Monday, February 18, 2013
Ten Tiny Things
Ten Tiny Things That Bring Me Joy:
1.) Pajama Days. A day spent lounging in my pjs with My Sweetheart is a beautiful day. Period.
2.) Soup. Making the perfect pot of soup from scratch feeds my body and my soul, especially when I get to share it with others. I wish I had more time to spend in the kitchen creating soup for the soul.
3.) A cat curled up in my lap. Bitty and Mo bring more joy and laughter into this house than I could ever have imagined.
4.) A cold snap. I live in Florida, so I spend most of the year hot and sweaty. Cold weather is a beautiful thing, when we are lucky enough to get it.
5.) Driving anywhere with the top down. I was forty-one years old when I finally got my convertible. I have yet to discover anything that a ride with the top down can't improve.
6.) The smell of orange blossoms. This is the best smell in the world to me. Bar none. Driving by an orange grove with the top down, catching a whiff of those beautiful blossoms will put me in a good mood for the rest of the day.
7.) U2's "Bad." The first few notes light me up every time. I usually listen to it on the way to work in the morning with the top down, of course. Something about singing, "I'm wide awake," with Bono at the top of my lungs helps convince me that I really am, and can make it through my day.
8.) Burt's Bees lip balm. I am a bit of an addict with this stuff. I have a tube in every bag, and one in my pocket at all times. I love the way it makes my lips feel.
9.) A lovely lady's handkerchief. My grandparents always insisted that a lady should carry a clean, pressed handkerchief with her at all times. When my grandmother passed, I inherited all of hers. When My Sweetheart's grandmother passed, I inherited hers, too. Now I collect them and pass them on to friends when they face times of challenge. Tears just feel better when dabbed by a dainty handkerchief, and the world seems a little less dark.
10.) The perfect cup of tea. I love tea. Hot or iced. Black, white, green, or herbal. I love tea. The right tea at the right time can lift my mood immensely or soothe me into sweet slumber. Tea is a beautiful thing.
The prompt called for only ten things, but I could go on for days. These were just the first things I thought of off the top of my head.
What brings you joy?
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Mint Julep Ketchup?
Ketchup With Us Prompt #12 In 57 words or less, tell us about the best drink you ever had. Recipes and pictures are encouraged.
Cheerful chapeaux perfectly perched atop every head.
Boxes fill quickly as bets are cast.
Muddle mint into Mother's Milk: Maker's Mark.
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| The mint sprigs fell into our cups! |
Sprig of mint garnish.
A julep in every hand?
Crush together before the big screen.
"And they're off!"
The most exciting two minutes in sports.
I look forward to mint juleps all year.
RECIPE:
1-1/2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
Fresh mint
2 tablespoons simple syrup* muddled with mint
Splash of distilled water
Powdered sugar
Mix together simple syrup* muddled with mint, Maker’s Mark® Bourbon and distilled water. Fill glass with crushed ice and pour mixture over top. Sprinkle top of ice with powdered sugar. Garnish with a mint sprig.
*Simple syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup distilled water
Heat to dissolve sugar, stirring constantly so the sugar does not burn. Set aside to cool.
**Recipe from www.makersmark.com
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| Someone got enthusiastic with the signature red wax! |
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Moliere, John Hughes, My Family, and Me.
The boys' conversation suddenly swings to Sylvester Stallone movies of old: Rocky, First Blood, Rambo...you get the idea, when Sweetheart pops out with, "That comedy that he did. You know, the one where he played the gangster?"
Sis's Hubs: "Oscar?"
Sweetheart: "Yeah! That one! I loved that movie!"
Hubs: "That was the biggest piece of crap I ever saw!"
Dad: "I have no idea what movie you two are talking about."
Sweetheart: "No, it was awesome! Don't you see? It was meant to be that way! They were making fun of everything. It was like a Moliere piece : a farce and a total send-up of mob society."
Hubs: "Whatever. I still think it sucked."
Suddenly, my head lifts from the carpet long enough to say, "Moe-lay really pumps my nads!"
Uproarious laughter and guffawing pours from Baby Sis in the kitchen, "'Moliere.'...'I love his work.'"
Sweetheart, Dad, Hubs, Rose, Baby Sis, and I all dissolve into fits of hysteria. Baby Boy even caught himself a case of the giggles!
I shout out, "Dude, I totally love you! I love that you heard that and nailed it without even thinking!"
Dad chimes in, "She is totally your mother's daughter. Mom can hear any conversation from any room in the house." (I'm not sure he got the reference.)
Me: "I totally raised you right! I'm so proud of you at this moment! I love you, man!"
Seven years separate Baby Sis and me. When The Breakfast Club was released, I was its target audience. She was a little kid. Then it came out on VHS! Remember those? (Humor me. Pretend that you do.) We watched it over and over again at my house, along with Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and the rest of the John Hughes collection. My friends and I were obsessed. I wanted to be Molly Ringwald, or, "Molly Wallringer," as Mom so often called her. I wanted to eat, "Raw fish, rice, and seaweed," out of a Bento box with chopsticks for lunch at school. After I came home from six weeks at North Carolina School of the Arts, I spent the rest of the summer before my senior year in high school eating with chopsticks! I tried to apply lipstick with my cleavage, to no avail. I was flat as a board.
