Simply Sunday

Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into.  ~Henry Beecher, Life Thoughts, 1858

Monday's Musings

Chicago Bill's Golf - Hanover Park, IL

Ah, spring has arrived and with it the joys of the season - like swirl cones and miniature golf.

These quirky courses always bring memories of my youth: camping trips, fires, s'mores, lightening bugs, hide-in-seek, board games to name a few of the things I remember doing during these precious months of pleasant weather.

With all the technology that surrounds us, it is a pleasure to watch families still enjoying such simple pleasures. As I enjoyed my cone, the thought crossed my mind that these courses need to be photographed.  Some day, these courses and their large, fiberglass figures will be a thing of the past.  Where else can you see a ten-foot gorilla, Mother Goose's Old Woman's Shoe or swinging bowling pins?

This has been the start of a strange spring with snow still coming down in May in parts of the country.  So grab your chance of nice weather when it comes and do something fun.  I'd love to hear from you what your favorite activities are.

Simply Sunday

My Mom and Grandma.  Happy Mother's Day to mothers and mother wannabes everywhere.

Savory Saturdays

Talk about easy!  This recipe makes a colorful salad for your dinner. One of my favorites.

COPPER PENNIES

1 pound carrots (slice, cook, and cool)

1 medium onion, diced

1 large green pepper, diced

1 can tomato soup

1/4 Cup vinegar

1/4 Cup salad oil

3/4 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon mustard

dash of Tabasco sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and pour over carrots, onion and green pepper.  Refrigerate overnight.

Simply Sunday

I wrote a novel and realized I didn't know what I was doing.  So I joined a writer's group, then another group.  Signed up for seminars, went to a writer's seminar.   Felt I should work more on my blog, but wasn't sure what direction to go.  A friend wanted to co-write a story.  I realized I wouldn't mind taking a stand up acting class.  Stop!

Do you feel like I do?  There's not enough time to do all the things we want, learn new crafts, read more books, etc., etc., etc.  That's probably why the Lord said, "Be still, and know that I am God."

So my posts for Sundays from here on out will just be a photo with perhaps a short saying to accompany it.  Be still my friends.  We need a day to rest.  Enjoy your Sunday and rejuvenate for the rest of the week.

Savory Saturdays

The phrase, "The farther I go, the behinder I get," is becoming reality for me.  I'm tired.  However, there's so much to do and places to see, that I need to cram more and more into a quickly diminishing time frame.  To that end, I like recipes that are quick and easy and are tasty with an elegant appearance.  Following is such a recipe that I found in the Sunset Light Cuisine cookbook.

Marinated Asparagus with Sesame

   Ingredients   
1 lb. asparagus          Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; peel stalks, if
                                 desired.  Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide frying
                                 pan over high heat.  Add asparagus, cover, and cook just until
                                 barely tender when pierced (3 to 5 minutes). Drain, immerse
1/4 cup seasoned      immediately in ice water until cool, then drain again.   
rice wine vinegar;    
or 1/4 cup rice wine
vinegar mixed with      Place asparagus in a shallow bowl and add vinegar and sesame
2 teaspoons sugar        oil.  Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cold
and salt to taste.           (about 30 minutes).

                                    Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds in a small frying pan, shaking
1 tablespoon each        pan often, until golden (2 to 3 minutes).
of sesame oil
and sesame seeds         To serve, lift asparagus from marinate and arrange on a
                                    serving plate.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Makes 4 servings.

Prep time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 3 to 5 minutes
Chilling time:  about 30 minutes
Calories per serving:  81

Finally Friday

Family, Storms and Popcorn

Fridays were once the day of the week you anticipated.  It was going out, staying up later, meeting friends.  When did that stop?  A decade ago?  More?  I seem to have lost track of time.  I still anticipate the weekend, but it generally involves jammies and a movie.

One thing I look forward to tonight is watching the Blackhawks in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.  Pop a few snacks into the oven, wash it down with a beverage, heck, I may even wear my Hossa jersey to help cheer them on.

While I wait, I will share with you my reflections.  As I watched the rainy, gray sky today, I thought of stormy days as a child.  Sometimes the storms knocked out power and families were forced to wait in the dark until the utility company could get electricity restored.  Not my family.  If the rain stopped, my parents would get out the camping stove and Coleman lantern.  My brother and I watched the wick slowly glow brighter and brighter, illuminating the backyard.  Dad would make popcorn on the little stove and my mouth watered in anticipation as each kernel exploded, emitting its tantalizing aroma into the night sky.

