Taking the path of most resistance... one step at a time...

Eclectic Eats

2010-10-17T16:24:00.001-05:00

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My blog has moved (and reinvented itself)...

http://eclecticeats1.blogspot.com/

I hope you get some amusement and a little bit of knowledge as

I muse about food, cooking, coffee, beer, bread making...

it's a journey and a quest... and it's meant to be enjoyed.

Let's get ready to rumble!

2010-02-28T07:50:00.002-06:00

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One week until the Hemophilia Foundation of Illinois’ Gala… It has been great (and a little stressful) being part of the planning committee for the first time… none of the executives I work with truly understand how much time is needed to do perform the role correctly (and keep up with everything else)… and HFI says “I done good!”

The feedback I got from people outside the bleeding community was AMAZING… Heaven on Seven, Rosebud, Comedy Shrine, Tasting DeVine Cellars, and many more… but the coolest was I Have A Bean coffee roasters…

It was kismet I think that I walked through their door. Went to get freshly roasted coffee… came away with a promise for a meeting to discuss their support of the Gala… and they have surpassed my expectations… amazing!

The coffee is very good and could not get fresher and just as importantly… their mission is admirable and I would recommend you check them out.

Next Saturday will be a LONG day... pedicure... haircut... hotel by noon… have already planned on staying there overnight… so I can run up, shower, (NAP), and change (it’s a black tie shindig) after our set up meeting and getting the auction items laid out… and then being the ~~OCD Control Freak~~ h!gh achiever that I am… have said I would help out at midnight to organize the auction paperwork and pack up… so needless to say… my VP did not bat an eye when I told her I was expensing the room...

It will be a little nerve-wracking as I have to get up and speak to over 400 people about the program I Have A Bean put together and how it will impact HFI… I suppose staying away from the hooch will help (~~I'll do shots after~~ ;-)
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My title at work will be changing… more on that later… umm… talk about anxiety… I will need more than a stress ball on my desk… Punching bag? Xanax? Among other things!!
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Where does the time go?

2010-02-16T19:52:00.003-06:00

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I swear I don't know where the time went... Christmas seemed like yesterday!

Not much to say... work is very chaotic... and downtime still seems to involve work... Lucky if I get to see friends every couple weeks...

On a fun eco note... the kids are using a bento style lunch box with an insulated bag for lunches at school. We also send drinks in Sigg bottles. We have had fun thinking outside of the box for ideas... and eliminating almost all of the waste is great.

I am very excited that I have my week sewn up for the Hemophilia Foundation of Illinois' Summer Camp... 1 week... 80-90 kids... me, another nurse and a hematologist in the medical cabin... the doctor tells me we have A/C... looking forward to a great week!
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Hey You! Did you forget something??

2010-01-04T20:44:00.005-06:00

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Day 4 of the new year... and I have already forgotten to bring my cloth bags into the grocery store twice!

I was trying to think of ways to remember... any ideas?

Of course every time I remember I am already in the checkout lane... "Um, excuse me. Can you wait a few minutes? I'll be right back!" Probably not a good idea... I get irritated when the person in front of me needs a price check on their ~~toe fungus cream~~ shampoo... and that undoubtedly takes less time than running out to ones car.

I mentioned to my local store when I picked up milk tonight that they should put signs in their parking lot to remind us... and on the IN door... or perhaps a blast of air in the face?

We got back from California to a water heater that didn't work and a furnace that decided to follow suit... It's been less than 20 degrees (it was 4 degrees when we got home)... the water coming out of the tap was colder than the water in my fridge! Bet I could have talked The Middlest Bickerson into a shorter shower this morning :)

Bella had been a little reserved since coming back from her week long "sleep-over camp" her boyfriend Mitch's house.... but the minute the plumber and HVAC guy walked into the house... she was by my side and kept her eye on them. I still think she misses Mitch and Brad a little... she's quiet... for her.

Still working on my 100 things... one thing I recently did was buy a pack of 6 dish cloths for wiping up water/spills/etc on counters... I use them instead of paper towels whenever I can... and then just pop them in the laundry (they take up almost no space in the washing machine)...

Don't you wonder how our grandmothers managed without paper towels... I know my gramma always used a damp dish towel and it always smelled clean... like soap. She used to wash out bread bags and reuse them too!

A cool thing my mom did was get some bar/dish towels and tie dye them... I think she should make them in sets as sell them as paper "less" towels!
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Merry-Day-After-Christmas

2009-12-26T08:23:00.009-06:00

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~~The Bickerson's~~ The children and I made it to California in one piece (translation: I did not kill them) yesterday. Very long day. But happy to be here with all my girls and mom.

It's unusually mild up here at moms. Yesterday we sat outside and watched the dogs play in the sun. Temps will most likely be upper 50's during the day and 30's in the morning. Kids will be in moms pool as often as they can! Mom has paperwhite narcissus that are just blooming OUTSIDE, but the maples have Fall red leaves. She also has oranges on her tree... which she says she uses as lemons they are so sour. Her lemon tree gave nothing this year.

It got chilly enough when the sun went down that we ate at the dining room table. I don't think we've done that in all the time mom has owned the house when we have been out to visit! A big salad, crispy thin fries, steak (rare!) and carmelized onions with mushrooms... Oh... and champagne.

And since the kids and I had gotten up at about 2:30am Chicago time... The littlest Bickerson (LB) and I were ready for bed by 8pm Cali time!

Our week will be simple yet fun. Today the kids get to swim in the pool. LB is going to "help" mom change the filter. She is really only helping so she can get in faster!

Fort Bragg on Monday; Dharma Trading, Lagunitas Brewery tour, and In-N-Out Burger on Tuesday; the girls will tie dye with mom on Wednesday; Thursday I think I am cooking Greek/Meditarranean for a small New Year's Eve get together... menu is still a work in process.
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California... countdown 3,2,1...

2009-12-22T19:55:00.002-06:00

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Of course the weather is crap this week... so out flying experience can be that much more special!

Watching "A Muppet Christmas" with my girls.... we are enjoying Dagoba drinking chocolate (a gift in my 'stocking' from Brad) and some popcorn. It's really good 'cocoa'... organic... none of the fillers in Swiss Miss... full-on chocolate taste.

Am in the process of testing out the (3) phosphate/bleach free dishwasher soaps that listed on the consumer reports... will fill you in when I make my decision.

We leave for mom's in a couple days... suppose I should start packing!

Do you remember when?

2009-12-21T17:54:00.003-06:00

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I was having a moment of nostalgia today... thinking of my Christmas stocking when I was little...

We got oranges (the special ones my grandmother ordered in a box from Florida) and they were the best oranges... and I think I did not appreciate them enough.

My uncle John always brough bars of Hershey's Gold chocolate bars with almonds when they came from Pennsylvania... I got one in my stocking... and my grandmother hid the rest as though they were gold from Fort Knox. I remember breaking off the first piece... the crunch of the almonds...

Our tree was always a blue spruce... not big, or full, or bushy... not quite a Charlie Brown tree... but I loved sitting by it... the way it smelled... and going out with my grandfather to cut it down at the back of the field... and the lights were those huge colored bulbs... I swear there where only 12 lights on the tree... but I am sure there were more! As I am sure I would not appreciate it so much if I took part in cleaning up the needles after a few weeks of the dry wood stove heat!

I miss the house on Bear Swamp so much... seconds, minutes and days I wanted to wish away at the time... now I would happily be there again. What a sap I am!

It's a Wonderful Life (really, it is)

2009-12-18T06:42:00.002-06:00

Can you believe it? Christmas is only a week away. This year we will be in the air on Christmas Day... but it will be worth it since Brianna and my mom are at the other end!

Unless you live under a rock... you have seen "It's a Wonderful Life" with James Stewart. I honestly do not remember seeing it until I was in my late 20's... but it has become a seasonal staple each year.

Tonight we are going to see it on the big screen... and yes I am bringing plenty of tissue... since I know I will be crying... in public, no less!

On an "Eco" note... I am working hard on my list... and when I mentioned the "Five Minute Shower" rule to The Middlest Bickerson... well let's just say there was some drama... because as she put it... 'There's no way I can wash my hair in 5 minutes!"... Oy! Serentity Now!

I am by no means an expert on this.... but want to make a conscious effort to do what we can... where we can... it's gonna take research... and time.... but if we can do it... you can do it! Perhaps you already are... and if that's the case... please let me know how you work the color "Green" into your life.

Hard Water... Hard Times

2009-12-17T09:34:00.013-06:00

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As a local brewery near us says... " Warrenville water eats appliances!"

Indeed it does. We have incredibly hard water. Drops of water on the car from the hose leave white circles. And it's a constant battle in the shower. I had gotten a new dishwasher last year (replacing the 18 year old one we had). I have to say... I hated how it cleaned (or didn't clean as the case may be) and the white powdery residue left behind. I tried several rinse agents, different detergents, etc... getting very frustrated and ultimately going back to handwashing a lot of dishes! Which as you know uses a lot more water and energy.

A few months ago I found a product called Lemi Shine that helped in the dishwasher with the spots. Dishes got "cleaner", but not squeaky clean. It is citric acid based, thus eco friendly, and for its level of citric acid content it worked great... and I was a little happier with the dishwasher... for awhile...

On impulse I picked up Dishwasher Magic a few weeks ago. You use it in an empty dishwasher on the hot cycle. When I opened my dishwasher after, I saw that ALL of the thick mineral scale and deposit on the heating coil... poof... gone... I got so happy (my kids think I'm weird) that the inside of the dishwasher was sparkly. Again, this is an all citric acid product.

The next test would be how clean did the dishes come out? Spotless! Super clean! No crusty cling-ons! And it has continued to perform that way since Thanksgiving. And I have yet to add Lemi Shine to the cycle. Can't tell you how great that is... coming from a dishwasher that yielded gritty, white, not so clean dishes.

They recommend using Dishwasher Magic monthly and with my calcium and lime content... that's probably just about right for me. People with softer water could more than likely get away with using it less. It's about $5 a bottle and the way I figure it is... if I can load the dishwasher to capacity and get really clean dishes for a fraction of the water use... and cost... it's well worth it.

