I call this "Things That Fly"

I shall attempt to ease myself back into writing again by creating a theme for this first post in nearly one year.  The theme is "Things That Fly" only because I began by picking five photographs from this summer and they all had flight in common.   In case some might be wondering about where my writing has been this last year, let me respond by saying that I feel as though someone has absconded with both my creative mind and my initiation skills.  It is rare, of late, that I have had just first of all, time to sit and write, and secondly, the discipline to do so.   But I have noticed that, as the last few months have gone along, I am restless, indecisive and panicking to put words out there.  My mind is in so many places, I am not even sure where to begin.  There is much to tell, yet much to keep close to my vest, simply out of love for others.  Therefore, I must proceed with calculated caution.

Above: Tethered balloons at Lakefest 2013  

This is a great opportunity to visit and talk with people whom you may not see often.  Because I am not myself these days, I lounged on a towel and stayed very close to my children.  I am not quite the conversationalist I would like to be and I avoid people more than I used to.  It is sad, but I have become painfully, socially awkward, much like I used to be prior to my years at college.  For the most part, I am most comfortable with family and close friends, because they are good at making me feel safe.  I realize this part of the story exposes some real vulnerability on my part; this is who I am at this stage of life.  Anyway, my youngest had decided to brave the balloon ride this year.  It was to finally be her year.  Once she got in the basket and she heard the burner, terror set in and she became Edvard Munch's The Scream.  My girlfriend got it on film, but Elena would kill me if the photograph ever made its way onto the internet.

Above: Wild ponies in Corova lending a resting spot for a bird.  

I understand this is not quite symbiosis, but at least the bird has a place to light for a while.  The pony says, "What have you done for me lately?"

The Dude and I own this lovely bit of sand up on the four-wheel-drive area north of Corolla.  We have big dreams of one day building a house there.  It would be a rental property but we would also be able to enjoy it during the year.  It is a nice dream.  When we visit there, it almost seems like it could come true in a heartbeat.  But then we come home to reality and it seems as though the dream might never come to fruition.  Oh well, as Pete quipped in the movie Rudy, "Having dreams is what makes life tolerable." You can see that here--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdYI9hwf-tk

Above: Osprey with his prey in the dead tree behind our place.

Above: Our nation's bird, The Bald Eagle, in the dead tree behind our place.

That dead tree is quite a hangout for all sorts of birds, especially buzzards and crows.  Occasionally, we have special visitors like ospreys and eagles.  I love where we live, mainly for this reason.  We have wildlife all around our home.  I find it relaxing to watch the turkeys, owls, deer, foxes, bunnies, and, especially, the birds in the dead tree.

Above: Sandpiper (Scolopacidae) at Kill Devil Hills

There is something very amusing about the behavior of the sandpiper.  They skim along the surf there, constantly searching for some piquant treat in the sand.  Then as the tide comes in, they skitter away, just far enough ahead of the water to avoid getting their feathers wet.  It is like a tiny clown act at the circus, yet it is part of the bird's very survival.  This one probably would not appreciate me being amused at his expense, if he were aware of me, 

which he was not.

And so goes the first entry in about one year.  There is not much to tell, other than I remain, and I feel blessed to remain.  Thank you for reading.

Checking in

It's been quite a long time since I produced a blog entry here. Do people even do this anymore? Is the act of jotting down a few thoughts even en vogue these days? I wonder if technology has left me behind, especially since I never even bothered to open a Twitter account and I don't know what any of the little acronyms and symbols mean. Like, when I cruise through Instagram and I see something like #feedyourface, I don't understand what the little pound sign is for. And then I look at some of the other blogs out there and I see how complex they are...do these people have real jobs and kids and other stuff to do?? My little footprint looks so lame over here on blogger. It's more like booger.

