A couple weeks ago, when Casey and Nika, Brady and Jenne were home for the weekend, we went to my niece Kristal’s basketball game in Darlington on a Saturday morning. Since Casey and Nika were home for the weekend, my plans were to make lunch and dinner for all of us. My dinner plan for that night was lasagna, but I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to make for lunch. So before we left the school, I asked the "kids" and we decided on hamburgers and deep-fried homemade french fries. I needed to make a quick trip to the store to pick up some buns and a couple other little things, but while in the store I thought as long as I have the deep-fryer going, maybe I should make some homemade cheese curds, too. Nika had never had cheese curds, and Casey was telling her she was missing out on something special.
Earlier in the week, my office had gone out for a birthday luncheon and we went downtown in Madison to a new restaurant that had opened up recently, Graze. The birthday boy got to pick the place and this is where he wanted to go. Tim had said he had heard they had the most amazing cheese curds and that once you had them, you would never want for them any other place. He was right!
So, after I had told this story to the kids, I felt my next task would be to compete with Graze’s version of cheese curds.
Once we got home we got the burgers started and I pulled out my beer batter recipe. I told Casey he was going to have to suck it up (since he doesn’t drink and never has), but he said it was okay, he could handle it being in just the batter! We cut up the potatoes into french fries, placed them in buttermilk and let them soak for a couple minutes. Next we gave them a quick rinse and patted them dry, then they were put into the deep fryer for their first dunk. Once they had begun to crisp up a little, we pulled them out and let them drain for a bit. Then they went back in to crisp up. Once the fries were done and the burgers were topped with cheese and had melted, we served them up and then onto the trial and error for the cheese curds.
We dunked the cheese curds in the batter and then dropped them into the deep fryer. These turned out good, but I was not totally satisfied. I needed to perfect this, so I saw another opportunity for my next food experiment.
The next night after everyone had left, I decided that I would give the leftover batter a swing with some onions. I love onion rings, but Bob (not being an onion fan) is not particularly fond of them. What he does not care for is a stringy onion, that when you bite into the onion ring the whole onion ring comes slithering out and sometimes, unfortunately even I have had this problem, you can end up slurping that onion ring whole which makes for a very uncomfortable swallowing experience. The original recipe I had did not call for any seasonings, which on the curds I felt it was something it needed. So now to find the perfect combination of seasonings for the batter. I added a little garlic powder and some pepper to the first batch. I used white onions and cut them into some what thin ringlets. I put them in the batter and then set the bowl into the refrigerator to somewhat harden the batter and set them on the rings. I kept them in the refrigerator for about an hour. This did prove to be a good idea, because the batter hung to the ringlets much more properly. When I deep fried them, they came out so tender that they actually melted in your mouth. Bob thought the same. But this batter still needed some perfection.
Last night, I decided to try the onion rings again, but this time I added another half cup of flour and then added some Cavender’s and garlic powder, along with some black pepper. Ummmm, much better. I even cut the onion slices a little larger and, walla, so much better. (One star for me). Bob thought the larger slices would be bothersome to him, but they weren’t. Ahhhhh! (Two stars for me!) After draining, I sprinkled them with a little salt and pepper, and yes, they were so, so much better.
Cooking is so much like life -- a little trial and error never hurts – in fact, it always makes things better.
******************************
And here is my refined recipe:
Beer Batter
1 egg beaten
1 can of beer
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2-3/4 T. Cavender’s Greek Seasoning
Beat the egg with a fork, then add the beer; next add the dry ingredients and whisk until throughly incorporated.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Where's the Beef? (It's In The Sauce, Baby, It's All In The Sauce!)
The thought of something a little different for dinner today had my mind racing when I woke up this morning. I was thinking some kind of a beef sauce over either noodles or boiled potatoes. Once my morning rituals/routine was over with, I went to the freezer and pulled out a package of sirloin steak. One large piece of meat! I put it in the microwave to thaw. Four and-one-half minutes later I pulled it out and set it out to rest for a moment. I then poured some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)(thanks to Rachel Ray for that signature word!) into a non-stick skillet and let that start to warm up on medium high heat.
Next I took the meat and cut off all portions of the fat and sliced it into strips and then smaller 1 to 1-1/2" pieces. Laying the pieces out on the cutting board, I then sprinkled them with kosher salt, pepper, and Cavender’s seasoning, turned them over and repeated the same on the other side. (Never be afraid to salt the meat, it needs it to bring out the true flavors!) Next, I filled a large flatter bowl with flour (about 1" deep) and tossed some pieces in and rolled them around in the flour. Once they were thoroughly coated, I laid them out in the hot pan to begin to sear and brown (at about medium heat), repeating the process until all the pieces were coated with flour and were dropped into the pan. Before turning and once the pieces began to show that the flour on the top side was “melting” I next sprinkled a thin layer of sugar over the top of the pieces. Sugar. . . yes, sugar. I do this as it aids in caramelizing the pieces of meat. You just lightly sprinkle them, and, no, they won’t take on a sweet taste (but it does aid a little in the flavoring of the sauce). Once they were sprinkled with sugar, I then turned them over to brown the top side.
When all the pieces were browned (and still pink in the middle) I then went to my cupboard for beef broth. And, unfortunately, I didn’t find any. Fortunately, though, I did have chicken broth. I have found that you can easily substitute chicken broth for beef broth. All you need to do is add some beef bouillon cubes, if you have them (which I always have on hand) and/or add some Kitchen Bouquet. I did both, in this case. I turned the heat down to a medium low, and added about a cup of chicken broth and then dropped in three beef bouillon cubes and drizzled some Kitchen Bouquet over the top. The KB gave it a darker, richer looking sauce. I let this meld together for about 10 minutes and then turned the heat to low once I knew the bouillon cubes were dissolved. I gave the mixture a good stir to mix things up, put a cover on it, turned it on low simmer and let it simmer for an hour and a half. Midway through the process, I added about another half cup of chicken broth.
Next I waited for Bob to come in to decide which way to go – noodles or potatoes. He said he was sick of potatoes at the moment so wanted noodles. So I put some water on to boil and once it came to a boil added some salt and then the wide dumpling noodles. (How much you might say, it was about half a bag). Once the noodles were cooked, I drained them and placed them into a larger flatter bowl/platter. I then poured the beef mixture, (which by now had turned into a dark, rich, thick velvety sauce) over the noodles and tossed them a bit to mix the sauce in with the noodles. I then topped them with a sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese and then a thinner layer of shredded Romano cheese.
I served this with some warm rolls and buttery kernel corn.
When Bob comes in from outside and I am in the midst of “experimenting,” he will always pick up the covers off any pans on the stove (or peek in the oven) and always, predictably always, gives me the same old wrinkled up nose routine of “what the hell is this?” Most of time he is very pleasantly surprised at the finished product. This produced quite a bit of food, but by the time we were done eating today, there was only a small bowl of leftovers. Even though he won’t usually say the words, that is his way of saying “not bad, baby, not bad!”
I have to say that I thought so myself today, too . . . not bad, baby, not bad!
Next I took the meat and cut off all portions of the fat and sliced it into strips and then smaller 1 to 1-1/2" pieces. Laying the pieces out on the cutting board, I then sprinkled them with kosher salt, pepper, and Cavender’s seasoning, turned them over and repeated the same on the other side. (Never be afraid to salt the meat, it needs it to bring out the true flavors!) Next, I filled a large flatter bowl with flour (about 1" deep) and tossed some pieces in and rolled them around in the flour. Once they were thoroughly coated, I laid them out in the hot pan to begin to sear and brown (at about medium heat), repeating the process until all the pieces were coated with flour and were dropped into the pan. Before turning and once the pieces began to show that the flour on the top side was “melting” I next sprinkled a thin layer of sugar over the top of the pieces. Sugar. . . yes, sugar. I do this as it aids in caramelizing the pieces of meat. You just lightly sprinkle them, and, no, they won’t take on a sweet taste (but it does aid a little in the flavoring of the sauce). Once they were sprinkled with sugar, I then turned them over to brown the top side.
