Hi,
this is a tale worth telling.
Thursday, Thanksgiving evening, we were driving home from dinner with Marshalls' family, down Route 206 in New Jersey. For the most part it's a two lane "highway" but there are traffic lights every 1/8th of a mile. As we pull away from a red light a car in the right turn lane on our right side, doesn't make a right turn but instead, cuts Marshall off and pulls in front of his car really tight so that we are almost kissing bumpers. The jerk then hits his brakes, making Marshall have to slam on his brakes so that we don't hit him. The driver in front of us is now proclaimed a total moron by both of us. Marshall then flashes his high beams at the guy to let him know how pissed he his so the driver then slams on his brakes again. Good thing Marshall is far enough behind him that it doesn't matter and we don't collide.... but now Marshall is very, very angry with this dude.
We watch him creep up on the tail of the car in front and weave enough so that we both decide he's not only a bad driver but probably not the top of the I.Q. scale either. That prompts Marshall into action. He pulls out his phone and calls 911. I'm thinking "so what, the police aren't going to pay any attention to his complaint". Boy was I wrong.
The 911 dispatcher quickly got a patrol car that was in the area and as we described where we were and where this driver was headed they were able to apprehend him. The dispatcher had us pull into a police station 1/4 mile down the road to get a signed statement from Marshall. By the time we pulled into the police station they already had stopped the driver and had administered a breathalyzer test... which he flunked! With Marshalls' statement and his failed DUI test he is now in big do-do.
I was so impressed that my husband was able to get a drunk driver off the road and arrested. His mom sure named him correctly, "Marshall" did his duty that night. It's why I love this man of mine.
xox
m
Day Lily!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Cabbage Rolls - Version 2.0
Hi,
it's fall, season of cooking. The temperature drops and all I want to do is stand in the kitchen and make food. It's my comfort zone. Maybe it's the heat of the stove top or oven that I crave as I battle to stay warm. I feel that every fall I get cold to the bone and stay that way until April but cooking helps me pass the frozen feelings away.
Last Thursday was the final pick-up week at the co-op farm association that we joined. The harvest was certainly plentiful and delicious this year. In the last collection of veggies was the most perfect cabbage. I couldn't wait to get home and make stuffed cabbage rolls. I have no idea why this became so important for me to create. I have never made stuffed cabbage rolls before in my whole life. I did watch my grandmother and mother make them on many occasion. I certainly have eaten enough of them in my life time, but never before have I felt the urge to put them together. Don't ask me where this came from, I have no clue.
I called my mom to make sure I had the right list of ingredients in my head and a general knowledge of assembly laid out. Ground turkey, cooked rice, panko (instead of bread crumbs), Dijon mustard, seasoning and an egg for the filling. Fresh canned tomatoes, vegetable juice, sweet chili sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar and a dash of vinegar for the sauce. Steam the cabbage leaves and take out the center vein, check. Stuff with the filling and roll up into packets, check. Steam rolls, check. Cook the steamed rolls in the tomato sauce, check. Eat, oh wow! I'd forgotten how much I loved cabbage rolls. Why did I wait so long to try making them? Shame on me.
The first dozen of production were a huge success as far as I was concerned. Even Marshall liked them enough to ask for seconds, and more of them to eat again for lunch the next day. I have sent some down to Florida for my mother's stamp of approval. She was excited that I was making cabbage rolls and I could hear her salivating over the phone, so I promised if they turned out edible that I would mail her some. They should arrive tomorrow. I've made a second batch and frozen them for future consumption. Re-heated they are even better than fresh. There is something about tomato sauce products always being better the more they are re-heated.... other than pizza (but there are fans of day-old pizza that will beg to differ I'm sure).
Learning how to make chulopchas (cabbage rolls) has been a blessing and a curse. I can now recreate one of my favorite childhood comfort foods... I also will have yet another food that I really don't need to cook in my repertoire. Oh well, I can always do extra laps in the pool to burn them off.
xox
m
it's fall, season of cooking. The temperature drops and all I want to do is stand in the kitchen and make food. It's my comfort zone. Maybe it's the heat of the stove top or oven that I crave as I battle to stay warm. I feel that every fall I get cold to the bone and stay that way until April but cooking helps me pass the frozen feelings away.