Anyway, where have I been for these last months? At the risk of sounding like a "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" report, I'll sum it up like this- I set out with two goals this summer. #1 (and I know what the pound sign means in this context) Spend as much time with Mom as possible without making a nuisance of myself. #2 Spend real quality time with my children and put aside selfish personal pursuits in order to do so. This includes living on FB continuously, blogging, even reading and scrapbooking. I think I accomplished both goals #1 and 2, I even took a poll with my kids. They tell me they had an awesome summer and now they are so excited to be back at school. Yes, there have been brief flashes of inspiration to pull out the laptop and write something...but I simply could not bring myself to turn on the 'hotspot' and pull up my page and do it. If I'm to be totally honest, I think a part of me is running away from my fears and my sadness. I'm not going to dwell on that point here, at least no further than to make another appeal to my friends and readers to continue to lift Mom up in their prayers. I can tell you that we enjoyed some tacos together this evening and three of the the grandkids managed to entertain in their special way... I'll leave that to your imagination.

This school year promises to be a busy one for me and challenging for my girls. The funny thing is, as busy as I know it will be, it doesn't seem to phase me these days. I hope this positive outlook continues despite the few folks who like to fling their negativity around like stinky poo. If you see me, I'll either be smiling or I'll have my focus face on. Focus face doesn't mean I'm unhappy. It only means my head is full of my to do list...so for the love of tacos, don't say something asinine, like "smile Stephanie"- I could smack people for that. Don't ever presume that someone is unhappy and needs you to tell them to smile. Nothing makes me go from a perfectly awesome mood (albeit with a neutral, focus-face) to a totally annoyed condition faster than the directive to smile. How about you go find something productive to do since you are so bored that you have to worry about what my facial expression is. I'm not directing this to you, fine feathered friends and readers; just venting about this little pet peeve of mine. Anyway, back to my point, this is going to be a great school year, I'm positive!

The Dude will be back on stage next month in the lead for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I was not excited about this at all until we sat down and watched the movie together. I must say, it was one of the best movies I've ever seen. I was sad when it ended. So now I'm excited to see how it goes here in our little community theater with hubby as the lead.

One last note: I had the BEST of intentions that I would write this detailed entry on our trip out to Yellowstone and surrounding areas this summer. It never happened. The closest I got was posting some random photos onto FB. I'm attaching a few of my favorite photos from the trip here. Go to Yellowstone. It's awesome. That is all I have on that for now.

...where the evening meal is negotiable if there is one.

A completely irrelevant title for my ramblings. The thing is my kids have fallen in love with Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints and for now, they want me to play it every time they are in my car. It's so cute when you realize how cool your kids are. Their taste in music is so like their Dad's it's not funny. And the things I love that he doesn't care for, well they just happen to dislike as well.

I'm sitting here at Duke Radiation Oncology waiting for Mom's appointment and today she has run into a familiar face and she is enjoying a normal conversation with this lovely smiling person. I'm so grateful for friendly people because it makes a difference when sweet people reach out and treat you like a person.

Here, enjoy some of what the kids and I are enjoying!

The Coast

Proof

Yah! We love Paul.

Step through the door for Normal's room and look around.

It didn't last very long but I was able to catch a glimpse of Normal for a little while. She was playing in her room, in the corner labeled "Crabtree Valley Mall". She was beautiful.

It rained buckets in Raleigh, but we were undeterred because in a mall, you don't much care what the weather is out of doors. My mom had been itching to go shopping at Crabtree for weeks. She seemed to be carefully storing away some extra energy like a hungry squirrel. For us, making a plan like this is a daunting task. It's kind of like holding your breath to dive down into the deep end in hopes to find the ring you just lost 11 ft. down. Who knows what you are liable to come up with. Thanks to a wonderful friend and brother and sister-in-law, my kids were taken care of for the day so I could roll with whatever happened.

Mom and I got a late start due to some fresh-homemade-tiramasu-bearing visitors who had stopped in, (I am absolutely not complaining- you NEVER complain about delicious desserts being delivered to you.) and then we were off.

