Oh The Irony!

Two very ironic things happened to me today on my commute to work.

1. I passed two, large, sleek Lincoln Navigators with signs on their doors that said DEP. Shouldn't they be driving around in Chevy Volts or something, instead of gas-guzzling SUV's?

2. I was driving unusually slow on the parkway (OK, I was checking my email. I don't do it when I drive, normally...) A Kia Soul went flying past me, honking and the driver was giving me the finger. I don't blame him. However, as he went whipping past, I couldn't help but notice the bumper sticker on his car that read YOU HAVE A FRIEND IN JESUS.

Am I the only one who finds both of these situations a little, well, odd? Just sayin'.

And So The Blog Rolls On

Funny thing about this Blog. Sometimes I feel like I really have to have something important to share; like a great new recipe, the (yawn) details of a trip, or some deep, thought-provoking whisp of wisdom. Or I am whinning about something because I can't get anyone else to listen. Here's the deal. It's my blog, dang it, and I will write whatever nonsense I choose.

I like to read Ina Garten's blog on her Barefoot Contessa website. I haven't been able to establish any pattern of regularity to her blog posts, but they are always short, informative, and interesting without being overly done. I've tried to read Ree Drummond's Pioneer Woman blog, but quite frankly it's just TOO BUSY (overwhelming, really), not all that interesting, and just not my cup of tea. I'd much rather be reading about life in the Hamptons than life walking among heaps of cow dung and slobbering bassett hounds.

I've been thinking maybe I'm not a regular blogger because since it's inception I've convinced myself I needed to write some long, wordy report about something interesting. But I don't! So here is my blog post for the day...

My son started 4th grade today. He thinks his teacher is hot. (I agree, she is.)

We moved this summer, as mentioned in my last post. I love my new house. It's roomy and new and already I've rearranged my formal living room twice.

Being a wife and mother to sports-crazed nincompoops wears me out. If we are not at a baseball game, we are at practice for it, practice for football, shopping for cleats and jock straps, or listening to sports talk radio for game scores.

And God bless my redneck black husband. He loves anything loud with a motor, whether it has four wheels or two. So if there is a race of any kind, (professional or not), a monster truck show, classic car show, demolition derby, tractor pull, motorcycle rally, or motorized Lazy Boy recliner race, chances are good we are there. Sorry to say I am not joking about the Lazy Boy recliner race thing.

My blog is the only thing I have that I alone get to totally control.

I've decided that McDonald's sweet tea is Devil Juice. So, wouldn't you know it- the day I decided to swear it off for good, I decided to try Steak-n-Shake's sweet tea. Well, not only is it even slightly better tasting, it too is only $1, except the cup is bigger, and if I happen to catch happy hour between 2 and 4 pm all drinks are half price. Now my dilemma is that I can't call Steak-n-Shake tea Devil Juice, that name has already been taken. What can be worse than the Devil's own juice? Who is more evil than he? Larry King Juice?

All right, and more item of concern. My Mom's garden was planted late this summer and I didn't make radish soup because she didn't have any radishes. Have a great day.

Stuck Like Chuck

Well, we finally did it.

Made a commitment.

A for-sure, for-real, planted-roots-and-ain't-going-nowhere kind of commitment.  My apologies to English teachers everywhere for my last sentence.

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE.

Guess that means we are NOT moving back to New Mexico or Arizona or Nebraska any time soon.  Ok, not Nebraska ever.  Ewww.  No offense to Nebraskinians, I just don't like your state.

Yes, good ol' Pennsylvania is where we will be indefinitely.  So it's been a super busy summer.  These last few weeks in particular due to the move and all that is part of the moving process.  I have taken at least seven boxes of stuff to Goodwill, which coincidentally enough were full of things I originally bought there anyway.  Goodwill truly is the gift that keeps giving.

Our house leans towards a somewhat (gasp) contemporary suburban split entry style.  Which means all of my cutesy dollhouse country furniture and décor has got to find a new home.  Oh, I'm keeping some of it, but I will be setting up our new living quarters with more of a folk-artsy flair.

So I'm going through a minimalist phase, realizing that in this larger space less is going to be more.  At least that's what I keep telling myself now. 

I will post some pictures when I have some to share.  It may be sometime, so please don't wait with eager anticipation.

Bird Nests In A Blizzard

This past Sunday, we had our annual Easter dinner at my Mother's.  TJ and I made our bird nest cookies.