"I can't believe my grandmother felt me up!" Baby Sis and I used to laugh together about our grandmother who constantly bemoaned my lack of physical endowment.
"So that's how it is in their family..." The words of Principal Rooney still echo throughout the halls of our house whenever anyone does anything ridiculous, which is more often than not.
I got to thinking today that John Hughes penned the dialogue that has accompanied the better part of our lives. Then, as I started writing this blog post, I realized that it wasn't just John Hughes movies that stitched our social and cultural foundation. So many other phenomenal films have woven themselves seamlessly into the fabric of our everyday lives over the years that we hardly realize it anymore. The lines slip out as naturally as we utter our names.
Any mention of lotion or a basket will automatically prompt one of two responses: "It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it's told or else it gets the hose again," or "Put the F*cking lotion in the basket," from The Silence of the Lambs.
If cannoli is on the menu or someone breathes word of a firearm, "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli," from The Godfather.
And, of course, if rules should ever come up, "The first rule of Fight Club is 'Don't talk about Fight Club.' The second rule of Fight Club is 'Don't talk about Fight Club.'"
These quotes, homages really, are out of our mouths before we can stop them. This, I might add, is true of most of my friends. I have to say, I love that about us! I love that we have embraced so much of what Hollywood has to offer that we have integrated it into our everyday vernacular. I will admit, though, it is a challenge some days to keep those lines inside my head and out of my mouth at school when fed, by a middle schooler, the perfect lead in to, "Put the f*cking lotion in the basket!"
So that's how it is in our family. And I wouldn't have it any other way!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Resolve to ... Ketchup #9
To rise before the first alarm,
Bounce blissfully out of bed,
Roll onto my yoga mat, and
Throw open my arms
In glorious Sun Salute.
Gratefully awakening each muscle
As preparation for the day.
Moving effortlessly, radiantly,
Energy-filled and caffeine-free...
Dreamy.
I will start tomorrow.
Seriously...
Today, though, I'll hit Snooze just one more time.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Sixty-three words for Mom's...um...Birthday
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| Mom & Dad when they were dating. They were high school sweethearts. |
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| Mom and me when we were very young. |
That having been said, I'm going to give myself a limit of sixty-three words (for no particular reason whatsoever...nudge, nudge...wink, wink...) and give it a shot. It won't be enough, but a girl's gotta try, right?
Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you.
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| Here's to you, Mom! Cheers! You rock at your job! |
Brilliant artist.
Strongest woman.
Defends family like a mother lion against all attackers.
I've seen it. I will never forget it! Ever.
Spent her twentieth anniversary in the hospital with me.
Wouldn't have been anywhere else.
Flew cross country with a cracked tailbone to be with Baby Sis as she birthed Baby Boy.
Wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Beloved.
Grandma.
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| Baby Sis, Baby Boy, and Grandma Sandi |
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Baby Boy Is One Today
On Mother's Day morning, I pulled into the driveway of Ragg Mountain Retreat and, as I got out of the car, heard Mom and Dad on the phone with Baby Sis saying, "Oh, Jenn, this is wonderful! You are going to do fine..." I got out of the car and knew immediately. I yelled, "Jenn is pregnant?" I still can't believe it. Dad thought I knew already. He thought we had talked at the bottom of the mountain and timed her call. I wish we had. I would have totally taken credit for it, but it was all her. She just happened to call at the right time with the right news. And all of our lives were changed forever. For the better.
Months passed. The Christmas holidays came. Our plan was to put Mom on a plane to Seattle and to have her out there in time to spend her own birthday , December 30th, with Baby Sis and be there whenever Baby Boy decided to grace us with his presence.
Then the call came. Early. On Christmas Day Night. Her water had broken. She was headed to the hospital. I gave her my "Talking You Down Off the Hospital Ledge" speech, and then we set about (with the help of our dear friend, Tiger) getting Mom on an earlier flight. Success! Tiger is really good.
Mom boarded a plane in the morning and was in Seattle by the evening of the 26th. Who knew labor could take so damn long?
"Not I," says the childless one.
We waited...
And waited...
And waited...
Finally, on the morning of December 27th Mom called. Crying. "He's here. He's beautiful. She did so well. He's so beautiful..." More crying.
Calls to everyone. Text messages. Facebook posts. More crying. Then the photos. More photos. More crying. So much happy crying. (Crying as I write this and remember.)
How could all of that have happened a year ago? How could Baby Boy be One today? How could he have spent three hundred sixty-five whole days actually out here in the world with us? How could Baby Sis, my Baby Sis have been a real-live mom, and an amazing one at that, for three hundred sixty-five whole days? Where did the time go?
They were just in Tampa where he had his first swim, sat up, started crawling, and experienced his (and my) first "motorboat" to the delight of his captive audience.