She wanted to shop; she shopped. She needed some space and independence, I gave it to her, not going too far of course, as I'm horribly protective. She very much blew me away with her ability to be herself. The woman is strong and determined and very much wants to be back to being her. Shopping is a big part of that. Shopping alone, being free to browse where she pleased, is a big part of that. For me, stopping in for a quick snack at Khanki's sushi bar makes Cinco de Mayo totally bearable. I make chit chat everywhere I go, so the chef and I got along famously. All in all, it was the most normal thing I had personally done in a long time. Really since March 23rd...you never completely push your reality out of your thoughts, but it's nice to bury it under receipts and shoes and jewelry and clothes.

Therefore, after 37 years of being on planet earth, I finally understand Retail Therapy.

Have you ever?

Have you ever stared up to a starry sky?

Last night, after the opening night of Fiddler on the Roof, and after relaxing with a few friends, I looked up at the stars and thanked the Good Lord for such an awesome evening.  Not only did the show go well, but my beautiful Mom was able to come and actually enjoy it.  I had feared and fretted that the stars would not align properly and she wouldn't feel like sitting for a three hour show.  But I fretted for nought. The Lord is SO GOOD!
I had said to myself that if I could get through this one night, with Mom watching, and give her the best performance I personally could give, then the rest of the nights would be a piece of cake.  This remains to be seen of course, but I think I did my very best last night and I enjoyed every second of it.  All day, prior to curtain, I was pumped up, as if on some illicit street drug.  It's amazing what adrenaline can do for you. I felt the way I feel when I reach the end of a tremendous, exhilarating hike in the mountains.  You know, the kind of trail that takes you up and up until you reach a gorgeous hanging lake filled with trout?  That kind of high.

Additionally, I find myself amazed at the talent in the cast and crew of the show.  I find it so cool that I'm working with brilliant actors!  I'm enjoying the experience of acting with my Dad and also pretending to be, what, fifteen?  I pull of fifteen pretty well I think!  Ha!  I don't usually laugh at my own jokes...

Anyway, four more shows.  Prepare to be amazed.  This may be little C'ville, but we put together a killer show!

Musings of a Tired Girl

Mama had said, lying in her ICU bed in Lynchburg, "I want to have a party. I want ya'll to cook some Boston Butts. Everybody bring a dish. And I'm not going to lift a finger! Ha ha ha!" Even in her weakened state, she was party planning. I can tell you, she didn't lift a finger tonight but I suspect she had a mighty fine time. Thankfully, she was having a really good day (as opposed to one of those other days when she was so sleepy she was unable to find a good reason to get out of her chair). So many wonderful people attended her little soiree, from family members to friends to acquaintances just wanting to show support. It was amazing! I felt God's presence in so many of the happenstanceness (I know, not a word, so I made it up) that made up this great event. You know, the kind of random things that made a party memorable and amazing. Mama's cousin, whom I have only seen one other time in my life, just happened to be visiting from Rhode Island and came to be with her tonight. We just happened to have the very best cooks in the world working on those famous Boston Butts. Seeing Mama sitting in the sun, early in the afternoon, shooting the breeze with a small crowd, was a beautiful thing. In her attempt to give a small speech, she brought several of us to tears with two simple sentences. I just can't get over the strength this woman has in the face of adversity. Some of my close friends came and showed their support and so many people said all the right encouraging things. The above photo shows a small amount of the people who came, beginning to line up to eat. There's no telling how many people attended tonight and I am thankful for each one! Mama showed off her appetite for all the wonderful food people brought. Thankfully, she still loves food! She got to sit at the table with her cousins and this seemed to be the best medicine. It's not often you have so many of the extended family all in one place. Some very talented guitar players just happened to pull out their instruments and play as some of us sang along (and then along with that, I was able to pin down my accompanist for an upcoming wedding- yay!). Just when I thought Mama was losing steam, Herbert brought in her baby, Trac the furry maltese, and sat him in her lap. You have never seen such a smile! I guess I never realized how therapeutic a small pooch could be.

