I know, I need to lose weight. And seriously, before I go any further I just want to say that going into the age of 50 overweight has to be the dumbest, stupidest thing I have ever done. You always hear it gets harder to drop pounds as you get older, but you don't really understand how much harder it is! It is flipping hard, is what it is.
And now that my right knee has decided it is oh, maybe the knee of a 100 year old hockey goalie, or a football player or some other person who puts lots of strain on their knees. Catcher in baseball! That's another one. My right knee has for several years bothered me when I would drive for long stretches, such as back and forth to Colorado to see Rachel Pie at school. But since my last drive out to Grandma's a month ago? Holy shit. This knee is just killing me. And instead of getting better it seems that I am taking more and more doses of Advil (really it is Walgreen's brand Wal-profin) to get through the day. And if something is in the bottom shelves of the kitchen cabinets? I would rather drive to Target and buy a new one than have to get down on that bad knee and retrieve said object and get back up again.
I have decided that my bad knee has some arthritis in it. And being the smart person I am, I chose to research this on the Google rather than going to see a medical professional. I really hate going to see a doctor. And I wouldn't have any idea what kind of doctor you go to for arthritis. Nor do I know what kinds of tests they administer to determine the type of arthritis or anything else.
But what I do know is this: Without fail every single solitary website about arthritis in the knees says this:
LOSE WEIGHT!!!
LOSE WEIGHT NOW!!
Supposedly every pound you lose takes about 10 pounds of pressure off your knee. And that should help your poor arthritic knee while you figure out whatever else you are supposed to be doing.
And I read this article today. Now, this really is a diet that has my name written all over it! Years ago in a galaxy far, far away I was going to Weight Watchers. This was back when they were strict and not all "oh, let's count points instead of actual nutrition". I can't even understand the new stuff. It makes no sense to me. I like the old way. Hmmmpph.
Anyhoo, back in the day, the Weight Watcher people told you to keep track of how many servings of Protein, Carbs, Vegetables, Fruits, Fats, and Extras. I think that was it. There may be more, but that was the basis of it. And it made sense. And it matched with the guidelines of the pyramid and the heart association and the diabetes people. I was always going way under on my protein counts and struggled to keep my carbs in check. This new stupid pointy thing? I would be all over eating all my points in potatoes, rice, bread and other bad white stuff and screw the damn protein.
When I was a small person in elementary school we had to learn a song about Baked Potatoes.
"A baked potato, burns the fingers, mealy and plump and hot.
A baked potato, burns the fingers, careful because it's hot"
What a lovely ditty that was. But every time I see a hot, fluffy baked potato with the top cracked open to let all that steam rise out, that is the stupid song I get stuck in my head.
And according to the article me wanting to eat all those potatoes might not really be such a horrible thing! Yea!! I need to research further and see if they are going to list everything he ate for the 60 day challenge. And also how potatoes fit with arthritis and knees.
So, bring on the wisdom of the masses! Let me hear from you about what you know about:
A. Knees in general
B. Arthritis in particular
C. Potatoes and diets composed of
D. Losing weight and how horrific it is after you turn 50
E. Why my Christmas decorations are not jumping out of the boxes and draping themselves artfully over all surfaces.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Saturday Stuff
Yes, I am up at the crack of dawn. Yes, it does suck. I am not a morning person. Never have been, never will be. But my little tiny Rachel Pie had a crack of dawn flight this morning so we had to be at the airport 2 hours before that crack of dawn flight, which meant I had to be up even earlier than that!
I am back home from the airport and drinking my morning tea and thinking about going back to bed. It's always sad when people leave, but most especially if it is one of my kids. That's the hardest thing.
Thanksgiving day was really nice. The food was fabulous, the company was spectacular, and the conversation was great. The only bad thing that happened that day actually happened to my poor s-i-l, who was making a few of the dishes and bringing them over. She was loading the food in the car and dropped one pie on top of the other one. And bam, just like that! There was no pie. That's pretty flipping sad, is what that was.
So I trotted on over to Luby's and picked up a few pies and was back in no time. No harm, no foul. Except for all the time and ingredients and effort she had put in were in the garbage.
Now we tried some new recipes this year and some tried-and-true ones and here is the scoop on them:
New England Maple Herb Butter Turkey and Gravy (t and t recipe) ***** (that's 5 stars)
This is always fabulous. The recipe is a few days back if you want to scroll back and find it.
Dressing with Sausage, Apples and Cranberries (t and t recipe) *****
Same thing here. I make this because it goes perfectly with the turkey and gravy recipes above. And this year it was just sublime. Love this dressing.
Cranberries with Grapefruit and Mint (new to the rotation) *****
This was so good, I can't even tell you. I did make it twice, rather than doubling it. Sometimes recipes just don't double well and I didn't want to screw up all the cranberries and have to start over, so I just made single batches twice. I can't even think of a thing this stuff wouldn't be good on.
Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Smoked Ham and Pecans (new recipe) *****
We doubled this recipe, but did half with ham and half without. We had a guest who is from Saudi Arabia and doesn't eat from the pork so we split it up this way. It was really good. We went around the table and critiqued each recipe so I could make notes on which to keep and which to ditch, and everyone agreed the sprouts were awesome.
Butternut Squash with Tangerine Juice and Sage (t and t recipe) ****
Everyone loved this and went on and on about it, but I thought it was only a 4 star dish. I am not sure exactly what was missing for me, but it was not quite top-notch.
My s-i-l made a sweet potato dish that was very savory and spicy rather than the usual sweet stuff and it was really good. She also did some homemade Parkerhouse rolls, and a corn dish. Also, along with the poor smashed pies she made this Apple, Cranberry, Pineapple crisp recipe that we made last year. It was just delicious. That one might be 4 and 1/2 or 5 stars.
We served champagne (Korbel Natural), iced tea, jamaica and water. Jamaica (pronounced Hah - MY - Kah) is a beautiful tea served iced from Mexico that is made of dried hibiscus blossoms. It looks a lot like cranberry juice in the glass. Just gorgeous color. It is loaded with vitamin C and other good things and is a diuretic and so is used as a diet aid to help flush things out of your system. It tastes good, it's good for your body, it is pretty, I mean, what more can you expect out of a beverage?!
That's my review for this year's recipes. Someone please remind me next year to find this post so I can remember what to do and what to tweak and which ones to kick to the curb.
Yesterday we did our traditional trip to the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. They do an annual shopping extravaganza called the Peace Market that is so much fun. It is essentially an anti-Black Friday thing to do. They invite artisans from all over South America and Mexico and local artists to come set up booths and sell their wares. In addition, there is wonderful food and live music. It is like the best little street fair you ever attended. I had such a good time and I bought some great things. As a matter of fact, I will probably go back today with a friend and see if there are any treasures I missed the first go-round. I promise to post some photos of my new goodies, all recycled, or made from recycled stuff or just cool and original. No plastic or crap involved is what I am saying!
It has been a wonderful Thanksgiving week. I was dreading it and didn't even realize that until we got into it. Probably because of Grandma dying last Saturday, but I didn't make that connection until Thursday. When we were sitting down to the Thanksgiving dinner I said how sad I was that this was my first holiday without her and that we needed to all remember her because we were eating off the beautiful dishes she had given me.
Grandma gave me a set, a huge set, of antique Franciscan Desert Rose dinnerware. Her uncle worked in the factory in California where they made these dishes. They are kind of a rustic pattern and each one is hand-painted. Not like now. Franciscan was bought out by some English fine china company and is made there now and each piece is perfect and identical to the last piece. I don't like the new stuff near as much as the older, more charming pieces. Anyway he worked there way back in the day and he was able to buy the seconds for a song. So he collected a set for each of his nieces. And that is where Grandma got hers. And get this, she never used them. Never. She carried these boxes and boxes of dishes around with her since the '40s and never used them. Doesn't that just beat all? Ever since she gave them to me I have used them every single Thanksgiving. I will try and remember to post some pictures of some of the really cool serving pieces I have of this set.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and I hope to do the same. It sort of seems like a weekend after a weekend, doesn't it?
I am back home from the airport and drinking my morning tea and thinking about going back to bed. It's always sad when people leave, but most especially if it is one of my kids. That's the hardest thing.
Thanksgiving day was really nice. The food was fabulous, the company was spectacular, and the conversation was great. The only bad thing that happened that day actually happened to my poor s-i-l, who was making a few of the dishes and bringing them over. She was loading the food in the car and dropped one pie on top of the other one. And bam, just like that! There was no pie. That's pretty flipping sad, is what that was.
So I trotted on over to Luby's and picked up a few pies and was back in no time. No harm, no foul. Except for all the time and ingredients and effort she had put in were in the garbage.
Now we tried some new recipes this year and some tried-and-true ones and here is the scoop on them:
New England Maple Herb Butter Turkey and Gravy (t and t recipe) ***** (that's 5 stars)
This is always fabulous. The recipe is a few days back if you want to scroll back and find it.
Dressing with Sausage, Apples and Cranberries (t and t recipe) *****
Same thing here. I make this because it goes perfectly with the turkey and gravy recipes above. And this year it was just sublime. Love this dressing.
Cranberries with Grapefruit and Mint (new to the rotation) *****
This was so good, I can't even tell you. I did make it twice, rather than doubling it. Sometimes recipes just don't double well and I didn't want to screw up all the cranberries and have to start over, so I just made single batches twice. I can't even think of a thing this stuff wouldn't be good on.
Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Smoked Ham and Pecans (new recipe) *****
We doubled this recipe, but did half with ham and half without. We had a guest who is from Saudi Arabia and doesn't eat from the pork so we split it up this way. It was really good. We went around the table and critiqued each recipe so I could make notes on which to keep and which to ditch, and everyone agreed the sprouts were awesome.
Butternut Squash with Tangerine Juice and Sage (t and t recipe) ****
Everyone loved this and went on and on about it, but I thought it was only a 4 star dish. I am not sure exactly what was missing for me, but it was not quite top-notch.
My s-i-l made a sweet potato dish that was very savory and spicy rather than the usual sweet stuff and it was really good. She also did some homemade Parkerhouse rolls, and a corn dish. Also, along with the poor smashed pies she made this Apple, Cranberry, Pineapple crisp recipe that we made last year. It was just delicious. That one might be 4 and 1/2 or 5 stars.
We served champagne (Korbel Natural), iced tea, jamaica and water. Jamaica (pronounced Hah - MY - Kah) is a beautiful tea served iced from Mexico that is made of dried hibiscus blossoms. It looks a lot like cranberry juice in the glass. Just gorgeous color. It is loaded with vitamin C and other good things and is a diuretic and so is used as a diet aid to help flush things out of your system. It tastes good, it's good for your body, it is pretty, I mean, what more can you expect out of a beverage?!
That's my review for this year's recipes. Someone please remind me next year to find this post so I can remember what to do and what to tweak and which ones to kick to the curb.