I saw they also have a product for washing machines... Washer Magic and that will be my next test... I can only imagine what deposits are lurking in that old baby... so will keep you posted.

If anyone knows of a "green" dishwasher detergent that actually cleans... let me know and I will try it out! Going to try Simplicity first... Brad thinks he saw it listed in Consumer Reports as Eco and functional.
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Going "Green"... 365 days... 365 ways...

2009-12-15T20:31:00.006-06:00

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With less than 3 weeks to go in this year... I am preparing a list of green behaviors... not sure how many it will number... but my goal is to incorporate as many (on a consistent basis) in my life as I can over the course of one year. The key will be to build upon each one... and stay with it...

I can say one thing... Greenie number 1: Remember my $#%*&*!#$ grocery bags! Every frigging time I get up to the cashier... I smack myself in the head and say "Damn! The bags are in the trunk!"

Of course not sure how that impacts my Bella Yard Duties... but I have a couple more weeks to figure it out!

2009-12-12T09:35:00.004-06:00

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The ~~Bickersons~~ girls and I loved Let It Be Christmas as much, if not more, seeing it the second time. Took Bella to the vet this morning to get her Bordatella booster so she can go to the boarder while we are in California at Christmas.

House cleaning today... and my work Christmas party today with Brad. Maybe a few pics later. Might even need a nap after cleaning as I am deficient several hours after work travel this week.

Baltimore business trip

2009-12-10T16:22:00.020-06:00

We had our morning meeting today at Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore. Had seen it on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and was excited to be able to eat somewhere that was local and non-cookie cutter-ish for a change. Most business trips have the pharma reps picking where we go and they pick the usual chain suspects. Today was a pleasant surprise. I had heard that Blue Moon's service was "brusque"... but I thought our waitress was nice and our needs were well met.

We started with a cinnamon roll which we split. It was big and sinful. One of the better one's I've had (Ann Sather's being my favorite!). Bill, my co-worker got an omelette with lump crabmeat, avocado, bacon, and cheese (Swiss I think). It was very tasty and was loaded with crab.

I got the Cap'n Crunch French toast (as did the Bayer rep). It came with real whipped cream and berries. It was very good. No syrup needed as the cereal was sweet enough. I would have liked a more eggy/custardy insides though. But I would get it again... after I had a chance to try other things on the menu. After our meeting (which lasted about 2 hours, and they never made us feel rushed) we walked back over to the car and saw we were near the Broadway market... stalls with fruits, meat and some really fresh looking fish on ice...

We went to a lunch meeting at another nice little gem called Regi's (Federal Hill) where I think I experienced the best wait service I have ever had... attentive, pleasant and in no way obtrusive. I watched all the wait staff at other tables and was really impressed. Really nice atmosphere and again they never made us feel like they needed the table. We were still STUFFED from breakfast, but we were told their cream of crab soup was not to be missed. Very good with quite a bit of lump crab on top. After we wondered through another indoor market Cross Street Market. Cross Street is one of the 2 remaining markets built in the 1800's. Food stalls, flowers, fresh produce, butcher, fish market, oyster bar candy... we people watched and looked at the food like one would after a big Thanksgiving meal... looks nice, but please take it away :)

Tonight was my last night in Baltimore. I told Bill that I really wanted to have steamed Maryland crab... and even though we had eaten crabcakes for dinner last night, had crab in an omelette this morning, crab in our soup at lunch... we stayed with the theme and went to Mr. Bill's Terrace Inn for steamed crab for dinner. We asked our Pfizer/Wyeth pharma rep at lunch where she would go for good crab (as she is a local girl). She said you don't go for posh surroundings, it's not on the water... the decor is very basic. We just got crabs and some steamed peel and eat shrimp. An Old Bay types of spice and salt mix dregding the crabs after their steaming. Very messing and a great deal of work. A couple beers and a few crabs... just enough to enjoy the experience. I learned in Maryland (perhaps other places) when you go in and ask what crabs they have they say it like this "tonight we have 48, 52, and 58's and they are heavy." Which means how much they cost per dozen and that they are heavy with crabmeat (which varies depends on the seaon. And the owner was a riot.

Bill made fun of me because I took pictures of everything on this trip... but it was nice to have a bit of exposure to local scenery and cuisine for a change... Typically it's fly in and fly out... and eating at the same restaurants I can find any city we're in. Good trip. Even found the girls their ornaments for this year in a tiny shop in Federal Hill.

2009-12-08T17:46:00.012-06:00

I set Lauren up last night with supplies to paint silk... this is what she came up with... and she wants to give it to her third grafde teacher... I hope her teacher find it as precious as I do!!

Tom Skilling is the bearer of bad tidings... I am due to fly to Baltimore at 8:15am... Uncle Tommy thinks that might not be the case!

My sunflower...

2009-12-07T19:27:00.001-06:00

Digging the daisy's... all golds and browns... next piece is in my head!

Snow.... Meh...

2009-12-07T06:45:00.003-06:00

It's been year since I have been here... time does really fly, so it would seem!

First snow over here this morning... listening to the metro traffic and not looking forward to it kicking off into high gear!

Of course I am flying on Wednesday so there is supposed to be significant snow and sleet... perfect! Hope the weather in Baltimore is a little milder... have not been out that way in awhile. Excited... was able to get a sweet deal at Hotwire.com... got my room for under my company room rate policy... 4 stars... should be a good trip... but it's going to be a whirlwind week...

Friday night the girls and I are going to see Let It Be Christmas at CCC... we saw their production last year and were so impressed... so thinking this year will be just as good, if not better...

Excited to help get care packages over to our soldiers... the kids and I are going to get zip locks filled with trial size items and drop them off at Naper Nuts & Sweets for their Operation Caramel Corn program...

I have 6 scarves to get made in the next 2 weeks... fingers crossed.

More coffee is in order... and since I have a home office... I don't have to venture out today. Tomorrow is a different story:)

2008-12-14T13:36:00.003-06:00

After a really long week of VERY early flights... yesterday happened!

This was the first time I have been part of it....and all I know is I want to be part of it again!!!

A break away from my church is called Community 4:12. It focuses on the mainly Hispanic under privileged area of East Aurora, Illinois.

For the last 6 years they have given the community a Toy Mart... let me explain...

Our church networks, to gain toy and financial donations (for more toys) to then sell those toys to the families of 2 schools (Brady and Bardwell Elementary) in East Aurora, Illinois. The families are able to purchase up to 8 toys at $2 each (so it does not feel like a handout). Those monies are then split amongst the elementary schools for needed supplies for art, music, etc...

In addition to our congregations giving of their time and money... Both Starbucks and Caribou (rivals!!) donated both the time of their employees and enough coffee and hot cocoa to serve to 4000 parents and children waiting out in the cold yesterday morning... Starbucks also presented Community 4:12 with a financial gift at the end of the day! Let me also mention and thank Meijer for their gift certificates and assistance in purchasing more for the donation money would have allowed thanks discounts in cost!

I played a very small part of this whole event this year... 1 person out of 1000(!!!!) volunteers! But I really felt the Joy of giving back... and want to help that much more next Christmas and in the months to come!

This year, despite the economic fears... we exceeded our toy goal by 2000 toys for a total of 9500 toys...

We provided toys for Christmas morning (or Midnight as is the Hispanic tradition) for 3500 families.

$ 12,000 is going to the schools for their programs and needs... How cool it that!!

An amazing feat of logistics... from outside parking direction to crowd control to restocking to cashiers to gift wrapping to kid crafts and so on.... I am in awe and want to help it run even smoother next year!!

2008-12-14T13:27:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Choas and Ode To Joy!!

2008-11-09T19:26:00.001-06:00

OMG... I love Andy Rooney!

2008-11-09T17:49:00.002-06:00

This dates me... but how appropriate for this week... note women and men of color casting their votes... see... all that hope in the Seventies... all that hope now!

2008-11-09T17:39:00.001-06:00

2008-11-05T12:34:00.002-06:00

Huge deep breath now... now we all need to support this man... pray he has the strength and inner peace to weather the many storms ahead... pray he has wise men to guide him... pray he stays safe... pray this country can get past his color and see him for who he is... a bright, driven, eloquent, articulate, spiritual, man of vision and courage.

2008-11-04T09:54:00.002-06:00

Well... I never even got a chance to listen to my Ipod. There were no lines at my polling location AT ALL... in fact at the A-L table I was the ONLY one in line... was in and out in 10 minutes...

I hope the lack of lines are not an indication of how many in my area are voting...

2008-10-31T07:43:00.004-05:00

Spent a couple days in Frankenmuth Michigan for work... rented a car... nice to not worry about whether the car was safe to make it there and back or not... total miles driven... 700

The rental had a jack for my Ipod... so I was able to listen to a book there and back... Irish author Marian Keyes... fun mindless story...

Patient and his family was great...weather was gloomy, cold and wet... first hotel room smelled sour and mildewy... yuck... second hotel room was much nicer... slept well...

Today I will go to Lauren's Halloween Parade at school... Yeah!!! Then trick or treating tonight... Lauren returns after about and hour and helps hand out candy... will have to put Bella in the kitchen... she gets too over zealous in her greetings... pizza and watching The Nightmare Before Christmas after... Emma's choice...

Oh... Emma made High Honor Roll!!! 5 A's... 1 B+ in advanced math which counts as another A... and a B in gym... Yeah!!

2008-10-24T17:36:00.002-05:00

Pet peeve... people in big SUV's who are in a huge hurry to get someplace important... "move it, I have a mani/pedi in 10 minutes!"... they feel compelled to weave in and out of traffic... coming right up on your butt... darting around you... only to end up RIGHT in front of you at the red light they beat you to. Bravo!

2008-10-24T13:27:00.003-05:00

Fun morning... it was VIP day at Emma's Middle School... parents get to shadow the kids through their classes for an abbreviated day (half day for teacher institute day)... Talk other parents... Watch the wacky 6th graders...