I had an inspiring conversation with one of my favorite people and she said to me that on some days I would have 'stand in the gap' when Mama could not. This got me thinking about the Lord and His Miracles, His Greatness and His Grace, His Mercy and His Love. I've always believed in God on some level but I've not always understood many things about God and the mysteries that go along with having a faith in a supreme being. I know some people go to churches where they seem to experience the Spirit on a level I can't quite figure out. They 'lay hands' and they are more verbal than I'm used to. They might 'speak in tongues' and they may even heal the sick right there on the spot. I do not in any way dispute these experiences. I just can't help but wonder why I've not had the gift of the Spirit come on me in a public place like that. It's another mystery. Anyone who knows my own story, which shall not grace this writing, knows that I have my own experience with The Lord. My good friend, Christy and her hubby once told me that I seemed, for a while there, to have a 'direct line to God,' and I absolutely did. Trust me, it's a party line, anybody can call Him on it. And the other mystery to me is how so many wonderful people I know who don't know God and don't believe that a 'Maker' even exists. It is so strange to me how the human race runs the gamut from one extreme to the other. So back to standing in the gap. I came home tonight, tired as I am, and determined to write a blog entry to give my humble perspective on the celebration, found the need to research 'standing in the gap' just a bit. I found several webpages which gave the scripture where it can be found in the Bible and other miscellaneous sites, but the one I really like is this one -> http://www.bible-knowledge.com/tbn-testimony-stand-in-the-gap/ with an amazing testimony illustrating just what 'standing in the gap' even means. So I learned some stuff too and that's always a good thing.

To all the wonderful friends, family, and acquaintances, I just want to say how grateful I am that you attended Mama's party. And didn't she just GLOW, even when she began to get weary!? You all have given her support and encouragement that will continue to carry her in her fight and I can't begin to thank you for that! Wow! What else can I say? And Amen!

Reason #67 why I love spring.

Morning Strut. Spring Gobblers. Love. The last couple of years we have missed our wild turkeys. Dude said he thought the coyotes had eaten all the babies. But this spring, our handsome, bearded Tom and his lady friends have returned. It's a perfect sight, sitting there with your coffee in the morning watching the gobblers walk about. It's not much to write about today, but it's better than writing about my current frustrations. We'll stay on a positive tip. Now if only I had more free moments in the morning to enjoy Tom and the ladies.

Begin the begin. Fiddler Part 1

And so Fiddler rehearsals begin.

Last evening was our first rehearsal date. After getting a rather lengthy welcome speech from our director, we began blocking Act 1, Scene 1. I have to be honest here, I'm not sure what to do with my hands up on stage. There are no props yet so I can't pretend to sweep the floor or ring a chicken's neck. I feel sort of lost up there. This gets better right? Thursday night, actual singing. Yikes! I'm still getting over a cold.

Bailey's Irish Rudy aka That Rude

How can you not love this face?

I am up late with Rudy on my mind. Earlier, I had received the news, or maybe it was confirmation in my world of denial, that our sweet boxer has cancer. Our veterinarian, whom we trust, says this isn't treatable. But he was surprised at how well Rudy was doing. Rudy-dog is a tough guy after all. I was told that we're going to have make a decision as his quality of life will not go on to be as good as it has been. Of course, on the way home from his appointment, I cried. And then, later as I was at my desk, it hit me again, even harder- I'm going to have to get used to the idea of saying good-bye again. It feels like I just did this with Hakeem the Dream. We lost That Weem in the fall of 2009 and I still pine away for that dog. Chris found Rudy in 2001 and so we've known him longer than we've known our oldest daughter. Chris says that Rudy is the first pet that was all his. I must admit, I was a little miffed when he walked into our first home with this puppy and hadn't asked me about it first. But he was the cutest little puppy I had ever seen with all that extra skin and one brindle ear. I always liked to say that he has a face only a mother could love, and I do love it! Rudy is riddled with bad, recessive genes. Being a white boxer, he knows he's lucky to have survived. Without his one brindle ear he would have been like most whites, deaf or dead. He's always had weird skin allergies, shed like crazy and looked at the UPS man with serious, paranoid disdain. He has, all his life, acted a little bit aloof, much like a person. I must say he's been an awesome pet. He has literally looked after my children as they have grown up. When they play outside, he's never far away. Even now, being as sick as he is, he follows us whenever we jog, ride bikes and go to the lake. He's on three legs since an injury back last winter and he still keeps up with us. He never complains. That is the worst part of this whole ordeal. This 10 1/2 year old boxer-pup never tells you that he is in pain. He lets you doctor on him and tend to him and he has never snapped, growled or whimpered. He still eats like it's his last meal and then goes and kicks Lilly out of her bowl. He just acts normal, with the exception of slowing down in his old age.