Yesterday we did our traditional trip to the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. They do an annual shopping extravaganza called the Peace Market that is so much fun. It is essentially an anti-Black Friday thing to do. They invite artisans from all over South America and Mexico and local artists to come set up booths and sell their wares. In addition, there is wonderful food and live music. It is like the best little street fair you ever attended. I had such a good time and I bought some great things. As a matter of fact, I will probably go back today with a friend and see if there are any treasures I missed the first go-round. I promise to post some photos of my new goodies, all recycled, or made from recycled stuff or just cool and original. No plastic or crap involved is what I am saying!
It has been a wonderful Thanksgiving week. I was dreading it and didn't even realize that until we got into it. Probably because of Grandma dying last Saturday, but I didn't make that connection until Thursday. When we were sitting down to the Thanksgiving dinner I said how sad I was that this was my first holiday without her and that we needed to all remember her because we were eating off the beautiful dishes she had given me.
Grandma gave me a set, a huge set, of antique Franciscan Desert Rose dinnerware. Her uncle worked in the factory in California where they made these dishes. They are kind of a rustic pattern and each one is hand-painted. Not like now. Franciscan was bought out by some English fine china company and is made there now and each piece is perfect and identical to the last piece. I don't like the new stuff near as much as the older, more charming pieces. Anyway he worked there way back in the day and he was able to buy the seconds for a song. So he collected a set for each of his nieces. And that is where Grandma got hers. And get this, she never used them. Never. She carried these boxes and boxes of dishes around with her since the '40s and never used them. Doesn't that just beat all? Ever since she gave them to me I have used them every single Thanksgiving. I will try and remember to post some pictures of some of the really cool serving pieces I have of this set.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and I hope to do the same. It sort of seems like a weekend after a weekend, doesn't it?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Cranberries
I know, you probably have your menu lined out, your recipe and ingredients ready or have already bought the can-o-jellied cranberries. But just in case you haven't, get a pen and paper and write this down. I made this last night and after it cooled and thickened up, Mr. Big Ed tasted it and declared that I needed to make a second batch. One would not be enough! We all tasted it and agreed, this is some good stuff.
Good tasting, 4 ingredient fabulousness. What more could you want?
Without further ado, from the 2008 November issue of Bon Appetit I give you:
Cranberry Relish with Grapefruit and Mint
2 large pink grapefruits (we all know that Texas Ruby Red, Star Ruby are the best, please buy them)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups cranberries (or 10 oz.) **The bag is 12 oz. just use it.
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (pink-yellow outer layer only) from 1 grapefruit in strips. Cut peel into 2-inch-ling 1/8-inch-wide strips (about 1/2 cup). Squeeze 1 cup juice from grapefruits.
**Note I started doing this as directed and then realized that I own a citrus zester and grabbed it and made short work of this. Love that zester!
Stir 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add grapefruit peel; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is soft, about 15 minutes. Add 1 cup grapefruit juice and cranberries; bring back to boil. reduce heat and simmer until berries burst, about 10 minutes.
**Note: My berries both times needed a little more time to be done. Probably between 15 and 20 minutes.
Transfer to medium bowl. Stir in mint. Cover; chill until cold. Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
That's it, easy peasy. And delicious.
Good tasting, 4 ingredient fabulousness. What more could you want?
Without further ado, from the 2008 November issue of Bon Appetit I give you:
Cranberry Relish with Grapefruit and Mint
2 large pink grapefruits (we all know that Texas Ruby Red, Star Ruby are the best, please buy them)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups cranberries (or 10 oz.) **The bag is 12 oz. just use it.
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (pink-yellow outer layer only) from 1 grapefruit in strips. Cut peel into 2-inch-ling 1/8-inch-wide strips (about 1/2 cup). Squeeze 1 cup juice from grapefruits.
**Note I started doing this as directed and then realized that I own a citrus zester and grabbed it and made short work of this. Love that zester!
Stir 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add grapefruit peel; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is soft, about 15 minutes. Add 1 cup grapefruit juice and cranberries; bring back to boil. reduce heat and simmer until berries burst, about 10 minutes.
**Note: My berries both times needed a little more time to be done. Probably between 15 and 20 minutes.
Transfer to medium bowl. Stir in mint. Cover; chill until cold. Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
That's it, easy peasy. And delicious.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Grandma
Violet Mae Hoefert
July 21, 1918 - November 20, 2010
My grandma passed away on Saturday, November 20, 2010 at the age of 92 years, and almost 4 months. The 92 years were spent full of life, being a driven, independent woman way ahead of her time in that regard and living life on her own terms. The last 4 months were really trying and sad fighting to keep her body going.
This photo was taken on May 21, 1936 and was her high school graduation picture from Smithland, Iowa. It is my favorite picture of her. She had her whole life ahead of her and could do anything she wanted. Two years later she would be married and a new mother to my father. Not long after that, they moved with my grandfather's family away from Iowa to Harlingen, Texas.
The marriage didn't last, and neither she nor my grandpa ever talked about it. But she took my Papa and moved to Los Angeles and worked at a newspaper there. Somehow they ended up in Arizona and that is where Grandma stayed the rest of her life. She loved it there. She lived in many different parts of the state but settled in Phoenix and lived there for the last 65 years of her life. That is a long time to stay in one place and bear witness to all the growth and change that occurs there.
She remarried (as did my Grandpa) and gave birth to a daughter. My Papa loved his baby sister so much. She was always really important to him and he carried her in the softest spot of his heart.
Grandma leaves behind her daughter (my own Papa died in 1995), 4 grandchildren, we would have been 5 but my cousin was killed tragically when he was in high school. And there are also 10 great-grandchildren.
During the 12 years that my family and I spent living as ex-patriates in Mexico and South America it meant so much to all of us that Grandma would come visit us in each place. She loved to travel and learn all about a new place. Grandma seemed to live her life fearlessly. For Grandma it wasn't about collecting things, it was about collecting memories and enjoying the moment. You know how people always say, "never met a stranger"? Well, that phrase describes Grandma perfectly. She was happy to while away the hours talking to whomever she met at the airport, on a bus, in a shop, just whoever. She met some really interesting people and traded addresses and kept in contact with people. Grandma was a letter writer. She appreciated a hand-written letter so much more than an international long-distance phone call. She saved these letters, all the cards and photos that people sent her in boxes. Everything was categorized and labeled.
There is no way to talk about Grandma without mentioning dachshunds. She loved those dogs. And over the years amassed a collection of dachshund memorabilia that you can not believe. Two storage units full of dachshund stuff. There are needlepoints that she worked on, postcards, jewelry, ceramic figurines, pretty much anything that can be made into the shape of a dachshund, she had. There are copious notations for each as to provenance, dates, prices, value in today's market, etc. She was a regular at all the antique fairs and knew all the dealers and they knew her.
My grandma was an extraordinary woman who survived divorce and living as a single mom back in the '40s and '50s when it was not nearly as common or accepted as it is now. She herself was raised in the depression and knew the hardship of being poor and living on a farm and the hard work that entailed. She raised her children to be honest, hardworking, educated and most of all honorable people. I am proud to come from her stock.
This, of course, is not her real obituary. This is just what I wanted to share here with any of you who care to read it. I have been conspicuously absent and wanted to explain my absence and get these thoughts down.
I do know how lucky I am to have had a grandma for all these years. I miss her greatly and am heartbroken that I won't see her again.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
DNA Clarified
I wrote to the people who did Ernest T. Bass' DNA test and asked what gives with the results. And believe it or don't but they actually sent me a nice long reply. On the same day! What they said was that the reason there were 3 Intermediate breeds is this:
Each of those breeds showed up with at least a 25% of his DNA, so one grandparent was a purebred American Bulldog, one was a St. Bernard, and one was an American Staffordshire Terrier. The other one was a mixed breed mutt dog.
Obviously there was no Significant breed to list since nothing was of 50% or greater in his profile. The testing picks up the purebreed markers and the blank spot is where there is a mixed breed.
That makes it a lot more clear to me.
Except for the St. Bernard part. I am sorry I just sat on the couch this evening with Ernest T. and watched the Spurs trounce Deron Williams and the rest of the Utah Jazz (Go Spurs Go!!) and kept looking at my mixed breed brown doggie wearing his striped rugby sweater and looking for any trace of St. Bernard. Can you imagine any St. Bernard wearing a sweater?
I hope Ernest T. Bass will never be judged for being 2 parts American, 1 part Swiss and 1 part Mutt Dog. You know how cruel those other snooty dogs can be at obedience school. Plus he lives with a purebred Siberian Husky and a Miniature Schnauzer that have pedigrees back several generations. I tell him all the time "It gets better".
Years ago I read about this doggie intelligence test and have tried it with each of the 3 dogs we currently have. First we got Nikita Babushka the Siberian Princess and then Maxwell Banks II and more recently Ernest T. was dumped here. So they have each had the test done in their own time of puppyhood.
Here's the test: you take your dog to the kitchen and make them sit and stay. Then you show them a treat and lay it on the floor. Next you get a kitchen tea towel and lay it over the treat. Then release the dog from stay and see what they do. A smart dog will know that the treat is still there under the towel and will remove the towel and take the treat.
That is what Nikita did. And swiftly too, I might add. She's a clever girl. Then we tried it with Maxwell Banks. It didn't go so well. Even with Rachel Pie laying on the floor coaching him on and being a cheerleader for him and trying to show him where to cheat. Nope, that boy never figured it out. You could see it in his face, he just said, "Oh well, I thought there was a treat, but it sure seems to be gone now." and walked off. Sad day for that little brain trust. Hmmmpphh.
So when it came time for Ernest T. to get tested we sat him down and made him stay, set down the treat, layed the towel down over and let him go. You want to guess what he did?
Did you guess that that he thought "Hey that towel looks pretty tasty and it smells like a treat, let's just eat the whole damn thing!"? If so, you would be right. That boy has eaten more than 12 beds and countless blankets and toys. He is so orally fixated it is unreal.
Must be that 25% St. Bernard coming through.
Each of those breeds showed up with at least a 25% of his DNA, so one grandparent was a purebred American Bulldog, one was a St. Bernard, and one was an American Staffordshire Terrier. The other one was a mixed breed mutt dog.
Obviously there was no Significant breed to list since nothing was of 50% or greater in his profile. The testing picks up the purebreed markers and the blank spot is where there is a mixed breed.
That makes it a lot more clear to me.
Except for the St. Bernard part. I am sorry I just sat on the couch this evening with Ernest T. and watched the Spurs trounce Deron Williams and the rest of the Utah Jazz (Go Spurs Go!!) and kept looking at my mixed breed brown doggie wearing his striped rugby sweater and looking for any trace of St. Bernard. Can you imagine any St. Bernard wearing a sweater?
I hope Ernest T. Bass will never be judged for being 2 parts American, 1 part Swiss and 1 part Mutt Dog. You know how cruel those other snooty dogs can be at obedience school. Plus he lives with a purebred Siberian Husky and a Miniature Schnauzer that have pedigrees back several generations. I tell him all the time "It gets better".
Years ago I read about this doggie intelligence test and have tried it with each of the 3 dogs we currently have. First we got Nikita Babushka the Siberian Princess and then Maxwell Banks II and more recently Ernest T. was dumped here. So they have each had the test done in their own time of puppyhood.
