Shop til you drop

I do not shop on black Friday but I did take one of my granddaughters shopping today to select her delayed birthday present.  She wanted a Vera Bradley backpack and the nearest store selling VB products is in a small nearby town called Grabill.  As we were driving to Grabill I was explaining to my granddaughter that the shop we were going to was a combination flea market, antique shoppe, and giant grandma's attic.  It's amazing the stuff you can find there.
To my delight, It turns out she loves exploring lots and lots of stuff so we spent hours roaming from room to room, looking, laughing, wondering "who would ever buy..." then turning right around and finding something we had to buy.
An added bonus - no huge crowds, no parking problems, and time for a yummy hot chocolate treat.  Oh yes, we did find the perfect VB backpack..

roasting my turkey, the grand finale

I'm delighted to report that the turkey was excellent, as were the sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rice stuffing, and on and on.  The pies, cake and cookies were also delicious.  So many things to be thankful for.  And today I'm thankful that all of the dishes are washed and put away, and, with the help of four industrious grandchildren my Christmas tree is up, decorated and the whole house (at least inside) is ready for Christmas.  I'm counting my blessings tonight.  Tomorrow I'll worry about calories.

cooking my turkey, day three

Happy Thanksgiving Eve.  The turkey is thawed enough to be ready to roast tomorrow.  I've made the cranberry relish and baked two pumpkin pies.  The sweet potatoes (no marshmallows, I make mine with chopped nuts and brown sugar) are ready to go in the oven tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow I'll make the mashed potatoes and gravy, baste the turkey, set the table, brew the coffee,bake the biscuits, heat the ham, etc., and welcome the other nine people (family all) who will be at my table and who are bringing stuffing, desserts and green bean casserole.  I don't think anyone will go away hungry.
On my favorite TV news show this morning I saw a chef explaining how a Thanksgiving dinner for one could be made for under 350 calories.  One suggestion was to stew the turkey (boil it in broth) instead of roasting it.  I don't think so.  Thanksgiving day is a wonderful day for enjoying fellowship and thanking God for the blessings in our lives.  It's not for counting calories.

cooking my turkey - day two

I am happy to report that the turkey is beginning to thaw.  This evening, for the first time, I was able to feel just a little give when I poked the turkey.  It's good that frozen turkeys can't bruise, as much as I've been poking it.  This evening I was also reminded of another thing in the long list of things I have to be thankful for.  I had a call from a dear friend (we were college roommates and have been friends ever since and in our case ever since is 50 years.  It gives a whole new meaning to BFFs.) to share with me something she and her husband had read in the paper.  The article didn't have anything to do with us now, but the location of the event brought back floods of memories of a driving trip we and our husbands took together touring the northeast.  This was BC (before children) and the four of us had a hilarious time.  How truly wonderful to have friends who have been so close for so long.  I am truly blessed and truly thankful.

Cooking my turkey - day one

I'm excited about Thanksgiving this year.  I always enjoy thanksgiving but this year, for the first time in many years dinner will be at my house and, because I had my kitchen remodeled two years ago, I actually have an oven that's large enough to cook a turkey. I bought the turkey (16 pounds and frozen to the consistency of a bowling ball) last week.  Yesterday, Sunday, I transferred it from freezer to refrigerator to begin the thawing process.  On the way, I popped it in its pan and into the oven, just to be certain it fits and it does.
Since I'm not sure that a 16 lb turkey is enough for 10 people, I also bought a small ham.  I like to be prepared with a fall-back plan in case something goes drastically wrong.  I also dusted off my old Joy of Cooking cookbook and studied up on how to roast a turkey.  It was interesting to find notes in the margin that I had written years ago.
Being a moderately techy 60-something year old, I will also google ideas for turkey roasting.
Once years ago I tried to find recipes on line for sauces made with hot red peppers and ended up on a very interesting, but quickly deleted, non-cooking site.  I don't think I'll have the same problem with turkey.

Ok, ok, I'll stop feeling sorry for myself.

Just when I've worked up a good 'pitty party' for myself  "Oh poor me, I have so much stuff and I don't know how to get rid of it." (see yesterday's blog) God slaps me up side the head with a reality check.  This morning on the news I watched teams of volunteers helping to clear up the devastation left after a tornado which went through a small city near here two weeks ago.  750 volunteers were moving mountains of ruined possessions.  I feel dully chastened.
But then, five minutes later the same news show played a segment about a man who found a gold statue in a dumpster.  It appears to be an Emmy award from the 1950's and the finder is trying to locate the owner so it can be returned.
I had two reactions to this:  1. Nooo, they don't want it back.  They threw it away!
2.  This is a warning to me to never throw away boxes of stuff without checking to see what's inside, although I am absolutely certain there are no gold statues in this house.

