restaurant manners....

 I generally try to be well behaved in restaurants.  I don't slurp my soup or eat my peas with a knife.  I don't shout or erupt with raucous laughter.  I try not to annoy people at neighboring tables and I never snap my fingers at a waiter.  I know which forks to use and I don't talk on my phone during dinner.  Happily, I can say the same for my spouse and friends with whom we go out to eat.  I'm certainly not always perfect but I do try to be couth. 

Today, however, I may have hit a new low.  Actually, a friend and I managed it together.  We were eating at our favorite Thai restaurant, Spice and Herb.  If you've never tried it you should.  We had managed to make it through most of the meal and were putting our leftovers in boxes to take home.  I was offered a to-go cup for what was left of my Thai iced tea, more that half a glass.  Thai iced tea is sweet tea served with a layer of heavy cream floating on top. As you stir the cream into the tea with your straw it turns a nice warm orange color.  I think it's delicious.  

As I said, I was offered a to-go cup which I naturally accepted.  I poured what was left in my glass into the cup and tried to put the lid on.  It was the correct size but I couldn't get it to click on, so I asked my friend for help.  We both agree now that I should have waited and asked the waiter for help.  Lesson learned.  As my friend struggled to get the cap to snap on, the cup actually folded in half (I watched it happen) and tea spilled all over the table, the floor and us.  Luckily neither of us was wearing white jeans.  Never before Memorial Day.  We're both old enough to still follow that silly rule.  Some habits are hard to break.  

While I frantically mopped up everything I could with the napkins on the table, the waiter (and several people at other tables) saw our distress.  She hurried over with a wet cloth and wiped everything up, table, floor, everything.  I did not know that one glass of ice tea could spread so far.  I got a few splashes on my shirt (it will wash out) but my friend got it all down both legs of her blue jeans.  She looked like she had had a more embarrassing kind of accident. After all the mess was cleaned up, l put my payment in cash in the folder provided and told the waiter that I didn't need any change.  When she saw that I had left her a generous tip (she certainly deserved it) she offered to bring me some fresh Thai iced tea in a to-go cup.  I hesitantly accepted, because I do love the stuff.  I managed to carry the cup and my leftovers out to the car with no further problems.

My only concern now is that my daughter and I are planning to go to the same restaurant for lunch next Monday.  What if they remember me and refuse to let me in?  Or worse, will only let me drink water?

jump for joy

 Today, according to my west coast brother, is "Frog Jumping Day."  I haven't actually seen any frogs jumping today, but it was raining hard enough a while ago that I wouldn't have been surprised.  

Jumping does make me think of spring though, and one particular memory.  When we lived in south eastern Ohio we lived on a three acre country lot with a horse barn and fenced pasture.  One sunny early spring morning I looked from my kitchen window toward the pasture.  Just beyond the fence I saw at least twenty bunnies leaping and jumping into the air.  I really didn't know that rabbits could jump straight up but they did.  This show went on for several minutes and they all looked like they were having a wonderful time.  Maybe they got into some catnip (I'm told it works on rabbits) or maybe they were just exuberantly enjoying spring.  

Whatever the cause, when spring rolls around, as it has now, I remember the jumping bunnies.  Hooray for spring!!!!

Where are they?

 Have you ever given a party and wondered, just before guests are due to arrive "What if nobody shows up?"  I am beginning to feel that way.  Last Wednesday my spouse and I bought a new double hook bird feeder holder (shepherd's hook) because we decided we would like to add a second feeder, one that might attract cardinals and other interesting birds.  Then on Friday we went to Wild Birds Unlimited where a very helpful clerk, who knew everything about feeding birds, helped us select the correct style of feeder with the proper perches for cardinals and other larger birds.  Then of course we needed to purchase the correct seed blend, which we did.  We also bought a book on Indiana birds.  Did you know that you get a discount if you spend over $200 at WBU?

We brought everything home, filled the new feeder with the new wonder seed blend, and hung it out with our original feeder.  That was Friday.  So far no birds have come to the party.  Perhaps we should have sent out written invitations or posted maps on nearby lampposts?  My spouse insists that the birds will come, we just need to be patient.  I certainly hope he's right.  I want to watch them as I eat my breakfast, or lunch or supper.  I really don't care when they they come, just come!  The party just isn't the same without them.

