Wednesday's Child

Carpe Diem

 South Mountain Sunrise with Duane

 11/16/2013 @ 7:01 A.M.

November 10, 1954

 Iwo Jima Memorial (servicemen raising US flag) dedicated in Arlington

   Lt Col John Strapp travels 632 mph in a rocket sled

Hussein Fatemi, Iran Foreign minister, executed

Famous Birthday

                  Mario Cipollina, California, rock bassist (Huey Lewis & The News)

You take the pie.  Yes, the whole thing.

Daddy's Hands

Burt's Apples

Breakfast the Morning After

His Favorite Saying:  There's nothing worse than _______________!

(Insert any anything you can think of that is 

slightly to moderately unpleasant.)

Our trip to Home Depot - Someone had to haul the purchases.

Brunch

 His hint for getting started on any task, especially difficult ones: 

Test the water with your toes Method. i.e. do the easiest thing first.

Getting him started on any project:

Begin it.  He will take pity on my ineptitude and in doing so, 
add the finer touches I didn't think of.   

(This has been known to get me into all kinds of trouble, and I did not learn it intentionally.)

Best Way to Get What I Want

Plan ahead.  Way ahead.  Key word: Plan.

His #1 Pet Peeve: Lack of Planning (mine, not his)

Best Character Traits:  Persistent, Dependable

So Talented At: Fixing things and usually goes the extra mile.

Maria Playing Hard to Get

Untouched - Maria's Food.  Nerves, distraction, or lack of hunger?

Dutch Babies

American Coot at Laguna Park, Dobson Ranch, Mesa, AZ

 

Last Gasp

Multiple Choice

Glow Sticks

Sunlight Shimmer

Not-Too-Shabby Chic

Natural Remedies

Ms. Loretta Alexander's Purple House

http://willowfencetearoom.home.bresnan.net/

The most difficult thing about being a mom is ___.

A)  Realizing you just lost your temper over something trivial and you look like an idiot.

B)  Changing gears emotionally.  

(from being a mom helping with homework - to making sure the homework, lunch and child all get to school - to paying the bills - to trying to fix a meal everyone likes - to counseling about problems at school - to going to bed in your sexy lingerie - all without missing a beat.)

C)  Boredom -the same old routine - piles of smelly laundry, cleaning and                cooking week in and week out.

D)  Lack of sleep

E)  Staying in the budget.

F)  Making a budget in the first place.

G)  Finding a way to blend your favorite childhood memories with his favorite        childhood memories and coming up with a new tradition that everyone loves.

H) When your grown child recalls the stupid things you made them do, like help carry home several car loads of rocks from the river to make a garden path. 

I) Squabbles.

J) When people give you unsolicited and completely erroneous advice. 

K) Confidently proceeding to parenthood with what you thought you knew about raising kids and finding out you didn't get the updates.

L) All of the above.


The best thing about being a mom is ___.


M) Softly kissing the cheek of your sleeping young child while hoping they won't wake.

N) Watching their excitement when they find "the perfect gift" for you.

O) Listening when they just need to talk.

P) Unplugging the toilet all by yourself.

Q) Answering important questions like, "What happens after we die?"

R) The "discovery channel". 

S) The moment in the middle of the night when your husband catches the           hamster  as he is crossing the aluminum foil floor trap for the treat in the middle.

T) Teaching moments - when the light bulb goes on.

U) Working together in harmony while cleaning up after dinner.

V) Knowing them by heart.

W) Finding out that children are learning along with you so Career Day is happening more often than you think.

X) All of the above.

Give up?  I didn't know the correct answer, either, 
so I added L and X). 

Frosty Morn

"About Face"
KING OF THE CHICKEN YARD

SNOW-VEMBER

Monika's Reminders

Kids - and everyone - blossoms with praise and appreciation.
  Serve liberally.

***

Correct kids as you would like to be corrected -
gently and as firmly as necessary but without shaming them.
Correct adults as rarely as possible.

***

Everyone makes mistakes - more often than we want to admit -
so be patient with yourself.


***


Here's a clue: No one wants to know you are smarter or faster or cooler
or more important than they are.


***


Remember your judgement of others is a reflection of yourself.  Listen to what you say about others for a pretty accurate description of yourself.


***

Seek Mentors.  We all have a lot to learn.


***

Haughtiness is easy.  Humility isn't.  Which is more appealing?


****

I've heard it often, and so have you:

Two ears.  One Mouth.
Listen more (twice as much?) than you talk.