Here's the test: you take your dog to the kitchen and make them sit and stay. Then you show them a treat and lay it on the floor. Next you get a kitchen tea towel and lay it over the treat. Then release the dog from stay and see what they do. A smart dog will know that the treat is still there under the towel and will remove the towel and take the treat.
That is what Nikita did. And swiftly too, I might add. She's a clever girl. Then we tried it with Maxwell Banks. It didn't go so well. Even with Rachel Pie laying on the floor coaching him on and being a cheerleader for him and trying to show him where to cheat. Nope, that boy never figured it out. You could see it in his face, he just said, "Oh well, I thought there was a treat, but it sure seems to be gone now." and walked off. Sad day for that little brain trust. Hmmmpphh.
So when it came time for Ernest T. to get tested we sat him down and made him stay, set down the treat, layed the towel down over and let him go. You want to guess what he did?
Did you guess that that he thought "Hey that towel looks pretty tasty and it smells like a treat, let's just eat the whole damn thing!"? If so, you would be right. That boy has eaten more than 12 beds and countless blankets and toys. He is so orally fixated it is unreal.
Must be that 25% St. Bernard coming through.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Ernest T. Bass
I swear as much page time as Ernest T. gets you might think he was the only child. The adored, fair-haired one. The one I love the most. But that is not true. I really do love all my furry babies. He is just the youngest, the newest and the one who is having a hard time fitting in with the rest of the herd.
So, remember a couple days ago when I posted photos of him and the Presa Canario dogs that I believe he is related to? And remember that I sent off for his DNA results? And that the Presa Canario is not a breed they test for?
Drum roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The results are here!
Now, they show Significant Breed as being 50% of your dog's DNA, then going up the page is the Intermediate Breed that shows at least 25% of the DNA, and finally at the top is the Minor Breed that is at least 12.5% of the dog's DNA.
The results of Ernest T.'s test has 3 breeds but they are all across the middle in the Intermediate line. I am not sure how to interpret this. Does this mean they didn't find the significant more than 50% breed line? I don't really know.
Without further ado, the 3 breeds they found are:
American Bulldog which looks like this -
Saint Bernard looking like this
and finally the American Staffordshire Terrier
That last guy would be so much cuter without the stupid ear-cropping.
Now here is one more look at the Presa Canario:
What do you think? Out of those 4 breeds which would you place in the Significant, the Intermediate and the Minor Breed categories for little Ernest T. Bass?
So, remember a couple days ago when I posted photos of him and the Presa Canario dogs that I believe he is related to? And remember that I sent off for his DNA results? And that the Presa Canario is not a breed they test for?
Drum roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The results are here!
Now, they show Significant Breed as being 50% of your dog's DNA, then going up the page is the Intermediate Breed that shows at least 25% of the DNA, and finally at the top is the Minor Breed that is at least 12.5% of the dog's DNA.
The results of Ernest T.'s test has 3 breeds but they are all across the middle in the Intermediate line. I am not sure how to interpret this. Does this mean they didn't find the significant more than 50% breed line? I don't really know.
Without further ado, the 3 breeds they found are:
American Bulldog which looks like this -
Saint Bernard looking like this
and finally the American Staffordshire Terrier
That last guy would be so much cuter without the stupid ear-cropping.
Now here is one more look at the Presa Canario:
What do you think? Out of those 4 breeds which would you place in the Significant, the Intermediate and the Minor Breed categories for little Ernest T. Bass?
Thursday, November 18, 2010
News of the Weird and getting Weirder
You are just never going to believe this story I have for you today. I was shocked at the get-go. But then it got weirder and weirder.
Go here and read this. I will wait. It's not that long, but it is chock-full of OMG moments!
Here is the readers digest version:
Someone in Boise Idaho was going in to bars and telling random women that they would free breast exams and giving out the phone number to a real plastic surgeon's office. And get this!!!
Several women were dumb enough to let themselves get felt up in a bar and think it was a "real" breast exam. Really? Seriously?
So when calls started coming in to the real plastic surgeon's office saying "Hey, when the Dr. felt me up at the bar, I was also given an appointment" they contacted the police, who then put out a warrant for the offender.
Who (get this) was a woman! It wasn't even a sleazy pervy old guy like you would imagine! Amazing.
So when the warrant for this woman goes out, it ends up being for a man's name.
Huh?
She was in the system already but under a man's name. Double huh?
Turns out she is a Male to Female transgender! I am telling you, if Hollywoood were writing this story no one would believe it. And yet, back in Boise, Idaho . . .
May I just say that it doesn't help the story-telling any that every single time I say Idaho, I think of that stupid joke about which of the Miss America contestants is a prostitute. It's the one that is Miss I-da-ho! Bahh!!! I know, you would think I was a 12 year old boy.
So Miss Kristina Ross who used to be Mr. Kristoffer Ross is going back to the pokey! Hee! I wonder if she will be offering free exams to her new cellmates?
Go here and read this. I will wait. It's not that long, but it is chock-full of OMG moments!
Here is the readers digest version:
Someone in Boise Idaho was going in to bars and telling random women that they would free breast exams and giving out the phone number to a real plastic surgeon's office. And get this!!!
Several women were dumb enough to let themselves get felt up in a bar and think it was a "real" breast exam. Really? Seriously?
So when calls started coming in to the real plastic surgeon's office saying "Hey, when the Dr. felt me up at the bar, I was also given an appointment" they contacted the police, who then put out a warrant for the offender.
Who (get this) was a woman! It wasn't even a sleazy pervy old guy like you would imagine! Amazing.
So when the warrant for this woman goes out, it ends up being for a man's name.
Huh?
She was in the system already but under a man's name. Double huh?
Turns out she is a Male to Female transgender! I am telling you, if Hollywoood were writing this story no one would believe it. And yet, back in Boise, Idaho . . .
May I just say that it doesn't help the story-telling any that every single time I say Idaho, I think of that stupid joke about which of the Miss America contestants is a prostitute. It's the one that is Miss I-da-ho! Bahh!!! I know, you would think I was a 12 year old boy.
So Miss Kristina Ross who used to be Mr. Kristoffer Ross is going back to the pokey! Hee! I wonder if she will be offering free exams to her new cellmates?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Rambling and Musing
Prince William is getting married! This is such good news. I truly hope he (and his brother Harry) are both going to be happy and fulfilled in their lives. It just broke my heart when their Mama died in such a tragic way leaving them to the care of their dork of a father. Ol' Prince Charlie doesn't exactly scream "I am a warm, and loving kind of guy" now does he?
My Grandma has been transferred from the hospital back to the rehab nursing facility she was at when I was there. I don't know that this is the best option for her. But it is certainly the best one open to her right now. I don't know what this will mean for her. I also don't know if I should be planning another trip out there right now or not. Maybe take a wait-and-see attitude for a while? I just don't know.
I did finally decide to read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and force myself to sit long enough to get immersed in the story. It took me close to halfway through that book to decide that I liked it. So the first thing I did when I finished was to go to the Kindle store and get the sequel! And I have just started that one. There are some really quirky and interesting characters in here.
I am also reading a book recommended to me called The Five Love Languages or the The Five Languages of Love. Or something along those lines. It's all about how people seem to be in one of five different categories as to how they instinctively prefer to give and show their love. And if your style of giving doesn't match your spouse/child/friend/etc. way of receiving love, you will end up with some problems. I can't imagine that there are many couples out there who have paired up whose style of giving and receiving is exactly the same. I immediately on hearing this assumed I was in one category, then upon reading I sort of vacilated between two others. Then at the end I took the test and ended up back in the first category. Maybe the first instinct is the right one? Now I just have to figure out which one is Mr. Big Ed's category and go from there!
Speaking of tests, I was reading Bye Bye Pie yesterday and June had us all go over to 9types and take a enneagram personality test. So I did. And boy oh boy, was I amazed and astounded by the results. There are 9 personality types and most people I think are dominant in one or two, some even in three. But my score looks like I am totally and damn near completely in one and totally deficient and even in the negative in most all the others. This does not seem like the results of a well-rounded healthy individual, does it? Apparently I am a Helper, a nurturer and care-giver individual with some artistic tendencies thrown in. Other than that, I have no personality. The other categories have to do with being a leader, a thinker, a questioner, a peacemaker (every time I see that I think pacemaker. Ha!). But I have no leading, motivating, or making of peace qualities I guess.
Anyone else doing any introspection? It's hard work for me because it does not come naturally and I have to really focus. Apparently being a helper, nurturer type does not include helping and nurturing the self! : )
Enjoy your Wednesday!
My Grandma has been transferred from the hospital back to the rehab nursing facility she was at when I was there. I don't know that this is the best option for her. But it is certainly the best one open to her right now. I don't know what this will mean for her. I also don't know if I should be planning another trip out there right now or not. Maybe take a wait-and-see attitude for a while? I just don't know.
I did finally decide to read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and force myself to sit long enough to get immersed in the story. It took me close to halfway through that book to decide that I liked it. So the first thing I did when I finished was to go to the Kindle store and get the sequel! And I have just started that one. There are some really quirky and interesting characters in here.
I am also reading a book recommended to me called The Five Love Languages or the The Five Languages of Love. Or something along those lines. It's all about how people seem to be in one of five different categories as to how they instinctively prefer to give and show their love. And if your style of giving doesn't match your spouse/child/friend/etc. way of receiving love, you will end up with some problems. I can't imagine that there are many couples out there who have paired up whose style of giving and receiving is exactly the same. I immediately on hearing this assumed I was in one category, then upon reading I sort of vacilated between two others. Then at the end I took the test and ended up back in the first category. Maybe the first instinct is the right one? Now I just have to figure out which one is Mr. Big Ed's category and go from there!
Speaking of tests, I was reading Bye Bye Pie yesterday and June had us all go over to 9types and take a enneagram personality test. So I did. And boy oh boy, was I amazed and astounded by the results. There are 9 personality types and most people I think are dominant in one or two, some even in three. But my score looks like I am totally and damn near completely in one and totally deficient and even in the negative in most all the others. This does not seem like the results of a well-rounded healthy individual, does it? Apparently I am a Helper, a nurturer and care-giver individual with some artistic tendencies thrown in. Other than that, I have no personality. The other categories have to do with being a leader, a thinker, a questioner, a peacemaker (every time I see that I think pacemaker. Ha!). But I have no leading, motivating, or making of peace qualities I guess.
Anyone else doing any introspection? It's hard work for me because it does not come naturally and I have to really focus. Apparently being a helper, nurturer type does not include helping and nurturing the self! : )
Enjoy your Wednesday!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Randomness and a Recipe for Joann
You know how I have mentioned my trees? I have lovely large live oak trees in my yard. There are approximately 30 of them in the front yard alone. The whole neighborhood was built up around the oaks. There is a tree in my across-the-street-neighbor's yard that is one of those historic oaks that is hundreds of years old. Mine are babies at probably 100 years old. They are gorgeous and they create a fabulous canopy over most of the front yard.
