Good deeds

I love this story. I love honesty and believe it's so important.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado man who found $10,000 before boarding a flight in Las Vegas says he returned the money to the owner because he wanted to show his children it was "the right thing to do."

Greenwood Village resident Mitch Gilbert told KUSA-TV he found two unmarked Caesar's Palace envelopes at the airport and realized there was money inside when he arrived home. The television station reported Monday (http://goo.gl/7aqpU ) that Gilbert called the airport and eventually got in touch with a man from El Paso, Texas, who reported the money missing.

Gilbert says he deposited the money in the man's bank account two days before Christmas. The man told the television station he won the money gambling and dropped it while running to catch a flight.

Notes from the week of vacation

Wednesday, December 14, my birthday.
Breakfast with hubby at Gram's in Orange City. Was so tempted to try the Belgian waffles with pecans and whipped cream but opted out at the last minute for country fried steak, one of my personal unhealthy favorites. Came home and wrapped presents for 3 hours.

Then Rosie and I drove to Winter Park for the wedding reception at the Farmers Market. Absolutely adorable! We loved the combination of whimsical decorations and desserts. Bride's dress was simply fabulous! A 40's recreation, which she paired with a fascinator in her hair and bright salmon pink heels. Too cute!

Thursday, Dec. 15
A second preschool Christmas program, this one at the Methodist School in Deltona. Very sweet reenactment of the Christmas story. This school had all the kids on the stage at once! A bit wild. Afterwards lunch at Genuine Bistro in DeBary. Had not eaten there before. It was nice but wasn't wild about the preparation, taste or cost of the food. Did some more errands around the house, trying to make my lists and check them once, twice or even three times.

Friday, The Zellwood Bird Count around Lake Apopka. Great fun chasing all over Apopka looking for birds. Found a white-winged dove and saw my first ever barn owl. That was wildly exciting!

More of the same on Saturday, only this one at Blue Spring.
Left early to come home and help Steve watch Charlotte. A bit disappointed to leave but it wasn't bad.

Dec.13

Drove in to Orlando for the granddaughter's Christmas program at a large religious-based pre-school. It was adorable, seriously. Those kids were all so cute, from the little boys beating on each other as they came down the aisle to my fair-skinned blonde granddaughter who positively glowed in her angel costume. They sang a combination of serious Christmas songs, fun songs and upbeat religious pieces. Simply charming. And so fun to watch the expression on the parents' faces too. Grandparenthood can really be a freeing experience.

Both baby granddaughters sick with ear infections.

Lunch at Hamburger Mary's with a friend. Had a quesadilla with mushrooms and chicken. Yum. Fun place. Even more fun to spend an uninterrupted 90 minutes just talking.

Shopping. Bought the wrong thing for a gift after a mixup on a wish list. Nailing down the final items.

Still must decorate the tree. It looms large, an unpainted canvas in the living room.

Struggling to get on the lists for Christmas bird counts this weekend. Finding the whole process a bit more political than I realized. Too bad. I was hoping to do 5 this year. I learn a lot during the bird counts. Spending time with experts really improves your skills.

Wedding this afternoon was sweet. 22 seems younger and younger every day.

Made a 3-layer Chocolate cake tonight. Frosted with my favorite chocolate frosting. Topped with a single pink rose and surrounded the cake with more pink petals. So pretty.

Butter cream frosting (enough for three layer cake)
Blend:
2 sticks butter
5 squares semisweet chocolate, 2 squares unsweet, melted in microwave
6.5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk or cream
1 T vanilla or 1 T amaretto or Kahlua

Beat for a minute or so.

Blend for a minute or more

Monday, December 12, 2011

I am on vacation and I am thrilled! I'm home alone and the day awaits. Can't help singing and dancing. It's hard to describe the joy that fills my heart when I can be here in my home with a day to myself.

I haven't made a list, but I know what I have to do: clean, unclutter, clean, finish Christmas list, wrap presents, clean and decorate the Christmas tree. Lots to do but it will be fun!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

What a great day we had today. We decided a week ago to enter the DeBary Christmas Parade so in the middle of everything else, we did a quick trip to Apopka to buy materials for a float. Glitzy fringe, international flags for the Christmas Around the World Theme, and Wal-mart for 2 yards of white vinyl to make a banner. I carefully measured and marked the banner with pencil and after only two goofs, was able to mark nicely on the banner with red and green Sharpies. It turned out pretty good for a homemade, $7 effort. All the materials together cost about $36.

Our wonderful neighbors came over to help Steve and I on Saturday morning and within a couple of hours we had the fringe on, a decorated tree up that the neighbors loaned us and it looked really cute!

Today, our kids arrived with their kids and everybody looked adorable. Jeans, red shirts, cute hats, jingle bells and even red and green painted fingernails! So fun. We loaded up and drove to the parade grounds in the back of the truck. Boy the kids thought that was fun. It was a reminder to me of some of the simple joys of life that we've lost because we're all so safety conscious anymore.

It's kind of sad. Turns out we could have waited a little later to get to the parade ground, because we had an optimum spot. It was a little sunny out and warm. But not bad. We really had fun walking the parade route, calling out Merry Christmas and saying hello to people that we knew. David pulled the float with his truck and blasted carols out of the windows. Nana was even able to join us and get up into David's truck for the ride. The babies were the biggest hit, with everybody oohing and aahing over our little cuties.

