Why I Yoga

Hi,
It hasn't stopped raining here for the last 4 days. The winter 'blahs' have set in, making me feel as gray as the weather. Getting out of bed is nothing I look forward too, even though sleeping most nights is equally bad. The endless damp days start to affect my bones and my spirit, so I Yoga.

This is coming up on my third year of trying yoga to improve my body and mind. I hate it. It is slow, mechanical, frustrating and everything I am not... Which is all the more reason to do it. When people say 'I'm not flexible, I could never do Yoga', my favorite instructor, June, says 'that is why your definitely  SHOULD do Yoga'. She's right. June is right about a lot of things she repeats in her classes on a regular basis. Some of my favorite June-isms are 'if we rest, we rust' and 'use it, or lose it'. June is 63 years old and puts us all to shame. She looks about 40, thin and wiry but strong as hell and always smiling. I want to grow up to be June. Every time I take one of her classes I come out stronger and taller and in a great frame of mind...no matter where I started off in my day, it is always at a better place after a yoga class with June.

My yoga is mine. That's the good thing about it. I realize that I am not in anyone else's body, other than the one I live and breath in...so why worry about what the guy on the next mat over is able to accomplish. I do want I can with what I've got and that's all you can do in Yoga. Once you get your head wrapped around that concept, life is a whole lot more fun in Yoga class. I have been able to improve. Every so often I try a pose, that three years ago I would have said 'never' to, now I set myself up, and 'blink', the pose happens. Lots of  yoga poses may never transpire, but that doesn't mean you don't try and get there. The journey is the practice. You never really ever arrive at a destination. There is always further to go in your Yoga practice.... But if you never start the journey, how do you ever expect to get anywhere?

Bend, flex, twist, stretch, moan, groan, fall over, start again... It's all good for me. I still don't really like it but I am liking the results. I will never be as flexible as June,or as strong as Sam, or as lithe as Cheryl but that's okay. I can pop up into a perfect headstand in the middle of the room. I think that's pretty cool. I certainly couldn't do that before I started in with yoga. It doesn't get me any awards or free coupons but I do get the occasional applause in class. It keeps me coming back. Maybe I need to develop performance yoga? Wait, isn't that called "Cirque du Soliel"? Oh well.....

Nameste

m

Back on track

Hi,
I am making an effort to get back to my blogging. Seems that someone out there reads my stuff and looks forward to my ranting and raving. Who knew?

Today I want to scream about bad driving habits. We all have them, some worse than others. This time of years makes the bad ones stand out even more than usual. People are in a hurry to get to the mall or find a parking spot or be first in line for the red light. I don't care about their rush, I care about them not signalling that they need to change into the lane I am already driving in. I can't read their mind when they suddenly pull a U-turn and nearly kill three pedestrians doing it. I don't even begin to guess about their issues with needing to pass traffic on a three lane highway using the dirt shoulder of the road. What sale is going on that I don't know about? What are they giving away for free? Where is the fire? Why wasn't I invited?

I don't have far to travel most days. To & fro to my job is 8 miles one way. You would think that it would be a pretty easy run, but most days I feel like I take my life in my hands at the wheel of a car. I see it all in those short 15 minutes it take me to get to the NAC. When the roads are slick with rain, as they have been around here for the last couple of days, it is incredibly entertaining to watch the stupidity of the mental midgets driving in this area. The SUV morons usually win the 'Darwin Award'. I drive a Honda, which must have a target on the back that I don't see. Crawling up my behind is not going to make me go any faster on a pitch dark, two-lane winding side road where the cops love to sit and pick you off for speeding. It's not my fault the speed limit is 25mph. I'll even roar along at 35mph (I'm bad, I know) but that just isn't fast enough, so tail-gating isn't going to make me go any faster. I'm sorry you are stuck behind me and there is no way to pass my little car, but trying to run me over is not the solution. Take better meds if this is the case.

Turn signals must have been eliminated in some new models of vehicle. No one uses them anymore.You need to turn left? Flick the darn stick down and let me know. It's a little thing but it's very useful to the on coming traffic to know that you plan to turn. Along with this, please think to replace the burned out headlight, turn signal, brake light, any light in your car. I'm sure there is something lit up on your dashboard that is telling you there is a bulb out.... but maybe that is burned out as well since you like to drive in total oblivion and darkness. You may not use your turn signals but that does not mean you should be driving around with your brights on to compensate. Read my lips: "no brights, yes turn signals" Basic driving 101 rules... lord help me.

Cell phones and driving. Do I really need to go there? I guess I do since so many still think they can talk, drive, put on make-up and eat breakfast at the same time while traveling 50mph. It is not a matter of 'if', but 'when' they will have the major accident. I just pray that it isn't with me. I may not be able to contain myself if I every have a run-in with any of these people. They may end up wearing their phones permanently up their asses, which matches my opinion of what they are. I'm calling this one the way I see it.... pun not intended.

Maybe all these drivers need to have a day at a go-kart track and get their frustration out.... preferably one that offers driving lessons as part of the event.... get them all back on track.

xox
m

Mrs. V.P.

Hi,
yes, it has been a while since my last post. My apologies. Life sometimes gets in the way, not to mention a hurricane and assorted other mishaps. We survived the storm, but the washing machine and the dishwasher didn't, so that, and a whole lot of clean up, has kept me off the computer.

The good news is my darling husband has finally made "Vice-President" status. A well deserved honor. He will still be the geek we all know and love, just one with a hefty title. It doesn't officially take place until January 1, 2013 but he has it in writing so it's as good as gold right now. V.P. of Pentair Valves and Controls division..... king of the castle with the butterfly and gate valve community, among others. Don't ask for the technical jargon, we will be here all day. He's a happy clam and I get to say I am sleeping my way to the top.

I wonder if this is how Jill Biden feels? Being with a VP is new for me. Maybe Jill can offer me pointers on what to feed a VP? Do they need extra starch in their shirt collars? How often do you take them out for a walk? Is special attire required? Must be, Marshall went shopping for new shirts and some pants this afternoon. Next thing I know he'll be asking for sparkling water instead of the regular tap stuff I make him drink all the time. Oh, things could get down right complicated. I don't know if I'm ready to be a "Mrs. V.P." yet.

I am sure things will settle down once the novelty wears off of being a vice-president. Marshall's humble side will shine through and the confetti will all be swept up. I bet he'll be demanding that I start addressing him as "Mr. Vice-President" right up until I have him take the garbage out on Monday night. I have always found garbage removal to be humbling. I bet he will too. Until then I am happy to let him revel in his new title and try it on for size. Just call me "Mrs. V.P." please, at least until garbage night.

m

Cancer Free

Hi,
I am just back from my 'test day' at UPenn Hospital and I am officially off their radar. I will know for absolute certain positive 100% sure sometime next week if they found anything unusual in me... but I am ready to blow the party horn right now. "toot, toot"! 

My oncologist was very pleased to see me in such great health. She thinks I look fabulous. I guess compared to what she normally sees all day, I suppose I do. My scar tissue amazes her. I akin it to a lot of Yoga and regular massage therapy. Both have helped reduce the amount of scar tissue and 'ropiness' in my neck area. Beautiful I ain't but I don't shatter mirrors or frighten little children any more unless I want to.... and I can!