We make them every year, they are simple and very cute.  Almost as cute as the little boy holding one he made.

I was so excited to find butter in the shape of a lamb.  Mom had this at her Easter table alongside the Paska Bread, Hrudka and pickled eggs when she was little.  I remember hearing about it- so finding it in the grocery store was very nostalgic for her.  We actually have our Easter dinner on Palm Sunday so that my brother's families and I can make it without the pressures of being pulled in different directions on Easter Sunday. 

This week at my house we are celebrating what I call "Passover Light".  I call it "light" because I don't know enough prayers in Hebrew to give Passover it's proper due.  I think it's important to understand the significance of Passover prior to Easter.  Contradictory, I realize.  But that's us- just one big screwy contradiction.  Tonight I am making Matzo ball soup. 

Speaking of screwyness, did someone forget to remind Mother Nature that it is late March?  Last year at this time I had daffodils.  This was my commute this morning. 

Happy Easter, I guess.

To Blog or Not To Blog

That really is the question.  You know, for the last year or so, I've started a post here and there.  I've had fabulous recipes to share many times and just never did. 

A couple months ago I received a warning from DMCA for copyright infringement, and to those offended and/or violated, well- thanks.  I've had to remove one of my favorite posts.  Don't know if it was the images I cut and pasted or the excerpt from the recipe book I quoted. 

It was my Hoppin' John recipe post, in which I thanked Chalkie White of HBO's Boardwalk Empire for prompting my interest in researching Hoppin' John recipes.  That led me to discover an old cookbook called Charleston Receipts, which was the primary source of inspiration for my own Hoppin' John recipe.  But I can say no more lest I infringe upon someone's pictures or writings or whatever. If you want a good recipe for Hoppin' Johns, leave a comment, I'll be glad to forward it to you.

I realize I am the world's worst blog host.  My sincerest apologies to all two of you who read this waste-of- cyber-space. Blogging has taken a backseat to reality- 'twas once a way to escape boredom and exercise my writing muscles.  Now I'm afraid my blog is an afterthought.  My reality is that I'm working quite much more than I was a few years back when I started to blog, and my growing son is involved in every after- school activity and/or sport known to man. 

I've also taken on a second job, of sorts.  This past fall a fellow business associate and I started our own management company.  Small potatoes, really.  But like any start up company there has been a lot of researching, late nights and re-learning the business that I'm in, but making it my own business.  Does that make sense?  Probably not, but that's okay.  The biggest reward so far is that my business partner (who also owns a fabulous Chinese restaurant) hosted a real Chinese New Year's party this February complete with fresh lobster and LOTS of Tsing Tsao beer.  And plenty of gambling with Yen.  So maybe not gambling with Yen.  But it sounded like a good idea at the time. 

On a completely different note, my brother decided it would be a fine idea to give my son a Wii.  I hate video games, I always have.  The Wii is no exception.  Now, I find during the middle of the night, I awake to an empty bed, and where is my darling but downstairs playing with his Wii.  Not that one...  pervert that you are. 

I'm eagerly anticipating springtime.  Winter has drawn on for what seems like an eternity.  We had snow on Halloween and pretty much weekly since.  Easter is just over a week away, and the most I've done so far is hang a bunny wreath on my front door.  It's hard to be in the pastel mood when all is grey and cold.

School has come and gone.  I've finally gotten Moby Dick out of my mind, although recently the book was one whole Jeopardy! category and I totally kicked ass.  Sad- my life revolves around subsidized housing projects and reveling in the knowledge that I can beat my husband at Jeopardy! when there is a Moby Dick category.

I found out recently while reading Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa website that she will be stopping in Pittsburgh this October on her book tour.  Oh, guess who's gonna be waiting at the front of that line?  Yeah, me.  I adore Ina.  Fortunately my On Demand cable allows me to watch new episodes of her show whenever it's convenient for me instead of when they are airing.  So, I was able to watch all of the Barefoot in Napa episodes at my usual TV time, around 12 am Tuesdays.   Some people drown their sorrows in booze, I drown mine in Barefoot.  Nevermind.  I don't really have any sorrows.  On the contrary, things around here are pretty stinking good.

Well, such is my life these days, and as fun as this blog update has been it is time for me to get off of the computer and back to work.  I cannot promise future updates, but thank you for reading this one.





Best Wishes for a  Happy, Warm, and Colorful Easter!