While many people I know are scared of storms, the sound of thunder working its way closer and closer followed by lightening stretching across the sky like slender fingers gives me comfort.  I like to look at life in the same way by associating good things in bad situations.

I hear the game starting so must sign off, but I hope each of you discovers what gives you comfort during the storms of your life.  Have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Savory Saturdays

This isn't a family recipe, but it's always been in my family and is one of my favorites that Mom used to make.  While the final product looks like a brownie when cut into pieces, the flavor is more unique and rich.

Sharing these recipes with you has brought back such fond memories, that I hope to continue this every Saturday.  May you enjoy every bite!

Texas Cake

4 T. cocoa

1 C water

2 sticks oleo

Mix together and bring to a boil, slightly.

Mix:

2 C sugar

2 C flour

1/2 t. salt

1 t. soda

2 eggs

1/2 C sour cream

Add the chocolate mixture, mix together well.  Pour into lightly greased pan 15x10x1.  Bake at 350°  for 20 to 25 minutes.

Frosting:
4 T. cocoa
6 T. milk
1 stick oleo

Heat until oleo melts.  Pour over 1 lb. powdered sugar.  Add 1/2 t. vanilla.  Spread on warm cake.  Enjoy!

Monday's Musings

Monday is my favorite day.  Scout's honor.  Maybe because it's a fresh beginning; a chance to start afresh.

This makes me realize why I liked the beginning of each school year.  No matter how bad the previous year ended, I knew that this was the year everything would turn around for the better.

Various scents also have a fresh beginning smell.  New textbooks when you first crack them open and bend your nose over the pages to take that first whiff of a new book aroma.  Each year was also the time for new clothes and shoes.  As my mind wanders, I remember the smell of crayons, the vinyl in 3-ring binders and my floor mat for kindergarten naps.  Each scent evokes such pleasant memories.

May this week bring you a fresh beginning as you recall the favorite times in your life.

Savory Saturdays

The smell of caramel corn will always evoke warm memories of my maternal grandmother. I would like to take today to share her recipe with you in hopes you will start sweet traditions with your loved ones.


Mimi's Caramel Corn

1 C sugar
1 stick margarine (oleo)
1/2 C syrup
1/2 t  salt
1 t  soda
4 quarts popped corn

Combine everything except soda.  Cook 260°.  Drop small amount in cold water.  If it is hard, it's done.  Remove from stove and add soda, stirring rapidly.  Pour over corn in a large pan, stirring corn so it will cover.

Put in 250° oven for 1 hour.  Stir every 15 minutes.

Note:  dark Karo syrup and sorghum added can give additional flavor.

Friday's Fair Memories

The seventies were an interesting decade.  Funny how ten years can have so many changes.  I entered the decade playing Barbies and exited as a woman starting college.

While I would love to be this thin, young girl again, I wonder if girls today would be caught dead in cut off shorts.  This was a generation of doing with what you had and making it last.  At least, this was how it was with my family.

I was blessed to grow up in a two-parent family where weekends were spent with the simple pleasures of camping.  My family shared our time together playing board games and cards along with a lot of laughter.

Dad is gone and time with Mom is occasional, but these memories will hold me for a lifetime. May you all find those sweet moments in your life to see you through the rough patches.

Let There be Peace

My intention for this blog was strictly to be humorous.  I wanted to be the female equivalent to Dave Barry.  However, in light of this week's horror in Boston, felt more inclined to the somber side of life.

So many posts on Facebook asked what is wrong with the world.  I'm not sure that anything has changed in the world, with the exception of instant coverage.  We are made aware immediately and graphically when things go awry.  Mankind has always had those individuals bent on cruelty starting at the beginning of time with Cain killing his brother Abel.  Hitler murdered 5.5 million Jews and millions of other people deemed racially inferior.  Idi Amin was President of Uganda for a mere eight years, yet an estimated 100-500 hundred thousand people were killed under his regime.

The United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor and we retaliated with dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.  Gang violence and innocent victims caught in the crossfire, school shootings, shootings in movie theaters are all examples of deranged individuals expressing their demented world views on people unaware.

We say we will never allow such atrocities to continue, but each time I tell myself there's nothing I can do, then I am turning my head away from what is happening and refusing to help.  Yes, I believe there is more good than evil.  People have always been more than generous in helping with both time and money.