Afterwards, we came back to the house and grilled hot dogs. Part of the rest of the family was able to join us. We also had homemade baked beans, coleslaw, brownies and lemonade. It was a bit like the Fourth of July. The little cousins all looked so cute together. Four kids between the ages of 3 and 4, and they played outside for almost two hours! Overall, one of those idyllic days that you thank heaven for, when the stars all align just right! Love and family, part of the true spirit of Christmas.

Pecan pie

Perfect pecan pie has often eluded me. It will be just good and only great once in a while, mostly because I never seemed to use the same combination of ingredients twice in a row. So last week, I kept track of which ingredients precisely I used and the pie tasted perfect.

Mix 3 eggs with two-thirds cup light brown sugar, one cup light Karo syrup, one stick of butter melted, a quarter teaspoon salt and a generous teaspoon of vanilla. Pour over 1.5 or two cups of pecans in a pie dish. Bake at 350 until center is set. Divine, as long as you have a glass of milk. I like it with a handful of chocolate chips tossed in. Hubby does not. But we both think it makes great breakfast food!

Weekends

Another lovely weekend, ruined by having to go back to work today! On Saturday, we did a couple of major cleaning tasks then put up all the Christmas lights. Hubby wasn't all that enamored of the idea but we did it and they look awesome. Simple. Festive. Bright.

Late Sunday I rode with him to see his Dad in Ocala and wish him a happy birthday. It was a nice visit and a peaceful ride.

Made an apple crumb pie this weekend. Love those. Want to try one with chopped cranberries and pecans in the crumb topping. Not anytime soon though. We have to cut back on the eating! We're still munching Thanksgiving leftovers. Tonight I bought a loaf of Italian bread and we had hot turkey sandwiches. Oh my goodness! Butter sides of bread, place turkey slice and a little stuffing in the middle. Cook on both sides in skillet. Top with hot leftover giblet gravy and a scoop of cranberries on the side. So good.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful my family doesn't mind eating mid-afternoon today. I woke up at 9:08! A full night's sleep! Yay. Something definitely worth celebrating.

First mission this morning? Get the turkey in the oven. Rosie mushed up all the cornbread. I combined with the celery and onions I chopped last night. Stirred in the broth I made Tuesday night and stuffed about 2/3 of that mixture into the bird.

Decided to combine softened butter with salt, pepper, sage, thyme and rosemary and smear it all over the turkey. This is the first time I've made a herb butter to do that. We'll see how it works. Rosie put the bird in the oven at 9:35. Not too bad.


We have to stop every few minutes to see one of our favorite parts of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Hearing Daniel Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter, sing was a little strange. Didn't expect his voice to be quite so high?

Remainder of the stuffing went into a shallow casserole dish for the family members who like it crunchier and we stowed that back in the fridge for now.

The Rockettes were gorgeous! I love their dresses. And the kickline is one of the highlights of my Thanksgiving Day. Don't ask me why.

Next step was to grate cheddar cheese for the broccoli casserole. The center rod for the Kitchen-Aid is missing! Oh no! Grating by hand not my favorite thing. Mix eggs and mayo with cheese and stir into the broccoli. Slide that back into fridge for now. Ritz and more cheese later.

As I stir eggs, butter and sugar into the sweet potatoes I wonder how we got so far away from the simple goodness of foods into this feast of seeing just how rich we can make almost every dish we eat on Thanksgiving! But it all really tastes soooo good.

Now I have to run to Winn-Dixie, because I miscalculated the number of eggs I need.

On my second glass of eggnog! No rum....

Yikes! Over an hour in the oven and I haven't basted the turkey yet! Bad, bad ...

Of all the parade entries so far, my favorite was the Navy chorus that just sang America the Beautiful. Tears in my eyes!

Rosie is going to take charge of basting the turkey.

Bread dough resting. Turkey taking forever.

Quickly regroup, change table settings, mother-in-law coming unexpectedly with a friend she invited from the nursing home. Son, daughter in law and children arrived.

Made bacon wrapped scallops. Getting ready to broil them.

Katelyn helped form the rolls. Bird finally cooked.



We sat down nearly an hour later than I intended. Oh well.




Won't do herb butter again for the turkey. Decided I don't like herbs on exterior of the turkey and I especially don't like either the thyme or rosemary. Leached into stuffing in turkey and I didn't care for it. Dressing in pan was fine. Weird. Used less goop in green bean casserole, liked it better.

All in all a nice dinner. Patti and I took the girls to the park. That was nice.
Used light brown sugar and light Karo syrup in the pecan pie. I think that's my favorite combination.

One of the things I love the most about nice dinners are the things we use that have come from others - my mother's turkey platter, bowls from great grandma, breadbasket from my neighbor Sarah. Fun. Appreciate my daughter-in-law for always helping to clean up.

Pre-Thanksgiving preparations

Home by 6:30 on Wednesday night. Started the pie crust and made a pecan pie and a peach pie. Then, pondering the left over pie dough I rolled it out, basted with butter, sprinkled with garlic salt, parsley and freshly ground black pepper and cut out little leaves. Baked them along with the peach pie for savory crackers today. Rosie and I had one as soon as they came out of the oven. Yum!

Made a small pan of cornbread, chopped the onions and celery. Steve helped clean the kitchen. I set the table, cleaned the floor. Cooked the sweet potatoes and made the cranberry sauce. Successful night, but still a bit behind. Oh well ....

Change ...

Speaking of change, diverting the Thanksgiving Week cooking routine tonight. Baking a cake for a gift so decided to do pies tomorrow night instead. So tonight, I'm boiling broth and making the cranberry sauce while the cake bakes.

The cake is a chocolate brown sugar pound cake with dark chocolate glaze. Hope the finished cake tastes as good as the batter. If so, yum! I substituted amaretto (my fav flavor) for chocolate extract.