This takes me off the melanoma radar down at UPenn. No more regular check ups or serious scans every few months. It's been four years and that has been enough of a ride for me, than you very much. Dr. Schuchter, my oncologist, shook hands with me and said 'goodbye', hopefully for the last time. I love her, she was awesome but if I never have to see her, or UPenn again, it will all be for the better.

xox
m

Last time

Hi,
this morning I am off to UPenn (University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia for those of you not local). I have my last round of medical check ups today.

My cancer journey has lasted four years and I am getting off the band wagon after today. I have had enough of being a patient and a guinea pig. I know the doctors have really sick people to spend their time and energy on, and I am not one of them. Go poke and prod someone who really needs the attention. I don't. I have better things to do, I'm sure of it.

I will go through the tests (MRI, PET, CAT scans and blood work) one last time. For the last three years I have passed the barrage of exams with flying colours. Testament to the success of the medical team who cut and pasted me back to good health. I have been vigilant about keeping myself in that good health, doing my part and playing nice with others in the sandbox. Doctors love to pat themselves on the back and laud in their successes so I am a favorite visitor. "See, we can conquer cancer and it doesn't hurt a bit". No, but it costs a ton of money and I saw the bills to prove it. My day of tests at UPenn costs about $18,000 (before the insurance company negotiates the real rate and we see a bill... but that's a whole other story). I do not think I need to be spending that much money only to find out I have nothing else for the medical professionals to ooh & aah over any more. I am such a party poop.

The doctors like to tell me that they need to keep an eye on me for ten years. Ten? Are they nuts? I can't keep doing this routine. I don't see the point. If the cancer comes back all they have to offer me is surgery, more cutting and pasting, and I can't do it. Not again. It has taken me two years to get my life back to a sort of normal state and that was starting at a younger, healthier level. I'm now four years older and further behind the eight-ball. No way are they getting me on a table for surgery or radiation or anything else again. One shot, they took their best one, it's worked, I'm out of here. Bye-bye.

I will continue to see a dermatologist. The exterior spots and crap that I seem to produce are easy to handle. I just had a few new 'chunks' removed the other day. A little Valium, a few jokes about the fat cells on my backside, and a promise of a Cinderella Band-Aide and I am good to go. See you in six months. I even had an audience... a resident, a visiting surgeon from Cleveland, a plastic surgeon, the dermatologist, the nurse and Marshall. Standing room only. I could do a whole comedy routine about this event, with video too.... oh never mind. You don't need to see the details but you get the gist.

It's time to head out. It is the last time.

xox
m

does it matter?

Hi,
Thought provoking questions abound. The presidential campaign is in full swing and the questions are flying fast and furious... But do we like the answers?

I get to play devils advocate in the USA. I'm just a legal resident with no voting privileges so I like to rattle the cage and see what people think and which way they are inclined to vote. It is an interesting seat to be sitting in. I get to hear a lot of opinions and since the people answering know that I am not a voter they are less inclined to try and sway me into agreeing with them and more likely to engage in an actual discussion of policies.

In general I get the feeling that no one is really happy with the state of the union or the power of unions or the union of same sex marriages.... Maybe it's the word 'union' they have issue with? We certainly don't seem 'united' about much right now. There is a huge cavern between the 'right' and the 'left' leaving a wasteland in the middle ground. The only thing sitting in that tundra is the economic debt load carried around like the elephant in the room that no one wants to address, and he is eating us out of house and home, literally.

Health care, insurance, education, morality, gun laws, welfare, national security.... Issues that desperately need attention and all I seem to hear is the 'he said' out of context quotes added to the mud slinging, and innuendo of impropriety from both sides. Is this really what elections have lowered themselves to? How sad for us all.

Prepared, canned responses to set up questions pretending to pose as viable answers just don't do it for me. I am not impressed. I need more and I'm betting so does everyone else. Why is it so difficult to state your case and stick to it? Waffling drives me crazy and these boys are hitting new highs and lows on promising the moon, the sun and the stars. Maybe that's why movies stars feel the need to get into the election-act so they are not eclipsed.

I am excited to see and hear the end of this race to the White House. One more political ad on TV is going to make me sick. November isn't coming fast enough.

xox

M

50 before 4

Hi,
I teach swimming and all my swimmers are special. Learning to swim is never easy no matter how old or young you are. My challenge is to make the impossibility of swimming, possible. Some people 'get it' easier than others, and then there is Nicholas. He's a natural.

From the moment Nicholas hit the water six months ago, he was home. At three years old, he was ready to rock and roll in the pool. Ride a Styrofoam noodle? Giddy up partner! Blow bubbles? No sweat! Jump in and touch the bottom? Yippee, bring it on! He is a fearless warrior in the water. He also is the cutest thing in his cap and goggles, a true heart throb in a swim suit. Look out Michael Phelps, Nicholas is on the rise. Did I mention he's just three?

Today was a great lesson, Nicholas was in the zone. He has figured out going under water, blowing his famous bubbles and then coming up for air, then back under he goes, paddling and kicking his heart out. Flip him on his back and he Zen's out with his little feet motoring him along.

Have I  mentioned that he is three?

To top off his day in the water Nicholas blew me away. We started off at the far end of the 25 meter pool and he tadpoled his way the whole length of the pool. We did a few big 'jump-ins' and then he rolled onto his back and kicked his way back down another 25 meters. Fifty meters of swimming and he is three years old! Totally amazing! To put it all in perspective, I pointed out to his mom, five and six year olds in other lessons, barely dealing with being in the pool, going no where and needing floatie-belts. Her little man did a marathon compared to the other kids. Way to go Nicholas. Fifty meters of swimming and he won't be four years old for another two weeks.

50 before 4..... I just had to write about it.

xox
M

Direct Line

Hi,
What do you do when you want to talk to someone who is not within yelling distance? You phone.

Originally we kept our telephones in the main hall of the house, on a pedestal. Why? Because we were used to grreating guests at the front door, so we treated phone calls like guests walking in the front door. Sounds silly, but that is where everyone had their phones installed... It also was easier to just run the phone wire into the front of the house. Walls were lathe & plaster, no drywall, so running the phone line through the wall wasn't possible and you had to secure them along the top or bottom of the walls. Hiding phone lines was a major decorating issue for the wealthy, and no one but the rich could afford the luxury of the telephone.

Fast forward to 2012 where we carry our phone in our pocket and it connects us to the whole world at the tough of a finger and a series of 10 numbers gets us to anyone we want to talk to. The only thing we have to remember is what time zone the person we want to speak with is in versus the one we are in so that we're not waking up a poor soul. Phones will even keep track of that info for you if you want. It's fool proof.

What if the person we want to reach has no phone? Yes, there are still people on this planet without a phone, but very few of them and soon we will all be connected, every human with a heart beat, all 7 billion of us, give or take a few infants and some of the more senile geriatric set.

The one person I wanted to talk to today doesn't have a phone or a direct line, she's died. It's an odd feeling not to be able to pick up the phone and talk to her now. Not that I did it that often, but I always knew I could if I wanted to. Now that I can't call my mom, I feel the need to pick up the phone and hear her voice. Weird.

