Talk about a nice surprise!

We went on a day trip yesterday to see the Blue Man Group in Chicago. We left very early and got home around 9. I was beat so I didn’t even fire up the computer. This morning when I opened my email, I received an email that was marked from a friend. Seems my friend sent me a gift certificate as a thank you. What a cool surprise!

At work I have created power points and my friend asked me to do one for her son and his fiancé’s rehearsal dinner. I did and she thanked me with a gift certificate. It was very thoughtful and totally unexpected.

I guess that’s how surprises work, eh?

Society has become rude.

There’s a phrase, “It’s just common courtesy,” no longer rings true. I won’t say everyone is discourteous, but it’s downright scary to see how many people only do things for themselves. My neighborhood is just a thumbnail sketch of this. Nothing earth shattering, but 20 years ago, a lot of this wouldn't have happened.

I live in a middle class neighborhood. Not a ritzy one and not a poor one. Just walking around, it doesn’t take long to see some rudeness manifest itself. Tuesday is garbage day, but because of the Memorial Day holiday, the garbage haulers are a day behind. That is understandable. But something that annoys me is how many people will pile their garbage on the sidewalk, instead of at the end of their driveway. For those of us who walk, we have to either walk in the street or walk in their grass to get around it. We have wide driveways, so it isn’t like they couldn’t put it to the side.

Speaking of sidewalks, it never ceases to amaze me how many people will park over the sidewalk. I’m not talking about guests; these are residents of the houses – we recognize the cars. There was one family who had one of those basketball hoops set up right on the sidewalk, instead of in the driveway. Another person has a camper and it juts out over the sidewalk. It makes walking on the sidewalk difficult.

While I’m on the topic of parking, another issue is the parking on the street. I know in big cities is it just a way of life, but we don’t live in a big city. And we’ve had some heated discussions on our own street when people park in front of the mailboxes and the mail delivery person can’t get to the mailbox and therefore will not deliver the mail. On our court we have 9 houses. Most days we have a minimum of 10 cars in the street. One family won’t park in the driveway. When the subdivision was built in the ‘70s, they didn’t plan for on street parking, so the street gets pretty narrow when there are cars on both sides. Why is this rude you ask? Because of this, the street cleaner has difficulty getting down, and in the winter the snow plow driver can’t clean our street. We don’t get first day service on the snow plowing anyway, and it would be nice to be able to have the court cleaned when it does come down.


Most of the folks around here who walk their dogs do clean up after them. But, there has to be a few…it’s bad enough they don’t, but when it is on the sidewalk, ick.

On one of the streets over, roofers replaced the roof. It was hot and humid yesterday and they looked tired while they were cleaning up. We noticed on our walk that something had blown out of their truck and lay in the street. No one stopped to move it or pick it up whether they were walking or driving. My husband and I checked it out -- it was a tarp that had probably blown out of their truck. He wrapped it around the sign post to get it out of the street and so it wouldn't blow and if the roofers came back, they would see it. I wonder how long it would have stayed there otherwise.

I don’t think most of these folks set out to be rude, but I think society has created this when we no longer consider the other guy. Courtesy just isn’t that common anymore. I think kindess is the exception instead of the norm.

I certainly have more than I use. Do you? What, you query? I’m talking salt and pepper shakers.

This came to mind as I filled up the old clear glass ones that look like tall, but small mugs. They are probably a collectible. I like them because they are easy to handle, easy to fill, and easy to keep clean. I have about 4 other sets and I don’t use them. One set is really old and matches my Blue Willow dishes. I don’t like the way the salt or pepper comes out. So, they sit in the hutch. I have another set that look like little Blue Willow coffee pots. I don’t use them because they are a pain to refill and they don’t hold very much. I have yet another set I bought my mom years ago at Carson Pirie Scott that looks like crystal. I thought they were the prettiest things I had ever seen. I was too young to realize they aren’t the kind of things you set out when you are using plastic plates and plastic placemats and paper cups. Dumb me! We weren't fancy and these puppies are!

My mom and dad used to have a furniture store and then an antique shop and they bought and sold a bunch of things through the years. One of the things that was incredibly popular were salt and pepper collections. I remember ladies who had hundreds of them holed up in a China cabinet. The bobbers were kind of cool – they set in a base and you could take your finger and touch it, and they would bob up and down. I remember a lot of birds as bobbers. There were all sorts of things as salt and peppers, as they would call them. I’ve seen one that has the outline of Illinois for one and Lincoln as the other. I’m sure all states had something like that. I’ve seen plastic shakers, glass, China, metal, even cast iron shakers. I used to have one that was a Cherished teddie riding a polar bear. I used it until it was so chipped, I was ashamed to put it out. It was cute, but not really functional. Maybe collections are like that.

As much as I like to collect things, having a salt and pepper collection wasn’t anything I was really coveting. But like most collections, everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Now days, I just want to add a little pepper to my eggs and I’m happy with a clear glass pepper shaker. Guess I’m not into the spice of life!