The world still needs more love.  Can we all make an effort to step away from our cell phones for just an instant and look up and smile to those around us?  People are lonely; people are craving for attention and validation; they want to know that they matter to us.

Will evil ever be eradicated?  As long as humans continue on this earth, I suspect evil will be present.  Perhaps, though, we can make an effort to care just a bit more.  Smile, be present, listen to those around you.  Let's make sure we let others know we see them and let them know they are worthy; they have a purpose.

Boston and Beyond

The media is once again honing in on tragedy.  Yes, the bombing in Boston needs to be covered.  We must find the culprit and seek out justice.  But, to what end?  The fact that I'm writing about this subject adds to the fuel of frenzied feelings.

In all honesty, I haven't watched the coverage on television or listened to the radio.  As I was driving to work on Tuesday, one station wasn't reporting the news, they were playing the sounds of the tragedy.  People screaming, the second explosion, crying, running.  I had to turn the dial.

We shouldn't be like ostriches with our heads in the sand, but I don't want to be a spectator in someone's grief.  My fear is that so much coverage gives glee to the person(s) responsible; giving them power.

Can we find a way to report without sensationalizing?  Perhaps if we tone it down and strictly report the facts, we show whomever is responsible that we're not going to sit glued to the television and watch with horror every play by play scene.  Let's reclaim our power from these murderous individuals.

Blessings to Boston

As a child, I remember my mom finding me crying in the garage and asking what was the matter.  I told her the neighbors were arguing and it broke my heart to hear people at odds with each other.

The world has grown and so has its problems.  Even though I, too, have grown, tragedy still tears at my heart.  My thoughts and prayers are with those who's lives are scarred by today's bombings in Boston.  My heart goes out to all as they move beyond today's terror.

Social Validation

A person's purpose is sometimes not realized until they are gone.  I realized this upon viewing the display cases at work.  At one point they sparkled.  The receptionist was constantly dusting and cleaning them.  Was it out of boredom?  Did she actually enjoy cleaning?  Now they are dusty; the glass foggy.  The items that sit upon them appear the same, but my eyes are drawn to their surroundings instead of the products displayed.

She has been gone for a while now, but the shelves made me remember her.  Questions, questions, questions.  You couldn't get past her without having to stop to talk.  Precious moments gone.  I long for those conversations now.  She was interested in each person and we seemed to be her family.

Another person I did not miss until they were gone was a guard who greeted everyone as they entered and departed the building.  He stood there.  He smiled.  He said hello.  My day started and ended with validation.  And then he died.  His replacement sits slouched; no eye contact.  I'm sure doing all the duties required for the job, but no greeting.

My father lived three hours away so I didn't have daily contact with him.  We only spoke once a week on the phone.  So how could his dying make me miss his qualities.  What were they?  When I called, he asked specific questions pertaining to me.  When visiting, he always had a dish in mind to make - like blueberry pancakes.  He spent hours perfecting a CD with pictures from a vacation.  First it contained just the pictures, then he discovered how to add music.  Everyone chided him for spending so much time on the same CD.  Eventually he figured out how to add vocals as he narrated the trip.  I miss his voice.

Not all jobs can be exciting, but they can be fulfilling when we give it our full attention.  All these people I've mentioned made others feel important.  We need more people like that.  I have made it a practice to put away my phone upon entering the elevator.  Does it induce others to do the same?  No.  I watch heads angled down with thumbs hovering over the screens.  But on the perchance they look up, I can smile - make eye contact.  I want them to feel validated, so as they exit I tell them to have a good day.

Will it make a difference?  For them, I may never know.  For me, I've given myself a human hug to start my day.

Global Worming?

Is worry part of aging?  I've always been a worrier so I have nothing to gage myself against.  I've written on this topic previously, but must do so again.  Being a worrier, I notice the most bizarre things that most people overlook.  It's not that what I notice is particularly strange, it's just commonplace subjects that pop out at me and my head can't let them go.

For example, while shopping at Wal-Mart, I noticed a live bait cooler.  Now, there are live bait coolers in various places, like gas stations.  Not a big deal - during summer.  This is winter.  Who needs worms in winter?  Do people who ice fish use live bait?