The telephone had evolved enormously in the last 100 years. Maybe in the next century we will even be able to reach the departed. Harry Houdini would have loved that!

xox

M

singing with Smokey

Hi,
I have just crossed another item off my bucket list. I had the esteemed privilege of singing with Smokey Robinson last week. While it wasn't an intimate duet, it felt like the two of our voices were one... There just happened to be an audience of several hundred people also singing along.

I have always loved Smokey. I grew up in the 60's when his music and lyrics ruled the radio. Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Supremes and The Miracles were all singing his songs and I harmonized right along with them. Motown music was my sound of choice. At 72 years old, Smokey is still making that music come alive, in perfect pitch with a falsetto that never falters. He is truly amazing to listen to. It is as if the last 50 years have just faded away. It's 1962 all over again when he hits the stage.

The Mann Center in Philadelphia is an outdoor amphitheater with fabulous acoustics. Smokey's voice rang out loud and clear with his exceptional back up band and singers filling the night air. What made the concert so special was the audience singing along. It sounded like the most professional of gospel choirs accompanying the performers. Even Smokey seemed impressed with the wave of harmony coming back at him from the crowd. I have heard audiences sing with the musicians before and it is usually tolerable at best. This was a whole new level of sing-a-long. Attendees were mostly Afro-Americans in their late 50-60's, dressed to the nines and looking to party with the Motown Man. They came to sing loud & proud... And I joined in for every song.

Smokey, you are The Man.

xox
M

Mom

Hi,
mom has died and we are sitting shivah.

My mother fought a long and hard battle, starting almost 30 years ago when she developed MS symptoms that just kept getting worse. In the last few years she was crippled up with the disease, needing a walker and scooter to get around. My mom had to give up tennis, golf, tai chi, walking and many other of her favorite activities. Cooking became a chore, she had to become left handed as her right hand dexterity gave out and even needlepointing eventually became too difficult. That didn't stop her from travelling around on her scooter to do food shopping or get to the library. Mom worked very hard to try and have a 'normal' life and some days it wasn't easy.

Then the accident happened. Three months ago she was hit by a car while trying to cross the road at a crosswalk in Florida. That, in turn, took her life struggle to new levels. Mom fought back from 5 surgeries, was in the hospital for three months and finally was able to come home two weeks ago. She still needed daily help to get even the simplest things accomplished and it was going to take a lot more therapy and effort on her part to get her life back, but she was trying.

Friday night, after what my dad thought was a delicious dinner, mom complained of not feeling well. By 10:00pm she was throwing up and at 11:00 dad called an ambulance to take her back into the hospital. He stayed with her all night, but by 6:00pm Saturday the doctors still weren't able to figure out what the problem was. They sent dad home to get some sleep while they continued to run tests on mom. At 2:00am on Sunday they called dad to say mom's blood pressure had dropped to a critical level and they had moved her into ICU. He rushed down to the hospital but by the time he got there, she was gone, her heart had stopped and we were all left in shock.

The Jewish tradition forbids an autopsy and knowing why mom died was not going to bring her back. We all rallied around and flew into the city within 5 hours of getting a call from dad. The funeral was organized and by Monday mom was laid to rest and we started to sit shivah (a week long period of mourning). Shivah is over Sunday morning and life resumes with out Libby, but only in the physical. We remain to carry on her memory and legacy, hoping to make her proud of what her life created.

xox
m

Fish fountain

Hi,
The fish, our koi collection, have a new toy in their playground: a fountain. It was part of the package sent to us by the  pond chemical company after they tested our chemicals. They said the pond chemicals were not at fault for killing our last two batches of fish but their customer service representative that I dealt with was extremely nice and he sent us a whole load of new chemicals, food and a fountain-filter-pump-thingy.... It filters the water then shoots the water up, really high.

When we set it up in the pond it looked like Old Faithful going off. It's hysterical to watch this thing pump water up almost two feet in the air. The fish love it! They frolic in the splashing water like kids at a gushing fire hydrant in the heat of the summer. The fish jump and swim madly to get into the frothing water. I've never seen koi do this trick but it's a lot of fun to watch the mayhem. They would keep it up all day if I let the fountain run. I'm afraid they will die of exhaustion so we limit the play time to a few hours every couple of days.

This latest batch of koi were a gift from dad. He felt terrible that the last group from Toronto died when I cleaned the pond so we bought a big group from a web site out of  Florida. They shipped us 40, 3"- 6" fish in an array of colours and marking. They have all grown about an inch in the last month. There are also 8 feeder goldfish that I threw in two months ago to test the pond water with and they have increased in size as well. The goldfish don't seem as interested or entertained by the fountain as the koi are. Where the koi can't get enough of the fountain splash, the goldfish make a point of avoiding it. Very interesting indeed. I wish I knew more about different fish mentality, but they don't have a lot of info on fish brain process in my local library. Imagine that!

The pond is in full swing with koi, blooming water lilies, hyacinth and some other green plants. We had a frog but it committed suicide last week. It had just moved into the neighborhood and seemed to really dig his new pad. The next thing we know he's floating in the pond and not in a good way. It looked like he threw up the lining of his stomach. I asked my pond guru guy at the fish chemical company and he said that frogs will occasionally swallow something they don't like and regurgitate their stomachs to get it out... Not always successfully. Ours seemed to have lost his stomach, literally, and died. I am so tired of dealing with dead pond critters but it seems that it's the state of the hood no matter what we do. If it's not dead fish, it's suicidal frogs, birds that can't see the window and crash dive into them, or mice that break into the bird seed and eat themselves to death. The pet cemetary is over flowing in the backyard.... But the fountain is a blast.

xox
M

Bread Making

Hi, I know I haven't posted anything new in over a month. I'm sorry, but life just got in the way.... But now I'm back in business. The cost of food is skyrocketed in the last year and the weather this summer is reeking havoc on crops all across the country so it's about to get more expensive to eat. I think we all need to learn to cook and bake. It's healthier to know exactly what is in the food we eat every day. We take part in a food co-op farm. I love getting greens & fruit every week from the farm. There is nothing more fun and delicious than picking berries or cherry tomatoes. We even have a zuccinni plant and a tomato plant in our garden at home this year that are starting to bear fruit. It's so much fun going out every morning to see what's ripe and ready to eat. I'm not growing my own wheat but I am baking a lot of bread. The challah (egg bread) that I make is a favorite when ever I bring one to a gathering. Bread is easy to make and now that a regular loaf is over $3 I am breaking out my recipe books and baking my own. I am a flour snob and that's the hardest thing to get around here. I have been bringing Canadian "Five Roses" flour in when ever we go back to Toronto but I also have been experimenting with the "Gold Medal - better for bread" brand and it's not bad. Fleishman's Yeast is also an important part of the process. Its never failed me... And guess what, it's made in Canada too. Imagine that! Here is my recipe for a perfect challah. Try it, it isn't hard to do and the results are worth it, trust me. You will stop buying bread at the grocery store once you spoil yourself with fresh bread out of your oven. Do it on a weekend when you have the time to let it rise and then you will have bread for the rest of the week to eat. This recipe makes one large loaf or 9 sandwich size buns. I'm also available for private bread making lessons any time, just call. Challah Bread 3tsp yeast 2tsp sugar 1 cup hot water In a large wood, glass or plastic bowl mix the yeast, sugar and water. It will start to proof (bubble). Never use a metal bowl, the yeast will not activate properly. Add in: 1/2 cup sugar 1tsp Kosher salt 2 eggs 1/2 canola or vegetable oil 4-5 cups flour, added one cup at a time and mixed as added until dough is formed into a ball. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let rise 2 hours. Knead into loaf shape or divide into smaller buns and place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise one more hour. Brush with a beaten egg mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the loaf or buns at 350* for 45-50 minutes. The buns may take less time, check them at 35 minutes. When the bread is golden crusted, it's ready. Enjoy! The exercise you get kneading the bread offsets the calories in eating it, guilt-free baking at its best. xox M

