chez Colleen

Out and about on the Hill

2011-05-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

Yes, on my days off, I occasionally wander around the City of St.Louis. This usually happens when I get off the highway and start going down streets I travelled in high school and college. Today, while I was out, I left St. Louis University near the hospital, cut over I-44, to the Vandeventer exit. I took Vandeventer to Shaw and before you knew it, I was on the Hill, St. Louis's storied Italian neighborhood.

As a college student, and in a couple of early jobs (which were both within 2 miles) I spent a lot of time on the Hill eating and shopping. Today it was a little of both.

First, I headed to Adriana's On the Hill. I usually get the Half and Half special (Franco and the soup of the day), but decided to just go with the soup today, even though they were predicting hot weather. This place does great soups, salads and sandwiches. I had the Sicilian Cauliflower, and it was unlike any cauliflower soup I'd ever had. Picture a light broth with pasta, tomatoes and a touch of grated parmesan on top. Served with Italian bread, it was a great light lunch.

Next, I went looking for some Abruzzese sausage and found it down the street at Vivianos, which led me to this recipe. I couldn't find any cheese that struck my fancy, so I drove down Shaw to Marconi, and went to DiGregorios Market. Plenty of cheese...just which one? I got small pieces of Rustico, Caciocavallo, and Tallegio. They're all good, but I'd say the Tallegio is my favorite for now. It's sort of like Brie.

Finally, I picked up some bread, crostini, and some biscotti for Liam, and headed on my way. I could hardly wait to get home and test everything, since I had a light lunch. It was all delicious!

If you're ever in St. Louis and like Italian, the Hill is the place to be. Don't miss it.

Where, oh where have I gone?

2011-03-11T19:32:00.001-06:00

Ah, the depths of graduate school work. Yes, it's online, but that doesn't mean I'm not printing out lots of stuff and using lots of paper.

More updates as soon as I get all the food photos downloaded. 2010 was a banner year for interesting recipes, so we'll see what we can get in 2011.

Sometimes I feel this way...

2010-07-24T16:41:00.001-05:00

Umlaut fixed.

Waiting for class to be over so I can update my recipes! Just too much writing now on school topics.

See you later...

Middle age crazy?

2010-06-13T17:37:00.004-05:00

Not yet, but I found this article funny in the WSJ recently. And later, also in the WSJ, I found this article about DARE, which appealed to the linguistics student in me.

It's boiling outside, so I might as well enjoy the weather inside!

More later...

High school flashback

2010-06-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

I tried learning shorthand, but nothing seemed to stick. It seemed like another language, but you can't get by just speaking it well.

This Wall Street Journal article talks about a shorthand "translator" today.

Stormy weather

2010-05-10T13:01:00.000-05:00

School's out!

2010-03-21T19:23:00.004-05:00

For me, at least. Bubba goes back to school tomorrow, and he's not too thrilled about it, even though he got to go on vacation part of the time.

Since our instructor suggested we not do any homework (online) this week, I've been relaxing and doing other stuff. Here are links to a few of the fun items I've uncovered.

After a 10 year hiatus, we finally got to go back to San Francisco (darned kids and life can do that to you). Fortunately, we had glorious weather (it was not so glorious when we arrived, but was perfect after that) and a grand time with the kids running about.

Don't miss these in San Francisco:

The Top of the Mark (at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins hotel) Nob Hill
We stayed there and only went to the top before we left, but sunset there was very pretty. Got a few photos and enjoyed the view. Too bad the bar was full on a Sunday night. I surely needed a drink (which I didn't get until we got home).

I was looking for something immediately when I woke up Saturday. I had dreams about the patisserie from this place for years. Marilyn got her wedding cake from them when she lived nearby--a custard-filled sponge cake with real strawberries and an ethereal frosting.

So I got a map, and I talked to the concierge and a desk clerk about the shop, but by mistake, they directed me to La Boulange on Russian Hill. It was a jog to get there (I dragged Bubba along to get him outside since he woke up at 0330 Pacific time), but since we had walked so far, I made sure we had plenty of goodies to bring back for Dad. Later, we also ended up at La Boulange's Pine store when Delanghe's was closed on Monday. It wasn't the same, but oh, my goodness. That goat cheese tart they were sampling...superbe!

Angel Island
We took the ferry from Tiburon here and had a blast. We took sandwiches and assorteds from Shark's Deli with us. With three young boys, we opted for the tram tour, because we would have never made it around the island walking. Segways and bikes are available for rent, too.

Following the marathon day on Angel Island, we headed to a crowded Pier 39 and some little fellow at our house got to see the sea lions, which had been his goal since he read a book about them in December. We got him a corn dog when he was hungry, but his stomach did not like it, though.

We retreated to Marilyn and Wes's house and ate Chinese with the kids who felt like eating. For dessert, we walked over to John Campbell's Irish Bakery. I had the Double Chocolate Almond Tart. Dave loved the rhubarb with crumb topping. From reading yelp, I wasn't surprised that people really liked the items from this place. The soda bread, scones and cookies are also pretty amazing.

After all the Angel Island excitment, we slept late on a glorious Sunday, then trekked through Chinatown on our way to Old St. Mary's Cathedral. After that, we also rode the Powell St. cable car to San Francisco Centre. I had Out the Door for lunch, which was lovely. The boys liked their lunches, too. It was a lazy Sunday strolling around downtown after that, shopping and window shopping.

Later Sunday, Marilyn and I met for coffee and strolled around the Laurel Heights neighborhood. We shopped where we could and window shopped everywhere else. When all was said and done, we got dinner for me to take back to the hotel for the boys at Asqew, which they enjoyed.

On our last day, before we headed out, we went to the Presidio and saw a few things in that neighborhood, particularly Crissy Field. We flew home on one of the last non-stops from San Francisco to St. Louis. We'll miss them.

More later...

I'm #979

2010-03-06T21:21:00.002-06:00

And I mastered the Met....hooray! I finished #119 for my group. I felt like I was breathing fire by the end, but I made it....walking really fast!

Tip: wear good shoes and compression shorts or tights.

I love my Crock pot

2010-03-05T20:01:00.001-06:00

And so did Mable. Thank you!

It's super....

2010-02-07T16:05:00.003-06:00

Yes, Super Bowl Sunday is here again. No big party here, but the crock pots are full of chili (one ground beef and one chicken) and we have hot dogs, brats and chips to round out the dinner table of seasonal fare.

Our chicken chili recipe originated at allrecipes.com. As usual, we made a few modifications (not as many white beans...forgot the canellini and tomatillos) but it still smells pretty good.

Now all we have to do is get ready for it all. My favorite part of Super Bowl is the commercials.

Stay tuned...

Impromptu

2010-01-30T07:54:00.002-06:00

I really never envisioned vacationing in Arizona in winter, but here I am. Stay tuned for more updates.

New year, new challenges

2010-01-19T09:37:00.004-06:00

You know it's going to be an interesting year when you look at the amount of excitement in the first two weeks.

On a global scale, the Haitian earthquake happened a little over a week ago. It's a scary thought, not only on the scale of things, but as a resident in a famous fault area myself, it is telling...almost looking in a mirror as to what could happen in our neck of the woods, should the big one hit here.

Rather than feel distanced, donate. And if you want to keep your donations local, check out Wings of Hope. They are a charity located in Chesterfield and their primary mission is flying and by doing so, making a difference in the health and welfare of people all around the globe. Check out their charity navigator rating, too. You'll see that they have a four star rating and use their donations appropriately. They need your help to keep their Haitian and Dominican operations running to help the aid organizations in the area. Please donate if you can.

On a personal note, I'm getting ready to Master the Met, Saturday March 6. What does this mean? Yours truly will don the sneakers and march up fortysomething floors to the top of the Metropolitan Square Building downtown. Note: I didn't say I was running. No thanks! Just know that I will make it up to the top, just a little slower than the marathon runners who race up the stairs. I truly believe the race is not just to the swift, but to those who keep on going.

If you'd like to contribute to this effort, which benefits the American Lung association, click on my fundraising page to donate.

Graduate school starts again soon and I will be taking a road trip cross country. It should be interesting.

Last but not least, one little fellow at our house has a birthday soon. He will be donning the bowling shoes and partying with his friends and a Transformers cake. I can hardly believe I've been a mother for seven, whole years.

Happy Birthday, sweetie! Mama loves you!

More to come...stay tuned.

Santa Claus is coming to town

2009-12-18T14:02:00.000-06:00

Thanks, Santa! I've always wanted one...

Gotta love it...

2009-11-28T11:47:00.004-06:00

I enjoy passing along snippets I find on the internet of interest. This one below comes from St. Louis's own Riverfront Times. Enjoy!

In the News section is the following letter to the editor.

From sea to shining sea:

The most important aspect of my geographical location is that it is in the United States of America. I reject any assertion that small towns are filled with unsophisticated hillbillies and hilljillies, and that big-city residents are godless sexual deviants without a sense of community. All too often people try to divide us as Americans with political code words: red states, blue states, guns and religion, welfare moms and real America. My community is America. Wherever I go in these United States, whether it is San Francisco, Joplin or Boston, I always find myself among neighbors.

Scott, via the Internet

Who knew...

2009-11-23T08:01:00.002-06:00

We were following the Millan method all the time calling Dave the "alpha dog"?

Misspent ....

2009-11-14T13:28:00.003-06:00

Vacation? Perhaps, but alas, I got more done than I thought I would.

Who would have guessed that one little water leak would lead to a mess and lots of cleanup? That's done, thankfully. And the carpet looks smashing.

As is usual whenever I'm off, there was a whole lot of cooking going on around here. Pans of lasagna, not one, but two kinds of fresh apple pie, a variation of beef stroganoff and a few other things. If only I took pictures...I could have posted them with the recipes!

When you're in a hurry, be careful what you throw in boxes or bags to store. I finally got around to taking care of those assorted boxes and bags in storage. The local charity resale stores got the benefit...lots of clothes, toys, coats and even some furniture. It's amazing how much room you have when you get rid of the stuff cluttering up your storage area! Some of them even pick up which is even better!

And as a reformed technology person, I spent a good chunk of my vacation online. I never check my Facebook account unless I get an e-mail, so I went mulling around there and found a few new cool groups, including one for the Carondelet Historical Society. Besides that, I found a really cool article about saving wet electronic equipment like MP3 players here at cnet.

Sure, I had to do some homework for my online classes, but I got them done in time to start the Christmas shopping (and now I have plenty of room to hide the stuff!) and found all sorts of interesting stuff, including this cool candy selection on www.amazon.com called the 1980s Retro Candy Gift set. Gotta love those wax lips and fangs! I won't reveal any of the other things because some people are too nosy! Just gotta wait for Santa!

Nevertheless, I go back to work soon, but I have aspirations of goodies while I wait. This article about short story writers called Brevity is a Virtue makes me want to write something. We'll just let that idea float around and see what happens.

More to come...check back later.

Fall tasting menu

2009-10-18T21:38:00.003-05:00

Seen (and eaten..quickly) on the dinner table at our house recently...

Curried pumpkin soup (mine was a modified version of this one at www.cooks.com)
Endives and Ham in Bechamel sauce (here is a slightly different version)
Roasted Butternet Squash (check this one from Food Network)
Poached pears (another good version is located at www.about.com)

Stay tuned for more dinner sightings! Bon appetit!

A culinary trip to Morocco

2009-09-25T19:48:00.006-05:00

I found a great book while I was wondering around my local library called Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco by Ghillie Basan. Since I had some chicken already at home, I checked the cupboards, picked up the remaining ingredients and started to get rolling.

There are a lot of tagines in this book--meat, fish, and chicken--as well as a few complementing side dishes.

I served this with plain couscous and a green salad as suggested. It was wonderful!

I decided to make the tagine listed on page 37: Spicy chicken tagine with apricots, rosemary and ginger.

NOTE: my alterations are noted in the recipe below.