Last Thursday was the final pick-up week at the co-op farm association that we joined. The harvest was certainly plentiful and delicious this year. In the last collection of veggies was the most perfect cabbage. I couldn't wait to get home and make stuffed cabbage rolls. I have no idea why this became so important for me to create. I have never made stuffed cabbage rolls before in my whole life. I did watch my grandmother and mother make them on many occasion. I certainly have eaten enough of them in my life time, but never before have I felt the urge to put them together. Don't ask me where this came from, I have no clue.
I called my mom to make sure I had the right list of ingredients in my head and a general knowledge of assembly laid out. Ground turkey, cooked rice, panko (instead of bread crumbs), Dijon mustard, seasoning and an egg for the filling. Fresh canned tomatoes, vegetable juice, sweet chili sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar and a dash of vinegar for the sauce. Steam the cabbage leaves and take out the center vein, check. Stuff with the filling and roll up into packets, check. Steam rolls, check. Cook the steamed rolls in the tomato sauce, check. Eat, oh wow! I'd forgotten how much I loved cabbage rolls. Why did I wait so long to try making them? Shame on me.
The first dozen of production were a huge success as far as I was concerned. Even Marshall liked them enough to ask for seconds, and more of them to eat again for lunch the next day. I have sent some down to Florida for my mother's stamp of approval. She was excited that I was making cabbage rolls and I could hear her salivating over the phone, so I promised if they turned out edible that I would mail her some. They should arrive tomorrow. I've made a second batch and frozen them for future consumption. Re-heated they are even better than fresh. There is something about tomato sauce products always being better the more they are re-heated.... other than pizza (but there are fans of day-old pizza that will beg to differ I'm sure).
Learning how to make chulopchas (cabbage rolls) has been a blessing and a curse. I can now recreate one of my favorite childhood comfort foods... I also will have yet another food that I really don't need to cook in my repertoire. Oh well, I can always do extra laps in the pool to burn them off.
xox
m
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Freckles' Friend
there is a new gal in town and she's shacking up with our tenant, Freckles.
Freckles, as you may or may not remember, was our pond frog. He moved in last spring but seemed to fly the coop for the summer... or maybe he just went back packing in Europe, there were rumors to that affect floating around for a while. Any way, he's home and he's got a paramour. Ain't she a cutie! They make such a nice couple.
They don't pay rent but they are responsible for bug reduction and security. Both of which they are great at. I haven't seen a single mosquito around the house and any time I get near the pond Freckles (or his bride, I'm not sure which?) jumps up and scares the crap out of me. You can imagine what that might do to an intruder who isn't expecting security frogs to attack at any movement... or is that moment? What ever.
We do have house rules for the water babes. No unnecessary splashing. No loud 'ribbits' after 11pm. No pets. No slime on the rocks. We're a family friendly home but we're hoping that the frog population doesn't get any bigger. There are fish to consider and limited space to share. It's a nice neighbourhood and we'd like to keep it this way.
As to her name. I knew you'd ask. Freckles hasn't officially announced it, but I think it's 'Babette'... hence the story is that he brought her back from Paris with him after saving her from becoming an appetizer at Maxim's. Babette is here on a temporary visitors visa and Freckles is trying to get her paper work straightened out so that she isn't deported or turned into dinner somewhere in Philly. It's all rather complicated right now. We're just hoping Homeland Security doesn't need to get involved.
xox
m
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
NBA..... boo hoo
Hi,
I'm starting out with an apology.
I'm sorry, I just can't feel bad for the big boys of the NBA right now. What a bunch of brats.
They can throw a ball through a hoop and jump 18' in the air. Great, but is it worth millions and millions of dollars to be able to do this feat? I think not. I'm a b-ball fan. I have no idea why I like watching basketball. Maybe it's jealousy over being so small while they are just the opposite of my stature. I am impressed that they can coordinate any body that big and make what they do look graceful at all. Is it priceless? Not in my mind.
As the league and the players bicker over who gets what size slice of the pie, the whole meal is disappearing. Greed has taken over and no one is getting anything. Today there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about what the players are doing to fill their time and pockets since there is no series happening. One guy is doing a documentary on how badly men are dressing lately (does he see what Dennis Rodman has worn on a good day?) Another player was on "Family Feud" duking it out over the top 3 answers about orange foods. I'd feel sorry for these boys if I didn't know that over the last few years of their careers they made more money than most people make in a life time of real work. Maybe while they are off picketing the owners they should be taking courses in money management and fiscal responsibility.