I almost, almost bought a pie at Sam's tonight. That would be a first (for a holiday, have bought a couple from the old Village Inn). I chatted with the lady behind me in line who had loaded up on baked goodies AND prepackaged rolls. I told her I was beginning to think I might be a little psychotic and maybe it would be easier just to buy things already made.

"I wondered as I watched you load all those 5 pound bags of sugar up there," the woman says.

"Oh I make everything from scratch," says I, mentioning again that I was questioning my own judgement after watching people load up pre-packaged rolls and breads.

"You make bread from scratch too? You must not work full-time."

"I do, in kind of a high-stress job!"

"Wow," says she. "How do you do it?"

"I don't know. That's why I mean I wonder if I'm psychotic."

Have to go now, the turkey backs are boiling ...

Life ...

And then every once in a while you just get a cold bath of reality that makes you reassess your priorities. That's what Ron says about Hermione in one of the Harry Potter movies: "She needs to sort out her priorities."
Change is often good, though it doesn't seem like it at the time when it begins.
Speaking of movies. The latest episode of the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn, Part 1, had a $138.1 million opening this weekend, including $16 from my daughter and I. Never have so many paid so much to go watch two people have sex. Surprisingly they say 60 percent of the audience was over 21.
That speaks to this notion I found in a quote from an earlier blog from a couple of years ago? "It is that thing that we all yearn for at some level — to be simply loved unconditionally for nothing more than who we are — not what we can get, give or become." Who said it? South Carolina's then Governor Mark Sanford.
Made a batch of chocolate chip cookies tonight. So glad I finally figured out the secret to chewy chocolate chip cookies, more or less. More sugar and more chips. Though still not perfect.

A few weeks ago, one of my Facebook friends posted an item with a fake number for one of the things in life that annoys him most. And, it made me think, hmmm, what annoys me most. I jotted down a little list.
I'm not saying that I'm not very grateful for all my blessings, or that I don't dearly love you even if you may occasionally perpetrate one of the items on this list. It's just a list. It makes me laugh. Hope it might you too.
* Lying
* Whining
* Lack of basic, personal hygiene - toothbrushing, showering, flossing, using deodorant.
* Grocery stores who have the floor cleaners come in before closing
* People who take little children shopping at Walmart in the middle of the night, the only time I will go
* Criticism
* Malicious gossip
* Red light runners
* Voice mail, especially my four different collection points (and the people who gripe at me for not checking them all regularly)
* Store clerks/cashiers/foodservice workers who:
- cluster and chat when it's obvious help is needed
- complain about their jobs within earshot of customers
*Failure to:
- help clean up after a party
- reseal boxes and bags of crackers, chips, etc.
- minimize personal body noises in public, i.e. sneezing, hiccups, nose-blowing
* Plainly visible bra straps. And while we're on the subject of bras, failure to hide two key anatomic details in public
* Saggy baggy pants
* Clothes that fall off the hanger in the store at the slightest touch
* People who don't give credit where credit is due
* Displays of cinnamon pine cones and broomsticks. Who thought this was a good idea?

Pie Crust

In response to a request from a cousin and a Facebook acquaintance, here's a perfectly lovely recipe for pie crust. I use it all the time. The key to successful pie crust is to treat it tenderly, barely mix with a fork and use plenty of flour when rolling it out. Make sure the water is ice cold.

Place a handful of ice cubes in a two cup measuring cup with water. Let sit while mixing crust.

Place 1 cup all purpose flour in a bowl and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in (either with a pastry cutter or two forks) 1/3 cup Crisco. (Some people get this cold too)

Sprinkle in a little less than 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Begin sprinkling in water one or two tablespoons at a time, gently stirring dough with fork. When mixture comes together into one ball, stop sprinkling water. Richly flour your hands and pat the ball together.

Place on flour-covered mat or countertop. Flour the rolling pin and then roll gently back and forth and then from side to side. Don't roll in a bunch of directions. Usually when it's about half-rolled out I flip it, again lightly flouring underneath it. When it's rolled to the size you need, roll it on to your rolling pin and transfer to the pie dish. Press to bottom of pie dish and then to sides, fluting as you wish.

If you want to make a lattice or double crust, just double this recipe. Works just fine.

For a cream pie, prick the bottom a few times before you bake it so it doesn't pop up while baking. 350 degree oven till lightly golden brown.

For a fruit pie, cut slits in the top crust.

We often sprinkle sugar and spice on pieces of leftover pie dough and bake with the crust. However, for fruit pies, I like to cut out shapes that look like the fruit and place them on the pie. Sometimes you can brush them with food coloring or edible markers to "paint them." Or sprinkle colored sugar. Sprinkle regular white sugar across the top of a fruit pie crust.

Good luck.

Where do the weeks go?

Wow. A month since I posted. Really want to blog regularly but days disappear without me realizing it. I always heard older people say it happens but never really understood until the past year or so. Too bad younger people don't get it. I keep hearing them wish their life away. Only a few more weeks til this, or a few more weeks til that. Wish I had all those "few more" back again to appreciate more fully.

Flew to California last week for the wedding of a friend's daughter, then did a quick two day trip to Yosemite National Park. Wow! What a gorgeous place. Will post a few photos.

One of the most fun parts of the trip was going to the grocery store Rancho San Miguel in Merced, on the way to Yosemite. What a fun place. We loaded up on Mexican cheeses, tortilla chips, queso and quacamole, as well as pastries and bread.

