appointment she has had since October. This being the perfect time, after exams and the ACT, before our family trip to Spain and her summer job as camp counselor. For months Carter has been waiting for me to film her as she is coming out of an anesthetic haze to see what crazy things she says.
With my finger on the red dot I was sure I was capturing those incoherent words, “Mommy, you look like the candy man in that stripped shirt.” Unfortunately, I was on pause and got nothing recorded for posterity. The good news is that Carter came through the surgery with flying colors. She was a little loopy, but sweet, not crazy mean, and she is still plenty smart, even without those wisdom teeth.
I got her home and on to the couch where she was able to watch “Bones” and hardly take a pain killer. She was a good sport about wearing her face bra, that holds ice packs to her cheeks. The incentive of the trip kept her following all the directions to the letter. The best thing she said to the nurse before leaving was “this is the smallest bra I will ever wear.”
I’m sorry that I missed the video opportunity. I hope this is the last time Carter has to have anesthesia, it is not worth the risk just to get those few moments of true unadulterated honesty. Mostly I am thrilled that everything went so well. Looking forward to some uneventful, pain free healing days before our flight. The Dr. said it will be fine for her to go, good thing since I did not consultant him before hand. See I really am a bad mother.
The Other Disgusting News You Missed This Weekend
Posted: June 13, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 4 Comments
Our country is at a low point and perhaps the lowest act got little media attention because a bigger story took all the news time. I’m not arguing that the massacre in Orland is not one of the worst things to happen in this country since 9/11, but I feel that it is the act of one crazed, demonic, horrible person.
The “news you might have missed” act I am upset about is the Republican Senator from Georgia, David Perdue, who at an event this weekend called The Faith and Freedom Summit asked the room to pray for President Obama a line from Psalm 109:8, “Let his days be few; and let another take his office.” The next line in the psalm goes on to say, “Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.”
I find it disgusting that a sitting senator asks God to kill our president. What has happened to this country? It is no wonder that deranged people feel it is right to go into a night club and gun down innocent people when there are elected people who are espousing death to the President. What has happened to civility?
If we are looking for what is the cause of great increase in violence look not only to the NRA, who stands in the way at every move of any discussion of common sense gun legislation, but to the people who are elected to govern who spout hatred. Their “religion” is not recognizable to me as the teachings of Jesus. The psalms are Old Testament and although many are beautiful poems, not all of the Old Testament are things we would embrace as good ways to run a so called evolved society. We gave up “an eye for an eye” a while ago.
So, Senator David Perdue, here is an idea that worked for many years in the Senate, try and talk to each other, try and compromise, try and listen to each other, try and put your self in the other sides shoes, try and actually legislate. Praying for God to kill the other side is not a legislative plan. I suggest you pray for God to give you wisdom, patience, and an open heart to find better way to run the country. You may not have spoken the follow-up line in Psalm 109, but your audience knew it and made the connection you laid out for them, “make the President’s children fatherless.”
If you are a Christian I would get down on my knees and ask for forgiveness because asking God to kill someone is not what Jesus would ever do. Then when you have finished asking God for forgiveness you should apologize to the President because the office deserves your respect, no matter how you feel about the holder.
The Day After
Posted: June 12, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Since I gave up drinking I can’t stay up late at parties. After a lovely wedding and lots of dancing I finally had to pull the plug and go back to our little heatless cottage and snuggle into bed. My friend David stayed to party on, but eventually walked the wooded path home after midnight. Apparently even David missed the late night drama that took place in the wee hours of the morning when after so many hours of partying things can go awry.
We awoke to a blue sky day so perfect in its crisp beginning to learn of the tragedy that had taken place in Orlando. Wanting to stay in that blissful bubble of new love at a wedding I chose not to read any news stories and instead went to have breakfast with the wedding party at the grand house they had rented for the wedding.
We sat on the lawn with the sun shining on us and did the rehash of the day before. All deciding that Cory and Eric had thrown a glorious wedding. My dearest friend Wendie, the mother of the bride, was surrounded by her oldest and closest friends. Only a wedding brings out so many loved ones at the same time. The conversations go something like this, “Didn’t I meet you at Cory’s baptism?” Or ” I have heard so many stories about you from Wendie, at last I get to know you.”
The after part of a party is probably my favorite part. Cory and her sister Bonnie lay on the grass looking at the Instagram posts from all the wedding guests and loving getting the different perspectives of the wedding. It is such a new phenomenon. I handed Cory my phone and let her scroll through the photos I had taken and airdrop the ones she wanted right to her own phone.