Tomorrow Lauren and I will be making her Rubik's Cube costume... truly inspired... costing me about $5 to put together... a far cry from the costume Lauren wanted to buy at $45 all in... and she likes the idea of the cube... bonus!!!

Tonight is Family Game night at church... but the kids have actually said they want to stay home and play games, watch a movie and have Meijer pizza (another frugal idea)... we'll see... they could change their minds a couple times before this evening :)

Going to try and vote early next Wednesday when I get back from a 2.5 day work trip to Michigan... found the Naperville voting location and hours... will be nice to have this chapter finished... but I have no illusions that it will be "over" by any means...

2008-10-20T10:09:00.005-05:00

Have not really felt like I have anything worthwhile to say lately...

Have been having a really hard time liking all aspects of my job... the long distance travel... the hotel overnights... having a car that really is not in a healthy place to safely do 300 miles to/from a patient is stressful... the isolation of not having an office of co-workers to interact with has been harder than I ever would have imagined... conversely... I love being home most mornings to get the kids on the bus... I am so blessed to be here most afternoons when they get home to see them and help them with homework... it's quite a Catch 22... times are hard... jobs are iffy... and my scope of nursing experience has taken me in a certain direction... to a certain salary... I am praying really hard to appreciate and thank the universe for where I have arrived and where I am going... but again... harder than I thought it would be.

Was a really nice day yesterday, despite having a full blown cold... A good friend and her husband were up from Florida... Kate and James... the girls and I went to church with them... I think they really enjoyed the service, the energy and how comfortable it feels at Community Christian... saying they wished they had a church like ours to go to... made a nice lunch and the girls colored with James while we caught up... and then the kids entertained us with charades... Lauren has a interesting style... funnily enough... Emma got her clues 9 times out of 10! They are more alike and closer than they want to admit... James was downsized and they might be relocating to Kansas... they would be closer then... and say they would be up for holidays more... yeah!

Here is a nice picture of Lauren from a trip to the pumpkin farm with their dad... Kate had mentioned how much Emma looks like me... here Lauren looks just like her fathere when he was a little boy...

Craig Ferguson... On voting in America for the first time

2008-09-17T17:21:00.001-05:00

I hope you dance

2008-09-11T10:51:00.004-05:00

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give fate a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance, I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking
Loving might be a mistake but it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance (time is a wheel in constant motion always)
I hope you dance (rolling us along)
I hope you dance (tell me who wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
I hope you dance (where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens.
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance.
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance (time is wheel in constant motion always)
I hope you dance (rolling us along)
I hope you dance (tell me who wants to look back on their youthand wonder)
I hope you dance (where those years have gone)
I hope you dance

2008-09-11T09:19:00.003-05:00

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

Gandhi

"People seldom see the halting and painful steps by which the most insignificant success is achieved.

Anne Sullivan

Minutes before the "Rostypus" bit the big one...

2008-08-30T11:29:00.001-05:00

All I can say is WOW...

2008-08-30T08:25:00.000-05:00

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to others is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken,because the greatest hazard in life is to do nothing.
The person who risks nothing,does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow,but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their attitudes, they are a slave,they forfeited their freedom.
Only the person who risks can be free

2008-08-28T20:28:00.004-05:00

I always know when Boo is spraying perfume or body spray in the bathroom... and she always thinks I am psychic when I call out that she needs to stay away from said perfume or body spray... Here's how it went tonight...

Me: What do I smell out there?

Boo: I dunno, my farts maybe?

Me: No, I smell perfume!

Boo: I don't know, I swear!

Me: ... And no it's not your farts I smell!

Boo: Well you will now.....

And with that, she ripped one off, giggled and left the room.

Who needs the Democratic National Convention, I ask you!?!?!?!
Although, I'm watching it like a "deer in headlights"... Thought Bill did better than his wife!

2008-08-26T18:16:00.002-05:00

The first full week of school for the girls... already Mimi is stressing herself out :) Piglet meet Eyeore... Eyeore meet Piglet... Their love child would be a worrying pessimist... Something I have seen in myself lately in fact... So we will work on it together... Advanced math... look out... Mimi's gonna kick your ass!

Watched Michele Obama last night... thought she did a nice job... Teddy K. looked great!!!
Really interested to see how genuine Hillary comes across tonight... and Bill... well... let's see if he can keep his foot out of his mouth tomorrow...

Had a hawk in my lilac bush yesterday morning... was so engrossed watching it... I never got a picture... neat to see... along with the humming bird that came to my back door a couple weeks ago... on some levels can't wait for the leaves to drop so I can see the cardinals again...

Went to Church again this weekend... and felt instantly welcome once more... the girls really want to get involved as well... they offer so much for all of us... so many ways to be part of the community there. I am joining a class there next month... the book we will be discussing is called Boundaries with Teens. Am also thinking that the class they offer called Good Sense (a guide to spiritual financing) would be a really good thing for me. Never been my strong suit. Never. Never. EVER... time to fix that too...

I don't know why I feel so excited about getting involved with this church. I think that for many years I have been searching to fill a void that could not be filled by any one person or even a group of people... It just feels that this is the time for this journey.

2008-08-25T17:22:00.003-05:00

From the mouth of Boo...

"is that Veet stuff in the bathroom soap?"

"um, no it's for hair removal..."

"oopsy... it works really well, my hands are really smooth."

2008-08-22T20:41:00.002-05:00

Heard something interesting today....

"I want to live a literal life... not a virtual one..."

In these new days of... facebook, dogbook, twitter, my space, etc...

I know I am immeshed in technology... texting, voicemail, email, RML, blogging...

Live a literal life... connect with people... it will be much more satisfying...

Sober and Loopy... TOO much driving...

2008-08-21T18:46:00.017-05:00

At any rate... I am very well informed today... almost 500 miles of driving for work today... Point A to point B and back to A again...

And... since I can't update my Zune... I listened to NPR as I drove through Indiana... I love NPR... the cure for common road rage...

But it got me thinking...

John McCain... really??? If I had 4-7 houses , dude, I would know where each and every one of them was... not to mention keeping count of how many I have... sucks to be you... I think you are out of touch with the Target/Walmart shopping masses...

There are people who are against charging for plastic garbage bags and cutting down on their impact in land fills... one guy, in Seattle of all places, said he "always uses them again around the house and that was, like you know, recycling"... um hello... where do the bags go after you use them Dumas???

Russia ~vs~ Georgia... The smackdown... The more I listened... the more confused I became... I mean... South Ossetia wants to be Russians again... how come? Genocide seems like a pretty good jumping off point...

George is an idiot (okay, I already knew this)... it's called Checks and Balances you big jerk... in George's World... the Executive Branch has all the mojo... and, well ,those other branches are just eye candy... might as well just put the Constitution in the bottom of the birdcage... cuz I am pretty sure that George's intepretation is not what the Founding Father's had in mind...

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech... Random House has pulled publishing a book that they feel would offend Muslims around the world... and while I respect that our rights and beliefs are not those of the masses... before 9-11 they would have published it... Remember Satanic Verses?

The Beaux Art Trio will be missed... A final concert and a farewell... I wish I could be at Tanglewood this week...

Okay... maybe I am more informed... I did not say that made me any smarter...

Random Thoughts

2008-08-20T16:33:00.006-05:00

Isn't verdant a great word?

2008-08-19T15:04:00.004-05:00

Boo and Mimi went to the Dentist yesterday... both did well... however...

Both need some form of Palate Expansion... and Emma will need braces for her overbite (this may have been the other reason I was "crying" during E.T. :)

Mimi was/is a thumb sucker (and you just can't cut off a thumb)... but Boo was a "Paci" girl, and she outgrew it by age 2 (okay, she sucked a hole in it and we had a funeral)... so there did not appear to be a reason for Boo to have a narrow palate as well.

The dentist explained that Chronic Allergy kids are mouth breathers for the most part... and by doing so the tongue is not up against the roof of the mouth (where it is most of the time when the mouth is closed) helping to keep the palate expanded and moving in the right direction...

So... we see the Orthodontist next week... dentist gave me a name in our town, but he really liked the work done by another a couple towns over... so I made an appointment. Will be sure to photo journal all this... you can be sure... not to mention enjoy the lisps from the expanders immensely!!

Let the School Year begin

2008-08-18T20:52:00.002-05:00

The girls go back to school tomorrow... 2nd grade for Boo... 6th grade for Mimi (Boo nick-named her)... Backpacks filled to the brim with supplies... clothes picked out... they even got a piece of cake leftover from "Dessert Sunday"...

We watched "E.T." (linked it in case you have lived the last 26 years under a rock) and it made me cry like every other time I have have seen it.

Mimi will have to get up at 6am... her bus comes at 7:20... she is a beast in the morning... I can't wait for this!!

Have a pot of coffee ready to go and the fixins for cornmeal pancakes and turkey bacon...

Will keep you posted.

Fuming turned into pondering...

2008-08-18T19:55:00.010-05:00

A word (or two) about the picture in my header.

I was walking down Lombard Street in San Francisco. Admiring the wonderful Hydrangea and gorgeous Fuscia... I have walked it before. A couple times when we had been out there visiting... the flowers always got me... at the bottom of the stairs I noticed the most gorgeous rose... a perfect bloom... so I stopped to take a picture...

Just as I was snapping the digital... I heard someone snidely yell out from their minivan... "Stupid bitch... you would think she'd never seen a rose before"... Laughter... "Yeah... look around you lady"... I turned around to see a van full... the driver was an older adult woman... she was laughing looking at me.

I was so angry... I wanted to shout after them... "beauty is in the eye of the beholder you know"... and... "if I don't want to look at frickin' Alcatraz I don't have to"...

I think of that needless act of intrusion every time I look at my photograph... But it has made me realize something else...

We all have things we get excited about... different things... we are all entitled to find those moments that make us giddy over the little things... the minutiae...

I have not always been kind or accepting in those moments for others... giggling in disbelief... being overly dismissive...

But I plan to try really hard to let others enjoy the discovery of their perfect rose blossom.

2008-08-17T16:50:00.006-05:00

A better post than the last one.