When all the pieces were browned (and still pink in the middle) I then went to my cupboard for beef broth. And, unfortunately, I didn’t find any. Fortunately, though, I did have chicken broth. I have found that you can easily substitute chicken broth for beef broth. All you need to do is add some beef bouillon cubes, if you have them (which I always have on hand) and/or add some Kitchen Bouquet. I did both, in this case. I turned the heat down to a medium low, and added about a cup of chicken broth and then dropped in three beef bouillon cubes and drizzled some Kitchen Bouquet over the top. The KB gave it a darker, richer looking sauce. I let this meld together for about 10 minutes and then turned the heat to low once I knew the bouillon cubes were dissolved. I gave the mixture a good stir to mix things up, put a cover on it, turned it on low simmer and let it simmer for an hour and a half. Midway through the process, I added about another half cup of chicken broth.
Next I waited for Bob to come in to decide which way to go – noodles or potatoes. He said he was sick of potatoes at the moment so wanted noodles. So I put some water on to boil and once it came to a boil added some salt and then the wide dumpling noodles. (How much you might say, it was about half a bag). Once the noodles were cooked, I drained them and placed them into a larger flatter bowl/platter. I then poured the beef mixture, (which by now had turned into a dark, rich, thick velvety sauce) over the noodles and tossed them a bit to mix the sauce in with the noodles. I then topped them with a sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese and then a thinner layer of shredded Romano cheese.
I served this with some warm rolls and buttery kernel corn.
When Bob comes in from outside and I am in the midst of “experimenting,” he will always pick up the covers off any pans on the stove (or peek in the oven) and always, predictably always, gives me the same old wrinkled up nose routine of “what the hell is this?” Most of time he is very pleasantly surprised at the finished product. This produced quite a bit of food, but by the time we were done eating today, there was only a small bowl of leftovers. Even though he won’t usually say the words, that is his way of saying “not bad, baby, not bad!”
I have to say that I thought so myself today, too . . . not bad, baby, not bad!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Cleaning Up The Economy, Cleaning Out the Fridge -- All A Little Catty
I’m catching it from a little bit here and a little bit there about not posting to my blog lately. I have now identified my cousin, Jo, as my enforcer to keep me on task. I have started a few to post, but never finished them.
So now here I sit festering about something else and am starting a new one and not getting to the old. I guess the old will sit and ripen a little more while I try to finish this one.
I’ve read a couple articles the last few days that have me feeling a little unstable about our economy and 2011. I was hoping that 2011 would come in as a good year and finish out the same way. Too many deaths in the family in 2010 made me anxious for a new start, a new year.
But, as I have seen gas prices start to increase, I’m less optimistic on the economic horizon for the new year. I’m hoping personally things run more smoothly. As I have seen in these recent articles it appears everyone seems to know that 2011 will be a challenging year for dairymen. A quote from a recent article in Dairy Herd Network, stated, “It's real simple,” . . . “For dairymen in 2011, it's going to be survival of the fittest.” Now, of course, since we are dairy farmers, that is not what personally what I want to hear.
Due to a growing global economy, unpredictable water supply and rising feed costs, dairy farmers in California are bracing themselves for another uncertain year in 2011. If that is just the case in California, then it bodes well for us farmers in Wisconsin. But with the price of corn steadily increasing in recent years due to the growth in biofuels, farmers who traditionally grew corn as feed for dairy cows are now getting a better price selling that crop as ethanol. With less overall supply on the market, farmers who do supply feed for dairies can bump up their prices. Dairy and corn prices have traditionally mirrored each other, but the use of corn for ethanol has changed all that. We, unfortunately, buy all our feed, so we will see the impact directly.
Even though the dairy industry as a whole can be viewed as a minefield, farmers can remain optimistic and even look overseas for potential revenue. Certain dairy products, such as cheese and ice cream, are highly sought after overseas, so dairy producers can hope that exports can pick up in 2011. Logistically speaking, it's nearly impossible to ship fluid milk overseas, but items such as dehydrated milk powders and other manufactured dairy products can make up most of the exports, so hopefully the trend will continue to grow. We are always told that because the market is flooded in this country, export, export, export.
So what does that mean for the cost of dairy and agricultural products in the United States? One article I recently read was from the National Inflation Association. At number eight in their top 10 economic predictions for 2011 is food inflation and it is predicting that food inflation will become America’s top crisis. This how they explained it, “Starting a few decades ago, and accelerating in recent years, America has seen a boom in non-productive service jobs, mainly in the financial sector. Most of these jobs were made possible by inflation. Without inflation, which steals from the purchasing power of the incomes and savings of goods-producing workers, the majority of the jobs on Wall Street would not exist today and our country would be in much better financial shape because of it.
With most Americans in recent decades seeking non-productive jobs in the financial services sector, because that is where they could access the Fed's cheap and easy money, very few Americans sought jobs in the farming and agriculture sector. In the 1930s, approximately 28 percent of the population was employed in the agriculture sector, but today this number is less than 2 percent. Agriculture currently makes up only 1.2 percent of U.S. GDP, compared to the services sector, which makes up 76.9 percent of U.S. GDP.
There is currently a major shortage of farmers in the U.S., and a lot of land that was previously used for farming has now been developed with real estate. To make matters worse, agricultural products now trade on the international market, and Americans must now compete against citizens of emerging nations like China and India for the purchasing of food.
Prices of goods and services do not rise equally when governments create monetary inflation. Inflation gravitates most towards the items that Americans need the most, and there is nothing that Americans need more to survive than food and agriculture. As the U.S. government prints money, the first thing Americans will spend it on is food. Americans can cut back on energy use by moving into a smaller home and car pooling to work. They can cut back on entertainment, travel, and other discretionary spending. However, Americans can never stop spending money on food.
The days of cheap food in America are coming to an end. The recent unprecedented rise that we have seen in agricultural commodity prices is showing no signs of letting up. Recently sugar futures reached a new 30-year high, coffee futures reached a new 13-year high, orange juice futures reached a new 3-year high, corn futures reached a new 29-month high, soybean futures reached a new 27-month high, and palm oil futures reached a new 33-month high.”
I’m not sure about you, but I am less concerned about the price of palm oil, but I am concerned about the price of my coffee, orange juice, sugar, etc. This brought me to the initial concerns I had about food in my own house. I’ve noticed a lot of waste. Yes, waste in my house and I am totally ashamed of it. I know, I know . . . there are starving kids in Africa, etc., etc. That is why I mentally slapped myself. No one else needs to beat up on me over this, as I do it every time I clean out the refrigerator, which I will remind myself and anyone else – it is one of my less favorite household tasks. I think maybe because of two elements: (1) the fear I am going to find something green and slimy that was never green and slimy in the first place and/or was never, ever, meant to be green and slimy, and (2) the amount of waste that I am throwing out. Now I suppose I could reward myself a little and say it isn’t truthfully going to waste because our cats will devour it as soon as I set it out there for them. They have even been known to eat leftover jell-O. What cat in their right mind would eat something squiggly like that once it has reached its prime? But they do. There are non-discriminating when it comes to eating.