Of weather and food

What an epic fail on the weather forecast today, proving Mother Nature is oh so very fickle. They teased me all day long in the newsroom because the forecast storms and bad weather -- or even any rain -- never materialized. Oh well.

Came home so tired last night but hungry, so I whipped together country fried steak with some cube steak, homemade mashed potatoes, gravy and brussel sprouts and did it all in 35 minutes. The cube steaks are so handy to keep in the freezer. Rosie took them out for me when I left home. I came home and peeled the potatoes and cut them up a little smaller than normal so they'd cook faster. Started the steaks frying, after lightly flouring and sprinkling with garlic salt. Put the brussel sprouts on. Then made the gravy and voila. Great dinner in 35 minutes.

Tonight we broiled petite sirloins and had collard greens and blackeyed peas because I finally got home in time enough to simmer them for 45 minutes. Yum and yeah for vegetables.

Picked up two new bird species last weekend, an American redstart, which I had seen in Brevard and Flagler counties but not here, and a sedge wren.

Rosie and I walked about two miles on the Gemini Springs trail. That makes five miles in three days. Feel so much better when I walk.

On Sunday afternoon, we took a long walk through Hontoon Island State Park. Gorgeous. The trail is a bit muddy and overgrown in places, but it made it feel more like a wilderness experience. Then we took a turn and were in beautiful pine flatwoods, where we saw a 4 or 6 point buck and a turkey gobbler. Such a great Florida experience.

The woods were alive with red-bellied woodpeckers. I've never seen so many in one place.

Wondrous beauty

Whenever I'm not feeling well, I crave two things: comfort food and being outside. I have been able to get out every day this week. Today the husband took me for a ride after I came home sick. We walked down to look at a lake and happened upon a riotous bloom of ginger growing wild! It smelled heavenly and was so beautiful.

And one day this week I watched the sun set on Shiloh Marsh Road. Incredible.

Allergy adventures

A very public and embarrassing allergic reaction tonight. The last time I had an attack was months ago. I was talking to someone toasting cinnamon bread and didn't realize it until it was too late. I took a dose of liquid Benadryl, which I keep in my desk.

Walked outside for a few minutes and then came back. No big deal. 

Tonight, an aroma wafting through the office smelled bad and fairly strong. I mentioned it to my co-worker, the engaging and talented red-head next door and she noticed it too. Smelled sort of like deodorant. Minutes later I felt the wheeze coming on. Told my boss I was leaving, clocked out and hi-tailed it out of there but was in high cough, tingling throat and tongue, mode by the time I got to the car. Came back in to find the darn Benadryl. Head back out the door. Coughing becomes incredibly bad, I'm dizzy, and quickly attracting a crowd. So humiliating.

Finally consented to go to the urgent care clinic. Yuk. Have never had a reaction like that before to something non-cinnamon and have no idea what it was. But Googling tonight, I at least learned that there are quite a number of people with allergies to cinnamon and they ALL say the holidays are a nightmare because of all those bloody cinnamon brooms retailers like to display.

Sheperd's Pie

One of Steve's favorite meals is Shepherd's pie.

It's way too easy to be someone's favorite food. Great meal to take to someone's home who is sick or to make ahead for freezing or for the family to heat up.

• Brown a pound and a third of ground beef, with thinly sliced onions.
• Season with a little garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of rosemary. 
• Taking the totally easy way, stir in a can of cream of mushroom soup, or make your own sauce by adding mushrooms, butter and a little cream. 
• Layer in bottom of casserole. 
• Add a can of cut green beans and a can of whole kernel corn, or other vegetables if you prefer, including mixed vegetables. I add a little celery salt here.
• Top with a nice thick layer of instant mashed potatoes. 
• Layer shredded or sliced cheese on top. 
• Bake at 350 until hot. Yum!

Dinner and date

We had to be in Orlando on Friday night, (Sept. 17), so we made our first trip to the Cheesecake Factory. Wow.

The food was great, and the cheesecake was better. We first stopped at PF Chang's but that was too loud. Not date night ambiance. Cheesecake Factory was marginally better. Why do restaurants have to be so loud? A guy in the large party near us was talking at the top of his lungs. 

I had the Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp, take off on a Thai dish. It was great.

Steve had the Steak Diane and Chicken Madeira combination and the madeira was really wonderful.

Here's a recipe: http://restaurantrecipesbook.com/chicken-madeira-recipe/ I'm going to try it at home. If you do, let me know how it turns out.

Running from the cops

So last night, Steve and I decided to walk the Gemini Springs multi-user trail after an evening church meeting. We didn't get down there until nearly 10 p.m. A man wearing a wifebeater T-shirt was standing around smoking a cigarette. I didn't think much of it, but I guess it must have bothered me more than I realized. 

About a half-mile into the walk, Steve realizes that headlines are coming up behind us. My slight case of nerves before suddenly mushroomed into downright fear. My first instinct was to run -- to turn off the trail and hightail it which I did. Steve said he had no idea I could run that fast! He decided to run with me and when I wanted to head back right, he wanted to go left. He thought the car was going on down the lane but it stopped across the trail and the emergency lane! 

 Finally, as we hesitated Steve got a good look and said "Oh it's a deputy." I shouted at the guy "Oh thank goodness. You scared me to death." I think I was convinced that guy from the parking lot was ready to attack. The deputies had seen us run and thought they were going to have a little excitement after they saw us take off running. I think the deputies thought it was pretty funny.

As we chatted with them, I continued to heave in big breaths. One of the two deputies offered to call EVAC! He quizzed us about where we lived and what we were doing. Apparently the trail is technically closed after dark.