Decoration Day? My mom said Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day because it was expected that one would go to the cemeteries and place flowers for loved ones. Most of the time veterans would also have flags at their gravestones as well. Yesterday we put flowers on graves. One cemetery had many flowers on other graves, while the other cemetery had a few. I have a couple of theories on that…one is that many of the people who are buried in the second one may not have any living relatives left or they don’t live in town. Plus, around here, I think very few people under the age of 50 actually decorate the graves. I was discussing it with my husband and some friends and we think that our generation of baby boomers may be the last generation to take flowers on Memorial Day. I hope we are wrong. I know the deceased aren’t waiting on us, but I think it’s a good way to remember our loved ones and our soldiers and stop and take a breath in our lives of always being so busy.

We went to the grocery store today and two veterans were selling poppies. I remember seeing a lot more of this going on in the past. Again, I wonder if the greatest generation’s demise is causing this loss.

As you celebrate this weekend which has become commercial as any other holiday – the ads are proclaiming Memorial Day sales, please take a moment to remember the soldiers who gave their time and their lives and the family and friends who went before you. That is better than any sale or any ad.

Years back, the Byrds had a popular song called, “Turn, turn, turn.” It talked about having a season for everything:
The chorus:
“To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven.”

For those of you familiar with the Old Testament of the Bible, the lyrics come from the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. Now, I’m not going to be doing a sermon here.

However, I am going to say the song should have had a line about a time to rest and a time to go. I can write this because I did get some rest…I slept over 8 hours last night. It was rest I truly needed. And I’m not apologizing for it!

Why is it society has made resting something for which we are ashamed? I believe in working hard. The Protestant work ethic was drilled into me at a young age by my father. He grew up in the depression and he always worried about losing his job as an adult. He said you should go to work earlier than they expect you to and do more than what they asked.

But when did we get so confused about resting? Or sleeping for that matter? I hear people bragging how they were up very late and got up very early like it was a medal of honor. With some of the folks I know they think it is ridiculous to get 8 hours of sleep…they have too much other stuff to do or so they say. If anyone talks about going to bed early they get a look like “Gosh, you are a lazy bum.”

I know others who think they have to work 12 hour days. Not because they work for a company that requires it, but because they like talking about it. They complain nonstop about doing it, yet they do it again and again. They don’t have a time clock to punch, but I truly think they get some pleasure out of “complaining” about working so many hours. Are they truly getting that much more done? I read an article last week that said folks who work 12 hour days consistently aren’t as alert and are harming their health by not getting enough rest.

I know if I don’t get enough sleep, I’m not at my peak. My body tells me by not being alert and then as the day goes on, my joints ache. I see some of my on the go friends constantly struggling with colds or other illnesses because they aren’t taking care of themselves. A good sleep heals the body and mind.

I know there are folks who don’t need 8 hours of sleep. But for those of us who do, we need for society to quit brow beating us about this and making us think we are lazy. We aren’t. We are doing what our bodies need. We need to quit feeling ashamed of it.

So, I’m adding to the song:

A time to rest and a time to go
A time to play and a time to sleep
A time to work and a time to think
A time to be and a time just for me.

That said, I think maybe it’s time for a nap!

This may be a girl thing. But then again, maybe not. I imagine some men are the same way.

What am I talking about? I’m writing about the concept of “Food is Love.” I really enjoy treating my husband to a meal I know he will like. I get the same pleasure of doing the same for my friends. My baking banana bread is also to give away. I like doing it because people seem to like getting it. When I baked bread with some students at my school, they loved the experience and really loved eating the bread. It was a nice time all around.

A lot of the time when I would bake bread at school in bread machines, people would stop by my room just for a sniff. With that whiff came a recollection of someone baking in their lives and they shared it. And it was a good memory that brought some joy to their faces. Again, “food is love” rang true.

So, maybe it’s the maternal part of me that loves to cook and share, or maybe it’s just a vital part that likes to love on someone with some edibles. I think men may have the same feeling so I don’t want to say it’s only a girl thing.

But it is, wouldn’t you agree, a good thing?

Today was the second last day of school. I took some of the banana bread I baked and gave out to the principal and secretary and couple of others. It's one thing that most folks seem to appreciate.

I'm a little down because I received some news that although not unexpected, still wasn't what I wanted to hear. It's funny how we always want our way, isn't it? I'm sure it will work out OK, but I guess our selfish selves like having it our way. I won't be throwing a tantrum -- it's way too hot -- 91 today with lots of humidity. But, I think I can have a bit of a pity party.

I fixed pork chops, mashed potatoes, sauteed okra, sliced tomatoes, and fruit and sliced the Irish soda bread for supper tonight. It wasn't a bad meal.

My husband went with me to pack up a lot of my stuff tonight since I have to move. It's amazing what you accrue with a short time.

Hopefully I'll be in a better mood tomorrow.