But back to my problems with throwing food out. I think this is actually where it is deep rooted. I cannot throw food out. Not from the very beginning when they are prepared and it is even harder at the very end when they cremated themselves into something unrecognizable. I grew up in a household of seven kids, from a farming family with a big garden, so we always had plenty of home-grown food. A lot of food was served up at each meal and what wasn’t eaten was put away in the refrigerator. My dad never liked to see food wasted and he was a good one to eat leftovers. I am the same way, as long as the food is still in its prime, mind you. I can make a meal on the weekend and take that same meal to work four days in a row. It doesn’t bother me. My husband on the other hand always claims he will eat the leftovers and, to a certain extent, he does. But he will not eat the same thing two days in a row. He always also claims that he forgot about a certain leftover being in the refrigerator. That’s okay, I guess, because he certainly isn’t going hungry at this point. Again, some of the problem probably rests with my upbringing because I still cook like I am feeding nine people instead of the number we are down to now – two.
So, last night, I kicked myself when I opened the frig and realized I had a feast sitting there waiting for . . . the cats. (Sometimes I think I put the blinders on when I look in there!) I thought back to the recent articles about food prices and inflation hitting an all time high this year and I’m thinking I have to either cut back on my portion sizes when I am cooking, relieving Bob of electively picking out what will be today’s meal when I am gone, or . . . getting more cats.
We are actually in need of more cats (female that is as we are over run by males and the females are all gone), so maybe until I properly train myself in cutting my favorite recipes down to portions of two, I can fatten up those cats a little bit more.
I can’t for the life of me figure out why the taste of mice have started to slip off their menu choices. Finicky felines. . .
So now here I sit festering about something else and am starting a new one and not getting to the old. I guess the old will sit and ripen a little more while I try to finish this one.
I’ve read a couple articles the last few days that have me feeling a little unstable about our economy and 2011. I was hoping that 2011 would come in as a good year and finish out the same way. Too many deaths in the family in 2010 made me anxious for a new start, a new year.
But, as I have seen gas prices start to increase, I’m less optimistic on the economic horizon for the new year. I’m hoping personally things run more smoothly. As I have seen in these recent articles it appears everyone seems to know that 2011 will be a challenging year for dairymen. A quote from a recent article in Dairy Herd Network, stated, “It's real simple,” . . . “For dairymen in 2011, it's going to be survival of the fittest.” Now, of course, since we are dairy farmers, that is not what personally what I want to hear.
Due to a growing global economy, unpredictable water supply and rising feed costs, dairy farmers in California are bracing themselves for another uncertain year in 2011. If that is just the case in California, then it bodes well for us farmers in Wisconsin. But with the price of corn steadily increasing in recent years due to the growth in biofuels, farmers who traditionally grew corn as feed for dairy cows are now getting a better price selling that crop as ethanol. With less overall supply on the market, farmers who do supply feed for dairies can bump up their prices. Dairy and corn prices have traditionally mirrored each other, but the use of corn for ethanol has changed all that. We, unfortunately, buy all our feed, so we will see the impact directly.
Even though the dairy industry as a whole can be viewed as a minefield, farmers can remain optimistic and even look overseas for potential revenue. Certain dairy products, such as cheese and ice cream, are highly sought after overseas, so dairy producers can hope that exports can pick up in 2011. Logistically speaking, it's nearly impossible to ship fluid milk overseas, but items such as dehydrated milk powders and other manufactured dairy products can make up most of the exports, so hopefully the trend will continue to grow. We are always told that because the market is flooded in this country, export, export, export.
So what does that mean for the cost of dairy and agricultural products in the United States? One article I recently read was from the National Inflation Association. At number eight in their top 10 economic predictions for 2011 is food inflation and it is predicting that food inflation will become America’s top crisis. This how they explained it, “Starting a few decades ago, and accelerating in recent years, America has seen a boom in non-productive service jobs, mainly in the financial sector. Most of these jobs were made possible by inflation. Without inflation, which steals from the purchasing power of the incomes and savings of goods-producing workers, the majority of the jobs on Wall Street would not exist today and our country would be in much better financial shape because of it.
With most Americans in recent decades seeking non-productive jobs in the financial services sector, because that is where they could access the Fed's cheap and easy money, very few Americans sought jobs in the farming and agriculture sector. In the 1930s, approximately 28 percent of the population was employed in the agriculture sector, but today this number is less than 2 percent. Agriculture currently makes up only 1.2 percent of U.S. GDP, compared to the services sector, which makes up 76.9 percent of U.S. GDP.
There is currently a major shortage of farmers in the U.S., and a lot of land that was previously used for farming has now been developed with real estate. To make matters worse, agricultural products now trade on the international market, and Americans must now compete against citizens of emerging nations like China and India for the purchasing of food.
Prices of goods and services do not rise equally when governments create monetary inflation. Inflation gravitates most towards the items that Americans need the most, and there is nothing that Americans need more to survive than food and agriculture. As the U.S. government prints money, the first thing Americans will spend it on is food. Americans can cut back on energy use by moving into a smaller home and car pooling to work. They can cut back on entertainment, travel, and other discretionary spending. However, Americans can never stop spending money on food.
The days of cheap food in America are coming to an end. The recent unprecedented rise that we have seen in agricultural commodity prices is showing no signs of letting up. Recently sugar futures reached a new 30-year high, coffee futures reached a new 13-year high, orange juice futures reached a new 3-year high, corn futures reached a new 29-month high, soybean futures reached a new 27-month high, and palm oil futures reached a new 33-month high.”
I’m not sure about you, but I am less concerned about the price of palm oil, but I am concerned about the price of my coffee, orange juice, sugar, etc. This brought me to the initial concerns I had about food in my own house. I’ve noticed a lot of waste. Yes, waste in my house and I am totally ashamed of it. I know, I know . . . there are starving kids in Africa, etc., etc. That is why I mentally slapped myself. No one else needs to beat up on me over this, as I do it every time I clean out the refrigerator, which I will remind myself and anyone else – it is one of my less favorite household tasks. I think maybe because of two elements: (1) the fear I am going to find something green and slimy that was never green and slimy in the first place and/or was never, ever, meant to be green and slimy, and (2) the amount of waste that I am throwing out. Now I suppose I could reward myself a little and say it isn’t truthfully going to waste because our cats will devour it as soon as I set it out there for them. They have even been known to eat leftover jell-O. What cat in their right mind would eat something squiggly like that once it has reached its prime? But they do. There are non-discriminating when it comes to eating.
But back to my problems with throwing food out. I think this is actually where it is deep rooted. I cannot throw food out. Not from the very beginning when they are prepared and it is even harder at the very end when they cremated themselves into something unrecognizable. I grew up in a household of seven kids, from a farming family with a big garden, so we always had plenty of home-grown food. A lot of food was served up at each meal and what wasn’t eaten was put away in the refrigerator. My dad never liked to see food wasted and he was a good one to eat leftovers. I am the same way, as long as the food is still in its prime, mind you. I can make a meal on the weekend and take that same meal to work four days in a row. It doesn’t bother me. My husband on the other hand always claims he will eat the leftovers and, to a certain extent, he does. But he will not eat the same thing two days in a row. He always also claims that he forgot about a certain leftover being in the refrigerator. That’s okay, I guess, because he certainly isn’t going hungry at this point. Again, some of the problem probably rests with my upbringing because I still cook like I am feeding nine people instead of the number we are down to now – two.
So, last night, I kicked myself when I opened the frig and realized I had a feast sitting there waiting for . . . the cats. (Sometimes I think I put the blinders on when I look in there!) I thought back to the recent articles about food prices and inflation hitting an all time high this year and I’m thinking I have to either cut back on my portion sizes when I am cooking, relieving Bob of electively picking out what will be today’s meal when I am gone, or . . . getting more cats.
We are actually in need of more cats (female that is as we are over run by males and the females are all gone), so maybe until I properly train myself in cutting my favorite recipes down to portions of two, I can fatten up those cats a little bit more.
I can’t for the life of me figure out why the taste of mice have started to slip off their menu choices. Finicky felines. . .