After all the loving on each other was done David and I had to depart. On our way back north we stopped in Plymouth to grab a bite to eat since we were going to be on planes tonight. We parked the car and walked the tourist route passed Plymouth Rock. It was a rather small boulder, about the size of a wheelbarrow with the number 1620 inscribed on it. It was a good thing those pilgrims got there in 1620, otherwise they might have trouble finding a rock with 1621, or 1623 in it.
That was when the Orlando Massacre hit me. Those pilgrims came fleeing religious persecution and created a place where they were free to worship and now we have a crazy person miss using religion to persecute others.
I had spent the weekend surrounded in wedding bliss, enjoying the obvious love that Cory and Eric have for each other, I want to ignore the horrible hate that happened else where, but can’t. I don’t know how we do it, but somehow we need to rise up in love and learn to all live in harmony.
Wedding Day
Posted: June 11, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
There is something surreal about coming to a wedding of a someone you have known for 31 years, seen lots in the early years and not as much since she was seven or eight. I have the bride frozen in my mind as a little girl, when I lived close to her parents. As life changed and people move you keep up, but the images in your head don’t change.
Of course it seems this way because the mother of the bride, my friend Wendie, has not changed one bit in 31 years, so the fact that she has a daughter, not only old enough to be married, but old enough to throw her own wedding took some time to register in my head.
The wedding was at a beautiful old house on the cape. The chairs for the ceremony were set up at the foot of a hill with a gorgeous stair case leading down from the house to a landing that acted as the alter. A big white tent was set up on the lawn, filled with tables strewn with wild flowers in mason jars. Yard games of corn hole and giant Jenga were awaiting people to play them.
David and I rented a house on the property and were joined by two of Wendie’s boarding school friends, Amelia and Margarita. It was a calm morning. David and I went to the beach before coming back to dress for the 3:00 wedding. Just as we were arriving at the big house the rain began. Guests mingled under the tent, enjoying drinks and meeting friends and family of the bride and groom.
After a while it appeared that the rain had stopped so chairs were toweled off and the ceremony began. About halfway through the rain started up again. At first just a drop or two and then a little harder. Guests who were smart enough to bring umbrellas pulled them out and someone handed one to the bride’s sister who held it over the bride. Eric, the groom, stood stoically in the rain as he read his heartfelt vows. Finally someone gave the best man an umbrella and he sheltered his brother as Cory read her sweet words of love and devotion to him.
Despite the rain, it was a truly beautiful wedding. I saw darling Cory, the baby I had known so well, as a calm and happy bride. I saw so much of her father, who I miss since his passing twenty five years ago, and know that he would love his new son-in-law and feel that Cory had made a great choice.
After the kiss we went back to the tent, talked and visited, then ate a big lobster meal before going to the barn to dance. It was a lovely, happy day. A perfect beginning.
Full Circle
Posted: June 10, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Appropriately I am working on my needlepoint canvas entitled, “the wedding party” on my flight to Boston. I am on my way to the Cape for the wedding of Cory, who, along with her sister Bonnie, were the flower girls in my wedding to Russ.
I am thrilled to be going to be with my dear friend, David, who is Carter’s godfather and my first friend in Washington DC. It was David who introduced me to Wendie, the bride’s mom, who became my bosom buddy.
David lived in the apartment above mine in our brownstone in Dupont circle. He worked in PR with Wendie, who was married to Bob. Back then I was the youngster of the group. That was until Cory was born. We all fawned all over her, taking her with us everywhere, to the beach, the farm, on picnics. She was our communal baby. Well, maybe not David’s, he was more like the royal photographer, documenting every step, drawing up pictures of what she would look like dressed up in princess costumes.
When Cory turned one, Bob and Wendie threw a big party. I spent days helping Wendie make food for all the friends and family she was expecting. The highlight was four sheets of carrot cakes that spelled out “Cory”. It was at least six feet long. Thank goodness she was not named Elizabeth because I took an ungodly amount of shredded carrots just to make those four cakes.
In a circle of life way David and I gave Cory and her husband to be Eric a kitchen aid mixer as a wedding present. Turns out to have been just the gift since Cory is baking her own wedding cake. I’m glad it got to her at the right time so she was able to use it make the many layers of cake she needs.
Russ is staying home with Carter because she has the ACT tomorrow. So this weekend is going to be like stepping back in time twenty five years, just now we don’t have to carry Cory around on our hip. Sadly, Bob will be missed since he passed away when Cory and Bonnie were very young. I know his spirit will be there. I see him in Cory and Bonnie. He was one of the greats and I miss him still. But I am happy that I get to witness the beginning of this next step in life for Cory and be with Wendie and Bonnie. Oh happy day.