This time of year you know what having 30 live oaks in your yard means? It means any time you go outside you are getting pelted with acorns. And I mean pelted! It's as if the trees are winding up their branches and pitching those little bastards right at you.
My son, Sparky has a new car that he drives and an old car that he looks at. He used to drive the old car and now he just looks at it. Anyhoo, they sit one right in front of the other at the top of our circular drive and when the acorns hit them you can hear the difference in hitting the old car made of thick solid metal (BAM) vs hitting the new, lighter-weight car with lots of plastic (ping).
So Mr. Big Ed and I were sitting out front on our steps the other evening enjoying the sunset and watching the cats frolicking around the yard and playing hide and go seek, and BAM!!!
One of those damn acorns fell right on me and hit me in the face. Not just in the face, but fell between my eyeball and my eye glasses. Then it bounced off my eye and on to the lens and then rattled around like it was in a pinball machine and dropped out the bottom on to my cheek before I caught it.
Can you believe that? Neither could I. What the hell would be the odds of a random acorn just happening to fall off the tree at the exact minute that I was sitting in the exact spot and leaning at the perfect angle for it to hit between my glasses and my eyeball?
Now that I think about it, I wonder why I didn't just run right out and buy a lotto ticket or something!
If we decide to stay here rather than sell everything and buy some property and go off the grid for our retirement home, I have decided that I am going to get myself a bb gun, probably pink, and keep it filled with rock salt. And I am going to sit on my front steps and watch people drive by. Jack asses who drive way too fast like that damn Fed Ex man who just sped by are going to get shot at. Nice considerate people are going to get me holding up a sign that says Thanks! with a thumbs up sign beneath.
I am going to be like Robert Duvall and Michael Caine in Second-hand Lions
Yep, that will be me. But with a pink gun. And probably with Ernest T. Bass as my side-kick.
Isn't Ernest T. Bass a handsome sidekick?
Did I mention that I have gotten Ernest T. a DNA test? June Gardens over at Bye Bye Pie has done this for her 2 dogs and so I thought it would be nice for Ernest T. to know what his heritage is. Other than just dropped-off-in-front-of-the-house-like-he-was-disposable mutt dog. So, I ordered the kit. It comes in the mail and basically it is two really long handled mascara brushes and an return mailing envelope to send back the mascara brushes after you swab out the dog's saliva. It has been TWO LOOOOOOONG WEEKS since I swabbed and mailed and we are all on pins and needles to find out Ernest T. Bass' DNA.
Here's the thing, in perusing the DNA people's website there is a Dog Breed Library. And in going through the library to see what 170 breeds they use to find your dog's DNA, I found a breed that I would swear Ernest T. has in abundance in his blood. These dogs look like all of Ernest T.'s kinfolks for sure!
Take a look here:
Can you tell which one is my Bassie? He's the one on bottom. The other dog is not.
Now look at this comparison.
Ernest T. Bass on top, unnamed Presa Canario on bottom. Don't you hate it when people cut dogs' ears? Shame on them.
Ok, so now that you have seen the Presa Canario breed and you have seen that Ernest T. does indeed resemble these dogs, guess what?
This isn't one of the breeds that they test for! Who knows what breeds are going to show up! It will be a mystery, that's for sure.
And now for something completely different . . . . . .
A Thanksgiving Recipe for Joann!!!
This is my tried-and-true go-to recipe for turkey and gravy. I have used many different ones but always come back to this one. I don't think you can make a better turkey and gravy than this. This comes from the Bon Appetit 1994 Thanksgiving issue. You can sometimes find these at the Half-Price Books or at estate sales.
Roast Turkey with Maple Herb Butter and Gravy
2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (I always use 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh marjoram chopped
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 14-lb. turkey, neck and giblets reserved (I always get a bigger turkey)
2 cups chopped onion (never use them, don't like them)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery with leaves
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
Gravy Ingredients:
3 cups combined canned low-salt chicken broth and pan drippings from the turkey
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 small bay leaf
2 Tbsp. apple brandy
Boil apple cider and maple syrup in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. (This always seems to take longer than 20 minutes for me) Remove from heat. Mix in half of the chopped thyme, half of the marjoram and 1 1/2 tsp. of the lemon peel. Add butter and whisk until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
Can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.
Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375 F. (I have started using my electric roaster for the turkey and it cooks so much faster than the regular oven) Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. See if you can get your hands all the way up to the thighs under the skin. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter under skin. Rub 1/4 cup of the maple butter all over the outside of turkey. Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. (You may want to tuck the wing tips under as they tend to brown faster than the rest of the bird) Arrange onion, celery, carrot and reserved turkey neck and giblets around turkey in pan. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1 Tbsp. of thyme and remaining 1 Tbsp. of marjoram. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to 350 F. Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 F or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey or 2 hours 55 minutes for stuffed turkey. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with aluminum foil for 30 minutes; reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
For Gravy:
Strain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of spoon. Spoon fat from pan juices. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Mix 3 Tbsp. of reserved maple butter and flour together in small bowl to form smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
Brush turkey with any remaining maple butter and serve with gravy.
This is so delicious you will want to sit right up and slap your mama. Enjoy!
This time of year you know what having 30 live oaks in your yard means? It means any time you go outside you are getting pelted with acorns. And I mean pelted! It's as if the trees are winding up their branches and pitching those little bastards right at you.
My son, Sparky has a new car that he drives and an old car that he looks at. He used to drive the old car and now he just looks at it. Anyhoo, they sit one right in front of the other at the top of our circular drive and when the acorns hit them you can hear the difference in hitting the old car made of thick solid metal (BAM) vs hitting the new, lighter-weight car with lots of plastic (ping).
So Mr. Big Ed and I were sitting out front on our steps the other evening enjoying the sunset and watching the cats frolicking around the yard and playing hide and go seek, and BAM!!!
One of those damn acorns fell right on me and hit me in the face. Not just in the face, but fell between my eyeball and my eye glasses. Then it bounced off my eye and on to the lens and then rattled around like it was in a pinball machine and dropped out the bottom on to my cheek before I caught it.
Can you believe that? Neither could I. What the hell would be the odds of a random acorn just happening to fall off the tree at the exact minute that I was sitting in the exact spot and leaning at the perfect angle for it to hit between my glasses and my eyeball?
Now that I think about it, I wonder why I didn't just run right out and buy a lotto ticket or something!
If we decide to stay here rather than sell everything and buy some property and go off the grid for our retirement home, I have decided that I am going to get myself a bb gun, probably pink, and keep it filled with rock salt. And I am going to sit on my front steps and watch people drive by. Jack asses who drive way too fast like that damn Fed Ex man who just sped by are going to get shot at. Nice considerate people are going to get me holding up a sign that says Thanks! with a thumbs up sign beneath.
I am going to be like Robert Duvall and Michael Caine in Second-hand Lions
Yep, that will be me. But with a pink gun. And probably with Ernest T. Bass as my side-kick.
Isn't Ernest T. Bass a handsome sidekick?
Did I mention that I have gotten Ernest T. a DNA test? June Gardens over at Bye Bye Pie has done this for her 2 dogs and so I thought it would be nice for Ernest T. to know what his heritage is. Other than just dropped-off-in-front-of-the-house-like-he-was-disposable mutt dog. So, I ordered the kit. It comes in the mail and basically it is two really long handled mascara brushes and an return mailing envelope to send back the mascara brushes after you swab out the dog's saliva. It has been TWO LOOOOOOONG WEEKS since I swabbed and mailed and we are all on pins and needles to find out Ernest T. Bass' DNA.
Here's the thing, in perusing the DNA people's website there is a Dog Breed Library. And in going through the library to see what 170 breeds they use to find your dog's DNA, I found a breed that I would swear Ernest T. has in abundance in his blood. These dogs look like all of Ernest T.'s kinfolks for sure!
Take a look here:
Can you tell which one is my Bassie? He's the one on bottom. The other dog is not.
Now look at this comparison.
Ernest T. Bass on top, unnamed Presa Canario on bottom. Don't you hate it when people cut dogs' ears? Shame on them.
Ok, so now that you have seen the Presa Canario breed and you have seen that Ernest T. does indeed resemble these dogs, guess what?
This isn't one of the breeds that they test for! Who knows what breeds are going to show up! It will be a mystery, that's for sure.
And now for something completely different . . . . . .
A Thanksgiving Recipe for Joann!!!
This is my tried-and-true go-to recipe for turkey and gravy. I have used many different ones but always come back to this one. I don't think you can make a better turkey and gravy than this. This comes from the Bon Appetit 1994 Thanksgiving issue. You can sometimes find these at the Half-Price Books or at estate sales.
Roast Turkey with Maple Herb Butter and Gravy
2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (I always use 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh marjoram chopped
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 14-lb. turkey, neck and giblets reserved (I always get a bigger turkey)
2 cups chopped onion (never use them, don't like them)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery with leaves
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
Gravy Ingredients:
3 cups combined canned low-salt chicken broth and pan drippings from the turkey
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 small bay leaf
2 Tbsp. apple brandy
Boil apple cider and maple syrup in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. (This always seems to take longer than 20 minutes for me) Remove from heat. Mix in half of the chopped thyme, half of the marjoram and 1 1/2 tsp. of the lemon peel. Add butter and whisk until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
Can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.
Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375 F. (I have started using my electric roaster for the turkey and it cooks so much faster than the regular oven) Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. See if you can get your hands all the way up to the thighs under the skin. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter under skin. Rub 1/4 cup of the maple butter all over the outside of turkey. Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. (You may want to tuck the wing tips under as they tend to brown faster than the rest of the bird) Arrange onion, celery, carrot and reserved turkey neck and giblets around turkey in pan. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1 Tbsp. of thyme and remaining 1 Tbsp. of marjoram. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to 350 F. Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 F or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey or 2 hours 55 minutes for stuffed turkey. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with aluminum foil for 30 minutes; reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
For Gravy:
Strain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of spoon. Spoon fat from pan juices. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Mix 3 Tbsp. of reserved maple butter and flour together in small bowl to form smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
Brush turkey with any remaining maple butter and serve with gravy.
This is so delicious you will want to sit right up and slap your mama. Enjoy!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Reading the Obits
The last couple of weeks there has been a HUGE rise in the number of dead people. I don't know why. Maybe it is true that people die more frequently around the holidays? No, that is worded ALL wrong! People don't die more frequently, more people are dying is how that should read. We have had 3 full pages of obits each week is the thing. That is a lot of death and dying.
There was one tiny baby girl who died and it's just the saddest thing to see their little teeny pictures. God bless her and bless the family as well.
In the running for Top Notch Obituary and Memorial to a Loved One is the mostly well-written one for Stanley Lee Davis. (I am not going to say a thing about his parents choice of middle name being the last syllable of his first name even though it really irritates me.) This was a really nice tribute to him and his life. Really nice. The only issue I had with it was this "passed away suddenly at the VA hospital". Seems to me that if you are in the hospital already, it might not have been so sudden. But that might just be me.
There were the usual causes of death; cancers, Alzheimer's and complications thereof, heart problems, Parkinson's and this is the first time I have seen "after a long battle with diabetes". Mostly people just don't put cause of death in the obituary.