We kept laughing about it all night long. Too funny.

Road trip wrap up

Someone pointed out I stopped posting early on into the road trip. We had such a great time. We rolled into bed exhausted every night! Cathedral Caverns State Park in northeastern Alabama was the highlight of the trip. 

Very fun experience and really fascinating. I did see the prized Mississippi kites that were flying over Alabama. I was delighted to be able to tick those birds off my life list! We drove all over. 

Rosie got to drive a lot. On Thursday before we came home she drove on Highway 64 from Cleveland TN almost to Ducktown. A curvy mountain road but she did super! Then through poor planning I got stuck driving out of the mountains at night and in dense fog. Scary! 

 Spent the night in Dahlonega and drove south toward Atlanta. Did a bit of shopping. Then got off I-75 to drive the back roads. Had dinner at an incredible place called Fresh Air Barbecue in Jackson, Georgia. What a trip! They only serve BBQ sandwiches and Brunswick Stew. We had sandwiches, served on white bread no less and at family style tables. What an adventure. Good food. Memorable restaurant. Arrived home that night at 1:30 a.m. !

Tropics

So Katia, kah-tyah, is a hurricane now, but despite what you see on the TV news, it isn't coming here. It doesn't even appear to be threatening to come here!

However, the little business cooking up in the Gulf of Mexico could make the weather a bit dicey over the weekend. Not likely, but you never know. If both systems zap all the moisture out of our air however, that will not be good. Our plants are toasty dry. We need rain .... but not as much rain as they had in Vermont.

Chili's tonight for a University High Spirit night. Three days into a renewed effort to do the South Beach diet thing. Not going so well.

However, last night I popped pork chops in a Pampered Chef baking stone 9 by 13 pan, sprinkled liberally with citrus basil rub, topped with sliced zucchini and yellow squash. More rub. Convection roast for about an hour while I walked three miles at Gemini Springs. Perfection!

Thursday

Today was a lovely day. We had great fun together and Cathedral Caverns was really awesome. And at $12 a person, a really great deal. Rosie drove most of the day. She did great. We drove over to Chattanooga and then to Cleveland, and had dinner at a little diner. Had no luck withstanding a camping spot again sadly . So we drove too late and had a hair-raising trip thru the mountains in the fog. Found a beautiful clean newly renovated Quality Inn in Dahlonega. Managed to get a room with two queen beds for $58!!!

Road trip with Rosie, Wednesday

So we've been busy. We spent Monday night in Monroeville, Alabama, home of Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird. Tuesday was pretty much all about the Civil Rights movement. We visited the Courthouse in Monroeville, which was completely reproduced in the Mockingbird movie. It was fascinating. Rosie drove much of the day and she did a great job. We drove from Monroeville through Arlington, Alabama, then up toward Demopolis where I had heard they had swallow-tailed kites and Mississippi kites. I wasn't disappointed. Saw both. Was thrilled.

Afterwards, we drove to Selma, visited the small interpretive center there for the Civil Rights March of 1965, when many people from the area planned to march to Montgomery to demand that the area's black residents be allowed to vote. But shortly after leaving and crossing the bridge over the Alabama River at Selma, violence ensued and a black man was killed. Several days later they made the march and by the time they got to Montgomery, more than 25,000 people had joined the march. A National Park Service interpretive center halfway along has great exhibits and was very moving. We drove all over downtown Montgomery, seeing the odd conglomeration of Confederacy memorials, civil rights memorials and the state government buildings. Fascinating.


Then we drove through Talladega, Alabama to see the Superspeedway, naturally. Finally we stopped and spent the night in Oxford, where I was able to use my Choice Hotel points for a free room! We had a nice leisurely morning. Then we went shopping -- Rosie's favorite activity! We hit Target, the AT&T store and TJ Maxx.

Left there and visited Cheaha State Park, the tallest point in Alabama. Pretty, but not terribly exciting. Rosie didn't drive at all today. Couldn't tell if she was frustrated, tuckered out or just wanting to text all day long.

Today was kind of a rough day. Things didn't work out exactly like I'd planned. I wanted to camp at Buck's Pocke State Park but the camp ground was exceedingly buggy and no one was there! Not a single soul. And we didn't have cell phone signal, so we decided not to stay. We called Lake Guntersville State Park but their camping area was closed because of the tornadoes. We were literally in the middle of nowhere. We decided to drive on to Cathedral Caverns but they closed at 5. We made the best of it and found a very nice Best Western on the shores of Lake Guntersville.

Tomorrow Rosie is driving! And we're headed to the Caverns. From there, probably headed toward southern Tennessee and northern Georgia.

Link to our photo album from the trip

Road trip with Rosie

August 15

Great day today. Lovely morning at the Marriott, then Rosie drove us to Pensacola. She did so great. We drove thrtough Gulf Islands national seashore . It was beautiful. No major meltdown Today ! Yeah. Saw the battleship Alabama.Today In passing drive buy. So surprisingly big

Road trip with Rosie - Day two

Today we woke up and hit the continental breakfast at the hotel. Typical sausage gravy and biscuits, but they also had fruit salad and scrambled eggs and TANG! Who remembers Tang, breakfast juice of the astronauts. I had two glasses!

We headed over to church and had to drive through the FSU campus. So pretty, but Rosie blew lots of raspberries at the Seminoles and got tickled when she saw some kid walking through in a Gator's jersey. After church, we passed Doak Campbell Stadium.