The girls and I went to church today. Community Christian. A friend of mine attends there. She has been trying to get me to go with her for over a year.

My experiences with organized religion:

As a little girl my grandmother and I went to Easter and Christmas services at the small Protestant chuch in her country mountain town. I still know the hymns... they make me smile... but I never felt a connection... a sense of faith or spirituality.

When I was married... I felt that sense of Christian community was missing... we found a little Methodist church... The Blue Haired Brigade was so unwelcoming... so political... so judgemental... but we got involved... Family nights, pot lucks, giving back to the community... and the little old grannies fought long and hard against youth, family and change... I watched them push family after family out... and again... something was missing... all they talked about was money... and bickered about the contempory flavor of the service... they pushed and pushed... and got rid of the pastor they did not like... we followed soon after. Spirtually disillusioned. Sad and empty.

Today was a wonderful service. Full of music, warmth and welcome... The girls had a good experience too. Lauren went to the Second Grade Youth room... took some back rubbing and a few tears... but she loved it. They got to see the pool baptisms up close... They listened to Bible stories... they played...She made a friend... She wants to go back next week.

Emma did not want to go to the Junior High Student Community today (StuCo)... she came to the service with me... she really liked it. She, too, wants to go back and try her room next week...
I felt very emotional listening to the service, the stories, the music... it felt good to be there... it felt like something, someplace that I want to be a part of... maybe even find that sense of faith... who knows...

2008-08-17T16:41:00.003-05:00

I feel so violated.

Today my car was broken into. He tried to take my GPS.

And no... I had not locked it... I know, I know, I know... and considering how I feel now... every lock in the house and on the car will be engaged from now on.

The police said to keep my GPS in the house for now... and hide it if I put it in the car... even the suction cup holder that goes on the window... they said that a window can be broken quickly and easily and that locking the car is not enough... a hard life's lesson.

Luckily my neighbor saw and screamed like a banshee... so he dropped my GPS and ran... one of my other neighbors followed on foot to tell the police where he went... but lost him...

The police came and fingerprinted everything... for about an hour... and now I have to go down to the station to give them "elimination prints" so they can remove my fingerprints from the mix...

I just feel crawly that somebody touched my things...

Peep Show... just tickles me...

2008-08-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

2008-08-16T10:19:00.002-05:00

Even though I know Summer is coming to an end... which means Winter is on it's way...

I am excited to see Fall once more... every year since I have moved from the East Coast I optimistically hope for a New England Autumn full of Sugar Maple color... this year will be no exception...

The start of school for the kids, Labor Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving... Scarecrows... wreaths of leaves and dried flowers... blankets on the couch... watching the new season of something or other...

Brisk evenings, where the wind whips up the leaves and there is a sound in the air that just says Fall is here... I am ready.

Bella, Bella, Bella

2008-08-12T14:13:00.005-05:00

Her new thing is to eat loaves of bread... whole, partial, the heel... Three times the charm...

The first time she ate the heel and neatly removed it from the bag...

The second time she was left in the evening after the kids fed her, let her out and left her penned in the kitchen... I, myself, was stuck in Newark in the airport longer than I had even thought I would be... so when I got home at 1:30am... she proudly showed me the tattered light bread bag she had demolished (as well as eating the remaining half of the loaf)... kept watching her expecting her to get sick... but no... iron constitution... and everything moved along without incident...

The third time (today)... I had a new loaf out on the counter defrosting from the freezer... we left her for an hour and she fininshed off all of the bread and half the bag in the process...

Not sure where we are going to put bread and muffins etc. in our counter and cabinet deficient kitchen... but no more baked goods left out any more...

She really is a good girl... she does not chew on furniture or shoes or the girls toys... so I should count my blessings... and of course will wait anxiously to make sure this last bit of plastic passes.

Gotta love Elizabeth Bennet

2008-08-06T17:53:00.002-05:00

My word for the day is taciturn... Emma is on a Jane Austen kick...

2008-07-20T10:28:00.003-05:00

My friend Cindys' beach house is adorable... and the beach itself is a hidden gem...

The kids had a blast getting wet... and Bella... OMG... we have never had her in water... and she loved it... kept trying to eat the whitecaps... whole mouth open... chasing the waves... hoping to catch just one and bite it...

The kids were great and had a good time... and considering... food and a house full of people... Bella was a doll...

2008-07-18T16:52:00.002-05:00

Heading to a friends house tomorrow to spend the day laughing and taking the dogs for a walk on the beach. Kids too LOL.

Made 2 salads to bring... one I made up and I have to say it's pretty yummy...

Cold cooked wild rice with equal parts cold cooked brown jasmine rice. To it I added grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta cheese. Then I tossed with a vineagrette of parsley, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, pepper and a sparkling wine vinegar I bought in St. Helena California in June.

Mmmmm... mmmmm....

The other salad is a BLT pasta salad... simple... tasty... radiatore pasta, bacon pieces, quartered cherry tomtoes, mayo, lemon juice, salt, pepper... toss in some thinly sliced romaine lettuce before serving.

Got Mead?

2008-06-30T16:09:00.021-05:00

We made our first batch of beer yesterday. An American (Pale?) Ale that looked and smelled great from the get go... the little yeasts were munching away within just a few hours and the airlock was bubbling happily... I gave a big "wahoo" and Brad caught it chugging away on video for posterity...

Our first batch of beer made at home all on our own... so proud... THEN we made a batch of mead... we both agreed, trying to do 2 batches in one day was a little rough... sticky and fun... but a lot of juggling equipment...

My mead... Honey Child... I used 12 # Trader Joe's Mesquite Honey and Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast... it has a high alcohol tolerance which will allow the yeasts to feast longer yielding a dryer mead... also added some tannin, energizer and yeast nutrient... I will wait to add the acid blend until we are through primary fermentation....

We drank glasses of mead from a little place on the South Side called Wild Blossom Wines... the mead maker Gregg is the owner of Bev Art Brewer and Winemaking Supplies, where we took our beer making class...

The best way I can describe straight dry/semi dry mead is this... a clean white wine flavor with an after taste of honey and flowers... crisp and green... really lovely... I am hooked...

Original Gravity 1.084.. it too was starting to bubble this morning... YEAH!

My thought at this time is to split the 5 gallons into 5 single gallon carboys when I am ready to rack to the secondary fermenter (and there could be a 3rd and a 4th and a 5th.... depending on when the SG drops to 1.000 or less and the mead clarifies) and add fruits and spices to a few...

Here is what I think I will do:

1 gallon still mead
1 gallon sparking (primed with corn sugar for carbonation)
1 gallon sparkling ginger lemon mead
1 gallon blackberry mead - maybe some cinnamon
1 gallon apple mead - using organic apple juice/cider concentrate... not quite a cyser since I am cheating...

I will have to pasturize the additions to 180 degrees F

Now we wait... wait to rack... wait for the drop in SG... wait for clarification... wait to bottle... wait to age into pure gold... I hope... fingers crossed...

I would like to use a local raw honey next time... have more control over the contents in the boil...

2008-06-06T12:40:00.000-05:00

Lauren's quote of the day:

"Mom, I looked at my uvula and it's WHITE!!"

2008-06-06T12:09:00.002-05:00

My poor Lauren has Mononucleosis. Her pediatrician says her left tonsil is a marvel. He is calling it Exudative Tonsillitis (Lauren's actually looks much worse than the pic in this link). We were very close to going to the emergency room as her left tonsil had almost completely blocked her airway.

Strep was negative. Which is good and bad... treatment for strep would have been easier and faster!

A course of steroids and antibiotics (which tastes awful) to stave off a secondary bacterial infection in the tonsils.

She is absolutely loving the popsicles and sherbet. Had a little chicken noodle soup and that went down ok.

And thank goodness she slept last night for the first time in 3 night.

2008-06-01T19:15:00.002-05:00

So I planted rose bushes last Fall. If you read my earlier posts, you know they flowered around Thanksgiving. Silly roses.

We then had an unbelievably rough winter and a very cold Spring. So only seeing one make any new canes... I was certain the other 2 had kicked the bucket... the pics above are the other 2!! This first is well ahead in foliage, but I am hopeful. Fed them some rose food today and will talk to them and give them pep talks daily!

And as far as my tomatoes! So far so good!!!!!!!!

2008-06-01T15:23:00.002-05:00

.... and why IS Bob smiling?

2008-05-31T08:44:00.003-05:00

Lauren's quote of the day:

"I like being out in The Nature!"

Said while walking Bella around Herrick Lake this morning.

2008-05-27T18:45:00.008-05:00

I took the kids to Bike The Drive on Sunday. That is, bike on Lake Shore Drive at 5:30 in the morning. We woke up at 3:30am and were down in Chicago by 5:10am.

This is an event sponsored in part by the city. They shut the drive off at 5:30a until 10:30a. The sunrise was glorious.

All in all it was a great experience and the kids did not whine as much as I thought they would. We ended up doing 8 miles on the North end.

I would have liked to push for the 16 miles on the North end of the Drive, but Lauren was having a hard time on hills with her “little girl” bike…. Considering she did not have a bike where she could shift gears, she did really well and I am proud of them both. I brought bananas and Cliff bars… along with some Propel…

I would like to take the kids down and drive it now that they have ridden it…

Next year we will push to do the entire North leg of the drive.

We went out for breakfast after... and as soon as we got home (at 8:30a) Lauren was out on her bike again!

2008-04-28T19:00:00.001-05:00

So far the tomato plants look good... we had several nice 70+ days where I was able to baby them on the deck...

Now, however, we are due to snow flurries... so I have brought them inside...

Fingers crossed!

Tomorrow night Emma has her Greek Play production at school for Fifth Grade... hopefully a video to come!

2008-04-12T12:34:00.004-05:00

Oh.... and these are the baby Heirloom tomato plants we are growing.... How fun!!!

Can't wait to taste them!

2008-04-12T11:59:00.002-05:00

Nothing too exciting here... we had a "tease weekend last week... sunny... mild... took the bikes out... now... cold, rain and snow this weekend... enough... enough... enough!!!!

