End of Days... NaPoBloMo Days

Today is the last day of NaPoBloMo and I’ve got to say that I’m a little bit relieved. The thought of posting every day while preparing for the holidays is even more challenging than under regular circumstances.

But at the same time I’m very glad that I participated in NaPoBloMo again this year. Taking the time out of each day to write a little something is a great exercise. It spurs on the creativity and makes me think a bit more on how I communicate and which words I chose. I’ve never considered myself a writer nor have I longed to be a writer. Writing is something I always did in school because I had to. Sound strange coming from a blogger? I guess I enjoy blogging so much because I can express myself and I know I won’t be graded on it!

Looking back on this month, I’ve got to say thank you. Thank you for sticking in there with me and for coming back again and again. I’ll admit that in the craziness of everything, I didn’t comment as much as usual on some of your blogs.

So who won a PLRH hand-knitted scarf? We’ll know tomorrow after I tally all the comments. Check back tomorrow!

It Sparkles!

During my weekly trip to Publix on Sunday, I stood in front of the meat counter and wondered what to cook for dinner. I couldn't decide on anything because I couldn't remember what we had in the freezer at home. That's when I decided to go home and clean out the freezers both inside and outside in the garage.

Mr. A and I cleaned out the freezers and the refrigerators. Amazingly, we didn't find anything too surprising. Once we sorted through everything, I realized that I had forgotten a few things at the grocery store.

G-Man and I ran back to Publix to pick up what we needed for dinner... plus a few boxes of baking soda. When we returned home Mr. A was wiping out the inside of the fridge. He had taken out all of the shelves and washed them all. I guess that kid will do almost anything to avoid doing homework. I'm not complaining because the inside of the fridge literally sparkles!

Lots of Sap

Many years ago my Sweetie shared the wisdom of buying a Christmas tree early. Yes, this goes against my rule of no Christmas-related activities until December but this rule is made to be broken when dealing with live trees. Since all of the trees are cut at the same time, it only makes sense to buy the tree as early as possible and get it in some water. We've had great success with this plan over the years.

After a lazy morning of dealing with asthma and allergies, we decided to go out and hunt for the PLRH Family Christmas tree. We found it at Home Depot. Not exactly the same experience as trudging through the snow as a kid in New Jersey looking for that special tree. But as soon as we stepped in the tent and inhaled the scent of all the fir trees, we were all in the Christmas mood.

G-Man's eagle eye spotted the perfect tree. All of us agreed. While my Sweetie paid, the boys went back in the tent to soak up the Christmas spirit.

We let the tree rest for a few days so the branches will relax and come down after being bound up. Besides, we can't "technically" start to decorate until Wednesday.

Molly always gets a little ferschemmeled when the Christmas tree arrives and her bed and menagerie of toys are moved to the other side of the room. Please don't feel too sorry for her. She really is quite spoiled. I'm just happy that she isn't a boy doggie. I'm sure when a male dog sees a tree come inside the first thought through his head is, "Cool! Who brought the bathroom inside?"

Sewing, Shopping, Movies & Thai Food

I've never been an After Thanksgiving Sale type of person. Growing up Thanksgiving weekend always meant a huge invitational swim meet. Not shopping or decorating. I didn't even realize that the day after Thanksgiving was called Black Friday until recently.

My plans for today were simple. Sew on a quilt. I did manage to assemble the blocks to this quilt.

By 11 am, Mr. A got a mild case of cabin fever and convinced me to go to Target with him. The madness of the early morning shopping was over but there were still quite a few people out and many of them left their manners at home. We checked out the sales and really couldn't find anything that we really needed. We bought what was on our list and left.

After a lunch of leftovers, the boys and I finally saw Harry Potter. We got to the theater thinking that there might be a queue. Yes, there was a line that wrapped around the building. Oh no, we thought that we would be stuck in the front row looking up Harry's nostrils for two hours. Then I noticed that the line was made-up of 4-yr-old girls and their parents or grandparents. Whew, they were in line for Tangled. We got prime seats in the theater and the movie was excellent. All three of us are looking forward to Part II.

None of us could face another round of leftovers for dinner so we went out for Thai food. Well, my Sweetie, Mr. A, and myself had Thai food. G-Man had Chinese-style sweet & sour chicken. I give Mr. A kudos for trying curry for the first time. He even liked it! I aslo tried Pan Seew for the first time. I'm always a little hesitant to try new Asian food. But I'm glad I did because it was so yummy!

However, I was really confused when I opened my fortune cookie and saw that my fortune was written in Spanish. What's up with that?

Some Turkey Day Photos

At my mother-in-law's house the boys were tasked with putting up the Christmas tree. I tried to get some photos of the festive activity and brotherly love.

Finally a photo of them both looking at the camera.

Mr. A did a masterful job of putting the garland on the tree.

G-Man discovered that it was more helpful of him to entertain the dog that becomes neurotic around a Christmas tree.

The entire PLRH family in one photo! It's been years since that's happened!