2 tbsp olive oil with a pat of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1.5 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
3 chicken leg quarters, cut into pieces (6 pieces of chicken)
3/4 cup dried apricots
2 tbsp honey
1 can (28 oz.) plum tomatoes with juice
sea salt and ground black pepper
small bunch of green basil leaves
buttery couscous

Heat the oil and butter in a tagine or heavy casserole dish (I used my cast iron skillet). Stir in onion, rosemary, ginger, red pepper flakes, and saute until onion begins to soften. Stir in the cinnamon stick.

Add chicken pieces and brown on both sides. Toss in apricots with the honey and stir in plum tomatoes with juice. (Add water if needed--cover the base of tagine and submerge apricots). Bring liquid to boil, then reduce heat. Cover with lid and cook gently for 35-40 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shred the larger basil leaves and leave the small ones intact. Sprinkle them over the chicken and serve immediately.

Buttery couscous (from p.60 of same book)

1.5 cups couscous, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 pats butter in small pieces

I put my couscous in a 2 quart glass dish with water and oil. Microwave on high with lid on for four minutes to boiling. Leave couscous sit for at least 10-15 minutes. Add butter to top and serve with tagine when complete.

Random sights in my world

2009-09-25T19:37:00.005-05:00

Greek cookie man

Pecan pie

Peach custard pie

Random sights from my world

2009-08-15T09:18:00.004-05:00

Peach alstromeria, one of my favorite flowers

Peach cobbler, version one.

Blueberry crisp delivered to the one of the St. Louis FUSRAP sites.

Banana bread baked for the Boniface crew 7/30/09

Recipes to follow...

Bueller, Bueller....

2009-08-06T18:36:00.002-05:00

RIP John Hughes.

John Hughes described the story of my life in high school. We all knew kids who could have been straight out of Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Pretty in Pink, even if we most resembled the Breakfast Club folks (sans detention).

RIP GE and other assorted shenanigans

2009-07-26T14:47:00.003-05:00

The GE refrigerator I successfully cleaned is terminal. While I was off, I decided to do a twofer service call and got the appliance man to look at both my balky clothes dryer and the fridge. Turns out there's a refrigerant leak in the fridge. It's too expensive to fix, so yours truly made the appliance search online and in person and I ended up visiting my friends down the road at Sears for a new one. Right now, it's cool, but not much better than that. It will go to the big refrigerator graveyard next week.

We had a wonderful brunch today at Nadoz, which is in the Coronado just across from the SLU Law School on Lindell. Our favorite place to brunch was closed for vacation, so we were pleasantly surprised with the selection. Since we were early, one little boy got to play in and around the clock tower just west of the SLU Cook School of Business.

Mommy remembers when I went there, I would have been run over on that part of Spring in my day. It was a fun place to frolic and wait for brunch, among the fountains, statues and pond.

More to come...stay tuned.

Zen and the Art of Refrigerator Maintenance

2009-07-21T10:35:00.009-05:00

Yes, it's a pun on the book someone at work is reading. I knew something was amiss when I went in the downstairs refrigerator and something smelled funny. The temperature just didn't seem right, either.

Well, I found out why why I took everything out and relocated it to the other freezer and refrigerator, because I found this:

Since I'm a curious sort, I found out here at appliance411 how this all happens. Most likely, we'll have to replace some parts to keep this from happening again. Since this fridge does not keep anything special, we'll fix it at our leisure.

I also found some good articles on this subject at the following sites:

eHow
Associated Content's Home Maintenance section

Nevertheless, it all turned out pretty well. I got a clean refrigerator and learned something new.

Happy Birthday

2009-07-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

Wish you were here....

Weekend cooking

2009-07-11T13:55:00.005-05:00

I'm always working on something in the kitchen most weekends. Today, I sauteed some vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, Vidalia onion, garlic and my first homegrown, ripe Yellow Boy tomato) and baked a cake.

This is one of my favorite recipes for cheesecake. It is also sometimes called "old fashioned" or "crescent roll" cheesecake, which is what we call it at our house.

Crescent Roll Cheesecake

9x13 pan needed

1-2 packages crescent rolls (I used two because I like more crust on my cheesecake and I manipulate it)
3-8oz. packages cream cheese (I use Neufchatel for lower fat content)
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 eggs

Press crescent rolls into 9x13 pan. Mix cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla; mix well.

Add eggs in one at a time and mix well. Pour mixture over crescent rolls.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cool completely and enjoy plain or topped with your favorite fruits. Keep refrigerated.

At least...

2009-06-29T19:18:00.000-05:00

No one has asked for this at my house (from crankyprof)

Food and fun

2009-06-27T16:25:00.010-05:00

It's sweltering here at our house, so no pies baking like last week (Dad got a summertime favorite--blueberry).

Here are a couple of food and fun oriented articles from my trips around the internet.

Frugal Pleasures of Paris in Summer (from http://www.nytimes.com/)
I've been to Paris in June, but one day, I may check it out in July and August, too.

I saw this story on Living St. Louis today (on KETC--it's an oldie but goodie) about Sweetie Pie's soul food restaurant. If you've never been there, you've gotta go!

A story of a modern miracle

2009-06-24T19:09:00.003-05:00

The Kansas Miracle Man (from the Wichita Eagle)

Happy Flag Day

2009-06-15T21:21:00.004-05:00

..a little late. I was busy yesterday!

The good folks at Sunday Stealing have a great meme out now, so here goes.

1. What thing is nearest to you ?
My dog is at my feet.

2. What is your ringtone ?
The default one...I don't buy ringtones, since my phone's usually on vibrate.

3. What was the last message in your inbox ?
So many messages....

4. Who is your best friend ?
Becky, and my husband, of course. (Becky's been around longer...she's like another sister)

5. What is the brand of your TV ?
Right now, Sanyo...going to Samsung soon, though.

6. What schools did you attend?
Private.

7. Do you own a MP4 ?
No.

8. What song are you listening to now ?
None.

9. Did you kiss anybody in the past 2 days ?
Of course!

10. Have you ever kissed someone you met in the blogosphere?
No.

11. What would you want to call if you weren't your current name ?
I like my name, as I've mentioned before.

12. Would you be happy if you had everything ?
Depends on what "everything" is. It's not so bad right now.

13. Are you always thinking of someone special?
Sure. I always am thinking of something.

14. Tell us of your most desperate dream?
I recently had a dream that someone stole my wallet.

15. When did you last laugh till you cried?
Can't remember...happens often.

16. If you had a crush, would you tell them you love him/her now ?
Probably not...that's so high school.

17. If you could be anywhere in the world now, where would you want to be ?
Right here, right now, there is no other place I'd like to be. (that's a song...)

18. When was your heart last broken?
Hmm...can't recall.

19. Whose birthday(s) is/are coming up?
My friend's next week.

20. How many email accounts do you have?
Too many to count...I'm just too geeky that way. ;->

Cooking up a storm

2009-06-13T18:54:00.003-05:00

Thankfully, no thunderstorms have rolled through our neck of the woods today. It has been busy, though, and the tomato plant in the front yard is growing well from all the water that's been coming.

Since this is a free weekend for me, I've been in the kitchen cooking. We had a Sunday dinner on Saturday, because...well, I felt like making it today!

Here's what we had:

Herbed Pork Chops

Dave got this hog from rural Missouri with a guy he worked with this winter. Very, very tender pork.

I dredged four rib pork chops in flour with salt, pepper, and spices (dried marjoram, thyme, and fresh sage and parsley from our patio pot). I seared them in a skillet in two pats of butter and then put them in a casserole (covered) in a 350 degree F oven for a half hour.

Scalloped Potatoes

I used my old standby recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (2000-70th anniversary edition) and as usual, they turned out great. For one little boy, I usually use cheddar cheese, but since we were out, I used the Swiss (Gruyere) the recipe cites.

Here's the recipe below:

1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons margarine or butter (I use butter)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash salt
1 1/4 cups milk (I use skim)
3 medium potatoes (1 pound) such as long white, round white, round red or yellow, such as Yukon.
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (optional)
NOTE: I used this one, and you can also use cheddar without issue)

Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole and set aside

For sauce, in small saucepan, cook onion and garlic until tender, but not brown. Stir in flour, pepper and salt. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Thinly slice potatoes. Place half the sliced potatoes in the prepared casserole. Cover with half sauce. Repeat potato and sauce layers.

Bake covered in a 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes more until potatoes are tender. Makes 4-6 servings.

Raspberry salad

2 cups washed and torn Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, washed and divided in two
1/4 cup Maple River Farms raspberry vinagrette
2 tablespoons toasted sunflower kernels, divided in two
crumbled Feta cheese to taste (approximately 2 tablespoons per salad, add as you desire)

Add cleaned Romaine to individual bowls, one cup per bowl. Add raspberries, sunflower kernels, vinagrette and Feta cheese to taste. Vary as you like.

Garlic bread

1 French baguette, split lengthwise
Drizzle with olive oil, add one minced clove of garlic among pieces (I cut mine in thirds for approximately 6 smaller pieces) and dust with parmesan cheese.

Add to broiler and watch for approximately 5 minutes or until brown.
NOTE: Remove before the smoke detector goes off!

Serve with your favorite drinks and desserts. We had ice cream and coffee.

If you prepare this meal, hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Impromptu

2009-05-27T19:54:00.000-05:00

Flower in my hotel...

Food and memories

2009-05-20T07:37:00.004-05:00

I saw this article in the New York Times today and just like the Proustian scenario where the character is transported to another time by the taste of a madeleine, my thoughts were racing as I read it.

It's red and comes with a rooster on the bottle. The first time I ever saw Huy Fong Foods' sriracha sauce was when my husband and I went on our first date to a Vietnamese restaurant. Everything tasted really good, but I didn't want to spoil it by adding some sauce I didn't know about. I tried it later and realized it has a good burn.

Because of the rooster, many people just call it the "rooster sauce". I'm sure those Asian grocery people think it's funny when all the non-Asians come in looking for it. One of the engineers I worked with developed a taste, so as a going away gift when she left the company, I gave her a bottle.

Amazingly enough, I used to talk to some of the folks at Huy Fong for one of my first jobs. The company I worked for supplied a part used in the sriracha sauce production. One of the Whitney boys took care of them (can't remember if it was Bob or Russ...our company's version of the Smothers Brothers...) and he said they were good customers. Turns out grinding hot peppers wears out the parts we sold pretty regularly.

It has been eleven years since I left that job, but I still have a flood of memories whenever I see that rooster on the table in the condiments. Go out and try some today...if nothing else, your sinuses will be cleared! Enjoy!

The Graduate edition

2009-05-16T21:44:00.002-05:00

It's graduation season again, and the 'net's abuzz with all sorts of graduation stories. Here are a few I've encountered recently.

Michelle Obama delivers Charge to Graduates at University of California, Merced (from www.nytimes.com)
Sometimes the impossible does come true.

Tulane graduates get a special salute (from www.yahoo.com)
The class of 2009 started just before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005

And at my alma mater, Greg Mortenson gave the commencement address today at the Chaifetz Arena.

Fun, fun, fun

2009-05-14T19:29:00.004-05:00

I find my joy of living in the fierce and ruthless battles of life, and my pleasure comes from learning something. ~Auguste Strindberg, Miss Julie, 1888 (from http://www.quotegarden.com/misc1.html)

Lots of learning going on here...even with the close of the school year. One little fellow will be learning to swim and Mom will be prepping to go back to school for the next adventure.

Should be an interesting summer...stay tuned!

I'm not in Casablanca...

2009-04-22T15:38:00.005-05:00

However, from the looks of the recipes I've been cranking out today, you'd think I was in Casablanca!

The house is currently being perfumed by Moroccan Meatballs and Chicken and Chickpea Stew. How did I do it? Well, I took a couple of recipes from the internet and adapted them to my situation. Chicken thighs and ground lamb were on sale at my local store, so I bought some of both.