Inadvertant hoarding

I am not a hoarder.  I've seen those shows on TV and my house doesn't look anything like the ones they feature in those stories.  I am admittedly not the world's greatest house keeper but there's nothing on my floors but flooring and furniture and I can move easily from room to room, at least on the first floor.  My basement (aka walk-out lower level) is another story. There are corners and rooms and even a "downstairs" garage in my basement full of stuff, stuff that my grown children have left at my house because "I have more room", stuff that belonged to my husband that I haven't dealt with yet, stuff that I simply don't use anymore like an old desk and filing cabinet.
I've started to contemplate moving from this house to something smaller and I've realized that part of the reason I still have so much stuff is because I simply don't know how to get rid of it.  I mean what do you do with an old upright piano or bits and pieces of old PCs.
Over the years I've given lots of stuff to Good Will and other charities.  I even gave a large sectional sofa to some college students who needed furniture.  But there's a limit to what even the most needy people will take, unless of course you put it in a garage sale.  Hmmm, I may have just hit on a retirement career.

I remember where I was.

November 22, 1963, I was a sophomore in college and my nickname was 'naive'  So it's really no wonder that my first reaction when my boss told me that President Kennedy had been shot was to assume it must be some terrible hoax.  I worked in a department of the library called Teaching Materials Services and was in the basement of that building sorting through some items in storage.  A fairly unremarkable job except for the fact that one of the heads of the department practiced taxidermy as a hobby and the innocent looking cabinets that lined the walls and created corridors through the huge room were likely to have half preserved animal and bird bodies lying on the shelves.  Every cabinet opened was a new adventure.
On that afternoon I was feeling spooked already when one of my bosses called down the stairs to me telling me to come up stairs right away.  She didn't have to tell me twice.  It wasn't until I was back among the living that I was told what had happened  Needless to say we spent the next several hours glued to the TV.  I remember feeling shock, horror, and disbelief, especially disbelief.  Assassinations didn't happen to us, here in the USA.  They were rumors heard of in reports from third-world countries or something that happened way back in history to Pres. Lincoln.  We were all so naive.

nuts are good for your

Nuts are good for you according to a report on TV this morning.  Eating nuts (just an ounce or so and not too salty) every day can extend your life span.  I like nuts so this was really exciting to me and I will be adding them to my shopping list.  But what really got my attention was the fact that eating nuts every day will "improve your life expectancy by 20%."  Really?  I'm pretty sure we all have exactly the same life expectancy.

waiting for the train

Exciting news on local TV this morning; a movement is in the works to bring high-speed train service to Fort Wayne.  We would be a stop between Columbus, Ohio and Chicago, IL.  Of course the preliminary study to measure neighborhood and environmental impact will take at least two years so I haven't bought a ticket yet but I'm starting to daydream about the possibility.
I love riding the train.  It started with my first train ride when I was five years old.  My mom, dad, younger brother and I were travelling from Fort Wayne to Philadelphia to visit family.  Fort Wayne had train service in 1950.  It was an overnight trip and I remember going around a horseshoe bend where we could see the front of the train far ahead of us.  I also remember staying awake all night because I was so excited.  Looking back on the event from a more mature perspective I realize that my parents probably didn't find that trip nearly as much fun as I did.

eating humble pie technologically speaking

A few weeks ago I just about broke my arm patting myself on the back because I was able to help my daughter with a computer techy type question, but today the tables were turned.  She happened to come into my office as I was wrestling with a computer / printer problem.  It took her about two seconds to sort it out.  So thank you darling daughter, you win this round.

on using a flip phone

I heard an interview on TV this morning with a multimillionaire owner/manager of a football team.  During the interview the pretty young thing who was interviewing him asked jokingly if it was true that he still used a flip phone.  He said yes and went on to give some reasons including more privacy and less expense.  To which she replied "But you have lots of money, you could have any kind of phone you want."  His response "It's been my experience that people who 'have lots of money' have it because they're careful how they spend it."
So there all you people who snicker when I pull out my flip phone....It's nice to think I have one thing in common with a multimillionaire.