Best names for a couple: William Clyde and Edna Ethalyn. Runners-up are Hildegardo and Mary Lou.
No homeless veterans this week or last week come to think of it.
This is just going to have to be short. I have to hurry and get to a meeting with a new client. Enjoy your Monday!
There was one tiny baby girl who died and it's just the saddest thing to see their little teeny pictures. God bless her and bless the family as well.
In the running for Top Notch Obituary and Memorial to a Loved One is the mostly well-written one for Stanley Lee Davis. (I am not going to say a thing about his parents choice of middle name being the last syllable of his first name even though it really irritates me.) This was a really nice tribute to him and his life. Really nice. The only issue I had with it was this "passed away suddenly at the VA hospital". Seems to me that if you are in the hospital already, it might not have been so sudden. But that might just be me.
There were the usual causes of death; cancers, Alzheimer's and complications thereof, heart problems, Parkinson's and this is the first time I have seen "after a long battle with diabetes". Mostly people just don't put cause of death in the obituary.
Best names for a couple: William Clyde and Edna Ethalyn. Runners-up are Hildegardo and Mary Lou.
No homeless veterans this week or last week come to think of it.
This is just going to have to be short. I have to hurry and get to a meeting with a new client. Enjoy your Monday!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
How hard can it be to find the perfect coffee/cocktail table?
Seriously? How hard can it be? I have looked and looked for several years now and just can't find anything that I love. Nothing.
Everything is either too short, too tall, too modern, too ornate, not the right shape. Whatever, they are just not the one I am looking for.
I am trying to put something in a room filled with antiques that are mostly all rosewood and mahogany. So new stuff doesn't really go and lots of old things are not the right scale. I don't know how to explain it. I just know that when I see it, I am going to snatch it up on the spot!
In addition to regularly scoping out the antique and consignment shops locally, I peruse the offerings on ebay on occasion. Here are a few little gems that show up when you search ebay for "antique coffee cocktail table":
First up we have a very shiny brass number with black glass on not one but two shelves.
The next one was really weird. They claim it was a glass and rosewood table. It looked to me like something Fred and Wilma Flintstone would have had.
Then you won't even believe it but there was a wagon wheel table. Is this really an antique? Would you serve cocktails on this thing? Can you look at it and NOT think of When Harry Met Sally?
The next one is not a table so much as a grouping of tables. Now, if I had a really cool 1950s early 60s vibe going on, I would grab these guys up in a heart beat. Pretty cool. Just not what I am looking for.
And then we have another table made out of a cart or farm equipment or something. I couldn't figure it out. I also can't quite understand why.
And this last one. Well, I don't really know what to say about it. Suffice it to say, that if Bruno had this one in the movie instead of the wagon wheel, he and Carrie Fisher might not have moved in together at all!
I can not envision a tackier coffee table than that one! Heee!!!
Everything is either too short, too tall, too modern, too ornate, not the right shape. Whatever, they are just not the one I am looking for.
I am trying to put something in a room filled with antiques that are mostly all rosewood and mahogany. So new stuff doesn't really go and lots of old things are not the right scale. I don't know how to explain it. I just know that when I see it, I am going to snatch it up on the spot!
In addition to regularly scoping out the antique and consignment shops locally, I peruse the offerings on ebay on occasion. Here are a few little gems that show up when you search ebay for "antique coffee cocktail table":
First up we have a very shiny brass number with black glass on not one but two shelves.
The next one was really weird. They claim it was a glass and rosewood table. It looked to me like something Fred and Wilma Flintstone would have had.
Then you won't even believe it but there was a wagon wheel table. Is this really an antique? Would you serve cocktails on this thing? Can you look at it and NOT think of When Harry Met Sally?
The next one is not a table so much as a grouping of tables. Now, if I had a really cool 1950s early 60s vibe going on, I would grab these guys up in a heart beat. Pretty cool. Just not what I am looking for.
And then we have another table made out of a cart or farm equipment or something. I couldn't figure it out. I also can't quite understand why.
And this last one. Well, I don't really know what to say about it. Suffice it to say, that if Bruno had this one in the movie instead of the wagon wheel, he and Carrie Fisher might not have moved in together at all!
I can not envision a tackier coffee table than that one! Heee!!!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Sparky
This has been a long time coming. My boy, Sparky, is headed to a wonderful university. He made this happen all on his own. He has asked for nothing from us to help in this. It has been many years in the making, with some slips and falls but always, always picking himself back up and getting back on the right path.
You know how when your babies are one year old and just taking their first steps and you are hovering around trying to let go of their hands and let them go on their own and it's exciting and it's scary all at the same time? It never quits being that way.
You know how you wanted to wrap the world in soft wool and cotton so as to protect them from the bumps, bruises and scrapes as they were learning to make their way in the world? And it's exciting and scary to watch all at the same time? It never quits being that way.
And here he is at 25 years old and finally knowing his path and quietly and forcefully making his way along it. There is no more trying to run ahead and make sure things are safe for him. That ended for me a while ago. My role has changed to one on the sidelines and not an actual participant.
My wish all along has been that he could see himself as I see him. Intelligent, capable, compassionate, witty, sharp, funny and thoughtful.
He is coming into his own. And it's a pleasure to watch.
You know how when your babies are one year old and just taking their first steps and you are hovering around trying to let go of their hands and let them go on their own and it's exciting and it's scary all at the same time? It never quits being that way.
You know how you wanted to wrap the world in soft wool and cotton so as to protect them from the bumps, bruises and scrapes as they were learning to make their way in the world? And it's exciting and scary to watch all at the same time? It never quits being that way.
And here he is at 25 years old and finally knowing his path and quietly and forcefully making his way along it. There is no more trying to run ahead and make sure things are safe for him. That ended for me a while ago. My role has changed to one on the sidelines and not an actual participant.
My wish all along has been that he could see himself as I see him. Intelligent, capable, compassionate, witty, sharp, funny and thoughtful.
He is coming into his own. And it's a pleasure to watch.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Me and Gregg Allman
What do I have in common with Gregg Allman? Well, first off neither of us are angels. And secondly, we both ramble. He's a ramblin' man, and I have a ramblin' mind. Ha!
Let's enjoy looking at the Gregg Allman of my youth, shall we?
I absolutely adored him when I was in 8th and 9th grade. The very first t- shirt I ever bought that sported a picture of someone was Gregg Allman. It was black. Nowadays, the black has faded to a funky brown/purple/olive color. How would I know this about a shirt made back in 1973? Because I STILL have it! It lived in my cedar chest with my favorite pair of torn-up, paint-spattered, worn-in, cool-patch wearin' Levis for many many years. Then my teen-aged Rachel Pie person spied them and heisted them for her very own use. So the Gregg Allman t-shirt is still in use. All these years later. One of these days I will dig out the shirt and the jeans and take pics for you. Then you can say "Hey Lisa Pie, your ass used to fit in THOSE jeans?" And I will say what every other person on the planet says, "Yes, it did. And I will have you know that I thought I was fat and went on every flipping fad diet that came down the pike". What the hell is wrong with girls that we all think we are fat when we are perfectly made and beautiful?
Anyhoo, the reason I woke up thinking about Ramblin' Man is because my mind was seriously all over the place. So I will just start listing things as they occur to me.
1. You all know how much I adore Matt who dances badly around the world. I have signed up to be notified if and when he shows up in my neck of the woods so I can gather people and go dance with him at some fabulous local sight. And he is out right now filming for the next video! And he is in this hemisphere! The chances are good that this might be the year we get in!!
2. It's almost Thanksgiving. Today is actually Nov. 12 and no one loves to decorate for Christmas more than I do, but I restrain myself until after Thanksgiving. And last night I was driving home from Childbirth Ed class and what did my wandering eye spy? One of the other homes in my neighborhood already had lights up. And I thought "well maybe they aren't really Christmas lights. Maybe they are just generic decorative lights." I slowed down and looked and guess what? There were not only lights on the house, but in the trees, bushes and . . . . .
AND they also had 3 of those fake trees with lights and decorations in a cute little grouping in the yard! Holy Way-to-jump-the-gun Batman!!! Talk about early!
The good thing is, no matter what I do now, I wasn't the idiot who put my lights up first. : ) Love that.
3. Thanksgiving Menu is made! Shopping list is made and the to-do lists are being worked on. This is all good. And . . . . I was able to get the group to agree to try some new recipes. I love it when that happens. So I am here to share with you the cranberry recipe I am going to try. Now, be forewarned that I have never made this. But if I am willing to try this out on my family without test-driving it first, you should to. : )
From the 2008 Bon Appetit Thanksgiving issue:
Cranberry Relish with Grapefruit and Mint
2 large pink grapefruits
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups cranberries (about 10 oz.)
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (pink and yellow outer layer only) from 1 grapefruit in strips. Cut peel into 2-inch-long, 1/8-inch wide strips (about 1/2 cup). Squeeze grapefruits to get 1 cup juice.
Stir 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add grapefruit peel; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is soft, about 15 minutes. Add grapefruit juice and cranberries; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Stir in mint. Cover; chill until cold. Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
***My notes: First off, I am completely irked by the title. I have read enough cookbooks and recipes to know that a cranberry RELISH is one where you use them raw and grind them in the food processor with other ingredients. Cranberry SAUCE is when you cook them and let them burst and thicken the mixture. So if this is good and I deem this a keeper, I will change the name. Other than that, how fabulous does this sound? I swear I can smell it already just from the written word! No pics necessary.
4. I sent off for Ernest T. Bass to have his DNA done and find out what mixture of breeds caused this particular dog. He is such a handsome fellow, but everyone swears they see something different in him. So I thought I would spring for the test and find out. And while I am patiently waiting, and patiently clicking on the website hourly to see if they have the results yet, I was perusing a dog breed website. In addition to pure breeds they also have a category of the new "Hybrid breeds". These are like those purposely made Labradoodles, not just your average mutt dog. And I came across the cutest picture of puppies ever. Check this out:
Awwww. Have you ever seen such cuteness? Squishy, squishy, you must want to smoosh them! These are called BaShar pups. Half Basset hound, half Shar Pei. Hilarious is what those are. Absolutely precious.
Enjoy your weekend!
Let's enjoy looking at the Gregg Allman of my youth, shall we?
I absolutely adored him when I was in 8th and 9th grade. The very first t- shirt I ever bought that sported a picture of someone was Gregg Allman. It was black. Nowadays, the black has faded to a funky brown/purple/olive color. How would I know this about a shirt made back in 1973? Because I STILL have it! It lived in my cedar chest with my favorite pair of torn-up, paint-spattered, worn-in, cool-patch wearin' Levis for many many years. Then my teen-aged Rachel Pie person spied them and heisted them for her very own use. So the Gregg Allman t-shirt is still in use. All these years later. One of these days I will dig out the shirt and the jeans and take pics for you. Then you can say "Hey Lisa Pie, your ass used to fit in THOSE jeans?" And I will say what every other person on the planet says, "Yes, it did. And I will have you know that I thought I was fat and went on every flipping fad diet that came down the pike". What the hell is wrong with girls that we all think we are fat when we are perfectly made and beautiful?