Monday, October 4, 2010
Work, Work, Work
Wow, Fall has simply dropped in fast. The leaves are turning and falling from the trees. A soft and then harder frost the last couple nights have taken my plants to the brink of no return. I didn’t cover them because they were due to be weeded out of my planters anyway. My roses, surprisingly, have still survived.
I have tons of Fall planting to do, but am waiting for my shipments to arrive. Some old beds are going to get some new looks come Spring, and hopefully, once all is planted, they will survive the Winter. That word - Winter - is like a bad four-letter word in my vocabulary. Ewwwwww! Yes, I like the looks of a new-fallen snow. There is nothing more pretty when the sun is glistening off of it. That is, if I don’t have to go out and drive in it. If I can stay inside where it is toasty, then it is okay (or semi-okay). I have gotten to dislike snow. The older I get, the more I hate it because I hate to the fight of driving in it. But, for now, let’s put thoughts of that on the back burner.
Some of the plants I’ve ordered this Fall were : Rembrandt Tulip Mix, “Apeldoorn Elite” Tulips, “Cote D’Azur” Asiatic Lilies, “Destined to See” Daylilies, “Blue Pearl” Dutch Irises, “Lingerie” Fringed Tulips, Oriental Lily Mix, “Ruffled Patty” Ruffled Poppies, “Meringue” and “Pink Double Delight” Echinacea (Coneflowers), “Magic Star” Double Oriental Lilies (not shipping til Spring), “First Cherry Blossom” Darwin Hybrid Tulips, “Survivor” Mayflowering Tulips, “Cappuccino” Tango Lilies, “Candy Apple Delight” Tulips, and “Purple Flag” Tulips. These were all originally supposed to be shipped after September 27. Now, my orders show that they will be shipped, some on or about October 27th and others on or about November 11th. Hmmmm...good chance the ground will be frozen by then or it will have a cover of snow. Well, I might as well plan out my planting guide now, till up the old beds, plant what bulbs and plants I have already, put a pot where the ones who haven’t arrived yet go, get my mulching done and then see what type of weather we have by the date they arrive. Understandably, though, that since I have to arrive over 150 bulbs and/or plants, I am sure that I will be a bit cranky when it comes time to plant them. Plus, they will need to be watered once planted, and who wants to water plants if it is cold outside. Not me. But for the love of my plants, I will dutifully do so. Geez....
My time for the Fall projects is closing in quickly. I’ve got many to do and have to carefully plan out my calendar in order to get them done. We have been frantically working on my Aunt’s (Auntie) house in order to get it ready for sale. The inside now looks great, but still have a little yard work to complete. So most of my weekends have been spent at her place with little time to do things at home.
I finished getting some of the furniture rearranged at home this past weekend, after spending Saturday at Auntie’s. Yesterday was spent doing that plus making a run to the pharmacy for some prescriptions I forgot to pick up Friday. Now I need to tackle the garage and my “back room.” My back room contains all my storage totes and I need to dig out my Fall floral arrangements, because now it is getting late and I will be needing to dig out the Christmas decorations soon. Speaking of that, I was in Kohl’s last week and low and behold, the Christmas decorations were out. Not quite in full force, but they were there. And my nose was right in the mix of things there, too. I spied some new Christmas Village buildings and accessories I would like and I also saw some Christmas ornaments I wanted to get my hands on. But I held back. Didn’t quite feel right to bring home Christmas decorations when I knew I still had to pick up pumpkins for decorating. Which, by the way, I did pick up yesterday on my way home from Madison. Got some large ones, some medium ones, some small ones and some table top miniature pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn. If I would have had more time after I got back yesterday, I would have tried to tackle the back room to get the Fall decorations out, but I needed to get the mowing done. Plus once that was done, I was P-O-O-P-E-D. But that didn’t stop me until about 8:30. Then it was time to eat, and sit down to watch Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. I really didn’t have much energy left at that point. Okay, well just enough to finish up and fold two loads of laundry.
Then it was time to go to bed. Bob had made it up there before I did, and as I was shutting off the TV and lights downstairs, it was only to hear “Do you want to make the bed so I can go to bed sometime tonight!” Ooopppps, I washed bedding and had taken it off the clothesline while I was mowing and forgot about it. It was still sitting in the basket waiting to go up and be put on the bed. Yuck! There is nothing I hate worse than having to make the bed right before I crawl in, because I am usually bushed and that is the last thing I want to do. And last night I was bushed, and cold, with temps outside dropping below freezing and we refusing to turn the furnace on yet, the house was a little on the cool side. Well, at least the sheets smelled fresh like the outdoors. The only thing better than that would have been if they were my flannel sheets instead.
Needless to say....I turned the furnace on for a few minutes this morning. I had run a couple loads out to the dumpster at about 5:30 and it was brisk outside. The cats were up and ready to be fed, but Pongo was having none of that. He wanted a quick jolt outside to do his duty and then back in to crawl under the covers. I had made some cinnamon rolls last night before going to bed and set them out to rise so when I got up around 4:30, I stuck them in the oven. The smell of them baking this morning and the warmth of the oven might have made others feel warm, but I was still chilled, so against my better judgment, I turned the furnace on for a couple hours...just enough to take the chill out of the house, make Pongo quit shivering and make me finally come to the conclusion that I did not really need to soak in a warm bath this morning. Crap...maybe I should have left the furnace off. I guess I really didn’t have much time before going to work anyway since I was puttering around doing this and that this morning, I wasted any hope of a soak in the tub anyway. A warm shower had to do instead.
Temperatures around here are supposed to be back up into the 70's this week so maybe I can still get the flower beds done on Friday, but I wanted that day to be mostly a “clean the garage out” day. That is always a day Bob and I put off until we really NEED to get it done, whether it be Spring or Fall, but I’ve been in such a “get-it-done-and-organized now” mood lately, that I will probably try to do both.
Yep, my “Do It” calendar is quickly filling up. I only wish it wasn’t dark by the time I get home from work now, because if I only had a few more daylight hours at night, I could still accomplish a lot outside. Oh, well, it will still be there waiting for me on the weekends.
I have tons of Fall planting to do, but am waiting for my shipments to arrive. Some old beds are going to get some new looks come Spring, and hopefully, once all is planted, they will survive the Winter. That word - Winter - is like a bad four-letter word in my vocabulary. Ewwwwww! Yes, I like the looks of a new-fallen snow. There is nothing more pretty when the sun is glistening off of it. That is, if I don’t have to go out and drive in it. If I can stay inside where it is toasty, then it is okay (or semi-okay). I have gotten to dislike snow. The older I get, the more I hate it because I hate to the fight of driving in it. But, for now, let’s put thoughts of that on the back burner.
Some of the plants I’ve ordered this Fall were : Rembrandt Tulip Mix, “Apeldoorn Elite” Tulips, “Cote D’Azur” Asiatic Lilies, “Destined to See” Daylilies, “Blue Pearl” Dutch Irises, “Lingerie” Fringed Tulips, Oriental Lily Mix, “Ruffled Patty” Ruffled Poppies, “Meringue” and “Pink Double Delight” Echinacea (Coneflowers), “Magic Star” Double Oriental Lilies (not shipping til Spring), “First Cherry Blossom” Darwin Hybrid Tulips, “Survivor” Mayflowering Tulips, “Cappuccino” Tango Lilies, “Candy Apple Delight” Tulips, and “Purple Flag” Tulips. These were all originally supposed to be shipped after September 27. Now, my orders show that they will be shipped, some on or about October 27th and others on or about November 11th. Hmmmm...good chance the ground will be frozen by then or it will have a cover of snow. Well, I might as well plan out my planting guide now, till up the old beds, plant what bulbs and plants I have already, put a pot where the ones who haven’t arrived yet go, get my mulching done and then see what type of weather we have by the date they arrive. Understandably, though, that since I have to arrive over 150 bulbs and/or plants, I am sure that I will be a bit cranky when it comes time to plant them. Plus, they will need to be watered once planted, and who wants to water plants if it is cold outside. Not me. But for the love of my plants, I will dutifully do so. Geez....