We are going to watch the Indiana Jones Trilogy since it is crappy out... get ready for the next movie this Summer....

Making a fun dinner... got some nicely cooked pork Carnitas from the local market... smells great... and will have that in corn tortillas with avacado and some red cabbage with lime and cilantro... making some yellow rice with brown rice... which turns out well... maybe some black beans...

My new trick... freezing whole limes... limes are rediculously expensive in the well known chain supermarkets here.... 2 or 3 for a dollar.... nuts... and I use them in cooking all the time... the locally Hispanic market sells nice limes 10 for a buck... so I buy a bunch... freeze them whole and thaw as needed... the flavor is great... and the lime softens for easy juicing... voila... never EVER buy bottled lime or lemon juice... it is an abomination :)

2008-03-29T11:25:00.002-05:00

Spring is coming!! The bulbs I planted in the Fall have started to show themselves...

And........ I had started some heirloom tomatoes from seed last week and today saw that I have 3 sprouts... 6 varieties... all heirloom seeds... a multicolor, a green stripe, a purple, a white and 2 reds.

Brad will take some of the plants if they truly take and I am thinking about trying the upside down method to grow them... good thing the kids both like tomatoes... so if we do get some they will eat them... there is nothing better than tomatoes out of the garden... okay... there are a few things... but it is a true Summer pleasure... will be fun for the kids to see what happens... me too!

Will take pics as soon as there is more than a wisp of green to see!

2008-03-12T17:15:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I took Lauren out on her bike... we did about 3 miles... her tires were low... so she was a little whiny and tired...

Got a tire pump today at Performance Bike on sale and it made all the difference in her riding today... she said "I can ride faster today"... it was muddier today... we are all dirty... also a lot cooler without the sunshine....

2008-03-12T07:23:00.003-05:00

I have taken to making homemade frozen treats for Bella... She loves Frosty Paws.... but I thought I could go one better...

Whole milk yogurt with active cultures, banana, frozen blueberries, natural peanut butter, flax meal, wheat germ and honey.

The consistency is not too hard when frozen... and she loves them... gets her some good things and a special snack...

2008-03-09T17:20:00.005-05:00

All in all not a bad week... did some consulting for one job and a trip to Colorado for my primary job... it was so nice there... 50 degrees on Friday in Denver... compared to 15 degrees in Chicago... I was in sunshiny heaven...

Yesterday we went to Caputo's... got some semolina and olive oil... and some other ingredients to make home made pizza... it was yummy...

Today I got a pine opened backed bookcase for the kitchen... for plants and small appliances (blender, kitchen aid etc...) I will put it together over the week... kitchen feels really homey with all my knick knacks and plants...

Then we went and got me a bike... A comfort bike... amazing sale price at Performance Bicycle... disc brakes... really smooth ride... can do roads and trails... Emma got a new bike from her father and Lauren is getting Emma's old bike all cleaned up and tuned up... can't wait for warmer weather... get us all out on the Prairie Path...

Made some bread dough for olive oil dipping and I think we are going to watch "Into The Wild" have been looking forward to seeing it after reading the book which I here the movie is very faithful too...

It will be a big departure from Horton Hears a Who next weekend LOL

2008-03-02T19:34:00.003-06:00

Emma took some videos of Lauren being... well... Lauren...

This is an original Lauren composition...

(Louder – Emma)
I’m fabulous, I’m fabulous
As Can Be…
(Louder – Emma)
I can drink tea
like nobody can
You can’t do that
because you might spill
But I’m fancy free
I don’t do any obnoxious
I can’t do anything obnoxious
(Louder – Emma)
No!
(No you have to do it louder)
I’m done

2008-03-01T12:44:00.003-06:00

The personal post....

This week I had the Essure procedure done. Permanent Birth Control. It is a form of tubal blockage that does not require surgery. I have 3 gorgeous children and as the saying goes... "Hell yes, I'm done!"...

So... I did my research on ways to get off additional hormones (birth control pills)... found a wonderfull new OB/GYN who was not 35 miles from home (sorry Dr, Tong...) and talked to her about the procedure. She told me she would not do a true tubal ligation anymore if her patient's insurance covered Essure. No anethesia, No Incisions... 100% effective in clinical trials... Decision made... appointment made...

"E" Day... Nurses were wonderful... fluffy pink robe and a walk to the procedure room... it was not horrible... but not comfortable either... I got a little sweaty and my pressure dropped... irregular heartbeats... almost passed out from hyperventilating... from nervousness and a little pain... but she was done in 30 minutes... Dr, Wright was amazing., patient and soothing.. got to watch the whole thing on a screen... pretty cool actually... no narcotics, no incisions and I walked out of her office 30 minutes after that... a little crampy, sure... but the alternative would be surgery or an IUD of hormones or copper... toxic either way... this was a good thing.

Spent some time with a heating pad and cuddling that night... and was back at work yesterday... all in all... happy with the choice I made...

2008-02-26T16:13:00.003-06:00

Saturday night Tina Fey was the guest host on SNL... and while I don't agree with her (what I think is her real stance) obvious support of Hillary Clinton... I did love this line... (which I interpret to mean that being a strong woman who speaks her mind is classy and sexy)... "Bitch is the new Black"... Amen... or Awoman!

2008-02-24T17:37:00.016-06:00

It's Sunday and we are watching the Red Carpet for the Academy Awards. Have made some fun munchie food for the Oscars as we sipped a California Cabernet: homemade Hummus and pita bought from the Halal market down the street, wild rice and lentil salad, lobster ravioli in lemon garlic olive oil, homemade avocado mayonnaise on steamed asparagus, thinly sliced New York strip, Australian cheddar, and Raspberry Creme Brulee from Trader Joe's

Brad Brulee-ing the Creme on the patio with a welders torch (kids don't try this at home!!)

We got ambitious and rented Michael Clayton...since it has gotten several nods... but it's now 5:30... so probably won't get there tonight... but definitely a must see.

Last night was fun and busy. A belated Valentine's.

The afternoon started Trader Joe’s. For some of the Oscar night snacks. I also got some reusable grocery bags… goal is to remember to bring them whenever grocery shopping anywhere.

Then we headed to The Lantern (a local bar in Naperville) for a beer and popcorn... and a appetizer combo plate… good people watching... a cute waitress/bar tendress that is friendly and perky with everyone... and so sweet everytime we go there... the drinkin’ folks were out early! Latern is fun… a place I think we will enjoy a burger often…

After a while we went for dinner at Meson Sabika for tapas. I have wanting us to go there for some time... but "somebody" felt "tapas" was a little bit of food for lots of money that left you hungry when all was said and done... needless to say we practically rolled out and I think she were conservative... we started with really nice marinated olives, dates wrapped in bacon with red pepper sauce, and patatas con aioli (the most garlicky potato salad ever!!!)... nice small dishes to share... intimate... incredibly attentive staff... then we had an olive tapanade on grilled bread with jamon, manchego cheese and chorizo with a fruit kabob... a tuna cannaloni (which was just OK)... an OMG "Oh so good" beef empanada with a horseradish creme... and the straw that broke the camels back... a seafood cake over grilled eggplant... we waddled away.... sharing a comment with a couple of women walking in as we were walking out that "the last tapas is one too many" because they just taste so good... I think we will be going back some day!

Then we went to Bombay Market. Got some Indian incense and I fell in love with the Ganesha statues. I really want one. He is the elephant god of Success or The Remover of Obstacles. I think I would benefit from having him on my side.

I want to get one and I would rub his belly every day!

After that we and saw Vantage Point. Not the best movie every, but entertaining. He knew I wanted to really see a movie at the theater… not his favorite thing to do… but knows it is one of mine…

We finished the night up at Timpano Chophouse for dessert and coffee. The picture does not do it justice, but really fun. Little cheesecake lollypops on a tree of rose leaves. Cute mini servings of things like raspberry cheesecake and keylime pie. So yummy... and once again... despite little sizes, we were stuffed. I think our waiter was a little cranky we were only doing dessert there, but it was late and nobody else was in line for the table

Sweet and romantic... and a lovely evening spent together!

2008-02-17T17:54:00.002-06:00

We have watched some good movies in the last few weeks. The Kingdom and Eastern Promises.
I also recommend The Namesake.

For the first time in awhile I am enjoying reading again. Into The Wild was very upsetting. A young man so idealistic, yet so naive and foolish in his choices. I have not seen the movie yet. But it is supposed to be a very good adaptation. One Dead In Attic also affected me. It is a series of newpaper collumns from New Orleans the 16 months following Katrina. I have a few others on my bedside table, Gang Leader For A Day (which I am reading now) and When Character Was King. Oh yes, Marley And Me was a sweet book about a couple and their impish labrador.

2008-02-13T17:39:00.004-06:00

Ok... so I walked into the house and Bella was at her kitchen gate with tail going full Mock One Hummingbird speed... this was not a good thing... typically she is asleep on her dog bed and all I get is "the nod" until the gate comes down.... then I get tail wagging... licking... hopping... excitement... but not while the gate is up.... uh oh...

As I got closer... I saw the absolute havoc she had wreaked... also not her usual modus operandi ... aside from the odd yummy used paper towel getting knawed on. She is a really good girl while she is home on her own... barracked in the kitchen.

The garbage can contents were strewn from one end of the kitchen to the other... AND... there were drops of blood everywhere... it looked like friggin' Helter Skelter...

As it turns out... I had thrown away a broken glass jar of peanut butter (her favorite) I dropped this morning... and she knows she gets empty plastic jars to clean out... must have smelled it... tried to get it... can't see another reason... and no, no, no... she did not get into the glass from the PB jar... but she did find a soup can from the kids thermos lunch today... and did a very nice job slicing her tongue on the attached lid! Twice!

Oh my, but was she not the proudest dog ever... "See what I did mommy?"

Talked to our vet... no chew toys or Nylas for a few days, wet her food down, and give her lots of love... watching for infection obviously...

Woulda, coulda, shoulda taken a video of the carnage!! Hopefully this will be a lesson learned... hmmmm....