First, I made the Chicken and Chickpea Stew in my SmartPot crock pot from this recipe from www.goodhousekeeping.com. Below is my adaptation.

5 pound(s) chicken thighs, skinned
3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 (1-pound) jumbo onion, chopped
2 clove(s) garlic
2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon(s) paprika
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 can(s) (28-ounce) whole tomatoes in puree
1 can(s) (14- to 14 1/2-ounce) chicken broth
6 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 can(s) (32-ounce) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 cup(s) pitted green and black olives, whole

First, I browned the chicken thighs in olive oil on both sides. Then I sprinkled the seasoning mixture (cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne) on top of each thigh. Once browned, I put the first 6 in the crock pot, then browned the remaining six and topped with spices when browned.

Next I added my can of tomatoes and my chickpeas to the crock pot on top of the first chicken thighs. When the rest of the thighs were done, I added those.

Following this, I chopped my carrots, and in the skillet I used for the chicken, I browned my onions and garlic slightly. When done, I added them all to the crockpot, and topped it with the olives.

Finally, I set the heat to four hours and away I went. NOTE : this dish is great with pasta or couscous on the side.

Photo of Chicken and Chickpea stew below:

Sunday Stealing: the 40 Meme

2009-04-19T19:34:00.004-05:00

Ahh, for a little break from my studying, I found this Sunday Stealing meme via The Night Life from a Nurse's Point of View blog.

1. My uncle once : took me to the airport...and brought me back when I returned several months later. Granny was superstitious about that stuff.

2. Never in my life : have I been to Idaho.

3. When I was seventeen : I was plotting and planning what I would do in college.

4. High School was : fun, especially when I was goofing off outside of classes. It was even fun goofing off in class.

5. I will never forget : high school graduation. It was hot and steamy, with no AC. Thankfully, I was tall enough to sit in the back row by the fans.

6. I once met : Chuck Berry in Reagan National Airport.

7. There’s this girl I know who : meets celebrities all the time. She works at several local concert venues.

8. Once, at a bar : I saw a flaming drink (I forget what it was, though).

9. By noon, I’m usually : working somewhere.

10. Last night : I watched a movie.

11. If only I had : an iPhone. I could send e-mail from anywhere.

12. Next time I go to gym/church : I'll bring my husband. (He was out doing stuff today, so he went at a different time.)

13. Susan Boyle : sounds pretty good. Just watched the YouTube video today. Loved Simon's face while she sang.

14. What worries me most : being unprepared for anything.

15. When I turn my head left, I see : a lamp.

16. When I turn my head right, I see : a lamp.

17. You know I’m lying when : I say, "Okay." and look incredulously at you.

18. What I miss most about the eighties : my giraffe print Chuck Taylors. I'd be so in right about now!

19. If I was a character in Shakespeare, I’d be : Ophelia...or Juliet.

20. By this time next year : I hope to get my family out somewhere on vacation (and not to anywhere in IL).

21. A better name for me would be : I like my name just fine, thanks.

22. I have a hard time understanding : calculus and Wittgensteinian logic. I forced myself in college and very little ever stuck.

23. If I ever go back to school, I’ll :get a master's degree this time.

24. You know I like you if : we go out for coffee.

25. If I ever won an award, the first person I’d thank would be : My parents, without whom, said award would be impossible.

26. When I compare 80’s rock to 90’s rock : I don't usually. I have my favorites among both decades.

27. Take my advice, never : go to the hospital alone, and get out as fast as you possibly can.

28. My ideal breakfast is : slow and unhurried with lots of coffee.

29. A song I love, but do not own is : Vacation by the Go-Gos (80s and reflecting what I'm thinking about right now!)

30. If you visit my hometown, I suggest :seeing the sites and letting me take you to a few obscure ones, based on your interests.

31. My favorite Beatle is : Paul.

32. Why won’t people : use turn signals.

33. If you spend the night at my house : it will be quiet until 6AM when the dog gets up.

34. I’d stop my wedding for : my in-laws. (Actually did that--they got lost on the way. The bride CAN be late, remember?)

35. The world could do without : global warming.

36. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than : ugh! I hate roaches! The only good roach is a dead one.

37. My favorite blonde is : my son.

38: Paper clips are more useful than : binder clips in many instances.

39. If I do anything well, it’s : manage my life under the varying circumstances. I've had some doozies!

40. And by the way : I make a mean pound cake. Just ask this guy about Mrs. Nelson's Imperial Pound Cake from St. Louis.

Egg-xtravaganza

2009-04-11T10:24:00.002-05:00

Here's a sampling of the Easter eggs I dyed recently. Nothing fancy, just the old food coloring in vinegar-water bath with some masking tape added for effect.

The small eggs came from our neighbor's chickens.

Happy Easter!

And this is my life....

2009-03-20T21:50:00.003-05:00

At least, according to my husband, who claims I am obsessed with blogging and fish fries.

Nevertheless, I'm enjoying my vacation blogging, going to fish fries and reading goodies on the internet, in addition to the behind the scenes work of running a household--such as cooking, making beds and doing the laundry. Ahh, the excitement seeps into my life here and there, and ultimately, vacation is a fun thing to do. I recommend it highly throughout the year.

Here are a few interesting things I've encountered around town and on the internet recently.

Star Trek Fans 'Getting their Kirk On' from www.nytimes.com
All I have to worry about is stereo equipment, thankfully, this chair will never grace my living room.

Young and old are facing off for jobs (also www.nytimes.com)
I'm having deja vu all over again reading this article, but thankfully, I have not graduated recently. I'm just crossing my fingers that all those old nurses don't try to come and get their jobs back on my unit!

Richardson saw doctors hours after fall (www.nytimes.com)
They call the first hour following any trauma "the golden hour", which makes this story even more troubling. As a rehab nurse, I can only hope it will make more people aware of the potential for traumatic brain injuries, even with innocent-looking bumps to the head.

And yes, the really important stuff...
Did you know that they're filming a new movie here in St. Louis? Why yes, they are and George Clooney happens to be the star of Paramount's upcoming Up in the Air.

While I was out and about this week, I saw the "snow" at Affton High School (it looked pretty impressive since it didn't melt at 80F...it was shredded paper according to some reports. Another day, I saw a caravan of Paramount trailers. Who knows...one was probably George's, rolling down Gravois and turning to go north on I-55. Nevertheless, it doesn't take much to entertain St. Louisans before spring actually shows up.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T16:28:00.010-05:00

(our very own leprechaun)

I love corned beef and cabbage, but hate the cabbage smell that lingers. One of these days, I'll find a really good air freshener that kills the cabbage smell.

Right now, I'm doing it by baking a batch of this quick Irish soda bread. Believe it or not, it's really getting rid of the smell.

And here's what it looked like out of the oven with a little butter on top:

Soup journal: Red lentil, Oxtail

2009-03-08T15:45:00.007-05:00

Well, winter's nearly over, but I've had a lot of fun making different soups this year. For the most part, I've put them in my crockpot as I've gone about my business, cleaning house on my day off or working.

Here are a couple of my favorites below.

Red lentil soup (from www.nytimes.com) is a healthy vegetarian soup.

I made oxtail soup last week based on this recipe from www.cooks.com. I did deviate slightly, though. Cooks.com is great because it has a whole section of crockpot recipes.

Here's my version I made in my SMART crockpot.

Oxtail soup

4 ox tail pieces
3 tbsps butter
1 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove
1.5 qts. water + 1 can beef broth
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 onion, chopped
6 large carrots, chopped

Saute ox tails in three tablespoons butter until browned. Pour in one cup red wine (I used burgundy) and simmer in covered frying pan for 10 minutes.

NOTE: I also browned the onions in the same skillet used for browning the oxtails. Add all other ingredients and cook in crockpot 4-5 hours.

Cook until done. (Optional: add 1 teaspoon sugar to enhance flavor.) Remove meat from oxtails when soup is done. This soup is even better the next day, and it's easier to skim off fat when cold.

Serve with your favorite crusty bread or cornbread.

Gotta love low tech and fish

2009-02-22T09:08:00.002-06:00

I found this article recently in the NY Times. I haven't tried all of them, but they certainly merit a look.

Shameless plug: If you're out and about eating at fish fries this Lenten season (yes, it's coming up Wednesday!), head on over to the Fish Fry section of www.stbonifaceonline.com and let our readers know which ones you like best.

NOTE: we predominately review fish fries in the St. Louis, MO metropolitan area, but if you're out of town, particularly in WI or AZ, send them in. We get folks from all over checking out our pages all year long.

No truer words...

2009-01-15T14:07:00.000-06:00

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
C. S. Lewis

The house got cleaned today. It's not perfect, but it's cleaner than when I started. Hooray!

Back to my regularly scheduled program...work!

Out with the old...

2009-01-14T15:02:00.003-06:00

In with the new...Happy New Year to all!

Yes, I've taken my good old time on this blog the last couple of months. A few things have come up to keep me busy.

First, I was lucky enough to be sent to Seattle in fall weather to attend a conference. I had a blast in the land of Starbucks. I've only been to the Pacific Northwest once before and that was north of the border, so this was my first junket to that neck of the woods in 10 years. I learned a bit and had a good time. I wish I would have had more time to be a tourist!

Earlier in December, I got not one, but two birthday celebrations and a memorial service in one day. After all that, I had a surprise party...much to my surprise! I hadn't even a clue. I guess that's what I deserve for a speed limit birthday. It was fun.

When the holidays rolled around, I got the pleasure of working, as I will for years to come, since I am lucky enough to have no seniority. So until everyone quits or retires or I win the lottery, yours truly will get to work on Christmas and most of the other holidays, unless they fall on my day off. Ahh, the fun of work...but I ain't complainin'! I really enjoy my commute (could only get longer if I decide to walk) and the pay and benefits are nice. It's also nice to work in a specialty, since we're respected for knowing what we're doing, which, as Martha would say, is a very, very good thing.

My most memorable holidays gifts: a "MOM" coffee mug, some DVDs (foreign films and Sabrina--yeah!) and a nasty, nasty virus. Try as I might, I couldn't send the virus back. At least, as a good nurse, I kept the virus at bay until the holidays were over (I'm sure my boss enjoyed that!)

2009 is interesting so far. I'm studying and cleaning and plotting and planning. It should be fun!
Stay tuned...

All because of a cat named Lucifer

2008-11-18T06:36:00.006-06:00

I often wonder how things pass in and out of life in the strangest ways. I have met some really fascinating people in the oddest ways.

I met Don Finkel because of my husband. He had to watch Lucifer while Don and his wife Connie were out of town many years ago when we were dating. That experience led to a long and even more exciting story, when the housesitter's worst nightmare comes true--a disaster at the house. (Thankfully not caused by my husband but by a workman's errant torch on the roof.)Everything turned out well with that one, and Lucifer lived to a ripe old age.

We really enjoyed talking to Don and Connie. They were the most fascinating people and I learned more about them once I read their work. Don and his daughter Amy even came to our wedding. We think of him often, because his wedding gift, a beautiful bowl, sits in our dining room where we see it every day.

I read in April that a number of poets did a tribute to Don at one of the local restaurants. Today I read that Don passed away over the weekend. Our sincerest condolences go out today to Amy, Tom, and Liza and the rest of the Finkel family. What a wonderful life!

Another Sunday Stealing classic - meme on blogs

2008-11-15T17:03:00.003-06:00

The Meme About Memes & Blogging

How do you feel about being tagged for memes?
Personally, it doesn't bother me in the least.

Do you participate in any regular weekly memes? Which ones?
No. I would if I had the time. Sometimes blogging weekly is difficult. I have two other blogs I write for besides this one (see the sidebar), and lately it's been challenging.

Have you found any bloggers that you began to read regularly after participating in a meme with them?
No, not exactly, but I have read blogs I wouldn't normally read because of some memes.