Bangkok Chicken for the Win!

1.  Served as above with Salad.  The sauce is amazing.  

2.  Sliced the white meat off the bone and poured the homemade thai-style sauce over.  

Served with a side dish of Red Lentil Rice and green salad.  

(Jerry was not fond of meatless burgers.)

3.   Hearty Chicken Soup with a dollop of Red Garlic Chili Sauce

Iced Tea, anyone?

In Remembrance

Water Colors

Honorable Fence-tion

Steer-down

Whimsical Rooftop Setting at the Willow Fence Tea Room
(for the adventurous type)

Chicken Soup - the final Red Lentil patty went into the soup kettle with
an extra helping of chicken broth, fresh cilantro for garnish and Parmesan shavings -
 a quick, hearty supper.

• Monday - Meatloaf from Sunday, baked potatoes, green salad.  

Not a fan of the crock-pot version for cooking meatloaf.  

It turned out too dry and lacked the nice browned

touch that it gets when baked in the oven.  

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

• Tuesday - Grilled T-Bone Steak, hashbrowns, salad.  Thaw stew meat for tomorrow.

• Wednesday - Beef Stew 

The meat is best if cut in bite sized pieces and shaken in a bag with flour salt and pepper.  Saute in olive oil.  Remove meat, cook onions.  Add a covering beef broth to onions, potatoes, garlic, carrots, and stew meat.  Cook for an hour or two.  Watch that the stew remains soupy and add more broth if needed.  I use Better Than Boullion to enhance the broth.  I have tried adding wine to the mixture, but like it better without.  This is very good with chicken broth instead of beef broth.  Serve with Green Beans and/or fresh broccoli florets and sliced tomatoes.  

• Thursday - Leftovers!  :)  No cook day!  

• Friday - Hamburgers, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Dill Pickles. 

Thinking about making pomodori al forno.  

(Makes it easy to skip the hamburger bun.)

• Saturday - Tacos - or Taco Salad if it's warm enough to enjoy salad.

• Sunday - Stir Fry Chicken and Vegetables with rice.  

                          I have lettuce, cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, green beans, cucumber.  

                          Will need to buy chicken, broccoli, tortilla shells, tomatoes, avocado.

MONDAY'S CHILD

It seems I was born on a Saturday, actually.  We served this breakfast on a Sunday, but hey - details, details.  And I seem to be a bit windy this week.  Sorry.  

I love Mondays.  Really. The house gets very quiet, very still, after two days of going hither and thither at a somewhat frantic pace.  For some reason that quietness seems quite wonderful!  I look forward to Monday with the same enthusiasm that I greet Friday at 5 p.m. The end of week supper hour with my husband is always on my highlight reel. And Saturday Morning, too, when we get to do our projects without the pressure of the work week, maybe actually lying in bed for a few extra cozy minutes before gathering up our cleaning rags and paint brushes or lawn mower and pruning shears. It would be nice to know that he's thinking about an afternoon or evening bike ride, but the unpredictability of plumbing emergencies and his desire for flexibility require me to be ready for anything at a moment's notice.   This can be stressful.

Every day of the week presents a unique challenge.  Why?  Each new day is potentially an opportunity -  to try to do better than I did the day before - to face flaws, faults and foibles with fierce determination, to conquer the latest challenge in my life or the ongoing one that still has me whipped, which is currently at least two-fold.  That's what each new day holds.  Hope.  Hope that I will be able to concentrate enough to finish balancing five checkbooks and paying all the bills on time.  Hope that I will get the main things done and supper served before bedtime. Hope that I will get two workouts in before the end of the day.  Or at least one.  Hope is nice to have.  

Monday's focus is on planning my week.  It's just a rough draft, I know.  It's also a closely guarded secret, because just as soon as my plans are known, they get changed.   It may be I'm reacting to the latest conspiracy theory dreamed up in the brilliant mind of Mr. Tom Clancy because although it has been difficult to identify with precision, I suspect I am subject to the influence of evil controlling powers - renters who decide to move out when things were going along just fine, I thought.  And customers who have a question they need answered right now, and maybe even someone who wants to return a shipping container before Friday, and can I look up a price for a water heater or a zone valve or no-hub clamp to bill out to a customer.  So keeping my plans a secret means I have some hope of deciding the course of my day - at least until the phone rings with a reminder or request.  Then again,  I don't worry too much when changes happen - living with a plumber means life is just one emergency after another, anyway. Some days the phone absolutely rings off the hook.  And who knows, maybe plans are just made to be changed.  