Giving Thanks

We all have something to be thankful for each and every day of the year. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day. ~Robert Caspar Lintner

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds. ~Theodore Roosevelt

O Lord that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.
~William Shakespeare

Randomness

G-Man texted me from school yesterday. This was his very important message:
“Could you ask grandmother to get some nacho cheese?”
Apparently, nacho cheese is worth the risk of having your cell phone confiscated.

I recently discovered that driving through a shopping center with my zippy, little car in sport mode is a lot of fun.

Do you see the same cars over and over again on your drive to work in the morning? I do. I’m pleased to say that the college professor who drives the brand new Nissan 370ZX, grey with maroon interior, has FINALLY learned to shift gears! Gosh, that was painful to watch repeatedly.

The BBC TV show, Top Gear is extremely entertaining. On one episode, the hosts reviewed and discussed Porsches. They joked that Boxster is German for, “I can’t afford a 911.” One of my dream cars is the Panamera. Driving down the road one day, my Sweetie asked me, “Cayenne is German for what?” I replied, “I can’t have a Panamera because I have two kids and a Great Dane.” No, I don’t’ have a Cayenne. Nor would I ever turn one down.

For Thanksgiving this year I was asked by the boys to make my Yankee Cornbread Dressing again. The recipe is easy peasy. Make Paula Deen’s recipe for cornbread dressing with these substitutions: use cornbread mix from a box instead of making it from scratch, sauteé the veggies in olive oil instead of a stick of butter, and add apples and dried cranberries for that Yankee touch.

If given the choice, I would take pumpkin bread over pumpkin pie any day.

We’re going to my MIL’s house for Thanksgiving. It’s been eight years since I’ve cooked Thanksgiving dinner. I’m beginning to get a complex.

I’ve been tossing around the idea of getting a Kindle. I have a feeling that I would miss holding and reading an actual book. Thoughts?

The Season of Overindulgence

Christmas is my favorite holiday and Christmas Eve specifically is my absolute favorite day of the year. It may sound childlike coming from an adult but I still feel that there is something magical (both secular and sacred) about Christmas Eve. I enjoy the inner peace I find on that special night and look forward to it all year long.

But the holiday season (Thanksgiving through New Year) is also the worst time of year for me. During the other ten months of the year I think, This year will be different. Then November arrives and I begin to fall apart.

Why the paradox?

Partially because of some personal reasons leftover from the not-so-nice-person I was married to previously. Also, because I expend so much fracking energy trying to please other people that I get totally overwhelmed and I don’t take the time to care about my own feelings and needs. Well, if I don’t take the time, why should anyone else?

This weekend was a huge wake-up call for me. My only plans for this weekend included knitting, sewing, and the movies. Both the knitting and sewing activities required trips to the craft store and the quilt shop. Saturday I went to a quilt shop with my mother and we discussed holiday plans, logistics, and wish lists as I drove. The thoughts ran through my head...

No, the plans haven’t changed and no, I don’t plan on changing them. The boys really don’t need anything (except socks). Please don’t buy them something just to have an item to wrap or because you spent X amount of dollars on the other grandchildren. If you would like to give them a gift, make it something special.

Then later that day G-Man and I ran into my sister-in-law when we stopped for lunch. She was out Christmas shopping.

Really? Already? Should I be shopping? Am I missing some really good deals?

Sunday morning I fielded two phone calls from my mother-in-law before I could leave the house to run my errands. She was online shopping for the boys and had questions. The running commentary in my head repeated...

No, I still didn’t have any additional gift ideas since the last time we spoke. They really don’t need anything (except socks). Please don’t buy them something just to have an item to wrap or because you spent X amount of dollars on the other grandchildren. If you would like to give them a gift, make it something special.

After I purchased some new knitting needles, I stopped at SuperTarget for two items. I was immediately overwhelmed by the time I put my sunglasses away and got past the Starbucks. I felt as if the North Pole and Martha Stewart’s kitchen collided inside the store. For some self-destructive reason, I walked the entire perimeter of the store.

I became nervous and anxious. I thought...

Should I be making cookies? Should I be decorating? Do I need to buy new decorations? Should I decorate more than usual? Should I buy new table lines? Should I buy new ornaments? New lights? Will we decorate the outside of the house? Should I buy Christmas cards now? Should I make Christmas cards? Will I even send out Christmas cards? Should I buy new paper and ribbon? What about gift bags? Should I go with a theme? Do they have the Xbox Kinect in stock? I wonder if they sell pfeffernüsse. Should I buy a sparkly top?

I was distraught by the time I left Target with my two items. I got home in a crabby mood and was fed up with the commercialism of Christmas. All of us have been bombarded with the TV, radio, newspaper, online ads for Black Friday sales and now Pre-Black Friday sales, jewelry stores and year-end car sales.

Later that afternoon as I sat at my sewing machine reclaiming my sanity, I could hear the TV coming from the family room as my Sweetie watched the football game. Then I heard the voiceover for a luxury car commercial… of all things. It caught my attention when the man’s voice said, “In this season of overindulgence…”

I had an A-Ha Moment.

Overindulgence.