My time for the Fall projects is closing in quickly. I’ve got many to do and have to carefully plan out my calendar in order to get them done. We have been frantically working on my Aunt’s (Auntie) house in order to get it ready for sale. The inside now looks great, but still have a little yard work to complete. So most of my weekends have been spent at her place with little time to do things at home.
I finished getting some of the furniture rearranged at home this past weekend, after spending Saturday at Auntie’s. Yesterday was spent doing that plus making a run to the pharmacy for some prescriptions I forgot to pick up Friday. Now I need to tackle the garage and my “back room.” My back room contains all my storage totes and I need to dig out my Fall floral arrangements, because now it is getting late and I will be needing to dig out the Christmas decorations soon. Speaking of that, I was in Kohl’s last week and low and behold, the Christmas decorations were out. Not quite in full force, but they were there. And my nose was right in the mix of things there, too. I spied some new Christmas Village buildings and accessories I would like and I also saw some Christmas ornaments I wanted to get my hands on. But I held back. Didn’t quite feel right to bring home Christmas decorations when I knew I still had to pick up pumpkins for decorating. Which, by the way, I did pick up yesterday on my way home from Madison. Got some large ones, some medium ones, some small ones and some table top miniature pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn. If I would have had more time after I got back yesterday, I would have tried to tackle the back room to get the Fall decorations out, but I needed to get the mowing done. Plus once that was done, I was P-O-O-P-E-D. But that didn’t stop me until about 8:30. Then it was time to eat, and sit down to watch Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. I really didn’t have much energy left at that point. Okay, well just enough to finish up and fold two loads of laundry.
Then it was time to go to bed. Bob had made it up there before I did, and as I was shutting off the TV and lights downstairs, it was only to hear “Do you want to make the bed so I can go to bed sometime tonight!” Ooopppps, I washed bedding and had taken it off the clothesline while I was mowing and forgot about it. It was still sitting in the basket waiting to go up and be put on the bed. Yuck! There is nothing I hate worse than having to make the bed right before I crawl in, because I am usually bushed and that is the last thing I want to do. And last night I was bushed, and cold, with temps outside dropping below freezing and we refusing to turn the furnace on yet, the house was a little on the cool side. Well, at least the sheets smelled fresh like the outdoors. The only thing better than that would have been if they were my flannel sheets instead.
Needless to say....I turned the furnace on for a few minutes this morning. I had run a couple loads out to the dumpster at about 5:30 and it was brisk outside. The cats were up and ready to be fed, but Pongo was having none of that. He wanted a quick jolt outside to do his duty and then back in to crawl under the covers. I had made some cinnamon rolls last night before going to bed and set them out to rise so when I got up around 4:30, I stuck them in the oven. The smell of them baking this morning and the warmth of the oven might have made others feel warm, but I was still chilled, so against my better judgment, I turned the furnace on for a couple hours...just enough to take the chill out of the house, make Pongo quit shivering and make me finally come to the conclusion that I did not really need to soak in a warm bath this morning. Crap...maybe I should have left the furnace off. I guess I really didn’t have much time before going to work anyway since I was puttering around doing this and that this morning, I wasted any hope of a soak in the tub anyway. A warm shower had to do instead.
Temperatures around here are supposed to be back up into the 70's this week so maybe I can still get the flower beds done on Friday, but I wanted that day to be mostly a “clean the garage out” day. That is always a day Bob and I put off until we really NEED to get it done, whether it be Spring or Fall, but I’ve been in such a “get-it-done-and-organized now” mood lately, that I will probably try to do both.
Yep, my “Do It” calendar is quickly filling up. I only wish it wasn’t dark by the time I get home from work now, because if I only had a few more daylight hours at night, I could still accomplish a lot outside. Oh, well, it will still be there waiting for me on the weekends.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Fall Projects Galore
Fall seems like it is the time to get projects done around the house. This past weekend, it seemed as if I was trying to accomplish so much, and I actually did, even though it was little iddy-biddy projects. I’ve been cleaning out cupboards and re-organizing, organizing and then re-organizing. Last night, I went to Menard’s because they had a sale on their blinds. I have been meaning to do this for some time to hang up in the kitchen windows.
I met up with my cousin, Jo, and she helped me out. It was a fun, fast little shopping trip that actually meant so much because I got to spend a little quality time with Jo, and accomplished a lot in the meantime, too. She even helped me pick up more (120) tulip bulbs for my flower gardens, so it was a very productive shopping trip. Now, Bob has to hang them for me. To aid in that situation, I even picked him up some peanut M&M’s that were on sale. (A little bribery goes a long way, sometimes).
Jo was in search of some more mini-lights for her faux fiscus tree. She wasn’t successful there, as they didn't have their Christmas decorations out yet and nothing in the Halloween department. The Halloween decorations were out and seemed to even be a little picked over. We had fun looking at some of the big, big blowup decorations. One in particular Jo pointed out was a horse-drawn hearse. It was comical, needless to say. There were shelves of planting items which were on sale, I suppose to make way for the incoming slew of Christmas items. I should get back over there to help them make some more room. I could be good at helping to clean out a few items of their summer garden stock. Hmmm....that is sounding like a plan. Jo even remarked about it when she saw the sign on the doorway that went into the garden center stating “50% off garden items” and which was boldly whispering my name saying, “Shari, come in, come in.” But, Jo held me back and stated, “you probably shouldn’t go in there. Save it for another trip.” Such a good person she is!!
Next, on my list, is I have some furniture that I want to re-do and paint, so before snow flies, I want to pull out the sawhorses in the garage, lay down some plywood and get at it before I put them on the back burner and another year flies by.
Wow, when I talk about the garage, that will have to be another weekend project, as it is in desperate need of cleaning and reorganizing before Winter sets in and the car goes back in the garage.
So many projects and so little time. Menard's was not a good place for me because it was giving me more project ideas, which means more shopping trips. I’ll have to make a note to take Jo along on some more of my next shopping trips. She sure knows how to help me spend my money, but then she knows just the right moment to hold me back, too.
I met up with my cousin, Jo, and she helped me out. It was a fun, fast little shopping trip that actually meant so much because I got to spend a little quality time with Jo, and accomplished a lot in the meantime, too. She even helped me pick up more (120) tulip bulbs for my flower gardens, so it was a very productive shopping trip. Now, Bob has to hang them for me. To aid in that situation, I even picked him up some peanut M&M’s that were on sale. (A little bribery goes a long way, sometimes).
Jo was in search of some more mini-lights for her faux fiscus tree. She wasn’t successful there, as they didn't have their Christmas decorations out yet and nothing in the Halloween department. The Halloween decorations were out and seemed to even be a little picked over. We had fun looking at some of the big, big blowup decorations. One in particular Jo pointed out was a horse-drawn hearse. It was comical, needless to say. There were shelves of planting items which were on sale, I suppose to make way for the incoming slew of Christmas items. I should get back over there to help them make some more room. I could be good at helping to clean out a few items of their summer garden stock. Hmmm....that is sounding like a plan. Jo even remarked about it when she saw the sign on the doorway that went into the garden center stating “50% off garden items” and which was boldly whispering my name saying, “Shari, come in, come in.” But, Jo held me back and stated, “you probably shouldn’t go in there. Save it for another trip.” Such a good person she is!!