Today, I began my week with the first load of laundry, folding the last load still waiting, mated up the sock pile, put away a stack of underwear and began the process of catching up with other projects left over from last week - getting my photos off my camera - third time was the charm, and yes, I did it myself (With a little help from Samsung) - then vacuumed carpets, hung up clothes we dropped on the floor when we piled into bed late and exhausted, and and took a check to town that should have been delivered two weeks ago, but got misplaced in the chaos.  Always room for improvement - I'm a work in progress.   Perhaps you will be delighted to hear that!   I usually am comforted by the news of someone's ordinariness.  Unfortunately most of my friends are over-achievers but it does keep me humble.   

Of all the tasks for Monday, the most difficult and most important to me is the menu plan for the week.  Figuring out the menu and serving the right amounts for two has been challenging.  Sometimes we end of eating the same thing for several days - and after that we don't want to see it again for quite a while.   It's great to fix one huge pot of stew.  Not so great to still be eating Split Pea Soup with ham and carrots, delicious as it is, for the fifth meal in a row.  I know, I know, I can freeze portions.  Like I said, I am a work in progress.  Just ask my husband.  And of course I dusted the heat register.  Why?  Because it was dusty, that's why.  Doesn't everyone?  You should.  You never know when you might come home after a long weekend to a smoky smell in your house and have to call the fire department.  And they will check the baseboards.  And they will notice that you dusted the heat registers. They sure will.  Who would have thought?  Maybe I'm an over-achiever in the dusting the heat registers department.  The firefighters seemed to think it was rare enough to be worthy of comment. 

So here it is.  But first: last week.  

Spelt Flour - first time to use my new flour-mill. Super easy to use.
Used it before looking at the directions.  What is the extra large plastic ring for?  The directions turned out to be super easy, too, with good pictures.  Great for busy people.  The ring was to extend the capacity of grain to 20 cups.  Yay! Life is complicated, so it's nice when instructions are simple.  This was amazing.  A handful of spelt berries became two cups of flour in seconds.  Super cool.

Haven't had pancakes or waffles in months due to experimenting with a wheat free diet.  Yes, I tried Xanthum gum, white rice flour, oat flour and several others over a course of several months.  All good.  These waffles were outstanding.  Makes me wonder why we get so hooked on wheat flour, anyway.

My sister was here and got a better picture of a waffle.  Maybe she will share.

Peppered Bacon, Melted Butter

Friday - Lunch with friend, Myrna Dawn

Before their dip in the GranPappy (Deep Fryer)
These are the best and always a sure company pleaser.  

Nachos

1 Can Refried Black Beans

1/2 lb. Hamburger, browned

One diced onion, lightly sauted

1 Can Green Chilies, diced.

 Top with Grated Cheddar and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with fresh tomatoes, salsa and sliced avocado.

Reheated for Supper.  

Followed lunch with a quick hike on a beautiful fall day up at the
end of Sunset Rim Road.

My Trees

What I have in mind for this week:

• Monday: Chicken Tortilla Soup (also grocery shop for the week) Recipe: Pioneer Woman on the internet is probably the way to go, but I'm winging it.
• Tuesday: Curried Red Lentil Burgers(http://www.marcussamuelsson.com/recipe/curried-red-lentil-burgers-and-mango-slaw-recipe)

• Wednesdsay: Santa Fe Stew
• Thursday: Leftovers
• Friday: Bangkok Chicken - Great Food Without Fuss
• Saturday: Leftovers
• Sunday: Meatloaf - Dutton Family Cookbook - it's one of the best.  Really. 

Heartbreak

Our world stopped turning

Although the rest of the world 

Somehow didn’t think it should wait

Until tears stopped falling

Before going on almost as if

It was just a small glitch,

That’s all.

When death stepped in so suddenly

And you left us without warning,

The beauty of your life, we saw,

Was matched only by its brevity.

Maybe you didn’t know they would be

Lost without you,

And anguished.

Bittersweetly, we open our eyes

To yet another day.

The Sun just keeps producing

As if anxious for us to awaken fully

To your presence real and new,

The shining of your face

Representing.

We sat, overwhelmed and silent,

Your first appearance filled the room.

Shining, smiling, present.

Later hiding from the crowd,

I know you were there – but where?

Then saying I need you.  Give them messages

From me.

Bereavement Flight

My Crossfitter

An Old Time Blizzard

We were warned.

Snow Challenge

Beat that, Greece.

Chilly