Do you know of any readers who found you through a meme and became regular readers?
No.

Did you find any favorite blogs through comments or blogrolls on others’ blogs?
Yes, I do all the time. I love reading comments and then checking a blog. It's fascinating stuff.

Did you find any favorite blogs from someone else’s recommendation?
Yes, I have.

If you comment on someone’s blog, do you expect a response? If so, do you prefer that response to come through an e-mail, a comment from them on the same post, or a a comment on your blog?
No. Sometimes I subscribe to comments, but most often, I do not. I'll check the posts out later if I go back at a future date.

Do you ever struggle with your blogging “voice”?
Yes, I started this blog on a lark, when "blog" really was a foreign word, even for someone in an internet-oriented job like mine. I developed it further when I was looking for a specific internet job. I didn't get it (I was one of the finalists), so I only blogged sporadically.

Then 2006 rolled around after I had successfully launched and run http://www.stbonifaceonline.com/ once the parish had closed. I started that blog and posted daily for a little over a year. Traffic picked up and I developed the very popular Ultimate Fish Fry Compendium. I then realized I needed to come back to this blog and have fun bouncing stuff around, since it had been a while since I was managing any sort of real web content of my own that was fun and fluffy.

By May of 2006, I was in nursing school and this was just the diversion I needed when I wasn't ripping my hair out in between class, clinicals, studying and chasing a little kid around the house.

Since graduation in 2007, I've been busy working, but I love messing around here. It is a lot of fun. I started my own tech-oriented nursing blog, IT RN because I couldn't find anything like it anywhere else.

Are there certain types of blogs that attract you?
I read all sorts of stuff, related to my current and former jobs, as well as all sorts of general things.

I read and get the idea of a blog usually in the first page and from the About section. A really good About section gets me to come back, because it gives me some background on the blog to understand it.

Are there certain types of blogs that repel you?
Not really. I'll read anything once. I don't appreciate the texter (r u 2 gr8) spelling stuff. I appreciate authentic American English standard grammar for the most part. (I say American, so those non-American English speakers don't give me trouble...I love English in whatever localization I get it!)

What time of day do you usually blog?
Whenever I have a free moment at home. I follow the rule of never blogging at work. I've got enough to do there...that's why they call it work!

Do your family and friends know about your blog? Do they read it? Do they mind if you mention them? Do they suggest posts for it?
Yes, they know about it. Some read it, some don't.

No one has accused me of revealing any family secrets (yet!), nor have they objected to me mentioning them. I use pseudonyms whenever I can. Occasionally, I get a post suggestion, but not too often.

Use the light sabre, Luke!

2008-11-11T16:41:00.000-06:00

Little did I know until Bubba went to the dentist, that you can get a filling in less than half an hour.

You can even get one without anesthetic using laser dentistry, which was really cool.

Indiana Jones

2008-11-02T08:13:00.002-06:00

Batboy!

2008-10-25T13:50:00.001-05:00

Here's Liam with his face painted at Auntie's party today

Election season stuff

2008-10-20T20:51:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's that season again. Thankfully, it only occurs every four years on this grand scale.

Here are a few different flavors of election-oriented items to enjoy!

Sure, there are lots of news outlets out there, but if you're interested in a religious slant, you can't beat Rocco Palmo's Whispers in the Loggia. Check out his recent post called Judgment Day is on it's way about the huge Obama rally in St. Louis this weekend.

If you missed the SNL Palin rap skit Saturday, check it out at www.nbc.com.

Dr. Gallagher

2008-10-11T11:56:00.003-05:00

My husband never knew life without him. He was my father-in-law's dearest friend from medical school. He came into my life on one of the most auspicious days--the day of my wedding eight years ago. His kindness of spirit and gentleness of heart will remain with us forever. My career memories, even though I've just started as a nurse a little over a year ago, will always be of him roaming the halls of St. Mary's on a mission--to see someone--patient, doctor or friend. He was there on my very first day on the floor as an RN at SSM Rehab visiting a friend who was on our unit and he appeared in the halls very frequently on his way to doctor's appointments or just visiting.

Our deepest condolences to the entire Gallagher clan today.

==========================================

Gallagher, Neil Ignatius M.D.

Born: October 12, 1926, Died: October 8th, 2008 at home surrounded by his loving family.

Fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church. Beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and highly respected physician, educator, author and researcher died after a courageous battle with a chronic blood disorder.

Dr. Gallagher, a St. Louis University educated and trained hematologist-oncologist, spent his entire professional career devoted to the care of patients and to the education and training of medical students and physicians in the St. Louis region. Preceded in death by his parents Francis Joseph Gallagher, M.D., Frieda Marion Gallagher (nee Dresp); his sisters Betty and Frieda Ann Gallagher, and brother Francis Joseph Gallagher, S.J. Devoted husband of 52 years to Pat (Patricia) Gallagher (nee Terry); loving father of Mary Pat Gallagher (Gerard Erker), Terry (Eddie) Bridges, Peggy (Chris) Diestel, and Neil (Julie) Gallagher; dearest grandpa of Annie Diehr (George), Danny, Neil, Kevin and Katy Erker, Jason and Leah Culture, Julia Bridges, Emily Stepanek, and Erin and Caitlin Gallagher; beloved great-grandpa of Cecelia and Colin Culture, and Frankie Erker Diehr; brother of Mary Jane Speer (nee Gallagher), Jackie Bell (nee Gallagher) and Jeanne Smelker (nee Gallagher); dear son-in-law of Ann (Roshel) Terry; dear friend, teacher, caregiver, and mentor to many.

Dr. Gallagher was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Tucson, Arizona, earning a BS in Biology from Santa Clara University (1947), a Master's in Education from the University of Arizona (1951) and his MD from St. Louis University School of Medicine (1954). He lived his life in the true Jesuit tradition, the tradition that his four uncles and his brother Frank Gallagher, S.J. exemplified: he was truly a man for others. He committed himself wholly during his 40-year career to the art of healing and providing excellent medical care to the sick and their families, and compassionate, palliative care to the dying. He continued to visit his sick and dying friends even while terminally ill himself.

Dr. Gallagher served at several St. Louis hospitals during his medical career. He began as a physician at St. Louis Veterans Administration Hospital in 1955 and served as Associate Chief of Staff, Research from 1963-'66, and served as both Chief of Medicine 1966-'68, 1973-'74, and Chief of Staff, 1973-'74. He was also a staff physician and instructor at St. Louis University Group Hospitals from 1959-'70, and a Professor in Internal Medicine from 1970-'86. Other positions held at the St. Louis University Group Hospitals include Vice-Chair Department of Internal Medicine 1970-'73 and Emeritus Professor Internal Medicine 1986-'94.

At St. Mary's Health Center Dr. Gallagher served for 31 years, including as Section head of medical hematology and oncology and associate in medical education, 1986-94. He also received the Teacher of the Year House Staff Award 1987. Dr. Gallagher was a member of numerous professional organizations and recipient of many awards during his medical career.

Most notably he was a member of: the American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, the American Society of Hematology (Emeritus), City Hospital Alumni Association, the Society of Internal Medicine, and a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) national medical honor society. He was the recipient of the 1991 John Krey III Memorial Award for outstanding clinical efforts in cancer control in the Missouri Metropolitan St. Louis area.

He was also a charter member of the ROMEOS : Retired Old Men Eating Out. He will always be remembered for his medical expertise, the compassion he showed his patients and his patients' families, his quick wit, his love of nature and his beautifully manicured gardens.

''Hold the physician in honor, for they are essential to you, and God it was who established this profession. From God the doctor is given their wisdom.'' Sirach 38: 1-3

Services: Funeral Mass Saturday October 11 at 10 a.m. at Ste. Genevieve du Bois Church, 1575 N. Woodlawn. Visitation is Friday, October 10, 3 to 9 p.m. at BOPP Chapel, 10610 Manchester Rd. Interment will be at Resurrection Cemetery.

Contributions can be made to The Franciscan Sisters of Mary, 1100 Bellevue Ave. 63117, The Retired Jesuits-Missouri Province, 4511 West Pine Blvd. 63108, and The Little Sisters of the Poor, 3225 N. Florissant, Missouri 63107.

Women: Here's a good reason to vote

2008-10-09T13:12:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'm apathetic and yes, I don't like either party's candidates, but I will go out and vote. The text below came from a recent e-mail from one of my friends. I have included links to more information on this topic.

==========================================================

A must read for all women.

This is the story of our grandmothers, and great-grandmothers, as they lived only 90 years ago. It was not until 1920 that women were granted the rightto go to the poll and vote.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to thesuffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson'sWhite House for the right to vote. The women were innocent and defenseless.And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guardswielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head andleft her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed andknocked her out cold. Her cell mate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting, and kicking the women.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tubedown her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year be cause--why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged sothat I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But theactual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly,voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use--or don't use--my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger
women, but those of us who did seek to learn..' The right to vote, she said,had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies,and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. AlicePaul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.
The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote Democratic, Republican or Independent party - remember to vote.

History is being made.

Meme-o-rama at Sunday Stealing

2008-09-29T12:09:00.001-05:00

I found this one via Driven to Distraction, so if you're a meme fan, check it out.

Have you ever…

1. gone on a blind date?
Of course! Why not? I'd have never gotten out of the house if I hadn't.
NOTE: you really must trust your friends (and make them come along) for this to work.

2. skipped school?
Yes, on Senior Skip Day in high school. I had too much fun with my friends in my free time in high school to want to skip.

3. watched someone die?
No, but I've been close (within minutes) on a number of occasions, and these all occurred before I became a nurse.

4. been on a plane?
Yep. Europe, US and Canada.

5. been on the opposite side of your country?
Yes, to California to visit my friend Marilyn.

6. swam in the ocean?
Waded, yes, in the Atlantic in Florida. Swim, no, sorry.

7. had your booze taken away by the cops?
Never.

8. lettered in high school sport?
Nope. The basketball coach's reputation as a tyrant dissuaded me from trying out (and the lack of transportation didn't help, either).

9. cried yourself to sleep?
Once or twice.

10. played cops and robbers?
Yes. My brother and I were pretty imaginative.

11. sung karaoke?
Of course! Grab your friends and make them come with you. (I did this for a few years at a local bar with a bunch of friends on Friday nights and we had a blast. No one pays attention after a while.)

12. paid for a meal with coins only?
Usually at fast food joints only. Great way to get rid of change.

13. done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?
Yes, rock climbing, and I lived to tell about it.

14. cheated on an exam?
Nope...thought about it. Crime doesn't pay.

15. made prank phone calls?
Of course. Is your refrigerator running? Thank God they didn't have CallerID in those days...boy, am I dating myself!

16. laughed until some sort of beverage came out of your nose?
A few times. The carbonated ones are killers!

17. caught a snowflake on your tongue?
Yes! One of life's pleasures!

18. written a letter to Santa Claus?
Of course, and my mom even kept one when I was five and asked Santa for the Barbie Beach Bus. (I got a bus, but I think it was a different Barbie bus...she had a whole fleet!)

19. watched the sunrise with someone you care about?
Once or twice. Prefer sunset...it's more romantic. ;->

20. been kissed under the misteltoe?
Not because I wanted to.

21. ever been arrested?
Never!

22. gone ice skating?
Yes. I'm not the most elegant, but I can do it after a warmup period of about an hour. I got better once I bought Rollerblades.

23. been skinny dipping outdoors?
Not in many years.

24. had a nickname?
Yes. My relatives loved calling everyone some sort of pet name. I answer to whatever as long as you call me for dinner, as I tell people.

25. been on TV?
Yes. Snippets here and there and I was on Italian TV (RAI1) during the 1992 presidential campaign when my friend Becky and I spotted their crew in front of the St. Louis public library downtown. They wanted a "college student" perspective and we had just graduated in May.