Now he says, "Hi!" He feeds himself. He walks! He walks?!?!!
Baby Boy is one year old today, and Auntie Q feels like she is the one who has been given the gift. The gift of this precious, sweet, amazing little boy to love.
Thank you, Baby Sis, for making The Luckiest Girl in the World feel even more lucky than she already did. I didn't know it was possible, until you made it happen. I love you more than you will ever know.
Happy Birthday, Baby Boy! Auntie Q loves you beyond words.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Tradition. Tradition...Tradition!
Cocktails tinkling.
Light twinkling.
Singing along with Mr. Hanky and the cast of South Park to the most irreverent holiday songs imaginable.
Laughing until we cry.
Christmas Eve at our house.
Ketchup With Us #8
Michele and Mel are all about tradition this time, and they wanted to hear about ours, in fifty-seven words, of course.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
A baker, I am not...
Bought a frozen crust, not overestimating my skills.
Directions:
Remove pie shell from container.
Place on baking sheet.
Bake...
Remove from "container"?
Container?
Okay...
Perfect pizza crust.
This was my response to the folks over at Trifecta who posed this challenge.
This weekend we're asking you to write 33 words that will make us laugh or smile. Even a chuckle will do. We look forward to the communal spirit lifting. Good luck!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Betty Foolishness - El Guapo's Birthday Edition
Today's Music: Hank Williams - Hey Good Lookin'
Guess who's having a birthday today? That's right kids our glorious El Guapo celebrates the anniversary of his entry into the earth today and this Betty is ready to celebrate with him! It being the sixth day of the twelfth month, I have decided to honor El Guapo with seventy-two words (not including these) in celebration of his Guapy goodness! (Did you notice I did math there? Be impressed. Seriously. I did multiplication for Guap's birthday. That never happens. I am as math-challenged as they get. This is a big deal! But I digress...)
Mi Amigo, El Guapo
The audio afficionado, adapting, amplifying, availing himself of every opportunity to broaden his musical horizons and share what he has learned.
The enthusiastic energizer, encouraging, inspiring, entreating others to follow their dreams and keep going when they are ready to quit.
My adventure-seeking, mischief-making, beer-drinking, skillet-wielding, word-smithing, hooper-loving friend, Guap.
That brings us to the end of this edition of Betty Foolishness. I leave you with two of The Greats in the hope that one day, in their spirit, I might share the kitchen with The Great El Guapo, himself. Until then, long live the #SundayNightCookoff!
Happy Birthday, Guap! Hope you and The Most Wonderful Girl in the World have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for making our world a better place just by being in it!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Ketchup With Us #7 Drunken Cranberry Sauce
'KETCHUP WITH US' - PROMPT #7
SHARE A FAVORITE HOLIDAY RECIPE. THERE IS NO WORD LIMIT.
(WELL, LET’S NOT GET CRAZY. HOW ABOUT NOTHING OVER 1000 WORDS?)
If you have seen Dad's Ketchup With Us Link, then you know about the peas that he and I love at the holidays. But he also reminded me of our new favorite holiday recipe: Drunken Cranberry Sauce. The idea for this recipe is the one good thing that came out of Marriage Number Two. There should always be something, right? This recipe just keeps getting better every time we make it. It is very free-form, so add or subtract anything you wish. I change it every time.
Drunken Cranberry Sauce - kids should eat something else
(Make two days before serving so the flavors have time to mingle)
Two bags of fresh cranberries
Two to three cups of sugar
Half the amount of water that you use of sugar *This is important because you are going to add a lot of liquid with the booze later and you don't want it to be runny. Add more sugar, if you need to in order to thicken it while it is still on the stove.*
One or two large cans of mandarin oranges - pour off the juice (you can use fresh, if you can find them)
Apricots or peaches diced - fresh or canned without juice (if you are so inclined)
Grand Marnier or Orange Liqueur (at least one mini-bottle)
Chambord or Raspberry Liqueur (around the same amount as the Grand Marnier)
Peach Schnapps or Peach Vodka (splash to taste)
Mandarin Vodka (splash to taste)
Add whichever other flavors strike your fancy!
Rinse the cranberries.
Mix the sugar and water in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
When the sugar is dissolved, add both bags of cranberries and stir them around into the syrup. Keep stirring and heating them into the syrup until they pop and incorporate themselves fully into the syrup. It takes a little while. **Every year I think I will speed the process by covering the pan. Every year I forget, and the pan boils over spilling burnt sugar onto my stove! Much like the peas recipe this prompts the steps of : Curse and Drink... Leave your pan uncovered, even though it takes longer. Trust me. Or have a string of curse words and a cocktail handy. You've been warned.**
Once all of the cranberries have busted open and you have smashed them up into the sugar syrup, move them into a storage container and add your booze to the warm cranberry syrup. Taste it. If it needs more booze, add it. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Taste the next day. Need more of one flavor? Add it. Put it back in the fridge. Taste it later. Need something else? Add it. You get the idea.
Enjoy!
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