My worry is that our winter is too warm for ice to form on lakes, so that ruins the possibility for ice fishing.  However, this week it was close to zero.  Who's going to stand at the edge of a pond and fish?  How long do the worms last?  Will they die before anyone buys them?  Who collects the worms?  And if the ground is frozen, how do people extract the worms?  So many questions.  I may not be able to sleep.

The world is full of major problems deserving attention, yet I fixate on the mundane.  Perhaps it's a diversionary tactic so I don't face the true chaos around me.  I'm like the ostrich with it's head in the sand.

It has been said that the first step to fixing a problem, is noticing the problem.  I'll start off with baby steps and try not to fret about worms and turn my attention to areas that I can do something about.  It's never too late to start something new and worthwhile.  With effort, my baby steps may someday become a marathon of miracles.

Aids of Androids?

Stupidity is passing up the free flu shot my company offered because, "I don't get sick."  Do you realize what all we touch?  Elevator buttons, coffee pot handles, refrigerator doors, microwaves, stair railings, vending machines, ATMs, fax machines, copiers, and the list goes on.

But we are smart.  Technology, medicine and preventative measures can beat this, right?  We've come so far in the fight against germs.  Signs are up at work to remind us to wash our hands.  Sanitizer dispensers hang at the ready for that extra attempt to rid ourselves of any bacteria waiting to bring us down.

Faucets are automatic.  Soap dispensers also automatic.  Even the paper towels offer themselves with just the wave of our hand.  And yet we cram ourselves into elevators with twenty people in a 6x6 foot space.  Canned sardines have more wiggle room. 

Then came the  smart phones.  "Here, look at this photo I took," then we hand our unsuspecting audience the phone -  not bothering to mention we just scratched our nose, or coughed into our hand or played Words With Friends in the ladies stall during break.  My dog's nose leaves less smears on my windows than my fingers do on my phone.  And now the phones have gone a step further where I touch my screen to your screen and transfer information.  We're transferring more than information; we're creating a pandemic.

Will I give up using my phone?  Never.  I guess I'll just need to be more selective in passing it around or hesitate before automatically taking the phone someone is handing me to look at their pictures.  But I know one thing, I'm getting the flu shot next year.

Be Progressive

Not being a progressive person, I don't know what prompted me to get progressive lenses.  You would have thought the word itself would steer me away.  For years I used glasses for distance only, but rarely wore them.  Unless I was driving at night or in an unfamiliar area where I would need to read street signs, found I really didn't need to wear them.

Gradually I realized I was having more and more difficulty reading small print.  Eventually I bought a pair of over the counter reading glasses.  They did the trick, but I didn't want to wear the dreaded chain that hung around my neck or have them perched on my nose like Santa.  My husband bought me a beautiful chain from Brighton, but I thought if I used that then the next thing would be a lap cover over my knees.

The progressives seemed to be the answer since I didn't want two pair of glasses.  It would allow me distance, reading and in-between work such as viewing my computer.  It took some getting used to, but over time I adjusted.

Such is life.  One adjustment after another.  Those who resist are swallowed in depression only thinking what they used to be able to do.  Others who embrace change can face life with more joy of what they can do.  I realize this is the first of many changes, but I intend to embrace life and live it with all the gusto I can muster.

Enigma - Who am I?

Remember the Skechers claim when you wear their tone up shoes?  Well, I think I got the dyslexic version of the supposedly slimming sneaker – my backside got bigger and my topside tinier.

My whole life has been that type of a contradiction.  It started with my vacillating vision of what to be when I grew up.  I had it narrowed down between a missionary and a go-go dancer.  Never conventional were my aspirations.

Not quite raised to be a stay-at-home mom, but not enough college to support myself comfortably, I found Mr. Right and marched my way down the aisle to suburban marital bliss.  Don’t misunderstand me.  Life has been good.  I have been happy.  It just left me wondering – what could I have become if I applied myself to something; anything.

There has not been a moment when I have been on my own.  From the safety of my childhood home to college, from college to apartment living with roommates and then into the arms of my husband and our own home, I have never had to worry about a roof over my head.

It’s time for some worry in my life.  Worry molds you, shapes you.   As long as you keep the clay moist, you can reshape the warbles that alter the shape of your choices.  I may have started out a vase and ended up a cup.  But as long as I find my intended purpose, the vessel is irrelevant.

Fifty was a milestone birthday.  I no longer want to be the dutiful daughter or complacent co-worker.  It sounds so wrong, against everything I was raised to believe.  I know I will still be all these things, but I am anxious to finally learn to be me.