Today, at the vet's office, Rudy came up to me and put his head on my knee, as if to say, "Rub my ear, I need you." It's like he has seen this movie and he knows how it ends. And now, I lie awake in the night and think about what this dog means to me and my family. I suppose I'm going to come at this like I did with Hakeem. I'll feed him whatever I can get him to eat as his health declines and we'll keep him warm and comfortable. We'll show him as much love as a family can give to a family member and then when it's time, he'll let us know. This is how it went down before and it wasn't easy. I expect this will be no easier. I keep asking myself, why do we get pets? We know this is inevitable with all God's creatures. But, in my heart, I know that our lives are so much richer having loved these animals and having been loved by them.
This photo was taken during the summer of 2011. We adopted Lillybelle in 2010 to keep Rudy company after we lost Hakeem in '09. They have gotten along very well since she came to us.
Here Rudy enjoys hosting the Bailey Seafood Boil in 2010. He was still on all fours in this shot. As you can see, his facial expression doesn't change much from photo to photo.
This is almost my all-time favorite photo of Rudy and Hakeem together- the Yin and the Yang.

Fried Dough Night

Each week, The Dude has a night here and a night there when he has an evening meeting or hangs out with some golf buddies. This gives me the 'night off' from worrying about cooking a meal. (I'm still one of those wives who likes to make sure we get some kind of meal on the table for our men, when they're around.) But when it's just the kiddos and myself, we make it easy on ourselves. Sometimes this means mac n' cheese and carrots, corndog and apples, chicken nuggets and bananas... or popcorn, this is always a viable option.

But this doesn't mean I take a break from the kitchen completely. This just means I get some extra time to play around in there. I spend 75% of my time at home in that room. I love it in there. I hang out in there often, sometimes it's just me and the grapes.

Lately, I've been agonizing over all the things I should have learned from Grandma Fleta before she passed from this world to the next. I say lately, but what I really mean is probably most days since 1999.

My most recent quest was to figure out how she made those awesome little fried doughnuts she used to make me when I was a kid. Comfort food at it's most simple yumminess.

As you can see, this time I just started with my own biscuit dough, which I learned from my Mother-in-law. Then I made holes in the middle, well duh, and deep fried those babies in peanut oil. I use the Fry-Daddy but I'm guessing my Grandma used a deep iron skillet.
Taking photos over top of the Fry-Daddy can be hazardous to your face and camera.

Following the oil-bath, they were generously dredged in powdered sugar. My favorite part is the doughnut holes themselves. There's just something about those little power-houses of fried dough in one tiny bite! Yummy!
The girls seem happy with them, but did they resemble my Grandma's doughnuts? Well who knows really, it's been a while but I'm thinking I got close enough to suit me. Making touchstones with your far gone memories is one thing I'm sure we can't do perfectly. But when it's food, as long as it tastes delicious and your memories are simply an inspiration, I'm thinking you can't really go wrong.

Blogs I like: The Sitka Situation

Below is a link to a blog I've just discovered through my church's newsletter. I've not found the button to 'follow' her blog and for some reason a weird glitch is rendering my comment capabilities useless. So, in order to remember where it is, I'm writing my own note about it so I don't forget about it. The author is a member of my church and she is working for a small kayaking company in Sitka, Alaska- can we say AWESOMENESS?? I enjoyed reading her posts today and hope you find something interesting there as well.