We headed south out of Tallahassee to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. What a gorgeous place. Thousands of birds and marshes and a historic old lighthouse. This area experienced one of Florida's few Civil War battles. I could have stayed all day. I counted 37 black skimmers in one flock and also saw three black-necked stilts. Totally cool.

We drove east toward Panama City Beach. Traffic was not busy so it was good driving for Rosie. We found a beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly that was dying on the pavement at a gas station and picked it up. Rosie cradled it all afternoon



Stopped and had dinner at a tacky touristy restaurant right on the beach, Toucans, and the food was surprisingly good.

Arrived at the Marriott about 7:30. Lovely property and such a great price on the room $89.

Road trip with Rosie - Day One

We pulled out of DeBary at 4 p.m., after doing all the errands and things I'd hoped to do. Uneventful trip to Tallahassee. Rosie drove great, even though we were both pretty stressed out.
I always love that feeling of driving up Apalachee Parkway into Tallahassee and seeing the Old Capitol dome and the Capitol Office Building looming over everything. Whether you like what comes out of there or not, it's a bit of a thrill to think about the history.

Communication

If I ever lose it and go postal, the root cause will most surely be a communication failure. The lack of clear communication and the abundance of miscommunication at several levels in my life is slowly driving me bonkers. It complicates so many things unnecessarily.
Walked 2.5 miles on the Gemini Springs trail tonight. The temperature and warm breezes are nearly perfect and tonight provided an oh-so-nice contrast to 9 hours in the County Administration Center.

Weather and food, two of my favorite subjects

Today is the first day of hurricane season. Wrote a couple of stories for tomorrow's paper. We'll see what happens. One of the prevailing theories is that the season will be very busy. Some wonder if it could be related to the busy tornado season they had in the Plains. The last busiest tornado season there was in 2004, hmmmm....

Made cupcakes tonight in beautiful pink, petal liners from Wilton. Now I'm surfing the web, trying to decide how to frost them.

Came home tonight to find no one had cooked. I was hoping. They did save me salad, but I wasn't in the mood. So I made a three-egg omelet with cheddar cheese and cheater Hollandaise, (mayonnaise and lemon juice). Tasted great.

We have a bounty of vegetables flowing in from the garden: squash, green beans and tomatoes. My favorite way to fix crookneck squash is to lightly sprinkle a little olive oil in a bowl. Chunk up the squash, toss with the oil, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and pop in the oven on convection roast. Very nice!

Ice cream

It's a three-scoop kind of night. Too many things piling up again. So it's Breyers caramel toffee crunch, with chocolate syrup! But only because I'm out of mango salsa. I have absolutely fallen in love with mango salsa. I could eat it every night. Tried it over the weekend with finely chopped sweet potato thrown in. Great!


Sad tonight that I'm not going to get to go on the deep sea birdwatching trip this Saturday. I wanted to go so badly but it just seemed like there were too many things to do and it's hard to justify $185. Now I heard a friend is going and I've been upset all night that I didn't go ahead and just do it.

Do you ever notice that sometimes your pet peeves seem more overwhelming than others?

Our garden looks so good. Just frustrating that the darned squirrels won't stay out of it!

The new goals...

Didn't say no to anyone today. Even volunteered to bake a cake, but was rebuffed. Oh well. Everyone seems more concerned about me than me.

Talked to an old friend tonight. Love that. Spoke with another friend briefly. Life sure can be complicated.

Daughter will be 18 on Thursday. Must lay in birthday supplies and figure out what we're doing. It's a much bigger deal for her than it is for us. Suddenly she's hitting us with I'm all grown up now and can do what I want. Sigh ... I can remember feeling that way once upon a time. Now I'd like to move back in with my mother and let her direct my every move again.

Big to do at work in a conflict over journalism ethics and bitter former staffers taking pot shots at us, with the help of our own staff. Really burns me up. Was very upset at all of it today. Just want people to leave us alone and let us do our jobs.

The weekend

Weekend is coming to a close. Really wish I had one more day to rest. Slept 9.5 hours last night and too a two-hour nap this afternoon. Still tired.

This weekend was more than a bit nutty. Open house at work on Saturday morning. More than 500 people attended! It was fun to take people through the building and let them see the newsroom and the presses. That appears to be everyone's favorite.

Had a lot of fun at my daughter-in-law's baby shower. It's amazing what sorts of things available for parents now. It's also always interesting to watch group dynamics at work. It's especially interesting to see genetics at play in a group setting. Got to see that twice yesterday, at the baby shower, and later at the bridal shower at my home. Both parties were fun. But, I never took ANY photos...

We wound up with 20 people at the bridal shower. We used lots of hot pink and white lace, with a sprinkling of Easter decorations and fresh flowers. Fun. Served crackers and cheese for appetizers, with fresh fruit, then we had rolls and seafood lasagna. I liked the lasagna, but thought it could be more moist.

Used the recipe from the Kraft website. Made it the night before, then baked at last minute. Didn't use the low-fat stuff, subbed ricotta for cottage cheese. Used twice as much ricotta as it called for and would have liked more shrimp.

What You Need
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Cottage Cheese
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained
1/2 lb. deveined peeled medium shrimp, cooked
2 cans (6 oz. each) crabmeat, drained, flaked
Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.

MELT butter in large saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly; simmer on low heat 3 to 5 min. or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan; set aside. Mix spinach, cottage cheese, 2/3 cup mozzarella and nutmeg.

SPREAD 2/3 cup Parmesan sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Cover with 3 lasagna noodles and layers of half each of the shrimp, crabmeat and spinach mixture; top with 2/3 cup of the remaining Parmesan sauce. Repeat layers, starting with the noodles. Top with remaining noodles, Parmesan cheese sauce and mozzarella; cover.