Uncle Joe

2008-09-28T11:05:00.002-05:00

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.

PEORIA - Joseph Shekleton, 88, of Arlington Heights, formerly of Peoria, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008, in Arlington Heights.

Joseph Shekleton was born on Nov. 8, 1919, in Palmer, Iowa, to Francis Joseph and Marie (nee Nulty) Shekleton.

Joe received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from University of Illinois in Champaign in 1943. He then worked as a patent chemist at General Aniline in Pennsylvania, then at Goodyear in Akron, Ohio, and Lubrizol in Wickliffe, Ohio, for 20 years.

In 1964, he received his Law Degree from Case-Western Reserve Law School in Cleveland. He subsequently worked as a patent lawyer for Corn Products Corporation and Borg Warner in Chicago for the rest of his career. He retired in 1990.

He was a lifelong member of SPEBSQSA and enjoyed barbershop quartet singing. He also enjoyed tennis and was an avid golfer. Joe and Mary were members of St. Edna Catholic Church in Arlington Heights since 1969, where Joe was a member of the Knights of Columbus Arlington Heights Chapter.

They loved to travel and spend time with their family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Mary (nee Schotthoefer), whom he married in Peoria on May 23, 1943; his children, Barbara (Paul) Hegele of St. Charles, Gerald (Maureen) Shekleton of Glen Ellyn, Michael (Bernadette) Shekleton of Peoria, Margaret (Richard) Waltman of Arlington Heights, Marty (Barbara) Shekleton of Mount Prospect, Tim (Jill) Shekleton of Hoffman Estates, Cathy (Robert) Hickey of Foxborough, Mass., Patrick Shekleton of Park Forest, Mary Jo (Kelly) Taira of River Forest; his 19 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Margaret Roth of Peoria.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Janet Frank; and his brother, Tom Shekleton.

Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008, at the Glueckert Funeral Home, Ltd., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, and from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29, 2008, at St. Edna Catholic Church, 2525 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights. Interment will be in St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery in Palatine.

In lieu of flowers, Masses are appreciated or memorial contributions may be given to the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago, 20 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604; or to the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Chicago, 8430 W. Bryn Mawr, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60631.

Funeral information and condolences may be made at www.GlueckertFH.com.

Fall baking season again

2008-09-26T10:42:00.004-05:00

I love this time of year. My favorite way to heat up the house is to start baking, and since I meet up with the St. Boniface folks on Fridays for coffee whenever I can, I like to bring something along.

Today I made bread pudding with the sauce to go with it, since good ol' Padre Giacomo set me up with some wonderful bread from Breadsmith the other day. Their bread is so good your dog will even like it. (Mine has a terrible weakness for bread period and he ate 1/4 of a loaf when I went out for a few minutes and left a half loaf too close to the edge of the counter).

Surprisingly, this recipe is actually low fat (except for the sauce), so you can read the nutrition information below.

Bread pudding

Nutrition facts:
194 calories, 4 g total fat, (2 g saturated fat) 112 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber (varies with type of bread) 7 g protein. 11% Vitamin A, 1% Vitamin C, 9% calcium, 5% iron.

Whiskey Sauce

Nutrition facts:
88 calories, 5 g total fat (3 g saturated fat) 34mg cholesterol, 47mg sodium, 10g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein

Just geeky

2008-09-22T17:46:00.002-05:00

The MIT folks are at it again in this latest article, Video Argues That MIT Students Are Not All Geeks.

I particularly liked this part of the above article:
"He jokingly suggests that MIT take a different strategy toward geekdom, and offer prospective students a “geek entrance exam” to make sure the institution continues to attract a playful and cool form of geek."

Maybe I'll discuss this with Hubby's friend the MIT professor one of these days...

'Tis the season

2008-09-15T10:20:00.000-05:00

It just depends on what you're looking for...

It's hurricane season. Ike just rambled through our neck of the woods and provided us with a very small resample of flooding. It brought back memories I'd really like to forget.

It's election season. If you missed the recent SNL episode with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, you really must watch. It is hysterical.

It's fall and that means furnace season. We got ours checked and it's DOA. We'll be getting a new one along with an air conditioner. Guess that'll be our early Christmas gift this year.

Foodie fun

2008-09-06T20:51:00.003-05:00

I found this one via GuitarGirlRN, which is one of the ER nurse blogs I like to read.

Enjoy and copy your own goodies and share!
From www.JustHungry.com
1.) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare (only by accident)
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho (I love Vietnamese!)
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (I like it, even if it doesn't like me!)
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle (I've eaten this truffle flavored oil...does that count?)
18. Pistachio ice cream (the best reason to eat Spumoni!)
19. Heirloom tomatoes
20. Epoisses (sounds interesting, though)
21. Fresh wild berries
22. Foie gras (Living in France will do that to you...)
23. Rice and beans
24. Brawn, or head cheese (Only once....didn't like it)
25. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
26. Dulce de leche
27. Oysters (cooked only please--they look like sputum in a shell)
28. Baklava
29. Bagna cauda
30. Wasabi peas (Yum! May happy days on the SMART Team eating these!)
31. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (in San Francisco 1995 at Pier 39 in the fog...the best!)
32. Salted lassi (I prefer mango.)
33. Sauerkraut
34. Root beer float (yes, get one at Fitz's)
35. Cognac with a fat cigar (nope, cognac solo, though once)
36. Clotted cream tea
37. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (not a shooters kind of gal, thanks)
38. Gumbo
39. Oxtail
40. Curried goat
41. Whole insects (only by accident.)
42. Phaal
43. Goat’s milk (Good in pudding, though)
44. Single malt whisky from a bottle costing $300 or more
45. Fugu
46. Chicken tikka masala
47. Eel
48. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
49. Sea urchin
50. Prickly pear
51. Umeboshi
52. Abalone
53. Paneer
54. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
55. Spaetzle
56. Dirty gin martini
57. Beer above 8% ABV
58. Poutine (my first one was in Vancouver...I missed it in Montreal...go figure)
59. Carob chips (ugh, but WHY would you ever eat them again?)
60. S’mores
61. Sweetbreads (I've tasted brains from Dieckmeyer's but that's it)
62. Kaolin (Nope, not suffering from pica.)
63. Currywurst (I don’t even know what this is. Googled it and found out it’s a sliced German sausage with curry on it. )
64. Durian
65. Frogs’ legs
66. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake. Beignets at a Cajun place, elephant ears all the time as a kid, funnel cake here and there, and churros in Seville, Spain...yum!
67. Haggis (Actually, very good--tried it at a Scottish soiree in France. Be sure to douse with a bit of scotch)
68. Fried plantain
69. Chitterlings, or andouillette (I love andouillette!)
70. Gazpacho
71. Caviar and blini
72. Louche absinthe (nope, but I’ve had green Sambuca.)
73. Gjetost, or brunost
74. Roadkill (Yuck!)
75. Baijiu
76. Hostess Fruit Pie
77. Snail
78. Lapsang souchong (why, why would you drink this tea? It’s made with smoked tea leaves and tastes like a burning rubber tire…)
79. Bellini
80. Tom yum
81. Eggs Benedict
82. Pocky
83. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant (Nope. Never had enough money as a student to go)
84. Kobe beef
85. Hare
86. Goulash
87. Flowers (pansies are often in salads)
88. Horse (only once...also in France)
89. Criollo chocolate
90. Spam
91. Soft shell crab
92. Rose harissa (I really like the regular kind, though. Great on couscous!)
93. Catfish
94. Mole poblano
95. Bagel and lox (are you kidding?!?)
96. Lobster Thermidor
97. Polenta
98. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee (If it's coffee, I'll try it.)
99. Snake

The happiness log

2008-08-19T13:40:00.007-05:00

My husband had one of these on the submarine, so here's the beginning of mine with some photos included.

Today's installment...stuff to do on your day off.

1. Visit with old friends. I had lunch in Chesterfield and visited my old coworkers at the City Hall.

2. Visit your family and do some work. Here's Eileen's newly painted nails in her favorite color--purple.

3. Finally get those photos off your phone. Here's Liam and a friend at an indoor picnic at our parish recently.

4. Bake. The peach pie is going in the oven...yum. Recipe to follow.

How you feel when it's really hot

2008-08-01T19:36:00.000-05:00

An interesting perspective

2008-07-28T06:52:00.003-05:00

This article from www.nytimes.com talks about women who blog and the blogher conference held recently in San Francisco.

It makes me ponder a few things about how all this works. I blog myself for entertainment. I also maintain other blogs for work-related and hobby purposes.

I took a short vacation from my blogs this weekend (because I purposely left town without my laptop), and I will continue to do the same for a bit until I decide what my real purpose is for this blog. Any suggestions are welcome, even if they aren't used.

More later...

Kitchen garden harvest

2008-07-12T21:33:00.004-05:00

The produce is starting to roll in from my little garden I planted in the front flower box. I put in two Roma tomato plants and a bunch of Swiss chard in May. So far, I've gotten a couple of ripe tomatoes and a whole lot of chard.

Since I found this interesting chard recipe in the newspaper this week, I decided to try it out. Hubby barbecued some hamburgers, brats and Italian sausage. I also made a dish of scalloped potatoes and a blueberry crisp for dessert, since it wasn't too hot today.

The chard turned out pretty well. Now all I have to do is wait for some more to grow so I can make it again.

A little George Carlin stuff and vacation

2008-06-24T07:05:00.003-05:00

"Sometimes you leave your house to go on vacation. And you gotta take some of your stuff with you. Gotta take about two big suitcases full of stuff, when you go on vacation. You gotta take a smaller version of your house." George Carlin

Get the rest of A place for my stuff from this site.

Only thirty one days for me to vacation. Hooray!

A new toy

2008-06-10T18:14:00.002-05:00

Here are a few photos from my new camera phone, a Nokia 6555. This photo has Bubba with Bill and Fr. Jim in the "Indiana Jones" hat (which is what Bubba kept calling it.)
Here's Shiloh. I had to bribe him to get him to look at the camera (with a dog cookie.)
Here's Bubba and his aunt.
Here we all are at my sister's place.

Welcome to summer

2008-05-26T14:10:00.005-05:00

Yes, today is Memorial Day and the official start of summer. Here in our neck of the woods, it's been rainy and cloudy. Nevertheless, the lines have formed down the street at Jefferson Barracks and since it's so close to the police station, they're actually out directing traffic.

At my house, I've officially got the bike out for the first time this year. I'm going to use it as transportation tomorrow while the Swedish silver bullet goes in for maintenance. (I'm just hoping it doesn't rain while I'm out!)

I even baked a couple of these cheesecakes. I decorated them with blueberries and strawberries and one tub of Light Cool Whip.

Here are a few items to ponder on this holiday from my meanderings on the web today.

History.com has lots of information on this holiday.

See lots of information on today's holiday at usmemorialday.org

Barefoot in the park? Watch your step (from http://www.nytimes.com/)

It's not holiday related, but happycatholic's always good for an off-the-wall joke (this one with Forrest Gump).

A fun day off

2008-05-22T07:03:00.003-05:00

I was busy yesterday working away on lots of different stuff, so now, all I have to do is finish the rest before I go to work today. Whenever I have some time on my hands, I tend to be digging into something (literally or figuratively...it doesn't matter!)

Here are a few of the interesting things I discovered yesterday.

I met this guy, the French Ambassador to the US at a lecture at SLU. As a student of people in general (and an alum), I like to see who shows up at these lectures, and today's collection of attendees was an interesting group.

First, you had the usual SLU professors and administrators from the business school. There were even a couple of profs from other disciplines, such as philosophy, which surprised me. Next, you had the students. I was kind of surprised that there were so many this close after graduation, but perhaps this was part of an intersession course or something, for French or international business. Then you had the Alliance Francaise contingent of people, who like to roll out the red carpet when anyone shows up here from la France. Lastly, you had everyone else--some alums, some business people rolling in laptops and even some World Trade Center folks.

