Misuse of words March 17, 2007

Well, the weather man warned us. Winter in the Show-me state wasn’t quite finished yet. This morning I woke and it was snowing. My beautiful little crocus and my jonquils are getting a blanket of the white stuff. I doubt it will hang around for long, but, it reminded me of how very ready I am for spring. Bring on the 70 degree weather, bring on the green grass, bring on the blooming trees and flowers and, oh by the way, bring on the Claritin-D. Always have to have that around to counteract all that spring blooming, right?

On to the topic at hand. I had an entertaining conversation yesterday regarding some of the words that children or others have misused and then those stuck because they were sort of funny or entertaining. For instance, my little sister used to say “magitch” instead of magic, and “ess gaditioner” instead of air conditioner. Other people said things like “pasketti” for spaghetti and “nakkin” for napkin. There was a “shiver” of pie instead of a sliver. Funny stuff, especially when adults continue to use those versions long after the child has corrected their grammar and moved on.

Do you have any funny misused words you remember from your childhood? Come on, tell the truth, you know you do!

The Prison Singers March 16, 2007

I had an old pastor who used to refer to our choir as “The Prison Singers.” That meant we were behind a few bars and couldn’t find the right key. Hardy, har, har…

That is no longer an apt description of our choir. Although many of them cannot read music, they have become quite skilled at learning their parts by listening. Several of the people who are normally leaders in the choir sections were gone this week. We decided to try singing our Tenebrae music with the accompaniment CD for the first time. Wow. Never underestimate a small group of dedicated choir members! These folks really did their homework and I was very, very proud!

Now, if the choir director (meaning moi) could just manage to get the timing straightened out and prounounce the Latin/Hebrew words properly, we might have a prayer of doing a pretty fine job come Good Friday!

What do you do when you get REALLY mad? March 14, 2007

I am a really bad person. No, really, I am. In my heritage I have Irish, Scottish and German. All of these are known for having hot tempers and a fighting disposition. Yup, I’m doomed.

Yesterday, my eye color was definitely of the bright green, get out of the way, I’m gonna say really nasty things and maybe hit someone sort of variety. I got so mad I gave myself a headache! So, I spent all evening ranting and raving (mostly to the walls so I wouldn’t offend my family or my dog) and trying to get it out of my system. Do you ever practice those wonderful and eloquent, totally SCATHING sort of speeches that you wish you could really use on someone? I do. I’m really, really good at those. Thankfully, I’ve gotten to the stage in my life where I realize those are more for therapeutic or entertainment value and I don’t actually deliver those in person. I practiced some real doozies last night.

I think the worst sort of “mad” I’ve experienced is when someone deliberately hurts one of my children. Hell hath no fury like a Mama protecting her babies, let me tell you. It doesn’t matter that they’re all grown up now, I feel as much anger towards someone who hurts my adult children as I did when they were little.

So, other things I do when I get mad:

I stomp

I eat

I yell

The storkbite in the middle of my forehead gets bright red

My eyes turn green and sometimes I cry (Note: this is a VERY dangerous and volatile situation. Back away carefully and run like the devil himself is on your heels.)

What do you do when YOU get really mad?

Dryer Obituary March 13, 2007

Maytag Dryer, aged 15, of the first floor laundry room, passed away on March 12, 2007. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, with burial in the Reed Heating and Air Conditioning scrap heap. Cause of death unknown. It is suspected that its poor motor just gave out after a lifetime of strenuous exercise.

During its lifetime, Maytag Dryer was responsible for approximately 8-10 loads of family laundry per week. It was particularly talented at managing large loads for a family of 8. Maytag Dryer was quiet and required little attention. It was never problematic, only asking to have its lint trap cleaned regularly so it could function properly.

Maytag Dryer’s lifetime partner, Maytag Washer, survives at the home. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends donations be made to the laundromat of your choice.

Good-bye old friend. You will be missed.

When It’s Pretty Outside… March 13, 2007

When it’s pretty outside, I notice that the moods are much lighter inside. I just came from a meeting that I was certain would be difficult. Instead, I found myself leaving the conference room feeling as though I’d just won an election! Amazing…

I lied earlier. I just need to get it off my chest. I did not clean out the flower beds this weekend because it was too muddy. However, my husband reported that the crocus and jonquils are, in fact, about 6 inches tall. Hmmm, maybe since I can see them already I don’t need to be in any hurry to get down on my aching knees and pull dead stuff out of the flower beds!

The Formal Cake Tasting March 11, 2007

Well, I’ll have to say this was one of the more pleasant wedding preparations on my to-do list! My daughter, her intended and I just tackled making the final decisions about the ever so important issue of the wedding cake. This included an appointment with the bakery to do a cake tasting to determine what we wanted.

The wedding cake will be 5 layers. The bottom layer and the top layer will be red velvet cake and the other layers will be the traditional white with raspberry filling. I have to tell you, that bakery sure knows how to throw together a red velvet cake. It was absolutely SINFUL!