2008-02-07T20:37:00.000-06:00

Last June/July I took some cuttings from my mother's spider plants (OK I admit it... her Xmas cactus too... but that one died).... and the 3 cuttings took off... I now have babies off the babies... and I also have this one plant that just seems to grow and grow... I attribute it to the various crystals I put in the pot... anyway... here they are... green thumb at last... at least on some level.... I think I have 10 house plants now that are thriving... for me that is most definitely a record... African Violets are next :)

2008-02-03T21:39:00.000-06:00

Bella gets snow up her nose

(Click here to see)

2008-02-03T20:54:00.000-06:00

Bella plays in the snow, supposed to get an inch... turned into three... Emma's giggle is the best

2008-02-03T19:55:00.001-06:00

Bella stars in our first YouTube (click here to see) attempt... with a cameo by Emma :)

2008-01-06T15:49:00.000-06:00

The kids made handprint stepping stones for New Years... kind of a neat thing for a new year... wish we had made them every year... but it will be nice to have these... never too late to start.

As you can see from the middle picture I captured my brat and my baby (the terms are interchageable). Emma hides from pictures, but I will get her when she's not looking...

Today we are almost 60 degrees. Thursday we were 5 degrees. Crazy. The mud in the backyard would be a dogs paradise if Bella were not such a princess who hates getting her feet wet. Thank goodness for small favors.

Flying to New Mexico for work next week. As usual an in and out kind of day. Hopefully I will see some of the beauty. It is colder there right now than it is here.

2007-12-31T13:30:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

A nice evening with the girls planned. A few craft projects... some handprint stepping stones, coloring and inspiration stones made with metalic markers...

Cheddar Beer Fondue with smoked sausage, soft pretzels, apples, cherry tomatoes and pickles... not sure about dessert yet...

Lauren is very exicted about the "countdown"...

we'll see how far she gets!

2007-12-29T17:46:00.000-06:00

My new geeky guilty pleasure.

A venti ice water from Starbucks (which they give you free when you ask, it helps take of a little of the sting away when I think about the price of their coffee:)

This is honestly the best filtered water I have tasted in a long time. They must make their ice from it too... they use reverse osmosis filtration.

The first time I asked for water it was really good... and I am not a water kinda gal... it was crisp, bright and no funky flavors. Just really good water. I didn't think much of it. But as I have asked for a water from Starbucks to Starbucks across the Midwest. and in every airport I have been in over the last 4 months (which is SEVERAL)... it is remarkably consistent.

Tastes good and good for you!

Yum... Try some!

2007-12-21T13:45:00.000-06:00

Emma wrote this to Santa for Lauren. Ah sisterly love!

Christmas is already upon us... and each year I have hopes of simplifying and not worrying, yet making it a time to remember... not sure what I have accomplished this year... but I am looking forward to sharing time with the girls, watching movies, playing games, laughing and making a nice meal. Not a ton under the tree. I focused on games we could play together (provided I can keep Lauren from losing all the pieces!).

Lot's of travel for work... the driving is hard at times... 4 new tires and new front brakes are nice... and feeling of security I did not have a couple weeks ago in an ice storm driving through Michigan.

I have been finding more podcasts to occupy my brain. My favorites are Morning Stories out of WGBH in Boston and Pseudopod short macabre fiction. What did we even do before MP3 players. I would be lost without one now in the car and running through airports.

The kids finish school today before the break. Looking forward to hopefully being home for a good part of that.

Happy Holidays everyone!

2007-11-23T16:53:00.001-06:00

I brought the rose in, anticipating snow and freezing temperatures. Can't wait to see what they do next year!

Happy Thanksgiving All! The rain and cold have kept the kids in. So far we are all alive. LOL.

This is my latest piece. It is still drying and awaiting grout. I have to say I am a little proud that I could create something that looked like what I was aiming for... You can still see the mosaic glue is opaque. This will go completely clear in about 3-7 days depending on external forces (temperature, humidity, tiles, etc). I use Weldbond and it really seems to hold, even with the heat of a candle. I think I will stay away from silicone glue for now.

2007-11-19T07:32:00.001-06:00

Well the rose has gotten even pinker... I think we are due for a really cold snap... so with that and lack of sunshine I don't think the rose is going to open... but it was nice to see the plants are thriving.

The girls are off from school this week. They will help me cook for Thanksgiving and start making some Christmas gifts... they know with my work changes that we are going to treat the holiday differently... focusing on making things and giving rather than getting.

Small Thanksgiving, but I am looking forward to cooking all the things that remind me of childhood. I know I could get creative and kick it up a notch... but that would not be tradition for me or give my girls a sense of history. Although we are going to make the stuffing in muffin tins this year. That way everyone gets crunchy and moist.

Whirlwind work trip to Jacksonville Florida. I did not even see any of it in daylight. Arrived at 4:30pm Friday and left at 5:00am Saturday morning for the airport. It was a good trip, and I hope the parents I was teaching the infusion pump felt the same.

A little work this week... but for the most part I can spend time with the kids. I have ordered more tiles for my mosaics and the finished products are turning out really well, considering I have not done it before. The hurricane I finished looks beautiful with a candle inside.

Roasting some "clearance" eggplant I got at Meijer yesterday... making some baba ganouj. Emma and Lauren like hummus, so I am hoping they like this.

2007-11-14T12:55:00.000-06:00

My first homegrown rose... ever... I planted 3 hybrid rose bushes in the front yard. Early Fall planting. They seem to have acclimated nicely and one bush even had 2 buds on it when it arrived. I had thought with the stress of shipping and replanting that they would just fall off.

Nope... here we are... November 14th... and it is deciding to go for it and bloom. Gorgeous off white petals with a nice pink blush... so excited.

Fingers crossed they weather as predicted through the Winter! And then I can what the other plants will do!

Last weekend I took a yoga class. Bikram Hot style yoga. I felt inept and cumbersome and certainly by no means flexible (my boobs kept getting in the way, along with the rest of my body for that matter)... but I stayed in the 95-100 degree room the entire time and focused as intently as I could through each pose. Looking at yourself in a huge ballet mirror as you are sweating like a pig... it was a little distracting... BUT... I loved it... it was hard... it was hot... it was exhausting... but I felt amazing afterwards... mentally/emotionally... I can eaasily see the addiction... the gnawing insecurity and uncertainty that I am not a lithe willowy pretzel will just have to go the f*ck away!

I then drove to Cincinnati the next day for business... slept in a hotel bed and woke up with a pinched nerve in my back... Drove back to Chicago last night... was achy this morning... but am going to make myself go back to yoga tomorrow... even if I can't do the poses... I can be there... and work on that inner focus and stillness.

Florida Friday for work... back Saturday... My friends Laurie and Fosetine are going to meet me Sunday for yoga.

2007-11-04T21:11:00.000-06:00

I have not posted in awhile. Lots going on. More than I want at times. My infusion pharmacy was closed down. And while I have not blogged on what I do. Suffice it to say. I put a lot of hard work into getting it up and running (as did my partner) but the owners had other ideas on "time lines" for success. Found a per diem position right away, but it has not brought in the hours I had hoped for. And with no severance, I am a little stressed. But trying to be okay with it all, hoping (and praying) that it will work out for the best... closed door... open window and all... and if the per diem parlays into a full time spot, I really think I will enjoy it.

The kids had a fun Halloween. Not as busy as it has been in the past, but good weather. For me it was great. I got to be a room mother for Lauren's first grade party. Something, due to work, I had never been able to do before. I am hoping that I can do that for the girls more often. I enjoyed it.

Daylight savings. Dark by 5:15 tonight. Winter is coming. Time to get into that mindset.

I have been experimenting with mosaics. I have completed 2 pieces and am working on a 3rd. It relaxes me. And I think as I do more, I will feel bolder about trying "new" things with the tiles.

Got a pinch collar, at a friends suggestion, for Bella. And it makes walks much more enjoyable. Although she has some new behaviors now which include practically yodeling when we approach another dog. Eventually she relaxes and will even sit, but without the training collar, she would tear my shoulders up.

Thinking I am going to try a yoga class. I know the kids would love a "calmer" more centered me. And while I think the new job will be great. The driving and traveling might prove to be a little draining. So I will keep you posted on how Bikram Hot Yoga treats me :)

2007-09-03T21:31:00.000-05:00

Summer is gone. And the girls are back to school. First grade for Lauren and Fifth grade for Emma... Emma seems excited and has started writing her stories again. Lauren got a "warm fuzzy" her first full week for good behavior. Go figure. We have had a couple nice days... with evening temperatures that tell me Fall will be here soon enough. It was a very hot sticky Summer and I am ready for foliage and Halloween and baking. Bella likes the cooler days too. She sprawls on the deck at dusk enjoying the cool air. Keeping all potential trespassers out of her yard... this includes cats and squirrels!

Brad's tomatoes are getting bigger and bigger,but still are green
as can be. Hopefully some nice red ones before the first frost. I had dehydrated some tomato slices about a month or so ago and we put them in garlic and olive oil and put them on a pizza. Luscious and rich, the flavor really magnified. I want to do some
more. maybe roma tomatoes.

Up to this point I do not think I have ever had "real" Korean food. I mean, sure, I know the flavors... soy, fish sauce, garlic, sesame oil, chili sauce, ginger etc... but I had never gone to a restarant. Friday Khalil, my work partner, and I went out for lunch. We chose this little Korean place around the corner and Khalill got kimchi and rice. Which I thought would be disgusting. The idea of kimchi always making me a little squeamish. It came out sizzling in a stone bowl and smelled amazing. Having flavors and textures that made me wiggle in my chair and hum as I tasted it. It was so good. When I got back to work, I called Brad to tell him how awesome it was. I must have said it several times...

Saturday I was still thinking about how surprisingly good I found kimchi and the rice that had crisped to the bottom of the stone bowl.

Sunday Brad and I were out and went into a really nice Asian market, catering to Chinese, Japanses and Korean. They had the stone bowls or "dol sots". So I bought one and we proceeded to get the ingredients needed for the dish... Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap or a stone bowl with rice and other veggies and meats.