The Sitka Situation: A Walk in Totem Park: "Totem Park, or the Sitka National Historical Park is a quarter of a mile from my apartment. I’ve mentioned it before. It’s the magical fo..."

Another one I follow is http://ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com/?p=2125#more-2125
This is a mom/goat farmer whose blog I was introduced to by one of my oldest and dearest friends. Naturally since my friend is super awesome, I knew I couldn't go wrong with one of her recommendations.

Oh my...THE MEMORIES!!

http://www.speaknspell.co.uk/speaknspell.html

Sometimes I wonder how it is I ended up with the decent spelling skills I have, especially considering that my Dad is like the worst speller on earth (bless him). I was working with a child this morning who can't spell a lick. I kept thinking, if only this kid had a Speak & Spell. I had one, and I'll bet that made some difference in my acquisition of spelling skills. To say I wore my Texas Instruments toy out would be an understatement. I would venture to say that this was one of my very favorite toys I had growing up, nerd that I was and still am. I liked spelling and the games were pretty cool on this machine. I mean, it wasn't Atari Asteroids or anything, but I really got into my Speak & Spell. And so, through the immeasurable magic of the world wide web, I quickly located the above Speak & Spell simulator. Even the voice is the same which makes me totally grin from ear to ear! This is the stuff that my personal nocturnal dreams are made of. Damn, I'm such a geek. I would do just about anything to get my hands on one of these again and so I suppose I will begin a search for one (much like the AWESOME HAPPY APPLE I managed to find in an antique store a couple of years ago).

And we have liftoff.

STS-134 Endeavour Space Shuttle Launch HD

This morning I joined my 5-year-old in her classroom to view Endeavour's final launch. I guess I thought, "It's no big deal, I just want Elena to see it and remember something about it." I absolutely did not expect the feelings that watching the launch would stir in me. I'm typically not affected by many things, unless they tick me off; however, this was different. Prior to the launch, I said a prayer to God that these astronauts would lift off safely. I could not bear the thought of another shuttle disaster searing itself into the memory of my sweet child, nor could I bear the thought of another group of our brightest individuals being lost. Thankfully, we enjoyed watching an educational moment together, something I truly hope my little girl will remember since the shuttle era is coming to a rapid close. I was so struck by the contrast of the fiery lift-off and the quiet peace that comes afterward. I actually held my breath for the first 60 seconds or so after it started.
I look back at some of the negative comments made by people on youtube and I think, "For one measly second, can't you put your ugly cynicism aside and be awed by those more intelligent than you?" I swear, ignorance abounds. But I digress, here are a couple of comments overheard in the kindergarten classroom: "I hope they have enough food." "This is SO COOL!" "Can we watch a cartoon now?" I love children. It's really something when children have more intelligent things to say than the cynical adults looking at youtube. When you were a child, and you watched the shuttles leave Earth, weren't you the least bit amazed at what you witnessed? I know I was! Always! And I also know that I was sick in 1986 when we lost Challenger. That was a tough year, losing that beautiful shuttle, its astronauts, and also my Granddad. Somehow, it all ran together for me. The way I figure it, a year with a successful shuttle flight is a good one and I'm going to be sad to see them go. Some may say it's a waste of money; but someone's opinion of what constitutes a waste is all relative. I see money being wasted everyday in a hundred different places, they just don't do a live viewing on CNN to showcase it. All I can say is this: If you are a critic, I would like you to show me your great achievements and accomplishments so I can awed by your awesomeness too.
Until then, I'll just watch this.

I dunno, Jerry, sometimes...

I don't want to be critical ever of anyone else's work, especially work that I haven't actually read myself. Today I shall leave that up to someone else.
Jerry Seinfeld's wife wrote a cookbook to assist moms and dads everywhere to deceive their picky-eaters into eating pureed vegetables.