Next, on my list, is I have some furniture that I want to re-do and paint, so before snow flies, I want to pull out the sawhorses in the garage, lay down some plywood and get at it before I put them on the back burner and another year flies by.
Wow, when I talk about the garage, that will have to be another weekend project, as it is in desperate need of cleaning and reorganizing before Winter sets in and the car goes back in the garage.
So many projects and so little time. Menard's was not a good place for me because it was giving me more project ideas, which means more shopping trips. I’ll have to make a note to take Jo along on some more of my next shopping trips. She sure knows how to help me spend my money, but then she knows just the right moment to hold me back, too.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Fall, Football and, yep, Christmas
Well, the air is getting a little crisper and cooler in the mornings and evenings. Fall must certainly be settling in. Hmmm...that means the hot, humid, dog days of summer have flown by, football season is upon us, the vegetable gardens are waning and the flower beds are wanting some attention. My flower beds have certainly been calling for me the last couple weeks. And it has been easier to stay outside working in them, too. I’ve dug up one big bed and am waiting the arrival of plants and bulbs shortly. The estimated shipping dates are starting next week on the 21st. Waiting for the arrival of plants is like waiting for the stork to drop in with arrival of a new baby – a much anticipated day-by-day waiting game. But, I’ve transplanted the plants that I had there and the tiller is sitting waiting for the day to be put back into use. I’ve also got quite a pile of mulch leftover from the spring planting. The only thing I will have to engage once the plants arrive is my husband, Bob. He will do the tilling, I’ll do the planting and then together we will put down the mulch. Next, I'll have to do my planting layout. That is always the fun part.
I’ve decided to change up my beds in the back of the house and am going to color code them. The big long oblong one is going to contain 3-season pink, lavender, and white plants. My round one by the clothesline is going to be the hub of the red, yellow and blue. And, finally, the smaller oblong one is going to contain the orange, yellow, salmon hues.
I am currently awaiting shipments for the big oblong one. So far, for tulips I’ve ordered the following: First Cherry Blossom (pink/white), Mayflowering Tulip Survivor (pink), Purple Flag (purple), and Rembrandt tulip mix. I absolutely love the Rembrandt tulips so that will be a nice mix in this bed. These will bloom in March - May.
Next, I’ve added the Tango Lily Cappuccino (white lily with a purplish-maroon throat; June-Sept.), the daylily Rosy Returns (big rosy flowers which are 3" across and have a darker pinkish-purple eye-zone and yellow-green throats; June-Sept.), a Bi-Color Blue Grape Hyacinth (which is a bluish-purple; April-May), Allium Roseum (pink; Mar-April), Allium Purple Sensation (purple; March-April), Dutch Iris Mix (purple, pink, white, yellow; May-June), Fox’s Grape (purple-yellow; April-May), Grape Hyacinth White Magic (white; April-May). My plan is to pick up a few more plants and/or flowering shrubs that are on sale now around local nurseries to fill in. I may order some more day lilies or pick up some roses to complete this bed.
To add to my round red, blue and yellow bed I’ve ordered the following: Apeldoorn Elite Tulips (yellow-red; March-May); Candy Apple Delight Tulips (red-white), and Sky-Blue Lillies (blue; May-June).
In all, so far I’ve ordered around 125 tulips to add to my gardens this year. But, knowing me, if I make it into any nurseries now, I’ll be picking up more fill-in tulips. Nevertheless, I still always like to have the “show-stopping” ones, some of which I have in my “save for later” lists with different plant companies, just waiting for a sale so I can hit the “ORDER” button. I’m still getting more Fall catalogs every day, so the weekends are fun to do my wish lists from each catalog. Then when I get an email telling me there is a sale, I can quickly go to those lists and do my ordering, carefully making sure I haven’t already ordered each plant or bulb somewhere else.
With all the Fall plant and bulb ordering I have been doing, I’ve also simultaneously been doing some on-line Christmas shopping, too. This has been somewhat confusing to me, as now I’m not sure what season we are really in. Seems like we get to this time of year, when a few weeks ago the Halloween stuff was appearing on the shelves, signaling that Fall was fast approaching. But sometimes it seems like Fall never arrives because by the time the calendar hits that 21st or 22nd day of September, official first day of Fall, the Christmas decorations are on the store shelves and we have officially bypassed Fall and gone straight into Pre-Christmas season. Unfortunately, for Fall, he is now short-changed, becoming the smallest of his bigger triplet clan who have taken over to dominate this time of year. What do I mean? Well, the better known family tree of Four Seasons have now turned into the Three Seasons and their cousins, a three-headed Cerberus fourth season, named Fall/Football/Pre-Christmas – never quite knowing who got the bigger, broader shoulders in that family but it is definitely a fight between Football and Pre-Christmas. Fall is now just the runt of the bunch.
Nevertheless, Fall has brought about the color changes in the trees above and those leaves have started falling softly from the trees, Football is now conclusively dominating the TV sets and, yes, Pre-Christmas is also here. I wouldn’t doubt that once I go to the stores tonight in search of blinds for my kitchen, that I will see Christmas decorations starting to go up. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit, since I have already begun my Christmas shopping. This must, though, undoubtedly mean it is going to be a cold, hard Winter, because I never start shopping this early. And, as my sweet little sister Suzi pointed out, I’ll hit the stores on Black Friday and yet won’t even be done then and will continue to shop until a couple days before. It is always hard for me to stop.
Yes, I’ll admit that Christmas is definitely my best holiday of the year. So, right now while my hubby might enjoy Fall’s triplet brother, Football, I’m definitely much more fonder of their triplet sister, Pre-Christmas.
I’ve decided to change up my beds in the back of the house and am going to color code them. The big long oblong one is going to contain 3-season pink, lavender, and white plants. My round one by the clothesline is going to be the hub of the red, yellow and blue. And, finally, the smaller oblong one is going to contain the orange, yellow, salmon hues.
I am currently awaiting shipments for the big oblong one. So far, for tulips I’ve ordered the following: First Cherry Blossom (pink/white), Mayflowering Tulip Survivor (pink), Purple Flag (purple), and Rembrandt tulip mix. I absolutely love the Rembrandt tulips so that will be a nice mix in this bed. These will bloom in March - May.
Next, I’ve added the Tango Lily Cappuccino (white lily with a purplish-maroon throat; June-Sept.), the daylily Rosy Returns (big rosy flowers which are 3" across and have a darker pinkish-purple eye-zone and yellow-green throats; June-Sept.), a Bi-Color Blue Grape Hyacinth (which is a bluish-purple; April-May), Allium Roseum (pink; Mar-April), Allium Purple Sensation (purple; March-April), Dutch Iris Mix (purple, pink, white, yellow; May-June), Fox’s Grape (purple-yellow; April-May), Grape Hyacinth White Magic (white; April-May). My plan is to pick up a few more plants and/or flowering shrubs that are on sale now around local nurseries to fill in. I may order some more day lilies or pick up some roses to complete this bed.
To add to my round red, blue and yellow bed I’ve ordered the following: Apeldoorn Elite Tulips (yellow-red; March-May); Candy Apple Delight Tulips (red-white), and Sky-Blue Lillies (blue; May-June).
In all, so far I’ve ordered around 125 tulips to add to my gardens this year. But, knowing me, if I make it into any nurseries now, I’ll be picking up more fill-in tulips. Nevertheless, I still always like to have the “show-stopping” ones, some of which I have in my “save for later” lists with different plant companies, just waiting for a sale so I can hit the “ORDER” button. I’m still getting more Fall catalogs every day, so the weekends are fun to do my wish lists from each catalog. Then when I get an email telling me there is a sale, I can quickly go to those lists and do my ordering, carefully making sure I haven’t already ordered each plant or bulb somewhere else.