We got Korean Black Glutinous rice... which when cooked is a gorgeous indigo. Came home and put the dol sot in the oven to get it piping hot. I made a spicy ground pork with ginger and chili sauce and soy, chopped up some kimchi, steamed some bean sprouts and julienned carrot and radish slices.

When the dol sot was hot, I put a little toasted sesame oil in the bottom and the rice... it began to sizzle immediately. Then in a circle I put the pork, the kimchi I had warmed up, the sprouts and the carrots over the rice. Topping that with a fried egg.

We at it with soy and white vinegar. And it was incredible for a first go pulling it from my head.

The rice gets crusty and caramelizes
to the bottom of the stone bowl.
Yummy and crunchy... tasting
so good with a little vinegar
and the chili garlic heat of the kimchi.
I will definitely do it again. And now
feel confident enough to
experiment a little more next time.
A very good $25 investment
in the stone bowl. I think the kids
will like it too...
Brad said over and over
how delicious he though it was.
Which made me happy.

2007-08-01T09:11:00.000-05:00

Oh and Emma and Lauren are having a good time with their father... although Lauren says she has not eaten "enough" Irish breakfast and seemed pretty put out that people had the audacity to serve her cereal. Emma says "too much shopping" but fun!

2007-07-31T19:43:00.001-05:00

So... since the girls are in Ireland
with their father...
who else can I focus on....

Bella...

I was worried about Bella this week since her sisters were not trapezing in and out and her days would be soooooooo long and lonely....

So I thought about it and created a barrier from the kitchen to the rest of the house using a baby gate... then placing the step stool, wine rack and vacuum (which she is terrified of) in front of that... day 1... I am in a panic at work wondering what she has done to the kitchen left to her own devices. .. as it turns out... I arrive home that evening and she did not even hear me enter the house... calling out to her... she sleepily emerges from her open crate... a day of figuring out how to empty her Kong of her "cookies" obviously mentally exhausting her....

At any rate... she has been allowed access to the kitchen every day for the last week and has done beautifully... earning herself Frosty Paws for her good behavior.... and of course Kongs filled with "cookies".

Over the weekend we brought her to Quigley's... an Irish pub and restaurant with an outdoor patio that allows dogs. I was a tense wreck... waiting for her to drag me across the patio in order to eat a "snack dog" or chastise a middle aged men (whom for some reason she has issues with)... but all in all she was pretty good...

Then of course she blew it by snarling at all those who dared think they could drink from the dog drinking fountain she was guarding by the river in downtown Naperville.... little snot!

What can I say... I adore her... in all her bitchy Rottie ways... Brad calls her "Tank"... which is really quite perfect...

2007-07-17T20:37:00.000-05:00

The girls leave for Ireland on Friday for a little over two weeks. I know this will be the longest Lauren has been away from me. Emma, I think, spent 2 weeks at my mom's . It will be hard either way. They are very excited though. Being good Irish children they love their black and white pudding, rashers and sausage. The smoked salmon and good black tea with milk get their nods as well. The rainbows.

Nervous about them flying so far away from me, but can't wait to hear the stories and see the pictures when they return.

Bella will miss her "sisters". Particularly her Emma. I guess she will have to suffer me. And we will take some walks and curl up on the couch watching movies together. I will have to look for dog movies!! Or maybe just Animal Planet?

2007-06-27T21:40:00.000-05:00

I have been bad. I should have written something about the trip last week. California was nice. Hot the first couple days (really hot) and then we had a nice mild breezy day for the bar-b-que. It was good to see my mother. The girls really enjoyed her pool. They were in it the 4 days more than they were out of it. Lauren made great strides and was amazingly fearless in the water as she is with all things.

Brianna is going to finish up her gym credits over the summer. I think at this point her decision to go to a junior college and get her feet wet is a good idea. I was so happy to see her. Miss her all the time and hope she can come home for even a small part of the summer. Wish I had gotten more pictures!

It was strange spending that much time in the car with Ross, and at my mothers for that matter. We really don't have much to talk about any more. It was actually nice the night of the party at my mom's house. He was tipsy enough that he was affectionate with the kids. Emma looked surprised like she didn't quite know what do do when he hugged her and told her how much he loved her. I know he cares. Just has a hard time demonstrating it at times with three daughters.

Mom's house looks great. She has done a lot of work and it shows.
She was pleased that we found a praying mantis in her garden
for two days in a row. It is a good sign of a well balanced garden.
He was a neat little fella, climbing all over us and posing for pictures.

Driving up to mom's on the first day, we drove though St. Helena in Napa County. Wineries, wineries and more wineries. I would like to go back and explore. Without kids (I don't think they would get the same kick out of the architecture and wine tasting that I would)! The little GPS I got before we left worked beautifully.

Coming home we had some time to spend in San Francisco. I got some amazing pictures of the girls and swans at the Exploratorium. The hydrangeas in bloom on Lombard. The murals in the Mission District. AND.

We snacked at the most incredible bakery called Tartine. We split a Croque Monsieur, which is an open face sandwich made with country bread, bechamel, gruyere, thyme and pepper, topped with smoked Niman Ranch ham. Emma and Lauren were in heaven. It was lovely. Then we tasted something even more incredible. A Fragipane Croissant with brandy and almonds. Oh my! Positively sinful. The Mission District where the bakery is located would be a great place to people watch. I would love to sit and drink coffee on a Sunday morning, share some yummy pastries with Brad and enjoy a California morning.

We also dashed through Chinatown. I would have a lot of fun looking through the shops. The girls and I got silk dragonfly slippers for $5.00. What a bargain. And I found grapefruit incense. I like it.

The flight home was a red eye and boy were we exhausted when we got home. The kids of course slept in the car on the way home from the airport. I was not so lucky. It was muggy and sticky! Brad came up for pizza and to give hugs. I missed him a great deal. It felt good to be in my space.

The kids leave for Ireland in 3 weeks with Ross. They are both very excited.

2007-06-09T08:05:00.000-05:00

Summer has truly begun. Lauren has graduated from Kindergarten and has told me she is now "officially" a First grader. That would make Emma "officially" a Fifth grader.

The girls are both excited to go to California, see my mom, see Brianna and swim in mom's pool (not necessarily in that order).

Brad made it back from Toledo safely. The allergies/cold that started on him last week turned out to be Strep. He had a fever and a more pronounced swollen glad on Wednesday . Thursday the MD did a quick strep. That's what it either was or became. So far I feel OK. Although I was exhausted last night and woke up achy this morning. Hoping it was just working around the house aches. Keeping an eye on the girls. They seem to be fine and had seen him last week and this week and so far so good.

We had a nasty oppressively hot day Thursday and once that blew through we were left with perfect Summer 70's. The weekend is promised gorgeous and I am looking forward to putzing around the house, exploring out and about a little bit and cooking Summer foods.

2007-06-02T08:34:00.000-05:00

Saturday! Made it through the week. Brad made it safely to Toledo for his niece's baptism. He got himself a new toy for the trip. A GPS device for the car. It is one of the ones he was looking at for me, so this way he can play with it using his "professional" eye. If there are any idiosyncrasies he will find them. Then we can decide if I should look at another model or make or if this is the one for me.

My plans had been to run a few errands on the way home last night and come home and relax in a child-free house. But my friend Laurie sent me a text asking if I wanted to meet for drinks and snack. I had arrived home to normal sedate weather. Within minutes of receiving Laurie's text the wind kicked up considerably and the sky went black as tar. Thunder, lightning and driving rain. And then it was gone in about 5 minutes. Leaving behind a pink sky with some fluffy dark gray clouds. We met at Rock Bottom near the house for a few hours, sat at an outside table, people watched and talked about everything. Merlot for me (no Sideways comments from anybody!) and Mud In Your Eye pale wheat for her. A little calamari and really good homemade potato chips with a malt vinegar powder. Came home, talked to Brad for a few minutes on a bad cell signal and climbed into bed.

A bit about Laurie. Because it is a worthwhile story and she is an amazing woman. Laurie is 36 years old. She has 2 gorgeous girls Hannah (10) and Brenna (6)... they get on with Emma and Lauren really well. A little over a year and a half ago she went to her OB/GYN thinking she felt a lump in her breast. He did a breast exam and sent her on her way saying basically he felt nothing and did not feel it warranted a mammogram.

A couple months later she went back because the breast still felt "wrong". The physician grudgingly conceded that a mammogram was needed. The results of the mammogram did not get back to Laurie for several weeks, and this was only because she called. The nurse in the office (damn nurse) read her the top paragraph "dense, fibrous tissue with no masses visualised"... what the second paragraph included was the statement from the radiologist recommending "MRI or surgical consult" as further clarification. This was not told to Laurie.

At the end of last year her breast changed even more so. Becoming hard, red and warm. She was sent for a biopsy (a year after she first felt something was not right). The diagnosis was cancer. Ductal Carcinoma. She was sent for an oncology consult and chose and amazing doctor at Loyola Medical Center by the name of Ellen Gaynor. She is matter of fact and honest. We all liked her style immediately. As the diagnostic test results began to roll in. The end diagnosis was Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma with some Inflammatory Breast Carcinoma characteristics. Five tumors in all and because of the IBC no possibility of just removing the tumors and leaving the breast.

Laurie has completed 7 out of 8 cycles of chemotherapy (Adriamycin and Cytoxan for cycles 1-4 and Taxotere for cycles 5-8). She home born this all so well and is so strong. She looks more and more beautiful each day. I saw a magnet that said "Bald Chicks Rule" the other day and am putting together a basket for her.

A mastectomy is the next step. She has that consultation next week and this will most likely happen at the end of June or early July. And then 6 weeks of daily radiation when the mastectomy site has healed.

The point I want to make (in addition to how awe inspiring my good friend is) is do self checks regularly, know your body, be your OWN advocate. If something does not feel right and the first answer does not jive with how YOU feel and what your gut is telling you, do not be afraid to dig deeper, ask for second opinions, demand attention. Doctors are not the end all be all, and things do get missed, labs do get lost, egos and experience does play apart. So do not think you have to take the first word as the only word... there are always more words!