The lecture and Q&A session was heavy on lecture and less on Q&A because of time limits, and the fact the the hors d'oeuvre in the ballroom next door were probably melting. The only thing that really, really irritated me was that all the questions posed were by men. Yep, every single solitary one. In fact, one guy kept jumping from microphone to microphone when his efforts to ask a question were thwarted by the students giving the wireless mike to other guys in the crowd. As usual, all the questions were highbrow. I was rooting for the elderly lady on my side to get her question in, but, alas, we ran out of time.

Needless to say, I got my hors d'oeuvres, ate them, and had a cup of coffee before the Ambassador came over. By a stroke of luck, the only bar table free was the one by the door. I waited my turn as the good Ambassador came in with Dr. Kim, the head of international business (and my old advisor). I introduced myself and had a nice chat. The Ambassador was very charming, and it turns out, in the family business, which I found out when I asked what region his family was from (Normandy). "My family's from there, but I was born in Tunisia." he said. I replied, "Well, what do you know...so you went into the family business, eh?", "Ah, yes, I sure did."

Finally, I even chatted with my old philosophy prof, who mentioned to me that he's now been with the university for 40 years. He threatened to look up my grade in Greek philosophy. Hopefully, he won't. I never really liked that class. It was too Wittgensteinian for me! I also talked to one of the French profs who started the year I graduated. He's still sending people over to France, but now to Poitiers and Angers.

It was fun to escape the nursing scene for a little while and go back to my old international business/French roots. I may have to do it again sometime soon.

Kudos Randy!

2008-05-21T09:48:00.003-05:00

Who says nothing good happens in St. Louis? Something did today!

Many congratulations today to Randy Grim of Stray Rescue. Stray Rescue was the winner of a $1 million dollar animal shelter makeover prize from zootoo.com.

I know Randy because he owned a dog grooming shop called the Barking Lot in Lafayette Square here in St. Louis. Hubby and I took our first Sheltie, Jordan to Randy. Even though Jordan hated baths and getting groomed, he loved Randy.

Randy really does know how to talk to dogs. If you'd like to help Randy and Stray Rescue, check out their website here.

How time flies...

2008-05-19T16:56:00.004-05:00

One year ago this weekend, I graduated with my latest bachelor's degree from SLU. I can hardly believe the time has flown by so quickly.

The latest graduation on Saturday at SLU was the first one on campus in 60 years. I also noticed that the School of Nursing got its own precommencement location (not with the rest of the Doisy College of Health Sciences) this year at the College Church. Makes you wonder if we (nursing students) were too rowdy last year...;->

Nevertheless, it's fun to see what's going on at your local college or university. Here are a few interesting tidbits about colleges, universities and their inhabitants I've uncovered thanks to my e-mail and checking the calendar.

Many brick and mortar (traditional) colleges and universities need to shake up their business models according to this article by a former FCC chairman. (from the Chronicle of Higher Education)

When college students aren't busy with homework, social life or text messaging someone, apparently some are trying to bring virtual life into reality according to this article in New York magazine.

And if that's not exciting enough, occasionally those university people find diplomats to come and visit campus and chitchat. Since I'm actually off that day, as a Cook alum, I'll just have to go over and see if the rusty French degree still works.

A quick batch of pot luck cakes

2008-05-17T08:31:00.006-05:00

Here's the scenario:

I get home from the grocery store, put everything away, and at 1800, Hubby tells me he needs something for the pot luck dinner at work. Another important thing...make sure it doesn't have to be refrigerated, since that will probably be full of other important stuff.

Hmm...I ask him about what to bring, and thankfully, this site does not assign dishes by last name or anything, so I head to the cookbook and cabinet to see what happens. Since I had all the ingredients on hand, I decided to make an upside down cake.

The recipe below for yellow cake comes from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 2000. I use this cookbook frequently because it has a nice form factor (is small and fits on the shelf I want it on in the kitchen) and it has a lot of fairly basic recipes you can build on easily.

Note: there is a pineapple upside down recipe in this book on page 137, but I use the Yellow Cake one instead for a couple of reasons--it makes two cakes from one batch.

Yellow cake pineapple upside down

Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or margarine
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel (optional)

Note: this cake above will produce enough batter for two cakes (9 inch round cake pans)

Topping

NOTE: items below are per cake--double ingredients below (by type) if making two upside down cakes!

pineapple upside down
1 can pineapple slices
8-10 maraschino cherries (I use 8 --one whole one in the center of each pineapple ring)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup brown sugar

or variation--
apricot upside down
2-15 oz. cans apricot halves
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease 2-9 inch round pans with shortening or cooking spray (i.e. Pam).
Place pineapples and cherries in bottom of pan.
Add chopped nuts atop the cherries and pineapples to cover.
Add brown sugar to cover. Pat down if needed.
Set aside.

Combine flour, salt and baking powder in separate bowl.
In large mixing bowl, beat butter or margarine on high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add lemon peel here (optional).
Add eggs one at a time, beating for one minute each.
Add dry mixture and milk, on low speed, slowly until just combined.

Pour batter carefully to cover fruit in each pan. You should have enough batter to cover two cakes.

Bake at 375 degrees F, or until golden and tested with wooden toothpick (comes out clean when poked near center of cake).

Loosen cake around edges of pan and let sit on cooling rack for five minutes. Invert cake onto heat-safe plate and cooling rack and let sit another five minutes. Cake should come out of pan easily.

NOTE: some pineapple or topping may stick to pan. Remove pineapple and/or topping promptly and place back on cake very carefully!

Serve warm or when cooled. Makes approximately 8 servings per cake.

Our results: one pineapple and one apricot upside down cake.

A trip to the hospital...maybe not

2008-05-13T11:19:00.006-05:00

Note: this is a public service announcement and should not be construed as personal medical advice. Please see your favorite primary care provider or specialist if you need further information on this topic.

As a nurse, I get to go to the hospital everyday, but lately, with my sister's recent trip and a few friends also making impromptu hospital visits, it seems I'm appearing there more than I'd like on my days off.

Today, I found this article noted below which may keep some asthma sufferers (including me) out of the hospital, if you use one of those CFC-free inhalers. I've been using one for a while, but this article points out a few of the key differences between the new ones (CFC free) and the old ones (with CFCs).

Rough Transition to a New Inhaler (from http://www.nytimes.com/)

If you want to learn more about asthma and common medications, check out the following links:

Asthma medication information from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/asthmaallergymedications.stm

Asthma information from the American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22582

WebMD inhaler information
http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/asthma-inhalers

Mayo Clinic information on asthma inhalers
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma-inhalers/HQ01081

The weekend is here again

2008-04-26T13:41:00.003-05:00

Thankfully, this weekend I'm not working. While it started a little cool, things are warming up now. Hubby and Bubba are not far away at Meet the Machines, which is sponsored by a local demolition company and the local Caterpillar dealer. This is the third year Bubba has attended, and he always looks forward to seeing all the big, yellow equipment from "Peordia" (why he can't pronounce Peoria is a mystery...)

Since both guys headed out early to check out some local garage sales, I got the pleasure of cleaning the house. It is a little more placid this way, since I don't have to herd the kid, the dog and the husband from room to room as I vaccuum. Happily, I had the floors finished by the time they came back to load up for Meet the Machines.

After I got the floors cleaned, I went out to see my sister. Alas, she escaped while I was down the street at Kohls spending a gift certificate I got for my birthday. To console myself, I went out to lunch at Lenny's Sub Shop, which is about a mile from her house. I enjoyed looking at the menu, because I haven't seen many sub shops (except on the Hill) that had capicola on its sandwiches. I had the #2 Italian sub with all the trimmings, including the hot pepper relish. It was really good!

Once I got home, I made another load of bread pudding. I had tried this recipe earlier this week and Hubby and Bubba really liked it. I just added slivered almonds to the recipe I found in the Better Homes and Gardens 11th Edition Cookbook.

Bread pudding

4 beaten eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon or orange peel (optional--I used lemon)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamon
4 cups dry french bread cubes or regular bread (I use whatever is available--today was oat bran)
1/3 cup dried tart cherries, dried cranberries or raisins (dried blueberries or a mixture also work well)
1 recipe Whiskey sauce (see below)

In a bowl, beat eggs with milk, sugar, vanilla, peel and cinnamon. In ungreased 2 quart baking dish, toss bread cubes and dried fruit. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool slightly. If desired, serve warm with Whiskey sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Whiskey sauce

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 beaten egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon *

In small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in sugar, egg yolk and water. Cook and constantly stir the mixture over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Remove from heat and stir in bourbon. Makes 2/3 cup sauce.

*You can substitute orange juice for the bourbon for a light, fruity sauce.

Now, since the baking and most of the laundry is done, I can sit down and read. I have a few books from the library and I'm reading The Attitude of Leadership: Taking the Lead and Keeping It by Keith Harrell. It's not a new book, but I noticed it was listed on one of our intranet sites at work as part of a service area reading list, so I reserved it online at the St. Louis County Library at 0300 one morning when I was working the night shift. So far, it is pretty interesting and very good if you need to read in short chunks like I do.

More later...stay tuned.

Goodies a-plenty

2008-04-21T18:39:00.003-05:00

Here are a few tidbits of interest I've found lately on my tour through the blogosphere.

1. In the things to do in your spare time category, CrankyProf talks about her experience at one of those randy-dandy alternative Tupperware-like parties, and, no they ain't selling no Tupperware!

2. Since the Pope was visiting New York this week, some people were wondering why he was wearing red shoes (especially since they don't match the normal whites). Check out Don Jim's Dappled Photos for more information on the minutiae of Roman Catholic clerical dress.

3. Kids say the darnedest things. I loved this post from Stethescopes and Diapers about buying scrub tops. I can't even begin to tell you some of Bubba's favorite "bob" quotes.

Whole lotta shaking going on...

2008-04-18T16:05:00.006-05:00

At 0436AM today, there was at our house, due to a small earthquake. Since I tend to wake up early on my day off, I figured it was nothing unusual, although I was dreaming that I heard a strange noise. I suppose it wasn't strange or a dream, after all.

While I was surfing around today, I did find some good earthquake links:
LAFD Earthquake Safety Guide (pdf)
Office of Emergency Services homepage (also in CA)
Red Cross Earthquake information

Hubby and I visited the folks at Giacomo's today. They were bringing up the rear at IC, since he told them by sitting near the front they were scaring off the regulars. (He's always giving them trouble.) We always go over and engage him in some debate, but this time, we didn't make him late. I brought along a cheesecake, so with Toots' jelly roll, we had a fun time eating, drinking and being merry after Mass.

Hubby's car had a nasty shake and rattle thing going on, so we took it into the shop. Said rattle is now history, since he just needed a new tie rod, brakes and rotors. So hopefully, it'll be smooth sailing ahead for his blue Swedish battlewagon.

Bubba got his official full day kindergarten acceptance letter today. He will go to our assigned school, so this also means he'll get to ride on the school bus, too. He is very excited about kindergarten. Let's just hope it stays that way!

Gotta run to pick up the car and take Bubba out to the "train station" (his term for the mall--don't know where he got that from) as is our usual weekly custom.

Murphy's Law

2008-04-14T15:37:00.004-05:00

It doesn't surprise me that with the help of a nap, a double shot of espresso, a thermos of coffee and my lunch, I survived my first night shift.

It was, however, a bit annoying, that three ambulances and a fire truck drove by my house, along with a helicopter that flew in a circle four times directly over my house while I was trying to get to sleep at 0900 today.

Thankfully, Zyrtec really is a sedating antihistamine.

Headed to a movie career?

2008-04-13T09:04:00.004-05:00

Bubba has Enchanted rolling on the big screen downstairs...again (is the the fourth time since yesterday?). Arrgh! D(*&ed Disney movies!

And now back to our regularly scheduled Sunday...