the postal conundrum

I heard this weekend that the post office is probably going to raise the price of first class stamps again, to 49 cents this time.  Then this morning our preacher mentioned in the sermon, in a look back at 1963, that during that year the cost of a first class stamp was five cents.
Of course back then gas was 30 cents a gallon.  I don't begrudge the post office the price raise, but I do wonder if there are other ways they could cut costs or increase revenue.  I heard that they were considering stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.  As far as I'm concerned they could stop delivery three days a week, maybe Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday?  Of course that would mean a delay in receiving my typical day's mail which consists of one bill (maybe), six or seven solicitations for money, three or four ad fliers, and an occasional free newspaper.  It's no wonder my recycle bin fills up nine times faster than my garbage bin.
I have an idea.  Perhaps the post office could charge a fee not to deliver the junk.  I'd pay.

the bake sale excuse

I love to bake. Cookies, cakes, pies, they're all fun to make, but living alone it's hard to come up with good excuses to bake much except around the holidays.  So when I'm faced with the opportunity to bake for a bake sale (we're having one at church tomorrow), I dig right in.
Today I baked snickerdoodles, brownies, blondies and pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting,
I'm happy to report that everything is delicious.
Because of course that's the beauty of being the baker - everything has to be taste tested!

House wreckers

I happened to click on a TV show this evening reporting on real estate horrors.  They explored homes disappearing into sink holes and homes being accidentally demolished.  I worked in the real estate field for 25 years and had my share of "adventures" but, happily, never had to deal with sink holes or demolished houses, although I can remember a few that should have been demolished.
Watching a show like this and being appalled vicariously makes me glad all over again that I am retired from real estate.  Now all I have to deal with is selling my own house one of these days but that's a story for another time.

Statistics

Several years ago my husband taught a class in statistics at a local college and he used to joke about spending the first class teaching his students how to pronounce the word.  It's not stastistics or satistics or even sadistics although, if you've ever struggled through the math in a statistics class that last one may seem appropriate.
And speaking of statistics, I heard a great line this morning from the movie "Anchorman".  "60% of the time it works every time."  And that reminded me of one of my all-time favorite lines.  I actually heard someone say this in a speech.  "Fifty percent of all statistics are made up on the spot."  I love it..

Thinking turkey

In two weeks it will be Thanksgiving and I'll be cooking a turkey for the first time in several years.  It just happened that we had Thanksgiving at other family members' homes and I did Christmas dinner, but this year I get Thanksgiving.  I'm pretty excite since I'll get to use my new oven for the first time for something this big.  Since it's been quite a few years I'm contemplating buying a Butterball turkey because they have a hot line I can call for help.  And it must be a pretty good hot line.  I heard a comedian comment recently that the government should turn to the Butterball hotline to help with the Obama care website problems.  He said that the Bb hotline could handle huge numbers of calls, were always cheerful, and knew all the answers.  Hmmm, sounds good to me.

Today is 11-12-13

I heard on the news this morning that many people chose today as their wedding day because it's such a unique date - 11-12-13.  Well maybe memorable is a better word than unique.  As the announcer pointed out every date is unique.  Think about it.
But very few dates run in numeric sequence. (One a year from 01-02-03 to 12-13-14, if my musings are correct.) We'll have to wait until November 12, 2113 for this one to come around again.  I don't expect to be here but it's fun to contemplate.
Personally, I'm looking forward to next year.  12-13-14 will be my 70th birthday.  How cool is that?

the first snow

I don't know why the first snow of the season excites me so much but it does. It's snowing tonight and while they're only predicting an inch of show and I know it will melt away tomorrow, I'm still thrilled to see the first snow.  I'm not a huge fan of winter, although I do have some lovely memories of days off from school and long days spent ice skating.  By the way, those "snow days" were every bit as exciting when I was a teacher as when I was a student.
I think I won't try to analyze my reasons but simply accept the quiet joy of this moment, and in the morning rejoice that my car lives in a garage and I don't need to scrape the windshield.

a family dinner

I love family dinners and I'm blessed with a basically functional family.  This evening I had everyone at my house for dinner to celebrate my son and daughter-in-law's 12th Anniversary, my daughter's 40th Birthday and my granddaughter's 11th Birthday.  Although the dinner I cooked wasn't my best ever, the cake was good and so was the conversation. But one of the real highlights of the evening for me was when each of my four grandchildren, separately and together, came into the kitchen to ask how they could help and then proceeded to do everything I asked of them.  At 12, 11, 11 and 9 they are suddenly responsible youths, not little kids anymore, Wow! When did that happen?

the good old days???