Cleaning 101

Hi, My brilliant husband came up with a terrific idea. School for the cleaning impaired. I need to offer courses in the maintenance and upkeep of the home and personal property. "Home-ec" for the next generation. There is a need. I have seen it, along with the dirt. We have a whole generation that has no idea how to clean, sew, fix or keep their stuff. I can handle instruction on household cleaning and repair, Marshall is an expert on mechanical, electronic and electrical items. We could make a small fortune teaching people how to deal with the basic necessity items that break and require cleaning. I can see it now.....look out Molly-Maid! Can't you just picture it. The oportunity to delve into the secrets of laundry, the how & why of stain removal, buying a power washer, sewing a table cloth, knitting a Peter heater and so much more. Making a jello mould, the all-time favorite grapefruit basket, dessert presentation using doilies and icing sugar....the list is endless. Home-ec has become a totally lost art. It's time to revive it. I seem to be the only person who knows that baking powder and vinegar will clean anything or the trick of using shaving cream to clean up carpet stains. Heloise and I are a dying breed. If you don't know who she is, you need to take my course. What will the next generation do without all this useful info? The trash pile is getting higher everyday and we don't recycle enough stuff. We are going to drown in our own garbage. It's time to learn to keep things from becoming tomorrows garbage heap. Cleaning up after ourselves is just a microcosm of how we keep our planet. If we delt with our own backyards, the rest of the world would be simple....and cleaner for it. Xox M

New Toy in Town

Hi,
 I'm typing to you from my new toy, an iPad. It was Marshall's idea to give me one for my birthday. Yes, the man who avowed NEVER to own a Mac product, broke down and purchased one for me.... So 'technically' he doesn't 'own' one, I do. Ha!!!

 It is pretty cool, I have to admit. I have figured out what I need to know how to accomplish pretty much by myself. The fancy tricks I can pick up later if needed. I have my e-mail account, a library hook up for e-books, an app for spider solitaire, Skype and all my contact info transferred.... Apple life is good.

I haven't used an Apple product in almost 30 years. The first computer I ever worked on was a Mac. I loved the way it was so user friendly and thought just like I did. I'm finding this iPad to be just as nice.... Sometimes. We do have our moments. Some of them are not pretty yet. I like the portability of this gadget. Sitting in the living room by the window is lovely as I read my email. The key board is a hoot. It is just my size and I can bop along on it. I have tried putting a book on reserve at the local library, we'll see what comes of that. I have used the camera... That is a neat trick too. I haven't figured out how to get the pictures from my iPad to come up on this site so you will just have to bear with my learning curve for now. Any and all suggestions for assistance are welcome. I'm not drowning but I could use a life line for a couple of things. Like how to get a paragraph break to work. I apologize for this all turning into one big blob of type but the blog doesn't seem to recognize the end of my paragraphs. Yet!
(I cheated and amended this  blog on our PC)


 My niece is going to be totally jealous. I know she wants an iPad of her own. I promise to leave this in my will to her.... What she does with it, since old technology is now considered anything older than 6 months, is her problem, not mine. Time to get some real work done... How to upload a Sudoku app!

xox
m

My Birthday Party

Hi,
everyone should celebrate my birthday.... that's my take on it. I love having a birthday. The alternative is not that inviting, so I party every chance I get.

This year we rounded up a gang of buddies. Dance-rats, neighbours, old friends and new ones. Threw everyone into the mix and went out for Indian food. I think it was a success. There certainly wasn't any food left over. Even my husband, who normally shuns Indian food like the plague itself, admitted to finding this particular restaurant fare "better than the real stuff in India". A left-handed complement if there ever was one but I was thrilled that he liked what he ate.

To deal with the dilemma of 15 people ordering in a restaurant, I took it upon myself to pick and choose what came to the table. Some of our guests had never savored the India palette previously so I tried to cover all tastes and levels of spice intensity. The empty plates were a testimony to my success. Chicken Korma, samosas, pakoras, vegetable curry, fish, lamb... I ordered it all and nothing remained at the end of the dinner. There were numerous conversations floating around the table until people chucked into their fare and then it was very quiet for the next hour or so. The restaurant, Palace of Asia, did a wonderful job of feeding us. It's a beautiful dining room in a funky strip mall. From the outside it looks like a dental office. Inside you get a grand, elegant restaurant with delicious cuisine. We all found it (some a little later because of GPS mis-cues) a delicious event. I was even presented with a slice of chocolate birthday cake with a candle and a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" sung by the waiters and my guests. I got a excellent gifts, which were not part of the plan but I loved the thoughts and the effort my friends all made in joining me to celebrate.

I now have to wait another 363 days to do it all again..... where shall I drag everyone off to next year?

xox
m 

The Pond

Hi,
For 4½ years I have scrubbed, slaved, sweat-ed & sworen over "The Pond". It hates me, I'm sure of it.

In my last episode I ended up killing off all the fish: eight assorted size goldfish and two small koi. It broke me heart since I only had well wishes for the fishies. Oh dear.

Now we have new Koi. These are not just any Koi. These are monster Koi. They deserve a capitol "K". 

Hard to tell from the photo, but they really are big. The white one is about 12" long, nose to tail and the mottled one on the bottom is a size up from that. The group came to live in the pond through circumstance that I'd rather not relate. Let us just say they were immigrants from another local, needing a good home. I hope I don't kill them.

The funniest thing is that one (maybe more than one) of them has laid eggs. We have Koi caviar in the water. Unfortunately I have found that Koi like to eat their own eggs so I'm not expecting any offspring to survive. I tried distracting the Koi with pellet koi food and they will have nothing to do with it. Sure, I would rather eat caviar than stale crackers any day too. We have Koi with discerning tastes. Who knew?

They are beautiful to watch... and they certainly love their new home. There is major exploration that has gone on all week. They seem to like the shallow shelf at one end of the pond and the large rocks on it to swim around. On the bottom are two large tubs with water lily plants and that is an endless source of entertainment for Koi. Playing "catch me" or "tag" or "hide-and-go-seek" keeps them busy all day. Life is good if your a fish with no one above you in the food chain looking to turn you into a meal.

It's time to clean the pond again. This round will be more gentle and I hope the new tenants appreciate my efforts.... and don't die on me.

Fish Fund

Hi,
I goofed. I killed all the fish in our pond. I feel terrible. I've never had a massacre of fish before.

Last weekend we drained most of the pond (maybe too much of it) and scooped out all the muck. Rinsed the filter, scrubbed the side walls and refilled the pond. Hours later the fish started doing the back stroke. Oh no! They looked like they were molting, with this fine, white film flaking off them. Eerie, and rather sickly in appearance.