With all the Fall plant and bulb ordering I have been doing, I’ve also simultaneously been doing some on-line Christmas shopping, too. This has been somewhat confusing to me, as now I’m not sure what season we are really in. Seems like we get to this time of year, when a few weeks ago the Halloween stuff was appearing on the shelves, signaling that Fall was fast approaching. But sometimes it seems like Fall never arrives because by the time the calendar hits that 21st or 22nd day of September, official first day of Fall, the Christmas decorations are on the store shelves and we have officially bypassed Fall and gone straight into Pre-Christmas season. Unfortunately, for Fall, he is now short-changed, becoming the smallest of his bigger triplet clan who have taken over to dominate this time of year. What do I mean? Well, the better known family tree of Four Seasons have now turned into the Three Seasons and their cousins, a three-headed Cerberus fourth season, named Fall/Football/Pre-Christmas – never quite knowing who got the bigger, broader shoulders in that family but it is definitely a fight between Football and Pre-Christmas. Fall is now just the runt of the bunch.
Nevertheless, Fall has brought about the color changes in the trees above and those leaves have started falling softly from the trees, Football is now conclusively dominating the TV sets and, yes, Pre-Christmas is also here. I wouldn’t doubt that once I go to the stores tonight in search of blinds for my kitchen, that I will see Christmas decorations starting to go up. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit, since I have already begun my Christmas shopping. This must, though, undoubtedly mean it is going to be a cold, hard Winter, because I never start shopping this early. And, as my sweet little sister Suzi pointed out, I’ll hit the stores on Black Friday and yet won’t even be done then and will continue to shop until a couple days before. It is always hard for me to stop.
Yes, I’ll admit that Christmas is definitely my best holiday of the year. So, right now while my hubby might enjoy Fall’s triplet brother, Football, I’m definitely much more fonder of their triplet sister, Pre-Christmas.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Kicking It Back With A Little Me and Gal Pal Time
I spent the early part of my evening last night with one of my best gal pals, Kim. We went to a concert in the park series. It is only for the month of July so I was finally able to sneak one in before the month ends. The last concert is next week.
I’ve never really given to myself the time of relaxation with friends much lately and this was a big treat. Kim and I shared a night out on the town a couple weeks ago, and that was fun but last night was just pure kickback relaxation. I have to say that I’m truly looking forward to next week’s and am sad that it will be over for the summer. My mind will now just have to ruminate a little to find the next form of get-out-there-and-relax ideas.
I got to Kim’s house at about 6:20 and after she gave me the tour of the house, we sat for a couple minutes jawing about this and that. Then she, her daughter Emily and I packed up our stuff into my car and off we went to the park to find a spot to sit. Upon unloading the car about a half a block from the park and as we walked closer, a couple of Kim’s friends were wildly waving her down to come park ourselves where they had last week. Chairs unpacked, our coolers opened up, sunglasses on – it was time to sit back, feel the breeze and take in some music. Okay, there was no breeze, the temperature was 84, heat index 86, humidity 42% and the dew point was 60. Not exactly what you would call the perfect weather to be sitting back and enjoying the night, but it was still young and the mosquitos hadn’t found us yet. There is always a pro side to things – you may have to think about it for a while – but there’s always the positive.
Kim opened up a bottle of wine for Emily and her to partake in. I chose an ice cold bottle of . . . water from my cooler to start out with. Funny, but I packed beer and water and the only things I could find digging in there was beer – I think they were saying “drink me, drink me.” But at the moment I needed a water quencher first. As we sat there and talked -- okay, my husband would say the proper term is “gabbed” – I had an actual sense of tranquility. With three-quarters of my water bottle down, I decided to opt to bring out the big guns and had an ice cold beer. Now I was down to business – yep, pure relaxation.
Next, we brought out the Parmesan and Basil Wheat Thins (my newest find – yum), cheese, sausage, crackers, grapes. With their bottle of wine gone, Kim and Emily decided the beer was going to be just as good for them, too. Kim’s friends brought out some homemade salsa that I have to say, was really to die for. It had black-eyed peas, tomatoes, peppers, mango, beans and more in it and was really more on the sweet side. It was refreshing on the crackers and on some tortilla chips. What more could you ask for at this point. I wasn’t really hungry so a little nibbling was all I needed. For a little over an hour-and-a-half concert, that one beer and part of the bottle of water was all I needed for the thirst, too. I must have really been unwinding.
Jeena Salzer and her band from Milwaukee provided the music last night. Although I could not tell you what songs were played, except for one noticeable Lady Gaga song, it was the backdrop one needs when you are out in the open air and kicking back. More of Kim’s old classmates gathered to sit with us and we had our own little line-up of people amongst the tons of other people who had congregated to partake in the community event.
It gave one time to sit back and watch people – one of my favorite pastimes with time permitted. As we were sitting more toward the top of the hill, most of the people who were there were below us. Right next to us was a “Pie Me” stand. It consisted of a sheet of plywood painted up with the words “Pie Me” and the name of the charity or organization it benefitted plus the necessary hole. The workers were young kids. Those who did the “pie-ing” were mostly little kids, ranging in ages of a toddler to maybe 6-7 year olds, who got a kick out of just doing the pie-ing. Hmmm...makes you wonder if they will try this at home. But it was the young workers who were taking a pie in the face who seemed like they enjoyed their “job” more than dreaded it. If a little one missed, they would pick up the paper plate decorated with whipping cream and spread it on their face. They would then proudly parade around the area with their face covered in white cream. Good thing that is not fattening or high in calories. The stand didn’t get a lot of business, but yet it got just enough that the rest of us who were close by were clearly entertained.
Also entertaining was watching the dancers. If you looked down toward the stage, there were quite a few that swirled and bobbed and jiggled and juggled with their inhibitions and shyness left in the closet for the night. Their ages are hard to say but I would venture to guess that they started at one year old and went all the way up to around . . . 10 years old. Yep, no oldies but goodies out there last night, just a crowd of youngies. Oh, to be that young again when you didn’t care who was watching you when you were out on the dance floor; when you didn’t care if your booty or your arms jiggled more than they did a few years ago; if you tripped or missed a step that you would be worried about who saw you; that if you got down on the ground and did a little wiggle, you didn’t make a fool of yourself. I suppose those days may come soon enough when I am older and might do those little jigs and not care or worry about who is watching. I probably just won’t know or realize it at that point! Hahaha!
But the dancing didn’t stop at the stage. The little ones who were too little to make their way down to the stage area were dancing all around us where we sat. There was the cutest little redheaded girl, about 2-3 years old, in front of us who got her boogie on. She was wiggling her butt to the music, shaking her arms up in the air like she was saying “hallelujah” and twirling around as if she were on her own little personal merry-go-round. To the right of our chairs was another little redheaded boy who was probably about one. He would walk or toddle up and down the hill, dancing a little, going from point A to point B until one of his parents, taking turns, would come scoop him up, take him up the hill, just for him to start back down again. Yes, there is something to be said about having grown-up children – you can remember the days when you used to have to chase after them, but that is just it – you don’t have to leave your chair thinking about it.
Then there was the older, fit gentleman Kim nicknamed “Condor” because he hiked up and down the hill constantly going after this or after that. His neck stuck out from his body the same as a condor does. It was more pronounced as he walked back up the hill. He would pat the little redheaded boy on the head as he passed him up or down the hill. He was definitely getting his exercise.
As I sat and took in the whole scene, it was fun just to watch the different little groups of people. There were the groups of friends, groups of middle-age women, younger mothers with their children, families, groups with extended families, groups of couples, all out for the night at a free, fun event on a sultry summer night. Sitting there toward the end of the evening with a little breeze beginning to kick up and the damp air starting to set in, I complimented Kim on a great idea in inviting me along. As we packed our stuff up, we decided that we would do this again next week. Kim mentioned that next week’s musical entertainer would be Willy Porter and her friends chimed in to say that they have heard great things about him. When I got up this morning, I went on-line to check out Willy Porter. He is a folk singer and songwriter and I was able to listen to little clips of his songs. Indeed, he is good and with hearing what I did, I am truly looking forward to next week’s concert.