Last Monday my husband cornered me with the newspaper in hand and asked me if I was guilty. Guilty? Me?

Well, it seems there was a letter in the Dear Abby column and he thought maybe I wrote it. Seems the person who wrote it told Ms. Abby that they had some friends over for dinner a few times and this couple has not reciprocated. What really frosted the writer was this couple will often brag about the other folks they have invited over and all the different things they served and how much fun it was. And the write explained how hurtful it was to them who have not been invited.

I am innocent. I didn’t write the letter. But I could have. We know a couple just like that. We’ve had them as guests 4-5 times. Yet no dinner invite or meal out or whatever. But this gal brags nonstop about the meals she fixes when she invites these other people over. And it hurts. My husband says we must be pond scum.

Ms. Abby suggested they no longer remain friends with this couple. Sound great in print, doesn’t it? But, friends are still to be cherished even if they aren’t always kind. So, we’ll remain friends with them. We just won’t invite them over again.

And that, my friends is my story and I’m sticking to it!

There’s little fowl about turkey. At least in my book. We had turkey for supper tonight. I had put it in the Crockpot with some rosemary, a green onion, some spices, and water. It cooked all day on low and was sufficiently yummy! I took it out 45 minutes before I wanted to serve it, let it rest for about 20, sliced it, and then put it back in the broth in the Crockpot until I needed to plate it up. My husband and our dinner guest really ate it up. Sorry, I couldn’t resist that line!

We had mashed potatoes made with a little cream cheese and milk, fresh green beans I had snapped and cooked over the weekend, along with some radishes from the garden. Our dinner guest brought a yummy strawberry pie he had purchased. It was delicious, but we decided there’s an art to getting a slice of pie out without it falling apart. It tasted scrumptious even in pieces.

It was a pleasant evening…no harm or no fowl!

Some folks get a thrill from shopping. They say the adrenalin really pumps when they look and find something to buy.

I have a similar thrill, but it happens at the public library. I love books. And I love saving money. So, the public library is simply euphoric for me because there are so many books and so little time and I'm not spending a lot of money.

The public library also holds a special place in my heart. Over 25 years ago I met this fellow on the public library bookmobile. We became friends and then eventually started dating. We will be married 20 years this June. I can certainly say I “checked” him out. But I have news for the library…I’m not returning him. I’ll return my books and magazines, but not my husband. Sorry!

Anyway, I digress. We stopped at the library tonight and I wandered around the stacks and looked at mysteries. If you read my previous blog I talked about mysteries that are also food related and how much I enjoy them. I might have found some new authors. There’s one author who has mysteries that revolve around a tea room. How cool is that?

I then perused the cookbooks and found a couple of cookbooks to browse through. Then I hit the magazines. I love glossy, current magazines. I’m too cheap to buy them so it’s a pleasure to enjoy them and return them. Plus, I feel it’s good for the environment because I’m not buying them and throwing them away. Yes, I know we can recycle them, and I do recycle the one magazine we have a subscription to, but overall, I think it’s nice that someone else can enjoy the same magazine.

So, I had quite a hunting expedition in less than 30 minutes and came home with quite a bounty. I feel I saved money because I didn’t purchase books and magazines and made use of the tax dollars the library receives to purchase materials. Wow, two proverbial birds with one stone! So I’m either a great hunter or quite the successful gatherer. It’s up to you to decide.

There's something appetizing about a great murder mystery when the protagonist has something to do with food. I know I like it when I can sink my teeth into a fabulous murder mystery (I know, I should be sorry about the pun, but I’m not, so get over it!).

I have become a great fan of Diana Mott Davidson. Her main character is Goldy, who runs Goldilocks Catering – where everything is just right. I love reading how she walks into her walk in freezer and plucks this and that out of it and makes her fabulous dish.

Then there’s Joanie Fluke. Her main character is Hannah who runs a cookie shop in Minnesota called…The Cookie Jar. No, I don’t make this stuff up. But it’s fun reading the stories and how these gals get themselves into trouble and bake themselves out of it.

I just finished a new book called a Slice of Murder and the main character, Eleanor, runs a pizzeria. She delivers a pizza and finds a corpse. She and her sister have to solve the murder mystery because otherwise Eleanor is the main suspect.

All are good fiction and all have good recipes…maybe not so good to die for, but interesting nonetheless.

Besides the good food and the love of cooking, all these ladies are interesting and likeable characters. They are a down home kind of gals except for their little quirk of finding bodies. Dead bodies. And they have to cook for this and that ans solve the mystery besides. Talk about multi-tasking supreme!

I enjoy reading the mysteries, but I think if I were going to give a dinner party, these gals wouldn’t be on my guest list. With their talent for finding dead bodies I’m not sure it would be good company. Not to mention finding it difficult to make a seating chart with folks dropping like flies. And, I certainly wouldn’t want to have a reputation of having a recipe for murder. Bon appetit’.