Getting ready for night shift

2008-04-12T15:47:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry to say that I'm one of those morning people. I like to wake up anywhere from 4:30 to 6AM. Even on days I don't have to, like today, I was up by 6. Starting tomorrow night, I get the pleasure of working my first string of night shift hours, as part of my orientation.

So, to start, since I am so diurnal, I asked around about how people survive the night shift. I got lots of answers.

Go to bed as soon as you get home in the morning.

Do not sit down at 0500, or you may fall asleep. (One coworker suggested cleaning or restocking, so your mind is active.)

Use room darkening shades.

Get one of those masks for your eyes.

I also surfed the internet and found some intriguing articles:

Sleep tips from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Coping strategies for night shift (from encyclopedia.com)

Now all I have to do is figure out how to go back to sleep...in the morning. It should be interesting.

One little boy says no..

2008-04-09T20:25:00.007-05:00

And the kindergarten test is pretty crazy. This week, Hubby took Bubba for his developmental screening for kindergarten. In theory, this will give the educators a look at where his strengths and weaknesses lie. In reality, it's just a big headache.

They were nice enough to direct us to the list of things Bubba should be doing by his current age in months and years. Bubba recently turned five. His report card for the exam was a score card with four columns.

The first column consisted of skills, the second, specific skills, the third column was age appropriate and the last column was areas to work on. Bubba was about 50-50 in terms of where the checkmarks were allocated. He did very well in language, concepts and pretty well in behavior. For some reason, the test administrator, ranked some skills right in the middle of the third and fourth column for behavior and motor skills.

Bubba mustn't have liked this tester, either, because, as usual, he refused to count. He also wouldn't build anything with blocks, even though, he's known to assemble small skyscrapers (about 3 feet tall) in the basement with his blocks.

Finally, just to add to the excitement, he flunked the hearing and vision screening. Yes, the same child who can identify DVDs in the store window from 40 feet and can drive past a chain restaurant and tell you what it is, flunked. He also doesn't miss the sound of a slight fizz from opening a root beer can from 40 feet, either. I'm not sure if it was a bad day (Hubby took him to the test) or if he was just feeling testy.

Only about four months to go, and we'll see how he really likes kindergarten, instead of a bunch of tests!

Thoughts on the drive to work

2008-04-04T19:15:00.005-05:00

My drive to work is quite placid and not your average commute. Just down the street from my house and on my way to work is Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. My unit is within sight of the fence on the northwestern end of the hospital grounds.

The cemetery itself is also visible from the highway, but it is, in my opinion, best viewed from the entrance off Sheridan Road. Right now, the grass is getting greener, and in the morning, you'll often encounter deer or other wildlife out and about.

The hills are rolling and the symmetry of the markers in the early morning is amazing. Some people might find it upsetting. However,it makes me think of this portion below of Song of Myself by Walt Whitman, as I look at the grass, and in a way, it inspires me to do a better job at work.

And now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.
They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at
the end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.
All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and
luckier.

A little light humor...

2008-03-30T13:27:00.001-05:00

My seventysomething aunt sent me this one. Enjoy!

A psychiatrist was conducting a group therapy session with four young mothers and their small children.

'You all have obsessions,' he observed.

To the first mother, he said: 'You are obsessed with eating. You've even named your daughter Candy.'

'He turned to the second Mom, : 'Your obsession is with money. Again, it manifests itself in your child's name, Penny.'

He turned to the third Mom, and said: 'Your obsession is alcohol. This too shows itself in your child's name, Brandy.'

At this point, the fourth mother, quietly got up, took her little boy by the hand and whispered, 'Come on, Dick, we're leaving..'

Party, party, party

2008-03-30T13:08:00.004-05:00

At least it seemed like it was going to be a party at my house. Bubba was thoroughly convinced that Hubby was going to have about 20 people come over and pay homage to his birthday yesterday bearing gifts. No, sweetie, big people only occasionally have big birthday parties and since Dad is not yet a big-0 (like 5-0) birthday, Mom did not arrange one.

Mom did make Dad his favorite birthday cake (carrot with cream cheese icing) fresh yesterday. This was in an effort not to burn the house down by trying to bake it late at night on Friday. Hubby and Bubba has a fun time in the AM going to estate sales and Hubby even found two sets of speakers (thankfully small ones) at the last one. Bubba was assigned to guard them while Hubby paid some ridiculously low price for them.

In the afternoon, we went to get our family photo taken for the parish directory and then we went to University City for Thai food, which is what Hubby picked. Bubba went along with things, but there was no way he was letting Hubby have two sticks of chicken satay. Truly, if I had not fought for my two sticks, Bubba would have eaten all six all by himself. He ate a little of his chicken pad thai, but we brought most of that home.

We shopped on the Loop and Bubba bought himself (he said it was Dad's birthday present) Snow Buddies. We watched that when we got home. All in all, it was a pretty good day.

Another silly test

2008-03-09T13:26:00.003-05:00

I really love these silly tests...so after I finished my med calcs for my new job today, I just had to find the silliest one out there. Here's my results. Your mileage may vary, but at least it's a fun, silly thing to do while surfing...

What Your Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich Means

Your eating style is gluttonous. If you like something, you're going back for seconds... no matter how full you are! (NOTE: oh, no they outed me!)

You don't really have a sweet tooth. If you go for dessert, you tend to go for something light. (yeah, right!)

Your taste in food tends to be complex and sophisticated. You're probably a great cook, and talented at mixing unusual flavors. (at least the cook part is close...)

You are probably a fairly normal, upper middle class person. You don't rock the boat too often. (well, it depends...)

You are a tough person who isn't afraid to live life fully. There isn't a lot that scares you. (Yes, that's the crunchy peanut butter part---ever spread cold crunchy peanut butter...dangerous!)

Precise and controlled, you can be a bit anal retentive when it comes to how you like things. You're definitely a perfectionist. (shh! you're not supposed to tell that part!)

What Does Your Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Say About You?

This week, a new job

2008-03-07T23:32:00.011-06:00

Yep, I've done it again. In fifteen years since I got my first full-time job, I started my eighth one. I just couldn't resist...a job within a long's walk came up, and with the potential for $4 per gallon gas prices this year, this old economics student opted to change. It wasn't hasty, mind you. I'd been contemplating it for a while. Inflation of costs and deflation of my savings account made me look long and hard. A three percent raise just doesn't go as far as it used to go.

Right now, it's been interesting working in the service of the Government. The outfit is so big that there's all those corporate perks I'd been missing since my time at a big financial services company on Jefferson, with two offices in town to boot. We've got the shuttles, we've got the bus passes, and we've got the good vacation package. Hooray! Maybe one day I will get Bubba to Disney World!

Do I miss what I was doing? Sure. Slowing down into a new, different rhythm of life makes you look back at what happened before. I remember moving from a job where I had not one, but two phones on my desk and calls all day from all over the world. I left that for a job to sit in a really small office with a bunch of computer equipment and silence, because everyone sent e-mail. This was really hard to get used to at first. I missed my salesmen and customers calling me and everyone ordering stuff. I missed talking to folks all over the US and Canada.

Right now, what do I miss? People. My people. I always miss the people more than the lights, the sounds, the smells from my jobs. My patients, my coworkers from the floor, other people in the hospital who appeared on our unit--the consulting docs, the IV therapists, the respiratory therapists, the dieticians, and all the other assorted therapists. The right people appearing in your day will make any job tolerable.

Okay, I do miss certain smells, though. The smell of coffee wafting down the hall from Cairdeas coffee stand in the lobby and onto our unit woke me up many a day...and also sent me out for my very own cup o'Joe. I especially like Kaldi's Supersonica, which normally appears there on Thursdays.

There's no coffee shop here, but occasionally, I hear a hawk in the trees near the bluffs. In some buildings, I can look out and see the river meandering by, as muddy as ever. It's a panorama that reminds me of my childhood in the far reaches of St. Louis city, and being at high school, just down the road from here, where I could stand and look a certain way down river by one of the buildings at the north end of campus and see the Arch downtown.

The long, circuitous route has taken me places I'd never imagined being, and now, it just may have led me back home.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T04:21:00.006-06:00

I'm up this early because I hastily ate my pizza last night and burned my mouth. After tossing and turning and rinsing my mouth with mouthwash to quell the irritation, I decided to just log on and post something.

And what do you know, it's Valentine's Day! I have always had a love/hate (okay I'm being punny early...) relationship with this holiday. I like red, I like chocolate, I own heart-shaped cake pans, but I have always felt a bit odd about this holiday. Why? Because the darned Hallmark (and florist and other industry) people always make you feel like you have to a) buy something and b) have some burning love interest (read sexual undertones) for this holiday to be worth something. So while, in my heart of hearts (yes, punny again), I'm very anti-Valentine's Day, I think if we only look at these two aspects of the day, we're missing something.

I searched for meaning for Valentine's Day and I found a religious explanation here at newadvent.org and a secular one here at history.com. There's even a nice breakdown of the Greek concept of love on the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

On another note, since I'm never satisfied with just finding facts, I dug into the old memory bank to see just how many songs are there about "love" anyway. A little searching on google turned up a whole lot! (Results 1 - 10 of about 3,170,000 for songs with love in the title. (0.10 seconds).

Alas, once the old memory bank started getting warmed up with a couple of shots of espresso and google, I found one of my old favorite songs from the 1980s, that's a little different.

What is love, anyway? by Howard Jones (1984)

This is a repetitive song in many places, basically so it could work with the catchy techno melody, but upon examination, you'll see some of the lyrics are very meaningful in the context of today. A couple of my favorites are below, which are applicable even if you don't fit the mold of this Hallmark holiday:

I love you even if you think that I don't.
Sometimes I find you doubt my love for you but I don't mind.
Why should I mind? Why should I mind?

And later on in the song, we hear this:

And maybe love is letting people be just what they want to be
The door always must be left unlocked.
To love when circumstance may lead someone away from you
And not to spend the time just doubting.

Finally, since I've uncovered all this "love" on the 'net, I'm going to leave you now, to get ready to spread the "love" all day--in my work and with my family (Bubba can't wait to take his treats to school and Hubby will come have lunch with me today on the floor). It may not be Hallmark-ready, but it will be happy.

Go out and share some love today, too, in all you do. More next time...

Some Super tidbits

2008-02-03T18:15:00.000-06:00

Okay, yes, I'm not at a Super Bowl party, but I am watching. (Yes, the Hank A-B commercial was cute...I miss watching those at 3630).

Here are a few tidbits I've run into on the 'net this Super Sunday.

Companies must listen to the Web 2.0 world (from www.computerworld.com)
Bloggers are proving the blog can be mightier than the sword.

Sex. lies and MRI (from www.computerworld.com)
MRI for lie detectors? Sounds a little expensive. They left out whether you'd need contrast or not.

Medical Mnemomics
A cool site for remembering medical terms.

A fun quiz

2008-02-03T16:23:00.001-06:00

What military aircraft are you?

EA-6B Prowler

You are an EA-6B. You are sinister, preferring not to get into confrontations, but extract revenge through mind games and technological interference. You also love to make noise and couldn't care less about pollution.

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

I love coffee, but...

2008-01-25T16:48:00.000-06:00

I think I'd rather have the $20,000 and shipping costs that go with it.

My little soon to be eight years old espresso maker works just fine, thank you very much. So the crema's not haute-de-gamme, but if I get crazy for crema, I'll go to the coffee shop and get a couple shots from the expensive machine.

Want to see more goodies to cook up your espresso and coffee? Check out the links below:

www.espressozone.com
Capresso
Gaggia

I survived...

2008-01-21T19:20:00.000-06:00

My son's fifth birthday party and I didn't even get a t-shirt. Ca y est...the perils of parenthood!

As usual, Bubba had the wide array of cake choices (carrot, vanilla layer, banana chocolate chip and chocolate cupcakes) and ice cream. This year, I had to decorate a cake (vanilla layer) with a theme (Transformers) and it was really difficult.