I took water samples into our Petsmart and they tested the water, finding nothing wrong with it. Their fish guru decided that I may have disturbed a bacteria on the bottom of the pond, causing the fish to loose their natural slimy coating, and killing them off, or I shocked them too much. What ever the reason, they are all gone. It's very lonely looking in the water without their little fishy tails flipping about.

The fish guru at the store suggested I wait a week, buy a few 'feeder' fish @ 27 cents each and see if they survive. If they do, then I will start restocking the pond. Here is where I'm asking for help. What should we get this time? Cheap little feeder fish? Larger goldfish? Exotic koi? Sushi? Everyone gets a vote. We will also need a raft of new names for the fish. Send in your suggestions and any and all donations to the fish fund will be acknowledged with a thank you letter and colour photo of your adopted fish-friend. Only you can help restore our pond to it's previous greatness.... well, I can ask can't I?

Next time we tackle the pond I will leave more water for the fish. Refill in smaller stages. Not try to scrub it too clean and leave them some muck to play around in.
Lesson learned.

xox
m

The Garden

Hi,
Why do the weeds grow faster than the plants?
How is it that the deer know what's good to eat and what's not in our yard?
When is it appropriate to tell your neighbour to cut his grass?
Where do all the little grass clippings hide and then sneak into the house at night?
What does it mean when your loosing your mind in the plant and garden section of Home Depot?

I spend too much time on these questions and in our yard. It's all now in full bloom and I really mean full. It's been so hot and wet that it's looking tropical already and it's only the beginning of May. My schedual for weeding is getting thrown out of whack with all this rain. It also means the weeds are going to take over if I don't get to them in the next day or two. I have 'weed nightmares' where I wake up worried that they are growing around the house and engulfing it. Do I need counseling for this? Maybe.

I love our garden, most of the time. When I get to just sit on the back porch and look out I am so proud of the way it looks... and the fact that I can name almost all the plants in it. It is beautiful to watch the sun rise in the backyard. I can observe the bird feeder with all my feathered buddies for hours on end. The part I'm not so crazy about is the daily maintenance that it requires to look this nice. The constant weeding and picking and pruning and primping can make me nuts. Mostly it just makes me exhausted.

This year we have raspberry bushes and they are already starting to show little tiny berries. I'm hoping I get to pick some of them before the squirrels and deer have a feast. It's an experiment, as the whole garden is. I never know what's going to work and what isn't. For the most part it's a perennial  selection of flora & fauna. That means every year I have a little less to do and it all comes up on cue. I can't figure out why people waste money on annuals that die every fall and the investment is gone. I love that with perennials the money spent is good almost forever as the plants come out of the ground every year once they are established. I like good investments like perennials. Yearly return is what it's all about.

The way I look at it, the garden is my little ray of hope. It's dormant time is depressing, but the blooming season is glorious. It reminds me that I too can grow a little every day and look better for it.

xox
m 

Jail or school?

Hi,
which would you rather spend $70,000 a year on:
sending two students to an Ivy League university or incarcerating one criminal?

In our travels last week, Marshall & I met a couple from Utah who had been on the cruise ship with us. They both worked in a correctional facility in Salt Lake City, Donovan is captain and Jennifer is a case worker. They were lovely to chat with and very interesting. I'd never met a prison guard before, and not just "a guard" but one with a masters degree in administration. Nice guy too. We had an hour to kill before our train pulled out, we started chatting.

It was interesting to get their take on the penal system in the USA. Their state holds about 6,000 inmates and their facilities are always 'full', plus another couple of thousand who are scattered in minor security or half-way house situations. It is tiny in comparison to Los Angeles which holds over 10,000 prisoners just in the city of LA, California has about 140,000 incarcerated on any given day. Are these numbers outrageous? You bet they are, but then there is the cost. That is what really struck home with me.

Donovan said it costs the states an average of $70,000 per year, per person to keep these people in prisons in the USA. That works out to $9,800,000,000 in California alone and $420,000,000 in Utah.... and that is just two states, start adding in the other 48 and the dollar value gets out of sight. Plus, what do we get for this tax dollar expenditure? Not much. Jennifer's job lets her see the cases up close and personal, and after 18 years in the position, she has little to no faith in the rehabilitation of hardened criminals. For $70,000 a year we could be enriching two brilliant minds at a top notch school or keep one low-life clothed and fed in prison. Is this really the smart choice for the money in our society? Pouring billions of dollars away, every year, on the dregs of our environment, without any measured success rate of rehabilitation or criminal culture reduction is such a waste I can't even begin to expound on it.... but I do have another approach to consider. Baffin Island.

Canada has a huge (about 200,000sq.miles) frozen island up in Frobisher Bay... way up there near the North Pole and Santa's house. My plan is to take all of the violent offenders, the sex offenders and the repeat offenders and drop lift them to the bright, snowy, freezing cold northern exposure of Canada. They get one can of Campbell's Soup, a pack of matches to heat it up and "have a nice life". I consider this more human than execution, no one has to plunge in the needle or flip the switch, and the polar bears will be well fed. A 'win-win' situation. England had the right idea with shipping their criminals and mentally insane to Australia, but it turned out to be too warm and pretty. Baffin Island has much less promise of colonizing in the near future, even with global warming.... and think of the savings! A one-way ticket to Iqaluit on Baffin Island would cost about $5,000 (or less with enough air mile points), $1 for the can of soup and 25cents for the pack of matches. I might even throw in an extra pair of warm socks at $1.50 bringing the total to $5,002.75 per person, once, not $70,000 yearly. You do the math.

This plan works two-fold. We save almost a million dollars per inmate over a ten year period and with that financial gain we improve our educational system.... maybe even start raising a society that is not only educated, but has some better moral standards, reducing the criminal activity. Do you see my circle of logic here? Plus we get well fed polar bears, it's all Eco-friendly. I think if you can't play nice in the school yard then you need to get shipped off for to major time out to some place in space. Outer space is too expensive but Baffin Island fits perfectly in the budget. We would still need jails for the Martha Stewart's and Bernie Madoff's... or would we? White collar criminals aren't hurt by incarceration, I think their punishment should be where they would really feel the pain, in their wallet. The rest, the petty crime offenders and general low life, okay, jail time but they have to work for their keep. We have roads that need garbage picked up, potholes to fill, graffiti to remove from public spaces. I have a list of dirty jobs that would keep Mike Rowe busy for the rest of his life. Who better to assign these nasty tasks than the people who didn't appreciate what they had to begin with. Their freedom.

Is there a perfect answer to the question of dealing with our criminal population? Probably not, but I wish we would reconsider wasting all this money on people who are a blight on society and put it back to good use for the ones who will really make a difference some day. Jail or school? Is this truly a tough choice?

xox
m

Back in the USA

Hi,
we're home from our cruise. It was great. Better than great. I didn't have to cook, clean, make a bed or worry about a thing for 16 days. Reality has set back in already and I'm not even in this time zone yet.

Formal Night

Cruising the Atlantic was the best part. Six days at sea with nothing but water no matter where you looked off the deck. I was so tempted to dive in and just keep swimming but you never want to hear the announcement "bravo, bravo, bravo" over the P.A. system on a ship. That means someone has gone overboard and they don't think of that as a favorable event on cruise ships. They just want you to eat until your burst. Death by chocolate is preferable to drowning in their books.