I instantly knew that I had been sucked up in the overindulgence of the season and it was going against the natural grain of my personality.

I feel so strongly about this that I want to say it again...

The overindulgence of the season goes against the natural grain of my personality.

I need to simplify. I need to cut out the commercialism and the unnecessary spending. I need to stop worrying about what I’m “supposed” to do. I need to stop trying to please everyone in my extended-family.

But how? How do I simplify the holiday season so I don’t have my annual meltdown? How do I accomplish this when there are 18 other family members involved in the mix?

Suggestions? Anyone?

The Waiting Game

Mr. A completed his US Naval Academy application. An admission application to a service academy is so much more involved than a regular college application. In addition to writing essays, requesting transcripts & test scores, asking for recommendation letters, and interviews with admissions officers, Mr. A had to train for and pass a physical fitness test, pass a medical exam, and obtain a congressional nomination.

That last one is a lengthy process all in itself. A nomination is required for an appointment to any of the service academies. Mr. A had three opportunities to receive a nomination. One from either of Florida’s US Senators or our district Congressman. Each office had its own application packet that was more extensive than any college application. The packet was reviewed by a selection committee made up of retired officers from all branches of the service. Then Mr. A interviewed in person with each selection committee. He was very proud and didn’t want me or my Sweetie to accompany him to the interviews.

Each Senator or Congressman can nominate one candidate per service academy.

This weekend Mr. A heard back from the offices of one of the Senators and the Congressman. The Senator’s committee did things a little differently and nominated ten candidates’ names and will let the Naval Academy select which candidate gets the actual nomination. Mr. A was in the list of ten.

Then Mr. A opened the envelope from the Congressman’s office. He is the principal nominee. In other words, he’s the selection committee’s first choice.

Mr. A is ecstatic! He almost crushed me when he hugged me. We are thrilled and so very proud of him!

Everything is in place. Now the hard part comes. Waiting for an acceptance letter from the Naval Academy.

Cookie Confession

I bought pfeffernüsse.

It's not December yet and I bought my favorite seasonal treat. Heck! It isn't even Advent yet and I'm breaking my own rules.

I love these little, hard, spicy cookies. Actually, I prefer the iced variety but when I saw the powdered-sugared nuggets at the grocery store, I bought them anyway. Pfeffernüsse are only available during the Christmas seaon and I didn't feel the need to wait until the calendar read "December."

Carpe diem! Or rather... Carpe crustulum!

What is your favorite holiday treat that is only available this time of year?

HP and Brain Termites

Harry Potter has been a part of our lives ever since Mr. A received Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as a Christmas present in kindergarten. (Yes, he really did read the book in kindergarten.) Since then everyone in the PLRH family has read all the books and seen all the movies at least once. The timing of the release of the seventh Harry Potter movie resonates strongly with me. The first movie came out when Mr. A was in kindergarten and now the finale (well, at least part one) comes out when he’s a senior in high school. Mr. A and HP have grown up together.

A co-worker of mine saw the 12:02 showing of HP7 Thursday night. Friday morning she told me about some of the highlights. I stood staring at her confused. I didn’t have a clue as to what she was talking about because I couldn’t recall any of the details of the book.

How could I not remember the book? I’m a Harry Potter fan! I’m the mother of two Harry Potter fans! Granted we’ve never dressed up and stood in line at a bookstore at midnight. But we’re still fans and I have made a couple of HP Halloween costumes over the years.

After I did some counting on my fingers, I realized that I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when I was taking prescription painkillers before my back surgery. No wonder why I couldn’t remember details from the book! I had brain termites!

Thank goodness for SparkNotes!

More Than Halfway There

Are we having fun yet? November and NaBloPoMo are more than halfway over and I feel like I’m running out of steam. A couple of bloggers that I follow have fallen off the NaBloPoMo wagon as one of them phrased it. That’s ok because both of them work full-time and have small children.

I’m really impressed with how many of you have stuck with me so far. You must really want those free scarves! Yes, I’m crediting the bribery for bringing you back every day. I’m not disillusioned enough to think it’s my assortment of hot topics or my ability to spin a yarn. Get it? Spin a yarn?

Great, I’ve gotten slap-happy and laughing at my own lame jokes. At least I’m not writing about Rainbows & Unicorns yet. Nor has anyone told me of their plans to re-gift my handmade scarf.

What I really need to do is stop at the store on the way home from work and buy some more yarn. As it stands right now, there is a 5-way tie for 1st place and one runner-up. That’s a lot of scarves when you add on all the scarves I’m knitting for Christmas gifts.

I wonder if I can sneak my knitting into the Harry Potter movie this weekend. Well, if any of you receive a scarf with popcorn stuck in it, you’ll know I succeeded.

The Ring

Practicality is one of my Sweetie’s strong traits. He was raised in the Midwest. He always has been practical and always will be. I’ve known this about him from the very beginning. It’s one of the many things I love about him.

But yet I secretly hoped that he would orchestrate a creative and overly romantic marriage proposal.

No such luck.