The season is shot for this year and now they are saying that 2011-2012 probably won't happen either. I'm fine with that, except it affects so many other jobs like the arenas that have to fill the empty space. Hotdog sales will probably slump. T-shirt venders are going to need to dump inventory. Will Nike cut down production of basketball shoes in sizes 18 to 26? I bet they will. The tough economy is going to get a lot tougher. Now what will all those unemployed big boys do with no income and a life style of living large? There is not a lot of call for tall Santas in the mall or over-sized elves. Will we need to hold a tag day for Kobe?
On the up side think of all the money that could be re-directed into education or health or safety issues around the country since we won't be spending it on basketball tickets. I know that isn't going to happen, but it's a thought.
xox
m
I'm starting out with an apology.
I'm sorry, I just can't feel bad for the big boys of the NBA right now. What a bunch of brats.
They can throw a ball through a hoop and jump 18' in the air. Great, but is it worth millions and millions of dollars to be able to do this feat? I think not. I'm a b-ball fan. I have no idea why I like watching basketball. Maybe it's jealousy over being so small while they are just the opposite of my stature. I am impressed that they can coordinate any body that big and make what they do look graceful at all. Is it priceless? Not in my mind.
As the league and the players bicker over who gets what size slice of the pie, the whole meal is disappearing. Greed has taken over and no one is getting anything. Today there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about what the players are doing to fill their time and pockets since there is no series happening. One guy is doing a documentary on how badly men are dressing lately (does he see what Dennis Rodman has worn on a good day?) Another player was on "Family Feud" duking it out over the top 3 answers about orange foods. I'd feel sorry for these boys if I didn't know that over the last few years of their careers they made more money than most people make in a life time of real work. Maybe while they are off picketing the owners they should be taking courses in money management and fiscal responsibility.
The season is shot for this year and now they are saying that 2011-2012 probably won't happen either. I'm fine with that, except it affects so many other jobs like the arenas that have to fill the empty space. Hotdog sales will probably slump. T-shirt venders are going to need to dump inventory. Will Nike cut down production of basketball shoes in sizes 18 to 26? I bet they will. The tough economy is going to get a lot tougher. Now what will all those unemployed big boys do with no income and a life style of living large? There is not a lot of call for tall Santas in the mall or over-sized elves. Will we need to hold a tag day for Kobe?
On the up side think of all the money that could be re-directed into education or health or safety issues around the country since we won't be spending it on basketball tickets. I know that isn't going to happen, but it's a thought.
xox
m
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Decapitated worms
Hi,
the garden is officially closed for the season. I pulled the last of the elephant ears out today, decapitating at least 30 earth worms. Yeah, I know you can't cut a worms head off, but they do squirm a whole bunch when you slice them in half with a spade. It's hard to imagine still having to garden in November. As a Canadian, the mud raking session is usually done by the end of September. There is never anything to bother with in October, and November is usually when some silly winter weather starts to roll in. Not in Pennsylvania. September & October we still had blooming flowers and I was trimming bushes back for the 10th time. This never-ending growing season is brutal.
The canna plants hit 9' tall this year and I dug out 40lbs of tubers. I have already dumped 10lbs of them on women at the health club with instructions to plant them next April and I am not responsible for what they produce.... which is a whole lot of flowering plant, and more tubers. The elephant ears were even more prosperous and plentiful. Leaves the size of kitchen tables and stalks reaching over 10' high. It looked very tropical in the front of our house. Chopping it all down was heart breaking but if I don't get it out before a hard frost these plants will die, and I'll have nothing to wow the neighbours with next year. I really did have to yell 'timber' when I felled these monsters, and they land with a definitive 'thud' they are so heavy. I think I'll invest with a machete next year and wear jungle paint as I make my way through the yard work.
The flower beds are cleared, the detritus is dealt with and my back is only a little sore. This year it was 12 hours of labor for clean up of just the flowering plants and some dead tree branches that fell from last weeks snow event. I don't even touch the falling leaves, that's for hired help and it can take 3 guys with leaf blowers 2-3 hours to clear out our yard. Mature trees are lovely until they shed... and then they aren't so pretty to pick up after.
Some aspirin and a hot shower await me. I need the winter to recuperate from all this gardening.
xox
m
the garden is officially closed for the season. I pulled the last of the elephant ears out today, decapitating at least 30 earth worms. Yeah, I know you can't cut a worms head off, but they do squirm a whole bunch when you slice them in half with a spade. It's hard to imagine still having to garden in November. As a Canadian, the mud raking session is usually done by the end of September. There is never anything to bother with in October, and November is usually when some silly winter weather starts to roll in. Not in Pennsylvania. September & October we still had blooming flowers and I was trimming bushes back for the 10th time. This never-ending growing season is brutal.