Anyhoo, the reason I woke up thinking about Ramblin' Man is because my mind was seriously all over the place. So I will just start listing things as they occur to me.
1. You all know how much I adore Matt who dances badly around the world. I have signed up to be notified if and when he shows up in my neck of the woods so I can gather people and go dance with him at some fabulous local sight. And he is out right now filming for the next video! And he is in this hemisphere! The chances are good that this might be the year we get in!!
2. It's almost Thanksgiving. Today is actually Nov. 12 and no one loves to decorate for Christmas more than I do, but I restrain myself until after Thanksgiving. And last night I was driving home from Childbirth Ed class and what did my wandering eye spy? One of the other homes in my neighborhood already had lights up. And I thought "well maybe they aren't really Christmas lights. Maybe they are just generic decorative lights." I slowed down and looked and guess what? There were not only lights on the house, but in the trees, bushes and . . . . .
AND they also had 3 of those fake trees with lights and decorations in a cute little grouping in the yard! Holy Way-to-jump-the-gun Batman!!! Talk about early!
The good thing is, no matter what I do now, I wasn't the idiot who put my lights up first. : ) Love that.
3. Thanksgiving Menu is made! Shopping list is made and the to-do lists are being worked on. This is all good. And . . . . I was able to get the group to agree to try some new recipes. I love it when that happens. So I am here to share with you the cranberry recipe I am going to try. Now, be forewarned that I have never made this. But if I am willing to try this out on my family without test-driving it first, you should to. : )
From the 2008 Bon Appetit Thanksgiving issue:
Cranberry Relish with Grapefruit and Mint
2 large pink grapefruits
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups cranberries (about 10 oz.)
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (pink and yellow outer layer only) from 1 grapefruit in strips. Cut peel into 2-inch-long, 1/8-inch wide strips (about 1/2 cup). Squeeze grapefruits to get 1 cup juice.
Stir 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add grapefruit peel; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is soft, about 15 minutes. Add grapefruit juice and cranberries; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Stir in mint. Cover; chill until cold. Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
***My notes: First off, I am completely irked by the title. I have read enough cookbooks and recipes to know that a cranberry RELISH is one where you use them raw and grind them in the food processor with other ingredients. Cranberry SAUCE is when you cook them and let them burst and thicken the mixture. So if this is good and I deem this a keeper, I will change the name. Other than that, how fabulous does this sound? I swear I can smell it already just from the written word! No pics necessary.
4. I sent off for Ernest T. Bass to have his DNA done and find out what mixture of breeds caused this particular dog. He is such a handsome fellow, but everyone swears they see something different in him. So I thought I would spring for the test and find out. And while I am patiently waiting, and patiently clicking on the website hourly to see if they have the results yet, I was perusing a dog breed website. In addition to pure breeds they also have a category of the new "Hybrid breeds". These are like those purposely made Labradoodles, not just your average mutt dog. And I came across the cutest picture of puppies ever. Check this out:
Awwww. Have you ever seen such cuteness? Squishy, squishy, you must want to smoosh them! These are called BaShar pups. Half Basset hound, half Shar Pei. Hilarious is what those are. Absolutely precious.
Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Latest phone call from The Colonel
Is there anyone here who remembers the on-going saga of The Colonel and his fence? Well, if you are interested in reading about that, look to the right and go down to the label "Neighbors" or "fences" or whatever label I put on this exciting event.
But a quick little background to this is that when we bought this house 5 years ago (right after the Queen and King B were married!!) we met our next door neighbors who we refer to as The Colonel and Miss Betty. TC & MB are lovely people. They are retired military, he went to Westpoint and then served in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam. When they retired they decided to stay here rather than move back to the south where they are from. And this neighborhood was just being built and if you just hold still long enough The Colonel will tell you all. about. the building of his house and then the subsequent building of the rest of the houses. Here is an interesting little aside, TC & MB have been married 66 years. They built their retirement home here back in 1973. Now, that was the first time it ever occurred to me that anyone would live the largest part of their life in their RETIREMENT HOME! Have you ever thought that? It was quite the eye-opener for me.
Anyhoo, they have really interesting stories about their travels and what all he did in WWII and where all they have lived. But as it is with lots of people whose kids, grandkids and even great-grandkids have grown and gone, it's hard to visit with them for just a few minutes. They are thirsty for conversation and you just can't deliver a piece of their mail that was accidentally in your mailbox and say hey. No, you will be there for close to an hour. And the same is true for phone messages they leave you. They are, shall we say, long-winded?
Don't get me wrong, we love TC & MB. You just have to plan around phone calls and visits to them because they will take forever. For ev er.
So yesterday, Mr. Big Ed sends me an email that has a Google voice-to-text message he received from TC. Have you done Google voice-to-text? WTF? Talk about convoluted interpretations!
Here is the message I received:
Yeah. Hi Ed. Hello, this is al
Message Next. So your yeah, Re,
Martin on those out of a house. Yeah
so young lady over here today. Bye.
Yeah, tell us the There you are man.
Yeah, I think you over a a rattle
snake, yet those cactus pushers in
front of our house between houses.
This is a very serious thing because
we have available. Hey in any a
rattle snakes in this neighborhood.
Bye. Yeah and rattle snake. She
lives in families. Yeah, I think you
over notice. Your talk about it. You
can call me, but that's all I know.
Yeah, I'm not sure. Ohh that it
wants a rattle snake, but I had them
question. The yard man. Yeah, it'll
bye yo out quantities salt water
laws yo. Probably it may have been
yeah a rattle snake. Okay bye.
(This is what Google Voice does with a strong Southern accent. Imagine what international messages must be like.)
Rattlesnake, hmm? Do you think Mr. Big Ed rushed to call TC right back and find out what the hell this was all about? No he did not. Who thinks he is too busy to spend an hour or so on that little conversation? Mr. Big Ed? Yes, indeedy.
We have 4 cats that like to roam outside every afternoon. Who should have been worrying about whether our cats might get snakebit? Mr. Big Ed?
As near as I can figure it out, TC's yard guy found a snake in a cactus patch that sits between TC and his neighbor on the other side and no one seems to know whether or not it was a rattle snake. Now, if you were in question about this detail, wouldn't you just see if it had a rattle? I am no expert, but that would be the first thing I would do if I had doubts.
A few years ago I noticed our dearly departed older King of the House, Gato Pato, was stalking something at the base of one of the big oak trees and I went out there to see what he was doing. He had chased a snake up the tree and was guarding it and I guess forcing it to stay there. So I rushed in and called the Wildlife Rescue place and asked about what kind of snakes climb trees and whether or not my Gato Pato was in danger and risking his life to save us all. Turns out snakes that climb trees are called, Tree Snakes! gasp! Tree Snakes.
They also told me that if I have tree snakes, I probably don't have rats and vermin. They are the good wildlife you want to stay on your property. And no, they won't bother fat housecats. But let me tell you that the tree snake that Gato had treed that day was all mottled brown similar to a rattlesnake. So, my guess is that if The Colonel has lived in that house for 30+ years and has never seen a rattler, it most likely won't start happening now.
I was going to be really clever and show you pictures of a brown tree snake and a rattlesnake side by side. But as I looked at tree snake pictures online, you know what I found? There are literally HUNDREDS of kinds of tree snakes!! Hundreds! In every conceivable color. So, trust me, the one we had was your basic mottled patterned brown like you would expect a rattlesnake to be.
I will probably clear some time out of my calendar and go over and talk to TC & MB and see what happened. I will let you know if I find out anything interesting. And I will be kind and give you the shortened Readers Digest version. : )
But a quick little background to this is that when we bought this house 5 years ago (right after the Queen and King B were married!!) we met our next door neighbors who we refer to as The Colonel and Miss Betty. TC & MB are lovely people. They are retired military, he went to Westpoint and then served in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam. When they retired they decided to stay here rather than move back to the south where they are from. And this neighborhood was just being built and if you just hold still long enough The Colonel will tell you all. about. the building of his house and then the subsequent building of the rest of the houses. Here is an interesting little aside, TC & MB have been married 66 years. They built their retirement home here back in 1973. Now, that was the first time it ever occurred to me that anyone would live the largest part of their life in their RETIREMENT HOME! Have you ever thought that? It was quite the eye-opener for me.
Anyhoo, they have really interesting stories about their travels and what all he did in WWII and where all they have lived. But as it is with lots of people whose kids, grandkids and even great-grandkids have grown and gone, it's hard to visit with them for just a few minutes. They are thirsty for conversation and you just can't deliver a piece of their mail that was accidentally in your mailbox and say hey. No, you will be there for close to an hour. And the same is true for phone messages they leave you. They are, shall we say, long-winded?
Don't get me wrong, we love TC & MB. You just have to plan around phone calls and visits to them because they will take forever. For ev er.
So yesterday, Mr. Big Ed sends me an email that has a Google voice-to-text message he received from TC. Have you done Google voice-to-text? WTF? Talk about convoluted interpretations!
Here is the message I received:
Yeah. Hi Ed. Hello, this is al
Message Next. So your yeah, Re,
Martin on those out of a house. Yeah
so young lady over here today. Bye.
Yeah, tell us the There you are man.
Yeah, I think you over a a rattle
snake, yet those cactus pushers in
front of our house between houses.
This is a very serious thing because
we have available. Hey in any a
rattle snakes in this neighborhood.
Bye. Yeah and rattle snake. She
lives in families. Yeah, I think you
over notice. Your talk about it. You
can call me, but that's all I know.
Yeah, I'm not sure. Ohh that it
wants a rattle snake, but I had them
question. The yard man. Yeah, it'll
bye yo out quantities salt water
laws yo. Probably it may have been
yeah a rattle snake. Okay bye.
(This is what Google Voice does with a strong Southern accent. Imagine what international messages must be like.)
Rattlesnake, hmm? Do you think Mr. Big Ed rushed to call TC right back and find out what the hell this was all about? No he did not. Who thinks he is too busy to spend an hour or so on that little conversation? Mr. Big Ed? Yes, indeedy.
We have 4 cats that like to roam outside every afternoon. Who should have been worrying about whether our cats might get snakebit? Mr. Big Ed?
As near as I can figure it out, TC's yard guy found a snake in a cactus patch that sits between TC and his neighbor on the other side and no one seems to know whether or not it was a rattle snake. Now, if you were in question about this detail, wouldn't you just see if it had a rattle? I am no expert, but that would be the first thing I would do if I had doubts.
A few years ago I noticed our dearly departed older King of the House, Gato Pato, was stalking something at the base of one of the big oak trees and I went out there to see what he was doing. He had chased a snake up the tree and was guarding it and I guess forcing it to stay there. So I rushed in and called the Wildlife Rescue place and asked about what kind of snakes climb trees and whether or not my Gato Pato was in danger and risking his life to save us all. Turns out snakes that climb trees are called, Tree Snakes! gasp! Tree Snakes.