We spent a long time over quiet dinners, family breakfasts, and long walks discussing our future life together. We had a lot to consider with two houses and two young children. We even planned when we would get married. But still no proposal.

Then one weekend, my Sweetie suggested that we go ring shopping. He wanted to make sure that I picked out a ring I liked. Not very romantic but practical when making an investment.

We grabbed the kids and went shopping. At the second store, I wandered away from the engagement rings and looked at the sapphire jewelry. I asked my Sweetie if I could get a sapphire ring instead of the traditional diamond solitaire. Sapphire is my birthstone and I always wanted a sapphire ring. Oh, my Sweetie was all over that idea.

I knew my ring when I saw it. Once it was on my hand, I didn’t want to give it up. I found out later that I in fact did spoil some romantic plan by my Sweetie by holding onto the ring. We left the store with wishes of “Happy Mother’s Day” from the salesperson.

Over the past seven years many people have asked if my sapphire ring is my engagement ring. Nine times out of ten, that person has gone on to ask the follow-up question,

“Did you know that Princess Diana had a sapphire engagement ring?”

Yes, I did and my sapphire is only a fraction the size of hers.

Out of all the people that have asked me that question only one of them was a woman and a jeweler. All the rest have been gay men (one of them a jeweler). I had no idea that gay men were so interested in Princess Di’s engagement ring.

Now the famed ring is back in the spotlight and I wonder if there will be a spike in popularity of sapphire engagement rings.

Do you have an engagement story?
Did you pick out your ring?
Is there a story behind your ring?

Quarter Pound of Butter

My Sweetie and I were at the Publix deli counter ordering the components of our Topless Rueben sandwiches. The deli attendant asked how I wanted the corned beef sliced and I replied, “Thin.” I turned to my husband and murmured, “She likes it to float” sotto voce. My Sweetie grinned and I giggled. We were both thinking of the movie version of Brighton Beach Memoirs.

I then proceeded to recite an entire scene between Eugene and his mother, Kate, in which she asks him to run to Greenblatt’s store. It’s my favorite recurring theme in the story. I did my best to imitate Blythe Danner’s Jewish-mother-Brooklyn accent. I had to rely on my New Jersey roots very heavily. I managed to make “a quarter pound of butter” sound like “a qwarda pounda budda.”

My Sweetie continued to smile at me. I asked him if he minded that I could procure that kind of accent and he told me, “Not at all” and smiled some more.

Later that night I asked him...

"If I had a typical New Jersey accent when we met, would it have been a deal-breaker?"

He tapped danced a little bit but finally gave me somewhat of an answer. He’s very glad that I was raised by parents NOT from New Jersey and never allowed to adopt the accent.

I tried to find a YouTube clip of the scene I recited but could only find a stage version that really wasn’t all that funny. So here’s the text that the other Publix customers got to hear:

Kate: I need bread.

Eugene: What?

Kate: I don't have enough bread. Run over to Greenblatt's and get me a fresh rye bread.

Eugene: Again? I just came back from Greenblatt's.

Kate: So, you'll go again.

Eugene: I'm always going to the store. When I grow up, that's all I'll be trained to do, go to the store.

Kate: You don't want to go?... Never mind, I'll go.

Eugene: Don't do that! Don't make me feel guilty. I'll go.

Kate: And get a quarter of a pound of butter.

Eugene: I bought a quarter pound of butter this morning. Why don't you buy a half pound at a time?

Kate: And suppose the house burned down this afternoon? Why do I need an extra quarter pound of butter?

Eugene: If my mom taught logic in high school, this would be some weird country.


Have you seen Brighton Beach Memoirs?
Does anyone else find this scene humorous?
What’s your favorite scene / line?
Do you every recite scenes from movies?

Topless Ruebens

How many of you imagined this when you read the title?

Sorry, wrong Rubens.

I was referring to the Rueben sandwich. They’re even spelled differently.

We had Ruebens for dinner last night. Yes, I make my Ruebens as open-faced sandwiches under the broiler. My only explanation is because that’s the way my mother makes them. No, I’ve never seen them made this way in any restaurant. It’s strictly a family thing.

It takes a little bit longer to make the Rueben in stages but there are advantages. The rye or pumpernickel or marbled rye bread gets nicely toasted without the greasiness of the griddle. All the layers get warmed through including the sauerkraut. Nothing depresses a Rueben more than biting in and encountering cold sauerkraut. Then finally, the Swiss cheese gets all bubbly, brown, and crispy on top. Mmmm.

Every time I make Ruebens I get the chance to chuckle at my EX-husband’s small-mindedness. The one and only time I made him a Rueben sandwich he looked at it confused.

Ex: What is it?

PLRH: It’s a Rueben.

Ex: No, it’s not.

PLRH: Yes, it is.

Ex: It’s supposed to have a top.

PLRH: Not the way I make it.

Ex: How am I supposed to eat it?

I point to the knife and fork next to his plate.

Then in an act that I can only describe as a failure to think outside the box, he grabbed an untoasted piece of bread, slapped it on top of the sandwich, picked it up with two hands, and ate it.