The canna plants hit 9' tall this year and I dug out 40lbs of tubers. I have already dumped 10lbs of them on women at the health club with instructions to plant them next April and I am not responsible for what they produce.... which is a whole lot of flowering plant, and more tubers. The elephant ears were even more prosperous and plentiful. Leaves the size of kitchen tables and stalks reaching over 10' high. It looked very tropical in the front of our house. Chopping it all down was heart breaking but if I don't get it out before a hard frost these plants will die, and I'll have nothing to wow the neighbours with next year. I really did have to yell 'timber' when I felled these monsters, and they land with a definitive 'thud' they are so heavy. I think I'll invest with a machete next year and wear jungle paint as I make my way through the yard work.
The flower beds are cleared, the detritus is dealt with and my back is only a little sore. This year it was 12 hours of labor for clean up of just the flowering plants and some dead tree branches that fell from last weeks snow event. I don't even touch the falling leaves, that's for hired help and it can take 3 guys with leaf blowers 2-3 hours to clear out our yard. Mature trees are lovely until they shed... and then they aren't so pretty to pick up after.
Some aspirin and a hot shower await me. I need the winter to recuperate from all this gardening.
xox
m
Friday, November 4, 2011
what a great idea
Hi,
Why didn't I think of this and market it first?
"Wanted" advertising on highway billboards.
I've seen everything on billboards over the last 50 years or so, from the hokey to the pokey. The tackiest was in Toronto at Victoria Park and Eglinton. It was for a car dealership whose slogan was "swing on down" and so they had a girl on a swing that moved back and forth hanging on the billboard. Even as a kid I thought it was silly and it didn't age well. Every so often some prankster would get up on it and decorate the swinging figure, usually with something rude or obscene. Once someone stole her off the billboard... an no one noticed for a whole month.
Last night, driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike I saw an LED billboard, the kind that flashes different ads at 30 second intervals and as I glanced at it, the image was an FBI wanted poster for a murderer in the Philadelphia area. Edward Murphy, in case you're curious. Nasty looking picture and not the Eddie Murphy of SLN fame either. I think this is a great promo idea. Between the internet and the interstate highway system it should be impossible for a felon to hide anymore.
Giving the FBI most wanted list some real face time is a fabulous way to get people out from under their rocks of hiding. I didn't know this Edward guy was wanted by the FBI but now, if I see him, I'm dialing 911 as fast as I can.... there is bounty money involved in this too. Who else can I be on the look out for? I'm going to pay a lot more attention to used car salesmen and insurance sellers. I'm positive there have to be a few of them on a list for doing something nasty to someone. Truly, give the bad guys their own Facebook pages and let the whole community know they are 'wanted'. I bet it would go viral in hours.
The old days of posters in the post office are long gone. I haven't see one of those signs since we moved from Fort Wayne to PA. The world is a much smaller place now, with fewer hiding spots. Just ask Gaddafi or Bin Laden. Billboards for the hunted criminal seems like a winner to me. I'm just sorry I didn't jump on it first.
xox
m
Why didn't I think of this and market it first?
"Wanted" advertising on highway billboards.
I've seen everything on billboards over the last 50 years or so, from the hokey to the pokey. The tackiest was in Toronto at Victoria Park and Eglinton. It was for a car dealership whose slogan was "swing on down" and so they had a girl on a swing that moved back and forth hanging on the billboard. Even as a kid I thought it was silly and it didn't age well. Every so often some prankster would get up on it and decorate the swinging figure, usually with something rude or obscene. Once someone stole her off the billboard... an no one noticed for a whole month.
Last night, driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike I saw an LED billboard, the kind that flashes different ads at 30 second intervals and as I glanced at it, the image was an FBI wanted poster for a murderer in the Philadelphia area. Edward Murphy, in case you're curious. Nasty looking picture and not the Eddie Murphy of SLN fame either. I think this is a great promo idea. Between the internet and the interstate highway system it should be impossible for a felon to hide anymore.
Giving the FBI most wanted list some real face time is a fabulous way to get people out from under their rocks of hiding. I didn't know this Edward guy was wanted by the FBI but now, if I see him, I'm dialing 911 as fast as I can.... there is bounty money involved in this too. Who else can I be on the look out for? I'm going to pay a lot more attention to used car salesmen and insurance sellers. I'm positive there have to be a few of them on a list for doing something nasty to someone. Truly, give the bad guys their own Facebook pages and let the whole community know they are 'wanted'. I bet it would go viral in hours.