They also told me that if I have tree snakes, I probably don't have rats and vermin. They are the good wildlife you want to stay on your property. And no, they won't bother fat housecats. But let me tell you that the tree snake that Gato had treed that day was all mottled brown similar to a rattlesnake. So, my guess is that if The Colonel has lived in that house for 30+ years and has never seen a rattler, it most likely won't start happening now.
I was going to be really clever and show you pictures of a brown tree snake and a rattlesnake side by side. But as I looked at tree snake pictures online, you know what I found? There are literally HUNDREDS of kinds of tree snakes!! Hundreds! In every conceivable color. So, trust me, the one we had was your basic mottled patterned brown like you would expect a rattlesnake to be.
I will probably clear some time out of my calendar and go over and talk to TC & MB and see what happened. I will let you know if I find out anything interesting. And I will be kind and give you the shortened Readers Digest version. : )
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Board Games
I may have mentioned it a time or two but just in case you have forgotten, I love me some board games. I do. I really do. I have a load of board games. I think you could say I have a plethora of board games. Do you think I could just say games and not stick the "board" in front of it any more?
I have probably 6 or 8 Monopoly games, all different ones. I even have the one I received as a birthday gift when I was probably 11 or 12. I also have my original Life game, Clue and my Twister. Did you know Life is different now? In mine you are trying your best to get to Millionaire Acres and NOT the Poor Farm. I don't think there is a Poor Farm on the current one. So why exactly are you trying really hard if there is no bad consequence? Interesting, is what that is.
I also have many Trivial Pursuit games. And several extra boxes of cards to use with the original Genus game board, that are all music or t.v. shows or 80's trivia.
I have Scrabble in English and Spanish. I have several Pass the Pigs games, and Yahtzee, Uno and Skip-Bo like I was trying to corner the market. I don't know exactly how that happened. My collection includes several sets of dominos that are regular, traditional double-6 sets and one cool one that is double-12 for playing Chicken Tracks. That one is a ton of fun.
One of my favorite old-school game is called Hedbanz.
I have probably 6 or 8 Monopoly games, all different ones. I even have the one I received as a birthday gift when I was probably 11 or 12. I also have my original Life game, Clue and my Twister. Did you know Life is different now? In mine you are trying your best to get to Millionaire Acres and NOT the Poor Farm. I don't think there is a Poor Farm on the current one. So why exactly are you trying really hard if there is no bad consequence? Interesting, is what that is.
I also have many Trivial Pursuit games. And several extra boxes of cards to use with the original Genus game board, that are all music or t.v. shows or 80's trivia.
I have Scrabble in English and Spanish. I have several Pass the Pigs games, and Yahtzee, Uno and Skip-Bo like I was trying to corner the market. I don't know exactly how that happened. My collection includes several sets of dominos that are regular, traditional double-6 sets and one cool one that is double-12 for playing Chicken Tracks. That one is a ton of fun.
One of my favorite old-school game is called Hedbanz.
This is hilarious and way too much fun when you have a big group playing.
I have told you before about my Mah Jongg playing. I play twice a month and as a matter of fact, I am playing tonight!
Last year for Christmas my daughter the lovely and talented Miss Rachel Pie bought us a game as a family gift called Wise and Otherwise. It looks like this:
This game is a real hoot! It's very much like Balderdash, in case you are familiar with that one.
We have a game we received as a gift way back in the Dark Ages when we were first married called 221B Baker St. That's Sherlock Holmes' address, by the by. It is a whole lot like a grown-up version of Clue. Instead of going around a house room to room, you go around London to the Tobaccanist, the Apothecary, Library, etc.
In addition to board games, I also like jigsaw puzzles. And we have tons of these things. You would think I would have caught on years ago that no one really likes to work on the damn things but me. But no, I still drag one out every holiday season and set up a table by the Christmas tree and play Christmas carols and hope people will join me. Not so much.
I love to play card games too. When Rachel Pie is home we have a running gin tournament and sometimes will stay up till 2 or 3 a.m. playing cards.
Anyone have any board games they can recommend? Any games bring back fun memories for you? Any holiday traditions that include games or puzzles?
Lemme hear from you! I am always on the lookout for a new game!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Trust me on this, one of the best investments you can make
I know, you think I am talking about that other kind of investment. No, I mean investing in yourself. Investing in learning how to relax, how to just be, and how to cook truly authentic Mexican food. This is Poblana style cooking which means from the Puebla area.
Mexico is a huge and very diverse country and of course there are regional differences in the cooking. Just like people in Maine don't eat the same locally as someone from say, Amarillo or another inland city. Most people will tell you that the Poblana style of Mexican cuisine is the finest, the top of the food chain, if you will. It is a beautiful fusion of indigenous, Spanish and French.
I was lucky enough while living in Mexico City to find this fabulous cooking school and spend a week there with a very dear friend. We had a ball! I learned so many things and have added all those recipes to my regular rotation. In addition to that, we shopped like fiends, we wandered around, I found myself waking up really early and taking a walk with the dogs while drinking my morning tea.
Hand to God, you will not find a more beautiful locale to hang out and be treated like a queen while learning how to cook.
Below is the little review I wrote about this lovely cooking school for the newsletter for the Newcomers Club of Mexico City.
Mexico is a huge and very diverse country and of course there are regional differences in the cooking. Just like people in Maine don't eat the same locally as someone from say, Amarillo or another inland city. Most people will tell you that the Poblana style of Mexican cuisine is the finest, the top of the food chain, if you will. It is a beautiful fusion of indigenous, Spanish and French.
I was lucky enough while living in Mexico City to find this fabulous cooking school and spend a week there with a very dear friend. We had a ball! I learned so many things and have added all those recipes to my regular rotation. In addition to that, we shopped like fiends, we wandered around, I found myself waking up really early and taking a walk with the dogs while drinking my morning tea.
Hand to God, you will not find a more beautiful locale to hang out and be treated like a queen while learning how to cook.
Below is the little review I wrote about this lovely cooking school for the newsletter for the Newcomers Club of Mexico City.
REVIEW OF MEXICAN HOME COOKING SCHOOL
FOR NEWCOMERS
I just spent a week in Tlaxcala attending the Mexican Home Cooking School. It was fabulous. Imagine a wonderful, typically Mexican home out in the country overlooking a lake and all 3 volcanoes. Then imagine yourself there in the clean air and learning to cook tons of Puebla-style dishes. Try to imagine doing it with no can opener! You won’t need one since Estela will teach you to do everything from scratch. Really from scratch, not the way I always have thought of as being from scratch.
The schedule is that you arrive one day, relax, get settled, have cooking classes for the next 5 mornings, and free afternoons to go sight-see or shop or sit around and soak up the atmosphere, then on the last day you leave. I did just about every afternoon trip there was. We went to Puebla and bought loads of antiques, we went to Santa Ana and bought textiles, we went to Tlaxcala and wandered around, we went to San Martin to the huge market and bought pottery and all sorts of treasures we couldn’t live without. In case you are not a shopper, there are some fabulous ruins close by. The Cacaxtla murals are probably the best-preserved murals to be discovered anywhere. You won’t want to miss them. Luckily, all this is only a two-hour drive from Mexico City, so you can fill the car up with all sorts of artesania.
Estela Salas Silva and her husband Jon Jarvis run the cooking school out of their home. She and her brother Rogelio do all the cooking instruction and are very good. No matter what your level of expertise, they will make you feel like you are a genius. After a day or two you will begin to feel like part of the family. Since the school is at Jon and Estela’s home, there is a cozy sort of bed and breakfast feel to it. The rooms are very nice, quite spacious and with fireplaces in each.
Here is the website www.mexicanhomecooking.com that you can go to and find out all the particulars. Also, feel free to call me, Lisa Pie at xxxx-xxxx or email if you want a student’s perspective.
Now I attended classes there in 2000 or 2001, I can't quite recall. And I still correspond with Jon and Estela. They are lovely people and make you feel right at home. They also work with their neighbors Gundi and Erik who do the Mushroom Tours. My husband and son attended one of those and really enjoyed it. And if you look in the photos of the previous tours you will find photos of them.
Enjoy perusing the Mexican Home Cooking website and then shoot them an email to find out availability to fit your vacation schedule. I promise you will be happy you did this.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Thanksgiving Planning
I am approximately 1 week behind in planning our Thanksgiving dinner. But we nailed down the menu, recipes and started the shopping list last night. In case you didn't know this about me I am extremely anal retentive and a bit OCD, and if that weren't enough to drive most people away, I am also the Queen of List-Making. Oh, how I love the lists!
So, planning and prepping for a big holiday shin-dig is what I do best. I am going to share with you how I do this and you can either take an idea or two that might help with your own holiday planning or use it as evidence against me when they send the men with the butterfly nets to haul me off.
First off, you need a yellow legal pad and a pen that works. On the first page up at the top title the event and the year, i.e. Thanksgiving 2010
Then list the guests invited so you have a head count and know how many of each thing and whether or not to double recipes, etc.
After that I start listing the dishes to be made. Example:
New England Maple Glazed Turkey and Gravy
Dressing with Sausage, Apples and Cranberries
Next to each item I then put where to find the recipe. (Bon Apetit 1994, page 78)
The next page is the Shopping List. As I am looking at the recipes, I write down every item I need to buy.
But I have found that instead of writing it as 1/2 cup butter, if I do this "Butter, 1 stick" then when I am on the 3rd recipe that calls for butter I just put "+1 1/2 sticks". At the end I just add up total amts of butter to buy. I hope that made sense. It did in my head.
While I have the recipes out I go ahead and label the next few pages thusly,
1 week ahead
3 days ahead
2 days ahead
Day before
Thanksgiving Day
Because most good recipes will say "can be made up to this point 3 days in advance" or something like that. Then I put that step in the appropriate page. It really helps me to stay focused and keep on task to get as much done as I can ahead of time. Plus on the 1 week ahead I can put Grocery Shopping, Set the table, Polish silver, or whatever and not leave stuff till the last minute.
The last couple of days of prepping I always have a clean spot on the counter where all the recipes are stacked up with the legal pad o'lists. Since my kidlets are pretty well grown and usually have a friend or partner or someone over, it is easy for people wandering through to just look at the list and choose something to do and take care of it. I like to think that they appreciate handling something on the list and not having to ask me "what next?, now what?"
The other good thing about doing this type of list-making is that I can always refer back to who was here for which holidays, what recipes worked and what was a flop.
There you have it. Lisa Pie's List-Making Plan. What do you think?
Do you have little tricks you do to help keep you sane and focused? Please share! I am always refining and updating my lists.
So, planning and prepping for a big holiday shin-dig is what I do best. I am going to share with you how I do this and you can either take an idea or two that might help with your own holiday planning or use it as evidence against me when they send the men with the butterfly nets to haul me off.
First off, you need a yellow legal pad and a pen that works. On the first page up at the top title the event and the year, i.e. Thanksgiving 2010
Then list the guests invited so you have a head count and know how many of each thing and whether or not to double recipes, etc.
After that I start listing the dishes to be made. Example:
New England Maple Glazed Turkey and Gravy
Dressing with Sausage, Apples and Cranberries
Next to each item I then put where to find the recipe. (Bon Apetit 1994, page 78)
The next page is the Shopping List. As I am looking at the recipes, I write down every item I need to buy.