Go ahead, you can call him a dumbass.

For those of you wondering why I made so many open-faced sandwiches… The set of four sitting on their very own baking sheet belong to Mr. A. The rest of us jockeyed for the others.

Note: My Sweetie eat the Ruebens topless just fine. I'll make them for him anytime.


Top Image:
Venus, Cupid, Bacchus and Ceres
1612-13
Peter Paul Rubens
Staatliche Kunstsammlugen, Kassel, Germany

New Shoes

G-Man walked out of his room, dressed for school wearing his new Vans and asked, “Do you like my new shoes?”

I was instantly transported to 1999 when G-Man was three years old. We were in the waiting room at the children’s hospital. That was the day he was to be evaluated by a speech therapist for his speech delay due to chronic ear infections his first year of life.

G-Man was wearing his brand new, navy blue, Stride-Rite, canvas sneakers and he was very proud of them. When the speech therapist came out to greet us, G-Man pointed to his feet and said, “New shoes.” Only it sounded like “nu oooo.” He was able to pronounce vowels and only a few consonants making it very difficult to understand him. The therapist caught on because G-Man was pointing to his shoes and she looked to me for confirmation.

That was a long day. The good news was that G-Man’s permanent hearing wasn’t damage by the infections so therapy would eventually completely correct his speech delay. His listening comprehension maxed out the test at age five. But his speech barely even registered that of a one year old.

Far and away the highlight of the day was when the therapist asked G-Man to touch his tongue to his nose. He succeeded to do it making the therapist exclaim with surprise. Later I explained that it was a family trait that he inherited from a great, great aunt.

Two years of speech therapy with the wonderful Miss Tina brought G-Man up to speed in time to start kindergarten. Listening to him talk now you would never know that he ever had a speech delay. I forget it myself. But the other morning, the simple words new shoes reminded me of all of G-Man’s hard work so many years ago. Those simple words brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face.

Quilt Tops

A couple of weeks ago I dusted off my sewing machine, filled my iron, pulled out my ruler and rotary cutter and got to work. I've got to say that it feels wonderful to be doing something creative again. I'm certain that the Epstein-Barr has finally subsided and now I can do something on the weekend besides nap.

Quilting is my stress reliever of choice. My favorite parts are selecting the fabrics, doing the math for the pattern, piecing the top, and then hand-finishing the binding at the end. The other phases of the quilt-making process I could do without. I do them fine. However, they don't thrill me. Yes, I love to quilt but the actual quilting of the quilt I find tedious. If I could find a quilt fairy that likes to layer the backing, batting & top; pin the layers; quilt it all and add the binding... then I'd be happy. I would probably enjoy it more if I had the room to properly spread out. Uh, I guess that's why so many of my quilts travel to my mother's house during construction. Thanks Mom!

Anyway, this is what I've been up to:

This quilt is for myself to replace the one that is buried in the backyard with our Great Dane, Lilly.

You might have noticed that these patterns are more simple than ones I've done in the past. There are two reasons for that. First, I don't have the time to devote to the more complex patterns. They obviously require more concentration and just picking up my sewing for an hour at a time leads to confusion and multiple mistakes. Second, when I make a quilt without a definite recipient, I tend to make more minimalistic quilts that follow my own personal tastes.

The other two quilts tops above will eventually be donated to SPARCC or Project Linus. When donating to charities people sometimes overlook the needs of teenagers. That's why I try to make quilts that will appeal to tweens and teens.

I'd love to eventually be able to make enough of an inventory to sell my quilts in an Etsy shop. Ah, some day. In the meantime, I'll continue to donate them.

Without My Camera

Ever since I stopped my weekly photo challenge I don't carry my camera around with me as much. OK, hardly at all. Naturally, I find myself thinking, That would be a great shot... only to realize that I'm sans camera.

The other morning on my way to work, I noticed a circus tent going up in the parking lot of the dog track.

I'll let that sentence register for a moment.

Yes, there is a greyhound racetrack in town.

Yes, I pass it every day to and from work.

No, I've never been there.

Anyway, when I rounded the bend and saw the supports for the tent, I thought that it would be cool, exciting, interesting, magical to watch the largest remaining American circus tent go up. But alas, I had to go to work.

By the end of the day, I had completely forgotten about the circus until I stopped at a red light and saw the big top. I'm not a fan of the circus but the sight of the yellow & red striped tent with the American flags highlighted by the sun caught my full attention.

I wish I had my camera. But even if I did, there wasn't a safe place for me to stop. And definitely not a safe vantage point to take a photo.

I quickly snapped a pic with my phone but it's just not the same. Plus, as phone cameras go, mine is lousy. I've seen some photos people have taken with their iPhones and they are nice! Makes me have phone envy.

I suppose I should resume carrying my Nikon around with me again. But an iPhone is so much smaller.

Haircut 2010

Guess who got forcibly taken to the barber shop by his older brother?

The Justin Bieber fashion acolyte.

The result...

The Princeton inspired haircut.

Folds of the Flag

The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.

The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.

The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.