I could have taken a drawing and transferred it to the cake by painting the icing with the cool Betty Crocker food coloring pens, but I declined. I managed to find a Transformers mask on a website and I printed it and staked it out on the cake with two short skewers, so the mask loomed over one edge of the cake. I added miniature Transformer toys to the side of the cake and wrote "Happy Birthday Bubba" on the cake. He was so excited he refused the first piece of cake. We made him wait to open gifts until his friends finished eating their cake and ice cream. (He eventually did eat some cake later in the evening.)

This year, instead of tormenting the elderly relatives, we just invited the kids from preschool and some friends with young children. It turned out well until Bubba started opening gifts and all the kids swarmed him. The video I made was full of kids surrounding Bubba while he was opening presents. I didn't exactly invite the Miss Manners required number (one kid for each year plus one), so that probably contributed to the mayhem. Little Katie cried when she got swarmed by the other kids, but since she was the only girl at the party, she got to pick the first gift from the goody bag we set up for the kids. Thankfully, she left with a smile on her face and a couple of toys in her bag.

Cleanup was pretty quick for this party. No one ran with food, so it was quite pleasant. I am so glad it was only two hours.

Deviations

2008-01-14T06:30:00.000-06:00

Somedays it seems all too evident that I start out doing one thing, and get diverted to something else. At work, this is due to prioritization. Nurses have to go see what's going on with patients who may be going somewhere that's not necessarily to therapy.

On my days off, like today, I start one thing and my course is deviated by another item. Case in point: I was off on Friday and I got a nastygram in the mail from ye old City re: a stop light camera ticket for Hubby. I paid said ticket early (Arrgh! That was painful, especially since he could not see the light change...another story.) No record of the check appeared at the bank, so I went to the bank, stopped the check, and then went to the City to pay the ticket again with a new check. I get there and they tell me it's already paid. Back I go to the bank to remove the stop. The good news: Hubby and I had lunch at a restaurant near the ticket place, so all was not in vain. (I love ChiliMac's slingers!)

My web surfing is often interrupted, too, by Bubba's entreaties to watch Dinotopia again, but luckily, I use that bookmarking/favorites function to save some interesting items. Here are a few of my recent favorites below.

US worst in preventable deaths (from http://www.reuters.com/)
No surprise here. The most money spent and not always the best results.

Unnecessary quotation marks
Where has this blog been all my life? One of my new favorites on a pet peeve.

Overhead in New York
Another oddball blog that creates some interesting mental pictures.

Billy Bob's Wild Ride
More in the oddball genre, but a good read nevertheless. Billy Bob's Wild Ride is a blog written from the perspective of a patient's liver. Nominated for Best Patient Blog from Medical Blog Awards at http://www.medgagdet.com/.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-05T06:13:00.000-06:00

2008 is finally here.

Here are a couple of interesting links I've come across so far this year.

A shocking party
First, Tupperware, now Tasers. (from cnn.com)

De-jittering
Okay, so it's a made-up word, but...this article has some interesting points on anxiety (also from cnn.com)

Adios, friend

2007-12-12T06:25:00.001-06:00

It's been almost a week already since I got the e-mail from C. I just couldn't believe it. He just retired in August, and now he's gone.

John Duncan was a salesman for KASCO/Atlantic Service when I worked there in the 1990s. John called me just about every day while he was out on the route taking care of customers in western Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. We always had a good chuckle and John had lots of calls--we used to call them his fan club--of butchers and store owners from little towns like Ear Falls, Ontario, to managers of packing houses in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

I will miss him very much. My deepest condolences to his wife Donna and his family. His KASCO friends I know miss him, too.

Away many moons...

2007-12-12T06:20:00.000-06:00

Yes, I've been busy trying to get ready for the holidays. Lots of stuff going on and I'm trying to bake and try new things as much as I can.

I have a love-hate relationship with cookies. I love them, but hate to make drop ones, because of all the cleanup. So I compromised recently and made a double batch of chocolate chip with Bubba. We did drop cookies on one batch and we did pan cookies on another. None of the batches lasted too long.

While perusing the internet I did find a very interesting recipe for a cranberry apple crisp. Check it out here at Readers Digest. It's great topped with vanilla ice cream or with just whipped cream.

I'll be working on digging up some more interesting recipes in the near future. Stay tuned.

Lots going on

2007-10-20T16:16:00.000-05:00

Work is always keeping me busy. When I'm not running the floors at work, I'm busy baking and playing with the computer.

No new recipes yet, although, there are some on the burner. Check out a few of the old standbys like Imperial Pound Cake and Zucchini Bread, since I've been making those lately to take to IC on Fridays with the St. Boniface crew.

More reviews and recipes are on the way...stay tuned.

Update

2007-10-03T16:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm off and running (literally and figuratively) in the nursing world. It keeps me out of trouble.

The last few weeks have been busy with work, housework and adding goodies to www.stbonifaceonline.com as it became the Ivory Theatre officially on September 27 (see more details at stbonifaceonline.blogspot.com). Bubba was enjoying his summer at preschool, playing outside, kicking balls and hitting baseballs, in between water play (spraying the hose everywhere). Hubby is still in the hunt for a real, live FTE position in radiation safety after his stint at BigLab. They'd love to have him back, but then again, I like having him here, too, for school pickup, etc. We keep praying the right job will come along.

I've had fun baking this summer, since most of the time it was not beastly hot, outside of a couple of weeks. My newest favorite baked goody is the Berry Betty. Thirty or so minutes in the oven, just a few ingredients and you're done. I also enjoyed this recipe since it fits well with my new diet which includes more whole grains and less white flour.

Here's my version of the original I found in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

Berry Betty
5 cups or 1.5 12 oz pkgs of berries (I use blueberries, or mixed berry combos)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp finely chopped crystalline ginger or 1/8 tsp ground ginger
5 cups (about 7 slices) whole wheat bread cubes
3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
Whipped cream (to garnish, optional)

Thaw berries if frozen. Do not drain
In a large, mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and ginger.
Add berries and juices. Toss to coat.
Add 2 cups bread, toss gently until combined.
Transfer filling to ungreased 2 qt baking dish.
For topping, put remaining bread cubes in mixing bowl.
Drizzle with melted butter or margarine and toss to coat.
Sprinkle topping over fruit filling.
Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping golden.
If desired, serve warm with whipped cream.
Makes 6 servings.

The latest quiz I tried...

2007-09-22T23:12:00.000-05:00

What color is your soul painted?

Orange

Your soul is painted the color orange, which embodies the characteristics of balance, heat, enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness, aggression, over-emotion, danger, desire, strengthens the ability to concentrate, attraction, adaptability, and stimulation. Orange falls under the element of Fire, and symbolizes glory and fruits of the earth.

Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Some quizzing entertainment

2007-08-21T11:02:00.000-05:00

In a couple of hours, I have to got to work, so I found a cool little quiz to try. Here are my ratings. While they're pretty simplified, you just might have some fun reading the questions.

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.8
Mind:	7.5
Body:	8
Spirit:	7.6
Friends/Family:	7.1
Love:	7.3
Finance:	8.2
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Articles of note

2007-08-04T20:12:00.000-05:00

I'm surfing away and the boys are sleeping. It seems like this happens a lot. Now that Hubby is back from BigLab, hopefully, he'll get some rest.

I found these two articles that address families of those with disabilities and how they affect their lives. One man filmed a documentary of his experience. Have a look!

Where's Molly - Families get help finding loved ones in institutions (from cnn.com)
Shaw: A mother remembers a special life (also cnn.com)

No, I'm not dead

2007-08-01T05:29:00.000-05:00

...just dead tired sometimes. Working as a nurse is not for sissies and they do physicals for a reason. Rehab nursing, in particular, is a physical endeavor. I'm not slinging patients from here to there...all the time, but I have noticed that I am tired when I get home at night more often than I have been before.

Thankfully, I wear good shoes--Danskos. You can check out a pair at ClogCentral. Some people say they're heavy, but they keep my legs from getting tired!

I've been lucky enough to see the St. Boniface crowd at IC in the last couple of weeks. Most everyone is doing well. A couple of people are ill, so keep them in your prayers. I baked zucchini bread and the one without nuts disappeared. (We put the walnut version in the freezer for this week.)

Well, here are a couple of interesting tidbits I found in some recent surfing. Enjoy your week!

Growing front yard food (from cnn.com)
If I could do it, I would. Beats cutting grass all the time!

Kids take on the lunch lady (from cnn.com)
No, no violence here. Just the power of the pen is mightier than the pea.

The new face of fitness (cnn.com)
Think you're old? Don't until you check this out! Maybe they really need to go here.

The weekend!

2007-07-08T09:24:00.001-05:00

At least I only had to work yesterday, and I'm off until Tuesday. We didn't have a whole bunch of patients in rehab, but it was busy!

Lots of fun stuff going on...my high school friend Ann and her husband Pat are awaiting a new baby. Hubby is almost done with his BigLab contract and working on a permanent position. Hopefully, we'll see how it all falls out by Labor Day. I'll be in orientation until mid-September, and then I'll have three months with no floating to any other units.

We took Bubba with my aunt to Innsbrook to see fireworks last night (they have an annual show the Saturday nearest the 4th of July each year). He got a little scared, but he enjoyed the colors. We got home by midnight and thankfully, he was asleep by then. It was a beautiful night and the bugs weren't too bothersome, either.

Happy Independence Day!

2007-07-04T09:55:00.000-05:00

At this very moment, Bubba is running in circles with his Made in USA plastic American flag. Sheltie is freaked out and trying to hide under the desk at the same time. He saw the flag under the mailbox (one of our neighbors, a real estate agent, posts flags by every mailbox and along the road every year). It's a little kitschy promo, but Bubba loves the flags. He cried when our last one bit the dust last year.

Nevertheless, since Hubby is working, we will be spending some time with my sister and keeping Sheltie inside before the wacko teenagers start the fireworks fest today around dusk.

My diet so far is still working, or it's the fact that I'm really pacing the floor since I started my new job. Since I'm off today I decided to celebrate last night. I saw this article on the news yesterday, so I just had to take their advice with some nice sweet Bing cherries and a nice glass of Merlot.

Study: Chocolate lowers blood pressure

Freedom isn't free. Many, many thanks to all those who keep us free today and to those who lost their lives defending freedom.

A funny little article, eh?

2007-06-28T19:03:00.000-05:00

I found this article today while mindlessly surfing during a thunderstorm this evening. Hope you enjoy it!

BTW I miss all you Canada folks--Nancy, Claude, Pierre, Jacques, Andre, Keith, John, Jeff, Don, Bill and Marie.

Have a great night!

Surfing the weekend away...

2007-06-24T19:16:00.000-05:00

At least, the last bits of it. I found this article on http://www.washingtonpost.com/ about the movie, A Mighty Heart, which was recently released.

A Mighty Shame

One of the reasons I am doing this is because I'm already tired of the tapes Bubba got from the library Thursday. There is a 10 VHS tape limit per kid at our library, and so he went bonkers. We haven't watched too many of the eight he actually picked, though. He loves Air Bud and it seems like that's all we watch, along with Swan Princess III, which is a big studio knockoff of a Walt Disney princess cartoon.

Since Bubba just finished his space dog coloring sheet I had to put it up on the fridge...right on the front door, so he can see it as he goes by. He's so proud of that brown dog with yellow equipment (space helmet and backpack).

For more information on cool internet sites for kids, check out this site from Urbana, IL:
The Reading Group

My dear hubby also set up our friend's new 5 CD changer bookshelf system. No, it wasn't Klipsch, but he graciously did it, anyway.

Bubba enjoyed it all. He got to sample a fresh glazed donut while Dad got things rolling. Just like Homer, Bubba likes a good donut. Maybe he has a future in the nuclear industry after all!