The old days of posters in the post office are long gone. I haven't see one of those signs since we moved from Fort Wayne to PA. The world is a much smaller place now, with fewer hiding spots. Just ask Gaddafi or Bin Laden. Billboards for the hunted criminal seems like a winner to me. I'm just sorry I didn't jump on it first.
xox
m
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
New Month
Hi,
it's getting to be that time of year again... count down! The second Halloween is over people here start shifting into shopping mode. Even in this 'economic depression' (and I am not going to pull any punches by calling it anything other than what it really is) there is a deluge of ads on TV for Christmas lay-away plans. Are they kidding me? Unemployment is at an all time high since the Dirty Thirties and we need to push X-mas crap? Houses are being foreclosed on in record numbers and the ad men keep pushing useless merchandise at us. "Buy, Buy, Buy... or you're not a good person". Debt? That word suddenly seems to have dropped from our daily vocabulary. How many credit card applications do you think we get sent in one week of mail? Last week, in 6 days of post, we received 18 different applications. Some disguised as vacation give away plans, some were from associations, others still looked like real mail (I almost forget what that is). No we don't need special terms, reduced fees, lower interest rates or flashy cash-back programs. I'm not shopping!
Bank of America tried to add a $5 yearly fee to it's debit card program but got such heat from customers and the press that it called it off today. Good. People need to get used to spending only what's in their pocket or bank account. My mantra is "no more credit". If you don't have the money at hand, you can't buy it! Want it? Tough, only if you have the pennies in your piggy bank, otherwise, stop shopping for stuff you probably don't need. The Black Friday shopping frenzy is heating up. Are there real bargains to be had? Maybe. Do you need another Blackberry/Kindle/60" screen TV? Probably not. Can you live without upgrading your widgets & gadgets? You bet your life you can. If it ain't broke, don't buy another. Unfortunately, these are concepts that people just don't want to hear. They are still stuck on the consumer-mode from the 90's. I really think no one has been listening to the media and the fact that we are on the brink of financial dissolve world-wide.
I get very bah-humbug this time of year and practically shut down from the bombardment of shopping promotions. It takes all my strength to not scream "I've had enough, and I won't take it anymore". It's usually February before my blood pressure goes back down to normal and I venture out to buy anything more than just food. Trust me, it's not safe out there until Ground Hogs' Day.
xox
m
it's getting to be that time of year again... count down! The second Halloween is over people here start shifting into shopping mode. Even in this 'economic depression' (and I am not going to pull any punches by calling it anything other than what it really is) there is a deluge of ads on TV for Christmas lay-away plans. Are they kidding me? Unemployment is at an all time high since the Dirty Thirties and we need to push X-mas crap? Houses are being foreclosed on in record numbers and the ad men keep pushing useless merchandise at us. "Buy, Buy, Buy... or you're not a good person". Debt? That word suddenly seems to have dropped from our daily vocabulary. How many credit card applications do you think we get sent in one week of mail? Last week, in 6 days of post, we received 18 different applications. Some disguised as vacation give away plans, some were from associations, others still looked like real mail (I almost forget what that is). No we don't need special terms, reduced fees, lower interest rates or flashy cash-back programs. I'm not shopping!
Bank of America tried to add a $5 yearly fee to it's debit card program but got such heat from customers and the press that it called it off today. Good. People need to get used to spending only what's in their pocket or bank account. My mantra is "no more credit". If you don't have the money at hand, you can't buy it! Want it? Tough, only if you have the pennies in your piggy bank, otherwise, stop shopping for stuff you probably don't need. The Black Friday shopping frenzy is heating up. Are there real bargains to be had? Maybe. Do you need another Blackberry/Kindle/60" screen TV? Probably not. Can you live without upgrading your widgets & gadgets? You bet your life you can. If it ain't broke, don't buy another. Unfortunately, these are concepts that people just don't want to hear. They are still stuck on the consumer-mode from the 90's. I really think no one has been listening to the media and the fact that we are on the brink of financial dissolve world-wide.
I get very bah-humbug this time of year and practically shut down from the bombardment of shopping promotions. It takes all my strength to not scream "I've had enough, and I won't take it anymore". It's usually February before my blood pressure goes back down to normal and I venture out to buy anything more than just food. Trust me, it's not safe out there until Ground Hogs' Day.
xox
m
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