BAKE 45 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 25 min. Let stand 10 min. before cutting to serve.

Here's to the start of a new week, with my new goals in mind.

Fed up

I decided two things today. The first is, I'm fed up with negativity -- in all its forms, personages and attitudes. Over it. I've started deleting negative people from my Facebook and where possible I'm going to start deleting them from my life. I am too stressed, too fed up, too overworked and too disheartened to put up with any more.

I am particularly fed up with negativism at work. People: Get over it. Some of us have jobs. Some of us don't. Those who do should quit bellyaching and just do the work. Never mind how someone else thinks it ought to be done, how it was done 20 years ago or how someone taught you in J-school. The business is different, and whether it survives or not just might depend on a little change from the old way. And while I'm at it, in my view if you own a paper you ought to be able to do whatever you dang well please. I felt that way under the old owners and I still believe the same thing under the new owner.

The second thing I decided today was that I'm going to learn to say no. That means no to you, and you, and you. Everybody tells me I should learn to say no, but many people continue to ask me to do things.

I am stressed to the breaking point and need to take steps to get a few priorities straight and maybe for once put my own sanity -- or what's left of it -- first.

This list may also be expanded to include an anti-drama and histrionics campaign in all its forms.

Memories

And suddenly it's 2004 again. How I loathe the sound of generators. The storm the weather service had been warning about all day arrived with gusto at about 4:46. The wind came from nowhere, even making me a little nervous as it rattled the house and windows. Rosie heard a snap and then another and two trees went down in the yard. Two minutes did what four hurricanes did not in 2004, taking down two trees.

We saw people running on the street behind us and could tell a big tree had come down. Drove around there and discovered an 89-year-old neighbor had been standing in her yard and had a huge tree fall down all around her but she was amazingly uninjured! Incredible. Nobody could believe it.

So that tree ripped the wires down are her house, leaving her entire street without power. One of her neighbors turned their generator on immediately and has had it running all day long! My Facebook friends are talking about their enjoyable, peacefully quiet evening without power and all we've heard is the stinking generator! Grrrrrr.

I worked at home today, because I was only planning to work four hours, since I'm working on Saturday morning. Blew that cleanly. Spent several hours researching electron layers in the ionosphere. Doesn't that sound exciting?

New furniture arrived, and upon closer inspection discovered the new, custom-ordered recliner had a rip and was coming apart on the side. Consider me not a happy camper. I flatly told the guy who sold me the furniture that Haynes Brothers would be getting a load of negative publicity when the 25 women show up for a bridal shower at my house on Saturday and see the flawed, expensive new furniture.

And then the storm arrived ...

Warning Stormy waters ahead

Beyond exhausted ... still... Long day at work, come home late. Hungry but just too tired to find something to eat. Need to clean house, get ready for bridal shower Saturday and trying to get the house ready for the furniture delivery tomorrow!

Yes, the furniture is finally arriving, after a somewhat insistent conversation with the furniture store saying no, you won't wait for the next piece to arrive. Now another round of guilt and questioning whether we did the right thing by buying furniture.

At the risk of voicing a personal opinion, I've really had it with the entire health insurance and medical industries and political officials who oversee it all. It really shouldn't be this complicated -- or expensive. I really need to get a better job or write a novel!

Quick trip to the Orlando Wetlands Park today, searching for a yellow breasted chat. No such luck. But did see a fair number of other birds, including several yellow-crowned night herons and limpkins. Lots and lots of birds and a beautiful day.

Nice turnout for my Pampered Chef party yesterday. The mango salsa was wonderful. I ate all of it. Wouldn't think to put mangos and jalapenos together. But they were great.
Here's the recipe:
Mango Salsa on page 5 in catalog

1 large mango
1/2 small jicama
1/3 orange bell pepper
1/3 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
1/3 small red onion
lime juice, from half a lime
Pampered Chef Chili Lime Rub
Tortilla chips

Spring

Besides the bounce back to cold weather this week, it appears spring has arrived. Suddenly everything is green and the azaleas are blooming. It's really beautiful and my favorite time of year.
Hope to get outdoors some tomorrow and next week. I'll be off work for a week. I really had hoped to go away but guess that won't happen. Hopefully will be able to squeeze in some kayaking and birdwatching.
I'd love to spend two or three nights at the beach. I really love the beach. I've been down in Edgewater the past two nights in a row, meeting with a sweet lady who is working with me on a story. Each night I've left there to go for a walk on the beach.
It's nearly pitch dark and oh so peaceful. Although I've been completely alone both nights, I'm not afraid. I do keep a watchful eye. Both nights I kicked over people's sandcastles. Funny conflicting feelings over that.
Bought an old James Michener book to read next week. Caribbean. Still working on the Teddy Roosevelt biography by Douglas Brinkley, "Wilderness Warrior." It's really interesting but kind of slow going for some reason.
Last month I bought a signed copy of a Roger Peterson, Field Guide to Birds. Totally cool.
Heard a Carolina chickadee this morning, then looked up and it was sitting right there. Totally cool.

Food, Racing, Music

Made homemade caramel corn tonight. It had been awhile. Needed more popcorn to balance the syrup.
Melt two sticks butter in a pot, stir in 1.5 cups sugar, 1/2 cup Karo syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil for one minute. Pour over giant bowl of popcorn. Yum. Stir in nuts if you like.