The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.

The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”

The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.

The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on mother’s day.

The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.

The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.

The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.

When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God we Trust.”

Photo by Eliot Elisofon, 1945

Daughter of the Heart

Before I had sons I had a “daughter.” Not a daughter of my body but of my heart. My eldest niece turned 20 years old this week. I have known her since the day she was born. She was the first newborn that I ever held. Holding her in my arms confirmed that I wanted to be a mother some day.

When my niece was six months old I took a year off from college to “figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up.” For that year I was nanny to my niece. We spent four days a week together from wake-up to dinnertime. I learned the practical aspects of childrearing from feeding to baths to naps and back again. I learned to be responsible for a whole other little person. We played and laughed together. We blew each other raspberries. I counted her teeth as they appeared. I watched as she learned how to crawl and then walk to discover the world around her. However, I didn’t tell her mother when she took her first step. I wanted Mommy to experience the “first” step herself.

After a year it was time for me to leave. I went on to eventually become a mom in my own right and my niece grew up into a beautiful young lady. Geography has kept us apart over the years with only the occasional visit. My niece doesn’t remember all the time we spent together but I do and I treasure it. I have a special place in my heart for her.

I’d like to think that I’m a special aunt in my niece’s eyes. A couple of years ago while at the theater watching the first Twilight movie, she told me that I was like a sister. OK, I'll take that.

But the true affirmation came from inside me. My niece is now a sophomore at the University of Michigan and 20 years old. She was born when I was 21 years old. I’ve known her for almost half my life. Just like any mother feels older on her child’s birthday, I feel older on my niece’s birthday. That by itself says parental love.

During that one year of life, my niece was my teacher and my hands-on practice for becoming a mom. I know that I wouldn’t have been as calm as I was as a new mother without my experience with her. I believe my "daughter of the heart" helped make me a better mom.

I love her all the more for it.

Do you have someone special in your life who is more than what their title suggests?
More than a niece? Aunt? Step-parent? Step-sibling? cousin?

Life with Boys: Japanese Shōgun-style

The PLRH family is in the midst of watching the 1980 mini-series Shōgun on DVD. My Sweetie and I remember watching Shōgun when we were younger. In fact, the series is what inspired my Sweetie to select Japan as his duty station of choice in the Navy. Over the years, both of us also read the epic novel by James Clavell.

In the novel, the Japanese women who undress the shipwrecked John Blackthorne compare the male anatomy of the unconscious Englishman to that of the typical Japanese man. This scene is left out of the movie version and my Sweetie and I commented on it. However, we didn’t realize the kids were paying attention to what we said.

Shōgun has a lot of Japanese dialog (obviously) but there aren’t any subtitles. Unless there is a translator in the scene, the non-Japanese-speaking viewer has a little bit of trouble following along. Husband was able to pull out many words but not enough to translate accurately.

The boys got a little bored with these scenes and started dubbing in their own dialog for the Japanese. What topics did their dialog cover?

• Comparing standard equipment.
• The leaves used in the tea ceremony are cannabis.
• "That's what she said."
• Pajamas and bunny slippers.
• "Come again soon!" when leaving the pleasure house.
• General chatter that had me shaking my head.
  

Greetings from Chilly Florida

Fall made its grand entrance in Florida a few days ago with a cooler than usual cold snap. The skies are clear blue, the air is brisk and overall it’s a glorious day. Some might call it football weather.

The weekend temps were down in the 40s & 50s at night and barely reached 70 degrees with a steady breeze during the day sans humidity. We opened up the house and let the fresh air blow through during the day. I made a huge pot of chili – the first of the season. Hot chocolate and hot apple cider were consumed. We put blankets on the beds. The heat came on during the night. I used my extra hour from Daylight Savings Time to snuggle in bed and read my book. Absolutely wonderful!

If my foot was healed I would have been at Myakka State Park walking the trails, snapping photos, and watching the wildlife.

This type of cool weather from the north is such a treat after living in the extremes of stuffy indoor air conditioning and hot & humid outside weather. However, the temps are already beginning to warm up to the more typically seasonal temps of the high 70s and may reach 80 degrees by the end of the week. That’s ok. Autumn is here… Florida style and I love it.

School Pictures

Here are this year's school photos. I apologize for the quality of the images. The photographer for the high school uses textured paper causing the scanned image to come out all icky. I'm sure that's done on purpose to prevent people like me from scanning and sharing the photos. (grumpy face)

G-Man (9th grade) with his Justin Bieber hairstyle looking like he's up to something... as usual.

Mr. A (12th grade) in a tux! The first few weeks this photo sits on my desk I know I will do double-takes because he's not wearing his usual t-shirt!

What's Your Theme Song?

Is there one song that sums up your life?

That was the topic of conversation on the radio the other morning as I drove to work. I thought and thought but could not come up with one single song that summed up my entire life. Sure, I could think of songs that accurately expressed how I felt during certain periods of my life. When the commercial was over and the morning show came back on the hosts said they were stumped as well. They too could think of songs to describe periods of their lives but not their entire life.