Holding up the ship

We met fun people from all over the world. The ship was a mix of Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Aussies, Brits... I think almost every country was represented. A floating United Nations. It's amazing to sit and chat with people and find you have something n common no matter where they are from. Maybe it is because cruising seems to attract like minded souls who love exploring, seek adventure and require 24 hour food availability. Who knew so many people could eat 8 meals a day? It's a wonder that the boat can float with all that food aboard.

Our destination ports on the Caribbean side of the trip were San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maartin. Nothing we haven't already seen and been to but we got off the ship to walk around and stretch our legs. The Caribbean all looks the same to me. Tacky souvenirs, over priced watches & jewelry, alcohol that you can't fly with any more, beaches that they charge admittance to.... Niagara Falls with less foaming water and no "Maid of the Mist", only a banana boat ride for $85. Pass, thanks.

Larzarote vineyard

Once we crossed the Atlantic the island were a lot more interesting to us, the Europeans were now the board passengers. Tenerife was quaint, Lanzarote was exotic and Funchal was just delicious. The cobble stone streets of Tenerife and 17th century architecture were charming. I walked for several hours around town. Lanzarote is a volcanic island, covered in ash from the eruptions that lasted 6 years from 1730 to 1736. They have figured out that if they dig down to the soil and plant grape vines, the volcanic ash top soil provides an excellent fertile growing spot and produces lovely wines. It is the weirdest landscape I have ever seen, almost looks like you're on the moon. We took a bus tour of the National Park where the volcanoes are not active but the ash is still hot and they use pits in the ground to cook food with. Very funky.

Scabbard Fish..... UGLY!!!

In Funchal we went to a fresh produce market and tasted the most interesting passion fruits like nothing I've ever tried before and certainly nothing we get in Yardley, PA. The fish market has one of the ugliest sea creatures, a Scabbard Fish. Prehistoric and nasty looking but delicious, we tried it for lunch. It tasted better than it looked. Lunch was a 2 hour affair in a charming outdoor side street café. We were five people and tried 9 different dishes & local beer. After all that food we walked through the downtown area and found a flower market with orchids for 1 Euro each. It pained me to know that I couldn't get any of them back on the ship or to the USA... bummer! To sooth my spirit I tried an egg tart for dessert (amazing) and we tasted the best coffee ever made. All three coffees cost 1.5 Euros. What a bargain!

Emanuelle & Me in Madrid

We ended the trip in Malaga, Spain, catching a high-speed train up to Madrid. Two nights in Madrid, more food and more walking around with our friend, Emanuelle as our tour guide. It was all so much fun and beautiful. Coming home is such a let down.... but I have the memories and the moments to remember.... now if I could only figure out how to swing a trip like this every month. HA! 

here's the plan.....

Hi,
happy Friday the 13th, for those of you who loved the movie, are afraid of black cats, or don't have a calendar.

We are about to embark on our vacation. There is a bit of a 'Marshall Plan' involved in getting going but that is to be expected in our home. Starting this afternoon we sill have to:
A) pick up a rental car (we need to drop it off at the JFK airport Saturday)
B) attend an 8 o'clock theatre performance in Princeton tonight
C) drive up northern New Jersey to stay at my mother-in-law's house over night (she lives closer to JFK than we do)
D) get up at the crack of dawn Saturday and get our sleepy butts to JFK for our flight to Puerto Rico
E) dinner with an old G.E. buddy of Marshalls' in San Juan Saturday night. Marshall is all excited about eating Puerto Rican 'mufungo' again.
F) Sunday we finally get on our ship and unpack for the next two weeks..... ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

We are sailing out of San Juan at 8:30pm with my brother Eric, sister-in-law Sherry and about 3400 other assorted guests on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. We port in St. Thomas and St. Maartin before setting out, across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands, Portugal and finally Spain. I have been waiting since September for this event and I can't believe it's finally happening. Everything is packed, checked and double-checked. The house-sitter is arranged so the plants get watered and the garbage is taken out. My swimmers have all been notified that I will be AWOL for two weeks, please do not drown before I get back. The bills have all been paid, taxes have been taken care of in two countries (Canada & USA). I am officially on holiday time as of 6:00pm this evening. I will not have a dish to clean, a meal to cook, or a bed to make up and I plan to relish in every moment of domestic freedom.

All I have to do is daily Yoga, watch my food level of consumption and enjoy the ride. There will be Eric's birthday celebration in the middle of the Atlantic to rock the boat, but other than that I'm hoping for a smooth sail and favorable winds. The journey begins..... ciao

xox
m

Sewing Maven

Hi,
I just wanted to brag about what a sewing maven ("expert" in Yiddish) I have finally become. Marshall arranged for me to get some silk from India. I wanted to make head scarves and asked for some 'cheap saris'. What I got were five different, very expensive, children's sized saris.... too beautiful (and heavy) to make into scarves so I have to do something else with all this silk. I finished off the last project yesterday in record time. I can now do French seams in my sleep. The handkerchief edging is a breeze and my hand beading should be on the run ways in a Paris fashion show.... am I a blow-heart or what!

Now all I need is a place to wear all this new clothing to.... Indian silk outfits are not something I can just throw on and to the gym in. I ended up with 3 tops (2 are the same pattern) a pair of shorts (what am I going to do with silk short? Boxing of course!) and a wrap around skirt. Al least I had a project to keep my busy the last couple of months and by the end of it I was actually enjoying sewing.... something I never thought I'd hear myself say.

Marshall's gift wasn't just the silk from India, it also was the re-emergence of my sewing skills. My grandfather was a tailor who taught me to use a sewing machine when I was about 6 years old. I couldn't reach the treadle peddle so I would sit in his lap running material through the needle as he worded the treadle. I heard his voice every stitch of the way through my projects..... especially when I messed something up and had to rip it out. I'm really good at ripping out, let me tell you!

Look out Christian Dior.

xox
m

April Fool

Hi,
it's the jokers day of the year. Are you planning a prank? I miss the elementary school days of plotting the official "April Fool's Day" joke on the teacher.

Silly words on the blackboard: blackboards don't exist any more, they're now 'white boards' or electronic boards... or no boards at all, only individual lap tops. How do you write something in front of the whole class and get a laugh from the teacher that way? 

Hide the chalk board erasers: no blackboard means no fuzzy felt erasers either to use as prank props.

Glue on the teachers pencil: Forget it. They have note pads and stylists... ruining a $400 IPad is not the same as gumming up a 98cent lead pencil.

Whoopee cushions: I found one in a dollar store recently but it had so many warning labels it was a law suit waiting to happen.  Did you know that "this is not a toy" and that it should be kept out of the reach of children under 8 years old? Really? Who over the age of 8 even wants one?

Peanut butter sandwich with hot peppers: forget it. No peanut products allowed in schools, ever! Too many kids have allergies.... or neurotic parents who think their kids might be allergic.

Tying up shoe laces together under the desk: No one has shoes with laces, Velcro only. They have no idea how to tie up shoes any more. So much for watching the king bully of the class go for a face plant.