I am getting Brad a T-Shirt that says "Save Second Base" (he is the self proclaimed bo... never mind:)

Mitch being Mitchy

2007-05-31T19:58:00.000-05:00

Bella's Boyfriend

2007-05-31T19:28:00.000-05:00

What a strange week. The holiday is throwing me off. I keep forgetting which day of the week we are on. The weather is a little "muggy" and draining. Lauren continues to set off like Marco Polo. She is fearless. And I have had the third of what I am sure will be many "there are bad people out there" talks.... thick-headed stubborn willful thing that she is.... hmmm.... where on Earth does that come from? I wonder... must be her father!

For those of you who have not looked at Emma's site... it is well worth it. That she is only 10 and creatively writing the wonderfully kooky things she does. It is fun and I get a kick out of looking at each new entry. Hers is linked from mine.

Heading out to California to see Brianna and my mother in a week. It has been too long since I have seen my mother and gets no less difficult that Brianna is not here for me to see and talk to every day. She is 18 now. Where has all the time gone? I remember the night I went into labor. I remember several nights before that watching Scarface and damp mopping the floor at 2am. I remember so much and have forgotten much too. Bittersweet.

Brad leaves for Ohio to see his family for a few days. He, too, has not been home in a while. I will miss him but am happy he gets to be surrounded by people who love him (and that he will get to showcase Mitch for the first time). Hopefully the weather will cooperate for safe travel and I will be relieved when he is back home safe and sound. Trying to keep what seems to be allergies from turning into a cold before he leaves. Hoping that is all it is. He dutifully takes the meds I task him with. He is a good man and loves me in all my moody glory (well, I am thinking he would prefer the glory part with no moody, but loves me nonetheless).

A quiet weekend with Bella for me. Her knee is holding it's own. Even with trying to keep up with Mitch in the backyard.

My Totem... Stained Glass Photo by Me

2007-05-29T14:09:00.000-05:00

Lauren... can whistle without trying?

2007-05-28T08:01:00.000-05:00

Tooth number two... OUT... she was very excited and the tooth faerie came as expected. $2 this time ($5 with the first tooth). The even neater thing is that she is sitting here in bed with me reading this out loud to me as I write it. That is more exciting than the tooth.

She has done really well in Kindergarten... and despite her fliberty gibbit ways was a really good attentive student all year... having made it into the first grade words by January...

She has an explorer's spirit... and her need to set off to conquer our neighborhood is a little nerve wracking at times... despite repeated talks about sticking close to home, she had no problem striking out for new adventures and even less problem coming home dirtier than I have ever seen her (and you all know how much dirty damage this girl can get up to). I belive she needs a Lojack... or maybe an "Invisible Fence" collar... oops Lauren went over a block too far.... Zap! I remember being the same way... walking miles and miles to the park once in third grade... never coming home until dark... but as we all know... times have changed!

The weather Saturday was a little cool and rainy... Sunday was gorgeous and today, for the holiday, is promised even nicer...

Brad and I made a Middle Eastern inspired dinner Saturday... hummus (he made and it was really good), cucumber and Greek yogurt sauce (I think neither of us will have any worries about vampires for about a year with all the garlic I put into it), grilled lamb and chicken for kabobs, pita and some really yummy grape leaves from the local ethnic market near his house.

Sunday we grilled more with the girls... London Broil and Italian bread with garlic, mushroom Brie and smoked salmon with red onion and cucumber... Emma liked the Brie until she found out the dreaded mushrooms were hiding in there. Brad cooked the steak perfectly...

His knowledge of computers is daunting and comforting at the same time... I got a soft verbal scolding for not having my wireless secured... and he promptly, deftly took care of it for me...

Lauren is bouncing up and down for breakfast (the girl never eats.... ever... malnourished practically... NOT). And then some weeding before it gets too warm... Lauren has some sunflowers to plant that they started growing at school. Hoping those will continue on... I think she will get a kick out of how tall they get and how big the flowers grow!

The view from the top of the mountain is really quite beautiful.

2007-05-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

Well... I made it! 40... Day One come and gone... A good friend pointed out to me yesterday though that I have actually begun my 41st year and the fifth decade of life. I believe my tongue and cheek response rhymed with witch...

The girls hopped into bed with me as soon as they woke up... excited to give me cards from them as well as Bella. They were very sweet, calling me the "Birthday Girl"...

The flowers in the picture are part of a gorgeous

arrangement from my very special fella, Brad.

He began my day by calling at 6 in the morning

to sing me Happy Birthday.

Saying he wanted to be the first to sing to me.

And made me smile all day

when he would call and say Happy Birthday

each time he called like it was shiny and new.

The day really did not bother me as much as I thought it would. It was nice hearing from family and friends and knowing I am cared for and connected to so many people.

We all went out for Sushi for dinner and walked along the Riverwalk. The night was mild and soft and I felt so happy and blessed to have such amazing people around me. Dinner was really good, including yummy Yellowtail. The server even brought Emma and Lauren edamame and rice to keep them busy (didn't ask for it, but the girls were not complaining). Lauren proceded to drop soy beans in her miso soup... but she got a kick out of trying to get the tofu... she seriously can't be my child willinging seeking out tofu!

After our walk we went to Ethel's Chocolate Lounge for a decadent chocolate berry cup... a white chocolate bowl with raspberries, blackberries and blueberries covered with milk chocolate. It was not too big and perfect for sharing and feeding each other... and despite not really liking black coffee... it was the perfect companion... Brad helped himself to several truffle samples (when I was not looking), looking like a little boy caught in the cookie jar when I caught him savoring the chocolate! The girls picked their desserts out at the retro candy shop down the street... sugar ... lots and lots of sugar... yet Lauren konked out in the car on the way home!

All and all it was really nice to be able to ease into 40 in such a low key way. I should be okay now until 50 rolls around.

My Fourth Child

2007-05-21T19:21:00.000-05:00

Izza-Bella...
the
other
"child"
and
just
as
big
a
ham
as
her
"sisters"

2007-05-21T18:18:00.000-05:00

What a nice weekend! The weather was perfect on Saturday. Took the girls for a walk along the river in Naperville. They had fun calling out all the different things they saw in the water: a golf ball, a cell phone, a fish... Lauren climbed the big hill by the carillon bell tower and just flitted from place to place like a butterfly. They met a "man" and his greyhound. They liked both the man and his dog. Which makes me happy.

Had dinner with my man. We wandered Caputo's Italian market for about an hour... picking and choosing yummy antipasti type foods: ended up with prociuto and melon, eggplant salad, olives, cheese, cubed Italian meats, bruccetta tomatoes and grilled Italian bread loaded with garlic... it was complexly simple. And a nice glass of Cabernet matched up well. He made really good espresso which we complimented with lemon oil.

Sunday was a little chillier, and we started our day with a hearty Mexican breakfasts... chilequiles for me and huevos rancheros for him. A little bit of Sunday paper reading and a day of retail exploration. IKEA... saw a couple things there I would like including a beautiful plum colored comforter and some larger house plants... I think he was amused by the sudden burst of coffee hyperactivity that disappeared as suddenly as it arrived. Then we looked at Bass Pro Shop... never would have thought to go there, but we had fun looking... I still think I should have purchased the lime green baseball cap that said "Kiss my Bass" in bling sequins...

Sunday night another nice dinner of steak and a goat cheese salad... more dangerously good grilled garlic bread... and some dark chocolate...

A fire in the fireplace and the Simpsons... an early and restful night sleep... it was a lovely day.

Today the weather was glorious as well... need to settle in and accept that responsible working adults need to be indoors working even when the day is calling to come out and soak up the suns rays and play...

Tomorrow I turn 40. On some levels it is a little sad. But when I look at what I have... 3 beautiful girls... the possibility of love... and looking damn good for my age... it's not so bad.
I guess I should fess up that it makes me feel good to have people tell me that I don't look anywhere near 39... it will sound even better when they say I don't look near 40... moisturize, moisturize, moisturize... and maybe drinking a bit more water than I do...

Emma's Fish

2007-05-19T07:50:00.000-05:00

I was so excited. Emma
brought a stack
of her artwork home.
Can't wait to get these all
framed and protected to
look at over and over.

Emma's Laurel Burch Cat

2007-05-19T07:45:00.000-05:00

I have been waiting for months to have this cat come home. I saw it when I went to her parent teacher conference in the Fall... this will be framed and placed with her other artwork on the wall. She amazes me!

Let the Blogging begin...

2007-05-18T19:44:00.000-05:00

To Blog or Not to Blog... THAT is the question...

To begin... you must take into consideration that you live a life less ordinary. A life that someone else would want to read about... not so sure about that... but the therapeutic benefits of self expression far outweigh the exhibitionist ones... or do they?

Today in itself was a therapy session... the weather was Heaven sent... and the need to be outside with my skin caressed and warmed by the sun was acute. Each time the weather changes from warm to cold back to warm again... I find myself with renewed cabin fever.

I love to drive with the sun streaming through the sun roof warming my cheeks... music loud and passionate... I am not afraid to sing at the top of my lungs... 4 windows open... fellow commuters be damned! Ryan Shaw is my new musical curiosity... bluesy, sexy, fun.

Was today an ordinary day? Not really... it began with soft stretches and coffee in bed... and 2 dogs bounding through the room and over the bed completely oblivious of size or pain inflicted.

No, the day began well... with a sense of contentment and lasted throughout the day.

There is a new fella in my life... to say more than that at this point to me seems like flirting with disaster. Or how the Native Americans feel about their pictures being taken and stealing their soul... All I can say... is I was not expecting him... yet here he is... and I am so happy he is there... and time will tell...

He fuels the many smiles that make up my day.

Our dogs seem to get on... the kids (mine, he has none) will come later down the road.

Enough for today. A Saturday filled with Emma and Lauren, perhaps a little mini-golf at Emma's request. Even more sunshiny goodness promised tomorrow. And then a Sunday of relaxation and hand-holding and dogs :)