So the flow of the conversation moved to…

What song sums up your life currently?

I pondered that thought for a stoplight or two and then the lyrics flowed into my head…

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’
‘Cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I’m getting older too

What’s your theme song?
Does if reflect your entire life or your life currently?
If you want, share the lyrics or copy & paste the link to a YouTube video in the comments.

Here’s the Dixie Chicks’ rendition of Landside. I like their voices better than Stevie Nicks.

Golf & Swimming

Both of the boys tried a few different sports when they were younger before they each decided what would be their sport.

G-Man landed on golf. He’s a natural. Overall, he’s a very athletic kid. He could excel at any sport that tried. But golf is where his heart lies. In August, he proved his awesomeness when he shot a 43 for nine holes during the high school tryouts.

I enjoy watching G-Man play. I try not to giggle when he’s all serious setting up his shot, I admire his swing, and I congratulate him when he sinks a putt. I even hug and kiss him when he comes off the course all hot and sweaty. I understand the objective of golf and all the rules. However, I don’t get it.

Swimming is Mr. A’s sport. Since he’s like me and not all the coordinated on dry land, swimming is a great choice. Now swimming I get. I love to hug my eldest son when he gets home from the pool so I can smell the chlorine in his hair.

There is one major difference between Mr. A’s swimming career and mine. Swimming was the only thing I ever did. I went to school and went to swim practice. Mr. A, on the other hand, made the choice four years ago to be a seasonal swimmer so he had time during the rest of the year for other activities. It was an excellent decision for him and he’s turned out to be a very well-rounded, young man.

Mr. A had one swimming goal this year: make it to Regionals for an individual event. That’s quite a feat for a seasonal swimmer. In Florida high school swimming there’s the County Championship (LRHS Boys’ Team 1st Place), District Championship (LRHS Boys’ Team 2nd Place), Regional Championship, and State Championship. He’s gone to Regionals before but as part of a relay.

Well, guess what, he made it! Today Mr. A will swim the 500 yd. Free at Regionals. It’s not his favorite event but he swims it well. We’re very proud of him!! Especially with his class load and everything else on his plate!

County Champs!

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Today is also Guy Fawkes Day / Bonfire Night. I only know this because of my husband’s love of the movie, V for Vendetta. A fact that amuses me immensely because usually I’m the sci-fi/comic book movie geek. We’ve seen the movie so many times that the kids can recite the first stanza of the poem:

Remember, remember, the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot;
I know of no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Happy Friday!!!

Sunday Breakfast Leads to a Clean Spice Cabinet

My Sweetie came home from the grocery store with a loaf of Challa and I knew that he wanted me to make French toast for breakfast the next morning. No arguments from me. French toast has always been my favorite family breakfast meal. I learned to make it from my mother and she learned to make it from her grandmother. As kismet would have it, the recipe is the same as what my father’s Louisiana French grandmother made for him. Only she called it pain perdu or lost bread.

I’ve never encountered a similar style French toast. Most are very eggy and covered in syrup. My family’s French toast batter is more milk than egg and contains lots of cinnamon and vanilla. Then the finished product is topped with butter and powdered sugar. Mmmm!

This is the only recipe I learned to make based on the color of the batter and not measuring. It sounds odd but it works. Most Americanized French toast recipes don’t call for vanilla. I believe the vanilla is what makes it pain perdu and really sets this recipe apart from the rest.

Anyway, Sunday morning I sleepily turned on the kettle for tea, got out the griddle, sliced the Challa, and got out the ingredients for my French toast batter. I rooted around in the spice cabinet for the cinnamon and vanilla. I couldn’t find the vanilla. It was a big bottle that my mother bought for me in Mexico. It should have been easy to spot. I knew it was close to empty but I would have remembered if I used it all.

My Sweetie confessed he was the culprit and ran to Publix to buy one of those teensy bottles of vanilla. While he was gone I pulled everything out of the spice cabinet and wondered what he could have made that used vanilla.

I didn’t think about it too long because I got distracted by the cabinet contents piling up on the counter in front of me. Do I even dare think about what this collection of spices say about me, my cooking, my organizational skills, and my shopping habits?

This is what I found:

• Three jars of unopened curry powder. My husband must have bought these because I don’t even like curry.
  
• Two tins of Old Bay Seasoning. Can you say seafood boil?
  
• Three jars of celery seed. The only thing I use celery seed in is hot German potato salad and I can’t remember the last time I made that.
  
• Red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, ground white pepper, two jars of cayenne, and two jars of chili pwoder.
  
• Dill weed and dill seed. The only food items that should contain dill are pickles and I don’t make them.
  
• Two sets of food coloring. Only the red has been used… for fake blood.
  
• Four jars of sprinkles with barely a shake left in any of them. A-hem, G-Man!
  
• Whole coriander and ground cumin. Whole and ground cloves. Whole and ground nutmeg. Ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks.
  
• Gumbo filé. Does anyone else have this?
  
• Countless jars of solidified seasoning mixes that got tossed.
  
• Two bottles of unopened Tabasco sauce.
  