Fun day at the track. Love those cars. It's fun to go totally out of my comfort zone and write a sports story. Challenging. And it reminds me that the absolute best thing about my job is being able to walk up and talk to strangers, and even ask for their phone numbers!

Watched much of the Grammys with Rosie. Lady Gaga is too weird for words. Love it that the girl from Lady Antebellum cried, and totally enjoyed watching Will Smith and his wife watch their son perform with Justin Bieber.

Took a day off on Monday, sort of ... Went up to Washington Oaks to meet some Audubon folks to talk about the potential closing of 53 state parks. I've written about the issue. Went for a walk on the beach. Wow. It is truly beautiful there. Saw quite a number of birds. No right whales, though I really was hoping. Had lunch at a little restaurant overlooking Matanzas Inlet. We live in Paradise.



Went out to the Speedway today. So many people are so excited about racing. It's hard not to be caught up in their enthusiasm for the Great American race.

Saw huge flock of American robins at the NJ today. Parked under a tree where they were feasting on cedar berries. Big mistake. Truck covered in bird poop, but it smelled like Christmas!

things ...

Went to a right whale necropsy today. You just can't imagine the smell. It is in my nostrils and I just can't get it out. Important work, but nasty.
Rosie got her driver's permit this week. What a huge milestone. She only missed three questions. I'm proud of her.
I realized today that it has been four months since I was out in my kayak. Seems really hard to believe. Sometimes I think I need to tweak my priorities.
Will be headed out to the Speedway again in a few days. I have been laughing for days about my encounter with Richard Petty. Funny how some little things stick with you.
And sometimes it's funny how little things remind you that it's time to make a course correction. What you do with the new wind is up to you...

Deep breaths ...

Laid on the hammock this afternoon for two hours and read a great book. Wow. What a feeling. Very relaxing. Rosie was asleep and Steve was at work. No drama. No criticism. Peace. Except for the neighbor's mower...

Yesterday Rosie and I drove over to Canaveral National Seashore and had a picnic lunch on the beach after church. Even though we froze, it was a lot of fun. I love the ocean, something about all that water. I've always loved it. Then we did the boardwalk at Turtle Mound. Rode through Eldora. Took a bunch of silly pictures. Those moments are so rare now that she's 17. Have to make the most of them when they come.




Made potato soup tonight, left it on the stove too long and had to add more fluid. Oh well. It tastes ok, but would have been better with onions. Also made a roast chicken with stuffing. Nice change.

So my question of the day is: why do people criticize others for something that has no bearing on the person doing the criticizing? Why does it seem to be human nature to be critical of things you don't understand or don't do? And is it a learned behavior or a genetic behavior? I loathe it. If you're supposed to be doing a job and you don't do it right, I can understand criticism to a point. But criticizing someone's likes or dislikes, what is that really about?

Maybe someday I'll get to be at a time in my life when I can live without criticism.

Shrimp and grits

I worked at the Speedway yesterday. It was cold and a bit frustrating. It feels weird to be out of my element. I feel comfortable talking to scientists, even when I'm not totally familiar with the subject, but chasing around NASCAR drivers that I don't recognize on site? Different story.

I did get to have a conversation with Richard Petty, which cracked me up. Details will not be forthcoming, but suffice it to say my new favorite phrase is "yeah, whatever."

So arriving at my truck in the parking lot, I realize I have a flat tire. Unbelievable after a long, cold day. Seriously wishing I could call over one of these pit crews. Grabbed the spare and promptly sliced my finger wide open. I was bleeding all over the place! A couple came up to help and incredibly this 62-year-old woman made short work of my jack and my tire while I stood there! I kept asking her to let me do it and she wasn't moving.

Came home tired and hungry. Didn't want to cook but knew the shrimp I had in the fridge needed to be cooked.

I've always wanted to try shrimp and grits, I'd heard about it from several people, but I was not terribly enthused over frying cold grits. So last night I decided just to try my own version. It was awesome!

First I started the grits cooking, four cups water, one cup grits and a half teaspoon salt.

Then I melted 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat, added two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, a sprinkling of basil, cumin, thyme, garlic and onion powders, white pepper and crushed red pepper. Blended with a spatula and slowly stirred in a pint of whipping cream. When it started to bubble, I added a pound of shelled shrimp and covered and left on lower medium setting.

When grits were done I stirred in thyme, white pepper and about a cup of cheese. I used a blend of white and yellow sharp cheddar.

When shrimp turned pink, I took the skillet off the stove.

Top a serving of shrimp with a serving of the sauce and a few grits and voila!

It's cold!!!

We're freezing again. Came home to find a window open and Steve huddled on the couch with a blanket. Let's close the window dear! It was mid-40s by the time I got home around 9:30. Going to be a cold, cold morning.
I am soooo tired of cold weather. We're just not equipped for this, not our blood or our clothes or our houses. I'm really ready to move to the Caribbean.
This is a nutso week with so much going on. I called one friend this week just to read her my to-do list and say "it's not just me, is it?"
And, for the second time in a week, one of my interviews vanished into thin air. What's up with that?
Two recipe inventions this week so far.
One a Southwestern style soup:
Sauteed onions and garlic in a little oil. Add two cups of homemade chicken broth, two cans of corn and one can of spinach. A little salt and cilantro. YUM

Second, sauteed shrimp in olive oil with garlic and several seasonings -- oregano, thyme and basil -- till shrimp was pink. Removed shrimp, stirred in a little water and cook. Tossed with cooked orzo into which I'd dropped some frozen broccoli at the last minute then drained with the orzo. Top with paremsan cheese. Very tasty!

Now planning food for the breakfast/brunch shower this weekend.