This was recommended to a parent recently as a great way to get some veggies in their child's diet. (If you're reading this, my sweet, well meaning friend, please don't be offended by the stance I'm taking here) I decided to check out the book on http://www.betterworldbooks.com/ and I got a good gander at the reviews posted there. The reviews are not favorable. Gee, I wonder why...
Let's pretend it's your mom who is souping up some squash or eggplant and attempting to put it in your sacred mac 'n cheese... some things you just don't f with, right? What if you eat your mashed potatoes and they seem a little 'off' and you can't figure out why. You say to Mom, "Why do my taters taste so weird?" and she's like, "I dunno, maybe there's a tater blight out of Idaho." Has your mother just lied to you? Isn't this the very thing we parents attempt to teach our children not to do? LIE TO US???? Mrs.Seinfeld, I am APPALLED! Another thought put forth in one review is this: is the taste tradeoff worth what miniscule amount of nutrition are added by essentially adding baby food to the dish? I'm pretty sure, most people, children included, know when something just taste gross. If you go mixing some pureed frijoles into the apple pie, I'm sure your kid isn't stupid enough not to figure out something just isn't right.

And here's a quote from Kate as reviewed on BWB:
I guess my biggest question is, are this lady's cooking tactics really of nutritional value? She (probably) can't hurt the kids with her soupy concoctions, but isn't it true that once you boil the heck out of vegetables and liquefy them, the vitamins and other good stuff go completely down the... well... toilet?
Speaking of which, maybe the sneaking-in-the-vegetables thing is purely for roughage (sp) purposes. So why puree them? Doesn't that defeat the purpose? My alternative title would be, "How to Give Your Kids Diarrhea".

Well said, Kate, well said.

I'd like to suggest an alternative cookbook. It's called The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Yes, I am a little partial to Ree Drummond and her antics on the ranch as I've been reading her blog for sometime. The fact is, she's downright honest in her portrayal of food. Yes, these recipes are delicious, they feed a crowd of hungry cowboys and children, and YES, there are lots of calories... and butter. I give her props for showing us how to cook and being up front about how awesome food can be. If I had a choice of which cookbook to order, it would be this one due to its wider appeal to my personal tastebuds and it's obvious lack of shame.

One more thought, which I shared with the above mentioned parent: My own family therapist, whom I love dearly for all her ability to listen and objectify, said to me one day, "Why do you worry so much about what your kids are eating? Like every sensible family doctor from the old school will tell you, they'll eat when they're hungry. If they don't like what you've cooked for them, take heart in the fact that both my boys grew up pretty much eating yogurt and they never starved to death." Okay then, I can find a happy medium in there somewhere I think. I like the idea of the 'no thank you' bite and off to the fridge for some yogurt and really, how bad can nightly bologne be? My personal practice is to always keep fruit in my house. If I've chosen to cook veggies that my children won't eat, it's bananas, strawberries and apples with that slab of bologne. What kid won't eat fruit? Together with Fred Flinstone and cups of milk, I'd say my girls are just as healthy as Seinfeld's kids... and I've managed to do it honestly.

Waxing Poetic

Lunch Break inspiration! This morning I opened an email from a company tauting a game called Sentence Samurai, in which you cut out all these little words and your student gets points for making longer and longer sentences with the words. The email included a free sample which I promptly printed out and took to the middle school to try out on one of my syntax-challenged students. I liked it, although she didn't seem too impressed. Enter Max Instructional Scaffolding. Oh well. Anyway, the concept was somehow familiar; it reminded me of something... oh what could it be? Driving over to the High School, listening to Dublin's finest on Sirius 18 (quick, do a little jig), it hit me- Magnetic Poetry! Come now, if you didn't own one, you know one of your college pals did and you became an instant poetic genius in its presence, no? So today, on my lunch break, I just found the website, thinking, "This is perfect for therapy" and of course there's an opportunity to play on-line! I'm so excited about it, I'm including the link below so you too can go be an on-line poetic master! You guessed it, I'm going to order a set of the original Magnetic Poetry for use in therapy because that's a whole lot easier than cutting out all those little words and it comes in the cute little box. And who doesn't love a cute little box?
Enjoy!
http://play.magpogames.com/