• Three little, plastic discs of saffron.
  
• One packet of dry yeast that expired three years ago.
  
• A 40-year-old jar of crystallized violets. That’s a story for later.
  

And that’s just the interesting stuff.

After a very yummy breakfast, I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond for some great tiered shelves to go inside the cabinet. All of my spices are arranged alphabetically left to right, front to back, and bottom to top. How disgustingly organized is that?

Now I’m wondering how long my spice cabinet will stay neat and how I can get back to Cozumel to buy another liter-sized bottle of vanilla.

What’s your favorite breakfast food?
Do you have a secret family recipe that isn’t written down?
What’s the oddest item in your spice cabinet?
Does your spice cabinet look anything like mine? Before or after?

W.I.T.C.H.

Dressing up for Halloween lost its appeal for me sometime in my tween years. That's when trick-or-treating suddenly wasn’t “cool.”

The only time I ever dressed up for Halloween as an adult was for a grown-up party that my Sweetie and I attended while we were dating. I was an ordinary witch. Not sexy, scary, or warty. Just ordinary.

I never dressed in costume when the boys were little and I escorted them on the rounds of the neighborhood collecting candy. I always blamed it on the stuffiness of my ex-husband and the fact that I wasn’t allowed to do anything unusual, surprising, fun, unexpected, whimsical, etc… Nothing beyond the compliant and acceptable mother/wife persona. Donning an alternate/fantasy identity wasn't plausible.

The persona that I took on during my first marriage out of necessity has unfortunately become my identity. Years later I’m still exhibiting that calm, cool, collected, controlled exterior. But I don’t need to be so controlled all the time anymore. I’m working on breaking free the goofiness that lives inside of me and “letting my hair down” so the real me shines through.

Quickly after dinner Sunday night G-Man, my Sweetie, and I did the best we could to set the mood with the decorations I bought this year. We sat in front of the house and handed out candy to all the tiny trick-or-treaters on our street and I silently regretted not throwing myself into Halloween when the kids were younger. Even though I didn’t have a costume, I tried to dress for the occasion. I put on the ball cap my parents recently gave me…

Ironically, the acronym stands for “Woman In Total Control Here.” I’m really not sure which part of the message my parents were trying to convey.

Perhaps next year I'll truly dress for Halloween.

Fall Fashion: The Ugly Shoe

Remember the pain in my foot that could be tendonitis? I went to my GP last week and we ran through everything. Without doing any additional imaging tests she suspects that I have a tear in the connective tissue that wraps around the arch of the foot and holds things together.

Yes, it feels as wonderful as it sounds.

The treatment is to continue with RICE (Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation), wear this stylish shoe for one to two weeks, and take a prescription strength anti-inflammatory. The medication really made my stomach hurt even though I took it with food so I switched to low doses of Advil. I didn’t like the shoe at first because it prevents me from flexing my foot and makes walking very awkward. Then I had the challenge of finding a shoe that’s the same height so I don’t walk like Igor from Young Frankenstein. My hiking boot is the only match. Very attractive.

I was cranky over the weekend but I’m better now. Today was the first morning I stepped out of bed and my foot didn’t hurt. Then I noticed that I could pull the Velcro tighter on my shoe so the swelling must be subsiding. What do you know? This ugly thing that made me so cranky a few days ago really works. Now I’m rockin’ the shoe/hiking boot combo and going slightly casual & edgy at work this week.

Oh, and the cause of this pain? We traced it back to the zumba class I did a few weeks ago. My parents laughed when I told them. They reminded me that I should stick to water sports because I’ll only get injured on dry land.

NaBloPoMo and Bribery

It’s that time of year again. November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). The concept is to post on my blog every day in the month of November. Last year I participated on a dare from G-Man and succeeded. This year I’m doing it just for the fun of it.

But wait, there’s more… I’ve decided to add a twist…

At the end of the month, I will award a prize (bribe) to the person who leaves the most comments during November. The winner (or winners if there’s a tie) will receive a PLRH hand-knitted scarf. Yes, a scarf personally made by me.

The rules are simple:
1. Visit my blog every day in November.
2. Read my post for that day.
3. Leave a comment.

But there is a catch for those of you who receive my blog by email. You will actually have to go online and leave a comment. Just hitting the “reply” button is cheating and doesn’t count. If you don’t want to log into Blogger, no problem just comment Anonymously. But you will have to give me some idea who you are (name, initials, nickname, etc…) in the comments so you get credit.

Now let’s say that by Day 12 I’ve gotten a little squirrely and I post about Rainbows & Unicorns. Let’s also say that you’ve gotten a little bored visiting my blog every day and you don’t have any interest in Rainbows & Unicorns but gosh darn it you just want credit for the scarf. No problem. Leave a post saying that you don’t care about Rainbows & Unicorns but you want a free scarf. If you’re really nice, you could lie and tell me that you read my post about Rainbows & Unicorns and leave out the part that you have plans to re-gift the scarf. Deal?

And we’re off!

(That’s your cue to leave a comment.)