What are kids left with? Not much. Can they leave prank messages on each others phones? Not during school hours. Fire SillyBands at one another? No way, someone may loose an eye. Tie up the skipping rope to the flag pole. They have no idea what jump rope is and I haven't seen a flag pole around here, except for the baseball field and it's not open for use yet. I think the fun is gone from the April Fool's Day and I don't know how to get it back. Good thing it's falling on Sunday this year and the pressure is off to zing your friends or the teacher.... next year will have to wait.

xox
m

Cycle Butt

Hi,
the season has begun and I have 'cycle-butt'. I'm proud to say that a winter of Yoga classes has made a difference and I proved it on Wednesday of this week when I went out for a first cycle ride of the year. Usually I dread getting back on the saddle. It hurts. My tushie is not ready for the hard seat and my glutious maximus is unprepared for the muscle usage. Walking the next day normally is a painful chore, but not this week. I didn't hurt for a moment after the ride or even the next day. Yeah Yoga!

I cycled with my friend Jim (a fellow dance-rat). He's a long time cycle guy who is in great cycling shape. I'm not that much of a die-hard so I don't even look at my bike until the temperatures are well into the 60's. Jim and I cycled up the Delaware canal path, 5.5 miles from our house to Washington Crossing. At Washington Crossing we took a break, sat in the park, watched the river and got a history lesson from my friend Kim who happens to be the curator of the Washington Crossing site. Kim also has access to the bathroom key which is a huge plus. It's nice to have friends with keys.

We got back on the trail and peddled back down to Yardley, making our whole trip 11 miles of pain-free bicycling. Not bad for a first ride and definitely worth the effort. The canal path is a true gift for cyclists. The ducks and geese may think they own the canal but at least they share the space with us lowly trekkers. On a glorious day like last Wednesday, there is nothing better than going for a ride, especially with friends. Jim and I were able to solve the worlds problems on our bike. Straighten out the political and economic mess of the planet and bird watch at the same time. Life is good.

I plan to add a weekly cycle to my game. Everyone is welcome to join in. The more the merrier. Since my butt is up for it I plan to keep the momentum going and hopefully, stretch the envelope and distance out. Maybe by the end of the season I'll be able to get to Allentown and back.... it's a 60 mile ride one-way... okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch for my middle-aged legs but a girl can dream can't she? I figure if I aim high then I won't loose my humility. Boasting about 11 miles will sound childish if I can add to the stretch of road. I expect to be able to get to New Hope and back (30 miles round trip) is another month or so. New Hope is a great destination because there is food & drink there. It's always nice to have a town to stop in and stretch out for a bit while you quench a thirst and indulge in an ice cream cone. It's part of the event.

Here is to a road less traveled, no flat tires and a softer feeling bike seat. Peddle on!

xox
m

calendar girl

Hi,
I have finally hit the big time, I'm a calendar girl. My picture is now part of the 2012 line up in the West Coast Swing Dance Calendar..... what do you mean you don't have a copy?

My friend Julie is the creative genius behind this production. She is a driving force in the West Coast Swing dance community in Toronto and southern Ontario. Julie also is a huge supporter and fund raiser for CAMH (Centre of Addiction for Mental Health in Toronto). The woman is a real 'doer' when it comes to supporting her cause for mental health awareness and facility availability. Julie produced this 'dance calendar' to high light the dance community and it's events around Toronto, Southern Ontario and the major dance events held in the USA. Did you know you could swing dance  somewhere in North America every day of the week? Lessons, events, special productions, it's all there on her list.... and my picture!

I'm "Miss June", appropriately since my birthday is in June and the photo was taken in June at last years' "Liberty Swing" event in New Brunswick, New Jersey (not in the Canadian province of the same name... totally confusing on both sides of the border when you talk about "New Brunswick"). I have to admit I'm not alone in this photo. It's of a whole bunch of Canadian dancers who came down for the swing party/competition. I just happen to be front and center in the shot. Hey, it's my first time on a calendar so I'm making the most of it.

Julie was kind enough to send me a copy but if anyone wants one of their own (even though the first quarter  of the year is almost over) I know she'd be thrilled to sell you one... I may even be able to get you a preferred rate at this point, with an autograph and maybe a dance lesson thrown in for good measure.  She teaches every Tuesday at the Dovercourt... no partner required, let me know if you want further info.

Even if I'm not Betty Grable I'm very happy to make it into my first calendar. I just hope I don't get cut in the 2013 edition. The competition is pretty stiff out there. Look out Victoria Secret models, I'm on the move.

xox
m

Haiku for the hungry

The perfect meal

Sushi, divine and decadent

A taste of heaven

Nothing else need be said. It's why I roll my own. The Zen of sushi gives us sustenance and soy sauce. A wasabi rush is blissful in it's pain. 

Sushi is never a meal of ambivalence. You either love it or hate it. Those who can't live without it and share the passion, are messianic in their quest to convert others to their diet delights. Its our 'drug of choice' and we need to get everyone else hooked too.

Salmon, tuna, shrimp, crab, vegetable, nori, rice all add up to a gastronomic perfection for the palette and the eye. In it's simplicity, sushi is perfection. A balance of tastes that bring eating to a level of nirvana. One of life's memorable moments is finding the flavor of sushi in your mouth.

In our house it is a weekly event to have home-made sushi and invite guests to share it with us. It is a labor of love that I never object to. I only wish I could travel to Japan and learn better technique from a master, but alas, sushi is strictly a male-only cuisine discipline. I have to suffer with my own attempts at perfection. I try and replicate the cleanness of the tastes I love. Not the heavy sauced versions that seem to be appearing in North America. I would rather let the fresh ingredients sing loud and proud themselves. It's never anything very fancy but our sushi is always appreciated by guests and they are quite complementary... even if the rolls are not as perfect as I'd like them to be.

The experiment of sushi making is a joy. Boiling rice to it's inner soul and adding vinegar & sugar is the creation of sushi-life. A sharp knife through fresh fish is a moment of artist measure. Bringing it all together on the rolling mat is akin to Yoga. What you bring to your mat is what you attain in the end.

I'm now hungry. Sushi time.

xox

m

Tick-Tock

Hi,
where does the time go? What do I get done in an hour, a day, a month, a year? Am I measured by my accomplishments, their successes or failures? Or is my time my own to pass as I see fit? Why am I pondering the concept of 'time' today? The clocks moved ahead one hour last night. We all 'lost an hour'. Did I really lose anything other than a little sleep. I don't sleep very much to begin with so it wasn't much of a loss in my books, but time shifted. Can it do that?

The speed of time is fascinating to me. A week of school seemed to drag on forever. A week of vacation flew by. Same week, same number of days and hours, but the change in activity changed the time. As we age, and we are all doing it no matter how much plastic surgery Joan Rivers has, we realize that time is a finite thing in our lives and should not be wasted. I think the best use of time is to make sure we use it with no regrets. Choose to take a year off from school, okay but realize you will never get that time back, use it wisely. Take time to learn something new, like a language or how to paint: make that investment worth the time taken.

Taking time for granted is the most wasteful item in our life. Time stops for no one. I like that sage. I have a clock that constantly ticks in the back of my mind. Really, I hear time count off seconds every hour of every day. I 'feel' time, it's motion and movements. As I get older I realize that I have far less time than I have already spent. Have I spent my used up time usefully? I try to, but not always with success. I hate to waste a moment. I know I will never get it back. I no longer have 'all the time in the world'.... but I also don't feel rushed to get anything special done.