Imagine a time when women could be committed to an insane asylum for the perfidy of disagreeing with their husbands.  In the mid 1800's it was the law in several states in the US that, if a wife disagreed with her husband about just about anything, it was an obvious sign of insanity and she could be committed.
I just got home from seeing Mrs. Packard at First Presbyterian Theater and it's a very intense presentation of just such a circumstance based on a true story.  I highly recommend it, and it's playing for one more night.
It will make you glad you live now (at least if you're a woman).

A study on sleep

Just heard of another great study, this one I totally agree with.  The study proved that children who sleep more eat less and are less likely to become obese.  I really like this study and I know it works, at least for me.  The earlier I go to bed in the evening, the less I eat.  For example, right now it's almost 10 pm and I am faced with a decision.  Do I go to bed right now and obviously not eat anything or stay up to watch Elementary and have a snack and a cup of tea?  Since I don't have to go to work tomorrow it's no contest.  Hmmm, popcorn sounds good.

Air brushed attributes

Last evening I watched an interesting demonstration on how photographers can air brush their work with models to enhance their attributes - longer, leaner legs, higher shoulders, slimmer waist, higher cheek bones, smoother skin, etc.  Not that I've ever seen a model that seemed to need that kind of help but I guess it's an example of an industry striving for perfection (or fantasy).
But that made me think, wouldn't it be lovely if someone invented an "air brushing" mirror that would appear to fix up little flaws as I applied my make up.  It wouldn't matter that it was only in the mirror, because, once I walked away from the mirror I wouldn't have to look at me again for hours.  But wouldn't it give you a wonderful lift at the start of the day to think you looked grand?
Ok, you inventors out there, get busy.

Gotta watch those 68 year olds!

I'm 68, and I think fairly mild mannered, so this news story caught my attention.  I'm not sure what the final straw was but this grandpa evidently had a dispute with his daughter over her children's, his grandchildren's cell phone use, and decided to make his point with his car. In the video clip I saw he drove around the yard to get in position, t-boned his daughter's car which was sitting in the carport by her house.  Then, I guess deciding he hadn't made his point clearly enough, drove around the yard some more and proceeded to drive through the front wall of the house. Very dramatic! And the moral of this story is????
Choose one:
Don't cross a 68 year old.
Beware the angry grandparent.
A man and his car are a force to be reckoned with.
Some people get crazy when they get old.
Let your kids raise their kids.

Or send me one of your own.

sounds like Dr. Seuss

This morning on the news they reported about an unexpected find in the baggage area at Ohare International - an alligator under the escalator.  How very Dr. Seuss.  I had to leave for work so I didn't hear how they resolved the situation, perhaps a vet with a net?

the cars in my life

I was watching a report earlier this evening on Lamborghini, the factory and the car.  They are beautiful cars with a great sound but I can't imagine paying 4 hundred thousand to 4 million for one (even supposing I had that kind of money to throw around, which I don't).  But, in thinking about it I realized that I do like distinctive looking cars.  Most of the cars I've owned over the years, while not expensive, and often bought used, have had a distinctive look for their time.  I practiced driving on my husband's Studebaker - no power steering, drove like truck, but very distinctive looking.  I owned a Corvair, mentioned in an earlier blog, then, with my husband, a VW bus, a Toyota mini van, a VW square back, a Toyota Corrola, a Ford Taurus station wagon, a Contour, and currently, a 2004 Buick Rendezvous.  I've probably missed a few along the way but you get the idea.  I bet, if you close your eyes you can picture every one of the cars I've listed.
I should also give honorable mention to the 1957 baby blue and white Chevy that I dated in college.  Yummy, and the guy wasn't bad either.

A study I can agree with

I heard about another study this morning which I rather like.  It seems that scientific research has shown that people who eat meals as a family at the table without TV or other extraneous distractions are less likely to be / become obese. The survey results indicated that a meal with conversation allows people to eat carefully, think about what they're eating and not over eat, whereas, if a person is say eating while watching a football game on TV he/she is more likely to indulge in mindless, endless snacking and consequently become overweight.
I did spot what I think are a couple of tiny flaws in the study.  First, I know lots and lots of families who eat meals at the table,  then snack later in front of the TV.  Where do they fit into the study?  And what about families like mine who, especially on holidays, indulge in some pretty heavy eating even at the dining room table?  I think some popcorn might help me ponder this some more.