Cucumber Charred Onion Relish
Posted: June 9, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
On Monday night Vivian Howard, star chef of The Chef and the Farmer cooked flank steak with this relish on the side. It was yummy delicious. She demonstrated how to make the relish so this recipe is direct from her. My interpretation is only about amounts. I served it to my guests last night and even the most picky of eaters had second helpings. I not only served it with grilled beef, but also salmon and it worked perfectly on the two of them.
1 English cucumber- peeled in stripes so as to leave half the dark green on – then seeded
2 large red onions
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup of sherry vinegar
1 T. Salt
2 T. Sugar
1/2 t. Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
After peeling the cucumber in stripes, and cutting it in half use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Cut each half into thirds the long way and chop the cucumber strips into half inch chunks. Place in a bowl.
Turn the grill on to high. Peel the red onions and cut the whole onion into 1/2 inch rounds. You may get four from each onion. Rub a little olive oil on the cut sides of the onion and place on the grill to char. It will take about four to five minutes per side.
While the onions are cooking mince the garlic on a micro plane over the cucumbers in the bowl. Add the salt, sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes and mix well.
When the onions are charred on both sides add them to the cucumber bowl, breaking up the rings and toss around. Chill the relish in the refrigerator for at least four hours, but preferably overnight. Add a dash of olive oil right before serving.
The Intern Dinner
Posted: June 8, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 2 Comments
Last week Russ looked at me and said he was going to be out to dinner Monday night because it was the first day of orientation for the new company interns. “Well, yes you are going to be out to dinner, but with me at my Food Bank dinner. I told you about six months ago.” Yes, I told Russ, but I forgot to send him a calendar invite so technically, I was not on his calendar.
“To make up for your missing the intern dinner why don’t we have them for dinner?” I volunteered as my snafu make up. That was met with a resounding, Yes!
Tonight the four rising college senior summer interns, came over with three other employees from the DC office and the wonderful head of talent, head of finance and Russ’ business partner. Carter got a whole evening of seeing what her future holds as a college student. It was fun to get to know these bright young people and listen to what they were interested in.
They were polite, showing up with flowers for me. They were respectful, engaged, curious, and clearly very smart. Everyone had excellent table manners and good social skills. It was nice to see that they could hold their own on the basics. I hope that they have an exciting summer living the life of consultants. Get to do interesting work, feel valued, find their voice and come away from the experience enriched. I also hope that they all love the work and want to be offered a job.
The world of internships is so different than it was when I was in school. I had an internship at the Carlisle Economic Development Center in college, but what I worked on was fairly menial. No one ever taught me anything, valued my point of view or even brought me lunch. I was seen as free labor.
The best part about having a small business is we have team members for dinner. I love getting to know these people and it is great for them to see Russ in non-work mode. Of course he goes right into work mode to do the dishes when everyone is done eating, but that is good for his home-life-balance.
For Russ, any excuse for me to cook party food is good for him. He now has a fridge filled with yummy leftovers. Secretly I know he is happy that the guests did not eat all the tomato pie. Now he is set with the perfect breakfast.
Welcome Summer
Posted: June 7, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 CommentThe notorious junior year of high school is over at our house. Hooray for survival. It was a hard year, but a good year. I am glad it is over. No more exams, AP’s, projects. Now the fun begins. Well, after the ACT on Saturday, then the fun really starts.
I am ready for sleeping in without fear that someone is late for school. Trips to far off lands and close by journeys. Visits with old friends and favorite family. Baseball nights. Floating in the pool. Lightning storms and nights cooled by thunderstorms. Fresh squash from the garden and at least one round of home grown tomatoes. Days spent playing a game or doing a puzzle without any guilt. Coloring books. Dinners on the terrace. Movies in the middle of the day. Ripe peaches. Time with friends.
After a little down time, trip to the beach, wisdom teeth removed, trip to Spain, then Carter’s real summer begins. She takes herself off to her first real job as a counselor at Cheerio. Russ and I won’t make the trip to drop her off at the mountain, since she needs her car at camp. It is her happiest place.
I’m not sure exactly all that we will do while she is gone, but I know I will make the most of everyday the summer brings. I use the time to disconnect from obligations. Check out of meetings. Feel no guilt about not helping. It’s my summer vacation. I’m not sure how many years I get to claim summer vacation once I am not living on a school calendar. So I am going to take advantage of the time to be lazy.
So hello summer. Long, light days. Suit case out. Nothing but fun.