I'm now spending my time on what I like, with whom I love, and where I want. I have become very selfish about this time. No more frittering away hours trying to solve things I have no control over. I will not waste a precious second worrying about 'media mania'. The latest and greatest crap on the news, net, IPad... what ever. None of it affects me and I don't waste a single second dealing with any of it. My time is for taking care of myself, my husband, my family, my friends. The people and things I find important, not what the TV is shouting at me about. That is not time well spent.

As I pass through time, I feel the urge to stop people and ask them if they think they are using their time to the utmost. I know I would only get a puzzled look, maybe a shrug or a shake of the head. Forget about asking "what time is it?" and move to "I know the time is now".

xox
m

2 bags, 2 hours

Hi,
I have decided that 2 bags, or 2 hours, is my gardening limit per day for the months of March and April.

I did the math.
If I do 2 hours a day of clipping, digging, weeding, pruning, cleaning, seeding, planting and puttering per day, for the next 7 months (210 days, but I'll round it down to 200), times 2 hours per day, equals 400 hours, at $10/hour (which is about ½ of what I get paid to give swimming lessons), works out to $4000.00 worth of gardening.
Ouch!

The season has started so early here it looks like I may need to re-think my gardening strategy this year. I don't know that I'll have the power and strength to last 7 or 8 months of garden work. In Toronto the season is June through September. Four months. I grew up knowing that nothing went in the ground before the May 24th weekend and it all dies the day after Labor Day in the first week of September. Over, done, finished. Pennsylvania does not play by the same rule book. We have 70° weather today on March 8th. The snowdrops are finished, the crocuses are almost over with, the tulips are 6" out of the ground, along with the daffodils that are about to bloom. Every tree in the yard is budding and my allergies have kicked in.... and it's only March!
Ouch, again!

It's now a battle of the blooms. Who will win out? The omnipotent Mother Earth and her green berets or Mistress Marilyn and her jug of Round-Up? Be warned. I do have chemical warfare and I am not afraid to use it. Take ten paces and draw your weapons... may the best gardener win.

xox
m

the girl next door

Hi,
the world is shrinking... at least mine is.

Via the wonders of the internet you can now message anyone and everyone you have ever known in your life. This can be a good thing and a not-so-good thing depending on who it is. Old friends from high school are always good things in my books. I had great friends then and I keep in touch with a whole bunch of them. Occasionally one pops up that I haven't heard from in a while. Today I got a Linkedin message from one of those friends. If you don't know what Linkedin is, you are older than me and it's really not the important part of this tale.

Not only have I not seen or spoken to Catherine in the last fifteen years, we completely lost touch. That happens. Life gets in the way. The last time I saw Cath was at our 20 year high school class reunion, in 1997.   Our lives have crossed in weird ways over the years. Her older brother is married to my ex-boyfriends sister, so I saw her at that wedding. Then she stayed at my place the weekend of the class reunion with her little boy... I didn't even know she'd had a baby. Now we have connected again through the world wide web... and the funniest thing is, we're neighbours! How wild is this?

We haven't had a chance to get completely caught up on each others lives but after a few e-mails back & forth today, with minor information floating in and around each one, it seems we live less than 5 miles from one another. What are the odds of that happening? This is not a large community and the chances of two Lawrence Park graduates living here have to be pretty small. I can't wait to get together with her and see what else our lives have been running in parallel with. Spooky.

I'll keep you posted.

xox
m

Heldzel

Hi,
I think I have been 'channeling' the cooking spirit of my Bube (grandmother) lately. Maybe it's just the cold, damp winter months, but I have been yearning real Jewish comfort foods. Stuff that is so unhealthy, it deserves a Surgeon General's warning label before eating. Designed to go straight to your arteries, do not pass Go, do not collect $200 and take a ticket at the emergency waiting room for the next cardiac arrest... but boy, is it delicious!

My latest foray into gastronomic suicide has been 'heldzel'. I have no idea how to spell this any better in English but the pronunciation in our house sounded like "held-zel" so that's how I'm spelling it. Heldzel is the Jewish equivalent of a Scottish haggis. The principal is the same, but the taste is totally different. I was roasting a duck for dinner with friends and couldn't resist the temptation to try re-creating my Bube's hedzel. For those of you who are not on cholesterol medications, you might try this recipe out.

First you take the skin from the neck, clean and scrape it. This skin is going to become the outer casing, like a sausage. Then I took the duck fat (I warned you about the heart attack so leave me alone) and sauté an onion in the fat. Then add in flour to make a thick rue. I also threw in some cooked oats. This was my first attempt at this so it was more of an experiment than anything else. With a needle and cotton thread You then have to sew up the neck skin, leaving an opening to stuff the onion, oats, fat & flour mixture in. Once the skin is stuffed full, sew it closed. Mine came out in a medium ball shape, about the size of an orange. I then threw the heldzel into the roasting pan with the duck and let it roast in the fat drippings for about an hour. Are you still here or have you been rushed to the ER yet?
 
When the duck was cooked, so was the heldzel. I sliced it up and it disappeared. What's not to like? Duck fat, roasted in duck fat, surrounded in crispy duck skin. Can you imagine the calorie count of this thing? It's awesome! Mine was pretty good, not as delicious as my Bube's was in my memory, but not half bad either. I may try making heldzel again in ten years. I think I need to give my body a good amount of time to flush out my arteries before eating this again.  Some dishes are definitely worth the health risk.... this is one of them.

xox
m

Pool Etiquette

Hi,
I teach swimming.
I love what I do.
I need to get the 'pool rules' out there, poor pool etiquette is rampant.

There are rules to swimming in a public pool setting beyond 'not jumping in on top of someones head' and refraining from screaming "help" unless you really need it. Some are obvious rules, such as "look before you leap", others are more subtle. It's the subtle ones that need review.

It is okay to splash about if there is no one around. Crowded pools are not a good place to throw a fountain-fit. Especially if most of the people in the pool with you are bigger, older and trying to swim laps for their daily dose of exercise. You are bound to get tossed out at the very least and possibly banished for life. The only exemption to this rule are really cute 2 year olds or Golden Labradors (chocolate and black labs qualify also), everyone else is subject to getting their butt walloped. 

Sharing swimming lap lanes. You must learn to play nice and share in the pool. The lap lane is not yours and yours alone. A 25m lane can comfortably hold up to six swimmers if they stay in the circle pattern and know to let faster swimmers pass at the ends of the lanes. It's not rocket science, it's common sense. Use it. If you don't want to share, get out of the water and wait until the crowd disperses. No one swims forever and eventually they get tired and go home. You can then have the lane all to yourself... and splash to your hearts content. Until then, man-up and get in the program.

Flotsam and jetsam. Gross stuff, but it sometimes ends up in the water. Get rid of it. Throw it out. Pick it up and dispose of it. Swallow it. I don't care, just don't ignore it and pretend it's not there. I don't like it any more than you do but if we all deal with it, the gunk will disappear and it will be nicer to swim together. Enough said.

Finally, bathing attire. This is a tough one.
Small kids are cute in their rufflie Little Mermaid suits. Over the age of nine, not so much. String bikinis are not swim wear, neither are boxer shorts. Men who insist on wearing thongs must shave their furry bottoms. There is a waist size restriction on two piece suits... if your waist is larger than your hips, "one piece suits only". No sun glasses at an indoor pool, there is no paparazzi to hide from in the deep end. I think that about covers it.

Last one in is a rotten egg.

xox
m