But I have found that instead of writing it as 1/2 cup butter, if I do this "Butter, 1 stick" then when I am on the 3rd recipe that calls for butter I just put "+1 1/2 sticks". At the end I just add up total amts of butter to buy. I hope that made sense. It did in my head.
While I have the recipes out I go ahead and label the next few pages thusly,
1 week ahead
3 days ahead
2 days ahead
Day before
Thanksgiving Day
Because most good recipes will say "can be made up to this point 3 days in advance" or something like that. Then I put that step in the appropriate page. It really helps me to stay focused and keep on task to get as much done as I can ahead of time. Plus on the 1 week ahead I can put Grocery Shopping, Set the table, Polish silver, or whatever and not leave stuff till the last minute.
The last couple of days of prepping I always have a clean spot on the counter where all the recipes are stacked up with the legal pad o'lists. Since my kidlets are pretty well grown and usually have a friend or partner or someone over, it is easy for people wandering through to just look at the list and choose something to do and take care of it. I like to think that they appreciate handling something on the list and not having to ask me "what next?, now what?"
The other good thing about doing this type of list-making is that I can always refer back to who was here for which holidays, what recipes worked and what was a flop.
There you have it. Lisa Pie's List-Making Plan. What do you think?
Do you have little tricks you do to help keep you sane and focused? Please share! I am always refining and updating my lists.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Did you know??
Did you know that you could send in a picture of your child, your dog, your very own self, or anyone you want and they will put that face on M&Ms? And they will make a batch for you in any color combinations your little heart desires? If you go here you can scope out that info.
Did you know that you could also choose to make a batch of M&Ms with your team colors and logo?
Did you know that you can create your very own personalized pair of Converse All-Star Chuck Taylor hightops? As cool as the Chucks are already, imagine how cool they could be with you as the designer! Now you don't have to dream about what if the awesome pink shoes had lime green insides and purple laces. Create them yourself right here. Love these!!
Did you know that with Pocketmod you can carry all sorts of small lists around with you in your pocket and not have to carry large bulky calendars, sudoku books and such? This is one of my favorites!
Did you know that there is an organization out there that will go in and clean homes of cancer patients? Yes, there is. Cleaning for a reason is that group. What a fabulous idea. You may want to bookmark this group and keep them in mind for referrals.
Did you know that Saturday night we move our stupid clocks back one hour? (I hate Daylight Savings Time. I think it is a lame ass idea and we need to dispense with it.)
Did you know that Christmas is 48 days away?
Did you know that Thanksgiving is only 20 days away?
Did you know that your friend Lisa Pie is just a fount of (mostly) useless knowledge and trivia?
Have a fabulous weekend!
Did you know that you could also choose to make a batch of M&Ms with your team colors and logo?
Did you know that you can create your very own personalized pair of Converse All-Star Chuck Taylor hightops? As cool as the Chucks are already, imagine how cool they could be with you as the designer! Now you don't have to dream about what if the awesome pink shoes had lime green insides and purple laces. Create them yourself right here. Love these!!
Did you know that with Pocketmod you can carry all sorts of small lists around with you in your pocket and not have to carry large bulky calendars, sudoku books and such? This is one of my favorites!
Did you know that there is an organization out there that will go in and clean homes of cancer patients? Yes, there is. Cleaning for a reason is that group. What a fabulous idea. You may want to bookmark this group and keep them in mind for referrals.
Did you know that Saturday night we move our stupid clocks back one hour? (I hate Daylight Savings Time. I think it is a lame ass idea and we need to dispense with it.)
Did you know that Christmas is 48 days away?
Did you know that Thanksgiving is only 20 days away?
Did you know that your friend Lisa Pie is just a fount of (mostly) useless knowledge and trivia?
Have a fabulous weekend!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Gratitude
Does anyone remember last year? I participated in a thing where each day of November, not just Thanksgiving day, you post something you are thankful for on your facebook status. Somehow it totally escaped me this year and I got a reminder about it from my s-i-l. Good thing it is only the 4th of the month today, so I can play catch up!
I have so much to be thankful for that it should be dead easy to come up with 30 things for this month.
My Grandma that I just spent a month with, has had a stroke and is in critical condition and being evaluated right now. We are still inside that 48 hour window to see how much they think she can recover from this. I know this is horrible, but there is still so much to be thankful for in this particular situation. First, that someone was with her when it happened and was quick enough to recognize the signs and call the paramedics immediately. Secondly, the paramedics were treating her inside 30 minutes.
And right now? I am mostly really grateful for the month I just had with her. I cried and cried the last night there and kept feeling like it might be the last time I see her. I hope not. But if it is, I can also be at peace with that. I feel like I did what I could to help her and show her how much I care. I am grateful for that opportunity.
Even if you don't play along on facebook, maybe just say to yourself each day something you are grateful and thankful for. It helps on those days when it is damn hard to find that one thing amidst the pile o'crap you are up against.
And I am so thankful for each of you who take time out of your day to pop over here and see what excitement I have come up with to share with you. Thank you for doing that. Comments from you really make my day. Some days they may be the only conversations I have and I am truly grateful for them.
Enjoy your Thursday!
I have so much to be thankful for that it should be dead easy to come up with 30 things for this month.
My Grandma that I just spent a month with, has had a stroke and is in critical condition and being evaluated right now. We are still inside that 48 hour window to see how much they think she can recover from this. I know this is horrible, but there is still so much to be thankful for in this particular situation. First, that someone was with her when it happened and was quick enough to recognize the signs and call the paramedics immediately. Secondly, the paramedics were treating her inside 30 minutes.
And right now? I am mostly really grateful for the month I just had with her. I cried and cried the last night there and kept feeling like it might be the last time I see her. I hope not. But if it is, I can also be at peace with that. I feel like I did what I could to help her and show her how much I care. I am grateful for that opportunity.
Even if you don't play along on facebook, maybe just say to yourself each day something you are grateful and thankful for. It helps on those days when it is damn hard to find that one thing amidst the pile o'crap you are up against.
And I am so thankful for each of you who take time out of your day to pop over here and see what excitement I have come up with to share with you. Thank you for doing that. Comments from you really make my day. Some days they may be the only conversations I have and I am truly grateful for them.
Enjoy your Thursday!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Croak
One of my cats, the ever-so-handsome Mr. Stanley Manley, talks to me every day. Whenever I see him I say, "Stanley!" And he says "Rowr-row". It's always two syllables with him when he answers the Stan-ley call.
And it doesn't matter if I do it once, "Stan-ley!" Or he answers and we go back and forth 20 times. He says the exact same thing "Rowr-row".
But if I ask him something else, he has a different answer. He is very specific that way.
The day before yesterday, I said something to him and he didn't answer. Just looked at me. It was odd enough behavior that I noticed it. Then yesterday, I was gone the whole day with back-to-back scheduling and didn't get home till about 8:30 p.m. and was greeting everyone and when I got to Stanley, I did my usual "Stan-ley!".
And you know what he did?
*croak*
I yelled at Mr. Big Ed and Sparky to come check this out. We all talked to him and he responded each time with a very soft and weird sounding little *croak*. wtf does that mean?
Can you go to a vet and say your cat has lost his voice? Do cats get laryngitis? What can they prescribe for this? Will Stanley in fact gargle if need be?
I only have a few minutes before I have to head out for an appointment but I am going to have to see if there is a webM.D. for cats and check this out. So far, this seems to be his only symptom. He is acting fine, he is eating, lap-sitting, all the usual things that he does.
This is how Stanley Manley spends about half of his time. Sitting in a hammocky thing next to the window so that he can chatter and call the birds to him.
Here he is one day when he got demoted to the lower shelf.
Did I tell y'all that Stanley has a friend? Stanley is always out making friends and bringing them home. We call them his posse. That's how we got stuck with those wee little MacPhee brothers. Stanley brought them home and looked up at me with his one green eyeball and his other blue eyeball, and said, "Please, mom, can I keep them? Look how they worship me and adore me?"
And I looked back at Stanley with his one blue eye and his one green eye and the really cute little black freckle on his pink nose and . . . .
Oh Please! You know I totally caved.
Sorry, I got side-tracked there. Back to Stanley having a friend. His latest friend is one that each of us has seen but never been near. Stanley with his white fur and black spot on his side, black hat on his head and black tail sits out front by the oak trees with . . . .
wait for it . . . . .
a skunk!
Yes indeedy, a skunk. A big, fat, waddling skunk. It is mostly black with a white stripe down the middle as I guess most skunks do. So he and Stanley are opposites in color. Any time we go outside the fat skunk friend waddles off very quickly though. Stanley is not a racist. Or a species-ist.
Let me know if you have ever heard of cats being hoarse or anything like this.
More later!
And it doesn't matter if I do it once, "Stan-ley!" Or he answers and we go back and forth 20 times. He says the exact same thing "Rowr-row".
But if I ask him something else, he has a different answer. He is very specific that way.
The day before yesterday, I said something to him and he didn't answer. Just looked at me. It was odd enough behavior that I noticed it. Then yesterday, I was gone the whole day with back-to-back scheduling and didn't get home till about 8:30 p.m. and was greeting everyone and when I got to Stanley, I did my usual "Stan-ley!".
And you know what he did?
*croak*
I yelled at Mr. Big Ed and Sparky to come check this out. We all talked to him and he responded each time with a very soft and weird sounding little *croak*
Can you go to a vet and say your cat has lost his voice? Do cats get laryngitis? What can they prescribe for this? Will Stanley in fact gargle if need be?
I only have a few minutes before I have to head out for an appointment but I am going to have to see if there is a webM.D. for cats and check this out. So far, this seems to be his only symptom. He is acting fine, he is eating, lap-sitting, all the usual things that he does.
This is how Stanley Manley spends about half of his time. Sitting in a hammocky thing next to the window so that he can chatter and call the birds to him.
Here he is one day when he got demoted to the lower shelf.
Did I tell y'all that Stanley has a friend? Stanley is always out making friends and bringing them home. We call them his posse. That's how we got stuck with those wee little MacPhee brothers. Stanley brought them home and looked up at me with his one green eyeball and his other blue eyeball, and said, "Please, mom, can I keep them? Look how they worship me and adore me?"
And I looked back at Stanley with his one blue eye and his one green eye and the really cute little black freckle on his pink nose and . . . .
Oh Please! You know I totally caved.
Sorry, I got side-tracked there. Back to Stanley having a friend. His latest friend is one that each of us has seen but never been near. Stanley with his white fur and black spot on his side, black hat on his head and black tail sits out front by the oak trees with . . . .
wait for it . . . . .
a skunk!
Yes indeedy, a skunk. A big, fat, waddling skunk. It is mostly black with a white stripe down the middle as I guess most skunks do. So he and Stanley are opposites in color. Any time we go outside the fat skunk friend waddles off very quickly though. Stanley is not a racist. Or a species-ist.
Let me know if you have ever heard of cats being hoarse or anything like this.
More later!
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