Vivian Howard Is My Hero
Posted: June 6, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Months ago some members of the Food Bank board thought we needed to have a summer event to help kick off the kids summer feeding program. For so many kids summer is the best time of their year. Those are the kids who live in families that have plenty of food. For the children who get meals at school, summer can be a worst time of year. This year the Food Bank is serving 300,000 meals to kids in our 34 county area. That takes a lot of money, people and passion to do.
Tonight was the event those board members envisioned. It was called the Chef’s Feast. Three great local chef’s Eric Gephart of Kamado Grill where the event was held, Walter Royal of the Angus Barn and Vivian Howard of the Chef and the Farmer and star of the PBS series A Chef’s Life cooked for 250 people. Not only did they cook for us, but they gave cooking demonstrations of the food we were eating.
Vivian and her assistant Holly came up and spent the day at the Food Bank which was incredibly generous. I was lucky enough to have lunch with her with some of our key staff members. Her mother would have been proud of her perfect manners because unlike the rest of us at the table who ate our lunch while each person spoke, Vivian stopped eating and listened intently as each person at the table introduced themselves and told her what they did at the Food Bank. After lunch as we walked through the warehouse she asked if she could sit on one of the fork lifts. That’s when we took this photo of her “driving me” through the warehouse.
After spending all day doing things for the Food Bank, Vivian worked the event along with the other chefs. After the main course was served the auction portion of the evening began. Russ and I had brought our friends Chuck and Karen Lovelace who we had gone to the Chef and the Farmer with us last summer. The main auction items were different cooking/eating experiences with each of the Chefs. Vivian’s donation was a cooking class for 10 at her private test kitchen and lunch at the boiler room. The Lovelaces made bets with us what we thought the item would go for.
By the time the auction got to Vivian’s offering the room was buzzing from the amount already raised from the previous offerings. Our table had wanted to bid on Vivian’s item, but we bet that it would go for $10,000 which was too rich for us. We were almost right, but still half wrong.
As the two final bidders were at the $9,500-$9,750 bids Vivian stepped in and offered to give her item twice, once for each of them if they split the difference and both paid $9,600. WHAT? Not only had she spent her day at the Food Bank, done the dinner demonstration, and made a great auction donation, she did it twice.
Wait, I forgot to mention the best thing I ate tonight was her squash casserole. She told us that at the last minute the planners wanted something else’s on the dinner plate and she offered to make 250 squash casseroles at The Chef and The Farmer and bring them to the dinner. This is not simple casserole. It was a four day cooking process and tasted every bit of it.
I can’t say enough good about Vivian. If you have not been to either of her Kinston restaurants, run, don’t walk. Her book is coming out in October and will certainly be worth whatever it costs, especially if it has the squash casserole recipe. Thank you to Vivian for your generosity. Many kids will have food this summer thanks to you, Chef Gephart and Chef Royal.
The Kamado Grill gets an extra big thank you too! They provided their fabulous space and servers for the event. They are a cool restaurant in Raleigh that cooks everything on these special grills. They were very cool about showing me, Chuck and Karen the whole kitchen when we asked. Are going to have to go back and eat there to pay them back for their generosity too.
In the end lots of money was raised, lots of good food was eaten and many people supported the Food Bank. Not bad for a Monday night.
Trying To Do The Right Thing
Posted: June 5, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 CommentIn my continuing effort to clean things out in the house we have lived in for twenty-two years I came upon a few prescription pain killers that we had not taken during various bone breaks, back aches and post surgery spells. A friend had recently told me of her sadness for having to let go a house keeper go because she discovered she had been steeling pain killers from their medicine cabinet.
I don’t think we had any oxy, but there were plenty of codons of various types. I knew that I should not throw the pills in the trash because it is bad if the drugs get into the water supply. So I took the prescriptions in their original bottles back to the pharmacy they came from.
Much to my surprise the pharmacist told me that it is against the rules for them to take old drugs back. I asked her what I should do with them and she told me that the police have drug take in events once in a while. That answer was not satisfactory to me and I asked her if that was my only option. That was when she told me I could put the pills in coffee grounds or kitty litter with some water in a sealed bag and throw them away.
Since we use coffee capsules and don’t have a cat I was a little frustrated with my options. I stopped in to Starbucks and asked them for some old grounds and they gladly gave them to me. I did as I was told, but still felt that it was not the best solution.
Considering the country wide epidemic of painkiller addiction I think we need a better way to dispose of old pills. The idea of keeping them around waiting for a police take back event seems dangerous and irresponsible. Perhaps the laws should be changed that prevent pharmacists from being allowed to take them in. Seems like those who are trained to dispense them are the best qualified to handle doing away with them.
Less Dana, More Good 