Interestingly, though, being so relaxed last night with two hours of carefree time, I still contemplated asking Kim’s friend, Cory for her salsa recipe – see, I can’t seem to stay out of the kitchen even when I am outside enjoying the open air. Cory seemed very proud of the salsa (and, boy, she should be) and I was afraid she would shoot me down if I asked for the recipe. So, I think I will just have to try doing some “research” and see if I can come up with something similar. It might take a few tries, but hey, it is all in the name of “research” and I don’t mind sacrificing a few tomatoes, peppers, beans, etc., in the name of “research.”
Dang, but this relaxation thing just puts me in the mood for more work. I’m feeling like a hamster on that never-ending wheel.
I’ve never really given to myself the time of relaxation with friends much lately and this was a big treat. Kim and I shared a night out on the town a couple weeks ago, and that was fun but last night was just pure kickback relaxation. I have to say that I’m truly looking forward to next week’s and am sad that it will be over for the summer. My mind will now just have to ruminate a little to find the next form of get-out-there-and-relax ideas.
I got to Kim’s house at about 6:20 and after she gave me the tour of the house, we sat for a couple minutes jawing about this and that. Then she, her daughter Emily and I packed up our stuff into my car and off we went to the park to find a spot to sit. Upon unloading the car about a half a block from the park and as we walked closer, a couple of Kim’s friends were wildly waving her down to come park ourselves where they had last week. Chairs unpacked, our coolers opened up, sunglasses on – it was time to sit back, feel the breeze and take in some music. Okay, there was no breeze, the temperature was 84, heat index 86, humidity 42% and the dew point was 60. Not exactly what you would call the perfect weather to be sitting back and enjoying the night, but it was still young and the mosquitos hadn’t found us yet. There is always a pro side to things – you may have to think about it for a while – but there’s always the positive.
Kim opened up a bottle of wine for Emily and her to partake in. I chose an ice cold bottle of . . . water from my cooler to start out with. Funny, but I packed beer and water and the only things I could find digging in there was beer – I think they were saying “drink me, drink me.” But at the moment I needed a water quencher first. As we sat there and talked -- okay, my husband would say the proper term is “gabbed” – I had an actual sense of tranquility. With three-quarters of my water bottle down, I decided to opt to bring out the big guns and had an ice cold beer. Now I was down to business – yep, pure relaxation.
Next, we brought out the Parmesan and Basil Wheat Thins (my newest find – yum), cheese, sausage, crackers, grapes. With their bottle of wine gone, Kim and Emily decided the beer was going to be just as good for them, too. Kim’s friends brought out some homemade salsa that I have to say, was really to die for. It had black-eyed peas, tomatoes, peppers, mango, beans and more in it and was really more on the sweet side. It was refreshing on the crackers and on some tortilla chips. What more could you ask for at this point. I wasn’t really hungry so a little nibbling was all I needed. For a little over an hour-and-a-half concert, that one beer and part of the bottle of water was all I needed for the thirst, too. I must have really been unwinding.
Jeena Salzer and her band from Milwaukee provided the music last night. Although I could not tell you what songs were played, except for one noticeable Lady Gaga song, it was the backdrop one needs when you are out in the open air and kicking back. More of Kim’s old classmates gathered to sit with us and we had our own little line-up of people amongst the tons of other people who had congregated to partake in the community event.
It gave one time to sit back and watch people – one of my favorite pastimes with time permitted. As we were sitting more toward the top of the hill, most of the people who were there were below us. Right next to us was a “Pie Me” stand. It consisted of a sheet of plywood painted up with the words “Pie Me” and the name of the charity or organization it benefitted plus the necessary hole. The workers were young kids. Those who did the “pie-ing” were mostly little kids, ranging in ages of a toddler to maybe 6-7 year olds, who got a kick out of just doing the pie-ing. Hmmm...makes you wonder if they will try this at home. But it was the young workers who were taking a pie in the face who seemed like they enjoyed their “job” more than dreaded it. If a little one missed, they would pick up the paper plate decorated with whipping cream and spread it on their face. They would then proudly parade around the area with their face covered in white cream. Good thing that is not fattening or high in calories. The stand didn’t get a lot of business, but yet it got just enough that the rest of us who were close by were clearly entertained.
Also entertaining was watching the dancers. If you looked down toward the stage, there were quite a few that swirled and bobbed and jiggled and juggled with their inhibitions and shyness left in the closet for the night. Their ages are hard to say but I would venture to guess that they started at one year old and went all the way up to around . . . 10 years old. Yep, no oldies but goodies out there last night, just a crowd of youngies. Oh, to be that young again when you didn’t care who was watching you when you were out on the dance floor; when you didn’t care if your booty or your arms jiggled more than they did a few years ago; if you tripped or missed a step that you would be worried about who saw you; that if you got down on the ground and did a little wiggle, you didn’t make a fool of yourself. I suppose those days may come soon enough when I am older and might do those little jigs and not care or worry about who is watching. I probably just won’t know or realize it at that point! Hahaha!
But the dancing didn’t stop at the stage. The little ones who were too little to make their way down to the stage area were dancing all around us where we sat. There was the cutest little redheaded girl, about 2-3 years old, in front of us who got her boogie on. She was wiggling her butt to the music, shaking her arms up in the air like she was saying “hallelujah” and twirling around as if she were on her own little personal merry-go-round. To the right of our chairs was another little redheaded boy who was probably about one. He would walk or toddle up and down the hill, dancing a little, going from point A to point B until one of his parents, taking turns, would come scoop him up, take him up the hill, just for him to start back down again. Yes, there is something to be said about having grown-up children – you can remember the days when you used to have to chase after them, but that is just it – you don’t have to leave your chair thinking about it.
Then there was the older, fit gentleman Kim nicknamed “Condor” because he hiked up and down the hill constantly going after this or after that. His neck stuck out from his body the same as a condor does. It was more pronounced as he walked back up the hill. He would pat the little redheaded boy on the head as he passed him up or down the hill. He was definitely getting his exercise.
As I sat and took in the whole scene, it was fun just to watch the different little groups of people. There were the groups of friends, groups of middle-age women, younger mothers with their children, families, groups with extended families, groups of couples, all out for the night at a free, fun event on a sultry summer night. Sitting there toward the end of the evening with a little breeze beginning to kick up and the damp air starting to set in, I complimented Kim on a great idea in inviting me along. As we packed our stuff up, we decided that we would do this again next week. Kim mentioned that next week’s musical entertainer would be Willy Porter and her friends chimed in to say that they have heard great things about him. When I got up this morning, I went on-line to check out Willy Porter. He is a folk singer and songwriter and I was able to listen to little clips of his songs. Indeed, he is good and with hearing what I did, I am truly looking forward to next week’s concert.
Interestingly, though, being so relaxed last night with two hours of carefree time, I still contemplated asking Kim’s friend, Cory for her salsa recipe – see, I can’t seem to stay out of the kitchen even when I am outside enjoying the open air. Cory seemed very proud of the salsa (and, boy, she should be) and I was afraid she would shoot me down if I asked for the recipe. So, I think I will just have to try doing some “research” and see if I can come up with something similar. It might take a few tries, but hey, it is all in the name of “research” and I don’t mind sacrificing a few tomatoes, peppers, beans, etc., in the name of “research.”
Dang, but this relaxation thing just puts me in the mood for more work. I’m feeling like a hamster on that never-ending wheel.
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