Here's the feeder in question.  Don't you think it looks inviting?

for moms everywhere

 Happy Mother's Day to all of you who have had moms.  I hope you were blessed with a kind, loving mother.  I certainly was.  Actually I have been blessed with three 'moms' in my life.  My own mother was smart, fun loving, kind, adventurous, strict in the best way and very, very loving.  Sadly, she died at age 56.  It's a family thing.  Both of my grandmothers also died in their 50s.  Believe me, when I turned 60 I breathed a sign of relief.  My father lived to be 89.  That's my goal. 

My father remarried and my step-mom was the one who helped me with my wedding plans and was Grandma Wanda to my children.  She was a fascinating person who had spent most of World War II in Warsaw, Poland.  She had her quirks, but was a good step-mother to my west coast brother, who was only 11 when our mom died.

Then there was my dear Aunt Dora, my father's sister.  She replaced the grandmothers I never knew.  In the small town where I grew up, she was known by everyone.  Not only had she been the baby sitter for a whole generation of children, she was also custodian at our little Lutheran school.  A job that involved hugs and cuddles and so much more than just mopping floors.  When my mother died, I was teaching in another city two hours away, so Aunt Dora spent many hours each week taking care of the needs of my dad and brother.

Finally there was Helen, my mother-in-law.  My first husband was an only child, so our two children were her only grandchildren.  She was the only baby-sitter we ever had.  My kids loved to go visit Grandma.  Even our two little dogs loved to stay with Grandma.  Turns out she was feeding them (the dogs) scrambled eggs for breakfast.  Years later I learned about some things my children got away with when grandma wasn't watching, like climbing out on the porch roof from my son's bedroom window.  It's better that neither she nor I knew about that. 

But that should be enough reminiscing to get you thinking about your moms.  I hope you can dwell on the happy times.  

RACH on.....

 This evening's Philharmonic concert was entirely Rachmaninoff and it was exceptional.  The first half, Symphonic Dances, Op. 45, was beautiful music, excellently performed; our Phil never disappoints.

But the second half, Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30, blew me away.  From the opening chords played by amazing concert pianist Garrick Ohlsson to the grand, and I do mean grand finale, I was entranced.  The piano was a major part of this piece all the way through, and happily, the orchestra supported it beautifully.  

After a well deserved and lengthy standing ovation, Mr. Ohlsson played a Chopin piece as a beautiful encore.  All in all, one of the best concerts of the season.  

What a day!

 Today my west coast brother really came through for me.  Not only is it "Tear the Tags Off the Mattress Day" but it's also "Hurray for Buttons Day" and "Lost Sock Memorial Day."  I think it's rather handy that these household related special days occur together.  

I think you'll agree that tearing the tags off mattresses, or pillows for that matter, is a pretty radical idea.  After all, the tags clearly say "Do Not Remove" or words to that effect.  I'm pretty sure that the mattress police aren't going to show up at my door one day, demanding to check my mattresses, but, you know, just in case, I'll just leave them attached.  They're not hurting anything.  

As far as buttons are concerned, they are very convenient for keeping blouses and shirts discretely closed while being worn.  I find I really don't appreciate buttons until one pops off a garment I had planned to wear, or worse, while I'm wearing it.  Then of course I must go to the little blue ceramic button lady who sits on my dresser and try to find a matching button.  Doesn't that sound delightfully domestic?  The truth is, I haven't sewn on a button in years.  Admittedly, I do wear lots of pullovers, t-shirts and items with zippers.  

And that brings us to socks.  As the wonderful author Erma Bombeck once said, it is a sad truth that socks do not mate for life.  In my case there is one white sock, lying on top of my dresser right now (next to the blue button lady) waiting patiently for its mate to show up.  Which may or may not happen when the next white load comes out of the dryer.  That sock might just be blowing down the road somewhere.  You know it can happen.  Every once in a while I spot a lonesome sock, or even a shoe, lying in the road, never two, just one, and I bet you have too.  It's so sad.

happy holiday

 Well, this is interesting.  I went searching for special days celebrated on today, May 8, since all my west coast brother could come up with was "National Give Someone a Cupcake Day" and, while I do like cupcakes, I wasn't too excited about writing about food.  To my surprise, with a little searching, I discovered that today is a brand new special day.

On Monday President Trump established two new national holidays. He declared November 11 a holiday to commemorate our victory in World War One.  This has been celebrated as Veterans Day for as long as I can remember, but I think he wants to emphasize the victory.  The really new National Holiday, May 8, is to commemorate our victory in World War Two.   Obviously, we didn't win either of those wars all by ourselves, but I think it's ok to remember the part we played.  So Happy May 8.