The groom’s cake will be a lovely flavor called Mudslide. This is a chocolate and espresso flavor that will be covered in a fudge buttercream frosting and have some sort of chocolate ganache flowing down the sides. The two-tiered masterpiece will be topped with strawberries and shaved dark chocolate curls. I think I just gained a couple of pounds writing this description…

This is far and away more extravagant and detailed than the wedding cake at my weddings. My first marriage, I baked and decorated my own wedding cake. At both, the choice was white, white or white. At my daughter’s wedding, she’ll have red velvet, white with raspberry filling or Mudslide. My, how times change.

In addition to those mentioned, we also taste tested chocolate, lemon, strawberry, carrot and Irish Cream cake. I highly recommend this activity as something that helps the mother of the bride deal with the stress of helping plan the wedding. As a stress eater from way back, this was just what the doctor ordered!

Cleaning out the flowerbeds March 8, 2007

This time of year is wonderful! The temperatures, the smells, the anticipation of new growing things—all wonderful. Everything, that is, except cleaning out the flowerbeds…

I don’t know why I never seem to get that done back in the fall like I’m supposed to. Every spring, if I want to see the crocus and the jonquils that I so laboriously planted a few years ago, I have to remove all of the dead plant growth from the year before. Some insane woman (I think it was me) got a little overzealous when we built the new house and had her husband put in a 25 foot flowerbed on the west side of our home. Do you have any idea how many flowers it takes to fill up a 25 foot flowerbed? I didn’t either. It takes a whole lot. And every fall I’m supposed to clean their poor, dead little bodies out and ready things for the upcoming spring. And every fall I put it off until it’s cold and frozen and impossible. Sigh…

So, this weekend I’ll be appreciating this beautiful weather and getting down on my knees. Yes, I’ll be giving thanks for spring, but, mostly I’ll be cleaning out the flowerbeds. Maybe this is the year to buy more perennials! I like daisies…

What are you going to do to celebrate the fab weather this weekend?

Recipe: Cheeseburger of Champions March 5, 2007

This is one of my favorite burger recipes. Try this one out for a special treat some evening!

Cheeseburger of Champions

From the Weber’s Real Grilling Cookbook

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 thin slices Monterey Jack cheese

4 hamburger buns

4 lettuce leaves

4 tomato slices

1. In a medium bowl, using your hands, gently combine the ground chuck with the ketchup, basil, thyme, salt, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and pepper. Gently shape into 4 patties, each about 3/4 inch thick.

2. Grill the patties over Direct High heat until medium, 8-10 minutes, turning once. During the last minute of grilling place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt, and grill the hamburger buns, cut side down, until toasted. Assemble the cheeseburgers with lettuce , tomato and other condiments as desired. Serve warm.

Is it too windy to BBQ? March 3, 2007

This has been the question all day long at our house. We finally decided that if we chose something that could be done fairly quickly, there would probably be enough “calm” to manage something on the grill tonight. The decision: brats. Mmmmm…

There’s something so wonderful about any sort of food cooked outside on the grill. An average burger inside can become gourmet fare when touched by a flame, smoked with a bit of mesquite and bathed in a good BBQ sauce. There’s also something wonderful about a man who has a grill and knows how to use it!

I have a secret. I’m terrified of fire. Therefore, all grill related cooking must be done by my husband. That’s okay—he’s a master at it anyway. He also has a smoker and that’s another whole chapter of wonderful yumminess.

So, tonight brats. Tomorrow I’ll share my second favorite burger recipe. My favorite is just plain old BBQ hamburgers. The second favorite is a gourmet version that’s “good enough to make you slap your granny!”

What’s your favorite food from the grill?

In like a lion? March 1, 2007

March made a grand entrance , complete with a massive thunder and lightning show in the early hours of morning. I was roused from slumber by the dueling sounds of the thunder and a whimpering Jack Russell terrier who was trying to wedge her chubby little body under my bed.

I loved the storm this morning. It made me feel that winter was in my rear view mirror and spring was straight ahead. I think others were feeling the same way. On the way to work this morning, the radio DJ’s were talking about planting and mulching and fertilizing and mowing the lawn. Ahhh, it always sounds so good at this time of year.

So, what’s your favorite part of spring? I love the first glimpses of new life, like the tiny crocuses pushing their way up through to poke their little heads through sometimes snowy ground. I love the first buds that appear on the trees, tantalizing us with the full spring splendour yet to come. I love the SMELL! There’s something about the way it smells after it rains and when things are growing. It’s fresh and it’s new. I like going outside without my coat. And, I like Easter!

I’m a spring baby, born on Easter Sunday. Maybe that’s why spring is so important to me. It represents rebirth. This year is special, too. My daughter’s birthday will be on Easter. (She almost followed in my footsteps, she was born the day AFTER Easter…)

Tell me all about your favorite spring things. Let’s get this party started! I’m sick of winter!